OK, so after experiencing The Giant Drop which was a bit overestimated, we felt a bit braver. Felt like having enough courage for the new challenge, we headed to the direction of Tower of Terror.
Ouw, the location was farther than expected. So we took another ride, which I’ve forgotten the name – and not important either – and found out that it was only a roller-coaster in darkness. Just imagine taking a joyride with higher force and many occasional jerks and sudden turns while what you could see were only few flickers of light.
OK, enough for the interlude.
Heroically, we continued our journey to The Tower of Terror after spending some time to find the entrance. The queue was not so long (as it was a weekday in a non-holiday season) hence we sat on the carriage straight away. Basically there was no time to panicking. Just removed your loose belongings, sat down and buckled up.
Before we knew it, we were already shot forward with a way-above-average velocity. The acceleration was more than enough for the carriage to exert higher force than gravity and after a 90 degrees almost-sharp bend, we shot up and facing the residences of heaven…. Up, up and up until slightly higher than half of the maximum height of The Giant Drop (they shared one tower), were held there for a brief moment and with a comparable high velocity we were “sucked” back to our initial position.
Again, it was just… “That’s it? Gitu doank?” The sudden forward shoot was a bit thrilling, for only a diminutive amount of time.
Were the rides not that thrilling? Or was it just because we had over-prepared ourselves and expected the worst when seeing the rides for the first time? Psychological Effect?
Monday, September 12, 2005
The Exponential Force of Gravity
Wow, I got so excited writing my travel journal (I like to call it Australian Escapades!! – yeah complete with the exclamation mark) here (and hopefully you are as excited to read it! Ha ha ha). I just wished that I don’t have to spend the whole day reading text books (about a foreign topic of Digital Signal Processing – foreign for me at the present moment) and muse in this blog instead. Don’t get me wrong, I like my new job, but still….
OK, let’s go back to Thursday 25th of August 2005.
Dream World was in our agenda for that day. And the adventure continued….
The first thing that caught my eyes (and ears, apparently, as it came with a very noticeable noise) was The Tower of Terror. It looked scary, stomach-churning and the juddering sound just exacerbated things. However, I felt like having to gather my courage before really going to take a ride.
So off we went (with partially-mustered guts) to the other ride, which as nerve-racking to see as The Tower of Terror.
This ride is from which the article’s title was derived. The Giant-Drop, a row of yellow seats, innocently invited us to experience the exponential force of gravity. With all loose belongings removed, including my glasses as I still want to have my fully-functional aided eyesight after this, we sat down on the seat side by side. Buckle up!!! And we were ready….
Firstly, we were slowly escalated to the tower’s top. We felt a bit heavy, not only for the D’Alembert principle (remember Dynamics) but also for the somewhat unwillingness to be dropped down from you-don’t-wanna-know height above the eagerly awaiting Mother Earth.
Clank! We heard the pulley stopped hauling us up. Oops. The time will come… soon….
One…
Two…
Thr… Aaaaaaa... Huh??
OK, so there we were. Experiencing being pulled down by the magnified-exponentially gravitational force.
And… huh??? Just like that. Trust me, it is not as scary as you thought it might be (or at least that was what we thought).
No more than six seconds after the sudden drop, we came into halt and were slowly brought down to the comfortable altitude (which equals to ground level).
And there we were, staring at each other and said “That’s it? Gitu doank?”
OK, let’s go back to Thursday 25th of August 2005.
Dream World was in our agenda for that day. And the adventure continued….
The first thing that caught my eyes (and ears, apparently, as it came with a very noticeable noise) was The Tower of Terror. It looked scary, stomach-churning and the juddering sound just exacerbated things. However, I felt like having to gather my courage before really going to take a ride.
So off we went (with partially-mustered guts) to the other ride, which as nerve-racking to see as The Tower of Terror.
This ride is from which the article’s title was derived. The Giant-Drop, a row of yellow seats, innocently invited us to experience the exponential force of gravity. With all loose belongings removed, including my glasses as I still want to have my fully-functional aided eyesight after this, we sat down on the seat side by side. Buckle up!!! And we were ready….
Firstly, we were slowly escalated to the tower’s top. We felt a bit heavy, not only for the D’Alembert principle (remember Dynamics) but also for the somewhat unwillingness to be dropped down from you-don’t-wanna-know height above the eagerly awaiting Mother Earth.
