Aussie Trip August 2007

About an hour drive to Brisbane GoldCoast. Couldn't take the rides for obvious reasons but we had a great time browsing the shops and I'd my first cup of decaf coffee!

Brisbane City where we catched Ms Saigon at the theatre for the evening.






















Bed & Breakfast at Hope manor, old Queenslander House. Marvellous choice! Colonial style room and Fantastic brekkie (as shown on picture), cold and warm breakfasts with at least 4 choices you can choose to have your eggs prepared - omelette, scrambled, poached and fried. Fresh juice, yoghurt and piping hot tea/coffee during cold winter. At Unbelievable price of A$100 per day!

Here is the photo Jo..

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CAFE L'in Contro...brings back many good memories where me, jo, wei, vid and many others hang out whenever we are in Melbourne

Melbourne City : Flinders Street, Meyers, David Jones, Little Street...

The LEXUS we drove in Melbourne. Beautiful car and with the GPS facilities...that meant hassle free driving! Checkout the studio apartment we had in Melbourne. It is a separate facility from the main house. At A$100 per day, you get a fully furnished apartment (heated of course during winter) and well stocked up with touristy guide books, breakfast supplies of almost everything from jams, spreads, bread, fruit, sauces, bacon, eggs, milk,cereals, etc....for a change, we don't get served with the full cooked brekkie but we have everything we need to prepare one. Wonderful!

Queen Victoria Market and Melbourne Museum

Good Review and all went well!

Except for some system and dashboard related issues, all are well. The training delivery in mandarin was great and review feedback from the sales reps, sales managers and marketing team were good.

So happy...so satisfied...sooooo thankful!

Praise God!

Park Apartment 天安豪园 or Central Park Tower 13 #26-02

Now I have another Option at park apartment after viewing Kristine's home about 2 Saturdays ago. I am not sure if that is a good option. 245sq-metres at USD 3,800 and above. Great space and 4bedroom. Gosh! I love the study room & all the exclusivity with the master bedroom and mini walk-in closet. Most of all....the kitchen is amazing! The dry and wet kitchen concept with tons of storage. Even a store area for keeping all the electrical appliances and all. Even a drying area almost like a balcony that is all mine! I could surely use all that space. But really, the price is steep considering what we are prepared to pay. One key minus - no amenities around. Closest supermarket is Jenny Lou which is at Lido, about 10mins walk. Seemed alright but when it comes to cold harsh winter, walking out for 10mins unsheltered & un-chauffeured is not child's play....i don't recommend that!

We've gotten Rosemary to help us source for a 3+1 in phase 3 central park vicinity. Keeping my fingers crossed and praying hard that I can get some really positive news. We viewed a couple of units and really 26-02 and 20-02 at Tower 13 are my favourites. Especially 26-02! Be with me in prayer for 26-02 :

1. Rental will be only at USD2,800 (max)
2. Owner is willing to wait for us until mid Feb to shift in and kickstart the tenancy contract
3. He will agree with us installing the hot bath unit in both washrooms
4. He will accede to all our requests in asking for more appliances and furnishing

We can't move out of my current unit until Feb for 2 reasons. My parents warned me against shifting now because i am pregnant. They freaked out BIG time when I tried to hint to them that that was our intent...so i rather not risk incurring their wrath, especially if my mother in law comes to know of it - dead meat. Anyhow, second reason is because my current tenancy agreement ends in Dec anyhow. So the earliest given all else...it will be in mid Feb before we could move physically. God has been very faithful in all our asking in prayers so I firmly trust that He will "reserve" 26-02 at tower 13 just for us!

I believe the Lord will work miracle!

Mediocrity or Excellence

I have been thinking a lot about this since I was preparing my training materials for CRM SFM Training with one of my china dealers next week in Shanghai.

What amazes me was how people actually spent enormous amount of effort to just NOT have that spirit of excellence. Not in a subsciously manner but extremely aware of the loopholes and areas of deficiency, they choose to be slipshod and almost oblivious to them in a very conscious manner.

It was almost like they had to delibrately avoid work, responsibility and ownership because to have an excellent spirit meant the contrary of course. Taking ownership, owning up to areas of responsibilities, being accountable and working hardly in essence. They choose to focus on the easy sloppy way of "that is how things have always been anyway so why rock the boat?!" Their "comfortable" boat most likely. The time and effort that has gone to do all that could have been better used to just get it done right & doing it well. Nonetheless, it is unarguable that it is easier typically to go with the flow. Truly, anything that is good is found upstream and not downstream. Interestingly, personal growth ( and thus challenge) takes place down under in the valley not at the mountain top. It is under the valley where you meet these "amazing people" that challenges your values, beliefs, standards and character.

I can be like them and be accepted as part of the team (yucks!) or I can choose to be absolutely different, be a sore thumb (irritate people very much at the beginning) and if I perserve...they will appreciate me (prayerfully and hopefully) at the end. Well I know the last part is just so true much as right now, I definitely don't feel appreciated but it doesn't matter. It is against my principle and most of all nature to be slipshod, sloppy and just average. I realise that the price to pay to have the spirit of excellence is popularity and human acceptance. Both of which are nice to have but it is not must have. People appreciate me for who I am not for what I can do "with" them. At least that is what I am telling myself now.

Yes, I will continue to modify my training slides until they are PERFECT! I am believing God for a wonderful training session next week in Shanghai and Kunshan with my audience of 60. Sales reps, sales managers, marketing folks and dealer management. It will be good. My first and last training since I'd be going on maternity leave in mid Dec.

Proverbs 22:29
Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before unknown man

I want to stand before my greatest King, Jesus and be proud to say...I have always given my BEST.