The Ending Weeks of 2007

I must say that this year did pass fast. 5 months in Australia, holidays, back to school. Week after week they pass. I'm overall very happy with the 2 weeks break that I had. I met up with my secondary school friends at a barbecue party over at Jefferson's. I said I'll cook an egg dish for the event and I did! Not wanting the fried egg to be typical, I tried making Tamago. I read a book on how they cooked it. It requires folding of the egg to create layers.

I made it with 10 eggs, soy sauce, sugar and water. It turned out good from the way I look at it!

Looks like a normal fried egg yea? But no!

It was 4cm thick. Yay! Successfully learned a new way of cooking eggs! Hehe.

Yup, the rest of holidays were spent in corp, doing carolling on Christmas eve, practices, shopping, eating and talking with friends. Enjoyed it a lot. You are appreciated. :)

Christmas Partaye!

The Christmas party was fantastic! I really enjoyed myself and had a good laugh. Chris doing the exaggerated actions of the song "Catch a Falling Star" was hilarious. Food was good too though I did not eat much because I felt full after eating my first plate. Dang. Stomach is smaller. Yay. Singing carols was fun too when everyone there were singing happily.

Playing in the band was also a enriching experience. It was a stressful journey but we pulled through and landed with smiles on our faces at the end of the day. Patience with each other and supporting one another is important.



Thank God for everything and all He has done. :)

It's Time for Me To Protect Your Buttocks!

Sigh. I am enlisting on the 14th of March. Since my vacation starts on the 25th of February, that gives me slightly more than 2 weeks of enjoyment! :(

But, I've already made the choice to do the PTP (Physical Training Phase) for army. So I shall use that 4 weeks of training well to become fitter and healthier. Doubt anyone will hire me for a month anyway.

I was out having a barbecue on Saturday when my mother messaged me saying, "Aaron, you are going into the army on March 14 man." I was surprised it was so soon. I thought I would be going in around April or May. Oh well, when you got to go, you got to go. I hope to be the man in the center of this picture. Those who know, good for you! For those who don't, go watch the 10 part show!

"Are you sure it's safe to take a picture in the battle zone?"

Turbo Lag

Sorry dear readers!

It's hard! I'm trying to think of something interesting to write about. Well, since I'm on the net looking and reading up on cars, I want to share this (some might call it silly) idea that I came up with.

Many times, I have things to share but I cannot put them in words. Yea, so this idea is rather messy. I hope you won't get lost! There might be a lot of grey areas too.

Let's go. Say for instance you have two cars. You can afford both. One has a 4 litre engine while the other is a 1 litre engine. Both same fuel tanks. You drive them economically. For which car do you have to pay more for petrol? I hope many will agree it's the 4 litre engine. So if you have to pay $120 on petrol for a full tank for the 4 litre in a week, and only pay $40 for a full tank in the 1 litre in a week, you save $80 on fuel!

So the conclusion is, you can actually use that $80 to have more fun driving the 1 litre car. You can rev higher, have the feeling of racing, sound powerful, don't feel so guilty on wasting fuel but in fact you should because we should conserve energy! You will visit the petrol kiosk more often that's all. You still pay the same as the 4 litre car that drives economically.

Does it make sense? Haha. Well, that's about all to my silly idea.

Let me add a photo to make this post a little more "attracting". I think this car is nice. It's the BMW 8 series.


I think this car was featured in The Italian Job at the scene where the leading actress meets the gang. Handsome Rob exits from this car I think. The detail that caught me in the movie was the 2 small squarish grills.

Smooth Criminal

This sweet, white flesh goodie should be behind bars.


Skin smoother than a baby's.

It might be too exaggerated but when I tried it last night, it was fantastic. It gave me a very happy eating experience. No complains about it. It was not over sweetened. I really liked the texture. It did not break easily and when you put it in your mouth, it seems to slide everywhere.

Some beancurds have rough surfaces and I find it "alright lah" though smoother ones are the best. Sometimes, you get a "powdery feeling". I wonder if there is a difference in the texture between a cold and a hot bowl of beancurd. I need to conduct tests one day. Haha.

Anyway, this stall is in a coffeeshop in Choa Chu Kang. Block 302 just beside Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange. Rochor beancurd is also good! Lastly, I apologise for the poor picture quality. Happy reading! :)

My first week of school!

Sorry for the dragged post. Haven't had proper time to think of what to write down. I'd like to share about the above title!

So far, all my lecturers are really fun except for that one particular one whom I wrote about in one of the previous posts. They are all so friendly. There is one lecturer teaches with a smile on his face. Maybe he is not smiling but his normal face shows a smile. I don't know. I'm having a lot of fun in applied thermodynamics because it involves engines! Something that I have been reading up a lot on. I'm going to have a lot of fun in school. :)

This question have been asked a few times among my friends and it is,
"How do you differentiate a year 3 from a year 1?".

And I have answers like,

- See their laptops. If it's vista, a year one. If you see fujitsu, year 1, acer with inbuilt camera with vista, year1, acer with inbuilt camera but with xp, year 2.

- See the dressing.

- For lunch, year 1s go in big groups while year 3s go in groups of 3 or 4.


Anyone has anymore to add? Haha.

Right or Left Brain?

I stumbled upon something very interesting. My brother's friend were talking about it and I asked what's it about. They brought me to the link and I tried it.



