vous semblez familier...

Saying something so simple as "you look familiar" can strike up a conversation with someone new and then you could easily start flirting with your prey...and before he/she knows it they are in an affair with you.

I asked a girlfriend at work if she thought there was a man-drought?

This was sparked because i had caught a clip filmed by Sam & the city about the supposed man-drought we have going on. From a statistical point of view, she spoke to a man from KPMG (i think) and he confirmed that there are more women than men in the age group of 30-something to 40-something...i think. My memory isnt all that flash unfortunately.

Then this guy from Zoo magazine thinks women are too picky. The man from KPMG did some maths and found that after filtering men by "what women want" (as per what the Zoo guy thinks) there are only 5% of men who meet the criterias that actually exist.

The editor of some women's mag thinks there are plenty of eligible men out there, but they are at home doing their own thing or are on the net and suggests that single women should go scouting via the net, using the net as their filter.

So, basically i posed the following questions to my girlfriend:

Do you think there is a male shortage in Sydney?
Or do you think they are all hiding?
Or do you think women in Sydney are being picky?

She came back with "isnt it a fact that statistically, there are more women than there are men? So i read in some mag..." (ad lib version)

Then i added to the conversation "...yeah, and then deduct the amount of men who are gay..." and thats a contributing factor in the smaller number of men who are straight and eligible!!! But i also added that she is "almost" married so its not like she had much to worry...

She replied by reminding me that she remembers how she felt when she was single and she knew how her single friends felt. And word for word, she wrote:

"It’s a disadvantage for all girls if guys feel like they can easily find someone else. I know im going to sound crazy but kyle and jacky o have a segment in their show called cheaters. And I am DISGUSTED by the Sydney men that cheat. And the guy this week was cheating on his wife for 2 years. He basically had 2 relationships..."

Which finally brings me full circle and back to why i started this post the way i did.

While the single people of Sydney try to find love and im sure it hits both genders as hard...its pretty scary that when you put urself out there with your heart on your sleeve, that you can easily be had. You thought you had met the love of your life and 2 years down the track (or how ever long) you find that your partner had been having another relationship with someone for just as long or whatever the duration!!! They had another relationship while with you!!!

Like, WTF?!

Its like the numbers are just stacked up against you. Everybody wants to feel loved and its a scary thought that there are some people are out there double dipping.

How do they do it though? Dont they feel dirty? Dont they feel guilty that they are hurting someone else?

I know, asking these questions is a fruitless venture...if they felt any remorse then they wouldnt be committing the crime. 2DayFM wouldnt have a show called "Cheaters" with people finding out that their partner is cheating on them. I wouldnt be ranting and raving about how much better it is to be single than to have a partner who cheats on me or a partner that i am even the slightest bit suspicious of.

I should keep an eye on my friend...i think one of her secret fears is that her partner might cheat on her...and i should encourage her not to listen to that segment ever again...it is obviously making her anxious.

(lit: you look familiar)

Au revoir mon cheri...

(Pronounciation: o rer.vwar mon sheri)

Its a little weird the relationship they have. In some ways it is similar to what i have with my alterna-date...and in other ways it is warped.

I once told him about toxic relationships and how they would end up making him hate her and himself for letting it go on for so long.

And then it ended, romantically. And it developed to what it is today.

She had a lot of problems at home.

Basically, her mother is a heartless b!tch. Thats the short explanation. Divorced her father just to split everything in half and after wasting all the cash within a year she comes crawling back and the father stupidly takes her home.

The father isnt all that great either. He is abusive.

It came to a point where she was over at our place for so long, so often...i became complacent.

And then something big happened. She needed somewhere to hide. She needed to get away. He asked if she could stay with us and i had to say no, not more than a couple of days. She couldnt just become another person in this family, it wouldnt work.

Didnt she have other family that she could rely on? Didnt she have a best friend that she could stay with? What about her sister??? If i was her sister, i would do anything to help her even if i was working away on an island...

And thats what has happened.

She was forced to defer her studies. Her sister found a job for her on the same island resort.

She found her ticket away from her mother and father.

He drove her to the airport this morning, dark and early at 5am.

(lit: goodbye my friend)

l'amour dans mon coeur...

(Pronounciation: lah-mor don mon ker)

I realised last night that no matter what happens in knocking me backwards...i still have an optimistic outlook on love and life.

My heart still believes in love and i think that is a beautiful thing.

I guess, its always good to know that you do have a heart...and that heart is beating. I mean i wouldn't want to be like Omarion and singing about an icebox being where my heart use to be. How depressing is that?

I will be a year older very shortly...on the other side of 25...but i'm not feeling sad about it. I'm happy to be that "little" bit smarter/wiser/forgiving/loving/patient/careful...thats been obtained throughout the past 12 months...

I dont necessarily know what exactly what i want to do with my life, but i do know what i will be doing tomorrow...and i know what i will be doing in September...and i know what the plans are for Christmas...

And i definitely know that i dont want to lose this ability to feel all warm and fuzzy, not necessarily about someone...but just about life!

I think if you one day realise that you dont feel warm and fuzzy about life, then its not worth living anymore. One needs that zest in their heart for it all to be worthwhile.

(lit: love in my heart)

yeux errants...

I don't blame the guys who do...and i laugh at girls who follow a guy with their eyes.

I have been catching a lot of guys just literally snapping their heads around while they try to follow the pretty girls with their eyes.

A lot of them dont mean to look so intently...but the girls are genuinely pretty, I know cos even i had to take a look! *LoL*

I gotta admit, that its quite complimentary and at least it isnt a scary leer.

I hope no one ever catches my eyes wandering while their eyes are wandering...ahahahaa...how embarassing!

(lit: wandering eyes)

Le docteur...

My mum came home yesterday morning.

I didnt want her to come home bearing gifts, but she still managed to buy things for each of us.

She also had a couple of stories to tell me...

Namely, when she got off her flight and was waiting to walk through immigration, there was an asian guy (who she says is tall and good looking) talking to himself in english. He was wondering whether he was in the correct line. My mother being the nosey woman she is, but trying to help him, told him that there wasnt a particular line he had to stay in, all lines take everyone, not just Vietnamese passport holders.

Then they got to chatting and mum asked him where he was from, since he spoke fluent english. He told her that he was from SG, and she then tells him that "her daughter was taking her to SG and KL for Christmas this year"...He then told her that when she was in SG that she should give him a call and he will take us around and show us SG.
O_O

Mum expected him to just write down his mobile number or something, but he hands her his business card...at the time she didnt have her glasses on and so she couldnt read his details, but she said that she would call if we made it to SG...she put the card away and after they went through immigrations they said goodbye and semi-made promises to meet at Christmas.

When my mother had some time, she took out her glasses and looked at the card expecting to see some weird title that she didnt quite know what it really meant he did for a living...and then she found that he wasnt a Mr So-&-so...but he was a Dr So-&-so.

*LoL*

Why cant i ever go on a trip and strike up a conversation with a tall good looking SINGLE guy, who happens to be a doctor???

In her desperation to get me married, i think she will make me call him if we do go to SG.

Hors de Prix...

E and i watched Priceless yesterday in the afternoon, after a big drink session the night before...
As i didnt drink much , maybe a glass of white, you would think that i would be able to get up early to run some errands before E picks me up at 12:15pm, as planned.

Instead i went home on Saturday night and went to bed around 2:30am...and got woken up by E at 11:40am Sunday to ask if i was able to drive to his place first...and when i told him i was still in bed...he thought i was worse for wear and just kept to the plan...and i think we did alright considering we left my place before 12:30pm.

We got to Leichhardt at around 1:10pm. Picked up our tickets from the box office...went to get some greasy brekky and ended up having brekky/lunch after 1:30pm. E ordered a Big Breakfast...while i ordered the Open Omlette...and i have never seen E eat all his food THAT fast - ever!!!

Its was pretty funny that E kept saying it was too early in the day and when we would look at the time on my watch, it was 14:00pm!

The movie was suppose to start at 14:09pm and we went to the cinemas and lined up to get in at 14:01 or so...and the line was huge...and it kept on growing...and to make matters worse, all 4 cinemas were sold out for the one movie!!!

Now what i dont get is why would they sell out all cinemas and knowing how chaotic it will be, dont they issue tickets with seat numbers associated with them, so that the sessions wont be delayed and no Nazi women ushers need to come into the cinemas and declaring that if you are holding seats for someone and they do not return in 10 minutes, she will be giving them away to other patrons!!!

Like WTF?

The people who's seats are being minded for are for the patrons who have gone out to get popcorn/drinks/choc tops/candy or visiting the toilets before the movie starts. If they are delayed it simply because the lines are huge...so basically, she was telling us that if you are minding a seat, even if the people who were sitting there are generating more revenue for the cinemas or were only using the amenities, that those patrons were going to be punished for not being able to rush back to their seats due to the excessive waiting in the huge lines!!!

Basically it was 14:30pm before the previews and ads started rolling...i was getting even more shitty by the fact that i anticipated that previews would start at 14:09pm as what was printed on the session times, and that we would be out of the cinemas by 16:20pm or slightly there after...so i had only put enough in the meter for up to 16:30pm. Now not only did the Nazi usher and the cinema was so unorganised and thereby making it a horrible experience for patrons to get in to watch the movie, we might suffer a parking fine due to them showing the movie extremely late.

Right before the movie start...about 14:25pm...the Nazi usher walked in to make yet another announcement. Basically, she declares that after the movie screening, we will have to exit via the back door...the door that is used for fire escapes...like FFS...so not only were we treated badly as we walked into the cinemas looking for a seat, because they were so disorganised, we now had to walk out of the cinemas via the back exit.

