Quantum of solace.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan city, I find solace.

 

Sydney is truly one of the greatest cities in the world! Last year I came to Sydney with a bunch of friends, but this time was with family. We set of for the Gold Coast airport at 4.45am Monday morning, to catch the 6am flight. It was a mad rush to the airport, hampered by the many red lights on the Gold Coast Highway. We finally reached the aiport at about 5.20am, briskly turning into the long-term parking compound, and zoomed to the check in counters. We reached Sydney at about 8.30am local time, and took a train to our hotel, located at the city centre.

 

Twin double beds.

 

Sufficiently cosy.

 

Hotel signage.

 

Sydney Tower.

The hotel's location is simply fantastic. It is smack in the middle of the CBD area, above Sydney Central Plaza, squashed between the Sydney Tower and Queen Victoria Building, along the main shopping belts of George St and Pitt St. Sydney is a city that one will not grow tired of. Apart from the many sights and sounds, not to mention the shopping, everything is very compact. You can literally walk everywhere, from the Opera House at Circular Quay, to the other end of George St, where Chinatown is, everything interesting and worth doing in between.

 

I spent my productive afternoon of the first day in Sydney catching up on sleep, while my mum and sis went shopping at QVB and Myers. Myers, which is located just below the hotel, was where most of the damage was done. Haha. Shopping is indeed therapeutic.

 

QVB backdrop.

Inside QVB.

In the evening we went to the Rocks, beside the Opera House and Harbour Bridge to eat their famous pancakes. Then we went around the harbour to take some pictures. It was almost 9pm, and the sky was still bright! Afterwhich we took a slow walk to Darling Harbour, where a lot of pubs and chic cafes are.

 

Peeking at the Harbour Bridge.

 

Spank-cakes menu.

 

Crepes and nachos.

 

Chocolate pancakes.

 

With ice cream!

 

The symbolic sea shells.

 

Two in one.

 

Steps of glory.

 

Sibling love.

 

Darling Harbour.

 

Star City Casino backdrop.

 

Outside the shark's jaws.

In the afternoon of the second day, we took a short walk to the Convention Centre at Darling Harbour, to catch a tram to the Fish Market. Yes! Prawns, lobster, sashimi, seafood platter!

 

Where's my darling?

 

Gunboat and city skyline.

 

Tram station.

 

To the left, to the left.

 

Fishy business.

 

Something smells fishy.

 

Anzac Bridge backdrop.

After lunch we walked around Market City and Chinatown. It was a waste that the famous Paddy's Market does not open from Monday to Wednesday, we would have been able to get some some good deals over there. But it was a good thing also, as it prevented us from doing more damage to the wallet. In the evening we went to eat argubly the best roast pork and roast duck in the whole of Australia, at BBQ King. It is just a simple chinese restaurant, sitting on the outskirts of Chinatown, and their roast duck are simply to die for! The skin of the roast duck was crispy and meat tender, and the char siew was also thick and succulent.

 

Market City.

 

Four seas one family.

 

Where chefs go to eat.

 

Boss gave us 2 drumsticks!

 

Mouth watering.

The third and final day in Sydney was spent shopping and more shopping. We checked out of the hotel at 11am, but our flight was not until 6pm. We shopped around the area for a few hours, thereafter my sis wanted to go to the Royal Botanic Gardens. My mum chose to rest at the hotel lobby, while I walked around the area some more. I ended up in Borders, where I spent some time browsing through some books, and bought a couple.

 

Royal Botanic Gardens.

 

Government House.

 

Government House.

This trip is truly memorable, not least being able to spend so much time together with my mum and sis and doing things together. I am indeed grateful for the opportunities to relax my mind, body and soul in this wonderful city. Thank you for the enjoyable time and experiences throughout these three days. It is good bye for now, but I will definitely see you again in the future.

 

Fortune cookie Quote of the Day: "Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness."

Standing still.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me...

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.

