Hello Winter

Autumn is on its last leg & winter is fast approaching. It hasn't been warm for many weeks now. Day time temperatures averages 20°c & can be chilly in the shade especially when touched by the breeze. Our place has long lost whatever heat it had retained & is in a state of permanent cold. I find it managable as long as no doors are left open, allowing the chill to penetrate the air.

I'm still in my camisole but have upgraded from shorts to 3/4 cotton pants. I'm stuck in the in betweens. It's not warm enough to do without a blanket, yet not cold enough that I not sweat with it. Hubs is already in full works mode: full length pants, top, jacket, plus the blanket. Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me.

When I drive to work in the morning, I need the heater for my feet as I drive barefooted. But I have to wind down the window a notch to let the cold air in to cool my body. I've always been this way so I'm not alarmed. My extremities are the only parts that bear the brunt of the cold.

I suspect this winter will be colder than the previous. I remember the lowest it went was 0°c in mid winter. We already had days with 3°c in mid autumn. We may just go below zero this year.

I've always said it's better to be cold than hot. If it's cold, all you have to do is put on a few more layers, maybe add some heat packs. But if it's hot, you can strip down to being butt naked & still you're dripping sweat. Winter always turn to spring (meaning when you're going through harsh times, just remember that it will come to an end). But for me, summer is my nemesis. Perhaps for me, it should be autumn always follows summer. Haha. I wonder what my mentor in faith will say about my changing Gosho passages left, right & center.

Trial Run

So, we tested that the pump for the air mattress is working fine. No air leaks from the mattress. Then, it's the tent. We'll arrive at the camp site probably around 7 to 7.30 pm. It'll be hard enough pitching a tent (if we didn't have trial runs) when there's light, not to mention in the dark. It being late autumn, the sun now sets around 5.30 pm. It took me a while to read the instructions & for us to figure out what goes where. Now that we've done it once, it actually isn't that difficult. The challenge will be having to do it in the dark. Upon opening up the tent, I realised that the bottom of the tent is of quite a thin material. We'll definitely need a tarp to lay underneath or risk it getting pierced. Once the tent was up, kaypo Ton went inside to look look see see.

 

It's hard to get photos taken when there's only 2 of us. Our photos are either that of scenary or 1 of us without the other. I've decided not to bring my camera since my phone takes better picture & I can upload them without having to transfer to the computer for further processing 1st. I think this might really be the end of casual cameras. If I were to hand my phone to a stranger to take photos for us, I'm afraid they'll run off with it. I have a camera tripod but it won't hold the phone without a phone holder that fits tripods. They're sold on gumtree but they require several weeks to dispatch. So I decided to improvise.

I took home the semi stiff Infinity Phaco cassette box which we normally throw away after opening the contents. I cut it so it becomes like a cradle & my S5 fitted nicely into it. I poked holes into the bottom of the cradle with screw driver to pass the cable ties through. (I tried using a pen but it was too stiff to poke through.) I tried it out & it worked! Now we don't have to trouble others to take photos for us & I need not fear that they'll run away with it. 

The completed product! Very primal but it works & it's free.

Failed Tiramisu

Like all my days off, I woke up naturally at 7 am (if not awaken prematurely by Mr Ton) rather than to the blare of the alarm going off at 5 am. Hubs won't wake for several hours yet. I got started on my tiramisu. As I was prepping the mascarpone cheese, I already know this would be a flop. The cheese, instead of becoming soft & creamy, became stiff & curd-like. I went back to the recipe which received mostly 5 stars & discovered many comments that the same thing happened to them. Gosh, then why give the 5 stars? I still assembled the tiramisu anyway. The mascarpone was $8, the sponge fingers $5 & the Kahlua $33. No point wasting it.

