Sad fridge

*hmph* i just threw away 3 of my lunchboxes~ not the containers, but the food contained in my them! duh~ there goes 3 of my lunches.. one was a Stir fried Beef with rice, the other was a Salmon Pasta and the one that i was about to chuck in the microwave was my favourite Eggplant & Capsicum with Chorizo Pasta! so why did i throw them out? because there's mold growing in one of them!!! YUCKS. i got paranoid and chuck all of them out! now i have to cook some instant noodles for supper instead~

i came home on Tuesday night to realise that my fridge has been left opened for the whole day while i was at work!!! i was rushing out of the door and realised i did not have any food for lunch, ran back to the fridge to quickly pull out a lunchbox but didnt check that it's closed properly.. most of the stuff in the freezer has defrosted.. and silly me convinced myself that it'll still be alright to continue bringing them for lunch! and as a matter of fact i did bring 2 lunchboxes to work today, one was the Kimchi Fried Rice that i cooked on Sunday and the other one was a cream based Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini.. well, i ate both and i'm still functioning now.. *cross fingers*

BUT, having said that, i still kept another lunchbox of Kimchi Fried Rice and a Stew Pork with Potatoes on Rice.. and bringing them to work tomorrow! if they look dodgy tomorrow, i'll chuck them in the bin and head out to buy KFC!!!

Beautiful Saturday!

so glad to be writing again.. and it's been a great Saturday! 'breakfast' was at T Bar @ Central Market this morning.. had black tea as i definitely need some caffeine to kick start the day! i ordered a Guil T and it tasted ordinary, i must say.. BUT it smells so heavenly~ Sarah said it smells like a lolly shop! i also had a yummy slice of 'cake' that resembles a Bienenstich.. delicious! it was very nice to catch up with Sarah!

after Sarah left, i did a bit of grocery shopping at Coles and waited for Jo to arrive.. after which we went straight to Dumpling King! Jo does not understand why we have to use CHOPSTICKS to pick up our food.. to be honest, i don't really know too! and to be even more honest, i'm not much better than Jo when it comes to using the chopsticks!!! just last week, Ken had to get 2 spoons from the waitress when we were at Citi Zen, one for Mona and the other for me! it's not much different this time, i asked for 2 forks at Dumpling King!!! Hehez! Jo didnt eat a lot but more than the last time round! that, is an achievement! both for Jo and myself! *smilez*

my first tub of Kimchi

i went for a walk in the Central Market after Jo left for her Toni & Guy appointment.. i found this Korean shop and i thought,

"why not do a Kimchi fried rice?"

and in i went to buy a tub of Kimchi.. like i would know which one to get, huh~ i went straight to the fridge and peered into it.. and all those big and little tubs/bags of Kimchi all look the same!!! well, when in doubt, ASK! the Korean lady was really nice and went to the fridge to pick a little tub for me.. and told me to squeeze the liquid away before chucking in the seasoned vegetables.. will take note of that later when i fire up the kitchen.. for the moment, Kimchi purchased. mission accomplished.

as i was nearing home, i was attracted by some music coming out of an eccentric looking building.. i realised that it's a Belly Dance Academy!!! my legs carried me there and i looked through the glass door.. there was a class going on but i did not go in, fearing that i may disturb the class.. instead i took a pamphlet at the door.. i studied the timetable the rest of the way home.. i'm really tempted! i've acquired a belly from the winter months, so it should be time to get back into Belly Dance? wahaha!

and it was only when i got home that i realised the lady at the front of the pamphlet was the one who danced at The Greek Mezze the night Ken, Jeff and Ian brought me there for dinner!!! how awesome! she has her own dancing school! halfway through dinner, she came into the restaurant, danced to 3 pieces of music and was whisked away again! very enjoyable!

SYTYCD US 2009 ended last night.. so there's no more dance entertainment for the time being.. i think i need to get my own.. looks like i have to be enrolled into her class now no matter what!

Sofra Kebab House

that's the new Kebab House round the corner of my apartment! and they are open today! as a matter of fact, they are still open as i am writing this! delighted was the word to describe how i felt when i saw that it was open .. i took no chances, went in and asked about their opening hours..

