Cetaphil (Not an advert)

Expensive vs inexpensive

I used to think that by using a more expensive product, you will benefit from it in the long run. Think of the branded stuffs compared to cheaper options, in this case, let’s narrow it down to handbags or clothes. One will assume that branded products will last longer and have higher quality compared to their counterparts. I am not saying that’s not the case. I am pretty sure everyone agrees that wool and cashmere-made scarves are warmer compared to polyester, cotton-made scarves. Another example is shoes as well, be it for men or women, comfy shoes (i.e. Hush Puppies, Ara, easy step, etc) are more expensive compared to cheaper shoes. However, admittedly, they are uglier too or less fashionable in another word. A while back, I hurt the sole of my feet and now I can’t walk with flats that have no proper cushion soles because my feel would swell and it did in the past. Hence, when I go to work, I tend to wear comfy shoes and I only wear heels during the weekend for a night out.

In general, I assume people agree that one of the reasons one is willing to fork out that much money to purchase upmarket products is because they hope that they won’t get replaced as often. Of course you will have people who collect branded merchandises for a status statement purpose or they simply just appreciate original designers who put so much effort to make their work-of-art a trademark, hence the origin of “copyright”. Anyways, the focus of my post this time is more on facial/cosmetics products, specifically facial care products.

I remember a very long time ago when I was still a poor student back at home. I didn’t care much about my skin, hair etc. Looking back at the photos, I was petrified. All I used were very basic products, the cheapest ones I could find which would give me the best result. Well, let’s be honest here, it doesn’t exist! Especially, if you were not born with flawless skin. If your face is full of acnes, oily/dry, uneven skin tone etc, using any kind of facial care product will only make it worse. I used to use whatever that is available at the local supermarkets. To be honest, till date, I can’t tell the difference on whether my skin condition has improved. I had a complimentary skin analysis with Shiseido a while back and the consultant told me my skin condition is pretty decent. Well, I guess if you look after it well, it still works. Fast forward, I upgraded from skin care such as Nivea, Biore, Dove etc to L’Occitane, Body Shop and then to Shiseido White Lucent range without the toner because my L’Occitane’s red rice toner is still in use.

After I switched from L’Occitane to Shiseido for a few months now, something horribly went wrong. My skin started to itch, red patches appeared randomly on my skin, it stung when I washed my face, my skin around my nose went extremely dry and started peeling off. I wasn’t sure whether it was my make up or my skin care causing this allergic reaction to my face because I have been using both for a while and it only appeared recently. The burning sensation was just unbearable and I was trying so hard not to scratch my face as well because it would only get worse. In the end, I decided to go to the pharmacy and ask for a soothing cream. The pharmacist suggested me to swap my cleanser and moisturizer with Cetaphil instead. Can you imagine getting rid of $180++ worth of products to less than $20 worth of products????? BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must say, Cetaphil works magic on my skin! Just after 2-3 days of using the cleanser and the moisturizer, the allergic reaction stopped! Well, I had to stop applying make-up on my face for 2 days on top of that just to give my face a break but I was mortified because I had to go to work bare face which I rarely did before, maybe once in the past. I don’t wear thick make-up but even just applying an eye-liner will make my face so much fresher than without anything at all. I don’t feel confident and I look tired all the time without any make-up on. Anyways, back to Cetaphil, you can either wash your face with water or without water. I know some of you feel like your face is still dirty if you don’t rinse it with water but you need to know as well that water will only make your skin drier if you wash it too often. I usually rinse my face with water first after removing all my make-ups, dry it with a towel, apply an even amount of Cetaphil cleanser onto the face avoiding the eyes’ area. Afterwards, use cotton pads to remove the excess, then voila!!!! Your face is instantly brightened up and feels good too!

Moving on to the moisturizer, it is by far THE most amazing moisturizer I have ever used in my entire life!!! You know how a normal moisturizer just absorbs quickly into your skin? This one actually stays on your skin, you can touch it without feeling greasy or heavy. It absorbs in your skin, however it keeps the surface of your skin moisturized at the same time. It even could stay there for hours and trust me, you will not feel disgusted at all! It is definitely a good sign, especially in the middle of a harsh winter in Australia, which dries out your face very quickly when you step out of the house. I am not too sure about people with oily skin as this may aggravate the oil to surface more. Other than that, this is a must have facial care product during winter. Now, I am not too sure what am I going to do with my Shiseido & L’Occitane’s skin care range now L Oh, by the way Cetaphil brand has a lot of ranges in terms of their skin care product and they are available at local pharmacies. Don’t think they are available in the supermarkets, I suppose you can always google it.

P.S: The moisturizer can be applied all over the body area too, not limited to face only. Also, major apology for I don't have the photos of before and after using Cetaphil because I only thought about sharing the goodness of it now :( I guess according to my experience, I won't go back to my other facial care products for a while :)

Sky Blue Topaz vs Swarovski

OMG!!! I have been gone for a while out of blogosphere!!!! Oh well, I have been too busy being depressed... Not really.. Just been soooo busy and had a lot of decision to make over which path I should choose in terms of helping me achieving my ultimate goal. Ok, that's a bit of exaggeration.. My ultimate goal will not be achieved easily just like that and I have looooooooooooooooooooong way to go before I could be anywhere near my ultimate goal!! My new mantra is "one at a time" and "slow but steady". Everyone has got to improve after some time, nobody wants to stay stagnant! You don't want to fail yourself and feel that you are not going anywhere.. However, I do believe it is all self-inflicted. If you have the motivation, the determination and you put them into an action, the impossible will become possible.. I am not saying that you can turn all of the impossibles become possibles... You can't visit heaven or hell before you die.. (a very terrible example, bear in mind this came out very spontaneously).. That is... If you believe on their existence.

