I am so sloowwww...

I ought to be shot huh??? I have wayy too many backdated posts and pics...

Perhaps my new year's resolution should be to update my blog more regularly... hehehe. Anyhoo, I have some pics from the just came and gone Christmas celebrations!

Jon and I went to Ivanhoe to catch the Christmas Light Decorations @ The Boulevard...

Christmas lunch  at Uncle Peter and Aunty Eng's place with everyone else... It was a big affair, with family and close friends of theirs.

Of course, there were heaps of food as well! :) YUMSSSS.... We basically stuffed ourselves through lunch, and then desserts, and then kept eating until dinner time! Then ate some more!! OMG.

The kids enjoyed some games outdoor, and got themselves heaps of pressies. Practically a whole car-load! I'm not joking! Almost couldn't fit into the car boot... Lucky lucky kids! I reckon they are the ones that enjoy most during festive seasons, don't you reckon??

The kids always get the most angpows during Chinese New Year, get to eat the most lollies and chocolates during Easter, and have the most presents during Christmas!! 

I soooo wanna be a kid again! I'd rather be the one receiving the presents, than buying them! Hehehe... adulthood is wayy overrated.

But I suppose, Christmas ain't about how many presents you get, but rather, with whom you get to spend it, and how...

It is a season of giving.... and love :)

Ho Ho Ho. Merry Christmas all!

Merry Christmas everyone~!!! :)

Christmas has never really been a big thing to me, perhaps cause my family is not really Christian (granddad was Christian and grandma was Buddhist). Somewhere along the way, my mom and dad sorta became free thinkers (not wanting to take sides and create conflicts I suppose) and so am I.

We never really celebrate Christmas in a big scale, nor did we do much for Chinese New Year. Gosh, we must have been the most boring people. When others got to go house visiting to get angpows, we were mostly home watching tele. And not having a proper "hometown", we were the only few left in deserted KL during Chinese New Year.

Same goes for Christmas. Sure, it was an enjoyable time because it is a public holiday! but we never really got into the spirit of Christmas. We never do big family dinners, didn't really exchange more than just a few "Merry Christmas" wishes...

But this year, it was different! Jon got us a Christmas tree! I bought the decorations, and decorated the tree from scratch. And also went out to buy gifts for the little children of the family. Wrapped all the Christmas gifts and placed them under the tree.

Remy was soooo good not to attack them! He got to his own present though, I don't know how he knew it was his! *extremely puzzled*

Anyways, I had a really good time this year. I didn't have to work, and had a really nice family time with Jon's family. Pics will be up soon!

But at the meantime, I just wanted to wish everyone,  A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

And make sure you wear comfortable shoes for the boxing day sales!! Hehehehe.

Seng Yong in Melbourne

Seng Yong and Adeline @ Sakata Burwood.

Seng Yong was in Melbourne for about 9 days a few weeks ago. I have not seen him since... I was 16 if I remember correctly. She last time I had a proper conversation with him was wayyyy back in primary school when I was like 12 or so.

We've grown quite abit since (or so I'd like to think) but he still looks the same! Just like how I remember him to be~ hehehe. Still tall and skinny. The only difference is, he's not as naughty as he used to be. I remember him playing chase during recess, and always ends up in class all sweaty. And the teachers would tell him off for being all dirty and stuff. Haha.

He's so different now. Soft spoken, sensitive (I'm sure he is, Addy), very pleasant.

We went out for dinner at Sakata in Burwood the other day, because they felt like sukiyaki. I was alone at home because Jon was away in China, so I was quite keen to join them. I didn't quite want to third-wheel, so after finding out that Karen was gonna be there, I immediately said yes!

As they were cooking the beef sukiyaki in front of me... I was getting a little traumatised by the splattering oil and smell of the beef sticking to my clothes and stuff. Besides, I didn't wanna get hurt! Little did I know, Addy was snapping photos of me, protecting my dear self! Hahahah... How hilarious. I actually thought it looked rather funny :) so I'm being generous and sharing it here with you guys.

