decisions*decisions = CONFUSION

ok.. so...

i don't even have a salary, but i am already millions in debt. no no... not because of gambling problems, or alcohol addiction, but because of the condominium that i successfully convinced my parents to purchase. you see... i don't have a house in bangkok, so the condo will be my permanent home when i go back. and since i'm a commoner with a deficit in the amount i have in my bank account, my parents offered to pay in advance, and i'll have to pay them back. ok.. with that in mind, i am millions in debt.

and here's the current situation: my parents want me to work in aussieland for a few months to save up some money to pay for the condo. seeing that the salary will be higher than what i would make in thailand considering the conversion rate and all. so... i have to make a decision

1. extend my studies to a year and a half to take advantage of the 'student visa' which allows me to work 20 hours a week
OR
2. finish my studies this year and apply for a new visa to come and work

no matter what, i will have to go back to thailand before feb because of the annual ticket thingy. i'm all confused...

can someone tell my parents to call me please, my ESP with mom hasn't been working properly lately... HAHA >.<

Definition of 'Blonde'

What is with US contestants in beauty pageants this year? First, Miss USA fell during Miss Universe contest. And now the representative from South Carolina in Miss Teen USA 2007. Not that she fell or anything, but she might have fell backstage and hit her head or something, cuz how can you give that answer?????

OK... so the question was: "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world map. Why do you think this is?"

And this was her answer (or the beginning of her answer): "I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps..." ???

DOI~ And guess what? She got into the final 4... with that answer... -_-' She even went on the Today Show to defend her answer... AND given a second chance to answer that question, she managed to make herself sound insincere ("Well, personally my friends and I, we know exactly where the United States is on our map. I don't know anyone else who doesn't...") -_-'

(-_-')

www.blackle.com

Here's the thing... we all use Google search, yes? Well... that's fair... considering Google search is so simple to use and all. But did you know that opening a website that has white-based background color consumes alot of energy????

Anyway, the point I'm getting to is... I've been sent a website of a search engine utilizing the same platform as the one used for Google search, it's called blackle.com. It's basically Google, with a black background.

Mind you, I'm not the most environmentally friendly person in the world, but blackle.com is cool, nuf said. :D

Intelligent Drive

After my tiny thumb drive gave up on its life, I have been relying on the external HDD to carry my uni work around for presentations. Which is useless, considering my external HDD is much more advance than the computers at uni.. meaning... the computer can't even read the contents -_-

So... I went out and got a new thumb drive... and it's soooo cute!!! It's even smaller than the original one that I had.
I went online to the manufacturer's website to look at their other products, and then I found out that my thumb drive is no ordinary thumb drive... it's an INTELLIGENT DRIVE!!! O_O

Tiny and intelligent... hmmm... sounds like me, no?? HAHAHAHHAHAHAH

come have PANCAKES with me~

It's been a while since I have NORMAL breakfast. At the time when I was still working (in Thailand, of course), my breakfast either consist of rice+omelet (ข้าวไข่เจียว) or sticky rice+grilled pork skewer (ข้าวเหนียวหมูปิ้ง).
ps. I'm only typing the names in Thai because I've become nostalgia all of a sudden

I was excited to finally have a normal breakfast (but then again, does having it at 11 smth counts as 'breakfast'? oh what the hell...it's breakfast food at least). What I'm talking about is PANCAKES.

When I told my friends in Aussieland that I was coming for vacation in November, they told me wherever I go, DO NOT forget to try Pancakes on the Rocks. But sadly enough, I didn't get to try it before my vacation ended. Now that I am here again, I figured it's time! So.... 5 months after I landed and walked pass the pancake shop about 151 times, I finally stepped in to try the pancake everyone was talking about.

"Regular Pancake Stack"

"Strawberry Patch"

You know what happened after the first bite??? I was spellbound~ I don't know what took over me - and I blame it on the luscious strawberries that came with the 'Strawberry Patch' pancakes - all of a sudden, the corners of my mouth starts to move by itself.. and I was left with a huge smile plastered on my tiny face O_O No matter what I tried, the smile was stuck there... until the last strawberry was consumed~ The buttermilk pancakes were thick and soft, and there were plenty of fresh strawberries~ YUMMMMMM~

Next time, I'm ordering 'Devils Delight' - chocolate pancake - YUMMMMMM *SMILES*

Coffee, Tea or Babycino?

