Tuesday, 23 December 2008

thank you from the bottom of my heart

Today marks the 23rd year that I've graced this beautiful earth that God created filled with such beautiful people! In other words, it's my birthday - in case you didn't get that spiel.



Jason's pro photography~

Celebrated with Shin Woei whose birthday is on 22nd and Leona whose birthday is on 25th ~ yay for the December babies. Thanks for the cake Ming Choon! So yummeh!

We had a chummy time at Hana BBQ~ I wouldn't say it was the best I've had. I still prefer the Korean BBQ in Vic Park - with the Ox tongue! mmm *nom nom nom* But it was just really nice to celebrate with everyone there - so touched and appreciate it so much that everyone was able to make it aside from the rare few who *cough* had stomach aches and *cough* had to pack to go to Kuching!

Thanks guys! =P


My colleagues also celebrated my birthday with me today! Steph made me a chocolate cake which she had to carry with her on the bus (because she takes the bus to work) and I'm so touched that she baked a cake for me AND she didn't make everyone sing happy birthday to me. I was so embarrassed. Between my cubicle, Caroline, Michelle and Steph all practically whispered the happy birthday song. Not even the next cubicle heard it! haha!! Awesome job!

The chocolate cake we had at work~

SO...


It's not fish eye v2 - but it's alright - wee I get to go play fishing AND...



today...
@8:07 pm

Monday, 22 December 2008

so blessed

I'm so blessed! =) So blessed that my heart is crying - haha, sounds gay but it is! When I think of all the people that have touched my life, that have blessed me, that have encouraged me, that have supported me, that have said a kind word and given me assurance when I needed it, that have made me laugh with my gaping huge mouth, that have pushed and made my ego just a little bit bigger heh~ my heart cries and I thank God every time that my life is the way it is now.


Emo-sepia *cry cry cry*

During the last week of cell, random people got picked for sharing something. Part of me wanted to say something about how I felt being part of the group, and part of me didn't want to say anything, because I know if I did, I wouldn't be able to express myself clearly and say everything I wanted to - and I'd end up thinking over in the car on the way home, I should have said this and that and I'd get frustrated that I didn't say everything I wanted to.

To cap off 2008, I guess I should write about my journey of how I got here... which actually took, in essence, 2 years but I'll back track a little bit.

My first major prayer was for a lady from my previous church who was diagnosed with cancer. I remember when I was 15 that I would feverently pray for her healing every night before bed. I think about a year passed and she eventually went into remission. Praise God. He was listening and He answered my/our prayers.


During my younger days when I was an ultimate extreme Backstreet Boy fan, I always prayed that God would let me meet them and let me see them in concert. Year after year, I was disappointed because BSB never ever made a tour down in Australia. Until the very end, when they finally released their last album together as a band - they decided to come to Australia! I was ecstatic and got my tickets and flew to Sydney just to see them in concert! It was an experience never to be forgotten! In hindsight, I realised that God did hear my prayer. He was only waiting for the right time - so I that I would have the finances to be able to get myself there to see them. He answered my prayer.
Carolling on Pusey St~ twas so much fun!

My next major prayer was for God to give me friends. I had friends before, but they were going down a different path to what I knew was right. I prayed for so long that God would give me good friends -- it really was an agonising time for me, not being able to connect with the people in my church, not having enough networks to do the things I wanted to, not having the kind of friends that you can really lean on and trust with your all. God also heard my prayer, and he introduced me to Usha. They say the rest is history - and now 2 years on, I'm inundated with friends from every angle that I don't even have enough time to catch up with everyone. Sometimes I'm tired of having too many friends - people wanting to meet here, there, everywhere. Do this, that and the other. I'm tired. But this is what I prayed for - and God heard my prayer and answered it in a heartbeat! I'm truely grateful for everyone that has come into my life, and I'm sorry that sometimes I miss dinners and appointments and occassions because I have other priorities. You know that God's work is first in my life.

