Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Peking Duck and Spiders
We went for Peking Duck yesterday to celebrate Gaz's mom's birthday. The restaurant was rated in one of the Melbourne daily as one of the best Peking duck restaurants in our area. The duck skin was crispy and fragrant, but very fatty and oily. Don't get me wrong, I love animal fat, I love lard and fried chicken skin, but after eating three pieces of the skin, I couldn't have anymore of it. Although the duck was crispy and the sweet sauce went well with the popiah skin, cucumber and scallion, the duck pieces were roughly cut and some are big and in irregular sizes. Some of them couldn't even be rolled into the popiah skin.
The flesh of the duck was used to fry hokkien noodles with beansprouts. We also ordered stir fried veges and drunken chicken. The chicken had good flavour to it, very silky and had a good dash of chinese wine. The stir fried veges were OK, some parts of it overpowered by bamboo shoots which I dislike.
After dinner, we went home where we found this giant spider which had descended about 5 metres from an electric pole onto Gaz's mom's rose bushes and built a gigantic spider web. It's awesome!
The flesh of the duck was used to fry hokkien noodles with beansprouts. We also ordered stir fried veges and drunken chicken. The chicken had good flavour to it, very silky and had a good dash of chinese wine. The stir fried veges were OK, some parts of it overpowered by bamboo shoots which I dislike.
After dinner, we went home where we found this giant spider which had descended about 5 metres from an electric pole onto Gaz's mom's rose bushes and built a gigantic spider web. It's awesome!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
My Vege Garden
It's a bright sunny day today, and this is what I found around my backyard.
The tomato plant is doing well - we're so excited about that one tomato that is growing. We've been told that home grown tomatoes have a distinctly better taste than store tomatoes.
My basil is growing taller and bigger by the day. I've used them in a pasta dish I cooked a couple of weeks ago. The coriander seedlings which for a while flourished, had died out. We're still not too sure why that happened.
My strawberry plant is bearing fruit! See the little flower - that's the start of a strawberry fruit.
It's amazing to see these plants growing, despite my lack of green fingers. Hopefully soon we'll be able to eat the tomato and strawberry!
The tomato plant is doing well - we're so excited about that one tomato that is growing. We've been told that home grown tomatoes have a distinctly better taste than store tomatoes.
My basil is growing taller and bigger by the day. I've used them in a pasta dish I cooked a couple of weeks ago. The coriander seedlings which for a while flourished, had died out. We're still not too sure why that happened.
My strawberry plant is bearing fruit! See the little flower - that's the start of a strawberry fruit.
It's amazing to see these plants growing, despite my lack of green fingers. Hopefully soon we'll be able to eat the tomato and strawberry!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Boxing Day Sale
December 26th, day after Christmas in Aust is almost always reserved for recuperating from the large lunch and dinner from the day before, watching the Boxing Day test cricket and... stampeding for the best bargains in the Boxing Day sales!
The Boxing Day sales is reputed to be the largest sale in the departmental stores' calendar, other than the bi-annual stock take sales. People queue up for the department stores to open their doors from the night before and then go into a shopping frenzy once the doors are opened. It attracts the same kind of crowd that killed a Wal-Mart employee in the US not too long ago. It is expected that this year's Boxing Day sale will rake in $26 million in Victoria itself, and $6.3 billion whole country over the next two weeks.
How about the bargains? I've heard, not seen (because there are limited stock and I'm never one of the first 100 to be in the store) about television sets going half price, $15 tops etc. This year, attracted by the craze of it all, Gaz and I went to our nearest departmental store to partake in this annual tradition. We saw a long line of people in front of Swarowski, the crystal shop. We had specific items we wanted to purchase, and crystals weren't one of them. We walked from shop to shop, department to department, and get this... two hours of walking around and all we got was a single pillow (half price).
The Boxing Day sales is reputed to be the largest sale in the departmental stores' calendar, other than the bi-annual stock take sales. People queue up for the department stores to open their doors from the night before and then go into a shopping frenzy once the doors are opened. It attracts the same kind of crowd that killed a Wal-Mart employee in the US not too long ago. It is expected that this year's Boxing Day sale will rake in $26 million in Victoria itself, and $6.3 billion whole country over the next two weeks.
How about the bargains? I've heard, not seen (because there are limited stock and I'm never one of the first 100 to be in the store) about television sets going half price, $15 tops etc. This year, attracted by the craze of it all, Gaz and I went to our nearest departmental store to partake in this annual tradition. We saw a long line of people in front of Swarowski, the crystal shop. We had specific items we wanted to purchase, and crystals weren't one of them. We walked from shop to shop, department to department, and get this... two hours of walking around and all we got was a single pillow (half price).
What is This?
