That Humble Raisin Loaf

In just 2 more days, we will have fulfilled our minimum stay requirement to be eligible for a Resident Return Visa. Only 2 years, yet it feels like I've spent a lifetime here. Perhaps I have. It was the start of a different life, 1 in which we had no idea where it would lead us. 

No job, no money, not much hope left best describes our situation in the early days. For some reasons, raisin loaves are always on half price, even as of now, 2 years on. This humble $2.50 loaf would feed us breakfast for a few days, coupled with $2 Woolworth's home brand instant noodles. To make it go a longer way, we would share a single pack of noodles for dinner. That was all we ate a day, everyday. A slice of raisin toast with half a pack of instant noodles. I've not bought another raisin loaf since I landed my job. I am that sick of it. But I thought it was time to revisit those humble beginnings. So on our grocery shopping last night, I grabbed a loaf of raisin toast which will serve as breakfast today. 

The reason why we fight so much, is becoz we have too much. We let greed, pride, envy get to our head. There is this growing inability to let things/comments slide. Nobody is better than the other. All our lives are worth the same. We all 1 day have to die anyway. Terrorism. No such nonsense in the caveman age. They were too busy trying to survive 1 day to the next. Better economy, better technology have made our lives better, easier. But have we, as humankind grow our humanity as well? Not so much, isn't it?

There was a time when I was much younger, that I resent the fact that my parents aren't financially well off. I envied peers born with gold spoons in their mouths. But now I know my life is meant to be this way. The spiritual growth fueled by sweat, blood & tears is unrivaled. Of course, the soul must be willing. So on this 2 years mark, I shall have raisin toast. It is time to remind myself again of our humble beginnings here in Perth. Let this is be my silent reflection for our 2 year anniversary.

2nd Christmas & Birthday In Perth

I haven't been doing much since last week. I had 21st & 22nd off since there wasn't a list. I went jogging round the neighbourhood on the 22nd, with every intention to do a 5 km. But for some reason, the going got severely tough from the 2 km mark & I only managed to complete 3 km. So I went home & did 1 hour of yoga. I had a full day's work on the 23rd, after which, I went to the gym. While I was at work, I felt light headed every now & then but my BP was in the normal range, though bordering on the lower limits (101/66 mmHg). Since it would probably be my last gym session of the year (unless I drive all the way to my work place to use the gym), I decided to do my Ironman training. It was so, so bad. After the rowing, I could barely cycle & had to stop at the 2 km mark though I had intended to push for 15 km. Sweat was pouring off me like never before. In fact, I dripped a small puddle on the floor where the stationary bike is. While I'll most definitely sweat, I never sweated this much, not even when I'm into the jogging section of the Ironman training. Something definitely wasn't right. It felt extremely tedious but having dropped out of cycling, I pushed to complete 3 km on the treadmill.

It could have something to do with me having my period but I've been to the gym & trained while I was having my period before. I couldn't find an explanation to my sudden decrease in stamina. I tried jogging again on Friday round my neighbourhood but it was the same thing. 3 km was hard. I started having backaches on Monday when my period started. That was pretty normal. But it probably was the precursor to my old injury flaring up. Becoz I haven't been able to bend over for several days. It was so hard to even put my underwear on. That's how bad it is. 

About 6 years ago, I sprained or pulled some muscles in my lower back while at work. I suffered terribly for it. I couldn't sit down & once in the sitting position, I couldn't stand back up. After 1 month of that, hubs finally dragged my ass to a 跌打 but it took another month before my back fully recovered. Ever since then, my back has never been the same. It'll ache badly when I'm having menses or if I've been in the same position for too long (standing too long or sitting in the cinema for too long & occasionally waking up from the pain becoz I've been sleeping in the same position for too long).

It isn't as bad as it was back then but probably halfway there. Hubs rubbed my back twice but it didn't really help. So that was how I spent my 2nd Christmas & birthday in Perth; with debilitating backache. I had my usual yoga session on Sat & that was the last time I did any form of exercise. After the yoga, having stretched it out (after informing my instructor about my back who then modified the session to include more back stretching poses), my mobility increased. But it was back to square 1 the next morning. My back is now aching too badly for me to do anything. I had no choice but to book a remedial massage which is going to set me back $90. :( But it is something I have to do to speed up the healing if I want to go back to training.

We didn't do much over the holiday period. D&J had house warming with house blessing on the 26th. It's beautiful to watch them be surrounded by their family, some of them flew over from Sydney, some from Sg. I saw some photos posted by J where she & her daughter huddled around the kitchen island, learning to make sugee cookies & pineapple tarts from her mother. This is something I've always wished I had. My grandma passed away when I was in Primary 3 & I don't even know if she can cook. My mom can't really cook & she can't bake. I'm the 1st in the family (even in my extended family) to really cook. So there's nobody to pass on some heirloom recipes to me. Watching the priests bless the house touched me to my core. I can feel the love of the family & energy gathering there. It really is beautiful & I'm thankful to have been included.

