Gosford

My first 'away' job for a week!! At no other place - Gosford. We stayed at Willows at Wyoming. The client even suggested we stay at Terrigal. That idea sounds so tempting but somehow I don't think that would be considered for next time (unfortunately)!!

The place we stayed at wasn't thrilling but we had some hilarious moments! Classic examples of mis-communication. First day, getting ready for dinner...'see you at 6'...we had 20mins. I was thinking maybe I'd just wear my work clothes for dinner..my colleague wore jeans and thongs. Day two..exact same scenario...since he wore cas for the first day, I decided to wear cas on the second day. But he was thinking exactly the same...and wore work clothes since thats what I did the first day. So funny!! We decided to go to a water side bar for dinner...thinking 6pm must be early cause there was noone there. Reached the steps and saw the sign 'monday closed'. Drove around and walked around with indecisiveness as to where and what to eat! Finally settled on '92 Thai'. Funky deco...red walls, green table cloth....but the food wasn't too bad.

Only during this week did I realise how bad my sense of direction was!! Once too many times did I suggest the wrong direction!!

Second night dinner was just at the place we stay. Steak mignion with mustard. It so reminded me of the food from Lake Macquarie (actually I thought the steak at Lake Mac was even better!! even though that restaurant was suppose to be one of the best at Central Coast'!

Third night dinner was the best - atmosphere wise and choice of food!! We finally returned to the place that was closed on Monday - 'Iguana'. It was the 38 degree day but it was late afternoon with a slight afternoon sea breeze. We sat overlooking the water, watching some people water rafting...just as well that night oysters was special for $15 per dozen. Baby octapus salad with sweet chilli was just what i felt like!!

Despite all that food, guess I can't complain too much! Finishing work generally at 5pm....though there were a few late night. But even during the first two night when we did finish on time, I just found it rather tiring.

Another not-so-great-highlight was the internet connection..out of the 3 nights I was there, it worked only for 2 hours.

Another 'dilemma' was deciding what to have for lunch each day. Day one was frozen pasta lasagne from Coles, day two was mongolian chicken with rice at a place called 'yummy noodles' and third day was terayaki chicken udon at 'Noodles Paradise'....

Don't know why I'm just documenting the food. Maybe cause that's the best part of the entire week!! :D

That wonderful feeling....

Have you ever done something that you groaned and complained about. You sit back and think...why in the world am I doing this? You hate it, its wasting time!! But yet you persist.....don't know why....

When the task is accomplished..you think..what else can I do...let them come and collect it..or make some home delivery...again actions can be unexplainable....I chose the latter. Two home deliveries. Why? Unsure....maybe the feeling of satisfaction...the feeling that your friends will be happy and grateful...in return for what? Nothing at all.....is that unrequited 'love'..hahaha...maybe not...maybe just the love of friendship....

Despite all the groaning...in the end, I wasn't complaining....the feeling of accomplishment...of doing something for nothing...of purely helping.....that intrinsic satisfaction....

Fun facts....

10 April 19XX

Your date of conception was on or about 19 July 1983 which was a Tuesday.

You were born on a Tuesday
under the astrological sign Aries.
Your Life path number is 9.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1 & 5.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 7 & 11.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 8 & 22.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2445800.5.
The golden number for 1984 is 9.
The epact number for 1984 is 27.
The year 1984 was a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/2/1984 and ending 2/19/1985.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Rat.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Hawk; your plant is Dandelion.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Paony, the second month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 8 Nisan 5744.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 9 Nisan 5744.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.10.15.16 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 10 tun 15 uinal 16 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Tuesday, 9 Rajab 1404 (1404-7-9).

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 22 April 1984.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 22 April 1984.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 7 March 1984.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 10 June 1984.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 17 June 1984.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 25 September 1984.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Sunday, 15 April 1984.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 6 March 1984.

As of 10/30/2006 4:18:22 AM EST
You are 22 years old.
You are 270 months old.
You are 1,177 weeks old.
You are 8,238 days old.
You are 197,716 hours old.
You are 11,862,978 minutes old.
You are 711,778,702 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Haley Joel Osment (1988) Mandy Moore (1984) Ryan Merriman (1983)
Lil McClarnon (1981) Steven Seagal (1952) John Madden (1936)
Omar Sharif (1932) Max Von Sydow (1929) Chuck Connors (1921)
Harry Morgan (1915) Joseph Pulitzer (1847) Commodore Matthew Perry (1794)

Top songs of 1984
Like a Virgin by Madonna When Doves Cry by Prince
Jump by Van Halen Footloose by Kenny Loggins
What's Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner Against All Odds by Phil Collins
I Just Called to Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
Karma Chameleon by Culture Club Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.22426614481409 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!)