I always look back at my Uni days in Aust with amazement. It is difficult to believe that I had lived such a sheltered live that when I arrived here for my undergrad studies, I had never cooked a meal for myself or washed my own clothes. During my first year, I spent much of my time eating foods that came out of a can or a packet. In my second year, my meals consisted mainly of rice (thanks to Dad's foresight to send me a rice cooker) and steamed egg/vege/whatever that will fit in a little plate atop my cooking rice). I can now cook a semi decent meal on my own and recognise most food stuff, although I still have my own adventures in that area.
The other day I bought a root vegetable which I thought was 'fen kot' which my mom usually buys to boil soup. It is sweet, and has heat reducing properties. When I got to the cashier and the produce was scanned, it appeared as sweet potato (white skin). Now, I have never seen a white skin sweet potato and have no idea what to do with it. There were 5 other people waiting in queue so I didn't want to return it. I got home and the sweet potato remained in my fridge for a week before my Malaysian friends paid me a visit. They told me that I can't hope to cook anything savoury with it, only sweets. It seems that the particular variety was cross bred with yam so it has white skin and purple insides. It was advisable to steam it and eat it on it's own or cook dessert with it, like bubur cha cha. That was a challenge. The last time I ever cooked a dessert was the gingko nut/sweet bean curd sheet dessert when I was trying to impress Gaz during our courting period. He didn't like it but finished his bowl anyway. It wasn't sweet or tasty enough. But I had to do something with the sweet potato so, this is what I did with it - cooked it with rock sugar and added sago to it. Not much of a sweets person, I gave half of it to Gaz's mom and had two bowls myself (was quite tasty). Gaz came home after work that night and polished off the rest. Not bad huh?
Purple rings in the sweet potato. I expected more purple
Sago swimming in the pot. Sago sinks to the bottom after it's cooked
The other day I bought a root vegetable which I thought was 'fen kot' which my mom usually buys to boil soup. It is sweet, and has heat reducing properties. When I got to the cashier and the produce was scanned, it appeared as sweet potato (white skin). Now, I have never seen a white skin sweet potato and have no idea what to do with it. There were 5 other people waiting in queue so I didn't want to return it. I got home and the sweet potato remained in my fridge for a week before my Malaysian friends paid me a visit. They told me that I can't hope to cook anything savoury with it, only sweets. It seems that the particular variety was cross bred with yam so it has white skin and purple insides. It was advisable to steam it and eat it on it's own or cook dessert with it, like bubur cha cha. That was a challenge. The last time I ever cooked a dessert was the gingko nut/sweet bean curd sheet dessert when I was trying to impress Gaz during our courting period. He didn't like it but finished his bowl anyway. It wasn't sweet or tasty enough. But I had to do something with the sweet potato so, this is what I did with it - cooked it with rock sugar and added sago to it. Not much of a sweets person, I gave half of it to Gaz's mom and had two bowls myself (was quite tasty). Gaz came home after work that night and polished off the rest. Not bad huh?
Purple rings in the sweet potato. I expected more purple
Sago swimming in the pot. Sago sinks to the bottom after it's cooked
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas
Having never celebrated Christmas when I was growing up, I never received any Christmas presents or partake in Christmas traditions such as writing hundred-page wish lists, or taking photos with Santa while seated on his lap. The latter always irks me when it is so apparent that the man in the red suit is so out of place wearing such a heavy garment in the sweltering heat that Santa cannot be real. Growing up not receiving presents for Christmas was a blessing because it casts aside the usual distractions during Christmas. While Christmas is synonymous with turkeys, mistletoes, Santas and presents, to me, it is about hope in desperate times and pure love that is sacrifice. This is well summed up in the bible verse John 3:16'For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever should believe in Him shall not perish and have life everlasting'. Let's remember what it's really all about this season.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Strawberry Season
It's summer and strawberries are in abundance right now. When young in Malaysia, strawberries and cherries were like a magic fruit to me. Not seen often, and it supposingly posseses an extraordinarily sweet taste. I remembered being really excited to go to Cameron Highlands, a cool mountainous area whose climate supports growing strawberries. It mustn't have been in season, because I didn't see any. That was then, things are different now. Two years ago when I went back to Malaysia, I brought two punnets of strawberries home for my family. I felt really foolish when I went to the local supermarket Tesco and saw a whole pyramid of strawberries for sale. So much for being uppity - 'you can't get it there, so I'm bringing this back to let you try it'!
All my childhood desires of eating strawberries were fulfilled once I reached Aust. I had a rude shock when I tasted my first strawberries bought from the local supermarket. Some strawberries are actually not sweet. Store bought strawberries are even sour or does not have much taste to them. I only eat them dipped with honey. I started believing that all strawberries are not sweet. Until this year when Gaz brought home some strawberries given to him by his customer. They were organically grown at home. It seems that strawberries are hardy plants, almost like weeds and it looks like many Australians like to grow them at home because Gaz's customers took turns bringing bucketfuls into the shop distributing it to anyone who would take them.
These are the strawberries we were given. They are gigantic and aesthetically unpleasing. But goodness me, my fridge smells like the sweet sweet scent of strawberries everytime I open it with them in it. The taste is so unbelievably sweet, and it is very juicy. So that's what a REAL strawberry should taste like! I got so hooked that I've started growing my own. Hopefully in time I will be able to reap the fruits of my labour!