Clank! We heard the pulley stopped hauling us up. Oops. The time will come… soon….
One…
Two…
Thr… Aaaaaaa... Huh??
OK, so there we were. Experiencing being pulled down by the magnified-exponentially gravitational force.
And… huh??? Just like that. Trust me, it is not as scary as you thought it might be (or at least that was what we thought).
No more than six seconds after the sudden drop, we came into halt and were slowly brought down to the comfortable altitude (which equals to ground level).
And there we were, staring at each other and said “That’s it? Gitu doank?”
Between the Heaven and Earth
This article has nothing to do with my recent Australian Escapade. It is just a pondering thought who was polite enough to ask for permission to interfere the holiday journal. And I have said yes.
A dark canopy hung in the air the moment I stepped out from my office. Heavy rain it might be, as I confidently thought. Bless the pedestrians, cyclist and motorbike riders.
Along the creeping traffic, the water slowly but surely dripped down from the sky. Nearing Stephens Road, the God of Rain had lost His mercy and poured the rain down in buckets. The night fell and the dark canopy lessened its distance towards the earth.
The lightning gave blinding lights now and again. Some of passengers inside the bus that I took shrunk in worry. Some had even closed their ears. Some just looked questioningly to the thunderous sky.
The weather was not the best to have a bus ride home after a full-day work. Physical and mental exhaustion demanded fruitlessly for a quiet journey back home. On top of that, the bus started giving an unnerving screeching sound. With my limited yet sufficient mechanical engineering background, I could only deduce that gears slipping may occur anytime from now.
Heaven helps!!
Some passengers exchanged looks of trepidation. Who might tell what would happen to us? Hands gripped even more forcefully, hanging for the dear life. And outside, thunders were still clearly seen, teasing us repeatedly with his peek-a-boo. Or so it thought.
As lightning came down and cracked the depth of the night with its line connecting heaven (or hell??) and earth, another line was drawn…
Prayers rose up to the heaven, like a string of rosary beads.
Remember Your children, Dear Lord…
And bless the homeless people….
What we experienced is minuscule compared to the fear of thousands of people inside The Twin Tower exactly 4 years and 1 day ago. But again, who would know what will happen in the next minute, or even second? How about people who died of lightning struck? Who smiled at this minute and was lifeless at the next? Who was basking under the sun and the next thing he knew he was swallowed by the tsunami waves?
We are just luckier then…
Count your blessing. Start from today.
A dark canopy hung in the air the moment I stepped out from my office. Heavy rain it might be, as I confidently thought. Bless the pedestrians, cyclist and motorbike riders.
Along the creeping traffic, the water slowly but surely dripped down from the sky. Nearing Stephens Road, the God of Rain had lost His mercy and poured the rain down in buckets. The night fell and the dark canopy lessened its distance towards the earth.
The lightning gave blinding lights now and again. Some of passengers inside the bus that I took shrunk in worry. Some had even closed their ears. Some just looked questioningly to the thunderous sky.
The weather was not the best to have a bus ride home after a full-day work. Physical and mental exhaustion demanded fruitlessly for a quiet journey back home. On top of that, the bus started giving an unnerving screeching sound. With my limited yet sufficient mechanical engineering background, I could only deduce that gears slipping may occur anytime from now.
Heaven helps!!
Some passengers exchanged looks of trepidation. Who might tell what would happen to us? Hands gripped even more forcefully, hanging for the dear life. And outside, thunders were still clearly seen, teasing us repeatedly with his peek-a-boo. Or so it thought.
As lightning came down and cracked the depth of the night with its line connecting heaven (or hell??) and earth, another line was drawn…
Prayers rose up to the heaven, like a string of rosary beads.
Remember Your children, Dear Lord…
And bless the homeless people….
What we experienced is minuscule compared to the fear of thousands of people inside The Twin Tower exactly 4 years and 1 day ago. But again, who would know what will happen in the next minute, or even second? How about people who died of lightning struck? Who smiled at this minute and was lifeless at the next? Who was basking under the sun and the next thing he knew he was swallowed by the tsunami waves?
We are just luckier then…
Count your blessing. Start from today.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Bugs Bunny Comes Home!
My sequined Bugs Bunny t-shirt became the highlight on my second day in Gold Coast. An instant celebrity it turned to be to some passer-bys and shop attendants. Many were surprised to find out that I got it from Zara – Singapore, instead of its habitat – the exact place at which we were that day – Movie World, Gold Coast Australia.
