My year 2005 in review....

Yup, that's it. It's my turn.... my turn to review my achievements & failures. To reflect on myself as a person, what I've done & what I could've done better.

Events in 2005 that have changed my perspectives in life:

1. My involvement in Orientation and Next Wave internship.
2. My 21st birthday celebrations.
3. All of my trips: Gold Coast, Hillsongs Conference - Sydney, Falls Creek
ski trip and Fiji Island.
4. The presence of Jeremy.
5. Joining bunch that has instigated my passion for God.
6. My return back to KL.
7. The strong friendships I built in Melbourne.. you know who you are!! =>
8. My involvement in the Student Leadership Program.
9. My interview with L'Oreal.
10.The fact tt I'm no longer a student.

If there was one thing I regret not doing this year, it would've been not going skydiving at Torquay Beach with Val on her 21st birthday.

If there was one thing I could've improve abt myself, it would've been the need for me to voice out my opinions in a more confident and open manner. Yes, u read tt correctly.

There you go, cheers to 2005. It has been an eventful yr, filled with great friendships, exciting trips, passionate romance and a fulfilling career.

My old flame.

I've always thought my r/ship w WL is a very unique one. Simply because we have never discussed our break up before. Not a single word. Not a single mention. But yet we can still be friends.

After more than a yr when I had let go & I thought he had as well, we finally discussed abt it. Strange but it evoked a lot of memories, both sweet and sour. After so long, we finally revealed wht really happenned, the cause of our separation, the hurts and the consequences.

I've learnt fr my mistakes and he's learnt fr his but it's different altogether now because I gave my heart to someone else. Still, I will always have a soft spot for him and after all tt, I still want to be there ....................... as a friend.

Currently thinking abt.... you know who... :)

I'm "home".

A full gathering with my bestest pals. :)
Originally uploaded by irenengzeann.

Fourth day in KL & I can already list 40 things I can't get used to: 6 mosquito bites (and counting), the horrible horrible driving habits, the humidity, the filthy toilets... the list goes on!

Celebrated pjin's & sam's 21st at Planet Hollywood. Surprisingly, the portion is pretty small. Or at least to me! After 1 whole yr, we can finally say "6 please!". ^_^ It was a good catch-up and a good celebration. We surprised the two pigs w a bday cake, which they didn't expect at all. They got a nightie and a necklace for their bday!! Knowing how rare we have the chance to gather as a group, we took heaps of pics at Starhill and Bukit Bintang w the X'mas decos. Man, X'mas decos here is incomparable to the ones in Melbourne (Myers in exception, of course!). After so long, my bestest pals have changed. But one thing tt hasn't, is the priority and emphasis of the importance of our friendship. For better or for worse, we still accepted each other.

Retail therapy part II: Bought 5 tops and 4 pairs of shoes.
Conclusion: Retail therapy only works the moment you try something nice and instantly disappears once u reach the cashier.

Had my first job interview today. For those who think Malaysian employers are lenient, think again. I had my share of 1 1/2 hrs grilling session by the Recruitment Manager today. Wasn't as bad as I thought but I was thoroughly grilled even to the point of my SPM results and why I choosed science stream instead of arts.

Currently missing someone!

Goodbye Melbourne!

With so many things happening around me these days, I'd probably thought I'm in a mess now.. hehee.. not to tht extent! But I did caught myself a few times in deep thoughts and reflections.

My last day in Melbourne was spent shopping. I know... But how could I miss Australia's biggest sale - the Boxing Day sale? After all the hoo haa, I thought what the heck?!.. I might as well go n check it out myself.

So after only 3hrs of sleep, I crashed into Myers. As expected, there were already so many ppl carrying shopping bagSSS by 9am. WHOA! It's either the boxing day sale was really great or I'm plainly indulging in retail therapy, I spent freaking 250bucks. Clearly, my shopping spree was a productive one.. with a lot of 50% bargains!!

Did a final packing, had a last look at my room and left for the airport. I didn't wanted anyone to send me off except for my bro & Audrey for fear of uncontrollable emotions. bluek! Still, I really appreciated those who came in e end. ^_^

Guess wht was the last thing I had before I left Melbourne? My ultimate fav: Hudson's hazelnut latte. Aaaaaaah~ truly a satisfaction!

To be honest, I almost broke down whn I walked in the gate of the departure hall. I hate farewells. Seriously! But I knew I made the right decision to go home as I board the plane, walking hand-in-hand with the person I love most.

The minute the sliding door of KLIA opens and I felt the humidity, I knew I had finally reached home. But I think I left my heart in Melbourne.

Currently anticipating: Pjin & Sam's 21st birthday celebration

The Unspoken - Grand finale.

The inevitable has arrived. And to my surprise, we couldn't have handled it better. Our last night was spent talking to our hearts content. We promised we'll be good friends, to an extent where we can even discuss our future partners.

Despite the thought tt we wouldn't see each other as often, both refuse to let our tears flow. In fact, we were still laughing and cracking up at our own silly jokes till the last minute. It wasn't a teary farewell but the impact was there.

