Saturday, December 31, 2005

goodbye 2005

Until this year, I had a good set of blogs to draw my last hurrah blog from.

This year goes a little something like this (yes, I counted them):
j[16];f[12];m[10];a[10];m[4];j[2];j[2];a[3];s[8];o[4];n[2];d[1];

Nevertheless, I still look back on the year and see one of the most monumental, life-changing and fulfilling experiences in my life thus far.

My mum told me that this year was going to be different. She told me this while she was in hospital a year ago. I couldn't completely understand why or how this year could possibly differ from any other year - but here I am, 12 months later wondering how I could possibly think otherwise.

This year was definately a year of change.

I watched my friends hurl themselves into "the real world" - whether it be a new job, a new relationship, a new country, a new role, a new house, a new environment, new realisations, new lives - I couldn't name any one of my friends who didn't experience a new world. It was inspriring because new worlds come with new challenges many of us weren't prepared for until we looked up and found ourselves in the middle of it. We didn't have uni to hold us together; nor did we have regular 21sts or planned get togethers to regularly bring us together. Old routines were replaced with new ones and we all struggled in one way or another to find the right balance between work, life, leisure... between friends, family and partners.

And at the end of it all, we all came out on top right? (probably minus one or two hiccups during the year) I think we're still far off from being one hundred per cent satisfied with where we are and what we've achieved but I'm satisfied enough knowing that people around me are happy - or at least slowly finding their place.

What about my year? I didn't know how to do this; blog about what the year's been like for me personally. I was listening to this song last night and I thought it captured what I want to say:
Sometimes you get happy
Sometimes you get blue
No matter the reason life's about what you do
A little by little you make it somehow
No use for your worry the time is now
...

Whatever we try
Whatever we do
We live and we die
It's all up to you
A new life will grow and follow it through
And rivers will flow and dreams will come true


These Days - Misteeq
...because I'm a strong believer that what you experience and consequently, how your life turns out depends greatly on your choices. So here goes:

My Choices
* I chose to take up salsa... for one session =* I chose to be liberal with my money - that's going to have to change next year
* I chose to say 'yes' more
* I chose to open my heart... then eventually ...
* I chose to follow my heart
* I chose to make new friends, to form new bonds
* I chose to go back to studying
* I chose to be more outspoken
* I chose to be pro-active; to plan things I wouldn't normally plan
* I chose to travel
* I chose to participate in more activities
* I chose to stop exercising
* I chose to watch more movies
* I chose to be ignorant to things I cannot control
* I chose to learn to surf (even though I failed miserably)
* I chose to practise self-control
* I chose to shake off anything not worth the stress I would feel
* I chose to be happy

That's all I really have to say. The rest of it lives in my head. Farewell 2005

Saturday, December 03, 2005

This time...

Four years ago...
I discovered my love for seafood when Tita Beth and co came over and it's all we ate!
I started gymming for the first time - lots of fire, lots of motivation. Those were the days...
I was still insanely in love with my website - spryte061.com was still in its infancy.
My mind was immature, I had plenty to learn.

Three years ago...
I was on fire.
Pretty sure I was smitten already...
Interviews! Interviews! Interviews! - zero strike rate. Ouch.
I was transitioning out of a life that I shared with someone, to a life on my own. I learnt to be independent, I saw the world from a different view. I had questions because I didn't know who I was, I didn't know what I stood for, my mind was working itself out.

Two years ago...
I just started my Summer Vacation stint at Macquarie - I just realised it was my 2 year anniversary the other day!
I was on a high because, while so much in my life was unsure and messy, my career was rolling somewhere and that gave me peace.
I was preparing for my 21st Birthday do - all last minute of course =]
Self-awareness was a big thing for me
Hexic was big for everyone

One year ago...
Dramas just died down... for the time being
I've probably never analysed so much in my life
I was on an emotional rollercoaster. The whole episode our family went though - all the emotions, the tears and the fear - put lots of things in perspective for me.
I was considering a career change
The summer I was going to have in Hawai'i and Europe turned into a Summer in Sydney

... which brings me to This year...
I'm happy. Probably the happiest I've been for a good while.
My idealist life still contains imperfections but I've learnt that there'll never be a time when EVERYTHING's perfect. Something's always gonna add a bit of colour to my life to motivate me to press on and not take anything for granted.
I've learnt the importance of patience and perseverance. I haven't arrived at the place I'm at now without a bit of patience - without accepting the downsides of the happiness that come my way.
And it's the perseverance that teaches me to appreciate what good does come my way.