Anyway, I am swaying away from the real content of this post. As a female being, I believe every girl deserves to own good piece of jewelry.. Even if it is just one or hundreds, depends but I do believe you need at least ONE good piece. Not the ones bought by your boyfriends or husbands or fiancés.. Just for yourself as a reward of all the hard work you have done so far. I am not saying to should spend your money splendidly on expensive jewelries but just once in a while. Well, I am not the type of person who likes to change accessories very often to match my outfit and I don't even switch bags very often. Hence, I always wear the same pieces of jewelry and bag to work or when I go out with my friends because I just can't be bothered. Hence, I do spend a bit of money on better quality of materials that could last longer because then I don't have to buy very often.

As mad as it sounds, I can't wear silver accessories because my skin has an allergic reaction towards silver and no, I am not a vampire!! I can wear any non-acid-reactive material but not otherwise.. I am not boasting that I can only wear expensive material but that's just how my body reacts to it. I can't even drink alcohol because my body can't absorb it well and my body repels it.. So it sucks..

Lately, I become so obsessed in collecting more jewelries, however when it comes to selecting good pieces of jewelry, I think it is also important to know the occasion of wearing them and whether you are going to wear it every day or just on certain occasions. As I am an everyday wearer, I think it is better for me to go for a proper gold/white gold material.

I have no problem with wearing a sterling silver and stainless steel material, however obviously in terms of quality, they are still not as good as gold/white gold. Also, bear in mind when I refer to gold/while gold, they are solid and not plated or rhodium plated. White gold usually has rhodium plated to maintain the shine. In this post, I am going to review briefly on a few downsides of 'plating' used in some cheaper jewelries and also some very costly fashion jewelries.

I remember I bought my first piece of fashion jewelry from Swarovski a year ago and I have been wearing it every single day till date! The only times I take it off my finger is when my hand has to be in contact with water. As many Swarovski fans will know, the crystal will not be as shiny as it ages and it will only accelerate the aging process if it is in contact with water. I do agree however, that Swarovski crystal has one of the highest quality in terms of the smooth cutting and anyone who owns any forms of jewelry made of cubic Zirconia knows that there is a difference in terms of the crystal's fineness. Hence why they earn the trademark of "Swarovski crystal" or sometimes cheaper pieces of jewelry have "Swarovski element" in their jewelry description, especially online stores.

It is true that Swarovski jewelries are only meant to be a fashion jewelry and not to be worn everyday unless you could guarantee an excellent care, not me definitely.. I bought a ring from Swarovski over a year ago and it has then shown a lot of wear signs, especially that it is a ring, hence you can't avoid all the mini accidents you encounter during your daily activity.

The picture actually looks much better but in reality, the ring has been abused much more than what is shown in the photo. If you could see the tiny peel-mark, I can assure you the coating has worn off and the ring is in such a horrendous condition.

Even so, I haven't given up in collecting more of Swarovski pieces. This time, I chose earrings instead because I believe they will last longer this time as it won't have any contact with water unless I go mad and decide to walk in the rain with the earrings on. I wanted a bracelet as well but that is a mad idea because I am more prone to ruining it faster. They look too irresistible though, need extremely good care nevertheless!

If I remember it correctly, I think the gold coating is made of "gold plating" so it will obviously wear off after some time. I must say though, that the quality of the crystals remain superb and shiny even after a year of wearing it everyday (referring to the ring). Well, maybe a little bit less shiny and when I bought it however I am sure if you polish it with crystal care spray, it will shine again but I just can't be bothered.

They were mostly bought when Swarovski held a sale which happened VERY RARELY!!
Bought the ring for AUD90, originally was AUD180
Top left hand side with (square shaped crystals) was AUD65, originally AUD130
Top right hand side (two-piece of crystals) was AUD110 no sale at the time of purchase.

Then today, I was looking for my birthstone, Aquamarine and I am looking for a ring for myself. As I strolled along the street, I visit a jewelry store who sold it, however it is a synthetic Aquamarine stone surrounded by manmade diamonds with 9K solid gold. They sell it for $399, originally $650. Too expensive!!! It has a very deep ocean blue color and is absolutely stunning, however because it is not a natural stone, I pulled myself away with disappointment although the sales assistant offered to show me some Topaz rings and/or pendants as substitute.

I went to another store and asked to see an aquamarine ring as well and to my utter disbelief, the ring costs AUD3990++ OH MY LORD!!! Well, apparently this one is made from a real aquamarine stone with real diamonds and 18k solid gold. The sales assistant told me rings with aquamarine stones are really rare hence much more expensive. She suggested that if I am looking for a similar blue-ish stone, I should go of Topaz though Topaz is for those who are born in November. There are some myths go with different birthstones and its meaning, for instance blue Topaz is supposed to calm you down when you are in a stressful situation and it is supposed to enhance your eyesight (some Greek and/or middle age mythologies can be found in google).

