On Ramen Haymarket and Ichi-ban Boshi Bondi Junction

Been actively blogging these few days. Yeah, I'm trying my best to write as much while the memory is still fresh in my mind, and before the photos start piling up on my hard drive.

When I was in Malaysia, I tend to skip breakfast to have brunch instead in the afternoon. It's a bad habit, I know, but I just couldn't help sleeping late at night and waking up late the next morning. I was struggling... Blame my sleeping disorder.

Miraculously, I sort of getting back into the habit of having breakfast again since I came back to Australia. I would say it's the environment and weather which affect me. Our room has plenty of sunlight, specially now in the summer when days are longer than nights. It wakes me up early every morning like an alarm clock without fail.

For breakfast, I've been making toast and fruits (bananas / strawberries / blueberries / mangoes) and vanilla yogurt for myself after workout. Sounds healthy huh?

There are times we cook lunch or dinner at home, grilled chicken, barramundi, salmon, banana prawns, pork belly and oven-baked veggies like sweet corns, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes with olive oil and herbs. But there are also times we enjoy dining out in the local restaurants. Well, most times actually. Below are just two out of the many we visited in a week.

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A Walk to Darling Harbour Sydney

Hey, hey! How's everyone been doing in the past two weeks? As most of you know, I'm in Sydney and it's my 5th day here already. Jetlagged. It was plain exhausting and I didn't sleep well although the time difference between Sydney and Malaysia is only three hours, three hours ahead of Malaysia time.

Anyway, my intention today is just to make a quick post to update you on the happenings yesterday. Nothing wordy or too fabulous. Despite the fact that it is summer now down under, it still gets a bit chilly in the evening and at night when the temperature drops.

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Gift Exchange Christmas Dinner 2013

Weeeeeeee, first post of 2014!!! Times flies, it sure does. Glad that I had been enjoying my freedom to the fullest since the very day I touched down in Malaysia. No regrets. Life's too short to live with any regrets.

I spent my emotional past few days reviewing my old blog entries, only 72 in total for year 2013. Yeah, a lot less productive compared to the year before. So much ups and downs to endure in the journey of finding myself and what I wanna do with my life. Forgive me, for not being able to share every single detail with you.

 2013 was a nightmare yet full of excitements and wonders.

• February: Dyed my hair brown for the first time.
• April: First golf experience.
• May: A luxurious birthday celebration in Brisbane.
• May: Had Dequervains Tenosynovitis aka repetitive injury on my left thumb.
• June: First whale watching experience on the Gold Coast.
• July: Farewell-ed friends in Queensland, moved down to Sydney.
• August: Family road trip to Tioman Island.
• September: Started using WeChat and got hooked up ever since. 
• October: Diagnosed with dengue and admitted days in the hospital.
• October: Met up with an old "new friend" and attended friend's wedding in KL.
• October: 23 hours train voyage to Bangkok.
• November: Experienced the worst food poisoning that lasted days with abdominal cramps.
• Months of never-ending exploring the Pearl of Orient.

I had three gift-exchange Christmas dinner last year. LOL, "last year" sounds far, far way but it was merely less than two weeks ago. One with newly met friends, one with family, one with badminton buddies. Gift exchange with family was indeed the most unforgettable as it was never our tradition to celebrate Christmas.

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VIA.PRE Italian Restaurant: Christmas Eve Dinner

First of all, Happy New Year's Eve and Happy 2014 in advance to my dearest family, friends and everyone who reads my blog out there!!! 2013 has been a tough year for me, tougher than I could ever imagined but I made it through alive and kicking. It's all good, Christina. It's all good.

I was not in mood that night on the Christmas Eve. Damn emo as Mr. Choo wasn't here with me to celebrate. Just like today, counting down on the loneliest and most hollow New Year's Eve. #ForeverAlone Been using this hashtag way too frequent lately =(

Due to time and work issues, we changed plan to dine out at VIA.PRE in Weld Quay instead of busying ourselves preparing Christmas Eve dinner at home. Pretty good feedback I've heard about the Italian restaurant and hence the visit. Reservation was made earlier before we left the house. It's disappointing how reluctant they were to set up our table until we got there.

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Gala House Restaurant & Cafe: Girls Gathering

Gala House is one of the latest addition on Muntri Street downtown. On a not-so-busy Wednesday evening, we came with a bunch of girls, they're my sister's girlfriends, technically. With the intention to celebrate one of the girl's birthday. Eating, chit-chatting and exchanging lame jokes. LOL. It was fun indeed although I couldn't quite catch-up.