I ate so much over this period, coupled with the lack of training, I know there'll be hell to pay when I finally get back to gym-ing, hopefully when I start work next Tuesday, pending condition of my back. But I've gone back on track diet-wise since yesterday. I'm somewhat bored at home & I can't wait to get back to work so I can train. Despite my backache, I sorted out the guest bedroom, put the bed frame together again & tipped the mattress back on all by myself. I also managed to stuff as much stuff as I could into the wardrobe in the guest bedroom. I tidied the house somewhat & when I get home from the remedial massage, I'll get onto cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming & mopping the floor. I've harvested my chives & my plan is to bake parmesan & chives bread sticks. Yums!

Christmas eve dinner: Poached giant prawns!

Christmas Day: Roasted duck which turned out very tender to my surprise. My 1st time cooking duck. Had half for lunch & half for dinner. 

Rocky Road I made to bring to D&J's housewarming.

Dim Sum brunch on my birthday.

For those interested to try but doesn't want to head to Northbridge or SOR. Very long queue, reservations recommended. But if it's only for 2 pax, you can just walk in & usually a table is available immediately.

Onward To The Next 5 Kg

As of this week, I've completed 8 weeks in the gym. I've always felt I'm terrible with exercise & that no matter how hard I try, it just doesn't work for me. It's amazing how a change in mindset can have such tremendous effects. I started wanting to lose weight without it being the sole focus. I told myself that fitness is what I should be aiming for & not to be disheartened if my weight remains the same. I've just lost my 1st 5 kg from gym-ing, with a 1.8% muscle gain & 3.9% fat loss. Based on the stats, I guess it's safe to say that the entire 5 kg loss came from fats alone. When I 1st started, jogging 2 km was a struggle. Now, 3 km is my norm & something I aim for every gym session.

Since this is a milestone for me, I decided to go celebrating by trying out for my 1st 5 km jog in 1.5 years. It was before I got my job. Right smack in winter, it was 8 am & 4°c outside. It was very hard & my muscles were already aching even before I completed the 5 km. Of course, that was also the 1 & only time I went jogging until the recent weeks. So all along, I knew I can do a 5 km jog becoz if I could do it back then without training, I can do it again now. I just didn't want to do it too soon but rather slowly learn to enjoy jogging. I made it in 40 mins, shaved 9 mins off from the timing 1.5 years ago. It wasn't super hard but it did require a fair bit of mental pap talk. I started counting down right from the beginning. One fifth down, four fifths to go (at 1 km mark), two fifths down (2 km mark), 50% there (2.5 km mark), you've just completed your usual distance (3 km mark), just 1 more km to go (4 km mark) & then it was counting down by the 100 meters. 我既然没有要死的感觉。So that's really good.

I don't know if I'm going to ache tomorrow since I've pushed myself beyond my routine. I did some resistance training for my arms before I left the gym. I wonder if I can do 5 km jog for my Ironman training next week. That will be awesome. That will also mean I'm left with additional 10 km of cycling to pick up. I'll see how I feel when I get there. My knee is still purple from the fall last Wed. It doesn't hurt as much anymore but I'm not too sure if I can get on my knees for yoga this Sat though. 

My manager shared with me her experiences with marathons. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she told me she could finish a 42 km run in 4 hours. From FB, all my friends are clocking 3+ hours for the 21 km run which could only mean that my manager is really really fast. She also did ultra marathons where she had to run 56 km & she could do it in 5+ hours. She also took part in the 1000 km challenge which she had to complete within a year. During the year, she had to run 3 marathons a month so she could complete it. I had to pick my jaw from the ground. She told me that 5 mins per km is a good pace. But she wasn't fast compared to the others. The Africans (she came from South Africa) can do 3 mins per km. That's literally sprinting from start to end, isn't it? That's more than half of my 8 mins per km.

My motto these days is "Some day I'll get there". So yeah, some day I'll get there. Maybe not 42 km. That's way too far out. My aim is currently for 10 km. But 1st, let me get to the stage where 5 km is a comfortable distance. 

6 Years Of Couplehood

We've just recently celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. Today, we celebrate 6 years of couplehood. So last night, we had yet another degustation, this time at Print Hall, a restaurant in Perth City. Print Hall has won restaurant of the year for a few years consecutively. Going into the city is always a nightmare as we're unfamiliar with the roads & they often split or change into turning lanes which isn't shown on the GPS. Nevertheless, we still reached our destination with 15 mins to spare. It feels a bit like Clark Quay/Orchard. 

When we got there, 1 of the bouncers (yes they have bouncers for the attached bar) showed us to the maitre d. The street where we parked on had broken glass all over. Coupled with the fact that there were bouncers, I reckon they see plenty of rowdy drunks all the time. We were shown to our table in a nice little corner. The dinning room is smallish, probably holds about 20 odd tables for varying group sizes. They offered matching wines for $115 but I knew if I had to drink 7 glasses of wine, I probably would be flat on the floor. 2ndly, I didn't want to consume so much calories. So I ordered just a glass of red.