E was going on about what if he needed to go to the toilets after the movie??? I told him, badluck...doesnt seem like he is allowed to use their facilities after the movie...they are sooo disorganised that they need us to exit via the fire escape so that they dont get confused with partons who are watching the next movie!!!

I apologise for sounding like a pedantic b!tch, but as my life and work revolves around being organised and well planned before i execute anything, its bloody annoying to have a movie session delay on you because the cinema complex failed to organise themselves enough before such a major event occured. Forcing the movie to start 21 minutes later than the starting session time.

And i have been to these cinemas for all the major film fests (French/Italian/Spanish) and never ever has the organisation been this poor.

Now, other than the poor organisation...the movie itself was funny and what i really needed for a Sunday afternoon. I'm such an Audrey Tautou fan. And you know what? for the first 30 minutes, i actually hated her character...and then everything changed. Gad Elmaleh, is like sooo funny!!! E cracks up at the thought of Gad in this one scene where he asks for a light and he flashes his $30,000 (Euro) watch, making Audrey's character choke on her champagne.

In a very aussie fashion, there are sooo many moments like that, where you want to do a MasterCard and say "priceless"...i dont know if that is why the movie was called Priceless...but it suits me fine to think of it this way.

If you have a fancy to watch a French flick...and are looking for something light hearted and funny...this is the movie to watch.

I'm so glad that i watched 2 movies this year...next year, i might just purchase a 3 movie pass. It is sooo worth it.

J'aime les pilates...

(Pronounciation: zhem lay pilates)

I did a pilates class for the first time on Tuesday night.

I don't ever recall using that many muscles...ever!!!

I always thought that pilates was just an ab workout, stylised and marketed to yoga enthusiasts with supposed benefits of generating better core stability.

Its not like what i thought it would be.

In all honesty, pilates is strength training using your own body weight for resistance. Comparing it to my weight training, i think its the better option. You can hurt yourself just as easily as doing weights, but the movements are more flowing and the joint injuries are minimised. And yes, there is a whole lot of work done to the abs, but while you work the abs you are actually working the whole body!!!

Isnt that just brilliant?

I work my back, arms, abs and legs every second day at the gym using weights.

In one pilates class i worked on all those 4 parts and i really felt it!

So, im a convert now.

I cant wait until next Tuesday.

Au revoir, Oncle...

I went to watch "OSS 117 Le Caire Nid d'Espions" (OSS 117: Cairo - Nest Of Spies) on Sunday and everything seemed nice and sunny. The movie was a hoot in a Get Smart sort of way.

After the movie, we grabbed a quick bite from Berkelouws and with the heat i felt calm and everything in my life seemed to have slowed down by a few steady paces.

As both my "alterna-date" and i had respective BBQs to attend that afternoon, we headed towards home after grabbing our light lunch.

When i arrived home, my mother came into my room and asked me to take her to the travel agent because my uncle in Vietnam had just passed away that morning. I asked her if she wanted me to get a ticket online, but she reminded me about the visa she would need. But then the travel agent, if opened, wouldnt be able to issue a visa that fast either!!!

Knowing that it was a fruitless activity, i drove her to the travel agent anyway, to see if it was still opened at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon.

My older brother took the day off on Monday to take her to the travel agent. Some how my mother managed to buy a ticket after 9am and get on a plane for an 11am flight.

My mother obviously didnt sleep well on Sunday night. So, when i got up bright and early at about 5:50am she was already doing house chores. When i left the house, she walked me out. Funny how one's mind works...she was instructing me on which pot plant i needed to water daily, if she was able to get an airfare. The pot plant with the red flowers i bought for her birthday last year...the accompanying white flowered version and her chilli tree. Plus the pot with her "king" flowers - which she is keeping healthy because one day, when i get married, she wants me to hold a bunch of them in my bouquet and where ever i go with them, it will leave a beautiful trailing fragrance...

My uncle is the baby of the family. My grandmother told my mother on her deathbed that she would not die with her eyes closed if my uncle was not going to be looked after by anyone. So, my mother promised her that she would until either/or should pass, so that my grandmother could rest in peace.

As i get older, im learning to accept my age. What i dont like happening, as i get older, is that everyone from about my parents age onwards are slowly but surely leaving this world. And the frequency increases as you age...yes im stating an obvious fact...but realising it and living it are two different things.

I hope that my uncle has gone to a better place. I hope that my mother is coping.

She is suppose to return next Monday, but that is yet to be confirmed. I'm assuming that the travel agent probably helped my mother purchase a business class airfare on her own special travel agent price for my mother to have left so soon, in such a flurry. I should thank her.

J'ai besoin huit heure de sommeil...

(Pronounciation: zhay ber.zwun weet er der so.may)

I can function with as little as much as 5 hours of sleep per night...but it wears you down.

I use to live on 2 hours of sleep during uni...it seemed there wasnt enough time in the day to do all that programming...which really means i was bad at programming to begin with.

The week before, my left eye was twitching non-stop for the whole week. On Saturday night, i slept for 11 hours and it was great. I woke up and my eyes were sooo bright and white. And the twitching it stopped.

I thought my eyes were red from staring at the computer screen day in and day out. I also thought it was the meds that i am on...dehydrating my skin as much as my eyes, too. Now, i know...its the lack of sleep.

The moment i started clocking only 5-6 hours again...my eyes went red.

I slept for 8 hours last night...and i woke up with bright eyes again...

I think its pretty clear...i should really dedicate 8 hours of sleep each night and make a habit of it.

Translation: "I need 8 hour sleep" (lit)

Un billet, s'il vous plait...

(Pronounciation: um bee-yay, seel voo play)

There is so much i want to write and so much is going on in my head...i just dont have the time to get it all out.

My manager is on safari (lit: in Africa) and i have been relocated to sit next to my team...it makes me more productive because it makes me feel as though i have to prove a point, even though i dont...but what is really consuming my time, other than meetings, is the fact that now im sitting so close, people just call me name if they require my help.

Previously, they had to walk across the floor and find me...so they couldnt really be bothered. They would call me instead or drop me an email...which suits me better. Now, all i hear is my name being called from 360 degrees around my cubicle/pod space. Grrr...

So, i will quickly write about the one thing that is obvious!

I was thinking about how i could fill up my weekends...because of late, its really consisted of DVDs and more DVDs...and im talking the bootleg variety.

And now...im going to watch a French Film Fest movie on 2 Sunday's consecutively, i have 2 bbqs consecutively, and most of my weekday lunches are packed out with work related lunches!!!

I'm getting dizzy and im becoming broke and the month has only just started and i only just got paid.

PS: Work bought me a new mobile phone...nothing to flashy...but its all good...a new phone is a new phone.
PPS: Title reads - One ticket, please.

Baiser! Vous pouvez réparer ma voiture aujourd'hui?

(Pronounciation: bay-zay! voo poo.vay ray.pa.ray ma vwa.tewr o.zhoor.dwee)

I had an accident last night, when i was trying to park my car...i was running late for my yoga class.

Parlez-vous anglais?

You will notice that the titles of each post will be written in French from now on.

Reason being...im trying to learn more French - beyond greeting...for the week I am in Paris.

I have been bringing my phrase book to work so that i can read/mouth/learn on the train...i swear i must look like a nutter...but since when did i really care what the people on the train thought of me?

I'm surprised by some of the things i have found in my little Lonely Planet French Phrase book...

Like:

C'est une garce - She is a b!tch

C'est un con - He is a prick

Il a roule sa bosse - He gets around

I have two other aids that i have bought that come with a CD - one of which i learnt to ask if you were married/single...and thats all i remember from it. But this little phrase book seems to be much more useful and handy for learning compared to the other aids. Surprising huh?

Now, lets see if i remember any of it without looking at the book for the pronounciations!

I appear to grasp "reading" French...but as to holding a conversation or speaking properly while asking for something, i dont think im quite there yet.

At least i know how to ask if they speak English.

Je ne suis pas satisfaite...

(Pronounciation: zher ner swee pa sa.tees.fayt)

Lunch was at 12 Spices and it was with the Twins. We were celebrating our 20 year Anniversary of being friends. We have known each other since Kindergarten and it was good to go out and chat just for the heck of it, over food!

We obviously got into engrossed conversations about our partners past and present (for 1 of us at the least) and we spoke about whether women today really needed a man? Both of them know about my "Alterna-date" and they firmly agree that if a girl/guy who has someone like that, makes being single is actually as good an option as being with someone.

But lets not delve into that topic...i can talk about that another day.

When we breached the topic of work and our careers and I mentioned that i was looking for other work...not really to move on, because i dont really want to move right now...but more so i can brush up on my interviewing skills. So, im really seeking interviewing opportunities. Its been almost 2 years since i did any interview. And we all know that its not a bad idea to have good interviewing skills. And just like any other skill, if you dont practice it, it will in time be forgotten.

From proclaiming my intentions of going to interviews for the heck of it, one of the girls said: "You are soo Gen-Y!"

And then i explained my position on re-establishing my interviewing skills and how work fobbed me off when i asked for my pay increase last year...so it doesnt hurt to keep your options opened either and that i have learnt to look out for numero uno. I'm disposable at the end of the day, and the company is a business. I shouldnt take it personally, but who can help that? I am human after all.

They then told me about their position at work...new graduates walking in and getting salaries only a few grand off of what they are on now - even with the 3/4 years experience. It is really a slap in the face. One actually manages one of these grads and that grad is a complete d!ck...he actually makes comments to her about how her pay "must" be significantly more than his...when he knows it isnt. How he knows, im not sure...but he does.

Why should we be made to feel more insignificant than the new starters???

