If fate allow our destinies to meet.....

Agrigento Travels

2011-08-01T09:04:00.001+10:00

Agrigento is a good base to be as it is within easy reach of the Western Coast and not too far to travel from Palermo where we departed from.

The town itself transports you back into the past with its winding paths and buildings. Definitely a fun way of exploring easily by foot. You can then drive off to the coast from here.

For us, we only stayed for a day and took a bus to head to the Valley of the Temples to see the remains of the Greek Colony. I think just the name itself hints at the wonder and magnificence of what you would be greeted with. You definitely want to make sure you do make this a must see place when coming to Sicily.

For food adventures, please click here.

Tips:

1. You can take a bus from the main train station which will take you to the Valley of the Temple. You will not miss it and the journey is no more than 10-15 minutes.

2. The Archaeological Museum is not within the area of the Valley of the Temples. It is between Agrigento and the Valley of the Temple. Hop back onto the bus to take you there.

Sicily Travels - Palermo

2011-07-28T08:13:00.003+10:00

I was quite excited about heading away on a 10 day trip to Sicily. It has always made me wonder whenever I noticed Sicilians considered themselves to be unique and individual with their own cuisine and identity. Having never been to the South of Italy, I've heard that it is quite different to its northern neighbours.

I was looking forward to a robust and boisterous experience with fantastic scenery and food in tow.

On the first day that we arrived, we were too tired to do much other than walk around having not had any sleep the night before.

We were just walking around randomly and were brought out by our delightful B&B owner for some lunch and a home cooked dinner.

He has the most amazing B&B, check out some of the room designs (http://www.abali.it/en/abaliweb/)

Strolling through the winding narrow streets lined with pebbles, the stamp of Baroque Arab architecture was still quite evident.

We walked through the main streets and sidetrack into the alleyways whenever we can to immerse and feel the sense of what it was like living here.

The locals are very matter of fact friendly even though they do not look so from their expressions. It is easy to ask for help or directions and they do greet you when you walk by.

A few notable places and sites to see:

Capella Palatina, Cathedrale, Fontana Pretoria, San Cataldo, Quattro Canti, Teatro Massimo - these are close to each other and you won't miss it. It is in all tourist maps.
Monreale - You will have to take a bus but is definitely worth seeing, it takes half a day.
Cripta dei Cappuccini - Seeing how the dead used to be kept and maintained.

Here are some photos of a few places that we visited which I do recommend.

Tips:

1. It is not necessary to have a car to go around in Palermo. Most attractions are easily accessible on foot.

2. To Monreale, take bus 389 which is available around the Cathedrale.

3. Arriving into Palermo airport, you can take a bus which takes you to the central train station in 30 minutes or so for €5.80.

4. Most places are closed for siesta which means that you need to plan your sightseeing which is broken into the morning and evening with a siesta break between 1pm - 3.30pm.

For food adventures, please click here.

Day Musings

2011-07-08T00:52:00.001+10:00

Why is it that the one person I am missing is the one person I cannot see.

Boston

2011-03-29T04:56:00.000+11:00

From Washington, I travelled to the City of Boston. Boston is a very interesting place; it is rich in history and revolutions as well as known for its lobster and chowder.

History has always been one of my weaker subjects and what pops into my head when Boston is mentioned is the Boston Tea Party. This obviously changed since exploring the city.

Here are some interesting pictures.

Click here for more photos and here for food.

#Tips
1. It is highly walkable and armed with a good guidebook or research done. You can see everything by foot and public transport.

2. If you are with family and elders, opt for the Duck Trolley Tours. One whole round takes 2.5 hours and covers more stuff and local insights then a book or the Freedom Trail would give you. It is better value in the summer as $36 per person gives you a free harbour cruise as well.

3. The Freedom Trail should be the first point of action. It gives a good and brief guide to the history and brings you through streets that you normally wouldn't venture to. Gives good insight to the feel of the neighbourhoods. Try not to do this on a Monday as a number of sights are closed.

4. Free tours of Harvard Square are at 10am, 12pm and 2pm starting at the visitor information kiosk.

Washington Day 2 & 3

2011-03-29T04:52:00.000+11:00

Day 2 & 3 found me headed to The National Mall where most of the Smithsonian museums are located.

Did you know that the Smithsonian museum was founded by a British who has never been to the US?

First stop was the Museum of American History where I spent loads of time at the Julia Child section. Julia Child is such an icon and even though they were showing shows that were aired like 20-30 years ago, I was still equally mesmerised. I was equally fascinated with all her kitchen gadgets too!

I can see how Americans who watch her show grew up with her as she was still on TV at a very old age. Super hugs to her husband who was there for her for all things big and small which was mentioned.

I literally had to tear myself away to check out the other exhibitions. The biggest draw is the Star Spangled Banner. Very interesting story to this one. It was originally but now there is only left as the custodian was giving away snippets of it as keepsakes to people.

The whole place is really inspiring.

Next stop was the natural history museum. I can't believe how cool and awesome this place is. Seriously, both kids and adults will be mesmerised. The whole place is so well planned and the exhibitions are so engaging and well designed. You have to go to see for yourself. By far the best I've seen.

Next stop was the air and space museum. I know that this has over million visitors in a year but the ventilation wasn't that great and I was feeling hot and stuffy and this is in the winter. The place feels a little dated too. Still, manage to catch the highlights such as the Amelia Earhart plane and the Wrights Brothers.

That was enough walking for me and I went off to head for dinner at a famous landmark which even has its own gift shop.

The next day arrived and I headed for The Capitol and Library of Congress. I totally didn't realise that they are not open on a Sunday. Duh!! So tip for travellers, head there on a Saturday and the museums on a Sunday.

So off I went to check out the Eastern Markets instead. I decided to head there by foot which allowed me to walk through residential areas and immersing myself even if it was just for those few moments in what life is like here.

It feels great to watch people going about their daily lives. I see people with groceries, families heading for Sunday church, a child having an argument with his dad.

I arrived at the markets and it was quite interesting.

My earlier mistake meant that had more time to visit the Natural History museum which I did. I even went to the Freer Gallery to check out the Peacock Room.

Ventured into the Visitor Centre after and managed to catch an introduction video. Lesson learnt, the FIRST thing that you should do is head to the Visitor Centre and watch this video. It is so inspiring and told more about the museums than my guidebook did.

I headed to try the famous Mitsitam cafe in the African American museum after. Hey, if they can even have their own cookbook, it should be worth checking out.

My last stop was the National Portrait Gallery to view all the Presidents portraits.

That's all for Washington on my 2.5 day trip. There is still so much more to see if you like museums and history, you can easily spend 5 days here including checking out neighbouring Georgetown and heading to the Kennedy centre for some free evening entertainment. There were also other places like madam tussahs, spy museums and many more.

I did manage to squeeze in a foreign film movie.

For more photos, click here.

Washington Day 1

2011-03-29T04:47:00.000+11:00

I decided to take a train rather than by air from New York to Washington. Leaving the hotel when the sun is still asleep is no fun as I made my way to Penn station to take the Acela Express.

While walking into the station, I was greeted by a homeless man who was clearly drunk and this was at 6 in the morning. I walked silently away only to have him follow me into the lift. Luckily there was another Guy in there who told him off saying that he is holding up the lift. Drunken man tapped me on the shoulder and said I'll talk to you later, I Nodded and said ok and then....*scurried away*.

What a way to start my journey to Washington. The train ride was really pleasant and they even have wifi!

Washington South Station

With half a day left to explore, I went off in search of some lunch which took to me to Georgetown University. Pit stop breaks for some lunch. From there it was a 6 blocks walk to Lincoln memorial.

Washington reminds me a little of Canberra. Large open spaces, no sky rises and lined with government buildings. It was a really nice sunny day considering that it was winter and it was just so peaceful. Bar the regular interruption of ambulance and police sirens.

Managed to visit the WWII memorial, White house and finished with the national archives. There is so much history and the whole place just amazes you. Seeing the White House, the much revered Declaration of Independence and Constitution was just amazing.

I was so sad that the FBI have temporarily closed their visitor’s tour. That would have been really interesting. Needless to say, I was really tired by this point as I walked everywhere!

Last stop was Chinatown for dinner. Washington's Chinatown is only manned by about 20 plus shops and restaurant which is quite dismal. What did I eat? Click here.

That's it for day 1 as I walked back to my hotel from Chinatown.

There is no place like New York

2011-03-29T04:39:00.000+11:00

I HAD to spend a few days in NY as part of my US trip, there is an inexplicable vibe that hangs in the air and whether it is the unrelenting freeze of winter or sunny summer, you will still fall in love with the place.

There is just so much to see and if you have been watching a lot of US shows, it feels like a movie set wherever you walk and start recognising buildings and pavements for the first time. I love the grandeur of the Grand Central Terminal, the awe of the skyline from the Rockefeller centre and not to mention the delightful desserts and huge food portions.

I did not do as much sightseeing as my last trip which I know is way overdue. This time it was more catching up with friends, eating and shopping.

I definitely ate a LOT which you can catch it all here. Some of my favourites include the awesome Gua Bao or steamed buns, mouth watering ribs rendang and amazing texture in a poached egg just to name a few.

Shopping was....... Let's just say I was feeling shopped out and my credit cards have a very big hole in it now. US is a great place to shop for American brands especially at their outlet stores.

In NY, there are four options in addition to the myriad of shopping centres like Macy's, Sephora and Bergdorf Goodman. I went to all of them and here is a quick guide on each.

Filene's Basement

There is at least one store in every state and works similar to TK Maxx and Century 21. They sell a huge selection of mid to high end brands at discounted prices. You definitely need time and patience to dig out the bargains. It gets especially crazy when they go on sale, the ladies go crazy and manic mayhem occurs in the wedding dresses department.

Century 21

Century 21 is similar to Filene's Basement but you can't beat their huge selection of mid range to couture shoes available. I grabbed many a shoe bargains here. Not to mention accessories and clothings. If you are tight for time and can't head to an outlet, I'll say head here as it is a micro version of the outlets with a taste of selections, variety and prices.

Jersey Gardens

This takes half an hour by coach from the Port Authority Terminal and runs every half hour. Buy your ticket at the machines which costs $13 and head to gate 202. Jersey Gardens have mainly low to mid range brands with some having additional sales.

Woodbury Commons

Lastly, you have Woodbury Commons Outlet which is an hour coach ride from Port Authority Bus Terminal. The ticket cost $42 which comes with a voucher book with additional discounts at participating stores. It is expensive for a coach ride and if you have more than three of you heading there, renting a car and driving there on your own might be a more economical option.

I say the price is worth it as the bargains are fantastic. As with outlets, sometimes you get great bargains and sometimes you don't. WC houses most of the mid range brands that can be found in Jersey Gardens as well as designer brands. Think

Of all of them, my favourite is WC followed by Century 21. Having been all four places in one trip, I am seriously shopped out!

The New York stop was pretty much catching up with friends through food and shopping this time round.

Please click here for more photos

When it's all worth it!

2011-02-05T03:43:00.000+11:00

A lot of people do not understand or know the dedication it takes to blog. I lost count of the endless finishing up posts past midnight and the sheer hours it takes to sort the photos.

It all becomes worth it when comments or feedback is left to know that people do read and do appreciate what you write. I also gained a whole new circle of friends who perhaps share the same passion or humour.

I recently had a dining experience which I truly enjoyed and genuinely love what the chef does. It took me nearly three weeks to write up my experience as I do want to do it justice even when not everything is positive.

With it being a Friday and I am all worn out and sleep deprived, I received a message from the chef thanking me for the review. It is truly a wonderful feeling and words cannot described how all that effort was worth it. Maybe it was the same for the chef too, to get feedback on the delicious creations which they would have spend so much time and effort on.

I guess it works both ways!

Fav quote of the Day from Earth Cafe

2010-11-16T22:27:00.002+11:00

No good ever comes from holding onto regret. Learn from your past, accept it & keep moving forward free of remorse or disappointments...

London Summer 2010

2010-10-06T09:38:00.000+11:00

The London summer for 2010 felt surprisingly short as we seem to only have 2 full weeks of hot sunshine. My denial of insisting that it is still summer is slowly being diminish to be faced with reality when the sun no longer sets past 9pm and the winds and rain greets you like a long lost friend.

Am really happy that this year I got to spend and make the most of the summer instead of being away for work. Looking back and reminiscing, I have managed to packed my days with events and things of interests. I managed to do a lot and yet still miss out on a lot.

It is amazing how there are so many things happening around and it is just a matter of finding out what is there out there to do. Here are some of the random events that I have managed to enjoy during the summer….

BBC Big Band at canary wharf. Lazing on the grass, munching on delicious food and perhaps just people watching or reading while listening to big band music on a nice summer’s evening.

Tour of the Somerset House. This is a free tour and is available twice a week.

Kenwood Picnic Concert at Hampstead

Tanguera at Sadler’s Well

Was really looking forward to this and I think it is a good show but there were some sacrifices in the dancing to make way for the acting and storyline.

Cinderella by the English National Ballet.

Into the Woods at Regent’s Park

I really quite enjoyed this one. A different take on the classic stories by the Grimm brothers. Definitely try to catch one of these next time or next year.

Elephant Parade (photos to come)

Spartacus by the Bolshoi Ballet. Vasiliev is just amazing. What has been said is true, his leaps are higher and he seems to fly in the air much longer.

Ascot Racecourse

There were also many others such as:
Food related festivals such as Taste of London, Soho charity food festival which I will try to post soon on my food blog.

Picnics in the parks, weekend trips away, walks and trails…the list goes on. What I couldn’t fit in which is on my to do list for next year – berry picking, summer BBQ, more walks and trails such as Peak District.

The hole in my pocket has definitely expanded greatly in summer but some of the experiences are well worth it. There are still a few more places which I am trying to squeeze in before it is looking to the Summer of 2011.

