Birthday Wishlist 2014

Farewell, Summer and heylo, Autumn! You’re my favourite season not only because the days won’t be as stinking hot like they have been for the past three months, but because my BIRTHDAY’s in Autumn, and I’ve scrounged around and compiled a fairly extensive wishlist of everything I’d like for my birthday!XD

(1)            A Tale For the Time Being - Ruth Ozeki: okay, I’ve got lotsa books featured in my birthday wishlist; all are novels I found from the Goodreads e-newsletter, and while I may not exactly remember what the book was about, it must’ve been interesting for me to kick start my birthday wishlist with this novel, so somebody get me this please! XD

(2)            These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner : stars usually signify science fiction novels, and since everyone should know what a huge sci fi buff I am, someone get me this book, please!

(3)  Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela: actually, I didn’t get this book from the Goodreads e-newsletter but rather from news.com.au; see, that day, I was at the Greenslopes private hospital for some minor eye surgery, and sitting in the waiting room early that morning, the news of Mandela’s passing was the only item being featured on the television screen. I’d really like to learn more about his life; I wonder how much time he wasted being trapped like I am now in my disabled body?? ><

(3)            The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (Goodreads): I will honestly confess: while I have heard of this author before, I’ve never tried reading any of her works, but hey, if I’ve added this book to my wishlist, it must be worth reading; somebody please get it for me! XD

(4)            I’ve just noticed I’ve just two/three/even more items numbered (3) ,,, well, maths has never been my forte! XD Red Rising by Pierce Brown: I’ve noted down that this one’s a science fiction novel, and although I’ve never heard of this author before, the book certainly sounds interesting!

(5)            Taboo: Kwany, so far you appear to be the gamemaster: you’ve gotten me Pictionary and Scattergories, how about you and Mel Mel get me Taboo for my birthday this year? I particularly love the red squeaky toy that comes with the game for use when any forbidden words are slipped in! XD

(6)            Grain Brain by David Puttimeter: Can’t quite remember where this one came from … might be the book somebody wrote about cutting grains from one’s diet? But it sounds interesting…

(7)            The Martian by Andy Weir (Goodreads): With a title like this, it’s gotta be a sci fi novel! I’m always on the lookout for new science fiction novels! XD

Archtype - by M.D. Waters : I really can’t remember what this book’s about … besides, ‘archtype’ isn’t even a recognised word in the Microsoft word databank, but hey, if I’ve put it down, it must be worth reading; somebody get me that please! XD

 (8)Terms and Conditions by Rglancy Robert: sounds interesting … terms and conditions always apply to everything, so while I can’t remember what this book’s about, it must be worth reading; someone get me this, please!

(9) Battle Scars by Stuart O'Grady: sounds violent but interesting and worth a read, thanks in advance, someone! XD

(10) Bolster: I think that’s what they’re called; in canto we call them ‘larm jum’, you know, a long cylindrical pillow you wrap your legs around and sleep with? I used to have one, but mother tossed it out when it got old, and I want a new one, please! Apparently, you can find them at kmart? Just a plain cylindrical one will do; for the time being, mother’s lent me her triangular one, and sometimes, my dumb left leg’s too stupid to know where it should wrap around the thing! XD

(11) Two new goldfish: Poor Silver and Bronze passed away during the Winter of 2008 and I know this time around: if anyone gets me two new goldfish, will you please also buy me a heater for the tank so the temperature of the water can be regulated so the silly things won’t perish from the cold during the winter months??

(12) Catching Fire DVD: yes, thought I’d bring my birthday wishlist up to a dozen even items; Meow Meow XD and Kwany, you guys got me the first movie for Christmas last year; how about you get me the second for my birthday? XD

birthday party wise … Karen, didn’t you say you’d organise one for me this year?? XD I’d like to have a small party @ the Calamvale and Chinese BBQ Restaurant (‘Sun Lok Yuen’ in Cantonese), otherwise someone introduced me to this DUMPLING restaurant called something like ‘Harajuku Dumplings’ in the city, and what with dumplings being my FAVOURITE food (boiled, fried or steamed), I wouldn’t mind a birthday party there, either! :D