The other was given a promotion and a pay increase on top of her last increase and was obviously chuffed that she was one of the youngest and finally recognised for her efforts in the last 3 years. But on the day she was promoted she went for drinks after work and another workmate blurted out how much someone else was getting paid and how much that person's pay increase was - all before she could say no, that she didnt want to know!

And the amount, well it really upset her because the other person wasnt responsible for half as much as she was. I think she saw things as they were, like i finally did last year!

Graduates these days walk in and command so much more than we did, only 3 years ago...and its stupid that managers are trying to justify it by saying that its "inflation"...inflation of $10K or more?

She is now looking on the side...but like me, she loves the people she works with...so it makes it pretty difficult to make the decision to leave. She recently was head hunted to speak with someone from another company and she told me her analogy about the whole situation...and how it makes her feel bad even though she is only looking out for herself.

"Its like im cheating on work...Work is my boyfriend... He didnt appreciate me enough, so here i am going out for drinks with another guy (another company) because im dissatisfied with my boyfriend and i'm keeping my options opened. But then my boyfriend gives me flowers (your bonus) &/or gift voucher (another present from work) and it makes me reconsider and give him another chance! And then i feel guilty for keeping my options opened by seeing that other guy..."

You know, at the end of the day...i may be Gen-Y...but i think companies are partly to blame for the mentality that we should constantly move and look for more or something better. There are many companies who do not believe in staff retention and when you show a Gen-Y person that you dont want to reward them for their loyalty or their skills...well, they are smart enough to know that they can look somewhere else, and sometimes the company even tells you to do so.

I dont want to move...neither do my girlfriends...we actually want to grow with the company...but we are made to feel like we are not important enough to be retained. Although we do offer and provide a big return to the company...and if we are made to feel this way...well, there is no turning back. The only way to go is to move forward and unfortunately that means moving on, to hopefully greener pastures.

One manager who happens to be leaving the company (so my friend thought she would be more open and honest) told my friend that she should go elsewhere because the company only has X-amount in the budget and they are hiring more juniors, so if she asks for a pay increase it would be most likely be rejected.

You know, the workmate who has left my company told me that managers have a budget for their department. Sometimes they will selfishly say no to your request of a pay increase, not because you dont deserve it, but because if they dont spend all their budget, they get a % of the remaining budget as part of their overall bonus...and they rather it in their pockets than yours.

In their defence, he said he would do the same if he was in their position...so he wasnt angry at the manager who told him this.

I dont know where i stand on that one.

I see his point...but still.

PS: Title reads "I'm not satisfied."

I tried not to think...

On the weekend, the highlight for me is the opportunity to avoid giving the brain a major workout. I try really hard to not get involved in controversial topics or watching anything that will make me think to get what is going on.

Unfortunately, i didnt avoid it this weekend. I watched 4 movies and all 4 made me think...3 of which made me think very seriously.

Off the bat, i loaded Paris Je'taime. Were talking about a movie that has 9 short flicks in one...and silly me, i managed to load the second half first and it was really dark...were talking drugs in a quirky weird scenario, i didnt expect it from the start...but it wasnt the start since i started in the middle. I managed to follow the movie anyway, because of the way it was set out with the 9 shorts. I watched the first half of the movie after i finished the second half and it still meshed well. What made me think so much throughout this movie??? I didnt know why some of these short movies were suppose to relate in a significant way with the topic "Paris, I love you..."

Then i watched Dreamgirls...and you are probably thinking, what in that movie can possibly make you think so much? Well, i just kept wondering when it would get interesting and its more an expectation thing...I expected more...I was waiting for a lot of excitement...I was tired and it was late...my mind kept ticking over like the time and i was sitting there waiting for and anticipating so much more with the Effie diva thing. And i didnt end up with much...so i was pretty disappointed. I was thinking about all the bigger and greater things that were to come in the movie, but didnt end up seeing anything i made up in my mind.

Today, i watched Little Children and this one made me think a lot. There are about 4 storylines entwined and comes together like Jackie Brown (or Pulp Fiction - but since i never finished washing it, i can only compare it to Jackie Brown...but more subtle)...its starts off controversially and ends in a very neutral pathetic way (well, half of the ending is neutral and pathetic...the other half closes the circle of the controversial topic.

If you were wondering what Kate Winslet's nipples looked like after having two kids and wanted to compare it to her Titanic days...this is the movie to fulfil all that wondering. I was a bit surprised about the nudity...but the guy - Brad...the one she does the hanky panky with, well he is pretty hot! So, i really cant complain.

After that i went to lunch with some girlfriends and when i got back i watched another movie - Brick. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (you'd probably remember him more on 3rd Rock from the Sun) stars in this movie. I think he has a thing for offbeat movies that are less stellar but far more meaningful...and im guessing he finds acting in them more fulfilling...

This movie is intense and you are transported into a world that is very mature in the espionage/investagation within a drug/gang like community that is actually all placed in a high school environment with a bunch of high school kids. I actually forgot most of the time that were actually in fact dealing with kids in this flick...well the characters are supposed to be kids.

Its really strong in the darkness and violence and even in all its gory, its pretty crafty. But due to its craftiness, i didnt understand particular important code names for the drugs, locations, drinks etc...and i think that if you have to think about those type of things, it detracts from the movie...cos who really wants to be figuring out what those things are while they are watching and are trying to follow a movie???

After finishing Brick, im glad it was Ugly Betty time...because thats a no brainer and the grey mass could recuperate from the strains of Little Children and Brick.

I broke my shopping ban...

Mum and i did our usual early morning grocery shopping and errand running.

Its also the Stocklands One Day Mega Sale today.

So, after our usual, we headed to our local Stocklands.

I went straight to one of my favourite clothing stores. Usually, i wouldnt buy anything retail in this place...its sooo expensive (for my budget), but when its on sale...this place really goes on sale. They are my local stockist of Wish clothing. On these mega sale days the Wish tops are $10.

Mum and i bought 9 tops and i got a pair of Wish black jeans. Total cash burnt = $120. We did a pretty good job, if you ask me...but as i am on a ban...i can only feel guilty.

Next stop was at Loose Threads...the local urban wear store. I bought 2 dresses, a grey marle/black cross back Volcom number and a navy MinkPink tunic dress that will go with my black jeans or black leggings or if daring - worn as a mini (but i wont be going there)! Total cash burnt here = $40.

We then headed to the Taylors Shoe store and all the sale stock was further reduced by 50% on the already marked down price. Mum was looking for flats...i was looking for flats...we ended up buying strappy thongs to wear...all $10 each. We walked away with 3 pairs...1 for her, 2 for me = $30.

In total so far we spent $190 and for every $100 you spent, you received 1 adult movie pass to Hoyts, so Mum decided to get some more fruit or veges...and we ended up spending $11.30 at the Trims Fruit & Vege store...

So, not only did we buy all this stuff, we got some fruit and veges out of it too! PLUS the 2 movie tix.

It was a crazy frenzy in the carpark and at the stores with the huge mega bargains...it was awesome to bag so many things!!! But at the end of it all, i know i really shouldnt have!!!

I had spent so much in Myers over Christmas and New Years, that i had earned enough points on my Myer One card for them to give me a $20 gift card. Thats me spending $2000 in 2 months!!! Its like - "Yeah, i earned that $20 for investing $2K in your store!!!"

Funny thing is, i dont really remember what i bought in Myers during that time...yeah i bought some tops in MissShop and that was with the Gift Card my boss gave me and the one my brother gave me...but i dont remember what else that i had bought to have raked up 2000 points...

They also sent me oh so tempting vouchers and i went in search of something to buy yesterday during lunch, but i was left very dissatisfied...so i guess today is making up for the shortfall yesterday.

I said i was going to hide my plastic...but i had to change something first...and since i visited the bank today and got it amended...i can officially put it on ice for a while...until i go overseas...at this rate, i wont get to Asia.

Speaking of which, i visited my travel agent to clarify the airfare for SG and KL during Dec/Jan. She said the airfare is looking to be $1160 + $350 (taxes) x 2. And then accommodation of about $60 for 3 nights in SG and about $92 for 4 nights in KL (thats if i go back to the Renaissance)...

I need to save about $3500 to pay for Mum and i...and then spending money...gosh...i'll need about $6K...

I really need to stop going on my shopping sprees!!!
>_<

Skim mint slice...

Now, doesnt it just blows when the person you have been crushing on makes up something special just for you?

Mr Hot Stuff asked me if i wanted to try something he just thought of? Would i like to try my skim pep latte with some chocolate...?

I thought, why not? Live a little...it will be like a liquid mint slice if he gets it right!

And on initial taste...i didnt quite get to the hot liquid goodness. There was some froth to get past and so i only really tasted the chocolate dusted frothy goodness at first.

He asked what i thought, and i told him that i would have to drink most of it to be able to tell...that he'll know how good it is, if i asked him for it tomorrow.

This morning, i got my small juice (whole lemon, pineapple, carrot, celery) and i think he was crushed...but i told him that it was too early for chocolate...i'd come back later in the arvo.

Its 10:30am and i need a sugar hit...so i asked my workmate if she wanted coffee?

We head down and i asked him to make me a skim mint slice.

I think he was satisfied that i liked his creation.

Can i just say, it tastes even better today...he used a bit more chocolate than he did yesterday...now its like a true minty infused hot choc...mmm...

Its like the minty hot choc from Max Brenner's (only available in the colder months)...mmm...

You know, i have actually met his father too now! *LoL* He even smiles when he sees me...and says hello!

I only need to meet his sister and then thats the whole family! But i know all the people who work there on a first name basis...and Mama upgrades my orders for free! I'm liking this very much...a shame i cant have the guy too!
=P

Cheatin' before you buy...

I have read a lot or seen a lot of things lately that disturb me.

Do all men feel okay with having many partners before "settling" down?

