Stop drinking (alcohol) from August till the end of the year

It started as a health initiative at work to choose an "alcohol-free" day but I decided to take it a step further and stop drinking till the end of 2009.

The hardest part about not drinking is saying no to people who offer you drinks. Especially to those who are VERY good at describing the benefits of alcoholic drinks. It was even harder resisting my favourite red, cabernet savignon.

Being someone who finds it extremely hard to say no (in general), it was quite a breakthrough. And it has been an amazing experience staying sober. Whilst saying that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking. I just chose to see how it was on the other side and I enjoyed it all the way.

It is the last day of the year and I am ecstatic to proclaim that I have stayed off alcohol for five months!

Here's to more challenging and eye-opening 104s for the new year!

Make a calendar for my parents

I am great at putting ideas into action but I admit that I am not the best at completing them.

And this calendar... it took many hours of editing. And cornily enough, I played love songs on my computer while I was editing to get me all emotional and motivate me to design a lovey dovey calendar. It's for my parent's 39th anniversary so I think that's a good enough excuse.

My siblings were very helpful and emailed me plenty of pictures. And I have found facebook photos to be extremely resourceful.

My mom's reaction when she saw a really old picture of herself and my dad.

Glad it made their day. Another fab 104!

Have a movie night with my family

A movie night with my family is not as simple as it sounds. I don't usually follow through with my plans because I get into super-lazy mode when I head back and end up not doing anything (which is still super-good).

But this time, my siblings were quite keen with a movie night and they came up with a couple of movie options. When the day finally came, we all gathered around the telly and surrounded ourselves with food.

We watched "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs" and "Where the wild things are".



Turned out to be a great night of laughter, binging and "togetherness". I can finally proclaim that my family have partake(n?) in their first 104 deeelight!

Go to a clothes swap

Clothes swap is a great way for girls to clear their wardrobe and get a fresh set - for free. I first came to know about it when I was browsing on saving tips. Weeks later, Amy invited me to one and it couldn't be a better 104!

Amy's very efficient. She categorised the clothes into work wear, dresses, tank tops/singles, winter tops, evening dresses, skirts, jeans, jackets and she had a little section set aside for bags and accessories.

I found two FAB tops and a green beaded necklace! Note that the yellow top has a slit at the back so it's great for summer (sexy back indeed!) I wore it yesterday but with a jacket and black tights.

One day yellow top, one day!

It was a great girls get together. And the clothes that did not get selected went to Vinnies so it was all for a good cause. One of the ladies at the swap looked so much like a friend of mine (Marie) which I found out later, was her sister. So I called Marie up (who I have not seen in years!) and we caught up for dinner last night.

I have to say that my 104s so far have really gone beyond just being things that I have done. And I somehow wish that I didn't need a 104 to have to do it all.

But I'm glad I did.

Learn to dance dancehall/reggaeton

When I watched this video entitled "reggae" on Vybedance's site on Youtube, I knew this was how I was going to learn to dance dancehall y reggaeton.

But it has got to be one of the most intense dance choreographies ever. It took me four Saturdays to get the moves but I was far from mastering them! Oh I tried! I really tried!!



But ahh, here's to life and learning. Thanks Kay for recording the vid and my lil car "Choo Choo" for the music.

Learn how to swim

Fact 1. I am 24 years old and I do not know how to swim.
Fact 2. I am in Australia.
Fact 3. The best swimmers in the world are from Australia.

Like, hello, earth to Monica! Get your act together and sign up for a swimming class!

Yes, I did sign up for a 10-week adult class. And I found the perfect swim wear. Trust me, shopping for swim wear can easily injure the body-conscious mind... very badly. But thankfully, I found this shop at the top of Carillon city and I bought myself a two-piece. The top wonderfully covers part of the upper thighs.

And... I've gone to my second class this week! I'm learning how to freestyle. I admit that I'm still some way away from being fully confident in the water but I am finding that I'm more comfortable now. My instructor's great. He also works with kids so he's ever so patient and encouraging.

Here's to life and learning!

Volunteer at a music festival

Everytime I go to a music festival, I have always had this longing to work for the event itself.

And... an email was sent out a few weeks ago looking for volunteers (Oxfam) to man a stall for the One Movement for Music festival on Sunday 18th October.

That's how I became an official music festival volunteer!

That's our stall with the green banner on the left. It is different when you're at a music festival but you're not really AT the music festival. I stayed at the tent most of the time but managed to enjoy the music because we were right beside the two main stages.

It was quite a relaxed setting. Met a couple of new faces from Oxfam, sold a couple of fair trade goods, asked whoever approached our tent to sign petitions and I admit, after 8 hours, I was exhausted!

