My Thoughts & Feelings

2010-01-07T23:04:00.010+08:00

Finally finished painting the walls and ceilings of the living room as well as the study room during the weekend. Painted the walls with two different shades of whites. Never realised that white colour would come in a variety..in terms of brightness or darkness. The top layer of the wall was painted with pure white colour and quater of the bottom layer of the wall is painted with the colour named 'sound porcelain' based on the sample given in the dulux brochure. Initially dad and i thought the colour was so different from the sample shown..just looked like the pure white colour. Unexpectedly once we started spreading the paint..behold..it turns out well, still slightly different from the sample..bit grey-ish purple but can pretty much see the different shades of white. Not a huge contrast tho. LOL. I reckon white colour matches any other colours.
We were happy with the results, not to forget the amount of effort pumped in.
*Update 11.01.10*

Celebrated mom's birthday on sunday, I always (used to) make mom a birthday card whenever her birthday is approaching. This year, i thought of doing something special for her. Buying a gift for her is not as practical as i thought yet since i havent earn my own pocket money, it would be equally the same using dad's money to buy mom a gift. I wanted to give her something with some effort placed in it. A card was definitely one of it. So i decided to bake her a cake! haha. This would be my first time baking a cake without supervision.

During the weekdays, i took out all of mom's recipe books....cake decor book...browsed through and decided to bake her walnut cake, since she loved all kinds of nuts...plus i recently bought back 2kg of almond & walnuts all the way frm aus..so it was a score! i thought cheesecake was abit of a challenge maybe next time. I planned to decorate the cake as well, Youtube was a help..watched several videos of how cake frosting is done, how to make 7-minute frosting which did not turn out exactly as i expected when i did it..probably because the boiling water in the pot was touching the pyrex bowl on top of the pot itself. Also learned how to make paper cone..those used to draw patterns or flowers when icing is added.

Dad took friday off (this was unexpected) ahaha, part of it was to sort out my unactivated bank acc...and also get some ingredients to bake mom's cake. I have to hide all the ingredients and not making mom suspicious. So it was Sat, got up super early...did the laundry and immedietly prepare all the baking ingredients, tools etc. Everything was going perfectly. I realised my cake batter is more like batter for biscuits. Doesnt really have a smooth creamy texture..like choc cake batter. I thought something was laking. I added the exact amount of ingredients as stated in the cookery book, except reduced 5g of caster sugar. Then as i flipped to the front pg of the book, it says..eggs come in different sizes..in this recipe we used 3 large eggs..additional of 1 egg is recommended if eggs are not large. Darn it. Should hv added 1 extra egg..since i reckon the egg i used is small or medium. I knew the cake was going to be bit dry and just as well it was not a large cake..perfect size. Next, i placed the cake into the oven...in a round tray of course..but supported by grease proof paper made into a round shape cuz the round tray is too big. Baked the walnut cake for an hour (cooking book says 1-1 1/2 hour). In between, i started preparing the frosting..did some washing up..since i need to hide all the evidence and make the place look as normal as it can be.

After an hour, i think the cake was pretty much cooked..but just to make sure it was fully cook..i added another 10mins of baking. Checked again, im starting to smell some burnt smell haha..the top of the cake was abit burn as shown in the pic..thankfully not the whole cake. Initially it was suppose to be a round cake, after removing the grease proof paper..my cake didnt look as round as i thought...looked so out of shape..but i realised the bottom part is bit pointy..and i could possibly make it into a heartshape. So i took the risk! hahha chopped a small part of it..while waiting for it to cool down before i decorating it.

This is the outcome after decorating..

Also not as planne as i what i hv in mind.. cuz the cake was not thick enough. Did the Happy birthday writtings using Lindnt dark choc- chili flavour as well which i brought back home last year and was not opened yet. Wrote using a paper cone..thanks to Youtube LOL.

Next plan was to hide it. Nearly ran out of idea to hide the cake. good thing it fitted in nicely into one of mom's round container used to put tip-bits for cny. Hid the cake in the fridge at the wet kitchen..since mom wouldnt dig into it unless she has to cook dinner. Cleaned up the kitchen after that. Phewww it was good timing and mom came back without noticing anything lol!!

Went out for buffet dinner at STAR hotel that night to celebrate mom's birthday. Had a good meal,, it was packed with mainly tourist. they were serving International cuisine that night, so for entree..there were fresh oysters,praws,crabs, larger praws, bread, a variety of cheeses and salads. The main meal was mostly chinese stir-fry, roast duck, a variety of indian food..comprised of Naan bread, lamb masalas..there was also kebabs, fried noodles, roast beef, skewers, omg long list to go..of course i couldnt manage to try all the dishes!! The dessert was mouth watering, cheesecake,...choc cake...creme brule........it was all yummy and sinful at the same time. I wanted to eat more ahahaha but my stomach was overloaded. That is the outcome of buffet. I reckon some of the food had lots of ajinomoto in it, cuz i was so thristy!! and blame of drinking too much water...that made me full quickly HAHA

Headed home and mom stomach wasnt feeling well. Some indigestion goin on, her stomach was producing some air and she just needed to let it out. It was so uncomfortable for her. Luckily the eucalyptus oil was abit of a help and burping out the air. Mom felt asleep on the chair and i was talking to dad till 12midnite. Then we decided to surprise mom!

Ahh i was so excited all over, my hands tend to shake if im nervous of over excited. Urgh hate it. So dad was the cameraman..he woke mom up and we sang happy birthday to her. Mom's facial expression was just blank...filled with blurness hhaaha. Then she said owww i was born pass 12midnight (for real, i didnt even know till that day). She kept asking..'you bought the cake or made it'..hahaha abit of disbelief...so i said 'ma is it possible to find such slightly distorted cake like that in the shop'?
Hahah it went well! mom was happy!!

Surprisingly on sunday, i went shopping with mom..dad dropped us at centrepoint and he went to sort out his things. Before that, Mom baked bread as well and the bread will finish baking in an two hours time..so dad voluntered to dropped us at the mall and he will come back and take the bread out of the breadmaker once he sort out his things.
By 3.30pm dad came and pick us up, went home and have a cup of tea..cut mom's bday cake at the same time and took some pic. Then dad told me there is a present in the drawer..so and so..i was like 'huh? present? since when'?
Surprisingly Dad bought mom a gift hahaa..a crucifix gold pendent. Lovely. This is so not my dad....but anyway mom was thrilled to bits!

So that was a good weekend. I have exactly 1more month in KK before i return to Aus. Geez time is flying!!!

2009-12-31T14:00:00.026+08:00

Its that time of the year again when we say goodbye to another year. I can feel that time is passing by more quickly as the day goes by. 2009 has been another wonderful yet challenging year for me and I reckon that is only the beginning. Reflecting on the year 2009…

This year

1) Went to the Tip of Borneo with my family in conjunction of mum’s b’day as well. Surprised mum with a b’day cake.

2) I get to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family as well as my relatives in Kuching. Also not to forget, indulging myself with all sorts of delicious local delicacies.

3) Catching up with friends and exploring KK’s shopping centres at the same time.

4) Drove 4 times in KK (not productive enough)..reversing mum’s car at home and also getting my previous driving instructor to refresh my driving skills. Literally drove in a huge massive circle…from my hse..to the lintas highway..to airport road..to KK city..back to jalan teluk likas and then home again. The car only died once at the traffic light. Haha.

5) Uni life was just as hectic as it can be knowing that our mid-sem break and study break was taken away. Stress from assignments causes me to develop one large massive pimple. Potentially a stye as well. Thankfully this time the pimple was on my forehead hidden beneath my fringe.

6) Met up with Vicky & Ruth (two of my close friends from Adelaide) and toured round Melb city & Ballarat for 2days. Wouldn’t forget the countless..unlimited number of rides we went on in Luna Park at St Kilda.

7) Travelled to Burwood campus (in melb) throughout the 1^st semester once a week for Chinese language tutorial class (as my elective sub). 1 hr from geelong to melb..another hour to Burwood. Dreaded waking up early. Fall asleep on the train once on the way back to Geelong and missed my stop. I wonder why I was so determined to travel through and flow..only for the tuts..not lectures..Part of it was also to extend my network of friends. At the end of the day, I only got to know one friend..maybe 2..and pretty much got sick of sitting in the train for 2 hrs till my butt is sore.

8) Foggy day on a footy day. Watched live Aussie’s footy game for the first time..match between the famous Geelong Cats & the Western Bulldogs. It was a very close match and I was cheering the Cats team all the way through..with a blur mind of the team member’s name & how the game is played. Flood my coursemate Jess with lots of silly questions haha. On the very same day which I would never forget, some stranger came into the hse…around 2am. After that day, I was more paranoid and making sure I locked the door properly. Finally the owner secured the back & front door which was never locked before the incident.

9) Went to the snow again. Mt Hotham Trip. Stayed for 3days 2nites. 10 of us stuck in a small room with 1double bed..2sets of bunk beds plus a few sofas. Skied for the 1^st time in my entire life. I love the snow..the coldness of 0 deg.. but the skiing part was horrible, unbearable and tiring. Haha. Never I would want to ski again unless im very fit and strong. I rather go tobogganing like a kid. Broke the trainers ski pole (legend)..my self-esteemed drastically dropped. Another lesson learnt I.e not to buy cheap, fake leather gloves..if u want to go to a 0deg environment. I thought my fingers were gonna be frozen and hav to be amputated (lol..too much negative thoughts goin through the head plus im exaggerating). So buy proper gloves. Overall the trip was fun.

10) Next trip was a day trip to Philip Island to see cute tiny penguins and eat fish & chips. Not to forget the beautiful scenery oh and watch Koalas sleeping and poo-ing at the same time.

11) Seems like I hv been doin lots of travelling this year. Went all the way to Mt Gambier , a small tiny city in SA to visit my brother. Went pass the bother of SA to Vic as well…my bro drove to various Ports; Portland, Port Philip, Dartmore..etc.

12) Celebrated a couple of 21^st bdays with themes and other friend’s bdays. Preparing , organizing gifts & Surprises. Dressed up like an old lady and inhaled helium gas from balloons that produces a chipmunk like voice (darn funny) , make up like a punk (which made me go on YouTube several time, trying out various eye shadow make up styles). I had a wonderful 22^nd bday as well with all my friends..although I wish I could have made the party more fun, breaking the ice (another lesson learnt).

13) Celebrated Hari Raya with my Malaysian friends. Makan-makan together eventhough everyone was at their crucial, peak moments in terms of uni workload.

14) OT group project was successful and only lost 4marks out of 30 for it..worth spending 3hrs in Jess’s toilet in order to get a perfect vid of a stroke patient & the OT doing a shower assessment.

15) Sat for Victorian Driving Law Test. Scored 91% and was told that I don’t have to go through Ls & Ps with my msian license still valid. Next step would be hazard perception test & driving test. At the mean time, get some driving lessons in 2010 before sitting for the test. It will be challenging.

16) Joined Malaysian Society of Deakin.

17) Played netball and enjoy being a wing defender for the DOTS team.

18) Did rural placement at a Specialist school in Terang, met wonderful special kids..worked with a down syndrome kid whose behaviour is pretty challenging for a newbie like me. Stayed at my coursemate’s hse experiencing country side ..farm life. Very serene. Toured round various places..mainly the 12 Appostles..other secluded bays and ports. With no choice I have to be a loner staying in an apartment during the last week of placement. Scary but gotten used to it.

19) Other best enjoyable moments:

BBQ at coursemates hse..typical aussie summer treat.

Being able to meet up with Aiming & Vengli who came all the way from Brissy & Perth. Felt like a dream..thanks to the invention of airplanes to take u anywhere around the world.

Bro drove all the way frm Mt Gambier to Geelong to catch up with me.

Shopping with shaz..i like!

20) Finally back in KK. Together with my parents. Being able to eat all the yummy food. I begin to appreciate all the things I can get at home and not in Aus since I left home. Enjoy every single moment even though it can be boring. Had a quiet Christmas celebration this year too. Right now the house is completely in a mess, just started painting the ceiling and walls..it will get its brand new look soon. Feels weird.

I have new companies as well..

2009 has been an eventful year accompanied with all the big and small challenges, fun, stressful and disappointing days. These are the memories I treasure as I write this post on the last day of 2009. 2010 will be another challenging year, entering 3^rd year of uni..and of course im aiming to independently drive in Aus (is that part of the resolution?). Hopefully it will be another eventful year, it will be different and its time to adapt to changes. Like it or not.