I can't afford a AUD3990++ ring for myself at the moment and I have determined that that will be my engagement or wedding ring, don't mind either one!!! I just want my future wedding/engagement ring to have an aquamarine stone in it!!!! :( <---- Hint for my future husband if he ever gets to read it.. LOL

So I fell in love with this natural sky blue Topaz ring with small traces of real diamonds.... JENG JENG JENG~~~~~~~~~~~~~






TA DAHHHHH~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, it's a 9k solid gold, won't be as good as an 18k solid gold though it will still last long :)

It is not too expensive either, well I like to reward myself once in a while and having no boyfriend to buy me, I got to make myself at least tiny bit happier because no one is there to make me happy especially now is winter time!!!!! Well, I am seeing someone at the moment, however it is complicated and none of us knows what is going to happen and I don't even know whether he likes me enough to want to be together.... :( ok, let's leave the love story some other time... I am super happy that I brought it home with me today, with its love shaped blue Topaz, it is supposed to attract love and wealth (again, it is a MYTH), but who know... Love & money I want you, come to me NOW!!!!!!

Oh, got them from Thomas Jewellers, click on the link to check out their online store and contact details including store locations.

Definitely love it love it love it.... :)

Oh, the ones right next to the blue Topaz is a sterling silver claddagh ring that I bought for AUD10 from Sovereign Hills, Ballarat and above it is a couple while gold ring when I reunited with my ex-boyfriend which I am still wearing till date because I just like it, it has nothing to do with me missing him or anything like that.. I gave him the same one which he broke it long before we broke up... so, it doesn't matter if I am wearing it because he doesn't have it anymore... Therefore...... It is not a couple ring anymore~~~~  In fact, he gave me one yellow gold ring as well shortly after I gave him the ring and guess what.... It was stolen along with a gold necklace he gave me as a birthday present when my house got broken into last year ... Oh well, maybe it was bound to happen.. New ring, new memory, new beginning... Not beginning, continuing my life.. It has almost been 2 years since I walked out of our 4.5 years relationship and I am so much stronger than I was.. I truly wish him happiness with his current girlfriend and hopefully I can find mine soon :) who will propose to me with an aquamarine stone ring!!!!

You are not alone

Disclaimer: This post is going to be long and wordy with very few or almost no pictures at all!!

My initial purpose when I started writing a blog is so that I could actually use it as a diary where I could just pour out my thoughts, experience, etc. Most of the time, it turned out to be filled by my random travel experiences. I think today, I want to abuse it by writing some random thoughts, accumulating frustration, gratitudes and the list goes on. Though a diary is meant to be for selected or private audience, such as myself. However, I would like to share this with other people who might happen to experience the same thing with me in the past, at the present or in the future after you read this, you might *ahem refer it you your own experience and hopefully, find it to be helpful.

When I had my first part time job as a student in the beginning of my one and a half years living in Melbourne, Australia, I was lucky enough to get a part time job with a decent pay to support my living cost and I also got to know so many role models whom I looked up to. I couldn't thank God enough that I have met so many great friends throughout my stay here. I used to work from 6 am to 12 noon as a wait staff in a hotel and I was so used to be greeted by the receptionists who happen to be brothers. They were such lovely people and both of them have teenage daughters. My work colleague in the restaurant within that hotel is a single mom who works two jobs to support her two teenage children and she is most probably THE second most hard working mom I have ever known. First one being my own mother.

I worked with them for a year before a tragedy happened. One day I turned up at work and my colleague told me "Shane is not with us anymore". My initial thought was, what??? He left the job or what? She looked down and shook her head and told me, no.... He died last night, committed suicide. I froze.... Not being able to utter a single word. I was shocked, couldn't believe, didn't want to believe. My mind projected a flashback to my brain... His jokes, his laughs, his cheekiness and then a blank face shown in my mind... At that time, I wondered, what would his daughter look like, how would she feel. All I know was that he was divorced. I still didn't know how to cope with it. He wasn't somebody I was close with. We barely had any conversation longer than 5 minutes every week, but I was so used to be greeted by him every week, chatted and laughed for a bit. I couldn't stop asking myself why???

Then I thought to myself, he must had been keeping it for himself for quite some time. He must had been so lonely. He must had been depressed for quite some time but everyone failed to notice, including his own brother. He didn't show any sign of withdrawal days before he died. He was so normal just like the way he had always been. No one could tell, but I thought to myself, he must had been screaming for help, for someone to notice his agony feeling inside. Then, he decided to give up... to release himself from the agony feelings but he didn't realize... The people he left behind... The LIVING people he left behind. His family, his brother, his daughter...

On the funeral day, my colleagues and I attended the funeral service. It was full of tears.. Though I wasn't close to him at all, but before I knew it, my tears fell like a waterfall when I saw his face on the video they were playing to commemorate his presence. He was laughing in the video, happily. Then, a young girl came out.. No guesses needed, it must be his daughter and I was right, the only one. Before the burial service, she came out and sang a song "Bubbly by Colbie Caillat". She was so strong or at least tried to be at such a young age. I could imagine she wanted to break down while singing but she stayed strong and finished the entire song with such a pleasant voice.

So why am I telling this story?? Sometime ago, one of my close friends told me she was having some troubles. She felt like no one could help her and that she was facing a dead end. She told me no one could understand her. It was like a dejavu as soon as I spotted a few signs. At that time, we were living in the same country. I could rush to her and be a company for her. All I could do was to verbally support her. I told her, this is just a journey, an experience that anyone will have to go through at some stage again and again. It is life... but you know what?? 5 years from now, you would look back at your old self and laugh. You would think how silly you were that you got easily upset over small things and how it wasn't the end of the world really. As long as you are willing to initiate changes and don't want to get stuck, you will be fine. She told me her situation wasn't progressing and wasn't going anywhere. That was when I realized I had to persuade her to see a professional and be brave. I wished I could be there for her but at that time, there was nothing I could do but to verbally support her. She actually wanted help as well that was why she talked to me about it and I was glad because thinking back to what happened to Shane. He chose not to tell anyone that he had problems and that it was okay to share it with someone!

