I've come into the office this evening to print out some papers for the exam tomorrow.
I've been working so so hard for this without knowing why. I know it's foolish but it's easier than making a choice.
It is a really beautiful evening tonight. It's 8:30 pm and the sun hasn't set yet. The sky had a yellowish hue and on my walk in, I saw through the spokes in the london eye, what I initially thought were thin streaks of clouds like brush strokes of paint but turned out to be the white smokey things that planes leave behind. It was a real pity I didn't have my camera with me.
It was probably in the mid-twenties but the wind, which somehow has a knack of chilling me to the bone irregardless of the temperature made it feel much colder. It was a nice refreshment for a change. Something to snap me out of my miserable tax-induced stupor.
Maybe I'm getting into one of my sappy moods but it was such a beautiful evening it actually made me feel a little sad. A little sad for myself but relieved that tomorrow will be the end of this, sad for Gillian when I thought about how hard she has been working and the problems she's had with Jez, sad for basically everyone stuck at pwc, working their lives away.
And to make it sappier still, this beautiful jazzy melody came wafting though the train tracks just next the the bridge. I've been curious about the source of the music for a while. I've heard it quite a few times and it always makes my evening. I had come to the conclusion that it was from a boat that happened to be always parked under the bridge but today, I realised it was actually from a busker who was on another bridge parallel to the Jubilee bridge and on the other side of the train tracks. The sound of the music almost brought a tear to me.
And as I was, crossing the Jubilee bridge, I had this epiphany. I realised that I've come full circle.
In 2003, I told Mom I'd give PwC a shot instead of moving to some remote place to save the world and I believe my efforts were definitely not half-hearted. And here I am, 4 years down the road and feeling the same kind of emotions as I did before.
It's uncanny.
But a good kind of uncanny.
It all seems to make a little more sense to me.
The thing about living away from home and by that, I mean Singapore, is that, be it being in Sydney or London, there are times when you're by yourself, especially when you're outside, when you just feel quiet. Internally. Because it feels as if the world is like this really big place and there you are, just a little speck. And then there are people around you going about their business, not paying you any attention. And then you just wonder, how the hell did I get here.
Maybe it sounds corny and maybe no one else feels it but me. But i'm pretty sure I have felt this a few times.
Sometimes it can be unsettling in a way. Especially when you're in a bad way where you are, bad relationship, bad work life, bad friends. This 'I'm so insignificant' sort of feeling could make such a person really miserable. But i guess tonight, it just made me think, wow, the world is a strange place and here I am, going about my business, taking little steps, just walking along and how the hell did I even get here, because if you really think about it, Singapore, to Sydney to London is quite an adventure.
Things can't be all that bad I've realised. Life's out there waiting for me to grab it by its horns and tomorrow, when the clock strikes 12:30, I'll be off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Is he asian or wat?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I just realised how ridiculous the cost of living can be here in London if you're not earning in pounds. I went down to the convenience store today to buy a litre of peach tea and 4 mini yogurts and that cost me £4 which would be equivablent to AUD $10.
YEeeeooucch!
I've been cooped up at home since saturday studying for this horrid exam. My moods are so up and down. Up when I finish a chapter I've set myself up to complete and down when I get tired and can't see the end of the tunnel.
This is really not a good way to live life and it makes me wonder why I'm even doing it. I guess the allure of money and the opportunity to work in london or NY is the main factor. But now, with the realisation that a week's worth of effort could get me a CPA in Singapore and a job in london, it seems even more pointless to make myself miserable.
I can't wait for the end of the exam.
The first thing I'm gonna do is buy a good book. I haven't read it yonks =(
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Oh no!
I have quite decided that I hate my job. This trip to the UK was supposed to rejuvenate my motivation at work. A change is supposed to be as good as a holiday but why do I still drag my feet each day?
I have decided that audit can no longer teach me anything that I am keen to learn. Well at least the audit of insurance companies, funds and pension schemes. Enough!
But I can't leave this profession. Not before I get my certification and that isn't going to be for another year. So if there's nothing I can do about it then it makes no sense moping around thinking woe is me but that is obviously easier said than done. And then after that what? I'd like to do contract work and earn heaps of money with little responsibility.