All my childhood desires of eating strawberries were fulfilled once I reached Aust. I had a rude shock when I tasted my first strawberries bought from the local supermarket. Some strawberries are actually not sweet. Store bought strawberries are even sour or does not have much taste to them. I only eat them dipped with honey. I started believing that all strawberries are not sweet. Until this year when Gaz brought home some strawberries given to him by his customer. They were organically grown at home. It seems that strawberries are hardy plants, almost like weeds and it looks like many Australians like to grow them at home because Gaz's customers took turns bringing bucketfuls into the shop distributing it to anyone who would take them.
These are the strawberries we were given. They are gigantic and aesthetically unpleasing. But goodness me, my fridge smells like the sweet sweet scent of strawberries everytime I open it with them in it. The taste is so unbelievably sweet, and it is very juicy. So that's what a REAL strawberry should taste like! I got so hooked that I've started growing my own. Hopefully in time I will be able to reap the fruits of my labour!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Train Etiquette
2 hours of my life each day is spent on the train commuting to and from work. That equates to 20 days in a year. That's like spending the total amount of my annual leave each year sitting in the trains 24 hours a day. Recently I encountered an extreme bad manners from a fellow commuter - I was sitting happily in my seat reading my papers, when I suddenly felt a blow of air coming from a man standing near me who was coughing. I felt so grossed out that the first thing I did when I entered my home was to step into the bathroom and have a long hot shower. Maybe his mother never taught him to cover his mouth and not to cough into other people's faces?
What about the young women who catches up on life events on the mobile in the train? I really don't need to know about the unreasonable boss at your work and definitely not about your planned weekend pub crawling activities. Eavesdropping is interesting but I'm trying to cut down on things I'm not supposed to do right now.
I really dislike it when people do not know where to put their legs. I don't care where they decide to put it, but not directly pressing against mine, thank you. There was a man yesterday sitting opposite me who pressed his knees against mine even after I've shifted my leg position. Luckily this game of knee tag didn't last long because he got off the next station.
And then there are the starers. The ones who look at you as though you had just stolen their right to eat in this world. I often have no idea what they're looking at on me, and I don't feel right staring back at them so I let it go. But I can feel them staring at everyone in the train with a very angry face.
Last but not least, people with a kiasu attitude when getting on the train. This happens even though it is the first station the train is stopping at, and there are plenty of seats. Invariably these people are Asian ladies. They push me from behind with their umbrellas or poke me with their palms, they push in front of me because I'm not fast enough when I get on the train, and they dash into the train looking for a prime seat. Whichever it is, it definitely won't be next to me because I'll be too slow for them if we happen to get off at the same stop.
What about the young women who catches up on life events on the mobile in the train? I really don't need to know about the unreasonable boss at your work and definitely not about your planned weekend pub crawling activities. Eavesdropping is interesting but I'm trying to cut down on things I'm not supposed to do right now.
I really dislike it when people do not know where to put their legs. I don't care where they decide to put it, but not directly pressing against mine, thank you. There was a man yesterday sitting opposite me who pressed his knees against mine even after I've shifted my leg position. Luckily this game of knee tag didn't last long because he got off the next station.
And then there are the starers. The ones who look at you as though you had just stolen their right to eat in this world. I often have no idea what they're looking at on me, and I don't feel right staring back at them so I let it go. But I can feel them staring at everyone in the train with a very angry face.
Last but not least, people with a kiasu attitude when getting on the train. This happens even though it is the first station the train is stopping at, and there are plenty of seats. Invariably these people are Asian ladies. They push me from behind with their umbrellas or poke me with their palms, they push in front of me because I'm not fast enough when I get on the train, and they dash into the train looking for a prime seat. Whichever it is, it definitely won't be next to me because I'll be too slow for them if we happen to get off at the same stop.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
U Pick U Eat
Seeing that the berry picking season is upon us and I was itching to go out, Gaz and I took a short drive to the closest cherry orchard. As we got out of our car, we were greeted by a horde of eager tourists buzzing around the cashier area. The cost per entry to the orchard is $6 while cherries picked sell at $8 per kg, $2 cheaper than cherries that size on special in the markets. The place also packs cherries for sale, ranging from super big ones nicely arranged in cardboard boxes ideal for gifts, to medium sized ones starting from $10 per kg. There were different varieties, the sour cherries for cooking, the pale red ones which are lighter but sweeter, and the dark red cherries normally found in the markets. Their produce are sold in the centre as well as to supermarkets. Besides cherries, the orchard also grows lemons, boysenberries and blueberries.
