Auckland 26 april to 29 April 2010

26 April 2010

Woke up in the morning and like read through google and then proceed to return my books and print my training and development report then went to take the shutter bus to the another campus and walk around the shopping mall there and then went back for lesson.

Walked home with Margaux and found that Tong was moving away today as his contact is up and he just signed a contact with a house near the Sunday market. The officials didn’t let him stay for another night. His new home was empty lol and speaking of which, the officials are coming on the 28 april for other round of checks -…-

27 April 2010

The winds strong today, sometimes I hate my self for being so soft on myself. I had curry vege for lunch today great and the whole pack -…- then I went to the city to shop for swim wear to soak myself in the water during the holiday lol

The things there were that expensive one full swim suit is 100 plus. One set binkin and underwear is 100 plus too. So I went to dig out clearance again. Arrived at 2 plus and went home at 5 lol. Then at home tidy business process management and turn it in before 9 59pm. Was chewing onto biscuits and apple when I was editing the project guess stress factor kicks in lol. Called mum and chated with her cos I have no time to pick her calls this week after Tuesday and found that my dog is having a bad temper…

28 April 2010

Busy busy day, woke up and like went to meet sunny to borrow her chill bill then went back to the apartment to put it and took her to park and sav where I bought milk, black tea and sugar for tml big day! Then also took her to lim’s market and there I bought another pack of pearls and brown sugar. Went home and rest before going to the lab to wait for Phillippa to contact me to collect the cups and the chill bill. She did at close to 5 and she cant find lids so in the end, I borrow another chilli bill to store the water and carried 2 chilli bills to my room before I went to class late but the lecturer was not there. Lucky me! I decided to submit my assignment still despite being given another week due to the confusion.

After lecture, went home to cook the pearls and the tea. Cooked them till 1 plus to 2 and I find out that I only need one box of tea, one pack of sugar and brown sugar. So I got a pack of sugar, brown sugar and tea left. I was worried at first as the milk doesn’t seem to be thick enough. Went to bed at 2. Tml I will wake up to get ice and the milk for my tea!

29 April 2010

Wake up like 6am to see the tea. Lucky! The milk acted up and the thickness was alright! Added more sugar to it and then went to cook breakfast before I went to buy 2 pack of ices at $7 and then a 2 litre milk at 3.20. Went home hit the ice to small pieces and put some into the container but the tea still warm. Hung tried and say its ok lol.

Walked to the hub to ask phillippa to help me transport the tea and she drove me back to the apartment where we load the stuff and back to the hub.

There I begin to set up my stall. It was quiet at first and my confidence was losing. My training and development lecturer passed by and give me a word ‘patience’. So I waited and got my first customers. Most of the people have no idea what is bubble tea, the bubble inside and some did not try because of the black pearls. So most of the time, I have to explain what it was to them.

Sales were not fast but steady, once there is a customer more would come but if no one then you have to smile and wait for the next to come. Got several nods for my milk tea which make my confidence level higher.

I spend the whole time from 10 to 1 plus at my stall. For the stall, I spilled the tea like 2 times -… and drank a small one to see how the taste is. The half way, I cut my hand and was like omg! Blood not stopping from the small cut. Get phillippa to supply me with another glove and a plaster to stop the bleeding as well as borrow tissues from the store next to my a figi food stall haha!

The pearls were going fast and tea was left more. I save some for magraux. Slashed the prices. The small without pearl is at 50 cents and the large without pearls is at a dollar. Meaning cutted 50 cents each from the sales price that was with pearls. My training and development lecturer came and bought a large from me haha.

Treated sunny, sin and her friend to milk tea, the stall beside me, the Mexicans and drank like 5 cups myself plus the small one. Went to toilet and ask sunny, sin and her friend to watch for me haha. Soon the leftover tea has the remaining tea bags at the bottom and the tea particulars which I emptied them and throw away haha!

It turn out pleasant as in that I emptied the container and did not have to take it home haha! Also got a few treats from the stall next to mine and sin bought a food for us to try lol.

Washed the chill bill in the toilet and return it to sunny and took the pot, tongs and the spooler back home to wash and rest before photography.

Well my training and development lecturer was right ‘patience’ was the key. No matter how the sales was going, I was standing there and smiling away to the audience, hoping that one of them would come forward to try.

