My First Double Celebration - Chinese New Year & Australia Day

The only good thing about double celebration here... it is a public holiday... otherwise CNY will be coming out from my own annual leave.

CNY eve eve ;) dinner with Kyle's relatives. His cousin in-law is introducing Kyle to his property development company. Kyle is starting work next month in a profession totally different from school teacher. I pray and hope that he'll find a job which he really likes doing on a daily basis. Dealing from kids to adults may come as an initiate shocker.

CNY eve had dinner with Aunt Helena & Uncle Leonard and their close friends. Aussie style reunion dinner... BBQ !!! It has been really warm these days... by the way this comment is coming from me, who's entire life spent growing up in Malaysia!

First day of CNY cum Aussie Day (aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi... ;) ), we went to Darlinghurst, the "happy" hub for 1.5hrs of yoga class (dynamic hatha). Didn't feel rather dynamic, but had a nice stretch :) Sometimes it's refreshing to have an easy flow of poses and focus on postures, alignment and breath.

Later adjourned for a simple italian meal, cheese salad entree and pizza (yummy !). The portion was just too much for 2 person. Did some window shopping in the city then head back home as it was drizzling. Not going to enjoy the fireworks, done that last year :) We ended our day watching a movie.
The Bucket List. Nice entertaining show. I'm pretty sure I'll be doing the same thing if I have the $$$$'s.

GONG HEI FATT CHOY & HAPPY AUSSIE DAY !!!

My First Fav NYE Sketch

I was told that this NYE sketch, Dinner For One is being aired on tv every year. This was my first time watching it. I was tearing from laughing too much and a terrible tummy ache after that... hehehe

A Blessing In Disguise !!!

19th Dec 08 to 3rd Jan 09, we were suppose to be on a holiday cum pilgrimage trip to the middle east. Our Thai Air flight was canceled due to the strike in the Thai airport. Initially we were frustrated as we wasted our time, effort and money planning for this trip. Then a couple days ago, we heard in the news....

Gaza violence goes into sixth day

Israel says it is fighting Hamas, not the people of Gaza

Violence has continued in the Gaza Strip for a sixth day, after calls for a UN-backed ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants foundered.

A series of Israeli air strikes hit the parliament building and the justice ministry. There are reports of damage to a children's hospital.

Rockets fired by Hamas militants have again landed in Beersheba, some 40km (24 miles) inside Israel.

Israel on Wednesday rejected calls for a 48-hour truce to allow aid into Gaza.

A draft UN resolution put forward by Egypt and Libya failed after the US and UK complained that it called on Israel to ends its air assaults but made no mention of Hamas rocket attacks against Israel, which they say started the latest hostilities.

Since the Israeli air offensive began on Saturday, jets and attack helicopters have targeted Hamas security compounds, government buildings, smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt and homes belonging to militant leaders.

Palestinian officials say 391 Palestinians have died in the Israeli air strikes; four Israelis have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza, which is under Hamas control.

Aid distribution

Palestinians sources say Gaza's Justice Ministry, Legislative Assembly and Education ministry were hit.

A workshop and several money changers' officers were also hit, one of which was close to a children's hospital.

Israel said it targeted at least five smuggling tunnels along the border with Egypt, a weapons manufacturing and storage facility in central Gaza, and a Hamas police command centre in Rafah.

The UN's relief agency, Unwra, says Gaza is facing a dire humanitarian situation and is on the brink of catastrophe.

It has resumed the distribution of food and medical supplies in Gaza.

The agency's Commissioner-General, Karen AbuZayd, said 20,000 people a day had been without food aid for two weeks.

Map: Gaza and Israel violence In pictures: Day five of strikes Shockwaves in Beersheeba

"People are doing pretty badly," she told the BBC.

"We do see for the very first time people going through the rubbish dumps looking for things, people begging, which is quite a new phenomenon."

However, Capt Benjamin Rutland of the Israeli Defence Force told the BBC that enough food and medical supplies were getting through.

Despite the failure of the initial UN talks, diplomatic efforts continue to bring an end to the fighting.

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he would visit the region on Monday, although he is not scheduled to travel to Gaza.

Israel and Hamas say they may consider a ceasefire in the future, but their terms are very different.

Israel wants a permanent end to Hamas rocket attacks, while Hamas wants the Israeli air strikes to stop and the blockade on Gaza to be lifted.

Opinion polls in Israel indicate strong public backing for the air campaign, but support for risky action on the ground is much lower.

However, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has spoken of "widening and deepening the operation".

The Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday that the Israeli army had recommended a major but short-term ground offensive.

Israel has massed forces along the boundary with Gaza and has declared the area around it a "closed military zone", leading to speculation a ground offensive into the tiny coastal strip could be imminent.

International reporters have been barred from entering Gaza, however Israel's Supreme Court told the government to allow at least some foreign journalists to enter.

The government was given until Thursday morning to respond.