I'm already thinking of solutions for the next trial. Perhaps half whipping cream & half mascarpone. Whipping cream withstands beating & as long as you don't overbeat, it'll not spilt. Then just gently mix the mascarpone in. Some recipes call for eggs but they use them raw. I'm not too comfortable with that. Masterchef US season 1 left a lasting impression on me.  A contestant used raw eggs & got told off by the judges. They didn't even touch the food he presented. Naturally, he was eliminated. Reason being, raw eggs can cause severe food poisoning.

On the other hand, the panna cotta came out perfect. Probably needed just that few extra hours of refrigeration. So no need for more gelatine. It set perfectly. So yey! Success!

Work At Home

I have the day off today as there's no list but I've already gone beyond my 30 hours a week in 4 days of work. Unfortunately, work never really does end. If I'm not working at work, I'm working at home.

Ton Ton woke me up at 6.30 am by pawing me incessantly. I had let him out just minutes ago to pee. So I couldn't figure out what he wanted. Maybe he wants to tell me that I'm late for work? Haha. I decided to bring him for a walk & where better to go than the bushland just at my door step? It took us an hour to make a round trip back home.

I called the ATO to update my address (yeah, I updated everything but forgot the ATO) immediately when I got back home. Then I got started on the panna cotta, recipe by Gordon Ramsay. On cooking contests, the panna cotta is like the most celebrated dessert. It needs to unmould perfectly & be able to do the jiggle when you shake the plate. So I wanted to try it for myself since the panna cotta I had in sg were all stiff & were served in their moulds.

While waiting for the mixture to cool, I read the same Patricia Cornwell novel I've been reading for 3 weeks now but ended up falling asleep. I'm going nowhere with it. 1 more week before my books are due & I've only finished half of the 1st novel. I woke up at 3 pm, having snoozed for 45 mins. I poured the mixture into the moulds & refrigerate them. Went for a shower & came out just in time to find hubs driving in. 

We went grocery shopping & I got ingredients for tiramisu. Heh. Already thinking of the next dessert. But I'm not getting any vibes for main meals. I'll see how it goes. We got some sweet pastry for $0.20 each box. Yes, you read it right. 20 cents. Originally at $3 each. It expires today but I'm sure it'll keep for another day. (That's how we keep expenses down.) We've been looking for the Vegemite chocolate for a while since it was featured on The Project. Hubs suggested looking for it in Woolies (we shop mainly at Coles). We were lucky to get a roast chicken from Woolies at $5 (half price) as it was baked 4 hours ago at 12.30 pm. Best of all, we found the Vegemite chocolate. Came home, watched Smurfs 2 on DVD while having our roast chicken dinner. That's our 简简单单的每一天.

Walk in the bushland at 7 am.

Vegemite chocolate. Erm... it's alright. Definitely kinda weird but not exactly disgusting like some people say it is.

Panna cotta with blueberry sauce. It jiggles but I think it's under set. Needs a bit more gelatine perhaps. The vanilla seeds are not evenly distributed, so not very visually appealing too.

What A Day!

Wednesday. It got off to a terrible start when my colleague informed us that she had to put her dog to sleep the night before. My manager offered to take over her duties so she could go home to rest as she wasn't able to sleep the entire night. She declined, saying that it would be better for her to be at work so her mind was not constantly on the thoughts of her lost friend. He had lymphoma for almost a year now, initially diagnosed when they discovered a lump on his neck & biopsy showed malignancy. He underwent 1 cycle (4 rounds) of chemotherapy & was alright for a while. 2 months later, the lump came back. He received another cycle of chemotherapy. The 1st & last time I saw him, it was beginning of the month, when we attended an all day course & her husband came to fetch her with their dog. I didn't want to ask her what happened coz I know it's just too painful. But I heard from my manager that the dog's face started to swell & they were advised to put him to sleep. He was only 5. You know how I feel about dogs. They are the absolute best friends we can ever have. Loyal to the end. My mom used to tell me, "没有踏进棺材你都不会知道一个男人老不老实。" (You will only know if a man is truly loyal to you the day you step into your coffin - referring to my dad's infidelity.) I totally agree. You can't say that of a dog. My relationship with Ah Ton outlasted my previous marriage. So I know & I feel so bad for her. I had to walk away coz I know I would start crying which will trigger her to start crying & before we know it, everyone at work will be brawling their eyes out.