But why the double standards if a woman today has more than one partner before she marries???

Some weekend ago, i finally sat down to watch the Pursuit of Happyness and the Last Kiss. The former with Will Smith & son and the latter with Zach Braff & Rachel Bilson.

The Last Kiss relates more to this topic...Zach's character has an affair with Rachel's character...meanwhile he lied about this relationship to his fiance who is at home with a bub in the tum. His fiance is a gorgeous, intelligent, funny gal and it doesnt quite make sense as to why he cheated on her...

Is it purely because he can? The opportunity was there. Temptation got the better of him???

The bigger question is why does she take him back???

The poignant part of the movie is towards the end where the fiance's father says to Zach's character something along the line of:

"Temptation will always be there. Its what you do about it that will matter."

I'm pretty sure there are women out there who have cheated on their fiancee too.

I dont really get what compels them...but then i have never been in a situation to really understand...i have never really been tempted.

Only once was i sorta, kinda, something or other close to temptation with another guy...not that the guy offered a proposition or anything of the sort...there was a little friendly-like flirting and it made me realise that if i was considering another guy...well, then it was time to move on.

I wasnt about to cheat. And to me, cheating is the ultimate no-no in a relationship. Trust is one of the most important things...cheating would be breaking that trust. I would personally prefer a clean break up than to have feelings entangled in lies...i actually tell my partners this...that if they get tempted and want to act on it, then they should break up with me...because if they cheat, thats the end of the relationship...no amount of "baby, i love you" will mend whats been broken.

I've been lucky so far...no cheaters were ever on the books.

No wasting of tears on b@stards who soooo dont deserve it.

I read something today and it was about men and their need to sleep with as many partners as possible...that it was genetically coded in them...all about procreating and sowing their seeds in as many partners...part of a darwinian style of survival of the fittest and in doing so providing a higher success rate of their seed turning into a baby...a healthier, stronger baby or babies.

The funny thing was that the article turned and started talking about women in the same light...like the women in Africa and South America and some Asian countries...where it was part of their culture to have as many partners as they could have...to provide their babies with as many father figures as possible...thereby bringing up a "super-baby" with a variety of influences from the many fathers...pretty much saying that one father for the baby wasnt enough...since as we all know...individual men arent perfect!
=P

Cheers to the person(s) who is doing the research on these women and the culture they live in.

Great to know that others are trying to give women a fair go in this arena.

The Year of Gluttony (aka The Year of the Pig)...

Thursday (last week)...Centennial Park...Moonlight Cinema...Confetti...heaps of Subway sandwiches and wraps...lots and lots of junk food...bottles upon bottles of company branded red & white...were getting ritzy-er, no more company branded beer for this lot!

Met the most entertaining taxi driver ever...and thats Mr Driver to you!

Had only 4.5 hours of sleep.

Friday (last week)...Mum told me that i could sleep in on Saturday morning...bro was supposed to drive her in the morning to get the roast duck and all at 7 am. So, i stayed up late...

Saturday (NY eve)...i got woken up at 7:10 am...bro didnt arrive yet. Mum called his mobile...no answer...so she woke me up and we left the house at 7:15 am. When we got home at about 9:30 am, after i had brekky, i tried to catch some zzz's...the "girls" arrived...i could hear Chloe's trike and Aimee singing something as they came up the drive...and they came just as i was dozing off...grrr...when they left, they phone kept ringing and no one was there to pick the phone up...so i had to!

I stayed up late to go to the temple and pray for my grandparents (whose urns reside there)...we went just before midnite and Dad couldnt find a parking spot, so he turned back and drove home saying we'd do it in the morning. He broke my tradition...suffice to say, i was annoyed.

I went to bed at about 12:30 am.

Sunday (NY day)...I got woken up before it was even 7 am...what is wrong with my mother??? Dad said we'd go at about 9 am...i didnt have to get up until about 8 am...but noooo...i cant even get enough sleep in my own house!!!

We had to do the rounds...meet and greet with our relos...visit the other temple where my great aunt resides and then go to another great aunts place and have a VERY big extended family banquet.

At every house we visited, i ditched the "no...im on a diet" comment and tucked into the sweets...cos thats all they really offer...sweet things! Its rude to say no, and its rude not to eat or drink anything when people offer it to you, especially on Chinese New Year Day!

I got to sit around and catch up with my cousins...its getting a bit crazy...i suggested that we take passport photos of everyone and build a family tree, cos our aunts and uncles are forgetting our names...there are just too many of us in the family. The most cluey-est aunt had to pause and think about my name...how could she forget? And she almost forgot my lil bro's name...which is weird since it was her husband who helped my dad pick it!

We left fairly early last night and funny enough i made it home in time to catch Ugly Betty and then watched the finale of So You Think You Can Dance! And omg, it was a hoot! Small favours...cant help it!

I think the lack of sleep was really taking its toll on me.

Monday...i woke up this morning feeling as though i got slammed into a wall and hit my face first...like someone had poured concrete into my ear and clogged my brain up...that doesnt make sense...i know...but thats the best i can do right now!

As i was going to see my physio this afternoon, i saw a girl who was clearly anorexic...clearly? Well there were skinny size 4/6 asian girls next to her, who were walking fine and were not just skin and bones...they were skinny, yes, but not anorexic. This girl, you could clearly see her knees protruding from under her fishnets...under the sleeve of her top you could see how skinny her arms were...her hair looked like it was a wig, but im thinking that it is merely unhealthy, and really brittle. Her face was so sallow, i was pitying her. She could barely walk up a very slight incline just in front of Star Bar on George St.

Moments like that made me appreciate the fact that im not anorexic thinking about my weight 24/7 and have lost sooo much weight that i can barely walk. I cant dream of not running ever again...not being able to walk is even more devastating.

I got to Town Hall and walked down the stairs to the platform and there was a blind man with a guide dog. He seemed to be in a situation, so as i walked down i was thinking about what i would say to him in offering my assistance. I mean, i understand that he is trying to be independent, but at the same time, i dont want the man to stand there for 30 minutes and be late for where ever he was meant to be.

But as i got to the bottom of the stairs i heard him say to the guide dog..."c'mon...go up the stairs"...i think the dog was being stubborn today...slowly the dog climbed up a step...i stayed there at the bottom watching the duo, until the dog started to make a proper progression.

I'm grateful to have my eyes. To see and not having to rely on a guide dog who is succeptable to being temperamental.

I hope that the dog guides his owner much better in the near future...and i hope that the anorexic girl realises sooner (rather than later) that abusing and tormenting herself is not the way to go if she wants a longer more fulfilling life.

Addiction...

I "used" to be a shopaholic...

And then the mortgage and saving for Europe happened.

So, i was amazingly cautious with my money for about 18 months.

But for the better part of January and so far in February, i have been burning money with my spending. I'm not quite broke, but i'm not going to turn away relos who have red pockets ready for me this weekend! (Even though i'm not a kiddie anymore!)

I didnt save anything in December 06 or in January 07.

I'm getting complacent with my money...which is not good!

On Sunday, i bought 3 cardigans...all the same style...in 3 different colours: red, black, mustard. I was actually itching to buy a blue one and a pink one as well...and the green one. But even i knew that that would be overkill, even in my shopping ecstatic state.

I've reverted back to "shopping makes me happy"...and that is not a dependency i want to maintain...its an expensive habit...luckily i dont have a thing for couture.

I have bought about 5 pairs of shoes/sandals...even a pair of patent teal coloured pumps...it's my favourite colour, it matched the top i was wearing and went really well with the black jeans i had on...my cousin got me a 40% discount so it was well worth it, if you really think about it...but at the end of the day - Do i really need patent TEAL pumps?

I am putting myself on a shopping ban!

I am planning on going to SG/KL/BK at the end of the year during my forced leave, so i can do some shopping...i need to hold out until then. Save all my money for that and some extra dosh for Europe in September! And since im taking Mum with me to Asia...i'll be paying for her airfare and accommodation...more saving is required.

So my plan of attack?

I'm going to hide my CC and use only cash...and NO MORE SHOPPING!!!

Well, at least, not until i get to Asia at the end of the year...

He made my day...

Valentine's day and its commercialism has brainwashed me.

But im re-programmed now.

In my teens i would sit and pine and hope that i would some day receive some over inflated flowers from a guy i really liked...

That one day i might meet someone and we would go for dinner somewhere posh and he would pay through his teeth, sell a kidney and a lung too when he realises how much it would cost.

And i have been there, and done that.

So, i can say that my quota is half full...and fortunately not empty.

But Valentine's Day has always been stressful in my opinion. Soooo much pressure on both the guy and girl. So, i am actually feeling good and im embracing the fact that im single this year.

Last year was horrendous. I felt crap on Valentine's Day...even though i was with someone.

But today, what a good way to start!

I was like 30 seconds late to my train, and the train operator that stands in the middle between all the carriages controlling the doors...he waited for me. I dont think he saw me running down the ramp at the trainstation, but he certainly heard the clicking of my heels...and so he actually waited for me! (I know i repeated myself...but he did, he waited for me!!!)

As i ran breathlessly to the closest carriage, i said "thank you!" and the doors shut behind me.

Small favours such as these makes me feel like smiling.

To all my single friends, HAPPY VALENTINE'S to YOU! Days like today make me realise and appreciate your friendship even more than i do on a day to day basis, because i know that without you i'd be a very sad soul. Know that you are loved at least by someone other than your Mum! =P

Asian female with Caucasian male...

Mum and Dad went to a wedding on Saturday and my older bro and wife were invited too.

It was a union between an Asian bride and a Caucasian groom...I think that set the precedence for the conversation between Mum and Sis-in-law. Sis-in-law said to Mum:

"I have never seen THAT many Asian girls with Caucasian guys!"

