I Flew A Kite

on new year's day :) happy 2012!

I'M A GRADUATE

i'm back for good. well, at least for the next two years. i've successfully completed my 3 year commerce degree, majoring in accounting and finance. one major phase in my life is over, and i guess i'm moving on to the working phase that will probably last for decades.

i'm currently thinking of taking a break for half a year before i start work. during this time, i will look out for job opportunities (most likely, being an auditor), take up lessons such as baking and sewing, sign up for yoga or gym (haha!), do charity, and travel!

i just want a good rest. doing absolutely everything i want to do.

mum, dad and kailin specially flew up for my graduation. sadly, yenlin couldn't come as she's currently having her exams in st louis university in washington. before this, my brother and i met them in new south wales for our annual family holiday. we spent 10 days in sydney and new castle. it was such a relaxing trip, i hope to blog about that soon.

they got me a really huge bouquet, a university of melbourne teddy bear, a card and a sliver plated leaf necklace. they all looked so happy to see me in the regalia. & i love the candid shot of my dad with the teddy, charming! i suggested that as his new profile picture. :)

i'm really thankful to have known rachel and her family. throughout the past four years, they've helped me in many different ways. her family is always so welcoming towards me. i've received so many gifts from aunty jean, i can always randomly pop by at rachel's house to chill whenever i'm at orchard, join them for family dinners, and our mums occasionally meet up even without rachel and i being present. its really amazing how two random girls who were "forced" to share a room together for a year to become so close. i really hope all these won't stop, though rachel and i won't be studying together anymore.

i blew and framed up this picture as cindy's 21st birthday gift (aside from the sewing machine). will definitely blog about her crazy 21st birthday celebration 2 nights ago, just wait. cindy has always been and probably will be my best studying buddy. somehow we study the same way and we get our assignments done real quick together. we all can have many close friends, but how many are actually similar to you? for me, cindy's the only one i know thus far. so many people say we look alike, really? i don't see the resemblance.

i stayed with merrie for the last 2 years, she's really the best housemate i've had. i'm a neat freak, and thank god merrie's one too! we share almost everything in the house, and she's always helping me with household chores and errands. i'm not exactly the best person to live with, and i wanna thank her for putting up me. she's also my listening ear, and definitely the one who heard most of my ranting! oh, and i know who to call if i've korean bbq cravings. she's definitely up for it!

the above are some of the hundreds of photos we took. i felt like some film star, with numerous cameras pointing at me. big thanks to cindy, dad, and wernie for taking all the pictures! i have yet to get my hands on all of them, and i really can't wait for the studio shots!! :)

it was one of my happiest days in melbourne. so great to have your family and close friends all around you on one occasion. graduation ceremonies for the commerce faculty were held over a period of two days. everyone were beaming in smiles as we were not only celebrating graduation, but for the friendships we've made over the years. i hope these friendships won't die, even if we don't get to see each other often.

my graduation dinner was at Jacques Reymond, one out of the two three chef's hat restaurants in melbourne. needless to say, food was really good and expensive. most expensive meal i've ever had in my entire life! i made reservations 3 months in advance, and they called me one week before the actual date to confirm the booking. they are really high in demand. however, the portions were entree sized. for that money, i think we could have eaten better at other lower hatted restaurants. anyhow, it was for my graduation celebration and the experience. :)

no idea how to thank my parents for everything they've done for me.

Manchester Press

i have been delaying my wednesday brunch trip with ben to manchester press for the longest time. all my fault for not being able to wake up early!! anyhow, i couldn't postpone it any further, as next week's the last week of school and thereafter, swot vac. we went there yesterday!

it didn't feel that long ago when i first set foot in melbourne. 4 years just whisked by me, and i'll be graduating in less than 2 months. this is really the last and final lap of the race that i've been running for years. i'm going to try my best and finish it off on a high note!

BLT bagel - bacon, lettuce and tomato. not really a big fan of those 3 ingredients, hence i didn't fancy it. but i'm sure i heard kenneth saying, "this is damn good, nom nom nom nom nom!" for at least 5 times!

salmon bagel - they were so generous with the smoked salmon and cream. definitely worth the money. too jelat, ben and ting shared it.

PB&J bagel - peanut butter and jelly, with bananas, nuts and candy bits. I LOVE THIS. i cannot fault anything. everything goes perfectly together, especially with my hot chocolate. yuummyy!!

strawberry custard tart - a definite must try if you happen to visit. on top of the filling bagels we had, we ordered 3 of those tarts to share among us 4. the pastry's soft, and the custard's smooth and not too thick.

this was what we went there for - their famous coffee art! this totally inspired us to go for a barrister and coffee art 2 day course after exams.

gawdd, i love melbourne.

Grampians

love these film shots taken by kenneth. ♥ ♥ ♥

so during the september holidays, we all went to grampians for a day trip. to be honest, i didn't expect that so much climbing/hiking would be involved. hence, the super inappropriate attire. nevertheless, i still managed to hike to the top without getting injured. of course, it wouldn't be possible without help from the boys. it was dangerous!

we had a picnic on a huge rock right beside a waterfall for lunch. the experience was amazing! we were munching on sandwiches, potato salad, cupcakes, grape and cheese crackers, while sipping red wine right in the middle of nature. this is the life.

we were literally freezing in the cold, no joke. but we persevered and sat on the rocks for almost an hour waiting for sunset... it was worth it.

isn't this beautiful!!! it totally reminded us of the movie, jurassic park. to me, that was the best part of the day. absolute silence, breathtaking view, great company, and the freshest air. ahhh!

by nightfall, we started to make our way back to the city. it was a long long drive, and as usual everyone was well asleep. after an hour nap, we all woke up to a stunning night sky.

i have never seen so many stars in my life! the photos don't do them justice. i was really in awe. i couldn't take my eyes off them. we could actually see the milky way, how cool is that! really unforgettable. :)