fuchsia fragments

Back in Sydney again for a few weeks due to my grandma's health declining (mostly due to old age). It's caused a lot of stress in the family and it really has been a roller coaster these past few weeks. In many ways, it's brought the family together (yum cha, dinners, sharing photos) but it also reminds me that sometimes, it's not all happy days and fun memories.

But I can definitely say that old childhood years were some of the greatest. I look up to so many of my cozzies like big bros and since we use to live so close to each other. Plus had to stick together since we were one of the few asian families in the ghetto... hehehe.

The heat is so Sydney and so different to SG! Love it and hate it at the same time... think I am using air con here more than I do in my apartment. Overnight temperatures at a low of 28 degrees is not normal!

Been trying to catch up with friends and here I will openly admit that I am being selective. I've run into some randomly and caught out to peeps in the extended group (haha, oops). I've tried to meet up with others but had to postpone due to hospital visits but I do want to see peeps.

Working from Sydney on SG hours also doesn't help (basically means I stick around online for around 12 hours) but I don't take for granted the flexibility offered by my company. Love catching up on the stuff that goes around Sydney.

I really don't have anything to say that comes to mind...

I don't have much to say... I usually reflect but don't feel it is necessary.

I spent a lot more time in the North this year, perhaps it is the way forward.

I'm not so sad to see 2014 go but not eager for 2015 just yet. Either way, I'll be drinking lots tonight! Another year, another quarter, another week and another day over!

Happy New Year!

Another prosperous and fulfilling year ahead.. bring on 2014 and watch this space!

The holiday period is not only a time to spend with fams and friends. And eat and drink too much but its also reflection / quiet time (in the morning before the festivities). Where there's no shopping and no good show on TV. It has given me a chance to recharge and do absolutely nothing and love every minute of it. By nothing, i mean have one eye on google and one eye on re-watching stuff on my computer. Waking up at 11 and sleeping at 3 in the morning.

It kind of makes you dream a little, think of what-ifs and why things maybe didn't go all to plan. Not in a bad way but makes you wonder. Had fun writing things in my calendar for 2014 already. Loving that January weekends are already full. But hey, at least I know when i'll be free to bake and when I won't.

This year, I think I need to re-connect with a few people. Perhaps in the next few weeks, make some predictions...

What a great start to the year...

Spent NYE and part of NYD on an A380 (so at midnight, we saw black! and then I returned to watching my movie from the comfort of my SkyBed with a glass of champagne).

New Years Day was family day - people came over for lunch and dinner and some stuff in between. I spent a lot of it in my room watching CSI and trying not to fall asleep and failing miserably at around 5 in the arvo. But only got an hour or so nap so still managed to get a good night's sleep for work the next day.

Wednesday is back to reality day. Work. Too soon and not so many people in the office. But so busy already. Payroll doesn't wait for anyone!

At least we were able to wear casual for the rest of the week.

Caught up my Mr very-soon-i-will-be-a-dad Carl for lunch at Jamie's on Friday. Yay... we finally made it there! Polenta chips are way way better at Fratelli's. And we don't understand the hype surrounding this little diner.

Got my first order for the year as well... Mango mousse cake for 2 birthdays completed on Friday evening.

And first impromptu Saturday for the year!

Planned yum cha in Cabramatta (it was SO good and SO cheap). Then home for a bit in the heat.

And then... Anita dragged Donna and I to POLE DANCING - sorry, the correct term it "Pole Yoga / Fitness". But WTF!?!?!? First exercise session of the year on a pole. Didn't attempt much and my muscles were aching!!!

Then we undid all the hard work at Bellos followed by Noggi and then followed by more Moochi. LOL.

It was also part of Anita's research for hew new biz.

I feel like I have so much paperwork to complete. Looks like I'll be home today!

so i think its a great time to reflect on the year gone-by. so much has happened. so much didn't and so much more could've.

for me personally, 2-0-1-0 was a transition year. wasn't the best year - can't say it was the worst. but it helped me build relationships professionally, gain new, important and some might say, powerful connections (depends on who's POV you are looking from) and made me a stronger and better person for future professional roles as well as getting to know myself.

it was a year where i learnt how to work full time - its all about routine! - and study, and make time for other things. i would have to say - i struggled doing this in the first 6 months of this year. and i felt really alone and lost contact with many during this time. slowly, some of these things changed. i learnt (thanks to Bob as well! . . . he never stopped reminding me . . . eventho it was him and his ppl making me stay back!!!) that its "just a job" and that i shouldn't have been stressing over it so much. i guess you could call me a "workaholic" but not to the extent that i know many others were working to.

