Sydney trip

How I wish blogger had an easier way to upload photos...
Anyway here's my Sydney trip blog post while I'm procrastinating whether to start on my assignment.

I went there with Faezah, Justin and Lai. We went to Blue Mountains the first day we reached Sydney. We drove from the city to Blue Mountains. It was a long drive and it was tiring considering that I didn't sleep much the previous night. Oh yea, I was driving a Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Initially, there were issues with the Toyota and Thrifty (the car rental company) decides to give us an upgrade...to a Hyundai i30. haha... The guys were complaining so much about it cos it was considered a downgrade to them. So we stuck with the Toyota. So we stayed at YHA Blue Mountains. I thought it was gonna be like really ulu or something with nothing around. It was actually a small town. I was a tad disappointed actually.

We went abseiling the next day. We spent a whole day abseiling. We challenged a couple of cliffs, 5m, 15m, 30m and 60m. We actually wanted to go canyoning instead but probably the weather wasn't the best since there's swimming involved. It was quite fun, and easy of course. Initially we climbed down, then we experimented with jumping... and finally we challenged ourselves to jumping + spinning 360deg on the rope. Got a few bruises but the experience was wonderful. The downside to abseiling is... if you want to repeat, you have to climb all the way up AGAIN. We did twice for each height other than 60m, which we did 3 times. It was TIRING to climb. I've got all sorts of sore muscles after all that climbing.

That's me abseiling down a 15m. There's an overhang where I get to just lower myself down while sitting in the harness.

That's the 60m one. Insane but exciting =)

The next day, we went to the next attraction in Blue Mountains: Jenolan Caves. Of course, we did caving. It was just a basic cave for beginners. Initially, we had to abseil down into the cave entry. Having abseiled the previous day, all of us were so confident. We never expected that 10m to be soooo difficult. We were abseiling down a limestone wall, so it was reaally slippery. I've got a huge bruise because I slipped and slammed against the wall (i think the bump is still there ><). Then we entered the cave. It was quite interesting but challenges a bit of our physical strength and size. They made us squeeze through holes - which proved a challenge to me cos i'm fat. Well, I succeeded =D the guide is actually larger than me so he joked that if he could go through, anyone else could. We have to climb, slide, and step at precarious rock positions. I was really afraid I'd slip again but I completed the course safely.

A couple of marine fossils we saw while caving.

That's me trying to get through the cave hole. I was struggling to push myself through ><

In the morning prior to caving, Faezah and I actually went bushwalking for a while because we had time and the guys were being lazy. Great view and nice weather. We were photowhoring so much on the way we couldn't really finish the whole trail. I don't have the photos but i guess she uploaded those on facebook since she took them.

The next day, it was time for us to leave Blue Mountains for Sydney City. We visited the 3 sisters at Blue Mountains.
There's the 3 sisters. Easy to recognise right?
So we reached Sydney City. Well, we were lost in the city trying to find parking spots around YHA Sydney Central (and they didn't have any). The roads were sooo confusing and forbid us from making right turns and left turns randomly. So annoying. Then Lai and I had to return the car and we got lost trying to get back to Thrifty. We finally did though and took a train back to YHA.

They have 2-level trains! So nice... We got in and sat on the upper level =D
So after that, we walked around a couple of attractions around in Sydney. Justin met up with his friend so the other 3 of us went off on our own. We walked around Haymarket, Chinatown, Darling Harbour and all the way to Circular Quay and Sydney Opera House! Woooo~ Sydney Opera House is one of my dream place. Just love the achitecture and atmosphere soooo much <3

Not an amazing photo, blurry.
At night, we slept early to prepare for the World Cup Semi-finals. Apparently, Paul the Octopus predicted that Spain would win and the guys actually went to bet on Spain. So we woke up at 4.30am to watch. haha it's really difficult for me to stay awake during the match. Spain won eventually =(

The next day, we went to Sydney Fish Market =D Needless to say, we were there to FEAST!

Lobsters were yum!!
So Lai and I decided to challenge our limits and tried sea urchin. It was.....gross and fishy. The fishy taste was sooo intense I had to soak it with lots of soy sauce and wasabi to get rid of that. We were struggling to finish. At the fish market, we just went around trying other stuff. Since we could only sit at benches belonging to that particular seller, we have to wait long for benches. It's a touristy place. I eagle-eyed a bench for like 10 - 15mins waiting for those peeps to leave. When they finally did, Justin put the food down and while we waited for the prev peeps to leave, a couple swoosh-ed in (like literally!!) and sat down and started eating! I was sooo shocked. I just stared at them for a while and started reasoning with them that I was waiting there for ages and I didn't notice that they were there AT ALL! They just gave me lame excuses like, "we were waiting for long too (like wad, 1min?) and our food is turning cold (wtf, my food isn't?)". Then I requested to negotiate and the wife's like no. SUCH AN UNREASONABLE BITCH!! Then the husband spoke up and asked us how many of us there were. Well, there's 4 but only 3 were present cos Faezah is waiting elsewhere. He's like..."Only 3 of you are here so we get the seats" and they continued eating and killed the poor prawns like there's no tomorrow. that idiot! They're not even Chinese/Asian lor!! They're freaking Caucasians! Now I shouldn't really stereotype people should I? So annoying!

