Riding Video

Thought I'd share a few clips from my most recent riding lesson on Monday. It was definitely better than the last lesson, no falling off! xD
I had my lesson at 10am this time, as to avoid the heat of the day.

The summer break is in full swing! Can't wait until Christmas! =D

10th Riding Lesson

Because of uni exams, Christmas jobs and the bad weather over the past month, I just didn't have time to book a riding lesson. But today I finally had some spare time to do what I love most - horse riding! =D

It was a lovely sunny day up at Wandin Riding Academy, and Bart, the school horse I ride, was already there waiting for me. He has got his summer coat and was all shiny! I gave him a carrot to munch on while I groomed him and picked out his hooves. Bart is a 15.2hh (approx 154cm at the withers) gelding. I love him to bits. =D

Did the usual stuff for my lesson. Lots of trotting, both rising and sitting, and also worked on trot to canter transitions, which I find quite difficult. I get tense and the start to bounce all over the place, losing my stirrups and all. LOL! However today I managed to fall off while trying to canter! Landed on my back and had all the breadth knocked out of my body. Was a bit light-headed for a while too, but I was back to normal in an hour or so. Anyhow, it was a great lesson overall.

Now for some photos! Credit to Janey!

I love this pony! ^_^

Sorry about the pic overload! Hope you like them! =D

Quick Pre-exam Update

Taking a short break between my studies to type up a short blog piece. My first exam, Ecology, is tomorrow afternoon! I am trying not to get overly stressed about it, but it should be okay as the exam is worth 40%.

Weather has been crazy lately. One moment it would be freezing cold with heavy rain, then sunshine the next. It makes planning activities outdoors quite frustrating.

I got my first Christmas casual job at David Jones! I will be working in the manchester department (bed linen, towels etc.) at the Bourke Street store in the city. I am excited and a bit nervous - my first shift will be this coming Saturday! =]

Hmm...what else is there? Ooh right, season three of my favourite TV show, Fringe, will premiere this Wednesday night! I've been waiting for ages, as it started two months ago in the US. Grr...so much for fast-tracked! To celebrate, I shall share one of my favourite videos I found on Youtube of the two main characters of the show, Peter and Olivia. I love the song as well!

{Fringe} Peter/Olivia - Boats and Birds

Mid-Semester Break...at last!

Okay okay, even though it is already almost a week into the two-week break, there is still enough time to enjoy it. :)

For the past week, I didn't do much besides catching up on lectures, doing a bit of homework, catching up on sleep and working. But next week, things will get more eventful.

On Monday I am going trail riding with a friend from uni. I can't wait! =D I haven't been on horseback for nearly three weeks and really miss it. We are going on a three hour ride through forests and open plains. Woohoo!

Then on Tuesday afternoon, I have a group interview for David Jones Christmas Casuals. I still need to buy a pair of business pants, as we are required to dress in formal business attire. At night I want to go see 'Despicable Me', so hopefully I can do that too.

I wouldn't be doing anything on Wednesday and Thursday due to work, so the rest of those two days would be used to write up reports and assignments. Oh joy...

That leaves the rest of the week open for anything! =D

Where to draw the line.

Yesterday morning, my Human-Animal Interactions lecture was about using animals for research and scientific purposes. During one part, our lecturer said to picture a line or scale, where you have humans on one end, and bacteria on the other. Starting from the human end, you then would have common mammals (dogs, cats, rabbits etc.), then birds of the class Aves, followed by rats and mice (which are also mammals but grouped separately for this purpose), next is amphibians and reptiles (lizards and frogs etc.), then fish, followed by cephalopods (for example, octopuses and squids) and finally bacteria.

The class was asked to draw the line based on where you would stop feeling empathy and care about the welfare of the animal subject to scientific testing. Obviously, everyone cared about the humans as well as for common mammals. But when it came to rats and mice,about half of the class said they wouldn't be too worried regarding the suffering of these rodents. The number of people raising their hands to show that they will have empathy decreased as we moved along the scale. By the time the end of the scale was reached, no one put up their hands.

As for myself, I drew the line after amphibians. However I am against animal testing unless it is for important medical purposes, and that the animal's suffering is minimized.

Over the centuries, the line have moved further down the scale. As we continue to learn about the physiology of animals and how they behave, I believe the line will keep moving.

What about you? Where on the scale do you think you will draw the line?