Do you see the dancer turning anti-clockwise or clockwise?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it."

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The above chunk was just copied. The first impression and answer you give is the most accurate answer. You do not have time to think of the other way. I saw the dancer turning clockwise but according to the information, I'm a right brainer which is rather interesting. I find myself to be more on the left side. Oooh... So coool.. It's like knowing your secret powers! Ya right. Have fun people!

I am Peter

Find out what heroes character are you at LiquidGeneration.com!

School is starting!

In just 11 days, my holidays will come to an end and my final leg of the race will start. Back to being a mugger. I will be in a whole new class with those students that went for attachment in their first semester like me. Timetable looks pretty good. All new lecturers. Tutors the same except for one man. Shall not say his name but he is definitely the most unhelpful lecturer/tutor I have ever met. Why?

During my 4th semester, he was the teacher in charge of my practical class. During the experiments, instead of looking around and supervising us, he went to the back of the class to read his newspaper. I caught him doing so because I wanted to ask a question. We complained to another lecturer about his behavior and in the next class, he did better. And his attitude while explaining the answer to us is really bad. I better go find another guy who teaches the same module to help me. :S

My friend told me there is going to be one big project. Better put in effort daily so it won't be a problem towards the end! Anyone wants to study with me? :D

My 6 Days of Work

I took on a job to help Kat's father with the deliveries. Job scope involved loading/unloading of goods, being a navigator and speaking to clients with regards to their goods. I must say it is a labour intensive job. Everytime I go home, I feel clean because I perspired a lot.

The goods can be heavy. The weight of a carton of umbrellas is astronomical! Sometimes the goods are light but they are bulky. I am very surprised that everything going out for a delivery can fit so nicely into the van. Uncle Alan has superb judging skills!

I've also been to places I have never set foot in before. The addresses were so foreign to me. Where is Teck Whye Lane? Ceylon Road? Ghim Moh Road? Even for the places which I've heard before like Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Batok, they have not been explored for almost my entire life! So I did manage to learn a bit more about Singapore.

Food! Prices are about near my school's. I always eat from the same rice and dishes stall because the variety is good and the taste is yummy too. Accompanied with that is a cup of iced coffee to keep me awake!

Lastly,

Me! Me! Me! Pick me!!!

Search.Buy.Sell.Connect

I believe Ali was inspired to write this because of the recent advertisements of Mocca.

"As do typical negotiations take place, you give me something in exchange for another thing. In this case, Aaron and I have swapped blog posts! Haha. But since he has given me total authority to write about ANYTHING, I shall write whatever I want and he has to post it all up sans censorship.

Okay everybody. What (oops, i mean WHO) we have here is a 1.85m tall (i'm guessing) big friendly guy up for grabs.

If you like guys to be big and cuddly, with a nice 'little' tummy, Aaron here is perfect for you. More so if you like bass players and people who enjoy their food. (Matt's taken!) Tho' abit on the fair side, Aaron is bound to make you feel protected wherever you go cause he'll tower over you and intimidate all other (shorter) guys. If that fails, he can always just sit on them.

If you're a movie junkie, the deal's even sweeter. What's better than having a guy who can spout lines from V for Vendetta or imitate the actions of Borat. He can even make the movie come alive for you by cooking the meals he see's on the show! (look out for his eggy in a basket post)

And on the topic of food - Mr food lover here is bound to spoil you rotten with food. (no pun intended!) From his long-ago inheritance of a McDonald's pie maker to his smashing rice poppies, you'll be certain you won't starve!

So what are you waiting for? Better catch hold of him before he's taken! :D Hurry hurry!"

Panic! at the Station

I was on my way to Tammy's choir concert with Biru. I met her on the MRT. On the way, an old lady did a pole dance suddenly collapsed on the floor! She was in a slanted kneeling position with her right hand still grabbing the center pole. A few ladies rushed from their seats to help the poor lady. Biru and I just stood there and observed like the rest did. Too many chefs spoil the soup.

Young lady: Someone press the emergency button!
Aaron looks around for the emergency button and sees it, but takes no action.
Young lady: Someone please press the emergency button!
Aaron: Are you sure?
Young lady: Yes!
Aaron: Okay! (Reaches and presses the button)

Intercom through speakers: Please speak into the intercom.
Aaron (speaking into the intercom): Hello? Hello?
Intercom through speakers: (Words were unclear and only made a bit of sense to me)
Aaron (speaking into the intercom): Hello? Anyone there? Helloooooooo... (Heard myself coming from the speakers)
Intercom through speakers: (Words were unclear and only made a bit of sense to me)
Aaron (speaking into the intercom): Hello? Uhh, a lady just fainted and seems to have a problem. Yea.
Aaron returns to his original position and sees someone standing in front of the driver's door uhm chioing.

The next stop, two SMRT employees came to the scene of the crime. They reseted the emergency button and one employee helped the victim. The other asked, "Who was the auntie killer one who pressed the button?". I stepped out with Biru and confessed. Apparently, it was a game that the SMRT man never played. Haha

Anyway, the good news is that the old lady was fine after a while. She was on medication and it made her feel giddy. Thank God for the great experience! :)

My Heirloom

Many of you do not know about this secret that I've kept for years. Ronald McDonald was my great grandfather. He left me this.

