HRH Princess Blogalot

Hallway Clutter

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:46:28 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

This is a hallway in my house that leads from the bedrooms/bathroom to the kitchen. It has been like this for six months – and everything there belongs to my female housemate. In that time, she has made no attempt whatsoever to clear her personal belongings out of what should be a communal hallway, and other people in the house are forced to go the long way around to the kitchen, going through the living room and dining room. Regular hints from both my male housemate (whose family owns the house) and myself haven’t worked at all.

Now imagine that clutter in a bedroom. What you’re now thinking of is her bedroom. She has to literally climb over bags and boxes of things in order to get into bed. I had to strong-arm her in order to get her to throw out six months worth of old newspapers that were nearly waist-height. Did she want to keep the newspapers? Yes. Did I have to bully her to get her to throw them out? Yes. Was I justified? Yes. Combined with the dozen or so oil burners and candles scattered around her room, it was simply an unnecessary fire hazard. Could she clear out three year old magazines and other unnecessary papers that are also a fire hazard? Yes. Will she? No.

Is it that she needs all her possessions? She hasn’t touched it or even looked at anything in the hallway in six months, so one would presume not. Is it a time issue – does she simply not have the time to clear it up? Clearly not – she works hospitality (primarily weekends), but is free throughout the week. Watching television for six or seven hours each day does take up a lot of time, and I guess watching daytime soap operas is serious business.

Now this is the first time I’ve ever lived in a share house, but logic would dictate that though she might also be paying rent, a standard rule of house-sharing should be that one’s activities and actions should not hinder other people’s living spaces and lifestyle. Communal areas should be kept communal. You can do whatever you want with your own space/bedroom (within reason, e.g. fire and other hazards should be removed), but communal areas should be kept in a live-able and usable state by all members of the household. That hallway doesn’t fit the criteria.

So, when I buy her organisational stuff for Christmas? Sure, it might be blunt and somewhat of an insult, but if it acts as a kick up the pants and gets her to get her act together and recognise that it is socially unacceptable to hinder other people’s living space, then I really don’t give a shit. It was either that or my other house mate cracking the shits and asking her to leave and find somewhere else to live within two weeks (which he was on the verge of, and could still possibly do if she doesn’t get the message). Between either insulting her, or kicking her out to find another share house…lesser of two evils. She can deal with it.

I could have, of course, bought her things she would probably like a lot more. I could have bought cosmetics or body stuff (soaps, lotions, etc.). I could have bought candles, essential oils, oil burners. I could have bought clothes or accessories. But when she already has that many material possessions (and buys more of the same junk every week though she’s always complaining that she doesn’t have enough money and that it’s a struggle to get the $100 rent together each week), I don’t feel sympathetic enough to contribute to that level of mindless consumerism.

QOTW: Gift-giving

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:21:10 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

It’s no secret that I’m not particularly into the Christmas spirit. My family have never celebrated Christmas, and I’ve never really understood the concept of gift exchanges – why not just all agree to buy yourself the thing you want most, rather than have gifts that you don’t want given to you by others? I think the same of birthday presents – I’d much rather get money so I can buy my own large present, rather than have lots of little things given to me.

This year however, marks the first Christmas I’ve spent away from family, with two house mates who believe firmly in the concept of gift-giving, a fancy Christmas lunch, etc. Because I knew that they’d buy me presents, I kind of felt obligated to buy them presents as well. So, in the practical and logical way that I do things, I bought:

For my female housemate: Organisational things. A shoe rack you can hang over a door, hanging organisers for wardrobes, etc. Her room is a pigsty (by anyone’s standards, not just my own anal standards!), and I thought it would come in handy for her to be able to organise at least some of her possessions.
For my male housemate: Jumpers and scarves – he’s heading to Italy for three weeks in January, and has no winter clothes. He wears Tshirts and shorts year-round in Australia, but that’s really not an option for a European winter, so I bought him some warm clothes to wear over there.

Dylan tells me that I’ve misunderstood the whole concept of Christmas gift giving. He claims that Christmas gifts needn’t have to be about practicality and whether or not the recipient will use it, but that it’s about something thoughtful and personal, something frivolous that will put a smile on the person’s face. To teach me a lesson about what a “true” Christmas is about, he’s already claimed that he’s going to wake me up at 5am to open presents, then take me out for “experiences” all day. I have no idea what these “experiences” are going to be, because he won’t even tell me what I should wear for the day to ensure that I’m appropriately dressed for the activities.

Anyway, point is, I personally think that a practical gift is more likely to give long-term happiness to the recipient. Sure, a gag gift might give you a few laughs on the day, but after that it’s probably just going to go in a drawer and be forgotten about. A practical gift like the two I got however, will give ongoing benefits to the recipients!

