Coming to an end

For the past three years I've been accustomed to a particular sort of lifestyle and I can't believe that it's nearly over. It's been three years of checking in, boarding, training, training and training. Three years of running around, waking up at unearthly hours and meeting weird and crazy people. Next Friday I'll officially walk away from a job, workplace and family that's been a huge part of my life. But I'm walking away from it a version of me that I'm proud of because I feel like I've been pushed to grow. When I left uni three years ago I had no idea what I wanted but now I know in my heart what I want to do.

I don't regret a single part of the entire experience and I'm thankful of all the opportunities I was given. Not only that but I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with some very special people over the years. 

It's been a lot of fun!

In other news there's a really awesome track by Neyo - Let Me Love You. Check out the clip - it's freaking sexy.

Random thoughts

Little things pop out to me when I'm out and about and I like to take photos of them so I remember those moments and smile.

Like the other day when I spent the day out with my mum in Cabra. We saw this jacket at the front of a clothing store. and mum was like, 'You wore that when you were a little toddler Lin - do you remember?' She started laughing and so did I because I actually remember!

It was this bright red leather jacket with cowgirl like frills everywhere and I remember photos of me wearing it proudly. Eeeek! That's so early 90s! I can't believe it's still floating around being sold to parents of little kids today!

Likewise, I was sitting at Strathfield Station Platform 7 earlier this year and was zoning out when I noticed this plant growing out of a drain pipe for the first time ever.

I found it really odd but cool. Mainly because I'd stood waiting at Platform 7 for years on end when I was in uni  and not once did I see this plant!

Just some random thoughts :)

My favourite things

My room's a forest of random things. I'm the type of person who hoards things or throws things on my study table figuring that if ever I need to get it in the future, it'll be easily found (in my mess).

There is however an orderly section in my room which is on top of my wooden bookshelf.

Here is where I keep a collection of things that mean alot to me. It's weird. I don't consciously stand in front of it with everything I get and assess whether it should be put there. If anything, it's an automated response. When I get home with the item, I'll automatically place it there without question because it feels right.


Just a few of the things I have (roughly labelled but not quite clear! haha):



1. A laminated bookmark commemorating the life of my grandma.


I keep it here because it reminds me each day to be a be kind to others and show care. Although I never had the chance to meet her before she passed which I really feel sad for, I could tell from the way my mum talked of her and the rest of my family in the States that she was a beautiful person who was so loving to others and bound the family together with her love. Plus, she was the mother of my mum and shaped her to be the loving person she is today which I'm very grateful for.



2. A school portrait of me when I was in Yr 4 with crayons in my hair.


Not sure why this photo ended up on my cabinet but I think it had to do with the fact that the frame was given to my mum as a gift from someone she knew. The frame came in a pack of three frames which were all shaped differently. My big sister and my little sister received the other two and we got each of the self portraits that were taken of us that calendar year and placed reach one on our personal cabinet. I guess I'm really fond of that frame because it's like link with my sisters.




3. A japanese golden print I bought the first time I visited Japan in 2004.


I think I only bought it for ten Australia dollars but this piece reminds me how wonderful those two weeks over in Japanese was. I had the opportunity to live and be with one of the kindest bunch of people who welcomed me with open arms - my homestay family. It was also the first time I met my Japanese father whose kindness and warmth is unbelievable. He treated me like his own daughter. It makes you realise it's not all about blood.



4. My egg man.


I think I bought him a few years ago in a random stationery shop on Burwood Road. Just looking at him makes me so happy - maybe because he looks so happy.



5. A simple vase of flowers.


It's weird - one day these appeared and I didn't know how until my mum told me that she bought it at the Salvos and thought it'd look nice on my cabinet. I thought that was so sweet of my mum. Plus it looks just right where it is - fits perfectly :)




6. My handpainted snail.


This little ceramic snail was given to my in Kindergarten by a friend I knew back then. But sure why but I'm really attached to it.



7. My 'I Whaley Love you' card.


I like it because it's so sweet and simple.



8. A card given to me from my boyfriend.


Meant alot to me. Not because that was when I became 24 but because it was from him.



9. My USBs.


These sticks contain all the files - hundreds and hudreds of files - I've ever created for my job as a Trainer. Every powerpoint, stencil, SOP, visa document is saved on these and it's like a mark of how much work I've invested in performing my role. Ready to move on but I will keep these as memory of how much I've taught myself from scratch.



10. My Kimmi Doll from Ivy.


Enough said :)

Eggs, sister and lychees

Today I woke up and decided to make some eggs. 

I was home alone and this made me miss my little sister even more because for as long as I can remember, her and I were always the ones who woke up and spent time together each morning with the parentals out of the house. We'd sit, chat and drink warm water together and she would tell me off because I'd always tip my warm water down the sink.

Here are my eggs on lightly toasted Bakehouse Light Rye bread. 

For those wondering, the flecks of black and grey particle aren't charred remnants of the pan (surprisingly enough!) - they are actually sprinkles of sea salt, black peppercorns, garlic, parsley and oregano. Eggs are lovely by themselves, especially the yolky runny centre, however this seasoning as subtle as it is, topped it off :)

Looking at this plate made me wish Ivy was here to share it with but I guess I'll see her soon enough next year. She would probably have a heart attack knowing that I made these :D

Anyway the weather outside is absolutely stunning. It's the perfect level of chilly and sun mixed together. The view from my backyard...

My view from the ground.

Heading out today in this beautiful weather so I think I'll put some Mor Lychee Flower Perfume Oil on. A very good girlfriend of mine gave me this for my birthday last year and I've cherished it ever since. Lychees are so delicious, sweet and subtle and a little of this scent on my wrists and behind my ears will brighten my day just a little.

Multilingual much?

