SILENT NIGHT

Channeling colours

2011-12-13T21:11:00.002+11:00

Summer is here and I really cannot resist popping in to those clothing stores. Loads of block colours in bright coral, yellow, green, aqua...I adore all of them and seriously I just wanna buy them all.

Check out this online shop and really it's too tempting... just look at this section. They are really smart at putting all those outfits together. Below are some of our favorites.

Xmas & dressing up

2011-12-11T16:42:00.003+11:00

Stumbled upon this when I was reading some design blogs. Look at them!! Aren't they the cutest thing on earth! I wish I had pets so I could dress them up during festive seasons. They look dumb but sooo cute!!

Nice photos shot by this photographer too. I also like the clothes on the girl. Pretty.

The Photography of Haley Sheffield: A NEWLY-WED CHRISTMAS // KAYLEE & BOBBY

Is Facebook positive?

2011-11-12T14:33:00.001+11:00

I think this pretty much sums up what I think about not having one.

http://www.positivelypresent.com/2010/07/is-facebook-positive.html

B&A Wedding

2011-11-09T16:07:00.003+11:00

Glad to hear that our families & friends had so much fun at our wedding photo booth. Our guests were absolutely the best! They played along with those props and just made themselves look silly. Have to say we really love those photos, they looked amazing and such wonderful memories for us.

Check out more photos at Baicapture photo gallery

Get the Ball Rolling

2011-11-09T14:07:00.000+11:00

I believe we are spiritual beings living physical lives, and to make the most of this life we have to take care of, nurture, and more importantly listen to the clues that spirit gives us, mostly through gut intuition and feelings we have.

At some point, though, we have to honor the physical side of our lives as well, and that means taking action. To hell if conditions aren’t perfect, or if this circumstance isn’t quite ideal or that person isn’t following through the way they said they would.We’ve got to take all these spiritual principles and put them into action.

That’s exactly where a lot of people get stuck, even those with greater awareness and knowledge. You know you want to work out, need to get into better shape for the sake of generating more energy to work your mission. But what step is often the hardest to take? That first one.

Depending how long you had been in your last cycle, getting the ball rolling can feel like pushing a boulder uphill, metaphorically speaking. You need to build the next muscle and final spiritual muscle that separates the successful from those still waiting at the gate: momentum.

Momentum is that force that makes it easier for someone who’s successful to do what’s right than to do what’s wrong.Momentum is that process of getting that snowball moving.The hardest part about working out is getting to the gym. Once you get there, it’s not that hard to do.

When you’re in motion, that’s when things begin to line up, not before (that goes for you perfectionist!). When in doubt, act. What did everyone else tell you? When in doubt, stop and think about it. No! That’s why I say thinking is dangerous to your wealth!

Most people who I know that got rich didn’t think too much. They saw a piece of property: ‘This looks good. Anything structurally wrong? Environmentally? No? Good, I’ll buy it.’ Twenty years later they’re very rich. They really planned that one out, huh?

Just as an aside, if you’re really “smart,” chances are you’re not going to be really rich. You’re going to get in your way, a real momentum killer. Those who aren’t too “smart” are open to knowing (A) They don’t know everything the need to know to be rich (B) Will learn how to be rich, even if it temporarily hurt’s their pride to know exactly how far off they were to begin with.

A body in motion will remain in motion and a body at rest will remain at rest. What do we want to do? Get into motion! Once you’re there, it gets easier. We already know that. Now we gotta just do it.

What in your life do you just need to get started and adjust as you go? What have you been waiting for? What’s the fear? Is that true or did you just make it up?

You will make it. Trust yourself. Love yourself and know that you make it all up. It’s your freaking story!

Get the Ball Rolling

Disappointment

2011-09-09T18:32:00.001+10:00

This is probably one of the saddest day of my life. Enough said.

Nice quote

2011-01-26T16:05:00.000+11:00

"Happiness cannot come from without.

It must come from within. It is not what

we see and touch or that which others

do for us which makes us happy; it is

that which we think and feel and do,

first for the other fellow and then for

ourselves."

Helen Keller

No more disaster pls...

2011-01-12T21:26:00.000+11:00

Our hearts go out to the victims of devastating floods in Queensland. Hope the flood will end soon and missing victims would be found. Take care and god bless..

Here's a great year ahead 2011

2011-01-09T10:38:00.000+11:00

Gone on boat cruise for 2011 countdown

Pick up point from Docklands.

On board Carol Dee and it sailed down Yarra River and back.

With great company - Steph, Edward, Hari & Malaya

Fireworks at 9pm. View from lower deck.

Sailing across the Bolte bridge

Dance floor on the upper deck

10, 9, 8, 7, 6..........

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A toast to 2011

2011-01-08T23:05:00.001+11:00

Been sick for nearly a week...gosh wasn't nice to start the year like this..;( Too much activities around the same time to end the year I guess!
Any hows I have to get stronger and healthier!

2011 GOALS - eat healthy, stay fit, sleep early and appreciate life!

Some activities to end the year..

XMAS EVE

Potluck gathering

Bring on the sparkler and count down to XMAS

XMAS DAY

Sumptuous BBQ at Suyi and Andrew's house

Bon Bon girls

BOXING DAY

Cherry Hill at Yarra Valley.

Our uni friend was here on holiday and stayed with us.

Brought her here to pick cherries.

Ivy picked 4 kilos of cherries and brought them home to KL..yummy

HORSE RIDING AND SORRENTO

Our 1st horse riding experience at Mornington.

Thanks to Steph for organizing. ;)

Opps, I'd invaded his privacy...haha

but he's just too cuteee..hehe

My horse named Chewy. Very "tam jia"

Keeps slowing down to check out leaves and eating them.

Ben's horse named Jet. He had fallen asleep..tsk tsk

Slow and sleepy horse..likes to sleep like Ben..lol

Riding on the beach was awesome!!!

Jet and Chewy

All four of us..

Wanted to see those potholes at Koonya beach in Sorrento

but too bad there were high tides in the evening..;(

In loving memory

2010-12-22T16:11:00.000+11:00

We think of him in silence,
No eyes can see us weep;
But still within our aching hearts,
His memory we keep.

Rest in peace Grandpa. We'll miss you greatly.

Pearlyn & Martin's Wedding

2010-12-16T23:52:00.000+11:00

Gone home last weekend specially for my cousin's wedding. Needless to say, both Bride and Groom looked stunning! It was such a lovely time spent with my family and relatives. Everyone was just beaming with joy.

Bridesmaids demanding big Ang Pows!

The usual test. Sour, sweet, bitter and spicy delicacies...haha

Never seen this before..must be for good luck or something

Bridal Party

Nice wedding Scrapbook

More professional photo album

Very creative illustration for the married couple

My cousin - the beautiful bride

Groomsmen fetching the bride

Yay!! Passed all the tests..

Asking elders..

and parents for permission..

Back to the groom's house

Cousins

One of my favourite aunt and the bride's mom.

Mummy and aunties

My lovely aunties!

Cousin born on the same year

Cousin's kids playing with cute doggie Louie

Louie: "Stop touching me!! Grrrr"

Contemplating on how not to be cute

Each dish symbolizes something..hmm...

Tea Ceremony

Let's see who's the lucky one..

A guy?!! haha

Feeling hungry again looking at this..

Wedding Dinner at the Hilltop Restaurant.

Venue settings and food were surprisingly good!

Garbage infinity

2010-11-12T22:53:00.001+11:00

I wish garbage will clean after itself, dispose and relocate...

I need auto garbage disposer!

Portrait of people 2.0?

2010-11-10T13:39:00.000+11:00

Generation Why?
by Zadie Smith

Edward's Birthday & Halloween

2010-11-02T21:24:00.000+11:00

Fiery Devils

Bloody Nurse & Doctor

We don't look spooky enough..we should just stop smiling!!

The boys

The girls

Getting our face drawn after losing...

Since everyone gets drawn except Steph..

We insisted to do the same to her!! haha

Double trouble for the birthday boy..

Indian + Tiger + Devil?

