the count has doubled overnight. indonesia easily tops the chart with 80k. and these are ppl we are talking about. dead people.
Archive for December, 2004
tsunami help
2004
12.30
12.30
feeling useless, how can you help:
http://www.tsunamihelp.blogspot.com/ –> help to translate the site into a centralised wiki database
indonesia-specific:
67k
2004
12.30
12.30
around this time yesterday, the count was at 26k. now it stands at 67,000. i can only pray.
26000 and counting
2004
12.28
12.28
****
i pray to God Almighty for the people who have been affected by the Asian Quake and Tsunami…May You continue to bless and provide guidance, food and shelter especially for all the women, children and the elderly.
Amen
****
quick note:
thanks for all of you who have been calling, sending me sms, emails and quick drop friendster, icq, yahoo, msn messages, etc. they are thoughtfulls and greatly appreciated.
my family and friends back home are well and okay. the recent tragedy did not have a massive impact in my hometown. There have been aftershocks and tremors but not significant. There were destroyed buildings and residences along the shores but generally they are minor in comparison to the last earthquake (which destroyed two shops of mine 
)
Thanks again!!!
****
my parents left for indonesia this morning. at the gate, my mum quickly told me, ’see you in 5 months’, not sure indicating whether she is coming back to visit, or the timeline she has been basing my PR application on. My parents want me to go back to indonesia as soon as i receive my PR. the intent of the visit (social visit or permanent back-for-good) is secondary to the actual going back. i agree.
my aunt is back in melbourne again. she was spending the past week or so in sydney.
about the apartment, we finally settled for the milano (fon, if you are reading, take a note, move here if you want to be my neighbout 
) . it wont be ready till 2007 though. i signed the first big contract of my life. with my name on it. my dad casually reminded me that in the event of them not being able to pay, i have to finance the apartment. so much for the unemployed. well, i was just hoping that PR application is successful before June 2005, that way i am qualified for both Federal and State first home buyers grant ($12k is quite a sum).
ok.. me have to quickly shower. i have to catch up with Shan for pool. its been a while. our activity during summer.
i need a holiday
2004
12.23
12.23
status update: currently unemployed (and feeling unwanted).
my desktop was dead. i have spent $500 on upgrading (motherboard, harddrive, repair, etc). im getting frustrated. its been 4 days, and its not yet ready. a phone call from Albert today didnt ease my grumpiness.
feeling useless, i managed to place a phone call to Gloria in CPA. she didnt know that the completion letter has been sent. i enquired as to when will the assessment more likely to be ready? she said 15 jan. i asked her to repeat in disbelief. she said for the second time, 15 january. i nearly had a heart attack. her excuse was its near christmas, all assessment officers are really busy and will be on holiday. so my paperworks will not be looked at until the 15th. what will i do until is another mystery.
i asked yenni to enquire the flight back to indo. maybe i can seek calmness. i just realised though (well actually Jelita told me): i only have one month left in my visa.
i am starting to understand the feeling of my friends who last year were in limbo as to permanent residency and job. im feeling exactly like that. my only source of strength comes from the assurance that should i go back to indo, things would be much better. and im already leaning towards that idea.
desperado, u started applying for any part time positions available…. the $1200 credit card bill, $1700 left in the bank to pay for the bill plus PR not looking good. i need more $$$$$ and i need it fast. i have to earn in. my gmail blurted out 7 new emails, acknowledging the 15 minutes scramble of job application.
i have never felt soo lost like this before.
on a slightly positive tangent: its christmas eve tomm……
on another negative outlook: i will be alone going to the 12 o clock mass…..:(
in 8 more days, remind me to officially confirm that 2004 is the worst year for me. i thought the combination of my birthday in the year (April 20th, so 20-04), would bring me better luck. it didnt. i now need a holiday from this holiday.
simple things in life
2004
12.23
12.23
sometimes we overlook what little things in life that make us appreciate who we are and who are around us.
this week especially is true for me. having my parents, esp. my mum has been interesting and enjoyable. most of the times i have a firm take on staying here 4ever, but the same can no longer be held true. things do change. and as much as i enjoy life down under, i still have to come back eventually to where i belong.
so we look at new apartments the other day. our eyes was set at milano, cnr of franklin and swanston. it wont be ready until march 2007. my sis will graduate at the end of 2006. so its kinda off. but dunno. we have another 24 hours to decide whether to proceed with the deposit. there are others which have been completed: deco tower and indigo lofts are among the ones being offered in concept blue apartment complex. the only drawback: its freakin expensive and we have to come up with the cash in the next 45 days. too much cashflow and the business will day from cash shortage.
there are just things that money can’t buy, and somebody has to realise it soon. before it’s too late.
ruthless?
