happy tummy

today was a good day :)

i feel like i'm getting better at cooking each day. heh.

considering that i'm the kind who only knows how to cook maggi mee at home.

i grilled lamb (using a receipe my cousin found the internet), cooked pasta and mixed the tomato sauce with cream cheese.

and i must say that i'm very pleased with the way it turned out! :)

i did not cook this. heh.

this is what a friend ordered for supper at universal pizza.

what a nice heart-shaped fish! :)

i really like pictures of the sky.

they are the best examples of God's wonderful creation when you're living in the city :)

fold me up, take me out, i'm portable

i need to stop spending $$$.

i think i need a safe, one with a secret combination that i don't know.

i will lock up all my spare cash and limit myself to $100 a week.
that way, i won't be able to spend unnecessarily on clothes.

if only.

ooh in case i haven't already mentioned it, i absolutely love john mayer's music compositions, arrangements, vocals, stage presence etc.

i think it's safe to say that i admire his music and his showmanship.
ok even that's an understatement.

i finally got my hands on a copy of 'any given thursday', which i've been trying to find for ages.
and as an added bonus, it only cost me AUS$1o.
nothing short of fueling my love and excitement for john mayer's music of course :D

i'm currently addicted to this version of 'why georgia' on the cd.
it's sooooooooo good!

belated arrival

melbourne has been pretty good so far.

i have been running around the city getting things done i.e. shopping :D

i love shopping here.
they always have my size - the jeans are never too short, nor the shoes too small.
and the stationary shops are super cute!

today i went to this super big mall with loads of factory outlets.
every single shop was having some kind of sale
(which i assume happens all the time since they are factory outlets anyway)
and even then, they still had my size!
was very pleased indeed :)

i have also been mainly eating at home since uni hasn't really started.
i cooked my first meal - chicken, veg and rice.
i marinated the chicken myself and the vegetables were cooked by my aunt and later fried by me.
i promise it was good.
haha. at least by my standards.

orientation starts next week, which should be pretty exciting.
i love how there are so many international students from various parts of the world here.
should be rather interesting talking to them and making friends :)

meanwhile, i'd like to share a verse that brings great joy to me -

"but let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
for surely, o Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield."
-psalm 5:11-12

goodbye

i can't believe i'm leaving in less than 12 hours.

it feels a little strange to think that for the next few years, my home won't be here anymore.

i wonder what kind of people i'll meet, what kind of friends i'll make, if i'll like the school, if psychology there is going to be worth leaving here for, if i'll find a good church...i wonder about lots of things.

as the anticipation builds up and reality begins to sink in, leaving seems a lot harder than expected.

but this is the path i have chosen and prayed about for probably a year now. and i'm sure the Lord will lead me and guide me wherever He takes me.

"For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect."
-Psalm 18:31-32

will lose weight for $$$

i stumbled upon this article while trying to google for something else.
thought it was a rather interesting and amusing way of encouraging a national weight-loss programme.
if someone paid me to lose weight, i'd gladly do it :)

General Health News
Posted online: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 6:59:17 PM

Australian Government Urged to Pay Subsidy to Obese to Lose Weight

Overweight people should be paid to attend weight-loss programmes to reduce the impact the growing obesity epidemic is having on the healthcare system, a group of Australian doctors said Wednesday.

Obesity has more than doubled in Australia in the last 20 years and is placing an uncomfortable strain not only on waistlines but on health services, the Australian General Practice Network said.

To combat the spiralling problem, it wants the government to give the overweight a 170 dollar (141 dollar US) subsidy to do something about their expanding physique.

The network, which represents general practitioners, said effective weight-loss programmes were often too expensive, particularly for those with modest incomes.

"We believe that this (money) will go a long way to helping people get access to accredited weight-loss programmes where the people will be supported," network chairman Tony Hobbs told state radio.

"They'll have goals set, they will be expected to come back at the end of the 12-week programme and be measured to see whether or not they've been able to succeed with their weight-loss programme."

The network said it was important to tackle the issue immediately because of the growing rates of type-2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers linked to obesity.

The top national organisation representing doctors, the Australian Medical Association (AMA), said action should focus on educating people about their health rather than encouraging a quick-fix dieting programme.

