Sunday, September 14, 2008 ; 10:36 PMY
Haven't posted for a while.. wonder if anyone still comes and check?^^
Nth much has happened. Getting ready to wrap things up here in the UK! Will be heading home mid November. Can't wait. Counting down the days when I leave work. Miss everyone so much >< Will be in HK for a week or so too. Looking fwd to catching up with some good friends! x
Thursday, July 31, 2008 ; 10:46 PMY
There's a feeling that I have never felt before. I don't know how to describe it. But it's the guilt and sadness that I feel when I can't be there for someone I love when they need me most. This is one thing that I have struggled with since coming to England.
Technology is a powerful means for keeping in touch and to bring people closer. However, it just does not offer the love and comfort that a good friend deserves.
I remember saying to Bill how I've left at the worst of times... but now, it's kind of all spiralled... with everything.
Even though I cannot be physically there for you guys when you need me, rest assured that you guys are always in my thoughts. I am so sorry to the ones that are going through some hard times at the moment. I can only hope it will get better... as I believe good things happen to good people.
Missing home... missing my good friends xxx
Monday, July 14, 2008 ; 11:02 PMY
So the story goes...
On Friday morning Sandy is all excited about her trip to Spain with her boy. After all, she will finally get an actual summer. She was pissed off to know that her flight was delayed for about 1hr. When she finally got on the plane she immediately recognised a familiar face, her Integrated Service Manager aka BIG BOSS, Andy.
"Sandy, what are you doing here?"
"Like you, going to Spain! What are the odds?!"
"You told me before you were going on leave, didn't know you were heading overseas. Lucky you didn't call in sick!!!"
"I know, otherwise I would be busted big time. I am on annual leave, you can check with admin!"
Hahaha.. lucky I am an honest and truthful Social Worker!!!
Anyway... the trip was awesome. The sunshine was perfect and the heat was welcoming. Barcelona is such a vibrant city. Shops are open till late every night and people are always out and about. The beach made me feel right at home! The three days and two nights was just not enough. Especially when we had no choice but to spend Sunday at Reus. Nuh, long story. I got a bit sunburnt on the shoulers and back.. woohoo!!!!! I finally feel like I have had a Summer... =D
Photos will be up on FB when I get the chance... xxx
Friday, July 04, 2008 ; 10:50 PMY
Haven't blogged for a long time.. *oops*
Travelled a bit last weekend to Cardiff, Bristol and Bath. Photos are on FB :)
Jean and Alicia are over in Europe. They hung out with me for a few days in Coventry and are now on a tour around Europe. Wish I was with them :( Here's a pic we took at Cardiff Castle <3
So it's been just over three months that I have been in England. Nothing much has changed :) Working everyday... travelling when we get the chance to :)
On the other hand, hope all is good back home <3 xxx
Thursday, June 05, 2008 ; 8:43 PMY
Was bored so have been reading a lot of old emails. One nearly made me cry today. One that I received in June 2004 which is as long as my old uni essays! Good old days... such sweet memories. Reading that email brought all those old feelings back. I could sense how close we were and what great friends we were, and have become. Although now we are not as close as we use to be, we understood each other back then and had an "understanding". That's what counts right? hehe.
I loved the you back then. I don't know whether you have changed since then as I did not have the honour of sustaining our strong friendship after all the dramas. But you know what I learnt today? I learnt that I would not be where I am if it weren't for you. You ALWAYS had my best interest at heart, even when it meant sacrificing you, or sacrificing what mattered to you. You guided me when I most needed it... and it all worked out in the end, for me. As for you, I know it will. It hasn't yet, but it will! Trust me! Never change the person I know you to be :)
Thank you so much for the memories and teaching me everything you had. You still mean a lot to me, I'm sure you know cos we think alike :p
OH! Btw, I really appreciated the sms you sent me :) It's nice to know that you are thinking of me bk home in Sydney!
P.S Can you believe that it's been 4yrs since we first met at thing-o's 21st? *wink wink*
Thinking of you...
