Greek Fest '09 Yassou!!!

It was meant to be a typical Saturday today... Bryan and I planned to go to the markets to buy some groceries and have a nice breakfast... On the way there, we saw a banner which said "Greek Festival 2009, Musgrave Park".. It caught our eye and then it was our next destination... Had a great breakfast of bacon and poached eggs (although the eggs turned out to be hard boiled T_T). I'm so gonna miss breakfast in Brisbane. Next, we headed home first to put down our stuff and change. On the way home, we saw a plane in the sky writing "MARRY ME LEELOO" It was romantic... but before the pilot could finish writing "ME" in the air, "MARRY" was already disappearing lol.. Freaking hilarious!!

So we put down our groceries, changed and made our way down to Paniyiry, Greek Festival 2009. While heading there, we thought it was going to be a small event. Imagine how amazed we were at the magnitude of the festival...






Loads of people were there eating, drinking, dancing... just making merry with one another... Brisbane has once again amazed me with its cultural diversity.. And who said Brisbane City was boring..

As usual, Bryan and I would head towards the tents looking at what food the festival had to offer... An almost endless line of tents served one of the most unique and delicious food we've ever seen.. Haha we might not have been to Greece... But boy did we get to taste their food...







The first thing we had to try was the honey puffs... So many people were eating them that we just had to try it out...



Oh yeah... don't they look delicious!! Those puffs were crispy on the outside yet so soft and puffy within. Together with the honey.. OMG... heaven...haha got a little sugar rush too!!



Next we had moussakka.. Its kinda like a greek style lasagne, but using mashed potatoes, eggplant, cheese and loads of other stuff.. I'm not really a big fan of eggplant but one bite into it... I'm a believer!!!




The moussakka was great... soft and creamy... not too rich too... hahah damn I'm hungry again... We were about 3/4 full by now.. haha but still we fought on and tried more.... What we had next were some Greek meatballs and a few pieces of Haloumi cheese.. The Greek meatballs were not bad... could taste the spices they added (reminded me of ngo hiang)... but it was a tad too starchy... The Haloumi cheese however was one of the best cheeses I've ever tasted.. It was so chewy and tasty... Adding some lemon juice on it.. and it became much sweeter hahah.. Man this is really called enjoying life!!




While walking around.. we saw some of the people barbecuing stuff at the back... THIS... WAS... WAT... WE... FOUND....





Racks of meat were being roasted.... Man if only I could have sink my teeth into those racks of meat... We walked around for a while more, and before long the emcee of the festival announced the Hellenic Dancers' performances..







Its interesting to see them dance the Zorba.. kinda like a folk dance in Greece... Its even more interesting to see people pulled up on stage to dance with them... Even the little kids joined in... I even saw a pregnant woman trying to strut her stuff even with that big belly of hers.... I swear!! After the dance ended we walked up the slope towards the honey puffs eating competition and watched a couple of rounds... Haha each round four people would compete to see how many honey puffs they can eat in a minute.. The catch? NO HANDS!! Its so damn funny to see them gnawing away... One of them even tried tilting back so that the puff will fall into his mouth.




As we ventured through the rows upon rows of tents, waddling through the endless mobs of hungry people... Peering over the horizon.... a glint of shining metal... We saw....





SPARTANS!!! Although not as fit as those we saw in "300"... oh well... Damn so cool to get a picture with those spartan warriors.... After that... pretty much covered most of what was there to see and we were about to head home... and i got a SURPRISE PRESENT!!!



Freaking sun was shining at our direction and i was so blinded, i did not see the hole and the tree roots... Missed a step and bam!!! Got that.... Thank goodness i did not twist my ankle... And so... that's it... a wonderful seemingly normal Saturday became such an experience... Right now... all that's on my mind is my trip to Tasmania which begins come the morrow... So looking forward to this!!!

