The Point, Albert Park for steak

It's time for some tummy rumbling.

Thunderstorm was forecasted for that day so everyone rushed back from the city and we went to the city in the name of steak.

The place was the highly anticipated The Point at Albert Park. This came highly recommended by a few friends who tried it once using the Entertainment Book and proceeded to return again and again and again.

It is like Chez Olivier in my circle.

Starters as always is bread - plain, olive or wholemeal?

Complimentary entree, pumpkin mousse and salmon-wafer-thing. I loved the pumpkin mousse but was talking too much that they collected the salmon-wafer-thing before I could taste. Of course, I acted gracious like I didn't care.

Entree of Poached veal, tuna and anchovy cream, grissini rubata and black garlic vinaigrette.

350 gram pasture fed Cape Grim Scotch fillet, field mushrooms, creamed potato, baby carrots and The Point butter - the creamed potato was the most memorable part of the dish and the butter on steak, perfect combination never thought of.

250 gram grain fed Cape Valley Eye fillet with red wine sauce, Roasted bone marrow, with a side of heirloom carrots glazed with honey - Ray finished almost 10 baby carrots on his own. It was devilish, infused with rhubarb (I think).

Then the storm was over and we were full.

But writing this now, I fell hungry at 12.05 am. I see a storm coming to my waistline.

The good things which are all around us

I could pretend like nothing's wrong and write a post about the beautiful steak I had the other day.

But then I would not be pouring my heart out. If this blog acts as a release to me, then that would an escape.

Again, this year is wrapping up - have you had the chance to look back? Do you like what you see?

The majority of us would probably pick at the negativities first - gained 5 kgs, house broken in, fights with mum, failed interviews, non-existent savings - and yes, quite a few of those were drawn from personal experience!

And then what do you do? Sigh and proceed to mourn at our ill fate, lack of luck, incapabilities, laziness with the conclusion being, "I am just as bad as I was last year", and then move on with life oh life.

Now wait.

Did we miss something here?

Okay, we were looking back on life and counted the bad things and then we. . . . stopped.

See, we forget to look at the good things which happened. (Note: we see the bad ones everywhere whether we like it or not but we have to look for the good ones, because we are just blind like that sometimes)

What good things you ask? Like - the $20 lottery? The dog stopped barking at night? Mr Boyfriend surprised you with a little teddy? Mr and Mrs Parents are waiting for you at home? The road trip to Lakes Entrance, and it rained? Friends getting married?

Meh. Those are small stuffs and some of them happen all the time anyway, like parents waiting to nag me back home. Oh, and the $20 lottery win was enough for 10% of an Alannah Hill coat. Friends are getting married, not me, oh wait yikes, did I just make it sound like I want to? Lakes Entrance is like just 4 hours away, barely a trip.

The truth is, by thinking of the good things which happened in life as small and to happen all the time; we fail to apppreciate.

Tsk, if these are considered small stuffs, then how big could the bad stuffs have been? Like the positive weight gain and negative bank savings?

So take a moment to ponder.

All those times you thought the world was ending, did you feel thankful when things turned around or did you feel so victimised in the hands of fate that you still don't realise things have turned around?

All the tears you cried due to a broken heart, did you feel happy knowing that you have friends who would stick up for you or did you continue lamenting about loneliness in singledom?

All the extra weight you gained from snacking during revision week for exam, did you feel glad knowing that you passed your exams or did you start hating chocolates and exams just cause you only see the weight gain as your only achievement?

All the failed interviews or the worse-still non-respondent job applications, did you give yourself a pat at the back for your determination and the interview skills gained or did you just give yourself hell by thinking you are not good enough and no one would ever hire you (which you know is not true anyway)?

If you answered no to all those above, then you must be in a very negative environment and have gone through a very tough year with many days you thought you would never live through.

True?

If that is so, congratulate yourself now.

Well, it seems like you made it through all that and the mere fact that you are reading this right now shows that you have made it this far.

Did you overlook this? :)

Tears

Have you ever felt like crying?

No reasons. No causes. No dentists involved.

Just wanting to cry.

Tears are merely water from the body. But boy, does it feel like it is much more than that.

How do frustration/sadness/angst/disappointment/stress get released with tears?

All these emotions bottled up inside of us, how do they feel so bound - almost physically - to these tiny drops of water?

Pearl Cafe, Richmond

I am all for the cereal+soy milk combo. Easy-as-bam and tasty-as-damn. It is like caffeine to my weekdays. Of course except for when there is kon lo mee, har mee etc available. Ahem.

But a girl's gotta be adventurous and venture outwards. Afterall, why give up a forest for a tree, eh?

So off we went to a new breakfast place.

Our destination was Pearl Cafe, 599 Church Street, Richmond. Pearl Cafe is the brainchild of Pearl Restaurant + Bar, its more upper-end AGFG counterpart, which is located just metres away. Pearl Cafe offers a more casual atmosphere but an equally creative menu.

I am a chocolate person. Period.

So if I order a hot chocolate and you give me three items, I will be over the moon. Especially, when one of them is chocolate chips! Oh the milk was a bummer but I am sure there are wiser people out there who actually appreciates milk.

