I'm awfully tired.

But way to go for my exams revision! And I could hardly stay awake at work! I'm not sure if the stress is getting into me or what. Even before I went on leave, I had a few nights of bad dreams. Dreams of key people resigning. The strange thing is, I dreamt of different people resigning on different nights. The worst dream was of someone coming into my office with hordes of resignation letters.

Boy, am I going mad or something? And last night, I woke up a few times, being reminded each time, of the different things I need to complete on Monday. Basically, I have been waking up with this pressure weighing down my chest that an important agenda have off my mind.

I don' think I can go through restless nights like these for long...

Anyway, this was supposed to be a quick post.

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SL came back yesterday with a handful of sweet stuff from his work trip.

Revealing the goodies

A book to die for! It's gotta be the most gorgeous book I have seen! Love it to death! But not sure when I'll be able to start reading this. I have got a few on my shelves that have been untouched for a while =P

My other favourite out of the lot!

In return, I decided to cook an asian-fare! I'm a terrible cook, and it took me more than 2 hours to whip up these. From chopping to stir-frying... It's been a long time since I had a meal with soup! I miss mum's cooking the most.

Pardon me for the lack-lustre presentation. But this is really supposed to be a home-cooked fare! It actually tastes better than it seems =)

More bad news today from the Australian share markets... An overnight dive for the five-year low driven by the plunge in Wall Street. So what now? I can only watch the figures roll... downhill.

The initial dip in AUD exchange was a move to protect an exporting country (think about economic fundamentals between export price and demand). Many were just as puzzled as I was, when the dollar first shrank, pretty abruptly, after a series of strong soars against the USD. Later, I have learnt that the soar was caused by rising interest rates, a move to flood monies in the economy. If interest rates are high, why wouldn't you keep them in the bank? Once the monies are locked in, the dollar is then delibrately crushed, to prevent the country's export activities from slowing down.

But again, from a forum that I have been reading, someone realised the same trend that happened years ago, when the same thing was done to inflat the interest rates and inject the exchange rate to sky high, only to find it come crashing down not long after. And the same thing happened again! Shacks, I should have bought more Chanels back then! Haha, I'll know better next time! Really, the principle of "what goes up must come down" does work, and history has repeated itself.

But what happen now is, AUD has dropped way too low. 3 cents dive overnight, and an estimated overall drop of 30% in just three months! Has the strategy for export boost become a tad too pricey? Yet, no one could predict the next move by RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) still.


I'm not inferring that Australia is heading towards recession, and economists certainly discourage "talking ourselves into recession". But the kinda market trends we are picking up from the news nowadays, I've got a feeling that the world economy has yet to hit rock-bottom yet, and will only get worse with time. The worst fear of "Great Depression II" may be eventually realised.

Alright, never mind what I say, I'm the ultimate pessimist if you don't know me by now! =)

Granted that I have job security during these rough times, it might still work out for me. The best time to build/ buy a home is to take advantage of the low interest rates, although Australia's interest rates is still not quite as low as US yet. SL's friend bought a new car in the US on the low interest rates, and then trade in his old one, with some profits from it to rejoice over!

Too much thoughts... It's back to studies now =(

Things to do before I turn 30?- Serious self-disclosure here

Very interesting stuff I have read from:

http://www.cleo.com.au/30_things_to_try_before_you_turn_30.htm

Who says that Cleo is for that bimbo or air-head? It does seem that certain articles from Cleo has given me the fuel for some inspirations about life.



1.Channel an old school movie and throw a drink in a man's face.
No comment- not sure if that means anything to me =P

2.Delete the words “like, random and totally” from your vocab.
Why??

3.Break someone’s heart; similarly, have your own broken.
Yes, I did. I learnt how both sides of the coin work now, but that cycle needs to end

4.Divorce toxic friends.
Never thought I had any.

5.Drink a champagne cocktail in a Paris bar.
Would love to, once the inflation problem stops in Europe, or when the AUD bounce back a lil' (whichever happens first)

6.Master the art of choosing the perfect wine.
"master"- haha, I'm a jack of all trades, master of none!

7.Confess that (present or past) crush on your best male friend.
I did confess crushes twice (i might have perhaps wipe off those not worth remembering), but sadly, I don't have a best male friend!

8.Drive a wickedly cool car, even if you have to rent it.
Yes I did, but not allowed to do it again (don't ever trust me with one)

9.Use an alias for a day.
Yes I did, to dope some silly guy. (HAHA)

10.Visit a strip club.
Okie, wld love to... (kidding)

11.Have a favourite book which isn’t chick-lit.
hmmm....

