My Blue Heaven

Temperament Sorter

For some reason, I love personality quizzes. And I’ve had a rather fun morning procrastinating, taking various personality tests. After doing two different tests (that use the same measure in their results), I’ve established that I’m (still) an ESFP (Artisan Performer). Though very VERY borderline to an ISFP (Artisan Composer). Basically coz I’m just about 50/50 on the Extraverted vs Introverted scale.

So what does all this mean? I’ve been looking at two different websites that explains the different temperaments. Typelogic and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Here’s a summary of the four different criterion:

1. The first criterion defines the source and direction of energy expression for a person. The extrovert (E) has a source and direction of energy expression mainly in the external world while the introvert (I) has a source of energy mainly in the internal world.
2. The second criterion defines the method of information perception by a person. Sensing (S) means that a person believes mainly information he receives directly from the external world. Intuition (N) means that a person believes mainly information he receives from the internal or imaginative world.
3. The third criterion defines how the person processes information. Thinking (T) means that a person makes a decision mainly through logic. Feeling (F) means that, as a rule, he makes a decision based on emotion.
4. The fourth criterion defines how a person implements the information he has processed. Judging (J) means that a person organizes all his life events and acts strictly according to his plans. Perceiving (P) means that he is inclined to improvise and seek alternatives.

(Taken from Humanmetrics.)

The tests I’ve taken to find these results are this one and this one. There’s also the Keirsey one, but you have to pay to get the full report.

Anyways, if you have time to waste, do these tests, and let me know which of the sixteen temperaments you are. I find this sorta thing extremely interesting (and hence have just wasted a whole morning at work on this :P).

Chiropractors are cool

I also had a complimentory chiropractor consultation at my gym this morning, to take a look at my shoulder and my knee. My shoulder has been giving me twinges for the past few months whenever I do a particular exercise at the gym, if I’m tired or not doing it quite correctly enough. So I find out that I’ve somehow managed to injure my shoulder (dunno when or where or how), and that I need to get it treated (better now than to wait till it really gets bad). I was like, I had no idea this was wrong with me!



As for my knee, its my left one giving me grief.. hurting, esp when in particular positions when sitting or walking. Apparently its really quite loose, coz the muscles are very weak. So she says this one is easily solved by doing exercises for that knee muscle. She recommended having a personal training session so I can get personalised exercises for my knee.

Anyways, that, all in a 15 minute consultation… all she did was poke around at various joints and muscles, and she could come up with all that. Pretty cool! I’m not looking forward to treating my shoulder tho…. she warned that it would hurt. Eek!

In other news.. photos from Jervis are coming soon. When I get around to resizing, retouching, and uploading the pics. 🙂

Current listening :: “Come Clean” – Hilary Duff

Off to Jervis

Woohoo. Friday arvo finally. Got Glue tonite.. then tomorrow I’m off with a few friends for a short 3 night getaway at this beachfront house in Jervis Bay. Should be good. It’ll be nice to just get out of Sydney, hang out with friends, sleep in, relax on the beach, and just soak in some more sun. Not that I need to get anymore tanned!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I’ll be back on Wed.. until then..

In the meantime, you can amuse yourself playing this amusing and addictive game. Heheh. 🙂

Current listening :: More Than Life – Hillsong United (Yep I bought the latest Hillsong United cd.. *guilty cough*)

Just another sad love song

Warning: particularly revealing and honest post ahead. I may delete/modify it later. We’ll see.

Been listening to some rather sad songs, last night and today. Stuff like Jeff Buckley’s “Grace”, Bic Runga, Coldplay. Funny how certain songs and albums can be so poignant.. so moving… and have attached to them such powerful memories. Funny how some albums are the soundtrack to certain parts of your life.

It was emotional, to say the least. Balling my eyes out in bed, listening to Jeff Buckley, clutching a certain soft toy in my arms. Some might call it masochistic. But then, maybe it’s good to face these things.. these emotions and memories. One day I’ll stop crying. I hope he will too.

“Come up to meet you, tell you I’m sorry
You don’t know how lovely you are
I had to find you, tell you I need you
And tell you I set you apart
Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions
Oh lets go back to the start
Running in circles, coming in tails
Heads on a science apart

Nobody said it was easy
Oh it’s such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard
I’m going back to the start”

More poignant lyrics can be found on my Lyrics page.

