Friday

I've always loved Fridays, even since my school days, but I think Friday is officially my favourite day of the week now.

First of all, it's my day off.

(And really, who doesn't like their days off work?)

Secondly, and more importantly, it's now the one day in a week that I feel entitled to allow myself to just stay at home and do absolutely nothing at all because, well, it's my day off.

By now, most of you should already know that my favourite thing to do is really to do nothing at all huh? Haha.

So Bee and I slept in till noon, had a late breakfast, then we just hung out and did some "coupley" things. You know, mostly just lazing around, cuddles and kisses and stuff.

It was another chilly winterly autumn day today. I think it was around 12-20°C?

As tempting as it was to just stay in our warm bed and order in, Bee and I decided to get dressed to go out for dinner instead. Afterall, it's Friday night!

I took him to this little Japanese restaurant that I used to frequent when I was in uni but haven't been since.

It's a really small and tiny place with unassuming exterior and modest decor, but I love the cozy ambiance.

The place is usually jam packed, especially on a Friday night. But even then, it never makes you feel as rushed and hurried like one of those busy Chinese restaurants, which I believe I whinged about one of them here.

Instead, it just feels, well, warm and homey.

The wait staff is ever so friendly and polite, and the food is still as good as I remembered them to be.

I had their 4-course dinner set, which I chose miso soup and California rolls as entrée, katsu chicken curry with rice as main, and green tea ice cream as desert.

Everything was impeccable for the price we paid. The katsu chicken curry and green tea ice cream were, dare I say, even better than what I've had at some of top notch Japanese restaurants like Nobu or Hanabishi on King Street.

Bee had teriyaki fish because he had cravings for fish. I didn't sample any of the fish because, personally, I hate teriyaki or any form of sweet soy sauce, but Bee quite enjoyed the dish.

What can I say? It was a superb dinner that didn't burn a hole in our pockets. We should definitely go back there more often from now on!

On the drive home, we decided to pop by to visit a colleague's dad who just had a minor surgery.

By the way, since we're on the topic, I'd just like to mention that I never really quite know what to bring along when visiting someone sick, apart from flowers and fruits. Any thoughts?

And you should know that I'm terrible at picking gifts for people, regardless of the occassions. I'm not kidding, I'm just really really bad at it.

So much so that I'm really starting to think that it's a stupid idea to give people gifts. People should just give each other money as presents so they can buy something they would actually like or need, no?

Just a thought.

Anyway, Bee and I simply picked out some fruits from a grocery store near their place since not many shops were open at that hour, and I'd think Asians (or I should say, older generations of Asians) don't really appreciate flowers that much. *Shrugs*

The friend's dad looked happy and healthy, nothing like a sick person, so we stayed and chatted for a little before calling it a night.

And now, Bee and I are back home, chilling.

(Okay, chilling is probably not the best choice of word since it's pretty cold tonight and our heater has been on the whole day. :p)

Him on his laptop reading news about geeky gadgets; me kicking back with a cup of tea and my favourite TV series.

Oh don't you just love Fridays?

Groggy

Back to work after the long weekend.

And it was a chilly rainy day too, which really wasn't much help in uplifting the mood. :|

I felt so groggy the whole day that I think I was sleep walking (and talking) the entire time. I could barely keep my eyes open!

Which was weird, because I actually slept pretty early and well last night. Oh well, must be the weather huh?

And the fact that we have to work! *Rolls eyes*

Good thing that the day actually went past pretty fast. Surprisingly.

We weren't even that busy, though somehow, the time just went by rather quickly today, so hey, I ain't complaining. *Grins*

Maybe it was because I wasn't as annoyed today.

Oh don't get me wrong, people were still annoying, there were just not as many of them today. *Knocks on wood*

Again, no complaints from me on that!

After work, Bee and I had Vietnamese pho for dinner, which as you know, I've been craving for since Sunday.

The big bowl of hot noodle soup with assorted beef slices and beef balls, lots of bean sprouts and a dash of lemon juice put me in such a jolly good mood that I was even up for a walk in the cold weather after dinner.

(Trust me, that doesn't happen very often on a work day!)

We stopped by a random Vietnamese grocery store to replenish my supply of instant noodles, and I accidentally stumbled across this macadamia crunch thingy that turned out to be really good! It's nutty and crunchy, yet without being overly sweet like so many other snacks.

Hmm, definitely gotta remind myself to go back and stock up!

But for now, with a warm and happy tummy, I better crawl into bed and have an early night.

Let this day end on a good note (because I can sense that an unwelcome guest, who obviously doesn't think of himself as a guest, in my living room is gonna annoy the crap outta me real soon), and let it be a less groggy day tomorrow.

Goodnight, peeps!

Anzac Weekend

Simply went by too quickly.

I had a 4-day weekend (well, nearly), and it just flew by before I could say "wee!".

Bee and I had initially planned to go to the zoo or have picnic in the park today, but were too lazy to go out after waking up late.

Instead, we stayed in and enjoyed a lazy day of doing absolutely nothing.

I played Farmville and watched some of my favourite sitcoms, while Bee played his geeky computer games and surfed ebay for more geeky gadgets; then we had a bucket of finger lickin' good fried chicken for late lunch.

Some of you would be proud to know that, in the afternoon, I managed to talk my husband into letting me give him an at-home facial (with exfoliation and hydrating masque and all, people!). Haha.

He's been spotting some tiny red bumps on the side of his face lately, and the man usually have clear skin that made me envy!

I'm planning on forcing him to the Kiehl's counter next weekend because I've heard some great things about their range of facial products for men. Though I can already sense that some kicking and screaming will be involved in that. :|

Anyhoo, it's back to work tomorrow.

*Long sighs*

Why can't everyday be a holiday?

Sunday

I had to work today.

Which was a real bummer since it's smacked right in the middle of the long weekend.

Though it was only a 4-hour shift, it still pretty much ruined any plans that Bee and I had about going away for a short (or at least, overnight) trip.

But it was my rostered Sunday to work and I couldn't swap out of it. Plus the conscience of the uptight bitch in me is too strong for me to wanna fake a sickie, so.....*shrugs* I guess I really can't blame anyone.

The weather had taken a funny twist and turned chilly again today, so all I wanted to do after work is to have a big bowl of piping hot Vietnamese pho with raw beef slices and lots of bean sprouts. Nothing beats a good ol' bowl of noodle soup on a cold day, man!

But no, even that didn't come through for me. *Rolls eyes*

Bee and I circled the block for 5 times, looking for a parking spot, before finally giving up and went home to have kimchi ramen instead.

And I just realised that I forgot to make reservation for our dinner at Nobu tonight, so there goes our fancy Sunday night dinner too. *Double rolls eyes*

Oh well, I guess I'll just go take a nap now with Bee and sulk about my uneventful long weekend later.

At least we have an extra day off tomorrow, so yay for that!

Happy Anzac Day, everyone!

Friends

I had heaps of fun hanging out with the girls last night.

We went out for dinner and drinks, before re-adjourning back to Bridget's place to talk and laugh into wee hours of the night.

That's the thing about childhood friends - no matter how far you are apart and how long you have lost touch, the familiar bond is never lost.

You might be leading different lives and playing different roles now, you might be living in different countries and in different stages of your lives, but it's is so easy, almost effortless dare I say, to reconnect with each other again.

And sometimes, it's almost scary when it feels as if they know you better than you know yourself, because they remember the person you once were before the harsh cold reality of life gets to you and gets you down.

For a brief moment, you remember those young and carefree days.

