Guy watching! Literally...

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Well, I'm not the kind of girl that likes to stay home, sink myself onto the couch and just watch tele the whole day.... in short, I'm no couch potato. I know alot of my friends do, no offence k? But I'm just not... *shrugs*

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Haven't been a big fan of Japanese series, or Korean dramas, or Hong Kong series... Partially it's because I just don't understand the language, and I hate the trouble of having to read from subtitles. But things change... *guess I'm getting old, or I'm just losing my social life*

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Hahaha..But Sam lent me this Korean series recently. He's been raving about how good it is and all to my face for some time now, so I decided to give in... and try watching the show..

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The main actor and actress. (Don't ask me their names. Not like I can pronounce it properly anyways! I'm just gonna murder their name so badly!)

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OH MY GOD!!! BADDD decision! Now, I just cannot separate my sorry ass from the couch. And because of my new found addiction to "Full House" - which is the name of this series... I haven't had time/mood to do anything else!!

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I've only had the DVD's for what... 3 days now, and I'm at the halfway point already! =) I'm scared for myself! I don't wanna get eye sight problems from all the hours spent in front of the screen. And the worst part is, I still haven't done any work/studying!

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But really, this series is just so darn irresistable! It was a big hit in 2004/2005. So yes, I'm actually really slow... but hey, better late than never huh??

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It's so funny, yet touching at the same time! Yes, I know I emo alot. *Bleh* And the guy (I don't know his name) is so cute!!! I like how he's so suave and charming... The other guy, is attractive in the boyish, cute kinda way.

Oh well... hahaha. Enough of guy oogling....If you haven't watched it yet, I suggest you do! =) It's worth all my sleepless nights, waking up feeling like a zombie, and having to go to the hospital. Now, thank God I'm not operating, huh? *Teehee*

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Even in laughter, the heart may still ache...

I'll box you, Boxhill! Hahaha... corny...

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We went out for dinner last Saturday after watching the games, cause our games ' tickets actually allowed us to travel for free on public transports all around Melbourne. How cool is that?

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Us, being us... obviously took the opportunity to go somewhere far from the city, since we didn't have to pay a cent extra for it! Hehehe. Decided to have dinner at Boxhill after some discussion of where to go...etc etc..

Walked around for abit after we got out from the train station, cause nobody could decide where to go. We finally decided to have hotpot, at this popular place called "hotpot king".

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The super duper spicy, but none-the-less yummy hotpot dinner!
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The food really looked yummy huh? The downside is, the waitresses didn't speak a word of English! *OH MY GOD!!! Mei fainted right there and then* Luckily, Jacy and YongShen speak Mandarin, and could read some Chinese characters, cause the menu was written in Chinese as well!

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Service was pretty bad as we had to wait super duper long to be served! And then we waited ions again, for the food to actually come to us...

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And you know what?? We had to make our own fishballs!! They come in a small bowl, with a spoon.... and you're expected to "shape" them yourself! My goodness!! After all the trouble, we still had to waitttt some more for the soup to boil!

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Blahhh... after all the waiting, food seriously hasn't tasted any better!!!! It was absolutely yummy... totally heavenly~!! And also uber spicy! I don't know how they put up with it. Mei was gonna die from all the chilli intoxication!
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Kaz, Ade & Mei

Jacy, Kaz, Ade, Mei, Jimmy, YongShen.

Hahaha, it's like a ritual to us... A group pic! =) The day is never complete without one! Hehehe. (My face looked blurry cause of the steam from the hotpot).

Dinner was really good, and I strongly recommend the place if you're a big fan of chilli =) Otherwise, think twice.... think more than twice.