Current listening :: “The Scientist” – Coldplay

Schtuff

Nothing much to say today. Its been stinking hot… thank God for air conditioning. Tis a good day to be in the office, if there ever was one! 🙂 Anyway, I’ve been playing around with some features in Movable Type. If you’ve noticed, I’ve added a “Recently” box which lists the last 8 blog entries, and the date they were posted. Maybe I should get around to using more of the extensive functionality that movable type provides.. mmm.

So yeh.. I just saw the preview for the latest Mandy Moore flick, “Chasing Liberty”. Can’t wait!! (We have to wait till 8th April here in Australia… ugh it sucks).

Current listening :: “Suddenly Strange” – Bic Runga

Suicidal dash

Kazzart’s new personal definition of suicidal: to run pell-mell up a flight of stairs and down another, whilst wearing loose havaianas and a skirt, to catch a train that had been sitting on platform 2 of West Ryde station since you arrived at the bus stop. One of these days I’m gonna kill myself doing that. Especially with the taking two or three stairs at a time part.

Anyway, not much time to blog at the moment. I have an impending meeting with the Image dept manager at my work. After seeing an e-newsletter I designed for another business dept, they now want me to design one for them, and a few other depts.. fun fun. 😛

This is a refreshingly honest post. Particularly poignant considering my post yesterday, and stuff I’ve been thinking about lately.

Jam

(Added: 4:04pm) Hm.. looks like its a no show for that meeting. Anyway, last night I actually went and jammed with those musos. It was fun! The band is called “Ruby” and they have a bass player, guitarist and drummer. They play mostly blues/rock’n’roll. The kind of music you hear at pubs and RSL’s, to which the oldies can to get up and dance. Stuff by Elvis, The Beatles, even some Santana.. songs such as “Don’t Be Cruel”, “Hound Dog”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Mustang Sally” etc. Pretty simple stuff.. upbeat and bluesy.. usually with only 3 chords (and the truth :P).

I had fun. I used his little keyboard (coz I came straight from work), and just played along and improvised. Even took a few solos. We played from about 7ish to 10ish. I have a rather sore coccyx today coz of how I was sitting for those 2 / 3 hours.

However, the highlight of the evening was discovering that he and his wife have a cat! An absolutely beautiful siamese named Cindy (short for Cindarella). She is sooo gorgeous and affectionate!! With brilliant blue eyes.. and is really really vocal! You talk to her, and she’ll talk right back! Argh! I want a siamese cat next! 🙂

Current listening :: “Heard A Word” – Michelle Williams

Blogger’s Paradox revisited

I’ve just been catching up on the last month’s blog entries at this guy’s blog. Reading his entries reminds me once again of what blogging should be about.. at least for me. To me, its about revealing your thoughts and emotions.. revealing and giving a part of yourself to that unknown audience on the world wide web. Its about saying what’s really on your mind, what troubles you, touches you, makes you laugh, annoys you, stresses you out. That’s the stuff I want to blog about, yet I constantly find myself merely skimming the surface of the trivialities in my life.

*sigh* I do apologise for the decline in quality of blog entries. They’ve been pretty mundane and boring. I seem to lack inspiration.. and the stuff that IS on my mind, I cannot blog about.. perhaps because too many people involved in the issues that are on my mind read this blog. And so we come to a bloggers paradox once again. Then again… would it really matter if I blog about people who read this? Should I assume that I have bloggers prerogative in being able to freely express my thoughts, whatever they may be, on my personal blog. Does this disclaimer really hold true? I know I’ve blogged about this sort of thing before, and it may seem like I’m going in circles around the same issue. Blah. I’ll eventually resolve this… one day.. one way or another.

(more…)

A glimpse for the boys

No, not that kinda glimpse! 😛 I decided to take my digital camera to my female-only gym last week. I’d been thinking about doing another photo blog of a typical workout session at the gym.. but I’m too lazy to put it together. So I decided to just stick up a few pics instead.

Wheezy Joe

Still feeling a bit under the weather today. I had a bad encounter with a lot of dust last night (which I’m kinda allergic to), and am still feeling the after-effects today. I woke up at around 5:30am this morning wheezing so badly I had to take some ventolin. I’m still finding it a little hard to breathe now. But I never get asthma very seriously (nothing life-threatening) so I should be ok. Just wish I brought some ventolin with me to work today.. its getting kinda annoying.