For a brief moment, you remember the person you once were and have forgotten all about.

For a brief moment, you remember that life can actually be as simple and as uncomplicated as how it used to be.

Old friends are like a favourite old coat, always comfortable, always warm, and always good to be reunited, especially when it's cold.

Argument

Barely a week into our so called "holiday" in KL, Bee and I already had our first argument yesterday.

Same ol' issue, caused by the same ol' people.

And now I remember why l decided to leave this place.

Woman

Today, I set out to fulfill some of our womanly duties.

A gynaecological routine checkup, followed by eyebrow shaping.

No, not by the same person, you moron. :|

I like my gynaecologist.

She is this really really sweet and nice lady, who doesn't make me feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or intimidated even under some potentially (very) embarrassing circumstances.

(You ladies would know what I'm talking about, right? And for those gentlemen who read my blog, yes all two of you, well, it's better if you don't.)

But I'm afraid I can't say the same about the beautician who groomed my eyebrows today though.

Out of convenience, I headed to Shu Uemura at Mid Valley, instead of the other outlet I normally go to at One Utama, only to discover that the level of service is a world apart!

I'm talking about both the attitude of and quality of service.

To avoid sounding like a bitch (more like I'm just lazy to go into details), let's just say that I'm definitely sticking to Shu Uemura @ One Utama from now on.

Shu Uemura has some serious work to do about their quality control when it comes to customer service, that's all I'm saying.

As a woman, there are certain things in life that we enjoy doing more than others.

But I gotta say that your day is gonna feel pretty weird when the gynaecological exam turned out to be more enjoyable than the beauty service.

Enough said.

Indulging

Despite the fact that I can no longer fit into some of my skinniest skinny jeans, I've decided to indulge myself with some of my favourite local food anyway.

And they aren't exactly the healthiest food around, to say the least.

But hey, what are holidays for huh? :p

Whenever Bee shoots me with that judgemental look of his, I'd pout and say, "But, it's my holiday! I'm entitled to enjoy and spoil myself on my holiday, no?"

He says I have an excuse for everything.

The truth is, I do.

*Evil laughs*

When I work, I say, "I'm stressed. I need comfort food!"

When I'm off work, I say, "I worked hard, so I deserved a treat."

When I'm happy, I say, "I'm celebrating!"

When I'm sad, I say, "I need to cheer myself up."

Haha.

In the past few days, I've had 8 gigantic bak-changs (Chinese rice dumpling with pork), many many serves of maggie goreng ayam with extra fried chicken plus teh tarik ais, and many of that chicken floss sponge roll thingy from Bread Story.

And they are just my snacks, ladies.

Those bak-changs headed straight for my waist and thighs, I'm telling ya!

I gained 3kgs in less than a week! @_@

I comfort myself by thinking that it might be water retention due to PMS.

Or that I can try to lose those extra kilos when I get back to Melbourne.

*Sighs*

Indulgence comes with a price.

And my price tag is reading "muffin top".

Revitalised

Bee has been down with a stomach flu for quite a few days now.

He's had to stay in bed, be a good boy, and stay on a light diet.

Which means that we haven't been going anywhere.

As a loving wife, of course I want him to get as much rest as he can so he can have a full and speedy recovery; but at the same time, the control freak in me is secretly panicking as well because we have been back for nearly a week now and we haven't gotten anything done yet.

Though this is "supposedly" a holiday for us to unwind and visit our families, it is actually more of a trip to get a lot of important things done.

Things that we couldn't "remote control" from Melbourne, and things that we have to be physically present in Malaysia to do.

Our list of things-to-do is SO long that it isn't even funny.

But neither of us have been feeling very well since we got back, him with his stomach problems and me with my fatigue from jetlagging, so we have only been staying in all these while instead of running around getting those things done.

Knowing me, you can probably guess how that is making me A LITTLE nervous.

And needless to say, whenever I'm nervous, I get A LITTLE cranky as well. :|

So today, I decided to take myself out for a facial and massage at Aster Spring.

Dimmed lights. Comfortably tugged under a light blanket. Soft tranquil music. Soothing scent of essential oils. Relaxing massages.

For a brief moment, the world slows down around you.

All the worries and stress melt away, and you only have to concentrate on being pampered and unwind.

Best part is, you walked out feeling that your skin, body and mind have been rejuvenated and revitalised.

So when Bee picked me up, I was a much happier wife with healthier skin.

A pampered woman is a happier woman, yes?

Happy

I've been in an exceptionally good mood ever since Bee and I got back to Malaysia.

Not having to work and not having to put up with annoying people brightened my mood drastically.

It is as if a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can breath again.

I wake up with a smile on my face and music in my head.

Life just feels that much easier to cope and, um, better.

The new fruity tea tastes better. The fresh flowers smell better. My hair looks better. Music sounds better. Even lame jokes are funnier than usual.

Everything is just a little easier and not as overbearing when you're able to relax.

I'm even a much more pleasant company (especially to Bee) because a happier me is a more affectionate and loving person, rather than a cranky uptight biatch.

And it got me thinking.

Isn't this the same lifestyle that I chose to give up to go back to Melbourne a year ago?

How could a place that used to make me so unhappy bring me so much joy now?

What's changed? Me, or the circumstances?

Or maybe nothing has changed, but just my mentality?

Was it a mistake for me to leave? Would things have been different if I had stayed?

But would I still feel the same way I'm feeling now if I were to stay on permanently instead of just a brief holiday?

Why does the grass always look greener on the other side of the fence?

How do we choose which side of the fence to be on?

And most importantly, would I ever be truly happy with the decisions I make in life, be it here or there?

I don't know.

And quite honestly, I am afraid to know those answers.

Terrified, actually.

But let's leave those questions for another day.

For now, let's just try to enjoy this day and the beautiful sunshine outside our windows.

For now, let's just try to be happy.

Weekend

Bee and I decided to stay in and be lazy this weekend.

(Then again, what is new huh? Haha.)

We really shouldn't though.

We have a long list of things-to-do. Things to eat, things to see, things to decide on, things to submit, and of course, things to buy.

Both "official", and "unofficial". You get the idea.

Also, we have been missing some of our favourite restaurants and the shopping scene in KL for the past few months. I need to eat my heart out and shop till I drop!! *Shakes fists*

Most urgently, we really really need to do some grocery shopping because the maid was asked to clean out the whole fridge and pantry before we came back, so now there's no food left in the house.

I'm not kidding. There isn't a pack of emergency biscuits or instant noodles left in my kitchen. :|

But Bee and I seriously dread having to brace the crazy crowds in shopping centers on weekends.

I get a headache just from thinking about the noises, the people, the queues, and the amount of time one has to spend circling the carpark looking for a spot.

So, after much contemplation (ha!), we decided to give in to our lazy selves and stay in bed to be two happy slackers.

After all, this is the first weekend in a long time that I feel this relaxed and stress-free.

Plus, I'm still jetlagged.

Oh the excuses I can come up with. *Grins*

Tangled unwashed hair. Bee's oversized shirt. Greasy takeaway food. Favourite TV shows. Lots of cuddles and laughters.

And that's our very un-glam but homey first weekend back in KL.

Jetlagged

It's the 3rd day since Bee and I got back to KL, but I'm still jetlagged. :(

I've been dozing off around 8pm and waking up before 8am everyday. My body seems to refuse to adjust itself to the local time, even with the sleeping aid I'm using.

Another obvious symptom is fatigue. I pretty much spend the whole day drifting in and out of sleep because I simply do not have the energy to do much of anything else.