"12 noon to 12 midnight, everyday except for Monday." Yippie! Music to my ears! now i have a choice of Subway, McDonald's, Australia's Pizza House (if you ask me, the first 3 weren't really much of a choice~ ha!) and Sofra Kebab House!!! and that explains why it was deserted on Monday!

i think they are making use of the Ramadan period to get their business going as there are many Muslims in my apartment.. they can get their dinner there after sundown and after a whole day of fasting.. i must have mentioned they are halal~? of course!

it's been a good day, work was alright and i have got 2 dates sorted out on Saturday! really looking forward! i'm having a cuppa at T Bar with Sarah in the morning and then lunch with Jo at Dumpling King!!!

this is so weird, Jo asking me for 'Chinese'!!! i have to beg and drag her to Dumpling King the last time!!! i am more than happy, of course! Jo's returning home to Nottingham to visit for a couple of weeks and her family has decided to all get together at a Chinese restaurant, to my amusement and to Jo's dismay!

Jo thinks Sushi is ALIEN food.. and to a certain strawberry flavoured extent, i will not argue that.. *ahem* BUT! she's at least making the effort to 'get use' to Chinese food before heading home.. and that is to ask me out for lunch at Dumpling King.. imagine the look on my face, i can only feel it!

i'm also excited to see Sarah, it's been 3 months since i last saw her.. and in ADL, 3 months is a very long time.. anyway, i have never been to T Bar (Adelaide based), not a very tea person.. would pick a coffee anytime over tea.. except when it's closer to bedtime.. that would be a different story.. so i'm looking forward to try some tea and hopefully find my cup of tea!

Merdeka!

It's Hari Merdeka! We are 52!!!

still pretty young for a country, i would say.. i'm not a very patriotic person but i would never forget this date.. well, not that i celebrate it.. it's just another day for me.. but i would never forget my roots no matter where i am..

it's Monday, not a very good day for work.. haha! but i survived well enough to still write a post! the odds are really against me, with the server going down twice in a day.. talk about Monday Blues! i started with none and ended up blue in the face!

i wanted to get Kebabs for dinner on the way home, knowing that yummy food will help in getting rid of the blues.. i walked home and realised that it's not opened just as i turned the corner onto my street!!! this Kebab House seems like a shop that has been there for a long time.. but at the same time seemed deserted.. and since i've moved into this apartment almost 3 months ago, the only time i actually saw that it was operating was last Friday!!!

last Thursday i saw a couple of guys with take-away styrofoam boxes coming from the direction of Australia's Pizza House just as i was about to enter the apartment from the direction of Light Square.. i know it couldnt be McDonald's or Subway because of the packaging.. it definitely cannot be pizza because you dont pack pizzas in styrofoam boxes.. the only conclusion was that they bought say, garlic bread or wedges from Australia's Pizza House..

i didnt think too much of it on Thursday night until i saw Kebab House opened on Friday night!!! it was a blessing! i can smell those delicious flavours just walking past it!!! i have decided that i need to eat those Kebabs this week, the sooner the better! i've even gone to tell J, K & M when we were at Citi Zen yesterday that we could bring L to have dinner there someday because it's halal!!!

yup, i had my first Dim Sum session in ages yesterday!!! no kidding! i was so excited that i took a cab to the restaurant when i could have just walked!!! okie, i left out the tiny detail that i over snoozed my alarm~ haha! the 8 of us ate heaps and my favourites were the 'You Tiao' Cheong Fun, Bean curd in Ginger Sugar syrup and Mango Pudding! i was actually impressed with the Mango Pudding.. i will definitely go back and take some photos and 'collect' more information! hehez!

now, when can i get those Kebabs?

4 months later.

it is indeed 4 months later! Geez.. i wasnt too sure if i should still write, but there's no harm in writing another post, isnt it? let's pick up from where i left it 4 months ago..

Zen was in ADL for 3 weeks.. the first weekend was spent celebrating my 26th birthday (yes, i'm older!) by eating loads of junk food and going for a massive game of Skirmish with Karine & Tony & a bunch of other people.. totally fun! and not to mention bringing Zen to all the places i love to dine at and trying new ones!

the 2nd weekend was spent at Victor Harbor, it was great!!! we had a whole house to ourselves and a splendid kitchen where we cooked all our meals.. and seeing the fairy penguins on Granite Island! Cute!

the 3rd weekend was spent on the Murray River Expedition cruising along the River Murray.. enjoying nature and a wonderful campfire BBQ.. plus meeting some very kind oldies on board..