Question of the Week: What kind of gift giver are you? Do you aim for practicality, or do you get anything that will put a smile on the recipient’s face?

Hygiene And Beauty Products

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:48:28 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

For someone who’s as conscious of self presentation as I am, I don’t use that many beauty products. Certainly more than those who genuinely don’t care about their appearance one way or another, but by no means as much as those who spend half an hour in front of the mirror every day. I’m a ten minute girl (at most) and use:

For my hair: shampoo, conditioner, hair styling product
For my body: body wash, body moisturiser, deodorant, sunscreen, Goodbye Cellulite (which doesn’t work!)
For my face: clay masks, cleanser, toner, moisturiser
Makeup: foundation, powder, bronzer, mascara, lip balm

I’d estimate that I’d spend about $20AUD-$30AUD a month on beauty and hygiene products – sometimes more as I do stock up when items are on sale, sometimes less as I can keep using items I’ve stockpiled. It helps that I use very basic products that generally don’t cost more than $8AUD-$10AUD a bottle – I don’t buy ‘designer’ makeup for example, and instead of paying $20AUD for a 250ml bottle of organic shampoo, I’ll pay $8AUD for a one litre bottle of normal shampoo.

I have a similar collection (though fragrance-free) at Dylan’s house as I spend almost half the week there – it saves me hauling items back and forth between our places. I do have a few more makeup items (mainly lip gloss and eyeliner, etc.) but as I don’t use those more than once a fortnight, I didn’t bother listing them.

By far the more astounding thing is that I use each and every single one of my products before I start using something new. I hate waste – and the logical conclusion is to use everything up before trialling something different. My housemate is the complete opposite – at any time, she’ll have five different shampoos and conditioners going, or ten face cleansers and toners. Our bathroom is cluttered with half-used bottles of one product or another. She’ll buy and start using a new product (”I just want to try it!”) before she’s through using the five products she’s already using.

I realise that my views towards clothing, products, and organisation versus hoarding are extreme, and probably more minimalist than most people, so you’ll have to enlighten me: Is this normal? Do people normally use a million different products concurrently, rather than using up a product before starting a new one?

Question of the Week: What are you like with beauty and hygienic products? How many do you use and how many different products with the same purpose are you using concurrently?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:09:36 GMT

WANT TO APPLY FOR THIS (WILL FIT IN AROUND MAIN JOB) - BUT WILL TOTALLY MESS UP MONTH-LONG HOLIDAY IN MAY/JUNE PLAN THAT I'VE GOT GOING ON.

And for all other months, the price of plane tickets pretty much doubles. :(

Party In The USA

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:01:44 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

So I’ve been speaking to Stephanie, and I am seriously considering visiting America next year. Largely because I need a holiday badly, and I did an annual budget last night that saw me have $10,000 left over each year – half of which would go nicely on a month-long holiday halfway across the world.

Flights from Melbourne to Los Angeles via Air New Zealand (7 June 2010 to 3 July 2010) is $1133 (taxes included). I get four weeks annual leave each year. This is perfect. I’m already 95% convinced that I’m going to go, and travel around the west coast (and potentially go as far in as Texas/the two Dakotas). I’m being realistic – four weeks isn’t enough for me to get as far as the East Coast, but I can always save that for another trip.

To convince me that further 5%, I encourage all American readers of this blog to offer their couches for me to sleep on, and for everyone else to suggest places for me to go when I’m over there. And if you live on the East Coast and will travel to the West to meet me, I’ll give you cookies.

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:35:29 GMT

In case you don't use Twitter, I just announced that one year into it, I'm averaging a High Distinction for my Masters.

Which is fairly cool, especially considering I still don't know if the course is right for me. I'll end up finishing it - there's no way I'd start a Masters and abandon it half way - I'm just not that kind of person. I could leave the course now with a Graduate Certificate. I could leave it at the end of next year with a Graduate Diploma. But I'm the type of person who will suffer with it through to the end of 2011 just to get the Masters Degree.

At least I'll know that while I'm conflicted about what I'm doing, I can do it well.

Small consolation.

Weight Loss and Clothing

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:02:28 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

I’ve been losing weight. I didn’t notice it of course – you simply don’t notice small changes in yourself because it happens so gradually. Today however, I took a look at myself in a shop window as I was walking past on my way to a meeting for work, and it suddenly hit me. Perhaps not so much weight, but general body shape – my legs are slimmer and my hips not as wide. Still have the stomach, but well, you can’t have it all. Of course, I celebrated by scoffing down a huge bag of potato chips, which probably undid a lot of good.