All I do in the day is to eat and sleep. I'd wake up briefly for food, and maybe a quick banter with Bee, then go straight back to napping for another few hours.

That's how tired I am.

I'm exhausted, from doing absolutely nothing at all.

The thing is, I've never even suffered from jetlag before.

(And c'mon, let's face it, it isn't exactly that long a journey to travel from Melbourne to KL.)

Is it a sign of aging? I wonder.

Many friends have complained about the same thing.

In the past, to make the most out of our vacation, many of us would maximise our time away by heading straight to the airport after we finish work on the last day and only return to Melbourne the day before we have to start work again. Heck, some of us even went straight back to work barely a few hours after we landed.

Not sure if anyone else does this, but this has been a common practice among my circle of friends. Or are we just a weird bunch? :|

But as we age, most of us are starting to find that it has become increasingly difficult to continue doing so. Our bodies seem to be taking longer to recover from the trip and to adjust back to resuming our daily routine.

Whilst we used to only need a good overnight sleep to feel fresh and ready to start work again, now we might need a whole week to awaken those dormant brain cells and get into the swing of things again.

*Sighs*

Oh well. We only get older, right?

Maybe I should admit that our young carefree years are over and follow the footsteps of my friends, to allow a longer cool-off period before and after each trip for our aging (such a sad word!) bodies to rest and recuperate.

*Shrugs*

Bee and I still haven't booked our return ticket to Melbourne yet, so maybe that should be taken into consideration when we do.

For now, I shall join my (even older) husband for another afternoon nap before we head out to dinner.

*Yawns*

Have a good weekend, people!

Nothing

I did my favourite thing to do today - absolutely nothing!

I stayed in bed all day, ate, slept, surfed a little, watched some youtube videos on my laptop, and that's ALL I did.

And boy, did it feel good!

Though Fridays are normally my off days in Melbourne anyway, but this feels different.

Being so far away from the work place (like a-different-country away, man!) and not having to go back to work anytime soon did wonders to improve my mood.

I feel like a different person!

It is as if even the last strand of invisible stress that work poses on me was lifted. The feeling is, um, liberating.

And I guess clearly knowing that I won't be seeing D* and her super annoying boyfriend, C*, for the next few weeks plays a significant part in uplifting my mood as well. Oh you have no idea how happy that made me!

No work, no unreasonable customers and ignorant colleagues, no annoying friends and their even more annoying boyfriends, no running around like a headless goose, no stress from car shopping and house hunting.

*Exhales deeply*

Life is, once again, wonderful.

Home

Bee and I arrived in KL early this morning.

His parents picked us up from the airport, and took us to a quick breakfast before sending us back to our place.

Bee and I would normally plonk ourselves on the bed and snooze off to dreamland straight away, but today, we were too excited to.

We were both terribly tired from the awful flight, which was probably one of the most uncomfortable flight I've ever been on, but for some strange reasons, we were simply too hyper to sleep.

It's a really weird feeling.

To be honest, I dreaded this trip to start with.

As a creature of habit, I dreaded breaking away from the routine in Melbourne that I'm just starting to get used to. I dreaded the long list of things-to-do on this trip. I dreaded the hot and humid weather in Malaysia. I dreaded pulling myself out from my comfort zone. I dreaded the emotional roller coaster when we have to leave friends and family once again at the end of the trip.

I honestly thought I wouldn't enjoy this trip one bit.

But as usual, all those bad feelings went out of the window the moment our plane landed and we stepped out to breath the familiar (polluted) air of our homeland.

The sense of belonging was especially intensified when we got back to our own house, where we are free to do whatever and whenever we want because it's just us and no one else.

In more ways than one, Bee feels the same.

Before we came back, he was excitedly planning all the things (read: his beloved toys) that he wanted to bring back to Melbourne since he's slowly taking liking to the city and planning on calling it home for the next few years.

But merely a few hours after he came back to his original playground, from the way he is now pacing around the house like a proud king screening his castle, I can tell that his new beliefs are being shaken to the core, and my dear husband is, once again, doubting if he can ever love another city the way he loves this place.

There goes months of effort and brainwashing by yours truly. *Sighs*

Well, I guess that's the thing about home.

No matter how many bad things you have to say about it and how long you have been away, it will always be where your heart is.

There is no place like home.

Fight

Barely 3 days into the Lunar New Year, Bee and I already had our first HUGE fight in the year of Tiger.

It started off when we received a parking ticket in the span of 5 minutes that we tried to rush in and out of a Chinese restaurant in the city to order some takeaways for dinner. I got a bit crossed with Bee because that was the EXACT thing I warned him about and he just brushed it off.

He didn't bother to reload the parking meter, thinking that it was just for a few minutes and we would be able to get away with it. The parking meter only operates from 7.30am to 7.30pm, and it was already 7.20pm when we pulled into the parking slot.

I mean, it was just 10 minutes right? What were the chances of us getting a parking ticket in the span of 10 minutes, especially when we were just going across the street?

Now while that might be true in another city, Melbourne has the most efficient (read: anal) parking inspectors I've seen in the whole world! They are hidden in every corners and ready to jump out on you the minute your parking bay expires.

(Don't ask me how I know. Let's just say that it was a very expensive lesson for me to learn over the years.)

And that's exactly what happened. A parking officer came out from nowhere and issued a parking ticket on our windshield.

Up to this point, it all sounded really petty and trivial, yes?

And could you really blame me for being upset when I specifically reminded him, not once, but TWICE, before we got out of the car, but the stubborn man just refused to listen?

On a normal day, Bee isn't one who can't take criticism. But tonight, something in the usually patient and easy going Mr Nice Guy just snapped and his temper took off like a rocket.

Come to think about it, C* probably jinxed us during dinner last night when he said that 3rd day of Chinese New Year is traditionally known as "fight day" in Hong Kong, so as a general rule, people avoid visiting others or socialising on this day.

I looked it up on Wikipedia and it's true that the third day is known as "chì kǒu" (赤口), directly translated as "red mouth". "Chì kǒu is also called "chì gǒu rì" (赤狗日). "Chì gǒu" means "the God of Blazing Wrath" (熛怒之神)! @@

But no, jinxed or not, Bee was a total jerk to me and there was no excuse for it.

And he was a jerk to me this time last year as well. What's up with that?!

Maybe he's an annual CNY jerk. *Shrugs*

I don't care what anyone says, I'm planning a trip to go away by myself next CNY. Far far away from everyone else, especially on the 3rd day.

I'm not even that big a fan of Chinese New Year to start with, and this just further tainted my opinion about it.

Whatever. I'm gonna pop an extra Stilnox and head to bed.

So far, I'm not very impressed with the year of Tiger.

Not at all.

Monday

Whilst everyone else is still enjoying their long CNY holidays back in Malaysia, it's business as usual for us here in Melbourne.

Back to work on Monday, back to more whingy people complaining about just about anything and everything, who all seem to think that I'm evilly withholding some secret potions up my sleeves which is going to miraculously solve all their problems just like that *clicks fingers*.

News flash, people! If I held the secret to such wonder drug, did you still think that I'll be standing here, listening and nodding to the most ridiculously bullshit anyone can think of all day long, instead of sipping margaritas at my private Bahamas resort while collecting big bucks through the patent?

Sorry, guys, bitchiness overload. Occupational hazard, as we call it. :p

Maybe they should make a pill for bitchiness, I'm sure that is gonna sell like hot cakes. *Raises eyebrows*

To make me feel better about having to work throughout the Chinese New Year, Bee cooked bakuteh to cheer me up.