Rows of cherry trees
Cherries on the branch
I couldn't wait to get out in the fields and start picking. I must admit to my love affair with cherries which is unfortunately short and platonic, and happens only during December and January when cherries are in season and discounts are usually available. When not in season, cherries can sell up to $19 per kg. We were ferried into the orchard by a bus provided by the place, and we were loosed into the fields. At first, I struggled to pull the stems away from the branch. Each time I pull, the motion swings the branches and ripe cherries (yum!) drop off the branches onto the ground which seemed like a waste of good cherries. After a while, I got the hang of it, twisting the stems till they detach from the branch. While picking, Gaz and I stuffed cherries into our mouths, dripping purple juices down our mouths and shirts. The cherries were very juicy and sweet.
A variety of cherries - the pale red ones which are sweeter
We picked for about an hour and could have picked more but as we went quite late, the orchard was approaching closing time and we had to get onto the last bus back to the centre. It was a terrific experience, and I would probably go back a couple of times, only during cloudy weather!
Our haul
Raspberries
Raspberries up close
Rows of cherry trees
Cherries on the branch
I couldn't wait to get out in the fields and start picking. I must admit to my love affair with cherries which is unfortunately short and platonic, and happens only during December and January when cherries are in season and discounts are usually available. When not in season, cherries can sell up to $19 per kg. We were ferried into the orchard by a bus provided by the place, and we were loosed into the fields. At first, I struggled to pull the stems away from the branch. Each time I pull, the motion swings the branches and ripe cherries (yum!) drop off the branches onto the ground which seemed like a waste of good cherries. After a while, I got the hang of it, twisting the stems till they detach from the branch. While picking, Gaz and I stuffed cherries into our mouths, dripping purple juices down our mouths and shirts. The cherries were very juicy and sweet.
A variety of cherries - the pale red ones which are sweeter
We picked for about an hour and could have picked more but as we went quite late, the orchard was approaching closing time and we had to get onto the last bus back to the centre. It was a terrific experience, and I would probably go back a couple of times, only during cloudy weather!
Our haul
Raspberries
Raspberries up close
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Happy Sunday
I think it should be mandatory that a Sunday be sunny and warm. Should a Sunday fall on a rainy, unpleasant day, then another day must replace that Sunday. I had a good time today walking the city on my own. After church, I took a train to the city, did some window shopping and stopped by the office to do some work. After a couple of hours, the lure of the bright sunny day outside was too much so I left the office for the national gallery. I thought it would be interesting (and very the chic) to do a spot of art appreciation.
The last time I went to the gallery was when I had a couple of hours to spare waiting for Gaz to pick me up. It was summer, warm, and two years ago. Since then, I did not have much reason to stop by the gallery. I'd shifted offices and the gallery is a little out of the way for me.
So this afternoon when I visited the gallery, I was pleasantly surprised by how much more exhibits they seem to have. New exhibits. There were also an interactive area for kids, art videos etc. There was a big projector screening the process of making a dress on a model in conjunction with a textile and design exhibition on at the time. There was a whole new section in the gallery now open to the public. I thought it was a good use of space. They'd put some exhibit cases all along a corridor in a brilliant use of space.
Overall, the gallery had indeed made good use of its space and the exhibits are more interesting and exciting. This is evidenced by the large number of people lounging around, enjoying the cafe space and exhibit space in the gallery.
A twist to the old stained glass windows
A view of the outside world through the National Gallery's famous full length windows with water running down them
The last time I went to the gallery was when I had a couple of hours to spare waiting for Gaz to pick me up. It was summer, warm, and two years ago. Since then, I did not have much reason to stop by the gallery. I'd shifted offices and the gallery is a little out of the way for me.
So this afternoon when I visited the gallery, I was pleasantly surprised by how much more exhibits they seem to have. New exhibits. There were also an interactive area for kids, art videos etc. There was a big projector screening the process of making a dress on a model in conjunction with a textile and design exhibition on at the time. There was a whole new section in the gallery now open to the public. I thought it was a good use of space. They'd put some exhibit cases all along a corridor in a brilliant use of space.
Overall, the gallery had indeed made good use of its space and the exhibits are more interesting and exciting. This is evidenced by the large number of people lounging around, enjoying the cafe space and exhibit space in the gallery.
A twist to the old stained glass windows
A view of the outside world through the National Gallery's famous full length windows with water running down them
Australia
Gaz and I went to watch Australia the movie in the big screen yesterday night. It was a three hour movie, and had some mixed reviews from the public. The poster above publicising the movie looks like it's a cross between Pearl Harbour and Gone with the Wind. It's supposed to be an epic love story, set in the beautiful sceneries of the Northern Territory.
The scenery of the land was spectacular, similar to the pictures shown below.
The depth of the characters weren't, though. For a multi million dollar project, it fell short of my expectations. I expected to feel a range of emotions - anger (because one of the themes of the movie was about the Stolen Generation - where little Aborigine children were forcibly taken away from their parents for a 'better life' with the whites), lovey dovey (Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman's characters were in love), triumph (Nicole Kidman's character goes through hardships to revive her near bankrupt property by nudging aside the movie's villain). Instead, I felt a smattering of each of these emotions, not enough to move one.
