...A symbol of my love. She is very excited about it, she does silly things like staring at it all day long. I tease her that it shine even in the dark, so we turn the light off.

I want to see you smile now and forever.

...Sudden visit to Vietnam because of her grandmother death.

It my first visit in 18 years - they say when you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that's the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there's a breeze. The river is beautiful.

I have good connections here, and will be looking forward to grow business opportunity.

The greatest highlight of my trip is finally get to visit the ansestor's grave.

...One of these days I'm going back to riding motorbike. On my To-Have list is the Honda Hornet.

...I havent blog much lately because I dont have many adventure to tell. Day after day, it just work, work and organise for the wedding.

Oh, and study too.

I got a pay rise package of $10,000. Taking my gross salary to $85,000 (+9% super) somehow it's still now enough - I'm in the rat race once again.

I still genuienly believe that I should earn more for the kind of work that I'm doing. I want to market myself to my current client, Woolworths Limited, to make myself valuable. Perhaps one day I aim to contract for them.

...We wanted to sell my townhouse and buy a bigger house. I'm in a battle to sell my townhouse in Cabramatta to purchase a decent house to live in the the rest of our lives. But mum and dad wont approve of it. Sugguesting that we should keep the townhouse for afew years.

The down side with that is we waste the money paying on the mortgage towards the townhouse, while it can be use to contributes to our new house?

We have not found the perfect house yet, most of the ones we saw all have small bedrooms and not much vacant land. We are hunting in the 2166 postcode area, closer to shops and the Vietnamese community.

In the near future, I want Anh Thu's parents to live with us.

...There's a saying in Vietnamese - "Doi nguoi co hai cai suong" (there are two happiness in a person lifetime). Once when you are married, and another when your wife die.

...I have made the decision to keep my work-related thoughts separate from my personal experiences.

WordPress 2.2.2 was the engine of choice because it capabilities for Blog-by-Email.

...Scarface is a recommended DVD. I love a movie where the villain play a hero and then died at the end.

Amongst my favourites DVDs are:

• Sincity (2005)
• 300 (2006)
• Bangkok Dangerous (2002)
• Cyclo (1995)
• Buffalo Boy (2006)
• The Sent of Green Papaya (1992)
• Three Seasons (1999)
• The Emperor's Shadow (1998)
• Dog Bite Dog (2006)
• The Rage In Placid Lake (2004)
• Face Off (1997)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)

...I want to channel my investments into this supply chain solution business plan. But first I want to hear the opinions from my business-driven friends.

...First Consulting Group, who's parent company is in the U.S., is the first company in Vietnam to be awarded with the highest standard in software development.

Software engineering has been far more established than integration, there is lack ISO standard for integration space, the nearest sibilings is ISO 18876.

What I do at work will contribute to this the integration starndards movement.

...webMethods set me up to a 4-stars accommodation. News today that webMethods has been acquires by Software AG.

Ghost 8 gave fantastic bj.

...Weekend in Barossa Valley for the annual wine festival.

...While talk with the parents over the weekend they came up with a great idea. Knowing that we wanted to buy a duplex before or after the wedding, my parents wanted us to build a duplex on my brother's land instead, 106 The Avenue, Canley Vale. For me it's all good, have a granny flat for my parents to live in, they can travel all year round as they dont have any financial commitments. Her parent can stay with me if they want to settle down in Australia.

Before any construction can commerce, there are ground rules need to be laid out. Such as my parents dont have any say in my family matter, dont have key to access the house. If they can agree on this, only then that she is happy to accept this offer.

...I got a high bidder for my motorbike, a Filipino on his L (Learner Class).

...I get good thrill out of challenging against the Australian legal system. 1 out of 10 times I get my infringement notice dismissed and my fine refunded. Sweeet...

...I worship the Corporation, the new religion. At home I worship the missus.

Integration Specialist/Consultant - In short, I'm a driver for best practices, standards and integration business processes for enterprise, global companies and Government agencies who are implementing integration projects. Like an engineer builing bridges between two or more landmarks, but in a business context.

I get paid to untangle the web of business processes and optimise business workflow performance. Sometimes exposing certain people to redundancy during the process.

Fellow friends-who-works-for-Government-agency, be prepare to become redundant! On the bright side, if you're good at what you do then you probably be transfer to a more challenging department. You'll be safe there until the next wave of technology.

It had started - post Sept 11, the Health Inssurance Commission (now Medicare Australia), NSW Police, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, along with many other Government agencies are in the process of integrating their information systems. Welcome to the New World Order, the National ID Card.

Be prepare to be tag, monitor, and probe. Don't worry, it's painless.

The first generation of this technology (RFID) is being used in PayPass.

...Chuc Mung Nam Moi! - here is a good article by Huu Ngoc and Barbrar Cohen, about the Vietnamese myths and practices for Tet.

...Listening to the first of three lecture in honour of the late Rick Farley, presented by a renowned Austrailan thinker, Professor Ian Lowe - podcast

Very inspiring thoughts about the future of renewal energy - This lead me to read the United Nations Millenium Report.

...I fear that she will not be a good hostress towards all my friends, because she study them in fine details. Where as I'm more liberal.

Maybe its for a good reason - she got what I lack.

I need her to balance my life.

...Tuning up my bike, its been rusting in the garage since the day I went to Melbourne on assignment. I'm going to sell BettyBlue - another piece of my former lifestyle.

The money will secure her trip to Vietnam and the wedding dresses.

...Feels like I'm doing a million things today - the bank loan, department of immigration, motorbike rego, work, follow up calls, paybills, etc.

...I'm back in Sydney working from home in February, for me going home is a holiday.

We talked, she has the same ambition as me about growing our own businesses. Her goals is to retire at $2M.

Mum is 54, and already she start losing her memory, she keeps asking the same question and forgetting the things she placed around the house such as the house keys.

...I'm under stress from wedding plan, work, study, financial, travelling. I don't have anytime for myself anymore.

I spent longer hours at work because the apartment is always empty.

...I hardly call my parents when I'm away from home, I waited for them to call me or for her to remind me. So when I actually call them I make them and myself feel happy. I do love my parents, I just have many things on my mind right now.

...I'm looking for a second job, because I wanted to buy her a big ring she wanted for our wedding.

...The day I met her is the day I choose to disconnect from all my friends and begin the proper lifestyle.

These days the boys call me out and I have to turn way, she ban me from smoking, drugs, girls and alcohol. It's for my own good, I dont like her control freak attitute.

...It would be great if she could come with me through all my adventures and project travelling cities to cities. I earn enough to support her, if she wants extra money I'm happy for her to babysit. Afterall she has a childcare diploma. She refused.

It pissed me off everytime people are better than her because that's the way things are. I hate it when she doesn't try.

...2007 a new milestone, alot will happen this year.

Study: I will enrol to online subjects to get the credit points needed to graduate. The parents been bugging me to complete my bachelor degree.

Love: I will marry her.

Work: Working because I enjoy the challenges this career give me, but the travelling demand too much of my time and effort. Everyday I deal with the mixed of extremely talented people and spastic corporate sluts. In the coming assignment I will be involve in collaborative SOA development of our company's Enterprise Service Platform using Oracle Fusion technology (release in 2008), I will be working with a team from the UK and a team from a banking corporation, 3rd largest bank in Australia. They give me a window view.

Business: Continuing support to the existing client base, steadily growing mature with the client's strategy.

Money: I will let her manage all my financial affairs and the investment of assets, she's better at it than I am.

Holidays: I still enjoy the weekend getaway and the sand between my crack toes.

...My in-laws are Buddhist. So I took them to visit all the major temples in New South Wales.