My blog is looking very, very abandoned at the moment and I didn't even realise that my last post was waaaaaaay back on 30th October. Since then, so much has happened that I don't even know where to begin.

So I ran 10 kms at the Singapore Marathon yesterday (okay, it's just 10 kms), but it's a big deal for someone who used to REALLY detest running. Finished in 1 hr 1 min which is OK. Didn't manage to reach my goal of besting or equalling my time at the Human Race. I partly blame the lack of distance markers at the run cause they only had one each at the 1, 5 and 6 km marks. All got a bit blurry after that. Oh well.

Best bit was the Greenhouse Champagne Brunch @ The Ritz Carlton after that. I swear the food has gotten so much better so that was a pleasant surprise. And I didn't have to pay a cent since Na decided it was her christmas present to us (thank you!). In the spirit of christmas, I decided she doesn't owe me for the Simone Perele bra I bought for her and Roy can have the country road bag and the undies I got for him too. Roy then announced that he was going to pay for our massages at Kenko after brunch (which was not too bad for those prices).


This is exactly why I miss home.



We'll always be like this, right?

I logged on to Facebook to check out what's been going on at home today.

And I don't do that very often for two reasons:

1. I hate Facebook. It's a personal data mining site, and I didn't even sign up for an account until like April this year or something. I signed up purely for academic purposes only. Then setting up your profile led to setting up albums and profile photos which then led to friend requests, and before I knew it, I've been sucked into the very world I'd been resisting for years. I'm a late adopter. I didn't even get onto Friendster until it was no longer cool and everyone was already moving on to myspace or something or nothing.

2. It's depressing to see photos of everyone at home getting on with their lives perfectly well without me. It's an outrage, and they should be ashamed of themselves. I mean seriously, they should all be wearing black and looking miserable and mourning the temporary loss of me in each and every fucking photo. I mean, I'm fabulous. No, I'm not just fabulous, I'm a total hornbag! I'm the bees knees! Seriously, what's there not to like?

LOL, okay, no, really. It's depressing to see photos of everyone at home who I miss so dearly, and also because of how I'm not able to be a part of whatever they're doing.

You see, Elroy's been to Bali and back with his friends and I didn't even know about it until I popped onto Facebook and saw the photos. My dear brother has been to Bali and back and all I have are the Facebook photos to prove it. Prior, I just thought he'd been holed up in his dormitory for days on end studying for his upcoming exams and stuffing his face with late night suppers of roti prata, kfc and chocolates and biscuits so that he will finally emerge from his room all pale and pasty and fat from the lack of sunlight. Instead, he's pictured on Kuta beach wearing his branded sunnies that he bought in Taipei, the very ones I picked for him, looking all tanned and skinny while I'M pale and pasty from being winter bleached and stuffing my face. Bastard.

Another case in point, I have this very close and dear group of friends that I hang out like on a daily basis when I'm back at home. And every year I go back, there's a new addition to the group. Like that's totally fine. And then I look at some new photos on Facebook, and the group has ballooned from like four to like a full-sized Primary School class. We need a freaking mini-school bus/van type vehicle to get us around, and I didn't make this part up, because the mini-school bus/van is actually being documented on Facebook.

I don't really have a problem with that. At all. It's fine, I'm so happy they're happy. And looking at all the photos made me smile. But they also made me wish I could have been there. And then there's the bit I'm dreading where I go home and will have to meet and get to know the newbies. And this is where I will fail. I'm not social. I can only handle people in tiny groups. Anything more than five in a group and I start clamming up and I think to myself, "Quick! Somebody break a window! I can't breathe!" So I end up sitting there silently listening and watching them instead. Then the inevitable will happen. They're gonna think I'm being a snob and that I hate them.

And I hate that. Because I don't. I just don't know how to break into a discussion that's going on between like 20 people. I'd feel like I'm being rude and stepping out of line. And then I'll realise that they're not the newbies, I am. I'm the uncomfortable stranger in the group. The white elephant. So I'll just sit there in my little corner and smile when I have to, nod when it's appropriate, and laugh when everyone else is laughing. Even when I don't really know what they're talking about, because I'd already missed an entire year. But at least I can create the illusion that I AM a part of all that, you know, so the strangers walking by or sitting at the other tables don't immediately recognise I'm the odd one out. I'm good at that game.

I think.

Just cause I have not posted any food porn in ages.

Hurrah! I have not been reading much at all in the last couple of years. In fact all I remember reading last year were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows and A Spot of Bother.

But this year! I'm like well on a roll!
Have already done:

1) Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
2) M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
3) The Wolves in the Wall by Neil Gaiman
4) The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman
5) The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton
6) The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

and in August alone, I've finished:

7) Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka (quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read.)
8) A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (because the previous one was so good!)
9) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini


Yes a lot of them are children's books, but those are my favourite kind.
They're so simple. There are no dramas. Just uncomplicated good fun.
I guess sometimes I like to pretend I'm a child again and see through the eyes of my six year old self again.
Besides, the twenty-six year old me discovered that Enid Blyton could very well be the first person who used the word "Google" in "google buns" as the name for a jam filled delight!

