..:melonaddict:..

it's good to be 3

2007-05-24T22:01:00.000+10:00

Hello world! Welcome my new phone...! :)

kindness

2007-05-19T23:10:00.000+10:00

.....is overrated.

atchooo

2007-05-15T22:02:00.001+10:00

So, I was walking down Market St during my lunch break, minding my own business.
In front of me, a bit to the right, was this guy, also walking down the street.
OK, whatever, rite.
Yeah. Whatever, until the dude suddenly let out a massive sneeze to his left without bothering to cover his mouth.
I was about 30cm away from that - in complete shock.
Call me paranoid but I could have sworn I felt a little splash of YOU-GUESS-WHAT on my face.
EYAAARGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLAH! BLEH! BLEARGH!!!!!!! *rubs face frantically with Napisan Oxy Action*
I mean.. that's just criminal..... I feel so violated....... >_<"

me and my little bubble

2007-05-08T22:34:00.000+10:00

you float around, get pushed and pulled around.
you twist and turn and it never seems enough.
you want to stick around but don't really want to get tangled up.
me and my little bubble.
in the end nothing really matters.

one of these days

2007-04-30T21:11:00.000+10:00

I really need to start paying attention when other people talk to me.

only just a dream

2007-04-21T17:23:00.000+10:00

This is so gonna be totally random and cheesy, right, but I had the most wicked dream the other day and I just HAVE TO share it..!

Ok so Brad Pitt and I (oh yes you read that right. Brad Pitt, baby!) were walking up the check-in counter in an airport.

Me to Officer: "Hi, we would like to check in for blahbediblah flight please."
(At this point we'll just assume that Brad and I are on our honeymoon)
O: "Sure."
Brad: "Babe I think I'm not feeling too well."
Me: "Oh no what's wrong?"
Brad: "Feels like I might want to throw up."
*Brad rests his head on the counter, squints eyes looking sexy... I mean dizzy*
*Me reaches into giant handbag, and takes out one of those green medicated oil bottle that you sniff/rub to relieve headaches and nausea*
*opens bottle, gives to Brad*
Me: "Here this will make you feel better."
*Brad grabs my hand, starts sniffing, eyes blinking rapidly & uncontrollably (aka. merem melek) like he's on drugs* (still cute)
Brad: "Mmmhhhh....."

And then I woke up with the hugest grin on my face. Well well well Angelina Jolie you better watch out cuz it looks like I'm coming atcha man! hehehhehehehhehe......

By the way, I did try to sleep again, hoping the dream would continue but I couldn't! :'(

that's (most of) me!bourne city

2007-04-13T14:24:00.000+10:00

What I ate:

King of Kings. Though perhaps not the best in food presentation, their "anything with" egg chiffon on rice sure was a treat to the tastebuds. Address: 209 Russell St, Melbourne.

Il Dolce Freddo. An award winning gelato, it is dubbed the best gelato ice cream in Melbourne. $4.00 gets you a huge scoop 2-flavours ice cream. Address: 116 Lygon St, Carlton.

Dessert House. This is a place that's always sooo packed with homesick overseas students finding sweet relief in awesome savoury, dessert pancakes, and black sesame ice-cream. This is also where I note that Melbournians are obsessed with ice Ovaltines. Note to self: When ordering, don't bother to say the name of the dish and point at the numbers on the menu instead. The place was so noisy that the waitress took the wrong order for me but the salted fish fried rice dish that came out instead was delicious too! Address: Midcity Arcade Shop 18/200 Bourke St, Melbourne.

Nam Loong Restaurant. Originally went in here for its famous charsiu bao (BBQ Pork Bun) but then also ended up indulging their yummy massive portion of chicken black pepper sauce. Address: 223 Russell St, Melbourne.

Mekong Vietnamese Pho. Went for the good ol' beef rice noodle soup at a generously sized $7 value. That and the crispy seafood spring roll seem to be what everyone in the restaurant was ordering. Again, what is it with Melbournians and ice Ovaltines? Address: 241 Swanston St, Melbourne.

Cultured Salad. Ok. I did not have salad for breakfast. Instead I had the best kick-arse big breakfast I've had my entire life. Here's what you got for a mere $5: 2 thick sausages, 2 toasted breads, top it off with 2 perfectly fried eggs which were all very nicely presented to the eye (and of course tummy). It was so big, neither did I finish my breakfast, nor I needed to have anything else for the rest of the day, although my stomach grumbled a little by dinner time. Address: Shop 30-32, The Walk Arcade, 309-325 Bourke St Mall, Melbourne.

