The year of the Dog

29th January 2006 heralds the year of the dog!

Gong xi Fa cai! Xin nian kuai le !!!

Happy Australia Day!

Its 11:19am by my computer's clock, 5-4 in the fifth set and Bagdatis is serving for the match 15-15... and then it rains!!!

Oh well, better go do something else more exciting then, may as well play comp games for a while before I go to bed.

Its Australia Day today! I'm usually not around to celebrate it, I spent it in quite an Aussie way, played sport (tennis) for 3 hours and then went to a friend's BBQ... hmm...meat, chicken wings.., and then spent it being a nerd (only an hour) playing CS (man what a cool game, I should have learnt how to snipe earlier) and then went swimming (sport again).

migosh applying for jobs is so annoying!

Writing a cover letter and resume is a skill. Seriously!

Its been forty minutes and what I've written is crap. Even worse still, I'm a complete blank! Talk about a bad case of writers' block!!!

The thing about application letters, you have to advertise yourself and make yourself attractive to a potential employer, but how do you do it without sounding like your 'up' yourself and how do you disguise the lack of achievements/skills/experience that employers look for!!!

I'm looking at some of the sample cover letters from the UNSW Careers website (www.careers.unsw.edu.au). Geez, some of them are scary! All of them seem to be written by over-achievers. They're bloody good, no one they are successful applications.

Anyway I'm hoping this process of applying will help me in the future. In the mean time just have to be patient and wait for some inspiration to complete this application!

Something to think about

Check this out

Ecclesiastes 9:12

" Go eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favours what you do "

9:10

" Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom "

7:12

" Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor "

I can't really explain but these passages struck a chord with me, it relaxes, motivates, encourages, all at the same time. When I read them life is put into perspective, worries and anxiety are instantly expelled :)

What to do what to do... Started the course work component of College of Law today. I completed 2 out of the 7 units I'm supposed to complete for today, great start yeah, I'm already freakin behind! 'Ganbatte' for tomorrow, I think I'm gonna work from my laptop cos the screen is easier on my eyes. Was considering using my savings to get a Samsung 19" LCD Monitor which would set me back at least $470 assuming that I buy online from www.minidigital.com.au.

how do people work full time and do collaw simulataneously? They must have really good work ethic. Anyway I think I'll apply for part time PLT, no harm in applying and see how it goes. Hope I don't get myself too busy and over-stress!!!

Moving house, College, Geishas and street fights

I've had a fulfilling day. Woke up, sent the car for servicing, helped a family friend moved house, went to College of Law to collect my papers, gone to the city, seen a movie at Eastgardens and witnessed a real life street fight on George Street!

Man how useless are the security guards at Town Hall station. After witnessing the brawl I went downstairs and told the staff, they just looked at me and said that there was nothing they could do. I eventually called 000 and told the police to go intervene, hope they got there in time, went I left both of them were on the ground wrestling and I heard some glass smash 2.

Anyway, saw Memoirs of a Geisha tonight at Eastgardens. It was good, I thought that it might not live up to the hype but I was wrong. It was in the end a cleverly disguised love story, but it was refreshing, un-Hollywood like and quite deep and meaningful ;) Zhang ziyi looked tops on the silver screen, the background scenery was great too, really pictureque and devoid of any stupid CGI.

What's happened to my tag board!!!

Boo... what's happened to me tag board? Damn I have to fix that up sometime.

Anyway seems like I can never get away from uni, thats right, I'm back at uni in the Level 8 computer labs being a nerd. I'm like the only one here, besides the librarians of course. I saw movement earlier, and another student who looked embarrassed to be here.

I'm waiting for a copy of my official transcript to be processed, they said it would be ready at 4pm. This means a 5 hour wait, I can't do anything, the weather is crap (good for the drought though) and I don't feel like doing anything. I paid off my $49 library fine and I returned my friend's textbooks. Tomorrow have to go to College of Law and submit my application so I can start the online course next Monday.

