It Was Not a Boring 2024 :)

So I skipped writing last year huh? Well 2023 was a very hard and tiring year for me. No wonder I didn't have the mood to write.

My wish for 2024 was to not have a boring year. I wanted to have a fun and exciting year. I also thought 2023 was such a boring and gloomy year, hence the wish for 2024.

And I did get a fun and exciting 2024 :)

Don't get me wrong, it was a busy and tiring year too. But at least there were some stories, new experiences, and few trips for me, to enjoy and spoil myself.

January, I was busy with work. I started having to do more work as a Team Leader - the tasks I have never done before and had to learn as I went. Plus the normal development. In this month also, 1 of the bathrooms in my house leaked, so I had to call plumbers/developers and discussed about repairs/ renovation. It was a very hectic month. To make it worse, my online friend who's been friends with me for the past 2 years was getting more and more suffocating. A little context here, I just quit my game as of 1 Jan, and got slammed into busy work straight away. Hence, I didn't chat with him as much as before. While he, I think worrying that we'd grow apart, kept bombarding me with texts and stalker behaviour. The whole month I was busy with life and work physically, and mentally busy dealing with this guy. Everyone told me to block him, but at the beginning I felt bad for ghosting (since I knew, I couldn't talk it through with this guy. He'd just pity party again). But towards the end of the month with all these things going on, and him creating another account just to test if I blocked him on discord, I exploded and finally blocked him everywhere. He still tried contacting me with other means until Feb I think. Oh I did have a meal with a guy my auntie introduced this month too. But nothing afterwards.

Feb, I still had to deal with that guy's attempts to reconnect. I even got a hand written letter through.... can you guess it? TRUCALLER!!!! I didn't know that app has got chat feature. NONE of the people I knew knew about it as well. Damn. Everytime I remember this, it pisses me off that I was actually the one who INTRODUCED this app to him. *bang head on the wall* 

Then, it was full of doctor appointments. I've noticed a lump for the past few months, but I didn't want to deal with it before Chinese New Year. So once it passed 15 days, I booked for doctor and started doing all those check ups.

Mar was full of doctor appointments and I had my surgery booked just 2 days before Easter. I planned it that way so I didn't have to take too many sick days to recuperate. And guess what, the renovation started the week before my surgery :) talk about bad timing. I was already busy and had to deal with this too. Mostly just phone calls, but I also needed to go to shop to choose tiles etc. Oh but I managed to get some tickets for &Juliet Musical. It was very enjoyable!!!

Apr we learnt how to paint :) the reno apparently doesn't include painting the ceiling -.- It was gonna cost $800-1200 to paint the ceiling. So, of course I, refused to pay and instead asked my friend to drive me to Bunnings and buy paints etc. Just bermodalkan watching videos + asking the staff, I, a week after surgery, with my sisters, painted the bathroom ceiling. Man... how painful were my shoulders and neck after that. I took 2 panadols that night. But then, painting skills unlocked! We also went to see a play, not musical, just a play. So it was our first play. And my online friend from Canberra came to visit at the end of the month.

May we went to see a solo musical performance. And I booked flight tickets to go to Indonesia alone!!!!!! And we booked our tickets for Japan in November yayyyyyyy ^^

Jun - The month I realised that I'm actually rich :| On a Saturday morning while I was sleeping in like a pig, my sister woke me up and asked me to book tickets for our parents to go back to Indo. My dad's depression was getting worse and he wanted to go see his doctor. So there I was searching for flight tickets literally a minute after I opened my eyes, and booked it within 10 minutes after waking up. For the next day. I'm not bragging, but seriously at that moment I realised, I was actually rich enough. And grateful that we had enough money to be able to do this.

I've been grateful for this more since Feb actually. Eventhough Australia has Medicare and I'm covered, but it doesn't actually cover for everything. Ultrasounds and biopsies are not 100% covered and sometimes, you need to pay first and claim after. If you don't have cash on hand, then how would you pay for all these? 1 scan is already hundreds of dollars. So yeah, this year I'm more aware on this, and really grateful that at least... despite all these problems, we have 1 less thing to worry about. It's true, money cannot buy happiness. But if you have money, at least you can focus more on the other things.

I also realised how great I am in sleuthing ;) 1 of our Sydney friends got married. We talked about him and then I googled the wife. Then... I found some interesting details... ho ho ho ho.... But yeah, I always know I'm good at investigating, but this year I realised that even more as my friend asked me to help find info hahaha...