Auckland 21 April to 25 April 2010

21 April 2010

Wednesday, another day at home and I complete training and development draft.went to business process management and then home afterwards

22 April 2010

Today isn’t my day, did business process management project on the regulations and then stop for a while cos its too much, went to meet the buyer for my camera bag and I got additional 5 dollars for waiting 2 weeks. Then go to st lukes bought apples and then to photography lessons, its would be on Thursday for 5 weeks lol meaning I have 4 days of school now haha

23 April 2010

Well I stayed at home to do business process management and I complete it! Then was to cut down to 2 pages. After dinner, went to walk around to get milk!

24 April 2010

Woke up early and have breakfast! Today is the horse riding day! Edited training and development and met Sandra to go to the carpark together. Nicky, the girl who was suppose to live in room c was there and I did felt abit awark sitting next to her on the van. Did a few conv but then slience just take place for the whole trip -//- (sorry I am a icy person)

We went to the country side and there were lots of horses, cows, sheeps fewer.

Then when we arrive at the place, we were told to sign a document and get a helmet before we can get our horse.

Not white, not brown but a black horse. I was uneasy when I sat on it. Later I learn that her name was surprise! We rode through the hills. The first part was ok as it was those board roads only on occasion where surprise would walk too near to the edge of the hill giving me scares!

The second part were to walk along the hills, up and down the narrow hill paths! And I was like omg! We going down or too near the edge. And I was like hanging on to her ! the second half, I dare not take out my camera to take pictures. At some point of time, I think that she could hear what I felt. I was like omg please dun walk at the edge, at times she walked at the board way instead of following others in a straight line. Did felt bad at times for not trusting her. I was thinking like I know you call surprise, please dun give me surprise now. Hint: horse riding, trust your horse!

I thought she was rough but she did turn out great in the end. A loner at times she is lol!

Well before she went into the farm, did a shot with her and she was like shaking her head lol haha!

Then went to a café to have pizzas! This is the 2 and 3^rd pizza that I have in Auckland lol! We have like ginger cake which is good as I was hungry.

Went to the beach, it was covered in black sand and cos it was 4pm, the sun was setting so the sea was where the sun is and its hard to take pictures.

Went home and was struck in the toilet for an hour to clean my shoes, jackets, jeans and t-shirt. Wore the old one to the trip haha!

25 April 2010

When its Sunday! Its time for the market at ash street. Its open today despite it being a public holiday! Went there to get apples, green latern and have a samsoa lamb snack at $3. It’s a great place for finger food haha!

Then walked to Lim’s market to buy lamb and salmon and then to mt albert shops to sell my toy camera.

Then went home and segment the lamb into parts. First use a spoon to take a piece out then roll it into a meat ball and lay it out. Then went the tray is full, divide the portion to bags. In this case, I used scissors to cut out parts of the plastic bag to store the segments of meat balls. The usual is 5 meatballs to a plastic bag towards the end, there were like 3 6 meatballs in a bag. The lamb mince was on offer and caused like 6 dollars.

After segmenting the meat, I got 13 portions which could last me a month or more then carefully put them into the freezer, dun want them to spilt out lol.

Have a chat with cousin and she told me that mum put ban ban photos on the facebook. He seems whiter but that mischievous nature is still present lol.

Dinner was raw salmon and green latern in the microwave. The salmon will lose a lot of fats in this process haha! But still I prefer them raw!

Then its watching twilight for me and off to bed at 9 plus to 10.

Muriwai Beach

Surprise! thats the name of my horse!

First encounter with Surprise

Auckland 19 and 20 April 2010

Auckland 19 April 2010

Well it’s the start of school today and I was in my room researching on training and development before I went to cook dinner and to pay the fees for the holiday tours that usu organized. Got my training and development assignment paper back and it was 79.

Just realized that I do not have much time for my assignment left lol

Auckland 20 April 2010

Wanted to go to st lukes for a movie after brand management but decided not to since I got work to refine on my assignments. Added the employee aspect in Google and did some research for training and development. Photography been postponed to Thursday nights for 5 weeks. And I added electricity for the whole apartment. I am the fourth one in the apartment and I’m worried if the electric goes out before end of june lol.

Wil 2 results is out and kind of disappointed but when I weight out the effort, I guess may be I did not put it dept cos that was like the first few weeks of me settling down here and I was like so homesick to focus on things lol. Cooked chicken frames in pasta source to act as a soup and some gui diao, drank the soup and felt warm cos it such a cold weather outside 15 degrees lol

Auckland 18 April 2010

Have my breakfast was oats cokked in milk and brown sugar on the top before I take my walk to the sunday market. I must say luck plays an important element there. The last week trip, I was lucky to be able to find 2 dresses but then this week trip none of the clothes caught my likely till the end. Here t-shirts for the ladies are for the teens. Was looking at a snoopy t-shirt for $5 but the size was large and asked the lady if they have a smaller one but she says that this are children size and i looked at the size, its not. In Asia, you can wear it even if you are adult lol.