I'm so tired of stress from work. I feel like a clown or a jester. Juggling, doing cartwheels and breaking my back whilst everyone just sits back and criticises. Well not everyone but I think the criticisms stick more than a praise.
I think contract work would be the ideal. To be rolling in dough without the effort, to be able to live a care-free life and having time to smell the roses.
I have quite decided that I hate my job. This trip to the UK was supposed to rejuvenate my motivation at work. A change is supposed to be as good as a holiday but why do I still drag my feet each day?
I have decided that audit can no longer teach me anything that I am keen to learn. Well at least the audit of insurance companies, funds and pension schemes. Enough!
But I can't leave this profession. Not before I get my certification and that isn't going to be for another year. So if there's nothing I can do about it then it makes no sense moping around thinking woe is me but that is obviously easier said than done. And then after that what? I'd like to do contract work and earn heaps of money with little responsibility.
I'm so tired of stress from work. I feel like a clown or a jester. Juggling, doing cartwheels and breaking my back whilst everyone just sits back and criticises. Well not everyone but I think the criticisms stick more than a praise.
I think contract work would be the ideal. To be rolling in dough without the effort, to be able to live a care-free life and having time to smell the roses.
Monday, April 16, 2007
--> We climbed all the way up 'Catbells', one of the numerous hills at lake district.
Nothing new has happened to me so far. Well, nothing that got me really excited...
Made a trip down to lake district on the weekend with 9 others in two cars. Lake district is a really lovely place. Very quaint. It would have been a great holiday had it not have been for the mad rush we were in half the time.
Now i just feel really exhausted and run down. This is no good. I need to do some serious studying and already I have started off on the wrong foot. I have decided that I shall be more selective of my travelling partners from now on.
After being dragged around half the country side, with my legs walked into a dull sort of ache, a result of hauling myself up a hill and at some points, going down on all fours and scaling the steep faces of the hill, someone suggested going to watch a play at the 'Theatre by the lake'. Mind you, this was immediately after our trek/climb and we were sticky and icky.
Now ordinarily, I might not have passed up a chance to act artsy fartsy especially when the play was 'Of mice and men', one of my favourite books as a kid. But really, after trekking for 3 hours, the only thing I really wanted to do was sit down somewhere and vege out. Not go to a play feeling sticky and stinky. AND, some of us had barely slept the night before. Fat chance of me staying awake. Thankfully, the theatre had only 5 tickets left and only the 5 in the other car could go. I did a silent hurray. We parted ways with the other 5 and Billy, Rachael, Christine, Yee chung and I headed into the town centre where we had a nice dinner just hanging out and bonding. Now that's what I call a holiday.
Made a trip down to lake district on the weekend with 9 others in two cars. Lake district is a really lovely place. Very quaint. It would have been a great holiday had it not have been for the mad rush we were in half the time.
Now i just feel really exhausted and run down. This is no good. I need to do some serious studying and already I have started off on the wrong foot. I have decided that I shall be more selective of my travelling partners from now on.
After being dragged around half the country side, with my legs walked into a dull sort of ache, a result of hauling myself up a hill and at some points, going down on all fours and scaling the steep faces of the hill, someone suggested going to watch a play at the 'Theatre by the lake'. Mind you, this was immediately after our trek/climb and we were sticky and icky.
Now ordinarily, I might not have passed up a chance to act artsy fartsy especially when the play was 'Of mice and men', one of my favourite books as a kid. But really, after trekking for 3 hours, the only thing I really wanted to do was sit down somewhere and vege out. Not go to a play feeling sticky and stinky. AND, some of us had barely slept the night before. Fat chance of me staying awake. Thankfully, the theatre had only 5 tickets left and only the 5 in the other car could go. I did a silent hurray. We parted ways with the other 5 and Billy, Rachael, Christine, Yee chung and I headed into the town centre where we had a nice dinner just hanging out and bonding. Now that's what I call a holiday.
We barely made it back to the hostel at just past 10 and collapsed into our beds like flies.
However, the next morning, we were rudely awaken by a shrill voice demanding we get out of bed immediately. I really do not recall signing up for bootcamp. This was supposed to be an idyllic getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life!