Before I came to Sydney, I didn't realize that McDonald's also has a cafe. So when I saw McCafe in Aussieland I was excited. HEY! don't judge me! I'm only human. I get excited at things like that...>.<

Anyway, so .. McCafe... First, something about me and cafes. I like cafes, I like being there and relaxing, watching the world go by. I like the smell of coffee, but I can't drink too much coffee cuz it gives me headaches. I'm more of a tea person. But on that faithful day that I happen to plonk myself on a stool at McCafe near university, I was not in the mood for tea (or coffee). I would be happy just to sit there basking in the warmth of a heater, but that was not to be, my friends wouldn't let that happen. After much protest, they purchased a babycino for me. AHA! I know you're wondering 'what the hell's a babycino??'. Let me en light you...

A 'babycino' is a fancy name for 'hot milk' -_-'... that's it. It's basically hot milk with froth and sprinkle of chocolate. If you're starting to wonder why such fanciness for something so simple.. it's because it's a scam!!!! It's a way for parents to spoiled their little brats. The cup is small AND it's not cheap. The price is probably marked up by 200% just because it's in a branded cup.

My oh my~ what is the world turning to when a caffeine induced venue starts to target the young ones?

Peel An Orange

I am dying~ *.*

The end of the semester is approaching and now I'm overloaded with work. I am stressed, and confused, and getting sick, AND the 'g' button on my computer is going bonkerz and doesn't show up when i press it half the time. *sniff*sniff*

Anyway, I was talking to Janie a few days (or was it weeks?..anyway,) ago about stress. And I came up with a "solution" to temporarily reduce stress... that is... to peel an orange. Why? Because when you're peeling an orange, you're concentrating on taking off the skin and the fiber thingies and so your mind is not on what you were stressing about. AND the scent of the orange will relax your senses. AND your body will benefit from the vitamin C when you eat the orange. Isn't that smart??? hahaha

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go peel a dozen oranges~

Jeabberz On Ice

Last monday (June 11, 2007) was a public holiday here in Aussieland. So instead of being stuck in my tiny space, I went ice skating!!!! YEAH YEAH!! I LOVE ICE SKATING. I'm not the best at it, I mean I can't even go forward properly (although I find it easier to backwards -_-), but I love it. I just love being on the ice.

FYI, I used to take ice skating lessons while I was living in Hong Kong. But sadly, I had to end the lessons after a few months. It was the time when I had to return to Thailand. If I didn't have to stop taking the classes, I'll be in competitions by now... HAHAH... ok.. that's a lie ~

ps. it took me 3 days to write the above two tiny paragraphs... where's my creative juice???

Obsessive Compulsive Poker's Sympathy for Miss USA

Facebook is an addiction. If not for anything, then for the ability to poke people all over the world. Eversince Janie joined Facebook, my poking efforts have quadrupled!!! HEY! she poked me first!! and now I can't stop poking back!! HAHA... oh dear... what had become of my life? I get cheap thrills from virtual pokes~ -_-'

[i took out the name but you can pretty much guess who poked me]

Anyway, so so.. this morning I spent 2 hours watching rerun of Miss Universe 2007. OMG! I feel sooooo sorry for Miss USA. I actually like her.. I mean I saw her on Oprah (so what else do I watch right? hahah) and she was charming. Damn the bastards (and myself..heh) for laughing when she slipped and fell on her bum during the evening gown showcase. Naughty naughty audience.

I had the same accident during one of my cheerleading practices. I couldn't walk properly for a week! HAHA I'm amazed she can still give her winning smile. What's worse? The audience booed her when she got up to answer her question. That wasn't very nice!!! So what if she's American and so what if she got in the top 5 because Donald Trump is the co-owner of the Miss Universe contest, and he is currently sponsoring her career, right???

i am HERE now

there are countless times when i have to remind myself where i am. i tend to wander off in daydreams and imagine myself in some other place besides here. it's not that i particularly hate where i am now but ... i guess i'm not happy with where i am now all the time.

more often than not i have to pull myself back and remind myself that 'i am HERE now'.

Supersized Mentality

What becomes of a full-time student who only has saturday classes and night classes on 2 days out of the week?? A nocturnal being who got up at noon to eat 'breakfast' while watching Oprah~

Today's topic on Oprah was on how to organize your life. Peter Walsh came on the show to remind viewers the importance of prioritizing what is important in life. I'm not gonna go through everything that was mentioned.. you can go read it yourself here. But some of the things that he said made a lot of sense to me. -_-'

The mentality of people these days is that more is better. Buy one get one free.. meaning having one is good, having two is better. This mentality can lead to problems, either personally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Obesity is one problem that arises from this 'supersized mentality'(duh! super size me, anyone??). If a small plate of food is good, the big plate must be better. All the things that we have been accumulating in our lives made it difficult for us to focus on the future. All the things that we thought meant a lot is actually preventing us from venturing forward. So, Peter Walsh suggested that we should de-clutter our home, our sanctuary, so we can focus on what is REALLY important in life.