I was glad that my friend was willing to seek for a professional help though the experience was brief but just to have someone who unconditionally listens to your problem without being judgmental is crucial. I am glad that till date I could talk to my friend and she wasn't as lost as she used to be anymore. I am glad that she found a partner who could be there for her when she is feeling down and her partner could emotionally support her while me, being a friend who are miles away can't. She is still one of my best friends till date and all I want is to see her being care-free and happy!

I am not saying that I don't have problems myself. Everyone does and it is completely our choice to make it seems like our problem is bigger than others when it is a HUGE misconception and not true at all. Who are we to judge whose problem is bigger than whose? Our mind could be a little angel or a little devil but should we let either one take over the entire decision? NO! Sometimes I feel exhausted over the problems I have but recently I received a phone call from an ex-colleague whom I only worked for 3 weeks with. He told me he is going back to his hometown for good. I feel sad but more when he told me he enjoyed working with me and he thought highly of me (please do not misunderstand because my ex-colleague is a married man!) He asked me not to ever change and that I am a great person who could do so much more. I am not so thick-skinned as to admit that I am a great person, okay.... All I am saying is, when I thought that I have so many issues, obstacles etc. Just a word of encouragement from someone you don't know well is far greater than from those whom you know very well because you know that they just want to comfort you whereas those coming off someone you don't know well are genuine words and purely think that you are what they think you are.

I immediately received a boost in confidence afterwards because I know there is someone out there who cares about me just as much as my friends/best friends do.

Then, I learned to appreciate and trust people around me more. Until sometime ago, I have trust issues.. I don't think I could trust anyone and think that people just want to take advantage out of me and if they can't anymore, I could be easily replaceable. However, most recently I thought to myself why am I being so stubborn and always put up my guards against anyone?? It's true I have seen a lot of betrayals, carelessness, all self-inflicted. However, I have recently thought to myself, sometimes people are nice to you because they think you are worth being nice towards to and not just simply want something out of you. Although the latter part could be right but still, it could just be a genuine feeling As long as you have done everything you could for the person, be it your friends, colleagues, partners etc, they will trust that you are worth being nice towards to. I received yet another phone call from a friend who just wanted to talk about his/her concerns and this time, I was actually told "I just want to talk about it". To be honest, that was the most genuine expression I have ever heard in my entire life, that someone is willing to actually pick up the phone, dial a number and just talk about their problems, frustrations, exchange ideas, advices, etc. I thought to myself again as I felt frustrated earlier in the day, there you go again, I am not the only one who have problem.

What I find very common among friends is that, when someone is having a problem, they don't want to listen to other people's problem because they think to themselves, I have enough problems, I don't have time to listen to other people's craps. However, for quite some time now, I discovered that when you listen to other people's concerns, you could actually imply the solution onto your own situation. While helping others find their solution, without realizing it, you actually are helping yourself sorting out your own issues. I think the act of listening unconditionally is more of a proactive approach rather than passive and it is a difficult thing to do because everyone knows how to listen to others but not many people know how to listen unconditionally. However, once you master it, you will be surprised on how it could change your perspective in terms of handling a challenging situation. It has definitely helped me define myself more, hence I am the person I am today (:

Remember one thing, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, NEVER! As long as you are willing to put yourself out there and reach your hands out to others, someone will reach out their hands to you eventually....

Sand Sculptures, Nepean Point National Park & Mornington Peninsula

I can't thank God enough that there was a public holiday to break the week apart. Just last Wednesday, there was a public holiday for ANZAC day where Australians and New Zealanders commemorate their courageous soldiers who died during the Australian war in 1915. So, we decided to drive all the way down to Mornington Peninsula. It was one of the two most horrible days because it rained non-stop the day before. Checking the weather forecast on my phone has become an addiction for me now. During my daily routine before leaving for work, I always tap on the weather application to check how cold it is outside because we are approaching winter now. So, I checked the weather forecast one day before we were meant to go and it said "easing to scattered showers over midday". Well, holding onto that tiny hope, we decided to go ahead with our plan.

I woke up at 6.00 am just in time to catch a 7.40 am train to Glen Waverley where my friend was going to pick us up because it is a one hour drive from her house whereas it is more than 2 hours drive from the city where I live. We started from Glen Waverley point where we had our favorite brekky choice of Eggs Benedicts etc at Mocca Jo's.

Above: My brekky Eggs Benedict.. All time favorite.Another one is Eggs Florentine with Virginia Ham.

Above: Something to do with omellete, there is a hidden sausage in the omellete with grilled capsicums etc.

Above: Poppy-seeds bagels.

After our quick brekky, well apparently the place will be fully booked by 9.30 so we quickly gulped down our food and got out. We then moved on to driving down to Frankston beach to see this sand sculpture exhibition. Almost lost our hope because of the scattered showers, had to bring my huge annoying umbrella all the freaking times! Unless you want your umbrella to fly upside down, it is better to bring the long one rather than the foldable one because in Melbourne, the strength of the wind is extraordinary.

It was the second last day of the exhibition and apparently some of the sculpture has been damaged by the rain, hence the cost for visiting dropped from $12 an adult to $7, including sand sculpture art (meaning you could relive your childhood memories or if you have kids, let them build a castle for you)
It would be more fun if the day wasn't that shitty. Oh, don't forget to wear your ugliest sneakers as well because it could get really "ugly" inside with the sand-turn-to-mud everywhere after the rain (still raining at that time). However, we really enjoyed the exhibition though, just shows how creative people are and how much effort they must have spent.