Mid-May came and Zen went home to Singapore.. and i was left with the task of looking for a place for myself to move into.. yes, just for myself! No more sharing!!! it was quite a bad period of time, not knowing if i'll get a decent place to move into before the deadline of mid-June.. and in all fairness, it was a deadline i set for myself and informed the ex-housemate 2 months in advance.. went to view a few crappy places and finally on the 10th of June, i was out of misery! i'm now settled on the West side of city.. and it's the best decision that i have made this year! so far, that is!

well, i thought there couldnt be anymore dramas.. but i was wrong! much more dramas occurred at work and it's still ongoing.. nothing much i can do about it, except to do my job.. and do it well! at the moment, we are preparing for the end of financial year too.. still heaps of work to be done come September and October.. i just have to bite my tongue and plod on for the moment.. and see where the tide brings me..

also fell sick for the first time over a year! this happened last month and i took a day off work.. for the first time too! stayed home to sleep away a fever, cold and cough on a Thursday.. went back to work on the Friday.. not fun at all.. and slept for the whole weekend! been a long time since i slept this much!

work aside, i have made a bunch of good friends since i got here and i shall name them the JKML gang! J for Jeff, K for Ken, M for Mona & L for Lisa!!! we always have loads of laughter when we are together.. really enjoyed that..

of course, when friends get together, we enjoy good food together too! Ken invited us to his place about a month back and cooked Chicken Curry and Cheesecake for us.. Lisa brought her own ingredients and cooked Beetroot with a whole lot of spices.. i wasnt game enough to try it.. have a thing against beetroot!

last Friday, Jeff & Ken wanted to try the legendary Pie Floater and brought me along.. was i glad to be there! i love the concept of eating by the side of the road (still a Malaysian after all!), standing in front of a open concept trailer on a cold winter night, holding a bowl of hot Pea Soup with a Beef Pie chucked in the middle of it! yup, you are reading this correctly! and it was yummy! i had the most enjoyable time!

and last Saturday, i went to the original Penang Hawker Corner with Jeff.. he had Nasi Lemak while i had the usual Char Kuay Tiao! Dessert followed after at Chocolate Bean, where we shared a Chocolate Filth (this thing is sinful!) and each had a Hot Mocha.. mine was a boring original and Jeff had a Gingerbread Hot Mocha, which he really enjoyed..

after Chocolate Bean, we took the bus to Mona Lisa's (Mona & Lisa) house for dinner! home cooked Malay food!!! i really missed Malay food! the girls prepared Sambal Tofu and Chicken Lemak!!! Yummy! a great day spent with great food and company!

i know i should be more diligent with carrying my camera out with me at all times and actually taking photographs! i'll pay more attention to that as i understand that it can be quite boring with just words and no pictures!

if you are still reading, i'm impressed! Wahaha! i'll try to continue writing forward moving and hopefully this blog will be alive again! *cross fingers*

6 hours

Another 6 hours before i see Zen! Time to sleep..

Day 2 - Shopping in MEL!

after a good night's sleep, we headed down to Luna Park in St Kilda (near the beach) to take some photos of it.. the plan is also to head back at night to capture some photos of it all lit up! which we did after a day of walking and shopping!

Luna Park at night..

it looked pretty promising on the outside but was pale in comparison when we went in at night.. it's more like a mini fun fair for kids.. that said, entrance is free!

as for the first thing in St Kilda that hit me? it's full of cake shops! there were 4 in a stretch of 50 metres!!! Geez! the cake shops all have a traditional feel to it.. with the window display full of rolls and rolls of goodies..

we decided on this shop in the end..

the window display were amazing to watch.. top to bottom stacked full of yummy stuff!

they looked so good.. we had to have some.. but they tasted alright.. made too pretty and fell short of expectations unfortunately.. after a walk down the main stretch in St Kilda (which reminds me of a quieter version of Rundle Street), we tried to find our way to Chapel Street.. we walked a bit and got on the tram and then got off it again.. and realised that we were quite lost!

