Alpacas did you know...

Natural wonders

My brother's leaf insect playing dead...it's hanging from one leg!
Maybe I stressed it out too much when I cleaned out its tank.
I just hope it lives at least until Sunday when my brother returns from holiday.


Okra sprouts - interesting...


Looks like an insect holding the 2 leaves together.

Back to reality

...and wanting to go to Japan again soon for all the good food and shopping!



Click here for photos. (^_^)

Who removed my fence?

I moved into my current place of residence about one and a half years ago now, and I had grown accustomed to the old, green, wooden fence surrounding the front yard of the townhouse, not to mention the squeaky gate. So upon returning home last Tuesday, I was surprised to find the fence and gate lying disassembled on our small patch of lawn (though I must admit that it’s more of a weed lawn than anything else, if I can even call it a ‘lawn’?).

Early the next morning, a worker started putting up a new fence. Here’s what it looks like now. It’s about half a metre higher than the old fence but one thing is still the same – the new gate squeaks too.

If you’re wondering why the photo has a sepia tone, it’s because I took it on the day of the dust storm.

When I woke up and saw that the rays of light shining into my room were bright orange, I thought there might have been a major bushfire nearby or something. Looking outside, it was like heavy orange-colored fog. It was not pleasant outdoors that day – the air was dry and it was hard to breathe. There was so much red dust on the cars that it looked like everyone had gone on a holiday to the Outback! Some people waiting for the bus held tissues over their nose and mouth, and a few wore masks. I took a few photos, but I wasn’t up early enough to see the height of the dust storm. There are some good pictures here though:

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/sydney-dust-blanket-causes-highest-air-pollution-on-record-20090923-g1fw.html

North Coast Road Trip

Well, the first week was spent up the north coast...

We left early Saturday morning start and made our way up to Port Macquarie, where we were staying on our first night. On the way, we made a brief sightseeing stop at Sugarloaf Point and took a lunch break at Wallingat National Park. We ended up eating in the car though coz we were being attacked by dozens of mosquitoes. Port Macquarie town centre was quite big and there were quite a few restaurants scattered around. We decided on a Thai place but regretted it the moment we stepped in. The dishes were overpriced for the small dishes that were served, and we left with unsatisfied stomachs. We had ordered a curry and a stir-fry that included spring onion and bokchoy – more Chinese style than Thai I reckon!

On day 2, we made our way further north to Nambucca Heads. Luckily we didn’t have a busy schedule planned, coz I came down with a fever and the rain clouds were getting heavier. Still, we stopped at Crescent Head and South West Rocks for some sightseeing.

Day 3 was also mostly spent in the car. The only planned stop was the Urunga Boardwalk, which was worth the visit despite the rain. The boardwalk extended out to the middle of the lagoon amongst the mangroves. It was a little scary with the heavy rain as the water level was rising quite rapidly, but all in all it was a nice tranquil walk. We saw tiny crabs, lots of fish and we even spotted a stingray!

My favourite accommodation of the trip was the Byron Bay Farmstay, which is technically located in Bangalow but is less than 10 minutes away from Byron Bay. The cottages were situated in the middle of a quiet farm, were spacious, clean and well-equipped with kitchenware. We were greeted by some energetic cows and had to wait for them to clear off the road. Y had some fun with the friendly cows.^^ Our first night there, we ate dinner at a nice restaurant/bar in the centre of Byron Bay, but we bought groceries to prepare lunch and dinner for the following day. As a bonus, cottage guests are free to use any of the herbs and fruit growing on the nearby trees. An apple and an orange were sitting on the dining table when we arrived. As the orange was still green, we brought it home and I'm glad we did coz it was so juicy and sweet! I reckon Dad would love it there. Watching the massive waves and the beautiful sunset from Cape Byron was also a highlight for me. (For those of you that don’t know, Cape Byron is the easternmost point of mainland Australia.)

Our next destination was the Gold Coast. Luckily we were there before the heavy rain began and it was perfect beach weather. We immediately headed for the beach at Surfers Paradise as soon as we arrived. The next day, it was raining cats and dogs and we stayed in the motel room all day trying to decide what to do in the coming 3 days. Our original plan had been to drive back down to Coffs Harbour and go bush walking in Dorrigo National Park. However, that area was flooded and the NP was closed. We eventually decided to head a bit further north and spend a few days in Brisbane. At least there were museums and things to do there even in wet weather. Plus, I have a high school friend now living there that we could meet up with. I gave her a call and she invited us to have dinner at her newly renovated home – the house was huge and had a balcony surrounding half the building, with spectacular views and very nicely furnished. I was most impressed, especially considering she had done most of the work herself! We took advantage of the mostly fine weather (heavy rain fell only overnight), going for a swim in the street beach and strolled around the night market. We also visited the Gallery of Modern Art and the Brisbane Museum, as well as saw an amateur play.

