With less than 2 weeks to go to the big day, our cousin learned she needed lucky number 8 in her wedding party so Little Sissy Pham and I went into a mad scramble to be more Asian. Normally, Viets get their dresses made in Vietnam. Unfortunately minimum turnaround is 2 weeks so this wasn't an option for us but it's totally an option for you.
Today in Perth I ran into a friend at the airport - he was in town for Stereosonic as was I, yet we only managed to cross paths at Perth airport. Probably because we didn't make solid plans and 35,000 other people at the festival slimmed our chances of a random encounter somewhat. But there are only so many flights back to Brisbane on a Monday evening.
I worked at Universal Store's Banger Beach at Stereosonic in Perth over the weekend. It's all fun and games until you get a bandana sunburn and tan line across your forehead because you kept telling staff to be sun safe and didn't tell yourself. Ijiut.
I found out the red, stingy face way that I'm allergic to a preservative called hydroxybenzoates. I loved my Neutrogena Oil Free range the past few years but all of a sudden my face tingled whenever I use it. I don't know if it's the new formula or whether my skin has gotten sensitive over time from my Oratane acne meds. Being a bit dopey, I thought the redness in my skin was from being generally hot and sweaty after blow drying my hair. But no, it was my skin reacting to the moisturiser.
I am a firm believer that life is too short to use stationery and accessories that don't bring me joy (spoken like a true stationery addict). Which is why I have a BYO stationery policy in my professional life and I'm so loud about it, a colleague I haven't worked with for over 2 years remembered not to supply me with any stationery on my first day in a new job.
The good thing about workaholism is people love hiring me so I've jumped from contract to job to contract to job to contract. The downside is I haven't had a proper holiday in 5 years. So this year when Chris & Chrissy announced their Bali Wedding in August and I learned my former housemate/family would be there, I booked my flights and forced myself not to look for work after my last role finished. Best idea ever.
Mum Pham passed away on August 17, 2011 but we honour her memory on August 17 in the lunar calendar, which this year falls on August 31, 2015.
I adore my nieces to the point of obsession and sometimes I worry I'm like one of those doting parents who thinks their child poops rainbows and vomits unicorns, but even worse because I'm only an Aunty. I feel vindicated for thinking my nieces are exceptional little human beings because last month Middling Niece was given a spirit of the school award (one student gets this per year level) that said:
Back in the day when I used to be a party animal instead of hanging out at home/parks/sanctuaries/zoos with animals, my friends and I would throw some pretty wild warehouse parties. Throwing parties fits into Mum Pham's other people's happiness life philosophy. I met some brilliant people and made lifelong friends and created awesome memories for people during my warehouse days. Thanks to Gmail hoarding, I was able to find all the old invites and take a walk down memory lane. They were fun to write and even funner to live.
This year's Eurovision reached maximum excitement in the Pham household since our adopted (and much beloved real own) country, Australia got to take a real part. Plus for the first time Eurovision was broadcast in Grandpa's home country of China. So many levels of woohoo!
It's the most wonderful time of the year! And this year it's made better because Austria invited Australia to be a wildcard entry into the grand finale as part of their 60th anniversary celebrations and 'Building Bridges' theme. Best news, guys this means our votes count this year...I am SO excited.
Mother's Day had me thinking about Mum Pham as it always does. Mum Pham loved watching TV game shows like Wheel of Fortune and the Price is Right because she got a thrill from seeing other people's happiness. She didn't care about the actual games, some of the time I don't think she even understood what was going on in the show but every afternoon like clockwork she'd be at the TV enjoying other people winning because happiness breeds happiness.
On Xmas Eve my boyfriend kicked me out of my house because he's a jerk...and he wanted to surprise me. When I came home my bedroom door was closed and there was a single balloon stuck on it along with a note handwritten in Vietnamese with a message he'd gotten translated by Dad Pham (swoon, shame my Vietnamese is so bad I didn't understand half of his message until he told me after). BF gave me a pair of scissors and told me to pop it - it was a preview of what was to come. Lots of love and lots of yum.
It's been a rough week for this cat lady... though, am I technically a cat lady if I don't have any cats? Yesterday I farewelled the bright, little bundle of joy that is Frederick, the Great. Only one day after I said goodbye to Tigger Pham. He was a little foster kitten who was rescued by the good people at Animal Rescue Queensland. He was doomed to be destroyed at a few months of age when his heart murmur was discovered. We had hopes his kitten body would grow and heal his heart but it did the opposite causing complications that he eventually couldn't overcome. Sadly, Frederick was put to sleep at 4.10pm on March 9th, 2015 and his body will be cremated. His two final months were filled with much love and playtime and cuddles galore. I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did.
Last night I farewelled my beloved friend of 18 years. Tigger Poojumy Schnoogum Pham was buried at 10.30am this morning. Dad Pham burned incense for her and said a prayer for her sweet, little soul.
I farewelled 2014 in fine style - meaning I caught a hell of a fever in November and didn't recover from post-viral cough until the New Year break. It's been a hectic few months and all of a sudden it's the end of February and Vietnamese New Year. Yikes.