So Bunny comes home… Bunny comes home!
I am compelled to say that among the three theme parks that I visited, Movie World got my best vote. It has allured me as early as its inviting entrance.
The rides were not the highlight of the day. Instead, it was the shops… and the food… and of course great photo backgrounds and companions!!
I remember seeing this man, wearing green tight suit with over-built muscles. Hahaha he greeted everyone with his broad grin and cheery “Hello!!”, and yet others were just giggling and in fact almost nobody approached him for photo taking (though actually that was the main purpose of his wearing the unusual -or should I say… preposterous- outfit. I do hope that they (as in the “very unnatural muscles”) were fake ‘coz if not… poor thing….
Actually I was so eager to take a photo with Harry Potter but too bad, he wasn’t around in sight. May be he was sitting for his OWL exams, and hence his absence. (Sorry for this sidetrack)
Ouw, one thing that I won’t forget so easily from Movie World is the body-wrecking Lethal Weapon ride. I could say it is not the most thrilling adventure around the globe. But it was not one ride to take a second time, either. You are hung while sitting then it will twirl, rotate, and put you upside down. What with its turbo-speed, you will have no time to surmise your current altitude and theta (as angle of rotation) when you take the ground as X-Y Cartesian Coordinates. Your face muscles which control the eye movement were shrunk to shut. Anyway, it won’t be of too high functionality as with that kind of speed, you would not be able to see anything clearly. A blur image, like the one in a fast-forwarded movie, was the max you can get.
The Police Academy Stunt Show was something that you would better not to miss. It was so funny, even the welcoming cop won’t stop you laughing. Very entertaining indeed. Just be careful of him. Those who have been there must understand what I am saying. Nevertheless, the show did not only rely on its quirkiness, comedy and parody show. Agility, skill, extraordinary-speed, and of course gut are in the list of minimum requirements to make these stunts safely done.
Before we bid goodbye, my sequined Bugs Bunny got a chance to pose together with the big plush one. Nice photo it was, with Bugs Bunny, Tweety and BROAD GRINS of the two of us (watch the capital letters).
Something was awaiting for us after our dinner (which we did twice, as the first one was oh-so-lousy, with an intolerable amount of oil which is enough to fuel a motorcycle goes from Jurong West to Jurong East – pardonnez moi for the unnerving and hyperbolizing exaggeration). We enjoy the night sea breeze while scaling the beach-line in the crowd of Surfers Paradise’s Wednesday night market. A good place to find various knick-knacks, but not with good prices, so off we went with empty hands.
And then… slumber time (which applies to the present-me also. Many stories to follow. Just make sure you’ll visit the page again. Ciaoo.. and good night)
So Bunny comes home… Bunny comes home!
I am compelled to say that among the three theme parks that I visited, Movie World got my best vote. It has allured me as early as its inviting entrance.
The rides were not the highlight of the day. Instead, it was the shops… and the food… and of course great photo backgrounds and companions!!
I remember seeing this man, wearing green tight suit with over-built muscles. Hahaha he greeted everyone with his broad grin and cheery “Hello!!”, and yet others were just giggling and in fact almost nobody approached him for photo taking (though actually that was the main purpose of his wearing the unusual -or should I say… preposterous- outfit. I do hope that they (as in the “very unnatural muscles”) were fake ‘coz if not… poor thing….
Actually I was so eager to take a photo with Harry Potter but too bad, he wasn’t around in sight. May be he was sitting for his OWL exams, and hence his absence. (Sorry for this sidetrack)
Ouw, one thing that I won’t forget so easily from Movie World is the body-wrecking Lethal Weapon ride. I could say it is not the most thrilling adventure around the globe. But it was not one ride to take a second time, either. You are hung while sitting then it will twirl, rotate, and put you upside down. What with its turbo-speed, you will have no time to surmise your current altitude and theta (as angle of rotation) when you take the ground as X-Y Cartesian Coordinates. Your face muscles which control the eye movement were shrunk to shut. Anyway, it won’t be of too high functionality as with that kind of speed, you would not be able to see anything clearly. A blur image, like the one in a fast-forwarded movie, was the max you can get.