And a hello to Autumn and Winter………

A summer's day in London

2010-08-18T19:47:00.000+10:00

Aah...When I was in Sydney, I always wondered why my British friends were seemingly obsessed with the weather. Yes, I know that the sky in London tends to border on grey for most parts of the year and it rains all the time. I was not entirely convinced that grey clouds and rainy days have that big an impact on our attitudes and behaviour.

Things have changed, after being here for more than a year. I like to pick bright sunny clothes as a sunny pick me up against the grey skies and starting a conversation with the weather does not seem unusual anymore.

It is currently 18 degrees today and in Sydney, this will be known as cold! But the sun is out, I have been missing out on my summer days for days now so I refuse to give in. I still want to enjoy my summer. I refuse to wear my jacket today and to take it as summer as the sun is out.

Strange how the weather affects you doesn't it.

Cupcake mission accomplished!

2010-07-24T00:15:00.002+10:00

FINALLY.....after three weeks of trying, I managed to get my cherry blossom cupcakes!

Walking back from Hummingbird, there were 2 little kids walking in front of me. The elder brother holding the hand of his little sister and walking along the pavement. Imagine being little kids on a busy pavement and having people walk by you from all directions as well as watching out for traffic.

What happen next brought a smile to my lips and touch my heart. The brother guided the little sister to the other side of him so that he is standing closest to the road and her to the pavement and shops. Protecting her more from the danger of the traffic (both human and vehicles). This is what I call pure selfless love and care.

I've always noticed that in a man if he does that, sign of being a true gentleman. To see that in a kid...little boy you rock!

Happy Brithday to....

2010-07-17T20:13:00.006+10:00

ME!!

Another year has passed and it is another year older or should I say wiser? LOL!

Time to look forward and hopefully it will be a fantastic year....there are still tons of stuff and wishes and dreams that I have and want to fulfill.

And....got myself a nice little pressie...all thanks to the phone fund courtesy of my ex-colleagues and wonderful friends.....I am losing LOTS of sleep over this.

Dreams are made of....

2010-07-14T22:28:00.000+10:00

Lately, I have been pretty stressed and my emotions feel like it has been on a non-stop rollercoaster ride. I can’t help but still feel a little anxiety that seems to like to linger just around the corner, unseen but its presence felt.

I have a dream, a dream that I am hoping will be materialised. Seeing others who have trodden down the path and been successful helps to make it seem, “It can be done!” I find that thinking about my dreams helps to take my mind off things.

Dreams are good, mine is made of hope, faith, determination, willpower yet it includes dashes of fear, worries, sweat and tears. I have a big dream and I will need to go through all that to make it work in the future, in the meantime, thinking about it brings joy to my face and bring me to a happy place.

What are your dreams and what are they made of?

Thank you, Decca Aitkenhead

2010-07-06T20:16:00.000+10:00

While reading an article online, a sentence from the journalist really stood out to me. “I do, however, recognise that what I like to think of as my opinions are really emotional prejudices” (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/05/clay-shirky-internet-television-newspapers). My mind immediately thought of a particular friend that I know.

While it is without a doubt that we are all humans and are governed and ruled by both our logic and emotions, it is really interesting how each and everyone one of us are ruled in different degrees by these two paradigms.

Being too logical can be interpreted as having no emotions and of almost being like a robot. Yet, being too emotional and losing the balance of logic plays havoc in a world where boundaries are set for the auto synchronisation of people for society to operate smoothly to a certain degree.

The two words ‘emotional prejudices’ got me thinking about how many of us are doing that without realising. Some are reasonably justified through personal experiences and unique events while are the rest just pluck out of thin air? I believe that all emotions have a trigger and it is just a process of understanding what that trigger is.

Reading all the books in the world, seeing the world or even attending millions of talks will not help if one does not have the ability to then extract and analyse, starting with the most important one of all; self – analyse and understanding yourself. I find it is incredibly wonderful that this journalist was able to self-analyse and admit that yes, some opinions are emotional prejudices. It takes more out of a man/woman to be able to do that and shows character.

Thank you, Decca Aitkenhead.

Desk decoration galore....

2010-07-01T21:40:00.000+10:00

It is always a period of adjusting whenever you start a new job. Learning the ropes, getting to know the people and the culture. My new company is very different and I am slowly acquainting myself to the bits and bops.
I was so happy when I noticed that there is a break out area and a café but unfortunately my team loves to eat at their desk or out of the office. Have not found a lunch buddy yet.

I am loving the fact that I actually have a permanent desk instead of being immersed in the luck of the lottery to whichever hot desks are available for the past few years. It is nice to be able to experience and decorate your desk. Day by day, I try to make it more me! =)

Sow hat did I get up to? I have some recipe books on one side so that I can look at them when I need a break. Am thinking of maybe a cute figurine or two to brighten me up pr perhaps a tiny plant (although the office health and safety or gardeners might not be too impressed!) I have also been slowly bringing in snacks and shoes! LOL! Aahh…the wonders and fascination of it all.

Got me thinking, what else do people do whether intentionally or not with their work desk?

Have not succumbed to posting photos yet…..

New changes in a dynamic world

2010-06-16T23:15:00.000+10:00

After a whirlwind three months away for work, things have now changed!
I have resigned and this week is my first week at my new job. Good things to come hopefully for the future.

In the meantime, I somehow managed to sprain my wrist during dance class yesterday and I can't really put a lot of weight or do too much with my sprained wrist! =(

Post Delay

2010-04-10T20:46:00.000+10:00

Apologies for the lack of post, can't access Blogger in China. Have to wait until I am out of the country.

台北狂狂狂！

2010-04-04T02:00:00.000+11:00

真不好意思！台北真得非常好玩，每天回来都满累了，一碰床上那个轻软的枕头就没办法。。。睡觉了！

我会尽力的快点把全部post上来！

等我!

Taipei Day 1

2010-03-29T02:57:00.000+11:00

Yippeeeee……after a long stint in China, I am forced to leave the country or I would become in illicit with the law. The destination that I have decided to head to is Taipei.

Have never been to that country but I have a lot of friends from there and watch heaps of Taiwanese shows. It was a long wait at the airport waiting to check in. I was so early that the check in counter wasn’t even open.

I chose to fly with EVA airways. The staff crew were really nice and friendly and I was pleasantly surprised with the food. It was delicious, I think it is definitely at the top of my list from all the airlines that I have been on. Check out the food review here.

Got to the airport and was out within half an hour, went to pick up my youth travel card which is actually a key chain! It was quite late by the time I was settled in the hotel. The hotel is really great, the staff was so helpful and was there at every step. It’s great when you get wireless internet access in the room as it means that I can seat anywhere within the room. It is a Japanese inspired styled room where you even have a section for 泡澡！

So excited to finally be here that I decided to walk around the streets and grab a bite to eat. By the time I head to bed, it was way past midnight! That is my first night in Taipei!

Toilet Manners

2010-03-10T15:37:00.003+11:00

Have departed Shanghai and am now in a city called ‘Zhang Jia Gang’. It’s definitely a really small city. Requested for a non-smoking room of which they don’t have any more available unless I upgrade to a bigger room. For an extra 7 quid, am happy to pay that so that my lungs will be happy. It is a really nice room and the amount of space and amenities is much better. On my second night, I even received a little ducky key chain. So cute!

There is definitely more room and space in ZJG. Shanghai is just massive and the amount of people is just incredible. What puzzles me is that in a city with tons of people, everyone seems to walk really slowly. What is more annoying at times is groups of 3 or 4 people who link arms together and occupy the entire pedestrian walk area and because of their slow speed, they are seriously causing human traffic jam here. Yet, they are so oblivious to the jam that they are causing!

Another amusing incident was going to use the ladies in a hotel. Very posh décor and the door to the cubicles were made of glass. It’s not entirely see through as the glass was shaded in alternate stripes so there is still a bit of privacy. Imagine my surprise when I open the door to the ladies and there was another lady in a cubicle who didn’t even bother shutting her own cubicle door. I have no idea what was going through her mind when we glanced at each other for a few seconds while I walked to an empty cubicle.

I never thought that I would say that toilet manners need to be taught!

Time Out Shanghai

2010-03-05T13:53:00.002+11:00

A few days into my trip here in shanghai, I chanced upon the Time Out Shanghai monthly magazine and got myself a copy. This was the March 2010 issue and the front article on the best markets was enticing!

Anyhow, there was a restaurant that was recommended in the magazine under the 'Off the Beaten Track' food section which is called 十味观. This restaurant was highlighted for its variety of coloured ‘xiao long pao 小笼包’. In a land where you can get 小笼包 at nearly everywhere you turn, coloured ones is something unique and it immediately piqued my curiosity to try it.

After a long day at work, we left later than expected for dinner and was worried that the restaurant might be close. The taxi did not even drop us at the location and we had to walk around to find it. Didn’t help that we were walking in the rain in the wrong direction before we realised that we had to double back.

Can you imagine the look on our faces when we got to the restaurant and what did we see? A truck parked at the front of the restaurant and workers lugging out the kitchen stove. Tables and chairs have been totally removed as well!

Seeing that scene before me, I think even in my food deprived brain, I'm pretty sure that the restaurant has closed its business. Not happy! How can Time Out recommend a restaurant in its latest monthly magazine which is the March 2010 version and have that restaurant shut down in just a few days into the month? It’s only been less than a week into March!

What is going on Time Out?

古筝的愿望

2010-03-03T00:17:00.001+11:00

我从小就很喜欢从古筝出来的音乐。这么多年来都很遗憾没那个机会学，也没向父母提过这个兴趣。

新的一年已开始了，我就下决心，提起勇气去找个老师和古筝。在伦敦真的不容易找，而且堂堂课也不便宜，更加不用说买古筝的价钱了！老师说一定要每天在家练习，可是没有古筝的我，怎么练呢？上第二三堂课都没意思啦!

我对自己说，反正我会跑去亚洲一堂，就在那边买吧！
去了马来西亚和新加坡，找不到适合的。到了上海好幸运的找到几间,特别有一个的服务非常的好, 价钱也比别的店更真实.

本来打算上一堂课,然后买了古筝带回家. 时间就要等两个月因为我的工作不容需我在这几个月能回到家.

今天就上了第一堂课, 可是我好糊涂,忘了需要练习的时间 , 不然都不能上后堂的课. 真的好烦, 一次以一次的阻碍. 这几个月需要到处跑中国, 背着一个古筝也不会是一件容易的事情. 也不知道航空公司会不会接受古筝当行李. 我真的没办法了!

Shanghai days...

2010-03-02T07:18:00.001+11:00

A slight drizzle and haze in the sky greeted me in the morning in Shanghai today. Weather has turned colder as well.

Was taken out for dinner last night again and we went to a restaurant that has amazing décor. Think ‘20s and ‘30s décor charms with high ceilings enhanced with oriental carvings and furniture. I had to pause and admire the architecture for a while before being led to the table. Food was good, as is the culture here. There was way more food than could have been eaten by our group.

After dinner, went for a massage at a spa that was recommended. At RMB108 for over an hour traditional massage, it was hard to say no compared to the prices that you will have to pay in London.

5 minutes into the massage and I had to stop myself from screaming, my muscles have become really tensed. I guess lugging a 10kg bag on one shoulder with all the travelling has created its toll. I could feel all the tender spots on my neck too! Somehow midway through, the muscles have relaxed and I actually fell asleep. I didn’t want it to end.

Can’t wait to make my next appointment even though my back is really sore.

Happy Chap Goh Mei!

2010-02-28T17:11:00.021+11:00

Happy Chap Goh Mei!

I am fortunate to be able to celebrate the last day of Chinese New Year in a land where CNY is the biggest festival/event for the year, China!

I was even served the much missed 'Yee Sang' which is an annual thing that is done primarily in Singapore/Malaysia. Thanks Singapore Airlines!

Arrived the day before and red lanterns and banners are everywhere with festive wishes/sayings written on them. I went about looking for one of my favourite food, 汤圆！

I was taken by a recently became local for some home made Shanghainese food for lunch and my favourite restaurant for dinner. I am so stuffed I seriously need to squeeze some gym time in. The restaurants also gave complimentary 汤圆 when requested. Review here.

Managed to cover some local tourist highlights as well including getting some tailoring done. Think shirts, trousers, qi pao, cashmere coats. Review here.

It's back to work tomorrow now but hope everyone celebrated well.

Tokyo Day 6

2010-02-12T10:32:00.003+11:00

Went to check out a flea market. Anyone interested in a fridge?

Did some shopping at the Apple store (apple fan) and Muji before heading off to our next scheduled iron chef restaurant located in Ginza, Rokusaburo Michiba!

Continued sightseeing around Ginza and went into 虎 which is quite a famous dessert shop. Unfortunately they were fully booked with queues, the same goes for the Shiseido Parlour!

Saw a wedding procession when we headed to the meiji shrine and a bride in traditional wedding costume having her photos taken. Beautiful!

Next up, a themed dinner which concludes the Tokyo trip!

Tokyo Day 5

2010-02-11T10:19:00.003+11:00

Woke up and was greeted by really serene surroundings and scenery. This is the view that we get when we wake up. Had another fabulous breakfast and off we went exploring the place. The Gassho-style houses are just lovely and with the rays of sunshine on our backs and faces warming us up, we had a good time. Check out the pictures!

Left to head back to Tokyo but not without stopping at Echigo-Yuzawa for a round of onsen with a twist! The onsen is made of sake!

Tokyo Day 4

2010-02-10T10:14:00.006+11:00

We checked out of our hotel in Shibuya and decided to try a different kind of novelty, capsule inns!

There are not that many that welcome females and this was one of the few close to central Tokyo that does. I was quite impressed with the capsule. It isn’t as tiny as expected.