Cafe Segovia. The cutest little cafe located in Block Place, which is a very lovely, narrow, partially covered alley, running south from Little Collins St. The alleyway's got one of the most atmospheric, retro, yet sensual feel of European architecture. I went there only for a cuppa but the restaurant offers the usual fine modern cafe food. The prices are in a slightly higher range but in line with the cafes that surround it. Address: 33 Block Pl, Melbourne.

Well.... Melbourne is certainly an extremely hip and charming city. It is a very clean, highly organised city with just the right mixture of the old and modern culture and architecture blending so nicely together. Do I like it more than Sydney? Hard to say, the two are very different to one another and as much as I've thoroughly enjoyed my 3-day-trip there, I was very happy to see the lovely sight of Sydney CBD on the night of my return.
Mental note for next trip:
When travelling alone, taking pictures of yourself is proven difficult.
Never again wear shoulder bags, or bring anything too heavy when exploring a new town. My left shoulder is now approximately 30 degrees lower than where it should be.
If you haven't spoken to people for days, you are bound to talk to yourself.
Hahah.. have a good day everyone, thanks for reading. :)

that's (more of) me!bourne city

2007-04-13T14:23:00.000+10:00

Where I went:
Flinders Street Station: Melbourne's busiest railway station and most recognisable landmark. I don't think the outer side of the building has changed since the mid 1800s, and I love the fact that it looks so ancient and right across it is the Federation Square with all its contemporary and funky looking buildings!

Federation Square: Went along with the other 4000 crowd of fans to see a free 30-minute jamming session by 3 members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers doing their not-so-conventional renditions of Mozart! I really don't know what to make of that... Just sounded like a lot of noise to me but the atmosphere was great and people (looked like they) had a great time anyway.

Bourke Street Mall: need I explain more?

Docklands: new waterfront domain with unique urban art (which I totally don't get hehehe), promenades, historical wharves, and a great selection of stylish bars and cafes.

South Bank & Yarra River: very pretty view of Melbourne at night! This is where I hopelessly tried to capture countless amount of blurry pictures of the city lights. :(

National Gallery of Victoria & Arts Centre: home of extensive Australian and international art collection. As you enter the NGV, you see huge stacks of white Legos where you can give your creativity a fair go. I was tempted to try but since the place was packed with 4-5 year olds I decided it was probably not the best time to barge in there like a Godzilla amongst the toddlers. Other that that, they were having exhibition of Cinema India: The Art of Bollywood. Well I don't know about you, but it wasn't of my particular interest. :)

Chinatown Prescinct: based around Little Bourke St. Although much smaller than Sydney's Chinatown, it has significantly more distinctive decorations with the Chinese museum and heritage walks amongst the Asian restaurants and grocery stores.

Carlton Gardens: home of the Royal Exhibition, Melbourne Museum & IMAX theatre.

Chapel Street: Melbourne's retail fashion district with an exhaustive array of over 4kms of shopping stretching from Windsor to South Yarra. And no, I didn't go crazy shopping. Personally, I find the boutiques in Melbourne extremely intimidating.. But that's just coming from a non-fashion-conscious person :)

Queen Victoria Market: The Paddy's Market of Melbourne, though I felt was a lot bigger and much more spacious. Sells fresh produce, cheap general goods, gifts and accessories. Paradise for those who worship deli and gourmet food as they dedicate one whole section for authentic stalls that sell the stuff!

St Kilda Beach: I'm sorry but I beg to differ. This. Is. NOT. a. beach. What makes a beach a beach? Long sandy beach that goes as far as the eyes can see. People swimming. Safety flags. Lifeguards. Sunbathers. Surfers. Tides. Waves. Rifts. St Kilda beach has none of these. Amongst the few people who were there, most were just sitting on the bayside (should I mention fully clothed?), the rest were jogging, riding a bike, or taking pictures. Maybe it was the rather chilly weather, perhaps it was a Thursday afternoon, but I could have sworn if it weren't for the sand, the beach was no different to a massive pond that I started to wonder whether I was at the wrong end of the beach...

that's me!bourne city

2007-04-13T09:12:00.000+10:00

OK this is going to be a very long post so I am going to split it into 3 parts:

Where I stayed:
The Victoria Hotel. It's a 3.5 star hotel located in heart of Melbourne CBD. Room is ridiculously tiny but at least it's clean. Hotel is in serious need of renovation but it's great for those on a budget yet would still like some privacy.. Address: 215 Little Collins Street, Melbourne.

