i'm in love with sydney

i can't get over how nice sydney is! i know some of you would beg to differ but i fell in love with the place the moment i set foot on its soil. suddenly, unexpectedly, australia came alive. yeah. 4th time's a charm. i mean, i liked melbourne. it's pretty but it was mostly enjoyable because it wasn't with family but with hiew and her friends. so there were a lot of things to do and i had lots of fun! brisbane/gold coast - well, nobody thinks less of gold coast, but it still lacked a certain something. and i can't remember perth cos i was too young when i went but i doubt there's much to it. haha.

what i love about sydney is the blend of its old british colonial charm into its fast-paced metropolitan lifestyle. while you cant help but constantly be on the go to keep up with its city life, you'd still find yourself stopping in your tracks just to be in awe of how beautiful the place is. how you're always surrounded by the sparkling sea. how, while you're admiring modern buildings and skyscrapers, you find lush greeneries greeting you out of nowhere. then there are the gorgeous beaches and beautiful suburbs, and endless eateries tempting you with only the best cuisine from all parts of the world. and the ancient sound of the didgeridoo amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. and its huge shopping malls, and also its quaint little cafes and specialty shops in little nooks and corners. there is just so much to sydney! much to see and much to do, day AND night. i can go on and on and on. hey, you won't believe this, but at one point i was hating myself for not considering going to UNSW! haha.

the only complaint i have about sydney is that things there are SO expensive. i mean.. you can hardly find anything below AUD3. a bowl of plain rice costs AUD3. PLAIN RICE. even to use trolleys at the airport you've to pay AUD4! what is this? why so ridiculous? shopping there is great in that there is an astounding variety of things, from low-end to high-end, but yeah... expensive! haih. of course, if you're lucky and smart and patient enough, you'd be able to find some great bargains, just like i did. teehee.

oh sydney i love thee. i'll go back again and again if i could! i don't mind even doing postgrad there. :P

anyways. pictures! shall say it all.

opera house

opera house & harbour bridge from mrs macquarie's chair on a very good day


view of harbour bridge from the circular quay station


darling harbour at night. so pretty!


wonderful view of darling harbour from our dinner place at hurricane's. yes people. this was the view from our table.


queen victoria building - shop shop shop! beautiful place too. oh did you know did you know. some Ipoh company owns this place. or used to own. haha. but still!


sydney hyde park - view of sydney tower


sydney hyde park - st mary's cathedral


dee why beach. the waves were awesome!


manly beach


max brenner! we meet again. muahaha.


milsons restaurant in kirribilli - great place for fine dining


in sydney i had: chinese, japanese, korean, malaysian (dont ask), traditional english, southwestern, modern australian, oh and lots of fresh seafood! yummy yummy. LOL. all very good! except for malaysian. nothing beats malaysian food IN MALAYSIA.

recommendations: hurricane's grill and bar, makoto sushi bar, milsons kirribilli


hunter valley, about 140km from sydney. beautiful, serene place. lots of vineyards.


'twas a cloudy day. rained quite a bit, in fact, but was still good!


i tried searching for pierre but he was shy :(


wine-tasting. cheers! :)

Damn You America

Hello from Sydney! Just wanna say that I'll never watch American Idol ever again. I'm so glad I was out shopping at the wonderful QVB instead of staying in to watch the ridiculous results. Anyway byebye blog more when home. Dont like typing on bro's iPhone. I hate you America.

Pulau Ketam Project

i'm sure you've read about the pulau ketam dogs' abandonment by now. if you haven't then read it here. i can't bring myself to explain from the start because i've cried more than enough already. any more tears and my eyes will swell up like those of a goldfish. anyway please have a heart and donate to the Selangor SPCA as they have begun an emergency rescue mission for those dogs. god bless their souls! and bless yours too if you contribute. :P

ways to help:
1) donate online -click here to donate. i think this is the easiest way to help out if you're well-versed with online banking. please indicate that it's for the Pulau Ketam Project.
2) bank in funds - RHB account number: 2-12273-00021583. call or e-mail them at enquiries@spca.org.my to notify of your bank-in donation and transaction details.
3) write a cheque - to the Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (please write Pulau Ketam fund on the reverse), and mail to:

SPCA Selangor

Jalan Kerja Ayer Lama

68000 Ampang Jaya

Selangor Darul Ehsan

4) they're also in need of 3’ x 3’ multipurpose cages, dog biscuits and canned food, food and water bowls, towels, water storage containers, and flea/tick spray. send to above address.

Enquiries: 603-4256 5312 (8am - 4.30pm), 4253 5312 (10am – 6.30pm)

please PLEASE help. a small contribution can make a huge difference. help spread the word, too.

DAMN, why did I go into medicine?

so i was watching E! earlier and i found out that there's such a job as a professional tv watcher. jimmy kimmel was looking to hire a "professional couch potato" to watch tv all day and gather humorous clips for his opening monologue each night. all you need is little more than the possession of a thumb and an offbeat sense of humour. both of which i have. well the thumb at least. haha. and the only risk of the job? a sharp increase in the percentage of body fat. i wouldn't mind, honestly. to hell with my healthy diet if i get paid for watching tv!

if there was a final exam to take before qualifying as a professional tv watcher, i can assure you that i'd pass with flying colours and make my parents the proudest they can ever be.

someone please enlighten me on why i was SO STUPID to have gone into medicine!

i've decided that i'll only get married when i can afford to walk down the aisle in a badgley mischka.

omg.

i'm never going to get married.

I hate anything taylor swift but.......

... I think this is so mind-blowingly awesome.

(annoying teen who cant sing for nuts/Taylor Swift's Love Story + coolest band in the whole wide world/Coldplay's Viva La Vida - who would've thought?)