I can see the future...

[originally posted on 7th November]

Definitely going to catch more sunsets~

....and it looks very productive.

Below is a list of things that I'm planning to do after the season of hell is over. It's always during this period of time that I want to give up, especially since I'm not particularly enjoying any of the subjects I'm studying. Every day is so bleak that I end up thinking of the bliss that's to follow. The list below is far from complete, so I'll probably update it periodically.

• Organise university notes into folders that I will buy from DAISO/Officeworks
• Wear my earrings more often
• Delete contacts on my phone
• Save up my money for possible trip with friends
• Prepare work for Jimmy to do during the holidays
• Make chapter tests for Jimmy 
• Prepare Jimmy for the Melbourne High test
• Time and Encode Eun Ji and Seo In Guk on GO Show
• Time and Encode Eun Ji and Seo In Guk on Mnet Mcountdown BTS
• Buy more photo albums
• Sort out family photos 
• Sort through wardrobe and donate anything I don't wear anymore
• Maybe create a second batch of letters that will go unanswered
• Finish reading Jane Eyre
• Finish reading The Time Traveller's Wife
• Visit the local library more often
• Organise external hard drives
• Sort through useless files on computer
• Format computer to Windows 7
• Catch up with Detective Conan - anime and manga
• Catch up with other neglected manga like Goong, The Bride of the Water God, Dengeki Daisy
• Catch up with Once Upon a Time, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Merlin, Revenge, 2 Broke Girls, NCIS, White Collar
• Finish watching Bu Bu Jing Xin, Nice Guy, Arang and the Magistrate, To the Beautiful You, Rooftop Prince, King 2 Heart, Papadol,  Rich Man Poor Woman, A Gentleman's Dignity, Shut Up Flower Boy Band, Biscuit Teacher Star Candy, Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, Queen In-hyun’s Man
• Start watching I Miss You, Full House Take 2, Vampire Prosecuter 1 + 2
• Invest in two new external hard drive - one for me, one for the family photos and videos
• Learn how to drive
• Attempt to write in my journal everyday (again)
• Finish sorting out my junk boxes
• Continue with scrap book
• Buy more scrap book paper and stickers
• Explore a new suburb
• Go to the beach and build sandcastles
• Touch up my resume
• Try to find a job 
• Get a job
  
• Re-enrol for university
• Figure out what I want to do at university next year, career counselling?
• Prepare for the GAMSAT
• Stay out later 
• Start on project #2 
• Learn to cook a new dish at least once every two weeks
• Try to see Anna and Kim at least once every two weeks
• Catch up with someone at least once a week
• High tea or classy buffet with Yen, Karen and Sophie before she leaves
• Yumcha with Kim and Anna
• Visit Killester with Tina, Lisa, Sophie. JP and Alyssa with personally made cupcakes
• Lunch with Sandra and Cameron
• Lunch with Vania and Nicholas (getting my memo back! yay~)
• Coffee/lunch/shopping spree with Karen and Andrew
• Coffee date with Karen and Tony
• Have a belated birthday lunch/dinner with Tuyen
• LAN party with Kim, Karen and Alyssa 
• Stalk Winnie down so she can write in my memo book
• Stalk down Peter or Edward for my memo book
• Hang out with Tina, Connie and Ryan
• 1000 Steps with Tina, Julie, Amanda and Theresa  
• 1000 Steps with Karen, Ron, Yen and JP

Why I hate going to the dentist/braces

• My teeth hurts after a session and the food I can eat is very limited.
• Food gets stuck on my braces, so I spend quite some time (using my tongue or toothpick) to make sure it gets removed. No one wants to see me talking with food on my braces do they? :P
• I wake up with my teeth biting my tongue. 
• Sometimes I have to pay $300-500 for a session, which means I'm very poor for the rest of the month. Which is alright considering the limited food I can eat...
• I have developed a sensitive gag reflex. 
• When a new helper (probably on work placement) gets involved with my teeth. My gums have suffered so much at their hands.
• My mouth is repeatedly clawed by the wires as they try to re-adjust after being re-wired.
• I constantly know what blood in my mouth tastes.
• My toothbrushes die fast.
• When my dentist is sick and continuely makes mistakes. He gets agitated and my poor teeth are the victim for his anger outlet. 
• When my dentist has a hard time re-wiring my braces because my mouth is small. He constantly sighs and yanks just that little harder.
• I fear for my teeth and believe that there's a high chance of them falling out due to the strength my dentist applies why he yanks at them.

