As feared, I put on 1 kg since I arrived in Sydney a month ago. Not surprised considering we keep eating out, ordering too much, cooking too much and experimenting with all the new foods we find in supermarkets.
This morning, I managed to start walking and jogging with hubby in the park nearby and hopefully we could keep it up. I realised that the sun is out earlier here so by 7am, it's quite bright. So I think we could change our sleeping time, sleep earlier and wake up earlier.
On the employment part, I didn't get the role I was hoping for. A bit disappointed but now I'm really hoping my husband will get a job first. I'm beginning to enjoy this 'housewife' role and don't mind doing it full-time :) I've been hoping to get pregnant soon so i'd have a strong reason, or excuse, to stay at home. Having said that, the prospect of earning more money is too tempting, especially if we want to buy a house in the future.
On the positive side, we'd finally get our own internet connection, using TPG. According to my husband, it's still the cheapest so far and some of our friends are already using it. We couldn't get ADSL2+ for our place so settle for ADSL1, but it's definitely better that the mobile internet from 3 that we borrowed from Martha (thanks, Martha). I guess it's about time we returned it to her, in case she needs it.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Hubby's birthday
I don't really like birthdays in general, especially when it comes to birthdays of pp close to me. Somehow I feel the pressure to 'perform', eg, have to think what gifts to buy (it's a test of how well you know a person), where to celebrate it (got to be some place special), where to get the cake, etc etc.
The good thing is, my hubby is as bad as me when it comes to birthday. I mean, we both just take birthday as another day. We didn't bother to think of what gifts to give, but... we do like to eat so we'll put a slight effort to think of where to eat.
So yesterday, as expected, no birthday gifts. I even forgot to wish him 'Happy birthday' when it's past midnight and we were just about to sleep, he just blurted out "Hey, it's my birthday now". So I snapped out of my semi-conscious state of near-sleep to give him a peck and wishes.
I planned to take him out to have dinner at Hurricane's (ribs) but the place is usually noisy so I was contemplating whether to have it in an Indonesian restaurant that I have 25% off. So I didn't make any reservations at all.
In the afternoon, we went out to meet new friends at a lunch gatherings of Singaporeans in Sydney at a Singapore cafe called "Kopitiam on 228". We had 'kway chaps' but hubby ate their Nonya Laksa (he can't eat pork intestines). It's nice meeting new people, suddenly I was back to Singlish and Mandarin.
After lunch, we walked around at Rhodes mall and I got my hubby to buy 2 winter tops (not too sure what's the right name for it). I thought that he'll need a long sleeve top to cover his hands when he's driving during the day. The sun ray is too painful for the skin, I think. He looked so handsome in the top!!
After that, we went to Hurricane to try our luck. The queue was long but we joined the q after finding a parking spot. We ordered a Full Rack (pork) with mashed potato to share. According to my hubby (who understands Cantonese), the couple (Hongkongers) next table commented that we ordered too little since hubby is big size hehehee... Oh well, I thought the same thing too, but lucky hubby felt he's satisfied. Oh, we met 2 old friends while waiting there too (Vivi and Edward).
When we finished our dinner, we took a walk around Bondi (brrr...it was cold!). When we got back to our car, we got a nasty birthday surprise.... a fine of $79 for not paying for parking. Oh well, we didn't read the sign correctly so we thought it was free parking hehehe...
The good thing is, my hubby is as bad as me when it comes to birthday. I mean, we both just take birthday as another day. We didn't bother to think of what gifts to give, but... we do like to eat so we'll put a slight effort to think of where to eat.
So yesterday, as expected, no birthday gifts. I even forgot to wish him 'Happy birthday' when it's past midnight and we were just about to sleep, he just blurted out "Hey, it's my birthday now". So I snapped out of my semi-conscious state of near-sleep to give him a peck and wishes.
I planned to take him out to have dinner at Hurricane's (ribs) but the place is usually noisy so I was contemplating whether to have it in an Indonesian restaurant that I have 25% off. So I didn't make any reservations at all.
