Too many hobbies.. so little time..

There are a million things which I want to do but I just don't have the time for it. My day starts at 7am and by the time I come home from work, it's probably around 7pm on typical days. I have to go to gym 3 times a week and unfortunately, laziness ruled on some days and I ended up going to gym only twice a week, which is still not too bad (comforting myself here). By the time I get home from gym, it would be about 8.30pm. Then, we take turns to cook dinner. Sometimes we just eat out. If we cook, it will be about 9.30 -10pm after clearing up and washing up dishes. Then, we will go online just to check our e-mails and catch up with family and friends. That will take at least half an hour, which is archetypical and obligatory. That will leave me with another 1 hour or less to do my hobby. Now, tell me, how is it even possible to do my hobby? Some days I will be so exhausted (most of the days) and I just want to watch movies and not do anything else, not even eat!!

Here are the things I want to do at the moment:

1. I want to do read my books (possible on some days, but so frustrated because I cannot finish reading sooner than I anticipated),

2. I want to make jewelleries and sell them if possible (I am still waiting to have time to set up a website or even seeking some help from friends who won't charge me),

3. I want to study about photo-editting and photo effects (I have to practice and read all the tutorials online),

4. I want to knit (winter's arrived and I only managed to knit a scarve since this year)

5. I want to borrow some Hong Kong TVB's series, gosh I miss those time when I used to follow the 6pm movie in TV2 or TV3 and the 8pm series on Wah Lai Toi (although quite unlikely now due to the money involved to rent),

6. And my latest interest is to play piano, so much so that I want to get a new digital piano. I haven't played the piano since I left home for uni. Come to think of it, it's quite a waste to finish Grade 8 and not play at all now. Pity my parents who had to struggle to pay for my piano lesson fees last time. Perhaps, I should serve in the worship ministry and make full use of this ability. (At this point of blogging, I really feel compelled to serve the Lord). I can sing and dance and play the piano although not excellent but I guess good enough to serve the Lord with what I have.

If only I work nearer to home, right now it can easily take me 3 hours driving to and from work every single day. What a total waste of time!! No wonder days just pass us by just like that. Travelling time really irritates me to the core although I must say, it's the best time to learn patience.

God knows my heart's desire. If He is willing, He will help me by changing my situation now. If not, He probably thinks I can still endure the travelling and not spending my time wisely. This may be too menial an issue for some, but I guess I am feeling tired from all the travelling. Work wise is alright, although the company's not very kind to their staffs. I often wonder, why do people even bother sacrificing so much for this company.

Anyway, I wish I don't have to work so I can do all the things I love to do. Then again, the only such time to happen is when I have a baby. Then again, taking care of a baby is worse, not just an 8 hours job, but a 24 hours, round the clock job!!!

Please don't get me wrong. I am not unhappy with life now. I just have so much excitement in life after having found so many hobbies. I just can't seem to find time to do them. I just pray that God will answer that little prayer of mine in due time.

Cinema at home!

As usual, we spent some nights at home watching movie. This time, Big Elf made some popcorn. I was so excited to see how the corn popped and puffed up when heated. It's my first time making popcorn and I can't believe how easy it was. Haha. We don't have a popcorn maker, so we just made it using a normal pot and we used honey instead of sugar. I reckon it's healthier that way. Anyway, it was lovely, just like those at the cinema. Over the period of 3 days, we watched 3 movies ie Sweeney Todd, The Pathfinder and National Treasure 2. If you know me, they are not my kind of movie. It's obviously Big Elf's choices. I was given a chance to choose a movie, so I chose Sweeney Todd. Bad choice!!! It was such a boring musical.Since they won some award at the Oscars, I thought they might be good. Gosh, and we've never seen anything so bloody before and I cannot understand why they do what they did. Just too hard for me to comprehend the whole story. The only song, however that caught our attention was this: "I feel you, Jo-an-na... ". It lingers at our ears for days. haha..

By the way, I am so lazy to blog lately. Lots of things to write though, just no mood for it. My apologies to all my loyal readers. I promise I will write something exciting soon, probably another testimony. =)

Cookies Cookies

I was just clearing up the dry food storage cabinet, and I saw the peanut butter which I bought some time ago when a friend gave me a really simple recipe to make peanut butter cookies. I cannot believe it was that simple hence I decided to give it a try. I didn't have the proper recipe ie the exact amount I should be using, so I just gave it a rough estimate. So, here's to share with you the ingredients:

-->Peanut butter (I think I bought the cheapest for the sake of trying, but do get a better quality peanut butter).
--> Egg
--> Sugar
--> Pinch of ground cinnamon

Beat the eggs and mix everything together. Make a ball of about 2-3 cm in diameter, and then use a fork to press it down. It's really that simple. Bake for about 20 minutes and that's it! =) It's as easy as ABC. I forgot to add that it does taste nice! I hope to make this cooky for CNY with mum and Jlee..