A Healthy Meal

Bloggin' while eating my lunch, a toasted foccacia with chicken schnitzel, pineapple and lettuce. Only recently have I 'discovered', well more of got into, as I have known this for ages, creating your own sandwich for lunch.

There is a few places at uni where you can 'make' your own sandwich by choosing the type of bread (normal sliced bread, rolls, baguettes or foccacias), main base (schnitzel, beef, roast chicken, turkey or simply ham etc.), dressing and spreads (mayonnaise, avocado, butter or pesto etc.) and a range of other delicious extras such as cheese, cucumber, lettuce and tomato, salad, sliced eggs, olives, pineapple, beetroot and much more. In winter, a toasted sandwich makes all the difference.

I think this is a much healthier alternative to several other options I normally get, which was muffins, pies and pizzas. Although this custom-made lunch is usually more expensive, it's worth it. For me, no sandwich is complete without a slice of juicy pineapple or two. =P

Daffodil Day 2010

I went volunteering for the first time yesterday for Daffodil Day, even though the official day is today. It's held by the Cancer Council each year, raising money for cancer research, education and support services.

I signed up for an eight hour shift at Doncaster Westfield, where a table had been set up, and it was crammed with a large range of merchandise for sale, I counted at least 20 different varieties! I remember years ago, there was only a few items to choose from. Well this year there was Dougal the plushie bear, soft soccer balls, fresh daffodils, shopping lists, pens, keychains, photo frames, about ten different brooches and even an USB stick!

Time passed fairly quickly. From 1 to 5pm, I was with two other volunteers. During that time, we raised over $700! When there was not many people around, we share stories and blew up yellow and blue balloons for little kids passing by. Everyone we met was extremely nice and kind, some even stayed to chat for a while.

It was a great feeling doing my bit for the community and for a good cause. I will definitely volunteer again next year. Bring on Pink Ribbon Day!

At the end of the day, I also purchased a key-chain, a brooch and a Dougal bear.

崇拜 {Worship}

I think I've found my favourite Chinese song to date! It's called 崇拜, meaning 'worship'. It's performed by 梁静茹 (Fish Leong).
I love the melody of this song, it's beautiful. =)

你的姿态 你的青睐
我存在 在 你的存在
你以为爱，就是被爱
你挥霍了我的崇拜

我活了 我爱了
我都不管了
心爱到疯了 恨到算了
就好了
可能的 可以的
真的可惜了
幸福好不容易
怎么你却不敢了呢

我还以为我们能
不同于别人
我还以为不可能的
不会不可能
你的姿态 你的青睐
我存在 在 你的存在
你以为爱就是被爱
你挥霍了我的崇拜

我活了 我爱了
我都不管了
心爱到疯了 恨到算了
就好了
可能的可以的
真的可惜了
幸福好不容易
怎么你却不敢了呢

我还以为我们能
不同于别人
我还以为不可能的
不会不可能
你的姿态 你的青睐
我存在 在 你的存在
你以为爱就是被爱
你挥霍了我的崇拜

风筝有风
海豚有海
我存在 在 我的存在
所以明白
所以离开
所以不再为爱而爱
自己存在 在你 之外

Thoughts of August

Hello readers!

Haven't blogged in a while. Even though I arrived back in Melbourne exactly two weeks ago, I haven't got around to updating my blog.

Anyway the weather is pretty dreadful lately, have been raining heaps. I couldn't remember that last time we had a winter as wet as this year's. But even though it's cold, wet and windy, there is one good thing: Melbourne's water storage is up slightly this year. I still miss sunny days...can't wait until Spring!

This semester I am doing four subjects: Food Microbiology and Safety, Comparative Animal Physiology, Ecology and Human-Animal Interactions for breadth. These are all prac subjects, which means a pretty packed timetable. This reminds me, I still have to write a 1500 word essay for breadth, so I really shouldn't be blogging. Heehee!

In the spirit of philanthropy, I have signed up for several volunteering events, both at uni and in the community. This month I shall be promoting a student-run financial aid charity for students, called Student Appeal, which starts next week. I've also signed up for Daffodil Day, which is on the 27th of this month.

I am also going mad trying desperately to look for a new job. I think I've spent more time writing resumes and cover letters than on my homework, haha.

Last weekend I went to see Toy Story 3 in 3D with my sister and a very good friend. It was amazing, the last ten years have been so worth the wait! The storyline was superb, the voice acting was brilliant, and all the new characters are very memorable. If you haven't already, go and see it...NOW!

