"Behind every success story is a lot of sweat"

... is what I read from a magazine today. I probably haven't bought a magazine since... January? mainly because from January I became unemployed and there was no point even teasing myself by buying into the latest fashion or beauty styles. I have realised that making yourself beautiful is already a ton of $. Gym costs, new clothes, latest skin care range & make-up, lots of sleep [where you could argue time lost = money lost, since time = money (so they say)].
So I bought Madison, which I never do... it's not usually my first preference but I wanted to relax tonight for the first time with some 'material that doesn't challenge me' reading. I sat on my sofa and read a line which I re-read a few more times until it did begin to challenge me.

Why am I blogging about it? I guess I am blogging about it almost like a 'note to self' kind of thing. I think that I want to achieve success to various areas in my life, but I can frankly say that although I may have started to work, I am in no way closer to my goals. Maybe I think the more I dream about the end point, it'll happen naturally but as this line read in my magazine tonight... no way. I haven't even begun to work up that sweat yet.

Just do it.

..... suddenly comes to mind.

For the love

It's 11:38pm... I'm half waiting for my hair to dry, half trying to finish off my social script that I'm preparing for role play with my client in tomorrow's session.
Language Camp has been so interesting even though I'm still slightly bitter that I have clinic while everyone else is OVERSEAS!! orr just soaking up the sun, or making $$. It's been a growing experience for me, for the first time, I've started to identify myself as a Speech Pathologist. I realised this occupation is not just a job, it's a lifestyle, it's a state of mind. Teaching/modelling to children what is socially appropriate (pragmatic skills), showing and exploring with them what is appropriate behaviour in group settings. Even increasing their abilities to read nonverbal cues (body language/facial expressions of others)... all these things, you can't just do it because it's your job.. or you just do/know these things during the session and then it's out the window, it becomes a part of you - you yourself have to be good at it. After all, you're supposed to be a communication expert!

Few things I've realised through this clinical placement:
- i really looove being in the company of kids! The things they say, the way they think, what they do keeps the day memorable!
- I love working in a team! Working in a team which I have been with a group of 15 other clinicians really has made me produce my best work by far.
- I'm a stress bag!
- I need coffee! and after two weeks of finding the best coffee on the way to uni, I've tried many places.. Pymble BP, Macquarie... Rhodes Dolci cafe will have to do for now.. it's kinda the only thing open at like 7:30am in the morning!
- I'm not so bad at time management after all!
- I absolutely love group therapy!! It's so much fun!

Going to Melbourne.... in one week and it hasn't even crossed my mind! I haven't had a chance to even think about it yet! Been busy writing up summary reports, session plans etc. etc. planning... researching... arrghh!
But... it'll be nice to shop and shop and sit at cafes and p-a-r-t-y!

Anyway, what's made me blog again in 2007?
Well... It's a new year! Totally different ball game. Thought i'd give it a shot.
Plus, I see other ppl's blogs... and pretty much they see how much they've changed/grown/developed over the years from what they've documented online. That's important to me... to watch myself continually grow... learn... & experience.

Anticipating... Two Thousand & Seven...

The year I kiss university goodbye: the moment I have waited for since my first lecture.

"What's the matter? Is it hard? You keep going. You say, 'I'm a great girl' and you keep going... do you want my colours? if you finish, I'll give you my colours."
- Zoe.

"Don't let anyone break your spirit"

- my mum.

One day Ernie
embarked on a journey. With her life- jacket and paddles
she crossed over the seas.
She went to love
the little Rudolphs and
pray for the barren soils
to sprout new life.



Praying for you.

Happy Chef

I've been a happy chef for the past few months even opening up my Pentecost Cafe where I broke a plate trying to be swift Jamie Oliver. The menu tonight: Aromatic Prawn Curry. I've adjusted the menu, where they say use 375 ml of evaporated milk I've decided to use 175 ml of it and the rest coconut milk. Where they say use Aromatic (some Indian) rice hence the name of the dish, I've opted for Jasmine Rice.
Soon I'm going to try the fennel, leek and scallop risotto which looks so good! Fennel is almost like garlic/pepper it leaves that strrroonnngg aftertaste.
While stocking up lately on Vogue entertainment + travel magazine, I've been wondering... where do you find those weird ingredients that you've never heard of before?
and Quail? I'm game enough to try chicken, I can do duck... but quail.... sounds like some bird from the stone age.
note: I was eating chicken soup this morning. The chicken was cooked whole so bones etc. were kept in the pot. Half-way through what I saw was the chicken brain sitting on my spoon, first my stomach turned... and shortly after I realised that the chicken brain (that is, I only saw the cerebral hemispheres) is actually tiny it was the size of a thumb nail. So I came to the belief that chickens musn't be very smart. note to cooking-self: take out the brain before boiling to prevent indigestion.

Deir el Medina

When I told my parents that I actually wanted to study Anthropology or Archaeology at uni it didn't go down too well. I can see why... but I've been thinking what if I had studied that. There's no doubt about it, I absolutely love the study of societies of the past and the present and I love studying human behaviour/human experience and way of life. When I think about it I get so excited.. I could have been one of those historians digging around the tombs of one of the Ramses in those funky hats and little brushes. But... I think there's greater purpose somehow in where I'm going now.

Maybe I could do a post grad in Anthropology and study how communication disorders impacted ancient greek societies? Demosthenes was reported to have stuttered.

enough dreaming. now... back to my cooking.. time to take the guts outta my prawns =)