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Had a fun weekend! Got a nice wake up call yesterday at 11am or so to meet Themis, Kenny, Khoung and Mary for lunch at Maroubra's chinese restaurant called Golden Phoenix! Spent almost 2 hrs there enjoying what was brunch for pretty much all of us! Afterwards, drove to Randwick for coffee at Coffee n Things. I had a really nice Hazelnut milkshake, which you don't see often!We adjourned after coffee for afternoon naps, before meeting again for dinner at the Spot. Spoilt for choice, we couldn't decide and ended up eating at Ambrosia, the fast food outlet there! Then watched the 8.45pm session of X-men III! Have to say that it was below expectations on this occasion...I was hoping to see sentinels from the cartoons and heaps of cool new X-men like Gambit etc etc but alas they practically killed everyone off!!! (Sorry if you haven't seen it yet!) Perhaps they'll redeem themselves with a better 4th movie but it'd have a lot of ground to catch up on!Today, I had a nice sleep in again! Ah every day I get to sleep in is pure bliss! Went to church early cos Alex wanted to make a recording of some of the songs he'd written. He got all this sound gear and had it set up like a makeshift studio! Very exciting =) We only recorded 3 songs but had to play each one alot of times to try and get it right! In the end there probably was no perfect rendition of any song but I guess it was ok for our first recording!Back to the real world tomorrow...only 2 more weeks of respiratory left and a week of nights before emergency...
Had a really relaxing ADO today after my 16 hr Sunday shift yesterday! Woke up at a leisurely 10am or so and enjoyed reading the Sunday paper on the couch. Soon it was time for lunch and enjoyed some glutinous rice whilst watching last week's episode of E.R. Spent the afternoon playing piano, which I haven't found time to do since I really can't remember when... Also thought I'd start learning this really cool instrumental song on the guitar by the John Butler Trio called 'Ocean'. T'was introduced to me by Jon and I've been listening to it in the car to and fro work for th
e last couple of weeks, often putting the CD player on single song repeat so I can listen to it again and again - it's that cool! Kinda like gypsy/irish folk/dance music played on the guitar but there's something really moving about it...like it's telling a story or something and the song just builds up and up to this fully psycho strumming at the end! So yeah trying to learn it on the guitar but it's sooooooo hard!!! Jon, who's miles ahead of me in ability on guitar, is only just starting to get the hang of the song and he's been practising it often into the early hours of the morning! Looks like I've got a long way to go! But yeah, a fully sick song if I can find the discipline to keep at it and learn it...!
Ever find yourself buggered as anything lying in bed about to fall asleep but then you realise you can't cos there's like a million things running through your head? That's what I found myself doing just the other night...and it's not an uncommon occurrence either... As I lay in bed tucked warmly under my doona staring at the ceiling, it was bizarre actually thinking about the thoughts flying around my head! I found myself almost on a journey...a thought train if you like...thinking about my day at work...putting in my first chest drain (!)...what I'd like to do in the future...where I see myself in 1 year, 2 years, 3 years...10 years...when I'd get married...how many kids I'd have...where we'd live...where I'd like to go travelling...what it'd be like if *blah* were to happen...And suddenly I realised...most of the things I think about, excluding the weird and bizarre thoughts I sometimes have, are focussed on the future... Maybe I'm subconsciously feeling that it's time to get a move on with my life...that things are moving too...slowly...? But having started work finally after umpteen years of study...one would have thought that that was enough of a big life change, a big life event for now... I guess I see friends, relatives and colleagues all around me getting married and I panic and think 'hey I'm 23 already and don't even have a gf! How on earth am I gonna get married by the time I'm *blah* years old like so and so!' And then I think...hang on...life isn't a race! Starting work, getting married, having kids...these aren't checkpoints we somehow have to make it to first! But then again I think about other friends and family who remain single well into their 30s and I think 'I don't wanna end up like them!'. Not that singleness is a bad thing but God created us for relationships...relationships with Him and with one another and the worse thing for a human being is to be alone, hence solitary confinement as a severe punishment... Time for bed...time to stare at the ceiling...time to board the thought train...