We had 8 cases in the morning which took us to 12.40 pm as the last 2 patients were not cooperative. We were supposed to do an add on case during lunch time, bilateral intravitreal injection but as we had finished late, we had to reschedule it to the end of the day. The 6 cases in the afternoon went off without a hitch. Surgeon was late, but then, he always is. But it worked out alright coz we had to go for lunch. Half way through the afternoon list, my colleague from recovery came to get my manager who was scouting for me. A colleague who was not on had called & asked for her. After the bad news in the morning, the 1st thing that came to my mind was, "Oh no. I really hope it's not her dog." This colleague's dog had cancer as well. So when my manager came back, I immediately asked if everything was alright with my colleague. Apparently, she wanted to set an appointment & she just wanted to make sure my manager can give her the day off. Phew... A big sigh of relief.

Shortly after, a request came in to add a case that very day. We already had a bilateral intravitreal injection so this case had to go last. Normally, injections are done out in the clinic but this patient requires heavy sedation so she "won't know what's going on". That done, we went with the last case, removal of lens fragment. But, this patient had severe restless legs syndrome & what normally would have taken 5 mins to do went on for half an hour coz she just couldn't keep still. In eye surgery, slight movements are bad enough, not to mention big ones. Movements make it dangerous when instruments are in the eye. You can easily pierce the posterior capsule (PC) or lacerate the cornea. We had 2 persons holding her legs & 2 persons holding her head. But in the end, we did get the fragment out.

By the end of the day, everyone just felt so drained. It wasn't all that late, just 6.15 pm. But the emotional aspect of it made it felt like a super long day. It was followed by the usual hour drive home, rest up & back to work the next day. 

Rabbit Or Dog?

At the end of our whole day list on Monday, we (my colleagues, surgeon & me) were chatting about our furry friends. My surgeon has a poodle & he was sharing with us the antics of his poodle. They had recently moved & the poodle climbed over a wall, fell over the other side but the fall was broken by a tree & he had to go get the poodle back. My colleague, her GS is notorious. Digging up her garden, destroying fruit trees, chewing up 3 pairs of glasses, chewing up everybody's knickers, pulling so hard on the leash that her arm nearly got torn from the socket. You name it, her GS did it. She was showing us a photo of her GS that her daughter sent her coz she was contemplating giving her GS away to the police force & her daughter wanted to showcase the cutie side of her GS to prevent that from happening. 

Naturally, I also whipped out my mobile & showed them the most recent picture of Ton. It was a cold morning & he was curled up into a ball on the sofa. The surgeon stared at it for a long moment before asking, "Are you sure that's not a rabbit?" Lol. Perhaps you can be the judge.

Dog or rabbit?

Going On The Road

Some time back, but definitely a post from this year, I wrote about my dream to rent a camper van to tour the regional areas of WA. A dream remains a dream unless you act upon it & so I did. It turned out that I have to scrap the idea as the camper van rentals I looked at require a bond of 5 grand. While refundable if returned in original condition, I will feel much more comfortable with an excess that is payable if we get into an accident. I tried looking at van rentals so we can still put an air mattress at the back. But the bond for such commercial vans stand at almost 3 grand. Still too much of a risk.

If we drive our own car, we'll not be allowed into any of the lodgings if I choose to bring Ah Ton. Neither am I keen to leave him behind. Call me crazy. But I made a promise to him before we left Sg that I'll bring him on many road trips (coz he loves car rides). I want him to go on many adventures with us.

In the end, I made a decision that my past self will never believe. Hubs even asked, "你是我的老婆吗?" when I 1st told him of my plan. Yes. It is that drastic. I told him, let's go camping instead. We'll drive my car (coz we have insurance on mine), book a dog friendly camp site & pitch a tent to sleep in.

