104 Things

Shit Perth People Say

2012-02-01T15:53:00.000+08:00

I know this is not a 104 post, but I really miss Perth. And one of my 104 things to do is to head to down Perth to meet the left side. – Hanah

"A lighthearted look at some of our Perth peculiarities. We askedour friends and family - you'd be surprised how often some common themes came up."

Go to a swap meet

2012-01-30T22:57:00.003+08:00

It is no secret. Where there is a sale or a place of bargain, it can almost be guaranteed that there will be Asians. Which was why I was hesitant at first. I have a deep seeded [Asian] complex that imagines the worst. Of either being shunned by Asians or being shunned because I am Asian.

But I woke up bright and early one Saturday morning and realised that my life was passing me by. That I was not going to get a second chance and it was ridiculous to be living by my fears. So I went home, cleared out all the stuff that was building dust in the cupboard and packed them in suitcases for the swap meet.

Swap Meet: Where people will give you money in exchange for your junk. Also known as a flea market.

The trick to swap meets is to get a good spot. And to do so, you have to be one of the first cars in line. But when I woke up at four that morning, I still asked myself: "Why Monnie why??" You know I love my sleep.

Sarah: "my patience is running thin..."

[insert evil chuckles here]

We were the seventh, eighth and ninth in line so we were given really good spots. The crowds were starting to build as we were setting up our stalls and even before I was done, Lauren was already making a sale. In fact, she was killing it!

A couple of people came by my table [Asians included] and I was really stoked about that. My first sale was a bag that was given to me years ago by a friend who, funnily enough, was clearing her wardrobe at the time.

Sarah was at the swap meet for the first time too. And she was working it!

At one point, I was selling my things for as low a dollar just to get rid of them. I felt terrible because these included gifts that were given to me. But I [honestly] had no use for them. It is insane how much we pay for things that will someday [soon] be of no use to us.

We are such wasteful beings.

It forced me to come to terms with my spendthrift ways. If there is one thing that I spend on, it is on gifts. I ♥ shopping for people. But maybe it is time to start asking people what they want rather than guessing. The surprise element is great but it would be a real pity for gifts to go to waste.

Oh, if you must know, the Asians were great! They were friendly, like everyone else. And at times, super friendly. Tis refreshing to have a change of mindset!

Plus, it is not everyday that you [or rather, I] can sit back on trunk of your car and just relax under the summer sun. Watch as the crowds go by.

I thoroughly enjoyed this 104. Big thanks to Sarah for the suggestion and to Lozza for the detailed planning [down to the muesli bar]. I left with less junk in my trunk, a new appreciation for the simple yet, valuable things in life and with an additional $23 in my pocket. Noice!

Go camping

2011-12-11T22:53:00.017+08:00

Truth be told, I added camping to the list thinking that I would ease into it without so much as a trickle of sweat. I adapt pretty well to things after all. So I booked myself in with the Nullabor Traveller for a 10 day road trip from Adelaide to Perth and thought nothing more of it.

16 November 2011: Two hours after the sun had set...

I remember falling short of breath as I stared down at the swag in front of me. My heart palpitated so hard that I had to hold onto my chest. I wanted to scream [for rescue]. But seeing that the rest of the tour group were not perplexed [as I was] about sleeping outdoors without a tent surrounded by wild animals, reptiles included, I decided to quietly accept my fate and prepared my swag. The first night brought out a whole new meaning to sleeping tight and not letting the bed bugs bite.

It involved a lot of twisting and turning in my sleeping bag which caused a "shwishy-shwoshy" noise. The sleeping bag did such a good job at trapping heat that I was perspiring feverishly. But I was too afraid to unzip my sleeping bag or the swag for fear of creepy crawlies [or worse] as I was told that they were attracted to the heat. Each time I stopped swishing and shwoshing, I would look up into the dark sky filled with stars and feel a wave of calmness. The heat of the bag however would slowly build up and the swishing swoshing would continue.

The scariest part of the night had to be when I heard creepy animal like noises from above my head. The heat from the sleeping bag could not amount to the fear that I felt. So I miserably covered my head under the swag cover and longed for daylight to come.

I woke up at the break of dawn to the sounds of the kookaburra hollering away like a monkey. I was relieved that I had survived the night without my head being torn off by an evil monster. Which, I must say, was highly unlikely but my imagination can be quite unimaginable at times.

For the next two nights, we stayed at Coodlie Park which was a farm retreat in the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. We slept in bunk beds. Three minute showers and all. Life was good. It was our only non-campsite accommodation.

We travelled across the Nullarbor and stopped over at the National Park where we would take our rest for the evening. It had a loo with no door and a yard filled with broken down [rusty] cars which were abandoned in the 70s as it would have cost too much to send someone out to tow or repair the cars.

It was there when I happened to chance upon a brown snake making its way across a footpath metres away from me. I took it as a non-optional option for me to sleep in a tent that evening. Away from the mice. And snakes. Thankfully, Katja was looking for a tent partner and with the help of Katrin and Manu, we had our first tent up and ready within minutes.

The campfire was great. One of the highlights of camping is definitely the campfires. The warmth. The mesmerising flickers of the flames. The conversations that could only be made possible with a campfire in its full blaze. I believe that it was then when I really got to know my fellow tour mates. Or rather, that they got to know me.

From this trip, I have grown to love the outdoors. I did go back to sleeping in a swag [without a tent] later on in our journey. The star filled skies continued to amaze me. And I was even brave enough to unzip my sleeping bag when I slept. There were days when we had no access to shower facilities and although it proved difficult at first, it became tolerable. Travel wipes are a blessing.

Camping is all in the experience. The pitch black darkness of night that you can never find living in the city, the sounds of nature and all that it holds and the disconnection from technology. I felt so much at peace [and at ease].

Grey [muscular] Kangaroo

First campsite

Coodlie Park with the tour group

Being daredevils under the road tracks

The infamous South Australian sign

Seriously.

At one of our lunch stops

Watching the sunset

The loo with the view

A smooth start to Bluff Knoll

Anamieke, my God-sent angel, still smiling as we continued to ascent the mountain

Finally at the top!

Doing some light reading by the gas powered light with my trusty headlamp on

Us gurls and our lovely tourguide at Busselton

Alas, a full view of my travel accommodation

Thanks Eraj for the brilliant 104 which has left me wanting more and a massive thank you to all my ladies and [2] men from la tour across the Nullarbor. You have made my trip worth the while. Thanks for all the memories!

First time volunteering at the Frontline (A very toned down front line)

2011-11-13T21:46:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, was a rather interesting Saturday. I followed my workmate, F, to pack food for the poor on the streets of Kuala Lumpur at this place in Kota Damansara, and we sorted out clothes to give away or sell at a flea market.

After the packing and sorting out, the newbies were brought into the auditorium for a short briefing before heading out to Klang bus station in the city.

I followed the Scottish Muslim-convert founder of Reach Out, Pete, and he explained a lot about the organization. I came to know that Feexa, the co-founder, is his wife. I found that really sweet. That they work together for this.

As an ex-policeman, he knows the streets well. I voiced out my concerns of a dangerous "crowd" and he said that if someone gave you food at 2am at night, you are a "friend".

During the ride, I learnt that it's not about only giving but its also about getting these people off the streets, to start life again.

There were loads of stories told and too many to blog it out. But they are all embedded into my head and if I remember, I'll tell it to you.

