Little Superhero Girl

Letters from Lulu

2010-09-25T03:59:00.000+10:00

I have officially moved!

Absolutely zero

2010-09-24T12:24:00.002+10:00

Hey what's that you say?
You're not blaming me for anything
Well that's great
But I don't break that easy
Does it fade away?

So that's why I'm apologizing now for telling you
I thought that we could make it
I just don't get enough to believe that we've both changed

So who am I to say this situation isn't great?
It's my time to make the most of it
Of course I didn't know that this would happen to me
Not that easy, no, no, no, no

All along the fault is up for grabs
Why can't you have it
If it's for sale, what is your offer?
I'll sell it for no less than what I bought it for
Pay no more than absolutely zero

Well neither one of us deserves the blame
Because opportunities moved us away
And it's not an easy thing to learn to play a game
That's made for two, that's you and me
The rules remain a mystery

2010-09-24T03:38:00.000+10:00

My favourite John Mayer song.

I can't remember What went wrong last SeptemberThough I'm sure you'd remind meIf you had to
Our love was Comfortable And so broken in
You wrestle with your own thoughts, your logic at battle with your emotions. When words fail you and you listen to a dozen different songs that seem to articulate the story of your life with such wretched honesty. I just miss you, that's all.

the answer isn't for us

2010-09-24T02:38:00.000+10:00

This time I am truly rendered speechless.

We don't need to say goodbye
We don't need to fight and cry
Oh we, we could hold each other tight
Tonight

We're so helpless

We're slaves to our own forces

We're afraid of our emotions

No one, knows where the shore is

We're divided by the ocean

And the only thing I know is

The answer isn't for us

No, the answer isn't for us

- "So Sorry" by Feist

24 hours in Singapore

2010-09-17T03:33:00.001+10:00

Taken in Armadale, Melbourne

The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of frantic packing and teary farewells, of last-minute shopping (I went to as many op shops as I could to procure myself some "one-off" Melbournian clothes) and ethnic cuisines (Ethiopian twice a week, Carribean, Szechuan... Singapore cannot eat one!), of hitting the road and being shutter-happy.

The day before I was flying home, my laptop died on me. It just fizzled and sizzled and all the magic spells in the world couldn't bring it back to life. After a bit of a drama, I had E drive me to the nearest computer shop and bought myself a new Lenovo laptop for under $500. I felt like my entire life was in that laptop, and I swear I would have a complete breakdown if I didn't get a new one immediately. And we managed to buy a portable hard disk case, pry open the old laptop and transfer the data onto the new one, 2 hours before I was to get on my plane, thank God!

It's been over 24 hours since I've landed home, and everything smells like it does in the tropics. It's the awkward familiar humidity which I promised myself not to complain about. All over town malls are exploding and I am completely disoriented and have had to depend on Mellie (who has only moved here for 3 months) to tell me where's where. I looked so lost at the train station that the uncle gave me an MRT map of the new system. A stranger in my native land, making a quiet re-entry into my hometown.

Everything in my life, inside and outside has changed and I am fighting every bone in my body not to be emotional about it. I miss you more than words can say, but I have to learn to live in the now, be grateful for what I have, appreciate the people around.

The Alchemist

2010-09-06T21:38:00.001+10:00

“This is why alchemy exists,” the boy said. “So that everyone will search for his treasure, find it, and then want to be better than he was in his former life. Lead will play its role until the world has no further need for lead; and then lead will have to turn itself to gold. “That’s what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”

- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

At The Alchemist on Brunswick St, FitzroyWith Jules, Locky, Xina, Tash, Roger Federer (ha!), E and James
I've been doing farewell meet-ups with my friends here ever since I decided I was going to leave on a jet place and bought my air ticket. It's just an excuse to revert to my Tokyo semi-alcoholic diet.
As much as I am looking forward to seeing everyone back home, I am really going to miss my Melbournian family. Everyone has been so good to me!

The longest river in the world

2010-08-31T23:56:00.000+10:00

... and I can't cross over it.

"No, I won't go away. I won't leave you in this state."

"What state, this isn't a state, this is how I am, I want to be alone, don't you understand? Alone, alone, alone, alone, alone!"

"To do what, then?"

"Nothing! To do nothing, nothing at all!"

"Then write! Or make a collage, a movie, a song, do something with all that, at least it'll have been some use."

"You're driving me crazy with your enthusiasm, you always see the good side of things, I don't have a good side, that's what you can't seem to grasp. I want to be alone, to wait for nothing, hope for nothing, sleep eat hibernate, not to think, not to reflect, play Super Mario world on my computer, read old Elle magazines, novels I know by heart, keep underlining the same sentences, watch tv, drink milk, eat bread dipped in tea, and dance, dance by myself because I can't in front of others, not to cry, not to laugh, to get massaged, to be carressed, without reciprocating, inert, as inert as possible under the fngers of the masseuse who I pay for the luxury, snore, fall asleep!"

- An excerpt from "Nothing Serious" by Justine Levy

But even when the sky is falling and you're not here to hold it up anymore, that's what friends are for- a shoulder to cry on, a place of refuge and a voice of reason.

You've got my back

2010-08-23T00:46:00.003+10:00

I'm not scared if you're not scared

I'll take this fear drop it off the bridge

Let it fall to the water

The water by the docks

In the heart of the city the grey big bridge

The bridge on the water, wheels on the bridge

Driving out to where the sky meets the water

And the water meets the rocks

Chorus:

You've got my back

I've got your back

There's a pelican

Flying into the shore

He opens his wings

And his wing just carries him

When I was a kid I would freeze up

Standing on the diving board

I can't go back I must give way

To gravity, gravity, gravity

Repeat chorus

I'm so happy

I'm so happy to see you again

The rains and puddles and the birds are singing
And swimming in them

They're singing if you let them go

The wind will carry it so just let go, let go

If you let go the wind will carry it

So just let go, just let go

If you go back the way you started

You never know, you never know

The wind is up and the voice is calling

Here we are, here we are

- "Pelican" by Hello Satellites

clutching at straws

2010-08-21T00:59:00.004+10:00

Drive out with the sun in your eyes
You wasted my time
It's true, it's true

My god, don't you hold out your hand
I called off my plans
I counted on you, on you

And if you're ever left with any doubt
What you live with and what you'll do without
I'm only sorry that it took so long to figure out

- "Evening Kitchen" by Band of Horses

I am trying to stand on solid ground, but the sand keeps slipping under my feet. No one's playing the blame game, but I'm clutching at straws again.

A home filled with your possessions and mine, except like a pair of shoes yet broken into, I am reminded it no longer means anything. Bare walls, unread books, half-emptied wardrobes, boxes and suitcases.

This just means I am the one leaving, for good.

the world spins madly on

2010-08-20T01:07:00.000+10:00

"How eerie and distilled this night is. How strange and abandoned and unsettled I am. Like a snowdome paperweight that's been shaken. There's a blizzard in my bubble. Everything in my world that was steady and sure and sturdy has been shaken out of place, and it's now drifting and swirling back down into a confetti of debris. A book I knew by heart, torn up and thrown into the air. Everything has been rocked with such rigour and tumult. Everything has been uprooted and broken. A dozen disasters at once. I can't begin to collect the pieces and try to set them as they were. It's like I've got to crawl out of my own eggshell and emerge.. And a little like Jasper Jones, I no longer have the luxury of choosing the right time. I can't unfurl from my cocoon when I'm good and ready. I've been pulled out early and left in the cold."

- An excerpt from "Jasper Jones" by Craig Silvey

If there is one thing you learn, it is that life goes on.

You go to bed, toss and turn, yet another sleepless night. Wake up, get ready for work, hop on the train and tram, enter the classroom, your kids are ready and waiting. Some of them visibly perk up when you walk in. You pick up the marker, deliver your lesson with the usual tried-and-tested jokes, they laugh. Teaching sometimes feels like one big performance and they are your captive audience.

It's nice to know that even when everything in your world is falling apart, you can still bring something to these kids and make a difference in their lives. This is exactly why I love teaching and think I have the most rewarding job in the world.

Reminding yourself of the many things to be thankful for and the possibilities that lie ahead makes it a lot easier to put on your cloak of courage and fly.

Time for a new beginning, a fresh start!

Hiatus

2010-08-15T18:18:00.000+10:00

I am indefinitely gone.

Birds leave their nest and they fly
There's nobody left here but I

I'll see you when I see you.

Cold turn our breath into clouds

2010-07-18T00:09:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago Casey mailed me a maxi dress with a card to tell me she missed me.

And so I had to wear the dress even though we're right in the middle of a very cold winter.
I matched it with my sister's gifted Balenciaga, belt from Supre and sandals from Dotti, and then threw on a lovely blue cardigan I got from some cheap Asian boutique at Bondi Junction in Sydney. Needless to say, I nearly froze to death.
By the way, it's official- E and I have signed the lease on a 2-bedroom apartment in the south-east and we're moving in next Saturday. This time I also get a dishwasher and a lovely balcony overlooking the area!
We had a walk around the neighbourhood and I absolutely love it. It has a big Greek and Asian community and features everything you need for surburban living. It is home to the best Greek cafe in Melbourne, so no surprise where I would be hanging out from now on. Located right in the middle of two train stations and a big bus terminal, it is also within walking distance to Chadstone (or "Chaddy" as the locals would call it), the biggest shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere.
And because I am all about good news today- I passed my Learner's Permit test on Friday which means I can start learning to drive from E and hopefully I'll be good able to take the practical exam by the end of the year! :)
I can't wait for the weather to turn warmer again xx

Sydney, I love you

2010-07-14T00:32:00.001+10:00

I wasn't expecting to, but I truly, madly, deeply fall in love with Sydney.

The entire CBD is built around water and absolutely breathtaking. I literally gasped when I saw the Sydney Opera House. Photos don't do it any justice, because you just have to be there to experience it for yourself.

Locky joked that I might discover that I have been living in the wrong city all this while, and I must admit harbouring very adulterous thoughts during my 4-day getaway.

But Melbourne is my home, at least for now. ;) And I am more than happy to be back, because I have an exciting new beginning to look forward to. But more on that later!

Your song

2010-06-27T21:28:00.003+10:00

我相信只要我爱你什么都可以
一切都可以

我爱你爱你没道理
没道理爱你爱你就可以
就是痴心的痴心的沉溺
沈你在爱你就让我沉溺
Three pots and a pint, you and me in a bar talking into the night. Holding hands, laughing, making plans. We could be here, or somewhere else, anywhere really. As long as I have you, it's good enough for me.

Love doesn't have to be complicated, you know?

exciting and new to say

2010-06-26T01:23:00.003+10:00

It started with the loss of my sudoku mojo.

Strange but true- I simply woke up one morning and realized I couldn't play Sudoku anymore. I tried samurai sudoku, failed. Then the novice one in The Age, failed. And then the one on E's iPhone, failed. My sudoku mojo had surreptitiously abandoned me, and the numbers that used to make perfect sense and logic to me swirled around in my brain and went poof in a cloud of pink.

It must have been some kind of cosmic foreboding, because everything started going wrong after that.

I don't want to do go into details, nor do I wish to dwell on the negative. Life is all about learning your lessons and moving forward.

I was drowning in paperwork, trying to cut through red tape at every turn. Fingerprint impressions, police checks from three countries, teaching registration, online portfolio, statutory declarations, official documents, and endless phone calls and e-mails. So much for being done with my practicum because the real crunch begins now.