Though what was meant to be a hearty home-cooked meal turned into yet another I-cannot-wait-to-get-out-of dinner because I just had to open my stupid mouth and invited D* to join us, not knowing that her very annoying boyfriend was coming over AGAIN.

So yeah, it's only natural that he gladly and shamelessly invited himself, and I had to hold my tongue throughout the dinner to stop myself from giving him a piece of my mind when he was being his usual infuriating self.

Speaking of which, does anyone else hate eating with people you don't particularly like?

Personally, I find that my threshold has been significantly lowered to the point of intolerant now that I'm forced to talk to every Tom Dick and Harry all day long at work whether I like it or not, so it's like working overtime whenever I have to "entertain" people outside of work.

It's sad but true, my line of work has truly brought out the worst of my anti-social self.

So for now, I'm just gonna kick back and enjoy some quiet "down time" before I call it a night.

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone.

Long Time No See

And it indeed has been.

It's been more than 3 months since my last post. Can you believe it?!

Though it's not like I have that good a track record to start with anyway, so I guess you probably can. :/

Lots' been happening.

Bee has been in town for the past couple of months, and my brother plus his girlfriend (whom I'm not particularly fond of) visited and stayed with us for a few times over December and January.

I started a new job about 3 months back, so I've been trying to adjust myself back to a routine of waking up to go to work every morning and psyching myself up to tolerate people's crap all day long, which I have to admit I'm not very good at because I think I hate homo sapiens now. You know, in general. :|

Then there is the house hunting and car hunting process which pretty much kept me (read: us) running around like crazy maniacs on the days I don't have to work.

Not forgetting the festive seasons with all the social obligations - celebrations with friends and relatives, work functions to attend, and worst of all, dinners with people that you don't even like that much to start with. :|

So yeah, life has been a little hectic for my liking, and I pretty much haven't had time for anything else.

I honestly can't wait till when it's all done and settled so we can start living our lives again.

Or when I can sit down in the perfect living room of my dream house, with tea and scones served on my Royal Albert tea sets, and enjoy a quiet afternoon of doing absolutely nothing, while my husband plays with his new car in the garage.

Well, until then.

First Day

I hate first days.

First day of new school when you don't have any friends.

First day at a new job when you don't know where everything is.

First day in a new country when you feel completely out of place.

First day back from vacation when reality hits.

First day of menstrual period when you get stomach cramps and backache.

Today was of many first days.

And I hated it.

Newness

I went to bed angry last night, and I was still angry when I woke up this morning.

No prizes for guessing who's the culprit(s) to piss me off.

C*, D*'s boyfriend, came over AGAIN yesterday, and stayed on for the rest of the day + night.

I was willing to overlook that by simply heading to bed early and hoping that he won't be there anymore when I wake up in the morning. Who knows whether he will feel like calling sick again since he's ONLY done it TWICE last week. :|

Then I was woken up at 6.30am by the noises this rude ass boyfriend-and-girlfriend team made in the kitchen as they were getting ready for work.

After both of them finally left the apartment, I walked out to the kitchen to find a whole sink of unwashed dishes as usual. Believe me when I say that ever since we've moved into this new apartment, there's been dishes in the sink, without fail, each and every time I walk into the kitchen.

Did they not know that according to a survey, leaving dirty dishes in the sink is the no.1 most annoying traits of housemates?

Normally I wouldn't mind because I'm one of those people who can't stand having dirty dishes in the sink, so I've been cleaning up for them everyday for the past 6 months. And this is for someone who's never had to do her own dishes at home.

But what puzzled me and pissed me off the most is, this is the exact thing (among many other) that D* has been complaining about her previous flatmate. So how can she turn around to do to me the exact same thing that she's been bitching about someone else?

Some people and their selfish double standards. *Sighs*

I'd think that if you could wake up an hour earlier to send your boyfriend off and then go back to sleep before you have to get up for work yourself, you could at least spare 5 minutes to clean up the mess you guys have made, no?

And do you, honestly, not see a problem other people might have with your boyfriend coming over unannounced ALL DA TIME?!

That guy spends more than 90% of his time at our place that he might as well move in and start paying rent!

But of course, if that's the case, I'll GLADLY move out in a heartbeat so they can make this place their "annoyance central".

(Not that I haven't been thinking about moving out every day for the past 6 months. :|)

To make the matter worse, the guy has no shame or courtesy at all and he acts like he owns the place.

Dude, I didn't pay thousands of dollars a month for this place so you can shamelessly freeload and hog my living room 24/7 while acting like man of the house! So grow up, stop being such a prick, and learn to respect people around you for a change.

Anyway, moving on.

I had the 36th and 37th lesson for my Secret Project Australia with my new instructor in the afternoon.

Because of all the "newness", I don't quite know how I feel about it yet. I couldn't tell whether I was doing better or worse, I didn't even know whether I was doing the right or wrong things!

I was confused. I felt like I was flying blind.

I'm a creature of stability and routines. I feel completely lost and horrified when I'm thrown into new situations or environments.

Which is why I'm very nervous about tomorrow.

I've decided to take up the offer on an experimental basis to see how things go, and though it's not something entirely new to me, it's something that I haven't done for a while now.

I feel so out of touch and clueless that I'm absolutely terrified!

I only agreed to try out the offer purely due to peer pressure. I didn't want to be perceived as an unappreciative lazy bum, which I probably am. Haha.

But the truth is, I really am not sure whether I'm ready to take up a new role and give up those long carefree days of lazing around, long lunches, and shopping as the most important agenda in my Moleskine daily planner.

I guess we will see.

For now, I better go enjoy the rest of my afternoon of bumming around not doing anything at all.

Ciao.

Snip

We had a Tuesday of beautiful weather here in Melbourne today.

The sun was bright and warm, the breezes were light and sweet, and the temperature was, though a tad too warm for my liking, just nice.

Nothing like the confusing weather we had on Sunday.

Still bothered by the decision I have to make, I distracted myself with a trip to the hair saloon in the afternoon to get a trim.

I thought it would help me to clear my head a little, but it only made me even more confused than before.

The new Japanese hairdresser didn't have a clue what she was doing! She was making so many mistakes that even a layman like me could tell.

Not only was my hair not properly layered, it is shapeless and lifeless. The worst part was, she even failed to style my hair nicely after blow drying, the way she did it was absolutely terrible and she put BLOBS of greasy hair products in my hair! I pulled my hair back into a ponytail as soon as I stepped out of the saloon! :|

Boy was I glad that I only asked for a trim. Imagine if I had gotten an actual haircut from her! @_@

And she was rude too. I haven't come across that many rude Japanese, especially in the service industry, but she was definitely one of them. Her attitudes stink of rotten trash, man!

My only consolation is that it was cheap. You get what you pay for, I guess. *Shrugs*

And if that's the case, I only have myself to blame for trying to cut the corners with my hair after I overspent on shoes and dresses over the weekend. :p

Though I'm pretty sure it was just my luck that I was assigned with a bad hairdresser, because most of the other stylists there looked really nice and professional. One of them did a fantastic job with a girl's Victoria Beckham-like bob which was so sleek and funky.

Or could it also be because I have long boring Asian hair? Hmm. :/

Oh well.

After my very disappointing visit to the hair saloon, I traveled an hour and a half (!) to KT's workplace to visit him. I needed some pointers about a certain area of work that I haven't had much experience in, and he offered to let me observe him as he does it.

