hikari*

To be writing

2011-03-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging for a long time now. Where is the blogging bug? I used to like putting together posts with pictures, travel experiences or just downright snappy stuffs in this little space I call my own. Not that my life is now less interesting or that I don't like talking anymore (esp the latter), but somehow I just forget to re-visit my fondness of writing. Or maybe, there is too much happening in my life and playing in my mind right now, I just can't find the words to describe and the way to convey my feelings. I strive to continue writing. It is a very effective emotional outlet for me. Helps me to say what I find difficult through speech. Helps me figure out what is going through in my mind. Helps me capture the different thoughts I had as I progress through life. Let's hope for the best now :)

The picture

2011-03-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

I am at a very exciting phase in life right now.

Sometimes exhilirating.

Sometimes daunting.

A little bit confusing

A little bit scary.

Extremely exciting.

Extremely gratifying.

The truth is sometimes a picture really does paint a thousand, no million words.

Can you see me beaming in joy?

Taipei #3

2011-02-27T02:03:00.000-08:00

Third day in Taipei meant more food. I found this place called Brother Hotel, which was right outside the Nanjing E. Road Station, for great Dim Sum!

Everyday is a hungry day in Taipei.

Now that's the perfect description of 'hungry'.

I especially loved the Prawn Steamed Dumplings, Har Gau! The prawns were really crunchy and the skin of the dumpling not too thick.

The other standards were all really good but the standouts would be the DESSERTS!

This was my Mum's order and I generally avoid white liquid - milk, coconut milk - brrrr.

My love was the almond tofu/jelly. It was the perfect ending for the breakfast. At the end of an oily deep-fried and meat filled meal - a refreshing, light dessert.

Time to head to the Jade and Flower Market.

The Jade Market was exactly what I expected it to be - full of jade pieces big and small and of all colours - which I have no idea how to appreciate other than for aesthetic values!

Some of the prices can be really terrifying. But if you don't have a strong interest or knowledge on jade, then I would say make this a short trip or skip this altogether.

For the ladies just dropped by for 10 minutes and headed to Taipei 101 ~ which was quite an amazing sight.

Being close to Christmas, there were Xmas Trees of all sorts all around the Taipei 101 mall :) It felt so jolly~

The Hermes Tree.

The Swarovski Tree.

The 'Tiffany' Tree - okay, I think it is, or at least it should have been!

Oh and one more tree!

We flew over to SOGO for some serious shopping - I mean, enough tourist-y stuff already, right!?

After 4 hours of 'memory blank' (not sure what we did, lotsa skincare . . . persuasive sales people. . . samples. . . money. . credit card. . ?), I got to Din Tai Fung - one of the most popular restaurants worldwide for xiao long bao (They even have several branches in Malaysia) - and one I was highly anticipating!

We ordered the Chinese Wine Chicken (cold) which was freaking amazing. No words to describe. Just delish!

We ordered two different kinds of xiao long baos - pork, and pork and crabmeat.

Best I have ever had. The skin did not break when we picked up the delicate buns (we even experimented with a few violent shakes!) and when you bite in, warm-rich broth comes out. . . .drool.

I prefered the pork and crabmeat one while my sister the pork one. But both the aunties liked both! So go for all of them, I say!

Another dish to order for sure - the hot and sour soup. I really really loved it. The flavour, the texture - just right.

For dessert, the Eight Treasure Rice. We ordered this initially thinking it would be the traditional savoury type. But when this colourful version came, we were all .....speechless. Even so, it was quite special.

But the winner is the Red Bean Dumpling - absolute heaven~~~~ Please order this, believe me?

Oh remember the 'memory blank'? I think it had something to do with SOGO. . . .

The night ended with instant noodles while watching Kang Xi Lai Le on TV. Bliss. Tummy.

Taipei #2.1

2011-02-17T02:40:00.000-08:00

This is a continuation of our Day 2 in Taipei. There is a need to break this day into two posts because the latter consists of us going to Hwaxi Night Market. So that means many pictures of food - the good, the bad and the strange!

Hwaxi Night Market is located just walking distance away from the Long Shan Temple and Long Sharn MRT Station. We decided to start with this night market and not the more popular Shihlin Night Market since it was just a station away from XiMen, where we stayed.

Long Shan Temple, meaning Dragon Hill Temple, is a really lively place even at night. I was very appreciative of the merriness over there and the temple was quite a sight. I have never been to a temple at night, so that adds to the fascination.

The lively crowd.

But we were too anxious to get our tummies filled and the sight of the lights from Hwaxi was too tempting for these hungry souls.

Hwaxi is literally a street filled with stalls selling all kinds of food. It was like a wondrous world of food. Everything made us either go "Oooooh!", "Wahhhh!", "Eeeeehhhh?", or "Yerrrrr!!!!".

I loved this jelly+mochi mutant thing. It was bouncy but also slippery. . . okay not a good way to sell it :-/

Skewers seem to be really popular over there. But they are not just chicken or pork or fishballs, you see. Try hearts, livers, feet, ears . . . .of very different creatures.

Of course, not for the faint hearted like me. Look, my sister's face is GLOWING!

This stall, you choose what you want, then they just chop them up for you. And frankly, I can't tell half of what they have on display!

Just the duck head, I could tell.

My verdict: Not brave enough.

Dogs in Taiwan are unbelievable. I have never seen a dog on leash before and that was on a busy street. The dogs would just follow their owners! I should have gotten a Taiwanese Spitz. Seen here, little doggies traveling in a plastic bag :)

Stinky tofu in Taiwan is not stinky enough - that's what I thought as one who doesn't like them. Stinky tofu is not strong enough in flavour - that's what my sis thought as one serious devotee to them. But they do look really tasty.

I wanted to buy these back cause they smelled sooooo good!

I loved fruits in Taiwan. They always look so huge and juicy! And not in an artificial way :)

The red ones (don't know what they are called) were seriously sweet and we ended up buying more from another place the day after!

This is called, Wok Fried Bun (I think?), which according to reliable sources are a must-try in Taiwan. What I think of it? Don't know. I didn't get a bite at all - the others gobbled it up too quickly......

Look at those sausages! Like a bunch of bananas!

You even see game arcades :)

I am an avid fan of Takoyaki so I could not resist standing in line for this. But it was a bit disappointing. Guess I'll just have to save up for Takoyaki Museum in Osaka!

Avocado milk shake was the bomb.

Again, more skewers!

And if you look closer, they are not things you are familiar with.

I loved wild boar sausages. It was a novelty when I first found it. But a staple towards the next few days :)

I forgot what this is. But I love the sight of something boiling, especially huge chunks of meat.

I was so fascinated by this gold fish game! Why? Cause I used to see it only in Sailormoon! It is actually existent!

Huge amounts of pickles. My dad would have been too happy if he saw this!

You know what?

I really loved my avocado milk shake - so it deserves another picture.

I still have trouble figuring this out - are those squids or pig ears? They look too much like what I give to Shiro!

Roasted peanuts :)

One of the highlights of my trip. I definitely recommend Hwaxi Night Market to people who are into street eats and exotic food.

Taipei #2

2011-02-15T01:14:00.000-08:00

Second day of Taiwan saw my Sister and I waking up early to conquer the next convenience store within 100 metres away while my Yima and Mum were glued to the TV.

Please don't mind the scarf, it was not cold at all :P

My sis meeting her one true love . . . on potato chips.

The first FOOD stop was KFC. All because we know they serve egg tarts there - KFC egg tarts. They were heavenly. I particularly loved the caramel ones - it was ooey-gooey yumminess!

One little shop I really adored was Sophisca. From the linnocent looking sheep to the naughty-naughty goods they offer inside.

Soft marshmallow boobssssss.

Message chocolates - build you own personal message using chocolates:)

Anyone need pads?

Plaster-shaped chocolates. And someone asked me if they were actually chocolate-flavoured plasters - funny! Why would you need plasters with flavours?!

Being women, we contribute to the economy of all industries!

Oh and who could forget the star product . . . . . Condom-shaped chocolates - not the other way around!

Onto the second FOOD stop, the almight Mister Donut. Don't let its cute little face fool you, this donut is packed with deliciousness!

The vast selection of sweet looking donuts really makes one drool...

What is so special about Mister Donut is, the donuts are mochi-mochi/chewy and they are not at all sweet. Packed with flavour but not overbearingly sweet. That was what gave me the motivation to pack a bunch back to Malaysia (an operation which failed to materialise and for which I regret till today).

And then Operation Show Luo began. Sister was adamant about going to Luo Zhi Xiang/ Xiao Zhu's shop after their fateful meeting on the cover of potato chips in the morning. Unfortunately the address I had was an old one. My sister was too Chinese-incapable to ask for directions and same case for me sigh.

So we sent two middle-aged aunties to do the asking. Which they subsequently admitted to being a bit embarassing for being seen as 50+ year old fans of a 'Little Pig'. Muaha.

But hey, we got to the shop and that's all that matters, right?

Third FOOD stop by 12 pm only. . . the Modern Toilet restaurant.

Being extremely loyal to their theme, the furnishing, menu and food portray everything and anything out of a toilet.

The menu excited Mum a lot, but not so much for those of us who can't read Chinese :(

I must say the food was not amazing, just passable. But you must give credit to their creativity and portion size.

To be finished off with a pile of fresh sundae mmmm-mmmm.

Not a food experience but a genuinely fun experience not to be missed.

Are you thinking the day ended here? You are wrong. I just had to split this very day into two posts because . . . we proceeded to the Hwaxi Night Market and there are too many food pictures!

From home to home

2011-02-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

Having just touched down after a trip filled with emotions, family, friends and food.

The moment my plane was near enough to see my hometown's airport only then did it dawn upon me that it has really been 4 years since I have stepped foot in the small town I grew up in.

The roads have all changed.

The buildings all look different.

The potholes have grown bigger.

The restaurants have multiplied.

However some things remain the same - golden.

The fashion is still the same.

The food is ever so delicious.

Most importantly, the feeling is still home.

The familiar faces, my grandmother's house . . . I think I am missing home now.

Loss of...

2011-01-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

I don't deal well with losses.

It makes me feel empty and helpless.

I have dealt with only one direct loss of a loved one up until now (and about to deal with another one soon).

The former was a big shock. The latter, I have been calm so far, acceptive and appreciative - so far.

After all, sometimes you don't know until it is right in front of you.

As I sit here in Starbucks, waiting for the hours to go by until my next flight back to my hometown which I have not stepped foot on for 4 years, I can't help but feel aimless.

I am thinking of ways to burn time when time is usually such a valuable asset and always insufficient in my Melbourne days.

I don't even know what I want to say now.

I guess I'll just continue watching the shadows of strangers pass by me.

Taiwan Report #1

2011-01-20T23:39:00.000-08:00

Woopsie daisy it's been a month since my Taiwan trip. This trip was special. Four ladies, two pairs of sisters, a million cosmetics towed in the luggage.

Sisters #1
Both into Chopper-kun - extremely young (in behaviour & in heart, respectively).

Both bananas in Taiwan - we can speak and fight (verbally and physically) in Chinese but no can read or write la...

Sisters #2 - they bond through shopping, sunglasses, haircuts and food.

Our first destination was Danshui, a small harbour town north of Taipei. The weather did not disappointed, it was bright and sunny, the sky was clear blue - what more could we ask for especially when the weather forecast was supposed to be rain and gloom!

According to friends, you go Danshui mainly for the food and scenery - not much shopping. This was obviously quickly dispelled looking at the previous picture. With superpowers like The Chin Family, you can shop anywhere - guaranteed!

There are lotsa small eats in Danshui from sweet to savoury, common to weird - but oh so very intriguing.

So we chomped.

Smelly tofu, deep fried soft shelled crabs+mini lobsters+fish somethings, waffles, soft serve ice creams, sotong bakar, potato twists, glazed sweet potatoes, etc.

After spending half a day and lugging an excess of 5 kgs of harvest back to our hotel, the ladies decided they are too tired and full - so we should rest in the hotel for a while - so we emerged 1 hour later to Xi Men - to eat and shop again lor.

YiMa brought us to this "very very good" restaurant in Xi Men for cold goose meat, blood pudding and stir-fried bamboo shoots. It was pretty damn good seriously. Located just along the main highway near XiMen station, this cannot be missed!

I was told, "Look out for the frog for pearl tea!" So I looked out for the frog! Ta-da: Yup it was heaven. So much so that, I felt disatisfied with my pearl milk tea today from the city. I want my frog.

You know when you travel, you drink less, eat less fruits.

And you know in Taiwan, you see more quirky products, beauty products, health and fitness promises everywhere.

This was one which cheated my sister for 5 days. She was devastated.

Snapshots of appreciation

2011-01-20T02:18:00.000-08:00

Today I feel like writing - about the various snapshots going through my mind right now.

Three of the most important females in my life in a family dominated by females - that says a lot. It amazes me how we never run out of things to talk, laugh, tease, gossip, fight about.

Another birthday celebrated with love and happy surprises, another year younger and wiser, another yummy cake. What is special this year though is, my dad ordered this cake for me and invited lotsa his friends to my party - just like the good old days back when I was 12.