But I think I am in a good place now. I got a part-time job teaching high school maths and science back at the school I taught at over the summer, E and I are making plans for the near future and we are finally going to Sydney! Time to find out if I have been living in the wrong city all these while (according to Locky ;)).

I hope everyone is well. Us and our cameras and our wanderlust and random encounters and late nights in a strange city, I can hardly wait! :)

It's sincere and subjective all over the world
Superficial and true all over the world
Easy and predictable all over the world
Exciting and new to say I want you
- "All over the world " by The Pet Shop Boys

Lifelines

2010-06-15T20:07:00.003+10:00

Some people have only one lifeline, but I have five.

For these very reasons, I can hold my head high.
I don't even know what to say, but thank you, you, you, you and you for loving me despite everything. Your value is truly above the price of rubies.

The place you've just come from

2010-06-14T22:22:00.003+10:00

"Time expands and contracts. When it expands, it's like pitch: it folds people in its arms and holds them forever in its embrace. It doesn't let us go very easily. Sometimes you go back to the place you've just come from, stop and close your eyes, and realize that not a second has passed, and time just leaves you there, stranded, in the darkness."

- An excerpt from Hardboiled by Banana Yoshimoto

The fringe benefit of failure

2010-06-07T18:15:00.001+10:00

Warm words for a cold winter night.

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all. In which case, you fail by default.

Failure gave me an inner security that I have never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learnt no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected. I also found out that I have friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies.

The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are ever after secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift... and it has been worth more than any qualifications I have ever earned...

Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisitions or achievements. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life... Life is difficult and complicated and beyond anyone's total control. And the humility to know that will enable you to survive..."

- J.K. Rowling in her Harvard commencement speech

You can watch the full video here.

What use are wings if not to fly?

2010-06-07T10:32:00.001+10:00

Taken in Yarra Valley, Victoria

These photos were taken last year during my day trip to the wineries when Chaz was visiting.

I really need a holiday somewhere.

Dear uncertainty

2010-06-03T23:17:00.003+10:00

This one's for me and my best girl.

Taken from thxthxthx: a thank you note a day

With faith and courage, life will iron itself out.

My not-so-surprise party

2010-06-03T21:05:00.003+10:00

On the last day of my practicum, my students planned a not-so-surprise goodbye party for me.

I was working on the computer when two girls ran up to me, breathless."Gerard's on the phone. He wants to speak to you. NOW!""Gerard? Are you sure?" The vice principal."Yes you have to hurry!"I hesitated, suspicious."Ooooh I think you're in trouble!" The girls giggled.
On the phone, Gerard told me it was standard procedure to have an exit interview with student teachers and asked if I could meet him at his office immediately. It was ten minutes to the bell. I put on my coat and ran down the stairs. I knew what was coming but had to play along.
In Gerard's office we had a chat about how I did and what my plans were, but we were soon interrupted by a phone call. "Yes I can do that," he said to the called and abruptly ended the meeting. He stood up and ushered me out of the door and back up into the classroom.
Once I entered, the kids jumped up from under the desks where they were hiding. "SURPRISE!!!!!" They screamed and then burst into a Goodbye song, to the tune of Happy Birthday.
They all brought in food to share with the class and made me a big card (with a yellow pom-pom knob in the middle).
I miss the not-so-little munchkins so!

love is the little things

2010-05-30T00:29:00.001+10:00

Sorting all the lights and darks
Making sure our love won't lose that spark
You really didn't have to

Funny pictures that you take
Dinner out instead of shake and bake
You really didn't have to.

Movies and magazines
Filling our heads with dreams
Love is the little things
Love changes everything.

Picking me up after work
Putting up with all my silly quirks
You really didn't have to

Saying that my cooking is great
While you try to hide a stomachache
You really didn't have to

Movies and magazines
Filling our heads with dreams
Love is the little things
Love changes everything.

Movies and magazines,
Filling our heads with dreams.
Love is the little things.
Like diamonds

(Spoken)
Jack: Woah, woah, woah... like what?
Nataly Dawn: Like...diamonds.
Jack: Diamonds aren't little things.
Nataly Dawn: Little diamonds are little things...

If you think you need some lovin'

2010-05-29T23:20:00.002+10:00

.. well that's fine.

Taken during summer in Box Hill, Melbourne

It's halfway into autumn and the temperature has been peaking at about 18 degrees. There is an unmistakable chill of winter in the air, and the cold reaches into my bones and I soon forget what the warmth of the sun feels like.

The children blithely run about in tatty t-shirts and tiny shorts. Aren't you cold, I ask. They respond with a look of incredulity on their faces that makes me wonder why I bothered to ask in the first place.

Watching them play, I often think about how much I missed out on as a kid. I remember spending a lot of time doing homework, attending art and tuition classes and going to the library, but I never had much outside time.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I had an unhappy childhood, but I didn't climb any trees or trap insects in bottles and I never learnt how to ride the bicycle.

At the age of 27 I am still experiencing many firsts in my life. You're never too old, right?

“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.” - Angela Schwindt

Someday I'll be

2010-05-23T21:25:00.005+10:00

"I didn't call myself anything. I was more than a teacher. And less. In the high school classroom you are a drill sergeant, a rabbi, a shoulder to cry on, a disciplinarian, a singer, a low-level scholar, a clerk, a referee, a clown, a counselor, a dress-code enforcer, a conductor, an apologist, a philosopher, a collaborator, a tap dancer, a politician, a therapist, a fool, a traffic cop, a priest, a mother-father-brother-sister-uncle-aunt, a bookkeeper, a critic, a psychologist, the last straw."

- An excerpt from "Teacher Man" by Frank McCourt

And so, a glimpse into what I have been doing for the last month-

Writing, multiplication, division, P.E., poetry, terrariums, fractions, perimeter, area, children's rights, fairy tales, germination, soccer, basketball and all the other stuff in between.

On Friday, I was coaching a girl on how to calculate the area of a composite shape while her classmate hovered over us with his worksheet waiting for his turn.

"I bet you didn't think it would be this hard to be a teacher," she remarked, a Grade 5 student with all her years of wisdom.

The Big Issue

2010-05-18T21:42:00.000+10:00

Since the start of this year, I've made it a point to buy the Big Issue from vendors in the city.

The articles in the magazine are intelligent and informative, but more importantly it's nice to know that half of the money I pay goes directly into the vendors' pocket and helps them to help themselves.

Here's a blurb about how the Big Issue works-

The Big Issue Street Magazine Enterprise is a unique business solution to a social problem; using the publishing model to produce a quality product, the sale of which provides opportunities for homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people to make positive changes in their lives.

Authorised vendors buy the magazine for $2.50 from The Big Issue and sell it on the streets for $5, keeping the difference.

Since its launch in 1996, The Big Issue vendors in Australia have sold over 5 million magazines, with almost $10 million going into the pockets of Australia's homeless and unemployed.

I occasionally watch the vendors in action and it's interesting to see how a lot of people just rush past and act like they haven't noticed them. If you meet one today, why not stop and buy a copy from them? It would make their day and I assure you the magazine won't disappoint!
Find out more about the Big Issue here!

We spend our days travellin'

2010-05-17T19:32:00.003+10:00

My girlfriend fell sick and cancelled on lunch last minute on Saturday, so I decided to head to the Ian Potter museum at Federation Square to check out the VCE Top Arts exhibition.

The exhibition features 57 young artists who have completed Art and Studio Arts for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) at both metropolitan and regional schools (equivalent to GCE 'A' Levels). It includes a diversity of artforms like drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, textiles and screen-based works.

I had already seen some of the artwork online, but seeing them in person was absolutely amazing!

Here are some of my favourites-

A definite highlight was when Tait Sengstock came to speak about "William", his massive artwork that measured over 3m by 2m. He stitched together 78 scanned A3 pages of fine-liner illustrations which took him over 1000 hours of hand-drawing. Talk about dedication!

There's nothing better (and more inspiring) than a quiet afternoon alone in an art museum and a cup of coffee after. :)

The exhibition runs until 14 June 2010 so be sure to check it out if you are in Melbourne!

I'll be my own best friend

2010-05-16T21:55:00.002+10:00

Swirly clouds at Lake Wartook, The Grampians

It's funny how I am so used to blogging that when I'm not updating my blog, I sometimes replay my day as how I would have written it out when I'm in bed or having some quiet time. (Nerd alert!)

I wish my thoughts could magically transpose themselves onto the web with moving images and sounds so that you can all know what I'm up to, but technology has not caught up with me yet!

So I managed to run full steam for about 2 weeks before my body succumbed, partly from stress and overwork and partly from the sudden dip in temperature. I came down with a coughing fit (although not as bad as the time in Tokyo I was sick for 2 entire weeks) and a terrible sore throat and had to call in sick to my practicum school 2 days in a row. All my body needed was complete bed rest and I am feeling much better now!

Apart from that, I've been doing some serious soul searching about what to do after I graduate but I think I'll be able to make a much better decision once my current state of busy-ness dies down. I reckon a pro-con list a la Rory from Gilmore Girls is in order.

In the meantime, Mellie is relocating to Singapore with Mamo and Jo is heading home as well, which makes for a very strong case to me being back, but there are so many variables at play. Life is a lot less complicated in the absence of choice.

I promise my life will be a lot more exciting in 2-3 weeks time!

So long, La Trobe!

2010-04-21T14:50:00.002+10:00

As much as I hate saying goodbye, I should really get used to it since I move around so much.

I remember writing about being sad to leave Japan, and about leaving Singapore again, and more than a year has flown by and I'm about to complete a postgraduate course in Australia. I have a Freudian addiction to farewells.

Meg and I counted the actual days we've had lessons on campus for the entire course, and it totalled about 50 days. 50 days of lectures and workshops to qualify us as primary classroom teachers. It seems highly inadequate when you think of it in absolute terms, but I've also been challenged and inspired by many of the lecturers and my coursemates and definitely grew a lot in terms of my pedagogy, curriculum planning and behaviour management.

Today was the last day of uni and I was a little disappointed that half of the group didn't turn up because it would have been nice to say a proper goodbye to everyone and wish them luck on the practicum.

A few of us adjourned to the Agora for coffee and talked about the course and what we were going to do after this, but it seems we're all waiting to see what happens next. It just felt like an anti-climax after the very intense year we've had!

So long, La Trobe!

The Grampians

2010-04-20T21:52:00.002+10:00

Leaping off the peak of Mount William in the Grampians, Victoria

The Grampians is made up of stunning sandstone mountain ranges and located about 235 km west of Melbourne. Declared a National Park in 1984, it is a popular getaway for couples, friends, families and visitors to Melbourne.

We arrived on Easter Sunday afternoon without any bookings and were once again very lucky to secure a camping site via the Brambuk National Park and Cultural Centre. We only had to register with the staff and paid $15 (if I remember correctly) admin fee for a permit to camp at any of their 11 sites.

I wanted somewhere with shower facilities, so we drove about 30 minutes northwards to the Smith Mill camping ground near Lake Wartook. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the "bush shower" mentioned in the map referred to a bucket on a string. Thank God we were only staying for the night so I decided to rough it out and skipped my shower.

We visited Lake Wartook and The Balconies and made it to the top of Mount William, the highest peak in the Grampians. We also played Good Samaritan to a young couple who was stranded along the way when their car broke down and I found out in the car that the girl was actually German and had lived in Singapore for 7 years! Talk about random coincidences.