After 3 days in Brisbane, we made our way down to Mt Kaputar NP in Central NSW over 2 days, staying overnight at Tamworth, aka the Country Music Capital of Australia. Since our accommodation for the following 2 nights would be at the top of Mt Kaputar, we made sure we stocked up on food for our stay. Driving up the dirt mountain road was a challenge for our small Hon-da Ja2z, but it did a fantastic job! The cabin was well-equipped and relatively clean, but the bed was much too soft and rather uncomfortable. The sights from the mountain were spectacular and there were plenty of wild kangaroos. It was definitely worth the trip, and staying at the cabin was an experience. Kinda reminded me of high school camps.

Our final destination was Dubbo, where the main attraction was Dubbo Zoo. We spent 1 and a half days at the zoo. It’s huge and it feels like you can get real close to the animals. I found the hippos and the tortoises most amusing. The wombat there was a character too. If it hadn’t rained the second day and if we didn’t have to drive 5 hours to get home , I would’ve liked to stay longer.^^

Thank goodness we had the Easter long weekend to recover, because the trip tired me out more than I expected. I suppose it’s time to confess that Y drove 99.999% of the time! My excuse is that I didn’t want to take away his fun since he so enjoyed driving the country roads. In any case, the 2 weeks holiday was a good time and a timely break from work which was becoming rather stressful. Now I’m living back in reality, stressed at work, and ready for another holiday! (^_<)

Photos from Melbourne trip in October

Photos

South Coast


Nelson Bay


Tree Planting in Orange


More new photos uploaded here

Long weekend - yay! Let's hope it doesn't rain 3 days straight...

Hail storm

It was a hot, humid Sunday. I was sitting at home watching a DVD with a friend and all of a sudden it sounded like rocks were being thrown on our roof. We were in the path of a wild summer hail storm, which I haven't experienced in quite a while. It felt like it went on for quite some time, but I think it hailed for just a few minutes (followed by some heavy rain). Some areas seemed to have gotten it bad...the poor families who's housese were damaged.

In a wild storm last year, one of the big pine trees in our backyard fell onto our roof. I wasn't here, but it must've been quite frightening. We were fortunate this time 'round, thank goodness.

Look at our front yard...

...looks like it had snowed. Except that it's summer. And it all melted away within the space of a couple of minutes.

The biggest hail stones that fell in our yard were about 3cm in diameter. Interesting shape, huh.

(Photographer: Dad)

November Update

It's been a busy couple of weeks and I'm terribly behind with my blogging - sorry!

I'm having doubts about the effectiveness of physiotherapy. Over a month has passed since I sprained my ankle, and although I'm back on my feet my ankle is still rather weak. It hasn't stopped me from enjoying the pleasant spring weather though.^^

Three weekends ago, I went to Bondi to see the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. It was amazing - the artwork, the coastal setting, the blue blue sky and the fresh sea breeze The weekend after, I picked up my Japanese visitor from the airport and we headed straight for Bondi Beach where we scoffed down a big Aussie breakfast, checked out the markets, strolled along the beach and finished off the tour with a pleasant coastal walk. It was the last day of Sculptures by the Sea for 2007, and I'm glad M arrived in time to see it.^^
Click here for photos.

The weekend just passed was a fun-filled one, starting with a Friday night out with the girls. The Rocks Market by Moonlight (though the sun was still out when I was there) was on, so I grabbed a quick bite to eat from the gozleme stall and enjoyed the live music there before meeting up with the girls to see "The Government Inspector" at the Playhouse beneath the Opera House. The play was adapted for 2 actors who took on at least a dozen roles between them. It was absolutely hilarious! I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard. The audience, myself included, was pretty much laughing throughout the hour-and-a-half performance. All in all, it was a fun night and my abdominal muscles got a great workout.^^

Saturday was federal election day and I had signed up to help out at the local polling centre - my old primary school! The 15 hour work day was exhausting but an eye-opening experience. I learned to spell some strange foreign names, spoke with people from all walks of life including some familiar faces whom I haven't spoken to since I can't remember when, and I learned what goes on behind those closed doors at the end of election day.

My team of five put several large tables together and gathered around. The person in charge then emptied out the box with the 2300+ green House of Reps votes. First we flattened out the papers then we sorted them by first preference. Now the counting begins - bundles of 50. We passed our stack of green papers to the person on our left and we checked each other's bundles. By the time we were done counting and checking, it was past 8pm. It had taken us 2 hours, and the big job was still to come - the Senate votes.

People refer to the Senate voting papers as tablecloths. Imagine sorting and counting thousands of metre-long sheets of paper. Thank goodness it was not hot and humid, and we had the use of a reasonable-sized school hall. The other 3 helpers who had been working on the absent votes pitched in to help with the tablecloth counting while the superviser shuffled around the hall "supervising."

The person in charge of our polling centre was disorganised and didn't seem to know what he was supposed to do. My admiration goes out to the second in charge for his patience and for always looking out for other helpers, especially to those who were not so young. The kind and gentle middle-aged lady sitting opposite me during the counting who didn't utter a single complaint throughout the entire day was an inspiration.

It was no surprise that our electorate representative would retain his seat, but the margin by which the new government won was quite astonishing. I'm no expert in politics but I think that it is time for a change. It's a bit of a concern that the majority of both state and federal seats are Labor though. Will the new government live up to its promises?

