I'm back!!

Back in Sydney... Not sure if it feels good to be home or not. Kinda miss Melb, although when I departed, the weather was rainy and moody - typical Melb... plus, it was tough hailing a cab to the airport too.

It was great fun though! I managed to do the stuff I wanted to do:
1) Rejuvenate the relationship
2) Go indoor rock climbing with Yi - pics on Facebook
3) Go to Jess' graduation
4) Go watch a movie - in fact, I saw 2 with TY! Watched Step Up 2 which was alright. First one was better, but the end dance was really cool. Very impressive chereography. The other movie was Spiderwick Chronicles. It was actually really good. People who love mystery and a bit of fantasy shoud watch it. Or people who enjoy the whole Chronicles series like Narnia should watch it. Spiderwick Chronicles is a bit tough to describe which parts were the best and which aren't... it's just like the whole movie can amaze you - like a storybook coming into real-life...
5) Go to church and catch up with people
6) Go to Max Brenner (which I did!) Unfortunately Sydneysiders don't cafe that much... there's a lot of Coffee Clubs, Starbucks, Gloria Jeans and Coffee Bean... but it's rarely crowded and don't see many cafe-style shops like Max Brenner, Coco Black, Brunnetti's type places... I think the Sydneysiders love their juice though... Boost Juice always has a queue. I actually know a friend who owns one. Not sure if I can get free juice though... haha...

I MISS MELBOURNE AND EVERYONE!

Back home in Syd now and I have this presentation on Thursday and have to do up my Powerpoint. By the way, I DID finish my previous report by the weekend and was pretty proud of myself for figuring out some of the graph bits. TY helped with plotting it though, but I had to try and change the symbols... And there was also the headache of taking out the footer and header from the first two pages of the report in Word. I knew how to do it... it was just that the commands in Vista are totally different to the commands in Word '98. It made me feel like I was really horrible with the Microsoft suite when I'm not... SO frustrating. But perseverance and persistence kinda paid off... I slept at 3am just trying to figure Word and Excel out... and finally got it! This was before I left for Melb. Now... I'm just hoping that Powerpoint would be easier and there won't be any bungles. Due Thursday!

Back to Melb to chill!

Yo all! I'll be back in Melb to chill with you guys from Thurs night (tonight - arriving at about 10:15pm) and leaving Mon morn just before class. So if any of you guys are free... especially Friday daytime itself, let me know!! Sat and Sun is quite booked out with church... and Jess' grad and... Erm... can't rem... just know lots of things lined up.

Those not in Melb, better messaage me what you need or email me! Those in Syd, you guys probably already have all the stuff that Melb has. But I just found out you guys don't have Coco Black! Hmmm... wonder if I can smuggle interstate chocolates... hee...

Can't wait to be back in a way... but I'm thinking I'll miss Syd quite a bit too...
Chat soon!

New changes... and given thanks unto Him

With the whole move up to Sydney, the new environment of the workplace, the new housemate, the new adaptation to the weather, the various people in Uni I'm meeting everyday, the getting used to transport, the getting used to driving around and finding places, the new changes to being more independent and cooking more, dealing with the higher expenses here in Syd, and having to save up a lot for rent and uni, trying to find a church which I believe I've found, etc... I just thought, it's been about 2.5 months since I've been away from my support network, the dependence I had on TY, my friends and loved ones... and now, even though all the hard stuff has passed, there is still a bit of settling to do like getting used to uni life again. I just feel thankful and blessed that God has seen me through this really hectic and rushed 2.5 months. It wasn't an easy move at all and know how God works in the strangest ways of all? First, it was Speech Pathology at USyd and I didn't get in because of a failed result, but then I got into the Clinical Audiology course at Macq Uni by a long and tough appeal and via a late enrollment. Second, somehow, I've been meeting Christian friends in uni... and I'm thinking God must have either planted me or planted them in the same course and at the same uni for us to encourage/edify/minister to one another. He is truly awesome and great in doing that. Third, He knows I'm struggling with my work and I believe He's placed certain people in the field to give me some significant head-knowledge help and direction. And lastly, today in my class, I never expected to be studying about animals, and He who knows all... knows I just adore animals and wanted to be a vet when I was young but couldn't because of the emotional attachment at that time... and today, we studied on quite a few animals. In fact, it's a huge key component if you go on to do research in the audiology field. And I was just thinking... I could specialise in animal audiology which would be amazing. For now, I have to get this report that is due on Tues out of the way and I'm not too sure how I'm gonna do it with the tight schedule I have this week leading up to that due date. But I am sure, God's led me this far, He'll not give up on me and continue to see me through like He always does. And likewise, I shouldn't give up on Him either. Did some quiet time this week and I truly feel refreshed. I have felt a little empty recently with the whole move and lots of dilemmas, like feeling lost and confused about stuff... but this week, I feel strengthened and renewed... and yeah, felt like a new day comes with new challenges, with new trials, new experiences. Hence, the newlook blog too... So yeah, I guess this is Vicky being more centred with Christ and relying more on Him and trying not to look too far back. I'm gonna embrace change and newness. Remember 2 Cor 5:17? If not, feel free to look it up. It truly relates.

