case in point

Flight experience @ Camden

2011-01-22T21:04:00.001+11:00

catch-up

2011-01-08T21:02:00.002+11:00

Puck came back from San Fran for a quick visit, so we went up to the central coast as she hasn't been to a beach in a few years! Puck's totally enamored with the lifestyle in the State - living in a commercial warehouse and making art - sounds totally up her alley. I really should schedule a visit...just don't know when!

first stop - Broken Bay oysters from Mooney Mooney, 10 Kowan Road. The owner was a bit gruff at first, but was very helpful in giving us directions to a nice place to eat our bounty. We got 3 dozens between the 2 of us...a real overestimation of our stomach space, but we ate them all in the end hehe

A jetty in Brooklyn, across the water from Mooney Mooney

Bungan beach again! god i love this place - so primeval even without all the dead birds

Capped off with Tron: legacy. Uninspiring story, but the CGI was very sexy!

beach day

2010-12-28T18:11:00.002+11:00

my type of beach - desolate, deserted, different...

...though not necessarily full of dead shearwaters

Merry X'mas!

2010-12-26T14:11:00.038+11:00

The second Praha Drinking Meeting took place on X'mas, with a 10 course meal with matching drinks, taken over 10 hours!

Des made a Turducken that took 3-4 hours prep time and another 3-4 hours to cook; it was very moist though. Well done!

The boys pulled out all stops - printed a menu with our names in icons, not to mention delish dishes like scotch fillet with wasabi pepper sauce, and chicken schnitzel that went so well with Little Creatures pale ale. There was so much good food, the boys had to scrap salt-baked whole fish from the menu!

I made an ugly but so very alco-licious Kahlua chocolate cake to go with ginseng moscato; it's going to be my signature now, especially since I can substitute other liqueurs.

Thanks to all for the awesome time, and the kickass pressies!!!

I've fledged!

2010-12-17T23:20:00.001+11:00

Yes, it has finally happened!

I thought I'd be walking around like a penguin but my blue and red gown was surprisingly bright - so much so that someone on fb wondered why I was in costume HAHAHA.

When I reached the Vice-Chancellor, as the title of my thesis was read out, the VC said:

"that must have been hard"

"oh it was quite enjoyable"

"how long did it take?"

"6 years"

"oooo........."

LOL

The bubblies at the lab, lunch and ceremony all went smoothly (and the ceremony a lot faster than I expected); afterwards Richard and I got behind a bush to show people what it is that ecologists do ;)

It was like a dream, and now I feel nothing but relief :)

Arras

2010-12-12T01:08:00.001+11:00

new beginning

2010-12-05T20:36:00.001+11:00

harlequin beetles, walking through sedges almost my height for birds or frogs, soon to be out paddling amongst mangroves...this is actually a job...

this is the life

Chatting

2010-11-12T16:01:00.022+11:00

Sculptures by the Sea

2010-11-09T18:33:00.000+11:00

2010 Sculptures by the Sea...I went out of habit

my favourite photos of the day - kookaburras enjoying the sea breeze

Halloween with Neil Gaiman

2010-10-31T18:03:00.026+11:00

A while ago I attended Neil Gaiman's reading of The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains at the Sydney Opera House, accompanied by FourPlay string quartet and paintings by Eddie Campbell. The music was absolutely perfect, it's hard to believe they worked in different parts of the world and only had a couple of rehearsals to marry word to music. Here's a taste of that magical night. Neil says he hopes the whole thing will be available one day, and I second that.

And for Halloween, here's Neil Gaiman reading the The Graveyard Book in its entirety :)

He also suggested that we give one person a horror book for Halloween. It's a cute idea. He also said he likes Stephen King's new collection of novellas - All Dark, No Stars.

I have to say being a fan of Neil Gaiman on facebook has been great, for keeping up to date with his journal and reviews. His article on Amanda Palmer and the Dresden Dolls was an absolutely cracking read. I don't know anything about the band and I was moved...that's the way of Neil Gaiman...;)

wrap

2010-10-30T19:04:00.052+11:00

Once again, the Sydney Food and Wine Fair wrapped up the month-long celebration of food across Sydney. It's been a few years since my last visit, and it seems that a lot of the 'big name' restaurants weren't around this year, so we didn't get to try Buon Ricardo's truffle sausages even though Manda has had it for years. Signage needed improving, as most were too small and hard to read, and some stalls had no signs at all. Desserts were the highlight, especially the Torta di Verona (blueberry trifle) from Buzo. I'm pretty sure we'll go there just to have that dessert!

Anyway, I'm thankful for the beautiful weather...

we didn't do too badly! that's code for not being able to move after our 5 hour lunch :)

David Suzuki at the Opera House

2010-10-24T23:42:00.000+11:00

Tonight I attended the incredibly inspiring lecture by David Suzuki at the Opera House (click here to watch the video), introduced by Tim Flannery, and concluding with a great Q & A session between the two scientists/environmentalists.

It's hard to believe David Suzuki is only 4 months short of his 75th birthday. It seems that people like Suzuki and Jane Goddall, people with conviction, passion and motivation, remain almost ageless as the light of truth and wisdom shine from them. These visionaries show us what we could achieve if only we knew our place in the world, and how we unknowingly impact what's fundamental to our own survival.

We're not separate from the environment. We're now a force of nature, single-handedly changing the world we live in. I won't try to summarise David Suzuki's lecture, because it's best that you listen to it yourself (the bacteria in test tube analogy is awesome). I'll just say that the lecture, in conjunction with my recently developed habit of following various environmental orgs on Facebook, yes, FB can actually be mentally stimulating and very informative if you want it to be), has cemented my intention to improve my knowledge of my footprint, lessen my appetite for 'stuff', and genuinely contribute to the preservation of our home (the universe has answered and I stumbled into a 10 part program on Aboriginal culture education and natural gardening, mimicking natural ecosystems and not using pesticide/herbicide...hopefully i'll fill up that big garden of mine full of organic food soon).

David Suzuki has a documentary called "Force of Nature" coming out soon. Can't wait!

Sugar Hit @ InterContinental

2010-10-24T23:41:00.000+11:00

I have not been to a Sugar Hit for many years, because I'm not convinced it's good value at $20. However, we found ourselves in the Rocks area on a rainy Sunday night, and Sugar Hit was the most obvious choice to wrap up the night.

We made our way to Shangri-La around 9 pm, but they have already stopped serving for the night! so it was back to The Cortile at InterContinental. It was a quite night, and we were attended to very quickly. The Cortile is a beautiful courtyard with lofty ceiling, enclosed by three levels of sandstone arcade. Shame I didn't have my camera.

The photo was taken with iphone4's 5 mp camera. It's original size, ~ 1.6 mb. Fairly decent since I didn't use flash.

homemade amarena cherry, triple chocolate gateau with orange honeycomb and Bailey's macaroons, with Browns Brother moscato

The macaroon was too soft (i.e. the shell wasn't crispy) for Jerome, but I think it's better than getting a dry/stale one. I'm just bummed that I couldn't really taste the Bailey...The cake and moscato however were both very nice. The cherry gelee in the cake tempered the richness and I really enjoyed the cake.

It wasn't too bad an experience, just note that you can't swap the wine for tea or coffee, and those cost a whopping $7!

Cocktail of the month @ Astral

2010-10-23T15:22:00.003+11:00

Blogposts about food or drinks must be one of the best forms of advertising, or at least that's how I got interested in the Sydney International Food Festival's Cocktail of the Month event, where patrons receive a cocktail and canape for $20 at participating venues. I wasn't even specifically looking up food blogs; just googling the event led to a wonderful post about the Bacco Wine bar, and I was sold (it's the photos...they fire up the taste buds!)

So the girls got together and organised a cocktail night out, starting off with really nice pizza at Pyrmont's Pizza Man, where the 5 of us ate to our fill for $8 p.p.! Then we headed to Astral Bar at Star City for our very first SIFF Cocktail of the Month.

Tokyo Ice Pick: Green tea, Belvedere Pink Grapefruit, honey and lime juice, shaken and served in a sling glass topped with ginger beer. Canape to accompany: kingfish tartare with pickled ginger.

Sadly it didn't live up to our expectations. While the view was quite nice, and we did manage to score a nice lounge after some waiting, the cocktails themselves were sub par. I'm not sure what happened to the ingredients listed above, because our cocktail tasted like lemonade, with no discernible alcohol content. I'd much rather have a smaller, but much more interesting drink. Heck, even a standard cocktail would be better.

The accompanying canape came in cute little caviar jars, and was fine although I couldn't taste the ginger. May be their normal cocktails are much nicer, but we didn't hang around to find out (the music was also too loud...it was just not relaxing!)

We had better luck at Bartino.There were only a few items on the cocktail list, but very decent for $12. We also got to sit al fresco around a cute wooden, octagonal table/lazy susan, with a tree coming out of the middle of it. It's the kind of place I enjoy chatting and having a few drinks...but the group has other ideas.We didn't get all dressed up for nothing!

Last stop, The Loft. It's been a while and I welcome their creative cocktails (that the others didn't like)! chai tea sour, chilli and rhubarb daiquiri, capsicum margarita rimmed with salt and pepper, and an unknown one that came with chocolate and tasted like cherry ripe! I'd have loved to try the hot buttered rum, but I was too busy drinking up the unwanted cocktails and chatting to drunk men haha.The Loft also offers the $20 cocktail+canape deal, but we didn't like the sound of the cocktail. If only we could choose our own!

Best thing about the night? still the pizza! :)

Let's do lunch @ Glass Brasserie

2010-10-21T21:48:00.000+11:00

The lunch offering at Hilton's Glass Brasserie was one of the more enticing of the SIFF Let's Do Lunch options. For $35, we got a main, a glass of wine (pino grigio), and coffee or tea. It's been several years since my last visit which was limited to a very nice creme brulee, so I grabbed the opportunity to revisit with Des.

In a bid to be more healthy, we opted for a Greek salad instead of bread. Feeling virtuous, we follow up with an incredibly creamy truffled mash. hahaha. I tell myself I'm eating with a guy and can't deny him of much needed sustenance.

Roasted pork belly with swede puree, roasted apple, fine herbs

I made an ungodly sound when Des pointed out that I got a corner piece. haha. The pork was beautiful and soft. The sticky caramlised skin had a nice crunch and I even like the way it stuck to my teeth to I can savour the sticky sweetness some more...haha. The pork went so well with the swede puree, I actually wish I had a bowl of the slightly sweet puree to go with the pork instead of the truffled mash.

We went all out and got petit four (French for small oven! wish i could stop pronouncing it like the number four) to go with our coffee. I really enjoyed the bite-sized morsels, and alternating between mild and stronger flavours in succession, starting from strawberry/lemon curd tart, raspberry (?) jelly, mini pistachio friand, Turkish delight, chocolate/caramel truffle, and a nougat with a beautiful honey flavour. It was a fantastic end to a fantastic meal!

Let's do brunch @ Hyde Park Barracks

2010-10-17T01:17:00.008+11:00

The month of October is jam packed with Crave Sydney International Food Festival events. The weather has been glorious and I was very excited about my first crave event this year - Let's Do Brunch at Hyde Park Barracks.

Hyde Park Barracks was built in 1819 to house, clothe and feed convict men and boys, expanding after a few decades to hold female immigrants, then destitute women. The Hyde Park Barracks then became a hub of government departments until the late 1970s. Today it's a museum about its history.

To the left of the main building is the cafe. I love the ivy-covered wall! There were quite a few groups waiting at the door, but thankfully we've booked ahead. Although the staff were obviously very busy, they acknowledged me very quickly, and a waitress put down the plates in her hand to check my booking to take us to our table.

The cafe has very high ceilings, and it's a light and airy space with the french doors open.

The offering at HPB was the most impressive out of the bunch on the SIFF website. For $25, we got a 3 course meal, starting with homemade granola, vanilla yoghurt, and poached fruit. I love granola and this was just the right blend of texture and sweetness. However, we could have done with an extra dollop of yoghurt.

eggs three ways - egg, chorizo and roast tomato tart; feta, spinach and mushroom omelette, ciabatta; ham and eggs benedict, on english muffin

Oh my...this was to die for. Well, the eggs benedict and omelette anyway. We found the tart too mild for our taste, as there wasn't much chorizo to give it flavour. The eggs benedict was Manda's favourite; I also love the hollandaise sauce, which had a nice citrusy kick, unlike the many bland sauces I've had. I didn't have high expectations for the omelette, but it turned out to be my favourite; it came with a goat's feta sauce which was a great pairing, and I scraped the plate to get it all...lol

raspberry waffles, white chocolate sauce, vanilla gelato and berries, for two

There were no berries, just a berry coulis, not that I'm complaining. The waffle had a nice crunch, and it was a great ending to a decadent brunch. By this time we were almost comatose from being too full.

The coffee was good too, not to mention the service. Even though the staff were clearly very busy, service was efficient and friendly, and we got regular top ups of water. Would definitely come back here again!

day out with the girls

2010-10-16T00:59:00.000+11:00

On a lazy Saturday, i decided to tag along with M on her house-hunting, so i can learn the ropes. M was quite serious as she'd been house-hunting for some time, but I was quickly distracted by the Street Fighter game board I saw...lol. Inspection over, we pop over to Burke st bakery around the corner. I've never been to the famous bakery in Surry Hills, so I was stoked to visit the Alexandria branch.

Ginger brulee tart at Burke St Bakery in Alexandria, 474 Gardeners Road.

This baby cost $4.80 but it was just so luscious...the pastry was short and buttery, and the custard rich with a toffee topping. M's rhubarb and raspberry cake, and Tammy's carrot cake with a crispy top were also really good. I am looking for any excuse to go back again.

The killjoy park near M's place. You call this a park? you can't bring your guns or play golf, or ride your horse here! Seriously, who's done those things at the tiny park so that the council actually felt the need to ban these things?

We hung out at M's place, then decided to try the Malaysian place she had in mind, Malacca Straits. It's gotten pretty good reviews on eatability, and we were especially amused by one post that waxed lyrical about a young waiter, around 16-17 years old. Amongst other hilarious shit, I quote: "he was able to take order and serve dishes to the customers alone in the late afternoon. This boy deserves appreciation by the restaurant owner. He is one-of-a-kind waiter." Are you for real??? ROFL. Clearly this place deserves a visit.

The otak-otak was awesome. It's a soft fish mousse, and just the right spiciness. The roti we got was actually better than Mamak's because it's more crispy. The accompany curry and sambal were very moreish, so that when the 16-17 y.o. waiter came over and asked if he can take the plates, all 3 of us said NO, and he backed away with his hands up saying: "ok! just asking!" LOL. We got Assam prawns, assam being a sour/spicy soup that I don't really like, so I can't comment. But the general consensus is that everything (apart from the otak-otak) was delicious but could be alot more spicy, and next time we would ask the chef not to hold back.

The most awesome dish of the night? Ayam Mantega - or butter chicken even though the name doesn't sound particularly interesting. I was craving fried chicken (ayam goreng), so when the owner recommended the mentega, I said, like a desperate and scary person: "but is it crunchy and crispy?" ROFL. Well, what we got may not have been earth-shatteringly crunchy but the chicken was beautifully tender, and the shavings of salted egg and the buttery sauce was to die for. We were so disgustingly full, we could only share a bowl of ABC aka ais kacang for dessert, and only then did I learn from M that kacang means nuts and they are supposed to come with peanuts. I have had ais kacang many times and this is the first time I've had them with peanuts!