Had a good night’s sleep and we are on our way to Sendai and Kanazawa to view the Kenroku-en gardens, castles and for our next food adventure!

Next up was to Nagamachi Bukeyashiki-ato. This residential area still lies the remnants of the traditional residences of middle- and low-class samurais.

Thereafter, we boarded a bus heading to Shirakawago. This is a world heritage site and we were going to stay the night in a Gassho style house which was the traditional dwellings in the old days. By the time we arrived, it was pitch black and it wasn’t easy trying to cross the bridge and finding our accommodation.

We finally found it and just love the place. Was told to freshen up and that dinner will be ready soon. Little did we know what a huge feast it was going to be!

Tokyo Day 3

2010-02-04T12:43:00.004+11:00

Woke up to a hazy day, the plan was to go to the tower at Ropponggi Hills to take in the sights of Tokyo. Not sure if this was a good idea on a drizzling hazy day. The Japanese are so efficient, the guard lead us to an area where there are stands to lock your umbrella.

Spied a Tiffany’s store that is men’s only!

In the end, we left as was told the view will not be good today and we decided to head to our next destination, Asakusa shrine.

Was fascinated by a lot of the food stalls leading to the entrance of the Asakusa shrine. Later, we headed to Chen Kenichi’s restaurant for dinner, please see here for the post.

Tokyo Day 2

2010-01-31T12:08:00.004+11:00

Was raining and so we decided take it as a shopping day!

How considerate and excellent are the customer service here. They even prepare plastic covers for the shopping bags so that it doesn’t get wet in the rain. Each store have these prepared in the sizes of their own bags!

We had to check out the famed Building 109! Definitely an array of shops located in numerous levels. The fashion being shown and the attire, AMAZING! There are always the ladies at hand at the information counter to help you.

Jaded

2010-01-29T11:59:00.001+11:00

Some enter this world, full of hope and wonder
While others are affected by grim and despair

Passages of time flows by
Changing our views and perspectives

Life becomes weary
No longer is there wonder of what life brings
Instead, it is of what else can life hit you with
Has she now become jaded........

Tokyo Day 1

2010-01-27T11:42:00.001+11:00

This post is long overdue and is a continuation from here. I still decided to post it up as I spent a lot of time working on the posts and pictures and absolutely loved my trip!

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After grabbing some dinner, we were too excited being in Tokyo that we went walking around even though it is already close to 11pm. To my luck, I came upon this shop.

YES! It’s ‘RanKing RanQueen’. Top of my list for stores to visit when I am in Tokyo. The store works on the concept of every product that is sold in the store is part of a top 3, top 5 or top 10 list. It can be anything from drinks to food to makeup to socks. Handy place to go to find out the latest craze or what is the top product in that category.

Especially if you’re a tourist and need somewhere to start before delving into all things Japanese and scratching your head as to which one to get. Stickers with the No. 1, No.2 numbering tags definitely helps.

I got some of my favourite stuff this way from a similar ranking store in Kyoto.

TB was scratching his head when I squealed in delight as I found what I always wanted to get.

Yes, it looks a little too short as slippers doesn’t it? LOL! It’s actually made that way intentionally. By wearing these, the lower part of your feet is about an inch lower than the top part so what it does it that it stretches your calves at the end of the day when you’re wearing it at home. Meant to keep the calves long and lean.

Check out my review here.

Happy New Year - usher in the new decade!

2010-01-05T23:29:00.000+11:00

Happy 2010!!!

I celebrated it in style and in the freezing cold in New York. It was really fun. Will post more of my trips from the past few months soon.

Right now, am keeping my fingers cross that my flight actually departs back to London and that my luggage actually follows along!

Leaving Sydney in a few hours...

2009-12-04T00:48:00.000+11:00

I'm now almost done with packing and leaving Sydney for my next destination. Am really going to miss this place, it's amazing how so many things can be taken for granted and only missed once it is gone.

I still remember arriving about 2 weeks ago and stepping foot on Sydney airport. Turning back and looking at the A380 that I arrive in.

Meeting up with friends (old and new), the surprises and delight on their faces, the laughter shared over a good meal. And plenty of meals there are, you can check them out on my food blog.

Catching up on news and what has changed and what not!

I am going to MISS you all...but it's time to look ahead to what the future brings. I am off to be a bridesmaid this weekend and another week of glutton and friends adventure!

A mountain of thoughts...

2009-11-29T03:36:00.001+11:00

It's now nearly 4am in the morning and I have decided to stop tossing and turning in bed and try to do something more constructive with my time.

So here I am...in the blogosphere writing a post about it instead.

What is troubling me so?

Well...after being in Sydney for a week, my love for Sydney crept up to me and I am suddenly missing it even more. Before I left for the harsh shores of London, I sometimes get a bit bored here and wanted to do something different in my life.

Living in London has only made me realised how much we have it great going on here. Don't get me wrong, London is a fantastic place but there are so many little things and comforts that increase our quality of life that Sydney and Australia is able to offer. The culture, the open friendliness, the food (don't get me started)!.

I guess knowing that I have to leave in a few days creates a sadness in my heart and a heavy weariness to my feet.

Home.....

2009-11-24T08:47:00.001+11:00

I'm back in Sydney.....the 42 degrees heat during the weekend was just unbearable coming from the cold and wet London.

I love this city...the food, the people, sounds and sights!

I miss being able to drive in the mornings and listening to Kyle & Jackie O on the radio.

R's Hens Nite

2009-11-17T10:03:00.000+11:00

Last Friday the 13th was one of my good mate's hen's nite. Unfortunately with my job, I am always away from London so much that I tend to miss out on a lot of events and dates that are important to me.

Having looked through some of the photos on Facebook, it seems that it was one really fun and wild party. Tinge of sadness that I had to miss it. Not to mention the fact that I won't be able to attend the wedding as well. Major =(

Just using this post to say to R: Hope it was a blast and some memorable memories to last a lifetime! Never say nay to partying!

落花有意流水无情

2009-10-01T03:05:00.005+10:00

I recently read this in an email, ‘落花有意，流水无情’.

I have always admired the articulation of the Chinese language and how by combining a few words into a verse, it can have a very different and deep meaning.

Some verses like this evoke a sense of poetry and romanticism.

My initial interpretation of this was of the flower petals (which I took to mean the female) having the intention, but the flowing water (meaning the male) does not reciprocate. This verse is now mainly used to describe the love relationship.

Of course, I wanted to reply to my friend saying “落花无意” as we were chatting about someone we know. That someone happens to be a female and was not the one that has any intentions.

Before I hit send on my reply, I did a bit of digging online to see if my interpretation was accurate.

I found this, “shedding petals, the waterside flower pines for love, while the heartless brook babbles on unrequited love” (http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/12/ZdicE8Zdic90ZdicBD199488.htm)

My other source was of course my older sibling, not sure where my sister got this but that was what I got the next day – “最初说的是禅理，而现在更多的用来描述情感。落花遇见流水，实属天意，而流水不恋落花，亦是无奈，在人生旅途上有多少这样的萍水相逢、一见钟情、转瞬即逝而又经久难忘的一厢恋情……构成了一幕幕“落花有意,流水无情”的戏剧性场景。但多情总被无情恼,那无情的风景，总让人牵怀.”

Amazing! How 8 words can be used to mean so much about our life when it comes to love. How true that if you asks any singles, many are still searching for someone but the same comment ring in many of them, “ they know people who are interested in them, but those are not who they are interested in, where is that person they are looking for?”. Which leads to the sentiment of 但多情总被无情恼,那无情的风景，总让人牵怀= having more love/affections creates more woe than none, but being in a loveless state makes people cherish for it.

I do ponder, what do you think?

Hurt

2009-04-18T10:44:00.004+10:00

A single tear she shed for you, tears that shed for no one else before
You are hurt, lost in a world of frustration
You begin to wonder
Is there no light at the end?

Self pity is not the way
She's hurting too, it's not an easy choice
Reality hits you at the weakest point
Life is never fair

Is this how it ends
Strangers among friends
Not a smile, not a word, not even a nod
Does the journey not mean anything to you...

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T23:22:00.002+11:00

A Happy New Year to everyone. Hopefully, your celebration or the watching of the fireworks was better than mine. I was freezing in Leeds! Took me ages to get out of bed this morning for the first day of work in 2009. No amount of radio music blasting in my room was able to motivate me to wake up and I snuggled tightly in the warm comfort of my bed for at least another 30 minutes. Experienced my first snow shower ever ever! Tiny spatters of snowflakes fell together with the rain and landed on the windows of the train that I was in. It was amazing!

Waiting game..

2008-10-30T06:17:00.003+11:00

I'm finally moving into my own apartment this weekend. Can't wait as I have practically been living out of 1 suitcase and the weather is getting really cold here.

Next step is to get a job. Sigh...it's just a waiting game.

I found my home away from home

2008-10-22T20:13:00.005+11:00

I found myself an apartment!! Close to the tube and within walking distance to amenities!

It even comes with a gym and spa and was below our initial budget.

Of course, had to lock the contract in for a longer period as it is really a good deal! I will be moving in in two weeks. Can't wait!

The best thing of all is that there were no dramas with paying 6 months of rent in advance thing.

What a day!

2008-10-17T04:42:00.003+11:00

Finally had a small window of free time from prepping and attending job interviews. Went to check out some areas and spoke to a few estate agents about some apartments that I saw that I was interested in renting.

Imagine my shock when one of them said, "As you are still job seeking, that means that you are unemployed, that will classify you as a class B tenant which means that you will need to be prepared to pay 6 month's of rent in advance."

Me: WHAT???

I was thinking, are you kidding me, no one said that before to me and 6 months is really excessive. Not to mention that fact that it is one of the most expensive currencies, the POUND!

I was still shocked for at least half an hour after leaving that agent. Spoke to some people and they have never heard of that before, but then I don't think they were at the unemployed stage when they were seeking to rent either.

That estate agent didn't help by saying that based on the criteria that I had, she doubts that I can find a place close to where I was looking at. But I searched property websites and definitely saw some.

I think I might just give this agent a skip in the future.

After that, heard back from my recruitment agent and unfortunately I wasn't successful in one of the jobs that I applied for that I really like. The feedback was good, they thought that I was fantastic but there was another candidate who had UK experience and have audited that specific industry before.

Oh well, so it boils down to me not having the experience in that industry, nothing I can do about that. They did mention that they are definitely still interested in me when they are recruiting say 2 months later. Well, I think at that point, I will be homeless and penniless (spending in pounds using AUD) so I won't be able to wait 2 months.

Greetings from London

2008-10-09T00:43:00.004+11:00

I know that I have been silent for a while. I was really busy packing and sorting out my things in Sydney. After that, I left for a week of holiday in Tokyo. It was wonderful, I will put up pics soon once I'm more settled in London with my own place and my own computer hopefully.

At the moment, I am busy meeting up with agents and attending interviews. I didn't exactly arrive at the best time to look for a job with the current economy and media hype about the financial sector.

Leaving to my new home...

2008-09-29T21:42:00.008+10:00

Finally, all my bags are packed and I am en-route to London via Tokyo. Can’t wait. The only minor drag is that I have to lug an overflowing luggage of 30kg with me to Tokyo. =(

The flight to Tokyo wasn’t all that great. I got one of those old Japan Airways flight where the entertainment system is not even up to you to choose when you want to watch the movie. Not to mention that I was automatically assumed to be a Japanese and was given an immigration card that was entirely in Japanese. As much as I am flattered, it doesn’t help, as I don’t even know what to fill other than some words here and there that I could make out.

Finally arrived at Tokyo airport and was on the train on the way to Shibuya where our hotel was. It started raining when we got there and we couldn’t quite figure out where the hotel was. Hailed a cab and it was quite an adventure trying to get the cab driver to understand the address in English. In the end, we managed to get the cab driver to call the hotel (thankfully we had the hotel number with us) and we got there safely in like 5 minutes. Argh..it was soo close but lugging heavy luggages with empty stomachs and trying to find the hotel at night wasn’t our cup of tea.

The hotel room was great! There is even a washing machine and cutlery and cooking utensils. It was more an apartment than a hotel. At the lobby, managed to find another map that was so clear and detailed with directions to the hotel from the train station. What is the point of providing that when your guests have already found the place?!?! This map should have been shown on the website rather than the vague looking one we had. So if anyone is interested in this hotel (which I do recommend), please use this map!

With our hands clear of luggages and heavy items, we were able to make our way for dinner. Ended up in a western-ish restaurant. Of all places, trust my friend TB to end up picking that in Japan, haha! Check out the review here. No clubbing tonight for us as we rest our weary minds and bodies in anticipation of a full day of shopping ahead.

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Update: I know it took me ages to update my Tokyo trip but it was busy busy settling in a new country and new job. Better late than never though. Please go here for the continuation.

2008-09-09T22:31:00.003+10:00

It's things like this that saddens me and make me wonder what is Malaysia turning into. So your party didn't do too well in the recent elections, grow up!

I can tolerate when you want to make racial comments. Hey, it's your prerogative! But to tear down someone's picture? Where are your manners?

Ahmad must explain actions - PM

Tuesday, 09 September 2008 11:23 zen

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that he is expecting Datuk Ahmad Ismail, the Bukit Bendera Umno chief to explain the row the actions of his supporters who tore up the poster of Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon when they meet today. He said “I have been told about it and Najib (Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) and I will see him tomorrow. We will get an explanation as to why it happened and after that we will decide on the action to be taken against him. It is not for him to ask a component party to leave Barisan. Tomorrow we will decide and decide quickly after meeting him,”

When friends become true friends...

2008-09-07T02:50:00.003+10:00

As some of you may know, I currently have 3 more weeks left in Sydney before I move to the London.

I just had a farewell dinner with some of my friends and as I looked around the table of 19, all these people were friends that I knew while working. A thought crept into my mind about what the meaning of friends truly is.

