today...
Thursday 30 October 2008
tax nightmares!
*wipes sweat off my forehead*Another tax period is OVER!
Every single year for the past few years - and with the coming of E-tax - I've tried to do my own tax affairs but just can't seem to. Last year, up until the last week I still hadn't done my tax and had to take it to an accountant.
You know what he did??? *type type type type type type type* ... and 25 minutes later, and $77.00 out of my pocket - the job was done! WTH!
And I spend weeks on end agonising over the stress of having to do my taxes.
This year, Thomas helped me out a lot with my taxes, but in the end, I still lodged it myself with a little help from my sister and a zillion phone calls I made to every single accountant and non-account that I know! Thanks guys! WHAT A PROCESS @#@%#$%#$% It could drive me to the insanity ward! I HATE DOING MY TAX. So many numbers and, well... you all know that I don't do numbers. I couldn't even do $20.00 minus $9.50 please - so you think I can do my own tax! SIAN!
So anyway, I just submitted my tax return and now I'm waiting for the cheque baby! Such a relief off my shoulders and ... now I can sit back and wait for the dough to roll in. Not that there's going to be much of it left after I pay for my car insurance, my road tax, car service, rent YADDDAHH YADDDDAHHH YAAAA!!!
Next year, hopefully I'll do better and submit my tax earlier so I can get more interest.
today...
@9:54 pm
Tuesday 28 October 2008
crazy yellow durian monkies!
I just got a call from Mr. C. It was a disturbing call... not disturbing in a bad way, but disturbing as in I was about to go to sleep and then you call me and wake me up and make me get out of bed and propose something to me that - I CAN'T SLEEP NOW... so must blog my feelings because I'm emo like that. It was a disturbing call because in the beginning he took a lot of time to get to the point of the matter, and all the while, I was panicking wondering what he was trying to get at.
A lot has happened since the last brief entry with Thomas's baptism... and I've been ultimately lazy to update on any recent happenings although all the entries have been backlogging in my brain and not actually making it out onto the www.
But anyway, back to the point I wanted to write about. I'm really amazed at how God has worked and is working in my life. I think I've always wanted to write a post something like this, but never got round to it, and the call from Mr. C really sparked me to write this.
I believe that God has a purpose for each and everyone of us. Some of you may or may not know that highschool really sucked for me. It sucked because I remember it rained a lot and I don't like rain, and when it rained - we got greasy hair, and greasy hair touching the face means - oily face - and oily face is just eww. It also sucked because I suck at maths and chemistry - so that was a poo. It wasn't so much that I was in the "un-popular group" or that I was bullied - in fact I wasn't. Highschool was just bland with absolutely no salt and pepper at all! I never knew my life would turn out the way that it has now with salt and pepper AND chives, chilli and belachan. How abundant it is, how full it is and how awesome true friendships can be and seriously how much fun you can have!
I would pray numerous times that God would give me friends - and good Christian friends to fellowship with. I obviously couldn't share things with people that haven't come to God's salvation because they wouldn't understand where I'm coming from. So for a time, I had all these bottled up feelings with no one to share with. I knew God was great from the beginning and that He was going to make my life awesome and purposeful. I didn't want to travel down the path that some of my friends went down - with clubbing and drinking and smoking etc living a worldy and lifeless life with no purpose. Psht... who likes clubbing anyway. Don't even get me started. *rolls eyes* And I realise what I say may offend some - but well, you need to hear it MKAY!
And I believe that God has placed me where I am now for a purpose as well. Everything magically fell into place - that, I can't even believe how blessed I am. This year has been crazy yellow durian monkies ok!!! I never imagined that I could ever get so involved in "church stuff" and build such great friendships with those that I work with and interact with along the way. I never thought that church life could be this awesome. I was stuck in a rut in my little shell back in my other church and now I'm sprouting like... bean sprouts?
This year alone, I've been involved in organsing Zion Food Fest and Search for a Star which were two pretty big productions. It took a lot of time out from my schedule and when I got to work, my mind was pretty much focused on these things in the back of my mind. I really learnt a lot on the way and really got to bond with the people I worked with.
