I can smell Spring..

31st July 2010

181st Day in Melbourne

Sunny

Saw 2 lovey-dovey birds sitting next to each other on a tree branch in front of my room today..they were there for a long long time...Feels like Spring is coming!!! I've finally survived my 1st arduous winter here in Melbourne...I like Spring, a season full of blooming hope...I can't wait to get out of my 5-layer sleepwear and put on my spring clothes! Welcome! My 1st Spring in Melbourne!

School Homework

29th July 2010

179th Day in Melbourne

Cloudy

Classes have started full-steam and assignments are slowly coming in...Guess most of my classmates have settled on their observation sessions and i'm really hoping that i get to do it with JP...if you have to choose, of course you'll choose the best to observe. Besides, i know i'll definitely learn a lot from her..

Feeling Emo

24th July 2010

174th Day in Melbourne

Rainy

Feeling really emotional these days...and that surprises me! Recently when i watch shows, any slight touching scenes just invoked my tear glands and i'll just cry...like yesterday, when i was watching MasterChef Master Class, the minute when Adam and Callum walked into the room with the other top 22 clapping for them, i felt like i was about to cry...little things like that gives me great touch to the heart and very frequently, i feel it...am i getting more and more emotionally vulnerable??? I really don't know, but at the point when i cry, i feel like i'm a girl again, not someone strong and independent, but a little girl who needs someone to comfort...

Finally the 1st week of class has ended. There's plenty to be done but luckily, there's no exams this semester so it's still not so bad! Went for my medical appointment yesterday for my swollen toe, it's been 1 month and there's still some bruising on the toe...Well, apparently the doc i was given seemed to be a hot favorite at the health service centre and she takes a long time to see her patients, hence she was 30mins late for my appointment..well, she said that the toe's not completely fully recovered and if it doesn't, then we might have to do a really painful operation on it. OMG!! That really freaks me out! I'm put on another 2 weeks of anti-biotics so i'm really praying that it'll recover in another 2 weeks time! Also, i developed a fever and sore-throat over the past 2 days and surprisingly, she said the medications she's prescribed me can cure the fever and sore throat too! It's amazing isn't it??? 1 miracle pill to cure everything!! Well, guess i just have to take the meds and wait for 2 weeks to see if my condition improves.

Class Starts!

21st July 2010

171th Day in Melbourne

Cold

School starts today and i didn't have a good start...Firstly, forgot to bring my wallet, hence i do not have to student to show the shuttle-bus driver. We all need to show proof that we're students to take the shuttle bus and i've seen cases where the bus drivers refused to let a student board the bus when she failed to produce her card...so i was realllly worried! My class starts at 930 and i'm taking the shuttle bus at 910, hence if he really don't allow me to board the bus, i'll be late for my class, which i really don't want to happen...my heart was really pumping when i started to board the bus...Min was in front of me and it so happened that he turned away when i board the bus so i just sneaked into the bus without showing him any pass..Phew! My heart nearly jumped out! I really cannot do bad things, cause it made me feel so guilty and bad..

With the start of the new sem, the clin psych people will not be in our class anymore (we've officially split into the clin and clin neuro groups), hence it feels really quiet and cosy in my class (official stats: 6 people, 1 boy and 5 girls)...for the start, lecturer JS asked us to arrange the tables to form a huge square, with us sitting surrounding the tables...god! I really feel like i was back in my kindergarden where little children sit together for art-work...hehe..

I've 3 classes on Wednesday, each separated by an 1 hr break so it's really hectic...my class gathered together for morning tea after the 1st class and Mel actually baked a choco cake for Ness's belated birthday!! So sweet...The next class that follows is Case Analysis and i must say this is the most mentally stimulating class i've ever had. Each of us have to present a case that we've seen and JP, the head of dept, just came in and said that she wants everybody to contribute in the class (class participation is 25%) and we the year 1s got lucky cause JP said we're still clueless in the field so the yr 2s are expected to answer the questions instead..I don't really like it when she said that, cause though i'm yr 1, i think i do know a bit of the stuff..so i tried voicing out my opinions during the sessions...think my classmates think i'm a show-off but heck-care, my aim is to let the head knows that i do know my stuff and she shouldn't treat me like some ignorant yr 1.

Was watching the MasterChef last night and was soooo glad that Jimmy got eliminated!!! I just hate his face and the smirk on it. I think Adam will win the final title cause he fully deserve it!

End of Holidays...

19th July 2o10

169 days in Melbourne

Cold but Sunny

Today marks the start of semester 2!!!! Classes will only start on Wednesday for me..which i'm thankful for, cause i'm not sure if i'm physically and mentally prepared to start another crazy semester..Was looking through my class time-table and it's crazy! 3 classes on Wednesday, starting at 930am, and 1 class on Friday....Why can't they have 2 classes on each day...it makes me feel like my Friday's wasted because of that 1 class, and i'll be super tired on Wednesday as i battle with sleepiness throughout 3 long classes...another bad thing is that with 3 classes on the same day, that means i've to submit 3 assignments on the same day...oh my! I really cannot imagine how that is possible...

