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