2008

24/11/2008

Little distractions that come at a price

I keep writing, and deleting, and rewriting, and saving, and I never seem to be able to finish this post I started almost a month ago. Different things are important to me now, I guess, and although this blog has never been a priority I like having it around. Even more so now that it seems to be one of the small links to life before Sydney. I just can’t seem to put my thoughts into words.. sorry. It really is easier talking about food.. heheh.

I’ve been here for almost five (now six – wow) months now – how time flies. However different life may be from the one I left in KL, I feel like I’m meant to be here. It’s hard to admit I don’t miss home much except for family and friends (and local food). Sydney wears like a second skin.

Last weekend (three weekends ago now) was the annual Food & Wine Fair at Hyde Park North, a charity event by the top restaurants and wineries around, and a stone’s throw away from where I live. I had a pretty good time hanging out with my friends, and meeting not one but four gorgeous Malamutes, and discovering new establishments to further expand my waistline in. I have three upcoming bookings for restaurants I’m keen to sink my teeth into.. one of them being a Franco-Viet joint in the neighbourhood! (For the record, it was very good)

It was also the same day I saw the aftermath of a suicide jumper, from the top of the building next to mine. It wasn’t very pretty.

I’ve been eating out a lot these days, where I used to stay in and cook when I first got here. I finish work every day at 6pm, something I never thought would be possible in this line of work, which leaves me plenty of time to round up one or two unsuspecting friends for dinner. Everyone keeps telling me how amazing it is that Malaysians (and I think Asians in general) love their food so much, and putting two Malaysians together anywhere and the conversation inevitably steers to the subject of.. food! What can I say.. I’m not biased. I like drinks too.

Anyway, a couple of my fav haunts so far.. obviously a work in progress :)

Thai
Undeniably, Spice I Am on Wentworth Ave. A Tony Tan recommendation, and one that has impressed even the most unimpressionable Thai I know: one that makes the best Thai in Malaysia. Must haves: Fried whiting, steamed fish cakes (otak-otak style) basil pork, moo pa, green curry, red duck curry and my absolute fave.. the som tum. No one has done it better. Chat Thai on Campbell St does a great pad thai, but doesn’t score as well on the rest.

Tapas
Kika Tapas Bar on Victoria St. Really, really good Sangria; Must try: the chorizo omelette with garlic aioli is absolutely divine, so is this dish with blue cheese in between two cuts of beef (can’t remember what it’s called) and their patatas bravas are a staple favourite. Also fabulous: Raquel’s on Oxford St and Encasa on Pitt St. For upmarket Spanish, I like Subsolo; their house creation cocktails are delicious.
Want to try: Velero.

‘I miss home’ food
Alice’s in Thornleigh does bang-on Assam Laksa on the last Sunday of the month, BKT for dinner and better nyonya kuihs that the stuff I used to have in KL. Except it is quite a journey to travel just for some (very good) kuih. Mamak on Goulburn St. What a no-brainer concept. Even the tableware has been purchased in PJ old town. My only gripe is that the roti pisang is served with ice-cream, but otherwise the fish curry and sambal is pretty decent. And the roti planta is made with planta. Can’t go wrong there.
Want to try at some point: Lee’s Malaysian for curry laksa, Ginger & Spice and Temasek.

Sunday morning brunch
Forbes & Burton, corner of Forbes & Burton Streets. Great coffees; particularly enjoy the croquet monsieur and their bubble and squeak. Bill’s in Woollahra/Surry Hills. Best scrambled eggs ever. Great aged cheddar, mushrooms, bacon, grilled roma tomatoes and salmon for sides. They are also famous for their ricotta hotcakes which I lurrrrrve! Except breakfast for two costs somewhere in the region of $70-$90, which REALLY hurts. Scrambled in Newtown. Manor eggs – scrambled eggs with with grain mustard seed, is seriously amazing. Also really, really liked their chocolate milkshakes (and I’m not really a fan of chocolate milkshakes – I don’t like the taste of chocolate that’s not somewhat pure).

