WHY the long absence?

And FINALLY, I managed to find some time off my hectic schedule to actually pen down some updates on this long neglected blog. 

It just happened that it was a relatively not-so-busy Sunday night, and by 7.45pm or so we were hanging around, bored. So I ended my shift at 8.30pm, reached home at 9pm, and decided that I should start blogging over dinner (though this blogging 'mission' stretched all the way til almost 1AM now cuz I was switching between watching drama, Facebook, Wikipedia and blogging).

My life these days is just so hectic, that even if I have any free time on my hands I would either have something on with friends, or I will be so flat out I will be fast asleep in my bed. I am basically just working day in, day out. Non-stop. Perhaps it's a good thing that I am kept busy, because it helps to stop me tracking the number of days I have left before my next holidays!

Yes, I have FINALLY booked my tickets, and I will be traveling back home, to Singapore, on the 24th NOVEMBER 2011 with SIA. Haven't traveled with them for a long time, and I am glad to finally be able to travel with the world-prestigious airline that represents my home, for a good deal too! Initially I intended to stay for 3 weeks, however, I have now extended it to about one month, until 22nd December. During this period of time I will also go elsewhere, which I have yet to work out. Most likely, due to budget concerns, I will be going to Malaysia since it's nearer and cheaper. Thought of going to Thailand too, but it's the monsoon season at the end of the year so I really am a little skeptical about going there then. I also have other ideas, such as traveling with Air Asia to Taiwan, but then I am not sure if Mommy is fine with me visiting without her there..... And also, KOREA. I miss Korea so much! There is a high possibility I will go there again, however, the only thing that can even set me back from going is having to pack winter clothings together with my summer ones for Singapore's heat. If I can solve that problem, I will buy my tickets from Singapore.  

Excited indeed. Though the fine details of my holidays are still pending, at least I already have the idea that I am going home. There's still another 73 days away, so I am trying my best not to think about it. Keeping myself busy makes the days pass by a little bit quicker (though it still seems like it's crawling).

It's a good thing our company actually force people to take 2 weeks off the Christmas holidays. I am paid by the hour, so it doesn't really concern me, however the company will be closed from 23rd December to 2 January. I will be back by then, but I already have my holiday approved by my 2 managers. I cannot be away for too long cuz that means I will have no income. So before the company reopens I will work at the restaurant, and perhaps spend Christmas alone? My annual companion for Christmas (Yongshan and Shu Yea) will be in Malaysia for the holidays. I may extend my holidays again for all I know..... 

The only thing I am worried about is: I am unsure if my parents will be back in SG then... I mean, I really want them to be cuz it would be meaningless to be hanging around without them. Plus, I will have no place to stay cuz I don't have keys to my house at the moment. So it's either I visit them in Qatar (i.e. make a short trip there, PLUS Malaysia, PLUS Korea if I can), and hope that I can get keys somehow. OR stay at a guesthouse in SG, which I don't really mind (other than having to PAY). Either way, I shall worry about that later.

I think I am too overwhelmed with GREED at the moment. The thought of holidays and making good use of this holiday to go as many places as I can because I don't know when my next holidays would be.... 

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Nothing would be happier than the thought of going home, because everything is really kinda sucky at the moment. Whilst I am slowly picking things up in the office, things haven't been looking good at all at the restaurant. In fact, things are HORRIBLE at the restaurant. Had a few farewells over the last couple of weeks, and we have lost two good staff members - Ryo, Fang and Violet - Ryo going to London for studies for the new semester; Fang has confirmed she is going back to Thailand permanently due to some family problems; Violet has gone back to China for good. Plus, Priscilla is STILL in Singapore, and not sure when she's returning, or if she's coming back to work with us. We are seriously short-handed, and every night it seems to be only me and my senior running around like mad women trying to get everything under control and wiping the shit made by new staff members. We are so tired, even WE made mistakes and on one 'fateful' night where we made mistakes together with all the new staff, we got yelled at by the big boss. I hate working there now, but for the money, and to support my senior (otherwise she'll be by herself), I stayed. Hopefully not too long more. I hate this place now!

Sometimes I wonder if by committing to work at the restaurant so much is actually worthwhile. Whilst I am glad for the extra income, I am really exhausted. My reason other than extra income is to help out my senior, whom I regard as a friend and would want to support her as much as I can. However, I really don't know if I have made a right gesture. There are really things that she has done that I found a little bit unfair to me as well. For example, she can ask me to clean the toilet 4 days in a week, but she feels bad to ask some new guy to clean the toilet more than once a week. I wasn't happy about this, but I couldn't voice it out. There are times I know she will support me and put in good words for me in front of the bosses and other staff members, but there are times I feel that she wasn't very fair towards me. Perhaps she thought that it is easier to ask me to do things because we are friends? I really don't know.... Sometimes I question if my gesture of kindness is actually worthwhile... And this question makes me feel very irritable, and very reluctant to go to work every evening. 

