Wednesday, January 30, 2008

So i was cleaning out the drawers of my bedside table today when i came across a notebook i haven't seen in a while. Just a random fact...my drawers are filled with little notebooks which i write in every now and then. A person who thinks too much for her own good needs somewhere to spill her thoughts =) So i opened up this particular notebook and found myself staring at a 3 A4 page long entry i had written dated 17/9/06. I obviously had a lot of time on my hands but sadly i actually love writing when it's not in the form of a school essay. But anyway...i found myself quite intrigued by the things i had written just over a year ago, talking about my plans for the future. It's funny how a year later, my dreams for the future haven't changed much at all. I wont type out all three pages of stuff but sometimes i amaze myself how clearly i can communicate my thoughts through pen on paper:
"Through the years, I have discovered that through worship I connect with my Lord and Saviour at the deepest, most intimate level. It is through music that I feel God's heartbeat. Through music, I hear God's voice, I feel God's presence and I communicate with God my deepest desires, my deepest hurts, my greatest joys...I long for the day where in heaven 'all I'll do is forever worship You'..."
I have found my escape in singing. It sounds a bit strange but i think singing was what kept me sane through year 12. Every morning before i walked through the front door to go to school, i would sit at the piano for 15 minutes and sing anything that came to mind and it kept me focused for the rest of the day.
I know I haven't even started uni yet and it seems ridiculous that i'm thinking so far ahead but the other day, with nothing better to do and procrastinating, i looked up the bible colleges in Sydney and i was so excited to find there are so many bible colleges in Sydney which actually focus on just arts including: School of Creative Arts run by Christian City Church, Wesley Institute for Ministry and the Arts (which i am particularly interested in) and Hillsongs Bible College. But i also realised that it'll take me 2-3 years of full time study to get a diploma in worship ministry which i doubt I can afford which means I'll have to find time to work as well, which means I can't study full time. I also realised that if i want a theological degree (because ministry without a solid biblical foundation isn't wise) means I'll be studying for very very long time. *sigh* It'll be interesting to see how i manage to juggle work/study/ministry in 10 years time but i'll worry about that when i actually get there.
Yeps...i definitely think too much for my own good.
For now...i'm just excited about starting uni life!! :D
isn't she pretty? :D Now you see why jap tourists are constantly being seen taking photos of the place. i am soo sure the only reason sydney is facing water restrictions is because they use all their water to keep the lawns at usyd green as green can be.
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

So I was in Sydney yesterday, just for the day (left at 6:15 in the morning and came back at 10:15 at night) to get my uni enrollment done. SO now i'm officially a University of Sydney student =). I somehow managed to navigate my way from the airport to uni and back without getting lost, so i'm quite pleased with myself. Thank God for street signs and sydney's awesome public transport system (which i'm sure i wont be praising in a few months time) but anyhow I'm glad everything went so smoothly. My parents were so convinced the night before that i was going to get lost there and i wont be able to find my way back to melbourne.

Enrollment..i'm somewhat ashamed to say..was quite exciting. Although it's kind of a shame coz i didn't get to meet many other first year pharm people there coz students from other courses were there as well. Although all the pharm people that i did meet were asian and mostly chicks as i had expected. I eaves dropped on this parent saying to another parent: "my husband is a pharmacist, my son does pharmacy, my daughter does pharmacy.." and i thought i was passionate about pharmacy. I think i have acquired a soft spot for Sydney uni. It seems like a really nice place to hang out and it's soooo preeetttyyyy =) I joined student union (USU) only because you get 15% off food/drinks/stationary on campus and certain things outside of campus and you get entry into all these social events. Basically, it's like..if you don't join...you wont have a social life. I have a bad feeling i'm not going to get as much of a social life as i had expected...I'm still coming to terms with the fact that my uni hours will be worse than that of school's =( but oh well..i'm determined to make this year a fun filled year. I wish i had the motivation to HD all my subjects..but let's face it..there's so much more to uni life than just study. I have those little voices of our predecessors ringing at the back of my head: "it's all about finding the balance between work and play"
*CAUTION* this may be a bit emo
So I have a little bit less than a month before i leave for greener pastures as Mr Mark would say. Actually, I think it's something like 3 weeks now. I'm soo excited and i really can't wait to have my feet permanently on sydney soil. More and more, I'm getting asked the question, "why are you going to sydney?" Most of the time I simply reply with "oh..coz my whole family is going up and it'll be a good experience." Truth of the matter is, there really is a lot more to it and though it's hard for people to understand, I know that those closest to me do and i guess that's the most important thing. To be honest..it's hard to answer the question and leave God out of it. I have always had a soft spot for Sydney and moving to Sydney is not some idea i just spontaneously came up with over night. It's something i have been praying about for around 5-6 years now. Basically it all comes down to 2 things...

