~Jenn~

How?

2011-01-31T14:15:00.001+11:00

How do I forget you, if you're always in my thoughts?

A longing heartfelt memory.

Walk beside me

2011-01-28T15:31:00.002+11:00

- "Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. But walk beside me and be my friend."~ Albert Camus

A soft reflection on friendship...true friendship.

Life is valued by the people who choose to love us.
Respect your friends, acknowledge the impacts they make to your sense of living and remember to appreciate each soul which touches yours.
It's about reaching out to others and knowing they are there to lend a hand.
It's about understanding and trusting enough...to forgive and let go, and to realise tomorrow is another chance for new opportunities, to share with one another.

Do not expect what may be, but face the reality of what is.
And once this is grasped, can you only then be free to love.

It is what it is

2010-12-19T17:10:00.002+11:00

This is what it feels like summarised in 3 words: Foolish, Lonely & Broken.

The foolish pursuit of liking another, only to hope the feelings are reciprocated. And so you convince yourself that perhaps in time, all in good time, it'll come together and they'll finally realise what a great person you really are.

Then reality hits. It is it not so. You wake up yearning, longing, wanting only to be with them...lonely. Knowing all the wasted time, efforts and emotions were all for your fantasy, for nothing.

Disconnected and in pieces, broken and torn. How does one move on from this.
All in good time you're told again, and so in good time it will have to be.

Let go of what it's not, and
Hope, begin to hold on,
Faith, you are worthy of another,
Believe that there is more,
Forget what holds you back and
Prepare to feel again.

Easy

2010-09-05T21:35:00.001+10:00

It's easy to forget, to fill up the emptiness with time forgotten.
Easy to stop feeling what could be, what may be.

:(

2010-06-27T23:39:00.002+10:00

I want to stop feeling like this.
How can it hurt so much?
I want to start all over, I want to be right this time round.
I need to let it all go and move away from this suffocation.

...the question is, how.

I won't be lost, I won't be down~

2010-06-17T00:47:00.000+10:00

...And I'm a little bit lost without you
And I'm a bloody big mess inside
And I'm a little bit lost without you
This aint a love song this is goodbye (oooooh)
This aint a love song this is goodbye (ooooh)...

Hoping

2010-06-12T23:30:00.001+10:00

How can I be so torn, when the feeling is oh-so-right?

If only you knew...

To ♥

2010-05-29T14:59:00.002+10:00

I forget what it's like to love.

And so I listen to old love songs to remind me...and I cry.

B.O.R.E.D

2010-04-23T11:57:00.001+10:00

I am EXTREMELY bored.

To the point of almost exhaustion. I need intellectual stimulation ASAP.

And so I sit here in between projects, a lil depressed of my lacky contribution to the workforce and having to think of mind-numbing activities to keep me preoccupied. Surely there are better ways to consume one's time? Sleep for instance, or perhaps indulge myself with a feel good movie.

I dunno - I guess it's only temporary for the time being until things pick up.

On the plus side, I've spent my time researching in possible investments and have now gladly put my hard-earned money in Rio shares and a chunk of Gold.
And yet, I am back to square one of just, being...BORED.

Life is NOT this

2010-04-09T10:12:00.002+10:00

I'm starting to really understand what life is NOT about.

It's NOT about:

Selfish self-fullfilment: we strive to make ourselves happy by the things we want, and not necessarily with the things we need.
Having more, having the best: when is it enough?
Putting others down for you to rise above
Closing your mind to variable options: disregarding opportunities
Forgetting your responsibilities: delegating because it's too difficult, too hard
Caring less because of what others may think
Living vicariously through others

Fool

2010-03-31T14:16:00.001+11:00

Jenn you're a fool, a fool who knows no better.

Wisen up -> that's an order!

Till we meet

2010-03-23T14:51:00.002+11:00

I don't believe in random encounters.

We meet certain people in our lives for a reason, whether it be a reason to benefit us or perhaps them, there's still a reason.
And so I embark on my journey of self-exploration and realise that there are people from all walks of life who you start to mingle with: The pessimist, the go-getter, the selfish, the hopeful...and understandably, you also recognise changes in people you already know.

It made me wonder if the people you meet then influence you, perhaps mould you, into the person you are today.
One would like to think that through life experiences, lessons taught and learnt and the understanding of what's right and wrong...would ultimately define who we are. But surprisingly in most cases, that isn't so.

What continues to surprise me is when you think you've gotten to know yourself, realised who you are (who you are meant to be?)...something/someone will come along and put you off course. And hence you start the journey of self-discovery again, but only this time you know that little more of who you're not, who you'd like to be and the types of people you'd like to meet.

Perhaps in the end, who we finally meet is just...ourselves.

Trapped

2010-03-04T17:40:00.000+11:00

And so I continue to feel pressured.

All sense of freedom is now lost and I feel somewhat "trapped".

I feel swamped in a whole array of responsibilities, pressures and commitments.

I've signed the dotted line...in unerasable stationery.

And perhaps all I need to do now is to rationally manage and handle these obstacles.

I am determined not to let these factors take control of how I want to live, the person I am aspiring to become and my overall perspective to happiness.

I can not help but think this is just the beginning of a long and cumbersome journey, however I am not afraid to face what will inevitably be...a part of growing up.

When?

2010-02-28T16:59:00.003+11:00

When does one decide that it's time to stop being in one place and move onto the next?
When does it become ok to collect and store "those" memories?
When does it go from a moment of regret to pure satisfaction?
When will it become clear?

Settle with "Mr Good Enough"

2010-02-16T11:25:00.002+11:00

Says Gottlieb: "Many women in their 20s or early 30s are either breaking up with really good guys, or refusing to even go on a first date with a really good guy, because there's not instant 'chemistry' or because the guy is kind (but not a mind-reader), successful (but not wealthy enough), cute (but balding), and funny (but not Jon Stewart), and they think there's someone better out there. So they pass up the 'eight' in order to hold out for the '10' - and then suddenly they're 38 or 40 and now they can only get a 'five'. The 'eight' would have been the catch. Most of us would be very happy married to the 'eight'. But we don't realise this at the time."

http://blogs.smh.com.au/lifestyle/asksam/archives/2010/02/the_case_against_settling.html

So it's come down to this...

2010-02-14T01:02:00.003+11:00

Guy: "Hey, excuse me *tap tap*....do you prefer briefs or boxers?"
Girl: *Looks guy up & down* "Huh?"
Guy: "Briefs or boxers?"
Girl: "Err...briefs I guess...?"
Guy: *Looks down at crotch* "Must be my lucky day then!"

Girl: "Actually I'd prefer neither"
Guy: *grinz* "That could be arranged" ;)

Changing

2008-11-27T04:12:00.002+11:00

So I embark on my journey to London looking for travel opportunities, to absorb in the various cultures and to indulge on what is on offer on this side of the world.

And yet I find myself changing in ways I never thought I would. Emotionally confused, yet excited at the same time. What was right/wrong is now no longer considered important. Everything I was so sure about, I no longer care.

I can't believe it - this experience is changing me. I'm intrigued, and there's so much more to come.

~Jenn~

Hello new home!

2007-09-28T12:20:00.000+10:00

I don't remember the last time I blogged - I blame Facebook! The new online craze is just too easy to update, find out what others are doing and there's really no where to blog (so ppl don't have to sit for ages reading through your stuff to know what's going on with your life).

ANYHOOS - I now own my very first property. I'm so excited!! But sad at the same time thinking about the mortgage repayments...for 20 years...for life. Haha!

I'll be in Canberra for the rest of the year, so if anyone is there during the weekday - come visit me! Hope all is well and life is happily treating everyone safe and swimmingly.

~Jenn

Because I said so

2007-05-22T11:01:00.000+10:00

Saw this movie with mum on the weekend - a really good mother/daughter chic flick to watch. I loved the interactions between Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore! For those who love to go "awww" =)

For the most part of life, it's important

To relish in its' offers
To forgive misunderstandings
To believe there is more
And to love unconditionally
~Jenn

Forty One

2007-05-18T10:51:00.001+10:00

We had our 4yr Anniversary at the Forty One restaurant located at Chifley Tower.
Funnily enough, it actually sits on level 42 of the building.

After an ear-popping experience up the elevators, we were greeted with a warm ambience, delightful sparkling views and a smile to a face. We arrived a bit early and was ushered to comfy lounges while we waited. I surprised Peter with the Seiko Arctura Kinetic watch (having spent the entire morning wandering around the watch section in Myer in the city and settling with the luxurious piece). He was ecstatic!

We had the option between the 4 ($130/person), 5 ($140/person) or 6 ($150) course dinner. In the end, we chose the 5 course dinner each – with Peter choosing the matching wines for an extra $60. The menu had a variety of dishes and in the end, we decided on:

Steamed Western Australian Yabbie Tails, Asparagus & Bread Sauce, Vanilla Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Roast Boneless Rack of Gippsland Lamb, Creamed Leeks & Parsley, Sauteed Potato Gnocchi, Black Olive Infused Lamb Jus

Crown Roast of Wild Hare, Celeriac & Pear Puree Chartreuse Jus

~Jenn

Beyonce Concert

2007-04-24T10:14:00.000+10:00

OMG - the Beyonce concert was absolutely amazing!! It was so much better than I thought it would be. This has go to be my most fav concert so far =)

She was empowering, entertaining, "booty-licious", sexy and super gorgeous. And she can sing the roof off!!

I loved her all-female band, her costumes, backdrop and mini-skits/instrumental performances which made the whole show a non-stop breathtakinng experience.

She started the show with this beautiful dress - ahhh =) A must see show again if she ever returns!

*hugs*

Jenn

Easter Break

2007-04-12T12:17:00.000+10:00

Hope everyone had a fantastic much-deserved Easter break!

I spent mine filled with two movies (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Becoming Jane”). I found TMNT quite disappointing, mainly because I was hoping for some reminiscence of my childhood but didn’t get it. The Turtles, Splinter and April characters turned out quite different to how I remember they were – but hey, I guess being older may have put things into a different perspective?! =P

My mum and I got super teary (I know, corny!) in Becoming Jane – what can I say, we’re suckers for classic romance (sis thought it was boring – ahh, what do the teenagers of today know anyways? Haha).

My last day of the Easter break was topped off with a day spent at the Hyatt Day Spa at The Rocks with Mel and Jenny. 2.5 hours of glorious bliss (included massage, body exfoliation, wrap and conditioning, vichy shower and facial), valet parking and gourmet hotel food for both brekkie and lunch made the end of my long weekend superb! (apart from the overblown budget ;).

The masseur was absolutely to die for – she’s had 7yrs experience and knew exactly where my stress points were - ahhhh. I could have given the Iluka Combination a miss – the vichy shower room was quite claustrophobic and treatment felt rushed. All in all, I’d come back for the massage ;)

Next stop is Spa Chakra at the Taj Hotel at the end of this month with Nattie – I can’t wait! =)

*Hugs*
Jenn

Blue Mountains - Mountain Heritage Hotel

2007-03-19T17:55:00.000+11:00

Just spent the weekend away on a relaxing pamper trip with Peter to the Blue Mountains. We stayed at the Mountain Heritage Hotel on a "Divine" package deal. It included: 1hr Massage session, Spa/View room accommodation, buffet breakkie, champagne/strawberries/choccies on arrival, spa bath bliss package and a cocktail each. It was so great!! I feel so relaxed now - exactly what I needed!!

We also went to the Blue Mountains "Scenic World" - where we got to ride the railway (which is the steepest incline railway in the world!!) and see the view from a cable car. Very touristy ;)

We drove up for another 30min to visit a "Carnivorous Plants" display on at the Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens and were bitterly disappointed as we missed the information session and the plants weren't even that great. Ok, so to be honest, I expected large moving sized plants munching away at meat - but I guess not.... haha!

P.S. The lack of original photos from my camera was due to my battery pack failing out on me 1 hour into the trip *sighs*.

Chris, Zena, Peter and I also tried out a new Jap restaurant on Sat night that was recommended by a friend from work. "Sakana-Ya"! We had: Sake, Chicken skewers, deep fried chicken, nimono-style swordfish belly, smoked salmon/salmon roe/challots on a bed of rice, Barasushi (fresh sushimi, fish roe.... on a bed of rice), green tea pudding/green tea icecream/japanese dumpling filled with sweet red bean. Our dinner in pictures...

Hope everyone is making an effort to take time out for yourselves and enjoy life!

*Hugs*

Jenn

Degustation@Peppers

2007-03-15T11:37:00.000+11:00

This is my 7th week in Canberra and I’m really enjoying it here. Work is exactly what I want to be doing, the people here (both Syd and Canberrians) are great, badminton is really kicking off and the extra $$$ is a bonus! I’m going to start driving down to Canberra next week – go my Civic! =)

Met up with Jason and Magz for dinner the other night – it was good to see them again. We’re planning to catch up every week for dinner. Should be fun =)

I’m also starting to try out different restaurants every week – I’m becoming a food critic ;) Peter and I tried this restaurant called “Peppers” in Balmain last weekend. A 7 course Japanese fusion degustation. The food was OK - not as tasty as I would have liked it to be, but check it out in pics -->>

Starting with the bread, oily dip and olives (also super yummy hot green tea for me cos I was feeling sickie)

First up for me - Asparagus spears with poached egg, Grana Padano and truffle vinaigrette

First up for Peter - Nicola potato and mushroom terrine with parsley pesto, tomato concasse

We each both had the seared scallops with crispy chorizo, apple, smoked eggplant and sherry vinaigrette

My 3rd dish of the night - Kingfish fillet with papaya, tomato, caper and Spanish onion salsa, lemon oil

I ordered a beef dish, which you can see turned out way too raw for me - so Peter ate this one ;)

We each both had the crispy pork belly with enoki mushrooms, soba noodle, sweet and sour sauce

I swapped my beef with Peter's (thanks dear!) Duck confit tart with pickled cherries, walnut and witlof salad, pinot reduction

Life has definitely taken a turn for the better (and it’s getting more exciting). I’m more focused into my finances, Peter, family and friends. It’s now in life when you’re starting to get older that you realise how important all of these things are.