But! according to Jo, as long as we have a map in our hands, we were "technically speaking, not lost"! hmmm.. okie, that is subjective since map or no map, i'm lost anyway! Haha..

after asking for directions, we decided to take a long long walk to Chapel Street.. which turned out to be good exercise! there's quite a bit of shopping along Chapel Street! we went into GJ's as i was suffering from withdrawal syndromes since i havent had my fix all morning!!!

we then did a bit of shopping before going into the city, this time round, i opted for the tram.. got into the CBD area and swapped to the free tram, which got us to Docklands.. where the DFO is nearby!!!!!!

the ever familiar tram stop..

the ever familiar cow in the tree!

shopping was fun at the DFO and i must say that the damage was not too significant! wahaha! it was packed though.. since everyone was deprived of shopping on Good Friday and shops will again be closed on Easter Sunday!

Shopping ended early for me as Jo was feeling exhausted and wanted to head back to the apartment for a rest before going out for dinner and walking by Luna Park for a quick photo taking session.. i'm glad because i didnt spend too much! wahaha!

Day 1 to MEL - The Overland

it's been a relaxing 3 days in MEL.. technically speaking, only 2 days and 2 nights.. since Day 1 was spent on The Overland..

my train to Melbourne..

Keswick Terminal

the name of the cafe at the far end - Choo Choos Cafe.. cute!

the journey started at 7.40am and i only reached MEL at 6.50pm after spending 10 & 1/2 hours on the train.. that may seemed very long but all things considered, i wasnt bored at all and i really enjoyed the trip!

i think the main reason was that i was seated in the Red Premium Service! both Jo and i had no idea that GSR put me on the Red Premium Service as a Familiarisation trip.. i only realised it when i was looking at the menu while trying to decide what to eat for lunch (when i'm still in the process of eating my packed breakfast: Croissant with a piece of Spam).. See the little red box?

the menu that enlightened me..

i must say that being on the Premium Red Service has all the pros and absolutely no cons at all.. once seated a man came into the cabin and started telling us about the train, how long the journey will take, the major towns that we'll pass by, the highest point we'll go (Mount Lofty!), how to use the toilet (very important to press the LOCKED button!), where the cafe is (right next door!), when they will come to take our orders for breakfast and lunch, where we'll like to have our meals (at our seat or in the cafe) and answered any questions we have..

this is the man.. he's quite humourous and reminds me of 'Nigel' in The Devil Wears Prada!

landscape and scenery was nice too.. like a postcard..

if i wasnt eating on the train, i was sleeping! haha.. it was a few hours into the trip when a lady came to my seat and presented me an envelope with my name printed on it.. and in it contained my ticket for The Overland and a Familiarisation Report that i have to complete.. it was then that i realised that I AM working in the travel industry!!!!!! took me 6 months.. wahaha!

the cafe..

my lunch that cost A$12.50.. those bread were yummilicious~!

my runaway bag..

after much rest, food, scenery and toilet breaks.. we drew closer and closer to Melbourne! the landscape changes and the sun starts to set.. it's been an enjoyable ride!

10 & 1/2 hours later, as The Overland pulls into Southern Cross Station where Jo was waiting for me.. my journey on the train has come to an end.. and my journey in Melbourne has just started.. for the second time!

P.S. The Overland went on the Murray Bridge!!! Gosh!

P.S. Dinner was at Nando's in St Kilda after we dropped my bag in Jo's apartment!

Day 3 - Back from MEL! 2nd time!

got back to the apartment at about 7.40pm.. just in time for SYTYCD!!!!!! i think i'm a bit mad over this dance programme! anyway, got back, switched on the TV and watched it till the next commercial break before rushing down to the 24hr convenience shop to get washing powder in order to do laundry.. got back from the convenience shop and put a load of laundry to wash and continued watching my show.. in the midst of the show, cooked 2 packets of Maggi Asam Laksa and ate it with a can of Tuna for dinner.. i sure can eat! *smilez*

this morning i ate 3/4 of a cup noodle.. it was really yucky (really!!!) but if i dont eat it, i'll be hungry very soon! the brand is SUIMIN and it was the Hot & Spicy flavour.. i normally wouldnt believe any food that has 'Oriental' flavour (can someone tell me what 'oriental' flavour tastes like?!) printed on its packaging.. but i must have been sick from my cold and did this silly purchase! this cup noodle has 'TASTE of the ORIENT' printed on its packaging (i should have known.. it was a warning~) and that was the big warning that i didnt heed! anyway, chucked out the rest of the noodles and move on to eat what's left of my 'Chicken in a Biskit' that i've brought for the trip on the train..

