Me in tidbits

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. The adapter of my computer broke and I have been using Sacha's PC. Today I finally uploaded all my pictures. Eventually I will blog in more detail about what's happened but here's an excerpt so far...


Here's me on a colorful bench on Brunswick Street in Melbourne. I went over for four days and stayed with my friend Cat-Cat. A lot of it was spent walking around the city, exploring and of course, eating my way through one of my favorite cities.


Last weekend I went to the Grand Philippine Fiesta. For the first time in almost two years I ate bibingka, which I stood in line for 2 hours for. It wasn't even that good but I was kind of desperate. Here's me eating bananacue!


Here's me and my friend Ala doing the Coogee to Bondi Walk. Just finished that today. It is 5KM and it usually takes about 2 hours but because we walked leisurely and took pictures everywhere, it took about 5. We also had a lovely (but cold!) dip in Bronte Beach.

Eventually we got to Bondi, where there was, for the first time in my life, no one on the beach except black wetsuit clad surfers riding the waves. There were no tourists, just a handful of people. Maybe it was because it was a cold day, or the surf was strong but there was no one out there except the hard core real surfers, the kind that are really from here, as opposed to the back to back throes of tourists that are usually basking in the sun.

So here's what I've been up to so far. Hope to post something longer when I can...

The Marrickville Festival - Marrickville is a multicultural suburb in the inner west of Sydney, not too far from uni/where I live. They have an annual festival that is a celebration of different cultures. Rose and I went this afternoon. 

Watussi - I discovered them at the Spanish festival and we came early to hear them. They sing mostly in Spanish with African inspired beats as well and they are pretty good. 

Rose discovers the fairy floss and gets all excited! 

Funky icee containers 

Colorful banners at the festival. They shut down the main road for it, and there was food, food and more food plus stalls with lots of stuff and live performances. 

Rose trying on a hat 

Me trying on a hat at one of the stalls 

We passed this store as we walked down Marrickville road. I couldn't resist taking a picture as it had a funny name... 

Rose's Peruvian skewers. I think they are called Aparcaba. I really wanted a bratwurst but they didn't have any (shocking!!!) so we opted for Peruvian food instead. It was a good experience. 

Peruvian food. Now if only I could remember what its called. Chicken & Pork with potatoes, mushed together with spices 

Maori Performance at the Centre stage. They had some funky movements that I wasn't able to capture. They're also wearing flourescent outfits, much like what a roadside worker would wear so people can see him in the dark... 

Goodbye, Crocodile Hunter

My first ever memories of Steve Irwin are of him trying to pick up a spitting snake without wearing anything but a pair of goggles, never mind that their spit can burn your skin. (This was after my friend Dyne did his best crikey accent and convinced me that the crazy Aussie guy was worth watching.)

When my cousin first told me that he was "reported dead" I refused to believe it. I mean, Aussie news is notorious for its exaggerations. (Nothing much happens here, so there appears to be the need to sensationalize everything.)When it was finally confirmed later on and the tributes started showing on tv, I finally believed it was real.

People ask me what it's like here, if people are freaking out. They're not. Steve Irwin was a bazillion times more popular in America, even in the Philippines. Here they recognize his great contributions to conservatism and Australian tourism, but he's not as big a thing as he is everywhere else. I mean, the man made worldwide news and CNN did a tribute.

In an interview Andrew Denton of Enough Rope did, he asked Steve why he thought that Aussies were "a bit embarrassed" about him. Steve said, "It's because there's a little bit of me in every Australian." And he's right. He was bold and passionate and committed. My Aussie friends agree that he epitomized Australianess but he took it to another level that most regular Aussies considered a bit too much sometimes. He was very much respected, though. And I think a lot of people here have come to look at him more differently now that he's gone.

To me he was a good man - a great man, a devoted father/husband and animal lover. He will be missed.


Goodbye, Steve.
from cute overload.

Whassap? Yesterday was Caleb, my friend Kat's son's 2nd birthday. It was a children's party with only two children. The rest of it was all filo adults and the teenagers they dragged with them, eating, in fairness an aussie style barbecue with sausages and salad. And lots of cake.  