 

Pardon me if my previous post sounded a bit...erm...lost. I have to thank a good friend, who literally gave me a slap in the face (in a good way), when he told me that I was being oxymoronic by highlighting this - how can I be "finding myself again" when I am becoming the new me. What he said holds great meaning; I am not searching for my old self, in fact, I do not want to go back to my old self. Instead, I am seeking something new, something different, a better me. I am experiencing a standstill at the moment, which is good, as it prepares me for what is to come. Out with the old, in with the new, my mind is getting me ready for a new beginning. Thank you for enlightening me.

 

It was a bright and beautiful morning yesterday, even though the weather forecast said it was going to be a stormy day. We decided to make full use of the facilities available in the complex. There was a 25 metre lap pool, heated jacuzzi and a sauna, all spanking new.

 

Sprawling amenities.

 

Wade pool and jacuzzi.

 

Lap pool.

The facilities are so new that even my friends, who went back only a couple of weeks ago, did not have the chance to use it before they left. After playing around in the water for an hour or so, I brought them out to eat fish and chips beside the Versace Hotel. We walked around the marina a bit after eating, then proceeded to the beach at Surfers Paradise.

 

Food delivery.

 

Freshest fish first.

 

Marina boardwalk.

 

Windy beach.

 

Hordes of beach bums.

 

Getting our feet wet.

We saw a few queer individuals at the beach, like this one, who was dragging a huge rubber donut behind him;

 

Dunkin donut.

and this one, who was looking for gold amongst the beach bums;

 

Gold digga.

We walked around the shops and shopping centres a bit, where my mum and sis were making a mickey of themselves;

 

Funky.

 

Oh, look at the name of this cafe!

We went to the casino in the evening. I promised myself last semester that I will not gamble again (applies to the Gold Coast casino only), and I am glad I did not break the promise. I accompanied my mum to play the pokies machine, where we were button bashing and watching the credits deplete itself, only $5, nevermind. =) My sis was analysing the roulette table, and we are planning to make a killing at the Star City casino in Sydney. Haha.

 

X'mas deco.

Ka'ching.

Today was another relaxful day of waking up late, followed by swimming and soaking in the jacuzzi. We went to HarbourTown again to do some shopping, where I was looking to buy some attire for my graduation next week and future use. Man, shopping is really hard work and harder than I thought; walked around for close to 2 hours, only managed to get a couple of shirts and one pair of pants. I need to put in more effort in Sydney.

 

In the evening, we invited my ex-housemate and her boyfriend over to our place for dinner. They just came back from a weekend of partying at a music festival at Port Macquarie (5 hours' drive away), and were visibly tired. My mum cooked a lot of food, too much actually. There were fried rice, dumpling soup, fried wontons, fried chicken, mapo toufu, stir-fried asparagus and celery.

 

Food galore.

Customary before dinner shot.

It was great to sit down and have a meal with family and good friends again, I definitely missed the times when my ex-housemate and me used to cook for each other, and talking nonsense. Haha. We will be leaving for Sydney in about 4 hours' time, staying there for 3 days, and coming back on Wednesday night. More eating and shopping again! Till next time!

 

Fortune cookie Quote of the Day: "He who looks behind will never get ahead."

Searching for self.

Sometimes one has to be lost to find himself once again. This holiday that I have just embarked on with my family could not have come at a better time. Being back in Singapore for close to a month, I have somehow managed to get myself lost, figurative speaking of course. It is difficult to put in words the lost feeling, but a good friend enlightened me a few weeks ago, that perhaps the universe is giving me what I have asked for. Just before I came back to Singapore last month, I announced that a new chapter of my life has begun, and now it is time to begin the search for meaning. My life's meaning. The universe has set it in motion without me realising it. I was feeling flustered and frustrated, restless and lonely. I was going through a roller coaster of emotions.

 

Coming back to the Gold Coast has been wonderful so far. I somewhat feel detatched from the emotions I experienced back home, a sense of peace and solitude I have not felt in awhile. Perhaps it is the slower pace of life here, or the friendly faces that greet you everywhere, the absense of social interactions, and spending more time with the family. I am beginning to find myself once again.

 

It has been 4 days since we left Changi airport, here's a shot of my mum and me at the airport;

 

Check in luggage.

