Mi Sento Mancare

I miss ER already (watched the last episode of the current season last night). I miss Batman (I want more! Can't wait for the next instalment). I miss the warm weather (coming to work every morning in the cold is gettin' seriously not funny!). I miss Sydney (maybe the shopping to be specific). And yes, I miss the person who is not in the country at the moment (I want to see you soon).

I'm waiting to be hungry so that I can gobble up the lunch I prepared.

Down Time

So after ignoring the symptoms and heading out for drinks and smokes and shopping and playing tour guide to a coupla friends from home over the weekend, I was finally down with a full-blown 'flu and an asthma attack even. Yes, the latter sorta freaked me out a tad as I haven't had one for ages, not even when I drink or smoke heaps. Anyway, I'm stayin' off these vices for a while as I want a full recovery soon.

Missed work yesterday to have a break at home and that was pretty good. Just taking it easy and lying on the couch watching re-runs of Sex and the City (which I still enjoy very much). Incidentally, received yet another friendly SMS from the same person who dropped me a text when I was up in Sydney. I'm not gonna read too deeply into such things anymore. Of course, like I've said before, it's comforting and comfortable at the same time so I'll just adopt a whatever sorta attitude towards it. Till I actually spend more time with this person and find out more about the character and all that, I'm still pretty much involved with myself at the moment. Well, at least I know we are both movie buffs and that we have done the copy-CDs-for-each-other kinda thing.

Was walking down Fitzroy Street during lunch earlier and saw this chick getting down on her dude right there and then in broad daylight! They were walking, then stopped, unzipped and action! And did I mention I was flashed at a coupla weeks ago? There was this dude who did the whole smiled-flashed-wanked thing on me on Peel Street. Yep, such is the 'colourful' side of the suburb I live, work and play in.

Watched Batman Begins last evening and I really like it alot. Makes me detest Geroge Clooney and Joel Schumacher even more for mucking up the franchise with that oh-so-crappy Batman and Robin. Am gonna do Sin City tonight and I can't hardly wait!

Yes, I've been out of mischief recently and funnily, I'm actually not looking forward to big nights out anymore. I almost don't mind doing mundane stuffs like dinner and movies and coffees and all, with the same people over and over again even! To take it a step further, I am even intentionally keeping my weekends open by bailing out on plans and all. I know I am sick at the moment but am I really that sick yet? How long will I go on like this? What phase am I going through and what am I trying to achieve here?

I don't know, but I am not saying too much till July as that person will be back in town again. Also, will be heading up Mildura (yes, again!) and going for the Finn Brothers gig (two nights in a row!) and arranging for that big meeting with my boss. Who knows what stories I would have to tell then?

Standing at a Spot

So I have come back from Sydney, and yes, as expected (and planned), I've managed to do absolutely nothing but shop, eat and drink and shop more. It was a great break, and it's good to feel awake again in a real city; the noise, the crowd, the traffic and the bright lights.

Being a tourist, there was always something new to see and experience, and that has kept me pretty busy and my mind totally away from Melbourne, and everything else that has to do with this place, the work, the commitments, the obligations and the web of human relationships that I have been entangled with. It's good to step away from them all for a while, even if it's really for a while.

It's funny how at this stage, I still get a slight thrill from an SMS. During one of the days when I was up there, I got a friendly message from a person (whom I've been sorta having on my mind all the while in Sydney) and that was really nice and comforting. I know it's crap and banal and all, but I s'pose everyone feels like that all the time, it's just a matter of 'fessing up or not.

Being in Sydney again makes me realised that there is another world out there, one that is very different from Melbourne, and maybe one that could really allow me to be me. Also, my vision of things might have been narrowed by recurring events and people, and that somehow I got so caught up that it lead to my inability to imagine a world out of the one I am currently in. Where has my sense of adventure gone? Where is my desire to see the world? Has the travel bug been killed due to the fact that I am a working adult now?

The base question is, why am I no longer thrilled by travelougues and aiports and airplanes anymore? I don't want to be like this, I want those feelings back again. I want to be inspired to do heaps of travelling again and I want to be excited just seeing planes taking off and landing.

To explore this part of my life further, is it because I am getting so comfortable here (as opposed to when I was in Singapore) that I do not see or feel the need to be somewhere else? I don't think so. In any case, there's not how it is s'pose to be anyway. I am never someone who gets too comfortable with anything or anyone.

