The Magic Number 8

Going to the Philliphines in 8 days. The holiday I've been looking forward to for a looooooooooooong time. Will spend four and a half days there and have a wedding in between. One of my best buds is getting married, something she's been looking forward to for a looooooooooong time. That reminds me, I have to write a speech.. help oh help me.. hope I'll be sober enough to do it. So yes, we're gonna have fun!

It'll be my first visit to the Philliphines. Never been there and never thought of going there for a holiday cos I thought it stinks. Apparently there are a lot of beautiful beaches there. Something like this.

Too bad I won't have time to go to any since they are not in the same island as Manila (oh yes, I just found out a few days ago that Luzon has nothing to offer to tourists… like me hehehe). A bit disappointed but Jovy promised to take me to the beach I want to go to in December... if I go with her *fingers crossed*.

So, so far, my Philipphines must see (and probably bring home) is this
How cute is that monsterlike animal.. it's known as tarsier, the smallest mammal in the world (maybe, cos they're bloody 15 cm tall)! They can rotate their heads 180 degrees (not so cute). I'm gonna take one and smuggle it home. Although I'm afraid I'll lose it. Something smaller than 50x50x50 cm gets lost pretty easily in my room.

Can't wait! Can't wait!

ps: stolen photos from Apple's blog :)

7 Year Itch

a. Billy Wilder's classic comedy starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell.

b. The inclination to become unfaithful after seven years of marriage.

c. A bacterial skin disease, which is extremely itchy and aggravating. It can last for a short length or a very long stretch of time such as seven years.

d. The urge to fly home and start a life there after 7 years in Melbourne.

Sadly (not really), d is the one I'm having.

Lately I've been contemplating the idea of going home for good. Seven years is a long time. If it was a human, that human will already be doing homeworks and maybe bully some friends at school. If it was a dog, it might have gone through half of its life and have only half left. If it was a cat, maybe it has 2 more lives to spare (cats have 9 lives and in this case it depreciates in a flat-line manner, i.e. 1 life a year).

In my 7 years in Melbourne:
- I've had an undegrad degree in IS
- I've had a postgrad degree in accounting
- I've lived in 3 suburbs (legally) 4 suburbs (illegally), 2 apartments, 1 studio, 1 flat, 1 house, 6 housemates, 1 pet
- I've worked at 1 restaurant, 1 clothing company, 1 insurance broking company and am working at a hospital
- I've made friends and am lucky enough to still be friends with the first people I met here
- I've met my first love (awwww...) and had my heart broken by him (boohoo..)
- I've gone through episodes of laughter and tears
- I've learnt to take care of myself (or tell people to take care of me)
- I've grown (but not fully.. they are still growing *fingers crossed* hehe.. for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about.. you're missing out, dude!)

I've never intended to live here forever but I've never known when I want to leave or what I'm looking for here either. At the start of last year my relatives started to throw questions about it. Took an easy way out by saying in 2 years and smiled away. They didn't know that it could be 2 years from 2006 or 2009...

I guess I'll have to contemplate more and... hopefully will get something that can end the contemplation.

Hello Holga

Let me show you what I've been looking at on the internet lately (no, it's not porn!)
VOILA! That baby's on its way to my mailbox. My new thing for cheap fun.

Made my way to the Federation Square last weekend, with only one thought in my head - "GET AN ACTIONSAMPLER!". So there I was, staring at a glass cupboard filled with an array of lomo cameras unable to make up my mind. Each of the cameras has its own functions which others don't have and I couldn't decide which one I want the most.. cos I want all.. Boohooo..

Lucky there was this shop assistant who told me all I needed to know about lomos (not really). Well, it was enough to make me cancel my original intention. She recommended me to get a Holga, which they didn't have in stock at the moment (she said they sell so quickly). It has add-ons for most of the features. So I went home and did exactly what she said. I bought myself a holga on ebay. YAY! I hope it comes before I fly home.

Found a website of a lomo shop in Sydney - definitely a must go! According to the website, the rules of Lomography are:
1. Take your lomo with you wherever you go
2. Use it all the time, at any time - day and night
3. Lomography does not interfere with your life, it's a part of it
4. Get as close as possible to the objects of your lomographic desire
5. Don't think
6. Be fast
7. You don't have to know what's going to be captured on your film beforehand
8. You don't have to know what's on the film afterwards either
9. Shoot from the hip
10. Don't worry about the rules

I think I can stick to the rules. Hurry come to momma, Holgaaaaa...

Gelombang mikro

The thing about microwaves is.. I don't know how to use them properly. I once heated up food wrapped in aluminium foil on a plate. As a result, there were some tiny lightning bolt actions.. just like in the movies before the boy disappeared into the future (hmm..) It was pretty cool, but I panicked like crazy. Lucky it was nothing.. but there's a tiny metal dot on the plate now.

I also never remove any cutleries I have on my plate before heating up the food. Once my friend saw it and she wondered how my microwave hasn't exploded yet. So I stopped doing that (if I remember, although I don't believe that it's NOT ok heating up your fork or whatever.. It's proven! I've used microwaves for 6 years and it's been ok all along)

Anyway, just now I heat up my lunch, which was in a container. I didn't bother to remove the lid. Now.. the lid has shrunk. It doesn't fit anymore... WHY WHY WHY? WHY has the lid shrunk but the container hasn't? It's so not fair!

Well, at least now I know why people always leave the lid on top of the microwave and then heat up their food.

If only I have known sooner...

Trouble Sleeping

It's late and I'm feeling so tired
Having trouble sleeping
This constant compromise
Between thinking and breathing

Could it be I'm suffering
Because I'll never give in
Won't say that I'm falling in love
Tell me I don't see myself
Couldn't I blame something else
Don't say I'm falling in love

Some kind of therapy
Is all I need
Please believe me
Some instant remedy
That can cure me completely

Cause I've been there before
It's not enough So nobody say it
Don't even say it
I got my eyes shut
Whoah, no Whoah, no, no, no

Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love
Don't say that I'm falling in love

-Corinne Bailey Rae