Malacca Straits does BYOC - or bring your own crab, and they'll cook it up with Singapore chilli or dry sambal for $20. No effort or mess...sounds like a winner! we saw many tables sporting crabs, and they looked divine. We'll be back!

Dogtober

2010-10-11T00:28:00.025+11:00

Have you ever heard of Assistance Dogs Australia? No, not guide dogs, which are provided to people with vision impairments, but dogs that are trained help people with physical disabilities. On October 11, I joined K in a day of fund-raising for ADA at Martin Place. The day started overcast but there was only one short downpour which we avoided by hiding under the marquee.

We pottered around the two stalls at Martin Place until 11, before we met our trainer and got our own tray of fund-raising merchandise.

how cute are the merchandise!? I reckon we should have started selling things before 9 am, to catch the people going to work. God knows how many fund-raising badges I bought when I worked near Martin Place! I think this is ADA's first year fund-raising in Martin Place, so may be they'll do it differently next year.

We walked around busy George st, trying to establish eye contact with people. It was actually quite daunting trying to engage people's attention, and I felt shy and ill at ease. Our trainer who walked Frankie the P-plater said they usually do their street training in Heathcote, and people are much nicer there.

clockwise from top right:
our dog Frankie! we got to walk with him, and command him to walk to our side, watch us, etc;
the incredibly fluffy 3 months old Jacob, who brought the ladies in from far and wide;
an L plater looking up at his trainer;
a wonderful husband+wife team brought their dogs to support the event; they were gorgeous and, unlike the assistance dogs, you could pet these. They got plenty of attention and I got plenty of business haha;
and finally, our little tray of goodness. I bought the brown pup :D

Group photo of the trainers and their dogs. It takes 2 years to train a dog, half don't make it (they may go on to train as police dogs), and each dog costs $25,000 over its life of service because of training and regular follow-up support. There are 180 assistance dogs helping people in the community, with 50 in training. We saw trainers demonstrating what assistance dogs do - e.g. opening doors, pulling off socks, pressing the button to cross the road, and bark when the owner is in need of immediate help.

Incredibly, ADA relies on public support as it does not receive help from the government. So, the next time you get a chance, make a donation, or help them out however you can!

Jacob passed out on the stairs of Martin Place

I felt the same way at the end of the day! fund-raising is hard work people! Next time you see a fundraiser, give us a smile, or some spare change; they really do help make our day!

Mystie's b'day at Hunter Valley!

2010-10-10T23:45:00.130+11:00

For Mystie's b'day, her hubby booked us a 2 bedroom bungalow at the centrally located Leisure Inn. There was quite a bit of space between the bungalows; that, and the expansive lawn, lake and mountain view all made me really happy. The rooms themselves were also really good, and there were two bathrooms with spa!

Grapemobile, where we got our bikes, opened at 10 am. It was $25 for a full day's hire, and we were each given a bottle of water. I've never changed gears before but it was quite easy to pick up. First stop was Little's Estate just next door, also open at 10 am, and I got a cuvee. Then we visited Waverly Estate, home of aged wines, and here we splashed out big time; bowled over by the vintage port, we banded together and got two cases...I picked a 1996 cabernet sauvigon and the port...that's my x'mas and new year wines sorted!

At Moorebank, we tasted the intriguing Ginseng Moscato, and promptly bought one each. I'm not a ginseng lover at all, but the ginseng flavour wasn't overwhelming, and balanced out the sweetness. Not sure what people who are not used to Asian herbs and medicines would think of it...

It was overcast the entire day, and we were very lucky to get to First Creek just before a downpour. Can't say I liked the wines there though.

Lunch was on the terrace of the Verandah Restaurant; food was served tapas style, and quite nice, but I was left with the impression I formed after my own b'day celebration, that tapas just don't work for a large group. Somehow, there's just too much waiting, and distraction as each dish arrived. We had a great time though. It was nice to have a celebration in beautiful surrounds, and I must say the chocolate souffle with fillings of our choice was very scrumptious :)

We drank quite a few bottles of our morning purchases (though the corkage was $9/bottle, it's still cheaper than getting their wine). At one stage I had 4 glasses of wine before me...lol. The first fall of the day occurred to the b'day girl before we'd even left the restaurant's estate! It was so scary watching her bike slip on the gravel and slide from under her! Much more strange was YY's fall. She was mesmerised by Mystie's fall and 'realised i had to paddle to keep going' a bit too late...lol. Luckily Alan had a first aid kit and patched up the grazes on Mystie's arm.

Totally drunk, it was all we could do to get ourselves back to Grapemobile. Only 50 m from the building, YY had a 'microsleep' and did a face plant, bruising her chin and cheek. We would have laughed if she didn't look so bad (ok, we still laughed, inside). So you have been warned about the hazards of drink-riding!

I'm so unfit i had problems riding up some of the hills, haha, but all of us passed out for a couple of hours before dinner. Got thai takeaway at a restaurant at Tempus Two, and waited for an hour for it...yep. It was good, but next time, I'll bring some food to cook in the kitchen.

Easy-living continued on Sunday morning, with a cheese platter and coffee for brunch at the Cheese Room at Tempus Two before heading back to Sydney. It was a wonderful getaway, we're just so lucky to live in this country! :)

GPO cheese and wine room

2010-10-06T00:35:00.092+11:00

Caught up with my friend A over dinner at the GPO cheese and wine room, Martin Place. It was the middle of the week and there were only 3 tables including us, so we got to enjoy the cosy atmosphere of this classy little restaurant.

I ordered a 'red flight' - 3 local and international cheeses paired with 3 red wines for $33, accompanied by tasting notes explaining the provenance and flavours of the cheeses and wines. I particularly liked the pecorino from Tuscany, and the Irish blue cheese paired with syrupy sweet Piggs Peake Zinfandel, which you can get at Hunter Valley (if they are not sold out, that is!)

cured meat platter - $28, with bangalow pork salami, bresaola of organic angus beef, cold-smoked ocean trout slices, duck and rosemary terrine, cornichons and ciabatta bread.

the 'white flight' - $31

Everything was delicious, and a real welcome change to the usual dinner offerings around town. I don't normally buy cheese, so this was a chance to get some exposure to and education on some of the cheeses out there.

The conversation was also different to the norm...A had gone to see a psychic/tarot reader and come out of the reading feeling anything but reassured. I can't help but think that having a psychic focusing your attention on particular things/people would bring about a self-fulfilling prophesy. And where that area of focus is unexpected, and outside one's imagination, the uncertainty will actually weigh on one's mind and create more doubts/fears etc (and hence why A went to see another psychic haha). That said, I'm not skeptical of some people's abilities to sense future possibilities, so...time will tell :)

Mappen

2010-09-25T22:36:00.047+10:00

Mappen, a new Japanese restaurant just behind Poporo/85 degrees on George St, is an eatery with a difference. It's self-serve fast food, Japanese style. For main, there are noodles (soba, ramen, udon) cooked in a few different ways, and a couple of rice dishes, that come in small and large. Customers can also help themselves to an array of tempura - fried vegies, prawns, tofu etc, and small containers of bamboo shoots, seaweed and so on, before paying for the meal at the end of the self-serve counter.

We choose our main and watch the lady cook our noodles to order; I love the wall behind her - it's a picture of a kitchen, with a fridge and a pantry! Then we picked our own our tempura.

cool old movie posters cover the walls and pillars and give the place a retro feel

Total damage for my small udon with egg and tempura - $10. Wasn't too bad - the udon was just right, and the egg runny; tempura wasn't too oily either.

I'm not a big fan of fried food, but it's cheap enough and interesting enough to warrant another visit :)

*

I was going to keep this post as a restaurant review only, but I can't. I have to say that I was bored out of my wits so I agreed to watch The Last Airbender with undiscerning friends, despite all the bad reviews. So I guess I deserve all the pain I got. That movie hurt my soul so bad, i asked to be killed during the movie.

On the other hand - Boy (highest grossing NZ movie of all time, have not met one person who did not think it's beautifully poignant, smart, funny and all-round wonderful), and Made in Dagenham (from the director of Calendar Girls), are awesome films. Chase them down and watch them, because they countered the ravages of Hollywood dross and saved my soul :)

Kopi Luwak @ Olio

2010-09-17T12:22:00.005+10:00

Festival of the Wind

2010-09-12T20:30:00.016+10:00

first time at the annual kite fest at Bondi Beach, and blessed with absolutely glorious weather

my kickass hawk, bobby

the giant octopi and stingray are my favs

even kites like to laze on the beach ;)

Whale watching

2010-09-11T20:30:00.061+10:00

I scored a great deal via Jump-on-it, 2 hours of whale-watching for only $35!

It's half price because we're at the tail end of the whale-watching season, most of the whales having already gone up north to give birth in warmer waters

The weather was amazing, and we departed off a wharf in east Circular Quay so the boat took us past the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and the various bays that reminded me yet again how beautiful Sydney harbour is, and then out past Sydney Heads to the Pacific Ocean!

i got properly soaked! the weather was great and the waves not too choppy, but at times it was like riding a rollercoaster - we would hang in the air, then slam down into the water...ARGH!!!

sadly i forgot to take something for seasickness, I forgot because the last time I was on a boat was 5 years ago...so...i got really sick not long after we got out to the open sea

I know that the tour the day before didn't see any whales, so i was really happy to finally spot one, even though it was just the back. The whale disappeared, then i threw up, which was really lucky, because after i felt better, the whale appeared again!

the fluke! so magical!

there are actually two whales swimming side by side! and they were so close to us!

errr...this is the aftermath of a magical full breach, which i failed to capture because my camera stopped focusing (great....NOT). The whale flew out of the water, not more than 10 m from us, showing us its white underbelly; it hung in the air and we held our breath and time seemed to stop, and then it was gone again...

I'd seem a full breach before, from the cliffs of Botany Bay National Park (Kurnell side); I saw the sky below the whale's tail fluke! Then as now, the image is seared into my brain but funnily, it's hard for me to believe I had seen it, and that's how my friends felt too.

heading back to Sydney town

beautiful skyline of Sydney

magic!

Random

2010-08-27T13:43:00.005+10:00

This post was supposed to be about the $36 high tea at Park Hyatt, but I couldn't get a decent photo of the Opera House in the background of the tiers of sandwiches and cakes. Yes, that's a great price for high tea with a view, even if the scones don't come with clotted cream...

a very interesting looking translucent dead bug in the space between two panes of double-glazed train window

somewhere around the rocks, there is a nest with an egg

My B'day

2010-08-20T20:30:00.048+10:00

to make up for not celebrating my b'day last year, i decided to treat myself this year... :)
starting with a 1/2 hr massage+1/2 hr facial and a glass of champagne (for $49...gotta love scoopon!)

followed by Friday Prix Fixe lunch - 3 course meal plus amuse bouche and pre-dessert for $45 - at Marque, named restaurant of the year in the 2011 Good Food Guide Awards

owl wallet from Mushu, dweebing out at Naritas (I won at Chinese Checkers hahaha!)

and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...how funny is that movie; the sound track is awesome

Lunch with the gang at Emmilou, Surry Hills, it was ok. Got some awesome pressies - a flight lesson voucher, Stories by Neil Gaiman, and...a frying pan, which i asked for...lol

the chocolate sundae was surprisingly good!

Chefs Gallery, new restaurant in town - a worthy rival of Din Tai Fung! much better variety at better prices, but no Xiao Long Bao, and we think they are going to up the price soon, when they print more of their much needed menus lol. Still, the quality of the food is pretty high, not to mention the hard work they put into the desserts (piggy sesame buns, mini sweet pumpkins)...get there early to avoid the queues!

Then back to YY's place to chill...and yes, eat more. That's what birthdays are for...good times with good people :)

Biennale - Cockatoo Island

2010-08-01T20:47:00.001+10:00

Visited Cockatoo Island on the very last day of the Biennale, the month long arts fest that sees a tremendous outpouring of creative genius in beautiful Sydney. Cockatoo Island was a prison and a ship building yard, and its many tunnels, silos, rundown buildings and the turbine hall make great places to showcase hundreds of installations from around the world. The queue for the free ferry from Circular Quay was wayyy long and it took almost an hour to get on one...but there's nothing like being under the glorious winter sun :)

Sydney Harbour...after my trip to Hanoi, I'm doubly appreciative of how beautiful Sydney is

we've landed!

they really should rename this place Seagull Island; they were everywhere, nesting in cracks, under stairways, etc. This seagull is just one of a bunch of seagulls nesting in a row of doorways

random shots from the wonderful and very long visit; this is an annual must-do just like Sculptures by the Sea. and I finally made it to the top this time!

love the senselessness and the derelict chic ;)

Happy B'day Des!

2010-07-16T23:33:00.004+10:00

Des' b'day at the Harts Pub, the Rocks. A dozen craft beers, and alcohol related quotes on every wall in the rooms upstairs. I like it :)

and i had NO IDEA just how exxy sports jerseys are. that's like my new mushu handbag, monster thread t-shirt (both from Bondi Market), and my USD$60 hand-made sterling silver sunflower hoops RIGHT THERE! (no i'm not complaining; i'm just stunned...don't mind me D)

We went to the Good Food and Wine Show as well...and saw some inexplicable things, like a meegoreng stall (hello? only Shin ramen should be here), and Gloria Jeans coffee...were there any selection criteria that needs to be fulfilled before being allowed into this expo?

We started with wine-tasting and it was a grand start to the day. I liked two bottles of wine that turned out to be $50 each, so I didn't buy them. Well i guess this way i have a reason to go to the Yarra Valley for Battley's Syrah...and grrr I can't remember the other one (but it was some special slow growth organic one, google's not helping me today :P). The free mag we got kicked off a cooking spree in me...yes, who'd have thunk it? I'm finally learning how to cook haha. All in all, an awesome weekend :)

Sun Moon Lake 日月潭

2010-06-25T22:16:00.008+10:00

Lunch at the beautiful Lalu Hotel (涵碧樓)

Pinglin - 坪林

2010-06-13T12:50:00.018+10:00

Old street, Pinglin township

Pinglin Tea Industry Museum. Top right: Taiwan tea market's first export poster

Homestay day 2 - Pak Ou Caves

2010-04-13T22:32:00.023+10:00

our sleeping quarter, and where we had lunch and dinner yesterday; Taran is not a morning person and she struggled to get up haha. On the wall is a calendar full of impossibly white people, a rarity here. I guess that's what makes them special XD

I had to side-step these gorgeous ducklings on the way to the yard. There's a simple loo, lots of bamboo cages for the ducks, and a

water tank to the right. Remember there's no running water, and the villagers have to get water from the river, bucket by bucket! There's no sink here so I just brushed my teeth by the water tank, and spat onto the ground.

i prefer the squat toilet of Laos and Cambodia to the ones you find in Taiwan/Japan etc.
There's no flush system, you just pour water in until it's clean...there's no worry of the flush not working!

breakfast - eggs by Mr Shampoo and last night's leftovers...still yum :)

the novelty of falangs hasn't worn off for some!

