Another Wonderful Day in my Life

A New Year- A New Man

2008-01-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

The past couple of months has been tremendously hard on me. So many things have happened to me. I apologize to friends that have so many times for the past 7 months to check my blog but failed to see any updates on my life.

My life then was unfortunately on a stand still till around Mid September when life started to move again, this time for the better.

Just to give you an idea of what has happened for the past couple of month, I'll put it down in bullet points- giving details will take me years to write~hahaha!

Mom and Dad came to visit
Frank and I broke up from a 6 year relationship
Lost some old friends but gain many good new friends
Got a new part time job as a PA and partnership, working 14 hours/ day everyday
Moved into JMAX (building which I am working in now)
Reunion with high school friends I thought I lost touch with
Ended my work at Dragon Tea House
Started a new and wonderful relationship
Building my own business- Entertainment Food & Beverage

All these happened the past 7 months, life was so hectic & I needed to concentrate on my new goals and future.

I am updating this blog to let you all know that I am fine, healthier, happier and definitely for the first time in my life know my purpose in my life!

I miss all my friends and family back home and do hope that I can return back very soon mid 2008 to see you all again, this time hopefully with Anton my partner in business and life.

The next time I update my blog again, I will tell you more about my ventures with Teas and more Teas and will start to focus this blog about me and Teas :) I hope that you will enjoy it more :)

Good Nite!

Gifts My Parents Got Me From Japan!!!

2007-06-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

Guess what guys!!! Remember how I compain about my parents not bringing me to Japan with them after my grandma passed away??? Well, when I complained & complained that I couldn't go that time, they decided to get me a survivor so I will feel better ( hehehe! My parents spoils me so much all the time!) And this is what they got me!

Tokidoki Bag!!! I'm so thrill about it! Never knew how much I like this brand until now!!! So Sis (Brenda) I'm on your side now!!!

Another closer look at it...hehehe! (Tokidoki Bag)

Samsung phone (SGHZ370), a Crystal charm from Japan and some 3D nail stickers (my mom knows me too well!!!) and obviously the tokidoki bag (tag)

What is beautiful Chrystal charm, love it to death!

Another look at the beautiful charm in details!

Hope you have enjoyed looking at my gifts as much as I have enjoyed receiving it!

The Bank Holidays!!!

2007-06-19T02:07:00.001-07:00

The Bank Holidays is one of my favouritest band (if there's even such a word!) The band consist of 4 fantastic people, Bekk Reczek (one of the sweetest girl I've ever met in my entire life!), James Crombie (Great guy, absolute music genius) Nat Carson & Stuart Leach (both of them I've never got a chance to meet them but I'm sure they're great people too!)

Let me tell you just a little about the band.... The idea of the band started in 2003 when Bekk and James were both in Norway visiting Bekk's family and when they returned to England after the holiday they called their good friend Nat in Perth, Australia who has written a song that was searching for a band....and that's how is all started! Before they knew it, they played first ever gig in May 2003. In September 2004 they released their first debut '"Good Looks To Camera". Lead song 'Tread Easy' not only flogged the national radio station Triple J as does follow-up track 'The Greatest Game'. ''Tread Easy' also wins the Indie Pop category of the WA Music Industry's "Song of The Year" Awards. As time rolls by in 2005, they released 'Day for Night', 400 people pack The Playhouse Theatre in Perth to see the release launched. In 2006, they created a debit record with J. Walker as producer which see to result in release in mid 2007.

Hope that I have not overwhelm you with the profile of the band...but I enjoy them so much! I first met Bekk months ago when I was still working at a Coffee House called 'Leaf and Bean Tea and Coffee House' (best coffee I've ever drank and made) at Swanborne. Unfortunately I left a couple of months later when Sandy(Dragon Tea House owner) offered me my position at the Tea House now, anyway long story short, those few months working with Bekky was the greatest time I've ever work with someone, I was so so sad when I left (Frank told me not to cry...)

So! through Bekk I got to know about the band which is huge in Perth! I got a chance to see a solo performance (at a pub in Freo) done by Bekk and she sang most of the band's songs on her own and let me tell you, she was SOOOOOO good! Everyone in the audience was mesmerised by her and her voice! And since then I've been listening to their songs almost everyday!

So people! check out their myspace http://www.myspace.com/thebankholidays , there's a short movie about them, some songs that they sing as well! And if you get hook on them too, let me know and I'll help you get in touch with them and you can get your hands on some of their musics and other goodies too! Here is their website have a look too! There's nothing to lose and everything to gain! http://www.thebankholidays.com/

My Little Brother...!

