25 yo Melbournian. Born and bred in the shadows of a city called KL. Survives on chocolates, lots of sleep and the comfort of good company. Loves a good laugh, a good book, a good cry, a good movie.

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for." - Joseph Addison

"If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think of something appropriate and do it" - EDGAR WATSON HOWE

29.10.04

I burnt my tongue.
Culprit: Hot and sour soup at Ling Nan.
Too hasty. Forgot that soup is served steaming HOT.
Can't consume temperature hot food or drink. Hot soup, hot noodles in soup, hot buns, hot hotdogs, hot tea, hot chocolate. Big NO NO. Much rather have warm soup, warm noodles in soup, warm buns, warm hotdogs, warm tea, warm chocolate.
Tongue hurts.
Can't imagine being a burn victim. Can't imagine whole body in this pain. *cringes*
BUT, love HOT showers. Steaming hot. So hot till the mirrors fog up. So hot till it's not possible to breathe through all the steam. Strange.

27.10.04

It's been quite a bitch of a day today. Rain has been pouring down on Melbourne since midnight and it's only just stopped. The sun seems to be struggling to find it's way out from under the clouds. The sky's a gloomy shade of grey, with promise of another downpour later this evening. I wouldn't be surprised if we got the 5 o'clock special later. I overslept (yes, again!!!) by 40 minutes this morning. Had to make some lame excuse about car troubles and missing the train and got myself to work at 9.30. I got drenched from head to toe on the way to work this morning. Not that I wasn't prepared with an umbrella. What I really needed was one of those garbage bag looking raincoats and a pair of wellingtons! Almost got blown off my feet by the strong wind. Walked into work, looking like a madwoman - hair all over the place, water running down the sides of my face, and dirt and sand all over my clothes. To top it all off, my trusty pair of boots have given way after 6 years of wear and tear and my socks are soaked from stepping into the countless puddles of water. Time to hang up those boots and go shoe shopping this weekend!

23.10.04

Happy Birthday Aaron!!!

Always the quiet guy, you've been a good friend over the past 10 years or so. Always deep in thought, and always up for a good conversation about really abstract stuff. Everytime I talk to you, my brain tends to go into overdrive... you make me think. Hope you had a good one this year in good ol' Michigan!

The Alicia Keys concert was SUPERB. She performed to a well deserved standing ovation - she is such an EXCELLENT performer. Her performance was absolutely flawless. Not to mention her band who were also unbelievable! I'd watch her perform again if I could!

The view from up there!!!

21.10.04

I cannot believe that today marks a year. Only, there is no cause for celebration. One year of independence (sort of), one year of adventure, one year of discovery. Somehow, it doesn't seem so long ago that we parted ways. Maybe because throughout the year, our paths have crossed time and time again, so it never seemed too real. Until I spoke to you today, and then you reminded me. One year.
I wish I knew exactly what went wrong. But, it is hard to just point the finger in any direction. Hard to say that only one reason, and one reason alone caused it all to fall. Whether they were good enough reasons, well, I think they were. I'm sure you do too. I remember a time when everything looked set for the future. You had your doubts, but I was so sure of myself. So sure of us. I guess I was wrong. You were right. I had no clue what I wanted. I was just a young girl lost in her idealistic world of how love and romance should work. I had what I wanted, what I needed, and I was content and satisfied. I was a dreamer.
And then I changed. You changed. Sadly, what was meant to converge, diverged. You were always so good to me. You still are and more. I would like to think that I was the same to you. Except, I'm not sure that I was.
If I could give you anything, I would give you back the 3 most important years of your life. The 3 years that I feel I robbed you off. We had so many great times, but I would give it all back, if that was what it would take to erase the pain.
It has been a rough year for you and I both. I am SO glad that you've started to smile again. I am glad that we still talk. I tried so many times to imagine not having you around. But now that I've met you and known you, it just seems impossible. I don't know how two people are meant to move on after going through so much. Maybe we never really will. But we're going to have to damn well try.
I may not be blowing birthday candles off a cake but I'm going to make a wish for you anyway. *wish*
Thank you for all that you have given me. I'm sorry.