I haven’t intended on losing weight. It was merely a result of a few lifestyle changes:

Dylan and I made a conscious decision to stop eating out as often – more of a money issue rather than health issue, but it contributed.
I’ve been living out of home for the past month – and hence, I’m not eating meat. I’m also not cooking that often – maybe four nights out of the week, and eating raw vegies and fruit or yoghurt the other nights. Therefore, no fatty Asian home cooking with lots of oils, sugars, and sauces.
Since I’ve moved out, there’s also been an increase in the amount of fresh fruit and vegies I eat, as opposed to a peanut butter sandwich or instant noodles. It’s what happens when your housemate works at the produce market and you get free produce.
With the start of some lovely summer weather here in Melbourne, I’ve been walking to and from work to the train station (round trip of fifty minutes) rather than waiting for the tram. I wouldn’t have done this in the rainy winter.
Along the same lines, I’ve been walking to and from the train station from home, rather than driving to the station. Again, it’s the place I’m now living – it’s a ten minutes walk, rather than a twenty minute drive to the station.
My flatmate has an overly energetic dog with what would probably be labelled with ADHD if he was human. He’ll only shut up and stop whining and barking when he’s worn out – which is great incentive to take him for long walks at night.

I wouldn’t want to lose any more weight than I already have though – I already look outlandish enough with my out-sized breasts on the body I do have. It’s already impossible to buy clothes; I went shopping with Dylan on the weekend and threw a tantrum and got all sulky because everything I liked, wouldn’t have fit my body. If they had fit my body, they wouldn’t fit my F-cups.

Which when you think about it, is actually really sad. I have to actively curtail my taste in clothing because of my body shape. I’m used to dressing older and more mature than I’d actually like to, because mature clothing is the only type that will fit my chest. I have never dressed my age. What I’d really want to wear are rainbow halter neck dresses in floaty chiffon and silk…which will never happen. I can’t even buy a print Tshirt because I end up warping the print. I can’t even wear short-shorts because showing both my legs and my chest (no matter what I wear, I end up showing my chest) would just be too much.

It’s fucking ridiculous – and you bet your arse that once I’ve breastfed the three kids I plan on having and have had my breast lift and reduction (C-cups, here I come!), I’m going to indulge and wear the youthful clothing I never had the chance to wear in my youth. Forty-year-old mutton dressed as lamb? That’ll be me, and I don’t care what anyone thinks!

a variety of career-related musings

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:43:55 GMT

Back in September, I sent an expression of interest and my resume to Family Planning Victoria – essentially letting them know that I was impressed with the work they do (especially after having had my Implanon done with them), and that I was interested in working for them should any suitable opportunities come up. Last week, they called me about a three-day-a-week role as their HR and Payroll Manager. I honestly contemplated taking the offer, and probably would have, had it been more directly related to my Masters in Human Services Management (rather than a HR/Payroll role, something in project management would be preferable). I believe in sexual health and FPV values.

I’ve also been offered the chance at another role. The deputy CEO of the second largest disability services provider in the state (I’ve worked with her on projects in my current role) contacted me and told me she thought I’d be ideal for a part-time/casual event management position that’s soon to open up at her organisation. They’re still to finalise the position, and I’d have to go through the official recruitment process, but when the deputy CEO suggests that you apply for it, you’ve got a fairly good chance at getting it! I have suggested that if they were able to make it casual at two days a week, I could take the role starting in the new year. I do love the organisational side of event management. It would be a fun role, and since I already know a number of people in the organisation through my current role, I know it would be a comfortable working environment.

As for my current position, things have been somewhat frantic these past couple of months. We’re a small organisation – there’s myself as all-around go to girl, and then there’s the executive officer as strategic planner and program developer. We’re both new to the organisation – both starting in the middle of the year when the former executive officer left the organisation. Within three months of starting the role, the EO submitted her resignation as the role wasn’t what she had envisioned, and she finished up this week.

The board of directors already advertised and did one round of interviews to fill her role with no suitable candidates. The next round of interviews is scheduled for the first week of December. Essentially it means that I will be carrying the organisation on my own until the new year. I enjoy the challenge, but it is a lot of responsibility. This combined with the fact that we will be moving to new premises in the next three months (and the work involved in moving an organisation!), means that I’m going to have to make a formal request for extra days (boosting myself up to four days a week rather than three days) so I have enough time to cover both roles in a bare-bones capacity.