2007-06-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone that knows me well would know that my biggest weakness is my little brother Jia Han(Joshua). I'll do anything that I possibly can to make his life a little easier in Singapore. There's also lots of people that are there for him when he needs them. He's almost 20 soon and my little brother will soon grow up to be a big man in this big world! I adore everything about him (until he starts ignoring me...! Hahaha!) He's one of the smartest and coolest guy I've ever met and to top it off a Heart full of Gold! He's the sort of guy that would see a grandma on the side of the walkway in a bus station selling tissue to support herself and have his heart broken and if he can help it, he will buy all the tissues off her so she can go home earlier that day! He's also the sort of guy that you can talk to when you're down and he will make you laugh so hard your sides will hurt so badly, he's definitely a friend worth having for the rest of your life.

He's going to grow up to become a man that everyone is proud of, that's not only good in school but also great in his private life with his family and friends. He's the one that reminds me all the time when it's either Mother's Day or Dad's birthday, knowing me (half a brain) will forgot until the next day and then go SHIT! He's always there to give me a hand.

The only regret I've ever have in my life, is not to be able to be there for my little bro. To watch him grow from the little baby I knew into a man. To remember him all the way from a little baby into a man that everyone will love, respect and remember. That's why every time I have a chance to go back to Singapore, it's not to shop or go touring but to visit my bro, to spend some time with him to remember him growing up, to watch him laugh and eat and sleep and get so excited when he sees something that he likes in the shops. I do miss him so so much. That's what I really regret, not being able to be a real sister to him, to be there for him when he needs me, a shoulder to cry on or be there to stand up for him when someone is bullying him, to kick some asses for him.

Oh...my little brother has definitely grown up now...and God is he good looking too! My point of view, the best looking one in the LIEW family! ( sorry everyone, his my brother!!) And I want to show the WORLD what a good brother I have!

This was when I was just about 5 years old and Jia Han was only 6months old! The cameraman said that Jia Han is the cutest baby he has ever seen! I'm sure we can all see why! He was so chubby! But the older he grew the skinnier he became...

A very recent picture of mom and him when mom went back to Singapore to visit him, she misses him all the time.

BEST TRIP EVER! The whole family at last went for a trip to China together first time in 5 years! Mom and him (me taking the pic and daddy asleep as usual) on a bullet train that brings us from the airport to the center of Shanghai in 20mins! The train goes up to about 450km/hr!

Mom, Jia Han and I goofing around at Amos Burger in Singapore, mom was trying so hard not to laugh! Hahaha!

This time I went back to Singapore on my own and we went down town to Bugis to shop a little and I decided to take pictures of the city to show my man (Frank), Jia Han was more than happy to be my model!

Him at his happiest! When there's food, anything is possible! ANYTHING!!! Hahaha! This time the whole family when to Uncle Toh's (family friend) island resort in Terengganu and since the package included ALL U CAN EAT breakfast...heheheh! Our little man ate himself silly! Hahah! Mommy and I love watching him eat...!

Mom and Dad in Japan!!!

2007-06-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

After Grandma passed away... Daddy wanted to take mommy away to de-stress. So when my cousin Brenda recommended that my parents to join her and her husband for a short trip to Japan to see the Cherry Blossoms and I can tell that mom and dad had the time of their life!

Mom said that they have never seen such large snow flakes in their life!

Having lunch in a typical noodle house in Japan, food must be good! Mom and dad are such food critics!

Snow Angels!!!

Mom and her plant obsession! Hahaha! Have to love her!

Mom told me that I should have gone then, well too late isn't it! Hahaha! She said to me that the next time when Dad and her travel to Japan again, Bro and I will definitely go with them!

My New Tatoo!!!

2007-06-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

YES! Finally I did it! I've been thinking about it for another 2 years before I finally got another one done. This time I've got vines done on my lower back to rest of future butterflies on... I know some people would love them(tattoos) and some people hates them. Well people who knows me well enough know that you should never judge a book by it's cover, do I look like a gangster chic to you? Hahaha!