There are 162 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 23 candles.

Those 23 candles produce 23 BTUs,
or 5,796 calories of heat (that's only 5.7960 food Calories!) .
You can boil 2.63 US ounces of water with that many candles.


In 1984 there were approximately 3.6 million births in the US.
In 1984 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile.
In 1984 in the US there were 2,487,000 marriages (10.5%) and 1,155,000 divorces (4.9%)
In 1984 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

In 1984 the population of Australia was approximately 15,677,282.
In 1984 there were approximately 234,034 births in Australia.
In 1984 in Australia there were approximately 108,655 marriages and 43,124 divorces.
In 1984 in Australia there were approximately 109,914 deaths.


Your birthstone is Diamond

The Mystical properties of Diamond

Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire

Your birth tree is

Rowan, the Sensitivity
Full of charm, cheerful, gifted, without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.



There are 56 days till Christmas 2006!
There are 69 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waxing gibbous.



Birth Day

Bludge

I so just want to chill and bludge for one day without doing anything!! Just sitting, playing, doing absolutely no work!! I'm exhausted. Not that I've been working that hard. Tired tired tired. Tired of waiting, just plain tired. Everyone has got only a certain amount of patience!!

Drove up to Gosford today. Surprisingly it only took 1.5hours. I thought it would take longer. Actually the drive wasn't that bad! Again a lot of waiting...

Sometimes I wish I could read other people's mind just for a moment.

I realised the whole day was spent waiting for people.....I'm sick and tired of waiting now...its painful...always looking at the watch...I give up.

Come to think of it. All my life I've been waiting for people - almost always.

Manners

Maybe the older I get, the more paranoid I become. Where has all the manners gone!! Gone are the days of posting letters through the mail. In the modern world, there's phones, emails and sms. Somehow, the more convenient the technology becomes, the lazier people seem to be - or ruder.

Isn't it just common courtesy to reply to emails or sms. A simply no or yes reply to confirm whether you are coming is really not that hard. Sure it may cost you 25c for a sms but if one person can spend that 25c to ask, isn't it logical and polite - saying the least - to reply! Even in emails. Ok emails cost nothing. What's the rational behind that?? Maybe only a couple of minutes of your 'precious time' to reply and all you really have to do is to hit the 'send' button - and there...the message is replied. No confusions, no waiting required.

I just can't get over the fact of how simple things in life can be so complicated for some people!!

What to eat...what not to eat....

An article worth reading....

Food Fix

Tired, grumpy, hungover? Michael Lallo finds out what we should be reaching for when life has lost its zing.

For a hangover eggs are good, but avoid coffee.

For most of us, the morning after a big night out involves a greasy fry-up, a crate of painkillers and a vase of black coffee. Can't sleep? Have another drink. And how often do we reach for a chocolate bar to ward off that mid-afternoon slump?

But while our homespun remedies might give us a short-term boost, they're usually followed by an even bigger crash. And many might actually be causing long-term damage.

Fortunately, there are some things we can eat and drink that not only relieve our symptoms, they're good for us, too. So next time you need a lift, don't just shovel down whatever's on hand. Follow our handy guide instead.

When you can't sleep ...

Eat: "Your best bet is to have a small, low-fat snack which includes carbohydrates and protein," says nutritionist Dr Rosemary Stanton. "A good option is honey on toast with a cup of warm skim milk." Why? The carbs from the bread help stimulate the production of serotonin in our brains, which is thought to promote relaxation and sleep. And many protein-rich foods such as milk contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid that can also boost serotonin and may be metabolised to the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin as well. A little something sweet like honey can also help you drift off.

Avoid: Spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. "While alcohol might make you fall asleep more quickly, it also disturbs sleep later throughout the night," Stanton says. Caffeine, not surprisingly, should be avoided - especially for those who aren't big tea or coffee drinkers and are less immune to its effects. And steer clear of big meals, spicy food and anything else that's hard to digest.

When you need to concentrate ...

Eat: Carbohydrates are the best source of fuel for our brains, so something such as Weetbix or Vita brits, a slice of bread or toast or a low-fat smoothie will keep you powering through that report. A cup of tea or coffee also helps, as any caffeine addict will tell you. And eat some fish, advises dietitian Sharon Natoli from Food and Nutrition Australia. "The Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as swordfish, salmon and mackerel, help keep our brains functioning properly when eaten regularly," she says. Linseeds and walnuts are also good sources.