What touched me most was the absolute abundance of words of encouragement I got from everyone. I won't forget words that came out of those who have encouraged me and pushed me to be the best and cream of the crop. Being in highschool and even partially at university level, I have low low self esteem, can't make a decision for my life (as Miss Lau would know). People who even hardly knew me would give me a word of encouragement. One of the Sunday's after church, Miss O came to me and said to me, "Sue-Anne, I think this is really your calling. You really have a gifting in this area." I was so gobsmacked. Miss O hardly knows me at all and for her to see that - I was so encouraged. To Mr L who also hardly knows me, "Just tot of ya and wanted to let you know that am proud of you and blessed by you... SFAS was such a magnificent way of God displaying the beauty of His creations. And you are a light in this world." During my conversation with Mr C, he said, "I believe in you and will support you all the way." Geng the meng la, this Mr C also doesn't know me too well and can say such a bold statement like that. Even Pastor Patrick came to me and said after my tithes and offering sharing ... well he said a lot of things, but he said, "When I see a talent, I know one - and I see that talent in you...and there will be a next time!" To have your own Pastor believe in you is something - well it means a lot to me anyway that he is willing to put me in leadership positions even though he can't remember my name. ngek ngek.
God is a funny fellow too! After the conversation with Mr. C - He knew I wouldn't be able to sleep and that I would go online and blog all of this. So He sent me an email which said, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10 Isn't God the GREATEST encourager of all!!! Too right I was laying in bed after the phone call with Mr. C wondering what I'm going to do, how I'm going to do it and what I got myself into AGAIN! - but He has delivered me from my fears.
Isaiah 41:10 Isn't God the GREATEST encourager of all!!! Too right I was laying in bed after the phone call with Mr. C wondering what I'm going to do, how I'm going to do it and what I got myself into AGAIN! - but He has delivered me from my fears.
Anyway, THANKS to all my encouragers. You give me confidence and you make my knees shake in fear - except, as I said above - God has already delivered me from that! huhu.
I never believed in myself - but maybe I should really start to. I guess in the end, it really comes down to whether you believe in yourself or not. And whether you allow yourself to believe in yourself, especially when others believe in you. Sometimes, we are masked and can't see our own talents, only to be told time and again that we are "really good at something."
Everyone can organise an event - but to organise an event well... I don't know. Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist and expect that from everyone else working for me and with me to have that standard as well. Maybe I'm too finicky about things that I can't decide whether I like the green or the yellow - but then again, green always wins! And I'm definetly not a negotiator or one to talk to authorities as Ms C would know all too well!
Anyway, if I get elected (hoho - sounds like something political) - all Glory to God because he has made my life so full - like full cream milk! I'm all jittery now thinking about from now till the end of the year... my mind will go into explosive chaos over the next two weeks - but never fear God is here... and I believe day light savings time tells me that my bed time is WAYYY over due. Time check: 12:05am. Do Australians ever sleep this late?
Good night!
today...
@10:44 pm
Saturday 18 October 2008
Congrats brother!
Introducing the boys in my cell (minus the girls and lack there-of)...
As our brother Andrew would say to Thomas, "Ey brother, Congrats brother!"
This is the beginning of the rest of your life - Congrats Thomas! =)
today...
@5:05 pm
Tuesday 14 October 2008
Summer 08
It is often considered an icon in the same way as kangaroos and "throwin' another shrimp on the barbie." It's a common denominator that links everybody in Australia. It's a practical thing, it's down to earth - literally and as it is some kind of common denomintor it becomes something that is completely Australian - it links a lot of fundamentals of Australian life.
What am I talking about? The Aussie thong of course! So as I slide my feet into my havaianas and as I begin to walk towards the ocean I hear the familiar "flip flop flip flop" that tells me summer is here and I smile.
