Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Outback
Such a great trip and so much to say. In brief, 4WDs, adventure tours, waterfalls after waterfalls, camping out in the open, both wet and dry, mosquitoes aplenty, saw snake eating a frog, found out that licking a frog can give you the same high as magic mushrooms. More 4WDs, bumping dirt roads for hours, barbecues, aboriginal cave paintings.
Yes, aboriginals. We don't know much about them, and didn't quite care, nor could have that much information since it is not in our face. So I found from my Aussie friends, that since the whites arrived and figured that even though there were hundreds of thousands of these people, they did not have a recognizable system of government, and them being nomads, have no permanent settlements, land ownerships, and so decided to claim the land and drove these people out. Balance between nature and human which is their very basis of survivor got disturbed. When these Aboriginals try to fight back and hurt a tiny number of whites, they enforced 'laws' on them. State took away children of mixed parentage, and even into the 1960s, it was common for them to 'own' one, working in the day and being tied up and fed scraps at night.
So in the territory, legislations set up, then dumped - policies replaced policies, but pretty much nothing much has changed.
Who are they to dictate what these others (who were there first) can or cannot do, should they have proper jobs, or not. If they are happy living in the bushland and keeping their hunting and gathering ways, why are we stopping them?
Yet the equilibrium has already been destroyed thanks to the alcohol and drugs. Women now are receiving ends of domestic violence and child molestation is considered normal so long that 60 year old finds the 13 year old a potential wife, it's alright to shag.
So these whites can't sit around and do nothing, can they? How can they allow people to do whatever they want? But how can they make these people, socially awkward if not given proper chance of assimilation, do what is right in their own opinion, without consulting their own?
It's indeed real tough, and they jolly well do something real quick. If the rest of the states can do it, NT can too.
Yes, aboriginals. We don't know much about them, and didn't quite care, nor could have that much information since it is not in our face. So I found from my Aussie friends, that since the whites arrived and figured that even though there were hundreds of thousands of these people, they did not have a recognizable system of government, and them being nomads, have no permanent settlements, land ownerships, and so decided to claim the land and drove these people out. Balance between nature and human which is their very basis of survivor got disturbed. When these Aboriginals try to fight back and hurt a tiny number of whites, they enforced 'laws' on them. State took away children of mixed parentage, and even into the 1960s, it was common for them to 'own' one, working in the day and being tied up and fed scraps at night.
So in the territory, legislations set up, then dumped - policies replaced policies, but pretty much nothing much has changed.
Who are they to dictate what these others (who were there first) can or cannot do, should they have proper jobs, or not. If they are happy living in the bushland and keeping their hunting and gathering ways, why are we stopping them?
Yet the equilibrium has already been destroyed thanks to the alcohol and drugs. Women now are receiving ends of domestic violence and child molestation is considered normal so long that 60 year old finds the 13 year old a potential wife, it's alright to shag.
So these whites can't sit around and do nothing, can they? How can they allow people to do whatever they want? But how can they make these people, socially awkward if not given proper chance of assimilation, do what is right in their own opinion, without consulting their own?
It's indeed real tough, and they jolly well do something real quick. If the rest of the states can do it, NT can too.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Blonde, fat (but not as fat as now), tanned, poor, clueless but with tons and tons of time at hand...
Miss those days when we did nothing but travel every weekend, and indulge in the beauty of the strength of the Sing $$.
Not the mad cow chasing the rat marathon we are running every day. Complain about the heat and stress and growing fatter (not so much in savings). Increased equity, but similarly increased in liabilities.
Turn the time back please. Back to 2004. Back to Siam, where 350b rooms with yellow faded paint and floral dusty curtains and ceiling fans did nothing to deter us.
That ain't no Etch A Sketch. This is one doodle that can't be undid, Homeskillet.
- "Juno"
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Andrew Lloyd Webber says, he will do a sequel to the phantom leh!
I think this is worthy of a trip to the West End again. Woohoo!
On a separate note, can't wait to go to the Top End of the Northern Territory. 13 days and a-counting!
On a separate note, can't wait to go to the Top End of the Northern Territory. 13 days and a-counting!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Accomplished
Well accomplished weekend despite us both being sick. Went down to IMM and got so many things done!
Updates to the Huiton house:
- Homogeneous tiles ordered - will start work soonish, like next week for the living room.
- Room laminate flooring chosen, cement screeching should have completed
- Kitchen design out, to finalise the material and nitty grits - I'd be having a red and black kitchen! Imagine red and black shiny shiny with all the cool cutting edge looking kettles and pots.
Went to Sim Siang Choon and bought:
- Water heater tank (30l) to power up for 2 toilets and sinks
- Sink and Tap
- Toilet paper holder
- Backside spray (beside the toilet bowl one :p)
- Hob and hood
Think it was cool to like look up at the designs, think about how this will match that and also 'that tap looks kinda cool'. Good thing CT decided against his beautiful 4 hobs. When you don't cook, get so many hobs for what! So we settle for 2, and it's black and shiny with metallic outline to match the sink, which is a big metallic thing. And a nice hood (chimney style.) Stylo right!
And a Samsung fridge. Not too big, just good for 2 pax.
Also, paid the deposit for the ROM venue. The Manager has changed 2 times since we were there the first time - hope the restaurant won't be gone before we ROM man!
Plus over the week, I have collected my Bulgari wedding band, and decided on my photographer for the ROM dinner! Good that things are falling into the right places. This is such an exhausting, time consuming and mentally draining testing period. Especially when I have to work late every night somemore. It's really all about spending money to solve the problems. Well, outsourcing for efficiency I guess. At least it'd be over in another 2 months time.
Then we will look at our bank book and cry.
But it's okay lar. We can do it!