Doraemon lookalike

Birthday cake & champagne!

Cheers to the devil of the night

Now who wants a stab??

Testing our coordination..dancing to Jai Ho

Adding our pose at the end of the dance routine..

Another challenge installed for us...

One hand holding a shot glass, the other hand gotta wrap

ourselves with the toilet roll..

A toast to all mummies!

Had a great time and being sober too!

Relaxing trip at Krabi Thailand

2010-10-22T00:33:00.004+11:00

Had a fantastic 5D/4N trip at Krabi

Nice hotel at Aonang Princeville.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel was nice too.
Always looking forward to it every morning while we were there.

The hotel's location is very convenient. The beach is just opposite
the hotel and shopping areas next to it.

Island hopping by speedboat. Visited 4 islands -
Phra Nang beach, Tup island, Chicken island and Poda island.
They all looked almost the same to me..

This one looks slightly different though.
It's called chicken island and it really does look like a chicken.

Nice sunny weather. Good to be out..

Bad idea to sit at the front of the boat though.
Firstly, your hair will be super messy and all tangled-up.
Secondly, you get sunburn cos there isn't any shelter.

At Tup island.

Look at this! The water was so clear, we didn't even need to snorkel.

Boat hawker. We bought coconut drink to quench our thirst.

Gone for a dip to cool down

At Phra Nang beach, locals make offerings with carved wooden penises

to the fertility goddess at the Phra Nang cave. Local folklore says that if

somebody carves a wooden lingam and releases it at high tide anywhere

along the Krabi coast, it will eventually end up in Phra Nang cave.

Monkeys at the island. Try not to feed them as the whole group will
come chasing after you for food.

Cave with potholes. Some locals bury the dead here.
The guide told us there's ghosts in there..

Swimming at the waterfall..

White water rafting!!

So exciting but I didn't get to paddle...they told us girls to hold on to
the ropes only...why ah?

Buffet lunch

So hungry after...food was good, so much better than the picnic lunch
provided at the island tour.

Baby monkey resting on my head. I looked perfectly alright
but in fact I was a bit scared. Thanks to the guide!!!
He placed the monkey on my head without telling me....
I thought a gigantic spider fell from the roof..gosh

Ben

Money graduated from monkey university.

It's true they had gone through special trainings..very clever indeed.

Elephant riding..so cool

They are so intelligent, I really have a soft spot for animals.

They are one of the sweetest thing on earth I reckon.

Snorkeling and Kayak trip by long tail boat

Snorkeling was not bad but the water wasn't really clear though...

Gone swimming again and my chest was sunburnt the day before..

Kayaking was awesommmmeee!! We kayaked about 1-2 hours

around the island and in the lagoon through the mangrove area. It

was like an escape to another world. The tranquility of the island...

passed the mangroves, through the narrow caves...

Just seeing greens took our breath away...

Ben pretending to look tough...haha It wasn't hard at all..

Blissss

Night market at Ao Nang. Had dinner at those street hawkers.

Good food and cheap. Not like those we have gone to for the

past few days. Those nice restaurants are just out there to earn

money from tourists...I mean I don't mind paying if the food is

nice but they were just ok only.

Techno Tu Tu.. Full on lights and techno musics.

I have someone in my mind who will like this..haha Not Ben of course.

Ben keeps wanting to try this. I was so scared of food poisoning..

Anyway, we bought the cuttlefish to try..quite nice and thank god

we were fine.

Visited Krabi coastal fisheries research and development center.

Didn't have much time on our last day so it was more of city tour.

It's good that they are contributing something back to the environment.

At the Krabi city area. Not impressive but a break from all the island trips..

Newly built temple and monks in training? Told them to help us

take a picture but they thought we wanna take pictures of them.

Thai snacks and they looked appetizing but we didn't know

how to order..;(

Had this famous duck noodle..very nice and you can taste the herbs in it

Tiger Cave Temple but no tigers, just lotsa monkeys.

More photos here

Nothing Has Meaning … Till You Say It Does

2010-10-19T13:24:00.000+11:00

Nothing Has Meaning … Till You Say It Does

Back to four seasons

2010-10-17T19:10:00.049+11:00

TIME FLEW!! After three and a half weeks of holiday in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand...I'm back in Melbourne..boo hoo.. It's Spring now but it's still colddd.....ok at least I don't sweat like a running tap..

I really need the whole weekend to rest and get back on track. I MISS my family now!! ;(

Attended our good friends wedding in Singapore. Finally after a year's of planning...yayy!!

Suyi looked so beautiful and Andrew looked smart.

Church wedding always has this..I dunno how to discribe..holy sacred matrimony, somewhat romantic? Me and the bridesmaids teared a little when they delivered vows.

Bridesmaids at work. Name? Car pass? Ang Pow? (This one I added in..haha)

Nice shot by their photographer after the lunch wedding.

Chilling out at the hotel. Suyi's colleagues from Melbourne came here specially for their wedding. So sweet of them. ;)

Gone out for dinner at the Esplanade near the hotel. Love the food there!

Stayed a night at the hotel. The guys gone for a swim the next morning.

Awesome view from our room and looking out to Marina Bay Sands.

As usual, we ate non-stop during this trip. It was nice having steamboat with my family and relatives at my Granny's house..everything still look the same. All aunties didn't change much but geez..all my cousins have grown so much. Some of them are taller than me now.

My bro made this breakfast for me! Very creative huh but what's with the chocolate chips?

Another time he made this seafood sandwich and added chocolate chips in it.

I guess I was hungry and I managed to finish it. It was kind of errrr...weird though..haha

Had lunch with Ben bro's family. Zowie is 'bo geh' now, so cute.

Gotta book this little beauty to be our flower girl next year!

My bro's dog named AMY! So cuteee and she hops like a rabbit when she runs.

And his little aquarium at home. This timid gold fish was playing peek-a-boo with us..just so amusing and therapeutic...

My bestie, Sherry's baby girl and my god-daughter named Cen Ning. Sooo adorable!!

She grabbed my finger!

Her doggie named Horlick. Very cute too! Love those little animals..

Cen Ning's bodyguard.

Sleepy head. Next year, when I'm back she'll be walking already..

Visited Ben's family in JB. This neighbour's dog keeps coming over to play with Ben.

Play with meee

Ben: "First, you need to learn how to sit before you can play ah"

Stray kittens hiding under the cabinet outside. Aunties were panicking as to where and how to get rid of them..but they just look cute ya

Had dim sum at this hawker. Not bad at all.

Ben's cousin came to visit too..

Yummy..

Nice catching up with Jeremy who came for holiday in Melbourne months ago.

Eat and eat and eat...such is life! haha

Yipoh taught me how to make odeh odeh. It was surprisingly easy..

Awesome. Look and taste so good!

Yipoh always makes this for us when we were back. Still loving it!

Ah ma and yi poh sarong party..;p

Too hot and taking the opportunity to camwhore..

Visited Universal Studio. Totally enjoyed it! Just too bad we didn't manage to finish all the rides and programs. ;(

Andy and Nicole from Malaysia came along too..

More photos here

Counting down!!

2010-08-26T23:22:00.004+10:00

1 more day to The Melbourne Great Amazing Race
Wish us luck!

9 more days to Singapore Film Festival Melbourne
Can't wait to watch some artistically ambitious films!

20 more days to SINGAPORE
Sooo looking forward to see my family and an all time food indulgence!!

Miracle

2010-08-05T20:58:00.000+10:00

There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as if everything is.
~ Albert Einstein

Amazing work by a 7 year old

2010-08-02T21:50:00.000+10:00

Check out Kieron Williamstown

Ben-o-man

2010-08-02T21:30:00.000+10:00

My the other half is getting old and err...hairy? And I swear I didn't add those armpit hair...

We had a wonderful time. Thanks to all for the awesome food and company.

Thanks Steph and Edward for planning those fun and exciting games. We shall name them the game master or the "sabo" king and queen from now on!!

No boring bits! Unless you're a boring person...

Dunno why the boys were touching each other...hmmm...

