Happy MoonCake Festival Ala Italiano

This mooncake festival is weird. Instead of having mooncake, we had pizza (and imagine its mooncake). I'm sure if they had mooncake festival in Europe, pizza would be renamed as moonzza. But it wasn't the only occasion. The gathering is also because someone's wife here for a visit but he (Cough*my room mate*cough cough) wanted to keep it a secret. Didn't bring my camera for the occasion and therefore all photos courteousy of Nash.

The place we went for dinner is called Ciao Italiano. While waiting outside the restaurant - yes we had quite a wait just to get seated cause its really tiny in there. The weather was cold but there were upbeat Italian music that lightens the mood. Italy has a big Australian community.. opps.. the moment we step into the small restaurant it feels like were actually in Italy with Australian diners! Rephrase myself. Perth has quite a big Italian community. Therefore, the guys working there talks like italian (because they are!). If I had visited Italy, I would imagine the ambiance is just like in that restaurant.

For starters we ordered a pizza (imagine its mooncake for now). The moonzza was quite different from normal pizza I've had before. Instead of cheesy toppings, it had pork salamy toppings all over and tomato cooked but still succulant topped the centre bits. Baked to perfection!

Next, each of us ordered a main each (bad idea). Why you say? Unless you're the size of the Rock or some sumo wrestling guy, I would not suggest you try downing your own pasta. Its delicious but the servings are very generous. I personally ordered Bolognise (beef) pasta. Others ordered Marinara (seafood which includes prawn and mussel), and there's Carbonara (this one is really recommended that you share with others.. for a cheese lover, even I find its too much of cheese). Their lagsania (Garfield comes to mind immediately) is big cube of lagsania layered with beef and tomato puree.

On top of that, we ordered chilly mussels. So you can imagine, by the time were's done, were really done. But the best part is that we celebrated Bunny's very belated birthday.. the staffs burst out singing Happy Birthday song with a chocolate coated ice cream desert and held fire works in their hand.. well, cause he's a jolly good fella!

Top it off, good authentic Italian ambiance, good company and good music makes one good outing!

Pissed off

Pissed pissed pissed.. think I've never peed so much before. Not literally. Getting bumped here and there. I'm not angry at anyone. I'm just angry. Now I can't fly and I'm back to square one.
Woke up, got ready in uniform and all, only to be told that my flight's canceled due to some circumstances. Glitches in the system.. I wanted to post about the nice dinner we had at Ciao Italia for Mooncake Festival yesterday but that will have to wait.. I'm still pissed off here.

Cottesloe Beach

Everywhere is near in Perth. Half an hour's drive and you're there. City, beach, biggest shopping centre in W.A., Fremantle (and maybe winery- maybe because I've yet to plan a visit). But where do I stay in relation to Perth City? Jandakot is tagged 'the busiest airport in the southern hemisphere'. Its located South of the city where the land is flat as far as your eyes can see except for the sea in the East and hills in the west.

After wandering the city, the port town of Fremantle and our neighbourhood in Jandakot, its time for some beach. Australia has 34,218kms of coastline and thus it is worthy of mention and visit.

Cottesloe Beach is located at the East of the city. Its one of the beach along the stretch of beaches and therefore don't worry about the lack of beachline. In fact, this beach is one of the landmark when we fly. Its early spring and therefore the wind's still very cold. However, during this particular day, the sun's quite bright as well therefore making the day out in the beach comfortable. You get sun but its not hot!

People come here mainly just to relax rather than have heavy activity. Sunbathing, playing freesbie, reading and just to chill out. There's some folks who came here for surfing as well. But I guess the water might be too cold for a swim unless you have a wetsuit.

I particularly enjoyed feeding the seagulls. I even tried to feed one off my hands but its too timid to approach close to humans. As dusk approaches, the sun hid behind the clouds, and then a couple walked pass on the beach. It was so romantic I had to snap the photo..

We stayed until its sunset and then its dinner time. Since the beach is just a drive away from Fremantle and there's nowhere interesting to eat nearby... Fish and Chips it is!

Don't wanna do anything!

Do you get this feeling at times, when you just don't feel like doing anything? But its at these times when you push yourselves, you achieve the best results? Was just wondering if its just phsychological because when you think of the worst, but then you actually obtain something better the difference is so much that you actually felt that you've done better!

Well, today is one of the days where I could hope to sleep in and have a slow start for the day. I have still outstanding stuffs to be taken care of but the motivation is not quite there. Arrrggh!

I wish I could just chill out like this guy here with his cool didgeridoo. Even the name of the instrument sounded so cool. Maybe I'll look for this guy and "pai si fu" when I ran out of work to do. Otherwise, I think I might just hang upside down like the other guy. Even then, doing handstands is hard work....

