.: The One : Lang Leav :.

I don’t want you to love me because I am good for you, because I say and do all the right things. Because I am everything you have been looking for.

I want to be the one you didn’t see coming. The one who gets under your skin. Who makes you unsteady. Who makes you question everything you have ever believed about love. I want to be the one who makes you feel reckless and out of control; the one you are infuriating and inexplicably drawn to.

I don’t want to be the one who tucks you into bed; I want to be the reason why you can’t sleep at night.

Lang Leav

.: Project Wominjeka : Updates :.

The cat is (finally) out of the bag.

Our current project, named Wominjeka (which means welcome in Woiwurrung) which we find apt as it is our first project post Project Wallaby (relocation to Australia).

So, we bought a unit in Melbourne, as part of our investment plan to hedge against the increasing price of properties in Australia. To be fair, we are fully aware of the possibility of oversupply of units, esp in Melbourne, but after much research of the location and the developer, we are pretty much comfortable with this purchase. We decided on a one plus one bedder unit, instead of the more expensive two or three bedder unit, solely because we just wanted this first investment to be something we dip our toes in, instead of jumping straight in. So it only makes sense to start small.

It's been a very good learning curve for us. We picked up so many unique points of buying off-plan properties here in Australia. From the legal, administrative, mortgage/financing to tax and lateron to rental and tenancy. 

It's an art in itself, and tho it is highly stressful, it is also highly fulfilling to be learning new things. And perhaps leverage on this knowledge for future investment (if we wanna go down that route).

Will update more upon completion, in the meantime, here are pics of the construction progress.

.: Become Who You Are :.

That is why it is so important to let certain things go. To release them. To cut loose. People need to understand that no one is playing with marked cards; sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Don't expect to get anything back, don't expect recognition for your efforts, don't expect your genius to be discovered or your love to be understood. Complete the circle. Not out of pride, inability or arrogance, but simply because whatever it is no longer fits in your life. Close the door, change the record, clean the house, get rid of the dust. Stop being who you were and become who you are.

Paulo Coelho : The Zahir

.: Food For Thought :.

Ever since I have been here in Aus, I have been more conscious then ever over food wastages.

The society I now live in, takes pride in having fresh items sold daily. Go to any bakery – they would say “Baked Fresh Daily”. Go to any fruits shop – and you just see the freshest and juiciest fruits on display.

But some may not be aware – that the amount of wastages – food and fruits that are being thrown away. I once observed the amount of bread I saw being binned at a local bakery, a whole bin full; and I thought – what a shame, imagine how many homeless or poor that this bread could feed.

The same for fruits and vegetables that have gone slightly bad, but still salvageable (even if you could only salvage half of it, it’s still better than binning the whole lot).

There are a few steps taken by Australian to overcome this food wastage problem, and I must say, I am very impressed with the measures taken to reduce food wastages and channeling it to the needy. It’s also the awareness that by not wasting food; it’s creating a sustainable place to live in.

OzHarvest - the first perishable food rescue organisation in Australia that collects quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivers it to charities channel.

Harris Farm Imperfect Picks - fruit & vegetables that might not look perfect from the outside, but are so inside. It reduces the amount of crops that currently never leave the farm gate simply because they are a bit ugly, and do not meet the visual specifications of some consumers and supermarkets. It helps take more of the farmer’s crops, helps reduce food wastage and consumers purchase this at a lower price. Win win for both sides.

I think it takes a lil effort for everyone to try to reduce food wastages – even small steps at home does help. Do not buy more than you plan to consume. Surplus cooked food – bring it for lunch the next day. Small little steps, makes heaps of a difference. One may say, oh, the food that I waste, that’s not gonna feed the hungry people in Africa. It’s doesn’t really matter. Does it?

“Let's imagine a pile of bananas, grown and produced in a developing country, transported all the way across the globe to a Western country just to be wasted because of some silly cosmetic reason. People in the very same developing country lack food. Imagine looking those hungry people in the eyes and telling them that the good bananas grown in their very own country are being thrown away just as fast they arrive in the Western world." (Source here)

Every lil thing we do count to create a more sustainable world for ourselves and the future generations.

.: A Lesson :.

.: Me :.

Lil things like this makes me smile.

Thanks for making my day Terry & Tammie! :)