12.Quit a job, without having another one to go to.
I think I did, but didn't spend the time as constructively as I wanted. Would love to do it again.

13.Buy a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black-lace bra.
Okie, will give it a think.

14.Learn who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
Done and over with... I trust no one.

15.Live by yourself (for at least six months).
Wld love to!! But not allowed to!! The max was 3 months at the hall, with a roomy!

16.Travel somewhere by yourself – a foreign country, another city or just a road trip to the country.
Awesome- have thought of this for a long while. Will make it happen, perhaps 2009?! =)

17.Forgive someone who wronged you; apologise to someone you've wronged.
Whatever... I have got a XXX years to go to get the point..

18.Master cooking one impressive three-course meal.
You're talking about Asian/ Italian/ Japanese or what? I can do fusion if that's acceptable??

19.Learn to change a tyre.
Okie, it's good to know how to anyway. I don't want to be caught in a situation where I can only hope for some cute strong dube to come to my rescue if I ever get stuck on the highway.

20.Buy an original piece of art.
HMMMMMM.... I might...

21.Volunteer for a charity you care about.
Yes, I did voluntary work before. But for a charity I really feel for... no, not yet. Wld jump on it, if time and opportunity permits.

22.Break-up with a man who you know is bad for you; similarly, have a fling with a man who you know is bad for you!
Done!

23.Dine solo in a restaurant – no phone, book or notebook allowed.
How many times have I done that?

24.Run a marathon.
Would I live to 30, if I do that??

25.Pay off your credit card(s)/HECS debt/car loan.
No debts yet, and no, not buying a car expensive enough to take up a car loan yet...

26.Spend a whole pay packet on a pair of shoes.
Hmmmm... on a handbag yes... I lust for the huge orange box! But SHOES? You gotta be kidding!!

27.Have a killer joke you tell perfectly ready to use for those awkward moments.
Can someone give me some jokes references? I sometime suspect that I can be quite a joke myself!

28.Try something you always said you’d never do – whether it be sky-driving or eating escargot.
What is it that I'd never do?? Stop shopping for one full year?? No WAY!


29.Learn how to stand up for yourself, rather than silently seething when you receive poor customer service or someone makes a snide remark.
HAHA, I used to be a coward when it comes to that, but everyone has got to watch me now, cos I spit flames! =P

30.Have a one-night stand (or more than one).
HMMMMMMM.... Sorry, no comment on this =P


What'd your response be?

Just another website that's recommended http://www.cleo.com.au/mental-health.htm, interesting articles that everyone should at least have a browse..

“Happiness is not chasing fleeting moments of joy but, rather, focusing on how you can create the most meaningful life for you by thinking about what you value, and putting time and effort into these areas of your life.” Thomson concurs: “Doing something you like is more important than making loads of money and having ‘things’ to show for it.”

After reading the article, I can't help but ask, "Are you talking to me?" One of the readers left this comment, "Be very happy in life, don't waste it".

I'm really trying my best to be happy, so that everyone around have nothing to worry about me. There are times depressing enough, and it seems that I'm made to go through more troughs than others. I can't stop myself from succumbing. But, I'm honest when I say I don't wanna waste it either.

A beautiful day to remember

I have indeed been very busy recently... doing unconstructive things!!!

The Chanel bug got me again. I have been looking up purse forum, and finding ways to get myself one before xmas! So, those efforts have finally translated into a purchase of my second Chanel bag... erm, in less than 6 months! Shan't reveal what I have got yet. It should arrive in a week's time. Can't wait to see it!

I often wonder how I could fall in love with something I have not physically seen! NO ONE I know here carries a Chanel, and there's NO Chanel boutique in WA yet (though I heard rumours of a boutique to be opened). Just participating in the discussion forums makes me feel like I know the bags so well, and photos of them are almost alive to me! I'm such a victim of the branding game!

It only means I have to save harder to make up for the holidays then =(

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Have taken 2 days off from work to study for my exams. The first day of leave (today) kicked off with quite a fantastic start! My craving for Mac breakfast has finally been satisfied! I could never wake up early enough to get a share. So, it was hotcakes and cuppaccino before I make a drive to Bunbury for my facial therapy this morning.

Went on to do some shopping, and I thought I was heading straight to the library for some studies. BUT........

With a beautiful day like this, how could I let myself get wasted with the books?

So, I parked my car at a weird corner, and thought I'd just go for a short walk. The next thing I knew was, to find myself comfortably seated with strategic views, immersed in the cheery rays of sunshine and, treated to a pot of freshly-brewed English Breakfast tea. What's worse was this...
DEAR ME!!! What have I done??? And I'm surprised that I'm not booked for parking my car at an illegal spot!