It was a midnight flight, and we landed in Brisbane airport at about 9+ am. My very nice housemate and her boyfriend agreed to pick us up from the airport, even though I only asked them the day before. It was a coincidence that both of them were not working that day, thank you very much, they saved us more than $100. =)

 

My Singaporean friends were also kind enough to let us have their place for the duration of our stay, the same one I have been hanging out at so often during this semester. They were back in Singapore already, and were paying empty rent for the apartment. It was a win-win situation for everyone, they save 2 weeks of rent, while my family and me gets a pretty decent accommodation for 2 weeks, plus use of my friend's car.

 

Making dinner.

Getting cosy in the living room.

Ooh, the shower room's huge, a lot of space to manoeuvre, even lie down.

Sleeping quarters.

 We spent most of the first day recuperating, as we did not catch much sleep throughout the flight (That is why I hate midnight flights. Haha.) We spent the second and third day shopping and eating, and more shopping, and more eating. I brought them to HarbourTown, where we spent the entire day there, but in the end did not buy much, probably going to go back there again soon. Afterwhich we went to eat Suki Yaki buffet dinner, followed by the night market in Surfers Paradise.

 

Suki and Yaki.

 

Blowing me blowing you.

 

Christmas tree.

 

Obligatory shot.

 

Time-stamped.

Today, I brought them to Byron Bay (again), must be the 4th or 5th time that I have been there. Even then, the scenery never fail to impress. It has been a rainy morning and afternoon in Queensland and New South Wales. Throughout our journey there (1 hour drive), it has been drizzling and pouring intermittently. I prayed that when we reach the lighthouse, there will be no more rain, and reassured my mum and sis that there will not be rain when we are there. On our way up the hill, the heavens obliged. The drizzle became nothing at all. In fact, it seemed like the only place that did not rain the whole morning and afternoon was on top of Byron Bay, even the grass was dry. It was as if the lighthouse knew we were going to have a picnic there, and postponed the rain until we finished our lunch. We are truly grateful for the blessing.

 

Byron coast.

 

Byron lighthouse.

 

Sitting on a sign.

 

2 heads and a lighthouse.

In the evening, I met up with some friends who are still at Gold Coast. 2 of my friends and me went to the Gold Coast airport to pick another 2 friends who are coming back from holiday in Melbourne. Of the 5 of us, 3 will be graduating next week, and their families will be coming in over the next few days. We went to our trusty Japanese restaurant in Surfers Paradise, I wanted to go to the night market to get something too, but turned out the night market was a non-event, probably due to the rain. Will just have to wait til next Wednesday or Friday to get it. =)

 

Girls.

 

Food.

 

Group.

 

Happy dinner.

Afterwhich I sent them home, and drop by a friend's place to play with her new puppy, Bobby. Haha. Cute little thing.

 

Bobby the black.

 

Ready to pounce.

It has been a wonderful holiday so far, thank you for letting me find peace and happiness, while being surrounded by so much love. Give me joy. =)

 

Fortune cookie Quote of the Day: "Emotional baggage can be heavy, carry only what you need."

Gone, but not for long.

Cause I'm leaving......on a jetplane....don't know when I'll be back again..

 

Feeling somewhat excited to be flying back to Australia in about 5 hours' time. I'm not sure if it is going to stay sunny in Singapore, cause I will be bringing the sun with me to the Gold Coast, so my family and me can spend time at the beach. Hehe. Since I will be bringing my laptop along, I will try to post some pictures and happenings from over there. =)

 

I am still on the waiting list for my return flight on the 22nd, but managed to change my confirmed flight to one day earlier, on the afternoon of the 24th of December. My sis is also in the same predicament as me, and as it stands, my mum will be coming home by herself! We cannot change her date too, as her's is a redeemed ticket, and no changes are allowed. So we all bang balls now, only can hope and pray that one or two seats open up for us.

 

I will miss everyone back home. Big hug big kiss to all my friends. Haha. See you all in a couple of weeks.

Sports day Sunday.