My family - complete, happy, lively and close - well done to us!

My baby Shiro celebrating his first birthday. Despite his naughty and stubborn nature, I can't be more touched and proud of his every achievement and milestones.

A few too many memorable getaways!

The sun on my skin in Brisbane.

Looking up at Taipei 101.

Watching sunrise at Uluru.

Receiving a lovely drop of glitter from Mr Tan to mark the end of the year and my birthday.

These are not snapshots of 2010. These are snapshots of appreciation.

That's right, I think I have been rushing - chasing after - whining - thinking too much in 2010 to spare a moment to stop - look - capture and most importantly, APPRECIATE.

Hence, my resolution for 2011 is nothing extraordinary like a bikini body or doubling my bank account, but just to learn to APPRECIATE and RELAX.

The Point, Albert Park for steak

2010-12-01T04:45:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-30T03:28:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-28T04:04:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-21T03:27:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

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...?

2010-11-03T04:32:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-11-02T06:20:00.000-07:00

Soft furry cushion courtesy of nature.

The legacy shall live

2010-11-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-22T03:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-18T02:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-03T03:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

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

Decluttering

2010-09-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

Tis the time for decluttering - throwing out the redundant, unnecessary and plain useless such as negativity, doubts, insecurities and regret.

Tis the time for replenishing - culturing the jolly, positive energy and smile-worthies such as faith, laughs, thankfulness and happiness.

Supposed to be vs. Wanting to be

2010-09-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

I hope to be stronger than this.

As I lament about my world becoming grey and the ground beneath me crumbling, I can't help but think that I should be stronger than this.

After all, there is nothing that cannot be solved in this world, right? Or at the very least, there should be nothing that cannot be solved in this world, right?

After all, isn't it a bit cruel to us mere humans if despite the effort, determination, persistence and faith from little beings like us, we are still destined to failing at what we set out to achieve?

Past incidences or experience might have proved me wrong, but I choose to believe in working hard, holding on, believing strongly and persisting incessantly till I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I truly believe so and I work very hard to remind myself so every day.

So, the mere thought that I should be stronger than this somehow reminds me of the positive self I once was not too long ago.

Becoming speechless but mindful

2010-09-16T04:19:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been feeling:-

down
in a slump
hopeless
demotivated
lost
out of energy
negative

For some reasons it feels so much harder to bounce back this time.

I searched high and low for that

spunk
confidence
positivity
glimmer of hope
joy
feeling alive

Even as I write this I feel no sense of direction. And without realising it I felt the need or want to make words float around this post.

No formatting.
No coherence.
No story.

Just
like
my
life
and
my
state
of
mind.

These days, I stare into the sky - mind wandering -

where am i heading to?
what am i working towards?
am i getting there?
when will i achieve what i set out to?
will i even get there?

And it doesnt help that the skies have been grey.

I look at others with eyes of:
admiration and a hint of envy.

I hear the stories of others with:
fascination and a hint of envy.

I am envious of so much in so many and guilty of feeling so.

I am tired of:

Persisting - Chasing - Reassuring myself - Motivating myself - Being hopeful - Being positive
Forcing a smile - Faking a smile - Holding my tears - Holding my fears

But what if I succumb to my frustration and this physical and mental exhaustion?

Will I feel better?
Will anything change at all?
Will I feel happier?

Maybe you will see me as someone who is not thankful for all that I have now, someone who thinks too highly of herself, someone who bites off more than she can chew, someone who is dramafy-ing her life.

And you know what, I might very well agree with you.

For I have high hopes for myself, achievements I want to attain, limits I want to push.

I believe you do too.

Why not?

2010-09-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

"But why would you do that?"

Have you ever had this thrown at you before?

I get this all the time. All because I am born a bit impractical, a little of a loose cannon and with very much faith in my intuition/feelings.

There is so much in this world to experience, but why would I do all the things I had done - be it a waste of time, effort, intellect or money?

"Why not?"

I know Pepsi Blue is equivalent to a dose of colouring chemical in addition to sugar and caffeine, oh and the calories. I know it looks like diluted washing detergent with suspicious gas.

But damn does it look cool and limited edition? Damn it sounds cool too. Yes, my health screams no but my palate and cool radar (I do have one) beg to differ. So balancing both out, my body in its entirety is at peace. Imagine if Pepsi decided to not produce Pepsi Blue again, in your lifetime, you would have not ever tasted Pepsi Blue just because you chose to give up that chance. It was right in front of you and it was $2.

The same goes for branded bags. You know, the huge price tags and luxurious shops. Makes you wanna scoff at this materialistic culture and ask why would anyone pay thousands of dollars for a bag when the money could be put to better use.

True - to a certain extent. How do you define "better use"? And would my perception of "better use" be the same as yours?

Honestly, if you could afford it, would you not buy a branded bag? Everyone has different priorities. Say, for me - at this point of time, my priorities are: 1) Family; 2) Savings; 3) Travel; 4) House; 5) Handbags (taking 4 elements as examples). So obviously, I would rather save up my money just in case my family needs help or for cheap airfares to wherever I have never been to and think about handbags last. All because, seeing the number in my bank account grow healthily makes me happy.

So for someone whose priorities are: 1) Fashion; 2) Savings; 3) House, how would having tons of savings but a wardrobe of KMart sales items make him/her happy?

Speaking about traveling - I see people foregoing their travel plans year after year because: 1) they wanna save up; 2) they can't leave their house for too long; 3) they are too busy working; 4) they have no time; and the list goes on.

Before they notice, 10 years would have passed and they would say, "Yeah, we really wanted to travel but we just never had the chance to."

Maybe, that is the truth to them.
But not to me - every single reasons up there - are mere excuses to me.

Expensive? Budget it and save towards it.
Cannot leave the house? A house is a commitment, but hello?
Busy working? Annual leave, Christmas break, Easter break, the many VIP birthdays' holidays in Malaysia.
No time? The sleeping in weekends, the many hours spent fighting with gf/bf, the yumcha-gossip sessions.

What I think is, if you really want to go travel and are willing to devote more time and effort in planning - you will go.

The world out there is so huge with so many countries, cultures, history, architecture, food, languages, oceans and experience to explore. Just being here at this very moment, don't you wanna go out and see the rest of the world?

There is so much you can give up on by thinking, "Why would I . . . ?"

As we age, we let rationale, logic, sensibility and responsibility bury the passionate, curious and spontaneous side of us. Even the desire of trying that $2.80 macaroon from the apperantly best macaroon store in Melbourne make you think, "Awww, but macaroons are usually just $2 and it really just is another kind of biscuit." Then you give up trying the macaroon just because of $ 0.80.

At the end of the day, not only do we forget about being adventurous or excited or passionate - ultimately we forget about how to make ourselves happy.

How I love my weekends

2010-08-28T01:01:00.001-07:00

What do most look forward to during the weekends?

For me:

* Food almighty *

Or maybe you can say eating out hehe. From pasta to yum cha to steak to bubble tea - weekends are the prefect excuse to reward ourselves with professionally prepared food.

Seafood risotto at Beachcomber.

Meat lover's pizza at Beachcomber.

Minestrone at Beachcomber - hah, so much for a healthier choice T.T

* Girl's day out *

Gourmet + gossip + girly giggles + gelati = and so much more! The perfect time to catch up and talk about everything under the sun without boys boys boys.

* Breakfast *

I love going out for a big breakfast or maybe muesli with vanilla yoghurt or even pancakes oozing with maply syrup mmm-mmm. What is so good about going out with a group of friends or just your partner for warm breakfast at a dainty cafe is - the endless time you spend chatting over a cup of hot chocolate as the world outside the cafe keep bustling.

*Mini road trips *

It is always something to look forward to even if it is just to a place 30 minutes away.

The time spent trapped in the car means you have no choice but to entertain each other - junk food? Singing together? Talking? Fighting over directions?

* Shiro time*

Pampering Shiro and making up for time we spent getting money and not giving love to Shiro during the weekdays.

* Dressing up *

when else do you get to wear straw hats and floral canvas shoes?

So how did you love your weekend?

Of all places to gain inspiration

2010-08-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

I had a long day of going to work in the rain, lugging 8 hours in the office, sneaking in lunch while at my desk, waited 2 hours too long for dinner, took the train reaching home at 11 p.m. totally knackered only to be struck with this thought:-

I want a body like Katy Perry's.

Woot, I'm all motivated and inspired again.

I don't usually emo

2010-08-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

I have been emo-ing the whole day.

I am never one to emo too much. Whenever I find myself down, slightly depressed or hopeless in anyway, I would go out of my way and make sure I pick myself up.

I just don't like to picture myself as someone who is constantly gloomy or worrysome. I want to radiate (or at least try to do so) positivity, energy and excitement.

I am saying that I try to, not that I do all the time.
But I guess you and I know that it is impossible to be a bright little ball of sunshine all the time.

The key here is to find and grow the energy in you, that very little drop sunshine.

Today - I was not sad nor depressed. I began to think and think and think.
Why did it take me sooooooo long to recover today?

It was emptiness.

To say goodbye early in the morning. Before a long solitary bus ride to work. Followed by a day of repetitive work. Coupled with images of the week before and sweet reminiscence. Ending in another long solitary bus ride home.

I was not sad or depressed.
I was just drifting away . . . .without much to look forward to. Not in terms of life, or say food or Chanel.

But, in terms of, a someone close to you where you find comfort in going home to everyday, solace after a harsh day at work, laughs in between conversations - just someone you know can make the day worth it no matter how bad it had been.

It saddens me a bit that I have to do all that through phone.
But at the same time I guess I should be thankful that at least we have our phones.

An empty house. A dark living room. A quiet hallway.

How I wish today was just like yesterday when I had the luxury of reaching out at arm's length to you but without the nagging tug in the heart of knowing that you would be going away again soon.

Renewing my vows to Shiro

2010-08-11T03:15:00.001-07:00

Today I am going to renew my vows to Shiro.

Over this year, our relationship has changed.

We started out in such a purely loving way. I could never wait to go home to see him and he would welcome me with his wagging tail and high-pitched puppy bark. I would teach him to sit and he would do everything for a small little bite of snack.

In between a lot happened. We moved together to a new place and started staying with new people - friends of mine but strangers to him.

One of his owners started working away from home most of the time. I got busier with work too.

Shiro was going through his teenaged years I think. Going through a cycle of being rebellious - being fascinated at new things - developing an adult bark - learning more things.

Our relationship was tried - stress - from our own lives, from circumstances, from others.

I grew cranky. I was stricter. I disciplined him hard.

Until a point when I just had to ask myself, "How did things turn out this way?"

He is my companion, not a watchdog.
He is my best friend, not a follow-dog.
I brought him into my family, I should give him love.

Be it to teach him, to discipline him - it should be out of love.
And not to meet others' expectations.

I know this might sound weird.

Quoted from a friend, "If you don't stand up for your dog, who will?"

I think I have lost myself for a while there and I have not been there for Shiro. Physically yes, but emotionally, no.

I lost track of my role in Shiro's life.
More over teaching him, leading him and taking care of him - to love him.

Here, I renew my vows and strive to build a stronger relationship with my dear Shiro.

Counting my thanks :)

2010-08-08T05:13:00.001-07:00

I was whinging on the phone for an hour so I think it is time for me to count my blessings instead.

Thank you to my parents for raising me from a seed and for being patient enough to watch me flourish. Has it not been for them, I would not be here at this moment - living, breathing, thinking, appreciating, working hard in a land faraway from home.

Thank you to my boyfriend for just being who he is - patient, giving, appreciative, trustworthy, reliable - just amazing. We fought just as hard as we laughed together. We made mistakes just as big as the lessons we learnt.

You know what I just realised it seems like a lot a patience is needed to deal with me sigh. And that there is just too much I have to be thankful for so to sum things up:

Thank you the million stars above for:
- sending me to a family so loving, supportive and closeknit.
- giving me such a good chance at education.
- arranging my meetings with a group of amazing friends.
- calculating so precisely for me to bump into such an extraordinary man.
- granting me an opportunity to build a new start in Aussie.
- giving me one shot at entering the commercialisation industry.
- meeting me with such an adorably mischievious Shiro.
- teaching me to never give up or let anything beat me down.
- granting me a healthy body although the abdominal part is slightly bulgy.

I can't believe I used up one hour of my precious time whinging over one issue in my life when there are so many other bigger things I could have been feeling thankful for.

Tax return = Travel itch

2010-08-06T17:36:00.001-07:00

Heeho.

I am planning a trip to Bali~

Hopefully it will materialise by the end of this year!

I found something I can really immerse myself into, like 100% in terms of time, effort and whatever else: planning holidays.

I have been frequenting tour agency websites, tourism pages, stalking friends and shouting out on Facebook. And I find joy in doing this (although the stalked friends might disagree).

Typing this in the midst of the gloominess and coldness that make Melbourne and after paying a freaking hefty energy bill makes the thought of a holiday under the sun oh-so-drool-worthy.