Then didnt buy it and went to sample some of the street food such as the lamb kerbab and banana pancake. Walked around more to see if there is dvd stores but they do not have show and rainie's series lol. Then before closing, saw a t-shirt and went to buy it at $10. Here $5 is a very good bargin and $10 is normal bargin level.

There are clothes of a dollar or two but if you look at it, it is those wore clothes. Then walked back home and like surf the web and cooked dinner. The connection was slow so I only find 2 sources for my hr yesterday and then da jie called two times but i was out cooking dinner so didnt pick up her call lol.

I realised that i still have 10 weeks of weekends here haha!

Auckland 17 April 2010

Decided to skip town today and explore the other side of Auckland on the green line thats henderson. You cant go there on sundays with public transport by the railway cos they stop their services at new lynn lol.

Was surpised that it was so huge there! everything was accessable! there was a unitec campus there and the pak and sav was just next to it lol. wonder if they is a dorms there too haha! and there was this huge mall huger than st lukes and the one at town or new lynn. It remind me of jurong shopping center when i went in lol.

Well walk around and then went home. Things got bored when you are on a tight budget and the clothes, their clearance is not like the one in sunday market lol! Its hard to find printed tees here cos all is blank and mostly is to put on more than one layer which is not praticial for me since after this weekend, i still got 10 weekends before its 30 june lol. Time flies...i came here in February and its the start of the new year and when i go back, i going to approach the end of 2010 lol.

Which brings me, yesterday I did nothing as the internet connection was slow, left one question for business process management and 2 for training and development lol. Have to start training and development men!

Auckland 16 April 2010

Well today is the due date of wil 2 assignment 2 and after today I would be having a subject off my shoulders. Emailed the coordinator after reading my report again to send them the report so that they could print out and submit for me lol.

Then did a question of business process management and I left with another question before I could do conclusion and edit the report. As for training and development i still got 2 more questions to go lol.

Then went to greenbay to buy sweet plums and then to countdown to get milk and then back to the dorms as it was too windy to go out.

Auckland 15 April 2010

Well did a read up on marketing chapter 10 about measuring the value of the brand as well as the methods to see the brands association with the consumers in terms of brand and marketing and other approaches.

Then did my once a week walk to new lynn and just hang out there for boredom. Here the shopping malls arent that exciting. Then after widow shopping walk home and try to order a fish from one of the takeaways. Its was 2.80 and I thought they were giving it to me raw but they fried the fillet and I took it home as an add on for dinner.

Here everything has to do with fried...maybe cos its cheaper method to prepare lol.

Auckland 14 April 2010

Its been 2 months since I got here hah! One of the greatest achievements for today is that I managed to complete my Google Report and that I try to cook milk tea again, this time is for the whole apartment to try. Seeing that they like it, boost my confidence of considering to set up a stall selling bubble tea haha. I dunno if its some kind of dream, in the past I used to dream or imagine myself working in a bubble tea shop making bubble tea while schooling haha! Well I finally had a chance to make one of the most original that’s pearl milk tea. With the chance of not able to find artificial favouring, my estimated price would be from 1.50 to 2.00 cos I only selling one type of tea. I hope I got the courage to go through this as if I went through it, I grew if not I be the same haha! I know that should I grow through it, I be learning something in life haha.

Auckland 13 April 2010

The winds been strong today and seeing all my friends drinking milk tea, I suddenly have the urge to drink it too. Anyways went to st lukes to walk and hang around, between I edited google today and then bought a white cardingen at $19 which is not like the normal kind of cardigan.

Then took the 007 to mt albert where I proceed to Lim’s market and bought my first fish in Auckland! One is the ya dai yu which cost 1.99 per kg (Auckland fish market selling the whole fish at $5) then I went through the salmon frames (it means bones just a nicer word) and took those that still has posbbile meat in it and the lady waiting for her fish to be clean was looking at me thinking why should I ransack the whole place for that few areas of meat. In other places, the salmon frames were labeled as pet food for the cats. Here I guess the larger ones could be used to boil soup.

In the end, bought the fishes at a dollar plus. And then went to the supermarket to buy pearls, red sugar, earl grey and chilli and onions for dinner.

