Cheesecake story

I'm back

2012-02-03T09:55:00.000+11:00

Back to blue sky
Back to fresh air
Back to work
Back to school
Back to my routine
But I'm missing my family and friends back in Jakarta and Singapore.

It's not a goodbye. It's see you again

2012-01-18T10:30:00.009+11:00

Thought it's gonna be easier to leave this place for the second time after six months away from my best friends, from the life that I've built for eight years.

As hugs exchanged, luggage was packed, I'm so not ready to leave. As I'm writing this down, all those memories emerged one by one. The day I came to this place for studying. The day I got my first job. Those days I spent with my dearest friends. And, the day I finally had to bid farewell to each of them.

It's still fresh in my memory on how I met my besties for the first time. And, my first impression on each of them. How funny that we all could end up as best friends. No doubt, each of them has give big impacts on my life so much. And, these past three days we spent together has brighten my life beyond my imagination.

Oh well, see you again gals.

Away for holiday

2012-01-10T22:27:00.000+11:00

I'll be away for a short holiday to my home and foster countries.

Will be in these two places on these particular date:

11/1 - 14/1 Jakarta
15/1 - 18/1 Singapore
18/1 - 31/1 Jakarta

I've got a to-do-list for my stay in Jakarta. It's just that I'm not sure if I really can do it with such limited time.

Gonna update you again soon!

Sneak peak: swimming pool

2012-01-08T22:50:00.001+11:00

Urggh, the water of the swimming pool turned into disgusting green!

Since I will only move to the house after I come back from overseas, the swimming pool is abandoned for the time being.

The cleaner took trashes out of the pool

I'm not looking forward for cleaning the house before moving in. Because of very high labour cost here, we must do some of the shitty jobs such as painting, fixing some stuffs, etc by ourselves. And, there are alot things to be done for the outdoor part. At times like this, I wish secretly that I live in Indonesia where the labour is much cheaper!!

Be careful of what you wish for

2012-01-06T09:12:00.000+11:00

When I first came to Melbourne, it was winter here. It's very cold and raining every day.

Having lived in tropical countries, I was so unprepared of the cold weather. And, I missed wearing just t-shirt and mini skirt/shorts plus a pair of sandals. And, I missed being able to go out without calculating how many layers I should put on.

So, I secretly wished for summer to come soon. A warned me of my wish.

Ohh boy, he was sooo right...

Yesterday was the hottest day I ever experienced. It reached 41C. It was even hotter inside the house. I couldn't stand it anymore that I went to a cafe just to enjoy the air conditioner. Worse, it was still hot even at night. I could sleep only at 3am after it got abit cooler..

Urgghh, I just wanna run away from Melbourne now. One more week to go, hmmmm

Restraining order

2011-12-29T13:52:00.002+11:00

I've been adding more and more baking/kitchen equipment to my kitchen recently. I think some ladies could relate with me. I buy cake tins, ramekins, etc. instead of shoes and bags.

Anyway, I got a 'restraining order' from A to stop buying more stuffs for now. It's quite hard though, especially when I have alot of spare time now.

But I couldn't agree more with him. I'll be flying to Indonesia in two weeks time. Besides, I'll be moving soon, the more things I buy now the more things to pack up and possibly lost during the moving.

So I could only making a wish/shopping list at the moment. Here are some stuffs I wanna get for my new kitchen:

1. Mixer

2. Cake tins

3. Muffin pan

4. Rolling pin

5. Mixing bowls

6. Wok

7. Steamer

Those are stuffs I can think of now. I believe the list would grow by next year.

When losing money could be fun

2011-12-28T11:40:00.001+11:00

I went to casino yesterday. I didn't go there on purpose actually. I went to the city to meet a friend who came from Singapore. My friend and I had lunch in South Melbourne. I can't recall the name of the cafe. I only could remember that the cafe is a garrage-setting cafe and somewhat overpriced. Well, I can't complain much as it was a free lunch for me. Being always a gentleman, this friend always pays for my meal whenever we go out together. Somehow it made me abit uncomfortable.

Anyway, my friend dropped me at the Crown as I requested after the lunch. There I met Cathrine.

We first played the slot machine as she suggested. She mentioned that she played the machine before and won quite some money. I won $1 only with a capital $6. Hahaha, yeah I'm not a risk taker. Anyway, she ended up losing $80.

Then, we proceed to roulette. I only played with $10 at the beginning. Somehow I won almost every bet. I think I won more than $40. Arggh, I should have stopped at that point. I kept playing until I reached break-even.

Being too over-confident, I bet another $20 and lost it all. Well, it was really fun though it could be more fun if I won.

Happy losers

Sneak peek

2011-12-20T18:30:00.000+11:00

Told ya that I'm moving to a new house next year, did I??

I came to the house to do a detailed measurement today and snapped some photos.

Here are the sneak peek of the house

Kitchen area

Living room

Craving for sweet stuffs so I bought this pods cherry bites. It's gone within half-an-hour.

Japanese cream bread/buns

2011-12-11T18:18:00.010+11:00

I decided to bake this buns/bread after reading a blog post from herfrozenwings

Recipe

Cream bread/buns

120 gr bread flour (I substituted with all-purpose flour)

85 gr boiling water

380 gr bread flour (I substituted with all-purpose flour)

75 gr sugar

6 gr salt

8 gr instant yeast

120 gr cold milk

100 gr whipping cream

1 cold egg

40 gr butter

Method

1. Add boiling water to bread flour from A recipe, mix until well blended to form a dough. Cover and set aside to cool. Keep it into fridge for at least 12 hours.

2. Mix B until well blended (I sifted all dry ingredients together). Add C and knead to form rough dough.

3. At last, add D to form elastic dough (Arghh, I just realised I didn't add any butter at all).

4. Let it proof for 40 mins or until the dough is double in size (I preheated the oven to 30-50C and put a small bowl of water for humidity. Then I store my dough in the oven with the heat off).

5. Divide the dough into 60 gr each. Mould it and rest for 10 mins (I loosely covered the dough with a plastic bag to prevent it from drying).

6. Let the dough proof for another 50 minutes (The dough will spring back when you touch it when the proofing is done). Bake at preheated oven at 190C for 15 minutes.

Mexico Topping

60 gr butter

50 gr sugar

1 egg

65 gr flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Cream A until well blended (I brought the butter to room temperature first before creaming).

2. Add B slowly until smooth.

3. Add in C until well blended.

4. Pipe the topping onto the bread/buns just before baking after 2nd proof (I used small palette knife instead of piping bag. Honestly, washing piping bag is such an ordeal).

The dough before 2nd proofing

Fresh from the oven

Verdict:

1. The bread/buns were soft and fluffy. It turned out alrite with all-purpose flour. Though it might give a different structure if I had used bread flour. I wonder why I couldn't find bread flour in Australian supermarkets. What they have on the shelves is bread flour mix.

2. The topping complimented the buns well. They are all crispy and reminded me of Papparoti, coffee buns, that became a hit in Singapore few years back. Btw, if you decide to use the topping, I recommend you to consume them quickly as the topping would turn soft after a while.

Btw, I ate 3 buns once they were out from the oven, hohohoho. And, I definitely will do this recipe again. Hopefully I can find bread flour by that time :)

Mail and delivery error

2011-12-10T18:06:00.004+11:00

Few months ago when I tendered my resignation, I asked my ex boss to write a reference letter. He got it done at the very last minute. When the HR called me to come to the office to get the letter, I was in the middle of having farewell dinner with my friends. Then, I asked my ex-colleague to get the letter and scan it for me.

I had been bugging her to get the letter actually for the past few months until I gave up. Then, I asked Pia, my friend/ex-flatmate, to get the letter from the HR directly. The HR lady told her that she gave it to me and the letter was not in the office anymore. Duhh...

After a few months since I contacted the HR lady, she found the letter and passed it to my ex-colleague. I asked her to keep it so I could get it from her when I visit Singapore next year. But, I realised that I would need this letter for a credit exemption of my study.

Long story short, I asked Chin to get the letter from this ex-colleague. But the later was too busy to meet up. At the end, she sent the letter to Chin. It's been a week but the letter never arrived. It's officially lost as Singapore delivery system is very reliable and it takes only one working day for a normal delivery.

I was so upset. Was angry to my ex-colleague. And I am still abit upset now. I don't know if I can get my ex-boss to write a new letter for me. I know everybody doesn't have any obligation to help me, but I kept wondering 'what's so difficult to help other people?' Would scanning the letter take alot of time? Did I ask too much??

Anyway, I know there's no point of blaming other people. And, it's only a damned letter that I'm bitching out here. Well, I still have other things in my life that I should be grateful, e.g. I'll be moving out to a house with a pool and jacuzzi in about one to two months time. WOHOOOO!!

More alcoholic?

2011-12-02T23:17:00.005+11:00

One of the bonuses of living in Australia is you can get a cheaper wine. A decent bottle of wine can go as low of ten bucks here. Hmm, I'm not sure how decent they are as I can hardly identify a good wine. What I know is they taste alright for me. And most importantly, they fit my budget as a poor student.