Grrr....
And we almost were not allowed to stop off for breakfast!
Really not a great holiday at all. I'd much rather travel alone thank you very much
Friday, April 13, 2007
Went down to Borough market for lunch today with Ee Lin. I was really overwhelmed
Sydney's markets come no where close in comparison.
I'd read somewhere that Borough Market was a good place to find an assortment of delicious food but as my imagination wasn't good enough, I wasn't expecting to be impressed.
But impressed I was.
I think it will be hard for me to put into words the Borough experience. The colours, the smells, the, the sounds, the hustle and bustle.
From the outside, Borough looks far from inviting. It sits along Southwark Street and Borough High Street. Both roads are quite dirty and lined with grey unexciting buildings. The entrance of Borough is also under a bridge which casts a shadow on Borough that does no favours for the already greyish facade.
But stepping into the market area, you immediately forget the drab exterior. There is just no other way because all around you, there are stalls with a whole assortment of the same type of food. Everything screams out at you, 'Look at me! Look at us'. The stallholders need no hard selling. Their merchandise sell themselves.
In one stall, big bowls of olives stuffed with peppers, chili, anchovies, pitted olives, unpitted olives, kalamata olives, green olives.
In another stall, a mountain of coarse white french salt from a particular salt lake, another mound of red salt with blackish specks, green salt speckled with red and yellow and black, flavoured salt with everything you would probably need to spice up a dish.
And then another stall with a pyramid of brownies stacked 10 layers high with the bottom tray about a metre long, all cut up and ready to be served. The brownies have a shiny rough exterior reminding me of homemade brownies mom used to make. Yum. A similar banana cake pyramid sits beside the brownies. Loaves and loaves of bread follow from ciabatta, to a few varieties of focaccia, round loaves, long loaves and littler rolls.
I chanced upon a fish monger which could have easily given the fish market a run for its money with shrimp, yabbies, crabs, all sorts of fresh fish, octopi. It was so fascinating I stood there gaping for a while, trying to read the names of all the fish and seafood on sale. But ee lin was impatient to go on so we moved on to the butcher which had thick slabs of red meat on display. A suspicious looking form turned out to be wild rabbit and a darker version similar to that, hare. Quite a few stalls sold ostrich meat and eggs.
Even the fruit and vegetables look fresher than any I've seen in sydney. The oranges had a deep orange quality about them, like someone had mixed some vermillion in their colour. There were about 10 different types of mushrooms, with one particular variety that bruised a purplish shade, perhaps magic ones? =)
I could go on forever but moving on to our lunch.
Everyone in Borough wander around in the search for a meal that would most satisfy their palates. People in Borough do not settle for the quickest and most convenient food. Borough is not the place for that. McDonald's serves that purpose.
There are stalls serving up wraps with cous cous and freshly stir fried assorted vegetables, stalls selling ostrich burgers, bratwurst with salads and not just your ordinary bratwursts but bratwursts flavoured with herbs, chili and other what-have-yous. Stalls selling your regular burgers, stalls selling freshly made sandwiches.
We settle for a salted beef sandwich with tomato ciabatta and 3 different mustards. At the same stall, they were also selling freshly roasted pork and crackling sandwiches. The colours of the fresh out of the oven roasts were simply amazing... shades of orange and brown and the steam from the pork as they cut the roasts up. It's no wonder there was a long queue for that stall.
It was a real pity the camera batteries were flat. I'll have to go back again soon.
I think London has left a good impression on me so far
Sydney's markets come no where close in comparison.
I'd read somewhere that Borough Market was a good place to find an assortment of delicious food but as my imagination wasn't good enough, I wasn't expecting to be impressed.
But impressed I was.
I think it will be hard for me to put into words the Borough experience. The colours, the smells, the, the sounds, the hustle and bustle.
From the outside, Borough looks far from inviting. It sits along Southwark Street and Borough High Street. Both roads are quite dirty and lined with grey unexciting buildings. The entrance of Borough is also under a bridge which casts a shadow on Borough that does no favours for the already greyish facade.