After brekkie, we went down to the river once again, to begin our journey to Pak Ou caves.

Mr Shampoo joked that the roan cattle are European ones, and Bram believed him haha

it was a hot and hazy morning, and the ride in our shallow little boat was slow but exhilarating

our katoi friends saying hi from their little boat :)

drying clothes by the riverside

we skirted some rapids, but the trip was mostly calm, and very quiet

We stopped first at Ban Xiang Hai aka 'whisky' village, to learn the process behind the making of laolao, or rice whisky. Many villagers brew their own, and keep the first distillation (supposedly the best), selling the second. We washed rice in a tub, then transferred it into urns. Yeast is added, and the urn covered for a few weeks. Our host showed us how the rice is steamed to produce laolao; the leftover rice are then given to the livestock.

Entrance to Pak Ou caves! Pak Ou means 'river mouth'...very impressive!

Pak Ou Caves is made up of two caves, Tham Ting (lower cave) and Tham Theung (upper cave); together the caves hold over 4,000 Buddha statues in a variety of sizes and postures, accumulated since the 15th century, when the caves became a Buddhist temple.

I'm near the top of the lower cave's vaulted roof, looking down the length of a naga vessel, which is used to channel water during purification ceremonies. During Laos new year, pilgrims come to perform a washing ceremony of their Buddha statues. Previously this was performed by the King and the royal family, but is now done by the governor of Luang Prabang and locals.

Some of these statues were brought by the Pilgrims, and some were brought over from temples, either because the statues and/or the temple were damaged. The first statues were apparently left for travelers who would use this natural cave for shelter on their journey.

The cave was supposedly used in the worship of the river spirit before the advent of Buddhism. Although the Laos state did not officially begin until 1353, Theravada Buddhism arrived in Laos in the 7th-8th centuries CE.

the lower cave is open to the Mekong and the Buddhas are bathed in a beautiful light; i found this cave quite peaceful. There weren't too many visitors, a real advantage of traveling during the low season.

Still in the lower cave; a set of stairs led us up to a smaller cavern partially carpeted in green moss. Small statues dot the 'hills' and meadows, lending an air of tranquility and mystery.

The altar back down in the lower cave

stairs on the side of the side of the limestone cliff, leading to the upper cave

A wooden frieze that once supported big wooden doors guard the upper cave of Tham Theung. There are some interesting drawings on the upper right hand corner, right next to the wooden frieze; they look prehistoric!

The entry was the only part illuminated by the light from outside, so you need a flashlight (you can rent one near the entrance. Luckily someone gave Bram their flashlight, and he gave it to me after exploring the cave which extends for 54 m

Wooden vessel to the left of the entrance, for washing Buddha statues; the swan sits at the upper end of the trough, and the dragong (naga) sits at the lower end. On the trough are sunflower motifs

these drawings look so prehistoric!

An altar in the back of the cave; there was once a large Buddha statue here, supposedly. I couldn't see much of the upper cave as it was so dark!


back out in the beautiful sunlight, looking down on our little boats moored by the bamboo jetty

I really enjoyed exploring Pak Ou caves, and it was a nice ending to our homestay. On the way back, our driver would stop the car every so often to let the locals soak us poor bastards sitting in the back of the open truck...haha...soon the 3-day chaos that is the Laos New Year will begin!

Homestay in Laos

2010-04-12T23:11:00.199+10:00

Have i mentioned how much i love traveling in the back of the ute? after stocking up on food supplies at the market, we embarked on our journey to the homestay. I don't remember the name or place, nor how long we were on the road for, because we had a flat tyre, but it was fun watching mostly empty countryside whiz pass and to feel the wind in our faces.

First we had to stop at the police station so Mr Shampoo can show his tour guide licence and pay 5% of our $25 p.p. fee to the village. Another 5% went somewhere I can't remember, and we also paid 20,000 kip each to our host family.

The village looked rather spartan, but very clean; I don't recall seeing chickens and pigs running around, quite unlike the mountain villages of Sapa, Vietnam. We were welcomed into the ground floor of a spacious home, with a few mats over the bare concrete floor and a calender on the wall. Children crowded the door way and all the windows to watch us, as the homestay tour is new and so are falangs :) It was a little bit unnerving to have people watch our every move, but I guess that's what we do to the locals all the time (and take photos, no less :P)

our hostess prepared lunch from the ingredients we bought, and steamed the stick rice as well

we had sausages, vegies, very hot chilli paste, a greenish paste, and ferns cooked and uncooked!

we ate mostly with our hands...it was a lot easier to dip the ball of sticky rice in the paste, rather than scoop up vegetables with the rice! luckily we were given a plate and chopsticks as well, so i didn't make a mess

close up of the fern fronds - surprisingly tender and very delicious

an army of kids greeted us when we came out of our home for the night; like all kids they were full of energy, smiles and curiosity. They loved to pose for us, and to see what they look like on the camera screen. We must have spent half an hour just playing with the kids.

at the corner store - being watched by kids as we buy a drink

a lazy afternoon...time to go tubing!

it was a short walk down the hill to the river

this place was just beautiful, and seemingly undisturbed by the village nearby

first we had lessons in catching fish with a round, weighted net! Mr Shampoo demonstrated how to fold the nets and took us through it step by step...I got it after a few tries, so did everyone else, but none of us could throw the net very far! Mr S on the other hand was a pro, which he demonstrated by throwing the net over one of us! very awesome aim Mr S!

The men that accompanied us to the river then took us to a little pond, and proceed to catch fish for dinner. The villagers rely on farming for income, and they fish after their day in the field, to supplement their diet.

they had more luck here, but the fish were tiny!

Then we went tubing; the water was shallow but the current was really strong, so I didn't like this place as much as the Nam Khan. The kids were staring at our tubes with undisguised interest, so we let them have the tubes and they had an absolute ball.

All of a sudden they started running up the bank with the tubes, pulling their clothes on at the same time; turns out someone had told them to all go home and carry our tubes while they are at it! lol. Really good kids.

no running water in this village! this is how people get their water, two buckets at a time!

on our way back we passed a garden and the ladies in there called out to us, so we went in and helped them water their crop with big metal watering cans...:)

Cooking class with Mr S and our host family - the ladies cleaned the fish while we chopped vegies and prepared the catfish we bought for the highlight of the meal - catfish steamed in banana leaves. First we lightly singed a banana leaf, so it's not as likely to tear, then we placed pieces of spiced catfish on the leaf, and folded it up to make a little parcel. The parcels were then placed in a wicker basket and steamed in a round black pot.

As evening fell the big and colourful Tokay geckos started calling, and man I really miss that sound (wiki it, there's a sound file).

Here's our massive dinner: fish paste, banana flowers, stir-fries, soup of bamboo shoots, and catfish, which was absolutely delicious. The villagers were stoked with the free beer and drank round after round. What they do here is - the first person drinks his/her drink, passes the glass back to the host, the host then serve the second person, etc. Putting aside communal usage of a single glass, this way of drinking prevents people from drinking too much and too fast! If you know me then you'd know I love drinking, and one lady really loved to drink with me, probably coz I was the only woman falang who drank; even after I said I was full, she still gave me a half-glass. Anyway, it was all good fun.

Then I heard really loud buzzing and thought that I'd finally drunk myself silly, then I saw the kids come in with a cicada each. Mr S took one and ripped one of its wings (at the base I assume as the wings were intact) so it couldn't fly away, and we all screamed to the delight of the villagers.

These are snacks which they will have later! the villagers took turns putting the cicadas on their heads/noses etc. It was a bit off-putting, the idea of playing with your food, but then who am I to judge?

a very pretty girl :)

evidence of our magnetic appeal - as we lay comatose after dinner, villagers not only continued to watch us from the windows until we'd passed out, some even pulled up a chair to watch us in comfort LOL!

Light slanting through the ceiling - so much more beautiful in real life

Bram, whom we'd met for the first time yesterday, started whispering to me about funny stuff like having three brothers and no female friends. Then he said something about 'pillow fight'. There was silence...then the sound of Jen whacking Taran with a pillow - so began a pillow fight and what was most definitely the best night of Bram's sad little life hahaha. And that was my first real introduction to Bram, the devious person I somehow ended up traveling with for a month :)

During my time there, USD$1 = ~ 8,500 Laos Kip

Morning market of Luang Prabang

2010-04-12T21:07:00.149+10:00

After our big night out, it was good to wake up naturally.We had decided to go on a 2 day - 1 night homestay today, so Mr Shampoo took us to the morning market - we were going to a small village (most people are farmers that fish to supplement their diet), so we had to bring the ingredients to our lunch and dinner, and have them cooked once we get there.We got to the market at 10 to get supplies, and half of the stalls seems to have already cleared out, but there were still many things to look at.

The market was small and simple, just stalls lining the sides of a few narrow streets, but the placement of the produce, and the colours, were just amazing!

This post is dedicated to the market. I'll just let the photos do the talking!

Day 2 in Luang Prabang

2010-04-11T23:58:00.000+10:00

The next day we woke up at 5 am to watch the monks go on their alms round, which takes place every morning (because monks cannot work for a living, and are not supposed to handle money, they depend on the food offering of devotees, and in return, provide dharma teachings and other forms of education). It's a custom for the young men of Laos to live as monks for a period of time, to learn the teachings of the Buddha.

Luang Prabang is a world heritage-listed city, partly for traditions such as the morning alms round that has been going on for as long as Buddhism has been here. You could buy sticky rice from vendors and participate, but I read that it isn't appreciated. Luckily, I didn't see any horror scenes of monks being mobbed by hordes of tourists, probably because it was low season. Well I did take some pictures (it's hard not to!) but I kept my distance, mostly from across the road.

Like most tourists, I started out snap-happy in South-east Asia, but my interest in taking photos quickly dived. Two incidents triggered this reaction. We were in a village near Sapa, and someone tried to take a photo of two kids sitting on an earthern bank. The kids waved 'no' with their hands and one covered his face. Wow. They must be SO sick of having their pictures taken (and they weren't even wearing the traditional garb of minority groups). The second one happened in the same village. Our guide literally walked us through peoples' properties, even into one of the houses. Just so we can see how they live, and of course, take photos. I probably should have asked if the village people received any money for this, but I doubt it. The villagers were actually quite friendly, and one lady had a good time laughing at a guy carrying his daughter on this back. Still, it was a particularly bad example of ethno-tourism.

Still, it was great to get up early and experience the stillness, the alms round, and the much more tolerable temperature.

*

it was way too hot to do anything, and we just languished in the front yard until Mr Shampoo and his staff decided to jazz things up. It was almost Tet, the Lunar New Year, which means it's time to start getting people wet! lol!

we had music to accompany our warfare on motorists and pedestrians, especially falangs ;)

tuk tuk LPB style

buckets were the best; i got a 'super-soaker' from Dara Market, and it just wasn't very satisfying because the nozzle's too small

The lady is protecting her mobile phone there; most people held their valuables above their heads when they saw us. We learned to do the same later on, when there were people like us on the street every 50 m, and people here are considerate enough not to soak them haha. Most people didn't mind being soaked, but if they signaled 'no' by shaking their head, then we left them alone, as they could be dressed up to go somewhere.

riding with an umbrella can protect you from the sun AND water!

these guys literally stopped the scooter just so they can pour water on the girls XD

that's a lot of beer lao on the back of the truck; little did i know at this time just how hard the locals party and how much they can drink!

young boys posing when they saw me taking photos

*

no rest for the wicked! that night Mr Shampoo took us out to the only nightclub in town, again on the back of the ute. I REALLY love going places on the back of a ute...it's just so fun and free. The LPBH gang were joined by two newcomers, Bram and Andy. The nightclub only served beer lao and alcopops, the music was Thai, and the place was covered in funny green dots/strobe light...so retro it's cool lol. We had an awesome time, it was especially funny to see Hayley, a tall blonde girl dancing with a little blonde Laos guy haha.

afterwards we went to a noodle shop and had awesome duck noodles; man...I definitely needed something hot and hearty after all that drinking. Apparently shops are supposed to close by midnight (to keep the culture/ambiance of LPB) but this place braved the fines and stayed open.

The much awaited Laos!

2010-04-10T11:00:00.003+10:00

How relaxed is this place! there's our plane, and we're on the back of an ute, on our way to Luang Prabang Backpacker's Hostel (LPBH)! Can't believe how white I was...that changed very quickly!

the temperature difference to Hanoi was very clear! it was HOT HOT HOT and I found this drink stall and got a jujube juice (with coconut milk) for only 3000 kip! soft drinks and freshly squeezed sugar cane juice were also available, but I went with something new. It was very refreshing, like a berry drink, but not too sweet.

I was a bit put out by LPBH because my single room (and the only one available, lucky me), was really spartan - just a big double bed, a fan, and nothing else. The bathrooms were huge but there were only 2 and only 1 had hot water. However, the owner, Mr Shampoo more than made up for it. He was just the most genuine, fun guy, and that was what we needed after a terrible experience with the driver who took us to Kuang Si Waterfall. Not only did he give us only 1 hour there (you should get 2), he then tried to drop us off in the middle of nowhere instead of back at our various hostels. He even had the nerve to say this is the norm, no one has ever asked for more and people would even tip him; he even said this to Mr Shampoo! An English girl on the bus was really forthright with him - we don't even know where we are, we have no maps, you picked us up, you can drop us off again. He finally agreed...unbelievable. How lazy can you be? Luang Prabang is tiny! I don't know what Mr Shampoo said to him, but he said he would never use this driver again.

The beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall, ~30 km outside Luang Prabang (entrance free 20,000 kip, 50,000 kip for the minivan there and back). I especially loved the turquoise pools

the main cascade

there were lots of locals cooling off. Kuang Si was lovely, I visited it twice actually (easy to do when it's 35 degrees plus everyday!)

the designated swimming area

the grounds were well-maintained, although you'll probably see locals shampoo their hair and cool their beer in the water. I can't help but look, and a friendly local offered me a beer haha. There is also a black bear sanctuary here that looked well kept and reasonably big.

Mr Shampoo then took us tubing around dusk on the river Nam Khan, a tributary of the Mekong

Walking down the bank; lots of people washing themselves, or their clothes in the river

We sat in the tubes and drifted down the river; there were some tiny rapids but the river was so shallow you can stand up in it; nearly lost my shorts while changing position to lie on my belly though haha

We all held hands like sky-divers to go over the bigger rapids. At one point we floated right next to the river bank, well right next to two little kids' butts to be more exact, and Taran yelled "Sabaidee!!!" and we just cracked up. Then we had to say "SORRYYYY" to bathers on the bank who had to make way for us as we got too close to them LOL.

We tubed from one bridge to another; the second one was built by the French, and cars are not allowed on it so as to preserve it. It was used to transport war supplies although I can't remember which war now...

Turns out Mr Shampoo was a history teacher for 2 years (the pay wasn't enough to feed him!); then he was a part time hotel receptionist before he became a guide. To get an education, including learning to read and write English, he was a monk between 12-17! At first he couldn't understand why his mum would send him to a monastery, where he couldn't have dinner...that's hard for a 12 y.o.! but eventually he understood how hard it was for his parents to raise so many kids and that it just wasn't possible for everyone to be educated without the help of monasteries (well, for the boys anyway).