Oh well, long story short, I was enjoying the last drop of wine that A and I bought the other day when he came near me and smelt a 'wine smell' in my breath. Soon, he noticed an empty bottle on the table.

He mentioned that he barely drank it. Ohhh no...I realised that I drank almost the whole bottle by myself. Of course, not within a day. I opened it two weeks ago if I remember correctly.

Guess I need to control myself more...Too much good stuff ain't good too..

Review: Dr. Bronner's magic soaps

2011-11-18T22:33:00.001+11:00

I was looking for a shampoo in my favourite healthcare shop the other day when my friend actually spotted this soap. She told me that she read a good review in a magazine about this soap. As I read the list of ingredients, I didn't find any trace of harmful chemical in the soap which was the biggest selling point for me. During the past one year, I've been trying to switch my beauty products with more natural ingredients. I don't buy anything that contains paraben, SLS, etc. It costs more but I believe the long-term benefit will pay-off eventually.

Long story short, I was sold by the so called an all-purpose cleanser as claimed in the label. The label says that the soap can be used from head to toe. It can be even used for toothbrushing. So I thought the soap was super mild.

How I wish it delivered magics as the name of the brand.

I tried the soap on my hair, face, tooth and body. I couldn't find any benefit at all.

For hair:
I have a sensitive scalp. My hair is prone to dandruff too. I use apple cider vinegar (ACV) to solve this problem but the smell is abit unbearable. So when I bought the soap, I expected that it would at least help my hair and scalp condition. Oh boy, I was so wrong, my scalp was all itchy like hell after I washed my hair using this "magic" soap. And dandruffs were all over my shoulder too.

For tooth:
I had tried to toothbrush for two days and my gum was sore.

For face:
Had been using it for one week and I'm experiencing a breakout. It sabotaged all the good job that yogurt, grape seed oil, Marie Veronique products has done for the past six months.

For body:
It works like a normal soap. I didn't experience any issue for my body skin.

I guess I'll just use it for my body. And, cleaning my face towel...

Wonder how the product looks? Here I snapped the bottle:

99/100

2011-11-16T21:23:00.003+11:00

I'm a bit busy recently, juggling between studying and working. That's one of the reasons my blog is abit quiet.

Btw, did you wonder what's behind my blog title today??

That's my assessment's score for preparing and producing pastries' class. Wohooo, I'm very happy with the score though I had had bad experiences during the assessment. Actually I have blogged those experiences. It's just that I'm still undecided whether I should publish it as it contains hostile and negative comments about my exam partner.

Anyway, back to the exam. The assessment is about eclairs and frangipane tarts. No photo taken again. My partner and I were the second last to finish it. Oh well, I'm still grateful for the assessment's score. And, of course, no more night class for Wednesday!

Diet mode: ON

2011-11-05T23:46:00.004+11:00

Since I came to Australia, I never actually watched my diet and weight. My diet has changed considerably. I eat less vegetable and more meat. And more sweet and fattening stuffs. Being always wrapped with thick clothings, I didn't notice that I've gained weight so much within this half year.

Not until recently when summer is coming - when I start wearing my t-shirt, tanktop, etc. Arghh, all seems tighter now. I examined myself in front of the mirror. Yep, without a doubt that I've gained alot. My cheeks are chubbier, waist seems wider, tummy and arms are bigger too. Fat is all over my body. Sigh, I've gained five kg.

So I'm determined to watch my diet closely. No heavy dinner starting from next week though there are some days, like Monday and Tuesday, when I have no choice but to have a proper dinner due to my school/work schedule which don't allow me to have a proper lunch.

Oh well, I've stocked up some vegetable and fruits for next week. I guess it's a good start.

Eclairs and accident

2011-10-31T20:57:00.006+11:00

Last Thursday was actually my favourite topic -eclairs. I was enjoying the class very much until I got this.

Yes, I cut my own finger while cutting an eclair. It bled badly for the first few minutes. I was quite panic seeing loads of blood. Chef RM, aka my trainer, called a security at the end. The guy came within 5 minutes with the first-aid box. He looked my wound and joked if I wanted to go home earlier. It was a night class though.

At the end, he concluded there's nothing to worry about and it would heal within few days.

I didn't get a chance to take any picture of the eclairs and mille-fueille that I made. Oh well, must be more careful next time.

Happiness in a bowl of soup

2011-10-24T21:08:00.007+11:00

I came to work at 11.45am today to find out that I was supposed to work in afternoon shift, which was 4.30pm.

It was raining and cold and I didn't really have a mood to wander in the city. So I went to school to do my assignment.

After a while, my stomach started grumbling. Saw that the rain had stopped, I decided to walk to Chinatown to have some hot sour soup with noodle. But soon after I walked around one or two blocks, it rained again and the water that blew to my face felt like a cold needle penetrating to my skin. I was wet and cold like a stray dog. At least, that's what I felt.

I reached the restaurant finally after a "long & winding journey". The hot sour soup with noodle didn't take long to finish. I left the restaurant happy. What could be better than a bowl of hot soup to fill the empty stomach in the middle of the rain? Ahh, hot bathtub probably.

But for now, I'll be happy with deep soaking in hot shower :)

Hair dying

2011-10-05T23:11:00.005+11:00

Even for beauty's sake, there are some lines that I draw that I won't cross no matter how tempting it is. One of those is hair dyeing. In fact, I am against it. If my memory served me right, I only dyed my hair twice so far. Yes, the stupidity of youth. And, they were not really dyeing. They were just highlighting.

Why?

One of the obvious reasons is it may cause skin irritation. There are reasons why people need to wear gloves when dying their hair, rite? So why on earth would I apply the hair colouring to my scalp if it is obvious that the ingredient may give irritation to my skin. Well, I'm not saying people can't dye their hair. Of course, people are free to do whatever they want. That's just my personal opinion though.

Btw, before you dye your hair, maybe you could read this interesting fact first.

Another first time

2011-10-04T21:53:00.006+11:00

This afternoon class was my first practical class after the mid-semester break. I was kind of dissappointed though, knowing that the trainer has been changed. I expected one particular trainer to teach this class as I heard from many students that she is a really good teacher.

I'm not saying the trainer that teaches my class now is bad. She's okay actually. Oh well, not going to let this affect my mood. I'm still excited to learn more in this class.

And, today we made this beesting as a group.

I love the filling inside which is creme patissiere but not fond of the topping. The topping is too sweet for me. And I'm a sweettooth. So when I said really sweet, it means really really sweet.

Holiday o Holiday

2011-10-02T13:34:00.011+11:00

Weekend is almost over, so is my school holiday. What did I do during the two-week holiday?

Well, since I haven't got any part-time job, I spent my days with sleeping and eating like a piglet. I visited a tulip farm last Saturday.

The tulips were all gorgeous. Though I feel $18 for the entrance fee is quite expensive. Will I come back again? Maybe no, unless I have to accompany my tourist friends/family.

................

I also baked alot of food - pizza, bread pudding, scones, souffles, etc.

Silent is golden

2011-09-30T18:20:00.006+10:00

This posting is actually just a random thought of mine. It doesn't mean to shoot anyone or anything. I wrote this because I saw too many people vented their angers on facebook.

Ok, let's start. First of all, let's admit that we are attention whores by nature. Yes Yes, I admit I am. When we are angry, we naturally want the wholeworld to know. But, we have choices though, either we tell the relevant party on the face or be silent. So many times I chose to be silent as I didn't have the gut to confront the person I was angry with. Instead of settling the issues, I run away from them.

However, when you choose to be silent, please stop at that point. I know it sounds coward but it's somewhat a better option. I'm not saying you can't talk to your friends about your problem. You can, of course. But what I meant here is colouring your online network status with all your angers, shooting the person whom you are angry with. Basically, announcing to the whole world about your frustation.

Maybe doing that is somewhat therapeutic. I guess people feel better after that. But don't you think it is somehow childish? When kids want to get attention, they scream, shout, cry, etc. Of course, we won't scream like kids but can you see the similarity by posting some ridiculous post in facebook, blog, etc? Let's be real adults and have a better control of our emotion.

Mysterious call and spending

2011-09-21T13:34:00.005+10:00

It started when I saw an unknown missed call from a Singaporean number. Soon I suspected that it was an important call as not many of my friends in Singapore know my Australian number. I asked my friend who lives in Singapore, Deb, to call the number. She called the number but she told me that the number was invalid.

Naturally, I thought it might be from a bank offering some products. So I just let go about the idea of important call until I received another call from the same number on Sunday afternoon. The lady on the phone claimed she was from a bank who issued my credit card. She asked if I had used my credit card recently. I told her that the last transaction was on July 2011. At first, I became suspicious about her, especially when she wanted to verify my credit card number and last name. I didn't tell her the information over the phone. I think she was sensitive enough not to push me with the verification. She just told me that someone might have used my credit card detail to buy something on the net.