Karen and I with the yummy spread. It was such a good night, of self entertaining... well, actually... it was more the chefs that were entertaining us :) with their "culinary" and "aeronautical" skills... combined .

After dinner, we went to Ivanhoe's Boulevard to have a look a the Christmas lights display, but to our dismay, they weren't up yet!! It starts the next day! Damn, we were one day too early~ Way too excited! And there I was, wondering why I got such a good park, eventhough we were so late! Hehehehe...

Seng Yong's farewell dinner @ TaiPan, Doncaster.

Addy invited everyone from the gang, so it was a good opportunity to catch up with everyone as well! I haven't seen them in a couple of months, I reckon.

Addy and Seng Yong wanted to have lobster noodles :) It was pretty good... but the rest of the dishes that we had there, were pretty mediocre if you asked me. TaiPan is still the best for yumcha though :) I reckon Ocean King in Glen Waverley has better crab noodles and lobster noodles... hehehe.

Anyways, it has been a good week having Seng Yong around. See you again in May!! Meanwhile, I will try to keep Addy entertained till then. I don't want her to sink into depression while you're gone (hehehe, ok, joking joking Addy!)

STOP RIGHT NOW!

Enough already!
Your baby is NOT cute! He / she is NOT gorgeous. I don't feel like holding him / her, nor do I feel like pinching him / her cheeks. Stop parading it and pressure people into saying nice things about him / her k?! Gawd....

I am very much a pro-baby person!
But I like to give my compliments only when it is well deserved.
So PLEASE, STOP shoving them into my face and ask if he/she is the cutest thing I've ever seen!

The answer is NO!

And posting a million photos onto Facebook / Twitter / Friendster / whatever will not change that fact.

I would have told you, otherwise. Without you fishing for it.
Thank you very much.

Sorry for being mean. I'm just a little over it.

Only if you truly do...

I was chatting to one of my friends on the phone the other day. I could sense that she had alot on her mind. Some important matters that could affect the rest of her life.

She had so many questions in her head. Not all that I could give her answers for. After all, we all have our own demons and fears, and reasons behind carrying out certain acts or behaviour.

It was one of the big questions for someone our age group. The question of marriage.

She has come to realise that marriage is not a bed of roses. It is not only about saying "yes" to the romantic proposal. That, was only the beginning...

Then comes the wedding to prepare for. And the union of two families, and everything else that comes with it. You know, it's true when they say that you can't please everyone in the world.

So what then?

Ultimately, you need to dig deep, think hard, and make sure that you said "yes" because you are sure he's the person you want to be with for the rest of your life. It is a lifetime decision. Of course you can get divorced and start over if it really doesn't work out, but that shouldn't be the reason to say yes, knowing that there's always backup and alternatives if things fall apart.

If your answer is truly yes - then you guys can work things out. Sit down together, and understand each other's reasons behind doing certain things. Of course a marriage unites two families, but the strongest bond, is that it bonds the two of you. Nobody else should matter as much when it comes to making that decision. If it means that you need to give up lots, pack up your things and move to a different country, if your answer is yes, then so be it. It should still be a yes!

If you're unsure, then perhaps now is not the right time for that unity. You have issues to work out before you should proceed. Yes, I know you may say that you can never understand or know a person 100%, inside and out.. but you should have a pretty good idea.

And if it's yes, then you still have the rest of your lives together, to learn, and find out...

I hope you make the right decision, darling. And whatever it is, I'm right behind you :) *hugz* I know it sounds really simple when you read it in words, but I know that it is wayy harder being the person in the situation. The world is never in black and white, but rather, many shades of grey. So babe, l'm just a phone call away if you need to chat again, k?