Remember this? :)
"The hardest thing about growing up
is that you have to do what's best for you
even if it means breaking someone's heart -
including your own."
xxx
Monday, June 02, 2008 ; 5:15 PMY
Bill and I went to Scotland for a few days. We went to a plce called Camera Obscura where tey have a few levels of weird and wonderful things. Here are some posters that we saw you can ponder about :)
A classic... old or young?
Easy one!
1st Version
2nd Version
What do you see?
Ascending or descending?
Sunday, May 25, 2008 ; 1:42 PMY
Just got news that my parents put a deposit down for a new place. Three bedroom terrace townhouse, facing a park and a river at Ermington! Woah~ Kind of have mixed feelings about this. I'm excited for them about the new place and the move, but then again kind of sad and disappointed that I won't be returning to my old home in Cherrybrook :( When I go home, in a sense it won't really be home. The familiarity won't be there *sigh* I will be further away from some friends, yet closer to some. I will miss my local Gloria Jeans and the nice boy that always gives me a double punch for my card :D I will have no idea about how to get to anywhere from Ermington... -.-" nuh~ no pt worrying over it now, will deal with that when I go bk to Syd I guess.
Just came bk from a trip to Liverpool and Manchester. Had an awesome time! And this week, going to Glasgow and Edinburgh (Scotland).. yippee^^v loving the travelling <3
June will be awesome as well as I am off to Nottingham for a weekend of volleyball and Betty will be coming to London another weekend :) Can't wait!
Thursday, May 15, 2008 ; 4:11 PMY
EEEEEEK~! Got a letter from Jeannie today!^^ Good old fashioned snail mail... Just like the good old days! I got the cutesy writing paper too =) haha~ Love it babe! Thank you so much! It really put a smile on my face :D It is so much more sentimental than an email... the time, the effort, your handwriting <3 *sigh* I feel loved :)
Things have been tough lately... but I will be ok. Nothing to worry about. Thanks to everyone who has spoken to me and made sure I was ok~^^
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 ; 11:11 PMY
Just when you think things couldn't get worst it all blows up in your face.
Things are F'd man~! aaaaaah... the beautiful thing we call life.
Sunday, May 11, 2008 ; 10:45 AMY
Happy Mother's Day!!! This is to my mummy~ and of course to my baby Tina, and all other mum's in the world <3
Also, a BIG Happy Bday to my lesbian lover, Kimbo~<3 Hope you had a gd bday and got spoilt by the people u love :) I know u missed me so much you jumped out of a plane while u were in the sky, I'm glad u survived though >.^ what wld I do without u eh?! <3
My old template went bonkas on me.. dunno why -.-" so to fix the problem, I did another one!!! haha.. my blog needed a fresh look anyway. It's been a while since I've played around with html... hope it looks okaaaaaay?!
Lawrence... I am waiting for you to come over and teach me Jujitsu, or better yet, be my body guard :p Your sis needs you! haha~ I am so happy that you still come to my blog :) It's been years since we both started blogging!^^
Friday, May 09, 2008 ; 11:43 PMY
Fridays we normally finish 4:30pm. At 3pm we were told that they needed 6 Social Workers on stand by. I was one of the 6. A SW was in court, have been for a few days straight, judgement was at 5pm. We all did paperwork till we got the phone call at 6pm. We won the court case, custody awarded to Social Services. From there we had 6 Social Workers, 3 cars, and a mission to attend the home and remove 6 children (14yo - 1yo) from their mum. We arrived and it seemed like the whole neighbourhood was out waiting for the show. Two police cars, 6 coppers were there before us.
From there, it all kicked off. The children were in hysterics, kicking, screaming, swearing, running off in all different directions. The neighbours, friends and family attacked us and the cars. My partner and I grabbed the two we were taking, 4yo and 5yo, and zoomed off. It was heart breaking to hear them yell for mum, and ask us where their other brothers and sisters are going. Although the kids we had were young, they knew full well what was happening, and had the heart to think about their siblings and mum rather than for themselves. It was awful to have to hear them cry and sob from when we got them to when we left them. It was of little comfort that the elder one was sobbing and said to me "it's ok, I am a big boy and I will look after my little brother". Before going they both gave me a hug while still having tears stream down their face.
