Things I Learnt in 2014

Because I like to tell myself that I did learn something and this whole year wasn't just a blur of endless internships, pointless Communication subjects and throwing my money away on expensive, instagrammable lunches. And there were many, many instagrammable lunches (according to my Netbank records).

Things I Learnt In 2014

1. Give Yourself Permission to be Fabulous

All of you should make this quote your wallpaper and tattoo it on your left buttcheek

I wish I had understood and taken this to heart earlier because if so, the last 19 years of my life wouldn't have been such a waste. And it's never hit me so hard before, but that's what they were. A big fat waste of time. I squandered away my teenage years over-studying and dedicating all my energy into school when I could've allowed myself a bit more freedom to go out and try new things.

It's not that I was trying to please my parents per se because, let's be honest, as long as I didn't get pregnant and/or join a gang, they were fine diddly-doo with my life choices. It was more the fact that studying was easy and comfortable. Plus I was good at it. So why bother expanding my options? And apart from my awesome, free-spirited, cousin Roxie, nobody else in my life really branched out into other things. My friends were much too similar to me, my cousins way younger, my world in general was too small.

I've written a shitload of posts on this and on educating yourself via experience so at this point I kind of just sound like a broken record. Moral of the story: go out and try new things if you aren't doing so already. Take baby steps (such as joining a new club or social group at university) if you're a bit unsure and when you've gained more confidence, look into bigger commitments.

By nature, I've never been a confident person and in terms of independence, it was only last year that I started to do things without having to rely or consult others so I'm not professing to be any sort of expert on this. In fact, I'm sure a lot of you out there have already done amazing things and are probably rolling your eyes at this so-called "life lesson" of mine but this really is something that has had a big impact on my life in 2014 and I just wanted to share the insight. At the beginning of this year, I joined the Peer Network at my university. Next month, I'm travelling to Thailand for a one-month volunteering/ambassador trip. Who would've thunk?

2. Get off yo ass and do something meaningful

So while I was in the middle of shoveling bucketloads of horse shit in rural Australia (yeah, that really happened), it finally hit me: I couldn't have picked a worse day to wear my only pair of semi-decent jeans. Also, my life until this point had been an extremely self-centered, privileged existence.

Sure, my family's not exactly well off and yes, we live in a tiny townhouse in one of the more-infamous areas of Western Sydney but seriously, I grew up with a good Australian education and never wanted for anything. And I've never appreciated it enough nor made an effort to help those looking for the same.

(Photo courtesy of Milo aka @theawkwardninja)

Earlier this year, I joined a tutor/mentor program at my university that does high school outreach work in Western Sydney. I thought it was a good way to earn a bit of extra cash and fill up my resume but after a few team meetings, I realised the importance of the work the team were actually doing. Their focus was on overcoming the disadvantages faced by students of immigrant backgrounds and encouraging them to get into university. It was such a good cause and I actually felt proud to be part of something so meaningful. It made me want to do more with my life apart from the old cycle of work/study/spend money/rinse and repeat.

3. Get healthy, bitch

No I didn't throw out all my Red Rock Deli chips and restock my shelves with acai berries and chia seeds. I did start regular exercise though and I tried to cut down on all the fatty, sugary shit that I was eating. I'm not quite sure why I started taking more care of my body to be honest. Nothing major really triggered this but I guess part of me knew that I wasn't exactly living a balanced lifestyle. Plus, I'm not a teenager anymore and my body doesn't have the crazy metabolism that it used to.

It's true but you actually do feel a lot better with exercise and healthy eating. On the days that I did do an hour of cardio or pilates (Blogilates is my bae), I felt way more energetic and confident. I also didn't get that crippling feeling of guilt when treating myself to something since I knew I could try to even it out the next day.

I did fail a little bit in my self control when I went to South Korea. But seriously. Could you blame me?

I felt like shit when I came back though so I got back into the rhythm of exercising and eating healthy. But I take it as a good sign that my body didn't respond well to the junk food.

I also started to do my own grocery shopping...but not out of choice. My parents got lazy and decided to stop...parenting...for a while so I had to do the Woollies runs. At least I got more control over what I was eating?

Seriously though. Mum has barely cooked in over a month. Somebody please adopt me.

