Monday, March 1, 2010
Goodbye summer 
Labels: australia, confession, life, memories, photo, summer
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Monday, February 22, 2010
Everyone has a story to tell
E and I thought that the Thai food festival was on today at Fed Square, so we skipped lunch to save our stomachs for a major Thai street feast. You can imagine our disappointment when we found out that the event was on the 21st of March and not February. Doh!
Instead, there was a growing crowd in front of the big screen and we decided to walk up to the "Info Tent" to ask them what was happening. Turned out there was a live telecast of Tropfest (the world's largest short-film festival) in the evening, so E and I quickly headed to Chinatown for dinner before going back to join in the merriment!
The trailer for the event had a hint of "Stranger than Fiction" (one of my favourite movies staring Will Ferell and Emma Thompson) and pretty much set the tone for the 16 shortlisted candidates-
Because everyone has a story to tell.
Some of my favourites included "Happenstance" by John Marsh, "There Had Better Be Blood" by Charles Williams and "Fishlips" by Duane Fogwell. Hopefully they will be available on YouTube soon so that I can share them with you. :)
Labels: australia, culture, movie, summer, video
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Thursday, February 11, 2010
Summer days driftin' away
Taken somewhere along Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Labels: australia, culture, life, memories, photo, summer
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Friday, January 22, 2010
It's been a hard day's night
This weekend will be momentuous. I can feel it in my fingers!
It will be a week before I go back to university to finish my graduate diploma. My summer break has flown by and I am really grateful for having full-time (and ongoing) work.
I am looking forward to catching up with my course mates and working with new people. It would certainly be interesting to go back to school now that we've all had actual hands-on experience with kids.
This will also be the weekend before I get fitted for braces.
Finally! I am nervous but excited and after putting it off for so long I just want to get it over and done with, but it will take about 2-2.5 years for the full treatment. Goodbye solids, hello liquid diet and a skinny waist!
To make use of the weekend, E and I are going to go on another camping trip. This time to Tarra Valley in Gippsland.
nigel millett
Doesn't it look gorgeous? I can't wait to visit the Tarra Bulga National Park (rainforest + suspension bridge), the boutique brewery in Mirboo North, the waterfall near Toora and Port Albert (for fish and chips).
See you all soon!
Labels: australia, camping, life, love, memories, photo, summer
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Great Ocean Road
Over the weekend, E and I decided to go camping.
We clocked over 1000 km in 2 days- going from Melbourne to Colac to Otway to Apollo Bay back to Otway to Colac to Port Campbell to Warrnambool to Geelong and eventually back to Melbourne.
Besides doing a lot of sightseeing from the car and eating too much junk, we visited the Otway Treetop Walk, the Gibson Steps, not-quite Twelve Apostles and the Loch Ard Gorge. Not too bad for an unplanned trip!
We booked an unpowered site in a caravan park in the middle of nowhere, and pitched our tiny tent under the stars. It rained up a storm that night, but we managed to stay nice and dry. It wasn't the most comfortable arrangement but I definitely enjoyed our little "outdoor" experience!
I haven't uploaded all the pictures, but here are some of my favourites-
Labels: australia, camping, love, memories, photo, summer, travel
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Friday, January 15, 2010
summer in the city
Those who know me in real life would know that I pretty much live in dresses.
People think it's because I like to dress up, but it's really because most days I'm in a rush out of the house (to school/work/social appointment) and throwing on a dress is the easiest option- it saves me the hassle of put an outfit together.
E took me shopping the other day and insisted on buying me two new dresses for summer. Actually, he wanted to buy me three but I wanted him to save money instead. :P
Maxi dresses are all the rage now in Melbourne, and he picked this one out from Bardot. He did well, because I received heaps of compliments from my co-workers and students today!