Above: This exhibition started from November last year up to yesterday (April 26th).

Above: Warner Bros Bugs Bunny :)

Above: You could see some part has been damaged due to the constant shower the day before.

Above: Journey 2, no I haven't watched the movie yet.

It was quite small for an exhibition but we still really enjoyed the artwork. After circling for one round, we left Frankston and continued our way down to Sunny Ridge Strawberry farm in Mornington Peninsula. For $8.20 per adult, you will be equipped with a 500 gram empty box and a pair of plastic cover for your shoes because it is again, another muddy situation. It is actually not a strawberry season anymore, hence there were only a few rows left where you could pick hugeass strawberries fresh from the farm. I had so much fun picking the strawberries for the first time they were huge!! A lot of them unfortunately have been water-damaged as well. Now I could understand why strawberries are so expensive because of the difficulties the farmers have to go through to grow them!

Above: Our plastic covers for our shoes. Guess which ones are mine lol

Above: Not even halfway through filling up the box.

Above: Yay!!! Finally the box was full!!!

We walked back to the shop where they also sell homemade strawberry and blueberry jams. According to my friend, they are exceptionally good and taste so much much better than the processed ones sold at local supermarkets. I didn't buy one because I got sick of looking and eating strawberries after that. We decided to try the cafe where you could eat all sorts of strawberry desserts, i.e. fondue, kebab, ice-creams all made of fresh strawberries. The staffs also offer to wash the strawberries you just pick... Feel so blessed :) Omitting the fact that the weather was shit, it was such a happy day for me. Also, was trying to cheer my friend up as well because her grandma just passed away :(

Above: Our strawberries :)

Above: strawberries kebab!! Yum with marshmallows~~~

Above: Yummy and huge scones!!! Love the jam, indeed tasted like it IS homemade :)

Above: Itadakimas people!!!

They have a Facebook page as well where I entered the $1000 photo competition which I know I am not going to win it because your picture needs to be liked by the viewers and the competition is ending on the 30th whereas I just uploaded one yesterday! No time to find supporters. Anyways, all just for fun though, just would like to spread out the words. Like Sunny Ridge Strawberry farm Facebook page if you are Australians! Non-Australians are welcomed too! lol

P.S: No, it is not winter yet but this week has been exceptionally cold .. Brrrrr :(

From the farm, we then moved on to Nepean Point National Park all the way to the end of Melbourne at Portsea where it is literally the end of Melbourne/Victoria. If you look at the shape of Australia island in the map particularly Victoria map, you could see the reverse U shape and I literally went to the very end of the east side of Melbourne where you could not possibly go further than that unless you want to jump into the sea.

Before we drove down there, we wanted to visit the lavender farm but it was closed, most probably not the season anymore. It is a 45 minutes walking trail from the gate where cars are not allowed anymore. Cyclists are welcomed though. The view from the walking trail is magnificent! You will get to see why...

There are two paths available for walkers. You could walk along the wider side of the walking trail (main road) or you could follow the branched out pathway where you could see the beach/ocean view. We started off walking the main road and later on we chose to walk via the branched out path.

Above: The beach view from the smaller/narrower path (more like a windy track).

Above: Love how the waves crash to the shore... :) I could sit there all day watching the wave if not for the painfully cold wind :(

Above: with the 'model' *ahem lol

Above: Just realized I am not too bad for a photographer :)

Above: Caught a ray of sunlight piercing through the sea water. A glimpse of hope :)

Above: I was actually trying to be a superwoman, failed in the process.

As you could see in the background (not focusing on me), THAT is the end of the east side of Australia island. Nowhere else to go after that, hence why I said the end of Melbourne which is also the end of Victoria.

Above: Look at the huge wave at the back, not you can't even surf in that kind of wave. It is too huge, you might die seriously. I was amazed by the sea view but at the same time, I kept thinking how dangerous it could be. Apparently this place used to be the base for the Australian army. There are some inactive mines left planted on the ground somewhere because I spot the signboard and there are some tunnels where the solders used to hide as a safe ground. There are also two inactive gigantic canons left.

On the way back, we rode on the mini bus, usually a train like transporter where it took you back to the entrance point instead of spending another 45 minutes walk back. The last ride was scheduled for 4.30 pm, however because they changed it to a mini van, we chose to hop on it at 3.30 pm considering the limited seats available and consider it a late afternoon, there were still heaps of people around. No, we didn't want to be left there and found by the park ranges as "living frozen statues"

We had two hours to kill after the Nepean Point walk, hence we went and had this fish and chips in Mornington. Forgot the name of the shop really... It is a very tiny shop with only a few seats in and outdoor. I think they mostly do take-aways than dine-ins.

Above: Portion is guaranteed quite huge for 2 people. You ve got chips, scallops, battered fish, calamari & prawns.

Afterwards, we just hung out at McCafe because after 5.30 pm, don't ever wish you could find any shops opened except Maccas! This rule applies in the entire Australia. So, if you plan to visit here, make sure you do and/or see everything during the day. Plan your holiday productively!!