After the phone, I immediately checked the transaction on online banking and jumped when I saw $3,000++ bill on my credit card. Hmmm, I have no idea which website the culprit is. But, I think I won't buy online too much. At least, at the moment. Anyway, the bank has blocked my credit card and I'm still waiting for the replacement.

Last assessment for the term

2011-09-19T22:58:00.004+10:00

Last Friday was my hot and cold dessert assesment. I had to make bavarois and souffles for my assessment. Even though I got an A for my assessment, I don't feel that I deserve that mark.

I didn't do well on my bavarois. Actually my bavarois didn't set properly. It felt more like a mousse than a bavarois. I suspect the culprit was the creme anglaise. I didn't warm it until it was thick enough. I was too afraid to overcook the anglaise that I removed it from the fire too early. As result, I lost half of the mark for the bavarois.

Why did I still get A? It's because of the souffles. I got a full mark for the souffles. And, the students were not assessed based on the final products too. The teacher said that we were assessed on many aspects from how we work, whether we use the correct equipment. I think all those things contribute to my mark too. Phew, I expected the worse when I knew that my bavarois didn't set - thought I was going to fail though.

Unpaid Saturday work

2011-09-18T19:29:00.007+10:00

I volunteered for Taste of Melbourne yesterday. I had a great time there even though I wasn't being paid. I met alot of new people.

My role was helping the chefs in food preparation. It's not really difficult since all the food was cooked before the event. I was assigned in plating the appetizer. It's very fun as I worked with sashimi salmon. Yumm, the salmon was very fresh. I tasted some when I was plating the dishes :)

I worked two shifts in one restaurant though I could choose a different restaurant after I finished my first shift. It turned out to be a good decision as I worked long enough for the chefs to see my work. Near the end of my shift, the sous-chef approached me and asked if I was looking for a job. She said that she was impressed with my work as she saw consistency in what I was doing :) She asked for my number and told me that I'll be given a call next week. WOHOOOO!!

And it's not only the sous-chef that asked, the handsome head chef asked me the same question too when I finished my last shift. He gave me his business card and told me to ring him in case I'm interested in working in his restaurant.

It's been a tiring day but it's totally worth it.

Grade A coffee

2011-09-07T18:25:00.004+10:00

Yipeee, I passed another assessment today. And, I got an A. It was coffee assessment. I was asked to make a cup of cappuccino, a cup of caffe latte and two cups of espresso. I was abit nervous during the assessment and made a few mistakes but my technique was alright. The coffee tasted good too - according to my teacher. I don't even know how to differentiate types of coffee, oppsss.

Anyway, I don't need to come back again next week for this class. In fact, most of my class is finishing soon. I'll be having assessments for hot & cold dessert and unit kitchen next week. Then holiday starts!!! Cool, huh?

When thing is so unpredictable

2011-09-06T18:32:00.007+10:00

Melbourne oh Melbourne, why on earth are you so unpredictable? The weather, I mean.

Yesterday I wrapped myself in a thick coat. But, the weather was so hot and sunny. It was the first time I wore a short-sleeves shirt when I was outside since I came here.

So, thinking that today would be sunny and hot as well, I wore a T-shirt with cardigan and a midi skirt. While waiting for the bus, it started drizzling and getting cold. I put on my jacket immediately. Luckly I listened to A's advice to bring an extra jacket.

It rained and was very cold when I was walking to my school from the train station. I cursed like hell. And it was cold the whole day. Boy, the weather here is like a woman, no? Now I know why this city has a reputation of having four seasons in one day.

Oh well, I still love this city though :)

Celebration of food

2011-09-04T11:25:00.006+10:00

My pantry is invaded with so many food recently. We got a bread pudding, scones and mud cakes from my school. On top of that, A's friend gave us three packages of keripik balado and tao sa piah from Indonesia. Oh yeah, not to mention that M bought a tub of ice cream, lamington and pita bread.

Some of the food like pita bread was near to the expiry date so we managed to finish them all yesterday. Indeed, it was the celebration of food.

Here I recap what I ate yesterday:

1. Kiwi and bread pudding
2. Instant noodle wrapped with pita bread
3. Mud cake
4. Keripik balado
5. Ice cream
6. More bread pudding and more ice cream
7. Japanese curry rice

Who needs to go out if someone could have such an indulgence at home? No one, no?

Day of assessment

2011-09-01T18:13:00.006+10:00

Yuhuuu, I passed the assessment today with quite a good mark. My scones got a perfect mark. My mud cake was okay though my teacher told me that she expected more variations in my decoration. I told her that I couldn't get my chocolate twisted. Somehow I got them broken or cracked when I peeled the transfer sheet. At the end, I couldn't come out with my original idea and just did whatever decoration that came to my mind as the time was running out.

But my teacher told me that she's pleased with the result. The glazing was smooth.

And, the thing that made me happy the most is when she told me that I've improved alot throughout the whole term.

Sunny week and stuffs

2011-08-27T11:14:00.003+10:00

I had quite a happening week. Assessment for unit kitchen. Assignment and presentation for my theory class. And, more is comming next week.

I can't believe that I'm going to have two weeks mid-semester break in about two weeks time, which means I'll be attending different classes next-term, i.e. different and more things to learn. Time flies when we have good time, right?

Btw, the weather is pretty good this week. It's sunny and not too cold though the strong wind sometimes spoiled the weather abit. Some people has rocked their summer attire. I saw many people sunbathing, enjoying the sunny weather, in the park outside my campus. It's my first time experiencing the sun in Australia. And I can tell you that the sun is very piercing here. And, it's not even summer yet.

Though I really miss wearing short pants and my Havaianas, I still don't dare to wear it outside. The wind could still be chilling abit.

Anyway, have a lovely weekend everybody. I'll have mine sleeping, eating and relaxing. And, studying....

Missing my juicer and blender

2011-08-15T20:44:00.004+10:00

I used to have a glass of green/fruit juice or smoothie for breakfast when I lived in Singapore. Sounds very healthy, huh? Yeah, that's me. I can have an unhealthy snack, lunch or dinner but I must have a healthy breakfast. period.

When I moved to Australia, I couldn't bring along my juicer and blender as I exceeded the luggage weight allowance. Maybe you asked why I don't buy the new ones here? Well, I still don't want to part with my juicer and blender so soon as they are still in a very good condition. Besides, they weren't cheap at all.

Anyway, I watched 'What Happens in Vegas' yesterday. The main character, Joy, is used to make a smoothie every morning. I'm drooling and missing my juicer/blender even more after I watched that movie.

Well, meanwhile I'll just have to be content with muesli, yogurt or fresh fruits. Or, instant noodle, oppsss

Happy bday

2011-08-12T19:38:00.008+10:00

Today is my dad's special day. How I wish I could be there to celebrate his birthday.

Anyway, I dedicate two desserts that I made in school today for him :P

Brandy snap

Bombe Alaska

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPI. You are everything a daughter could ever have dreamt about in a dad, and I love to be your daughter.

XOXO

Too attached?

2011-08-01T21:51:00.011+10:00

Habits are hard to change, ain't they?

Having been living in Singapore for more than seven years, I got used to to some terms that are pretty hard to change.

I lived in an 8th floor apartment in Singapore and used to the term 'downstairs' whenever I was referring to a nearby eating place/supermarket/convenient shop. They ain't exactly on a lower floor of my apartment but people normally understand when I tell them that I'm going downstairs to buy something. I keep using that term here most of the time and making A confused whenever I tell him that I wanna go downstairs though we live on the ground level.

The other term that I found hard to change is 'MRT'. In Singapore, MRT is a common acronym for train. I know it's rather mouthful as MRT consists of three syllables instead of train which consists of one syllable. However, it automatically come out from my mouth whenever I talk about train.

Experimental cakes

2011-07-28T22:40:00.009+10:00

Today's lesson was to make butter cakes. Wonder why they differ in size? Keep reading!

Each team was asked to make a cake with same ingredients but different measurement or condition. The teacher wanted to show us how the measurement would affect the end product.

My team mate and I had to bake the cake with lower temperature and longer period. The bottom of the cake was considerably darker than the rest due to longer exposure to the heat. It's not cooked evenly and didn't rise (compact texture). The cake was still edible though. I even brought it back home and gave A to taste it.

And, this was what happened if you put too much baking powder: EXPLOSION

And, these were the rest of the experiments

From left to right: 25% more eggs, 1 1/2 more butter, half flour, 1 1/2 more sugar.

Before this, I thought that making cakes was easy as long as we follow the recipe. But it ain't as easy as I previously thought. Even as simple as overbeating/overmixing may ruin your cake.

Lesson of the day

2011-07-26T20:22:00.004+10:00

Uhmm, what can I say about myself? I'm a very practical girl. When I cook, I don't really care about the presentation. I'm more into the taste. As long as the food that I cook tastes good, I don't bother about the rest.

But I really really must improve my food presentation skill now.

Today's lesson was how to prepare 2 types of salad. Though it sounds simple, I made a few mistakes when making mayonaisse and had to make a new batch. Ended up, I almost run out of time. I got panic when chef M (the teacher) told us that we needed to stop in about 10 minutes.

