Dernier jour travailler...

Its my last day at work.

I have a sh#% load to do, but i cant be fudged.

My colleague and partner in crime here has just told me that she will be taking up an offer she cant refuse. And i can see why. If i was in her position, i'd take it too.

Its just a shame that i wont be around for her farewell as i am going o/s.

A lot of crap has been dished out lately...so a lot of my workmates will be leaving soon.

The team is disbanding.

I guess my trip away will give me the opportunity to think things over and see where i want to go next. I'm thinking contracting isnt such a bad idea.


(lit: last day to work...)

I am sick!

I had the cold/flu about 2 weeks ago...it took about a week to get over it. I was okay last week, a bit tired, but over the cold/flu.

Just my luck, im struck again.

My nose is blocked and running at the same time!!! How is that f#$%ing possible???

Pourriez-vous m'aider, sil vous plait?

Its drawing near.
I'm anxious.
I'm packed...just need to put documents, cables and stuff into my bag...
Get some food to snack on...
Need to remember to bring an empty bottle so i can get a 1L bottle of water during my flight, and refills...yes i drink like a fish...i typically go through 3-4L a day.
I'm going to miss my family, but i hope the whirlwind of a tour will make it pass with lesser pain.

(lit: Could you help me, please?)

Trop à faire...

So little time.
It has hit me this morning.
Time is flying by.
Money needs to be transferred.
I need to schedule payments.
I need to finish things up neatly at work, so that the next person to pick it up can find everything.
I need to exchange some money.
I wanted to buy tickets to JT, but missed out on it and cant find 3 tix to buy because there is probably only single tix left...what kind of f#$%ing system does ticketek have where they leave single tix for sale? Who is going to be a nigel and buy 1 seated tix for a concert??? If you are going by yourself, get a standing tix, cos then at least you wont feel like a loner throughout the night!

I can't believe i'm flying out next week.

(lit: Too much to do...)

Je suis malade...

I went to see my doctor to get prescriptions before the trip. I told him about a skin thing i noticed and he told me to take a blood test because he thought i might have low platelet count.

So, i gave some blood and started panicking that i might not be able to go overseas!

How bad would that be? After all this organising and then the waiting and it all amounted to the fact that i would not be allowed to travel due to some blood condition i didnt even know that i had!
=(

Got the results yesterday, and i am fine. Don't know what is causing the problem, but i can still go overseas, so thats a good thing.

But its sooo anti climatic if you have a problem and yet there is no explanation. But its there. You cant treat it, though. It doesnt seem to exist. But it is right in front of you. grrr...

And im currently nursing a flu...Codral cold and flu should kick it...need to get another pack for the actual trip!
>_<

I did a trial pack of the clothing i plan to bring. Even though i am being advised to bring about 5 tops only and 2 bottoms...for me, that is unrealistic. I packed 12 tops - a mix of singlets, tees, long sleeve tees, 2 jeans, 1 pair of shorts, 2 dresses, and 2 skirts, 1 jumper, 2 cardigans, 1 jacket, 2 sets of pjs. And you know what? It all fits into my handcarry bag...and im not talking a HUGE bag i plan on smuggling on board the plane with me without anyone from the airline noticing...i'm talking a standard sized handcarry bag.

The problem for me is all the other things to pack. Like toiletries, medicine, towel, shoes, miscellaneous stuff...but irrespective of all those things, I should be well under my allowable 20kg.

So, i'm pretty proud of myself...no need to take things out of the bag as yet.

(lit: I am sick...)

Texas to California...

Mum got a weird phone call on Monday from Texas. It was a lady from my Dad's primary school back in Vietnam. How weird is that?

She asked if Dad was at home, but Dad was at work. So, this lady starts talking to Mum. She told Mum about how after sooo many years leaving Vietnam she was on holidays in Sydney and was in Chinatown at a store when she bumped into Dad again. This happened about 15 years+ ago, as i was still a kid.

It seems that while this lady was at the store in Chinatown, she had written something down and Dad saw her writing and asked her if her name was "so&so"? She didnt recognise him at first until he said his name and that was when he gave our home number to her. They were suppose to bring each other's family and meet up for dinner, but it never happened.

15 years+ down the track and she calls out of the blue. The purpose was to advise Dad that there was going to be a School Reunion in California. Not sure what made her think that Dad would be interested in going...but i guess it was a nice thought?!

After mentioning the reunion to Mum she proceeded to ask about the family and found out from my darling Mum, that Mum has a single 26 y/o daughter. This sparked a frenzy with the lady. She proceeds to insist that Mum and Dad bring me over to Texas to introduce me to her 29 y/o nephew! Like, what the...?

Mum, obviously thought it was funny. Which is why she told me about it the moment i got home on Monday night.

I'm heading overseas in about 10 working days. Weekends dont really count, because they usually fly right by! Last thing to do is purchase some medicine and exchange some money.

I found out that a credit card i have allows me to put my cash on the card (over the limit) and withdraw without being charged any transaction fee or exchange fee from an ATM. Transaction fee will be charged from transactions via EFTPOS, but still no currency exchange fee.