But anywaaaaay! The geek in me is like well back. And I want more to read! *evil laughter*

*I'm taking suggestions now.

Okay, so for the peeps who didn't know. This is what I woke up at 6.45 this morning for.










The ranking will probably change as the race has not been completed in some of the other countries, but you know what? I'm more happy with the timing I achieved than what I'm placed globally.

I was targeting to finish the race around 1' 10" but expecting to do it around 1' 20". So for me to complete the race a whole 10 minutes quicker than my goal is not only really quite shocking but also very, very satisfying.

Henry was saying that we can do it in under an hour, and I just kept saying that there was no way and I wasn't going to push myself that hard. And then hmm...

I have to thank him for supporting me during the run and always staying slightly ahead of me even though I told him to just go for it.

I really thought I was going to give up around the 4km mark after a particularly steep slope left me retching a little. Walked for a couple of minutes and was fine so started jogging again.

I did this mad dash in the last 200 metres or so and overtook a whole bunch of people (including him! Sorry!) to get to the finish line. He followed about 10 secs later.

I also have to thank a whole bunch of people like 孙燕姿, Madonna, Donna Summers, Pink, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Destiny's Child, Kelly Clarkson, Coldplay, Sara Bareilles and Christina Aguilera.

And you're probably going to think I'm so gay, but particularly Ms Aguilera, who's "Fighter" saw me through the final 1.5km of furious leg pumping.

Uh oh. It's in 4 days and so far I've only run that much.
What the fuck am I going to do?! Am going to humiliate myself on Sunday by running behind the other fatties and oldies (assuming there are any in the first place). How the hell did I convince myself that this was a good thing for me?! Especially coming from someone who walked his way through 2.4s and 4.8s all his life? How how how how how?!

Grrrrrr! Better pull up my socks and find a way to traverse my fat bottom at least 8km tomorrow or I'll be FUCKED big time on Sunday.

Yes, I pierced my ears. That was three weeks ago already, but I was holding off the photos until I got this!
Kwunho sent me this lovely 0.5 set in white gold which he got from Steve. Yay!

So yar, this was the package I was bitching about. But I'm happy now. =)

*edited to add: I did NOT photoshop the pics.

It has been one day since a package I'm expecting arrived at the local "delivery base", according to the Speedpost Tracker. It should apparently only take two to three days for my package to reach me from Singapore.

Well, it's day three now. I've been awake four hours now and still it hasn't arrived.
Find myself obsessively peeking out the window for Mr Postman in his green vest and red helmet to park his bicycle in front of my house. Where the fuck fuck fucketting fuck is he?

For that matter what is a "delivery base"? What's the point of tracking if they use vague terms? So is it like an Australian central processing place or do they really just mean post office? And why is my package sitting at the "delivery base" instead of being on its way to me?!

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Arrrggggggh! And I just know that if I left the house to do shopping and get a haircut, Mr Postman will undoubtedly have dropped by with a note to say I wasn't home. Ugh!

Yes I did.



Same boot up screen as iPod.



White, so I can at least be a little different from the other 80% of black iPhone users.



Accessories. USB Power Adapter, USB cable, Headset with Mic, Product Guide and Polishing Cloth.



The now famous home screen.


There. Are. No. Words.

I was probably born an evil, mega bitch.

me: bling bling?

silly ho: hi hi!

me: bling bling.

silly ho: what!!! white bling. i know.

me: bryce is being like a pokemon.

silly ho: rub it in!

me: bling bling!

silly ho: oh i donno what pookemon does.

me: they just say their names over and over again.

silly ho: oh. in differnet ways isn't it? peeeeka, pika pika, pikaaaaaachu?

me: yeah.

silly ho: i dnno.

me: just different permutations. you closet pikachu lover you.

silly ho: poor parents who have t buy these for their kids.

me: i have a pikachu from my friends. LOL.

silly ho: urm. .. okay. shower time brb.

me: okay.

Stolen from seaweeds who stole it from aut2003.

Like seaweeds, I found it pretty accurate. Maybe a little too close for comfort.
It's true that I don't actually like studying even though I tend to do reasonably well most of the time.
I've also spent a lot of time dreaming about what I should do. First it was mass communications, then IT, then music, then law, and well, now I'm back to media. I've stuck with it for about 2.5 years now though, so I guess believe that this is it and I will see it through the best I can.


Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you meet that person.

The seriousness of your love:

You are very serious about relationships and aren't interested in wasting time with people you don't really like. If you meet the right person, you will fall deeply and beautifully in love.

Your views on education:

You may not like to study but you have many practical ideas. You listen to your own instincts and tend to follow your heart, so you will probably end up with an unusual job.

The right job for you:

You have plenty of dream jobs but have little chance of doing any of them if you don't focus on something in particular. You need to choose something and go for it to be happy and achieve success.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

Try it here.