But stepping into the market area, you immediately forget the drab exterior. There is just no other way because all around you, there are stalls with a whole assortment of the same type of food. Everything screams out at you, 'Look at me! Look at us'. The stallholders need no hard selling. Their merchandise sell themselves.
In one stall, big bowls of olives stuffed with peppers, chili, anchovies, pitted olives, unpitted olives, kalamata olives, green olives.
In another stall, a mountain of coarse white french salt from a particular salt lake, another mound of red salt with blackish specks, green salt speckled with red and yellow and black, flavoured salt with everything you would probably need to spice up a dish.
And then another stall with a pyramid of brownies stacked 10 layers high with the bottom tray about a metre long, all cut up and ready to be served. The brownies have a shiny rough exterior reminding me of homemade brownies mom used to make. Yum. A similar banana cake pyramid sits beside the brownies. Loaves and loaves of bread follow from ciabatta, to a few varieties of focaccia, round loaves, long loaves and littler rolls.
I chanced upon a fish monger which could have easily given the fish market a run for its money with shrimp, yabbies, crabs, all sorts of fresh fish, octopi. It was so fascinating I stood there gaping for a while, trying to read the names of all the fish and seafood on sale. But ee lin was impatient to go on so we moved on to the butcher which had thick slabs of red meat on display. A suspicious looking form turned out to be wild rabbit and a darker version similar to that, hare. Quite a few stalls sold ostrich meat and eggs.
Even the fruit and vegetables look fresher than any I've seen in sydney. The oranges had a deep orange quality about them, like someone had mixed some vermillion in their colour. There were about 10 different types of mushrooms, with one particular variety that bruised a purplish shade, perhaps magic ones? =)
I could go on forever but moving on to our lunch.
Everyone in Borough wander around in the search for a meal that would most satisfy their palates. People in Borough do not settle for the quickest and most convenient food. Borough is not the place for that. McDonald's serves that purpose.
There are stalls serving up wraps with cous cous and freshly stir fried assorted vegetables, stalls selling ostrich burgers, bratwurst with salads and not just your ordinary bratwursts but bratwursts flavoured with herbs, chili and other what-have-yous. Stalls selling your regular burgers, stalls selling freshly made sandwiches.
We settle for a salted beef sandwich with tomato ciabatta and 3 different mustards. At the same stall, they were also selling freshly roasted pork and crackling sandwiches. The colours of the fresh out of the oven roasts were simply amazing... shades of orange and brown and the steam from the pork as they cut the roasts up. It's no wonder there was a long queue for that stall.
It was a real pity the camera batteries were flat. I'll have to go back again soon.
I think London has left a good impression on me so far
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
All thanks to christine, I have internet connection at home now. Whoopee!
It's great knowing these people here in the UK. Firstly, even though we haven't seen each other in ages or kept in regular contact, christine has made me feel very welcomed here.
Check out the picture of moo moo and me. Picked up Moo moo at Changi airport and was initially hesitant about getting anoher eeyore. Afterall, I already have 2 of em. So decided to have dinner first before deciding.
After dinner, Jo and I swung by the shop again and that was when I realised the other 2 eeyores had weird faces. Definitely not as cool as Moo Moo who had a nice smile and a confident ' I know I'm so cute' expression. That was when I decided he was a winner and I had to take him with me. The 12 bucks were definitely well spent.
Moo moo has been my bestest companion this entire trip. He was tucked snug under my chin as I slept throughout the plane ride. He's quite attention seeking and likes to muzzle butt me in the face. He also has a cute butt with a pink bow on his tail and a blue pin to keep his tail in place. Plus he has an awesome mohawk and ears that are always hidden by his big face. He loves being a baby and likes head banging to god knows what tune in his head. I'm so glad I have him here!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Finally! Internet connectivity!
I can't imagine life without it.
Got into london on the Sunday morning after a long flight throughout which I was mostly dead to the world. British Airways are SHITE but thank god my sleep deprived few days exhausted me so I got through the plane ride relatively unscathed. Had to change my seat because the reclining function wasn't working properly but otherwise, couldn't really give a fuck about the inflight movies (which were horrendous) or the food (which i skipped mostly).