We could see the bar from where we were sitting & hubs kept telling me that we should come back for their bar food 1 day. The restaurant filled up slowly. I always love to make reservations for dinner at 6 pm, when they open. That way, we'll be served promptly & finish at a decent time. At 7 pm, the restaurant was probably about a quarter full. But by 8 pm, it was mostly full & we were almost to the last course already. I had a dessert wine right at the end to finish off. It really is interesting to taste how different chefs come up with different sort of flavours & combination of ingredients. Next up, Amuse in December. Hehe.

Canapes of cheese & fruit, bread & butter, camel tartare, blue manna crab.

Stinging nettle & potato, pan roasted coral trout, iceburg salad, wood grilled beef sirloin.

Cheese, palate cleanser, desert lime vacherin, raspberry shortbread/marshmallow/jelly.

3rd Wedding Anniversary

Just realised that I started this post on the 7th & completely forgotten about it. It's about time.

5th November this year fell on a Thursday. 3 years ago on this day, we exchanged our vows at the Registry of Marriage in Fort Canning. That date was chosen by a feng shui master who, after calculation told us that it was an auspicious day for both of us. 旺夫也旺妻。It was an unlikely union. Read any of these feng shui books & they will all tell you that the fire snake (1977) & the water pig (1983) is a terrible match, the marriage doomed for failure. But I didn't care & in Nichiren Buddhism, we're taught that regardless of your situation or karma, you can turn it around & achieve victory & happiness. She said that although the fire snake & water pig is usually an awful match, we're actually not too bad after taking into account our 八字.

We didn't do anything special on Thursday becoz we both had to work. But I did get home earlier since I skipped gym due to my 1st bout of hives. Even then, it was just dinner & off to bed. After our pleasant experience with degustation at Mandoon Estate, I decided to book degustations at different venues for all near future celebrations. Since our anniversary fell on a Thursday, I booked us a dinner for Saturday, the 7th. This time it was for Petite Mort, a contemporary french restaurant just a short drive from my work place.

That morning, I went out to buy a pair of heels to wear with my dress. Nothing fanciful, just $20 as Big W was having sales on shoes. Heels are not my thing. They hurt my feet too much. So they're reserved for sit down dinners. I chose 1 of the dresses I brought over during the trip back to Sg in March. I can no longer fit into some of them but I told myself I'll get there someday.

Before we got there, I told myself that I wouldn't drink coz I certainly didn't need the extra calories. But when we got there, I was in the mood & I accepted the wine suggestions given by the maitre d. We have such different palates. Hubs preferred the food at Petite Mort while I felt that the food at Mandoon Estate are more sophisticated in flavours, executed with more techniques. Like the glass of apple cider I had at Mandoon Estate, the 3 glasses of wine (1 white, 1 red & 1 dessert) went straight to my head & I left the restaurant somewhat giggly. I'm looking forward to the next degustation next weekend to celebrate 6 years of couplehood.

Table setting.

Degustation menu. We didn't take the cheese.

The macarons & chocolate truffles were complimentary. 

2nd Spring In Perth

Spring came way too fast. It certainly feels that way. We're having a 3 days temperature spike, with tomorrow forecasting to hit 31°c. I'm reverting to the night time "headache" of sweating if I have a blanket on but shivering if I have it off. I'm sure pretty soon we'll have to switch to a thinner blanket.

The fly trap I've set up in late winter has already caught 1/5th bottle of flies. I'm just thinking to myself, how many more will it trap comes summer? The bottle is starting to emit a foul stench due to decomposing flies which also works to lure even more unsuspecting flies. But I dread the day I have to clear it so I can mix a new batch of the fly attracting powder.

It's also my 1st day back to scouting for the 1st time in 5 weeks. My regular anaesthetic nurse is back from her holiday so I've passed the baton back to her.

I've got activities planned for this weekend for advance birthday celebration for hubs. Really looking forward to it. In the meantime, I really got to work on getting my fitness level up again. I've got my S Health app set up for working towards a 5 km run & I'm really excited. Let's enjoy spring!

Milestone: 1st Anniversary

2nd May 2014. We landed in Perth Airport at 11.30 pm with only uncertainties ahead.

2nd May 2015. Exactly a year since we arrived. It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. But then, what in life is? Still, we definitely came a long way from where we began. We've overcame the many obstacles & difficulties in our way. I'm forever thankful for each victory we claim. We celebrated by having steamboat dinner while watching The Amazing Spiderman 2 on dvd. I also baked a ricotta cheesecake with cherry sauce.

My colleague bought a ricotta cheesecake & brought it to work last week. It was so good that I searched for the recipe online. The outcome was a pretty dense cake, probably needs a bit more liquid than stated in the recipe. It was so much better when eaten with the cherry sauce. Luckily I decided that just having a cheesecake is too plain & wanted an extra oompf. Best of all, the frozen cherries were on half price, at $2.80. The cherry sauce was so easy to make & I wondered why I bought the canned version all the time when I was still in Sg for $7.90.

I also found an ingredient I've been looking for in the seafood shop nearby. I've never stepped in as they looked expensive. But hubs wanted to get scallops for this special occasion & hence we went in for the 1st time. Monk fish. I've always wanted to try out a recipe in Gordon Ramsay's cookbook that utilises monk fish. But this fish is not available in Sg. Looks like now I'll finally get my chance.