I would love to do that... but looking around my teeny room, there's nothing for me to throw away. Yet, I still feel trapped. -_-'

Stress-free Evening with Justin and Annie

Last night I went to dinner with Justin and Annie at Justin's place. They told me not to do anything... so I sit there looking at the food they're preparing and salivating internally... HAHA. The food was really simple and so yummy. We had beef ravioli with mushroom in tomato sauce and salad. It tastes SOOO good!!!

So then the dinner conversation drifted to the issue of stress and how companies these days are trying to create a stress-free environment. Justin enlightened me that no matter what, you'll experience stress since the moment you wake up. There is no way to remove stress from your everyday life. And companies shouldn't try to have a stress-free environment but instead try to utilize that stress to their advantage. I was so excited to share this realization with SOMEONE and that certain SOMEONE's reply was "oh... you didn't know that already??" CHEH~

But anyway, the dinner was great fun. And Justin and Annie are SOOO adorable together. HANG ON TO HER JUSTIN!!! hur~ so jealous... :D

Shake Your Groove Thing.. YEAH YEAH (>.<)

When I first started writing this post, I thought I should name it "Pritsanee vs. Priscilla".

Somehow that idea didn't go through because
1.) I am not a drag queen
2.) I am not queen of the desert, or the mountain, or the river
and 3.) I know I just can't compete with the divas in 'Priscilla: Queen of the Desert'.

The lady in blue looks MUCH scarier when viewed from
the top. There was a contest where you can win yourself
the blue frock and a trip to Ayes Rock, AU

I recently went to see 'Priscilla: Queen of the Desert: The Musical' at the Lyric Theatre, Star City, Sydney AU. It was AMAZING!! I really loved it. It was funny, colourful, and touches the raw emotions of the heart. I mean it's not just about drag queens performing their way to their destination. But it's about being accepted into the community as your true self. It touches on issues of belongingness, personal responsibilities, loss... and most importantly... LOVE.

The production of the musical was spot on, the costumes were amazing, every detail of the musical shows how much attention they really put together to make it perfect. And it really was perfect!!! If you ever have a chance to see it, you REALLY should. It's one of the best musicals I've ever seen (so I haven't seen many.. but still one of the best... so far.. hehehe).

The cast was awesome! Especially the 3 main divas. Tony Seldon, who plays Bernadette, was so good with erm.. his? her? expressions that I almost cried when s/he cried. Jeremy Stanford, who plays Mitzi, can really portray a confused father image. And Daniel Scott, who plays Felicia, was so pretty and daring that makes me wish I have at least a quarter of his/her confidence. All three of them can really sing and shake their booty better than some real girls.

Oh... and I may be off the line here.. but I think Daniel Scott (the s/he who plays 'Felicia') is really HOT!!! hahaahhaha... I have a crush on a drag queen *blush*

It's All About The Money

I was looking through files and folders on my computer and I found short articles that I used to write. This is one of them... so... read on...

"in this day and age, there is nothing more important than money. we wake up early to waste our days being bossed around so that at the end of the month, we can look forward to seeing our bank balance increases. people say it's love that makes the world goes round, but in truth the thing that makes the world goes round is more tangible than that, MONEY!

in the beginning, i've always thought money would be a factor only in real life. how wrong i must be. me and a friend started raising a virtual pet because we enjoyed the games that they've provided. there are hundreds of games to play and different planets to explore. we were thrilled because finally we found something to attract us to come to the office for (you know, using the internet for personal enjoyment? come on! i know you all do it!). so anyway, the games kept us entertained and lead us to believe that we are not just ordinary salary seekers. as for the virtual pet, the objective of the games they provided is so you can make money to use to buy food and other things to keep your pet alive. for a few days, we enjoyed the pureness of fun and games. but a week or two after that... IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!!! it was not about who got a high score and who's pathetic at which games anymore. it's all about who spends more time online and who has more money! i could not believe myself when i realised that the real reason i'm still addicted to the virtual pet is because of money!!! what is the world coming to when something so cute and pure brings out the worse in humankind???

but that's not all, money is an issue in EVERYTHING. it's the determining factor to what we can or cannot have. it is the route of all greed!!! me and my friend (again) used the internet to book free air tickets for a holiday (as you can see, again, how much we are devoted to our work). it took us the whole day to actually win ourselves two plane tickets for a one night stay in singapore. hur~ the things we do...

with all the complains about money being an issue, there also lie another truth. without money, you can be sure that you will never be able to leave the borders of that tiny box you have built for a home. in the end, there is one thing to say about money... take it or die."