What am I talking about? The Aussie thong of course! So as I slide my feet into my havaianas and as I begin to walk towards the ocean I hear the familiar "flip flop flip flop" that tells me summer is here and I smile.
Beach, havaianas summer dresses, shorty shorts, bar-bee-ques, 40 degrees... the life is summer in Australia! I can't wait for SUMMER 08!
today...
@8:19 pm
Friday 10 October 2008
Stupid fat ducks!
I have to pronounce my absolute digust, detestation and repungance for anything with a beak! I mean, c'mon BIRDS are the ugliest, germ-spreading animals on earth. They have small coo-coo heads with peanut sized brains, skinny, scaly, stocky legs, beady black eyes and feathers filled with germs. When they walk, their head moves in a cocky motion. *shudders* I hate walking past birds at Uni. The walk way is supposed to be for me to walk on and not those birds! If birds are walking on these walk-ways, I have to go out of my way to walk around them! Fair or not?
Then there are those birds that try to fly, that shouldn't even attempt to fly! For example FAT DUCKS!!! FAT DUCKS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO FLY AT ALL! You want to know why? Because they cause car accidents when they do!
On Friday morning, I was driving along Nicholson Road minding my own business. Then out of the blue comes this flurry of brown blur that FLOPS in the air and lands on the road. I thought this duck would be smart enough to move out of the road quickly because it has a head bigger than a pigeon and would be assumed to have a walnut sized brain instead of a peanut sized brain, but no, this was no ordinary duck.
This was a FAT BROWN DUCK! So it casually plodged on the road, wings a flutter, meanwhile, you know, I just had to casually SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND BEEP THE TOOT OUT OF MY CAR AND SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING THIS STUPID FAT DUCK!!!! #$#@%^$^%$^&$%^#% Would you be pissed off or what? This duck can't even fly and wants MY CAR to go flying! Lousy duck! Lousy birds!
today...
@5:38 pm
Sunday 5 October 2008
Weekend Food Adventures
On Saturday night, after Search for a Star, I went to Kimchee House with Carol and we shared a bibimbap. It was so yummy chummy!!! The whole week, I've been craving for bibimbap. There was even a vote of what to eat for Friday night dinner with Jack Chia's crew - it was a vote between Korean or Toto's - Toto's won and I was so bummed.
So we went to Toto's... again! Actually, it's been a while since I went to Toto's with Mingster's crew. I've eaten there maybe 3 or 4 times already. Everyone was asking me what was nice... I said #46 which is some beef noodle soup dish...and I was going to choose #46 again until my eyes laid rest on #49!!! *GASP* It's the delicious Vietnamese Vermicelli Beef and Spring Roll dish which I loved so much from Viet Kua! So I ordered that and it was delicious! Not as delicious as the one from Viet Kua but still delicious. *NoM nOm nOmOnOOMOMMmm* So you must try it when you go to Toto's! Number #49! The resturant is supposed to be Vietnamese, but the boss is from Hong Kong and speaks to us in Cantonese sometimes... hmm... wierd fusion of foods there. Suddenly I forgot about my craving for bibimbap and my craving was satisfied with the Vietnamese Vermicelli Spring Roll dish.
Sunday lunch I booked at a place called Real Flavours of India in East Vic Park! The service was good and the boss was very accomodating when I told him we had 12 people instead of 10 people. Good on ya mate! As soon as I made the booking on Saturday night, I started dreaming on thosai/dosa. Mmmmm!!! It brought me back to the days in Malaysia where I would have it... so thin and crispy and delicious! So naturally, I ordered Chicken dosa and it was yummy chummy! The pancake-thing was a bit tough, but it was really nice and pleasant =) Another food craving satisfied. Boo-yeah!
Monday night I will be finally going to Little Caesar's Pizziera Resturant! For my whole time living in Perth, I've never been there ever! I've heard so many great reviews about the place so it's time I head there myself and check it out. Will be having a catch up with Ah-Paul and Ah-Su! hoho... Can't wait!
today...
@5:09 pm
bye bye~