Let’s make the most of what we have!

*hugs*
Jenn

Happy 30th Bday Adrian!

2007-02-15T16:29:00.000+11:00

~Happy Birthday Adrian~

Early Valentines

2007-02-13T17:30:00.000+11:00

Peter and I celebrated Valentines early this year – mainly because I’m here in Canberra for Valentines Day. We celebrated by eating yummy food at “Bills” café in Surry Hills on Sat for Brunch. We ordered Corn Fritters and Pancakes and let me tell you, it was yummo!! Highly recommended – but be warned, it does get quite packed. Expect a waiting period.

I then took Peter out to “Rise” at Darlinghurst and experienced the Japanese Degustation. Pictures will tell all…

BLAG-ED

2007-02-06T08:45:00.000+11:00

Yes I know, I’ve been a BLAG (it’s a new word I just made up, short for Blog Lagger). Let’s see what you guys have missed:

- Our visit to Bangkok from Phuket
- Christmas 2006
- New Years 2007 @Cruise Bar
- IBM Summer School
- Girly Wollongong Trip
- Lynda’s farewell forever to the UK
- Pumi’s b’day picnic

I’ve also successfully rolled off the Vodafone project and am now working on the Medicare portals team in Canberra. And so begins the travelling again, although this time I don’t mind it so much. I fly in on the Monday morning (yes I have to get up at 5:30am) and I get to fly home on the Friday afternoon. The team I’m working with is great, very friendly. The working dynamics are a lot better – I didn’t believe there were normal working projects outside of Vodafone, but thankfully YES!

Life in Canberra is also quite different – I’m physically more active (played Badminton last Mon and went for an 8km power walk on Wed around the lake) while I’m here and there are a lot more peops from IBM Syd around to hang out with. I also get to hire a car and have managed to get lost at least once everyday. That’s 6 days and counting– I wonder how long it will take me before I really know my way around Canberra. (And everyone keeps saying it’s a small place – nuh-uh - WRONG! =p)

Dinner Degustation @Ottoman for Vanessa's B'day (Me, Ali, Vanessa)

Will keep you all updated.

*Hugs*
Jenns

~In Phuket~

2006-12-14T22:11:00.000+11:00

Kap Koon Cow (that how u spell it?!) all!

This is our 4th day here in Phuket and let me tell you - it's hot HOT HOT!
It's really beautiful out here and Patong Beach is absolutely buzzing everyday AND night! Peter and I are having a great time! Definitely will post up photos when I get the chance. SHIT - I just saw this human-eating massive mosquito buzz by - ok gotta make this blog a quick one then.

Mon we went on our Elephant Trekking + White Water Rafting day tour. It was sooo much fun and Peter and I got to ride on one. They're soooo cute and really scary when you're on one. Kinda feel sorry for the Elephants here - definitely get some animal cruelty vibe happening *eek!* White Water rafting was also extremely exciting - I actually ended up falling off the raft and got a good bashing on my legs from the rocks (as those who have white water rafted would know is painful).

Last night we went to "Phuket Fantasea" and it was sooooo good! It's this 1.5 hour show which included traditional thai performances, acrobatics in the sky, clown/magic show performance, fireworks and *bangs*, the she-males on parade - it was such a great show!!!

Shopping is also great here surprisingly, and Peter and I have spent quite a bit already. We don't even need Bangkok to shop anymore! Haha

Anyhoos, we're off to Coral Island for a snorkel tomorrow which should be fun!

Hope everyone is well back at home! =) See you all in a week!

*Hugs*
Jenn

The night before Thailand...=)

2006-12-11T00:37:00.000+11:00

Hi Guys!

I'm really excited about my Thailand trip which starts tomorrow - yippee!!
It's almost 1am now and I STILL haven't finished packing (thank gawd my flight is at 3:20pm tomorrow *phew*).

Will definitely try and blog as much as I can to let you all know what I'm up too.

Nighty-night!

*hugs*
Jenn

~Cairns Trip 06~

2006-12-04T23:43:00.000+11:00

Hey Guys!
I'm back from my 6 days trip from Cairns and it was unbelievable! Thanks to Mel and Jenny for making the trip so much fun. Here's a snippet of what we got up to:

Shopping in Cairns

2Days/1Night Liveaboard Diving/Snorkelling cruise

Road trip to visit Cape Tribulation, with stopover in Port Douglas

Jungle Surfing

Rainforest Night Walk (I found a snake - eek!)

Stopover for lunch at the "Cafe on Sea" and then to the Daintree IceCream Factory (which turned out not to really be a factory...? =)

Road trip to visit Daintree Eco Spa Lodge

2hour Massage, exfoliation, mud wrap and head works!

Stopover at Mosman Gorge - absolutely GoRgEoUs!

*Hugs*
Jenn

My 23rd B'day!!!

2006-11-27T15:10:00.001+11:00

OMG – my b’day weekend was FaNtAsTic!!

Where to being..Ok, so it started on Sat when Peter and I checked into my hotel at the Pacific International Suites on Kent St. I hoped and prayed that we would get a decent sized room which would be situated wayyy away from everyone else – and I did! Yippee! We (Agnes, Nattie, Truccie, Peter and Hoang) had pre-drinks there for about 2 hours. It was then time to haul our tipsy lil asses down to Harbourlife at Macquaries’ Point.

Let me tell you – “Harbourlife” was totally awesome!! It started off nice and slow, us enjoying the scenary (the weather was ~*Gorgeous*~) and then it really hit off at about 6pm with all of us (my girls and Hoang’s DB team was there too) moshing away beside the harbour to House music. Nattie and I had this competition to see who could drink the most Smirnoff Ice – we drank so much we ended up tipsy-as, giggling like crazy and eye-oodling half naked boys! Which I must mention there were lots of! There were nice half naked boys and chics in bikini’s everywhere! Next time I go, it’s bikini for me ;)

I loved it – so absolutely FUN FUN FUN. No joke, we kept dancing non-stop and before I knew it, the sun was down and it was 9:30pm and I had to dash off to meet the rest of the peops at the suites. Managed to squeeze 15 people into the place and had lots to drink, played Buzz, I got 23 “Cupcakes on Pitt” from the uni girls and passed out entirely about 3am. I also got really cool pressies which included: Memory Scrapbook, bikini and Paul Frank towel from the uni girls, Nintendo DS Lite from Mel and Jenny, “Dirty Minds” game from Jon and Milan and a “Warcraft” boardgame from Chris. It’s all sooo me!! =) Nine people slept over, which is amazing cos we all fit into that one-bedroom suite comfortably haha! Thanks to all who made that night super special =)

Sunday (my actual read b’day) - Peter surprised me with a nice Lindt cake and mum and sis followed tradition with the Durian B’day cake. Peter then surprised me again with tickets to the Kylie Minogue concert. It was totally amazing – I loved it!!

Thanks to everyone who made my weekend such a fun and eventful bash, you guys are the greatest! Turning older doesn’t feel too bad ;)

*Hugs*
Jenn

Last Day in NZ!

2006-11-24T12:25:00.000+11:00

I can't believe this is going to be my last day in NZ! I have 1 more hour to go before I'm off to catch my flight back to Sydney. I'm feeling really nostalgic and really sad - but I keep telling myself that it's the best for me to move on.

Last night we had Deepak's Wedding Farewell dinner (which also happened to be my last night in Auckland). We had so much fun! Dinner started at "Khao" Thai Restaurant and we ended up going bar hopping at: Rikianos (i forget the name?!), City Life (some dodgy bar at the end of an alley), Crow Bar (stayed for less than 10min), ice-cream and chips at Burger King (it's sorta considered a bar), tried "Boogie Wonderland" but it was closed and then to the "Rose & Crown" to finish off with more drinks and a game of pool. Didn't get back to my room until 3am! So tired right now - going to pass out on the plane I reckon!

Another round of shots of Tequila...I'm going to miss Pumi!

Deepak + Tequila = "No!"...Thanks to Pankaj for organising!

Dinner@Estasi + Bday Cake@Work

2006-11-23T09:14:00.000+11:00

Celebrated my last week here in NZ with dinner last night at "Estasi" in Ponsonby. Dinner was so yummy. A Huge thanks to Pumi for organising such a fantastic dinner! =)

Josh & Pumi................................Merwin, Ankit, Thomas

My Seafood Risotto......................Me, Yazhi, Marie-Anne

Also, Pumi surprised me with a really yummy choccie B'day cake just then at work. I was so embarassed cos everyone stood around singing "Happy Birthday" to me (and my b'day isn't til this Sun) haha! The cake was so yummy Mike came by to pick up the crumbs off the plate heh. Thanks again Pumi - you're the greatest *hugs* I'm so spoilt *cheeky grin*

My special yummy B'day cake

Me blowing out my cake

Indoor Cricket

2006-11-22T09:21:00.000+11:00

Today was my first attempt at indoor cricket thanks to the project. At 3pm we all gathered into our 4 teams and headed down to the “Action Indoor Centre” to play avenging matches of cricket. The 4 teams comprised of the “Openers” (SIT/UAT Testers), “Pipeline”, “Infranet” and the “All Stars”.

With great determination, commitment and craziness our team was victorious, beating the All Stars by 144 to -2 (yes that is a negative) and Infranet 201 to 11. I had such a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the break from work.

Fun two thumbs up!

The NZ Peops!

2006-11-18T12:35:00.000+11:00

Had dinner at Mecca down at the viaduct last night. This has got to be one of my most favourite restaurants in Auckland. The food is gorgeous, the place is always buzzing, full of life and the candlelight setting brings such a great ambience to the dinner. You guys must eat here next time you're here - brunch or dinner!

Just wanted to introduce you all to the gorgeous NZ peops and the AU peops I've been hanging out with here:

~Gorgeous Weekend~

2006-11-16T14:48:00.000+11:00

Good November all!

Had a pretty good weekend home. It started with Brunch with my uni girls at Bellos in Burwood, then a bit of shopping. Poor Truccie just got her wisdom teeth taken out and had to mush away at ice-cream *hugs*.

The lovely girls (truccie with the swollen cheek) @Bellos

Then had dinner at Tony Roma’s with Peter that night, followed by the movie “Children of Men”. Let me just say that the service at Tony Roma’s is absolutely ridiculous and very VERY poor. We ordered our food and drinks and waited (no joke) for 30min with nothing. To make it worse, the table next to us ordered their food after us and they received their drinks AND food before we even got anything! To top it off, we asked for water 2 times and it arrived 30min later! There was no apology, the bill took forever to come to us and I was highly disappointed. I am not returning.

Peter looking angry at Tony Roma's...haha not really

Sunday was meant to be free for Mel’s surprise B’day present, but due to incorrect weather conditions we weren’t able to give her, her ‘experience’. I can’t disclose the activity as we’re still planning this for her in Dec. Sorry Mel!

Anyhoos, we spent Sun planning our Cairns trip and ended up going to Bondi in the afternoon to visit the “Sculptures by the Sea” exhibition. Really interesting! Check out my photos on yahoo. Later that night we then had ice-cream with the family at Gelatissom in Burwood. Yummo!

Jenny imitating the Sumo Sculpture - so funny!

Sis, Mum and Moi enjoying our triumphant ice-cream sundae finish

I’m also really REALLY excited about my leave coming up. My leave for the whole month (yes the WHOLE month of Dec) is approved and I’m making the most of it.
Jenny, Mel and I are going to Cairns from the 29th Nov – 4th Dec 2006.

Peter and I are then off to Thailand for 10 days! I’m SOOO excited!! We’re leaving from the 11th Dec – 20th Dec, where we will begin in Phuket and then end up in Bangkok. I’m sooo excited. We’re halfway booking the necessities. Keep an eye out on my blog for updates on this.

Estimated travel costs for the month of Dec: $5000 + (Ouch!)
Estimated fun/relaxation I’m going to have: priceless ;)

*Hugs*
Jenn

Girly Surprise Trip: Myall Lake Resort

2006-10-25T09:10:00.000+10:00

Destination: Myall Lake Resort, Port Stephens
Date: 14/15th Oct 2006

Just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU to the lovely ladies who organised this trip - Nattie & Lynda!! You girls are the best!

Also, another THANK YOU to Nattie for sacrificing her car through rain, rocks and rough grounds to get to our destination =)

This trip was exactly what I needed after such a workaholic past few months. I had so much fun with the girls. Makes my trip back to NZ even harder cos I know how much I'll miss them.

Just to recap on the memories and to laugh at them once more =):

- Getting lost 3 times on the way there, taking us 6 hours (yes, 6 HOURS) to reach Port Stephens (stopping by Newcastle)
- Singing to Lynda's ol' skool classics in the car (think Backstreet Boys, Westlife… ;)
- "Mooned" by the boys in the car next door!
- Boat trip with Ian and Ty and watching the sunset
- Discovering the “toilet” boats – eww!
- Being totally harassed at the Pub by lots of men (including the crazy red top guy). And by harassment I’m talking bra strap snapping, felt on the legs, bodies shoving against us, arms around the shoulders and lots of verbal abuse from the crazy man. You can’t help but laugh – hahaha!
- Movie night in with "Love potion #9"
- Our "lite and diet" food (haha)
- Freezing the wine and milk (haha)
- Truccie grabbing a certain part of my "ahem" in the morning....

I can't wait for our next girly surprise trip! =)

*BIG BIG HUGS*

Jenn

Waiheke Island

2006-10-02T11:26:00.000+10:00

Hi guys!

Spent the weekend in Auckland this time and went out to Waiheke Island on Sat for a GoRgEouS Sunny day out!! Company included: Sonal, Josh, Marie-Anne, Pumi, Jo and Linda. It was so much fun and we didn’t even talk about work, not even once!