Ironically enough, one of my earlier blog posts ( ' i am free to live in a box ' ) was to complain about the same money issue. One day I'll be RICH!!!! *fingers crossing*

Give Me a Break!!!

Yes, that's right... the chocolate egg season is here!!! Which means EASTER BREAK, baby!! WOOHOO....

That would have been my reaction if I was still in high school, or even undergrad, but definitely not now that I'm a POSTGRAD student. I was so looking forward to easter break so I can chill out and do nothing. *sob*sob* I'm tired *sob*sob* and confused *sob*sob*. My courses will end in less than a month and now I'm rushing to finish everything so I can hand in all the reports and whatnots in time. And I feel this is not gonna end anytime soon. *sob*sob* When I finish one, there're loads more waiting for me. HUR+

I miss Thailand. I miss my friends back home. I wanna go back but I've only been here for 2 months.. although it felt like I've been here for much longer... The weather's getting cold, and i need a HUG :(

Why Won't My Villagers Breed???

Juppers told me yesterday that Virtual Villagers 2 is out... so... being a game addict that I (sometimes) am, I started playing it. The basics are pretty much the same as the first Virtual Villager, but this time there are more things to do, like collecting rare items and at a later stage, you can change your villagers' outfits *o*.
With all that said, my problem with the game is at the beginning stage when the villagers WON'T BREED!!!! I'm trying so hard to increase the population, making them go at it one after the other.. but to no avail. They came out empty handed, with excuses like 'too hungry to think about it'. Yea! Right! If I find out they're secretly using contraception, I'll make them starve to death. MUAHAHHAHAHAHA (ps. there are no contraceptive usage in this game).

What kind of tribe feeds on coconuts and mushrooms anyway? No wonder they can't breed.... there are algae in the sea so my villagers are 'disgusted' and so... no fishies to eat.

Quick Stroll Across The Bridge

March 19, 1932 was the day of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Today is the day that marks the 75th anniversary of that opening.

To commemorate that day in history, the Harbour Bridge was closed from traffic and opened for people to take a walk across. And I, being a tourist-wannabe that I am, went to walk the bridge. From far away, it seems like a really long walk... but in actual fact, it wasn't that long. Or maybe because there were so many people that I didn't really pay attention much to the actual walk... Anyway, throughout the walk, there were aboriginal music playing and there was also an Aboriginal Ceremony to pay respect to previous generations. There were chimes hanging at the end of the bridge which gave out peaceful ringing sounds to those who finished the walk.

It was an experience to see so many people crossing the bridge, that, I'm sure, no one would want to walk on if it was an ordinary day.

Should I Be Happy?

The professor in one of my classes loves thailand and he used to live and teach in thailand for a while. His knowledge of thailand is extremely impressive, he even know some stuff that I don't!!! So... being the only thai student in the class has its (dis)advantage (?). His examples in class are mostly about thailand and he often single me out to ask if i knew what he was talking about.

We had to make a presentation on a case study as part of a group assignment. Obviously, my case study has nothing remotely related to thailand. Makes sense, no? But today, we just found out that two members of the other group dropped the course, leaving only one person for that group. So he asked if it would be ok for me to do that case instead of the one I originally have, and he assigned me to that case.... which is related to thailand. Being a person who thinks WAY TOO MUCH, I wonder.... does he expect anything more from me? I mean he made it clear in the beginning that he didn't want me to do the case related to thailand, so why give it to me now? SOMEONE said that it's good that he has expectations cuz that would mean that I DID something good and so it's EXPECTED that I should do something good. BUT, my pessimistic side rise up and I thought... maybe it's because I'm not good enough so he gave me a case that he assumed was easier for me, to help with my performance?? urg! i hate this.

so.. what you think???

Wall's? or Street's?

Competing in an international market is tough right? So to make themselves successful, the company has to create brands that responds to customer's familiarity, especially if it's a low involvement brand like ice creams. (if this is all i learned from marketing courses, it's a waste of money -_-) This is one reason why Unilever is so successful across the globe.