We're crazy to go camping in winter & I wonder if we'll freeze to death sleeping under the stars. But I'll make sure our prep work is immaculate. Heat tech clothes from Uniqlo, heat packs for standby, thick socks, long pants, Ton's sweater. Although not very far away, we are indeed going up north. So hopefully it'll just be cold but not freezing.

We bought a 4 person tent (says 4 but is very small), an air mattress & 2 camping chairs just today. They're not top of the range but they'll do for us novice. I've short listed areas I'll like to visit but I'll have to start fine tuning my itinerary very soon. If we like it, I'll plan a trip down south during the 2 weeks Christmas closure at my work place. For someone who claims she hates the outdoors, I'm actually quite excited. I look forward to creating good memories with the ones I love.

Friendship Rules For Migrants

I was reading a post on a Sg group on FB, stating that migrants should mix around instead of hanging around their own kind. The comments that follow were either for or against the statement. Some comments went on to say that Sinkies carry their old Sg mentality here, frequently comparing with others who has got the biggest & best house, cars, jobs, pay, etc.

I feel that who you choose to befriend should be entirely up to you. There shouldn't be a rule that you have to hang out with the ang mohs or be condemned & ridiculed. Someone said that it takes 2 hands to clap & often, it's migrants who will open up their hearts & home to you whereas the ang mohs prefer to keep their life private. I haven't been here long, just over a year but this observation holds true.

I talk to my ang moh colleagues but the relationship doesn't spill outside of work. Of course, I'm socially awkward & I think it scares people to be near me. Coz I don't talk much & people don't understand me. We tend to fear what we can't understand. So I don't have ang moh friends (by friends I mean true, deep friendship, not a superficial 1). Does that make me a bad migrant?

I think as long as we don't shun interactions with the ang mohs, it shouldn't matter if all our friends are Asians. 1 guy went on to say he only makes friends with ang mohs & refused to have anything to do with the Chinese. Did we come here to become Aussie wannabes? Perhaps for some. But what matters most is the reason why you left your country of origin.

I left becoz of many reasons, main 1 being horrendous working hours & condition. Have I found what I'm seeking here? Yes I have. If your life condition has improved, then I'll say you're a successful migrant regardless of how many ang moh friends you have. Don't allow others to bully you into thinking otherwise. You don't depriciate in value as a human becoz you don't clique with the locals.

Time Of The Month

Not my menses lah! But it's the time of the month where all the bills come, with a due date either end of the month or beginning of next month. I feel kinda broke after paying $132.77 to Telstra for our mobiles, $21.49 to iinet for closing balance & $109.85 to Internode for our broadband. Iinet finally got back to me 1 month after I shot them the complain letter, saying that they'll waive off the $299 land line connection fee. $21.49 is for the internet I used so I still paid up since I did use it for 2 weeks in April. Then, as we're on our 1st month with Internode & Telstra, the opening bill is always higher coz we need to pay an extra month in advance. I'll be vomiting blood next month as well, even more so since my rego & car insurance is due which is going to cost me over a grand. Monthly payment is just not my thing. Besides, it's cheaper to pay by the year. $50 savings here, $40 savings there, over several policies will add up to hundreds of dollars. Thankfully, I've had my busiest fortnight since starting work here, working 9 to 10 hours almost everyday so upcoming pay hopefully will yield $500 more than usual after tax.

Actually, I've been working pretty long hours for several months now. No complains, got work means got money mah. Of course, me time has dwindled down to almost nothing, evidenced by the fact that I've only managed to read 1/4 of the Patricia Cornwell novel I borrowed from the library 1 week after starting on it, contributed by me chasing Masterchef 5 days a week. I've always read in bed before going to sleep. But every night, before I could even read 3 pages, I'll doze off, dropping the book & shocking myself awake.

