princessves

Finally got internet access in the hotel in Hong Kong. GOsh these 5-6 days has been slow... too much plane and bus trips and sleeping.

So.. Christmas was good, went to church with nick... packed, had visitors over from Sydney. Went to HK, went to Disneyland - smaller than the US ones but it was pretty good in general. better than the France one that absolutely had nothing.

left for Hokkaido Japan on the 31 Dec 2005 - Hokodate was pretty - love the snow... got to ski.. and eat lots of Japanese food and spoke Japanese. things.. very expensive, but expected in tourist areas. The hot springs and massage were absolutely BLISS!!! I'd go again if i have the chance in the future.

So.. what's so good about Hokkaido Japan. It's famous for a few things.
1) The 2nd best night lights in Hokkodate - after Napoli in Italy and 3rd cames Hong Kong
2) Lavender
3) Corn Crackers
4) Lavender Hello Kitty
5) their Chocolate - lots of different types. white , dark, milk.
6) Melon chewing gum and Melon kit kats
7) the original Sapporo Classic Beer

these things are only found in Hokkaido and no where else but there. So, i'm pretty lucky to be bringing them home back to Australia.

Well, off to Shop in Hong Kong now..

Signing off.

Oh, it's getting towards to the end of the year now.. and well, it's been a busy week at GA...
confidential material that i can't reveal :) Anywayz, xmas parties are rolling in, getting fatter and fatter for christmas - oh wellz, i'll work out at the gym and get it all off :)

well, last night, i went to the CEW Bean dinner and it was fantastic. I didn't expect such a great event, and not only that.. i didn't expect to meet the Prime Minister of Turkey and his delegation. They are here in Australia for the week for some trade negotiations etc.

anywayz, working at GA is going well, everything is looking on the bright side, hopefully in 2006 things will get better and better.. :)

Hope everyone is well.. and it's that time of the year to buy xmas pressies and shoppping, lots of luncheons and dinners and celebrations.. and not to mention sending my piggy bank empty *sigh*

This year has been really successful for me, and it doesn't come with ease.

Graduating was one thing, but having to stress over employment was another thing.

6 Months of writing applications, attending interviews and assessment centres was indeed an experience,
and in the end, i ended up with a few offers, but took the one that came in first - I now work with
Gavin Anderson & Co.

I have been enjoying work so far working as an executive for the company in Canberra, learning the ropes, trying to use my uni degree, but know how useless it can be at time, as it is just a peice of paper.

I am very lucky to not have to be doing the same things week after week, as there is always new things arising, new clients, new people... the list goes on.

I will be still committing my time to the RAAF as a reservist next year, and hope to complete most of my training by the end of next year.

Work life can suck - but it's rewarding when you know how much you can add value to the company.

what the?

Things are just so funny.. Earlier this month, i got selected to go to do the DOFA testing session in Adelaide. I applied long ago before i got the GA job. So, i went along newayz, kinda like for fun, and i didn't have much to do on that day and to just do it, thinking, i'm not going to take this seriously...

Having done the DAFF assessment centre and it was of very simular nature, I didn't find the finance one hard. but who knows, there is a lot of competition. I didn't even think i performed well in the group exercise, so how could i have gone through?

Bad time as always, the Finance graduate 2nd assessment centre is in Canberra, and i'll be going to Canberra on Thurs/Friday for that. I didn't expect to get through and just amazed at how random/weird their selection process is. so 48 people in this one, and around 40-45 will go through. strong chances.. but i guess, it will open up options :) especially, if for example, DoFa starts in Jan/Feb, and i don't like my GA job, i can always fall back on Dofa. :)

So much stuff due, essays, essays, essay.... they are all due at the end of this week - I really don't like it when assessment centres and all this graduate recruitment stuff gets in the way of uni. No wonder why people can't attend...

anywayz, an excuse to come back to canberra - signing off!

Wow, it's really been such a long time i've updated my LJ and, well, lots have happened but i've been pretty busy and pre-occupied with uni.

I went to the NSLF - national student leadership forum in Canberra at the hyatt hotel during the Semester Break on faith and values. Sept 15-19th. it was very interesting, and well, trying to meet 300 people was a task in 4 days. A lot was discussed and, it was an experience listening to various leaders from different background and speakers. Spending time in Parliament house is always fun and meeting the MPs was fun too.

I wasn't very productive in terms of studying during my 3 week semester break. I ended up sleeping a lot, enjoying good food and playing sport.

Attended another conference ran by the Center for Independent students during the long weekend of 30th - 2nd Oct, called the advanced liberty and society and well, it was one of those think tanks, that never-ending discussions go, but nevertheless very interesting. Food was good, hotel was nice and so was the view over sydney harbour.

Apart from the acedemic side of things, dropped my Dip Lang - i wasn't enjoying Japanese much anywayz and i was struggling to even get a Pass plus the teacher marked hard and on the motivation side of things, i wasn't really happy with the way it was taught.

I attended quite a number of Graduate interviews with various places during the holidays and when i got back to Adelaide. After back to Adelaide for a week, i managed to get a job with management consultancy firm in Canberra called Gavin Anderson & Co specialising in Corporate finance and governance. So, pretty happy with that. I start on November 14th.

Due to this job, I'll be leaving college early *sob sob* but will still end up graduating, but just finishing all the course earlier - essays and stuff so shouldn't be a problem. I will officially departing the grounds of St Mark's College on the 29th October 2005.

