Caught up with the CatchUpClubLadies last friday for some DIY Vietnamese rice paper rolls. It was indeed a fun night at LingLong’s place. Our catch ups usually take place once every 2 months at various Italian restaurants in the burbs.

L-R: Sara, LingLong, Megals & Junie

The four of us met back in 2002 when we were working at MDD. From work colleagues to ex work colleagues and later we became good catch up friends that talks about work, life, and food after a mundane week at work.

Yay! My very first DIY rice paper roll. Damn suaku right me but hey not bad for a first timer. LingLong couldn’t find sliced beef so she opt for lamb instead. It tasted different… unusual but still edible. FYI, I whack damn alot of mint and basil leaves into the roll to musk the gamey smell

Megals baked a glutton free cake because Sara was allergic to gluten. This is my first time trying out flourless chocolate cake with strawberries and double cream

Does it look like minnie mouse to you?

The dinner and dessert was accompanied with a bottle of Brown Brother Lexia and Ricadonna Ruby. We love sweet drinks

Posted: February 26th, 2008 under Journal.
Comments: 4

Today is the last day of Chinese New Year. It is also known as Chinese Valentine’s day. As for us who lives aboard it is just a normal day in the week.

Finally our internet connection has resume back to its normal speed. It was damn torturing when I had to use dial up speed for the past 2 weeks and DJ is still hogging the TV. He’s now watching a china production of The Return of the Condor Heroes. DJ has cut my queue twice!! Hopefully I will be able to finish the my series over the weekend.

Last Saturday we had a dinner party at No. 3 [BC's house]. It was a 10 course meal with matching wines/beverages.

BC even had the menu printed!!

Here’s the list of chefs that made the dinner a great success. Thanks guys for cooking a fantabulous dinner.

Appetizers

Midnight Cauldron of a Thousand Pleasures – an egg based soup with rice cakes. Korean New Year speciality.

Delightful Parcels of Joy – beef san choy bau served on lettuce cups

Shu Mai – these shu mai are from Lau’s. We were suppose to match this dish with Chandon’s Blanc de Blanc but some of us were thirsty and finished half the bottle before dinner starts

Mains

Dancing Phoenix with Drunken Dragon – curry chicken cooked that has chicken liver and lycee. Something different to me.

Three Brothers Gift to Old Man Bok Choy’s Daughter – Braised mushrooms on bok choy.

Long Fore Chow Farn (dragon’s fire fried rice) & Dong Ging Gay (sounds more like Don’t Be Gay!!) – chicken flavoured special fried rice and chicken noodle crepes.

Phuc Dat (fat dat or f*ck that) – loast fork on a bed of lice [roast pork on a bed of rice]

Dragon’s Breath with Pancakes from the West – Chinese style lamb curry served with M’sian roti.

Desserts

Jumping Red Phoenix over Great Wall – red bean soup with pearl sagos

James : half yellow half white [half asian, half caucasion] – mango coconut rice pudding. So pretty!!

I wonder when is the next dinner party. This is really fun!!

Posted: February 21st, 2008 under Celebrations, Munchies.
Comments: 4

of Valentine’s Day. It should be called blardy rip off day.
We decided to celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day by cooking a feast at home.

As for starters DJ prepared smoked chicken with orange and caramelised walnut salad.

After the starter, we took a break by watching tvb series. Currently we are juggling between The Ultimate Crime Fighter and Wong Fei Hong -Master of Kung Fu series. While DJ is cooking, I’ll be watching my series and when I’m washing the dishes he will be watching his series.

For main, we had organic scotch fillet with saute mushroom and sweet potato chips.

DJ over fried the sweet potato chips therefore it tasted a bit bitter but the saute mushroom was absolute delicious. Thanks dear for the yummlicious dinner and the pocket money for my up coming trip.

Posted: February 14th, 2008 under DJ's cooking, Journal.
Comments: 3

DFO at Southern Cross rocks!! despise the ridiculosy expensive parking fee.
I was in and out at Witchery within 10 minutes and did a lil bit of shopping

Caught up with Daniel and Noelle for yum cha. It’s been awhile since I last caught up with them. After yum cha we adjourned to 3 degres for some beer session.

Dragon Boat, Chinatown.

Usually Daniel is the tan Queen but now I’ve taken over hers after numerous weekend trips to the beach.

After I bid farewell to the Lee sisters, I went home and started my tvb series laming session from 9pm – 5am. Currently watching The Ultimate Crime Fighter. I am very in love with Moses Chan.

On Sunday Eve, Kennii and I was at St Kilda Festival.

There was a free breath test at the festival. The 3 of us took the test after sharing a bottle of wine at Sapore. We were giggling and laughing when we did the test. Thanked gawd we were all under the alcohol limit. Phew…

We decided to have more fun by trying out some sick amusement ride at the park. It was hilarious. We were screaming our lungs out when the ride was spinning 360 degrees above ground.

Warning: Beware of the super ah beng background music.

