I'm scared please show me how... To fight this

I've come to realise, I have a natural talent at embarassing myself. Today, Kat and me went grocery shopping. We were trying to find our way out to the bank. And lazy as I am (refer to title of blog), what did I decide to do? I decided to find the nearest exit to the bank (which is actually just outside the shopping mall.. with an obvious exit only like 50 meters away from us). But because I was lazy enough to not wanna walk that 50 meters, I headed to this nearest exit. This so-called nearest exit also happens to be the fire exit. A fire exit which says in big letters on the front "Do not open. Doing so will result in the alarm sounding." Did I read? Obviously, no. 'Cause I pushed the door and yes, doing so indeed resulted in the alarm sounding. We ran. Believe me, we ran. And the coffee guy was laughing at me! *sobz*

Another embarrassing event to mark down on my overflowing calendar of embarrassing events. The guy who lives opposite me officially thinks I'm crazy. I would assume so, considering the events that happened yesterday. You see, the layout of my accommodation is such that my kitchen window directly faces the kitchen window of the house opposite mine. After a yummy dinner yesterday, I was busy washing dishes, and in the reflection from the window, I saw my brother heading towards me. So I gave him a very VERY big grin, 'cause that's what I do, I give people mischievous grins. The point, of course, was to freak my brother out.... NOT the guy who lives opposite me. Imagine the shock when he (the angmoh guy opposite) looks up from washing HIS dishes to see a girl giving him a very wide grin. A girl he doesn't even know, no doubt. I think I might've freaked him out to no end. I'm hoping there wasn't anyone opposite me at that time though. *fingers crossed* I have to stop grinning.

This post is supposed to be dated 29th by the way =D.

When you start the day just to close the curtains

I am now in Toowoomba. What do I have to say about it? Nothing. That's just it. There's really nothing out here. -.- But, nevertheless, I've got my bro and his gf's company, which is a hell lot better than if I had been here all alone (although if my bro weren't here, I probably won't have had to come here in the first place). I'm liking the place so far, and I'm liking my room, 'cause for once I have my own proper room! =D Tomorrow's orientation, and I don't even know what time it starts, how long it lasts, OR where I'm supposed to go. I'm terrified, as I always am when I'm going somewhere where I don't know anyone, i.e. orientation. *sighs* After going through these kinda situations countless times, I would've thought that I'd already gotten used to meeting new people etc. =(

To make myself happy and less terrified, I'm gonna recount my favourite presents of the year thus far (which consists only of 2 occassions so far, my birthday and vday)

because who doesn't like hearts and jewelery

because pigs are SO CUTE.. (that's why I'm so cute, nyahaha)

simply because the background is TGYH Season 2 =D because I love them to bits! because this was the most unexpected gift from the most unexpected guy because wooden flowers never wilt because they smell so good! because it came all the way from China simply because because I didn't get a pic of my cake, so I'll settle for a pic of my candles because it came from my lovely person in London! need I say more? because I love TGYH because it's so pretteeeee because it came from a very cute person =P simply because I nearly got 21 balloons but it was too expensive -.- And this... this I was forced to post up, to "prove what a shopaholic I am", except those shopping bags aren't even mine. They belong to the real shopaholic, whose name I shall not disclose in the fear that I may not live to see tomorrow if I do. Winter '07. A tribute to the wonderful people who've been taking care of me so well [daddy missing =( ]

To the featured presents: congratulations! To the presents that didn't make it this year, better luck next time! hehe. Nah. Any gift is a lovely gift. There's just too many pics to post up, so I settled for the earlier pics, heehee.

Orientation oh orientation, why do you scare me so???

Happy Holidays!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I feel the cny spirit, yeah! =D May the new year bring you lots of happiness and money!

I'll make you banana pancakes, Pretend like it's the weekend now

You never realise how much you've grown (or how old.. *sigh*) until you meet your juniors. People you've known since they were babies.. kids you've watched growing up. Take, for example, my cousins here in Melbourne. The older 2 are similar in age to me so I don't really see much changes.. but the youngest one... whoa.. she's turning 14 the day after my 21st bday. The first time I saw her, she was a bratty lil 3-year-old. I repeat... BRATTY lil 3-yr-old (cute but bratty=). The next time I saw her after that, she was 6. Not quite so bratty anymore, but still little. Now, she's as much of a grown-up as any of us. In fact, I could swear she's more of a woman than me.

The point I'm writing this post is 'cause 5 days ago, I met this handsome young man (a couple of years younger than me no doubt) and thought he looked really familiar. Turns out, he was my junior in Lodge. I can't get over it. He used to be this lil fat kid in glasses who got bullied a lot. He is now a buff (very buff) young man who is honestly really good-looking (not to mention, charming). And no, I'm not a pedophile but I can admire can't I? Besides, he's totally off limits 'cause he's 4 years younger than me AND I know his older sister. Hehe. He's gonna be a heartbreaker this one.