I am determined! After all tax return is making me feel rich . . .and generous. Something my loved ones should capitalise on while it lasts :X

Anyway, here is my ideal holiday:

1) A tropical island with the sun and sea at your beckon.
2) Good local food.
3) Lotsa culture and tradition to open our eyes to.
4) A villa fitting for a family of 5 or more with our own private pool.
5) A private tour guide to bring us around.

Okay, I know I am probably pushing it from point number 4 onwards.

My tax return suddenly looks a lot smaller, cis.

(Thanks to PKN and Jane for all the Bali tips~)

How?

2010-08-05T04:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to talk about lately.

Anything you want to know so that I can blog?

Reality vs. imaginary futures from the past

2010-07-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

I have always imagined my future ever since I was young.

Before I was 10, my imaginary future was like this:

I would be working in an office of 30 people in Sandakan where my colleagues would consist of mostly female in their twenties. We would go out for lunch together everyday and go shopping on Saturdays at Mile 4. Every night I would go home for dinner cooked by my Mum or even Grandma - there would be soup, 3 dishes and fruits. Tehn we would watch TVB together anad curse about the bad guy in the drama. I would get a boyfriend who works in another office and we would spend every Sunday together with my family eating kon lou min at Mile 4 again, before we go shopping or visit his family at Mile 4 again. Around age 26, we would discuss about getting married and we would. It would be a ceremony back in Sandakan and everyone would be invited. Then we would have two kids - a girl and a boy. And live happily ever after in Sandakan with annual holidays.

Then when I was in high school, my imaginary future was like this:

I would study in KL with my highschool sweet heart and meet people from all over Malaysia. We would endure the tough times of studying and graduating together. After graduating, we would get a job in KL or Singapore. Together we would save money for marriage and family. My family would migrate over to KL/Singapore depending on where I would be. My parents would stay with me after I get married. So every day after work I would go back to nicely prepared meals and freshly showered kids courtesy of my dear Mum. And live happily ever after in KL/Singapore with annual road trips around Malaysia.

Then when during my first year in Australia, my imaginary future was like:

I would get a boyfriend who is kind, dashing and gentleman. We would spend our days in Australia, walking under the sun, travelling around town - without a care of the world. I would go back to Malaysia after that to graduate and to work while he would remain in Australia to graduate and to work. We would be on LDR. I would work in a laboratory and go back to nicely prepared dinners by my Mum followed by strolls around pasar malam after dinner. Before sleep every night, I would call, Skype or MSN with my boyfriend. As soon as I reach 27, my boyfriend would either return to Malaysia or bring me over to Australia. We would get married and have two kids who can speak Chinese and English. My parents would migrate to Australia and stay with us and live happily ever after.

And so we arrived to right now.

Never in the world in my previous imaginary futures had I expected to be:

Living under the same roof with a bunch of similarly aged friends, all of us away from family and pursuing a career here. I thought such a world existed in Friends the sitcom, only.

Living away from home and the luxuries of having dinner prepared for me everynight, no bills or rents to worry about, groceries/laundry done for me.

Living with a dog who is as bratty and mischievious as can be.

Cooking meals as simple as oat with vegetables to as complicated as a failed three tier chocolate cake, every single night.

Chasing so hard after and focusing so much on my career ans aspirations that a family of my own is not on the cards right now.

Having so much ups and downs with my stable partner instead of getting engaged after being together for for years, getting married after being engaged for 1 year and having kids after being married for 1 year - you know, like a static plan.

Travelling all over Australia and to Japan and planning to travel everywhere else in the world instead of saving all my money for marriage and family.

Having to exercise to maintain my figure!! (I was so skinny back then)...

****************************************

Surely, this isn't exactly the future I anticipated for years ago but I can't help feeling contented at the excitement - for the uncertainties, opportunities and possibilities - that I face right now.

July again

2010-07-26T03:40:00.000-07:00

July has been an extreme month - of so much celebration and so much passionate fights.

I guess most people know that Ray's birthday which is also our anniversary is in July.

I love celebrations - big and small - I believe in giving moe credit to the little things in life and reminding ourselves to appreciate each other. And of course, the wine and the dine and presents.

However, with celebrations and occasions also come expectations and anticipation. Where one party might be anticipating or expecting too much while the other party feeling the same - but in a different way. For example, your idea of a celebration might be sweet champagne during dinner overlooking the skyline while your partner's might be cooking a simple meal at home over hot Milo.

While both are intended to make the day special and happy, the discrepancy in expectation can create disappointment. The former in how plain and unglamorous it seems, while the latter in how materialistic and overtly grand it seems.

In the end, many people choose to disregard the day or just go according to one person's wishes - a big NONO to me. The day should never ever end on a sour note. If it does, then you just have to celebrate again and again - until it ends on a happy note.

Expectations are different sure. But I am pretty sure if you do it often enough and care about each other enough, the gap in expectations will only close and not grow.

We learn to live with each other. It might take a few fights, but heck, those are kacang.

July was a month of celebration and fights. I was as happy as I could be and also as angry or sad as I could be.

But right now, sitting here and reflecting on everything that happened - Ray's birthday breakfast, Ray's birthday dinner, our anniversary dinner, Ray's birthday dinner make-up. Ray's birthday supper, Ray's birthday surprise with friends - I am glad to say that I feel happy.

They say the negative things always overshadow the positive things.

That is true, hence the significance of this moment right now: feeling happy and thinking it was all worth it despite all.

Dessert with Sissy

2010-07-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

It started with . . "Let's go for dessert." Lowena was (pretending) to sleep at the back of the car. Then WenJi remembered about the pastry chef who appeared in the celebrity chef challenge with my beloved Callum who apparently is based in a Cafe at Crown. Of course it excited me: 1) Sweets! 2) Celebrity Chef! 3) Callummmmmmmmmmmmm.

Thanks to the power of technology, google told us that Miss Celebrity Chef, Philippa Sibley, has now opened a new cafe at St Kilda. The webpage was a simple one page layout but that was enough to convince us to jet to St Kilda. At this moment, Lowena was trying very hard (pretending) to sleep.

The cafe looked really humble and cosy. Little tables sprawled across the room and there were only two waiter/waitresses who were so enthusiastic when it comes to explaining the menu.

We ordered 3 desserts - since it is a special occassion :)

1) The famous 'Snickers'

Caramel Parfait Glace with Salted Peanut Caramel and Milk Chocolate Mousse. This was the challenge Callum had to face and eventually lost out to Philippa. Watch the challenge by clicking here to see how difficult it was to make a slice of this beauty. Oh if you don't feel like watching, look at the recipe: here.

We looked high and low the (small) menu to find nothing similar to the MasterChef challenge and were slightly disappointed. Then the waitress asked, "Did you watch the Masterchef epi..." "YES," was the collective answer of WenJi and I.

It looked exactly like on the show and I could feel Callum's sweat and tears *sniff sniff* The chocolate on top glimmers and the best way to split this cake? To crack it with a light force using your spoon :D I wanna go back already :P

2) Snow White and Red Rose

Let me try to capture this as accurate as possible. This is made up of rosewater ice-cream and vanilla ice-cream with chunks of strawberries at the bottom, decorated with two meringue angel wings (I was sold at this point - angel wings meringue - what else man!?) and crystalised rose petals (I was sold again at this point).

3) Poire Belle . . . .something (Sorry I failed you). Chocolate fondant with melted gooey chocolate infused with maybe honey or champage (according to Lowena) and poached pear with a heart of vanilla ice-cream. This is lurve.

When you get the bill, you get free raspberry marshmallow which are soft as. . . . fluff. Well, this is consolation to the extreme satisfaction you get from the not only delicious but beautiful desserts here.

Be warned, the desserts don't come at a light price. Snickers is priced at $19 and Snow White and Red Rose at $16 (if I'm not wrong). So this is the perfect place to bring your partner to make him/her feel special without the Chanel haha.

Melbourne with Sissy

2010-07-18T01:24:00.000-07:00

The first night I went dinner with my sister in Melbourne, the tram we were in hit a taxi :/ My first experience in my 3 years living in Melby, and right after I met my sis yup.

The following day, I hung out with my sister for the first time in a while and the day was freaking windy. Not in quite a while had it been that windy, and right after I met my sis yup.

It was this windy.

It was so windy even the power of Burberry can go die.

We headed up to Mount Dandenong for some serious breakfast action with Melissa and her Mum, who uses the same G11 as me. Oh and I promised to teach her a bit about using the camera, but I think I can probably cover everything I know in . . . .10 minutes. Cause I know THAT much!

We dropped by Teapots, a shop filled with teapots, teacups and tea, located right next to Miss Marples as we arrived an hour before Mis Marples opened just to secure a place. After all, at Miss Marples, it is strictly on a first come first served basis with no take-aways allowed.

Lowena was in awe and on a teapot-high.

I loved this little cottage teapot.

Oh there's a cow in my milk!!

Christmas in July!

Miniature tea sets sitting in a miniature cabinet I nearly knocked over.

Lines and lines of mugs fill every wall in the store.

Lowena and Thomas fighting over whether to buy the $90+ water bottle or the $60+ water kettle. Then they bought both.

Salt and pepper . . . . frogs, yummy.

Salt and pepper . . . . cupcakes, yummy?

And then the most joyous thing happened: Lowena found her long lost identical twin. *sniff sniff*

So at 11 am sharp, we headed back to Miss Marples, expecting to be the FIRST ones!

But of course, we were too late, as the place has been filled and we were asked to return half an hour later.

So more teapots+teacups+tea browsing time.
More miniature darlings!

Okay as much as I love all things miniature and dainty - my stomach and its well being is way moooooorrrreeeeeee important.

Finally, breakfast at Miss Marples.

Me: Mel, you really don't mind going to Miss Marples again after going just last week?
Melissa: No, I love it there!
Me: You sure?
Melissa: Wo chaoooooooooo xi huan. (trans: I suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper like it there).

The jam and cream we go gaga for.

Quiche Lorraine with gigantic chips and salad no one touched mehehe.

Onion soup with drizzles of cheeeeeese.

Asparagus and cheese fingers.

Mel: This one is the best.
Me: What are they? Really?
Mel: Believe me. THE BEST.

The star of the show: scones glorious scones.

Horror movie poster: The Over-fed Ghost.

We were stuffed but of course, dessert is another matter totally - bread and butter pudding :)

Rode the trains after that to the city where cameras were whipped out and pictures were shared before someone fell asleep, someone else camwhored like mad.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon shopping around the city - forced to run into shops due to the cold, wind and drizzle - not because of the sales at all! At night, we met up with WenJi for some modern Australian cuisine.

Me: What do you guys wanna eat?
Thomas and Lowena: Emu, kangaroo, ostrich . . . you get the gist.

We went to Tjanabi at Federation Square. At first, I thought Tjanabi would be an Indian restaurant from the name and so did WenJi.

Here are the food we had for the night:

Taster plates:-
House made duck liver, brandy and pepper leaf pate with melba toast
Crocodile Escabech – crocodile tail fillet in a Spanish marinade
Pork Rabbit loin and duck neck terrine muntrie and apple chutney
Local olives marinated in lemon and native pepper leaf
Vegetarian spring rolls with mango and finger lime chutney
Kangaroo chorizo with tomato and Tasmanian pepper relish

Some sampler - feta cheese and lamb (I think).

Salmon fillet on a bed of greens with caviar

Kangaroo fillet

Emu fillet with risotto and braised carrots.

Lowena: Wah carrots! I haven't eaten vege in a while! *munches* Eh, how come it tastes like alcohol. . . . ?

Lowena: Ohhhh risotto! I love risotto! *munches* Eh, how come tastes like ginseng . . . . ?

We were quite stuffed when we were done with our dinner. But WenJi and I were adamant about going for some noice dessert somewhere. We thought about Cumulus, then Greco then, an ingenious idea dawned upon us and led us to the biggest discovery and sweetest experience we ever had.

So much as a Lowena who pretended to be sleeping in the car woke up, bright and totally in love after that.

New things

2010-07-15T04:07:00.000-07:00

I love my new hair :) I love my new hat :)

I love my new denim jacket :) I love my new contact lens:)

Things new - they are always so fascinating, exciting and promising. Maybe it will go wrong, maybe it will go right. Regardless, it means change.
Change is essential, after all risk equals reward. And I am willing to take the risk.

While change is good, it is greater to know that there are things which are here to stay - family.

Vivi

2010-07-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

I was about to skip blowdrying my hair when I received a message from my mum saying that my hair looks really nice just like one of those Vivi models.

Being my mum she is just probably being nice.

But here I am grabbing the blowdryer.

.....

I mean, after all it was an international SMS so there must be a tiny weeny bit of truth to it ne?

The Sweetest Thing

2010-07-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

This is the sweetest thing ever - just put a smile on my face :)

Home dreaming

2010-07-06T04:15:00.000-07:00

I dreamt about standing in front of the old dressing table in my parents' room back in Sandakan.

Mum was laying Hainanese chicken in the middle of huge piece of cardboard.

Then she laid two balls of rice on either side of the chicken.

