And you thought WFH is a luxury…

Boy you are absolutely wrong! It gives you more time to focus on work and only on work because there's no distraction from office people!

WFH is not acronym for some bad word lah, you dirty minded reader! :p

WFH = Working From Home.

People think that WFH is a luxury but so far it hasn’t been much of a luxury for me. I start work at 9am Australian time, yet I finish work at earliest 6pm Malaysia time! That’s unpaid Overtime! Even my unpaid break time in between is less than 1 hour… and that’s every minute of effective work, unless I go pee or look up to speak to my mum for 1 minute every 3 hours.

What happened to 80% not needing to work late! So far it’s 100% working late…. And last week was worse. I was in Surabaya for a workshop and there was one bloody night I only got to sleep when my colleagues in Australia are waking up! And then I had to wake up 2.5 hours later to run a full day work session with client.

I need to stop this… I need to think like real Australians. Work Life Balance. Work Life Balance. Work Life Balance. There’s always tomorrow for work that salary is only paid for tomorrow’s time. There’s always tomorrow for work. There’s always tomorrow for work. There’s always tomorrow for work.

But today is all about life…. Today is always about life because though there’s always tomorrow for work, there’s always a possibility that there’s no more tomorrow for life.

OK tomorrow I aim to work only 8 hours of effective work.

Welcome to my Barbie Doll Collection

I was supposed to post this ages ago.... now that my collection numbers have come to a halt (due to limited space), I think it's about time I share what I have in hand.

My Barbie dolls ranges from RM15 - AUD300 ;)

There are a few that were presents from friends who knows I collect them, most I've bought it off the internet from other parts of the world, while a few are actually physically bought overseas and traveled home with me. I have 26 dolls located in my home in Malaysia while about 15 more in Australia. The more expensive ones are currently located in Australia.

Today I'll share whatever I can of those I have in my bedroom (in Malaysia). Perhaps by the end of July I can continue to share the rest of what I have here, and hopefully by the end of the year I will be able to publish pictures of my collection in Australia here too! :)

Pegasus - Princess Annika

Expression of India - Roopvati Rajasthani

Happy Birthday

Festivals of the World - Kwanzaa

Festivals of the Year - Chinese New Year

Fashion Fever - Pink Sweater

Chinese New Year 2008 - Rat

City Style - Red/White

Barbie - Chic

Carnivale Ball - Sleeping Beauty

Caligirl Barbie *Summer*

Birthstone Collection - February - Amethyst

Beatiful Bride 1

Beautiful Bride 2

I dream of Autumn

There you go... 15 of them to share for now... Stay tune to find out my other collections! :)

The evolving me

It’s a Saturday and all I can think about is “I should be working”.

Damn it! Stop that thought! It’s the weekend, and it’s the first day I’m back in Malaysia, work can wait…. Until after dinner :)

I wanted to do anything else but work, but there’s so much I want to do I don’t know where to start. I’ve ate and ate, I’ve watched badminton on TV and glad to know there many of our Malaysian teams are actually World Number One. I’ve sweat profusely (well, almost) even though I’m wearing just a baby-T and short hot loose pants, have my hair tied up, fan to up to high speed! Well, what to expect right – winter to tropical weather.

I’m not hating it, but I’m not liking it either. But this is better than super cold :) So all is good.

OK – continuation from my last post. How have I evolved?

- Well, guess I already said it above – I love Malaysian weather. I used to hate it so much because it gets too hot and humid, and my cheap make up melts. But now – screw make-ups, or freckles on my cheeks – sunny Malaysia, here I come! ;)

- Watching Footie instead of Soccer or Badminton. I’ve always been a huge fan of badminton, not much of soccer though but World Cup is worth watching. But since going to Australia (well maybe a year after) the Australia Football seems to be getting into me and I actually wouldn’t mind watching it on TV the whole day (maybe because there’s really nothing much to watch)

- I’ve lost interest in TV – there’s no more Friday’s TV night-in. I have no desire to rush home to watch TV shows now. I enjoy Brothers & Sisters, Greys Anatomy, NCIS, Criminal Minds but if I don’t plan my time around the TV shows so I can come back in time to catch them. I used to do that a lot on my good TV shows.

- I’ve learn to appreciate non-pirated DVDs. I spend much money buying original HK and Korean, and also malay DVD. I don’t download illegal mp3s anymore though I still listen heaps of it. Then again I guess it’s because the Australian Immigration is strict with this and I don’t have a personal computer and cannot use my work computer for such illegal yet common activities. Now that I’m back, I have no desire to get pirated ones – but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t get any!

- I appreciate exercising more – but I guess the reason is I don’t work late 80% of the time (I used to work super duper later 98% of the time in Malaysia), and because I’m getting old and putting on a lot of weight but guess the main reason is I’m dating someone who forces me to exercise but I over-power his forces most time and laze at home.

