Melbourne Day 5

1. Lunch at Hien Vuong, Footscray.
We set out to visit the the Vietnamese community at Footscray. We had lunch at Hien Vuong, which wasn’t very delicious but I guess it’s because I am not a fan of Vietnamese food. After lunch we look around, visited the market which sells cheap fresh fruits and we also tried out Vietnamese glutinous rice that was more to my taste.

Sliced beef noodle

2. Olympic Doughnuts, Footscray Station.
Next to Footscray station, there’s a doughnut stand that you should try out! Personally, I like the doughnuts at Olympic Doughnut better that the famous one at Victoria Market.

3. Shrine of Remembrance at Birdwood Avenue.
After visiting Footscray, we made our way to the Shrine of Remembrance. It’s one of the must-visit places in Melbourne. Underground there’s a short presentation about the Shrine and its history which is very much worth watching. The Shrine was built in 1926 and I believe the commitee puts in lots effort to take care of the building. I’m quite amazed at how well-maintained it is.

The Shrine

4. King Domains Park
The park is located next to the Shrine. There’s botanical garden as well but the day was too chilly to have a nice walk in the park.

5. National Gallery of Victoria
This has got to be my favorite place in Melbourne! The National Gallery of Victoria is huge, free-admission except to the special exhibitions and you can practically spend the whole day here looking at the historical artifacts and the numerous paintings. They even have Pablo Picasso’s painting on display! I love the souvenir shop at the lobby which sells lots of fancy novelty items. Sadly I didn’t get anything from there because the Gallery was closing. There are two nice places for brunch and tea as well. The next time I visit Melbourne, I’ll be sure to come back here in the morning and stay till its closing time. We didn’t managed to view all the exhibits due to time constraint.

The most expensive painting in the gallery. cost 12 millions or so!

6. Dinner at Tsindos, Lonsdale Street
Tsindos is a Greek restaurant few steps away from where my friends live. It has a nice family setting and the food are gorgeous.

Dinner served!

7. Crazy Wings at Russell Street
One of my friends had been asking to go to this place for supper. I thought the chicken wings must be really good. We ordered four sticks of chicken wings. Two of the were the crazy wings. The other two sticks were alright and then I took a bite of the crazy wing… and I went crazy. It was bloody hot!! tears were running down and my eyeliner smudged with them. I could literally feel smoke in my breath. It was so hot I gulped down whole jug of water and I still needed something sweet to cool my tongue off. It was horrible!! Nonetheless if you like challenges you should visit this place. The worst kind of spicy I ever had! crazy fun.

Two of them are deadly

New Year Resolution 2012

It’s 12 days into 2012 and I only got around to do my resolution. :s
Better late than never! Here’s my resolutions:

1. Relax and Rest. Literally just chilling.
2. Visit at least one city/country I’ve never been to.
3. Finish a book. Doesn’t have to get published but at least write one.
4. Get a job. SERIOUSLY! gotta start moving my ass now.
5. Visit my 400th restaurant. Currently I’m on 349th restaurant. That means I have 51 restaurants to go!
6. Watch my 900th film! which means I have to watch at least 67 films this year.
7. Maintain my weight. This will be a challenge since I’m gonna do a lot of eating, slacking and potato-couching. lol.

Okay that’s about it for now. 2012 Here I come! :DDDD

Sealed with love,
Imelda.

Melbourne Day 4

This Melbourne Travel Diary update has been loooooong overdue.

1. Derby Thai, Caufield
Within 3 days of my stay I had tried Korean, Spanish, Italian, English and Chinese food so my friends decided to pick another cuisine: Thai food. I heard one of the most famous Thai food in Melbourne is called Ying Thai but we thought of giving a less known restaurant a try. The journey to Derby Thai took about 40 minutes from the city by tram and the food not really wroth the travel. Nonetheless, I got to see Monash University Campus which is located few steps behind the restaurant.