The organisation has also recently received some funding for staff training and professional development. The budget isn’t huge, but it would be enough for me to do one short course. The treasurer has advised me to submit a few proposals of different courses I would want to do (that would enhance my performance at work) for board approval. In his words, the organisation is lucky to have me making sure that everything runs smoothly, and would love to reward me in some way. There are currently two options:

A bookkeeping course
Prince2 Foundation project management course

For the first, my bookkeeping skills are primarily self-taught – I know enough to do the day-to-day bookkeeping for our organisation, but not enough to do tax returns, etc. If I did a course that qualified and accredited me to do BAS statements, payroll, etc., that’s training that would allow me to basically set up my own business if I wanted to, doing bookkeeping for small companies. I could work in my own time, working as much or as little as I want – and I have to admit that’s an attractive concept as I’m always thinking of work that would fit around the children I plan on having. For the second, the Prince2 course is internationally-recognised and universally-applicable project management training. It is the preferred accreditation for project managers and supervisors in many Australian government departments (and there’s no job more secure than a government job!).

I suppose the consideration is upon the portability of the qualification, and what it could allow me to do in later life. I’ll have to weigh up the Australia-only nature of the book-keeping qualification, with the flexibility of work that it would offer me when I’d want it most. Then there’s the international recognition of the Prince2 training which I could use to get a decently-paid job in pretty much any English-speaking country. The fact that it is fairly corporate and bureaucratic is a turn-off though; as a Gen Y, I do value work environment and flexibility, and how it fits around my own personal life, over any sort of renumeration. A traditional 9 to 5 would just about kill me mentally.

Anyway, long story short, I’ve basically been very much caught up in work and various career-related thinking. There seems to be some actual career trajectory and a certain amount of “notable people beginning to recognise that I’m awesome” happening – which, considering my still-a-student status, is very promising.

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT JINGWEN, LEAVE ANY COMMENTS THERE.

New Layout

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:40:51 GMT

After three hundred and eighty-two days of the blue, white, and red honorary Obama-esque layout, I’ve finally gotten around to coding up something new. Was I particularly inspired? No, I was just sick of the old layout.

Colours are drawn from the cover of an old comic book I found in the boyfriend’s belongings. Header font is fuchsiabuddha, by Tracey Bleeden. Floral design comes pre-packaged as part of Photoshop’s shapes. Basic blog structure remains the same as the old design, though you will now find the categories and archives located at the bottom of the page – there is a “skip to” link at the top to take you down to them. I’ve also put a photo of myself up on the About page, as I’m becoming increasingly vain.

All comments of gushing adoration will be duly accepted. Criticisms will be taken with a grain of salt, but acknowledged reluctantly if deemed to be correct. Tested in Mozilla Firefox 3.5.5., so if you find any structural differences in your particular browser of choice, please take a screenshot and let me know either in the comments, or by emailing me at acchamanda at gmail dot com.

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT JINGWEN, PLEASE LEAVE ANY COMMENTS THERE.

Productivity of Smokers

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:37:35 GMT

In the office building next to the one in which I work, there are a small handful of dedicated pack-a-day smokers. In the morning when I walk into work, they’re standing out there. When I go out for meetings, they’re standing out there. When I go out for lunch, they’re standing out there. When I head out to the bank in the afternoons, they’re standing out there. When I leave work, they’re standing out there. There was one day when I was in and out of the office all day, from 8am to 6pm in meetings. For the six or seven times I walked past their building, they were out there smoking.

Which got me thinking: if you were their non-smoking colleague or employer, how pissed off would you be? Assuming they take cigarette breaks once an hour, or once every hour and a half, and that every cigarette takes anywhere between five and ten minutes to smoke (allowing for chit chat with other smokers, etc.), in a normal working day, they’d be spending an hour smoking, in addition to their lunch break. In a normal working year, you’re losing about 250 hours of productivity per worker – work that is probably being taken up by non-smoking employees.

Those figures are enough to encourage me to discriminate against heavy smokers if I was an employer. Given two candidates with identical qualifications – one a smoker, one not, I’d definitely hire the non-smoker. Think about it. Imagine them missing an important phone call because they’re out smoking. Imagine them rushing an important project because they’ve wasted important working hours smoking. Imagine them excusing themselves from a lengthy meeting in order to have a smoke. Imagine them meeting important stakeholders reeking of cigarette smoke. Imagine them costing your companies thousands in health insurance and sick leave because of lung-related diseases.

I understand that smoking is an addiction, and that nicotine is a drug like any other. But I simply have no sympathy for people who are weak-willed enough to let themselves get so dependent on something so destroying. Perhaps the solution is to hit them in the wallet – docking pay for all the hours wasted smoking. If smokers find their paychecks are lighter by $100 per week, they might find more motivation to reduce their habit to one every two hours, or one every three hours, instead of one every hour.

