The Love Hate Relationship with CK Undies

Disclaimer: This entry will increase any pro-shopaholic urge to purchase thing out of impulse. If any incident happened, this has nothing to do with this author.


Xmas is rather boring occasion for me. This year is mostly dinner with relative on Xmas Eve and watch Christmas TV programs. Xmas itself was beautiful, sunny 25 degree day but no friends wanted to go out with me, they were busy with their Church, so I was left alone......

Anyway, apart from that, there is something I have been looking forward to! Boxing Day Sales!!!!! I have talked about this day since 2 months ago! Just imagine how anticipating I was! I was hoping I'd have started working, so I can go crazy and start buying all the CK undies that I want. Alas, this dream did not come true. Maybe next year then!

So today I woke up at 6am. Yes, you hear me right, 6 am! And step out of the house 1 hour later with my cousin for the shopping extravaganza! Reached the CBD at 7.30am and it was already quite full with people, especially Myers Supermarket which opened at 5am today!

The first place we attacked? Underwear section! Most of the size were depleting, but there are still some nice one. Trying to keep myself spending a fortune over there, so I end up buying only ONE CK underwear....... I wasn't very happy about this....

Anyway, My cousin was having this impulsive purchases cause things were quite cheap over there. And when were at the Basement, he brought more stuffs while I was stuck with oversized short shorts or one size too small short. I was even more pissed......

Until I finished our very quick morning tea (sushi from Sushi Sushi), I walked into this magnificent shop and I found my Short Shorts!!!!!! I love short shorts (more pictures below), and they actually have size!!!!! So I was out with two lovely purchases!

Then followed by a few after that, all in Melbourne Central! So after 6 and half hours of retail therapy we finally gave up. I was kinda broke, but I did not over spent! Which is a Plus!!!! I was planning to spend only $150 for today, looking at the amount of zeros in my bank, and I only spend $140!!!!

Okay, I was busy shopping, didn't have time to sit and take pictures. So these are the pictures I took when I was going home, and when I am at home (after rejuvenated from my slumber nap!)
Levi's outlet store at DFO (Direct Factory Outlets). People acted as if the stuffs in the shops are free. A bloody long queue for Guess shop over there as well..........

My purchases!!!!! I don't know why they are upside down, can't seems to do anything about that. So please don't strain your neck by looking at them. Cause I have them in individual photo!

Can you see me naked from the reflection? This arvo is a bit hot to wear any tees! Got them cause my old one is spoiled on the day itself. Just so lucky to have this for only $10!

My Short shorts!!!!! If they have anything shorter, I will have brought them!!!!!
My two shirts, I can't seems to find anything I want, and by the time I have mood to buy them, I have already reached my limit....
Happy me with my happy purchases!!!!!

My Casual Works and MCG!

I have not been updating my blogs for quite awhile. I was pretty busy with my lab works... It is almost the end of the year and I need to finish my first part of the Honours project. Besides I finally find a job. Yes! Me with a job! Last year I thought I waste my money to apply for a work permit, but now it is off good use!

Finally, without any interview or resume sending routine, I got 2 jobs, from the same research centre! It is Australian Sustainable Industry Research Centre (ASIRC), you guys might heard of it because previously I was doing my Third Year project in this place! So they are pretty much know me! Okay okay, first job is as Colour Monitorist. So from the name you will know that it is about monitoring the colour. What I do is I monitor the colour in the paper run in Australian Paper. I can't talk much about this because everything I do is private, I might get sued if I elaborate more, so talk about the wages! It is 20 bucks per hour and the job is a shift job. My night shift is about 50 bucks per hour!!!!! But I need to work from 12am to 8am....

Don't think that I am rich from these kind of work. The stupid Australian government tax me about 20% of my pay. So means I was left very little after the taxing..... But I have planned what I wanna buy from that money.

The second job is something related to my studies!!!! Bioremediation of oily sludges too!!!! Now in the beginning, I get paid just to write literature review! 20 bucks per hour for me to write up a lit. review, which I count it as a normal assignment! So isn't it good? Instead of writing an assignments, it becomes a work and I get paid! After that I will need to work maybe 2-3 days per week, = more money to the government through tax. Anyway I am happy that I got this job, cause my future resume will look very nice!

I have planned to spend all those money on electronic gadgets like ipod and cool sound systems! And of course I need to save some money for my Aussie PR application.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday, I was invited by Rona to attend this Melbourne University End of the Year Party! I went back to city just for that, pretty awesome to be able to dine in MCG! This blog is mostly about the tour in MCG, if you wanna know more, go to Moomoolanders to have look! Okay, this is a rare opportunity, for me to stand on the ground of MCG, where people in white and zink lotion play their balls with sticks in summer, and guys with short sleeve and shorts kicking and catching oval balls in winter (Cricket and Aussie Football).

I just write heaps of stuffs over that Moomoolander's blog, so I am pretty knacked.