Those who got punished...haha.. Just realised Ben had 2 pig heads on his face! lol!!

Lunch at Gisborne Peak Winery

2010-07-10T18:11:00.000+10:00

Gone to Gisborne Peak Winery, which was about 45mins drive from my house on last sat. Thanks to Patrick for organising. Not much of a view here but lunch was nice though.

Not a great backdrop but took a picture anyway, just to show that there were at least some vineyards there.

Wine tasting again

Making wood fired pizzas...

Very nice savoury platter with pesto dips, smoked meats, cheese and assorted nibbles served with warm Turkish bread.

Wood fired pizza was yummy..

MJ's music lives on

2010-06-26T10:33:00.000+10:00

This magic music moves me
That dirty rhythm grooves me
The devil's got in to me
With his dance
I'm full of funky fever
A fire burns inside me
Boogie's got me in a super trance

Don't blame it on the sunshine
Don't blame it on the moonlight
Don't blame it on the good times
Blame it on the boogie...

Shortest Lunch Event at Smaller Wineries

2010-06-20T23:58:00.004+10:00

Gone to several wineries yesterday. There was a shortest lunch event at some of the smaller wineries at Yarra Valley. Thanks to Steph and Ed for organising this, it was a day filled with wine & dine with live music.

Our first stop - Graeme Miller Winery

We were greeted by this dog while parking..

then he hurried off..dunno where he went again..

Tasted some wines before we had our appetizers...Rose wine was quite nice

We had the “Winemaker Graeme Miller’s Own Recipe of” chicken, vegetable and chickpea soup and “Colaneri Family’s Superb Yarra Valley Pasta” caramalised onion, goat cheese and almond ravioli with a light serve of sage butter sauce with rocket salad and crusty Ciabatta bread.

Goes well with (2005/06 Chardonnay) and Traditionnelle 2006 Cuvelle
Extra Brut (Sparkling)

Our wine tasting glass which we had to bring to all the participating wineries..

Getting crowded after we finished our appetizers..

Beautiful view from Graeme

Next stop - Steels Creek Estate

Ben looking like a lobster after wine tasting at Steels Creek

Make it two lobsters

Had our main course here, which was pot roast of pasture-fed, aged Yarra Valley beef with caper sauce and creamy potato bake..very nice tender beef.

Last stop - Yering Farm Vineyard

Cute old doggie at the entrance

Wine tasting again

Love the ambience

This winery must be very popular, it was so much more crowded than the other ones.

Trying their more expensive reserved wines..hehe

Had this Yering Farm Hot Apple Pie, it was soooo yummmyy. I would go back for this!

And our fourth bottle of wine, which was Pinot Chardonnay Sparkling dessert wine. Not sure if it was the right one but very nice combination..

Bliss to be out wine & dine overlooking awesome views. Not so much of a drinker, probably next trip to the winery would be a year later? haha

Lake Mountain Snow Play

2010-06-20T21:50:00.002+10:00

Our once a year tradition - snow building at Lake Mountain! Albeit less people this year but we had fun and very happy with the result.

Pretty good snow at the start of snow season

Saw this kid in white eating snow!! It was hilarious!! The kid on the right was yelling to him not to eat but he didn't listen and keep grabbing from different piles and eating them!!

Nom nom nom...

Here he goes again ...still scooping snow and eating them!!

Let's have some fun before we start work!!

Trying this mini toboggan and it was quite slow..not impress with it..

Andrew on the red one, which was the best and quickest among the other toboggans.

Go Go Go!!

Preparing for toboggan races

Ready, get set...

Go!!!!!!!

Aright, time for work! Gathering snow for the sculpture..

Piling up..

Here we go..smoothening and sculpting..

Ben - the hardest working sculptor. He did most of the sculpting work..

More friends helping out..or I should say playing with snow..haha

Last bit of touching up...

Tada!

Unicorn to the rescue!!

Great seeing some lovely smiles, kids and families having a go building their creative snow man.

Another picture adding to our collection. Great job guys!

We finished building our snow sculpture rather quick this year and we had quite a bit of time chilling out, listening to live musics, enjoy some hot chips and nuggets...

and of course tobogganinggg..

Ben giving Stef and Ed a push...

Last glance before we head back..

Checking out those booths and had some roasted chestnuts Hari bought for us..

Had a wonderful time. Thanks guys for joining us.

Doing the touristy thing...

2010-06-20T18:32:00.001+10:00

Nice catching up with Jeremy while he was here holidaying. Showed him around and brought him to some familiar places we haven't been to in a while.

Weather was quite bad at Williamstown...gloomy, windy, rain but lucky enough we had a bit of sunshine here and there which allowed our friend to capture some beautiful pictures.

One of the famous landmarks at St. Kilda Beach - Luna Park.

Roarrrr...

Tricky mirror turning us into midgets

Catching a tram ride mid air

Love those beach houses along Brighton beach

Gone to the gallery..and I found this piece of work really touching and heartwrenching at the same time..

Haven't been to galleries for so longgg since NAFA days...gallery hopping, art histories, oil paintings...would love to do more of that in the future..

Graffiti and street arts at Hosier Lane..spotted Andre the giant...where's banksy?

Love them!

Some street artists at work in broad daylight

Lastly, our silly picture..

Another year older and loving it!!

2010-06-03T23:59:00.002+10:00

Yes, a year older and closer to my goals and dreams. This year is all about Patience, Faith, Persistence, Understanding and Desire. It's all about finding peace and happiness, and not bother about what other people thinks. It's all about discovering the "other self" which can be more powerful than the physical self we see everyday when we look into the mirror.

Bit by bit learning, improving and compounding.. Everyday motivating myself and fighting off the intangible forces that brought upon our negative thoughts, and finding people with the auto-suggestion of movement, desire and urgency..

I'm grateful and blessed to have come this far, and I have to believe this day will come sooner than I thought...

Ok, enough of my phhheeeelosophy...see happy photos below...

On fri, we went to this Italian restaurant called Ricardo's Trattoria at Albert Park. Thanks to Andrew and Suyi for treating me on my birthday! Lovely restaurant and food. Lucky Ben got a free meal too!

Had this pie which was the last one on that night. So yummy but could have been better if it was less salty.

The beef tripe was really nice too!! Coming from a person who doesn't eat animal internal organs...I wonder how the chef cooked them, they just tasted like fish!! No wonder I like it cos I really thought they were some fish thing...haha

Hello world...long time no see

Time for desserts!! We had Tiramisu, Creme brulee and Sticky date pudding!! Remember we have separate compartment for desserts... heh...So yummyy...burpppp

Creme brulee!

Sticky date pudding!

On Saturday, we went Go-karting, yum cha and played poker! It was a really fun day out. Thanks to Edward and Steph who organised it!

The girls - me, Stephanie and Leena

The boys - Ben, Edward and Hari

Putting on ugly hygiene cap and helmet..so unglam..and there I was on the far right..refused to face the cam! hurhur..

READY!

GO!!!!

Ben was so proud cos he was the fastest driver for both 2 laps...

Ok..me with my helmet and the 2nd last slowest driver!! lol! I'm was being careful ok!

Next, after yum cha..we went to Hari's place for dinner and played poker and dice.

Edward explaining to us on how to play the game. Very very fun and it's all about mind games..

Poker face...

On Monday, which was my actual day birthday. My colleague baked this Berries Cheesecake specially for me!! Such a lovely girl and the cake tasted really good!! I had another slice the following day...talking about working out...

At night, Suyi bought me yummy cupcakes from Little Cupcake at Degrave St. Love them!!

Happy Birthday to meeee... I wish Ben will buy me a rabbit or dog..haha kidding

Thank you both for the cupcakes and making time to have dinner with me and sent us home! I love you all!

Fly, wabbit! Fly!

2010-05-25T22:16:00.000+10:00

Ben sent me this silly picture at work. It is too cute. I had to post it here..lol

Sweet 'Desperation'

2010-05-16T14:51:00.000+10:00

Wanna watch Temper Trap concert but tickets were all sold out...Damn it!!

