I don't like venturing too far from my abode on the weekends unless it's absolutely necessary. Or if brunch is on.. then I will gladly travel within reason.
And so, I had a lovely weekend driving around the local.
Satuday, I finally got my breaducation class booked in and I was rather excited to do the afternoon course at Brasserie Bread. And I loved it, lots of fun. But not so many tips and tricks. A well-established, very successful bakery is not going to give you all their secrets just because you paid for a class...
The flour, yeast, oil, water was all pre-measured. We used their proofing rooms and commercial ovens. I don't think you are quite going to get the same result at home... no matter how hard you try and replicate - even with a recipe (which you do get). It will almost always be a little lacking.
But I still had fun kneading and shaping by hand. I was personally thinking that I'd never do it at home because of the time and commitment it takes. Why invest in a kitchenaid if you weren't going to use it?Sure, no worries when you got a spare 3 hours... but not when you are doing a billion other things which usually is the case on the weekend. Nonetheless, I felt that I didn't get much one-on-one attention because I got the grasp of the technique fairly early on. Boo. And okay, I know that our instructor Matt said that its really different when you shape by hand. You can feel the gluten structure, yadda yadda but I think with enough care, you can achieve almost identical results from a machine. Timing and getting it right.
So in this class, we made 2 schiacciata con l'uvas, 2 baguettes and 6 dinner rolls. And we also got a tour of the production facilities (amazing) and made me grin when I saw that they use the same brand of flour that I use. We also got to taste all their breads... the olive and rosemary and the caramelised garlic... yum. I have no ever eaten so much bread in my entire life. We also got to take some pastries and a loaf of sourdough home. Pretty yummy stuff. Must go to this place for allespresso coffee and brunch one weekend!
I was surprisingly pretty wiped but not (cause I was so loaded up on carbs) after this class so I'm really glad I had a quiet night in.
Today was a mixed day. I feel like I achieved a lot and also not much at the same time. I had a few egg whites sitting around. And due to the ginormous failure of last weekend's macaron project. I wanted to ensure that I still had the touch and that I could still do it. I took my time and lots of care and prevision and wholla, most came out looking damn good...! Not looked so good in many attempts. So I think the key is not to overwhelm myself. Quality not quantity.
Around about this time, Donna and Tab came to scavenge. And they were most welcome to take away the culls and the off bits. :P And also some of my bread! They didn't stay long and I didn't want them to because promised Mum we'd go and check out bathroom vanities and showers and what not.
And I've always known that the Punchbowl area had lots of these shops and I have driven past them countless times on the way to visit my grandma but not once did I ever stop to notice. Not until this afternoon when we were walking up and down Canterbury Road and visiting each of these shops. We even stopped by the McDonald's that was my childhood playground (? not entirely correct term) but there wasn't a sense of deja vu. It was too new, too renovated, too done up. Sister and I decided that we want a shower that has a removable shower head as well as the rain shower head on the top.
We also stopped by Bunnings on the way home to have a look at the stuff they had there.
Not so into renovating so didn't really care too much what was on display but one day, in my own home... I would love to spend days exploring and planning.
I'm now working on two new projects. Salted pandan and coconut ice cream from an ice cream maker. Turned out good... a little too salty, not a fan of the neon green and still very soft so requires time overnightin the freezer but not bad for a first attempt.
Second project is green tea ice cream being whipped by hand. It is a fugly green because I did not add more food colouring. But flavour is there. Whipping by hand is a b*tch. Now you probably understand why i always say I am a lazy baker. Anything to cut the time and processes short please... I have been checking the mixture every half hour out of the freezer and whipping it again and again and it is still very soft and not airy enough! I feel like I'm running out of time. Or is it patience?
And so, I had a lovely weekend driving around the local.
Satuday, I finally got my breaducation class booked in and I was rather excited to do the afternoon course at Brasserie Bread. And I loved it, lots of fun. But not so many tips and tricks. A well-established, very successful bakery is not going to give you all their secrets just because you paid for a class...