When my grandmother past away early this year, I finally decided that I'll have a tattoo for her, a butterfly symbolize her pasted on, she will be free from all the bad memorizes and bad experiences that haunted her all her life (I'm very sure that all the grand kids has heard her complains before), I do hope that she is now in a better place where she doesn't have to think about all the sufferings that she went through anymore. I miss her so much, I do hope that she's happier now. That's why I wanted the vines, so that I would be able to connect all the people in my life together in the vines the symbolize my life. My next tattoo will be for my mother, what a woman she is. She is my idol, the symbol of my independence, the foundation of my life. Without her, I'm nothing. She has always been there for me, doesn't matter where I am in the World, as long as I need her, she will do anything to be there for me. Whether it's love, my work or just anything that I'm not happy about, my mom has always been there to listen to my worries and troubles. My father and mother is definitely the stone that I can always lean on. Whatever I am today, I own my everything to my parents. Miss them so much.

Okay back to my tattoos before I start to cry... Yes! So as you can understand now, the vines symbolized my life, and the butterflies that will be on them, are the people in my life that I will always remember that means so much to me. And with the support of my man (Frank) I will accomplish my dream of having the tattoos that I want in my life.

SO! Enough of emotional nitty gitty! I want to show the world my tattoo! Still hurts a little but not as painful as I remembered my first one, God my first one was horrible! But it's all good now, I got Barry(my tattoo artist) to fix my first tattoo (a butterfly for myself) and he's also the one that has done my latest Tattoo (the Vines) I hope that I'm not the only one that loves it!

This is the butterfly that I've had for myself (It's for my freedom and the responsibility that came with it) The vines are tattooed through the butterfly. It's still a little sore,
but I can sleep on them, it's been only 2 days since I got it done.

It goes around my lower back and up to my front torso. It's not too big at all. It looks better than I first imagined it. The base color is Jade green and Canary yellow with a little white color.

My Tea House!!!

2007-06-13T01:08:00.000-07:00

I started my new job not that long ago... a very cool and oriental Chinese Tea House! The name of the tea house is Dragon Tea House. The location(China Town) is shop3/369 William Street, Northbridge. WA 6003. It's my very first time managing a retail shop and also my very first experience doing retail work let alone knowing much about teas at all! I did most of my homework on Chinese teas, their benefits, the types of teas, water temperature, climate changes, cost, retailing as well as wholesaling them. So much knowledge so little time for me! BUT! I did it, I'm still learning everyday and more from everyone around me. My boss Sandy Ng from HK is so patience with me. Aware that I don't know too much about the industry or teas she asked me to join her to learn more about businesses and Chinese teas. That's when my journey of Teas started at the age of 24! Interesting, curious and so damn afraid, I started my first week on my own when Sandy had to travel to China to hand pick our next order of teas, I'm so excited to see what she will order back for us. I've also started marketing and advertising the place around to people in Northbridge(China Town) as well as the western consumers. Everything is so new, different and exciting. The hardest part of my job is probably packing teas every couple of times a week...hehehe! can't complain comparing to the labor work I used to do in the pubs, hotels, restaurant and cafes! But times are not all good, there are days when there's no customers (we've only been opened for 4 months) and I will start stressing out and getting depress about what I can do to get more people in to try and buy my teas and tea wares.....then I have to remind myself that I've done all that I can, and sometimes a person just have to be patience and wait for things to happen at the right time. My boss is happy with my work but she will also remind me to do more wholesale work, so I'm always calling and emailing people to get them interested in us. I guess in that sense I have very thick skin so it's not that hard! Heheheh! And when people ask me why I decided to try this out, the answer is that I want to prove to myself as well as my parents that I'm not "3 minutes hot, 3 minutes cold".

Sandy and I were both on a local community paper called 'The Perth Voice'. We had a very short interview with a reporter from the newspaper and had some tea testing with the lady reporter, we all had an interesting day that day!

This is the right hand side of the tea house where our customers can sit down and do Dine In @ $3.50 per head, they get a huge selection of teas to choose from our Dine In Menu. Lots of Western as well as Asian customers have came in for Dine In first and since then been our loyal customers.

This is a very small selection of Zisha tea pots we have at the moment, some of them for use but most of them for display, we realized that there's a large number of teapot collectors in Perth, Western Australia. There will be LOADS more coming in around Mid July! Can't wait!!!! 2 Display shelves, and 16 boxes of (2m X1m)full of just tea wares!!!!

This is the right hand side of our tea house. As you can see we sell a good selection of teas as well as tea wares. Most of our tea wares by the time this photo was taken has been purchased. This is what's left of our tea wares. We provide more than 30 types of Chinese teas at the moment, more will be coming in @ Mid July 2007. The Tea House will become more busy by then!!

So this is an introduction to Dragon Tea House, at the end of June I will be doing an event at a Conference Venue in Wembley for a Senior party. Look out for more pictures then!