It was interesting to see how he works. I've only seen him outside of a workplace but never in a professional environment. It was, um, interesting. :x

And during my brief stay, I "accidentally" discovered a little secret that he has refused to tell us all these while, so I guess that's the extra bonus to make my very long and boring trip there worthwhile. Haha.

We met up with Wen later on for a healthy dose of bitching session and cheap Malaysian food.

I think I'm gonna start boycotting Laksa King from now on. There was so much MSG in the fried kuey teow and pan fried pork dumplings that I was left to feel thirsty for the whole night!

So those were my two very unsatisfying consumer experiences today.

I comfort myself by thinking that at the very least, I got rid of the dry ends of my unruly hair and I solved the mystery of KT's little secret. Haha.

And that was my Tuesday.

Mondayitis

Today I had my first episode of mondayitis in a long time.

It's no wonder that they say the better the weekend, the tougher the Monday.

Or maybe it was because I had a particular meeting scheduled in the afternoon, and I wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

Though the meeting turned out to be much better and easier than I had expected, I have my reservation.

I can't quite put a finger to how I feel about it yet, I just hate having to make decisions again.

I'm very much a creature of habits, I guess. I don't like changes.

But yet, changes managed to track me down each and every time.

Despite my initial resistance, the truth is, I've gotten rather comfortable with certain lifestyle choices I've made.

It wasn't without struggle though. God knows how many sleepless nights I spent lying in bed awake, contemplating about the choices we make in life and the consequences.

And just when I've slowly figured out how to deal with things and learned to be happy again, I was made an offer that seemed silly for me to reject.

My first instinct was to say no, but I started second guessing myself.

Do I really not want to? Or am I only hesitating because of my build-in reluctance for changes?

After all, it might seem really ungrateful and unappreciative for me to simply turn it down without even considering since most people would probably snap up the offer in a heart beat.

Whilst there are some who are struggling and could only dream of such offer, do I really want to be the spoilt bitch who throw out an opportunity that came knocking on the door by itself without me even asking for it?

I don't know. I hate having to choose.

Then again, maybe we should be grateful that we have choices.

But do I really have to?

I don't know. I'm lost.

"One of my biggest fears in life is uncertainty. Yet I constantly pluck myself outta my comfort zones and into the unknowns."

I remember writing those sentences in one of my posts about comfort zone.

Nearly a year later, I still don't know why do I always do this to myself.

But I just keep on doing it, don't I?

Spree

I bailed on lunch plans with Wan today to go shopping with Wen.

I guess we just got so sick of constantly having to work around everyone else's schedules that we decided to rebel and do our own things for once.

Why is it that people always think the world should revolve around them and everything has to work to their convenience? Why is it that when you are accommodating and easy going, people always take advantage of that and, eventually, take you for granted?

So anyway, Wen and I had lunch at Docklands and proceeded to check out the shops.

The weather in Melbourne today is the exact type of annoying weather that I hate with a passion. Next to sweltering heat and drenching humidity, of course.

The sun was bright and warm when the wind was icy cold, so you are kinda hot and cold plus sweating and freezing at the same time? You know, the feeling when you are so cold till you think your face and fingers are getting frost bites, but your arm pits are sweating under the clothes?

(Too much information ey? Haha.)

It's irritating and, um, deceiving.

And the wind was so strong that I nearly got blown off my feet several times!

It really didn't help that I was wearing a flowy mini dress with black tights and my new black patent leather pumps. Trust me, it wasn't an easy job pressing down your dress so everyone else doesn't have to see what's underneath it and at the same time, maintaining balance on a pair of new heels that you are still breaking into, all the while still trying to not look like a mad woman.

Oh the crazy weather in Melbourne!

Both Wen and I couldn't find anything we like in Docklands, so we headed back to the city where I picked up two silk dresses from Marcs.

I used to think that Marcs dresses are too simple and too minimalist for my liking, but I think they're slowly growing on me. And the material is so soft and light that it almost feels like you have nothing on!

(Again, too much information? Haha.)

I'm also lemming a few dresses and cardigans from Alannah Hill, but decided I should give my credit card a rest. I know that a lot of people are disappointed with her Spring/Summer 2009-2010 collection, but I still love her nonetheless.

After all, we Tasmanian gals have gotta stick together, ya know? :p

Wen and I had to meet a few old friends from school, so we quickly hopped over to Myers and David Jones for a quick browse before dinner. In the span of 20 minutes, I managed to snap up another dress from Review, and 2 new lipsticks from MAC.

Well done, missy, well done! *Pats self on back*

Speaking of which, don't you just love the fact that Myers and David Jones had extended their trading hours because of the spring racing carnival? At least now it isn't so depressing when all the shops in the city are closed by 6pm on weekends. :|

Dinner with the gang was at Kun Ming on Little Bourke Street, before readjourning to Max Brenner for dessert. We were laughing so much and so loud that we must be the noisiest table around. I think I laughed so hard that I nearly had stomach cramps at one point. Haha.

It was great catching up with old friends from school. There was this sweet couple from our year who are getting married in December. They are both really nice people who truly deserve each other, and I'm so happy for them!

On a completely opposite note, there is this other couple from our class who relocated to Perth a few years ago but we heard that they are planning on moving back to Melbourne next year, but well, um, let's just say that nobody is looking forward to that.

I guess that's the difference between when you are likable, and when you are not. :|

Anyway, it's been a fun weekend with friends, laughters, and LOTS of shopping!

Let's only worry about the bank account when Monday comes huh? :)

Goodnight, people. Have a good week ahead!

Cranky

I wasn't exactly in the best of mood when I woke up this morning, no thanks to yet another night of lousy sleep.

The annoying couple invited some really noisy friends over last night and they stayed till at least 2.30am.

Even with the help of my trusty Stilnox, I was still having difficulty falling asleep with people laughing like hyenas in the living room.

I guess my speaking up really didn't do much huh? Some people just don't get it!

Or rather, they just don't care about anyone else but themselves!

So after another night of scattered sleep, I woke up with a hangover-like headache and I was so grumpy that I was ready to throw rotten eggs at them

Looking like a grouchy ladybug with giant sunnies covering half of my face, I met up with Wen and KT for breakfast at a funky little cafe in Fitzroy.

KT came straight from the airport. He had just flown back from Sydney after a long week of conference and non-stop partying. His eyes were bloodshot red from too much Chardonnay and not enough sleep, mine immediately seemed pale in comparison next to his.

At times like this, I feel so blessed for being a girl because we at least have makeups to conceal the unsightly eye bags and puffiness. Haha.

We were also playing host to Wen's friend's husband, Y*, who had just arrived from Malaysia. He and his wife, G*, are migrating to Melbourne next month, and he's been sent to "survey" the territory.

I think I scared the poor guy a little when a very cranky me asked the French waitress to send back my organic spring water that was not only not cold, but warm! Normally I'd be happy to overlook it, but ya know, it's just one of those mornings. :|

After breakfast, Wen and I headed over to Chapel Street for dress shopping. KT decided to go home to catch up on sleep, but Y* tagged along.

Wen needed a dress urgently for a wedding she is going to, but couldn't find anything that she likes, so I offered to help her with it. After all, shopping is probably the only thing I'm really good at. :x

But yours truly ended up buying a Copper St pale pink chiffon dress from Swish when her friends came out empty handed.

Why is it that I always come home with more shopping bags than those people I go shopping for?

A clear sign of zero self control, I guess. *Sighs*

I had craving for Vietnamese phở, so the 3 of us hopped over to Richmond for lunch.