I tossed everything onto the plates and handed them to the teacher without any extra touch to 'beautify' them. The taste was good, but the blotches of oils and vinaigrette on the side of the plates didn't make a good presentation.

So to sum up, my mistakes of the day were:

1. I didn't whisk the egg yolks well before adding oil into it when making mayonaisse. As a result, the ingredients didn't bind properly.
2. I got panic about the timing and threw most of my ingredients into salad # 1. I should have saved some for salad #2. After realising my mistakes, I tried to scavenge some of them from salad #1 that led to the blotches mentioned above.

Miss Blur

2011-07-20T21:58:00.008+10:00

I just can't believe that I put 2 contact lenses on my right eye and didn't realise it until i took them off at the end of the day.

Tell ya how it happened. I usually start with my left eye first. So after I thought I have put them properly on both eyes, I noticed there was 1 lens sticked on my hand. Thought that it was supposed to be for my right eye, I just simply put it on there. I felt a bit uncomfortable so I took it off , thinking the lens was inside out. It was indeed inside out. And, I put the lens back on my right eye. It was comfortable then.

My vision was still a bit blur after I stepped out from my house. But, I thought that my right eye lens must be dropped somewhere in the bathroom. I've experienced this before so it didn't really alarm me. Besides, I still could see properly with my right eye if I clossed the other eye. Maybe the degree has increased.

Uhm, how blur I was!

First day at school

2011-07-19T20:30:00.005+10:00

I had a theory class in the morning and practical class in the afternoon.

We, the students, were taught a basic cutting skill. And not until today I realised that I held a knife in a wrong way all these years :P

The class was quite fun. But having been working in office really made me feel very weak. And, two months idling didn't help at all. The practical class was 4 hours stretch with 20 mins break in the middle. Nevertheless my legs felt sore at the end of the day. Not to mention I got a bit of headache and stiff neck.

I think I need to do something to increase my stamina and get fit.

And guess what, tomorrow class is scheduled at 8am which means I have to get up by 6. Not that I'm complaining here but getting up early during winter is such a pain.

FAQ

2011-07-18T15:39:00.005+10:00

Suddenly so many people became curious about my life here. I've got some random 'friends' called me via msn and getting a bit too concerned (I do feel their insincerity though).

Well, I'm getting tired of answering the same questions again and again from them. And you know what, mostly I'm being asked if I have found a job. Hmm, my answer is NO. But I'd be much delighted if those 'friends' offer me a wee bit of subsidies, hehe.

I encountered some friends who specifically asked that particular question and after I answered them, they went off line without even saying goodbye. I guess some people are simply busybody, no?

Big decision

2011-07-15T20:29:00.008+10:00

Earlier this year, I got a job offer from KPMG - one of the biggest accounting firms. To an old me, the offer was like a dream came true. An offer that I would jump into without hesitation 2-4 years ago. Indeed, it's still a very tough decision. On one side, I didn't feel like working in that line anymore. But on the other side, I know that it would have been an excellent career path. It was a fierce battle. At the end, I listened to my heart.

I landed in Australia, abandoning a good opportunity to work in KPMG, with my heart and mind set to find out what I really want to do in my life. But, I still sent job applications during the first month of my stay although I knew that it wasn't something I really want to do. It's simply trying to get a stable income.

I kept asking to myself if I should enroll in a patisserie course. My interest in this area has grown since I started this hobby last year. In fact, I have considered taking this course before I came to Australia. But the thought of quiting my day job and pursuing my interest was far too scary for me. Besides, I thought the tuition fee was very expensive.

After some struggling, I braved myself to submit my application and went for the interview. The chance was slim because of the popularity of the course and limited student intake. The next few weeks after the interview was indeed a painful waiting game. I think I could only breath after I received the acceptance letter .

So here I am starting my new life as a student again. If you ask me if I'm scared to be out of job. Yes I am. I'm still not used to seeing a stagnant figure, or decreasing, in my bank balance though. But I can tell you that I'm much happier now.

How cautious are you?

2011-07-07T11:49:00.001+10:00

When I first moved to Australia, I was wary about the security here. Having been living in arguably the safest country, Singapore, makes me more cautious whenever I step outside Singapore land.

A chided me when I told him that I was scared to walk back home alone at night. Once, I braved myself to walk back alone at 11pm-ish and I was running like hell as if there was someone stalking me. Ended up, I rang A to pick me up. I had never experienced situation like this in Singapore.

It's funny considering I'm quite brave and don't really like to ask for favours, esp if it's for something that I know I can do it myself.

I'm still not convinced though A told me that our neighbourhood is quite safe. There were several occasions when we left the door unlocked. And, there's even one night when A left the key hanging on the door for the whole night. And yet, noboby broke in.

Hmmm, so am I being over cautious here?

Trying to reason my ~~weird~~ uncommon behaviour, I came out with some points:-

1. The streets here are generally quite dark at night. There are fewer street lights, ahem, compared to Singapore. And, the houses here don't usually switch on the exterior lights. So, in my opinion, it looks a bit of ghost town here, esp after 10pm.

2. Houses here are bigger with larger gardens. I think nobody would ever hear me if I'm crying for help. Somehow I'm more comfortable with the apartment in Singapore. It's quite dense and people can easly spot some suspicious people, no? A argued that Singaporeans are too ignorant and chances are slim that they can hear your cry as they using ear-plugs/phones all the time. Hmmm, maybe true?

Well, maybe it's just me adjusting to a totally new environment.

Proud student :)

2011-07-06T20:52:00.008+10:00

Proof that I am a student (again).

Done with the administration stuff today. It's quite scary to see much fewer people today than during the interview session. I can say that I'm very lucky being selected considering the high competitiveness of applicants.

Weekend story

2011-07-03T00:05:00.008+10:00

Spent my Saturday afternoon reading The Complete Winnie-the-Pooh. Believe it or not, I had never read the Winnie-the-Pooh story when I was a kid before. I only know pooh as a bear who likes honey. That's all.

The book comprises of short stories of pooh and his friends. Guess what, I really enjoy all the stories alot. Never did I know that pooh is very simple minded. He can even forget his own house. And there's one story that he goes round the spinney - tracking tracks. At the end, after being pointed out by Christoper Robin (his friend), he fits his paw into one of the tracks then realises that the tracks are his. Nevertheless, I like his character the most.

And, this particular quote is darn cute. I can't stop smiling when reading this part

It's a very funny thought that, if Bears were Bees,
They's build their nests at the bottom of trees.
And that being so (if the Bees were Bears),
We shouldn't have to climb up all these stairs.

Pooh sings this song when he climbs the tree to try 'stealing' some honey. And I also like his quote before he climbs the tree.

"And the only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey. And, the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it."

Congratulations to ME

2011-07-01T17:06:00.008+10:00

I received the acceptance letter today. And, indeed it's one of the happiest moments in my life.

In fact, my heart stopped for a brief seconds when I was opening the letter. But soon after I saw the word 'congratulations', I was jumping around. I was on the pedestarian in front of my house anyway so maybe people would think that I was a crazy Asian girl. Oh well, that's me. I'm quite spontaneous. I screamed and jumped when I passed my exams, got my PR, got a job, etc.

Oh well, I'm so relieved now. And, I'm so excited to start my new life as a poor student. Hmm, not poor maybe.

William Agliss ROCK!

I still have a bottle of wine to celebrate this happy occasion btw :)

Weekend

2011-06-24T09:58:00.001+10:00

ROCK your weekend, Everyone

XOXO,

Nita

Ticked an item off my to-do-list.

2011-06-20T22:29:00.007+10:00

Done with filling-in the form. The interview is scheduled on Thu, 23rd June.

Nervous..

Dammit I don't even have any idea what I'm doing other than following my heart and preventing me from keep asking 'what if' questions.

Keep my fingers crossed and hope everything turns out well.

Yes, it must.

Good bye to a dear uncle

2011-06-15T11:47:00.003+10:00

My uncle passed away yesterday. Hi succumbed to his cancer. What can I say about him? We were not particularly close but his departure is still a lost to me. A big lost to my big family. A lost to my gram, father and the other aunties. I'm still not used to the thinking that I won't see him again when I visit Jakarta or during a family reunion.

Even though we didn't share many fond memories, I'll always remember those time when I followed him together w/ his ex-wife and son to Puncak, Bandung, Ayer, etc. And I'll always remember him as a person who was always full of energy. Yeah, he bravely fought his illness as well. Because that's what a family would remember. Family forgives and forgets. And that's what I want to remember him. All good things.

Anyway he managed to live for another one year after he first found out about his illness. I do hope that he used his borrowed time to settle his issue, to love and felt love and most importantly, to live like he never lived before.

Good bye Suk Ping. Wish you in a better place right now after leaving this imperfect world.

Small gift yet precious

2011-06-13T21:31:00.004+10:00

Did you ever receive a gift that you rarely use it coz it's too precious to you? I did..

