Happy New Year!

2010 has arrived - a new year, a new decade and maybe some new year resolutions.

I spent the first day of the new year flying and I've finally touched down in London town. I've got two days to do a speed tour of the city before heading to Shanghai.

But as the new year is ushered in, thanks must be given to those who have made 2009 bearable for me :P

Thank you to my friends and family for their constant love and support - I suffered loss but learnt to stay strong. I realised some people aren't as they seem but learnt to trust myself and my instincts.

Snowman & Snowwoman @ Central Park

Thank you to the DTT grads for pulling me through a tough year of work and study. Would not have survived without you all!

Under the Brooklyn Bridge

Thank you to everyone who has supported U-Fhern.com - 2010 will be filled with new ideas and pretty things :)

And to my Beijing girls - Miss you lots! Hopefully a reunion is near :)

May 2010 be filled with joy and success. The dawn of a new decade I'm sure, will have exciting adventures in store for all.

Lots of love,

Uey

ROFL

Said to be one of the best entertainers by Simon Cowell, Terry Fator has signed a 10 year contract with The Mirage in Las Vegas. We were entertained by the funny man last night and again, it was another fantasic show to tick off.

Terry Fator and Friends (all so cute and all so funny!)

Youtube this guy and ROFL away! xo

The Blue Men

We watched the Blue Man Group perform at the Venetian the other night and it was a spectacular performance - very different to those I've seen in the past. The show is well known around the world and is very smart and very funny.

The Blue Man Group

As we were being ushered to our seats, we realised we were in the rows assigned plastic ponchos - we'd quite possibly get wet but to our surprise, the only substance that came our way requiring a plastic shield was some bananna smoothie like liquid squirting from the chests of the blue men.

I won't ruin the surprise if anyone plans on seeing the show but I can say it was well worth the price :)

Dining next to the gorgeous Jake Gyllenhaal

I've arrived in the US of A! The flight was delayed by over two hours and it wasn't the most comfortable journey. Although exhausted, the family decided to head straight out in an attempt to overcome the jet lag. Our first destination was Hollywood, then a drive along Sunset Boulevard and a tour of the homes of the rich and famous.

First day in LA and we managed to fit in 3 meals in within the space of 4 hours. Mid afternoon snack was at Roscoes (fried chicken and waffles) followed by an Italian dinner along Rodeo Drive.

Then after dinner, we were highly recommended the best burger EVER.

As we were escorted to a round table, we realised we were seated next to Jake Gyllenhaal!


Only a day after the apparent break up with Resse Witherspoon, Jake too was having the famous burger at Comme Ca, a French restaurant on Melrose Drive. The ladies were smitten and the men were trying to devise a plan to get a photo and an autograph.

After dessert, Big Bear turned around (that's how close we were) and asked if we could take a photo. He politely said it wasn't a good time and engaged with us in a friendly conversation for a minute or so. So gorgeous and so lovely :) *the heart flutters*

Although we were all star struck, there is no need to forget the lovely restaurant we were at. David Meyers, the owner, came around to have a chat because we had travelled from down under. Hearing of our travels, he wrote down a list of restaurants to visit. The decor is simple and chic and the burger was excellent! A great way to start our American adventure :)

Tick - Tock - Tick - Tock

I am moments away from my holiday only to realise that I am already dreading my return in 2010.

I have promised to end 2009 with a bang because the year hasn't been too fascinating for me with full time work, study and loss.

Hopefully the New York skies will inspire me to make the coming year something special...

Fazzino 3-D New York City Street Scenes & Tribute to Broadway

...In New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you're in New York!!!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

Welcome to the bright light..

Lyrics from Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z Feat. Alicia Keys


~*~

I will try post whilst away, (a Christmas message at the very least), but just in case I don't get to for whatever reason...


HAPPY HOLIDAYS! xo

Questions, questions, questions

I've been hit withe two big questions lately...

1) What have you done in 2009 that is memorable?

The last couple of years I've spent travelling quite a bit but 2009 has just been work, study and more work. Not very memorable at all.

So I've decided that while the bulk of it hasn't been all too special, I will end it with a bang even if it means freezing my bottom off in Times Square just to see the ball drop.

I'm looking forward to ice skating outdoors, walking through Central Park, visiting the Guggenheim and partaking in Boxing Day sales!

I cannot wait!

2) Are there such things as superficial friends?

Are there people who seem like good friends on the outside and even on paper but aren't truly as great at you think or have hoped?

It's rather disappointing, but maybe it's all part of growing up and it's all a learning curve to filter out the not so good and keep those who treasure the relationship with no question.

Is Heading to the U.S.A!!!

It has taken me way too long to fill out my application. Had I had a Bruneian or Australian passport, the process would take 10 minutes. But no, I have stamps in my Malaysian passport that proves residency in Brunei and Australia. So with this red passport comes 20 pages of questions and plenty of paperwork.