The same day, the weather was really bad and it kept raining the whole day. Just dampened our moods totally but I really wanted to go to the Sydney Opera House's tour since I didn't get to go the previous day since we were too late. Well, we got there ultimately, trying to figure out the transport system and public transport available. I loved the tour and I got to see the Concert Hall and the Ronald Sharp Organ which took years to build and tune! Loved it sooo much.

On the last day, we just walked around the city, shopping a little, eating... and prepared to take the flight home. During our flight, we actually saw snow mountains! It was a spectacular view from the plane. I saw like Fall's creek and Mt Buller (if the steward was right). =DDDD What a great way to end my trip!

This is fall's creek I think...

Updating on my mornington trip next time!

"My girlfriend is a Gumiho" =D

Took this from dramabeans... This pic is absolutely hilarious! I love how Seunggi looks and his character in the show =D I'm so gonna watch this!!

My latest obsessions..

I forgot to add one more reason to my love for Mondays...
Dong Yi's new episode of the week is uploaded on Monday!
One reason to like Tuesday...Dong Yi's 2nd episode of the week is uploaded on Tuesday!

Yes!! i'm so obsessed with watching Dong Yi that I got my mum to download and install PPS - over skype - so that she get to watch Dong Yi as well. I know she'll like it =D Dong Yi is something like Dae Jang Geum but I think that it's much more draggy than Dae Jang Geum. It has a more modern feel in terms of the language and tone used. As usual, there'll be a few comical characters to lighten the mood of the show. One of them is Lee Kwang-su...who's also co-hosting the variety show "Running Man", mainly hosted by Yoo Jaesuk. I watched the first episode with Lee Hyori and it was damn funny. Anyway, I thought Lee KwangSu really portrayed his comical character well in the Dong Yi show where they kept making fun of his height. Then there's Han Hyo Joo who's portraying "Dong Yi", the main character in the same-name show. Not a big fan of her but am still able to accept her. She's pretty versatile, but I'd love to see her in a mean character. Then, there's Ji Jin Hee, who's the emperor in the show. He acted in Dae Jang Geum as well, as the officer in love with Jang Geum. His character, as the emperor, is soooo different that i'm not getting used to it =( I preferred his stern outlook in Dae Jang Geum.


My next obsession is...watching America's next top model!! Couldn't find another drama to start on especially when i'm still on Dong Yi (and waiting...) and Baker King is still being broadcasted and hasn't ended. Was pretty happy when I found it on PPS because i love watching ANTM for some reason. I'm on cycle 13 at the moment. Gotta catch up with the other cycles after that.

My next obsession is... eating avocadoes! I got so crazy about avocadoes...I have avocado salads all the time and add avocado to my meals. It's fattening...which is why I did my research on the net and found out that my maximum intake is half an avocado a day. Well, I've to exclude some other fat sources of course since it's pretty fattening. I had this misconception that avocado is high in cholesterol and bad for you. However, it is soooo delicious I can't resist the buttery texture. So, I did my research! and found out that it's a healthy fruit, which contains lots of nutrients, vitamins and healthy fats, but must be consumed in moderation of course. YUM!!
Look at the creamy green interior...omggggg



"The avocado is known also as the alligator pear, because of its shape and the thick, leather-like appearance of its skin. The avocado is a very versatile fruit in that it can be added to everything from salads, to dips and salsas. There is a common misconception that you shouldn’t eat avocados because of their high fat content. The fat oils in avocados are nature made, unsaturated and unhydrogenerated. In fact, it has been found that the oil of an avocado is one of the most valuable of the unsaturated fatty acids. Of the 30 grams of fat typically found in an average size avocado, 20 of those grams are health promoting monosaturated fats, especially oleic acid. So don’t fear, they are good for you, and yummy too!" - took from a website - i didn't plagiarise!

My next obsession is... making noise in my room. I used to stay with 11 others on the same floor so I didn't dare to blast my instrument. Now i'm staying with 3 others, and on the upper level. Not that sound-proofing is good in the flat, but at least...less noise reach my housemates? haha! I try to play earlier in the evening and play when there's hardly anyone around.