That night we went to the local market in a little lane off the tourist night market, and got freshly grilled fish, chicken, papaya salad, curries, vegies, sticky rice, coconut and banana balls, even a small chocolate cake! The curry and vegie dishes were surprisingly hot. There was so much food!

clockwise from top left: guy grilling fish; grilled fish; making papaya salad (omg tears it was SO HOT!); assorted grilled meat; buffet style stall, with stick rice in a basket

close up of one of the food stall; that bowl of deep green goo is river weed! I remember going there by myself later on to get dinner, and of course had no idea what to order, but the nice owner who didn't speak much English allowed me to try some of the dishes.

our little feast in the front yard, under a tree, accompanied by beer lao...an awesome first day!

During my time there, USD$1 = ~ 8,500 Laos Kip

Halong Bay

2010-04-09T17:06:00.000+10:00

We went on a 2 day - 1 night tour to Halong Bay with Hanoi Backpackers (USD$65) the same day we got back from Sapa. We arrived at Hanoi train station before dawn, returned our hiking packs to Ocean Tour, repacked our bags, and caught a taxi to Hanoi Backpackers for departure at 8:30 (supposed to be 8...).

The 3.5 hour trip to Halong Bay was uneventful, except the part when some British backpackers quizzed the Vietnamese guide on what rice plants look like, and he couldn't explain it...someone eventually said they must look like wheat, but no one was really sure...lol

As soon as we boarded the junk and got our rooms, we went up to chill on the deck. It was quite literal as I'd left warmer clothes in my big backpack and I was really really cold. Bah! There weren't enough sun chairs for all of us, and we were only at half-capacity!

Yet another weak, watery beer. Same goes for 333 and Beer Ha Noi. Really made me weep lol. It's probably got to do with being in a can as well...

actually had a better room except the bathroom door wouldn't close! when I told the Viet staff, he just told me to ignore it HAHAHA. Customer service is a bit of a foreign concept here sometimes. Has it occurred to you that may be I don't want to go to the toilet with the door open?? No point kicking up a fuss though, just had to let the American guide know and let him get another room for me.

The colours of Halong Bay on a good day. Unfortunately it was overcast 99% of the time we were on the water...

Some people jumped off the deck for a swim, but I was already freezing, so I went kayaking instead. It was hard-going (although strangely I didn't feel sore in the shoulders or arms afterwards). Got totally soaked by the water that came up with the oars so obviously was doing it all wrong! The Vietnamese staff on the other hand flew past gracefully, and completely dry hahaha. We visited a cave, and I seriously contemplated asking to be paired with a guy on the way back, but decided to take the front and set the pace instead so we didn't come last again haha. Somehow it was easier on the way back so I was pretty proud of not giving up and taking the easy way out.

We explored a really nice cave, not the same one as all the other tours, so we didn't have to share it with other tour groups. We crawled through tiny holes, and came out to 'Fairy's Lake'. It was very pretty and there was this amazing ringing birdsong in the air, which was a lovely surprise because I remember a traveler telling me that the thing she noticed about Halong Bay was the lack of animal-life. I guess you had to get on the actual islands to see/hear something. Unfortunately the Vietnamese guide kept imitating the calls (badly). Looks were deceiving - the lake was muddy, ringed with sharp rocks and full of sandflies, so no swimming here...

Halong Bay was beautiful and the mist added to the mystique, although it did get monotonous after a while. I would love to revisit on a sunny day!

all junks have to moor in the same bay at night

After a hot shower and a nice dinner (fried whole fish, chicken, choko and garlic, clams, beef, fried and steamed rice), we started on the drinking games with our American guide. It was so much fun and someone ended up having to suck someone else's toe hahaha. The next morning I found out one guy had fallen into the water with his ipod lol. Typical.

The next morning dawned drizzly and misty, not to mention cold, so we all sat inside after a nice brekkie of bacon, omelet and coffee, and chatted to each other until half the people on our junk left to go to a private island, and the people from the island joined our junk to go home. The English guys were really courteous! they actually came over to shake hands with me and we wished each other a good journey (didn't happen with the girls! haha).

I bought a bottle of water from this lady, because it's so much cheaper than buying on the boat! I didn't know until later that I could have attracted a swarm of vendors, but I was the only person there at 8 am, and so was she. It was quite surreal watching her paddle away into the mist, not another boat in sight.

Lunch was similarly good, and fun as the new group that joined us was pretty wild; they had their own games, such as ordering from the bar while doing a hand-stand...(yes...but with help from other people), and one guy lost some game so he had to eat an entire plate of rice with his hands behind his back. It was bloody hilarious because he looked like he was dying and had rice up his nostrils LOL. Overall I was pretty happy with Hanoi Backpackers, especially the quality of the food. Probably too rowdy though, if you don't like drinking games.

We stayed at Hanoi Backpackers when we got back, just to save any hassles. First time in a dorm (of 12!) after a few years...and no I didn't miss it! The bathroom was so tiny and had no hooks! Anyway, we went and had an egg coffee at no. 11 Hang Gai street, as recommended by the travelers we met in Sapa. It wasn't like pavlova, as I'd imagined; rather it's just got a really smooth and very sweet layer of froth on top. I thought it was ok but my travel buddy really loved it.

Pretty tired after the tight schedule, had an early night to catch an early flight to Luang Prabang, Laos!

Ta Van to Ban Ho

2010-04-06T14:27:00.001+10:00

It was absolutely pitch black at night, and I was woken up in the wee hours by what sounded like frogs (or crickets?), followed by the rooster and the swallows that roost above the door. Nature's alarm clocks for people here, who start working in the fields by 5:30 am.

At 9 am there was still some mist at the top of the mountains. I was surprised no one came to wake us. People were working everywhere - a man dragging a log behind him with a rope, a lady cutting bamboo down the length probably to make fences - while we enjoyed a big meal of crepes with banana and honey.

after breakfast we headed up and the view was stunning

i had to walk gingerly in many places though as it was actually fairly steep with nothing to hold on to, and i did wander what it would be like during the wet season (may be the suction keeps you from falling? haha)

A man preparing his field for planting. The water seemed not far above his ankle and he and his water buffalo made it look so easy (which i'm sure is not!). So's husband is also a farmer; she said he will grow the seedlings in one field, then spread them out to other fields later. Sounds like a very smart idea!

Although the view from up high was great, I wish we had the opportunity to walk amongst rice paddies too!

A bamboo forest...this lady appeared out of nowhere and started following us. She helped me down steep slopes a couple of times (even though I didn't ask for help!) so I eventually bought a bangle from her when we had a break at Giang Ta Chai. I'm a sucker like that...

Apparently, people are too busy to follow you during the busy season, when they get up at 3:30 am and work all day...so that might be a good time to go...

i actually think this is a great way to grow up - no shoes, no toys, no comparisons; these kids are tough!

making cloth with a traditional loom

Was sad to leave our trekking companions at Giang Ta Chai, where there was a beautiful river for swimming as well...instead, we had to walk another gruelling 3 km (a blatant lie! lol) to Ban Den for another instant noodle lunch. It was so hot and just seemed never-ending. Although we did see some interesting things:

a cow and her spanking new baby...coz she's eating afterbirth!!!

We also saw a throng of people surrounding a car...and minutes later, a Hmong woman, her hands cuffed behind her back, was put inside the car. A braver man approached the side window but a man inside blocked his view. After the car had gone, So told us that the woman, and a man were caught dealing opium they got from another country...

The grueling trek continued after lunch, and we passed through Red Zhao territory. We didn't see anyone bar one lady who was throwing out scraps for her chicken and pigs. She heard us and said 'Hello!!!'. We smiled back and greeted her. Moments later she said hello again and this time she was holding up a hat, trying to sell it to us...

walking down to Ban Ho...I can see it WAS a beautiful place, before the gov decided to build a power station/generator (?) here...

The way down was super-steep, I seriously doubt people with knee problems could do it. Construction workers yelled out things to us, So said they were asking where we're from and to come in for tea...(that's a nice way of putting it!). Not only was Ban Ho depressingly ugly, the river was also not clean enough to swim in...such a shame! (So said you don't want to go swimming there when there are strange men around anyway!)

Absolutely buggered when we arrived, and accidentally had a cold shower because the hot/cold water taps are on opp sides to the land of Oz and I just thought there was no hot water left...lol. Refreshing though. Walked around the village a bit; there were heaps of homestays, even a karaoke.

we had the most sumptuous 5 course dinner, I think this was the most I ate in Vietnam. Sat around chatting until the lights went out unexpectedly around 8:30 pm.

The living area and owners' bedrooms are downstairs, and we trekkers sleep upstairs; pretty simple affair, just mattresses on the floor each with a mosquito net. There were more people here, and one of their guides slept next to me...and for ages she was texting and getting texts...LOL. I think someone was listening to music as well!

vanquishing the puppy while having crepes with banana and honey for breakfast (again)

After brekkie we went for a walk; So took us to the 'hot springs' which consisted of big concrete tubs, filled with warm water diverted from beneath the ground (it was empty when we were there). The view was quite tragic. The one other thing that marred the trip was that we had to walk the same way back, and get picked up somewhere...that last leg was so brutal, and I just can't imagine climbing up with my heavy backpack.

While we had another huge lunch of toast, bacon, omelette, salad and fruit (probably got fatter AFTER this trek), So arranged for an ancient Russian jeep to come pick us up and take us to Sapa. While waiting for the jeep, we read out a couple of letters to So from her US and Israeli friends, people were missing her and trying to arrange another trek with her. She can't read English so she relies on the help of other tourists. We also got her email so we could write to her.

The trip back was hair-raising! TB said that none of the 4WD experience she had in Australia could compare to this...the road was so rough, I was jumping out of my seat the whole time...then there was this PRECIPICE!!! what the hell! that's a sheer drop on the left! At least the driver stopped talking on the phone and winding up the sunroof at the same time hahaha

We were able to have a shower back at the Gold Sea Hotel, and use the internet/having a drink before our minibus showed up. The manager of the hotel asked for our feedback, and when we mentioned the state of Ban Ho his face fell...what can he do? if he's not honest then he'd get a bad rep, if he is, no one would opt for the 3 day trek and visit Ban Ho...

Another grueling, winding ride back to Sapa, then the night train back to Hanoi...so buggered!

Sapa to Ta Van

2010-04-05T16:19:00.169+10:00

View right outside my top floor room at Hotel Gold Sea, Sapa!

Had my breakfast here. Breakfast was a lovely buffet of Western and Vietnamese food; the pho was so good I almost got a second one. The 3 day-2 night trekking tour was arranged through Ocean Tours in Hanoi.

After breakfast, we met our Black Hmong guide, So, outside the hotel. Two little girls making bamboo horses across the paths came over and joined us as soon as we set off, asked us lots of questions like our names etc, followed by 'buy something from me later?'. It soon became apparent that they are walking us all the way back to Lao Chai, their home village a couple hours away, where we'd break for lunch.

We followed the main road, and it was actually quite hot even though we'd been told that it's always cool in the mountains. So had black velvet 'legwarmers' on, as is the style of Black Hmong women, but she said she's used to the heat.

the view was stunning, of course, but So said it would be much better in September, when the fields are emerald green with rice shoots (the fields are fallow at the moment).

These girls are only 11 years old. They'd finished compulsory, free schooling, and their parents don't have the money to let them go further. Their spoken English was amazingly good, and rather unexpected after Hanoi. They learned from tourists (and i guess there are trekkers here everyday!), and it was the first time in Vietnam I had been able to carry on a conversation in English...with 11 y.o.! In fact, our guide started when she was 12! she even showed me a photo of her when she was 12 - given to her by one of her clients who came and found her after 12 years (yes she's only 24...). So said her 16 y.o. younger sister was also a guide, but she's studying in Hanoi now because a Spanish couple is sponsoring her studies.

The girls were sweet - they walked behind us and would break away to do their own things, like looking for mountain streams to fill their water bottles. They sang, picked berries, and gave us little bamboo horses and bouquets made from flowers and fern.

Lao Chai - down in the valley

We took a break up on a hill overlooking the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai. So does some embroidery at every opportunity - here she's working on an armband, by eye only! They make their own cloth, dye them, and do all the amazing embroidery by hand as well...so I can see why So has to do something whenever she gets a break.

and check out her plastic 'slippers'! everyone has them! and I can't believe she can walk up and down steep slopes full of skittish pebbles in these...especially when she's 6 months pregnant!

We learned alot from So, e.g. the ladies move to the husband's village after marriage; the Black Hmongs can mix with other tribes and inter-marry; they grow corn, rice, soya bean and cabbage. So was just lovely and I can see why she has been invited by clients all over the world to visit them.

down in the valley, there were little kids having a great time swimming in the river; it's amazing to see them running and jumping with such ease, because I know a city person like me would be wincing at every step because of the rocks...haha

scenes of village life - to the left, a potable water source, protected from water buffalos and the ubiquitous black piglets with sticks; on the right, ducklings in a pen on the edge of a rice field

water buffalo cooling off in the mud is a common sight here!

While we had our lunch of noodles, the girls brought out their ware, hand-embroidered bags, bangles etc. They'd followed us for a couple of hours, and that's their way of making a living until they can become guides, so I bought a small bag which came in very handy later on in my travels (and a bangle...so that I bought one thing from each girl).

We continued our trek under the blazing sun to Ta Van, which is comprised of 6 villages. On the way we stopped at a school built with international donor funds, and watched the kids rehearse for a school performance all by themselves. They looked very sweet :)

We arrived at our homestay after 3 pm. There were only five people in total that night (including a lovely couple from Canberra!), but there's capacity for at least 3 times more.

So working on her embroidery again. She says it can take a month to finish a belt.

and in case you were wandering, yes there's a shower and western toilets at the homestay

After chilling at the homestay, it's time for a dip! we headed down to the river (my new bag came in handy!), and 3 girls instantly appeared and followed us to the river. They weren't pushy, and my travel buddy taught one them how to float. Still, it wasn't a great feeling when they followed us back and tried to sell us stuff.

We then settled down in the courtyard with garlic french fries and a nice big bottle of Lao Cai beer (surprisingly much better than all the other beers I had had in Vietnam). The other trekkers were good company and it was all very enjoyable...

then I had a peek inside the kitchen and omg! so much food! rest assured you'd be very well-fed!

We couldn't finish all the food - the meat dishes were taken away, and the veg dishes lumped together and given to the pigs (I assume).

The owner of the homestay didn't speak any English, but she was full of smiles. We couldn't communicate so she watched tv while we sat outside drinking complimentary 'Happy Water' aka rice whiskey (blegh!), and enjoyed some star gazing.

The power went out around 10...and early night (and a disappointed one for the owner because she was in the middle of a drama! haha)

Bac Ha Market, Sapa

2010-04-04T14:03:00.002+10:00

The Hanoi train station was unsurprisingly devoid of useful and easily understood information for travelers, and my travel buddy naively gave our tickets to the an authoritative man who asked to see them. He actually gave them back to her (but i wish he had given them to me), because he then snatched them back and power-walked us to the train.

