Let’s Not Get Started With The He Said, She Said

Lately, I haven’t been posting many personal pictures on my blog. It’s mostly been dailydress pictures and makeup or nail polish swatches.

It’s weird because I started this blog as a diary of my personal life, but as I grew older, I realized I wanted less people knowing about the going on’s in my life and combine that with the fact that I found a new passion in fashion and makeup, I guess my blog content just kind of evolved naturally.

Sometimes though, I do miss sharing snippets of my life with everyone, so for the first time in forever, here are pictures of my family and I on our holiday to Zaragoza, Spain.

The main reason we were in Spain was because Bryan had a race there and well, nowadays, with all our (my family and I) schedules as busy as they are, we try and fit our holidays around Bryan’s races so that we kill two birds with one stone.

 

Bryan, Matteo and another Birel driver watching a practice/qualifying session.

 

Hi everyone! :)

Anddddd, that’s all the pictures I took at the track. Hahaha! Bryan didn’t have a very good race that weekend so I didn’t bother taking any pictures. :p

 

These pictures are of the outside of the Catedral de Basilica in the Plaza del Pilar.

The Catedral de Basilica is the oldest church in the whole of Europe and if you think the outside is beautiful, the inside just takes your breath away.

I wish I could have taken pictures of the inside but unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside.

My favourite picture is the last one where you can see the moon directly behind the tower because it was late evening by then but the sun was still out because summer was just ending so their days were still very long.

Man, even until now, whenever I look at these pictures, I feel so, awestruck because I mean, look at them! Have you ever seen something so amazing?!??

My brother and I look so much like our parents in this picture.

 

 

In the Plaza del Pilar.

I love Spanish architecture.

       

Outside a castle which I have forgotten the name of. Hahaha!

Funny story, we went to the castle and there were all these bouquets of flowers there so my dad asked me to ask one of the guards what was going on. So I asked her what was going on in Spanish and she started talking really fast and I didn’t really understand her so I only caught the gist of what she was saying and assumed that she said someone famous was visiting the castle.

It was only when we walked into the castle that we figured out that someone famous WAS visiting the castle, only, he was dead.

So while we were in Spain, we actually attended a state funeral of a very well-liked (or it seemed like he was well-liked) politician.

Um, ooops?

Unfortunately, because of the funeral, we didn’t get to see the whole castle, we only got to see a very little bit of it, but well, I guess it was better than nothing and it gives us a reason to go back! :D

In a nutshell, I loved Spain and I definitely want to go back. The people are nice, the food is good, the shopping is even better (Zara is 30-40% cheaper there!) and it is just such a beautiful place.

Wow, I haven’t blogged about something like this for so long it feels kind of weird and unnatural and I feel like this blog post just hasn’t done justice to Spain because I really haven’t managed to capture the incredibly rich essence of Spain. So forgive me if this post is a bit dry, I’m feeling a bit awkward writing this and hopefully, the post about England will be a little less, boring. Hahahaha!

Nevertheless, I hope you guys have enjoyed the pictures, these are some of my favourite pictures ever of my family and I. <3

No One Really Ever Wins In Heartbreak Warfare

     

Dress: JayJay’s, Australia                                                                                                                       Long cardigan: Cotton On, Malaysia                                                                                                     Belt: Supre, Australia                                                                                                                                  Bag: Charles & Keith, Singapore                                                                                                         Sandals: Vincci, Malaysia

 

All pictures taken by this beautiful person when she came to visit me in Perth for the weekend about 3 weeks ago.

I hadn’t seen Quin for almost a year but when we saw each other, it was as if no time had passed!

It was the best lazy bestfriend weekend ever. :) Too much food, a lazy Sunday morning, long long chats, a gorgeous sunny day in the park and shopping in the city. It was just what I needed at the time and it was the best pick-me-up ever. <3

It’s amazing how the people you love can pull you from the deepest darkest hole and make the sun shine again. :)

Guess it’s my turn to go to Melbourne next!