Thai people are all familiar with Wall's ice cream from Unilever. Seeing it's logo would no doubt remind them of the brand - Wall's. So I was daydreaming as I was riding on a bus into town one day and I saw the familiar logo of Wall's ice cream.... but hold on a minute... underneath the logo is not the word 'Wall's' as I expected... instead it was the word 'Street's'!!! erm... I'm sure it's not the name of the store that this banner was flying on top of. Extensive (for like.. half an hour) research on the web enlightened me that 'Street's' IS actually the brand of the ice cream that utilizes that heart shaped logo... in other words... they're THE SAME BRAND!

Thailand - UK

Australia

You know what's weird though? From the websites in Australia and UK, the description of the origins of the brand is very different... and yet they both have the same logo, and the same mother company...hmmm. OH.. and in Australia.. Street's product range includes this ice cream called 'GOLDEN GAYTIME', and in UK.. Wall's has an ice cream called 'Wall's Cream of Cornish'!! HAHAHA

Anyway, then I found this website (www.icehot.com) that holds most of the area that this heart shaped logo brand is sold in. Did you know that in Denmark, this brand is called 'Frisko'? Doesn't it sound like a pet food brand?? In Portugal and Netherland it's called 'Ola', in Ireland it's called 'HB', in Mexico it's called 'Holando', and in Italy it's called 'Algida'!!! O_O

I didn't realise there were so many names ... O_O

Because I'm A Girl

I'm refering to a song by a female Korean group singer called 'Kiss'. 'Because I'm A Girl' is the name of their hit song in 2002. I've seen the music video a long time ago and I LOVE it. yah yah... I'm a romantic at heart. Anyway, so I asked Jessica (my Korean housemate) to translate the song for me. I'm sure there are other translations on the net, but I just feel it's more 'authentic' coming from a native...hehe...

'Because I'm A Girl' - Kiss

It's impossible to understand what goes on in a guy's heart
You told me that you wanted me and now that i've given you everything,
you tell me you're leaving
You told me that it was the first time you felt this way,
and said that i was special
I believed you ... and it was my happiness
(chorus) you should have told me that your feelings have faded
i had no idea, and i continued to depend on you
(chorus 2) although i say i hate you now, i'll be missing you
because i'm a girl, to whom love is everything

they say that when you give a guy all he wants he quickly gets bored
and now i know that's the truth
and although i tell myself i'll never be tricked by love again
i fell in love, and my heart is broken again...

(chorus) (chorus 2)
(chorus 3) please don't break the heart of a girl who will do anything for love...i didn't know that love is so difficult to give and get back
(girl narration) today we broke up. you told me to meet someone better than you and be happy. you're just like all the other guys. what happened to when you told me that you loved me? honestly, i don't want you to be happy. what am i going to do if you really forget about me? i'm in so much pain, more pain than i can bare. because i'm still in love with you
(chorus 3) (chorus 2)
(guy narration) there is someone that i'm in love with. although i can't be with her now, i'm still in love with her.

OK... so it would make more sense if you've actually seen the music video... And from the lyrics, it doesn't sound like a romantic song huh? But it is!!! Go see it for yourself... there are loads posted on YouTube!!!

Leather Wearing 'Valerie'

I've finally given a name to myPod and she's called 'Valerie'~ Why? because I ordered her during February, which is valentine's month, and she's red. Although, to come and think of it, valerie sounds like the color should be purple (violet?). Anyway, it's VALERIE!!!
I've also dressed her up in leather...hehe... I actually wanted a clear case.. but it's more expensive, and silicone cases doesn't look that good...

Now I need LCD screen and click wheel protector~ HUR~ the things I do for my gadgets~

Spring Is Rolling In

This post has nothing to do with the weather... even if it does then it's a really weird time to be talking about spring.. well, at least where I am anyway. Because when most parts of the world is enjoying the new colors of tree leaves, the people of Aussieland is preparing to hibernate.

Anyway, thing is... I made spring rolls today!!! and guess what? IT'S A BIG WASTE OF TIME!!!! It would be SOOO much easier just to go get the frozen spring rolls instead of making them from scratch. There goes wasted hours when I could have been reading and doing my report (it's not that I'm a dork, it's just that it's due in 3 days and I still have no idea what the question is about...).
So... here's my spring roll...

It wasn't all that bad... it's just... A WASTE OF TIME!!!

myPod

I just got my iPod today!! I ordered in online from the HK Apple website (cuz that's the only place i can get a RED iPod). Anyway, I haven't named it yet, unlike Jupperz who named her iPod already. (oh, by the way, check out her food blog. it's fantastic. but i must warn you... make sure you're stomache's full when you're reading, or else you'll want to eat everything she talks about).