A good bowl of soupy rice noodles plus lots of deep fried Vietnamese spring rolls with crispy lettuce later, my spirits were lifted and I was in a jolly good mood again.

We continued with some outlet shopping on Bridge Road and I successfully picked up a pair of dress pants, a cardigan, and another pink dress from Review. There was a 30% discount on normal priced items, and a further 25% on already reduced stock.

(I think the same discount applies to all Review boutiques, including their stock in Myers.)

There is also a new (?) Sass & Bide clearance outlet where some of the jeans were on sale for AU$99. That's like 1/3 of the price I used to pay for their skinnies!

I'm not sure how long has the outlet been there since I haven't been to Bridge Road for AGES, but 99 bucks is definitely a bargain for a pair of Sass & Bide. There were only a few pair of skinnies (no Misfits from what I can recall), but lots of other different cuts.

I couldn't be bothered to try on jeans since I was feeling rather bloated after lunch and from water retention. It's that time of the month again. Ugh.

We readjourned back to Wen's place for an afternoon of reality TV series. I fell asleep on the couch after a mere 10 minutes because I was so drained from another bad night of sleep and half a day of walking in my 3-inch heels.

Y* told Wen later on that he thought I was really fun and funny. Well, I guess being cranky to the waitress, buying up a storm like a true shopaholic, and falling asleep on someone else's couch with my mouth open left a good first impression then? :|

More shopping tomorrow!

Here's hoping that there won't be more (than the two, aka SIC - Super Irritating Couple) annoying guests in my apartment tonight so I won't be a cranky bitch again tomorrow morning.

Ta.

Confused

I had the 31st and 32nd lesson for my Secret Project Australia with a different instructor today.

It almost makes me feel like I was cheating on my instructor though by going behind him to take lessons from someone else.

Of course it's just all in my head since, unlike Malaysia, there isn't any written or verbal contract, or any sort of mutual understanding, to bind any of us to stick to a particular instructor. We have absolute freedom to take however little or however many lessons from whoever we want.

But, you know, it's the Asian in me that is trained to feel bad or guilty about everything or anything. *Shrugs*

A while ago, I ranted to Wen about how frustrated I feel about having taken so many lessons yet they don't seem to be leading anywhere. She then suggested that maybe I should try to take a few lessons with a different instructor to get a second opinion on my performance.

Knowing how I can never speak up for myself or defend my own rights even when it's rightfully so, she suspected that I might have been taken for a ride.

So I took her advice and booked a double lesson with this Asian instructor, and it was my first lesson with him today.

The first lesson is always overwhelming, especially for someone like me who finds security from stability and familiarity.

A new environment, a new instructor with different style or mannerisms, new equipments, new routes, and a new set of instructions. I was almost reminded of my first ever lesson in Australia 3 months ago - nerve-breaking and stupefied.

For whatever reason(s), whether it's because of all the "newness" or maybe I'm just really not good enough, the 1.5-hour lesson didn't provide me with the validation that I was hoping for. My skills didn't impress the new instructor enough for him to proclaim that I'm ready for the exam rightaway.

However, he did give me a lot of positive feedbacks that I'm doing better than I think I am, and my techniques are a lot better than what I give myself credit for.

He even asked me to go ahead and book a date for the exam immediately since the next available appointment is nearly 2 months away. That's how fully booked the testing department is!

According to him, he's confident that, with 20 more lessons with him over the span of those 2 months, I shouldn't have a problem passing the exam with flying colours.

I know what you must be thinking. TWENTY more?! Is this guy taking me on another ride? Am I being ripped off left and right?

Well, those are my exact thoughts too.

But you see, I really do not have much of a choice.

If I stick to my originally instructor, who knows how many more lessons I might need? He might still think that I'm not good enough 3 months from now, or I might really end up needing a thousand lessons like how he sarcastically joked about.

At the very least, with this new instructor, I have a time frame in mind and I can see a finish line ahead.

Having said that, there is, of course, no guarantee that I'll pass the exam even if the new instructor lets me sit for it. At the end of the day, it's still very much depending on my own ability to perform.

At the end of the day, I still have to be good enough to do it.

Besides, in the typical Asian manner, this instructor doesn't seem to be teaching me the proper techniques or ways to do things, but rather all the shortcuts and tricks to help me pass the exam per se.

So what happens after the exam? What happens when I have to do everything on my own without the supervision of an instructor?

Just like how I managed to pass the exam in Malaysia on first attempt but had no idea how I did it or how to do it in real life, so what if I pass another exam but still have no idea how to continue doing it myself?

All those tricks and shortcuts might help me pass the exam and get me across the finish line, but it isn't gonna keep me safe or save my life when I'm out there in the real world. What happens then?

What happens when I'm no longer given priviledges as a student but treated as an equal as everyone else? What happens when there are no secret dots or stickers to mark the position? What happens when I'm put into a real situation instead of simulations?

What happens if I still don't know how to do it by myself?

And those are not the only questions ringing in my mind.

As I was waiting for the new instructor this afternoon, I received an unexpected phone call that raises even more questions to ponder on and, also, calls for more decisions to be made.

What-if's? What-if's? What-if's?

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

As I'm being pulled in so many different directions by all the different tunes that are singing in my head, I can't helped but feel completely and utterly confused.

With all the hurdles lined up in front of me, once again, I've lost sight of the finish line.

Once again, I'm lost.

Summery

I could smell summer in the air before I even woke up today.

Then again, I was woken up at 7am by the loud noises the super annoying couple made as they were getting ready for work. :|

And no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't go back to sleep after that. Geez, thanks guys! I feel so "honoured" that with every little choices you make with your lives, my life gets affected too. *Rolls eyes*

So you see, I was already pissed off before my day even started. *Sighs*

Due to lack of sleep, my head felt like it was stuffed with two tons of Egyptian Cotton and I was having one of those dizzy spells again. Trust me, I was NOT a happy person this morning!

But I was determined to not let the bright sunshine and warm weather go to waste, so I huffed and grunted before dragging my achy body out of bed to get dressed.

I had a long list of errands to run today, starting with a GP appointment during which she announced that she's decided to retire soon.

Real soon, actually. Almost immediately.

On most part, I'm happy for her decision because I've noticed that she's been struggling with things at work and her personal life for a while now.

Speaking of which, isn't it weird that my GP of less than a year chooses to confide in me about things going on in her private life when I'm supposedly the patient who needs help to solve my problems?

During some of my appointments, before I could even start telling her what's wrong with me, she took over and did most of the talking about her childhood, her school life, her family, her (many) divorces, her relationships, her stress at work, her recent vacation, etc. etc.. I ended up having to offer my advice and opinion as if I was sitting on the other side of the desk. What's up with that?

Oh well. *Shrugs*

I didn't mind though, and I'm glad that she's decided to retire now. I think it's a brave move to decide to step down and take a break from it all, I hope it all works for the better for her.

I guess the only thing that I didn't like about her retirement is that I'm gonna have to start seeing a different GP from now on, just when I'm about to get used to her, um, "quirks".

I just hate getting used to new people. Don't you?

I sat in the sun for a long time after leaving the clinic, soaking up the warm sunshine and vitamin D while trying to digest the news of her retirement and how it's gonna affect me. In the end, I decided that I wasn't gonna allow myself to worry about it too much, let's only think about it the next time I need to go back and see a different GP.

I let the small things in life stress me out too much, too often, and way too easily. And it's something that I'm working hard on improving and, hopefully, eventually changing.