The boss

I also wanted to say how really really blessed that I am to be in Jack's cell. Initially I was afraid to move to YA because there is a perception that YA is old and boring - but that couldn't be further from the truth! We are a crazy bunch of crazy yellow durian monkies!!! Jack has really taught me a lot over the past semester, being under his wing and learning from his super-highly-egotistical-wisdom with his golden-finger-side-kick Garry =) I'm really... speechless... at how, we have all as a cell formed such great bonds with each other. We are so united as one, we come out as one big gang to have fun, we're always giving each other crap, we laugh together, share together, email-chat together, eat together, fly together, travel together, sing together, joke together. It almost brings me to tears seeing how our group has grown and flourished. Indeed YA is so much more cooler than Passion - because essentially, as Bang said, "We're Passion - with money!" Every week, as tired as *toot* as I am, I enjoy coming to cell to see these people most of all.

Christmas time and having birthday so near to each other is a really spasmodic time for me. Especially this year, since I met so many great people. I can't express how loved I feel this year - but inexplicably - I feel so loved and touched by what everyone has done for me. The support, encouragement, prayers and gifts - it really means a lot to me, if you knew where I came from and how far I've come. =)

Dinner in celebration of many things: Tony Roma's
1. my birthday
2. Nic's birthday
3. Carol and Aline going away
4. Kevin's PhD caniditure
5. Lee becoming an Aunty

It's not technically my birthday until Tuesday, so I haven't opened any of the gifts I've gotten yet ~ I'm such a good girl right? I've only read the sweet cards that people have given me =)

I really like personalised gifts as much as I like techy stuff... and this is a mobile that Carol made for me! ha! I'm so touched... it's almost on par with the caricature that miss dot com dot my drew for me last year! It was made with notes from everyone that came to the Tony Roma's dinner. Thank you to all who came for the dinner - really meant a lot to me, seeing that it's so difficult every year to be able to celebrate my 1 year growth with friends who always seem to be going away for holidays.

From Carol ~ I love it!

From Kevin:
The clue was - it will take you some time and keep you busy? So my guess is maybe it's a puzzle or something to that effect. Will find out on Tuesday - Thank you Kevin!

From Carol:
No idea what's inside. I didn't really feel it. Will find out on Tuesday - Thank you Carol!



From Kimberly:
I don't think this is a birthday present but more a Christmas present. heh... Kimmy came to me and gave me this, and said, "Merry Christmas~ I think you know what this is!" haaaaaaaaaaaa.... I love it and I wanted it!!!! Thank you so much Kimmy!!! It's the Hillsong Christmas CD 2006 - the blue cover one. heh!!! weee - I guess I can open this one up right since it's not technically for my birthday??? Yes?

From Pauline:
Hrmm... it has some sort of wierd groove... something inside a box. How fishy... anyway, will find out on Tuesday what it is! Thanks Pauls! Love you!

From Usha:
Oh my precious how I love Marc Jacobs!!! Hehe... when she gave the gift to me, in a myer bag - one look at the size of the box and I knew it was my sweet Daisy! =) Then I shook it... and there is "liquid" inside the contents of the box. If my maths serves me correctly - I think it's Daisy by Marc Jacobs!!! Wahhhhhhhhhhhh.... so happie... Thank you Sha! Love you!

From Michelle:

Just got a birthday AND Christmas gift from my sweet sweet Colleague Michelle. Ahh! I'm so touched. I think it's chocolates hehe... but no photo - because I'm updating the blog at work =) heh... I'm at work while everyone is playing? No fair game! And tomorrow, my other colleague Steph - is going to bake me a cake!!! I was contemplating taking the day off work - but, I'll come to work because she thought enough of me to bake me something! She's so sweet. =)

I had a dream this morning, that someone bought me a lomo fish eye camera! haha... and the thing is, I didn't recognise it was a lomo fish eye camera and threw it aside!!! boo... I will so recognise if it's the lomo fish eye duh, but I don't expect anyone to get it for me. I'm just ecastic alone, that I get to spend my birthday and Christmas with friends this year. I'm truely blessed.

YOU are a blessing to me whether you realise it or not and I thank God that He allowed for our paths to cross. You have either strengthened me, grown with me, influenced me, taught me, laughed with me, cried with me or be dungu with me (and only one person has been dungu with me heh!) So here's to a happy, jolly and Merry Christmas - and a Happy New Year! I will see you all on the other side!