The movie is passable, but certainly does not give enough oomph in my opinion, for the budget and talent behind it.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Paua
During our NZ trip, we had a local delicacy Paua. Paua is the Maori name for a species of sea snails. It is similar to abalone, however the taste couldn't be more different. While abalone is sweet, paua tasted like... nothing. It was rubbery, and it tasted nothing like abalone. Perhaps it was the restaurant, or the way it was serve but our Paua eating experience was not the best.
We went to a Thai restaurant on the last night in Kaikoura (I just had to have some Asian, my comfort food after a few straight days of burgers, salads etc). It was strange finding a Thai restaurant in the town when there were no Asians in sight! Including the Asian tourists we saw in the town, the ratio was about 1 Asian to 20 Caucasian.
On the waiter's recommendation, we ordered the Paua salad. The dish had a good combination of tangy flavours to it but the paua slices failed to make it to the party.
Paua salad
Paua shells have lovely swirls of colour. They are also known as sea opals because of the resemblance in colour and are used to make jewellery
Fresh paua
We also ordered the seafood combination stir fried with basil, and the red chicken curry. Gaz liked the seafood stir fry - the sauce was a nice one with basil, sweet and salty. Very tasty.
Stir fried seafood with basil
Red chicken curry
We fiddled around with the camera in the restaurant taking pictures of the food and the waiters thought we were food critics. If we were, then we'd failed miserably because I can't even remember the name of the restaurant!
We went to a Thai restaurant on the last night in Kaikoura (I just had to have some Asian, my comfort food after a few straight days of burgers, salads etc). It was strange finding a Thai restaurant in the town when there were no Asians in sight! Including the Asian tourists we saw in the town, the ratio was about 1 Asian to 20 Caucasian.
On the waiter's recommendation, we ordered the Paua salad. The dish had a good combination of tangy flavours to it but the paua slices failed to make it to the party.
Paua salad
Paua shells have lovely swirls of colour. They are also known as sea opals because of the resemblance in colour and are used to make jewellery
Fresh paua
We also ordered the seafood combination stir fried with basil, and the red chicken curry. Gaz liked the seafood stir fry - the sauce was a nice one with basil, sweet and salty. Very tasty.
Stir fried seafood with basil
Red chicken curry
We fiddled around with the camera in the restaurant taking pictures of the food and the waiters thought we were food critics. If we were, then we'd failed miserably because I can't even remember the name of the restaurant!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
It's World Toilet Day!
Did you know that today the 19th November is World Toilet Day? It was declared so by 17 Toilet Associations around the world in 2001. It's good to know that someone cares :)
I once formed purely out of fun, a Toilet Girls Club during primary school. Unfortunately it never took off and all two and a half members (the half member was under probation) disbanded after a couple of months. We never did anything really, unlike these 17 Toilet Associations that supports more equality (more toilets for women, the disabled and mothers with babies), cleaner toilets and more toilets for the less fortunate. They discuss these issues plus other related issues such as sanitation, toilet aerodyamics, water saving initiatives in their annual World Toilet Summit.
Until today, I never really thought that much about toilets. Not enough to be a member of the national toilet association and to be excited about attending the annual Toilet Summit. But this really caught my attention - a tru blu gold toilet! It's a genuine gold toilet in a gold shop in Hong Kong.
p/s: There's no point and proper ending to this blog post. The quality of this post is indicative of how much manure I've been copping at work.
p/s2: Now, how did they get such a good photo of the bowl when explicitly mentioned no photos allowed?
I once formed purely out of fun, a Toilet Girls Club during primary school. Unfortunately it never took off and all two and a half members (the half member was under probation) disbanded after a couple of months. We never did anything really, unlike these 17 Toilet Associations that supports more equality (more toilets for women, the disabled and mothers with babies), cleaner toilets and more toilets for the less fortunate. They discuss these issues plus other related issues such as sanitation, toilet aerodyamics, water saving initiatives in their annual World Toilet Summit.
Until today, I never really thought that much about toilets. Not enough to be a member of the national toilet association and to be excited about attending the annual Toilet Summit. But this really caught my attention - a tru blu gold toilet! It's a genuine gold toilet in a gold shop in Hong Kong.
p/s: There's no point and proper ending to this blog post. The quality of this post is indicative of how much manure I've been copping at work.
p/s2: Now, how did they get such a good photo of the bowl when explicitly mentioned no photos allowed?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Crayfish for Dinner
We had crayfish for dinner yesterday night. We got it frozen from the local supermarket. Gaz grilled it with lashings of garlic butter on top. It was delicious, though I much prefer the fresh version of it. Gaz also cooked tau miu with creamy egg white sauce and chicken and sweet corn soup. Yup, you heard it right... I didn't even need to help out during the cooking. I just sat my bum down and enjoyed the dinner. And though I said I'll wash up, I went to take a 'nap' in bed and woke up the next morning with all the dishes washed. Aren't I lucky? :)
The crayfish
Who are you looking at?
