Monday, June 30, 2008

Here i come, Perth!

i'm packing my bags again~ though this time round, there really isnt much to pack.. except for the clothes that i'll be wearing for 6 days and my personal items! easy! packing cant be easier than this.. at least for me, this is one of the lightest packing i've ever done in, say, 5 years!

Sun has planned an itinerary for me! Gosh, it was comprehensive! with a time table of where we will be at what time and the yum~ stuff that we will be eating! Impressive job, Sun! Really looking forward, though i foresee tomorrow to be an exceptionally tiring day.. at least i'll get to rest for a while at SL's place before Sun picks us up! Hooray!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Singapore Noodles?

both my lunch and dinner today were simple affairs.. lunch was Rocket, Avocado and Corn Salad.. with a bit of Nissin Tonkotsu instant noodles! dinner was a steamed Corn, steamed Sugar Snap Peas, 2 slices of Sizzle Steak with RICE!!!

i finally managed to steam some rice today, without the help of a rice cooker! it was quite a success but i reckon rice cooked with a rice cooker taste better~ no photos for today because my camera ran out of battery.. hehez.. i have only ate rice on 4 occasions since i arrived here.. twice was Buy-2-Get-1-Free Sushi, once was with S at the Chinese restaurant and today, my own steamed rice!

was in the kitchen cooking dinner when Miyuki asked me what's Singapore Noodles.. she went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner today.. i really have to scratch my head before telling her that there's really no such thing called the Singapore Noodles.. because there are so many types of noodles in Singapore, cooked with different ingredients and methods.. but i know the Chinese restaurants in Australia love to use these names that are linked to countries to entice Australian customers to order them..

well, the first thing that came to my mind was Mee Goreng! yum~ Hokkien Mee came second.. and when Miyuki told me it was too spicy for her, i knew it was Mee Goreng! i dont think the Chinese migrants here are that skilled to be selling authentic Hokkien Mee.. instead they love to churn up different varieties of Mee Goreng, just by adding too much Soya Sauce or Tomato Ketchup.. more often than not, they are too sweet for my liking.. cant wait to try some of the Thai or Japanese restaurants here though.. wait till i get a job!

was also getting ready for my upcoming Perth trip!!! packed the clothes i need.. planned my schedule and got in touch with my friends there.. unfortunately, Sun has to work on Tuesday and cant pick me up from the airport.. so i'll get a cab and head straight to South Perth and let myself into SL's house (which, 1 year ago, was my house too.. haha!)! meanwhile, i can pack the stuff that i left in Perth into my luggages before Sun and SL finish work.. the plan for that evening is to meet up with WY and J for WY's farewell.. really looking forward!!!

Friday, June 27, 2008

Beef Strips with Rocket and Corn Salad

so this is how my Beef Strips with Rocket and Corn Salad turned out:

quite good, i think!

i washed the Rocket.. drizzled half a tablespoon of olive oil and also half a tablespoon of Balsamic White Vinegar over the lot..

steamed the corn for 15 minutes..

when the corn has been cooked, take a knife and chop off the kernels!

seasoned the Beef Steak with BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce.. and pan fry each side for about 2 minutes.. really, tell me this doesnt look succulent! yum~ let it stand for about 5mins before slicing..

the final step is to lay the corn kernels on the Rocket leaves and and then another layer of Beef Strips! Ta-dah~! there we go, extremely easy and yummy!

Bad Timing?

job hunting sucks.. so house hunting is frustrating.. but job hunting is worse.. gosh! i'll just have to persevere.. till i get something.. somewhere.. everyone needs a start, right?

anyway, other than job hunting, grocery shopping (and some shopping for myself!), laundry and cooking, i've been trying to catch up with some friends, both in Adelaide and in Perth.. just called Leah B and she's in Queensland for a cheer leading competition! i'm happy that she's still doing stuff that she likes.. didnt asked if she's still working for Dome.. but we'll be trying to meet up next week when i get back to Perth!

it's really strange, this thing call timing.. i'm only flying there for a short period of time.. trying to meet up with some friends and ex-colleagues there.. but it seems like everyone will be flying out of Perth during this particular period! Leah B is already in Queensland and will only be back in Perth on the 4th.. WY will be flying back to Malaysia the same night that i'll be flying in to Perth.. we'll still be able to meet up for lunch though, with the help of Sun to ferry me from the airport to Taka!!! Satomi will be doing some travelling for a month to Singapore, UK and Japan on the same day that i'm going back! i'll be at the domestic airport while she'll be at the international one at the same time! Gosh! what is this?!