Our next destination was the Mornington Peninsula Hotsprings but the discount rate doesn't start until 7 pm or 7 am. We chose to go at 7 pm because it is $20 pp, $25 during public holiday and $35 before 7 pm. Unfortunately, I couldn't take photos inside because I would be soaking wet with the water, splashes from other visitors or I might even risk losing my camera altogether. We moved on from one pool to the other, hence too risky to bring a camera with me inside, so no photos :(

The experience however was truly rejuvenating! I love it so much! You get the jacuzzi experience except it is outdoor and the special hot springs chemical ingredients are supposed to help your skin and blood circulation to be healthier. The scenery view is breathtaking and as you climbed your way higher up the stairs, the water temperature is getting warmer, hence it is always a good start to soak yourself from the closer pool to the entrance. At the highest slope, you could see the hillside view while for us, because it was at night, we couldn't see anything but pitch black view. However, we could see the stars so clearly. It was such a relaxing experience to just soak yourself in hot tub while having a conversation with some friends and watch the stars or even men-shopping or girls because you get to see them wearing bikinis! Again, too bad no pictures taken here :( Nonetheless, this place is very highly recommended for a quick weekend getaway with friends or loved ones :) Visit their site here. I reckon it is better to go in the morning at 7 am because then, you get to enjoy the view clearer. Besides, it is less dangerous to drive around. Due to the nature of the place, it is located very far away from the main road and the street lightings are very poorly lit, in fact no street lights at all for at least 30 minutes while driving. By the time you finish soaking yourself and taking a shower, it will be 10 pm. Driving back to the city is another 2 hours or worse, it you live on the west side, 3 hours... You do the maths. Alternatively, you could choose to stay overnight there since they provide accommodations as well. All of us tried to stay awake while my friend was driving because after the relaxation of your muscles prior to exposed to cold wind, our body automatically feels exhausted and we are likely to fall asleep! We didn't need that while we were driving home! We kept the conversation going until we reached home and that night, if there was a fire in the house, I wouldn't know. That was how deep I had gone to sleep for... All of us had to wake up at 6 because we had to go straight to work :( Well, I actually slept by 7 pm last night to recover all the lost hours!!!

Iron Sky May 10th, 2012

Nuffnang and HOYTS have done it once again!!!

I can't thank them enough and no one understands how grateful I am to once again participate in winning the chance to attend a PRIVATE, pre-release screening at Directors suite!!! *Tearing right now~~~

So this time, it is the pre-release screening for a European movie production, Iron Sky. This movie is a combination of science-fiction and comedy, hence should be very interesting. I recently found that European production movies are very unique, such as the novel-based-turned-to-movie "The girl with the dragon tattoo or the girl who plays with fire", which recently also has the English version played by Daniel Craig. However, I still reckon the original version is still better. Well, Daniel Craig's fans out there please don't hate me.

Back to Iron Sky, this post is about IRON SKY!! Anyways. in short Iron Sky is all about the revenge plotted by the German Nazis because they were defeated back in 1945, hence the entire gang fled and hid on the moon. There, they plotted a revenge to once again conquer the Earth. This movie will take us to a whole new level of imagination by exploring the possibilities and turning the impossible to be possible. I know you might think that "what??? Another spaceship battles again???" but hey, you must admit that even though spaceship battles movies are the trend right now but each carries its own storyline and no two are the same.

Some of the casts are Julia Dietze, Götz Otto, Christopher Kirby, Tilo Prückner, Udo Kier, Peta Sergeant, Stephanie Paul.

The release date for this movie across Australia is on the 10th of May 2012, including HOYTS. Therefore, please don't forget to check it out at your nearest HOYTS, mine is at Melbourne Central. My favorite cinema!!! They have the coolest Beanbags cinema ever which provides the most comfortable experience ever with a friend or boy/girlfriend! They also have their best seats in Directors Suite where you will feel so personalised by their services and recliner chairs! Also, the general admission Xtreme screening where the experience in terms of sound system, seat numbers are double/triple compared to normal cinemas. Here is a bit of a clip on what Iron Sky is all about! Enjoy!!!!!!

Easter at Launceston, Tasmania Day 2 & 3

Continuing my journey in Launceston day 2, the town was so quiet that the motel where we were planning to stay the night was not opened until 2 pm. Worse, it was locked! They don't even enable people to drop their bags and come back because the front door was shut! To our disappointment, we had to carry our heavy-ass bags around and come back at 2 pm to check in. So, we thought that we might as well check out the town around the motel. Equipped with only a city map and tourist attractions pamphlet, we decided to check out the park where we could probably spot some Japanese monkeys. The city park is located at the corner of Cameron St and Tamar St. Easy 2 minutes walk from our motel (Batman-Fawkner Inn). We did spot some monkeys and they were put in a reserve area so you could only peek through the window glass. I shall now present you our ancestor.

They are sooo cute but they could look deceiving!!! Monkeys are naughty creatures for sure.. Love to play hide and seek with your stuffs! I remembered when I was on a holiday at Pangkor Island, Malaysia, there was a group of us and we visited Monkeys Island. One of the monkeys decided to fool around with us by stealing my friend's shoe and hid it on top of a tree and I saw the other monkey was dragging my friend's bag. We had to chase them off and my friend had to throw a ball to shake up the tree so that the shoe could possibly fall down and it did. Moral of the story: Don't get too near with a monkey, don't wear jewelries if you intend to handle them.

Above: Beautiful city park on a sunny afternoon after the crazy storm the night before at Devonport.

As we were browsing around the park, we discovered this beautiful glass house and we checked out what's inside.

Above: Beautiful garden inside the glass house.

It really feels like heaven. This place reminded me so much of Melbourne's Fitzroy park because there is also a glass house in the middle of the park. Very similar indeed.

Above: Ok, I was obviously trying to portray a FAIL flower.

