"First" time moments in twenty thirteen

 

I learnt how to crochet. I got dressed up for the first time in years for a wedding. I spent a week making my Floreda costume for a birthday dress up party. I found out onesies were quite comfortable despite their oddly childish appearance. I started flossing religiously after an eye opening visit to the dentist. I eliminated soft drinks and I do not crave them anymore. I had the pleasure of watching a movie in an old school styled cinema. I scratched the car while reversing out of my friend's driveway. I taught English idioms to my tutorial class while being assessed. I made a speech. I drank beer at a bar. I ate Pad Thai. I could run 4km three times a week. I know what a Windsor knot is. I tried mug painting. 

***

Egg in a hole? Nailed it...

I started experimenting with eggs. My family and I live very close to Ikea so instead of Maccas runs - we'd go to Ikea for food a couple of times a month. Having eaten Ikea's scrambled eggs multiple times, I decided to attempt my own version. My grandparents ate my eggs wholeheartedly, merely uttering anything bad about it. However, I found my eggs overpowering with a milky taste!. I spent the next couple of weeks trying to perfect scrambled eggs. Over time, I had learnt how eggs were exceptionally forgiving in my favour. The versatility of eggs opened me up to newer dishes. Making the first meal of the day would always be an enjoyable learning experience. Thus, I may not be the best cook but I do take my eggs seriously (keeping in mind the cholesterol levels!). I aim to expand more on my cooking skills next year. 

Chemist: Are you ready?

I pierced my ears. I remember clearly before my 18th birthday making a promise to my friends to get my ears pierced. They waited, and waited. Before I knew it, the years flew by and the promise of piercing would be dropped into conversation from time to time. My friends would always give me the same reasons to pierce them already, and most were very positive and safe. However, I'd be making the same excuses over the potential pain. A week after my 21st birthday, I was done with excuses. As I watched the chemist prepare, I couldn't back out now even if I wanted to. At that moment, I realised that there was nothing to be afraid of. I was in safe hands, surrounded by two close friends. The pain would only be temporary and then, bam. Goodbye virgin ears! 

We should call your dad so he can help me finish this drink.

I saw my parents in a different light. When I had finished VCE, I started to feel closer to my parents. The relief of ending high school and being accepted into university meant that I was no longer tiring myself night after night to make my parents proud of me. They weren't at all the extremely pushy type of Asian parents, yet I chose to base our relationship mainly on academics. As of 2011, I had to become more independent with uni, travel expenses, source of income - all those things. I was fortunate enough to see my parents instilling a sense of trust that I had never felt within me. It was not all about the grades this time, as they knew I would be able to arrive safely home on my own. They knew the new people I chose to be around with would be good people. They knew that I was growing up and I couldn't hold their hand forever. 

For the first time this year, my mother suggested that I'd show her a piece of the lifestyle I've created since leaving high school for an entire day. So I took her to uni, to the city and the places I'd regularly be at via public transport. Even though these moments were now mundane, my mother was quite surprised to learn how much walking and time dedicated to travel I had to endure! I greatly appreciate my mother's effort to learn and understand where I am at the moment. Parent's weren't seen to be totalitarian figures that would make or break you over grades. They're human too, showcasing the strongest types of love which I hope to learn one day.  

Watch a graphic representation of the digestive system or be in a room full of neuron balloons?

I was team teaching at a secondary school. I was eager to commence placements at a high school this year. I wanted to take my position as a second year pre - service teacher to its' full potential and gain invaluable first hand experiences. My mentor warmly welcomed me during the curriculum meeting and introduced me to the perplexed details of her lesson plans. Moreover, her patience towards the students in her science class inferred that you could not forcefully fulfill the content's objectives without establishing a respectable relationship first. After learning how to use the interactive whiteboard, she gave me the materials to prepare at home for her class the following day. 

When the students settled into class, I became anxious as they viewed me as a foreign object. The lesson concluded and was followed by a debrief. She remarked the strong presence I was able to hold during instruction and the aid of physical space to emphasise my authority. In regards to my oral abilities, I had spoken too fast! It seems that I have focused predominantly on what I was going to teach, and had forgotten to consider the student's individual needs especially to those with an ESL background. I hope to control my voice with future practice. Working with my mentor's expertise and commitment to her students was certainly inspiring as I continue to shape my own teaching identity.  