With all my heart,

Love weiwei =)

today...
@8:45 am

Saturday, 20 December 2008

goodbye facebook

27.nov.08 sanchez: i dare you to quit

20.dec.08 weiwei: i will be quitting facebook in 2009

*****

In other news, it's my birthday is 3 days! *gasp* I'm turning 23 on the 23rd! Eww 23 is kinda old mang. But not as old as some oldies !! ngek ngek... I think I'm one of the youngest in cell now.. heh! Off the top of my head, I think only Ailin and Jason are younger than me - correct me if I'm wrong!

This is my wish list: =)

= 100g of buddah's tears from T2 : AUD$49.95
= marc jacobs : daisy (parfum) 50ml - the black one : AUD$100.00
= lomographic fisheye camera number 2 : AUD$130.00
= canon 50mm f/1.4 AUD$149.00
= having friends celebrate my birthday with me : according to mastercard, it's priceless =) amen mastercard!

Hope to recieve the gifts in my Christmas stocking. If it must be, I will accept a combined present as I have always done for the past 22 years. Just joking. You company on my birthday and well wishes will suffice.

Peace out. xoxo

today...
@3:06 pm

Monday, 15 December 2008

the real meaning of Christmas

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out next to the fireplace."What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat and I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement . . .

TEACH THE CHILDREN!" I was puzzled. What did he mean? He anticipated my question and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children!

Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten. "Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. "Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise."
He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. "Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection."


He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF. "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him.

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that he gave his begotten son." Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper."

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. "Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. "Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.


Santa looked back and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship him, our LORD, our GOD."

So with that, I want to invite you all to Zion Praise Harvest's Christmas Celebration which is this coming Sunday on the 21st of December! We're going to have a jolly time celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ with worship, drama, friends and a beautiful Christmas message and complimentary roast lunch afterwards~!

Hot on the menu will be:

• Prime Yearling Roast Beef with Piping Hot Gravy
• Tender Roast Pork with Apple Sauce
• Steaming Hot Jacket Potatoes with Sour Cream
• Baker's basket of dinner rolls

Salads:

• New York Coleslaw
• Hawaiian Rice Salad
• Macaroni Salad
• Stockmans Potato Salad

Dessert:

• Home made Pavlova

After service, there will be live Christmas Carol music with our very own spunky band and there will also be kids entertainment with the animal farm! There will be piglets, goats, sheep, chickens and ponies that can be pet - and even better, there will be free pony rides for the kids. There will also be a separated area where children can sit and hold guinea pigs and ferrets. Please invite all your friends and colleagues who have children to come down for the festivities!

I hope to see you all there! To God be the Glory! =)

today...
@9:00 am

Thursday, 11 December 2008

Growing up Asian in Australia

I recently read this great book called “Growing up Asian in Australia” edited by Alice Pung, which is a compilation of stories from Asians that have grew up in all parts of Australia and the experiences they faced growing up in Australia. I find some of the stories fascinating and some of them even reminiscent of what my childhood was like growing up. So today, I’m going to share my experience Growing up Asian in Australia.

This is the 2 year old me on Christmas Island.

I came to the big Aussie land in 1988. I was only three then, and the only places I had lived up till then were Klang and Christmas Island. Both of which I have no recollection of living there and only pictures are able to tell the story.

Tilt-shift of Christmas Island I did in Photoshop - geng right! This is the little island I lived on for about a year.
I was indifferent about being Asian growing up in Australia. I didn’t feel any different from anyone else even though I was clearly from another ethnic background. Actually, come to think of it, I don't even think I knew we moved to a different country!

Even though I was spoken to in Mandarin by my parents, the Aussie-ness and Aussie ways soon took over. As soon as I began school, I began speaking English to my brother and sister. My parents would still speak Mandarin to us, but my parents spoke Hokkien to each other. I always say the hokkien fusioned with the Mandarin confused us and that's why my Mandarin is so bad! The last I remember of my Hokkien-ness was when my late grandma taught us the Lord’s prayer in Hokkien! My sister and I used to race each other in who could say the prayer the fastest and then go to sleep! Soon after that my Hokkien fell like the current economic downturn and my parents enrolled us in Saturday Chinese School. *groan* I wasn’t able to grasp the significance of learning Mandarin at that age and going to Chinese School was an absolute chore! On Friday nights, after not having done my Chinese homework for the week, I would chuck fits and tantrums and burst out crying saying that the work they gave us was too difficult. I even made my mum do my homework - my poor mum! It wasn’t until much much later that I realised how much I regretted not continuing with Mandarin, even going to the extent of taking Mandarin in High School and at University level. My Mandarin has never improved much and continues to remains on a basic speaking and listening level and a very very primitive reading level.

