Self-reflection of 2013

Well, another has gone and a new one begins.
I would say this year has gone by pretty fast for me. SO a recap of what the year brought for me;

I GRADUATED!
I FINALLY have a degree! Man! it's been something that been lingering on my mind for the past year or so.... and I can officially say I DID IT!

Introducing another member ....
This year, my older sister gave birth to a new son :). For me, I became an Aunty again :).

I got a JOB!
Other than my fixed casual job on the weekend, I managed to score a new job (on a casual contract) working part time to full time hours each week. I must say, the company had the worst timing by recruiting their employees during the month of May - when university students are finishing off last minute assessments and preparing for exams. Other than that, I'm glad I got a job that allowed me to start working right after I finished my degree!

Spent the Summer studying
It was the first time, since studying at Uni,that I spent the summer studying in Summer School. I must say, it was pretty fun and went by pretty quick - maybe its the fact they pushed 13 weeks of study into 6 weeks worth of study ...hmmmm
But overall, it wasnt too bad

Weddings, weddings, weddings!
I think so far in my life I never been invited to so many weddings in one year. The following congratulations go to the following people in my life (that I couldn't attend):
My cousin (Be) and her husband (Dinh) in Vietnam
My friend, Tra and her husband in Vietnam
My friend, Trang and her husband in Vietnam
My friend, Hien and her husband in Vietnam
My family friend, Trung and his wife in Perth

You graduated already, but why study again for? are you CRAZY?!?
YES, you heard it. I'm studying again. I recently got accepted to study my Masters at Curtin, again.
What motived me to apply was the fact that I didn't know what I wanted to do after I completed my undergraduate degree. So I took a pen and an application and applied for a postgraduate degree. Then a few weeks later I got an email saying I have been accepted to study my Masters.


Because this is the end of 2013, I learnt so much from it. I learnt and experienced new things this year and hope that 2014 is another year full of surprises and adventures.
I wish everyone a safe holiday and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I finally have a degree!

Almost 3 months ago, I finally managed to graduate. I would say, my goal for the last year and half has always been to graduate - and I managed to do so. For me, it was a relief that I managed to achieve something that I'd had motivated myself to achieve.

Below are some photos I took with my friend as a pre-graduation shoot. The scenery that day was perfect. At first we thought that it may rain for the whole day due to the heavy shower that morning, but by lunch time the sky cleared up and we were able to do our photoshoot.

My parent's graduation gift

This is the scene that the summer graduations are usually held,
sadly my graduation wasn't here

A place I usually spend my arvo waiting for my next class

What's next in my life?

Well at the moment I am working full time for the government and shall continue my studies by completing my masters next year ..... So my learning journey hasn't stopped yet!

Just take a shot!

Another way of thinking about life ...

Second chance

We all want that moment. The moment to do things again. A second chance. Whether it was the moment when you realized that your trust had been broken by your partner or when they cheated on you or to that time when you didn't realized that the last moment with someone so dear to you was the last time you had with them......

It could be the simple moments when you realized that getting your hair done wasn't as you expected or that dress on display by the window that you declined to buy was the last one they had. All of these moments you just wished you had the second chance to do it all over again.

Wouldn't it be great to be able to get a chance to do it again?
To be able to change your decision.
To be able to use your time wisely.....
But what would the outcome be the same ??? Will the outcome be much more different from what you predicted or expect???

I will admit it, there were sometimes that I wished I had a second chance at. A second chance to do things again... and again. Just that one moment. But I came to realise that you can't change what has happened already. Even if you want to. You can't change the past.

But what happened if that situation turned out to be a good thing? or maybe it was 'fate' for things to end that way??? For what I know, life is unpredictable. Sometimes I can predict what will happen, while other times I can't. The one thing that I can do, is live life to the way I want to. Live life without any regrets and to the way you want to, because the future is an unpredictable road.

Hippo Creek and Cha Time

Recently, I had lunch with my friend, Amanda. It was a long overdue lunch date, so I suggested to have lunch at Hippo Creek Bar & Grill in Waterford Plaza.

The interior of the place was earthy and spacious. I loved how the room wasn't too compacted and it had a relaxed atmosphere. 

Amanda's steak and chips

 

My chicken caesar salad

The food tasted freshly made and the price was quiet decent. Great place for a hang out session after uni.

