Max Brenner at Melbourne Central

Some random night bar we simply pick to enter.

Gin and Tonic

Chocolate fondue with milk chocolate (left) & dark chocolate (right)

Chieh Ai's "Exploding chocolate shot" (Pic 1)

Chieh Ai's "Exploding chocolate shot" (Pic 2)

Kane; Gracia; Jun

Gracia's "Chocolate pizza"

Zax's "Chocolate frappe"

Jun's "Mexican spicy chocolate"drink

Kane's "Suckau chocolte drink"

Max Brenner at Melbourne Central station. Malaysia still havent got this franchise yet, Singapore got it so long ago...

Davyn; Zax

"Nasi goreng lamb"

Cold Rock Ice-cream

Two (2) sachets of Lipton Black Tea, boosted up my senses. Collecting articles to begin with.
Unit: Commercial Banking & Finance
Topic: Deposits insurance in Australian Banks
Percentage complete: 0%



wakaka. not going for Boat Cruise.
Reasons:
(a) Too expensive ($AUD 60 per person)
(b) Too near assignment due date- no matter how early I start the assignment, I'll rush in the end. It always happens.
(c) Save money for the ultimate Howitt Hall Ball -i.e. Gaudy Night





Didn't do much lately. Just hang around the room and download movies and television series from DC++ (The programme that don't exist). Reason for such claim is because it's illegal to download using this way. Went to Pinewood with Kane Tan, Chieh Ai and Zax Teh to get some ice-cream from Cold Rock. The specialty of Cold Rock is that, there are unique steps to get a Cold Rock ice-cream:

(a) Select size of cup or cone
(b) Select flavour of ice-cream (2-3 choices depending on size of cup or cone)
(c) Select toppings (Mars, Sneakers, M&Ms, Skittles, etc)
(d) The worker will mix all of them on a flat cold rock. It's no ordinary mixing method.
(e) Mix ice-cream served.
.
.
.
(f) Pay money


DON'T forget need to pay money. It cost me $AUD 5.80 ($AUD 5 for the regular size cup and 80 cents for a 45g Sneakers bar)


The next time I go, I'll double up my toppings to include at least 2-3 toppings. "Just to see what I'll get" (Russel Peter, 2007). My flavours just now were Bubblegum, Ferrero Roche and Mudcake...something. The mixture didn't give me the tingling feeling. Maybe cause wrong combination of flavours. Pfftt bubblegum with two (2) chocolate flavours. What the heck! haha.

I'm cruel ain't I to show the ice-cream? Wakakakaka!!! Alright the pic was taken half way I was eating it.

Read something about Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) articles in Financial Times while searching for articles. Interesting it is-sounded like Yoda. Will write something about it when I'm free. Brief intro: SWF are funds obtain by issuing shares/ownership to international wealthy corporation or overseas government investment wings. (e.g. Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and China Investment Corporation).

Second Stimulus Plan + Cash rate cut = Saving the economy?

Australian Federal government executed their second stimulus package, so all working Australian earning below $AUD 80,000 per annum will receive a payment of $AUD 900 as part of the stimulus plan to reimburse tax payers as the Australian economy is riding through a recession period. The base for such a generous act is to put back the economy back to it's place by freeing cash for consumers to spent. As usual Federal Opposition leader, Malcom Turnbull hits back at the Rudd government for using the same method which doesn't spur any growth similar to the previous stimulus package. Mr. Turnbull stated 85% of the population whom had received the previous reimbursement from the first stimulus plan did not spent but rather save their money in the bank to earn interest. Conservatism and low confidence with the market performance, everyone is taking a defensive stand. "Cash is king" era, that's what it's called and it HAS to be spent and monitored under a very tight regime. Splurging unwisely comes with serious consequences which might force an individual running towards bankruptcy and a nation, fattening up their deficit.

7th April 2009

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announce a 25 basis point cut from the benchmark cash rate, bringing it to 3% for loans. The four major banks, namely The Commonwealth Bank, ANZ Bank, Westpac Bank and The National Australian Bank (NAB) is thinking what are the further impacts to their lending rate, "Is it too low?". Retailers welcome the Federal government's move.

The announcement of rate cut was to reinforce the effect of the first stimulus package. Hopefully consumer confidence would rebuilt back.

7th April 2009, 5.15pm Australian time
NAB refuse to follow suit the 0.25% cut on the cash rate. So now what happens? Die or adapt?





Out from all the hypes of activity in the trading house, my very own floor has a very happy floor mate, named Romain Tanti. Reason for his joy is because his girlfriend is coming to visit him and she's arriving tonight, direct flight from France I think. So he's out at the airport waiting for her tonight. Haha happy dude. Cheers my friend and have a good time!

I bet he's going to drink like hell tonight, haha. French-ies past time, sipping wine, or beer. Whichever they can find first. ahah

EARTH HOUR!

Toffee Apple bought from Clayton Town

EARTH HOUR. Spend an hour and a half with the lights off with 15 other people in a 21 X 8 feet room at Richardson Hall, also known as (a.k.a.) Wei Ning's room. Lights off, snack packets open. Munch and drink Lemonade (SOLO) for the entire one and a half hour duration thus exceeding the time period of Earth Hour. It's our part in catching up the awareness of climate change in Melbourne through extensive reduction in our carbon footprint.