Geez.. it's lunch time.. i'll try to make Beef strips with Rocket and Corn salad.. hehez..

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Burnside Village.. Pasta with Pesto and Pumpkin!

went to Burnside Village with Miyuki today.. she's on 4 days leave starting from today and already she is feeling bored! she suggested Burnside Village when we were in the kitchen having lunch and all i was thinking was, "why not?".. since i've no idea where that is and would like to know.. really no regrets about going there.. it's really quite a nice place.. and it's more like a shopping centre!

http://www.burnsidevillage.com.au/

today i had a hard time trying to chop the pumpkin that i bought from Woolworths the other day.. while trying to slice away the skin, i asked myself why did i even bother to buy it! the answer that came back to me was that it was on a discount~ i wont try to cook pumpkin for a while..

at first i tried to bake the chopped pieces of pumpkin.. i oiled a baking tray and try baking it.. after about 15mins, i realised that the pumpkin pieces are turning a bit dry on the outside.. so i took them out and steamed them for another 10mins instead..

meanwhile, i boiled some water.. pour about a tablespoon of olive oil in and sprinkle some salt in it too.. when the water starts to boil, i put in about 200g of Spirals and cooked them till al dente.. and drained the water..

i scooped about 3 teaspoons of Pesto into the pasta and make sure that the pasta is evenly covered with pesto.. and finally added in the pumpkin pieces.. and then more tossing and more pesto.. i love pesto!

the pumpkin looked kind of mashed up..

i didnt make my own pesto.. this is the one that i used..

i finally topped the dish off with the Brussel Sprouts from yesterday..

recipe i am trying to mimic is this one here: http://www.cuisine.com.au/

i didnt make my own pesto and didnt use both the cheese.. i guess i deviated quite a bit! the next time i make another attempt with pumpkin, i'll make sure i get the cheese..

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Brussel Sprouts

i experimented with Brussel Sprouts today! i bought a tray of them at Woolworths yesterday.. because there were too many, i tried 2 recipes.. one was found online and the other was mine!

Golden-Crusted Brussel Sprouts http://www.101cookbooks.com/
the recipe serves 4.. but i only used about 8 Brussel Sprouts because i'm cooking for myself.. other ingredients used were Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Cheddar Cheese.. i washed and peeled the outer layer of leaves away and chopped off the stems..

they looked very nice and clean after washing!

i sliced about 8 of them into halves..

and tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper..

i then pan-fried them with the flat side down for about 5mins..
and checked constantly to make sure that they are not burnt..

next, pan-fried the round side for about 3mins.. checking constantly too..

i flipped them over to the flat side to cook for another minute or so..
looks pretty good, hey?!
after this, i flipped them over again to show the flat side and sprinkled Cheddar cheese over them..

the cheese melted really fast and got stuck together in huge pieces instead of staying on the flat side of the vegetables.. hmm.. should use a different cheese next time! overall, it was yummy!

Brussel Sprouts with Minced Beef
Next up, Brussel Sprouts with Minced Beef! this idea came up when i realised that i still have some left-over minced beef in the fridge.. not wanting to waste them, i stir fry them with the Brussel Sprouts left from the Golden-Crusted Brussel Sprouts above! this dish could probably taste better with chilli!

i sliced the vegetables into quarters..

stir-fry the left-over Minced Beef with Onions from the other day to oil the pan.. scooped them into a bowl while i pan fry the Brussel Sprouts..

when the leaves of the Brussel Sprouts turns translucent, i added the minced beef and stir fry for another 3mins..

the final product! doesnt seemed like a bad combination to me!

it was a bit dry because i didnt use much oil.. i was thinking that i could use some stock next time.. so that it wouldnt be this dry.. but notheless, it was yummy to me.. hehez..