1. I think I have mentioned it before but my plans for the future extend so much further than just studying pharm at uni. Serving God through ministry is what I'm passionate about more than anything. In recent years it has become clearer and clearer to me that God is calling me to Sydney. Doors have opened and doors have closed leading me to this conclusion. To be honest I don't really know why I'm going to sydney myself. I have no idea what God has install for me in the future but it's all about surrender..stepping out in faith and answering the call of God with a certainty in your heart that He knows best...BIG lessons I have been taught and it hasn't been easy but I have the peace and assurance I need that I am doing the right thing and that is really all I need. I know that if Sydney is where God wants me to be, he will take care of all my needs. Though i sound so sure now, I'll be honest in saying it really hasn't always been like this. So often in the past I have tried to ignore the call of God because I am so comfortable here but one thing I have learnt is that when God calls you to do something/go somewhere...it will happen and even my own selfish desires can't fight it.

2. I've been here in Melbourne for 13 years now. I've never had to change school, I have been going to the same church and grown up with the same people since school started. Let's just say..it's time to step out of my comfort zone..meet new people, live in a slightly different environment go to a different church and see for myself what is out there. People have described me as naive/innocent/ignorant perhaps of what is out there..I probably wouldn't agree with any of it but I do know I have lived a sheltered life and at times I feel quite trapped. It's time to experience new things. It really is about turning over a new leaf and starting a new chapter of my life. Though there are things I want to leave behind when I go, I'm certainly not running away. I have made a promise to myself that when i move to Sydney in three weeks time..i want nothing holding me back here in Melbourne and all loose ends are going to be tied. I want to start a chapter with no regrets..just anticipating what is ahead and no longer looking back at the past. I'll take the memories I want to take along with me and the rest I'm determined to leave behind. I'm looking forward to a new start.

So there you have it, well a lot of it anyway..just in case you were curious. I don't really know who reads this. For all I know..i'm probably communicating to a brick wall but i appreciate the support of my friends more than anything. As sweet as it is and as much as I know you mean it..."Don't go..we're going to miss you" only makes things hard for me especially when I'm still going to be seeing you guys around the next few weeks. You guys here are THE reason I have been so reluctant to go and the reason behind the many tears I have shed over leaving (you really have no idea). I know there are going to be many more tears shed with you guys over the next few weeks but hopefully my last few weeks living in Melbourne will also be weeks I'll cherish forever. I am going to miss you guys sooo much and I know this year isn't going to be easy and I'll probably be very homesick for a while but I take comfort in the fact that Sydney isnt very far away and with technology hopefully my friendship with you guys will continue on for a long time to come (hopefully Jetstar and Virgin Blue will continue to fight it out over who has the lowest prices so I can come down and see you all more often and you guys can come up and visit)

Anyway..it's too early for a proper goodbye/thank you speech. So i guess all i have to say is..see you guys around and hope to spend as much time as i can with you guys over the next few weeks =)
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Thursday, January 17, 2008

I finally went to the Australian Open!! It's quite sad...I've been in Melbourne for 13 years now and even though I am at times a mad tennis fan, till now I had never actually managed to drag myself to the Open. It's only when I realised i have only a month left here that i decided i should go.

The morning started way too early for my liking. I wanted to meet in the city at 10 but Greg (i don't think he reads this so i have the freedom to say wateva i want muahahaha) came up with this brilliant plan to meet at 9:30 so we'll be at Melbourne Park with our tickets nice and early. So there I was in the city at 9:30 when Greg messages me twice....first time saying: "i'm going to be late" and then a few seconds later i get another message from him saying, "i should emphasise this..i'm going to be quite late." Turns out he hadn't left the station at Ivanhoe and he arrived one hour late. The boy is never going to get a gf.

Anyway, we scurried off and joined the very long line of people queuing up for tickets. (at least we hoped we were lining up for tickets..the queue was so long we weren't quite sure whether we were actually in the right line) Being the cheap people we are, we didnt want to pay the extra $10-$20 for Vodafone/Rod Laver Arena tickets and got the ground pass instead.

When we finally arrived at Melbourne Park we met up with the rest of the gang (John, Devrim and Tommy) I think all of us were first timers to the Open and none of us had any clue where we were going and for quite a while..we forgot there were such things called 'signs' around to guide ppl where to go. Tommy, John and Devrim couldn't sit still! and we were going from court to court watching 5 minutes of random games but we did see Justine Henin, the world number 1 practising on a court with her little entourage of ppl (her coach and a couple of random guys) which i thought was pretty cool but Greg really wanted to see a proper game. Finally Bas arrived (so glad she came or it would have been quite boring) and the three of us (greg, Bas and I) decided to go hunting for proper tennis matches to watch. Mind you...if you EVER go to the aus open..make sure you're smarter than us and bring your own food. We paid $8.50 for what i thought would be a decent sized pizza...little did we know it was bout 4 mouth fulls worth. grrrr Anyway..after lining up for 45 minutes to get into show court 2(if you think that's long..others lined up 2 hours and didn't get a seat)..we ended up watching Nardia Patrova play(seeded 13 or something around there) which was quite exciting 7-5, 7-5 and the highlight of the day would have definitely been watching the Williams sisters play doubles against 2 puny Australian chicks. Far out..Serena and Venus are manly...but they're no doubt very very strong players. My face started to resemble the colour of beetroot (despite the sun screen) due to the sun constantly shining on our faces and so I decided to leave early (plus it was 6 and i hadn't had proper lunch) and ditch the Gonzalis match which heard later was rather exciting but oh well. Few photos:

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Saturday, January 12, 2008

Heyy guys!