2004
12.23
12.23
that was the front of our t-shirt for the nus conference. i didnt get there until after my graduation. so here is a quick take on the conference:
the faction is growing stronger… and so is the individuals (old and new) within the factions. the new are keener and somehow more aggressive than what factional stuff can tolerate. the reason im saying this is, while i agree democratic process should be first and foremost upheld in a caucus setting, the most successful and indeed every factions work on seniority. this is because at the end of the day, what secures factional interests is experience coupled with relationships that have been built years and years. not on disposable goodwill that ppl will yield based only on the number you have at any given point of time.
so to that extent, it is hard for me and adrian (for that matter) to manouver fully within and outside. but in the end, we pull through, resulting in the best outcome for ncl the faction ever.
there are things that ppl dont realise. negotiators, communicators, messengers, whatever ppl want to call it are simply not really working in nlc. this is because these people act as ‘powerless middlemen’ who serve as sandbags between the caucus who supposedly ‘empower’ them and with other negotiators from other caucuses. but most often than not, im more scared to face our caucus than others. simply because our caucus lacks the conviction (read: not the ability) to make firm decision. they simply sit on the fence and has no regard as to the growing political position they have taken. with size and power comes responsibility. the faction can no longer enjoy the ‘free ride’ as some ppl have suggested. if they are willing to sit on the front bench, they should be willing to be the ‘face’ as well as present the position that are defensible yet flexible. unless such is achieved, respect to our faction will only be limited with our minority position and our ability to work out the numbers. forget about the real student representation that we have been fighting for. wedge issues sometimes dont always work. it could be boomerang too.
finally…..
2004
12.17
12.17
yesterday was my graduation…after 5 long years… finally….
My sis, dad, mum, me and my aunt
My mum, me and my dad
Me in front of commerce
more pictures coming soon to the gallery
someone told me once
2004
12.12
12.12
i still remember a nice email exchange:
i told that person:
maybe God will be good enough and take my life now… thats when everything will turn alright for everyone… coz finally the world could get rid of another fu*&*( up person… when i die… i bet you will see lots of bright stars on the sky with full moon, smiling to the world and says “it is a better word now with him gone”
that person replied:
u know what… once you f(&**& up, there will be a person who will be there for you and save you from all your misery. You will meet that person before you die. So don’t die before meeting this person, coz God will be good enough to let you meet this person.. If God takes your life now, everyone will cry for you…the sky will turn grey, with all the stars and moon hiding behing behind the clouds..mourning…”A part of me has gone togeher with him”
victoria secret
2004
12.06
12.06
the past three days have been hectic. the amount of phone calls, last minute meetings, sleepless nights, indecision, arguments and counter arguments have taken tolls on everybody. it officially ended this morning at 12.30am (at least temporarily).
so as some of you may have heard, there is a new ‘faction’ in victoria. we refer to them as FW (as will everybody else, coz we insist). they are purged members of our faction and represent a tiny minority of campuses in this state. i took great pleasure in doing the right thing with everybody else for the sickening act of the gensec not attending the conference he allegedly called, let alone presenting any sort of financial statements or reports – his fudiciary duties as set out in the constitution.
where does it all start? of course its with the greediness of each individual in FW. they put ransom on our faction that either they will get a gensec post or they will walk out. while they claim to take a higher moral ground – wanting to represent international students’ interests, everybody else already called their bluffs. they believe in their own lies.
in the end, they are shamelessly elected to the education officer’s position. its still clear in my memory what they said for the past week or so. their flip flop nature from gensec to welfare to gensec again and finally a last minute change to education (without our faction support whatsoever in all these ordeals) confirm my greatest fear – they are not here to represent students, instead their own gains. while i knew about this, perhaps i have been giving them the benefits of the doubts or simply i have been living in denials. everything now though is crystal clear.
but we got what we want and thats what important.
on a side note, many many thanks and love to Yvette and Rachel for being so understanding…. you are the best and i miss you guys…..