Happy 21st Birthday Valene!!

"Don't be old-fashioned and call me at midnight."

Of course not, I thought to myself. I'm gonna appear at yr doorstep at midnight. And so we did. With Sze's help, Jun, Jen & I creeped in to her hse at midnight & surprised her w a Brunetti's bday cake. Before she could even breathe in e surprise, the fire alarm rang. What the....?! %$#&*@~!

Yes, you guess it right. Jst as I did, when I casually suggested to the girls in the lift tht e fire alarm might go off with the sparklers. I tell u, it was truly a funny birthday surprise. You should be there to see everyone's expression. Reminded me abt Sophia's 20th birthday. I surprised her w a Brunetti's cake & the sparkler prompted the fire alarm. Talking abt learning fr yr mistakes.. hahaha.. Note: Highly recommended to those adventurous at heart, JUST to make sure they will always remember their friends' birthday surprise.

The original plan was to go skydiving on her bday. Yup, SKYDIVING. WOW! What a thing to do on yr 21st. Great idea. Adventurous. Exciting. Once-in-a-lifetime. But at last, we didn't make it. Call me a chicken or whatsoever. But how could I go skydiving whn I almost pee in my pants when I sat some kiddy Scooby-Doo roller coaster ride in Gold Coast? Sooooo let's jst say, we had a more subtle and less adventurous birthday celebration instead.

Kickstarted e day w Korean lunch @ Paramount. Then, proceed to some shopping @ Brunswick St - e perfect place for knick knacks & funny looking stuff tt u can't get elsewhere. Then, we went for this exquisite Japanese restaurant in Crown - Koko for dinner. Fine Japanese cuisine. Great atmosphere. Nice music. Bad service. Tell me! Tell me! Which waitress in this world would hv thought, us being in our 20s, would not know what a medium rare lamb is? Instead she said: "Do you girls mind if the lamb is a bit pink?" Pink, your head! U mean, medium rare. Perhaps they should include a "How to treat adults like adults" course in their hospitality training.

Gave her our bday present - a specially-designed birthday "card" tt looks like a magazine cover called Valeo. (Think of Cleo!) ;P And of course, Krystal's & mine bday present to her - a "subtlely-hinted" exquisite necklace. (At least, it's worth yr effort!)*nudge*

Happy 21st Birthday, future Milan designer~~!

My last "free" weekend before mum comes. ;P

Finally.

After many times of delay, we finally managed to go to e much-talked Cuckoo restaurant... a quaint German restaurant up in Dandenong's Mountain. Thanks to Jen's mum, she drove us up for a day out at e mountain. The weather was perfect.. Sunny, 25 degrees.

Overall, the food was not fantastic.... I was expecting some traditional German food but it was mostly Western... u know the usual sausages, mash potatoes, fish fillet, roast turkey, cheese & crackers & heaps more. But wht attracted me most was the atmosphere & ambience. All e waiters & waitresses were dressed in those traditional costumes... u know, those Dutch Lady dresses bck in the ... ermmmm... 1800s? Yup, u get e point.

They entertained us for e 3 whole hrs, with live old-folk music. Then, the part where they need volunteers came. Knowing how lucky I was & despite e many attempts to look away, I was chosen. To yodel. OMG, it was so embarassing! *blush* but I had fun.. FYI, yodeling originates from Austria. It's a traditional way of singing w two alternative tones. Coincidentally most of e patrons were mostly senior citizens, which makes us feel ... OMG, is this how we'll be like whn we're old?!... ;P Spent e rest of e aft relaxing... checked out e mysterious little shops there & bought my second French CD. :) :) :) Hv been dying for some French music for soooOOOOoooo long..

Sat morn, met up w Haw Chuan for eggs fiesta. Gosh, I've never had so many eggs in my life. I think all 3 of us including my bro, whacked 14 eggs. By eggs fiesta, I meant all styles of eggs: scrambled eggs, sunny side-up, eggs souffle, omelette, hard-boiled egg, bacon (to avoid us fr puking) & even eggs for dessert. All tt for breakfast!!!! *gasp*.. Thanks pal!