THE PAST is a funny thing. I look back on it and I cringe at the things I've said and done that I've moved on from, I reflect on my evolution and I realise that the choices I made were the right ones.

That's all that's on my mind really. Apologies that it's been a pretty "all-about-me" kind of post but Nix said I had to update :)

In other news...
* Nix's birthday do last Saturday
* SIA Trimester is over. Exam was on Wednesday night and I'm fine to not have to talk about bonds and bills for a good 10 years
* ISD Christmas Party Wednesday night @ The Overseas Passenger Terminal - pics on the imagestation
* Uncle Joel's getting married tomorrow (well, today)!

Ok that's it. I'm sleepy. Seeya!

PS. My mind's still immature - I've just learnt to hide it :)

Monday, November 07, 2005

Never leave that till tomorrow, which you can do today

We can't pretend we haven't been told
We've all heard the proverbs
.. heard the philosophers
.. heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time
.. heard the damn poets urging us to 'seize the day'

Still, sometimes we have to see for ourselves
.. we have to make our own mistakes
.. we have to learn our own lessons
.. we have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug

Until we can't anymore
Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin meant:

That knowing is better than wondering
That waking is better than sleeping
.. and that even the biggest failure
.. even the worst most intractable mistake
Beats the hell out of never trying
-- Grey's Anatomy Season One, Episode Six

That was an EXCELLENT episode.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

randoms

There are so many gorgeous [wo]men out there.

But the thing is this:

After a while, you just wanna be with the one that makes you laugh...

How true.

... and

nel: ok, I'm coming now. I just have to take a shower and -
mindy: so... you'll be here in an hour and a half?
...
nel: I'm so rushing to prove you wrong. I'll be there in 45 minutes... I'm timing it
mindy: so am I

4 minutes down... now I'm leaving...

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

two types

There are two types of people - those who come into a room and say "Well, here I am!", and those who come in and say "Ah, there you are!"

You can usually sort them out after 20 seconds of conversation...

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

chill

Amel Larrieux - Make Me Whole

Let me tell you why I love that song.

I love it because...

... through the chatter of uni students arguing about requirements and assignment deadlines
... through the hustle and bustle of Central in the PM
... through the screeching brakes of cars and buses along Broadway
... through the beats the beat boxing busker produced in the Devonshire Tunnel
... through the sound of tickets being entered and removed from the Central Station turnstiles
... through the clicking of heels of women rushing for their trains
... through the announcements and re-announcments of the trains on Platform 18 & 19
... through the familiar sounds coming from trains arriving and departing Central
... through the innocent stories the kids on the train told

it soothed me. It brought down all the stress I was feeling. About school. About work. About everything.

It was just....... chill.
(hehe)

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Rita Mae Brown

One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory

It's so true, it's almost disturbing.

Monday, October 03, 2005

copacabaaaaana

Michelle Branch - Desperately

Another Labour Day weekend away has come and gone. Spent this one up at Copacabana (yes, it's a real place) with the oots peeps. It was a beeeautiful weekend! The sun was out all Sunday and Monday - I laaahved it! Something else I love about the small towns outside the city is that the nights are so quiet and you can see millions of stars in the sky - it's so beautiful! I really want to get a holiday place up the coast to be able to run away to that whenever I want.

It also helped to be surrounded with people that collectively kept me in a good mood all weekend. Thanks kids.

Pictures are up on the i-station. Enjoy!

... aaaaaaaaand now, back to reality.

"There's something 'bout the way you looked at me"

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

great.

Oh I've read your blog! You're wearing sunglasses in your picture!

Thaaaaaaaaaaaanks David.

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Too bad

Memories feed the mind and not the heart - where I want you to be

... especially the purest ones.