While we're at it, I'm gonna admit to a little secret. I have a crush. On Ed Kavalee. heehee. Google him, you non-aussies. I've been watching non-stop episodes of Thank God You're Here (google this too) for 2 nights now, and I am taken. He's not that good-looking though, but there's just something about him... something about the way he carries himself, something about the way he kinda half smiles, and his eyes. And, he's hilarious (I am, of course, referring to the episode of Out of the Question that he was in). I have found my soulmate. NOT! He's cool, but not cool enough to marry me. muahahaha. Hamish Blake is cooler.

Thank God You're Here is classic.

I sound like a hormonal school girl. Well, I'm not. I just happen to like cute guys who are funny. =D If it helps, there are pretty young ladies who do that show too. In case you didn't realise, I don't really have a crush on Ed Kavalee. I have a crush on Thank God You're Here. Hehe.

Location location location

I think I probably should give a lil update on where I am/where I'm going 'cause apparently everyone misses me so much (I feel so loved, wahahaha!). ANYWAY, I'm in Melb now visiting my aunt and uncle and cousins and staying till Valentines' Day (because they love me so much they will only allow me to leave on love day.. heehee, noone can get anymore perasan than me =D). And then on Valentines' Day I'm flying to Toowoomba.. a little city town village place about an hour (?) from Brisbane city, where I will begin my new life. And on that day I will be happily disrupting any romantic plans my bro and his gf has. MuahAHAHAHAHA. The evil.

Yes, so my final location (after the decisions to go to Melb/back to Adel) is gonna be Toowoomba. Sounds so tribal. Toowoomba Toowoomba Toowoomba. Say it fast enough and you can make up a chant.

From jungle to island to tribelands. Looks like I'm making lots of progress aren't I? =D

Although actually the place isn't really that tribal, it's kinda like Kuching except the slightest bit smaller and more modern... much much more modern.

Commencing countdown...

In exactly a week, I will be an adult. =(

6 months later..

I am now back in Adelaide.. homeless. I never thought I'ld say this.. but I do miss Hamilton Island.. *sighs*. I miss the love that I had there! Anyway, no house no internet homeless... *sighs*

I do so miss my lil "family" on the island.. especially towards the final days.. when I discovered newfound closeness with 2 of them (despite the fact that communication is fairly difficult sometimes, them being them and me being the super-fast-talking me =D). But I miss my family in Kch SO MUCH too! You know who you guys are.. my super-extended intima family, hehe. And my super-extended high sch family.. and my real real family.. and my church family.. and the whole lot. If the world were one flat piece of land, I'ld walk back home right now.. even if it takes me a little over a year. I think it's worth it.

Anyway, don't really have much time now. Sad thoughts aside, I really did have fun on the island. And I'm enjoying freedom in Adelaide for the time being, no sch no work no responsibilities, for the moment. I've been down to the city 3 days in a row, and I'm still not sick of it. It's the first signs of civilisation I've seen in 6 months! I mean like... we've got TRAMS and BUSES that are bigger than my daddy's van! We've got buildings taller than me (which aren't hotels or accomodations of any sort)! We've got roads that go horizontal for miles and miles without even the tiniest slope! We've got no possums wallabies and cockatoos! No more "WAH, MC'D AH!" once a month! Most importantly, we've got real proper CARS (mode of transportation on island: golf buggies.. I kid u not.. I have never seen so many golf buggies in one single place at any one time in my life)! Ahhh, civilisation rules.

4 months later...

I write: It's 6 a.m. here on Hamilton Island, about 4 months since that first letter. I was lying on my bed staring at the ceiling because I'm not working today, but my roommate woke up early for work (she's a chef) and she's not very quiet (not very considerate either eh) so I got woken up and couldn't go back to sleep. Lying there listening to music and reading through all my old messages made me so nostalgic! I suddenly feel so horribly homesick and miss you guys so horribly much. It's horrible! You guys (whoever's reading this right now) are truly irreplaceable and I will give anything to have you all here right now. I know I promised to write and email as often as possible, but for the past 4 months, I've been working non-stop (7 days a week, day AND night) 'cause I'm trying to earn enough to pay for my own tuition fees next year. I'm only having a rest this week till Christmas 'cause they don't really need me to work extra these few weeks, so I'm finally getting a day off!

I feel like so much time has passed and I've grown up so much since I came here, even though it's only been 4 months +. I've had to learn to cope with inconsiderate roommates/housemates (I moved out of that house with the 5 girls who party and talk sex everyday. I'm now staying with a chef and I don't really meet her much anyway 'cause when I'm home, she's at work and when she's home, I'm at work, so I pretty much have the room to myself, muahaha). I've had to learn to be all on my own on a strange foreign island isolated from all forms of civilisation (okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating slightly =D).