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And on a separate note, but the same matter.... CONGRATULATIONS ALVIN AND CAMILIA! The wedding was beautiful! Although I'm only experiencing it second hand, but I felt the beauty and love behind it all! So wished I was there! *sobs*

Ho Ho Ho~!

Yay!!!

Christmas is around the corner! With a blink of an eye, the year has almost come to an end. It's December already. OMG, how time flies!

And for the first time in my life (well, actually once since I started working) I won't be working Christmas! :D Whee!! 4 days straight off work. It's gonna be awesome~!

AND....

My Christmas tree is up :) HIP HIP HOORAY!

*Pics up soon*

The Ballet

Those who didn't know... I have been on night shifts for the past 2 months. I was in a love-hate relationship with the night shifts, I have to admit.

I love that it allows me to do alot more, in terms of hands-on and learning from the level 4 registrars.

I love that the midwives are generally nicer and friendlier during the night.

I love that you work with the same person for the whole week so you can develop good rapport with them.

I love that I got to carpool with my reg, and got driven around in his Porsche! :)

And of course, I absolutely loveeee the week off post-nights.

Things I hate about the night shift, well.... it's only one thing really. But it's a bigggg one!

I OFFICIALLY HAVE NO SOCIAL LIFE! I DON'T GET TO SEE ANYONE, NOT EVEN JON.

So anyways, to cheer me up, Uncle Peter sent me an SMS the other night, and asked if I would like to watch Swan Lake.

I jumped and replied "Of course! I was just talking about it the other day!"

Jonathan & Mei at The Regent Theatre - waiting for the show to begin. I can't wait to see those perfect, graceful ballerinas with their immaculate performance. Makes me almost regret that I quit ballet lessons when I was younger.

Aunty Eng & Uncle Peter - who bought the tickets for us. We wanted to pay them back, but he insisted on giving us a treat! I asked what the occasion was, and he cheekily replied that he'll find an excuse soon enough.

Anyways, I gratefully thanked him, because I knew that they only came because Aunty Eng and I wanted to watch it. Jon was fussing over how boring and inappropriate it would be, to watch guys in tights.... suffocating their "package". Haahahahha....

Sipping cocktails while waiting for the show to start... The guys were too busy with their iPhones. Checking e-mails and wut-nots. Uncle Peter just inherited an iPhone from Tisha because she got herself a brand spanking new 32G iPhone 3Gs.

The stage. Beautiful interior.

My only complaint was that the seats were not "angled" enough. The lady who sat in front of me, was so freaking tall, but the most annoying part was.... she couldn't keep still! She kept fidgeting, looking left and right. Gosh, she was so super annoying! I felt like telling her off!

An act from the Swan Lake - performed by the Imperial Russian Ballet. I found this pic on their website since we weren't allowed to snap any photos. Just beautifulll...

Her toes so perfectly pointed, so poised... white and purely elegant.

I think I have just found my renewed passion for ballet... Not re-learning it of course, but watching and enjoying it. I don't think I could put myself through the pain again!

Soooo beautifullll... don't you think??

Allegro

Yong Shen was back in town for a med course a couple of weeks ago. We managed to catch up a couple of times over dinner and desserts, chatting about our lives, and new directions... or in my case, the lack of. Hahaha... Chatting about the good old times~! We should all take leave at the same time sometime, and make one of those group trips again! I miss Gold Coast, The Grampians, Commonwealth Games outings etc. It has been good...

It was good seeing everyone again, and reminiscing the past, walking down memory lane. The ironic is it, that we had dinner at Allegro. I remember my piano teacher telling me when I was a little kid that Allegro = at a walking speed. It's funny how my brain stores random facts. Hehehe... Like, potassium permanganate is purple (Seriously, who cares?!) But I don't know why I remember them.... eheeheh.

Starters for all - sourdough bread with dips... Have always been in love with olive oil... Some days I feel like I can drink it. Kinda gross huh? Hehehe.