But of course, everyone should know about my obsession for the Despicable Me minions, so anything minion-related wise, I want! :D

go forth, everyone, and secure me Christmas presents! XD

Next post here … if I’m organised, it should be that movie review I watched with Fiona so of Ronin 47; if I’m not, you won’t hear from me again until march the 19^th, when I write out my birthday reflections for 2014! XD Righteo, until then~

Cheers,

Em. ^^

Family Holiday 3013

My dearest dad works as a courier for uncle David’s packaging company, Shanrex. The period leading up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year for the company, where my poor dad often doesn’t get home from work till like 8pm, but conversely January’s the quiet time for them and often, dad will take a week off work to take mother and I for a short holiday somewhere, usually up to the Sunshine Coast or down to the Gold Coast.

Last year, however, dad took mother and I all the way down to Sydney and back!

We’d made the long trip once before – two DECADES ago! Yup, I was only a little five year old brat, and dad had fun reminding me, “Em, that morning, you were so small and sleepy, did you remember, I CARRIED you to the car!”

Twenty years later, I think I’m way too fat for dearest dad to carry me to the car, so I said to him laughingly, “How about we just hold hands and walk to the car together?”

So that’s how things roll. Dad and I walk to the car, and after mother demands dad pray for us before we begin the trip, we’re off! It being so early, I just return to sleep, zzz…

Suddenly, something wet wakes me. Huh, how come the top of my pants are wet? Oh, dad has strung a rope through the top of the 4WD and through the window, and since it’s been raining, the wet has been dripping through my pants! Dad pulls over, mother slips a tissue into my pants to soak up the wet and the drive continues. I nod off again … my Bear Bear is the perfect sleeping companion! ^^

Later, when I wake again, I sleepily ask mother, “What’s the time?” she glances at the clock then replies, “Just after midday.” Ooh, midday! “Are we there yet?” I immediately whine, laughing. “Are We There Yet?? ARE WE THERE YET???” Mother roars back, “SHUT UP! Yes, we’re almost there.” XD

And soon enough, dad pulls up alongside some motel, where we’ll be spending the first night.

Hmm … look, because the trip was almost one year ago, not to mention that the cruel and unfaithful god has left me with such appalling memory that I can scarcely remember what I had for dinner the night before, let alone something almost one year back, let me just note down special highlights of this trip:

-Every time, before we left that motel that we were staying in, I would comb through our living space one more time to see if there was anything free we could take home that mother glanced over. She forgot heaps! I took with us shower caps, instant coffee packets, sugar packets, etc. Dunno why mother refused to take the equal packets, but hey, no biggie.

-One morning, we ate a buffet breakfast! Alas, though, with mother around, ‘buffet breakfast’ doesn’t mean ‘all you can eat’, rather, just ‘one plateful and no more’. *sigh* That’s alright, she’s like that. I’m used to living with all the restrictions that she so gleefully imposes on me…

-We caught up with Letty! Think she was working at Tamworth Hospital; we picked her up, then had yummy dinner at like some sport’s bar. Afterwards, she invited us back to her place, and while dearest dad dozed on the sofa, us ladies chatted, and from memory (probably incorrect, but hey XD) letty fed me a chocolate Paddlepop! Gosh, I seriously haven’t had one since primary school, like, 1999!!

-my definite highlight of this trip: I RODE A CAMEL!!!! :D See, one afternoon, after enjoying lunch by the beach, mother and I are walking back to the 4WD after a loo trip when I notice some tents pitched on the sand below us. “I wonder what they are for?” I ask mother, pointing, who replies, “Well, there are some benches nearby; you sit and I’ll take a look for you.”When she returns, mother tells me, “They’re offering camel rides.” Obviously, I’m immediately hooked, and squeal (ok, so I don’t squeal, more like, say excitedly XD), “Ooh! I wanna ride a camel! Please please please can I try??”

