the new journey beigins

This post or rather the words for th post were written yesterday- 27 Nov

I am sitting at 22A onboard the A380… Pampering myself none the less…

after all the time this year of hard work and all… It is funny sitting here as in a way I feel rather lost and miserable…

I know I should be enjoying the legendary service and the wonderful oversized seat and all the trimmings… but the truth is that in a way, I feel as if a part of me is left behind in Sydney…

Well actually we are almost an hour late in taking off as there was a problem with door 4left which apparently is on the lower deck… hopefully we won’t have an emergency as the escape slide doesn’t work…

I am in a way enjoying myself here but I guess somehow or other there are a lot of arrogant loud mouth men on board this plane who have no finesse or class and they are like frogs out of the well… then again the person who is on the other side of the aisle from me is like another work of art… she seems so uncomfortable about sitting here in upper class and it is like leave your economy class behavior behind and really be somebody.. but hey why am I not surprised anymore.. it is a full J class out of SYD and I guess the only seats available are the suits which by the way look really great… walked down the “grand staircase” to have a peep… there is one big downside about this plane is that there are only 2 toilets in the upper deck for Raffles class passengers and to think that there are 60 of us floating around- how is that going to work?

By the way I think that the oversized seat is really great… it has a all the creature comforts right down to a mirror for me to be vain- or rather to pop out and put in my eyes…the only thing is that the power for the computer is designed for the 110v and they are not meant for the 3 pin plugs… oh well… thank goodness there is juice in my battery…

The economy seating on the upper deck look rather interesting too… they are like behind raffles class which is like per normal but the seats are green instead… quite cool…

Well it is sunny and cloudy here above the rain of Sydney… I arrived on the 12 Feb in the rain and am leaving on the 27 Nov in rain… It is a symmetrical feeling in a way… a sense of conclusion to the matter…

Ray tricked me and came out to the airport just to send me off which really made me feel like crying… I have been really blessed to have found a wonderful bunch of friends this year whom I will be missing a lot… It has been such a year for me… I was so touched that Martha sent me to the airport and to see her this happy makes me feel really great on the inside too…

I am going to sit back and enjoy the creature comforts… well I will try at least… thank goodness for the noise reduction headphones and I am zoned out from the world around me… just me and my computer and movie… wish the person behind me would stop kicking my seat though… that is starting to piss me off… I am feeling so fortunate to be able to experience this seat and all… but it is with a sense of sadness that I am returning to the real world…I am not sure what the future is going to lie or where I am going to be… but one thing is for sure and that is I have so many wonderful memories from 2007 and my year as being a master student in Sydney…

Some people have suggested that I migrate my blog to a new site as I am no longer in Sydney but somehow that would seem rather funny… guess it would be a case of watch this space…

Thanks to all of you who have made this year so wonderful and special… and to all of you who wrote all the thoughts that is something I am going to carry with me wherever I go… I will be back!

Sydney 1025, Singapore 0725… somewhere in the sky at about 40000 feet

the last day

The last day at MUV Apartment96... This was such a weird feeling as the place was even more empty than when I arrived in a lot of ways... But the friends made is so enjoyable and wonderful.... It would not have been the same if not for all the laughs, shared meals, outings, happy, not so happy moments...

the end

It was my last weekend in Sydney and we decided to go out for Yum Cha which is dim sum but we literally yumed a lot of cha and ate a lot of food... well then again when there are 12 of us... it would mean a lot of food! Quan Yie, Selina, Chia Ling, Xin Yin, Natalie, Chean Yeaw, Chen Chin, Victor Chua, Yen Chiw, Ray and myself went to chatswood for it... We ate till we popped.... okay Ray and I ate a double portion of dan tarts... they were hot and yummy....

Victor's pork rib decided to be cleansed by the tea and needed a bath before consumption... That was the start of the laughs for the day....





After yum cha, we went to yum more cha at T2 in Chatswood Chase... There were 3 samples and we tried each and every one of them... Natalie bought lemon grass tea...