Went to my lab today, and i really think it's a Black Monday to start the week...When i first went into the office, one of the desk's all wet, and i think it's due to the heavy rain on Sat and Sunday...so the ceiling leaks..Gosh! Water's everywhere, the chair's soaked, so are the desktop...i called the admin staff and what follows is the line of plumbers and IT personnels...then suddenly the internet was down! Oh my, i can't be that suay...then the IT guy came to install some program on my laptop so that i can access the server and my laptop hanged..the guy said to me:" your laptop is incredibly SLOW!" I was embarrassed! Then the admin staff told me to leave the office and turn off all electricity in that room as they're worried that the carpet might be wet and might affect the cables...so i shifted to the room opposite..then this lady came and told me that i should not turn the heater on till 31 degrees as it might clog up the pipes...ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything is just wrong!!!! What a way to start my week!! I came really early this morning and i never gotten down to doing anything till noon...and with all the flustering going on around me, i felt so mentally exhausted already...

Just learned that my supervisor has taken on another student, Charlene Chan...I haven't met her yet and i wonder what's she working on...definitely an asian but where did she come from?? I'm quite curious with this new student, and i wonder if we will get along...i mean, we may not be in the same room in the lab but we're bound to see each other sometimes. Could my sup be finding me too slow in the research progress, that's why she got another student?? Hope i get to meet her soon!

Working hard on my lit review

7th July 2010

157th Day in Melbourne

Cold and Peaceful

Been at home for the past few days...besides sleeping and eating, i'm writing my literature review..day and night..i'm soooo behind schedule..this 6000-word review is to be handed in on this Friday, 9th July, but i've only just started writing it...For the past 3 weeks, been busy checking the quality of data at NARI and i really didn't have time to write up the review...now that i've started, i just realized that my research question is just too broad and i really need to narrow the scope else i won't have time to finish it...Every time when i'm writing up papers, i always feel that i do not have the talent and writing skills to survive being a researcher...i sat in front of the laptop for the whole day and yet nothing came out...OMG!!!!!!!! How?????? I just e-mailed my supervisor for extension and although he said it's okay, i still don't think that i will finish by the extended date..How how??? As the day gets nearer, i'm starting to feel scared and frenzy....In my mind, all i can think of is finishing this lit review..but one thing always come after another...once this review is submitted, school is starting and once that happens, i won't have a break till end of the year...I'm really scared!!! What's waiting for me at the end of the tunnel??

Recently was watching this reality show "We Got Married" and the ADAM Couple really brought a smile to my face...They're so cute...looks like i'm really old already...starting to be envious of the early 20s...The hubby, Jo Kwon, really reminds me of ZW and i really wonder how's he doing right now??

Welcome July!!!

5th July 2010

165th Day in Melbourne

Fine

My house-mate has gone back to Malaysia so slept alone in the house last night...it's not the 1st time that I'm sleeping alone in the house cause Minn sometimes do stay over at her friend's place..but yesterday marks the 1st time that i'll be alone in that house for the coming 2 weeks...I've been looking forward to having the whole house to myself but when the day finally came, i realized that the house is so quiet...But don't get me wrong. I'm not missing my house-mate...just missing a person's presence in that house.... In future if i ever stay alone, i make sure i find a small apartment...

Last weekend was really fruitful...On Friday, met TC & JY for coffee at this cafe they recommended and sure, the artwork's really cute...i got a girl with boobs on my cappuccino..cool...was nice spending time with the 2 of them and we talked about a lot of things...though they're Minn's friend to start with, i hope i can build up a separate friendship with them..They're nice people and i thank God that i got to know them.. On Saturday, SB & Ray invited me to Footscray with their friends for grocery shopping...Footscray was known to be a dodgy Vietnamese area and it's my first time there...It really feels different, felt like i was indeed in Vietnam...they introduced me to this Vietnamese "Subway" and it's really tasty..and i also got to taste the Pho..which is really good!! Thanks to JX & Adrian for showing me around...Then SB & Ray brought me to the Memorial Shrine & Botanic Gardens...This is the 1st time i've visited the city places...though it's winter and not much flowers are blooming, still, it's nice to take a walk at the garden with the 2 of them...Though i know i'm pretty independent and can go explore Melbourne alone, it just feels different when you explore it with friends..not so lonely...Thanks guys!

Been having the baking mood last week, so tried to bake some pastries...Well, i'm amazed by my talent in baking man...the 1st tray of tuna puff pastries turned out really pretty..hehe...that gives me confidence to bake more, hence in the end i ended up baking 3 trays of pastries...Gosh! I've packed them all in boxes and got ready to distribute them away...you know how they say that people who butchers meat seldom eat meat?? Well, for me, i don't like to eat the cakes and pastries that i baked (perhaps 1 or 2 just to taste it), hence i normally give all of them away..so be careful my friends, you'll be expecting a lot of pastries from me this 2 weeks while i bake..

Today's weather's really fine...what a nice way to start the week...will be busy completing my lit review as i've to submit it this week...i know that most of my classmates have already submitted it, hence i'm already feeling the pressure...Hope God gives me the mind and strength to complete it in time..