K 歌必唱

新不了情 (万芳)


心若倦了 泪也干了
这份深情 难舍难了
曾经拥有 天荒地老
已不见你 暮暮与朝朝

这一份情 永远难了
愿来生还能 再度拥抱
爱一个人 如何廝守到老
怎样面对一切 我不知道

回忆过去 痛苦的相思忘不了
为何你还来 拨动我心跳

爱你怎么能了
今夜的你应该明膫
缘难了
情难了

The absolute cutest

And it sings too! A wonderful, wonderful welcome back gift from my brother. :D

Melbourne 2006 - Day 4 (251106)

What is synonymous with Melbourne? Good-looking guys? Tick. Good food? Tick (sorta). Cosmopolitan city? Tick. Queen Victoria Market? Tick. Twelve Apostles? Hmm... Wasn't on our list!

Seeing how Chapel Street had shops like anywhere else in Australia, on day 4, the day meant for shopping at Chapel Street, we decided to change plans and go on a day tour to the Twelve, Eleven, Ten, Nine, Eight Apostles instead. Well, before they all fall into ruins.

Despite the brochure claiming that the tour agency have 24-hour service, it was but a miscommunication. What they had meant by 24-hour service was that you get hooked up to a machine where you are to state your business and their 'friendly representatives' will get back to you asap. No good. We thought that since we would have to wake up early if we were to hop onto the tour bus that lumbers all the way on the Great Ocean Road, we might as well make our tour reservation in the morning. I think we were the last pair allowed onto the big, useless (you will see why later) tour bus because it was packed.

We couldn't have chosen a worse day to embark on a sightseeing tour. It was cloudy and gloomy.

Note the fake smile. Witness the lack of emotions in my beady, sleepless eyes.

And it was not a cheap tour. At over $130 per pax, we were mostly kept on the bus, sitting on our asses or nodding our heads violently over the lullaby sang by the bus.

Nevertheless, we managed to do something else besides napping and sitting, such as:

Having a seafood platter where an insect decided to investigate the crack in my ass and luckily I was sensitive enough to know it dropped there and I went to the toilet to investigate its inevitable death;

Noting how poor the artisan of this signboard must be in mathematics for 12 - 4 = 8;

Snatching a photograph with the rocks themselves, all the while cursing the overcast skies;

Trying to calculate when this particular arch will join its demised siblings in The Hell of Collapsed Apostles;

Wondering, along with PY, how long it would take to run across these hills, whilst singing The Sound of Music and getting bitten by the poisonous, poisonous snakes of Down Under;

Exclaiming at the beauty of this gorge when really, the star(s) of the Great Ocean Road should have been the Apostles;

Adding more beauty to the gorge with our presence;

Wowing over this lovely piece of secluded and deadly paradise because it was said to have very, very, very strong undercurrents;

- Waiting over 30 minutes for the bus to get over its tantrum because the driver could not start the engine after we paused for a mini photo session;

- Waddling in the soft sands of the gorge, using all the energy we gained from the seafood platter; and

- Buying raisin biscuits and nuts to eat on the bus despite warnings from our not-too-friendly driver that none is allowed aboard. Pah!

How was the Great Ocean Road/Eight Apostles? At least we've been there, done that. I discovered that I was happier looking at the green hills than at the multiple beaches (which all looked the same) and rock formations. If you cannot stand road trips, it's not for you. The journey took a whole day, I think up to 12 hours. So take that into consideration before signing on the dotted line!

On a happier note, we had our best dinner in Melbourne.

Greek food at Lt Lonsdale Street. Open 24 hours. Simply amazing!!! For the BBQ lovers!

Oh! Did I mention that we stay at one the prettiest hotels?

Hotel Rendezvous!

I hope I can finish blogging about this trip and my Gold Coast trip before I forget everything. x:

Just for fun

Thought this was quite interesting:










How accurate! Smokin'!

Recommend, recommend!!!

I'm not usually an "idol" watcher, much less listener. In fact, while I was in Australia, I ran to my room when my friends tuned in to the show. 2006 proved different though. Ladies and gentlemen,

Damien!

He's amazing!!! My heart squeezed when I heard his version of "Hallelujah". +_+ This guy delivers.

Check out his amazing, soulful voice.

Love this song

倒带

曲：周杰伦 词：方文山 编：钟佐泓


我受够了等待你所谓的安排 说的未来到底多久才来
总是要来不及才知道我可爱 我想依赖而你却都不在
应该开心的地带 你给的全是空白 一个人假日发呆
找不到人陪我看海

我在幸福的门外 却一直都进不来 你累积给的伤害
我是真的很难释怀

终于看开爱回不来 而你总是太晚明白 最后才把话说开
哭着求我留下来 终于看开爱回不来 我们面前太多阻碍
你的手却放不开 宁愿没出息求我别离开

你总是要我乖慢慢计划将来 我的眼泪却一直掉下来
过去怎么交代你该给的信赖 被你亲手缓缓推入悬崖
从我脸上的苍白 看到记忆慢下来
过去甜蜜在倒带 只是感觉已经不在

而我对你的期待 被你一次次摔坏 已经碎成太多块
要怎么拼凑跟重来

终于看开爱回不来 而你总是太晚明白 最后才把话说开
哭着求我留下来 终于看开爱回不来 我们面前太多阻碍
你的手却放不开 宁愿没出息求我别离开

终于看开爱回不来 而你总是太晚明白 最后才把话说开
哭着求我留下来 终于看开爱回不来 我们面前太多阻碍
你的手却放不开 宁愿没出息求我别离开

Melbourne 2006 - Day 3 (241106)

Lesson from Day 3: Cabbage ain't my thing, baby.

Today we went to Queen Victoria Market. Actually, it's just a normal market. A lot cleaner than those markets we have in Singapore though. Mostly to get raw ingredients.

Would you like to have a market named after you? Look! Green skirt for the green billboard!

We were told to try the German sausages at the market. Queen Victoria market is located near the city and fairly walkable. When we ordered the sausage, we were asked whether we wanted cabbage to go with it. Why not? Turned out that the cabbage was pickled! Urgh! Eaten pickled cabbage before? It's sweet and sour! Not very me. A while back, S and I were talking about our experiences in Australia. She was telling me she feels that she has to be cautious when relating to others about her trips. Firstly, "relating" may be the wrong word because not everyone has been there and even fewer have spent an extended period there. Secondly, you might come across as trying to show off despite you being only excited at your trips and wanting to share with others. Anyway. I'm not trying to show off ok!

This I have to show off.

Fruits at Victoria Market can be a lot cheaper. Cherries were available at $5 per kilogram. But beware. Cheaper doesn't mean better. So look out for the quality. The 40 cents apples we bought were quite nice though.

We bought a kilogram of cherries (not bad), an apple each (unwaxed, cheap, and delicious), and one mango (oh.my.god!). Eat more fruits baby! With our load, we had to return to the hotel to put them down. Along the way, we spied a cafe with some good-looking people. Need to return there asap!

The iced coffee is good! And I think reasonably priced. Yum!

After the coffee, it was time for a trip to Smith Street. Smith Street is supposed to be filled with factory outlets. Imagine our surprise when we saw that Smith Street was largely filled with old shops selling dunowhats. So we popped into a convenience store to get daily tram tickets (again, we were told that daily tickets were not available on the tram. Wrong information!). As a by-the-way kind of thing, we asked the owners about the phantom factory outlets. Turned out that we were on the right street but the factory outlets were way way way down the other end of the street, further from the city. So if you go now, you know better than us and should take a tram!

It was quite interesting to see the shops on Smith Street. Because they were all the same as those in Harbourtown! Gah! At least I bought a bag, a skirt, and a pair of shorts. After a while, we realised we did not have lunch! We popped into a Thai eatery and was served the worst Thai food ever. I don't get sweet Tom Yam soup. BEWARE!

Tonight was going to be clubbing night. It was Friday after all! We asked the information counter at Melbourne Central for places to go and the guy recommended Chapel Street. Well, we don't. But more on that later.

We were also told that Lygon Street is the so-called Little Italy of Melbourne. Hmm.. It did serve the best green tea ice-cream. Oh. Green tea is from Japan. I guess we were there too late because no one bothered to come and grab us to go into their restaurant. The place was so much different from what I had expected. Go with no expectations is the best.