4. Don't invest all your time and energy into just the one pursuit

As in, don't just channel all your energy one goal and then forget about all the little things; don't invest all your time into one relationship and neglect all your other friends; don't put all your eggs into one basket..... you get the point.

I guess I was just a lot happier this year because there was always something new to do and keep me interested. It kept me sane and a lot more chill.

(Photo courtesy of Michaela)

Plus, when I'm 80 years old and living with 50 cats in a housing commission, I want to at least have the comfort of knowing that I lived life to the fullest and didn't just sit there on the sidelines while everyone else got to do cool things. I don't just want to talk about interesting people. I want to be one myself.

Hi. As you can probably tell, I've been watching way too much Funforlouis on YouTube.

5. Don't take things for granted / become complacent

We're always being told this but there's no harm in reiterating it here: this year I really understood what it meant to not take things for granted. And by things I mean people, responsibilities, blessings, etc. Pretty self-explanatory so I don't need to say any more. But yes, this too.

6. Take a chill pill

And we've reached the final point on this list and that is: 2014 taught me that everything is temporary. Yes, even happiness, because we're human and we don't stay satisfied for long. But you know what else is temporary? Sadness. Anxiety. The shitty times. As well as the highs, I have had quite a few lows this year, not gonna lie. But you learn to get over it. You move on when you start doing other things and before you know it, it just becomes a blip on your memory. It's such a cliche but you really can control how you feel, or at least how a situation looks like. So like, take a chill pill, watch some cat videos, hang out with people who bring out the best in you. And when you're fine again, get back out there and enjoy life.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal

It's Christmas and believe it or not, I actually do have festive things planned, so I'm just going to make this short. 

Yes, I'm alive! I know I've taken a little bit of a hiatus from blogging but never fear - I'll be back to flooding your dashboards with meaningless drivel and shitty photos soon enough. Here's a photo to prove that I'm walking and breathing:

And here's a video to give this post a little more substance. Because you've reached the end of it.

See? Told you it'll be short. Now go out and make the most of that awkward family Christmas BBQ with the cousins that you only see once a year! 

Odds & Ends #4

1. "Young In Love" by Thelma Plum

(Source)

Haunting, evocative, plus she's Australian. Loved it the very first time I heard it, and that rarely happens. She's definitely one to watch in the next year or so. Thanks Jen, for the recommendation.

2. Mockingjay

Left me with chills. I was not expecting it to be that good. I despised the book so I went in with the least expectations out of all three movies so far. Actually, maybe that was why. 

The production, acting and directing surpassed  anything that came before and I actually found myself sitting on the edge of my seat at times. It probably helped that since the book left me so disappointed, I never bothered reading it more than once and as such, had barely any idea what would happen next.

I especially loved the scenes of rebellion in the other districts. They were so well timed and executed. Still not ecstatic about the Hanging Tree song (mine was better, let's be honest) but I have to admit that it added an extra something to the dam rebellion scene. And the few scenes that we got of Josh Hutcherson (especially the ones near the end) were brilliant.

Any cons? Yes, just one: Gale's face. Just...no.

3. Where can I buy Cards Against Humanity?

Besides ordering it online of course. Can someone help me with this? Where in Sydney do you think I could find a deck?

4. That day my eyelid got bitten by a mosquito while I slept

It happened and I woke up looking like this:

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The first thing I noticed in the morning was that my left eye wasn't opening. It was so swollen that the tiny muscles had locked up around it. Those who know me, know that I get severe reactions to mosquito bites. The areas around the bite tend to swell up for two or three days and turn and maintain a disgusting red, rash-like colour. 

I knew it was going to be a busy day at my internship because of all the media send-outs that were going out so I forced myself to go anyway. So humiliating. You ever tried walking down a busy Sydney street with one eye swollen and red? Pair that together with the epic, plum-sized, purple, highly visible bruise on my knee and the other swollen bites peppering my arm and it looked like I was an unfortunate victim of domestic violence. Either that or I'd gotten into a drunken bar fight and lost. You should've seen all the side glances I was getting waiting at traffic lights. My body hadn't really suffered a beating but the same couldn't be said of my self-esteem.

5. Django Unchained

I watched it recently; mainly for Jamie Foxx. And it was epic because, well Jamie Foxx (and Quentin Tarantino of course). It was so gory in a hilariously gratuitous way and Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio were both great in their roles. At this point, I really just want to see Leonardo DiCaprio win an Academy Award for the sake of watching his speech. I've always imagined that he would walk up the stage to thundering applause (which would go on for five minutes) and at the end of it, he'd simply say, "better late than never" and walk off. Boom. Swag. 

Anyway, highly recommended film if you're just in the mood to see some racist assholes being blown to bits.

6. YouTube Rewind

Because I want to end on a happy, lighthearted note and YouTube = happiness. 

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Enjoy.

Confessions of a Cheap Asian

Let's make one thing clear: I like money. Money makes the world go round and gets you things; whether it be good food, better clothes, a plane ticket to Tokyo, a donation to your favourite charity or one of these fantabulous solar-powered window socket thingy-ma-jigs. 

It charges your shit using only the energy from the sun. Whuuuuut. 

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In saying that, by virtue of my cheap Asian genes, I sometimes find myself judging the costs of items by a whole different set of standards than other people. 

I guess it's not something you notice as a child or teenager, especially if the community or suburb you've grown up in is very homogenous. But obviously, when you manage to get out of the fishbowl that is high school and start making your way into "the real world", it doesn't take long for you to realise that you and your perspectives were actually in the minority. 

(By the way, if you're wondering what brought this on, I went to the newly renovated Macquarie Shopping Center today and was basically slapped in the face by Captain Capitalism. It was great. Here are some pictures if you want.)

Anyway, as I was saying, it was only at the beginning of last year that I really understood how frugal of a life my family was living. For example: as a child, we rarely ordered drinks at restaurants and in the instances that we did, it was usually shared. I never saw my mum go out and pamper herself (as in get her nails done or hair fancily styled) or my dad splurge on the things that he wanted. My school uniform was second-hand (passed down from older cousins), we stayed in cheap hotels when on vacation (and by vacation I mean overnight stays at beach towns) and I rarely, rarely bought books to read ('cause that's what libraries are for, duh). 

I'm not saying we didn't have the means to splurge a little. Compared to a lot of families of similar history, we were pretty well off, thanks to my dad's stable job as the computer-fixing guy at a technology company. From my parent's perspective, why spend money when there are cheaper ways to accomplish things? 

Okay, it's not that I was totally oblivious to how different we were from "standard" Australian families. I remember going to my friends' parties during primary school and seeing how large their houses were. I was mind blown by the fact that they had their very own bedrooms and this magical thing called Foxtel on their TV's which let them marathon like 30 million episodes of Spongebob Squarepants at once. 

And who can forget those good old excursion days during high school when us CVH kids would rock up to the Opera House in our ill-fitting, ugly blue jumpers whilst students from other schools would be wearing the whole blazer-plus-tie-plus-plaid-skirt ensemble. 

CVH: We Care...but obviously not about your self-esteem.   

Then university happened and if that wasn't enough of a culture shock, I went and undertook a Communications course.

But let's just stop here before I venture into judgemental territory and say something I don't really mean. 

To get back to my original point, even though I've been earning on my own ever since I left high school (and as such, have the means to actually go out and spend money without any sort of reliance on my parents), my perspective on what is "reasonably-priced" is horribly skewed. And even though I know I could treat myself to something from Zara or Topshop once in a while if I saved up, I still can't bring myself to do it. Furthermore, something as simple as ordering drinks at a restaurant can (occasionally) still feel a bit off despite the rational part of my brain knowing it's NO BIG DEAL AND THE WORLD WILL NOT IMPLODE IF I DO IT OMFG CYNTHIA. 

Anyway, hopefully that's given you all a little bit more insight into the unconventional way my mind works about these things. As you can probably tell from my Instagram and the admittedly insane number of food photos I take, it's mostly a mental as opposed to a physical thing. I can spend money, okay? And if you don't stop me, I will do it well. 

Damage Assessment

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT 28/11/14

Days since start of holidays: 25

Days spent working: 13

Outings attended: 10+

Parties attended: 5

Days spent at the beach: 3 

Injuries suffered: 3 (including one massive bruise on my knee, one scraped ankle and an unknown weird scratch on my arm)

Photos instagrammed: 16

Health status: Exhausted and suffering from sleep deprivation

Money spent on material goods: Too much

Money spent on eating out: I don't even want to think about it 

Current wealth status: Guess who's a broke @$$ bitch?