Jo and i finished packing our bags (check-out was due at 10am) before leaving the apartment to go down to the St Kilda Market just along St Kilda Beach.. it was a awesome day.. awesome weather!!! the sun is shinning, the breeze is fresh and light and the sea is clear and calm.. the walk to the beach was funny.. because Jo said biscuits should not taste like 'Chicken', that's more like dog food!!! wahahaha.. Gosh.

at the start of the market..

then a walk down the beach..

sat down at the middle of the jetty for a chat..

it may not look like the black swans are big in this photo, but as a matter of fact they are huge! oh, Perth~!

after the walk down the jetty, we walked back to the apartment to pick up our bags from the apartment.. below are a few photos of the apartment.. the lighting in the apartment and my photography skills didnt do justice to the apartment! i forgot to take some photos of the toilet and shower but rest assure that they are up to standard!

the first thing i saw when i walked through the door on Friday night..

what's on the right hand side after i walked through the door..

the dining table and kitchen..

the living room.. my 'room' for 2 nights in St Kilda!

no, Jo did not torture me by asking me to sleep on the couch.. she personally felt that the couch is very comfy and offered me her bed! gosh, i would be struck by lightning if i accepted the offer.. i didnt and there was an extra single mattress in the 'open' wardrobe.. i covered it with a bath towel.. and i also had a big blanket.. i fold it in half.. one half was my blanket and the other was another layer over the bath towel.. Jo gave me 2 pillows, so i had one for my head and the other to act as a bolster! gosh, slept well i did! (for the first night, that is!)

after picking up our luggages from the apartment, we headed down to Fitroy Street and did internet check-in at a convenience shop and then took the tram into the city to drop our bags at the train station (the same one where i got off The Overland) as we still had time before our Virgin Blue flight in the evening.. my first Virgin Blue flight! we paid A$8 for a locker and dumped our luggages there.. and then proceeded to look for some food..

i brought Jo to the Queen Victoria Market where i managed to get some Dutch pancakes! so cute and yummilicious! i was so hungry by then and ordered pancakes with butter, icing sugar and maple syrup! i reckoned the best part of it? the Salted Butter!!!

I forgot to take photos of them because i was too busy gobbling them up! i managed to find a blogger who had the exact same Dutch pancakes from Queen Victoria Market!

Photo: Courtesy of Broken Lense

we took a quick walk round the market and i can tell that it's not really Jo's thing.. so i went into Sohum and bought more of their products and we got out of there after that! half of my shopping expenditure in MEL was spent on Sohum products! it was at Queen Victoria Market that i knew that Sohum existed and fell in love with their Limequat Body Moisturiser~

we walked to Melbourne Central from the market.. the Central was opened.. but none of the shops in it were.. hmmm.. does that make sense? poor Jo was about to collapse of hunger but luckily we managed to get to a McDonald's on Swanton Street! while Jo went to order, i bought myself a sushi roll (California roll) a few shops down and met up with her again in McDonald's..

after her lunch, we walked back to Southern Cross Station to pick up our luggages and boarded the Skybus to MEL airport, T3.. we were obviously too early for our flight and that's when i went into Hungry Jack's and got myself a Junior Whopper Meal (more food!) while Jo went walking around.. Jo came to HJ to meet up with me and we proceeded to our gate after i've had my fill! i was so tired and full of food.. i fell asleep on the flight back..

the Light shining in the Darkness!

It's only 7.10pm and it's pitch dark.. and cold! Geez.. been having the runny nose the whole day.. yucks!

the good news out of autumn is that.. i get to wear my boots and use all my scarves and shawls!!!

the other mega good news for this autumn.. i'm looking forward to welcoming Zen to Adelaide!

Returned!

finally got back the hour i lost 6 months ago! which means i'm now back to an hour and a half in advance of Malaysia/Singapore, 7 & 1/2 hours in advance of Bari, Italy (DST) and 14 & 1/2 hours in advance of Vancouver, Canada (DST)!!! Geez~

No more daylight savings and officially into Autumn.. which was quite obvious with the rain early this morning.. alright, give SA more water!

No bonus!

*sobz*

i'm not eligible for the OZ bonus payment because i wasnt a taxpayer for 2007-2008!

*SOBZ*

6 months!

Gosh.. I've been working at Proud for 6 months!

I'm back!

It's been quite some time since i last wrote.. let's do a quick update..