As predicted, he had taken us to the train so he could get a tip. Demand is a better word actually. We offered him loose change and he even bargained down for us (10,000 to 5,000 dong each), but when we just stood there, he started cursing! So I said I know what he's saying, it's not very nice and to take it or leave it, and he walked away huffing without taking the money.

Sure it's easier if someone can direct you to the train, since it's a bit hard to see platform signs and cabin numbers, but it's not really necessary.

The cabin wasn't bad at all, and we got a bottle of water each. The duvet was thick and warm, and we could recharge camera batteries too. Sure it was a bit difficult getting changed under cover, and there wasn't much space for luggage for four, BUT (some of) the toilets actually had toilet paper, so no complaints haha.

We left Hanoi at 9:50 pm and arrived at Lao Cai 6:30 am. There were staff checking tickets but I couldn't find mine, but after a while they left and I just walked out...whew.

We were left waiting at a restaurant. A Chinese-French couple were complaining up a storm, about the late pick-ups and the constant waiting and the unfriendly people etc etc which was really amusing.

Finally a mini bus came and a bunch of people got out and we were told to get in...except those people were just out on their toilet break, so they had to come in again...there was a minute there when we all thought it wouldn't be possible, and people got stressed because they were told we would be moved into a bigger bus (I hear that one all the time!), but we put the aisle seats down and made do, and the guide started singing...first a Welcome to Vietnam song...then 'Yesterday' (almost killed myself laughing), so that lightened the mood.

Destination? the famous Bac Ha market in northern Vietnam, where ethnic minority groups in the surrounding area get together to trade every Sunday. We arrived at 11 am, with 2 hours to stroll around. The riot of colours that greeted us was fantastic, and the merchandise looked very nice, although I didn't do any shopping because I didn't want to carry stuff for 2 months.

There were of course stalls devoted to tourists, and definitely a lot of tourists around; still, everywhere the Black Hmong, Flower Hmong and other peoples were going about their business, buying and selling pots, beans, grains, chillis, and having a meal, so it hasn't become a complete tourist market.

most of the women here appeared to be from the Flower Hmong tribe, but this lady in green may be a Dzay...although there were at least half a dozen ethnic groups so I can't be sure...

anyway I bought small peaches from her. I gave her all my small change (4,000 dong) and she started heaping peaches into a bag before I stopped her at 12. They were a bit green but so good for quenching my thirst :)

scenes from the market:

stumbled upon the livestock section - chickens in cool bamboo capsules, piglets squealing as they were pulled out of hessian sacks by their hind legs for potential buyers to examine, and then there were these gorgeous black puppies...they weren't treated all that well as I saw them being pulled roughly by their leash, so I am not sure if they are food or working pet...

not sure what these are...look like hoes, may be they are used in tilling the field?

cutie just finished eating an ice block. I was searching for them but couldn't find any!

so cool to stumble upon an impromptu performance!

i think this is part of the device that they use for tilling rice paddies...one end attached to the water buffalo, the other end goes into the ground...i think

there's food here, but I was a bit frightened by the unidentifiable stuff I saw, especially the meat - gnarly messes of bones, gristle, tendon

The lady smiled at us and let us take a photo of her lighting up, which was really nice of her :) Also just had to take a photo of a bamboo pipe that's still green...

best smile of the day

snake...deconstructed

a really beautiful girl shopping with her family...she bought plastic slippers, which everyone wears; our pregnant trekking guide went up and down steep slopes in these things...

gorgeous kiddies posing for the camera, just adorable!

checking out the wares on the main street

bright on bright...and still beautiful!

The scene outside the restaurant where we had lunch. This was the only time we were hassled on the street. The bags were beautiful, handmade and cheap, if only I could have shipped some home! haha. I did buy a pair of hoop earrings (i was just looking but then the lady shoved them in my ears so i thought why not? haha. i wore them for 3 months and loved them but they are gone now...because I took them off before flying back to Sydney...sigh...the other thing I bought was part of the Flower Hmong dress, and I only bought it coz the lady came and found me after I'd walked off, and gave me a lower price...I'll probably frame it...)

After lunch, we visited the Vietnam/China border; basically stood on the side of the river and looked at the Chinese city of Hekou (lit. Rivermouth) on the other side. We also walked through a couple of villages. Quite rude really, walking into people's homes and taking photos...then walking out. It's pretty rude even without the photo-taking, as we were on people's properties and not offering anything in return. What was the guide thinking? Anyway, this was my first real taste of ethno-tourism, and it lost its appeal fast...

It was a long day and I was glad to get back to our hotel - Gold Sea, a really lovely place with great view on the top floor (arranged by Ocean Tour, where we customised this trip). We had a 3 course dinner (included) and non-alcoholic drinks were only 10,000 dong! Very pleased after a tiring day :)

During my time there, USD$1 = ~ 19,300 Vietnamese Dong

Sightseeing in Hanoi

2010-04-03T18:57:00.270+11:00

The day started off CRAZY, as we arrived at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum at 10:50 am, 10 minutes before closing time! After we checked our bags and cameras, we sprinted down one side of Ba Dinh Square, where Ho read the Declaration of Independence for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. I didn't like the idea of running but none of the soldiers tried to stop us (or shoot us :P), so we got to the mausoleum with 5 minutes to spare.

Despite his wish to be cremated, Ho was preserved for display. We followed a line that wound around three sides of the great leader, and I was amazed by how well preserved he was, especially the hair and nails. Apparently Uncle Ho spends 3 months/year in Russia for special preservation treatment. Whatever it is, it's working as he doesn't look waxy at all. Soldiers lining the small chamber quietly stepped forward occasionally to usher people and to make sure they stayed in line. The whole procession took only 30 seconds at best.

we exited out the back of the mausoleum, an appropriately sombre and stately building

The One Pillar Pagoda is practically next to the mausoleum; the proximity means the grounds were packed with tourists. The temple was first built in 1049 by Emperor Lý Thái Tông in gradtitude to a Bodhisattva for granting his wish of having a son. The temple was rebuilt after its destruction by the French in 1954 in the First Indochina War.

This Buddhist temple is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter, and designed to resemble a lotus blossom emerging from mud, a Buddhist symbol for the purity of the spirit, which can rise beautiful and spotless out of darkness and impurity.

Just off to one side was a small courtyard, surprisingly tranquil even though it's mere steps from the temple. There were small pagodas venerating Buddhist deities and monks. I enjoyed this little bit of peace, as there were just too many people around. Again, I loved the flower-adorned altars, and the petals in the pots.

I also like the little blind!

*

Then off to the Temple of Literature or Van Mieu. I wish I had come early because I could have easily spent a whole day here. The sheer size, and the tranquility, made this my favourite sightseeing spot in Hanoi.

The Temple of Literature was established as a Confucian temple in 1070, and became Vietnam's first national university in 1076. It functioned as a centre of education for the country's elite for more than 700 years...and more than 2000 students graduated from here during that time

the main entrance

the first of five courtyards; the centre path was reserved for the Emperor, and the side paths were used by the officials

gate to the 2nd courtyard

gate to the 3rd courtyard

the third courtyard, dominated by the "Well of Heavenly Clarity"

There are two pavilions on the sides of the pond, housing 82 impressive stone turtle stele, which are inscribed with the names and birth places of the students who were awarded their doctorate at the university.

really interesting roof tiles; they look like leaves

each turtle is unique!

a recurring theme - cranes and turtles, symbols of longevity, in the fourth courtyard, leading to the Great House of Ceremonies

an altar flanked by yet more cranes on turtles, just outside the Great House of Ceremonies. I saw people rubbing the turtle...for luck, probably

i think it's cast in bronze...it looks fierce!

little surprises - a stone lion at the threshold, and fading dragons on the pillars

A statue of Confucius, being venerated by people of all ages

these looked like school girls trying to get blessings for their exams!

the fifth courtyard or Thai Hoc; the university was situated here. it's flanked by a bell and a drum tower

now you can see the layout of the place! not sure if the triangular bit to the left still exists though

a wall relief depicting a carp crossing the dragon gate to become a dragon, a metaphor for those that pass the difficult exams and go on to greater things.

more altars upstairs (and more cranes on turtles!)...tbh, i have no idea who these people are...

beautiful roof tiles and tokens/money thrown for luck

If I ever come back to Hanoi again, this is one place I'd re-visit.

*

That night, I went to the water puppet show, which showcased 10 little skits accompanied by traditional music, including the legend of of the turtle god taking back a magic sword that the heavens lent Emperor Le Loi to drive out the Chinese. It was very enjoyable, and only cost 40,000 dong (plus 15,000 dong for photography)!

We had to queue up the night before to get tickets, and then join the phenomenal queue again to get in. Later by the lake I heard a boy and his mum saying they are sad to have missed out on the show...so best get your ticket early!

During my time there, USD$1 = ~ 19,300 Vietnamese Dong

Quan Thanh Temple

2010-04-02T23:16:00.002+11:00

Quan Thanh Temple is in the West Lake area, not far from Tran Quoc Pagoda. It is one of the four sacred temples of the ancient citadel of Thang Long (ascending dragon, former name of Hanoi) honouring gods that protect the citadel in the cardinal directions. Quan Thanh Temple is dedicated to the Taoist deity Huyen Thien Tran Vu, guardian of the North, so it's also known as Tran Vu Temple.

The temple was built in 1010 and renovated to its current appearance in 1893. The outermost gate was being renovated at the time of visit. There must be constant and careful maintenance as the 1000 year old temple is in great condition!

the temple is bedecked with intricate gilt wooden carvings and plaques of ancient texts in mother-of-pearl; incredibly beautiful but very overwhelming...there's just too much to look at!

this 1.15 m bronze bell is an example of the virtuosity of Vietnamese bronze casting and sculpture in the 17th century

The image of cranes standing on tortoises is a common one in (non-Buddhist) temples; both are symbols of longevity, as the tortoise is believed to live ten thousand years, and the crane one thousand years. Together they symbolise the wish "May you be remembered for one thousand years, and may your cult endure for ten thousand years"

Tran Vu is widely worshipped in China and Vietnam, but the legends surrounding this mythical figure differ considerably. Tran Vu is considered the guardian spirit of Vietnam.

This huge black bronze Tran Vu statue was offered to the temple in 1667; it's 3.96m high, 3.48m in perimeter and weighs 3,600kg!!

amazingly detailed dragon on a large panel in-laid with mother-of-pearl

bats! a symbol of good fortune, happiness and luck

I wish I had a guide like the French visitors I saw, because there was so much to look at in this temple, but I didn't understand a thing as there were no english explanations. Luckily, an old temple staff seemed really pleased by our appreciation of the mother-of-pearl panel, he kept smiling at us, then he beckoned us outside to the stunning wooden carving featured below...which I had missed! It was so lovely of him, and he looked so proud as well :)

This looks like a portrayal of Taoist deities in the heavanly realm, sadly I can't find any confirmation...

Tran Quoc Pagoda

2010-04-02T01:21:00.091+11:00

The air was cool as it had rained the night before, and it was pleasant to wander around the Truc Bach Lake district, clearly another place for relaxation for the locals.

As a Sydney-sider, I feel pretty lucky in that I'm spoiled for choices in terms of water views...perhaps the lake would have looked better on a sunny day

It was a nice neighbourhood though! fairly quiet, not many cars, even saw a rooster walking around! it was nice to just poke around the suburb

*

random snapshots

hire me hire me!

Looks like there's massive competition going on here!

why don't more ppl paint their couches? it's funky XD

what the...and why?

a lonesome silvereye

keeping of songbirds is pretty popular here, and this is a common sight, and always one bird per cage. They do sound nice, but I'm not a fan of keeping animals in cages

*

Truc Bach lake is separated from West lake by a causeway, which we crossed to get to Trấn Quốc Pagoda

I can't believe there were people fishing right out the front of a temple!

Chùa Trấn Quốc (鎭國寺) was built in 545 under the reign of King Ly Nam De under the name of Khai Quoc (Founding Nation). In the time of King Le Kinh Tong (1600-1618), it was moved from the Hồng Hà's left bank (Red River) to its current location, on an island in the West Lake, and renamed Trấn Quốc (Defending Nation).

The buildings seemed to be in great condition, probably because the existing building originated from the last repair work done in 1815, and more recent work have been done as well

China ruled Vietnam from 111 BC - 938 AD and Chinese characters were adopted for writing, which sometimes helped me get a better understanding of the place. In the 13th century, the Vietnamese developed a script called Chữ Nôm. It's based on Chinese characters but looked the world to me to be even more complicated. Anyway, everyone uses the Quốc Ngữ now (aka national language, developed by a French Jesuit missionary in the first half of the 17th century)

A large group of Taiwanese pilgrims arrived and began circling this tree. It was a gift from the Indian Prime Minister Razendia Prasat on his visit to Vietnam in 1959. The cutting was taken from the Bodhi tree under which Buddha achieved englightment!

the courtyard, dominated by a 3 dimensional landscape of mountain and sea

seems to be a fairly standard component in temple courtyards; this one is particularly big and impressive

*

The temple grounds were actually quite impressive, but I couldn't capture it with my camera. Anyway, Trấn Quốc Pagoda is the oldest Pagoda in Hanoi, and definitely worth a visit.

*

buying water chestnut

This was such a surprise 'hit'! Water chestnut has a hard, brown exterior, and really crunchy, juicy white interior; it was so addictive and really quenched my thirst! I also got some green mango with chilli, all for ~20,000 d.

During my time there, USD$1 = ~ 19,300 Vietnamese Dong

Dong Xuan Market

2010-04-01T16:49:00.114+11:00

I thought the old quarter where i stayed was a hub of commerce, but i soon realised how wrong I was. The little streets to Dong Xuan market were lined with so many shops it was indescribable. In fact, all ground floor spaces were used for some sort commercial activity or other, and I wondered what new things Dong Xuan market could possibly offer.

expressive faces hanging over the doorway of a shop

jade vegetables and kitsch statues (well, to me anyway...i really don't want a giant fish or glowing vases at home!)

Dong Xuan market turned out to be a wholesale place full of clothing, shoes, fabric, accessories etc

dried, sweetened fruits...i think

view of the inner ground floor from above

There were ladies walking around selling icy cold sugar cane juice and i got one for only 5000 d!! Beautiful on a hot day

How cool are these 'paintings' that double as clocks and calendars?

Some of them have a somewhat 3D effect as well; the ocean waves shimmer and move as if blown by a breeze, and sea creatures sway back and forth...if you don't want something so trippy you could always get the Uncle Ho clock...LOL

my favourite section - rolls and rolls of colourful fabric, and vendors sitting atop cross-legged, eating lunch, talking on the phone, chatting to each other

these are popular patterns with older women, who wear what look like pajamas - long sleeved buttoned top and pants - all in the same fabric; not the best look haha, but I think these would make really cool retro skirts or dresses

ladies measuring a roll of fabric, probably checking the length before they roll it up again

re-rolling the fabric

my favourite photo - catching some zzz's

During my time there, USD$1 = ~ 19,300 Vietnamese Dong

street food and markets

2010-04-01T00:03:00.174+11:00

iced coffee with condensed milk at a local cafe, 12,000 d

foreign food can present problems for travellers in many ways - overcharging is a common one, though in Southeast Asia the main issues are probably hygiene and taste. Before I left Sydney, I went to a vegetarian food fair and got really sick afterwards. If I could get sick in Sydney where people wash their produce with clean water, wear hairnet and gloves when serving, then I figured it's no use fighting the inevitable in SeA. So, unlike my first travel buddy, my mentality was to just eat what i want and take immodium afterwards if need be haha. Unless you care enough to brush your teeth with bottled water, only eat at restaurants, have drinks without ice (that's the deal breaker for me!), traveller's diarrohea will find you sooner or later and I just wanted to get it out of the way (reality: I got sick a couple of times. Antibiotics is a MUST although you can buy them cheaply in SeA).