We took a ferry out from the Viaduct wharf and arrived at Waiheke Island for a 2pm lunch. The restaurant was called “Vino Vino” and the place had an amazing view – however the food was quite average. I find that quite common with restaurants, there is always this main fantastic feature about it and then there’s always something that balances it out and makes it crap =P

Anyhows, lunch ended up costing $60/person (yes that included lots of wine – yummo!). We then headed out to the vineyards and visited “Te Whau” which had this 360 degree view of the island, water and city Auckland. It was amazing!! (see my yahoo albums for the pics). We all had a glass of wine each before heading out to Stonyridge Vineyard, my second time there. Had MORE wine and loved the wine, music and atmosphere. This place was a definite fav for all =)

The best:
- Singing in the taxi-bus to old tunes
- Playing “corners” at the back of the taxi-bus
- Drinking too much wine and feeling sick
- The super views!
- Laughing sooo much I experienced tummy aches

Overall, spent $200+ this day (haha, yes there goes my per diem) but it was all so worth it!! Who would have thought you could have so much fun with your work mates =)

These past 5 weeks here in NZ have been quite eventful. I’m getting a lot closer to Pumi with many D&M sessions and learning so much more about all the peops here in NZ. It’s really hard when you’re here away from your family and friends, that I’m really glad that Pumi is here with me. I think I would be really upset and missing home if it weren’t for Pumi here with me. She’s become someone I can depend on when I’m here in NZ. So to my Pumi – thanks for being there for me and listening to my craziness, depressions and for being able to put up with me. *Hugs* =)

I must say being in NZ has really made me grow up. It’s made me a lot more independent and I’m really surprised of my work progress while I’ve been here (yes I’m working 10 hour days + weekend).

The bad part of this whole experience is that I do have to put my life back in Syd on hold, and while my friends are moving on, making more connections and accomplishing lots – I feel like I’m here building a totally new life for myself. It does get depressing if you think too much into it but I’ve gone past that stage and am now trying to be a lot more optimistic. I’m trying to make my stay a lot more worthwhile and I’m trying to get the most out of it.

A shout out to my gf’s because I miss you all very much! Can’t wait til I come back this weekend =)

Looking forward to:
- Girly Surprise weekend 14/15th Oct

*Hugs*
Jenn

Mexican Night

2006-09-26T20:06:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys!

I know, I know - I've been super slacking on the blogging. With all the travelling to NZ and late nights at work have kept me back from doing anything. Really! The only real reason I am writing this up is because I'm still at work (yes I know, it's 10:30pm) and am waiting for Pumi to finish up her 10pm meeting with Jo and Priscilla about 'Trial Billing', so we can head back to the Langham together. I hate walking around Auckland late at night.

So this is my 4th week working in NZ and I'm already looking forward to finishing off the work here and heading back home for good. I'm looking to be here until the end of Oct - ouch! There goes my life put on hold.

On the brighter side of things, Josh was kind enough to give us a traditional Mexican dinner night last week. Attended by myself, Pumi, Yazhi and Sonal (yes I know, lucky Josh with just the girls), it was a great night! Delicious cooking by Josh and entertainment provided by Chanel 4. Food included echnadelios (how do you spell it?!) and shell pasta soup. Thanks again Josh - it was sooo yummy!

Sonal is planning a curry night tomorrow and Buzz later on in the night. Should be good food and fun - can't wait! =) I swear, the NZ guys here are soooo nice. If it wasn't for the peops here in the NZ office, I don't think I'd ever want to come back to NZ for work.

My weekend back in Syd was absolutely relaxing and talk about the fantastic weather! Peter surprised me for an overnight getway to the Marriott Apartments in Parramatta. He cooked for me!!! A yummy salmon fillet stuffed with scallops and lots of my fav wine Brown Brothers, Moscatto. I must say I was very impressed since Peter hasn't got a cooking bone in his body. Thanks Dear!!! =)

My plans for this week is to hit the gym every morning and work out! I'm planning to start tomorrow morning - wish me luck! I bought new gym workout clothes to motivate me to start - so let's see if it works haha!

I'll be in NZ this weekend and Jo and Pumi will be here. Hopefully we won't have to work both days, which will leave us with a day to explore a bit more of Auckland (or perhaps outside of it a bit). I really want to go to Bay of Islands - perhaps a day trip? We'll see.

Gosh I'm so tired, my typing is slowing down and I'm getting super tired. And they're STILL in the meeting...hurry peops!

Ok will upload photos with this blog when I get the chance to upload the photos off my camera onto my laptop

*Tired Hugs*

Jenn

Just thinking...

2006-09-05T15:20:00.000+10:00

I believe that in your life you’re dealt with good hands and bad hands (metaphorically speaking of course). And for me, I feel as if I have the upper hand.

It’s times like this when I contemplate on what is and what is not, and I realise that I am fortunate and lucky to live the life I lead. I have my freedom, finances, love, friends, family, secrets, skills, laughs, adoration and the list goes on. I am not without anything, nor do I feel that I need something to complete me.

People say that you need to work hard for the things you really want – but I don’t feel this need. All the wonderful things that I want in my life have been given to me on perhaps, a silver platter. Some people may argue and say that it is not the case, and it is just clearly my optimism talking, but I feel it is enough. It’s enough for me.

This is one of the rare moments when I fully do appreciate what I have and have my happiness to thank for.

Hoping everyone finds as much content and happiness with their current lives…

*Hugs*
Jenn

Back in NZ - AGAIN

2006-09-04T08:56:00.000+10:00

Hi *waves*!!

Well my first week back in Auckland has just ended, with me flying back for the next 2 weeks (perhaps even longer UGH!).

This week has been lots of fun, mainly because there were so many peops from Syd. Spent all and more of my per diems and feel fat and lazy. Haha!

Tried out the old and new places to eat. Liz took us out to Iguca..icuca..iguacu.. (shit I forgot the name of the restaurant) – but it was super nice, great food and ambience. I’m definitely coming back!!!

Spent Mon night with Jon on our romantic date at Mezza’s Spanish tapas (YUM!), Tues night at Gina’s with the yummy boys *cough* I mean food ;), Wed night spent at Yazhi’s house for dinner and met lil cutie Izzac. I want to take him home!

Then special Thurs night only a certain two other peops know about (you know who you’s are) – was quite an interesting night. Let’s just say we have $2 left over from it ;)

And yes, I went through my depressing emotional state because of the changes in time, country and life. I definitely do not deal well with change – even though I try =)

Looking forward to : Thailand/Laos trip with Mel/Jenny – I can’t wait!

A big Happy Birthday shout out to Aaron who has his birthday this weekend – hmms, think he’s turning 100 or so *shrugs* =)

*Hugs*
Jenn

P.S You won’t believe this, but I did NOT take any photos this time….I know, I know *GASP*

My new wittle cutie camera

2006-08-22T14:06:00.000+10:00

Hi all!

Just wanted to show-off my new JVC Camcorder that I bought on the weekend at the JVC Warehouse sale - it's absolutely GORGEOUS and so lightweight and goddamn cute. Not to mention super cheap!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Peter also bought one for himself.

Perhaps this will spark a movie-making gift in me...*grinz*

*Hugs*

Jenn

Stairway to Heaven

2006-08-14T14:39:00.000+10:00

I've been watching this Korean movie series dubbed in Viet called "Stairway to Heaven" (and by "movie series", it's the typical asian movie that goes on for 14 episodes, yes that's 14 hours for ONE MOVIE). So far I'm 10 hours into it - and that was just on the weekend!

Let me tell you, this movie is a major cry-over!! No joke, I cried at every single episode and spent my weekend with puffy eyes! Hahaha it's sooooo good though! The main character is to die for (charming, loving, potential hubby), the girl lead is gorgeous and the plot is super enticing. I must say, some of the scenes were a bit fake and some parts of the movie just draaaaaaged on for ages - but that's typical asian for ya!

Only 4 more episodes to go and it's getting really good! I also have mum and sis hooked on it - haha!

Thanks to Lynda for setting me up with such a great movie. It makes you think a lot about love - a must see if you've got time! I believe there's also versions out there which have english subtitles.

*Hugs*
Jenn

I won!! Aus won!!

2006-08-09T16:17:00.000+10:00

I went to watch my first ever Rugby game on Sat - thanks to Vodafone!

Yep that's right, I won two DOUBLE PASSES to go and see the Wallabies play against South Africa. Of course I took Peter ;) A very exciting and heart-stopping game, with Australia winning 20-18.

I believe this game has made a fan out of me!

GO THE WALLABIES!!!

*Hugs*
Jenn

I Love Skiing!

2006-08-04T11:41:00.000+10:00

I headed out to Thredbo last weekend - my first time ever at the Snows!
It was bloody fantastic, well worth the total $850 I spent for the 3 days. Surprisingly I could Ski after only half a day out there. Many thanks to the other 7 guys who made this trip so much fun!!! I want to go again!!!

Unforgettable Memories:

"BUZZ-ing" away at night
Waking up to snow falling and LOTS of more snow around us
Thoughts of dying when we arrived at the top of the Gunbarrel Express lifts
Endless falls/stacks/bruises
Unable to snow plow properly for the first day and running into peops
Those MILO kids!! So damn fast and so cute! haha
Over-priced cafeteria food
First time driving a four-wheel drive @ 120km/hr! for 2 hours straight - woohoo

*Hugs* Jenn

So much to do...so little time!

2006-07-10T20:54:00.000+10:00

Hiya!

It's been so hectic this month, I hardly have time to blog anymore! Here's a quick recap on what's happened the past month in pics:

- Comedy Cruise...

- Sass & Bide sale!!!

- Jess' 18th B'day...
- Dinner at Galileo...

- Jess' surprise b'day at Dad's (without sis haha!)...

- Jess 18th b'day dinner AGAIN with Dad at Steamboat =)...

- Peter's B'day Dinner @ Meat&Wine Co...

- Daniel's B'day dinner at Tepenyaki...

- ANOTHER dinner for Jess' 18th b'day at Sheriton 4-Points buffet hehe (her b'day celebration never stops!)...

- Agne's place for drinks...

Looking forward to:

Russell Peter's concert
Skip Trip to Thredbo in 3 weeks!!
MLC High School reunion at Sheriton 4-Points (haha dinner there again yay!)

Happy Birthday Peter

2006-06-19T23:10:00.000+10:00

It’s 11pm and I can’t sleep. This is what ALWAYS happens when I have a 2nd coffee after lunch – haha! Stupid caffeine.

The weekend was great – a big special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby Peter =) I Love You Dear!

Took him out to a poshy buffet (cause I know how much he adores them) at Café Mix at the Shangri La hotel. The most priciest buffet I have ever been too – but it was all worth it! The unlimited lobster, oysters and sushi was my fav and the place had the most gorgeous ambience. A must for you guys if you’re thinking of somewhere nice to dine ;)

I got Peter a bike for his b’day and one for me so I can join him on the track. Spent most of Sunday trying to piece my bike together and a good 4 hours later, an operable bike was transformed! Yay ta-da! You can see we aren’t much the building people haha. His bike is yet to come this weekend and I’m hoping we can go take our bikes for a test run this weekend. *Vroom – Vroom…hmm screeeech*

Take care, share the love and keep eating yummies!

Jenn

P.S. I know, I know – my lack of blogging is showing but then that means I’m super busy getting on with life!! (haha well that’s my excuse ;)

Girly Hunter Valley Trip June06

2006-06-13T13:01:00.000+10:00

Last weekend was so FUUUUNNN!!

We went on our third Girly Surprise weekend getaway and ended up in Hunter Valley! We visited many wine vineyards and tasted everything including Rosemount, Piggy something or other (where we got a sweet dessert wine called “Mother’s Milk” haha!), Oak something..heheha I forget the names!

We stayed in this really nice and cosy vintage B&B accommodation and it was absolutely gorgeous – so many things to look to at and “friendly” communals haha. We spent many hours in our room playing boardgames, having “deep” D&M discussions and just being the girls we are! (which ended up me with “Sorbet” coloured nail polish for the rest of the week) I haven’t laughed this hard in ages!!!

Unforgettable memories:
- Making Truccie look “pretty” hehehehahaha
- Forcing Agnes on the bed and squishing the hell out of her HAHA
- Nattie and her homie “whad up Jenn” heheha
- Playing Mafia and Lynda lying her ass off without getting caught
- Our endless Kareoke singing in the car
- Truc getting drink on ONE SIP of Champagne
- All of us scared shitless watching out for dead and live Kangeroos while driving at night haha
- Super Cool UGG boots + gifts!
- Yummy Jap food at Oishii!!
- Look on Nattie’s face when she got her bday card
- Yummy Mocha’s at our first Macca’s stop
- Sparkly gorgeous ornaments at a bargain price
- Gooey cracking Mud Masks!!
- Marinated Feta cheese – yummo!

A big SUPER GIRLY thanks to Lynda and Agnes for organising such a fun and unforgettable road trip. Photos uploaded! I love you girls - Let’s do it again soon!!!!

*Hugs*
Jenn

Happy 22nd Bday my Truccie!!

2006-05-31T14:32:00.000+10:00

"Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday dear Truccie....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOOOU!"

*Hugs*
Jenn

Congratulations Peter!

2006-05-08T21:20:00.000+10:00

I remember Graduating the same time last year and feeling relief, accomplishment and extreme happiness. Although I had finished exams months prior to the actual ceremony, just to have the certificate in my hand and precious seconds of applause of recognition for my three year Bachelor degree made it all worthwhile.

Today I believe Peter felt the same as he crossed the stage, shook the Vice Chancellor's hand and accepted his Certificate with a grin plastered on his face.

Congratulations Peter - I love you so much and am so very proud of you!

*Hugs*
Jenn

Tribute to a Great Woman

2006-05-04T23:56:00.000+10:00

Life throws us many surprises and today is no exception.

Two hours ago my dad called me and told me my Grandmother had died from the deadly symptom of high blood pressure. It was less than 3 months ago that I had met her for the first time in Vietnam. She was as healthy and active as one expected of a Grandparent, so her death to me seems so surreal.