When we arrived at the place, I got a bit intimidated actually seeing the 250 recipients waiting. It sure is a different crowd. I was the first to distribute the food and as I gave them out, my heart became 'soft' and a lot more 'softer' after we entered the storm drain area.

My perception on a lot of things have changed after participating in this. If I can, in future, I would like to help out again. Inshallah.

If you're in Malaysia and would like to contribute:

www.facebook.com/reachoutmal
www.reachoutmy.wordpress.com

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Jalan Masjid,Petaling Jaya,Malaysia

Matchmaking FAIL

2011-10-23T21:15:00.002+08:00

I don't think this could be a 104 but it's something "daring".

I signed up on a reliable, Muslim matrimonial site in search of my "jodoh". After filling up the questions and selected my payment, I entered in my credit card details. It got declined of only RM20. I tried a few times again and it got declined.

God is trying to tell me something I think.

Make my own jewellery

2011-08-21T14:40:00.001+08:00

I love handmade stuff. And local products. I like the idea of owning something that is unique and specially designed. I find it admirable to be able to use one's creativity and skills [and pure ingenuity] to create something from scratch.

And being someone who is artistically challenged, I thought it was time I set my fears of failure aside and made my own jewellery.

It took me a good hour or two before I finally could put together the design I had visualised in my head. With the help of my sister and the shop lady of course.

I could not be happier with the earrings.

Here's to a rewarding 104!

Go boxing

2011-08-21T14:15:00.010+08:00

My brother recently purchased a punching bag to get back into Muay Thai and admittedly, I associate such activities with aggression and violence. So as to not make a passive judgement, I concluded that it would only be fair if I stepped into the shoes of a boxer and to understand it from their perspective.

To learn the art of boxing.

So this morning I went for my first boxing class at McCallum Park. And it was then when I realised how unfit I was. There were 50 something year old ladies sprinting past me in the warm up session and no [insert puffed out nauseous face here], I did not make it through the 45 minute boxing class.

As explained by my brother, boxing classes are not all about boxing. It involves an intense workout of different exercises to gear up your whole body. So you do things like "mountain climbing" where you get into a position as you would with a push up but with your hands in a fist and you are hopping off the ground and interchanging your leg position. As if you are climbing a mountain but horizontally.

At least I can say that I really enjoyed the punching.

So what have I taken away from this? That boxing is not all about machoism. It is about body control. About challenging your body and working them muscles while implicitly learning how to protect yourself.

Boxing, I have also discovered, is suitable for keen fitness enthusiasts of all ages and sizes. Need I emphasize on the word keen.

Here's to a fully punchy 104!

Volunteer

2011-08-17T20:44:00.002+08:00

I registered to be a volunteer for Islamic Relief Malaysia last week and I would have to attend a Volunteer Induction Course on Saturday, September 24 2011.

Let's hope they have that course in English!

(Hanah)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Jalan Masjid,Petaling Jaya,Malaysia

Meet a celebrity

2011-08-16T16:06:00.000+08:00

He may not be a Hollywood celebrity, but he has certainly appeared on television a lot of times! Here is me with Chef Wan 'Food Ambassador of Malaysia', at Brunei International Airport en route to Kuala Lumpur in June 2011.

Grow out my head of short hair

2011-08-16T11:49:00.001+08:00

So it has been like what, a couple of years since I haven't contributed to our little project, Mon?

I'm SO SORRY ♥

The past couple of years have been a really huge emotional rollercoaster ride. Finally, I get to contribute to #2 of my 104 List.

My shoulder-length short hair, 3 years ago.

And my long hair, is somewhere underneath my hijab, that I started wearing May 1, 2010.

PS: I photoshop my photos to make them presentable.

Abseiling

2011-07-04T21:01:00.003+08:00

I have a fear of heights but the word abseiling makes the activity sound like a breeze. Like sailing. So when I was clasped onto a rope that I was going to do my first abseil on, I realised then how misleading the word was.

My heart was beating erratically and my whole body went into panic mode. What was I doing?! Normal people do not throw themselves off a cliff! But my pride was on the line as there were onlookers so I started walking backwards, then downwards and then vertically.

It took some time before my body adjusted to the idea of walking down vertically. But when I finally got the hang of it, I started to enjoy myself. I did a little jump down the cliff, followed by another. It was fun!

I realised that with abseiling, you are forced to focus just on your next step. When I thought too much about the descent, I realised that I became more afraid because it seemed so much harder when I tried to strategise my moves. But at the same time, it was empowering. With each descent, I did become more confident and could look down from a height [even if my knees did go weak].

Where's Monnie?

I must say that I have never done such an adventurous outdoors activity. It was thrilling and someone commented that I looked like I was enjoying it. And I was. Got to meet a great bunch of people who were equally as frightened of abseiling but were keen to step out of their comfort zones. And I did some kick-ass rock climbing too.

Here's to the Adventure Out team!

Cycle around the bridges

2011-04-25T12:51:00.002+08:00

The 104
Tasha suggested cycling around the bridges of Perth City - starting from the bike hire shop at Fraser Point and cycling along Riverside Drive, over the Narrows Bridge, through to the South Perth foreshore and back to the hire place.

The Cost
For the hire of three bicycles for two hours [$54], three cold bottles of pump [$12], a miniature sunscreen block of lotion [$5] and three helmets [$3], it cost us a total of $74. Noice!

The Experience
I made a running cycle blog this morning using my iphone. Click on the numbers to view photos taken [including our unplanned detour] as we progressed through the day.

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

The After-effects [one hour later]
My legs are sore but it is such a great feeling! It has been too long since I have done any outdoor activities. And this by far, is my best cycling experience!

The Recommendation
I would definitely suggest cycling around the bridges to anyone who has always enjoyed the views of the swan river. And it is perfect for when you have visiting guests from overseas or interstate. The paths are set up specially for cyclists so you do not have to worry about crossing main roads. It is great for kids.

I would recommend giving yourself two hours to cycle if you decide to cycle at a leisurely pace. And bring your sunnies so that you can be less conspicuous when checking out cuties.

[insert wide smile here]

Here's to a healthy 104!

Done!

2011-04-25T11:42:00.000+08:00

Best two hours of cycling ever! Tho Cynthia did fall at the very end, a few metres away from the bike hire place.

Haha!

The view of the swan river was priceless. And there were a couple of cuties cycling/walking past. One even earned himself a "pheweet" from me [when he was out of earshot of course].

Thanks Tasha! Perfect long weekend 104 with the family!

The narrows bridge

2011-04-25T10:39:00.000+08:00

Opps!

2011-04-25T10:22:00.000+08:00

We missed the narrows bridge and are now making our way back to the bridges.

Detour

2011-04-25T09:56:00.000+08:00

Matilda Bay

2011-04-25T09:40:00.000+08:00

With the bikes

2011-04-25T09:07:00.002+08:00

Point Fraser

2011-04-25T08:47:00.000+08:00

The walk there

2011-04-25T08:39:00.000+08:00

The bus ride

2011-04-25T08:37:00.002+08:00

I am on the bus now with my siblings. We will be walking over to the bike hire later to get our bikes. Very exciting!

Watch an outdoor movie - Movies by Burswood

2011-04-24T16:02:00.009+08:00

When anyone mentions "outdoor cinema", I always think of the Flintstones. It fascinates me. The idea of watching a movie on big screen, outdoors. My experience of the cinema has always been in a controlled environment with guaranteed cold air-conditioning [insert happy brrr here].