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT JINGWEN, PLEASE LEAVE ANY COMMENTS THERE.

Interior Decorating

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:38:17 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

So I’ve finally got most of my room in order, in that the bedroom furniture is in place, curtains are up, and everything’s stored and organised as I like it. It’s a small room, but really, I don’t own enough to require a larger space.

I’ve done pretty well with minimalising my wardrobe. I’ve gone from this, to the above – just what you can see in the chest of drawers and portable wardrobe. Ideally I’d be able to minimalise it further, so that it would all be contained in the wardrobe without what’s currently in the chest of drawers, but that’s more a pipe dream, and quite unrealistic.

As a form of girly/lazy interior design, I’ve turned one wall into a live display of accessories. I have sparkly necklaces and colourful scarves – why not turn it into a wall display? The other wall is still very bare – I’m thinking some large framed abstract painting or macro photograph would go well there, but that’s something that can wait until I’m a bit more flush with money.

So This Is What Actually Went Down

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:16:36 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

Where do I even start? Let’s try and break it down into categories and organise the information, because this is going to be a long arse entry:

How it happened: I don’t think it’s any secret that I’ve never really been the daughter that my parents would have chosen for themselves. Past entries on this blog (check under the ‘Family’ category) have made it blatantly clear that their traditional strict Asian values are completely incongruent with my own. Put simply, they’re about as stereotypically Asian as you can get, and I’ve been told repeatedly that I’m about as white Australian liberal as they come. I drink beer! I enjoy pre-marital sex with white men with huge penises! I believe in equal rights for women! I like long extended holidays and don’t work six days a week, 52 weeks of the year! I have a tattoo! I’m immodest and flaunt my body in bikinis! I go out and party regularly!

And, I guess the difference between their actual daughter and their ideal daughter finally got too much for them. I was out all last Tuesday night, and was on my way out on Wednesday night, when they stopped me and basically yelled something along the lines of “If you take one step out that door, you’re no longer our daughter, don’t bother ever coming back, etc”. At which point I just thought:

Wait. What? I’m turning 23 in a week, I’ve been paying my way in this house in both a monetary and supportive sense since I was a teenager, and they still want to dictate when I go out? I’m not irresponsible when it comes to my social life – I hold down two jobs (have had three jobs in the past), I study, I organise their business and my brother’s schooling, and I balance all my obligations with a social life. So fuck that, and fuck them and their stupid antiquated ideas about propriety.

So with those thoughts, I left. I took that one step out of the door, and have only been back to pick up my belongings when there was no one else in the house. Which, by the way, I managed to fit into my new car, so I obviously own less than one Camry’s worth, considering the Colt is a micro car! I own much less than I originally thought, which bodes well for the whole minimalist and bare-boned essentials lifestyle I’m slowly working towards.

I have spoken to my brother, and essentially told him to behave himself and keep his head down for a while until our parents simmer down, but I haven’t spoken to my parents since I left a week ago. Nor do I have any intention to for a few months – put simply, I’m just too angry to see them or even speak to them. Given a few months break, things might improve enough so that we can meet again as adults, but for now, I just need to be away from them.

Where I am now: I’m share-housing with two friends – these friends actually. It works out well as we all work different schedules (one works at the produce market so he’s up at 2am or 3am, the other works in hospitality so she’s never around on weekends or weeknights, and I’m at work during the week and at Dylan’s on weekends), so it’s rare for any of us to be in the house at any one time. There’s no chance of having the petty disagreements that can so often plague a sharehouse as we simply don’t see each other to argue!

Financially, it works out better as well – I’m paying $100AUD a week here which includes room and all bills. And, because my housemate works at the market, I essentially get all my fruit and veggies for free. Considering that I was paying $100AUD a week for rent and board at home, plus paying the phone and internet bill on top of that, as well as doing the weekly produce shop, I’ll end up paying less in this sharehouse than I would at home. It’s worked out really well – but I’m also mindful that my situation is unique. It’s rare to find a place for $100AUD a week, and the only reason we have it is because the house belongs to my roommate’s grandmother who’s now in a nursing home, so he gets it at a cheap rate. I lucked out. Not everyone is as lucky.

Some of you are probably wondering why I didn’t just move in with Dylan. I contemplated it, and he offered it, but it would simply have been unpractical. He’s in a bungalow out the back of his mum’s place, and it’s simply not big enough for the two of us. It’s very far out from the city where I work as well, so location-wise, it’s impractical. I also don’t want to rush things – we both need our own space, and if we’d been together 24/7, I would have killed him within three weeks. This will work out well though, as I generally spend my weekends at his place, and he’ll spend some weeknights with me at my new place. We’ll essentially be spending five nights out of every seven together, but still have enough time to ourselves, which I think is the best way.