Now you know where those tasty pies come from!

Okay. Enough nonsense. I uncovered this during the time when the group needed to do some activity to pass time. It has been a long time since I've touched this thing. I just tried it again at Kat's place today. Clarence was a little worried about me using playdough with it but I assured him that I only used bread.


Cut with a special cutter, flatten the bread with the roller, fill the pie with whatever filling you want, fold the bread and press it down. Voila! Easyy!


I really had a fun time using it and eating miniature pies filled with kaya. Got to try more stuffings. I should bring out the hamburger maker one day too. Muahaha. :)

Un Film Fraçais

I watched a French movie over at Ali's place one night. It was titled "36 Quai des Orfèvres" which is the address of one of the most famous police judicial buildings in Paris.

Génial.

I will not reveal the storyline here. What was good about this movie was the cinematography. It was not explosive or filled with a lot of typical American police action. It is somewhat more calm and collected, more artistic. Almost every scene had music playing in the background to supply the mood. Plus the language made it so stylo milo. I give it 4.5/5 for it.

Foreign films are quite interesting. Some that were really good was "Children of Heaven" and "Helen the Baby Fox". It can give you this expression on your face. :')

Haha and godspeed to you!

Where is the family?

Fiesta Oneness! I wanted to give more thought about it that Friday night during cell. When Matthew asked who wanted to go, I happily raised my hand. During the announcements, Matthew used me as an example and said, "Look at Aaron, he took the courage to step up and join in this event." I was surprised and gave the "why arrow me..." expressions. Anyway, I felt that giving support to these kind of family events are rather important if we are to grow together. Plus it was a one time event so it was okay.

At the registration counter, I was made group leader and I was in greater shock! It was because Major Bob's father-in-law passed away and he was unable to attend the event. Another thing that surprised me was the amazing number of troopers from the youth that signed up for it! There were 13 youths there I reckon? Praise God for that!

The games were rather easy but one may feel embarrassed with the people observing and thinking, "Why are these yellow people running about for?". Did not have time to think what others thought but focus on the team and their participation. It was all held at corp and junction 8 which was good for those who dislike moving around too much. The tonic water that started off the event was... As I drank it down, there was a slight spicy taste to it. Found out that tobasco sauce was added in! Definitely fired up our bodies for the rest of the day. We walked around looking for answers to the treasure hunt. Lots of pictures were taken too.

The whole thing took only about 45 minutes to complete. After that, our group headed to Kim San Leng for tea. I had fun talking with the adults. They share a lot of their experiences like auntie Lucy and her stay in Victor Harbor, South Australia. I believe it was an enjoyable day for everyone. :)

Cheerios!

I have my own 4 walls!

The title says it all. My very own space to study, sleep and chill. I am really very happy with it and extremely grateful. Not to mention the wonderful present from the group who gave it to me! A perfect fit. :)


My room resembles the one I stayed in Adelaide. The main door is also a sliding door and there is a door to the right when you enter in. My new room is slightly narrower. But it is a good thing because everything is within reach and it gives the cosy feeling. Whee!

I'm going to have my very own 4 walls!

Just look at the title once more! Yippee!!

In my life I have only shared rooms at home. Due to space constraints, sacrifices had to be made. Not until one day when my table in the living room was a little cluttered and my father made some noise. I "complained" that I want to keep these things but I do not have space to do so! Discussion followed in the master bedroom. I also did request once to convert the study room which was filled with tons of my father's documents into my own room. However, the idea was rejected. But no more! Muahahaha! Just today, in just 3.5 hours, the entire study room was cleared. Files and folders all transferred to my grandma's room. Not to worry, since my grandma does not need to study, I doubt she really needs much space.

This is the cleared space.


Sorry for there is no before picture that you can compare it with. Just imagine a big shelf covering the 2 pipes and the USA map filled with books and a big wooden table in the center of the room. It is rather small actually but I like it that way. Everything is within reach and there is a cosy feel. My mother and I will be painting the unfinished wall and start shifting my bed, tables, chairs and etc. So exciting! My sister and I are going to be next door neighbours! :D

I am truly grateful to my parents for allowing and helping me with this. I am truly thankful to God for having a roof over my head as well.

My room will most likely be done in 2 days time and I am a very happy boy! :)

Mr. Sandman, give us a dream.

My parents bought new mattresses for us. It is a little high and Mark's mattress is unable to slide under my bed. What to do? Get me to sleep on it and act like a weight. I feel happy because I get to sleep on Mark's bed for a valid reason! Back then, it would cause trouble to my mother because she will have to push it under to mop the floor. Nonetheless, I never felt this much joy in sleeping.

I am also happy that I can wake up on my own! No more "Aaron!! What time is it now? Wake up wake up!" from my parents! Those having trouble waking up yourself, I recommend you to buy something like this.

This is good stuff.

It worked for me so why won't it work for you too? If Aaron can wake up, so can you! Ciao!

Welcome to Singapore!

"Good evening passengers, welcome to Singapore. Outside temperature is a nice 29 degrees. We hoped you enjoyed our service and hope you will fly with us some time soon. Take care and have a nice day."

The weather was not very nice at all. You could feel the moisture in the air. When compared to Australia's weather, you can definitely say this is good but it was just too good! I was melting! Now I have to do the reverse and think of Australia, and I will feel cool from within. Hehe.

