End of 2010

I can't wait for 2010 to end. 

Not that it will alleviate the mess thats happened at work - the crazy series of events that's left me stressed and tired all the past few weeks. :(

2011 brings the promise of new and wonderful things which I'm hoping will just clear my head of work stuff. 

Perhaps the two weeks holiday beginning New Years Day will do.

Stress - get out of my head and get into my belly (when I start eating heaps in Hong Kong)!!

Bye Mazda. Zoom Zoomed.

I'm selling my car.

My Mazda baby.
The Mazda is the second car I've ever owned and I've been very happy with her (unlike the horrible Chrysler).

I've had so many good memories with the Mazda and I'm very glad I had the oppurtunity to zoom zoom around in her.

Mazda Defensive Driving Course

I do feel a tad guilty selling her (it feels like I'm betraying the good memories) but it needs to be done.

Definitely some of my happiest memories are with the Mazda.  I took Anh on our first date on the Mazda.

Anh and I, on our way skydiving.

And we've had lots of deep and meaningful convo's whilst cruisin' around in the 3.  We've gone to many places (and plenty of drive-thrus).

I remember sticking hearts on the windows of the Mazda on our first valentines date.

I've also driven my family and friends in the 3.

I remember one special night when a cup of KFC gravy poured out of the bag into the passenger seat and floor.

For days my car smelt like KFC Gravy.

It was heaven!

The Mazda Cruise.

The Mazda was my work horse when I built my house.  She carried tiles and paint and buckets and bricks.  

But my car has also seen some bad times.

Like when it was vandalised and scratched.

And then there was the incident when someone did a hit and run.

Most scary was just this year when the plaster board hit my car.  The road was not the only place which had skidmarks when that happened!  Scary stuff.

Bur regardless of all the bad things, I'm most grateful to my car for always bringing me and my passengers there and home safely.

The Mazda got me to Geraldton and back many times.

I hope that the next 95,000 kms my mazda travels will be as memorable as the previous 95k.

Safe drivings Mazda.

Zoom zoom.

End of Spring 2010

No more weddings!!!  HOOOOOoooorrraaaaay!!!!

Well... at least for 2010  :)  More weddings already planned for 2011.


It feels like Anh and I have just been doing wedding things the past few months so were both really glad its over!

Spring Wedding #1

 Spring Wedding #2

 Spring Wedding #3

After our wedding, we attended Tuyen and Than's wedding and then Joe and Yip's wedding last Friday.

But with every wedding comes the honeymoon!!
Yay for honeymoons!

We're planning on heading to Hong Kong and Macau to see the sites and of course - TO GET FAT :P

That is of course, if we find the food places in Hong Kong.

Last time I was there, food was notoriously hard to find.  And going without a translator - this will be challenge!

Maybe I should bring pictures of food hehehe.  Anyone recommend any good places in Hong Kong?

*******

Now I'm not one to be "hatin'" all the time, but I'm already hating the summer heat.  :S

Must be the recent hot spell or maybe I'm just PMSing today, but I just dont' have love for the hot days.
Especially here in Perth when it scorches to around +35C for several weeks straight with a few 40 degree days thrown in just for fun.

I can already see myself cooking in my car or getting sun burnt for hanging laundry.

Yuckers.

I would just rather have spring, autumn and winters. :P Three seasons of joy!

Speaking of Joys - Christmas is just around the corner!!

Despite my confused outlook to Christmas (I was commercialised with white Christmas when I was a kid, but the summer Christmas here in Australia messed me up), Christmas is still a time I enjoy.

Looking forward to having the little nephews run around the house giggling and laughing.

And I wish mom cooks her chicken with white mushroom sauce, that would be so good!

Heights

Wow.

That's pretty all you can say after watching Inception.

I think its to the sheer disbelief on how MIND BOGGLING the experience was.

If you can stay with the story you'd be rewarded to one of cinematic's best finishes - ever.   If you haven't seen it yet, do it.

Most definitely buying this movie to add to my collection.

*********

I'm not liking my lack of blog updates.  :(

This is partly because I haven't been taking that much pictures and I really don't like posting blogs without pictures (its worth 1000 words!!).

Anh's has been steaming ahead with wedding preparation, where I seem to have lost my momentum.  I'm chipping away at various things, but my failure to make one wedding invite would prove that the more delicate stuff is better left with the skilled one.   So rather than doing wedding stuff I'm doing other things like playing games, watching youtube or blogging!  Hehehe  I know Anh secretly hates me for this hehehehe.

Speaking of games. I just finished Mirror's Edge.   And wow, what a ride that was.

Check out the preview to see whats its like (Mario eat your heart out!).

I really enjoyed it.  Partly because I only paid $4 for it, but more so because of the unique style which I liked. The sharp bright colours just burns straight to my brain and I can't help but remember this game everytime I look at the city scape with blue skies.  And its kinda a thinking game - different from the hack and slash or point and shoot sort of games I've been hammering - so it was a welcome change.