Today & Fremantle

Today I woke up later than planned. Was suppose to go over and meet my secondary instructor to find out if I can get airborne. Appearently the lead caded that's suppose to handle this issue might not like me cause I keep calling him Bob after he'd dismissed that it is not his name :P Well, its kindda funny cause this 'Ang Moh' instructor actually called him Bob simply because his chinese name is too mouthful for them. Think I'll stop calling him Bob from now on.

Ok, as promised, I shall recall my trip to Fremantle. I've not explored the whole place just yet. But for now, when I think of Fush and Chups that's the place I'll go. There's few to choose from (Cirerello's, Kaili's, Joes) but overall I would recommend value, quality and ambience at Cicerello's. Its quite a holiday mood place with people sunbathing on their boat and the crowd there and just to walk along the old colonial buildings (wait! Aussie was never colonized so that might not be the correct term to use.. gotta.. get.. myself... out... of.. this... stereo... typing...).

What I'm saying, the architectural there is mighty fine and it brings you back in time. There's also a flea market where people sell fruits, vegetables, handicraft, foods, kites, kangaroo scrotum, tattoo palor (non permanent), paintings etc. Oh, yes. They sell kangaroo scrotum as a souvenier. Creative Aussies! Ok ok, I'm just pulling your leg. What it actually is: its a leather coin pouch but it's really made of kangaroo's balls.. ouch! I hope they don't do that when its alive! Arrghh... the though of it made me have goosebumps.

Out near the flea market, there's a guy basking and catching attentions people. His performance range from skits to juggling to making fun of people he'd just pulled into his performance. Hope go just go there one day when he's performing and see what's its all about..

Its only half an hour drive there which is about the same duration as the drive from Jandakot (YPJT) to city. The town has the rustic look, with railway crossing that you can't miss, marketplace and eating place (I wouldn't call it restaurant) that's overlooking the jetty. Water from the Indian Ocean is crystal clear; so clear that you could actually see small tiny cute little jelly fish swimming in it. But once you get big jelly fish sting in your legs you might just change your mind about it being cute though.. touch wood, for me they're still cute.

Not much photos here cause the other day I brought my camera along.. with spare batteries. But little did I know, I forgot to reinsert my memory card cause I left it in my laptop for downloading the night before! Very clever of me. So, here I am, with my camera but unable to snap away. Luckily my handphone can actually take photos but the quality is not up to mark. Nick bought his as well so we tookthis group photo using his camera instead. Next trip, might try to look what's interesting at Maritime Museum there and try the rest of Fush & Chups place.

Musings from Perth

Hullo Hullo! Welcome to Perth Daily Edition! I'm counting down to Christmas this year. Its gonna be a special one for few reasons dear to me. Most dear is that Felicia will be here after long absence. Well, they say that absence makes heart grow fonder and I totally agree with that mate!

Pick up from where I stopped. Ah yes, Dome is like McD in USA. You'll probably see it everywhere in Perth. And Woolworths is to Perth as NTUC Fairprice to Singapore.

One very special thing about Dome in Perth is that it originated from Perth! Yes, the 1st Dome was set up here! Who'd thought of that now its outlet is all over the world, even in Rio! And the thing about Dome is that its not just about coffee. Breakfast is something you should try here. The Big Breakfast will definitely boost your day. Bacon, mushroom in garlic, eggs made to your preference, hash brown, bread toasted to perfection with butter spread on it. It was a perfect breakfast for an almost perfect day. Well, there could only be one perfect day and it was on 31st Jan 2006. Anyone could have prepared this meal at home but the novelty of sipping coffee and savouring the Western breakfast with a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows swimming in it was just too irresistable.

I think since we're talking about Perth, I might as well show some photos of Perth City and what it is composed of. Here is a photo of Perth city as seen from King's Park. The city itself is quite pleasant to be in as its not very big and therefore not congested or anything. Lots of one ways so you'd better know where you're going before driving into the city. But there's free buses going within the city so that's a plus. And there's actually a dedicated bicycle lane leading in and out of the city along the main freeway. I'm not sure about other areas but there's one from Jandakot (about 18kms away from City) all the way to the city. I'm tempted to take up cycling but with the cost of bike equivalent to a moving car, I'd take up the car anyday for convenience.

The flower featured here can be spotted in King's park and is called a Kangaroo's Paw and its the native flower here. Its popularly used as the flower symbol for Western Australia. The incredible thing about this flower is as the individual flower is pollinized, the shaft of individual flower would actually move aside so that the next flower could open up and be pollinated. Incredible what evolution has done to the fauna's here!

More to come.. Fremantle in a brief.. now its time to bathe after good game of tennis!