I must say it is definitely great to be back being able to see everyone. Thank you my friends. Ultimately, I thank God for my safe trip back from Adelaide and for everything he has done for the past 5 months.

I had nasi lemak at Changi Village. Nothing better than meal at a coffeeshop with your friends. It has been so long! Sambal was sedaap! Fried wanton was oomphy and sugarcane was sweet like sugarcane. :)

It was a surprise to see the changes in everyone. Tiger was not surprised when he saw me! Maybe he was scared to show his true feelings when Mark is around. Hehe. My sweeeeet boy! :D

Coming up! It will be on any adventure that comes my way! See ya!

We call it "Eggy in a Basket"

For all those who watched V for Vendetta, you would know what this is immediately. Ever since Evey took that crunchy first bite and said, "Mmm... it's delicious! God, I haven't had real butter since I was a little girl!", I have tried making my very own. "Eggy in a Basket" was what Gordon Deitrich called it. However, this dish goes by many names.

These are two screenshots taken from the movie.

Made by V. He used real butter.


Made by Gordon. It looks too perfect.


Made by me. Definitely the best.

Yes, the one I did was definitely the best eggy in a basket I have ever made. The egg stayed nicely in the centre and the butter yellowed the bread nicely. Mine was not done the proper way. I melted a lot of butter in the pan such that the entire bread surface will absorb it. Oh yea, it was good but I want to make V's one consistently.

In the movie, you can hear the oil crackling as the camera zooms out from the eggy in a basket that V was cooking. Which shows that oil was used and not butter alone. Next, take a look at their eggs. Their eggs are protruding from the bread but mine was not. Which suggests that their bread is thin. The bread I used was cut by myself and was roughly 15mm thick. By looking at the scene where Evey took the first bite, it was probably 10mm thick. Using smaller eggs could also be a possibility. See how clean Gordon's one is! Why does V's eggy in a basket look like there is lacquer on it?

The trouble I am encountering is not having a fixed way of making it such as equipment and the itsy bitsy details. I shall further discuss this when I come back and when I have made a replica of V's. Hehe

Next up! Home sweet home! Whee!

How often can I get this?

Greetings!

Today, I am going to talk about someone. Not just anyone but someone as I have mentioned it before. This someone is a famous man. He walk the skies. He is none other than my uncle from Malaysia!

Nice cymbals.

My uncle's name is Jonathan and I call him uncle Jona for short. He works as an In-flight Supervisor for Malaysian Airlines. On the 12th of May 2007, I was surprised to hear from my parents that he was coming to Adelaide. It was exciting but I had the feeling of shyness at first. In the end, I did not care about it and met him up. He stayed at Holiday Inn in the city. If I am not wrong, he arrived very early in the morning on the 12th and had to depart on the 13th at around 12pm. I could only spend 1 day with him but it was a great time of fun!

As usual, he has a never ending supply of jokes. We laughed a lot, shared about what is going on at home, work experiences and a lot more. I asked him, "Uncle Jona, if you want an extra meal on the plane, is it possible?" "Yes of course!! They always carry extra and there are people who are vegetarians so they don't eat or some are not hungry. Don't hesitate to ask but wait until everyone has been served.", he replied. I love airplane food though it may not be as delicious as restaurants. The fun of opening the packet, the salad, the desert, biscuit and the small little coke can is just exhilarating. The same goes for hospital's food. I guess the environment and ambiance is an important factor. I also heard that food at high altitudes do not taste as good that is why airplane food is enriched with more flavour.

Dinner time. Thank you room service. :P~



Atlantic Salmon and (something) *oops


Butter Chicken Curry with Rice. Pappadum too!


Hmm, I cannot remember the name for this one.

The verdict, yum. I also tried on his uniform. I managed to fit in without blowing any buttons away. It look really strange because it was really formal with a blazer and tie. It was a first wearing a blazer.

When time came to turn in, uncle Jona got a room for me! One of the air stewardess stayed with her friend in the same room so there was a spare so I took it. The feeling was superb. Sleeping on a queen sized bed with a heater and sweets to munch on. :D

Uncle Jona bought for me a lot of Maggi mee and there still a lot more that I have yet to finish. Thank you uncle Jona for your hospitality and kindness. Thank you Lord for this awesome experience which may not happen again!

Next! I am sorry mates I cannot give you a heads up about the topic. I will see what comes to my mind. Take care everyone and have a good day!

Celebrating 30 Entries!

This entry was supposed to be on the 30th entry but it does not really matter. Anyway, it's 30 entries! *Applause*



"Hello everyone, it's absolutely an amazing feeling to be standing here today and receiving this award. I never thought I could ever publish 30 articles. I would like to thank God for giving me the experiences so that I am able to write these events for everyone. I want to thank my parents for supporting me on this trip and their constant watch over me through msn as well. To the people like Kat, who gives me comments, thank you very much for it because it gives me encouragement to write more! And finally to all readers, thank you very much! :')

Right now, it's time to party! Ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh ohh! Squaarree rooomss!!"

About the quiz that I asked that time, no one gave me an answer. :( That scene happened when Mr. Lee Kuan Yew cried during the interview about the seperation of Singapore and Malaysia.

Next article! A once in a lifetime event! Enjoy the long wait! :D Hahaha! I'll do me best to get it up soon! Take care everyone!