I don't know what I'm feeling right now - confused, sadness, sympathy, numb. It's so mixed.
She is the first family member that I have personally met who has passed away. Yet I don't feel the need to cry...yet, perhaps I am in shock.

I dedicate this blog entry to her, to a great woman who was caring, thoughtful, accepting and full of humour, and to my family members who are grieving throughout this ordeal. May she rest in peace and may others find closure in her absence.

~Jenn~

Easter Choc-Filled Weekend

2006-04-21T11:47:00.000+10:00

Had a really good 4-Day Easter Weekend Break. Spent lots of money (again) of course, but all worth the food and fun! =)

Went to the Easter show on the Mon with the Pwincesses and spent about 10hours there (yes Morning to Night! haha). We actually got to see the fireworks from the comfort of our Ferris Wheel cart position - and the view was spectacular! Mel was anxiously planning it out so that we'd get on the ride at exactly 9pm so that we'd be able to see the fireworks - excellent timing on her behalf ;)

Had Yum-Cha with Peter, Mum, Sis, Chris and Xena on the Sunday at Canterbury RSL - waiting for over 30min before we were seated and it was all rush-rush. Really nice food so it was worth the wait! Also glad to have spent time with Chris (since I haven't seen him in such a long time!)

Also went out to see a Movie with Mum, Sis and Peter - "She's the man"! Quite funny and interesting typical American acting and plot - but it turned out better than I expected! Not bad for a "PG" rated movie hehe. We also had yummy cafe coffee and food at Sidnees!! =)

Went out to dinner with work mates on the Sat night - we ate at this really nice Spanish restaurant on Kent St. I'm thinking of planning my b'day there next time. Really good food, atmosphere and music =)

Ok that's all I can think of at the moment + I'm tired and we're moving from our floor to a floor below - so everyone is busy and nosily packing up and boxing their belongings.

Looking forward to:

- High School reunion surprise get together
- Starting my own clothing label (so far singlets and pyjamas are on my "To Make" list)
- eBay
- Swan Lake on Ice
- Princess Pamper night
- Uni Girls Catch up
- Anzac Day
- Taking charge of UAT

*HUGS*

Jenn

Dad's finally Married! =)

2006-04-11T11:21:00.000+10:00

Dad’s Wedding is finally over and it was a HUGE success! =) Everyone looked beautiful, the food was divine and the entertainment was classic! Just to see the look on my Dad’s face that night was totally overwhelming. For those of you who use to know my Dad – he was one grumpy serious guy. That night was the first time I’ve seen him so happy in such a long time which made all the help in planning, stress, lack of sleep and bad rumours all worth it! Congratulations to the newlyweds and I officially now have a step-mother, step-sister and step-brother to add to my family tree. =)
*Hugs*
Jenn

P.S. I also went to IKEA on Sunday and bought this massive Pax wardrobe to occupy my already small room – which I believe will hold most of the junk on my floor right now. Haha – don’t you just LOVVVVVVE IKEA?! I know Pumi’s with me ;)

Some $$$ needs to be saved!

2006-04-05T16:14:00.000+10:00

I’m spending too much money – I need to save.
I wanted to see how much I was spending, so last Monday I withdrew $500 out of my bank account to see how long it would last. Haha – it’s all gone! Yep, in 10 days it depleted! Where the money went to – I have NO IDEA! Ok ok, so perhaps some of it may have gone to shopping, food and more shopping. *sighs* Need to save!!

Last Fri night was “Salesforce Idol” at Privilege Bar – Mel’s work function! Spent the night with my best buddies Mel and Jenny. Really fun night with 10 contestants singing their hearts out and OOoOooo a really really cute guy named Alex had this AMAZING voice and the HOT looks to go with it! He should have won – but unfortunately due to some rorted rigging (well that’s what I believe) – another dude who sang rock won. Pl-EASE! It was clear that Alex should have won *dreamy sigh*.

Oooo and this event was so big – they got Cosima (you know! The one from the REAL Australian Idol) to come judge! It was a really good night with lots of drinks and good music. Well worth the $30 we had to pay!

Also have confirmed that I’ll be in Sydney for at least another two weeks – which is FAN-tastic! I have so much to do while I’m here – especially Dad’s wedding this Sat night. Can’t wait to see how the night turns out. Wish me luck guys.

Be good!

Jenn

Softball Stars

2006-03-27T11:37:00.000+11:00

On Saturday the courageous and almighty IBM Softball team turned up at Strathfield Park bright and early at 8am to compete in the Corporate Games. Having only attended 1-2 training sessions - it was time to put our skills and talent to the test!

Our final results:

1st Game: Lost
2nd Game: Won (forfeited - other team didn't show up hehe)
3rd Game: Lost
4th Game: Lost (but it was a close match!)

Hehehehaha OK OK, so we didn't do too well - but it was loads of fun, a great day for Softball on a Saturday and the team was amazingly high-spirited at all times!!! =) Thanks for the fun and memories guys, including:

Jo deciding to 'choose' her moment to run
Bobby bunting illegally
Jenn lost at the bases
Mel's super backstop catches and scoring our first home run!
Jon mentally losing it cos of our silly mistakes
Shane's bowling cricket style
Varun with the perfect pitches
Meeta's oh-so-cute runs
Aaron's perfect catches at 1st base
Catherine's super bating
Christine and her cute "nerves"
Kirit and his gf
Ajay and his wicked fielding

Note to Jon: we did NOT let you down - YOU just need to lighten up =P
Second note to Jon: as you ARE our captain AND coach, please inform us of the proper and complete rules next time ;) Haha!

Third & Special note to Jon: Thanks for organising such a fun event and for getting us top freebie shirts!!!

Jenn

There's no place like Home

2006-03-23T10:41:00.000+11:00

So life as I know it returns to normal. I’ve been back in Syd for a week now and I’m absolutely totally LOVING IT! I got to spend quality time with friends on the weekend as well as last night with Mel and Jenny. They’re SOOOO fun to hang out with. I’d pick them to live on a stranded Island anyday =) I’m also taking time to come home and have dinner with Mum and Sis – ahhh…free yummy home-cooked meal!

We’ve also moved buildings here on Help St. No more lifts breaking down, busted-up air con, dirty/smelly kitchen and stale non-lighted environment. We’ve moved on to a bigger and better work environment! Yay! Everyone is happy with the exception of Rad (who constantly complains about how bad his desk is – although, it’s quite alright) and Jon who is SUPER DUPER happy with his corner scenic view desk (how much he paid Vodafone to get that seat –I have no idea haha!)

There hasn’t been much changes since I’ve been back, except for the fact that my sister can actually drive now (was surprised she was able to stay on her side of the road for once), mum having the time of her life during the week AND the weekend, Dad being super nice to me (since I’m helping him out with his wedding) and I’m starting to eBay again.

I don’t think I’ll be back in NZ for a long while (YES!) – so til then, I’m going to make the most of my time here.

*Hugs for all*
Jenn

Ten top tips for your 20s

2006-03-15T08:15:00.000+11:00

I was checking out my Hotmail and you know when you log out of it, a really annoying nineMSN always pops up with the most un-interesting articles?! This time however, I found something I could relate to - check it out! This is for all you peops who are lazy with their money or just don't give a damn.

Ten top tips for your 20s
Allison Tait

At this stage of life, a mortgage seems like a life sentence and retirement is for really old people. So what should you be doing with your money? Here's your "to do" list for the decade.

1) Aim to learn something

"One of the best things you can do at this stage of life is to look to improve your financial literacy," says Matthew Walker, director of Sydney's WLM Financial Services Pty Ltd. "Read books, take a course, search the Internet or talk to people with experience."

2) Think about tomorrow

So you're scrabbling to buy your lunch today, let alone the rent at the end of the week? While the big ticket tomorrow items such as a mortgage, superannuation and all that other grown-up stuff might seem a long way off, the truth is that it's never too early to set up some shorter term goals. Saving for a car or a holiday is a great way to fast-track a sense of achievement — and it sets up an invaluable habit. Walker suggests putting aside 10 percent of what you earn as a start.

3) Get a habit

Speaking of habits, saving isn't the only one you should be fostering. "Getting together a budget or money plan is the best way to get into the habit of living within your means," say Sheila Freeman and Helene Richards, co-authors of Money Management for Women (UNSW Press).

4) Deal with the 'credit monster'

While it may make you feel better, binning your credit or store card statement without opening it is a recipe for disaster. "Aim to pay off the cards," say Freeman and Richards. "Hit the ones with the higher interest first and always make more than the minimum repayment." It wouldn't hurt to take a look at your spending habits at the same time — earning your first decent pay cheques can bring out the shopaholic in all of us, but stopping for a moment to ask yourself if you really need that 75th handbag might make a difference to your bank balance.

5) Stay at home

If it's at all possible (and pleasurable), consider staying at home with the parents. You won't be alone — heaps of 20-somethings make the financial decision to stay home and get some savings together.

6) Try to do a lot with a little

When you're in your first job and earning what seems like peanuts, it can be hard to get excited about investing. Don't you need to be rich for that? In fact, you need less than you think to get some wealth creation strategies underway. "If you have some money saved, what you do with it depends on when and how you want to use it," says Walker. "If the goal is short-term, invest it in cash, but if it's a longer term, a managed fund or even direct shares might be an option. Whatever the case, look at the opportunities out there. If nothing else, you'll learn from your experiences (positive or negative)."

7) Work out what you want to be when you grow up

While there's no denying that this is the time for experimentation, it's also true that wealth is generally a long-term project. For that reason, it's good to be earning regular cash for as long as possible. Lying on the couch daydreaming about getting rich is not an effective strategy. "Getting established in a career and earning a regular wage should be one of the financial focuses of your 20s," says Freeman and Richards.

8) Read the fine print

"These days, credit is too easy to come by," says Walker. "Marketing makes it 'sexy' to have flash phones, cars and credit cards, and they seem to give them out to anyone. Unless you understand your obligations and/or are disciplined, you can wind up with large bills that can cripple your cash flow."Freeman and Richards agree. "Mobile phones can be a particular problem. Always check the fine print before entering into a contract and be sure you can sustain it financially."

9) Make time work for you

The beauty of being in your 20s is that time is on your side. "People this age can make mistakes and recover," says Walker. "They have time to make more money and save; they have time to compound investments over a reasonably long time-frame." Which means that your savings have a long time to grow into something worthwhile. And the same goes for superannuation — that $10 a week you put in now could make for a very comfortable (or even early!) retirement.

10) Understand your money

The fact is, you're not a kid any more, whether you're 20 and one day, or practically 30. Your finances are your responsibility and there's probably not a Prince (or Princess for that matter) waiting to sweep you off your feet and out of a financial disaster zone. "Focus on learning the true value of money and how to be responsible for your own," says Walker. For more information on WLM Financial Services Pty Ltd, visit www.wlm.com.au. To download an updated version of Money Management for Women ($19), visit www.sheilafreemanconsulting.biz

Jenn

The Better Sibling

2006-03-14T15:48:00.000+11:00

I was thinking about the childhood that I had and realised how sheltered I lived it. I never got to watch the normal TV that most kids got to watch – including Playschool and Sesame Street. I also never really got a Barbie – sure I got weird dolls, or crying babies that shitted when you fed it – but never a Barbie! Ahhh I was so deprived!

Being the oldest has had it’s deprived moments. I couldn’t do the following things while I was growing up:

No boyfriend
No going out past 4pm
No dying my hair full stop
No painting my nails
No watching “AO” now “MA15+” and “R18+” shows
No watching kissing scenes at all times
No swearing
No wearing school skirts above knees
No wearing other than Navy-coloured undies at school (i know - gross)

Ok so that’s a lot of “NO’s” and seriously the list just goes on….! So unfair cos my sister grew up doing all those things and more! Bloody hell – being the oldest has it’s major disadvantages.

But then again when I think about it – I’ve grown up to be the BETTER sibling. Ahh sorry Sis ;)

Jenn

P.S. I can't wait to fly back this Thurs and I also get to stay in Syd for the next week - YAY! =)

Vietnam Photos are up!

2006-03-13T14:14:00.000+11:00

My Vietnam photos are finally up - YAY! =)

Check em out - alllllll 7 albums - alllll 763 Photos! MUhahaha

Thoughts...

2006-03-10T08:42:00.000+11:00

It’s almost 1am in the morning and I can’t sleep. I just realised I’m turning 23 this year.

I have all these thoughts running through my head at the moment – career pending questions. What do I want for this year? How am I going to get where I want to be? How detail should I plan my career out? Should I plan? I’m scared and confused.

I then think of where I am now and wonder if it’s where I really want to be. Am I where I thought I’d be? What do I want? I don’t know.

14 months have passed since I first joined IBM. I was new and naïve. I didn’t know what to expect and took my role as a Graduate for granted. I’m now in my second year of work and I feel like I haven’t progressed much. I feel like I SHOULD have progressed further but as I haven’t acted upon much, it makes sense that I haven’t progressed as far as I would have liked. I need to change.

I need to change my way of thinking. I need to think about my career more seriously and I need to plan out what I want out of this job. Who do I want to be? What role do I want to play in this corporate world? I need to set it out, be more professional and I need to act now.

I’m taking my first “career-setting” action today and will see how it goes. Wish me luck! I wonder if maturity will heighten because of this. Perhaps so.

Jenn

Today the sun will rise
And life will bloom.
The world will work
As I sit in my corner and ponder
About the way things are.
Midday will set
And stomachs will be filled
With shared laughter.
The sun will fall
With the world at its knees.
And you will retire
With sadden eyes
To the comfort of sighs
And think, is this all?
Is this all to the risen sun?

Girly QLD Trip Feb06

2006-03-08T09:33:00.000+11:00

I just realised that I haven’t blogged about our girly QLD trip! Gosh – I’m getting really forgetful these days (sign of old age creeping up on me haha).