Last semester I thought I found gold when I discovered a lone photocopier that didnt' seem to charge for copies! and so I abused this discovery for my own advantage, my preciooouss photocopier that no one knew about. But just like the cursed ring in the LOTR it has returned to bite me in the bum. I discovered a negative balance of $15 on my library card today, which must be the cost of the photocopying I thought I got for free, man the uni IT service is good lol!

Sat night dinner at Marigold

Just came back from a really filling dinner at Marigold. I'm so stuffed, don't think I can sleep on such a full stomach.

Anyway it was a really nice dinner, initially it was slightly awkward because I was seated at a table of complete strangers but somehow after socialising a bit the conversation became easier and I realised that all the people around me where genuinely really nice. Kevin is a lucky guy to have so many nice friends :)

So after tonight I conclude that most Comp Sci people who live in the Inner West area are generally really nice people :)

Anyway, I left the job on Friday so I'm unemployed again. Have to look for P.L.T somewhere else, I'm really really keen to do work experience at a criminal law firm, and I found a whole list of such law firms on the NSW Law Society website, guess I'm just going to write letters and contact them etc etc... anyway thats the plan for next wk. Oh yeah, next wk's plan is to have fun too lol.

Watching Ong Bak

Watching Ong Bak reminds me of my holiday in Thailand! Aah... fond memories.... doing nothing feeling bored... watching my uncle buy stamps at Chiang Mai ( northern city in Thailand), annoying my cousin because there was nothing else to do, walking over the concrete bridge over the River, enjoying the nice vibe in Bangkok's MBK (shopping centre).

Thailand is a cool place, luv to go there again. Maybe sometime soon, just have to wait for some cheap Air Asia (budget airline) tickets.

My boss is crazy, he can be super mean or super nice, don't know how long I'll work for him, I'm already making contingency plans hehe. I don't mind the office though, has a nice view of Hyde Park and its close to the station. I like the other people at work too, they're all really friendly and nice.

Anyway hope to post some photos from Thailand soon once I can be bothered enough to download Picasa again.

Need to whinge

I'm tired, I want to sleep, I want a holiday, I don't want to work anymore, actually I want to work somewhere else. I don't like my boss, he's so patronising! Need to pray and ask for guidance, should I just fly off after graduation? Is there anypoint to doing college of law in Australia if I don't intend to practise here at all?!

Anyway this is just something I observed today. If you are going to liverpool street or hyde park area from the north shore there is absolutely no point in taking the train to Musuem or St James. Its better just to get off at Town Hall and walk. I think it took me an extra 20 mins to get home because I decided to be lazy and take the train from Musuem station to Wynyard, to change to the North Shore trains.

wa dao oh chiew liao (touchdown in Australia)

Can't believe I got sick on the last day of my holiday in Malaysia. Was sniffling like crazy on the plane and didn't get much sleep either. Flight back was ok, getting through Sydney airport immigration and customs was still annoying but smooth this time round. Kelvin picked us up from the airport, updated him in the car about what happened in December. Arrived back home, yay!

The weather yesterday was weird! I was expecting 44 degree summer heat and bushfires, instead it was like cold, cloudy and grey. I'm not complaining, but I think the weather has gone nuts due to global warming.

Was so nice having internet access again! I'm so spoilt I know, I think internet is something I can't live without. I could do without a mobile phone and cable T.V but life just wouldn't be the same without the net. Without the net how else could I post blogs? hehe

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

This is what happens when you neglect your blog!

OK, I'm going to do a layout change when I get back to Sydney.

My holiday is winding down and some of my relos have gone back home already. Its nice to be with family again, being in Sydney can be lonely.

Had delicious curry rice twice today and as a consequence had to use the toilet a few times.

Anyway I'm probably going to be in Melaka until I fly home on the 4th but if I'm in K.L I'll definitely come find Christian and Vic and go out Lanning. apparently there's this street lined with cybercafes in P.J somewhere, a mini Seoul hehe.