Next week will be a big week for me at college. College events almost everyday. There will be the final arts evening on Monday, college AGM on tues, final dinner on Wednesday, Leavers drinks on Thursday and final formal hall dinner on the friday. so Jam packed week ahead.

Not sure if i should feel happy or sad to leave St Mark's and Adelaide. But i am definately looking forward to seeing family and to embark on my career. :)

So, I went home for the weekend - it's great to be home and get away from things and just relax. I spent a lot of time with nick, and we went out and ate out heaps. Nick took me to La Scala restaurant for Dinner and it was really nice :) We also watched Hitch on DVD. On Friday Night, we went bowling and, i beat Nick in both games. Me Scoring 9's all the time as opposed to Strikes and spares was not good - otherwise i would have hit really good scores - it happens *sigh*

We went out on Saturday night to Deep Dish for dinner and they had really nice seafood - good change from college food. :)

I had been pretty spoilt all weekend getting to go out and doing things which i don't get to do during uni. Always glad to be back home to see parents and eat their good food.

It was raining quite a bit on the weekend, but luckily, today, the weather was good, so Nick too me out for a hit of golf at Narrabundah - just Pitch and putt until i am good enough and have the whole day to play the bigger golf course. I am improving my hitting and my skills which is good, not hitting the ball into the grass or missing the ball as much and driving it up high and straight. On the 17th Hole, i hit a Birdie - so i was happy. I was always on par or 1 or 2 under so i guess it's not bad for someone like me who doesn't know much golf or doesn't play as often as others do. I quite like golf and i hope that i get better at it. It's so good to live where i live in Canberra nearby a golf course.

At the end of the year, i'm going to take it up as a hobby and something for Nick and I to do. He's a really good at teaching me how to hit well, and so hopefully, next year i'll get my own set of golf clubs and membership to a golf course and i'll be able to play all the time. It's a shame that Nick's not here in Adelaide with me, and the fact that i don't have much time whilst in Adelaide to play. but yeah, next year will be good. I can't wait till summer to play golf and go do all the outdoor things :)

So, it's been a while again since i last updated my LJ.

I've had a relaxing holiday back in Canberra after my finals - and well into the 2nd Semester of Univesity. It's almost end of week 4 now, and i can't believe it's 1/3 of the semester gone. Time flies....

I've graduated my Bachelor of Economics Degree on the 2nd August and my parents came down to Adelaide for the day, and it was really nice.

Now, i'm just finishing my degree in Arts specialising in Asian Studies, and on the Job hunting for next year. Still awaiting many replies from graduate recruitment, and well, expected from government departments to take a long time with their recruitment processes.

Last semester in Adelaide - so i'm going to make the best of it. Have met many people and gone out more this semester since my workload compared to last semester was not as stressful or hard so, i guess it's a easy going :)

Applied for the Ship for world youth - hopefully successful this time round *fingers crossed*, i think i wrote a better application and stronger references etc etc for this time around. I really want to go that badly coz i've been hanging out for it for a long time.

YL ball was last night, held at the Hyatt Ballroom, Adelaide. It was a really awesome night as i met a lot of other YL's that i hadn't met before. When you are closed off to your own branches, it is really hard to meet other branches. The only time to meet everyone would be the YL Ball.

This year is my 1st and most likely last year of attendance to the SA YL Ball. I have previously always been engaged with other important matters which therefore i was unavailable to attend.

I had a really good time at the ball, and i got to sit next to the Lord Mayor of Adelaide - Hon Michael Harbison. A good friend of mine which i have known over the years.

The Adelaide YL branch won branch of the year, which was my branch and i was extemely happy about that.

Dinner was great, the music was ok, and well, networking was the best part.

I'm still a bit sick which is not good - so hopefully i will recover, as i am going back to Canberra this arvo and seeing my family and friends

So ALSF has come to a close now. Dinner was nice at ayers house. I had a pretty good night.. well deserved night since i got all my marks back from uni yesterday arvo. I passed everything, and i am eligible to graduate. Although the stupid economics degree check lady is really not helpful and telling me misleading information. I had to sort it out with Humanities and social science faculty. They confirmed that I can graduate and that i am well and good with my arts/dip lang for end of year.

It will be an easy next semester for me after a very painful overloading of economics and electives. I will be able to enjoy uni life more and am free most of the time as opposed to being so busy as i am not overloading at all.

I'm most looking forward to going home to Canberra 2morrow and see my family. With all the pressure of graduating etc, i finally will be able to. all those years working hard have paid off, and there is no worries for me anymore.

Except now, after conference, I am quite sick - cold/flu thing that's going around. So i really do have to recover. I hate getting sick!!!! So it's recovery now, althought i do have a ball 2 go to 2nite, which shall be fun. :)

looking forward to a good holiday. Relax time :)

Attending conferences always seems to amuse me when people get drunk and do stupid things.

Well, this is not really funny, moer so something you had to be there for to laugh. today as part of ALSF conference we went on a winery tour to the McLaren Vale. We were also allowed to drink on the bus trip there and back. We visited 3 wineries. Rosemount - which was CRAP, Hardy's Tinara which was pretty good and aslo Werra Werra which was average.

On the bus back, the MULCers were singing songs and drinking. Brendon got really drunk and Chucked on Tim Andrews and the whole bus trip back Tim Andrews was pissed off about Brendon chucking on him and how it was all over his pants.. And to make things funnier, Kyle made fun of him .. it was soooo funny.. because if we didn't clean the bus up, the conference convenor will have to face a fine.. luckily it didn't go on the seats of the bus.

It would have been hard to clean since it was red wine and gunk...