Because I couldn't take a shower and had unwisely packed only knits (assuming that it would be freezing cold), I looked really daggy wearing E's tee shirts that were two sizes too big on me and gross unwashed hair. Charming, I know, and I have the pictures to prove it.

Be happy, drink rum!

Still, I can't wait to go camping again!

You can view the slideshow of all our photos from The Grampians here!

If the walls could speak

2010-04-15T11:02:00.003+10:00

Taken in the J-Ward goal in Ararat, Victoria

On our way to the Grampians from Ballarat, we had to drive through the rural town of Ararat and we decided to make a pit-stop at the infamous J-Ward gaol.

J-Ward gaol (an obselete spelling for "jail" used in Australia) started out as a goldfields prison in the 1850s, as a response to the influx of immigrants to the area during the Gold Rush. When the gold ran out, its was converted to temporary housing for the criminally insane in Victoria, before becoming an extension of the Aradale Lunatic Asylum. It was in operation right up to 1991 and is now a museum to preserve the lives and stories of the criminals who were imprisoned there.

We were given a one-hour tour by a volunteer who explained to us the history of the compounds, The fascinating stories of the criminals and their experiences in the goal.

He even threw in a ghost story for good measure. In the governor's bathroom, he alleged, lives the restless spirit of the governor who had died of a heart attack on the second step from the floor of the old kitchen.

Before the tour, E and I had wandered the grounds on our own and had taken pictures in the very same room. I am relieved to report that the photos came out normal. ;)

My mum might say "Aiyoh, bad luck!"

You can view more photos from the J-Ward gaol here!

Sovereign Hill

2010-04-12T16:50:00.005+10:00

Aye, aye captain!

Sovereign Hill is an open-air museum that depicts Ballarat's first decade after the discovery of the world's biggest alluvial gold in the 1850s. It is located on a 25-hectare land with authentically recreated buildings, horse-drawn carriages and staff and actors dressed in period clothing.

Being the museum buff I am, we travelled back in time and spent an entire day being wide-eyed tourists.

We wandered through the Chinese settlement, pretended to pan for gold, enjoyed 1850s-style shopping along the main street, had the famous meat pies from Hope Bakery, watched the redcoat solders and then an old-fashioned pantomime at the theatre, saw the $80,000 gold pour and soaked in the atmosphere of a historical township. There was just so much to see and do!

Everyone we met in Ballarat was exceedingly friendly and accommodating, and I definitely hope to visit again someday. :)

You can view the slideshow of all our photos from Sovereign Hill here!

Humbled

2010-04-10T17:06:00.003+10:00

"Excellence is a better teacher than mediocrity. The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere. Truly profound and original insights are to be found only in studying the exemplary." - Warren G. Bennis

Have you ever who doesn't have to say much to have a profound impact on you just because of who he is?

He's the kind of teacher I aspire to be, and has left me humbled and inspired.

Surburbia

2010-04-08T20:29:00.002+10:00

The other day I missed my bus-stop and had to walk a slightly different way home. I happened to have my SLR on me, so I decided to capture random shots of Melbournian suburbia.

It is easy to capture photogenic moments like a blossoming flower, laughing children and grand buildings, but how often do we celebrate the everyday, the ordinary and the ugly?
Sometimes you just need to stop and smell the flowers and remind yourself just how wonderful life can be.
You can view more photos here.

So where the bloody hell are ya?

2010-04-07T10:19:00.010+10:00

Before I came to Australia, I imagined it as the Great Outback, with kangaroos aplenty hopping into the sunset. And surfers at the beach going "So where the bloody hell are ya?" or people greeting you "G'day mate!" as you walk past them on the street.

Of course as I slowly adapt to the Aussie way of life (I feel flattered when people assume that I've been here longer than my 10 months), I've found a lot of the stereotypes to be untrue. I haven't heard anyone use the word "bloody" but I've heard and uttered many "Hey how's it going?"s.

But what really struck me the most is just how massive Australia is- it's about the size of China (or half the size of Russia) and I remember one weekend when E and I drove about 1000 km down the Great Ocean Road to Warrnambool and back, feeling like we've gone to the end of the world but realizing that we've barely moved on the map at all!

Because of the geography and history of the continent, it is also a megadiverse country, containing the majority of the world's species. This is a far cry from the concrete jungle I grew up in, and I love walking down the streets here and admiring the diversity of trees and foliage around me.

I am also endlessly fascinated by the native animals here, some of whom I have never ever heard of until I stepped foot in Australia! We all know the kookaburra, the kangaroo, the platypus, the koala and the wombat, but do you know about the echidna, the lyrebird, the quokka or the dingo?

Our first stop in Ballarat had to to be the Ballarat Wildlife Sanctuary Park because I saw pictures of visitors interacting with the kangaroos on the website and I decided that I had to play tourist at last once.

By the end of our afternoon there, I was ready to bring a kangaroo home! Until E broke my heart by informing me that it would be illegal.

Nonetheless, we took plenty of photos to remember the day by.

You can view the slideshow of all our photos from the Wildlife Sanctuary here!

You and me versus the world

2010-04-06T20:32:00.003+10:00

Taken at the peak of Mount William, The Grampians

E and I needed to get away, just the two of us.

Over the long Easter weekend, we decided to pack our bags to go camping. It was so last minute that we didn't plan where we were going to stay or how long we were going to be gone for. I suggested Ballarat for Sovereign Hill and the Wildlife Sanctuary Park, and he wanted to go further to the Grampians.

So we got in the car and onto the Western freeway and drove for about an hour and a half before we got to our first stop.

There is something very liberating about leaving behind the city and driving through the country, where all you can see are fields of green and wide open skies, towering wind generators in the distant hills and the occasional house along the road.

It felt like we could drive on forever.

We were blessed with gorgeous weather and friendly folks and most importantly, each other's company.

In 4 days we must have driven at least 750 km. We fell in love with the kangaroos and echidnas at the Wildlife Sanctuary Park, caught "The Blind Side", spent a whole day at Sovereign Hill, checked out a newly-opened live jazz bar, ate a lot of meat pies, visited the J-Ward Gaol (for the criminally insane) in Ararat, visited the Grampians National Park and climbed to the top of Mount William.

And there is nothing like setting up our tiny tent under the night skies, snuggled together in our sleeping bag.

I was very reluctant to return to reality and face my assignment deadlines, and I think I speak for us both.

You and me versus the world

Everybody's gotta learn

2010-04-01T21:04:00.003+11:00

Change your heart, look around you
Change your heart, it will astound you
I need your loving like the sunshine
Everyone's gotta learn sometime

On days when your world's spinning out of control and the things you cannot articulate hover above you like a dark, dark cloud and your heart feels like it's about to burst, you stop.

You stop and breathe. Deep.

So give me a word to hold on to. A word that will give me courage and hope, a word that will put everything into perspective.

One step at a time. Everything is going to be okay.

I can't see nobody but you

2010-04-01T10:38:00.001+11:00

Ushuaia.

The southernmost city in the world.

They say it's the end of the world. Heartbroken people go the lighthouse and leave their sorrows behind.

I watched 春光乍洩 (Happy Together) by Wong Kar Wai and cried my eyes out.

Chang: In January 1997 I finally arrive at the end of the world. This is the southernmost lighthouse in South America. Beyond this is the South Pole.

Suddenly I feel like going home. Even though home is far away, at that moment it feels very close.

I promised Fai to leave his sadness here. I don't know what he said that night. Maybe the recorder broke. I couldn't hear anything on the tape. Just some strange noises, like someone sobbing.

Fai: Before I leave Argentina, I decided to try to see the falls again.

I lose my way and wander around for a while, but I finally reach Iguazu. I feel very sad. I feel like there should be two of us standing here.

There are movies that just get to you.

the airplane flew right over our heads

2010-03-28T23:26:00.008+11:00

It is Saturday night and I am home alone in my pajamas, being extremely boring and marking my students' homework. E has been working all day on his uni assignments and I know better than to impose my presence on him.

At about 9, I get a text message from E asking me what I am up to, and if I am free to chat in a few minutes. I am immediately disappointed, because a silly part of me is hoping he would surprise me by turning up at my door, but I know he has deadlines to meet and live 45 minutes away.

The next thing I know I get another text that says "Come to the door".

I run to the door and squeal with my excitement, throw myself at E and refuse to let go, and he laughs at my reaction.

Afterwards, we drive to the viewing ground in Tullamarine to watch airplanes. Two of them roar and fly right over our heads to unknown destinations, and we recline our car seats and hold hands.

僕は愛を歌うよ

君がくれた希望を

心に咲く花を

君がくれた言葉で

愛を歌うよ

君と生きる東京

君の答えになりたい

君のアシタになりたい

ずっと歩こうよ

いま　愛を歌うよ

Oh sunny sunny day

2010-03-26T22:46:00.008+11:00

The perk of being back in uni is having a 3-week break mid-semester to catch up on my readings and work on my assignments.

And because I've been dying to visit the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen (which is only a 15-minute drive away), I got Locky and Megs to come along with me and checked out the Cubism exhibition and the Sculpture Park.

When we had seen everything that was to be seen, we headed down to Abbotsford Convent for lunch and had the most delicious Japanese lunch bento at one of the eateries there. It reminded me of my cafe-hopping days with Mellie in Tokyo!

We whiled the afternoon away talking about school and our teaching experiences (can't help it when you have three student teachers hanging out together), and it was definitely a great way to spend a beautiful Friday afternoon.

You can view a slideshow of the photos taken today here.

Ron Mueck

2010-03-26T21:40:00.006+11:00

I am a bit of a museum geek, so over the summer I got Locky and Jules to see Ron Mueck at the NGV with me, and we loved it!
Photos taken by Locky with his iPhone
Taken from the NGV website-

"Mueck’s sculptures are some of the most widely acclaimed, prominent and identifiable works in the international contemporary art arena.

Often naked and suspended in states of self-consciousness, introspection or deep contemplation, his figures present both emotional and physical states of exposure. As viewers we experience a level of unease that is borne of a voyeuristic awkwardness, as though we have invaded some kind of personal space. However, we also identify with the human condition these poignant moments express.

Astounding in their apparent realism and compelling in their ability to invite interaction Ron Mueck’s works have earned him a singular place as the creator of some of the most evocative sculptures of our time. This is the most comprehensive exhibition of work by the Australian-born, London-based artist to have been presented in the southern hemisphere. It includes four new works by Mueck in addition to some of his major, recognised works including the iconic Dead Dad 1996/97."

The show is until 18 April, so do check it out if you are in Melbourne! :)

We braved the stormy weather

2010-03-24T23:00:00.005+11:00

By now most of you would have heard about the freak hail storm that hit Melbourne more than 2 weeks ago, and being the backward blogger that I am, I am only posting pictures now.

So E and I were in the car with our friend Tomo when the storm hit.

It had looked to be the perfect Saturday, we had just finished our brunch al fresco at the South Melbourne market and were planning to take Tomo to St Kilda beach to enjoy more of the sun.

We had barely been in the car for 10 minutes when we saw a brilliant flash of lighting in the far distance. And then hail. Ice chunks falling off the sky that I mistook for snow at first- could it really be snowing in autumn?!