Sails of thought

2010-05-06T20:49:00.000+10:00

Like the wind which carries one ship East, and another West, the law of auto-suggestion will lift you up or pull you down, according to the way you set your sails of THOUGHT. The law of auto-suggestion, through which any person may rise to altitudes of achievement which stagger the imagination, is well described in the following verse:

"If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't. If you like to win, but you think you can't, it is almost certain you won't."

"If you think you'll lose, you're lost. For out of the world we find, success begins with a fellow's will - it's all in the state of mind."

"If you think you are outclassed, you are.You've got to think high to rise, you've got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win a prize.

"Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but soon or late the man who wins is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!"

Observe the words which have been emphasized, and you will catch the deep meaning which the poet had in mind. Somewhere in your make-up (perhaps in the cells of your brain) there lies sleeping, the seed of achievement which, if aroused and put into action, would carry you to heights, such as you may never have hoped to attain.

~ Napoleon Hill

Zombie walk

2010-05-02T16:37:00.000+10:00

Taking a walk in the city had never been scarier like this...

Jazz-tified Saturday

2010-05-02T13:44:00.003+10:00

Had a wonderful Jazz experience on a nice Saturday afternoon. Stepped into Hybrids and Folklore at the National Gallery of Victoria. An interesting performance installation exploring sound-making and improvisation in the natural environment.

The BIG JAM with James Morrison at the Fed Square

Famous trumpeter James Morrison and Irish musicians Nico Brown and Martin Brunsden conducted a joyous mass music making with everyone who brought their instruments.

More info of Jazz from May 1-8 at Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Animal Love

2010-04-23T14:01:00.005+10:00

Caught this stupid neighbour's cat digging outside our kitchen...

Woah...Husky driving?

Saw this bunny at the pet shop. So cuteee..

Waiting Game

2010-04-21T13:49:00.002+10:00

How long do I have to wait?

1 year, 2 years, 5 years or 10 years?

I wish it's now!

A Closed Mouth Never Gets Fed

2010-04-13T13:09:00.001+10:00

A Closed Mouth Never Gets Fed

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Gardening on Easter Saturday

2010-04-05T15:49:00.001+10:00

Time to remove these hideous bushes in our front yard.

Gosh...it took us a while to pull out those weeds with roots so deeply buried in the soil...and I hate those creepy crawlers..eewww...reason why I don't like gardening...

BEFORE

AFTER

Tada! Can't wait to see them grow bigger!

Easter long weekend

2010-04-02T22:25:00.001+11:00

Wish everyone a Happy Easter Day!

It's good friday today and we still have a long weekend ahead...yayyy...
Time to wind down, work out and eat well!

Preparing for spa....

A relaxing spa after jogging was sensational!

I swear I had my bikini on but I look naked here...haha

Ben cooked this for me..yummm...my favourite sunny side up!

After brunch, off to gardening.....was so glad we've got quite a few things done at home..

SMILE is the best medicine

2010-04-02T13:11:00.001+11:00

Meaningful and hilarious video. This what life truly is. Be happy and grateful with what you have. Wouldn't it be nice to turn a frown into a smile? Compliment is free, so don't scrooge on it.

Taste like home

2010-04-01T22:44:00.001+11:00

Chicken rice stall in Coconut house. I am so happy to have found this restaurant! Melbourne is so multicultural now, there's so many Asian restuarants popping up in the city these days, even Asian grocery shops too.

Ben had this tasty pork rice noodle. It was nice and the soup was really tasty.

I had this wanton mee. Really authentic! I think if I were to eat this with my eyes blindfolded, I would think that I was in Singapore.

Techno dinner

2010-04-01T22:30:00.000+11:00

This is what iphone does to people.

Had strawberry cheesecake for dessert. Not the best cake but it looks quite pretty and the cafe has got this Jap/ Swedish touch. Quite interesting.

Greek Festival

2010-04-01T13:22:00.003+11:00

Think Long Term

2010-03-04T13:41:00.002+11:00

Successful people are those who are willing to delay gratification and make sacrifices in the short term so that they can enjoy far greater rewards in the long term. Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, think more about short-term pleasure and immediate gratification while giving little thought to the long-term future.

Failures do what is tension relieving while winners do what is goal achieving.
Dennis Waitley

Mental Muscle

2010-02-26T13:59:00.000+11:00

Our mind is like our muscle; it only develops when we use it. Just like we have to strain our physical muscle to build them, we have to work our mental muscle to work our mind. - Brian Tracy

CNY Day 7

2010-02-25T00:21:00.006+11:00

Celebrated CNY and Ren Ri, which is the Human Kind day with Merlion Club.

Being involved with the committee. We had to be there earlier at the restuarant to set up the place.

Did you know when and where did this dish originated from? I was really surprised when I found out that this Modern yusheng dish was actually invented in Singapore by master chef Than Mui Kai from Lai Wah Restaurant in 1964.

Sumptous 9 course dinner. I really miss the lobster noodle. So yummy..

Our table with members and guest of honour.

Creations from all the teams. Aren't they creative? I bet you wouldn't have guessed what they were right? haha..The game was to build the most sturdy Pagoda.

Group photo of those who had attended.

Very impressed with the food and service at Gold Leaf Restaurant. Would definately revisit the place again.

CNY Day 4

2010-02-24T23:47:00.004+11:00

Lao yu shang at Suyi & Andrew's house.

Had a wonderful reunion dinner with a bunch of lovely friends. Jokes and happy vibes in the air, I can tell you I had never laughed so hard for so long already. Those guys were hilarious, really had a great time.

Yummy food too!

Only two people look normal here..lol

Happy CNY!

Desire above all else

2010-02-24T23:29:00.000+11:00

"The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat" Napoleon Hill

CNY Day 1

2010-02-14T16:05:00.003+11:00

Got up early in the morning and run 4.2km without stopping. I still cannot believe I did it. Jogging isn't my thing but I guess if you're determined, you can do anything.

CNY Eve

2010-02-14T15:47:00.006+11:00

Had delicious Thai food at Thai Taste, Collingwood. So yummy!! I ate so much, I had to unzip my skirt when I got in the car. If I didn't do that, I believe my tummy would have exploded by the time I reach home... haha

Tom Yum Gong

Fried Papaya & Seafood Salad

Penang Duck Curry in Coconut Shell with Slices of Coconut Flesh

Fried Barramundi with Apple Salad

Glutinous Rice with Durian in Coconut

Most liveable City

2010-02-14T12:40:00.006+11:00

Top 10 most liveable cities as ranked by The Economist

1. Vancouver, Canada

2. Vienna, Austria

3. Melbourne, Australia

4. Toronto, Canada

5. Calgary, Canada

6. Helsinki, Finland

7. Sydney, Australia

8. Perth, Australia

9. Adelaide, Australia

10. Auckland, New Zealand

(Source: Olympics host Vancouver ranked world's most liveable city)

Drawing up a dream list. Let's start from Melbourne.

Double Happiness

2010-02-13T12:18:00.002+11:00

Wish you all a Happy Valentines Day and a Prosperous Chinese New Year!

The Magic Of Love
Love is like magic
And it always will be.
For love still remains
Life's sweet mystery!!
Love works in ways
That are wondrous and strange
And there's nothing in life
That love cannot change!!
Love can transform
The most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor
And sweetness and grace.
Love is unselfish,
Understanding and kind,
For it sees with its heart
And not with its mind!!
Love is the answer
That everyone seeks...
Love is the language,
That every heart speaks.
Love can't be bought,
It is priceless and free,
Love, like pure magic,
Is life's sweet mystery!!
- Helen Steiner Rice -

Practicing Happiness

2010-02-13T12:11:00.001+11:00

Practicing Happiness

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Behind Every ‘Problem’ is a Bigger You in Waiting (But Only If You Believe It)

2010-02-09T13:17:00.001+11:00

Behind Every ‘Problem’ is a Bigger You in Waiting (But Only If You Believe It)

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Focus

2010-02-08T13:57:00.001+11:00

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." - Mark Twain

80% Psychology and 20% Strategy

2010-02-07T22:42:00.002+11:00

Mind is the master power that moulds and makes, and a man is mind, and evermore he takes the tools of thought, and shaping what he wills.