The Police Academy Stunt Show was something that you would better not to miss. It was so funny, even the welcoming cop won’t stop you laughing. Very entertaining indeed. Just be careful of him. Those who have been there must understand what I am saying. Nevertheless, the show did not only rely on its quirkiness, comedy and parody show. Agility, skill, extraordinary-speed, and of course gut are in the list of minimum requirements to make these stunts safely done.
Before we bid goodbye, my sequined Bugs Bunny got a chance to pose together with the big plush one. Nice photo it was, with Bugs Bunny, Tweety and BROAD GRINS of the two of us (watch the capital letters).
Something was awaiting for us after our dinner (which we did twice, as the first one was oh-so-lousy, with an intolerable amount of oil which is enough to fuel a motorcycle goes from Jurong West to Jurong East – pardonnez moi for the unnerving and hyperbolizing exaggeration). We enjoy the night sea breeze while scaling the beach-line in the crowd of Surfers Paradise’s Wednesday night market. A good place to find various knick-knacks, but not with good prices, so off we went with empty hands.
And then… slumber time (which applies to the present-me also. Many stories to follow. Just make sure you’ll visit the page again. Ciaoo.. and good night)
And let the journey... begins
From a third-person’s point of view (that means you), you might think that we were just two girls having fun together, joining the swarm of holiday-goers in the three theme parks that we visited (Sea World, Movie World and Dream World). Nonetheless, you might not think that we are sisters because we are just different. Take our height, for example (sorry Yen!! Hehehehe)
We probed, we dig, we asked, we observed, we saw, we comprehended, and what we found out had never ceased to amaze us. Listening to some of my life’s story after hers, vice versa, was just like rewinding and replaying a video-tape of an old odd movie. The family background and its nature of nurture was surprisingly the mirror image of each other’s. It is just like applying grease on the door hinge, so you would be able to open one’s door with more ease… and to better understand what’s inside. About the things we do, the thoughts we think, the actions we take, the decision we made, the words we say, and the feelings we feel.
We had in common even a small and trivial thing. Let our sleeping time be an example. We always fell sleepy and hence headed to the comfortable king-size bed at the same time. At 0 +/- 5 minutes apart from each other, we opened our eyes and were ready for the forthcoming adventure. Apparently, waking up when the sun is up-high was highly unacceptable by our parents’ standard.
Trust me, if you spend holiday together, you may need to synchronize your body clock to make the best out of it. As for our case, this requirement was hence omitted.
As for our gastronomical call, we ate (x + y) times a day, where x equals to the number of times we got hungry (which were always almost simultaneously) and y equals to the number of time when I got hungry and she did not.
So off we went to Sea World on Tuesday, 23rd of August 2005. Having had quite a heavy brunch during the morning flight, we started our adventure by sipping over a cup of megaccino (just a mega size of cappuccino) for me and a cup of hot chocolate for Y while watching the Waterski WipeOut, a frontal attraction by Sea World Australia. It was about people flying and jumping from all heights and directions, just to land on the water and continue with skiing. Nice one, I have to say. Lots of skills and courage involved. Some even did it bare-footed.
Then we just went promenading and enjoyed the view, talked, saw few beautiful birds, talked, snapped some photographs, talked, took some rides, talked, went for some shopping, talked, went for underwater view, talked, blablabla, talked, bliblibli, talked, blublublu, and still talked.
At around 3 pm we packed our sandwich and sat down along the bench to watch the Golden Seal attraction. We could just conclude that they were very well-trained. Or do they have an elephant memory? Bother not, just enjoy the show.
There was nothing much left to do and to see after that. We just continued wandering around and… talking. Then we ate churros, which has become one sweet munchy that I like. Too bad Gold Coast’s churros can’t be easily found anywhere else.
Upon arrival at Surfers Paradise’s vicinity, strolling we went to the shopping arcade. As an aficionado for western food and dessert, it was as if I found my haven. Having lived in two different countries which still belong to South East Asian region, this escapade was to the power of fulfillment of gastronomical lust. Munch munch munch. Gobble gobble gobble. They even have FEW Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlours in close environs!! I positively think it is among the things that Singapore is lacking. Baskin-Robbins.
And there only I found the credibility of some Singapore boutiques’ shop attendants. At least now I am sure that some of them really know what they are doing and seeing. Not only once did they bluntly apologize to me that they only cater for ASIAN WOMAN SIZE.
