Southbank Tuesdays

Remember I mentioned there was just something about old subway stations that were so deeply attractive yet lonely? And how it was a perfect place to watch commuters and trains, come and pass, in and out of your life. That we never knew what that stranger in that corner was going through and the other one at sitting at the bench in deep thoughts. 

Well, if there's one thing I am beginning to fall in love with australia about, it is their subways. Quiet, old-fashioned, slightly dirty. Hahahaha, probably not the last point, but it comes with the package, so there isn't much choice. 

As much as I always hated public transport, I actually enjoyed those quiet moments on the bus/train with good music. I guess the subways here are more than perfect for that. Maybe I ll just hop on some train and sit it all the way till the last stop and back. Perhaps before I graduate. Added to to-do-lists? 

OOTD shots seem to be becoming a daily routine these days. Uh-oh. 

This pink lady apple juice thats sold in coles here is one of my favourite drink nowadays, as part of my plan to try to lead a healthy lifestyle. Trying to slowly ditch the soft drinks for more of these hopefully. 

Honestly, what attracted to this drink out of the 1001 juices at the supermarket was its packaging. Yes, superficial much. Urgh. But you gotta admit that it has a much nice packaging compared to other juices, plus a much more appealing and less-boring name! Tried to convince myself that the price I paid for it (its more expensive compared to the others) was not cause of its packaging, but contents instead. But to cheer myself up, I figured I could reuse the bottle? 

Some random selfie taken. 

I always believe that God has everything planned out for  us. Things happen for a reason. It may not seem to be the best solution at that moment, but perhaps later on, you'll look back and know why it all didn't work out then. God would never take away something from us without giving us something better. 

26 May 2013

Ever since coming to OZ to study, I realised how important my family was. Coming home everyday to a place called home, having weekly family dinners, feeling safe and most comfortable with your family, your family always being there for you, I had always taken it for granted. 

When I was much younger, I used to dread our weekly sunday family dinners. It always meant that I had to cancel whatever plans I had just to attend it. I always tried to come up with excuses, but could never run away from it. I hated it most especially when my friends had planned something very interesting and it always coincide with the timings of my family dinners. 

At that moment, I felt that it was very unnecessary. We could have/had dinner any other days, why was it a must every sunday? I mean, skipping it once or twice wouldn't make much of difference right? But looking back, I really thank my dad for always insisting that we made it for our sunday dinners no matter how busy we were. Boy, I am utterly thankful. 

In my family, dinner time could sometimes be in complete silence, other times it could filled with endless laughter. Other times, talking, discussing, long debates about certain topics we could never agree on. But all these didnt matter, all that mattered was everyone made it a point to take time out to find time together as a family, to spend time together, no matter how busy they were. It may not be some super lavish meal at a 6-star restaurant or a 10-meal course. All it mattered was that we were together. 

I remember very clearly that there was sunday evening and my dad called to ask me about my day etc. I was still going through the home-sick phase (not that I am completely out of it yet.) and I was just talking to him. He then mentioned that he was going for dinner with my mom and sisters and maid to the nearby coffee shop. It then hit me. I burst into tears hearing that and cried to him "You guys are having family dinner without me. I should be there with you guys!!! What am I doing here??!" It was then I realised that all my years of sunday family dinners I had taken for granted I had become so accustomed to, it was all part of me. At that point, I felt shattered. 

Well, I can say that I am definitely feeling less home-sick now and much stronger. I still miss home but I know that my family would always be there and it wont be long till I get to join in our usual family dinner again. Just less than an hour ago, my dad and I was whatsapp-ing and he mentioned that he was going to newton with my sisters, bro-in-law and the maid. I then said jokingly "it must be so boring and quiet without me" my dad said replied saying it was "much less fun" without me which made me smile. So me being me, snapped a picture of myself doing a fake wave to them. And my family actually played along and took pictures of themselves to send back to me. How heart-warming and ultra cute is that? Imagine my dad taking a picture to send to me!? AND MY DAD HATES TAKING PICTURES. I told them I may not be there physically but I still felt like I was there and could still entertain them so that they would be bored! 