Avoid: Big serves of anything can make us feel sleepy - great for siesta-loving Spaniards, but not so good for cubicle-confined Aussies. "Fatty foods in particular hamper our ability to stay sharp," says Natoli. And meals consisting largely of highly refined foods such as white bread or sugary products wreak havoc with our blood sugar levels - and our ability to think. Don't overdo it with the caffeine, either: we're all familiar with that jumpy, irritable feeling that comes from one too many coffees.

When you're stressed ...

Eat: Forget about your stomach for a moment - get up off the couch and get active. "Exercise is much better for stress relief than eating," Stanton says, "although it's important not to skip meals." The endorphins our body produces when we're working out act as natural opiates, producing a sense of wellbeing and calming our jangled nerves. Some physicians recommend tyrosine supplements, because the amino acid is thought to be involved in the production of certain brain chemicals that help relieve mild anxiety. Be careful, though - researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Centre have found that eating too much can lead to restlessness, stomach upsets and even changes in heart rate.

Avoid: Most of us tend to either stuff or starve ourselves when we're anxious, and neither extreme does any good. Small, easily digested meals such as a sandwich or a piece of fruit are ideal. Don't be fooled by the relief that a cigarette provides - you're simply relieving the symptoms of your addiction, not dealing with your stress. And while a glass of wine might help you unwind, best not to depend on it.

When you want to avoid that mid-afternoon crash ...

Eat: "Slowly digested carbohydrates with a little bit of lean protein make a good lunch because they provide long-lasting energy," Stanton says. A bean salad, beans on wholegrain toast or a wholegrain tuna and salad roll are all smart choices. Fruits such as apples, oranges and pears all provide slow-release energy, and are therefore an ideal afternoon snack. A small handful of raw nuts can also be very satisfying.

Avoid: Any food that has a high glycaemic index, which means it causes a rapid spike, followed by a rapid drop, in your blood sugar levels. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and most processed and sugary foods are the main offenders. And a big lunch forces your body to work hard at digesting it, which is why your brain tends to slack off after you've hoovered up a burger, fries and shake.

When you're about to exercise ...

Eat: An hour or two before you strap on your runners, eat some rapidly digested carbohydrates such as watermelon, rockmelon or a banana. Drink some water, because nothing hinders your performance like dehydration.

Avoid: "Anything heavy or fatty and skip the chocolate," Stanton says. "Its high fat content will leave it in your stomach instead of sending it through to replenish blood glucose." A small amount of caffeine can boost your stamina, but because it makes you urinate more frequently, too much will have you running to the loo every 15 minutes.

When you're hungover ...

Eat: You should have known better than to have that eighth tequila slammer last night, but now the damage is done. The most important thing is to rehydrate your parched brain. Drink lots of water when you get home - even if it means you have to make a few trips to the bathroom throughout the night - and have plenty more in the morning. The boffins from Cambridge University suggest that if you can stomach it, have some eggs for breakfast. And not just because they taste good, but because they're also rich in an amino acid called cysteine, which some scientists believe can help our body carry out its clean-up operation.

Avoid: Despite providing a much-needed jolt, caffeine won't undo the effects of alcohol. Forget hair-of-the-dog remedies - all you're doing is delaying the pain and making it worse. And stay away from paracetamol, which the American Liver Foundation says can damage an already overburdened organ. There is only one fail-proof way to avoid hangovers - drink sensibly. "And remember that the recommendations for two standard drinks for women and four for men refer to a standard 100 millilitres of wine as one drink," Stanton says. "A typical glass of wine is 185 millilitres, which is almost two standard drinks in one hit." Darker drinks such as brandy, red wine, rum and whisky all contain more impurities called congeners, which New Scientist magazine reports can worsen the symptoms of a hangover.

When you're feeling down ...

Eat: Good news - you've got medical approval to indulge. "Have a small serve of something you really like," Stanton says. "Make sure it's good and eat it slowly, preferably in the company of a friend." That means a decent meal, a glass of red and a small dessert at your favourite Italian bistro, not a whole pizza and a packet of Tim Tams in front of Dr Who. The herb St John's Wort can be effective in relieving mild depression, according to The Medical Journal of Australia. However, it can interfere with many other drugs, including oral contraceptives and anti-depressants.

Avoid: Too much of any comfort food will only make you unhealthier, and therefore unhappier. Alcohol simply masks your symptoms, which means you're less likely to address what's causing them. Needless to say, if you're experiencing more than the occasional blue day, see your doctor.

As a general rule, if you're thinking of taking supplements, speak to a health professional first. And don't think that popping vitamins will make up for a woeful diet.

Interesting articles....