We were amazed for the first few minutes, but then the hail didn't stop, and our excitement soon turned into worry when we realized that road visibility was poor because of the low-lying clouds, and the roads were flooded and traffic barely moving. And because we drove through water about a foot-high, water had gotten into the radiator and the condensation process made it look like the car was smokin' up!

In the car, we decided to scrap our impossible plans for the rest of our afternoon and head in the direction of E's instead. What should have been a 20-minute drive home ended up between 2 hours instead.

We didn't really realize the extent of the storm until we checked the news and found out that roads had been blocked off, trains delayed and airport shut down.I'm glad we were all safe and warm in the car and not stranded at the beach where we almost went!

Anyways, the weather here doesn't surprise me anymore.

Hokkaido

2010-03-23T09:15:00.004+11:00

Last January, in the dead of winter, E and I spent one week in Hokkaido. It was a sort-of farewell trip before we left Japan for good.

It was about -20 degrees everyday and the entire city was blanketed in snow. Too cold to look fashionable, E convinced me to pack my track shoes (I would never wear them otherwise!) instead of my knee-high heeled leather boots. For some reason beyond me now, I also forgot to pack my contact lens solution and decided to go without make-up, so I spent the entire trip feeling like a frump. How the girls there can walk about in mini-skirts sans leggings I would never understand!

I took over a hundred photos but left them sitting in my memory card for ages and finally decided to look at them yesterday.

You can view all the photos from our trip here!

Grammar Nazi

2010-03-17T20:52:00.004+11:00

My English is losing.

As much as I am native in the language, my Singlish surfaces ever so often.

My biggest crime? Saying "like that", when it really should be "like this". It drives E absolutely mad when I say it, but I can't help it! I am like that one!

E: "It's a beautiful day!"
T: "I love weather like that!"
E: "Like THIS you mean."
T: "No, like THAT, cos the sky is far away and I'm pointing at the far distance!"
E: "Like THIS, like THIS, UGGGHHH!"

Or how about reported speech?

T: "Did you hear what I say?"
E: "Say it again."
T: "Did you hear what I said?"
E" "Yes, what I SAID, not what I say, UGGGHHH!"

And of course there is my perennial confusion with tissue.

T: "Can you pass me some tissue paper?"
E: "Tissue paper?"
T: "Can you pass me a piece of tissue?"
E: "A piece of tissue?"
T: "JUST PASS ME THE TISSUE!"
E: "Can I pass you a tissue? Sure!"

I've inadvertently turned my boyfriend into a grammar Nazi.

One more time with feeling

2010-03-17T09:31:00.004+11:00

Your stitches are all out
But your scars are healing wrong
And the helium balloon inside your room has come undone
And it's pushing up at the ceiling
And the flickering lights it cannot get beyond

Oh everyone takes turns
Now it's yours to play the part
And they're sitting all around you
Holding copies of your chart
And the misery in their eyes
Is synchronized and reflected into yours

Hold on
One more time with feeling
Try it again
Breathing's just a rhythm
Say it in your mind
Until you know that the words are right
This is, why we, fight

You thought by now you'd be
So much better than you are
You thought by now they'd see
That you had come so far
And the pride inside their eyes
Would synchronize into a love you've never know
So much more than you've been shown

Hold on
One more time with feeling
Try it again
Breathing's just a rhythm
Say it in your mind
Until you know that the words are right
This is, why we, fight
This is, why, we fight

I am on the outside of truth,And I'm looking in at you

2010-03-15T23:10:00.007+11:00

Taken at a windmill farm in Gippsland, Victoria

I'm running out of time.

Faced with what seems like never-ending deadlines, I struggle to find motivation and meaning in keeping up, despite the fact that I really only have 3 more weeks of lectures and 5 weeks of teaching rounds. Some days are much harder than the rest.

I need to maintain my grades in hope that I'd be offered a job upon graduation, and I need to find a job in order that I can continue to stay here, and I need to stay because... I wish I could write with clarity and conviction, but I don't always have the answers.

I feel like I'm fighting this battle alone, and I need you not to brush me aside with a cursory answer. I need you to be here, and I need you to understand why I feel the way I feel.

Hoping this will pass.

Tropfest favourites

2010-03-07T21:19:00.012+11:00

Here are my favourite entries from Tropfest 2010-

"Happenstance" by John Marsh

Grey is a young woman lost beyond hope. Jilted, depressed and alone, she makes a life-ending decision on Valentines Day, when a hapless singing bear-o-gram changes the course of events.

"There had better be blood" by Charles William

The overactive imagination of rival brothers land them in trouble.

"Fish Lips" by Duane Fogwell

A story about love, about family, about fish fingers, and a game called Yahtzee!

This is E's favourite entry-

"Falling Backwards" by Harrison Murray

A man stand naked and alone in his torn apart living room. A kitchen knife lies limp amongst the broken glass on his floor. How can unraveling the pieces help change what has already happened? Can regret overcome fate?

And the winner of the competition-

"Shock" by Abe Forsythe

A broken Man awakes to be confronted with his life, and the choices he's made. His past, present and future collide as he faces the inevitable...

You can watch all 16 short films here! :)

A walk down memory lane

2010-03-05T00:14:00.005+11:00

Three years ago today, I was training some clients in the Bloomberg office when we were struck by the aftershocks of the Indonesian earthquake. It was my first experience of tremors, but certainly not my last. When I moved to Japan, earthquakes (and typhoons) became a common occurrence in my life.

Two years ago today, I was living in Tokyo and dating an unfortunate character by the name of R. I needed a rebound guy after P and I broke up. The relationship lasted all of 2 months before it fizzled out, but I am glad it happened because it brought E and I closer. I remember all the exasperated phone calls and smses to E when R went MIA, and when I did meet up with R he tried to convince me that E and I were obviously into each other and that I should date E instead. Go figure.

One year ago today, E and I were in Singapore, just after our week-long trip to India. E was heading back to Melbourne for a month to visit his ailing grandmother, and I decided to buy a ticket to be with him for 10 days. Little did I know that he would inform me that he had decided to move back for good when he arrived home, which came as a complete surprise to me because he had bought a return ticket. To cut a long story short, that was the beginning of about 6 months of drama where we were on and off (and on and off, you get the drift) and I ended up moving to Melbourne to do my postgraduate studies.

I am a believer of fate. I know that all the events that have happened in life have led me to where I am today. Just 8 weeks shy of completing my teaching diploma, it is time to figure out what my next step is going to be.

And where are you headed, my friends?

Apartment envy

2010-03-01T00:59:00.007+11:00

On two separate occasions last week I had the chance to visit my friends who recently moved to the Docklands.

They were both very new, very modern, and very fancy! I'm trying not to have apartment envy, but the view they get of the city is really quite amazing! I have to remind myself that I chose to give up my yuppie lifestyle three years ago... Did I mention that they both have heated swimming pools and saunas and gyms within their buildings?

E and I were musing about how it would be nice to live it up in the city for a year or two and all the house parties we would throw when we both graduate this June, but we talk only lah... We're both too practical and thrifty!

Here are some photos taken from Maddy's camera-

Goodbye summer

2010-03-01T00:19:00.003+11:00

Goodbye summer, you were the best I ever had!
I set myself a few goals over the summer- to get an awesome summer job and save money for my second semester in uni (tick), to see more of country Victoria (tick), to learn how to ride a bicycle (tick) and to get braces (TICK)!
The only thing I didn't manage to do was to pass my learner's- I had to postpone my test because I didn't want to give up a day's wages to sit for it, but I forgot the second time round and forfeited my chance. What a waste of $45... And now that semester has started I can't really afford the time to study or take the test. That's my excuse anyways.
I'm reluctant to see summer go... I had grown to love being out in the sun and my tan is the best proof! I loved seeing myself turning darker and darker like a chocolate muffin in the oven, hehehe. :P
Time to pack my summer clothes away and bring out my sleeves, knits and scarves!

Hello braces!

2010-02-25T23:24:00.004+11:00

Hello world!

I was buying a pot of beer in the city the other day, flashing my orthodontic bling bling when the bartender asked me for my ID. I showed her my uni card and my Japanese alien card, but apparently neither counted. 'You really should carry your Australia ID with you the next time," she chastised before grudgingly giving me my beer.

This happens to me fairly often when I am out in the city- apparently I can pass off as a 16 year-old, and it is both amusing and insulting that they find it hard to believe I am really 27. I have my Asian blood to thank for that, and my new braces certainly wouldn't help my cause either.

In other news, I am absolutely swamped with uni work and don't have much else to say except that I am sad to see summer go.

This song sums up how I feel now-

Everyone has a story to tell

2010-02-22T00:46:00.003+11:00

E and I thought that the Thai food festival was on today at Fed Square, so we skipped lunch to save our stomachs for a major Thai street feast. You can imagine our disappointment when we found out that the event was on the 21st of March and not February. Doh!

Instead, there was a growing crowd in front of the big screen and we decided to walk up to the "Info Tent" to ask them what was happening. Turned out there was a live telecast of Tropfest (the world's largest short-film festival) in the evening, so E and I quickly headed to Chinatown for dinner before going back to join in the merriment!

The trailer for the event had a hint of "Stranger than Fiction" (one of my favourite movies staring Will Ferell and Emma Thompson) and pretty much set the tone for the 16 shortlisted candidates-

Because everyone has a story to tell.

Some of my favourites included "Happenstance" by John Marsh, "There Had Better Be Blood" by Charles Williams and "Fishlips" by Duane Fogwell. Hopefully they will be available on YouTube soon so that I can share them with you. :)

Be my Valentine

2010-02-15T17:34:00.007+11:00

Something I have taken after my mum is the constant need to be busy- so much that it has almost become some sort of obsession to always be on the go and doing something.

This Sunday was just UNBELIEVABLE. It was the first day of Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, the St Kilda Music Festival and we had gotten tickets to watch Shakespeare in the Park (after it rained on us on New Year's Eve).

The kiasu couple we are and determined to pack everything in, we got our Chinese New Year festivities over and done with by Saturday so that we could have Sunday free. My highlight was definitely receiving a red packet from E's mum wishing me Happy New Year in Chinese- it was a very tender moment!

After being out and about all weekend, I am completely exhausted today.

I should mention that we stopped by a random cafe that was a shrine to monkeys- there were framed photos of monkeys, orangutan adoption certificates, stuffed monkeys, monkey paintings and picture books and other memorabilia.
The owner was a rather interesting lady who was having an intense conversation with the customers next to us about legalizing euthanasia, while the guy behind E announced that he had just done "three years in Australia, two years in Peru" and that everything here tasted bland to him.

But really, it was just a great place to cool down from the unrelenting summer heat.

Edgar meine liebe, it's Happy Valentine's with you everyday!

Summer days driftin' away

2010-02-11T01:01:00.006+11:00

Taken somewhere along Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Growing up in a tropical country, I never took much notice of the sun. It was just always there.
But now I live in a city that is infamous for having four seasons in one day, hence people worship the sun, and as long as there is daylight (which means up to 9 at night) people would be out and about soaking up the rays.
In between classes in university, my mates and I would run to the lawn, sit on the grass and eat our packed lunches with the sun in our eyes. On weekends, E and I enjoy a leisurely coffee al fresco, attend free gigs in the parks and go on bike trails. When I am alone, I make a concerted effort not to sit in front of my computer for hours on end, opting instead to potter about the house keeping myself active.
Summer is slippin' through my fingers, faster than I can manage in the palm of my hand!
This weekend I will be celebrating the CNY in Boxhill, and then on Sunday I might drag E down to Camberwell with me again before we head to St. Kilda for the massive music festival, and then to the Botanical Gardens for Shakespeare in the Park!