Helped out in church on Sat... some seminar regarding Israel. Although it was tiring, I had fun meeting new ppl & to know tt at least... AT LEAST, I can contribute to e community. Managed to pull Val along to church on Sun, which was something I'v been praying v hard for. Then, had nasi lemak for lunch w Jeremy. It's e first time both of them had lunch together. It turned out to be better than I expectd.. well, at least there were no awkward silence. Watched War of the Worlds on dvd.. Shocking ending, like Richie said. Still, e best thing was: cuddling up for a good movie.. teehee. ;)

Oh, I got my results today.... My response: let's jst say, I deserve it. Mama's response: "Good stuff, girl. But what is the credit doing there arr?" OOoooopsie.

Currently anticipating for mum's arrival? YES!!!!! *cheers*

A week of catching up with friends

I love it whn u meet up w friends & u hv meaningful, fruitful conversations tht u normally wouldn’t experience if u’r in a group of friends. It was really great to sit down, chat & not worry abt time or money. These days I’ve been trying to catch up w friends before mama arrives.. met up w Adeline 2 days ago. Went Taco Bill & ate to our hearts content. Although we don’t see each other tt often, I think it’s great to catch up once in a while, like e good ol’ times. Went n watch Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Not really e best animated movie in e world but definitely better than I had expected. Something outside of my comfort zone.

Met up w Angie yday for lunch.. another lucky girl getting married next yr!! & here I am still trying to search for e right one!! ;P Does tt sound like someone in a desperate position to get married? NOOOOO.. I’m only 21, for God’s sake. Accompanied her to try on a few wedding dresses. Really fun! Then jst sat down & chat & chat & chat & chat.. Unlike our usual hi byes in church, it surprises me to know tt we can actually sit down n chat & not run out of conversations.

Had a fruitful bunch yday.. currently dwelling on e book of Judges. Another amazing thing is to see myself grow each day in this bunch. Wht used to be a very.. note: VERY uncomfortable position w new faces, new surroundings & new people has turned into familiar faces tt I’m so accustomed to. Jst as I was abt to get myself comfortable, I hv to scout for a new bunch in KL... *pout*

Something happy happened to me today........... What, I hear u ask?................ Krystal called..!!!!!!!!! *jumping* Man, it felt as though she was jst there. I can imagine her evry move, her evry expression & we can even predict each other’s thought. How scary is tht. Thanks for calling dear..... & thanks for all the lovely surprises. You are really very thoughtful...!! Even Elina kept bugging me abt u... asking me how I cope w e fact tht u’re gone!! OMG.... In fact, everyone has been asking me e same question. This shows..................... heheee..... u know lar! Cannot stand hor!! *bluek*

Met up w Joseph for Vietnamese today and we decided we’re gonna introduce our mums to each other. Hmmmmm...... Tt would be interesting. We’ll see how tt goes. Met up w Elina today..... Again, we went Fed Square. Really, I’m so gonna miss tht place. Although I don’t go there often enough & despite e many disgusted opinions fr various ppl abt tt piece of architecture, I personally think it’s one of the icons of Melbourne. Love e unique design.. Should’v gone thre at night. In fact, now with e yearly Christmas tree there, it look even more stunning. As usual whn it’s w Elina, it’s always laughter plus in-depth conversations abt family, love, relationships and sex. WoooooooOOOooo~~

Graduation blues

While Ling was sarcastically complaining abt her working blues, I thought to myself.. "Hmmmmm.. perhaps PR is not an area that I REALLLLLYY wanna go into!!" A bit too late for tht eh? I dunno.. While browsing mindlessly for job opportunities online, I thought a bit abt my career goals.

Do I even hv one? In the first place, is it even important to hv one? Apart fr the predicted route of being a PR practitioner, seriously, I don't see myself owning a PR firm. I mean, I do love doing PR work (well, not the flipping through n/papers & calling to make sure journalists are attending e press conference bit) & I do love event management. But somehow, I don't see a vision of myself doing tht for long. Perhaps it is something I can consider as a stepping stone.

In fact, I'm thinking somewhere along e lines of management. U know, managing ppl & making life-threatening decisions. I know I like to get myself involve in e decision-making process. Now that would be interesting!! :) Mama casually suggested tt I should consider taking a MBA or Masters in Business Management.. that is, AFTER I find myself a job.

Oh well, for now, I guess I can't really be picky right? Maybe, jst maybe, I'm suffering fr graduation blues.