Family Dinner

Last Sunday, my family had an overdue family dinner. After much deliberation, we ended up eating at Gold Leaf because Hoa Tran was too full.  I used the term "overdue" because we used to eat together every Sunday, but changes in our life has made that near impossible.

My father works as a baker, so he works at night and sleeps during the day. My mother works in a bakery, so she works in the early morning till late afternoon. By the time she gets home, she's too tired to do anything. This pretty much explains why my father does all the house work. I help whenever I can.

Whilst my father works everyday, my mother gets a break on Sunday. But even then, our Sundays are usually filled with church and family gatherings at my grandma's house. Knowing this, I tend to leave my Sundays free for my family.

Anywho, during this family dinner, I asked my parents why they never call to check up on me or my sister when we go out with our friends. They reasoned that they've raised us well with a moral compass and know not to get involved with drugs, alcohol etc. When I was younger, I always told my parents the details of my outing - the who, what, where. If I was ever planning on staying later than usual, I would give them a call. Because of this, my parents trust me to be sensible and have faith that I would always do the right thing. They've also met Anna and Kim, with no objections to their characters, so they trust that I've made the "right" sort of friends.

I felt really proud to hear my parents explain all that to me. I've always had a feeling that that was the case, but to hear it out loud was... rewarding. It's not everyday that I get them to say that they're proud of me as a person and who I've become.

Later on during dinner, I asked my father how he met my mother. My mother has told me the story countless times, but I wanted him to tell it to me this time. My siblings and I laughed so badly when he just summed up their meeting, whereas my mother goes into minute details.

According to my father, he knew my mother because they lived in the same neighbourhood and were in the same parish church. Yep. Short and Simple. On the other hand...

According to my mother, my father was mesmerised by her and asked around for her name. After that, they became friends and he would follow her around. She was 13 when this happened. At that time, they both had "fanclubs" or admirers of their own. My father would have a flock of girls waiting outside his house to follow him to school. Unfortunately for them, he only had eyes for my mother hehe~ (Random fact: They had their first kiss at around 20 years old).

From this, my mother deviated and just boasted how good looking my father was back in the day. He paid her the same compliment. Eventually, this lead to her speech about how her kids are just as pretty and handsome because we had such beautiful parents. LOL. This also meant that there are no worries about any of us being switched from birth, since we resemble our parents too much (she watches A LOT of Korean dramas. HAHAHA. This was her way of poking fun at the overuse of kids being switched at birth.)

That's pretty much all I can remember right now.

Bye~

Marcel Nguyen

Watching the Olympics was worth it cause I discovered...

Hehe, I even changed my favicon to him :D

Cosmetics

If there's one cosmetic that I indulge myself in, it would be nail polish. Unlike it's peers, I actually know how to use it, albiet not quite professionally. It comes in a wide range of colours and are inexpensive. They last for some time and have not damaged my nails, yet.

I think one of the reasons why I like nail polish so much is because I don't use any other cosmetic. Nail polish makes me feel a little bit prettier and girlier. I'm sure that they can be achieved through the use of eyeliner, mascara, foundation, concealer and blush, but I'm most comfortable with nail polish. Plus, I don't really think I need eyeliner and mascara since I wear glasses. Doubt you can see it with them on. Likewise, I have naturally pink cheeks so blush isn't really needed. I do get pimples from time to time, and using foundation or concealer would just make it worse. 