Good friends to me are those that you meet or hang out with all the time. Or even not so, at least you called or chat with each other regularly and know what is happening in each other's lives. Those that are there to always lend a helping hand in need as well.

However, my perception seems to be changing now, more so after tonight's dinner. With my move to Sydney a few years ago, I had to let go of all my high school and uni friends and come on my own to Sydney to work.

These workmates sitting at the table with me having dinner have now become my friends. I am extremely grateful that they have come, especially when it was at short notice. These are the same people that I don't get to talk to regularly or that we even hang out regularly at all. Yet, somehow, whenever there is a function or event, they definitely turn up.

We may not know too much about each other's past and external circle of friends that we all have, and yet there is a bond where we share parts of our private and social lives. We don't talk much about things that trouble us or family/friends problems. However, we can look at each other and there is a confirmation that we are more than just workmates and help is there when needed.

I guess that maybe I am quite a private person and don't do a lot of confiding to people. Therefore, I wouldn't bet an eyelid if the same people consider me as "someone I know from work".IT just amazes me how even though they may not know much about my personal life but they still regard me as special to them.

I find myself now receiving thoughtful birthday and farewell presents that is totally unexpected. I am eternally grateful for their friendships but it just amazes me how my perception of a good friend has drastically changed from even just 5 years ago.

Google Olympics Doodles

2008-08-24T18:07:00.007+10:00

With the ending of the Olympics today, it has been a good 16 day's worth of sweat and tears. I wished that I had more time to watch more events though. Channel 7 wasn't the greatest either. They didn't show all events.

Anyhow, there is always the trusty internet for more vids and news. Has anyone else been intrigued by the daily Olympic doodles from Google?

I find them fascinating. With the complete collection now, let's reminiscence all the events.

Day 1 - Opening Ceremony

Day 2 - Cycling

Day 3 - Weightlifting

Day 4 - Diving

Day 5 - Rhythmic Gymnastics

Day 6 - Artistic Gymnastics

Day 7 - Basketball

Day 8 - Badminton

Day 9 - Soccer

Day 10 - Rowing

Day 11 - Table Tennis

Day 12 - Swimming

Day 13 - Track Field

Day 14 - High Jump

Day 15 - Martial Arts

Day 16 - Baseball

Ending - Closing Ceremony

The McDonalds Coke Olympic Race

2008-08-18T22:11:00.004+10:00

With any Olympics, there are sure to be sponsors and food chains the likes of McDonalds taking advantage by selling us toys and mementos.

I guess that I am one such consumer who buys this collectibles. How could you not when McDonalds teamed up with Cokes and came up with a set of Coke Glasses for 3 different events l(swimming, basketball and athletics). It seemed like something worth collecting and is usable. It is also a piece of history. You never know, 200 years from now and this could be in a museum.

After successfully collecting the first two, I trotted off after work today to collect the last and final coke glass. To my dismay, my regular McDonalds has already sold out on it and it's only a MONDAY!

Thinking to myself, "What's the point of having two and not completing the collection", I knew of another McDonalds about 10 minutes walk away. Hence, started my own Olympic race for the final Coke Glass.

Dragging my trolley bag which houses my laptop in addition to a gym bag, I wasn't in the best position to race around for the final Coke Glass. I got there and discovered that it was closed for renovations. OMG!!!!!!

I guess that no event is without it's surprises and hurdles. I headed back into the city to George street to my 3rd McDonalds branch. Sold out again!

This is killing me....it's dinner time and I can't get a Coke Glass with my McDonald meal. Went to the 4th branch, sold out again.

By this time, I have literally walked half of the city and more.

Onwards again. With any event, there can be interruptions, onwards to my next destination, I was stopped by someone asking me where is the nearest supermarket. What the heck!

Finally reached the 5th branch, it looked promising, then I was greeted by these words "Sold Out". Arghh.....

I only know of 2 more branches left in the city. Mind you, this is me walking from one end of George street from Chinatown to Darling Harbour and upwards to Circular Quay.

6th branch....GOLD! I got my Coke Glass. Was it worth it....after all that effort, I think I deserve those fries that came with it.

I now have my complete collection (at least in Australia since they only sell 3 of them). You could say that the final Coke Glass was the coveted Gold.

Ha!

On my way...

2008-08-04T20:42:00.001+10:00

If you've seen my previous post, I was starting to despair on when will I be able to go to London.

After a very long and tiring day, I checked my email and discovered an email. It was a notification saying that my visa has been approved!

Yippee....I am now packing...London, here I Come!

We Got Married

2008-08-02T21:09:00.006+10:00

I have a huge stack of movies and series that are piling up that I have yet to watch. It's hard when you have only so many hours but there are so many different shows in different languages to watch.

Ah! The joys of being Asian, you have shows in English, Mandarin, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan to choose from and it makes the amount that I want to watch so much more.

Needless to say, I am SO BEHIND! Anyhow, after some persistent coaxing from someone, I started watching a reality show from Korea known as "We Got Married". I have to say that I am HOOKED!

The show is about 4 celebrity couples who pretend to be married and the life of a newly wed couple. All 4 are vastly different and definitely give some highly entertaining moments. You get the awkward moments while they are getting used to each other and the fights and dramas!

You always have that slob of a guy who never wants to do anything. Then you have the cute couple and a seemingly materialistic and fashionable couple. The one that I was most taken with was this really romantic guy.

He is just so romantic that it almost seems unreal. If you can hear the music resonating from the background of my blog, it's a song in his album.

There was a point where I began to question whether could it be that he is just putting on a show. After all, celebrities are known to be really different in real life and when they are on camera. However, after watching for a while, I believe that he is really a sincere and genuine guy. I may be wrong, but I am happy to have this conclusion. If I can find someone half as romantic as him, I'll be happy! What can I say, I AM a romantic at heart!

Anyhow, if you're bored, definitely tune in to watch this reality show. You can find it in many places, including here.

Where has time gone?

2008-08-02T15:17:00.004+10:00

In a blink of an eye and it is already August in the 2008 year. I can still remember when the clock striked 12 midnight and fireworks went off to greet the new year. I was full of hopes and dreams on what I wanted to achieve in 2008.

Unsurprisingly, things never turn out the way you want them.
My career did not take off as how I envision, thankfully in a twist of events, I found myself in a better position.

I hoped to have been in London by now but am still here in Sydney. I am still hoping that I will be able to get there before October. *fingers crossed*

As the countdown starts for the Olympics, it also counts down how much time I have left for the remaining of the year.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Mili & Shin Yi

2008-06-30T12:33:00.001+10:00

Happy Birthday & Hope you had a good celebration!
Mili - I will see you in a few months time!!
=)

Good Food & Wine Show 2008

2008-06-22T22:15:00.006+10:00

I mentioned earlier how excited I was with the Good Food & Wine Show and how I was hoping to meet Gordon Ramsay.

The day finally came and I woke up bright and early before the show started so that I can get me some tickets to see his live demonstration.

There were already hordes of people there and I was worried about not being able to get any tickets. Thankfully, after some minor mishaps with the ticket lady (she over charged me!), I finally got some tickets and M and I proceeded to enter the show. As our tickets were for his 3.30pm show, we planned to check out as much as we can (i.e. eat and drink) before his live demonstration.

M kept saying that we shouldn't wait till after his show to go for the book signing. So we headed off looking for the book signing area. We were going round and round and not sure where to go until I suddenly spied this.

Eagerly, we started following the foot prints!

There was already quite a queue when we finally found it at like 10 minutes into the opening time.

Started talking to one of the book sales lady and she said that it was a good idea to come for the morning book signing session as this was the only one that Gordon is extending to 1 hour instead of the usual 30 minutes. There were a lot of disappointed people who queued up who didn't manage to get their books signed within the 30 minutes.

M and I eagerly waited in line.

While waiting, I had plenty of time to look at what was around me.

Finally the time came and Gordon appeared and the queue started moving. Half an hour into the session and it wasn't our turn yet. I was thanking my lucky stars that this session was an hour. Otherwise, I had to continue queueing again and won't get to walk around and check out the stalls.

Finally it was my turn and I became SPEECHLESS! I can't believe it, I was star struck and couldn't think of anything to say. =(

Sigh....I never had any luck with book signing sessions or when I attended my one and only celebrity signing session!

M and I were famished after that and we headed off to get some lunch. For the rest of the day, we came across some interesting stalls and food.

A mascot for a Tupperware! What else....

This stall was quite interesting. You place this sachet in the fridge and it helps to keep your veges and fruits lasts longer. I had to buy one and try.

I never thought that I would see this but an actual human vending machine. Give him your money and you will receive your product with the other hand. Freaky!

I had a great time and we only left at closing time. I seriously doubt 1 day is enough as we spent that just going through stalls and celebrity demonstrations. We didn't even get to go for any of the other food demonstrations.

Do check out my food blog for all the food and drink pictures!

Apple store opening, Sydney

2008-06-19T21:29:00.008+10:00

For those who have been wondering what the commotion was that started in the afternoon at the corner of King and George Street in Sydney, it was the opening of the Apple store. The first ever in the Southern hemisphere and the second largest in the world so far. There was quite a buzz going around with many Apple fans flying in from other states and overseas.

The media got a sneak peek yesterday but us public have to wait until today.

The store is to open at 5pm to the public. When I got there half an hour before, there was already a huge queue.

It stretched all the way round the side of the block to the middle of the next street.

Lucky for me, I had my newest baby to keep me occupied while waiting. The good people at Nudie also came and quench our thirst.

There was a lot of waiting and waiting and the queue just keeps getting longer and longer.

Finally I was at the side of the Apple store with only about 50 people ahead of me. It started to drizzle. Ooh! I need to get in.

20 people ahead of me, I am now waiting at the front of the store.

Finally got in. The first 2,400 patrons get a free T-shirt. Yippee....I was one of the first 2,400 people.

The first level are all the computers and peripherals. You get to the second level and you are greeted with an array of all the ipods and media accessories.

As the whole place has an open theme with glass walls, you could still see the queue waiting to get in at the entrance.

Could see Channel 9 covering the opening event on the side.

Love the displays on the side.

Anyone interested in pink laptop covers?

Up the amazing stairs to Level 3 and you get to the service/genius centre.

The wall displays conveys this on Level 3 as well. While the parents are having their one on one discussions, you can leave the kiddies on the side to play games.

Anyone interested in some lab workshops?

Check out the huge long table of techies answering questions and helping customers.

The signature Apple logo hanging in the middle of the store.

The the people who are still queueing to get in, the Apple staff were kind enough to start handing out Apple umbrellas so that they don't get wet.

I love the umbrella. Simple and just the logo. This is one umbrella that I am happy to help flaunt and advertise.

Were you one of the lucky few to get an umbrella?

Good Food and Wine Show

2008-06-18T10:32:00.002+10:00

My thumbs are twiddling on my desk and I keep looking at the time, wishing that it will pass faster.

I can't wait for the Good Food and Wine Show which starts on Friday. After being in Sydney for so many years and always being a no-show. What better excuse than to go this year as Gordon Ramsay will be there.

Needless to say, I am a huge fan!

Hopefully, I might see some of you there. If you see a queue with people holding a book, one of them could be me queueing to get my book autographed by Gordon!

Onda VX767

2008-06-08T23:22:00.001+10:00

It finally arrived. I wanted something that can play RM and RMVB files. My new baby just arrived! I love it! 4.3 inch screen, has TV out functions and all the other works! All those months of researching and I finally settled on this. Great quality and features and the price is really reasonable as well. Made and sold in the China market, it sure bits some of the American MP4 players in terms of price and features.

Jay Chou is the spokes person for it and my new baby has his signature on it. Teehee!

Allergies and rashes

2008-06-06T23:05:00.001+10:00

OMG...I woke up the next day from my trip and I was covered with rashes on my entire face and hands!

The skin was so bumpy and red and really inflamed! This is a result of too much alcohol, I used to get rashes when I first started drinking as a teen. I needed to get to a pharmacy during lunchtime to get me some anti-histamine.

It's already been 5 days and it is only slowly subsiding. The only thing that I can use is Aloe Vera.

That's it, no more drinking for me for a while. It was so not worth it, I would have felt a bit better if the rashes was just on my body and not my entire FACE!

Considering that my resolve was not to drink as well but I decided what the heck! Now, I need more resolve then ever and is the perfect reason for my friends not to force me to drink next time.

Manyana

2008-06-04T21:42:00.000+10:00

I was looking forward to the weekend away trip for so long. The uncle of one of our friends was kind enough to loan us his holiday house for the weekend. For me, it was about enjoying the company of friends and just being away. For some of them, it was just about alcohol. Ha!

Friday night came and even before we left the city, we had a few crazy moments. Let's just say it was along the lines of switching drivers while at the red lights and passing a map to the car behind us while at another set of red light.

It didn't help that I gulped down my drink at the bar straight before we started our journey there and needless to say, I needed to visit the toilet about 30 minutes in.

We finally arrived and the house was fantastic! Thanks V. It was located at Manyana which was past Jervis Bay down South of Sydney.

Doesn't the bed look inviting after a whole week of work? I was too excited and didn't manage to take photos of the entire house. But wooden floors and the sound of the waves on the beach while sleeping is definitely my cup of tea.

Most of us decided that it was time to get some rest before the crazy activities are to start. I slept on this and it was just sooo comfortable.

Morning came and this was what greeted me. Amazing, I'm in heaven.

Breakfast was toast, bacon and eggs. Yum!

Round off with creamy Lindt chocolate. Slurp!

Games started and so did the drinks and cocktails!

Followed by another and another and another.

Lunch was BBQ. Check out all that meat and grease. Haha.....

We had our lunch at the patio. It was so cold and windy but we braved it just to have the view and smell of the ocean. I was so stuffed after that. I seriously don't think I can have dinner.

