Shaun Tan

Ok..I'll have to bring you right back to the middle of this year, where I stumbled upon a book in the library (past time spot for an IB student *sigh*) It has this antique cover look and that had my attention. Whilst flipping through the first few pages, it was different in comparison with other books. It was a picture book, drawn with pencil and coloured with a sepia tone. Though you may think that it is childish of me to be reading a picture book, this is no child's book. It contains far deeper meaning than it appears to be, each sketching in detail, to capture the emotion of the character.

I fell head over heals for the book...its everything that I dream that I want to do. I was so happy to meet the author himself..Shaun Tan..*sigh*

Ok..ok I know what you must be thinking but I admire that guy alright????

Shaun Tan!!!

A bit blurry but it'll do..

My iPod Nano!!! ~B'day Present~2007

Ok...So here's the deal, my mum became..or should I say converted into a Jehovah's Witness. One of the many things they don't do is celebrating birthdays..so officially I'm not quite allowed to celebrate birthday..oh yeah..mum married a Jehovah Witness..so there....

No Chance.

Nil.

Zip.

This is my first year with this treatment and yes, I admit..one of the most boring, unexciting celebration I've ever had. All I did was slouch around the house and watch TV..how exciting...you must have envied me..

Luckily, mum took pity on me..having to stop all of a sudden..I mean seriously, which addict can stop what they have been doing for a long time in one go? No, they slowly reduce it and then come to a halt...the keyword is

Gradually....

Mother planned to give me $200AUS for me to spend as she said "You're so fickleminded nowadays, I don't even know what to give you anymore." Ok..now notice the word planned..

HAHAHA that's right! I got more than offered.

Things fell into place from there I guess, I went to the plaza after school and mum entrusted me with her card..and after a hard thought between a GHD hair straightener, an iPod Classic and a pair of leather boot..I came across the new iPod Nano!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The new iPod Nano range ~Third Generation

Similar to the iPod Classic, it can play vids but the memory is much smaller of course..I bought the 8Gb one..

There were so many colours too, blue, green, silver, black and red..but only to my sorrow the red has to be bought online..Me being so impatient had to choose between blue and black..

This is the red iPod I wanted, but it was only available online as Product [Red] as a charity for funds to help kids with AIDS in Africa.

However, iPod has changed the colour scheme, making the colours pastel rather than the old bright, vibrant ones..

I thought long and hard and came up with the solution..BLACK..I like black anyways..Its not really that cheap..but in Australia it is..$279.00 AUS..but in Ringgit, I'm not so sure..somewhere around Rm840.00 + as the currency rate is high. $1 AUS = Rm 3.02

This is what my iPod Nano looks like, but this pic is taken from the web..Hehe too lazy to take a pic of it myself!

Ok..Now look at the right..That is the new Coverflow in the iPod. If you have an iPod before this one you'd know the difference.

This is stainless steel back design returned from its original 1st Generation. And its SO slim! Only 6.5 mm thick...*sigh* I'm in LOVE!

This is my still functional iPod Mini in Gold..unusual eh? Mum gave it to me..Her ex Bf gave it to her from the U.S and then she decided she didnt need it..so it was MINE!! haha very new though..it is still unique its GOLD!!! havent seen it anywhere else!

Privacy

There are weird people on the face of this earth..that are twisted and demented..and sick in their minds..some of these are paedophiles..

I have been having these nightmares ever since I realised how easy it is to lure us into their traps. I have now only begun to realise the danger of having too many photo's on oneself's page in Myspace, Friendster and etc..

It is best to have the privacy lock on all your photos so that they cant keep it to trace you remembering that some of them can use your pic to track you down..scary eh?

New Friendship

Friends can be easily made and can be easily found. Just recently, I was invited to a gathering at Cotton Tree Park by an international student, Alice. I met Alice in the school via my teacher..lol both of us thought she was either Korean or Chinese but in fact she was Japanese from Tokyo. Anyways, I went there to hang out when I discovered that it wasn't only her and the other Japanese students from our school..but there was this whole heap of Asians..I was like..."Wow!Where did they come from?" On the Sunshine Coast, it is hard to see the Asians walking on the streets let alone bunch up together.

Look at all the Asians! It's amazing...! Can you find me? haha..Hint hint..The guy behind me is picking his nose...Ewwwww.....LMAO

Hint hint: Click it to enlarge it if you must!

Beautiful sunset at Cotton Tree Park..How romantic..shame there's no one else to share this with!

I met alot of Chinese from Hong Kong which was great as then we could speak Cantonese together. How long I have yearned to speak my mother-tongue..! It was nice... I also met a fellow Malaysian girl, a few more Japanese and a Korean guy. We ended up playing basketball and soccer which I particularly enjoyed..

Ryan (H.K), some Jap chick and Alice..also a Jap..

I realised that most of the Chinese lived near where I live in Chancellor Park and thought that I should catch a bus with them..but the Malaysian girl offered to take me home.. How sweet..This really proves that friends can be easily made.. with precautions of course..Safety first!!!!!!!!!

2 Japs & 1 Malaysian chinese..I'm outnumbered by the Japs! Me on the far right smashing my face against Alice..lol

Friends

I admit that friends are important and that special bond you have with them is strong. But choosing the right friends is the hardest thing. You meet all sorts of people and yet they may not be necessarily your friend. They claim to know you but run at the first sign of help proves that they are not really your friends. I have come across some back in Malaysia that I claim to be my "best" friends, but are they really? I have spent more than $100 to call them when I have credit to spare and yet in return do they send an email wondering how am I? No.


MASQ= Mesha, Alicia, Segri, Lei 'Quan'
Left to Right: Alicia, Mesha, Segri, Lei Quan aka Michelle

In Australia, it's hard to make friends, well, I have trouble making friends. They seem so naive about the world. Especially to a city-bred girl, its hard to talk about brands, fashion and other things about other countries, when they haven't left their own (Not that I'm stuck up, but it's true, it's harder to talk to those that haven't experienced what you've been through and when you start talking about it, they think you are up yourself.) So that was how I spent my first year in Australia, trying to fit in and comprehend. After a while you tend to give up and seek somewhere else where you belong. That is exactly what I did.

Katharina at the Yr. 11 formal in 2006. Ain't she pretty?

I planned to get along with the other internationals that came to our school for a brief period, some not longer than 6 months. Mostly there were Germans, which were so hard to get into mix as they came in large numbers and spoke German. However, in July 2006, I met this beautiful German girl, Katharina. She was soft spoken, gentle, caring and loved by all that knew her. (Especially all the guys who knew her!) She spent well over a year here in Australia but she had to go back to Berlin, Germany.




Katharina & Me....good times together!


The next friend I've encountered is an Estonian. Her name is Siiri and she's from Talinn. Tall, athletic girl (playing tennis all the time), she is also very friendly. So far, we have been travelling buddies, going to Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne with me. She's a true friend as I would put it for she has helped me through tight spots before. She's also wacky and crazy and that is what we all like about her and you can't get past her without noticing her bright blond hair! I met her through Katharina at Mooloolaba beach, the same place where I met Katharina almost a year ago. Maybe it is a lucky spot to meet life-long friends!



Me & Siiri at Glen Elg, Adelaide