It's the Clipsal 500 weekend, starting from Thursday for 4 days till tomorrow, which i'm assuming is the grand finale.. this morning the race started at 8.30am sharp, going Va Va Vroom every half an hour! Gosh! There is a concert every night, featuring different bands.. on Thursday night, the main highlight was The Living End.. so at one point in time, i can hear "White noise~ white noise~" coming through my room window.. talk about a live concert, huh? wahaha..

But having said that, since moving into the Botanic Apartments, the noise has been constant! Which means by now i'm immune to it and will be able to fall asleep regardless of all the happenings on Rundle Street! and Rundle Street, i must emphasise, is not Rundle Mall.. and Rundle Mall is really not a MALL!!!

Rundle Mall is the name of the shopping street (a very short one) in the heart of Adelaide, which is also the street that i'll walk through going to work and coming back to the apartment after work.. likewise for Rundle Street.. and from the apartment to work and vice versa, it's about a 15mins walk, along which i'll be distracted by the all the nice and fancy clothes in the display windows!

Rundle Street is the street with all the nice restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs and shops.. though i must add it's also quite a short street, with all the entertainment squeezed onto it!

it's been 2 months and a bit more since i moved in here.. i'm still not quite settled.. it all started on the fateful day in January.. and i was here in the apartment for a week before i flew back to Singapore/Malaysia for Chinese New Year (very enjoyable!).. during this period Zen flew me to Phuket, Thailand, for about 4 days for a very relaxing trip! we also celebrated my Sister's 21st birthday in Singapore a day before i flew back to Adelaide.. and i was reluctant to go after 2 weeks..

it was even more difficult to adjust to the new apartment after being at home for 2 weeks, where everything is familiar and everyone was nice and warm.. compare that to coming back to a new apartment where my stuff were still in boxes and where i was barely living for a week.. that totally crushed me.. the first few days were hell.. after a week.. things seemed to become normal again..

and right now, i'm doing fine.. my stuff were out of their boxes slowly each week.. making my room feels more like mine.. i 'decorated' (not much really) my room the way i like it.. there are 7 photo frames on my little bedside desk.. 3 family portraits, one of me and Zen, one of me & Sis with Ah Mah, one of me, Xiao Wen & Charlene and one of me and Selina from ages ago.. and there's a 2009 Winnie the Pooh calender Wendy sent me before i moved.. i bought sheet designs that i like (of course they must be reasonable priced!) and cleaned and tidy up every week..

since moving in in January, Adelaide has been celebrating its title as the rightful Festival State.. there was the 2009 Tour Down Under when i was back home.. and then there was the Garden of Unearthly Delights, leading to the opening of The Fringe, which is still on going.. another huge weekend was dedicated to the Womadelaide and then there was the Future Music Festival, and now the Clipsal 500!!! did i mention that every one of the above is just situated either on the street that i'm staying on or just round the corner? my tolerance level for noise seemed to have increased.. seemed, i think..

as for work, it's getting better.. there are challenges cropping up every now and then.. but i guess perseverance will see me through.. sometimes it's difficult to embark on a task, but i always feel better after all the hard work and determination to get through it.. right now, i'm more familiar with my job and how it's related to the rest of the other positions in the work chain.. i'm working towards doing an awesome job!

work aside, i went bowling for the second time in my 25 years.. it was with work mates.. i was reluctant to go on the day itself due to fatigue.. but i went anyway since the GF said my place has been paid for.. i was teamed with LR & Glenn and LJ & Dave.. it turned out that i thoroughly enjoyed myself! and i will go bowling again!

i also watched golf on 2 consecutive Sundays (without being forced to!) because we didnt get internet for 5 weeks! 5 bloody weeks! i dont even want to elaborate why but it happened! Anyway, have to thank Mum & Dad for all those Sundays where they hog the TV with golf channels.. at least i understand the terminology while i was watching golf those 2 Sundays.. and my new favourite is Danny Lee!!!

i'm now learning to perfect the art of cooking Green Bean soup.. a couple of weeks ago i boiled Green Beans with Sweet Potatoes.. turned out a little too thick and definitely not sweet enough.. today, i boiled Green Beans alone and make sure that i put enough Sugar Cane sugar.. i give myself credit for getting Pandan leaves from the Central Market!!! i'm quite happy the way it turned out.. but i may try it with Sago next time..

i'm also trying to get back into learning the Italian language and at work i'm trying to get LM to approve my suggestion of attending the MYOB course.. a little itchy about getting my hands on learning again!

also making more efforts to keep in touch with the few people i know in ADL.. one has gone back to Malaysia for good and another has gone to India for social work and will only be back in the second part of the year.. another one is going to the UK in a couple of months! not many left here, isnt it..

alright, just bits and pieces of updates.. the highlight from now till the end of next month is looking forward to welcoming Zen to ADL for the first time!