The flour, yeast, oil, water was all pre-measured. We used their proofing rooms and commercial ovens. I don't think you are quite going to get the same result at home... no matter how hard you try and replicate - even with a recipe (which you do get). It will almost always be a little lacking.
But I still had fun kneading and shaping by hand. I was personally thinking that I'd never do it at home because of the time and commitment it takes. Why invest in a kitchenaid if you weren't going to use it?Sure, no worries when you got a spare 3 hours... but not when you are doing a billion other things which usually is the case on the weekend. Nonetheless, I felt that I didn't get much one-on-one attention because I got the grasp of the technique fairly early on. Boo. And okay, I know that our instructor Matt said that its really different when you shape by hand. You can feel the gluten structure, yadda yadda but I think with enough care, you can achieve almost identical results from a machine. Timing and getting it right.
So in this class, we made 2 schiacciata con l'uvas, 2 baguettes and 6 dinner rolls. And we also got a tour of the production facilities (amazing) and made me grin when I saw that they use the same brand of flour that I use. We also got to taste all their breads... the olive and rosemary and the caramelised garlic... yum. I have no ever eaten so much bread in my entire life. We also got to take some pastries and a loaf of sourdough home. Pretty yummy stuff. Must go to this place for allespresso coffee and brunch one weekend!
I was surprisingly pretty wiped but not (cause I was so loaded up on carbs) after this class so I'm really glad I had a quiet night in.
Today was a mixed day. I feel like I achieved a lot and also not much at the same time. I had a few egg whites sitting around. And due to the ginormous failure of last weekend's macaron project. I wanted to ensure that I still had the touch and that I could still do it. I took my time and lots of care and prevision and wholla, most came out looking damn good...! Not looked so good in many attempts. So I think the key is not to overwhelm myself. Quality not quantity.
Around about this time, Donna and Tab came to scavenge. And they were most welcome to take away the culls and the off bits. :P And also some of my bread! They didn't stay long and I didn't want them to because promised Mum we'd go and check out bathroom vanities and showers and what not.
And I've always known that the Punchbowl area had lots of these shops and I have driven past them countless times on the way to visit my grandma but not once did I ever stop to notice. Not until this afternoon when we were walking up and down Canterbury Road and visiting each of these shops. We even stopped by the McDonald's that was my childhood playground (? not entirely correct term) but there wasn't a sense of deja vu. It was too new, too renovated, too done up. Sister and I decided that we want a shower that has a removable shower head as well as the rain shower head on the top.
We also stopped by Bunnings on the way home to have a look at the stuff they had there.
Not so into renovating so didn't really care too much what was on display but one day, in my own home... I would love to spend days exploring and planning.
I'm now working on two new projects. Salted pandan and coconut ice cream from an ice cream maker. Turned out good... a little too salty, not a fan of the neon green and still very soft so requires time overnightin the freezer but not bad for a first attempt.
Second project is green tea ice cream being whipped by hand. It is a fugly green because I did not add more food colouring. But flavour is there. Whipping by hand is a b*tch. Now you probably understand why i always say I am a lazy baker. Anything to cut the time and processes short please... I have been checking the mixture every half hour out of the freezer and whipping it again and again and it is still very soft and not airy enough! I feel like I'm running out of time. Or is it patience?
Lol
There is a party going on next door. And they are comparing excel formulas and notes.
It is bloody hilarious.
There is a party going on next door. And they are comparing excel formulas and notes.
I can do a macro!
My pivot tables are awesome.
OMG I know how to do autosum!
Who uses pie charts???
It is bloody hilarious.
I can safely say that I was pretty unappreciative of the opportunities and work I was given in my last company. I don't really need to go into all the details but pretty much until Mr I-give-him-so-many-referrals-but-the-favour-isn't-returned came along, it was a pretty dark place. I didn't have a good mentor (in the three that came and went) and the work I was doing wasn't quite enough for my development. Opportunities were lacking to say the least.
And then, it kind of shifted gears and went up a notch. And probably another one because I wanted to learn and asking for more work. And if it wasn't for those last 15 months including the 3 at the very end running Finance by myself that my professional development exploded. So much so that I was taking on so much, it gave him too much free time. But these things don't happen overnight. And the guidance and the mentoring and the help - professionally and personally - over this time has really defined where I am today.
