LDRs suck.

Life is sweet enough as it is. But life is even sweeter when you're around!



Exactly four weeks till Eddie's back. Goddamn it seems like an eternity.

Bargain clicks!

Trust Lucia to scout out these super deals as always. I swear the girl has at least 20 of these links listed under 'Favourites' that she religiously clicks on every day!

But yes, thanks to Lucia's generousity in sharing the news, I managed to buy 2 of these movie tickets for $3 EACH on [www.grabone.com.au] :D



EDDIE ZHANG WE IS GOINGS TO WATCH MUUU-VEEEE WHEN U IS COMES BACK :D

I also managed to nab this amazing deal at [www.spreets.com.au]. $400+ worth of beauty treatments for $89 ONLY!!



Aaaahh I can't wait to book myself in for an indulgent session of pampering! I shall save it for when I'm having a super stressful week or something :D

Last time Lucia managed to get coupons on [www.scoopon.com.au] the four of us had enjoyed a magnificent exotic three-course meal at Tukka (website here) for only $35 per person!



Go check out these websites NAO, they feature a different deal every day so be sure to check daily and you just might be able to grab yourself a bargain :) Now thank me for sharing! Happy shopping!

♥

Brown sugar

Feel-good tunes I can't get outta my head...



How gorgeous is Rihanna in this clip???



And Usher OMG. This guy cannot get any HOTTER.

Feeling spring-y and... itchy

Managed to pry myself away from the computer and force myself to go out for a healthy long walk along the river in the evening. The weather was so gorgeous it'd be a crime to stay home and gorge on junk-food like I usually do!

Had brought my phone along so here are some photos..



Spring is my favourite time of the year because that's when the jacarandas bloom and there are plenty of random pretty bursts of purple everywhere in Brisbane.



The newly upgraded bike/pedestrian way is pretty awesome as pedestrians no longer have to dodge scary cyclists... or is it the other way round? heh.

Fallen jacarandas scattered on the ground.



Soon the streets will be blanketed with purple, after a few more spring showers! ♥



It was a nice leisurely 4km stroll, except that...

I had given myself a haircut earlier on (trimmed my fringe a bit).



Now normally this wouldn't have been a problem had I dusted myself off properly, but because I obviously HADN'T, some bits of hair were still stuck on my chest and kept poking me under my bra as I walked.

I was squirming like a worm all the way and fervently hoping that nobody had seen me. It pretty much took all my will-power to stop myself from stuffing my hand down my shirt and relieving myself from the horrendous prickles with a good scratch! I was SO HAPPY when I finally got home...

Anyway, enough of itchy bossoms. I'll leave you with another photo taken with my phone camera, when Yvonne and I went to watch the boys play in the AUG tournament at Greenslopes on Sunday

:)



Long live blue skies, sunshine and cotton-candy clouds.

Pxrbwgtqfzktpmt

"A dentist is someone who puts metal in your mouth and takes coins out of your pocket."

- The Devil's Dictionary

I'm sorry I'm sure you're all tired of me whinging about the cost of seeing the dentist already... but it IS so very expensive to have healthy teeth here in Australia! O.O

At least I'm having a nice lunch before my appointment :)



Bubble tea and sushi (fresh salmon/avocado + sweet chilli prawn/peach/cream cheese) from my favourite sushi spot next to Queens Plaza.

OKGTGKTHXBAI.

Birthday shoutout

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a girl who is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, and who has been a continuous source of positive energy and inspiration to those who are lucky enough to know her.



Despite getting to know each other by a very uhh.. unusual way *winks*, I am very blessed indeed to be able to call this babe a friend.

It's spring in Brisbane so I thought I'd pick some birthday flowers from our garden for you :) and I want to say that the world would definitely be a less colourful place without you!



So have a fantabulous birthday, and hope u get spoilt rotten on your special day. ♥

Hello Sunshine!

The girlfriend and I, on a spontaneous whim, decided to go on a road trip to the Sunshine Coast.