Brisbane Forest Park and 32km Hike

Right now... I'm freaking exhausted writing this post.. Reason's pretty obvious eh.. Well about a month plus ago, Bryan and I came up with this idea to go on food hunts. Basically we hunt for nice restaurants around Brisbane which serves great breakfasts, and instead of taking public transport, we walk there regardless the distance. Part exploring, part exercise, part food. Perfecto!!! Today's hike was truly the climax, first being the longest distance we ever walked, (hell... we probably hold the record of longest distance hiked by Singaporeans in Brisbane), and the objective was not food, but to get in touch with nature. Oh and did i mention we carried weights in our back packs?

This morning, I woke up at about 6.30am, packed my bag and got ready.. Set off at around 7.30am towards Coles supermarket to stock up on food and have some light breakfast. For some time now, we have been following the Primal Diet (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/). Basically we follow the eating habits of our primal ancestors. Meat, loads of vegetables and little or no grains. How effective is it? Just follow the link to the website and you can see a picture of the founder Mark Sisson. Oh and he's almost 60 btw. But i digress.... With our packs well stocked its off for the 32KM Hike!!!

Its amazing what you encounter along such hikes. One of which is the crazy as hell steep slopes ever so present in Brisbane.




The slopes above are just one of the many fiendishly steep slopes we had to conquer... But conquer we did... While we walk, Bryan and I chat about anything under the sun literally... Helps keep the fatigue away too. You talk about how c**k the streets here are, how nice the view is... Even the houses. Boy... there sure are a lot of variety of house along our journey.




Some are so clean and new looking, others look abandoned. But our favourites are those houses you see on a hilltop. Imagine overlooking all... Wat a sight!!! We also came across the Gap Tavern. Seems like it was famous for its food and ambiance, just that we were not fated to try it out today... ah well...



Oh and on the way, we saw this jogger running with his two dogs, so garang sia.. run across the street acting so tough. The moment he crossed, the leash got entangled and he tripped.... Lol not that i'm evil but its freakin hilarious!!! So much for looking so tough eh... Best of all the roads were all clear and no one would have seen it.... Just so happen we were there hahaha.. On and on we continued along waterworks road (aka f**king long road) we finally reached our destination. Distance travelled so far? 13km, which is the furthest we have hiked previously, and this was not even half way!!



After a short break its off to the trail!!! 5km long... T_T but the view was amazing.. The trail led us around the reservior and then on a loop.. It was pretty amazing and we got some pretty nice shots.. The river shadow one being the masterpiece XD....






Walking around the reservior, we cannot help but wonder... what if there are crocodiles... Lol.. the thought of being pulled into the water and having to fight for my life flashed through my mind... Not exactly something I intend to experience.... I'm no crocodile dundee.... Some way through the trail, we met up with a teacher and a group of kids.. As we walked passed them, we suddenly heard "Hey boys where are you going!!!" We turned around, and saw some of the boys following us... haha so cute.... human reflex i suppose... The trail was easy, considering the hills we had travelled thus far... Total distance travelled? 18km... Boy our legs screamed.. haha but the feeling was great... Had our lunch, and started our way back home...

Along the way towards the nature reserve, we spotted a ice cream parlour called IceMeister (too bad their site's not up yet or i would have placed the link) It was closed and will open at 2pm when we first passed it by. It then became a target we MUST visit on the return trip... Low and behold, when we arrived, it was opened and was beckoning us to enter... Enter we did... Seems its an award winning ice cream joint which serves European ice cream.. They even have ice cream spaghetti and steak ice cream (imagine that..)!!



The one on the right was mine... BLACK FOREST SUNDAE!!!! Pure heaven... Chocolate ice cream with REAL forest berries topped with whipped cream.. The bottom? Berry juice!!! Mmmm...mmmmm it was de..... wait for it... licious!!! Best ice cream i've ever tasted.... Now comes the funny part. The owner came over and had a chat with us. "So which suburb you guys from?", "Oh St Lucia"... "Wow!! That's very far.. You took the bus?" "Hahaha no we walked.... part of training.." lol.. "Whoa!!! what do you carry in your bag?" (pointing at my backpack) "Oh some weights.... part of training".. haha actually i said weights... but in actual fact? Its a freaking MAHJONG SET!!! Yes... and no im not crazy... its the only thing that was heavy enough and not bulky enough... and i was lugging it the entire journey... Imagine the surprise on the show owners face... Ice Meister makes ice cream cakes too... I'm so intending to get one for my mom when my parents come over to Brisbane for my graduation.. After devouring our sundaes, its on with the journey.. I'm not sure if it was the ice cream providing us with the energy, or was it a fact that the return journey had more down slopes, but it seemed like we walked way faster than in the morning... We even managed to reach home around 5+pm... Boy was it an achievement...