Picture above : Sia Yee Mei have rabbit teeth that can chew out the skin to form designs on an apple. Shocked of my life. This girl has powerful teeth man, don't play play.


The 15 people excluding me is: The hostess: Wei Ning,
The guests: Nicole Chee (a.k.a. Nicoleta), Kai Ling, Vietnames dude (a.k.a. Edmund's friend), Edmund, Lloyd Chee (a.k.a. Datuk Lloyd Chee), Wilson, David Koay (a.k.a. David Beckham, Jack (a.k.a. Jack Sparrow), Sarah Kew (a.k.a. Sarah Brightman from Cameron Highlands) , Joanne Khoo, Wee Nee, Yee Mei (a.k.a. Mata sepet) and Kirin.

Pyjamas party, clubbing style!

Pyjamas party at ground floor common room of Howitt Hall

Best budddies !!

(Upper row: Katikh, Jia Yang, Francesco)

(Lower row: Kevin, Davyn, Chieh Ai, me and Amanda)

Funny day.

Long day today. Many happenings occurred today, especially the political landscape in Perak. It was a dawn of a total new era for Malaysian politics again. The support is now directly shine towards Pakatan Rakyat. Without a doubt, the recent political turmoil or so-called master-minded strategy adopted by Barisan Nasional was a suicide mission. Three assemblyman quite PKR and insist of becoming independents, despite several calls for them to reconsider their ouster. Regardless, Barisan National now commands the majority of the State Assembly. Legitimately adhering to the Constitution, Barisan Nasional is indeed the ruling state government of Perak, however the forced resignation of Mr. Nizar as Mentri Besar wasn't included in the Constitution, therefore amount to illegitimacy by an objective view. Yet, it is of no reason for me to go against the royal decree, because Sultan Azlan Shah had made the move which he was bounded to make. Am I insulting the Sultan by addressing him, "he". Sorry, this is a democratic country, and we're just practicing Constitutional Monarchy which support the Westminster Parliament ways of administrating this country. What I meant was, even though the people of Perak (also known as Perakians) requested dissolution of the State Government to trigger a state election to re-elect Pakatan Rakyat with a much larger majority, it would be futile with the current condition. Obviously, Barisan Nasional commands the majority, therefore one of them must be the Mentri Besar. The State Assembly can't be dissolve without a proper and legitimate reason. The Sultan can't dissolve the State Assembly just because the people wants it. No where in the Constitution was stated anything about switching political parties while being elected, therefore amounted to void if simply accusing it to be illegal. There was precedence of this matter many years back and the Sultan was just taking the same equal steps. Pakatan Rakyat can't amend the Constitution unless it commands two-third of the majority of the Parliament. The only method to confront this problem is by hoping the two defected state assemblyman will be acquitted with corruption charges, therefore forcing them to resign instantaneously, ultimately requiring a by-election for the two places. No doubt Pakatan will win hands down. Making the numbers to rise to 30 against Barisan's 28 and one independent that supports Barisan. With that, the newly installed Mentri Besar, Mr Nizar (presumably) could request a dissolution of the State Government for a state election which guarantees a wholesome victory for the Pakatan Rakyat, thus finishing Barisan of from Perak.

Anyway, it was a great day today. Went to Adrian's house at 9.30 a.m. to gamble. Among those attend: Hsiao Yinn (for obvious reason), Ross, Ji Yung and Eve Lyn. Overall winner, Ji Yung reaping RM20 and Eve Lyn, not sure amount. I loss nearly RM12. I think Hsiao Yinn loss the most. After that we went to USJ9, Restaurant Nirvana to have some banana leaf rice. Here the picture is below:

After lunch, Hsiao Yinn headed to work, Eve back home, Ji Yung class, Ross didn't join us for lunch, while me and Adrian headed to Pyramid for a movie: The Pink Panther 2. Worth watching.

Chinese New Year 2009

Chinese New Year 2009

A combination of pictures from paternal (Thum) and maternal (Tan) sides.

Tai Pak and Pat Leong

Jon Chu

Yes, I did let go firecrackers at my house!

David Tan

Typical mahjong la at maternal grandma's house

Yee Pak and Kai ma. The fellar with the DSLR camera at the end, yea that's my brother. and the small kid is my nephew.

Yee Pak

Tai Pak. Every year without fail, he'll be the first to taste the dried pork at the clock strike 12pm.

Cecelia Thum and her son.

Ah Koo


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Farewell party

Participants: Wei Liang, Gun, Chick, Jenny, Joey, Kar Kien, Lam, Kee Siang, Chen Siang, me, Li Ter, Melissa, Wilson, Wei Jin, Vern Sheng, Jessica, Ian and Lam's other two (2) friends

Venue: TGIF, The Curve

Time: Late evening

Buddies of mine
(Wei Liang, Gun, Chick, Joey and Jenny)

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Reason for joy: Wei Liang's 20th Birthday Celebration

Venue: Wei Liang's house

Time, Date: 11.59 pm, 20th January 2009

Participants: Wei Liang, Wei Liang's mom, me, Li Ter, Chen Siang, Lam, Kee Siang, Gun