It's a cologne given by my mum during one of my birthdays as a tween. Mum gave me a set of lip gloss/balm together with the cologne. All under the same brand. As you may see that the cologne ain't empty yet until now, and it's more due to evaporation rather than usage. I think it's more than a decade ago since I received this gift. If it were wine, it would be a vintage by now.

Anyway I always bring this lil' bottle with me. When I studied in Malaysia and Singapore. And, then, now, when I moved to Australia.

Natural yogurt mask

2011-05-28T14:15:00.006+10:00

It's been quite a while since I last bought any commercial mask. Reasons are 1) It takes a long time to finish a whole jar/bottle (I don't like to keep beauty products for too long) 2) I didn't see any significant benefit for my skin (I can't deny that my skin would be smoother after applying the mask, but the effect is only temporary).

Cut a long story short, I was sold on natural masks. I've been using honey, white egg, yogurt, etc. It's easy, cheap and most importantly, it's much more effective than other commercial mask.

I was on the mood last nite to beautify my face :)

So I made turmeric yogurt mask.

Ingredients:
1. Plain yogurt, preferably organic (make sure there's no added sweetener, thickener, etc)
2. Turmeric powder

Mix all ingredients together.

Apply to your cleaned face. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse off with luke warm water, followed by cool water.

Yellow monster

PS: Don't worry, the turmeric won't turn you into a yellow monster.

A walk in the park

2011-05-26T21:08:00.009+10:00

Went to the city few days ago. The city looks more beautiful now than the first time I came on earlier this month. Leaves turned to yellowish making the city looks more romantic.

I couldn't resist but to take a stoll in the park though the weather was quite chilling.

Don't be fooled by the sunshine. It was pretty cold

And I can't resist to play with the swing. It's so much fun to get the cool breeze blowing on my face :)

See how high I 'flew'!

What I heart

2011-05-22T12:34:00.003+10:00

here in Oz is that Tim Tam and muesli bars are inexpensive. Yeah I've been indulging myself with lots of chocolate and muesli bars recently :)

Bad news

2011-05-21T22:26:00.005+10:00

Got an unpleasant news about my uncle today. His cancer has spread to other vital organs which means there's a very little chance of surviving. I haven't got the detail yet but we all kinna expected this news since his cancer returned and metastasised.

It's sad to think about it. He's still young, around 57. We were all so hopeful when the doctors said that he was clear last year.

And, it made me wonder what people in their deathbed feel. Are they sad? Are they scared? Did they come to term with the fact that their days are numbered.

Well, maybe that's life. We may try very hard to design our future but at the end of the day we have a little control over it. Accidents, natural disasters, illnesses may happen anytime to anyone.

My new normal

2011-05-16T22:51:00.009+10:00

I went to the city today to meet my new employer. Yeah I got a casual job and will be working for 2 hours this coming Wednesday. I guess he wants to see my performance first before giving me more hours. Well, at least I can earn abit while still hibernating.

Sometimes I actively look for a proper job. But there are times I get very tired looking for a job and just laze around. Sleep and eat and sleep again...Yeah, it has become my daily routine since I came to Melbourne.

A has been very kind so far. He let me use his computer whenever I want. Sometimes I feel guilty for disrupting his work/activity considering most of his work is related to computer.

Btw, I bought chocolate for Deb and 3-in-1 coffee for Chin. I'm not sure if the coffee the I bought is available in Singapore as I'm not a coffee drinker but am quite sure that the choc ain't sold in Singapore.

Mid week and its trivia

2011-05-11T20:13:00.004+10:00

There'll be a first time for everything rite?

So today would be my first time travelling alone to the city. I had a job interview in Collingwood today. A asked me if I need a companion. Hell NO. I feel so tired being dependent to him. At least, that's how I felt when we went to the city together. I'm tired of being able to just check with him whenever I wasn't sure about the train direction or I wasn't sure about how the systems work here. Well, I still asked him about the direction trough phone today but not until I tried to ask around by myself first. At the end, I managed to do 95% by myself though I had to take a big round to reach my destination.

Well, speaking of the interview, I felt uncomfortable the moment I stepped into the office. There were 4-5 candidates waiting in the room. And there were around 10 people by the time they started calling in candidates. The interviewer wasn't so professional either. I think each interview was less than 5 minutes. Argh, such a waste time!

Sunday: Werribee day

2011-05-08T20:51:00.009+10:00

Hi there, how was your Sunday? I have had a splended one. The weather was very cold and windy though. My guy and I went to Werribee today to visit a mansion. And it was my first time visiting a mansion. So excited!

The mansion was located in the middle of nowhere surrounded by parks. A told me that the parks reminded him of parks in England. Well, the mansion itself is quite small. The admission fee is quite reasonable at $7/pax. I think we spent a few hours in there.

After that, we visited a winery next door and bought 2 bottles at the end :) Maybe I'll save 1 bottle for a celebration when I get a job here. Hmmm, an early celebration sounds tempting though.

Oh ya, there's a rose garden there too. Too bad it's winter. I guess it would be much more beautiful in spring.

PS: I saw a rainbow while we're waiting for the bus. A big and beautiful one! Too bad my camera's battery was flat.

Melbourne, I'm in U

2011-05-03T23:22:00.005+10:00

Did I mention before that I'm a city girl?

I used to live in big cities - Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. But now, I don't think I'm still eligible for that category. Well, I have moved from a metropolitan country to another metropolitan country yet I'm far away from a city right now- 45 minutes to reach the CBD. It's not that I lived nearer to a CBD before in Singapore but there are big shopping malls within 15 minutes by bus from my previous apartment.

At my suburb right now, there's only 1 'department store' nearby. And thanks God that it's just across my current house. When I'm saying 'department store' here means something like 'Tampines mart' in comparison. People who live in Singapore will know about that kinna mart.

But the supermarket is quite big - comparable to NTUC/Cold Storage. And what I love is that they're selling alot varieties of yogurt with half of Singapore price :) And some seasonal fruits are quite cheap. But your eyes will definitely pop out once you see the price of banana. It's $13/kg O.O

I went to city today to settle some issues - applying for TFN, medicare, opening bank account, etc. The city itself is crowded like other big cities. The architecture of the city is quite interesting as there's a mix of old and modern buildings everywhere. I even saw 2 carriages with big horses on Swanston St.

First day in Melbourne

2011-05-02T18:53:00.000+10:00

Was welcomed with cold weather and quite strong wind outside the airport. No sightseeing or picture-taking was done as I was very tired. I barely slept during my flight.

Reached A's house at around 11am. I quickly scanned his bathroom. Hmmm..errr..Can't say much rather than it'll need some cleaning.

Well, I can't say much about my impression about this city now as all I did the whole day was just sleep, sleep and sleep. The only thing I observed when I touched down is that the airport here ain't as sophisticated and high-tech as Changi airport though the immigration officers were much more friendly. They smiled and greeted the passengers while still maintaining their efficiency. The officer who attended me even chatted a little with me.

Culture shock?

2011-04-18T01:44:00.006+10:00

@ Jakarta now for my short holiday. Went to Plaza Indonesia yesterday. Was amazed to see how people (women generally) dressed as if they were going to a party. Am I experiencing a culture shock in my own birth place??? Seems so...

And it's really obvious that it became a trend here to speak English, even among fellow Indons. Somehow people here are so proud if they can't speak their own language O.O

I mentioned again and again that I don't really like Indonesia but never once did or will I pretend not to be one and not able to speak the language. In denial that you can speak the language fluently seems like in denial about who you are. Well, maybe that's the result of what the people here exposed to - too much Hollywood in their lifestyle. And, social status may be one of the reasons. It didn't surprise me though as Indons in general are so concerned with what other people may think about them. Ohh welcome to a superficial country where money speaks louder than anything and other people's opinions matter the most!

Durian fiesta!

2011-04-10T02:37:00.007+10:00

Had the best durian desserts last Sunday @ Goodwood Park Hotel. The durian crepe, strudel and puff are the must-try! I can't comment much with the oreo durian cake. I feel somehow that durian n oreo ain't a good combination. And somemore, the base is too soft and watery.

Durian crepe

Durian puffs

Oreo durian cake and durian strudel

Me with my favourite desserts

My buddy Grace - fellow food lover!

Us!

View from my bedroom

2011-04-10T02:32:00.004+10:00

I wonder if I'll ever miss this view...

Of chattering

2011-03-25T14:47:00.004+11:00

It started when I asked my guy on why he never gave me a surpise dinner. And the conversation ended like this:

Me: When there's a will there's a way
A: There are things that are imposible, no matter how much you will it.
Me: You could have been more creative
A: Don't ask what your boyfriend can do for you. Ask what you can do for your boyfriend :)
(He really put that Mr. Smile emoticon)
Me: What an answer
A: What a demand

O.O

A foreigner in Japan

2011-03-18T18:26:00.008+11:00

I've been watching closely the situation in Japan in the wake of tsunami, nuclear crisis, etc

And I was so touched when I read this post from BBC.