Enough of the flowers photos. Next, we checked out Brisbane st where the shopping districts are located. We thought that it would be dead since it was Easter Saturday, however to our surprise, shops were opened and we checked out this quadrant mall which offered some shops, cafe & restaurants, florist shops etc. It was a very relaxing environment as it was a public holiday and people were just chilaxing.

Above: A fountain in the middle of quadrant mall.

Next, we walked through this arcade in Brisbane St and found these cute "pillow benches" lying in the middle of the arcade. Look at the blue one leaning against the pole, how creative could people be??? Just amazing!! They are meant to be children-friendly as the ground matt is actually made of soft surfaces so children can bounce around. Not the benches, they are hard as bricks and could hurt you if you try to jump on it (:

After some amount of walking, we were exhausted and starving so decided to have a brunch at a nearby cafe, sorry but I don't remember the cafe's name. It is closed to the water fountain at quadrant mall close to the end of the street at quadrant mall. I had THE best egg florentine EVER in my entire life. If Melbourne's degraves lane is well known for its brunch, then this place has just beaten it and put a shame onto Degraves Lane because the sauce on top of the poached eggs were FANTASTIC beyond unutterable words!!! My friend and I made up a theory and here it goes, we reckon that because this cafe is a family-run business, hence they made everything really carefully, taking their time (because that's how slow it was before we were served) but because they took their time, hence it is much better quality-wise. In comparison, Melbourne is a much bigger city and everything needs to be fastER-paced, hence you won't get as good quality as food made in the countryside with freshER ingredients too!

Look at it!!!!!! I want another one right NOW!!!! Anyways, the one opposite to mine is my friend's half breakfast. She said it was very nice too tempting her to lick the entire plate, now that's gross but you get what I mean.

Who agrees with me that this looks like somewhere in Europe???? Above: Quadrant mall.

We realized it was 2 pm, time to go back to the Inn to check in. Everywhere in the Launceston city is so reachable within walking distant. It is true it is even better if you have a car, in that case, you could explore beyond the city and go to the lavender farm in Bridestowe Estate :(

Interesting, we didn't know this before and just so happened that we are from Melbourne (: I think it's so cool!

Next to this Inn is Grand Chancellor Hotel and when we were on our way to the city park, we saw the board they put outside saying $10 high tea 2-4 pm!! Tempted, we tried and my friend was quite embarrassed initially because we were staying in some cheapo Inn and we acted all confident walk into a 4.5 star hotel. Me? WTF? I don't care lol $10 high tea is soooo cheap!!! Where could you get that elsewhere?? So I convinced my friend and we went.

It was quite late by the time we went so they had to "pretend" to ask the patisserie whether he/she could prepare a set for 2 people. C'mon! There were only 2 tables occupied and don't tell me you don't want to earn more money from us just because we are not there for some old-age reunion! Anyways, the waitress returned and said it is ok and she started setting up our table and poured some tea into our cups. We were trying to be all lady-like and showed some etiquette but soon it collapse because we just don't have the blue blood in us!! I am joking, well... we tried, I am proud to say that!

Above: First row, assorted sandwiches. They were quite nice to say the least. We had a laugh at ourselves because when we tried to observe how other people did that, they seemed to have a chat, took a nibble, have a chat again, took a nibble again. Us in comparison???? FAILED completely! We cleaned up the entire plate before starting a conversation. Who cares anyway? We are tourists, nobody knows us (:

Above: Second row, assorted cakes. The tiramisu is the best one out of the bunch. Again, we cleaned the entire plate just in minutes! We peeked around to see whether it is the same with other guests and to our utter disgust, there were a lot of left-overs. So, people indeed went there just for a chat with their friends over tea, not cakes. Maybe it's just us starving human beings.

Above: Scones!!! I LOVE scones but these ones were horrible!! They were stiff, chewy and just disappointing! I love the scones they serve in Ballarat, soft, warm, melt in your mouth.. Just thinking about it makes me want to go onto 1 hour train journey just to eat the scones! Ok, in reality I am not going to do that but you get my point.

Above: The entire set. As could you catch a glimpse, our table is soooo small and narrow that the whole thing put in the middle didn't encourage any conversations at all! It was hard and awkward to face one another and chat as we were interfered by the metal stand. Hencewhy we just cleaned up the plates in a matter of seconds, put the stand away and chatted properly over tea. Nonetheless, it was a very good experience for us. In the end we ended up forking $17 pp not $10, bluff. Ok, we knew it that it was too good to be true, there must have been some fine prints that we missed as per usual when you are shopping in a mall and you see some stores putting up huge-ass signs 70% discounts then you walk up closer to the store and you spot the two words "Up to" printed in tiny fonts.

We decided to walk around the city afterwards to digest our brunch + high tea. The city was dead empty, not a single problem taking pictures quietly as compared to somewhere more crowded where there would be much more noise in the background of your pictures.

Above: St John st. Look at how dead the city was, not a single car passing by. We were on our way to the seaport (another tourist attraction). We walked along the esplanade and finally reached seaport just 10-15 minutes away from the Inn.

Above: Seaport, Launceston.

Don't be deceived by the sunshine, it was freezing cold!!! With the breeze from the port blowing onto your face, my exposed areas were all frozen by then. We were waiting for the sunset because I really wanted to take the pictures of a sunset. However, I must admit none of us has a good sense of bearing as to where the sun might set! Don't get me wrong, I know where the west side is, however to get a good grip of when is the good time/where is a good place to snap sunset photos, we are definitely terrible at it.