Anyway, myPod (or... my iPod) ... hehe... I'm so happy!!! BUT should I worry that I haven't read my texts for class and now I have a new toy to play with?? hehe... oh well...


*Thanks to Kenna for shipping the product to me.

"Heels Over Head"

all of a sudden i wanted to know why the term 'head over heels' is 'head over heels'. i mean that's normally how we all are yes? and if we are 'head over heels in love' does that mean we're always in love? then.... huh??

and so... i went online to search for the true meaning of this idiom. and guess what? the phrase originated in the 14th century, and the original phrase was 'heels over head' (used as a meaning when one is doing a somersault or a cartwheel). erm... don't know what happened but somehow the words were reversed, and voila! new phrase!

while searching for the meaning, i found someone's blog who happened to have a post about the same phrase. his blog is called 'OMNIGLOT' and it's quite interesting as it deals with languages and meanings of different phrases.

*special thanks to The Phrase Finder

Are You Messing With Me?

I'm not trying to pick a fight with anyone. It's just that I spent almost 3 hours last night trying to make changes to my blog template. I tried using codes from other websites but none working. Nothing works with Blogger beta!! Could be that it's still new. So I tried and somehow, I lost the template that I was using. So I had to use the original template provided by Blogger and now I couldn't be bothered to make changes to the code so it would look exactly how it was before. I'm sure none of you would even notice the difference between this one and the original one that I use, BUT I KNOW, OK??? I CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE!!! and it bugs me.. but I'm tired...

Anyway, while searching for templates, I saw this website by Miss Zoot. Her designs are COOL!!! I want it, I tried using it, but none working.... sad..... very very sad....

So... Which Brand of Soy Sauce Should I Get?

I realised that one sign that you're growing up is when you can't decide which brand of household product you should get. I went out shopping to get some essentials for my dorm. I had to get things like tissue paper, tupperware, cooking oil and all those other grocery needs.

So I was standing infront of the cooking oil isle and was thinking "hmm.. I should get this brand cuz the bottle looks tough and it won't break easily.. but wait.. that brand's cheaper... but hold on... that brand has a smaller bottle so I won't waste it if I don't finish it...oh look... the label for that brand is sooo cute...". It went on (in my head of course) for quite a while. Once I've decided which brand of cooking oil to get, I moved on to the poultry section... and once again, the conversation started in my head. It went on and on until I got everything I needed. What was expected to be a half an hour trip to the supermarket turned out to be an hour and a half. Where did all the time go?? O_O

Once you start to debate with yourself which brand of a simple product you should get, that's when you start to realise that 'adulthood' just smacked you in the forehead. Things aren't as simple as they seem anymore. Everything has consequences. You start to think about whether this will be more beneficial to you, or if it would help you save money, or if the salesperson will smirk at you for getting the cheapest of everything you bought. Adulthood is hard.

But anyway, I made 'stir-fried chicken with broccoli' for dinner today. I know it's nothing special but it's the first time I made a dish all by myself, something that requires more than boiling water! So I'm proud... and yes! it's edible!! -_-'

doesn't it look goooooood??? HUHUHU

Loneliness Prevails

I've been in Sydney for over a week now. For most days I'm doing ok, not sad or anything. But for some days I get really homesick. In the beginning, my homesickness gets to the point where I have tears non-stop into the night (ok, that may be exaggerating it a bit but it felt like it).

I have met some really friendly people here but it's still not the same. No matter how many new friends you have, you'll still wish that your old friends are here. And in the midst of finding new, sincere friends, you hope that you won't be tricked by those who aim to take advantage of your friendliness. HUR~ social politics!!! hmmm

I feel that throughout my time at postgrad studies, I will always have an 'incomplete' feeling within me. I will always be a bit lonely even if I'm experiencing extreme happiness. That's because he's not here. It may seem pathetic to many people that I will always carry this loneliness with me, but that's the truth. I miss him so much. More than words can express (corny, I know). I miss hugging him, I miss hanging out with him at the mall, I miss watching him playing games, I miss hearing his voice when he calls, and I miss seeing his message pop up on my phone. With the time difference and the cost, those things are down to the minimum and somedays that's what I needed to get through the day... but it just doesn't happen.

I wish my friends were here. At least they can help me deal with it. I long for night time to approach, cuz this would mean I can talk to those back home and I'm closer to getting my studies done.

Angel at Siam Ocean World

I don't mean ME, of course... HAHAHAHA

On Sunday February 11, 2007, me and my beloved went to Siam Ocean World for the first time. So.. I won't bore you people with pictures/stories about those fishes and sharks. BUT what I wanted to tell you guys about is that there were these creatures called "Sea Angels".