- I’ve evolved to be a fatty bum bum. Not super duper fatty, but just fairly fatty. I just weight myself. I think before I left for Australia, I was 8kg less! Can you believe it???!!

- I’ve learnt to greet people I meet at the stores or anywhere. I did that today in Malaysia and it felt weird because the people who received my greeting looked like they feel weird.

- I feel that the love expressed in Australia seems quite fake at times, insincere – but when they do mean it, it feels nice to know about it from their open expression. Back here in Malaysia love is more of a responsibility kind of feeling on the outer side – many people do it because they feel they need to, yet many do it because they do indeed feel love but these love is suppressed within themselves and not being expressed out. As a receiver in Australia, I either feel “you fake” or “that’s nice of you”. Here I feel “you should” or “do you actually love me”? I’m not sure where I’m getting at. Yeah – this portion is not part of evolution because I’m still confused with this expression of love. (Note: Love in this context just means general, not that kind of love love thing)

Oh well, guess that’s all the scribbles about this for now. For those who will be asking me, I guess I do owe you an answer because I did mention I’ll decide 2 in 2 years time 2 years ago. So, yes I’ve decided to try to settle down in Australia (as in planning to physically stay there for longer term) but that does not mean I’m forgetting Malaysia because I plan to buy that RM3 million house one day soon and I’ll always have rights here in Malaysia because it’ll always be my home, regardless.

And this is the reason I’ve evolved :)

For the better and for the worse... :)

Some Updates

I’ve past the 2 years mark since I first step foot in Australia. And I felt I’ve changed, or rather I’ve “evolved” in terms of thinking and habit due to the surroundings. That’s evolution.

(Since my blog is fairly D.E.A.D. as someone boldly highlighted it, you’ll just have to learn to appreciate this post. I don’t have much enthusiasm to crop photos and describe events happening in my life – for those kind of stories, go to my facebook lah…. Hehehe. Perhaps this blog itself will slowly evolve to a different kind of blog – maybe just a platform for random thoughts, and not much of what’s happening in my life anymore).

OK – let’s see…. How have I evolved in thinking and habit, and what have not changed.

- I can watch F1 from beginning to end without complaining it’s boring seeing them driving rounds and rounds, and actually appreciating the sport! Go Red Bull! Actually, Jensen Button also okay lah….

Hahahaha… that’s really about it I think…. Sorry there was more on my head before but because F1 is on TV now, I cannot concentrate…..

So, till next time lah…. ;)

Hail Storm...

This was the scene from our next suburb. (Taken from The Age)


And this is the scene from our apartment.


Only if this was snow instead of ice!

Birthday Leave

There's this thing called Birthday Leave...

And I'm on birthday leave today. I've never took a Birthday Leave in my life (I think) but it seems to be quite common doing so here. People sometimes the day off on their birthday and I decided to do just that!

And what I have planned today - is to have no plan at all. It's almost noon now and I'm doing pretty well. I've been doing almost nothing!

Isn't that simply awesome!

It's all written...

Sometimes, well, most of the time actually, my horoscope tales will just hit the spot.

Just like this one today:

"You may be feeling a bit let down today. You might be tired from all you had to do yesterday and are looking forward to a day of rest. But your world has something else in mind for you now and even if you get to take some time off for fun, you'll have to schedule it between other things you must do. Fortunately, your need to tie up loose ends before the workweek starts should motivate you to be productive, no matter how you feel."

How can they map out the individual feeling? By randomness, coincidence, or because of the general statement they make which 99% of the people will actually feel everyday? Does the above explains how you feel today as well? If yes, then maybe everyone does feel somewhat the same from a general perspective everyday.

Or again, has everything been destined? Up in the stars, or just by someone somewhere? That's why you have people who can read the future, that's why sometimes no matter what you do, the outcome will still be the same if it is meant to be. Again, another movie proves yet the same point - your life is not your effort or your determination or your motivation. How determined are you, how motivated are you, how willing are you, how decisive are you - it has all been written.

October 2009 - the sun ray will destroy the human race. That's what "Knowing" says, but what does the real universe says? Will we ever know? Not me for sure. But I'm glad I don't know the future, so I can hope or try to plan for it, be surprised, be happy, be sad, be grateful, be disappointed, and still feel it rather than already knowing what will definitely happen. I'd like to know that what happens tomorrow is directly / indirectly due to my action or others (even if it may have already been written a long time ago), rather than feeling that all I'm doing in my life is just acting out scenes from scripts.

Tonight

I lied about my diary... well, not exactly lie. Just did not start writing as how I thought I would when I publish the previous blog post. Just lazy to start. I wish my mind can work as a diary, where it can record my thoughts as I think and I can replay it whenever I want to.