I finally feel that I have a life again. It is hard to find appreciation for life when all your time is spent at work. Now, I finally am living the life I could only dream of in the past.

2nd May 2016. Who knows where we will be then? May we always persevere in the face of trying times & never forget the debt of gratitude we owe.

Baked ricotta cheesecake with cherry sauce.

Milestone: 10 Months & The Arrival Of Autumn

We survived our 1st summer! Well, almost. By astronomical definition, autumn is marked by the day of autumn equinox which falls on 20th March this year. We've been told by everyone that this is by far the most mild summer they've ever encountered. Absent this year were the 10 day stretches of temperatures above 40. Already, the daily maximum temperatures are in the low 30s & nights are chilly enough to warrant the use of the flat sheet I use as a blanket.

Hubs just reminded me of the fact that we should be expecting Masterchef Australia to be screening soon as the 1st episode for last year aired on 3rd May. Without realising it, we're just 2 months away from our 1st anniversary here. It is today that I finally got my hands on the adult Groot bobble head figurine & therefore, completed my "collection". Like many others who watched Guardians Of The Galaxy, I found Groot really cute in the scene where he smashed a dozen or so enemies against the wall then turn around to give his team a cheesy grin, or right at the end where baby Groot was dancing to the tune of Jackson 5's I Want You Back. But Groot holds a deeper meaning for me. Groot is the embodiment of what I've learnt. He said at the end of the movie that, "We are groot." Meaning that we, regardless of race or religion are one & same, that we are all interconnected. He was smashed into smithereens for protecting his comrades but he didn't perish. Rocket stuck a branch into a pot & from it baby Groot grew, dancing & smiling away. That's the way we should approach life.

I told hubs about this plan I have to tour the countryside. Going away for days at a go is complicated by the fact that we have a dog. Boarding costs a bomb here. Sure, we can leave Ton Ton with friends but we really don't want to impose on others as far as we can help it. Driving hundreds & hundreds of kilometers in our less than road worthy cars is not exactly smart. Renting 1 means additional cost. If we choose to bring Ton Ton on the trip, we'll have to find accommodations that allow dogs. So I came up with this idea of renting a camper van. I did a search & they have a variety of sizes & types. A trailing caravan means we need to have a vehicle to tow it along. But they have the types we see in movies where the back compartment of the van is the "living quarters" itself. So we can bring Ton Ton along & spend nights in caravan parks. Immediately, hubs asked me, "So when are we leaving?" Probably the next long weekend or my next plotted leave. Guess I better start planning.

1st Valentine's Day In Perth

Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm back logged all the way to Valentine's Day. Hubs wanted to bring me out for Korean BBQ but I said no. 1stly, I'm still on my diet & going for buffet is counter productive to it. 2ndly, the price is double that of 食客 (we have 1 outlet near where I stay in Sg).  While the credit in my entertainment card is pre-tax, I'll prefer to use it when we go back to Sg where eating out is way cheaper. I told him sternly, "No flowers!". A total waste of money. If you're going to spend $100 on a bouquet, I very much rather receive a sewing machine or food processor. Haha. I think I must be the most unromantic woman around & he must be the luckiest man around to have me as a wife.

I felt that we still have to do something despite my practicality. I decided a home cooked meal speaks more of my sincerity than something you can buy with money. There's a reason why I seldom cook & instead leave the day to day cooking to hubs. I cook for special occasions & these food requires hours of preparation. I love making 粽子 but you start prepping the night before & often isn't done till the next evening. I love making 饺子 with self made skin (they taste so much better than the store bought ones) & we all know the skin is tedious. I love making pineapple tarts from scratch so no pre-packaged pineapple paste rubbish. They're often overly sweet, full of preservatives & artificial colourings. I prefer the paste to be slightly tart. You have to stand in front of the stove & stir non-stop for 2 hours on low heat before the puree turns into a paste. So you get the drill. That's why I never cook during weekdays. I picked out 3 dishes from my new vegan cookbook as our healthier choice Valentine's Day lunch. My preparation started at 7 am in the morning as there're lots of chopping & cutting to do & the bread dough needs to proof. Lunch was finally served at 11.30 am.

Sun dried tomato foccacia with thyme from my pot. The tomatoes turned really dark after baking & Sharon thought they were mushrooms. Lol. They were not burnt, just dark brown.

Smokey moroccan stew. This was the 1st dish I picked out. But I felt the stew needed something to go with & hence I chose the foccacia. 

Then, I felt that we needed a dessert to finish off. I didn't want to bake coz I wanted something that comes in small portions (due to my dieting). So I made these chocolate peanut butter balls. Bulk of it came from dates & absolutely no sugar was added. The added pecans gave it a nice crunchy texture. 

Milestone: 9 Months + 2 Days

Of late, I've been feeling it more & more that this is a place I can live in permanently. Compared to my initial doubts, despite having made the move, I'm definitely more sure of my decision now. When we 1st arrived, I tried to avoid talking to ang mohs as much as I could. Coming from a culture of kow towing to ang mohs in Sg, I'm somewhat fearful of them, made worse by the fact that words don't come so easily to me when talking to strangers. I've definitely gained more confidence in that aspect. I no longer feel like a deer caught in fast approaching headlights.