Does anyone else agree that Australia's Brainest Kid is better than grown-up trivia shows like Temptation? It's probably because I'm not all that great with grown-up general knowledge and I'd only have a chance competing against kids 10 years younger than me =]

Dad: When your mum and I were going out, I used to correct her grammar all the time
... silence ...
Mum: No you didn't! I was good at grammar!
Dad: Yeh, you were. I was making that up...
Mum: I know. I knew it.

My parents are silly.

Last night: Hana's 23rd Birthday Party @ Parramatta
Very enjoyable night - even if I had a real bad headache for most of the second half of the night. I loved being in first class - even though, according to Hana, we were f*cked. Dress up parties are great when most people get into it.

I'd show you pictures but my camera was out of batery once I got there :(

Gotta reconstruct my week this week. Copacabana next weekend! Seeya!

... a realist, masquerading as a cynic who is secretly an optimist

Although... writing that gives the secret away... haha!

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Must Love Dogs

It's different for me, I've already had the love of my life
Brings you an inch closer to understanding the whole "companionship" argument. I often wonder whether I could do it - I really don't think I can. Ask me again when I'm 30 and single... I might be singing a different tune by then :)

It was a good movie. As good as romantic comedies get, I suppose.

'Tis been a good week...
* MP Recruit
* Watched Dr Zhivago in 4 sittings (it's hard to watch a movie on a laptop lying down - you just fall asleep!) - and then seeing Jake Anderson watch it in MLD ... very cool!
* Dinner at Chinta Ria w/ Minh, Mamo and the partners
* Got to my class on Thursday night and realised I was a day late - oops!
* Drinks @ Senate with the Mac Girls after work on Friday
* Dinner at Wagamama with Veed

Very excited about Hana's party tonight... just gotta find my dress.

It's sad when you realise you've got "friends" that claim they're friends with you but would not hesitate to bring you down if you were ever one up on them. I've had my share of enemies and people that sh!t me in my time - but I'd like to think we're adults now and that we don't need to resort to such adolesence.................. for anything!

Pet peeve of the week/month/year: People who speak over me, ignoring anything I have to say. I thought conversations were two-way. It's amusing how some people call/talk to me with the sole purpose of telling me how excellent they are. Whatever.

It benefits me some anyway.........

This is so random. Out.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

eyes lie... i think

I've always maintained that I believe that the eyes are the window to a person's soul - what they think, what they feel, what they want to say. Today, I decided that - maybe, just maybe - they lie sometimes. Not full-blown lies, more like little white lies to avoid being interrogated or pitied or to hide the truth.

I dragged myself into work this morning, feeling a little heavy. When I got to my floor and greeted my workmates 'good morning', one of them looked me straight in the face and said "okay, you look way too happy to be at work". It was a comment that surprised me because I wasn't nearly as happy as he made me out to be. I think my eyes are out of order.

Today was a good day, though.

I enroled for my second SIA trimester yesterday. One subject this time - I don't want to feel the weight of two again.

Weekend looks like a good one. We're treasure hunting on Saturday! That's exciting for me. I really should get some rest for it.

Seeya on the flipside!

PS. I had waaaay more stuff to talk about. I forgot though. I need to start writing things down again...

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

ew ew ew!

Kelly Clarkson - Behind These Hazel Eyes
Changing Faces - Don't Cry For Me

So Tuesday nights are a little boring. I currently have two downloaded movies on my PC.
  • The Amityville Horror, and
  • Sahara

For reasons I don't want to share, I decided to start watching Amityville Horror over Sahara tonight. Not even 5 minutes into it, I was scared. I went onto rottentomatoes.com to see reviews on the movie. Turns out, although it's better than the original, it's not fantastic. Then I checked the movie again and I realised I had downloaded the OLD movie. Craaaaaap.

So... while Return of the Jedi continues to download I decided to watch Sahara anyway. Imagine my astonishment when I played it and the words "The secrets of Kamasutra" flashed on the screen. Shift-Delete. Gross... so foul.