We thought olive bread would be more interesting than the normal garlic bread we eat. Well, it was. Interestingly salty!

I could not make up my mind about what to eat because I was fast getting a flu. I asked the waitress for recommendations. Something creamy I said. When her recommended pasta came, it was tomato-based. Something else I could not understand was why no meat! I'm a carnivore!

Gnocchi just ain't my thing baby. What was it stuffed with?!

So we could not finish our pasta. The one I had in Adelaide was so much better! Luckily, green tea ice-cream saved the day.

Oh. I was wearing this black butterfly sleeves top, right? I did not know the armholes are so big! Rather airy. Good for summer but awful when you're walking in the middle of the night, holding a green tea ice-cream at about 10 degrees with only that single layer of cotton on your back. Brrr!!!

We waited for more than half hour for a tram to go to Chapel Street. There were very few people on the street! We could not see any clubs!!! Where are they!! In the end, we walked, and walked. And walked into a toilet. There you have it. We took tram all the way to Chapel Street to use the toilet.

In the end, we decided a trip to the casino might be more fruitful. So we waited for the tram again. I think you need good company on trips. Otherwise in between waiting for transport, you will be bored out of your skull.

Finally, we saw Melbourne after the sun had set.

If you look up at some of the taller buildings, you will realise some fireflies-like things flying around the summit. Not sure if they were really fireflies but they were gorgeous. Too bad my camera could not take a good photo. Try to take one and send me ok!

On the other side of the Yarra river is the city. Where our hotel is to be exact.

I think we lost some money at the casino. But never mind! The 24 hour casino and shops meant that we could go see look. We popped into this bar with a live band. Very very good band. I wonder how people can sing so much and sound so good. Tomorrow I'm going k. Yay! But got quantity no quality of course. Haha.. The bar was very hip ok! A more matured crowd with most people around their fourties. But it was amazing!

We saw this aunty with midriff-bearing top, this male half of a couple making a fool of himself on the dance floor just to entertain his girlfriend (aww!), and this guy who danced fabulously with all the ladies around him! Good, good vibe! We just stood there and smiled a lot. Eye-opener!

In the end, we did not club but we did watch! I love the fun crowd! Everyone must have won a lot of money. :D

Melbourne 2006 - Day 2 (231106)

Just remember that I forgotten all about Melbourne! Need to blog it down before my memory fails me forever. I think I can hear the pages of recollections flying out my brain. Old liao... Haiz...

Day Two was the day when we visited the Puffing Billy. It is one of those old steam trains. Remember steam trains? The ones that started the whole Industrial Revolution? You do? *gasps* You're that old?! Haha...

Took the half day package from one of the tour agencies in the city. Swanston Street is where you find the whole bunch. If you have no transportation or fancy quite a bit of commentary while you cruise along the highway, seek them out. Remember to compare prices of course. First stop was at one of the bird feeding area. Before I elaborate on that, I need to complain!

We were told to reach the agency at 8.20am. We were there at 8.10am. The lady at the counter told us we should wait outside for the green flag that says "Puffing Billy". We did as we were told and saw that it was for the full day tour! We went back in and the lady, with her sour face and not in the least apologetic, told us that we were right to wait there. When we pointed out that we were on the half-day tour, she gave a shrug and told us the tour had already left. What the fuck? Dumb ass couldn't read and pushed us away onto the street to wait for a bus that wasn't meant for us in the first place. We stood there looking at her. She asked if we would like to go on the full day tour instead. NO! Bloody hell. I wanted to either forget about the trip, make it on another day, or look for another agent. Fucking pissed. The more I write about this, the more I remember it. We did as instructed but were delivered a rude slap. ARGH!

In the end, we were told to get onto the full-day tour, which would later join with the half-day tour and we could switch then. Shit organisation. So on the tour we went. First stop was to feed birds and have morning tea. Morning tea was lamington cakes and billy tea. Had those before, in Sydney. But bird feeding is another thing. Where I stayed in Brisbane, one of the breeds of birds that caused a ruckus outside our house was amongst those to be fed at the stop! Shit! Feeding my unwanted alarm clock! But quite fun la. The big, fat, white ones are those you should avoid. They leave scars. +_+

This type quite cute.

