Break Fast

Yes i am going to break my alcohol fast next week. In Sydney. Boy will that be fun. I keep watching people drinking happily on the food channel and in movies, man i almost broke down!

Just watched the fed-ex steamroll his way to another title, man when will we have another final as exciting as ivanisevic-rafter at Wimbledon a few years ago? Actually there probably was one but i didn't watch it.

As weian once said, "Yes, I've been a lazy bugger." This blog is a barometer of my life. When I'm bored and sian and emo, the posts keep coming. When I'm busy and occupied, well, too bad. Haha. Poor blog.

Word of advice for all tennis players: don't play tennis in Melbourne on a Saturday! Bought tickets for last sat's Aussie Open and was so excited. Didn't watch a single match cos it rained! Luckily they allowed ticket exchange so we went back the next day and caught some nice matches. But saw my Elena lose! Damn. And the Kirilenko doubles match postponed cause of the rain. Weian caught a snap of her, without her legs! Idiot. Yeah and played tennis yesterday and it rained and was very cold. So no more Saturdays.

Going to Sydney next week. Wonder what i'll do there. Weian told me there will be alot of time so i can finish up my work there. Haha i think i would have to do it cos of necessity, not of choice. Trying to rush my 2nd assignment now, but im a bit flat on gas. Bringing alot of money, because i may not have the chance ever to go there again. Should i catch the opera?

Read on wikipedia (how reliable is it man) that Nic Tse and Cecilia Cheung got married in Jan. Damn! Well but good on ya mate! Good job!

Went to mornington beach a few weekends ago. Got burnt but it was fun. Experiencing the real Aussie summer. Not in classrooms and at home surfing the net for countless hours. Played with Jen's dog haha so fun! When weian, jen and i ate icecream from the supermarket it was so good because we were so dehydrated.

This year will be over in a breeze. Seems like yesterday i was in Singapore cooking up a couple of dinners, getting so high at holland V, working and catching up with friends. Hopefully all those who expressed interest in coming will be coming. Kevin will be a new addition to my room, so that means living here will be much cheaper, and more fun! We better still be able to study. Might be my last full year in Australia, if i decide to go back to work and contribute to family and whatever after this basic degree. What's more nala mun and all will be back in S'pore.

OL

last night someone brought me back out from the darkness. pull up the curtain of night and poured the warm, comforting rays of sunshine on me. someone sat next to me at the table and talked to me. not opposite me arguing with me and offering me alternate explantions, or directing me with orders from the head of the table. next to me. maybe held me hand. put a hand on my shoulder.

i won't deny the last 2 and a half weeks have been very tough. i was lost out there. and before i focus this entry on this good (great) friend i have i must thank a few others who have helped as well. mun and weian were able to understand me, but maybe they were not able to comfort me that well. gab was pretty fun in his reactions, and his disgust for some actions reminded me of where his loyalities were. and that he could be wise at his age.

so my dear blinded fierce loyalty olivia. you did something no one else could do. something all these friends who know me more, spend more time with me, and maybe think they have my interests at heard couldn't do. i am really grateful for this friendship i have with you. even though we don't necessarily talk alot or meet alot.

see what olivia could do, which no one else did, was to understand how i felt completely. she responded in a way i would respond. she made me feel that it was ok to be reacting in the manner i reacted. unlike everyone else, who was in her words 'trying to be politically correct'. she attempt to make me feel guilty for the manner i was reacting. she felt sorry for me, and showed me sympathy. how many other people showed me sympathy.

she gave me her understanding without reservations, and without recommendations. alot of people are reserved in their understanding of my situation, judge me without trying to understand how i can feel this way, and then give me a lecture on how i should behave. ollie said "i truly understand how you feel". no one else said that. (but i know at least the 3 guys above understood without reservation)

after that she made me feel good about myself again. not in the cynical way that huiwen put it that i needed sympathy and an ego boost. you think its so simple? someone who can really understand wouldn't even put what olivia did in such simple words. she reminded me who i was. and what i should be now.

then she told me what to do. not just why i should do it like some robotic JC lecturer everyone else has been. but she drew the whole picture out. and helped me understand. and how could i not take the advice and instruction of someone who completely understood me, and did not blame me for reacting in the way i did?

thanks mate!

of course there were other friends who i went to for consolation and support. some tried to understand, but gave me alot of directions and PC advice. some just lectured and couldn't understand why i was feeling this way or acting this way. some judged me and used some really insensitive phrases without thinking if they were really applicable to the situation. alot tried to give advice. some totally failed with the advice. the same way parents are totally useless forcing a kid to study, because he obviously won't. i am that kid. you can't direct me from the other side of the fence. you have to come over first.

and then there are those who didnt offer anything at all.

learning lessons all the time.

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mun is damn funny, he said: "must wear adidas, impossible is nothing. stop this nike just do it shit. adidas is the way to go."

tickled me. the power of catch phrases.

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went home at 3 on friday morning. was super scared of being killed or something because of mistaken identity. i totally looked like a thai foot soldier, with my hairband hair, chang beer singlet, black jeans and slippers, walking through crown.

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had dinner at jennifer's house last night. cooked chicken curry. miss home food.

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met daniel's colleague at the market today, a local. he said i was a NZer, or at least that i looked polynesian. haha that's a first.

shop keepers speak to me in thai in bangkok. when i bought my mum's com at sitex the salesman thought yuwei and i were from vietnam. i met some guy in spore who asked if i was local. i ask him what he thought i was and he said i looked like a dark korean. (daniel pointed out correctly that there are no dark koreans. just a generalisation)

improvised baked fish!

last night i cooked baked fish. i couldn't find fresh garlic so i had to use bottled. didn't have white wine so i used chinese cooking wine. oven couldn't on so i used stovetop. but i think it was still a success! haha my favourite dish to cook cos its so difficult to screw up. and the colours are always a crowd pleaser.

and since there was no small snapper i only used one head! fish head meat is so nice. i was fishing around the serving platter for remainding pieces of meat. and helping ppl find meat.

the funniest thing was when i was washing the fish head, i realised it wasn't scaled! completely unscaled! (is that the term, i mean the scales were all still there). so i used my chopper and started scaling it. scales were flying everywhere, and the smell of fish was getting stronger. and then i realised something. in a singlet and shorts, carrying a chopper scaling a fish, all i needed were yellow rubber boots, and i'll be a fishmonger!

annabelle had the decency to comment that i get all my money from my loaded customers who buy fish from me.

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had brekkie with an and jen this morning. had this thing i haven't tried before called spanish eggs. delicious! she brought her dog along, called snow white. poor dog hasn't been out for a while. will bring her to the beach soon!

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got thrashed at MJ last night. cards just didn't come in for me, and i defended all i could, but it was too easy for an and daniel lee. that stupid show gu huo zai keeps making me think if you lose in love you win in gambling. bloody philosophy holds no water. so far i've been losing losing losing on all fronts. and everywhere those that are winning big are not doing to badly in love as well. overachievers.

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today's high is 35 degrees. my ass is getting fried. couldn't take it and started using the fan alr. i need my super strong metallic fan sumin pls bring it for me!

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kevin's and aik's posb mastercard debit cards got into a mix up at zouk and kevin's was cancelled cos another person had it. thus his application for unimelb is still in the balance. pls come! haha im also trying to persuade annabelle to transfer next sem.

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was watching a scene of closer on cable. almost died when i saw them drinking moet! argh! control! lun!

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one very good friend kept telling me in the past: give without expecting anything in return. i try my best, but its really hard to do. i expect a minimum level consideration for my wellbeing and feelings from all my friends for the things i do. is that too much to ask for?

roar of the tiger

the roar of the tiger is very strong. i keep hearing it calling me. every night. and day. every hour. mmmm. tiger.

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the sun was laughing at me today. she asked me why i looked so glum and sians on a bright day like this. i told her to go away. she said, cheer up, the sun will rise up in your life soon, and the storm will go away. i told her to come back later. i'm stuck in the perfect storm now. where i wanna be.

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is it failure if we can't control the outcome? if it is completely out of our hands? can it be completely out of our hands?

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someone asked me, so daniel, what are your insecurities? and i couldn't answer then. maybe now i can. i HATE failure and i can't stand it when i can't get what i want. that's it then. fearing failure and the inability to acquire what i want.

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cooking fish for daniel michelle weian and jennifer tonight. i only have one giant fish head. wonder if its enough. i'm also wondering what to do with the long weekend. better not waste it when school hasn't started yet.

The Caravan

a long over due post.

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, presenting..... The Caravan!

tan sumin finally got to perform his own songs at a gig.

i have been blown away by his performances ever since he played blurry at my post prom. but hearing those songs he wrote and sang at home at the club was something... special.

without further ado, pls check out the performances!

originals:
Carousels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_JMTpLjc4c
Shooting Stars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dyl8CbpPOI
Angels and Saints: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQYTIBoBUxw&NR

covers:
mr brightside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMaMLoqPzcI

south melbourne market

ah how i miss breakfasts and marketing at south melbourne market. so much quieter, and the food is so much better than touristy vic market.

favourite breakfast place was not open today, so had rather ex eggs ben next door. a new food court opened in the market as well so we can have cheap breakfast next time when the stores are open.

all the small, sensible sized fish have dissapeared! my usual 700g red snappers have been replaced by giant min 3kg ones! i was totally shocked when i saw the huge fish. maybe its summer that's why. i asked the woman, where have all the small fish gone to? she said we don't have any! so haolian.

had my morning market indulgence of freshly opened oysters, but only had 2 this time compared to my normal half a dozen.

