monstarrr of the shopping & the ice creamz om nom nom!

Mid semester break is here so I'm free for two weeks. Yay! To celebrate , Jaz and I hit Ben & Jerrys (my third time this week...). We ended up trying a grand total of five flavours: New York Super Fudge(?), Chocolate Macadamia, Sweet Creme and Cookies(?), Peanut Cookieburra and Strawberry Cheesecake.


Forgot to take one before we dug in...

We actually didn't mean to eat so much, seeing as we'd just had a picnic involving two types of cake... but unfortunately we found a hair in our first serve of ice cream, so they nicely let us choose another. Due to our sugar high (to the point where I thought it best to wait outside for them lest they think we were scamming them due to my inability to control my laughter—even now I don't know what I was laughing about) we only chose two flavours this time around.


Two happy chappies! :D!

I also splurged whilst waiting for my two lovely ladies to finish class...


New Dress on sale for $20 (Dotti)


Pink Nail Polish


Line up of new Lip Products


Wearing Maybelline 'Are you Reddy?' (blotted a few times! It's so bright!) & my first ever pair of Pink Circle Lenses

I've been lemming a bright, but pastel-ish/candy pink creme nail polish for a loooong time. D keeps talking me into putting it (and everything else) on the backburner because I'm trying to save money. I really shouldn't have gone to Priceline without him; I blew a lot of cash D: Wore the nail polish (called 'Wedded Bliss' umm whaaaat?) to work the past two nights and no chips so far so yay? I also ended up with a dress, which should be nice for going out. Now I just need an occasion... It replaced my lemming for a pink chiffon skirt with a cat print because it just did not sit right! Made you look like a puffer fish down below :(

biennale 2010, food and friends

Today I spent $20 on food. That might not sound like a lot to you, but I'm frugal, a student, and unemployed (according to Centrelink who don't want to be down with me). Nonetheless, who can put a price on long overdue, much needed, catch up with two of your favourite girls?

A photo would be appropriate here, but I fail at being camera happy. Hopefully I can pinch one off Kat later.

We went to check out the Biennale, but only managed to view the Museum of Contemporary Art's segment. Our unanimous favourite was the two artworks by Penny Siopsis, so if you're up there, check it out! I was a little disappointed though, as the MCA lacked interaction, which I always look forward to. It's those pieces that I find linger in my mind most as favourites, especially in the past Biennales. D and I are planning to give Cockatoo Island a go on Tuesday, so hopefully my need to be physically engaged is satisfied there.



Neuron by Roxy Paine
Currently on display outside of the MCA as part of the Biennale of Sydney 2010

We hit two cafes today. I won't name the first one as it wasn't a worthwhile experience, although not terrible. It should be renamed Bird Cafe though as it's more appropriate, and it should be noted that the birds weren't really the problem...

The second isn't really a cafe, but La Renaissance Patisserie Francaise. There was a line just to enter and just after we were seated, people started having to wait for tables. This was at around 2pm, but then again it was a Sunday. The prices are a little high for my liking, but then again I have to wrap my head around the fact that it's in a tourist area... I'd been meaning to go for awhile because of the macarons, which I'd once had an obsession for, but seeing as they're $2.50 each, I passed in favour of...



Chocolate Eclair with Chocolate Pastry Cream ($5.50 eat in)



Lemon Tart, Macarons (Strawberry?, China Jasmine Green Tea, Pistachio), Chocolate Eclair

It was all well-received, washed down with flavoured lemonades ('diablo' with choice of mint, strawberry or grenadine syrups) and flavoured mineral water (Perrier with mint, strawberry or grenadine syrups). Looking at these photos makes me want another eclair... I just showed D and it seems I'll be returning for seconds on Tuesday >:D

Cocktail Party & Speaker Event

On Monday night I attended a cocktail party + speaker function event. It was also the launch of a new uni program. Most of all, I was excited to see the girls again, as it's so hard these days to get most of us (let alone all!) together.



Sarah & Kat ♥

We'd planned to get a group shot of us all together, however everyone seemed so into mingling and networking I felt rude to interrupt... One of the event photographers did approach us though and took no less than four shots, which was kind of amusing. I hope to track the photos down!



Myself & Fee

I was a little weary having been at uni since 9am, and I know some of the others had similar situations, but at the same time I had a few fun conversations regarding looks received from people regarding our dress — it isn't easy trying to be casual yet cocktail appropriate!



Jess refreshing herself with complimentary champagne

Whilst it was wonderful catching up with the girls, my expectations of the night were blown away by the following speaker event. Hugh Evans was flown in from England arriving in Sydney at 5am, not that you could tell. I recently had a crash course in rhetoric and the examples we focused on were Martin Luther King and President Obama and now I feel that I know — I've experienced a great rhetor. Kat, Sarah and I had a discussion afterwards admitting that we'd all been fighting back tears at one point or another thinking we'd been the only ones!


♥

To keep this so overly simplified, but short and sweet:
I'm so inspired to continue going for my dreams because in doing this I can be the change that I want to see.

Thank you, Hugh Evans.

On 愛

One of the very few things I've learnt how to write in Chinese (Traditional) is 'I love you' (我愛你). In fact, as I realised in a comment to Jess that this is the only phrase that I know how to write (side note: hopefully I can rectify this soon!). When I was learning to write this I had just learnt how to write 媽媽 (mum) and 爸爸 (dad) so in my child-like excitement, I scrawled notes to each of my parents telling them that I loved them.

I can't remember if any affection or happiness was part of their reactions, not that they would've been unmoved by the gesture. What I do remember is being told by 媽媽 to be cautious in my use of the word 愛. I must not use it so freely. I remember responding by telling her that she's my 媽媽 so what was wrong with telling her that? She conceded on that point although more so dismissing it so that she could continue stressing the importance of not using my newly learnt phrase.

Perhaps it's due to my growing up primarily Westernised that I'm more open with affection and my views on 愛 differ. However, I also think it's partly due to her views, her generation, her experiences, things that I'll never be able to understand — or at least things that will never reach me to the point of alteration. I'm glad for it. It's an important part of me — of great importance to me to be able to tell my family I love them, tell my closest friends I care about them (for this is the point that hits home to me in my grasp of this platonic love, and I don't use the term 'care' in a simple, superficial sense), tell the one I love how I feel about them...

Yes, I have different categories of love, and feel uncomfortable (and fake) using the word too casually. 愛 should not be used or given away too freely for like anything of value if given away too "much" it loses its value. Only in this case love (should be) is boundless in quantity and its not so much the volume, but given away careless or too freely... the principle still applies. What is the point of a word without meaning? It's not a feeling if it loses meaning. It's not a feeling if it means nothing, it's a lie.

I digress, but the point is I too have strong reserves about using this word, whether it be a cultural influence or another. Being who I am, as well as it being my life, I'm willing to take (shrewd) risks, although I heed my parents' warnings. I believe I have opportunities my parents didn't have and I am going to seize them for I feel that 愛 should play a bigger role in (everyone's) life. Everyone deserves 愛 and if there's anything I've learned from my parents it's that I cannot lead a loveless life.

Yesterday was my one year anniversary with D. I use 愛 with him against my parents' warnings, but it's my life. My heart (心). My choice. My happiness. It might not come easily, but it's something definitely worth fighting for, and this battle — this war, I vow to win.



This entry actually started out with three main purposes: to illustrate my encounters with perception of 愛; to commemorate one year of 愛; and to thank Jess and Kat for their support and 愛. So Jess and Kat, I love you both. Your support and understanding really means the world to me. Thank you.