Side-tracking a little, Extensions Cafe ia really a great place to chill out for high tea. I love it more than the Goose, in terms of dining atmosphere. I will let the pictures justify this, although I have not captured the interior of the cafe, which has got a more formal feel.

Who wouldn't enjoy lazing the day by the beach with an interesting read? The beautiful sights that laid before my eyes today made me realise how oblivious I have been to the natural beauty on earth. I often could see, but unable to feel. I blame it on the quick pace of life. The wonders of nature- the sun, the pristine ocean front and the clear blue sky, have captivated my heart today. If only I could make an effort to spend more time with nature... it could have probably done me a lot more good with my well-being too!

Have I mentioned how lovely the drive back home was? The greens of the tuarts, blending harmoniously with the deep blue sky. A lovely sight it was indeed!

Wish me luck in catching up with revision now!

Lost

Someone once wrote,

"Sometimes, one has to get lost in order to find oneself"

Hey, I'm really so tired of being lost. When will I ever find anything, and get to somewhere soon?

My Saturday was great... erm, until I was called in at work unexpectedly to help some new staff out with problems at the front desk. There goes my Saturday evening again! I didn't even realise that time spent at work had creeped into midnight before I could get home and have a decent "dinner" to fix the hunger pangs.

I must have owed this company something big time, in ways I cannot see, to deserve this!

Better things to talk about here- I found a new toy in PS's new release, ROCKBAND! I've got to admit that the game can get pretty addictive. Also saw this Wii fitness at the store that looks pretty interesting. But for that price, I'd rather buy myself an elliptical to have a real workout.

Was back at the Goose for my seafood crave. Had originally wanted to head down to one of the wineries to try out their cellar collection while we lunch there. But a pity that I was too hungry for the 1/2 hour drive to Margaret River. Will see if we could do that next weekend. Margaret River would be my top choice to go for extraordinary dining culture. But it can only remain as one of those occassional treat if I do not want to burn a hole in my pocket, and grow fat! I'd rather spend that amount of money on a 1/2 day spa retreat or some new clothes, or even save towards my holidays.

I received the weirdest comment about my nose. Someone said that I obviously had a nose-job done. Can't work out how the conclusion was derived. I must have been born with quite a pretty nose, or I had a blotched job by a lousy surgeon, becos I can't afford for a top-class one to make it look more natural? Haha, why didn't I think of fixing my single eye-lids first, one of the major reason for that tired, sleepy look on my face every morning? And perhaps even consider some lasik surgery, so that I can save on long-term costs for those contact lenses? I'm firm in my beliefs about plastic surgery, even though it means that I have to pile on more makeup, use double eye-lid tapes and fake lashes, doing makeup tricks to apply colour contouring to make my facial features more defined.

Can't believe it's already Sunday- I wish I can stop wishing for time to fly to the next weekend. At this rate, I'm unknowingly wishing for the years of my youth to shred quicker!

I just have to hate my job!

Melbourne Cup 2009

I'm never a fan of horse-racing, and have not even been on a live one! In saying that, the closest I have come to racing was during my short stint in the audit at the Singapore Turf Club. It was interesting to look at the distinction in crowd that pour in on a race night. They either came in hordes from the back gate via the public train, or, the VIPs would pull up at the front porch in attention-grabbing luxurious cars. I used to feel really odd walking off home after work in the opposite direction from the crowd's flow.

It was yet another year of work luncheon over the big race of the year yesterday. Melbourne Cup 2009 marked more than 16 months of my service with the resort. I wonder how I made it through the one year mark in the first place. After whining over the same things over and over at least 2 - 3 times a week, over 16 months, I'm really surprised that I'm not yet sick of complaining!

Melbourne Cup and wine goes hand in hand. Wise Wine was our sponsor =)

Good food, and great presentation, is not any paler by comparison!

And photos of my nasty, messy, little office/ work area for the very first time!I was only making my way down to Margaret River after work for dinner with the bosses. I love my red checked high-waist skirt from Forever 21 Singapore. Thanks Sis, for encouraging me to make that purchase! =)

My outfit for TODAY's liquor licensing course. The course was great! It's a fresh perspective to look at how another country's rules and regulations differ from Singapore's. The Australian government does takes a serious view on responsible service of alcohol, and in defining the duty of care from licensed venues. With the complicated laws, I just had to laugh my head off when our trainer said that it always pay to have a good corporate legal adviser!

Would soon be time for me to submit my report for compliance (or non-compliance) for our venue! Not exciting at all!