Still, it was comforting to know that despite our imperfections, we shared our life secrets, laughter, joy and a mutual love, which to me is rare and special. Up till this point, I had not regretted my decision because I knew I had grabbed my love. Have you? *wink* (You know who you are!) ....

Currently feeling: Happy but sad.

My best Christmas to date!

I never really felt e true meaning of Christmas until ths yr. For the past few yrs, Christmas has been a time of gathering but mainly w my mum's friends. It usually involves crashing into all the aunties' and uncles' family gatherings. And of course, it would also mean bingeing on food and putting on the unnecessary kilos.

Somehow this year, to know that Jesus came to earth on ths day, brings a new meaning to Christmas. Or at least to me.. Christmas celebrations kickstarted on Christmas Eve where my bro, Audrey, mum, Jeremy & I gathered with some very close friends for some hard-core bingeing. Nothing beats a good gathering. It is not the place tt makes a day special but the loved ones around u tt makes it EXTRA EXTRA special.

Then, it was pressies time!! Let me see... Christmas pressies ths yr was everything I told Santa:

A study bible (NIV version) fr Kat & Karen, my bunch leaders.
A cross pendant fr Jennifer.
A love shaped photo frame w our photos & a special msg fr Jun.
A cross pendant fr Jeremy.
A Nalgene water bottle fr Jeremy (end of his nagging abt me using plastic bottles!)
A picture book - Chocolate: The Consuming Passion fr Jeremy.
A purple fluffy pillow fr Jeremy.
A box of Lindt chocolates fr Eira.
A notebook and an RMIT pen fr Peter.

My favourite: the sincere effort & thought put into every single pressie. ^_^

I spent the morning of Christmas singing Christmas carols at church followed by a brief luncheon with church mates, an afternoon of packing and Christmas dinner at aunt May's.

It was my first Christmas in another country and it was the best I ever had. :) Merry merry Christmas everyone.

My last few days in Melbourne was spent

..hving dinner with Jeremy's mum, which was quite nerve-wrecking and exciting! ;P

..plum-picking.

..attended bro's graduation at Melbourne Uni. Boring!! RMIT's better.. bluek!

..shooting at Little River Shooting Range. Whoa! That was memorable. Gave a shot at Brett's Krico .22 rifle. Apparently, I'm a pretty good shooter w consistent & accurate shots. So who said girls can't shoot?

..racking my brains for Christmas pressies!

..shop till I drop!

..overnighting at Jun's hse for our final "Friday's girls night out". Thoroughly enjoyd our sex talk. *wink**

..catching up with old SLP mates & ex-colleagues.

..dating with Jeremy. ^_^

..overnighting at Jen's place w home-cooked full bfast. Love slumber parties! Missing her already.

..reminiscing on memories for the past 2 years at yday's little farewell gathering organised by my bro's hippy friends.

..shopping for last-minute Christmas pressies at Chadstone today.

..bingeing, drinking and digesting.

Happy 21st birthday, Richie!!! :) Glad to hear yr voice today.

Quality time

After a year of separation, it is truly remarkable to be able to share with my mum the experiences, the joy and the sufferings of Melbourne. I’ll walk to RMIT and tell her, “This is where you spend half of your fortune.” I’ll pass by Max Brenner and tell her, “This is yr daughter’s fav place for chocolate.” You get the idea.

The past week has been a week of shopping, eating and entertaining friends. From fish n chips at Williamstown to coffee at Port Melbourne. From cherry-picking at Silvan to a day of shopping at Footscray.

Eitherway, it’s been a slow and steady life since. We’ll shop in the afternoon and stop for coffee in the evening. Then at night, we’ll have some friends over for dinner to eat till our stomachs burst, followed by wine and cheese ... Ahhhhh~~~ truly I am enjoying the last bits of Melbourne to the fullest................. ^_^

I spoke to dear Franco last Sat.. it was his birthday! Happy birthday again.. Hope u had a blast, celebrating yr birthday on a cruise. How exciting! After so long, it is rather comforting to hear his voice again, I mst admit. Glad tt he’s doin fine in Hong Kong. To think tt I’ll be seeing him in abt 3 weeks together with Richie, Cupcake & Val is even more exciting. A trip tt we’ve planned for almost a year and finally it’s approaching soon..

Met up w Elina, Jun & Steph’s family for dinner last Sun.. it was her 20th birthday! :) Another birthday celebration. Haven’t seen them since my mum arrived. So many things had happened … *big hug to Steph* Lesson learnt: the duration of a r/ship does not determine the depth of it.

I haven’t even step out of Melbourne & I can already feel how some of our friendships had changed. I wonder how some of my friendships with ppl I haven’t seen for a yr will turn out? We’ll see.............................

Seriously random.

I hate my 56k modem coz it's darn slow & my blog looks so distorted & disabled, I had a hard time accessing to the links tht I want to.

I'm sick of shopping, can u believe it? Or maybe it's because the stuff at DFO (Direct Factory Outlet) isn't THAT exciting & cheap after all... Thank goodness I didn't take public transport all the way there.