James Allen

Turning point

2010-02-06T00:39:00.002+11:00

One path closes, another path opens. It's a step closer to your dreams now and you'll be getting there sooner than you thought. I have faith in you.

YOU in the Hot Seat, Purpose and Being Part 2

2010-01-30T13:58:00.001+11:00

YOU in the Hot Seat, Purpose and Being Part 2

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Red hot strawberry

2010-01-26T19:26:00.004+11:00

The joy of home grown produce. They were so juicy and sweet! Ben's patience and nurturing has paid off.

YOU in the Hot Seat: Purpose

2010-01-22T23:14:00.001+11:00

YOU in the Hot Seat: Purpose & Being Part I

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Prince & Toffey

2010-01-16T19:37:00.005+11:00

Helllooo stranger!!

Kim's dog and her cousin's cat getting to know each other...

Birthday boys and as if they know it was their birthday..lol

Well, it's always nice to have an excuse for yummy cake and food...

Popcorn for me!! Sure, I can do anything!!!

See, I can roll over for you (popcorn)

and I'll be a loyal dog forever.....mmmmm popppcornnn....

Prince's birthday gifts! What a fortunate dog.

ABC of positive living

2010-01-12T22:38:00.006+11:00

A reminder to myself...

ATTITUDE
If you have a positive attitude towards life, everything else will follow.

BE BETTER
In whatever you do, at work or at home, strive to perform the task better than last time you did it. Learn something new each day.

CRY
When you're sad, crying is your body's way of letting go.

DECISIONS
Make wise decisions and stick to them. The decisions you make today affect the life you'll live tomorrow.

ENCOURAGEMENT
Make it a habit to encourage yourself and others, especially when things aren't going well. Be a source of strength to those around you.

FRIENDS
Make new friends, keep old ones, and let go of those who are a negative influence in your life.

GIVING
Do something for someone for free. Feel the satisfaction of bringing joy to someone else's life. There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.

HOLIDAY
Now and then we all need a break from the stress that comes with daily living. If you can't afford to travel, why not spend a weekend at a friend or relative's house or at a nearby lodge? The change of environment will do you good.

INSPIRATION
Surround yourself with people who are motivating and inspiring - the chances are it will rub off on you. Write down your goals and your favourite inspirational quotes and stick them where you can see them everyday.

JOKES
Laughter has been known to reduce stress, so laugh a lot. Buy a book of funny jokes and read them when you're feeling low.

KINDNESS
This is a virtue that's hard to find these days. Cultivate it and you'll be as rare as a diamond.

LOVE
"Love is patient and kind. It does not envy or boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" This wonderful definition of love is found in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13.
See if you can match up by trying to substitute the word 'love' with your name.

MOVE
When you fall do not stay down. Instead, get up and keep moving, no matter how difficult it may seem.

NATURE
Enjoy nature. There's so much to learn about it. Take care of the world and the environment around you as you would take care of a house you are proud of. Do not litter and destroy nature - you are not creating employment but poverty.

OPPORTUNITIES
Keep your mind and eyes open for new opportunities. Sometimes they present themselves in areas where we least expect them. Grab them before someone else does, and don't let fear stop you.

PRAY
A conversation with your maker is worth every minute. Make time to speak to Him on a regular basis, through good times and bad.

QUIT QUITTING
There is an Ethiopian proverb that says:"Smooth seas don't make skillful sailors." Don't just give up when you're faced with an obstacle.

RELAX AND REST
Get enough sleep. Finish what you start the next day feeling refreshed and healthy.

SEEK SUCCESS
Your success is not measured by how much money you have. Aim for success in all aspects of your life: as a parent, as a worker, as a lover, or as a friend.

TIME CONSCIOUSNESS
Value your time and other people's time. Procrastination (putting things off until later) steals time and gives no rewards.

VARIETY
Variety is the spice of life and it also increases your creativity. Befriend someone who has a different background to yours. Accept that your way is not the only way.

XPEL
Xpel negative thoughts from your life. Surround yourself with people who have qualities that you want to develop yourself.

YOU
Realise that you are unique and special, and in fact the starting point of perfection. Find your own unique way of making a positive contribution to society.

ZEAL
Be zealous in following your dreams and nothing will stand in your way. Your enthusiasm will make people want to help you reach your destination.

Rejuvenated

2010-01-10T09:16:00.001+11:00

Feels so good after exercising!

Quote of the day:
There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no insurmountable barrier except our own inherent weakness of purpose - Elbert Hubbard

Opps I did it again...

2010-01-05T00:35:00.002+11:00

You are right. I've deleted my fb account again!

You may think that I'm weird, psychotic or nuts but I really have to focus now.

Till then....take care folks!

New Year, New Changes: Will You Go With The Flow or Fight It?

2010-01-04T13:39:00.002+11:00

New Year, New Changes: Will You Go With The Flow or Fight It?

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Welcoming 2010

2010-01-03T09:51:00.007+11:00

2009 was a bumpy ride. 2010 I'm gonna make some mistakes! Like what Frank Wilczek said, "If you don't make mistakes, you are not working on hard enough problems. And that is a big mistake."

We only have 24 hours to manage our lives and our work, how do we maximize it? I have to change my time management habits. Time to have an open mind, to have a real commitment to it and to rethink existing time management habits. It's about redesigning my life and eliminate unproductive distractions.

The 80/20 Rule
Summarizing the Pareto Principle, the 80:20 Rule means that typically 80% of unfocused effort generates only 20% results. This means the remaining 80% of results are achieved with only 20% of the effort. Simply to say, analyzing your life using The Pareto Principle, you'll find that 20% of sources are causing 80% of your problems and unhappiness. Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of your desired outcomes and happiness.

Some 80/20 tips (source: 21st century)
List unproductive or meaningless activities and eliminate them.
Reason: 80% of the activities give only 20% of the value. List and look at all your activities. Only a few of them give the most value and meaning. Do you really need the rest of them? Eliminate the time wasters and keep the important stuff. Be ruthless; don't be afraid to say no if you need to.

Spend most of your time on your most important relationships.
Reason: 20% of the relationships gives 80% of the value. From all our relationships, only a small portion of them gives the most value to us. These are the few people with whom you have strong emotional bond. Usually these people are your spouse, your family, and a few close friends. You should spend the majority of your time nurturing these relationships.

Focus on creating more memorable moments in your relationships.
Reason: 20% of the time in a relationship gives 80% of the memories. The figures here might actually be more like 5%/95% than 20%/80%. From all the time we spend in our relationships, there are only a few moments which give us unforgettable memories. Focus on making more of these.

Focus on your strengths.
Reason: 20% of your skills give 80% of the returns. The few skills that give you the most returns are your strengths. It is important to identify them so that you don't waste time working on things which give you only small return. To be effective, you should do only a few things - the things you are good at.

Find your productive "place" and make the most of it.
Reason: 20% of your work time gives 80% of the results. Everyone has a productivity 'sweet spot'. Some people are most productive in the morning while some others are most productive in the evening. Maybe you work best alone, while others are most productive when they have some background noise. Whatever the time of condition is, try to identify yours and make more of it.

Stop reading everything.
Reason: 20% of the material you read gives 80% of the value. Some books (and/or blogs) give you much more value than the others, so they deserve more time and attention. These are the few sources which could significantly improve your life. While for most books it is enough to read them just once, you should reread the important ones until you can effectively apply their lessons.

Learn to skim content
Reason: 20% of the content of a book gives 80% of the value. This an important lesson if you love to read. There are so many interesting books to learn from and yet so little time. What you need to do is identify the critical parts of a book which make its top 20%, read it, and skim the rest.

Pack unused stuff or simply throw it away.
Reason: 20% of the stuff is used 80% of the time. Only a small portion of the stuff you have is used often. The majority of it is rarely used, if ever. While you do need some of it to anticipate certain situations (for example, a first aid kit), most of it is practically useless. So identify the useless stuff and pack it or - even better - throw it away.