Melbourne Street Shuffle

17.10.04

I've had one of the most productive Saturdays in awhile. Got up early. Did my tax return. Did abit of cleaning around the house. Scrubbing the bath tub can be quite a chore. But I love admiring the fruits of my labour. White. Clean. Glistening. Headed down to the city for a drink at 3degrees. So sad to say, #8 was not there! However, not a wasted trip. Met some new people. Did some grocery shopping at QV. I bought gloves. *haha* Silktouch gloves.

Me: I think if I had a pair of gloves, I would clean more often
Sui Lin & Tun: *HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA* *dumps gloves into my basket*

We had dinner at Ling Nan (yes, AGAIN!) and then slowly made our way to the Melbourne Shuffle on the streets of Melbourne performance! The crowd was rather scarce when we got there but it slowly started to build up about 9ish. Lots of spectators, and lots of crazy antics by strangers. One guy started to dance around with a blowup doll *hmm* It was entertainment indeed. The shufflers were awesome, the mood was great - phat pants, music pumping in the back, some excellent shuffling, and basically everyone just having a good time.

Hayden with his blindingly glaring phat pants & Mel

(1)Richard @ r4v3r & Mel (2) Mui Ping & Mel

The shuffling videos have been uploaded so if you're interested, leave your mark in the comments box!

Headed to Crown to watch Collateral. I'm ashamed to say I fell asleep for 5-10 minutes of the movie. It was a good movie. But I was quite tired and the scenes were all so dark it made me feel so sleepy *yawns* We ended the night with a session at Charltons - foosball and pool, and then supper / breakfast at China Bar. I had fun. Came home when the sun rose. *tired*

It was a good day. To everyone new that I met, it was nice meeting you!

"shut up, just shut up, shut up..."

16.10.04

Black Eyed Peas rocked the joint! They were AWESOME! I'm so glad I decided to go for it afterall. Fergie is sooooo sexy - the way she moves, the way she sings. *oohlala* She can sure shake that ass! And kudos to Will.I.Am, Apl.de.Ap and Taboo for some pretty impressive breakdancing moves. Progressive hip hop at its best. Their new album, Monkey Business comes out in Feb 2005.

The Black Eyed Peas working the crowd

And let there be light... mobile phones shine!

(1) Mel & Mike (2) Mike, Mel & Sui Lin

Collateral tonight anyone?

16.10.04

Last night, I played parent in celebration of Lynn's graduation. You're officially a high school graduate! Quite an entertaining evening. Noteworthy performances included the Irish dancers and the Toilet Fairies.

Daddy, Baby Lynn & Mummy

*sigh* The baby's all grown up now. Man, I feel old and wrinkly right about now! Anyhoo, good luck with your VCEs sweetie. Study smart and don't slack off too much!

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved" - GEORGE MACDONALD

14.10.04

To appease my boredom, Sui Lin suggested I answer the following questions, honestly...

With all honesty

Hey honestly, where ya at?:
- at my desk at work.

Honestly, have you ever had a plastic surgery?:
- no.

Honestly, have you ever failed a subject at school?:
- i failed grade 5 piano... does that count?

Honestly, what's on your mind?:
- how long it takes food to digest. *burps *

Honestly, who are you chatting online with?:
- i have no MSN at work. i am deprived!

Honestly, what is it that you REALLY should be doing right now?:
- working?

Honestly, have you brushed your teeth today?:
- yes, today and every other day

Honestly, who is your bestfrend in the world?:
- no one, single best friend. but i've got so many of them that i absolutely love to bits.

Honestly, who is the hottest person you know?:
- where should i start...brad pitt, josh hartnett, daniel wu, angelina jolie, kate beckinsale... ok, so maybe i don't know them. #8? no wait, i don't know him either, but that won't be the case for much longer!

Honestly, are you a good friend?:
- i try to be. i don't know? you tell me?