I asked, "How are you going to wrap it up without it spilling?"

Then Mum answered, "Like that lar!"

Ah, home.

Oh and my sister is here. I screamed at her.

Ah, home.

Mart130 & Saganaki

2010-07-04T03:01:00.000-07:00

I am going to bring my sister to Mart 130 - the best breakfast place in Melby.

So, of course, I have to go and re-taste the GOOD stuffs over there before bringing the guest of honour over.

It was a cold windy morning and I risked my life for this mission.

A hot chocolate to start off my day.

The eggs are the highlights at this hidden cafe but Mel's Mum discovered the other gem on its menu - the corn fritters. So Ray ordered this tangy, spicy delight.

For the sake of feeling healthy. . . . erm, actually due to an extended period of overeating with Ray being back from kampung Marla and forcing me to eat with me (sigh of sigh), I ordered fruit granola with vanilla yoghurt.

And it came with milk.

We sat overlooking the windy landscapes of a leash-free dog park.

And the milk went to Ray. I gave him that key component of my breakfast - milk, cos I just LURVE milk.

We spent the rest of the day in the city, booking day tours for my sis&co. Then it started raining heavily and we started running frantically back to our car. Jetted back to Clayton . . . . . to grab a KFC Snack Box.

Why just a small Snack Box for the two of us?

Cause we were gonna head to SAGANAKI for Ray's early birthday dinner! (Side story: I got a $100 dinner voucher for Saganaki after winning a lucky draw)

I find bangs so important in making me feel younger haha.

And colour contact lens so important in making my eyes look bigger :D

We ordered like mad!

First up: Trio of dips – Tzatziki, Taramasalata and Melitzanosalata served with pita (I loved the red coloured dip!)

Second entree: Saganaki - Pan fried kefalograviera cheese (Cheesy heaven omg you must order this in every Greek restaurant)

Cocktail: Cookies & Cream

Main #1: Mixed Grill Plate - Chef’s selection of meats which may include Lukaniko, pork, beef and chicken

Main #2: Kakavia – A glorious Greek version of the famous French bouillabaisse ~ Fresh seafood including scallops, prawns, mussels, calamari, crab and fish from today’s market is combined with Macaronia in a delicate tomato, garlic and chili soup.

No dessert cause. . . anyway, I got a $2 scarf from Cotton On and have been wearing it everywhere. Bargains, how I love them and pride myself on finding them.

Chop Chop

2010-07-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all, enough of red soil and huge-tastic rocks for this old blog of mine.

Time for me to lou min (reveal my face).

I was feeling stagnant and . . . .boring a while back. Mostly because of my . . . hair.

Yes, hair is important to me as in changes - and not in a way that I can't bear to part from them.

I need a breath of fresh air. Some release - a new image, some money outta pocket! Sigh.

So choppp choppp at my favourite Tsumiki.

Aloha - is it time for your breath of fresh air too?

Shiro 1st Bday

2010-07-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Guess what! Shiro turns 1 today!

My ball of love just turned one and I cannot feel prouder of him. And his excessive barking. And his flying furballs. And his overpowering jumps.

Everything, eburizhing.

So to celebrate this joyful day I gave him a giant piece of present - a gigantic lamb chop :)

So big that it could not fit into his bowl so I had to cut it up~

Although it is his birthday - patience training must go on - placed the tempting chunk of meat in front of him but no! He Must Wait For My Command.

Looking at Rachel.

Looking at me. . . oh, actually at the meat.

And then he walloped everything!

Happy Birthday dear Shiro,

you have brought so much joy into my life.

And that is all that I could ever ask for :)

A short update on myself: I got new hair :)

Alice Springs 5

2010-07-01T04:02:00.000-07:00

My final Alice Spring post - two months after blaaaaaa

ULURU! How big! How breathtaking!

These are ancient drawings by Anangu on the rocks which are extremely fragile - detailed recordings of their lives.

This is a hidden waterhole at the base of Uluru. I really began to apprecite and love water after this trip to the desert. In fact I am making an effort to drink more water :)

I love water so much so that my leg lifted up haha.

More red soil. . .

You can actually climb up Uluru although it is not encouraged as this place is considered sacred to the Aboriginals. Furthermore, it can be dangerous. A sneak peek of the trail up above:-

Due to the gloomy weather we just wandered around the base of Uluru, the height of the red rocks were really amazing.

Then it started to drizzle :( so we headed home for a rest. I was all hyped up to see sunset at Uluru since sunrise was a bit too cloudy.

After a brief 1 hour break - no resting, just eating (again) - we drove all excited towards Uluru again! To see this:-

Looks like a moldy panna cotta :(

It was a heavy rain cloud resting above Uluru :(

So it was an uneventful night filled with disappointment and expensive pizzas. But we headed back to Uluru with no less of excitement the day after cause I was going to climb up Uluru!

Yes, I climbed Uluru on my own.

The view from the top.

It is really scary as there is no handrails to support you, just this thin white line to hang your life on.

But the scariest part was treading down Uluru. It was really steep and the cars looked way too small gulp.

Feeling a weird sense of disbelief?

Well yeah. I did not climb Uluru. Not cause I was scared, I BEG TO DIFFER, I did not cause Uluru is scared.

The pictures and description just now are purely paraphrased from Ray's report to me who was sitting on a bench in front of one of the small cars in the last picture.

On the way back to Alice Springs from Uluru, we dropped by at Rainbow Valley. The rainbow part of the name was derived from the multicoloured rock which stands alone right in the middle of a vast empty land.

We decided to take a picture with the Alice Springs sign as we approached town. This picture was snapped as my camera fell from the car bonnet to the sandy ground :(

For my final night there, we went to this restaurant called Bojangles which Ray has been raving about ever since he reached Alice Springs.

Salt and Pepper size XL!

The restaurant is really unique in terms of decoration. I analysed every one of the items on the ceiling when Ray was away ordering and using the toilet.

The night was cold so Ray had the brilliant idea of ordering port for me. His selling points were, port is 'sweet and has a warming effect'. But I wasn't sold until he told me it would taste just like the wine JingWen got for my birthday last year.

I swear JingWen's choice of wine for me was spot on - in fact I don't usually enjoy alcoholic drinks, save the few which taste like soft drinks really.

My little cuppa port.

But there was something wrong with this port. Unlike JingWen's it was:

1) Not yellow but dark red.

2) And it was really really really really . . . . strong.

I guess Engineer Ray forgot to remind me that port in Bojangles was sans ice and not chilled.

Our meal after the Big Uluru Work Out:

Mixed Grill for the tiny eater in me :) Camel, Emu, Kangaroo, Buffalo . . you know, the usual.

Kangaroo steak for Ray.

And then halfway through our meal, we caught sight of this humongous chocolate celebration ont he table next (actually, quite far away from us!) to us. I was stuffed, but I insisted and Ray happily obliged. I mean, it was cold, we worked out before so what else but chocolate - it warms you up and replenishes in calories. I am a scientist, you know :)

The conclusion was, we were bloated in a happy and satisfied way that night. You should try this too :) I am dead serious, matey~

The following day was my very last day in the sunny town of Alice Springs. An old man who sat next to me on my flight to Alice Springs told me I must head to the Desert Park. So I did. Erm, cause I found a Buy 1 Free 1 brochure somewhere in town nyahaha.

I give you the Bargain Smirk(TM).

However, due to my lack of sense of appreciation for survival tips in the desert and also lazy kangaroos and absence of emus, I started taking pictures of the least interesting subject in the park - myself. Oh and Ray too.

I started missing the clear blue skies already. Damn why didn't skies like this appear when I was in Uluru.

The most interesting part of the park must be the Norturnal Display Room. Here, all animals which are active at night are kept - so you get to see them active! Erm, not much of an explanation but lookie!!

Just a spider? Nah. What about a spider being fed a grasshopper??

Various marsupial/rodent looking creatures:)

Snakes.

More cute marsupials :)

Okay to be honest with you, I took pictures of selected animals only in that room. Ahem, I am sure everyone knows I have a deadly fear of rats. Musophobia I believe it is called.

I was approaching this display and it was dark, being the nocturnal room, so I pressed my face to the glass panel to see five, no eight, no ten (!), no hundreds !!! Okay, maybe just 5, rat-like creatures running around. I was shaking and not in control of my body already, fleeing to another display only to see another five, no eight, no ten (!), no hundreds !! Okay seriously maybe 5 rats running around again!

So I ran for my life.

To the bat's display. Only to see the creature gnawing on a mouse as it looked back at me.

So I ran and never returned.

Oh but I managed to look at an owl. And thank the gods above when it was not eating anything. For all I know it could be eating a rat. I swear I would have died if I got any more mouse action on that day.

And finally daylight. There is hope in life after all :)

Remember the patty melons I talked about in Alice Spring post 2? This is the type of bird which specifically eats that fruit which is unique to Central Australia. This makes the whole post seem educational and I feel accomplished :)

That, my friends, marks the end of my Alice Springs trip.

Truth to be told, before this trip, I never really appreciated Uluru from the postcard pictures. But being there and understanding the legends behind Uluru, really makes you realise how magical the rocks are and how small we are in comparison to the works of nature. IT is one of the best places to really stop and stare and just, let go of every bit of exhaustion, negativity and worries in you. Even if just for a while.

I urge you to go there at least once in your life especially if you are in Aussie :)

Alice Springs 4

2010-06-20T01:51:00.000-07:00

You know how I have been emo for a few days, well maybe you can't tell since I hid it so well :P

Okay back to the Alice Springs adventure where we left off at the climax of Uluru.

Everyone tells me that sunrise and sunset at Uluru are experiences you can never miss in Australia. They tell of the extraordinary colours of the sky, the impressive sun and the magical way Uluru changes in appearance under different sunlight.

We got into our car and drove to Uluru at 5.30 a.m. READ THAT CAREFULLY. 5.30 A.M.

We reached the sunrise viewing point in 30 minutes. How did we get there? We just tailed the tourbuses!

#1 The striking yellow

#2 Uluru waiting for the sun

#3 Uluru as the sun peeked out

#4 The yellow turning into a blazing red

#5 The red taking over the yellow

#6 I was mesmerized by the redness of the sky

#7 I loved the changing colours of the clouds although it was apparently a bit too cloudy for the ultimate sunrise view

#8 The clouds turning red, one after another

#9 Sadly, the clouds really did block the sun. Before we knew it, the sky was brightly lit :)

#10 The sun can only be partially seen :( but beautiful nonetheless

#11 Uluru brightly lit

Next on our itinerary, what else? Another exciting walk/hike - The Valley of the Winds. I felt so happy upon hearing the name of this place. I felt like Pocahontas, man.

I was totally wrapped up, in anticipation of the 'Wind' part of the valley. This coat is one purchase I never regretted once from Tokyo. LOVE max.

As we were about to start the hike I got all excited because I finally saw one of the things on my 'List of things to see in Central Australia'!

LIZARD! (Albeit a dead one :<)

Other things on the list - kangaroos, emus, camel meat, red rocks and sand.

#12 Ray overlooking the . . . .rocks.

#13 The amazingly huge gorges which the hiking trail circles

#14 Like I mentioned before, I find creeks amidst sand and rock, really serene

#15 How can such greens survive so well here?

#15 I love this picture :)

#16 What you can expect to walk on

#17 I especially loved this part of the trail with the giant rocks and soft grass

#18 Not so soft when you are wearing shorts (ah eeh ah)

#19 Another mini waterhole

#20 Isn't this beautiful?

#21 "This looks like sakura - weeping sakura, to be precise - in Osaka?", I said. And he gave me the 'sweat' look

#22 I haven't even stopped myself from slipping down the rocks and he snapped the picture already! - Talk about patience!

#23 Gorges soooooooooooooo high up...

#24 "This looks like something out of Jurassic Park!" I said. And he gave me a 'sweat' look. Doesn't he have another look? Cher!

#25 See the hike was so easy I yawned - on camera.

#26 We walked using these blue little arrows for direction. Sometimes when it points upwards, you really wonder what you have to climb . . .

#26 My weeping sakura moment.

#28 After 3 days in Central Australia, I learnt the art of finding my way by following the trail of kangaroo poo

#27 I loved this picture very much.

#28 Full view of the gorges :)

#29 I want to be on top of the world!

As we approached our car we spotted a dingo all alone! Another thing to see to scratch out of my list! Dingoes usually travel in packs, so it was a surprise to see a dingo alone and so near to our car! I thank the million stars above again!!!

Then there was actually another surprise in store for me from the stars! Wild camels! OMG, I felt so lucky that day that thinking back I could cry :P

Next up: ULURU.

See, big mou?

Plan A, Plan B

2010-06-14T01:07:00.000-07:00

Do you remember what you were doing 4 years ago at this very moment?

I can't say I remember clearly but I was definitely happier and felt free back then.

As you age, whether you like it or not, things do get more complicated and troubles do pile up. And then it all comes down to you, whether you choose to face it head on or turn a blind eye and try to live in denial for as long as you can.

