Make a change

I am beginning to realise that:
- It's ok to wear heels and be a head taller than everyone else, including men.
- Some people's opinions count while others' don't. It's ok not to care about what the latter think. In fact, it's even ok to tell them, nciely, to go fly a kite. It's your life.
- Your happiness is vital to your survival. You need to be happy.
- I am worthy of being loved. And i don't have to do anything to be loved. Love cannot be bought.
- I am ready to love.
- I am beautiful and intelligent, even though there are days when i don't feel either.
- I need to trust my spirit.

It's hard to take courage

God must have taken pity on me because today, the sun is out, its warmth taking away the gloomy mist that i had painted over Melbourne.

Today, Melbourne is beautiful. (I was that crazy girl walking around with a bouquet of happy flowers and a cup of white hot chocolate in my hand.) A mild depression is beginning to settle in my bones and i feel its hold over me strengthening during the cold nights.

But now, now, all feels right with the world again.

But something felt so wrong here

This hasn't been too good a day for me. I just want to go back to Sydney at this point in time. I miss everyone and everything there.
It's crazy.

Watched The Princess Diaries 2 this afternoon but it was rather boring. The first one was much better.

This would be a good time for hot chocolate but my Cadbury's hot chocolate is sitting in the pantry in SYDNEY.
See whay i have to go back?

Tomorrow, i'll go to the city and have the white hot chocolate from Hudson's. It's yummy beyond delicious. Maybe i'll buy a little something for myself too. That should cheer me up.

A ballpoint fast, full of work in mind

Melbourne

The people of this city mirror the weather that is the norm here. Their faces glum, they walk below the overcast sky, clothed in long black coats. The women wear their hair in a tight bun. The men have their shirts buttoned right up to their collar, and then secured with a tie. With steaming cups of coffee in their hands, they walk fast, purposefully. They smoke incessantly.
Just as the architecture here is beautiful beyond description, the people too are a work of art worth a photograph. In every alley they sit, in small cafes talking over foccacia and scone. In every tram they crowd, clutching their shopping bags close to them.
Ever so often, i stop in my tracks to re-orientate myself. This is not London.

This is a postcard.

Melbourne is that rare jewel you discover hidden amidst a heap of dirt. It is that hundred dollar bill you find, serendipitiously, in an old wallet you were going to cast away.
You don't believe your luck.

And then the jewel is sold and the money is spent.
You leave with what you always had.

What if it all means something?

Here are just some of the photos i've taken so far in Sydney. It's really sunny out at the moment but the winds are strong and cold. Brrrr. I think i'm going to make myself a cup of tea and read for a bit. Have a good Sunday, everyone!


Sydney Visitors Centre

Fox Studios

Pavillion at Fox

The night it hailed

The beach

I love buildings

George Street

Inside The Rocks Market

View II

View I

A lookout we drove to

The Opera House

Me at the Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

White Chocolate Mocha (not skinny, with whipped cream)

View from Darling Harbour

Diagonal junction!

Town Hall building (i think!)

The scene that you're in

Ack. I am annoyed that BloggerBot is not allowing me to sign in and post pictures for all of you to see. Because there are many photos. Nice ones. Sigh.
Soon, soon (i hope).

SO! It's Saturday! Well, Saturday is almost coming to an end over here. It's 6pm. We had a beautiful day though and the Spring festival was on right here in Chatswood! It was really fun walking around and peering into the tents put up by various organizations and ethnic groups. They even had a Ba'hai tent! Love, love, LOVE this place.

I bought stripey, rainbow-coloured Roxy flip flops. Perfect for summer (which i'm not going to be here for unless a miracle takes place).

I'm praying hard.

We had afternoon tea in the balcony, sitting in our chairs eating carrot cake and drinking tea. Oh, how i savoured that moment.

Moments, moments, moments.

I unintentionally wrote a poem last night. It started off as a sentence in my travel journal but i was in one of my moods and that brought forth a poem.
It's a love poem and i've decided that it's only going to be shown to the one i fall in love with.
Thus, it remains hidden in my journal till...well, till i find him.

Right-o. Got to get myself ready for dinner- shepherd's pie and of course, wine.
Have a good weekend everyone.

Every season has its change

I wrote an entry on Wednesday but Blogger was being cranky and didn't want to save it. It's up now though so you should probably read the previous entry below this one before you start reading this.

Now, don't cheat. Go read it!

Done? Good.

Thursday in Sydney was rather gloomy, weather-wise. I went for a walk in the morning and thought i was going to freeze. Spent the rest of the day lounging around in the house although i did go for the 12:15pm mass in the church opposite. It was a simple mass, without any music. But the simplicity was what i enjoyed the most.
If you know me at all, you'd know that i am passionate about music. I always try to make mass back in Singapore as celebratory as possible when it comes to music. I love the tambourines and the singing and the clapping (when we do clap, that is).

But yesterday, there was none of that and it was fine. I didn't feel as if something was lacking. I guess i have to learn that sometimes, just the liturgy itself, without the music, is sufficient.

When we turned around to say "Peace be with you" to one another, i felt an outpouring of sincerity when i said those words.
And i felt at peace myself- spiritually, emotionally, mentally.
It was a good feeling.

In the evening, Charlie took me to Fox Studios. It was fabulous! Very nice and lively (but probably because Blink 182 was playing there). We had a very yummy dinner at an Italian restaurant- bruschetta, pizza and pasta. That Charlie is incorrigible- he wanted me to finish all the pasta even though i was stuffed. Well, i finished most of it!
I drew the line at ice-cream though.