Honestly, do you really think going to school is all that important?:
- yes, without a doubt

Honestly, what are your dreams about, mostly?:
- lately, they've been weird. but mostly about my friends

Are you HONESTLY single?:
- yes, i believe so

Honestly, what are you so happy about right now?:
- i had a delicious lunch with my lahling

Honestly, what are you so sad about right now?:
- how convenience rules over our lives

Honestly, who are you missing?:
- the greatest fan of my life

Honestly, have you ever stole something?:
- i think not... maybe cigarettes from my dad

Honestly, what song are you listening to right now?:
- it is oh so quiet in here... i wish i had an ipod

Honestly, who do you want to meet at this very moment?
- i miss my mum

Honestly, where do you like to be kissed rite now?
- on the forehead... and throw in a hug too

Honestly, do you have a deadly disease?:
- not that i'm aware of

Honestly, do you hate someone right now? Who?
- hate is such a strong word. disappointed maybe. not hate. i forgive easily.

Honestly, who do you wanna hug right now?:
- someone warm and safe

Honestly, are you bored?:
- YES. But for this, I would have fallen asleep.

Honestly, who do you wanna sleep with right now?:
- the greatest fan of my life

13.10.04

I have been having the weirdest dreams lately. Kinky weird too. Starting to feel like a bitch in heat. I had another disturbing dream last night. Leaving aside the kinky bits, I dreamt about my teeth. Or rather, about losing them. For some strange reason, every tooth in my mouth started feeling rather loose, and then they just started falling out. I remember some kind person trying to help by collecting the teeth in a glass. And I distinctively remembered the taste of blood in my mouth. It's quite funny if you think about it, but I found it most distressing. Not having my teeth. And the taste of blood. And I woke up, swimming in a puddle of drool. Classy eh?

"The greatest happiness you can have is knowing that you do not necessarily require happiness" - WILLIAM SAROYAN

11.10.04

Stop. Listen. Think. I've been trying to go through life so quickly these days. Completely brainwashed by the notion that life is too short. Everything's instinct. Everything's now, now, now. I don't stop to think. I don't stop to question. Don't stop to reflect. Screw the consequences. Deal with it later. Too wrapped up in myself. Too busy being me. Too self absorbed. In too much of a hurry to get the most out of everything.

But lately, things have begun to unravel. The past has quicken it's pace and has caught up to me. The consequences that I've conveniently left aside previously, are starting to rain down on me. And when it rains, it pours. Nothing but a mish mesh of confused thoughts. Retrospecting isn't as easy as I thought it was. The green lights are turning amber. And there are 2 choices to be made. To speed through it, or to slow down and stop. I'm burnt out. Exhausted my adrenaline. What goes up, must come down. I think I'll slow down. I think I'll stop.

11.10.04

Happy Birthday Pei Shing!!!

The past couple of weeks have been absolutely mad. I have never had so many late nights and so little sleep, and yet still have the energy to keep going day after day after day. From warm welcomes to sad farewells:

Sharon, Melbourne will miss you dearly! And I know you'll miss #8 or #9 in your case!!!! It was great meeting you and hanging out with ya babes. Will definitely catch up with you again the next time I'm home!!! *hugs*

Fred, it was definitely a pleasure meeting you. Even though you have been giving me a hard time these past few days, but I know it's how you show your affection eh! Have a pleasant flight. Next time I'm in SF, I'll look you up for sure. Reciprocate!

Somehow, I found the time to finish watching Season 1 of The O.C. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a bucket full of tears. I won't even try and justify my tears! But how can you not cry when every 2nd character in the show starts bawling their eyes out!

I've been tired. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. I don't know if the lack of sleep fucks with ur mind. I think it might have a small part to play. Keeping busy helps. But there's only so much you can do until you wear yourself out and then the cycle repeats itself. How do you ignore what you see, what you hear, what you feel? Tell yourself that it isn't really true? Tell yourself that you don't care? You can't. Or at least I can't. Can't pretend not to care about the truth. Except I don't know what the truth is anymore...