Afternoon drinks at the rooftop cafe in the city
One of my resolutions for 2010 is to spend more time doing outdoorsy stuff- I am lovin' my summer tan and looking forward to our weekend road trip to the Great Ocean Road tomorrow! :)
Labels: australia, fashion, love, photo, summer
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
An afternoon at Luna Park
Last month we took our high school students on an excursion to Luna Park. It had old school charm, but not very much else!
While I was queuing for a ride, I saw a bunch of older kids smoking, right in front of me. They probably had no idea that I was a teacher, or that smoking was illegal in the open-air park.
I called out to the tallest boy in the group. "Hey you! How old are you?"
He motioned one and seven with his free hand. I frowned and asked him if he knew he was underage. (They are all international students who have just arrived in Melbourne a few months ago.) He shrugged.
"I don't want you smoking in this park, especially when there are younger kids around!"I swept my accusing finger across the entire group.
He threw his lit cigarette to the ground and put it out with his shoe. The other kids followed. And in an act of the defiance, they all got off the bench they were sitting on and strutted off.
An hour later, I caught them smoking again, this time in a bigger group and in the centre of park. I marched up to the same boy and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around to face me, I realized he was at least 1 foot taller than me.
"I can't believe you are still smoking! I don't want to catch you all a third time, or there will be serious consequences!" I put on my most teacherly voice and put my hands on my hips, trying to intimidate him (much like a stick insect flailing its arm at its predator).
They walked to the nearest bin to throw their cigarette away.
I kept a close eye on the group for the rest of the afternoon, in case they persisted.
Later on, when I had to teach the whole school Maths, I got to teach and talk to all of them. I found out that the tallest boy caught smoking was a good kid after all, and where he came from, smoking probably wasn't much of a deal. Still, it was important that they learnt the rules in another country.
You can see the slideshow of photos taken that day here.
Labels: australia, photo, summer, work
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
Shakespeare in the park & NYE
E and I wanted to do something different for my first New Year's Eve in Melbourne, so we got tickets to watch "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the Botanical Gardens.
The weather that day was as hot as summer days come, and we were both eager to sit in the sun and do nothing.
I had to teach as usual, but I met E after work and he had packed us an elaborate picnic with garlic and chilli chicken, salami and ham, cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, stuffed capsicums, dolmades, salad, bread rolls, crackers and dips and a bottle of sparking red!
We found a shady spot under a giant tree, laid out our picnic mat and wined and dined the afternoon away.
And then the lights went off.
Unbeknownst to me, his parents had bought a tiramisu cake for my birthday, and his mum came out of the kitchen holding it in her hands with lighted candles. Awwwww ;)
And that was how we spent our New Year's Eve.
Labels: australia, birthday, holiday, love, memories, park, photo, summer
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Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy new year, pull your ear!
My Christmas and New Year passed by in a flurry of activity- I was hardly home or in front of the computer, but I was regularly updating Facebook on the go with random photos from E's iPhone. The whole world seems to have an iPhone but me!
I caught up with friends, watched my first live football match, learnt how to ride a bicycle and went on my first bike trail along Gardiners Creek, got into a bit of a riding accident, had a huge Christmas feast with E's extended family, visited galleries and museums, drove up to Mount Dandy with Z and hubby for a hike and had lots of picnics in the parks.
I love, love, love summer!
Happy 2010 folks- it's going to be fantabulous year ahead :)
Labels: australia, culture, life, memories, summer
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Sunday, December 20, 2009
My life in Melbourne
When I first arrived in Melbourne, I would get nervous around 5 o'clock because it was when all the shops were about to close. Being very Singaporean, I could not imagine a world in which my shopping had to end before dinner-time. Also, I had been so used to life in Tokyo, having shops and restaurants close really late and being able to hop on the last train home on the Yamanote line at 1 a.m.
"Whatever do people do when the shops are closed?" I asked in all earnesty.
"Oh, heaps!" Lockie replied.
"I find Melbourne to be kinda, well, boring sometimes."