On Sunday, Mum and i went to get last minute ingredients for our Chinese New Year Feast this weekend. In the car Mum was relaying the convo she had with Sis-in-law about the mixed unions. How some of these Asian girls were even pregnant...

I'm like, well...if they are married to these guys, it would be only a matter of time before these girls get pregnant!!!

=P

Then the funniest thing was uttered by her, with a horrified tone in her voice:

"Are the Asian guys SO bad now??? So, bad that Asian girls need to turn to Caucasian guys?"

And i didnt want to really reply with an affirmation that what she questioned was true...that thats what it seems like to me. Asian guys are being beaten at the dating game by Caucasian/Western guys.

Why do i say that? Asian guys are reknowned for standing on the sideline watching.

If a guy doesnt even attempt to speak to a girl, he wont get far...and we all know that.

What girl wants to be swept off her feet by a guy who cant even muster a "hello"?

I told her, that in this day and age, she shouldnt be surprised when all my cousins who are in high school now or just entering uni end up with Caucasian guys...and she shouldnt be surprised if i ended up with a Caucasian guy.

Follow up...

I had acupuncture yesterday.

The first time ever. My physio put one needle in where it hurt the most along my leg...and that spot feels soo much better now. In terms of longevity, it all depends on the individual's body, but it could fix my leg forever.

But when i left his office, i started to feel tingly in other places of my right leg...but apparently i would feel funny like that.

How does acupuncture feel when the needle is in?

The limb the needle has poked will feel like its dead (numb)...blood not flowing smoothly...that state of when you got up from sitting crossed-legged and your leg feels googly...no pain...a little pinch when he twists the needle to hit the right nerve, but thats it...so it was actually not bad at all.

The point of it, if i remember correctly, is that the needle basically causes a minute injury so that blood will flow to that localised point. More blood = more oxygen = better functionality in that area.

I will be going back on Monday and may do a bit more acupuncture, because although that one point is clear now, another point has become obvious as a secondary point of pressure and pain.

I never thought i would be saying this, but acupuncture is good.

I now know why my yoga instructure (who i think is in her 60's) advocates acupuncture as an alternate method of relieving pain, all depending on what is causing the pain though. So, if its muscular or related to your nerves, i would consider this as an alternative to medicine. Its pain free and when you treat the problem early enough, you could be rid of the problem forever.

PS: My physio told me to exercise less, because im starting to show signs of tenderness like triathletes. Ha! I'm like a triathlete...the amount of exercising and the injuries...bleh!

For better or worse...?

I have been doing squats, lunges, with and without extra weight for a long time now...just to strengthen my quadraceps so that i could run better.

And so it seems, in my attempt to strengthen my legs i have actually injured myself by making my quadraceps too strong!

Like wtf?

I went to see my doctor to complain...suggesting that it might be due to my broken left ankle and running has exacerbated the inbalance from that injury now causing pain in my right leg.

He referred me back to the physio who treated me for the ankle injury.

He assessed both of my legs and basically after all that, it seems i have been so diligent in making myself strong in the quads, I now need to lay off those exercises and stretch...like s-t-r-e-t-c-h...im once again not allowed to run!

=(

When he tried to massage my leg, it was agonising!

I mean, i like deep tissue massages...and it was good...but at the same time...it really hurt!

Its gotten me thinking...is it of real value training this hard? But then what is the point of training if you dont do it with conviction? I do as many (or more) hours as an athlete. They take it seriously, why wouldnt i?

But is it really worth it if it causes more complications? Risks of injuring myself are constantly increasing...

I'm scared that i will hurt myself by training so much, but if i dont do it will all of my effort I will never achieve what i have set out to achieve.

Great.

Cash free Friday night bonanza!

It all started with farewell drinks (for a workmate) where the company was picking up the tab...i only had a girly tipple because after drinks at EQ i was going to meet up with L & G for pre-cruise drinks.

It seemed that my girly tipple was enough to keep me giddy until we got to the wharf and onto the boat. So, i didnt have any more of a "pre-drink".

The cruise was free drinks and food. Good to know. For a full coverage of the cruise go here.

What i want to talk about is Mr Touchy Feely who tried to come on to me for about 10 minutes...but it seems i was oblivious to it all and that made J feel quite astonished and worried that i was oblivious to it.

It all started when Mr Touchy Feely was making his moves on L. I thought he was ultra keen on her. Dancing all seductively and all. But it was all laugh and games to me, since i wasnt the one who got her face slobbered all over or my ass slapped/grabbed by Mr Touchy Feely...and i pegged this guy as a harmless drunk.

So, it was to my surprise when he approached G and called me a Heartbreaker! He was standing to the right of G, to G's left was J, then on the next seat was L & my bags, then me on the next seat. When he called me a Heartbreaker i told him that i was with J so i had to dismiss him.

And this is when i thought he was just a being a dumb shameless drunk...but according to J, he was doing his 3 moves and i was just giving him the cold shoulder for every attempt!

No friggin derrrrrrrrrrrrr i was giving the cold shoulder!!!!

I dont like drunks like him. Let alone one trying to hit on me.

He cut J off and lifted our bags off the seat, i quickly grabbed it from him for fear he might just toss it into the water. He sat down and proceeded to do that supposedly spine-tingling thing to the knees, to my right knee. He asked me whether it felt "sexy". I just looked at him and said "No!" He then tried it a couple of more times and asked again, whether if felt sexy. No!

He then at some stage, attempted to hold my hand. Which i quickly pulled away from him.

He sat next to us talking about how much his shoes cost, and for some reason before he could protect the leather he had managed to cover it with bourbon and coke or something like that.

At some point, Mr Touchy Feely got up and walked away.

I exhaled and shoved J for not protecting me better!

And then i find out that Mr Touchy Feely has grabbed L's ass and he told her that he loved her.

He then managed a whole lot of other obscenities with L and i believe a number of girls who were also on the cruise.

When the boat had docked and we started to disembark, i had waited for him to get off before i would move from where i was standing.

When we got on to the wharf and started to walk towards E's car, I see this guy who starts running up and trying to sell me a record (Mr Touchy Feely stole the piece of decoration from the cruise) to me...failing...he runs to L declaring his love again and tries to sell it to her (i think). This time J provided better protection...and we walked away...

L had to try and sandwich herself between E & G. And at some point she lost Mr Touchy Feely and we all lost G.

We ended up with a few car incidents trying to drop J off at some hotel and the picking up some bags from some girls who were on the cruise (???). When we finally got out of the city, we realised that we were dying of dehydration, so we stopped and fuelled up at McD's.

Then I suggested that E drop G home...E complained that he didnt have enough petrol, but i offered him my fuel voucher...but for some reason driving towards G's house we couldnt find a Caltex. And E's blue light lit up just after we dropped G at his place.

*LoL*

I took the back roads and winded around some dark places and im sure E was panicking...but we managed to find a Caltex and everything was good. The way i took him home ended up being about 10-15 minutes faster than taking the M4...so all was good!

*sigh*

All in a nights work when i go out with L & E & G & J and added to the fun, my workmate Mon joined...she had a hoot...

Weird? Nope...Mon is just as crazy as my beloved friends!!!

The worst thing about being single...

Personally, the worst thing for me about being single use to be the loneliness.

You know those moments when you thought you were going to spend all afternoon reading/shopping/drawing/whatever and for some reason or other you end up with 4 hours and nothing to do.

But on Australia Day i took Mum out to lunch. On the ride to the restaurant she was telling me something about someone and she briefly made a point that i dont think she realised the impact it would have on me...nor do i believe she even knew that she was revealing a lot of depth in her words.

For me, the most horrible thing about being single right now, is the fact that it makes my mother feel shit about herself. Like she has failed me in some way.

You may think its the typical mother thing, where she wants all her daughters to be married at a decent age, lest her only daughter. But there was so much pain in what she said that i know for a fact it wasnt so simple. I was sooo going to cry.

Its a shame that my single status has to affect her too. I've learnt to accept it, but she shouldnt have to learn to accept anything on my behalf. I am after all an adult who can look after herself.

Instead of a true celebration during Chinese New Year, honestly, its when all my family gets together and compare. They compare their status - in every which way...they compare their kids and how well or bad their kids are doing...its all done under the guise of being interested in our lives, but the truth is, they are just fishing for ammo.

So, unfortunately, my mother will be dealt with a number of queries about my status and im sure they will manage to make her feel hopeless about my being single.

Great. Something to look forward to in 17 days.

Pappadam Farm...

In trying to convince another workmate not to leave our company...one of my workmates tried to use reverse psychology.

The one leaving is Indian and is planning on relocating to Canberra.

Workmate says to him:

Don't worry about the Global Warming in Canberra or inhaling the air that Howard is exhaling...Canberra has the best Indian food on Earth!

They even have a pappadam farm!

In sad times, its always good to have a clown at work...

Holiday - signed, sealed, now waiting...

My friend emailed me yesterday to confirm that our accommodation in Paris was confirmed, and that the deposit has been paid for!

The first 3 places, located right in the epicentre were booked out, even though on the website calendar (which indicates its availability) showed that it was free.

I had started to panic, thinking that all the people who were into Rugby had planned their trip to watch the World Cup, had already booked all the good accommodation. I mean all the airfares were sold out for that period, going via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Bangkok. My travel agent had to book a flight via Hong Kong...which im okay with...

Our 4th choice of accommodation is still in the centre, 3rd Arrdt and the Landlord's comment is as follows:

The neighbourhood is safe, and absolutely stunning, located centrally only a short walk from the Centre Pompidou, Le Marais, Le Louvre...don't forget to walk to La Rue de Bretagne and take advantage of its variety of delicatessens. Inside, everything is newly furnished and modern. You'll capitalize on the small private courtyard and the mezzanine, in complete privacy from the rest of the studio.

