Once again, I apologise for the 2-month hiatus. It was due to the lack of Internet access back in the University ( I have my reason to not apply for the free high speed Internet and I do not regret it although I did 'suffer' a little after I finished my supposedly monthly 5GB mobile data in less than 2 weeks.. ) Besides, I was hooked on a particular Japanese anime that has almost 580 episodes up-to-date which seems as if it's never ending ( no, it hasn't ended yet ). The purpose behind choosing and watching a highly rated anime was to kill time and it certainly took up more time than I expected. As I've promised myself to update my blog every now and then, here's a post about my one-week trip to Melbourne back in April.
I've been wanting to visit Australia since a long time ago and I knew it would definitely come with quite a huge sum of expenses if I make a trip there. Since I already had a trip to the UK back in January, I figured it would be too much to ask for more especially when I'm just a student with no earned income yet. As everyone unemployed in the family is financially dependent solely on my dad, I only told my mum about my yearning for a getaway there but she blurted it out to my dad... Yeap. He actually agreed to let me go without thinking twice which I totally did not expect it, at all. Arrangements on accommodations and flight tickets were done 3 weeks before the trip. The initial plan to visit more places such as Sydney and Gold Coast did not work out due to time constraints. Oh well, there's always a next time.
Mum, dad and Jessica ( younger sister ) went all the way to Kuala Lumpur a day before my trip just to send me off the next day although I insisted that it wasn't necessary but they were persistent. Sigh. The one-week holiday began with the Monash Revolution ( a rave organised by the University's Student Association ). It was pretty fun although it did not attract a bigger crowd than I thought it would have. It was also enjoyable probably because I was done with my mid-semester exams on that day itself. It was even better when I got to stay with my family at the hotel so I did not have to return to the hostel.
18th April 2014
In the afternoon, we had lunch together with my college friends who are studying in Kuala Lumpur at Fuzion, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa since it was convenient for everyone of us. I did not take pictures of all the food we had because I was quite hungry at that time..
This pasta I ordered was so goooood. The spiciness was just right for me too.
Dad suggested to have a drink at the lounge since I still had plenty of time before departure. The guys chit-chatted with my dad and I wasn't actually paying much attention because I was talking to the girls instead ( yes Keith, you're a girl ).
We left to Kuala Lumpur International Airport ( KLIA ) in the evening after checking out. Since we were early, we grabbed a bite at Secret Recipe. As usual, Dad was worried and he gave his safety tips talk while we were eating.
Moist Chocolate Cake
Chicken Curry Puff
Curry Mee
Took my favourite Singapore Airlines to Melbourne. It was a pity that I did not apply for Krisflyer before I traveled there. Had about an hour transit in Singapore before the approximately 8 hour direct flight to Tullamarine Airport. I actually love the feeling of walking around the departure hall while waiting for time to pass and flying alone. It actually makes me feel....independent. To me, the airport is like a rendezvous point for people from all walks of life with different important objectives in mind to attain. Other than being on Whatsapp, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram all the time when I'm alone, I like people watching too ( not in a creepy way, if you get what I mean. But it's a common thing to do, no? ). I tend to think and question a lot especially when I'm alone. An alternative way to make time pass faster that way too!
As always, I was excited for my inflight meals!
A complimentary Cornetto ice-cream was given to every passenger after our dinner. Yum.
Then it was breakfast. Loved the pastries as they were served warm! Pardon the blurry picture.
19th April 2014
Reached the Tullamarine Airport at 4plus in the morning. Bought a juice and chilled at Villa and Hut while I waited for Optus to open and also for Jamie to wake up. Optus is one of the many telecommunication companies in Australia. It's essential for one to get a local contact number and mobile data when he/she travels in a foreign country. I got a prepaid plan with just $30 for up to 15 days of use. It also came with 500MB of Internet data usage each day. Pretty reasonable, right? After I settled it, I took the SkyBus to Southern Cross Station at Central Business District ( CBD ) to meet up with Miss Woo.
I was actually exhilarated to meet her after 4 months when she was back in Malaysia during her Summer break. She borrowed me her Myki card which can be used to travel around Melbourne on buses, trains and trams. It's really convenient to have an efficient transport system although I'm still confused with the system in Melbourne. Thank goodness for friends. Jamie then brought me to Creperie le Triskel which is situated at Hardware Lane. This small shop is really popular with its crepes. The homey interior and friendly staff made the food tasted even better.
Melted chocolate, banana and coconut flakes Crepe. Probably the best combination, ever.
Banana, almonds and maple syrup crepe.
And this is Jamie, one of the 'Rabaks'. Also another close friend of mine who I can be open with.
" You have to take a picture on the street ".
Do not underestimate alleys like this. You're bound to find many good restaurants and cafes if you bother exploring the alleys at CBD.
We took a tram to the station near to Jamie's house after that because dragging a huge luggage wherever we go was a nuisance. She also reckoned that I would be exhausted after a long journey to Melbourne. I stayed over at her house during the first half of the trip and I'm thankful for the care given throughout my stay there.