Mum's new gadget #232323423423423. Kat has just bought a new camera, and a video cam and possibly something else. She has now joined the ranks of the gadget whores. (hee hee) 

I still haven't figured out entirely how to use this camera, so there's a bit of a delay when I take pictures. Thus, Caleb isn't facing the front anymore! 

Me & Caleb. He looks sungs and I suddenly have this gigantic forehead. 

Caleb blows his cake with lolo. I ate three of those cupcakes and a piece of that cake. (Saturday is chocolate day) 

My butt is wet.

So I started out this day rather well. I was on time for Spanish and I managed to come up with some pretty decent answers (partly because I've done this tense before). My deberes (discussion hw) were all correct too, cos I had Carolina look them over the night before . I also had a chat with this Aussie-Portuguese girl from class who is very very good in Spanish and she will be reviewing with me, so that should help me with the exam next Wednesday.

Then I went to change my flight and my travel agent and I had a laugh about how mum kept changing her mind. He was like, "you're going to charge your mum cos its her fault, right?" and I was like, "yeah!!! totally!!!" Anyway, my new flight back here is Jan 8. I arrive in Sydney Jan 9, and would ideally like to go to NZ within the next 2 days, as mum wants to spend some time with her friend in Auckland, and I would like to go visit Ees in Welly.

Then I got home. Now we have two main doors, the front door which has barred gate and the back door, which includes the courtyard gate. The courtyard gate door and the back door have the same key and its the key I've got. Sacha and I use the back door and Carolina & Pat use the front, as those are they keys that we have. When it rains, or right after, the lock gets stuck and its usually a pain in the ass to get the key out. This past week has been particularly bad. Last Monday Carolina and I had to pour canola oil on it to get it out, on Monday evening I had to go to Derek's house (our neighbor) to borrow oil and Luke, his housemate had to help me get the damn key out.

Today it was just stuck. The friendly cafe across the road gave me oil but it didn't work. It was also raining and I got wet trying to get it out and trying to cross the road when the cars splashed me. Then I went to the physics building to see if Derek was there. He wasn't, but Luke was and Luke gave me a scientific explanation on how it was pointless for me to use oil and that I should call a locksmith. So I trudged back home and called the real estate. I waited for an hour, got frustrated, went to Yuga, my fave neighborhood cafe, had an apple & honey pie and a chai latte. While waiting for the locksmith to call i whined to my cousin who said, "go ahead, you're allowed to eat chocolate cake." but in fairness I didn't. The cashier was also kind enough to let me go even if I didn't have enough to pay - I was going to eftpos but there was a minimum and my bill was 11 dollars, 4 dollars too little. So I paid 10.50 and she said pay again next time.

I called the real estate and the nice receptionist followed up with the locksmith and gave me their number. They should arrive between 430-5pm today. Pat also said he would be home around 4 so since it was 30 minutes to 4 I decided (quite moneyless) to wait it out by napping on the armchair in the courtyard. (Thank God Pat decided to just leave it there) It was nice and soft, but quite wet as it had been raining. My butt was very very wet already from sitting on it previously while waiting, but I still managed to take and on-off nap till Pat got home at 415. All in all I have missed my accounting class, waited since about 130 and the locksmith isn't here yet. I will call them in 5 minutes if he isn't here.

I've also downloaded the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album. Blood Sugar Sex Magic pa rin forever ang no 1 fave ko, and I've noticed this album in particular they all kind of sound the same. Nevertheless its pretty okay.

I am participating in a blogging experiment hosted at dearauthor.com. To enter the contest, put up this blurb, image, and trackback and you are entered to win the following prize package.

• $200 Amazon gift certificate


• Signed copy of Slave to Sensation


• New Zealand goodies chosen by Singh


• ARC of Christine Feehan's October 31 release: Conspiracy Game

You can read about the experiment here and you can download the code that you need to participate here.

SLAVE TO SENSATION

Nalini Singh

Berkley / September 2006

Welcome to a future where emotion is a crime and powers of the mind clash brutally against those of the heart.

Sascha Duncan is one of the Psy, a psychic race that has cut off its emotions in an effort to prevent murderous insanity. Those who feel are punished by having their brains wiped clean, their personalities and memories destroyed.

Lucas Hunter is a Changeling, a shapeshifter who craves sensation, lives for touch. When their separate worlds collide in the serial murders of Changeling women, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities�or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Excerpt