Finally took my first Allocated Day Off (ADO) on Monday! Was sooooo good going to bed on Sunday night without that dreaded feeling of having to wake up early the next day! Spent my day off sleeping in (always good!), and then went shopping for home loans with Themis in Randwick. Now neither of us had any clue about home loans, how they work, what types there are etc. so I guess it was an educational exercise more than because we were seriously considering buying a place anytime soon! And I have to say we both found it rather overwhelming and depressing to think that we might be tied down to paying off a property for the next 30 years!!! With Sydney property prices spiralling out of reach, it almost makes one wonder if it's realistic to settle down here. But then I've grown up here, lived here all my life, have friends, family and church here, and the thought of having to leave it...well...it becomes almost unimaginable! Having said that, I have to say I've considered living overseas for a little while...maybe a year or two or three and then coming back...that'd be pretty cool I think! But then I remember how one of the bank teller ladies showed us this chart with all one's major life events plotted on it and I thought...is this my life mapped out for me already?! Am I on a conveyor belt leading towards my first car, first home, getting married, changing jobs, getting a promotion, having kids etc etc etc just like everyone else??? Not that those things are necessarily bad things to be working towards but...makes you wonder...in Stacie Oraco's words "there's gotta be more to life..."... I think many people will say that happiness in life is the meaning of life and that largely happiness is tied up with all those things - having a nice car, nice house, nice wife, nice kids, nice job etc... I think in that light, it's difficult as Christians to look beyond the fleeting pleasures and values of this world and to look forward to true peace and happiness found in a relationship with our creator God and eternal salvation one day in heaven...Looks like I'll need another day off to ponder where I am currently finding peace and happiness, where I'm placing my hopes and dreams, and all other issues pertinent to the meaning of life...
Jon won the bid for an Xbox original on eBay on Monday so we picked it up on Wednesday! Cost us just $162.50 for a basic unit still in good condition! Went to EB games and picked up some games at bargain prices of 3 for $49.95, 2 for $40 etc so atm our library of games includes Kung Fu Chaos (really fun party kung fu game!), Mechassault (always been a Mechwarrior fan!), Ninja Gaiden (played the original - this new version is awesome!), Top Spin (have to have a tennis game!), Metal Gear Solid 2 (played the first one on PS - awesome game too!), and X-men Legends (4 player scroll type bash em up game - used to love playing this at the arcade!). Most if not all of them are pre-owned games so that's why they're so cheap. Been having a few problems with scratches and some discs not working though so have to take em back to EB for a free swap/exchange/refund - they have a good deal there!
So yeah spent pretty much all my overtime pay from the weekend already this week...it's your fault Queenie hehehe! Shouldn't have played that Dynasty Warriors game (which Jon bought off eBay and is on the way in the post right now!) all arvo that Good Friday!!! Oh well...all work and no play makes Ben Ben tired and grumpy!
Had Wednesday arvo off courtesy of my fantastic reg! Unfortunately could not go home early cos had given a lift to medical student friend doing a term at Bankstown Women's Clinic and she didn't finish till 5pm. So to kill time, decided to watch a movie. Wanted to watch Inside Man or V for Vendetta but Inside Man was the only one with an afternoon session and it was at Liverpool. So drove 10 mins west and found Westfield quite easily. Had fish and chips for lunch at the food court and then moved my car before making it just in time for the 2pm Inside Man session. I was one of about 5 patrons at that session, which had no trailers or adverts so that we were all sitting staring at a black screen for around 20mins! Movie itself was pretty good, very clever but not altogether unpredictable. Afterwards had a few minutes to spare before my 3 hrs of free parking time ran out so decided to check out the Sanity there to see if I could use up a $30 gift voucher I had. Ended up getting first season of Gilmore Girls, which was $59.99 so I only paid half hehehe =PYesterday night saw V for Vendetta with Jon at Randwick Ritz. Couldn't believe there was still a huge line to see it despite it being out for so long! What a totally awesome movie!!! Right from V's first words I was captivated by this mysterious crusader:
"Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V." -- V's introduction to EveyNever knew there were so many words starting with V! Having being to London and knowing something about Guy Fawkes (they still celebrate Nov 5th with commemorative bon fires all over England!), this movie really captured my interest! The whole big brother theme was really interesting as well - to think how easily a government could subdue and control the lives of its citizens through fear and propaganda and that it's been done so many times before! Didn't entirely understand some parts of the movie...will have to watch it again for sure! Wachowski brothers - take a bow!