So many different things rushing in my mind, so many things I want to write down. Don't know how, don't know where to begin.

I have been thinking alot about someone today. And once again I'm reminded on how life is so fragile, that tomorrow may just never come.

It's a solemn night. Feel like going to bed right this second, but need to finish up some tasks first.

My Diary

This blog is not my diary. I am not comfortable to share inner feelings and thoughts on the web.

This blog is not really my journal also. I don't write about everything, or even close to everything that happens in my life.

I write on some events on my life, post some photos of my activities, share some thoughts on the happenings all around, and that's really about it.

I feel I need to keep a diary. For when I would like to read back about days which my brain memory space is not efficient in storing. Since young, I have attempted to do so a couple of times, but it has all ended after a number of entries, sometimes it's because I get worried that people would find it and read it, but main reason was because I was too lazy. But I think a diary would be good to have just for myself. And yes, I have alot to hide ;) Don't you? Nothing is ever what you see on the surface, if you really think so - please don't be so naive and think again!

Knowing a person is like a game of hide and seek. You need to seek well to unhide the hidden. I don't believe anyone is perfect in that game, nor can ever be perfect in such a game.

Maybe I'll give my diary a try again. And nope, it's not going to be an e-diary to be posted online to share for the world! It would be too personal for the world to read. I always believe that if you don't want people around the world to find out some things about you, then don't publish it on the web! It's silly wanting to write and publish, yet wanting to hide. But same thing for diary, if there are thoughts which you don't want people to find out then don't write it down! Eventually someone will stumble upon your diary and may read it, whether sometime soon or sometime long after you've gone.

But I shall give my diary another try.

And so the first ink on my diary will begin at 8th March 2009 10.38pm Melbourne Australia.

The Black Saturday

Friends from all around the world would have heard of the Victorian Bush Fire. It’s certainly not a large scale nature murder disaster like Tsunami, but it’s bad enough, cruel enough, sad enough, and close enough to leave a permanent mark in the heart of many people.

Over the last few weeks, almost every morning I see haze and smell the smoke. Sometimes I felt as if I smell the ashes of dead bodies, of both human and animal. I worry about the lives who are still alive, how will they cope, how will they survive. I worry how some people are using the situation for their own benefit instead of helping those in need. I feel disgusted that these fires are possibly started due to arson. Have anyone considered cigarette butts as a fire starter too? I see people smoking at places in danger, and is it not a fire hazard as well? Or they are allowed to because it’s a stress relief antidote.

People are focussing about helping the humans, what about the others? They all deserve more than what they are getting right now.

You see counts of human death tolls and how many houses lost everyday, but what about the 10000x more animals were killed and injured in this, and the fact that they had the entire home, community and area wiped out. It will probably take years before their home is rebuilt (trees take a much longer time to grow than building houses), and never able to find their family and friends again. Well, you don’t hear of such thing call the animal media right to help for their relatives? Animals have no insurance, and the safest place for them right now seems to be cages and smaller sanctuaries than open spaces. No place to run, no place to hide, no place to seek help. All they can do is wait to be helped.

While we pray for the humans affected by this disaster, let’s not forget about the other living creatures that may need more help than you can imagine.

I’m happy to hear about so many kind and wonderful people out there. Helping whoever whenever help is most needed. Not all of us have heart as big as these people, but the least we could do is pray and contribute towards the fund. Buying 1 less clothes or skipping one expensive meal – surely you can do that! Think about how you can help. No matter how little for how small…it’ll be of big help.

But for those who had intentionally or unintentionally (if it’s unintentional, surely you’ll have some brain cells to tell you quickly put out the small fire instead of waiting for it to spread to an uncontrollable level), I’ll curse that you’ll have your fingers all melted in a fire and have 75% of your face badly burnt but still with perfect eyesight so you can continue to see the trouble you’ve caused to others and yourself. No room for forgiveness FULL STOP

Photos taken from australian news website, more can be found here:
SMH.COM.AU
THEAGE.COM.AU
ABC.NET.AU

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

I’ve finally finished reading this book on the plane back home to Malaysia about 2 months ago. It seems like that’s the only time I have for book reading!

Everyone seems to have given her books excellent comments, and it seems like a fair action to go out to get the book to read for myself.

To all Jodi Picoult fan out there, sorry to say I don’t share the same thoughts. I’ve read My Sister’s Keeper. There’s another one waiting to be read but not sure when I’m ready to read it. Don’t get me wrong. I was glued to the book from beginning to end. I got connected emotionally to the story. I cried for about 1 hour while reading it on the plane and my neighbour was too scared to ask me what’s wrong until we landed.

