Oxymoron

Swotvac is here!!!

It stands for Study Without Teaching Vacation.

A vacation to study. What an oxymoron... Bah! You can study all you want. I'll be enjoying this precious one week!!

It's Officially Spring, According to Google. LOL

Today, as in every other day since I arrived here, I'd google the weather. & here's what I found on google.com.au.


Apparently today is officially the first day of spring. Oh & I saw some Jacarandas blooming as I was walking back from uni!! I'm waiting for more to bloom before I take pictures of it... Whee!!! *twirls around*

The Greatest Thing

Being in love with someone who loves you in return must be the greatest thing in the world. But finding this kind of two-way love is a pretty tricky business.

If it could be attained by hard work, I'd gladly put in a lot of 18-hour days. But sometimes it seems that the harder you work at love, the less chance you have of finding it.

Love comes more easily by half measures. I've loved more than one guy who hasn't felt much of anything for me. & the reverse situation can be flattering & embarrassing at the same time.

Love in half measures may be better than no love at all, but not much better.

None of the usual rules hold true for love. You can't demand it, or plead for it or explain all the reasons why it will work. Oh, I've tried these tactics, but without success.

Someone said that finding happiness is like catching a butterfly. The faster you run after one, the harder it is to catch. But if you just sit very quietly & wait very patiently, one may alight on you.

Love's that way, too. You just have to wait patiently & quietly, believing that love will come, & someday, when you least expect it, it probably will.

I should know. It came unexpectedly six years ago.

As I looked through numerous photos we've taken, I can't help but smile. It brings back happy memories.

That's not to say we didn't have hard times. I'm glad we didn't give up when the rest of the world told us to.

I don't know what the future holds for us. I guess we'll see... I'm just looking forward to more adventures with you! :)

Happy anniversary darling. You're my pillar of strength. *muaks*

Admit it - it Helps

When I called him, he almost immediately said, "You sound kind of down today. Is anything wrong?"

I was taken aback. Now why was that?

Was it because he was right (he was) & had invaded some private territory of feeling that I wanted to keep to myself?

Was it because I was ashamed to be feeling a little down?

Probably both.

There is something in our society that teaches people that it is wrong to ever be anything but happy. If you feel gloomy, dejected, downcast, or discouraged, don't let anyone know. It's almost as if it's is some unspeakable disease.

Well, it isn't. We all feel it. & we get over it a lot quicker if we admit it & talk it out with those who care.

You were right, you know. I have been upset. I'm glad that you care, that you want to know about it & cheer me up if you can... Know that I will do the same for you :)

Hello spring!!

Looking at all the flowers blooming just makes me happy. Spring has got to be the prettiest season! First signs of spring

I can't wait for the Jacarandas to bloom! But that would also mean finals are coming :(

Here's something I found from Wikipedia:

"The city of Brisbane in Australia has a local reputation of having a significant population of Jacaranda trees. The University of Queensland in the city's inner west has a very high concentration of the tree, and due to the impressive display of purple flowers in mid-Spring, which wind up littering vast sections of the suburbs, local folklore claims that "one won't start studying for exams until the jacarandas have molted". This has led to the slang name "exam tree" being attached to the plant. At the University of Queensland students even maintain a joke superstition that if a Jacaranda bloom falls on their head during exam time, they will fail an exam. The bad luck can be broken by catching another bloom before it hits the ground."

You can read the whole article & check out those pretty Jacaranda pictures here

I'll make sure I take a picture of myself with those purple Jacarandas!

Mid-Autumn Festival

We bought mooncakes! Ok I only fancy certain mooncakes, particularly those green ones with lotus paste, with NO eggs... Hehe... But this time I just ate it to commemorate the Mooncake/Lantern Festival. It reminds me of home :)It actually tastes pretty good!
The moon from Brisbane. Lol

Ooh... Last week we had dinner at this Korean Restaurant... Yummy!! I seldom eat beef because I'm really picky & I don't like the meat to be tough. But the beef here is really good & tender! I know Chin Tuck will love it!

We had lunch at PhoB, a Vietnamese Restaurant. I ordered BEEF! & again, it's tender! Really good... Whee!!! My stomach is happy. Phuong was happy too! I could see he was excited coz he borrowed my camera & started taking pictures of the food, the menu, himself......... LOL! & he explained to us the difference between Northern & Southern Vietnamese dishes. I must say it's interesting to learn about different cultures!

Hmm... I just realised this whole post is about food. I actually intended it to be about the Mid-Autumn Festival. -_-"

Never mind then. Anyway, it's actually the beginning of spring in Brisbane now. The weather here is totally opposite from the rest of the world.

Happy Mooncake Festival peeps!

Happy (insert number)th birthday mummy dearest!

Happy birthday mummy!! You haven't aged a bit!

Ok I admit I'm not exactly the easiest daughter to handle, & I sometimes drive you up the wall (& vice versa :P)... But if God gave me a chance to go back in time & choose my mummy, I'd pick you! Here's to a long, happy, "muscleache-free" life!

I love u mummy... *muax*
ps: Just remember that your age is only a number. & in your case, a rather LARGE one! :D

My 21st

This is my first time celebrating my birthday away from home. No wait, there was no celebration, no cake, no birthday song, nothing. It doesn't matter, really. All these stuff never mattered.

I read this quote somewhere. "True friendship isn't being inseparable, it's being separated & nothing changes." How true. I'm very thankful for friends who care...... It's nice to know that you matter to them as much as they matter to you. This birthday has made me realised that it really is the thought that counts. Here's to friends that turn into family!

__________________________________________________

On a lighter note, I woke up that day, & this is what I found on my door.

Terence made this envelope from someone's auditing notes. LOL
& inside the envelope, was my "birthday card". (Click on pictures to enlarge)

Where else can I find such crazy housemates?!!? Hehe... Thanks guys!

Riverfestival

I got to watch fireworks on the day before my birthday. That's normal if I'm in Malaysia, since there's always fireworks to watch on Merdeka eve. This year, I get to watch it here in Brisbane too! It's this celebration thingy called Riverfestival. No Josh, it's not a ritual where people dance around a fire & worship the river. Lol.

Nice ferris wheel. My photo-taking skills are improving. :P Or maybe it's just my camera

While waiting for the fireworks, Hwai Li & I camwhored.

I like this picture for some odd reason

One of the many photos I took of the fireworks

The beautiful Brisbane river. The colourful (purplish) building is the famous casino

*gasp* I just realised that I can gamble legally now! I bet they'll ask for my ID if I try to go into the casino.

My housemates

After the fireworks show, we had dinner at this place called "Little Singapore". & they serve Malaysian food......... -_-" I find it insulting! Why can't they just name it "Little Malaysia"?? Eesh... It's misleading anyway... What the heck is Singaporean food huh??

All in all, it was an enjoyable night. This is the second time that I get to watch fireworks since I came here. First EKKA, then Riverfest. It's a good time to be in Brisbane!