More drinks again. Seriously, I think I am drinking more this weekend than I did in the past year!

R suggested a drinking card game and we all started to play. Penalty were drinking shots. There were a lot more shots than this but that was just the first round. Thankfully, I didn't do too badly with the card game and didn't have to drink that much. Alas, I kept getting nominated by T to drink.

By the time I was able to have dinner, it was around 11pm. OMG!

I was soo tired when it was past midnight, not to mention the amount of alcohol in me that it was time for bed. T and I lit a candle in our sleeping area and chatted the night away.

Aren't this bedroom slippers cute?

No breakfast yet and it was already time for more drinks. My group of friends sure are drinkers.

Yummy Caesar salad for breakfast.

With plenty of leftover BBQ meat.

It's time to head home now. Bye holiday house. I wish we had a long weekend and could have stayed longer but I don't think my liver will appreciated that.

It was so good to getaway and have some stress release. Great friends and company.

What next?

2008-06-02T00:52:00.003+10:00

I just came back from a weekend trip away and no sooner did I unpack my weekend bag that I now have to pack for my work trip away for next week.

According to some sources, there won't be any internet access. =(

However, I had a fantastic time during my trip and will put up the photos later. Let's say it involved food, the beach and TONS of alcohol. In fact, I think my body is still slightly intoxicated, not to mention that I am extremely tired.

Starbucks

2008-05-29T21:43:00.004+10:00

When was the last time that I had coffee? Let’s see, that will probably be 3 months ago? When was the last time that I had Starbucks coffee? That would be 1 year ago…

I have never been a fan of Starbucks, preferring the small cafes around Sydney. Coffee costs cheaper and I think the quality is better.

However, feeling really sleepy today, I decided to try Starbucks once again as there was 1 near where I was working. I ordered a white chocolate mocha (must have my chocolate with the bitterness of the coffee).

The barista was quite cute! Ha~ but all eyes are on my cup of coffee.

20 minutes later, after I have finished my coffee, I still feel drowsy!!!

The coffee was really weak and I paid heaps more for it that if I were to have gone down the street to a café. Not only was it more expensive, it was soo weak that I still felt sleepy and it didn’t keep me awake.

Arrgghh…lesson learnt again…I am not going back to Starbucks!

Godzilla bride

2008-05-25T21:04:00.003+10:00

One of my good friend's brother had his wedding this weekend. Weddings are meant to be a good day of celebration and unity. I always believe that when you marry someone, you don't just marry 1 person, you marry the entire family.

That is what happens and you can't just say "No, not interested in getting to know your parents, siblings, cousins etc..."

Apparently there were some tensions between the family and the bride. I was appalled at the audacity of the bride and the disrespect that she is showing.

1. Your in-laws went to all the trouble of selecting the fabric and made a wedding dress and prepared all the jewellery to go with it. Bride says that she won't wear the jewellery but will wear the dress. The day came and she did not wear it. Considering that she probably needed to only wear it for like 10 minutes even if she didn't really like it, that was really inconsiderate. I mean, a lot of effort was put into that dress.

2. Wedding cards were printed with the bridegroom's name before the bride. She went and got all the cards reprinted again. Now, I don't know if it is the male or female's name that is meant to be written first according to tradition. But if it has already been printed, do you really need to spend more $$$ on this? Weddings are not cheap!

I'm wondering...

Can you as one of the families actually make a fuss at the wedding?
What do you do with a Godzilla bride?

When what seems to be natural might not be

2008-05-25T20:54:00.002+10:00

My heart goes out to those parents who lost their children to the earthquake that crumbled Xinjian Primary School. This is what happens when there is corruption.

How do you explain when your school building was the only one that was extremely affected while other buildings right next to it have just a crack or two.

Cronulla

2008-05-23T21:42:00.002+10:00

I was recently working at Cronulla. Wasn't exactly too enthusiastic about having to travel for 4 hours everyday (with the train ride itself being at least 1 hour).

Was feeling a little uneasy after the big incident that shocked Australia a few years ago at Cronulla as well. Being Asian, I was definitely hoping that my safety would not be an issue.

After the first few days, my views changed as the people there are really friendly and they have an amazing beach and huge houses on the South. Some of this houses are above $5 million. It never ceases to amaze me how houses that are so far away can still cost so much. Fair enough you get a water view but if I had to spend that much. I might as well can one closer to the CBD.

I was rushing to finish my work during the week and had little chance of enjoying the water views when I was there. On the last day, I found this nice little area which had the best view ever. Considering that the spot I found was on private property and was on heritage land, I felt quite privileged to have been able to have my lunch and take in the fresh breeze for a few minutes.

Of course I had to take some pictures. =P

The bench where I had my lunch. It was freezing cold that day but was worth it!

Panoramic view of what I was staring at.

21

2008-05-18T17:49:00.004+10:00

Has anyone seen the new movie '21'? Fantastic movie, I definitely enjoyed it and wouldn't mind going back to watch it again. There is always something about gambling and cards that gets my blood ticking (although I swear that I don't have an addiction to gambling!).

Well, this week was the movie's premiere week and I decided to make good use of my free movie ticket and watch it. After all, my free movie ticket expires this month!

I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the cinema. As you know, I am not a frequent visitor of the cinemas. If not, my free ticket would have been used sooner.

Firstly, they now issue tickets with seat numbers. So you better just seat in your allocated seat or bargain with the ticket issuer to let you choose your seat when you buy it. Previously, it was "first come first serve" and "the early bird gets the worm" kinda thing.

They must also have done some renovations. Check out the seats.

All plush and ergonomic for your back. There is even a side table thing for the ladies to put their handbags. No more having to rest in on your lap. How cool is that!

Something else that impressed me were the side rest. Now those couples would be rejoicing. Low enough that you don't have to twist your hands at awkward angles to hold hands and a nice plushy cushion-ish arm rest so that it is comfortable for 2 hours!

Great seats (did I mention that I manage to curl my legs in my seat? It was just like watching a movie at home) and a good movie. The asian dude in the movie was really funny too...what's with him trying to always just get as much freebies as possible from hotel rooms and even at a night club! There are definitely people like that in the world. That's why hotels have calculated that into our room rates, towels, bathrobes, shampoos etc...

That was a good 2 hours spent!

Too much of a good thing?

2008-05-17T17:33:00.003+10:00

I did something this week that I haven't done in yonkers. I actually went to the gym 6 days in a row. Wow!

I have to say that my poor muscles were screaming by Thursday though. So, on Friday I decided to take it easy and went for a yoga class. Ahem*, it wasn't as easy and breezy as I thought it was either. There was a lot of stretching and yes......

I even had to do this...and a few times too. Seriously, my muscles were working equally as hard and I even started getting a headache midway through which lasted another hour after the class. Must be all that deep breathing that the instructor made us do. My body must not have been used to that much oxygen!

Those fats in my body better start to melt away....ggrrr!

I won't be doing this pose anytime soon either...I think that I'll probably break my back trying to do this.

Appreciation

2008-05-12T23:21:00.003+10:00

I received an unexpected email today. It was from a work mate who I've become really close to. She send out an email to a few of us and was telling each and everyone of us how appreciative she is.

That really made my day and was a nice surprise to finish the work day. Especially as I had to travel far to get to my client this week. A total travel time of 3.5 hours and my ipod battery died on me in the morning just when I left my house. I left the ipod on and it must have drained all its battery blasting music in the night. My bus arrived 10 minutes late which caused me to miss the train I need to catch as well. Amazing how when you need everything to run on time like clockwork and it doesn't.

Her email got me thinking...

1. Who says that you can't be good friends with people that you've met at work. Although they may not know anything about you or how you were like when you were a kid, but the ones who click and are of the same kindred spirits just seems to be the exception. I've met some people whom I'm glad that they have entered into my life.

2. We don't tell or show the friends and family we have how appreciated or loved they are. Yes, we tend to only say and pick on the bad stuff sometimes with our boyfriends/girlfriends, mom, dad, brothers and sisters. But we don't tell them equally how thankful we are for times when they just drop everything and help us or do little stuff or sometimes be our slaves for the day.

3. We don't catch up enough or tell our friends how important their friendship is. I have many friends overseas whom I treasure their friendship but with our busy lives and distance between us, I probably have not talked to some of them in months or years but they are still very important to me. More so sometimes than the friends I meet often. We lose out on what is happening in their lives and they in ours.

To the people who send me spam email or mass emails saying good things, I somehow don't think that that is as sincere though. I'm not sure if they just like reading and forwarding emails or do they really mean it. Especially if they do it on a regular basis like everyday. I suppose to other side of the coin is that they thought of you when they are forwarding those emails.

We all seem to be so time poor nowadays that even emails and texts are not helping us to stay in touch enough with people we love and treasure.

Why oh why??

2008-05-09T23:44:00.001+10:00

Friday night is supposed to be a good night. The beginning of the weekend and the end of the work week.

And what am I doing at 11.45pm? Being very upset because one of my external hard disk decided to just end its life. i have 80G worth of stuff in there that I now have to remember and replace. =(

Not happy.

Can someone let me know what should I do when this happens?

Sammi Cheng's concert

2008-05-05T19:56:00.007+10:00

It’s been a busy weekend for me. A wedding on Saturday and then attending Sammi Cheng’s concert last night.

I usually wouldn’t go to a concert on a Sunday with the next day being a workday. I do not have enough sleep as it is.

Since I’ve already bought the ticket, can’t say no and waste my money on the day itself, so off I went. Got there about half an hour early and the venue was still looking pretty empty. However, another 10 minutes past and suddenly, people were arriving in droves!

Got to our seats and we were all given complimentary "Pong Bong" sticks. We got great seats (thanks Michelle), near the centre and second row from the front at the first level.

I was wondering if the concert was going to start on time as concerts usually do not last for more than 2 hours and if she didn’t start at 8.15pm as stated, the concert might only be 90 minutes.

8.36pm and the lights in the hall dimmed and music started to boom from the speakers. I was getting excited. This was an artist that I grew up with in my teens and I haven’t attended a concert of hers before.

She was great, she sang a lot of her old songs that I definitely loved. The funniest thing was, I still remember the lyrics to some of them. Ha!

She really connected with the audience and talk a lot about what she went through and the experiences and lessons that she have learnt. She gave a lot of encouragement and support as well.

Mid concert and a fast song was finally introduced and the medley of fast songs lasted 20 minutes straight of crazy dancing that would have definitely taken a lot of energy. She is one crazy and funny lady.

Nearing the end, she came down from the stage and started shaking hands with the fans and taking pictures. What I like about her is that when she sees a camera on her, she will stop and pose so that the fan will have a nice picture. That is really sweet of her. When the song ended and she was only a third of the way through the aisle of fans, she turned back and asks her band to play another song. It was very impromptu and even she had to figure out what song her band was going to play for her to sing. Other artist would have just stopped and went back on stage at the end of the first song.

It’s no surprise that she is definitely one of the top artists. Her voice is really strong and has power when you hear her sing live. Compared to some of the younger generations now where it’s more falsetto and soft (makes you wonder if a lot of technology had gone into it).

I came out of the concert really happy and enjoyed it very much (even though there was no encore). It lasted till 11pm, 2 and a half hours! I haven’t been listening to her songs in years but now I think I will start to again (that is the power of a good artist).

Congratulations Winnie & Peter

2008-05-03T23:38:00.005+10:00

Congratulations once again to Winnie & Peter.

I attended my first friend's wedding today. Before, it was always attending wedding with my parents when I was still a wee kid!

It was the church service in the afternoon and we were greeted and given a nice little welcome book.

The church was a good size and not too big that you lose that intimate atmosphere & cosiness of friends and family all here for a joyous occasion. We were there pretty early and managed to gets seats 5th row from the front which gave us a good view.

We only waited a little while and the pastor said that the bride has arrived. You could see the anticipation in the groom's eyes. A while longer and the ceremony hasn't started, the pastor jokingly said that maybe the bride changed her mind. GULP, you could see the groom looking a little nervous.

It all went smoothly thereafter and the ceremony proceeded. Hearing the couple exchanging vows got me a tad emotional. The bride was looking absolutely gorgeous in her wedding dress.

We also came to the all important question where the pastor asks if anyone objects to this union to please speak now (like you see in the movies), it was a little surreal and trust someone to inadvertently give a cough!

After the ceremony and the registration, it was time for pictures. It has to be the family taking pictures first so the rest of us were ushered to the hall for some finger food. Check out the array and variety of food. Wow!

I saw this swan cream puff and it just looked really cute! It was really delicious too.

You then have the bride throwing the bouquet of flowers time and there was this 1 particular girl who just pushed past the crowd to get to the spot. She seriously push me and my friend away to get there and we weren't even where the area was! She even dived for the flowers when it was thrown, that was how MUCH she wanted it. Needless to say, she got it!

After the church ceremony, there was a few hours to spare to get some rest before the dinner. It was a full-on 12 course Chinese style dinner with the works. Shark's fin, chicken, duck, fish, scallop, rice, noodles, it was a LOT. The desserts were really succulent and was really good. I had yum cha at this restaurant before and they are definitely one of the better ones in town. I really couldn't eat anymore after that.

We all had a great time, catching up with people whom I've not seen for a while and witnessing the union of 2 people.

To the newlyweds: Have a great honeymoon! See you when you get back.

Buses, shoes & Ipod

2008-05-02T20:14:00.004+10:00

There is this shoe shop that I have to pass everyday to get to work. It has tempted me for a week now as I saw a pair of shoe that I just fell in love with. However, the heels are super high! I may like heels but I've always been a more practical kinda person and my heels have always been like an inch or two.

For the fun of it, I tried the shoe on and goodness, the sole of my feet was really arched that I wasn't even sure if I could walk without breaking my ankle or something. I felt quite disappointed after that.

