Lost in Translation: The Eyebrow Incident

Some things you learn through other people's mistakes, and some through experience.

I learned through observation today that one should never wear a cleavage baring top with a bum grazing denim mini and sky hight heels. Even if you have tights under the skirt. It makes one look like a hooker feeling cold in winter.

And I learned through experience that you should never let your eyebrows get done by someone who doesn't speak the same language as you. I was trying to sign language to my Korean eyebrow stylist who doesn't speak any English at all that one side of my eyebrows droop downwards and if she could make it more arched. She took it that I didn't like my eyebrows and waxed half of it off.

Unicef ULO Party

The 2007/2008 Unicef committee - with a couple of people missing

Playing boxing on Wii!!

It was chicken galore!! KFC nuggets, wicked wings, roast chicken, chicken curry. bbq chicken wings and a custard with lots of eggs in it.

I actually really like being at house parties! Everyone is laughing, joking and just really getting to know each other without feeling like you need to get intoxicated to have fun.

Passing the birthday card between the ex president and the current president, Sara Tajima! We should have a tradition like this every year.

I think some of the most memorable experiences I had this year revolved around Unicef. Two film screenings (both of which the DVD skipped and at one session the projector crashed 20 minutes before the guests started coming in), one flea market and one bake sale. It has been such an awesome experience. Hanging out at the Unicef table during lunch time. Fighting for bubble tea. Running with bags stuffed with clothes. Crazy baking sessions. Meetings in Graduate House. Fretting over the darn DVDs. And just having long random conversations with committee members. It has been such a great learning opportunity.

And as I said in my last speech during the Unicef committee party on Monday, 'Doing Unicef is the only chance in life you get to screw up and not get fired.' Of which the new P and VP told told the new committee, 'Don't screw up!!'

Nostalgia

I was randomly surfing through facebook when I located a couple of old friends from secondary school. Fairfield Methodist class of 2000. Right now all of us would be in the same stage of life. Just finishing Uni or first year into our debut job. I remember class 4C being known by our teachers as the naughtiest class in the form. We made our geography teacher cry by singing 'This is the song that doesn't end' over and over again. We made our physics teacher cry cuz...I don't even remember why. We were told by our principal that most of us won't make it to junior college or university, so we should apply for a polytechnic.

Fast forward seven years. As I scroll through most of their profiles, not only are most of my classmates in university, some of them are pursuing masters degrees. And we are dispersed across the globe. Dublin. Japan. Singapore. New York. Illinois. Perth. Sydney. Melbourne. England. And they all seem to be living it up. Travelling. Dating. Marrying. Experiencing food, wine, culture. Working. Studying. Painting. Caring. Playing.

It is such a warm fuzzy feeling to know that my fellow classmates, most of which I haven't spoke to for ages are doing well!

It is Almost Halloween!

I was just casually surfing the net when I 'accidentally' chanced on this photo. I immediately recoiled in horror and closed the window as if I stumbled upon a video of Saddam getting hanged. It was scary. I had to force myself to reopen the page. I'm usually quite impartial to hello kitty. I've been to Hello Kitty land when I was young. I was dragged by my mum. Really. I had one hello kitty contact lens case, one comb, one notebook and some hello kitty sauce trays. But a wedding dress????!!!!! That has to be the freakiest thing I have ever seen in my life.

Hello Kitty Cake....hmmmmmm.....well still kinda acceptable...it is rather cute if that kind of thing floats your boat...but dress..no ..just freaky.

And apparently if you are a child bride or still have an obsession with Disney Princesses as an adult, Disney now has their own wedding gown collection!!



Talk about marketing to kids in order to make them loyal brand followers till they are adults.

OMG!!!

Courtesy of Charlene, Lou and I re-enacted a shot of chi-chi ladies who have afternoon tea and show off their huge ass rings. Except we are at a budget Japanese restaurant having dinner (as you can see from the artfully placed soy sauce and teapot), the ring while beautiful isn't exactly a knuckle-duster and Lou is totally feigning surprise. It is one of the photos you submit to magazines for the funniest caption award.

The Proposal - Fishermans Beach, Sydney. 23rd September 2007

So the news about my engagement is finally out faster than it takes to change my relationship status on Facebook. I forgot to take soft copy of the photos with me, so I have to scan in the printed copies on a dodgy scanner. But yes! Photos of the magical moments.