Huh? Can you see my slit-eyes? I am as Asian as millions of Chinese-by-race flock. I am tall (NOT very tall though), nevertheless I am not gigantic. My mother inherited the good height gene from his handsome dad, straight from Guang Zhou, no other than a city in China.
Well, let assume that they know what they are well-trained by uttering such comment. So off I left the shops. And in this Southern Pacific Continent, I found the answer. It is not the size, dear brethrens… but the cutting!! The solved mystery was actually as simple as: I have a longer body proportion than average Asians. Australian clothes suit me better (and I believe other western countries produced as well) where as for Y, she always prefers to buy her clothes from Singapore.
The dinner for the day was a sumptuous yet simple meal at Nando’s chicken. A salivating fast food that Singapore is again lacking. Any franchisers out there, bring them in!
After a grocery shopping for our breakfast and oranges (as our Vitamin C-booster, something for which unavailability – especially during holiday – is intolerable), we headed back to Quarterdeck, a nice one-bedroom serviced apartment. It was cold outside. So with our pajama and blanket we continued our talk indoor with the operating heater as the background sound….
We probed, we dig, we asked, we observed, we saw, we comprehended, and what we found out had never ceased to amaze us. Listening to some of my life’s story after hers, vice versa, was just like rewinding and replaying a video-tape of an old odd movie. The family background and its nature of nurture was surprisingly the mirror image of each other’s. It is just like applying grease on the door hinge, so you would be able to open one’s door with more ease… and to better understand what’s inside. About the things we do, the thoughts we think, the actions we take, the decision we made, the words we say, and the feelings we feel.
We had in common even a small and trivial thing. Let our sleeping time be an example. We always fell sleepy and hence headed to the comfortable king-size bed at the same time. At 0 +/- 5 minutes apart from each other, we opened our eyes and were ready for the forthcoming adventure. Apparently, waking up when the sun is up-high was highly unacceptable by our parents’ standard.
Trust me, if you spend holiday together, you may need to synchronize your body clock to make the best out of it. As for our case, this requirement was hence omitted.
As for our gastronomical call, we ate (x + y) times a day, where x equals to the number of times we got hungry (which were always almost simultaneously) and y equals to the number of time when I got hungry and she did not.
So off we went to Sea World on Tuesday, 23rd of August 2005. Having had quite a heavy brunch during the morning flight, we started our adventure by sipping over a cup of megaccino (just a mega size of cappuccino) for me and a cup of hot chocolate for Y while watching the Waterski WipeOut, a frontal attraction by Sea World Australia. It was about people flying and jumping from all heights and directions, just to land on the water and continue with skiing. Nice one, I have to say. Lots of skills and courage involved. Some even did it bare-footed.
Then we just went promenading and enjoyed the view, talked, saw few beautiful birds, talked, snapped some photographs, talked, took some rides, talked, went for some shopping, talked, went for underwater view, talked, blablabla, talked, bliblibli, talked, blublublu, and still talked.
At around 3 pm we packed our sandwich and sat down along the bench to watch the Golden Seal attraction. We could just conclude that they were very well-trained. Or do they have an elephant memory? Bother not, just enjoy the show.
There was nothing much left to do and to see after that. We just continued wandering around and… talking. Then we ate churros, which has become one sweet munchy that I like. Too bad Gold Coast’s churros can’t be easily found anywhere else.
Upon arrival at Surfers Paradise’s vicinity, strolling we went to the shopping arcade. As an aficionado for western food and dessert, it was as if I found my haven. Having lived in two different countries which still belong to South East Asian region, this escapade was to the power of fulfillment of gastronomical lust. Munch munch munch. Gobble gobble gobble. They even have FEW Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlours in close environs!! I positively think it is among the things that Singapore is lacking. Baskin-Robbins.
And there only I found the credibility of some Singapore boutiques’ shop attendants. At least now I am sure that some of them really know what they are doing and seeing. Not only once did they bluntly apologize to me that they only cater for ASIAN WOMAN SIZE.
Huh? Can you see my slit-eyes? I am as Asian as millions of Chinese-by-race flock. I am tall (NOT very tall though), nevertheless I am not gigantic. My mother inherited the good height gene from his handsome dad, straight from Guang Zhou, no other than a city in China.