With much thanks to Corey and without too much persuasion, I finally went to my first outdoor movie.

As soon as I walked through the gates to the cinema, I began to feel quite relaxed. And happy. This is how a cinema should be. Surrounded by greenery and by fresh air, seated in your camping chair with your pop corn and pizza.

Before long, the sun decided to take its rest and as the calm autumn breeze engulfed us, we laid our eyes on the big screen ahead. I was enjoying the film so much that it was only when I felt a gentle gush of wind that I was reminded I was still outdoors.

Yes, it has changed my cinema experience forever.

Here's to a superb big screen 104.

Host my first Aussie birthday BBQ

2011-04-17T07:02:00.013+08:00

Why is this even a 104? Am I not a party person? Well, truth is... I have always planned a big birthday bash but for a multitude of reasons, I have never followed it through. Note that we are talking in terms of "years" of putting off a party. So it was time to dust off the old party cap, take a massive pill of confidence and finally do what I wanted to do.

I was quite nervous before the party. It really helped that I had my siblings around. Jerome made burger patties and prepared a creamy pasta dish. Yum! He showed me how to fry the patties and then entrusted me with the spatula and chopsticks [cue in angels singing and harps playing].

It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when Cynthia and I got to Kings Park, a quiet hour before the party started. I was amazed at how perfect the location was. It was so serene. We managed to get a spot right in the middle of the grass area, parked our camping chairs next to all the food and chilled.

At about 10 minutes to 3pm, I started receiving calls asking for directions. Bobbie and Melita were the first to arrive, in their matching outfits (too cute!) and from there, it became a frenzy of arrivals. Mel generously took over the role of giving directions while I was ecstatically greeting all my friends.

The early birds

How do I even being to describe the party?

I was overwhelmed to see so many people turn up. It was such a good afternoon. The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and it definitely placed a wide smile on my face.

It was, by far, the best 104 party.

Host my first Aussie birthday BBQ (Pre-bbq blog)

2011-04-16T07:49:00.003+08:00

Believe it or not, I have never (in my eight year of living in Perth) hosted a BBQ. Ever. And thinking about it now, now that I will be hosting one in seven hours time, is making me extremely nervous.

I tossed and turned all night going through my mental tick list. Things that I have done - shop for food, plates, cutlery, glasses, wine, soft drinks, tables, my "Aussie" dress and little trinklets of things necessary for the BBQ.

And then I thought about the things I have yet to do. Burger patties, coleslaw, veggies to be sliced up for the burger, sausage rolls and meat pies to heated up in the oven, the logistics aka. the what ifs.

Now I am waiting for my bro to wake up to give me instructions for what I need to do (kitchen wise). He is the guru, the king/queen of the kitchen and the one who knows what's best for the taste buds.

I am excited. And very pleased with the RSVPs. My friends are really making an effort to turn up, even if it means tearing themselves away from whatever they have planned for the Saturday to be there for an hour.

The knowledge of that is also making me slightly flustered.

It will be fine.

And we will have fun.

Yes we will.

[insert happy happy thoughts here]

Here's to hosting my first Aussie birthday BBQ!

Learn to play the guitar

2011-02-28T18:50:00.012+08:00

From whence I was a kid, I have always wanted to play a musical instrument. But music classes were very expensive then. Especially when you were/are one of seven kids.

So when I finally found my footing and was able to save up... enough for a $45 per hour guitar lesson, I went for my first half hour class on the 25 March 2010. The classical guitar that I brought with me was a gift from my mom for my 25 birthday.

And I loved it.

I learned how to play scales and practiced until the tips of my fingers were so sore that it took a couple of days to heal. I went the week after and then continued to go once every fortnight until the 30 October 2010 when the guitar savings ran out.

Once I get the chance, I will buy myself guitar books and learn more chords, strumming techniques and scales.

What I love about this 104 is that I can come home from a long day at work and play my heart out. I also taught my sister what I knew and she is seriously so good at the guitar and learned a whole caboodle of songs from Youtube.

Thanks Daz for being such an inspiring and patient teacher. Because of you, I have achieved my childhood dream of being a guitarist...

The best story of my life so far

2011-02-21T09:35:00.006+08:00

Two hours after my sister and I were told to get off a plane because of a hydraulic fuel leakage, we started to hammer the airport staff for answers. Were we going to meet our connecting flights in 9 hours?

They did not know.

They gave us an alternative: to re-route to another destination and then catch a flight from there to meet our connecting flight. Was the re-route paid for? Yes. Was the latter part of the flight paid for? No.

Was it a guarantee that we could catch the latter plane? They could not say so.

Smiling for a picture before boarding the plane

to be told to get off 20 minutes later...

...if I had only known.

Missing our connecting flights meant that my sister would have to wait another 8 hours and myself 24 hours on top of the already dramatic 13 hours. And miss out on work and meeting course deadlines.

With less than half an hour before the Clark to KL flight left the ground, we decided on the alternative without purchasing the plane tickets from KK to KL. Dumb mistake? Well, no since that was what the Clark staff advised us to do. To not purchase the tickets.

So there we were on a plane to KK without a plane ticket from KK to KL. With less than an hour to jump off the plane, get through immigration, buy a ticket, get through immigration and customs again and jump on a plane to KL, we both were in the hands of the airport/airplane staff.

What makes it the best story of my life so far?

We both discovered calmness in the whirlwind of calamity. At a point when all plans seemed to fail, we both stopped and prayed. We prayed for ourselves and for patience. We prayed for the airport staff and for their tolerance and understanding. We prayed at a time when we found it hard to move on.

And it was with prayer that we were able to find peace within ourselves. We were thankful for Joshua, the airport staff at Clark, for his patience and help. Throughout it all, he looked after us well. Although everyone who was inconvenienced by the delay of the flight received a free lunch, Joshua brought the lunch to us personally. Maybe he knew that we were not going to eat otherwise.

Two hours or so later and after much drama, we boarded the plane from KK to KL. And it was only because of the grace and understanding of the flight captain, airport staff at KK (lady in the yellow jacket and the guy who helped carry my bags in the rain) and the cabin crew, that we were on that plane. They said that they were going to try their best to help us and they did. And they even managed to smile through it all.

On the plane ride to KL, me and my sister were both still very tense because she could very well miss her connecting flight. And out of the blue, one of the cabin crew, the one who helped us from the start, came by to our seats and told us that they will do what they can to make sure my sister made it to her connecting flight. That was when my sister broke into tears. I admit, I did too but much later when I was contemplating on all that had happened on my own connecting flight back to Perth.

My sister and I wrote a long email to Air Asia thanking them for their efforts and for reminding us to do the same. To help and take care of strangers in times of need. To go the extra mile. To listen and understand. To remain calm when there is much cause for chaos. And to smile a real genuine smile even when times are hard.

Here's to Air Asia and its crew.

Bikram Yoga - Part 2

2010-12-14T20:19:00.010+08:00

Just got back from my second Bikram yoga class at Myaree and now I can say that I have done Bikram yoga! I cannot believe that I could not even sit up to write the 104 after my first class and that was only a week ago!

In a nutshell, you do 26 stretches over the course of 90 minutes in a 38 degree heated room.

To me, the class brings out a natural balance in the body. It makes you focus on your body, on every muscle contraction, the rhythm of your breathing, the sweat cooling your body heat, the pain and satisfaction of every stretch.