Happy New Year 2010 to everyone! Cheers!

2009-11-06T14:00:00.005+08:00

2nd year is officially over...completed my 2weeks rural placement, handed in the last final assignment yesterday...not really a good report, went over the wordcount..oh well just couldnt be bothered. 2nd sem results was released yesterday as well, very satisfied with the results..thanked God. Right now, boredom has just kick in..the weather is so nice outside..what the heck am i doin at home? Anyway....some pics taken during my rural placement..

more pics on facebook..haha. It was a good placement. Went to a specialist school which consist of 29 children age 4-12. Mostly developmental delays associated with autism, a few down syndrome and ADHDs. They were all cute and cheeky..especially if they know you are new comer..they will cling on to you, try and get your attention..how can you possibly say no to a cute innocent eyes. we were asked to be more stern with the kids. Dont hold their hands if they ask you to...stop them if they talk too much lol. We get to go to every classes during the first week and observer. By the 2nd week we were ask to choose a class. for my case, since i needed to do a case study for my assignment i have to choose a child and work with the child one to one. It was exciting yet challenging at the same. time. I chose to work with an 8 year old boy who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. His behaviour was challenging enough for me. Getting him to write few sentences..hold the pencil properly even read out few words on a chart was hard enough. Was stressing myself out..wondering what can i do with this child..but i was only in the school for another 5days..not possible for the outcomes wouldnt possibly pop-out that easily. I reckon the child's behaviour depends on the child's mood as well. They can be obedient at the start of the day..and get aggitated by the end of the day.

I was focusing fully on his gross and fine motor skills..overall he is independant with his self-care skills eg: toileting, feeding, dressing. Thats what OTs usually look at. He definetely needs to work on his fine motor skills that involves handwritting. I had the opportunity to work with a speech therapist as well..she explained to me her roles and how it clashes with OT pretty much. I felt a lil intimidated when i told her i wanted to work on the child's handwritting skills..and she said he prob would never write in the next 10 years..bla bla...suggesting i should get him to learn typing on the keyboard. Oh well..first thing to work on is the child's concentration span. LOL. I was also asked to organise an activity for the class. Luckily there were only 10kids in the class. Decided to do paper marche or collage..since it involves tearing papers into small pieces..glueing..cutting..colouring..i even went to collect some sand from the beach for this activity haha. Played simon says as a warm up game before commencing the activity. Just hopping the kids enjoyed the games. One thing i learn from this task is to be specific and dont give the kids choices or they will rebel against you.

Besides placement, i had the opportunity to do some sight seeing as well. Went to the popular Great Ocean Road, couple of secluded bays! Glad that i could stay over at my friend's house for a week although i was not in my comfort zone at all times. Living with a different family with different lifestyles. lol. Decided to stay in an appartment on my own during the second week..although it was scary at the beginning..living alone in a unfamiliar place..but i get to conquer the entire place including the TV itself lol. They provided an electric blanket as well..which i would consider getting one for myself in preparation for winter next year haha. My heater doesnt seem to be working 100%!

So whats next....Holidays! Booked my airticket to KK last nite..will be going back on the 5th of dec till feb. Also im counting down the days till Aiming and Vengli touch down Melb!! or shall i say arrive Geelong Railway Station! 11 more days to go! woohoo. Better do some research of places to go to. Ahh..so much to do..have to sort out my police check for next year..planning to get driver's learners permit..gahh troublesome..contemplating if i should start from scratch getting Vic license or convert msian driving license..tho i still need to sit for the law test etc. Sigh.

Till then.

2009-08-22T00:04:00.015+08:00

.....finally turned 22

feeling? Getting old...and probably not matured enough to be 22..or my thinking is probably not compatible to a 22 year old! HAHA....so much more to learn and to make decisions like a matured person in life. Well another year wiser that is :)Celebrated my b'day at my Malaysian friend's hse. Had a potluck party, lots of good food..mix culture on the dinning table comprising of sushi, fried rice noodles, bbq chicken, curry puffs, brownies, junk food and last but not least home made choc mud b'day cake by my friend Shaz. The house was nicely decorated with balloons...which was a great surprise. It was hard to break the ice in the beginning...everyone was shy to talk to each other..leading to a division of 2 groups...the archi students and the health science students..isolated! Sooner or later after my friend turned on some music..warming up the atmosphere...everything went well. My coursemate and i were trying to think of a game, but most of it required chairs which was insufficient. Most of the time spent was talking..taking pics and videos..and i was asked to give a speech!! Everyone had a share of speeches as well. Later that night, everyone headed to the pub. Drinks and dance time!! Overall it was good fun! A memorable 22nd b'day..not to forget lovely cards and bday wishes from friends out there!

B'day prezies:
From left: pink toiletries bag from my coursemate, Elizabeth Arden gift set: Green tea perfume, body lotion & shower gel, Clutch from Forever New from the msian gang, World Biggest lolly shop: Aero choc bars & low carb sperminties (ate 2 of it already) from coursemate, some maze game 2 from one of my msian friend keep me entertaint

Beautiful necklace from my ex-housemate and small flowery purple pouch from my housemate monika.My wall, filled with cards now...heheheCards i received this year!

The pass few days was hetic for me, sleepless nights, pimples pooping out from all that stress and even more dominant dark circles.....i wsa rushing to finish two major assignments..both 2000word essays worth 40%. One for Sociology and another OT Case study on a Stroke patient. Dont think i will do well for both essays...sigh. Oh well fingers crossed. Didnt realise i borrowed so many lib books..4 unused out of 17books. Someone put one of the books on-hold and i couldnt return it on time..so currently $1 fine recorded! LOL..i guess nothing will happen..unless u went over certain amount of limits and the uni will suspend u or something..haha.

My taste bud found a new liking...and its under my fav food list at the moment:Crumpet..topped with avocado + cheese + pinch of pepper + seasoning...microwaved for bout 1min..i guess would be nicer if its bake in the oven.

Havent had a good meal for the pass few days and my fresh food was running low. Finally cooked a nice meal last night. I have 1 sweet potato and 4 small potatoes kept in the fridge for a couple of weeks already, and the potatoes doesnt look as fresh anymore...so decided to just cook it. THought of mum's homecook dish, yam plus mince meat..lol but i substitute the yam with potatoes...added bit of tomato based sauce ...frozen left over from the last time i cooked it with fish..(another inspired homecook food by mom..tomato fish)...and bit of soy sauce..cuz i was trying to make it saucy. Had some left over brocolli, 1 carrot, and a massive eggplant...so i cook veg curry..bought this lee kum kee pre-made veg coconut curry sauce..quite good..but bit sweet..i guess it matches the Aussie's taste bud. They have other sort of pre-made sauce as well..sweet and sour pork, mongolian lamb...it comes in a packet form. Good for convinience!

Satisfying dinner....

Alright off to bed...another busy week coming up! Till then. Spring is coming...Gd bye cold weather!

2009-08-01T11:02:00.008+08:00

Time is passing by like a rocket. Its the month of Aug already and the 3rd week of uni. 9more weeks of uni till exams and thus the semester ends. Craziness. I find this week's lectures quite interesting minus sociology. Art therapy was the lecture's topic for one of my OT based unit. Never knew there is such thing as art therapy and its something that im quite interested in. Art therapy is used as part of an intervention plan for people with disabilities, mental illness patients, stoke patients as some patients may be able to express their inner thoughts through art that can be drawing, painting..etc. Its not only used to express their thoughts and feelings but it is also to assist their development in movement, perception, sensory and physical coordination say for example, a patient who had a stroke may suffer from unilateral neglect i.e neglecting one side of the body therefore using a roller to paint the patient might be able to cross over the midline of his/her body..creating more perception and awareness of the neglected side. Hahaha really creative. During our tutorial session besides discussing case studies, we were thought how to make flubber, slime and gooo..hahaa..2nd year OT is seriously tough. This is a pic of us making gooo...all u need is 2 cups of water, 600g of cornflour and food colouring and mix it with your hands. You will get a gooo sort of texture.The slime was actually more disgusting. Felt like...........nasal fluid? Fun session tho.

Had a lecture on 'burns' the next day, another interesting topic, also the one and only topic that is thought throughout the 4 years so imagine in the future if i do ever specialise in burn areas thats the depth of knowledge on burns that i only have!!! Learned about the severity of burns classified as full or partial thickness..i never thought that no pain could be felt in 3rd deg burns as the full thickness burns would have affected the nerves and capillaries. We were also thought bout scar types- normal scarring, hyperthropic scarring and keloid scarring (overgrowth of fibrous tissue during healing of a skin injury, looks somewhat like a tumour and tends to recur if it is being removed), how it would limit movements due to scar contraction, assessment measures, therapeutic interventions and implication for OTs. Interesting.

Celebrated my friend's 21st last weekend and the theme was 'dress up like a 75yo'. Went hunting for old lady outfits and best bargains u could get is from the op-shops/2nd hand shops. Haha. bought a dress that only cost $6 and a blue old lady hat for $5. Last minute, i went and get myself a reading glasses (with magnifying lenses), cost only $3 haha after discount frm $19.95. I took of the lense and only use the frame haha. The party was held at my friend's house at one of the suburbs in Melbourne. It was funny to see everyone transformed into old matured ladies..not so much 75. My friend bought a bottle of talcum powder and poured a massive amount on to my hair just to make my hair look grey in colour. Makes alot of difference. haha.
Ohhh..i also tried inhailing helium from the balloons and sounded like a chipmunk for a few seconds. The effect last longer if u hold your breath for 30seconds after inhaling the helium gas and try not to laugh. HAHA. OT grannies

This coming sat would be my 22nd bday. oh dear getting old, last year's bday is still crystal clear in my mind. Having a bit of dilemma right now, one of my friend was suppose to celebrate her 21st bday 2 weeks ago but she cancelled her party due to family issues and only informed a handful of ppl about it, some turn up without knowing it was cancelled and if i hadnt called my friend..i might have went there blindly. Selfishness. So just as well she postponed her celebration to the 8th of aug. Invitation was sent out via facebook. She didnt know it was b'day either but that is fine and said that we could do a double celebration! HAha..giving me hard time now to decide. It would be fun to do a double celebration but getting to melb is an issue not only for me but my other group of msian friends. gahh. Came to a conclusion, of just celebrating in Geelong..and to be fair and square and not causing any hard feelings i will just invite everyone and it is up to them if they want to come. 21st seems to be a more special thing when it comes to b'days in Aus..whereas to me..all b'days no matter what age is special. Dont get it sometimes. Oh well.

Anyways, this pic frm my calender for Aug 09 is not motivating at all...haha. I wish i can be in that cat's position right now.

2009-07-10T23:32:00.002+08:00

Quick update....

currently at bro's place in Mt Gambier, limestone city...freezing cold down here, colder than Geelong by 1 or 2 deg. Staying here for 5 days only, sigh..wish i could stay longer..but unbelievably uni is gonna start next week! Yikes..and im still on holiday mood. Results was released yesterday, quite satisfied with it..HD for chinese language haha and Ds for the rest..thanked God!

Hmm..at least i get Monday and Friday offs this semester..so pretty much a long weekend! Yeepee! Its gonna be another 12 week straight of uni, then exams..no study breaks..and then 2 weeks placement..doing rural this time!

This holiday has been quite enjoyable, tho there were couple of boring moments. Skiing would be an unforgettable one..i swear..if u wanna try skiing, u gotta be extra fit cuz it uses alot of ur arm and leg muscles...the ski equipment and boots itself is pretty heavy! It would be easier if u have tried ice skating or roller bladding before..the method is applicable in skiing! I wouldnt forget breaking the trainer's pole...............ah embarrasing but it was unavoidable at the same time..couldnt control myself to stop when i skied from the top..and bang..i was clinging onto the trainer's legs LOL next min..i saw his pole bended..and he broke it himself. Oh another thing, if u feel like u r gonna fall off, dont even try to stop urself frm falling..just fall down naturally, much better on the bum. Getting up frm falling down is another challenge. One way to get up is to place ur body in a squating position..and use ur thigh/leg muscles to lift ur body up..as in stand up. OMG..i couldnt do it. Easiest way, release one of ur boots frm the ski board.

Would love to go skiing again, but hopefully more fitter next time!

Better head off to bed...im hopping for a sunny weather tomorrow, wanna do some sight seeing of Mt Gambier..but the weather forecast said its gonna rain. Rain rain go away, come again another day!

