Bought KidSisterAmelia’s  Christmas present. It seemed obvious, that I’d get her Buzz, since I got her Woody for her birthday the year before. You can’t have Woody without Buzz, and everyone knows that!

Also, I attended the Kancil Awards for the first time. Went with the colleagues and I was really amazed at all the ads nominated that night. Hehe, jakun a bit, since it was my first time.

With MichieMicrowaveQueen and SeemunSkinnyBitch

I found this ad really cute. It was for Boh camomile tea, and the tagline was “Calm Bird”

LEo Burnett had a little tower going on. It was pretty cool that we were winning awards. Then we looked over at another table. McCann-Erickson and saw they had twin towers! Madness!

Just a day at work. KL and Melbourne

One of the bigger events at the end of 2011. Sadly, it was a bit of a letdown. He didn’t play his classics. No Traffic, no Elements of Life, no Adagio for Strings… NOTHING.

Care pack from Melbourne <3

JordanBomberking is the best. I LOVE Zappos.

Belated Christmas present from Shermaine. Lego pendant from JordanBK

Drinks with ChefChoe after work

Just some aviators, Melbourne – KL.

Little things like photos of what we’re doing each day really helps with the distance.

Yee sang!

As mentioned before, the team’s leave has been frozen, so we started a little (not-so-mini) bar of our own.

Hoi toi session at BungaActiongirl.

Bai tin kong at Sammie’s with the girls.

Peace and love! I need to get back to work!

So here’s the annual post on Chinese New Year.

I have to say, with a job this year, being my first, I don’t have any leave to take. Plus, my team’s leave has been frozen due to a big ass campaign we’re all working on. Thus, much to my grandparents’ dismay, I had to leave for KL on the second day of Chinese New Year, in order to be back for work on the third day All the visiting had to be short and sweet.

Each year, our CNY house decorations vary, but we always get one or two that remain the same.

With ChefChoe

KidSisterAmelia and I had matching colors this year. Funny enough, our little “theme” was unplanned. She bought the dress while in Melbourne.

Jumpsuit: Gallo by Thian

Shoes: Bershka (Singapore)

Pose: Get  ALL the angpau!

With the family on Chor  Yat

Cheongsam Choes!

And as usual, every year on the first day, we have the tea ceremony before receiving the angpau.

Some have said they never knew my family was this traditional, seeing as my parents are so cool and open to things while growing up. I’m glad that no matter how “with the times” my parents are, they’ve taught me that certain things are best left old school

A few things we still do every Chinese New Year are washing our hair the night before (before midnight) because we can’t wash it on the first day; sucking it up – no crying, getting angry or any negative feelings whatsoever so avoid bad juju for the rest of the year; no cleaning the house on the first day; and putting Mandarin oranges with a little angpow on our beds before we sleep.

New addition to the house decor by yours truly: My favorite type of flowers! Shame you can’t get real ones on this side of the planet

Every year, KidSisterAmelia and I head over the GrandmaChoe’s on the first day and play this little game: We spin this little thing and wherever our hand lands, whichever snack is hidden in it, we have to eat it. No re-spinning. We always aim for the deep fried seaweed or pork floss spring rolls. Never the peanut snack or love letters. Well, for me anyway. Heh.

Onto the fail photos for the day. I can’t remember what we forgot at home, but I had to drive back to pick something up.

Weird angle of my butt. I think the cheongsam makes my body look disproportionate.

KidSisterAmelia was being vain.

And a huffypuffy shot of my driving, trying not to take too long.

Anyway, Gong hei fatt choy to all my Chinese readers. How was your CNY?

The Ruud picked me up from the airport, and had to suffer this traffic. Thanks again, so much!

MommaChoe and #reasonsweloveJULIET prepped this the night before I got home. SO SWEET, RIGHt?!

Gossips was all I drank back in Melbourne. A bottle went for $3.99 each (yeah, cheap and good – does the trick) AND IS RM45 HERE!!! Siao!

Getting used to KL traffic all over again. It was tough. Plus, I couldn’t parallel park! So shameful, I tell you! OHMYGOD. I was on the way to meet the girls for lunch in Bangsar and found a nice spot right out the front of the restaurant. HOW OFTEN DO YOU COME ACROSS SUCH A NICE PARKING SPOT?! And yet I had to give it up -___-”

Reunion!

Home cooked Asian!

Hello boys!

Petai prawns!

Above & Beyond in KL

<3

Never having to check the weather before leaving the house AGAIN!!! Awwwwwwww yeeeeeeeeaaaahhh!!!

Getting a long needed treatment for my hurr

Assam laksa lunch with MommaChoe

Steve Jobs, MissBItchLongLegs and Blair Waldorf

At the Hangerween party

KALI CHEE CHEONG FUN!!!

Bodega vino sesh with DirtyLingerieSon

Something I found while cleaning out my room

Dinner with the MUSA gang and EvilTwinHanie

Retail therapy with MommaChoe! Was goooood!

Anyway, with rent issues in my last month there, I moved in with JordanBomberKing and had a little money on the side for all the farewell shindigs. I PREFER to spend on food than clothes, but it’s a fine line I walk on. Anyway, here’s a little post on food, friends, little places in Melbourne to makan at. CheerTiff has dubbed me the “girl who suggests random restaurants in nooks and crannies” whereas Julia calls them “Rape Lane Restaurants” hahaha!

Manchester Press:

With Demie, Julia, CheerTiff and BeautyQueenCrystal

Back in the suburbs… JordanBK’s place has a lot of green to look at. It was pretty fun. And a vegetable patch!