We walked in to be seated on this table outside the cafe, it was drizzling a bit and the acoustic duet version of Miley Cyrus's "We Can't Stop" was forever looping in the background. Grrrrrr, I guess they really do love that song A LOT. *pulls hair*

We later requested to move to a warmer spot after placing our order. I mean, I wouldn't mind sitting outside if it was warm and breezy but definitely not when it's chilly and rainy. Furthermore, it has better lighting and dining ambiance inside. Friendly staffs, and lovely presentation and plating are also a plus.

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Baiyoke Sky Hotel Bangkok: Buffet Dinner and Night View

Another month has passed by. Time is just slipping away through my fingers like sand, I realize. There's only eight weeks, exactly 55 days left of 2013. It does not feel good, awful indeed, living in a luggage that I was unsure whether to unpack or not in the past few months. But I made it through alright. Having my family and friends who have been kind and supportive to me. THANK YOU.

I take it as an opportunity and freedom to rot at home and grow mushrooms on my head do things I wanna do and go places I wanna go. Bangkok was one of the destinations on my travel list.

We went through a 23-hour exotic train ride from Butterworth, checked in into our accommodation, did some shopping and street food hunting at the Chatuchak Weekend Market before returning for a seafood buffet at the Bangkok Balcony Crystal Grill.

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Ferringhi Garden Restaurant Penang

Times flies, it's been almost 10 weeks since we parted from each other. How badly I wish Mr. Choo was here by my side when we were at the Ferringhi Garden Restaurant last night. Sob *teary eyes*

The tranquil, friendly and warmth atmosphere the garden themed restaurant has to offer, apart from deliciously quality fusion western and Chinese cuisines. I would have complimented my dinner with a sweet bottle of fruity white wine but uh, I'm not much of a drinker to be honest, not even on a social level.

So just forget about the drinking part, since it's practically impossible without numbing myself and waking up with a hangover next morning =p Good food acts way much better in relieving stress and anxiety, don't you think?

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Pik Nik Cafe Penang

Tenpin bowling was fun last Saturday! Although I could barely score 80 per game. LOL. Thanks my sis and bro for bullying me into buying them meals. It was so unfair as I haven't really bowled in ages!!! Hahaha! But that's okay, at least I won one of the pool games against my bro xD

I suspect we were given a crooked pool table. No kidding. Else, it's impossible to be that hard to get the balls in right?! *shifty eyes* Three and a half games in one hour, just imagine...

Anyway, here's the dinner I shouted at Pik Nik Cafe downtown.
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Meringandan Pub: Farewell with Besties

It feels like months since I left Toowoomba, even though it's been barely more than a week until now. I really miss my friends and everything back in Queensland. In fact, I missed living and working in a small town very much. Not the job but the friendliest people I worked with. Haha! Can't blame me as I'm already so used to the lifestyle there =p

On the weekend after I had farewell gatherings with my workmates, we dragged our feet to Meringandan Pub once again for another farewell lunch. It's a popular country pub located in the middle of nowhere. Well, not nowhere but 19 kilometres somewhere out Highfields.

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When in Sydney: Dining Out

Driving in the city of Sydney could be traumatic. It drives new-to-town people like us insane as we really have no idea where to park. Parking in the malls are expensive!!! We spent more than $50 just for parking alone on our first day. Absolutely no clue which routes to take or avoid. No left turn here, no right turn there, blah, blah, blah... It makes you feel like abandoning your car and walk to the destination instead! *pulls hair and screams*

Mr. Choo and I always wanted to try out Noggi Frozen Yogurt, when its first branch opened in Brisbane CBD, the Myer Centre opposite Queen Street Mall. In the afternoon, after having Japanese cuisine at the Sushi Roll Japanese Restaurant in World Square, we made space in our stomachs for some icy-cold desserts.

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Korean BBQ at Hong Depot West End

After shopping in Harbour Town, mainly shopped for Mr. Choo's work attire *ahem* We came to join in the fun of having Korean BBQ with the rest. We walked in, sat down on a table, a friendly wait staff later approached us to briefly introduce their menus.

I, well, basically everyone of us had no clue that the minimum order for Wagyu Combination ($30 per person) is at least two serves per table, according to the wait staff (possibly the manager) who rejected our first round order. The so-called "policy" was no where written on the menu! And her explanation could be a lot more precise I thought.

We felt very much like being compelled to be honest. Eventually, we picked something from the Main BBQ and a Tapas to satisfy our hunger.

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Bamboo Basket Chinese and Wagaya Japanese Restaurants

Last post of my pre-birthday trip of 2013.

Realizing it's the month of June already causes me to pause and acknowledge that time really does fly. Here I am, standing at the crossroad where there are life-changing decisions to be made. I hesitate, I panic, I feel utterly helpless and stressed. You know things got out of hand when you're having tough time to get a good night's sleep every night.