I've always wondered about those long plane rides where you put two people who are relatively the same age next to one another. I think it was some movie or book where this airport check in person thought herself to be cupid, matchmaking unsuspecting air travellers via seat allocations. Anyway, I've always been "lucky" to be seated next to older folk... well actually, once on a trip back from Sydney, I was seated next to some islander young man whom I had a good chat with and ended up exchanging email addresses although that's where the story ended.
Anyway, getting to the point, I was seated next to a BBC (british born chinese) on this flight to London. He seemed to be a really nice guy but honestly, I could barely keep my eyes open and I really wanted him to just leave me alone. Thank god for the seat change.
At the baggage claim area, this guy suddenly pops out of nowhere and starts helping me out with my bags. It was 5ish in the morning and I was desperate for a coffee but he was in a rush to leave the airport and herded me towards the train. I would have been pretty happy to figure things out myself with a much needed coffee in hand!! BUT i was too polite to say so and allowed him to lead me away from starbucks and into the underground. *sob*
Anyway, he handed me his name card ( found out he's a fresh grad who just started work a couple of months back ie still a baby, but obviously, he tried to hide that fact. How typically male) which is still lying at the bottom of my bag, gathering dust.
I love my new life of solitude!
It's great having my own apartment space. I could if I wanted to, prance around naked from the bedroom to the living room to the kitchen to the hall to the toilet. But no, I have yet to try that. Mainly because I live on the second floor and the curtains are hardly drawn.
Everyone has been telling me that I'm living on prime real estate but I have yet to see it that way. I like my apartment and all but this area has nothing going for it other than the fact that I am moments away from the London eye, and Dali Universe. In fact, my bedroom window looks right into the Dali Universe. With a reasonable pair of binoculars, I could probably examine all the art works on display without paying the 9 pounds entrance fee!
I try to look on the positive side of things and tell myself that walking 35 minutes into the office is great exercise but I can't get over how bleak things are around me. No quaint restaurants or cafes. It's an attas (high society) area you see and everything looks cold and unwelcoming, unless you have money to burn which I obviously do not. Any ho, it's early days yet so maybe I will begin to see how wonderful this place is in time.
It's been a fantastic weekend or so they say. The weather in London has been good. A tad warm for me as I have been traipsing through the city and being quite scared of the cold, I cautiously brought out a thick cardigan and a woollen coat which I then hung around my skinny arms for most of the day out Monday. I'm so weak. Certainly dampened my shopping mood albeit just a tad.
Anyway, the sun was out in London but the city still looked grey. Perhaps largely due to the grey architecture. There are so many old buildings here. The city is quite filthy and some streets remind me of India with the rubbish piled up at the sides and the overpowering stink of piss. A few people have asked me if I like London. I'd say I'm pretty happy with my life here at the moment but then again, that's more because of the personal space I have here rather than the impression the city has left on me.
Londoners are definitely less friendly than australians. Few out of the many faces that stare back at me each day as we cross paths smile back at me. Perhaps two a day? Whereas in Sydney, it is common place to smile at people waiting together at the lift lobby, people who enter the lift, people sitting at the next table in the cafe etc. Such is the scarcity of a smile that when it happens, it feels all the more special.
Shopping on the other hand is fabulous!
OH MY FUCKING GOD!
Not sure who gave me the advice to shop at Oxford Street but good advice that was. I woke up on Sundy morning and bought a ticket and took the underground to Oxford circus. The underground is so easy to use. Sydney pales in comparison. But then again, a certain internet source purported that Sydney has one of the worst public transportation system in the world. They probably are only considering metropolitan cities but I'm glad someone agrees with me.
Anyway, I was greeted by a huge Selfridges store front the minute I stepped of the train. I couldn't contain my excitement and glee! If shopping signs could flash in my eyes they would! *kerching*
I couldn't contain my excitement but had to share it with Marty and Jolene so I made long distance phonecalls to both of them just to gush about the huge array of merchandise available. Imagine this, Mango took up four floors of shops and had different items on each floor and all only women's stuff. No cheating!
Topshop took up four floors with one floor for Topman.
Unbelievable! I need a gf here to go shopping with me!!! How can one live fulfilling shopping life if one does not have a gf to share it with?