Next place that we decided to check out was Cha Time. It was a newly open that sells deserts and bubble tea

The menu

My Lychee black tea with aloe vera jelly

Self-reflection of 2012

It's that time of year again when we look back on the events that has happened to us this year. 2012 has been such a huge adventure for me. I learnt so much and experienced so much. 2012 has opened my eyes to endless possibilities and helped me create lasting friendships. Some of my highlights if 2012 are:

Melbourne
It was my first trip EVER! traveling interstate. I missed my initial opportunity back in Feb this year. This was because I was currently in Vietnam for 3 months and didn't check my email regularly. So the night I was flying back from Vietnam and had a stop over at Singapore airport, the CPA Student Ambassadors was leaving for Melbourne. So sad. Nevertheless; I managed to score a free trip to Melbourne in July by winning the Season 1 Naked CEO Ask Alex question. They flew me off to Melb, where I stayed at the Crown Promenade and was able to get mentored by his executive management team and also have a one-on-one with the CEO himself, Alex.

Walking along Southbank

 

My Melbourne trip didn't stop here. I was back in Melbourne again in December having won another CPA Australia competition. This time, I was apart of a editorial meeting for the "Real Business" Magazine. Highlight of this trip was to get 1 personal article published and co-write another article.

View from level 20

The board room

Melbourne 
While I was in Melbourne, I met some of the most inspirational and out-going people there. I formed new friendships and also networking opportunities.

New job
So I been job hunting for a few months now, and been rejected every time. Main reason was my lack of experience. I finally found a new job. Even though it may not be in my field of studies, everyone there is friendly and funny. Also, this is my first paid position! No more working for the family business for free!!!!

Breaking my exam jinx
For about a year and a half now, I've been having this jinx. For every exam I fist sit I would fail the unit. Yes that's right, I would fail the unit. But all that changed in 2012. I managed to pass all my units (even my first exams for both semesters) and also improved my overall weighting score :)

My 21st 
I didn't really expect to have a 21st birthday this year. Most people planned their 21st like 6months in advanced. Yet I, didn't do any of that. So a few weeks closer to my birthday I decided to have a few friends over for dinner to celebrate my 21st. It was a simple dinner, with people who had influenced my life, after all these years.

The Lunar New Year in Vietnam
So I spent about 3 months in Vietnam and managed to stay for the Lunar New Year. This was my 2nd New Years in Vietnam. I really enjoyed every moment of it and of course the lucky red pocket money ;)

I can't wait for what is installed next in 2013. I hope the new year brings me plenty or surprises, joy, laughter and great adventures.

Everything happens naturally now ...

Relationships are harder now because conversations became texting. 

Arguments become phone calls. 

Feelings became subliminal messages online. 

Sex became easy. 

The word ‘love’ is used out of context. 

Insecurities have become our way of thinking. 

Getting jealous became a habit. 

Trust has been lost. 

Cheating became an 'accident'. 

Leaving became the only option. 

Being hurt became natural 

5 simple questions; 1 simple story

I was so inspired by the Wong Fu Production’s film ‘The Last’ that I decided to do something similar. This post will answer the 5 questions; Who, What, When, Where and Why of my first love. Because it’s a personal question, I’m going to hide some information about this person (just in case he reads this).

Who:

Who I fell in love with, was guy who I met a few times. We didn’t become friends instantly, but after a while things just fell into place. He was a family friend, who lived in the same area as I did. At first I thought he was another person that I would meet and soon forget. But over the course of time, something about him made me want to get to know him better. I don’t know if it was the big secret he kept from me or the fact that he wanted to know me better; but in the end (whatever it was) it had helped us to understand each other better.

What:

What I fell in love with, was his personality. His humour. His views. He was different from all the other guys I’ve met. Based on what my parents would call ‘acceptable’, he met all the criteria.It was funny because through him, I learnt a lot more than I ever did. What he did was; he helped me understand his world a bit better. And I too, helped him understand my world as well. What I learnt from him gave me a different perspective on life. He helped inspired me to chase my dreams and to enjoy life.

When:

When I fell in love with, was a few summers ago. I didn’t realise it at first, but that summer became a summer of memories.Every moment with him felt like I was experiencing something new, that I didn’t know and/or had taken for granted. But the only problem was; my summer was coming to an end. We had so many people that had told us that we were perfect for one another based on our status and knowledge. But what stopped us, was the fact that we lived in 2 different lives/ worlds. Even though we may have created wonderful memorises, it was the fact that those memories would just be memories of the past.

Where:

Where I fell in love with, was in a totally different world from my own. From the moment I came into his world, it felt like a new experience. He helped me to understand my past, present and future. I too,gave him a different perspective on life. I fell in love with his world so much, that when I had to leave, it was hard to say goodbye. Even though I spent a short time there, it felt like time had stopped.