To digress a bit, some stupid controversy has been created by a Singaporean girl who writes about her sexual escapades and all and posts nude pictures of herself on the blog. Is that what a blog is s'pose to do, to advertise your private life that others may not necessarily wants to know? In other words, it's simply a case of 'too much info'. Everybody has a dark side and a shady past, well, almost everybody. If I were to write down every abnormal/twisted/weird thing that I have experienced here, will I create a stir as well? Afterall, I don't really consider my life to be that normal so far. No, not at all. Some of the things I have seen or done so far could be considered strange to some (including myself when I think back).

In any case, I have no intention to deal with those bits right now. I gotta get back to work.

How Much Is That?

It's the shopping season again, or should I say it's one of the best times of the year to shop here in Melbourne, as almost every shop and department store is having discounts and all. I s'pose in my calender, every weekday or weekend of every month is shopping time, but during this period, I have more of a reason to lose control, and not feel too guity about it. Oh well, maybe those are just words a certified shoppaholic says to re-assure himself. Plus the fact that I'll be heading up to Sydney this weekend just to shop, I am really living it up this time. Am just wondering how I am gonna transport my clothes and shoes and bags and all to wherever if I do leave Melbourne for good in the near future.

Retail therapy is definitely essential for me, for whatever reason or occasion. Of course, having said that, I have to admit sometimes I do wish that I can just purchase whatever I want whenever I want it, and this include contentment at work, cool siblings, beautiful weather, front row tickets to The Finn Brothers gig, good hair, great skin and yes, maybe even a partner/soulmate too. I know it's banal to say all these, but really, for someone who so believes in the power and art of buying, I can't help but wish that if only everything is that simple.

I s'pose the trickiest bit is the last 'item' I listed, and I am definitely not alone in thinking so. It's as though the rules of the game are all twisted, that is, it's really hard to get the one person you want, but it's just so effortless (to the extend of being delivered to your hands without even wishing) to have someone whom you just don't feel for, at least not in that sort of way. Yes, again, I agree it's totally banal to bring this up, but this is one thing I can't stop whinging about.

Is it becasue of the fact that I am so absorbed in the buying game that I lead myself insideously to believe that money can maybe/indeed buy everything? And that I am so used to just dealing with problems with the momentary gratification achieved from retail therapy that I have grown to be this lazy bastard who is not too willing to put in much effort to work on lasting happiness, especially in the aspect of relationships? Or rather, do I even know how to begin or to follow through in order to have the one by my side?

I have to admit there is a reason for me to think about such things at this moment in the middle of a workday, and it's not all about the shopping spree(s) that I had lately or the ones I am going to have. I am not denying the fact that there is someone lingering in my head somewhere that resulted in all these thoughts. Although I have to say I am definitely more rational and less emotionally involved this time. We all learn from past experiences I s'pose, well, we have to learn, that is. You get older, you get wiser, especially so when my past coupla years here in this city is all about learning and actually becoming more logical.

It's Crazy Like That

No major drama happened but still it's one of the more eventful mornings I've ever had. I was rushing in to work just so that I could log on and get tickets to the Finn Brothers gig at 9am sharp but was approached by this old lady from China who was totally lost in Collingwood (and she wanted to get to the eye hospital, which was just opposite where I work) and she doesn't speak a word of English. Of course, I had to help her and make sure she ended up at the right place. After guiding her to the place and doing registration for her, it was already 8:52am on my watch. Boy, did I run, like literally run to my office! Paul was helping me get the tickets too, and we had like the 8th row from the front initially, but somehow, the system mucked up and we had to reload and this time, we got seats like way back! How tragic!

Barely have I gotten over the shock/sorrow when I have to deal with the X-ray generator (which I'm in charge of now). While I was fiddling with it and talking on the phone with the service engineer in Sydney, the evacuation alarm went off! My first notion was that I did something wrong to set it off, and I really did panick for a while! The next few minutes were a blur, I hung up the phone, dashed outta the room and joined the rest of the people streaming outta the building (which I later learned there was a minor fire in one of our labs, and it's not me, phew). While we were all out there, I was busting to go to the loo and had to make do with one of the physiotherapy department toilets (which have no doors to the cubicles but just curtains). How desperate was I!

So yes, all in all, it was all crazy and silly and the service engineer had a good laugh at me when I called him back after. Oh well, I s'pose I could appreciate the lighter side of this episode/bimbo moment.

As for the concert tickets, I am still feeling a bit upset but really, I reckon I am just contented by being there, I don't need to be upfront. Also, I have a commitment to go with three other people, so even if I manag to get a good single seat now, I wouldn't just leave them back there. I mean, what's the fun in that right?

Have I mention I hate competition and viciousness at work? I probably would have, and my overtaking of the responsibilty to look after the machine is garnering much whispers and hush and even outright dissastifaction from some green-eyed people in the group. I gotta watch my step now, I s'pose.