7.10.04

The breakdown of my past 48 hours.

Staring out the window while at work -----> 6 hours
Staring at the PC pretending to be busy --> 5 hours
Actually doing some work -----------------> 3 hours
Lunch breaks -----------------------------> 3 hours
Travelling to and from home --------------> 6 hours
Late night outings and partying ----------> 14 hours
Sleeping ---------------------------------> 4 hours
Miscellaneous ----------------------------> 7 hours

Give me the strength to get through the rest of the day.

We finally got around to karaoke-ing last night. We sang (or screamed for some), we drank and we laughed till the place shut. Suffice to say, it was all fun. As the night wore on, people (i.e the guys) got more drunk. And the more they drank, the louder they got (Paul however was just loud all night!) A few random pics...

(1) Sharon & Mel (2) Sharon, Mel & Sui Lin

(1) Mel & Lynn (2) Kevin & Mel

(1) Paul & Mel (2) Mel & Jack

Paul kissing Fred, Sui Lin & Mel

4.10.04

A big warm welcome to Melbourne to Sharon a.k.a DJ Anatta. Get rid of that nasty cough bug soon so you can enjoy the rest of
your trip!!!

Definitely made up for 4 weeks of absence from any form of crazy partying and all night-long dancing with the weekend just past. Nicely concluded with dinner @ Ling Nan, drinks @ Hairy Canary and a foosball session last night. Achy joints. Droopy eyes. Symptoms of old age.

Jack, Sui Lin, Fred & Mel

The cat, the babysitter and the child

It is Monday. Reality slaps me hard in the face. Goal of the day : staying awake at work - goal not achieved.

To get your grubby little fingers on videos from Godskitchen, drop me a line or find me on MSN here.

Godskitchen 2004

3.10.04

The much anticipated Godskitchen event...

@ 12:00 a.m.

(1) Lynn, Mel, Sui Lin & Sharon (2) Ben, Lynn, Mel, Sui Lin, Gavin & Chew

... from 1.30 a.m.

Godskitchen arena

(1) Sui Lin, Mel, Kha Yen & Andrik (2) Steven & Mel

(1) Anson, Mel & Fred (2) Mel & Ben a.k.a da GOD!

(1) Jess, Melissa, Mui Ping, Mel & Sui Lin (2) Sharon, Sui Lin, Hayden & Mel

(1) Nick & Mel (2) Fred, Sui Lin & Mel

(1) Mel, pink chiq & Sui Lin (2) Mel, Sui Lin & Lynn at daybreak

@ 7.15 a.m.

(1) Mel, Lynn & Sui Lin - survivors (2) Chew, Mel & Sui Lin with our Godskitchen t-shirts

Desperate & Dateless Night

2.10.04

Dateless perhaps, but definitely not desperate, a bunch of us were persuaded to head over to Champagne Lounge last night to party. Groaned at the sight of the theme for the night, boldly printed on the entry ticket. Thought twice about actually going in. A small but rather nice looking bar. The music may not have been the best, the crowd not the most good looking (according to someone, there is probably a good reason why they are still single!!! myself included I guess!) But the company I kept were incredibly entertaining. A big welcome to Ru Hann's friends from the States - Fred and Anson. And in good ol' Aussie fashion, "g'day mate!".

These tags were given to us upon entering

(1) Mindy, Mel & Beth (2) Mel & Kevin

(1) Lynn & Mel (2) Angeline & Mel

(1) Fred & Mel (2) Anson, Mel & Jack

Mel, Angeline, Ru Hann & Sui Lin

Our night ended with a session at Notturno. It is currently 10.19am, and one would expect me to still be in bed, considering I didn't get to sleep till 5. I am feeling extremely frustrated at my inability to sleep. I got up at 7.20, but forced myself to sleep until 9ish. I blame the effects of too many Red Bull concoctions, and the cuppa I had. Must rest. Tonight's a big night. Rest. Rest. Rest. Godskitchen. Can't wait. Must rest.