Bits & Bobs: November

I was going to call this post November Favourites but that sounded too fashion-bloggy for my tastes. I've got nothing against fashion blogs. I just don't want to mislead anyone into thinking that this was one, especially since I've got about as much fashion sense as Anne Hathaway/Mia Thermopolis pre-Princess Dairies makeover.

That's right baby, you know you want some of this.

Anyway, as the name vaguely suggests, I wanted to do a post dedicated to the cool things I found this month. And it's an eclectic mix of food, pop culture, music and YouTube gems because I didn't want to write a post for each item and thought that lumping them all into one master post would be the best solution. Plus I like lists. Lists are cool. They give me a sense of control in a world full of chaos (Clueless reference ftw).

Okay, enough waffling. Let's get straight into it:

1. Fun For Louis

Hands down my favourite YouTube vlogger in the history of ever. I normally don't watch vlogs because 1) Ain't nobody got time for that and 2) Ain't nobody got time for that, but Louis' vlogs are just so fun and interesting. He seems to be a permanent world traveller who's camel-surfing (yes, that's a thing) in India one second and then roadtripping across the US the next. Watch this 2 minute supercut of his past year and you'll see what I mean.

(Source)

He's also pretty close friends with a lot of British/American youtubers so people like Jack and Finn from Jacksgap, Zoe/Zoella, Alfie and Casper are constantly popping up in his vlogs. But I would still watch his videos even if he didn't have these connections because he's such a cool dude. 

Just be warned, his vlogs have a tendency to make you feel greatly dissatisfied with your own life. 

2. Nook Urban Fresh Bar 

Located on Clarence Street in Wynyard. I've been itching to try this place since my foodblogger friend, Tina, blogged about it in May this year and now that I'm at Wynyard two days a week, I can finally do it. They do a lot of sandwiches/wraps/burgers and salads (so mostly catering to a lunch crowd) and everything is unbelievably fresh. If you want to try some of their popular salads, you gotta get there prior to 12:30 because it sells out super quick. 

This photo is disgusting and unflattering and you should totally head over to Tina's amazing blog to get a proper feel of the Nook experience

3. Sean O'Pry's beautiful face

Thanks for this Cecilia. If you hadn't pointed out the unbelievable gorgeousness that is the hunk in Taylor Swift's new video, my life would be missing something crucial right now.

(Source)

Okay, the video itself isn't too bad either. I like that she took the media's portrayal of herself and instead of trying to disapprove it, her team went and created a hyperbolic, exaggerated vision of it. Apeshit, psychotic Taylor Swift is kind of awesome. Four for Taylor Swift, you go Taylor Swift. 

But let's be honest. As Cecilia pointed out, we're mostly all here for Sean O'Pry.

It was hard work but I screenshotted these all for you CC. You're welcome.

4. Indie/Indie-Pop Compilations by AlexrainbirdMusic

You can find the videos on YouTube but basically, user alexrainbirdMusic puts together monthly compilations of good indie tunes. They're great for playing in the background when you're doing other things. 

5. Another Hideaway 

Is a little hidden cafe in Ultimo near UTS. I haven't actually tasted any of the food there (just the coffee and drinks) but I'm recommending it because it's got such a chill vibe and I would totally go there to study if I was still at uni. Their coffee's great though and everything on the menu seems quite fresh and homemade. Definitely going back to check it out next semester. 

Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/anotherhideaway 

Adventure Times by the Sea

In all the 18 years it's been running, I've never actually been to Sculpture by the Sea, Australia's largest annual outdoor sculpture exhibition. I would've missed this year's one too if  I hadn't looked up the ending date (9 November - get on it, people who still haven't gone!). So joined by the ever adventurous Milo and Shazza, plus Nate (who was peer-pressured into abandoning his studies), we hit the beach to go look at some ART. 