He chartered a seaplane on his birthday to bring us to Fishermans Beach at the Ku-Ring-Gai National Park in Sydney. At that point of time I had no idea what was happening. All I was thinking on the plane ride was, 'Don't crash! Don't crash! Oooh harbour bridge....Opera House...Shit..going over forest..hope we don't crash!' Even when we spread out the picnic mat and he showed me the scrapbook he made for me, I still had no idea what was happening. Even when he showed me the ring, I still had no idea what was happening. All I said was, 'ooohhh pretty ring....' Then of course he said those magical four words, 'Will you marry me?' Of which I answered, 'Are you for real? Are you proposing to me?'

It was an almost surreal moment, when the truth finally hit me. It did take some time to hit me. After all, my dad did warn Bob that I am eh, simple. He should have added slow too.

It was such a beautiful and sweet proposal. I am truly blessed to have Bob in my life. When is the wedding going to be? Sometime 2009. Have I found a gown yet? Well....let's just say I have been imagining a gown since I was 12. Nothing much has changed. Except now I can read bridal magazines in the open and verbalize my wedding thought processes to Bob. And he can't call me crazy for doing so. Yay!!!!

Your Toes Smell Like Natto

Today I initiated myself into a fully Japanese breakfast: Natto (fermented soy beans) on rice, miso soup, a piece of nashi pear and a pot of genmaicha (brown rice green tea). I wish I would eat like this everyday. It feels so much better than grabbing cereal and soy or oily bacon and eggs.

My reaction to natto was mainly positive. But as I ate and read online(at the same time) how people are repulsed by natto, how it taste like cream cheese under your toes, how it smells like a dumpster on a hot humid day, I started to feel slightly queasy. Heck there was even this couple that launched the natto project (http://thenattoproject.com/) where they had to eat natto for 365 days until they liked it. Apparently people in New York City force themselves to eat natto to look hip. I don't see anyone in NY eating vegemite to look hip.

So as I started feeling quite sick from the taste of natto and the attention its been having, I mused upon a funny fact. I quite enjoy natto, I loooooooove vegemite, I adore blue cheese, I'm a big fan of kimchi but I hate durian. The last time my parents gave me durian, I licked it and barfed. Don't mind durian cream puffs and tarts though. But sorry Mr King of Fruits, you really smell like toes.

My Trip to Fifteen Melbourne

I think everyone who has been to Fifteen Melbourne (the 'Jamie Oliver' Restaurant) has something to say about how overrated the food is, and how Jamie Oliver actually doesn't cook your food for you (well duh..neither does Neil Perry, Tetsuya or Bill Granger and they actually live in Australia). So I had reasonable expectations when I got there. I liked the way it was set up, with the kitchen as the stage, and all the diners semi facing the 'spectacle' of cheese grating and sautéing, and trying to see if they recognised anyone from the show. Hmm...I wonder if CJ still works here.

The food was really good. The lunch deal was quite a steal, $28 for two courses and wine. We had fried scallops minestrone, and rotola with shitake, spinach, ricotta and burnt sage. It was earthy, it was herby and the flavours were pretty robust. My kind of meal. And the dessert, a sticky date pudding-ish creation with peanut praline ice cream was decently satisfying. And that was one of the best Semillon SB I had in a while.

So yeah all in all it was a pretty satisfying meal. I wouldn't say it was particularly creative or experimental or even gourmet. There was no celeriac foam (trademark of a 'cutting edge' establishment) or lemon chiboust to cleanse my palate. But it is a down-to-earth and wholesome place where you pay $10 more for a dish just because the owner wrote a few cookbooks and has his own TV show.

My Particularly Decadent Dinner

Warm grilled lamb cutlets soaked in olive oil and rosemary, and dipped into mint sauce. Accompanied with roasted potatoes rubbed with seasalt, herbs and cayenne pepper. Finish off with a slice of homemade chocolate swirl cheesecake. Yummmm.......

47 Minutes

6:30pm - meet Eu for exotic African dinner at Abyssinian

9:32pm - meet Jo to show him where the good steamboat place is

10:34pm - talk to Bob on skype

11:56pm - end conversation. Look for thumbdrive. Can't find thumbdrive. Turn bag upside down to look. Freak out. Thumbdrive contains my thesis (which is 80% saved on hard drive), presentation for tomorrow, essay due on Friday, essay due next Friday

12:00am - call Bob. Bob suggest going down to uni to look for it now.

12:11am - call taxi.

12:18am - taxi arrive

Arrive at Uni.

Sprint down to computer lab.

Thumb drive seated almost surreally on a stack of paper.

Check if everything is intact.

Thank God many many times.

Back in cab.

12:47am - arrive home

Proceed to triple save everything on thumbdrive, hard drive and email.

Whoever Said Melbourne Only Has Dodgy Bars

The Long Room defies expectations of a Melbourne bar. It is not down a dodgy alley. It has an enforced dress code of collared shirt and dresses. It is definitely not a casual bar. One wouldn't use the word cosy and quaint to describe it. And there is a seal with horns on its head at the entrance, which Joel politely told me was called a moose.

Foodie Week

My goal this semester is to stop eating at tried and tested places like Chomp Chomp, Dessert House, Nasi Lemak House etc and really try what Melbourne's foodie scene has to offer. This week has been good so far, besides having hotpot twice in a row.

After walking from 200 Collins to 620 Collins, just to find out that Choix Crepes has shut down, I concluded with the shop next door, BluFish. Tuck in a little alley, their fish was actually quite healthy (grilled), fresh and gourmet. Apparently is owned by a fifth generation angler.

Hotpot on Tuesday and Wednesday. I have no idea what the place is called, but in Chinese it starts with the word 'Gold something something'. It is just behind Crown on route 55 by tram. $15 all you can eat steamboat. With free flow of onion pancakes and dumplings and steam buns. It was so good I went back the day after.

Apparently some part of Lygon was burning when I was having grilled eggplant on polenta smothered with neapolitan sauce at Trotters. Yummm....it was followed by the chocolate delight at KoKo Black....even more yum.....

And dinner was among vegetarians and thai pants yogi types at Moroccan Soup Bar. For $16 we got a banquet of dips, chickpea bake, cous cous and some kind of pilaf with grilled eggplant and almonds. And then mint tea and baklava. So full....could hardly move......It was quite a unique dining experience. I got there at 6pm, when it opened, and the room was already packed. People were thronging in with tupperware trying to get some takeaway. All the menu is verbal and the vibe really made you feel like you are Morocco.

Weekend Away in Toora and Wilsons Prom

Thanks Kelvin for the awesome photos! I'm already missing the country side and all that fresh air!

10 Reasons Why Melbourne is as Hot as the Fire Show at Crown Casino

Ever since I posted a scorecard for Sydney, I have spent most meal times defending my statements about Sydney to patriotic Melbournians who feel offended by my lack of taste in city choices. Most of them were outraged that I could find a soulless, brash, crowded city like Sydney palatable to live in.

So, during a lovely meal with my beautiful friend M today, I am persuaded to do up a scorecard for Melbourne.

This is for all you angry raving Melbournians.

10 Reasons Why Charissa Loves Melbourne:

1) The Italian food in Lygon beats Norton's Street - 10 points

Besides one homemade pasta takeaway place and Bar Italia's gelato, the Italian cuisine in Norton is pretty disappointing. While Lygon, and Brunswick has mid range places like Papa Ginos and Coretto and Cafe Italia and Bimbos and a really good pizza place on 40 Holmes street, Norton's Italian ranges from cheap and soggy to expensive designer pasta that is well, expensive.

2) Cosy cafes with good hot chocolate in Melbourne - 10 points
Melbourne has the cafe culture that overspills onto sidewalks in summer, and under heaters in winter. I love the hot chocolate and baked eggs at Animal Orchestra, churros at San Churros, brunch at Filter and the many dodgy cake shops along St Kilda. It is rare to find good hot choc in Sydney (although when its good, it is really good), but its everywhere in Melbourne. Like Koko Black!

3) A proper Casino - 10 points
As much as everyone loves to hate Crown because it is dodgy at night and filled with sleazy drunk clubbers and gamblers, it is very grand compared to Star City Casino. I mean, it has Greco which gets its own 5 points because I've been there a million times and ordered their chocolate cheesecake and passionfruit cheesecake without fail. And there is Mackers and KFC if Greco is not enough. And there is the Singaporean's favourite seafood buffet with oysters. And there is a cinema. And SteakOut and Koko are pretty good. And there is a very expensive game arcade downstairs where you can play air hockey for $2. And to top it all off, there is a freaking fire show every hour like some giant heater where tourists go 'WHA!!!' What more can one ask for. It is the place to be when your relatives are visiting and you have nowhere to bring them at night.

4) Authentic ethnic food in boho cafes - 10 points
While Sydney food is very glam, experimental and celebrity chefs abound, Melbourne's food is kinda like having dinner with an old friend. The best restaurants are tucked away in obscure back alleys, often with non-descript decoration. And Melbourne's food is, even as The Age commented, robust, authentic and solid. Plus the best meal I ever had in my life is in Three, One, Two in Carlton.

5) Singaporean Malaysian food - 10 points
I really missed Singaporean food when I was in Sydney because there was hardly any in the CBD. I love my old favourites like Laksa King, Nasi Lemak House, Norsiah's Kitchen, Chomp Chomp, Bismi, Hawker's Cafe, and other good Asian places like Dessert House and King of Kings. Nasi Lemak is my prozac. And like what I told Bob, it is all about the chicken wing. He also told me that I’m missing the point.