This was at the market

I was in charge of fruit duty every night for almost a month. I am PRO at peeling and cutting fruits now!

Chicken and mushroom pie

KidSisterAmelia at work

Carlton Gardens: I wanted to have lunch and a good catch up session with the Malaysian gang before leaving for home, but no one could think of a place to eat. LeonPhotoPro had the best idea that we should all just tapau whatever it is we want and have a picnic. Brill!

SoyanButterfly and LeonPhotoPro posing as tourists

Got some gelato from Freddo’s on the walk back to Swanston

Off to South Yarra for KidSisterAmelia’s Fancy Hat birthday party at Soda Rock

Catch up Session with DebFong at Seven Seeds

Three Bags Full with LaurenToes and Soyanutterfly

There was a protest that day, Occupy Melbourne

MONSU/OSS Peninsula’s Halloween Party

Yuka and Leyshani

With the gorgeous Amy and Akila, who made his costume from scratch!

Farewell lunch @ Hardware Société

One of their signature dishes: the Scallop Salad

Of course, one last time at Rooftop Bar

I also had a little farewell do at the GAS Station

With Guri G

With Cameron, Dave and JordanBK

Ludders got me afew bottles of Rekordelig cider. Really yums! BebirdNiak gets these easily in Sweden. Hopefully they bring these to KL soon

With SoyanButterfly, Nadia and theChute

HI YUKA!!!

On my last Saturday night in Melbourne, KidSisterAmelia, BigBoyJames, JordanBK and I headed to Coda

First we met at Melbourne Central so I could pass her birthday presents to her…

Anyway, at Coda, I spotted celebrity chef, Adam D’Sylva, and I did the most stalker thing by zooming in (hence the poor quality) and snapped a photo.

Note: My last Saturday night was all about soaking up Melbourne for the last time and being a complete tourist…

So we had to camwhore at Flinder’s St Station

with KidSisterAmelia and BigBoyJames. I feel so small.

I like these photos..

Because they were candid and we looked RAW

I also wore a pin I spent $5 on for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

LOL KSA wanted a “Tumblr shot” for us. Thanks, KSA!

“OMG SPACESHIP!!!”

Train ride home with JordanBK…

But not before pulling AN ASIAN at Melbourne Central… Hahah that clock goes off every hour and plays “Waltzing Matilda” and all those little birds pop out from under the clock. We’ve always thought of taking a photo of the Asian tourists taking photos of that clock. Just that this time, it was my phone and I (JBK to be exact, coz he snapped the photo) being the Asian tourist.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

There are soooooo many photos I want to share, but being lazy all this time and not wanting to have too long a post with photos, I can’t share them all. But there’s always Twitter and Facebook!

Thursday morning started out really early. The night before wasn’t exactly a late one (I cooked MommaChoe, Dad, KidSisterAmelia and JordanBomberKing dinner). Anyway, I was up by 9.30am, it’s been awhile since I had to share a bathroom with just one other person, and everyone had to get ready super early that day. After some dim sum with the parents in Springvale, it was finally time to head off to Monash Clayton to pick up my gown.

On the way there, TOTAL wardrobe malfunction. I didn’t know how tight my dress was going to be, and to be honest, WAY TOO MUCH boobage ensued. Sigh. There was also a little rip in the front of my dress from pulling it up too much. OMGFML. Lucky for MommaChoe who lent me one of her favorite cardigans. Phew!

I refused to change into another dress, because I was adamant on attempting a color block outfit.

Color!

Gotta love KidSisterAmelia, she always brightens up the day! Clown noses for a comedic element and helium balloons, simply coz helium balloons are awesome! The day was mad windy and it wasn’t really appropriate for helium balloons though… They assaulted her as she was walking towards uni. Also, dresses and properly styled hair were flying everywhere, mine included!

Me in front of Menzie’s building. To be honest, it was a tiring day, running up and down taking photos everywhere in that gown.

With MommaChoe and KidSisterAmelia

With Dad 

What I Wore:

Green Dress: Forever 21

Yellow scarf used as belt: Dotti

Bag: Tod’s

Plum shoes: Gallo by Thian

With JordanBK in front of Robert Blackwood Hall

Dad doing the final touches.

The thing about having a surname that begins with one of the first 5 letters of the alphabet, you’re always one of the firsts in the hall. It took no more than 20 minutes for me to receive my degree. Hehe 

OKAY THIS PHOTO IS EPIC: I was meant to doff the chancellor, which was obviously what I was aiming for. First attempt, I didn’t actually reach the top of my mortar and dad caught it on camera. OMG it brings my drunk salute to a whole other level.

On another note, a few oh my friends who were there that day said “Whoa, CHECK OUT HER SHOES!” when I went up. hehe

BIG SMILES!

The ceremony was short and sweet. Speeches were given out, and this one particular speech was very inspiring. I shall not bore you with the details. I felt really proud of myself and accomplished during the ceremony and the rest of that day.

Me, my family and that really expensive piece of paper

Gotta love this photo

With Guri G

My parents and Guri G’s parents

Props to MommaChoe for this photo

<3

Thanks to everyone who came! L-R clockwise: JulianLoh, SoyanButterfly, UnoYong and Martin and LeonPP,

Ken and Nadia

We did it! With LeonPhotoPro and MichieMicrowaveQueen. This was a a great ending to our chapter here in Melbourne 

Dinner at embassy @ 97 in St Kilda. Pretty good French food.

Me, CrazyAuntyGinny, KidSisterAmelia and MommaChoe. Someone mentioned that we all have the same smiles!