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Basa Fillet with Carrots, Broccoli, Tomatoes and Onions

before i went to the city today, i steamed another Basa Fillet for lunch.. this time i swapped the Stringless Beans for Carrots.. and i topped the dish with onions and broccoli! another healthy dish created.. and very sweet tasting! i credited that to the onions and carrots!

this is how the dish looks before going into the steamer..

after having half of the dish above, i went to the city for the purpose of signing up a line with 3 Mobile but was turned down because i'm unemployed! was quite disappointed, really.. but well, wait till i get a job! *hmph*

anyway, came back with a bag of groceries in the end.. bought some basics like onion, potato, ham and bread.. and interesting stuff like avocado (yum~), Brussel Sprouts (because it was on Quick Sale), pumpkin (discounted too!) and Beef Scotch Fillet Steak (otherwise called the Beef Rib Eye Steak).. for a better understanding of the Beef Scotch Fillet Steak, please go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rib_eye

decided to pan fry the beef steak.. so i seasoned each side with salt, pepper, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Rosemary.. pan fry each side for 2 minutes and i'm ready to dig in! i'm not hungry, just greedy and wanted to try out the beef.. it was pretty good, but i'm not sure what's lacking to make it a 'whao~!'.. anyway, i've got 2 more pieces that i can experiment with.. wahaha.. and i'm going to research on what i can do with the Brussel Sprouts and pumpkin!

My new place! - Photos

wanted to post some photos of my new place yesterday but was too tired to do so.. shall do it now..

the front door from the inside..
Right side of this photo: 'The Grand' and the left side: 'The King Suite'..

the first sight into the house.. the common computer!
the door on the right is Miyuki's room: The Merridian~

the common computer.. and the land line..

'The Hilton' on the left..

directly opposite 'The Hilton' is the bathroom~

the bathroom is inclusive of the toilet and shower..
there are 4 switches to turn on before going to shower..

1. Light
2. Heat 1
3. Heat 2
4. Fan

the kitchen..

the kitchen-cum-dining area..

the laundry.. on the other side, there are enough space to put 2 clothes racks..

the common area for TV time..

it's quite a big house, i must say.. good investment for the owners! i quite like it myself!

Monday, June 23, 2008

The Parade Norwood

i'm so tired.. i can barely lift my arms.. got back from The Parade about half an hour ago.. i looked up the map before i went but still, i lost my way because i walked the opposite direction at the junction! i was supposed to turn right.. but i turned left!

i was walking for 20mins and felt that i wasnt reaching anywhere at all.. walked into a shop and asked and found out that i was in the opposite direction! gosh.. not funny.. an innocent grocery trip requiring only an hour now took me 2 hours! okie, i admit that some time was wasted in the boutiques too! wahaha.. nope, did not buy anything at all.. those from Coles supermarket are not counted, alright!

i checked Google Maps again.. i was following the instructions that they gave me! but i guess The Parade is long stretch of road and i was pointed in the wrong direction.. the technology is wonderful.. but maybe it's better to trust human beings next time..

http://www.theparadenorwood.com/

wanted to post some photos of my new place.. i shall leave that to later..

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Hilton International Adelaide

got back from the city at around 12noon after staying overnight at Hilton (isnt that my room?!) as S wanted me to accompany her.. i met Jo (my new housemate from England) on her way to Marden Shopping Centre just as i got down the bus.. i told her it's better to head down to The Parade as it will only take her about 15mins (according to Miyuki), rather than spending 25mins walking to Marden Shopping Centre to realise that it's actually quite small and old.. Jo turned around and headed to The Parade once she heard that it's actually bigger! haha.. i've never been to The Parade.. i think i'll head there tomorrow to have a look, rather than going to the City everyday.. everyday, really!

the first thing i did when i got back was laundry and put my toiletries back to the bathroom.. tried to turn on my laptop several times but it's cranky again.. finally managed to turn it on and immediately transferred all my photos and important documents to my new external hard disk before it's too late! installed my new web cam from Zen as well, which also comes with a mini microphone and ear piece! got connected to Skype and the first person i talked to was Sis!

told her about my meeting up with S.. got a call from S early yesterday morning when she arrived at the hotel, asking me where i was.. i told her i was still in bed.. haha.. she said to go over anytime when i'm ready.. i finally dragged myself out of bed an hour later.. it was difficult because the morning was cold~! got ready and had breakfast (pack S's share too) before leaving the house..

reached there around 12.30pm and waited for her to get ready.. it was about 2pm when we finally got out of the hotel and headed down to Moonta Street for S to buy her stuff.. apparently, she can get the same products in Perth for much cheaper prices.. she only bought 2 in the end.. we had lunch at this restaurant, 大家好烧腊, in Chinatown where they served Roast Pork, Duck, Chicken and BBQ Pork and other stuff.. it's basically Chinese cuisine.. S noticed that they have a seafood dish.. but the seafood was spelled as 'seafoot' and we couldnt stop laughing! i was trying to find other mistakes after that! wahaha..