The Gorgeous Girls

Our surprise 3 Day weekend getaway was loads of fun! Since Nattie and I organised it – none of the girls knew where we were going! So it was quite surprising for them when we made them rock up at my place at 7am and then headed off to the airport! Haha Loser Lynda packed her things into this green Santa-like SACK! Gawd – seriously Lynda! *rolls her eyes*

Memorable moments of the trip:

Lynda and her Santa Sack
Telling the girls we’re staying in a backpackers hostel – then surprising them again with our nice apartment =)
Owning our own Nissan Pulsar for 3 Days!
Shopping!!!
Iced Coffees @ Jamaica Blue (Yummo – we got addicted!)
Truccie “night walking” into Agnes during the night haha!
Yummy Buffet Dinner at the Gold Coast International Hotel!
Last Dreamworld ride made everyone sick (except me – hehe!)

Painting our nails – putting make up on!
Successfully making Risotto dinner for all
Day Trip @ South Stradbroke Island: Tube riding, kayaking in the pelting rain with
Truccie and swimming in our own ‘private pool’
Dancing at random night clubs

Agnes enjoying the music!

Lynda disappearing at the Beach at night – some guy randomly pissing on the sand in front of us (yuK!)
Couldn’t stop laughing at Infinity - soo FUN!
Getting matching Diamonte named Bands (a bit sad but cute!)

We had a budget of $100 each…but then it kinda went outta hand, and we all ended up spending bout $450 each haha! Quite cheap for an interstate trip for 3 days I thought =)

I can’t wait for our next Girly Surprise Trip! We’re planning on having one every 6 weeks or so – the next one should be coming up in early May (Lynda/Agnes – you guys better organise a better trip hehe!)

Ok over and out!

Jenn

I want the NEW Honda Civic!

2006-03-07T13:32:00.000+11:00

Gosh remind me never to write anything personal in here anymore. The news of Peter and I getting back together spread so fast! Did anyone read/care about the other events in my life?! Haha.

I can now officially call myself independent! *Bright lights and Music* For the first time in my life, I had takeaway dinner alone in my hotel room. Not only was it yummy (Korean), but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. So there you go – another first ;)

Quite funny the night when I checked in cos when I opened the door to my room, there was this funny noisy, blue electric corded box, with fancy blue light coming out from the sides right in the middle of my room! I kinda freaked out cos it looked like a bomb or nuclear reacting object to me – so I called Reception. Haha it turns to be some “ionising” equipment, but pL-ease, could be a spy camera for all I know! What do you guys think?

Also, the BRAND NEW Honda Civic came out this week – I soooOoOo want one! I can’t believe I bought my Civic brand new 14months ago, and then they bring out this whole new range of civics. WaaHhHh! Wonder if I’ll be crazy enough to trade in my Civic for this one – hmms *ponders excitedly* Haha! Agnes is getting one soon – sooo JeALOus!

I’m also not feeling too well the past few days – having this major upset stomach that is on and off all day. *silently prays to get better soon*

My thought of the day:

On my trip to Vietnam, I got to know my mum and sis a lot better. I realised that we weren’t spending enough time as a family and I am grateful that I have them to support, love and care for me and I appreciate all they have done. Two Thumbs Up! =)

Mum, Sis & I

Back in NZ already!

2006-03-02T21:36:00.000+11:00

We made it!

12 days in Vietnam and now we're back here alive, safe, darker and FATTER in Sydney =)! I've had the most extraordinary experiences the past two weeks and I can't wait to go again!

The final few days of our trip, I finally got to meet my Grandmother (Mum's) and stayed with my aunties for two nights. The place was quite nice compared to the surrounding residents - 3 storeys high.

Can you believe I’m back in NZ already?! Had a quick catch up session with the girls on the weekend on my return from Vietnam and straight away – I’m back to NZ again. Gosh! =P

I really don’t want to be here right now. I’m tired, lonely and I miss my family and I miss all of you guys in Sydney.

Oooo my Dad is also getting married in a month and I’ve been chosen to be one of the bridesmaids (along with Pandora and Sis). Can you believe it?! How exciting! Spent Sunday shopping round for a dress and decided on Baby Pink dresses for all of us. Haha – how typical! =) It sorta looks like this but without the straps. We look really cute when all of us is wearing it.

Oh and the biggest news of all – Peter and I are back together now. Which is another reason why I want to stay back in Syd! After a long conversation and a whole 2 months of pondering – I decided to go with how I really feel and just “Go with the flow”. I care about him deeply and I can’t imagine being with anyone else but him at the moment. So if we’re both happy together – then I shouldn’t think too far and just let it be.

I also met Truccie in Vietnam and we caught up for lunch before I headed back to the airport. I miss her already and I hope she’s having a blast. Speaking of Vietnam – I have soooo many photos to upload. Y’know I ended up taking 2000 – yes that’s 2000 photos all up! Haha – sooo SnApPy HaPpY! Hahahaha – so I need to pick the ones that are really nice and will upload them soon. I’ve decided against ‘writing’ about my whole trip and will let my photos do the story-telling instead =)

Truccie and Me in Vietnam - Yay! =)

My grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins were the bomb! They reminded me of Vietnam versions of my parents (weird I know) and we were really sad to say goodbye to all of em. Wish we could have stayed longer =) Even though Vietnam was super dirty and ‘dodgy’ at times – I really liked it!! Hehe (hmms..wonder if that says something about me – haha)

Me, Sis, Grandmother, Grandfather (Dad's side of the family)

My cousins, me and sis (Yes that's me in a "I LOVE BOYS" Tee)

Ok this blogging is making me feel better – starting to make me forget about not wanting to be here. Justine is here with me this week – which is good! I’ll have a lunch/dinner buddy for the week – Yay! It’s gonna be so weird without Adrian here - hope all is well in his new role at NAB (*cough*TRAITOR*cough* haha)

Missing you all lots

Jenn

Vietnam - Da Lat

2006-02-25T22:32:00.000+11:00

Sinh Giao (hmms - is that how you spell it?! haha) from Vietnam - Da Lat!

This week has been absolutely AMAZING! I am having the best time ever. I still can't believe that I'm here in South Vietnam. I wish there was more time to blog everything that I've seen, smelt, tasted and heard - but there's just no time at all!

Our seven day tour comes to an end tomorrow and I'll be in Soc Trang hanging out with the relos! It'll be the first time ever I'll see my Grandparents and all the many "15 or so" aunties and uncles and the many many "30 or so" cousins. Will definitely be an experience I won't forget.

I'm blogging at the moment in the Da Lat Post Office - which is so conveniently located opposite the 4-Star Novotel Da Lat Hotel! =) It's soooo slow - they still use dial up here, but I shouldn't complain cos I should be lucky that they even HAVE internet access here. And it's so cheap - only costs 2,000 dong/hour (which is equivalent to about $0.17/hr AU)!

The unforgettable differences that I've encountered while here in Vietnam include:

Crazy traffic - seriously there are NO RULES here! Everyone just drives anywhere and only gives way to people if they think they're about to be hit. I was in total shock when I got into my first vehicle
Ooo - crossing the roads are also EXTREMELY difficult. I almost nearly got ran over numerous times!
Everything is SUPER CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP - no joke! I've bought soo much crap this week and it's only cost me so far $100AU!
There are soo many beggars here and we're constantly being told to look after our belongings and be aware of pick-pocketers =P
The lifestyle living here is simple and it makes you appreciate what you have back in Syd
You have to BARGAIN ur ass off here. We look different (ie. tourists and not one of the locals) so when you ask them for the price of something - they always DOUBLE the real price. So you HAVE to BARGAIN or you'll get majorly ripped off!!!! Even if it is already super cheap! haha
The food here is soo yummy - I've been eating like a pig! No joke - I reckon I will have gained an extra 2Kgs when I come back. I'll definitely miss the food here *pouts*
The Craft & Arts are to envy - the things the people here actually make from hand is absolutely gorgeous!

Everywhere has been absolutely beautiful! I'm seriously considering the possibility of living here. If I had to choose between the places we've visited (Saigon, Nha Trang and Da Lat) - I would choose Da Lat. Da Lat = Mountains! The houses here are "French" developed and are really beautiful. The weather here is also very cool and not humid at all compared to the other places.

I can't wait to show you all the beautiful photos that I've taken - the places I've been too have been breath-taking, especially for a country that has suffered so much from the war.

Ok my itinerary today was:

First stop to the top of a mountain (I seriously can't remember the name cos it's in complex Viet haha - will have to get back to you on the names of these places) where we got to see an AMAZING view of the little villages below in Da Lat. We were really high up, with a plane-like view below and it looked like we could touch the clouds!
We then visited a Silk Embroidery Factory and actually see the talent and hand embroidering of the Vietnamese people. The work was absolutely beautiful - I can't stress the time, quality and effort that they put into their work (and once agan, super cheap!) A silk embroidered painting that takes 6months to embroider, everyday for 8 hours, costs only $100AU - and it's sooo gorgeous!
We also visted the Love Valley - where back in the past, this valley separated two different villages and was the point of exchange of goods as well as "ahem" - men/women?! hehe it was THE place to find your true love!
We had lunch at this really fancy restaurant and the food once again was absolutely amazing!
The "Sighing" Lake was next - story goes that a man and a woman loved each other deeply but was not allowed to be together and hence, together they drowned themselves in the lake so that they could be together forever. Today when there is a lot of wind - you can hear a sighing sound. Quite sad actually. =)

I'm tired - so much blogging and it's 7pm here now. Time to go night shopping and eat yummy food. Will try and blog later. Til then - hope everyone is safe and happy in Sydney!

Lotsa *Hugs*

Jenn

P.S. Hi to all who commented on my last blog - I care!! =)

BIG Hello from Singapore!

2006-02-20T15:48:00.000+11:00

Good Afternoon all!

I'm currently at Changi Airport in Singapore, waiting for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City. I'm so bloody excited! I'm currently at this free, yes FREE Internet Kiosk writing out my blog. Soo cool! I only have 15min - so this blog has to be quick! So much too say, soo little time - arggh!!

We arrived in Singapore on Sat - after a long 8hr flight. I TOTALLY LOVE LOVE LOVE Singpore Airlines. We got to eat sooo much on the plane and because the row in front of us was free, mum got to sleep most of the way.

We stayed at the Riverview Hotel - on first arrival appearance was like "Wow - POShY!" - but appearances are DEFINITELY deceiving! It has got to be the WORST hotel I've stayed in - bathroom was dirtier than usual and the whole place stunk of moss. Haha! Thnk gawd we didn't stay there for too long.

After we checked-in, Mum, sis and I went out to explore the city - caught a taxi to Orchard Road. Ooo before I continue I'll just note down the obvious differences we've encountered when we arrived! Singapore is unique to:

Ice Cream Sandwiches
Super CHEAP taxis (seriously, they were charging like 10cents/min haha!)
Shopping closes only when there's no one left - ie, closes SUPER late - Yay!
Food is super cheap too! and fresh and yum
There are couples EVERYWHERE
Lots and lots and lots of yummy boys - need to find myself a Singapore Husband! haha

Anyways, so we went along Orchard Rd (main shopping street) - made a few purchases from this Myer-like department store. Their clothes are really different - I bought a "Turn me on" black Tee (really funny - u have to see), sis bought a Mickey Mouse T-Shirt & Mum bought an over priced belt. Ooh, also Mum went NUTS with food - she bought EVERYTHING that we walked by that looked yummy - lots and lots of snacks. We had to throw some of the cakes we bought at "Bread Talk" - sheesh!

OMG - just realised I only have 3 min left to continue blogging - need to save this.

We then headed off to Chinatown and did lots of souvenier shopping (Note to the girls: YES I bought you all gay keyrings hahaha). Dinner was on one of the alley roads - really good atmosphere - with lighted lanterns down the alley. We ordered: SingRay (my first time ever - quite nice actually), Massive King Prawns, Stir fry vege, "La-La" ie, Pippies! and coconut juices. Everything looked really nice - however, they all turned out to be SUPER SUPER SPICY - HOT & BLooDY ChiLLI!!!!! Hehehe - taste was different, but I don't know if it was because of the spicey-ness.

We then headed out to Clarke Quay (Darling Harbour equivalent) and went on this River Cruise Boat - which took us on a scenic ride of Singapore at night.

Sunday we woke early. Our first night together in a hotel room went better than I expected. Mum did her usual "I Can't Sleep" rantings and kept bugging Jess and I all night "Where are the sleeping tablets?!" But we all ended up getting at least 6 hrs of sleep each. We had yummy Buffet Breakfast downstairs in the hotel, and because we were Singapore Stopovers, we get 50% off! Only cost us S$10 ech person for all you CAN EAT! And did we eat! haha!

Sentosa Island - here we come! Caught a taxi to Harbourfront Tower for our cable car ride into Sentosa. Mum was so funny cos she's afraid of heights and held on to the handrail and refused to look down.

Sentosa was THE BEST ever. Activities we went on included:

Luge (mum totally LOVED IT! I was surprised she actually gave it a go - way to go mum! Needless to say, we raced and I won, then mum and Jess came last. What the..?! Can't believe mum beat you babes! hehe)
Cinemania (rocking 3D chair thing)
Dolphin Show
Underwater world ( they had the BIGGEST fish ever, and the coolest display of big spider-like crabs

I can't think of anymore with the limited time that I have - will add more later =) We then did more shopping at the Harbour Front shopping complex. Mum bought shoes, me another top. Ooo we had noodles for dinner! It was soo sooo sooo yummy! They made the noodles fresh in front of you and it was De-LI-Cious! SO funny cos mum loved it so much she dreamt about it that night. hehehe we took a little vid of the noodle-stretching making dude - so oblivios to it.

Woke up this morning for more yummy buffet brekkie and am now waiting for the plane. I'm sooo tired from standing here and blogging. Will blog more once I get the chance. I know I know - there's no photos. Will put them up when I get the chance.

Lots of Hugs and Having a Blast here!