Yong Shen and I actually had tummy upset after that. The chilli was just too overwhelming! Hehehe... I shall not further elaborate.. *shy*

Making a Difference

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We were all looking forward to Easter. Charlie had run to get last-minute candy for the Easter baskets. Finishing breakfast, both of our children were running and laughing through the living room. Suddenly, Ken, our eight-year-old, burst into the den, where I was on the phone.
"Steph is acting really funny," he said.
"Yes, I know. I hear you laughing."
"No," he insisted, "There's something wrong."
I hung up the phone and walked quickly into the bedroom where five-year-old Stephanie was lying on the floor, unconscious, with a small amount of foam in the corners of her mouth. Unable to wake her, I told Ken to call 911 and I, nurse-mom, quickly assessed her condition. Though breathing with a steady pulse, her color was gray.
The ambulance arrived and took her to Children's Hospital. Shortly after entering the emergency room, she had a seizure. Within minutes, she stopped breathing. As the staff feverishly worked on her, my husband, Charlie, arrived.
The doctor pulled us aside and told us he had no explanation for Stephanie's condition but was very concerned because her status had changed so quickly. After routine questions regarding overall health status, history and access to poisons, they transported Stephanie for a CAT scan. In a state of shock, I could not believe how rapidly our lives had been turned upside down. An hour ago, we were eagerly looking forward to Easter, and now our world was crumbling around us.
Stephanie was taken to the intensive care unit, where she was placed on a ventilator, in a coma. They called in expert after expert. Each ran tests and then let us know they didn't know what was happening. While I hoped and prayed for answers, I was also relieved as they ruled out one serious explanation at a time.
We took turns at her bedside, making sure that someone was there at all times. After six days, there was no improvement. The doctors informed us that they believed she had viral encephalitis, and there was little they could do except provide supportive care. They also cautioned us that children with encephalitis often do not make a full recovery. If she did get better, we should brace ourselves for a child with severe disabilities. We were very discouraged yet hopeful for a miracle.
Later that evening, Stephanie began to move her feet and hands. By the following morning, she was breathing on her own, and the nurses detached the respirator. As I was washing her face, she suddenly put her arm around my neck and said my name. I thought I was dreaming and just stood there and stared.
From that day on, Stephanie showed steady improvement. With great courage, she approached her recovery with energy and humor. She never complained or asked "Why me?" She simply would ask, "What's next?"
We met with a series of rehabilitation specialists, who outlined a program for her to regain her strength and her skills.
After six months of daily care, we decided to take a break and go to Disney World.From the moment she entered the Magic Kingdom in a stroller, she was fascinated by a rocket-ship ride on top of a building. The faster the ride went around, the higher the rockets flew. She begged to take a spin, but the line was long, and in the heat, we knew we'd have to pace ourselves. Instead, we went on the Teacups. What a mistake! It seems like someone was always getting sick on the Teacups. Then we tried It's A Small World After All. We didn't know that once you heard that tune, you could never get it out of your head.
All Stephanie wanted was to ride that rocket ship, but we knew she couldn't tolerate waiting up to an hour in such heat. Finally, on the last day, right about closing, we saw that the line had all but disappeared. We ran over to the gate only to have a smiling attendant pull the chain across saying, "That's all for today. You come back and see Mickey tomorrow."
With tears in my eyes, I found myself explaining about our year - how Stephanie had been so sick, in a coma and had spent months working every day at recovery. I practically yelled, "You have to let her on this ride! This is the only one she really wanted to do."
The young attendant grinned, pulled the chain open and motioned us onto the platform. As the sun set and beautiful colors streaked across the sky, Stephanie and I climbed onboard the rockets. We were the only people on the ride, as throngs of visitors streamed out of the park. As the rocket began to go faster and faster, and climb higher in the sky, Stephanie laughed and screamed with joy.
At that instant, I knew she would be okay and our family would continue to recover together.
Just as the ride slowed, the attendant came on the loudspeaker, "That ride was from Mickey. Now, here is an extra ride for Stephanie from me." And he gave us an extra ride.
Now, if you were to ask happy, healthy Stephanie today what is the best thing that ever happened to her, she would say, "That extra ride at Disney World, because that one was just for me."
A small gesture from a stranger who magically made a difference in our lives.

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I got this from Chicken Soup for the soul. It is not my composition. Just thought I wanna share this with you guys. Hope you guys enjoyed it... for I did.