Updates to the Huiton house:
- Homogeneous tiles ordered - will start work soonish, like next week for the living room.
- Room laminate flooring chosen, cement screeching should have completed
- Kitchen design out, to finalise the material and nitty grits - I'd be having a red and black kitchen! Imagine red and black shiny shiny with all the cool cutting edge looking kettles and pots.
Went to Sim Siang Choon and bought:
- Water heater tank (30l) to power up for 2 toilets and sinks
- Sink and Tap
- Toilet paper holder
- Backside spray (beside the toilet bowl one :p)
- Hob and hood
Think it was cool to like look up at the designs, think about how this will match that and also 'that tap looks kinda cool'. Good thing CT decided against his beautiful 4 hobs. When you don't cook, get so many hobs for what! So we settle for 2, and it's black and shiny with metallic outline to match the sink, which is a big metallic thing. And a nice hood (chimney style.) Stylo right!
And a Samsung fridge. Not too big, just good for 2 pax.
Also, paid the deposit for the ROM venue. The Manager has changed 2 times since we were there the first time - hope the restaurant won't be gone before we ROM man!
Plus over the week, I have collected my Bulgari wedding band, and decided on my photographer for the ROM dinner! Good that things are falling into the right places. This is such an exhausting, time consuming and mentally draining testing period. Especially when I have to work late every night somemore. It's really all about spending money to solve the problems. Well, outsourcing for efficiency I guess. At least it'd be over in another 2 months time.
Then we will look at our bank book and cry.
But it's okay lar. We can do it!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sorry
Didn't mean to implicate the other parties that shouldn't be involved. My deepest apologies to you, and you.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Tis been a while...
since I got home this early to nobody. I like to peace and quiet and the me time I get occasionally.
It infuriates me to the max when people press my hot buttons. Not like I don't get enough crap at work dealing with humans every single day. I have to deal with someone who owes me a grand total of 4 grand, returning me in installment plan with no interest rate, pathetically at $100 a month, paying a month and skipping half a year. After these years, the amount stays at 1.6 grand unpaid.
Someone who will be educating our children in the future.
Someone who, instead of paying up, insist on seeing what he has owed to know 'what he is paying for'... when in the first place, he hasn't been paying back much! And I am supposed to have a spreadsheet to account for all that.
And during which, in 2006, when I conveniently left to reside in another continent, the repayment automatically stopped till I barked.
Every Chinese new year when I am told to return whoever the money I owe, I think of the small fortune I left out in the open to a man who do not respect the lender - not getting any interest simply because I feel lesser a person for doing so - and it just kills me. At least if one is superstitious enough, you will believe that it will come back to you. I don't even wish to use the harsh R word.
But what makes me stronger is knowing that thankfully, I got out. Not as fast as I should, but. And even if the bling that sits on my finger does not necessarily mean I have it all, at least it is comforting to know that the man that sleeps next to me is a mature, responsible, dependable man who bothered to crack his head to think of ways to ask me for my hand.
And at least he can afford it.
There is absolutely nothing better than 3 words for him:
Shame on you.
It infuriates me to the max when people press my hot buttons. Not like I don't get enough crap at work dealing with humans every single day. I have to deal with someone who owes me a grand total of 4 grand, returning me in installment plan with no interest rate, pathetically at $100 a month, paying a month and skipping half a year. After these years, the amount stays at 1.6 grand unpaid.
Someone who will be educating our children in the future.
Someone who, instead of paying up, insist on seeing what he has owed to know 'what he is paying for'... when in the first place, he hasn't been paying back much! And I am supposed to have a spreadsheet to account for all that.
And during which, in 2006, when I conveniently left to reside in another continent, the repayment automatically stopped till I barked.
Every Chinese new year when I am told to return whoever the money I owe, I think of the small fortune I left out in the open to a man who do not respect the lender - not getting any interest simply because I feel lesser a person for doing so - and it just kills me. At least if one is superstitious enough, you will believe that it will come back to you. I don't even wish to use the harsh R word.
But what makes me stronger is knowing that thankfully, I got out. Not as fast as I should, but. And even if the bling that sits on my finger does not necessarily mean I have it all, at least it is comforting to know that the man that sleeps next to me is a mature, responsible, dependable man who bothered to crack his head to think of ways to ask me for my hand.
And at least he can afford it.
There is absolutely nothing better than 3 words for him:
Shame on you.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Be Strong
I trampled over an old friend's blog. One whom we never met again, or speak much, after living in the same room for 4 months together 5 years ago.
Because of this fact, I feel intrusive to simply pick up the phone or msn or even the random comment on the blog to tell her this, but I feel for you too.
Reading her past few entries were like deja vu to me. There were one too many times that I felt I was never going to ever, ever be okay again. I will never live my life not remembering how painful those feelings are. That it will never heal.
And it never heals completely. It never will. I don't think I will be able to live my life and pretend that part of my life never exist. The feeling comes back and you feel the hurt and pain again and you sometimes cry over it. My partner has learned to accept that this pain has made me who I am now, and he lives with it, and lived through it before as well, like many others. But it can only turn better. It will become better.
Have a little faith, and let time tell. It will.
Because of this fact, I feel intrusive to simply pick up the phone or msn or even the random comment on the blog to tell her this, but I feel for you too.
Reading her past few entries were like deja vu to me. There were one too many times that I felt I was never going to ever, ever be okay again. I will never live my life not remembering how painful those feelings are. That it will never heal.
And it never heals completely. It never will. I don't think I will be able to live my life and pretend that part of my life never exist. The feeling comes back and you feel the hurt and pain again and you sometimes cry over it. My partner has learned to accept that this pain has made me who I am now, and he lives with it, and lived through it before as well, like many others. But it can only turn better. It will become better.
Have a little faith, and let time tell. It will.