The Magic In Me And You

I feel like I write these type of posts way too often because I have this bad habit of disappearing from my blog and then only telling everyone where I went AFTER I’m back and have left my blog empty for whatever amount of time I’ve been gone.

So for those of you who haven’t already figured it out from the two or three Tweets I um, Tweeted (lol), I was in Europe on holiday with my family for 10 days and before that, I was having my finals and before/during my finals, I was sick. So really, believe me when I say that this time, I really couldn’t blog coz I was busy/sick/had no internet connection.

So this is just a really quick update post about nothing in particular because I’m currently very jetlagged and have not slept the whole night. I FEEL tired but I CAN’T sleep. Worse feeling in the world I tell you. But not as bad as being sick on the plane. I was sick on the plane back from England. Ugh, horrible. I get travel sickness all the time. In planes, cars, boats, you name it! It’s terrible, really, I hate it.

Moving on. I’ll be in KL for about a week before I go back to Perth for my third term. I’m not exactly dreading going back but I can’t say I’m looking forward to it either. There are lots of good things about Perth but I miss my family SO MUCH when I’m there. I am however looking very forward to going back to my boyfriend because I miss him terribly and am dying to cuddle up with him on the couch and watch a DVD.

I’m in this funny situation where in so many ways, Perth feels like home, but it’s not. And when I’m there, I miss my family like crazy but when I’m back here, I miss my boyfriend like crazy! But I’m looking so forward to my week in KL because no matter how much I hate the political, education and essentially every “system” we have in Malaysia, it is still home because my family is here.

Also, I got my results last night and I have to say, I am quite pleased (and a bit surprised) with them considering the fact that I was so sick just a week before my exams and missed way too many classes. They weren’t lying when they said consistent, hard work, pays off! :p Took me twenty years to realize that! Hahaha! Sorry mummy and daddy!

Europe was absolutely amazing, I have totally and completely fallen in love with beautiful Europe and I can’t WAIT to go back! Mummy and daddy, Italy next year? ; ) I can’t wait to show you guys my pictures from this trip although admittedly, there aren’t many.

As can be expected, I bought LOTS of makeup (not so much clothes because it’s autumn in Europe and well, we just finished winter in Australia so I cannot wait to break out the open-toe sandals and dresses!) so expect lots of haul videos! I’m so excited to film them!

This is completely random but to whoever leaves comments on my blog, do check back on the post you commented on because I make it a point to try and reply all my comments. :) I love reading comments from you guys, it totally makes my day!

And since we’re on the subject of comments, someone commented on my previous post about me being back together with my ex-boyfriend, Ben. It was a really sweet comment and it made me smile but just to clarify things with everyone, I am not back together with Ben. We’re still very good friends and we talk all the time though, so it’s great that we’re still close. But the confusion about this subject is probably because coincidentally, and a little ironically, my current boyfriend is also called Ben. Lol. I’ve been wanting to write a proper post so that you guys can “meet” him but the both of us were so busy before I left Perth I just couldn’t find the time to do it. So here’s a (very) mini introduction, I promise a more lengthy one when I’m back in Perth because I don’t want to spoil it with little, insignificant details here!

Okay! So now, it’s almost 9am and I still don’t feel tired enough to go to sleep but too tired to start my day. Anyone got any cures for jetlag? :(

I Do Believe I Love You

Top: Ally, Australia                                                                                                                                     Jeans: Giordano, Malaysia                                                                                                                     Ballet flats: Nose, Malaysia                                                                                                                     Belt: Louis Vuitton but it belongs to Ben and it’s for men so it’s actually a bit loose on me.                                                                                                                                                                      Bag: Charles & Keith, Singapore                                                                                                              Watch: Casio. A gift from Ben

Let’s Take A Journey

Part 2 of How To Prepare and What To Expect For University.

So you’re FINALLY in Australia, now what?