Italian
A Tavola on Victoria St. Love the house-made pastas, and the Panna Cotta is absolutely divine!! Light Brigade does an authentic and very tasty classic beef lasagne, without all the modern-day mods. Have yet to really explore this side of Sydney. I liked Buona Sera on Norton St in Leichhardt. They made the best bruschetta I’ve ever had. But unfortunately it’s closed down since.

Australian
Oscillate Wildly in Newtown; hard to get booking but well worth the wait. Universal in Republic 2. Heavily Asian-influenced menu. Sublime desserts. Must try: Veal with foie gras, lobster and tamarind soup. But menu changes every now and then. Café Sydney at the Customs House overlooking the harbour. Loved the green pea soup with roasted yabbies, crusted lamb rack, grilled swordfish, strawberry and lime tart.. pretty much everything. Oh, and the fabulous views. Rockpool(fish) at The Rocks. Lovely fish, but not quite sure if it’s worth the price(y) tag.
Want to try: Strangers with Candy, Le Pelican, Sands on Coogee

Mexican
Flying Fajita Sisters, Glebe.. great enchiladas, burittos and the spiciest chili I’ve ever had in my entire life. Pacifico makes some serious Margaritas at $70 a jug.. pricey but worth it.

We love our margaritas…

Wine
Time to Vino, Stanley Street. Who would’ve thunk the simple addition of meringue crumble to a cup of fresh masticated strawberries swimming in Chantilly cream would result in the most glorious dessert ever?? Also a great wine list, nice chill out joint and two sibling sommeliers.

Latest obsession.

I think Hurricane’s is so overrated. Decent, but overrated.

I know I’m missing a few from this list but it’s past 1am (and as of tomorrow I start work at 9am instead of 9:30am so I really should get some sleep.. soon).

Going to slow down on the chow down in the next couple of weeks. Working freelance hurts when the company you’re working for is closing for two weeks year end – no billings for me :( Probably a good thing, I need to kick start my savings since I’m going to be in KL for three weeks in February.. and then there’s that TV I’ve been meaning to pick up but never got round to..

You know, it really is kind of strange that I feel normal not having a TV. Last week, Zona and Lee gave me their old one and it took me two days to get it hooked up and another day before I turned it on. Didn’t do much.. I listened to the news then went to sleep. But I guess all that will change WHEN I BUY A PLAYSTATION3!!!!

Dying, dying to play some games again. Urgh. Especially since I’ve been working on gaming magazines at work – Holy Batman them upcoming games like RE5 (not that I will play it), MK vs DC, Tekken 6 (but I think on Xbox) look really good.. currently playing Assassin’s Creed. On my DS. Not as fun as playing it on the Xbox with a 40″ at MJ’s but I will get round to it.. eventually. All this will cost me a cool $2k. Ouch. Things are expensive here.

Good night for now. And wherever you are, I hope things are well.

12/10/2008

Breakfast epiphanies

The weather here dictates the moods of many. I once had a friend who used to kid about liking the dank, grey ‘emo’ weather (which I think would be nice if you a. had a fireplace b. like being emo) but here, when the sun comes out, there is a lot more laughter and energy in the air and everyone is in a good mood and waxing lyrical about the sun. I am one of them. It’s impossible to be anything but happy when the skies are such a lovely shade of blue and the sun rays are playing upon the water’s surface.

And the sunsets. Oh, seriously. It’s not something I see everyday, but when they come, they happen with much abandon:

Aussies really love their beer. I mean, I’ve always known that they love their beer. I just never realised it was to this extent. My Fridays often consist of a pub lunch (and beer), and then more beers in the office at 4pm, then to the pubs after work for even more beer. Not to mention any sign of sun on the weekends are an excuse to drink here. Even at 11am. My weeknights usually include some sort of invite to have beers, and ‘work stress’ and ‘loooong days’ are often the excuse (not mine). And it doesn’t really conclude before the clock strikes twelve.

Gay men are really fun, awesome people to be around.

