New Year eve was spent on the Coast. I was doing the calculation in my head and realised that it's been eight months since we left Sydney. We did a fair bit of travelling, attended three weddings in three different states and now we're at the end of our break. We are ready to find a new job, a new place and start a new life as husband and wife. 

I read an article this afternoon and felt strongly that I must share it. The title of the article is "Nurse reveals the top 5 regrets people make on their deathbed" by Bronnie Ware. I have only cut and pasted the said five important "regrets" but you can read the full article here.  

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Stop making the same resolutions every year be it in finances, education, well being, career etcetera when you cannot commit to fulfil them. Why not make a life-long note of the above five regrets that you can avoid instead? That way you could do something about your life before you kiss the world goodbye. After all, true happiness is what people do with their life, family, friends and health.

Come what may and God will provide a way.

Again, here's wishing you a HAPPY 2012! 

27 things in 2011 

1. Bought a bicycle each. Enjoyed every single bit of our bike rides thoroughly.

2. Bedroom in our apartment flooded. It was mould infested by the time we lodged a complaint to the landlord's agent. Took our matter to NSW CTTT and was awarded for an order per our claim.

3. Celebrated Chris' mother's 60th birthday at our favourite restaurant, Manta, Wolloomooloo.

4. Quit our full time jobs, left Sydney and had a long break.

5. Chris went down on one knee and proposed. I said YES, finally!!! Lunch was at our favourite restaurant, nonetheless.

6. Moved to Gold Coast; only minutes away from Broadbeach/ Surfers Paradise. 

7. Went on a 5D4N tour for the first time in my life on my own to Guangzhou-Shenzen-HongKong, sponsored by my dad.

8. Celebrated my grandma's 90th birthday on 12th June with 200 family members and her close friends in KL.

9. Bonded with my second cousins in Reading and Romsey over a short visit to their places in UK. Oxford was very cultural indeed and who could resist London?

10. Got in touch with World War II history, especially the Berlin Wall in Germany. 

11. Tried Swiss national dish. It's called cheese fondue and basically just a dish of melted cheese (and alcohol depending on individual's preference) served in a communal pot and eaten by dipping long-stemmed forks with bread into the cheese. Cheese quota for the rest of the year was reached within two hours. 

12. Did what tourists do in France and Italy. 

13. Yet to learn skiing and surfing. Found out that Chris' other dream destination besides Japan is Matterhorn, Switzerland. 

14. Went back to KL the third time this year and celebrated my brother's birthday in 6 years. He completed his studies abroad and currently a practising GP in KL.

15. Rubbed shoulders with High Court judges, reputable lawyers and high profile politicians at Lincoln's Inn exclusive annual dinner as my (successful and respectable) aunt's companion. 

16. Attended Roy's and Angeline's weddings in Brisbane and Sydney.

17. Watched Cirque du Soleil in action in Sydney 3 weeks after we returned from our Europe trip.  

18. Rekindled friendship with a classmate who sat next to me 9 years ago at Taylor's College. She moved to Australia last year and it was like the old days again. 

19. Bid farewell to months of unbearable acne problem.

20. Got baptised, spoke in tongue and had my first prophecy all on the same evening. God is awesome.

21. Planned for our wedding receptions in Australia and Malaysia. 

22. Quality friends over quantity friends prevail. 

23. Finished the Spehanie Meyer's Twilight series and a few more to complete the Philippa Gregory's Tudor series.

24. The urge to achieve something in my life as I am only a few years away until I turn thirty.

25. Realised that I *do* have a hidden talent that is cooking and baking.

26. Fallen more in love with the love of my life. 

27. Can't wait to see what 2012 unfolds. Looking forward to settling down in Melbourne, a humble abode to call our own, both our wedding receptions, honeymoon destinations and starting a new job. 

Malaysia is still my home...

But in the now, this is where I call home.

SYDNEY, precisely.

It is right smack in the city centre, overlooking the Central Station.

SO.. Yes, it has been 522000 seconds since I packed, moved and settled in Sydney. Do the maths yourself.

Ok, that’s 145 days for you.

Let me see how longggggggggggg I've been missing.. if the length of my hair can do the justification.

From this... 

(Flashback to the time soon after I left and this was how I looked like)

Well..... to some who had the privilege to meet up with me when I was back earlier this year, my hair was past shoulder length.  

AND NOW.... to THIS ....

(Wayyyyy touching the breast already okay!!!)

That's how LONG.

Snippets of my life to the curious ones since I last updated.

1.Graduated in August.

With the Dean of Law School.

My machas for life classmates.

My pillars of strength.

The sweetest couple in the world. Dad's rushing him to get married and they're like what? 21 years old!

Lunch with fellow church members on the last Sunday I was there,

2.Took me a whole 2 weeks to stuff everything in boxes and shift to where I am now.

A year's worth of clothes

A year's worth of books

And getting all ready to moveeeeeeee. It's interesting to move to a new place yet it's a pain to move everything you have.

3.No holidays for me. I had to start my legal practice training almost straight away.

4.Had shopping spree and furniture hunting during the gap. Baby was left with only a bed to sleep on and nothing else. Poor him had to eat dinner on the floor at the corner of the living room for one whole month.

The first week after I was there. Had to wait for a total one month to have everything else arrived.

5.That says all, I wear the pants in the house – what to eat, what needs to be in the house, when to go out, who provides the dough, who to throw tantrum, what I feel like doing. Lol.

6.Started my short course 1st of September.

7.Met a bunch of great bunch of United Colours of Benetton friends in my College. Don’t ask why after I finished Uni and now in a College. It’s it.

With my classmates. Guess their nationality. 

More people to confuse test you. Hahaha

A month into the course and we bonded really well since.  

Celebrating our lecturer's birthday.There were 2 Zambians, a Persian, 3 Koreans, a Hongki, 2 Australian, a Malaysian, and a Malaysian-Australian.

8.Had a total of 7 exams in 3 months during the course. And found out my future job tops the chart as the most depressed profession in the world after doctors.

9. Lost part of me. Turned over a new leaf. Have to search deep enough in my dictionary to find the true meaning of drinking, smoking and clubbing. I am boring or so my friends say.

10.Finished the course a week ago. Spent a total of over 1k Aussie dollars on tree, decos and pressies in a span on one week. I am broke.

I am all over the stars with my Christmas tree decos.

Half of the pressies. More to wrap!

There.. now you can see how my apartment looks like.

11.Full time slacker/ shopper, part time house-gf until I get a placement.

12.Hence, a full size of 10 now. 6 before I was 20, 8 before I came to Australia and now, the size of unthinkable.

That is seriously size TEN dress, as of 22/12/08.

13. Was church-hoppng for the past 5 months. I can't decide which one to go to yet.

      -  Hillsong.

        -  St. Barnabas.

        -  St. Mary.

        -  Wesley Mission. 

14.Have also been hanging out with friends I've known. Thank God for these people here.

15.Have been thinking of my flame I once so dedicated to and hence, this entry to show some love to it.  

16.It’s Christmas in a day time and I am sick. Took various  tablets and no signs of recovery.. Dammit.

17.On a final note, will be spending Christmas in Tasmania, NYE in Sydney and home for CNY by Jan 20th for 3 weeks.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!

xoxo

P/S: Now don't say I am MIA.