Special congratulations to my bro. He got a job today starting next week, 9-5 Mon to Fri. Darn! No more family time...

I had fun seeing Jen, Jun & Val after a week of not seeing each other.. They came over for dinner & we ate till our stomachs exploded.

Melb's forecast ain't tht accurate after all. They predicted fine 30degrees today but it was raining the whole day w chill winds, I bet it was 20degrees instead.

Something u dunno abt me: I get really cranky whn I'm abt to sleep & someone or something is on my way of achieving that.

Can someone pls convince me tt signing up for a MSN is worth yr time, effort & patience?

Shopping spree

It's always interesting to know wht someone thinks abt u.. as in if they were to describe u with a few words, wht would it be? I read a friend's entry today, an entry dedicated to me. V interesting, I mst say. I'm impressed on e many things tt was mentioned & e level of details to it. *high five* really appreciate it.

My shopping spree w mum today was v fruitful. We both walked until our legs cramp. Bought a lot of accessories. OMG! And there I was thinking my mum had not changed much but in actual fact, her fashion taste changed so dramatically. Nv would I imagine her liking big chunky necklaces & funky accessories ..

I saw this black and white stripy bikini I like from Seafolly but damn, they made me look like a man.

Hawch came for dinner today & he told me my eating habits revealed the manly side of me. THaaaaannnKs!

Wht are e 2 things I would miss most whn I leave Melbourne? 1. The people. 2. The food.

Wht are e 2 things I would miss most if I had not gone back to KL? 1. The people 2. The food.

Conclusion: There is no conclusion to this.

My hot gucci mama

Besides e usual remark fr friends tt we both look like sisters, which I'm still hving a hard time figuring whethr it's a compliment for her or an insult to me, my mum hasn't changd much. No doubt my bro had definitely inherited his cleanliness freak habits fr mum.. coz e first thing she did was to clean my entire hse. Now it lookd too clean, I feel like it's not my hse anymore... hahaha.. Oh well, wht do u expect? We're international students... Me & my bro's theory is simple: Only e things beyond eye surface needs to be clean.

Brought her to church today.. & it was fun introducing her to all e aunts & friends tt I'v been hanging out for e past yr. Then, went to Pacific Hse for lunch. I tell u, lunch had never been this interesting. It was e meeting of the in-laws. Mum decided to treat Audrey (my bro's gf) & their family for lunch. And Jeremy was invited. ehem! *wink*.. It was indeed v fun.. W Audrey's & my bro's tension face while Jeremy & I wickedly teased them w e occassional teasings fr them in return. hehee.. It was like a family gathering.

So how did Jeremy scored in mum's eyes????? I hear all of u wondering anxiously.... Hmmmmmmm... let's jst say, it was an awkward first meeting. Or should I say it's as though it's like a duck trying to communicate to a chicken. Mum can't get used to his accent & he was sooo shy, I think given a chance he'd probably dig a hole & hide there & then. ;P But after a few individual counselling sessions & some personal "reassurance courses" fr me, they are more relax now. At least, there was more than a Hi.

Wht amazed me most is how much my mum can get along w aunty. They are like long-time friends, waiting to blurt out evry word. It is really amazing to see this phase of my bro's life where I know given a few yrs time, he'd be married. And we are no longer kids but adults in e process of reproduction. heheheee... & then, my bro will hv audrey & andy junior & I'll hv little nieces & nephews to bully & sit on. Woooooo~~~ can't wait!

My first summer camp

Summer camp this yr is in Philip Island. Thank God, we didn't had to see e penguins. Although I hv to admit they are indeed v cute, I'm so over it!!! Me & some 12 other ppl fr church took a slow drive up. Being Asians, we made a few stops for food & a fish & chips stop. Apparently quite famous but didn't really do justice to my tastebud. Maybe it's the weather. It was freaking 34degrees. I was melting under e sun...

Went to nearby Cowes Beach for a dip. Fun!! The guys went diving by the pier. I would hv done it if I brought my bathers. Darn! Then went for cheap pizza at e town. Seriously, it was e first time I felt tt sense of belonging. Maybe it helps tt most of e ppl there are fr my bunch. Or maybe I did managed to get connected & established friendships w some of them. Or maybe bcoz Jeremy was there too. Spent e aft playing table tennis, basketball, tennis & foosball. Man! Great workout after such a longggg time. Sean, this Korean guy was teaching me how to play table tennis the proper way. Hey, he said I'm learning fast k?!.. Reminds me of Yong May. Havent seen her for awhile. ^_^

Oh oh I collected my grad gown & mortar boards. Okay! Okay! First things first, I confess tt I'm currently suffering fr PMS. But hey, after 2yrs of uni, I think I deserve e right to try, complain & change e sizes of my gowns & mortar boards until it fits perfectly. After all, an oversized gown will make u look like Harry Porter, or like Krsytal said, Batman. hahahaha..

Guess wht? Mum's arriving today. Yes. TODAY!!! OMG, so fast. TOo fast. Can't wait to see her & hug her like crazy. Though I hv to admit it would mean THE end to my "free & easy" lifestyle in Melbourne.