But however tempting the urge was to just splurge, I exercised some self control and bought nothing at all. Before the UK bank account gets set up, I need to keep a tight rein on my outgoings.
I can't imagine life without it.
Got into london on the Sunday morning after a long flight throughout which I was mostly dead to the world. British Airways are SHITE but thank god my sleep deprived few days exhausted me so I got through the plane ride relatively unscathed. Had to change my seat because the reclining function wasn't working properly but otherwise, couldn't really give a fuck about the inflight movies (which were horrendous) or the food (which i skipped mostly).
I've always wondered about those long plane rides where you put two people who are relatively the same age next to one another. I think it was some movie or book where this airport check in person thought herself to be cupid, matchmaking unsuspecting air travellers via seat allocations. Anyway, I've always been "lucky" to be seated next to older folk... well actually, once on a trip back from Sydney, I was seated next to some islander young man whom I had a good chat with and ended up exchanging email addresses although that's where the story ended.
Anyway, getting to the point, I was seated next to a BBC (british born chinese) on this flight to London. He seemed to be a really nice guy but honestly, I could barely keep my eyes open and I really wanted him to just leave me alone. Thank god for the seat change.
At the baggage claim area, this guy suddenly pops out of nowhere and starts helping me out with my bags. It was 5ish in the morning and I was desperate for a coffee but he was in a rush to leave the airport and herded me towards the train. I would have been pretty happy to figure things out myself with a much needed coffee in hand!! BUT i was too polite to say so and allowed him to lead me away from starbucks and into the underground. *sob*
Anyway, he handed me his name card ( found out he's a fresh grad who just started work a couple of months back ie still a baby, but obviously, he tried to hide that fact. How typically male) which is still lying at the bottom of my bag, gathering dust.
I love my new life of solitude!
It's great having my own apartment space. I could if I wanted to, prance around naked from the bedroom to the living room to the kitchen to the hall to the toilet. But no, I have yet to try that. Mainly because I live on the second floor and the curtains are hardly drawn.
Everyone has been telling me that I'm living on prime real estate but I have yet to see it that way. I like my apartment and all but this area has nothing going for it other than the fact that I am moments away from the London eye, and Dali Universe. In fact, my bedroom window looks right into the Dali Universe. With a reasonable pair of binoculars, I could probably examine all the art works on display without paying the 9 pounds entrance fee!
I try to look on the positive side of things and tell myself that walking 35 minutes into the office is great exercise but I can't get over how bleak things are around me. No quaint restaurants or cafes. It's an attas (high society) area you see and everything looks cold and unwelcoming, unless you have money to burn which I obviously do not. Any ho, it's early days yet so maybe I will begin to see how wonderful this place is in time.
It's been a fantastic weekend or so they say. The weather in London has been good. A tad warm for me as I have been traipsing through the city and being quite scared of the cold, I cautiously brought out a thick cardigan and a woollen coat which I then hung around my skinny arms for most of the day out Monday. I'm so weak. Certainly dampened my shopping mood albeit just a tad.
Anyway, the sun was out in London but the city still looked grey. Perhaps largely due to the grey architecture. There are so many old buildings here. The city is quite filthy and some streets remind me of India with the rubbish piled up at the sides and the overpowering stink of piss. A few people have asked me if I like London. I'd say I'm pretty happy with my life here at the moment but then again, that's more because of the personal space I have here rather than the impression the city has left on me.
Londoners are definitely less friendly than australians. Few out of the many faces that stare back at me each day as we cross paths smile back at me. Perhaps two a day? Whereas in Sydney, it is common place to smile at people waiting together at the lift lobby, people who enter the lift, people sitting at the next table in the cafe etc. Such is the scarcity of a smile that when it happens, it feels all the more special.
Shopping on the other hand is fabulous!
OH MY FUCKING GOD!
Not sure who gave me the advice to shop at Oxford Street but good advice that was. I woke up on Sundy morning and bought a ticket and took the underground to Oxford circus. The underground is so easy to use. Sydney pales in comparison. But then again, a certain internet source purported that Sydney has one of the worst public transportation system in the world. They probably are only considering metropolitan cities but I'm glad someone agrees with me.