Some interesting articles I've come across during my procrastination:

Stressed...drink a Cuppa Stress? Try a nice cuppa

Cosmetic products may not be safe Some like it white

Pimples Acne Treatment: users guide

Bias Don't trust those eyes

From SMH

The Key to 'A Healthy Heart'

A HEALTHY HEART

- Think positively. Tell yourself you are going to be OK every time you catch yourself thinking negatively.

- Exercise will help lighten your mood. Listen to fast, upbeat music to help get you in the mood to exercise.

- Establish or re-establish contact with your friends and social-support network to talk about it if it helps.

- Be good to yourself. Treat yourself to little luxuries.

- Write down your feelings in a diary.

A Healthy Heart

Stinkin' hot weather

Hot weather is just great for headaches!! This is probably more evident for people stuck in rooms - without much air ventilation. Yes, the window was open but the heat is magnified from the computer. No airconditioning to cool down!!

Current feeling: groggy, tired, lack of motivation

Current state of mind: blank

Current progress: N/A due to overheating....

Whirpool of emotions and events....

And the cycle continue. One day good, one day bad. Guess that's the 'beauty' of life. If everything always went to plan or happened as expected, life would be rather monotonic. It's funny. Sometimes, you'd see people but would never talk to them apart from Hi, bye type of conversation. It strikes me as surprising as to how easily or hard some conversations can start...and end. Literally having a conversation across the room. As more people came, the conversation naturally came to an end.

First focus session on Thursday. It was better than what I expected. No presentations, finishing early...10 minute breaks are definitely not enough. I didn't end finish my cuppa!

Opera Bar was so crowded. The atmosphere didn't strike me as particularly nice or maybe cause I was hungry and tired.

F's bday

Another birthday...another weekend! Simple but fun! BBQ, candid shots, Big 2, snap. Prawns, meat, salads, pudding, tarts and ice cream cake! Highlight must be the drinking of 1L to 2L of water for losing in Big 2 and snap!..oh did I mention within 30 secs. Lots of fun and laughter!!

It's all written in the stars

http://www.smh.com.au/horoscopes/aries.html

This should be a good day if you can avoid morning arguments. It doesn't matter what it's over, just don't argue! Then you can enjoy your day without feeling peeved or ticked off in anyway. Try to get some physical exercise at this time as that is a better way to channel high energy levels. A happy afternoon and a traditional BBQ could be a lot of fun.

Its sometimes amazing what the horoscopes say. Sometimes it's just so true that you have to believe it!!

Disgusted...

Why people procrastinate? In fact, lets begin with the definition of procrastination.

Procrastination is the deferment or avoidance of an action or task which requires completion by focusing on some other action or task. For the person procrastinating this may result in stress, a sense of guilt, the loss of productivity, the creation of crisis, and the chagrin of others for not fulfilling one's responsibilities or commitments. While it is normal for individuals to procrastinate to some degree, it becomes a problem when it impedes normal functioning. - from Wikipedia.

This has reached its chronic stage for me. Too often am I sitting around doing nothing. Productivity level zero. When placed into perspective, things just get a whole lot worse when everyone else around you seems to be studying and putting so much effort into it. It's not that I don't want to put in any effort. I just have problems concentrating.

I don't believe it's impossible. I know what I need to do. I need self-disclipine, self-control. Why put things off oto the following day when you know that you will eventually have to do it. What do you have to loose in completing something NOW instead of LATER. In fact, I can't think of any cons to that. It's all a matter of prioritising, time management and concentration. Just like aeroplane jelly, 'a little each day is a good recipe'.

Time to put plan to action.

Back to habit

It's been over 1.5 months since I've last blogged. A record in itself. For the past two weeks, each weekend has been an exciting and fun bday party - M&M. Seafood, sushi, skilful salmon cutting, seaweed and seaurchin. Together with Big 2, snap and more snap in the most hilarious way. We had it all - laughter, pain and satisfaction. Too bad it didn't end off with some dessert :p

The other M. Cruising in the harbour on the fabulous sunny day on Matilda 3. Nothing to complain about!! The rocking of the boat, snapping of candid shots, watching the scenery - hilarious and relaxing! It's funny how paths cross. Catching up with high school friends, some of which we haven't seen for ages!! Meeting people with the same name who other people had once thought I was her. Hearing some interesting hospitality stories. Discovering new eatery places - ice green tea latte, squid ink pizza, raw beef. Another fab night that captured it all.

Change

After so long with dial-up, I have finally ventured into the new era of adsl2+. As always for me, much anticipation without doubt leads to disappointment. The first night after receiving the modem through post, I spent the entire night trying to figure out why in the world I can't connect. The following day, the next logical thing to do is the ring up TPG. Not surprisingly, after conducting a line check, they found a problem with the connection! So afterall, its not my problem but theirs! I don't know why, but I kinda of having doubts after the quality of tpg after my unsucessful connection attempt. But what can I do?

