Well I have just returned from a weekend trip to Guangzhou, where I was the opening act with GAAnn, singing Endless Love for GATer's wedding. It was quite exciting to be actually involved in a wedding and we took it quite seriously. First of course, there was the applying for the visa. And then there was the tiring job of actually memorizing lyrics, something which I have not done for a long long time. Then the week before the actualy event, which was last weekend, we even went to RedBox to practise the song with microphones. We went through several versions of the song before choosing a version with the right harmonisation and sang it several times.

On the morning of the wedding itself, I gave myself 45 minutes to leave my apartment for HungHom but I still had to run the last 50 metres to make it in time for the train departure. Never underestimate travel time in Hong Kong. On the journey, I enjoyed playing some card games and also travelling in China by train for the first time, looking at fields of farmland and farmlife as well as bustling cities from th sidelines. We reached the hotel and it was VERY large. Walking around outside, a group of us finally found food in a wonton noodle shop. We then walked back to the hotel for a microphone and sound check where we bumped into the bride and groom taking pictures. The restaurant was done up very nicely, a Western buffet style, with Hello Kitty and big bows everywhere.

We got the music and had to rush dressing up while practising. We sang it about ten times in the hour before the wedding ceremony was due to start. By the time we actually sang it, it was already easy. People appreciated the song, and I loved the standing on the stage. It was really fun. I think this first experience as a wedding singer was great, and I am open to doing another one ! Haha. Very fun. After the wedding we went out to sing karaoke in Cashbox till 1 am. After which several of us discussed careers and company politics till 3 am. A good sleep after that saw us going to a great old place for lunch in Guangzhou, where we were served individual teas on trays, and I also tried eating turtle, as well as some bitter gourd cake. Guangzhou is the home to people who eat anything alive, so it was a good experience to see civet cat and peacocks on the menu as well ! Very interesting. Turtle was adventurous enough for me though, as far as animals go.

We squeezed through the subway in China for a few stations before leaving for home and we played cards all the way. I ended the weekend with a dinner at FredBear's place with all the other people who had just finished their FRM examinations where we had pizza, sushi and some chocolate cake with home made ice cream. Lots of serious conversation tonight - someone just had a break up - but fun. Ah work tomorrow. Or rather in 7 hours.

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OMG I absolutely cannot believe that it has been almost a month !

ALMOST, but not quite, luckily I thought about this place a lot and it came up tonight.

Well after another week of mind numbing work, it was time to GO TO MELBOURNE !! WOOHOO ! And I did, with a little stopover in Adelaide for two hours for the connecting flight.

When I first got off the plane, there was such a huge feel of arriving home, and the sky was clear, very very blue, and the weather was fantastic, sunny but cool. Simply amazing. SherBear picked myself and FredBear up and then it was a trip to DFO for some shopping. Did not see much that I liked/could afford so actually for the first time in my life left with nothing ! That is quite an achievement for me as I actually tried on many things !! But of course, I got dropped off at Seasons where I met up with CCBear and KenBear and then we went for some Brunetti's where things just seemed to stay the same ! Walked along Lygon and bumped into AmyBear and WayneBear as well. Then we all got picked up by CKBear's car and went over to Canning. Great dinner with many many visitors including JasBear, DanBear, AaBear, JaqBear, AlleBear, RayBear (actually stays there so should not count), MLBear, JoeBear, KaiBear...great to see so many young people. Then there were several rounds of board games including an introduction to Dominion and that was the first night.

The next week went completely by SO fast that it seemed like a dream. I only recall certain events so will just list them down here in point form - I cannot wait to get back to Melbourne !

- Walked around St Kilda - attended TasBear's birthday, met BuckBear and so other friends - Dinner at Freshwater Place - JarBear, LucBear, ElBear, NelBear, RachBear, DaveBear, VeeBear - Greco's for cake for FredBear's birthday - AaBear's place for late night games for 2 hours as CKBear having late night assignment - met HaoBear and EdBear and JonBear

- Uni visit - 7 seeds for coffee and great relaxing breakfast - CKBear meetup - CBD shopping trip - bought new Dominion - Smith Street - 4 pairs of shoes - KenBear and CCBear for dinner with AlleBear, CKBear, AaBear and JaqBear following which, played Dominion till past midnight

- Bridge Road shopping- jeans and tops - Port Phillip Arcade - Tourist Centre - HarvBear for lunch - Walk along Elizabeth - 2 bookshops - Baba Budan coffee - KenBear's engineering exhibition - picked up at Grattan Street - Richmond for Roast Duck - SherBear's house for dinner also met JessBear - almost missed train back to city - made it by running - thanks for gym training - Intersection

- CBD shopping - coffee - Max Brenner's - waffles yum - Chicago Musical - coffee on Queen's Street - Elizabeth Street Shopping - dinner was Korean - LaTrobe Street - DamBear also attended - games at Seasons till late

- FredBear breakfast - St Ali - South Melbourne - Chef's Hat - Port Melbourne beach - sunny day - Victoria Market - Rented car with HarvBear - RMIT visit HarvBear's place for first taste of Guitar Hero - late for dinner at Brunswick Street with PatBear/KimBear - huge pie - picked up by KenBear and FangBear for seconds - pizza along Nicholson Street - call from work - solved - Seasons - late night Dominion and PS - stayed over

- Drizzling - slept in - AlleBear, CCBear and HarvBear - Mt Dandenong - Pie in the Sky - Miss Marple's for scones and tea - Sweet Shoppe - Cuckoo Clock restaurant - Dinner with SherBear and XXBear - walked from city to College Square with WayneBear - Convinced RayBear for more Guitar Hero and Rock Band PS games at AlleBear's place

- Packed - walked to city from Canning with CKBear to yumcha at Crystal Jade with JaqBear, AaBear, AlleBear, MLBear, JoeBear - AaBear's place for super board games - afternoon and pizza at night - PratBear and SteveBear - picked up by SherBear and FredBear to airport - long phone calls of anguish - boarded - noisy babies on plane - back to HongKong

And that was my fantastic pretty unplanned Melbourne biannual trip. Will the next trip really be in 2011 ? Or would it be sooner ?

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