I survived my busy busy Saturday!

11:30am : House Warming One @ Pyrmont











3:30pm : ....off to House Warming Two @ Glebe











5:00pm : than its Symphony @ the domain











and more fireworks!











10:30pm : Decided to skip birthday one and headed on down to birthday two @ the happening posh club scene of Kings Cross.









2:45am.... tucked into bed beside equally spaced out hubby, took one last shot






and was out in a flash..... ZZzzzzz.......

My busy busy Saturday

So. Between the hubby and I, we have 5 different parties to go to today. 2 house warming, 2 birthdays and an orchestra @ the Sydney Domain. It starts from 11:30am and will go till past midnight. I even had to pack a change of clothes and wave myself into miss Cinderella for the last rendezvous.

I have absolutely NO idea how we are going to survive through it.

Have to run and play socialite for the day now!

Later!

Mum's at it again.

This time she's gone asian. My favourite chilli crab!!!

I'm in heaven. *Glee*

Graduation dinner

For the past 8 weeks, the husband and I had been religiously attending a course (called TIM – Training In Ministry) conducted by the pastor of our church.
Pun intended. *chuckle*

The course is designed to equip Christians with an evangelistic tool called 2 Ways to Live. It uses 7 stick drawings to illustrate the gist of the gospel and presents 2 alternative ways to live at the end. The form is simple, logical, and clear. Making it an awesome tool to use. Will definitely do a post on it soon.

So yesterday was graduation dinner. And the graduating class toddled down to Broadway for a Malaysian feast in a not so Malaysian restaurant. And gave each other brain storming murder riddles as entertainment for the night.



Haha.. it was good fun.









Incidentally: the “man ate burger turn gun on himself” riddle is still giving me the creeps man. Thanks Andrew. *squeal*

Another random things about me

• I take an average of 40 to 50 minutes to get ready when I head out to play. But for work, I can be out the door in 10. And that includes taking a shower. This peculiar paradox drives my husband insane!

• Sunny days make me happy. And raining days make me sleepy.

• I cannot whistle. Not even if my life depended on it. And I was my secondary school silver-awarded band solo trumpeter. You’d think I’ll put the 2 & 2 together?!

• I am a proud self confessor of “Perfector-of-no-trades”. But when I get obsessed with something (be it climbing, home projects, past thesis, preparing for a sales presentation), I get possessed and allow it to consume me completely till it’s done right. scary…..

• I divide my food into equal portions as I eat. Reason being, I just like to have all food groups present for my last spoon. I know. I’m a strange one.

• I get quite animated when I get excited.

• I still get the flutters sometimes when I ring my husband at work. Especially if we have not spoken all day. *silly smile*

Yet another shout out!

To the beautiful couple Kate and Chris! HaPpY EnGagEMenT guys!!! Man. Finally!!!!!!

Sorry we could not make it to your party past Sunday. eep..

I'm sure it must have been a ball!

And Chris. ROCK ON MAN!!! Literally if you catch my driff.... haha....

The Teos

Just before Xmas. A couple of our close (Perth) maties invited us out to dinner and told us they were expecting a baby by falls this year. I just want to shout again a big ConGrAtuLatiOns to you both! I'm SO excited for you!

You'll both make charming parents!

A big reunion.

Emails had been flying between us and Mel's sister and brother in law (who moved to London last fall) the past couple of months in deciding on a date to visit Perth for a big family reunion.

The date is finally set, the tickets are bought, and the deed is done.

We will all be meeting back home (well hubby's home) in Perth mid February! And just in time for CNY. What a reunion it will be. I simply can't wait!

heheheheeeeeeee........!!!!

CNY preparation begins....

Chinese New Year is just about a month away and Mum has started with the preparations. Pineapple tarts are in the making. Woohoo!!!!!!!

It's SO great to have them here with me! *Glee*

I'm feeling so warm and fuzzy inside.

My wholesome Saturday

I had such a relaxing yet eventful Saturday. It started with a much needed sleep-in-morning, followed by a pre-noon potato couching, reading and flicking of TV channels. Than the husband headed off to a basket ball game in the city and I drove down to the nursery to get some potting mix for my 2 new agaves (will post pictures soon!) with the folkies. Went back home to plant them and after much “oohing” and “aahing” at their beauty (readers of past may know my fascination with the agave), we got ready to meet Tobs for dinner.