and in all of this, i have seen the good and bad sides of many people. i've seen both sides of many arguments and it has been a very interesting experience. i have seen people trying to bend others' wills' for their own personal benefit and i have seen the not so nice faces of many. sadly, i would say, this comes in all industries no matter where you are.

things started to get hectic from about July onwards - not only was i studying - a lot of ongoing family issues took up much of mine, and my family's time. some of you would have known that my g'ma has been in and out of hospital for the latter half of this year.

and it's and about the eb and flow. ~


some days were good. some were bleak. some were hopeful. some were borderline.

and each time she was admitted into hospital, it was more and more severe until breaking point - December 27 - when we were going to celebrate with family and friends Christmas and the holiday period. the dreaded phone call came at about 3 p.m. G'ma had a fall at home and it was very - extremely - serious. she'd already had a right hip replacement years ago and this time, she'd fallen on her left. so she needed surgery pretty much straight away for the left side. aunty had to stay with her in emergency all night. and it was touch and go for awhile.

the past few days have been up and down. some days good, very bright and hopeful. other days, just getting by seems like a challenge. we visit her daily - for me, straight after work and any other time on the weekend. and during this time, i've learnt a few things about myself:

- i can get really emotional about it all due to the nature and the circumstances regarding this incident
- because of the above, i think i pull myself back from watching her suffer
- you can't ever change the course of fate
- looking on the bright side does make a difference

so we can take a positive stance on everything that's happened and we all believe that she has the strength, the willpower and the endurance to make a full recovery. FINGERS, TOES AND HEART CROSSED!

after all that's happened, and at the end of the day - and year - i think i've managed to get a grip on balancing everything. at least, it will help me in the new year in terms or organisation, events and routine.

so many people have asked me to keep in touch with them in the new role  - and honestly, i don't know if i will be able to keep in touch with all of them. i will sincerely try my hardest though! and i definitely will miss each and everyone one of them one way or another!!!

Most of all, i will miss dear Miss Val who has once again jetted off to HK. our time last week and short but oh so decadently sweet and well worth it. i expect her to expect a lot of parcels in 2011!!! hehehehe.

But enough lamenting - i barely scrapped the top! but enough is enough!!!

Bring on 2011!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

xoxo

evidently in holiday mode as it takes 3 days to post about my new years. hahaha.

we trashed one of the boys' soccer/high school buddy's house on NYE and watched the fireworks from their balcony which was pretty cool. the night involved a lot of kicking balls, food and more food, the girls walking to the station with alcohol in their hands and asking every shop owner (those that were open anyway) whether or not they had sparklers and being denied every single time. xD

there was also a loooooootttttt of alcohol. to the point where some people drank one FULL bottle of southern comfort on their own. and we got to make fruit tingles! exciting. and then rolled around on the grass whilst the boys grappled and did what homo boys do. (re: fb photos). at least we didn't get to the part where they were going to climb the water tower 2 streets away cause they wouldn't have gone down too well since some of them could barely stand up...

*tries to remember what happened on new years day * oh yes, i made the first fail cake of the year without even knowing why. like.. my bailey's cheesecake just decided to have a massive crack in it which pissed the hell out of me. cause it meant i had to go get more ingredients to make a surprise 18th birthday cake for my sister's friend. so i was cooped up doing that which meant i couldn't go to the beach with jan and the guys. =( =(

jan came over later for dinner and she didn't want to leave. LOL i was like.. please leave please leave im bugggered. HAHAHAHHA jks.

went furniture looking again yesterday. but nothing came that close to the first time.. now we can focus on choosing a colour. and time to clean out all the house waste. bi-annual council collections make me so happy. it means we can get rid of all the ugly shits! =D

spent the night watching janice get trashed off her face... photos are on fb
she fell over
kissed another girl (and harry kissed a guy.. ROFL)
threw up
passed out
slept
was all over... everyone.

*sigh* she really needs to learn how to slow down.

but the party was awesome. haha had so much fun.

today is recovering. baking. cleaning. packing.

lets see..
i dont like being under house arrest. its so boring!! and since dad had to work today, there was no big party. oh wells
so i watched some pretty boring tvb series. 60 episodes in about 7 hours. guess how much i skipped. lol
finally created a network for our computers and watched transformers.. again.
it sucks even more when u wake up really early and can't go back to sleep.