The meal would not be complete if we did not yum some chocolate of some form be it hot or cold... Chean Yeaw and Natalie both fell down while sitting on the chairs... Chean Yeaw cursed Xin Yin and Myself and he had a second fall immediately... moral of the story- dont curse someone unless you want instant retribution...

Chean Yeaw was easily amused by the sugar packets!

maximizing utility

Been hanging out all the Actuarial students for too long now and some of their work is rubbing off on me... Here is me attempting to maximize utility of a fixed cost item...
I decided to get myself a travel weekly as a treat to myself after all the hard work and an excuses to explore Sydney... Got the travel weekly with the train function as well as the price difference was not that great... But in so doing, I had to use it everyday and go out everyday! He he he any excuse to get out of the house... I used the bus to get everywhere and hence I did not get my usual dose of exercise between MUV and Macquarie Center...
As for the train sector, I decided at the spur of the moment to go from Town Hall Station to Chatswood to pick up a can of Hot and Spicy SPAM. Well had to do so isn't it as I had to get value for money from the card! Then of course, it was 545 from Chatswood to Macquarie followed by 292 from Macquarie to MUV...
Ferries were another adventure, Natalie and I decided to explore Taronga Zoo which was great as there was a nice strong breeze but the sun was another story- I came back looking burnt and red!

By the way, I inserted my Travel weekly so many times that the dates are all faded at the back of it... But I feel really good as I think I have really maximized the utility of the card and have gotten as much out of it as possible!

Well it is just about the end of my adventure of being a Master student in Sydney... Wonder where to next... And have to utilize the last few weeks of being able to travel around as a student on concession here...

crispy

Hmm... what can I say? I feel like a really crispy, crunchy piece of skin at the moment! Guess the only person I can really blame is myself- why do I attempt to go out wandering around when the UV is extreme or very high... Oh well I cant be cooped up the whole day in the house and the UV warning starts from 0900 till at least 1530 so it is rather challenging to avoid it! Just use lots and lots of sunblock and walk in the shade as much as possible... Oh before I forget, the wonderful flies are another adventure all to thyself... They stick to just about everywhere and anywhere...the flies have a great infinity for the lips and they stick like super glue! But hey the price to pay for living here at the moment!














A different view of the Harbor Bridge... Well at least the underside of it looks rather impressive!

end of the road....

Well I have been busy enjoying myself... Lectures and assignments ended last wednesday... And I have a new flatmate... But the best thing was that I had a surprise visit from someone whom I had not seen in ages- Martha! It was so good to see her happy smiling face...

Have been really busy with other things as well... A new flatmate arrived on Wednesday too... She is from Guangzhou in China... the good thing is that she is not a "typical" mainlander... phew! So I have been busy playing tourist guide and all... It has been good having another being in the house though for such a short time...

Martin Place... never really noticed this sculpture.... It is so amazing how we tend to rush though life and not stop and ponder... I guess now that the course is over, I seem to see things in a different light...

It is going to be a really full on week for me- here there and everywhere... watch this space

things that make me smile

• watching a young bunny hopping around in the grass- carefree and alive...
• the smell of mangoes at this time of the year
• the stars in the night sky
• catching up with friends
• spring flowers- love the smell and the vibrant colors
• rain that cools the weather down- especially the wonderful sound of it!
• the end of all the assignments
• deserts- especially chocolate éclairs
  

food

Somehow this seems to be one of the best things to blog about... But well one has to eat whether we like it or not... So might as well enjoy the experience and the wonderful food... Meat and Wine Co at Darling Harbor or to be more exact at the Imax center has some rather interesting food... The skewers were really good- chicken, beef in various cuts and salmon... always good when accompanied by a nice bottle of wine...
This was at Jordons seafood at Darling Harbor... It is their famous seafood platter for 2. One would definitely eat till one pops... But it is a really good feed... a crab, morton bay bugs, lobster, oysters, muscles, squid, octopus and of course fish and chips... think i still prefer prawns to lobsters as there is more flavor in them and it doesn't feel like I am just chewing on a big tasteless prawn... Oh well might as well enjoy them all when there is the chance...