I also declare the house that we've been eyeing SOLD! Just not to us. Hubs is upset with the results & I told him, "不给你就代表不适合。给你的一定是最好的。" If we set our sights firmly on the goal, we will surely get there without fail. This is what my Buddhist studies taught me. Live your life with a heart of gratitude. I've mentioned it before. NMHRGK when translated into sanskrit means thank you very much. My prayers are in reality, thanking the universe for the opportunity to overcome my negative karma (or fate if you will). It is a teaching of hope. You hold in yourself the power to change the future (in a good way of course) so just keep praying until it does.

I lamented about not even being granted interviews despite applying for so many positions when I 1st arrived & was desperate for a job. Now I have so many people wanting to interview me that I'm so lost as to which 1 to choose. (I was hoping to get some casual work over the weekends so I sent off a few applications.) I'm not exactly sure why the difference. I suspect it's the combination of having local experience & also a lot of staff jumped ship to the newly opened hospital. Of course, interview is 1 thing. Being successfully employed is another. Still, it's better than not even being granted an interview.

Lastly, before I end this post, I have a good news (to me). I've lost another kilo & my total now stands at 2. 我会继续努力的!

1st Birthday In Perth

Yesterday marked the 1st birthday spent in Perth. Weather was hot, hot, hot. But we still made a trip to Margaret River Chocolate Factory in Swan Valley. We're not big on wines, especially me, who hardly enjoy any form of alcohol. Hence, the multitude of vineyards & wineries are lost on me. We set off pretty late, at 2 pm. Otherwise we could have visited a few more places like the honey or cheese factory. Besides, truffles don't keep very well in the heat.

Unfortunately, while it was another day of life for me, it was the loss of many in the ill fated Air Asia flight. When I saw the report shared by friends on FB, I could hardly believe my eyes. I thought, "Is this for real? Another 1?" (There're lots of junk on FB & many of these so called deaths are fake.) But alas, it is real & we all know that once a plane has lost contact with the air traffic control, it usually bodes doom.

I thought to my impending travel trips to Sg & back in March. 4 flights in the space of 2 weeks. Will we be able to land safely at our destination every single time? If I die, who will look after Ton Ton? I don't know when my time will be up. But I do believe that everyday that we're alive means there's still a purpose to be fulfilled.

人生无常。不要忘了感恩。要多多珍惜。

We got home from our field trip, I made dinner & had a Panettone that was on sale at half price (coz Christmas was over) as a birthday "cake". Not forgetting to water the lawn which is starting to die again for reasons unknown to me. It can't be due to the lack of water since I'm so diligent with the watering. Of course, Ton Ton had to endure my daily pranks on him as well. So, there ends 28th December, my 31st birthday.

1st Christmas In Perth

This was how we spent our 1st Christmas in Perth. At a dog beach just north of Floreat Beach. You know how much I hated the heat so it took a lot just to get out of the house. I wonder if I've gotten so used to the cooler seasons that I felt 32 degrees, the average temperature in Sg, was unbearable. It is definitely less humid here but when the sun hits the skin, it feels like my skin is going to sizzle & blacken any second now. I chose to leave after 4 pm, knowing that we would arrive at 5ish when the temperatures have dropped somewhat, much to the dismay of hubs. Ton Ton being Ton Ton, was terrified of the water & refused to play like all the other dogs. In fact, he kept a 10 m distance from the shore. If I had appropriate attire & a towel, I would have gone into the water, carrying Ton Ton with me.

A very big difference is how big a festive Christmas is in Australia. I liken it to our CNY where majority of the shops are closed. A lot of people also spent a lot of money fixing up their house with lightings, giant sized Santa Claus & some even put reindeers on their roof. I'm not a Christian so Christmas has always been another public holiday to me. (So is Vesak Day by the way.) Then, there is the Boxing Day & with it, the Boxing Day sale. I don't really have anything I want to buy though.

I did make a pasta bake. Between me & hubs, we polished off two-thirds of it. Guess what happened to the remaining one-third? I went outside to water the lawn as usual. While outside, I heard a thud coming from the house. It sounded like something metal had fallen to the floor. We had this warming rack for the barbie that we didn't fix up since we didn't think we would use it. So I thought that had fallen over. It wouldn't be the 1st time anyway. I wasn't too concerned as hubs was in the living room. A few minutes later, I heard it again. The thought that came to me was, "Oh no! Don't tell me it's the pasta bake!"

I rushed in, hubs was still sitting in front of the computer, oblivious to the fact that Ton Ton had managed to drag the pasta bake in its baking tin to the floor right behind where he was sitting & had eaten chunks out of it. Needless to say, it was unfit for human consumption after that. Ton Ton spent the next few hours lying down right beside the Butsudan, obviously knowing what he had done was wrong. So that concludes my mundane life over the holiday period.

P.S.: I finally finished reading Under The Dome last Sunday. Took me 4 weeks which is a very long time for me. I have finished reading another 3 books by Mary Higgins Clark since then. That's 3 books over 5 days. So yeah, I better stick to my favourite authors.