6) Suburbs - 5 points
M said that Melbourne does have its own suburbs. I'm not gonna lie and say that I love Melbourne's burbs' more than Sydney's because I haven't been to that many in Melbourne. But I do love Chapel Street, Brunswick St, Camberwell, Acland St, Glenferrie and South Melbourne.

7) Polite drivers - 10 points
It is refreshing to be able to sit in the passenger seat and not see crazy people dash in front of you while drivers give you the middle finger and honk.

8) Better arts scene - 10 points
Melbourne is cultural capital. The MTC is a knock out most times, Red Stitch and TheatreWorks does wonderful experimental, and international musicals like Phantom and Miss Saigon do touch base with Melbourne first. The NGV brings in world renowned art from Picasso to Guggenheim, and Pixar is in town! I have no idea about the music scene, but Bob says Melbourne's jazz scene is hot!

9) Festivals - 5 points
Food festivals, Fashion Week, Melbourne Cup (it really isn't a festival but I treat it as such), Film Festival, Moomba, Jazz Festival, Grand Prix and my favourite, Spiegeltent!

And now we have the Eye of Melbourne along the river!

10) Last but not least, funky pubs and clubs - 10 points
Sydney does have its 'posh -nosh- won't-let-you-in-unless -you- are -on- the- list' clubs like The Establishment, but Melbourne has some serious themed bars like Croft Institute, Golden Monkey, The Order, La La Land, Gin Palace, Hairy Canary, Bennett’s Lane Jazz Club and the list goes on. And of course, most of them are found in dodgy back alleys. Everything good in Melbourne is found in dodgy back alleys.

If we throw in fair weather and more late night shopping, Melbourne will be perfect!

Wait..no shit..Melbourne is leading by 15 points...oh well...

Post-Globalisation?

I decided last night, at a networking party, that globalisation is so pre-millennium.

My random stranger friend corrected me, saying that globalisation is so 7 years ago.

So in my dreams, I coined the term post-globalisation, just to realise this morning that it already is an establish term.

So I tried neo-globalisation.

Yup that one is all over the internet too.

So much for my original contribution to cultural studies.

The Idiot Son of the Establishment Speaks

"What do you expect them to do — fall on the ground and grovel, eat dirt? I mean, get real."
- Alexander Downer, on refusing to apologise for 'mis-detaining' Dr Haneef on terrorism charges

John Howard also refused to apologise. Then again, I think John Howard enjoys erring on the side of arrogance when he comes to national affairs. A certain indigenous issue comes to mind.

But Downer's line is a classic. His media team should get fired, or just quit. Their boss is obviously not only not media savvy, he is also politically suicidal and an idiot. But then again we all already know that, since even Keating called him the 'Idiot Son of the Establishment'

Why I Love Sydney

There are some cities in the world which I just feel a connection with. Some cities where I feel comfortable in my own skin when I walk the streets. Some cities where I feel energized by the buzz and the culture. And of course some cities where the food is good. So far the cities where I don't mind living in are: Montreal, New York and Sydney. Montreal for their poutine and beautiful streets, New York for knish, mustard and just because its New York, and Sydney was something that recently started growing on me.

One clear night in a revolving bar on the top of the Sydney Tower, Bob and I made a scorecard for Sydney and Melbourne. He reckons Melbourne would win. I was going for Sydney. So here is my tally after spending 4 weeks in Sydney.

Sydney

10 points - Boho markets happening every Sat especially Glebe market where you can get designer clothes for $10-$20, hand made earrings for $10, Peter Alexander inspired pj shorts for $15 and second hand books for $5. I've been there twice in two consecutives Saturdays and I'm going again tomorrow

5 points - Second hand book shops everywhere....every corner you look there is a tiny boutique second hand book store selling current bestsellers and rare books for a third of the going price

10 points - Amazing suburbs with different characteristics. There are so many inner burbs' to explore there is really no need to go to the city...Oxford street in Paddington area is crammed with upmarket shops, Surry Hills and Darlinghaust are areas filled with award winning restaurants, Newtown is funky town with university students, underground designer shops, cheap eats and organic stores, Leichhardt is Italian district, Ashfield is like a really authentic Asian town...

10 points - Habourview..there is Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, Kings Wharf etc. Plus the view of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge is always spectacular with what looks like mini people trying to scale the top of the Bridge

10 points - Beaches. I looooove beaches. Manly Beach. Bondi Beach. Fried Mars Bar on Bondi Beach. Pibs Rump and Grill at Manly. Yummmmm.....

