Slideshow on my Desktop Sidebar

As I'm doing the stuffs I normally do after a long day at work, i.e. browsing the net, looking for things that I don't really need, do my daily activities on the net, emailcash, check emails, check out some stuffs, pay ebay purchase, etc..
With Sarah McLachlan's Afterglow album playing away in the background...
The Slideshow feature in my Desktop Sidebar is showing this picture (see below)


That picture was taken when we're leaving for our whitewater rafting trip..
it was SOOOOOO MUCH FUN!!! =)
*LOL* Even thinking about it gave me so much joy. =D

Attached below is a picture taken during my last Easter Tasmania trip.. I tried to look for a picture that actually justify the view but it's really difficult (a sign for me to take the photography course :P)

Ciao!

the new template

Got the new look from combining background from Anti-Ivy.com, the blog template from Noipo.org plus some fonts re-color-ing and re-sizing.

I'm liking the new look. It's clean and neat yet still pretty. Lovely. ^.^

Aside from that, I'm trying to switch from using My Yahoo! as my portal into using a mix of del.icio.us (for bookmarks) and bloglines (for RSS feeds) and/or My Google (for general portal use - notepad, email and RSS). Hmm sounds like a lot of work. The thing is, I'm not even sure that I want to switch. I'm kinda happy with what My Yahoo! offers. There are times when it's a bit iffy and chose to not work with some of the RSS feeds, but most of the times it's good. Yet I wonder, why do people rave about del.icio.us? So, I'll give it a try and see what happens next.

Links to Useful IT-related Sites

• Tom Kyte's Blog - if you're dealing with Oracle a lot, u would know that he's the Oracle guru... ;)


• AskTom.com - here's his other sites where u could submit questions about Oracle


• Joel on Software - he's a software developer in NYC. His book, Joel on Software: And on Diverse and Occasionally Related Matters That Will Prove of Interest to Software Developers, Designers, and Managers, and to Those Who, Whether by Good Fortune or Ill Luck, Work with Them in Some Capacity is his contribution to improve the world of programming

Clean & Organize

Found a bunch of useful articles in iVillage's Clean & Organize section.

Hope it will be useful for some others too...

Something you do well

For Thursday [24th August 2006], Ralph Marston said ...

Focus on something that you do well and find a way to do it even better. The substance of value that you create is never wasted.

Choose something that you do well and find a way to make the fruits of your efforts available to those around you. By providing real value to others, you expand the treasures in your own life.

Take something you do well and find a way to make it enjoyable. The more you enjoy what you're doing, the more effective you'll be.

Find something you do well and teach it to others. The more you can duplicate your efforts, the more value there is for everyone.

Look at something you do well and consider the real, lasting sense of fulfillment it can bring. Remember that life is about making a difference.

The things you do well provide you with the opportunity to give of yourself in real and meaningful ways. That's an opportunity you don't want to miss.

-- Ralph Marston

what is the purpose of ...

There are times where I feel that I'm doing things with no purpose.
Like this blog - what is it for, really?
I can say it's a reflection of my thoughts.
The problem is my thoughts tend to be a big scattered mess. It's not very well incorporated.
Hence I don't really see it fulfilling any particular purpose.
The one purpose I can think of me blogging is that my head is less crammed with these thoughts. As soon as I pour it in the form of a post, I let it go from my head ..

I do wish I could have a blog which can be useful for others too though. Not only to myself. Like this blog I found when I'm looking for Fish Leung's lyrics. The blog is titled "Stranded in the middle of nowhere". He's got a big collection of songs lyrics that is very useful for people like me, who is unable to read Chinese characters but find comfort in listening (and at times, sing along) to Chinese songs.

Anyway, back to my big scattered messy thoughts. I can never make up my mind about something.
Throughout the past couple months, I am so caught up with Interior Design course.
Couple days ago, after checking out Tara Whitney's photoblog, I'm suddenly interested in taking a Photography course.
On the top of all that, I'm also very attracted to technology stuffs. I find learning about programming - ways to do things, or new technology, or the logic of working things out highly rewarding. I find this attraction fluctuated a bit though eversince I started working. Some times it's up and at other times I just can't be bothered.
So, see what I mean? I can't be focused enough in one thing. In addition to those interests, I'm also interested in improving my Chinese communication skill which has somehow gone straight to the bin lately. Then, there is this desire of being able to cook fancy food, actually play piano.
Hell. How can I ever be a master at something if my list of interests grow every week??? Geez.