Mother’s doubtful that I can manage a camel or not (me being the useless, disabled young woman that the cruel and unfaithful God has abandoned me as ><) but goes down to ask the lady in charge, explaining to her that I want to ride a camel but am physically disabled. She asks would it be alright if she sat behind me on the camel and held me tight, to help me feel safe? She’d pay for two people, of course. The woman says sure, go ahead, and mother brings me down to the beach, where I’m already fair bursting with excitement! The man’s partner wanders over, sees me, and decides, “Oh, she’ll be alright on her own camel; I’ll just put her on one of the smaller ones.” Oh cripes, poor mother was stuck! Having already offered to pay for two people, she couldn’t jolly well back out now! XD As for me, I really couldn’t care less that I’d be riding a smaller camel, just that I was gonna ride one!! :D

Camels are actually lying down, their legs folded, when you mount them! Then they stand, and from memory (prolly incorrect, but allow me to be cheeky XD) mother SHRIEKED when her camel arose! My came’s name was Pally, while mother’s camel was called Sydney, which led my dad to cheekily ask Emily (yes, the woman guide had my name!), ‘How come Emily’s camel isn’t called Brisbane?” XD We learnt some interesting things when the camels were ambling along the beach, such as that camels could actually drink salt water and that Pally, the handsome beast carrying me, was actually a RACING camel! I was obviously very grateful that Pally kept only a slow, plodding amble while I was astride him. XD Actually, one really scary thing happened while we were having our camel adventure, and that was I began sliding off pally! O_O “Emily, help!” I squeak (okay, so I don’t squeak, I probably talked with my usual tone XD) “I feel like I’m sliding off Pally!” Emily jumps off her camel (didn’t catch it’s name, sorry), walks over to me and says, “You are a little bit skew whiff, aren’t you? Here.” And she pushes me back fully upright in the middle, before teaching me to squeeze in with both my calves to remain centered. Afterwards, I had no problems. We even went for a short walk into the shallows of the water. Me having no left side side-vision anymore (just another thing that the cruel and unfaithful God has taken away from me ><) didn’t think about this until we were just about out of the water, before suddenly realising, “Dad! Your shoes! They must be drenched walking through the water!” Dad just laughs, brandishing his shoes triumphantly. “See? I’m smart. Took ‘em off before we went into the water.” XD

After Emily had supervised me dismounting from Pally, I walked to the front of Pally and gave him a big kiss on his forehead, thanking him for being such a good camel for me. Only afterwards, when mother laughed at me, saying, “Thank goodness your camel didn’t spit at you!” did I remember that oh yes, camels were good at SPITTING! XD

Dad had taken a short clip of the camel ride from his mobile, and that night, using the wi-fi from our motel room, I proudly put the video up onto Facebook. One of my UQ physios, Jess, left me the comment, “I’m glad SOMETHING finally got you to squeeze in your left calf!” to which I cheekily replied, “Jess, you bring in a nice, tame RIDEABLE camel into the NAB clinic, and I will show you how well my wonky left calf can do!” XD

-One day, we were at the town centre/tourist information place. While dad asked someone for maps and instructions on how to get to a certain touristy place, mother and I browsed the souvenir shop. I saw the most adorable little blue octopus covered with rainbow coloured swirls, and even better, he was only like $8.95! Mother kindly bought him for me, and I called him Swirly (yes, not a very creative name, but hey, I’ve improved over the years; my favourite teddy was just called Bear Bear. XD) Swirly seemed rather nervous; every morning when I woke up, he would demand that I count his legs for him, just to check that he still had all eight. One morning, I was still groggy from sleep, and counted only seven. Poor Swirly wailed, “What?! No, I’m supposed to eight, quick, count them for me again!!’ I obediently counted again, and yes, my apologies, Swirly; you’ve got eight legs, not seven. XD

The next night, after enjoying a delicious dinner somewhere, back in the car, feeling full and pleasantly sleepy (in canto, say ‘farn hei gong sum’), I counted Swirly’s legs for him, and somehow, he’d managed to end up with NINE legs. Poor Swirly panicked again; had he somehow grown an extra tentacle while I’d been out having dinner?? I counted his legs again, more carefully this time, and reported back to Swirly that yes, like all octopuses, he had eight legs. XD

Hmm … from memory, I think that’s all the highlights of our family holiday from last year. I’ll try to manage another post after we come back from our next family holiday, otherwise apart from that my next post should be a movie review! Yup, Fi So Bao and I went and watched Ronin 47 together recently, and I’m looking forward to telling everyone about this movie! Righteo, until then~

Cheers,

Em. ^^