So I took myself for a stroll down the streets and some vintage shopping, before popping by the post office to mail out documents for my tax return to my accountant and pick up Bee's parcel from ebay. It's a limited edition Matrix Reloaded collector's phone from 2003, can you believe the geek he is?! Lol.

While waiting for my prescription to be filled at the chemist, I dropped in to the small boutique that was supposed to order in a gorgeous coral rosette dress in my size to see if they managed to source one. It's been a week since I placed the order and I haven't heard back from them yet.

Turned out, they weren't sure if they could re-order the dress that I wanted, but they now have a similar dress, with similar design, in the same coral colour.

I tried on the new dress, but somehow it just didn't wow me as much as the other dress I wanted.

Though beggars can't be choosers huh? Since the original dress is probably a gone case now that the stock had ran out.

The new dress also came in a gorgeous shade of cobalt blue. The coral would be more suitable as a day spring dress, whereas the cobalt blue would be perfect for a night out with killer heels and bouncy curls.

I couldn't decide which colour to get, so I left it for now. I guess I'll either go back to get them both, or none of them at all. Hmm, decisions decisions decisions. :|

On the way out, I passed by the discount rack again and I spotted the same silky floral dress I bought last week! It's now nearly 50% off (!) and I was SO tempted to grab it as a backup since I don't think the material will last many of my rough machine washes.

The only thing is, I'm pretty sure when I was in the shop a week ago, mine was the only piece on the rack. Is it some marketing technique to play with consumers' mind? You know, to lure you into thinking that it's the last piece left so you better grab it before it's all gone?

I left the dress because the whole thing felt a little doggy, but on second thought, it's cheap as chips so who cares huh?

Say, would you throw your principles out of the window for a dress that looks gorgeous and ten times its actual price on you?

And that's the question that I should continue asking myself while I bask in the beautiful sunlight for the rest of the afternoon.

It's 28 degrees today.

Summer is not far away.

Paperwork

It's a Monday with bright sunshine and clear blue sky.

But my mood plummeted as soon as I woke up this morning upon realising that C*, D*'s boyfriend, decided to call in sick AGAIN.

Dude, just because you have a girlfriend now, doesn't mean that you have the rights to skip work at least one day at week! Geez, didn't you just come back from a 5-week holiday?! You can't be that worn out by work already.

Do you not know that faking sickie is a form of highly irresponsible behaviour, which is so NOT attractive and completely unacceptable after the age of, um, 12?

Do you not realise that by being absent from work for no good reason but simply because you feel like it, puts extra workload on your colleagues unnecessarily and someone else has to carry the weight for you while you still get paid for ferrying your girlfriend around or watching Japanese series at home?

Whatever happened to work etiquettes? Whatever happened to common decency? Whatever happened to ethic of reciprocity? Whatever happened to avoid doing what you would blame others for doing?

Or are you fully aware of all those things but decided to do it anyway given your shameless selfish nature?

I guess it's either you're so self-centered that you care about no one else but yourself, or you're not that important at your job anyway so no one else would even notice your absence.

Worse yet, all of the above.

The way this boyfriend and girlfriend team take turns to call in sick, or sometimes even deliberately coordinate to pull sickie on the same day, is making me sick!

Between them, they probably have more sick days in a fucking week than what I had in a whole year!

But honestly, I really wouldn't get so worked up over whatever they choose to do with their lives if it weren't for the fact that the couple practically hogs my living room (or the whole damn place except my room) ALL DA TIME whenever they're not at work.

Gosh I hope you both get busted by your superiors and he/she fires you for being such dodgy irresponsible asses!

Breath, missy, breath!

*Takes deep deep breaths*

Okay, moving on.

Because of how agitated I felt about the annoying person who has cemented his existence in my living room for yet another day, I decided to calm my nerves by re-organising the documents in the folders where I keep all the important paperwork.

I guess it's a little like how some people find cleaning or scrubbing the bathtub soothing?

Most days I avoid (or procrastinate) doing it, albeit being an organised freak, because I hate how my anal retentiveness takes over once I start and I just can't stop until I've done everything immaculately.

Oh the obsessive-compulsive tendency is exhausting!

Or maybe I should call them my "quirks" like Bree, from Desperate Housewives, does? Haha.

But today, I desperately needed a project to help me focus and distract me from the anger that was fuming inside my head.

Well, partly also because I really need to start looking through the tax return documents my accountant had prepared so I can sign and return to his office for him to submit the claim.

I ended up spending the whole afternoon crouching on the floor, sorting out paperwork I've accumulated over the the years.

There were papers spreading all over the floor of my bedroom, and with my deteriorating memory these days, I couldn't recall what were a lot of them intended for. Knowing how absent-minded I can be, I wouldn't be surprised if I threw away some really important ones but kept an useless warranty that is expired. :x

This little afternoon project ended on a hasty note when my back started hurting from hunching and my eyes from trying to read the printings that had faded on some of the documents.

For now, I'll just put them away assuming that all the paperwork is, maybe not perfectly but at least properly, organised and labeled in separate folders so I can call it a day.

Let's leave it till tomorrow to worry about archiving and indexing.

Or about people who are a pain in our butts.

Toodles.

Frustrated

It's only 11.30am on a Thursday.

Whilst the day has barely begun for some people, I already feel like the air has been let out of my balloon.

I attended the 29th and 30th lesson for my Secret Project Australia this morning, which was also my second double lesson.

As usual, I came back feeling like an absolute retard for not being able to master a skill that comes so instinctively to many.

And today, it hit a little closer to home when it suddenly dawned on me that it's been 3 months since I started my first lesson here in Melbourne.

Patience is not a virtue I was blessed with, so as much as I try to comfort myself by thinking that there's no pressure on me and I can take as long as I need, I can't help but start feeling impatient.

The fact that I've taken 30 odd lessons doesn't help either. The average number of lessons most people need is, like, 12?

I don't kid myself thinking that I can be one of those "average" people, so I did expect that I'll most likely require more than just 12 lessons. But my sarcastic instructor once joked that I might need a thousand lessons before I can pass the test, and you know what? I'm really starting to believe him!

People have been trying to make me feel better by telling me stories of how others who have had many years of experience overseas found it difficult too when they had to adjust to the system in Australia, let alone the little helpless me who have had no experience what-so-ever.

Those stories did make it feel a little better, but no less frustrated.

Bee has been comforting me by saying that I should take as many lessons and as much time as I need because, at the end of the day, safety comes first.

He has a point. A very good and valid one, actually.

What I don't understand is, how can I be so bad at this?!

Almost everyone I know of does it on a daily basis, and it's as easy and as natural to them as breathing or eating, so why can't I even get the hang of it?!

Oh I just want to get it over and done with already!

But at this rate I'm going, I'm seriously beginning to doubt if I will ever get there.

Happy Five and 3-Quarter Year Anniversary

So many months later, sometimes I still look at you and think, "Wow, I can't believe he loves me too."

Happy anniversary, baby.

I love you.

Ranting

It started off as an uneventful Tuesday.

The weather was grey and gloomy, completely different than the warm sunny day it was yesterday.

Since I had nothing planned for the day, I thought I'd just have a quiet day in and catch up with some blogging. I have so many drafted-but-not-completed backdated entries it's not funny!

Oh the sweet joy of procrastinating! :|

However, as I was sipping my red dates tea with wolfberries, I suddenly remembered that both of my ultrasound results should reach the clinic today.