In the afternoon, we went out to meet new friends at a lunch gatherings of Singaporeans in Sydney at a Singapore cafe called "Kopitiam on 228". We had 'kway chaps' but hubby ate their Nonya Laksa (he can't eat pork intestines). It's nice meeting new people, suddenly I was back to Singlish and Mandarin.
After lunch, we walked around at Rhodes mall and I got my hubby to buy 2 winter tops (not too sure what's the right name for it). I thought that he'll need a long sleeve top to cover his hands when he's driving during the day. The sun ray is too painful for the skin, I think. He looked so handsome in the top!!
After that, we went to Hurricane to try our luck. The queue was long but we joined the q after finding a parking spot. We ordered a Full Rack (pork) with mashed potato to share. According to my hubby (who understands Cantonese), the couple (Hongkongers) next table commented that we ordered too little since hubby is big size hehehee... Oh well, I thought the same thing too, but lucky hubby felt he's satisfied. Oh, we met 2 old friends while waiting there too (Vivi and Edward).
When we finished our dinner, we took a walk around Bondi (brrr...it was cold!). When we got back to our car, we got a nasty birthday surprise.... a fine of $79 for not paying for parking. Oh well, we didn't read the sign correctly so we thought it was free parking hehehe...
Friday, May 9, 2008
Foxtel, interview and cooking
We finally got a Foxtel on Thursday. It's mainly for my hubby as he wants to watch his Liverpool games. I find the local TV programmes are sufficient for me, I can't even remember when my favourite shows (Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives) are playing.
But after an interview on Friday morning and while my husband is using the laptop to check internet, I found myself channel-surfing through all the shows in Foxtel, I watched 2 episodes (each) of Will & Grace and SITC. And I kept watching until it is past midnight!
Not sure what happened to me, maybe I need to unwind from the stress of interview (2nd interview, you see), to distract myself from regretting things I said during the interview (I was nervous and talked too much but not really answering the questins) and regretting things that I should've mentioned in the interview. Oh well, all's done and now we can only wait.
I have to thank Amanda (ex-colleague) for putting good words to the interviewer and for all the encouragement and that she and her brother, Jason, have given me so far. As much as I want to get the job, part of me wants to enjoy the 'holiday' mood we are in.. waking up late, going for morning walk, buy paper, read it in the park, watch TV, check internet, shopping, experiment with cooking.
Talking about cooking, I miss my parent-in-law. Yesterday my hubby cooked pasta for us (I can't cook, you see) and it was too much and we ended up eating 2 servings of pasta each. I tried but couldn't finish the 2nd serving and when washing the plates (the only thing I could do in the kitchen), I had the 'jelat' (Singlish) feeling and I waould not eat pasta or any gooey microwave food anytime soon!
But after an interview on Friday morning and while my husband is using the laptop to check internet, I found myself channel-surfing through all the shows in Foxtel, I watched 2 episodes (each) of Will & Grace and SITC. And I kept watching until it is past midnight!
Not sure what happened to me, maybe I need to unwind from the stress of interview (2nd interview, you see), to distract myself from regretting things I said during the interview (I was nervous and talked too much but not really answering the questins) and regretting things that I should've mentioned in the interview. Oh well, all's done and now we can only wait.
I have to thank Amanda (ex-colleague) for putting good words to the interviewer and for all the encouragement and that she and her brother, Jason, have given me so far. As much as I want to get the job, part of me wants to enjoy the 'holiday' mood we are in.. waking up late, going for morning walk, buy paper, read it in the park, watch TV, check internet, shopping, experiment with cooking.
Talking about cooking, I miss my parent-in-law. Yesterday my hubby cooked pasta for us (I can't cook, you see) and it was too much and we ended up eating 2 servings of pasta each. I tried but couldn't finish the 2nd serving and when washing the plates (the only thing I could do in the kitchen), I had the 'jelat' (Singlish) feeling and I waould not eat pasta or any gooey microwave food anytime soon!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Entertainemnt Book
I finally got the Entertainment Book 2008/2009 today.