How I traveled:
Skybus shuttle bus runs 24 hrs a day to/from Southern Cross Station and Melbourne Airport. Single trip adult costs you $15.00, or you can purchase a return ticket for a discounted $24.00. Ticket is valid for one month after date of purchase.

City Circle Tram is a free (weehee!) tram that travels the perimeter of the CBD in a circular route. Althought runs very slowly, I found this an excellent way to travel around and within CBD as it takes in many of Melbourne's major tourist attractions. Besides, when you're on holiday, who's in a hurry to go places?

City Tourist Shuttle Bus. Victorian government obviously invests a fair bit in support of tourism as this is another free facility they offer that allows tourists to hop on and off the bus at many of Melbourne's landmarks and key destinations including Melbourne Museum, Queen Victoria Market, Southbank, Royal Botanic Gardens and Chinatown.

Otherwise, travelling in Melbourne is made easy with Metcards that you can use on all buses, trains and trams throughout the city. A "Zone 1" 2-hour ticket costs $3.20 and a daily ticket costs $6.10.

freedom tastes so sweet

2007-04-03T21:27:00.000+10:00

Oyh.. finally.. last day at work!
I honestly didn't think this day would ever come judging by the fact that I've been forever whingeing about my job and wanted to look for another one since last year - but never really did until two months ago.
HA! My poor friends must have copped an earful.
But when I finally did it, it feels good!
At last I am breaking free from the blood-sucking, money-making corporate world (for the next two weeks anyway).

For those who aren't as familiar with the background of the story, quitting my job could mean the following to me:
1. No more "whose fart is it anyway" game at work. (Not mine!) I mean, seriously. Eew.
2. No more mini heart attacks caused by a particular he-who-cannot-be named's daily surprise sneezes.
3. No more loud breathing on my face. And stinky too.
4. No more angry bosses, unpredictable moodswings, flying folders and telephone handsets during meltdown. That's right. I work with Russell Crowe.
5. No more dead (skinned and raw and all that!) full sized suckling pigs popping up behind my back being introduced as the chef's little brother. Yeah. Wicked sense of humour. hehehehe... I think I am actually gonna miss this one! (Curious what it looks like? E-mail me for picture but I warn ya it's not for the faint-hearted, animal lovers and certainly not for vegetarians)
6. I can buy staplers whenever I want. Yippe.

Anyhoo, had a very busy last day at work. Had to finish off a lot of things before I leave the company, delegating tasks, closing off the month, and training the new guy who is going to take over my position.
Quick note, everybody: if you're in a training and you can't seem to remember what you're trainer is explaining even though she's been showing you how to do it a hundred million times, then it's time to take some notes! And it doesn't help either when you drowse off to sleep on more than one occassion while she talks. Gawd I'm not THAT boring, am I?! Sigh sigh.. patience running thin.

At the end of the day the guys at work threw a farewell bash for me. They got me a massive goodbye and goodluck card, a cookbook, and last but not least David Jones gift card (best present ever haha!).

Alcohol free since 1982 (not really), two champagne glasses later, I've forgotten how it is to walk straight.........................

locksmith nightmare

2007-04-02T00:56:00.000+10:00

My roomies have just flown out of the country to Japan for two weeks.
Before I even started to feel cool about having the apartment to myself, I instantly managed to lock myself out of the apartment! *cries in the corner*

So yeah. I have decided that the me-living-by-myself thing... doesn't quite work for me.
Spent my week's allowance on paying the Locksmith guy and because my apartment has double locks, it costed me double as well.

I am seriously considering (and encouraging everyone I know for that matter) to quit my job and pursue a career in Locksmith-ing instead. Seriously. Two minutes of this guy's time is equivalent to us working our asses off for a whole week! It's highway robbery at its best I tell you...

test

2007-04-01T23:13:00.000+10:00

Just trying to get my way around this thing.
Never thought setting up a blog would be so complicated!!!
*Q^#(#$)&Q#(&#*(^#Q%!!!!!
(Note that I'm already registering myself to 'ngel's Blogging101 course starting tomorrow)