Surprise!

A boy lightly kissed me on the head. The Christmas season was nearing its' final days, and what better way to get into the holiday spirit than shopping late into the night. Despite the frenzy of consumers swarming around the shopping center, we weren't in a rush to purchase any last minute gifts. I was content with window shopping and so was he. With the night sky overlooking through the clear ceilings, my shopping experience became strangely tranquil compared to daytime. To say that I wasn't heaving sale bags would be the least of my worries, as I didn't exactly come home empty handed that night. 

15 minutes before midnight, he draped his arm over me and softly kissed the side of my head. I walked back into the house from his car, more baffled than ever. I, Karen was not a girl who'd be kissed like that...ever. How did he even get the nerve to? Does he do this to all his female friends? Did he just? I washed my hair that night right?! 

Merry Christmas, Karen. 

You can be sitting right in front of me but that's not going to stop me!

I was in the state before being tipsy? Readers beware: I've realised my tendency to talk LOUDER than usual when the poison kicks in. Not to worry, I'm still harmless as I haven't tried drinking enough to uncover my full - blown alternate state...yet. 

***

                                         

December || 21st birthday

November || Sahan's birthday party

October || Squires Loft with colleagues

September || Tesselaar Tulip Festival

August || Crochet lesson with year 8's

July || Eureka Skydeck

June || Light sculpture @Fed Square

May || Uy's 21st birthday

April || Coffee after Warm Bodies

March || Visiting Tina in the morning

February || Galentine's day

 January || Beach after 1000 Steps

Goodbye, 2013.

I only cut my hair once this year!

Can you believe it's already been four years of k-hameha? I remember creating this blog as a therapeutic outlet for my thoughts during the stresses of year 12. I've grown, loved, lost, cried, rejoiced, infuriated, learnt, hoped...lived through my writing. To all my readers, thank you so much for being with me on this journey. You have witnessed some of the most intricate details of my past, present and future self which many people do not know of, or ever will. For the last time in 2013, thank you for reading and have a happy new year. 

"My life, old sport, my life...

my life has got to be like this. 

It's got to keep going."

Now playing in December

   

Pop Danthology 2013 - Daniel Kim | Lost - Nicole (KARA)

You don't know love - K. Will 

Hello November

I couldn't have asked for a more bittersweet ending to my exams. I’m free, but am I satisfied with my effort this semester? Not entirely. I always end up kicking myself for procrastinating and using SWOTVAC to cram 12 weeks’ worth of content into my short term memory. I had spent almost an entire month at my second home, the library. I was either alone or accompanied by peers, which made picking up my phone to play intimidating. This works both ways too. 

Studying with Linda - How cute is our little cubicle?! | Morning of the first exam

12/11 & 7/11

Maintaining to study at home has become a struggle. I often associate my bedroom as a place to carry out disorderly sleeping patterns and addictive internet behaviour. It is no doubt that I cannot mentally and effectively perform academically in such places of relaxation. But when I do, my study desk becomes a battle field (mostinterestingmanintheworld.jpg). 

Steph's Selby books | Purchases from the city

7/11

After the first exam, I decided to a take a break and spent the rest of the day with Stephinee in the city. Prior to our arrival in the CBD, Steph had purchased a series of Selby books online and was going to meet the seller in person. This was her first time approaching someone from the internet so we had no clue what they’d look like. Steph was slightly nervous and stated, “This is the weirdest thing I've ever done”. This wasn't a blind date and from the sound of their texting manner, I don’t think he was a pedophile either. The seller texted her saying that he was in a blue stripped t – shirt in the designated meeting spot. There was  a middle – aged man sitting with his wife in the same description so I pointed him out to Steph. She was still wandering around, staring at other people with her phone in hand. After calling the seller and watching the man pick up his phone from afar, it was clear that I was correct from the very start! We approached him, and he teased Steph saying, “You should have listened to your friend! She was pointing at us for the last 10 minutes”.

After watching Bubzbeauty’s VLOG, I straight away went out and bought Biore Pore Strips for the first time. I too, was curious to see all the dirt accumulated beneath the surface of my nose! My mother and grandmother were unknown to such contraption, so we applied it at the same time. The pore strip hardened quickly on my nose and this new sensation was surprising. We slowly peeled off the strips and were fascinated at the tiny “worms” that were trapped on our nose all this time. I recommend you all to have a go with this interesting cleansing experience! 

