Ho Ho Ho

Ho Ho Ho. At the risk of sounding critical of my beloved home country, I think Malaysia does a very classy Christmas. Today in the shopping centre underneath the Twin Towers, I came across a string quartet planing classical music so beautiful that I felt a bit tearful. I can't remember the last time that happened (being inspired to great emotion in a shopping centre), except maybe last Christmas at Karrinyup shopping centre trying to find a parking spot! I am really looking forward to showing my parents all the cool stuff. Like buying a whole coconut with a straw in it as a drink with your meal...

I have joined a Fitness First gym and I'm glad I've started getting fit for Japan ski trip quite early...I found myself puffing in a PILATES class! The gym is very high tech, and I was quite excited to see TV screens on the treadmills and cross-trainers etc, until I've remembered how stupefyingly boring CNN can be, even if you are cycling! I am really grateful for the CDs that friends have given to me recently, thanks a lot guys and Katrina...

It has been a good week. Last weekend had all the pre-requisites for a good weekend - time around the pool with a book, a fair-weather hash complete with obligatory beer skols and bawdy songs, some vodka-fuelled nightlife and of course, MORE SHOPPING.

I've had 7 days at the new job now and it is going well. I am quite motivated and hoping it extends into more than the initial 8 weeks. I feel like I have stepped into Aberdeen - my colleagues are almost entirely Scottish. However, change is NOT as good as a holiday, and I badly need the week off next week.

Something that is amazing me up here is how it still feels like there isn't enough time in the day. I don't have to do any house work. I have no travel time, everything I need is walking distance, I have no kids or pets or hubby to look after, I have a lot less friends up here to share my time with, I never cook because there is a good restaurant about 50 m away (where the yummy meals from the buffet cost about three dollars), and it still kinda feels like there isn't quite enough time to do all the things I want to! "Busy" must be a state of mind...!