Love the presentation although it began to take too much space towards the end.

I was watching my diet and wanted to get something light.

So I ordered chocolate french toast with maple syrup. ahhh.

WenJi ordered coddled eggs (a different version of poached eggs?) with mushromms and tomato (I think). Since all the breakfast came with coddled eggs it did not appeal to me much. I have a phobia towards egg yolks.

The food was not disappointing. The flavours play in your mouth and there is a lot of little treasures to look forward to in their dishes. I guess the most exciting part was waiting for the dishes to come out, not knowing how it would be presented :)

I say, give it a go on a slow Saturday morning while catching up with friends.

Love/Hate relationship with cleaning

After a long hiatus, I shall talk about a new love-hate relationship I have developed towards - house cleaning.

Love - the sparkly clean, no germs results.
Hate - the dust, the mold, the grit, the yuckiness.

For example, looking at the bathroom sink.

Hate - the brown, slimy grit around the edges.
Love - killing every single debris of it and flushing it down the neverland (toilet).

Looking at the white fur on the floor (everyday cycle).

Hate - Shiro (just joking!)
Love - sucking every bit of the fur which are begging for freedom into the prison of vacuum.

Looking at the dust on various surface.

Hate - the feeling of not being able to rid it from my body.
Love - squeezing the poor fellas outta the yellow cloth and into neverland again (toilet).

Looking at the splatters across the stove.

Hate - the greasiness and the shrivelled small chunks of food.
Love - getting rid of all these contaminations and making a mirror outta the stove.

Ahhh. Saturday just seemed more beautiful.

Hate - the hours lugging around in yellow gloves and greasy hair.
Love - feeling productive and home-y after it all ends!

Okay I am too tempted to say this although it might defeat the whole purpose of my post:

Hate - Doing it myself.
Love - Having someone else to do it for me!

Why would you...?

My aunty asked me this the other day:

Do you enjoy your life this way - waking up thinking you are late, rushing off to work, coming back home after more than 8 hours to a quiet house, thinking hard what to cook for dinner before mashing up just anything you have in your fridge, surfing the internet without speaking a word, crashing into bed - everyday?

Why won't you want to return home instead - waking up to some warm breafast, going to work in a car pool with family or friends, coming back home after home-cooked dinner and the chattering of family, spending the remainder of the night watching TV and chatting, going to sleep feeling safe and sound - everyday.

Yeah, I know the first scenario sounds sucky - it feels as if the time you spent chasing after eventually became time which passed you by.

And yeah, sure the second scenario sounds good, actually beyond good - perfect. To have family around you all the time, to be well taken care of, to be burdened with less worries. But then again, is it really what you want?

Everyone wants different things.

While family is very important to me and the thought of spending so little time with them breaks my heart, I feel happy to be here doing what I am doing now.

Sure, it sounds a bit sad, a bit empty and maybe even pointless?

But can you understand when I say that I feel happy?
Maybe it is the sense of thrill from chasing your dreams and seeing how far you can go on your own. Maybe it is the sense of achievement from being independent and trying to build a life on your own.

Maybe it is just me. Or maybe this is you, too.

I do realise the days pass me by and I talk a lot more over electronic devices than in person.

I do realise my dinners could be better prepared and I should be sleeping more.

So, why am I doing this?

I don't have a clever answer - it is just because I feel happy right here right now.

Instant-pic!

Soft furry cushion courtesy of nature.

The legacy shall live

You know what.

I can feel my blog dying - a bit. And I am frantic!

What is wrong with me you ask? Since no one really reads or comments or drops by this lonely piece of cyber space.

Well it is because I once had a very ambitious dream.

Being pretty sure that the internet would outlive me, I decided to cement my existence through this blog - for years and years to come.

I want my grandchildren or even great-grandchildren to be able to read about my experiences in life - the good, the bad, the ugly, the fat and the bikini-fit (in the near future).

The very first day I started this blog, I thought about recording the journey of my pregnancy.

The very first day I arrived Australia, I thought about noting my adventures in finding a new love.

The very first time I planned my own trip to Adelaide, I thought about detailing every footstep of mine in my future travel plans.

So how can I let this legacy wither off like that!?

Short & sweet escape

Now that I am recovering from my homesickness, I am ready to reminisce on the root of my homesickness.

It is a comfort to know that there are some things in life which don't change - family.

Like how YiMa still can sleep just anywhere, anytime.

Like how Grandma's appetite is still impressive.

Like how Grandma still is the lady boss.

Like how Grandma is as fashion savvy as ever.

Like how Grandma also can sleep anywhere, anytime.

And especially how Grandma LOVES chocolates.

The presence of family puts a hint of specialty in everything

The slice of blueberry heaven from Lindt Cafe.

The anticipation to meet someone you've been thinking of.

Even the city of Melbourne seems sunnier :)

Being reunited with your family especially on a holiday together really makes life seem like a beach.

We spent a good week in Brisbane, moving around Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

Picture here taken at Noosa National Park.