*sniff* *sniff*

U know u love a person when it hurts u most but u know a friend is close to u when u can still feel their presence eventhough they're not physically here anymore. I was the saddest girl on earth when I saw u waving fr the cab. This time, it's real. This time, u're definitely gone. No more surprise. But clearly, it's not the end. Clearly, we'll grow old together n see Wobbit & Wonka Ho grow up, reminiscing abt our times in Melb, bitching abt mother-in-laws, bosses & how our husbands are not satisfying enough! *lol*... scary! We sound like lovers.. hahaha.. Missing yr presence already, cupcaaaaaake! Note: Richie, don't think I don't miss u eh?!.. *bluek**

The past week has been...... Exciting. Momentous. Crazy. That's the word. Spending most of my time w Krystal, bumming around.. the best thing abt us is tht we don't hv to do anything special to feel special. Jst the mere presence of her is enough to make my day. From clubbing @ Billboard to savouring chocs @ St. Kilda... from Korean dinner @ Glenferrie to bfast @ INCK... from watching movies to a day out @ Knox... from admiring the Christmas decorations to sleepovers... u name it, we've done it!

Drove to Daylesford w Jeremy, Kat & Karen last wk.. Fun. My first trip w them. I hv to say, the feeling was rather strange at first. Not really my kind of idea of a slumber party but I guess evryone has diff ways of doin things. Daylesford, nv been thre but truly a relaxing place. We took strolls at the lake, went n visit the choc mill, hv long dinners & midnight spas. Best thing was: my bedroom. I had the queen-size bed all to myself w a walk-in closet & a balcony w a view facing the lake. Ahhhh~~ truly a good getaway fr the hustle bustle of the city. But I hv to admit, I can't stay at tt place for long. It makes me feel like a retired old lady. Still the city girl.

Oh oh, I finally met Jen's mum. After soooo long.. like a typical mother, i enjoyd myself seeing her how she would say things n act out of her ordinary manner jst to "blend" in w her daughter's friends. Although there wasn't deep conversations, bcoz of language barrriers (she speaks mandarin & i don't!), it was still interesting to meet her. Best thing was: to spend Sun w Jen. Knowing how busy she is, it was my first time shopping w her. Initiated by her. Rare but truly memorable.

I watched Saw II at V Max. Basically, a cinema w the usual screen x 3 & a superb surround system but paying e same price. Man, I can't believe I enjoyd e movie this much. It was so gory & disgusting, I cant imagine someone could think of a script like tt. Salute! Thumbs-up! Definitely a mst watch in the cinemas. It's been such a long time since I watched a movie tt doesn't feel like it's 2hrs. It's not a continuous fr Saw I so don't worry if u havent watched the first one yet. Prime, on the other hand, is not super fantastic but still a good pick if u're after for some romance & comedy.

Psssst, Wai Lun calld me jst now. Shocked. But it was a good catch-up after so many months. It's great to know tt even after a not-so-successful r/ship, we can still come togethr as friends, chatting as though evrything was still e same.. as though we pickd up fr where we left off. Still, I can't help to feel tt sense of comfort as I listened to his usual remarks & chuckles. Maybe it's the sense of familiarity. Or maybe it's the feeling of "WOW!~~ I finally let go."

The Unspoken - Part III

"I thought I chucked it right here." That was the same line he kept mumbling as he rummaged through his backpack.

Aiks~! Still not there. We walked back to Kat's place, which was jst a street away to search again. Turned the hse upside down and still no signs of any car keys. We were so desperate, we even looked through the shelves of Save Way, hoping it will be there. As we were peering through the shelves like two crazy people, my bro called.

"Ask Jeremy if he lost his car keys?" In between his cheeky giggles, he laughed and said, "Who the heck can lock their car but leave the car keys hanging at the door?"

Oops. Apparently it's the 4th time he's done tht.

We walked back home with me convincing him tt he's still not the most foolish guy on earth while talking abt our amusing "u-never-know-who-they-are" encounters.

As we stepped into the lift, he pulled me close and looked straight into my eyes and said, "Thanks for running up and down with me."

I gave my most mischievous smile and replied, "I know my presence means a lot." He leaned over and gave me a peck on my forehead.

That mere instant left me astounded. I don't know wht is it abt yday's incident tht left me feeling this way. That kept me pondering. Perhaps it managed to dismiss the random thought in me, wondering wht the heck am I doin with this guy, which unfortunately still strikes me once in a while. Or perhaps it is the "i'm-glad-you're-here" look tht he gave me.

But one thing for sure, I know I want to be there for him. No matter what.

Happy 21st Birthday Zijill

A big birthday hug & big slurpyyyyy birthday kiss, specially dedicated to my dear porcupine. Hope u had a blast yday! Although it was a brief chat, it does feel very nice to be able to hear yr voice again - all our college memories were overflowing the minute I hear yr giggles & excitement over the phone. :) :) Can't wait to come back..