Harshad Maral in Tokyo writes: "I fell in love with Tokyo all over again yesterday evening, when I returned home from work with a large number of people in a really crowded train. I see in the spirit of this country, a Phoenix and believe it will rise from the ashes soon. If I leave Tokyo now, I don't think I will be able to work with the same pride when I return. I have decided to stay put and be with my Japanese friends in their time of need."

It left me wonder of what kind of country that could gain such deep loyalty from foreigners. As for myself, I wouldn't sacrifice a single bit to my home country Indonesia, let alone Singapore.

A night owl

2011-03-17T19:41:00.009+11:00

What will you do if you awaken in the middle of night? Reading a book? Surfing the net?

For me, I'll take a small mirror from my side table and start analysing my skin that is far from flawless. Sometimes, if I'm not lazy, I'll grab my camera and snap my face closely.

I was awaken suddenly at 2 am-ish yesterday night with no sign of going sleepy soon...

So I snapped my face

Did you notice 2 acne patches in my forehead area? There are two big pimples under the patches apparently. I'm getting frustrated with my acne/pimples recently and am kinna tired of going facial regularly that only fixes the problem temporarily. OHHH GOSH, when can I get flawless skin?

PS: I bought a ticket to Melbourne and I'll be leaving this tiny island called Singapore in about 1 month plus.

New coat

2011-03-13T13:50:00.003+11:00

Hi there, told you that I'm going to Australia, right??

I'll be going in May (haven't bought a ticket 'till now). But I bought a winter coat. I bought it from asos.

I was very satisfied with their service and quality of the coat. They delivered the coat within 1 week from the day I bought it. And it's free delivery worldwide!! Isn't it wonderful?!

Sweet treat

2011-03-11T16:42:00.005+11:00

During this busy period, nothing can pamper me more than CHOCOLATE.

And, today my thoughtful colleague, Winnie, gave me this.....

XOXO

Old and new

2011-03-08T02:19:00.005+11:00

Decided to toss my old notebook and replaced it with a 'new' one. Been thinkin' to do it for quite some time but felt it's abit troublesome as I needed to transfer some important notes to the new one. Well, I did it last weekend. But I still keep the old one in case there were some information that I missed to transfer :)

PS: Red is the 'new'one.

Busy month

2011-03-03T21:26:00.006+11:00

Been extremely busy at work.

On top of that, I have my guy here to entertain.

Not enough time for myself

Wish that we had 30 hours per day!

Not feeling well

2011-02-22T16:05:00.004+11:00

Been down with fever and influenza these past few days. Doctor gave me 2 days medical leave. Though I'm happy that I have more time to rest at house, I'm abit worried with my work somehow. There're a lot deadlines to meet.

My fever had subsided now. But it turned out that the virus has found and moved to another victim. My poor guy is having a fever now. Seems it's my turn to take care of him now!

Visa GRANTED!! YAY!!

2011-02-22T15:25:00.004+11:00

Yes, my Aus PR has been granted last Friday! Still couldn't believe it. The whole long journey seemed just like a dream!! And my dream came true now...

Now am abit undecided on the timing of the move - it's either early April or May though early May sounds more reasonable somewhat. But I really wanna go asap! Wish I could just pack my luggage and GO.

Ok, will update you again soon!!

Confession of a loner!

2011-02-11T00:27:00.009+11:00

Long before after my ex-roomies left and before my bro and current flatmates came, I used to live alone. And, I really miss those moments. It's not that I'm not happy to live with them. But eventhough I love to be surrounded by my loved ones, I really crave to be alone.

I think what I miss the most is those moments when I could chatter alone. I like to chatter when I recall past events actually, especially those that I think I should have acted/said differently from the actual ones. And most of the times, without realising, I'll say it out of loud in my chatter. My bro catches me sometimes and will ask what I'm talking about!

Ohh well!

Mixed feeling

2011-02-08T14:08:00.006+11:00

As much as I'm excited to move to Australia, I can't help to feel anxious as well. I keep wondering on how my life is gonna be there. Can I get a good job? Can I fit in into their culture? Ok, I have to admit that the scariest part is looking for a job.

As a Singaporean graduate, I don't have many problem when I first looked for a job in Singapore. My qualification is well recognised by the local employers here. But, looking for a job in Australia will be a lot more challenging experience. I need to learn its tax system, companies Act and etc. Though I won't have problem with its accounting standards as it's similiar to Singapore accounting standards.

Well, guess I have to stop worrying so much now!

CNY 2011, Still in Singapore

2011-02-04T03:36:00.011+11:00

I thought that last Chinese New Year was really my last new year for me in Singapore. But seems the universe has a whole different plan in store. Yes, I'm still here in this tiny island of Singapore.

While I had a blast with the gals last year, this year was a bit quiet. Most of my friends went back to their home countries. I had a new year eve dinner with Deb n my bro this time round. Most of restaurants were closed so we just simply chose any restaurant that were still opened. At the end, we had our Japanese-Koreanised dinner in Watami, Ion Orchard. Lucky for us that the food is NICE. The sashimi was really fresh. The Kimchi soup was nice too though could be a bit bland for those kimchi lovers. I ordered a green tea coconut milk ice blended for my drink. A bit disappointed with the drink as I hardly found any trace of green tea on it. Overall the food was okay. The price was steep, though it's still reasonable considering the quality!

So let's see what we ordered

Yes, we all are raw-food eater!

And here are three of us...Full and content!

Movie date

2011-02-02T15:14:00.009+11:00

We watched a movie together for the first time last Saturday. Hmm, not really the first time actually. The first time was together with my sis n her bf. But this time was really both of us only.

Watched Solomon Kane. Not really good though! Initially we planned to watch the Tourist but it was showing no more :(

During the movie, I kept eating my famous Amous cookies and pop corns. At the end, I finished them all. And he said that I was very noisy!

Sweetness

2011-02-01T01:50:00.003+11:00

Tell you what...Long-distance-relationship is not really bad at all.

My guy came to Singapore for his annual visit. During his stay, he treats me like a princess most of the time. He gets my breakfast ready every morning - I can choose anything from toasts to pancakes (of course, as long the ingredient is available). He makes up my bed and folds my pijamas nicely every morning.

And, everything is up to my preference.

Hope he will be forever like this.

----------

I submitted all the additional documents that were requested by Australian Immigration. The only things left were medical reports and Certificate of Clearance which will be sent directly to Australia by the providers. So I have done my part and the only thing I need to do is to wait.

20/01/2011: The day I got a Case Officer

2011-01-21T17:00:00.005+11:00

After 2 years (minus 9 days) of waiting impatiently, I finally received news from Australian immigration.

YAYYY. am so happy and excited. I kept jumping up and down in front of my computer yesterday. After I got the e-mail, I reached my mobile to inform my family and a dear friend immediately. My friend and I were screaming on the phone. All my family members were equally excited too when I told them about the news.

Now, I'm facing some bureacracies. There are some documents that I need to submit within 28 days - medical check up, certificate of clearance from polices. And since I've been living in 2 different countries for the past 10 years, I need to get the certificate from both countries.

Well, can't complain anymore. I got what I had been wanting desperately for 2 years.

Day dreaming

2011-01-10T17:34:00.011+11:00

If I ever lived only for myself, I would have packed all my luggage and flown away. Where? To a far far away country. I would have been a poor full-time student. I would have become a part-time cherry/apple picker or waitress. Or, better, I would have just focussed on my study - I believe that I have saved enough to sustain my living for a full year if I decided to continue my study.

But, I've too many responsibilities. I don't live for myself right now. I have to consider my family for every decision that I make. So, for now, I only can try to live happily everyday.

Hoping for the best.

To be thankful for what I have.

To be content.

Mind vs. Heart

2011-01-06T13:19:00.002+11:00

My mind says "GO ahead" It'll be the best track for you. You just need to be patient for a while and a brighter future will definetly be yours.

But all my heart says "NO" I'm not into it anymore. I've lost my passion there.

Which side will be the winner?

Breakfast: Yoghurt bliss

2010-12-23T13:48:00.001+11:00

Hitachi Face Crie

2010-12-22T01:00:00.006+11:00

Been using the gadget for 2 weeks. My blackheads haven't completely gone though they are lesser now. But I feel amazed whenever I see how the gadget really removes all dirts from my face - posted some pictures to show how dirty my face was. Even after double cleansing!

Close up

After

Before

PS: I don't use it everyday and I don't even use it for 3 minutes as stated in the instruction

Sunday lunch, 18 Dec 10

2010-12-21T02:15:00.002+11:00

The weather was so warm.

Yogurt & chocolates to stuff my empty stomach.

PS: Just got a new camera (A bought it). Hopefully it can motivate me to post more pictures here.

Update: Hitachi Face Crie Ion Cleaning NC-550

2010-12-03T15:18:00.010+11:00

Received one of my orders yesterday. Rushed to finish all my housechores so that I can try the machine on my cleansed face.

