Puffing Billy

Romantic... so romantic!! A steam engine train ride through the mountains. Leisurely luncheon in a dining car with old style trimmings circa 1960's. Gazing out the window and capturing the panoramic view of Melbourne in the distant framed by rolling plains and tall trees. All this on a Friday afternoon! So, this is what bliss feels like...

Audit

We had audit come through our office and looked through each teams' files this week. And phew...! Our unit obtained the only 'green' area in the whole of Victoria which is a big achievement overall (audit ratings are green, amber, and red - no points for guessing what they mean).

They chose one of my files to review, and found nothing except for one item which was not quite something I could control. My other team mates' files were also clean. Overall our team also received a green rating.

Preceeding and during the audit, my team worked late till the wee hours of the night and even went back to work on the weekends. We shook in our boots with anticipation that the auditor might pop in front of us and penalise us heftily for mistakes we've done, or incomplete paperwork. We made triple, quadruple checks - one of my team mates even went through a file 7 times... of the file to make sure everything we could think of has been covered off.

This audit left me to look into my life more intensely... how am I living my life? Do I endeavour to do the right things all the time? Because at the end of my life, there will be an Auditor too. Just like the auditor at my office, His visit is inevitable. At the end of the day, the choice is mine whether to shake in my boots or be confident that I've done the right thing.

Back to School

I'm such a nerd. I just couldn't wait to start my first Chinese class for the year. I missed the last term last year (4 terms each year) because I was overseas so I was really looking forward to continuing the studies in a new term. The day finally arrived last Sunday.

What I really loved was the new text book (AUD 295 includes a CD with containing all the Chinese words we will learn in the 6 weeks, and a book containing materials for each class), so crisp and white; my new exercise book for notes... ahh... as I said, I'm such a nerd.

St Kilda Beach

Some photos from our recent visit to St Kilda Beach for sunset and pizza.

View of the pier walk

Penang

Shortly after we got back to Malaysia from Japan, we took a side trip to Penang for 2 days and 1 night. Penang, recognised as The Pearl of the Orient, is well known as an international tourist destination in Malaysia. One of its main drawcards for local tourists are... it's food!! Char kuey teow (fried rice sticks), or chien (oyster omelette) are two of my fave dishes, and two of which I am determined to eat in Penang.

I did get my wish, and boy did I enjoy them! The best CKT and or chien we had was definitely at New World, a hawker centre nearby our hotel. It was just a quick pit stop for a snack, but it turned out to be the most delicious CKT and or chien we tried on the trip.

Besides the food, we also went to Kek Lok Si temple that boasts of the tallest Buddha status in SE Asia. I also caught up with a childhood friend who is working in Penang while there.

We took the propeller plane to Penang. It was very noisy during take off coz we were sitting right next to the propellers but quietened down in the air.
Kek Lok Si temple

A lot of Kek Lok Si temple is about quantity. Lots of fish...
Lot of tortoises...
Lots of statues...
The tallest Buddha statue in SE Asia