"The real issue is educating people overall into adopting a healthy lifestyle, understanding the healthy choices that they need to make and that becoming part of their lives. Not a 12-week programme where a diet and strict controls are in place," AMA president Dr Rosanna Capolingua told ABC radio.

Source-AFP
LIN/J

keep breathing

my final week in singapore has been a lot more hectic than expected.

from the moment i'm awake till the moment i fall asleep, there's always some errand to run, someone to meet, some appointment to attend, something to be fixed, someone to call/email and the list goes on.

i can't say that i'm enjoying the pace of this last week. i thought that i would be chilling out at home and soaking in the final days here, but instead i'm running around non-stop, with hardly anytime to feel sad; save for the moments when i'm plugged into my ipod on a bus/train and the nights when i'm up packing by myself.

hmm. but i know i can't complain either. many friends and family members have tried their best to accommodate my schedule in order to make time for me and i'm really grateful for that.

of course, it's always difficult to say goodbye and to be apart from those i love but i am also thankful that God is in control of every situation and while all of us may be on separate continents, He still holds us in the palm of His hand. that truly brings a great deal of comfort and assurance to me.

on a lighter note, i watched the season 3 finale of grey's anatomy (again!) last night cause it was on channel 5. i absolutely love the song "keep breathing" by ingrid michaelson which was used in the final moments of the episode. the best part was that it tied in perfectly with all the different scenarios and emotions at the end. plus, sandra oh is an awesome awesome actress and i melted when she finally said "i'm free" before she crumbled into a ball of tears.

huh?

sometimes, instruction packs come with pretty amusing information.

for instance, the FAQs on a playtex instruction pamphlet on how to use tampons.

i wanted to post the questions and answers online but eventually decided against it as the explanations were rather detailed and um, explicit.

2 questions i found particularly funny were "Will tampons break my hymen and cause me to lose my virginity?" and also "Can tampons get lost inside my body?"

hmm.

valid questions indeed if you carefully consider how life-threatening a tampon can be when really, it's intended purpose is to make that time of the month easier to live with.

also, i was reading the Features and Specifications on my "Silent Mahjong" (i.e. mahjong cards) set.

1. This Traveller's Mahjong is made by paper with special varnish.

2. The stylo-formed packing can speed up the playing with more safety and convenience.

3. Beyond the limitations of topography and location, this Portable Mahjong can be played at all times, such as picnic, tour and journey etc.

4. This Silent Mahjong can be played even at mid-night and never disturb anybody in deep sleep.

5. This Compact is designed with 3 dices and north, south, east & west, which can provide all players in full and greatest enjoyment.

wow. i'm so glad i bought this mahjong set. it must be the most versatile and considerate 4 player game ever.

and i still can't decide if stylo-formed is 'styrofoamed' spelt wrongly or if it literally means styo and well-formed.

hur hur.

LOVE

i love my mummy and i love shingy :)

costa sands with geri :)

suspicious bag at the train station

entertaining ourselves inside the chalet

mattresses are much more useful on staircases

yes indeed!

pasir ris park

"vroom! check out my harley davidson!"

who cares about rules?

wheeeeeeeee!!

i climbed this high up the spider net and quickly realised some parts of the rope were held together by masking tape (??!!!)

how kewl worx.

seriously.

i feel very restless now so i'm blogging again.

just came back from a 2-day-1-night stay at pasir ris with geri. it's amazing how we managed to entertain ourselves even when i've already been to wild wild wet at least 4 times and when there were practically no facilities at our chalet. we ended up having a korean movie marathon, going to pasir ris park and jumping around to old school bubblegum pop to pass the time.

looking back, i think this friendship has been and still is a pretty remarkable one. we've known each other since we were both 11 and childish and silly. now here we are, 9 years later, still the same as before. heh. some things just don't change and in a good way too :)

unfortunately, my camera batt is still charging now so i can't upload the photos. i keep looking at the indicator light impatiently and waiting for it to turn green.

ooh. am also very happy that i have more new year clothes! i somehow managed to buy a few tops in the last few days, rather unexpectedly. in fact, i didn't think i would bother with new clothes for cny this year since i'm leaving and since it's not one of my favorite occasions of the year. but new clothes are always nice and they cheer me up. yay.

i am also eagerly awaiting the next episode of grey's anatomy, my all-time favorite show. while most girls like it for mcsteamy and mcdreamy, i have to say that the part i love the most about the show is the writing. yes, the doctors only sleep around with each other but if you pay close attention, you will realise that the storyline, characters, directing and music are weaved together so well that they almost speak to you on their own without much being said. it's almost like poetry and to me, a piece of literature in its own right.