The Art of Becoming an Aussie

What makes you truly Australian? The passport? Owning Holden cars? Saying "mate", "G'day" or "bloke"? Yea, that could help but for instant transformation, all you have to do is to do something that I am going to tell you.

All you need to do is to drink this,

Ooh yea!

Given a choice of Starbucks Coffee and this, I will choose the latter. As you see in the picture, it is Farmers Union Iced Coffee. It costs AUD$2.55 in Woolworths and slightly more expensive in convenience stores. I always look out for offers in Woolworths when they sell 2 for AUD$4. Comparing it to a 500ml Coke bottle, it is definitely more expensive.

Woolworths have a huge section of it. Many South Australians drink this anytime of the day. However, it is not as popular in Victoria. Victorians drink Big M. Same sized carton of 600ml and it looks like this.

Put the Ms together and get MMMMMM.....

I spotted Big Ms around but nothing beats Farmers Union. Farmers Union also has a lot more flavours such as Iced Coffee Light, Iced Coffee Strong, Chocolate Milk, Coffee Milk, Mocha Milk, Strawberry Milk, Banana Milk, Choc Mint Milk, French Vanilla Cappuccino Milk and Caffe Latte Milk. The Banana, Choc Mint and French Vanilla Cappuccino flavours are not sold in Woolworths but are purchasable in convenience stores. Caffe Latte was found in Melbourne.

What I like about this drink is the action of drinking from the carton. Just looking at someone drinking it makes me want to have one too. It is probably same feeling when you see someone eating chicken rice and giving a satisfying face like this :') . Oh my~

So, want to be an Australian? Take my advice and give this a go. You will feel 80% Australian immediatly. Till then, cherish the 80c kopi in coffeeshops as Morven is suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

The next post will be an exciting one! We are going to have a celebration! Bring your party hats, gun poppers and paddlepops! It is going to be a big bash! Wheeee! And remember, "It's a Farmers Union Iced Coffee or it's nothing." See you soon!

Vive La France!

Just recently, the office became more exciting and happening. 5 new French students have arrived to do their internships. 4 of them are from the same school while 1 is from another. They came in batches. 3 came first while 2 came next week. Morven and I got to know them and slowly broke the ice. On Saturday, 16th June, Morven and I went out with them.

However Benedicte, the girl from the other school had to search for an apartment and hence, was unable to go with us. We went to Glenelg beach. Along the way, we chit chatted and shared our experiences, lingo and actions with them and they shared theirs too. It was fun!


We took this picture after lunch. I bought fish and chips but it was not the one I am looking for. I am hunting for big portions of fish and chips wrapped in paper. Blast. I did see one shop along the way to Glenelg which looked like they served that. I MUST test it one day. Anyway, the gentleman with his hands by his ears is my co-boss on the desiccant air con project and his name is Bastien. The gentleman standing up is Julien, the gentleman in red is Alexander and the only lady is Audrey.

We walked around the beach and a lady with her 2 dogs were strolling on the beach. She took her tennis ball and threw it far, her dog went forth and chased it. After retrieving the ball, he did not return to the master but ran to us instead!

"I wished it was a giant meatball!"

We took turns throwing the ball. It was so fun to watch the dog chasing after the ball. The other dog was old and did not participate in the sport.

I want to see my sweet boy~! :(

We stroked her fur while she sat down near us. It reminded me so much about Tiger. Sigh. *Sniff* *Sniff* Can we take a break? (Tears flow from my eyes)











(Does this scene remind you readers of anything? Guess and write your answers in the comment page! The first one to answer correctly will recieve a prize!)










Okay, back to the happy stuff. We walked to places that I have never seen in Glenelg. No shopping this time. I saw a dolphin swimming around dock, a restaurant in a big ship, and The Old Gum Tree. I reckon you can go to a place many times and always find something interesting and new about the place.

Julien! You cheeky boy! Come down!

The day was just all smiles and laughter with occasions of puzzlement. Not to worry because when I come back, my French would have improved and so will their English. Someone was enlightened as well.

"All Clerics go up 1 level"

The sun setted but we could not view it because the clouds covered the sky. It was so relaxing sitting down, facing the big ocean and the overwhelming sky after a hard day's work. God is good, all the time.

Next issue! What makes you truly Australian!? Do not miss out on the formula of becoming a pure Aussieeee! Have a great day!

"You got to haggle haggle.."

The title for this post is actually from an advertisement by Haggle Co. The tele always shows a lot of advertisements on discounts and sales. All very similar to the example given below.

From Haggle Co, "Carpets, 600 bucks? Uh uh (negative style with a shake of the head), under 200, under 200, under 200 (the advertisement repeats that particular part)... Small sized rugs at only 5 bucks, 5 bucks, 5 bucks.. etc, etc, There is only 2 places to be this weekend, blah blah and blah blah... You got to haggle haggle.. You got to haggle haggle.."

It is very irritating but the advertisement has done its job by implanting the message into your mind. I can even say it together with the voice in the TV. Sometimes Morven and I will say it together with the TV or we use it outside when the situation calls for it. Like the same way Dave and I will use our quotes from "V for Vendetta".