Well, let assume that they know what they are well-trained by uttering such comment. So off I left the shops. And in this Southern Pacific Continent, I found the answer. It is not the size, dear brethrens… but the cutting!! The solved mystery was actually as simple as: I have a longer body proportion than average Asians. Australian clothes suit me better (and I believe other western countries produced as well) where as for Y, she always prefers to buy her clothes from Singapore.
The dinner for the day was a sumptuous yet simple meal at Nando’s chicken. A salivating fast food that Singapore is again lacking. Any franchisers out there, bring them in!
After a grocery shopping for our breakfast and oranges (as our Vitamin C-booster, something for which unavailability – especially during holiday – is intolerable), we headed back to Quarterdeck, a nice one-bedroom serviced apartment. It was cold outside. So with our pajama and blanket we continued our talk indoor with the operating heater as the background sound….
Getting Northward
The next day was the crystallization of a dream. With one small luggage, one small duffel bag and bags of holiday frenzy excitement, Y and I walked against the morning chilly wind to the train station… got lost at Sydenham, took a train back to Wolli Creek, continued the journey to Domestic Terminal, aboard on Jet Air, headed to…. GOLD COAST!!!
I do tell some people at times that LIFE is indeed about expecting the unexpected. And my getaway in Australia is one that may illustrate it.
Who would ever suppose that two people who had only just met for an accumulated few hours and whose communication was only done through electrical means (i.e. e-mails, MSN and SMS) would spend 10 full glorious days together, sharing the same mattress for each night’s sleep. It was close to a gamble, I might say. The heaps amount of dollar spent may just go to the drain if the holiday went sour.
The family ties had not been bound, yet we have felt that we are just sister who have waited for years to meet. Perhaps it is what people call a match made in heaven. It does not only concern the loving lad and lass but also the whole families.
There was no awkwardness whatsoever in our first few hours together. And the hours that followed were even smoother rides. We both had even confided with each other for having a lingering qualm about how well we would be getting along.
During our four days – three nights stay in Gold Coast, we had a whole unit of a serviced apartment just for the two of us. Complete with the kitchen, living room, dining table, television set, a king-size bed, a huge bathroom. CIHUYYY!!! What with the entrance tickets to various theme parks in hand, we just couldn’t ask for more. Even the shuttle service has been taken care of. Of course with dollars involved. Well, there is no such thing as a free-lunch in this world.
The journey and experiences that follow were not only about roaming around various roads and spots in Gold Coast… but it was much deeper. It was a journey of discovery, a journey of friendship, a journey of sisterhood, a journey to self-improvement…
I do tell some people at times that LIFE is indeed about expecting the unexpected. And my getaway in Australia is one that may illustrate it.
Who would ever suppose that two people who had only just met for an accumulated few hours and whose communication was only done through electrical means (i.e. e-mails, MSN and SMS) would spend 10 full glorious days together, sharing the same mattress for each night’s sleep. It was close to a gamble, I might say. The heaps amount of dollar spent may just go to the drain if the holiday went sour.
The family ties had not been bound, yet we have felt that we are just sister who have waited for years to meet. Perhaps it is what people call a match made in heaven. It does not only concern the loving lad and lass but also the whole families.
There was no awkwardness whatsoever in our first few hours together. And the hours that followed were even smoother rides. We both had even confided with each other for having a lingering qualm about how well we would be getting along.
During our four days – three nights stay in Gold Coast, we had a whole unit of a serviced apartment just for the two of us. Complete with the kitchen, living room, dining table, television set, a king-size bed, a huge bathroom. CIHUYYY!!! What with the entrance tickets to various theme parks in hand, we just couldn’t ask for more. Even the shuttle service has been taken care of. Of course with dollars involved. Well, there is no such thing as a free-lunch in this world.
The journey and experiences that follow were not only about roaming around various roads and spots in Gold Coast… but it was much deeper. It was a journey of discovery, a journey of friendship, a journey of sisterhood, a journey to self-improvement…
Sydney... Let me in to your chilly embrace
Take a deep breath….
Hmm….
Cold. Somewhat chilly wind.
Being airborne at a certain rather unusual altitude for seven and a half hours had transported me from the tropical tiny island of Singapore to the Southern Continent in the Pacific Ocean. I had my breakfast on 22nd of August 2005 at Toa Payoh Lorong 5, still with the merciless humidity level, kept reminding myself that my dinner will be elsewhere, after a few hours leap of season.