Sometimes I feel like there is so much in my head that it can go kaboom in an instant. From that one very big problem to the million other bite-sized issues, they can be so overwhelming that you wish there was a button you could switch off within you. But even if there is, what does it change? Once you are turned back on, you will have to face everything again.

I always prefer facing and solving my issues as soon as possible. It is like taking down an enemy, the longer you take, the more it will level up and the harder it will be to beat. I remember the time my sister spent so much time fiddling with her Gameshark tricks to make her Squall Leonhart & co reach level 99 at the start of her (destined to be doomed) Final Fantasy 8, only to find all the other enemies, random monsters to bosses, level 99 too. In the end, the fat caterpillar took her 10 mins to defeat.

I don't like to feel incomplete. If I start something, I won't stop until I finish. If I eat something, I won't stop until I finish. If I like something, I won't stop until I get it. If I break up, I won't stop until it is clean.

I can do so much for something I really want. Is that even normal?

I remember vividly the moment I received the sad news about the departure of someone I really loved dearly with my life. I was 18. Mature to some extent. But, I couldn't help but think that someone must be playing a nasty trick on me.

From the moment I got the news. Even when I booked tickets to return to Sabah. Throughout the journey up in the skies. Until the very last second before I saw him resting in peace.

Thinking back it was quite childish. But that was the length I am willing to go for something I want. No matter how impossible it was.

There was this other once when I dreamt that my mother left for heaven. I was utterly broken inside out and inside the dream, I was behaving just like how I did last time. I repeatedly told myself that it was a dream and that if I try hard enough I would be able to make this a dream. In the end, I really woke up.

But not everything is just a bad dream.

A lot of times you wish they were, don't you?

They say, the higher you dream, the harder you fall.

But does that mean I will have to settle for whatever I have now. Even if it is bad. Even if it is not good enough. And if everything is written in the stars and fated/destined, then what is the reason for existence? Just to live by the rules and re-enact whatever has been planned for us?

Don't get me wrong, I believe God has everything planned for us.

But I also believe God would be interested to see how far we can go with what he gave us, how creative we can be with the plan he devised us and how strong we can be in face of what he has in store for us.

I think God gave us all a fair Plan A, and the freedom to make the most out of life with our own Plan B.

So, life is not written in stone but depends on how much you are willing to do for the things you want.

Technology, family & guys

2010-06-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Okay let me be a pessimist just for one day.

Girls don't need guys to keep them warm - an electric blanket can do the job, what more you can even adjust the temperature to your liking.

Girls don't need guys for security - from extended alarm systems monitoring every inch of your house to pepper sprays to the Chanel bag, that is security boost, physically all the way to emotionally.

Girls don't need guys to have a good time - hit the malls, buy the world, eat those chocolates, gym off that butt, strut the city, wee off the hours in gossip, I am pretty sure you'll feel equally good.

Girls don't need guys for support/help - the pile of laundry, the broken door knob, the virus infected computer, the emotional issue, which of that can you not solve? You might have to call some technical person, but hey, you still solved it didn't you?

Girls don't need guys to ease their emptiness - there is the weekend road trip you can go to, the long abandoned overseas travel plan, the contacts you haven't kept in touch with in ages and also your loyal pet waiting for your attention.

Girls don't need guys to feel complete - in fact, look at yourself. What is missing?

Technology and material are most probably capable of filling in all the blanks what we traditionally think only the opposite sex can. To a certain extent, at least.

Now, before you dismiss me as being materialistic/shallow/bitter/PMS-y/unreasonable, maybe technology and material can't take the place of having a good guy in your life. (Hence, I added 'to a certain extent')

I have my family and friends for all the -warmth, security, good times, support/help - in the world. Most importantly, you can always count on these people to make you feel loved and important.

Okay, on a different note, I am probably an optimist for being able to see technology and material (ahem) as being able to replace having a guy in my life!

Or maybe, I have grown to be more a realist - to be able to see family as friends as the more important part of my life and also to realise that I don't need a guy, I want a man in my life.

Alice Springs 3

2010-06-08T02:46:00.001-07:00

After the bumpy drama ride to Kings Canyon, we were bright awake the following day for the famed Kings Canyon hike. I am used to bushwalking and kangaroo poo ever since coming to Melby, so I was in a casual mode when approaching this 'walk'.

Even with extreme tiptoe-ing, I still couldn't make it look like I was wearing the hat. And then I read: 6 km, 3.5 hours return.

I was slightly stunned, but if it was walking, I should be fine. After all, the burger-monstrosity from the night before had to go somewhere other than my tums.

And then from afar, I saw the 'walk'.

More like a staircase. A 'climb'.

The view going up the rockbeds was amazing. It was early in the morning, the morning dew was still in the air and the sunlight was lukewarm.

Throughout the whole trip our main conversation topic was "Do you think these stairs are man-made or natural?"

Along the way, you don't only have to go through staircases, but also narrow paths. .

. . . massive beds of flat rocks. . .and stop for a little nap . .

. . . crawl through low ceilings of rock. . .and stop for a little mermaid-time . . .

. . . and sometimes the arrow points to seemingly no paths! So send someone to run in front to look first and approach only once you get the ok! Smarter Ways of Treading Kings Canyon 101 Tip#1.

While someone checks the unforeseen for you, take some pictures yourself as the sunlight there is bombastic for your skin and hair. Smarter Ways of Treading Kings Canyon 101 Tip#2.

Then there are the seemingly bottomless pits for you to cross over - leg by leg (what else haha). Despite the suspense, it is actually "very narrow" - according to the Man :-(

The most amazing sight was the Eve's Garden. In the middle of sand, rocks and sun - lies a hidden oasis with water crystal clear and trees fresh green.

You can even see the reflection of the water on the rocks.

Once you make it to the other side of the canyon, you can overlook the flat terrains of rock you walked, limped, crawled past just now. The clear blue skies as background to the humongous red rocks - very impressive.

There are some really oddly shaped and placed rocks throughout the canyon. Like this one dubbed the 'Sacrificial Altar' by Prof. Tan. Why didn't I take a picture there? #1 It was dubbed the Sacrificial Altar #2 I had to climb gulp.

It makes one feel so small to be standing among all the great creations of nature over time. It feels as if all my problems and troubles are so minute and insignificant as compared to what made these.

We managed to complete the Kings Canyon Hike at just under 3 hours! So if I could do it in under 3 hours, you bet you can do it at around 4.5 :) Believe me, if not, my athletic gift.

After Kings Canyon, it was another long journey to the highlight of our trip! Uluru or Ayers Rock! No more off-road driving so it was smooth crusing all the way.

We did not forget to stop by this sign for a picture. . . before realising that it is everywhere!

After some laughing, some bickering - we finally saw it. Our red little panna cotta *tears up*

Along the way to Uluru, you are bound to come across some roadhouses. These are basically an area with a petrol station, a row of motel rooms, a caravan park, a cafe and. . . .nothing else?

To give you a better picture, this picture below literally describes the whole place! And if that picture is big enough to show, you can see on the topmost sign that this area is in fact more than 1 million acres.

After a 3 hours hike and more than 3 hours drive, we were more than ready to kick back and fill up then only relax.

We stayed in Yulara, which is the resort town near the base of Uluru. At the center of Yulara is a big round-a-bout and the various turnings out of this round-a-bout lead to different accomodations ranging from hotels to motels to caravan sites to camping grounds.

We went to Pioneer BBQ and Bar, where you can pick and BBQ your own meat. And we are talking about exotic meat like crocodile, emu, kangaroo and buffalo. Along with free flow salad and dessert :)

Crocodile and kangaroo skewers!

Wooolaaaa Fiestaaaaa!

And this makes me very happy and my tums filled up for....the next two days.

On the way back to our hotel, we saw the roundest and brightest moon ever.

Next up: ULURU!

The inspiration

2010-06-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

I am currently inspired by this. Such a cold night but I am feeling fuzzy inside.

The full lyrics translation:

A dry breeze is blowing
The city is getting cold
I wonder how many seasons have passed
without even a sound?

All of the people coming and going
bear heavy burdens,
searching for tomorrow
within the heat haze wavering in the distance.

Feelings like sand
falling through my hands...
Back then, the words that pierced my heart
suddenly started to throb with pain, but...

I've searched for pieces of myself,
counting the endless nights all the while.
These feelings are becoming so certain
I almost lose myself.
Right now, without fail, I will walk forward, however far.

I wonder, why is the sky
so vast?
Even though I tried to yell, my voice didn't come
and the tears poured out.

I wonder where the birds are flying off to,
as they freely slice through the wind?
One can't return to the same place
as it once was in days gone by.

Even if I give up my dream like this,
I won't suppress my soaring heartbeat.
Someday, I want to reach
as high as the clouds. [1]
I'll spread wide the wings in my heart and journey once again

I will reach it, without fail.

I've searched for pieces of myself,
counting the endless nights all the while.
These feelings are becoming so certain
I almost lose myself.
Right now, without fail, I will walk forward, however far.

Alice Springs 2

2010-06-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

And like I said, the road trip was drama-filled!

This is the first one.

A ROCK flew from the tyre of the car in front of us and chipped the window!

Our next destination was Ormiston Gorge. Greeted by a colourful little birdie before we stepped in for our brief walk.

Ormiston Gorge is just like a waterhole. A really easy and serene walk all the way to the waterhole, decorated with walls of red rocks.

Iced coffee milk under the sunlight mmm mmm.

A well poised ballerina pose obvious to those skilled in the art.

One of the inhabitants of this SERENE gorge. I thank the stars a million times for not arranging a meeting between us.

One of the most impressive element in Central Australia is - the very clear and blue skies. I tried taking a picture of just the sky, but it was just so blue and nothing at all that - it looked more like a corrupted image!

So I included the tips of some trees.

Back in our sweet drive, the real off-road adventure began! A long stretch of unsealed road with really really beautiful sights along the way.

Duning-duning hills (I came up with the name - doesn't it oh~so~fit?)

And a loooooooooooooong stretch of Duning-Duning Hills (more-the-fitting!).

Drama number 2. We were caught off-guard by a deep DIP in the road. So, the car went in and then came up FLYING. I swear, everything seemed to be happening in slow-mo for what must have been less than 2 seconds. The coins in the coin compartment came flying up and landing down without a single one spilling out! My unzipped bag at the backseat flew open!

Please be happy with me for the fact that I am still safe and sane right now.

A few unique encounters along the way!

Patty melons! They can be found growing along the sides of the roads all around Central Australia. Apparently only one kind of bird feasts on them. The bird is. . . . .for some reasons, not in my memory.

And so the journey continues. The unsealed road were gonna end anytime soon.

Tree only found in Central Australia!

Suddenly we saw this in front of us!

Wild horses! It is so refreshing to see horses outside of farms, with nature.

Oh and the unsealed roads really were supposed to end anytime soon. . . after the very 2 hours we travelled on it already. . .

I mean, really. After 3 hours of violent rocking and vibrating, fuuuuu.

A view from the top. Then we finally reached modern roads!!!!

Only to see this. . . . again.

A sign that we were really close to our destination: Kings Canyon the monster we were gonna conquer the following day!

Having done with all the extreme driving, we decided to do something more relaxing, closer to nature - camel riding at Creeks Canyon!

This reminds me of our horse riding earlier this year. Since I survived trotting on the horse, I was pretty confident with a camel ride.

And then the guide told Prof. Tan, "Take the backseat, it is much more comfortable especially for a guy". Woopsie.

The camel behind me, Doctor Heather (cute name!), loves being close to my back. I could feel her breath all the way.

Again on the way, we met with some horses - which belonged to the farm this time~ but still nature rules!

Riding on a camel is quite different from a horse - they are slower, they pace themselves, they behave well, they have to be led by a guide, they are quiet - only much more bumpier and taxing on certain body parts.

And now I know why the Camel in Alubarna in One Piece is called Eyelash! Check out how volumised, curled up and shiny camel eyelashes are! I wannnntttttttt.

Then we got to feed camels. Lalat feeding camel.

Evening in Central Australia is truly amazing. Check out the colour contrast of the sky between what was in front and behind us.

Ahh sunset. My favourite part of the day as it also means dinner and REST.

A hearty camel patty burger for two hungry souls.

Next up: Conquering Kings Canyon and meeting ULURU~

Alice Spring 1

2010-05-31T02:17:00.000-07:00

(I am so angry, the second time typing this post due to some Blogger screw up! Totally changed my tone and whatever in talking about my trip!!!)

After a long hiatus from the face of internet, here I am again back from Alice Springs! Of course, here you go a picture of yours truly just to show that I am well and most importantly, please take some time out to remember 'me' before I got fat :(

An amazing escape from the gloominess and coldness that was (and still is) Melbourne, the sun and warmth in Alice Springs could probably hear my thanks. But fast forward, we were on our way for dinner! Note my flushed cheeks and slightly oilier face - heat!!

Ray: What do you feel like for your first dinner - meat, meat, meat or seafood?

Me: (dunno for what reason) Seafood!

Ray: Let me bring you to the best seafood place in town.

Me: Really the best?

Ray: More like one of the only one haha.