But I am pretty happy with the way things are going right now. However I do miss riding quite a lot. Hopefully the weather will clear up soon!

Winter Holidays!

So glad the exams are finally over! Now I've got about one month of holidays before semester two starts.

However it's been so cold lately! Not to mention wet and windy. This year, I am going back to my hometown in China, haven't been in two and half years. It's going to be really hot and humid there, I'd take winter any day. Oh well...xD

I don't think I will be able to access Blogger while in China, and Facebook and Youtube are blocked as well. Gah...=(

See you all in a month! Off to the airport soon!

Riding Lesson no.7

Today I rode Bart, a horse I've only ridden once before. And from previous experience, I know that he is a much more forward-moving horse than Whisky and his trot is much more bouncy too, making it difficult to sit to. Bart is also very naughty, tries to follow me whenever I move away to get the hoof pick or his saddle, but nevertheless, he is really cute! =D

Pic overload coming up! ^_^
I realize there are heaps of things I need to work on. My position is terrible, and I definitely need to bend my elbows a lot more, keep my hands steady and shoulders back.

Picking out his hooves

All tacked up and ready to go!

Aww isn't Bart cute? =P

Warming up

Rising trot

Wow the arena looks huge from here!

Pigrooting!!! O_O This is what happens when I first used the whip.

And canter! It's so much better than trotting, and really fun!

I love this pic. Bart is being cheeky hehee. Notice his tongue is sticking out?

 Letting Bart stretch and cool off

And the end!

I won't have another lesson for another couple of months as I am going away overseas. I hope you enjoyed the pics! Comments and critique welcome! ^_^

It's that time of the semester once more.

The time has come that most students dread - exam period!!! *gasp* *shock horror* *nausea* Well, you get the picture. xD

At least this semester, my exams are fairly spread out over the three weeks. My first exam, which would be Biochemistry and molecular biology, is held this Thursday. After that is Australian wildlife biology on Tuesday 15th of June, followed by Food chemistry, biology and nutrition on Wednesday the 23rd of June. So yeah, pretty good schedule. This means I can still work during the exam period. I really hate revising and studying for exams. I don't mind doing them, as it means it would be all over after that, but studying for them is not only boring but is tedious as well. My brain can't handle all the information overload haha.

In other news, I had my sixth riding lesson today. It was quite chilly at the start, but after grooming and tacking up Whisky, I was quite warmed up! All we worked on today was rising and sitting trot, canter and transitions on the lunge. I also did some riding without stirrups. It was difficult and quite painful lol, and I almost fell off on several occasions. But Whisky was a good horse, whenever I was slipping or losing my balance, he would slow down. I love cantering, it's so much fun! =D

Here is the only picture for the day. The quality is not very good due to the gloomy weather and small camera. xD

Argh...sick

Sitting here at home on a lovely sunny day, with a blocked nose and dry throat. I think I may have caught a common cold. *sniff* I really hate them, makes you feel horrible even with minor symptoms.

On Thursday, I had my first riding lesson in two months. It took me a while to get the hang of things like balance and position, not to mention how to put on the bridle and halter on a naughty school horse I ride, Whiskey! He is also really fluffy with his winter coat, grooming him took twice as long.

Basically just worked on walking and trotting, and with a lazy horse like Whiskey it was difficult getting him moving for a stretch of time. So I was quite happy when we went around the arena twice without him slowing down or stopping! It was also the first time I used a whip. My instructor (not my usual one) said he needs it. Hmm... =/

No pics or videos this time though, I will try to remember next time so I can see what I need to improve on.

Picnik Photo Editing

I've discovered a wonderful website that allows you to edit ordinary photos and pictures into beautiful works of art! You can add stickers, frames, and special effects, and all for free! But of course, there is premium if you want to access all the features. However, I am doing okay without them.

Visit picnik.com to take a look for yourself and get started!

I was bored one night so I fiddled with it a bit. I don't have much photos on my laptop, so yeah.

Hope you like them! ^^

Unfit

During the past week I have been jogging almost every evening, as I am trying to build up my fitness level and endurance. However I am beyond frustrated. I can't even run more than 300 metres at a time without having to stop and catch my breadth. Having thalassemia intermedia definitely does not help. Being quite anemic, it means my red blood cells cannot transport oxygen as effectively, that's why I run out of breadth so quickly.