Yesterday was a really tiresome and hectic day. I was supposed to play soccer with some of my friends in the morning at about 9.30am, but decided to watch the live match on tv till almost 4am. That left me with less than 5 hours of sleep before I have to wake up and make my way to Sembawang. I knew I will be having trouble waking up, so I set my phone alarm to go off at 8.10am, 8.20am, 8.30am and 8.40am. Haha. We were playing soccer for more than 3 hours, til 1 plus in the afternoon. The sun was really intense yesterday, it was burning down on all of us that we all are sun burnt now. I accidentally sprained my ankle when playing soccer too, though not serious.

 

After soccer I went to eat lunch with my friend at Chong Pang market, they were having a big pasar malam there. We made our way to my sister's school to play badminton after lunch. Even since my aussie friends came back, they have been wanting to play badminton, as we played almost every week when we were back in Gold Coast. My sis also asked a few of her friends to come along, so there were about 8 of us. Due to the semi-sprained ankle, my movements were hampered. Took awhile for the ankle to warm up, but after that I was all jumping and hopping again. We played for another 3 hours, til about 6 plus, just when my muscles were beginning to cramp up. Haha. After warming down and taking a shower, the sprained ankle started to swell and hurt again, and I was walking with a slight limp.

 

For dinner, my friends and me went to Brewerks along Bukit Timah Road, as I had a $20 voucher that is expiring soon. We ordered a few starters, buffalo wings and calamari rings, and 1 main each. The wings and calamari were rather dry, and the main that I ordered, crab linguini, did not taste that fantastic as well. I personally think the branch in Clarke Quay serves up more delectable dishes. We did not order any of their beers, but my favourite beer there is the Indian Pale Ale, strong, bitter, but yet refreshing. After dinner we went to Island Creamery at Serene Centre for some ice cream. They have all sorts of "funny" flavoured ice cream, I had apple pie and black forest. The apple pie flavoured ice cream tastes as if they blended a whole apple pie, and mash them up with vanilla ice cream, rather weird flavour.

 

Though it was a really tiring day, I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the company of many good friends. I am really grateful to have all of them around. Later today I will be on a 2 week hiatus, going back to the Coast with my family for some holidaying, followed by my graduation. It will be fun, looking forward to bringing them to places that I have been so familiar with for the past 2 years. Hip Hip! Holiday! One last thing to note, thank you good friend 1 and 2, whom have been giving me distant healing reiki for my ankle last night, it is feeling much much better now, the swelling's gone down too. Thank you, hug hugs. Have a wonderful Hari Raya Haji.

 

Fortune cookie Quote of the Day: "Have the courage to take your own thoughts seriously."

Popeye and friends.

Yesterday I met up with some of my aussie friends, whom I have not seen for more than 2 weeks. They touched down on home soil on Sunday evening, and like me when I just came back, they are currently down with a slight flu. Hmmm, must be something about the weather or the air here. We decided to go to Popeye's Chicken and Biscuit at T3, as I wanted to try it. =) Popeye's tastes not too bad, the chicken was normal, but their fries and mash potato are worth mentioning. Sorry, no photos, as my sister took my camera with her on holiday to the Middle East (technically the camera is hers, as she got it for me, as a birthday present, last year). 

 

It was fun talking, laughing and reuniting with them again. Even though it has only been a couple of weeks, I sure missed their company. After dinner, one of them suggested we go to this ice cream cafe at Siglap for desserts. I forgot the name of the place, but it's not a very catchy name. Their concept is not very original too, sort of copied it from Cold Rock, where you can add mix-ins (oreos, kit kats, m&ms, froot loops, etc.) to your chosen flavour of ice cream, and they mash them together on a frozen surface (like stir-fry) before serving it in a cup. We spent about another hour sitting in the cafe chatting and enjoying the ice cream. Soon, it was getting late, and it was time to go. It was nice catching up with them again, and I will most probably meet them again before I fly back to the Coast next week.

 

Water Lilles

Kevin Kern

This poignant piece from one of my favourite classical pianist, Kevin Kern, always comes into my mind when I am reminded of the happy times I spent together with friends. The feeling I have inside of me, when I listen to the song, is one of cherished happiness and joy. Nothing can take away the wonderful memories that have been formed through your life journey, be they childhood memories, best friends, family love, past and current lovers. May it have the same therapeutic effect on a good friend, be grateful for the love and opportunities, be positive, and everything will be alright. =)

 

Fortune cookie Quote of the Day: "Look around; happiness is trying to catch you."

