Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Talked to Kat, Gina, Leen and Mel on MSN today for a while, with Germaine on another window as well. Before long, Joel (Murdoch) came to pick me up and we went off. We had lunch at Welcome Noodle House along Leach HWY, and the food there is not bad. The curry laksa was pretty ok, and the servings were huge. It was not spicy enough though... 3 and a half stars out of 5.

We were going to the licensing centre to get our drivers' licenses done, since our international ones had already expired. It is funny that Joel actually drove there to get it done while he no longer had a valid license. The funnier thing was that the place is actually not very accessible by public transport, which is ironic for a place where most people going would not have licenses. (Imagine you want to learn driving, but no buses go to that place)

Went to Garden City to do some food shopping, and also to accompany Joel to submit some resumes. The chap is looking for work, so people with any good recommendations please let him or me know. Preferably somewhere near Murdoch Uni so he doesn't have to travel far, but all options will be considered so let me know!

Joel sent me home after that, and "nua" at my house for a short while before heading back. That guy is very busy and has his social calendar bursting at the seams one. Dinner today with other people, and a full day ahead tomorrow. Social butterfly, except in this case it's more like a rhino beetle.

Had a long talk with Mel in the night, and gained some valuable insights, as always. I'll try to provide some brief but meangingful excerpts here.

We long for understanding, often because we don't understand ourselves. We strive and try to understand ourselves, but how do we see ourselves except through eyes of a second person? A mirror does not help us gain insights into our soul, as it reflects only our faces. We need mirrors of the soul, not the body, but that does not exist, so we can only try to see through the eyes of others.

And on a different note:

Life is not about vertical limits, or how high we've climbed. It's more about standing where we are, and seeing how low we were. We do not have to climb very very high and be on the summit to be at the peak of our lives, but we can be at sea level and know that we had our heads below water once, and just be thankful for the ability to breathe now. People who had been through hardships typically cherish life more. Without the downs, you ain't gonna see the ups man. If you live a successful life throughout, (which is impossible), you are not gonna be prepared much for the down that is waiting somewhere. But if you survived some downs, you can look forward to the ups, since life can only get better if it was really shitty.

I miss these conversations we had over many a cup of coffee. Sigh... Year end seems so far away.

Joke of the day: Conversation between me and Qin Yu Cai* about currency, and faces of president on it (don't ask how we got here)
*Names changed to protect privacy

QYC: I don't want money with the Hell God face one, don't like his face. Don't want the Yushof Ishak one also. I also don't want your face one hor.

Ian: But that one haven't come out yet, that's a collector's item now know?

QYC: When that one come out I also don't want.

Ian: But next time I am president how? Real money know, you really don't want?

QYC: Please lor, by the time you are president and they have your face on the notes, I hope I am not still alive.

Ian: Oei, how come leh? You should only be middle-aged lor.

QYC: You wait long long lor. You wouldn't be alive also, they only put dead president face one.

Ian: ...(but true)