After a few days, I finally decided that I would buy it because I really like it and console myself by saying that I'll just change into it when I am in the office (at least that way, I don't have to walk around that much).

All excited, I rushed there after work and they were having a sale. Buy 2 get 1 free, now who can really resist that! Ha!

I literally spent ages looking for 2 other pair of shoes. It's amazing how common sense just runs out the window when I could have spend less for just 1 pair but for the sake of 2 more, I ended spending a lot more. Sigh.

After 40 freaking minutes, I ran out of the shop with 3 shoe boxes, my laptop bag, my gym bag and my own purse. OMG! I couldn't wait to get home. Went to catch the bus but I just missed it and had to wait another 20 minutes and it was raining so all the seats at the bus stand was wet. I was left standing and waiting. Finally, with 10 minutes to go, I decided to listen to my Ipod.

To my horror, I couldn't find it! I must have left it in the office. Oh no! someone could just easily take it. In the end, I ran back with all my luggage to see if it was still there. Luckily, the cleaner left it at the side of the table and I was relieved. All the while remembering that a fortune teller told me this year to be careful of my belongings. Ha!

Anyway, tried to get back to the bus stand in time only to see my bus just pull away. =(

It's going to be another 30 minutes wait (and I was getting hungry).

Oh well, here are the shoes I bought. The one that I fell in love with was the blue one with peep toes! Was it worth it?

Weddings

2008-04-26T23:05:00.013+10:00

Weddings...they seem so far away when you're still in school and all you want to do is meeting people and clubbing and having fun!

I have no pre-conceived notions about getting married soon, less so a wedding! However, I still want to wish all my friends a very happy marital bliss and would love to attend their wedding. Having moved past a quarter of a century in terms of age, now seems to be the time when friends around me are starting to tie the knot. Alas, due to me being in a foreign country, I have yet to attend any of my friends' wedding which I sometimes whinge about. Teehee!

Especially when my younger friends are attending weddings and being bridesmaid left, right and centre. It costs me to start thinking about what about my friends? Are we all so happy with being happy and free and going about with our lives?

Anyway, enough about my laments and thoughts. I have a friend's wedding to attend next week (finally, although I knew her through work, uni friends: what is happening with you guys?) and do quite look forward actually.

First thing was to get a present. A bunch of us waited till the weekend before to check out her bridal registry list so no surprise that there wasn't much remaining. I was happily browsing all the kitchen stuff (I am delighted regardless of whether I'm looking at clothes or electronics or kitchenware)! Ha!

My guy friend had to start hinting that "You know, guys don't really like shopping for this stuff" to bring me back to earth and concentrate on the task at hand. We finally settled on a nice healthy gadget which I hope the bride and bridegroom will like.

Next came our dilemma on what to wear to a wedding church and dinner. With most of us being wedding guests virgins, we were all discussing on wardrobes for both the men and ladies.

Here comes my problem. Having browsed through all my dresses, they are all BLACK!

Although the bride graciously said that there are no taboos and we can wear any colour we want, I am still skeptical about wearing black.

I have no idea what to wear now and with 6 days to go, I better start doing some fast searching.

While doing some clicking on the net, I came across *gulp* a website dedicated to UGLY DRESSES.

Honestly, I LUV Jamie and Gordon and Nigella. But imagine your chef husband-to-be asking you to wear THIS??

Anyway, back to getting a dress. I came across some nice ones.

Is this a little too corporate looking?

If only I had the height, sigh~

I quite like this one, I have one like this but it's BLACK!

I think I just found THE website, they have some amazing dresses. But with only a week to go, I doubt I can get anything from here.

Aren't they amazing? For those who have time, this is their website.

The CLEO 50 most eligible bachelor

2008-04-23T20:54:00.007+10:00

Having read the TV guide incorrectly, I suddenly had some spare time and decided to check out the The CLEO 50 most eligible bachelor for 2008 after seeing Kenny Sia's post. It was definitely a witty one.

Anyway, I decided to spend some time quickly browsing their profiles. After all, before I move Down Under, I used to check it every year and the last few years always had a bachelor in there that I personally know.

A few interesting things that I noticed:

1. Most of them are 25 and 26. Now, I'm sure that there are a lot more bachelors out there that are not only that age!

2. A lot of them like to hang out at Velvet, The Curve, 1 Utama. What the?!?!
Is CLEO scouting out for bachelors at clubbing areas and shopping areas?

3. Occupation : Business owners. Now, with quite a few stating that as their occupation, it's beginning to seem a little suss!

4. Have I been in Sydney too long? Some of the answers are sounding a little "ah beng!".

This guy sure thinks a lot and LOVE Mel Gibson for him to answer that question!

I don't know...no one in particular that catches my fancy. Not interested in putting up all 50 photos either! Haha~ my concentration fell at 2.

ps. The 2007 year seems to be better!

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Ep 13 & 14

2008-04-23T20:06:00.007+10:00

As the weeks go by, I have to say kudos to the editing team. The vids shown are less and less boring and unnecessary fillers and are a lot more interesting compared to the first few weeks.

What's new this week?

Episode 13 started with the girls going for the breakfast show with Elaine Daly. It's a good experience to brush up on being articulate and showing your personality across on TV.

Next was going for a gym session. Now, I don't really know if I am THAT interested in watching 2 minutes of just them prancing around and moving their hands. Those 2 minutes could have easily been shorten to 15 seconds. After the gym, it was off to Sunway Lagoon for some thrilling rides. They sure keep the girls busy!

I would have been just as happy sleeping in a nice comfy bed!

After that, we see Kenny Sia made an appearance with a challenge for the girls. Later, he was a houseguest with a few other men which the girls had to prepare a dinner for. Seems they are swooning over a particular house guest more than the others!

I'm pretty sure that the house that the girls are in could possibly be in Taman Tun?

After that, you could not avoid eliminations. It's an elimination with a twist though! Watch it to see what I'm talking about.

Then, we move on to Episode 14 and as usual, we have some minutes of the girls talking about the eliminations.

Now, the part where all the girls have to step up as there is going to be more than 1 person being eliminated next! The photoshoot. This week is "Couture Batik" merged with art. You'll know what I mean when you see the pics.

After the photoshoot, the girls had another challenge where they had to act in an advertisement for Escada perfume. Adeline won the challenge but I personally thought that Jay and Cindy stood out the most in the adverts. They really capture you attention and you can see their faces clearly which is always a good thing. Ringo wasn't bad but you can never see her face clearly so she would lose out if it was the real commercial world where you want people to notice you.

Now, the actual photos:

Adeline

Amazing! The pose, her expression, the combination of the art and colours with the dress just works! I have to say that she really stepped up this week. After looking through everyone else's photos, she gets "winning photo of the week".

She commands your attention and I definitely looked at her photo for more than just a few seconds.

Ringo

To Ringo's dismay, she did mentioned that she wasn't too happy with the photo that was ultimately chosen and she was only just warming up when they said that she was done. The top half and her expression is good but the overall photo does not look proportionate. I think it's to do with the dress being longer than her height can carry and maybe that pose that she is using.

It just somehow emphasized her shortness, maybe if tried jumping in the air so that the whole dress is flowing, it will give the illusion that her body is a lot longer!

Cindy

I like this photo. I like the colour scheme, the pose and her expression works. She looks like a character from some manga comic book. There are so many interesting elements in the picture that you definitely stay a while to look at all of them.

Hanis

It's a good photo. Definitely better than others this week but somehow it just looks normal. Nothing spectacular. Her pose and expression doesn't complement the dress and the colour art.

Nadia

There just seems to be something that is not quite right with this photo. Nadia usually takes at least good photos of a certain standard, but this one just seems to be a flop to me. Nothing is complimenting each other, I personally think that this is a bad photo.

Jay

What happen?? I'm really surprised with Nadia and Jay this week. Both their photos just don't work. I don't even know what to say about Jay. It's not even a simple tweaking here and there that will make this work. Everything in this photo isn't working!

Based on this week's photos, some girls are able to thrive on the pressure while others seem to crumble. It's going to be an interesting elimination. Are the votes going to end up being popularity or merit based?

First Day at work

2008-04-21T18:26:00.000+10:00

Today was my first day at my new job. Was quite excited and surprised that there were 3 other people who started together with me.

Just my luck too that the team that I was allocated to was having their team bonding day today and my afternoon was spent meeting the team and having lunch and a game of bowling after. After more than 5 years of not bowling, I am quite happy with how I played.

Tip to remember : long nails are not conducive for bowling. I managed to chip my nails. =(

Hopefully this new job will work out.

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Ep 11 & 12

2008-04-17T23:50:00.008+10:00

Time seems to pass really quickly and we are down to 6.

It is starting to get a lot more interesting due to the editing team. Kudos to them. With each week, the episodes have less fillers. We got to see snaps of the girls during MIFA which was great and also the elimination.

I am so disappointed! Why is it Fiqa?? She had one of the best photos last week but it didn't seem to have help. All the remaining girls are also making an effort to talk more and bring out their personalities more instead of hiding in the shadows. I guess that fact that it is a competition is starting to hit on them more now and each one is making an effort.

The week's photo shoot is for designs by Carven Ong with the location at Savanh Too Bar.
After the pep talk by Sazzy Falak at the last elimination, I am looking forward to better photos this week.

Adeline

Her pose really brings out the dress to its fullest and the lighting and background was the right pick too. However, her facial expression is just wrong and doesn't go with everything else.

Nadia

What can I say? It's a good photo but it doesn't stand out. I don't know what is she trying to express here with the dress that she is wearing.

Jay

Surprised to say but hands down Jay has the winning photo of the week.

Her posture and angle brings out the dress and her body shape really well. Most importantly, she connected with the camera and her expression and eyes grabs my attention.

Hanis

A very regal look which goes well with the dress but the make up is just a little too harsh. Especially the red lipstick, she ends up looking pretty bitchy in here.

Cindy

I've seen this expression before and it's one that doesn't work. She is now able to work on her face angles but she is not giving the right expression. This photo and the previous one just looks like she is trying to look sad?

Ringo

Ringo used the right pose to bring out the dress. It works but she needs to work on her facial expression for everything to be right. This photo shows her face looking puffy!

Overall, I still feel like a lot of work needs to be done as at the moment, there isn't anyone who is consistent and which I feel has the same standard to be consistent as a model. At this stage, any of this girls can go. The one to win will be the person who decides to step up.

Crossroads

2008-04-15T17:24:00.004+10:00

As some of you may know, I've been a member of the unemployed club for the past 2 weeks and I have to say that it's been a good one. Being able to get at least 8 hours of sleep is always a bliss.

Anyhow, I've started to look for contracting jobs before heading over overseas again in a few months. My intention was to try something different from the role that I've been doing previously.

Just my luck that fate decides to throw in a twist by offering me a good contracting role that actually gives me a promotion, good pay BUT I will be doing exactly what I've been doing for the past 2 years.

A few hours later, I received another call about an interview which would be a role that is different from what I've been doing, the pay might be a little lower but it's close to my home and I can finally stop travelling so much for a while or have to lug around a laptop everywhere with me again.

Hhmm...what should I do now?

青花瓷 Blue & White Porcelain

2008-04-13T00:41:00.003+10:00

Talk about needing a break to start catching up on things that I have been meaning to. One of them was Jay Chou's latest album.

Late, I know! I'm currently stuck on the 3rd track. Simply love the melody and I have been playing it on repeat for hours on end. I think my house-mates are going to go crazy!

作詞：方文山　作曲：周杰倫

素胚勾勒出青花筆鋒濃轉淡　瓶身描繪的牡丹一如妳初妝
冉冉檀香透過窗心事我了然　宣紙上走筆至此擱一半

釉色渲染仕女圖韻味被私藏　而妳嫣然的一笑如含苞待放
妳的美一縷飄散　去到我去不了的地方

＃天青色等煙雨　而我在等妳　炊煙裊裊昇起　隔江千萬里
在瓶底書漢隸仿前朝的飄逸　就當我為遇見妳伏筆

＊天青色等煙雨　而我在等妳　月色被打撈起　暈開了結局
如傳世的青花瓷自顧自美麗　妳眼帶笑意

色白花青的錦鯉躍然於碗底　臨摹宋體落款時卻惦記著妳
妳隱藏在窯燒裡千年的秘密　極細膩猶如繡花針落地
簾外芭蕉惹驟雨門環惹銅綠　而我路過那江南小鎮惹了妳
在潑墨山水畫裡　妳從墨色深處被隱去

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Ep 9 & 10

2008-04-09T16:46:00.009+10:00

How quickly time passes and it's now another week onto Malaysian Dreamgirl and we have episode 9 & 10.

I was a little surprised with how many parts there was to episode 9 as there are usually only 3-4 parts whereas this week, it has double that! Woowee~

We see the girls going for an individualised hair spa treatment during the day. Honestly, it was dragging a bit as the viewers were given a few minutes take of each girl going through what their hair problem was, how they feel about the hair spa and saying their 'thank yous'. Having to listen to it 7 times is not funny.

What are your plans after getting your hair beautifully done? Clubbing of course it seems. I never like going clubbing the same day that my hairs gets beautifully done as you go from nice and clean smelling hair to yucky cigarette smoke hair in minutes.

The next day, the girls had a fashion challenge where they had to pick an outfit in their given category and come up with a new look. I seriously wonder whether anyone is usually able to find an outfit in 5 minutes? Just looking for your size takes up precious seconds, somehow the girls managed to do it. Kudos to them.

Later on, they were treated to a behind the scenes experience of an actual photo shoot. Why were all the models there international? I wanna see some locals!

Sadly, elimination came and one of my favourites EYNA is GONE!!!! *sob sob*
I guess her weak photo from the previous week didn't help her cause. It was just this 1 week that her photo wasn't FANTASTIC. Sigh~ she will go far if she continues in this industry. All the best to her.

