Here we are again in October, with only two months left till 2013 ends. For the first time in a long, my last exam is in late November. I always find it more difficult to concentrate on my semester 2 exams compared to semester 1. This is largely due to the return of television shows, and the movies coming out in cinemas are better at this time of year. So here are some happy snaps from the past couple of busy days before I say farewell to my social life and sleep.
Ajisen Ramen | Green tea ice cream with condensed milk (Dessert Story) | Hudadak
Food Adventure Thursdays (F.A.T) with Linda
19/6 & 26/9
Every semester, Linda and I would choose one day out of the week to experiment with our taste buds. We'll also alternate turns to choose a particular restaurant for each other. When Linda had cravings for noodles, she chose Ajisen Ramen. Believe me, their servings were massive given also that they gave us ladles as spoons. She also introduced me to green tea ice cream with condensed milk. I was hesitant at first, thinking that the milk would make it unbearably sweeter. Yet it did the opposite effect by enhancing the bitterness of the green tea! Yum. Hudadak is another one of the common places we go to, with Linda ordering the same kimchi hotpot soup every time. I on the other hand have asked for a squid bento twice and they still don't have it. The poster at the front of the restaurant clearly states three choices: beef, pork and squid! The Hudadak waitress must recognize us by now because we'd always be the first to arrive for lunch and sit at the same table every time.
Jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) with Winnie & Uy
27/9
Last Friday, I had a long overdue catch up with my favourite nursing buddies. We were all craving for black bean noodles and there's no place that does it better than The Korchi House. I was intrigued to hear about their emotional experiences in the hospital wards. When Winnie spoke about her initial difficulties with an elderly woman who attempted suicide, Uy reinforced that as a nurse they must learn to limit the emotional attachment between yourself and patients. Interviewing and assessing patients does interest me, but I personally believe that I would not have the strength to persevere with patients who are a danger to themselves. So I shall continue to be even more nicer to Winnie and Uy, as they might one day control my medicinal dosage!.
Jack & Lina's Wedding Reception (Maia)
28/9
This is Lina, she is the daughter of my grandma's sister which makes her my auntie who I've never seen before. Mum also said that she was the flower girl for her wedding, and now here I am years later at her own wedding. I was excited to attend a formal event, because the last time I got to dress up was for valedictory (same dress here too). Just seeing my name on a place tag again made me feel special. I even managed to catch up with my cousins who I haven't seen since primary school and I can't believe how much we've grown! While the bride and groom said their teary thank yous to their friends who helped with the wedding, I kept thinking of my own friends who have supported me throughout my life. I swear I'm going to ball my eyes out when my friends get married. The wedding games were so entertaining. The bridesmaids blindfolded Lina to choose her husband out of four other men of similar build through touch alone. Jack and Lina were also tested on how much they knew each other with The Shoe Game. I joined in with the other single ladies when Lina tossed her bouquet. The flowers slid past my palm, but I wasn't eager to actually catch it due to the aggressiveness of the other women... For the single men, they had to catch Lina's garter thrown by Jack. My uncle got really drunk and had to be ushered home by my grandparents as if he was a little kid. After watching Jack and Lina's wedding video, Youtuber Bubzbeauty's one came out the next night. Before I knew it, I had watched about 10 other wedding videos on the internet. Blame it on the wedding buzz!.
Tesselaar Tulip Festival
29/9
To every person susceptible to hayfever, the Tesselaar Tulip Festival is hell on earth. Every spring, I am thankful that I am not a victim to pollen so being surrounded by flowers were no problem for me. I had underestimated the area of the tulip farm, and these photos do not even properly indicate the reality of how massive the fields of luscious tulips. Be prepared with a pair of comfortable and close toed shoes because you'll be stepping around in mud. There was also wine tasting, homemade jams, flavoured nuts to taste, and many other stalls to check out. I recommend my Melbournian friends to go feast their eyes on this sea of beauty.
Winnie & Sophie's 21st Birthday
30/9
On Monday night, the girls and I celebrated Winnie and Sophie's 21st birthday. After having dinner at Hodori Garden, we borrowed Connie's sister's house to play in. Having spent months preparing their cake, scrapbooks and gifts, I can confidently say it was all worth it. They were speechless during their speech - tears are what the heart can't say! We've been together for years and it's come to the point where we can be very comfortable with each other. So why not make the bond even closer by unsuccessfully attempting the human pyramid? Luckily no one got seriously injured. We played a less dangerous game after, Taboo to the night. Happy Birthday once again to dear Winnie and Sophie! You deserve all the love in the world.
Squires Loft | Catch up with Ron & Sophia
1/10
Around the same time last year, was my first time at Squires Loft for Sophie's birthday. This time, I traveled up to the city with my workmates to feast again on the delicious steaks on offer. It's true that you cannot visit Squires Loft just once! Alex scolded me for not finishing my rump and I gotta admit I did feel bad to leave the remaining morsel of food untouched. Sylvia and I directed Nicholas to Daiso, where he was overwhelmed with everything being "too kawaii". I encouraged him to purchase a souvenir for his time in the store. He selected a pacer resembling a syringe, in return he peer pressured me into buying more cups from Daiso. Now I have a total six Daiso cups at home. I guess I'll call it a collection. After Sylvia left early, I took the boys to Crazy Wings. I felt increasingly anxious as they were crying over the skewers. I had sworn never to eat it again, as you can see in this video from two years ago. We also settled down at Max Brenners for dessert. On the train ride home, we all took turns to tell how we got beaten as a kid. I got the hand each from mum and dad, Alex got the stick after making a mess on the couch, Gary got the end of a plastic flower when he drew on the wall and Nicholas also the hand after pulling out flowers from the garden. If you didn't get hit, well I'm sorry but you don't get to be a part of this special conservation.
Funny enough as I was composing this post at 9pm last night, Sophia called and asked if her and Ron could park his car in my driveway to have a mini catch up. I said yes and told the household that I would be sitting in the driveway with my friends. Ten minutes later I was in Ron's car in my pyjamas snacking on shrimp crackers and talking about everything until midnight. I'm thankful they still considered visiting me when I was busy during the day. It's these moments that don't cost much, but still mean a lot to our friendship.
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To have the chance to look forward to seeing old friends again, to be alive when these plans unfold before me, and to spend time with my family - I feel very blessed in my life right now. There will certainly be more events to come, after my exams...
I recently watched Ryan Gosling in "Only God Forgives". Having previously enjoyed "Drive", this film is so much more cringe worthy, violent and bloody. He can certainly can rock the longing stares and little lines, but this Thai thriller is not for everyone. He's still hot.
Thank you for reading everyone.
Good luck with your final assessments!
