.: 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.

.: 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! :)

.: Status :.

Currently reading : Amy Tan - The Valley of Amazement

Currently feeling : Slightly contented

Quote from previous read : When she had achieved almost everything she wanted in life, she had reached the conclusion that her existence had no meaning, because every day was the same.

.: Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) :.

Amazing grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine

But God, Who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

Will be forever mine.

You are forever mine.

A lil twist to a old classic hymn - by Chris Tomlin.

(Ones in blue are the twist to this song)

Told The Husband that this will be one of the songs played in my funeral :)

(Pls remind him, should he forgets - which he most likely will)

.: Sinking In :.

It hit me hard earlier today that there are some things that haven't quite sink in yet with me.

Perhaps, I am in denial, and rather not face the truth and I am underplaying the magnitude and the seriousness of this predicament, convincing others and myself the same.

Perhaps, it's really what it - nothing serious, all just paranoia and being extra careful.

Or perhaps, subconsciously, I have actually given up and lost the will to carry on.

.: Flashback : Soya Bean :.

There are some childhood memory that I vividly remember - down to the very last detail. It's like a snapchat of that moment (be it 5 secs or 5 mins) and I recall the sight, sounds, almost as if I am there at that moment all over again.

This memory is one of them.

When I was younger, we had a pasar malam right opposite our housing estate. 

Just need to cross a two-lanes "highway" (mind you, this was pre-LDP days) and we are there.

It's a weekly affair for our family - me, bro and my parents would often pop by.

My dad loves his soya bean and the occasional tau fu fah. He would often drop by the soya bean seller, and order a cup of soya bean or a bowl of warm tau fu fah in a red-and-white acrylic bowl, consumed on the spot, while standing up. 

I often tagged along with my dad (as my mom wonders off somewhere else). And when he gets his order, he would of course share that with me. 

My dad is a very tall man, probably taller than 6 foot. At that time, I was around five or six, so prolly half that height.

So back to this particular incident.

I was standing there, distracted by something else, and then without looking, I just tugged my dad's shirt (an indication that I want a scoop or a sip of his order). When I looked all the way up, obviously expecting my dad to hand me a scoop, to my horror, that wasn't my dad looking back at me. I tugged the wrong man's shirt! I was mortified, obviously. 

And my vivid memory stops there, and the rest is all a blur.

Lesson learn : 

Not every man is my daddy.
But my daddy is my every man! 

.: Organ Donor :.

Checking off my list a tick at a time.

This has always been one of the things I have been thinking and talking about, but never quite got to actually doing anything about it. Truth to be told, if I continue to procrastinate, I would never get it done.

So, to (finally) walk the talk, as of today, I am a registered transplant organ donor in Australia. 

I like this interesting ploy to create awareness of organ donation. And I hope that many will take this step to help out, as there are heaps of people in the waiting list for organ transplant. 

While I am still alive, I thrive to make a difference in as many lives as I could but I sincerely feel that being an organ donor is seriously a way I can make a big difference in one or more lives, even in death. 

On a lighter note, not sure if any of my organs are of use. Afterall, my lungs capacity is crappy (I could never run as my lungs are not trained for running, haha), my liver has been subjected to 3 months of legal narcotics (so there's prolly some serious damage there), there is something not quite right with my heart (not quite sure what is wrong just yet, tho a GP had recently looked at my ECG and said I have a quote "perfect heart" .. awwww...). But my brain should be alright, almost new, barely used! :)

.: Kath's List :.

I have been thinking about it for a while, and I need to do it. Stop thinking. And start doing. Afterall, I'll never know how much more time I have left. 

And so, the list starts. I literally scribbled all the things that I wanted to do for myself, the things I wanted to say to the people I love and care about and the things I wanted to give and do for others. 

This is where it all begins. Everything starts here, today.



“What are you going to do with your life?" In one way or another it seemed that people had been asking her this forever; teachers, her parents, friends at three in the morning, but the question had never seemed this pressing and still she was no nearer an answer... "Live each day as if it's your last', that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that? What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance.”

- David Nicholls : One Day -

.: Flashback : Mind Your Bearings :.

“Mind your bearing” my Form 3 Geography teacher scribbled on my exercise book.

Something about directions and co-ordinates.

Well. It figures doesn’t it when I have phone conversations like this with my dad (more often than not)

Me : Daddy, daddy. I think I am lost. They diverted the traffic from my usual route.

Dad : Ok, where are you now?

Me : I don’t know. I was gonna turn into Jalan Ismail from Jalan Ampang and they (the traffic police) didn’t allow me to turn. So I had to go straight. Then I think I turned left somewhere.

Dad : Ok, where exactly are you now?

Me : I don’t know! *getting irritated*

Dad : Ok, describe to me what’s on your left or right.

Me : Buildings!

Dad : What type of building? Wisma what? Menara what?

Me : I don’t know! I see a building under construction!

Dad : That doesn’t narrow anything down. Can you see if there’s any road sign that says PJ?

Me : No, nothing!

And the conversation went on and on between me trying to describe where I am and my dad trying to guess where I am and bail me out by giving me directions. Failed.

Me : Nevermind, I will figure it out!

Tut. Tut. Tut.

According to the husband, my dad is a saint when it comes to that. If I had called the husband instead, it will be a screaming match on his part (he has zero patience) and my end as well (coz I have zero tolerance for people screaming at me).