I'm soooo scared of downloading movies online now. I've only managed to download one movie successfully - In Good Company. Oh well... no movies for me tonight...

I did put a bid on a DVD though. Hopefully I get that......

Any recommendations? Preferably one that came out before this year so I can actually download it (I'm too impatient to download anything too new).

Seeya!

exhale

Hi.

C1 - Distinction
C2 - Credit

You were right. You're always right. I am fine.

Out.

Monday, September 12, 2005

white noise

Wendy Matthews - I Don't Wanna Be With Nobody But You

Anne was awesome last night - and I decided I reeeeeally liked that song. It was in my head all night... it's in my head right now.

My sister and I are watching the Idol verdict. It's just gone to a commercial break and a preview of numb3rs came on. The preview showed how the show was going to be about how a clown kidnaps a little girl at her birthday party. After the commercial, Veed goes to me "Why did they take her?" I just looked at her.

I'm tired. Good Night.

PS. White noise is good. The Mac girls showed me that today.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Spring ?

My sister's sick, so somehow she took my room last night. I had to sleep in the colder back room last - which is cold coz there's not heater in there. Somehow, I couldn't find my pyjamas so I put on my tae kwon do pants and a coral singlet. That was my miscalculation for the night.

I was cold. Before I knew it, an hour and a half had past and I couldn't get to sleep. That was painful because I really was sleepy... just really cold too.

Where's Spring at?

That's it. I'm still sleepy.

Happy Father's Day!!

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

ack

Yep. Still alive...

The problem with not blogging is that now I can't looking back a few weeks/months/years to see what I was doing on a particular day. Or I can't read what I was thinking when I was going through certain parts of my life.

So what of the lack of blogging in the past few months?

I don't think I can really bring it down to one reason. There's a multitude of reasons why I don't blog. I haven't even really thought about it to be honest. I just don't, simple as that.

I wonder if people even bother checking this page anymore...

So things that happened in August:
- 2 exams in 2 days: probably failed one but whatever...
- Finally got to spend some time with MM&M. We did a night out to 12 Spices then karaoke'd using my new chip at my house
- Went on a Comedy Cruise with the grads out on the harbour. Really... not funny. But the rest of the night was good
- Performed for my Ninang's 50th Birthday
- My Uncle Bimbo came over from the Phils and did a concert in Mt Druitt
- Had a family get together at Kimmy's house. I love my family

There's probably plenty in betweens there...

Oh yeh, my biggest news: I have a new laptop! His name is se7en. I got him after Qpac decided to give up on me. Qpac's on warranty though so we're getting him back, but then he'll just be my sister's. se7en is much smaller... I laaahv it!

Ok that's it. I'll be back in a month =]



Just kidding... I'll try to come back sooner... Bye!

Saturday, August 06, 2005

seven deadly sins

(I got this from the back page of last week's New Idea)

Gluttony - What's your favourite food?
If it's possible, I'd have prawns with everything.

Greed -What was the last luxury item you bought?
Probably my first, and possibly last, Country Road pants suit.

Lust - What do you lust after?
Happiness... y'know...

Pride - What are you most proud of?
Probably what I've managed to achieve - academically, personally, career-wise - up to this stage in my life.

Sloth - When are you at your laziest?
Probably straight after a uni/college assignment or exam. Also, if I'm waching TV boxsets (FRIENDS, Alias... and now Full House), I'll stay in front of the TV for hours.

Anger - When was the last time you lost your temper?
When this pretty girl started sweet talking the guy standing in front of us at D&B just to push in behind him. I don't think I lost my temper, but I was MAD. Oh, and when Mike made like he knew what made me happy, and I didn't. I BURNED.

Envy - What brings out the green-eyed monster in you?
I know it sounds silly, but I envy people that have qualities I wish I had - like being carefree, having a better memory, assertiveness, courage, and the list goes on...
I'm not one to turn into a green-eyed monster though. I just burn BAD inside.

Ok I'm out. If you haven't seen them already, my pictures from Hawai'i are up on the Imagestation. Later dudes!

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

circumlocution

The use of many words to express an idea that might be expressed by few; indirect or roundabout language

That made me laugh...