Of late, I noticed my eyes getting dry, requiring frequent eye drops. I never had this problem, not even during last autumn. I tend to think the worst of any given situation so I thought I must be getting early symptoms of eye problems. In every operating theatre, there'll be a panel telling you the temperature & humidity. Ours is a touch screen panel that goes to sleep with inactivity. A colleague woke up the panel to make adjustments to the temperature & I got my answer as to why I'm having dry eyes. The humidity level in the OT is only 19%, outside air humidity is even lower, 17%. Then on the news last night, the weather forecast for today is possible storm & the humidity is in the mid 20s. So that's why! In Sg, where the humidity is always in the 80s, we will never have this problem. So, nothing wrong with my eyes. Just very dry air. Phew...

Ah Ton's Diet

We've always been taught a kibble diet is the best for our dogs. They're nutritionally balanced & fortified with all the vitamins & minarals they need. These are little nuggets baked to rock hard so they have teeth cleaning properties. Supposedly, they chip the calcified plague off. Ton Ton started being picky with his kibbles early on, probably when he was 1 year plus. Like all other dogs, he would get very excited at meal times, only to sniff at the kibbles & walk away. We were taught (by books on dog training) to remove the food 20 mins after setting it down. Starve them a few days & they will learn to eat what's been served.

I couldn't do it & gave in after 5 days. A friend who's a groomer & very into natural health for dogs inteoduced me to BARF which stands for biologically appropriate raw food. Chinese culture says eating raw meat will make the dog blood thirsty & aggressive. My parents were totally against it. For a period of time, I gave him home cooked food instead. Not scraps. But measured & rotated menu.

The rationale behind the BARF diet is that dogs are descendants of wolves. Wolves have always hunted & ate raw animals. Cooking also destroys most if not all of the vitamins & minerals in the food. Lastly, you know exactly what you're feeding your dog. Companies producing kibbles have been exposed to use rotten road kills, unedible animal parts & fillers like corn which dogs do not need. But what had me sold is the fact that when you turn any commercial dog food or treats over, it'll say, "Not fit for human consumption." If it's not fit for our consumption, then why is it fit for my dog?

Feeding raw is expensive. Way more than kibbles ever will, especially if, like my groomer friend, feeds only organic or at worse, free range meat to her 3 dogs & 1 cat. It's also difficult to get it nutritionally balanced. I recently bought a book on canine nutrition. Very few vets will promote feeding a BARF diet. Pet shops tried to psycho my dad that eating raw food is detrimental to their health. (If everyone feeds raw, they'll be out of business you see.) I believe what I've read & learnt becoz it tallies with what I've learnt regarding human health.

Ton Ton's diet now consists on 120g of muscle meat, 1 section of chicken neck (to fulfill the raw meaty bone need), a piece of offal & the occasional recreation bone for teeth cleaning. His supplements include organic green superfood powder, ground tumeric (for anti inflammation properties & hence cancer prevention), organic chia seeds (for omega 3), krill oil with glucosamine (for joints) & organic unrefined virgin coconut oil (for anti bacterial, anti fungal & anti viral properties). I also give him a little drizzle of TA30+ Jarrah honey occasionally. What I've yet to add is milk thistle which detoxifies the body & is good for cancer prevention.

So the dog eats better than me right? A lot of thought & effort goes into his food preparation. If I buy a whole chicken or duck, I have to spend the time deboning it. Then I have to rotate the meat so he gets the best of everything & is more balanced. I hope everything I've done will help him achieve health & longevity. He's not just a dog. He's my best friend.

Always In My Heart

Go ahead. Tell me off. I probably deserve it. I've already gotten a taste of it as depicted in my previous post, Sucker For Punishment. I found out that she was having a holiday with her friend & family in Sydney & Perth on FB. So I commented that if I knew she was coming to Perth, I would have met up with her. Shortly after, she texted me on whatsapp, saying that she was still in Perth & would fly back the next day. We were hosting dinner that day so I offered to meet her at the airport for a quick catch up the next day instead. She agreed.