Wet markets are everywhere in Hanoi, not to mention mobile vendors on foot or bicycles. Whilst I can't make much use of the fresh produce without a kitchen, I enjoyed checking them out just to see what the locals eat.

We stumbled upon some vendors and these glutinuous rice parcels beckoned me over. The rice was hot and fragrant, with a piece of succulent chicken inside. YUM

a wet market full of fresh fruit and vegies on one side, and general wares on the other

I think it's so nice to be able to get fresh food any time of the day, everyday. In fact I got so used to eating simple and fresh food, it took me a while to adjust to the food in Taiwan

the rice parcel only whetted my appetite, and when we saw a roving dumpling lady we hailed her down with great JOY (because Jen's vegetarian and it wasn't easy finding food for her)

These dumplings in syrup were filled with soft yellow bean paste, and not too sweet. Such a joy to eat and so cheap (less than $1)

doing a fruit run

beautifully cut and quartered pineapples, 15,000 d

another wet market, with some mobile vendors

fresh is one thing, clean is another

everything is laid out in the open, including meat and fish, without refrigeration, and probably covered in exhaust fumes to boot

yet another market

a rather inglorious representation of the cycle of life

That's one shitty pigeon at the bottom of the cage. Animal welfare isn't of great concern here, and that did put me off eating meat. We ate at a few vegetarian restaurants featured on Happy Cow. I got to see the non-touristy side of Hanoi through searching for pure vego places, as they were few and far between :p

pet or food? either way that must be one very unhappy cat!

a covered wet market, with a shrine inside!

intestines..how do you clean these things?

whole roast dog! We asked if we could take photos and the lady had no problems with it

close up of the heads...the idea of omnivores eating carnivores is a bit weird, and supposedly unhealthy as carnivores accumulate more toxins

***

more fresh food/produce on the streets - a rather random suckling piglet, sugar cane, jack fruit, and beautiful flowers that can be found adorning little shrines everywhere

During my time there, USD$1 = ~ 19,300 Vietnamese Dong

Hanoi streetscape

2010-03-31T14:10:00.003+11:00

Hanoi traffic is nothing short of intimidating. Motos, cars, trucks and buses weave their way around each other according to a hierarchy in ascending order.They warn each other of their approach with their horns, the trucks being particularly deafening, and the noise assault begins early in the morning and only relents around 10 at night. The single set of traffic light that I spotted with great relief turned out to be a sham. My saviour the little green man flashed for ONE second only and the stream of motos continued unaffected.

Obviously people come last in the hierarchy. So how do you cross the road? just walk onto the road...and edge your way forward and let the traffic flow around you. The motos don't go that fast anyway. I know because I had a moto stop right next to me because i was too new/slow/crippled to dodge it. It's good to know people are on the ball haha.

Actually, motorists must be incredibly focused all the time, you just don't know what other vehicles or pedestrians will do! In fact they are so focused, they can ride parallel to each other, chat, and hold onto huge flower arrangements/cardboard boxes/3 other people all at the same time.

I'm ashamed to admit that I often used these hardworking ladies as shields when crossing the road...

***

Apart from the safety hazard of crossing the road, here on the footpath you have:

BOILING WATER

pavers going for a walk

tentacles of our new alien overlords coming up from the ground...ok these are pipes for wires but what happens when it rains?

Other constant features include: brief 'rain' or 'hail' when people throw things out of the window, which may become things on the ground that you can trip over. Also got hit by a fallen bamboo pole. They use it alot here, for scaffolding etc.

***

some Hanoi streetscape - it's 1000 years old this year!

the only KFC I saw...didn't see any maccas or starbucks!

there's a competition going on for the narrowest buildling in Hanoi

this one takes the cake

nice contrast of the old and the new

there are temples everywhere

often wedged between big, new buildlings

in the poorer areas, haphazard construction makes for interesting views

for example, windows are normally placed under beams; not sure what's happening here!

but there are many pockets of beauty...of colours, symmetry and history

Good morning Hanoi!

2010-03-30T20:41:00.006+11:00

Bargaining started immediately outside the airport.

As a newly unemployed cheapskate, I bypassed the taxi ($15!!) and minivan drivers, ignored the motobikes doing the laps, and plonked myself in front of the shuttle bus and negotiated a ride for 30,000 dong (I'd naively imagined a state-run bus service with timetable and fixed price. HA). Sure I would have to wait 20 minutes, and it would only take me to one of its stops so I'd have to walk, but that's ok.

After 10 minutes, and all of a sudden, all the shuttle bus hustlers got on the bus.
"Is the bus going now?"
"No" they said with big smiles.

Then the bus left me standing there alone, and never came back...don't ask me why i didn't get on the bus straight away. I was the only person there and i just didn't think the bus would leave without me! (now that i think about it, the fact that i was the only customer is probably the reason why the bus left without me LOL)

After what seemed like ages, the minivan driver that i'd rejected several times beckoned me over as the minivan was getting full with locals...not even they wanted to catch the bus haha. I was SO grateful because i was starving and 80,000 d isn't that much anyway. I even got to sit next to the driver and watch him practice the Buddhist ideal of The Middle Way - driving in the middle of 2 lanes to overtake the slow motos on the right.

I made it to Liberty Hotel, and the lovely staff took me to a local eatery for cold beef noodles.

Now this has to be a real local place - long wooden table, the floor littered with chopstick wrappers, used napkins and banana leaves, and a lady sweeping around our feet while we ate.

thin slices of beef mixed with julienned carrots, bean sprouts and vermicelli, doused with fish sauce and lime juice. YUM!!

First stop after lunch - Hoan Kiem lake. Described as "a tranquil waterbody in the heart of Hanoi", the place is packed with chillaxing locals and couples showing a surprising amount of PDA.

Turtle Tower in the middle of the Lake

Ngoc Son Temple and the beautiful bright red Huc bridge

As I walked along the path around the lake I caught sight of a huge statue to my right. In that split second of distraction i fell into a giant ditch yes a hole so big my entire leg went in and all i could do for the next few minutes was sit there and gasp in agony as blood welled up around my big toe.

This is an endorsement for sanitisers and wet wipes, which I had wisely packed

I soldiered on to Ngoc Son Temple on the lake. Legend has it King Le Loi was given a sword that helped him drive out the Ming Chinese. One day he was on the lake, a giant turtle/Golden Turtle God appeared and took the sword back to the heavans; the King then named the lake Hoan Kiem, literally 'returned sword'.

Entrance to Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple

the good...and the bad

Bats on temple wall

beautiful incense urn outside the temple

bat on the urn! yes i love bats

a giant soft-shelled turtle specimen on display in the room adjoining the temple; i'd be worried if a turtle like this swam up to me!

people playing Chinese chess in the pavilion outside the temple

***

Dinner was banh cuon nong for only 17,000 d!!

Made fresh in front of me as I tried to settle on my low stool. Bang cuon nong is a soft rice flour crepe filled with minced pork and shiitake mushroom, topped with fried garlic, accompanied by fish sauce, chilli (hot!) and lime. Very similar to the Cantonese yum cha dish cheung fun. It was worth risking my life crossing the road! XD

During my time there, USD$1 = ~ 19,300 Vietnamese Dong

flying the coop!

2010-03-25T15:38:00.029+11:00

I'm supposed to work on a paper. Predictably, i bummed around on the net, set up the 'Contact' tab (hope it works), and scrambled to find something to write about. I could drone on about all sorts of stuff, but the days of posting about my breakfast-lunch-dinner and other not-so-fascinating minutiae of my life are OVER!

baroo?

I'm flying the coop like this flying-fox! (except it's injured and it's only going into a flight aviary so it can still be monitored). Look at that face! too cute!

Going to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia...will be a while before I can write again, probably when I get to Taiwan where i don't have to worry about power failures haha.

cheerios amigos! see u in a couple of months ;)

Taste of Sydney

2010-03-14T02:03:00.004+11:00

This is the second time I've left my camera at home thinking that it wouldn't be needed, then something comes up to prove me wrong! This time it's the Taste of Sydney, with free entry courtesy of my work mate.

I knew about this event but balked at the $27.50 entry fee, mostly to do with how much money I know I'd want/need to spend inside, what with 48 dishes on offer from 16 of Sydney's fine-dining establishments. It's a good introduction for me since I've only been to Assiette for lunch, and tried the wagyu burger at Plan B!!!

There were people handing out booklets of menus and timetables, free ferrero rondnoir (a dark chocolate ferrero, and selling crowns at the entrance. We were checking the lay of the land when we came across The Australian Gourmet Traveller Taste Kitchen, which features chefs cooking live on stage, and it's free. The lovely lovely staff told us about the cozy Chefs Table where you and a small group of people chat with chefs over wine and canapes, and recommended Gourmet Traveller's wine for which we're sooo thankful!

since the first session of the evening starts at 6:15, we wandered around with our printed A3 menus searching for food (can you tell someone is very serious? and over 45?? haha)

great outdoor tables

I liked the sound of beef ribs smoked in watermelon with a watermelon and avocado salad, from Danks Street Depot. Didn't like the watermelon/avocado combo, but the ribs were beautifully smokey, with a slight sweetness. I liked this much more than ribs dripping in sauce that can be too cloyingly sweet, so much so I had the ribs on their own, avoiding the accompanying onion chutney

cute!

We grab a risotto with Crystal Bay prawns and zucchini from Pilu at Freshwater, and 12 hr slow cooked lamb shoulder with minted crushed peas and feta dressing from Four in Hand. The 6:15 session of "Taste Wine - Some like it Hot" was just about to begin so we pay our 6 crowns (best money spent), and take our food in and eat while our wines are poured. MA is a regular at Pilu and loves their suckling pig (also sold at their stall), but she wasn't enamoured with the risotto, because she's not a fan of prawn stock! I thought it was ok, the flavour was mild to me because I love the briny taste of the sea.

The lamb just got better with each mouthful, not exactly melt in the mouth tender, but it went so well with the minted crushed pea...a real comfort dish. What i really want to try is saltbush lamb though. They are available for purchase along with a cool bag (and buy the girls did), but I opted out.

Some like it Hot - hosted by Nick Stock with a chef from Longrain, on pairing wines with spicy cuisines such as Thai, Indian, Indonesian etc. We also received a free copy of Gourmet Traveller WINE. Nice to see mineral+still water on the table too.

starting off with a palate cleanser - Chandon ZD Blanc de Blancs. ZD or zero dosage means the wine was made without the addition of a sweetener (a dosage is a mixture of sugar or wine), which results in a very dry style of sparkling wine.

Followed by:

1. 2009 Frankland Estate Cooladerra Rieling
2. 2008 Taylors Gewurztraminer
3. 2009 S.C. Pannell Rose Arido
4. 2009 Spinifix Pipillon

we taste each wine in turn, then we each received a bowl of yellow curry of Byron Bay Berkshire pork with picked mustard greens. OMG....it was soooo good. The curry had so much depth; as the chef explained, they dry roasted the spices first so there was alot of flavour without the afterburn. Just beautiful. You can buy it from Longrain's stall. The wines tasted different with and after the curry, and the crowd favourite was the Spinifex Papillon (also my favourite), followed by the Gewurztraminer, which was quite a surprise to us as it's not something we would think to pick. It was redolent of lychee and rose petal but not too sweet. All of the wines were very fine but I am hanging out to have the Spinifex Papillon again haha

Crispy wagyu beef with wild mushroom and truffle foam, from Restaurant Balzac

I was intrigued by the name so I was a bit shocked when I saw it...it's really just a wagyu springroll! I suppose it made for easy eating although that's not my preferred way to eat wagyu haha. Foam was nice, not much of a truffle flavour but I love mushrooms.

Matt Preston at Pilu!

We'd seen him earlier with George, walking to the VIP lounge. He is truly a big, imposing man! I couldn't remember his surname though. All i could think of was Matt Damon, Matt Moran, and Cravats. haha. That's a shitty photo of him. In real life he looked very nice and friendly and took photos with fangirls.

Zippulas - Sardinian donuts with citrus sugar

We blew our remaining crowns on this dessert and a beautiful glass of wine with frozen berries (my memory fails me!). Truth be told, I'd have liked to have another dessert, but that's all our $30 (and my $40) could procure. The donuts were hot and crispy and good with the creme anglaise but it is a bit dense and I could have done with more creme.

Not that we left hungry; we also sampled Tasmanian cheeses (the Opal blue cheese is a good introduction to blue cheese, as it is mixed with brie and quite mild); baileys with ice cream, ginger liquer, pomegrate liquer, etc, while the Opera Band played in the background.

None of us had wanted to come, because of the entry fee; don't know why they have to charge it (or so much), since all of us would be more than happy spend that money inside anyway (although the fee may have kept the crowd away, it's not horrific like the good food fest at Hyde Park, so that's a bonus). Anyway we all ended up having such a fantastic time we couldn't stop going on about how much fun we all had!

I've had a charmed day, spending my morning at Waverly and Bondi, getting great parks everywhere I went (one with plenty of money left in the meter!), then a great night at Taste of Sydney and for free too! What a way to end the week! ;)

Fix

2010-03-08T23:05:00.000+11:00

Nothing better than suggesting lunch at 8 am and to end up at Fix St James at Manda's suggestion a few hours later, for a nice long lunch, made even more delicious by my imminent freedom.

We went for the 5 course 'quick fix' to share for $39 p.p. The chef chose all the dishes, and luckily there was only one overlap (but a good one) with Manda's previous visit, and we got the creamy oysters from Nelson Bay (yes!)

The rest of the dishes were fennel, strezlecki blue & grape salad, tuna crudo with horseradish, beef carpaccio with pickled radish, and pasta puttanesca. Everything was so fresh and light, I enjoyed it all but the pasta puttanesca...not so much; it was a bit of a caper over-kill, especially since there was already caper with the beef carpaccio.

This was more than made up by the dessert we ordered - honey, clove, vanilla pannacota with figs. Although the pannacotta was too runny, the honey was so beautiful Amanda asked what it was (Tasmanian Leatherwood), and sms'd me hours later saying she's still thinking about it HAHA.

Great way to start the week that i can't stop wanting to be over.

one for when i'm old

2010-03-06T14:17:00.005+11:00

1st ever Harbour party, and it rained just as i was getting there...around 5 because...this party ends at 11 pm. Yes, 11 pm. Ridiculous. I guess it's the location - if u want the view, you gotta abide by the Gardens rules.

some smart ppl hired boats and partied right beyond the seawall...

so glad that i won the tickets, and did not have to pay $140 for them! firstly, i don't like doof doof music, it's all the same and got tiring quickly; secondly there were very few girls...i actually got tired of looking at gay men, who would have thunk it? lol. I was bored shitless until we found another stage, but even that didn't keep me entertained long.