Another interesting thing about Australian TV is the timing of some shows do not start and end the same like Singapore's. Instead of of starting at, for example 8.30pm, it will start at 8.40pm. I was suprised when I saw the difference. Maybe it helps couch potatoes to have a toilet break, refill their beers and potatoes. Who knows?

A very interesting reality TV game show that I have been keeping up with is this,


So what is Big Brother about? To sum it up, caged up housemates living together while this Big Brother watches and listens to everything they do. I do not think he sniffs them out. There are cameras placed all around the house in Dreamworld in Queensland and a lot of fellow Australian inhabitants watches them. Many say it is a waste of time, it is bollocks or it destroys your brain cells. However, I find some of the things they do are really hilarious. Every day at 7pm, they will show half an hour of Big Brother and what has recently happened in the house. On Fridays, they have "Friday Night Live" where the housemates play games relating to a theme set by the producers and emerge a winner from there. The winner gets power to dish out chores to other housemates, is allow to enjoy the benefits of the rewards room with 1 other housemate and to save someone from eviction.

Yea it is quite complicated. You get to see people whine, cry, argue, moan and everything. The fun thing I like about this show is the games. They have very interesting clips of things that the housemates did and the hosts make the show very hilarious.

Good thing they show Prison Break as well. I am watching Heroes too and they are all going to end in 1 or 2 more episodes. I think I am feeling sad. Sometimes you like the show so much that you do not want it to end but it has to if not it becomes like "Days of Our Lives". A show cannot be too draggy to me unless it is like "FRIENDS" or "Frasier" where they have new storylines and jokes everytime.

Ah yes, I want to get the warmth of Singapore!! I have been freezing my ass for too long!

Next post, we go to France! E'nuff said!

My Preparation for Army?

Just yesterday, 10th June, housemates Jin, Morven and I went to Hallett Cove Beach. We packed lunch and snacks for that afternoon. I made burritos, Morven made mashed egg sandwiches and Jin cut fruits and vegetables. We spent 3 hours over there but 7/10 of the time was spent walking!

On our way there, Jin never told us where to stop, she got distracted by us, missed the train stop and went an extra 3 more stops. We started scolding her jokingly such as, "Wah lao JINNN!! What kind of tour guide are you!?" We decided to cross the tracks and wait for the opposite train. While walking, the train was approaching the stop! "Ahh! Train come already!! Run!" This is the route we ran.

Take the best line as you go through the hairpins!

I felt like a fool running through the turns! Turn left, right, left... left right left. But it was so funny, we laughed as we ran. I reckon the drivers were having a good time watching the 3 of us run.

When we backtracked to the correct stop, Seacliff. When we alighted, Jin said confusingly, "Eh? This place don't look very familiar." And once again we went, "Wah lao JIN!!!". There was a beach at Seacliff as well. Took a break there and ate the burritos. Hehe.

This is the view of beach. I did not see any sign saying "Welcome to Seacliff Beach" so I will call it Seacliff Beach. Sorry, the picture is not very well done so do not focus on the joints and instead, imagine the full view.

She pointed to the left and said we have to walk that way. So we walked, walked, walked, walked, walked, walked. From sand, to tarmac and to wood. We realised we were trekking the hills instead of walking on the beach!

The Great Walk of Australia!

The pathway was so long! We stopped a few times to eat a piece of egg sandwich. We ate and breathed heavily like we have never eaten in for months! It was so amusing.

In the end, we walked the distance of 5 train stops and the place where she wanted to take us was actually Hallett Cove Beach. We could actually just stop at the correct train station and save our time. To sum it up, Jin thought the beach at Seacliff was the one she went to but actually wasn't sure at all, brought us there, noted her mistake, and walked the distance to reach Hallett Cove Beach.

It was a great experience nonetheless, the walk was definitely something to remember. Plus, the scenery was great and I will never walk this far to somewhere in Singapore. :P

What's next? Err.. How bout Australian Tele? Yep! That shall be it. Thank you for reading readers!

A Testimony

I want to thank God for letting me out of the school!

It happened on the 29th. I was in the office till 8pm. I had the key to the office but, I did not have the 24 hour access card! The card allows entry to certain buildings after a certain time. Morven applied for the card and is the current holder. I hold the other part. It sounds like we are both needed to activate the bomb.

I was busy sending my supervisor my report and when I was done, it was already 8pm. Whilst packing my bag, I remembered that the electric sliding doors will close at 7.30pm! The only way in and out was by the card. Panic panic. I was hoping the PhD students will still be working and would kindly let me out. If not, I could call security but I did not feel like doing it. Either way, I had to go to the toilet first. When I came out, I heard a sound and walked quickly down the stairs, and I saw someone left the building!

We shall enter slow motion with the heart pouding *DoopDoop*,

*DoopDoop* (The door is open!) *DoopDoop* (Got to make it!) *DoopDoop* Aaron jumps the last 4 steps *DoopDoop* Door starts closing *DoopDoop* Aaron runs and says "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*DoopDoop*OOOOOOOooooooooo!!!!!!!!" *DoopDoop* (Doors slide the opposite way) *DoopDoop* "THANK YOU LORD!"

Also thank God for that wonderful bit of action! He has been giving me so many wonderful adventures! :D

Spice Up Your Life!

Welcome back to another season of What am I doing?. Imagine ending a sentence with a question mark tone but you are not asking a question. How intriguing is that! Alright, let's keep that aside and back to the main topic!

F('oo')d! I mentioned something very delicious previously. What is it? It was mentioned in the movie "Parent Trap"! I myself do not eat this very often in Singapore but I got so excited when I saw it selling in the supermarket.


Woohoo! IGNITED leh! Ba-boom!

Frankly, there was no steam coming out of my nostrils or my ears. I did not combust by the ignition! You could still taste the spiciness. Mainly filled with kidney beans and meat. The full name of is Chili con carne but it is usally refered to just chili. Different from chili sauce. If you are looking for the most powerful chilli sauce, try "Dave's Insanity Sauce". I tried it at Matthew's place and it was a real killer even with just 3 drops.

When I opened the can for the first time, the smell reminded me of A&W's coney dog. I was really excited to eat it. The last time I tried chili was at Dan Ryan's with Kat, Daniel and Clarence and that was about 2 years ago or more. Can someone tell me if Singapore does sell it?!

Okie dokie mates, the deeelicious one was the above and now I bring you real Aussie food! I have managed to make contact with the real deals.


Take me to your leader or eat this green stuff!

This is called a pie-floater. Purely Australian but more specifically, purely South Australian. It is only sold here and it is a meat pie "sitting" in pea soup. It cost AUD$5.50 but if you choose special flavours for the pie, you pay a dollar more. Ian, Morven and I ate all 3 different pies so we went in a loop trying each other's. Sad to say, I do not remember the name of my pie. Sorry. The green pea soup was nice at first, but I struggled to finish it. I could not bear to leave the soup behind because it would be a waste. This pie-floater was not sold in a normal store. Instead, it was a container cum kitchen. You stand and eat along the pavement with 1 spoon in your hand.

Another Aussie snack is the Chiko Roll. I saw it on the menu of the snack bar at Mallala Race Track and I always wanted to try and know what it is. It cost AUD$3. A little steep for a snack but this is the way in Australia.


"Hey! Old Chang Kee's Spring Roll? No? A Chiko Roll? Noooooo....."


*Munch Munch* "I love it! A lot more meatier than a spring roll! Hehe."

The taste was very unique. The texture was a bit soft and mushy but I did not mind. All I know, it was hot and good. I bought 2 that day. Mutton, carrots, celery and more are all stuff and packed in this powah snack. Must be eaten immediatly when it comes out from the fryer. Not nice when cold.

Now do not say I have not tasted Aussie food! Haha!

Coming up next, an Australian reality TV show! Nuff Said! Have a g'day mate! :D

Man down! Man down! MEDIC!!!

Shoot! The weather has become colder and more dry. No moisture in the air, dries things up fast. It is happening to my hands! On the top side of my hands, what I thought was just skin cracking turned out something even more critical. I think it was also due to the exposure to oil, dirt, water and lithium chloride.

I went to the doctor at The Promenade near my place. This was during office hours because I was worried. This is the first time getting this problem. I do not know why but I seem to get the most weirdest illnesses. First was the wart, followed by the ganglion cyst, and now tinea manuum?

I really thank God for curing my wart and ganglion cyst because it was really incredible. Warts could stay on your body for 6 months or years! There was a lady who had a wart for 10 years! Having it cured within 3 months was a miracle. No scars, no expensive treatment. The bump on my hand which I concluded was a ganglion cyst after my mum told me and looking at the pictures on the internet also disappeared after some time.

So right now, tinea manuum was what the doctor told me I had. It is fungus infection so he game me cream to apply. Hydrozole is the brand. Sigh. Having a form of sickness is not a nice setting to be in. I felt excited after knowing that the cream is made in Singapore. :D


Next issh! Food review on something that is sooooo goooood and deeeeeelicious! Oh BOY~! I'm drooling!! :P~~

The Adelaide Metro!

When I first came here, I was lost. Took me some time to understand how the buses operated. There are the usual buses, trains and taxis. Extras are the tram and the O-bahn. For all transport services except the taxis, you must validate your ticket upon entry. A small rectangular ticket measuring 67mm x 30mm. Different colours state different types.




The red part shows it is a multitrip ticket. It entitles me to 10 trips. There are also blue ones and charcoal ones. When you validate your ticket, it prints a time on your ticket. If you board the bus at 1830h, the validated ticket will show 2030h. This means you do not pay when you validate upon boarding 100 buses and trains within that 2 hours. Once the time has exceeded, you will pay upon the next validation. So sometimes we try to get things done and validate just in time before it expires. Hehe.

There are ways to cheat this system and I see people doing it. The trains are easy to cheat because the driver cannot do anything. The buses are almost impossible because you must pass the driver. The tram have 1 driver and 1 bus inspector walking around checking if you have a ticket. If you do not have, you must buy. Maybe you could show an already used ticket? Possible. I have not sat in a taxi and I do not wish to do so because I heard it is expensive.

In a country where public transport is not heavily emphasised, they will have long waiting times. The train to town from my place comes at 30 minute intervals and 1 hour intervals after 6.50pm. The buses to town is similar as well. I have to plan the route and make sure we catch the bus or else, :| Susa man!

The O-bahn is something unique. Imagine a bus like a train. Similar to the Skybus at Changi Airport except the bus can mount and dismount from the tracks. Going on the O-bahn will allow the bus to travel faster and without obstructions. Not bad but making the tracks will have high initial cost. I took it once when sending my mum back to Singapore.