It is enthralling.

It felt like I had expanded my lung's capacity and transformed my body into a rubber-like object, twisting and turning slowly to positions instructed by the yoga teacher. She, by the way, was amazing! Beautiful curves, again the celebrity golden brown tan, excellent posture, gentle but firm abs and she held such a calm and soothing tone in her voice.

She explained to us how our bodies benefited from the positions. Where to exert pressure to push the stretch even further. In a non-forceful manner, she made us work. Work really hard.

Enthralling. That what she is.

She said to think of our bodies in terms of three colours. Yellow to indicate the environment where our bodies normally operate. Orange where we have edged out of what we do routinely, out of our comfort zones. Red when we are pushing ourselves past our limit. And she told us not to go into the red.

Thanks to Marie, I found myself completely out of my comfort zone and drenched in the orange. It challenged my brain pulses, sizzling the "NO" stream to a steamy "YES!".

Bikram Yoga

2010-12-08T21:27:00.004+08:00

As I lie here in my state of exhaustion, my sister is typing away at the computer while I narrate to her and in inadvertently to you.

Why Bikram yoga? I asked myself the same question too as I stood there registering myself for the class. I browsed through a list of questions from "to enhance my fitness plan" to "to lose weight". I ticked "other" and wrote "to try something new "

I walked in and was greeted by the most beautiful man on earth. It was like a scene out of the movies. Where restaurants hire good-looking waiters and waitresses to attract customers, this Bikram yoga place hires a dude with golden tanned brown skin served with gentle, delicate yet firm abs. If only I could have written him as the my reason for being there. True but not appropriate.

What is Bikram yoga?

Now I can say it is 90 minutes of insane heat blowing at your body while you're stretching muscles that you never knew existed. I don't think the muscles knew they existed either. It was the first time I saw sweat emerging from the pores of my hands. Starting out like little droplets of demure sweat, merging and flowing but thankfully not as much as the man beside me who was like a human fountain.

After what seemed like the longest time, I took a break while the rest of the class was balancing on one foot with the other high in the air and their hands stretched out like they were carrying a baby. All the while Mr extremely hot and tanned continued to tell us to raise our chins, kick more (stretch the leg that is in the air further up). Minutes later, exhaustion dawned upon me and i became dizzy - as well predicted by the lady at the reception.

It is perfectly normal to feel like your elbow is about to break off, to breath loudly and to want to collapse on the floor and stay there forever.

How do I rate Bikram yoga? It was so out there that in the end of the session when my instructor walked out the door, he said "Namaste" and I followed the others and said namaste with pride and also with a heave. Going again this weekend.

Here's to a hot and sweaty 104.

Learn Chinese

2010-11-30T22:48:00.009+08:00

It is terrifying - the idea of learning the Chinese language. Mainly because I am Chinese and I am expected to already know it proficiently. My parents speak it. The rest of my family members seem to do quite well conversing in the Chinese language so why am I not?

Truth is, I neglected the Chinese language intentionally in my primary and secondary school days. It was not considered cool in my books. And not cool to my school friends either (so I thought).

I began to appreciate the language at a much older age. I wanted to speak to my parents in proper Chinese. To write letters to them. And maybe even send text messages. I wanted to be able to communicate to my parents without struggling for words or replacing them with English words. I wanted to build a deeper relationship with them, to learn from them, to listen to their stories and understand them better.

So after about 5-6 years of saying that I wanted learn Chinese, I finally signed myself up for a Chinese course at TAFE. Little did I know how much I was going to learn. It was a true challenge. I had to stop myself from using my mispronunciations. It took a lot of self-discipline to not skip classes and to pick up Chinese sentence structures.

My biggest handicap was writing in Chinese. The strokes are so difficult to master and I spent hours writing and erasing and rewriting characters so they mirrored (as much as possible) those from the textbooks. I have been told that my writing is similar to that of a child. It is a working progression and it takes a lot of practice and patience.

But I love the art of Chinese calligraphy. It is beautiful and I am so happy that I am now able to recognise some characters.

During my recent trip back to Brunei, I spoke more to my parents and family members in Chinese. I was not shy to use words and I even wrote a card to my parents in Chinese.

And today, I took my test and passed! I have made some really good friends in my Chinese class and we are all planning to continue with the second semester. It has been a very rewarding 104.

Huang Ying Zai Lai

Stop eating chocolates for two months

2010-11-23T19:03:00.008+08:00

The history
My chocolate story began with a Ferrero Rocher. At a tender age of 10 (from memory), I was given a golden wrapped chocolate as a Christmas treat. As I reached the core of that perfectly circular chocolate ball, the world faded away into a rich creamy satisfying silky sweet ocean of hazelnut and I knew then that I had found my new love.

The journey
Since then, I began to venture out to other chocolates. Discovering other hazelnut flavored chocolates, smooth dark chocolates, chocolates partnered with fruit and nut and it was an exciting whirlwind of chocolate adventure.

The connection
When I was down, chocolate would come to my rescue and take me up on cloud 9 where all my troubles melted away. Over the years, it became my personal reward at the end of a long day. Then, it was a daily treat. One big bar at a time.

The intervention
One night it dawned upon me how dependent I was on chocolate. And how badly it could potentially affect me, health wise. My teeth were not in their best condition. I could not afford another major dental fix. Pimples were attacking left, right, front and center. I needed to cut off my supply of chocolates.

The 104
So here it was. A 104 laid out in front of me. To stop eating chocolates *gasp* for two months *h-h-help*

The temptation
I was tempted so many times to stuff myself silly with chocolate. From homebaked chocolate cake to chocolate birthday cakes at work to gifts of chocolate boxes (Harrods included).

The near end
But I had to resist. Control myself. And over time, it got easier. It was easy to falter but I held on. And when I finally made it past two months (coincidentally) Hanah came over and presented me with an oreo cheesecake.

The victory
It was beautiful. But I still needed something that had pure chocolate. It was only until I was mid air on Royal Brunei Airlines when I discovered that the desert had creamy luscious chocolate.

I was, ladies and gentlemen, in heaven.

It was the ultimate 104-choco-licious experience.

Go online shopping for clothes

2010-11-09T21:14:00.007+08:00

Call me a stinge but I would browse online clothing shops for hours each time choosing from hundreds and hundreds of clothing options, throwing in what I thought I would like into the virtual shopping bag. Then I would narrow down my selection to what I really wanted/needed. And when I did, I would calculate the conversion rate, freight charges and then review my selection again. But back out before I could cause any serious damage to my bank account.

Whilst saying that, I did key in my credit card number once and went through with the shopping transaction to the end. Who would have guessed that I, of all people, would get a refund instead of the clothes that I shopped for because the delivery went missing. Lost forever.

So this was a more than a dare. It was trusting in a system that I knew had failed me once before. But I braved the risk of losing my delivery and money (from the exchange rate) and went online shopping at Victoria Secret.

All up, it would have been a total of 15 hours of my (now a routine) browsing. Decide on seven tops which were "simple" but ones that I could easily dress up or dress down, depending on my accessories and lack of. Cost me just over AUD $150 including delivery. And it took exactly two weeks for the delivery to arrive.

You cannot imagine my relief to its arrival!

The tops fit me really well. The colours were a perfect match to my skin. I now own two great off shoulder tops, two cardis, a long black singlet top, a plain white and black top. All stretchy and really comfy. I am so super excited. When I can, I will take photos and re-edit this post with them.

But for now, here is a preview of one of the tops.

Need I mention the models on Victoria's Secret are good enough a reason to want to shop on there?! Here's to a really fulfilling 104!

Go to a toastmasters meeting

2010-08-02T21:52:00.004+08:00

What is "Toastmasters" you say? Well, in a nutshell, it's anything and everything to do with public speaking.

In the meeting, you have from one to 10 minutes, depending on the part of the evening your presentation sits in, to stand up in front of a group of people and present a topic. You get evaluated on a number of "objectives" such as your body language, grammar, description of events/things and the list goes on.

And those who evaluate your presentation also get evaluated.

Who are also evaluated.

And why is it a 104? Well, I have heard so much about it previously but never had a chance to attend a Toastmasters meeting. Yes, I am an "invite-only" person. Even if I really really want to go, I will only go if I am invited. So when the opportunity finally presented itself, I took it.

So, what was my take? It certainly made me squirmish in my seat watching the toastmasters members present. It was like reading the best written book in the world but instead I've got someone doing all the story telling right before my eyes. These people were really good at capturing their audience's attention and honestly, I was so impressed by their presentation skills.

I did a 46 second (yes, they timed it) "presentation" amongst other guests and members and and and... I won the "Best Table Topic". I have never won anything academically before and this certainly was the closest to it so I embraced it with much joy. Another super 104!

Threading

2010-03-16T17:48:00.007+08:00

From the time I heard about threading in 2004, I have always wondered how one could possibly remove hair by using only a thread. So after six years of delay, I finally walked in Zubias Threading for my first eyebrow session. I could not wait to leave looking a Mediterranean Goddess!

In the first few seconds, I thought, hey, this is just thread brushing against my skin. Not bad. Then suddenly, I could hear my eyebrows being pulled out from my screaming follicles. And I started tearing up.

Yup, she has one end of the thread in her mouth. No idea why and she somehow wound the thread around her fingers so she could pull at my hair. Thankfully she was friendly which helped my "I laugh when I'm in pain" syndrome.

$19 later, I was beautifully eyebrow shaped and certain that I will head back there once the hair grows back (which I hear isn't anytime soon). Phew!

Work it at Zumba class

2010-03-11T19:53:00.003+08:00

The drive to my first Zumba class was enough to throw me off into another dimension. The cars in front and at the back of me were all heading in the same direction towards the youth centre. It felt like synchronized driving.

And there were at least 70 people already waiting in the gym by the time I got there. I couldn't believe how long I've been putting this off. MONTHS now. The instructor was this cheerful (not chirpy) late 20s, early 30s lady who definitely had some South American blood in her cuz she could move her hips like in the movies.

I did think that it could be a bit daggy considering there were so many people (only 2 men) in the class and thought maybe the instructor would do really basic slow moves. But it was quick, to the wicked latino/african beats and so much fun! I felt so free like I was dancing in my room.

At times, her moves were so sick that I thought I was watching a movie. It was out of whack! Best 104 ever! Thanks Marie! Am planning to head back next week. Wee hee!!

Promote an Oxfam Project

2010-02-28T11:26:00.003+08:00

Since I joined Oxfam, I have been given lots of opportunities to do things that I have never imagined doing. Thanks to Caron who has believed in me and suggested for me to do what I have done. Like...

1. Manning Fair Trade stalls
2. Giving a talk about my experience in the Fair Trade Group to a new group of volunteers
3. Promoting Solomon Island Earrings
4. Buying Fair Trade tea and coffee for the shop
5. Buying a commode (Oxfam Unwrapped) from shop sales
6. Hearing first hand from a volunteer about war and inequality

Fair Trade products ensure that producers receive a fair minimum price for their products. And Fair Trade organisations work in these villages to ensure that any extra money goes back into the community. Like building schools, water systems, creating work opportunities for women and the list goes on.

It took me a couple of years before I finally put my hand up to volunteer and now my eyes are slowly opening. We can all sit and doubt about Fair Trade. To think that it is impossible to Make Poverty History. But it takes one person to believe for change to happen.

Let's give where the giving is most needed.

De-activate Facebook account

2010-01-27T18:41:00.003+08:00

It was a sudden decision but I was spending too much time on facebook. First off, I don't even keep in contact with 9/10 of the people on my list. Some I barely know. Yet, I was hooked on to it.

So I said Cest la vie to my luvvies and gently took facebook out of my life.

Facebook is so clever. Just before you click the de-activate button, it displays pictures of you where you were tagged in albums and proclaims that those people will miss me. It did make me think twice about deactivating my account but no, I was going to stick to my 104.

So how is life after facebook? It was almost an immediate feeling of "awesomeness". With the spare time, I blog more, spend no time stalking people which is quite a relief and I focus more on doing other nothings. Tis good!

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

2009-12-29T21:09:00.006+08:00

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

2009-12-29T14:29:00.006+08:00

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

2009-12-29T14:01:00.009+08:00

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

2009-11-15T11:53:00.005+08:00

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

2009-11-08T23:27:00.007+08:00

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

2009-10-23T21:07:00.004+08:00

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

2009-10-23T19:26:00.006+08:00

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

2009-10-23T19:07:00.004+08:00

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

2009-10-23T18:37:00.007+08:00

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

2009-10-03T23:49:00.001+08:00

That's lazy Fitzgerald.

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

2009-09-26T01:06:00.005+08:00

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

2009-09-17T22:05:00.005+08:00

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

2009-09-13T16:38:00.004+08:00

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

2009-09-13T15:55:00.006+08:00

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

2009-09-08T22:20:00.002+08:00

Convert to using organic facial products

2009-09-08T21:35:00.006+08:00

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

2009-09-08T12:49:00.005+08:00

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

2009-09-08T12:45:00.010+08:00

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

2009-08-04T21:04:00.007+08:00

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

2009-08-04T19:41:00.005+08:00

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

2009-07-27T13:53:00.007+08:00

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!

Go to a Jazz Club

2009-07-19T16:57:00.001+08:00

I was intrigued by the idea of going to a Jazz club because of a friend who enjoys everything jazz and beams at the sounds of Tony Bennett.

The show started at 8pm and I think it was a combination of the exclusivity of the place, the exceptional service, cozy setting and the great company that made it a true night of Jazz. Dr Tony Gould playing away on the piano.

The breath-taking Imogen Manin on the cello...

The out-of-this-world drummer whose name I fail to remember...

And the shy and humble bass player.

I have come to a conclusion that Jazz is very much like red wine. With each taste, you discover a new note. And now I am a jazz-o-holic.

If you're wondering who took these spectacular photos, it was Eunice's boo... Rodney. Thanks bub!

Host a tupperware party

2009-07-19T14:14:00.005+08:00

No, I am not turning into an Auntie. Or am I?

My tupperware story began a couple of years ago when Jeff invited me to his Tupperware party. I admit that I have always felt bad about not going cuz I found out later how enthusiastic he was about it. But thanks to Brooke from work, I got to attend my first tupperware party. And the more I saw, the more I liked. And before I knew it, I booked in the 18th July for my first tupperware party.

Honestly, I was afraid that no one was going to show up. You've gotta have some money in your bank to go for one of these parties because the products are quite expensive. But when you think about it, you buy veggies and you leave them in the fridge and if you're like me, by the time you decide to cook them, they would've already gone bad. So long term wise, you save money from buying the fridgesmart to store your veggies because it keeps them fresh. Same goes with other foods. And cook ware.