And of course, being my usual obsessive-compulsive self, I just couldn't get the thought out of my head once it's there.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking (and worrying) about the results. I just had to find out rightaway!

So I jumped out of bed and called up the clinic.

I was told that the GP I've been seeing, whom ordered the test originally, was fully booked for the day and there was no way they could fit me in, so I ended up making an appointment for this coming Thursday.

But knowing me, you really shouldn't be surprised of what happened next.

I couldn't sit still at all after I hung up, so I picked up the phone again after 15 minutes and asked the receptionist if I could maybe see a different doctor just to find out about the results because I simply couldn't wait another day!

I managed to get an appointment with a locum GP in an hour's time, so I hastily changed into the first thing I could find in the closet and added some colour to my lips.

As I was rushing out the door, I casually asked if D*'s boyfriend, who was spending yet another one of his (many) off-days at my place AGAIN, would like to come along with me. I guess I was in desperate need of some company, any company, since I was really nervous about finding out the results.

We got to the clinic, and I met with the locum GP, who didn't seem to have a clue of what she's talking about. She looked so lost and nervy, like it was her first day on the job. I tried to prompt her with a few questions to get her going, but those questions were answered with lots of umm's, err's, and I-am-not-sure's.

Well, personally I think it's a waste of money for Medicare Australia to pay someone to read us things straight off a report without the ability to explain or provide further information. What? Like we couldn't read plain English ourselves?

And it's a disgrace for those of us in healthcare when it makes general public think that they could depend on Mr.Googgle more than the people in white coats. Seriously, you don't need a medical degree to be able to receive fax and then pass it on to your patient, just like how we don't need a doctor who can do just that and ONLY that!

Anyway, it's just my pent up ranting, so feel free to ignore that.

Both my abdominal and pelvic ultrasound results came back to be normal for now (or that's what we're assuming at the moment), so thank God!

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from pressing down on my heart and I could breath again.

So I courteously smiled and thanked the locum GP, because that's what we good-Asian-girls have been trained to do since young - to always be impeccably polite and well-mannered regardless of what you think or feel. :|

After my appointment, I spent a rather decent afternoon hanging out with D*'s boyfriend, C*.

The weird thing about them is, he's not nearly as obnoxious alone as he is when they're together, and she's more so alone than when he's around.

Which got me start thinking about how the two of them managed to become a couple that everyone can't stand though they were two individuals that people wouldn't mind having around before they were an item.

Throughout the 1.5 years they've been dating, they've practically pissed off and lost the friendship of almost everyone around them. Didn't that set off some sort of alarming signals in their heads that maybe, just maybe, there really is something wrong with them?

I guess love is blind afterall huh? Sometimes not only one is not able to see the flaws of the person you're in love with, but one becomes completely oblivious of the people around you too.

And no, I'm not talking about public display of affection, which I have absolutely no issues with because I'm guilty as charged when it comes down to that.

But I guess I'll leave it for now since all of us here probably already have enough of my ranting for one day.

Till the next time, it's just another post of my pointless ramblings.

I hope everyone is having a great week. :)

Dining Out Alone

Because of how miserable I felt yesterday, I decided to take myself out for a nice relaxing lunch and some retail therapy today.

I was still feeling a bit wobbly when I got out of bed because I took another Stilnox at 7am to force myself to go back to sleep when I was woken up (and terribly annoyed) by noises of D*'s boyfriend getting ready for work. But I had an appointment for abdominal ultrasound at 11.30am, so I just had to splash some cold water on my face and amp up the blush to look more awake.

Besides, Stilnox is such an old friend by now that an ordinary person who doesn't know me well wouldn't even notice the difference before and after I've taken one (or more), so.....*Shrugs*

I couldn't find anyone to have lunch with me so initially I thought I'd skip lunch and get some takeaways instead, but by the time I finished my ultrasound, it was such a beautiful spring day to sit out in the sun that I just couldn't resist.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but dining out alone is the one thing that I just couldn't do.

It's not so much of the idea of being alone, but rather the awkwardness while doing so that simply steers me away from it. It just feels a little odd not having anyone to talk to, not even the TV to keep you company, when you eat, no?

I used to enjoy doing a lot of things alone - shopping, running errands, flying, studying, jogging, etc. etc.. In fact, I'd even say that I used to prefer to do a lot of things alone since it's fuss-free and so much more efficient.

But watching movie and dining out were the two things that I had never attempted to do alone.

I conquered my fear of watching a movie alone in October last year during one of my petty fights with Bee. I stormed out of our house in KL in a fit of anger and realised I didn't know where to go, so I ended up spending the afternoon watching a bimbotic chick flick all by myself with a jumbo size of caramel popcorn.

So technically, it wasn't by choice. :p

Also, I'm beginning to realise that as I age, I tend to crave for companionship more and more.

So much so that I'm more reluctant to do a lot of things alone these days if I had a choice because of how lonely they make me feel. Does this happen to anyone else? Or is it just me?

Which, of course, led me further and further away from the idea of dining out alone.

But today, something came over me and I decided to take that fear to lunch.

Not while-I-am-waiting-for-someone entrée, not on-a-rush-lunch-break quick bite, not stuff-it-all-in-your mouth fast food, but to walk into a nice restaurant and enjoy a proper meal with no one else but myself, to tell the waiter "no, it's just me." when asked if I'm waiting for someone.

And I did.

I sat in the sun, and had a nice long lunch with a glass of bubbly at a quaint little sidewalk café. All by myself.

It felt a little uneasy at first, it was something that I wasn't used to. I held on to my phone tightly, constantly having the urge to call someone, anyone at all, to come have lunch with me.

But after a while, the awkwardness eased off, and I started to notice the crunchiness of the salad, or the tenderness of the meat. Instead of being so self-conscious that I was eating by myself, I started to pay more attention to appreciate the food in my mouth and the ambience of the restaurant.

And you know what? It wasn't that bad.

As the matter of fact, I can genuinely said that I really enjoyed the quality time I got to spend with myself, which I'm afraid I have forgotten how to for quite some time now.

But of course, being a newbie and all, I was fashionably armed with a glossy copy of Vogue and my mobile phone. Haha.

Cut me some slack, will ya? It was my first time afterall. :p

After lunch, I felt so smug about my little "accomplishment" that I went dress shopping to reward myself.

I fell in love with a gorgeous flowy coral dress in the window of a unknown boutique, but they ran out of small sizes. I tried on another similar dress of the same colour, but it just wasn't the same.

I'm usually not one to be drawn to bright or striking colours, but that particular coral red rosette dress was just too lovely to pass on. It hits all the right buttons and the colour compliments my skin tone really well, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the owner will manage to source another one in my size as he promised to. Keep yours crossed too, people!

Upon leaving the boutique, I passed by the discount rack and spotted a silky spring dress with floral prints. I tried it on and it fits me like a glove!

The material might feel a little cheap if you look up close, but it's really soft to touch and it's such a sweet little dress for a warm day in spring or summer. Besides, it's nearly 40% off!

The weather in Melbourne is back to wintery and gloomy for the next few days, so my new floral dress will probably have to sit in my closet for a while before I get to wear it, but hey, summer will eventually come and from what I heard, it's not that far away. *Smiles*

Having Korean hot pot with friends for dinner tonight, just the right kind of food to warm up a chilly weeknight!

My first attempt to dine out alone wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but at the end of the day, I guess I still prefer to have company when I eat.

But at least after today, it's safe to conclude that though it isn't my favourite thing on the menu, it's now something that I'll consider ordering from time to time.

So kudos to me! *Grins*