A welcoming chilly winter wind was the bonus I got apart from the warm greeting from my sister-in-law to be, Y who was accompanied by another friend, S. I was then commuted in X*W-*4* Mitsubishi Lancer with “New South Wales” embossed on the car plate. The smooth ride led me to Hurstville.
Yes, the nice chilly wind which I have waited for years belongs to Sydney, a city with whom I fell in love at once.
Nothing much we did that night. The five of us (3 hosts, Y and I) went to have a chinese dinner at Kingsford area. However, this dinner only left a faint mark in my memory as I was busy savouring each chilly moment. A perfect weather getaway for a person who has spent her past few years in summer-all-the-way countries.
The tired body has successfully lulled me into a deep sleep. The night’s dream was the expectation of what’s awaiting in the next ten days to come….
PS: SORRY for the "too-sentimental" title hehehe....
Hmm….
Cold. Somewhat chilly wind.
Being airborne at a certain rather unusual altitude for seven and a half hours had transported me from the tropical tiny island of Singapore to the Southern Continent in the Pacific Ocean. I had my breakfast on 22nd of August 2005 at Toa Payoh Lorong 5, still with the merciless humidity level, kept reminding myself that my dinner will be elsewhere, after a few hours leap of season.
A welcoming chilly winter wind was the bonus I got apart from the warm greeting from my sister-in-law to be, Y who was accompanied by another friend, S. I was then commuted in X*W-*4* Mitsubishi Lancer with “New South Wales” embossed on the car plate. The smooth ride led me to Hurstville.
Yes, the nice chilly wind which I have waited for years belongs to Sydney, a city with whom I fell in love at once.
Nothing much we did that night. The five of us (3 hosts, Y and I) went to have a chinese dinner at Kingsford area. However, this dinner only left a faint mark in my memory as I was busy savouring each chilly moment. A perfect weather getaway for a person who has spent her past few years in summer-all-the-way countries.
The tired body has successfully lulled me into a deep sleep. The night’s dream was the expectation of what’s awaiting in the next ten days to come….
PS: SORRY for the "too-sentimental" title hehehe....
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Something about having a maid
A thought just popped up in my mind this evening. It may be triggered by the realization that I always only have so little time left to do things other than my duty or responsibilities.
The first thing that always occupies my glorious days is of course my profession as a Research Officer (finishing my first week with this new designation in new office). Second thing is doing house chores.
We don’t need to get any reminders of the fact that time is constant. Its rate is unchanged for only-God-knows-how-long. It’s forever.
This is exactly the point where I started to realize the prudence of having a maid in a household. It is not a matter of ability or willingness to do the chores. It is rather about knowing how worthwhile your time is and be wise enough to make this short-life more fruitful.
Disclaimer: I won’t say that it’s applicable to everybody. It was just my thought which hasn’t really materialized in any actions.
I would like to have my home always Dettol-clean, pine-fresh and minty. I want all my clothes to be washed properly, ironed and folded neatly as I won’t step my feet out of my doorstep without ironed clothes. I want to sweep and mop the floor regularly with the minimum force required achieved. What did I mean by that? Do you realize that when you are too tired or too lazy, you will just mop by exerting minimum force that may not suffice to chase all the bacteria away? Mopping is not just about wetting your floor, I fully expect you all realize this and note it down in your mind. Despite my tight schedule, I would also wish to be able to scrutinize every single tile in the toilet. Hygiene. Hygiene. I still want to tidy up my room as often as required. Doing some new arrangement of the stuffs if time-permitting. I still prefer self-prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner than hawker-center produced. Healthy. Healthy.
Up to now, I still dutifully do all the aforementioned obligations. Or should I say, chores, as I don’t really feel obliged to do all those. They are actually just the means to achieve the desired end results. My own desired end results.
YET, I have never failed to wish that I would have more time to do things that I really like, and fruitful (it is an honest way to put it, I guess). I keep delaying doing my painting homework, preparing my upcoming GRE test, reading books (be it a fiction or textbook), tutoring my younger sister, doing sport (how I wish to have more hours for this), writing in my blog, doing scrapbooking, checking e-mails, calling my parents, doing some arts and crafts as hobby, learning to make mosaic, embossing, reading my painting notes (which has been given by my teacher since don’t-know-how-many-months ago), spending more time in research background study, learning to bake cakes, make desserts, to cook, learning a new language, doing outdoor painting etc etc etc. The list may go on forever.