My three cents worth, on Art for the sake of Art

If work is already bad enough, why make it worse? If the solid blacks are adding on to your gloomy, laden day, make a change to how you look... For the better!

Dressing up for work can be a chore, especially for a busy-body like me, who has a long list of tasks to think ahead. But really, I don't have a good reason to stick to the usuals, when my wardrobe is bursting with clothes, some never even worn before!


Part of the reason why I adore fashion is because of the way I appreciate it as a form of art. Art of expression, and an art that is culmination of a society's development of culture, affluence and creativity. When I was doing my History major in uni, I remember a professor of mine once said that man create art, not for the sake of art, but for the exploitation of it for political means.


How controversial is that! I see how both sides of the coin work. Man are naturally attracted to objects that are aesthetically pleasing. As defined in Wikipedia, art is "the process or product of deliberately and creatively arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions, especially beauty"


Therefore, I can see how man use it as a tool of deception to convey obscure messages to audience who are lost and whose judgements turn vulnerable in the face of the appealing beauty. Appealing creations of art, which includes an inexhaustive list ranging from motion pictures, performing arts, literature to paintings, are indeed effective vehicles of propaganda.

Strangely, as much of a cynic as I am, I still want to believe in "Art for the sake of art".



Art is a subject that is so distanced from what I'm actually doing. It's unreal that I would embrace it so much. I can't imagine how dull the world would be if mankind let go of the pursue of art, one of the very last of beautiful things that remain in this ugly world.

Back to the main topic...

Some clothes I have bought from my trips this year, which I haven't got the chance to showcase =P (namely from Malaysia and Korea)

Yawnz... It's a Saturday, an absolutely glorious day, but my alarm just had to go off at 8.40am! I'm just not in the mood for work! Had to snooze for about 1/2 hour before I could drag my ass outta bed.

I have been really down for a while, and haven't been taking care of myself. But as I'm recovering from the mess, I have realised that how important it is to look after one's well-being. Even the most basic things like eating well, sleeping well and devoting sufficient time for workouts can affect one's energy level. My lack of energy and negativity has been killing me all these while. It has affected my concentration level. Drinking heaps of coffee did not work and had added on to my stress.

I'm not totally onto it yet. But at least, I'm feeling much better on most days. Keeping in touch with family and friends did lots to improve the situation. Having a routine workout at the gym,

and doing scenic drives helped to take away time from feeling depressed too. One thing to learn is, arrest the mess in your life before it gets bigger than life!

Some people just finds it easier to get over things than others. For me, it haven't been easy all my life. I always struggle with happiness, and fighting the blues. Just probably due to being unable to get along with my family, distance from friends, and having unrealistic expectations of myself.

There's nothing wrong with feeling down, even if it's for a prolonged period. Just don't let it become the seed of a self-destruction cycle. And of course, there's always good coming out of it as you pull through the lows. One could only get stronger when confronted with strong emotions. Feeling down and lonely is one of those strong emotions. Defeat can only be temporary.

As it is, even though I may not be as good in many areas as others, I have always pride myself for being strong. It does take time to develop conviction and even confidence to get to where I want. So long as I stay strong and keep fighting, things will start to fall into place.

As always, there are brighter things to look forward to. I have been using the hours after work google-ing and researching on Costa Fortuna Cruise, Venice and Milan =) It was the 8-day cruise specials on Flight Centre that sparked the idea of a European getaway next year. The point of embarkation is at Venice, with port of calls in Southern Italy, Greece and Croatia. How exotic!



The more I read about Venice and Milan, the more excited I get. Especially after finishing John Berendt's The City of Falling Angels some time last year (or was it the year before?), I guess this is the best opportunity to make the much-anticipated trip to Venice? I love travelling, and I love it even more when I'm able to combine my other greatest interest (SHOPPING). So, it doesn't take much for one to realise that Milan is one of the fashion capitals in the world. The trip "research" has inevitably stretched into factory outlets shopping etc. After reading up on tons of reviews, I have decided that I have to make this trip happen, no matter what!



I have even gone to the extent of looking up on hotels and airfares!



Just some days ago, El asked about New York and Germany next June! And yes! I'd jump on it if it's going to materialise as well! It could very well be a birthday trip for myself =) It's been ages since I had a good trip in the company of close friends. I did had a few this year, but nothing can be compared to people you have known for long, and well enough!


For now, it's enough of hours spent in front of the computer, google-ing. I still need to get on with my studies. Have decided to stop for one semester, in-lieu of so much going on at work, and also the trip.




Some spoilers ahead for the dream trip:

My sis has just started an online bakery with her friends. If you might be keen, the website is: http://www.swt-sensations.blogspot.com/