However I am slowly improving at other exercises that I do at home. Things like squats, wall-sits and sit-ups. It just bugs me so much about running, yesterday I got a headache as well after jogging and walking for only twenty minutes!

I really hope that pushing myself would improve, but I am a bit doubtful whether it would work.

New Pokemon Games

I saw these at EB Games today. And for some strange reason, I really wanted to buy a copy. I hardly ever buy games for my DS, and I only have a grand total of three games to date (Diddy Kong Racing, Nitendogs and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days).

I remember years ago, when Gameboy Colour was all the rage, one of my friends used to play a lot of Pokemon games. I enjoyed fiddling with it when I got the chance, but since it's a game where you catch, raise and train your own Pokemon, I didn't want to mess it up. xD

There are two versions, HeartGold and SoulSilver. As someone who knows very little about them, I'd probably get gold, simply because of the colour. Hehee.

Update!
I bought the game today after work! Can't wait to get started on my first Pokemon adventure! =D

We Are One

In response to Polar's latest blog post failing is not failure, I thought it would be nice to put up a little video to go along with it. The message is, if we are struggling with life, don't be afraid to look for assistance from family and friends. We all need love and guidance, especially during tough times. But we must also never lose sight of who we are. Be proud of yourself. =)

Lion King 2 - We Are One

As you go through life you'll see,
There is so much that we don't understand.

And the only thing we know,
Is things don't always go the way we planned.

But you'll see every day,
That we'll never turn away,
When it seems all your dreams come undone.

We will stand by your side,
Filled with hope and filled with pride.

We are more than we are,
We are one.

If there's so much that I must be,
Can I still just be me, the way I am?

Can I trust in my own heart,
Or am I just one part of some big plan?

Even those who are gone, are with us as we go on.
Your journey has only begun.

Tears of pain, tears of joy
One thing nothing can destroy -
Is our pride, deep inside
We are one.

We are one, you and I
We are like the earth and sky,
One family under the sun.

All the wisdom to lead,
All the courage that you need.
You will find when you see,
We are one.

Lunch Hour

Nothing much to blog about lately. Uni is going on as usual. Easter break is coming up in one week's time, can't wait! I want to do so many fun things! Hehee!

So today's blog will be about lunch, or more precisely, what I usually eat for lunch at uni. I avoid the greasy Chinese takeaways you see. I've tried once, wasn't so pleasant. So I normally alternate between the following:

• Spinach and cheese roll
• Sweet chilli tandoori wrap
• Shepherds pie
• Hawaiian pizza from Pronto Pizza
• Vegetarian calzoni
• Chocolate muffin
• Sushi rolls
• Grilled fish and rice

Some food can be quite expensive though, so I try to bring my own lunch when possible. *make mental note to buy ham and cheese*

Until next time folks!

First Volunteering Event

Okay about a week ago, one of my best pals asked me if I wanted to help out at a Buddhist Relic Exhibition, which is held this weekend at the Mount Waverley Community Centre. I am not sure on the exact name of this event though.

I have never done any volunteer work before (I'm lazy I know!), and so I've decided it is time to get down to some serious stuff. No more mucking around and lazying about! xD

The day started at around 10am. It was still rather quiet so Sand told me the procedures. Basically people will come to see the relics on display, but before all that we would ask them to register, and then hand out some brochures, CDs and DVDs, ask whether they would like to attend the empowerment session, the dinner event or make a donation. There were also a small selection of books for sale. Visitors could also write their prayers and wishes on a card shaped like a leaf and place them in the prayer box.

It got a little difficult when some visitors couldn't speak or understand English very well. Although I can understand Chinese (most of the time), I was unable to translate English into Chinese and say them out loud. But overall, it wasn't too bad. Afterward,volunteers and other organizers could go into the kitchen for a delicious lunch of rice, vegetables, spring rolls and samosa.

I must say, it was quite interesting learning about a religion. Although my grandparents are Buddhists, I don't know much about Buddhism at all, so today's event was a real eye-opener. In addition, it also felt good to volunteer. I will definitely do more in the future! =)

Sorted at last! ^^

Due to me taking a summer subject this summer, my subject selection and timetables were a complete mess. Thankfully, it's all fixed now.

You see, it all started with the delay of the summer semester exam results for Chemistry 2, which was supposed to be released this past Monday. Because of this, the system was unable to approve my chosen subjects as it kept warning me that I have selected a summer subject. This also means I couldn't view my timetable on Alloc8. After countless emails sent to the student centre with no results, I was fed up. So I took a trip to uni yesterday to sort things out face to face. A course adviser approved my subject plan, and now I am finally ready!