Food

Funny how everytime I blog, it is always an outing related to food! A long day really - watched Cars (highly recommended - it is so funny - nice to get in touch with the 'childish' side of life again); followed by ice-skating for 2 hours and then korean bbq buffet. Personally I don't think I'll go back there again. Not that the selection of food wasn't very good. There was a bit of variety, but overall I just felt the place was a bit too "smoky". Either a lack of ventilation or that type of food is just not for me! Oh and how can I forget the gelato after buffet.

Food expedition...

Must document my food expedition with the gals. The day began with chocolate eating at Adore at Earlwood (3-in-1 hot chocolate). This was followed by a trip to Watson's Bay. Where's Doyles? There's so many. Next time we must make it into the poshy restaurant! :p Seafood - seafood paella, seafood platter, seasoned avocado with smoked salmon and salad - plus a lil scenic tour - despite no spotting of whales. Superb weather nonetheless!! Dinner at U...something. Forgot the 'type' of food that we had or the name of the restaurant - lamb skewers, dumplings, spinach, noodles. Ice cream for dessert at Cold-Rock - macademia, cookies and cream, coconut (which tasted like medicine!!) and ferro roche. Slight sore-throat now..hmmm...

More eating expeditions are a MUST!!!!!!!

It just wasn't meant to be...

3 free tickets for three different reasons to see Da Vinci Code...one on premier night (thursday), one to silver screening (friday), one on monday night...couldn't make it ANY of those. What a waste!! I don't think I was ever meant to watch the Da Vinci Code. Have no further intention of watching it either....ah wells

Life...at work

Nothing much worth mentioning. In fact I have only a very vague recollection of what has happened in the past 3 weeks - if any at all. Something I'm proud of is that I'm becoming quite familiar with the M5 - having to drive to Prestons and Smithfield. I haven't even heard of these places until now. I feel like I'm getting disconnected with the world. What happened to my weekly outings or fortnightly claims of doing new things? I feel like I haven't been out in ages. Haven't seen anyone. Haven't spoken to anyone. Yeah MSN, but its different...

Assessing the meaning of life again. What am I doing? Where am I heading? What do I want to get out of it? Don't get me wrong. Working is can be 'good' but it can also be 'hell' depending on how you see it. How do I see it? It depends. A bit like weather really - unpredictable. But sometimes, I just want to have a break. I don't know how I'll handle 3 months of continuous work without any break. I can foresee hell is coming my way.

In the meantime, before all hell breaks loose as they say, I just want to have some fun. Do things, go to places, try new things. But noone seems to be free anymore these days. Uni people have exams, work people are too bogged down with their work or have other plans. Leaving me all by myself once again...me myself and I.

Aiii...what can I do? Motivation level is low - which is probably why I'm not having much initiative. What I do: plan, anticipate its going to be boring, cancel plan and start from square one again and the cycle continues.

Archery

What could 11 'adults' and 2 kids do?? The day was fun filled beginning from 2pm and ending at 11:30pm with 5 hours taken up by eating..haha. After a couple of practice shots, they placed balloons on the targets! There were a couple of injuries due to the string of the bow striking the arms and some 'wild' shooting of targets (but obviously, the targets didn't become the anticipated human ones)...but wasn't it worth it?? :p

Thx to F's 3 boxes of sushi and a bottle of coke without cups - that kept us going afterwards until we decided a place to eat for dinner. Well, originally it was karaoke but glad the final decision was dinner instead!! Too bad Novotel was too expensive!!

Shortly on the trip to the ct, I was following PJ's car and naturally got lost. How I wasn't surprised one little bit. But amazingly, I somehow ended up behind her car again not before too long!! How things just turn out...

Dinner decided to be at Red Hot Chilli - finally the much anticipated hot pot eventuated!!! 2 non-hot soup base and 1 half MILD hot and non-hot soup base. How is it possible that gals can eat more than guys!! Hilarious...After a 3 hour marathon of hot-pot and waiters giving us strange looks...maybe cause we ate sooooo much?? (definitely our money's worth), we wanted more..well the gals wanted more! Yup dessert. Well that was after walking off some of the food, with a stroll down to cockle bay and back to town hall. First ice-cream stop was gelatissimo - nah...not enough selection..second stop was passionflower - after sitting for like 10mins and almost decided in ordering, the small print said "Minimum $8 per person, 10% surcharge after 6pm". Of course our reaction is to leave..hahaha. Third and final stop - gelatissimo at chinatown. FINALLY our dessert!!