The initial set up costs for moving out are a bit daunting. I’ve paid for the post office to redirect my mail for three months (enough time for me to change the addresses at all my various accounts), and I went on a shopping spree on the weekend and bought:

A queen size bed, two matching bedside tables and a matching chest of drawers
A quality pillow-top mattress
A portable hanging closet
Stocked up on some pantry basics
Basic items – laundry hamper, etc.

And I’m $1500AUD poorer for it. Had to – there was nothing but a single bed in the third bedroom, though I saved a bit as I didn’t have to buy cutlery or crockery as the house is well stocked. Worth every penny, because this was the gorgeous bedroom set that I bought:

Very sleek and modern. I could have gone a grade down, and simply bought plastic tubs to store clothes, and put a mattress on the floor, but as I see it, this is a long-term investment. I don’t intend on share-housing and renting forever – that’s money going to waste. As soon as I get life in order, I’m going to various banks and checking out home loan options. A one bedroom apartment near where I’m currently living is worth about $170,000AUD. I have just about $20,000AUD in the bank now, after having bought my car, and should earn enough to qualify for a loan of about $160,000AUD. It’s doable. And when I get into my own place (that I’ll own!), a good bedroom set will be one of the first things I need. I’m simply buying in anticipation.

So that’s the aim for next year – to get into my first property. It won’t be as fancy as what I was originally aiming for, but considering my changed circumstances, I think it’s the best option. So you know, I’m doing fine. With every dark cloud, there’s a silver lining – and this is it. If I hadn’t been forced out of home, I could have stayed indefinitely continually saving money, but continually setting my eyes to more expensive properties and never actually getting anywhere. This has forced my hand, and I can aim a bit lower now, and actually get right into it. Life is good, and there’s really nothing for anyone to be concerned about.

To end on an awesome note…it’s my birthday and I’m 23 today!

Kicked Out

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:16:17 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

Earlier this evening, I announced on Twitter that I was kicked out of the house, pretty much permanently. Do not worry. I’m fine. I have places to stay, a regular income, and I’ll be just fine. I’ll find a way to pick up all my possessions and load it into my car when there’s no one in the house, and I won’t be deprived of anything at all.

Needless to say, blogging will be last on the list of priorities over the next few weeks. I should still be twittering though, so feel free to follow me for regular updates on how angry I am, and how fucking unreasonable and irrational my parents are.

I Have A Shiny New Car

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:01:44 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

And I feel pretty flash with my alloy wheels and pedals, and my leather-wrapped steering wheel. Time for a road trip to put the car through its paces I think.

You Can Catch More Flies With Honey

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:28:20 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

There’s an old adage, “You can catch more flies with honey”. After the day I had yesterday, I can confirm that I’m not one of those calm and patient people who live by that rule – rather, I’m more likely to be a real cold and nasty bitch and throw a tantrum if things aren’t going the way I like.

The loan car that I was given last Monday to use until my new car arrives, was a piece of shit. A 1997 Holden Commodore with performance stickers all over its back windscreen, it had been through a real flogging by the various fully sick bros who had driven it before me. The steering was shot, the windscreen was by no means roadworthy (one knock, and it would have shattered), the indicator switch was unsteady, the battery light kept flashing on the dashboard, and it was just bad. I took it back to the dealership on the Saturday (the first chance I had), complaining about the state of the car and detailing the various things wrong with it, and asked for a more suitable car to drive until my car comes in. They made the excuse that there were no other loan cars available at the time, and unhappy with the non-service I’d received since I signed on the dotted line for the new car, I left the dealership.

An hour later after having been to the nearby fresh food market, the alternator on the battery died, and there was no way the car was going anywhere. I was absolutely livid at this point, especially considering that I had just complained about the battery in the car, so called up the dealership again, saying something along the lines of: “I was in an hour ago complaining about the car, it’s now dead, and I want someone here with a new replacement car in the next ten minutes or else I’m going to absolutely crack the shits and cancel the $19K sale and take my business to another dealer”. There were also possibly more “fucks” and “shits” and “cunts” in that sentence, in order to better convey the amount of rage I was feeling.

And what do you know, they manage to find a 2002 Ford Falcon (in good condition!) for me to drive in the meantime, to replace the Commodore. WHAT A FUCKING JOKE. “Oh, there’s no more loan cars available” my arse. Being a bitch might be nasty, but it gets results. On a bright note, my brand spanking new Mitsubishi Colt will be ready for me to pick up on Tuesday afternoon, and I’ll soon be zipping about town in a shiny red car!