I was trawling through forums the other day and came across some info that made me smile because it made so much sense.

Relationships are something which many of us find mind boggling. But the funny thing is if you look at it quite simply, perhaps a good many of our struggles and misunderstandings come from simply not speaking the same language.

Haha, ok allow me to elaborate.

When I say language I'm not referring to the conventional idea of linguistics. I'm referring to an idea that Gary Chapman pipped a few years back in a book he wrote called The 5 Love Languages. In a nutshell, he basically outlined that there's five ways for a partner to express their love and care and how important it is to express love to your partner in a way that they can understand.

As I was reading the article, it made perfect sense.

For one thing he outlines the following as the five languages:

Words

Perhaps you're verbal. It's the things you articulate, speak or text to your significant other to show how much you care or value them.

Quality Time

Maybe you believe it's the time you spend together that shows your love for each other. Doing things together, focusing on each other and appreciating each other's company.

Gifts

Although this might sound materialistic I don't really think this language has to be. For one thing, it may the little sentimental things you give to your partner in a metaphorical sense. Like a little post stick note on their wallet wishing them a good day or a little random thing you bought for them because it reminded you of them.. As cliched as it seems, it really is the thought that counts!

Acts of Service

Discovering what things you can do to help your partner can be just as valuable a form of showing that you care. It's those little offers of help to make their lives easier like offering to pick up the laundry or picking them up from places which I think are really sweet.

Finally there's physical touch  which in my opinion when used with sincerity and gentleness can express wonders. Little things like stroking your partner's back, holding hands, hugging and kissing them on the cheek show that you care too.

Anyway when I read all this I was struck by simple it all really is. It's about reflecting on what your strongest love languages are and speaking the language that you know your partner appreciates and understands. Something interesting was the thought that sincerity is great but sometimes it's not quite enough. Sure it comes from the heart but if it is packaged in a way that your partner doesn't understand, it will be lost on them so it's also about communicating your care in a way that your partner "gets."

After I read this article I thought about it and realised that I think the way I express my care and love for my loved ones are through a combination of the above. However I get the most joy from doing acts of service for my loved ones and physical touch :)

I love you too

Woke up to the sound of rain today and decided to have a day in on my day off.

Decided to migrate my blankie to the living room couch and watch a few movies I'd be meaning to watch for a while.

One of those movies was an Australian film released in 2010 called I Love You Too. I remember a really good friend of mine told me how good it was a few years ago and having watched it today, I completely agree with her.

If you had to pigeonhole this film, you'd probably label it as a rom-com. However I don't think that term lends this film justice. Sure it's funny and it's romantic which is precisely what this generalisation suggests, but it's so much more than that. Add to that, it's devoid of all the connotations of tackiness and cliches that often come with this genre.

In a nutshell, the premise of the film reads like a well worn cliche. The protaganist, Jim, a thirty something year old man, once a self confessed bachelor, finds himself hooked when he meets Alice. However after three wonderful years together, he loses her due to his inability to articulate his love for her in a very crucial moment. From this point on, the film follow's Jim's journey to win Alice back but rather than taking the traditional, well worn rom-com route of male pathetically proclaiming love for love interest time after unfailing time, it ventures into buddy flick territory where Jim actually meets Charlie, a guy who teaches him about the value of articulating love in both spoken and unspoken ways. It's interesting that the film plays out like a rather belated coming of age film.

Embarassingly, I was teary at particularly points in the film because it examined all types of bonds in a really touching way - not just those between romantic partners, but also between siblings, best mates and oddly coupled friends. Alot of it I think that people can certainly relate to because in the end, I really believe that people mean well in their relationships. We approach relationships of all types with good intentions. Whether it's parents, siblings, and good friends, we want the best for each other and especially when we see our loved ones in distress, we're not always sure what to do but we always wish we could do more.. But sometimes, or more often than not, we're all a bit clumsy and even our best intentions are misconstrued, even though the genuine feelings in their purest form, are there.

Also, it think the film shows not the values of gestures in everyday life, but also the value of simple statements, which whilst laden with meaning, are just as meaningful in their rarity. I think I'm starting to realise that myself. Watching the film, I know this sounds tacky, but I really felt like I could relate to Jim. It''s weird. I have no issues writing a 5000 word essay exploring topics about sociological theories and blabbing about a range of topics which are pretty convoluted, but I find it really hard to articulate how I feel or the things that go on in my head. I wish it came easier because there's times when I wonder if the people I love in my life know how much I care about them but I guess I show them in different unspoken ways. In the ways that I stick up for them, or fight for them, or think of them and would do things for them. However maybe I should take a leaf out of this film and realise that sometimes I need to say it in a more verbal way because it's really hard to tell and sometimes people need to hear it to know it.

Anyway this film touched me alot. It was funny. It made me giggle. It kept me occupied and kept me warm on a rainy day. But most importantly, it made me think, which is the best quality of any film.

Chino!

While shopping recently I fell in love with a pair of maroon chino pants I found in General Pants.

Although I didn't get a chance to try them in, it did inspire me to write a post on how awesome I think chino pants are - and how underrated I think they are!

Chino pants are termed as such due to the fabric that's used to manufacture them. The cotton materials that's used to make them was primarily used in British and French military uniforms in the mid-1800s but today it's a fashion piece which is timelessly elegant.

Chino pants come in a range of colours - navy, greys, khaki, black and tans but I think that sexiest shade is beige (second from right). Paired with a set of heels, this clothing piece is suitable in both casual settings or corporate environments. Also, not only does it look cute, but it's very comfy and the fabric lets your skin breathe!


Also been listening to some tracks by a Korean band I find really intriguing called Bigbang. 

Call me odd but I find their fashion and art direction kind of cool :D It's pretty outrageous but I think they pull it off pretty well, especially in their clip Fantastic Baby.