Sorry for not blogging. I have an excuse this time! I've just come back from 9 days of holidaying in Tasi. Got home at midnight last night after the plane was delayed 2 hours...grrr at Jetstar.

Now i know the first word that springs to mind when i mention Tasi..."hole" and i must say I was no different before i went and now i'm back...my impression hasn't changed very much :p hahaha nah..although i wasn't one bit keen on going to tasmania I must i say, I'm glad i went. Haven't had such a relaxing break for as long as i can remember and Tasmania is really beautiful. Like..reeallyyy reallyyy beautiful. There were times where i just sat on a rock or lay on the sand and just marveled at the splendour of God's creation, something i rarely do in the "concrete forests"(as Tasmanians would say) of Melbourne. I must admit though, after a while you become desensitised to the beauty of nature and now i am very very sick forests, beaches and waterfalls. Talking about concrete forests, that's how Tasmanians describe Melbourne because they have NO tall buildings in the whole of tasi what-so-ever. There i was..half expecting Hobart to stand out from it's mountainous backdrop..but it doesn't. They have no sky scrapers..nothing..i felt like i was in Bendigo or something :p. Something i found really hilarious when i was there was how Tasmanians considered any 30 degree day as "boiling hot". You see, temperatures in the 30s are a rarity in tasi and once temps reach 30 the fire danger is placed as 'extreme' across the state. If only these ppl experienced the roasting summers of Melbourne...

Anyway, my first day in Tasmania:
little did i know...this was just the beginning of what was going to be a very much..water and tree filled experience.

You know you're in Tasmania when one of these come cruising by the harbour. Unfortunately, we opted for air travel coz the thought of being sea sick for 10 hours wasn't all that appealing.

Footprints in the Sand!! As you may/may not know...I am in love with the poem Footprints in The Sand and have been for a very very long time. I carry the words around with me everywhere I go..LITERALLY. I have a gold cross which i wear around my neck and it actually has an excerpt of the poem engraved on the back =) Anyway, being pris, i simply HAD to take this photo =)
Told you tasi was prettyyy!! I refuse to show you a close up photo or you'll roll on the floor laughing at my hair. It was reeeallyyy reeeallyyy windy and strong wind is like a girls worst nightmare :p

Oh...in the 9 days i was there..i think i saw...hrmmm..


one waterfall...(those 2 photos are of the same one)...by the way that photo above was taken as a joke..i swear
two waterfalls...

three waterfalls...

in total i saw like..4 waterfalls..so no more waterfalls for me for the next year or two .

And when i wasn't somewhere in the middle of the forest like so:
i was at the beach enjoying the sunshine. By the way..Tasmania's little secret..they actually have some of the best beaches in the world! i kid you not. Unfortunately the weather doesn't really compliment it as well as it does in Sydney, Queensland or Perth.
(that's a blow hole by the way..it gives you a free shower..the natural way. And shuttup about the hair!)

Do not be deceived. The water may look crystal clear and the sand may be soft and white but get in and you'll soon realise the water is FREEZING...not that it stopped me from swimming anyway =) how could you resist such inviting waters?

We took this 6 hour cruise...yes 6 hours. It wasn't that bad...we went on this tour of some island and we got this really hot/funny tour guide so i wasn't complaining =) oo and there was a buffet on board for dinner and being the asian that i am...i piled my plate with as much salmon as i possibly could despite the fact i really am not a big fan of salmon..but it had to be done for the sake of value for money.

2 hours later...

It seems like racism exists throughout the animal/bird kingdom. That poor black duck was ALWAYS left behind =(

I shall end my blog by leaving you drooling :D for all you chocolate lovers out there *cough*xinni*cough*...i went to the cadbury factory...and it is seriously a chocolate lovers heaven. I have no photos from within the factory itself coz we weren't allowed to take in a camera but there was literally thousands and thousands of freddo frogs and what not moving along conveyor belts waiting to go into this machine which wraps them. Plus there are these pipes everywhere with chocolate flowing through them. I'm not kidding! apparently last month one of the pipes sprung a leak and there was cadbury chocolate flowing all over the floor...wish the pipes could have sprung a leak while i was there. But just to make you drool here's the chocolate shop..well one part of it..by the way the chocolate sold at cadbury factoryis almost half the price you pay at stores in melbourne. Any cadbury chocolate you by in tasmania is quite cheap in general:

yep...all things Cadbury :D Just to give you some statistics, the average aussie eats 5.5kgs of chocolate a year which isnt very much at all compared to (be surprised) Ireland which apparently is the country which consumes the most chocolate a year averaging 11kgs per person. So looks like Australia has to start pulling their weight in terms of our chocolate consumption..that wasn't directed at you xinni..

alright, that's enough blogging for the day. Hope i left you drooling. I am so glad i'm back to civilisation but don't get me wrong, tasmania was awesome =) Put me there for another week however and i think you'll find me dead. It's not the best place to live..let's put it that way.
btw..i have just been kindly informed that i have 720 hours left in melbourne with you guys :p
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