The Graduate

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:42:53 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

So I had my graduation ceremony for my undergraduate degree today, and you know what the best part was?

Having someone important from every part of my life there. My family were there. My cousin was there. A high school friend was there. A friend from my first trip to China was there. Friends from my second trip to China were there. My boyfriend was there. I felt very very loved, with all my loved ones there. Another very awesome part to graduating, was the fact that I looked absolutely radiant, if I do say so myself.

Buying New Togs

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:24:37 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

I’m contemplating buying a new bikini.

So I shamelessly present my size 12/14 body to you in all its half-clad glory. Which does the internet prefer? I’m leaning towards the second, though I probably would have gone with the style of the first if it had come in bright rainbow colours, rather than pastels.

Not Part Of The Sisterhood

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:15:36 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

Sometimes, I wish I was the type of female who could inspire feelings of sisterhood in other women. It would be nice to have a female someone I could hang out with every couple of days without getting sick of each other, rather than every fortnight, or every month.

As it stands, while I have lots of friends and acquaintances, I don’t have anyone close. There’s no one I would feel comfortable asking to be a maid-of-honour or a bridesmaid for example, and no one who I could consider asking to be the godmother to my children. And I’m sure it works the other way as well – while a lot of women might enjoy spending time with me occasionally, none of them would ever consider me a candidate as bridesmaid or godmother.

Which is sad really. I guess when it comes down to it, I’ve always been friendly but closed. And lately, I’ve really been feeling this loneliness and wishing I had some close female friends.

Fragrance-Free

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:46:38 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

I’ve been working on changing over my cosmetics and personal care products to fragrance free options.

Dylan’s mother has MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity), which essentially means that if I’m using my normal products (moisturiser, face lotion, foundation, deodorant, etc.), I can’t get within five feet of her otherwise I set off an allergic reaction. As a result, I don’t see her as often as I really should, and I do feel guilty that I do spend that much time at their place without even so much as exchanging commonplace pleasantries with her. I’m told by Dylan that it’s stupid to feel guilty about it, and that she understands that her allergies make it difficult for her to see anyone, but I still feel guilty. I just don’t think it’s the ‘proper’ thing for me to be there, and not to be able to really say hello.

In any case, I’ve been slowly trialling new products in order to find suitable fragrance-free products that can replace what I currently use. It’s been made harder by the fact that I do tend to stockpile non-perishable items such as toiletries when they go on sale – I have months worth of shampoo, soap, face wash, makeup, etc. left to use up before I can make a complete switch. One other particular issue of course, is that like most other organic and ‘natural’ products, fragrance-free products tend to be much more expensive than ‘normal’ products. Finding a good compromise between cost-effectiveness and product suitability is difficult. I have had some success however, with just minor items:

I changed my normal Olay face moisturiser for the “sensitive skin” fragrance-free version.
I’m slowly making the change from Vaseline body lotion to Redwin fragrance-free body lotion.
I’ve changed my lip balm from Nivea Lip Care to Lucas’s Paw Paw Ointment – this is actually a good change because paw paw ointment has multiple uses. I knew a lady once who used it on her cracked nipples (she was breastfeeding), and it’s a good nappy rash cream too.

As for other items that I need to switch once I use up my stockpile of goods: shampoo and conditioner, makeup, hair products, soap and body wash. It’s all been very much trial and error – thinking a product is okay because it’s marked fragrance-free, only to find that it’s really not. Anyway, I just think that if she’s going to become my mother-in-law, I might as well start making changes to my lifestyle now…plus, it’s probably better for my overall health that I start using more organic/natural-type products, rather than chemically-laden products.

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:50:30 GMT

True (esteem boosting) fact: a guy stopped behind me in the supermarket aisle today and knelt down pretending to do up his shoelace when he was really checking out my arse. I'm bootylicious.

Writer's Block: Cyberstalking

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:39:24 GMT

Do you keep tabs on ex-boyfriends and -girlfriends over social networking sites? Do you think it's emotionally healthy or dangerous? Amusing or painful?

View 1036 Answers

I keep tabs on HIS exes, not mine. Which is probably worse.

Pandering To The Stereotype

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:30:14 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

Because our family isn’t quite stereotypically Asian enough, my parents have brought back the following items (amongst others on their shopping spree) from their three week vacation visiting family in Hong Kong and China:

Soy bean drink maker
Plastic covers for our television/DVD player remotes
A bobble head toy figurine for my new car (more later)

We do our best to pander to stereotypes. My mother also deemed it necessary for the modesty of her only daughter to purchase these two items for me (see photo on right). The camisole, as she thinks the tops and dresses I wear are too low-cut, and that I need to wear something more modest underneath them. The cardigan, because I shouldn’t go out with bare arms unless it’s a forty degree day. Of course, I’ll probably only ever wear the camisole by itself, and will continue to go out with bare arms, but at least she can now feel like she’s done her bit to make me a lady.