I've got daydreams galore

2010-02-01T22:40:00.003+11:00

I've had this song on repeat for the past few nights.

I'm sentimental
So I walk in the rain
I've got some habits
That I can't explain
Could start for the corner
Turn up in Spain
Why try to change me now

Today was the start of my second and last semester of my Dip Ed course, and before you know it, I'd be graduating!

My first semester was hardly a bed of roses- friends would know that I had to overcome a lot of obstacles before life slowly ironed itself out, but I am proud that I put in my best and did well. This semester, I am looking to keep up the good work and more importantly, develop a personal teaching philosophy and hone my skills. Forgetting what lies behind, setting my heart on the prize.

It's hard to return to the life of a starving undergraduate student, but I saved up some money over the summer working 6 days a week so hopefully it will help me breathe a little better the next few months.

Chinese New Year is just around the corner and I'm almost feeling homesick. I hope everyone is doing well, whatever corner of the world you are in.

Kiss kiss

2010-01-28T19:45:00.008+11:00

Taken at the Kokoda Memorial Trail

I got four teeth extracted at the dentist today.

After 9 anesthetic shots, my entire mouth went numb within seconds. I tried not to flinch when the dentist approached with metal pliers in his hands. He clamped down on the pliers and I dug my fingers into the arms of the chair while he twisted and pulled on each tooth until it was uprooted.

"You won't feel pain," he promised, but told me to expect some pressure. It was actually scarier to hear everything in my head while not being able to feel anything.

E was a darling to take time off work so that he could come pick me up and take me home. My mouth was stuffed with blood-soaked gauze and I had to communicate with scribbles and texting. He held my hand as the anesthetic slowly wore off and after an hour, I gingerly removed the gauze from my mouth and quickly downed some painkillers.

The bleeding has since stopped and I am thankful that there has been no swelling so far! It just feels sore and a tad uncomfortable, but nothing intense. You can't even tell that I've had any teeth removed, and the procedure hasn't affected my speech at all. In fact, I had Vietnamese noodle soup and an iced coconut drink for dinner (albeit in very small bites and very slowly)!

Hopefully the healing will go well and I'll be able to put my braces on within the next 2 weeks. :)

In love with Gippsland

2010-01-24T23:44:00.004+11:00

At the Grand Ridge Brewery in Mirboo North, Victoria

We had the most amazing weekend ever.

The weather couldn't have been any more perfect, the little town we stayed in was quaint and self-contained, the people we met were friendly and hospitable. We had great conversations in the car and over our meals, and we got to cover everything I wanted to see for the trip and more!

And the landscape, oh the landscape! It was breathtakingly beautiful, as if we had somehow stumbled into paradise on earth. We drove through vast farmlands, mountain ranges, a National Park (one of the world's first protected rainforest), coastlines and ports.

In the Tarra-Bulga National Park in Tarra Valley, Victoria

I am absolutely in love with Gippsland. It surely is Victoria's best kept secret!

The only downer was that we had forgotten our DSLR in our haste and could only take photos with E's iPhone, but we plan to go back again in the winter and recapture everything we saw. :)

It's been a hard day's night

2010-01-22T00:12:00.006+11:00

This weekend will be momentuous. I can feel it in my fingers!

It will be a week before I go back to university to finish my graduate diploma. My summer break has flown by and I am really grateful for having full-time (and ongoing) work.

I am looking forward to catching up with my course mates and working with new people. It would certainly be interesting to go back to school now that we've all had actual hands-on experience with kids.

This will also be the weekend before I get fitted for braces.

Finally! I am nervous but excited and after putting it off for so long I just want to get it over and done with, but it will take about 2-2.5 years for the full treatment. Goodbye solids, hello liquid diet and a skinny waist!

To make use of the weekend, E and I are going to go on another camping trip. This time to Tarra Valley in Gippsland.

nigel millett

Doesn't it look gorgeous? I can't wait to visit the Tarra Bulga National Park (rainforest + suspension bridge), the boutique brewery in Mirboo North, the waterfall near Toora and Port Albert (for fish and chips).

See you all soon!

Why can't I turn off the radio?

2010-01-20T23:13:00.004+11:00

Once upon a time, I used to like karaoke.

But I no longer listen to the radio and have no idea who the latest stars or hits are, except when friends recommend them to me or I stumble upon them on YouTube or someone else's blog, and my musical tastes are probably stuck in the nineties and noughties.

This means I only ever sing the same few songs over and over again, which makes it a bit of a bore. Plus there's so much else I'd rather be doing then stuck in a poorly-ventilated room having overpriced diluted drinks and hearing other people warble and wail!

The other day, E and I turned up for a karaoke event organized by our friend J. Now he LOVES karaoke, in a I-take-singing-classes-and-almost-went-for-an-Australian-Idol-audition and I-know-the-words-and-the-titles-of-all-the-latest-hits way. This guy could probably operate the touchscreen menu with his eyes closed!

As much as we love J, we didn't enjoy his song choices. With most of the songs, the lyrics were cheesy and meaningless, the melodies unimaginative and repetitive. We heard Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" butchered THREE times, each version worse than the last. After a painful 4 hours, we left early. I heard the others continued on until 4 in the morning...

I don't think I'll be singing karaoke for a very, very, very long time.

Unless, of course, someone sings me this-

The Great Ocean Road

2010-01-19T18:43:00.007+11:00

Over the weekend, E and I decided to go camping.

We clocked over 1000 km in 2 days- going from Melbourne to Colac to Otway to Apollo Bay back to Otway to Colac to Port Campbell to Warrnambool to Geelong and eventually back to Melbourne.

Besides doing a lot of sightseeing from the car and eating too much junk, we visited the Otway Treetop Walk, the Gibson Steps, not-quite Twelve Apostles and the Loch Ard Gorge. Not too bad for an unplanned trip!

We booked an unpowered site in a caravan park in the middle of nowhere, and pitched our tiny tent under the stars. It rained up a storm that night, but we managed to stay nice and dry. It wasn't the most comfortable arrangement but I definitely enjoyed our little "outdoor" experience!

I haven't uploaded all the pictures, but here are some of my favourites-

As you can tell, it was a very wet and windy weekend!

summer in the city

2010-01-15T21:59:00.006+11:00

Those who know me in real life would know that I pretty much live in dresses.

People think it's because I like to dress up, but it's really because most days I'm in a rush out of the house (to school/work/social appointment) and throwing on a dress is the easiest option- it saves me the hassle of put an outfit together.

E took me shopping the other day and insisted on buying me two new dresses for summer. Actually, he wanted to buy me three but I wanted him to save money instead. :P

Maxi dresses are all the rage now in Melbourne, and he picked this one out from Bardot. He did well, because I received heaps of compliments from my co-workers and students today!

Afternoon drinks at the rooftop cafe in the city

One of my resolutions for 2010 is to spend more time doing outdoorsy stuff- I am lovin' my summer tan and looking forward to our weekend road trip to the Great Ocean Road tomorrow! :)

Up the Kokoda memorial trail walk

2010-01-12T21:33:00.004+11:00

Zhiying and I go a long way back. We were best friends in our first year of high school.

She often invited me to her place after school to hang out, and I loved going over even though she lived on the other side of Singapore. I remember the time I stayed at a chalet with her family and we spent a lot of time at the beach, looking out for little holes in the sand to catch baby crabs. We also went on a Geography trip together to Hawaii- it was my first time on an airplane and I got sick and spewed all over myself.

But my favourite story is how her family was one of the first in Singapore to have internet access, and she came into class one day and told me excitedly that I could actually go on the computer and get information about the Backstreet Boys. Being a 12 year-old teenybopper, I was amazed and got very excited. Now this was the era of the 28.8k dial-up modem, and I just had to go to hers the very afternoon to log onto the website. I was disappointed because I didn't have enough time to finish viewing the whole website, but imagine my delight when Z came into school the next day and handed me a thick wad of printed paper. She had printed out the ENTIRE website for me so that I could read through it! Hehehe... Thank God for the advent of technology. ;)

We lost touch for more than 10 years in between, but were reconnected via Facebook. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that she was coming to Melbourne for a visit, so we decided to meet up for dinner, which led to a later day trip to Mount Dandy and a hike up the Kokoda memorial trail walk. The four of us got on like a house on fire, and we found out all these crazy coincidences between E and her fiance D- they both grew up and studied in the same neighbourhood (D's mum literally lives down the road from where E lives now!), played the violin, studied and became fluent in Japanese, worked in Japan for a period of time and have fathers who are retired scientists!

I can't wait for their wedding here in August! :)

Happy birthday or whatever

2010-01-12T20:44:00.003+11:00

"I was going to have the best birthday ever. It would start with a parade- a dizzying spectacle of floats, prancing palominos, and the country's loudest marching band."

- An excerpt from "Happy Birthday or whatever" by Annie Choi

Some photos from my last-minute birthday dinner-bowling-drinks night-

My beautiful Zara silk dress was a birthday present shipped all the way from Tokyo from Mellie. Much love!

Watching stars without you

2010-01-06T22:51:00.002+11:00

While E is having the time of his life at Whitsundays with his best mate (without me!), I've been getting organized and keeping myself busy.

Come back quick baby, I miss you so!

An afternoon at Luna Park

2010-01-05T23:13:00.009+11:00

Last month we took our high school students on an excursion to Luna Park. It had old school charm, but not very much else!

While I was queuing for a ride, I saw a bunch of older kids smoking, right in front of me. They probably had no idea that I was a teacher, or that smoking was illegal in the open-air park.

I called out to the tallest boy in the group. "Hey you! How old are you?"

He motioned one and seven with his free hand. I frowned and asked him if he knew he was underage. (They are all international students who have just arrived in Melbourne a few months ago.) He shrugged.

"I don't want you smoking in this park, especially when there are younger kids around!"I swept my accusing finger across the entire group.

He threw his lit cigarette to the ground and put it out with his shoe. The other kids followed. And in an act of the defiance, they all got off the bench they were sitting on and strutted off.

An hour later, I caught them smoking again, this time in a bigger group and in the centre of park. I marched up to the same boy and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around to face me, I realized he was at least 1 foot taller than me.

"I can't believe you are still smoking! I don't want to catch you all a third time, or there will be serious consequences!" I put on my most teacherly voice and put my hands on my hips, trying to intimidate him (much like a stick insect flailing its arm at its predator).

They walked to the nearest bin to throw their cigarette away.

I kept a close eye on the group for the rest of the afternoon, in case they persisted.

Later on, when I had to teach the whole school Maths, I got to teach and talk to all of them. I found out that the tallest boy caught smoking was a good kid after all, and where he came from, smoking probably wasn't much of a deal. Still, it was important that they learnt the rules in another country.

You can see the slideshow of photos taken that day here.

Happiness is a warm gun

2010-01-05T21:48:00.007+11:00

Because everything in my room screams ME, ME, ME!

"Happiness" figurine from Chaz + Books I received for Christmas and my birthday + My growing collection of books + My pretty window ledge + My new jewellery case from E's mum + My current painting project

It wasn't me.

2010-01-04T20:58:00.004+11:00

On Boxing Day, a distressed friend posted a message on my Facebook wall to inform me that someone had hacked into my MSN Live account, pretending to me and having conversations with my friends and asking them for money to be sent to a Western Union account in Nigeria. She freaked out and blocked me.