Tom Yum Soup

2. Melbourne Museum
It was a really cold and windy day, thus the next item in our itinerary has to be indoors. We visited Melbourne Museum at Nicholson Street. I got a free admission with my student card! :) I love free entry to museums. The museum is separated into few sections such as the insects, children museum, aboriginal, etc. The museum was so huge, it was dinner time when we left the museum and even then we missed one of the section I think it was the plant museum I can’t really recall now. The point is if you are visiting Melbourne, you shouldn’t miss the Melbourne Museum!

Stories of the Aborigins

lovely olden days typewriters

They even have dinosaurs here!

3. Joo Mak, Swanston Street
One of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne! Joo Mak is a Korean restaurant hidden somewhere in the basement along Swanston Street. I wouldn’t know it exists if it wasn’t for my friends. I tried the strawberry soju for the first time and it was delicious! We ordered three dishes to share, egg and cheese omelette, pork and beef. All of the dishes were good and we were so full after the meal.

Strawberry Soju

4. Suzuki Night Market at Queen Victoria Market
The night market is open every Wednesday and we came just at the right time. The market was crowded, as expected. There were many stalls selling street food from different parts of the world like Spanish Churros, Korean potato twist, Turkish borek, etc. They also sell beers, wine, tea and all sorts of drinks. This is what I like about Melbourne. Here you are exposed to the cultures of the world and you can drink beers on a lazy day and not be seen like a bump (well, unless you do it everyday). If you happen to be visiting Melbourne on a Wednesday, then the night market is another one you shouldn’t miss.

Street Food Stall

I guess we did our best.

When a relationship ends it’s easy to put the blame on the other party.
Everyone will try to justify their own actions.
But I want to stop.

Within a week I’ve gone from extreme sadness, loneliness, devastated to complete rage, contempt, disregard and now I’m just too exhausted from the emotional rides. I need to stop and take time off.

I was dying right in front of your eyes but you didn’t see.
Every attempt to cry for help was met with anger.
Now I’m as good as dead.
But I need to revive ’cause life doesn’t stop there.
So I’m gonna move on and let go.
Doesn’t matter who is wrong or right.
Believing that both of us did our best.

So with this I wish you well.
If one day you want to be my friend again, let’s be friends.
If you chose not to, let it be your choice.
If you haven’t already known, the choice is always yours.

As stubborn as I’ve always been, I have nothing to apologize to you.
But I am sorry for not being able to stay by your side,
to spend our life together and to see where the road will lead us to.
I am sorry we had to end the way it did.
But I choose to believe it was for the better,
and one day you will find what you really love.

I wish you happiness. I always do.

Love,
Mel.

Christmas, Once More.

Christmas tree at The Arcade, Melbourne

Every year I’ve posted Christmas themed entries and this year I’m not gonna let my Melbourne Travel Diary interrupt the tradition. Actually, as much as I like blogging about anything and everything, Christmas posts are my favorites because it’s my favourite season of the year. Christmas seems to have the magic to warm everyone’s heart and makes what really matter matters more. Although, having said that, I believe the world celebrates too much of Santa Claus* and undervalues the birth of Jesus Christ on the Christmas. So to all fellow Christians reading this, let’s take a moment to thank God for Jesus’ birth.

What do I wanna write about this Christmas?
I’m not sure. But I just want to sit and watch love passes from one person to another.

Christmas is all about love. Our God so loved us that He gave His only son and because of that human can be merry everyday, not just on Christmas. Love is so underrated in this world. Please help me promote love. Greet your loved one with kindness and let them feel, not just know, the love this Christmas.

I wish you love.

Love,
Mel.

A Song For Christmas

*Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of Santa but a bigger fan of God, that’s all.

Melbourne Day 3

The longer I take to update this blog the blurrier the memories of Melbourne is. Yet, I still hold it fondly in my heart. I guess people sometimes forget the event but remember the feeling evoked from it.

Anyway, on the third day in Melbourne I visited the following:

1. Mount Dandenong
It is advisable to rent a car and come here but since none of us were any good driver, we took public transport; The train and the bus. Depending on your personality, I would/wouldn’t recommend it. The downside of public transport for our case was the train was schedule to head straight to Upper Ferntree Gully station but the train decided to switch route and long story short, we were stranded in Croydon Station. Fortunately there was a straight bus heading to the restaurant we wanted to visit but again, it took ages. So if you’re not the adventurous type just rent a car. If you are like me, public transports can be an adventure! :) Lucky for me, one of my friends is as good as a guide.