3 Types of Annoying Conversations

Source

Despite my mild case of RBF (Resting Bitch Face) and the occasional shade that makes it past my brain-to-mouth filtering system, I actually am a very nice, patient person. I make it a rule never to say anything derogatory about people - both in public and in private - and to not make snap judgements about the people I meet. I'm also a fairly good listener because for a little while, I grew up knowing what it was like to be ignored or shuffled to the side as an afterthought. But contrary to popular belief, there is a limit to my patience. And I am not Hermione's magic purse - there is only so much ignorant and shallow chitchat I can let you get away with before I start mentally disemboweling you and saving you for the black list (i.e. public yet anonymous humiliation on this blog). That's right. You should be scared. A grand total of five people on the internet will soon know of your failings as a human being.

Side note: This post isn't really a name and shame post. (Gosh who do you think I am? Regina George?) But it is a list of some of my pet peeves when talking to people, although most of them are intended to be humorous and perhaps even relateable.

Number 1: "The I'm Not Boasting About My Sexual Prowess But I Actually Am" Guy

So a couple of weeks ago, I met a guy on one of my many side jobs/activities. Because this guy got on my nerves so much, I'm going to mean-spiritedly dub him "Roy". Roy is your typical 20-something university student, but his ego is atypical in that it probably rivals that of Kanye West's. Roy likes to talk about girls. Okay sure. All guys like to talk about girls to some extent (and in the spirit of gender neutrality, girls about boys too). So being my typical, easygoing, agreeable self, I laughed along with his stories, even though a lot of them were as funny as roadkill.

But Roy wouldn't stop talking about his experiences with girls. Conversations usually went something like:

Roy: Ughh, so frustrated...
Me: Why?
Roy: Just having some issues with girls.
Me: Yeah...? (in my I'm not really that interested tone of voice)
Roy: I just seem to attract girls with a lot of drama, you know what I mean?
Me: Can't say I-
Roy: Like I met this girl at a party right, and like we started seeing each other and now everything's all complicated 'cause like I think she wants something more but I don't do commitment and yada yada yada look at me I'm such a big player and shit etc. etc.

You get the point. Every week it'll be a new girl, a new drama and some mention of getting drunk at parties and hooking up with randoms and I DON'T EVEN KNOW BUT IS THIS SUPPOSED TO IMPRESS PEOPLE OR SOMETHING 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST MAKING YOU LOOK LIKE THE MALE VERSION OF PROMISCUOUS TAYLOR SWIFT.

And don't even get me started on the casual sexism.

Roy: Hey, I need some relationship advice.
Me: Well you really shouldn't be asking m-
Roy: I mean you're a girl. So tell me, from a girl's perspective, how should guys try to impress you?
Me: Err, it kind of depends on the type of girl
Roy: All girls like going out to dinner and stuff right? 'Cause like I did that but we haven't been texting much in the last few days. And that's the other thing, why do all girls do that thing where they don't reply to your texts for a long time yada yada yada yada zzzzz. 

Well here's a tip for you genius. Maybe if you glued your mouth shut, girls would like you better?

Number 2: The Racist Asian Parent

My dad is a great dad, don't get me wrong. He did everything right while raising me, including taking me to the library every fortnight for seven years just so I always had books to read, and driving me to school when I still went to Sydney Girls. But he is obviously not a perfect human being and one of his key and most irredeemable faults is that he holds undeniably racist views.

Dad's type of racism is not immediately identifiable, mainly because he's worked at a company now for almost 25 years and through that, he's made a couple of friends from all different backgrounds and ethnicities. He's not a "blatant racist" (if such a thing exists) but he definitely has his own prejudices and not matter how hard I try to make him see reason, he's stubbornly held on to them.

We've got neighbours from Kenya and some from middle-eastern countries and whilst my dad would occasionally make small talk with them about the weather and work, in the privacy of our home, he'd sometimes come up with some really gross and unfair generalisations about Lebanese Australians or African immigrants. For example, my mum would mention something about bicycles in our driveway and then my dad would say something like, "It was probably the African kids next door". And then I would ask him how he came to that conclusion and he'd say something totally ignorant like that's just how they are.

I know. It's terrible. I'm not even going to type out what he said about our middle-eastern neighbours due to the fear of having this blog flagged.

And my parent's racism isn't even restricted to non-Asian people. They've got a lot to say about Vietnamese people, despite more than half of their friends being from Vietnam and they having grown up in the COUNTRY THEMSELVES. Like I can't even.