I read about the book from some forum and decided to see what it's like. Apparently, I could only get it from Charities or fund-raising events, so I searched for the charities on the internet. It took me an hour to decide which charities to buy it from, and I almost couldn't decide. Each charity has a noble cause so I decide on Guide Dogs only because the website to purchase the book looked more reliable and easy to use.
I even had used the voucher today, buying milkshakes at Donut King and bought quarter-chicken from Nandos (both on a 1-get-1 deal). I am looking forward to use voucher for Ratu Sari and my friends may plan to try this Indonesian Restaurant in Kingsford. Most probably, I would used up the coffee vouchers by end of the month hehehee.... and I find the vouchers for Nandos, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, etc, within my budget limit. As for the restaurants, I would need to get a job first before splurging on meals at restaurants.
Another good offer is the $5 off from $100 gift card from Coles. That's is a 5% savings immediately and I would shop at Coles one of these days anyway.
I read about the book from some forum and decided to see what it's like. Apparently, I could only get it from Charities or fund-raising events, so I searched for the charities on the internet. It took me an hour to decide which charities to buy it from, and I almost couldn't decide. Each charity has a noble cause so I decide on Guide Dogs only because the website to purchase the book looked more reliable and easy to use.
I even had used the voucher today, buying milkshakes at Donut King and bought quarter-chicken from Nandos (both on a 1-get-1 deal). I am looking forward to use voucher for Ratu Sari and my friends may plan to try this Indonesian Restaurant in Kingsford. Most probably, I would used up the coffee vouchers by end of the month hehehee.... and I find the vouchers for Nandos, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, etc, within my budget limit. As for the restaurants, I would need to get a job first before splurging on meals at restaurants.
Another good offer is the $5 off from $100 gift card from Coles. That's is a 5% savings immediately and I would shop at Coles one of these days anyway.
Mouth Ulcers
Ever since I was young, I seemed to be prone to have mouth ulcers. My mum used to give me this bottle of green powder. I find them irritating but didn't really give much thought about it.
I could have as many as 5 ulcers at one time, they could be on my toungue, gum or lips. My ex-colleagues could always guess whenever I have ulcers coz it affected my speech.
I have asked doctors about it but none give me a real cure. I read about it and of all the reasons that could've caused ulcers, I narrowed it down to 3 possible reasons : stress, deficiency of vitamins (iron, B12), food allergies.
It could be due to stress as I remembered that I didn't have any ulcers on the months I was not working (in between jobs). But I didn't feel stressed, I don't think my job was stresfull, unless one could feel stressed without realising it. Having said that, ever since I arrived in Sydney, I got another 3 ulcers.
It could be due to lack of iron. I read somewhere that drinking tea will wash away iron in our body and I drink a lot of tea in a day. My husband thinks I drink too much tea too and asked me to reduce my tea intake. Perhaps I would give it a try to see if the ulcers would go away if I don't drink tea at all. It's also good as my dentist and a few people noted that my teeth is yellowish due to coffee and tea stains.
As for food allergies, I would need to ask for an allergy test with a doctor and I'm too lazy to visit doctors.
My dear friend, Martha, is going to give me Chinese medicine to try and it had cured her hubby's ulcer problem too. It hope it would be a one-time cure without having to continue taking it for too long.
I could have as many as 5 ulcers at one time, they could be on my toungue, gum or lips. My ex-colleagues could always guess whenever I have ulcers coz it affected my speech.
I have asked doctors about it but none give me a real cure. I read about it and of all the reasons that could've caused ulcers, I narrowed it down to 3 possible reasons : stress, deficiency of vitamins (iron, B12), food allergies.
It could be due to stress as I remembered that I didn't have any ulcers on the months I was not working (in between jobs). But I didn't feel stressed, I don't think my job was stresfull, unless one could feel stressed without realising it. Having said that, ever since I arrived in Sydney, I got another 3 ulcers.
It could be due to lack of iron. I read somewhere that drinking tea will wash away iron in our body and I drink a lot of tea in a day. My husband thinks I drink too much tea too and asked me to reduce my tea intake. Perhaps I would give it a try to see if the ulcers would go away if I don't drink tea at all. It's also good as my dentist and a few people noted that my teeth is yellowish due to coffee and tea stains.