Dropped by Tob’s before heading off to our favorite Japanese restaurant (Sakana Ya) at Crows Nest. We had soft shell crab and sashimi for entrée and I ordered their famous Bara Sushi (assorted raw fish on rice) for my main. As usual, it was sooOOoooOOoo good. We ended our meal with miso soup boiled with prawn heads (from our sashimi entrée), which freaked Tobs up a little (hehe). Than retiring back to his place and settled into a night of ice cream and sugar snakes.

And that was my wonderful Saturday. Nothing overly exciting, just oh so deliciously relaxing & wholesome.

Hope you had a great one too!

ps: And thanks for the beautiful pashmina shawl Tobs! I love it!

Woolworths National Drought Action Day

"SYDNEY: 22 December 2006 – As part of a wider commitment to supporting Australian rural communities, on January 23, 2007, Woolworths will donate its entire supermarkets profits from all Australia Woolworths & safeway supermarkets, for the day to the Country Women's Association and research into sustainable farming practices."

I could not even start to imagine how hard it must be for the farming community out there facing this never ceasing drought year after year. I have been hearing about it on the news since I moved to Sydney 3 years ago. And it had only gotten worse since.

Me, a little unassuming city folk, and my shinny shopping trolley, air-conditioned well-stocked supermarkets does forget so easily the struggles these farmers face day on day. The devastation of a year’s hard work because a harvest is lost due to unpredictable and uncontrollable climate changes. The frustration and despair that must accompany such a disaster.

My prayers go out to all these unsung heroes in various droughts stricken parts of Australia. Whom despite all odds, are still hanging in there and never seized to give up hope. For keeping my local fresh corner shop stocked and preserving the farming way of life.

A BIG thank you from a little city pumpkin dweller!

You know where I’ll be this 23rd! It may not be much as an individual, but together, I’m sure it will make a difference.
So don't forget your shopping list!!

To find out more. Click here.

Take me out to the ball game....

Except that this was the cricket.

It was a 20 / 20 match between England and Australia, so it was a guarantee slog fest. We were seated so close to the wicket I could almost smell the sweat! And SO darn tempted to rush up the front with the other 9 years olds for Andrew Flintoff's autograph. But really I'll be having a perv. hehe..

My first harvest

And they were sooOOoOOoo deliciously spicy. *Glee*

We have gone organic!

The hubby and I took our little black viper out to breakfast this morning. Macro Wholefoods Market had just opened their fast spreading huge organic food store just around the block and I had been dying to try out the little macro café.

The breakfast menu oozed with delectable organic wholesome goodness. The husband ordered a bacon and egg sourdough sandwich. And I a scrambled tofu with avocado, pumpkin salad and thick sourdough toast. And organic hot chocolate! Check out our cool piglet table tag. *hee*








Admittedly, the food was a little too bland for our corrupted taste bud. But it was to be expected. So we cheated a little with a dash of salt and pepper and the world was back to normal again.









The 1000 sq meter supermarket carried a;

-Macro Cafe
-Fresh in-season organic produce
-Organic and natural grocery products
-Organic pet food range
-Environmentally friendly cleaning range
-Naturopath consultation and dispensary
-Organic wine, beer & spirits
-Organic eggs, milk, bread & butter
-And a cool densely shelved book corner!

The whole organic experience left me feeling sooo healthy and I have to say, yearning for more. Looks like it’s here to stay!
Sorry honey... *wide eye beam*

I think I found my phone-a-chef

At dinner tonight, mum made the hubby and I a wicked lamb roast accompanied with little crisp baby potatoes and a side of mustard balsamic vinaigrette salad. It was SooOOooooOOoo good. She even made her (not so very own) mint sauce that she learnt off a random Brit lady a while ago in one of her many "struck-a-conversation-with-someone-at the-supermarket" moment.

Ah. The joys of having an awesome cook mum!

Hmm.. I wonder if I could convince her to be my phone a chef when I have the friends over next time round... hmmmm.....

Meet my alter egos

A nice start

Last Tuesday marked the end of my 1 & 1/2 weeks glorious awesome holiday. I am a little sad that I had returned to the grind of things but am happy for the rest. In retrospect, I don't think I have ever taken a day off to just laze around doing nothing.

When I do take leave from work, there is always an agenda. Mostly to travel somewhere and mostly out of the country in exploration of a foreign land. It is nice to stay put and have no fixed schedule to follow for a change. The many times I had planned holidays way too close to end and start of work days. The frantic running around like a headless chook for last minute errands. Clearing out the fridge minutes before dashing to the airport. Suffering from bouts of “passport abandonment” anxiety. And returning to work only to feel like I need another holiday! Arg. I am impossible sometimes.