Her flight was for 6.35 pm & I said I would be there at 4.30 pm since check in is usually 2-3 hours prior depending on the airline. Hubs had an eye test appointment made earlier in the week at 2.40 pm & we took off for the airport immediately after that at 3.30 pm. When I got there, I received a message from her that she had to check in. I made a dash from the carpark to the departure gate while texting her at the same time. It was 4.15 pm then. Then she told me that she was already at the customs clearance. I couldn't go in as it is for passengers only. We found out her flight was delayed to 7.35 pm. Hubs finally caught up with me & when I told him of the above, he said, "Why your friend like that? Didn't even wait a while." Check in may be early. But you don't have to be at the gate until 1 hour before departure for Scoot & 30 mins for most other airlines.

Hubs told me not to be upset coz I did the previous times. Surprisingly, I didn't feel upset. Perhaps it is 1 of those "it wouldn't hurt as much as it did before" thing. Most importantly, I felt I had done everything I could. I didn't let her down. So I didn't feel lousy like I did before. She told me that we could meet up when I go back to Sg. I know everyone will say don't even bother. But that's the way I am. I rather be let down than be the 1 letting people down. I will still contact her for meet up. If she can't, then so be it. 

Immediately after that, I saw she posted on FB, thanking her friends for their hospitality (I think they're in Sydney). So yeah, obviously I'm not of importance to her. On my part, I don't open up easily. But once I let you in, you're here to stay forever. Regardless of how much time has lapsed or how long we've not talked. Till now, I still think about a close primary school friend with whom I lost contact with almost 20 years ago. I will wonder how she is & whether she's well. I tried searching for her on FB but either she doesn't have an account or she's registered under a nick. That's me, that's who I am. Always caring too much for too long.

On the bright side, we didn't pay for parking at the airport. It was our 1st time parking there & the fees are very high. Free for the 1st 15 mins, $5 for up to 30 mins, $8.50 for up to an hour, $13.50 for up to 2 hours. Becoz she went ahead to clear customs without waiting for me, we managed to leave the airport within the 15 mins grace. Of course, we did spend 45 mins for the drive each way & hubs nearly crashed his car into the car in front on the way back. It was averted when he e-braked & drove onto the road shoulder. I didn't see what happened coz I was on the phone, looking at recipes. I was already planning for dinner. I think I'm pretty hard hearted coz I was supposed to feel upset. Lol.

It's alright. All the best to you. There'll always be a place in my heart for you.

Reading The Time

When I 1st started my job here, I couldn't get used to the way they read the time. Since I work in an operating theatre, we frequently need to agree on the surgery time start & time end so it tallies on both the casenotes & on the computer system. I did this in Sg as well but we always say the time as it is. 10.10 am is ten ten. 4.25 pm is always four twenty five. But over here, up to 30 mins past the hour is always read XX past. 15 mins past the hour is always read as quarter past. 30 mins is of course half past. Anything after the half hour mark is always XX to. 45 mins past is always quarter to.

After a while, I came to realise that this is the Australian way of reading time. I was giving out appointment time when I was working in recovery & I said eleven fifty (11.50 am). The patient repeated the time back to me as ten to twelve. When I thought about it, it occurred to me that it is always the same on the radio. The DJ will always read the time as twenty seven past six (6.27 am) or thirteen to seven (6.47 am). Although we were taught briefly in school as a kid, it did take me a while to get used to this way of reading the time. But when I read the time, I'll unconsciously use the SG way like I did with the patient in recovery. It's not easy to undo 30 years of conditioning.

Cost Of Groceries

In spite of me saying that it's difficult to paint an accurate picture of fresh produce due to fluctuating prices depending on whether they are in season, I still wrote up a price list for them. Here, I'm comparing them between an Asian supermarket we frequent versus Coles. We hardly ever go to Woolies as Coles is cheaper. If something is near expiry, it is usually sold at 5-10% of it's original price compared to 80% in Woolies. There was a few times we got ham steaks for $0.50 when they are originally $10 per pack. Call me cheapo but hey, they're still edible. Prices in red are on specials.