2009-06-14T10:44:00.021+08:00

Wooh! i cant wait till tomorrow's paper is over tho i have been pretty much relaxing for the pass few days and only started looking through my Chinese language revision yesterday. HAHA. Hmmm remembering the characters is quite challenging, and the only way to remember it is to write it continuously till its registered in ur brain. Through out the sem, we only learned half of the book so not much. Wrote down all the characters that i have learned into 5 different columns based on the tone and those without tones.

Some of the revision questions are quite vague. For eg:

Q1: Write out the missing letters and/or tone marks. Does that mean i can just write the missing letters without the tone marks or i can write both the missing words and the tone marks or just the missing tone marks. LOL. I dont think i can remember the tone marks tho..quite hard.

I'm also wondering, how to translate this sentence:

He is my younger brother's Chinese friend? 他是我弟弟的__朋友. cuz we only learn 中国人。Unless it should be 他是我弟弟的朋友。他是中国人。Pretty much the same meaning or not? LOL. Just hope the chinese characters will be super glued permanently on my brain for tomorrow's exam and for future usage. haha. I might be the only one sitting for this paper, since i requested to have it in Geelong (under off-campus students examination) so i dont have to travel all the way to Melbourne for a 9am paper!

I'm planning to buy a digital camera, since my old cannon 4MP is officially dead. I reckon some of the canon cameras here are slightly cheaper than those back home. At the moment the cannon 8MP camera is the cheapest which cost Au$266. Before the exchange rate went up, when it was just still bout 2.4 the price was about rm200+ more cheaper compare than the price i saw in KK (rm799). Gah..now that the exchange rate has went up to 2.8, its only bout rm55 cheaper.Damn exchange rate. LOL im not so particular with cameras, like now they have different sort of version/function...like SLR...HDR. I just prefer canon since my family has been using cannon ever since...ages..ages ago. The pic quality is quite good. No complains.

Anyways, the 8MP camera is similar to the 7MP camera that dad has with the functions and features..such as face detection, red-eye correction..etc.

Im eyeing at two at the moment Cannon Ixus 95IS (10MP)
Obviously Higher MP, better pic quality, Some new features that 8MP doesnt have: Auto mode with Scene Detection, Face Detection, Motion Detection and Noise Reduction makes it even easier to get the perfect shot, contrast correction, motion detection to let u freeze the moment, clearer shots in darker areas..etc. Oh comes in 6 different colours as well. Limited edition i reckon except for the classic silver colour. I like the blue..actually green is pretty cool too. Cost in between Au$337-379.

or the latest Cannon Ixus 100IS (12.1MP).
its smaller and slimmer in size compare to the other two, includes new features such as blink detection, so if someone blinks or eyes are closed when the shot is taken the camera will sort of give out a warning signal, what else high definition and better sound quality for video shots, higher ISO..i reckon the pic would turn out more defined, less blurry in less lighting areas.
Comes in four colours, Gold one looks classy as well ahhaaha! Cost Au$499..
multiply by 2.8= rm1497!!!!!!!!!! Darn too expensive!

I reckon 8MP or 10MP is good enough. LOL. Oh well, more research to be done. Lets see if i can get a good bargain from my friend's friend whose dad i think, owns part of Ted's electronic (a electronic goods company)..since my friend is planning to get a camera as well. We both might get more discounts!!! Fingers crossed.

2009-06-10T19:05:00.004+08:00

Phew...just completed my neuroscience paper today. The paper was at 2pm..and it goes for 2hours. I have come to a point that i would rather have my exams in the morning. It is quite torturing to wait till the afternoon..lol at least i get to sleep in. Overall, i think the exam questions were not as hard as i thought, majority of the multiple choice questions were on functions of the cerebral cortex..and some bits and pieces on schizophrenia lol..not much on all the glossary terms that i have studies. I was also quite pleased with the short answer questions..lol..my prediction was sort of accurate that the difference in function of the cerebullum and the basal ganglia might be questioned in the exam. Oh well its all over, the paper is worth 55%! Ahh i will be more than happy if i pass!

Went straight to the gym with my coursemates right after exams to de-stress LOL. Joined this body step class, somewhat like aerobic exercises but really intense..hahaha i was so un-coordinated the whole time but no doubt its good exercise, needed to sweat so badly after sitting at home for the pass 5days and the weather has been really cold and wet lately...I think it was probably bout 8deg this afternoon and the exam hall was equally cold. Can barely feel my fingers!!
Just a pic of step class, i took off from google image..lol. Feels good after sweating, kinda warms ur body up abit and yes no doubt my legs are sore. Need to do more work out, im so unfit compare to other middle age mom's...elderly ladies who went to the step class. Gosh feel so intimidated haha.

Just few days ago, it was drizzling and the sky was cloudy as ever, suddenly the sun came out and tada..................

perfect full size rainbow appeared. View from my window! How wonderful! i love the rainbow colours, wish i could touch it or just peal it off from the cloud and stick it on my wall ..hahaha.

Anyways, ahh gonna have a short break..before i start studying for chinese language exam which is on the coming monday, not gonna stress so much bout it hehehee.

I cant believe how bad the swine flu virus is in victoria. Apparently the highest within interstate and 4th highest case in the world?? Gosh. Now i m juggling if i should go over to my cousin's place during the holidays or even just shopping at Melb city...ahhh..cant stay in small G-town the entire time..definitely will die of boredom. I think the Health Authority should start implementing people to wear protective mask? I bought a small bottle of antibacterial hand sanitiser (alcohol base) from the pharmacy for hygiene purposes, essential when you are out and abou

2009-06-03T19:15:00.007+08:00

Update: Chinese oral test is over. LOL. I literally traveled 4 hours in total just for a 5min oral test. The 7.23am train from Geelong that i took was delayed this morning and only resumed around 7.45am. Arrived Burwood campus, 10mins before 10am. Quickly rushed to the loo, then headed to the tutorial room. Few students were standing outside and the lecturer was there already. Im the first to go. So with my blank..unsettled mind..i went in.

First task: Monologue. Basically introducing urself..and i didnt know for how long. Fang老师，你好！我姓叶，叫叶新慧！我是malaixiya 人。
(Then i think i said, I came to Aus for nearly 3 years...which is out of the learning scope cuz i cant think of what to say)
我哥哥也是在audaliya. 我爸爸，妈妈在malaixiya。
他们很好。我的专业是美术，我现在学习汉语。(making it up, all from the text book) 现在我很忙。...i think i said something like exam is coming (oso not in learning scope)
LOL he said it was too short...then i prolonged it..cant remember what i said.

Then he asked 5 questions:
请问您贵姓？(pretty much answered it in the monologue)
你忙不忙？
你学习什么专业？
ok forgotten the 4th one.
今天天气怎么样？

next is reading few lines from a selected passage..... lolz i was stunned for few secs. Have to repeat myself several times. haha. All these lasted for 5mins then im done. Geez. Was told that i got a Credit plus (C+) for our oral presentation. LOL i was expecting a D. The lec was like..oh C+ is not just an ordinary credit..if u do well in exams u can potentially get distinction. LOL im aiming for a HD tho..lol. ........................just make sure i recognize all the characters that was being thought.

Headed back to Geelong straight after that. Met up with one of my ex-housemate Quyen from Vietnam and we boarded the same train. She offered me two strawberries. OMG. freshly picked strawberries frm the farm and its the sweetest i had ever tasted! ...and now...my pimples is more swolen..with pus ...eeeks. Its gonna burst anytime. ok goin to bed early for the first time.Next few days is gonna be revision marathon! ahhhhhhrrggg

2009-06-02T13:23:00.008+08:00

I'm still surviving at the moment...just got back from uni. Had my 15min fieldwork presentation today in front of 11 other students and my fieldwork supervisor. I thought 15min presentation was going to be a dreadful one. Turns out, it wasnt as bad as i thought. Amazingly did my slide show the night before, practiced and timed myself as well the night before..how last min, just glad that it is over. We always have our tutorial classes for fieldwork in a conference room..one big square table with lots of chairs and surrounded by 6 LCD screens! Definitely will never forget the presentation skills i learned from I.S ...Thanks alot to MIss Beatrice LOL...and also from Eynesbury College. Always remember..colour of ur slides...contrast..eye contact...not too many words. Haha.

Anyways, the pass few days was quite stressful, had to complete all the assignments in a short period of time. Phew..just hope it all goes well. With that, due to the stress and lack of sleep and probably lack of fluid, a massive pimple just pop out this time it was on my forehead as illustrated at the pic below. Hurts like hell..and it is quite swollen, feels like i just knock my forehead on a wall or something. At least my fringe is hiding it. Unlike last year, similar case..i was understress with one of the assignments. I had a massive pimple somewhat on my chin plus a massive stye..that took days to disappear. My friend thought that i have conjunctivitis. LOL..and no its not because i look at inapproriate stuff. Im prone to having a stye on the eye for some reason..due to lack of sleep probably, not drinking enough water, or some dirt or dust went into my eye. Brrrr. Oh didnt realise i was wearing the same pajamas hahahaha.

Finally the landlord has sort of fixed the backdoor, this time with the door knob inside and the code thing that we have to key in facing outside. Though it is more secure compare to before, i still feel it is not good enough. Anyone who desperately wants to get into this house can easily break it. My landlord was telling me that she will get the frontdoor fixed as well..bla bla..and was giving lots of excuses with why they dont provide keys or do anything to both the front and backdoor before this cuz students never lock it properly. Whatever reason it is still risky to not have both doors locked. Total nonsense.

I tend to be more sensitive right now with footsteps, door openings that i hear from my room. Sometimes my imagination will just go wild..what if someone knocks down my door..break the glass..window..whatever. Hope it never happens. I use to hate it when the place is so noisy..but right now i reckon its more creepy when the house is quiet, when all the students goes to uni or work.

Ahh..so what is next on the list. Chinese language oral test tomorrow! oh dear. LOL. not completely prepared. I think the first task is introducing yourself to the tutor? or having a conversation and you have to answer in appropriate/polite manner..hahah my mandarin can go rojaks sometimes. Then read out a sentence or two from a passage that we are assigned to read and remember..lol. Sounds easy. Recognizing the chinese characters is a challenge. Then few more online discussion for rural unit..and im done with assignments.

This week is the last week of uni and believe it or not exam starts next week! I hate this uni. How can they take away our study break. With the upcoming 3 weeks break, might as well give take one week out as our study break and i dont mind having 2 weeks off. Sigh.
First paper ...neuroscience. SIGH. I think the lec has one more topic to teach us and she was juggling if she should do a pre-exam tutorial class. Ohhh i would prefer that.

Alrighty..thats it for now. Hungry. Dinner time.

2009-05-24T09:50:00.009+08:00

Ahh..so many things going through my mind now. Went to watch the footy game on friday. Match between Geelong- the Cats Vs Melb team - Western Bulldogs..so Cats and Dogs. Its my very first live match! Finally get the idea of it. Its a mixture of rugby, volleyball, football...plus wrestling haahhaa (kidding)?! Hahaha..i realise there is no goal keeper. The goal is like 4 poles as illustrated below, if the ball goes in to the middle section..the team will score 1 goal which is equalvalent to 6points..if the ball goes into the the other 2 section the team only scores 1 point. None if the balls hits the pole. It was an enjoyable game to watch, especially when it is a live show..totally different from watching it on TV...just need to keep ur eyes concentrating on the players. Im a Geelong supporter LOL..(forced to haha) Geelong has a good reputation in the footy game..i think that is how Geelong city got so popular! My coursemate Jess was explaining to me through out the game..telling me names of the players, oh im such a newbie. One of the players David Johnson,..has a good skill in kicking ball from a far range right into the goal..i was telling my friend..see thats "David Beckham's signature kick" lol..just joking around. Anyways, it was really exciting towards the end of the game. The bulldogs manange to catch up and it was so close..Geelong nearly lost if the player manage to kick the ball into the goal but yeah safe by the bell and abit of luck for the Geelong team! Geelong scored a total of 116points..the bulldogs..114points. So close! It was funny to see the audience as well...all the boo-ing...yays...and owwwwww..and swearings too! LMAO the entire night. After the game, we headed to the Crown Casino to meet up with my Jess's bro. Hang around crown casino for at least 1 hour. Couldnt enter the casion cuz me and my housemate we did not bring our passport as IDs. As we were walking into Nine West shop, the shopkeeper asked.."hey who won the game?"..i answered "Geelong team, but it was very close by 2 points".. shopkeeper said "thanked God" lol. Then...as we were walking towards another shop, a bouncer/security in suit was coming towards the opposite direction then he asked me.."one question, who won the game?" ...uhh Geelong team? hahaa.."good good..thank u with a big smile" LOL. I was wearing the Cats scarf that Jess lent to me the entire time ..so i reckon people would know im a Geelong supporter. Had a great night. Oh forgot to mention that it was so foggy that morning! Foggiest day ever..kinda creepy in some ways. This is the alley way/small junction behind my house.