"What are you talking about! There's always something happening somewhere."
5 months on, I have since repented of my ignorant ways and have completely changed my mind about the city.
Just yesterday, after teaching my Saturday morning class, I caught the tram towards St. Kilda Road and headed to the National Gallery of Victoria. There are at least 10 rooms in the gallery and they are all massive. I spent more than 2 hours in there and only covered 2 rooms, and I couldn't even finish the 19th century European paintings and sculptures. I had to stop because I was just so overwhelmed. And I still have 3 other exhibits at the Ian Potter Museum (across the river) that I wanted to see, and they're all free!
Today, E drove me to Chadstone for shopping with Maddy, and en route we drove by a garage sale. We got off and had a quick look, and ended up buying me a brand new bike seat (going for $20 down from $50) and the Australian edition of Cranium (for $5). And when we got to Chaddy, it was just so big I only covered less than 10% of the megamall in 4 hours. As usual, I bought bags and bags of lollies for my students, and I also scored bicycle pedals from K-Mart for just $10.
I should mention that E got me a second-hand bike as part of my Christmas present and he's been spending time teaching me how to ride, and I'm getting the hang of it! My aim is to be confident enough to go on the road and ride to the supermarket and community library by myself. It's my goal for the summer, along with passing my learner's permit (for driving).
E has also bought us tickets to see Diana Krall and Buena Vista Social Club next March, and I'm so psyched. The perks of dating an ex-musician! ;)
Labels: australia, life, summer
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Monday, December 14, 2009
Everybody's changing, and I don't feel the same
Chaz has come and gone faster than the blink of an eyelid, but I am glad to have been able to play host and tourist when she was here.
She had the perfect last night in Melbourne- we watched La Boheme at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for free. There must have been over a thousand people there, many of whom got there early to get a good picnic spot. Chaz and I bought a spread from Coles- we had roast chicken, cold cut, smoked salmon, mussels, Greek olives, Rock Deli chips, crackers and dips, plus we polished off 3 bottles of red wine between 4 of us. The weather was bit chilly but I had E to keep me warm. ;)
I must say that opera is starting to grow on me. E bought tickets for us to watch Aida for our 2nd anniversary recently, and I really enjoyed the grandeur of it all. I also found out that his parents had named him after a Puccini opera, so that's going to be the next on our to-see list!
Apparently in summer there are heaps of free outdoor gigs all over Melbourne, and E has marked them all down in his iPhone so we'll be keeping busy.
P/S: I got my official results for Semester 1 via e-mail on Monday, and I got straight As. :) In retrospect, my time in Melbourne has been a rollercoaster ride and I am thankful that everything worked out in the end. 頑張ります！
Labels: friendship, love, memories, park, photo, summer, uni
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Chaz in Melbourne
Chaz was due to arrive last Tuesday afternoon, but her flight was delayed and she decided to take an earlier flight out and landed at 6:30 in the morning instead.
And of course, in typical Chaz fashion, I only found out the night before when she was at the airport about to board the plane. E and I were messaging back and forth trying to work our schedules out! My poor boy had to wake up at 5ish and drove all the way to mine to pick me up and then to the airport, and then to the city to drop me off for work, and then Chaz on Flinder's and himself back home before rushing off to uni.
Since she's been here, I've been really busy. I have to teach from 830 to 330, and I stay in during my breaks and lunch time to do my marking and lesson planning so that I can run off after school. And then I'd meet Chaz somewhere in the city and take her around.
So far, I've taken her to DeGraves St and Melbourne Central, The State Library, Pelligrini's and The Elephant and The Wheelbarrow pub, Taco Court, Trunk and Benett's Lane Jazz Bar, St. Kilda and South Melbourne, the Yarra Valley and Pireaus Blue in Fitzroy. Tomorrow it's off to the Suzuki Night Market at the Queen Vic Market.