Yday was another special day for me. I was given yet another special gift from a very very very special friend. ^_^ What more could I say - the gift itself is quite remarkable but the thought, effort & excitement in her eyes when she presented the gift to me adds to the extraordinary gift. Thanks, my dear.

Finally, after so many weeks, Krystal & I finally watched In Her Shoes, a chic flick by the gorgeous Cameron Diaz & Aussie girl Toni Collette. What I thought was a romantic comedy akin to 10 Things I Hate About You turned out to be a movie abt sisterhood & family bonds. Funny. Romantic. Laid-back. Definitely a movie for a casual night out w yr girlfriends. My verdict: 7.5/10.

Maybe I'm deprived of movies after a period of "struggle" of intensive assgns. ;P Coz it seems to me tt these days I'm pretty addicted to movies. Watched Pride & Prejudice @ The Glen w Jeremy yday night. Steph warned me beforehand the movie was not tt good. So I went in w a low expectation, thinking it mst be another cheesy romantic movie. NO! It was in fact a v sophisticated movie w refined language, shot in the 18th century. Although w the well-defined features of Keira Knightley, it still did not camouflage the beautiful murals, sculptures & costumes in the movie. There were even a few close-up shots of Knightley tt swept my feet away & a few too many shots tt are quite breathtaking. Due to the fact tt I'm an ardent fan of Knightley, my verdict might be slightly biased. I reckon 8/10.

Currently anticipating: Elizabethtown.

Fiji – truly a paradise!

I thought the whole Fiji trip was already quite overwhelming. But I never thought the experience of seeing a close friend leaving and a surprise from one of yr closest friend can be quite an overpowering feeling as well.

Came back late Fri night... suffering from severe holiday blues. Best thing was: to see Krystal right in front of my doorstep. I was stunned. I was shocked. I am exhilarated. Special thanks to Hawch for contributing to this surprise. And to my dear cupcake, u naughty fat pig, knowing tt u will not be leaving but still lie to me jst to gimme this surprise. Oh well, at least it’s a positive white lie. ;P We’re gonna hv a blast this 2wks before u leave.

Spent e whole Sat w the gang – Sze, Val, Franco, Krystal & Richie.. went Footscray, had lunch, discussing abt our HK trip, prepared a bday surprise for Nelson, had fresh salmon for dinner & took heaps of funny crazy webcam pics. Saddest thing was: to bid Franco goodbye. Miss u heaps already. ^_^ Take care in HK yea!! Gd luck in finding a job & see u in 2 months time. Thanks for all the laughter u brought into my life!

And now................................. ******drum rolls*****

My account of the Fiji trip w the girls - Val, Jen & Jun.

Bula! - The Fijian way of saying Hello - (pronounced with a big smile, shouting "BULAAAAAAAAAA!!!") Yes, I can do it very well. ;P

Day 1 – lazing @ Hideaway Resort
Arrived in Nadi, capital of Fiji around 6am. Tired & excited, we sat a 2hrs bus ride to our resort, to be greeted w warm, friendly smiles & a sneak preview of wht Fiji's like. Had bfast & spent the whole day, relaxing & lazing under the hot Fijian sun. (Ok! Actually the sun is still the same.) Then, manage to persuade the girls to go snorkelling. Snorkelling unguided. I was quite apprehensive at first, knowing tht the 3 girls are equally nervous as well. But, all turned out well. Too bad, we didn't really see much corals. Had yummy Mongolian BBQ at night & checkd out the resort club.

Day 2 – Namuamua Inland Tour
We wanted to experience some traditional Fijian culture. So went on this day trip to Namuamua Village. Fijian ppl actually resembles a bit like Orang Asli. Supposed to go for a swim @ the waterfall. But the weather was horrible, raining heavily. Arrivd there, greeted by Fijian kids & experienced my first kava ceremony - a horrible bitter welcome drink tht guests mst drink! *bluek* It contains minimal ammount of drug tht numbs yr tongue the minute u finish the whole bowl. Worst thing was, u hv to give a big smile after u drink. Otherwise, u risk getting another bowl of kava.

Saw some traditional Fijian dances & music & even had tradional Fijian food for lunch. My favourite: palusami, a dish made out of taro leaves served w taro. Taste v weird at first but I was so addicted to it tt I helped myself to 4 pieces. heheee... Took a stroll around the village - visiting the schools. Experienced our first bamboo rafting but I think we were all too heavy, it wouldn't move.