Milestone: 5 Months In My Job

Has it only been 5 months? Feels like I've been in this job a long time. Today, the surgeon (who's from Singapore) asked me how I'm getting along. I told her the truth that I don't feel like I belong in Australia. She told me to give it more time. It wasn't a question I spend a lot of time pondering over but now I think I have my answer. 

Asians (Singaporeans) are generally more reserved. We hardly talk to others & we don't want to be talked to too. We don't really even know our neighbours. I'm even worse as I'm an introvert. If someone talks to me in NTUC, I usually have this query as to whether the person is sane. (Yeah, I'm bad.) Once I've ascertain their sanity, I answer their questions in as few words as I can & move away so I won't be forced into small talks with them. Being here, I feel this pressure to make small talks. Something I don't really like. I will most definitely listen but I feel that I'm expected to respond. Usually, I have none. I don't know what to say. I know in my heart now that this is the reason why I feel like I don't belong.

I've booked tickets to fly back to Sg in late March next year. I'm bringing my parents over to Perth for a week. Only downside is that my mom speaks & understands limited English, my dad none at all. They hardly travel & when they do fly, it's always with family members. So I seriously doubt they'll be able to navigate the airport. Even if they take a cab to the correct terminal, they won't know which counter to go to, how to clear customs, how to get to the correct gate. On arrival, they won't know how to fill in the white card nor how to clear customs. Due to the complexity of the issue, we've decided to fly back, bring them here, send them back & fly back again. Hubs refuses to let me fly on my own so it costs both of us an extra round trip. Even on Scoot, it set me back AUD$2500. That's excluding their tourist visa. 

Instead of spending 1 whole week in Sg, fly them to spend a week here then fly them back & try to book a flight on the same day to come back to Perth, I booked the tickets so that we'll spend 2 days in Sg, 1 week here, then 4 days in Sg before flying back. I'm actually quite excited. I'm thinking of the food I wanna eat in Sg & planning where to bring my parents when they're here. Like me, when on a holiday, they prefer scenery to shopping. So I'm cracking my brain at the moment. I've also got to take into consideration that I have Ton Ton with me so we can only do day trips. Besides, I'm sure they want to spend time with Ton Ton as well. 

With my return visiting trip in place, I have something I feel I need to do. Lose some weight. Urgh. I know, I said that millions of time & gave up millions of time. My only motivating factor is not having people tell me, "You put on weight in Australia!" Oh dear... Let's see how far I can get this time.

不知不觉已过了半年

On this day 6 months ago, we landed in Perth. While there's nothing much going on today, I felt this milestone deserves a post. For several weeks, I felt lost. I didn't even have the mood to do what it is I love most - baking. I read still, but only becoz I didn't have anything else to do to pass time.

I felt better from the social interaction at P & J's pot luck. But I still felt like something is missing. Today's the 1st Sunday of the month, hence, there's a commemorative meeting at Soka Centre. The bring home message today is to keep pushing ahead. We fluctuate between the 10 worlds & if we find ourselves in the lower paths, instead of falling into despair,  we should remain firm in faith, take 1 step at a time till we emerge victorious.

I regained the urge to bake once again & I've been baking non stop over the weekend. A tiny progress but 1 nonetheless. I'm making a roast pork belly (recipe by Jamie Oliver) & the smell wafting through the house is just heavenly. A mini feast for hitting our 6 months milestone.

4 Months In My Job

Today marks my completion of 4 months in my job. I've just started my AU training yesterday. I'm not exactly sure if it can be considered training since I'll be at it solo the next time I'm doing AU. My head is swimming in the amount of information I received. I've not done AU in my previous employment as the AU nurses are all ENs. RNs are solely scrub nurses. It's a challenge I hope I can excel in. My upcoming CNM (my current 1 is retiring end of the month) informed the anaesthetist that I would be doing AU with her yesterday & he told her I'm good in everything I do so AU shouldn't be a problem for me. *stress*

Work aside, it's also 5.5 months since we arrived in Perth. I was catching up on Nix's blog & he mentioned something about which country is your home, in the form of when you return to Sg for a visit, do you say "It's good to be home." or "I'm going to Sg." I'm too green in Australia to comfortably say this is home. I don't feel I belong & I don't know if I ever will. Probably not. But I guess if I stay here long enough, even Sg will feel foreign to me 1 day.

I feel alone in Perth. My 2 poly friends whom I've kept in touch with are chatting about which handphone to upgrade to, which contestant they like best in 中国好声音 in our group chat but not responding to me when I "talked" to them. I wished 1 of them happy birthday in the group chat but didn't receive a response as well. Perhaps I should have done it in FB along with everyone & see if she'll reply as she did for everyone. I feel like such a failure. Do I really mean so little to people I consider friends? I know I'm an introvert & I can be socially awkward. But with them, we were past that. 