Anyway, I was greeted by a huge Selfridges store front the minute I stepped of the train. I couldn't contain my excitement and glee! If shopping signs could flash in my eyes they would! *kerching*
I couldn't contain my excitement but had to share it with Marty and Jolene so I made long distance phonecalls to both of them just to gush about the huge array of merchandise available. Imagine this, Mango took up four floors of shops and had different items on each floor and all only women's stuff. No cheating!
Topshop took up four floors with one floor for Topman.
Unbelievable! I need a gf here to go shopping with me!!! How can one live fulfilling shopping life if one does not have a gf to share it with?
But however tempting the urge was to just splurge, I exercised some self control and bought nothing at all. Before the UK bank account gets set up, I need to keep a tight rein on my outgoings.
Friday, April 06, 2007
It's been a hectic few days back home. Once again, I find the insomaniac in me and I think I may have found the cause. Potent teh (tea). Ever the teh ping (iced milk tea) fan, I've been loading up on the good stuff at every opportunity and I find myself able to go all night without sleep and into the next day without much difficulty. Last night was a fine example. I had tea at the Ritz with Joy and then after which, met up with Jason and had more tea. By the end of the night or should I say morning, when I got home at 6am, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed.
So this morning, since i had nothing better to do anyway, i started scouring websites on spas and facial packages available. Jason is getting married in May and in the process of helping him come up with a honeymoon, i came up with the bright idea of a spa getaway at one of those Banyan tree resort like places. And to convince the soon t0 be newly weds, what better way than to give them a couple day spa getaway to see if they like it. I'm not one of those girls who feel a need to periodically pamper themselves but on the occasions when I have done so, it has always been fantastic. I hope they like the present.
It's a real pity I won't be able to attend Jason's wedding. Jason is a good friend and it sucks not being able to share such a special day. It's times like this that make me think perhaps Sydney was a bad idea, but only briefly.
This trip home this time around has cemented further the certainty that I will not be coming back. Except on holidays of course. Aside from the fact that work in Sydney is so much better, I have realised that life here just doesn't agree with me in general. I think it has something to do with the weather, how claustrophobic it can get and also the urban landscape and definitely the neighbourhood I live in. I miss Bishan and I miss Glebe.
On a brighter note, jolene's problem seems to have a bit more clarity and I guess that makes me feel more at ease. I realise I am prone to paranoia and tend to extrapolate various outcomes from a given situation. I think that may be a large part of my downfall... this incessant worrying about nothing and everything but I guess I don't like surprises. Or I think I don't like surprises. So i second guess every possible move and then when it happens, that way i can go... there! I told you so to myself or whoever. Of course, sometimes it may become a self-fulfilling prophecy (but who knows). Anyway, I may have been negative about jo's situation initially but it doesn't seem half as bad now that everything has come to light. At least something is being done.
On an even happier note, I got a fantabulous dress as a bday present from Jo. A tube dress with a cloth rose near the bust. One of those great dresses that will never go out of style. Unfortunately, I have grown too skinny to fit into anything and the dress will have to be altered and as such, I will not get it til I come back after the UK stint. DARN!
Brief summary of stuff that has transpired:
Most received comment: it's a tie between "You lost weight (No... really?)" and "when are you getting hitched"
Most pleasant surprise: Bumping into Winston at wala's
Music I'm currently listening to: Phantom of the opera
Mood: TIRED!
So this morning, since i had nothing better to do anyway, i started scouring websites on spas and facial packages available. Jason is getting married in May and in the process of helping him come up with a honeymoon, i came up with the bright idea of a spa getaway at one of those Banyan tree resort like places. And to convince the soon t0 be newly weds, what better way than to give them a couple day spa getaway to see if they like it. I'm not one of those girls who feel a need to periodically pamper themselves but on the occasions when I have done so, it has always been fantastic. I hope they like the present.
It's a real pity I won't be able to attend Jason's wedding. Jason is a good friend and it sucks not being able to share such a special day. It's times like this that make me think perhaps Sydney was a bad idea, but only briefly.