Jul - Guess what. I got my first ever covid 1 week before my flight. Oh man, I got to frustrated. I so blaming my colleague for spreading it to me. And we only talked for few minutes once??? I guess my immune system was really low then. But in order to make sure I got well before the flight, I pumped up my vitamin c, drank coconut water and ATE A LOT. As the result I got well 2 days b4 the flight, but 2 kilo heavier :| Great. Just. Great.

Anyway, then I was off to Bali for a week. I was worried I'd somehow bump into him at the airport initially. But, once I saw the crowds of people trying to pick up..... Yep, there's no way either of us can recognise each other. There were so many people!!!! Even my BFF and I had trouble finding each other.

I stayed with my BFF in Bali and enjoyed that week with her, her hubby and also her cousin who flew to Bali to join me. It was really a nice time to just be me. We did Pandora Escape Room together too, the most difficult one, and we finished it 10 min before time was up (with plenty of hints hahahaha). But it's ok, we managed to get out is the important thing. There was 1 time when my bff thought she saw him, and I froze. Thank god it wasn't him phewwww

Then another week in Jakarta with my cousins and uncles/aunties. Oh I also tried the new fast train - Whoosh Whoosh to Bandung. It was really fast. Feel rugi paying expensive only for 20 min ride lolllllll That week was really just meeting friends and families and full on eating. I gained another 5 kilo in Indo *hopeless smile*

Aug - I went for coffee with the guy Denny's introduced. Nothing afterwards too. Then, Metro Sydenham - Tallawong Opened yayyayyyyyyy Now I have a lot of lunch options!!!!! Guang Liang's concert woohooooooooo!!!! It was such a great concert. He sang so well and very stable!!! I hope I can go to his concert again in the future. And Conan the Movie Million Dollar Pentagram was out in the cinema yayyyyy and we were going to the places featured in the movie hehehehehehe...

Sep - In the mood of sending food to my friends overseas. And started booking accommodation for Japan.

Oct - Can't remember much except we were super busy planning Japan trip + tax return. So many things I need to change for Aomori/Hakodate part as the trains and buses stop running from Nov. But so excitingggggggggg ^^

Nov - The TRIP IS HEREEEEEEE!!!! OMG the best part of my yearrrrrrr. We visited a lot of places, tried a lot of things, saw a lot, shopped a lot, it was just awesome!!! I think I really feel alive when i'm on this kind of trip. All the places we went to this time (except Asakusa), we haven't been to before. It's all new. It was hard planning and figuring things out, but it's so refreshing!! We tried a lot of new dishes too. I even didn't get to eat simple things I usually ate there, but other new things. Didn't even get the chance to eat Mos Burger lol. But we had anything else hahaha..

I spent my birthday in Sendai. Visited some historical places and then ended it with trip to the Aquarium xD My bff was laughing when I told her. She said, it's like 4th Birthday celebration. But I didn't care. I wanted to relax in the Aquarium ^^ The dolphin and seal show was so cute too!

We also visited quite a few places featured in my favorite anime Yuru Camp. Felt so blessed and grateful that I could see those places and experience it myself.

And finally we got to stay in the ryokan we always stay at in Asakusa. The owner as usual was very nice and helpful and even walked us to places we wanted to visit to (within the neighbourhood). He also walked us to the restaurant for dinner, sent us map to festival and walked us halfway to the station when we were going to airport. His wife also bought us apple pies *touched* It feels to me that we are more like friends now.

Dec - Back to reality. Straight busy to work but since it's almost Christmas, I only had 3 weeks work, then off 2 weeks for Xmas and New Year xD So nice huahahahahahaahaha I'm still relaxed from the holiday and admiring the cute useless stuffs I bought there, and reminiscing my time there.

I watched 34 Series this year which include 21 Anime, 9 Kdrama, 3 Cdrama, and 1 JDorama. My favourites are The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today, Marry My Husband, Wrong Carriage Right Groom, Queen of Tears,  Frieren, Yuru Camp, Bartender, Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori, No Love No Gain,  and Light Shop. 17 Movies (6 Animations, 4 Anime, 1Hollywood, 4 Indonesian, 2 Korean) - I think I missed some I watched on the plane though. And listened to many many horror podcasts.

I cut quite a few friends this year. No regrets there. I'm tired of people who don't put as much effort into the friendships as well. Relationships be it friendships or love, need both parties to reciprocate. I was too nice before and gave them too many excuses and benefits of the doubt, while they didn't even appreciate my existence. I guess that's it, I will just give them back what they give me.