When I was younger, I used to get into huge arguments with my parents over this. They'd usually end up with me little ol' me crying from frustration and my parents having no change in perspective whatsoever. If you ever want the definition of "unreasonable", look up "Asian Parents" in the dictionary. Seriously.

Eventually I gave up because there is no use trying to make unreasonable people see reason. Be racist. Just don't infect me with your prejudices.

Number 3: The "Imma Stick To You Like Superglue And Tell You My Life Story" Guy/Girl

Let's make one thing clear. I value people's company. I really do. As I said before, young Cynthia knew all too well what it's like to be lonely to reject anyone's offer of friendship now. But sometimes there are boundaries and yes, there is such thing as being overexposed to people, especially when you had no plans to know that other person so well.

You guys have probably had this issue before - the one where you have a conversation with someone but they seem to take it as something more. And because you don't want to come across as a bipolar bitch, you don't make any attempts to discourage them and all of a sudden, they're trying to make plans with you to meet up and do things and tell each other secrets and you're just like WOAH HOW DID WE GET HERE, I ONLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SEXY RICHARD ARMITAGE IN THE HOBBIT.

I actually don't know if this one is partially my fault, especially since I tend to lie or fake my interest even if a conversation is boring me to death. Maybe that's why people interpret it as something more?

*****

Alright, I think that's definitely enough ranting for one post. I could go on and on about the types of conversations that annoy me but in doing so, I'd probably be annoying you and then you'd go off and create Number 4: The Girl Who Annoys People By Talking About How Annoying People Are. Let's just leave it here.   

Peace out peeps. 

Snapshots

Snapshots: as in the CliffNotes / condensed version of everything that's going on in the World of Cynthia. Because as much as I would love to sit down and write a proper post about all the crazy shit that's been going on, I actually do have a million and one other things I'm supposed to be doing (hence the procrastiblogging, I suppose).

After coming back from South Korea, I literally did not get a break before jumping right back into life. It was hard at first because my mind and soul were still somewhere gallivanting across, well...Seoul. But catching up with people did help anchor me a bit so for that I'm thankful. I love travelling (who doesn't?) but the aftermath is always the worst. I feel like with every trip I take overseas, the harder it is to get back into routine and take on all the responsibilities and stress that comes with it. Wanderlust really is not a temporary emotional state - it's a deeply seductive and and pervasive form of mentality.

Oh wow, that came out deeper than I thought it would. High five, Cynthia, for being intellectually sophisticated!!

The following events aren't in chronological order. As I said, I've been so busy that each day has kind of melded into one, so please excuse the unevenness of this post.

BUiLD Student Society Carnivale Party

Last night, my university's leadership and communications societies threw a joint party with the theme of Carnivale. I actually had a Ringmaster costume prepared beforehand but chickened out at the last minute because of its unintended slutty effect. The people who did dress up looked amazing though and there were many clown, joker and magician costumes.

Party itself was alright for a university thing. You could tell the society had made an effort as they had popcorn and fairy floss machines, a photobooth and live music. The real fun though came from just catching up with people. I'm so grateful and surprised by how much my world has opened up this year, especially to the point where I'm bound to bump into at least fifteen people I know at any university social event. People from the Peer Network, BUiLD society, The Big Lift, U@Uni and a whole bunch of other clubs all seem to run in the same circles. Getting more involved in these things was one of the best decisions I made throughout the last two years and it certainly helps prevent all of that inevitable isolation that comes with uni-life.

Afterwards, a group of us left UTS and headed over to Chinatown for karaoke. We stayed there for an hour and then wanted to go clubbing but Scary Canary was closed and girls were keeling over in there heels. I'm thinking we should plan this out and do it properly in the holidays because my girls are cool and we've got some serious partying to do.

Australian Thai Youth Ambassador Program

So this happened. Which means I'll be volunteering overseas in Thailand for one month next year! I also received the email yesterday saying I was eligible for the $750 grant which means that for the whole month, I only need to pay $250 to cover the cost of the trip (not including personal expenses though). I am beyond excited, especially since I found out that four other people I know have also been accepted. Of course, there's a whole bunch of stuff I need to figure out, mainly concerning work and internships but I'll do what I have to to get myself there.