Busy Bee

This year is looking to be a busy one. 🙁 My weeknights are gradually becoming more and more filled up. I mean, take for example this week… tonight I’m going to jam with some muso’s (the bass player, John, was in my jazz fusion class at the Con last year and asked me to come jam with his band.. and finally I have a free Monday night to do it!), tomorrow night I have nothing on *gasp*, Wednesday night is my bible study cg (care group), Thursday night I have a Glue music meeting and afterwards am meeting my co-leader for our Glue yr 10-12 bible study group to do some prep for this Friday, and Friday night is Glue. I also have yet to arrange a time to meet up with a friend to discuss a website I’m gonna create for his band, and also a (lunch) time to meet up with my “mentor”.

Man… for someone who dislikes the ultra-busy-book-me-1-month-in-advance kinda lifestyle, I’m doing pretty well for it. :\

Current listening :: “Slow Jam” – Usher & Monica (ahhh… old skool..)

Sick

Argh I think I’m sick. 🙁 I hate it when I get sick… grrr. I’m feeling kinda dizzy and woozy, and just really really tired, even though I got like 8 1/2 hours sleep last night. I just have absolutely no energy to do anything today… hardly enough to walk to the toilet. And I even took a 1/2 hour snooze at my desk this morning! Also got a slight sniffle, and have been wearing my jacket all morning despite it being forecast for a warm and sunny 29 degrees today.

Hm.. maybe I’ll take tomorrow off.

So-so

I don’t really have much to blog about at the moment. Work is boring.. life is pretty ordinary. I went to our church’s leaders retreat on the weekend, which was held at Vision Valley conference centre, around the Berowra/Galston area. Nice area. The retreat was alright, though I was a bit disappointed we didn’t get the lovely Stringybark lodge that we’d had the past 2 years. Instead we got the older lodging… and a rather stringent (read: tyrannical) head cook. I had two run-in’s with her. Needless to say, I was not impressed. Other than that, it was ok. Actually, the whole weekend was only so-so… I had certain problems on my mind most of the time, and other issues were brought to my attention during that time, so it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable weekend. The talks were alright and challenging. (Though, I think I preferred last years speaker… he was more organised and easier to follow.)

So that was my weekend. Hopefully stuff will improve over time. I’m feeling pretty.. blah.. about the coming year actually. I have a feeling it will be a time for deep thinking and big decisions. A pre-cursor to change. In some ways, I wish it were 2005 already.

Dancing fun

I ended up going to dance class afterall last night. And a very good decision that was. It was absolutely awesome!! 🙂 We danced to Britney’s “Toxic” – and the routine was soooo coool! It helps that I love that song too. 🙂 Oh, and this time, I have a treat for you kids. Instead of describing all the movements to you, I can show you! I took a short video clip of the routines with my digital camera! 🙂 (He always splits us into two groups so we have more room to dance, so thats how I managed to take the video.)

The first two clips are of the lyrical routine (expressive movements, always the more technical routine, lots of expressive arms and legs etc, usually slow). The last clip is of the funk routine to Britney’s “Toxic”. Very very cool. He even included floor work in both, which is always fun! I had a great time… and didn’t feel tired at all during the whole class. I felt very energised and “with it”. Yay!

1. Video 1 – The lyrical, with dancers facing the mirror
2. Video 2 – The lyrical, with dancers facing us (the side of the room)
3. Video 3 – The funk routine to Britney’s “Toxic”

Note in the 2nd video, the girl in the black crop top (midriff exposed) and black pants with white stripes down the side. She’s a REALLY good dancer… and sooo flexible and graceful and “oh-my-gosh” thin! 🙂 Anyway, there ya have it! Of course, yet again I am rather sore today. 🙁 My back is pretty sore from a particular move we repeated a few times in the Britney routine. Ouchie. 🙁

On a completely different note… here’s what I had for lunch today. Yummmmm… 🙂 Its from the cafe next to my work.

Current listening :: “Toxic” – Britney Spears

KYC 2004

Hm.. long time no blog. I went to KYC on the long weekend. It was nice… nice hanging out with friends over the weekend in beautiful katoomba, nice hearing some great talks & being spiritually refreshed and challenged, nice singing with about 2000 – 3000 other christians in a big tin shed. 😀 I took some photos from the weekend.