Anyhow, thought I should sum up my in-activities past weeks.

- busy getting sick (for at least half of it.. blah)
- cleaning out the wardrobe and kitchen (toothbrush impulse moment)
- spending lots of time with the folkies
- hosting Xmas lunches
- attending Xmas lunches
- churching
- catching up on my reading
- picnics
- lazing around doing absolutely nothing!

It was great! And I haven’t mentioned the one day shopping spree I spent with my lonesome (not too worry, will find time to post all my lovely snaps soon).

So it had been a nice start to 07 thus far. And no. I am wise enough not to invent yet another ground breaking NY’s resolution that I could stress over this time round. Well, besides eating more organic produces and exercising more which I have aspired to do already.

It’s going to be all good. Can’t wait to explore what 07 has to offer!
*Glee*

Salem

Salem is a bright cat. Not necessarily a genius but he sure as hell is shrewd and knows how to whine his way out of a fix. Since he was a tottling kitten, we had trained him to be house friendly - which translates to : no chewing of shoes, no scratching of any items besides his scratching post, no consumption of any forms of human food whatsoever (due to his urinal tract disease condition), no sleeping on our bed (unless the unfortunate occasions he gets shut in unintentionally). And NO sleeping on the lounge. To which he very conveniently chooses to ignore despite the many “refresher course” we put him through.











So. As usual. I caught the little bugger relaxing away on our cream white lounge yesterday night. Upon being sprung, he immediately deplored his escape contingency plan of faint whining and fetus curling. Followed by a soft paw reflecting of my punishing smack. I have seen this act way too many times. But it is always Oh. So. Darn. Cute. I had to let out a giggle. Which is his sign of “yeah yeah.. you’re off the hook.”

He calmly stood up, gave himself a really good arched stretch, bounced off the lounge and curled up on the floor.

I of course gave him a good night cuddle. Muffled a weak “bad cat”. And left him to his own devise for the night.

I so have myself to blame.

Driving range

So the folks thought it was high time we got our little buds onto the driving range to whack some golf balls. And off to the course we went.











Could you just see how bad my posture was??? I had fun goofing around sending balls flying in all directions though. But not so happy with my blistered sore hands after. Must remember gloves next time. *pout*

Xmas greetings from Karen

A few weeks ago, the husband and I received a xmas greeting card from Karen. Looking at the cute family fun faces they were making really made me feel like having babies!! hehe... But of course mine will have small cute little squinty eyes. *silly smiles*

HapPy nEw YeAR!!!

This year, we spent new years eve with the folks together with rest of the family and family friends. It was relaxing hanging around at auntie’s chowing down on yummies, popping champagnes and chatted away as we waited for the count down. Her attic had a view of the harbour bridge so it was a promise of a spectacular show down. It was such a pleasant non-crowd squishing, non-crazy traffic bashing, relaxing, sobering and refreshing night for us.

HaPpY NeW yEaR everyone! And may God shine on you into the new years always!

Hugs & kisses!!!

Lunch party with the tangsters

So. I have been cruising through the road to recovery and am ever so thankful for it. Especially today as we hosted a lunch party for 25 friends from our bible study group. Thank goodness for the barbeque chief of a hubby I didn’t have to do much cooking. Besides whipping up the pasta and the salad, the preparation was a breeze. Thanks to the many bbqs we had hosted past year, we had both become quite experts. *beam*

The gender of the party toppled to the males so the activity of the day centered very much on our table tennis table and the Xbox console. A couple of them even brought their controllers and the much talked about Wii! Boys. *roll eyes* It was really entertaining watching them release their inner child though. The girls on the other hand sat around sipping their tea and laughing at the silly antics that surrounded them.

Feeling sick

I was sick over the xmas holidays. Still feeling under the weather but I think I am on the road to recovery. It hit me last Thursday, the unmistakable pains of gastritis. Urk. I hate feeling sick. Especially this time of the year with all the yummy dinner parties and lunches. I have been spending most days bent over on my couch. Arg. I must have been such a pain.

Anyhow. The folks and the husband thought it would be a good idea to get me out of the house since I had spent Xmas eating nothing but porridge and arched over my pillows. In actual fact. I whimpered for it. I really needed to be out of the house to breathe in some fresh air. So off to Kirribili we went, with our picnic basket, to perch ourselves at the foot of the harbor bridge over looking the opera house and the city.