Overstated Opulence

I started using mobile phones 10 years ago. Don't get me wrong, I really dislike using them especially during those days when my dad will call me for a thousand times a day for no apparent reason. Those were the days when I was still single and available. Now that I'm married, he has accepted the fact that I'm no longer his little girl and he doesn't need to check on me, as my husband has taken over that protective role. Thank goodness, Big Elf doesn't call me often to harass me. I am very excited as I recently got a new mobile phone.. and the BEST part of it all, is it's FREE!! Don't ask me how, it's complicated, but LEGAL!!

I know some people who change phones to keep up with the trend, and it can happen as often as once a year, maybe less. I cannot imagine how some people do that, except for good reasons such as fortuitously losing their phones. Getting a phone is really no different from buying a car. It's just ridiculous to spend so much money on something that depreciates ever so rapidly. Yet, people still find it a sumptuous idea to own chic and high-tech stuffs. I find it annoying, seriously!

I remember once my girlfriends and I were walking towards our car in a parking lot. We walked pass a really cool car, according to one of my girlfriends. She just went all fanatical about it and wished she owns a car like that, a sports car mind you, so surely it's costly. Ironically, I don't even know the name of the car. I looked at the car and I was flabbergasted. Gosh, is she blind (no hard feelings), the car is even smaller than my Toyota Corolla, with just 2 seats!! Who else can sit in the car, other than the driver and obviously his or her partner. In addition, it is also predisposedly bigoted towards people who are really big size, in other words FAT! It's a ludicrious design and a total waste of money because it can't fit everyone. I bet the only reason people buy is to feed their massive ego in them. Period!

Same like clothings, what is the difference between a 100% cotton tee shirt from a cheap store and one from Armani (sorry, I just simply yell out an expensive brand). You still wear them, wash them, dry them and fold them the same way. Oh sorry, of course psychologically when you know it's branded and expensive, you give it special treatments like dry clean them instead of throwing them in the washing machine and hang them up in a hotel-room-type of hangar with all your other expensives clothes. Perhaps I am insensitive to the feel underneath these tee, but seriously, I don't think I can tell the difference between real cottons from different brands. So, stop the nonsense in telling me that there is a difference because there is NO difference, you moron. They are still 100% cotton!

Oh well, I guess I cannot impose on people to buy things that I think are worthwhile. Personally, I wouldn't spend my money on these things unless it's FREE!! I don't deny the fact that having own these luxury make you feel good, but they don't last. If you cannot feel contented with one, you will never feel contented because these things will replace itself and you will have to keep "wasting" money to keep up for the excuse of "feeling good".

Ok ok.. let's go back to my point. I was talking about my new mobile phone and I was reflecting on all the mobile phones I've used in the past.


My first mobile phone. At that time, there was this guy who was totally obsessed with me that he had to buy me this phone in order to talk to me. Well, of course I accepted, it was cheap for him and FREE for me! I did have a phone after this one, but in less than a month, I lost it at.. who knows where. I am hopeless with things. Yet another reason why I don't buy expensive stuffs, because I will lose it, trust me. I'm very good at that!


Leanne my ex-flatmate borrowed me this phone when I came to Sydney. She had an extra phone and bless her for borrowing me this phone when I didn't have money to get a phone. Well, not really I just didn't want to waste money on buying a mobile phone then.

Just after I moved out, I returned the phone to Leanne. Then after I got married, Big Elf and I went scouting for phones. I had a chance to get a really nice phone, yet I wasn't interested. So I settled for the cheapest prepaid phone ie the above for only $69 including $10 credit in calls. Again, my talent showed and I lost it (told ya I'm good at that), only this time I knew where I lost it. I lost it at Coles Supermarket in Leichhardt!! I don't even want to start with this. I left it at the magazine section and there was a camera right above it. Yet, when I spoke to someone there, no one can tell me anything about it, they just gave me empty promises that they will check the recording and then decided not to get back to me.

I was so reluctant to get another phone as I'm tired of losing phones. Yet, Big Elf was genuinely concern should I get into trouble and I'm uncontactable. So, ok, we got me another phone. I went for another of the cheapest phone ie the above for only $79 including $10 credit of calls. Phone is alright, except I hate the monophonic ring tone and the annoying alert sound when you on or off the phone. Just imagine, I simply can't discreetly off my phone say in the middle of watching a movie in the cinema. It's just a totally absurb feature! Thank God, I didn't lose this one. I still have it as a spare.

And alas, my latest phone, Nokia 6300. I must re-iterate the fact that I got this for FREE!!! So, not a single cent wasted. I really pray that I won't lose the phone this time. Arghh, a paranoia which I dread.

I got infected!!!

With TROJAN VIRUS!!! Goodness me, can you believe it? I can't !! I just cannot comprehend how did I even get infected in the first place. I am always a careful person and I don't simply open any emails or files from people I don't know. I also don't download any porn.. so how did I get it ??? One possible explanation could be through MSN when I was chatting with my couzzie who is only 10 years old and suddenly she sent me some links, which she was totally oblivious of.
I don't know, I'm quite a computer idiot, not to mention I know anything about virus! Can someone please help me clarify if this is at all possible ie to transfer a virus through MSN, in a link which I didn't even open!!!