Good morning sunshine.

Being the good and filial son, I woke up early this morning to have breakfast with mummy before she went to work. Righhhhhttt. Haha. It has been quite awhile since I woke up this early, and I must say, the morning air smells really good! I awoken from my sleep this morning at about 7.30, and my mum asked if I wanted to eat anything, she can go downstairs to get it for me. I thought, why not go downstairs to eat with her instead. She was quite taken aback by my suggestion (she thinks I'm a sleepyhead), but agreed nonetheless.

 

I could tell she was happy that we will be eating breakfast together. We went to the market to buy some mince pork and fish. The pork seller, who recognizes her, asked if I am the son. Haha. Then she asked if I had finished national service. Do I look that innocent? Hehe, maybe so when I'm with family. We then proceeded to get some spinach, and went to the coffeeshop. We ordered vegetarian noodles and fishball noodles to share share between us. We chatted a bit here and there too, then she went to buy 4D. I told her to buy my birthday number, "sure come out one", and she did! Haha. I hope it does, tonight. Afterwhich I walked her to the car, and off she went. It was a really nice morning, spending quality time with family, which definitely will not be the last time. We have a date tomorrow morning again. This time I'm eating half boiled eggs.

 

On a sidenote, a family friend, who took care of my sis and me when we were young, went for an operation yesterday. He was diagnosed with colon cancer 5 years ago. His story is quite amazing. Basically he went through 2 years of pain and suffering before he decided to seek medical attention. Back then, in 2003, the doctors were shocked to learn that he had waited more than 2 years before coming to them. Thankfully the cancer did not spread to his vitals, and he managed to send it into remission. A couple of weeks back, he went for a scan and they spotted a growth/tumor/unknown somewhere in his stomach region. I went to see him last Sunday, he has aged quite a bit, but still going strong. He got admitted on Monday, and went under the knife yesterday. My prayers go out to him and his family. Bless you, and may you recover fully once again. =)

 

Fortune cookie Quote of the Day: "If you cannot change your mind, you cannot change anything." 

Conversations with my higher self.

Who am I? Am I just this body?

When I look into the mirror, what am I looking at? Is that me? Is there more to me than my physical image?

My body is very real, I'm aware of it's shape and size, it's appearance, it's state of health, how it feels sitting in this chair. But who am I?

When I introduce myself to others, how do I let them know who I am? I may start with my name, my occupation, my relationships, my age, my address, and other descriptions about my life.

But these are all physical things. These are all external descriptions of me. Is there more to me than this?

Who am I?

 

As I think about my identity, I am aware of my memories, my experiences in life, the things I have done, and the things that have been done to me.

The people who have affected me, the places and the events that have influenced me. These are all part of my inner world, my inner identity. All my experiences and interactions have shaped my personality and give rise to my thoughts and feelings.

I ask myself, is there still a deeper aspect to my identity? Is there an eternal part of me, that is unaffected by relationships and the world around me. What is my spiritual identity. Who am I?

My spiritual identity, my eternal identity, is soul. I am soul.

A being of energy. My appearance is like a tiny star. A radiant being of pure energy. A spiritual being, giving life to this physical body.

I imagine how I would look separate from my body. I picture myself as a being of light, like a star, a tiny star, like the stars in the night sky. The stars in the sky are enormous worlds, so far away from us, that they seem like tiny sparkling points in the night sky.

There is an enormous world that makes up who I am, but that is all contained within a tiny tiny star.

I imagine myself free from all the influences of my daily life for a moment. Floating. Free, as a star. Pure, vibrant, radiant energy.

Away from the influences of my life, who am I?

 

I am a being of peace.

When I look at the stars in the night sky, I feel a sense of peace and tranquility. My spiritual identity is soul, and the nature of soul, is peace.

Not just a momentary absence of disturbances, but a very real, and permanent peace. Within my nature of peace, I also find love.

