fuchsia fragments: fine dining

Catch ups to tide me over

2/06/2016 11:23:00 pm

I never considered myself to have a full social calendar. I love the occasional (some, more frequent) catch-ups with my friends and this week has been a full week of coffees, lunches, dinners and drinks with some of my favorite people - thank you so much for organising these, for the hugs (and a couple of tears), for the the laughs, for the gifts and for the excitement you all feel for me. I am so grateful and lucky to have the chance to see you all.

As eventhough I've switched off in the office, there is so much I feel like I need to do in this final week. It's Chinese New Year! It's my dad's birthday! I haven't packed... what am I going to do???

Last night, I had a fancy (overpriced) dinner at Black followed by drinks on the Sky Terrace at the Star. I couldn't think of a better Friday night to see the Sydney skyline afterdark and I couldn't think of better people to spend it with. I am going to miss my two blondes terribly... and I am absolutely hoping that Madison's bf will have a trip to Tokyo soon so she can visit with him. We would totally wreak havoc on the bars in Tokyo!!!

I actually didn't realise how much I'd had to drink until I got home. I pretty much crashed and woke up with a headache/ hangover. A needless reminder that I am no longer as young as I use to be. So it was quite a painful morning to get up and be in Cabramatta for Yum Cha with another bunch. The drive there and parking were a nightmare and I wondered if I should have been driving at all. I was fine once I got to the place and we started shoveling food like it was our last meal. You should have seen the overflowing lazy susan...! We all love to pick on Jack (sorry Jack). Brunch/lunch followed by my second official tour of Cabramatta where we went to get Avocado and Durian shakes, Red Lea chips (famous for its Paprika Salt) and Pork Rolls. And we finally found the shop selling Oriental Lillies for Li. We walked up and down each mall until we finally found them in BKK! Yay! Can't wait till I'm back for Rusty Chef and Christmas in July!!!! Woohooooooo. Definitely going to miss this bunch.

Then I got home to crash for an hour or so before CNY dinner at a family friends place. So stuffed there was steamed fish, abalone, chicken, prawns, roast pork and some traditional dishes. Then there was sesame glutinous rice balls and watermelon seeds and sugared candies... so much nostalgia. I think this is the first year where we've really felt the red exuding from a dinner. The luckiness and the tradition. I even got to see Lion Dancers at the Star on Friday night. And lanterns everywhere and crackers and so much more than I expected. So happy.

Another few full days. Let's see if I will have time to write about it. Time for bed.

baking

Aged Past Peak (?)

8/23/2014 10:51:00 pm

fine dining

Not Often

6/19/2014 11:48:00 pm

Q2 end is here! Long hours are here!

We pumped out the Moet this afternoon to celebrate the biggest deal of the quarter so far... ahhh I love my company. And to think that "back in the day", it was a hundred times BETTER than what it was now!

And not often is there something so compelling that it makes me post midweek, midnight!

But we had a slight reprieve today when we were all dragged away from our desks whether we were ready or not at 7:15 for our dinner at Ripples, Chowder Bay with our outgoing APJ General Counsel and incoming new boss. It was a lovely evening (they made jokes about the menu "&" means both, they wouldnt want to argue with a bunch of lawyers!). I wouldn't have chosen all of the company tonight but we managed and it was pleasant.

I got to sit in the car with all the big boys.. ;) And after tonight, Lexus > Audi. Hands down. I want I want!

Anyway, we smashed 6 bottles of wine between 9 of us and had an absolutely lovely 3 course meal.

The waiter at one stage poured the last of one of the bottles of reds in my glass. And our new boss, Mark (a reserved, softly spoken french guy) told us the most beautiful tale. That pouring the last of a bottle into a lady's glass (this must be a French thing???) meant that she will be the next one at the table... to get married - within the year. Everyone burst out laughing BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WASN'T MARRIED!!! It would have been trouble if it was someone else :P :P :P :P

He seems so serious and pops out stories like this... I think it will be an interesting few months and years coming up! They say we have the best team in the APJ region... that we are cohesive, coherent and we gel together so well but I feel like there are little rifts everywhere. Perhaps it is me - still feeling a little lost - and going in-between two worlds. I still very much am part of Finance but I have been moved physically (poached if you will) into Legal. And whilst we fall under the same "umbrella"... tonight has shown me that it is very much a "Us vs. Them" mentality. So where does my allegiance lie? I think it is the same hoighty-toity people creating that (I am pointing to 2 people, possibly 3 out of 9) and I wish we'd all just get along. Not as easy as it seems...

Scott, who is leaving and who I also only met for the first time this week is such an American. So funny, warm and full of sht!!! I wish I got to know him better but apparently Richard our CFO has ben telling stories about me *blushes*. All good I hope!

Funniest thing was I was in the cab home and Justin & Carmen were in the car in front of me... we waved at each other in Bevo. Lol, what a big big coincidence.