So there you go. Me and my bearings! :)

.: Day In The Park :.

O, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on earth.

- Roman Payne -

.: Failure vs Success :.

When Sara Blakely was growing up, her father would often ask her the same question at dinnertime.

"What have you failed at this week?" Blakely recalled in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" n Wednesday. "My dad growing up encouraged me and my brother to fail. The gift he was giving me is that failure is (when you are) not trying versus the outcome. It's really allowed me to be much freer in trying things and spreading my wings in life."

Excerpt from an article here

Being brought up by typical asian parents, failure is more often than not, not an option. If you fail at something, work harder so that you will be good at it. If you are good at something, work harder to be the best.

It is not that I have never failed in my life, it's just that there are plenty of things out there that I have not tried, because I was too afraid to fail. I have been "walking on the safe side so I don't get hurt (from failing)" type of mentality.

A colleague asked me, if I were to have kids - would I push them? Would I push them academically or in sports so that they can be the best? I guess I would say no, I won't push them. But then again, looking back, if my parents didn't push me - would I still be where I am now? Or worse? Or better? I guess we'll never really know, would we?

So, though I would say I wouldn't be pushing them, I would at least want to encourage them to try everything - surfing, chess, music, art, soccer, advance maths (had to put this in, haha), skiing, etc. And find something that they like and something that the could succeed in.

.: Royal Easter Show :.

One happy (adult) kid that i got to attend the Sydney Royal Easter show, not once, but twice!

There is just heaps to do - cow milking, pig racing, cooking demo, fireworks, dogshows, etc. And if I could, I would have gone back there the third time. I know, I know, I am just a big kid! :)

.: Flashback : Goals :.

Laying in bed with the husband on the night of my thirtieth birthday (no, this is not a starting line of something from 50 Shades of Grey).

The Husband : You know what, you have achieved everything you hoped to achieve before you were thirty!

Me : *pause to think* You know what, you are right. I have never looked at it that way before, but all the goals I set out (here and here), including the (then back in Malaysia) impossible goal of owning a bungalow (I said that out loud one day, in one random spur of moment, that I wanted to own a bungalow) happened.

The Husband said that we have been very very blessed, and I agree completely.

It was also then that I set my next goals to hit by the time I reach thirty five. And, with God's grace and blessings, I really really hope that achieve those goals.


Quote of the day : What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

.: Flashback : Mom :.

I had a major back surgery mid last year.

And even though I tried to convince my mom that she need not fly down, she did. And am I glad she did.

She helped me so much while I was healing, so much that she was like taking care of a toddler all over again (minus the cuteness of a toddler). She had to help me get in and out of bed. She had to help me wear my socks and shoes, She cleaned the house. She did the grocery shopping. Cooked my meals. Pleaded to and cried with me when I told her I just couldn't eat (I lost appetite for almost three weeks, causing me to lose a couple of kilos).

One day, I just couldn't take it anymore and cried my heart out in the shower. My mom has done so much for me as a child, and now, at almost thirty, she still does all that for me.

I vowed that when the time comes, and if I have to make that difficult decision to drop everything to go back and take care of her, I will.

Thank you Mi for everything.

.: New Beginnings :.

A single digit of blog post I had last year.

Looking back, it has got to be the most eventful year of my life - yet, I had not detail it down in this blog as I would have, say two or three years back.

Have I grown out of this? Do I have less to express? Or do I value my privacy more? Or am I just plain lazy?

Probably a combination of these factors.

I will try resume blogging more frequently moving forward. I promise to try really hard. And perhaps add a flashback or two every now and then.

.: Family :.

The one thing I miss most about being in a foreign country is my family.

I have had been really really close to my family for as long as I can remember. Birthdays are only celebrated with them, not even close friends. I am also exceptionally close to my maternal cousins, and up to this time and age, we are still keeping in touch with each other and meeting up ever so often.

I "left them" and moved here, and there are times when I miss them so bad - even with modern technologies of communication. There's nothing like a meeting up for a good ol' chat over coffee. But on the other hand, I am also glad to have "gained" a new family here. The husband's uncle and aunt has been exceptionally hospitable, housing myself for the first two weeks I was here. Even until now, we drop by ever so often to their place on weekends - and aunties, being aunties - would cook up a tray of delicacies that I just love! Lo mai kai. Char keoy teow (charcoal mind you, so there's that 'wok' taste). Hong tau chou. Man chi keok. Kai fun. Laksa. Roti canai. Oh my, I think I have more Malaysian food here in Sydney than I did back in KL!

We had a great time celebrating her nephew's boy's 4th birthday (or was it 5th?). We had fun with water balloons and water guns - I tell you, the adults were more excited than the two kids!

Uncle and aunty has helped us alot in settling in. And I truly thank God for that.

.: Choices, Choices, Choices :.

It's never easy for me to make decisions - especially one that involves a long term commitment of that sorts.

In a new country, it's a different ball game altogether. To learn the rules of the games and to play it well. It takes a lil courage, and an even bigger step of faith. But I believe that we will both make the right choice at the end of it all.

Praying for wisdom and disernment.

It will be a bold move if we say yes.

.: Achievement Unlocked :.

Achievement unlocked.

 

Bring on the next one!