The next couple of weeks are going to be a flurry of activity. Running around and buying stuff you need/forgot, getting used to the new area you’re living in, learning the transportation system and figuring out how to get around and just a million other things you never realized you’d have to do! So, I obviously can’t cover EVERYTHING you’re going to have to do, but this is just a rough guide on the important things to remember.

Open a bank account. You will need proof of an Australian bank account to purchase a phone line and internet so this should be the first thing on your list. After you’ve opened your bank account, ask them to print out a bank statement (I think that’s what it’s called. I might be wrong. Just tell them that you want to get a phone line and you’ll need proof of your account). Make sure you have 2 forms of photo ID on you (passport, student ID, driving licence) and your COE when you open your account. It’s important that you have your home address because that’s where all your information will be sent to and they can’t open an account for you if you don’t have an address. If you don’t know where you’re staying yet, give them the address of family/a trustworthy friend and change the address when you find somewhere more permanent.

Most mobile service providers also provide internet so it’s probably a good idea to get both at the same time because they usually have package deals. Unless you’re moving into a share house/dorms where there is internet on a fixed line, mobile internet is really convenient coz you can take it everywhere with you and unlike the Maxis Broadband in Malaysia, Australian mobile internet is reliable and fast. Even faster than Streamyx back home actually. Again, make sure you have photo ID on you and your bank statement. It’s probably a good idea to shop around a bit to see where you’d get the best deal. Also, take into consideration what service provider your friends are using because chances are, you get free calls/sms-es to people on the same network.

Find the nearest grocery store near you so you know where to go to buy your groceries. Also, keep a list of things to buy because trust me, if you don’t, you’re going to forget what you need to get.

Unlike Malaysia where most retail transactions are through cash or credit, in Australia, you can EFTPOS aka direct debit your account. Even places like McDonalds allows you to EFTPOS and most places will allow you to EFTPOS for an amount as little as $4 so you don’t need to carry lots of cash with you the way you need to in Malaysia. Bear in mind that some, though not many, shops have a minimum EFTPOS amount.

If you’ve got an easy class schedule, you might want to apply for a job. Students in Australia are allowed to work for 20 hours a week and the pay is pretty high, anything between $15-$25 an hour.

Second-hand cars in Australia are very reasonably priced too. You could probably find a decent, second-hand car for around, $1500-$2000. If you’re coming to Perth, trust me on this, you WILL need a car. 

The legal age for drinking and clubbing here is 18. If you’re not 18, don’t bother trying to get into clubs with a fake ID. For international students, the ONLY form of ID they accept is your passport.

When you start classes, it’s probably a good idea to find out if your college/university is strict about attendance. They are serious when they say they will cancel your visa if your attendance falls below a certain percentage. Also, some classes take your attendance into consideration for your final grade. So if you’re not a morning person, try and schedule later classes so you don’t have to worry about waking up early in the morning.

Keep a look out for student deals. In Perth, we have the Student Edge card (link) which gives you great deals on a variety of things, from movies to clothes. Wherever you are in Australia, I’m sure you guys will have something similar so ask around.

This is probably going to sound like something you’ve heard a million times before but find the right group of friends to mix with at college/uni. People say this all the time but this is perhaps most important when you’ve just moved to a new country and don’t have many friends yet. The friends you make can make your college/uni days the best time of your life, or the worst. So find a group of friends whom you can get along with and who are fun to be around but who also don’t have TOO much fun because you ARE here to study. I know I sound like an old grandma for saying all this but I’ve heard too many stories where people get mixed up with the wrong group of friends and end up getting their visas cancelled for failing/not attending class. In Malaysia, if you fail, no problem, sit for the class until you pass. In Australia, if you’re constantly failing, they WILL send you home.

Most importantly, enjoy these first few weeks of your new life. It’s going to be hectic and crazy and you’re going to miss home and your friends but it’s also going to be exciting and wonderful and overwhelming. I love being here and while it certainly hasn’t been easy, I feel like I’ve grown as a person and become better for it. Trust me when I say that this is a defining moment in your life so soak it all up and enjoy yourself!

I really hope this will help some of you and good luck! :D