With such an amazing family, what else can one ask for? 

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it. 

- George Moore 

Some self photo-boothing to end off the post. Haahhahaha! 

24 May 2013

Sorry the the recent lack of updates. School has been driving me crazy with tons of assignment due dates approaching. The semester is finally ending and that means I am closer to coming home as the days go by! Well, I probably should settle doing well in my exams first instead of thinking too far ahead.

School ended 4 hours before yet I am still here stuck in school trying to finish an assignment with my group mates. I am beyond exhausted and really, my brain isn't working anymore.

Started on a new book last night, A Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Mcguire. Don't ask me how I did it despite of all the assignments. The lack of prioritising? Haha. However, I would like to defend myself by saying that occasionally you gotta take a break from the work. Plus, it helps me to relax despite all of the crazy assignments if not I'll go berserk. Sounds reasonable?

21 May 2013

if you're laying in bed
wrapped up in sheets
of miserable thought,
go to sleep

if thumbing through old messages
only cause your heart to ache
and long for something unattainable
erase them

if it hurts to keep
everything you're feeling
bottled up inside
let it out

if you're clinging onto someone
that doesn't treat you like
you're worth the world
let them go

because sometimes
we choose to believe 
that things are only
indistinguishable shades of grey
when in reality,
life is more black and white
than it seems

if you're unhappy
with the way
you are living your life
change it. 

- m.k.

18 May 2013

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

"With endless time, nothing is special. With no loss or sacrifice, we can't appreciate what we have."

"There is a reason God limits our days." "To make each one precious."

"There was always a quest for more minutes, more hours, faster progress to accomplish more in a day. The simple joy of living between sunrises was gone."

"Everything man does today to be efficient, to fill the hour?" "It does not satisfy. It only makes him hungry to do more. Man wants to own his existence. But no one owns time."

12:48am and i've finally finished the book.

So mind-intriguing. Definitely gonna he added to my list of favorite books.

Thank you for the reminders and lessons.

17 May 2013 - updated

Well the world is huge, beyond huge with many beautiful places yet we are only able to see most of these places through pictures. I wonder how its like in other parts of the world in real life. It is still as pretty? It is better than what it looks? The way people live, their cultures and lifestyles? Are there still parts of the world undiscovered? 

My head is filled with plenty of random thoughts and thousands of unanswered questions.  I read somewhere that if you never travelled, its like you're only reading a page out of a book in life, something somewhere along that line. But what about those who are less fortunate who never even sat an aeroplane before. Would that make their life less "meaningful" or "interesting"? 

Imagine, you're a homeless person living in the slumps next to the big pyramids in Egypt. You wake up seeing the pyramids everyday yet to you, there are nothing much. Yet people all over the world are travelling hours, taking planes just to see these wonders of the world. The irony?

There are so many places I would love to go. Rio De Janeiro, Santorini, Africa, Maldives, etc etc. 

Perhaps it could be my dream for tonight; to be able to visit these places in this lifetime of mine. 

-

If the eyes are windows to your soul, I wonder what lies beyond these pair of windows? 

Dear H.

Dear H,

Thank you for writing such a amazing song for me to show me how you feel! When I saw it, I was so touched and couldn't help but smile to myself unconsciously (my mom asked me why I was smiling so happily to myself..)!

This is such a big gesture that nobody has done for me and I have NEVER expected that someone would actually do such a thing for me, especially from a stranger (well, not so much of a stranger anymore)! Its literally a dream come true, like what many girls would dream of to have a guy do such a thing for her! Seems so unreal that someone actually wrote a song with such lyrics for me and idk, its just like, WOW.

The lyrics are beyond beautiful, something I really love alot. You're really so talented and boy, I am glad to have someone share the same thoughts as me! When I saw the lyrics, its just came into my head that this lyrics are so "me". Like its definitely lyrics that I would post up on my blog or twitter, if I had seen it somewhere.