As for food allergies, I would need to ask for an allergy test with a doctor and I'm too lazy to visit doctors.
My dear friend, Martha, is going to give me Chinese medicine to try and it had cured her hubby's ulcer problem too. It hope it would be a one-time cure without having to continue taking it for too long.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
We're in Sydney :)
We're finally here! We still have not got an internet connection but a friend lend us this Mobile Internet to use (Thanks, Martha)
It's been a few weeks since we got here and so far we managed to get a fully-furnished apartment to live in and a used car to roam about. Now we only need to look for a job.
Looking for a job is not as easy as we thought it would be. I have been to a few interviews but mostly rejected. My husband has not got an interview yet. But we're not worried too much about it and enjoying every single day which we spend mostly by going shopping hehehe...
As for me, I am considering studying for my CFA exams. I am a bit sceptical whether I would pass this one as 1 month is not enough time to study the material and to practise on the exams questions. Since I have already paid for it, I might as well sit for the exams right? (shouldn't I be studying right now, rather than typing this blog? hehe..)
I am still getting used to the fact the sun comes up very early in the morning. It's so bright that I wake up naturally at 7.30. My husband doesn't seem to be affected and sleep peacefully. Most of my friends sleep at 10pm, even my 'old' Singaporean friends too. So I guess we should sleep earlier and wake up early too.
I am beginning to hate the sun too. I find it hot and burning my face. I need to bring a towel in the car and cover my face when the sun shines on me. I remember that I got my first freckles and moles right after I came back from Sydney the 1st time round, so I suspect I'd get a few more freckles now.... aaargh..... SPF30 would help but the ray is a bit painful on the skin.
Oh well, I should be hitting the books soon. Keep falling asleep when studying though. I'm planning to get a radio and a mirror in the study room, hopefully it would help to reduce the sleepiness. (Mirror helps as I tend to be less sleepy when scrutinising my freckles, dark circle, etc)
Personally I enjoy this period of not working and being domesticated (cleaning, washing, attempt to cook). I pray that my husband would get a job which pays enough that I could stay at home. Oh, we will try to 'seriously' make babies now hehe... that includes consultation with doctors. I suspect it won't be an easy ride to having babies, so need to prepare myself for the worst (IVF, cos I hate needles).
It's been a few weeks since we got here and so far we managed to get a fully-furnished apartment to live in and a used car to roam about. Now we only need to look for a job.
Looking for a job is not as easy as we thought it would be. I have been to a few interviews but mostly rejected. My husband has not got an interview yet. But we're not worried too much about it and enjoying every single day which we spend mostly by going shopping hehehe...
As for me, I am considering studying for my CFA exams. I am a bit sceptical whether I would pass this one as 1 month is not enough time to study the material and to practise on the exams questions. Since I have already paid for it, I might as well sit for the exams right? (shouldn't I be studying right now, rather than typing this blog? hehe..)
I am still getting used to the fact the sun comes up very early in the morning. It's so bright that I wake up naturally at 7.30. My husband doesn't seem to be affected and sleep peacefully. Most of my friends sleep at 10pm, even my 'old' Singaporean friends too. So I guess we should sleep earlier and wake up early too.
I am beginning to hate the sun too. I find it hot and burning my face. I need to bring a towel in the car and cover my face when the sun shines on me. I remember that I got my first freckles and moles right after I came back from Sydney the 1st time round, so I suspect I'd get a few more freckles now.... aaargh..... SPF30 would help but the ray is a bit painful on the skin.
Oh well, I should be hitting the books soon. Keep falling asleep when studying though. I'm planning to get a radio and a mirror in the study room, hopefully it would help to reduce the sleepiness. (Mirror helps as I tend to be less sleepy when scrutinising my freckles, dark circle, etc)
Personally I enjoy this period of not working and being domesticated (cleaning, washing, attempt to cook). I pray that my husband would get a job which pays enough that I could stay at home. Oh, we will try to 'seriously' make babies now hehe... that includes consultation with doctors. I suspect it won't be an easy ride to having babies, so need to prepare myself for the worst (IVF, cos I hate needles).
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