Went home and boiled water to cook the pearls! Then segment the fish to keep in fridge, salmon I ate all for dinner. For those small sashimi like pieces, I soak it with a bit of tiger and ate raw, those fin areas, I fry them which I notice that salmon has a lot of fats! Cooked the salmon and the fish using stir fish and boil brocoili and onions and then pour pasta sauce over them then put everything in the microwave for 2 mins. Finally I cook fish without spoiling the fish!

As for milk tea, the pearls are the small pearls. I make the tea and add sugar to the tea but cos I use red sugar, it taste a bit funny. Then after I got my sweetness level, I recycle the bag of tea for second usage and then pour milk and stir slowly to get the milk tea colour. Finally pour in the pearls. As today is a chill day, there is no need for ice lol!

The funny thing is that I finding it a counterfeit for the famous milk tea. I not namely them for them to sue me lol.

Auckland 12 April 2010

12 April 2010, one more day before it marked 2 months of me being in Auckland. Times flies! I must admit, after seeing the clothes on sale in the sunday market and their prices, you wouldnt be interested to shop for clothes in the department stores again.

Took my first dare to dare adventure! I bought a 3 stages ticket and travel to Slyvia Mall, the Biggest mall in Auckland. Note its smaller than Vivo city in Singapore...as in the number of stores and size. Hence I be able to see the other side of the Auckland Line! As the train left the central station, it have to travel across the sea or lakes! Which is so nice!

Well Slyvia mall should be exciting but then cos I went to the sunday market the day before, their clothes sales does not excite me at all and all the sales were limited cos it was in the city.

Note: If you want to shop for bargins, go out of the city!

Try on a few shirts and that Elmo shirt was 20 bucks! thats alot! Went back on the 4 plus train to 5 and then since the next train to mount albert comes at 5.40pm, i decided to take the bus which is 3 stages and drop at my doorsteps instead as daylight savings ended, 6 plus is getting dark which is not very safe to go through the creek back at the apartment especially during the term break where hardly anyone pass there at times.

Did a couple of assignments today, did Google on Facebook and I went back to view my old friendster account well not that old, I abandon it like in 2008 lol for Facebook :X and the layout is completely like facebook expect they did not allow you to save your pictures like what facebook did! Found the pictures of myself that I uploaded shortly after my attachment where I rebond my hand for the first time. I had no idea that at that point of time I had an element of cute in myself when I looked back at myself and I look that young lol! Times flies that much arent it.

Then I also edited Wil and change all the essay under the answers to interview to point form cos they state to put it into point form which I got so carried away lol haha!

Auckland 11 April 2010

Well its my daily routine to the Sunday market! Wake up ate the dinner from last night and then went to the Sunday market and galz stop pestering me to buy a dress cos I bought a pink one for $5 and another one for $20 in the pasar malam lol :D Then got a arm accessory for $6 to go along with the black dress and when I got home then I try to see if it fits lol! Oh ya I went there to do some shooting as well. Bought kiwis for a dollar. Was searching for the dvds but cant find them then so went home.

When trying at home, I realized that the dress need belts, cant blame me I never worn a dress before lol! And to buy them is to shut my friends up haha! Of cos the other factor is the pricing, cos you cant find that cheap in the local stores haha!

Then been like surfing the web and smsing with my friend and then went to cook dinner. Bocrolli diced into pieces with garlic and eggs and the finishing touch pasta sauce and in the mrico wave it goes for 2 mins after that take out and put chilli sauce by the side.

Then make sesame soup to drink and then continue to surf the net and munch on the nuts! Have to stop! Its like 6 packets and I ate like 5 of them lol!

以前别人如果问我为和那么想到外面的世界，我会说我想要看看那是怎样的世界。其实在我心里的原因是因为度极别人的好。如果现在再一次问我，我会说因为我想听听我的心要对我说的话。

Auckland April 9 2010

Well did business process management question 4 and then went to fruitvale to explore their shopping mall, nothing much so walk to glen eden to explore their shopping center, a bit more to walk around and I walked around and bought a snoopy t-shirt at $5. Went home cooked and ate dinner and I cant stop eating my nuts! In the end, I finished the nuts and I realized that T&D I have to redo the question 1 I did as it was needs assessment and not need levels lol!

Outsides partying in like hell and I in my room with my stomach pain like hell!

8 April 2010

Well did business process management question 3 and then went to new lynn. Its funny here, you cant stay in your room to get warm without turning the heater on, the only way to have warm is to go out and walk!

Went to lynn mall and bought milk and bread and ate lunch there, its 4.90 with rice, chicken wing and waton lol then walked back and went to play with my phone for a while. This game called blocked is so addictive lol haha!