This is the part of the job I hate. It really makes me wonder whether the kids are better off in the long run. I really do hope so. It breaks my heart though that all 6 kids are now broken up into different foster homes.
What a Friday~ I am so tired... but my mind and heart is still racing. I have done so many removals in the past but this one has hit me hard.
Thursday, April 17, 2008 ; 9:08 PMY
I am officially case holding. How scary is that when you haven't had to case hold before? All my previous work has been crisis work so we really only saw the family/child once and we're done. Go in, do our bit, and out we go... haha.
I conducted my first home visit today... all by myself. There are some real practice issues here. I felt so vulnerable doing this home visit. One, I do not have a car so had to rely on public transport. Two, I have never met the family before and I am going to their home for the first time. Three, I went BY MYSELF!!! aaaaah~ this whole situation did not make me feel safe at all. I had no support worker, if I was in danger I could not just run into my car and drive off (as was the case with DoCS!), I had to get to the bus top and pray really.. haha^^ I did do a history check and speak to some family members beforehand over the phone and there were no real concerns regarding safety, hence I went ahead. I know.. it was stupid.. and I could see all you DoCS CPCW and TL pointing ur fingers at me. I was lucky it turned out alright. I did remember to take precautions as trained by Kylie (thanx babe). Take off my scarf (in case they strangle me with it), all my ear rings (so they dun pull it thru my ear), and engagement ring (temptation of stealing and holding me ransom), and I did position myself near the door (in case I needed to make a quick exit). Luckily the family engaged really well and was very cooperative and receptive in the work I wanted to do with them. I know, it could have gone the other way and if so I won't be posting this blog and never had the chance to return to Sydney ><
It seems like most visits here are done by the sole case holder. Unless otherwise requested the manager will not attend with you. And even if you ask they are so hard to get a hold off you could have done like 5 meetings until they're free. Hence I took the easy way out. Tuesday I am going to another one... this one with a convicted sex offender potentially in the home (hence CP concerns). Mum has said he doesn't live there but I have my reservations. I am supposedly going by myself... hmmmm... need to plan this one well.
Oh, btw.. I have learnt to appreciate KiDS. The system here is shit house!!!! *oops* KiDS is actually an awesome system compared to what they have here. I didn't think I would ever say this about KiDS.. but I guess you don't appreciate what you have until you have lost it.. or come across sth shittier (is that a word?). They have what they call ICS -Integrated Childrens System (I always think CSI!). It's only Coventry.. so if they travel out of the area that's it, no history! VOILA! What a great system.. for our clients!
Sorry for boring you guys with work reports... but it's the only thing I have been doing these days!!!! It SO doesn't feel like a working holiday... I know pplz who are in the field will get all this gobbily-goo and know what I am going on abt :)
What has been happening in Sydney? I heard the rain has kicked in.. hahaha.. sucked in :p I get it everyday!!! It rains, snow and shine here all in one day. It's amazing. And we thought global warming was scary.. it's normal here. I hope you are all well bk home. It's going to start getting cold so rug up. You guys get an ANZAC Day public holiday.. that sucks.. what happened to mine? Maybe I should take the day off and tell them it's important for my cultural identity? haha.
Saturday, April 12, 2008 ; 8:39 PMY
Have been struggling a bit here... the weather... the isolation.. and the boredom. I can't just give Mike a call then pop over to his house, can't give Tina a call and say let's bum, can't give Jean a call and go shopping, can't give Kazza a call and have a coffee, can't give Kim a call and have a laugh... aaah~ it's killing me!!! I am missing home.. lots~
Found this randomly.. totally forgot about it!!! It did put a smile to my face though.. thanks Jeff-foooo for the effort^^ Emirates plane and UNSW logo... love it! <3