Fresh natural oysters! :D My favourite! I can eat a whole dozen by myself anytime!! Only if they're fresh though. I don't wanna risk getting my stomach upset! (Oh trust me, it's not fun).

Mei with the boys - Jonathan and Yong Shen. Yong Shen, my sister said you have gained some weight! She said you must be enjoying life in the Gold Coast!!

Oh also, can we stay with you the next time we visit the Gold Coast? Heheheh :D Since you have a nice new apartment by the seaside.... NICEEEEE...

You can't say you're Aussie, unless you've had some Roo~! :) hehehhee....

And emu, crocodile... etc.

Apparently, Jon claims that his Kangaroo steak was pretty tender and yummy. He was kinda shocked that we were heading to Westin for dinner when I dropped him the SMS. He replied saying "Why so up-sey?" hehehe. I forgot to tell him it was for Yong Shen's farewell and Adeline's birthday :P

Adeline had the steak - cooked medium well. Not too bad. The gravy was good, but I like my meat medium rare (yeah, pray I don't get mad cow disease yeah?)... so it felt abit too chewy for me.

My lamb shank!!! MmMmMm... falling off the bone divine! :) Sometimes, I wish I could cook good lamb shanks like these too. I wonder how much time they spend cooking it! I just can't be stuffed. I reckon that's why I love stir fry vegetables :) Just chuck everything in, stir for a few minutes, and DONE~! Quick, easy and simply delicious.

Yong Shen ordered the salmon. The waiter then proceeded to ask if he wanted his fish, rare, medium, or well done. I was like... O.o

I never knew you could have your fish kinda... half cooked? I always thought fish is always "well done"  unless you're having sashimi in a Japanese restaurant. But yeah, it puzzles me. Nobody has asked me before how I wanted my fish done. Maybe "steamed, grilled or pan fried?" hehehehhe....

Or maybe I'm just not cultured enough.

The gang :)

Oh, the order of the photos got abit messed up, and I'm too lazy to fix it.. This should come before the group photo, but I don't suppose it matters too much. Sorry Ming Haw :P

I was pretty much stuffed to the brim when the waiter came with the dessert menu~! OH NO!! Everything on it sounded soo yums! How to resist?! Damn it! This is his evil conspiracy to make us spend more, and get fat!

Yong Shen had the coconut panna cotta with malibu sabayon which looked real yums. I didn't try though, cause I was trying too hard to finish my own dessert.

My yummers chocolate fondant, with fresh berries, and mint sauce. Jon shared this with me, so at least we managed to finish it. The chocolate fondant was moist and rich :) The berries looked anything but impressive. They could have at least given us a few more pieces, or at least not cut the strawberries up into little tiny "slices". Absolutely killed the elegance.

Not too bad, but I reckon they could have done better.

Addy had this. I can't quite remember what it was. Some sorta crumble if I'm not mistaken... Do not be fooled by the looks of it. It's one whole scoop of CREAM! Not ice-cream.. hehhehe.... Yups, richness maximus! I suppose all yummy things are bad for you :P

You can't really have it all, or can you?

More from the Sunshine State

Here are some overdue photos from our recent trip up to Brisbane... 

It was my first time up to Brisbane. The other time we went up to QLD was a couple of years back, when a group of us went up to the Gold Coast, and then Hamilton Island two years ago.

We were mainly there for Boon and Sarah's wedding - but since we haven't been up before, we decided to make our stay a little longer so we could explore the city a little.  

Upon arrival at the Brisbane Domestic Airport. It was a warm and sun-shiney day :) Perfecto~!

We arrived on Saturday afternoon, and was pleasantly surprised with the weather up there. I suppose they don't call it the Sunshine State for nothing! :) It was sunny indeed.... A really nice change from the cold and wet Melbourne (It WAS cold then). 

We checked in to the Hilton - which is situated right in the heart of the city. All we needed to do was take the lift downstairs, and woalaa! We're right at Queen St Mall (the main shopping  area in Brisbane city) - Kinda like Bourke Street I suppose?