CG Rhythmic Gymnastics Finals

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Finally!!! Yippie!!!
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The day I've been waiting for has finally arrived! Hehehe. We went to the Rod Laver Arena to catch the Rhythmic Gymnastics all round finals for the Commonwealth Games! =) I've been waiting for yesterday ever since the day I got the tickets!
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Although I had to practically drag myself out of bed early... but it was certainly worth the pain! Yeah, I slept really late the night before, cause Jacy was around and we did some catching up, watched the circus at Alexandra Gardens and all... so it was DOUBLE difficult to get outta bed. (Usually, I find it hard to get out of bed on a weekend too). Who doesn't rite??
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Anyways, we arrived at Richmond Station, and walked towards the stadium. Hahaha. I didn't even need to know where the stadium is... Just walk with the crowd!!!
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And as expected, this will be another photo filled post. Cause I DEFINITELY need to have some evidence to show my family that I was there! Heeheh... at the games...

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We actually arrived early to avoid the longggg queue! We were already warned before hand that there will be tight security checks... All our bags were opened and checked... YS even had to go through the metal sensor thingy. Hahahahaha... I think it's because he's tanned, and looks like a potential terrorist! Hahahaha.

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That was really funny! We all have passed the security checks, and were waiting in a group... and then...
"Aiks, Where's YS? Did he get lost??"
"Oh no, he's not... He's still at the security check. They searched him and made him go through the detector"
"OHHH"
"Hahahahahahahah"

We got in and were ushered to our seats. Perfect seats... Perfect location! Hehehe... Just behind the reporters and official photographers/videographers. Totally awesome! The medal presentation ceremony was facing us too! Hehehe. What more can we ask for?
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Although the stadium wasn't full yet by the time we arrived... The crowd was already roaring! The atmosphere was just awesome!!! The only thing missing was, we didn't have a flag! =( Sighhhh.... Or else, we would have appeared on the big screen, cause we were actually cheering our lungs out!!!

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The gymnasts were all really good!!! (except for 1 or 2). And if you did watch the event on tele, you'll know who I'm referring to. Everytime they perform, I just wanted to sit back and go to sleep. Okay, that was mean of me to have said that... But really, the difference in standard of performance between the top few, and the bottom few.... were just realllyyyy obvious!!!
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Ade kept saying to me...
"Don't be so meannn... They're here for the experience. Besides, the point that they actually qualified for the finals means they're actually quite good"
"Yeah, I knowwww... *yawns*

The contestants doing their routine with the different apparatus :)

**I've got videos too, but I just don't know how to upload them. ** Heheheheh

We took the opportunity for some flash photoraphy during the interval, since we were not allowed to do that during the performance. Note the crowd now compared to the previous picture (when we first arrived). Hehehe. MASSIVE!!!!
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All-in-all, I had a really good time~! An experience not to be forgotten! And the bonus is, Malaysia actually bagged a medal! =) Woohooo!!! The Canadian, however donimated the event by winning a gold and bronze. The Australians were kinda upset that they didn't win any medals. But then again, they've won enough from all the other events! Hehehe...

Durratun from Malaysia won the silver medal :) Malaysia actually bagged a couple of medals on the gymnastics ground this year! =) NOT BAD....

*** Lim Wen Chien from Malaysia won a bronze from the apparatus finals today. However, she only managed 7th place in the all-round event that we watched yesterday, after making some drastic mistakes. But she made a good come back today! Good on ya, girl!! ***

Durratun who bagged the silver, however... only managed 4th placing today, at the apparatus finals. And not surprisingly, the two canadians that dominated the event yesterday, won the apparatus finals today too! The gold medalist is just fantastic!!! Swift, super neat movements! No obvious mistakes at all!!!

Us, after the event =) Snapping pics in front of the stadium.... To remind ourselves that "we were here!"

Mei & Ade

YongShen, Karen, Mei and Ade

It was a great experience.... Mei left the stadium, one helluva happy girl!!! =) Now, the next aim is to go for the Olympics! *grinz*

Just how much is too much?

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Sometimes, it feels as if the day goes by quicker, if I just didn't call *you*, or think of *you*.
Perhaps that way, I won't hear things I don't wanna hear... or get hurt if I found out something I wish I didn't know. Things I'd rather not know.
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I'd rather be out, occupying myself with exciting, fabulous things... to show you that I'm happy. To convince myself myself that I'm really happy...
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It just occured to me, that there are many silly women in this world.
Willing to compromise just to keep their men...
Willing to keep one eye closed, and pretend that they don't know. Pretend that everything is okay...
Seriously, how much of that are you willing to put up with? Just where do you draw the line? When is it just too much to handle?
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Well, that sucks. I refuse to be that kinda woman. But at the same time, I sometimes feel like I'm so much like them. In fact, when I look at myself, I see just them...
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The only difference is, I don't even have my man to keep...
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The heat is frying my brains, hence the random thoughts.