What is Metrogaine 2006 you ask??? It's an Amazing Race style event run by Christian Chinese Church, Milson's Point and I took part in it for the first time this year! In my team of 4 were Paul, Lok and Kenneth! We adorned our red and yellow ninja headband/tie team colours and soon the race started with a mintie search around the church grounds to get our first clue! Our first checkpoint was Bondi Junction where I drew on knowledge from local resident Carmen to find the Darrell Lea there! Got our next clue/task and from there went to Waverly St Mall to do a Weetbix challenge! We got there first and Paul took up the challenge to down 2 weetbix without water! Soon we were on our way to Edgecliff Station and Rushcutters bay where another array of tasks awaited us including team tug-o-war, golf, and pingpong ball chopstick challenges! At this stage we were roughly in 3rd place!
The next stop was the War Memorial in Hyde Park in the city. Tasks there included taking funny photos with strangers and doing various poses! Next we headed to the nearby Botanical Gardens in search of the names of various trees we were given pictures of. The next checkpoint is where we lost time as Paul, Lok and Kenneth headed off in search of it, whilst I finished off the tree spotting task. I found it pretty quickly but they practically ran all around the gardens before finally meeting me at the correct place! Tasks here included soccer and a 'cyclone relay', which I shall never forget! It involved us running around a soccer ball 30 times, the end of which we each in turn felt nauseous and couldn't stop falling over! Moreover, I soon developed intractable cramps in both calves from dehydration and muscle strain from the cyclone so again our team was slowed down as my team mates searched for a store selling Powerade/Gatorade! Limped all the way to the next stop, Circular Quay, from which we were directed to the Museum of Contemporary Arts. Finally the finish line was opposite CCC and we checked in in 13th place. Not bad all things considered!!! After all the pts were added up from the puzzles and tasks, we ended up in 9th place (out of about 30 teams!) Was good to sit down and enjoy sausage sizzle after running all over Sydney all day!So the verdict: awesome race - will do it again next year and will remember to bring Powerade/Gatorade! My legs are so sore!!! (>-<) Looks like I'll be limping around hospital for the next couple of days...!
Had a relaxing family oriented Easter this year! Spent Good Friday hanging out at Queenie's place! Brought my N64 over to play her favourite game Bomberman but ended up playing Dysnasty Warriors 4 on PS2 all arvo!!! A really fun 2 player coop game where you basically go around slashing and hacking bad guys up with special combos and super moves! Really easy to play and you do awesome combos just by hitting the same button! I think I wanna get a PS2 now just for that game!!! 
Spent Saturday at home mostly and took Aunty from Malaysia and cousin out to dinner in Kensington. Sunday...hmm woke up late, can't really remember what I did till church at 5pm...then when over to cousin Joe and his newly wed Isabel's place in Victoria Park, Zetland. Really nice apartment and really nice food! Isabel is Korean so she whipped up this awesome spicy squid dish that we all couldn't get enough of!!!Monday went with parents and Aunty to visit Taiwanese family friends. Went out for Yum Cha in Burwood - not bad! Then spent most of the afternoon at Taiwanese family friend's place where I was subjected to 3 hours of listening to grown ups chatting in Mandarin and not understanding much of it! Seemed rude to fall asleep on the couch so had to seem like I was vaguely understanding the conversation when most of the time I was day dreaming! Man - really need to learn another language!!!This week was just as bludgy as last week!!! And because my reg was around, he told me to leave early on Wednesday and today! Still, don't know why this 4 day week kinda seemed longer than it should have...maybe cause I didn't have much to do and time was passing slower each day...??? Anyway shouldn't complain cos had two half days off practically!Ah I love respiratory med - minimum workload/stress, maximum time off!!! Now what about that PS2...?!
Had a fun weekend! Got a nice wake up call yesterday at 11am or so to meet Themis, Kenny, Khoung and Mary for lunch at Maroubra's chinese restaurant called Golden Phoenix! Spent almost 2 hrs there enjoying what was brunch for pretty much all of us! Afterwards, drove to Randwick for coffee at Coffee n Things. I had a really nice Hazelnut milkshake, which you don't see often!