The manual is in Japanese so I could only rely on the illustrations. According to some bloggers, the machine will be off automatically after 3 minutes. I was abit puzzled actually. How could wiping a face need that long? Hmm.

Wiped my forehead, cheeks, chin and spent longer time on my nose..Argg!! The light was still blinking...Did I do correctly?! Then I saw the cotton pad. Still VERY CLEAN!! Arggh, something must be wrong!! How could all bloggers that used this machine showed very dirty cotton pads??

Contemplating to continue wiping my faces 'till the light off. But I don't dare considering my face is very sensitive. So I stopped wiping and started to find some logical explanations.

First, I might do proper cleansing. Hmmm... Still not convinced yet. One blogger showed a still dirty cotton pad even after using her clarrisonic.

Second, Singapore is very clean and somemore I seldom spend time outside so lesser dirt on my face..

ARGGHH!! None of the explanations satisfied me.

So I decided to try one more time, but not to my face. I tried it on my leg with some pressure. Then voila, I saw the cotton pad turned to yellow-ish even before 3 mins. (I sterilised the machine with alcohol after that)

Hmm, checked some blogs again and re-read the instructions carefully. Even asked my guy to translate the istructions into English. With some help of him and his friend, I managed to get a clear instruction. Apparently, I have to press gently (like a massage) to my face which I ommited since I was scared to stress my skin.

Ok, will try it again tonight. Hopefully I'll get a good "dirty" result!

Baking marathon

2010-12-01T16:39:00.004+11:00

Been experimenting with making bread and cake recently. Too bad that my camera is spoilt and I haven't managed to find a replacement otherwise would have posted some pictures here.

So, what did I bake recently?

1. Lemon roll
2. Banana cake (love this much)
3. Bread

It's true that practice makes perfect. I think my baking skill has improved alot, esp when baking a cake. However, I can't say much for bread. Most of the bread that I baked was hard. LOL

And my guy is quite pleased with my new hobby. This was our recent conversation recently:

A: At least you have some useful hobby now
Me: Hmmm, you mean I didn't have one previously??
A: The only hobby you had was sleeping
Me: How 'bout talking to you?? Does it count?
A: .......

-_-"

PS: I'm going to make mantou (steamed buns) tonight :)

Xmas presents for me

2010-11-25T17:57:00.014+11:00

Got myself early Christmas presents. Yes I know it’s too early. But I can’t wait for another month anymore. I was mesmerized already with these two products, especially after I read about many ravings in forums/blogs. So, What did I buy??

1. Hitachi Face Crie Ion Cleansing NC-550

It's like a Japanese version of Clarisonic though it functions differrently from the latter. I guess the objective of both product is same - to get a maximum cleaned face :)

2. Derma-roller

via Owndoc.com

Read it yourself here if you're interested. I got some acne & chicken pox scars that I wanna get rid off. After I read all the raves about this product, I decided to give it a try. I know it looks so medieval. I hesitated and was sceptical about the result at first though. However I was convinced after I saw some pictures of fellow bloggers who already tried this roller.

Should I try a tanning lotion?

2010-10-26T16:24:00.005+11:00

I went to a beauty-product shop on the way to train station just now - I had to pass something to my bro in station. While just browsing through different skin/hair products, one particular lotion caught my eyes. It's a tanning lotion. While I was studying the ingredients, a shop assistant approached me and told me bluntly that the lotion ain't for giving fairer result on skin. I smiled and nodded briefly.

Perhaps, it's an uncommon for a Chinese woman with sun tanning lotion. It's trully understanable though, considering most of Chinese women, in general, are so obsessed with fair skin.

Hmmm

Somehow, I am obsessed with golden tanned skin. I always droll when I see women with tanned skin. Dark and sexy. ARGGHH!! Totally jealous...

I didn't buy the lotion. Very tempted though.

Who creates the problem here??

2010-10-24T18:06:00.008+11:00

Many locals complain about the impacts of foreign talents (FT) on job market - how the locals lose out their competitiveness due to cheaper wages. I really wonder why do locals do nothing but blaming other people for their situation.

First of all, locals can't blame 100%FT for willingly accept lower wages. Blame it first to cheapskate local employers who like to take advantages from FT. When there's a demand, there's a supply, ain't it?? I don't believe anybody is willingly or eagerly to be paid much lower than what he/she deserves. The same goes to FT.

Some of FT come along way from their own countries to find a better life, to earn money - earn enough for them and their family back in their home countries. Imagine this, A comes to Singapore to find a job. A gives up his current job in his home country. He uses all his saving to pay for an air ticket, room rental, food, etc. He sends many resumes to many companies. And of course, not all responds to his application. But some who invite him always ask him to lower his salary expectation. His saving is running low and he has no choice but to accept the 'best' offer available. So, who must be blamed for this???

I remember a few years back when I was still a fresh-grad, looking for a job was endlessly painful. Some potential employers only want to hire locals/PRs. I send thousands of resume. And when finally I got interviews, some of the potential employers, knowing that I wasn't in a good position to bargain, discouraged me by saying that my expectation was too high and asked me to lower my expected salary. And this was not experienced by me alone. It happens to most of my foreigner friends as well.

So, what made you think that foreign talents spoils the market when, at the first place, local employers are the one who make the decision to hire cheap FT so that they can pocket more money at the end of the day??

Courage

2010-10-07T16:07:00.001+11:00

"Do not waste your life, because life is there-all you have to do is reach out and embrace it. Anything is possible. Whatever your dream is, make it happen. Have courage. Start today. You will be amazed what life will give you in return for a little bit of courage.

Courage is a choice.

Be certain of one thing: The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage."

-Matthew Kelly-

Lunch - Sept 30, 2010

2010-09-30T14:14:00.004+10:00

Today's lunch:
- Celery salad with tomato & tuna
- Brownies (I baked!)

I have childhood snacks, do you?

2010-09-28T13:53:00.015+10:00

Have you ever had such a sentimental feeling over certain food/drink/snack? That you prefer to eat though you can find zillions of other better ones?

I do have. It's my childhood snack. Most Indons most likely know this chocolate bar called Beng-Beng. It’s like Indonesian’s version of Snickers or Mars bar. Though it’s not as chocolaty or tasty as other more expensive brands, it never fails to bring a smile on my face whenever I open the wrap. Perhaps it’s the sentimental feeling. That snack bar often accompanied me during afternoon break and school recess since kindergarten.

And, thanks to W who brought me 1 box of Beng-Beng though he stole one bar from me :P

Quote of the day

2010-09-24T15:08:00.011+10:00

What if something starts so beautifully turns ugly???

FUCK IT

AND

MOVE ON

Reading is beautiful

2010-09-23T16:13:00.005+10:00

Been neglecting my study recently. Instead I read more books. Hehe, I just borrowed 2 books from a library last Saturday. Had managed to finish one and the other is still on progress.

1. Babushka's Beauty Secret by Raisa Ruder and Susan Campos

The book gives many natural homemade mask recipes for face and hair. I like it as most of the ingredients are easily found and inexpensive. However, some of the recipes contain more than 2 ingredients. I'm not fond to use more than 2 ingredients for my face/hair mask as I prefer not to safe any extras. And it's more practical to use less ingredients.

2. Business Stripped Bare by Richard Branson

Started reading the book today. Too early to tell if I'll like the book. I don't know about you guys, but I really really love to read stories of successful people. Their stories energize and motivate me. I feel recharged whenever I finished reading all those stories.

New update

2010-09-22T14:40:00.004+10:00

I juz checked the processing status of Australian PR. I always left with uncertainy when I saw the updates as normally the immigration would only give a general information about the application status. But when I rechecked through an automatic mail updates yesterday, my hope soared. The immigration officers are currently processing all applications that have been lodged before 10 June 2008.

They haven't processed mine yet though. I lodged mine in Jan 2009. But using my mental calculation, I think I should be able to hear any news from them by early next year. Isn't it great??? Yeah! Obviously...

I juz can't wait to start my new life overthere. New life. New job. New country.

Goat milk: Are you game?

2010-09-20T13:03:00.007+10:00

Many people have been raving about the health benefit of goat milk. I never bothered to try until I read "Babushka's Beauty Secrets". The author suggested to use goat milk to cleanse your face for a good skin.

So, I went to a supermarket yesterday and only found 1 range of goat milk. And only 1size. It's S$2.80 for 200 ml. Expensive though! It's four times the price of normal cow milk that I am used to buy.

Ok, so how to cleanse your face effectivey without wasting it?

Pour 1-2 tbsp of goat milk into a small container and soak a cotton ball in it. Wash your face first before rub the milk-soaked cotton ball onto your cleaned face. Leave it for 5-10 minutes before rinse with lukewarm water. Result?? I haven't felt anything magical yet. Think I'll have to wait for 1-2 months to see the result

Although this will be my routine, the goat milk lasts only for 1 week. I think there'll be some milk left at the end the week so I'm planning to drink some first. It smells very strong though.