10 points - Cultural diversity. Most cities in Australia are pretty diverse, but Sydney takes the cake with 31% of Sydneysiders being born overseas. And it isn't just Chinese people everywhere. Walk down to town and you don't know where in the world you are. There are Sudanese, Lebanese, Eastern Europeans, Asians and everyone that falls in between everywhere. And while in Melbourne most races stick to their cliques, I see a lot more mixed groups of people here. While walking around in Ashfield today, I saw Chinese groceries, Fiji supermarkets, Indian store, Korean supermarket and an Islander store ran by a Chinese couple. And with cultural diversity, out of the mainstream food like Croatian, African and Transylvanian food is more easily accessible.

20 points - Food. The Age did say that Melbourne have better food which I am sure the Sydney Morning Herald would beg to defer. But so far Sydney does have a bigger variety.

Modern European restaurant Pello has a fantastic degustation menu with rabbit and foie gras terrain, veal with chocolate bubbles and a beautiful scallop lagsana made from scallop mousse and mushroom pasta.

Modern Italian restaurant Lucio has delicious squid ink pasta

French restaurant Four in Hand has excellent wine match, beautiful seared salmon, pork neck and sweetbread. I also just found out that sweetbread is made from the pancreas of a young lamb or calve. I'm quite disturbed about that, but damm it taste good.

French bistro Sel et Poivre has one of the best duck I've ever tried.

Thai Pothong is one of my favourite Thai places with really attentive service and good red duck curry.

While Norton Street's Italian food doesn't match up to Lygon's, there is a tiny takeaway that does delicious fresh homemade pasta and sauce, and Bar Italia does gelato that will make Trampoline gelato cry.

Yum Cha at Zilver or East Ocean is definitely at Hong Kong standard.

Balkan does croatian pork skewers, pork neck and a meatball that is made from three types of animals.

360 Bar at the 88 floor of the Sydney tower is a revolving bar with plush couches facing clear glass windows...and the cocktails are divine. And one of the friendliest services for such a posh nosh place.



And Bills is a brunch establishment in Sydney. Corn fritters..yum. I'm bringing myself back next week for eggs and ricotta pancakes.

Sooooo the list of food is a bit obsessive. But I really like eating.

So the total score for Sydney now stands at 65!

My Job is Making Me Fat!!

9:15am – consume miso soup

10am – wander over to reception area to eat chocolate coins

10:15am – accept call for hot chocolate

11am – eat corn with lots of butter

Noon – Lunch of pasta/veal/chicken rice

1pm – go to supermarket to buy Flake chocolate

1:30pm – tea with Flake chocolate

2pm – tea with cookies

3pm – wander over to reception area for more chocolate coins

3:45pm – eat grapes

4:15pm – wander over to Ama’s table for lindt’s chocolate with caramel centre

5pm – grab biscuit off Ade before heading out of the building

5:15om – grab deep friend potato cutlets on the way home

6pm - dinner

The Definitions in Life

When does a colleague become a friend? And when does an acquaintance cross the line to become a friend?

When does a boyfriend become a partner?

And how far away from the beach before bathers stop being bathers and become obscene spandex looking underwear?

Sydney is Making Me Fat!

I have been shamelessly stuffing my face this weekend. I can no longer fit into my jeans without having to pop the button every time I sit down.

Deep Fried Mars Bar on Thursday at Bondi Junction with Mabel and friend was like an orgy of oil, batter and sugar in your mouth. You can feel the fat cruising through your body just looking for a place to plant its home. But its so freaking good. The chocolate melts and its all just a gooey mess in batter.

Cafe Sel et Poivre on Thursday dinner at Darlinghaust
One of the best french I've had. The confit de canard, which I found out is duck was hearty and fatty. Very french bistro with huge portions. Nothing pretentious about it. Even the handsomely grey-haired waiter in tight floral jeans. Like my mum's wall paper from Laura Ashley floral. Only the french can pull that off.

Brunch in the cafe next to Paddington market with Arlene and friend. Lemon poppyseed cupcake from The Cupcake Bakery. And then Dinner at Pancake on the Rocks. That place is like a must see for all tourists, and the first place Sydneysiders bring their touristy friends. It is something like Pancake Parlour, just in a really nice area. Drinks at Opera Bar facing the Habour Bridge to cap off the night.

Sunday Yum Cha at Zilver, touted as the best Yum Cha place in town. I actually preferred East Ocean, but Zilver's salt and pepper fried crab and watermelon dessert was good. Trying to get into the restaurant was like trying to get into the White House to interview Clinton after the Monica case. I was so close to pressing my thumb into the arm of an injured man to get my way in.