To quote Ahred, "The word Nigeria is synonymous with scam".

I quickly updated my Facebook wall to tell my friends what had happened, and my post was soon flooded with responses. Apparently he had chatted with quite a few of people as me, but most of them knew that it wasn't me from the broken English (hah!). One thought I was drunk.

The same thing had happened to E just a few months ago- a Nigerian hacked into his account, sent out e-mail to all his friends saying that he was holding a concert there but all his belongings had been stolen and that he was stranded and desperate. It was not entirely hard to believe because he was a full-time musician then and frequently travelled and performed in other countries. Some of his non-native English-speaking friends were almost duped into sending money to "him"! The same scammer also went into his ebay account and bought 10 iPhones under his name. Luckily E managed to get the situation under control and he promptly deleted MSN off his computer.

When I found out about my hacker, E and I immediately contacted Microsoft but we knew it was going to take longer because it was the holiday season. Still, it has been 2 weeks and I have not heard from them yet. My friends also tell me he is still going at it, and I worry about what else he can do with my identity. I have changed all the passwords for my other accounts in case he tries to hack into them as well.

So if you think you're talking to me, you're not.

Please do not divulge any information about me to him, and feel free to delete me off your list. I am available on Skype and Google Talk instead!

In the meantime, here are some random pics of us from a few weeks back (I tried to 'cartoonize' them on Photobucket like Mellie but hers look way cooler!)-

E's on a road trip with his best mate and I'm missing him muchly!

Shakespeare in the park & NYE

2010-01-02T11:18:00.009+11:00

E and I wanted to do something different for my first New Year's Eve in Melbourne, so we got tickets to watch "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the Botanical Gardens.

The weather that day was as hot as summer days come, and we were both eager to sit in the sun and do nothing.

I had to teach as usual, but I met E after work and he had packed us an elaborate picnic with garlic and chilli chicken, salami and ham, cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, stuffed capsicums, dolmades, salad, bread rolls, crackers and dips and a bottle of sparking red!

We found a shady spot under a giant tree, laid out our picnic mat and wined and dined the afternoon away.

The day would have been perfect, except the weather radar showed that there was a massive storm coming in 30 minutes. So even though the actors all had their costumes on and the crowd had been waiting for at least 2 hours, they had to cancel the evening's performance! :(
In mere minutes, the sky turned overcast with ominous grey clouds looming over us. We quickly packed our things and headed to the tram stop.
On the tram ride home, the rain began to come down hard and occasional lightning flashes lit the sky up. The temperature quickly fell from 35 degrees to 20 degrees, relieving us from the suffocating but also reminding us of how unpredictable the weather here can be.
We got home, put a movie on and I fell asleep. On New Year's Eve. Before midnight. My secret shame.
Thankfully, his parents woke me up for champagne and dessert. We turned the TV on and counted down to the new year with the Sydney crew. Down the street, we could hear our neighbours setting off illegal fireworks, and Scotty started yelping like mad from the loud noises.

And then the lights went off.

Unbeknownst to me, his parents had bought a tiramisu cake for my birthday, and his mum came out of the kitchen holding it in her hands with lighted candles. Awwwww ;)

And that was how we spent our New Year's Eve.

Scrum-dilly-umptious!

2010-01-02T10:39:00.002+11:00

E and I are pretty adventurous when it comes to food- we'll eat almost anything except hairy tarantulas (they were black and hairy the size of my fist, no thanks!).

Some of the more exotic dishes we've had are raw horse meat, frog legs, fried worms and crickets, stir-fried river snakes, pork tripe and yellow eels.

As much as possible, we try to eat as the locals do when we travel- which means no touristy places or fancy restaurants, and better still if the menu is only available in their native language. :P

However, on my birthday I was craving for good old Chinese cuisine, so he booked us a place at Gold Leaf restaurant in Burwood and we stuffed ourselves with dim sums. We love our chicken feet- I pretty much asked every waiter that pushed their cart by us if they were serving them! :P

My birthday yumcha treat
We weighed ourselves this morning and realized that we've both gained 2 kilos over the festive season. Time to watch our diet!

From Jo, with love :)

2010-01-01T17:42:00.005+11:00

Jo revisited Takadanobaba (where we lived together in Tokyo for over a year) and took a series of photos to wish me happy birthday with.

It certainly brings back a flood of memories!

Happy new year, pull your ear!

2010-01-01T17:22:00.003+11:00

My Christmas and New Year passed by in a flurry of activity- I was hardly home or in front of the computer, but I was regularly updating Facebook on the go with random photos from E's iPhone. The whole world seems to have an iPhone but me!

I caught up with friends, watched my first live football match, learnt how to ride a bicycle and went on my first bike trail along Gardiners Creek, got into a bit of a riding accident, had a huge Christmas feast with E's extended family, visited galleries and museums, drove up to Mount Dandy with Z and hubby for a hike and had lots of picnics in the parks.

I love, love, love summer!

Happy 2010 folks- it's going to be fantabulous year ahead :)

Let's Stay Together

2009-12-23T23:58:00.003+11:00

If I could summarize my 2009 into a song, this would be it-

I'm, I'm so in love with you

Whatever you want to do

Is alright with me

'Cause you make me feel, so brand new

And I want to spend my life with you

Me sayin' since, baby

Since we've been together

Ooo, loving you forever

Is what I need

Let me, be the one you come running to

I'll never be untrue

Ooo baby

Let's, let's stay together

Loving you whether, whether

Times are good or bad, happy or sad

It's Christmas and I'm allowed to be soppy and sentimental!

My life in Melbourne

2009-12-20T22:03:00.005+11:00

When I first arrived in Melbourne, I would get nervous around 5 o'clock because it was when all the shops were about to close. Being very Singaporean, I could not imagine a world in which my shopping had to end before dinner-time. Also, I had been so used to life in Tokyo, having shops and restaurants close really late and being able to hop on the last train home on the Yamanote line at 1 a.m.

"Whatever do people do when the shops are closed?" I asked in all earnesty.

"Oh, heaps!" Lockie replied.

"I find Melbourne to be kinda, well, boring sometimes."

"What are you talking about! There's always something happening somewhere."

5 months on, I have since repented of my ignorant ways and have completely changed my mind about the city.

Just yesterday, after teaching my Saturday morning class, I caught the tram towards St. Kilda Road and headed to the National Gallery of Victoria. There are at least 10 rooms in the gallery and they are all massive. I spent more than 2 hours in there and only covered 2 rooms, and I couldn't even finish the 19th century European paintings and sculptures. I had to stop because I was just so overwhelmed. And I still have 3 other exhibits at the Ian Potter Museum (across the river) that I wanted to see, and they're all free!

Today, E drove me to Chadstone for shopping with Maddy, and en route we drove by a garage sale. We got off and had a quick look, and ended up buying me a brand new bike seat (going for $20 down from $50) and the Australian edition of Cranium (for $5). And when we got to Chaddy, it was just so big I only covered less than 10% of the megamall in 4 hours. As usual, I bought bags and bags of lollies for my students, and I also scored bicycle pedals from K-Mart for just $10.

I should mention that E got me a second-hand bike as part of my Christmas present and he's been spending time teaching me how to ride, and I'm getting the hang of it! My aim is to be confident enough to go on the road and ride to the supermarket and community library by myself. It's my goal for the summer, along with passing my learner's permit (for driving).

E has also bought us tickets to see Diana Krall and Buena Vista Social Club next March, and I'm so psyched. The perks of dating an ex-musician! ;)

I've got a picture of you in my mind

2009-12-16T22:11:00.009+11:00

Random pictures from Chaz's camera-

I'll let them pictures explain themselves!

Oh, the places I go!

2009-12-16T21:18:00.003+11:00

Ever since Locky introduced me to the Readings bookstore near work, I've been going there almost every other day. You know I can't walk past a bookstore without going in to have a look, and I always end up browsing for at least half an hour and find it hard to walk out without buying something.

And so it just made sense to buy books for E and his parents for Christmas. Book-shopping without the guilt, me likey!

In fact, I was so engrossed in the books that I had chosen them today that I missed my bus-stop that connected me to my tram home. The next thing I knew, the bus was going on the freeway and I ended up all the way in the middle-of-nowhere, also known as Kew.

I thought I would just cross the road and hop on the next bus back to the city, but I looked at the schedule and realized that the last bus in that direction was at 3 p.m.! I was not amused, especially since I had no idea where I was, nor was I interested in taking the bus further out east, and I really wanted to be home in time to make myself a proper dinner.

A few frantic SMS-es and calls to E later, he convinced me the best thing was to go back to the bus-stop I alighted at and flag down the next bus that came and explain my predicament to the driver.

And so I did, and thankfully the driver took me a few bus-stops down the road and got me to cross the road to take another bus that took me back to the city. My little misadventure cost me over an hour, but I convinced myself I was doing some spontaneous sightseeing.

I'm just glad to have gotten home before 8. ;)

Everybody's changing, and I don't feel the same

2009-12-14T22:05:00.007+11:00

Chaz has come and gone faster than the blink of an eyelid, but I am glad to have been able to play host and tourist when she was here.

She had the perfect last night in Melbourne- we watched La Boheme at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for free. There must have been over a thousand people there, many of whom got there early to get a good picnic spot. Chaz and I bought a spread from Coles- we had roast chicken, cold cut, smoked salmon, mussels, Greek olives, Rock Deli chips, crackers and dips, plus we polished off 3 bottles of red wine between 4 of us. The weather was bit chilly but I had E to keep me warm. ;)

I must say that opera is starting to grow on me. E bought tickets for us to watch Aida for our 2nd anniversary recently, and I really enjoyed the grandeur of it all. I also found out that his parents had named him after a Puccini opera, so that's going to be the next on our to-see list!

Apparently in summer there are heaps of free outdoor gigs all over Melbourne, and E has marked them all down in his iPhone so we'll be keeping busy.

P/S: I got my official results for Semester 1 via e-mail on Monday, and I got straight As. :) In retrospect, my time in Melbourne has been a rollercoaster ride and I am thankful that everything worked out in the end. 頑張ります！

Chaz in Melbourne

2009-12-08T23:04:00.005+11:00

Chaz was due to arrive last Tuesday afternoon, but her flight was delayed and she decided to take an earlier flight out and landed at 6:30 in the morning instead.

And of course, in typical Chaz fashion, I only found out the night before when she was at the airport about to board the plane. E and I were messaging back and forth trying to work our schedules out! My poor boy had to wake up at 5ish and drove all the way to mine to pick me up and then to the airport, and then to the city to drop me off for work, and then Chaz on Flinder's and himself back home before rushing off to uni.

Since she's been here, I've been really busy. I have to teach from 830 to 330, and I stay in during my breaks and lunch time to do my marking and lesson planning so that I can run off after school. And then I'd meet Chaz somewhere in the city and take her around.

So far, I've taken her to DeGraves St and Melbourne Central, The State Library, Pelligrini's and The Elephant and The Wheelbarrow pub, Taco Court, Trunk and Benett's Lane Jazz Bar, St. Kilda and South Melbourne, the Yarra Valley and Pireaus Blue in Fitzroy. Tomorrow it's off to the Suzuki Night Market at the Queen Vic Market.

Needless to say, I am completely exhausted but it's not everyday your best friend spends a grand to fly 10 hours to visit you Down Under.

Here are some of my favourite photos from our day trip to the wineries on Sunday -

I'm paraphrasing this relationship

2009-11-26T20:40:00.002+11:00

It kind of hurts when the kind of words you sayKind of turn themselves into bladesAnd kind and courteous is a life I've heardBut it's so nice to say that we've played in the dirtOh cause here we are, here we are...
We're still hereWhat a beautiful mess this isIt's like taking a guess When the only answer is yes
Through timeless words and priceless picturesWe'll fly like birds not of this earthTides may turn and hearts disfiguredBut that's no concern when we're wounded togetherAnd we tore our dresses and we stained our shirtsBut it's so nice today Oh the wait was so worth it

A hundred different ways

2009-11-21T20:41:00.004+11:00

Months after they broke up, he would call or message her at the most random of times.

He hated it when she told him this, but it was true- he treated her the way his mother treated him.

He would never ask her what she was up to or how she was doing. Instead, the focus of their conversations was always on him.

Sometimes it felt like they were in a competition she didn't ask to be in- if she said she was planning a trip somewhere, he would quickly plan a trip of his own, except it had to be bigger and better. Then he would talk about the fancy gadgets he had just bought and how she might get to see them someday, as if it mattered to her.

At other times he would go on about how much he hated his life- his mounting tuition loan from his Ivy-League education, his overbearing parents, his dead-end of a career.

It could be 2 a.m. and she would have to go to work the next day, but that never stopped him. He knew that she would always answer his calls, that she would always listen, and that she would always have something nice to say to him.

But her patience gradually wore thin and the countless "you're allowing him to do this to you" warnings from her girlfriend somehow came through to her.

She stopped picking up his calls, and she stopped being his emotional punching bag. She even started seeing other men.

It was the petering out of the relationship that she hated the most- the end of the end, when neither sides had the the energy nor desire to maintain a facade of caring.

Eventually, they both moved on, and there was no longer any longing or grief, nor disappointment or anger. No more "if only"s or any need for explanations or answers.

From time to time she would hear about him, but it seemed after 2 years he was still the same, although she had changed in a hundred different ways.

And this song will always remind her of him -

Summer in the city

2009-11-20T19:38:00.005+11:00

Summer is good for throwing on a dress and heading out, and I have been exploring the city on my own while E is at work.

In the last week, we have gone to a comedy club, hung out in the 'burbs, had a drinks party, rode his rusty old bike in the park and watched an opera (for our 2nd anniversary).

"You're being wined and dined," E joked and I smiled. It's true, I've been pampered.

Did I mention that he loved my painting so much that he took me to Eckersley's in Prahran and bought me my own set of art supplies? Canvases, brushes, a big 52-tube box of acrylic paints and a palette.

The other day, I trammed up to Johnston Street and wandered in and out of random shops all the way to Gertrude Street. It's on my tram line en route to the city and I've been meaning to check out the area but I kept putting it off.

I am glad I decided to be spontaneous because I scored a series of art books featuring various painters for $1 each(!), and discovered a lot of cool boutiques and recycled clothes stores. Mellie would have loved it.

This is what I wore last Friday, a vintage dress I got from Haji Lane in Singapore during my last trip home-

By the way, I am very excited to announce that I have been offered the perfect summer job teaching English to international kids waiting to enrol in high school!
It's on Lygon Street, which ups the cool factor, and it pays much better than any waitressing or retail job could have. I'll be working weekdays from 9 to 3:30 and Saturdays from 9 to 12, and the money will help cover my rent and expenses for next semester.
It couldn't be more perfect, except E and I will have to postpone our big road trip at the end of the year... Oh well!

忘年会

2009-11-18T09:49:00.000+11:00

Can't believe it's been almost a year since I left Japan!

The party started out as a bit of a laugh- E found this online calculator that worked out how many days old you are. He realized that he was going to be 10,000 days old soon and decided to organize a get-together for everyone since he was back in Australia.

We decided to call it a 忘年会 (bounenkai in Japanese) when we put the event on Facebook, and about 20-odd people showed up.

I wore the dress my mum sent me from Singapore. It's perfect for the summer! :)

Here are the photos stolen from J's and X's camera-

P/S: I am 9818 days old today!

Mao's Last Dancer

2009-11-17T10:23:00.000+11:00

So I started reading the book a few months ago but I got bored and put it back on my bookshelf. It's based on a true story but I've read quite a few Chinese memoirs from the Cultural Revolution. Then I found out they made a movie out of the book which was perfect because it meant I didn't have to actually finish the book.

Despite the occasional over-acting and dramatization, I loved, loved, loved the movie! I cried buckets when Li, having defected from China and banned to return, had his parents specially flown in by the US government to watch him perform on stage, after not having seen their son for many years. While I don't expect to meet with the kind of success he did, I guess I saw myself in him- striking it out alone in a foreign land, wanting to make your parents proud.

I am going to go back to the book and finish it now. :)

This could be my lucky day.

2009-11-16T22:10:00.003+11:00

I was doing some random surfing the other day when I chanced upon Esme and the Laneway and decided to enter a contest to win a pair of tickets for the Melbourne Op Shop Tours.

And I won!
My summer's definitely starting to look up.

Painting the town red

2009-11-11T16:27:00.010+11:00

I've been racking my brains over a good present to get E on our second anniversary- I didn't want anything store-bought and wanted a gift that meant something to the both of us.
And then I realized that I was surrounded by arty friends in Melbourne and it would be a shame not to employ their help. Which is when I came up with the idea of painting something for E to hang in his bedroom, since we've spent time looking at art when we're out and about and when we travel.
Because it was my first time doing an acrylic painting on canvas, I was pretty worried about stuffing up. When I was at Lockie's to work on the painting, I didn't really know what I was going to do, but he went through some websites with me and gave me some ideas.
We then headed to the city to buy art supplies, and he generously lent me his paintbrushes and paint (and the occasional hand ;)) so I only had to buy the canvas and masking tape.
We first primed the canvas and then gave it a coat of white paint. I then used the masking tape to recreate a graphic skyline of Minatomirai in Yokohama, Japan where E and I first met. I didn't want to leave any pencil marks, so I had to do it freehand!

After the skyline was complete, I painted the canvas over with two layers of black.

When the black paint dried, I then painted the sky with two coats of bright red.

Once the red had dried, I carefully removed the masking tape to reveal the contrast and painted Minatomirai in hiragana on the bottom left corner of the painting. I was really excited with the final product and thought it was even better than I had envisaged!

Meanwhile, Lockie was having fun doing his "Lachlan takes on Godzilla in Japan" piece, and I was amazed at how quickly he finished it! I was tempted to steal it for my room, but I told him I want one of me in Melbourne next time.

And a photo of the two of us holding our paintings at the end of a productive day, for memory's sake.

Lockie reads like a fiend, writes well, cooks up a storm and enjoys drawing cartoons and painting. Why, he is almost like a female version of me! (And he's very single, ladies.)
You can view the slideshow here.

I can't wait to see E's reaction to my surprise tomorrow!

Goodbye, children!

2009-11-11T15:52:00.002+11:00

My first teaching round ended on Monday.

In 4 weeks I had grown attached to the children, and I woke up every morning eager to go to school to see their faces and work with them. Being around 7 year-olds for over 40 hours a week can really change you. It makes you a nicer person, more patient, more nurturing, more involved and life just seems so much simpler.

During my time there, my mentor teacher was nothing but praise and constructive feedback, and she treated me as an equal in the classroom and made my time there such a joy. When she gave me my evaluation report, I was really encouraged to see that she had scored me 100% and written me a glowing review.

She then surprised me by whipping out a chocolate cake and a bag full of snacks and announced to the kids that we were going to have a farewell party for me. The kids took turns to say what they had liked about me being in the classroom, and many of them ran up to me for a hug.

I can't think of anything else I want to do with my life.

The song of the cicadas

2009-11-08T19:13:00.015+11:00

Looking out my bedroom window

You would have thought that because I grew up in Singapore, that I would be used to the heat. But the heat here in Melbourne makes me restless, like I can't sit still and something needs to be done but I can't figure out what.

It is one thing to experience summer all year round, and another to go through 6 months of frigid weather and be suddenly assaulted by a heat wave.

I was in the car with E and his parents last night with the windows rolled down, when the song of the cicadas began to roar, an unmistakable sign of summer.

"Do you know that cicadas spend about 16 years living underground, only to emerge one summer and live on stored energy for up to 2 months before being eaten by birds?" Bruno explained to me as we went down the highway.

Having been a city girl all my life, facts about nature always fascinate me.

And because it was the perfect temperature last night, E decided to drive us down to Half-Moon Bay for a evening stroll at the beach. We got take-out coffee from an Italian restaurant at Black Rock and sat in the sand with our paper cups and looked up at the star-lit sky.

It was nice and tranquil, and made me wish that summer nights like these would last forever.

My bedroom wall

You put my feet back on the ground

2009-11-02T01:36:00.006+11:00

He called on Miss Mitchell who walked with a wooden stick. "What a memory?" he asked.

"Something that makes you laugh, my darling, something that makes you laugh."

- From the book "Wilfred Gordon Mcdonald Partridge" by Mem Fox

It started out as the most uneventful of Saturdays, but you have your way of turning mundane activities into precious memories, and I am happy just to be with you.

We sat in the sun and studied together, you saved the mug I liked to serve me coffee in. We were in your backyard and decided to jump on the trampoline just because we could. We hopped into your car and drove to the petrol station to get icy poles. We went to the Greek fish and chippery and got ourselves a take-out pack, because it was just one of those days.

In 2 weeks it would be 2 years from when we first met. :)

What I really need now is a haircut.

Lessons I must learn

2009-10-29T21:50:00.002+11:00

Taken along the Black Spur in Victoria, Australia

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

— Maya Angelou

all work and no play

2009-10-28T22:29:00.005+11:00

My favourite travel photo of us ever

E asked me last weekend what I was doing over the Christmas holidays, and he put a huge smile on my face when he told me that he was planning to take me on a road trip along the coastline to the border of New South Wales, and then up to Sydney, down to Canberra and back to Melbourne.

Having lived my life as a starving postgraduate student for the last few months, I am really looking forward to taking a break and spending some quality time with him... How I have missed our carefree days traipsing around Asia with our cameras, staying in cheap guesthouses and eating street food!

In the meantime, it is all work and no play for me. I've been doing my teaching rounds on weekdays from 830 to about 430, and then tutoring on weekends. Time not in the classroom is spent in front of my computer planning lessons. I wish I had more scintillating stories to share, but you will have to wait another two weeks.

Let yourself feel

2009-10-20T20:17:00.003+11:00

I explained to my kids today that because Singapore is located on the Equator, there are no seasons.

E: You mean, like there's ONLY summer?
Me: Yes, we don't have winter, autumn or spring.
H: So, if the weather heats up, does the heat go down? (They sometimes speak in riddles!)
Me: Well, it is about 30 degrees during the day and 25 at night.
E: So do the people in Singapore wear special clothes?
Me: What do you mean by special clothes?
E: Like grass skirts or something.
Me: No, we wear normal clothes like you do here, but they are made of thinner materials.
J: Do you have trees in Singapore?
Me: Yes, we have trees in Singapore.

I will have to bring in some photos of Singapore to show them, because I have no idea what they are imagining in their minds!

