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!!!!

Spring

I have forgotten how wonderful the sound of spring rain is... It has been such a long time since I have heard the pitter patter of rain... Spring rain is such a traditional hallmark of the change of seasons... In one way, this rain is a welcome change and on the other hand, this rain has cooled down the temperature...

Flowers blooming everywhere is the other aspect of Spring that seems to lift my spirits. I love the sight of the cherry blossoms and how they look so fluffy and this marks the end of winter... The other aspect of the cherry blossom is when they start to fall, it looks like a pretty shower of pink petals... It is always so pretty to behold... The first flower that usually pops out of the ground is that of the daffodil... All the spring bulbs come with such wonderful aromas and the smell is something to behold and enjoy while they last...