How filthy and inconsiderate!

I have been wanting to blog this for a while, but my anguish always never last for the day to be able to blog this in the evening.

This is my question; have you ever, when in such an urgency to pee, rushed to the toilet, only to find that 3 out of 4 the toilet bowls are stained with residual shit!!??

I'm sure when encountering such situation, your first impulse is to go check out the other cubicle hoping you will get a cleaner toilet bowl. And boy, don't you get frustrated when almost all the toilet bowls have shit it them?? I mean, what's wrong with people? How filthy can they be? I think they should be sent to a grooming school with my aunties being the teachers to really drill into them about hygiene.

If it's public toilet, I totally understand. If you try to observe (I had to confirm with a friend about this), alot of toilets around Msia, posh or not, they are so underfunded that they cannot even provide a toilet brush in every toilet. My problem now is with toilets that HAVE toilet brushes at your DISPENSE! It's there to be used... so use it!! You might wonder perhaps people who are more educated may be more hygienic, but you will be surprised that some of these people have no inclination of hygiene AT ALL because you can, apparently find these people in my lab!

What is so hard with cleaning after yourself? So, what if there's a cleaner who comes and clean after you? Still, it reflects on who you are and what sort of a person you are. You may not get caught and be indentified in public, but that only goes to show, what a filthy person you are behind closed doors and you are only putting a fake front!

Oh guess what I do sometimes, if I ever catch someone coming out of the toilet, I will take a quick peep inside the cubicle she just came out from, just to see whether or not she's as "clean" as she looks on the outside!! It's not just shit that I look out for, it's the toilet rim that I look at too. Sometimes, even if it wasn't mine, I have to relent (gosh, it was really difficult!) and clean it up because I fear someone else will pass me the same judgment! Which is why, I try so hard to avoid such toilets. Gosh, I cannot believe how some women can be so appalling..

So the lesson to learn here is ... CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF, PLEASE!!!

Great weekend!

It was a long weekend because of Queen's birthday. Thank God for the Queen, long live the Queen for we appreciate this holiday. We (the ex-OCFers) made a trip down to Camden on Saturday to visit a couple who are also ex-OCFers. It was a really enjoyable trip. I was contemplating whether or not to go for the trip as I was so looking forward to a quiet weekend at home, just doing nothing but resting. We finally agreed to join the entourage for the visit. There were 9 of us in total and we drove in separate cars. The journey was over before we knew it, and it only took us an hour and abit. It was like a peaceful countryside away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. They live in a farmhouse because the wife is a vet and is doing her placement there. So, that explains why they are there. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the barbeque, cakes and above all, the fellowship we had. I'm glad we went. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos but I'm hoping Leanne will share her photos in Facebook soon. Oh of course, I left the most exciting bit, after the barbeque and several rounds of card games, we all headed to Campbelltown which is 21kms away from the hosts' farmhouse to catch a movie and we watched "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian". It was a great movie!! It's probably on par with LOTR (LOTR fans will definitely shoot me for saying this). Anyway, what a nice way to conclude our day-trip after which we all headed back to Sydney.



Must watch. Better than the first one, probably due to more actions involved. However, it's very LOTR because of the shared elements such as the trees that became alive and the water gushing that swept the enemies away, only it took place as a form of a man probably God himself. Besides drama/romantic films, I love fantasy films, if you don't already know.

Oh, movies again. I watched Babel on Friday. Very intriguing story but may not suit everyone's taste.

Big Elf loves my food!

I sound like it's such an achievement to me. It IS a big deal to me. I am always happy when Big Elf approves of my cooking. Only it's not so much of a cooking, it was a really simple meal to make. One of the Wednesday nights (as I mentioned before), we went for vietnamese food. I had rice vermicelli with grilled pork. From the description in the menu, it sounded great. But when the food arrived, I was sceptical about the taste, or if the rice vermicelli was even cooked and couldn't help it but wonder how could one eat a cold dish as a main. But we all have to start trying somehow, somewhere. So I added the dipping sauce and mixed all the ingredients. I have no inkling of how the taste with the sauce would turn out to be (if I knew it has lime juice, it would have made the pre-tasting ordeal easier). Anyway to cut the whole story short, I liked it the moment I tasted it. In fact, I fell in love with it almost immediately and vowed to make it that very weekend. I will search for the recipe and simply try it out on my own.

It was really easy to make. I won't take any credit in making it, but you can easily google for the recipe. The only ingredients I missed were beansprout, mint leaves/basil leaves and lemon grass for the pork. Still, to my amazement, Big Elf loved it. He just went "hm" on the first slurp, and "hmm" on the second and again "hmmm" on the third. It didn't take him long to finish the whole bowl. We had a half of the sauce left, and he quickly suggested making it again the next day for dinner.

It was such an accomplishment and liberation to be able to please Big Elf with food! (Grinning widely now....)