The Yarra ranges

2009-10-19T18:18:00.006+11:00

Taken at the Yarra Ranges in Victoria, Australia

After a particularly stressful week for E and myself, we decided to go on a little road trip. It was nice to get away from the city and just go somewhere quiet without an itinerary to follow.

We got up early on Sunday and hit the road. We drove up to Healesville and through the Black Spur, the winding roads lined with trees that were charred black from the forest fires and so tall they almost reached the heavens. It was hauntingly beautiful, but the glaring sun made me unbearably sleepy and I slept a lot in the car while E kept his eyes on the road.

Next we drove up to Marysville to have coffee and scones, and saw how the community was trying to rebuild itself. We also made a stop at the country town of Warburton and wandered randomly in and out of shops selling knick-knacks.

The weekend went by so quickly, and I am looking forward to what this week of teaching rounds has in store for me!

You can see the slideshow of our pictures from our road trip here.

My rose garden

2009-10-17T17:55:00.000+11:00

I decided to throw a little house party on Friday for ten of my classmates and friends, just to celebrate the first week of our teaching rounds being over and to share our stories.

It was the first time I was having people over since I moved all the furniture from E's grandma's to mine, and I was pretty excited.

As I was getting the house in order, I went into my courtyard to set up a table and deck chairs in case anyone wanted to be outdoors, and I realized that I had a little rose garden that had bloomed in spring!

I am told that warm soapy water would get rid of those bugs, so hopefully I can give the rose garden the attention it deserves.

The weather is definitely warmer, and it feels even more like home now. :)

Here's what I wore for Italian Day in school on Friday -

Love always, from my biggest fan, stalker & friend

2009-10-12T20:11:00.008+11:00

I came home to see a huge package from Mellie, sent from Tokyo with a million stamps all over it-

And I ripped open the envelope to find these-

She had sent me 4 different pairs of leggings, a handy case with a vintage camera print on it, her silk Atsuro Tayama dress that I have always loved, Japanese chocolates (which I gobbled down in 5 minutes!) and a 2-sided handwritten letter with her trademark illustrations.

Needless to say, her letter made me cry.

And as if that wasn't enough, I got a message from Chaz asking if she could see me in mid-November for 10 days!

I have the bestest girlfriends in the world!

Kids say the darndest things

2009-10-10T23:34:00.005+11:00

"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theatre."

- Gail Goldwin

In my year 2 Maths class today-

Andy: "Hey look- I think that's your mother outside!"
Me: "Whose mother?"
Andy: "Dominic's!"
Dominic: "That's not my mother!"
Me: "That's not my mother either! My mother's not even in Melbourne!"
(Boys giggle.)

Andy: "Is she in CHINA?"
Me: "I'm not from China!"
Andy: "Are you Vietnamese?"
Me: "Nope!"
Dominic: "But you look Vietnamese!"
Me: "I am from Singapore."
Andy: "Singapore... oooooh! (pause) But you have an American accent."
Me: "Why do I have an American accent?"

Dominic: "I know, say 'answer'!"

Me: "En-sir."

Andy: "I say un-sir!"

Me: "En-sir, un-sir, I say them both."

Andy: "You have an American accent."

Less is definitely more

2009-10-10T00:17:00.005+11:00

Today was really hectic- tramming to school to submit my final assignment (a 2000-word Science essay which had me up till the wee hours!), taking two buses into the city to have lunch with E, catching the train to Chapel Street to be a make-up model for Ali, back into the city to window-shop with Maddy, dinner in Chinatown and coffee at Melbourne Central... And I should be heading to bed soon because I have to get up early to teach in Ginnifer tomorrow.

I read a review in the papers earlier this week for Dahu Peking Duck restaurant in Chinatown and decided to book us a table there tonight. The xiao long baos were absolutely heavenly!

I liked the make-up in person, but it just looked wrong on camera!

It took Ali over an hour to put everything on, and I told her that I don't think I have looked more Asian in my life! But her teacher was really pleased with her work, and i guess it was just a new look for the day. There is just no way I could be bothered with the whole make-up routine- most days I just put on moisturizer and eyeliner and head out.

Less is more, and this was what I wore today, sans make-up before my session with Ali-

Pelligrini's on Bourke

2009-10-08T10:19:00.003+11:00

Taken outside Pelligrini's Bar on Bourke Street

Melbourne is known as the coffee capital of Australia, and I have been in search for THE best coffee since I got here in July. I think Pelligrini's might be it.

Free from any pretension, it's a family-run Italian restaurant that has been serving authentic home-cooked Italian meals and coffee for generations. The interior of the restaurant doesn't say much- it looks exactly the same as it did when it first opened, and there are vintage posters and photographs on the wall that tell you so.

The first two times I went in with E, they weren't the most friendly- we tried to make some small talk with the guy at the counter but it was met with awkward silence. But we just needed a caffeine fix and they were the only place that still made coffee after 9.

Yesterday, however, I managed to charm the socks off them.

Maddy and I strolled in after a movie on Collin's Street and decided to seat ourselves right in front of the coffee machine.

The guy mistook us for two Asian girls that had just come in before us and repeated their order of a pasta and risotto to us.

"No, we just want a soup and two coffees," I explained.

He looked over to the other side of the restaurant and realized his mistake. "Oh, you're not those two girls..."

"That's terrible!" I replied in jest, "You mixed us up for other Asian girls."

He smiled. "No, I just mistook you for other girls. But what can I get you dolls?"

"A skinny mocha for me, and a skinny cappucino and a minestrone soup for her." I clarified.

"Skinny?! You don't need skinny!"

"It makes me feel better, drinking coffee at this time of the night."

"You've been here before, haven't you?" he asked.

"Yes, a few times. BEST coffee in the city."

The ice was broken, and we started having a chat. He asked us what we were doing in Melbourne, where we came from, where we lived and all that.

After we were done with our coffee, he suddenly placed a bowl of lime sorbet with two spoons in front of us.

"Is that for us?" I asked, and he winked and walked away.

After we finished our sorbet, he re-filled it with another scoop of pistachio sorbet. We totally lucked out!

He asked for our names and introduced himself and his co-worker to us (but unfortunately I can't remember), and made a passing joke about how he made really good coffee and that we should go to his place to try them.

I excitedly called E after I left the restaurant to boast about my free sorbets.

I think I'll be going in a lot more often now. ;)

Because Mummy reads my blog

2009-10-05T22:26:00.006+11:00

Taken at the Menzies College Conference Centre on campus

It was my first day back in school after the mid-semester break.

We had a mini-Expo and set up booths to showcase our chosen excursion venue and prepare handouts for our group to use as resources when they start teaching.

The other groups put in so much effort into beautifying their booths, which made us realized we might have been a little underprepared. So the boys went down to the computer lab and carried up a huge potted tree and put it behind our poster. In case nobody could tell we were the Botanical Gardens. :P

As I was going around the hall, I stopped by the booth set up by the Chinese girls who always stuck to themselves. They had unsurprisingly chosen to do the Chinese museum in Chinatown, and they had a running slideshow of random pictures, including the mid-autumn festival and mooncakes.

"Oh, I really want to eat some snowskin mooncake now!" I exclaimed in Chinese.

"We thought you were Japanese!" They chimed in English.

"Huh?!? No, I lived in Japan for a while, but I am Singaporean."

"You're from Singapore?"

"Yes, and I can speak Chinese," and to prove my point I spoke a few sentences in Chinese.

You should have seen the look on their faces.

I had a lot of fun going around photographing everyone else's work, but I was just so exhausted by the end of the two hours!

You can look at the slideshow of photos I took from today here.

We lindt chocolate

2009-10-05T10:27:00.008+11:00

On Saturday we finally checked out the Lindt cafe on Collins Street, even though E doesn't have much of a sweet tooth and it was pretty overpriced.

Taken at the Lindt cafe on Collins Street in Melbourne

I couldn't help but gush over our super-cute waiter who looked like a cross between Tom Cruise and Zac Efron (you would understand if you saw him), and everyone on the table dared me to chat him up.

So I did.

As he was serving us our degustation platter, I look up at him and smiled.

"Are you guys hiring?" I asked.

He was really friendly and accommodating and even got his manager to come over to have a chat with me. I got a namecard and was asked to e-mail him my resume for Christmas casuals. Score!

Before we left, as E was footing the bill, I went up to Tom Cruise-lookalike and thanked him for his help.

"I'm sorry but I never got your name," I said as we shoke hands. "David," he replied with a twinkle in his eye, "and I hope to see you again soon!"

You can check out the slideshow of the photos we took here.

It must have been my red dress that did the trick-

Time flies when you're having fun

2009-10-04T13:33:00.004+11:00

Dessert at AIX creperie on DeGraves Street, Melbourne

I didn't say, but I've been on a mid-semester break for the last three weeks.

Except it wasn't really a break- I have been working on three 2000-word essays, two group projects and presentations, a literature log, a science experiment and a test... and everything is due next week. And you thought my course was all play and no work!

I also have 4 weeks of teaching practicum coming up, and my feelings are mixed. Angmoh kids are very different from Asian kids, and it would also be a complete new curriculum for me.

But we all know I like a good challenge, and that which doesn't kill you will only make you stronger... heh.

Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle

2009-10-02T18:31:00.004+10:00

Baby don't you cry, gonna make a pie

Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle

Baby don't be blue, gonna make for you

Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle

Gonna make a pie from heaven above

Gonna be filled with strawberry love

Baby don't you cry, gonna make a pie

And hold you forever in the middle of my heart...

- From the movie "Waitress"

For my first month in Melbourne, I lived with E's family in Carnegie and his mum is an amazing cook. She would prepare the most elaborate meals in every cuisine you could imagine, and his dad had a huge store of wines under the house so we would polish off a bottle between the four of us every night.

"Why would we ever need to eat out if we can get this at home every night?" his dad would tell me with a glint of pride in his eyes. I had to agree.

After I moved out on my own, I made a resolution to learn how to cook so that I would never have to resort to 2-minute noodles or instant meals. It helped that my new place came with a fully-equipped kitchen (and a few donations from E!).

I started really slow and simple, but as I gained confidence I started experimenting with the ingredients and using more elaborate methods.

So far I've made Indian rogan josh mutton curry, Vietnamese spicy beef stew, Mexican fajita pork strips and chilli con carne, Italian creamy mushroom risotto (which was a bit of failure), Irish shepherd's pie and Asian lemon chicken with stir-fry vegetables.

I even ventured into baking! I made an orange and poppyseed cake the other day and fed a few of my classmates with it, and I decided to bake a batch of nutty honey joys this afternoon.

Homemade nutty honey joys

It's never too late to start learning, and my mother would be so proud of me!

My virgin Tarantino

2009-09-30T00:07:00.005+10:00

Don't judge me, but I just had my virgin Tarantino experience today.

E and I caught "Inglorious Basterds" at the Greater Union cinema on Russell Street, and I loved every minute of it (except the violent bits when I did the girly thing of squirming in my seat and hiding behind him).

In fact, I was thinking we should invite a couple of friends over and do a movie night and watch Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.

Since the movie was from 6 to 9, we only had time to for a large tub of popcorn and coke during, so we walked down to near Chinatown and had a late dinner at Singapore Chomp Chomp.

A late dinner at Singapore Chomp Chomp on Bourke Street

The price and quality can't quite compare to dinner at the local hawker center, but it was good enough for us!

And my outfit today was inspired by my dearest Mellie -

I miss shopping with you my love!