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Farewells.... we have had like 3 different farewells for Ryo and Violet. The first farewell was at Ryo and Saya's place, where we headed over one night after work. Their father is going to open up a new Thai massage school near Malvern station, and their house is just there too. It was a fun night of pizza, chips, garlic bread, edamame, beers and wine. 

The group at Ryo and Saya's place 

With Violet

Ryo and Saya have a very cute little black cat... Well, not exactly 'little' but she's so cute!! Pinot -- so warm and fluffy~~ but very shy - she keeps scrambling off as and when she could and hid in the room. 

Then the second farewell was at the restaurant itself. 5 of us (Ryo, Saya, Violet, Jeremy and I) went to Sozai on the only night I was off (planned purposely like that so I can join as well). Though it really wasn't my idea to spend the night off back at my workplace, it was Ryo's wish to go back to eat as a customer, so we decided to all follow suit. Ordered heaps of sushi, and also nasuden, ebi tempura and edamame. Yummy!! 

I always think we have the best sashimi ever. Best cut (not see-through thin), and always fresh

Sushi platter special main size, but with a slight twig for us.
There were also nasu nigiri sushi, unagi sushi etc but I won't post them here 

With my two 'younger' brothers - Ryo and Jeremy

Third farewell was after Violet has already left for China; and a week before Ryo left for London. I met him and Saya up for dinner at AOBA.

Brown sugar ice-cream and sweet beancurd custurd with fruits @ AOBA
The boss, Shingo, knows me and Ryo very well (cuz we helped him out at his restaurant before) so he gave us complimentary drinks and desserts. Yummy!

Especially devastated that Ryo has left for London now cuz we are really close friends and we talk a lot as well. I don't know when I would be able to find someone like him who is always very fair, unbiased and understanding towards everyone. He's gonna be away for 5-6 months.... SIGH!!!

Jeremy is the other person I actually feel really comforted when I see him, however, he only works 3 days a week. Despite the relief and gratefulness I felt when I see him, I don't know why I always show him the opposite of what I feel. I am actually very annoyed with myself as well because I do not know how to voice out my thoughts properly, but instead show a very negative side of me, which may ultimately turn people away. I am indeed queer. Perhaps, no one will understand the complications inside me. If people want to think of me as someone temperamental, annoying and hateful, I can't stop them doing so. 

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Made a new Korean friend at my office work, but she's no longer working with us now after her internship at our company ended when her new semester starts. She is still working from home coding Korean clips for us though. I caught up with her one night and we had dinner at Kimchi Grandma in Carnegie, and then off to Sugo in Malvern for dessert. Jess - she's younger than me (by 5 years), but she always repeats that she is so glad to have met me because I am the only other Asian girl she's ever met in the company who 1) works in the same department; 2) nice to talk to; 3) speaks Korean; 4) can whinge about the same managers. LOL... She's a very nice girl. 

It seems like I am a big sister to everyone these days. I've been meeting people who are younger than me no matter where I go. I feel so old!

Jess and I over our sweet-indulgences

And also managed to squeeze some time to meet up with Yongshan and Shu Yea for dinner.... And took wacky photos with one of my many camera apps on iPhone... 

Green with Yongshan (so who is who?)

Pink with Shu Yea

And of course, despite my hectic schedule, coffee and cafe exploring is a MUST. 

I haven't been exploring much lately. Sometimes I wake up too late on Saturdays and after dilly-dallying it's already time for work. No time for coffee.

Cafe Darling in South Yarra.
I like these cookies... They are so cute. 

Harper's Kitchen in St. Kilda is one of my most frequented cafe, cuz my workplace is just 2 minutes walk away.
I usually take my lunch break with fellow colleague Mellyza, we will usually walk over to this cafe for a takeaway coffee, or on a couple of occasions, sat down for a chat over coffee. The owner is very friendly, and he knows our orders right away. 

And I also had my long-awaited haircut, though it doesn't look very different, so I didn't take photos. My hairdresser, Jang Hee, is going back to Korea for 2 months from end of September. I don't know how, with my limited range of vocabulary, to describe the yearn to tag along with her.