Primary School was not totally a terrible experience for me as there were many other Asians in my class. As a result, I never felt different or excluded. The only time I ever felt excluded was when I was the last person to be picked for the sports team. =(

I remember in Year 2 (when I was 7) when we had English classes, there would be about 10 of us who were separated into the ESL class. I think at that point in time, I thought ESL was the elite English class for elite students. Haha... I asked my friend, and she enlightened me that we were in ESL because our English was “bad.” I didn’t think my English was that bad but who was I to know. I didn’t really care, and the year after that, I wasn’t placed in ESL anymore. I guess my Engrish got better fast. =)

During the summer holidays my siblings and I would naturally go outside to play with our neighbours who were Aussie Australians. My siblings and I would play cricket at my neighbour’s house for hours – I totally didn’t understand the game and to this day I still don’t understand the game even though my brother has now been totally engrossed in the game - BORING! He even joined the local cricket club *rolls eyes* I guess I haven’t embraced all things Australian!


In an attempt to get our maths and arithmetic up to scratch during our younger days, my dad would make us do sums on scrap paper that he would write out. I really couldn’t do long division for the life of me... my maths totally sucked! For that, I was always whacked by the fly swat or a wooden ruler... so hard until the ruler broke. Sorry dad, my maths is still bad to this day. This continued onto high school where I felt even less Asian mostly because I was placed in Foundation Maths and not Applicable Maths or Calculus where all the other Asians were. I felt like I was a dumb Asian because Asians were supposed to be “good at maths.” I wasn't even good at Chemistry or Physics either - I was an Asian failure in highschool.

With traditional Asian parents, our natural staple is rice and that remained the same when we came to Australia. We grew up eating rice and typical Asian dishes like char kueh teow, laksa and porridge – whatever mum cooked. One thing that my parents didn’t pass down to me was their tongue of steel. They can absolutely take anything SPICY TO THE MAX!!! They even make their own chilli paste =__+ Unfortunately for me, with anything even so slightly as mild, chilli snot will start dribbling down my nose, my eyes will tear up and I’d need to get a glass of milk on standby to calm my tongue down.



I guess over the years, I’ve adapted to Chinese customs that I didn’t know I grew to. One of them is taking your shoes off before you enter the house. I recently went to a friend’s house and they wear shoes inside their home. I asked, “Do we take our shoes off?” and she said, “Nah it’s fine, you can wear your shoes in.” So I thought I’d just wear my shoes in... but the second I stepped on the carpet, I just felt like I couldn't walk into the house with shoes on. I just had to take my shoes off! I just felt so weird if I wore my shoes in her house. I guess that’s one Asian custom that has stuck!

Surprisingly growing up Asian in Australia, I don’t have any Australian friends at all! I guess I couldn’t relate to them and I guess it was also due to the fact that there were a large percentage of Asians that went to my primary school and high school. In uni, for my Arts and Commerce degree, about 95% of my classmates were Asian, the clubs and societies I joined were all Asian and even 95% of my church has Asian people. So naturally, I would make friends with Asians, so it's a bit ironic, I grew up in Australia yet find it difficult almost to mix with Australians.

Recently for my uncles birthday, we got together with our ABC cousins that we grew up with in Perth. We don't see them often, maybe once or twice a year for special family gatherings - and you know what he said?! He said I have an ASIAN ACCENT!!! What the! I guess I didn't notice that I was turning Asian perhaps!


So begs the question, where do I fit into society since – the International Asian friends (friends who have migrated to Australia for study within the last 5 years) that I have made, speak their own language with la and ma and leh and meh and sometimes I don’t even know what they’re talking like nonya and long kang (insiders jokes)... and I don’t have any Australian friends...my ABC friends have given me a lot of comfort as we can relate to our days of playing Nintendo, watching Captain Planet, Power Rangers and Video Hits and we all have an extremely Aussie accent.