Never seen this phenomenon before even to my coursemate. Just felt like i was on top a mountain or in a cloud! Things just get worst after Jess and her bro dropped me and my housemate Monika back home. Before that, we had to walk all the way from Geelong station to South Geelong station (pretty much the distance walking from Geelong station back to my where i live) where Jess's bro parked his car and didnt realise the last train only stops till Geelong station. It was 2am in the morning! 5 of us walking in the middle of the night! I was considering to take the cab home instead but i decided to walk with them...also an excuse to walk off the Gelati ice-cream i had at Crown Casino! It wasnt a good idea i think. Got home around 2.30am in the morning. I was telling Monika before i entered my room "Hey, i feel so isolated here (cuz my room is the last room right next to the backdoor)", my nextdoor neighbour is not around as well.

One thing about this place im staying..the front door and back door is never LOCKED. They dont do anything about it. Sometimes student will just leave the backdoor open during the day. Usually i will always lock my door, whether im out of the room or in the room..just dont know why that night..i didnt even realise i didnt lock my door..maybe because i had the intention to go to toilet. I was washing my face..then suddenly someone opened my door..just a small gap, i said "Whoooaa" straight away, then the person shut the door. I thought it was Monika, usually she would knock the door before she comes in or sometimes opens it but would acknowledge me that she is will come to my room. At that point my instinct was telling me, something is not right and its definitely not the other housemates in the hse. I heard the backdoor open and then close. I straight away locked my door, secure it with the aluminium bar my dad made when he came here last year. I turned off the lights..i was scared, heart pumping really fast. I heard the backdoor open again..i could feel there was someone outside.

Immedietly i called Monika, she said she will have a look...few seconds later i heard her screaming! She told me there was no one inside but she saw two figures outside the house, since the back door has a blurred glass. 2 hooded person, One of them in white another in pink. She saw the white one first, got shocked and scream then saw the pink one ran away. This is really creepy..so many questions pop up in my head. Who would it be, what are they doing around this time of the night, the alley way behind my house is pitch black, except the backdoor lights was turned on..why would you walk there. Another weird thing is i did not hear any voices..like for eg: someone would have said "ohh there is someone in there,..or ..any voices". this was just quiet. My light was turned on as well, which indicates someone is in the room..why would u open the door? Oh dear...i was so freaked out. Couldnt sleep immedietly after that, i sms-ed my landlord immedietly.

Slept at Monika's room for the night. I was wondering, if those people were hanging around there when Jess was dropping me and MOnika off..but we didnt see anything, or could it be someone was stalking us or saw us? Sighhh...i feel so disturbed and even more insecure. I was already feeling insecure when we were walking back home and few days ago, i had a funny feeling that something bad was goin to happen. i didnt know what..i was thinking maybe it might be the stress coming from the amount of workload that is making me to have all these (-ve) thoughts. Guess my instinct was accurate!

Something bad happen again after that. I was putting some of my things into my bag to bring over to Monika's room, including a big bottle of water which i just refilled and did not realise that the bottle cap was not close tightly. By the time i got into Monika's room, my bag was flooded with water..with the library book in it, wallet, CAMERA, pencil case...it was all soaking wet. Luckily i was in time to save everything..except i think my camera is completely busted. THe battery was already malfunctioning, the batt power never last long even when it is fully charged, good thing the memory card is still working..didnt lose any of the pics taken. Some water might have went into the camera. Its already bout 4 years old... upsetting.... but this would give me an excuse to get a new one? LOL. sigh. How careless could i be. MOnika was telling me..bad things only happen 3 times in a row at least? No more after this. Dear oh dear. We only slept at 5am in the morning.

Got up at 12pm the next day, felt like i just had a hung over. Was completely tired and still "traumatised" by the incident...i still have to get back to myself plus this case study on a lady with quadriplegia spinal cord injury and a man with TBI which im trying to finish on time is freaking me out...argh so hard to find information! my days are just ruined. I Didnt want to tell my parents bout the incident yet..otherwise it would just make them worry even more. Ahh this is telling me to be more alert!!! no panicking too! Its about time i get myself a paper spray, bring a sharp item say a small scissors with me wherever i go...lock the door always...bring the keys with me. Getting abit paranoid to get out of the room to go to the toilet in the middle of the night! Hopefully the landlord comes in later and fix the door with a secure lock this time! I would feel more safe! Thats it for now, gotta head back to the assignments. Need some strength right now. haha.

2009-05-17T18:03:00.006+08:00

Assignment crisis........ Oh dear, finding it hard to start this 2000word essay on 'Drought and its effects on mental health in rural Australia'...have been reading pages of journal articles, gov/organization web page, taking notes...all the policy stuff is just driving my head nuts! Reading, highlighting/extracting relevant points and writing it down is time consuming..but that is currently a method that works for me when it comes to writing up essays..some could just easily read something out of a book and start typing it up..whereas i would get more confused. Hopefully i could get some done by tonight....sigh time is just running out. Two more gigantic tough ass essays to cover...in two weeks! ....borrowed some books from the lib. Hopefully it has some useful information in it. Did some grocery shopping today at Coles with my housemate and then headed to Borders bookstore for a cuppa instead..surprisingly every Borders bookstrore has a Gloria Jeans cafe. You can grab any books or magazine u like in the store and read it while you are having your drink. Ahhh nice short getaway from stress.... I had my favourite drink of all time since one of my friend introduced it to me, Espresso Chillers: Creme Brule! ..recommended... I just never knew u can request for a different choice of milk: full cream, skinny a.k.a low fat or soy milk and of course with cream or without cream. Wonder how is the taste like with soy milk? something to try next time..with less sugar. As we were heading back home, i suddenly realise one section of the street wall was covered with grafitti. Hahaa, i always walk pass this street but just never took notice of it.

If i'm not mistaken there is one stretch of street in Melbourne city which is covered with graffiti. In fact there are plenty to see if you take the train from Geelong to Melbourne!

ciou!~~

2009-05-08T19:13:00.010+08:00

Ohhh finally its friday!! I cant believe the days just pass by in a split of seconds. One minute its monday, the next thing you realise..WTH its friday already! Hooray to weekend!
Always looking forward to weekends nowadays.
So much to do! Finally complited OT report, now i have to think bout a good topic for my Rural assignment...*scratches head*
.....Neuroscience is definitely chopping my brain to bits. Im struggling with this unit, in terms of the amount of info and glossary terms i need to remember for the exams..and i honestly felt that the text book is not detail enough :( . One presentation coming up next week for this unit. Butterflies in my stomach. Today's topic was about Visual Perception, dont have to know much bout the anatomy of the eye but more on the visual system...what u see on the right eye goes to the left visual cortex...vice versa...gets so confusing. So if u have a lesion on the left hemisphere..affecting either ur optic nerve or tract..ur right eye will be affected. Wooh....Homonymous Hemianopia was one of the new terms i learnt today..its a primary visual disorder due to the lesion in the optic tract on one side of the brain..causing blindness or loss half visual field in each eye. We were shown a documentary video as well during lec. One man had a car accident, he didnt completely lose his vision. He can still see normal objects or anything surrounding him but cannot recognize people's face! even a picture of himself. Another man, can recognize people but cant recognize objects around him..eg: grass is just like a green flat ground, he couldnt tell the details but has good imagination. He was able to draw a bicycle..but after showing him the picture that he drew, he couldnt recognize it. Something to do with memory and perceptions i reckon. Oh another one is left side neglect, very common in stroke patients. Interesting.

After my group discussion today, i accompanied my coursemate to get her mother's day gift. Then headed to Targets for a quick look. We were at the shoe section, they had one pile of shoes for clearance...at a price of $4 (not all)! lol...cheap..but mostly large sizes and smallest sizes left. My friend manage to get a nice pair of flat shoes for $5.

I ended up getting a pair of Indoor Up-boots for winter..$19.99 :D
Went to Priceline the other day, was looking at the toiletries section. Came across bath mitts and shower sponges...and i was so tempted to get one. Saw this nice package which contained a bath mitts, buttefly shape sponge and two soaps for only $1.99!! LOL wohoo! Tried using the bath mitts and sponge...pretty good! Dont know how good the soap is...might be bit sensitive for my skin but its too pretty to be use.Last but not least.............currently into this kiwi fruit. I think its a different species compare to the other ordinary green flesh ones. Its really sweet with a nectary taste. Yum yum! Reckon its in season now.

2009-05-04T14:50:00.012+08:00

Wooohhh its that time of the month again...assignment fever that is. Had a few in line..1 due tomorrow which i have completed, 1 observation report due next onmonday and a presentation on friday! 2 assignments due on the same day in 2 3 weeks time..1000words +2000words case study report. 2 presentations in between! Another OT 2000word assignment due 8 days before exams. Ahhhh..exam is on the 10/6!..Neuroscience is the first paper..why oh why..couldnt u be the last one. Last paper on the 15/6- Chinese 1A!! hahaha dont have to worry so much bout this yet. Only 2 papers and im done for the semester! How quick is that!
May is packed!

This semester just went by like a rocket..or i reckon Deakin Uni is rushing into things..just because of the 3rd semester in Nov, they have to take away our study break. Evil evil..but on the brighter sight holidays starts earlier??? HAHAHA sigh.

Sometimes i just feel so left out when im with my coursemates. They can type up things so quickly when it comes to essay withing. It only takes some of them 2-4 hours whereas i probably take about half a day or more than a day LOL, some of them are very organized, smart..etc etc....ahhh so pressured. Im so slow.

Today's OT lecture was quite interesting..learned about Children with Autism. Never realised there are different types and Autism is one of them under Pervasive Developmental Disorder! Watched 2 videos, one of them was quite interesting and touching! One family in the US had 6 child all diagnosed with Autism. 2 had severe Autism..they were interllectually disabled,hyperactive, hypers sensitive to touch,emotionally unstable at times, lack of social skills and a whole range of other problems. Was so overwhelmed and impressed by the positive attitude of their parents, the way they manage..etc. Phew! These kids are just so special, different & its a challenge for OTs now and in the future.

The weather is getting colder lately, rains occasionally..which is a bonus for the farmers in rural or remote areas..not for me when i need to walk to Uni.
On a chilly weather tho i was craving for Peter's (or Nestle) Light creamy, 98% Fat free (dunno for real or what) rasberry ripple flavour ice cream instead! Hahaha it was on special at Coles $5. heh heh..goes well with kiwi fruits which was quite cheap as well 45cents each ...yum yum yum...
Maybe this is the last time i will buy ice cream. My small bar fridge, tho it has a so called "mini freezer" it took a while for the ice cream to completely freeze or reach the appropriate temp (below melting point?)...which means my ice cream partially melted and right now after a day its back to normal...sort of. Maybe my fridge is slightly occupied. heh.

LOL this rockmellon was on special too...$1 for half a mellon and its really sweet! :D Bargain..bargain..

Hmm for tomorrow's fieldwork, im visiting Deakin Uni's Cafe at the campus im studying at. HAhaha lets see some actions behind the kitchen!! ................time to think of what questions to ask...(this is my major challenge in communication skills).....i tend not to ask alot of questions..but since i started studying OT its all about communicating with ur clients...asking questions...argh. I have to find my comfort zone...and do lots of practice!! Speak up!

Alrighty dinner time.

P/S: With the Swine flu outbreak...coming winter season........or drastic weather changes on the other side of the world...remember to take good care of your health!