This trip home this time around has cemented further the certainty that I will not be coming back. Except on holidays of course. Aside from the fact that work in Sydney is so much better, I have realised that life here just doesn't agree with me in general. I think it has something to do with the weather, how claustrophobic it can get and also the urban landscape and definitely the neighbourhood I live in. I miss Bishan and I miss Glebe.
On a brighter note, jolene's problem seems to have a bit more clarity and I guess that makes me feel more at ease. I realise I am prone to paranoia and tend to extrapolate various outcomes from a given situation. I think that may be a large part of my downfall... this incessant worrying about nothing and everything but I guess I don't like surprises. Or I think I don't like surprises. So i second guess every possible move and then when it happens, that way i can go... there! I told you so to myself or whoever. Of course, sometimes it may become a self-fulfilling prophecy (but who knows). Anyway, I may have been negative about jo's situation initially but it doesn't seem half as bad now that everything has come to light. At least something is being done.
On an even happier note, I got a fantabulous dress as a bday present from Jo. A tube dress with a cloth rose near the bust. One of those great dresses that will never go out of style. Unfortunately, I have grown too skinny to fit into anything and the dress will have to be altered and as such, I will not get it til I come back after the UK stint. DARN!
Brief summary of stuff that has transpired:
Most received comment: it's a tie between "You lost weight (No... really?)" and "when are you getting hitched"
Most pleasant surprise: Bumping into Winston at wala's
Music I'm currently listening to: Phantom of the opera
Mood: TIRED!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56168029@N00/
Birthday pictures!!
Marty was really good to organise the party and even went to the extent of baking a cake for me.
He's come a long way since the days of "let my girlfriend and her flat tyre rot for all I care"
Thank you for everything Marty poopy.... The camera is awesome
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You know how people get excited about a holiday and can't sleep the night before, how when they look forward to something that's a long way away, time slows to a crawl and the day seems so unbelievably far off and doesn't seem to draw any nearer, and how usually, the night before, they stay up all night the night before, wide awake with excitement?
Well... I didn't even feel a tinkly of anything which I think is either because I wasn't too enthused about coming home and going to the UK OR all my excitement cells have taken a holiday, perhaps trying to avoid the chemical abuse I have been putting myself through lately.
I actually suspect it's more of the latter.
It's been a long while since I've felt any enthusiasm for anything. Not to say that I'm unhappy, I am rather contented (except with work) but something seems to be missing. The only time I felt a remote tinkle of happiness was at my recent birthday and even then, the feeling dissipated pretty quickly.
My dopamine levels must be low...
I mean, reading past blog entries (circa 2005), one can see how different a person I am. I worry that I have become an apathetic lump of coal. Worry and apathy sounds like a contradiction but I miss my old self! and my logical side has come up with this explanation.
As such, I have decided to embark on a detox. If my diagnosis is true, hopefully this and my trip to the UK will sort me out.
Birthday pictures!!
Marty was really good to organise the party and even went to the extent of baking a cake for me.
He's come a long way since the days of "let my girlfriend and her flat tyre rot for all I care"
Thank you for everything Marty poopy.... The camera is awesome
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You know how people get excited about a holiday and can't sleep the night before, how when they look forward to something that's a long way away, time slows to a crawl and the day seems so unbelievably far off and doesn't seem to draw any nearer, and how usually, the night before, they stay up all night the night before, wide awake with excitement?
Well... I didn't even feel a tinkly of anything which I think is either because I wasn't too enthused about coming home and going to the UK OR all my excitement cells have taken a holiday, perhaps trying to avoid the chemical abuse I have been putting myself through lately.
I actually suspect it's more of the latter.
It's been a long while since I've felt any enthusiasm for anything. Not to say that I'm unhappy, I am rather contented (except with work) but something seems to be missing. The only time I felt a remote tinkle of happiness was at my recent birthday and even then, the feeling dissipated pretty quickly.
My dopamine levels must be low...
I mean, reading past blog entries (circa 2005), one can see how different a person I am. I worry that I have become an apathetic lump of coal. Worry and apathy sounds like a contradiction but I miss my old self! and my logical side has come up with this explanation.
As such, I have decided to embark on a detox. If my diagnosis is true, hopefully this and my trip to the UK will sort me out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