The cost of Health: PRICELESS

2010-09-16T20:10:00.002+10:00

Went back to an ENT specialist this morning. I was supposed to see the doctor 2 weeks earlier but I postponed it. I was dreading the appointment, actually. From previous appointment, the doctor had told me that he would perform an endoscopy if my blocked ear still persists to see if in any case there's a tumor in my nose or throat. And it scared the hell out of me.

And Oh NO. the medical bill!! Holly shit. It really ripped me off. I forked out around S$250 including the medicine from a previous appointment.

So I postponed as long as I can.

Today, first and hopefully the last experience of getting a small and long scope inserted to my nose, ears and throat. I was put under a local anesthesia. The doctor sprayed something in my nose and throat. My throat was numb for 20 minutes after that. The whole procedure lasted for 10-15 minutes if I recalled correctly. Not as scary as I thought.

The doctor didn't find anything abnormal. But, the right tube that links my nose and right ear (Eustachian tube if I'm not wrong)looks not as clear as the other tube. Looks bumpier in my term and more swelling.

And the medical bill, I paid S$22. Cheap, ain't it? That's the price I pay if the procedure is covered under Medishield. The thing is I'm not sure if Medishield covers that. The hospital staff couldn't tell me either. So, until the final bill comes, I'm not supposed to be over excited about my current bill though.

Btw, I still need to see the doctor in next 2 weeks again. Oh dear!

Long weekend

2010-09-12T23:13:00.009+10:00

Thursday, 9 Sept 2010

Went to facial last Thursday night. The saloon is at SOHO, The Central. The overall service is just okay. But I totally fell in love with the place. Apparently, the owner lives over there too. The view is overlooking boat quay area and it's totally beautiful.

Too tired to cook then after, I bought sushi at a supermarket for my dinner. I don't what about you but I really prefer to eat at home unless I wanna enjoy the ambiance of particular restaurants. The queue can be really crazy here in Singapore especially during Friday evening or eve of public holiday.

Friday, 10 Sept 2010

Got a housewarming party at Nia & Vel's house. Apparently, Vel's mom was in Singapore and she cooked soto for all of us. How nice she is. Spent my afternoon and evening at their house. Did nothing than chit chatting with friends.

Saturday, 11 Sept 2010

Just as usual, I went to Saturday service. Had a Vietnamese dinner and a Chinese dessert in Dessert First in Bugis area. Friends and I finished the day earlier than usual. I recalled it's around 9.30pm when I took a train from Bugis.

Sunday, 12 Sept 2010

Did nothing other than sleeping, studying abit and watching Ghost Whisperer. Ahh, how time flies so fast, especially during weekend and I can't believe that my long-weekend was just over. I'll have to go back again to work tomorrow.

Busy days

2010-09-09T01:39:00.008+10:00

Work has been busy these past few days. I just took over a job that was supposed to be done by colleague. She went holiday before she could finish the job though she has tried her best to complete it.

I have no choice but to continue her work and catch up as fast as I can. I particularly hate taking over other people's job as I need to study the whole thing again within a very short period. Anyway, I tried to do it at my best but somehow I still couldn't get some information I wanted. So, my client and I arranged a meeting yesterday. Client came at 5 pm, about 1 hour late, which is exactly 1 hour before my office off. And I have a facial appointment at 7 pm. The meeting was tough. My boss and client couldn't agree on so many things. After a long argument, they called it a day. I quickly rushed to my desk and tossed all my stuffs to my handbag. Called the lady to postpone the appointment for another 15 minutes. Unfortunately, she couldn't wait as she had another customer after my session. So the facial was called-off at the end.

Prejudice

2010-09-05T23:10:00.005+10:00

I often feel prejudice toward other people. When a person doesn't do or does something that I think I would not have or would have done if I were him/her, I can't help but to think negatively about him/her.

It happened recently when I suddenly thought that one of my acquaintances was an opportunist. I felt guilty the moment that thought flashed in my mind. Who am I to judge people like that? Everybody has his own problems/circumstances. I don't know about that person's life. And I don't have any right to impose what I should have or shouldn't have done on anybody. Nobody likes to be judged so let's not easily judge anybody.

Being fussy!

2010-09-01T14:44:00.000+10:00

Got a call last week from the firm that I've sent my resume long time ago. The lady who called me mentioned that the firm is in the mist of recruiting. Soon after the call, I checked their website and see its profile. After checking the partners, head departments and stuffs, I lost my interest. It's not that I'm biased toward certain races or nationalities. But having been working with and liase with those races have made me think very judgemental about them. I don't think I wanna face the same problem again and again.

Books - August 2010

2010-08-27T11:21:00.000+10:00

Books of the month:
- Retire Young Retire Rich by Robert T. Kiyosaki
- Think Like a Billionaire by Donald J Trumph

Not really impressive though.

Communicating within 4 countries

2010-08-24T16:33:00.001+10:00

Dad – Shanghai, China
Mom and Sis – Jakarta, Indonesia
Bf – Melbourne, Australia
Bro and I – Singapore

It can be time consuming when your loved ones live in 3 different places on earth. I’ve been managing my time to keep in touch with all of them. It’s quite difficult though. By the time I go back home and run some errands which includes shopping for groceries, cooking, dining and etc, it’ll be around 9ish pm. Then some rituals happen – talking with bf that normally lasts for 45 –60 min, depending on my phone's battery; calling my family back in Indonesia; then I enjoy my leisure time – browsing internet, checking on youtube or simply reading a book. Now, as my dad is in Shanghai due to a family commitment, I need to divide even more of my time. I notice recently that my time after work has been revolving around cell phone or telephone.

The best is yet to come

2010-08-12T17:35:00.002+10:00

Been planning a lot recently - many things to do, to consider and to find the best option. But I’m excited beyond all reason. It’s like seeing a light at the end of tunnel finally. I know the path I've chosen won’t be smooth. It won’t be as sweet as I imagined. But I will work it out. Meanwhile, I can’t share my plan here as everything is still so sketchy and I prefer to keep this to my family and circle of closed friends.

When people abused....

2010-07-21T18:05:00.006+10:00

I love social networking. It’s fun and it’s a place where I can share my ideas, pictures, latest news, etc with my friends. And it’s kinna fun also to get some responses, either bad or good, from my friends. But the fun part was gone when the users stop having courtesy.

The users get out of a limit when:

1. They tag you on the picture of some goods that they are selling.

I don’t mind people promoting their stuffs on social networking. Anyway, it’s one of the purposes of social networking, isn’t it? You get larger audience – people you might not know personally may see your products. I don’t mind about it at all. But I really do mind when people tag me in the picture of their goods. It’s getting more irritating when soon after they tag you, there are comments/questions on the products. My e-mail inbox folder gets full of junks because I opted to get notification on every comment/messages that I get from my social network provider. People may suggest that I may change my setting so I can’t be tagged on picture. Yeah, I can do that. But it’s totally unfair. Why do I must change when it’s clearly not my fault? How about people who really want to tag me genuinely because I am really on the pictures? Anyway, that’s the purpose of tagging picture - so that you can share the picture to people you wanna share to, am I right here?

I think I already reached the point whereby peer pressure is no longer exist in my life. I don’t really care what people may think of me if I toss them out of my social networking. I don’t really care if my list of friends is reduced by 1 or even 100. So, voila, I don’t hesitate to toss any trashes/junks.

2. Strangers send you message and tell that you are cute/pretty.

HELLO?? Pervert may lure out a naïve teenage girl but not a smart girl. And I belong to the later. Why do I have even response to your pervert message if the first impression that I get from the person is ‘you are nothing than a pervert/maniac’? Waste my time not!

3. Strangers keep sending friend requests no matter how many times you reject.

If you really think you know me or are my long lost friend, please have a courtesy to say, at least, hello and say why on earth you may think that I know you. If you don’t know me personally but want to befriended me, at least please say it. You don’t just bump stranger on the road and start asking his/her personal life, do you? My social networking may contain private information about me and I don’t personally like to share it to public.

Those above are what I’ve experienced so far!!

About getting healthy!!

2010-07-20T11:59:00.004+10:00

I had my yoga session last night. After skipping last week session, all my legs and body have become a bit stiff. I really wanted to give in to my body and didn’t wanna try to stretch and bend my body much. I started to find some excuses in my mind such as I have worked all day and I’m very tired, my body needs to be pampered not tortured. But the purpose I signed up for the class is to work my body out. So, forcing myself to get the most of the session, I tried to bend and stretch as hard as I can (Ouch!!).

Being away from my family

2010-07-17T01:30:00.002+10:00

I sent my mom and sis off to the airport yesterday night. Yeah, they had a holiday here for a week. I felt very sad when I saw them entering the immigration check- point.

I kept remembering those days when we're still living under one roof years ago - best years ever. I never appreciated those moments and took everything for granted last time. Now, getting older, I realised that my family is my top priority. They are the one whom I called 'home'.

Hope one day, my family and I can live together in 1 country where we won't need to wait for few months to see each other. Where my sis and I can go shopping together as we like. Where my parents can have a better life. I'll just cling to that vision until it comes true.