Good times!

Watch Beyonce in concert

How do I say this?

Beyonce is... tha bomb!



We (Ruth, Debs and I) could not believe how close we were to the stage! And she is BEAUTIFUL in real life. Her singing, her dancing, her performance, everything was so unbelievably good! Amazing how one person can draw thousands of people together. It takes a LOT of talent and confidence. And she sure has them both!

Thanks Kel and Gems for buying the tix for my 24th birthday. You guys are the best!! Seriously, best birthday present ever!

Be a vegetarian for a week

I kept trying for weeks to reduce the amount of meats in my meals to prepare myself for "the week" but found that I ate more meats than usual. Check out what I had for breakfast the Saturday before "the week"!

But when I finally set down a date, September 28th, the 104 went quite well...

Boiled tomato with leeks, baked eggplant and toast

Spinach quiche, leftover eggplant and tomato

Spinach salad with eggs, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, jalapenos and celery

Tomatoes and eggs

Just to name a few. Thanks to Eunice, I can officially say that I have been a vegetarian... for a week. But whilst saying that, I did have a huge barbeque on the Sunday to mark the end of it.

Still... 104 accomplished!

Head down to Brisbane

That's lazy Fitzgerald.

Take 104 photos of myself over the course of 104 days starting from the 10th April

The idea came just before our birthdays and trust me, it was very unlike me to do a photo project that was all about me. I like being behind the camera but it was time to let go of all insecurities and make history.



It was quite interesting making sure that I remembered to take a picture each day and not really knowing how I was going to do with them. It was probably an unconscious sort of devious plan to kick myself into the mood of editing videos... in a hidden "I-didn't-know-it-myself" way.

I'm all smiles. Word up!

Do the Karen Cheng with the creator herself

My 104 list had to include meeting a Perth celebrity and to prove that I did with a picture. And in this instance, it would be with blog celebrity, Karen Cheng, and the 104 would be to "Do the Karen Cheng" with her.

I emailed her earlier this year but sadly, I did not get a response. So I tried adding her on Facebook and sending a message through there. That didn't work either. By then, I felt like a bit of a stalker and had to scrap the idea.

But I guess in life, we just have to believe and let time do its magic because I bumped into her in Garden City today! Yes, I did get all excited and blabby.

Story of my life. I bet she had nooo idea what this one picture meant to me. Thanks Karen for being such a sport, you really made my day!

Go lawn bowling

Yes, I deserve the title of "nana" now that I've set lawn bowling on my 104 list. Here's a show of me and my erm... balls

We formed groups of four and the three peeps on the left below are my team mates. Go team! The girl with the black jacket was doing a feet count of the distance between the two balls closest to the Jack (white ball aka. target ball)

Here is a show of the first ball that I threw...

Yeah, not quite there yet.

Lawn bowling has proved itself (to me) to be a great activity for a day of fun in the sun. I like it better than ten-pin bowling. You get to soak in the sun, relax, have a good laugh with your friends and have some friendly competition. Perfect for us new-age nanas!

Watch a WASO musical

I think life presents itself in opportunities. So when two tickets to watch Stravinsky's Petrushka were offered to me (thanks to City to Surf), I latched onto them. I have never been to a WASO performance and thought it might be a good chance to explore the realm of classical music.

We got there in a nick of time. They were making some announcements as we were walking to our seats. As soon as the lights dimmed, the whole room went quiet. And it took me some time to adjust to seeing a full orchestra in front of me... piecing together the visuals with what I was hearing because I could see them playing but the music sounded like it was coming from a CD. I wanted to go right up to the stage to hear the sounds as they were coming out from the instruments. It felt unreal.

After the second piece, there was a 10-15 minute interval. The third and final piece was Stravinsky's Petrushka. It was quirky, peaceful and intense at the same time. I closed my eyes hoping to fully capture the moment and it was music like none other. And when I opened my eyes again, the visuals finally pieced together with the sounds. It was complete.

Quite an astounding experience especially for someone who knows nothing about classical music. It threw me into another dimension and I felt as if I understood it all. Definitely topped off my weekend!

Take 104 photos of myself over the course of 104 days starting from the 10th April

Convert to using organic facial products

After going to an organic facial party thanks to Mel who is a rep for Miessence, I was convinced that my face deserved to be pampered with some good ol organic facial products.

I admit... it took me a couple of months before I purchased the items online because they were quite expensive but I weighed out the price and the value of the products and decided, oh, why not. Be nice to your body. So I did.

And when they say that it's on its way... it's literally on its way. I received my order the day after I put it through.

Honestly, I actually feel good using the products. As to whether my face is getting clearer, well, it won't happen overnight but my face is not as oily anymore.

