I talk too much my mouth hurts

It seems to me you're coming to a close almost too fast for me to say a proper farewell. Was 2009 really all that I have hope you to be? So many things have happened between you and I in the past 365 days; some, I will cherish for the rest of my life, others I would rather forget... Either way they were eventful times and I am quite sad to be parting with you. However, 2010 is beckoning, eagerly waiting for me, and forward I must go.

Thank you for your memories, dear '09. I will send your regards to 2010. So long-

PS. A quick summary of 2009 on my desk -

• my slow but trusty laptop, that never really left the desk due to being too heavy, with the words "before this day ends", telling me not to put things off to the next day, a jar of marshmallows drawn in the top right corner (the Marshmallow Study: be patient and you'll gain double), the bird sticker from the movie "UP", and a hopeful A+
• new pink phone which keeps me company wherever I go
• timetable of second semester in the uni study diary
• journal of daily scribbles, with souvenirs and random notes tucked into the pages, such as some of the many plane tickets I acquired this year - 13 in total!
• my watch that I unfailingly put on each morning then take off as soon as I come home at the end of the day, exhausted by the heaviness of time...
• the tiny pencil case with the necessary tools of work
• finally, the small Bally bag that I have carried everywhere, perfect as a lunch bag.

A is going to Auckland tomorrow morning to spend the first few weeks of the new year 2010 with her relatives. So, we met up to celebrate the end of 2009 with the Last Lunch of the year, at a small cafe called Browser's near the mall.

We shared two pizza wedges and a garden salad. I expected the place to be full of hanging garden pots and pretty flowers, but oh well, it was still nice to be able to sit outside during our usual talk marathon.

Finally saw Avatar at the cinemas with my sister, 3D!

The visual effects were just stunning, with apparently 60% of the movie being computer generated, I can see how it is one of the most expensive films made in history, rumoured to have cost $300m.

By the guy who directed Titanic back in 1997, Avatar is a sci-fi film about humans trying to force their way into gaining valuable mineral resource (unobtanium, LOL) from Pandora, a moon inhabited by Na'vi, the blue human like creatures living in tune with Nature. A paraplegic former marine Jake Sully joins the mission, learning the ways of the Na'vi people through an avatar that the scientists have created. Then he becomes attached to the natives of Pandora...

Na'vi are bigger and stronger than humans, which kind of scared me even behind my 3D glasses as they loomed above me out of the screen, but the world they live in is so beautiful, with lush green forests (that even have ferns like those native to NZ, perhaps due to the contribution of Weta Digital?), and mushroom like plants that collapse in spiral movement immediately upon touch, and moss like species with luminescent properties (...GFP?!...;;), and of course the all important trees like the Tree of Souls, and Voices, and the huge Hometrees, plus cool animals as well, horses and rhinos and Pterosaurs, only more colourful and alien-like. The best is the Na'vi people themselves though, they are just so Blue and graceful but too tall, lanky and scantily dressed... :)

Avatar runs for 162 mins, just short of three hours. It didn't seem that long though, I was so entraced by all the colours and beauty, even though the ending was obvious. Apparently there may be two more sequels following this first one. I think I'll be looking forward to them, perhaps I will see them in 3D, also. May as well re-use the glasses, right?!

So, Christmas day was great, the weather was so hot, it was a real summer. So, in the true Kiwi style, had a barbie dinner outside with friends at night, everyone brought things to eat and they were of such variety, and so nice!! I took a big bowl of simple summer salad with Mum's kiwi fruit dressing. I've been a little unwell lately, so it was good to have my appetite back. That night, also, had a quick chat on the phone with A, which was so so lovely <3.

Boxing day the next day at the mall was... very very busy! So many people arrived even before the shops were open, it was quite exciting! We had free lunch at work as well, which is always good, not worrying about what to take to eat. I am glad the sales won't end until a couple of days at least, because I want to buy some things as well, but it's quite hard with working most of the time, and also without trying to spend too much money ;)

Last night S and I had dinner at Denny's, my first time. I had Vege Club. I was so hungry, and they were so nice, even though a bit too big for my small bites, lol.

! ! ! M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S ! ! !


Finally Christmas has come our way! It seems like the weather has cooperated this year, the sun may not be shining brightly but it's still hot outside!

Went to the Christmas mass this morning, due to having been out last night. Here is the nativity scene at the church I've been going to this summer, Korean style:

I helped with the clothes of 'Joseph'...

Tonight there's a Christmas pot luck dinner party at J's place so I'm going to make guacamole dip and bake some potato wedges, and maybe salad... and also taking a small cheesecake! Hope it'll be lots of fun!

Then it's back to work tomorrow... :(

Cheers! Spent the night with the girls and my sis in town, all ready to hit the dance floor. We didn't realise that the clubs would be closed on Christmas... but of course! It's public holiday! We scoured the city centre for an open bar, by which time we had also collected a few more hometown friends to join us. Ah, it was an interesting night, with a few songs here and there.

Passion

People

Pride


Thanks A for this great little guide for life :)

Had another quick catch up session with my friend A this afternoon, chatting up a storm in the short space of two hours, sipping Starbucks frappuccinos. The weather is so nice today! I hope we will have a just as nice Christmas tomorrow. Only one more day to go! Got all my plans sorted out, going out tonight with the girls, hitting the town, yay, and then tomorrow night will be attending a dinner party at a childhood friend's place. Will be spending some time with the family too, on Christmas morning, going to the morning mass together! >-<

Happy Christmas Holidays To You All, hope you have a wonderful time~

I like Christmas, the end of the year holiday spirit, when family and friends think of each other and maybe even come together for once in their busy lives.

However... of course it can get a bit stressful, what with the gifts and places to be and things to eat, and all.