2009-04-20T20:07:00.017+08:00

Wooo...finally back to Uni..sigh. Trying to finish up this rural group assignment on Indigenous physical health. Suppose to make a power point presentation and post it via the blackboard system. sounds kinda ridiculous to do a power point...cuz u cant add too many words..but we can add short notes in between. Good thing we dont have to present it verbally! HEHEHE. Ahh im not looking forward to the next assignment for this elective sub..2000word essay focusing on current rural issues..have to pick one current issues..i need some ideas man! There is another assignment due on the same day, case study report i think....Crap..just nice. I had a great weekend with two of my friends from Adelaide. Brought them around Melbourne through..literally went from North to South..then East & West of Melb..ahahah. Went to a mini theme park as well at St Kilda (south Melb). Intially, i just wanted to take them to the beach and the cake shops The eye of Melbourne at Docklands (not open to public yet)State Library Mmmmm.....mouth watering cakes but ended spending 3hours at the theme park, we bought unlimited ride tickets...so u can imagine the no. of times we went on every rides...roller coaster, ferris wheel, 360 degrees turn thingy, swingging dragon boat, ghost train, 3D frightening effect rooms, Bumper car..!! HAHA..first time in 21 years i finally drove a bumper car myself LOL...what a joke...when i was young, mom & dad would always bring us to centre point and there is this place u can play bumper cars..so bro will be the driver and i just sit next to him and watch being hit. Its fun! Funny thing is, at the theme park its called bumper car but we are not allow to bump into others..how pathetic..but it depends on whether u can handle it, the bump starts when those who cant crontrol the car bumps on you! Have serious neck & shoulder pains after that..including the roller coaster rides..geez oh and bad headache!Luna Park Sadly i lost one of my earings, probably dropped it somewhere in the themepark! Sobs* It was one of my fav new pair of earings bought from KK. Sigh earings running away from me recently..or is it my carelessness of not putting my valuable items properly. I lost another pair of earings..one of it..sigh..a b'day gift given by a close friend. SIGH. Ahhh it was good fun...good way to release some tension! On Sunday, i brought my friends to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat a small town used to be a Gold mining place..my 3rd trip there..wooh..but we had alot of fun. Had an experience on riding on a coach for the first time, joined Gold rush tour...went underground via a mini train (somewhat like rollercoasters)..spent 45minutes underground. They gave a demonstration on how miners worked, tools used,..they have this big massive drill..the tour guide turned it on for 5 secs but asked us to cover our ears before that..its really loud! Imagine working underground for days, weeks & months with no proper ventilation, dusty air, constant bending and exposure to loud drilling noise..i wud have died within 24hours. There were plenty more places to visit..it may look small but there is alot to see! Overall it was good fun..recommended for those who want to visit the state of Victoria ;) i can be ur mini tour guide..heehehe. Some pics of Sovereign Hill Handsome..charming soldiers? LOL Coach ride!View of Ballarat from the top Alrighty, i better head back to my assignment..fuhhhh. Placement again tomorrow..going to a Timber Factory...hope all goes well. Ciou.

2009-04-12T21:10:00.005+08:00

Hahaha finally bought a new kettle. Went out on saturday and the mall was quite packed compared to friday. Dont even bother going out to the city on a public holiday cause all the shops are closed. Its like a dead city with only a few cars and a handful of people.

Did a survey before i decided to buy the kettle. Went to Harris Scarfe once again they had a massive Easter Sales but not many choices on the kettle section..the ones sold were quite cheap (budget btwn $20-$40) but quality wise...im not sure how long will it last. Then i decided not to bother bout the 15% off....i went back to Big W, which has more choices but ran out of stock for the one i wanted and more stocks were suppose to come in..bout few weeks time? LOL. I cant wait. I nearly bought $29 kettle, but the cover of the kettle looks kinda fragile and stiff!

What more my housemate was bugging me the entire time. CHasing me....asking me if i have decided..bla bla bla...irritating. Not helping at all.
Then i decided..maybe i should just wait for the stock to come in. I was thinking, where else in the city can i get a reasonable price kettle..other than HArris Scarfe or Big W..definitely not trying the Reject / warehouse shop. Just as i was walking out of Big W, Myers was just opposite and it suddenly clicked my mind that Myers does sell Kitchen appliances but more pricy. So i decided to try my luck. Hehe..true enough they have the same kettle that i wanted but it was $5 more expensive (original price $39.95)! Grrrr...i decided to buy the kettle, while paying the cashier said "$38.21"....I was like..wooooh u serious?! Funny, there wasnt any discout tag at the kettle sec. Mwahahaha...I was lucky cuz Myers had a massive Easter Sales as well!! Hehehe..1 year warranty kettle for $38 bucks...satisfied. It better last me for many many years.
Went out clubbing with my friends last night. Ahh...clubbing or goin to the pub for a drink is one of the social lifestyles in Aus. We actually went to a Pub..there was two levels, i just realise the bottom level has a karaoke section which is more for the oldies and upstairs is like another world with a band and dance floors, more for the youngsters. Some find that clubbing is the best way to release stress or relax or chill out with the company of alcohol and some remix of RnB, trance or house music. LOL im just fasinated by how easily people get drunk and then hook up with some random people then act like nothing happened the next day. Hmmm seen alot of it. Doesnt appeal to me at all. Once in a while going clubbing with a group of friends is definitely fun but still its not really my cup of tea minus the dress up and make up! heh.

An Irish men approached me and my friend last night, started talking to us asking where are we from, what are we studying etc..then he started introducing his cousin to us.."this is Felicia from Malaysia" (just realised that sorta rhymes) LOL. Told him that im studying Occ Therapy and he said he needed it alot! I think he needed a different sort of psychotherapy not so much of OT. LOLZ (stereotyping).

Hah...i better start doing my assignments before i regret it. =(

Till then!~

2009-04-10T17:23:00.010+08:00

Happy Easter!!! Public holiday is definitely not a day to have a walk in the city cuz all the shops are closed except for the Easter Land shop which sells chocolates...for a reasonable/cheap price cuz some of the chocolates sold are either expired or close to expire date. LOL. Still edible i reckon. Anyways ended up buying some chocolates....

Liqour choc...My housemate Monika bought 4 packs of this hello kitty biscuit which cost $1. LOL and gave me 2 packets. When we got out of the shop, i realise behind the packaging..the best before date was : 08/08/2008...LMAO...my birthdate! Wonder if it is safe to eat? Ahh..the biscuit is just too cute to be eaten..:/

Before that Monika gave me a box of chocolate easter eggs as well.....comes with a pretty box
When she got me this box of choc, i felt like.."oh dear....i have to get u something"... I dont know how should i put this, she is a nice girl but i find her annoying sometimes. Annoying in a way that she will come knocking on your door on and off, sms to meet up in the city after uni, asking what my plan is...sort of booking me into her schedule. T_T....i need space. I reckon she is feeling lonely or she is just bored.....but i do wish she understands that i need some privacy.
Sigh.....life can be dull without friends, but at the same time friends can bring disappointment....or maybe its just me putting high expectations. I hate being lonely as well, but in the end..its how u carry urself, being independant and relying fully on urself.

Ahh the cordless kettle that i brought from home last year is spoiled =( I notice something wasnt right when i was boiling some water on thurs nite. I heard "zzzztttttt" sound coming from the kettle. I knew something was wrong and was so afraid that the plug or switch would explode >.<
After a while, i went to have a look.....smelt something unusual coming from the plug..i disconnected it from the wall and realise that the adaptor connected to the malaysian plug melted inside and i couldnt disconnect it. Eeekssss. Probably incompatible watt coming from the kettle??? Hate all these electrical stuff.

Went to have a look at the kettles in Big W and Harris Scarfe ............... there was one that i like in Big W, but ran out of stock.....Harris Scarfe's has 15% off but doesnt have the one i like...Hmmmm quite hard to decide..but definitely gonna grab one. I cant leave without a kettle....dying for a cup of hot moccha now.

Hmmmmm no special plans for Easter at the moment, but definitely plenty of assignment and readings to catch up with. Thats it for now ciou~

2009-04-06T11:30:00.003+08:00

Greetings.....after not updating my blog for a long time.

Currently in Uni right now at the library. Just finished for the day and i thought i would utilize the internet in uni since its faster. So where should i begin? Well first of all, i cant wait till this fri cuz thats when Easter break begins! YEeeeepee!! but only for a week and thats the only break im gonna have throughout the semester, no study break before exams! how cruel. Its gonna be rough after this 1 week break. Geez..not looking forward to it.

Just realised i had lots of group assignments this semester, one of the assignments was due today and that one went pretty smoothly. Basically this semester, my OT course is focusing on childhood disability, childhood developmental skills etc..which i find interesting! Whats gonna be more interesting is....writting a case study report which im still juggling in selecting the child i would like to focus on..one is born with Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation (CDG) -very rare disorder and another is a child with down syndrome. Down syndrome sounds easier but thinking about interventions is the challenging part. Oh dear........research time.

Another killer subject...Neuroscience..omg every week the lecturer just bombard us with new technical hard-to-store-in-mind terms....have to relate the physiological system like if the frontal part of the brain is injured or if there is a lesion in one of the nerves, how is it gonna impaired a person's physical movement..etc. Getting deeper and harder. ALright enough of this. So far the only subject i find relaxing to learn is Chinese language HAHA..but travelling is a real hassle. Total of 4 hours travelling! 1 hour in the train from Geelong to Melbourne and another hour in the tram from Melbourne City to Burwood Campus. I hate the idea that people think im so stupid to chose this unit and travel long 2 hours thru and flow...but at least im enjoying..learning some new characters or some that i have learned but forgotten. Surprisingly half of the class are local aussies...and asians (ABC)...maybe a handful of mainland chinese people who chose this as an easy score subject.

Hah....fieldwork tomorrow, this semester's fieldwork is slightly different from the usual 8hour placement. Focus more on occupational health and safety in relation to work safety..either in an office setting, factory, farm..etc see if there is any risk of injuries or what can be done to avoid injuries (basically common sense stuff) but people tend not to take note about it like your sitting posture..etc. We were allocated in a few settings, i was suppose to go to a Pig's farm with my coursemate but there were some changes and we were reallocated to go to a Logistics company. I had no idea with what logistics is! Its basically dealing with transportation of goods..like fresh foods and distributing it to supermarkets in a large scale. Also maintaining its freshness is one of their priority. The company is somewhere near North Melbourne and i'm going there again tomorrow so its another early day to get there.

Last week's trip to the Logistics company was fun! Almost got into an accident when we were about to start our journey, it was still dark at 6.35am and i think my friend didnt look carefully on her side mirror to see if there is any car coming from behind as she was signalling to go to the right lane. Next minute i heard an intense screeching sound (like how a driver hits on the break real hard) and long beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeping sound. I frozed for one moment, luckily the car behind was on time to slow down or else ......could have been hit badly. The driver must have sweared his head off and lifted up his middle finger to us. Phew, after that my friend got even more tense and stress out! She has never driven on the highway to melbourne either. I so wish i could take over to be the driver eventhough i'm very fearful myself then again good thing driving in aus, there is speed limits and cameras everywhere..so follow the rules.
At the company, we first observed how they unload the items from the truck using forklifts and whether they are using the forklift properly, are there any safety measures taken....etc, it was 1 1/2 hour of sitting down facing the sun and watching people work and saying Hi at the same if anyone passes by. Everyone has this blank look and wondering what these two girls wearing highlighted safety vest are doing here. Oh not to forget, the workplace is male dominant! Only saw 2-3 ladies working there! Awkwardness. Then we headed to the cold storage where the products are kept, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, biscuits, milks...mostly transported to Coles supermarket! LOL (so thats where it comes from). More forklifts used in the cold storage and i almost died of hypothermia (just exaggerating)....It was so so so so so cold, my stomach was partially empty too and the sweater is not warm enough. We have to sit in one of the section (not as cold but still cold) for another hour. Geez....again blank look from the male workers and one of them thought we were selecting male models cuz we were sitting on one corner, with pens and folders on our hands and a hazard pole placed in front of us just to make sure they notice us and dont run into us. LOL funny funny. The supervisor offered us apples, strawberries and bananas for snacks, haahahah first time eating banana in aus (no joke), taste alright but weird eating it cold. Damn miss the bananas at back home and papayas. Hah.........as for tomorrow, im running out of ideas with questions to ask the supervisor, cuz the company seems to be taking safety measures, they recorded that they havent had any injuries reported for 150days, .......everything seems fine except for the way they lift things..something to talk about. Phewwww.

Alrighty i better stop here. Its cold and windy outside. ...looks like its gonna rain any moment..plz dont!!!
ciou~

Back 2 Aussie land.........soon.

2009-03-03T15:48:00.002+08:00

Ahhhhhh i cant believe it, one more day and i will be flying off! Seriously, i hate the heavy feeling inside...one minute im here and the next thing i know..im in a different place. Sigh, its gonna take a while to get used to everything again. Gonna suffer from jetlag too!