Sigh, I wish my collection was more extensive.

UPDATE ON MY ROOM!

Last year in October, I posted some pictures of my room. Since then, I have changed the orientation of my table and bed. But I was still unsatisfied since my problem still remained - I had no storage space. I've finally fixed that problem and I'm a lot more satisfied with my room. I actually sleep in it now.

For a month I've been sleeping in my living room downstairs, on the coach. My sister also slept down there. She's been there since last year during the final months before VCE. She was just too tired to make her way upstairs after late night of studies. You can say that I ended up joining her. I had good reasons after all.

I didn't like my room, and my room probably didn't like me.

I would like to proudly re-introduce my room, in all its (near) glory.




This is my bed. I've finally got some bed sheets for my bed
and a quilt set of Felix to cover my pillow and blankets.
I only have one clock left. I threw the rest out.
Above my bed are a poster of DNA, with information about its
replication, that I had since year 10 and a reminder board with
a picture from Graduation Dinner and ''Are you depressed?'' quiz.


My lovely table. As you can see, I took down the top half.
I didn't like how it covered the light while I worked.
I now have a computer in my room, but it has no internet connection.
There's a box right next to it, which contains all the decorations that
were once on my table. I don't know what to do with them.
On the far right is my clothes hanger. My dad got it for me
since he was fed up of my clothes lying around.


Here's a picture of my new bookcase. I gave the old one to my brother.
You can see the newspapers I've collected over the years on the left.
And there's even a clearer picture of the DNA replication.
At the top, there's a heart-shaped ear-ring holder with is home to
my assorted earring and Harry Potter wands.


Closer up pictures of my bookcase.
From the top going left to right:
1. Books, pictures&memories, unpacked Vietnam stuff,
more pictures (Polaroid) and candles
2. CDs & DVDs, random, DVD box, random
3. VCE exam folders, UNI text books, paperwork, anything electronic
4. clothes, rubbish bin, more exam folders, VCE work


This is my lovely door and wardrobe.
At the top you can a part of my soft toy collection.
In the right is a family photo taken when I was about 2-3 years old.


A closer view of my awesome accessory and notice board.
I got those lovely blue-pink love heart earmuffs in Thailand.
That sheet of random paper is a blood check appointment reminder.
Anna, Kim and I got these friendship bracelets which a word on it.
Anna got Live, Kim got Laugh and I got Love.
While I was at Spotlight I found that wooden lovepiece.


This isn't all of my DVDs and CDs but I just wanted to provide a glimpse.
Some DVDs not include are the FRIENDS S1-10, Two and a Half Men S1-6,
Forrest Gump, 10 Thins I Hate About You etc.
I tend to buy whatever I really really like. I want to support the people
who have worked hard to present me with such great gems.
To date, I have all of DB5K's Korean work - CDs and DVDs.
I will one day be able to declare I have their Japanese work.

I own nearly all of Backstreet Boys' CDs except their latest one.
I promised myself that I wouldn't listen to that album until I have it in my hands.
I still don't. But I will, eventually.

Same thing with Jesse McCartney - I still need to purchase his first two albums.
The other three singles were bought when I was a child back in Western Aus.

My room :D

A couple of years ago, I took a picture of my room before exams and after exams. Here's the post if anyone is interested...

So, I was bored from studying and decided to take pictures of my desk this time :D Quite obviously, I was doing some Chemistry revision. Since I've got a camera this time, the pictures are of higher quality! But I accidentally saved them with paint while trying to resize it...so the quality still sucks... XD

From the post linked above, this was my desk 2 years ago.



LOLS. Not too much has changed. I've still got some of the same stuff there.
Like the pictures, glass of water, whiteboard, CDs, books, pink pen holder etc.
However, the top of the table is a lot more packed :D

I think I'll annote a picture... LOLS.
Like I said, I don't want to study right now.


(Click on the picture to see an enlarged version :D)


I'll be back to update :D