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had dinner with daniel and michelle at richmond last night, nice spring rolls, vietnamese beef ball soup and hainanese chicken rice at this new place we found last sem.

going with them to see house at collingwood (gabby's magpies) later, and having beef stew at their place for dinner.

think im baking fish tomorrow. the fishes were so big i only bought one giant fish head for the 3 of us. lucky people here dont like fish heads, bought it for only A$6. the fish heads at AMK market were so much more expensive.

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missed the monotony and slackness of life here. too bad NRL and AFL seasons are still 2 months away, if not i'll really be slacking my ass off watching tv. not many nice movies on too, but i can get back my newly acquired DVD collection from weian if i want to.

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can't wait to get cracking on school work. havent studied for so long. haha only 6 weeks actually.

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might be going sydney on 18th jan thereabouts. saving money to blow everything at the fish market. lobster mornay, fresh oysters and sashimi, here i come!

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hoping to get my bike licence before the end of summer sem too, and maybe squeeze in a dive trip.

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heard on radio while driving home just now that blood diamond is coming out tomorrow! must try and catch it. haven't watched a movie in months.

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messaged vasant last night. safe in bangkok. thank God.

longhouse challenge 2006

1235- first challenger, the bottom seed arrives. calls the other car carrying the 1st and 2nd seeds and the umpire. was shocked when he heard "we're at the prata place". thought the challenge was cancelled.

1245- all participants arrive. 1st seed orders 3 bowls of duck noodles soup. speedy 2nd seed cristiano finishes the duck noodle soup first by sprint drinking his bowl of soup.

1305- 2nd seed orders prawn noodles dry. after commencing attack on the 2nd dish, the 1st seed complains of unfair play. accuses 2nd seed of putting extra chilli to put him off. 1st seed carries on nonetheless. 2nd seed looks in terrible shape. complains of a bad stomach upset that started 2 days ago, giving him problems now. threathens to quit. all finish the 2nd meal, with the speedy 2nd seed ahead again.

1325- 3rd seed looks around not knowing what to order. decides to go for broke and orders 3 plates of hokkein mee. as the 3rd seed takes his time to eat each piled spoon of noodles, and the 2nd seed eats small portions quickly, 1st seed tucks into his food ferociously. 3rd and 2nd seed decide there is no hope, and cede victory to the 1st seed. 1st seed goes on to finish the entire plate. umpire declares 2nd seed 2nd place.

1340- the competition is over. 2nd seed blames his stomach upset and 3rd seed blames his drinking over the past few days, and regrets not training with soup. winner gracefully admits he may not win had the conditions been different.

winner: koh hoon "ferrari" kiat
runner up: gabriel "cristiano" tan
last place: daniel "try better next time" tan

umpire: kevin "collina" lee

alcohol free january, sun's up!

took me more than 2 years to hit 100 posts. i find it very hard to blog when im busy, maybe that's why when im all alone down under i have alot of time to blog.

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anyway im declaring daniel's january 2007 alcohol free! part of my grand plan to become sober. i am seriously fearing the withdrawal symptoms that have yet to surface after binging so much at the end of 2006. so don't tempt me to drink!

wonder when i'll turn vegan.

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my year starts today. 01 jan 07 belonged to you, 2006. take it back.

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have 8 hours of school straight on tuesday for the next 5 weeks. hope i dont quit halfway and sneak off for some food. or alot of food.

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i told you to go away last night. and i think you have. for good.

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first walk in the city for a long time. its been a long time melbourne. miss walking that same route to school every other day. the weather is really great! although this is beach weather, not summer school weather! must go to the beach at least a few times this summer, before regretting when freezing my ass off in winter.

application to join club emo

dear president emonemo,

i am applying to join club emo in writing. i believe i have the necessary qualities and circumstances to be a member and an asset to the club. hope you will consider my application seriously.

it has been quite an emo last 2 weeks, so emo i have drank the most in my life during the last 2 weeks. i hope that i will leave what belongs to 2006 in 2006, but i don't know if it's that easy.

move on? you try it first.

don't think about it? yeah right.

is no really no?

then again, i must ask why? how can you be so sure?

someone once described 2 methods of dealing with things, and used the analogy of a wall. some people try to knock it down, some try to walk away. how can you tell me which is the path i should take? do you know me that well?

this is really sianjie.

hope to receive my membership card in the mail soon.

your eager applicant.