Focus your saving effort on the really big stuff.
Reason: 20% of the categories are responsible for 80% of the expenses. While trying to reduce your expenses on the small expense categories is good, you will get the most results if you focus your effort on the major categories. Write expenses down, see where you spend most and kill it.

Next journey in life

2009-12-08T20:55:00.004+11:00

Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner.

Remember this special day, we were just standing, staring into each others eyes and our hearts were dancing ...

Life is just a show

2009-11-22T21:26:00.002+11:00

Sometimes I just wanna walk away from everything...

LOVE

2009-11-11T19:57:00.003+11:00

Love is patient and kind. It does not envy or boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13

17 days to go...

Outings

2009-11-08T17:26:00.013+11:00

Hanging Rock

Nice to be out trekking and being close to nature once in a while...

Zombie out in the wild except me..lol

In need of some solar energy..

Would be a nice without the harsh shadows and flying retard behind..haha

Hanging Rock is said to be one of the best examples in the world of a volcanic feature known as a mamelon (French lit. nipple). It was formed six million years ago when a particularly stiff type of lava formed a rounded pile of layers on the surface as it was squeezed through a narrow vent in the earth.They are about 718 metres above sea level and 105 metres above surrounding plain.

Like a painting

Fantastic view

Found some strange looking sculptures...

3 Wombats

2 giant birds

Trentham Falls

Steps to paradise

Trekking our way...

Beautiful waterfall

Interesting formation of rocks

Take 4 and finally got this nice group photo

Uphill to civlisation

Gravity Hill

Gravity hill at Straws Lane near Hanging Rock. We changed our gear to neutral and our car started to roll uphill. The reason because of the layout of the surrounding land, that produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope. Very cool..

Our car defying gravity

Mid-Autumn Fest

2009-11-08T15:56:00.007+11:00

Moon Festival organised by Melbourne Taiwan Chamber of Commerce

Had to run some errands in Boxhill that day and at the same time checking this out. Would love to visit Taiwan one day.

Lining up for this fried oyster...

Had this Taiwanese-style fried oyster with egg and plum juice. The gravy was nice but it could be better if it was less starchy.

Yummy food but we were so full from lunch...

Mid-Autumn Festival organised by Singapore Students Society

Nostalgic...

Mmmm mooncake!! Thank goodness we still get to eat them in Melbourne.

Best-dressed contestants in traditional cheongsum attire.

Rey did a great job as an emcee on that night.

......absolutely clueless, luckily there were some intelligent members in our team. ;P

Geez....I feel old being surrounded by young students in their 19 to early 20s...

Winter Activities

2009-11-08T15:14:00.007+11:00

Taking a breather from work, club, home, life........just thought I should update some photos from the past few months.

In winter, we've managed to build two massive snow sculptures, one at Lake mountain and another at Mt. Buller. It was hard work but fantastic experience with a bunch of sporty friends.

Sculpture 1 - Dino at Lake Mountain

Sculpture 2 - Santa in July at Mt. Buller

Experiment in Phenomenology

2009-10-06T09:47:00.004+11:00

Artists name
Shepard Fairey

Campaign created
1986 in Charleston, South Carolina

Andre the Giant Has a Posse. A street art project and an experiment in phenomenology by artist Shepard Fairey.

* OBEY Giant images appear in three of Joel Schumacher's films:
In Batman Forever, a distorted image of Giant's face is visible on a Gotham skyscraper as Batman flies the Batplane nearby.

In 8mm (1999), an "OBEY Giant" poster is clearly visible on the outside of an alleyway door the protagonist enters.

In Phone Booth (2002), several stenciled images of the "OBEY Giant" image are visible on the corner of the building behind the phone booth in which Colin Farrell becomes trapped.

* An "OBEY GIANT" poster appears on a wall in the Berlin, Germany stage of the video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2.

* In an episode of the television program Family Guy, Peter Griffin paints an outsized image of the stylized "Obey Giant" face emblem on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in an ostensible renovation effort. (Show creator and television producer Seth MacFarlane was a student at RISD at the same time as Frank Shepard Fairey.)

* In the PC video game Half-Life, players can choose André the Obey Giant as a spraytag to mark walls or floors during multiplayer matches.

* In the PC video game Half-Life 2, posters very similar to the Obey Giant ones appear, instead using the visage of Wallace Breen, and the text RESIST.

* In the 2003 movie Along Came Polly five Obey Giant posters can be seen in the background in a final scene when Ben Stiller is chasing after Jennifer Aniston.

* The Black Eyed Peas video Shut Up has several stylized "Obey Giant" face posters near the stage man. (A reference to Shepard Fairey who designed the art for the album "Elephunk") .

* In the Nintendo DS game "Retro Atari Classics", which features remixes of classic Atari games by famous graffiti artists along with the originals, the OBEY Giant design was used for Gravitar, Lunar Lander, Missile Command, and Sprint.

We found one at Altona beach.

Other sightings, check out Obey Giant

Interesting Buddhist teachings

2009-08-31T15:36:00.000+10:00

• What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. The word comes from 'budhi', 'to awaken'. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.

• Is Buddhism a Religion?

To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or 'way of life'. It is a philosophy because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' and the Buddhist path can be summed up as:

(1) to lead a moral life,
(2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and
(3) to develop wisdom and understanding.

• How Can Buddhism Help Me?

Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice and inequality around the world, and it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to true happiness.

• Why is Buddhism Becoming Popular?

Buddhism is becoming popular in western countries for a number of reasons, The first good reason is Buddhism has answers to many of the problems in modern materialistic societies. It also includes (for those who are interested) a deep understanding of the human mind (and natural therapies) which prominent psychologists around the world are now discovering to be both very advanced and effective.

• Who Was the Buddha?

Siddhartha Gotama was born into a royal family in Lumbini, now located in Nepal, in 563 BC. At 29, he realised that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he explored the different teachings religions and philosophies of the day, to find the key to human happiness. After six years of study and meditation he finally found 'the middle path' and was enlightened. After enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism — called the Dhamma, or Truth — until his death at the age of 80.

• Was the Buddha a God?

He was not, nor did he claim to be. He was a man who taught a path to enlightenment from his own experience.

• Do Buddhists Worship Idols?

Buddhists sometimes pay respect to images of the Buddha, not in worship, nor to ask for favours. A statue of the Buddha with hands rested gently in its lap and a compassionate smile reminds us to strive to develop peace and love within ourselves. Bowing to the statue is an expression of gratitude for the teaching.

• Why are so Many Buddhist Countries Poor?

One of the Buddhist teachings is that wealth does not guarantee happiness and also wealth is impermanent. The people of every country suffer whether rich or poor, but those who understand Buddhist teachings can find true happiness.

• Are There Different Types of Buddhism?

There are many different types of Buddhism, because the emphasis changes from country to country due to customs and culture. What does not vary is the essence of the teaching — the Dhamma or truth.

• Are Other Religions Wrong?

Buddhism is also a belief system which is tolerant of all other beliefs or religions. Buddhism agrees with the moral teachings of other religions but Buddhism goes further by providing a long term purpose within our existence, through wisdom and true understanding. Real Buddhism is very tolerant and not concerned with labels like 'Christian', 'Moslem', 'Hindu' or 'Buddhist'; that is why there have never been any wars fought in the name of Buddhism. That is why Buddhists do not preach and try to convert, only explain if an explanation is sought.

• Is Buddhism Scientific?

Science is knowledge which can be made into a system, which depends upon seeing and testing facts and stating general natural laws. The core of Buddhism fit into this definition, because the Four Noble truths (see below) can be tested and proven by anyone in fact the Buddha himself asked his followers to test the teaching rather than accept his word as true. Buddhism depends more on understanding than faith.

• What did the Buddha Teach?

The Buddha taught many things, but the basic concepts in Buddhism can be summed up by the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

• What is the First Noble Truth?