I am asked...

Have you ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, even though subject of a pardon, amnesty or other similar legal action? Have you ever unlawfully distributed or sold a controlled substance(drug), or been a prostitute or procurer for prostitutes?
Have you ever been refused admission to the U.S., or been the subject of a deportation hearing or sought to obtain or assist others to obtain a visa, entry into the U.S., or any other U.S. immigration benefit by fraud or willful misrepresentation or other unlawful means? Have you attended a U.S. public elementary school on student (F) status or a public secondary school after November 30, 1996 without reimbursing the school?
Do you seek to enter the United States to engage in export control violations, subversive or terrorist activities, or any other unlawful purpose? Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization as currently designated by the U.S. Secretary of State? Have you ever participated in persecutions directed by the Nazi government of Germany; or have you ever participated in genocide?

All to which I have answered NO!

I am asked to provide supporting evidence of my finances, employment, and that I have intention of leaving America rather than jump ship and stay as an illegal immigrant pretty much. So the weekend was spend scrambling the documents and paying a lot of money for the application only to be asked 3 questions at my interview this morning:

- What do you do?
- How long have you been doing it for?
- Who are you traveling with?

And wait for it - without requesting any other documentation, the Americano says...

...

...

...

...


"Okay, visa granted!"

No complaints there because it has been my childhood dream to have a white Christmas, but the money and time spent on completing the application is just "bleh".

A "silly" kind of luck

I was running errands with Mum before leaving KL and she asked me to stop by at the post office to pay a telephone bill. Mum said, just go in, get a ticket and pay. I'll be waiting for you outside.

I got there, saw the machine that was supposed to be spitting out the tickets - but I couldn't find the button. I pushed this and that but no ticket came. I even moved the machine with my push and an elderly man came around and said, "I'll give this number to you". I was twenty numbers ahead and it saved me lots of time. He must have seen my not so smart attempt at trying to get a ticket that he offered to help.

This is what the Chinese call "sha ren you sha fu" (well I know it is in Cantonese anyways), literally translated to mean "silly people have a silly kind of luck". It was one time I didn't mind looking silly in front of a whole load of strangers :)

Funny Sightings

Ever since my family has been involved with the digital SLRs, my little camera has been rather neglected. But on my last trip back to KL, I thought I'd just put it in my bag for "just in case" moments.

And here are two of those...

Lost in Translation

I find that signs are often directly translated from Malay / Chinese into English and the result is usually quite funny. I do the same because that's how my parents talk but I'm so accustomed to it that I don't even realise what I'm saying is wrong.

A few typical ones (try translating these to Chinese and you'll notice it makes perfect sense but not quite in English):

> Why you like that wan?

> Very funny is it?

> Correct or not?

> Yes or not?

> Only now you know.

Snoopy on the run

This was an extremely amusing sight during peak hour traffic - and trust me KL traffic is ugly. I don't particularly like stuffed toys in the car. I think its distracting and potentially dangerous. But this offered Mum and I a good chuckle.

Meeting someone new

I've had to rush home for an emergency but I met someone on the way that made the journey bearable and he got my mind off things...

We met on the plane. He was a handsome forty something and rather intelligent. He told me he had 5 degrees as he waived his hand, but somehow he didn't come across as arrogant. He had a psychology background (amongst others) and he read me like a book.

I said I was going home to see my grandmother, and he said "Mum's mum?...Girl's are always closer to their Mums and in turn, to your Mum's mum".

Now he had some interesting observations (refer to previous post), compared to my rather face value ones...short man - tall man, curly hair - no hair.

This man had a rather interesting job and despite being extremely tired, he apologized for closing his eyes but continued to converse with eyes shut. 

Navigation without a Melway

Is not a smart idea. On the weekend, Big Bear and I had to attend a work function at a Partner's holiday house in Merricks Beach. Boy did we struggle getting there! We left an hour before our expected arrival and it took us almost 2 1/2 hours. I printed out directions from whereis.com and it turned out most of it was wrong. So here we were driving happily along...the scenery was nice but it started to get extremely frustrating when we weren't even close to the coastline and it started pouring! 

With no Melway in the car, no one we called could really help us. We resorted to stopping and asking people along the way. We finally got to the esplanade and thinking we had arrived. Wrong - yet again.

We got there eventually, and I decided that someone should create a GPS system which you can call using your mobile so it detects exactly where you are and gives you the correct directions. I am sure it'll be useful...especially for those people you always hear getting lost on treks in the bush!

Anyways, we got there, had a good time, and according to Big Bear - nearly K.O'd trying to avoid getting my shoes wet at the beach. Thank God I brought dessert instead of entree. At least our lateness was hardly felt.

My Oreo Cheesecake...yum-meeee!