we went to the City after lunch and walked for a bit.. it was drizzling and S wasnt quite in the mood for shopping.. so we ended up at Gloria Jeans for coffee.. after that i dragged her to Nine West and asked her if she could get me a bag as my birthday present for this year!! wahaha.. initially, i wanted her to get me a set of Bikini.. but i dont think i would be able to use that for the time being and changed my mind about it.. the bag was on discount, i wouldnt have asked S to get it for me if it wasnt! S said the bag will be this year's Christmas gift too.. i said it can be inclusive of next year's birthday present too.. i dont mind because i like the bag and she's happy to get it for me!

introducing Nine West's GAIN TOO MEDIUM E/W HOBO! wahaha..

after getting out of Nine West, S accompanied me to my new place to pack my overnight bag.. and i was dancing my way back with my new bag! haha.. took the bus back to the City and walked back to the hotel to chill.. had a good chat.. we later ordered Room Service for dinner.. i ordered a Beef Burger from the Kid's menu and a bowl of wedges as a side to share because S wasnt very hungry.. when the meal arrived, we found out that the beef patty was charred black! really burnt! we called Room Service about that and they offered to send a new serving up.. it was better and more edible.. didnt managed to finish the food as the servings were pretty big.. had more chats and S turned in early, she's got a flight this morning.. i went on to watch a culinary programme called 'The Cook and The Chef'.. it's a nice programme and i learned quite a bit..

out of so many days in Adelaide, yesterday was the most relaxed day spent here! of course i would like to credit it to S, my dear friend..

Friday, June 20, 2008

Central Market

went to the Central Market situated on Grote Street in the city today.. it was a mission i have to do.. one of my best girlfriends, S, is flying in tonight and will be touching down tomorrow.. she has asked me to look for a shop on Moonta Street, near Chinatown.. which is just further down from Central Market.. so i might as well try to familiarise myself with the area!

there's an information counter in the market!!! imagine the size of it.. it was written on some banners that there are more than 250 shops in the market! gosh, that sure is quite a bit of choices.. i asked one of the elderly ladies at the information counter for the direction of Moonta Street and found the shop.. with that information in my mind, i went back to the Central Market and took my time exploring the shops!

the name says it all.. and has it all!

the shop of my interest!

another one! this one sells tea too..

such a cheesy name! hehez..

i'm pretty sure this is the same shop as the above, just the other side of it..

i like how the bread are stacked at the top.. good use of space!

i was really happy when i saw this shop! yum!

this one specialises in nuts.. it's called The Adelaide Nut..

something like salami.. something like sausages.. in many different varieties..

Organic fruits and veggies.. look at the colours!

this one has some of everything!

i guess i would back there again tomorrow.. since i'll be heading to Moonta Street with S.. and i heard from Miyuki, my new housemate, that after 1pm tomorrow.. things will be cheaper! let's see!

after Central Market, i headed back to Rundle Mall.. went to Priceline and Woolworths to get some necessities and groceries and head back home..

Steamed Basa Fillet with Stringless Beans and Tomatoes

oh gosh.. i wouldnt believe that such a healthy dish could taste so good! wahaha.. dinner was steamed Basa Fillet with Stringless Beans and Tomatoes!

First, cut the 2 ends of the beans away and then slice the beans into half.. about 250g of these green veggies.. spread them evenly at the bottom of a big deep bowl..

Then, wash the fillet (about 150g) and season it with salt and pepper.. lay the fish on top of the beans..

Next, slice the tomato, one is enough.. and arrange them on top of the fish..

Finally, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over this preparation and then sprinkle some Rosemary over the tomatoes!