Surprisingly this year I got really close to this Thai girl. Dunno how long this would last too. I actually thought our friendship would end last Dec as I was quitting the game. But we are still close till now.

Hopefully next year work is getting better and we get new clients. Honestly, work has been my happy place this year. Our department relationship is really great that I feel happy to come to work everyday. When someone said "Nobody likes to go to work", I actually got offended. Because I am happy to go to work. Yeah yeah I am always lazy to wake up, but I'm always happy when I get to the office (Unless I see the people I don't like he he). So I hope we get new clients and we can stay together longer.

I wish for a less mentally stressful year especially within our family. And I hope I get to travel twice next year too. And hope I can lose 5 kilo!!!!!! Ideally 7, but 5 is good enough *puppy eyes*

I wish for a for a healthy, happy, peaceful but fun and exciting 2025.

Bye 2022, You sucked. Hope 2023 will be Better.

 Hey,

 I didn't write anything this year, but I still want to keep a record of what I remember happened this year.

 2022 sucked. Really. It was damn boring and lonely and depressing for me for the first 9 months. NOTHING interesting or happy happened to me. Well.. at least from what I can remember.

 Well yeah, my cousin gave birth to a cute baby girl and that was exciting. I was happy for them. However, it's not really my happy moment right? I was soooooooooooo lonely and sluggish and depressed. I was bored, but didn't wanna move a finger. I forced myself to get out of bed and go to gym just because if I didn't, I'd just lay there in bed all day. I prefer weekdays to weekends and actually feel happy on Sunday night because I get to go to work the next day.

Work wise, it was a good year. I was awarded Best Employee of the Quarter twice this year. And I didn't even think that I'd get it. The other department's new employees were suck, and I unintentionally made 1 of them cry. And when she resigned, she said that 1 of the reasons is coz she still gotten over the issue with me @@

What else hmm... in Oct, my dad suddenly found out he had medical issue. We were supposed to fly home at the end of the month, but the medical issue was only confirmed until a week before departure date. So yeah.. lots of uncertainties, phone calls, changing reservations, doctor appointments and project deadlines. It was damn... tired...

Then, I flew home and it started the whole socialising that I practically didn't have for the whole 10 months. Felt like 10 months worth of socialising was dumped into Nov and Dec. I also flew to Malaysia to meet my game friends of 3 years. That was great. If I didn't go, I'd have what ifs. But now that I have gone, I still have another what if lol. Sometimes.. I think God can be real cruel... I feel like he hasn't listened to my prayers for years. But then.. when he finally answered, it was done... cruelly... I'm still hurt till now... I sometimes think maybe I should poof. But then, I think again... do I want to throw all those away? But I also think, how long can I stand it? Can I... last?

I also think that God is a procrastinator. All my social life and problems, and natural disasters were all dumped into the last 2 months of this year.

My dad had his surgery early December. Then it started a week long of tiredness. Hospital visits to keep him company in between of work and social life. Plus, we had to go to hospital in the middle of the night and stayed there. Which means, loss of sleep. My friend also visited from Canberra during that period, so I couldn't sleep in. Plus, office Christmas party within same period.

However, because of this, I realised how good my bosses are. I took planned and unplanned leaves because of my dad's surgery and they never complained. And the 2nd award I got? Turned out that it was for Q3, but I went on holiday after that quarter, and when I'm back, I kept taking leaves coz of my dad and they couldn't present it to me LOLLL My GM said "It's your fault that it's late". Turned out that it was literally my fault xD I don't have much things I'm grateful for this year (I probably should have more, but the first 9 months were so miserable), but my work is the number 1 thing I am grateful for this year. When that newbie cried, everyone took my side. Nobody blamed me or told me off. They all agreed that I didn't mean bad. It's just me being me. Impatient and blunt, straight to the point. I really didn't know if I should be happy or sad when they said, "It's just her being her. She's like that to me! She's like that to everyone!" LOL

My BFF flew here with her husband for Registry of Marriage. So finally we can hang out for a month here. That was really fun and I also enjoy hanging out with her husband. She flew back today, I'll be lonely... Because she was here, I also hung out a lot with friends we didn't get to meet often. It was so much fun. I think I really can be myself when I'm with them. I can laugh freely, I can act clingy, needy, fierce and shameless when I'm with them. I can't be like that with anybody else...