Something about that story and (assumption of other stories) seems to be dark, disturbed. It’s all about feeling sad when reading it. I like to feel connected to story books, but not a story which is sad all the way, and story which did not get me into much thinking about my own life. I like books that allow me to think about my past, my future, and my present. I like books that allow me to relate to the people or community around me in an optimistic, hopeful way. I like books that inspire through the characters. And sadly to say, this wasn’t one of it. It just wasn’t the book for me.

I will pick up the other Jodi Picoult book when I feel the need to dig the sorrows out from within me. Right now, I feel like picking up a Sweet Valley book to catch up with their life.

By the way, for those who do not know yet, there will be a movie on My Sister’s Keeper this year, starring Cameron Diaz.

Photo taken from wikipedia.org

Wilsons Prom: Day 3 and 4

This is the 3rd series of my posts on Wilsons Promontory. Just to recap, I was there on a camping and hiking 4D3N trip over Melbourne Cup weekend last year.

Day 1

Day 2

You may not be able to share the same experience as I did because the Victorian bushfire has hit Wilsons Prom as well. People say that it will create a bigger diversity of flora, and possibly fauna, but that will happen only in the future. It’s unfortunate the fire happens, it’s unfortunate somethings happen sometimes, but life always go on.

Let’s rewind back to that fine day in November 2008 where it was Day 3 at Wilsons Prom for me.

We decided to wake up earlier for an earlier hike. It rained a little the night before so tidying up was not easy. The tent was wet, the base was muddy, and the morning drizzle didn’t help to keep things dry and clean.


Sealers Cove is our next destination (I think). It happened so many weeks ago I don’t know which place is which night! That’s why I blog to remind myself of what has happened :)


We put on some wind breaker / rain coat and plastic cover over the backpacks, but it started to get hot as we hike and I hated the plastic-y stuff over my body so I took that off and used an umbrella instead :)

Let’s cut the long hike story short…. And we reached our 3rd campsite! It was good to reach fairly early, that meant we had time to rest (till we ran out of things to do when the night hasn’t even come!)

We had time to play with the colourful birds (damn, I forgot their names AGAIN!)

Oooohhh…ooooo…. You see that water bottle filled with yellow water? That’s our drinking water from the river! It tasted quite good actually :)

And we spent some time near the river and by the beach


… which we had to cross the following day


… to find out that it’s another bloody 10 km, oops… only 9.5 km to go :)


It was probably the one of the most torturous moment for Ben. He hurt his ankle, and yet I’m complaining like a big baby saying repeatedly “Are we there yet?!!"

Well, it’s not really THAT bad… I learnt to lower my expectation so I won’t expect that every turn or corner I’ll reach the carpark.

But come on man… when you hike until all you want to see is the end but then you see this…

Oberon Car Park 45 minutes! That’s really too much! 45 minutes means 2-3 hours, seriously. The time estimation they put there is really more for runners and not for walkers like me!

Well, at least this top of the hill area is a fairly nice place to rest along with the other hikers. And having the forever motivated Pamela makes things a little less stressful :)

And then it was time to move on… You see the faraway road on the right side of the photo, that’s the road home! Only if that was around the corner…

OK OK enough complaints…

We finally reached. A sense a relief but badan dan hati sudah tawar, so kinda feelingless. :)

But looking back, I did it! Not a bad job for a not so fit person like myself. And it was a great experience. Beautiful places, good exercise, sleeping in tents, feeding wild birds, using toilet which is similar to the toilet you see in Slumdog Millionaire, testing Ben’s patience and happy with his tolerance for me, realizing how unfit I was (and yet still do nothing about it), it was indeed a great experience.

I would do it all over again, but only if someone carries my backpack all the way (I’m happy to pay additional $128 (And that’s in AUD, not RM) to someone to carry it for 4D3N – anyone interested? ;)

Signing off from Wilson Prom with a few more master scenery pieces :)

Meet our new friend...

This is Lil' Terry :)

Photo not taken by me, but thanks to you for taking the cute pictures!

Note: These photos don't belong to me :) Got it from forwarded emails. But aren't they cute? When I get my own hedgehog I'll name him Lil' Terry and he'll be my Labrodor's best friend :)

A little bit of this...

I know I know.... I haven't been posting much stuff... let's see what I can do this weekend. I'm a little bit more free this weekend so better make good use of it :)

Will write soon!

Slumdog Millionaire

I went to this movie with zero expectation. I didn’t even know it had Indian actors and filmed in India!

I definitely recommend watching this movie. Every scene reminds me so much of India. It was exactly what I see when I was there in real person!

My favourite part when they show this little Jamal :)

Who wants to be a millionaire? You? How to be one? Do you have to be a genius? Are you lucky enough? Perhaps it’s best to cheat? Or has it been destined?

Well, you aspiring millionaires out there, good luck! :)

And to those of you reading this, go watch this movie if you haven't. You'll enjoy it, I'm quite sure :)