Why am I saying this?
I had a coffee catch-up with Nick this morning. And I was talking about some of the stuff happening at work. And he was telling me about his. And how there's no one left that we would know at said company. That's really bad considering it has only been about 15 months since I left.
Basically, I was comparing myself now to who I was back then and how I now let things slide (a lot of things...) when 2 or 3 years ago I would have gone down kicking and screaming. How I now play the ball, not the person. How to kill them with kindness. I wouldn't have this self-restraint had I not worked with a bunch of wolves before. Trust nobody but yourself.
I think he's doing a bit of the same. A little bit of soul searching... sending those feelers out there... looking for the next step. I'm hearing that a lot these days. People are tired, wanting to move on and the perfect opportunity to look and do so with the new year is just around the corner. I think 2015 will be one of many changes.
Second reason this has come up in my mind. Chris texted me today. I sound surprised. I am surprised. Second week into the new job as an AA and I got the feeling he was desperate and in need of a LOT of help. Working late hours already. He asked me about payroll tax and some journals. I actually responded by saying that his manager should be able to help. He said that his manager didn't know.
And it became clear to me that he doesn't have the right mentor in place to help him in his professional development. And that is a problem. Because you can only be as good as how you've been taught. You help yourself by asking the right questions. But if those questions go by unanswered, or answered incorrectly, then what are you learning? He was asking pretty basic stuff. (And personally, that is why I will never work for a small company again. This is another topic altogether).
And it also makes me wonder, how can there be people out there who are Finance Managers and Financial Controllers who don't know the basics of running a finance department? In the very least, you need to be able to provide guidance on how to achieve something. Self-help is great but as the leader, you should be pointing them in the right direction and steering them back on course when they aren't!!! And hold their hand if they need it (but only briefly)! Because I definitely did not learn everything in one go. Sometimes not even in two or three... Hashing things out is also part of the experience. Who wants to be told how to do EVERYTHING without coming up with a more efficient process or doing something when they disagree with the thought process?
I'm still learning, everyday. And I'd like to think by now, I can see through the BS and be able to decide for myself who I can learn from, who would be a good mentor and where I need more development. I had lunch with two ladies today - both in completely different departments - one in Business Ops and one in Partner Consulting. Both excellent candidates for new mentors, and they extended the invitation to me to ask them anything, anytime. They have more than 30 years experience at my company between them. Something that is invaluable and something I should be using to my advantage. No one is going to care about your career except yourself. You can't wait for opportunities to be presented to you. If the right one comes by, speak up and put your hand up. Because no one else will do it for you.
And then, it kind of shifted gears and went up a notch. And probably another one because I wanted to learn and asking for more work. And if it wasn't for those last 15 months including the 3 at the very end running Finance by myself that my professional development exploded. So much so that I was taking on so much, it gave him too much free time. But these things don't happen overnight. And the guidance and the mentoring and the help - professionally and personally - over this time has really defined where I am today.
Why am I saying this?
I had a coffee catch-up with Nick this morning. And I was talking about some of the stuff happening at work. And he was telling me about his. And how there's no one left that we would know at said company. That's really bad considering it has only been about 15 months since I left.
Basically, I was comparing myself now to who I was back then and how I now let things slide (a lot of things...) when 2 or 3 years ago I would have gone down kicking and screaming. How I now play the ball, not the person. How to kill them with kindness. I wouldn't have this self-restraint had I not worked with a bunch of wolves before. Trust nobody but yourself.
I think he's doing a bit of the same. A little bit of soul searching... sending those feelers out there... looking for the next step. I'm hearing that a lot these days. People are tired, wanting to move on and the perfect opportunity to look and do so with the new year is just around the corner. I think 2015 will be one of many changes.
Second reason this has come up in my mind. Chris texted me today. I sound surprised. I am surprised. Second week into the new job as an AA and I got the feeling he was desperate and in need of a LOT of help. Working late hours already. He asked me about payroll tax and some journals. I actually responded by saying that his manager should be able to help. He said that his manager didn't know.