You know when people start leaning left and right when their driving in a video game? You get that alot with Mirror 's Edge.  Only its more the leaning forward and back because you're hoping you don't fall after the 10 metre jump to next building's drain pipe.    Hahaha - Many times I found my self scrambling around the keyboard because I'm trying to hold on to something.

Great soundtrack too.

End of 2009

What a year! As I flick through my blog posts, I realise how much has actually happened this year. So many events - big and small. Some felt like they happened ages ago. I can't believe it all just happened this year!

Project completed

Biggest thing to happen to me was getting engaged. Although its been in the 'planning' for a while, it's only when we started looking at wedding stuff did it hit home that it's really happening. Or maybe its when the priest asked us to raise our kids in a Christian fashion did it really hit me. Kid for crying out loud!!! We went from dating to thinking about our future children's school in one week! Crazy stuff!

And weddings were aplenty this year. My brother and my best bud got married. I think we went to a total of five different weddings in 2009.

Its a bit scary this age when everyone is getting married. Next year, apart from our wedding, we've already been invited to four! But I do see a light in the end of this tunnel. We're starting to run out of unmarried friends. Must be Baby Shower season is on its way (Update - my good friend Leslee just posted on facebook that she's going to be a mommy!)

But not all were happy news this year. Biggest surprise for me and our family was the death of my uncle only last month. He was 59 and died of cardiac arrest. Its really sad news and up to now, I sometimes stare into blank space thinking how sad my cousins are that they lost their dad. My dad had to fly back for his brother's funeral and missed our engagement celebration. It was a difficult time and I really missed my dad when he was gone.

Good thing he's back now and celebrated Christmas with us.

Speaking of Christmas, 2009 was an eating extravaganza! Maybe its Masterchef or maybe I've just been reading too many food blogs. Either way, there's been a lot of eating in 2009.

I can't believe this was the year we started the 20 Under $20 Best eats journey. Feels like we've been doing it for a while! We still have a few to do and we intend to finish it. We're already planning to make another list after we finish this :P I intend to start the Ready-Steady Cook nights next year (credit to friends Serena and Kong for their cool dinner ideas).

In terms of entertainment, the Wii and the television (and the fiance and parents) are missing me because I hardly see them anymore. Hehehehe. All thanks to Steam and its easy game downloading system. The best part is I can play with my friends all in the comfort my room naked.

I also finished watching Jumong a few days ago (81 freaking episodes!). This Korean drama was good, but it got really long in the end. The subtitles were really really bad and it made it so hard to watch other shows because I already started this one (once I start something I have to finish it!). I'm looking forward to more regular Korean movie watching in the future. Maybe more Korean-flannel nights :)

2010 has many big big things in store. Weddings, trip to KL, a PS3, maybe new car? who knows. I was even thinking of going back to study (as if!)

Either way, I hope not to be too busy to blog it.

Take care all.

Merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year.

Season Ender - Will the House Builder

Remember that feeling when you finished the final exam for university or high school? 

 

That feeling of relief and satisfaction knowing that you've just completed the climatic finish to a life-chapter that's been years in the making?

 

Well I'm feeling that at the moment. 

 

I'm closing this chapter in my life called 'Will the House Builder'.

 

It started back in 2004, midway into chapter "Will the Bachelor". 

I realised I should be investing more on my future rather than splurging on a car, electronics or drinking my money away.  And to cut a very-long and procrastinated story about life, philosophy and properties, I came to a decision and bought an empty block of land.

 

 The empty block.   Comes with grass.

A couple of years later, I made the conscious decision to build a house.

The not so empty block.  No more grass.

Back then, I don't think I fully understood the work and stress and chaos required of such a project.

 

The questions I faced - Which one? when? colour? what type? size? 

Thousands and hundreds of questions I had to sort out.  And whilst some might be trivial, things get progressively more  stressful when the big dollars start hitting.

 

Perhaps its easier when done with someone.  At least there's someone to consult about the colour of doors and tiles.  

Then after the house construction there is still SOOOOO much work to be done!

My mentor for constructing, my dad.

But if I look back through the rectrospectroscope, I don't think I would want it done any other way. 

I've learnt so much from this.

The importance of planning and making decisions. 

Things to do and not do when painting. 

The dangers of tradespeople. The snake-ness of real estate agents. 

 Turtle Car wax on floor tiles. 

How great parents are. 

The wonders of poly-fila.  

Bunnings the best place on earth.

Importance of good communication.

Why o why did they paint my house orange?! I said beige!

 

And I consider myself blessed and lucky to have had this chance.  I'm so grateful to my family and girlfriend.  

How they laboured with me for days and days and hours on end. 

 

They gave me their short weekends to help me on my little project.  

They worked on stinking hot afternoons, in dust covered rooms, getting high on methylated spirits and blistering their hands on cheap paint rollers.

 

All in exchange for a KFC & Rice dinner and serves of frozen coke.

 

My sister was holidaying from Sydney, and she helped me paint! Aww...  so nice...

From this, I gather they really love me or they SIMPLY JUST LOVE KFC & Rice and frozen coke.