We rested for a while and grabbed a bite before we went out again.
Ferrero Rocher Cake baked by Joey, Jamie's elder sister. It looked really appetising but I was too full at that time.
So, I tried a scone baked by her mum. It was so good! Homemade pastries are definitely the best.
We followed her mum to Dandenong Market in the afternoon. I was Jamie's first friend ( if I'm not wrong ) to experience her driving skill and it wasn't bad at all! For your information, I love grocery shopping. Therefore, going to a market will not bore me at all. Call me weird but I can spend hours in markets without actually buying anything but enjoy it at the same time.
I would live on strawberries if they are as cheap in Malaysia....
I'm not sure if the natural resources in Australia are better or fresher, but the sizes of fruits and vegetables are seriously gigantic there, I'm not even exaggerating. A potato there is probably thrice the size of a regular one we can find locally.
$20 for a big box of fresh bananas. Say what? I don't mind living on bananas too.
The supposedly really good hot jam donuts at the market. Too bad it was closed when we were there.
Nevermind the fruits and vegetables. Even the fishes, meat and poultry are humongous in size. The prices are really reasonable too.
Who says you can't have homecooked food when you're overseas? Dinner prepared by Jamie's mum was so satisfying and I'm missing it already! I guess all mothers are naturally good at cooking.
Mutton curry.
Stir-fry bittergourd and roasted pork.
20th April 2014
Surprisingly, I was able to wake up at 6plus in the morning. We had a quick breakfast as we had to catch the morning bus at the nearest bus station to Jamie's house. We were so rushed to the extent that I had to bring along my toast to eat as we walked. We got the wrong bus schedule and so, we had to walk to another bus station which was further. Morning cardio; checked. It was indeed one hectic morning but it was all worth it.
Favourite breakfast; toast with peanut butter and banana.
The reason behind all the rush was to go to the Camberwell Market! It is a flea market conducted by one of the Rotary Clubs with the purpose of raising funds for charities. It's held only on Sundays from 7am to 12.30pm. There was a wide variety of miscellaneous things sold there. Handmade products, secondhand goods, antiques, collectible items, food and etc. You may find many good deals at the market and if you don't, try bargaining. I personally prefer seeing people bargain instead of doing it myself because I'm not good with words.
Put in some effort and you can find many secondhand branded goods in very good conditions.
Secondhand Dr. Martens.
Collectible cards and badges.
We finally got our hands on the hot jam donuts although it wasn't the one at the Dandenong Market. Still, the gooey overflowing hot jam was irresistible on a 20°c weather.
Oldies music.
The Camberwell Market is not only a place for trade and shopping, it's also a place where dogs have their morning walks too. You'll go gaga like me if you love dogs. Dogs of different breeds can be observed there. Their fur was well-maintained and it was obvious that they are all well taken care of. Pae-dog-phile mode; on.
One of the cutest I've seen there. It was the size of a pair of shoes..
Then we took the tram and walked to Bridge Road to have our brunch at Touchwood! If you're looking for a healthy brunch place with good ambience, this is the place. If only I could order every single dish on the menu.. I was spoilt for choice.
Cucumber, kale, celery, apple, lime and parsley juice. Simply refreshing.
Banana and blueberry wholemeal waffles, organic amply syrup, banana ricotta and
strawberry dust.
Morning grain salad - quinoa, freekah, wild rice, rocket, toasted almonds, chai soaked raisins, cumin yoghurt, poached egg.
Then, Jamie brought me to have gelato at Fritz Gelato, also located at Bridge Road. Another healthy option if you love gelato. This place serves organic gelato, using only fresh ingredients without any artificial flavours. There is always stomach space for desserts, no matter how full and bloated you are.
We tried the Chocolate Indulgence and Salted Caramel. Healthy, natural, tasty and thirst-quenching. What else can you ask for?
This is Bridge Road.
After that, we took the tram to the long anticipated Brighton Beach! I've mentioned countless times that I love going to the beach so much. The cloudy cooling weather made everything more delightful despite the fact that my camera had ran out of battery when we were at the colourful bathing boxes.. The extra battery was left at Jamie's. Too absent-minded of me but thank God for Jamie's Ipod Touch.
Too picturesque.
I still can't believe that I've actually been there..
Being her happy-self.
Awkward penguin.
Can you spot the colourful bathing boxes? No? It's okay.
I really love the colour of the sand.
Can you spot the colourful bathing boxes now?
Yes?
One of the tourist icons.
Mandatory tourist shots with the bathing boxes there. I would love to own one. Then I will spend my retirement there.