And it became clear to me that he doesn't have the right mentor in place to help him in his professional development. And that is a problem. Because you can only be as good as how you've been taught. You help yourself by asking the right questions. But if those questions go by unanswered, or answered incorrectly, then what are you learning? He was asking pretty basic stuff. (And personally, that is why I will never work for a small company again. This is another topic altogether).
And it also makes me wonder, how can there be people out there who are Finance Managers and Financial Controllers who don't know the basics of running a finance department? In the very least, you need to be able to provide guidance on how to achieve something. Self-help is great but as the leader, you should be pointing them in the right direction and steering them back on course when they aren't!!! And hold their hand if they need it (but only briefly)! Because I definitely did not learn everything in one go. Sometimes not even in two or three... Hashing things out is also part of the experience. Who wants to be told how to do EVERYTHING without coming up with a more efficient process or doing something when they disagree with the thought process?
I'm still learning, everyday. And I'd like to think by now, I can see through the BS and be able to decide for myself who I can learn from, who would be a good mentor and where I need more development. I had lunch with two ladies today - both in completely different departments - one in Business Ops and one in Partner Consulting. Both excellent candidates for new mentors, and they extended the invitation to me to ask them anything, anytime. They have more than 30 years experience at my company between them. Something that is invaluable and something I should be using to my advantage. No one is going to care about your career except yourself. You can't wait for opportunities to be presented to you. If the right one comes by, speak up and put your hand up. Because no one else will do it for you.
And the competition moves to Parramatta! Which is surprisingly quick to get to from Burwood...
It was Harry Potter themed because one of the guys in the team was named Harry. And I think he actually did a lot of the cooking. Impressive dishes... lamb (overcooked), chicken (ironically undercooked) and giant prawns for main with salad and potato hash (which was described as looking like "concrete" from a fellow teammate of mine... LOL. Yes, this competition is taken uber-seriously. There is a plaque at the end and this is the 3rd year they have done it!).
And soups, scones, chiffon cake, brownies, jelly, salad, bread, fried cronuts, strawberries and mini M&Ms for entree. Are you confused yet?? The idea behind the theme was to make it look like the Harry Potter movies where the long tables are just flowing with food. It kind of worked but all the sweets things for entree was a little strange!
Dessert was a rendition of Black Star's Watermelon Cake. It wasn't quite right but looked really pretty nonetheless. And the granita was really good. And to think Joyce did it all.. impressive!!! Like a mix between lunch and High Tea is what they called it. I am sooo going to try and make her Earl Grey Chiffon Cake.
I think most of us were more excited about watching the actual movies - we watched the last movie and Goblet of Fire. Ha ha ha... Cedric... Cho....
Then we youtubed bad lipreading and karoke-d Let it Go a few times and some other random stuff. Made for a great, relaxing afternoon. I think we were really noisy though. It was like.. someone would say something and it would get shot down and the volume would just rise and rise and rise until we were shushed again. hehehehe. They are a really crazy bunch.. who would've thought?! Different to my bunch but probably not so different in many aspects. I would say there are more dynamics in play here.
Yawn. I think its past my bedtime...
But let me tell you of the story of a recent Friday afternoon / evening. Where the wine and food flowed. And the wine kept on flowing until around 9 p.m. Yes, for those who are mathematically minded, that is 8 straight hours of drinking. Now, if it was 1 drink per hour, yeah... I would have been fine. No such luck.
It was the widely anticipated Team Thank You for Q2 Lunch that was sponsored by our awesome MD & CFO. Very generous.
And we were chauffeured in a corporate car to one of the old wharfs by Pyrmont to a beautiful restaurant (can you guess which one yet?)... Flying Fish. We had an amazing 3-course lunch and probably about a bottle of wine each in the end. The champagne was flowing, then the whites and then the reds and luckily they served coffee at the end!
I chose Yellowfin Tuna with Pork crackling to start (the sauce was a tad too sweet for me) but the fish was perfect (well, it was raw....)