My last obsession is... a seekret =D

Loving mondays, dreading tuesdays

A few reasons why I look forward to Monday...
i) It's not a day for assignments because i'd be out. Stress relief?
ii) Kacau Jaey
iii) CO practice!
iv) it means one day of the week is over
v) get to visit the city and shop for asian/korean/supermarket stuff

A few reasons why I don't look forward to Tuesday...
i) Monday is over so I gotta wait for the next Monday
ii) Probably lacked sleep after arriving home late from CO practice
iii) Gonna be a long day filled with lectures and tutorials

Then again, how many more mondays can I have without having monday blues? Not many...3 more =( I'm totally not looking forward to that. Haiz... Gonna miss my friends at the CO practice for sure and the fun we have during practices. More monday blues too...

Inspirational quotes

It's weird how I decided to change the title of my blog suddenly... while I was surfing for some quotes that I could use for my blog title, i chanced upon some beautiful inspirational ones:

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart but if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours.

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

Don't know why but whenever I chance upon quotes, I feel that they apply to my situation in one way or another. I'll try to keep them in my mind and use them to guide my actions but sometimes, I'd just forget all about them especially during times when I'm extremely down. Maybe when I'm depressed, I should prepare a book of quotes that I can refer to which can help me stay positive about life =)

Anyway, school started for me 2 days ago on a sat and continued on a sun. Fortunately, it wouldn't go on for every weekend else I'd be really upset, losing all my weekends. My last semester would definitely be a hectic semester. We started school one week earlier than others and have school for almost everyday for the whole day!! =(

Haven't had time to update about my Sydney trip and my road trip to Mornington! Maybe I should find some time to proceed on that. I was totally occupied with school, admin stuff and of course, dramas =D I started watching Dong Yi. It's a drama that's like Dae Jang Geum but for some reasons, I like these kind of dramas which would involve some kind of intellect fight, sabotage and romance with the king XD I've already reached like ep30 but the drama hasn't ended yet. I can only access till ep34 on PPS but there's 50 episodes in total!! Omggg I'd have to wait really long before the romance progresses. ROAaaaRR... The drama is contributing to my stress, ironically =( My obsession with the drama reduced time available for me to deal with my administrative stuff. Haiz...I should stop procrastinating already!

Heehee...me trying to squeeze through a hole during caving in Blue Mountains, Sydney.

ohhh i changed my blog layout again!! just bored and playing around XD

new update!!

Haven't updated this blog in ages! late by a few months XD

I can't exactly recall what I did our these few months... all I remembered was, I was so busy with all the assignments and placements. Not like I don't have time for other stuff... just that i tend to dedicate more time to the assignments and exams.

Placements were awesome. I had a placement in acute care. It's a general surgical ward so i got to learn various nursing skills. I enjoyed that a lot. Then, I had a placement in a rehab ward for gerontics. Not my type of nursing work but it's really nice seeing those elderly recovering from their major surgeries.

During the first semester, I didn't really do much travelling. My sources of relaxation came from dramas, tv shows, internet surfing and occasional hangouts in the city with others. It's only during Easter weekend when I went to the Sovereign Hill Gold Mine in Ballarat. It's a nice educational place and I got to see gold mined and processed! ohhhhh.... the sight of the shining gold is sooo wonderful. How I wish it was mine!

Went ice-skating twice as well! I'm not really good at it i guess... cos i'm afraid of falling so i kept walking instead of skating ><

Anyway, assignments and exams are all done! Was a stressful period because I had to achieve a minimum grade to get into the Honours program. Hopefully, I can meet the requirements especially when I'm not really good with essays.

Also, I had plenty of problems with my Honours program other than meeting the grade requirements >< The Honours program is no longer a full-time one year program. It's only offered as a part-time program spanning 2 years. That means, I can't really enrol in that since Visa requirements state that I need to enrol in a full time course. Plus, i don't wanna waste 2 years in a part-time program while being unable to work and gain experience. Then again, I don't think i'm allowed to work. Arghhh... all the complications have been stressful for me and I tried liaising with all admin people for help and advice. Not getting a conclusion at the moment...unsure of my future at the moment =( I hope something can be worked out eventually...

During this stressful period, I picked up a new hobby! that's baking and making desserts! Well, just the simple stuff, not too complicated. Enjoyed experimenting with flour, sugar and butter and baking lots of stuff which i distributed to everyone else eventually. I baked...muffins, crumbles, pies and made cheesecake, jelly, longan drink and experimented with different kinds of salads.ok...shall update on my sydney trip another time!