For me, working on the days leading up to Christmas, I'm looking so much forward to the holiday when I can relax and enjoy the sun.

... which hopefully will be out, pretty please!

I suggested two backpackers that are the closest possible to the hospital.

The apartments in town in Christchurch are not like in Auckland, they are mostly for rich people who are residents... even though YMCA across from the hospital does offer student accommodation.

I would suggest looking at the suburb of Riccarton, which is close so you can even walk to the hospital, through Hagley Park, or bike, Christchurch is flat as so it wouldn't be a problem.

Students in Christchurch generally also flat around Ilam, but even though that's close to where I live, it's further from the city centre.

If you're trying to find a place for yourself,... I would say around 200 would get you a nice furnished place, but I'm not too sure.

Here's a place that's the closest to the hospital that I could find, that is not too expensive:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-me-property/Residential-property/Houses-to-rent/auction-250480829.htm

Probably you could live in a unit in a house for a year, than start flatting with new friends, especially if you start driving, you'll be able to find cheaper places. Though, like everywhere else, parking in the city centre can be hard...

Well, here are all I can offer you at the moment, I wish you luck, honey!!

I thought it was because I had too much time on my hands.
With nothing to do, and more time to think,
I seemed to think about you all the time,
driving me crazy.

I thought if I made myself busy,
too busy even to think,
I would be okay, that
I could forget
to think about you too much.

But...
I still miss you so much,
I still miss you too much.

I miss your touch,
I miss your smell,
I miss your taste.

I miss you whole;
I just wish you were here with me,
right now...

It did not feel like a Sunday today.
Possibly because I had to work today, but I better get used to it, since it seems like Sundays will be work days for some time.

This week I'm looking at at least 45 hours of work. Wow.

Had a family kareoke tonight, went full on, with crazy dancings and everything.
It has been a long time we were able to enjoy ourselves so much in this way, it was so good!!

Sydney by night
Originally uploaded by Lina-Sydney

Any ideas on what one should do in Sydney for three nights???!!!

SYDNEY!!!!!
Looking forward to Feb 11 -14.

I found myself two casual positions, one tutoring and another at the mall, which i start tomorrow!

Been trying to spend more time with my sister, which mostly means taking her to places when i can be bothered to, and talking gossiping about people and things...

Starting to be more involved at church as well, getting ready for Christmas, had the tiniest part in a play yesterday at church, just one line, but lol it was good fun.

Friends and family have been feeding me as much as possible, so much that I really need time to properly digest first, please!

As a result I am trying to regularly go on the treadmill downstairs, which has been finally fixed, thank goodness.

Tomorrow, I will probably buy the ticket to Sydney, to travel for three nights in mid Feb, with S. So excited!!!!

And the tickets to the Lady Gaga concert arrived by post today, to which I'm also going with S next March, she is more excited than I am, but so am I!!! The tickets sold out today I think...

This week I want to listen to some classic music, my violinist friend J is doing this competition so I will try to go support her;
also there is this new op shop nearby our house that actually buy clothes, so my sister and I are going to go through all the old clothes at home. Its really convenient because I was actually going to take them up to Auckland for some extra pocket money, lol...

Wow, this is a loooooooong summary of what I am up to right now...

So, what are you up to these days?

New Zealand is such a multicultural country; it is sometimes hard to distinguish the residents from the international visitors, so the inevitable question I get asked often is:

"Where are you from?"

From here, one should answer well, because if I only choose to answer,
"New Zealand,"
there is a trail of others that follow, such as:

"No, I mean, where are you originally from?" or,
"Oh, were you born here?" - Which I haven't,
"So how long have you been living here?"

They can become so repetitive and tedious...

I recently asked a friend with a similar situation to mine, on how she deals with the question,

"Where are you from?"

Here is the new devised answer, learnt from her:

"I was born in Korea, but have been in New Zealand since, like, forever."

Good answer, thanks, J :)

A full stomach makes me sleepy...
I can't do anything.
An empty stomach makes my head ache...
I can't do anything.

So what am I supposed to do?

Finally, got a job as a Christmas temp down at the mall! Yay!
I start next week sometime, will let you know as soon as-
Now I won't be bored, at least until mid Jan.
So, Australia is still looking like a possibility!!! All good! >-<

No. 13 on Alice in Videoland's 100 Greatest Films of All Time (http://www.aliceinvideoland.co.nz/).

This is the first classic Japanese film that I have seen, especially in black and white and by the director Akira Kurosawa.

It tells of a mystery surrounding a murder, involving a lady, her husband, and a bandit who was smitten by her beauty. The same story of how the murder came about is told four times, each time with a different twist. Who is telling the truth, and why are the others lying?

The film explores a darker side of human nature, of which this quote touched me the most and sums it up nicely:

"All men are selfish and dishonest.
They all have excuses..."

So who was the murderer? The lady, the husband, or the bandit?
Click on the link on the title to find out!

Shopping is a great way to exercise. I met up with a high school friend today at one of the many shopping malls in Christchurch, and ended up scavenging for the perfect pair of heels for her graduation next weekend... with no success, though, unfortunately. Four hours of treasure hunt and no prize at the end. Exhausting! Did you know that Christchurch has the largest shopping mall space per person in New Zealand? We only have about 348 400 people in the Garden City, but oh so many malls. However, it was a nice change from the usual hours in front of the computer screen I would otherwise have done at home, like the lazy bum that I am. It was also good reminder to me that I should hit the gym soon; I had to have a nap after the shopping spree. I am so unfit! Thanks to A, I had the longest work out session since my coming back from Auckland for the summer. Merci!

Talking about summer, can you believe the weather we are having right now?! How disgusting!

I'm starting my own blog (again)!!!!
It's a bit bare at the moment, but hopefully it'll fill up soon,
with the usual random rantings of my world :)