And to have such a beautiful song with beautiful lyrics written for me, you really made me so happy. I think I may actually have even blushed a little when I saw your song. Hehehe.

Thank you and of course, if the universe allowed, perhaps one day we'll be friends! :)

*I wasn't sure if you were okay with me posting up the whole video, so I just screenshot it! Hope you don't mind!

From,
Tricia

if the universe could make a pact


and time and space could maybe bend


for us I hope just even for a while



well meet halfway in cyberspace


your skin for me's a milky way


your gravity is too engaging 



pull me into you X2


i would like know


Just how it'd feel to be in love



maybe in due time


our worlds could intertwine


then finally 


i'd know how it'd feel 


to be in love



supernovas tell ur story


see ur life unfold before me


though we might be light years apart



let me in your system ... im your moon


my whole existence revolves round you


u mean the world to me



are you there


did i miss you


Did you just walk on by 



are u looking 


where im looking tonight


I hope our telescopes aligned



if the universe allowed


ill be orbiting ard 


ill pick you up by your galaxy



baby take a chance


stray a little from ur path


you nvr know wherever this could lead



pull me into you X2


i would like know


Just how it'd feel to be in love



maybe in due time


our worlds could intertwine


then finally 


i'd know how it'd feel 


to be in love

Subway Stations~

There's always this thing about old subway stations that is so attractive yet lonely.

I actually like watching the old trains come by and pass, commuters coming in and out from all walks of life. You never know what is going through their minds and whats happening currently in their lives? Perhaps some are gonna get divorced the next day or just broke up with their boyfriends. Perhaps others had just met the guy of their dreams or it was their birthdays that day. You never know, you never know wont you? 

Spent a very very happy day with my mother today and to make the day more special than it already was, it was Mother's day. Well everyday should be mother's day and you shouldn't just treat your mom right on this "special" day! But yeah, guess it serves as a reminder to many! And its a day that no excuses can be made!  

Acting all tourist-ty! I probably could pass off pretty well? 

Hahahhahahahah the picture below is so gay. My mom's feet and mine. We're literally best friends.

Thank you to the "bestest mom in the world" for walking with me through tough bumpy roads all these while, standing by me, lending me a crying shoulder and helping hand no matter what. You taught me everything from young and taught me how great a mother's love for her child can be. You taught me the meaning of family.

Over the years, my mom has started to age. I looked at her today and realised that there were a lot more wrinkles on her face and she looked much older than what I remembered seeing since young. I guess you can't escape such stuffs; a woman getting old, especially when you have such a troublesome daughter who makes you worried all the time. Well no amount of words here can actually say how much my mom has sacrificed for me and what she has done. From fetching me to and fro from school everyday since kindergarten till poly-days, picking me up everyday from sickbay in secondary school knowing I was feigning sick all the time yet she still came cause she knew how much I hated school and would bring me out for lunch after that to flying all the way here to australia to celebrate mother's day with me cause she knows how much it means to me and cause I miss home terribly, etc etc. Undoubtedly, I have the world's best mother. Yet I take her for granted sometimes. How horrible terrible disgustingly bad of me, I know. But I love my mom so so so much and my mom is the person I love the most ever and she means the whole world to me. 

Like I always said from young, "To the world's bestest mommy, I love you". 

Yay new additions to my pandora family! 

Welcomeeee! :) 

Adiós for now~

The early years.

I was wondering whats with the sudden #whatpubertydidtome hashtags on instagram and decided that I would just post some of my younger photos I've with me since I'm in OZ and don't have the whole collection. 

I was always the smiley kid since young and everyone, especially my aunties always had nicknames for me such as "kai xin guo" (pistachio nuts?) or "sweetie pie" (HAHAHHAHAHA, okay only my favourite auntie was allowed to call me that.) And yes, I had a favourite auntie. 