The moment we saw the stairs leading home... I ran towards it and splat!!! Lay flat on the floor... Hahah I felt like i won the amazing race!! Lol man were my feet sore.. Its been a while since i walked this distance... Gosh will i remember this for life!!! Total distance travelled?? 32km...

House Keeping & Garden City

Did some house keeping today. Cleared the notes in my room, went through stuff i accumulated for the past two years..... Two years.... How time flew by so fast. In this two years, I made new friends, a number of them for life. I've seen joy, brotherhood, misery, self-loathing, compassion... The things I have experienced in the past two years is something I will never ever forget. Living in a home away from home, having a family of friends who showed me so much care and concern (thank you so much Jing, Jac and Lu), even getting to know a band of brothers in which we stood side by side for many nights fighting terrorists or zombies and the endless horde of assignments and exams =). Boy will I miss Brisbane once I return back to Singapore. Heh... Back home. Its so surreal that now I can see clearly, I'm at another milestone in my journey through life. Soon I will be leaving boyhood and embarking on a path to be an adult, a Husband and hopefully a Father. It can be frightening to see all these unknown paths that are laid before me. Without a sign that says where it goes. But that's life right? Its all an adventure. You will never know where the road takes you until to take a step forward.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Most of my conversation with Sally has revolved around our marriage, our future family, kids that I will have and so on. I feel fearful of what is to come, but at the same time excited about it too. I know life will be full of problems. Money most of all, but these are just obstacles. Will we have money to get our dream home? Will we have money to send our kids to school? Haha these questions might seem weird coming from a soon to be 25th year old. Yet if you think about it, isn't it about time you start taking life seriously? Deep down inside, I've accepted these challenges, and will face these obstacles bravely no matter how high the wall is, or how wide the river is. That is because i know all around me, there are people who will help me overcome them.

Went to Garden City today too. Oh how the term reminds me of home. The moment I got there a question came to mind.. "Where's the Garden?" Lol... Apparently the only thing noteworthy is the big mall. Well it was nice, but I was expecting more greenery? Anyway, it was a nice place, lots of shops and good. Had some nice nachos too! Have not had them for a while... Tasted delicious!! I'm sure Sally will go crazy if she was here haha all the shops and all the sales.. Too bad I'm not that into shopping I suppose. Gosh.... still so long till the 27th of July... Haha its getting bored here. Running out of stuff to do too. Still, i tell myself, take a well earned break. Once i return back home, it's work work work. I've been thinking too, will I do well at work? Live up to expectations? I sure hope so!!! Above all else, I do hope that I will be able to contribute to my fellow colleagues.... Only time will tell..

Time for one more?

Waiting for Ray to come pick us up.. Heading to Sunny Bank for Dinner. This morning Bryan and I went to Cream Patisserie @ Coorparoo (http://www.creamstyle.com.au/products/pastries.php?page=products) for Food Hunt Number Three!! Nice little joint for breakfast. Had ricotta pancakes with blueberry sauce, a choc hazelnut torte and a Ghateau Concorde. It was heavenly, but so rich in chocolate i was so full so quickly.. Did not manage to finish the torte and the concorde... Damn!!! Got home.. had a nice little chat with friends.

It made me wonder.... why is it that human emotions can change faster than the weather. From joy, to anger, to understanding... Such emotions just came and went so quickly. Webcammed with Her for a long while.. Its the longest ever since i came to Australia. Goes to show how much we missed each other. I wish time would speed up a little. Bring me to graduation. Then back home my family. I miss them so much. Its funny though, now that at the end of my uni life, i miss my family more than anything. Even though i'm returning for good.