2. Miss Marples at Tourist Road, Mt Dandenong.
Almost every tourist that I know come all the way up the mountain to visit this restaurant. It looks like an old building with a very homey feeling. We had to wait for 20 minutes to get our seats and the staffs weren’t the friendliest, the food was ordinary (except for the homemade jam that was luvly jubbly!). I’m not sure what exactly makes the restaurant so famous, especially when my friend said there’s a better restaurant a little up the hill. However, the warmth of the restaurant and the ambience were nice. I really like it there. Plus there’s a little tea store next to it which any tea connoisseur shouldn’t miss.

Miss Marples and the little tea shop next door

my choice: cottage pie

4. Sky High, Mt Dandenong
If you’ve come all the way up, you should go to the top of the mountain to visit the Sky High. There’s not much there but if you come on the right day you can visit the maze which was closed when we came due to impending rain. The main attraction for us was the giant chair! It literally is a giant chair.

us on the giant chair!

View from above

5. Rose Garden, Elizabeth Street.
We headed back to the city after that trip. The trip took approximately 3 hours to go up and 2 hours to come back. First stop in the city was a place that tops my best friend’s must-visit list, Rose Garden. Okay, just to be clear, there is neither rose nor garden in Rose Garden. It is a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant wasn’t like what I’ve imagined. We ordered two dishes, rice with green beans and pork ribs, to be shared. At the fist mouthful of green beans, I knew why my dearest friend loved that place so much. If you have Chinese blood in you, it’s quite impossible to hate the food! It was delicious and appeal just right to my taste bud.

as the Chinese says "Hao Chi!"

6. State Library of Victoria
Next, we walked to the State Library located at the centre of Melbourne city.

the view blocked by newly erected statue

I love the library. It is huge and so quiet and so many things to see and do. There are gallery, exhibition, chess room, etc. It’s basically like a little piece of wonderland. If I were living in Melbourne, you know where to find me on my free days. I just love the library. Period.

the gallery

reading hall

7.Koko Black, Lygon St.
After a long day of walked, we settled at Koko Black for a nice cup of hot chocolate on that windy day. It was a perfect way to end the day. The hot chocolate really helps to rid off the tiredness.

A cup of Belgium Hot Choc. C'est parfait.

Melbourne Day 2

During holiday I usually set my alarm at 9.30 a.m. and wake up at about 10.45 to 11 a.m. but my first day in Melbourne I woke up at 9 a.m. without alarm. My friends are early risers and perhaps because it’s coming into summer, the sky was already bright at 6 a.m.

1. Brunch at Three Bags Full, Nicholson St.
I’ve read about this restaurant but didn’t include it in my list because I thought it’s inconvenient to go to, yet it so happened that it’s one of the places that my friend wanted to take me to. She haven’t tried it either and have heard of the good reviews. I ordered the big breakfast and it literally is a big breakfast. The food was great at first but the portion was so huge I got sick of it. The mushrooms are a little blend. The bacon was lovely.

big breakfast

2. Walked along Bridge Road, Richmond.
This area is for shoppers and bargain hunters. There are lots of factory outlets and Australian brand stores here. You might have noticed I’m more of an eater than a shopper, but most of the clothes were selling at reasonable price so I was looking around for something nice. Unfortunately I couldn’t find anything of my size. Should have known. (p.s: I’m a wee Asian girl)

3. Europa Cake Shop at St Kilda Beach
We took the tram all the way to St Kilda beach! First we stopped by Europa Cake Shop and shared a cake. It’s a small shop selling wide variety of cakes. The cake tasted good until we saw a bird flew into the shop’s cake display area. We lost our appetite. Good thing we had eaten 80% of the cake. It’d be a shame to waste that delicious piece of cake.

cakes on display

4.St Kilda Beach
We came on the right day. The weather was fine and the beach was not crowded. We stayed there for a couple of hours, enjoying the peacefulness and observing people on the beach. I love the warm sun and cool breeze.