I better head off packing..............hopefully i can stuff everything into one luggage! Pray that the weather in Geelong would be nice and cool.

Goodbye home....

2009-02-18T13:53:00.002+08:00

woooooo........2 more weeks and im going back to Geelong. SIgh, time really flies. Felt like i havent had much fun! (always always not satisfied). I think my brain is partially rusty as well...have to start reading up some OT/neuro topics before i return back with a completely blank mind!! oh well, i guess all good things always have to come to an end. This is part of life. The feeling of homesickness is gonna hunt me soon! In fact, im feeling abit of it right now...seeing some of my friend's leaving to diff parts of Aus soon......sighhh.

Spend my chinese new year in kuching for bout 2 weeks. Most of the time i was at my mum's hometown (Bau) a small town...similar to Foh Sang but with more shops. I had good quality time with my grandma and also my aunts, uncles and cousins. Not too forget eating all the yummy delicious food there....teh si peng special (3 or 5 layers), laksa, kolo mee, popia, noodle in tomato sauce......delicious kuih muihs........ahhhhh paradise. Definitely recommended to go to Kuching for the food there. There are other places to visit as well.........Cat Museum LOL, um Caves (Fairy cave, Wind cave..etc) and many more!

Finally i drove today with my previous driving instructor.. from home to lintas....straight to the airport via the highway....passed by Sutera Habour........Centre POint.......then to likas...inanam...and back home! One big circle of the whole KK!!!!! The traffic was moderately heavy, not too bad. The car's engine died once, because i pressed on the clutch before putting the hand break down at the traffic light when all the car starts moving (dumbo). Phewwww...need to make a habit of not pressing on the clutch too often as i tend to press on it whenever i want to slow down the car (when u should press a lil on the break, then the clutch and lower the gear to further slow down the car). Overall the 1hour drive wasnt too bad! More practice would boost up my confidence i reckon. Next challenge: driving mum's car with my instructor ....woooo fingers crossed everything wud be alright and dont freaking panic!

2009-01-24T01:09:00.002+08:00

Is it me, or does anyone feel the same that time is passing by really quickly? I have been home for almost 2 months now. So far enjoying my holidays to the fullest, i had such a wonderful time in Hong Kong with my family..4 of us stuck in a room..i reckon as big as the dinning area in my house (consider very spacious for a typical HK room). Hah....so much to share bout my trip..but i feel like blogging bout something else instead.. haha! Leave HK trip for the next post.

2009 is here, i wonder what this year would bring? 2008 was a great challenging year, new place, new environment, new friends, new experience - being chased by a dog (unforgettable) , getting to know more bout my course (Occupational Therapy) which is pretty challeging indeed to describe what it is in lay man's term or professionally, blending into the Aussie culture...ahh i still havent graps the aussie slang, being in a relationship which although did not lasted for long but i gained alot from it..understanding someone better, being able to recognize each other's weeknesses, expressing your trueself and feelings. Its hard when things doesnt click, when you are far appart, when you are doubtful bout every single situation and when he/she doesnt feel the same...from there its more like a one sided thing. The pain is unbearable but somehow you will come to realise that he/she is not meant to be and you move on with an open mind and heart. There are more challeges to come ahead, and we just have to face it and not turning away from it.

Sometimes i wish for so many things to happen, dream of it, putting high hopes for it to happen..but somehow it may just lead you to disappointed. I wish that i could return to a place i like...Adelaide- the city that i fell in love with..haha! Maybe for some other reasons as well, my brother is there,i have close friends who are crazy and fun, the friendly ..convinient environment..strategic..well planned small city! Just love it. Ahh i made so many mistakes in the past. I had a choice of choosing to stay in a place i like (with the course that i may not like) or choosing a course which is more suitable for myself (leaving the place i love). It was hard...tough..saddening...choice that i have to make. Just go based on ur liking or sacrifice for the sake of a better future? so i chosed to sacrifice, give up a place that i love most and go on with a better option for my future.

When i arrived Geelong...even from day one i was so negative about it. The city, the environment, the people, my new accommodation..it was a total culture shock for me. At that point i just felt like going home, luckily my dad was there to help. After settling down in Uni, moving to a better accommodation i was slightly better, untill i came to realise i was the only international student in my course. How wonderful! It was tough at first, building a network with my coursemates as well as the local people there, but i am lucky enough that my coursemates are very friendly, carring, cheerful, down to earth people. Took me a while to get use to them, the way they speak, their jokes, their social life..etc..at some point i realise that i need to be open minded and get out of the box. Behind my head, i kept on telling myself that i really really want to get out of this place...its not like Adelaide at all and i miss my friends there (silly thougths), i have an option of transferring back (credit transfer)..which gave me a lil hope. In the middle of of the year i tried applying, and i was told that with my results i m eligible to transfer..as long as i do well in my 2nd semester..i was always looking forward for a reply from the Uni in Adelaide. waited...waited...1 month passed...and i was starting to wonder, finally received an email from international admin, but they were asking for my unit description which i have given to the agent dealing with my application..ahh sometimes u cant rely on agents..so many delays, the person administrating was on leave, the unit chair was on leave..and so finally i received the offer during dec. By then there ware so much changes in my mind and uncertainties...(between those period of times, i felt like i was getting used to the environment and my friends there, and after all that interesting things that happened it just partially stop my thought from transferring back..)

As much as i want to transfer, and with the offer given i had to make another choice. This time it is the last choice i could ever possible make and i can never turn back to change it. Having to redo part of year 1 (back to the place i love) or continue with year 2 (remain in a place im learning to love)? ....gahhh....! I decided to continue with year 2, again saying bybye for good to Adelaide. There is no point for me to repeat part of year 1 units, wasting my time...when i have a chance to do 2nd year. Would you make the same choice?..maybe i should go for it...redo year 1, back in adelaide! But the thought of repeating puts me off....and i have to readapt myself again and i do wonder if it is worth it or not. sighh...its so hard, harder than a rock ....but i reckon this is more like my destiny. Sometimes when a making a choice we just have to sacrifice something we like or treasure most..no matter friends, or even a place. The choice i made. I hope its for the best.

I shouldnt be so negative, instead its just a matter of getting use to something new. I survived 1st year in Geelong, i reckon i can do it too this year! HAHA! fingers crossed* its gonna be one hetic, tight, compact, cramming, intensive year............oh lordy!~

2009........

about time i gain some self-confidence, be more organise, lose more weight..LOLZ.....gaining the extras back since i came back home...arghh..too much good food that is too hard to resist :P
...be more independent....make new friends....be more talkative..........hmmmmmmm...

the list goes on......

to be continued........... :)

2009-01-22T15:39:00.003+08:00

woooo.......its been a while, i haven't update my blog.

Busy baking..biscuits and cakes at the moment...for CNY!~

Will update soon!

Ta~

2008-12-05T13:17:00.002+08:00

So it has been 2 weeks since i got back to KK. Good thing i managed to find my way throughout my journey back to KK not to mention i was quite lucky, my luggage was overweight by 10kg! I'm glad the lady let me through after showing my student ID and just as well i was sitting with two other girls in the flight, one travelling back to India and another to KL from S'pore both travelling alone for the first time. What a surprise. We were very much unsure which terminal (as in from the International to the Domestic terminal) to go to when we arrived S'pore plus i only had an hour before my next connecting flight to KK. Was so paranoid at the beginning that i wouldnt be able to find the terminal. At least when we arrived S'pore, there were 2 stewardess or airport assistants waiting right in front of the gate with a big sign board which listed a number of connecting flights and which gate to go to. LOL, thanked God..there was some guidance. So we have to take a sky train in order to go to the next terminal. Omg it took ages to walk to the domestic gate that i have to go to. I was on time to catch the next connecting flight and i was sweating like mad by the time i reach the domestic gate. It was raining heavily and i was just thinking that my luggage is gonna be soaking wet. Finally after 2 hours, i touched down KK safely and wow the airport has changed ALOT! Bigger and brand new ( I still had a pic of the old building in mind which make me felt like i am not in KK) but empty ahaha. I collected my luggage and true enough it was wet and dirty. haha at least i managed to find my way back without getting lost *gives a pat on the back*.

Cant imagine time is passing by really quickly, no matter how bored or busy i am. It feels good to be home again (too surreal), specially being with ur loved ones spending quality time with them, being able to eat local delicacies that i have missed so much for the pass few months and most of all mum's homecook food, going shopping with mum as well as catching up with some of my ex-high school and primary school mates. Hmm not much changes in KK i reckon, except for the airport, the flyovers and 1 Borneo...huge shopping mall.The only thing i cant stand now is the heat and humidity. Oh oh...and the freaking annoying mozzies...they love me so much...arghhh leaving pretty spots on my legs and arms now! At least the flies are not as annoying as those in Aus. Another thing i noticed, nowadays people drive recklessly in KK. Geez, about time the gov or JPJ implement some changes in the driving law or something.

In my entire life, I had never felt dizzy before together with that fainting sensation..ok to sum up I nearly fainted in church last Saturday! Omg it was the worst horrible feeling ever. It just comes in all of a sudden, I just felt light headed when I look up so I have to look down. I was alright during the first half of the church mass, when it comes to the priest giving his sermon, I just felt so sleepy and was forcing myself to stay awake and concentrate. After that, I just felt horrible…I just felt like fainting and I was starting to get nervous..i was so scared that I would faint infront of a large crowd..it would be a great embarrassment for myself if that happens! With the heartbeat increasing..my whole body was shaking…and it just make things worst. I tried to calm myself down, mum told me not to look up..Oh gosh the feeling is horrible..it just felt like your whole body would tumble down any moment! Good thing it was towards the end of the church mass. Went out and breath some fresh air, rushed to the car and pumped in lots of water. It was really hot that day and I was dehydrated, not drinking enough fluid plus i jogged + brisk walk 4 ½ rounds at Tun Fuad park in the morning, and went to meet up with my primary school friends that same morning as well not getting enough rest..and the changes in temperature..hot to cool…and then hot again..all these brought about to that dizzy…fainting feeling. Never want it to happen again..its horrible.

Finally I can enjoy the rest of my holiday in peace, sem 2 results was released yesterday. I officially passed my first year. Pheeew what a relief! Thanked God for everything! Its gonna be a tough year next year…neuroscience…ahhhhhhhh probably worst than Anatomy and Physiology! Then again I am looking forward to the electives that I have chosen. Rural health and Chinese 1A!!!!! hahaaha yes I am taking up Chinese language..the most basic one to begin with! I don’t know if it worth it or not cuz I have to travel down to the campus in Melbourne. Sigh but im interested in learning how to read and write..dont wanna be a pure ‘banana’.

Till Then.

2008-11-18T21:44:00.003+08:00

LOL...unbelievable..in few hours time i will be boarding s'pore airlines heading back to KK!!! YEePEEE!...lol bit stress out, cuz this is my first time travelling long distance alone! Oh dear, hope i find my way...and hope the luggage is not over 20kg. my luggage is mostly filled with food!! ..nuts, biscuits, chocolates, cheese...etc..LOL..aussie products.

Went to watch 'The Women' with my coursemate just now.It was clearly a girly girl movie..well mostly for women i reckon..bout love and friendship. LOL..was thinking to watch 'Australia before that' but its not out in cinemas yet and apparently the new James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace' premieres today...oh my the queue was long!!!!!
............better go through my checklist again............ Bybye Aus...Hello KK!!

2008-10-27T19:42:00.003+08:00

Finally done with all that crazy assignments...and now its just exams. Currently on study break, progressing really slowly on revisions..which is not really good. Have to accelerate.!!!
I have 3 papers altogether..1st paper on the 6th of nov (health behaviour)...100MC....2nd paper on the 12th of nov (Functional human anatomy)...90MC...oH gosh..this unit is freaking me out..there is so much to remember...name of bones, bone landmarks, muscles : names/attachment/insertion , nerves, ligaments, tendons...........arrrgggghhh....how can i remember all of them! last paper on the 13th of nov....Physiology.........another unit that is worrying me alot. Consist of MC and short answered questions, worth 50%. This is a particular unit that is so unorganise..we have to go to another campus in melbourne for practical and was ask to complete 6 reports in 3 weeks..what a killer. Whereas the students at that campus get to complete 1 practical report in 2 weeks. Everyone felt that it was unfair and we might just wouldnt know what mistake we might have made. There wasnt much guidance in writting this prac report, well only towards our last tutorial class when the reports were due in 2 days time. LOL. Glad that its over, im just hoping i would pass it and the freaking EXAMS as well!!!!

ok....stress enough bout exams......