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Rydges Southbank: Buffet Breakfast at Bacchus Bar and Restaurant

We received complimentary buffet breakfast meals during our two-night stay at the Rydges Southbank, available between 6 to 10 a.m. at the podium level. As we made our way into the restaurant, there was this friendly wait staff standing by at the counter, ready to allocate table for us in its warm and cozy dining area.

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Pre-Birthday Trip: Tsuru Sushi Cafe West End

On the same day after we checked in into Rydges, we took a short walk around the South Bank area in search of a decent Japanese restaurant to dine in. Apparently, the walk didn't turn out to be as fruitful as we thought it would be. We found no restaurant that interests us, and thus, had to drive ourselves to this Tsuru Sushi Cafe in West End, which Mr. Choo came across while google-ing for restaurant recommendations.

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Pre-Birthday Trip: Menya Mappen Noodle Bar Sunnybank

Ouch, my injured wrist and thumb! I have problem typing on my keyboard now. Basically, I have problems performing my daily tasks (except taking shower) with this gigantic piece of splint wrapped around my wrist and thumb. Poor me, but don't worry, I'm doing absolutely alright apart from that. It's just a matter of time until I fully recovered and live like a normal person again =p

Can you guess what I had the most throughout my entire pre-birthday trip in Brissie? Japanese!!! We had three Japanese cuisines in a row within just two days!!! Hahahaa, that's how much I love Japanese food. We finally came to Menya Mappen for a little foodie expedition. We thought of trying it out last time when we were here for Hakataya Ramen.

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Taste Gallery Shanghainese Restaurant Sunnybank

I've been struggling, trying hard to put myself to sleep in the past few days. Shift work sucks, as it messes up your body clock, big time! No proper meal-time, no proper goodnight sleep, no leisure and hence, no blogging until today.

I'm finally having a day off! It's the Toowoomba Show holiday tomorrow. That allows me to snuggle up in my bed (at this time of the day), covered in warm blanket (instead of working) while listening to random songs shuffling on my iTunes.

This would be the last post of my Easter long weekend 2013. We recreated sweet memories on the Gold Coast. Though I kinda wished that it could have been Cairns, Tasmania, Melbourne or any other part of Australia, but I felt glad and thankful still. Happiness could be found through simple things. With people around you. People who love you and care for you =)

So, dinner in Sunnybank, Market Square's latest addition, Taste Gallery Shanghainese Restaurant.
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Sushi In Paradise: Easter Sunday

We had the loveliest weather pretty much everyday on the Easter long weekend except Sunday, the day we took off for Gold Coast's Surfers Paradise. Bad luck or what?! It was drizzling a little when we left home in the morning, then chased by heavy rain along the way. I did not have McBreakfast this time, teehee! *proud* Mr. Choo was kind enough to make me a ham and egg sandwich, which lasted me until we found an on-street parking space near Sushi In Paradise and eventually decided that we might as well eat-in there.

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Easter Holiday: RED

This long Easter weekend would probably be the longest days off I've had from work so far, since July last year. How pathetic. I obviously spent too much time over-straining myself with labour until I forgot how to live a fun life anymore. Occasionally, we made weekend trips to Brissie but that's just not enough. I miss going on road-trips, traveling overseas and my family back in my home country. I'm definitely, absolutely gonna make it all up to myself this time. It's holiday, babeh! ♥

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Little Lamb: Hotpot and Charcoal BBQ Dinner

Last weekend was awesome and crazy at the same time! Gave me an extra boost of positive energy just when I needed it the most. My job has sucked the life out of me. My friends, my social life went straight down the drain, but how come not those nasty fats I gained from eating out over the weekends?!!!

On our recent trip to Brissie, we visited Little Lamb (小尾羊), a Chinese buffet-style hotpot and charcoal barbecue restaurant in Eight Mile Plains. $29.80 per person and bookings are essentials if you're not up to wait for an indefinite time.

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MOS Burger Brisbane: Eat Out Sunday

Time is going rather slow today. Every minute feels like an hour, every hour feels like a day... I'm totally exhausted!!! Because of lack of sleep in the past few days. Hmm, actually, I had the time and opportunity for a cat nap this morning after coming back from work. The silly me just gave it away for the sake of updating my blog. Blogging is my passion and I really hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed sharing my words and pictures here =)

Last Sunday, we treated ourselves some Japanese rice burgers at the Mountain Ocean Sun Burger in Queen Street Mall. Second-largest fast-food franchise in Japan after Maccas. Yeah, they're no ordinary burgers!!!

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