We were off to take the steam train next. It's all very touristy actually. But if that's the way to make money, that's the way to go.

火车, 火车, 嘟嘟嘟, 请问你要去哪里?

You only can go one short ride la. We liked it though. Why?

Because you can sit like that!!! Happening hor!

Rest our feet but pain our asses. Bars and asses are not best friends.

In our cabin was an Ah Pek, who's the "Head Conductor". We were given old skool tickets and the Ah Pek was dressed in old skool uniforms. Like the conductor in Noddy? Oh. I heard Noddy is gay? No idea. Haha.. We took photos with the Ah Pek but blurred. Too bad.

In the very hot coal room, where they really burnt coal to keep the train moving.

The ride was fun! Sitting on the side of the train and enjoying the breeze! It was off to the next stop too soon - a small village of the Dandenong Ranges.

Got toy shop! I bought something. Babushka dolls on a pin!

And I made a family.

Half-day tours are actually quite enough. Because they leave you time to explore other places. On the other hand, day tours are not as flexible as traveling by yourself. You cannot stop indefinitely at a place you have fallen in love with. Great to start from day tours and go back to places you would like to visit!

We were dropped back in the city again. Something that is different from the other day tours I went in Sydney and Adelaide is that this day tour was less personal. Largely because it was a big group. But I think the driver/tour guide could have made the effort to stand up and shake hands with everyone while we were alighting. Oh well.

Yesterday we took the free City Circle tram and noted that we wanted to take a closer look (ie. been-there-done-that photos) at the Parliament House.

Oh! What big crowns you have!

Today was on-foot day to the Gardens! If you look at the map of Melbourne, you will notice they have a few gardens. Time to visit them all! But first, we had sushi and a drink at Max Brenner's. Too chocolatey for my liking.

To find Cook's Cottage, we headed for Fitzroy Gardens. I like this garden the most. Because of the beautiful, beautiful elm trees. If you look at the garden from the air, you will see a red cross of Saint George, ala the flag of England. Gorgeous, gorgeous! Perfect for making out! Or simply strolling along, hand-in-hand. Awwww... *weeps tears of cheesiness*

To enter Cook's cottage, you need to pay a fee of $4. Flip through the tourist brochures. Some of them have discounted rates. 20 cents also money right?!

The post pillar outside the cottage. I don't know if it's really in use but it's cute anyway.

Inside Cook's cottage, you will see how people from Captain Cook's era lived. I think it's worth taking a look, trying to imagine how you can fit inside the narrow bed. Or how you can make soap using ashes from the fireplace. Let your imagination run wild!

We walked a super, super lot! Along the way, we asked for directions to Southbank and were greeted with looks of horror. "It's very, very far away!", "You should take tram!". But being the cheapskates we were, we didn't want to go on a paid tram. So we walked and walked and walked. And passed the Olympic Parks and reached the Royal Botanic Gardens. It's huge! Try walking there yourself and you will see how far we walked. Inside the gardens, we saw some families having picnics. That's the difference between Australia and Singapore I think. In Singapore, we seldom embrace the outdoors and brave the sun to have a picnic. Not my family anyway. In Australia, they love the sun and make time for their families.

We walked somemore along the Yarra River. Many schools were training their rowing teams there. The interesting thing was their coaches were on the banks while the students were in the river. The coaches cycled along the banks and used loudspeakers to communicate with their students. Imagine everyone on the river hearing how slowly you row. Gosh! An incentive to do better? Finally we reached Southbank.

There's a Southbank in Brisbane too. It is considered the cultural hub of Brisbane, where convention centres, theatres, and many cafes dot the streets. What's at Southbank, Melbourne then? More and more cafes and the famous Crown Casino!