Its a studio apartment on the Ground Floor of the building...and it has its own little courtyard. It may not have a view like the other 3 places, but the location is very good in terms of public transport and of course its near the Louvre...

I told my aunt (she is the youngest of all my Dad's cousins) that i was going to Europe in September this year. I told her all the details and how i was staying in Paris for 4 extra days after my tour...she has been travelling for a very long time now. She is a graphic designer for an advertising agency and has done all the things i've wanted to do. She has done Europe with a tour and then back packing, gone to Asia and has travelled from the North to the South and visited the glaciers in NZ.

She bursted my bubble and told me that Paris is not what its cracked up to be. And im grateful that she did. Because now, i will go with little expectation and hopefully wont be disappointed at the end of my experience. I dont have much expectation of all the other cities i will be visiting...so, its going to be interesting.

January is coming to a close...tomorrow it will be February...7 more months and i will be on a plane flying away from Sydney. Its half a year + 1 month, but it will fly by. I'll know its time to leave when i get my taxes done, hopefully its a bigger refund this year so i have more spending money!!!

I'm so excited, but at the same time im scared...well not really scared, but nervous. I have never really travelled to a foreign place on my own before. I'm a worry wart too, so i tend to stress about EVERYTHING!

All i can do now is wait...waiting...waiting...waiting...6 months later down the track and i'll panic.

The young, the scared, the infertile...

I had a good long weekend...sorta...
A lot of food...a lot of kids...a lot of food...a moderate amount of exercising (spawned from all the food i ate) to compensate...and a lot of shopping!

This post is actually about my Saturday...at my Great Aunt's place...we had a huge family lunch...there were sooo many kiddies...and my cousin (2nd oldest in the family...me being the oldest) brought her baby girl along.

While we were in the kids room, i asked her sister (3rd oldest in our family) when she and her boyfriend are getting married.

This forced our conversation on another tangent...about her older sister + hubby having a long conversation with the 3rd oldest's boyfriend the night before.

The conversation was about how he will be a bachelor for life if he found out that he was infertile. Infertility is something that really scares him. He wants a big family, but if he cant have kids, he doesnt want to stop his gf/future wife from having one, two or three...so, he wont marry her if he finds out.

I was shocked.

As i am the oldest, i havent heard my friends consider how infertile they were...i mean this guy is barely 22 y/o and he is worried about whether his chances of fathering a child is so slim that he will decide to stay a bachelor for the rest of his life?!?!?!

I posed the question about them loving each other? You marry a person because you love them, no? Why is his fertility a question as to whether he would marry you?

To me, marriage comes first. Babies come second. You wont know unless you have been trying for a child for a year that you "might" be infertile...and even then it could be either one of you. But dont you love the person enough to look at other options.

He told her sister + hubby that he would not be okay with another man's sperm fathering their baby. Fair enough, i dont think any man would be comfortable with that. In vitro or no in vitro, another man's sperm is another man's sperm. But what about adoption? Nope...he doesnt want that either.

So, what if their problem was because she was infertile? Would he break her heart and dump her, because he oh so wants his own children??? But doesnt he love her???

I asked her how she felt. She says she understands. She wouldnt break up with him if he was the one infertile. But as she wants kids, she believes its something they will have to work long and hard to overcome.

I'm suprised that they are even talking about it so seriously.

I thought guys fought with a vengence to prove how viril they were! And infertility was not something you would question at the tender age of 21!!! I was so taken aback...i didnt think a guy would question whether he was fertile, not until he was mid 30's or older and was trying his luck at having his first child and continuously failed...even then, i thought he would blame the woman until he finds out that her egg count is actually pretty high!!!

Are most guys worried...but he is the only one who will openly and honestly talk about it?

I've cracked...

I think i've broken through my stress threshold and now im sitting at my desk like a zombie...

Or it could have been the fact that i have just stuffed myself with a corn fritters salad and a soy berry smoothie.

I ran a meeting with the client, third party and our security specialist in the afternoon yesterday.

Prior to it, i had to revise network security and encryption in under 30 minutes.

According to my workmates, who overheard my conference call, i sounded very professional until i introduced our security specialist. They overheard me because all the meeting rooms were booked and i decided to open the conference call at my desk...with the headset on.

I did everything fine. It went well. But there was so much to follow up on and i was soo tired...

Billing for the month is due today and i didnt have time to do it yesterday...but as the trooper i am, i fast tracked to do it today. And even though i did it the long way (cos i had to) i managed to finish before 1pm.

I had lunch...and now i cant seem to focus on work. I cant seem to get motivated. Its like all my energy has been zapped out of me. Did i push myself too hard to get the billing done by lunch time? Am i just passed that point of being overly stressed? Uno that point where you have been hungry for the last hour or so, but you still havent had the chance to eat and so you dont feel hungry anymore???

I think what i am feeling is being stressed for a bit too long/bit too much and therefore i dont quite feel stressed anymore...i'm beyond being stressed.

I've made an executive decision to leave at 4pm on the dot. Well, i got in before 8am...and have been leaving this place very late, every day this week.

I need to sleep. I need to switch off.

Waking up to an orchestral thunderstorm...

I woke up, as per usual, with my alarm going off at 5:30am.

It seemed pretty dark...i could hear rain coming down heavily...and then the natural orchestra started playing - loudly.

I dont like driving in thunderstorms or heavy rain.

I stayed in bed and seriously considered calling in to work and telling them that i would be working from home.

Then i rationalised...

I have end of month billing to complete before this week ends and im short 1 day because of Australia Day...I have an important conference call to make and have to push a project forward so that we can complete it by Monday...ridiculous, i know!

Sooo...I told myself that i will give it 30 minutes...if the rain eases, i'll go to work...get my lil bro to drop me off at the trainstation and hope that i dont get caught in a heavy down pour while walking from the trainstation to the office.

And so, im in the office.

Symphony at the Domain...

What a wonderful night...

The food was exceptional, even if i do say so myself...

We had walnut cheese, camembert, duck with sherry and peppercorn pate, quince paste, thin wafer crackers, water crackers, salami, proscuitto, rockmelon and grapes, an array of char grilled veges, olives stuffed with anchovies, chilli cashew dip, chocolate ganache and apples, chocolate ganache and raspberry sandwiches, champagne and my favourite Ernest Hill Silver Moon dessert wine on ice! (I brought an esky filled with a jumbo bag of ice this week!)

+ HUGE drumsticks L baked with crusty bread and salad which we didnt touch!

*LoL* No room for salad with all that gourmet food!

This was all for 3 people. Look, L and i are Asian - so we always over cater!!!

But to be honest, by the end of the night, most of the cheese and pate was consumed. For pictures and an even more comprehensive description with photos click here.

Now, funny thing...it was very hot during the day, by the time the music started...i was freezing my bottom off! What a turn in the weather. Since we were close to L's office, we went to get a jacket and i got to wrap her shawl over my 3/4 sleeve cardi.

When we got back to the Symphony, it was dark and actually breathtaking.

L cracked open the glow sticks...*LoL*...yes you read correctly, glowsticks at the symphony!

What i enjoyed the most was lying down on the 2 rugs we combined (yes we are space hogs, 2 rugs for 3 people) and staring up at the stars. It was exquisite. It was peaceful and serene...the music was pleasant and i swear for a moment i thought i could rough it some time in the future and go camping!!!

*RofL*

I told L this, and she reminded me that i think this now, but then some insect will crawl onto me and i will change my mind again. And she was right. But it was fun and i really liked lying down on the rug in the dark...i was actually comfortable and i didnt have a pillow either.

Later on in the evening towards the end, a lot of the audience had sparklers and were waving them around...it was like someone had released 100's of votive candles loose on to a dark sea and it lit up...and then there was a firework display.

What a spectacular night!!!

Until i realised that i had a variety of weird sms' from former bf's...this was while i was driving home...


Sunday...well everyone should remember how hot it was, but i managed to drag my sorry butt to the gym and slogged it out for 3 hours. How did i manage? A mixture of guilt and vanity kept me motivated...I had too much cheese and chocolate and ice cream (i bought from the Streets Ice Cream guy)...not to mention all that wine...

The thought that i will be eating heaps this weekend also helps.

I'll be having a buffet lunch on this Friday and an extended family banquet on Sunday. And in a couple of weeks we'll be celebrating Chinese New Year...more sweets, cakes, and heaps of rich fatty food, except for that one day where Mum cooks vegetarian dishes.

Speaking of Chinese New Year, I found out last night that my Dad's cousin is getting married on Chinese New Year Eve. The whole family is chucking a fit because "we all have to pray" and go to the temple on the Eve of the New Year and cook family dinners, etc. What irks the family even more is that the reception will be held in the city somewhere and it will be a Western style reception. So, everyone is saying that they wont be going...talking about picking dates for your wedding!


Congrats to my cousin, Jess!!! I also found out last night that she will be studying Medicine at Uni this year...What a smart cookie!
*^_^*

Flirting is fun...

Its actually a really great way to start the day when you flirt.

And i dont mean the kind of flirting where you are throwing your self at someone. I wouldnt know how to do that, come to think of it.

I have never been a flirty type of person. What i do is talk to someone and when i get to know them i tease them, in a kind, cheeky sort of way. I'm really more cheeky in what i say (with good humour) than i am flirty - but i guess people will interpret what i say and do as flirting with the opposite sex.

I am prone to flirting with Loose Lips at the cafe, as well as Mr Hot Stuff sometimes - who is now off limits because it is confirmed that he has a gf.