Asian Hottest Blogger?

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Okay, I don't quite like hardcorely promoting myself, but the story of how this came about is rather silly. And now it's too late to pull out. *shy* So, now I just have to sit back, and cross my fingers so that I'm not last in line *boohoo* because I'm not hot. Hehehe.

So, if you're kind enough...
Please click HERE to vote for me =)

Thanks heaps. Hehehe.

Pui San in Melbourne

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Well, the title is quite self explanatory... Hehehe.
I'll blog about it later, but now, I need to go to bed...
For I've got to wake up early tomorrow to watch Rhythmic Gymnastics @ The Rod Laver Arena...
Commonwealth Games, Here I Come!!!
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ps: Wuching, it was nice meeting you too! Will post the pic later =)

The Day I was Special...

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Sorry people! I've got to apologise for the lack of update, cause I've been really busy recently. As you all know, I had to prepare for my lesbian talk presentation... that eventually turned out quite well. Everyone had a good laugh when I was elaborating on the transmission of HPV via sex toys and stuff! Hehehe. It was rather fun!

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We went back to uni for lectures the past couple of days. And being back in uni kinda brings back memories... It feels like agessss ago when we were last in uni, sitting in a huge lecture theatre, with lots of people... and you can just do whatever you want... Sleep whenever you wish, cause no lecturer will be able to see you. Those were the good old dayssss...

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Had lunch @ KFC along Grattan Street with Sam and Sau =) We actually sneaked out of lecture early to print out transparencies for our presentation.... and the main reason was to have a longerrrr lunch break. Heheh... sneaky huh?

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Headed home to chuck my bag away and all... and then headed out for dinner with some of my buddies :) Since it was my special day, I didn't wanna mope at home and do nothing... and besides, the rest of them just did their Psychiatry long case, and wanted to head out to celebrate as well.

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Yuck, I look chubby here! But since everyone else looks good, I'll still post this anyhow. Hehehe.

We had Mexican for dinner, in case you guys haven't noticed =) Food was quite yummy but the waitttt was just tooo blardee long! Or maybe, the food just tasted really yum, cause we all waited too long for it... hehehe. I was ready to eat my fork k?!? That was how hungry I was...

Delicious huh??

The gang then headed towards Alexandra Garden in attempt to catch the circus @ The Big Top. As we were heading there, we saw the hourly fishies' light and sound show!!!

As we were too snail paced, we actually got there late. The circus has already started... and it was FULL HOUSE anyways. =( So saddddd.... So, to console ourselves, we settled to watch something else.

I was told that Ming Yen needed to get something from Ade's house. Hence we all headed back to Adeline's place to chill... But to my surprise.... they actually had my birthday surprise planned!!! =D So super duper sweet of them!

Oh man... I was soooo surprised when I saw the cake, and then everone just started singing "Happy Birthday"!!! Check out that grin on my face mannn! (and I mean only the grin, minus all the chubby cheeks k?? Just ignore my chubby cheeks please)

Well, all in all, I really had a greattt time last night. =) Thanks peeps.... Really, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. You guys have been tremendous to me throughout my whole time in Melbourne. I'm honoured to have known you people!

Seriously, growing old would have been really scary and depressing without you wonderful people by my side. I've got no family with me here this year, but I've got you guys. You people are my friends, family, and everything else. =)

And to everyone else who rang/sms-ed/messaged/sent cards/gave pressies/remembered my birthday, thanks sooooo much! It's really touching knowing that I'm remembered, and for you guys to make that effort. A small gesture goes a longg way! To *you*, thanks for brightening up my day by calling me even when I least expected. Shiew, Ed, Fun, Mom, Dad... thanks for the extended long distance call! Mike, thanks for trying. I love you guys to bits! Thank you everyone! **BIGGGG hug**

*Sorry I can't thank everyone personally here. Cause the list is just too long. But you know who you are, and I of course, will always remember who you guys are*

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WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY 24TH BIRTHDAY!