Feeling stupid...

You know how sometimes you look at your notes and you just go "huh?" "what?" or just shrug? This is me right now trying to comprehend sentences - some obviously quite long and draggy... but others that are really short and I'm still shrugging away. Then you head to class and there's this blur effect. All your classmates seem to know what the lecturer is talking about and you're like "what?" I mean, it's all interesting, the whole content, but when you have deep focus on the terminology, it can seriously drive you nuts. I feel as you get older, your memory capacity just loses it or something - you just don't memorise as fast as you'd like, or comprehend as well as you like or how hard you try, things just don't make sense. Yep, you got me... I am feeling a little frustrated just trying to read what my notes say. And I guess it's hitting me because I haven't done a report in sooo long. If only I can write down so quickly and easily like how I think or how I blog, that'd be great. Or even working the way I do at my workplace and knowing everything - if only I can apply that with this report, I'd ace it.

But right now, I feel as though my brain needs a reboot or extra RAM... Sigh...

It's just stress... and I have this report due on Tuesday next week.
And this week, I'm jam-packed -
Mon, classes
Tues, work
Wed, classes
Thu, classes and an outing with church friends (which I don't need to go and can stay back and do the report, but I haven't really had much of a relaxed day or a social life and I desperately need one here in Syd)
Fri, work
Sat, work
Sun, work

Then, the following week, I am actually filling extra shifts -
Mon, work
Tues, work, and report due
Wed, class
Thur, class and heading back to Melb till Mon morning...

Studies, Work, Church...

I went to Wesley Church last Sunday and I think I'll continue going there. It's a really nice church with lots of nice people. People have asked me to join their ministries but I think there's too much on my plate with work and studies at the moment. I kinda just want to pass my first year here in Syd with studies first and then see how. Cause I know if I take up one ministry in church, I'll want to do more.

Studywise - I have a few assignments due after Easter. It's just that period of assignments really. And to this date, I haven't really read anything for that assignment. I still have a week and a few days but I wanna try and get it done asap... sigh... I wish I had more time!! I haven't even had the time to hang out with friends, or go to a movie with friends, or to go shopping. And I haven't had a nice meal at a restaurant yet... (that one is cause I don't really have anyone to go with)...

I'm really enjoying the subjects I'm doing, especially all the Audiology subjects. There is only one subject I don't really like and that's a speech pathology subject. Maybe because it's very phonology and very developmental psych combined whereas the audiology subjects are more practical and it's all facts and anatomy stuff. And I used to enjoy neuroscience...

Heading back to Melb for 4 days the weekend after the Easter weekend so can't wait. And I got a friend coming over during the Easter break too... I'll be working then, but hopefully I can meet up with her.

This incident occurred 7 minutes drive away from my home...

Taken from NineMsn:

Sydney police stopped massacre: report
Police are refusing to comment on reports a man who died after a shootout in a Sydney shopping strip this week had intended a massacre.

The Nine Network, quoting unnamed sources, reported the 22-year-old man planned to shoot as many people as possible, apparently inspired by mass shootings in the United States.

However, a police spokesman refused to speculate on the man's intentions.

Nine said the gunman was armed with an automatic pistol and 40 rounds of ammunition when police cornered him in a lane behind a shopping centre at lunchtime on Monday in Eastwood, in Sydney's north-west.

Police who were alerted to the man acting suspiciously initially thought he might have been trying to rob a bank.

The gunman died in Royal North Shore Hospital on Wednesday after being shot in the head during the shootout.

Police did not get a chance to question him.

For more, you can visit HERE.

And to think I was at Eastwood on Thursday around the same time that week.

First day on the job

It was my first video supervisor shift today and as promised, here are the EXCLUSIVE pics inside SBS:

(above pic) I work on this floor and can use most of the rooms, which are mainly edit rooms.

(above pic) This is the top floor, mainly for SBS radio staff. The cafe is on this level too... Didn't feel like taking a pic of the cafe - too many people and it was scary enough taking pics of the building and the rooms itself with a few people looking at me.

(above pic) This is SBS radio... Didn't really want to go in because you could hear they were really busy.















(above pic) This is one of the snack rooms I found - it's like school in way. Haha.. But yeah, it's a hang-out area and they have a snack machine right next to where I'm standing taking the pic.

(above pic) This is one of my favourite pics - one of the rooms I was working in today... It was my first time alone in those rooms and the small little buttons you see, well... they still scare me... Especially knowing that I can be quite clumbsy, I tend to accidentally press something I shouldn't be pressing at that moment. Haha... It happens, but at least now I know how to correct/troubleshoot it.















(above pic) This is the actual captioning work area at SBS... And it can get a little squashy.

What was actually daunting about this new role I've got is that whenever I go to the producers and the studios to seek story links and video files, there's this line on the floor I cannot cross... so I basically have to pace up and down and wait for someone to see me and then ask "Can I help you?" And sometimes you can be pacing or tap-dancing on that line for as long as 20 minutes (which, I have to add, is a really long time in the media, to be waiting for something on the go.)