When the sun was about to set, we decided to leave to a fish and chips restaurant at Hampton as Jamie's boyfriend, Ray was expected to be meeting us there. It was an approximate 8 kilometer walk and we were serious about walking there until it got too dark. All we relied on were the screenshots of the map on my phone but lady luck wasn't on our side.. My phone had ran out of battery and Jamie had finished her monthly mobile data. We depended on our memory and walked for 3 - 4 kilometers and fortunately, Ray was able to find us and picked us up. The restaurant we planned to go to was already closed by the time we got there. I guessed it would be more devastating if we had walked all the way there to find that it was closed. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant called Hoa Tran instead. It was my first time having Vietnamese cuisine and I took up Jamie's suggestion to have their Pho there. It was my first time having Pho as well and I really liked it alot. Also thanks to Ray for the treat!
It seemed to be having a really good business.
The Pho that I ordered. The beef and hot broth topped with coriander was one of the best food to have in cold weathers. The beansprouts were supposed to be added into the broth but I didn't.
21st April 2014
After a relaxing day at the beach, we went shopping and walked around the hustle and bustle Bourke Street and Collins Street; two of the major streets in Melbourne Central where you can find many flagship stores along those busy streets. Shopaholics would love to spend their time there. If you have trouble getting your way around, I'm sure the locals will be glad to lend a helping hand. An alternative way is to use Google map. Trust me, it will be of a great help, really. I'm a pretty stubborn person who doesn't like to ask people for directions and would rather look for places on my own with the help of technology. So, the app saved me a lot of time as there are many streets interconnecting with one another and it got me quite confused initially.
One of the many shops we've been to was H&M, which I'm sure is an internationally known fashion brand. It was newly opened not long ago and it's also the first H&M store in Australia ( correct me if I'm wrong ). Spanning three floors, with a wide selection of clothing for all ages, the long queue outside the store was not surprising at all. It took about 15 - 20 minutes for us to get in and to 'compensate' the time wasted queuing up ( what an excuse ), I bought quite a number of things there.
Street performances with encouraging crowds are pretty common and also entertaining at the same time.
Before lunch, Jamie brought me to La Belle Miette to get my favourite macarons! It is located at Hardware Lane, just beside Creperie Le Triskel, the place where we had crepes on my first day there. The macarons tasted just right for me, not very sweet yet crunchy with flavourful fillings. My favourite were the pistachio and caramel. Yummm. I'm actually craving for some good macarons as I typed..
Too pretty to be eaten.
Lunch was at The Hardware Societe. We met up with Sebastian, another Malaysian friend who's studying in Australia. Truth to be told, it was my first time to actually meet and interact with him. We kind of knew each other's existence back in secondary school, were in the same club and society in our own school, had attended a few school events, are friends on Facebook and followed one another on social networks but no, we did not talk before, at all. But I guess we were considered hi-bye friends back then. Same goes to Jamie who wasn't sure if they attended the same tuition class years ago ( which they did ). It wouldn't harm to have another person joining us, right? Anyway, he wasn't a complete stranger. Another 'tour guide' to bring me around was a good idea too.. Well, I secretly hoped that it wouldn't be an awkward meetup with awkward silence in between awkward conversations ( he actually hoped for the same thing too ) but nah, it wasn't and I was glad. All of us clicked pretty well, I must say.
The meal was a fulfilling one despite the queue along the laneway. I had a tough time deciding on what to order because everything on the menu seemed delicious..or I was probably famished at that time. I can take decades to decide on what to eat because choosing the right food to fuel myself is important alright.
Jamie ordered The Continental which consisted of vanilla and cardamom apricots, granola crumble, warm croissant and schulz organic yogurt.
Sebastian's Scrambled Eggs with persian fetta, chervil, andrews ham and beetroot relish.
I ordered the Baked Eggs with chorizo, sofrito and manchego. Delish!
I also ordered the Hot Chocolate which was recommended by Jamie. I did enjoy the rich taste of it because I'm a fan of chocolates although it was not exactly the best I had!
We went to the State Library of Victoria and I regret not entering after knowing how the interior of the library looks like. Sigh. There were beanbags placed on the grassland outside the building for anyone to chill at. A great place to relax and socialise after all the studying and brainstorming sessions in the library. You can also find a giant chess set at the forecourt of the library.
After watching people playing chess and taking pictures of every corner of the library like a typical tourist, we headed to Sebastian's place to chill and also researched and planned on where to go for the coming days. Before we went back to Jamie's home, she brought me to one of the local supermarkets, Coles Central. A variety of tidbits, chocolates and sweets can be found at low prices and I had the urge to grab everything I saw on the shelves.
The day ended with another sumptuous meal that was prepared by Jamie's mum.
Pineapple fried rice.
Garlic bread.
Baked potatoes.
Accompanied with a bowl of pumpkin soup.
Are you drooling already? Well, this is not the end of my trip, yet. I don't know if anyone actually reads my blog but I maintain it because it serves like a 'public diary' for me where I can look back at all the best things that I've done whenever I'm free. Of course, I'll speed up the update because I've too much in mind to share here!
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Coming up next : A Trip to Melbourne - Part 2