I guess at the almost ripe old age of 23, I still don’t know where I fit into society, whether I'm Asian or Australian - but I’m happy where I am. Usually when people ask me, I tell them I'm Australian. My parents did a great job of raising us and I’m glad they decided to make the big move to the Aussie land all those years ago. I’m grateful for everything they've sacrificed for us, for giving us the opportunities they never had and still for instilling Asian-ness within us. Being an Asian growing up in Australia is not that bad! I had a wonderful childhood. Sure there are times where you encounter racism and people giving you queer looks for the things you do and say - but I am who I am and I can't change that.

I’m just glad my parents didn’t open a mini mart or restaurant – otherwise I’d be a slave to the kitchen even till now probably - slaving away on the weekends! They worked it the hard way – came with almost nothing and built everything up from scratch. My siblings and I are the very priveledged first generation Australians - for that, I’m indebted to them forever.

today...
@10:25 pm

Monday, 8 December 2008

Skinfood Online!

A few months back, I emailed Skinfood - I told them that they needed to put their products for purchase online - because I live in Australia and we don't have access to skinfood in Perth and I'd be so bummed if I ran out of skinfood products. The lady emailed me back and she said she'd do something about it. I didn't think too much of it after that. Today I got another email from Skinfood and their products are finally for purchase online!!! AHhhhhhhhhhh!!! Totally impressed ok!

I can so be their advocate! I love love love skinfood - so good and yummyilious for the skin!!! All the ingredients they use in their products are totally natural, no preservatives, colouring or additives and they all come in really cute packaging - which is cute =) duh!

I first got introduced to Skinfood when I went back to Malaysia last year - after arriving for my two and a half month holiday without any skin products at all. In fact, I was on the hunt for a good skin care line to use, since none in Australia impressed me at all! To be honest, there aren't any good skin products in Australia and the ones that are supposed to be good i.e. dermatologica are super exp to the max! The products I used usually stripped the oil from my skin and made my skin parched and dry, which was then slabbed with a cream that was too oily for my face and the foundation I used was thick and clumpy and clogged my pores. It felt like I was putting all these harsh chemicals on my face. Yuck! I hated putting on make-up to say the least.

After using skinfood for over a year now, I choose to believe my skin has improved. My skin loves skinfood - and drinks it like juice! I currently use a range of skinfood products which I still have since I bought them last year.


Their face masks are super hydrating and the cream I use which is an avocado one is not too oily - though they don't seem that have that range online. The ginko foundation I used blends well and the milk facewash doesn't leave my skin parch or dry ever! They have products for all skin types, make-up, baby care, hair care and body care all for women and men. I want to try all their products - and the good thing is, they smell really nice too without being too overpowering.

My first trip there, I think I spent around RM200 and the second time I went back to "stock up", just before I was coming back to Australia, I spent just under RM500! And now that you can buy their products online - I think I'm just going to spend a little bit more for the whitening creams and other stuff...

All their products look really yummyilious at a reasonable price so I'm getting ready to swipe that plastic - and I think my shopping cart is just under AUD$100 already =S If anyone wants to buy anything, please let me know. We can do a purchase together!

today...
@9:09 pm

♥ samuel tan
♥ she really likes green stuff.
photography is one of her on the side hobbies (when she has time) ♥
♥ lomography and toy cameras
she ♥'s teacups and homeware
she is a skinfood addict... and nars lover! ♥
she hates super dislikes the cold.
she ♥'s 45 degrees in perth.
she enjoys reading autobiographies.
she would ♥ to travel around the world... one day.
she is a child of God ♥
... and she gets called a lot of names!

adam loh
adrian & liz's wedding journey
aletheia ng
amanda & gabes
cheah yen hor
de xin chia
esther yew
eugene hoh
eulynn gan
frances lyn
godssips gospel
garry's cell
janica loh
john cham
julian tay
kimberly chia
li ying chuah
lynn tan
marianne wong
mishi lau
nouvina chai
passion at uwa
pau ting yapp
peter bui
raphael lim
shin woei lee
steph cooke
thomas chua
wilson chong

yukiko tan

July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 March 2011

(not in any order)

♥ bb9700
♥ d&g - rose the one
♥ 50mm f/1.8
♥ elise whipstich
♥ facial