I dropped a long time friend this year. Such a shame. She's found new group of friends and doesn't have time/doesn't put effort into maintaining our friendships. I also have stopped putting effort in maintaining relationships with few friends I used to put effort into. I realised that it was always me reaching out to them. My cousin once said to me, she's also the type that doesn't do the reaching out. But, for me... I think I'm tired already. Why is it always me? If it's always only me, wouldn't that mean I don't worth that much to them? So, what's the point?

On the other hand, there's this game friend who really appreciates our friendships. He said to me today, "Thank you for keeping me company and cheering me up this year. If not because of you, there might not be me today. And I won't get this far". On the other hand, the other friends made me feel underappreciated, or like I was nothing lol You really don't get the things you want in life, but you get other things. Would be good if we can get both though, lol.

Anyway... I hope next year will be better. I'll try to keep myself busy, so I don't have time to overthink or feel lonely. I'll drink more water and try to prioritise myself more. Hopefully that way, I'll be happier.

 

Purple Lady.

31 Dec 2022 22:29

2021 Went Just Like That, Hope 2022 is More Memorable

Hello,

I'm sleepy already now, so maybe I won't write much. 

2021 went away just like that. I hardly remember what happened this year =/

 

It feels like I didn't achieve anything this year. Half of the year was spent at home, working from home since Jun 26 until first week of December. I started going out in November, but that was only once or twice. I was lucky to have been able to celebrate my birthday freely, like Covid was gone already. Then I came back to work on the 2nd week of December but then off for 5 days break. Today, NSW had 21,000 new covid cases...lol we are way faster to reach 25k target in Feb lol. We might even reach it tomorrow.

My game friend asked me today, how long have I been back to the office? 2 weeks? I said, more, but upon checking my calendar, I realised it was only for 11 working days lol he's.. right again.

This year made me an even more hermit. Socialising with people sounds like hard work and effort to me now. And now I don't feel like going bushwalking anymore. And some of my closest friends, well just say I don't feel that comfortable around them anymore. What a shame. Maybe I'm breaking down.

I still play that mobile game, and with the same friends. Back in July, the guild leader poofed just like that. So another guildie assumed the leader position and i still acted as the deputy...but with more work. Finally on Xmas eve we relinquished our positions and moved to another guild, to enjoy our retirement. I was tired already, and my game husband was annoyed already by the guildies too, so he pushed the move, which was good. If it's up to me, I might just be a frog that's being boiled to death and it will be too late to jump out of the pot. But in terms of the friends I've been playing with, it's been fun. Of course sometimes I can feel underappreciated or lonely, but in general it's been fun. I got close to another one too, whom I really enjoy chatting with. 

Last week, we started looking after my sister's work mate's Guinea pig, he's called sugar. Surprisingly we are not that bad in taking care of him (I think). Eventhough today I cut his toenail too deep and it bled UwU sorry Sugar....

My birthday this year was pretty good. Some close friends sent me gifts and they made me feel special. Some pranked me, but well... If I wasnt in their mind, they wouldn't bother to, right? And the people dear to me remembered and wished me happy birthday. So, for them, I'm grateful =) 

I hope next year I won't be like sloth like this year. Would be nice to be out again and moving more and be happier. It just feels like a very lethargic year for me this year.

Is this just another wishful thinking? As I sometimes say, God probably has forgotten about me. It's been years since he listened to my prayers. 

But well... I'm still living hao hao de ma? So, for that, I'm still grateful.

Good bye 2021. Please tell 2022 to be wayyyyy more cooler than you.

Happy New Year 2022 everybody! 

Cheers, 

Purple Lady. 

Like a Drama

Hey there,

I think I jinxed it lol

2 weeks after that previous post, Sydney went into lockdown hahahaha... And coincidentally, it started heading towards it after I called in sick for work. Last year's lockdown was also like that lol

So here I am, on my 10th week working from home. Maybe I'm mouldy already lol

Yesterday I was chatting with a game friend about Mystic Pop Up Bar. I recommended it to her, and she tried watching it, liked it and finished it quickly. She said she likes that kind of stories, slice of life and warms the heart. And she likes that it has a good ending. 

 It is my kind of story too. It shows that there are other sides to stories, that maybe everyone isn't as bad as we thought they are. However, too bad it's only a story. A lot of people in that story received help from the main lead, be it to avenge, to get back what they supposed to get, to find things they lost, or anything really... But in real life, we don't have anyone to help us do all those... all you have, is yourself... Everyone else can only pity you, support you or just looking for gossips without doing anything for you... and there's no guarantee of a happy end...

Sometimes I wished life was like in dramas.