Leadership

Sigh... been staring at this subject for the past semester and it has suddenly made a lot more sense to me! I have been watching and reflecting on all that goes on around me... Some people seem to be "natural" leaders and do a really great job of it... Others think that they are leaders but the reality is that they do not have the presence or the ability to do so... While others know their short comings are able to create leadership type qualities... Somehow I believe in shared leadership where each person comes with their own strengths to contribute to the better good and a shared vision...

Why are people so hung up with politics and power? The more people try and grab the worse it becomes... Don't they know that the good old saying actions speak louder than words is ever so true? Politics complicates the issues and instead of focusing on the problem at hand, it just makes it into a power struggle. It is as if things would fail if one doesn't appear to be making a mark or living up to some imagined expectation. People play the political gain to no end and they end up having a struggle and one- up -manship at the end of the day.

At the end of the day, one needs to be true to oneself and realize that there would be a ditch some time and to surround oneself with people who would be able to compliment each other and to draw out the strengths in each other... It is no point to be a one man band or a person who can't let go of power. Life is too short to play stupid games...

heat is back again

Well... it is back to the heat... Pure blue skies and the sun beating down... The bright morning sun to greet me every morning... I guess summer is really here now... The only reprieve are the slightly cooler nights...

Back to university and the last few weeks of being a student... Have started to "donate" my stuff and all... weird feeling...

taking a break

Thots from the past few weeks...

12 September 2007

I had the pleasure of having 3 seats all to myself while watching the plane's wing flex during take off. this is something that I have not experienced before in a sense as I have always sat on the wing or before it.... it was a sight to behold as the lift it creates to be able to fly is mind boggling... Had a cloudless flight and when I looked down over Australia, it was all brown and more brown with the occasional dot of green and bit of water... No wonder it is a desert right though the middle...

17 September 2007

Off to Hong Kong... stuck in a plane full of mostly business men traveling there on the first flight out of Singapore... Got there and was hit by the air pollution that is a permanent fixture... Did not manage to eat much due to the heat but got to drink lots of mango with aloe jelly drinks... Moon cakes in all sorts of shapes and sizes abound... there was one with 9 egg yolks too! Shopping was an adventure....

25 September 2007

Been busy watching the Rugby world cup and assignments... have not been eating much local food as it is too hot to eat and the mere thot of having to go out is enough to make me wilt... but have made it to the pen shop and went goo goo gah gah at some new editions... saw an ink that is bullet proof! It is the mid autumn festival today and I don't like moon cakes... but found one with custard and egg yolk inside which is good next to ice cream ones of course! So thats about all that has happened... Martha has received her present but is resisting the urge to open it till her birthday...

APEC

Okay maybe it wasnt such a smart idea to go into the city on the APEC public holiday... For starters, there were barracades everywhere from Martin Place all the way to The Rocks... It was an adventure walking there and back again... First you have to navigate through all the fences and then there are spots that you take a long detour to get to the other side of the road... Had to turn back half way up George St back to The Rocks so that I could cross the road! The joys of APEC... Where did my brain go? Seriously! Plus to make matters worse most of the shops were shut... From Martin Place to The Rocks to Pitt Street Mall to Cockle Bay Wharf (Okay this was Lindt that was shut! It was an adventure all right... Am going to leave you with interesting shots of all the excitement...


A very pretty rubbish bin being protected from the rain!
Okay No horses due to the flu and hence police on bikes...

One of the many lovely barriers... Check this out you can't cross the road!
One of the extremely bored policeman with not much excitement
Spot the helicopter....
This is the most exciting police action of the day...

The nice quiet roads

Okie another ridiculous sign and this was at Wynard train station!
Another very bored police bus...

I hope this is the last APEC I live though... I have had enough!!!!