I must say, I am fairly pleased with my timetable for semester one. I get Tuesdays off and I finish at 10am on Fridays. Not so sure on 9am starts on three days though. I mean it's fine right now, but when winter rolls around, it would be difficult to get out of bed at 6am again.

Riding Lesson

Today I went to take another riding lesson at Wandin Riding Academy. However due to a booking clash I got a different instructor and a different horse (Bart instead of Whiskey). Compared to Whiskey, Bart is much more forward going, but his canter is very very bouncy! It was really difficult to sit his canter so I bounced like a cork on a rough sea nearly the whole time. It's going to hurt tomorrow. *wince*

Here's some pics. It's only my third lesson so far so I'm not very good yet.

Practicing the sitting trot without stirrups

Bart is cute, but naughty! LOL

Special Delivery!

A package arrived at the door this morning, and to my excitement, it's my new phone! This time I ordered a sleek red Sony Ericsson C903a handset, it has a 5 mega pixel camera with flash and smile shutter, GPS, radio, heaps of games and loads of other useful features!

It took me a while to get it set up ready for use, as I had to write down all the contacts down and then re-input them into my new mobile. So far, I love it! =D

 What do you think? Pretty cool huh?

Simply adorable!

I stumbled upon this photo of a Samoyed puppy today while browsing online. The puppy is soooooo cute, just look at him, how could you resist that face? I wish he was mine!

Quick Update

Only one more week left until summer school will be finally over! But that means the exam is just around the corner, on the 15th of February. Argh...so stressed.

Roger Federer won the Australian Open! I'm so happy for him, he is indeed one of the greatest tennis players on the planet. ^_^

As you can see, I changed my blog template. This one maybe very simple, but it is very cute! I love it, yet another masterpiece from Gisele Jaquenod, click here to get your own!

The Australian Open

Only 6 days remaining for the Australian Open 2010!
I just finished watching the match between Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt on TV. It was an easy match for Federer, so happy that he moved on to the quarter finals. Poor Hewitt never stood a chance. LOL

Me and some friends went to see the Open last Tuesday. We bought ground passes so we could watch as many matches on the ground and show courts as possible. Unfortunately we could not get into Margaret Court Arena, there was simply too many people. xD But we saw Federer up close when he was training. Got some awesome pics that day. =D

I really hope Federer can win this year. Many people think that he has won too many times, but who can help it when you are a tennis legend?

The day I lost four teeth.

Not by accident of course. That would be horrible. xD
Nah, today I got my four wisdom teeth removed. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to the surgery at all. But it would be worth it in the end, no more swollen gums, hopefully.

First step was applying local anesthetics. Needles were inserted into several areas of the gum and mouth. It did hurt quite a bit, and then the numbness began. It felt as if your entire lower face were swollen up like a balloon when it's not. Mind you, it was not a pleasant feeling. But of course, it's better than the ripping pain when your teeth are pulled out. *wince*

The actual procedure was done in under an hour, I was half asleep during it too. LOL. The bottom two teeth were slightly compacted, so the gums surrounding them had to be sliced open before removing the teeth, and sewn back together. It just felt terrible afterward, and it was difficult to talk due to the gauze in my mouth. It was most painful after the anesthetics have worn off, and because I was not allowed eat or drink for at least four hours after the surgery, I could not take any pain medications.

But it's a lot better now, I just hope it heals as soon as possible.

Horse Riding Pics!

On January 5th, Jane and I went on a horseback trail ride at Ace-Hi Ranch down in the Mornington Peninsula. It was fantastic! The ride went for three hours, our legs ached for ages, but it was worth it! ^_^

Here are some of my favourite photos, taken by dad!

Me on the beautiful mare, Sugar.

Jane on Bomber, yet another stunning mare.

On the way back to the ranch.

Giving Sugar a big hug!

Smile at the camera, Jane!

Summer school!

Okay, I am actually not excited about this at all. I mean who would want to study nothing but Chemistry for seven weeks? LOL! Luckily I only need to be at uni three days a week.

Right now I am also rushing to get as much driving practice as possible. I am aiming to get my drivers licence near the end of March. Currently I have just over 57 hours under my belt, so there is still 63 hours to go! But I am on track. =)