Dolly told me not to think too much since I've tried my best & it's up to them if they want to put me in their heart. I know people come & people go in our lives. But when I let you in, I must consider you important. So it hurts. I do admire guys sometimes. They make friends who stay so even when they've not seen or talked to each other for ages. Yet when they meet, they carry on like no time has passed between them. When something comes up, they can be counted on to show support or help. I see this in hubs. I see this in Nix. I wish I can find true friends like that.

Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful for my life. Just wish that I can be better.

Milestone: 4 Months In Perth

4 months, a third of a year. I honestly didn't expect us to last this long. We're more or less settled in now. In the 4 months, we've experienced 3 seasons. Coming in autumn, all through winter & now spring. I miss meeting up with my girlfriends, I miss Puggy, I miss steamboat. Lol. Of course, I'm still daydreaming about having my parents over for a visit. 

I've kept myself busy tending to the herbs I'm growing. My initial success with basil, chives & coriander (rosemary's sprouting though very slowly) encouraged me to increase my variety of herbs to 8. I've just added mint, dill, thyme & sage to my collection over the weekend. I also bought a single piece of chilli for 64 cents just for the seeds to grow chilli. We didn't waste the chilli though, slicing it up & dumping it into our tom yum soup that night.

We bought a BBQ & it took the both of us 2 hours to fix up on Sunday. We'll put it to use soon enough. It's hub's birthday very soon. He doesn't want anything other than having a BBQ at home.

My daily dates with James Patterson has kept me away from writing or checking my emails, something I really must do soon. But once I got started on a book of his, I can't stop until I finish it. Then I'm off to the next & the cycle repeats itself.

Increasing Daylight Hours

The days are getting longer. When I 1st started work, it would still be dark as I drove into the car park & it would be completely dark by 6 pm. Recently, I noticed that the sky has been turning light when I'm leaving home & it's bright enough to see without lights at 6 pm. Winter is coming to an end. Though spring starts on 1st Sept officially.

It's been 13 weeks since we 1st step foot on Aussie ground. I still have no sense of job security. I don't know if I ever will. I guess it stems from my inability to get a job. I know if I lose this current job, I most likely have to go back to SG coz nobody else will hire me. In SG, I can jump from discipline to discipline without fear coz someone will definitely take me in. But I know being too senior can be a problem. Dolly is having a hard time finding another job becoz her salary range is too high. My salary range is even higher, so perhaps me too, will have problems finding jobs if I'm still in SG.

Lack of security though, keeps me on my toes, always thankful for another day of income, thankful that I can still manage to stay here. Hubs still haven't found a job. It's the usual emails that say "Sorry, you're not successful on this attempt." J suggested getting a forklift license. The 2 days course cost $550 & I know hubs. He won't even spend $10 getting proper food so why will he spend $550 on something that can't even guarantee a job?

It's Sat but I've been awake for an hour. Your body gets used to waking up at a certain time & you just can't sleep in even if you want to. I shall go bake some cinnamon rolls then. It's a craving brought on by James Patterson's book. Seems that warm, sticky cinnamon buns are "the best" breakfast made by Alex Cross's Nana Mama. Yep, I love them too.

11 Weeks: 1 Month In My Job

It's Friday once again. I started work at 7 am today. So I left home 30 mins earlier than I usually do. I listened with disbelief when the DJ on the radio reported that another Malaysian Airline plane had crashed in Ukraine, supposedly shot down by a missile. People in this age are taking lives too lightly. We're taking actions to the extreme end. We need to learn to be accepting of others regardless of our differences. We may not see eye to eye, we may not agree. But we need not take to violence to force the other party to yield. To achieve & sustain world peace, we must start with ourselves.

I started work last 17th of the month with an orientation. Yesterday marked my 1st month in my new job. It's been a while now but everytime I get to Wednesday, I felt that the week has flown by. Till date (keeping fingers crossed), I've not dreaded going to work at all. I will & do so on a daily basis tell myself, "I wish I can sleep a little longer." That's all it is. In fact, I felt quite relaxed, leaving home early with extra time to spare, sitting down & having toast at my workplace (company issued) before I start work.

I was attached at Central Sterilised Supply Department (CSSD) today. I got the hang of it pretty quickly though to be independent I'll need more time to familiarise what instruments are in what sets. There're 2 staffs permanently placed in CSSD so this is more for ticking off my orientation checklist than training me to work there.

Several (if not all judging from the fb posts) of my friends are extremely unhappy in their jobs. My closest friends are depressed, lack morale & dread going to work every single day. Pretty much as I did when I was still in SG. I have no encouragements to give for I have long given up on the hope that things will improve. To tell them everything will be alright is bullsh*t they needn't hear.

For the 1st time in 2.5 months, I'm finally having money going into the separate savings account. My 1st pay for the 2 weeks I worked in June came in on the 15th. Though it's only enough for 1 month's rent & possibly enough for expenses up till next pay day, hubs offered me $430 from his pay "to pay for rent" which I've decided to put into my savings account instead. I've got only 25% of the initial amount I brought with me to Perth left. I need to build up the amount again. I hope hubs can successfully get a job soon.