I honestly didn't know what to expect when they said that their 'star of the month' were sea angels. So I was walking around expecting a big display fit for a 'star'. But there were no banners or anything! and if I didn't have overheard a family asking each other whether they have seen the sea angels or not, I would have forgotten all about it. Turns out that sea angels are tiny!! and VERY HARD to capture on camera!!!! They kept moving around!!! The following pictures are the clearest ones that I can take of them. I had to stand near the tank for almost half an hour, trying to take the pictures and not budging even when there were people on the other side trying to do the same thing..HAHA.

After almost an hour of trying to take the pictures, with SOMEONE telling me to stop trying (he said 'you won't be able to take the pictures cuz your camera SUX!' CHEH!!!!), I eventually stopped. That's when I saw that there was a banner next to the tank with a BIG and CLEAR picture of the sea angel on it... -_-
Anyhow, they may look small but you know how they eat??? "the Sea Angel hunts down the victim snaring them with specialized mouth tentacles. Once trapped, the prey is ripped from its shell with sharp hooks and swallowed whole.*" ICK!

So.. that's what it's supposed to look like. From what I saw in the tank it looks more like a monkey with an orange vest -_-. Anyway, did you know the biggest sea angel grew up to only 5cm??? O_O Could it be possible that I was derived from a LONG line of sea angels??? Is that the reason for my stunted growth??? HAHAHA

*Information from Siam Ocean World.

Lonely Explorer

When I came to Australia in November, I went sightseeing in loads of places. But now that I'm living here, and will be here for a while, I don't feel like going to those places that I mentally jot down on my brain to go visit again. I know I will but I just don't wanna go alone. I'll probably eventually go explore the city again with a friend or something, but as for now, I don't feel like doing it.

I wish I could live in the area where I stayed during vacation. Probably cuz I'm already familiar with that area, and every sightseeing place is walking distance. Of course, the rent would be hell, so I guess that can't happen. haha.

Yah... living in a country and visiting a country is so much different. I've lived in Bangkok for 6 years and I still haven't visited the tourist spots. I'll be here for a year, I wonder if I will get to visit those tourist spots again.

Far Away From Home

I'm in Sydney. In my dorm... and lonely.

I just got to Sydney yesterday morning but I'm still tired. So when I got to the airport, the promised transportation from IDP proven to be a lie. There were some problems and they couldn't come and pick me up!!! I had to take a taxi to the university myself!!! But that wasn't too hard. When I got to the housing office, there was a girl (called Emily) here who came to pick me up to take me to my dorm. That was nice. What wasn't nice was that we had to drag (my) luggages across the university because the dorm was on the other side. -_- arm still in pain.

I unpacked for a while and then I went out with Emily and her roommates. It was really nice of them to take me with them cuz I have to get stuff like electric fan, a lamp, and emergency food including water and milk. So it was nice to have people help me with the stuff and showing me around. again.... arm still in pain.

Anyway, today, one of my roommates (Linda) took me around university. She showed me places to go for internet connection, where the library and the bank is. I'm really glad that she was at the dorm when I came. I would have been lost.

I'm still lonely. I know it's still early days but I'm lonely and I wanna get this over and done with as fast as I can.
I miss Thailand.

The Naming Game

Those who are close to me would know that I have 2 nicknames. One is "Jeab", my original Thai nickname given since birth, the other is "Prit", which is shortened from my first name.

I started refering to myself as "Prit" when I was in high school in Hong Kong. I fear that most people there would not be able to pronouce my nickname, therefore, it would be easier to just use create a new nickname. I don't want people to mis-pronouce my nickname like my grandma used to. (She mis-pronouced my name as "เจิบ" (Jerb) -_- which makes me soundes like a peasant boy from those Thai period movies with one tuft of hair smack in the middle of his head. -_-) And if my grandma can make the mistake, then there's a BIG chance that other people who are not familiar with the Thai language can make the same mistake too. I mean my nickname is one of the most common nicknames since the beginning of Thai history. You would have thought that it's hard to mis-pronouce such common name!

Anyway, so I was thinking, which name should I use when I start my master in Aussieland??

Scaredy Cat

I was tossing and turning all night on saturday. I couldn't sleep. I turned off the lights and tried to sleep since 2 am and couldn't sleep until 5 am!!!!!! Needless to say, the next morning I was emotional and crazy... sleep deprived.

Only 3 more weeks til my departure. I'm scared. And as a person who thinks WAY too much, I worry myself. To the point that I can't sleep. I hope I can survive the first few days. Once I've settle down then I should be ok. It's just the first few days that I'm scared about.