Do I look like the coach or team captain being interviewed by the media? Oops, there is no microphones.

Pretty Rona, on the poor man seats. I reckon their are the cheap seats, since they are so damn high and hard to view the game from up there.

Me on the poor man seats as well. Oh well, we are poor, so need to seat on those seats.

The dinner was pretty nice. And heaps more picture on foods in the Moomoolander's blog. Oh after taking picture with this famous tour guide of ours, we walked into a row of waitress and waiter, holding all sorts of drinks! Beers, champagne, red wine, white wine, and others!


Well this is the working life in Australia! At the end of year, you will have all sorts of party and business events! Next week I will have another end of the year party, this time with ASIRC! I was just hired last month and now I am invited to attend their party! So it is good to start work at the end of the year, then you pretty much spends most of the time attending parties! But of course, I am still doing my Honours, so can't really enjoy this month as others.......

The City is alive!

Most respected person in Melbourne CBD, non-stop hulahoop for days

When you wake up, and you look out of your window, what do you see and hear? If you are staying in the city, what do you see and hear?

Car?

Smokes?

People opening the department stores?

Noises from traffic jams?

From these, do you think that the city is alive?

NO!!!

The city is not alive by these noises and these craps.....

It is the street performers who make the city (any city) alive!

They bring music into the city, instead of some kind of music from the department stores, they bring laughter to the city, they bring people to attention, and the most important thing is they bring LIVE to the city.

Every time I went down to Melbourne, I see people performing at every corner of the CBD (Central Business District). People with expensive guitars and stands. People that look like they slept at a trash corner somewhere. People who have decent looks playing on drum that is made of tins and basket. Kids playing X'mas songs with their electrical organ, saxophones. People from all different races.

What are their purpose. You might ask.

Each of them have different purpose. So are everyone on this lonely earth. Some of them are chasing their dreams in performing related business. Some of them are doing it so that they won't have stage-fright. Some of them have only one purpose. To earn a decent money, without breaking the law.

I, being my naive self, always think that money is easy to earn. Maybe I've not in such situation where I have to scrape the bottom of the barrel. But, there is always but, I got kick back to reality for this moment after watching The Pursuit of Happyness. This movie tells us about how bad can your luck be. Some people need money so desperately, that they hold dear to their 5 dollars like it is 1,000 bucks. These people on the street, some of them just want to earn so decent money. They do not give up no matter how deep they fell. Like the most famous person in Melbourne, not John So the Melbourne Mayor; the Asian guy doing hulla hoop for days without stopping for meals. Yes, he is the guy above!

I have never seen him, standing with his own leg, and have a meal before. Most of the time, when I am in the city, I will see him performing along Bourke Street or Swanston Street. He is that good, and determined to earn enough money for him to eat his dinner.

When I got tired of window shopping around city, the place you can find me is around Bourke Street Mall. I'll just sit there and see people perform. Aussie guy playing Chinese instruments; aussie guy blowing didgeridoo; bands playing in front of Myers Department Store; etc etc. They help me to kill some times before I heading back to Spotwoods, my aunt place.

Band performing at Bourke Street Mall, possibly outside Myers

I always pay them some money, coins every time I passed by. AND I URGE you people to do the same. We should appreciate such people. Without them, city would not be so alive.

P.S. It is ashame that Asian cities just don't have such things.

P.SS. Next time I am going to talk about graffiti. That I'll leave for next time.

Grampians

Sunset at Grampians

It was 5am in the morning, when Kelvin tried his best to wake this drunken idiot up. I was still drunk when I went up the bus, only have 2 hours sleep. Managed to get heaps of sleep in the bus, because from Churchill to Grampians, it takes about 6 hours. When I woke up, we were already in Grampians!

Grampians

Reach the caravan park, and went for lunch. I was so so hungry that I went and buy one pineapple pizza, while waiting for my kangaroo souvlaki. Lunch wasn't so good. So I was determine to have better food for dinner.

Mackenzie's Fall

After lunch, we spent heaps of time at Mackenzie Fall. It was quite a nice fall, with some water. Years ago, it should have more water than now, but what can you expect from the world most dry continent.

Titin and I at Mackenzie Fall

Guys photo at one of the lookout. This is where we took the sunset. Freezing cold while waiting for the sun to set... We did go to the Jaws of Death lookout as well. Look pretty cool!

Best's Great Eastern Winery cellar

The next day we went to winery, for some wine tasting and tour around the winery. That place was pretty awesome, with smell of wine everywhere in the underground wine storage. Brought one bottle of Shiraz, but Cynthia brought like 3 bottles!

Photo of the vineyard.

Studio photo of me with barrel of wine? Nah, it is real. I can guarantee that.

Melbourne Pictures - 17.3.2007

Yes, I went to Melbourne again... Pathetic? No way. Melbourne is so beautiful, there is much more pictures and places I haven't take and visit... Won't tell you people the details about my trip, but this time I get to drive to Melbourne!!!! Hurray.
Thanks to Ben ben, I know how to do Hook Turn (theorectically)!!!