Anyway, wandered from Chinatown, to a pub, then to City Extra...waiting for the 4 am meeting time to take part in Spencer Tunick's Mardi Gras: The Base, commissioned by the Mardi Gras. At 10 to 4 we walked towards the Opera House and there were people streaming in from all directions. We were stopped abruptly at a queue just before Dendy, and it wasn't even 4 yet!

We filed in and huddled around the base of the Opera House stairs. We were all bunched up together when we got the commend to sit down which required more room so some people were left standing with no room to move. They told us to have our toilet break, but we couldn't go anywhere! eventually, after what seemed like 1/2 an hour of waiting we were finally allowed to go to the toilets in the Opera House. God it was toasty inside! we didn't want to get out.

I think around 6 or 6:30 we gathered at the base of the steps and Spencer briefed us on the day to come, then it was time to get our gear off! we all picked up a clear plastic bag at the entrance to the fenced area, so we stuffed all our belongings in there, and left the bags on the ground...There was a frenzy of motion followed by clapping as people moved up the stairs to take their position. As we were walking up a flight of stairs on the side we saw OP staff/security etc all staring at us...! that was a little unnerving but then the rest of the 5,200 strong crowd were all naked and it was remarkable how quickly and easily I (we?) got accustomed to it. There was such a spectrum of shades/shapes/sizes but all were fundamentally similar...and that was very liberating. When you've seen enough, it's just not even interesting, let along sexual. It's like one giant on-sen/hotspring experience. (I have to say i can't believe Mel said she's not comfortable with the whole thing and she hasn't even seen her mum naked...wow! on-sen will fix that!).

I was outside the restaurant, not very close to my neighbours like the people on the stairs...and the cold wind blew...and blew...and the people groaned and hopped and slapped their backsides to stay warm hahaha. At one stage Spencer asked us to lie down...so we did, awwww so COLLLLDDDDDDDD....and that was when I told Mel that she owes me a hot dinner.

Actually the cold may have put many ppl off from coming to see us because there were lots of paparazzi but not so many bystanders.

but a whale-watching boat did come to see us...HAHAHA...as well as many ferries (and we did get in the daily telegraph!)

Jen took quite a few nice photos, but i'm not sure if we're allowed to post photos of Spencer Tunick's set-ups, so I've only put up a prep one, and a photo of our legs haha

We were among the first couple thousand to arrive at the opera house so we picked up tickets to go into the concert hall for the second set-up (the rest of the people did shoots in the botanic gardens). Oh it was a joy!!!! so warm! and no wind! i had a disgusting cold and could finally blow my nose!!! haha.We were given another plastic bag to sit on. Later we were asked to stand on the seats. It was already precarious WITHOUT the plastic bags and no one used them because it was actually quite hard to balance...so the Opera House may want to have all those seats cleaned...:P

We did a few poses. For the last pose we were asked to 'face the organ'...i thought ST was just cracking a joke and I just laughed until people told me to literally face the organ haha.

Anyway, don't want to go too much into it. We'll get a signed print in a few months' time, and when the photos are out I will update this post ;)

new year with sausage cats

2010-02-21T14:36:00.005+11:00

it has not been a good summer for the flying-foxes; volunteer rescuers have been run off their feet untangling flying-foxes from backyard netting draped over fruit trees. Most people don't know that the simple black nylon netting they get from Bunning can cause severe injuries and in a lot of cases, death, of many of our native animals. The correct way to protect your fruit trees according to this article would be to:

“... tie bags or pillow cases over the ends of branches [the animals] can reach and thus share the fruit that is left uncovered for the native animals or birds to eat...If people feel they still have to net their trees, we suggest they completely cover the tree with thick white netting, which is more easily seen than black, and peg the netting to the ground with tents pegs tightly enough to create a trampoline effect when the animal hits it, and thus prevent it becoming entangled or getting under it...Alternatively they can attach thick white netting to a rigid frame and place it over and around the tree, completely enclosing it.”

One carer i know ended up with 19 flying-foxes in care, so I was given a couple of adults (net-caught) that have been in care for ~ 3 weeks and almost ready to be released into the flight aviary

'comedy' ensued...because i was given a cocky cage with no door we had to improvise with towels and pegs (that's not to sound ungrateful. these cages cost a couple of hundred dollars); we thought that 2 layers of thick towels would be enough, but when i got home from dinner it was evident that one of them had escaped, and what do you know it was climbing up the leg of the piano stool when i found it. lol. So i took a big tray and pegged it in place and still it got out! i actually saw its little head popping out of the towel, looking around before taking off. It was quite funny, except i had to go after it and it scratched me in the process. BTW you need to be vaccinated for this. Do NOT handle any wild flying-fox as any scratch or bite will require a post-exposure treatment of 6 shots.

Anyway, i eventually put a stack of books behind the tray and that was ok for the night, except the next morning i found both FFs sleeping against the tray with their feet out...yes...i was late for work that morning.

i shoved a grape on the end of a chopstick in an attempt to bribe them/put me in their good books

Petra, pictured with her tongue out, has just taken a grape. I don't remember what happened that morning, but I guess I eventually unhooked their feet and moved them further into the cage.

someone made the comment that they look like sausage cats haha

Petra was sweetheart. She never reacted to me when I cleaned the cage and put food in. Jordan on the other hand tried to bite me a couple of times and lunged at me a few times and it was no surprise to find out she was originally named 'scary spice'.

hanging from one foot, a relaxed stance

they were always staring at me...following my every movement...lol

On the eve of Chinese New Year I also picked up 1 ringtail possum. Juvenile, cornered by a dog. It had been bitten and had to be euthanased. Just one of 3 that met the same fate in one weekend.

also picked up a brush-tailed possum trapped in a house; i had no idea it had a joey until another carer checked it for injuries. I wish i had asked her to shove the joey back into the pouch there and then, because when i released them a couple of hours later, the mum bolted so fast she dropped the joey. It was really horrifying when i heard this weird noise coming from the ground a few metres away, only to find the dropped joey calling on the ground...SIGH. It was the worst feeling. Since it was obviously a tiny baby I had to keep it warm so i shoved it under my shirt. I felt its sharp little claws on my stomach then it stopped calling and settled down. Then it was a mad dash to get it in a pouch near a hot water bottle, then to an experienced carer.

So that was a really horrible CNY eve. It was very upsetting. Not that anyone blamed me, at least, no one who has had the experience of rescuing/caring for wild animals, so I've put it behind me.

CNY - took the FFs to a release centre, to be weighed/checked then placed in a big aviary prior to release for flight practice and monitoring, so that was good :)

ended up going to gourmet pizza kitchen for dinner, and that was the end of Chinese New Year for me!

everybody needs pampering

2010-02-14T23:15:00.006+11:00

This day took quite some time and effort to organise, so I was really looking forward to it. I wish it wasn't so hot (boy was I glad I had my new dress on. I think it eventually reached 38 degrees) and I had a late night and an early morning of work...but nevermind. After all, this was a flex day I took, an unheard of luxury for most people!

so...my day of pampering started at the Arvana spa, in Surry Hills. Only after the massage did Amanda said she thought that, from the outside, it could pass as a 'special services' place. She had picked up the 'no sexual services' sign on the counter and the brochure. I was completely oblivious! Anyway, we were shown into the lobby (below). A lovely Thai lady gave us some ice water and slippers, and took our shoes away. We were then led downstairs where we had a 90 min aromatherpy massage :)

To be honest, it was too light for me. It's really just for relaxation and I probably need the Swedish or Sports massage. Manda said it was the right strength for her and she enjoyed it. The only gripe i had was that it was a bit cold (although my masseuse promptly covered me up with an extra towel), and the music wasn't particularly relaxing.

After the massage we were given a towel and a cup of sweet, hot chrysthemum tea, which was very nice. As we were paying, the receptionist gave us each a $20 discount because we came together (they have a Friday 60 min special for couples with a $20 discount). We also got a little bottle of essential oil each, as a way of apologising for the CD jumping a few times during our massage. That was certainly very unexpected and nice.

After the massage it was a short walk to Assiette, for the 3-course, $35 Friday lunch. It's has one chef's hat and Amanda's friends raved about it, so it was Amanda's suggestion (I've never heard of it! my suggestion was Marque. Hopefully we'll make it next month).

I should have taken a photo of the menu...there were two options for each course, so we got everything to share, and I didn't bother reading the menu in detail and hence can't remember what I had...

oh i had the Loosen Bros 'Dr L' Riesling from Germany. That was lovely.

warm sourdough bread with very nice unsalted butter

my pick for the entree - the heirloom tomato tart

beautifully refreshing with gorgeous flaky pastry. i can't believe Amanda preferred her entree lol

Cured tasmanian salmon with beetroot horseradish and dill cream
i think both the beetroot and dill cream overpower the salmon, but Amanda liked this *shrug*

my main - pork belly with apple sauce, potatoes and cabbage

I worked up a sweat just trying to cut through the crackling...which was chewy, not crunchy! the table next to us just left the entire top untouched. Me, I persevered, all the while wondering if it was supposed to be like this? I think not!

All that exertion and the heat outside made me think their aircon has stopped working. I actually asked if it was broken and the waitress said no, it's just very old. Amanda and I were sitting there sweating so we had to take a break from eating.

mushroom and asparagus risotto, liberally dotted with truffle; very rich but very enjoyable

It's nice of Assiette to offer vegetarian options

pannacotta with blood orange and mango...(i think, i didn't read the menu). I only tried the pannacotta. It was very creamy and just the right firmness, wobbly and not too hard!

a tropical fruit melange...that i thought sounded a bit boring on paper but turned out to be perfect for the day. There was pineapple and mango sorbet, and slices of mango and rather sour cubes of pineapples in a light, fruity 'soup' that I found refreshing.

so...that was my day of pampering. it was definitely wonderful to set a day aside for nothing but relaxation and enjoyment. here's hoping everyone finds a bit of time in their busy lives to do something for themselves!

Happy B'day Amanda!

2010-02-13T00:21:00.003+11:00

Manda likes tapas, and having already been to Emmilou as part of her b'day celebration (the food was very good, but the night was marred by the rude bartender), and not wanting to line up for Bodega, I suggested Japaz in Neutral Bay, a fusion between Spanish tapas and Japanese izakaya. It was a good choice in terms of venue, as it bucketed down that Saturday, and I wouldn't have wanted to stand in the rain! To top it off, we actually found free street-parking right behind the restaurant. On a Saturday! *shock*

Service was friendly and prompt. Meich got a Rosita beer on the intriguing promise of the taste of coriander, although I couldn't taste it. We got all three specials - assorted mushroom with pumpkin bread, coffin bay oysters, and prawns (not particularly memorable!). The portions seem to vary a lot. The avocado and mascarpone salad ($12) and spinach with pinon and sultana ($13) were way too tiny! but the beautiful braised wagyu cheek with white almond puree ($17) was a good size. That said it was only shared between Manda and I, as we were the only meat eaters.

we also had crumbed portabello mushrooms, and fried eggplant with honey and balsamic vinegar. Except for the presence of the balsamic vinegar, both dishes were crumbed and fried in the same way because they looked the same. Worked for the mushroom but not eggplant, which just turned soft and tasteless.

we also had ajillo, which consists of shiitake, enoki, woodear mushrooms and chick pea in a clear broth. It was quite comforting and went a long way to fill us up.

I've always been happy to cater to vegetarians and pescatarians but I don't think it works with tapas. I was seriously hankering for more familiar fare - chorizo, jamon etc, and finally suggested wagyu beef to share with Manda; it was great, and cemented my notion of not having tapas with vegetarians ever again haha

Apart from the wagyu beef, I also liked:

coffin bay oysters...the creamiest oysters i have ever had...

warm blue cheese with black garlic, pear and saffron honey $14.50

perhaps i should have asked them what cheese they used, because it was a beautiful blend with the honey and pear; the blue cheese was so creamy. This was my first encounter with black garlic. It was roasted and soft, and had no garlic taste at all! Black garlic "is created by ageing raw garlic for a month in a fermenting cellar under high heat" and is supposed to be sweet and vinegary, without the afterburn of normal garlic. Being a garlic lover, I was a bit thrown off by the lack of punch in flavour.

strawberry and ceylon tea ice cream $5 - mostly strawberry in taste, with a slight aftertaste of tea

the desserts are more well-priced

creme catalan Japaz - $4.50

it looked just like a creme brulee until we cracked the toffee and found that it wasn't a creamy smooth custard inside, but rather a much thicker custard with tapioca pearls and an indeterminate taste. Not having had creme catalan before, I can't really say much about it. Some of us liked it, some didn't. I thought it was ok as it wasn't overly sweet.

TORRIJUS (Spanish style french toast) with poached apple & brandy ice cream Pedro Ximenez honey $14.50

I love my alcoholic desserts and this was a big hit with the others as well. Who would have thought warm fruity toast could taste this good? This is one that I'd recommend and order again.

Beverly Hills Peking Duck restaurant

2010-02-09T22:50:00.006+11:00

I had a sudden craving for peking duck; it seems like years have passed since I last tried it.
My suggestion was greeted with enthusiasm...hurray! Nicole picked me up and we went to Beverly Hills to a restaurant frequented by Jeff

2 plates of duck, hoi sin sauce, cucumber and shallot, a steamer of pancake (we needed another one), for $58. The duck wasn't carved at our table, probably due to a lack of space in the restaurant. But the chef was stationed in the middle of the restaurant so you could watch him carve if you want to. The peking duck wasn't bad...just not very memorable. I was a bit disappointed because it didn't have the taste that i was hankering after, but i can't identify what's missing. May be there was too much meat? or a different sauce to what i had before? i really can't pin-point anything. The pancakes were warm and soft; not too thick or doughy. The second course was a very warming and comforting soup which we had at the end of the meal.

finely shredded potato fried in chilli oil

probably really bad for you but really yummy and addictive...just like chips really haha

i'm dining with condensed milk fiends and there's no passing up this dish, which consists of normal and fried mantou with condensed milk (we asked for another one). It's a strange combination (to me), but the fried mantou was fluffy and crispy and good on its own.

Fried pork belly with vegies has a nice chilli kick to it. It was fairly nice. A bit oily, but that's Chinese food for you

salt and pepper squid...tender, but WAY TOO OILY...

i couldn't eat much of this T_T

Fried milk! after frying, the frozen milk is custard like in consistency, and really quite sweet (although Nicole disagrees, then asks for another saucer of condensed milk :P). It's interesting, but I left most of the batter behind. Too much fried food for one night!

Lionel reenacting Jeff's psychotic breakdown XDDD

we had a really angry dinner...because Jeff is having issues and i have the unfortunate habit of feeling angry with people/on behalf of them in fact i get even more pissed off if they are not pissed off at their own issues like MY SIBLING STEALS FROM ME I HAVE TO CARRY MY WALLET WITH ME AND MY PARENTS ARE LIKE "oh well" or MY FUTURE BROTHER IN LAW IS A THIEF AND A LEECH AND HE KILLED MY LIZARD...i think the table next to us left early because we (or just me) was swearing so much...seriously...who ARE these people?