This was my mum's reaction when I told her about it:

Me: Hey Mum, I'm going to volunteer overseas for one month.
Her: Where are you going?
Me: Thailand.
Her: *continues washing dishes* You're going to die over there. 

I would be quite affronted if it wasn't for the fact that she's got a point. I've basically got zero street smarts. Even though I was fine gallivanting all across Seoul with just my sister, Seoul does not equal Bangkok. I have been to Thailand but that was what? Seven years ago? Helloooo learning experience.
 
The New Internship

Yes! I went for an interview about a week after Korea and got a new internship at a little PR agency around Wynyard/Darling Harbour. I started this week and as much as I would love to tell you all about it, I make it a policy to avoid talking about work on this blog as much as possible (not for any personal/controversial reason but just because it's always good practice to have that work/life separation online).

The photo above is of the view from the office balcony. Isn't it amazing? It's right next to Darling Harbour. So far, the people are super nice and welcoming and the work environment seems very comfortable and easygoing. I'm actually very excited to get into it.

Wicked

I bought my family tickets to see Wicked at the Capitol Theatre and my dad fell asleep halfway through it. How does that even happen? It should be impossible. You've got elaborate light and sound effects creating a sensory feast for your eyes and ears, not to mention dramatic, soaring musical numbers throughout the whole thing. There is not a single dull moment in Wicked. I should know because I've seen it three times and I'm still surprised by the level of detail and calibre of acting/singing every time. OMG DAD WHY.

And you know what? At the end of it, he said to me: "They should have subititles."

Well okay genius. Tell me where you're gonna put those damn subtitles then. Mum was being typical confused Mum and at the end, she said to me - but how come they didn't show Dorothy? So then I had to explain to her that the musical isn't supposed to be a re-enactment of Wizard of Oz, but the back-story of the witches in it. And then she was all, ohhhhhh I see.

It's safe to conclude that Mission "Culture-Thy-Parents" was a solid and epic failure. That's the first and final time I'm ever buying my parents musical tickets.

The Big Lift Events

The Big Lift (TBL) had its annual AGM and thank-you event last week where we got to catch up with one another and  reminisce about crazy bus shenanigans. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed these people until I saw them again and we hung out in the library as that loud, distracting group. It's always fun hanging out with them, especially since we're such a diverse group in terms of life experiences and aspirations. There's always something new to talk about and laugh at, as opposed your old, "Oh, how'd you go with the Regulating Communications report" type of conversations.

Food

Because there's no better way to end a post and let's be honest, a lot of my excitement in life comes from food. Shhhh don't judge. You know you agree with me.

Max Brenner's with the lil sis (see if you can spot her)

Frango's with Jess and Nancy

Yum Cha for breakfast with Jess and Nancy again - mmhmm, we're very healthy people

Choose your own dessert - TBL

Sushi of Masuya - pre-Wicked feast

All Up In My Jam at N2

Five Things To Do If You Want To Procrastinate

1. Watch this uplifting cover of "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys starring Lorde, Sam Smith, Paloma Faith and ten million other artists. Oh and Kylie (because British people lol).

(Source)

2. Register for an overseas volunteering trip. It'll probably take less than an hour but (I've heard) that the experience will change you for life. You could be in Costa Rica, Thailand or Vanuatu by early next year, helping communities and making a difference (as opposed to sitting on your butt in your house or throwing away money on expensive Sydney food). I've registered for the Australian Thai Youth Ambassador Program and to be honest, am not expecting to get it because they only choose about 20 applicants from a pool of 100+ (plus I got an internship now!). But at least I applied and will keep doing so in the future. 

3. Learn a language by yourself. You can do this either by downloading apps (I recommend Duolingo) or online (there are lots of sites that have structured lessons for free). Pick something that you're really interested in and commit to it. Obviously, you don't need to spend every day doing it but maybe just once or twice a week. Learning at least a few phrases from a language is better than knowing nothing at all. There is no such thing as "wasted time" when it comes to learning.  

4. Watch documentaries on Amish people! No seriously, this is such a fascinating subject. You've probably picked up quite a few things on Amish people though pop culture or off-hand references but nothing beats a solid, intimate BBC documentary. It's surprising that they even got permission to film this insular society and it sure makes for a fascinating watch.