Cleaning @ new apartment

we only got home at 11.30pm after doing some cleaning at the apartment just now.. we met up in front of the apartment after work and checked the apartment.. we chucked away the stuff that we dont need and made a list of the stuff that we need..

we went down to Rundle Mall to do shopping after that.. we bought a vacuum cleaner, a kettle and a couple of mattress protectors for our beds.. brought everything back to the apartment and went down to Cafe Primo for dinner! just round the corner!

we did some exploring of the building and the car park so we know where Benjamin can park his Ute for unloading tomorrow.. after dinner, we went back to the apartment and started cleaning.. i vacuumed while Miyuki wiped.. and moved the furniture around.. by 11pm, we were wasted~

what's left?

another round of packing.. have been doing packing here and there after work everyday..

i have officially emptied all my drawers.. the top shelves of my wardrobe are emptied and so are the bottom shelves.. right now, i still have most of my clothes hanging in there.. well, that can wait till tomorrow when i bring back another archive box from work.. haha..

been trying to clear the fridge by eating all my packed lunches for lunches at work and also for dinners at home.. a few more to go still.. i left all my containers at work so i dont have to pack them.. hehez! my pantry is 70% cleared.. will leave the rest till Saturday morning..

i have dismantled my shoe rack and all my shoes are packed (some are at work).. and i'm going to throw 3 pairs of flats away.. hehez!

i have come to the conclusion that packing, travelling and moving is a big part of my life..

Moving

Yup, i am going to move again! been packing the whole day.. and at this moment in time, i cant do anymore packing.. not because i have been packing vigorously (packing has become part of me) but because i'm sick of packing.. even though it has been a relaxing one.. relatively easier than before..

i have a new luggage replaced by Qantas because my Lojel has officially been declared deceased (thanks to Kenneth for helping bring it back from The Luggage Place), a big 'Chinese' bag, which look nothing like the 'original' blue-white-red plastic bag.. mine is a cute one with black and white pigs.. i also have 4 little boxes (those that fit A4 size printing paper) and 1 bigger box..

at this point in time, all the drawers of my desk and my bedside table has been cleared.. though i must say that most of my clothes are still unpacked and hanging in the wardrobe.. Geez!

2009

HAPPY 2009!!!

I reached home at about 3am last night, or rather this morning.. haha.. took a good shower (yup, that includes shampooing my hair) before jumping into bed at 4am..

i had a good start to 2009 by drinking my favourite coffee at GJ's! Yum! the rest had ice cream while me and Mag slurped on our coffees.. Y had hot chocolate as it was a pretty chilly night..

work finished at 4pm and i came home to chill and got ready before Kenneth came over to pick me up.. he invited me to the BBQ party at his place and it was great fun meeting and talking to Mag, Mo, M & Y! and not to mention all the food that was there! hehez!

at about 10pm, we made our way down to the city.. the cars were parked in the city and the initial plan was to catch the tram down to Glenelg.. however, after one unsuccessful attempt to get on the tram and witnessing all those people who were already drunk.. we decided that it's a wiser choice to take the substitute bus for the tram..

it really turned out to be the wiser choice because J & M, who got on the tram before us, reached Glenelg much later than us! the bus was also not as packed as the tram.. it was 11pm by the time we got there.. we walked down Jetty Road, all the way to where the jetty starts.. it was pretty crowded but not as bad as i have expected.. there was a makeshift concert 'tent' and some band was performing..

when the clock finally strike midnight, the fireworks began.. it was nice though nowhere near magnificent.. but it was enough.. my initial plan was to spend it with my bed and TV and it turned out to be much better than that!

after the fireworks ended and the crowded started to disperse, we went to M's friend's place which is really just next to Jetty Road and crash his party.. though i must say most of us were already quite dead at that point in time.. haha! that's when GJ's came into the picture!

it was a night well spent and i enjoyed myself thoroughly!

Bye 2008!