According to Lionel, Jeff's too much of a doormat, he's weak and feels guilty for speaking his mind, that's why he snapped one day hahaha. He says if French people have a problem with you, they will tell you to your face. If they accept that things can't be changed, then they end the friendship/relationship. Good. I'll just pretend I'm being French. So many Asian people are brought up to be doormats, not just by their parents but by their peer as well. You can talk about any feeling, if it makes someone uncomfortable, the standard responses are to change the subject, or just silence. Which is still heaps better than "let it go! don't be angry! happiness is impermanent! don't think about it! you're better than that!" Makes me feel nothing but murderous rage. GRRR

Mt Kosciuszko - Merrits Nature Track 2

2010-01-27T01:48:00.024+11:00

The track is 4 km, downhill (there were people walking up...must be amazingly fit). At 1100-1400 m, the snow gums gave way to alpine ash, half covered in fibrous brown bark and impressively tall. They can live up to 500 years and grow to 90 m.

Soon I reached Merritts creek, and had a rest. The small creek supplies some water to the village; I could see native galaxia in the water. The creek was surrounded by mountain tea-trees which were covered in masses of white flowers

mountain tea tree flowers

Merritts creek

Mt Kosciuszko - Merritts Nature Track 1

2010-01-26T22:22:00.002+11:00

There are a few self-guided walks around Mt Kosciusko, and I decided on Merritts Nature Track. There are pamphlets in Thredbo Sport and hotel reception. Because it starts at the top of the chairlift, i bought a 2-day pass for $35 yesterday.

Merrits Nature Track starts at 1930 m asl and takes you down to 1370 m, and the change in elevation is reflected in the vegetation communities, from alpine, to sub-alpine, to montane.

First i had a late brekkie at Eagles Nest Cafe right in front of the chairlift. My scones were good, but they were the damper type, not the fluffly ones, so i struggled to get through 1 1/2 and didn't need to eat anything until dinner...

The track is well marked, and starts right below the chairlift

Snow gum - the only trees adapted to the alpine conditions (snow cover from 4-9 months of the year) in Australia. They are growing at their upper limit, and many are twisted and stunted

I followed a small trail off the track, which ended at a large boulder overlooking Merritts Creek. The creek flows down a corridor of rocks formed during the last glacial period.

The photo doesn't convey what a peaceful spot it was; it also felt alot higher than it looks in the photo. I sat on the boulder for quite a while, then doubled-back to the track. There are two benches around the creek but neither give you a good view, so i'd recommend keeping an eye out for this tiny trail.

grass trigger plant

Tasman flax lily - produces green berries which ripen to a dark purple; the berries and base of the leaves were collected by the local Aboriginal tribes.

Mt Kosciuszko is a sacred place for the indigenous people and they would come in summer to collect bogong moths for food. I wonder if it still happens...probably not. It's really quite sad.

snow gum dieback caused by a combination of wood boring insects, wind, ice, snow and frost

first and only encounter with this brightly coloured species, on the side of a gravel road

i love the colours especially the anthers which are sorta teal

pink and white versions of this species; most were covered in little insects

Gunn's willow-herb...i think

a picnic table on a rocky outcrop!! what an amazing place for a picnic

it was way too hot though, so i sat on a bench literally 2 m around the corner. again it was just incredibly relaxing to sit and soak in the view and the sound of the wind. I only met a dozen hikers on the trail, at the most, and i noticed that people on this track seemed to eschew greetings, each absorbed in his or her own reveries. At least that's how I felt.

alpine flora of Mt Kosciuszko

2010-01-25T23:30:00.008+11:00

The amazingly beautiful alpine flora on Mt Kosciuszko, in late January. It was fun spotting all the different flowers and grass and was exciting when I see a new one

I managed to ID some of them with help from the interwebs...your help with ID would be appreciated!

Royal Bluebell, Wahlenbergia gloriosa, flora emblem of the ACT!

Alpine baeckea, Baeckea gunniana

silver snow daisy, Celmisia sp.

mountain celery Aciphylla glacialis - the flowers are white

eyebright - Euphrasia collina

mountain or snow gentian, Chionogentias muelleriana subsp. alpestris, found only in Kosciuszko NP

so beautiful it deserves a second photo haha

love the sunny imperfection. i really want to know the name of this species!

billy button, Craspedia sp. - most have gone to seed already; i only saw a handful still flowering, the rest were just white fluffballs

these little bursts of sunshine on a stick are adorable

Gunn's willow-herb, Epilobium gunnianum

bidgee widgee, Acaena sp.

Leucochrysum albicans or hoary sunray...very apt

loved the hoary sunray; they carpet the ground like snow!

The top of Australia!

2010-01-24T23:55:00.004+11:00

Mt Kosciuszko is Australia's highest mountain at 2228 m. There are guided walks to the summit but I knew that would not give me enough time to absorb my surroundings, and I was assured by the guy at Thredbo Sport/info centre that it's an easy walk, "700 people went up there yesterday...it's like a superhighway, you won't get lost".

Here's a selection of photos that gives some idea of the alpine scenery but doesn't really do majesty to the scale and beauty of the place. I'd be happy to do this walk again...perhaps when there's a bit of snow.

The chairlift takes you up to 1937 m, a rise of 560 vertical metres over 1.8 km. It was cool (~ 18 deg) up there but the sun was strong and biting. I applied sunscreen every hour and never felt as if i had any sun protection on. I recommend wearing long sleeves!

the walk was super easy with first the paved path then a elevated steel mesh walkway which protects the plants from being trampled.

Absolutely loved the mosaic effect created by various ground cover - lichen, moss, alpine flowers, grasses. It really looked much more amazing in real life. So much so I had only moved 2 km after 1 hour and had to make myself walk faster (it's 6.5 km to the summit, and the last chairlift down was 5 pm).

Alpine flowers! i'm going to devote the next post to these beauties

view from Kosciuszko Lookout (2 km in from the chairlift) - the summit doesn't look far away at all!

The steel mesh walkway itself was a nice feature that gave perspective to the photos

There were impressive rocky outcrops and large boulders strewn around the mountainside.

The headwater of Thredbo River, i think

Alpine lake! looks like a beautiful jewel set in the mountain

Rawson's pass. There are toilets here! believe me that's very important! haha

the steel mesh walkway was replaced by this paved path, and finally, just gravel; i saw a pram left on the side of the gravel path (and later saw the parents and infant at the summit)...pushing a pram almost all the way to the top of Mt Kosciuszko...that blows my mind

The Summit! Yes there were heaps of people!

Lunch with a view

I met a guy who said he had done the walk once, taking only 1 3/4 hours...WTF??? I prefer to enjoy every bit of the scenery brought about by every turn...that and I'm not fit enough to do 13 km in that time! The whole walk took me 5 hours in the end.

On the chairlift down to Thredbo Valley.

I was so buggered but then i had a hour-long massage by Tineke at the hotel...ah bliss. Definitely a treat after a long day out ;)

Thredbo Valley - Bridle Trail Loop

2010-01-23T22:28:00.000+11:00

509 km, 6 hours, only 1 toilet break and 1 petrol break later, and I've reached Thredbo Valley. The first thing i thought was..."IT'S TOO HOT!" Apparently the forecast for 20 degrees was for the top of Mt Kosciusko. Whilst it wasn't humid like Sydney, my hope for a cool getaway was dashed...so i made up for it with a beer...haha

I stayed at Thredbo Alpine Hotel, a fairly average place for $105/night (no balcony...i eyed with chalets with envy), although it was conveniently located next to Thredbo village with the supermarket, cafe etc, and just across the road from Thredbo Terminal (where you catch the chairlift up). There are fewer people in Summer of course, so it was quiet at night. I imagine it would be very noisy to stay here in Winter as there's supposedly a night club nearby.

After cooling down, i decided to go for a wander. I chose the Bridle Trail Loop because it's short (3 km) and starts at the Terminal (the direction on the map was shit so i started at Thredboland). The walk hugged the road (Friday Drive, i think), which was visible for a good part of it.

Thredbo Valley sits at ~ 1380 m. The Loop was probably a good, easy way to acclimatise to the higher altitude. I was the only person on the path and it was incredibly tranquil, and I was blown away by the diversity of flora. A very enjoyable walk and a great start to my holiday!

t.g.i.f

2010-01-22T23:04:00.000+11:00

Summer Sounds in the Domain - Toumani Diabaté and the Symmetric Orchestra from Mali

I was bummed that it was on the same night as A.R. Rahman at Parra Park, but it was a good experience, watching Diabaté play the traditional 21-string Kora, a harp-like instrument played with thumbs and index fingers. He even showed us how to start with a beat, add the melody, then improvise.

Enjoyable night except for meeting yet another entitled person complaining about bats eating outside her bedroom, which is the centre of the universe by the sounds of it. God forbid a native animal should need to eat and make noises. So inconsiderate :P

It had snowed somewhere in the Snowy Mountains this week. I was trying to finish a painful project and was gripped by a desire to get away. The upcoming public holiday is a god-send. I booked my accommodation last night, not a lodge as i wanted but at a very good rate. Tomorrow I'll start my 4 day holiday. When i finished work today i was almost teary from relief. I am so looking forward to getting out of Sydney and the heat. Walking in the mountains, reading, may be horse-riding, who knows. I'd be happy just doing nothing.

I'd put off too many things for too long, due to perceived issues with money, time, etc. But not anymore. It's not a matter of gratifying all my whims, more to do with learning to know what i need; after all there may not be a tomorrow. It's not so hard to sort out. I am not getting a new ipod when i just need new earphones (and may be a gelskin haha), but I do need a break when my mind tells me to.

best get to bed...got a long drive tomorrow!

blue mountains

2010-01-14T23:39:00.004+11:00

How long has it been?

well the last time I came to Echo Point, this viewing area did not exist...

The Three Sisters - part of the stunning vista. There are diff legends, but the gist is these three rocks were three Aboriginal girls turned into stone to protect them from danger

I was surprised to see people actually walking to one of the rocks...since when?

my legs were shaking by the time i got down the steep flights of stairs!

an unexpected highlight - lyrebirds! i've never seen them in the wild!

a mum with a young...deduced from the constant whimpering sound coming from it, plus it got fed from time to time. The mum was scratching around in the litter with her long claws, and the young did the same but it never found anything haha

Lamaji and I caught the scenic rail down, walked around in the rainforest, then took the cable up. Both trips were very short but enjoyable

It was such a hot day...i really have to ask. Why do people wear black leggings or tights to the blue mountains on a 30 degree day????

7 m bar

2010-01-07T21:55:00.001+11:00

I had visitors from Melbourne...wanting to go to a bar like The Croft Institute. I'm sure there are really funky bars in Surry Hills but i don't know where they are!

Luckily I remembered the lanewaysbygeorge project and the 7 metre bar, which has that novelty value of only being open til the end of Jan, not to mention literally sitting in a laneway

we were greeted by a jumble of debris - barricades, street signs etc

a simple bar, with cocktails shaken in a plastic jar

Lost Boys - vampires never go out of fashion, it seems

it was subtitled as 80's music played in the background...that was slightly painful but went well with Kiefer Sutherland's mullet XDDD

this was directly above our heads...

love the vinyl coasters

Cocktails are $12, $10 for refill if you get the ones in a jar. The Green House cocktail did nothing for me, but i got lucky with the Rusty Chain...the scotch hit the spot

tasty hot chips :)

more wreckage - a bin on top of a totalled car

the concept?

“At an elevation of 7 metres the bar marks a reading of possible worst case sea level rise at the turn of the century. At 8 meters Underwood Street will be underwater with tidal surges and the flotsam and jetsam of our civilisation. Cars, boats, building materials and bodies will be tangled within its columns like seaweed at the edge of beaches.”

Juen cheerfully said that there will still be bars serving drinks...hahaha

Hello 2010!

2010-01-02T22:54:00.001+11:00

it's the last day of the year and thanks to Des and Tam, we got special tickets to see Wicked!

$10 specials - Elphaba (cinnamon+apple) & Glinda (grapefruit+gin) at the Chamberlain Hotel

YUM!

They also do cheap meals for ticket holders, but the food wasn't that great

ozmopolitan! yummy alcoholic slushee, and I got to keep the glass, and it changes colour too!

Wicked was awesome! the story parallels 'The Wizard of Oz' and shows us what really happened in Oz and how the tin man, cowardly lion and straw man came to be. Centrestage was the unlikely friendship between 'Elphie' (the wicked witch) and 'Glinda the Good' (the Ga is silent. LOL), and how they shaped and made each other better. It was funny, suspenseful, and creative, and I'm so glad I went.

Then it's a short trek to White Horse in Surry Hills. I have to say it was disappointing that most people didn't bother to wear a mask even though it's a masquerade! and it definitely wasn't a sold out event like past years (allegedly). Still, we made our own fun, which is all that matters!

Goodbye 2009. I have learned my lessons and I'm glad to be awake and moving on from my mistakes

Hello 2010! I'm going to treat myself so well and I hope you do the same for you

Wishing you all a new year full of growth and insight, and may any mistakes we make at least be NEW mistakes hahaha

It's a CO's Christmas

2009-12-26T16:56:00.006+11:00

This is the year of Christmas 'orphans'!

those of us who have no family present/don't celebrate x'mas/hate buying presents/cannot be arsed to cook got together for a day of random goodness!

we were gonna go to Coogee but at the last minute we decided to check out 2 of the 5 secret beaches listed on Time Out (therefore no longer secret), as they are close to Hippo's place.

The first one was Lady Martin's beach, at the end of Wolseley Road, Point Piper. We drove round and round small winding roads but couldn't find the access road anywhere! Drive-by beaching FAIL!

Then we went to Milk beach in Vaucluse and thankfully we got there! We passed the much bigger Shark beach and there was a bit of a parking mayhem going on - including a car reversing into people standing/saving a carspot! Coogee would have been similar, so we avoided a lot of crap :D

Not bad eh? Would have looked stunning if it was sunny but then the tiny beach may have been packed.

It was fairly quiet. The wind picked up and it got a bit unpleasant as we were right out in the open, but then a group left and we moved to a nice little alcove out of the wind! yay!

I'd busted my shoulders and felt like a stiff, creaking old thing and it took effort (and alot of groaning) to lie down/sit/get up etc. So I'm really proud of myself for running into the ocean for a dip before the rain came. The water was actually really really nice! the broken glass and bottles, not so great. Also cut both feet on oyster beds...revenge for me saying I want to eat them earlier! pain everywhere...bah!

after our bollywood marathon (Veer Zaara is NOT a happy movie! i don't care what anyone says!), we ventured out to superbowl for congee...that really hit the spot because it was a cold and rainy night. Hippo suggested DTF for dessert and Manda raised her hand for the bill straight away HAHAHA. Then she ran ahead complaining we're slowing her down XDDD. Once there we started with entrees (garlic cucumber, seaweed/tofu salad), then straight to sweet dumplings and mango pudding (more like a jelly) so we had our X'mas three-course meal HAHAHA.

Good times!