5. Dinner at Mamasita, Colin St
Mamasita is supposedly a very popular Spanish restaurant that you have to wait in a long line to get in. We managed to beat the crowd and secured our seats right away, though I wasn’t too pleased about them squeezing the 4 of us into 3 seats. Aside from that, the service crew were really friendly and helpful. We kicked off our meal with Elotes callejero or chargrilled corn which we later agreed is the best among the rest. Next we had Tostaditas and Quesadillas that weren’t much to our liking. Then we had pork fillet that was beautifully cooked and last, the dessert which I had no idea what it was but tasted decent. I would say the food isn’t exactly fantastic, yet the enthusiastic staffs and lively patrons will make me come back.

the corns at the back were wicked!

6. The toilet at The Sofitel
You might be wondering why I put a trip to a hotel’s toilet into the itinerary, but according to my friend this is the toilet with the best scenery in Melbourne. It’s located at the 36th or 38th floor, I can’ remember but true enough, you can see half of the city from there and it’s worth the special visit (Only if you are passing by the area).

View from the toilet

7. Crown, Southbank
We walked from city to Crown. Having spent the entire day walking, I was pretty exhausted when we arrived at Crown. Crown is one of the luxury hotels in Melbourne and it’s where the casino is. The casino is quite big, though not comparable to Macau or Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, and most of its patrons are Asians. There are Sex and The City slot machines which look so pretty!

We headed home by tram and hit the sack as soon.

That about wraps up the second day in Melbourne. My eyes are heavy right now and I might not do a good recount of the day… For the first two days in Melb, I had not immerse into the city life yet but it went uphill from there. :) Stay tune! cheers.

Melbourne Day 1

I reached Melbourne Airport on schedule at 8.30 a.m. My friends were already waiting at the arrival hall. Unfortunately, due to the inefficiency of Melbourne immigration, they had to wait for another 2 hours before seeing me. The immigration queue was so long and there were only two counters. I cursed under my breath and recalled how I encountered the same problem that almost caused me to miss a connecting flight in Christchurch. The Oz and Kiwis are known to be the most laid back people, but they should seriously speed up. Nonetheless despite the bumpy start I had fun in Melbourne. :) Here’s how my days went!

MELBOURNE DAY 1

1. Lunch at Yami Yami (Korean food), Lonsdale Street.
The restaurant is formerly known as Flying Chicken and has just recently changed its name and menu. The dishes are good and fairly large portion. I like the Galbee (beef ribs) most.

huge portion!

2. La Belle Miette, Hardware Lane
Before I came to Melbourne I did a little research and this was one of the thing on my list of places to go. La Belle Miette is a small shop at Hardware Lane that specializes in Macaroons. I bought two macaroons, earl grey and cherry blossoms and sake, for $2.50 each. They are so amazingly delicious! Best macaroon I’ve ever tasted.

Small, pretty shop

3. Federation Square
I arrived just in time for the Greek festival. There was Greek dance performance and other street performance. Inside the building there was a bazaar, selling lots of artsy crafts. I really enjoyed looking at all the stuff there. It’s really interesting and I could really sense that I was in a foreign land. Where I come from, people hardly have time for arts and cultures. Sad truth. Here I could feel the vibrancy of them or maybe I just came at the right time.

Just in time for Greek festival at fed square

4. Planetshakers Church
I am a Christian. My best friend in Melbourne attended the biggest church in Melbourne called Planetshakers, so I took the opportunity to visit the church. It was an awesome church. I must admit I was pretty tired because I hadn’t sleep for the previous 24 hours. Nonetheless the worship was good. I really like their worship and the fact that my best friend is devoted to that church means she must have felt God’s presence there.

5. Dinner at Cafe Corretto, Lygon St
There are many cafes and restaurants along the stretch of Lygon Street. I didn’t ask why my friends picked Cafe Corretto but I guess the restaurant is famous and definitely popular among F1 enthusiast. The whole restaurant is decorated with F1 merchandise and photos and there’s a Ferrari hanging from the ceiling. The food here is alright. We ordered 2 pastas and a large pizza to share. Both pastas are delicious but the pizza was a bad call.

The race car hanging from the ceiling

Bolognaise

Seafood Pizza