Our room in Hilton Brisbane... Not too shabby, no? :) 

Copenhagen ice-cream in Queen Street Mall. We were actually looking for Boost Juice, but didn't quite know where to find it. We then stumbled upon this, and decided to have ice-cream instead. Good choice, except for the fact that we had a cone each, and with the hot weather.... the ice-cream was kinda leaking everywhere! Hehehe..

We looked like little kids trying to lick and salvage our ice-cream from nasty Mr Sunshine! Hhahahah.

We walked around the city until the shops closed and then headed back to the hotel lounge for a drink pre-dinner with the rest of the gang.

It was a good opportunity for me to rest my legs. I didn't really buy anything the whole afternoon. There was nothing that we couldn't get here in Melbourne, so I guessed I didn't want to add more weight to my luggage, for something that I can get here. 

Ash came to meet us at the hotel lobby, and brought us to the Pier for dinner. Gary and Alice joined us as well since we're all noobs to Brisbane. As we were walking towards the pier, it started raining! Like WHAT?! I thought it's sunny all the time?! Hehehehe... 

We initially wanted to go to Cha Cha Char (which supposedly, serves one of the best steaks in town) - but they were fully booked and so we headed somewhere else closeby.

We went to this other restaurant around the corner called Jellyfish. The ambience was really nice, but the food - it was alright. Nothing spectacular. The one thing I noticed about the food in Brissy is, that they're expensive and not very nice at all. For the price you pay, it's not really worth it. 


We called it an early night as Gary and Alice have been up for more than 16 hours that day. They woke up at 5am NZ time to catch the flight to Brissy... After dropping them off at the hotel, we went back to our hotel lounge for yet another few drinks before heading off to bed. 

Wakey wakey~!! We spent the next morning at the pool, soaking up some sun! :) Woots!! How I love love love the weather up there. 

The only thing is, I had a bad tan line after! Haha... 

Went out for some quick brunch before Gary came to pick us up for the wedding. Jon was craving his usual bacon and eggs... 

And I wanted something healthy and refreshing. All rejuvenated after the dip! and ready to conquer the world. Haha. 

My yummy pancakes and fruits :D YuMMmMmmsss. And a huge glass of OJ to top the day!

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Jon took the day off on Monday so we could walk around and sight see for a little before heading back to Melbourne. 

Alan brought us out to have breakfast and for a quick catch up. He seems to be quite happy, moving down under from the UK. Seems to be the trend nowadays. I think the sunshine is really quite attractive. I guess it's true what people say - that the sun really does make people happier.

Mei @ Paddington. Like the Paddington in Sydney, this is also a shopping district. One thing that I have noticed while walking around Brisbane, is that it's super hilly!! Nothing like the flat flat Melbourne, where you can see beyond the horizon. It's gonna be tough riding a bike I reckon!

Next destination - Southbank. Pretty ain't it? It's funny, I think this shot makes us both look like little kids. 

Ash and Jon at the Nepalese Temple along Southbank. The Brissy Southbank is quite the place to be. It's a long stretch, with some pretty sights. The National Library, the garden end, the temple, the ferris wheel... but most of all, my ultimate favourite....

The faux beach!!! :D Woots~! Yes, there's a sunbaking beach along the river. It's like a huge swimming pool, with chlorinated water, and sand! Yes, real sand... and lifeguards too! How awesome is that?

I love it! I reckon this is a clear winner... I would move up to Brisbane just for this! Hahahahha.... ok, maybe not. 

Three of us along the river, with Brisbane city on the background. Thank you random man, for snapping this picture for us.

I guess it's true when people say that every city needs to have a ferris wheel?? What's up with that anyway?? :P 

We had an awesome time up there~! Till next time..... Goodbye Brissy~!!


Right now, it's back to work, and then Sydney at the end of the month. And oh, not forgetting Swan Lake this weekend :)