According to Prof. Tan, Alice Springs have to import seafood from Queensland and Darwin due to the town being nowhere near the sea or rivers that aren't dried up, freshness is not really up there.

We went to Barra on Todd.

Entrees were surprisingly big - almost twice the size of those in Melbourne's! Especially the crispy soft shell crab which I thought were supposed to be mini!

As for mains, I chose Chargrilled Barramundi. I mean, after all we are at Barra on Todd so of course I have to give face to the Barra.

While Prof. Tan had the Mussel Pot. Which was 'not-a-lot'. And 'only-1-kg'. Not mentioning 'most-of-the-weight-is-from-the-shells-anyway'. Those are quotes, mind you.

Not so much at all!

The very next SUNNY holiday (not the dark and cold working mornings!!), we began our adventure into the desert!

First stop: The West Macdonnell Ranges

1) Simpson's Gap.

Gaps are the low saddle sitting in between two areas of high elevation such as ranges and mountains. There is one just before Prof. Tan's lodging called Heavitree Gap which seems like it was there just to open up a path for cars to go through.

Simpson's Gap is different as it is considered sacred to the Arrernte Aboriginal people and is one of the most prominent waterholes in the park.

The sight of the red stone walls under the sun is just breathtaking.

Due to the lack of rain for the past few days, the waterhole shrank! According to Prof. Tan, when he went there a few days after a rainy day, there was actually a stream flowing through the gap.

2) Standley Chasm

Standley Chasm features sandstones as tall as 80 metres which are the results of flood millions of years ago that surged down a narrow tributary of the Finke River system. Leading to the chasm, is a small footpath lined with plants, rocks and creeks.

To get to the chasm, I had to lift logs. . .

. . step on small rocks. . .

. . . big rocks. .

. . . rocks on creeks. . .

. . . huge rock staircases. . .

. . . swing from branches. . .

. . and finally set sights on the really impressive chasm.

Okay, I am not a good standard in showing how huge the chasm is.

See, they are amazingly tall.

Makes us realise how small we are in comparison to the creations of nature and all its magic.

I am starting to love rocks. Stay tuned for more stories on rocks of all sizes, colours and shapes!!

Next on our itinerary? An off-road drive all the way to Kings Canyon! (Where all the drama came pouring in)

Back from the red

2010-05-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

I am back from the desert with a tummyful of exotic meat which doesn't seem to be digested as seen from this bulge I am carrying around.

More action from the trip which started with treading on red sand and ended with the befitting movie Prince of Persia - soon!

Now for some beauty sleep coupled with severe homesickness *sob*

Desert

2010-05-23T15:20:00.001-07:00

I'm off for a one week break living the outback life in Alice Springs.

Boarding now! Sun, sand and no beach but more sand, here I dive!!

Poof I'm back!

2010-05-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

I am back from my Wonderland! Poof!

After a week of lurking around in my own mind - I have bounced back to yay-ness.

What I learnt from this experience is - there really is a difference when it comes to people you care about. Especially when it comes to friends; while love for your own family is natural like how the saying goes - you can choose you friends, but you cannot choose your family; there are those who become like family and those who just can't.

For someone like me who is living away from home and family, friends become an important part of my life. Quoting a friend, "...you naturally form your own family unit over here...".

We make friends all the time; easier when younger and with less baggage, harder when older as we develop more in terms of personality, perspective and experience.

Over time, in the hands of fate, destiny, magic of dynamics, series of fortunate/unfortunate events, interaction - some friends do indeed become not like family, but family.

I recently realised how easy it is to know who these people are - it all lies in whether you care or not when shit happens.

It is all in how much effort you want to put in to:
- keep in touch: talking, whining, doing something stupid together
- correct wrongs: whenever the odd miscommunication/misunderstanding
- move forward together: forgive and forget all the while hoping to foster a better relationship

It is also in what you feel when something happens:
- happy: if something good happens to him/her or to both of you
- sad: if something bad happens to him/her or to both of you

And ultimately, what it means when you find yourself not caring.

There is much more to focus on than the negatives in life, now isn't it?

***

So since I have bounced back, lemme share with you some long awaited due to my emo-ness happenings in my life!

On one nice autumn day, Amanda, Joanne and Melissa invited me for a picnic with Dr Robin at Princes Park near their Parkville apartment. The weather was awesome and the temperature was just right for an autumn dress-up!

I borrowed this mustard cardigan from dear WenJi who has a library collection worth of cardigans of all colours, lengths, sizes and material. I am falling in love with the autumn colours :-)

Floral flowy dress with a mustard cardigan and hairbands with a tan fringe handbag - my perfect autum outfit. Less the tummy bulge sigh.

And of course the best confidence booster?

Colour contact lenses!

So after a series of unfortunate events - late train, naughty Shiro, bus replacing trams in the city and extremely sporadic, a very terrible flu - I finally met up with them! Oh and together with some seniors from Monash Malaysia. How cool? A biotechnology reunion. How cool!

And yes we talked about genetically modified bacteria!

A series of picture (cause I am too distracted watching Glee and crying :'( )

Till then!

What I cried about in Glee?

Poof

2010-05-19T05:39:00.001-07:00

Hey I think I'll really jump down that spiral thing in my dream the other day and spend a few days in the Wonderland I dreamt about.

Just if I could

2010-05-17T03:08:00.000-07:00

Nothing has been going right ever since Friday.

Things can really go from wrong to wrong - bad to worse - even on the sunniest weekend.

When ladders trip over you after a toolbox before that and a hammer before that and yet another black cat before that, what can you do?

Go from strong to strong.

Get back on your feet, curse your wheels of fortune (for the day) and stomp away in the most flashy way. For you know, you will never end up at the end of that pile of ladder, toolbox, hammer and black cat again!

Whenever things go bad and emotions take over my sanity - I long to find an old tree, see a lollypop-coloured spiral at its bark and jump in.

Hopefully, I'll travel through something akin the tube of a toothpaste and finally plop onto a soft mass of purple coloured moss.

I'll be brave and curious enough wander off on my own and along the way meet with various funny characters.

Maybe a smiling dog with shiny eyes and a long striped bushy tail.

Perhaps a joke-cracking sunflower that falls asleep every 2 minutes.

Or fishes wearing reflective construction worker uniforms guiding the traffic.

Oh and beautiful little fairies the size of earrings sitting on my ear whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

I would be so happy cause I would forget about reality.

It might be dark it might be more than that

2010-05-16T01:48:00.000-07:00

Even when it seems that nothing can go right
and you want to just give up,
if you close your eyes,
you can see the world from your heart.

In this world when life can be so tough
You must be strong
Just believe in yourself and don't you fear
So open up your mind and close your eyes
Take another look from the other side

Even on a lonely night, when you wander afraid,
you may be alone now, but
your feet can take you however far you want to go, so

Just hold on tight, because if you close your eyes,
look inside yourself, there's a shining light there.
Yes, I want you to believe in everything.
You can take another look from the other side

Just hold on tight, even if your heart is breaking.
Reach into your soul, even if you can't see tomorrow.
Yes, if you have the strength to live,
You can take another look from the other side,
until you find all that is love...

I wish for you to have the strength
to make it through this world,
so open up your mind,
and you'll be able to see...

Just remember you are not alone
So don't you fear
Even though you're miles away
I'm by your side
So open up your mind and close your eyes
I'll be there for you no matter where you are

The stars may live for a long time, but that doesn't mean
that the same days will repeat over and over forever.
Noone can see into tomorrow

Just hold on tight, because if you close your eyes,
look inside yourself, you'll feel a heartbeat.
Yes, I want you to believe in the future.
You can take another look from the other side.

Just hold on tight, even if your heart is breaking.
Reach into your soul, even if you can't see tomorrow.
Yes, there's another world out there.
You can take another look from the other side,
and you'll be able to find all that is love...

Just hold on tight, because if you close your eyes,
look inside yourself, you'll feel a heartbeat.
Yes, I want you to believe in the "future."
You can take another look from the other side

Just hold on tight, even if your heart is breaking.
Reach into your soul, even if you can't see tomorrow.
Yes, there's another world out there.
You can take another look from the other side,
until you find all that is love...
(Lyrics translation taken from Anime Lyrics dot Com)

Friends

2010-05-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

Friends come in all shapes and sizes.

There are those who love to share a good gossip. The people you spend the night with chatting away on the phone, sharing more than slice of cake over coffee on a Saturday night or complain about gossiping about you yourself to yet another person of the same characteristic.

There are those who share the same interest as you. The people you show your new artworks to, call up for a new cake recipe, or see as an itsy-bitsy rival in a round of Monopoly Deal.

There are those who share the same passion as you. The people you share enthusiastic news with about a new job opportunity, spend hours debating with about a social issue, or can only agree to disagree with.

There are those who have similar personalities/characteristics as you. The people who complete your sentences, pinpoints your funny bone every time or gets on your nerve for being as stubborn as you are.

There are those who show undying loyalty towards you. The people who have been there throughout thick and thin, stuck up to you irregardless to the size of your opponent or agree with you so much that you find it annoying.

There are those who are just quiet. The people capable of listening intently to you daily rants, being on the fence and maintain neutrality despite you being in tears/extreme anger or disappear into the background when you are in need of advice or support.

There are those who make you laugh and nothing else. The people who make you guffaw like mad, brighten your darkest foulest mood or crack jokes at the most inappropriate times.

There are those who are ignorant but not necessarily in bliss. The people whose naivety make you (maybe just slightly) glad that there are still people as innocent as this in the world, whose indifference character make him/her a constant rock in your life or whose rudeness amaze and annoy you at equal lengths.

There are those who are vain. The people you turn to for the latest miracle diet, set up shopping dates with or make you feel slightly bad about your own appearance.

There are those who have strong personalities. The people you look up to for their firm belief and principles, turn to when in need of advices in departments they shine in or avoid when they start shooting down everything you do/say/think.

****

There are so many different types of friends in this world, as there are so many different personalities.

The way people interact with and react to each other is amazing. A mix of fate, coincidences, effort, intentions, consequences and expectations - to the dynamics we share with our friends today.

Why can I click with someone the opposite of me?
Why can't I stand someone who is 24/7 around me?

There is a place for everyone in life when it comes finding a group of friends to which they feel like they belong to.

I might be stubborn but there will be others out there as stubborn as me or much softer than me - but I can be friends with.

I might be loud but there will be others out there louder than me or way quiet than me - but I can feel comfortable with.

I might be temperamental but there will be others out there more as temperamental as me or times milder than me - but I can share my days with.

The two things holding this together - I believe are respect and effort.

I am never the perfect friend and will never be. But I promise I will respect all your choices in life and everything that comes along with those choices my friends have made - because I see that as a package in the term "friend". I also promise I will make an effort to nurture what we have now and to be a bigger part of your life.

There is no need to try too hard to be friends with someone who you just can't agree or agree to disagree with. I don't think you will be "friends" except only maybe on Facebook.

But the most important point here is, there is no such thing as not having friends in life. Maybe you haven't been looking hard enough. Or maybe you haven't put in enough effort.

Glay Live Tour 2010-2011

2010-05-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

GLAY LIVE TOUR 2010-2011 ROCK AROUND THE WORLD

6/17 Misato Hall(Saitama)

6/21 Shimonoseki Citizens Hal(Yamaguchi)
6/23 Miyazaki Municipal Culture Hall
6/25 Nagasaki Brick Hall

7/ 1 Hachinoheshi Kokaido(Aomori)
7/ 3 Oshu City Cultural Hall Z Hall(Iwate)
7/ 6 Yokosuka Arts Theater(Kanagawa)
7/ 8 Takayama Shimin Bunkakaikan(Gifu)
7/11 Yokkaichishi Bunkakaikan(Mie)
7/12 Wakayama Prefectural Culture Hall
7/15 Alpha Anabuki Hall(Kagawa)
7/20 Kushiro City Cultural Hall(Hokkaido)
7/21 Obihiro Citizens' Culture Hall(Hokkaido)
7/23 Hokutoshi Sogo Bunka Center(Hokkaido)
7/27 Hondanomori Hall(Ishikawa)
7/29 Amusement Sado(Niigata)

11/16 Nippon Budokan
11/17 Nippon Budokan
11/20 Toki Messe Niigata Convention Center
11/23 Shizuoka Ecopa Arena
11/27 Nagano Big Hat

12/ 4 Marine Messe Fukuoka
12/ 5 Marine Messe Fukuoka
12/11 Hiroshima Green Arena
12/18 Sendai Sekisui Heim Super Arena
12/25 Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center・Kitayell
12/26 Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center・Kitayell

1/ 7 Nippongaishi Hall(Aichi)
1/ 8 Nippongaishi Hall(Aichi)
1/15 Yokohama Arena
1/16 Yokohama Arena
1/29 Osaka-Jo Hall
1/30 Osaka-Jo Hall

2/ 5 Saitama Super Arena
2/ 6 Saitama Super Arena

Okay Who wants to go together!!!!!???

A treat

2010-05-11T06:16:00.001-07:00

It made my night.