Some highlights from my relaxing stay in Brisbane :-

Like finally being able to catch up with one of my besties again and to see him slimmed down~

To sleep facing this wall every night for a week :)

To share a sashimi platter with Yima who doesn't eat ikura and Grandma who doesn't eat sashimi muahaha.

The rich and creamy cheese fondue with bread.

The birthday surprise for two very special people.

And of course there is finally being able to spend time with Mr Tan.

Cheesy grins in cars we never get tired of.

Lazy mornings breakfasts.

A stroll along the beach.

Finally of course lots and lots of camera action with my loved ones.

Ok darn, I am getting homesick again.

Homesick

I am extremely homesick. Today is so grey both as in the weather and the grey areas in life.

Why can't we have everything in life?

Forging your own life in a foreign land vs. being with your family back at home
Building your career vs. building your own family

Two of the many things in life we have to choose one or the other.

I love my life here in Melbourne:
the city, the people, the hot chocolates, the university memories, the culture, the fashion, the Shiro, the tram rides, the crazy weather.

I feel like I am building something here:
my relationship, my circle of friends, my career, my personality, my outlook in life.

However, at the same time - especially this moment when homesickness strikes - I wonder if it is all worth it (oh, my grandma just called :< ):

Time spent away from family, missing the little moments, physical absence.

You might say that keeping in touch through phone, Skype or MSN helps a lot. But, to me, the sense of touch - makes a big difference.

I talk to Ray at least for half an hour every day when he is away for work - we have laughed, fought, gossiped, cried over the phone - but nothing beats the very first moment I see him in person again every time he returns.

As much as technology helps us stay connected, the strongest connection is when there are no wires, internet or satellites involved.

Here I am feeling homesick - pondering whether it is all worth it - knowing being here is what I want - wondering if there is ever a way to get everything I desire.

Occupied

I have had no inspiration to blog lately. This used to be my rant place where I note down everything that made me happy, sad, angry, confused, scared - a place for emotions to be captured much like how photographs capture memories.

But lately, I think I have lost this part of me - the energy to rant.

Well, I still do. Mostly to Mr Tan. The difference is, after that I don't note it down here.

What is wrong with me?
I used to to so love writing. I looked forward to writing.

Maybe I have found another emotional/memory vault.

Or maybe, the answer is just as simple as I have been too busy to write. Which makes me think, who can ever be too busy to do something they enjoy? (After all, this is one of the things I don't believe in - being too busy is always just an excuse in my eyes)

I should start to re-evaluate my life and see what has kept me so occupied.

Sugar sugar

I was wondering today. Well I have been wondering for most of my life - if I could ever be swimsuit model-fit.

It seems so hard yet the fundamentals are so simple:

Avoid sugar and anything sweet.


Eat only when hunger strikes.

Fill up on fresh vegetables and fruits.

Avoid processed food especially those deep fried. Drink more water and less sweet drinks.

And of course, exercise regularly.

See, the basics are all here in my mind and the goal has been set in my heart forever.

But what is making all this so hard?

My wandering gourmet eye, fluttering foodie heart, adventurous taste buds and tireless sugar rush - these are the problems.

So hereinafter, I am gonna try to remodel my diet.

I love sugar but we can go on a long distance relationship :

And to up my exercise regime . . . what, the gym? Nah, just more shopping :)

Such life is hard.

Power Lo is back

I managed to keep it quite discreet but I have been quite under the weather for the past week (haha).

So to prove that I am back to my former indestructible self, let me remind myself just how indestructible I am.

By showing you the buffet-competition Ray and I had the other week. And we are planning to make this a monthly affair. Ahem.

Contestant #1 - Cheesy Tan


Contestant #2 - Power Lo

Okay, wait, that wasn't exactly the picture to exemplify my power or aura. . . .

Take two:

Contestant #2 - POWER LO (Caps somemore see)


We went to the buffet at Melba Restaurant, Langham Hotel following rave reviews from friends. I starved myself the whole of Friday . . . .but in the end we failed to book on that night. We actually went on Saturday night when I did not starve myself during the day for.

Armed with the love of food and our beloved Entertainment Card, off we strutted to the glam Langham Hotel is loose clothes.

Below are the food we gobbled up between the hours of 7-9.30 pm :)

All sorts of appetizers from wakame to salami to pickles to salad to smoked salmon to weird unidentified rice-things.

Sashimi platter which made Cheesy Tan's kiasu-ness light up.

Selection of warm food ranging from roast pumpkin to fish to Indian dishes.

Peking duck and little dim sums.

Cauliflower cream soup with breadsticks, croutons and rye bread. Oh and fruits as deco.

Selection of fresh seafood -yabbies, prawns, oysters, crabs!

Dessert time: Ice-cream with amateur decorations :P

Pear and butter pudding, chocolate fondue with hundreds and thousands and fruits

HEAVEN.

Rice pudding :)

Was I defeated in the end? Nah. I could still go for a round of McD McFlurry's but Cheesy Tan was outta shape so. . . . we called it a night. I was. . . alright although only my feet remained the same size when stepping outta Melba :P