Whether you believe it or not (though the pictures below kinda doesn't really show it) but I remember very clearly that there was a period of time where I actually didn't know how to smile. Yes, I didn't know how to smile. So I always had problems taking pictures cause smiling nicely/naturally was always a big issue for me. And I would always ask my mom "mommy, how to smile??? can you teach me how to?" and I'll always remember my mom's reply "just think of something happy or funny!" I guess I got over that phase after a short while? Hehehe. 

Oh, I absolutely LOVED my bubble baths. There were always the highlights and something I looked forward to. :) 

I guess the picture below was taken during the phase I didn't know how to smile? 

Posing queen much?

I wish I had more to share but probably the next time round!

6 May 2013

Just my favourite quote of all times: 

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages."
- William shakespeare

Sometimes it really irritates me how easily influenced I am by others, both actions and words. Though on the surface I may act like it doesn't matter or bother me much, deep down I always get affected pretty badly. I always end up lying in bed, feeling super sad silently, somehow "suffering" in silence, perhaps to what someone had said so casually. And I know that the person will never know or find out how badly it had affected me. 

Despite being pretty much nonchalant and happy-go-lucky (or on the surface only), I've always had this side of me. Minor things, small gestures mean a lot and words often not thought carefully before being spoken tend to hurt. Being a typical girl, I usually tend to read too much into things Usually, more of actions and words. I wish I could apply this very detailed side of me to schoolwork but sadly, the world is not a wish-granting factory (Quoted, the fault in our stars, john green). It also occurred to me how people's words can have such a big influence on others, be it said casually or seriously. In fact, most of the time, we probably have no idea how our words had affected someone, most likely in a negative light. Its almost like how someone can casually say to a person "You're so fat!" probably jokingly and that girl ends up with an eating disorder three months down the road. 

"You have to decide who you are and force the world to deal with you, not with its idea of you."

P.s. you know how I always say "Stay true to yourself" blah blah, well I gotta admit, its actually kind of bullshit. It is definitely a lot easier said than done living in this society. But owells, achievable! 

sweet dreams. night. x

6 May 2013: H is for Horrible Humans.

Instead of another of those emotional ranting posts, I've decided on something much more meaningful. 

Might as well since I am currently in OZ. 

Quoted from people on tumblr. 

“It is common for koalas to roam back to their home range afterwards and become confused to find nothing there. A worker noticed a koala had been sitting stationary in broad daylight on top of wood piles for over an hour.”

"We have to stop cutting away there homes, what if your neighbor came and demolished your house and you were sitting there on your lawn like this. :("

"That’s the story for most of the species in the world today. Don’t just look. Do something. Everybody’s got the power to make change and even the tiniest efforts produce results. Start a Change.org petition, refuse to buy from companies that destroy habitat, help educate other people so that they understand the issue and know their options and choices, boycott brands and businesses, petition governments, fight for causes, consume less, be an advocate. Apathy is the sole cause when change doesn’t happen because everything wrong in the world is 100% preventable and fixable initially. Most people will step up to help or do something if someone is showing them where and how. It takes someone to do something about it. Make the noise. <3"

See, this is probably one of the many reasons why I am utterly ashamed to be a human. God gave us this beautiful world, and what are we doing to it? I honestly hope that like in movies that are created ironically by humans themselves, these animals will one day take over the world or something (like aliens? you get the idea?) and we can finally get a taste of our own medicine. I actually would be quite happy if that happened, honestly. 

NOW GO LIE IN BED AND THINK/REFLECT/PONDER. 

HMMMPFHHH. 

5 May 2013

I spent hours and days contemplating yet, no combination of twenty-six different letters could ever accurately capture even a sliver of what this feeling is. 

ShopSelcouth

If you didnt already know, my bestfriend MAE opened her first shop at SCAPE Undeground, Unit B15! 

The above clothes are all from her shop! DO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! 

www.shopselcouth.com

Instagram: @ShopSelcouth