* the real meaning *

just because i have a tendency to be dramatic, i googled 'stress' and came across an article from the victorian government's better health channel which says this:
"stress that is not managed or treated can lead to significant medical illnesses and anxiety disorders that can often result in depression."

i look at my timetable and plan for the next four months and the one thing i feel is stress.



the irony hits when i realize that for the longest time last year, this was exactly the feeling i missed and even longed for. i remember complaining about having way too much idle time, about not feeling or being productive, about not doing all that i could be doing with my time and energy.

thus it makes me wonder: why is balance such a hard thing to achieve? and why is the real meaning of my decision-making so hard to ascertain?

i think i'm known for being a stickler to extremes when it comes to work and uni, and sometimes even friends. to this extent, i wonder if i actually know where the line lives. you know, the line which tells a rational person that enough is enough, that 'no' is the right response, or even the line which points out the wise decision when it is just so crystal clear.

here's to praying that i'll be able to respect that line and that stress won't get the better of me this semester.

* just a little bit *

holidays are over. i can feel it. there's four days left before classes start up again. as you would guess, i'm back in sydney, back from the trip home. and wowza. what a jam-packed last few weeks!

the two weeks in perth were fantastic. got to catch up with a lot of friends. but at the same time it was sad because there were heaps of people i didn't get a chance to see. the good thing is that a lot of those people happen to be coming over to my end of australia over the next few months, so i guess the complaints end here!

it was great to get to go down south with the girls. after an afternoon of grueling discussion and relative indecision which was largely guided by impulsiveness, we ended up hitting mandurah, bunbury, busselton, dunsborough (albeit, just a drive through), margaret river, augusta and cape leeuwin.

beautiful!





it was so great to spend a good three straight days with the girls. one thing i realized is that for real friendships, time apart does nothing. people can change, but that doesn't mean they necessarily grow apart. i don't know what i'd do without these girls.

the other thing which was totally awesome was the time i got to spend with family! we ended up hitting the shooting range, golf driving range (o.m. to the g. at the automatic system that wembley golf course has now!), hawkers' and novembar. all of which have officially made my list as 'happy places'.




going back through my photos though, it's kinda funny how we totally didn't take any whacked out funny shots! boo! normally after a hang out, my camera is usually filled with at least 100 stupid shots. this time round? no such luck!

family and friends aside, one of the greatest things about this trip was that it was filled with some pretty important and awesome 'firsts'. check it out:

(1) first time i actually walked along matilda bay
(2) first time i fired a glock and hated it
(3) first time i hit a golf ball off an automatic tee
(4) first time i went with my whole family to watch a movie at the cinemas
(5) first time i ate a burger that was fully packed with red hot brazilian chilies
(6) first time i hired a car in my own name
(7) first time i drove an 8-seater car
(8) first time i travelled further south than busselton
(9) first time i swam at a beach in over a decade
(10) first time i ever saw water so crystal blue (@hamelin bay)

all in all, it was an incredibly fulfilling trip home. the only shame is that the time went by so fast. if i'm completely honest, i already miss it. =p

just a little bit.

* sweet home *

first day back in perth. and already, so much has happened!

last night was heaps fun! after landing, we ended up going out for supper with cheng, shell and lil. finally, after a whole year, the six of us back together again = good good times. it was pretty funny because we walked around northbridge for a good 20 minutes and circled the chinatown restaurant block repeatedly, until the point that a few of us absolutely refused to walk past the left-hand lane restaurants for a THIRD time, rejecting those ever so desperate hostesses. and then, even though we wanted to play pool, point 88 disappointed us on the food end, so as a lack of a better last resort, we ended up crossing the horseshoe bridge and going over to maccas in the city. and at that point, everything seemed to revert back to exactly how they were one year ago.

as i realize it, it's nights like this that make me really miss living here.


after a late night, waking up today turned out to be GREAT. there was no need to set an alarm, no dread of waking up, just sheer ease and relaxation. funny enough, i still ended up getting out of bed at 9:30AM! the morning was spent chilling with dad, chatting, catching up... the afternoon held tea fusion and pool, and tonight goes down in history, because after our mass reunion steamboat chinese new year dinner, it turned out to be the first time that the entire family has gone, as a family, to the cinemas to watch a movie together. ever. we ended up watching 'unstoppable' (hellooooooo chris pine!!) in a hope that it would be the kind of movie that dad wouldn't sleep through. and win for us, because it was a pretty damn good movie, and as it turned out, dad had lots and lots of things to recount about it after it finished!


i'm loving being back here. although i must admit, perth seems a bit quieter than normal. but hey, it's only the first day!

at this point, i'm so glad that i've got another 11 days left. =D