Followed by a rack of lamb and wilted vegetables and a fried lamb croquette kind of thing. SO YUMMY. But then, everyone else's choices looked really good too!!! This was served with hand cut chip and leaf salad.
And for dessert, it was a Rhubarb Compote with wattle seed and chocolate sorbet, gingerbread dirt and toasted marshmallow. It was sweet and very tart at the same time but the sorbet... BLEW. MY. MIND. I want to re-create it. It was like choc-lately but without the milky texture. But it wasn't sweet. And the wattle seed reminds you of sesame but not as fragrant. But it was so well-balanced. Wow. And about 5 glasses of wine later... we were heading for a very very good afternoon.
So the "non executives" (yeah... they had some excuse of needing to go back to the office...) meaning the rest of the group decided to cab it (we were actually going to be really really classy and get a water taxi until the waiter at the restaurant told us it'd be a 20-25 minute wait for one. We decided that was to long without a drink) to the Opera Bar where we enjoyed the last of the day's sunshine and smashed more 2 more bottles of rose, 1 bottle of red and SHOTS LIKE WE WERE TEENAGERS AGAIN. I didn't even know they still served wet pussys!!! Anyway... I don't know but we ended up with a stash of cash and a collection of borrowed cigarettes (don't worry, I didn't smoke) which became our kitty and pretty much just took turns going up to the bar. . .
All the while, I was actually texting my sister saying it was my last drink and I'll be home for dinner. Nope, didn't make dinner. Wasn't even close.
I think by the 3rd shot, I was pretty sure that there wasn't going to be a "I'll be home soon" ... rather, it was "I'll be home drunk... don't know when. Please leave the porch light on."
GREAT company though. And these drinking sessions are where you find out the real deal behind your colleagues. Who are friends and who aren't. And all the little bits of gossip that is taboo within the confines of the work environment! Who knew that lawyers could drink so much? Or talk so much? Or be so much fun? I don't remember having such an awesome work function in many many years.. would probably need to go back to my GE days to match this!
I think we called it a night around 9-ish. We stopped these tourists and made them take a group photo for us. I'm pretty sure they weren't Japanese but we were yelling random words to then in Japanese. I think they thought we were cray cray.
I vaguely remember us all walking around Circular Quay and making outrageous statements like we owned the place. (One David, Snr Legal Counsel: "I have the title of my property in my pocket. I could easily lose it or double it at the casino right about now.."). Yeah, really really responsible. Saw a flag for Don Giovanni and decided we all wanted to go see it together... A couple of us got cabs and I ended up with a couple of the others at Ho Star Fried Chicken. LOL. The chicken was good but nothing like the chicken in Taipei. Not the same. But we were starving by the time. Something akin to wanted a kebab after a serious drinking sess.
I was in a world of pain by the time I got home. I lay on my bed and it was like a tonne of bricks had crashed down onto my head. This went on for hours. And hours. I barely slept. And when I did, the morning after wasn't so great. I think it went by in a haze.
I somehow managed to get up around 11 to a least try and build and ice a respectable cake for mandy. It barely musters a pass..
And i thank Miss D and Mrs Hoho for coming along to pick me up and driving. It was an interesting party. Korean Variety shows... who would have known. And cooking monja (?). Interesting but I'm not convinced that was how it was supposed to taste! Nevertheless, a quaint little get-together. You get points for trying!
Came home and was itching to make macarons. But alas, most of them failed. I even had them resting for a good period of time. And followed everything to the tee. I think I'm losing my macaron touch. :( More practice required. But such a waste of beautiful ingredients.
Donna stayed and iced her own dome cake. It was really cute! Enjoyed tea and coffee as we planned this year's High Tea. Needing a lot of inspiration this year........!
But let me tell you of the story of a recent Friday afternoon / evening. Where the wine and food flowed. And the wine kept on flowing until around 9 p.m. Yes, for those who are mathematically minded, that is 8 straight hours of drinking. Now, if it was 1 drink per hour, yeah... I would have been fine. No such luck.
It was the widely anticipated Team Thank You for Q2 Lunch that was sponsored by our awesome MD & CFO. Very generous.