The first truth is that life is suffering i.e., life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. This is an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied. It is realistic rather than pessimistic because pessimism is expecting things to be bad. lnstead, Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy.

• What is the Second Noble Truth?

The second truth is that suffering is caused by craving and aversion. We will suffer if we expect other people to conform to our expectation, if we want others to like us, if we do not get something we want,etc. In other words, getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. Rather than constantly struggling to get what you want, try to modify your wanting. Wanting deprives us of contentment and happiness. A lifetime of wanting and craving and especially the craving to continue to exist, creates a powerful energy which causes the individual to be born. So craving leads to physical suffering because it causes us to be reborn.

• What is the Third Noble Truth?

The third truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained; that true happiness and contentment are possible. lf we give up useless craving and learn to live each day at a time (not dwelling in the past or the imagined future) then we can become happy and free. We then have more time and energy to help others. This is Nirvana.

• What is the Fourth Noble Truth?

The fourth truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

• What is the Noble 8-Fold Path?

In summary, the Noble 8-fold Path is being moral (through what we say, do and our livelihood), focussing the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions, and developing wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truths and by developing compassion for others.

• What are the 5 Precepts?

The moral code within Buddhism is the precepts, of which the main five are: not to take the life of anything living, not to take anything not freely given, to abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence, to refrain from untrue speech, and to avoid intoxication, that is, losing mindfulness.

• What is Karma?

Karma is the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have results. This simple law explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born handicapped and some gifted, why some live only a short life. Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being responsible for their past and present actions. How can we test the karmic effect of our actions? The answer is summed up by looking at (1) the intention behind the action, (2) effects of the action on oneself, and (3) the effects on others.

• What is Wisdom?

Buddhism teaches that wisdom should be developed with compassion. At one extreme, you could be a goodhearted fool and at the other extreme, you could attain knowledge without any emotion. Buddhism uses the middle path to develop both. The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality, all phenomena are incomplete, impermanent and do no constitute a fixed entity. True wisdom is not simply believing what we are told but instead experiencing and understanding truth and reality. Wisdom requires an open, objective, unbigoted mind. The Buddhist path requires courage, patience, flexibility and intelligence.

• What is Compassion?

Compassion includes qualities of sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy, concern, caring. In Buddhism, we can really understand others, when we can really understand ourselves, through wisdom.

• How do I Become a Buddhist?

Buddhist teachings can be understood and tested by anyone. Buddhism teaches that the solutions to our problems are within ourselves not outside. The Buddha asked all his followers not to take his word as true, but rather to test the teachings for themselves. ln this way, each person decides for themselves and takes responsibility for their own actions and understanding. This makes Buddhism less of a fixed package of beliefs which is to be accepted in its entirety, and more of a teaching which each person learns and uses in their own way.

http://www.buddhanet.net/

The thought of losing you...

2009-07-27T19:36:00.002+10:00

No words I write can ever say
How much I miss you every day.
As time goes by, the loneliness grows;
How I miss you, nobody knows!
I think of you in silence,
I often speak your name,
But all I have are memories
And photos in a frame.
No one knows my sorrow,
No one sees me weep,
But the love I have for you
Is in my heart to keep.
I've never stopped loving you
I'm sure I never will;
Deep inside my heart,
You are with me still.
Heartaches in this world are many
But mine is worse than any.
My heart still aches as I whisper low,
"I need you and I miss you so."
The things we feel so deeply
Are often the hardest to say,
But I just can't keep quiet any more,
So I'll tell you anyway.
There is a place in my heart
That no one else can fill;
I love you so, Dad,
And I always will.

~~Author Unknown~~

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2009-06-21T15:35:00.004+10:00

This is my kind of ski resort I would love to live in. There's nothing as devine as just kicking back in beautiful surroundings at the end of a long day of skiings.

Here's what they call - redefining the experience of a typical ski holiday.

If you wonder where this is, it's Fjall Lodge at Falls Creek.

Fjall lodge consists of spacious, private apartments. With the Fjall, Interior designer - Paul Hecker has taken the modern Scandinavian chalet aesthetic up a notch. Working with a crisp, very Nordic palette of charcoal, white, black and pale gray, Hecker brings a strong sense of nature into the interiors, working with smoked and limed oak timber floors and wall paneling, and custom-designed oak timber joinery. Calacutta marble, heated balconies and cozy window banquettes complete the sophisticated space. - Lisa Evans

Inspiring scandinavian design, a mix of simplicity and solid elegance.

Would love to stay here one day...

Photography - Peter Bennetts
Check out Fjall Lodge

Wha da dilly yo? Let'sjive w0rd!

2009-06-17T14:37:00.005+10:00

Let's talk nigga...it's so cool
Just type what you wanna say and check the translation.

Dis here iz so tight! Ya' know what I'm sayin'?

Family Visit

2009-06-12T23:39:00.022+10:00

Ben's eldest bro, sister-in-law and their 2 kids visited us a week ago. Days gone by really quickly, thank goodness we pretty much covered most of the places we had planned for them. Just a pity, we couldn't show them more within such a short seven days of their stay here.

Melbourne's weather is getting colder now.. kids warming up at the fireplace..

Making tempura for them..

Bought sushi from our favourite Japanese grocery store at Suzuran.

Sashimi and sushi feast!!

Too much food...really stuffed after dinner..

Went to the Werribee Open Range Zoo with them..

Kids were so excited on the tour bus at the zoo..

Bison

Bison's hair..

Rhino eating beside its pile of shittt....eehh not smelly meh??

Lion plotting when to eat those little kids...

Crocs...

Fat chickens...wanna eat them!! Make kungpow chicken!!

Checking Hippos...

Cute baby hippo named Lotus!!

Learning how to swim with her mom and kept following her...so cuteee!!

Cheetah watching...

On the trail, saw this emu crossing our path...

Wallaby, the smaller sized kangeroo..

Touching the wallaby...luckily it didn't kick or punch me...haha

Xavier looking like a terriorist...we were at the Puffy Billy in Dandenong

They took a steam train down to Menzies Creek while we drove down to meet them

Waiting for them at Menzies...

Train arrived..

Took them up to the Dandenong ranges after train ride

It was rather cloudy when we got there and couldn't see the view. Luckily by mid day it cleared up a bit...at least caught a glimpse of the view from the top of the mountain.

With sweet Zowie..

Little Zowie looking tiny on the giant's chair

Some camwhores at the back...

Swine Fluuu....

Waiting at Miss Marple's Teahouse...

Bunch of hungry people...

Xavier addicted to his DS and Zowie entertaining herself..so cute

Pumpkin soup

Baked fingers... a bit overpriced.. I think I can make this, just put ham and cheese on top and bake it

Famous scones.. also a little disappointing...

Sticky date pudding.. This is not bad...

Andrew stealing food from the kids...

Next, outdoor movie at the Luna drive-in...

Felt so comfy in Suyi and Andrew's car...

Kids cuddling up with them...

Busy setting up and waiting to watch Night at the museum...quite a funny film

Went to Suyi and Andrew's house after movie.

Suyi and Zowie playing with carebears while Xavier fallen asleep on the couch..

Last day, Zowie performing in the backyard..so talented..

She even finished the whole bowl of cherry tomatoes when I told her she'll look pretty and healthier after eating them...hehe

Xavier still addicted to his DS...

Miss you kids already!! Take care!

My birthday

2009-05-31T21:20:00.005+10:00

I'm a year older now!! yayy!!

I guess I should feel blessed that I'm still with this monkey! haha.. For the support and love, I'm thankful to have you by my side.

And of course, lovely friends sharing the joy and love. Thank you guys

Girly catch up

2009-05-31T20:24:00.006+10:00

Had a lovely lunch gathering at my colleague's house in South Morang two weeks ago. I finally found the courage to drive 55mins on my own to her house and managed to return home safely..phewwww

A while ago, on my way to the laundrette, was trying to do a parallel parking...guess what?? I crashed into this freaking pole beside the fence!!! How can this happen right? I knowww...just silly, sigh...I had to blame myself for not being observant enough. Luckily, it was just a minor dent on the front bumper but just ugly really. Total repair cost was around $1700 but with the insurance, I only had to pay $500.. bleaghh.. I rather use the $$ to invest or buy a leather jacket.. Anyway I'm really happy it's been fixed ;)

Nice catching up with the girls and delicious food made by Shakira.