One of the cafes that came highly recommended was Zampelis Cafe Greco. But we didn't know why because the food was disgusting. Disgustingly overpriced and disgustingly untasty. We ordered a pasta (tasted ok but more like ang moh hokkien mee) and two cakes. Strangely, we were not served iced water. Later we realised you have to pay for water. Stingy, stingy. I don't understand why there was the queue outside the restaurant. The cakes were expensive (about $9 each?); too expensive and too sweet. I don't think we finished them. Besides, the service was horrible. The waiters could not wait to send us on our way. The particular one who brought us to our table was sour-faced through out. BAH! I suspect people were taken in by this:

Remember: Looks are NOT everything!

Storage

My room is cluttered with many things. I found that I do not have enough space for everything.

Things, for me, carry memories. It is hard to part with them. The round tin with the baby angel is from primary school. The red and blue Roxy wallet is from friends. The black bag with the heart iron-on is more than 10 years old. They symbolise something more than what they are. They are rich with emotions, bursting with images, brimming with words, with many stories to tell.

Perhaps Salvation Army can help them create stories for someone who needs them more.

Back in the rain

How do you pack 1 year into two suitcases? And make them well under 30kg? You simply use 9 suitcases instead.

Hello Singapore!

Melbourne 2006 - Day 1 (221106)

Long overdued records of my Melbourne trip! As usual, had to get up at an ungodly hour because that's when the air tickets are the cheapest!

Being the old ladies we are, it was a relaxing first day. First order of the day was to check in at our hotel. Hotel Rendezvous! WooooOoOoOO! We took the airport shuttle to the hotel. Something I noticed was that the driver did not help us with our baggage! In Sydney and Brisbane, they do! Hmm...

First impression of Melbourne? "Am I out of Brisbane already?" I supposed it's because we have been travelling around Brisbane to different suburb that once in Melbourne, we felt that we were in just another suburb. Hmm...

Check in already need to do the most important thing. Fill the stomach!

Heading home soon but still got to eat some bak chor mee!

We settled for a place called Chom Chom in the city the sells Singapore food. Not too bad but of course not as good as the best we can get back home. Lots of vinegar is the trick to good bak chor mee. Haha!!

Just getting our bearings right in the city, to get ready for shopping tomorrow. There's a free tram that goes around the city. So that's a good thing to start off with. See the sights, note down what we want to explore further.

City Circle tram

The main mode of transport in Melbourne city seems to be the tram. Not exactly the fastest mode but quite convenient I suppose. Interestingly, they have some special traffic rules because of the trams. Say, a car wants to turn right. The driver needs to do a 'hook' turn, that is, first, he has to bear left so as not to disrupt the tram traffic and turn right later. Geddit? Never mind, being the kind soul I am, I shall draw you a picture.

Too bad, the picture doesn't want to load. Well. Lots of great architecture in Melbourne city. Their toilets are interesting too. Out of the blue. Take a trip there and you will see what I mean.

Inside the Royal Arcade [?]. I take a better picture than those on the website, don't I?

After spending more than a year in Brisbane, I wasn't used to the hordes of people in Melbourne. Ironic isn't it, with me coming from one of the countries with the highest population density in the world? Yes, in Melbourne, you dodge people. And flies. We were warned about the houseflies before coming. But it wasn't as bad as expected. At least we could talk without having to cover our mouths.

Take a map of Melbourne city and look at its grid-like layout. You cannot get lost in Melbourne. Everything is at right angle. If you so amazingly manage to get lost, there are a few elderly volunteers in the city (usually along Swanston St) who can help you get your bearings. They wear bright red tops with the word "Me!bourne" written on them. Very nice people! Great to ask them for suggestions on where to go in the surrounding suburbs too. They also carry with them maps and brochures. Oh yes, before heading for those paid places, such as Cook's Cottage in Fitzroy Gardens, check out the tourist brochures. They have discount coupons. Smashing!

The city has many small lanes. In one of them, near FCUK, we found this serviced apartment.

I think it looks amazing, don't you?

First day was pretty uneventful. Headed to THE Vietnamese restaurant, Mekong on Swanston St. Bill Clinton reportedly had two bowls of Pho Tai there. For us, we thought it wasn't up to all the hype. Maybe we were just used to the flavours we get here in Brisbane. We had Pho Tai and prawn rolls. The Pho Tai had lukewarm soup and the prawn rolls' rice paper was a tad too hard. Hmm.. Picky, picky! Thanks for the recommendation anyway, Stanley and piglet!