We went to the Eunmundi art and crafts markets. It's been a while since I've been there, and I love this vibrant multicultural market with all its diversity and character. It's one of those lovely places where you can fully indulge your five senses- There's so much to see, hear, taste, smell and feel!

Unfortunately this is the only photo I've got from the markets...



... because I was too busy having both hands full with food the rest of the time!

We chomped down German sausage, gourmet calamari (pic), mango & macadamia muffin, sample shots of banana smoothie, kettle corn, homemade lemonade, gingerbeer, curried macadamias...

After spending a fair bit of moolah, we picked a random beach on the refidex, tapped it into the GPS and found ourselves at...



Beautiful Maroochydore Beach @ Cotton Tree :)

Brought my new book along!



Had a swell time baking in the sun and then trying to catch (with no success) what looked like little baby shovelnoses swimming around my feet in the cool, crystal clear water.

Summer is finally here! :D

Principal's Breakfast

How many school principals you know...



... are willing to don an apron and cook a free yummy BBQ breakfast of bacon, eggs and sausage for his hungry hungover students? :)



Langports. Best school in Brisbane!

Life is peachy

Walked past Oscar Oscar @ Indooroopilly and saw a sign promoting their Spring Stylecut Package, so I decided to spoil myself a bit since I was due for a haircut anyway.

I was lucky to be able to be slot in without making an appointment. My hairdresser was Bianca, and after being pampered with some hot herbal tea + a neck/shoulder massage + shampoo & treatment + cut, I walked out of the salon with the hair of a goddess, smelling like Aveda and feeling like a million dollars. So THIS is what you get when you pay shitloads for a haircut at a swanky salon!

Wow.



I want my hair to look like this forever, can?? T_T

Now indulging in grapes + blue brie on fig & grain crackers, while sipping on a hot cuppa Rooibos tea. Mmm.

And decadent Darrel Lea liquor chocolates waiting to be indulged in!

I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate, alcohol or fruit, but somehow when the three combine...

Gosh I really should stop rambling and get some marking done.

Friday tomorrow, YAY!!!

FTS

I cannot fucking wait to move out.

Hear hear

What's in my wallet

Just because I've got the urge to blog about something totally irrelavant to anything else. Also because I like to kepoh what's in other people's bags/wallets so I'm sure you do too ;)

Let me introduce you to my Mimco wallet. It is old dirty and smelly, but I love it to bits.



I love the studs and emerald rhinestones (Emerald is my birthstone, by the way!) embedded in the leather (although the green is now almost black). I especially *heart* the little pewter fairy hanging by the inside zipper, a much loved birthday gift from Aaron and Michelle 5 years ago ♥

Inside..



Lots of cards. I don't know why I still have so many, I've already cleared out the ones I don't use!



Malaysian IC/drivers license, blood type certification card, Priceline, Starbucks, Jurlique, Boost Juice, Flybuys and Starbucks cards, and at the bottom: bank card, credit card, Queensland Teacher Registration card, Medicare and *ahem* my NEW QUEENSLAND DRIVERS LICENSE :D :D :D

And what's a wallet with no cash? ^^



Actually I've only got so much cash in my wallet at the moment because I've just sold my Nike blades *sob*

More junk..



Malaysian ringgit (from trip in July, god knows why I havent taken them out yet), old Starbucks receipt, ortho card + loyalty card for Temomin, my favourite Shiatsu spot.

I also bring all these photos with me everywhere I go!



Photos that never fail to make me smile :)

Finally, Eddie's old and new business cards + my dad's old business card when he was working in Beijing.

Oh bugger I just realized I forgot to take photos of one more thing in my wallet- Coins. But meh, everyone knows what coins look like, right?

. . .

OK fine. I'm blogging rubbish cos I'm trying to distract myself from those patent black Miu Miu pumps I almost bought.

:(

Never in my life...

have I thought I'd ever pay AU$25.50 for a plate of fried rice.

(That's 75 FREAKIN RINGGIT for those of you reading this from home!!)

But being a little sick of angmoh food as well as of dining at Milano's (especially after my disappointingly overcooked rib eye fillet last Friday) and having a hankering for something that appealed more to my Asian tastebuds, I went for the Balinese Nasi Goreng on the menu after seating ourselves down at Jimmy's on The Mall. (Eddie opted for the classic fish n'chips.)

Ordering nasi goreng in an angmoh café-styled restaurant in an angmoh country, I definitely didn't have very high expectations of the dish.



But I was in for a surprising treat.

The dish came in a generous portion and was chock-full of flavour and colours (which is how I like my food to be- I must. have. colours. in my food!). They were extremely generous with the good stuff to the point where there was almost more 料 than rice, a nice difference from the fried rice you get in restaurants/kopitiams back home which tend to skimp on the ingredients. Every greasy mouthful was a delightful burst of flavours accented with bits of chicken and lots of shrimp and veggies, and the fried egg that accompanied the rice was sunny-sided-up to perfection with the yolk slightly gooey.

In addition (probably in the attempt to please the angmoh palate), they had thoughtfully placed the cili potong on the side rather than heap it on top of the rice, which was great for me as I don't really take spicy food.

I wolfed down every bit of my rice, licked the plate clean, and wished there were more.

Who would've thought the most satisfying fried rice I've ever had would be in Australia? :)

Wishlist

Update: Forgot to say, 中秋节快乐!! :))

Today, I took a day off to go to the ortho + dentists to have my records taken, and parted with a whopping $405.

O.o

The thought of the amount of $$$ I have to fork out once they actually start fixing my teeth looks like it's gonna be more painful than the procedure itself. How the fuck do poor people here afford to have healthy teeth when dentists charge so much???

Which got me thinking next... wouldn't it be awesome if $10,000 just fell from the sky?

Because these are the things I'd use the money for right away:


1. Get my car serviced. [$500-$600]



Ekoko-chan is due for her 90k service, which is a major (=expensive) one!


2. Pay for comprehensive car insurance [$591]



Mine has already been expired for more than a month fml.


3. LV Totally MM [$1210] + Map Bandeau in Cassis [$180]



I've been lusting after this work bag for the longest time cos it's practical and lightweight and really comfy! However the side pockets bug me a little because they make me think of a diaper bag, and I've been thinking of how I could 'decorate' the bag with a charm or something to make it less diaper-baggish. When I saw this photo of someone else's Totally on tPF today, I was sold. Bag + bandeau, match made in heaven!


4. At least three skin specialist appointments [$550]



I've been putting this off for too long. Disgusting blumps (bumpy lumps) under my skin have recently and mysteriously started to get inflamed into humongous, painful boils on my arms and back. =S


5. New waterproof/shockproof camera [$500]



My current compact camera is DYING (probably partially due to me being such a klutz), and I've been relying on my phone camera these days. Although I love my DSLR, it's just not as convenient to bring around.. especially not when kayaking or going to the beach!


6. Vintage classic Chanel (current bid is [$716] on eBay)



... because I'm a slut for handbags. Especially designer ones with history. 4 more days till the auction closes and it goes to some lucky lady! *tears hair*


7. Braces [$7000]



Don't ask me why so expensive..


8. Eddie's birthday suprise [$XXX]



Cannot say what lah, cos he reads my blog hehe.


Actually, looking back at this list it looks like I'd need more than $10k. Sigh. Can money please grow on trees? :(

Friday, finally!

*edited*

These two weeks have been awfully stressful for me. I've been so physically and mentally exhausted to the point where I almost cried in class (but I pretended to be busy cleaning the whiteboard so nobody could see me furiously blinking back those tears) so I'm really glad the weekend is finally here!

Had a fun girly futsal session at West End on Tuesday which did make me feel a bit better; nevermind that I twisted my ankle again.. it was worth it.



Had to say goodbye to five students this week :(


(thanks for the photo, Judy!)

One of them was a student from Switzerland, who gave me a thoughtful little "thank-you" gift- A SwissCard (kinda like a swiss army knife in the form of a card. It's the coolest thing! /geeky) wrapped in a picture of the alps near where he lives, and a tourist information booklet of his hometown of St. Gallen, filled with beautiful pictures and travel information. It made me want to hop on a plane to Switzerland right there and then.