But either or, its great to be able to go and get my super juice (carrot, celery, green apple, lemon) from them, bright and early and just start the day with a BIG chuckle by saying silly flirtatious things.

Like, Loose Lips said that not everyone can be born good looking like Mr Hot Stuff and i mouthed behind Mr Hot Stuff's back (he was making my juice at the time) to Loose Lips that he was in fact better looking, with a wink of course.

;)

After a string of compliments i asked Loose Lips if that filled up his quota of compliments for the day? He said he would be beaming for a while...

And thats another thing, flirting makes the recipient feel gooooood about themselves. And im all for that. Its nice to make other people happy with such a simple gesture.

^_^

Sacrifice...

He prepped me:

"Its all about sacrifice. You need to give something to get what you want. Its the way of life. It applies to this as well. For instance, when i wanted to become a pro body builder, I had to spend more time at the gym to workout...what i had to give in order to reach my achievement was to give up my time with family and friends so i could be at the gym. You have to decide to do the same..."

I moaned:

"I know...i know! I've been doing this for years and i havent achieved my goals."

He continues:

"Its not the exercise thats working against you. You're doing that fine. Its all about calories in and calories out now! And this is what i want you to do..."

And so i am on a mission. This isnt about my concern for something to feel passionate about, but being the best i can be. Its about reaching something i have always felt unobtainable but have been working fruitlessly towards. It will no longer be fruitless. Just like work, this year is about giving more to get more.

Strategy! That has been my favourite word in the past few months.

But this is a long term strategy.

Actually, its a life long strategy.

Changing one's habit is a life long change...but it will be for the better and there is no turning back.

I've committed and so i must deliver the results i set out to achieve.

Passion or lack there of...

I watched "So you think you can dance" and "Centerstage" last night and i realised that what i lack in my life is passion.

I dont have a hobby or anything that i love with said "passion"!

I like a lot of things but i dont love anything.

And i think its pretty sad that i dont feel passionate about anything in particular.

The dancers on the show and in the movie, they all want to dance. Dancing is their life, the air that they breathe, the blood through their veins. Its the same with athletes, they must love the sport they play to excel in it.

I dont excel.

How scary is it to be confronted by this fact?

I paint, but lets face the fact...i'm no Da Vinci, Van Gogh, or Renoir. I will not be remembered for the paintings i have done.

The things that i am good at, i dont feel passionate about. And i dont think they really count as something you would boast when asked what you are passionate about. Like..."i'm organised"...hello, who would say that they are passionate about that? And PS, i'm not passionate about it.

I'm dont play any sport. I'm good at the gym. But thats not something to boast about either. I'm just a gym junkie without the precise results she wants...which doesnt really indicate success...

I like travelling, but even that is not with a passion...and who doesnt like to travel???

I'm not even passionate about work! I just do it because i have to have something to do. Dont i? Its driven by the fact that i need money, but if you ask me what i would do otherwise??? I have no clue. If you ask other people, they would tell you that they would do something else that they love, if it would pay well...and its something that they plan on doing after they make enough...or in their early retirement, etc. My answer is a blatant "i dont know".

When i was a kid, i didnt want to be a rock star, or a musician, or anything spectacular to strive for. The things i wanted to do were achievable and practical. Interior designer or architect...scientist, doctor, psychologist...the only thing i can think of that is slightly out there was a fashion designer...and i still love clothes. Am i passionate about it? I dont know. Could i make a career out of my love for clothes? I dont know...

One more i dont know and i think i will burst out of frustration with myself.

When asked what my resolutions were for this year, i told everyone that there wasnt one. But one has developed in the last week.

I will try to find out what i am passionate about this year and do something in order to achieve it!!!

Jazz in the Domain 07...

It was a plan to action based on the Bureau's weather report.

Forcast said it was going to rain, throughout the weekend. The morning was cloudy, but then it became sunny on my end and it was slowly moving towards the city.

We made a call about 4pm in the afternoon. We'd bite the bullet and pack for a picnic. If it rained on us then we'd sit at Broadway and eat the food we had. Because of the possible rain, we didnt bring the wine and cheese.

We got a roast chicken, bread roll, creamy pasta salad, spring lettuce salad, and for dessert our master chef L had made friands and a special fruit salad - this was based on the fact that she "didnt have time"! *LoL* if she did have time i could only imaging that she would have whipped, baked, grilled a whole heap more!

When we got to the Domain and saw the cheese and wine that was flowing, we decided it was our mission to out do everyone next week, for Symphony in the Domain.

We are going to bring more mats. We will have wine. We will have yummy cheeses. We shall have gourmet sandwiches made. A scrummy antipasto platter. And above all, we will have delicious desserts. There are other things were considering...we saw a guy with a mini bbq last night with smoke billowing towards the St Johns Ambulance guys...we were considering bringing a fondue set after seeing that...*LoL*...

Although we didnt have the wine or cheese, the food was great. I couldnt get enough of L's friands (which werent really friands and has less sugar and butter than most, cos L is always making healthier alternatives - but the flavour and texture to me, was perfect)!

The music on the other hand...i preferred 04, 05, 06 way more than this year...

I think there were only 2 or 3 songs in which i enjoyed...the rest was so passable. It was much better to just lie back and watch the bats, but hope and pray that the bats didnt poop or pee on my face. L and i went to the ladies and when we got back there was poop all over the place. G and A didnt do much, they didnt even notice it...not that they could do much to prevent it! *LoL*

While all 4 of us were lying back...i got peed on and it landed on my top...same with G. I think A was the only one who got away without any misfortunate mishaps.

When the concert was finishing up...we packed and left while the rest of the 80,000 people were seated or dancing around. We walked through Sydney Hospital...A was in awe of the people in the main section who were all up and dancing and partying as though they were on something *winkwink*...we then walked along Martin Place and noticed the line at Hotel Chambers...obviously some dance party...L and i shuddered at the thought of when we use to do that...back in our uni days...the pathetic decorum of lining up for an hour before being let it - just do they could generate a crowd!!! But not only that...we felt OLD.

A night out for us began at 6pm with 2 picnic rugs, soft drink and water, and dinner all packed in enviro/thermo bags. Our night ended at 10:30pm. Enough said...

I'm looking forward to next week. Cheese and wine...walnut cheese...sweet shiraz...proscuitto...duck pate...gosh im salivating!

Hope the weather will be as lovely as last night.

The Academy of Brain Gymnastics...

I went to a meeting in the morning and was introduced to the client as "The Project Manager" for the projects coming up.

I was then away from my desk for 4 hours.

I then realised and panicked that i dont have time to be the manager of these projects and be the coordinator for the other two, especially when i'll be the Quality Assurance Manager for one of them.

I started stressing and my neck was cramping up.

I havent used my brain for anything important in a while...a very long while. I follow processes and procedures and get the work that i need to do done. I didnt have to think for myself really or decide on things for other people...

And now i have to put into practice what i have learnt in my 4 day PM course last year. But i'm dealing with the worse clients you can ever think of...but i have to learn to do this some day. I guess.

And some day turned out to be today.

Writing up plans and drawing up schedules, writing diplomatic emails that slant to a positive feel, preparing design docs...its a blur.

On top of that i need to write out the workflow for the other PM's in which i have been doing end-to-end finances for, so that they can take it off my hands, so that i can manage these projects.

I have a headache. My brain is overworked.

And P.S. Mr Hot Stuff does in fact have a girlfriend. His friend, Loose Lips, was taking a jab at him while he was on the phone...telling us that he must be talking to his girlfriend because he was acting all coy while talking on the phone.

Still a slither of hope...

I told E again, that Mr Hot Stuff is taken. Why the reiteration? Because E was in Tassie and didnt hear me the first time i called to sook about it. He will probably ask me a third time, but i will deal with it then.

He advised me that when Mr Hot Stuff returned to work this week, i should ask from the horse's mouth who he went with?

I was flabbergasted. I thought it was too forward to ask that, "who did you go with?" I had to find a way of making it sound casual. The whole point is to find out if he mentions the gf. E is thinking Mamma might be a bit slow on the grapevine and that he may have broken up with the gf and she doesnt know it yet.

I told my workmate, M, who thinks Mr Hot Stuff is hot stuff too, that Mamma told me that he was taken. She was bummed for me. And then i told her about E's advice. She agreed and guess what i did after i ordered my drink? I asked him how was his break...and asked him who he went with...and what did they collectively get up to???

The break was good...he went with "just mates"...they just drank alot and relaxed.

Who is "just mates"?

Workmate M and i left the cafe and as we walked to the lifts i asked her "what does just mates mean"? Does that include the girlfriend? She was like "i dont know"! If i was him and my gf was there and i would say "my mates and gf", or "my gf and some mates".

But my workmate, M, also thinks that he might not have a gf and if he does, he doesnt want to reveal her...

So what does that mean for me???

=T

That was the morning break...did i mention Mamma gave us hugs and Mr Hot Stuff made a comment...Mamma says that he is just jealous! *LoL*

In the afternoon break, i ordered my drink, had a quick chat with Mr Hot Stuff and then went to sit down with Mamma and my workmate, M. Its funny, i dont think Mamma knows our names but the things we talk about is definitely not PG rated. And its a lot about her family.

She was telling us about her husband and her...what they did over the holidays...what X-rated stuff that didnt happen...where they live, when they had bought the land and when they had built their house on that land. How old she is...the age of her children...we were talking about menopause...people dying of cancer...smoking and quitting...Mr Hot Stuff and how close he was to his grandfather and that when his grandfather passed away, he was a different man and has never been the same again...i know more details, but it isnt right for me to write it up. That last bit explains why he is so silent but deadly - but its so ultra sexy!!!