Us at the rock band area. Thanks girls for a wonderful time

Posted: February 12th, 2008 under Journal.
Comments: none

Was in the city on Thursday for a last minute dinner with part of the usual suspects. Caught up with Eve before dinner. We did some window shopping in the city. I tried on some expensive shoes in David Jones. I know I will never afford it therefore I tried every single one of them. Absolutely love the Marc Jacobs mouse ballerina

Aww isn’t it adorable? I know it’s not good to buy shoes on the 1st day of CNY but there was no rules about just trying it out right. Ps, expensive shoes are really comfortable

Dinner was at good ol’ Ling Nam. This time we did not go over the board with ordering like 10 dishes knowing we will be stuffed after the 5th dish.

Highlight of the dinner: Steamed oysters in XO sauce. We decided to have oyster for a change instead of pipies. The price was about the same.
The cost of dinner was only $25 per person. Not bad huh for dining out on CNY.

After dinner we went to Golden Monkey to meet up with Yauie. DJ didn’t managed to catch up with Jules as he was too happy with the sakes. I on the other hand drank only flavoured cucumber H20. Well I did have a glass of red. I find it funny that my mind and body is very discipline. No bingeing on alcohols during week day which is a good thing. I hate waking up with a hang over when I have to drag my arse to work.

Iriya really needs a tan.

Me and my poser

There was a lion dance performance right out side of GM. Managed to give a red packet thru the lion’s mouth for good luck. According to Yauie, by touching to the lion’s eye ball, it will give us good luck and wealth through out the whole year. Superstitious me, instead of touching the eyeball, I even played with eyelids and gave a big slap on the lion’s arse hoping for extra luck. Damn kiasu right..LOL

We managed to catch up with Jules yesterday after dinner. A lovely girl who loves shopping like me DJ was actually a bit bored when Jules and I started to talk about shopping.

Can you spot the contra-ness?

We brought Jules to our usual hang out; EL and also a tour at Croft Institute. After the tour around Croft Institute, I decided to go home as I was feeling very lethargic from work stress. I get extra stressful when it’s range books season.

DJ will be away for the weekend. I have all my agenda planned with the girls. It will be another full on weekend.

St Kilda festival is on this weekend. Yay!

Posted: February 9th, 2008 under Journal.
Comments: 2

OMFG, it not even 3pm. I spent the whole morning msn-ing with Damo. Then went out to the shops although it was so windy and back on msn with Eve.
I always tell myself that I should take a day off on CNY but CNY always falls on the day when something very urgent that needs to be done at work and it turned out to be a hoax [that’s what I reckon].

Anyway I’m looking forward for tonight. Meeting up one of DJ’s long lost friend who’s flying in from Perth. P.s. it’s a GIRL!!

Btw, I’m actually pissed at DJ for not posting any photos of me in the BSP group in FB. I’ll be on strike from now onwards, I will vow to not take any photos for BSP until he realized that he’s wrong.
Hump! See this is what happens when he’s now paying more attention to his 3rd wife – the surf board.

I have somehow developed middle wife syndrome and I am not coping it very well

Posted: February 7th, 2008 under Journal.
Comments: none

To everyone back home.
Hope you all have a wonderful time with your friends and families.
Managed to clean up the house before 7.30pm *clap clap* but i still have heaps loads of laundry to do. boo hoo

It has been awhile since I celebrated CNY in M’sian style with my family and friends.

I miss the “chai” dish [vegetarian dish] that my grandma and mom cook.
I miss snacking on pineapple tarts, drinking drinkho packet drinks while watching CNY programs in Astro.
I miss the yee sang sessions with my family.
I miss home

It’s sux to be at work on CNY in a foreign country. The Aus Gov should make “cultural leave” as a compulsory leave.

Posted: February 6th, 2008 under Journal.
Comments: 1

Lately I have been very slack with my blog. Haven’t been going out since NYE. I am actually saving very hard for a mission that will commence in 4 months time.

But on the other hand, I have bought myself a Mac Book!! Although I got it for 2nd hand, the deal that I’ve got was a steel, with all the softwares and upgraded specification the mac book is almost compatible to macbook pro. All thanks to DragonMaster. It’s good to have a friend that work as a Apple technician. Hooray finally my 2007 NY resolution has been resolved. Hah!

Now I can surf the net and blog right infront of the tv sitting right next to DJ

Posted: February 3rd, 2008 under Journal, Wish List.
Comments: 4

Happy Birthday my dear.

Posted: February 2nd, 2008 under Celebrations.
Comments: 3

First of all, big birthday shout out to my dearest KX. Hope you have a SUPERB time on this special day of yours. BIG big LOVE

Finally Friday has arrived.

Today marked my 7th year in Melbourne. Yes can you believe it neither do I. Never thought that I could survive this long in a foreign country well not really anymore because I’m slowing accepting the fact that I’ll be living in Melbourne FOREVER. My own home back in Malaysia is now very foreign to me

Ok I’m off to the city now.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Posted: February 1st, 2008 under Journal.
Comments: none