And I have discovered the goodness of the can opener. It is the best! And yes, I've got my own!

Again, it's one of those things that you have to put your hand up for and experience to appreciate. I'm glad I did because I got to share it with Gems, Kel and Sumi. And I got freebies for hosting a party! Thanks Brooke! Always wanted that tiny lunchbox key-ring and again, I blame it on Jeff.

But you know what this is really about? It's about little acts... things that you do... things that you're passionate about (like how Jeff's face lights up when he talks about his tupperware) that you unknowingly plant a thought or create curiosity in others.

See... little does make a big difference.

Buy an air ticket out of Perth (solo flight!) for a weekend

2009-05-05T20:41:00.004+08:00

I was surfing through the Tiger Airways website one fine morning (as most clever people do) when I discovered $100 return tickets from Perth to Adelaide.

It perfectly matched what I had in mind for a weekend getaway by plane to a place where I have never been and before my sensible self could stop me, I bought myself a ticket!

No idea where I am going to stay or what I am going to do and I don't know anyone there (or do I??) but Adelaide... here I come!

Be a Volunteer

2009-05-03T17:25:00.009+08:00

It's true when they say you get what you wish for. About two weeks ago, I received an email from work looking for volunteers for Starlight Foundation and immediately I put my hand up for it. And on the morning of the 1st May, I was ironing my Starlight volunteer top ready to wear it that very day. Alas, procrastination at its best.

I was allocated to a team of 4 people and our times were from 4 to 6pm. So with a few coins already clanging in our containers from the previous shift, we marched down to a busy intersection in the city.

The hardest part for me was popping the street "bubble". The unknown and rarely talked about invisible cover that people put between themselves and strangers. The thing is... I understood why some people would walk past us without even acknowledging our presence because I would do the same too.

But eventually, it got easier to approach people, look at them in the eye (with a smile on my face of course) and ask for a donation.

I found that a lot of tradees gave. A minimal number men in suits gave. And it was the average non-workwear people who were giving, school kids and even the big issue guy. By the time it hit 6 o'clock, all our containers were filled and most of the merchandise were sold.

I didn't expect this 104 to affect me as much as it did. To know how it feels to be on asking end, holding out the cup. And also, learning to acknowledge people even if you are not going to give. At least that will motivate them and let them know that they are doing something good.

May we never forget that a little does make a big difference.

Buy a gift for myself on my birthday

2009-04-27T16:01:00.005+08:00

Wee. I placed an order for this limited edition boxset a couple of weeks ago and I got hold of it last night. They only ship within the USA but I have a cousin living there and had it delivered to her address there first.

There's 20 CDs inside.

Mmm... one of my favourite MJ artworks of his androgynous eyes.

Each box is numbered for authenticity.

And each single comes in the form of a dual disc. One side CD for audio and one side DVD for the video.

Should I splurge on his concert at the 02? We'll see.

Bake Anzac Cookies

2009-04-27T11:06:00.009+08:00

Why is it such a big deal? Everybody bakes don't they?

Well, when I bake [if ever], the ingredients usually come in a box and all I have to do is to mix water, milk and eggs and pop it in the oven to bake. I admit that the simplicity of buying $1.99 packaged cookies puts me off baking altogether. But it was about time that I took on the challenge to bake from scratch.

And now I know why Anzac cookies taste so good. Look at the ingredients! Flaked coconut, golden syrup, oats, butter, flour, baking soda [which i forgot] and LOTS of sugar. I thought that the thin papery-plastic design/advertisement on my new Flora margarine was quite a consolation because it said that I was doing my heart good.

But when I peeled off the pretty words, it didn't seem that prettay anymore...

Before I get off-track and banter on about ads on products...

*ah hem*

It took me about half an hour to prepare the ingredients because I was being overly pedantic with the measurements but I had to get it right.

Mix...

...in.

And 20 minutes later, I baked my first batch of Anzac cookies!

And the verdict? While it tasted like the Anzac cookies that I know, it was erm... not as yummy. I tried dunking the cookies in a glass of milk but it was like oil and water.

Thanks Michael, now I know for a fact that my usual way of baking is the definite way to go!

Watch Chris While and Julie Matthews

2009-04-16T21:25:00.014+08:00

Jeff and I were catching up over the phone on my birthday and he asked if I was going to watch Chris and Julie play at Kulcha. I knew how much he LOVED them. And I thought to myself, why the hell not?! He's been ranting and raving about them for years and I was more than keen to find out why.

Had I only known what I was getting myself into...

As I was walking up the stairs to Kulcha, I thought they were playing a CD over the speakers but it was only when I saw Chris and Julie on stage when I realised that it was actually them singing live!

Their voices have this melting effect... like literally, Sumi and I both sunk in our chairs and just melted.

What really stood out for me was their conversations with the audience before every song. While it was a one-way conversation, it was as if they were sitting at a dinner table telling a close friend one of their many stories.

And then, when you hear their interpretation of these life stories through their songs, you find yourself (or well, I did) connecting to the songs because you could understand it from such a personal level.

And when they sang... oh, they truly sang.

As instructed by Jeff, I went up to them and told them that I knew him (or something along that line). Immediately, Chris' face lit up and she exclaimed "Monica!" Trust me, in that moment... right there and then... I felt like a celebrity. I was special. They knew my name.

Sad to say, this is probably one of those things you have to experience in order to fully understand the beauty and feel the sincerity of the music. But I can finally proclaim that I am a fan of Chris and Julie.

Thanks Jeff! It was worth every second :)

Paint a Picture (canvas and all)

2009-04-13T17:03:00.006+08:00

It was quite exciting buying the canvasses (couldn't let Jerome and Dot miss out), brushes and box of assorted paint for beginners. At first, I painted the canvas with a shade of maroon, red and a bit of brown.

Then I drew a stick figure over it hoping that it would come out... with a traditional-painting feel. But the stick figure ended up looking like a pregnant woman with dreadlocks and ET legs. So I drew over the picture with white and light orange paint. It was my form of erasing the previous painting.

Then I painted a curvy red line across the canvas to symbolize "goals". And I had little stick figures hanging onto this line. Even painted tiny stick figures lining up and jumping off a "cliff" in an attempt to grab onto this line.

But I just was not feeling the painting. So I erased it with a dark shade of blue and mixed a bit of funky blue in it (yes, my limited knowledge of colours is starting to show).

Painted four bright red lines and a couple of red dots. And in a nick of time, it was done! We shall call it "The painting that matches the red wall and the blue sofa".

Art is art. While it is an expression of the mind, I couldn't stop criticising my own painting. I can honestly say that I will appreciate other people's paintings more so now than ever before.

Jerome's "Cobalt Shine"

Dot's "Australia"

Eat Nasi Katok (First time)

2009-04-11T15:32:00.003+08:00

Alright, this is long overdue and sounds more like a dare and a promo, rather than a 'to-do'.

Nasi Katok (Nasi means Rice. Katok means Malay in Malay language) is a Bruneian meal. It is not a delicacy or a national dish. People would go to the Nasi Katok seller's home (they normally do their business from home by fixing a little stall, and it works like a drive-in, kampong style) and "knock" their door to tell them that they want to buy some. That's how it got its name.