Why:

Why I fell in love with, was the fact that he didn’t treat me differently. Even though we were from 2 different worlds, I just felt that at that very moment, our worlds were the same. But the one thing that stopped us; was the fact that we came to realise that our worlds cannot become 1 world and the fact that we were forced to say our goodbyes. Even though he had met my parents ‘criteria’, it was his big secret that influenced our final decision.

“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together…

there is something you must always remember.

You are braver than you believe,

stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

But the most important thing is,

even if we’re apart…

I’ll always be with you.”

– Winnie the Pooh

The over committed Girl

As crazy as it seems, I'm at the moment looking for my 4th job.
Some may think that I'm kinda crazy .. right? studying full-time, committing to various charity/ volunteer work, managing my parents business, new employment etc.... where does it end!?!?!

So the jobs I'm at the moment working for are

• my parents (and occasionally my sister's) business on the weekends and public holidays
• CPA Australia as their Student Ambassador
  (not sure if its consider as work work, but the things I do is work)
• new employment at the Races as a Sales staff

So it seems I've committed to 3 types of employment, yet it isn't enough. I'm now looking for a 4th employment now. I'm mainly focusing on a job that is more related to my degree, this time around. BUTTT its soooo hard!!! No one wants to employ me because I lack that experience, but where do I get it?!?!

Oh! for those who been following me on Twitter, may have noticed that I have the worst luck this year when it comes to traveling overseas for internships and personal holidays. Let me list what happened and see for yourself, what I mean by bad luck!

• St. Petersburg/ Russian winter study tour = not enough people going = CANCELLED!
• Internship to Shanghai = can't go because semester 2 starts mid July and the internship was for 1 month in July = FAILED!
• Internship to China or Barcelona = clashes with summer school & cost too much =FAILED!
• Uni study tour around Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia = Not enough income to go = FAILED!
• Personal holiday to Vietnam = work commitments = FAILED!

as you can see, I got the worst luck this year with going overseas *sobs*

Melbourne; oh how I love thee

As some maybe aware, I took a short business trip to Melbourne last month. I was basically sooo excited about the trip. It was basically my very FIRST trip interstate. It was such an amazing experience for me.

The reason behind this mini trip was because I won a free trip to Melbourne, courtesy of CPA. They literally paid for the flights, accommodation, meals and the mentoring session. So literally, all I needed was myself and my clothes and I was jetted off to Melbourne :)

My room; the Standard King at the Crown Promenade

I was lucky enough to have a good view of the busy Melbourne City

The Casino at in the Crown Tower

Love the lighting decor

The view from my room at night

Good Morning Melbourne;
Ready for a jammed packed day

The whole day at CPA involved mentoring sessions from the finance, HR, project development departments and with the CEO himself. After that was a photo shoot (which I want to post up, but due to confidential reasons I can't) and filming session, which I'll be starring in.

To conclude the jammed packed day, was a dinner in the board room, in which all 6 winners (including me) received the CPA program scholarship .... best thing is: it doesn't have an expiry DATE!!!

Sneak Peak #2: Behind the scene on where it all takes place

The one thing that I learnt while filming was to NOT look at the 3 cameras =__=" But it was sooo hard when they keep looking at youuu TT__TT.
BIG HINT: I'm going to be apart of one of the interviewed episodes in about October. OhNo!

Ending the day with a late night stroll along SouthBank River

 One of the amazing things about the Crown, was that they do a fire show (which lasts for about 10mins) that goes off every hour from 6pm to 12am. Anyone up for some BBQ pigeons?

Along one of the bridges; underneath this bridge is
actually a bar

Reaching the end of SouthBank River; an epic 40min walk
on a cold winter night

Night life in Melbourne

Street art along SouthBank River

I met so many people while I was here in Melbourne. It was such a shame that I was only there for 2 days and 2 nights. If only they gave me an extra day; so I can go shopping.

I just want to thank CPA Australia for giving me this opportunity :). Stay in tune, I'm going to become apart of their upcoming videos >.<"

I will admit it; even though I was here for 2 days and 2 nights I think I've fallen in love with Melbourne. I need to come back here ASAP!

The Girl that feared her past ...

Sometimes I feel as if I’m standing on a cliff. Just one small push should just do.

They say that life isn’t easy. I agree. Life for me isn’t so easy. No matter how hard I try, I always end up falling. But who will pick me up? And tell me that everything will be alright?