Jenn

Spooked OUT!!

2006-02-10T07:53:00.000+11:00

Good Spooky Morning to all!

This week in Auckland has been quite mild compared to last week when Shane was over. Honestly, I think we only go late nights and “wild” when someone visits us here in NZ (thank gawd, else I’d be Panda-Eyed and walking “Zombie-like” all day at work. Hehe =)

The Brave: Jacques, Adrian, Lawrence, Mark, JL, Yazhi, Josh, Munik, Chrisitian, Me

Last night we went to Spookers, which was located in the former Nurses Hostel in the Kingseat Hospital grounds, Karaka. If you guys are really interested on what it’s all about, check it out at: http://www.spookers.co.nz/

Josh in his MINI JOSH MOBILE

Josh drove us in his “Mini Josh Mobile!!” Hahaha – love the name, had to blog it in =) Ooo also a big thanks for driving us dude!!

Mark - poor thing!

I was scared SHITLESS! No joke – the whole place was so realistic it took my mind a bit to focus on the fact that it was fake. Our first stop was in the house itself (well, I really wouldn’t call it a house – more like a haunted mansion =P). We arrived a bit early – so we decided to hang out in the cafeteria waiting for darkness to approach. We though we were safe – but oh no, there were “THEM” in the there too. They had a good time stroking our necks and backs, whispering scarey shit. The fat lady even screamed out at JL! Gawd – it was scary! =P

Me & "Semi-Cute" Monster

We could only walk together as a group of 5 each, and each room was dark and creepy – some were even really gross. Hehe I was with Jacques, Adrian, JL and Munik. Munik and I sacrificed the boys to go first each time we entered a new room. There were actor popping out of everywhere from the ground to the top – and they jump out and stroke you, whisper to you – sometimes even corner you for a bit to speak to you how they were going to “eat you alive, suck my eyes out..” and all that jazz.

Mark kept abusing them

Josh with the "I'm not scared" look!

We then went into the “Forest of Fear” – yes it really was outside in a forest with rain spitting down on us. There were people from all places jumping out at you – and also faking to be a prop – but then jumping at you screaming like mad. Gawd – soooo freaky! Had to carry my flashlight close to me – cos I was sooo scared. Munik, Mark, Christian

Overall, it was lots of Fun and A definite must visit if you’re ever here in Auckland ;)

A big THANKS to Yazhi for organising such an awesome event! You’re THE BEST!!!

I’m really excited about the Girly Weekend trip that starts tomorrow – will tell all when I return. Til then, have an awesome weekend and get yourself ScArEd. In Josh’s own words – “I like being scared – gives me an adrenaline rush”.

“Spooked Out”,
Jenn

Happy Bday Pumi!!!

2006-02-08T07:36:00.000+11:00

Hi All!

Weekend home in Sydney was great!

Started off Sat night with another MLC High School reunion with the girls – 11 of us turned up which was super good. So I got to meet up with most of the girls – haven’t seen them in sooooo long! We had dinner at Wagamama’s@Cockal Bay Wharf. Let me just tell you that they DO NOT serve authentic Jap food (I’m now an ‘expert’ on Jap food as it’s now one my most FAV asian eat-outs). Mel, Jenny, Lily (my cuz) and I ended up arriving ON TIME and had to wait – no joke, 45MIN!!! for everyone else to get there. We tried to pass time by ordering two entrees and fresh fruity drinks.

Lily & Me @ Wagamama

Sarah, Mel @ Wagamamas

Jenny, Loretta, Renee, Sena @Wagamamas

When the other girls arrived - we kinda felt bad for even having ordered the entrées, that we hid all the empty plates and bowls underneath the table. Quite funny actually cos when the waiter walked by, I told him about our secret hide-away cutlery stash and tried to have him clear it secretly without the others noticing. Steph wasn’t really impressed cos she saw the whole ordeal (having had to sit right next to it). Haha!

Gastronomic Rainbow 12 Scoop bowl of Ice-Creamery

We then headed out to have Ice-Cream at French Riveria (they’ve moved from Double Bay to the City) and we ordered 2 Gastronomic Rainbow size (12 Scoops) bowls of ice cream! No joke – it was MASSIVE, check photo!! There were 9 of us left (Michelle and Sena ditched us for an early train ride home) - we decided to have an ice-cream eating competition. The team who lost (or who couldn’t finish their bowl of ice-cream) would settle the bill. We split the teams as so:

Ready, Set...DIG!

Team 1: Loretta, Lily, Sarah, Steph
Team 2: Jenn, Mel, Jenny, Renee, Mark (we had to get two extra scoops from the other team cos of our extra member)

Mel & I: "Who needs a spoon?!"

The other team got their ice cream bowl first so they happily dug into the mountain of coldness! We got ours a bit later and it looked HEAPS bigger than theirs. They managed to finish their mountain and slurped away the melted crap that was left on the bottom of the bowl. Our team on the otherhand have toooo much “Class”, so we decided against the idea of disgustingly “slurPing’ our remains of the melted ice cream and came to an agreement to forfeit from the bet…..hmms OK OK! so we couldn’t finish our bowl of ice-cream. We were too full and bloated to exhaustion! We lost and had to pay up for our lack of “ice cream lovery” – ironic since we called the bet in the first place. Haha!

Our mushy crap leftover

Sunday was Pumi’s B’day. A big HUmUNGA HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU PUMI!!! We met up for pre-drinks and lunch at the Clock Hotel pub@Surry Hills. Service was quite slow but the food was a bit better than normal pub food. Pumi bought a bottle of champagne – and it wasn’t even 1pm yet! *cough*Alcoholic*cough* =)

Brunch @Clock Hotel Surry Hills

Lots & lots & lots and LOTS of PEOPLE!

We then headed off to watch the cricket at the SCG – Australia Vs South Africa. It was my first time ever watching the cricket live…actually first time I’ve watched more than 5min of cricket in my life! I was really intrigued and got into the game after a few first initial bats. Thanks to Milan, I learnt the rules of the game in about 10min! =) It would have been better if we weren’t directly exposed to the sun the entire time. I’m actually burnt and brown *pouts*. But the day was perfect and it couldn’t have been better for cricket!

Saloni & Pumi

Pumi had invited quite a few people too – I believe she bought 30 tickets all up and most of us were dressed in a red t-shirt and all wearing these “rice picking” hats. So as a group – we looked awesome! I also believe we were on TV a couple of times during the game. Wooohoo my 5min of fame - I’m famous! Who wants my autograph? ;)

Me, Nadine, Adrian, Milan, Pumi

I’m really excited about this weekend! We have our first SurPrise Weekend getaway with the girls!! Nat and I are organising this one – so it’s a big joint one. We’ve decided that every 6 weeks (if financials and time permit), we’ll organise a surprise trip for everyone. This weekend is the first and I’m ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY HYPED up about it. Will blog about it when I return and let you guys in on what we’ve planned ;)

The other really big thing that’s happening for me right now is my long awaited trip to VIETNAM! Everything is booked and we’re off on the 18th Feb for two weeks! I’m soooo bloody excited about this trip too – my first time there and meeting my Grandparents. Took me a lot of stress, time and sweat to plan this altogether, so my mum, sis and I are off next Sat! Will definitely blog about that once I return.

Ok that’s way too much blogging from me – til later!

*Hugs*

Jenn

Much to Blog...

2006-02-07T10:04:00.000+11:00

Hi Guys!
This is my blog from Saturday - weekend blog is coming up. Oh, and photos will be added shortly ;)

Bobby is so funny at times – look at this:

Bobby Li it is because I DO know how much shane loves, so much so that I had to leave the project, it was affecting my work performance.

Heheha and that was quoted on Sametime. It’ll be weird not having Bobby and Mel leaving the Vodafone project now. Varun is also leaving us – moving on to the Optus project. Really sad to see them go – but I guess it was bound to happen in time.

Last night we went to Kareoke with Adrian, Mark, Munik and Christian. Mark is sooo HiLARIOUS when it comes to Kareoke – you have to experience it for yourself. He’s really good at the Ricky Martin songs cos he puts full emotion, facial expressions (and by this I mean “Constipated Eye-Squinting” looks haha) and voice expressions (think Michael Jackson) when he sings. Christian and I were mocking him during Kareoke – soooo funny! All three of them are Phillipino so it makes sense that they LOVE Kareoke. It’s always fun going with them =)

I’m on the way back to Sydney now with Adrian – on a small Qantas plane. First time I’ve ever been on a plane this small travelling from Auckland. It only has three seats on the left and three on the right – with just ONE aisle down the middle. It’s meant to be screening “Pride & Prejudice” at the moment – but due to some “technical difficulties” (in my terms, it means we haven’t got the movie), they’re showing an episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond” instead.

Ooo also noteworthy to mention I got to hang out at the Qantas Club (cos Adrian’s got membership) – and ate lots of cold salad food, coffee and coke. I’m really full now so I don’t know how I’m going to finish the meal they’re about to serve.

I’m so glad that I’m flying back this weekend – don’t think I can handle the long weekend in Auckland by myself, especially with no one there really to hang out with. I don’t know who I’m going to hang out with when Adrian is gone. It’ll be so weird – I wonder if I’ll be able to cope finally on my own. Independency has a price – Hmmms!

I’m soo Soo SOO addicted to “House” at the moment – I grabbed the first 11 episodes off Denise last week and I’ve already finished watching it. She’s got the next 11 episodes so I might get it off her this weekend. I can’t wait! I plan on buying an external Hard Drive to deposit all these movies onto – a 500GB Lacie one costs about $700 (might be cheaper on eBay I’m hoping). She also has Prison Break and Lost – must get off her and become a vegetable couch and watch these episodes allllll day =)

This weekend, my itinerary includes:

Sat night: High School reunion (another one) with more peeps, perhaps Bamboo?
Sun Day: Yum-Cha with Mum & sis, then lunch and cricket for Pumi’s Bday
Sun Night: Warrick Farm festival
Mon Day: Take Adrian out to explore the wonders of Syd – haha. Meet up with Denise perhaps for brunch and to grab the movies off her?
Mon Night: Fly back to Auckland for another week at work.

*Hugs*

Jenn

All About Shane

2006-02-03T08:28:00.000+11:00

Tonight I had dinner with just Adrian – Shane decided to hit the gym and work out his arms and go for a swim ;) We tried a new place to eat this time – a Korean Restaurant just around the corner from the Langham. Mega Cheap – but the food to me seemed somewhat “sweet”. OD’ed on Sugar - Strange I tell ya!

Me having a go at this Drum Thing - I was pretty good at it ;)

We then met up with “Beefed-Up” Shane to play a bit of air hockey down at the Metro and Adrian FINALLY has met his competitive match, cos he lost his first NZ Air Hockey game to Shane, 3-9. We soon came to realise that not only Shane was good at that, he was also good at Basketball AND Pool! Talk about a man with many sporty talents.

Adrian & Shane - OoOoo tension

We then headed off to play some pool at a bar down at the Metro and he ended up entering the Pool Competition there! Pretty exciting stuff cos he’s pretty good at it. First round he took on this Gothic-looking dude, who brought along his own Cue! Too bad he ended up losing to Shane. However in the next game Shane ended up losing to this Kiwi-tall chic – it was a close game, but it just wasn’t meant to be *pouts*. Good fun to watch and cheer him on though ;)

The three of us then went to grab some liquid at Starbucks (Chai Tea for Adrian and I – and for Shane…a kids Hot Choccie drink!) It was funny cos the chic at the counter was like “We don’t normally sell the “Kid’s Drink” to adults, but this time it’s OK”). Pretty ironic cos Adrian and I were going on about how Shane came to NZ as an innocent young Boy and after a night out at Globe Bar, he’ll be leaving NZ as a Man. Haha! Yep tonight was really all about Shane =) We’ll be sad to see him leave tomorrow – BooOooO!

Yummy Liquid!

Jenn’s thought for the week:

I’ve heard a lot of people say that only real “Beauty comes from within”. I believe the reason people say that comment is because they make an Excuse for their insecurity of their so called “lack of outer beauty”. If deep inner Beauty was the “Real Thang”, then why do those people who commented this spend so much time in front of a mirror trying to cover flaws and enhance the appearance?

Seriously, if you’re beautiful on the inside in the eye of the beholder – then you will definitely be beautiful on the outside too ;) And no, you’re not fat!

Miss Backpacker @GLOBE

2006-02-02T08:23:00.000+11:00

Good Morning all!!

Third week in NZ for this year and counting =)
Shane’s over here at the moment – so we’re taking him out to see the “highlights” of Auckland. Last night was heaps good – we had yummy Thai for dinner at “Mai Thai” and then we went down to “Globe Bar”, and as most of the Vodafone guys who have travelled to NZ know, it’s THE place to be on a Wed night. “MISS BACKPACKER NIGHT!!!”

So a bunch of chics are picked at the bar to enter into this competition – 6 to be exact and they’re given a bunch of dares to do until the last chic stands. And she wins HEAPS of stuff like- $200 cash, $60 Bar tab and some $300 holiday tour thing here in Auckland.

The dares started off with:
- Barcardi Breezer skulling competition (with one chic drinking OJ cos she was on antibiotics – pfft – wateva!)
- Best Skipping (Boobs bouncing)
- Best Pole Dancing

And then it got REAL dirty with:
- Crunchie Sucking
- Girl-on-girl kissing
- Stripping!!

So yep – interesting night. Shane was really excited though (wants to go to "Miss Backpacker" night everytime he's here haha) – he got picked up by this old dude at the bar who kept asking him if he could buy Shane a drink. SoOoOO Hilarious!!

We then headed out to “Margherita’s” which make the coolest “FLaMinG Shots!” – where both Adrian and Shane had a go at. The place was quite dead, so after a Jug of Beer and a tall glass of my fav Cranberry & Vodka – we headed back to Globe which was packed out and danced =) OOOOoooo also worthy to mention – Shane and I had a beer skulling competition and I won! Woohoo! =) I have a witness, so I’m not lying ;)

I went home at about 12:30 cos I was sooo buggered, but the guys stayed out playing pool til 2am.