See, some of these things she tells us are pretty intimate. I'm glad she feels comfortable sitting down and chatting to us about these things. She is a lovely woman. Its easy to open up to her because she is so open about herself.

30 minutes passed so effortlessly and M and i learnt so much more about Mr Hot Stuff and family.

There may not be an excellent chance for me...but there is a thread-like slither of hope.

Well, a girl can keep on dreaming...
;)

A ring is round and has no end...

...and thats how long i'll be your friend.

We became friends in kindergarten. The best of friends really. There were two of them and one of me. Two of them because they were twins. Twins who were born on Christmas Day, which made them extra special friends to me.

After primary school, we all parted ways. They went to the local high school closer to their home and i did the same. I felt gutted to be separated from my best friends. It was a horrible experience. As Asian kids, the only place you got to see your friends was at school. Asian parents didnt believe in sleep overs and rarely allowed their children to participate in birthday parties of children their parents they didnt know well. Our parents heard, saw, or read one too many news stories on kids being kidnapped to scar them for life.

We promised to write like pen friends and it lasted for a few years and it sporadically phased out. No blame to either party, we were taking school seriously by Year 9 and obviously made new friends who were just as close if not closer. But in those written letters we spilled secrets about our latest crush, secrets about people all parties knew from primary school, and secrets about secrets...

By Year 10 the letters stopped but i still thought of them and would especially remember them on Christmas Day.

It seems funny when fate intervenes. After those years past of not writting to one another, we happened on a fairly miserable day, bump into one another between Redfern station and USYD. And throughout uni we would bump into one another and perhaps caught up over lunch a couple of times over the next 3-4 years.

Then once again, things sort of phased out. Its not that we ever stopped being friends, we just werent active as most friends.

My first full time job as a Network Admin with a Telco company, one of my team members knew their brothers. And so i got their email off him and we caught up again. Via email they filled me in on their lives, their plans to go to Europe, current bfs, etc. We made a plan to meet up on a Saturday night for drinks and some dancing.

Once again when we met, it was like we hadnt been apart. What makes our friendship work and transcend from kindergarten to adulthood is the fact that when we catch up and talk to one another we are open and honest. We pretty much reveal everything to one another and thats how we can make each other feel like our friendship meant something and that the trust is still there.

Since that one catch up on that Saturday night we hadnt seen each other for a while. Still emailing, sometimes regularly, sometimes not for a few months. Mostly the emails are forwards of funny jokes. But on those rare occasions after a while, we would touch base by replying to one of those forwards.

Like after the World Cup in 06, they had gone to Germany to catch a game. (They are football fanatics.) We met up for lunch as it was long overdue...and we chatted like there was no tomorrow. I think it was a touch weird, as it would have been one of the most "adult" things we have done together. *LoL* We had a proper sit down lunch at a cafe. Its not like i have never caught up with friends at a cafe for lunch, but as they were my kindy friends, it was territory we had not endeavoured previously.

But it was a great feeling to know we had finally brought our friendship to a different level.

We bumped into each other at bars as well, which was a quick hello and how are you? As i would normally be at the bar for another friend's thing, as would they be. But these impromptu hello's would spark another round of "touch base" style of emails.

Recently before Christmas, i had dinner with my family at the local Thai/Lao restaurant and they were there with their family for dinner too. We sat at the table next to them. They were surprised to see that i had 2 cutie nieces and they thought my little brother was my very young bf...like i was a complete craddle snatcher...*LoL*...cos they think he is uber HOT! But after a double take they realised that it was my little brother by 6 years.

Before i left the restaurant i did the "Happy Birthday & Merry Christmas & Happy New Year" wish to them both and told them we should catch up. As they were back to work this week, they sent emails to friends for their birthday drinks, which was on last night at the Opera Bar.

It was lucky that i had gone to work on Thursday and checked my email. I emailed and advised them that i was technically still on leave and wasnt sure if i was going to head out to the city on Friday night. So it was a 50-50 decision right now. They understood as they still live locally too, and knew the pains of driving to the city when you're already at home.

I contemplated about whether i should go...

And then i thought why not? I have been hibernating for almost a year, repairing myself after the break up. I'm not going to meet anyone by hiding at home. And i think i am ready to meet new people. And since i havent actually celebrated a birthday with them EVER...it was long overdue. There were no more excuses or exceptions like the previous years.

The previous years i was overseas during Christmas, actually spending it with family (very bizarre)...or i was too young to be out driving on my own, think in my late teens early 20's (my parents still have issues with me driving on my own late at night).

So, i caught up with them at Opera Bar last night and i did have a back up plan, i brought my alterna-date...but i told him that it was a good opportunity to meet new people, as i didnt know half of the friends that were on the mailing list. A lot of peole were from work and he actually met a cute girl...who after a couple of sms' to the twins after drinks, i found out that she is single and she likes Asian guys...so the chance is there!!! (We can be match makers soon!!!) *hehehe*

In terms of me, did i meet anyone? No, but i got to catch up with them again. I met one of their boyfriends and as the other is currently single, i chatted to her for most of the night. At one point, we went to get some water and this American man came from the side and stood between us as his friend took a photo of the 3 of us. She asked him what the photo was for? He said it was because he was leaving Sydney today. But that didnt seem like a response to me, so i said "I hope that photo was taken because you think we are hot!"

The things that come out of my mouth after some champagne...and once again, i only had half a glass! >_<

I've started to wear our friendship like a badge of honor now. To all the people i had met last night i was introduced to them as "...this is one of my best friends. I've known her since kindergarten." And everyone she says that too, they are surprised but in a good way. And i like that reaction.

*^_^*

We counted the difference between now and the year we became friends and realised that it is now 20+ years.

So, we are planning an outing to celebrate.

And then we thought about celebrating 21 years too...as you do with birthdays! *LoL*

I'm thinking we should hang out more...but we'll see how things go. Irrespective of what will happen next, they will always be my friends.

Destination...disappointment!

E and i had a plan.

I had to interrogate "Mamma" and find out if Mr Hot Stuff was available.

I told E that i would go into work and pop by the coffee shop and do the interrogation now in early January, because i knew Mr Hot Stuff was still on holidays. His bestfriend Mr S (who also works at the coffee shop) had blabbed to E and i (on their last day opened before Christmas) that Mr Hot Stuff was going to Byron Bay for 2 weeks.

On Tuesday when i went into work to do a couple of things and a report, i went to the coffee shop and said hello to Mamma, but she quickly went into the kitchen after that, so i only had Mr S to interrogate...and although he is a blabber, there wasnt anything i could get out of him without being suspicious.

I had to pop into work again today. And i had the best opportunity to speak with Mamma. So, i did the obligatory and asked her about her Christmas...and then she mentioned about Mr Hot Stuff being away in Byron and so he wasnt here to celebrate Christmas with her.

Being the clever one i can be sometimes, i asked if he was the only child??? She said no, but he is the baby. He has an older sister and she has moved out. I asked if Mr Hot Stuff was still living at home and she said yes, but dont tell him she told me that! *LoL* She also told me his age and that he should move out. She had told him recently that since his sister has moved out, he should too...whether he is single or not, its time he moved out of the house.

Here was my queue - i asked whether he was single or not?

She said no, he had a girlfriend...and being quick to think...and not to reveal my true intentions, i told her that he should move out then with his girlfriend...

She agreed with me but said he liked the good life of being at home. I told her it was her cooking!!!

She then took my order and i proceeded to call E and tell him that our plans have been foiled!

=(

No Mr Hot Stuff for me. No free coffee for E.

News, news, news...

Those two 15 y/o convicted of murder for the 17 y/o boy in Griffith is shocking and atrocious. I can not believe that it happened to the boy on New Years day waiting for a taxi to take him and his friend home.


The girl who was stripped search doing a late shift at Mc Donalds in the US...

How stupid was the manager? Taking a call from a man who said that he was a police man and making her employee strip to nothing...then calling her fiance to come in and continue the search because the Mc Donald's was getting busy and she needed to get back to work...the fiance physically abused the girl and then when he was told to get her to perform oral sex by the supposed "Cop" on the phone, he just sat there and thought nothing of it. The girl actually performed it.

I cant believe this horror didnt end at the point in which the manager (female) was asked to strip search the girl, after the girl had emptied her pockets...because she had "stolen" something. It really should not have started to begin with.

How dumb are some people??? The manager was (is) pathetically stupid.

The girl was young and naive, but if i was in her position, i would have said no.

Some specialists interviewed by reporters have said that the employees of Mc Donalds are trained to follow procedures, and when put in a position outside of their comfort zone, like this, they dont know what to do and how to react...so the girl followed what her manager had told her to do...

But, what about the manager? She just follow a voice on the phone that may not be who they say they are???

Funny thing is, if she was to follow her procedures, then why didnt she follow the section in their manuals that says something along the lines of '...you are not to strip search your employee under any circumstance. No law enforcement will ask you to do such a thing...'


What is your opinion of the Matthew Newton fiasco on the "Big Night In" on Channel 10? Shown on New Years Eve as part of the celebrations after the 9pm fireworks, before the midnite display...apparently a lot of conservative parents and grandparents have rung up radio stations and written to the other tv channels to vent their views about how crass and disgusting and just how wrong it was for kiddies and the adults alike.

Others argue that if you didnt like it, then you should have turned it off or changed the channel at the least.

I was watching a movie i think on another channel (Chicago actually)...so i pretty much missed it. But watching the news the next day and then ACA on 9, and TT on 7 on subsequent following days still ranting and raving about it, i caught a glimpse of what he did to John Foreman while he was suppose to be singing a song.

My opinion? It was pretty gross. It was plain dirty. I'm hoping that he was on something...like he drank too much before he went on stage, because nothing else could really explain that sort of behaviour if he was sober.