A Day in History

Today marks the last day of my employment at this company, the title reflects this issue. It's an important milestone because NEVER AGAIN will I be tricked by the ONLY good advertising that comes out of this place. (Which happens to be a job advertising.) NEVER AGAIN will I be tricked by the words of a crazy monkey. (Which won't be possible cuz he returned to his head office.) HAHA

I will miss my colleagues here though. It'll be lonely without them.

Fantasy Addiction

P'Toy and P'Lek (my colleagues) just came back from a business trip to Indonesia!! (ok... so that's not very exciting). The good part is that they're back with..... *wait for it*....... CASAVA CHIPS!!!! Briefly, casava is similar to a sweet potato. This thing is by far, the BEST snack from indonesia. Every time I go there for business (that means to go sit in a research room, jotting down notes, or playing games), I always eat this thing and never knew what it was. But this time P'Toy and P'Lek found out and bought some back!!! It's SooooooooOOOOOO good !!!!! Can't stop eating it!!!! =D

That's not the only thing I'm addicted to at this moment. I am also addicted to.... *wait for it*...... my Nintendo DS Lite!!!!! (mine's ice blue color)

Yes!! I bought a handheld game!!! And I LOVE IT!!!! I've been playing with my nintendog, and now I'm starting to play Final Fantasy III. OK, so it was very hard to admit that because I've been saying that I don't enjoy the game (to annoy a certain individual..haha). But now that I've started playing, I.... erm.... I..... (damn, can't admit it).... I...*blank*....it!!! (HA!)

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PS. AY: i have just admitted that i like the game, so that means you are right. and if you read this blog before Friday January 19,2007 and i know about it, i will treat you one ABP sandwich. hur~ so generous of me. =)

Piled Higher and Deeper

The title is not supposed to be disgusting, ok, it's the real title of the comic strip that my friend send to me. "Piled Higher and Deeper: a grad student comic strip". Go check it out!

Royal Flora Ratchapruek

Ok, so this is a quick recap of my experience at the Royal Flora Ratchapruek in Chiang Mai.

As soon as I entered the gates, I was in awe. First, because there were SO MANY people!!! >.<. Second, I don't understand why there were so many people.. looking at trees... trees that can even be found along the side of the road.

(city people looking at colorful flowers)

In all honesty, I don't know what the fuss is all about. Ok, so the flowers were pretty, and there were lots of weird flowers. There were genetically modified orchids, which they made to smell like lemon and chocolate. The lemon smells really refreshing, but the chocolate.... smells like a dead flower. ick! and on the way out of the orchid loop, we had to walk pass ALOT of chocolate smelling orchids... oh the agony~

(in english: chicken necklace)

(city person smelling chocolate scented orchid)

Next, we went to see deers!! Before we enter the area, the representative said 'when you come out, we'll show you a lucky turtle!!'. So in we went and out we came. They did show us a turtle, but it was not a small turtle that we can hold in our hand. It was a turtle created by flowers on a hill -_-. And I thought I'll get a free souvenir.

When it's almost dark, the parade/show began. It was the most confusing show in the world. You know why?? Because none of the visitors knew where to look. It's like this...

The temple is where the highlight of the show was, and there were 3 little stages with performers, doing the same thing. Obviously, everyone wanted to look at the stage near the temple because that's where the fireworks were. So people tried to crowd over to the temple, leaving the 3rd stage empty with about 3-4 people watching the performers. Felt kinda sorry for them really.

On the way out, we finally got to see what we came to see in the first place. [*drumrolls......*] THE GOLDEN SHOWER TREE!!!!! The highlight of going to the Royal Flora Ratchapruek is to see the tree (this has everything to do with it's name *wink*).

(city person pointing at the tree, NOT the children)

So when we finally saw it, we realised our mission was complete. But guess what? If we have told someone that we wanted to see that tree, we wouldn't even have to go to the expo in the first place. Because the golden shower tree were lined up along the road... all the way home. -_-

New Year Jitters

New Year celebration is supposed to be about eating way too much and stay up way too late. But not this year, not in Bangkok.

I bet you've all heard about bombs in Bangkok on New Year's Eve. This is too sad. Four months ago there was a coup and now the bomb threats. At least this time I wasn't in my room freaking out everytime there's a loud noise. I was at home in Chiang Mai (the northern part of Thailand). I was busy running around the house like a headless chicken, with a friend, looking for fireworks.

I hope this year would be better... i'm scared =(