From that we move onto Episode 10 where the remaining 6 talked about the elimination and their next photo shoot.

Honestly, stop trashing Cindy. All those extra minutes of spotlight on her has given her extra camera time, so guess what? She wasn't even in the bottom 3 this week. There is always 2 sides to every story and the cameras should have just shown us those incidents for the viewers to decide. Example, the shoe incident. Honey, if you're not holding onto the shoe, no one is going to know you chose it first so if someone else is holding it in the end, it's a fair go for her to choose that shoe. After all, it would seem that you didn't want/like that shoe if you put it back on the display stand in the first place!

Now on to the final photos. It's a close up pic and the girls have to show off their Wella hair styles to its fullest and bring the vibe of the hair and reflect it onto the picture.

Adeline

Don't think this is one of her best. The lighting and tone of the picture actually added years onto her and she looks old! Is she trying to portray a fierce look? Her expression came out looking like she is confused.

Cindy

Compared to the previous week, this is not as good. She seems to be showing sadness in the photo but is that suitable for a hair shoot? With the hair style that she got, she should be showing it as a high fashion shoot. In fact, this time if she shows a bit of attitude or arrogance would have been perfect!

Fiqa

She wins "winning photo of the week" hands down!

This picture looks amazing. Doesn't even look like her, it took me a few seconds to recognise her. She looks young and vibrant. Good skin tone and the angle is just perfect for showing off the straight side front and messy back hair style as well as the eyelashes and her facial features. The tone, lighting and everything in this photo is just right!

Hanis

Strong photo. She manages to bring out the wildness and fierceness of her hair style into her expression. Good photo but somehow doesn't manage to catch my attention too much which brings it down a few points. I noticed that she has been improving though.

Jay

It doesn't work. She looks too androgynous that it doesn't bring out the beauty and femininity of the hair. It's her lower facial area and the jaw that she needs to tone down and somehow try to make it look more feminine.

Nadia

It's still a good photo but not one of her best! She is showing off everything (the hair, her face angle) right but her eyes look a little vacant which stops it from becoming an engaging photo.

Ringo

What happen?? The hair, the makeup, the lighting and the choice of make up colour just didn't work and she looks so old in this photo and in fact, makes her skin look really blotchy.

That's my take, till next time.

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Ep 8

2008-03-30T23:18:00.011+11:00

Episode 8 is out and the girls have to do a photo shoot that shows them being fun and happy in the company of their friends.

Before that, they also had a catwalk in Genting for 3 different brands. From what I could see from their catwalk styles:

Adeline - she isn't centred enough. By moving and swaying her shoulders too much, her walk became a little sloppy!

Cindy - her walk in the sportswear is pretty laid back. I would think that it needs to be strong and vibrant for sportswear to bring out the life of the outfit. In the dress outfit, she tried to put on an air of sophistication but it just came out with her looking arrogant! Sigh~ she needs to figure out that holding her chin up all the time just makes her look stuck up!

Eyna - she always captures attention but her sportswear walk was looking a little too casual.

Hanis - Not a bad walk in the dress but could see her mind thinking and concentrating during the sportswear bit.

Jay - she needs to SMILE!

Nadia - love it! She exudes an aura.

Ringo - her personality shines through her catwalk and you can tell that she is friendly and a cutie!

(Disclaimer: As I could only see seconds of what was shown in the website, their walk could have been different in reality! Haha~ as we all know what editing can do!)

Now, on to the photo shoot.

Ringo

The first picture looks great and really cute. Second picture looks a little weird (the hair messed it up!). 3rd and 4th are ok! The photos are good overall but not special enough.

Nadia

Love the 1st and 4th picture. Overall, good but doesn't stand out.

Jay

She doesn't have the most feminine or cute face so she really needs to push this to make it work. Her photos this week isn't good. Especially the second one, her face looks like it's contorted to side. Her smile and eyes doesn't reflect happiness and enjoyment either!

Hanis

LOVE this! Fun, friendly, happy and young! She got the look and feel of it. Her second picture is the best, it is simply amazing and definitely makes people stop for more than 5 seconds! She nearly took "winning photo" of the week but her jagged teeth just spoiled it a little.

Fiqa

Love this girl but sadly, her photos came out looking just ordinary. She needs to show more personality.

Eyna

This is a tough photo shoot for her as she is naturally quiet and not the smiley outgoing type. For someone who takes FAB photos, this one doesn't work.

I still forgive her, one bad photo week is expected but as she has consistently been in the bottom 5, not sure if she can survive. Please VOTE people!

Cindy

What can I say! She takes "winning photo" of the week.

Amazing, amazing! Her second picture wins it for me. Great eye contact and smile. She did the whole slight turn to the side angle which worked brilliantly for her. Jay did the same thing but it ended up looking more like a smirk. Everything about it is just perfect, her smile, her make up! I can't help but keep staring at the picture.

Kudos to her!

Adeline

Cute but not special enough!

That's my take on Episode 8. Till next time.

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Ep 7

2008-03-30T23:16:00.006+11:00

Episode 7 was about the girls going for a day session on applying make up. Other than that, it seems to be a b*tching session on Cindy by almost all the girls.

Seriously, If you're on TV, you don't want to be bitching about someone else. Doesn't look good and it will come back to haunt you. I mean, after all the hoopla on what Ringo did, you gals are doing it again!

Oh well, this episode ended up being giving a MAJOR spotlight to Cindy AND people love interesting characters like that when it comes to reality shows. I think that Cindy might be in MDG for quite some time yet.

Funniest bit on this episode was when Cindy called home to talk to her dad. She didn't like how her dad kept going on about asking her not to cry soo much and just went, "I'm not talking now, I'll call you again tomorrow". Haha!

Another thing that annoyed me a little was when it was mentioned that Cindy puts on an accent when the cameras are around. Well, it annoys me too when someone is faking it, but there are also people out there who are overseas that do have to change their accent a little when they speak to say the angmohs! If not, there is no way that those angmohs can understand what we are saying.

I know that I do that too and my Malaysian accent becomes stronger when I am speaking to Malaysians. So, without really knowing Cindy too well, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt on that (although the accent that she used for her video profile definitely sounds fake)!

The end of a chapter

2008-03-28T22:40:00.000+11:00

Today is my last day at a place known fondly as the "green dot" where I have worked for the past few years. It's quite surreal and it hit me after the farewell party that I am no longer an employee there.

Thank you to all you guys out there who gave me presents and well wishes at the farewell party and throughout the day. It was truly memorable.

I will now begin a new chapter by being officially unemployed!

Bedz of the Future!

2008-03-25T18:02:00.006+11:00

Once in a while, I like to dream and check out furniture and home decor. It's nice to sometimes dream of what you want in a home of your own. Came across some extremely amazing beds at fresh home. Check out their description on the beds. Simply amazing!

A bed combined with a book house that looks like a house of its own.

A bed that you store on the ceiling and pull down when you want to sleep. It looks really elegant!

A rocking bed?

A bed in the office? I like!

A nice centrepiece in the living?

Love this...

Swinging bed?

Is that a pie?

Worried about falling off the bed?

Floating on air!

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Episode 6

2008-03-24T02:46:00.006+11:00

After the first elimination, reality seemed to have hit the girls a little more that this show is ultimately still based on viewers' votes. You can see that they are all making a concerted effort now to engage the camera.

From what I can tell, there seems to be 1 or 2 girls that are not well liked by the rest. It seems that they show a different personality when the camera is around or are being two-faced? This is expected in a reality show but it is always interesting to see who they are.

I could be entirely wrong here but from the bits and pieces of information given out by the girls, I think that they could be talking about Natasha and Cindy.

Natasha and Alison were eliminated in the last round. With Natasha, even though she takes good photos, I don't think she necessarily have the looks to be a successful one. From her post elimination chat, I get the impression that she isn't fully interested in becoming a model. It seems to be more of her aunt's idea than hers. I guess then that others who put their hearts into this should deserve a better chance.

With Alison, she didn't really stand out much at the times that the camera was on her, that could perhaps explain why she might not leave as much of an impression as the others. With reality shows like this, you really need to show your personality and stand out to be remembered. Most Malaysian girls tend to be really polite which doesn't reflect your personality on screen. You need to remember to show people who you are, being quiet and giving "lembut" answers isn't going to work and get people to vote for you.

Hence, even though I am not a huge fan of Cindy but she talks and she shows her presence on screen (whether you like it or not)!

With this week, the girls had to do a photo shoot that runs through the night. It is titled "precinct" and is meant to display a masculine look and feel. I am going to start something new and will choose a photo from each shoot that I think is the "Winning Photo" or "Photo of the week".

Adeline

Totally disappointed with this shot of Adeline. The pose that she chose does not flatter her at all and doesn't show off the clothes and what the shoot is trying to achieve. You can tell that her eyes are strong and it would have been better if she was looking straight at the camera. It would have made a better photo.

Cindy

This one isn't working either. The angle of her face just doesn't seem right. If she turned her face slightly more to face the camera and perhaps extend her pose more to the front than to the side, it would look more masculine. I ended up looking more at the background instead of her (which should have been the focus)!

Eyna

Totally love this photo. It just grabs your attention for more than 5 seconds when you look at it. She has a questioning look but it works for her. She also manages to place her face at an angle that flatters her and with a pose that accentuates her body line and figure. Her pose also brings out an understated sexiness to the masculine clothes that she's wearing. Thus, she manages to pull off the masculine look while showing a feminine sexiness at the same time. All attention is definitely on her instead of the background in the photo.

Was a close call to getting the "Winning Photo" for the week.

Fiqa

Good photo but it lacks something. Her expression and her eyes just needs to be a little stronger. At the moment, I can't tell what direction is she trying to go with: sultry? cool? confused?

Hanis

Good pose and look but it's not standing out. She needs to come out a little stronger in the photo. Assert a little more aggressiveness. Modeling requires a little acting and even though she has a softer, feminine personality, she needs to portray something different for this shot to work.

Jay

This works! The pose is good, she's displaying the clothes well. Even though there isn't a masculine feel to it but you can sense a feeling of angst coming from her which works too. It's probably coming from the after effects of the elimination where she just lost Alison.

Nadia

I like what she said about acting to bring out what the clothes and aim of the shoot is. She spoke well and is beginning to show her competitive side which is a good change to the crying that was shown of her in the previous episode.

This shoot displays her in a side profile but has a laid back feel to it which works for her. Even though it's a side profile and she has a hat which could have potentially covered her face, she angled her face in such a way that you can still see her whole face (very important as you want people to know who you are) and the photo and her personality still comes out strong but not too intimidating. Funny how it takes a photo which doesn't show her eyes to result in a photo that isn't too fierce.

Ringo

She takes the "Winning Photo" title this week.

Why? The entire focus of this photo is on her. She seems to have improved as well and is able to bring a different side to her into this shoot that is different from her own personality.

The photo comes out strong, she looks totally different and is totally selling the outfit and shoes. I immediately feel like buying whatever that she is wearing. Even though her clothes are more feminine that the other girls, she still manages to bring a masculine feel to it while keeping it sexy in a modern preppy way.

The fact that I couldn't recognise her straightaway shows that she is growing and improving and able to bring different looks. My surge to want to buy whatever she is wearing has just fulfilled the advertiser's dream, her photo wins it.

Valerie

Really disappointed with this shot. I love Valerie but this photo just doesn't work. Her leg is at a weird angle, she is slouching and she seems lost in thought or in another world. Where is your focus? If she straightens her back more and just shows off the clothes proudly, this pose would have worked for her.

Click here to watch Episode 6.

Till next time, adios.

Fancy a house in Newcastle?

2008-03-22T00:19:00.005+11:00

During my recent trip to Newcastle, I came across some interesting information and just had to check it out. So after work, I convinced my colleague to do a little scouting with me.

We found ourselves at this suburb and it was just amazing! The sea at your doorstep and you can see people hang gliding.

Even the birds are hang gliding. TeeHee!

Even though it was a hot summer's day, the breeze from the sea is strong and cool! It's literally 5 minutes away from the city centre and you can enjoy the sun, sea and surf. It was amazing, I see people walking their dogs, jogging, having all sorts of water sports and it just felt really relaxing!

The houses are huge and modern.

Well, expect to pay at least $2 million for a house here. I just couldn't believe it. Newcastle is like 3 hours away from Sydney and yet the houses can costs as much as those in Sydney.

Now, I can see why after checking out the suburb, but is the price tag worth it? You pay to same price but in terms of amenities and entertainment, Sydney definitely offers more.

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Episode 5

2008-03-21T18:02:00.016+11:00

We're up to Episode 5 of Malaysian Dreamgirl. It's starting to get interesting with a dash of drama, tears and eliminations thrown in. The girls had their second photo shoot which was a lingerie shoot.

We were shown the conversations of some girls that they have when they get to call home. Something I noticed from the episodes watched thus far, some of it just seems to be fillers and it does drag at times. Something that the editing team and producers need to ponder on.

Adeline

I like her. She has the height, the bone structure and can take really good photos. Only non plus thing about this photo is the way she placed her legs, not too glamour-ish!

Alison

This is not a good photo and the particular posture that she chose is hiding the clothes. If you're modeling the lingerie, you shouldn't be hiding it? Food for thought!

Cindy

This came out really well (better than expected after her crying fit about how badly she went). Didn't understand why she was crying after the photo shoot though, in fact she seems to be crying a lot in the show. She looks a little expressionless though - where is the sexy?

Eyna

Her makeover makes her stand out even more! It really emphasises her features and her presence. She is definitely a dark horse. She is starting to catch my attention as the show progresses. A quiet one, but when she walks on the runway like the fashion show they did at 1 Utama, she just grabs attention. Definitely one of my favourites, although she was in the bottom 5 during the eliminations! Oh no...