Even the dirty smelly alley of Melbourne (off Centre PI) is coloured with colourful grafitti!!!!

Melbourne Central PI; Alley restaurants

Then we reached the Southgate. There was this guy doing some street performance!!! So good, that I don't mind giving him about 4 bucks!

Needs 3 audiences to help him up the unicycle

Act as if he cant get up the unicycle... Hehehe. Kinda funny!

Up the unicycle

Begin juggling some 'real' knives

Ferrari showcase: This baby can go 100km in 3 seconds! Bloody awesome

Pretty horse!

We end our trip with big Korean feast!!!! Bulgogi(s: Chicken, Squid), Stonegrill BBQ, Seafood Casserole, Sweet and Spicy Pork, etc etc!

Gosh, it has been 10 days seen I post an entry. Sorry guys, this is the result of Chinese New Year bloging moodless and I was kinda busy with the O-week. This year I am a mentor for some poor young soul who just came to University. Oh, I was busy finishing my 8k report as well. Finally handed in that stupid thing!!!!

Okay, back to CNY. This year was different as compared to the time I celebrated in Malaysia. The CNY eve, we went to eat some Northen Chinese cuisine in Dumpling King in Box Hill. Not bad, but the place was kinda hot. It was 38 degree outside and inside is worse... Then the first day of CNY (Sunday, lucky, cause CNY is not a public holiday) we went for dim sum for brunch! Was in Plume at High Point and the place was chock a block with people (Mostly Chinese, Vietnamese etc etc)... Did not get as much ang pow (red packet) as the time in Malaysia, anyway, it is only my aunt.

Then went back to gippy on Tuesday. Right after I reach gippy, I was in a busy mode. Tuesday nite went for Free Dinner at Student Union Lounge. Wednesday we got the Meet the Mentor session, which I am the Mentor. After the games and stuffs, we need to prepare for the Flag Ceremony. This year I am holding the Japan flag!!!! Whoopas! Thursday was the day I surrender my report at 11pm... and Friday was the International Big Day Out. The places in the BDO was fun, but I liked the Aussie Bush Dance the best!!!! You might think that it is an aboriginal dance, it is not. Fool You, and me. It was some traditional country dance, something like the Scotish and Irish dance.

It is time to stop this crapping. Class is starting real soon....

Ushering the New Year 2007

The day started with me waking up super duper early in the morning (7am) to start travelling back to Melbourne. I don’t really mind because I want to make it on time for my New Year Celebration. After 8 hours of travelling from Hahndorf, South Australia, to Melbourne, I was bloody energetic. Not knackered at all, I wonder why? Anyway right after my dinner, I head to the train station. I was lucky to get the train, hope next year will have the same kind of luck.

In the train, there were heaps of people and the smell of the odour wasn’t pleasant. Too bad I did not take the picture and no point because it won’t come out good. When I reached Flinders Street Station, there were already about 40 thousands people in the street and over the Federation Square. 40 THOUSANDS PEOPLE, luckily I can contact my friends and informed them where I will be standing and waiting. After I met up with Wayne and Ammie, we made our way to the bridge to see the ‘Family Fire Display’ at 9.15pm. These fireworks are for the families which have kids and they need to sleep early. First round of fireworks were superb. We stood over the bridge and finished watching it. The bridge was divided into two sides, and the crowd are directed to walk like the way cars will drive. At the end of the firework display, as we need to go back to the Federation Square, we need to take a U-ie at the other end of the bridge. We basically walked like cows and sheep walking to be de-furred. Some said we walked like Fairy Penguins walking toward the beaches.

Ludwina called us and called us to find her in Subway. When we reached Subway, we were direct to Mackas. When we tried our way to Mackas, she call us to wait for her in Hungry Jack instead…

Plan wasn’t going well, so we go ahead with our pub hunting. We tried looking at Lt Collins St and Lt Bourke St and still no luck. Guess this year will be the most awake New Year. Anyway we hurried back to the Yarra River and forced our way to the riverbank. The fireworks are from the Yarra River and if we sit in the riverbank, we will have spectacles view of the fireworks. At that time, Ammie and I were already tired, but the fireworks brought us to life! For total of 15minutes, and 5 spots around that area, the companies who sponsor these definitely lose quite a bit of dough.

After the display, we went to Starbucks. This is my first year with present of caffeine in my blood, instead of alcohol. It was already 2pm when I managed to track my cousin and aunt down. Although Ludwina did call us to go pub, Lounge, I could not take it anymore. If I were to wake up at 12pm that morning, maybe I will go. But today was just too much. Non stop travelling in the car and today was 8 hours straight.

This is also my first year in somewhere nicer, in Melbourne! Well even though now is quite late, I still want to wish you all a Happy New Year and all the best in this year ahead!


All you see are heads.....

Wayne, Ammie and me over the Yarra riverbank