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May you have great success, endless luck and fortune, fabulous health, and of course eternal love and happiness. And hope all your wishes come true! =)
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Have a good one :) May you have a greatttt year ahead! One that's filled with everything you want, and more.
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But in between goals, there's a thing called life, one that has to be lived and enjoyed. Do not let that pass you by...
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Happy Birthday again, to you...

So long, farewell....

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I'm supposed to be doing my case presentation on lesbians and Pap smears now... but really, I'm just too lazy. I seriously think I've got motivation issues. Haha, I decided to resize these pics and blog about my weekend instead. Anything is more interesting than studying.

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Last Saturday, a few of us went to Camberwell for dinner to bid farewell to a friend. =) He'll be leaving for Malaysia next month, and although I don't see him quite as often, he's been a really nice gentleman on occasions we met!

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A great person with a bigggg heart! Ever so selfless, he always puts others first before him. And he's always willing to help when someone holds a party.... partially because he's a great chef in one of the posh restaurants in Crown :) Gosh, he really puts my cooking to shame! *shy*

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Anyways, here are some pics from last weekend.

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My favourite dish for the night! Mei *heart* unhealthy fried seafood! Hahaha.

Group pic!

Oh oh, another highlight for that night. Ade drove her new Honda Jazz! Woohoo! Well, that wasn't my first time in her car, but I guess it's well worth mentioning! She came to pick me up! How nice of her! Hehehe. *Maybe if I mention how nice she is, she'll fetch me more often, huh??* Kekekeke. Right, Ade??

We decided to go for dessert/coffee after dinner. Came back to Lygon Street, cause I felt like having Koko Black... had this craving for the chilli hot chocolate. But OH MY GOSH! The crowd was just horrendous, and the wait was too terribly longggg....

So, we popped over to Stuzzichino instead, since Jialian made a recommendation that the coffee there ain't bad :) In fact, she said they were pretty good.

The pack made a move, and instead of ordering coffee... somehow, miraculously, we all ended up ordering hot chocs *of all sorts*.

And they were all really really yummy!!! :) Super duper thick... Like eating Nutella! (yummm). Those of you who knows about my Nutella binge, will know how much I loveeee the Italian hot choc here. I had the Irishcoffee Italian hot choc.... and Ade tried the Mocha Italian hot choc.

Well, my word is... I reckon all the gourmet Italian hot chocs in the menu are worth trying! Absolutely yummy!.And Swee, I hope to see you again before you leave!.You will definitely be missed... especially by *you know who* Hahaha... In fact *we all know who*

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On a totally random note:

I was having this sudden craving for celery...

and Shiew messaged me on MSN saying,

"EwwwWw... how can you have cravings for smelly vegetables?"

=(

Celery is not smelly! Neither is parsley, nor leek! *Bleh*

The Couch Potato Rants

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I've been sitting in front of the tele the whole day, watching the games of course. Hahaha.
I'm officially an addict of the XXVIII Commonwealth Games!
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It's been such a sensational morning, watching the marathon runners in-person =)

.The crowd was simply awesomeeee!

And then I ran my own marathon, rushed home to switch on the tele to catch the remaining of the race.
Kerryn McCann of Australia had such an emotional, glorious win!!!
The Aussie guys were not as fortunate though. Didn't manage to bag any medals.
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But to my disappoinment, Malaysia's favourite star squash player,
Nicol David lost in today's semi's. :( *sighhhh*
She'll be playing for bronze tomorrow.
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And I was hoping she could bag a medal. *and I don't mean the bronze* Arghhh...
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Meanwhile, the Aussies are wayyyy in front with the medal tally. Hehehe. Bagging every single medal offered on the pool. With, or without Ian "torpedo" Thorpe.

*** Will upload the pics soon. Something's wrong with Blogger. Wouldn't let me load the pics. StoOoPid! *Shrugs* ***

Stronger

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You know you're growing stronger,
When he said he'll call...
But he didn't...
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And it's actually okay...
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Someone once told me,
That time heals all wounds.
My wound might not be fully healed,
But believe me, I'll do my best.