The exciting thing about it is I have to do web publishing for the news scripts and it's not like your basic html (even though the end result looks like it) - you have to key different codes into this SBS news software package. Also, I had to cut the stories and think up of headlines. It is a pretty time-consuming and tough job. In fact, you can view my work after I've done it... Unfortunately I can't sign my name off. But maybe if you're reading it at the same point I'm publishing, I can do a quick one by writing my name or a hello and then delete it after... Yup, we'll have to do some phone correspondence for that... and it can be done! Anyway, here's what I've written and summarised... I did the World News today and yesterday's... Here are the links to view them: (quite proud of my work)

SBS World News Yesterday 060308
SBS World News Today 070308

The links should work, but if they don't, you can go to the World News Australia Site in SBS. Scroll to the end of the website page, and under Services, you should see Transcripts. Click on that and it'll come up with whatever I've written. Of course, I don't always write it... it's when I'm on shift. If you guys wish, I'll let you know when I've published something...

When one door closes, another opens...

Last week I felt horrible - first with the spider bite during my exams and then with my results coming out and failing the phonetics main paper. So no, I didn't get into the MA Speech Pathology course. I even appealed because I had a spider bite during the exam day, but apparently Sydney Uni are so rigid and strict, they said they couldn't accept special consideration for summer school. Anyway, I had a break down of my results and did really well in Ling - 91%. As for phon, I passed the barrier, just not the exam paper. Missed by a few marks which really sucked. Most of my summer school friends got in and sooo happy for them! I miss them lots... I think we just got really close during that time and yeah, it was disappointing and really sad not getting in at all.

Also last week, the relationship scenario wasn't in very good shape and I was contemplating doing that MA Speech course part-time which would take it to 4 years. Imagine 4 years of long distance... not sure if both of us could handle it. This period is a real testing time I think and it's been more down than up really... I need to pray.

Anyway, after all that, I really thought that's the end of my speech science or health science career... but then I remembered applying for the MA Clinical Audiology course at Macquarie Uni, and even remembered getting in, but uni classes had already started. Just thought I try my luck and persistence attribute anyway... so I did. I emailed the program covenor, emailed lots of other people, made lots of phone calls and I guess it paid off... or probably another chance.. And definitely God who is ever so gracious, gave me new hope - BECAUSE I got into the MA Clinical Audiology program at Macq Uni. I missed the first week of class and the second week for one of the subjects so I'm a little far behind... but hopefully I can catch up and do the best I can, and not stuff up again.

I actually have to go into uni tomorrow to sort out my enrollment. Lots of weird things happening in my enrollment. It's just bad uni admin system probably. For one, my fees in my student account says outstanding, but I've already paid full over the phone and even got a receipt number for it. Then I couldn't enrol in this particular subject because it has a prerequisite, but that prerequisite is in Semester 2 for me. Argh!! Plus, I can't get onto my uni email system and the blackboard where they post all the lecture notes because my login isn't activated or just isn't right. And lastly... this error is my fault really, cause I thought I could substitute a subject code with the same subject but a different code and it enrolled me in that subject for Sem 1. Man!! So I have to settle all this at uni tomorrow. I'll be taking the bus, but will go really early to sort everything out.

There was also another big change in my life this week and that is, I've accepted the video captioning supervisor promotion at SBS. I'll not only be doing captioning, but video editing and mixing audio and cutting video feeds... lots of multimedia involved. And I have this sound engineering suite to myself. How cool! I'll be there this Thursday and will definitely take pics. Get ready to go Wow! Hee...

This week has been nothing but excitement really. My really good friends in Melb just got engaged and I'm sooo happy for them! Hee.. they'll know who I'm talking about, but you guys are really blessed to have each other. And dun you worry... I'll always remember the day you guys met. Hee... Treasure the moments and the cloudy, floaty effects for now! I definitely look foward to stories leading up to that big day and the stories after. You guys will always be my be my bestest of friends. Here's to a lifelong friendship of laughter, encouragement, tears, etc!! Missed you both heaps! Can't wait for you two to come up to Syd and visit!

Searching for Alternatives

Unfortunately I didn't qualify for the MA Speech Pathology program at Sydney Uni. I missed out by a few marks apparently in the main Phonetics paper. I was quite surprised actually that I didn't do well in that paper cause I thought I did it so much better than Linguistics... They said I did really well in Linguistics though - and that was also a surprise. I also passed the barriers but unfortunately my combined mark - the main paper and mini tests didn't make the mark. It was really tough... A few people didn't get in either apparently.

So now, I am looking into either doing a mid sem course and apply again for speech path the following year. But I am also looking into the clinical audiology program at Macquarie Uni. Hopefully I can be accepted as a late enrollment.

But yeah, I've told my boss in Sydney that I am now willing to take on more shifts. Still not sure yet about the video supervisor position at SBS... We'll see.