Australia Day

It's Australia day today. It's a public holiday. Having spending some days here, well, what do I like about Australia or Melbourne to be specific?

1. Great parks in the city. There's a park just outside my hotel and office. People BBQ in the park on a weekday evening, people jogs during lunch, people sunbath on the grass, people walks their cute dogs. Love it.

2. Different weather in a day. Extremely cold morning, sunny afternoon, showers in the evening...I love walking on a cloudy day as it's not hot and sunny.

3. Grocery shopping! There's so many variety of stuff to see that we can't get in Malaysia.

4. Queen Vic market. Many things to see, many things to buy. Great place to get some good snacks

5. Great sandwiches. I love them!

6. Uncomplicated roads. Wherever you walk, you'll be able to find your way. It's all in a rectangle.

7. Yummy coffee...Coffee is a big thing here. Every turns and corners, you'll be able to get a cuppa for the chilly day.

8. The Great Ocean Road. The beautiful scenery is etched in my mind forever.

9. Old infrastructure amidst modern buildings.

10. And I finally get to see a koala....awake and active. Do you know koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day?

MacGyver

One of the TV channel here is showing Macgyver again. Anyone remember this famous TV show? It was one of my favourite show when I was young. Mainly because of Richard Dean Anderson. Hot and sexy during that time, I just can't resist him. I remember waiting eagerly once a week for the show to be aired on TV.

Big fish, small fish

And so the question goes, 'Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond, or a small fish in a big pond?'
For me, I choose to be a big fish in a small pond.
Now, I'm a small fish in a big pond and it's definitely not where I want to be. I rather have something that I own whole-heartedly and passionately. Something that I build up from my dreams. EVen if it's small and unknown, I prefer to be doing something I look forward to waking up to each morning.
People might think that when you work for a well-known company, a big multinational company, and be good at it, it's consider a success. But to me, it's just living the life that people expected. And you know what, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
So, I don't like big pond. It makes me drown and it makes me stress.
And no, I don't want to be a big fish in a big pond too because some big fish in a big pond told me that no one is indespensable. In a big organisation, you are replaceable no matter how 'big' you are.
But life is never easy. Big pond or small pond, there are bound to be challenges. So which pond you prefer?

Another decade

And so, my BIG day has passed. Yes, the day I turned the BIG 3-0. No longer in my twenties. And how did I celebrated my big day? Being sick the day before and feeling drowsy from the medicine I took on the day itself. Great, right? But I feel blessed. Blessed to be able to spend the day with family, with my loved one and with my friends.
3 decades and I still feel so incomplete. I feel that I've not achieved anything yet. People might tell me that it's not true. If it's not then why do I feel like a failure? I guess I am emotional at the time I am writing this. Work has not been so smooth. I feel lost and I have yet to set my feet on firm ground. I tried hard and still am trying.
I guess it's not that bad, work aside. I am loved by really great parents and sister. I found someone who really supports me. And I get to travel with friends and family each year. But there's something missing. Am I facing another phase of quarter life crisis?
Sigh...Welcome to another new decade of my life.

Food:Restoran Ayam Penyet, Shah Alam

I have tried ayam penyet once in Jakarta and I totally love it. I fell in love with gado gado also. One evening, still figuring what to have for dinner, we passed by a newly open ayam penyet restaurant in Shah Alam and I know immediately I wanted to have that.
We ordered the ayam penyet, gado gado and another grilled chicken dish.

Excerpt taken from their website:
http://www.ayampenyet-ap.com/v2.1/

'Our signature chicken dish is a traditional Indonesian cuisine which originates from Surabaya. It is a popular chicken dish where the chicken is specially marinated with various spices and herbs. The meat is then smashed with a wooden hammer and deep fried until golden light brown. One of the unique feature in preparing this funny name dish is the art of frying where it is crispy from outside and juicy inside. Served with blazing hot scrimp paste (sambal belacan) and bits of crunchy golden brown fried fritter topping.'

'Traditional Surabaya salad known as “Rujak” (bean sprout, salad, cabbage, kangkong, potatoes) mixed with spicy prawn sauce, roasted peanut and with classic crispy crackers topping.'

'Aromatic barbecue chicken with added flavour of honey and lime juice. Serve with Indonesian soya sauce consisting of chop onion, garlic, spicy chilli and lime juice.'

I really enjoyed the meal especially the ayam penyet and gado gado. What makes or breaks the gado gado is the peanut sauce and I am totally digging the sauce here.

I hate you, Migraine

I hate migraine! I hate it even more on weekends. It spoils the day.
Starting with a mild throbbing pain at the back of the head, it progresses until a stage where is causes nausea. I've been trying to avoid taking painkillers. But the pain is so unbearable and eventually, I gave in. If you think taking a nap will ease the pain, more times than not, i'll wake up feeling worse.
I'm not sure what triggers it. I woke up feeling fine, went to the morning market, had breakfast with parents and is excited to be going out for a movie with my dear.
Then Mr Migraine decides to pay a visit. I didn't enjoy the movie and when it finishes, I just wanted to go home and take painkiller. Sigh...
Googled and found some triggers of migraine:
http://www.medicinenet.com/migraine_headache/page5.htm
Chocs? or could it be hormones?
I've less encounter nowadays compared to few years back but I've notice that the pain is more intense now if it strikes. Am I being paranoid?

The true meaning

Picture 1 - with a cane means people with backache after walking long distance
Picture 2 - with protuding belly means people with big tummy (or Michelin tyres)
Picture 3 - for people wearing boots
Picture 4 - for 'ke ai' people hugging a teddy bear or has any form of cute bears on them (aka Foong Ling)

Fourth day of 2011

It's the fourth day of the new year and I've already failed 2 of my resolutions. First is to update my blog at least once every 2 days and second is to go jogging everyday.
:(
Just too tired to jog after work these couple of days and too little time to update blog. I haven't even read the newspaper from Sunday.
Sigh...
I am still left with 361 days to make up for these four unproductive days.
To a new beginning...starting tomorrow...

Wish me luck.