Sunday was another long day for me, but a more relaxing one compared to Saturday. I joined my aunt, uncle, Dad and Dad's friend's son on a road trip to Berrima (122 km south-west of Sydney) to try out a vegetarian buffet. It's reasonably priced at $25 (increasing to $28 in December). The food was mostly Asian and I would rate the taste as average, but the variety of dishes was impressive. I was full after a tasting plate of the entree dishes and didn't try much of anything else. There were more than 10 different dishes in each of the entree/dim sim, main and dessert sections. Two ladies sat behind the counter making sushi, which were taken almost as soon as they were placed on the platter. There was also a variety of hot and cold teas available. I liked the cold chrysanthemum tea - nice and refreshing.^^

After the big meal, we strolled around the open garden and large pond outside. The small Japanese garden was also nice.
Photos here.

Time for bed, I reckon...Zzzz.....(-_-)'

Chatswood Spring Fair

This dragon led the morning's parade, followed by Chinese lion dancers and musicians, bagpipe band, marching band, jive dancers, Korean community group dressed in traditional attire,...a very multicultural affair!^^

Taronga to Balmoral

The wintery weather has returned. It was cold and raining on & off all week. Even though I walked to and from work every day, I didn't have to take out my umbrella once...lucky!^^

Although the ground was wet & muddy, I'm thankful that it didn't rain during the walk. Thank goodness too that I remembered my hiking boots, which I haven't seen for close to 10 years, and was able to find them at the very last minute.^^

Just after 10am, we met up with the group of about 10 walkers who were waiting for us at Taronga Zoo Wharf and we hit the track without delay. The track from Taronga to Balmoral (photo above) is approximately 6km and meanders along the coast, passing spectular lookouts and several spots of historic interest. We also spotted some interesting native wild flowers of which I unfortunately was not able to capture on camera to show you. Maybe another time, when I'm not with such a big group of people. We stopped at Clifton Gardens for a short break then continued on through what was the Submarine Mining Corps Base in the 1890s, made our way tp to Georges Head which was used as part of an outer line of harbour defences in the 1870s, before finally arriving at Balmoral...in good time for lunch! The vege burger and fries were oh so good...mmm...(^-^)

After a brief stroll along the beach enjoying the sea breeze, we caught the bus back to the zoo. By that time, my legs were feeling as heavy as lead...geez I'm so unfit! Though come to think of it, I did play badminton twice last week...Anyway, thanks for a great day (and your tasty muffin with mixed-nut spread), AC, and apologies for dozing off in the car ride home! (-_-)'

More photos here

Lunar Eclipse

In case you were wondering why I started writing in Japanese all of a sudden, I met up with an old Japanese friend (and her bf) last Friday and have been annoyed at myself for not being able to communicate in Japanese as well as I could have, for not trying harder to keep up my language skills. Geez, I'm such a lazy bum.

3 weeks break from badminton has taken its toll. I lost 5 out of 6 games! Grrr...It's not like I haven't been exercising. I've been working out at the gym at least once a week, going to Pilates...but I guess different muscles are used. I've been unbelievably stiff and sore since Sunday morning...

And thanks to my Company, I made an appointment and took a 10 min massage break at work this afternoon. Lucky for me, today's massage therapist was great. It's amazing what a little pressure in the right spots can do. And she found all my problem spots first go! Too bad it's her last week...

37th Annual City 2 Surf

It was a beautiful spring-like day, with temperatures in the mid-20s at least...perfect weather to spend outdoors! It was the first time I participated in the annual City 2 Surf fun run (thanks to A's influence) and it was great. Over 64,500 people registered for the event, raising more than $850,000 for charity. Participants were split into 3 groups: the serious competitors, the runners and the "Back of the Pack" (that's us!^^). For safety reasons, the start times were staggered for each group. It was bizarre to hear the winners of the race announced over the loudspeakers before we had even crossed the start line.

We took it easy, enjoyed the live music and stopped to take photos of the spectacular ocean views. As we walked through the residential areas, there were kids who had set up their own little drink stands in their front yards and handed out homemade lemonade and pieces of orange & mandarin to passing participants. The generous kids, the talented musicians, the guy who leaned over the fence/wall to spray water on people wanting to cool down...I love this great Aussie spirit! (^o^)/

Despite only getting 4 hours sleep last night (I went to watch Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical...wonderful constumes, great music and dancing...loads of fun! Sorry, got sidetracked...) I managed to finish the race in under 3 hours. Our finish time was around 2 hours 50 minutes (to be officially published in the newspaper on Tuesday), and we each received a bronze "I finished" medallion. Go team!

My goal for next year is 2 hours. I guess I'd better start training!

July Photo Updates 2

What is this and why is it sitting in the middle of a train platform??


Taikoz Workshop in a warehouse studio


Miniature surprise produce from our garden (originating from compost wastes)


And here they are close up...

July Photo Update

Small reunion dinner with high school friends


Mum's birthday dinner


A happy egg.


A carton of happy eggs! (^_^)