Just a little something to remind me,
To never stop trying!
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*****

Smile, open your eyes,
It is a brand new day!
Move away from the past,
You shouldn't have to pay.
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Don't fret about anything,
Because yesterday is history,
Look forword to what's in store,
Because tomorrow is a mystery!
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You can not change the past,
So do not dwell back there,
You can, however write the future,
So grab paper, pencil and a chair.
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I can't manipulate what's in store tomorrow,
But I can give you some advice,
Live today for what its worth,
Take chances, and do what's right!

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Procrastination...

Take One!

Take Two!

Muargahahaha =)

Everything just seems a little more entertaining when you're procrastinating...

You'd do about anything to everything, just to prevent you from doing that ONE thing you're really supposed to be doing.

Oh well, back to typing my boring cases! *sigh* I'm home, on a Friday night, finishing up my cases that are due on Monday.

And to make things worse, I doubt I'll be going for any events this weekend. *WORK WORK WORK* I hate work... Blah. There I go, complaining again! Mei wants to go to "Festival Melbourne"!

And blardee hell!?! What is wrong with the Malaysian gymnasts? Last placing in the team event?!? If they keep up this level of performance, I think I'll just have to support Australia when I go watch the individual all round finals.

Or maybe, I shall just be a "two headed snake" and support both countries. *tee hee hee*

Oh well, we shall see...

Memory Evoking...

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I was in the train today,
and suddenly.... *sniff*
That scent, oh so familiar...
It brings back memories,
It reminded me,
Of me, being close to you...
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ETERNITY...
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Yes, that's the scent,
But ironically, that's not us.
=(

CG Opening Ceremony

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Tute ended almost around 7pm today, and I hopped straight onto the train :) Unlike any other days, the train was packed with people dressed in blue, red and white... and many kids with their face painted. Some were waving the Aussie flag around... it was just so evident that they were all going for the games.

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And true enough, as soon as the train stopped at Jolimont Station, almost everyone rushed out. (That's where the MCG is, the ground for the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony). And when I reached Flinders Station, there were numerous attendants directing traffic, as they were practising the one-way flow for the games.

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I grabbed Macker's for dinner for the rest of them, for they were all "booking seats" for me! :) The queue was sooooo lonnnngggg! I think everyone's out in the city today, and is having fast food for dinner! Hehehe. I thought I'd just blog about the ceremony, but truly, I'll do Australia injustice if I didn't post pics.

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It was already VERY VERY EXTREMELY crowded by the time I got to Federation Square. I think some even went to the banks of Yarra as early as 4-5pm to get good seats. :) After all, it's an event not to be missed!

Fireworks was awesome! Absolutely spectacular!!! I've never seen such fantastic fireworks display in my whole entire life. There were fireworks from the MCG Stadium, from the displays along Yarra River, and also from tops of building around Melbourne! OH MY GOSH! It was just breathtaking!

This photo only showed a small portion of the fireworks display! If you didn't manage to catch it on telly, do ask if any of your friends recorded the event! Seriously, it's not to be missed! I was really impressed!

The spirit of the games was just sooo alive! There were a bunch of people dressed in red (Canadians), lots of New Zealanders, and quite a number of Malaysian as well! :) Some even brought a hugeeee Malaysian flag! And proudly waved it around, of course! Everyone was just shouting when their home country made a grand entrance into the MCG! It was awesomeeee! The atmosphere.... PRICELESS!

We had to snap some photographs to show others that we were there during the games! Hehehe. [We WERE there! *stamp*] Perhaps I should frame up my games tickets too! Hahaha.

Really, pics are kinda blur cause they were taken from a distance. Such injustice! It was wayyyy more impressive than this! And my hands aren't steady enough for night shots! No tripod! Sorrryyy...

The Queen's Baton Relay finally made it to Melbourne yesterday, and this evening, it arrived at the "platforms" on Yarra... where many footie players took turns to run along the "platform" before arriving at the stadium! Some "veteran" sportsmen and women ran too! Such a moment of pride and honour!