Spoke to a friend too. Boy was she suffering inside. I could feel the pain, the hurt. The silent screams echoing out for help... I wish I had the power to ease that pain. Read her blog and understood even more about what happened. Why do such people exist? Why does she have to suffer like that. Is R/S really a make or break thing? The joy one could feel, and the emptiness that sets in once its gone. I've been fortunate enough to not have to face it as yet. Still i feel for her. The emotional ride she is going through. Gosh... please be strong... Time heals all wounds. It always does. But you have to let it start the healing process too. It makes me wonder too. Do i deserve my special someone? What have i done to deserve her? We chat... we laugh.... we quarrel.. We did everything couples always do. Yet how did it stay strong? I've come to understand the importance of communication. Being on the right frequency. I'm glad we were always in sync with each other. I just wished others would too. Please.. I pray to GOD, to Lord Buddha, for my friend.... may she be strong again.

What has happened thus far....

OMG... the last time i updated this blog was april man!!! hahah sorry blog.... well just to make a quick one... Here's what happened to my life in a nut shell

1. Going to Tasmania but skipping Melbourne (bloody swine flu)
2. I screwed up INFS3200.... looks likes its gonna be a 5
3. I had 2 papers in one day....
4. R broke up with his gf
5. R met up with another girl from school....
6. Started food hunts with bryan every sundays
7. MJ died.... my childhood legend.... sobzzz
8. Hopefully brought S out of her turmoil...
9. Waiting for results to come out..
10. Found out about "How I Met Your Mother"
11. Started playing FFIII/VI again.

Yup... this sums up what happened since my last entry... will update again soon. I have more time now.. Promise!!!

Loss...... and Acceptance

It just occurred to me how much i missed the things that happened to me in the past. In the recent days where i seem to be getting more solitude, i tend to be recalling more and more memories about my experiences in the past. Looking through the photos of friends i've met in secondary school have stirred those memories locked in me for ages. Hmmmm i guess it all started with the death of Kuttner.... But it made me feel a true sense of loss... of something dear to me has been taken away.... Right... it might just be a fictional character... but the emotional attachment is very real. Then today, a good friend of mine showed me this video. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=84870139415&ref=mf. My heart goes out to the poor lady who just lost her husband. It might just be an advertisement. But how damn true it is for only truly missing something when it is gone forever. I've lived through my life i would say full of ups and downs.. But fortunately or unfortunately i've yet to experience true loss. Each failure that have come to pass has ended up being a blessing in disguise.. Well that's what i felt though. Is it optimism or is it pure luck... Or is it that someone up there likes me... Maybe all these minor experiences of loss is a lesson to prepare me for true loss.... I know one day this will happen... When those dear to me have to leave. Am i ready? Will my heart stay as strong as what i've been telling myself? I truly hope so when the time comes.

I dread the day where i need to say goodbye to my parents. But its because i fear i have not done enough for them.... Why so!! What should i do... These questions encircle in my head more frequently in recent days. Hmmmm is it the realization that i'm no longer a kid anymore? That after this semester i will be heading back to reality as a full fledged adult? I think so. Let this entry continue to fill me with the realization of loss, and act as a reminder that i DO NOT TAKE THINGS FOR GRANTED. If by chance someone is reading this, I do hope that you too share what i am feeling now. To realise that loss is something that will always bring misery to your life. But loss will also bring you the acceptance that nothing is impermanent, and to appreciate all things that have been given to you....

Kuttner Died!!!

