2010 in Review

Well, I considered naming this entry 2010: The Good, The Bad and The ugly....but I don't have many bad things or ugly things to recall. Sure 2010 had its moments....like Ranger getting all matted with his own poop that he had to be shaved...right before snowmagedon. I mean Ranger was pretty ugly and he smelled bad...but he was really cute in that lion cut.

I looked back on my January 1, 2010 entry...the resolution blog to see if I had accomplished anything I had set out to accomplish in 2010. Surprisingly, I really did.

In 2010, my big focus areas were: Relationships, Personal Growth, Financial and Travel:

Relationships: I really wanted to get myself more inline with God's will for me. So often we are swimming against the current because the darn current is taking us where we didn't want to go. Its exhausting...and when we finally let go and float, not drown, but lay our heads back, rest and float...the current takes us for an interesting ride. We start to see that the places the current is taking us aren't too bad. This was the year I finally embraced my singleness. Not sure how God is using it but I'm feeling very blessed in the freedom it provides me. Oh, and peace...I am feeling more at peace. Maybe I'm seeing how God is working everything out and I'm learning to trust Him more. I'm liking the ride and look forward to how I'm going to be shaped and what things I'm going to learn in 2011.

Getting to know the women in my small group better...while I haven't felt closer to a group of women, than I do with the women in my small group, I think this is still an area I can work on in 2011.

Getting to know my co-workers better...also another area I need to work on. I'll be honest, I don't walk around and socialize much...I sit down and work. I'd like to get to know folks better as they are all pretty cool.

Personal Growth: The big goal was to get into better shape and be healthier, maybe lose a few pounds. I haven't lost any weight, yet. However, I have been working out regularly since June and have seen strength improvements. While I have seen results, not as impactful as I had hoped so for 2011, I'll be changing some things up to improve on what I've done in 2010.

I wanted to take dance classes, photography classes and maybe an improv class. I took dance classes and really learned I like rumba and cha-cha. While I have taken the past six months off, I have signed up for rumba and cha-cha classes in January and I hope to stick with them for the next year. Dancing with the Stars...here I come! Didn't take the photog or the improv class...but hey I have 365 days in 2011.

Financial goal: Pay off the darn Credit Card. Oh I was so close! But Snowmagedon took its toll on my 10 year old Honda and the transmission started to go at the end of February. Half the money I was going to use to pay off the credit card went as a down payment on a new car. I'm really happy with my new car, a Subaru Forester. So nice to not be dropping $1000 every other month to get something fixed. So the Credit Card was not paid off...but, if all goes as planned, which it most likely won't because nothing ever goes as planned, it should be paid off this March.

Travel Goal: Do more travel, internationally and locally. So one word here: Bali.

Yes, I went to Bali at the beginning of the summer. I also checked out a few more places locally, not as many as I would have liked. There are plans for 2011 so stay tuned!

Blessings from me to you in 2011.

This is a time of year that is a reflective time for me. To evaluate where I am at in all aspects of my life. I want to make some changes in the coming year, and have been very contemplative lately.

What ever 2011 brings for you I pray you find peace, joy and much love.

bye,10.

2010 draws to a close, its been 12 Months happiness, 52 weeks fun, 365 Days laughter, 8760 hours good luck, 525600 minutes joy, and 31536000 seconds success.

Thank you for the good health, so i can enjoy each day in comfort. For the happiness and joy, and for the Love that never ends from my entire wonderful, astonishing, incredible, family, friends, and best friends.

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right!

Happy 2011 everyone! :D

Coretan-Coretan Ujung Jari Yang Unik dan Kreatif

Perth 2010: New Experiences

This was our 3rd or 4th trip to Perth (my sis lives there), so we told ourselves we should be "curious to look at the same things, differently."

And here's our journey:

The headrest of the seat in front of me in the plane (*lame*)

Summertime in Perth

This trip was really meaningful to us because we weren't just visiting new places but we met new people too, my sister's friends. Didn't have all their pics. Sis' friends are radical and cool: A teacher who teaches drop-out teens, an indon and china couple, sis' boss who's a walking historian (and a passionate coin collector. He opened my eyes to the meaning of history and details), a Canadian girl who studied occupational science and of course, my sis' godparents: Wilf and Mardi:

Wilf and Mardi have a beautiful Bali inspired house, with a pool at the back. Cozzzy.

Mardi pointed out to a pot which was punctured by the recent hailstorm

Wilf baked us fresh pizzas from his clay oven. Sedap giler (translate: insanely delicious)!

This pic of AUD 1 coin reminds me of my sis' boss. Check out this mind-blowing fact: one of these coins is worth at least 1000X more than the standard 1 ozzie dollar coin.

Some pictures of Perth City:

A quaint alley and a church at Hay Street and Murray Street (the two main shopping precinct in Perth)

A mix of old and new buildings

Wesley Church

Bell Tower, at night

Perth skyline

The compounds of WA Contemporary Arts Museum

Claimed to be the oldest grapevine in Western Australia (planted in the late 1850s). You can find this fella at the back of the WA Museum

A Japanese restaurant downtown which offers reasonably priced meals

A coffee joint. Pic of a teapot wearing baju to keep itself warm

My sis' workplace, Kurrajong Student Village in Curtin University ("Kurrajong" is an Aboriginal name of that tree)

The public opposing to a building construction project. The socks = "It stinks!" (Ozzie humour)

Hillarys Boat Harbour

Jo and I booked a 1-day tour to the Pinnacles and Sand dune 4WD experience:

Along the way, we stopped by at Caversham Wildlife Park to give some love to the kangaroos and koalas.

Then we stopped by at Lobster Shack, a massive lobster exporting factory

An interesting signboard at Lobster Shack. Points you the direction of major cities in the world and it gives you the distance too . Kuala Lumpur, 4090km away.

The Pinnacles!

Stopped by some random beach. Jo said this was a nice shot of her ^_^

We rode this macho 4-wheel drive bus to conquer the sand dunes!

Jo climbed up to one of the highest sand dune tip to sand board down! That's her in green.

Watch her cool-ly sand board down the dunes

Sis, Jo and I took a day off to visit The Maze. None of us has been there before. Not a bad place to chillax:

One of their largest maze

It has a mini wildlife park too. "Yo Asian, how izzit goin', mate?"

A mini golf course (which Jo scored a hole-in-one in one of the courses)

We did some jumping shots at the Pine Maze:

Then over the weekend, Janice flew in to join in the fun too. We spent a day at Freemantle and Rottnest Island (also fondly known as Rotto):

Rotto has the bluest waters I've ever seen.

No cars are allowed on the island. You travel by bicycle! (or walk, or take a feeder bus)

The largest concentration of Quokkas (mini wallaby or giant rat) in the world are in Rotto. They roam freely on the island. Pretty cute fellas.

A broccoli tree

"Buy Australian products!"

We did some jumping shots again...

...and made some funny faces...

...and ate chilli mussels at Freemantle (while making funny faces)

What a fulfilling and awesome day! Freemantle, as the sun sets.

And of course, U2 360 Concert, the chief reason for visiting Perth! I didn't capture much photos this time cause I didn't want to be distracted. I wanted to fully take in the whole experience with the rest of the 60,000 fans. For more photos and videos, see Jo's entry

As you can see, we were addicted to jumping shots. In front of the stage, also known as the Spaceship or the Claw.

Opening act: Jay-Z (odd choice for an opening act for a rock band)

Counting down to U2 walking cool-ly up on stage

Bono!

It was an amazing 1-week trip for us and a meaningful way to cap the year: spent with loved ones, dotted with new experiences.