For more piccies, clicky here. I also took two short video snippets during kyc. This first one is a 360 of the crowd during singing in one of the last sessions. And this one is of SaltLight (Vron, Tim and Tom) performing “Turn” during the Sunday night session. With a very exuberant WS cheering squad giving support from the front few rows. Hee! 😀

The talks were pretty good. The theme was “The Road Less Travelled”, on The Sermon Of The Mount (Matthew 5 – 7). I really like the sermon of the mount… its a great passage! Reminds me of my first KyckStart waaay back in 1994.. which was where I became a christian! 10 years ago exactly! Wow. 🙂 I was brought up in a christian home, going to church since before I could walk, but I wasn’t a christian. It wasn’t really something that was personally true for me, something that I’d made a personal decision about, making Jesus Lord of my life. It wasn’t till the evangelistic talk on Saturday night, 22nd January, 1994, that it hit home what being a christian really meant. I can’t even remember what the talk was about. I know the theme for that weekend was “God means business”.. so something about that I suppose!

Anyway, it was really good to be reminded this weekend of seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness.. really good to be challenged and refreshed spiritually.. to get that much needed kick up the butt. I particularly liked David Starling’s talks. Esp his first one on Saturday. Wow, that really hit home for me. Al Stewarts were pretty good too… as usual. 🙂 I can’t remember the particular points of the talks… I’m gonna have to look at my notes, which I unfortunately do not have on me today.

Lethargy

I’ve been feeling rather lethargic of late. Especially today. I’m just feeling really really tired and sleepy. I don’t feel like doing anything, least of all work. I just wanna go to sleep. *sigh* No idea why. Maybe I need to catch up on sleep… probably still tired from KYC. Hm.. zzzz…

I was gonna go to dance class tonight… hm.. not sure if I’m up for it anymore. Feeling too tired… which kinda sucks coz this’ll be the last time in quite a while that I’m gonna be able to go. 🙁 My bible study care group is starting next week.. on Wed nights most likely. Which means I won’t be able to do my absolute favourite dance class (intermediate jazz with Rrrrramon!) anymore.. or at most only once a month. Pooey. 🙁 Ah well… I suppose I will deal with it.

Current listening :: “What’s Up Lonely” – Kelly Clarkson

Random photos

Here are some photos taken from my birthday dinner with my family last week. We had a scrumptious meal up at the revolving Summit Restaurant, around level 40 something up in the Australia Square tower. Very nice 360 degree views of Sydney.

And here are two more random photos, of a beautiful sunset and Cockle Bay Wharf at night.

More photos can be found here.

Current listening :: “Last Cinema” – Bluebottle Kiss

Miss Cell Lane Knee

Updates on the last few days… lets see.

On Sunday night my cat decided to do a poo poo in my parents bedroom. *snort of laughter* Ok, it probably wouldn’t have been quite as funny if he had chosen my bedroom floor instead. But yeh, I found it sorta amusing, and kinda gross, to see a pile of kitty doo on the carpet in my parents room. Luckily they managed to get it cleaned up… go the scotchguard! Unfortunately (or should I say fortunately?) I forgot to take a picture of it.

Also, I don’t think I’m gonna get sick. I had/have a slight sniffle… but I reckon I’ll be ok. Yay.

And on the beverage front… I’ve actually managed to develop a taste (read: addiction) to coffee recently. Or more specifically, mocha’s. It was only a month ago that I hated them… now I’m craving them! Doh!

Hm… can’t think of anything else to blog about. Oh, I’ve updated my links page. Culled a few non-existant sites and added a few new ones. And also added a new column for other non-blog sites that I frequent.

Oh, and I’m really happy about this new skirt I bought a few weeks back.. for just $10! Another bargain buy! Today is the first time I’ve worn it. 🙂

Current listening :: “Bootylicious” – Destiny’s Child

Woozy

Ugh. Feeling a bit woozy today. I think I’m sick… or maybe getting sick. Nooooooo….. 🙁 Got a slightly sniffly nose, feeling a bit woozy/dizzy, and just an overall feeling of tiredness. I reckon its coz it was cold the last 2 nights when I slept… and I didn’t have enough blankets on. Silly silly Kazzart.

However, I do love this sort of weather! Its that beginning of autumn feel (even tho its nowhere near the beginning of autumn). The cooler, crisper air, but still sunny.. with fluffy white clouds.. and a nice breeze.

Anyways, its off to lunch for me.

Current listening :: “Eternal Harvest” – Nobuo Uematsu

Blah blah

Feeling mighty irritable at the moment. I hate it when parents give you crap about stuff. I suppose therein lies the benefits of moving out. What they don’t know, they can’t give you crap about. But then, there are many benefits with living at home too. I just wish they’d leave me alone sometimes… I am 25 now. I don’t mind doing chores and taking responsibilty for stuff like that. But I really wish my mum would keep her nose out of my working life, and what I choose to do with it. Stuff like when I choose to take a day off, or what time I get into work. Argh… she’s a constant nag about it!