My brother on the other hand, got an LG KM900. Recommended retail price: $799AUD. I don’t know what a thirteen-year-old needs a high tech mobile phone for, but he asked for it, so of course, he got it. To recap – he got a $799AUD mobile phone, I got a bobble-head toy figurine and two tops that cost $30AUD all up. I know love for a child isn’t reflected by the amount of the gifts bestowed upon them, but fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Anyway, bitterness at blatant favouritism of the male child aside, I put a deposit down on the new 2009 model Mitsubishi Colt VRX yesterday. It has pretty much all the same features as the current model, but has had a slight facelift in the shape of the exterior to bring it in line with their Lancer model. I bargained it down to $18,990AUD from about $22,000AUD, so I’m happy enough with the price.

It’ll unfortunately be about two weeks before the new model comes in, so I’ll be vehicle-less for a week – I’ll get a free loan car from the dealers after the 18th until the day it arrives (probably around the 30th). One week shan’t be too much of an issue – I should be spending the next week and a half finishing up (or you know, actually starting) my last assignment of the year anyway, rather than zipping around in a new car!

Four Thousand Smackeroos

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:14:11 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

This is how much I sold the Camry for.

Four thousand smackeroos (though it doesn’t look like that much in the photo). I’m happy with that. It’s on the lower end of what I was expecting, but it’s certainly more than it’s worth, especially considering recent dramas and the uncertainty of how long it’ll actually run for. I got rid of it, I have four grand to put towards a new car (which I need to get in the next week and a half!), and I don’t have to stress and bitch about it again!

It also helps that when I got home from work, I found a cheque worth $1500AUD for my tax refund for the 2008-2009 financial year. I love the government.

The BEP E.N.D. World Tour: 6/Oct/09

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:46:25 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

Last night was a good night. With my cheaparse ticket in hand, I found myself sitting literally side-on to the stage at the Black Eyed Peas concert. Not ideal for a full view, but nicely situated next to a side podium that the dancers and Peas stood on to get closer to the crowd. For the $20AUD I paid for it, it was pretty good.

Everyone has a favourite Black Eyed Pea. That’s a given. Mine has always been apl.de.ap because of his breakdancing moves and the track Bebot (which I personally thought was one of the best on the Monkey Business album), though I’ve also had a soft spot for will.i.am and his lyrical genius. Fergie surprisingly, has never really appealed to me because (and I’m going to be superficial here), her nose has always bothered me. Taboo never even rated on my radar, but all that changed last night.

Taboo has the most electrifying charm ever. He’s not a conventionally good-looking guy, but when he was striding up the stage to the podium near my seat and he gave the crowd around me a wave and a smile…oh my god. I don’t know how he does it, but he has this animal charm once you get within fifty feet of him. He is by far my favourite Pea now.

The group ran through most of their greatest hits from Elephunk and Monkey Business, some of their new hits from E.N.D., and played my favourite track from the E.N.D. album – Imma Be, as well as allowing for each member to do their own solo thing as well. apl.de.ap did a medley of The Apl Song and Bebot, Taboo freestyled, Fergie did Fergalicious and Glamorous, and will.i.am showed off his DJ skillz0rz with a mash. The setlist was well done as well – starting with Let’s Get It Started, and finishing with Got A Feeling, the arena was jumping all night till it all had to come to an end.

For those who are my Facebook friends, I’ve uploaded a few more photos (blurry!) and videos to my profile if you want a taste of the BEP experience!

Enjoyment and Conviviality

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:01:23 GMT

Originally published at Jingwen. Please leave any comments there.

Some basic mathematical calculations today I think.

I started off last night with two bottles of Yellowglen Jewel Pink champagne and four bottles of Passion Pop (I’m a cheap drinker!). This morning, there remains three bottles of Passion Pop left in my fridge. Therefore two bottles of Yellowglen and four bottles of Passion Pop minus 3 bottles remaining equals three bottles of wine/champagne drunk. Combined with the glasses of wine snagged from Nadine’s bottles, I may possibly have imbibed more than is good for me, especially considering the Twitter war of words that ensued.

I can only say that I speak only truths, and Nadine only lies. And that, surprisingly, I woke up without a hangover and feel perfectly fine today, if a little sleep-deprived. The companionship of friends in the comfort of one’s own home without the disapproval of one’s parents marring one’s enjoyment and conviviality is really a boost for one’s spirits.