I SO want to get better before 07.
*whimper whimper*

Over Chrisie

Tis the season to eat stollen

Grow little chillies.... grow!

More than a couple of months ago, mum stuffed several chilli seeds into my sad bare pots. And allowed spring to take over.

I could already taste the chilli paste she's going to make with my new harvest.
*Glee*

Digi manic

So last weekend. I thought I'd try out my new found digital photography "skills". Yes. I had completed my course and am now an official photo taking manic. Oh. oh!! AND! To celebrate my graduation. My hubby bought me a kick ass Canon 400D for chrisie!! Thanks Babe!!!!!

Christening

Yesterday, we attended a good friend's baby christening. The service was short but meaningful. I thought the pastor gave a really good explanation of baptism, which was refreshing. There are way too many misconceptions of what baptism really is about out there. And sadly, amongst christians too.

Welcome to the kindgom little one! May God watch over you always and perhaps in the not too distant future, you too will want make a public declaration of your very own and call yourself his own one day.

Chrisie pressies

Instead of hitting the shops for my Xmas pressies, I decided I'd make little gifts sprinkled with my little own warm personal touch for the gang this year. The result. Little beautiful scented Orange Cloves & Rose Bubs Pomanders. And a really sore clove-pricked thumb.

Xmas is in the air

So the xmas festivity is in the air. And to usher in the holiday season in good old aussie fashion, I joined a group of my ex-colleagues for a celebrative drinks night of champagne, pizzas and hot chips in the Greenwood Hotel in North Sydney.

It was such a good night catching up with everyone. Not to mention the flow of free champagne for the ladies! Woah! I need to get me out more often!

And no... I have not forgotten the true meaning of Xmas, so not to worry.
*smiles*

Random things about me

• I turn into a scary control freak when it comes to my kitchen bench.

• I love my fries with ice cream.

• When I’m watching a movie I’m really into, I become absolutely un-contactable by the outside world.

• Since 5, I have fallen in love with “The Sound of Music” and have watched it at least 50 times. But I still cannot remember the names of all 7 children. I can however sing every single song and recite the movie. word. for. word.

• Every other month, I get attack by an irresistible impulse to clean. Toothbrush style. Yeah.

• I cried when King Kong died. And I don’t mean a sob. It’s a full swelling eye, wet noise cry. And that’s the same with Charlotte’s Web. In fact, it’s any movie that involves an animal dying.

• I get an incredible sense of empowerment after a heart pumping sweaty workout. The kinds of empowerment that make me genuinely believe I could conquer the world. Not to worry, I also quickly forget in about… eh… an hour.

Sunday

Yesterday, Mel's baby sister flew in for a short 4 days visit. It had been over a year since I last saw her and over 3 years for Mel so it was great to catch up with her again.

Before the airport, we stopped by Krispy Kreme for donuts and milkshakes. And watched little donut balls floating away on a river of hot cooking oil.

At the airport, after exchanges of hugs, and a quick city visit and church. We drove to Kensington and caught up with the relis over chinese and ate the best lotus leave chicken and mushroom ever.

It was just a nice, simple but yet so fulfilling Sunday. And it was so great to see my sister-in-law again.

oh. Check out this cool Xmas tree a friend made for me. All. Out. Of. Paper! It comes with star danglings, gifts under the tree and a cool angel finish. Thanks Damo. You rock!

Scary 'Mary Poppins' Trailer

This so killed it for me. Freaky. eek.
Ooh! I'll be SO devastated if they did it to the Sound of Music!! ARG!

Another heart fluttering moment

Don't you just dig the hair do. And the Oh. So. Funky. clothes.

Eek! I'm SO excited. I've already been on the phone and am comtemplating ordering a few pieces.

The joys of internet shopping!

Check it out. Dogstar. Last seen in my Dec 05 post.

Foster xmas party

Last friday, the hubby and I attended Foster Xmas party. It was held at Luna Park located at the foot of the habour bridge. The theme of the night was the 70's. And as you could probably tell from the picture. We got right into it.

Haha. We had such a ball!

Mosaic tables

These pictures were taken ages ago at Bondi Sunday's flee market on one of my random market rummage. I found these while going through my pictures and thought I'd post them simply because I lurve the markets. And because (at the moment) I am soooo into mosaic tables.
*Glee*