And I am going to

2010-05-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

Wheeee I am going to Alice Springs in 2 weeks!

That is the place I swore I would go to after watching Sekai no Chuushin de Ai wo Sakebu (Crying out love in the middle of the world), where Uluru (Ayers Rock) was the 'middle of the world'. So I am going to sekai no chuushin! Oh and to ai o sakebu!

Teasers: Rumors have it that. . .

. . . the stars fill the sky and feel really close to you at night.
. . . the rocks formations put you in awe.
. . . the redness of the sand clashes prefectly with the perfect blue sky.
. . . the outback side of Australia is an awesome experience.

I cannot wait! I cannot wait.
(Magnum Gold made me hyper tonight)

And I thought I was perfect

2010-05-10T01:37:00.000-07:00

The period of my life I hated most was in primary school.

Me: I don't like myself back in primary school. I think I was proud and arrogant.
Friend X: . . . . . . haha, I kinda think so too.

Back then I was always the top in class and assistant to teachers so I was flying high. So high that I thought I was way up above as compared to the others.

I began to demand and insist on what I want, and in the process lost sight of reason and the need to be considerate.

I would head straight into verbal fights just to defend my point of view - no matter if it is right or wrong. I would boss people around thinking I was doing the best for them - no matter if that was their wish or not. I would do anything I want and still insist I was right - no matter if I knew I was wrong or not.

Tantrums were regular.

However, the turning point came on that very day I let down my pride and said my first voluntary SORRY to my Mum. Straight away without hesitation, she pulled me close and said, "Let's go for an American breakfast". It happened in front of Hotel Lutana.

The period of time in my life I regretted the most was in junior high school.

I was a total hormonal wreck, scrambled with self-esteem issues and too busy finding my calling, in one word - EMO.

I would fall into an endless cliff of depression - over nothing at all - before bouncing back to the sunshine land of hope and no pimples. But with me refering this as my dark age, you can pretty much guess that I was down hiding in those cliffs of depression 90% of the time.

Every single thing would tick me off - the way my Sis crossed her legs, no homework from school, the crowded school bus. Everyone seemed to hate me - I was not beautiful enough, not smart enough, not popular enough.

Unbeknownst to me, no one or nothing was out to get me at all. I was the one in attributing every failure and obstacles in life to other factors external of me, trying hard to escape from fault or blame.

People don't talk to me - they hate me. But did I attempt to be friendly?
My Sis makes me angry - she hates me. But I made her angry before too, right?
My family scolds me - they don't love me. But did I show love to them?
Bad luck haunts me - the world hates me. But did I open up my eyes to see the good things I have?

Again, the change came when my Mum confronted me outside of Hotel Sandakan after a yumcha session long of black face + silent treatment action from me to all my relatives. She asked me what was wrong and I seriously had no idea what was wrong but was not ready to back down.

It made me realise how much time I have wasted - being unhappy for nothing and ungrateful for what I had.

One word I remember clearly out of my Mum's mouth that day was "stubborn".

The period of time I reminisce the most about is my high school years.

Stripped out pride and growing out of my emo-ness, I made friends - really good ones. I have never been so happy.

I had people to confide to about my biggest mistakes, silliest moments and problems.
I had people to spend quality time with despite not doing anything at all.
I had people I can rely on and at the same time protect.

I reconnected with family members. Just by talking more, expressing more, opening up more, initiating more and really, by being myself.

For the first time I found myself.

I was not actually that shy, that much of a hermit, nor am I that serious and studious. I was also not that into textbooks and sketching sceneries.

I am actually quite talkative and have a love for wholesome gossip. I am also an energy bunny capable of ingenius jokes and sinister tricks (not harmful!). I am loyal to friends. I love having company and really being adventurous with people with the same mind. I love video games and Japanese music.

I realised that one discovers who he/she is only through interaction with others and experiences/lessons earned in the process.

When I was emo, I was merely lost and frustrated without an outlet to vent out to.

And I remember my Mum saying, "I think you are really starting to enjoy life now, I am glad."

The period of time in my life I cherish the most is my first year in Australia.

I came over a bubbly and naive person, totally oblivious to what the outside world held - not to mention living alone.

Homesickness pangs came and went but I cherish this part of my life because:-
I started really appreciating my family.
I learnt to take care of myself.
I built a network of friends equivalent to a new family unit in Melbourne.
I experienced independence and loved it.
I found love again and again, loved it.

Lucky me. I learnt to let go of pride before this so I daresay, I became more confident without letting myself be arrogant.

I realised I learnt this much when my Grandma bought me two pieces of mango cake from the pasar. She booked them before hand and made sure she did not de-shape the cakes. She then handed them to me and said they were the best and cheapest mango cakes ever. I have seen prettier and eaten tastier mango cakes before (easily anywhere) but none of them have tasted so beautiful before.

I really really miss my Grandmas now. :)

The period of my life I value most is my jobseeking phase.

I fell from grace to hell, from being ambitious to self doubts, from hopes and dreams to despair.

I had the worst interview ever before being given a golden opportunity.

I heard the most sarccastic and inconsiderate remarks but also received the best encouragements and support I am not even sure I deserve.

What I gained out of this experience is invaluable - humility, appreciation and some much-needed growing up.

***

Till this day, I am still as stubborn as ever. But I truly believe that I am much softer - at least by 30%? - than before.

I have done some bad decisions in life but also a fair share of good deeds.

I am still on my way to becoming a better person:-

- by rebuilding my confidence damaged during jobseeking.

- by improving my patience and soothing the stubborn monster inside.

- by listening more to others and being more accepting

- by believing in myself and also putting more trust in others

and ultimately,

- by promising to keep learning to become a better person.

Dream Shoes

2010-05-06T05:17:00.001-07:00

I just met with my dream shoes.

It was just there staring at me wondering why I wasn't bringing it home.

I am crushed inside.
I am dying inside.

But with that price tag, even true love has to be sacrificed.

We shall meet and we shall greet - through the glass panels.

Until the day we belong to each other and stride the world fearless.

Wittner - LAMBA and Lady Millie.

(GOSH I MISS MY DREAM SHOES!!!!!!!)

One fine saturday

2010-05-03T17:56:00.000-07:00

Perfect with sunlight and warm breeze.

Perfect for dressing up in florals and going out without a destination in mind.
As usual I take every opportunity to put on my colour lenses and be all happy.

After all colour lenses mask the effect of additional weight (I truly believe so).

We drove all the way to Collingwood for a Japanese breakfast place discovered by WenJi. It was quit a long drive and all for a nice Japanese breakfast. I was really intrigued as you see a lot of Japanese restaurants but none specialising in breakfast! Immediately I was having flashbacks on the yummylicious breakfast we had in Hakone last year!

The cafe is called CIBI. Nested in between of what must be warehouses (?), CIBI is easily miss-able. In fact there is no big signboards, just a humble little standing board. But, people bustle in and out of this place.

It took us some time to get a table as they do not accept bookings there. Once in there, I realised that it is actually a Japanese+Western fusion cafe. You see a few Australians serving the tables while a few Japanese ladies tend to the kitchen.

They offer a range of teas and naturally I chose one of their green teas.

Quirky ornaments adorn the whole shop. In fact there is an art gallery consisting or glassware/porcelain/ traditional Japanese toys atttached to the cafe.

An excited pro-Japanese cuisine Alice Springs inhabitant.

Puffer fish.

See in real life I do laugh like this. Wah the first very 'ladylike' picture of me!! Even for that very milisecond I was a lady!

It was almost like a girl's day out - just almost.

A day before Alice Springs was on his itinerary.

This is the Traditional Japanese Breakfast.

Isn't it lovely? Although not in little bowls and containers or a tray, they small portions and variety definitely reminded me of Hakone.

The salmon was amazing, really really amazing. In fact, one of the best I have ever had. The omelette was great too and I love my Japanese omelettes.

Ray ordered a Tofu Burger in Teriyaki sauce and it was the bomb! The bun was crispy but chewy in a good way and before you think of the tofu being bland as compared to a huge-ass chunk of beef or fried chicken, let me tell you that it was not but in fact bursting with flavour. Definitely a must-try!

CIBI is a good place to just hang out and talk with friends. The casual and easygoing vibe they offer really makes a difference. I am contemplating to bring my Lowena to CIBI instead of Mart130 for breakfast hmmmm.

So much so that we made a trip to Alexandra Gardens for a second round of catch up.

This is what happens when you think the sun equates warmth in Melbourne. You under-dress and suffer and risk appearing un-macho.

Parks and gardens are always lovely on a sunny day. What makes it lovelier must be french fries, chocolate cakes and scones.

A half eaten florentine biscuit was momentarily forgotten as conversations continued on. . .

There is something devilish about how sharing food makes you eat more.

According to Jess, something seems very wrong in this picture. Pay attention to the extensive number of hearts. And for the ease of everyone's mind and justice to Ray, the phone is mine.

In my defense, I am usually a very nice girlfriend and Ray was smiling.

Friends I have, taking pictures of me like that.

Guess for the rest of my life I will just have to take pictures of myself :(

Ducks and eels swimming under the sun.

Autumn is definitely approaching :)

A whole table of Iphone freaks.

It was a normal and mundane day. But what I would give to live it all over again :)

Lakes Entrance

2010-05-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

This marked the begining of our journey to Lakes Entrance.

"An artistic picture" (according to Ray) of "Malaysian Chipsmore" (according to me).

I realised that will be what happens when I hand him my camera.

Because after 1030393439 years I finally had a chance to drive an AUTO car and really drive Ray somewhere in return.

You know how I complained last time that he never took decent pictures of me? Well, I think he decided to prove otherwise, or maybe rebel.

#1 Macro shot of my hair.

#2 Not enough? Macro shot of my goosebumps.

#3 Still not enough? Un-macro shot of my injection mark.

Have I justified my reason to complain, ladies and gentlemen?

And to think that I take absolutely amazing pictures of him! Like this one in the Fish and Chips store in Lakes Entrance. How did he repay me?

With this. Grrrrrrrr.

But nevermind. Seafood basket was grrrrreat. So everything was forgiven.

According to Ray, seafood in Lakes Entrance is super. So the plan was to start off casual with fish and chips, and end glamourously with a fancy seafood dinner. In between all the eating action would be fishing and paddle boating.

The sun was shining bright and warm despite it being a bit wet earlier.

It was even warm enough for us to share an ice-cream.

And bright enough for me to appear half a shade fairer under natural sunlight!

And then we stepped out of the car to see.

Gloominessssssssssssss.

It was quite a damper. In the end, we did not end up doing an fishing or paddle boating - no one was able to. Luckily, Lakes Entrance offers quite a beautiful and tranquil scene. We ended up just walking aroung and taking in the scenery.

There were really graceful swans along the shore. . .

. . . until the started scavenging for food in the sewage pipe.

The worst part was the patchy rains. We were walking whenever the sun shone and looking for shelter whenever the rain took over.

One of our shelters. Bridges like this remind me of Sandakan :)

Now for the big surprise!

Voila. Right after we stepped out of what must have been our 3rd shelter.

Different from the tranquility offered by the gloomy skies, Lakes Entrance was then looking serene. Really really beautiful.

Walking along the bridge, one can't help but be mesmerised by the instantaneous change of colour of the water - from grey to blue (reflecting the weather).

Just after the bridge, there is a beach. I love beaches over here.

The millions steps before us.

The sunset was gorgeous. See my orange face haha. It was not fake tan gone bad, I swear.

Ready for the gorgeousness of sunset at Lakes Entrance? Go!

I just love looking at the colourful reflections of the clouds on the water surface. Swwwooooooon.

The night was cold and windy so I was reaaaaaallllly looking forward to the glamorous fancy seafood dinner as aptly described by Ray way early before the trip.

BUT. Every single seafood restaurant was booked out. We were literally walking from door to door asking for a tiny table for two - but to no avail sniff sniff - sniff both as in sobbing and snivelling from the cold.

In the end we went to a random cafe and had erm, supposingly-cheap-but-not lousy cafe dinner. But it was a good laugh.

The next morning we went to this place called Buchan Caves. Located just a good 20 minutes drive away from Lakes Entrance, these are limestone caves filled with stalagtites and stalagmites and underground rivers carved by the nature through the flow of time.

Lemme tell you, it was amazing. Makes you really appreciate the creations of nature and the beauty of it.

Shimmery fairy dust.

In the dark, they really look like a hill of fairy dust. Tempts one to make a wish.

Not willing to give up on his planned glamourous seafood dinner end to this trip, Ray went back to Ferryman's Seafood Cafe for the meal he deserves!

And ooh la la was it good. Behold.

Two dishes I forgot the name to. Sigh. Anyway, it was awesome - fresh, crunchy seafood bursting with flavour!

And here are the jelly fish waving us goodbye and till we meet again, Lakes Entrance!

Family album

2010-04-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

Let me show you some fmily portraits.

#1 So tiny (vertically, sadly not horizontally) that I can fit with space to spare into one teeny picture.

#2 This is me going out of my room with a new bag - fringed and given my Melsuemanda for my birthday.