Day 3 – Captain Cook Cruise to Tivua Island
Met this American tourist, Alexis @ the day trip yday. She highly recommended us to go for a Captain Cook Cruise. So spontaneously, we decided.. Oh why not?!.. Smart decision. All I can say is without this cruise, it would never complete our Fiji trip.

Travel again for abt 2hrs to Nadi, board our ship for another 1hr cruise to this deserted, unspoiled island - Tivua Island. White sandy beaches & clear water... u know those u see in the brochures & postcards. Truly a paradise!! :) We spent abt 4hrs @ the island w BBQ for lunch. Went for our 2nd snorkelling & a swim at the crsytal clear water. Saw some beautiful corals & fishes. :) :)

Now, this is Fiji!~

Day 4 – Shopped till we dropped @ Suva, 2nd biggest city in Fiji
How could we leave Fiji without visiting the capital of Fiji? Hired a personal driver & again, another 2hrs ride to Suva. Stopped along the way for coconut, bananas & pineapples. hahaha... the typical us! Eating our way to Suva.

Visited the parliament hse, the president's hse & begin our 5hrs of shopping. Wooooo~~ the stuff there are amazingly cheap. U get like a huge muffin a size of 2 fists for only 25cents Fijian. We even missed our lunch. In the end, we were so tired even to walk, we had to dragged ourselves to cheap Fijian Indian food for dinner. Yummy~~

Day 5 – Cave Tour
By the 5th day, I've only got Fijian 30dollars left. Broke after a day of shopping yday. Went for another day trip - the cave tour. Thank goodness, we paid for this in advance! Sat in the bus for another god-knows-what hrs. Walked for abt 35mins passed all this rural Fiji areas until we reached this cave. A totally diff cave than the Labertouche cave we climbed in Melbourne. This one was hugeeeeee with stalacites. Silly me! Left my cam battery @ the resort so didn't take any pics.

We were educated w yet another day of Fijian culture. Most interesting was the cannibalism era of Fiji. The idea tht I'm standing right in front of a cannibal oven tt used to cook humans who defy their tribe leaders or village chiefs 120yrs ago is quite freaky.

Hmmm... wonder how human flesh tastes like! *grin*

Last night in Fiji, we were treated to 2 bottles of champagne by the very hot resort manager & firecrackers by the beach. Went star gazing @ the beach & lucky for Jen & I, we managed to catch a glimpse of 2 shooting stars.

Proud to say, we were the centre of attention coz we were all wrapped up w sulu, a Fijian way of saying sarong. 4 girls w diff ways of tying the sulu, especially designed by Valene.

Because the resort is nestled in a secluded area, we spent most of our nights watching cultural performances & clubbing bare footed. The Fijian way. I'm not sure if this is a culture thing but Fijians can really dance. Another night of partying @ the resort club, I was gone by past midnight. hahaha.... Thanks to Jun who took good care of me!

Day 6 – Goodbye paradise!
Finally, holidays always pass by very quickly. Everyone was low in cash, we had to resort to our instant noodle. hahaha.. spent the whole day taking pics @ the resort.

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Fiji is truly a relaxing place to be. There's even a term which is commonly used by locals - "It's Fiji time" . Meaning, everything is casual & laid back. Fijians seldom wear watches. The funny bit is they're always on time!

It's been such a long time since I experience a different culture in a different country. Truly, Fiji is a paradise. The freaky bit is tt, it resembles a lot like Malaysia. With 320 islands tt make up Fiji and a population of 800, 000 ppl comprise mainly of Christians followed by Muslims & Indians.

Best thing abt Fiji: the warm friendly ppl w their big smile
Worst thing abt Fiji: the long travelling hours between places

The best thing abt going to trips like these is the whole new experience of a new culture & the diff ppl u meet. I especially love to talk to those cab drivers... they can reveal so much abt the local culture. Also how interesting to see diff ppl making diff decisions tt can alter the course of their life. Some ppl quit their job to travel around the world, a single retired lady travelled around the world after 40yrs of savings & hardship.

Despite the occassional grievances & our differences in opinions & characters, I still feel tht it's a remarkable thing to be able to travel w the girls. Thanks girls, for making this trip a memorable one!

Vinaka! (the Fijian way of saying "Thank You").....