Steam for 20mins and viola! you've got a very healthy meal that's very simple to prepare! yum~

Steaming allows food to cook in their own natural juices.. so you'll taste the sweetness of the beans, the freshness of the fish and the tangy taste of the tomatoes! what's more, the natural juices of these foods will be collected in a pool of 'soup' at bottom of the bowl, so drink up! *slurp*

Thursday, June 19, 2008

My new place!

moving is something i've never like and yet it's something i kept doing.. dont ask me why.. it just happened.. anyway, got up early to pack my stuff into my luggages again.. took a shower and went down at 10am sharp to check-out.. that done, took a cab to my new place.. have trouble finding the 'side gate on the right' of the house.. but managed to at my second try.. and then it was time to find where the hidden key was! Naz said it was on top of the 'hot water heater on the left side of the back door'.. didnt managed to find it and thought that my A$600 was cheated! but someone left the back door unlocked! i've no idea who.. but i was really glad that i was able to get into the house!

called Naz and got to his voicemail (as usual~) and told him the situation.. meanwhile, tried to clean up my room a bit.. found out that each of the rooms here has got a name.. mine is called *ahem* 'The Hilton'! wahaha.. okie, the rest are 'The King Suite', 'The Grand', ' The Meridian' and 'The Statesman'.. interesting, isnt it? didnt dare to go out because i've got no key and Naz hasnt called back.. so i went to look for the key again.. this time round, i found it! i kept thinking that there were supposed to be 2 keys, one for the front door and one for the back.. so i was looking for a bunch of keys.. but that was not the case, there was only 1 key lying very flat underneath a container which i've missed! Naz called and i told him i've found the key and all was well.. knowing i can get out of the house without leaving the back door unlocked was a relief.. so i got ready to go out.. cooked a packet of Nissin Spicy instant noodles and ate it with half a can of tuna.. and then out i go!

i went to the city with a shopping list of the things i need for the house and my room.. bought:

- Hangers (20 of them from Go-Lo.. what a name!)
- Track pants (for sleeping from Cotton On.. i realised that the electronic tag wasnt taken off when i was getting ready to shower!)
- 3 pairs of socks and a pair of tights (Target)
- and heaps of groceries from Woolworths..

apples, coffee, milk, salt, pepper, olive oil, onions, ham, fish fillet, fruit cheese (absolutely yum yum~), wholemeal bread, minced beef, Glad wrap, washing powder and the Green Bag to help me carry all of them back.. gosh.. almost broke my back!

got home and stir fry the minced beef with onions! and ate it with a slice of whole meal bread! yum~ i still have heaps of the minced beef left for tomorrow.. i was hungry again just now and ate another slice of bread with 2 slices of shaved Champagne Leg Ham! yum~ now i'm hungry again.. felt like eating the fruit cheese! It's made with Melon and Mango! gosh, i'll just drink a glass of milk and go to sleep!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Day 3 in Adelaide

i woke up earlier today to catch the bus to Portrush Road.. getting ready was relatively easier and faster today as i've already mastered the technique of using one particular shower! haha! after my shower, i went to the kitchen to pack some sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.. 3 slices of bread with Tuna (bought canned Tuna in Pure Olive Oil from Woolworths yesterday) and 1 slice of bread with Raspberry Jam (courtesy of Tatt's)..

managed to get out of Tatt's at about 9am and went to the InfoCentre (again~) to get the bus time tables for Buses 102, 104 and 105 that will get me to Portrush Road.. waiting for the bus took quite some time, it must be the peak hour.. the journey itself took about 15mins, which was good enough for me.. after getting off and taking a look at the house, i continued to Marden Shopping Centre.. which took me a good 20mins walk! Gosh.. i really need the bicycle in the house.. at the 'shopping centre', i gave Naz a call but got to his voicemail instead.. so i left a message to tell him i would love to take the room..

went back to the City.. and decided that i deserved a coffee! it's been ages since i last drank coffee! more than 2 weeks! gosh! So i ordered a Irish Nut Creme Latte at Gloria Jeans situated in Borders! oh yummy~ feels real good~ hehez.. so i drank my first cup of coffee in about 18 days while reading Time.. after coffee, i was contemplating if i should get The Last Juror by John Grisham when i saw '24' on sale! Seasons 1 - 5! gosh! and it was Buy-3-for-the-Price-of-2! normally, i would have stood there and think for a long time, torn between walking out empty-handed or not.. but today's not a normal day because i've never seen 24 on sale!!! and i've really been waiting for it! yup, so i bought Seasons 1, 2, 3!!! Gosh, i was a happy person when i walked out of Borders, notheless, quite guilty.. hehez..

oh, while at Borders, i received a call from Naz saying that i can have the room! he asked me to do a transfer of 2 weeks' bond and 2 weeks' rent to him.. but i've my reservations as well, even though that was the 'normal' rental procedure if i want him to keep the room for me.. i told him i'll only transfer the bond and 1 week's rent to him.. he said alright and i can move into the house tomorrow! and we'll sign the contract on Friday!