Convert to using organic facial products... tick!

Go rock-climbing

The words "rock-climbing" have appeared on my diary countless times. I've had dates set to go but something would always come up. But I finally locked in a date and to make sure it was going to happen, I set it for when my sis was going to be in Perth.

We went to The Hangout in Bayswater and the guy working there (Adam from memory) showed us how to use the ropes. The climb itself had to be self-learnt. Theresa went first and it must have been the adrenaline rush because she was like Spiderman! She reached the top in seconds and before I knew it, it was my turn.

I just grabbed at whichever rock was sticking out and followed on from there. It was quite scary reaching the top and being me... miss curious... I looked down. And when you're in a situation where there is nothing that you can do about your fear of heights, you automatically adjust and get used to the feeling of being at such a height.

We did a couple of more climbs and was exhausted by the end of it. It definitely felt like a big accomplishment because of my interest in rock-climbing and I'm glad that my sis was there to experience it with me.

Go to the movies on my own for the first time

PRE104

I will be heading to Cinema Paradiso later (at 5pm) to watch Ponyo. Right now, these are the thoughts going through my head:

"I hope that no one will notice that I'm on my own"

"I am going to be in a dark room with strangers... watching a movie"

"Am I going to be alright? I mean, it's just a movie. And I've been to the cinema before..."

"...but not on my own"

"This will be interesting..."

POST104
I think this has to be one of the bravest 104 because I did it all by myself. And yes, it was different. It was great in the sense that I got to choose the movie, pick the time and also, sat wherever I wanted to sit.

And this 104 stood out from the rest because I got to have my "me" time. I didn't realise how long it has been since I've last done something on my own. Comforting to know that I still enjoy my own company.

And I like Cinema Paradiso. The place is cozy, the staff are friendly and the seats are comfortable.

If I could change one thing, it would be to catch a movie in the afternoon because it gets quite creepy having to walk back to the car at night from the train station. Otherwise for just $7.50 it was a great "me" time experience!

Spot the 104

I bet there's a number that other people spot a lot and can't help but make a comment when they see it at the most random of places. 104 would be my number.

I've spotted it at the Newslink at the International Airport


Everytime I check the time at work...


Or when I am processing orders...


Or checking the amount of leave that I would have accrued...


Or when I'm doing the groceries...


At the train station


When looking at facebook photos (notice the number of photos that Karen Cheng has)


Transferring files on my computer


Walking past Picadilly cinema in the city

Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

Give Blood

I've always wanted to donate blood. This "want" started way back in my uni days but my fear of injections (and procrastination) set me back from doing it. However... I finally called up the Blood Donor Centre about two weeks ago and booked an appointment.

It was nerve wrecking! As soon as I saw the little gadget that was going to poke a needle in my finger to check my blood, I freaked!

What a prick! Literally! I was so glad when it was over but it had only just begun!

The girl decided to switch from my right arm to my left. Wha... what was happening? Then, I saw the needle! It was MASSIVE! I thought that I'd be clever and watch the needle get injected into my skin but as soon as I saw how thick it was, I had to turn my head away.

At one point, the blood flow was low and the machine started to beep. Waa, I swear, I was so afraid that they'd have to pull the needle out and find another vein to poke it in. But thankfully, all I had to do was squeeze the stress ball.

It was such a bizarre experience. I could feel the warmth of my blood flowing through the tube that was resting against my wrist and I swear, if I were a fainting type of person, I would have probably fainted from seeing the blood slowly building up in the bags.

I found out later that it was because the lady had poked the needle in at a high angle which caused added pressure against my skin. I was so close to pulling the needle out because it was giving me such discomfort but I pictured this very ugly bloody scene similar that of Quentin Terentino's movies and resisted.

By the end of it, I was so nervous that I could barely breathe properly. I went to get some food and when I finally sat down and my breathing slowly stabilised, I saw this...

That made me feel better. It placed everything back in perspective. It reminded me that donating blood was for a good cause. And I did my part however minimal it might have been. As to whether I will donate blood again? I believe that I will... when I am ready.

Buy a red car

After weeks of going through all the micra colours, I was down to two... the Tokyo Silver and the Roma Red. Tokyo Silver which was classy and timeless but the Red was simply... red.

Red being vibrant, fresh, loud, fun and everything noice.

For some insane reason, I felt more comfortable sitting in the red than in the silver when I did my test drive eventhough both interiors were exactly the same. Ruth said to get the RED car for 104. Eunice, Kay... everyone basically said "Monnie... RED!"

And I've never been happier about buying a red car. Chilling with no make-up on on a lazy Sunday afternoon with the windows down and Beyonce singing away on the speakers.

Sure is the best!