Custard Apple: $5.99/kg (Asian), not sold in Coles
Longan, 1 kg bag: $3.99 (A), not sold in Coles
Apples, Gala & Pink Lady: $3.99/kg (A) vs $2.70/kg, Pink Lady (C)
Apples, Fuji: $2.99/kg (A) vs $5.90/kg (C)
Apples, Jazz: $4.99/kg (A) vs $4/kg (C)
Navel Orange: $3.99/kg (A) vs $2.80/kg (C)
Grapefruit: $3.99/kg (A)
Grapes, white & red seedless: $9.99/kg (A) vs $14.98/kg, white seedless & $12.98/kg, red seedless (C)
Grapes, red globe: $5.99/kg (A)
White Peach: $5.99/kg (A)
Potato, 4 kg bag: $2.49 (A) vs $5.98 (C)
Wong Bok: $1.99 each (A) vs $5.98 each (C)
Garlic, China, 500g bag: $1.29 (A) vs $2.28, 4 bulbs (C)
Garlic, Purple: $19.90/kg (A)
Tomato: $3.99/kg, various variety (A) vs $4.98/kg, normal & $6.98/kg, Roma (C)
Capsicum: $3.99/kg (A)
Carrot: $1.19/kg (A) vs $1/kg (C)
Kale, bunch: $1.99 (A) vs $3.98 (C)
Corn: $1.49 each (A) vs 3 for $2 (C)

Prices in Coles:
Coles Brand Cheese Slices, 24: $3.40
Kraft Brand Cheese Slices, 24: $6.60
Coles Brand Chicken Breast: $14/kg
Mt Baker Brand (Free range) Chicken Breast: $20/kg
Middle Bacon: $12/kg
Salmon, skin off: $29/kg
Salmon skin on: $26/kg
Banana Prawns: $22/kg
Rump Steak: $17/kg
Pork, minced, regular: $5.50 for 500g pack
Beef, minced, regular: $7 for 1 kg pack
Beef, minced, lean: $5 for 500g pack
Beef, minced, extra lean: $6 for 500g pack
Coles Brand Smart Buy Bread Loaf, 650g: $0.85
Coles Brand Bread Loaf, 700g: $2
Cadbury Chocolate, Family Block, 200g: 2 for $7
Doritos Corn Chips, 170g: $3.19
Kettle Potato Chips, 185g: $4.19
Coke, 2L: $3.99
Pepsi, 2L: $3.10
Coles Brand Cola, 1.25L: $0.75
Coles Brand Flour, 2 kg: $1.85
Coles Brand White Sugar, 1 kg: $1
Coles Brand Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1L: $7
Eggs, dozen: $3.80 (caged) to $7.05 (free range)
Coles Brand UHT Milk, 1L: $0.95
Coles Brand Butter, 500g: $3
Coles Brand Tuna, 95g: $0.80
John West Brand Tuna, 95g: $2
Quilton Toilet Rolls, 20: $10
Sun Rice Jasmine Rce, 5 kg: $15.40

Coles brand smart buy is the cheapest of their range but of course, don't expect quality. But their normal range is not too bad actually. Fresh produce is more expensive in Coles but after a while, you know where to get them for cheaper.

Not Insomnia

Not exactly. I was sleeping very well when Ton Ton jumped off the bed at 12.40 am. Fearing that he would pee on the carpet, although unlikely since he just peed at 9 pm, I opened the bedroom door to let him out. But he didn't seem to want to pee. So we went back into the bedroom where I tossed & turned for an hour before deciding to make creme brulee.

It's not random. I was going to make it in the morning but since I couldn't get back to sleep, I might as well do it. Creme brulee uses only the yolks so I usually pair it up with meringue to use up the whites. This time, I decided to make macaroons instead. I've only ever done it once. It was supposedly very hard to get right. A friend, Chef E, would throw the entire batch away if they don't form "feet". I was lucky the 1st time. This batch that I made didn't form "feet" & were flat. Fail! Of course, I'm too cheapo to throw them out. (Almond meal is very ex.) I just can't serve it to guests later. I'll just try again the next time I'm making creme brulee.