I’ve been on an eating spree. Somehow my brain has finally done the switchover from thinking in RM to thinking in AUD. As a result $25 mains no longer deter me as much as they used to, and I have been devouring everything from fish and chips to lamb stews to burritos with abandon. Also, October is Good Food Month, which gives me even more reasons to eat out as many restaurants here do GFM specials. I obviously need to slow down but I am having so much fun :P

The economic crisis has not filtered down just yet, but it will be apparent in the next six months or so. I am not looking forward to it. No one is.

A lot of people here own dogs. Maybe it’s because I live next to a park. But even on weekends, at outdoor events and markets, there will be a whole heap of them running around. I’ve met some really awesome breeds, including a massive Newfoundland that had the biggest paws I’ve ever seen.

It surprises me every day how much my lifestyle has changed in the past six months. I never really thought I could exist without a television, for one. Not having a car doesn’t bother me in the least. I have only used my credit card three times. I have completely lost interest in WoW for now. My stilettoes have taken a backseat to my growing collection of.. flats. The bag of Snickers I bought two months ago is still untouched. I haven’t used a lipgloss in four months. I obsess over vacuuming. Not much bothers me these days.

I’ve also picked up a new habit of taking pictures of type. This post’s main image is from the back of the women’s toilet door at Dean’s at the Cross. I’m not quite sure if it was there on purpose or if someone put it there, but it is really nice writing. And the saying.. quite apt for the location :)

It’s quite a shame that my camera is broken at the moment. I missed out taking proper pictures at the zoo, and today out in the park, and the beautiful sunsets I see everyday from my office window.

9/9/2008

Five things

So it’s been a little ironic that the more interesting life becomes, the less likely I am to have time to sit down and blog about it. I’ve been so busy these days that I hardly have time for myself, which is probably a good thing because I’ve had quite a bit of time on my hands when I first moved here and have been itching to work and keep busy. I’m a bit of a workaholic at times, I think, because I find some sort of comfort in routine, at the same time I despise ever having to fall into a rut of any sort.. know what I mean?

Caught In Bruges on the weekend. I liked it alot. But going to a cinema here costs an arm and a leg. Was pleasantly surprised by Colin Farrell’s performance. I would never previously have thought he was capable of such an astounding delivery. On that note, I can see why my friends here tend to have massive DVD collections; it’s not much more to buy the DVD compared to buying a standard movie ticket in the city.

Have been slowly discovering all the little quirks about this city that I can’t help but fall in love with..

…like this place in the heart of the Cross that you can go to for a quiet drinks on a weekend, and avoiding the crazy punters on the streets entirely. That serves super-thick shakes and peppermint tea with honey and lemon, a disgustingly good home made pumpkin soup.. and a New York cheesecake that tastes like a cozy winter’s night in front of a fireplace.

…like this little bar just a stone’s throw from my place that has a really sophisticated wine list with good food to match, and a sommelier that pushes all the right buttons when it comes to recommendations that I might’ve missed if I didn’t decide to walk home on Sunday..

…from the laundrette around the corner run by a Chinese family who let me sit there with my book while I wait for my sheets to wash and dry, even though they don’t have a waiting area. And then offered me some tea.

…like taking the wrong bus home one day and discovered two really nice cafes, a bakery and an friendly Italian butcher who sold me $60 worth of meat and threw in a free smoked bacon hock because thought I looked like I really love my meat. Which I do.

…and there’s nothing like discovering little gems with great company – An amazing Creme Brulee at the Ivy, Chorizo Omelette at Kika’s, Stewed Beef Cheeks at Subsolo, Roti Bom at Mamak :)

Even the strange encounters I’ve had with strangers in the past two weeks, one of which entailed learning how to deal with lesbians in a gay & lesbian club, reminds me how diverse and unexpected the culture here is. Because although I thought I understood it before having spent so much time here on holiday, I don’t. I learn something new every day.