And we were chauffeured in a corporate car to one of the old wharfs by Pyrmont to a beautiful restaurant (can you guess which one yet?)... Flying Fish. We had an amazing 3-course lunch and probably about a bottle of wine each in the end. The champagne was flowing, then the whites and then the reds and luckily they served coffee at the end!
I chose Yellowfin Tuna with Pork crackling to start (the sauce was a tad too sweet for me) but the fish was perfect (well, it was raw....)
Followed by a rack of lamb and wilted vegetables and a fried lamb croquette kind of thing. SO YUMMY. But then, everyone else's choices looked really good too!!! This was served with hand cut chip and leaf salad.
And for dessert, it was a Rhubarb Compote with wattle seed and chocolate sorbet, gingerbread dirt and toasted marshmallow. It was sweet and very tart at the same time but the sorbet... BLEW. MY. MIND. I want to re-create it. It was like choc-lately but without the milky texture. But it wasn't sweet. And the wattle seed reminds you of sesame but not as fragrant. But it was so well-balanced. Wow. And about 5 glasses of wine later... we were heading for a very very good afternoon.
So the "non executives" (yeah... they had some excuse of needing to go back to the office...) meaning the rest of the group decided to cab it (we were actually going to be really really classy and get a water taxi until the waiter at the restaurant told us it'd be a 20-25 minute wait for one. We decided that was to long without a drink) to the Opera Bar where we enjoyed the last of the day's sunshine and smashed more 2 more bottles of rose, 1 bottle of red and SHOTS LIKE WE WERE TEENAGERS AGAIN. I didn't even know they still served wet pussys!!! Anyway... I don't know but we ended up with a stash of cash and a collection of borrowed cigarettes (don't worry, I didn't smoke) which became our kitty and pretty much just took turns going up to the bar. . .
All the while, I was actually texting my sister saying it was my last drink and I'll be home for dinner. Nope, didn't make dinner. Wasn't even close.
I think by the 3rd shot, I was pretty sure that there wasn't going to be a "I'll be home soon" ... rather, it was "I'll be home drunk... don't know when. Please leave the porch light on."
GREAT company though. And these drinking sessions are where you find out the real deal behind your colleagues. Who are friends and who aren't. And all the little bits of gossip that is taboo within the confines of the work environment! Who knew that lawyers could drink so much? Or talk so much? Or be so much fun? I don't remember having such an awesome work function in many many years.. would probably need to go back to my GE days to match this!
I think we called it a night around 9-ish. We stopped these tourists and made them take a group photo for us. I'm pretty sure they weren't Japanese but we were yelling random words to then in Japanese. I think they thought we were cray cray.
I vaguely remember us all walking around Circular Quay and making outrageous statements like we owned the place. (One David, Snr Legal Counsel: "I have the title of my property in my pocket. I could easily lose it or double it at the casino right about now.."). Yeah, really really responsible. Saw a flag for Don Giovanni and decided we all wanted to go see it together... A couple of us got cabs and I ended up with a couple of the others at Ho Star Fried Chicken. LOL. The chicken was good but nothing like the chicken in Taipei. Not the same. But we were starving by the time. Something akin to wanted a kebab after a serious drinking sess.
I was in a world of pain by the time I got home. I lay on my bed and it was like a tonne of bricks had crashed down onto my head. This went on for hours. And hours. I barely slept. And when I did, the morning after wasn't so great. I think it went by in a haze.
I somehow managed to get up around 11 to a least try and build and ice a respectable cake for mandy. It barely musters a pass..
And i thank Miss D and Mrs Hoho for coming along to pick me up and driving. It was an interesting party. Korean Variety shows... who would have known. And cooking monja (?). Interesting but I'm not convinced that was how it was supposed to taste! Nevertheless, a quaint little get-together. You get points for trying!
Came home and was itching to make macarons. But alas, most of them failed. I even had them resting for a good period of time. And followed everything to the tee. I think I'm losing my macaron touch. :( More practice required. But such a waste of beautiful ingredients.
Donna stayed and iced her own dome cake. It was really cute! Enjoyed tea and coffee as we planned this year's High Tea. Needing a lot of inspiration this year........!