#3 These are my greeeeeeeeeen eyes and near the door knob is the Shiro doll SerLey made for Xmas!

Okay time for some realy family portrait where the subject is not me alone.

#4 Everyday is a struggle where play mimicks fight and the other way around.

#5 This, again, can be a show of affection or rebellion. A much-too passionate kiss perhaps.

#6 Shiro leaves a piece of him everywhere round me. A hair - even on my office seat. A lick - all over my necklace. A scratch mark - from way back when.

#7 The naughtiest dog in the world (this could be the initiation of a wrestle) or the manja-est dog in the world (this could also be the initiation of a major clinging closely to you session)?

#8 So it turned out to be a manja session. HE loves lurking around all over you and for you to snuggle him . . . and make you go all 'AWWWWWW'. . .

#9 . . . and then the lying close to you keeping you warm acting all cottonball-y. . .

#10 . . . showering you with attention and affection like how he has no other in the world. . .

#11 . . . only to bring you back to reality by acting mischievious, forcing you to pin him down!

#12 Time we spend together is usually eventful (tiring).

#13 And why do I still love him like mad? Look how short he is hahaha.

I have a soft spot for those lacking in this department.

Flipping the pages

2010-04-28T05:09:00.000-07:00

Okay this will a random post as I have a million tots running through my tiny mind.

***

Lowena: I wanna go Philadelphia Island!!

Me: Where is that. . . is it here in Melbourne?

Lowena: To see penguins!

Me: Oh. You. Mean. Philip. Island.

Was reminded of this when I was preparing some Philadelphia Cream Cheese to make my cheese cake.

Was further reminded me of a very important person who is probably looking after all of us from up above.

***

Kah Ci Kah Ci. Lok Gu Lok Gu.

The pet names for me and my sister when we were little.

How special that only both of us had pet names.

How funny that we even wanted to name our fashion line 'KachiLoku' in the future.

How amazing memories flow back just like that.

How sad that no one calls us by this anymore.

***

It has been a while since I have really listened to music.

Guess I am just not as young/hip/up-to-date as when I still felt young (!) sighhhhhh. Times like this I am glad I have my old favourite with me - GLAY.

Here's a secret: I wanted my first concert to be Glay's so I have been holding off all other concerts.

But this is so ambitious and quite impossible - firstly, cost; secondly, geographical barrier; thirdly, language barrier; finally, getting the tickets!

Believe me, I pushed for it the last time I went to Japan.

So the other day I was walking home from gym in the drizzle. A bit of rain, gloomy skies, alone, slight chill in the air, Glay music only to my ears - what better time to emo I ask you.

Hence, I began thinking - why must I think it is impossible to go to their concert? I think so only because I am not putting effort into trying to force my way into their lives haha, I mean, concert. I am 100% sure I will be beyond excited and it will long live as one of the highlights in my life. So why not?

The conclusion is: I cannot find a reason not to.

So here 2010 - let me Glay it.

***

Everything beautiful starts from the inside.

Agreed.

Thus, it is very important to have beautiful lingerie on in order to have the motivation to dress up pretty, make up nicely and work that fitness into your body.

***

I usually can't wait for the weekdays to be over. Then there is the dilemma that the faster the weekends come, the sooner I will turn 24. So how?

But now I really don't hope for the weekend to come so soon :-(

For Sunday will see me and Shiro being stuck with each other again while the third musketeer jets off to Alice Springs.

***

Masterchef is a devil.

Not only am I watching it every single night (I am rooting for Adam and Philip!!!!!), I am cooking/baing up a storm almost every day.

Let's take today as an example, I made:-

Herbal soup with chicken drumstick

Kangkung and prawns in chilli sauce

Luncheon meat with omelette (this is ciplak haha)

White fungus soup with red dates

Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake

There goes my no sugar diet wooooooooooopppppppssss!

***

I just realised that one of my colleagues has the most beautfiul skin I have ever seen - pearly white, smooth, glowing and pinkish.

I really wanted to ask her about her secret. As far as I could kepo, I only found out she is a vegetarian. And vegetarian I know I cannot be.

There was this one time I went to a vegetarian restaurant with friends and after a hearty meal, I did not feel a thing in my stomach. Which is very much weird as I really did eat a lot!

A mystery I never could understand!

***

I miss my Mum, Dad, YiMa and Choo Choo.

Not my Sister - she is coming soon and that means trouble, noise, money going out. Sigh, I really don't love her, why must she come over?

***

Can you ever imagine yourself buying a handbag up in the thousand-dollars range or more? Frankly I cannot.

Why why why?

And for someone so imaginative - I have tried hard and long trying to imagine the moment I do so but I just couldn't! I shall try to dream it out tonight just to see how it would feel like. Chanel, mama's coming to you tonight.

***

I still don't know what Ray is playing in Oblivion.

***

Hmmm good night.

Mr Tan's BDay Surprise Project 1

2010-04-24T05:03:00.000-07:00

For Mr Tan's birthday last year, I decided to do something lazy-creative. I called up all my friends (some mutual, some he met once, some heard of him from me a lot) and asked them to think of romantic surprises I can give him along with a birthday wish.

I have many good friends and the response was great (I was a bit pushy too mehbee). The suggestions ranged from romantic to funny, cheesy to bizarre and downright impossible. Some of the suggestions, I wonder if they harboured hate towards me or maybe on a more positive note, over-the-top love for Mr Tan.

I put all these ideas into envelopes and sealed them one by one with. . . . glue la. Stuck on the face of the envelopes were the birthday messages and who they were from. So in a pper box, lying strayly in the wardrobe, lie all these amazing ideas from some surprisingly funny/romantic/evil friends of mine - waiting to be fulfilled for the pure happiness of Mr Tan (or maybe pure enjoyment of my friends seeing me do them).

I started with the easiest idea from a friend whom I shall not name. Why?

Cause it was a failure. Damn it, first idea crashed and burnt in my hands!

Idea #1: Bake him a cake

So I 'attempted' to bake a blueberry fresh cream cake, seeing how Mr Tan has mentioned about being disappointed at the taste of the Secret Recipe Mango Delight Cake he used to adore so much when he tasted it again early this year. I thought of making him a mango fresh cream cake but mangoes are not in season yet! So blueberries then.

Look at my first birthday surprise for him!

Yummylicious right? What, doesn't look like it? What do you mean :-(

Yes, this must be the ugliest cake ever complete with melting make up.

Sigh. But before you give up on me, I attempted another idea. And this time, a really sweet idea from Loong.

Idea #2: Bring him to a beach and once he arrives, surprise him with either candles/ christmas lights with a special message to him. Better still if you have fireworks! (From Loong)

So with tiny little lights . . . .

. . and with many of them . . .

I conjured a message . . .

. . in the heart of the room.

He was surprised and I think he liked it (maybe secretly) when he came back to see it on the wall all the way from Alice Springs - the land of red sand, kangaroo meat and no Masterchef on TV.

I guess this counts as a success? Regardless this serves as a good begining (the cake doesn't count) to this surprise marathon.

Till then, signing off with love to all you peeps!

Make Me Over

2010-04-20T02:46:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I would not dare to dye my hair, make up too much or dress up too fancily, just in case others couldn't recognise me behind all the glitz.

"What if I keep my hair black again, will they not recognise me?"
"What if I don't apply my mascara+eyeliner+blusher combo, will they not say 'hi' to me on the streets?"
"What if they see me in my pyjama at KMart, will they be shocked dead?"

So for the two years after high school and before coming to Aussie, I have had minimal make-over.

Something along the lines of:

- Light brown eyeliner over black, and you know, it doesn't look like it's there.

- Chestnut brown/ash brown over red hair, cause you know, so that I still look Asian.

- Normal contact lens over pupil enlarging/colour ones, cause you know, eyes look duh normal.

- No concealer, so that you know, it seems like I am not 'trying' to hide my imperfections.

- Loose clothings over tight ones, cause you know, uh, I have an abdominal issue.

It is all about looking natural, you know.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

And then I thought.

Why put in all this effort if no one is going to notice?
And most importantly, if I don't feel satisfied with the result?!?!?

I mean, all the thoughts about fearing not being recognised or identifiable by others - about trying to remain as myself - phew, yes that is important. But what if I am changing and for the better?

Let's say, making up. Is more make up the equivalent of bad or running away from yourself or even hiding whatever you hate about yourself from the world?

Haih, why must we think so negatively. Sure I hate the dark circles (So much so I could kill his/her whole family). But instead of thinking we are hiding our flaws or putting on a face (literally), why can't we see it as enhancing our natural beauty with a little help from harmless powder and colour?

Changing your image from time to time doesn't mean you are not being yourself. Maybe, you are someone who love changes - then if you don't change that will mean you are not being yourself! And what better or easier way to shake up things in your world than a different shade of eyeshadow or thicker eyeshadows?

Oh of course, a different hairstyle.

I have tried all dark shades - all kinds of dark brown. Then there came the fateful day when a hairdresser accidentally gave me a colour - maybe 10 shades lighter than what I wanted. I was shocked beyond words! I coloured it 5 shades darker straight away but!!! It made me realise something.

Colour rocks. Big time.

Not only does it freshen up your look almost immediately. Regardless of how crappy you feel, you feel like there is a whole new beginning at your fingertips and your future is so bright! Wahhhhhhh. (I feel like colouring my hair ady now)

But does a red or blue hair colour mean I am defying my roots? From my perspective, loosen up, it is just hair colour, mate! I don't hate my original hair colour, I lurve my hair. Just wanted to play dress up with it that's all~ Okay, maybe I wanted to look like Kairi when I dyed my hair red so I admit it I wanted to defy my roots as a human and be a fictional character.

Then come the issue of dressing up - be it sexy, cute, sultry, glamorous, flashy, elegant or casual - must I just choose one of them, why can't I be all!?

Is it trying too hard if someone like me - short, slightly tubby and even more slightly round tummy - tries to go 10% sexier? I am willing to suck in my tummy to wear that tighter dress. I am also willing to exercise more to tone up for the summer shorts.

Where is the harm in that? That's right, there is none!

The point of this post is - I think - there is no need to limit yourself in expressing your inner child when playing with something as harmless as appearance as long as you love what you see and enjoy what you are doing.

It might draw weird glances and small talk from others - but most importantly is you feel happy inside. And when you are happy, spread the message to those who gave you the weird glances and small talk - tell them it is okay for them to be like you!

Magical world

2010-04-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

Ever since owning a dog, I feel like Harryanne Potter.

I buy things like:-

Pork Trotters

Pig Ears

Lamb Bone

. . as snacks for him.

Reminiscence of ingredients used to make potions.

And at the back of my Muggle-looking house, there is a Poo Kingdom. A tree lined valley with loadsa Shiro poo.

Magic tricks like transformation. See, now you see a dog . . .

. . . and voila, a cotton ball.

Mystical creatures swarm the land - behold the red-eyed albino 'werefox'.

It is magic here all the time with Shiro.

Hope you guys enjoyed this little magical tour with Shiro!

Just Pictured!

2010-04-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

Tuft of fur I combed off my 'non-shedding' dog. Mr Terror.

No sugar diet!

2010-04-14T05:11:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows me knows that I love junk food - the sugary, the salty and the creamy mmm-mmm.

Mum: What do you want for lunch?
3-year-old me who didn't like to eat anything: Keropok.

I have lived a long 17 years of unhealthy diet -
Zero count of: vegetables.
Less than minimum of: water.
More than enough of: snacks, dessert, soy sauce, soft drinks.

That was until I studied Biology and it gave me a shudder thinking of what I was doing to my body.

Well that is not the point.

I was thinking seriously the other day and then a new realisation dawned upon me.

"Why have I never had a flat tummy for all these years - could it be because of all the unnecessary stuff I have been consuming?"

Then one thought led to another:-

"Basically don’t eat any chocolate or sweets…nothing that’s kind of unhealthy. Lots of healthy food, working out a lot, lots of cardio.” - Alessandro Ambrosio on her post-baby body.

Eh.

I love exercising. I love being active.

But I love SUGAR more.

And I always hear people telling me that I eat too sweet/salty for anyone's good.

Is it possible that despite all my exercise/sit up straight/suck in tummy/whining/praying effort in trying to make my tummy disappear, my love of sugar has ruined everything?

This is so hard to accept that I have to hold on to something to support myself.

After all, accepting the fact is different from knowing the fact all along :P

Anyway, after thinking long and far, I have decided to go on a major diet change. . . . . for a week.

Before you boo, listen! This is just a short term plan to test:

- how major is the impact of sugar in tummy bulge development

- how determined I am in rejecting my food-love

- how cranky I will become in the process

So for the whole of this week, I will:

- Not touch, deliberately, any form of sugary food.

- Drink more than 2.5L of water a day

- Exercise at least once every 2 days

And 7 days from now, one of the mysteries of my life, will be uncovered.

Damn, the pictures and the thought of no sugar is making me think of sugar.

Stay tuned

2010-04-13T06:19:00.001-07:00

I am going to make some major temporary changes to my life starting tomorrow.

Let's see how that works!