"gimme back my show!"

shutterfly flutterby

photos from last weds!

more smiles

i love this photo of tiff! she looks so pretty :)

mr and mrs carrot

my 2 favorite starfishes. i think they are each other's favourite starfishes too :)

pimped!

i have decided to post photos here instead of facebook cos this way i can actually recall what happened on the day better. heh.

i'm 20 this year and my memory is already failing me.

so i met up with jia han, adrian, yap and ben today. tiff, angie and karl were supposed to go too but they pang-sehed me and left me with 4 boys!

i was afraid i'd run out of things to say cos guys usually talk about army stuff but it turned out to be a very enjoyable night and i'm glad that jia han, ben and i got to share the gospel.

it's amazing how God works even when you least expect it and how He gives you the right words to say when you haven't prepared beforehand.

yes, our God is truly a great God, and there is no other :)

so here we are, posing randomly in some corridor in taka. the extra people in the background make up for those who weren't there. haha.

dots inc.

i think i feel an urge to post something because the blog is so empty.

anyhow, i stumbled upon this picture.

i think this was in the middle of promos and we so stressed and frustrated that we took a photo to express how we felt. haha.

exams were horrible but school was so much fun.

i miss it all.

paint it golden

i just discovered a new artist called jason reeves and he writes the most honest lyrics, together with really beautiful melodies too. like this song below which is called 'permanent'.

So lately I've been going crazy
Trying to get you off my mind
Cuz thoughts of you hang just like pictures
And gather dust over the time

We hung them up just like real lovers
And drove our nails into the wall
Cuz we thought they'd be there forever

We weren't permanent at all

it's kind of sad and bittersweet and yet, so true of how so many relationships turn out.

and somehow i thought of God's love for us. how it's permanent and our lives here are temporary but thankfully this love ends with a happily-ever-after :)

here are lyrics from another song called 'paint it golden'.

Run away from money
Quit your job and climb a tree
One with hearts instead of leaves
Build a sandcastle big enough for us to sleep
Paint it golden with the sunrise

a new start

hello welcome to my new blog. or rather, my new template.

this blog only exists because i decided to clean the dust off my old blog and start blogging again since i'm leaving soon. it's a good place to update people in greater detail since facebook only allows you to update people on a superficial basis i.e. "charissa lim has superpoked/fought with/won a battle etc. with you!".

also, i thought it was about time to change my template but alas, my lack of technical skills have forced me to create a new blog in order to use a new template and avoid the hassle of changing all the fonts on my old entries.

i think i should space all my entries like this. it is much easier to read.

so anyway, since i officially left nus i have been busy working and bumming around. yes, life is full of contradictions. unfortunately, the packing hasn't started since my room is currently occupied by a boy. sigh. good thing he is leaving tomorrow so i can start packing.

i've also been busy shopping for things that i will need there. it's actually more of an excuse to buy new things but who cares. heh. unfortunately, going overseas also means that i can no longer shop online! or if i do, i can only get my new clothes when i come back. hmm. and the last time i was in melbourne the shopping wasn't that fantastic either.

oh well, i guess one can't always have the best of both worlds.

yup, and that thought extends to family, friends and food too with regards to what i'll miss about singapore when i'm in melbourne. but as the saying goes, no pain, no gain and one must make sacrifices for self-improvement. wow. i sound like some philosopher and a certain friend with the initials T.L. haha. private joke.

ok yay next week is chinese new year. and i usually dislike chinese new year cause i don't appreciate the clashing cymbals and jarring singing although i suppose the regular auntie who shops at ntuc does. but as i said, i'm excited this year because i will get to see my relatives before i leave. heh and of course, who doesn't like ang paos?

also, i'm going to spend a few days in a chalet with one of my best friends from primary school since a friend in the army "won" them in a lucky draw and encouraged me to spend the government's money since it's free. of course, i jumped the opportunity because i'm free and so was the chalet. yay.

ok that's a lot of random thoughts rolled into one entry just because i have nothing better to do at home now.

so long.