I finally got to see what the fuss was all about. Another great installment of the Batman movies.
Heath Ledger truly stole the show with his performance as the Joker. No, actually I think for 2.5 hours, Heath Ledger becomes the Joker.

Does he deserve an posthumous Oscar? I honestly don't think so. He is no doubt a very talented actor, but he's certainly not the best out there. But then again, given the quality of movies so far, he may very well be a clear frontrunner for Best Actor.

Also, maybe because it's filmed on location in metropolitan cities like Hong Kong and London, I feel that this movie is less gritty and gothic compared to Batman Begins. *shrug* It's probably just me.

All that aside, it was really enjoyable.

So Na and Roy are gone. For more than a week now, so this is a little waaaaaay overdue. It's been really nice to have them vegging out at my place for 10 days, and the carnage left behind is kind of sweet but also devastating. I've never been more stuffed in my whole life while they were here. We had something like five meals a day plus snacks in between. Besides our regular meals, we went through:


1) 3 x large packets of Red Rock Deli Chips
2) 1 x Ultimate Quadruple Chocolate Chip Cookies
3) 2 x Mint Tim Tam Balls
4) 2 x Arnold's Quattro
5) 1 x Nestle Aero
6) 1 x Family Size Dark Chocolate Tim Tams
7) 1 x Snowy Road
8) 5 x super large gelato cones

There's probably a lot more. I just don't remember right now. It all went by in a blur only to be replaced by a gaping void after they left.

On another note, I have a new non-chocolatey addiction.



They are SO amazing on some salted crackers and a wedge of mature cheddar! I think I can finish a whole jar in one sitting. And I think they will also be very good in a nice thick omelette with chorizos and onions. Mmm...

I think as you get older, you kind of get over the whole chocolate thing. I still love it. But where it used to be "can't get enough of it", I actually get gelat after half a family block of Cadbury dairy milk. I think my tastes have shifted to something more mature and less sweet like raspberries and olives.

I'm turning into such an old person.

But if I finally have to succumb to old age, then I want one of those motorised wheelchairs with a steering control. Yes, even if I still can walk, I want to zip around in one of those.

On a random note, I came across this and I think it's really cute:


Calf and Half - the udderly irresistable creamer (hee!).

And the cow's really adorable too. From Fred & Friends.

Watched Wicked at the Regent Theatre last night with Na and Roy and it was REALLY good.
Almost like a Mean Girls meets Legally Blonde meets Les Miserables type fest.
Not really sure how the Australian cast fared compared with their original Broadway counterparts, but I thought they were pretty good. Or at least the two leads, Amanda Harrison (Elphaba) and Lucy Durack (Glinda), were.

Apparently there are two ex-Australian idol alumni in it.
Anthony Callea was in it as Boq, not that he was particularly stunning really, and Rob Mills as Fiyero, not that I really know who it is.

Oh and I did the fanboy thing and bought the giant poster which I will frame up and then find someplace to put it.
Hurrah!

I have the strangest birthdays in Melbourne.
They have never been perfect, but I guess that IS a bit too much to ask.
Started with Ben, Qiang, TP and Henry who bought me to dinner at Squire's Loft (big juicy steaks), thanks guys!
Then Adrian bought some nice Wagyu beef and pork belly and borrowed his Aunt's hot plates for our own Korean barbecue at home, which was really awesome.
Then David treated me to Japanese at Irori in Brighton which was good too.

But Murphy dictates that something must take a turn and it has.
Sibilings arrived yesterday, so I have to skip all of that for now and enjoy my time with them.

Por Por, Mum & Dad, Yi Yi and Ah Lap Jie Jie all gave me angpows, so I suddenly have a new found wealth.
We were at Chaddy yesterday and I bought a new trench coat, a cardi and a nice dark blue shirt.
So maybe money can buy a little joy after all.
But then maybe it's just all the wining and dining that has already started with Na and Roy that's doing the job.
Either way, can't really complain.

Happy belated birthday, me.

Ashley, Fern and I are such cam whores. We should do this again.

Now I just need to hunt down FF8 and 9! And hopefully CB Bernard will return me my 12 soon.

So I've been a little silent. But meh.
So much has been going on and this half year's gone in a big blur.
It's coming up to that time of the year again, but I don't really feel any different though.
Maybe just a smidge older and wiser.

Thank god for Mummy's genes though, I still look young-ish.
At least I'm not prematurely balding like some people around my age.
Saw this Chinese Eminem wannabe in the city today, probably something like early 20s, looked completely normal from the front.
But as he walked in front of me, I was quite shocked to see this huge, gigantic, gaping, hairless patch on the back of his head. Well, either he's balding really badly, or there was a domestic and his girlfriend ripped off all his hair for infidelity or similar.

Anyway, Na and Roy are coming over next Friday, and there's going to be skiing, eating, drinking, bingeing, shopping, vegging, farmers' markets and Wicked! Woohooo!

Also, the bloody 3G iPhone will finally be released here on 11 July. Hmm... should I get it?

I really want a bak chang now.