Not the temporary love of passing phases, but a deep sense of self respect and compassion. I reconnect with my spiritual identity, with my true nature of peace, and love.

When I forget who I really am, when I'm caught up in the world and its events, the roles and responsibilities that make up my daily life. Then from time to time, I am separated from my true self, and I forget my nature of peace and love.

I will remember, consciously, that I am a spiritual being. This is my real identity, my eternal identity. It feels good to be in peace.

The more I get to know my spiritual self in solitude, the more I can be myself when there are others around. The more I appreciate who I am, the easier it is to see others for who they are. Each one of us, a unique being. Each one of us worthy of being alive. Each of us, a spiritual being, doing our best to face the challenges of life in the physical world.

 

I will come again soon, to this inner solitude in my true identity. Gently, I sense that I am sitting inside this body. My energy returns, and I know who I am.

- Carmen Warrington -

 

Peace within

Kevin Wood

Owning what you ask for.

You must embrace what has been given to you, own it! A good friend often tells me that. It is without doubt that we ask for many things in our lives; every day, every hour, and every minute. From a broader perspective, many of us ask for abundance such as wealth, love and peace. More often than not, we ask for the little things that will make our daily life easier and more pleasurable; more time to complete a task or a parking lot when we need one.

 

If you have watched Kungfu Panda, you may remember a line that one of the character, Master WuGui, said - "there are no coincidences". Deeper and more profound meanings can be taken from the movie's plot, apart from its entertainment aspect. The gist of the storyline is something like this. To become the true dragon warrior, the Panda has to open the dragon scroll to read what was written on it - only to find it....empty! At the same time, Panda's father decided to reveal to him that the "secret ingredient" in his secret ingredient soup is....nothing! See the link there? The lesson I took from the movie was that you are only stopped from being who you want to be by yourself! We all have the secret ingredient all along, there is no "secret" to how to make one's life happier, moving to the next level or becoming the person you want to become. The real secret is that there is no secret. So stop looking and start living.

 

There are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason, the universe gives you what you truly deserve. A couple of weeks back, I was looking for a parking lot, but to no avail. I have been circling the area for close to half an hour, and was ready to give up. At a traffic light, I shut my eyes and asked for a lot when I turn into a small road. Amazingly, after the lights turned green, I made a left into the small road, and there it was, right before my eyes. I realised it was no coincidence, it was an answered request, and I acknowledge it. Thank you. Last week I was blogging about my time in the army, including how I look forward to catching up with some of them soon. A couple of days later, my ex-Commanding Officer messaged me to ask me if I am back. Coincidence again? =)

 

Another wonderful quote to think about; taken from one of my favourite cartoon series "Avatar";

"The true mind can weather all lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being hard. Since beginningless time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purified light."

Bright and lovely.

Today is the first day of the last month of December, hehe. I woke up to a bright, sunny and lovely day. Not sure if it applies to the whole of Singapore or just some parts of it, a bell chime song thingy always goes off on the first of every new month at 12 noon.

 

Exam results are supposed to be out this Wednesday, but my friend told me to check this morning, as he said his is out. I will be lying if I say I am not nervous, haha. Someone always tell me to aim for the sky, and I have set a pretty high target to achieve this semester. Anyways I am very happy with my results, I got 2 Distinctions and 2 Credits, giving me a GPA of 5.5/7. Yay. I can officially graduate now, happy.

 

Looking back, I have been rather lucky to achieve these grades this semester. Even though I have skipped a lot less lessons this semester, I have been rather out of focus with my assignments, always leaving them to the last minute, literally. Throughout my 4 semesters in Griffith, I have garnered 3 High Distinctions, 6 Distinctions, 6 Credits and 1 Pass, amassing a cumulative GPA of 5.69. I have always told myself that I will graduate with a GPA of at least 5.5, and I have done it! Thank you for giving me such good grades, and a good looking transcript. It has been a wonderful journey, I am truly grateful for all the blessings and guidance. I am sure many doors will open to me soon, I want to get a job that will allow me to be myself. Thus, let the search begin. =)