went straight back to Tatt's so as to avoid more spending.. and to transfer the money to Naz.. hopefully i wont get cheated of my money! i couldnt bring myself to be happy until i have the keys in my hand to open the door to the house! i was hungry after that and cooked a packet of Nissin Tonkutsu instant noodles.. with no ingredients because Mum sent a message saying, "no meat today".. but it was only after i ate 2 slices of bread with Tuna.. hmmm.. so i refrained from any meat for lunch and ate only noodles.. quick and easy for the time being.. after my late lunch, i took out the information pack that i received on Monday and read through some of the stuff in there.. i reckon i still have about half to go.. but i was tired and took a shower..

now i'm hungry but my choices are not very wide, considering the 'no meat today' message and the time now.. i guess i'll go the the kitchen and get some milk and bread with Raspberry Jam~

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I'm finally here!

Here i am, at Tatts Backpackers typing this entry.. the weather's kind of chilly.. especially cold when the wind blows.. i'm sitting on my bed now.. all ready to sleep.. but i'm well rested from yesterday's sleep! that enables me to be awake now.. hehez..

THE FLIGHT
the flight on Sunday evening was quite horrible.. first, i realised that when Qantas paired up with British Airways, i'm only allowed to check in ONE luggage that weighs 20kg.. and if i want to check in another luggage, that's going to cost me S$75! Ridiculously, i'm allowed to hand carry up to 23kg up the flight! Okie, this is a test of my arms and back power.. yup, so i decided to hand carry my second luggage that weighs about 10kg on top of my original hand carry bag.. that adds up to about 20kg! Thankfully a nice guy helped me carry my second luggage up to the overhead compartment, if not, i really dont think i can do it! also, a nice lady helped me with the luggage when the plane landed.. the world can do with more nice people like that!

Secondly, there were no movies-on-demand, which means i cant choose a movie as and when i like it.. all movies start at the same time and if you got bored of the one you are watching and you switched channels, you will have to watch something else that has already started! i ended up watching 10,000 BC.. while i ate my Beef with Rice.. that was my dinner on flight.. the alternative was Chicken with Mash Potato.. but what i really wanted was Beef with Mash Potato.. wahaha.. anyway, the first 4 hours on flight was quite miserable as i thought about those whom i left behind.. so i watched a second movie when the second round came about, this time i watched The Waterhorse.. i fell asleep shortly after it ended.. but rest didnt come along as it was soon breakfast time on flight.. Gosh, all i ate was half a yogurt and 1/3 of the Danish roll.. and went back to sleep..

Thirdly, by 5.15am Sydney time, we were ready to land but we cant! why, you asked? that's because due to some law, no flights are allowed to land in the Sydney airport before 6pm~! so for 45 mins, the pilot was just wasting fuel.. he made 2 circles before we touched down at 6pm sharp.. the plane taxi for about 15mins and then customs took another 15mins.. waiting for my luggage took another 15mins as well.. so the 45mins in the sky was enough for me to miss my next flight to Adelaide.. by the time i got myself to the Domestic check in, it was about 7am and my flight was to take off in 10mins! Gosh! i asked the guy at the counter if i have enough time for my flight.. he checked and said i've missed it.. of course! so he put me on the next flight at 8.20am.. which wasnt too long a wait.. that's better than rushing like mad for the flight.. and i asked him if i could check-in my second luggage.. my arms and back were sore already (i didnt tell him that~).. and he just said okie casually! he didnt even check the weight! seriously, why do they even sell tickets that connects so early in the morning when they have such a funny law?!

i slept throughout the domestic flight and didnt even realise that my second breakfast was ready for me until the guy next to me put down my tray for me, so the flight attendant could leave my breakfast there.. i thanked him and ate an apple and then went back to sleep.. i woke up when the flight attendant asked me if she could clear my tray, which still looked quite intact.. i told her i can have the milk for later and she can clear the rest.. i carried on sleeping till about landing time.. this pilot's landing was much better than the earlier one.. swift!

