The Misadventures Down Under 3: Poked

We're having our placements next sem, which means we have to go out to various places for practice including hospitals and depots. This is to allow us to "gain practical experience through professional experience". To be unpleasantly frank, it means the various places are going to get free labour for 3 weeks because we don't get paid...

Lot's of documents to be settled-Police Checks (Let's face it, if being beautiful was a crime I'd have been sentenced to death 10 times over and never passed the checks (｀ω´)(v)), Working With Children Checks (Have a feeling children scare me more than I scare them...), and immunisation status.

I left my immunisation records at home, and it has been 83297 years since my last jab, so... Not sure how much antibodies are still left inside me. Had to go to a doctor to get that sorted and ask for prescriptions for some vaccines. (You can't just get stuff from doctors here. You get a script, you go to a pharmacy, they give you your meds. Some meds need scripts, others like over the counter Panadol don't.)

The doctor ordered for a blood test. They tried to take blood from my left arm but the vein they were using collapsed before the vial was filled. So they used my right hand instead... So now my left arrm is bruised and my right arm is slightly swollen (╥﹏╥)

Also, since the TB test is not included under Medicare had to pay $60 for it. (Medicare is something like the National Health Insurance. Citizens and residents can apply. It provides free or subsidised treatment by health professionals and public hospital accommodation under certain circumstances. Sis was hospitalized a while ago due to a blood infection and her treatment and stay was all free.)

Hopefully there are still some antibodies left, or that means 6 jabs next week... Eek!

The Misadventures Down Under 3: Sis in the kitchen

Lately, sis has been in the kitchen a lot. Wonder what's gotten into her. (・.・)

Yesterday she has been making egg tarts.

Today she made some yoghurt parfaits.
No sorry that's mine. Heehee...

She made these.

From left to right: Nutella, fruit compote and tahini parfait.

Two cats sitting in the sun (^_^)

That means I'll get so fat this two weeks hahahaha (ˇ‿ˇ)

The Misadventures Down Under 3: Wagaya

It's been so long since I last touched this thing...

Wagaya Japanese restaurant had a newly opened branch in Melbourne and was offering 50% off everything on the menu until 30th June (which is today) so sis and I decided to pay this place a visit. It isn't every day that you get half price off your sashimi. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

The place is on the third floor of the Mid City Arcade, and we decided to go today as it was Monday, and it would be less crowded?

Wrong.

People were literally lining up to get into the lift, and the outside of the restaurant was so crowded people couldn't even get out of the lift. We rode the lift twice up and down before we actually found some space to wriggle out (Thank goodness for short bodies hahahahaha (╥‿╥))

What's more, we had to wait about an hour before actually getting a place... (╥◡╥) By then I had gotten more sleepy than hungry.

Every place has a touch screen where you can order your stuff from. Saves a lot of time for the staff there, which is good.

Grilled eel and cheese spring roll.

Error 404: Cheese not found. Pretty oily as well. But since it's a nice piece of eel in a crispy skin I shall not complain any more.  ƪ(´ｰ`)ʃ

Salmon and scallop sashimi. 


Fresh as! Nice thick chunks too! (╥∇╥)

Deep fried crumbed oysters. Heaven!

Fresh oysters. Very fresh. But...

It started moving!!! EEK!!! (ノ ﾟДﾟ)ノ　┻━━┻

Gave it to one of the waiters and he was pretty shocked when he saw that little rascal wriggling for his life. He informed his manager, we got an exchange and he was very apologetic about it. Didn't make a big fuss and laughed it over because frankly it wasn't his fault and it must be a hectic night for the peeps in the kitchen. (Lucky bastard, bet if it had been someone else he'd be given a shitload.) No harm done, just hope that the oyster guy will be more vigilant in the future.

On a brighter note, the oyster must have been really fresh to still have sea worms wriggling about in it's shell... (¬_¬)


Sea urchin chawan mushi. First time trying sea urchin (^_^)

Wagyu skewers. Ordered it only because we were so curious as to how some pieces of meat on a stick can cost $12 before discount. Tasted of chicken... (=-=)

Eel skewers. Just your sweet savoury eel on skewers... (You don't say...)

Spent $45 on everything. Well... Think of how much it would have cost without the discount... (ﾟДﾟ)

Sis decides that she'd like to go back on days when it's not so busy to try out the quality. I agree.

The Misadventures Down Under 3: Just an Update

Hai! I know, long hiatus. Sem break has just started, and it's not like it makes a difference anyway, break or not. 3 assignments due immediately after, more mid-sem tests and finals on the way. At least there's no class ahahahaha (~˘▾˘)~

Woke up late and was too lazy to do anything, so went out for brunch with sis at Chez Dre, a popular cafe in South Melbourne. There was a queue but luckily we didn't have to wait long (V)

Cappucino

Zucchini fritters with smoked salmon and pear fennel salad, which tasted strangely of lemon cheesecake... (¬_¬)

唉遗憾啊拍得完全没有卖相…… (︶︹︺)


White bean cassoulet with pork belly and sausage. The sourdough on the side was kinda stale and the cassoulet tasted... Kinda weird. Maybe it's an acquired taste thing.

After that, roamed aimlessly around the city until sundown.

Here's the interior of St. Peter's Cathedral which we hopped in just because we could.

The Misadventures Down Under 3: Down the Valley

My grandma, auntie and maternal cousins are here in Melbourne for a week. So since we can't really think of anywhere else in the CBD to bring them, we decided to rent a car and take a road trip to Yarra Valley ٩(^▿^)۶

The Yarra Valley is just a short distance away from Lilydale, nice place known for its vineyards and wineries. Typical countryside sort of place with blue skies and rolling pastures. Yes I am romanticizing slightly... (U.U)

Early that morning while sis and I had class, the others went to rent a shiny new 1-year old Hyundai iMax 8-seater. And straight after class, we hopped on and drove out to the Valley.

Sigh... I am a female and I wished that women would shut up while others are driving...

First stop, Rayner's Stonefruit Orchard.

The welcoming committee.

They have orchard tours which run daily. For $22 a person, you get to explore the orchard and know more about the various fruit planted there, and the best thing is, you get to pick the fruit fresh from the trees, taste them or bring them home! (For a price of course...)

Farmer Len in his tractor.

Clingstone peaches!

Big juicy white peaches.

Kiwifruit!

Plums. According to Farmer Len, this is the worst species of plum on his orchard. And we didn't believe him... (─‿─) Apparently, the white stuff on the plums is a form of starch which serves as the fruits' natural sunscreen. When choosing a plum off the tree, go for the "sunburnt" ones, with little dents in them. They get more sun and are sweeter.

The second best plum species... Slightly redder, and much much sweeter.

The golden plum, looks like a mango here... (=_=)


It was only when we tried it we finally knew what he meant. Sweet and juicy with a hint of floral fragrance! o(╥ω╥)o

We also saw some fruit which we had never seen before.

And also play around in the elevator... Machine... Thing...?

The welcoming committee followed us all the way (•ω•)

After the tour, we also got to sample their oven roasted quince and fresh fruit ice cream! (︶ω︶)

Next, Warratina Lavender Farm.

Lavender was already starting to dry up, but the whole place was still so fragrant!

Dat lavender scent... I'm going to sleep here... (-.- ) zzz

By the time we had finished, it was already 5. So we went back.

Such a brief trip. o(>﹏<)o Hope to come back again!