Guess what, I found books for people like me. It's titled "The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One" by Margaret Lobenstine. I found this book while looking for a book by Barbara Sher titled I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was. Interesting, huh?
I should really check it out...

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... this time, blogging hasn't really helped. I have so many things in my mind that I reckon if I could cash it in the bank, I would be richer than Bill Gates... @!#!$!@%@!#!%!@#@! Oh well, I better get around to do the things I'm suppose to do and not blabbering..

C ya!

Lao Tzu once said...

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

This is something that I just realized and really need to work on.

"A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words"

That's what they say...
I can relate most to this when I was checking out one of the link in pipi's blog, the Tara Whitney's blog.

I particularly love this picture here.

Seriously. The photographs that she took are spectacular.

*Click*

Movie Buffs Meeting Discovery

This was meant to be posted back on the 15th August 2006.

DWS, the company that I worked for, has a policy that all of us has to join one of the groups available in the company and attend the meetings every Tuesday. Examples of the groups are card group (plays card), sports group, pool group (plays pool), Dine Around Town group, LAN group (plays LAN games), and Movie Buffs group (we talk bout movies and attempt to go to movies once a month).

Anyway, during last week's DWS Movie Buffs meeting I discover some interesting things...

Apparently during summer, Melbourne held an event named "Moonlight Cinema". It's basically watching movies on a big screen in the Botanical Garden. Sounds great isn't it? Imagine that, with picnic rug, cheese, crackers, a bottle of sparkling grape drinks and popcorns. Mmmm... I'm so going this year.

Gemma (my lovely colleague) also talked about a movie that's gonna come out sometime soon - an inconvenient truth - which are about the effects of global warming. It's a pretty serious stuff. It's funny - I'm not usually that into this kind of movie. But, this is an exception, because I think this will somehow wake all of us up. I mean, I'm not a green person - not even close for that matter. However, looking around, it kinda hit me that if I don't care so much about it, I can't expect others to care and that what I do as a person impacts the growth of global warming in our earth. Hence, I think it would be very good for me to learn the facts of global warming and what I can do to stop it.

One other thing that always comes up in our weekly meeting is the classics. I'm talking about movies such as:

• Breakfast at Tiffany's


• Casablanca


• Ferris Bueller's Day Off


• The Sound of Music


• It's a Wonderful Life


• Gone with the Wind

and the list goes on and on...
What about these movies? Well, every week one of them is mentioned and I'll say 'I haven't watched it yet!!! Would love to though'. But the truth is, never actually got around to actually watch it. One day. The one day that never arrives...

Enough bout the Movie Buffs.

Cut!

GHD, Beating the Tax Man and General Knowledge

Now.. I'm feeling so much better. =)
I'm having a GHD (good hair day) =P. It's cool.
Nothing major happens. Only that I've tried some clothes on and they look pretty ON.
It's funny isn't it. How clothes fit on me determines how I feel.
I might be shallow. But, it might also be because I'm a girl.
This is why I continues on going to the gym.
It almost makes me feel like actually seriously going on a diet.
Because the feeling that you get when you try clothes on and they look pretty ON are just WORTH it.
Don't you agree girls? :P

I'm still in the look for a work around. Maybe I don't have to go on diet. Maybe there's a small secret that I'm yet to find as to how to get my hip bones to show when I'm wearing hipster and to get my belly in the state where it's worth for me to get belly piercing.

Anyway, aside from my good hair day, I have one thing in mind. I need to submit my tax return. I need to get money back from the tax man. Geez. I work so hard for it and there they are just grabbing it from me so easily!!! *Sigh*
The thing is I can't bring my self to submit it. Just because I'm still in the look for the tips and trick to get MORE back. The prob is all the articles that I read in the magz (Money, BRW, Fin Review, etc etc) are just telling me what ATO has in its site. It just crosses my mind today, well, they can't really tell me tips and trick to help me get BIG FAT tax return, can they? They can only tell me how to do it right. *Sigh*
Looks like I'm gonna have to resort to the old and loyal Google.. Hope I'll find a site that tells me the list of possible deduction. I don't wanna miss out on anything - anything at all. I need BIG FAT return. I need a holiday.

On a totally different topic. Triggered by the fiction that I've been reading from Adele Parks - Larger Than Life, lately I've been trying to improve my level of general knowledge. The main character in the fiction is a very successful career woman with in-depth knowledge about all sorts of topics, which in turns makes her an interesting person to talk to. She's kinda the person I used to think I'd like to be. Lately I feel it's a bit too much to ask from a human being. I mean, one day only has 24 hours. How are we meant to fit in exercise, reading, work, fun, sleep, laundry, cooking and heaps more? How do all those women do it all? Seriously. I'd like to know the trick.
Maybe I need to learn to do something to the max when I'm doing it. Not just half-heartedly.
So, back to improving my level of general knowledge. On my colleague is reading Schrodinger's Kitten, he describes in such a way that it sounds interesting to read. I'd love to read those kind of books - books that actually teach me something. Things like basic human anatomy, how earth was formed, who plays in what movie, what's going on with the politician, what country is on war, what classic movies are worth watching, what did Leonardo DaVince invented, how to cook like a chef, how to dress like a fashionable lady, what to do if you drop red wine on your carpet, the list go on and on and on and on.
It would be so cool if I can know all those things and talk about it.. The problem is, whenever I go to Borders, I can't take my eyes of the fictions book covers which are always cute and pretty with sweet title. Duh!

Daily Quote-s

Today is Aug 12, 2006.

The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says, 'Go!' -a leader says, 'Let's go!'.
~E. M. Kelly~

Today is Aug 15, 2006.

Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can.
~Willis Whitney~

post number one hundred and one

Lately, I've been feeling like sh*t. =(
I don't even know why. And, I'm not usually like that.
Normally, I am a very easy-going and as many have said 'happy-go-lucky' person..
Not sure what changed.

Could be the fact that I never seem to have enough time to do all the necessities and chores, let alone the things that I actually want to do.
Could be the fact that I never seem to be able to focus on doing one thing and not having other things popping up in my head.
Could be the fact that I haven't been crossing tasks off my to do lists.
Could also be the fact that I keep adding tasks into it.
Could be the fact that I never seem to actually achieve my goals.

Could be anything really.
Most likely, it's a mix of all these.

Oh well, good news is.. today I'm going to stop feeling like sh*t.
As I have firmly believe in the past and I still do believe now, happiness/contentment is a choice.

I am going to slow down and try to clear my head.
Think through what is it I really want and focus on realizing it.
What do I want to focus on in the next, say 5 years of my life?
Is it family?
Is it love?
Is it friendship?
Is it career?
Is it financial stability?
Is it knowledge?
Is it living my life to the fullest?

The thing is, it's not as simple as it used to be.
Back when I was a teenager, I firmly believe, the most important thing to me is friendship.
Nowadays, you have to be able to focus and do well in all aspects.
At times (like right now), it's just too much.
Period.

my 'bewdy' day

according to the book i'm reading "husbands (is one ever enough?)" by adele parks, 'bewdy' is another word for wonderful.. by the way, about this book i'm reading.. i kinda like the story but i try to hide the book cover whenever i can. why? see below and you would understand why.

i have nothing against the cover. in fact i really like it but it's a bit too visually inappropriate. is it just in my head? anyway - it certainly doesn't show 'class'. especially in the work place. come to think about it, most of the books that i read don't help me create the impression i'd like to make at work.
oh well, about my 'bewdy' day.. i had such a good day =) at work, i found the solution to two of my problems in a day... =) it's so great when you get something done. i feel like i could jump out of joy =D hehe...
went to the gym after work - did body pump - it is my one favorite class to go to in the gym. nothing compares to it. it's so my type. i don't even know why i like weight lifting so much :P well i don't like weight lifting. but i like doing body pump. great music. great instructor. great rewarding feeling after the class. simply great.
next, drove to the city - had dinner with my lovely partner n my also-lovely sister n had max brenner's brownies - yummm.. now i have tummy ache. too full and might also be caused by the chilli noodle that i had in dainty. this dainty sichuan restaurant is so addictive, despite the fact that it kills my tummy everytime i go there. i've never tasted anything as spicy as the noodle that they have and i'm addicted to the numbness that the noodle soup creates on my lips.. followed by the sweet sticky chocolate brownies with walnuts from max brenner. PERFECTO.
just found this great site redzero. it's an online magazine.. very cute and innovative - but requires good internet speed.
well, not it has come the time for me to wrap up my post.