Fiqa

She's another one that is sort of half hiding the clothes. Her new hair cut really shows off the slenderness of her neck.

Hanis

Too safe, too boring!

Jay

Some of the girls all seem to be doing this pose.

Jean

I absolutely love this girl. She's so sweet and yet she can change and look sexy when needed. She's articulate and speaks well. Not just some "lembut" comment that others say. I was rooting for her. Why did she have to leave the show!

You'll definitely be sorely missed!

Nadia

Strong is what I can say about her. She understands her body and knows how to use it well in photoshoots. As said in the show, she just needs to control her facial expressions and tone it down a bit. Sweet girl who loves her boyfriend very much from the few minutes that was shown of her speaking to her boyfriend. Didn't think we as the audience needed to see those few minutes though.

Natasha

Good photoshoot. Hers is one of the few that uses a side profile and yet shows off the clothes to its fullest while showing her body proportions in a positive light.

Ringo

What can I say? She definitely caused a bit of controversy with the post she did on her blog. She shows off the lingerie well (including her own assets) while giving the photo a slightly sweet look which suits her personality.

Valerie

She has this sweet and quirky personality that is just really endearing and it shows in the photos. With her new haircut, it really emphasises her large eyes.

The last 10 minutes was on the elimination. There was only Sazzy Falak and the girls. While she was talking about the photos of each girl, you can't actually see it. That is just bad! And where were the judges? It would be good to hear what the judges have to say as well.

We now have 3 girls gone. Two of my favourites, one being Jean has left and another Eyna is on shaky ground. Hopefully, she starts showing more of her personality and gets to stay longer.

Malaysian Dreamgirl

2008-03-16T01:47:00.004+11:00

I am a HUGE fan of reality TV and who hasn't heard of America's Next Top Model! Malaysia has decided to come up with their own version known as 'Malaysian Dreamgirl". The twist to it is that this will be shown entirely online. Yes, that's right, online and not on TV.

I was extremely impressed and proud that such an innovation was made in Malaysia. Being aware of the fact that most people have internet and possibly surf the net more than they do with the TV. Showing it online also expands it to a wider audience rather than just in Malaysia. It also allows the watchers to watch it anytime in their own time.

I was happily watching the 3rd episode where the Top 12 girls are getting a makeover. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the hairstylist happened to be none other than Shawn, the hairstylist that I have been with since I was in high school! He is fantastic and I have been a loyal customer for at least 13 years!

Check out Malaysian Dreamgirl, it's worth the watch!

Dusky Morning

2008-03-12T11:48:00.005+11:00

Woke up this morning and the sun has yet to risen fully. The sky was still dark when just a week ago, the sky would have been all bright and lit up.

Guess it's a sign that summer is over and autumn is starting to descend upon us. Without the greeting of the sun, I am feeling all mellow and sleepy at work. =(

Newcastle - Week 2

2008-03-04T15:36:00.005+11:00

One of the things that you don't see often nowadays are train tracks that cut across the roads that is still operating! I was delighted when I saw this in Newcastle.

Check out the whole traffic signal and cross bars being used when a train is coming.

Checked into my hotel and I was given another room this time.

After a long day with starting in the early morning, I was looking forward to some R&R.

Pop into the bathroom and SWEET! I have a spa in my room. I am definitely soaking in some of that tonight! They even provided me with bathrobes and bedroom slippers. I suspect that I have the spa suite this time.

The view is better in this room compared to the one that I was in last week.

Ciaos....can't wait to enjoy my spa and some good old cable TV on the nice and wide flat sceen.

Happy Leap Day!

2008-02-29T15:04:00.001+11:00

Happy Leap Day!

Newcastle

2008-02-28T20:46:00.007+11:00

From 2 weeks in Bourke to now when I am in Newcastle.

I seem to be travelling quite a bit this month!

You're always told to drink lots of water when travelling, but what if you can't find a toilet?
Well, on the way to Newcastle, I found this.

A 5 star toilet anyone?

My hotel room is quite nice with a Jap-style sliding door that separates the bedroom from the living. This pic doesn't show it but the bed is still nice, eh?

AND flat screen TV in both rooms!

I'm in heaven...

See that window next to the TV? That is actually a window between the bedroom and bathroom. For people who likes a bit of spice?

Have I mentioned the view from my hotel room?

Now I just need some food. Ordered room service but it hasn't arrive yet and it's already 8.48pm. Not happy!

Jay Chou becomes a teacher at Fudan University

2008-02-27T17:09:00.002+11:00

Don't you wish that you are studying in Fudan University??

"Good news for Jay Chou's fans at Shanghai's Fudan University: Whenever your idol is in Shanghai, you will have the chance to meet, or perhaps even talk with him.Fudan University's Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts has named the Taiwan pop king-turned film actor and director as a performing arts guide. This means every time Jay Chou travels to Shanghai, he will sit in on a lecture to exchange ideas with students, a school representative told the local Oriental Morning Post."

Click here for the full article.

New Template

2008-02-27T16:56:00.002+11:00

I'm shopping around for a new template. For the moment, this will be my temporary one. =)

Platinum card anyone?

2008-02-20T14:52:00.001+11:00

Came home one day and found this letter from American Express.

"One of those credit card applications again", I was thinking to myself.

When I opened it, ooh...there was a platinum card inside. Now when did I apply for one? I don't think I even qualify for a platinum. Upon closer inspection, it said "sample only".

Ha! Nearly tricked. Now, we don't really need a sample PLASTIC to entice us to apply for a credit card. That is such a waste of PLASTIC and only goes to deteriorate our environment even further.

Where did my "sample only" plantinum card ended up? In the bin.....

The long journey home

2008-02-16T00:21:00.006+11:00

It took me nearly 6 hours to return from Bourke to Sydney. 3 planes and 3 airports can take its toll on you. I was quite hungry by the time I got home.

Was getting quite used to life in Bourke but one thing that I will not miss will be the insect and bug bites. I am covered from head to toe in them in various parts of my body. Sigh~

Did a bit of the tourist thing while I was there. It's amazing to visit the town that was the centre of all the agriculture and cotton trading in the early 18th century where the only mode of transport was via the Darling River. I was lucky enough to be shown around by an agronomist at one of the farms that the client owns.

We were driven around to see the first lock and weir in Bourke as well as parts of the Darling river. Apparently, when the Darling river was all dried up a year ago, you could even see carcasses of large fishes. Hmmm.....

When we got to check out the water storage for one of the farms, the view was simply breathtaking! It was HUGE!! You could fit at least 20 olympic size swimming pools in just 1 water storage. When it's full, it can last the farm around 18 months. Look at the pic! No, It's not the beach, it's actualy a water reservoir.

Good news, I am extremely happy for the farmers. We got out to take pictures and the wind was really strong, you could see waves.

This was one of the smaller farms owned by the client and it was already extremely large. Just 1 field was 5 times the size of my manager's family farm in England. Yikes! These are corn crops. Apparently, each corn plant only produces 1 corn cob!

Life in perspective

2008-02-09T16:06:00.000+11:00

It's a Saturday and I'm still working. Not exactly too great a start for the first week of the Chinese New Year.

It hurts when you put in all this dedication and hard work and it's not appreciated by your managers/ partners. Why waste precious time away like this instead of creating meaningful memories.

I think it's time that I really look at life in perspective and make a change.

Hmm....

Bourke

2008-02-07T12:21:00.001+11:00

My job sees me going to unconventional places at times. For the next two weeks, I have been posted at Bourke.

Apparently, Bourke is the quintessential outback of Australia. "If you've never been to Bourke, you've not been to Australia", was what my colleague told me. This place was where all the farming and agriculture started for those voyagers who came to settle here centuries ago.

Travelling here on the first day was quite eventful to say the least! Waking up at 4.30am was definitely not pleasant just to catch a 6.30am flight. As this is a regional area, I ended up on a regional plane (propeller planes).

I was still hungrily waiting to board the plane when the clock on the wall was pointing 6.32am! What?? Finally, half an hour later, we boarded the plane. I didn't really expect a propeller plane! Check out how small it is. Then, we were told to dis-embark as there was something wrong with it and we had to travel all the way back to the boarding area and go through security screening again.

While we put our laptops and bags through the x-ray machine (for the second time) and waiting for it to come out at the other end, an officer approached my colleague and metioned, "Can I please scan you while you're waiting."

Haha...I was laughing! As if we can somehow manage to breach any security when we had already been screened previously and all we did was board and dis-embark the plane. The expression my colleague gave was just priceless! I had to quickly walk away as I was no longer able to control my laughter when he was stopped again after he picked up his bag as the officer needed to scan his bag too!

Anyway, we finally were on our way at 10 past 8 in the morning. All those lost precious hours could have been used for sleeping. sigh~

This was the size of my 2nd and 3rd airplane rides. Propeller again and the size is even smaller than the first one I took.

Finally arrived at Bourke after taking 3 airplane rides and changing in between. Hello to the insects and sting beetles in Bourke as they are just everywhere here.

Yikes..where is my insect repellent!

Nude flights available in Germany

2008-01-30T15:29:00.000+11:00

Imagine my amazement at reading this article, anyone interested?

Nude flights take off in Germany
January 29, 2008 - 9:58AM

German holidaymakers will be able to indulge their love of naturism by taking to the skies nude on special flights being launched this year, a travel company said today.

"In the former East Germany, naturist holidays were a much-loved way of spending the best weeks of the year," said the founder of OssiUrlaub.de, Enrico Hess.

"We want to make that freedom possible above the clouds too."

The flights are aimed specifically at former East Germans, nicknamed "Ossis" in German, who feel nostalgic for the naturism that was authorised and extremely popular under communist rule.

The first nude flights will be a day-trip on July 5 between Erfurt in southeast Germany and the Baltic Sea island of Usedom, which is fringed by white sand beaches.

Tickets cost E499 ($A838) and there are just 50 seats on board the jet.

"All the passengers will fly naked, but they are only allowed to undress once they are in the plane. But then they will be able to enjoy the hour-long flight in the way God intended," Hess said.

The pilot and the flight attendants will however keep their clothes on.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/29/1201369085633.html

Have you used a Pyrex?

2008-01-30T14:21:00.000+11:00

If you like baking or cooking, chances are you've probably used a Pyrex before. I have and I love them. It can last a lifetime and are easy to clean.

I started buying Pyrex storage containers like the one shown below about a year ago. Why? I was getting increasingly frustrated with the normal plastic containers that I've been using.

Reasons:

1. They break or chip easily and you will then need to replace them.

2. Tomato sauce stains them and you can't ever wash them out. Makes me wonder if micro bits of my food is constantly wedging itself into the teeny pores of the plastic which can't be seen by the naked eye. Imagine if tomato sauce can never leave the plastic container, what else can still be there no matter how well you clean it with detergent.

3. Smells linger in the containers.

4. Takes considerable effort to wash the plastic containers when you've packed oily food such as fried rice. I need to wash it at least twice to get rid of the oil or to soak it overnight with detergent.

5. Just cooked food that is still piping hot can't be stored into the containers in case the plastic melts.

With my list ever growing, I decided to switch to Pyrex containers after noticing a colleague of mine using them.

Now, this Pyrex containers are heavier than your average plastic containers which can be a pain sometimes! However, I can place them in the freezer, refrigerator, oven, microwave and it's not a problem. Best thing of all, it's super easy to clean and food odours do not linger after you've washed them.

I discovered something new about these Pyrex containers today. I was cleaning my trusty Pyrex container at work today when it slipped from my hands and fell into the sink. My Pyrex was good as new but the unlucky cup that was in the sink broke into 2 pieces when my Pyrex fell on it. This happened with a partner right in front of me; and the mug was an office mug with the office's signals printed on it that was a gift to us employees.

GULP! Thankfully, the partner just laugh and joked about the quality of our office mugs. So, thumbs up to the Pyrex container for not breaking and another thumbs up for the discovery of a new use: breaking porcelain mugs!

If fate allow our destinies to meet.....

Agrigento Travels

Sicily Travels - Palermo

Day Musings

Boston

Washington Day 2 & 3

Washington Day 1

There is no place like New York

When it's all worth it!

Fav quote of the Day from Earth Cafe

London Summer 2010

A summer's day in London

Cupcake mission accomplished!

Happy Brithday to....

Dreams are made of....

Thank you, Decca Aitkenhead

Desk decoration galore....

New changes in a dynamic world

Post Delay

台北 狂狂狂！

Taipei Day 1

Toilet Manners

Time Out Shanghai

古筝的愿望

Shanghai days...

Happy Chap Goh Mei!

Tokyo Day 6

Tokyo Day 5

Tokyo Day 4

Tokyo Day 3

Tokyo Day 2

Jaded

Tokyo Day 1

Happy New Year - usher in the new decade!

Leaving Sydney in a few hours...

A mountain of thoughts...

Home.....

R's Hens Nite

落花有意 流水无情

Hurt

Happy New Year!

Waiting game..

I found my home away from home

What a day!

Greetings from London

Leaving to my new home...

Ahmad must explain actions - PM

When friends become true friends...

Google Olympics Doodles

The McDonalds Coke Olympic Race

On my way...

We Got Married

Where has time gone?

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Mili & Shin Yi

Good Food & Wine Show 2008

Apple store opening, Sydney

Good Food and Wine Show

Onda VX767

Allergies and rashes

Manyana

What next?

Starbucks

Godzilla bride

When what seems to be natural might not be

Cronulla

21

Too much of a good thing?

Appreciation

Why oh why??

Sammi Cheng's concert

Congratulations Winnie & Peter

Buses, shoes & Ipod

Weddings

The CLEO 50 most eligible bachelor

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Ep 13 & 14

First Day at work

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Ep 11 & 12

Crossroads

青花瓷 Blue & White Porcelain

Malaysian Dreamgirl - Ep 9 & 10

台北狂狂狂！

落花有意流水无情