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Today has turned into such a nice day… maybe I’ll go to the beach. Or go swimming at least. 🙂

TWO FIVE

Happy Birthday to me. Yep… tis my birthday today. The big two five. Quarter of a century. As my mum kindly reminded me this morning… she woke me up with a jolly “Happy Birthday! Waah.. quarter of a century old now!” Hurumph.

So, now that I’m 25, I suppose I should be all grown-up and responsible.

*gives it a moments thought*

Nah! Not gonna happen! 😉

Current listening :: “Bang This” – The J-Wess Project

Surf Camp Photos

I’ve uploaded my photos from Surf Camp! Check em out! 🙂 Here’s a few samples for your viewing pleasure:

Honey

Last night I went to see Honey (the movie).. something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I mean, another movie about dancing? Bring it on! What’s there not to like?? 😀 So, I quite enjoyed it.. Jessica Alba was her usual acting self (ie hot stuff, but very similar to her role in Dark Angel.. erm.. lets leave that one alone), the storyline was ok, and the dancing was awesome! The soundtrack is pretty cool too.. might check it out sometime. Oh, I loved the R&B artist cameos. 🙂

Watching that movie made me really wanna get back into clubbing and dancing. It kinda exponentially multiplied my need for a clubbing fix.. and a dance class fix! Which makes it kinda convenient that I’m planning on going to both this week! Yay! 🙂

Current listening :: “Into You” – Fabolous Ft Tamia

Back to the Real WorldTM

Got back from surf camp today. Two things. I had an absolutely awesome time up there. Coming back to Sydney sucks.

Some highlights for me:

• learning to surf (and actually being able to stand up fairly well… whilst catching the white-wash anyway)
• getting absolutely pummelled by nose-diving when trying to surf the larger unbroken waves
• spending hours battling to get out and getting absolutely nowhere coz I wasn’t in the right part of the surf
• having incredibly sore arms the next day from carrying the surf board up the beach and from paddling out – I can barely lift my arms now
• having an even sorer butt from chaffing from my boardies…. OUCHIE! 🙁
• getting really really REALLY tanned (man, I don’t look chinese anymore!)
• taking in the beautiful scenery of the area – I am in love with the Great Lakes… esp Wallis Lake (the sunsets over the lake were absolutely breath-taking) and Seal Rocks beach.. in fact all the beaches in that area. I now understand why people say Sydney beaches suck!
• learning surfie talk… Sweeeeeet! WoooooooOooooooo!! 😛

I think thats most of it so far. I took a few photos whilst up there… which I’ll put up later. And I got some photos that were taken by the instructors of us surfing. Apparently there are a few good ones of me. 🙂

So anyway.. I really wanna do it again! Maybe I’ll try some of the surf schools in Sydney. Or perhaps I’ll get more into body boarding (gonna have to buy myself a decent body board first.. Cha-Ching!) In any case, I’m definitely keen to get out in the surf more often… I think I’m hooked! Plus its really really good exercise!! My arms haven’t been this sore in a loooong time.

Well.. its off to bedfordshire for me. Nighty night.

Current listening :: “Gone” – Jack Johnson

Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a great new years celebration. I watched the fireworks at Circular Quay with some friends. Damn it was crowded! So anyway… can’t believe its 2004 already! Sorry I haven’t been blogging much lately.. things have been fairly.. turbulent. I am definitely in need of a holiday! (Didn’t take any leave over Christmas/New Year).

So to remedy this, I decided to book myself in for a surf camp up at Seal Rocks. I’ll be gone from Wednesday to Saturday. Woohoo! I am soooo looking forward to this!!!! 😀 Spending all day at the beach, learning to surf, surrounded by beautiful nature… *sigh*

I’m gonna be sooo dark when I get back though. I’m already really tanned from the few Saturdays I’ve gone to the beach this summer. (I rarely burn, and get dark really easily.. too dark!)

So other than that exciting upcoming event, I’ve not been doing all that much. Going to the beach on the weekend and taking advantage of the sales. So far I bought myself a white mini pleated skirt, black mini wrap-around skirt, beige knee length skirt, stripey pale blue/beige/brown top that goes really well with the beige skirt, a white halter-neck top, and some underwear. All of these (except perhaps some of the underwear) costed between $10 and $16!! 🙂

Here’s a pic of one of my new outfits… the beige skirt and stripey halter top. (You can also see how tanned my arms are now!!)

Current listening :: “For Once In My Life” – Michael Buble