Sooo jealous right now cos Jenny got to go to the Backstreet Boys concert and got to sit front row on the side, which was really really close to them. So close, she got to touch em!!! My gawd – so jealous!! hehehe

Ok one of my friends bailed out on me for the 50cent concert for Fri 17th Feb! Anyone interested – let me know ;)

*Hugs*

Jenn

Lotsa "FIRSTs"

2006-01-31T14:58:00.000+11:00

*WAVES*!

Ok lot’s of blogging to catch up on for this weekend. A lot of “FIRST Experiences” this weekend =)
Right now I’m on the plane heading to Auckland – sitting in row 39J with the window seat right next to me empty. Yay! Lot’s of room to spread my things out – who says you can’t travel First Class style in Economy Class?! Haha!

Came home on Thurs night and was really happy to see mum and sis again. We talked about travelling to Vietnam, and guess what?! We’re finally going! =) Well, we haven’t booked anything yet, but my arm is super sore from the Hep A/B Vaccination I had to get for the trip ($65 for me and $115 for my sis – pfft!) No one actually suffers from the needle unless it was really REALLY required. Just waiting on Sis’ passport to come in and we’re booking flights and tours ASAP =)

Mel & Jenny @ Maroubra

Went surfing for the first time on Friday with Mel and Jenny at Maroubra Beach (my first time there also). It was SUPER fun and Maroubra beach is totally awesome – not too many people and way cleaner than the other Syd beaches I’ve been to. The lesson went for 2 hrs, with the instructor giving us advice on where to look out for good/bad surfing areas along the beach. There weren’t that many waves, so in the whole two hours that I was there, I only caught 3 really good ones! It was pretty hard trying to stand up once you’ve got the wave – but the feeling of riding one was such a RuSh. I definitely recommend it to all if you haven’t tried surfing. Also, it ended up being really cheap (cos Mel had this Buy one get One free voucher) – so it only cost us $35 each for the 2 hours in the end. BARGAIN! =)

The Lovely Ladies

Spent Fri night with the Uni girls celebrating Agnes’ 22nd B’day. We had dinner at a chinese restaurant called Mushu at Bondi. The place was super nice, romantic and very different. But beware, the price is $$$$$$$$$. So unless you’re there to celebrate something special, I wouldn’t recommend going there just out of whim ;) We ordered lots to eat and I don’t know how to describe it, but each dish was “SeXy”. You have to try it to see what I mean. The really strange thing was that it was the first chinese restaurant I’d ever been to that DIDN’T have asian chefs/waiters/waitresses etc.. Not one asian in sight! =)

Agnes, Truccie & Me (I'm all sunburnt! *pouts*)

Nattie, Lynda, Agnes, Truccie @ Mushu

We also bought her a cake, but the waiter was like “It will cost you $7.50 each to have your cake in our restaurant” and we were like “As If!” (Sorry Agnes hehe) – so after dinner, we ended up going real tight to “7-Eleven” to purchase plastic spoons/forks and a lighter (thanks to Lynda for the sparkles) and headed down to the beach to celebrate. It was soo funny! Let me tell you – we ended up having the best time ever! We lit the sparklers and went nuts dancing wit em on the beach. Truccie got the whole thing on camera – soo funny! And then we just “AtTaCkEd” the Chocolate Mouse Cake (courtesy of Michele Pattiserie) with our cheapo plastic cutlery and pigged-out! We surprisingly finished half the cake between us (it was a big cake!).

Yummy Choccie Mouse Cake

My Truccie

Afterwards we went to “Sublime” at Home – total trance that night (my first time ever – another first ;). A bit pooey cos I didn’t bring my sneakers, Truccie came in heels (of course) and Lynda in loose thongs. We did well til bout 1:30am when we had enough of “UMPF UMPF” music – which we then left Agnes and her friends to continue with their “aerobic syle” dancing ;) Loads of fuN!

Denise & Me @ Darling Harbour

Spent Sat day with Denise (super sweet friend from highschool – we go wayyy back, Year 4 to be precise =) and had really nice food again at one of my FAV seafood restaurants at Darling Harbour “Jordan’s Seafood”. I totally ADORE that place and as the weather was soo beautiful that day, it made lunch even more better =) We also got our fav BOOSTS and had a romantic walk along Darling Harbour – aww super relaxing!

Yummy Food @ Jordan's Seafood Restaurant

Sat night spent catching up on a “little late” MLC Reunion with Steph, Vatsla, Bettie and Mel. I think this has got to be one of the funnest reunions we’ve had yet! I think it’s because of the smaller group size that made it better. I got to catch up with all during Japanese dinner at “Ichi-Ban” in Galleries of Victoria in the city! It was yummy and cheap – appreciated it so much due to the super expensive eat-outs the 2 days before. We then headed out to Kareoke World where surprisingly everyone sang their hearts out =) – “*Since you’ve been gone….>>!!” Haha! The rest of the night was spent at George’s Café in Burwood til almost 1am chatting, bitching and gossiping ;)

Buddy Bettie, Steph & Mel (Vaxy running late)

Me enjoying my Pork Jap Noodle Soup + Green Tea Cappucino (YuM!!) @Ichi-Ban

Bettie, Vatsla, Mel @ George's Cafe Burwood

Sun Day – Happy Chinese New Year – Chuc Muong Nam Moi – Gung Hei Fat Choi!!! Spent the whole day with the family, visiting my uncle’s place, going to the massive Temple at Wetherill Park and getting lots of Red Pocket. All up, I pocketed a total of $170! Woohoo!

"Phuoc Hue" Temple Entrance

Mum & Sis

Sun night was spent with Dad, Sophie, Sis, Pandora and Eric at “Pioneer” chinese restaurant in Bankstown. We had yummy Quail, Steamed fish and Vegetarian dishes. There was also really cool Kareoke equipment there which we spent til 1:30am singing our butts off to English and Vietnamese songs.

Dinner @ Pioneer Seafood Restaurant Bankstown

Monday I spent most of the day running around trying to get my Sis’ passport in as soon as possible, got our vaccinations, met up with Peter and headed out to the airport where – *PheW* – I finally get to rest.

A Super Filled Weekend with lotsa Super Fun ;) – Now how CORNY did that sound? hahaha

*Hugs*

Jenn

Excited about this weekend!!! =)

2006-01-25T08:17:00.000+11:00

I'm sooooo excited about this weekend coming up. Here's my planned itinerary when I return to Sydney...

Thurs night: Spend quality time with Mum/Sis and Call Agnes to wish her a massive Happy Bday!
Fri Day: Surfing lessons with Mel and Jenny @ Maroubra, then yummy beach lunch (*fingers crossed* for awesome weather)
Fri Night: Celebrating Agnes Berfday -Dinner with my 5 fav girls then off to Subbies@Home we go! =)
Sat Day: Happy Chinese New Year!! - Sleep in, catch up with sis, visit relatives (lots of red pocket *ca-ching*)
Sat Night: Dinner with MLC Friends reunion @ Wagamama, then Bamboo@Martin Place Bar with the girls - Mel, Agnes?
Sun Day: Yum-Cha or Pancakes on the Rocks with Mum & Sis
Sun Night: Dinner with old friends - Ally, Jason..? - Else Dinner with Dad =)
Mon Day: (NZ Public Holiday) - Pack and fly back to NZ *pouts* - Squeeze in precious Chris for major updates

For all those who haven't had the "Privilege & Honour" to meet my fav *~GoRgEouS~* chics - *drom roll* here they are...;)

Truccie, Agnes, Nattie, Me, Lynda - Darling Harbour

Jenny, Me, Mel - Fiji

50 Cent - "Get Rich or Die Tryin"

2006-01-24T09:35:00.000+11:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE 50 Cent!! I can’t wait to see his concert (I got FRONT ROW elevated seats - Yay!) – but for now, I indulged for 2 hours with his movie “Get Rich or Die Tryin” movie tonight. He’s sooo cute and sooo BUFF! Yummmmmmmmy! 8/10 for the movie ;) What do you guys think of 50 Cent?

Thought of the week:

There comes a time when you sit back and realise that so much has changed in your life that you don't even realise it! I mean - just like that, your friends have moved on or changed, you've made new friends and lost some old ones - or you just don't take the initiative to keep in touch.

Your perception on relationships and love is manipulated by your experience. You'll find the need to become more independent and financially stable. You'll begin to notice the marks of ageing and think to yourself "What have I contributed?"

Your maturity develops and you start to see and think things in another way. You may find yourself with nothing to do, working your ass off, travelling to foreign countries or occupied with more study. You develop passions for things you never knew existed and before you know it - you want to go back to the life you once knew.

And believe me - for some reason, this all happens in the blink of an eye.

Waiheke Island Vineyard Tour

2006-01-23T07:53:00.000+11:00

Date: Sunday, 22nd Jan 2006

It’s Sunday night and I’m back in my Langham room. I’ve had my lovely warm shower and a delicious steaming peppermint tea right beside me – must tell you guys about the awesome day I’ve had!

Ok it started off me waking up at 9:30am, rushed to get ready (cos I ALWAYS leave morning prep to the last minute) and headed downstairs to board the Langham “Courtesy” bus at 10am. The weather was absolutely AMAZING – seriously, today is the best "weather" day I’ve experienced ever since travelling to NZ.

I arrived Downtown and was extremely hungry, so I thought I’d pop by Muffin Break and get myself a Bacon/Egg/Cheese Muffin and a LARGE Cappuccino. The guy who served me seriously looked like Bobby from work. No joke! It was so funny cos I instantly SMS’d Bobby about the guy and he persisted that I take a photo of the Muffin Break guy! Hence after much waiting (cos the guy kept dashing to the back to clean or something) and trying really hard to seem as if I was interested in taking a photo of the “Muffin stand” instead of him, I finally got a shot! Haha – check it out and let me know what you guys think =)

I then met JL, Adrian, Mark and Christian down at the ferry terminal where we were about to embark on our adventure of the Waiheke Island Vineyard Tour. I was really excited and the tour turned out to be only $85 (which included ferry return trip, lunch, visit to 3 vineyards via luxury coach and free wine tasting). So we boarded the ferry at 11am – funny thing is, Christian and Mark suffer from Motion Sickness. Fortunately Christian was ok for most of the trip, but poor Mark went pale and watery eyes halfway through! He had to keep constantly munching on mints and drinking heaps of water. Quite interesting to watch actually – never knew anyone who suffered from it ;)

So our first Vineyard stop was at Stonyridge – really nice place and we were welcomed with a glass of their white wine. The wine was really strong and different! I’m not much of a wine person, so I have no idea what I was looking out for when I tasted it but I’m assuming it was good =) Our tour chic then took us around the vineyard and explained the origins, how the wine is created etc.. and we ended with a nice glass of red wine and yummy sandwich lunch at the end.

Then it was off to Mudbrick vineyard – it was so beautiful! The place is gorgeous because it’s high up and you can have lunch overlooking most of Waiheke Island. Seriously if I had to choose a place to get married – this would be it ;) Our tour guy was also very interesting and he originally lived in Sydney, Newton so we had a bit to chat. He moved to NZ 12.5 yrs ago. At this vineyard, we were given two glasses of wine again. So that’s 4 half-glasses – Jenn getting slightly tipsy *grinz*!

Interesting fact: We saw this run-down green shed house-like thing near a beach that sold for $14million – no shit! The place wasn’t bigger than a garage!

Anyways, our third stop was Peninsula Estate where we were greeted with this really nice Rose wine – pale pink in colour but absolutely delicious with less alcohol content. Definitely my fav of the day ;) This was a quick tour which ended in a nice glass of red wine, crackers and cheese. That’s a total of 6 half-glasses = 3 full glasses = half bottle! Yep, I was sleepy by then!
Overall I would rate the tour 8/10 – it was really fun and educational!

When we returned on our ferry trip – we headed out to “No.1” Chinese restaurant for dinner and ordered – the food was yummy, cheap and in HUMUNGA-WUNGA serving sizes (I must say I didn’t finish mine – seriously, my dish weighed like 1kg when I tried to pick it up. Too much food!)

We also headed over to the Metropolis, where Mark, Christian and Munik are staying and went to check out the place. The room Mark was staying in was nice and cosy, but I was more interested in the lap pool and the gym downstairs. We had a bit of fun playing on the equipment.
JL and I then walked back home through Albert Park – really nice walk, even though it was uphill most of the time. The floral setting was really nice and I took pictures of pretty cool flowers. Ok, I’m getting tired. It’s 8pm now, going to turn on the telly and see what’s on the movie channel. Hope you all had an awesome weekend and I can’t wait to get back to Syd next week. I miss you all!

*Lotsa Hugs*

Jenn

Jenn in NZ, Auckland - Day 4

2006-01-21T13:41:00.000+11:00

I’m still in the office, it’s Friday and I’m already thinking about (alright so I’m doing now) blogging – sad I know as I already did one this morning. But I’m so EXTREMELY BORED!!! Cos I have nothing to do. I’ve raised one defect (which came back in like 5min) and have wandered around to visit all the lovely NZ peeps in the office for quick chats.

Ramon is this really cool fishing dude (he loves to fish – oh and he really knows his Infranet stuff ;) and he showed me a picture of a Snapper he caught recently, approx 20 pounds – soOOOooo massive! Check out the photo!! And it’s currently still in his freezer – waiting to be cooked *grinz* He also caught a couple of crayfishes last year and he brought them into work for us to munch away =) They were soooo yummy. He also showed me the scars on his hand where the crayfishes had attacked him (OUCH!) – so from then, I tried to appreciate every bite of it.
Speaking of work – everyone in the office got these really cool Vodafone Water bottles. I believe they’re for some promotion..?! Not sure why – but it’s sweet anyways! =)
Ok – there has been a few requests for me to mention peeps, so…(even though it’s like totally not on the topic):

Lynda: It's not always about you haha!