24/8/2008

Geek urges

Have a sudden urge to play games again. Brought forth last Wednesday, I think, by a preview of Diablo III screenshots and trailers after checking out a string of gaming sites. My main WoW account has lapsed since I arrived and I consciously let it remain inactive while I unconsciously fill my time with other engagements while following guild progression through Nick Fong and gratuitous forum trolling during my free time. But lately I’ve been thinking a lot about games, to the point I almost bought a DS on the weekend because I can’t wait till Nik gets here (I asked him to pick one up from KL). Today I wanted to buy D2 and D2:LOD off the Blizzard Online Store, for old time’s sake and to get back into it before D3 releases, before I decided I should check out second hand games here first. But by the time I finished work at 6pm and got to the mall the shops were already closed.. GG.. maybe I should just play WoW again.

I am so so so not used to malls being empty at 6pm! Seriously! Especially after working over 4 years in Mid Valley. Haha.

Anyway, have been quite busy at work so at the moment I’ve decided to wait another week to download it off the Blizzard Online Store since it cost USD$39 for both and it’s AUD$70 here from the stores.

Also because I’ve spent too much this week going out, eating out and shopping. Had some friends in town. I only went shopping because my favourite Aussie shoe brand were having a warehouse sale and I really couldn’t resist checking out Peep Toe’s sale advertising 75% of retail. And when I went there they had a huge range of special couture shoes, some of them one-offs, which were only available in size 38.. my size!

Sigh sigh sigh. Wish I could afford more ;)

Spent yesterday drinking G&Ts at the Opera Bar in the sun, which is always such a nice thing to do on a sunny weekend.

Went to the gym this morning for some weights in an attempt to bulk up. For some reason I’ve been steadily losing weight since I got here, and it’s not from lack of eating well if my grocery bill tells me anything. I think it’s all the walking I do, something that having a car and living in KL doesn’t allow for. I’ve gone from wearing my size 30 jeans to trying to keep my 28s up, which is beginning to scare me although I was making jokes about it at the start.. :/ I really don’t want to lose any more weight.. a girl’s gotta keep some curves yeah?

OK la, I’m off to UTS to meet up with the other volunteers and I have to sleep early tonight because I have to wake up at 6am to make it to Neutral Bay very early morning before I head to work.

Can’t wait for D3. Need more distractions :P

19/8/2008

I’m still alive!

Apologies.. I haven’t really had much time to blog lately however I finally have proper internet as of two days ago. The past couple of weeks have been pretty full on. I’ve had a lot of visitors, been going out some and been busy with work as well as being sick for the past week and laying low to recover from it after a crazy weekend out.. mostly being sick.

Also had a little bit of drama end of last week and was feeling pretty shitty. I chipped one of my molars big time eating muesli before work one morning. Didn’t hurt too badly but I’m super paranoid about any sort of dental-related pain so I got it fixed as soon as I could which was 8am on Monday morning :/ Cost a bomb. I miss my dentist back home! The ones here work only Monday to Friday so I had to live with a chipped molar all weekend. And PMS also! So glad that’s over.

Here are some pics from the last few weeks ;)

Diesel album launch – awesome stage performance/presence ;)

Walked past the harbour one morning on the way back from the Good Living Markets at Pyrmont and saw it all filled up.. which doesn’t happen very often. Then realised the annual boat show was on :)

Visit to Coogee one Saturday afternoon. Really dug the old buildings by the sea and one that says ‘Private Hotel’ with cracked windows. Being here has prompted me to take a lot of pictures of old type and signage and I’ve also developed a newfound love for neon signs since I started work on this project (more later).

Sigur Ros! Wasn’t going to go but cousins had an extra ticket so I went along. Actually really enjoyed it, except I only managed to have one beer because we were stuck in the front and it was packed like sardines.. but close enough to take decent pictures.

Since I started working I only have my weekends to run around so I’ve been running around a lot less. There’s a lot happening in Sydney – Rosemount Fashion Week has just concluded and Sydney Design 08 is happening right now. I feel like I never have enough time (or money) to do everything I want to do :) Can’t wait for the weekends to come; this coming Merdeka I have volunteered to help out at MalaysiaFest which should be pretty interesting from where I stand.. I wonder what it will be like. Kinda excited about the whole thing but most of all, I think, I’m there for the food ;)

Will write more soon when I feel better, these days I’ve been hitting the sack at 11pm because I’m trying to get well as soon as I can. It sucks being sick in winter.