We walked around for a bit and then went to Coogee beach. Such a nice place to sit and think with a cuppa in hand.

I slept so well once i reached home and awoke this morning to sunshine.
Ah, what a life.

Hope the weather remains nice. I'm off to meet Sandy at 3 in the city for coffee. I'm really excited!! Tomorrow, i'm going to MacQuarie Uni's Open House. Sunday...well, all i know is that we're having roast lamb. But that's an event in itself.
Monday, i leave for Melbourne for a week. Then it's back to the familiarity of Sydney, thank goodness. I've become comfortable here. Maroon 5 is palying here on November 21 (my birthday!) so maybe i should extend my trip till then?
Hold your horses. I'm just kidding.

OH! I was telling my cousin Jessie about the cute coffee guy at Gloria Jean's and after i described him to her, she realised she had gone out with him! We had a good laugh about it though. 13 going on 30 was a GREAT movie. I was feeling both happy and sad once the credits rolled at the end just because it was about love.
And love is like that.

Feels like home

It's a beeeeautiful Spring day here in Sydney.

I woke up this morning at 8:50 and rushed to the window to see what the weather was like.
Blue skies, sunshine, warmth.
I made myself a cup of coffee and went for a walk around the neighbourhood. It was lovely to see the daisies out in full bloom. I also found a Catholic church that's just two minutes away from where i'm living. I think i'll go for the noon-time mass tomorrow before exploring Chatswood further.

For the first time since i arrived, i was able to leave the house with a skirt and without a jacket. That made me very pleased. I decided to go to Pitt St. Mall, which Charlie mentioned the other night. I took a train (by myself! Woo-hoo!) to Town hall and walked till i reached Pitt St.
My goodness- the number of shops and people were overwhelming.
I ended up buying some things from Dotti, a shop i discovered in Brisbane two years ago. Just a lovely pink and black checkered skirt and a black cami though- nothing too extravagant.
I walked into Queen Victoria Building for a bit and then decided to take the train back to Chatswood, where i made the grave mistake of going into Valley girl (again, for the 700th time).
Needless to say, i came out with a top. Ah well. What can you expect from a woman on holiday?

My afternoon out ended with a Very Vanilla Latte at Gloria Jean's.
Have i mentioned the cute guy who works there? I look in every single time i walk past the cafe just to catch a glimpse of him. Heh. It's really quite funny. I saw him there this morning on my way to the train station and was hoping he'd be there on my way home later.
He was.
So naturally, a cup of coffee needed to be ordered.
He took my order.
I tried to say 'regular skinny Very Vanilla Latte' nonchalantly.
"With cream on top?", he asked.
"No", i replied.
When he gave me back my change and smiled, i thought i'd melt. He has such a sweet disposition. I like him.
I hope he's there tomorrow!

Now i'm back home, having just eaten toast and strawberries for lunch. I think we're having pizza for dinner and then i'm going to catch 13 going on 30 (They call it Suddenly 30 here. ) with my cousin, Jessie.

Songs i'm loving: Break Away by Kelly Clarkson and So beautiful by Pete Murray, a song which Jessie claims is always following us around!

New favourite place in Sydney: Leichhardt. It's a mostly Italian suburb and there's an amazing bookstore there where Jessie and i went crazy in. Bar Italia sells VERY good gelato.

Can you tell i'm happy?

Grew up in a small town,

And when the rain would fall down,

I'd just stare out my window.

Dreaming of what could be,

And if I'd end up happy,

I would pray.

Try not to reach out,

But when I tried to speak out,

Felt like no-one could hear me.

Wanted to belong here,

But something felt so wrong here.

So I'd pray, I could break away.

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly,

I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky,

And I'll make a wish, take a chance,

Make a change, and break away.

Out of the darkness and into the sun,

But I won't forget all the ones that I love.

I'll take a risk, take a chance,

Make a change, and break away.

-Kelly Clarkson, Break Away

From a land down under

Greetings from Sydney!
Gosh. There are so many things to write about and i have no idea where to start. Maybe we should do this in a bulleted format.

• I love it here.
• It's chilly. But sunny. I love wearing jackets everywhere. I bought scarves and a cute little pink jacket which i adore and shall be wearing tonight.
• I'm meeting Charlie for dinner tonight! I'm a little nervous but it should be fine. Meeting online friends in person. Wow. And i'm meeting my dearest Sandy soon too. Yay!
• Shopping here is fabulous. Someone, PLEASE stop me from buying everything i lay my eyes on.
• The people are friendly, unlike in Singapore. Hrm.
• I'm putting up with a fabulous couple- Jim and Mary- at Chatswood. They are just too good to me. Their suburb is lovely.
• I love standing in the balcony and drinking coffee. And i drink a lot of coffee. I can't help myself- EVERYONE here drinks so much coffee. There's a cafe at amost every corner. I love Gloria Jean's Toffee Nut Latte.
• I found a place which sells wonderful carrot loaves. Oh, they're good.
• Flowers- lavender, daisies, roses. Spring is gorgeous.
• My lips are cracking. My skin is scaly.
• We had a hailstorm last night and i was sooooo excited. The roads looked like it had snowed!
• Telly. Yeah. BBQs. "How you doing?". Neighbours. Sunnies. Steak and mushroom pies. Got to love the Australians.
• The Opera house. Can i just say that i never get tired of seeing it? And i do see it. A lot.
• Circular Quay. The Rocks. Town Hall. I take the train everywhere. It's just easier that way.
• I had a white chocolate mocha at the Starbucks in Darling Harbour a few days ago. That made me so very happy. Happier than happy even.
• I love it here.

I can't imagine leaving.