Okay, stop judging me already. I do have a life but I sometimes a gal just wants to watch documentaries on YouTube, y'know?

5. Go for a walk outside (unless you live in my neighbourhood and can't afford to go out in case you get kidnapped by thugs). But if you live in one of the less-dodgier parts of Sydney then you have no excuse not to get out there and breathe in some fresh air. Maybe bring your work to the park or something, just for a change of scenery. I did that last week and got a couple of judgemental looks but whatever - it's better than being cooped up in your room.

Sydney Night Noodle Markets

Yes we went. Yes the noodles were good. Yes the lines were freakin' massive. No I did not get a Ramen Burger (ugh the wasted opportunity).

There really isn't much to say about the Sydney Night Noodle Markets. It's a market...for noodles (and other Asian cuisines)....in Sydney. I guess you go for the novelty since Sydney doesn't really have a strong market/hawker culture. But I think if they really wanted to drive up the authenticity factor, they would have to find a way to reduce all the prices by half because GOSH DARNIT ain't no markets in Asia gonna charge you $20 for three little buns.

Seoul Searching #4: Lotte World, Eat Your Kimchi & CATS

So here we are. My fourth and final post about the trip to South Korea. I promise that from here on out, you'll never ever have to hear me breathe another word about Seoul (unless you ask me, in which case you'd probably have to punch me in the face to get me to shut up). It's the Virgo part of me that gets really antsy if I don't sit down and record things. I like knowing that one day, when I'm old, arthritic and living in a house with my thirty-seven cats, I can look back at this trip and remember the adventure I had in South Korea in 2014. 

Previous Posts:

• Seoul Searching #1: Annyeonghaseyo South Korea!
• Seoul Searching #2: Food, Walking & More Food
• Seoul Searching #3: SEOUL 

I might just take this chance to talk about a couple of things I never addressed about South Korea in my previous posts since I've got a couple of friends who are thinking of travelling there in the near future. (Plus, it's always the little things you notice that are always the most interesting).

Seoul Searching #3: SEOUL

There's always that strange adjustment period after returning from a trip, where you try to get back into the rhythm of things. It's never an easy task because obviously, you're forced to deal with all the responsibilities and shit that you left behind and haven't thought about for whatever number of days you were gone. 

It's also an uncontested fact that travel changes people. Sometimes the changes are little; for example, you may spend the first day back walking on the right side of the road instead of the left, or maybe you're just suffering from a bit of jet lag. Other times, the changes run a lot deeper than that and are slightly harder to diagnose. 

Although I am glad to be back and spending time with people I care about, part of me can't help but feel very... unsatisfied with home. It's like that feeling you get at the end of a rollercoaster ride, when the car slowly pulls in into the loading zone and you're just sitting there like, wait, that's it? It's anticlimactic and it leaves you feeling slightly empty. 

(Slight digression but Part I and II of my Korean adventures can be found here and here)

As for the dissatisfaction, I've always known that Sydney isn't one of the liveliest places to live but it's never really bothered me because, home is home right? Even after returning from Taiwan, Vietnam or New York - places with insane bustling night life -  I didn't give it too much thought. But something about Seoul just felt so familiar and right to me. Maybe it's because I grew up on an unhealthy diet of EatYouKimchi videos on YouTube and countless hours of brain-cell-destroying K-dramas but it really did feel like I was stepping into places I'd been to before. 

I loved everything about Seoul. I loved the crazy jam-packed materialistic madness that is Myeongdong, the timeless beauty that is Gyeongbokgung Palace and Hongdae's quirky, hipster neighbourhood with its ten cafes per street. There's just this energy that runs through all of South Korea (Seoul in particular) that never peters out. Perhaps it's got something to do with the high density population or the night-owl lifestyle that many people seem to adopt. Maybe it's the way their cities are planned out; instead of suburbs gradually morphing into high rise cities, they jump straight into the city part and every street, regardless of proximity to city center, has about 100 stores, restaurants and services open. 

So when you come back to your little townhouse in a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Sydney, you can't help but feel like you've left something important behind. And I was only away for ten days. What's going to happen when I leave Australia for a year?