my favourite things

we had couple of days off last week for the Labour Day holiday. actually, officially you only get one day (thursday, may 1) off but the authorities arrange it so you have a few days off in a row so we had thursday and friday off but had to make up for the friday class on sunday. since it's against my principles to work on sundays i didn't do the make up class.

anyway, i had a lovely time visiting some friends in the countryside from thursday till saturday. it was heavenly: getting up (relatively) late, having a slow coffee and breakfast (homemade cinnamon bun on friday morning and maple syrup-y scone on saturday morning (not scones as in devonshire tea scones, i think they are what americans call scones, or rather 'scones' rhyming with cones, which is more like a big flat thing)). i spent time doing some of my favourite things: reading, playing with children and watching a movie. i did also do one of my not-so-favourite things ie. playing a game - and surprisingly i actually enjoyed it! it's a game called 'ticket to ride' where you have to build train routes across north america. 

THANKS so much to christa, todd, owen, beth, anna, sarah, nevin, matthew and kara for a wonderfully relaxing time.

here are some photos from the weekend:

2008 may holiday

today i'm at home with bad lower back pain. it's feeling better now than it did when i first woke up. either the panadol is kicking in or the tiger balm patch is working. if it's the latter, then it's worth it smelling like an old chinese lady.

sunbaking on the balcony

here i am. it's sunday afternoon and i'm sitting on my balcony blogging! it's been a while between posts as blogger seems to be on again and off again but thanks to pauline, i found out today that it is currently on again. so i thought i should check in while i can.

it's an absolutely GORGEOUS spring day today. blue sky, a few soft cotton wool clouds sparsely spread out. my balcony gets lovely afternoon sun and i'm sitting here in a t-shirt in my comfy chair with the windows open. i can't believe it snowed just a week ago!!! 

Last Monday morning after the snow

This afternoon

The ladies who congregate outside my stairwell door even have their own umbrella

The view from my balcony

i'm so grateful for wireless internet - otherwise i'd be stuck at my desk doing this. the other thing (person) i'm thankful for is julie my flatmate. when i lived in this apartment on my own, this (enclosed) balcony wasn't much more than a place to hang laundry and store old boxes. oh yes, and jonah the german shepherd lived in here as well but let's not get into that story. today, there are pot plants with flowers and little seedlings of vegie plants on the way - all thanks to julie. it really is SO pleasant here.

well, i have nothing insightful or interesting to say really. i just wanted to check in, in case there are still people out there who look me up on here once in a while. 

on the street where i live

i've been playing with Google Earth recently and thought it would be fun to share a snapshot of where i will be living back in the middle kingdom. As you can see I've marked where my flat is as well as the uni that i'll be studying at. From the back windows of my apartment, you get a gorgeous view of the 'North mountain', which you can also see in this image. Head towards the left in this image on the main road (that my housing estate and university are on) and you'll get to the centre of town which  is about 15 minutes away by bus or taxi. 

 

A closer view:

Just a week till I get back there. i can't wait!

slideshow

OK I'm slowly working things out on this mac. Now blogspot seems to have all the features that I'm used to. I'm not sure whether I will still maintain this blog when i return to the Middle Kingdom but for now, here are some more photos, added to my picasa account (most of them are the same as the Facebook ones) but here in a slideshow:

It's rainy in Singapore today and thankfully a little cooler. One week to go till I return to the Middle Kingdom. I can't wait!!!!

aussie girl in singapore!

It's been a long time since my last post (it seems that most of my posts start this way). So much has happened since - here i am in a different country and on my way back to the place that will be my home again at least for the next couple of years. I'm not even sure if people are still reading this blog cause I know that many have checked it from time to time and found it un-updated.

Well, apart from feeling hot and sticky most of the time, I'm learning a lot here in the land of the Merlion and am meeting fabulous people who have amazing stories. It's also been great catching up with friends. To check out some photos go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=18669&l=7b23d&id=746706761

The other new development for me is that I have been converted to a mac! It feels a bit like I've joined this club cause everytime I tell another mac user that I've just changed from PC to Mac, they let out a celebratory 'yes!' and then kindly offer to help me out if i have any problems getting used to it. If you ever have self-esteem issues and feel that you want to be included in any sort of club, get a mac!

I AM still getting used to this new machine and new system. There are lots of things I'm enjoying but also other things that I find frustrating. This being the first time I'm doing a post, I'm having trouble posting photos that are in my iphotos library and can't figure out how to do hyperlinks. Maybe this is a blogspot and mac discrepancy??? Anyone able to help? Please let me know if you have any tips.

5 things Grace loves about Sydney

As I said in the last post, it was great having my cousin Grace here for a visit over Christmas and New Years. Here is her guest post on The 5 things she loves about Sydney:

"(1) Yummy food for travellers of any budget is a characteristic of Sydney . The fresh seafood is a delightfully key ingredient from the shops at the Sydney Fish Market, the food courts in Chinatown (or anywhere for that matter) , the fancy Yum Cha restaurants, sushi restaurants, and the fish and chips shops by any Sydney beach.

(2) King Street, Newtown is quite a sight for the senses. Pate on toast at Cafe Latte, art house movies at DENDY cinema, fancy tea at T2, decadent mud cakes, steak pies from the 24 hour bakery, tango-ing at the Toucan Tango, baklava at the Lebanese sweet shop, interesting shops to scour through, get lost at the enormous Gould's bookstore. So many things to do in Newtown, so little time.

(3) An aerial view of Sydney Harbour welcomes the traveller to Sydney. This is best enjoyed after the the aerial view of the Hawkesbury River just north of Sydney. Whether it is the view from an airplane, from various vantage points around the city, or from the ferries, the Harbour never ceases to delight her adoring fans. The iconic Opera House and the Harbour Bridge (affectionately nicknamed "The Coat Hanger") are the accessories that make the Harbour that extra bit unique from other harbours.

(4) Pristine white sand between your toes, the smell of the Pacific Ocean salt, the ocean wind blowing through your hair, and even the seagulls flying a little too close for comfort add to the wonder of walking along Sydney beaches. Manly is a favorite. I once met a fisherman who had travelled an hour by car just to fish at Manly beach. He wore a shirt and tie under his woollen sweater and came complete with gum boots and fishing overalls. Serious!

(5) Shopping in Sydney is a must-do. Everything from shoes to clothes, hats, groceries, books, stationery, kitchenware, linen, flowers, art, knick knacks ... the list goes on. While shopping in the city, keep an eye on the old-style buildings especially in older parts of the city that add to the shopping experience.

So if you do come by Sydney, don't just enjoy the prawn on the barbie (barbecue stove), get out there and enjoy these 5 things that I love about Sydney."

Thanks Grace! The 5 Things I Love about Sydney will be coming soon ~ aussie girl

summer 2007 photos

I've just uploaded a new photo album with pictures from Christmas and New Years festivities, including our family trip away. It was lovely to spend some time with my cousin Grace who was visiting from Brisbane.

summer 2007

many of these photos are grace's. thank you!