...Van (nickname Sweetest-Thing) drove down from Melbourne with her 7 friends. So hey why not throw a party for Sweetest-Thing and call some Sydney friends around. It was a fun night, surprisingly no hang over today.



The Next day.

...I has just been given a $10,000 a year pay rise, taking my salary to $45,000 per annum mark.

I've been with the company just over 6 months, and it was time to review my package. The amount proposed to me was abit unexpected, the CEO said hes giving me this pay rise before my time to give my some incentive. He added that usually this level of salary reserved for employee who worked with the company over 12 months only.

Nonetheless, its a win-win situation, one side it makes the employee happy, the other preventing the employee from asking for another rise in the next 2 years.

Now I'm getting closer to my dream yatch.

...Taking my 4 legged friend out for a walk in the park, it has been awhile.

Mother's Day is tomorow didnt know what to get for her, so I checked out Wishlist.com.au for ideas. I'm gonna give her a Krosno Tulip Vase, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MUM - but a vase isnt a vase without flowers, so in the mist of darkness I stole a rose branch off some unexpecting person on my street.

Going out with Girl 1 for her school friends for a get together reunion - eating steam-boat at Thuan's house, then head out to Chipping Norton lighting camp fire and catch on old times.

...So winter has began, its just pass 5 PM and the sky already getting dark - the view from my office window. Its a full moon tonight.

My place has only one parking space, poor brother has to park his car in the element, we rotate parking. I'm saving up for the moment, when the right time comes I'll sell this apartment; buy an engagement ring, pay the wedding and split whats left over between my little brother for him to start his independent life.

Being the eldest in the family carries responsibilities, always be a role model and looking after your siblings.

...Hanging out with Khoi at his Saturday private tutoring class. It happens to be next to Canley Vale Highschool and the railway track. I'm killing time by wandering on the track like the old school days. Back then we gang up after school each Tuesday and throw rocks at train passing by (yes that were us).

Had pizza for dinner, with Girl 1 and her roomate.

...An annual event held at Fairfield showground. Showcasing koi, bird, cat, mouse, guinea pig and other household pets. My favourite are the golden Hikari Utsuri, they are awesome water creatures.

...I had fun playing Cashflow 101 with a group of friends today. A session to exercise capitalist's greed. I met the group through a mutual friend, they think like capitalist and talk like capitalist - may be I can learn something out of this. Although it was just a coincident, because I happened to read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki afew years back; some would say this is their bible to their financial freedom.

Two hours into the game I got out of the rat race. I played the role of a Truck Driver earn little over $700 a week, all through the game I had two kids (Scott Junior and Cecil). I paid the financial advisor over $100,000 throughout the game for financial advices, they were good advice indeed. In the end, I got out of the rat race with a cashflow of over $500,000 a year from various properties and business investments. However I didnt get my dream of having a park named after me, what ashame.

The game is really fun to play, its a brain teaser. The investment portfolio opportunities in the game are as unreal as it gets, you put $20,000 down payment and you get a property valued at $80,000.. I guess thats why they call it a game.

I'm looking forward to playing Cashflow 202.

...Spending a hour going through my files doing adjustment to my financial statement. After the initial calculation my total assets is $218,561.51 and the net asset stands at $21,299.42. On the liability column are the mortgage loan and the education loan, life is an expense.

...Exploring the Burragorang and Rileys Mountain in a day. Khoi's coming to collect native plants for his scientific research, and my purpose is to take photos of the great outdoor. We stopped for lunch at Burragorang lookout, a nice place to laid back and read a book. Then we follow the Rileys track for a walk through the bush.

There are many houses on sale at Nattai, they make good holiday resorts.

Our next bush exploration will be on Euroka track in the Blue Mountains.

...Its Sunday once again, visiting my Girl 1. Sunday is also laundry day.

...Its an Art. Michelangelo's "David" is one of the rare masterpiece of the Renaissance period. The 13 1/2-foot-tall statue depicted a heroism of man in the story of David and Goliath, one of my favourite Ancient Greek mythology. It also marked a milestone in the art movement at the time, Humanism, the distorted figure and the over-size of David's head.

I'm a big fan of narrative art, artwork that tells a story, my favourite are Guernica by Pablo Picasso, The Raft Of The Medusa by Theodore Gericault and the less well known Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth.

Below are photos of Lan, Van and Joanne on our trip.

...Its Friday night after work, I'm so tired I keep driving straight following the traffics, next thing I know I was at the wrong place. Had to call and cancelled dinner plan with friends because I'm too tired to make it.

I still enjoy work, but starting to feel the stress, maybe its Friday and bills are due.

Girl 1 wants me to get her a coat for Winter season. I like to be needed, but I have the fear of commitments.

So I keep going straight, tailgating the car in front of me.

...One of the best weekend I have this year. Art on The Rocks, a celebration of public drawing, painting and jazz music. Maybe I havent told anyone this but artie and tree huggie girls are my type, I love their intellectual ideas and freedom to expression.

I love art and I love Australia.

...The Vesak festival, or Buddha Day, celebrates three major events in the life of the Buddha: his birth, enlightenment and passing away on the full moon of the 6th lunar month (May). It is the most important festival in the Buddhist lunar calendar.

Buddhist festivals are a time for joy. They give Buddhists an opportunity to meet together. Families bring food, candles and flowers to the monks in the monasteries. In return, the monks chant the scriptures, lead a period of meditation and give teachings on the themes of the festival.

At night the temple transform with candle lights and Tieng Hat Que Huong (traditional songs and performances).

...Family dinner, had one of those father-and-son talk. The usual advice to be good to the people around you and care about the enviroment you live in. Dad is 57 this year, he said when you're old life passing you by very fast. He still enjoy working in the farms with his friends, its his hobby. He got a hectare of land on his friend's farm where he grows his garden and vegies. Mum is not feeling well, shes had went for medical check up, still waiting for the diagnosis from the doctor.

Dad asked me how I am going with the mortgage, he'll help me with a couple of thousands to ease the interests payment. Said its a present from him, use it wisely and hope to see me opening my own business soon.

He reminds me to water the bamboos. Old people always say things with hidden meanings, the bamboos he gave me when I bought this apartment, it was a symbolic of growing up. Its a reminder of my culture and the roots of my ancestries.

As I was leaving mum pinch me and asked, chung nao lay vo (when are you going to get marry). I said I dont know and ran off...