I've learnt that in the working world, ass-kissing may get you higher faster, but the satisfaction you feel if you get there by your own efforts is everything. I've learnt that people don't necessarily have to understand each other completely to be the best of friends. What matters is what lies inside (90% of my group of friends are freakn' koreans, and half the time they don't even know what I'm saying, but in times of need, I can be sure that they'll be there for me. E.g. If I need dinner, they give me food, teehee teehee.). I've learnt that those bitches we see in movies really do exist (and sometimes they exist in the form of big ugly slimy spawns of all evil thingies and spurt goo at you). I've learnt that out of a hundred people at the workplace, the genuine ones constitute just 10% of that (the remaining 90% have 2 switches: the "turn on fake smile 'cause asian girl is smiling at me" switch, and the "stare blankly and maybe she'll stop smiling at me" switch. I do love freaking people out, heehee). I've learnt that just being me is enough.. that I AM enough (of course I am, whoever thought otherwise). But most of all, I've learnt that I really should go back to sleep now because no normal person wakes up and jiwangs at 6 a.m. on their first off day in 4 months ! -.-

*tick tock tick tock*

ONE hour later...

But because I can't sleep, I'm gonna continue, hehe. Christmas is drawing near, and everyone knows joce is always in a Christmas mood. Oh, the love. =D I have 3 Christmas parties coming up and I only have dresses for 2. Oh, the horror! (because it is absolutely forbidden to wear the same dress twice within 3 weeks) And I'm gonna get presents. Oh, the love! I miss carolling and I miss going to church on Christmas! Even all the way here, I won't be getting my white christmas. =( But, I've set about on a little project: making my own Christmas tree from scraps I find here and there. I promise pictures once it's done. And I promise pictures of the whole island experience etc. once my laptop's fixed! (if ever)

Speaking of fixes, I have a sleeping disorder I really need to fix. Gone are the days when I could sleep till 11am. I'm no longer capable of sleeping till any later than 7 a.m. I wake up at 6.30 a.m. on the dot every single day, regardless of what time I need to get to work. (some days I start at 8 and some days I start at 9.30)

ANYWAY, I think this is a reasonably long (and boring) 2 posts after a couple months of non-activity. If anyone wants to send me anything that will reach me before the 23rd of January 2008, this is my add: PO Box 37, Reef View Hotel Hsk, Hamilton Island, QLD, 4803, Australia. My location after that date is still undetermined.

4 months ago...

I wrote this letter that I meant to post, but there's too many people all over the world to post it to! So, I kept it and here I am, posting it digitally:

28/07/07 Because I just finished Harry Potter and have no intention of starting another book just yet, I thought "why not write a letter?" I know, genius right. I just firstly wanna say, I MISS YOU GUYS HORRIBLY! Yeah, I really love you guys that much.

My life here is... dead. My work days consist of waking up at 6.15 a.m. (just to avoid my housemates and other girls living around me... & to beat everyone else to the showers cos we share 2 showers among 12 girls... & to walk to my friend's place earlier etc etc..), showering, breakfasting bla, walk to fren's place, walk to work, work work work, walk home, think about what to eat for dinner, eat, sleep. Occassionally I go over to my frens' places, but they live so far away! (because I live in the staff accom that's the furthest away from everything else -_-).

At "home", all I do is hide in my room reading/wuliaoing (eg. writing letter that im never gonna send =), 'cause my laptop's still sick and I can't watch anything on it/play games. Why do I hide in my room? Let me tell you a little something about the people I live with. They are the "hi-fakesmile-continue talking among themselves ignore asian girl" kind of people. The only conversation they frequently have with me is "How's work?" -_-. Their nightly activities consist of 3 things:

1) blasting techno music at full volume till the wee hours of the morning, disregarding the fact that there's an asian girl in the house TRYING TO SLEEP so she can wake up at 6.15 a.m. to AVOID THEM

2) drowning themselves in alcohol either in the house, or out at the staff bar (although I prefer it when they're out, so at least I'll get the house to myself, if only for a few hours) & screaming at the top of their voices for no reason at all

3) talking about previous sex experiences & wanting to meet guys to have sex. Yes the walls are like cardboard. I can hear everything they say/so.

OR

all 3 at the same time!

Moving on to the wildlife. The animals here sure have a sense of humour. If you leave your room window open while you're at work, cockatoos will fly in, steal your food, shit all over the place, and fly off. Yep, there may be a wide expanse of forest just outside, but the best place to go to the loo is in your room. If you leave your room door open and forget to close the house front door when you go to the toilet, you can be sure to find a possum or two sitting on your bed waiting for you when you return. Often, when walking to work, you'll find some voluntary walking companions: kangaroos and wallabies. Believe me, I am not exaggerating.

Honestly, the island is actually a pretty nice place la. I've been to the beach twice. I've been to the highest peak on this island (very VERY nice view), I've been to the mainland to get groceries (because everything on the island is double-triple the prices of things mainland). It's a nice place but the people around me... suck. I miss having close friends/family around me. If I had the money, i would import all of you here right now. On a slightly happier note, I've already put in a request to change accommodations so hopefully the officers at Staff Accom have some compassion and move me soon!

-the end-

Seasons' Greetings

from Hamilton Island! omg!!! Anyway, a quick QUICK post saying that I MISS HOME and I MISS EVERYONE and I will be back blogging by the end of January 2008, heehee =D