Went to Melbourne to sort out my air ticket, fuuhhh...useless to sort it out through phone call. S'pore airline office here will just put you through the operator, while u wait for ages to be entertainted which never seem to happen. Counting down the days till the 19th of Nov. I hope i dont miss my connecting flight to KK...cuz i only have 1 hour gap till the next flight to KK. i can imagine i Will be running like mad on that day searching for the domestic terminal. First time travelling long distance alone...oh dear...im scared.

I just came to realise that, quite a fair bit of people think that i dont look chinese. Like my friend's foster family from America thought that i am philippino, and the porter working at the place where i had my fieldwork asked " are you philippino" ..i was like..'uhh no..malaysian chinese'..LOL. One local aussie guy asked if i am malay, as in malaysian..malay.....
and today in the train, me and my friend met a Iranian guy who has been to malaysian for 6 years, who knows malaysia much more better than us (amazing) ..been to KK as well...Sipadan Island, manukan Island, sandakan, Sutera Habour -Beautiful...wow wow wow.
hahah..impressive. He asked if i am a malay...or kadazan..lol..he knows Sabahan native people as well..then he said..maybe not malay.. cuz he saw my cross necklace which i wore..shows that iam a christian. Other mainland china people that i have met also said that i dont look chinese..definitely not from mainland china..LOL..funny funny. But once you speak mandarin, their jaw drops..LOL. Hahah something special.

Alrighty heading off to bed. Ta.

2008-10-01T18:52:00.004+08:00

Wooo...it has been ages since i last blog....

I cant believe it, October is here! Which means final exam is approaching in a month time and soon i will be going back to KK! ...Oh dear...im near towards completing my 1st year! unbelievable...time really flies. Have been extremely busy with assignments...it doesnt seem to end..till the last day of exams..then i reckon i would declare myself..free from assignments and exams (temporary).

This week is my mid-semester break and clearly its not a break for students to enjoy themselves. Special week dedicated to finish your assignments. I had to go to Burwood campus in Melbourne to do 6 practicals in relation to my physiology unit for 2 days, since the campus in Geelong doesnt have the appropriate facilities. Took the train to melbourne with 2 of my coursemates and we catch the suburban train to another coursemate's house. All in all it took 2 hours to get to my coursemate's house. In the suburban train, there were a group of people..dressed in casual clothes..one of them came approching towards us..suddenly showed his ID...i thought he was some FBI guy...and asked us to show our tickets. Melbourne public transport is pretty strict with the ticketing system, they will randomly go on suburban train or trams...and make sure every passenger has a ticket or else u will be fined..with big lump sum of money! Anyways, that was the big hit of the night.....10.30pm and stantionmasters still come out , dressed in casual clothes to do inspections on passengers. great.

Had a great time crashing in at my coursemate's house. The housing area is pretty cozy, not to mention the house itself..two floors, basement living room, upstairs: bedrooms, kitchen, another living room, bathroom, dining room and a veranda....quite spacious, with plenty of items...as in for decoration...it may look pretty but imagine the amount of dust collected. Lol...

Somehow the Burwood Campus in Melbourne felt more like uni-environment...i mean the campus is quite huge, different buildings everywhere and we almost got lost during our 1st day..searching for the practical laboratory and even during the holidays, there were quite a fair bit of students hanging around!

Practical was enjoyable, although most of the time was just sitting around, obseerving our subject and waiting for time to pass till the next test is being done. Part of the experiment was testing subject's blood glucose level during resting, exercise and after consuming high glucose drink which according to my coursemate tasted like extra sugary-lemonade. I became an expert in pricking my member's fingers...lol...taking blood samples..inserting blood samples into tiny chips which is connected a device called Acu-chek ( i think diabetics used it to check their blood glucose level). Had to check for cholesterol, triglyceride and blood lactate level as well. That was the fun bit..hahaha...just felt like a professional for a moment. In other exercise experiment on measuring blood pressure and heart beat...i sucked in taking blood pressure and listening to the heart beat using a stethoscope not eligible to become a nurse or doctor i reckon..haha.

I became a subject for the last experiment which is measuring blood pressure, heart rate, lactate level and carbon dioxide production in relation to increasing intensity in exercise. OMG..almost died in this experiment. I have to ride an exercise bike, breath throug this large tube which is connected to the computer that measures the amount of carbon dioxide you are producing at the same time my nose was being clipped so that i dont breath through my nose. Had to maintain my riding speed at the same time increasing the intensitiy every 4 minutes from 50W to 250W!!! After every 4 minutes on my left side, my friends checked my blood pressure and on my right another friend pricked my finger to get some blood samples..lol...and i was puffing out towards 150W....it was unbearable..and the clip kept on falling off my nose....guess its not meant for asian flat nose...and my friend has to hold on to it..AHAHAHA..that was hillarious. I couldnt finish the experiment....way beyond my ability..shows how unfit i am as well..AHAHAHA. Totally puffed out. Anyhow, overall it was fun. Now the not so fun bit is having to complete 6 practical reports in 3 weeks!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhh........somebody kill me.

......sigh...........

so much to do...have to sort out my enrolment for next year as well. Still cant decide what electives to choose! 2 of them! ...hmmmmm most likely doing ...critical perspectives on rural issues??..lol..since its recommended for OT and might be useful during my 3rd year..
Gahhh but cant think of another elective...and i want to do it on-campus instead of off-campus!..might choose language? lol...chinese perhaps? AHAHAHAH..

ALrighty..better head back to my anatomy report..Arggghh cant wait to get over anatomy!...

BTW...HAPPY 21st BDAY to my SISTA AIMING!!!!!! LOL..hope u have a blast sista!

2008-09-01T23:24:00.007+08:00

Finally cleared my study table...much better than before ay? I reckon this is gonna be temporary..it will be hit by a tornado again...soon...very very soon.

Gahhhh...i hate ants...they are the most annoying creatures..pest...insects....ONE of the most annoying creatures. Lately black ants has been invading my room...i got so irritated at one point i decided to buy ant repellent. My mom used a powdery form type of ant repellent..very effective..within days...the ants are gone. I went to coles and have a look if they sell the powdery type of ant repellent..they do but it comes in a big bottle (will probably last more than a year..if i bought that huge bottle of powder). So instead..i bought a liquid kind of ant repellent..smells like honey

The theory is...the ants will be attracted to the repellent as it is a sweet based form of liquid, the worker ants will then pass it to other ants (this is where the ant's activity will increase)...till it reaches the queen and the queen dies..destroying the ant's nest as well. It seems to work..for a couple of days there was no ants untill just now...

Ahhhh the little fuckers are back......thats the spot where i placed the ant repellent....there must be some huge ants nest outside the house.

Just realise these ants are probably looking for a new home...indoor. they love to hide under the bowl, cups...where i place my dishes near the sink after i wash...probably cuz its warm and cozy. Damn annoying.The source of where the ants is coming from....

Ahhhh they shall be terminated by tomorrow or the day after..GAhhh...!

Finally spring is here! Woohoo...Cherry blossom tree taken on my way back home...would be more beautiful when its bright and sunny!!

Thats it for now~

2008-08-30T23:07:00.014+08:00

whoa...sorry for the long absence..my blog is not dead yet.

Have been extremely busy late with assignments. I have heaps of assignments waiting for me to munch it all up! Just completed one of the most challenging essays related to my OT unit. OMG..almost drove me nuts..searching for info...understanding the concepts...reading piles of notes..planning out the freakin essay...Gahhh finally done..just hope what i wrote makes sense to the lecturer!

Ahhh there is still more to come...i cant believe in 2 months time it would be final exams. I have a long list of task to do this week...
1) Search for 5 journal articles on self-efficacy for health behaviour journal
2) complete anatomy prac report (killer..killer..killer)
3) research on obesity in young children for OT group presentation
4) listen to physiology ilecture
5) catch up with anatomy ...this subject is killing me!
6) research on dimentia for placement

Placement has been going well so far, except for this week. Both me and my coursemate's supervisor call in sick on thursday. Apparently 3 OTs didnt turn up that day, only 1 came...with 3 other Allied Health Assistants working in inpatient aged care department. Hahah...did nothing much that day, there was no staff meeting either from 12-12.30pm. I joined in the social group activities...the breaky group, lunch group and Scone group for afternoon tea. haha watched how the patients make their own breakfast and lunch. During afternoon tea, one of the Allied Health Assistant made Gem Scones...which looks pretty easy to make. All u need is eggs, self-raising flour, butter and sugar! We had a proper English-style tea,...the table was set up, using special tea cups and saucers, special sugar bowl holder..looks pretty classy...and even the tea was specially brewed..not those ordinary tea bags! The freshly baked scones was damn yummy...with a dash of cream and strawberry jam..ahaha what a privilege! Spoke to some of the patients as well...hahaha oldies can be cheeky sometimes..do not underestimate them.

Went home early that day, for the first time..hmm maybe the second time i reached home when the day was still bright and sunny! The train was packed on our way back, since it was peak hour...so me and my coursemate had to sit on the floor instead...which is not comfortable when the train suddenly swings to the left or right! Not fun either when u have to get up at 5am every thursday!
Sigh...i feel that i need to improve my communication skills...when communicating with OT staff and patients...sometimes im too quite. Oh dear.

This is how dodgy my room looks like at the moment:
great mess...have to tidy it up!

muahahah some random pics of my 21st bday prezie...

Muahaha new laptop from bro...loveeeee it! efficient!

Wall-E toy from Cheryl!!! hahaa..it can dance!!Kimmidoll from Shaz, photoframe & craft book from coursemates...:DJewelleries from coursemates :DBody shop gift and Britney Spears Fantasy make up set from relatives :DSportsgirl bag from msian friends :DCards from mom & dad, coursemates, cheryl, sista Aiming & Vengli!! tq so much!

last but not least: 21 bday candle....
Tats it for now...tata~~

2008-08-08T09:04:00.003+08:00

Today 08.08.08 is the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games...

It is also the day i was born into this world..08.08.1987

and so today i turn 21..

on the 8th of Aug 2008..

08.08.08 and being 21 happens once in my life time...

Happy Birthday to myself..haha

and thanks everyone for all the b'day wishes~

2008-08-04T13:00:00.012+08:00

Hey there~~~

Whoa..time flies and this week is the 3rd week of uni. Assignments & readings are beginning to pile up. First day placement has been exciting so far except for the fact that i have to wake up at 5am in the morning and catch the 6.13am train from the South Geelong train station..such a dread. At least i have two of my coursemates to accompany me. We arrived North Melbourne train station at 7.20am and we have to catch another upfield train to the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) which only takes about 10minutes. We arrived half an hour earlier and it was freezing that morning so we went into the cafe and got ourselves a cup of hot chocolate. Ahhh....nice and warm.

By 8.15 we met up with the rest of our coursemates and one of the OT staff working at the rehab centre. We had a short tour around the Rehab centre area. Quite a large area..just hope i dont get lost. After that, i met my supervisor. A young lady who just started working at RMH for 2 months, La Trobe Uni Graduate..still very new to the area as well..but looks pro to me. She seems like a nice lady, when she smiles! HAHA..but other than that...serious at all times. She brought me around the area that she is incharged of...that is the Inpatient Aged Care Rehab Unit. There were 3 units altogether...based on different level of care. She is basically stationed at level 1.

She introduced me to all the patients, mostly elderly patients. They were having a breakfast group..sitting on a round table..chit chatting and enjoying their freshly made scones ( I had one as well, taste really good with a dash of jam & cream..YUM!). Other staffs like nurses and physiotherapist were there to entertain them as well. I just stood there and observe how my supervisor communicates with the patients...Oh yeah one of the patients, an elderly lady said that i have very nice straight teeth! HAAHA..they are so adorable. Most of the patients suffer from stroke, diabetes, injuries from fall (one of them had a tennis ball cheek cuz he fell off from his bed..) and dementia as well. They look so normal in the morning, but when the clock touches 3pm...you can see some behaviour changes.

In the afternoon we met another patient that my supervisor was incharge of..another elderly lady...after introducing, she said 'Ohhh you have nice teeth!...ahahaha...whoa..2 patients in a row! My supervisor winked at me and said..its probably cuz of i have a big smile..HAAHHAHA..funny. I observed how my supervisor interviewed an Italian patient who just got admitted into the hospital...communication with another patient where English isnt her 1st language can be difficult, but at least this patient manage to give quite a fair bit of information..more than enough for the OT to write a report on the patient's case book (which i got to see..the full details...and report written by nurses, physios...interesting).