The 11 Important Additional Software in my iPiyo [HP iPaq]

Aside from the rapid use of the main programs (i.e. Calendar, Tasks, Notes, Contacts and Internet Explorer - which is only handy when you have good connectivity such as wireless connection to ADSL internet access), I find the following softwares very handy..

• SPB Diary


• iPAQ Backup (as I have painfully learn several times that this is VERY important)


• PocketMusic by Pocket Mind (FREEWARE!!! It comes with the trendy iPod look)


• Astraware Sudoku


• eWallet by Illium Software


• AvantGo (I have just discovered this cool tool!!!)


• Adobe Acrobat Reader


• Microsoft Reader


• Pocket Streets 2005 for Windows


• Microsoft Money for Pocket PC


• Diet Organizer

Here's a link to a very interesting site for Pocket PC Hints and Tips.

online shopping deals

on Friday afternoon, one of my colleague @ work came over and told me about this deal she got from strawberrynet. she purchased Davidoff's Echo Woman Eau De Parfum Spray 100ml/3.4oz for less than AUD $40.00 (she's been a member of that site for a while and she has made a numerous purchases so she get more discounts on the already cheap price)!!! shocking. i paid a little more than $100.00 for it a year and a half ago...
on the same day, i was browsing the net trying to look for deals on "pure inventions", green-tea drop that is meant to be good for you - low calorie snack, naturally sweet, etc etc (i dun even know why i find that interesting). found out bout it from one article from the iVillage site (i subscribed to its RSS feed). found out that it's not available in australia yet, so the only way to get it is through the net. so, today i went back to my search for cheapest price i can get on the item and i found this site skin-store. it looks legit and seem to be offering quite good deal. especially when i search further for it's coupon and found this 10% off coupon code scattered on myjaco. the thing is that hasn't quite convince me. what if i purchased it and then 2 days later i found 20% off coupon code.
the net has certainly make things so much easier. seriously. so much options out there that at times i find it very difficult to make a decision. mmm how do i know when i've found a bargain n should stop searching?
now, i need to know where do i get bargains on flight tickets? i need 3 return tickets of melbourne - jakarta. the quotes i got from the travel agent which i normally go to are far from impressive. AUD $1560.00 for high season ticket and around AUD $1250.00 for low season (which ends on 6th Dec for Singapore Airlines) - tax EXclusive. Geez... it's way too much for a trip back to indo. especially if u're buying tickets for 3 people. insane. anyway, i'm tempted to get them the jetstar ticket. i've checked - it's ~950$ (jetFlex (refundable) n tax INclusive!!!) or ~700$ (jetSaver (non-refundable) - still tax INclusive). the only prob is that it only goes to Denpasar (BALI). a bit troublesome PLUS just found out from my mom that the cheap domestic flight between Bali - Jkt (air asia only allows up to 15kg of luggage. what's 15kg?? d*mit. it's not enough. especially if u're coming from indo to melb. there's so much cheap things to bring over. all said n done... i will have to continue my journey of finding a more suitable bargain...

sayonara.

Daily Quote for Jul 5, 2006

Today is Jul 5, 2006.

Once we realize that imperfect understanding is the human condition, there is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our mistakes.
-- George Soros

Daily Quote for Aug 1, 2006

Today is Aug 1, 2006.

What breaks in a moment may take years to mend.
-- Proverb, (Swedish)

This is something that I've learnt through experience... and I hope no one else have to go through the same thing.

Daily Quote for Jul 30, 2006

Today is Jul 30, 2006.

Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile.
-- Pierre Coneille~

So true!