DAY 1
Coming out of the airport, i took at cab to 17, Hindley Street, which is where i am now.. this room that i'm staying in is supposed to be a 6 Bed Female Dorm.. but this is their low season according to the friendliest receptionist, Jen, here.. so i get the whole room to myself for yesterday and today! wahaha.. when i got here, it was 11am and 3 hours ahead of check-in time.. so i left my luggages with them and went straight to Immigration of South Australia to 'report' myself.. went to the wrong immigration and was shown the correct one after that! after that i went to look for Rundle Mall because i know they have the one and only Bankwest there.. i managed to find Bankwest on a shopping street and realised that Rundle Mall is not a MALL, it's the name of the street, which happens to be Adelaide's main shopping district!!! managed to settle my money matters and went straight to get a phone line at Optus.. turns out that i cant take back my old number and have to buy a new one.. all these done before i get lunch at Hungry Jacks! same thing as Burger King but they have Bacon Deluxe! came back to Tatt's at about 1.45pm to check-in.. managed to get my luggages up to the first floor with the help of Jen.. sat down to rest for a while and make calls to report my well being.. after that it was time to head out to familiarise myself with the city.. went to the InfoCentre to get more information on their transport system.. though i'm still quite blur about it! went to the supermarket to get water and an international adaptor (i totally forgot about these important things~).. and most importantly, i got myself an electric blanket from Target! it got me through the night and i'm really glad that i heeded LM's advice to do so! there's no heater in the room here at Tatt's!

after a little bit of exploration.. i came back to Tatt's and tried to go online in my room with the Wifi.. it's really quite slow and the connection gets cut off quite often.. at the same time, my body was starting to melt down from the day's events.. exhaustion was setting in.. and quick.. before i realised it.. i was asleep.. i woke up about an hour later.. and realised that i havent shower! Yikes! i jumped into the shower which was down another corridor, the shower was quite old.. and freezing cold because the hot water took some time to come through.. i had a quick one and jumped back into the bed, now equipped with my new electric blanket! in the warm bed, life was much better and i called SL to tell her i'm back in Australia.. after a long chat, i went down to the Subway across the street at around 8.15pm.. dinner was Meatball with Parmesan, Cheddar Cheese, all veggies with Honey Mustard sauce.. after dinner, i managed to make some phone calls to view some houses.. not long after, i fell asleep quickly.. forgetting to turn off the room light and my laptop.. i received a call from Mum and another from Zen, and also a message from Sis.. and they all know i'm dead beat..

Day 2
without Zen's phone call at 10.30am, i would have continue sleeping.. i've got a room to view at 11am, which i knew i wouldnt be able to make it on time.. so i sent a message to change the time to 12.30noon.. i showered and packed some stuff and grabbed a slice of bread from the kitchen as i ran out (breakfast is free!) but in the end, i was still late and have to catch a cab to Unley.. the house was small but cosy.. but the area's kind of quiet and the Townhouse itself looked kind of rundown from the outside.. i took a train back into the city and passed by Priceline on the way back back and bought some stuff.. lunch was Subway again.. this time it was Spicy Italian with Italian Herbs, English Cheese, all veggies minus carrots and cucumber with Sweet Onion sauce.. after lunch, i went out to get more information on the next address that i will be going to view.. and then back to Woolworths to get some stuff.. on the way back, i saw a 3 store! i checked out 3 and their plans.. i think i'll sign up for one.. back to Tatt's again to go on Google to find my way to Portrush Road, Maylands.. after all the theory, it's time to do the real stuff.. i thought i've got it pretty well planned until i couldnt find the bus stop where i was supposed to catch my bus.. i asked a gentleman and realised that i was walking in the wrong direction! by the time i got to my bus stop, my connecting bus has stop running! i ended up taking a cab, again! But the rooming services guy, Naz, was very kind to drive me back to Tatt's after the viewing.. the house is very nice and i really like it.. the only 2 problems would be staying with 4 other people and transportation.. the only time i've stayed with more people than 4 was in Uni Year 1! Gosh.. after that it was 3 in a house, myself for 6 months in a student hostel and then only myself and SL in a townhouse.. but i really like the house and i'll be trying out the buses that Naz found for me online at the house.. there was another girl viewing the house just now.. so i have to be quick.. i'm testing the bus there tomorrow.. if the transport's fast and good, and there's grocery shopping nearby, i'll take the house! wait for me!

dinner was some 3 sushi rolls that i bought while i was looking for my bus stop.. the shop was probably closing and was doing a Buy-2-Get-1-Free clearing sale for the night.. i bought a beef, a crabstick and a tuna.. i only ate them after Naz sent me back.. yummy!

alright, i'm all ready to sleep now.. it's already 11pm here!