10 Weeks

What a better way to complete our 10 weeks in Perth than to attain another "milestone"? I'm having a day off today as there were only 2 cases & my CNM asked the surgeon to cancel them as "we're not coming in just for 2 cases". Wow. Try telling that to surgeons in SG. I'm down to my last week of pills & I need a prescription for it. I only brought 3 months worth of it with me to Perth as that's the maximum amount allowed into the country. Tried my luck getting an appointment online with the medical centre just 5 mins walk away & I found the 1 & only slot at 2.15 pm. I arrived at 2 pm, handed over my Medicare card for the details to be entered into their system, called in to be seen in about 5 mins & was back home by 2.20 pm. That was really fast.

Nix called in the morning, asking if hubs can work as a driver for a week, starting immediately. He grabbed the chance, saying a week of wages is better than nothing. I told him to do a good job & maybe Nix's boss will decide to hire him. Lol. Nah, I'm sure it's becoz the usual driver got sick or something. Thanks, Nix, for thinking of us.

Home alone, I got some cleaning out of the way. Vacuumed the floor, washed the dishes, changed the sheets. I even tidied the wardrobe. The only shelf is on top & all our clothes that don't require hanging goes up there. But whenever I need something, I pull 1 item & many more comes falling down. So on our Ikea trip, we bought a hanging wardrobe organiser each. Now the shelf holds luggage & other bulky items that were previously sitting on the floor of the wardrobe. Looks so much neater now. I never bothered in SG but somehow being here makes me more responsible for the cleanliness & tidiness of the house. Maybe I'll go get some weeding done later. My lawn's been overrun.

Yesterday, the anaesthetist was asking me the usual questions. Where was I from? Did I work in the theatre in SG as well? I said I did & it was an eye theatre. He said (not his exact words but something to that effect), "No wonder you're so good at your work! You really showed these girls up. You need to take it slow or they'll feel threatened." He said it in a joking manner but I wonder if there's some truth in it? Are the other staff feeling threatened by me? From my perspective, I just want to quickly learn up my work so I can be an independent & efficient worker. If I keep making mistakes they'll be really pissed off with me right? But the reason why I picked up fast is becoz the work is familiar to me. Besides, I haven't even started scrubbing yet. So maybe I'll really suck at it? I don't know how to slow down. If you know something, you know it. How do I act blur? Hmm... maybe I shall ask people who've been here a while.

1st Movie In Perth

Friday marked our 9th week in Perth & my completion of 3 weeks in my job. I've fallen into a routine, waking up at 5 am to get ready for work, leaving home at 6 am, arriving at my workplace car park by 7 am, making another 1 hour drive back home, watch MasterChef at 7.30 pm & going to bed by 10 pm. We've been kept occupied last weekend searching for cars. Now that that's settled, we finally have some time to ourselves. Received an invitation on Sat morning from Nix to have lunch at P & J's place. Immediately, I got to work, preparing for a pear tart, whose recipe I got on the internet. I finished work early on Friday & we bought ingredients for the tart. I was going to try it out over the weekend but instead everybody became my guinea pigs. Wrecker came at almost 12 noon to pick up our Lancer & we got $100 for it. Even though it's only a car, we've somehow gotten attached to it, feeling a sense of regret as it was being taken away. 

We watched our 1st movie in Perth today. I was looking forward to Transformers but I think it's kinda disappointing. I would have preferred the storyline to involve the Transformers more, let Optimus Prime's leadership & compassion shine through. We got the movie card that'll allow us to buy 2 tickets at $11 each for a year. Unlike in Singapore, movie tickets are priced at $18 regardless of the day or time of the showing. You're not allocated seats as well, so you can sit wherever you like. This 1st come 1st serve basis is good as if you don't want to get lousy seats, then don't come in late. Only thing I noticed was, the littering is worse than it is in Singapore. As we left the theatre, we noticed popcorn scattered all over the seats & floor. It's almost as if at the end of the movie, everyone just toss their unfinished popcorn into the air, allowing them to land all over the place before throwing the empty box on the floor. The clean up crew must have a headache after each screening. I always believe that we should take care of public places as we would our own home. Oh well...

I'm looking into soap making for my next project, other than baking on my days off. I can't wait. But 1st, I'll have to buy essential oils & necessary equipments. I don't think home made soap will be cheaper than those sold in shops but you get to customise them. A typical cold processed soap requires a combination of at least 3 oils, caustic soda, distilled water, essential oils (not a must but it's a natural fragrance) & additives like grounded oatmeal (for the scrub effect) or aloe gel (for soothing & moisturising effect) or vitamin e (for antioxidant effect). After the mixture has been left to set for 24 hours, the soap block is cut into smaller bars & aired for a month before it can be used. 

I once read in Nix's blog that someone commented about the blogs of migrants he/she had read were mostly about cupcakes. I'm beginning to understand the rationale behind it. When you've more or less settled down (house, job, car), what you want to do next is to pursue your interests. That's part of the reason why we came here, aye? In Singapore, I never had time for hobbies. I'm perpetually exhausted, working 12 or more hours a day. Off days are used to catch up on sleep & spend time with loved ones. Now, we're just catching up on the things we missed out. I'll try my hand at gardening once spring arrives. I think nothing satisfies a cook more than using the produce he/she grows.