I must be a little out of touch. I *think* this is the first time this year that I have hosted a dinner and I was exhausted by the end of it. . . it wasn't even a big crowd but I did try and take on making a lot of things from scratch. But so enjoyable and worth the effort and so spoilt to have friends like mine.
It was a mix of my belated birthday and just having the crowd over catching up (its better than going out!). It wasn't a pretty miserable night out anyway so turned the heater up, filled the wine glasses and ate lots and lots of coconut & lime prawns, arancini, vegetarian lasagne, kale salad and meatballs in napoli sauce. I think the churros with salted caramel and ganache at the end was amazing too. Yum yum. Not to mention the beautifully heavy ombre cake made by donna and cherry's banoffee 'wyn' pie. ;) thanks so much - went down a treat! (or, in donna's case, made us all full just looking at it!)
So I had a lazy sleep in and re-sleep in. My sister banged on my door around 10 and said she made me brunch so i went downstairs to eat it. then i went back and snoozed for another couple of hours.
got up and actually needlessly went to westfield cause I said i'd go into target and say hi. it was actually busy. . . but store was looking good...
going to enjoy my next week at work... btchface is still on leave for most of the week and we have a special lunch in pyrmont on Friday. Half day! And yummy food!!!
(Adele - Don't You Remember)
I clearly don't remember how full my wardrobe already is when shopping. Because now that all my old and new clothes have been washed, dried and ironed, I find that I am lacking in a few hangers and a heck of a lot of space. Perhaps if I had another railing?
I have even moved a lot of the "fold-able" clothes to a draw. oh oh... I think it has something to do with me always wearing the same stuff. No imagination. I blame how long it usually takes to come up with a different outfit. I simply don't have the time...?!
I clearly don't remember how full my wardrobe already is when shopping. Because now that all my old and new clothes have been washed, dried and ironed, I find that I am lacking in a few hangers and a heck of a lot of space. Perhaps if I had another railing?
I have even moved a lot of the "fold-able" clothes to a draw. oh oh... I think it has something to do with me always wearing the same stuff. No imagination. I blame how long it usually takes to come up with a different outfit. I simply don't have the time...?!
Just spent over a(nother) grand on wine... whoop whoop.
And so it happens. We've been living in this home for over 12 years now. It's hard to believe sometimes. And I believe our family friend, Mr fix-it-all (quite literally) said we were one of the lucky ones because it wasn't any worse! Itt was time for the leaking shower (at least, that's what it looks like) to finally floor the ceiling and give way. We'd noticed little droplets of water forming when we came back from HK.
Yep... it's time to get it fixed. Pronto. And get a new shower at the same time. Whoop!
And it definitely affected the kitchen bench space! I'm glad I don't have any more big orders upcoming.
I also went to a 6 year old's birthday party this afternoon. One that wasn't for my nieces or nephews or anytime related to me for that matter. Just a friend's son and it was hosted externally. And oh dear, there were so many screaming kids and inattentive mums. So much mess and dirty clothes. So much junk food and way too much sugar.
I don't know how those who work in childcare, schools or anything to do with young children do it!!! I knew one thing though. If I ever become a mum, I don't want to be like the mums today. Like... just being a mum. At least, from an outsider's point of view, that's what it looked like... don't know how to articulate into words just yet. But perhaps some words for another day. It just makes me think of Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg again...
Yep... it's time to get it fixed. Pronto. And get a new shower at the same time. Whoop!
And it definitely affected the kitchen bench space! I'm glad I don't have any more big orders upcoming.
I also went to a 6 year old's birthday party this afternoon. One that wasn't for my nieces or nephews or anytime related to me for that matter. Just a friend's son and it was hosted externally. And oh dear, there were so many screaming kids and inattentive mums. So much mess and dirty clothes. So much junk food and way too much sugar.
I don't know how those who work in childcare, schools or anything to do with young children do it!!! I knew one thing though. If I ever become a mum, I don't want to be like the mums today. Like... just being a mum. At least, from an outsider's point of view, that's what it looked like... don't know how to articulate into words just yet. But perhaps some words for another day. It just makes me think of Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg again...