Walking all the way up the tallest building at uni | Froyo at Cacao Green with Sophie 

14/11 & 15/11

Despite the exam period, I was fortunate to encounter many “first” time situations. This included trying out Cacao Green’s frozen yogurt. I ordered the original yogurt with strawberries. I was quickly pleased; you cannot go wrong with such heavenly dessert. However, the material of the spoon had left a thick plastic after taste in my mouth(?) Could it be that my olfactory senses were registering a phantom effect? Sophie was fine with her yogurt! 

Kono Pizza | Macarons | Katuk @South Yarra

1/11

For Don’s birthday, I was at a bar for the first time. I definitely enjoyed the chilled social atmosphere while sipping on drinks. We chatted on the balcony overlooking the shops and people walking on the streets. There were even small cushions for comfort. It was also a very small space of area where you could easily have bumped into someone and spill your drink! How intimate.

To satisfy my pit, I ordered pizza…in a cone! Here, the dough functioned as a waffle cone to hold the extremely cheesy and tomatoe-y toppings. Would I prefer this method over the conventional? Not entirely (again). Pro: This tasted so guilty yet so good. Do not underestimate its’ size. Con: When I bit into it, the toppings would pool beyond the cone. Since the cheese was very stringy after each mouthful, I had to be respectful by keeping my face closer to the cone and consuming it quickly. 

Umbrella charcoal drawing | My kangaroo on the whiteboard

21/10 & 26/10

For this semester’s edu unit, students were to teach the tutorial class for 30 minutes. The final class had a drawing lesson and one of the tasks was to sketch an object in the room without looking at it. I looked directly at the umbrella and began frantically sketching away. Oblivious to what was happening on paper, classmates beside me were in awe at my drawing. To my surprise, on the right hand side of my paper was the umbrella and I was pretty pleased with it! I actually thought my drawing skills would be obstructed by the lack of attention. Furthermore, the umbrella drawn on the left side while looking at both the object and paper was no match to the first one. I believe I was harder on myself to achieve in the second attempt because I could see mistakes forming straight away. The evidence is real! Now it’s your turn!

15/11

I've included this plate of Ikea waffles to emphasize my grandfather’s insatiable sweet tooth. “One bite and all your dreams will come true” are the words uttered by Snow White’s stepmother. I too, would have wanted to lie down on the floor after taking a bite out of these waffles. It was soaked in maple syrup and my grandfather had managed to scoff it down. He has diabetes, so he’d always be having a bowl of fruit to compensate for sugar at home. My grandmother scolds him often for his eating habits. He also stares intensely when I’m scooping ice cream into his bowl... My little cousin, Rachel is the second person in the family to have acquired a heavy sweet tooth. She is unstoppable at profiteroles and can claim a container of Vietnamese mini sponge cakes (banh bo). 

One more month to go before the end of 2013! Can you believe it? I’ll have to say my favourite time of year is from Christmas Eve to New Year’s. Although my family is not extravagant for Christmas, we still like to hang our Christmas cards in the lounge room and place any gifts received in front of the heater.

As for now, it’s time to be out and about with family and friends doing the things I won’t feel guilty due to uni! As always, thank you for reading and have yourselves a merry summer.

See you all soon! 

...

Finally watched Troublemaker's new song! Aw yeah, I knew they wouldn't disappoint me.

Goodbye September

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. 

...

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!

R U OKAY? DAY

Yellow Boost deals and love letters.

During primary school, my teacher told us that God gave us two eyes, ears and one mouth because seeing and listening is more important than speaking. From a management perspective, it got all the kids to keep their mouths shut and sit quietly in the classroom. Yet as I grew older and out of the classroom (ha, not really), I still stand by this notion. We're getting busier than ever, trying to establish independence and a future of our own. It's not surprising to get caught up with tomorrow this, and tomorrow that. Our eyes, ears and mouths are now focused on ourselves that we may sometimes be blinded to those who are visibly or secretly struggling around us. 

Sometimes it is this idea of tomorrow that may be the very thing that makes us bleak and miserable. Whatever it may be, and whether you wish to talk about it or not - you are not alone. It's okay to ask for help and make mistakes. So on RUOKAY? Day, let's look out and listen to each other. It only takes three words to change a life.

 

Goodbye August