Our dinner
Crayfish with flavoured rice
The crayfish
Who are you looking at?
Our dinner
Crayfish with flavoured rice
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Life is a Fruit Bowl
We have a fruit bowl at work, and every Monday and Wednesday two boxes of fruit arrive in the morning ready for anyone who craved a little healthy sugar hit. I chose a nectarine that had the most amazing fragrant, sweet smell. It sat in my drawer for two days and even some tissues I had next to it were permeated with the fragrance. With great expectations, I took it out of the drawer yesterday, washed it and bit into it. It was SOUR. I bit in different places but there were no sweet spots. I had to throw it away. It's just too much to take, after the tantalising sweet fragrance, to bite into a sour fruit.
As I pondered over the events of the day on the way home in the train, I can draw some similarities in life to the nectarine. What if you just didn't expect something to turn out the way it did because it looked so improbable it would do so? Not so long ago, the economy was robust to say the least. Now newspaper headlines are screaming about job cuts, stock market tumbling further, property prices slowing, dollar at a low on a daily basis. So, if one has been released from their job, they can't even make their fortune from some other sources, or sell their property to get some money. The last resort, to move away to some other country where cost of living may be cheaper isn't that much more attractive because the low value of the dollar (admittedly an extreme option). Just yesterday speculations tore around town about a bank cutting 10% or 3500 of their workforce. Another has 2000 on the cards. Total financial sector job cuts = 10,000.
The state we're in right now just seemed so improbable 9 months ago. And unlike being able to throw away this nectarine for a sweeter one, there are none other nectarines out there. Every nectarine is sour at the moment.
The good thing is that, there are other fruits in life. Peaches, for family and cherries for friends, for instance. They're both stone fruits too, just like nectarines. At least there is a higher chance that they'll be sweet and will be more fulfilling.
As I pondered over the events of the day on the way home in the train, I can draw some similarities in life to the nectarine. What if you just didn't expect something to turn out the way it did because it looked so improbable it would do so? Not so long ago, the economy was robust to say the least. Now newspaper headlines are screaming about job cuts, stock market tumbling further, property prices slowing, dollar at a low on a daily basis. So, if one has been released from their job, they can't even make their fortune from some other sources, or sell their property to get some money. The last resort, to move away to some other country where cost of living may be cheaper isn't that much more attractive because the low value of the dollar (admittedly an extreme option). Just yesterday speculations tore around town about a bank cutting 10% or 3500 of their workforce. Another has 2000 on the cards. Total financial sector job cuts = 10,000.
The state we're in right now just seemed so improbable 9 months ago. And unlike being able to throw away this nectarine for a sweeter one, there are none other nectarines out there. Every nectarine is sour at the moment.
The good thing is that, there are other fruits in life. Peaches, for family and cherries for friends, for instance. They're both stone fruits too, just like nectarines. At least there is a higher chance that they'll be sweet and will be more fulfilling.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Remembrance Day
Today the sound system in the office floor crackled to life, shocking everyone into silence. Ever since we moved into the new office about five months ago, we have never heard what the voice over the system sounded like, and most probably did not realise there was such a system. So guess what the voice was saying? 'Let us put on.. blah blah blah...' then it stopped. It started again a minute later, 'lest we forget'. Ahh... now it made sense what the Voice was saying. It was Remembrance Day, a day to remember the sacrifices made by soldiers during the World War 1. Major hostilities ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month thus the special date. Many people on the street were wearing a pin of a single (fake) poppy flower on their blazer, while somber men in green uniforms and beret sold these remembrance pins around street corners. And so, in remembrance of the brave people who sacrificed their lives and endure horrific war fights, we in the office observed a minute's silence. Lest we forget.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
History is Made
Today history is made as the world watches the first African American man take the stage as the new President of the most influential and powerful country in the world - USA. It is indeed a special moment in history and no doubt his name will make it to history textbooks around the world. If I had kids and they were studying in a M'sian school, I can imagine the teacher saying, "Ini Barack Obama, dia mencipta sejarah menjadi Presiden US hitam yang pertama". But it's not all about race, it's not about the colour of his skin. He was a superior candidate from beginning to end. His charisma shone throughout and no inappropriate actions such as sticking one's tongue in front of the entire public watching, or wardrobe malfunction, or compulsive lying got in his way. He is a truly polished individual, charismatic, and has sound resolve to make US a better place.
Can you believe that people from Indonesia and Japan are celebrating? Indonesia because his mother married an Indonesian so she's considered naturalised, and Japan because there is an actual town by the name of Obama! If his step brother in-law was still living in Malaysia, Malaysia would be putting up banners and claiming victory too.
For me, I got my own little piece of history by buying one of the newspaper with Barack Obama on the front waving to me. I read it on the train home and now it's all crushed. Gaz suggests I throw it away coz it's only going to yellow and probably will not be worth anything in 30 years' time. So much for trying to capture that piece of history.
Can you believe that people from Indonesia and Japan are celebrating? Indonesia because his mother married an Indonesian so she's considered naturalised, and Japan because there is an actual town by the name of Obama! If his step brother in-law was still living in Malaysia, Malaysia would be putting up banners and claiming victory too.
For me, I got my own little piece of history by buying one of the newspaper with Barack Obama on the front waving to me. I read it on the train home and now it's all crushed. Gaz suggests I throw it away coz it's only going to yellow and probably will not be worth anything in 30 years' time. So much for trying to capture that piece of history.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Fab Jap Food
We found this Japanese joint in the city on our last night in Christchurch. It was some Japanese name trailed by a 'bar and cafe' so it seemed like an average eating place on the surface. It was small, and decently furnished in the inside but nothing to shout about. There weren't many gwai lo's in it so we know it's not a posh place. So why did we pick a place that didn't seem like fab food to us? Well, simple... because we'd ran out of money and just had about enough to get us a meal and pay for departure taxes at the airport the next day.
So, in we went and were showed to a table for two. It turns out that the waitresses were gosh... real Japanese, and the cook was too, and the menu had Japanese characters, so it was all authentic stuff. The prices were reasonable though, which is equivalent to a Jap fast food joint in Melbourne. You know, the Japanese named Chinese stuff e.g. ramen, bento boxes etc. But the food which was delivered out from that hole in the wall that separates the kitchen and the restaurant was nothing like it. They were delicious! This is what we ordered:
Two serves of tempura battered fresh oysters as entree. The oysters were sweet and fresh, the batter was crisp and light and to top it off, my fave item - Tobiko!
Can anyone guess what this is? You can spot the bits and pieces of chopped up octopus in it... It's baby octopus in wasabe sauce. The sauce was very tasty as I don't mind the sharp taste of wasabe at all. But I did mind eating raw octopus so Gary finished it all. It was very chewy.
My fave eel atop a bed of creamy eggs and rice. It was deeleeciouss! The eel was sweet and tender, and though the eggs could be a little creamier, it didn't disappoint.
This dish is new to us - rice in green tea. We couldn't taste any green tea, and the waitress told us the soup stock was made out of bonito flakes. The roe was a little too salty for me but when mixed it added taste to the dish. Very heartwarming for a cold night.
This is crumbed chicken fillet in ginger flavoured soy sauce. Gaz loved the sauce so much he insisted I learn how to make it upon my return to Melbourne. I think he's forgotten about it now, which means I don't have to bust my chops looking for the recipe!
Overall, we paid $48 for these dishes, and a bottle of Jap beer, which I did not take a photo of since I did not know how to appreciate the juice. For that price, I probably would have gotten only an entree, a main and a drink in a good Jap r'ant in Melbourne! I wish we had more time (and money) for another meal there, but we didn't so we shall have good memories of it.
So, in we went and were showed to a table for two. It turns out that the waitresses were gosh... real Japanese, and the cook was too, and the menu had Japanese characters, so it was all authentic stuff. The prices were reasonable though, which is equivalent to a Jap fast food joint in Melbourne. You know, the Japanese named Chinese stuff e.g. ramen, bento boxes etc. But the food which was delivered out from that hole in the wall that separates the kitchen and the restaurant was nothing like it. They were delicious! This is what we ordered:
Two serves of tempura battered fresh oysters as entree. The oysters were sweet and fresh, the batter was crisp and light and to top it off, my fave item - Tobiko!
Can anyone guess what this is? You can spot the bits and pieces of chopped up octopus in it... It's baby octopus in wasabe sauce. The sauce was very tasty as I don't mind the sharp taste of wasabe at all. But I did mind eating raw octopus so Gary finished it all. It was very chewy.
My fave eel atop a bed of creamy eggs and rice. It was deeleeciouss! The eel was sweet and tender, and though the eggs could be a little creamier, it didn't disappoint.
This dish is new to us - rice in green tea. We couldn't taste any green tea, and the waitress told us the soup stock was made out of bonito flakes. The roe was a little too salty for me but when mixed it added taste to the dish. Very heartwarming for a cold night. 
This is crumbed chicken fillet in ginger flavoured soy sauce. Gaz loved the sauce so much he insisted I learn how to make it upon my return to Melbourne. I think he's forgotten about it now, which means I don't have to bust my chops looking for the recipe!Overall, we paid $48 for these dishes, and a bottle of Jap beer, which I did not take a photo of since I did not know how to appreciate the juice. For that price, I probably would have gotten only an entree, a main and a drink in a good Jap r'ant in Melbourne! I wish we had more time (and money) for another meal there, but we didn't so we shall have good memories of it.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Good bye NZ
These pictures were taken from the airplane window. It was pretty much straight from that to work the next day. Geez.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Kaikoura - last day
We hung around Kaikoura for another half day waiting for a spa appointment. Gary and I thought it'll be great to have a relaxing time at the spa with a massage before we headed back to workland in Melbourne. It was raining all the time the last day, so our plans to watch the sunrise and take some pictures of the fabulous scenery was ruined. However we did walk a little around the bay and took these pictures.