I was over the moon when i found this out! I dont know of any other card, debit or credit, that allows you to do this!!! And get this, zero annual fee for the credit card! The usual 55 days interest free on purchases applies too. Like, woohoo!!!

*^_^*

Rêves...

I had a vivid dream early in the morning (3/4am). I woke up from it. But the only other person that i recall in my dream is my mother, but there were at least 3 other people in the dream.

I was pregnant. There was a man apparently infectious with some sort of disease. He was slumped in his car which rolled into the circle in which we were all sitting - as though there was a camp fire, but there was none. He got out of the car and stumbled towards me. Grabbed both my wrists and started to tell me about how i was now infected and how quickly the infection will reach my heart and there was no cure.

While he reached for my wrists everyone around me was shouting, telling me to run away because he was obviously sick with some sort of disease and that i would catch it too if he touched me. I couldnt hear anyone, not until the old man grabbed my wrists and it was too late.

I woke up at this point.

I had two re-runs after that. One very similar to the description above, but the ending was different. I fainted while the old man grabbed my wrists and ended up dying. The final version was that when the car rolled into our circle, everybody present dodged the car and ran off before the man could get out of this car and infect me or anyone else.

What a whacko dream!?

I dont usually remember my dreams either, so this is an odd occasion. I wonder what it is that is causing my lack of sleep and these weird dreams. I mean, if it was excitement over my trip...shouldnt i have more pleasant dreams?

(lit: Dreams...)

Mes filles...

I like watching the Simpsons episodes on tv. I like watching the dvds. I don't actually tire from watching the cartoons...and Chloe is very similar to me in this way. Before you start pointing the finger and tell me what a bad influence i am on her, that the Simpsons is too "adult" for a 5 year old...i can assure you that the jokes that are for adults fly right over her head. I laugh at some things, she will laugh at others on the opposite side of the spectrum.

I took her out on Saturday to watch the Movie as an early birthday present because I wont be here for her 6th birthday. In fact, on her 6th birthday i will be in Paris...in particular, i will be lunching at La Tour d'Argent and then shopping to buy her something special.

She loved sitting in the recliner at Gold Class, but at the same time she must have felt like she was being swallowed up...because half way through the movie, the novelty wore off and she asked me to put the recliner back upright.

She was armed with her cheesy popcorn from Kernels and i ordered strawberry smoothies for the both us, which arrived when the movie started and were about 750mL each.

I like spending time with her at this age. She teaches me patience, i teach her manners, we can reason with one another. It works when it is one on one. Just me and her. It gets complicated when her mother is around because then she will sulk and throw tantrums and silent treatments and will be awfully difficult.

I know that this is the time to be cherished...because in a few more years, things will change dramatically. She will inevitably start thinking about boys in ways other than just friends. How scary?!

I better start thinking of some tactful answers to the impending questions that lie ahead. I have a knack of being around when she is curious and the questions gets deflected towards me for an answer...*sigh*.

Aimee is such a cutie. She is 3 and a half. I called her a baby the other day and she corrects me by telling me "No, i'm a toddler!" and yes, she is right and i am wrong.

(lit: My girls...)

Mes vacances de tourbillon...

My long awaited whirlwind holiday is less than a month away.

I just received advice that my travel documents are at the travel agent and i can go pick it up any time.

My manager's wife works on the airline i will be flying on and she will be helping me reserve good seats so i can have comfortable flights there and back.

LESS THAN A MONTH!

I have been waiting sooo long since i paid for the whole trip for this time to come. And now that it has...i'm feeling a bit ambivalent...I was born a chicken and therefore sometimes feel like a chicken!

I'm excited, no doubt, but being cautious is forcing me to think about the "what ifs" and in some ways, its good to think about those things so you can prepare contingencies to deal with such situations.

But i'm not sure if im well prepared.

Well, thats a lie, i havent prepared anything yet...so im not prepared.

I need to go and see my doctor too, so i can get a med kit prepared, just in case...

(lit: My whirlwind holiday...)

Danser...

So, last night I had my second dance lesson.

We went over the cha-cha, salsa, and jive. We started to learn the waltz and the "box step".

I can do the cha-cha, just not the spot turn. But that could be partly due to the fact that i was wearing my running shoes and not a pair of heels. So, the grip on my joggers didnt allow me the fluid movement that i required.

Salsa became a little more interesting with the "cucaracha" - the "cockroach" stomping move. It seems with this addition, i have managed to move my hips much better.

The jive is sooo much fun. Especially when the music is playing really really fast! We have done the basic step and the instructor incorporated the turn into the sequence, but didnt show the girls how to turn back and return the start, but us girls are so "smart" that we taught ourselves...ahhahaha...to be honest, its actually quite easy to figure how to turn back with the jive. Its actually quite natural for the body to want to turn to the original position and start all over again.

The waltz...what can i say? I can't do anything outside of the "box step". This is due to the fact that you must alternate from right to left (girls), each time you finish the 3-steps (the step-slide-together). I actually thought the waltz was really easy...but i am wrong. Its actually tricky if you are unco like i am.

(lit: Dancing...)