Above: Before the sunset, there is a hotel in Seaport if you enjoy the harbor view with some yachts every single day. There are plenty restaurants along the harbor as well.

Above: My attempt to snap the sunset which obviously fails.

We walked back to the hotel before it got too dark because although walking by yourself in Tasmania cities might not be as dangerous as compared to walking in Thailand in the middle of the night, however we would't want to risk anything at all. Hence we decided to walk back before it gets too dark. We decided to get some dumplings from Dumpling Legend at Elizabeth St and we also got ourselves a bowl of Korean spicy rice cake mixed with noodle (dokbbokki) from Koreana BBQ which is also located at Elizabeth St. There are surprisingly plenty of Asian restaurants in the city. Initially there was none inside the restaurants however, as the night falls, there were more and more people visiting the restaurants. You should see Launceston city during the day and night, it is like straight out of the movie by Will Smith "I am legend" some spooky zombie movies. That's how much quiet this place it, very peaceful nonetheless and full of warm-hearted people.

Above: Our dinner in the hotel room (Korean spicy rice cakes with noodle and some dumplings behind it)

Above: A church across our Inn at night.

We were back to the hotel by 7.30 pm! Slept by 10 pm after watching some movies. One of it being Batman return not even halfway through the movie we just fell asleep. Next day we woke up so fresh and full of energy that we decided to eat breakfast at Seaport and enjoy the harbor view once again before going back to hectic Melbourne that evening. We walked past civic square where we decided to do some silly pose.

Above: My successful attempt!! Location: Civic square.

It was even COLDER than the previous day and us two crazy fella decided to sit outdoor and we were THE only ones who sat outside while having breakfast with frozen hands and face! Drank frozen coffee too!

Above: Salmon Timbale for my breakfast. Very special. Once you cut through it, the gravy sauce just burst out flowing like a larva. Inside is just simple scramble eggs. It tasted....... So good that I lost for words to describe it. Don't ask me what's at the back because I can't remember what my friend ordered. It was something quite special as well because it was a hash brown mixed fried with
chorizos and scramble eggs on top. It was served with chili-like sauce.

After our yummy but torturous breakfast (remember, we sat outside blown by the cold win and drizzle rain), we decided to visit the famous Cataract Gorge. That was recommended in the booklet thingy we picked up from the cruise. Apparently it is well known for its zig zag track for people who love tracking. Apparently, my dad had been there once for international tracking competition. There is also a walking trail shall you choose not to climb the stairs to death.

Above: Reaching Cataract Gorge Reserve.

Above: The sign to inform us that we were on the right tract and we need to choose which path we should take. Before then, we didn't know there was a walking trail available, hence we took the zig zag track not knowing we started climbing up endless stairs.

Losing my breath... I used to do tracking when I was younger alone or with friends and family. My father enjoys it as well which is probably why I do too. Just amazes me how nature could be so beautiful and also thanks to the ranges who actually maintain it so that more and more people could appreciate the beauty of it. Too bad we didn't go earlier because we would have finished the entire tracking adventure. We needed to allow ourselves enough time to walk back to the Inn, check out and go to the airport. Hence, we couldn't complete the track.

There were a few resting spots for tourists to snap amazing photos and simply just to catch a breath.

Above: Cataract Gorge Reserve taken from the entrance bridge. Look at this beautiful river!!!!! Uh-Mazing!!!! I think my photography skill has improved lol

Above: One of the views from the zig zag track.

Above: The bridge where I took the river view earlier on.

I really can't get over the place. We climbed down the stairs and tried on the walking trail.

Above: Art mode . The rest of the photos were taken using expressive mode from My Color modes available in my camera, Lumix GF2. I am very satisfied with how the photos turn out.

Ultimate scenery!!!

We decided to walk back to the city because it seemed like it was about to rain again and we were right, halfway through the drizzle turned into pouring rain though less windy compared to the first night in Devonport. However, the rain wasn't a long-lived one. It was rather short and we decided to walk about the city a bit more before going back to the Inn to decide our transportation options to the airport.

Above: Prince's square at Frederick st.

There is actually a very old church behind this square and there must be a history behind it but we couldn't be bothered to find out. I said so because in the entire Launceston city, you will not find a single building with old paintings on it. Everything is brand new, what I mean here, of course there are a lot of old-style Victorian era buildings. However, the paintings are brand new. You won't spot gravities, vandalism, etc. It was unbelievable for me how "civilized" Tasie people are! I am pretty sure you could be the judge just from seeing my photos here with glimpse of buildings etc.

Above: Now, this one is an exception and I wonder what the story is. I might just google it now. Apparently, it is called Chalmers Church.

Note: Launceston is a very Christianized community. Many more churches than the entire population put together.

We walked back to the Inn afterwards and organized a transport to the airport. We were pick up by a shuttle van, costed us $15 pp whereas if you take a cab it is $20 pp. The entire journey from the central city to the airport was 15 minutes. I must say that Launceston airport is much better compared to Hobart. Also, another thing amuses me is....... I only spotted ONE Maccas in the entire Launceston CBD and it is not even located in the central city! WTF??? How could that be real? Somebody told me before but I didn't believe him now I saw it myself I was perplexed! There is no Nando's and only one KFC in the central city. KFC no Maccas?????? Wow.... Not that I am a fan anyways, just amuses me.

All in all, Launceston is a great city to get away from all the hectic activities haunting us all who live in big cities. Hence, I would recommend it and! When possible, hire a car because you get to explore more because Tasmania is an island with infinite possibilities as they put is "Tasmania: Explore the possibilities" (: