MAXimise ~ November 2006

Max back from Sydney!!! Just finished his contract for Happy Feet!! So proud of him...he's a computer graphics animator...and was in Sydney working for Animalogic since earlier this year. His job is to make the characters and lighting angles realistic. Being only back for a month or so, and greatly missed by the housemates, we all tried to spend as much time as we could with him as he was looking for a job overseas. He's now in London, and was working on Harry Porter - The order of the Phoenix, and a few others I don't remember. We miss ya buddy!!!

BBQ@Kew

Mmmmm....

One of our drinking sessions at home....

Vunita, Max, Wil & Lucy
Farewell dinner at Cafe Coretto's, Lygon St, pizza & pasta joint next to Papa Gino's.
Rating: 5.5/10

Ray, Wendy (Vunita's older sister) & Max
Ray & Max with their futsal team

October 2006

Phillip & Lorraine's Wedding ~ 7th October 06

Finally, the 2 tied the knot. Gosh, I've known Phillip ever since I came to Melbourne, and have never seen him in a serious relationship, that is until Lorraine managed to pull the reigns...kekeke. Lorraine's a sweetie, and they have both known each other for a long long time, but the getting hitched part came in much later....but yes, was great to see them get married. Was there for the whole chinese ritual thingy....get the bride in the morning, progressed with the tea pouring session (inevitable if you're chinese....). Then it was the wedding reception, 9 course dinner....wasn't too bad. This was one of the few occasions I would ever bother slapping on some make up and dressing up formally. Biggest blessings for the couple.....cheers!!


Leanna in Melbourne

My dear girl in Melbourne...had a great time catching up on all the gos back home. Leanna was here for a couple of days for her cousin's wedding or something. So I took a friday off to hang out with her. That's us in Brunetti's. Reminiscing on the times we had when we first came to Melbourne for uni. Fun fun fun all the way!!!

She stayed with me for a night, and the rest with her girlfriends. The poor thing caught the flu on the last few days she was here and was bedridden for 2 days with fever.

Miss ya girl!!

Sept 2006 ~ Family Holiday to Melbourne

Parents & brother flew over to Melbourne to visit with an aunt. Miss them heaps...hadn't seen them for a year since my gram's funeral. It was really good to see them, my brother especially. Took them around town, Victoria Market, and also managed to take them to the Werribee Open Range Zoo.

It was basically this huge food fest...took them to the better foods around Melbourne. First stop, shanghai dumplings at Camy's off Lt Bourke St, yummm.....siao loong bau (steamed little dragon buns), wor tie (fried dumplings) and shanghai noodles. Then to Ling Nam for a proper chinese meal: for starters, steamed oysters in half in x.o. sauce and half in black bean sauce, x.o. pepes with yau char kuay to dip in the gravy. For the mains, lobster on noodles (drool.....), salt & pepper fried chicken (arguably the best jiu yim kai par in Melbourne), and some stir fried veges. Talk about being content...! And of course Lygon St is a must on the list...Villa Romano, my favourite Italian restaurant around town. Pizza for starters, and for the mains, Seafood spaghetti olio...the best!!! and ricotta raviolli amatriciana, and some other pasta I don't remember...satisfaction rating - 9/10. And my dad's favourite yum cha, took them to Sharkfin House. A selection of dumplings and spare parts, 'pheonix claws', and finished off with delicious mini egg tarts, my absolute favourite dessert....yummo! Last but not least, Squire's Loft for steak on Toorak Rd. Eye fillet, medium rare with bluecheese sauce on the side...you can't go wrong. Also took them to Cafe Greco's in Crown for dessert...carrot cake and delightfully scrumptious warm sticky date pudding with ice cream....a little piece of heaven on earth....somebody pinch me please.....

I only see my folks once a year or once every 2 years, so every time I see them, they've aged more than I like to see. Miss them alot...I guess the only sad part about my decision to stay in Melbourne is that I don't get to spend time with family, so every chance I get is all very precious, so I try to make the most of it.

Short and sweet 5 precious days...

Mom & Dad

At the airport...

Me & John (boy version of me....)

My brother & aunt

Lucy's Birthday 15th July 2006 ~ Shoya

Celebrated Lucy' Birthday at Shoya (25 Market La Melbourne), its in a little lane off Bourke St next to Flower Drum. Lavish modern Japanese cuisine, damage: $80 p/p. Good environment. Very well prepared and presented (you'd expect that for the price you're paying), really pretty entrees and impressive main courses, and not forgetting the desserts....mmmmm.....topped off with some good hot sake. Satisfaction....8.5 on my score chart. Didn't have a camera, so had to make do with what my phone is capable of....

http://www.yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/?action=venue&venue_url=shoya_japanese_restaurant

Eye Fillet

Poached Salmon topped with Salmon roe

Mash on Salmon

Grilled Scampi

June & July 2006

These 2 months have been really hectic for me...changing to a new job and moving out of my city pad. Nic decided to move in with Tim, and living alone is too expensive for me, so I moved in to Wil's place since Max found a job in Sydney and moved out a month before, I took over his room. And yes, decided to tell the Commonwealth to get stuffed! I have been working there for nearly a year as a casual full time staff, and when my team leader put me and 2 other colleagues up for permanency, they rejected the proposal. So we got annoyed and started looking for jobs elsewhere and I was really lucky to find one in a week!!! When they heard that me & Lisa had been offered permanent roles by Members Equity, they decided to offer the permanent position. What the...?? Stuff that!! What do they take us for?? So yeah...major changes all at the same time. Over those few weeks, was so busy cleaning up the city pad, had to make sure it was in good condition so that we can claim our bond and also packing up all my shit. Sat July 15, moved into where I am now in Preston, and on Tues July 18th, started my new job in ME. Exciting. Love changes, and for the better too. I used to hang out over at Wil's place over the weekends, it was sorta my weekend getaway...and now that I've moved in, hmmm....no more weekly refuge after that...kinda weird. But anyhooos, I still hang out with some ex-colleagues and try to catch up over lunch or after work drinks on Fridays.

Lisa, my Aussie mom, I have lunch with her at least once a week. The most loveable character you can find. She decided to stay on with the Commonwealth Bank instead of leaving for ME when they offered us permanent positions...(the bastards!#$^&$%@!)

16/06/07: Wahab on his last day in the CBA, the nicest Indian guy you will find, (his wife has an Indian restaurant in Mornington, and I tell you what, the food is just GRRREeaaat!!! He occasioanaly brought us some of his wife's cooking for lunch and me and Lisa would go crazy over them in the tea room. One of the best Northern Indian cuisine you will find, and for me anyways, it's worth the hour and a half drive out to the coast if you feel like good Indian food....mmmmm.....plate licking worthy curries....seriously!). I'll tell you more bout it later...

Shane...aaahh...this kid, he's a sweetie. Just 21, raging hormones...and a party goer. Used to hang out with him and Pali (this hot Sri Lankan chick whose age you will never guess...) on Fridays after work
1/07/2006: Shannie's Bday

11/07/2006:Lisa's Birthday balloon at work...recycled as you can see....

27/06/2007: World Cup - Australia vs Italy (the dirty bastards...!!!@#^%@*!!)

Me & Wil at the Yarra next to the Fed Square...as you can see, my face here is rounded...effects of winter and too much lamb bristet stews (the most fattening stuffs...)

21/07/2006: Pali (this photo doesn't do her justice...later, I'll show you a better one) & Lisa, we were just sitting out in the sun...don't get much of it this time of the year....

2 weeks after we had a lamb stew steamboat at my place, we discovered the dices in the bowl (we normally play some drinking dice games)...amazing stew remnants + dices in bowl....it just wouldn't drop no matter how hard we shook the bowl...hahahhaha....

Birthday March 06

Nothing special this year....just a cosy vietnamese dinner with Wil, Ray & Lucy at Van Mai on Victoria St, Richmond. Had my favourite vietnamese sour soup canh chua, and stewed pork and fish...yummmm.... If you ever go to a proper vietnamese restaurant, those are MUST tries!! I have to say I was kinda disappointed in the standards Van Mai had dropped to...their canh chua used to taste much better...this time around it was kinda bland and the stewed pork was kinda dry :( Nic, Tim & Joko were supposed to join me, but bailed on me last minute...bastards. No fancy cake this year, but I'll settle for warm food and good company :)

Boxing Day ~ 26th Dec 05

My favourite kinda summer....bbq!!! Headed down t Williamstown, about 40mins away from Melbourne, just me Wil & Max...packed up on sausages, lamb racks (can't have bbqs without them!!), and some beef steaks....oh and mushrooms too. Fantastic!!! The beach wasn't too busy...kicked some soccer after the food had settled. Weather was just perfect...not too hot with some cool breeze to keep the heat away. Needed to unwind from all the booze we were having the past few nights!! The sun....aaahhhh....really tend to miss it after months of winter hibernation....

Side effects of Shaolin Soccer...

Happy feet...!