Needless to say, I am completely exhausted but it's not everyday your best friend spends a grand to fly 10 hours to visit you Down Under.
Here are some of my favourite photos from our day trip to the wineries on Sunday -
Labels: australia, friendship, memories, photo, summer, travel
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Friday, November 20, 2009
Summer in the city
Summer is good for throwing on a dress and heading out, and I have been exploring the city on my own while E is at work.
In the last week, we have gone to a comedy club, hung out in the 'burbs, had a drinks party, rode his rusty old bike in the park and watched an opera (for our 2nd anniversary).
"You're being wined and dined," E joked and I smiled. It's true, I've been pampered.
Did I mention that he loved my painting so much that he took me to Eckersley's in Prahran and bought me my own set of art supplies? Canvases, brushes, a big 52-tube box of acrylic paints and a palette.
The other day, I trammed up to Johnston Street and wandered in and out of random shops all the way to Gertrude Street. It's on my tram line en route to the city and I've been meaning to check out the area but I kept putting it off.
I am glad I decided to be spontaneous because I scored a series of art books featuring various painters for $1 each(!), and discovered a lot of cool boutiques and recycled clothes stores. Mellie would have loved it.
This is what I wore last Friday, a vintage dress I got from Haji Lane in Singapore during my last trip home-
Labels: australia, fashion, photo, summer, work
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
忘年会
Can't believe it's been almost a year since I left Japan!
The party started out as a bit of a laugh- E found this online calculator that worked out how many days old you are. He realized that he was going to be 10,000 days old soon and decided to organize a get-together for everyone since he was back in Australia.
We decided to call it a 忘年会 (bounenkai in Japanese) when we put the event on Facebook, and about 20-odd people showed up.
I wore the dress my mum sent me from Singapore. It's perfect for the summer! :)
Here are the photos stolen from J's and X's camera-
P/S: I am 9818 days old today!
Labels: australia, beer, friendship, memories, party, photo, summer
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Monday, November 16, 2009
This could be my lucky day.
Labels: australia, blog, photo, summer
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Sunday, November 8, 2009
The song of the cicadas
You would have thought that because I grew up in Singapore, that I would be used to the heat. But the heat here in Melbourne makes me restless, like I can't sit still and something needs to be done but I can't figure out what.
It is one thing to experience summer all year round, and another to go through 6 months of frigid weather and be suddenly assaulted by a heat wave.
I was in the car with E and his parents last night with the windows rolled down, when the song of the cicadas began to roar, an unmistakable sign of summer.
"Do you know that cicadas spend about 16 years living underground, only to emerge one summer and live on stored energy for up to 2 months before being eaten by birds?" Bruno explained to me as we went down the highway.
Having been a city girl all my life, facts about nature always fascinate me.
And because it was the perfect temperature last night, E decided to drive us down to Half-Moon Bay for a evening stroll at the beach. We got take-out coffee from an Italian restaurant at Black Rock and sat in the sand with our paper cups and looked up at the star-lit sky.
It was nice and tranquil, and made me wish that summer nights like these would last forever.
Labels: australia, beach, love, memories, nature, photo, summer
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Sunday, August 24, 2008
You're my playground love
On Friday, E and I threw a party at his place for no particular reason except to get our friends together.
We spent the afternoon cooking up a storm- we made watercress salad, Chinese noodles, Japanese rice balls , Hainanese chicken rice, fried prawn fritters and tandoori chicken satay. It was all very yummy and everything was gobbled up by our hungry and appreciative guests.
It was the perfect late summer evening, with the temperature cool enough for us to leave the windows open the entire night.
Since it was also Li's birthday, we threw him a surprise. E even whipped out his violin and played us a few tunes.
For some reason E decided to take photos of me cleaning up the house- he wanted me to send it to my mummy to show her how he has been domesticating me. Funny.
All photos from the night are uploaded here.
Labels: food, friendship, love, memories, night, party, photo, summer
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