Truccie: I LOVE YOU!

Kristian: there you go!Ok so back to my Friday blogging. I’m already on my second coffee – woooo! I had breakfast this morning with Peter – really good start to the day, but it was major greasy (Bacon, eggs, hashbrown etc..). I’m gonna hit the pool tonight and get rid of the fatty deposits sitting in my stomach, if I’m not too tired.

Adrian, JL and I had lunch today at Kubick. One of my most fav Japanese restaurants in the world!!! I’ll have to remember to take a photo of the place and the yummy food to show you guys next time. JL and Adrian got their usual Aloe Vera drink – you should see Adrian’s collection! Haha!

Oh my gawd – I’m listening to “Finally Found”. Brings back so many memories! Serena, Mel and I used to harmonise this song back in Year 9. *sighs* It’s amazing how things change so quickly and especially the friends that you lose, make and keep. To all you snobs, work and bf/gf obsessed dudes/dudettes – make sure you try extra hard to keep and appreciate your friends! They are and WILL ALWAYS be your world. The true and good ones will stick with you no matter what and it’s really easy to take them for granted. Think about life without them, and you have no life. We should have a “Friend Appreciation” day ;)

Ooo Guess what?! I’ve just started to use Video Studio 9 – I don’t know if you guys have used it, but it’s really easy and have really cool transition effects to make movies – or in my case, collating pictures into a fancy slideshow. I’m currently working on the BCS Summer Skool photos and I’ll show you guys when I’m done. Thanks Chris for lending me the prog ;)
Ok it’s 5:10pm here now – I think it’s time for home. I might come into work tomorrow to work on learning about ST. Finally I get to do something apart from SIT. =) I know I know – it’s the weekend and I should relax but there’s not really anything to do here til Sunday. Adrian and I (maybe JL) will be heading out to Waiheke Island to go on a wine tour on Sun. Should be good fun!

Tonight Adrian and I went out to have Indian for dinner down at the Viaduct. Really yummy curries – but we ordered too much and ended up not finishing. Talk about coincidence, we also saw Marie-Anne and Alex there with a few of their friends having dinner as well.

We ordered:
- Lamb Korma (orangey and creamy – MmmMmm)
- Chicken red-pasty slightly-spicy curry
- Plain Naan
- Rice
- Chicken Tikka for Entrée
- Mango Lasse (Me!)
- Indian Beer (Adrian)

We then headed out to Timeout again at the Metro – where once again he kicked my ass in Air Hockey, Pool and Puzzle Bubble. I won at Basketball though - All good fun! Afterwards we crashed in Adrian’s room at the Crowne Plaza and ordered room service of yummy ice-cream and fruits. He made me sit through Indiana Jones (I think it’s the 3rd one in the series) and I’m like “this movie is so ollllllld”. It turned out not as bad as I had expected =) There were sooo many people on the streets when I taxied it home at 12:30am as they were all coming back from “The Big Day Out”.

Enough from me - Hope you’re all having an awesome weekend and remember to smile – LOTS! =)))))))))

*hugs*
Jenn

Jenn in NZ, Auckland - Day 3

2006-01-20T08:04:00.000+11:00

Hi All!

Well it's FRIDAY - YAY!! Weekend - here I come! I didn't get time to blog yesterday, so I'm currently at work with nothing to do so I thought I'd blog (yes, I've tried to get work -but they've run out for me at this point in time).

Ok so about yesterday...

Work was good - I learnt a few new technical aspects of the project (ie. DBVisualizer and GL Reporting), so I wasn't doing the same thing again. I felt a lot better during the day as well - recovered from my depressive state quite quick I thought. Thanks to all who gave a shout-out to how I was doing - you guys are the bomb ;)

After work JL, Adrian and I went to this place called "Tanuki's Cave". The atmosphere was totally awesome! A Japanese restaurant on Queen St where you get to go underground into this dark "Cave" and have a few drinks and yummy BBQ sticks dinner! We went crazy with the BBQ Sticks order - ranging from Ox Tongue, Chicken & Cheese, Seafood Combo, Chicken and weird plumy-leafy thing, mushroom stuffed with Chicken mince, Prawn&Bacon with mayo etc.. I ordered this really cool Peach Alchohol drink called "Can Chu-hi". This place is a definite must visit if you're ever in Auckland. It's on 319 Queen St if anyone is interested =)

We then headed out to play a few games at the Timeout at Metro in the city. We played Time Crisis 3 (my all time fav shooting game) and Air Hockey. I lost to Adrian (cos I can't defend my puck for anything haha) - and surprisingly it was a really good match between Adrian and JL. Of course, Adrian won in the end - but it was really really close 9-8 =) Ooo OOh - and I played Skill tester and I caught a Homer Simpson toy! I was like really excited!! It was sooo funny cos then the leg of his pants got caught on one of the bolts of the 'claw', so that when it was meant to drop off into the 'win bin' - it was just stuck there. Heheheha - I was like "SHIT!! - Gimme my Homer!!". Haha thanks to JL who basically went nuts and rocked the machine to death till Homer was free, was I able to take him home.

Now for the bad news - I did it again! I went NUTS! Went to the casino and lost BIG! Gosh - I'm not going to gamble for a while after last night. *pouts* So that means I've lost money in Melbourne AND now Auckland - must regain will power and not go anymore! Hmpf!

Alright it's back to work for me - til tomorrow!

*Hugs*

Jenn

NZ, Auckland - Day 2

2006-01-19T07:26:00.000+11:00

Well here I am in Auckland, my second night here for the year. I wonder how long I will stay in NZ. I asked my soon–to-be team lead how long she thinks I’ll be staying – “medium term” she says. So that’s in between short and long – haha we’ll see.

After work I went swimming for 30min - yep that's me trying to be active again. The pool was only 10m (thanks Mel) in length, which meant I had to do many, many laps to even start getting puffed out but it was fun. There was also this guy in there as well doing laps, and I started to race and keep up with him - but low and behold, he was fitter than me so I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath. I then headed to the spa pool - it stunk like PISS & was surprisingly very hot! No joke - don't think I'll be going in there for a while.

I had dinner with Adrian tonight. No one else seemed available – or there’s really no one else left in NZ to hang out with. Adrian is soon to leave as well, which means most likely I’ll be by my lonesome self for a while. Hmms – more blogging perhaps? Maybe I can do this everyday, just to pass time by. HOW SAD!!!! Haha

We ate at this really nice Korean restaurant, just off Queens street. Mega Cheap and loadsa Yummy! I also tried to go to Sky City Casino and they bloody wouldn’t let me in cos I was wearing “JANDALS”! Gawd! (for those of you who aren’t familiar with the NZ term, it’s another word for Thongs – and yes, by that I mean the ones where you wear on your feet =)

Adrian’s staying at the Crowne Plaza hotel for a bit (cos the Langham was apparently full when he tried to book) – the place was nice, but not cosy. I find Langham to be very “homely” and “welcoming” – which is heaps important when you’re away from home. I kinda miss home already – but then, when I think about the little petty arguments that I’ve been having with my mum & sis, I’d rather be here for a bit. It’s cool being able to have my own place and to live independently for a while.

We then went to the Langham winery and had this really weird "Fruity" brownie - we were deceived cos we thought the brownie was going to be chocolate! It had almonds and some fruit in it, with berries on the side - cinnamon/choccie stick and a wavy piece of bread/cake-like thing on top haha did that make sense?! And I ordered a nice hot chocolate - ahhh you guys HAVE to try the Langham Hot Chocolate. It's the BEST ever in the whole world. They normally make it really creamy and put on lots of real chocolate flakes on top of the froth (none of the powdered chocolate stuff - although I got that last night...hmmms).

I’m already thinking about how I’m going to launder my clothes – Langham is soooo expensive! Wait, let me get the laundry price list….

Ok so we’ve got:
- Jeans $10
- Undies $4 each (what the hell?! I can get new ones at that price)
- Skirt – plain $11
- Etc....
And you just DOUBLE the price if you want it Dry-Cleaned.

I won’t bore you with the whole list, but like hello?! That’s so expensive!! Fortunately I will be able to expense it to IBM if I need to – but I find it such a waste of money so I’ll only do it when I desperately run out of clothes.

Which brings me on the topic of being TIGHT! I swear – the longer I stay here in NZ, the TIGHTER I am with my money. I don’t know why – maybe it’s because I’m in a completely new country or maybe it’s the fact that I make more money HERE than I do in Syd, which makes me stingier *shrugs* who knows! All I know is that when I’m back in Syd – I spend my money like crazy and when I’m here, I’m tight. Ok so I’m not THAT tight – I still eat right and spend if need be, but I’m really conscious of my spendings =)

I’ve also been a bit depressed lately. I don’t know what I want in life – and the more I ponder about it, the more it makes me depressed. I have a few things on my mind to think about (perhaps this is not the right place to note it down) – but yeah *sighs*, I’m still thinking.

Ok so it’s off to bed for me – I’m not posting this up until I get to work tomorrow. This is because the Langham charges $9.95/hr to use the internet here. WHAT?! That’s crazy!!! Til tomorrow night (cos most likely I’ll be free to write more)…

Yours truly,

Depressed Jenn

NZ, Auckland - Day 1

2006-01-18T09:06:00.000+11:00

Well here I am again - back in NZ! Not too sure if it's where I want to be at the moment, but as I can't decide on what I wanna do, this is my current choice. I think I'm going to be here for a while - they're talking 6months...but who knows?! Last year I was told 3 weeks - ended up staying for 5months. Pfft!

I'm staying at the Langham Hotel - really nice poshy hotel (not as good as the Grand Hyatt though), but I might decide to move into serviced apartments. I can't stand staying in the hotel for more than a month - I have to eat out everyday and pack up every week to go home. I'm also definitely hitting the hotel gym and pool - spent $200 on a new pair of Nike sneakers and Champion gym wear. On sale of course - total bargain!

The current deal is that I work here for two weeks and they'll fly me back to Sydney for the weekend. I'm racking up lotsa Frequent Flyer points - I'm currently Silver status, alllmosst Gold! I can't wait =) Yippee!! Qantas Club, here I come! It was good to get back into the office and see most of the NZ guys again - kinda missed being here. Everyone is really friendly around here - different to the work environment back in Sydney.

Definite highlights of working in NZ would have to be the per diems, oodles of travelling and the hotel stays. And of course exploring a totally new country. I really want to go to the South Island - Queenstown is my next stop here in NZ.

Ok will blog soon - since I'll be spending a lot of time here, lots of writing to be done.

My next flight back: Thursday night, 26th Jan 2006

See you all soon

*HugS*

Jenn

BCS Summer Skool 2006 Melbourne

2006-01-16T20:56:00.000+11:00

Date: Sunday 8th Jan - 15th Jan 06

Imagine all expenses paid for (yes flights, accomodation and per diems) - This week was fantastic!! The course I chose to complete "Team Leader in Action" was so much fun! We had to work in teams and complete all these tasks - we ended up building a marketing stand, designing our own logo, creating a human mosaic, newsletter..etc there's too many to name!

This has gotta be one of the biggest highlights working at IBM - the absolutely wicked fun training that we get - and you get to do it with the other Grads, so it makes it even more fun.

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne and let me just say - it's "PHWOAR"!
Talk about class-sy and posh-y! And the totally cool thing was that there were famous tennis players walking around cos Australian Open was around the corner. *Grinz*

OooOOooo and I TOTALLY ADORE MELBOURNE!! The people, smooth culture, gorgeous shops and the clubs (not to mention the yummy's ;) I'd be happy to move there if work was available - hmms *ponders excitedly*

Ok you guys must see photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/jenn_2611

Album: BCS Summer Skool 06

*Hugs*

~Jenn

~*Jenn*~

How?

Walk beside me

It is what it is

Easy

:(

I won't be lost, I won't be down~

Hoping

To ♥

B.O.R.E.D

Life is NOT this

Fool

Till we meet

Trapped

When?

Settle with "Mr Good Enough"

So it's come down to this...

Changing

Hello new home!

Because I said so

Forty One

Beyonce Concert

Easter Break

Blue Mountains - Mountain Heritage Hotel

Degustation@Peppers

Happy 30th Bday Adrian!

Early Valentines

BLAG-ED

~In Phuket~

The night before Thailand...=)

~*Cairns Trip 06*~

My 23rd B'day!!!

Last Day in NZ!

Dinner@Estasi + Bday Cake@Work

Indoor Cricket

The NZ Peops!

*~Gorgeous Weekend~*

Girly Surprise Trip: Myall Lake Resort

Waiheke Island

Mexican Night

Just thinking...

Back in NZ - AGAIN

My new wittle cutie camera

Stairway to Heaven

I won!! Aus won!!

I Love Skiing!

So much to do...so little time!

Happy Birthday Peter

Girly Hunter Valley Trip June06

Happy 22nd Bday my Truccie!!

Congratulations Peter!

Tribute to a Great Woman

Easter Choc-Filled Weekend

Dad's finally Married! =)

Some $$$ needs to be saved!

Softball Stars

There's no place like Home

Ten top tips for your 20s

The Better Sibling

Vietnam Photos are up!

Thoughts...

Girly QLD Trip Feb06

I want the *NEW* Honda Civic!

Back in NZ already!

Vietnam - Da Lat

BIG Hello from Singapore!

Spooked OUT!!

Happy Bday Pumi!!!

Much to Blog...

All About Shane

Miss Backpacker @GLOBE

Lotsa "FIRSTs"

Excited about this weekend!!! =)

50 Cent - "Get Rich or Die Tryin"

Waiheke Island Vineyard Tour

Jenn in NZ, Auckland - Day 4

Jenn in NZ, Auckland - Day 3

NZ, Auckland - Day 2

NZ, Auckland - Day 1

BCS Summer Skool 2006 Melbourne

~Jenn~

~Cairns Trip 06~

~Gorgeous Weekend~

I want the NEW Honda Civic!