Overall, I think the transport system can be good and bad depending on situations. I miss my SGD$52 concession pass. Good thing I stay near my school and do not have to worry about missing the bus! :D

Coming up next! The entry may be much later than expected! Due to the editor taking on another job doing an interim report that is due by the end of the month! It will cost him a lot if not enough effort is put in! Sorry folks! Till then, happy waiting and thank you for reading! Good day!

"Will you look at that Jimmy!"

I want to thank God for keeping me safe for 49 days down under. Many things have happened and I thank Him so much for all the experiences He has given me. Thank You Lord.

All around the city, there are interesting, fascinating and exciting structures or monuments that you can see. I saw a lot of statues of people whom I do not know. The first piece of engineering.

Is it a bird?! Is it a plane?! Oei! Where are you looking at?

I came across this interesting structure on the way to the Adelaide Zoo. It was popping out at the side along the pavement outside the museum. It's a water cooler. You're stunned I know. It's hard to believe isn't it that along a walkway lies a fountain of refreshment for everyone to drink. I found it very unique because where is the basin for the water that failed to enter your mouth? This is how it works. You place your mouth in between the splash guard and the nozzle which is the shiny tip. You depress the big shiny button. Water shoots out like magic into your mouth. Excess drops onto the splash guard and flows down all the way into the thin slot located on the ground. I have to say it is the most creative water cooler I have ever seen till now. It was not vandalised and the water was water.

The 2nd piece of engineering.

This is a street lamp designed by the Sustainable Energy Center (SEC) under UniSA. There were many located all around Victoria Square but I am not sure about the other parts of town. The solar panels are pasted on the oval shaped plate which is curved slightly. I think it is purposely curved so as to expose as much possible surface to the sun. It provided me with good shelter as well while waiting for the city shuttle bus.

The following 2 pieces of engineering are real classics.



Hi uncle! What goodies are you keeping from me?

These 2 machinery are older than me. The microwave is about 20 years old. It has outlasted 2 other microwaves in the pantry and still going strong! The microwave does not have buttons for you to press but a dial to turn instead. No digital readings but analog readings. As it counts down, the readings rotate to show the time left. The seconds reading is 5 seconds apart.

The refrigerator is even older than the microwave. It has been standing for roughly 30 years already yet still keeping our goodies cool. Only one door and has a freezer compartment hanging down from the top inside.

I was very impressed with them. Even after such a long time, they still last but definitely not forever. Sometimes I feel equipment built in the past have better durability than the new ones. Do not mess with the old birds!

What are you going to find out in the next issh?? It is none other than the transport system in Adelaide!! E'nuff said!

The Power to Drive You.

Sorry folks for the 1 week delay. Internet at home is not very smooth and fast so I tend to blog after work in school. My sincere apologies.

Experience is everywhere. You can give yourself a pleasant experience by eating perhaps. Everyday I take pictures of experiences such as this,

and this,

These experiences is invaluable to me. A learning journey and practice for years to come. Skills such as cutting, slicing, mixing, flipping, beating, food arrangement are honed everyday in the kitchen. The more experience you get at doing something, the better you get.

At first, I made sandwiches for dinner for a whole week. Then I changed to eating rice because the bread will expire if I do not eat within 5 days. The bread package is not the same like Singapore where there are 18 slices inside it. It is the jumbo sized one. It was rather restricting. Chicken drumsticks are the cheapest among all the meat available. I have cooked chicken wings before but not drumsticks. First time, I fried the chicken for 1/2 an hour and turned out it was uncooked! I think I did 3 experiments on chicken drumsticks but it was only on the 4th attempt when I succeeded.

I saw Ian cooked chicken thighs and they looked finger lickin' good. I said, "Wah, looks good man. Cooked or not?" Ian replied, "It better be! I have been cooking it for about 1 hour." The missing ingredient to all these is patience. At 30 minutes, it looks cooked but no. I was impatient and wanted to eat the drumstick as soon as I could. Patience is very essential not only in cooking but in everything. Communication, relationships, driving, eating, drinking, waiting for people, etc. Right now, I can cook cooked chicken! If Ian can cook, so can you! Haha!

More interesting food in Adelaide, probably applies to all Australia as well is this,

One all beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, onions on a sesame seed bun.

This would have to be the best McDonald's I have ever tasted! They do not have the metal rows that the workers make and slot the bun to await collection. They do it when you order so it is fresh (I do not think so). The moment I sank my teeth into that burger, I was flying among the clouds! The bun was soft and warm, they added generous amounts of special sauce and lots of lettuce! Indeed it's oh my~. Really good! Singapore's McDonald's are not as good because sometimes you recieve the burger that was made maybe 7 minutes ago and it has become a little cold. It was really great. AU$1.95.

2 flavours that I tried in Subway. The bacon and egg roll, and the pizza sub. The bacon and egg roll was going for a limited time only so must try. $5.95 for a foot long. It was yummy!

Look at the egg!! Oooh boy!

Tasted like..... pizza?

Subway is delish! You won't feel as guilty as other fast food outlets. It was nice but did not have as much impact on me like the Son of Mac did. Sorry for making you people drool. It was not intentional.... NOT! Hahaha! :]

Next issh! I don't know yet! Treat it like a mystery story!