Picture from our bed & breakfast room window. Look at that snow capped mountains!
The view from the lookout from the walk.
It was a very wet day, we went to the beach and looked at puddles of seaweed washed ashore, little mussels and corals. We were so glad when midday came around, and we could go off to our massage appointment and be pampered.
Picture from our bed & breakfast room window. Look at that snow capped mountains!
The view from the lookout from the walk.
It was a very wet day, we went to the beach and looked at puddles of seaweed washed ashore, little mussels and corals. We were so glad when midday came around, and we could go off to our massage appointment and be pampered.
Kaikoura - Day 2
Gary and I went out to town today for the biggest event, and also the costliest at NZD140 pp in our trip - whale watching! We were booked in on a charter boat out to the sea for 2 and a half hours to watch whales. Kaikoura, as the guide explained, is lucky to have deep waters close to its shores thanks to a natural sea landscape of a deep canyon about 15 minutes out. This place is also where many whales swim around, we may also see dolphins, seals, and other animals such as the albatross which is a very large sea bird. We were not disappointed! We saw TWO sperm whales, a pod of dusky dolphins that swam sooo close to my side of the ship, and a whole lot of albatross walking on water. The video I've put in this blog shows a sperm whale diving into the sea. It was fascinating and awesome to be able to witness this event.
Dolphins underwater
We found this seal by the roadside on the way back from the boat. 
After the trip, we were feeling a little peckish so decided to make another stop by the roadside stall selling seafood for some more. This time, we did not order the crayfish but tried something else. We had scallops, whitebait fritter (the one in an omelet) and grilled fish on a bed of rice and toast with a side salad. 
Dolphins underwater
We found this seal by the roadside on the way back from the boat. 
After the trip, we were feeling a little peckish so decided to make another stop by the roadside stall selling seafood for some more. This time, we did not order the crayfish but tried something else. We had scallops, whitebait fritter (the one in an omelet) and grilled fish on a bed of rice and toast with a side salad. 
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Kaikoura
We left for Kaikoura, a seaside resort 2 and a half hours drive away from Christchurch today. Kai in Maori means food, while Koura means crayfish. It sounds like my kinda place alright!
The suburbs away from Christchurch are bustling little towns themselves. I actually spotted more restaurants and cafes that I wanted to dine in than in the city itself!
The New Zealand landscape is truly beautiful.
There were large expanse of green fields dotted with white sheep. This picture reminds me of a milk advertisement I saw while I was young in Malaysia.
There are more sheep in NZ than human beings.
I love these mountaintops so high up they're partly covered by clouds.
I thought these hills are very unique as they're wholly covered with bushes with yellow flowers.
Kaikoura at last! The town has the best of both worlds - located where the mountains are on one side and the sea on the other. The town centre has only one major road running through it, tightly packed with various shops and accommodation.
We checked into our hotel, a boutique place owned by an elderly couple Lilla and Frank. Lilla greeted us at the door and proceeded to give us a rundown of the fave spots around town. She gave high recommendations to try a roadside restaurant (equivalent to mamak stall) selling fresh crayfish/lobster as well as other spots she thought was worthwhile our time.
We wasted no time in driving down to the stall. When we reached the place, there were about 5 lobsters left, price ranging from $44 to $60. We got the $48 lobster.
Up close and personal shot of the fresh catch. Just off the ocean behind that afternoon.
Our lobster snack, served on a bed of rice, buttered bread and a side salad. Delicious! It was so so so fresh, firm and sweet!
The suburbs away from Christchurch are bustling little towns themselves. I actually spotted more restaurants and cafes that I wanted to dine in than in the city itself!
The New Zealand landscape is truly beautiful.
There were large expanse of green fields dotted with white sheep. This picture reminds me of a milk advertisement I saw while I was young in Malaysia.
There are more sheep in NZ than human beings.
I love these mountaintops so high up they're partly covered by clouds.
I thought these hills are very unique as they're wholly covered with bushes with yellow flowers.
Kaikoura at last! The town has the best of both worlds - located where the mountains are on one side and the sea on the other. The town centre has only one major road running through it, tightly packed with various shops and accommodation.
We checked into our hotel, a boutique place owned by an elderly couple Lilla and Frank. Lilla greeted us at the door and proceeded to give us a rundown of the fave spots around town. She gave high recommendations to try a roadside restaurant (equivalent to mamak stall) selling fresh crayfish/lobster as well as other spots she thought was worthwhile our time.
We wasted no time in driving down to the stall. When we reached the place, there were about 5 lobsters left, price ranging from $44 to $60. We got the $48 lobster.
Up close and personal shot of the fresh catch. Just off the ocean behind that afternoon.
Our lobster snack, served on a bed of rice, buttered bread and a side salad. Delicious! It was so so so fresh, firm and sweet!
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