I grew up in a world where words were only words. They had no meaning. But what kind of child lives in this world? I did. I grew up with only just my independence. My achievements. My struggles. No-one to help but me. No matter how much I wanted to change my life, it just seems like I’m back to square one again.

Everyday seems like the same. The fake smile. The fake laughter. The fake lies. The same screaming and yelling. The same things over and over again.

You say you want me to fall in love. Right? But how can I? When I never knew what the meaning of ‘love’ was. They say that a child’s experiences help to mold them to be who they are. My experiences became my scars. The scars helped me understand what kind of world I lived in. My scars became my fear.

What I’ve learnt over the years is that no matter what I do, or who I become; I’m nothing but a person with a fear of her past. Haunt me as much as you can, cause this girl only needs a simple push to end everything ...

For a love of a daughter ….

No matter how hard I try, I end up failing. I try so hard, and yet I can’t meet to your expectations. I must admit, I’m not perfect, smart nor beautiful; but I do try. It just seems like no matter how hard I try to make you happy, I always seem to make you angry. Maybe I should stop trying?

You haven’t realized how many dreams I have put on hold for you, just so you can live out your dreams. 8 years of my life has now gone to waste. And in those 8 years; you never realised on what I gave up on. Nor have I heard a single ‘thank you’ from you. Maybe I was wrong to let you live your dreams and to give up on mines?

For the love of a daughter, all I wish is to stop causing more and more pain; and wish to live a simple life. No matter how hard I try to gain your approval; I’m the one ending up hurt and lost. It seems like our relationship has just said it's 'goodbye' .....

In this life .... we became strangers

It amazing how much people can change after 3 years. Even 3 years can make a huge difference in a lifetime. For me; the 3 years, where the hardest to forget that unforgettable summer I had with you. What I thought was a simple summer, but it became a summer that I would cherish.... It was a summer full of discoveries and secrets. But, back then, I was dumb, naive and plain stupid. I didn’t realise that you became my first love.

And now .... I regret ever meeting you. It's funny how simple a year later could change someone. All that was needed was a year, and BAM! we became strangers.

Just like the saying ‘It takes a second to have a crush on someone, a minute to like someone, an hour to love someone and a lifetime to forget someone'.

But we learn from our mistakes ... right?

Gift Haul

Here are some of the things that I brought, whilst in Vietnam :) ... I roughly estimated the value of each product to AUD :)

Some couple/ singles key chains and phone chains

 The angrybirds  phone chains cost 23.000đ ≈ $1.00 AUD
The couple key ring costs 30.000đ ≈ $1.30 AUD
The music phone chain costs 15.000đ ≈ $0.60 AUD
The four leaf clover phone chain costs 12.000đ ≈ $0.50 AUD



I brought this at a small retail store closer to home

The costs of this wallet is 105.000đ ≈ $5.00 AUD

For some reason I have an obsession for red wallets ... don't know why :S

One of my favourite shower product is the Enchanteur Whitening and Firming body scrub
and the Rejoice shampoo. 

The 175g Enchanteur Whitening & Firming Body Scrub costs 40.000đ ≈ $1.50 AUD
The Rejoice shampoo (in the individual packs) costs 500đ ≈ $0.01 AUD
The Enchanteur range is one of the most popular products used for the body (along with Nivea).
The smell isn't powerful or anything, it is a light scented rose smell.

The Enchanteur perfume 'Charming' was brought from a local lady

The cost of the 25mL 'Charming' perfume costs 75.000đ ≈ $3.60 AUD
The perfume has a slightly stronger smell than the body scrub but the smell is exactly the same

Another perfume that I brought from her is 'Miss Saigon'

 The cost of the 17mL perfume is 25.000đ ≈ $1.10 AUD This was one of the first perfumes that I brought. The label says it lasts for 12 hours, but in my opinion it
lasts more than that. It also has a 5 year expiry date too.

This is another product that I brought from the small retail store

 The Lacvert Essance silky two way cake cost 120.000đ ≈ $5.50 AUD
I brought this silky two way cake because I recently used it for Christmas and the result was good.
You can get either this or the whitening two way cake in a black case.
The colour that I got was #21 Natural.

This here is a blusher.

 The blusher cost 30.000đ ≈ $1.30 AUD
The colour number is 08 and I think it's a Korean brand.
I recently used this product before hand, and the result was alright.
I found that the less you apply the less pink your cheeks will be.

My new pencil case :)

 The pencil case cost 23.000đ ≈ $1.00 AUD
I needed a pencil case upgrade pronto :) and this was no exception