Another amazing fact of Melbourne during summer. It doesn't get dark until after 8.30pm! As you can see from the picture, we were back in the hotel before 8.30pm.

Eating the free chocolates! I hope it's free anyway.

Hotel Rendezvous has one of the best beds! It was pure torture to wake up in the mornings. The room was small. The TV could have provided more free cable channels. Location is great (Flinders St). Design retained its heritage. There's a particular cute concierge. Shan't tell you his name. If you happen to stay there, let me know who you think was cute! :P

More holidays

Hello all! These few days have been parents' day! Touring around Brisbane area with my parents! And more touring to come! Here's a small snippet of what we did.

Stayed at Crowne Plaza in Surfers Paradise with this beautiful view.

Climbed to the Balancing Rock at Cherrabah Homestead Resort.

Cycled (mostly) to the rocks at Log Cabin in Cherrabah.

In the meantime, if you are wondering where you should go for your next Australia destination, go to Cherrabah. With 5,000 acres of land to explore, you will have no lack of activities to do! :D

Off again!

Off to meet mama and papa in 4 hours time! Then to Gold Coast! Woohoo!!! Results out, graduation scheduled! YEAH!!!

Sneak preview for Melbourne!

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Guess how many pictures two girls can take on a week-long tour! WoooooOOOOOooooOO!!!

Victoria, anyone?

Melbourne in 8 hours!

Post-exam activities III

161106 Jiak ah!

Are you hungry now? If so, you better not read on! Because we went to eat one of my favourite kinds of breakfast!!! Woohoo!!!

Headed for Sunnybank at 11am or so. Not exactly breakfast but hey! I'm on holidays! Anyhoo. I love this breakfast! Right up there with McD's Sausage McMuffin with Egg meal. Yum!

Oyster mee suah! Long life ah!

Delicious spring onion pancake! MMMMMMMM!!!

Braised egg and tau gua! BEST I HAVE EVER TASTED!

And for dessert... ... ... ... Hmm... Do you like the beancurd from Rochor? I don't. Because I find it too soft. No texture, nothing to chew. I'm a bit of a chewer. I like to chew barley especially. Haha... Can take me ages to finish a cup of barley. Well. Beancurd.

Cold soy beancurd with fresh mango!!! !!! !!! I LOVE ITS TEXTURE!!!

But that must be the most expensive beancurd I have ever had. $3.80 ok! Mai siao siao.

Today, the plan was to go Sunnybank and Garden City. What's at Garden City? Another Westfield mall. Woohoo! Same boring shops!!! How exciting!!! +_+

But this mall supposed to be bigger though I didn't really think so. Nothing for me to buy also. I think I need to stick to routine. Like go to Brisbane city to shop or maybe Indooroopilly. By the way, how would you pronounce Indooroopilly? In-door-roo-pi-ly? WRONG! It's In-droo-pi-ly!!! Amazing right?! The two "o" must be swallowed. Hmm... But it sounds better anyway!

Recently, we have been on an ice-coffee trail. The best we have had so far is still at Campos, Sydney. Sadly, the most unobtainable as well. But this one here comes close! Ladies and gentlemen, in second place... ... ...

From some book shop cafe in Garden City. It is inside the mall itself. Near Terry White Chemist if I'm not mistaken. 2nd hand bookstore. Check it out!!!

For some strange reason, we not in the mood to shop! *gasps* Must be getting ready for Melbourne. Hee, hee, hee. But I'm going without expectations and hope to be surprised! Hmm.. That's an expectation also isn't it? Ah! Whatever lah!

But the window display here for Christmas nice wor. I wonder what it's like in Singapore. If I get to go back before Christmas, I would like to high tea at Goodwood Park. Always past by during Xmas and get to see the tall xmas tree outside but never get to see it up close and personal. Haiz. I think Singapore's xmas display more happening. The best is the year when they had the blue twinkling lights and it drizzled. Looked like snow!

Here though, they have cute wombat!

There is a story to this but I can't quite remember. It's about Wombat wanting a role in the performance of the birth of Jesus. Woolloo must be happy for his fellow countryman.