To tell you the truth, I have forgotten when was the last time I watched movie. Oh ya, during the flight to and from Sydney. But at home or cinema? Hmm….
Many people opine to sacrifice your work to be a good housewife and mother. But how if your work is not merely about money and ambition, but a deep passion? Am I to blame if I have too much interests for one person to bear? And having to face the bitter fact that you have all the ability and resources to do them but your time is robbed by those never-ending-queues of house chores? Do you expect me to sacrifice the last possession which is sleeping time?
Some of you may think that paying a maid’s salary is a waste of money. But I look at it as an opportunity cost. A cost you have to fork out to seize other opportunity, inclusive of business and self-development.
No, I am not thinking of hiring a maid now. I am just putting it into consideration should my interests won’t recede a bit and should God not decide to add more hours in one day.
And as for children matters, it will still be our full responsibility as parents. The maid (if we would ever have one) will just do the house chores, especially to keep the clean, bacteria-free house.
And surely, only if we can find a good and reliable maid. Erm.. and if we have money to afford of course.
What say you?
The first thing that always occupies my glorious days is of course my profession as a Research Officer (finishing my first week with this new designation in new office). Second thing is doing house chores.
We don’t need to get any reminders of the fact that time is constant. Its rate is unchanged for only-God-knows-how-long. It’s forever.
This is exactly the point where I started to realize the prudence of having a maid in a household. It is not a matter of ability or willingness to do the chores. It is rather about knowing how worthwhile your time is and be wise enough to make this short-life more fruitful.
Disclaimer: I won’t say that it’s applicable to everybody. It was just my thought which hasn’t really materialized in any actions.
I would like to have my home always Dettol-clean, pine-fresh and minty. I want all my clothes to be washed properly, ironed and folded neatly as I won’t step my feet out of my doorstep without ironed clothes. I want to sweep and mop the floor regularly with the minimum force required achieved. What did I mean by that? Do you realize that when you are too tired or too lazy, you will just mop by exerting minimum force that may not suffice to chase all the bacteria away? Mopping is not just about wetting your floor, I fully expect you all realize this and note it down in your mind. Despite my tight schedule, I would also wish to be able to scrutinize every single tile in the toilet. Hygiene. Hygiene. I still want to tidy up my room as often as required. Doing some new arrangement of the stuffs if time-permitting. I still prefer self-prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner than hawker-center produced. Healthy. Healthy.
Up to now, I still dutifully do all the aforementioned obligations. Or should I say, chores, as I don’t really feel obliged to do all those. They are actually just the means to achieve the desired end results. My own desired end results.
YET, I have never failed to wish that I would have more time to do things that I really like, and fruitful (it is an honest way to put it, I guess). I keep delaying doing my painting homework, preparing my upcoming GRE test, reading books (be it a fiction or textbook), tutoring my younger sister, doing sport (how I wish to have more hours for this), writing in my blog, doing scrapbooking, checking e-mails, calling my parents, doing some arts and crafts as hobby, learning to make mosaic, embossing, reading my painting notes (which has been given by my teacher since don’t-know-how-many-months ago), spending more time in research background study, learning to bake cakes, make desserts, to cook, learning a new language, doing outdoor painting etc etc etc. The list may go on forever.
To tell you the truth, I have forgotten when was the last time I watched movie. Oh ya, during the flight to and from Sydney. But at home or cinema? Hmm….
Many people opine to sacrifice your work to be a good housewife and mother. But how if your work is not merely about money and ambition, but a deep passion? Am I to blame if I have too much interests for one person to bear? And having to face the bitter fact that you have all the ability and resources to do them but your time is robbed by those never-ending-queues of house chores? Do you expect me to sacrifice the last possession which is sleeping time?
Some of you may think that paying a maid’s salary is a waste of money. But I look at it as an opportunity cost. A cost you have to fork out to seize other opportunity, inclusive of business and self-development.
No, I am not thinking of hiring a maid now. I am just putting it into consideration should my interests won’t recede a bit and should God not decide to add more hours in one day.
And as for children matters, it will still be our full responsibility as parents. The maid (if we would ever have one) will just do the house chores, especially to keep the clean, bacteria-free house.
And surely, only if we can find a good and reliable maid. Erm.. and if we have money to afford of course.
What say you?
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