It seems a little odd to call Roland "my student" when he's the same age as my dad. He also has the same good nature, positive outlook and sense of humour, so naturally I have grown quite fond of him during his seven weeks in my class.

He proudly tells me about his family in Switzerland- of his grown-up children, his wife, and his daughter my age who was recently in Singapore leading a team in the Youth Olympic Games. He could not contain his excitement the last two days in class because his wife had gotten on the plane and was on her way to Brisbane- He had not seen her for 11 weeks and could not wait to pick her up from the airport.



Roland is one person who has truly inspired me with his determination to live life to the fullest. Love, live and learn, he says. "If someone my age can learn English, anything is possible." :)

I really look forward to seeing him again and meeting his family one day, in beautiful St. Gallen!

Anyway, had a nice dinner @ Milano's after work with Cakes and a happily tipsy chatty Eddie...



Followed by Starbucks ♥



It was lovely just chilling out with two people I love, after a long loooong week.

If only there were more days in a weekend!

More random photos on Facebook [ here ].

Footwear fashionista... not?

5 of the World's Ugliest Shoes

Do a quick search on the internet and these will definitely come up. And in response to articles like [ this ]...

1. Ugg boots



I has them.



In fact, I has TWO! (had a black pair too but chucked 'em cos they're too worn out).



I cannot live without my Uggs in winter because my feet get freakin cold easily. These babies keep my tootsies deliciously warm and cozy! They can look kinda cute too when worn with shorts or tights.

2. Crocs



I has them.

Both in the Classic and Santa Cruz.



My Santa Cruz loafers are soooo comfy and versatile. These shoes have been with me everywhere- from the muddy mosh pits of Tiësto to the hawker stalls of Clementi in Singapore. They are dirty and smelly and frayed, but I love 'em to death. Definitely one of my favourite pairs of shoes! Usually nobody even realizes they're Crocs.



Now the rubber clogs, on the other hand, are used only and STRICTLY for limited/specific purposes-



1. Gardening
2. Taking the trash out
3. Family bonfires
4. Fishing in the summer
5. Going to KFC/Mc Donald's (drive-thru only)
6. Driving to/home from futsal sessions, when I'm too lazy to wrestle my tight socks off

I cringe whenever I see a well-dressed girl in a shopping mall with her feet adorned in hideously chunky pink clogs.

Love those silly little Croc buttons tho (Jibbitz, I think they're called). Mr. Crab is my favourite :)

3. Jellies



I has them.



And no I do not think my Kate Spade jelly slings are anywhere near "UGLY". They're lovely and pretty and can be perfectly dressed up or down. I sometimes wear them to work in the summer, or pair them up with cute shorts or a skirt for going out.




4. Gladiators



I has them.



Great for when the weather's too hot for boots, or when I need something edgier to spice up an otherwise boring too-girly outfit.


5. Birkenstocks



I has them.



In terms of chio-ness, mine are a bit boring (I always buy my stuff in boring colours cos I like to be able to mix n'match them with everything else) but I've seen some of my friends rock Birks in different styles and patterns and colours, and they pull em off perfectly!



I honestly don't think they look too bad at all. Plus in terms of comfort, these cannot be compared to the many pairs of Havaiianas I own that look good but hurt my feet when I walk in them for too long because of the lack of arch support.

*****

Point of this post?

I love shoes...



But I believe that comfortable footwear should never be compromised. Yes comfy shoes are generally uglier shoes, but this doesn't mean they should be completely banned from the face of the earth.

Let the "fashion gurus" scorn and scoff. Who gave them the right to? Why do we listen to them in the first place? I believe that if you choose styles and colours that are versatile, pair them up with the right outfits and wear them on appropriate occasions (no Uggs at a job interview, please), you could make any type of footwear work for you.

So save those heels for a special occasion, give your feet a break and slip into something comfy! Happy feet make for happy people :)