Just yesterday... as per normal i was watching House.... my favorite American drama. All was well new medical mystery House cracking his head as usual and all of a sudden.. Kuttner does not come to work... Why? Cos he committed suicide!!!! I was like WTF!!! He's such a good doctor and the director has to kill off his character.. Well i'll talk about the real reason later but still on the serious note. This episode really struck me hard on something. Imagine doing what you do everyday meeting your friends as per normal and yet one day, you go to school and you hear that one of you friends has committed suicide. It doesn't get any better when you think how is this possible when u meet that friend almost every day always smiling, taking life as per normal. Yet deep down inside he's suffering, not telling anyone and then on one fine day, he snaps and pulls the trigger. This feeling sucks.... knowing that you just spoke or heard from the guy a few days ago and now... you never get to see him again. The good people of the House drama has done a damn fine job in making me aware of people who have suicidal intents. It could be anybody. And worst of all he might even be the one smiling everyday as though life was just perfect.
Watching that episode left a very bitter feeling in my heart. Although its just a fictional character, but seriously, this can happen to anybody. Gosh i hope i don't have to go through this pain. Now for the anti climatic part. As i was saying towards the end of the episode i was so sad about the suicide. But then when i just opened a web browser i was like WTF!!! again. There you have Kal Penn the actor who played Kuttner being featured in Yahoo news. Apparently Kal decided to stop his acting career and went over to help President Obama. Gosh!!!! But still it was amazing how the good people who made House has once again surprised me with their excellent script writing again. To David Shore and his crew, keep up the good work!!!
To Hugh Laurie, if i ever see you in my life, all I want is not an autograph, but just a recording of you saying "You Idiot!!!" in my face... Lastly to Kal Penn, Good luck in you new job!!!!

Lead in Lipstick

Its been a while since i last wrote an entry... Believe it or not, i was abducted by aliens who did all sorts of weird experiments on me and... Ok ok i neglected the blog.... a little.... Anyway... Been coding my thesis project the past few weeks. Boy am i rusty with C#.... Fortunately i had my past works to refer to hehe.. Managed to implement captcha too... Its the cool little verification code u need to enter to verify user input. Now on to this entry's topic.... Its my first time hearing that lipsticks contain lead... I thought lead was a very poisonous metal for us and yet cosmetic makers add a "miniscule" amount into it... Not sure what they are thinking. Anyway its been rumored that to test if a lipstick has lead, all u need is to apply some on a AL foil and then rub it hard with a cloth... If it turns black then lead is found inside. Its kinda like an urban myth but haha all i can say is that thank god im a guy.... So ladies remember not too much lipstick!!

Entry no. 3...

Lol.... im writing this entry because some "marine animal" bugged me to write it... But fortunately had something to write about...

These past few days i've been hearing a few problems from ppl... Unemployment, not the best trainee etc... In the end all these leads to dissappointment. In life we are always faced with disappointment. About big things or small matters.... It always leaves a bitter feeling in our heart. As the saying goes the higher our expectations the bigger the disappointment.. How many times have i experience extreme confidence in winning something only to have failure punch me in the gut. I've recently had the opportunity to watch videos of Nick Vuijicic.... He's a guy who has no limbs... but still he's happy and content. At 23 he's a professional speaker and has touch the hearts of so many people, including mine. If only we could look at things as he does the world would have been so much better. Perspective is a big word, but it's misunderstood by many people. Humans tend to always see the negative sides of things. Always pointing out each other's short comings. With a change of perspective, we would have seen things in a much different light. Just like putting on a pair of glasses to correct your vision, you tend to see thing much clearly. Sadly its something i've not perfected. I do hope that i will have more opportunities like what Nick had and at the same time touch the hearts of others....

Went for a run last night.. Seems like my stamina increased by quite a bit. Ran for 35 mins and was able to maintain a constant speed... lol its been a while since i last felt that way... Today im gonna swim 30 laps at my pool (i try that is)...

Brisbane

Hmmm 2nd post now... I'm at home all alone... enjoying the peace, listening to music.... Studying in Aussie does bring about a level of freedom that no where you can find. Gosh im so gonna miss this place when i return back home. Still all the memories, all the friends... they will stay with me always. Now i truly understand why ppl invite uni friends over to their weddings. Its not about quantity of time u spend with a person or with people. Its really about the quality of time. Its also why people say you are a different person when you have studied abroad. I write this down as a tribute to all the wonderful friends who have made my time in Brisbane so wonderful. The pals, gals and my aussie "family"... Sometimes i do wish you guys are still here in Brissy.. But no gathering comes without a separation. Here in this blog i've written down the loneliness kept deep deep down within my heart i suppose no one knows. Just hope the next entry will be a more cheerful one. XD

WoW update:
Got that ring from H UK.. rox!!!!
DPS still sucks though...

First Timer

Hmm its my first time bloggin... I've never thought about bloggin before until this course. But oh well maybe it'll go far hehe..