Well, no words could describe how it really was! If you wanna catch the highlights, you should really watch the ceremony on telly! :) The "birds eye view" shots were simply stunning!! Hehe. We even attempted waving frantically when we see the heli above us, but obviously, we didn't get filmed! Even if we did, we'll probably look this big! (.) <<<>

At the end, the Queen declared the 18th Commonwealth Games, OPEN! And we Melbournians, have got lots to look forward to for the next 11 days! Woohooo! Yippie!! So much to do, so little time! ArGhH.

Okay, more updates to come! For the mean time, I'm gonna go to bed, and hopefully, I can wake up for hospital tomorrow. Today was really tiringgggg... but it was SOOOOO worth it! Every minute, every second of it. Oh, I did mention that I went to the ceremony, straight from class rite? Hehehe.

HOPE

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It sees the invisible,
Feels the intangible,
And achieves the impossible.
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I still can't see *it*,
Nor feel *it*,
Whatmore achieve *it*.
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But I do believe in it...
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For hope, is all you have,
When you have nothing else.
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Commonwealth Games '06 - United By The Moment

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Yesterday kinda marked the start of Festival Melbourne... a fortnight of non-stop cultural/festive events in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games 2006. This festival usually lasts for one weekend, otherwise known as the Moomba Festival. But this year, it's a little different, and more prolonged, due to the games.
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The downside is, there's gonna be no carnival! :( Boohoo! But, the upside is, most of the exhibitions at museums and art centres are going to be FREE! Concerts and theatre performances too! Yes, this is my time to pretend to be "cultured" and "refined". Hahaha, Mei's such a cheapo! Visiting these places only cause they're free during the games.
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Gosh, I digreess. I meant to blog about yesterday, when the Moomba parade happened in the city of Melbourne. The city was sooooo jam packed with people. Both tourists and Melbournians. Sorry, I don't have any nice pics of the parade, both cause I arrived late, and being short, I could hardly get a decent view from waist down. I could only see heads... and more heads...
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However, I managed to grab hold of a certain few to snap photos with me. Hahaha. Thanks, girls.

We then headed for lunch after the parade ended. And then decided to join in the fun, with the spirit of the games being so alive! :) It seemed as if everyone was out yesterday. Maybe because it was a public holiday as well (Labour Day for VIC and Tasmania).

We went to see the Games preparation for the opening ceremony. The fishes along Yarra river, are meant to represent the countries participating in this auspicious event. One for each country... And God knows what's happening on the opening night. The Games officials and government are being so secretive. I guess they wanna make it a "surprise" or something. But I received reliable news that they're meant to be "Musical Fountains" and there will be people riding those fishies. Hehehe.

Anyways, we found Malaysia's fish after walking like... half an hour (okay, maybe I exagerated a little). The Golden Arowana (scientific name Scleropages formosus). Hehehe. I wasn't gonna go home if we didn't catch a sneak preview of it yesterday. So silly of me!

Some of us also bought souvenirs... to remind ourselves that we were here during the Games! :D Hey, it doesn't happen every year ok? I am lucky enough to be in KL during Commonwealth '98, and now in Melbourne for Commonwealth '06. Perhaps I should get myself to China after this for the Olympics! Hehehe.

On our way back to the city, (to do more shopping.. Not for me, but for Shiew! Hehehe. She wanted me to get this belt for her.) we came across this queue!!! Crazyyy! Under the hot blazing sun some more!

The last minute queue to get tickets for the Games, commencing on Wednesday! Horribly longggg!

Thank God we got tickets earlier *Phew* And you know what? The tickets for Rhythmic Gymnastics finals are sold out. *Mei has got tics. Hahah, you jealous or what?* - ok, that was lame of me. Aquatics events are sold out too, for ALL days! And so is cycling! :( Bahhh...

I am so excited. And Laine, is you're reading this... I am so jealousssss that you're going for the opening ceremony! Your roomie Rocks! And Krys, make sure you don't distract the athletes on the tracks cause I wanna see some records being broken!

And oh, traffic at my place is gonna be affected on the marathon day *ArGgGhh* No cars allowed, and no public transport. Looks like I'm gonna have to do some serious walking. Darnnn... I hope it's not gonna be a hot day!