"Every woman feels guilty about the choices that they make."
10 days, perfect length but wasn't on my list. At times wanted it to be shorter and at times longer but it was enough for 2 countries, modest shopping trips and time to eat up, sleep in and recharge.
Starting off with a rainy morning on HK Island and brunch with this gorgeous girl. Can't comment positively on the food or coffee but I could have been eating chalk and cheese and still be grinning! Miss her so much but rumor has it... that she may be back in October...
Night markets! Loads of yummy street food and exotic fruit, fried chicken, strawberries dipped in toffee, oyster omelettes, big sausage in little sausage, stinky tofu, noodles, mochi, pancakes, etc etc. They even have little theme park / arcade games for those who don't want to eat?
Starting off with a rainy morning on HK Island and brunch with this gorgeous girl. Can't comment positively on the food or coffee but I could have been eating chalk and cheese and still be grinning! Miss her so much but rumor has it... that she may be back in October...
Was also the weekend of shopping up and getting those things I really wanted. Wasn't much but at least I wasn't going to go home empty handed!
Monday, we got on a plane to Taipei for some sightseeing and eating. It was so hot and humid and I am grateful that a lot of the places were close to the Metro station and not too far of a walk in the sun and heat. Din Tai Fung was good but I don't think it was exceptional. There's definitely something special about visiting the very first restaurant but I think the quality of food in Sydney is so good in general that it takes a lot to impress (cue degustations at Tetsuyas, Sepia, Quay, etc). I can have xiao long bao, pearl milk tea and hot star fried chicken here. Costs a lot more but its not so bad.
I did really appreciate the white milk pineapple, the super ginormous mangoes and especially the white bittermelon juice. The stinky tofu and oyster omelettes were nice to try... but not an everyday food.
We visited Longshan Temple at sunset and the nuns (?) were in the middle of evening recitals (prayers?). Bought some beautiful flowers from a lady on the corner as a small offering.
Night markets! Loads of yummy street food and exotic fruit, fried chicken, strawberries dipped in toffee, oyster omelettes, big sausage in little sausage, stinky tofu, noodles, mochi, pancakes, etc etc. They even have little theme park / arcade games for those who don't want to eat?
Fisherman's Wharf and Lover's Bridge. This was pretty boring. I think also because it was a weekday and it was so warm. We walked across the bridge and visited the few shops that were open. Not very exciting.
Taipei 101. The most famous landmark in Taipei and can be seen from almost every place in Taipei. I have to say that the food, supermarket and shops inside the building were a lot more interesting that the building itself! It houses residences, offices, high-end retailers, parking, a food court, an awesome supermarket and of course the observatory deck for those wanting to be overcharged and going up a lift to see the city from the top floor (actually, I don't think its the top top floor).
National Palace Musuem. Same name as the one in China but with the extra "National" in the front. Have to say, a lot of these "treasures" were smuggled / shipped / stolen from the Mainland? The most famous pieces being a jadeite Chinese Cabbage and a piece of rock in the shape of Pork Belly. Confused? Yeah, so am I. We had a lovely afternoon here even though it was quite crowded. Felt like I was learning a little bit of Taiwan's history (I wasn't really) and we missed the bus so we had to wait 40 minutes for the next one.
Shenkeng Old Street aka, Tofu Street. Everything sold sans a couple of tourist traps was tofu. Ice cream, mochi, fried, frozen, steamed, boiled, etc etc. We tried the ice cream and tofu fa with shaved ice, brown sugar, red beans and barley. It was a good lunch!
I'm glad we got back the time we did - both back to HK and then subsequently back home. We missed the explosion in Taiwan by a day. Missed ebola (not that we were at risk) as it became known that it was more severe and managed to dodge the two typhoons that were circulating rather close to HK.
Luckier so that we were able to get on a direct flight to Sydney on Saturday evening. I am so thankful to be home. HK is one of those places I love in small doses. Once the shopping is complete and the food is eaten then I kind of get over the pollution and the people and the humidity.
Until October...
