It's 11.34pm in Melbourne, which makes it 9.34 back home. I'm back from what has been the most tiring day I've ever had in Australia: Toboggan-ing on Mount Baw Baw!

My first time seeing snow, and it was such a surprise! The guy down the mountain wouldn't rent us toboggans because he said the snow might be too little for that, so I wasn't expecting much. But as it turned out, there was loads of snow! And although the snow suits we rented was to keep the cold out, it got pretty warm because of the sun's reflection off the snow, and running up the slope as soon as we'd slid down.

Tobogganing just basically means sledding down a slope. It's so fun! The only thing was I had to apologise to many people each time I went down the slope, cos I ran into everyone!

Will update with pictures when I get home and self-quarantine! Seriously though, nothing in Melbourne points towards any swine flu problem. Strange.

fin*

\\would you believe I've bought 14 tops so far? ... money's running out! $200 left//

Hey guys, I'm in Melbourne, like, finally! I flew in alone from Perth on 1st July, then on the same day drove for like 10 hours with my cousins and their dad's friends to Sydney. And now I'm finally back in Melbourne. Glad to feel comfy again, cos the cabin in Sydney was serously darn cold even though Sydney's supposed to be warmer than Perth.

I must say, I reall really really miss Perth and Singapore. Singapore mostly because I miss showering without shivering and watching Korean shows amd eating food that actually has spice. (And family, of course) Perth, because I miss everyone!

Staying with Pat and Dan at Aunty Marie's (Dan's aunt) house was so fun. We shopped for our own breakfast, but sometimes Aunty Marie cooks yummy familiar food for us. The house is so comfy and welcoming, and we saved on transport since Aunty Marie almost always helped us find someone to drop us off. I think it was only on Sunday that we took a bus somewhere... and got caught in the rain afterwards haha. Silly us!

Most of all I miss the company. Holidays fee different when you're with friends, because each day seems like an exciting new adventure. Plus we're all shopping junkies, so we had the same objective in going out haha. We got to touch kangaroos and a wombat, a lizard and a koala. We explored a prison. We ate Perth's Top 5 fish and chips (at two different places). We love Supre! And we love Aunty Marie! Haha. Wish my time in Perth didn't fly by so fast...

But now I'm in Melbourne, so I fully intend to enjoy myself and shop like mad at all the factory outlets and markets. Will write more!

Pictures will be uploaded when I get home, cos there's lots.

fin*


Would you believe I took a plane all by myself from Perth to Melbourne without any mishaps? I did leave my jacket at the security screening place, but I got it back, so no harm done.

Okay, I'm finally having doubts about travelling to Melbourne. Not really for Perth, still, but Melbourne's really starting to scare me. I was prepared to be quarantined or something when I got home, but then I suddenly remembered that I'll be taking the plane to KL and not into Singapore! So that means when my parents pick me up, all of us will be at risk, and so we can't have contact with anybody else throughout the entire drive back into Singapore. Of course, those precautions will still seem like not enough, because if it does turn out that I got H1N1 then the Govt. would want to do contact tracing, and it'll be harder if they have to trace it back through Malaysia, even if the people I got in contact with were only the immigration officers.

I don't want to leave my cousins hanging, since I've promised to visit them since three or four years ago, but I'm starting to think I should postpone the Melbourne trip. So if we still get to go to Perth, I should probably book a flight back home and cancel the flights to Melbourne and from Melbourne to KL. Gosh, such a headache. And all I've wanted to do since I finished A levels was to get to travel to Australia and go skydiving. Why must it get so hard??!!

That being said, I think my next post will definitely be about SHINee, whom I think are adorable, and then SS501 who are having a concert here in December. Pat, scream!!!

Haha. And New Moon should be coming out right around that time too, so double reason to scream! I saw the trailer, and it looks like Taylor Lautner (if he can finally act) seems like a good fit for the role of Jacob. I had my doubts, but that boy has definitely been working out haha.

fin*

There's nothing to be done at work right now. Hence the blogging!

I'm finally starting to feel accomplished about this Perth trip! I just booked my return flight home from Melbourne on Tuesday. The date's set at 13th July, since my parents want to pick me up in KL. This means I've saved about $300, since I'm flying budget. Looks like I'll have enough money for accommodation, transport, flight, food, shopping AND skydiving! Yay! Now I just need to see if skydiving is cheaper in Perth or Melbourne.

Pat, Dan and I also finally booked accommodation. In a backpackers' hostel of course, but with en suite bathroom, I think it's a great deal. Anyways, we'll try not to stay in too much, so what's the point of a nice, expensive hotel room? Students' budget!

And visas have been booked. Only flight insurance left, but I'm leaving that to my dad. Booking everything else has been tiring haha.

Like Pat, I've been getting to know the Korean language. Everyday during lunchtime, I watch one old episode of "Let's speak Korean" (I'm on episode 5 right now). And I've been memorising the alphabet system, and copying down characters again and again everyday, so now I can write just about anything in Korean! Reading it is easy too, but I'm very slow. I think it's a LOT easier than Mandarin characters, since an alphabet has one sound, and a consonant + vowel + consonant = 1 syllable. It's like English! Except... there's no character "f", so my name's Sa Ra Pi Na. Doesn't look very nice... Haha. I'm still a LOOOOONG way off from actually speaking Korean, so maybe I'll have to wait till I'm on episode 80 or something =D

Annyeong haseyo! Jeo neun Sarapina imnida. Singgaporeueseo waseupnika. Hak saeng imnida!

Hello! I am Syarafina. I am from Singapore. I'm a student! (Well, will be in August)

Okay, that's all for today. Annyeonghi gyeseyo!

fin* (I refuse to write Pina!)

Korean craze has taken me over! It all began with Boys Over Flowers, which I'm sure Pat understands, and now it has gone into music. Super Junior's Sorry, Sorry has caught me off guard - it's so freaking catchy! And the fact that it has 13 members, many of whom are cute, has me watching their videos Again and Again (which is another song, by 2pm). 2am has the best singing voices, as does K.Will who rocks in Teardrops, and Baek Jiyeong's Like Being Hit By A Bullet is so heartwrenching. 

I'm Korean crazy, but that's not where I'm going. Tickets have been booked, and I'm going to (drumroll please):

Perth and Melbourne! 

Weee! First to Perth with Pat and Dan, then when they fly home, I'll fly to Melbourne to see my much-missed cousins.

Of course, I'm paying for everything on my own, which means all my pay between 13 April and 19 June will go towardss this trip. My dad's paying 168 for my return ticket from melbourne, but only because my budget was 600 for that, and that would mean transiting at KL, which my parents don't want me to do.

I'm so excited! It feels so final now that tickets are booked. =)

Just for fun, watch the Again & Again video by 2pm. Their dancing is on point as always, but the funny part is the fake lyrics that are pasted at the bottom of the screen. Hilarious!

:

fin!!!!!*

Everything will be alright.

Finally, blog!

I had my three day stint at Victoria Concert Hall last week for SYF. Although I was pretty much complaining the first day about how boring it was (as i am wont to do), I found the whole experience really fun! I'd rather have that as my job than what I'm doing now (besides the blogging). Why? There were people my age around, there was food provided, and air conditioning. Need I justify more? Hahaha and of course, there is the matter of laughing at the worst choir I've ever heard sing. Really, EVER. Shouting, more like. And I'm not even trying to be mean or anything. That's how bad it was. Just ask the other 6 people who were backstage with me. (I'm so sorry, if you know this is your school and thus are offended. But I highly doubt you're from this school) Clue, it starts with B, it's not my secondary school or yours. Helpful enough? Haha

Anyways, I really miss the Internet! And my computer, for that matter. My computer just shuts down without warning five minutes after it's switched on. Don't know why.

Did I mention I have income now? Feels great! I just got my paycheck yesterday for the work I've done since the 13t of April, but in cash. It scares me to carry so much money that I can't close my wallet. It should have been more, but I took three days off to work at Vic for lesser pay but more fun. Now I'm wondering if I have the mettle to continue in this line till mid-June. But I really need money because...

...We're flying off somewhere!! Weeee! When it's confirmed and plane tickets are booked, I'll reveal where and who, but till then I won't just in case. One place is more expensive to fly to than the other, but it purportedly has more things to do without having to travel too much, so we'll see. And I have enough money to buy a ticket to one of the places! Just $40 short of the other one, but I'll have enough when I get the Vic paycheck. Money is cool!

I'm so motivated to find another part-time job now, but not while I'm working here. Maybe if I get the other job I've been wanting. Because here, all I do is think about going home, and staying home, after work. Not good huh?

Okay, gotta start rejecting people now [if you know what I mean. If you don't, it's okay (= ]

fin*

I have been too lazy to post lately

i got bed bug-bites in Kuantan!
WOE! WOE! WOE!
i counted around 23 bites around my right wrist, and around 10 bites on my left upper arm
two bites on left leg, and four bites on right
sucks as hell
it was super, super, super itchy during that first week

and then i got home, and i got even worse bites from some unknown freaky thing
it left a few bright red spots around my legs
and two particularly stand-out purple swells on my right leg
it's gone down since
-thank God-

not to mention, i got sore eyes the morning that we left
around 3.00 am, i noticed my red-ish eyes
and my eyes are still red now
maybe i should go to the doctor...

my red eye- shiny because of my specs- disgusting!

the beach at Kuantan was fun
we picnicked there when my parents went shopping
just me, sister and cousin
and spent the rest of the day there playing with starfishes and sand

real live starfish- kept trying to crawl away!

this shot of my sister and cousin looks nice

but the beach at Mersing was... scary
although it looked nice, it was full of crabs larger than the hermit ones at Kuantan

empty Mersing beach on a weekday

my sister and cousin with the kite that failed to take off

on our last day, we went to Kota Tinggi waterfalls at my suggestion
and it was fun!
rocks were super slippery, water super cold, water fell painfully on our backs
but it was fun

my cousin and me (front)

and now, bowling National Age Group championships are going on
can't say i don't feel embarrassed being there
team singapore players present and all
i don't even have my own shoes and ball!
but it's something for the sgc, so...
wish me luck!

fina*