Actually, the term Nasi Katok came into my life just a few years back, so I think it must be a new thing. Nasi Lemak is a totally different thing apparently. I don't know how. I recall my younger sister, Fijjy, being crazy over it and then Arafat, my boyfriend, would buy it when he has no time to get dinner.

It is very cheap. Usually sells at B$1 and you get a fair serving of rice, chicken and sauce. I sound like I'm advertising hehe.

Why I didn't try it was because honestly, I am not very much a fan of roadside stall foods and I'm very particular with cleanliness. I am also not very fond of oily foods.

Nasi Katok is usually packed like that for takeaway. Look at the amount of oil seeping through the wrapper.

I didn't finish mine. I only took a few bites and gave it to Arafat to finish.

Fijjy told me that urban legend has it that why Nasi Katok is so popular and addictive was because the sauce has kitten's blood as an ingredient.

Play Basketball

2009-04-06T18:54:00.013+08:00

I went to shoot some hoops at Wembley yesterday.

While it might seem oh-so-normal to some, it was quite a challenge to put myself out there on the court. I'm so afraid of failing and looking like a dweeb when it comes to playing sports. But, it was about time I gave myself the chance to do just that!

The court was just the right size for shooting hoops. Not much running required.

I just had to pull my two step before the shoot

And score....

LOL! Where's the ball?!

But I love that moment when you shoot the ball not knowing where it's going to go and you're all hopeful that it's going to go in the hoop. And everyone looks on... anticipating. Waiting.

Such good fun. After about an hour, we left it to the boys and went off to get drinks.

Muchisimas gracias to me chica Kay, her chico John, prima Dot y hermano Jerome for making this possible.

Switch off lights for Earth Hour

2009-03-29T19:47:00.008+08:00

Five minutes before Earth Hour began we turned off all the computers, switches at the walls and got ready for an hour of darkness. About ten minutes into it, Dot and Jerome started entertaining themselves by making animal shadows on the wall. I took a photo without the flash hoping to capture the moment but only the candle was visible.

So I put the camera on flash mode thinking that it would show the shadows on the walls. But when I saw the photo, I cracked up laughing! No shadows, just two monkeys!

But soon, even I was making animal shadows on the wall and since it was Dot's camera, I thought maybe she would be able to capture the pictures better.

But I thought wrong!!

Least our "ghost faces" were good.

I thought mine was scary until I saw Jerome's version...

Dot attempted too but it is hardly scary. I thought it looked cute!

Earth Hour was initially just an act against global warming but when the hour ended, I was left feeling nostalgic. It reminded me of the blackouts in Brunei which gave us [the family] a reason to bring out the candles, sit around the living room and take turns telling stories and jokes.

Kudos to the person who came up with the ingenious idea of Earth Hour!

Catch a train to Mandurah

2009-03-24T18:48:00.006+08:00

We were starving by the time we reached our destination (about 1.30pm). It's good that everything is so strategically placed in Mandurah. There is a visitor centre right outside the train station and the lady there recommended fish and chips at Ninos.

We had missed the free mini transit bus into the city but thankfully the next one was only 20 minutes away (considering it was a Sunday and buses are usually less frequent). But our tummies were really grumbling by then.

And as soon as we reached the city, we went straight to get some feed. Lunch could not be any more satisfying. Fresh fish and chips, pepsi cuz they didn't have coke, live acoustic music and the view of the foreshore in front of us.

We went to the art gallery and spent a good hour there.

Just 45 minutes by train each way and on the way back, we played cards. Before we knew it, we were back. The trip was just what I needed - my lil getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Okay, I admit... we had ice-cream at Simmos. It was hard to resist with the gentle warmth of the autumn afternoon. Next time, I'm going to drive down to Mandurah and go on a boating adventure!

Try out wedding dresses (for real)

2009-03-20T20:21:00.019+08:00

Yes, I am like that baby who wants to eat candy even before I have the teeth to chew on it. Call it silly, call it adventurous but I was seriously curious and I was drawn in to the idea of taking a peek on life on the other side.

I have to admit that I was uncomfortable acting as if I was going to be someone's missus BUT when I wore the first dress, I nearly believed that I was. It was beautiful...

You had to be there. When I went on the platform, it was like a scene from the movies. The feeling you get when you have the dress on is just indescribable. It felt like the room lit up when I stepped on the platform. I fell in love with the dress and I could not feel any more special. When the girl helped to spread out the "tail", it was magical.

And before I knew it...

I was blown away by the beauty of another dress. Are you feeling it too? I have to say that I never knew that wedding dresses could be so overwhelming. I'm still feeling the effects of the dress.

Mmmhmm...

It was oh so lovely...

The act of trying out wedding dresses is (by right) exclusive to women who are getting married. But think about it... one day, one of us is going to spend up to $10k on a wedding dress. Shouldn't we at least be given the chance to try them on way beforehand... just so when the time comes, we'll be more than ready. Well, I sure hope to be.

I never quite understood this episode of friends until now...

Go to a Vic Park music event

2009-03-09T19:20:00.011+08:00

There have been quite a lot of music events around my neighbourhood but I missed out on them cuz of the lazy weekend bug. But when I saw that End of Fashion were playing at McCallum Park on Sunday, I knew I had to be there!

The first track that I can remember of this popular Perth band is 'O Yeah'. It was that catchy rock song which was probably played on Triple J before it went big on mainstream radio. Needless to say, Justin Burford was and is a FAB-ooo-licious vocalist.

Simon Fasolo aka. Mr Cutie from uni days - 2004.

And as good ol fans (sorta), we lined up behind the teen boppers to take pictures with the band members.

Mike Hobbs (drummer/harmony-man) rocks my socks!

Mi Chicas... All together now... *SIGH*

And next week, I'll be heading to the Burswood Park foreshore to watch the WA Youth Orchestra perform 'Music by Moonlight', soundtracks from 'classical favourites'. Should be sweet!

Walk home from work

2009-02-27T18:03:00.007+08:00

So I kicked start the long weekend in the healthiest way possible by walking home from work.

At the first traffic light, I checked the time and it was exactly 5.15pm. I thought that as long as I made it back before the sun sets at around 8pm, I'll be fine.

Two other walkers zoomed past me. They had this whole "swinging of arms" thing going on. I guess it comes with the quicker pace.

I can actually say that in my six years in Perth that I have never stepped on the pathway along the causeway. Do the colours remind you of Jordan Knight's "Give it to you" video? Yes, my age is starting to show!

Nearly an hour later and I was halfway through!

Jerome and I used to do walkies after I came home from work. We'd take a slow stroll down to the river, to this exact spot, do a quick jog and then head back.

And I finally arrived home at around 6.30ish. I like that there is a postbox right outside my place but then again, I don't actually use it.

In total, it took me one and a half hours to walk from 178 St George's Terrace to Vic Park. I feel so fit!

Try out wedding dresses

2009-02-21T20:46:00.004+08:00

Well, I didn't try out a wedding dress (as planned) because it was more awkward that I anticipated but I did get to see Eunice "try out wedding dresses".

She looked lovely in her first dress. You can tell from Nellie's face that she's impressed too!

And hey, I got to hold a wedding dress and act as if I was going to try it!

Nellie and Kelly didn't manage to find anything that took their fancy. But the three of us still had fun watching girls try on their dresses. Funny how it switches you to auto "wedding dress critics" mode when you do.

It gave me a better idea of how wedding dresses fittings really were. Quite scary, daunting and costly.

The average price of a wedding dress is around $1,000 but I still think it is worth the price as long as it makes you happy... and if you can afford it.

Make a 'Thing' Out of My Own Hands

2009-02-18T18:10:00.003+08:00

This was what I got up to over the weekend. The Artist sent me an email asking me if I wanted to join her book making workshop for stab bind books. She told me that there were last minute cancellations and I could just fill up the empty slots.

The class was conducted at her residence somewhere near Madang, Berakas.

The Artist

I must say that The Artist did a great job in preparing the items to use beforehand and her instructions were very easy to follow.

I paid B$75, and we didn't have to bring any extra materials with us.

That up there is my very first cover. Cut, wrapped and glued all by myself with the guidance of The Artist of course.

And the end product as above.
She supplied us with little recycled trinkets to add on to our books.

Graduation Photo.

Oh yeah, and the highlight of the class for me was getting to use a drill for the very first time in my life :)

A Refreshing Change in My Working Environment

2009-02-07T23:23:00.004+08:00

Goodbye to my workstation.

Today, was my last day after 3 years 3 months.

I resigned.

A refreshing change indeed, empty drawers, erased unnecessary files, so sparkly clean... workload free.

Anybody want to employ me after two months?

Speed Dating

2009-02-04T12:30:00.000+08:00

Yes, I signed up online to go speed dating and all I knew was that there would be 15 single men from the ages of 26 to 37. I confirmed my attendance for 2nd February 2009 and thought it would be a fun experience.

Sendy (my partner-in-crime) and I arrived there just a bit before 7.30 and found parking right outside Carnegies. A very friendly English guy who introduced himself as the host for the evening pointed us to another guy standing near the bar to get our name tags and scorecards. Fantastic, name tags.

It was only when we were waiting for our tags that it dawned upon me... I didn't really think about what I was getting myself into, did I? There were more men than expected. I did a quick count and found 18 rather mature looking men. Yes, by mature I mean not-so-young.

You could feel the tension in the air. Most of the "date-rs" came with a friend but everybody was behaving in such awkward manners. I myself was glued to one spot and found it hard to breathe because it felt like my every move was being analyzed.

Then, the bells rang. It was like they were calling in the herd. We split into two groups, boys and girls or should I say men and women, and were briefed on how to fill in our score cards.

Soon, we were walking to our seats. Sendy was sitting right across the room from me so both of us could see each other. I was "9. Monica", Miss Breakfast at Tiffany's in black and she was "11. Sendra", the mamacita in the red dress.

My first date was also a number nine, a 30-ish year old French geologist. I tried really hard to think of all the positives but he was red-faced from the alcohol that he consumed probably to calm himself down and was quite conscious of his accent. I thought that his accent was alright although I did have to ask him to repeat himself a couple of times. Five minutes was way too long. He simply walked away without any proper goodbye which left me wondering how I was going to get through the evening. Least I had my glass of red wine with me.

From memory, the second guy was a bit of an improvement tho I saw him crossing out the girl before me. It had me thinking if he would do the same for me. But I think I enjoyed the conversation and by the time the third guy came, I could feel my shoulder muscles relax and a natural smile forming on my face. I felt like a gypsy who was about to give a palm reading.

The conversations became more interesting, finding out about what the men liked to do, what movies they liked, where they want to travel. One guy really stood out from the crowd. He looked like he was in his late thirties and the first thing he said to me was: "So, do you like the singer Monica". That caught me off guard. He knows Monica? Err, maybe he's talking about an Aussie singer that I do not know. But no, he was actually talking about Monica as in Monica and Brandy. He was a big fan of RnB and listed out Neyo, Chris Brown, John Legend and my eyes nearly popped out of its sockets! I would have never thought that he would be a fan of such genre.

And I was surprised. I would have never noticed these men. It was a true eye-opener and it forced me to think about how "anti" I really was. Just being open to conversation... it was such a change. I met quite a number of geologists and couldn't help but poke fun at one of them. Turns out that it is because they travel a lot for work which makes it harder to meet other people.

I met a cop! Can you believe it? I have been thinking that I have never had a cop friend. And there he was, sitting in front of me. He was one of the easiest to talk to and we spoke more during the breaks.

Also, I have also been thinking, seriously, I do not have an indigenous Australian friend. I was talking to Jerome about it not too long ago. And there, same night, I was having a great conversation with a very friendly and funny dude who happened to be of indigenous background. He was also an avid fan of rock-climbing which is something that I have written down on my diaries but never got around to doing.

There were two guys who came across as very gay to me. I don't know what it was but we got along so well and even when one of them was sitting at Sendy's table, I thought, whoa! He has got to be gay! And Sendy thought the same. Hrm...

Time seemed to go by quicker as the night went on. By the time the 16th guy came, I was feeling drained. I did put my all into every "date" and made an attempt to find common point of interest, a tip from Pascal. The 18th guy was hilarious. We were probably both over the usual "where are you from" and we got straight into the questions. I think we were both glad that the evening was finally going to end.

So I came out of it with two ticks under dates, about 7ish or 8 ticks under friends and the rest obviously fell into the "not interested" category. While I wouldn't do this again, I would rate it as a fab 104.

Pre-Speed Dating

2009-02-03T09:35:00.000+08:00

Okay, I am starting to get slightly nervous. Three hours before Sendy and I head to Carnegies for our very first speed dating experience. I do not know what to expect and I have not sorted out my outfit for tonight yet.

We've been talking about going for one of these events since last year. It will be "interesting". I'm going to be alright.

Right?!

Only one facial expression could express what I'm feeling now.

Photo compliments of my brother Jerome.

Watch a Sports Event

2009-01-30T10:05:00.000+08:00

As crazy as this might sound, I have never been to a sports event in Perth. I had it all in my head to watch a game before the end of the year. So you can imagine how surprised I was to get an email from my friend, Dave, who managed to get two tickets to watch the Perth Wildcats and was nice enough to invite me to the game.

So on Saturday 24th January 2009, I was on my way to my first b-ball game. We arrived a couple of minutes late and even before we entered the basketball court, we could hear the crowd chanting "De-fense! De-fense! De-fense!" The atmosphere was amazing!

I didn't get into the game straight away since I was still trying to adjust to the wave of people, the chanting, the booing of the Gold Coast Blaze and the fact that they were playing pretty cool music while the game was on. I had no idea. I always thought it was edited into the game on TV.

Not long after, it was quarter time out. Dave reassured me that it was not the end of the game and I got a chance to check out the Wildcats who were on our side of the court.

At the start of the second quarter, the emcee asked everyone to stand and yes, I started chanting along to "Wildcats let's go Wildcats" and found myself cheering when the wildcats made their first shot.

There was this dude with corn-rows from the Blaze who kept trying to make a big deal out of his falls or when someone bumped into him. And when the referee ignored his complaints, his face just changed immediately. He must've gone to acting class. But I managed to capture drama queen in action.

And with every b-ball game, you can only expect the best entertainment from the cheerleaders. They had around four different outfits over the course of the evening. This has to be my favourite. A poncho of the Australian flag with short shorts and boots!

I could not help but crop this part out. There are definitely perks for referees at b-ball games.

In the last few minutes of the game, the whole crowd was standing and rooting for the home team. And yes, they won! 96 to 90!

Thanks Dave for making my first 104 possible! Lah!