The significance of poker....

You see the work 'poker'..what do you think of?

Its amazing how one card game - poker can be used in so many different context.

Almost everyone at work seems to know how to play the game (except me). Its been used as the theme of some movies..and now just reading through my accounting notes, its been drawn as an analogy to making investment decisions.

Investments, gambling, risk taking...i guess it's all the same.

We say we don't gamble...but how un true is that? Life IS a gamble..and each day, we gamble our lives away....

Sunday....

It's definitely is not the best weekend to be out on the beach or even to be outside cause it's just so cold and miserable. But neither do I want to be stuck indoors all weekend!! My plan of exercising in the morning has fallen through. Instead, I've decided to satisfy my stomach with some choc and hazlenut cookies with a cup of nice steaming hot chocolate! :D

I have a sudden craving for Hurricanes right now. Don't know why! Maybe cause I just want an excuse to head outside! If only weekends are 3 days instead of the 2...I think it would make things just that little better!

Passing time...

Sometimes, I sit and wonder. When we have something - we don't treasure it. When we lose it, that is when we really wonder, maybe I should have treasured it more.

The ungratefulness of human nature.

On the flip side, sometimes we treasure what we have so much that we don't realise how tightly we are holding on. And in the end, only to realise things will eventually change.

So what am I talking about?

I don't know. Random thoughts on a random day...

Figures..friday is always weird...

Back to study..

Fun Friday

Yes yes..i KNOW i should study..but promise I'll go study after blogging. Just wanted to have this recorded so I won't forget..although I must say, it will be a long remembered night.

The day began in the office with nothing much to do cause I wasn't booked on anything. So took it easy, did my admin, emails and a little bit of study. In the arvo, we went Paddington lawn bowls for our end of busy season event. It was actually quite fun and surprisingly it didn't rain. Each of us were split into teams. My team came first...counting from the end :D Sad to see one of us ex-grads leaving...best of luck!

Night time came dinner...and OMG...one of the funniest night and 'weirdest' topics of conversation at Spanish Terrazas. That place wasn't that bad either...live music, mixed tapas and seafood paella with a bunch of 'crazy' people makes it an interesting combination.

After food, there was more food...riveria and the ice cream was amazingly big. The topics from dinner was brought over to dessert with some people laughing uncontrollably. I won't even dare stating what the topics of conversations were. Let's just say it was...crazy, hilarious and fun! Hidden thoughts were spoken aloud :P

Frustration

Some things are just harder to get over..

Chop chop moving right along...easier said than done! I'm sure I'm over it..I once learnt in psyc the more you supress a thought, the more likely it will reoccur because you'll be triggering certain 'nodes' in your memory. What I didn't pay attention to in class was how to forget..i think it was along the lines of preoccupying your mind with something else so you wont even have time to think about ur suppressed thought.

The less distractions for me the better...msn, gtalk, facebook, blah blah blah


Right now I NEED to study...study...study...

Habits are hard to change

I have my exams in 15 days...not long at all considering the amount of paper we have to sift through...

Prior to every exam for the past 7 years I suffer from what is called procrastination. Online, checking email...it doesn't make life easy.

My aim is the stay offline as much as I could and hopefully increase my productivity over the next 2 weeks..2 weeks only..atm I'm just trying to justify with myself that nothing cannot wait for another 2 weeks.

I really need to study...I really should study..and now I really will go study...

Wish me luck :D

In hibernation until the exams are over (hopefully)

Well not hopefully..but definitely...

Interesting thoughts...

Have been up since 4:30am...gone out came back..done my morning exercise and planning to study for the rest of the day. But what's a day without 'some' procrastination.

Reading other random people's blogs and thoughts can be quite interesting. People with different opinions, ideas, goals, dreams and views on life. Putting things in perspective, life isn't all that bad. There's study and work. But really what's to life without them. Study will 'supposedly' make you more knowledgeable, work is vital for a living. All aside, there will be times for fun and play, holidays and the like. As the saying goes, "No pain, no gain".

Are we all just taking things for granted? How much do we show appreciation to those who really care? How often do you think that life is bad? When was the last time that you said things are bad. What is bad? Relatively speaking, I don't think things are as bad as it seems because there will always be more worse case scenarios.

I've always remembered this quote and found it quite meaningful. "When you says things are bad, compared to what?" What benchmark are you using to measure the 'badness'?


"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” - Fredrick Keonig

Whatever you think...

I don't know what to write about anymore...

Life is not interesting enough to write about - work, home, study and the pattern continues...life? need some reorganising...aim: better time management skills

Mind is too convoluted to decipher - am i just too dumb, or are things really that challenging? i dont understand..this, that or anything.

Frustration

Frustrated, annoyed and once again, procrastinating.

I thought I will be able to concur procrastinating. It is really nothing but the mind. The time you spend doing other things or nothing totals to a ridiculous amount of time. Why do that? Time cannot be reversed, just as some things in the world, there's no second chance.

What I think I am lacking is some direction. Speaking to some people really amazed me..the ideas they think about, the direction they see, the things they achieve.

What are my goals? Where do I see myself going? What do I want out of life and work? These are the questions I am trying to find answers to. Hopefully it will be sooner than later!

Another random thoughts:
- Sometimes I just feel so 'out of place'
- I feel like going on a road trip
- I don't understand the 'thrill' of clubbing
- What could I do during the easter long weekend?

Strange but true..

I had one of those weird days...

I passed my exams..woohoo!! And congratulations to everyone that passed..its fabulous that noone I know has failed!! :D

One would be expected to be so happy and exuberant!! But on the other extreme I found myself crying...from sadness not from happiness. I don't know how to explain..in fact I don't really want to explain. But that maybe I can put an end to something. Maybe I can now see things in a different light and move in a more meaningful direction.

Things, I believe all happen or don't happen for a reason. It is these little events that happen on a day to day basis that build up to create a meaning.

As a little reward for myself, I ended up at the Lindt cafe at Cockle Bay. It wasn't as great as I expected. A hot choc with a slice of chocolate hazlenut gateau costed me $13...ummm definitely sky high prices!!

Driving expedition

Not so much of an expedition..but driving from north to south and north again in one day is something that I don't do often. So where were my destinations on Australia Day?

Bexley North - Hurstville - St Leonards - Caringbah - Epping

It good to catch up with people...but driving late at night is definitely not safe. As 'usual', I had my near misses. Glad I was home in one piece.

I'm going to have to stay clear of the city one day. Almost every weekend I'm in the city and its kinda driving me nuts!! Absolutely nothing interesting in the city - well not that I have discovered..never seem to do anything different!! Ah wells..life goes on...

Into the new year...

17 days into the new year...

no new year resolution thus far..

great to hear some interesting and happy news from friends...

tired from work....increasingly so throughout the week

looking forward to long weekend...or even just weekend in general...

watching the world evolve around me...

Making you happy...

I'm always trying to do things to make people happy...to give them surprises, lending a helping hand..

but sometimes sitting back and reflecting..who is there to make me happy??

sometimes its disheartening...true when helping people you really don't expect anything back...the feeling of satisfaction you get from it is amazing..but sometimes when you're lonely..these things do matter...

dont get me wrong..i love helping out...but its times when I'm depressed and think about things that it does make me wonder...

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