Ahhh i have to start learning all the terms and abbreviations used in hospitals. Something new there! plus learn to ask more questions......i wish i m spontaneous...but sometimes i just cant think of a question on the spot! gahhh...!

After all that, my supervisor brought one her patients to the kitchen area to make his own dinner. The patient was quite irritated with his jumper, and kept on saying that the sleeve was too long and he wants to cut it off..around that time he would always asked where Commonwealth Bank is...and talks about the area he is living..which is nearby safeway...the sign of dementia. So we went to the kitchen, i guess part of this task was to test and observed whether the patient is still capable to make his own dinner, as in his cognitive skills..concentration...etc. I'm surprised that he is still able to cut the vegetables, able to differentiate between the less fresh part of the lettuce..but only thing he didnt realise is that he had spread two blocks of butter on his bread...kept asking for the butter again...and he thought that the big red onion is an apple..hehe. Overall i think he made himself a good dinner, only thing is that the cucumber and carrots that he cut was too hard for him to chew...><

Finally for the first time in my life i touched snow!!! Sooo fascinated about it! I went to Mt Buller last saturday with a group of Malaysian friends and others from India whom i dont really know. We rented two cars and one of them had their own car. The journey to Mt Buller is about 5 hours drive from Geelong. We started our journey at 7am, after an hour drive we stopped by McDonalds to have breakfast and what i small world i met my coursemate who was working part time there!! Then the journey begins..encounter straight and hilly roads at the same time. We stopped at a small town called Mansfield..where you can rent ski equipments, waterproof jackets, snow boots..etc...we rented snow boots as it would be slippery and wet at the mountain! The road was hilly as we were driving up to the mountain, couldnt really see a clear view of the mountain since it was cloudy and drizzling. Out of a sudden, we saw snow..like we just entered a different place!!!

cant resist...snapping photos!

Felt like i was in some different place..and not Australia. haha. We started putting on our thick jacket....gloves...and binies on when we arrived. The place was crowded and packed with people. Took a free shuttle bus to a different section of the mountain, i think its the main skiing area, there were restaurants , souvenir shops and more ski equipment shops. There were Ski lessons as well and a cable car that brings people to a skiing area ...but the ride is costly..$94 for adults.
I think u need to invest alot as well if u intend to ski!

Shaz and i

I made a snow man with Shaz..and the rest of the time we started throwing snow balls at each other! ahhh...i think its was 0 degrees up at the mountain..but it was not as cold when u r playing around...except for my fingers and nose!! It snowed a couple of times! The feeling is undescribable...maybe it felt like Winter Sonata..hahahaa..its quite annoying when the snow hits ur face.
Thick snow!!

Ahh i played this thing called 'Taboggane'...its like a plastic board u sit on...with a string attached in front. All u need to do is lean backwards...hold on to the string tightly..and slide down a steep hill!!! Whoaaaaaaaaaa...beware of bumps....cuz u will be lifted up and when u land down...the part the hurt most is ur pelvic area. AHAHA.
friends playing with the taboggane..

It was worth it. A day trip is good enough..unless u plan to ski! I dont mind goin back to Mt Buller again next year during winter! Try Skiing this time maybe? HAHAHA. I was all wet by the end of the day.

Thats if for now..ta!

2008-07-18T00:30:00.002+08:00

Sorry for the long absence. Time flies...

my 3 weeks semester break just ended...and this week is the first week of uni. I had a great semester break spending 2 weeks plus in Adelaide, hanging out with friends, exploring some parts of the must-see or go in the outskirt of Adelaide as well as sleeping over at Kylie's apartment (Thanks again Kylie!). I also had a great time bringing two of my friends from Adelaide to Melbourne. They spend about 6days and 5 nights in Geelong. In fact most of the days was spent on exploring Melbourne city minus 2 days of rest. Was pretty worried of getting lost in a big city as i am not really familiar with melbourne,..have to rely on the city map the entire time..including my senses of direction. There were other places i wanted to bring my friends like Ballarat, Great Ocean Road,...etc..but time was limited. At least they have seen the city of melbourne 360 degrees!

Semester 2 is gonna be a great torture. The units looks tougher...especially the functional human anatomy unit and the Integrated Human Physiology unit...a more detail and deep study of the human body >.<
Fieldwork also begins next thursday, i have to travel to melbourne every thursday for 2 weeks..and i begin placement from 8am till 4.30pm..which means i have to get up at least 5am in the morning and catch the 6am train from geelong! Oh dear. I wonder how i am gonna survive... with assignments and everything....! I really dont know what to expect in my placement as well, lots of mix feelings. Will be working at the Inpatient Aged care rehabilitation unit (Sub Acute) ...working with oldies.......its gonna be tough.

............i have to readjust myself and settle down....currently still in holiday mood....and trying not to think too much of some unimportant stuff.

thats it for now.

2008-06-24T12:14:00.006+08:00

YeeeePeeeee!!! Finally exams are over!!! *throws study notes in the air* LOL....muahaahaz.

Well, after so many months..i finally cleaned my room. Its sparkling clean now..dust free. ahhh just hate Dust! It builds up really quickly within days..so irritating.

I'm off to my coursemate's holiday house at an area called 'Barwon Heights' later. Will be having a girls night out and sleepover :D. Next day i will be heading to Melbourne city with my Malaysian friends..gonna do some window shopping teeheehee, buy some Krispy Kreme back to Adelaide since there is no Krispy Kreme there..and stay overnight at one of my Malaysian friend's foster family's house. Flying off to Adelaide on saturday and will be staying at Kylie's place...cant wait~!

Went to 'the chocolate room' yesterday with my friend Shaz after exam. The Chocolate Room is one of the best cafe i find in Geelong and it is best for those who are addicted to chocolate (hehehehehehe). Price wise..its pretty reasonable..compare to other cafe's like Gloria Jeans. Me and SHaz wanted to try Freppe which is a crushed ice drink ..comes in a variety of flavour..chocolate, mixed berries..etc..when we ordered..they lady at the counter told us that they dont sell that during Winter. WAhahaha..should have known..but the drinks was still in the menu. So we decided to go for ice chocolate instead...which cost AU$4.50 and this is what u get :D
Chocolate drink with chocolate sauce, a scoop of vanila ice-cream inside and topped with whiped cream with a dash of chocolate powder. LOL!!!! YUM! but super fattening

Had waffles as well..muahaha...
that was my lunch!....

Recently there is abit of changes at the place i m staying at. Big sign post...posted in the kitchen pantry and toilet...and it is in English! Lol! The owner also installed..commercial toilet papers..umm like those u see in public toilets..super massive rolls but not as thick as the ordinary ones sincet he ordinary toilet rolls are always used up within 2 days.

Took this in the kitchen

This one was sticked on the fridge for quite a while...i think it also says not to take other people's food...
HAHA. The food thief has been silent lately. I wish to catch whoever that person is one day! In fact i m suspecting someone in this house.. i named her 'the bitch in the house'. Was cooking with her the other day. Everyone has their own cupboard numbered based on our room number for us to put our spices, dry food or etc..in the kitchen. I just noticed this girl..opening every single cupboard to look for something to add in her cooking..when it is not even her own cupboard. -.- unbeliveable. Good thing mine is outside the kitchen.

I placed all my food in seperate bags...hoping nobody will take it. How upsetting, even my cooked food was taken previously. Just hope the food thief stays quiet till i move out from here.

Alrights..off to get ready and pack up! ta~

2008-06-13T16:28:00.002+08:00

fuhhhh..................im still alive and surviving!

My immune system raised the white flag last week, and i was sick with high fever for two days..got much better on Saturday and went to Melbourne to catch up with my brother. Came back the next day...still not fully recovered and my whole study plan just went upside down. Just bad luck to get sick in the midst of exam. Pure bad luck...
Was coughing like a mad person for the entire week accompanied with blocked nose and itchy throat. Pheeeew* Ate few packs of strepsils....i tried...strepsils extra blackcurrant flavour, Strepsils for chesty cough...and strepsils specially for dry cough..i think the dry cough is kinda effective..plus the cough mixture the pharmacist recommended to me. So sick of eating medicine now. Dont ever wanna get sick again at the wrong time!!!

Two more days and here comes my very first uni exam paper...... Understanding Health. A broad subject, so much info to swallow, technical 'health' terms, concepts and interventions that we have to 100% understand...and u just dont know what sort of questions are they gonna ask. Sighhhhh...

NExt.....human anatomy and physiology, LOL Again...lots of topics to cram in...altho its 80MCQ i dont know how it is possible for me to remember everything....

Last paper..Communication & Diversity...again................its a killer subject.....alot of concepts that we have to understand........totally clueless of what would be questioned during exam.

Anyways, cant wait till exam is over..ta for now.

2008-05-28T16:50:00.004+08:00

Dear me! I was in the spotlight or shall i say centre of attraction in today's communication & diversity lecture. Today was our last lecture and the last topic was about 'What is effective intercultural communication?' Just as well after so many weeks of sitting in front, me and my friends sat at the back since we were the last ones to enter the lecture hall. Half way through the lecture, the lecturer started popping up a question! Oh yeah, it was on the section of 'slang'

"Is there anyone here who comes from a different country?"

Without further ado, i raised my hand up! ..i cant just sit there and keep quiet! I looked left and right and i was the only one who raised my hand up..which means i am the only international student not only in the course but in this lecture for today. Gahhhh everyone was staring at me! Just mentioned that, i came from Malaysia and the lecturer asked if i am familiar with some given examples of slang on the slide..i was familiar with most of it..like

Awesome, gonna-be, gross, a nerd, a wanna-be, wicked, sick, cactus..

but never heard of chuck, fizzer, a hoon...LOL and of course i hardly or never used some of the slangs before i came to Aus.

Next after few minutes, she started asking me what is the culture difference between Aus and M'sia. My brain was blocked..couldnt think and asked me to think bout it and probably share later in the lecture...so some ideas started to flow in, i had my points, ready to share but sadly didnt get to share it...well i think in terms of culture, Aussie people are more open whereas we tend to be more conservative. I also realised, we tend to speak at a fast pace that its hard for the Aussies to catch what we are trying to say. Ohh another thing that i just realise.. dinner in aussie sometimes they call it 'tea'. OMG..when my friend first said..'i had pasta for tea'..hmmm i was thinking..tea as in 'coffee and cake...tea break...in the middle of the afternoon'??? Actually its dinner!!!! LOL ...
The lecturer also asked if we celebrated christmas..or any other similar special occasions with aus...i said yes we do celebrate christmas, church is a number 1 priority...and there would also be family and friends gathering..food. I also add in that malaysia is a multicultural country and that we had celebrations like Chinese New Year...ethnic group celebration...( Harvest festival )...wanted to say deepavali or hari raya...but i am affraid nobody would know and definitely alot to explain. Then my lecturer goes, what about Easter? I said easter is celebrated among christians but we dont have easter breaks! LOL!....Gahhhh i was blushing the entire time.

3 weeks in a row, my OT tutorial class has turn into a cooking session. Yesterday another group presented on how to make tiramisu!~..YUM! Started of with a quiz on Italian Food? Then it was fun time! The group has prepared most of the ingredients which consist of; freshly beaten cream, mixture of coffee and orange juice, biscuits, and cocoa powder. First break your biscuit into half..as long as it fits the bottom of the surface of the plastic cup that we used. Dip the biscuit into the mix coffee and orange juice...now here comes the skill. If you dip it too long, your biscuit will become soggy and mushy. So you need to get the right amount..you dont want your biscuit to be too hard or too soggy! After that, apply a layer of cream..and repeat the first step again till your cup is almost full. Lastly, sprinkle some cocoa powder and refrigerate for at least 30minutes. Wala enjoy ur tiramisu! It was really good..maybe a hint of rum/alcohol would be good :) .

Yesterday also during my understanding health lecture, we watched a short animated movie clip called 'Harvie Krumpet' produced by Australia and won the Golden Globe Awards in 2004. Its a very interesting, embedded with some deep meanings and of course hilarious! This short movie was kind of link to our topic of healthy ageing and social determinants of health context.

You should be able to watch it on YouTube:

you can find part 2 & 3 as well at YouTube! Enjoy~