Tandoori chicken...yummy...

Shakira the wonderful host and colleague!

Adorable baby snoozing..

Playing with this little kitten named misty. Fluffy fur ball was so soft and cuteee..

Few months old misty looking prim and proper...

Topography to Typography

2009-05-02T10:02:00.000+10:00

Rhett Dashwood took six months slowly scanning Google Earth looking for suitable letters, from an A-shaped field to an E-shaped building.

The first Google Earth 'alphabet', featuring all 26 letters, has been created from satellite images of natural features and buildings found in the Australian state of Victoria.

My name from those alphabets..;)

Suyi 30th Birthday

2009-04-26T10:22:00.008+10:00

Another friend joining our club! A year older and wiser now...;P

Had dinner in Breizoz French Creperies at Williamstown. Love the crepes there, so yummy..

Ice cream mango cake for the birthday girl.

Andrew was trying to find the best angle to look slimmer...that was the 2nd photo he posed.haha

More photos on flickr

Gold Coast Part 1

2009-04-25T23:26:00.004+10:00

Ben had a 3 days seminar in Gold Coast last month. I took a week off and joined him for a little getaway. Love the sun, beach, lovely town and theme parks. I will definitely revisit this place again.

Beautiful beach in Surfers Paradise

Bikini-clad girls distributing brochures. Men just can't take their eyes off them...

Town area

Lots of cafes and restuarants near the beach

Our hotel room facing the sea

Awesome view

Would love to have a view like this at home. Very relaxing and calming to your senses

Ben enjoying the view and sea breeze

Beautiful sunset

View from the top of our room

360 degrees view at Qdeck. Worlds tallest residential building in Gold Coast.

While Ben was away at the seminar, I took a bus down to Harbour town and Pacific Fair shopping malls. Buses here are so frequent, not like Melbourne.

Pacific fair shopping mall at Broadbeach, not far from surfers paradise.

I love those boutique-style chain stores. They just look so up market and really tempting you to go in.

Alright, I have to confess I had this all to myself. New york cheesecake with ice cream...yummmy....

Moved to another hotel called Meriton serviced apartments at Broadbeach. All furnitures and appliances were brand new cos it's a newly-opened hotel. The apartment has got a full sized kitchen and separate laundry; living area featuring a 32" LCD Television with DVD player and Foxtel.

Really enjoyed our stay at this serviced apartment. Every night we came back, the room would be tidied, dishes washed and dried, towels replaced, bathroom cleaned and bed neatly made. Would be nice to have room service at home..hehe

Very nice modern interior.

Went to the Casino just opposite our hotel. Tried our luck at the jackpot machine and we lost $5..boohoo

Ben newfound BFF whom he met at the seminar.

Gold Coast Part 2

2009-04-25T23:25:00.004+10:00

Movie World!!!

Ben was sooo excited at the Movie World, he just hopped on and off those rides...probably forgot I was beside him. After all that screaming and adrenaline rush, I thought finally I would have time to rest my overworked heart. But nope, even while we were eating, he just kept bugging me to eat faster..cos he didn't want to miss the show..bla bla bla Luckily I didnt puke..hehe

Batwing spaceshot. Really scary when it dropped at extremely fast speed and sent us up again...

Superman Escape. I hate and love this..

That was the scariest ride I took so far...I had my eyes closed most of the time..haha

Those people were drenched after the ride so we didnt go for that.

Shrek 4D adventure. Nice animation and cool probs make the movie seemed rather realistic.

Less scary ride but still makes my heart a bit jumpy.

Really skillful stunt drivers. Those people who loves cars, racing and such, have to watch this!!

Marilyn Monroe performing

After Ben took this picture, he just cannot stop smiling and keeps telling me "Marilyn Monroe came to me and I took a picture with her!!!"..............Man

Batman fighting the villains

Batman and his batmobile, whatever it's called....very cool

Scooby-doo Spooky ride. I underestimated the ride. I thought it was some kiddy lame ride but nopeee...it was quite scary

Interesting tree

Kids ride. So cute

Waiting for bugs

Time for superheroes to showoff

Catwoman

Duffy the duck

Scooby-Doo

Dunno what's this..... Flash?

Marilyn Monroe

Too much chocolate, you'll look like this.

Love those vintage posters.

Ben was there. You know what I mean...

Batmobile. I don't know why I find this protruding thing on the front a bit disturbing...

Ben trying to look manly..but erm I think he looks like a pregnant lady

Had a fantastic time. Exhausted and time to leave...

More photos on flickr, you can check them out if you like.

Gold Coast Part 3

2009-04-25T23:15:00.000+10:00

Wet 'n' Wild Water World!!

We thought we were the earliest but many of them were lining up already...

Pool with man-made waves. Interesting...

Sunbathing without those annoying sand sticking to your skin.

Tornado! We did this twice...it was sooo much fun!

Climbing up the stairs with this bubble thingy...really good exercise!

Weeee...

Kamikaze was alright. Just a short ride down very steep slide.

We both loved this extreme black hole rides!! I think we did this like 4 or 5 times..haha.. It was completely dark down those tubes, so we can't really see a thing till we reached the bottom. It was soooo fun, gotta try this if you guys had a chance.

This one was pretty ordinary..but quite a relaxed ride.

After we'd done all those extreme rides, it was time to relax!

We both had a dip in those floats for an hour or so. You just go round and round, and those floats just glided along without you moving it. Great place to wind down and relax your muscles.

Sunbathing to dry ourselves

This sub-tropical place remains me of sentosa island.

Ben attempting this ride again. I only went twice but he did it 4-5 times. Really exciting! The first time scared the sh** out of me...haha

Try spotting Ben

Yawning after several rides...

Skinny monkey jumped with excitement....

That's about it. We did a lot more other rides but were just too busy running around, so only took a few photos.

Really had an enjoyable time! Would love to go back again!

Gold Coast Part 4

2009-04-25T23:03:00.000+10:00

Alright, I'm getting tired of writing..

Our last few days, we headed down to the beach and just hung out in the town area.

Nice weather, not too hot or humid

Ben throwing pebbles

Really soft, fine sands...

Lotsa people sunbathing and soaking in the water

Sunbaked skin. Forgotten to bring my beach towel, in the end, I bought one at the souvenir store. Really dislike sand sticking to my skin...but somehow I got used to it after a couple of days at the beach.

Ben went for a swim with the mini surf board

He was regretting not taking up a one day surf course after he saw the Advertisement the next day.

Hanging out in the town area...

Last day...

Ben's favourite photo of the day!!

Again, those budget chain stores in town looked so up market.

Boarded the Aquaduck for a tour around town and the waterfront.

On land...

Sightseeing in the water...

Multi-million waterfront houses, with their own yacht parked at the front. How nice to have one of these houses...

Jet skiing

Lotsa high-rise buildings in Gold Coast. Many are hotels and resorts.

Heading back to the shore..

Beautiful greens on the way back...

Aquaduck taking a piss on land...time to head back to the hotel and off we took a flight back to Melbourne.

Awesome trip. Loved it!

Airshow

2009-03-15T12:00:00.011+11:00

Long overdue post. Didn't know this was in my draft, wasn't really in the mood to blog about things lately. Anyway, I won't elaborate much..so just view those photos ok.

Awesome display

On the 2nd level of the booth Andrew did for Defence Australia

I think this helicopter was selling at $500-600k...goodness can buy a house

Really crowded when it was raining cats and dogs outside. After the rain stops, the place was so empty.

Ben and horngshii were finding every chance to get on TV

Yup even this!! Try spotting me...hehe

Niceee..

Cool...I don't even know what they were..hurhur

Add a bit of tiger tail

Cranky pants on the left didn't want to be in the picture. I'm thinking could be hair issues..ahaha

Performances