This is cool!

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

And brilliance of symmetry...great way to remember the times table below:
1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Please pray for my grandfather

I was sleeping when my dad rang me on my mobile close to midnight 2 nights ago. First time in long time sleeping this early too. I hadn't spoken to him in awhile and honestly, i don't exactly enjoy speaking to him because he always talks about the same things. It's the way our relationship has been like as I've grown up, I suppose. But you know, I felt so rebuked as I was talking to him. Really felt how selfish I was to not regularly check up on how my family is back home, or how things are. Imagine this, in one week, we ourselves could accomplish so many things. If I don't speak to one family member in one week, i don't know a whole heap of stuff of what's happening in their lives. And I haven't spoken to them in maybe a month or something.

And so, my dad has recently returned from the US on this trip he went to with his biker friends....and I didn't even realise that he had gone!!!!!!!!! and when he mentioned it, i remembered he had told me at the beginning of the year and maybe a couple of months back.

And the worst news, my dad tells me Dr. Annuar called him to return earlier than planned because of Ah Kong (my paternal grandfather). Ah Kong went for an operation last Monday and i only knew that coz...my cousin told me on MSN. And he said the op went okay, so no need to worry and i didn't. So, I knew nothing else till my dad called 2 nights ago to say that Ah Kong is going for another op on Tuesday (yesterday). And the day after he had his first op, he had a stroke, his heart stopped and his kidney failed and he was placed in the ICU. And he has to go for a 2nd op coz his intestines are tangled up somewhere which is affecting his kidneys and his ability to pass motion.

Geez...

I called home yesterday evening but only Fe Che was home and she told me even more stuff, not so much the technical stuff, but how Ah Kong is, and how he was crying that he would not see yungyunghwahwa before he dies, that he is getting old, that everyone was at the hospital so so worried, stuff that happened when daddy was still away, the amount of tubes sticking out of his body, ....just stuff that made me so so sad.

My brother, Ching Yung then called my dad up. He was at the hospital and he said the op went okay, so my brother told me no need to worry. No need to worry for now, but will he still be alive when I actually go home to Malaysia, whenever that is before March?

My brother, Ching Hwa scanned these old photos in (He actually made an album out of the old photos my grandma gave us - not e-album!). My dad is the younger boy in the pic above. I love looking at these old pictures, especially the way my bro laid them out in the album. I see my dad smiling, with little bricks and other things in this little wheelbarrow thing he's holding and it makes me appreciate my dad more. I think my granddad was quite good-looking then? don't u think? I actually think both my grandfathers were pretty good-looking. hahah

Anyway, Yungyung has FINALLY gotten his PR application approved - whoopie!! He got notified by email last night. Mine is getting there...almost but not there yet. Coz we're on different PR visa types, I've got to do more stuff - my aunt actually, who's so kind to go through this hassle with me. My friend who is in the same boat as me, said her agent told her that my aunt goes for the interview next week, it'll take another month to assess everything!!!!

...and he bought a ticket today to go home on the same day as my other brother -- NEXT THURSDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what am i supposed to do by myself????????? makes me want to go home too

both my brothers will be going to China anyway maybe in Sept/Oct...CY won this trip to CHina for 2 from these shares he has which my dad set up under his name....or something like that. Don't know nothing else. But he's also going back coz of Ah Kong and all that.

Also, haven't found a suitable place to move out yet. Can we move out before next Thursday?

anyways..

really wonder sometimes why i'm sticking around in Australia

....

My Malaysian neighbour directly above me is leaving on a 2-month holiday to China, Malaysia, Singapore and I'm not sure where else. The whole family is going: parents and 2 kids around my age. Holiday plus it's the parents' wedding anniversary. Aunty is always so nice to us. I met her when my brother and I came to check out this place for the first time more than 2 years ago. She frequently brings us food like sandwiches, baguettes, bread rolls from the cafe where she works at. I'm still not tired of them, saves us from the hassle of cooking or preparing something to eat. Haven't told her that when she gets back, we'll probably not going to be here anymore, but i'll leave a note under her door.

Anyway, at the moment, i feel like that life is pretty stagnant, especially after the exciting trip to Taiwan. I kinda feel directionless now, i don't know. At work in the lab, my friends (same position), we're either joking, laughing or talking serious stuff ie. we need to get out of this job and find a new one!! That's only coz we both have a degree, and he has a masters degree. Impatience impatience ...i feel it brewing. But then, the more impatient i feel, the more something doesn't come usually. And office politics, it's everywhere...something is so wrong with this world. Sometimes i realise how negative i can be when I speak, even at home. It feels good to let someone know how i truly feel but then later on, i wish i hadn't been so negative. Anyway, there are so many things to be thankful for at work, so I'm glad to be there.

anyway enough writing for now....i might go watch a taiwanese drama series later. One of the things I'm doing to keep up my Mandarin =) When I came back, i had dinner with 3 groups of friends (Bible study group, New College and chinese-speaking coursemates) and mannn....they all started speakng mandarin to me and laughing at me, esp my college and uni mates. One of my coursemates said that he's not going to speak in English to me anymore and he really didn't....haiizz...good for me i suppose.

haha...

good nite

we're moving out soon

Firstly, one of my brothers is going home to M'sia at the end of the month for sure, the other will be with me as we wait and wait.....and wait...as to whether we will be permanent residents of Australia. And then he'll leave me. So, don't really wanna live in this 2-bedroom place by myself.

Secondly, had an argument with the lady downstairs a couple of nights ago. Stupid woman started banging on our door and shouting like a crazy psycho coz all 3 of us took a shower that night after 12 am. My brother and I actually raised our voices ...we never used to shout when we talked back to her before but this time, we couldn't stand it anymore. She freaking hears everything we do coz she lives on the first floor (and as she puts it, the driveway is below her unit and so the sounds echo back). I just slammed the door back at her after i asked if she was finished with all her shouting.

anyway, we'll try not to shower after midnight anymore but we're definitely getting out of this place. Haven't found one yet but my brother has started looking online. I know my actions are really unloving and i'm probably going to regret even talking bad about her here, but at the moment, i don't give a rat's ass.