So here I am, sitting in the living room at almost 5 am in the morning. Agenda will be quite packed later. We'll have to get ingredients for steamboat, return the library books (just realised that they are due today) & clean the house. I would have vacuumed the floor if not for fear I'll wake the neighbours. Yep, so I guess I shall return to bed now.

Sharp Drop

I woke from my slumber as the phone chirped out the alarm melody. It was 4 am & that was hub's alarm. I'm a side sleeper. Every night without fail, I go to sleep on my right. As with last autumn, I would wake up every single night multiple times to flip my blanket on & off like a prata. With my blanket, I sweat. Without it, I freeze. I could never find that fine balance needed to sleep through the night.

But for the 1st time this autumn, I did. I vaguely registered the fact that I had not woken up during the night & that I was still in the right lateral position. The previous night was colder than usual. So we decided not to switch on the fan like we normally do. I guess as the temperature dropped further during the night, it became cold enough for me not to get hot & sweaty.

When my alarm went off at 5 am, I reached over to switch it off. My phone automatically updated the temperature & I saw that it was 3°c, way below the forecasted minimum of 9°c. No wonder I slept so well! It went from low teens the previous day to just above zero. So for the 1st time this year, I switched the car heater on (feet only) coz I drive barefooted & my toes were freezing. As always, I'm looking forward to the approaching winter.

Milestone: 1st Anniversary

2nd May 2014. We landed in Perth Airport at 11.30 pm with only uncertainties ahead.

2nd May 2015. Exactly a year since we arrived. It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. But then, what in life is? Still, we definitely came a long way from where we began. We've overcame the many obstacles & difficulties in our way. I'm forever thankful for each victory we claim. We celebrated by having steamboat dinner while watching The Amazing Spiderman 2 on dvd. I also baked a ricotta cheesecake with cherry sauce.

My colleague bought a ricotta cheesecake & brought it to work last week. It was so good that I searched for the recipe online. The outcome was a pretty dense cake, probably needs a bit more liquid than stated in the recipe. It was so much better when eaten with the cherry sauce. Luckily I decided that just having a cheesecake is too plain & wanted an extra oompf. Best of all, the frozen cherries were on half price, at $2.80. The cherry sauce was so easy to make & I wondered why I bought the canned version all the time when I was still in Sg for $7.90.

I also found an ingredient I've been looking for in the seafood shop nearby. I've never stepped in as they looked expensive. But hubs wanted to get scallops for this special occasion & hence we went in for the 1st time. Monk fish. I've always wanted to try out a recipe in Gordon Ramsay's cookbook that utilises monk fish. But this fish is not available in Sg. Looks like now I'll finally get my chance.

I finally feel that I have a life again. It is hard to find appreciation for life when all your time is spent at work. Now, I finally am living the life I could only dream of in the past.

2nd May 2016. Who knows where we will be then? May we always persevere in the face of trying times & never forget the debt of gratitude we owe.

Baked ricotta cheesecake with cherry sauce.

Memories Of A Past Life?

In 1 of my previous posts, I mentioned feeling a sense of familiarity, a sense of deja vu. It only happens when I'm down with a flu & the weather is overcast or rainy. These are the 2 absolute conditions. I started having this feeling when I was very young. If you asked me to describe it, I can only say, if there is indeed a past life, this is a memory of my past life. On top of that, I have 2 very certain images in my mind. Images that have been with me since I was a child. 1st is of a girl (me), standing on a hill, looking down across a wide green field. The other is of a lady (me) in a trench coat, carrying an umbrella, walking down a cobblestone street with old fashioned street lamps at night, in the rain.

Are these memories from a previous lifetime? If not, how do I explain the existence of the images & feelings since I was a little kid? Does that mean that there will be a next life?

Sunrise At Kings Park

Thursday, 16th April. I had no list & hence got the day off. Hubs was asked not to work as there were no orders. I said I wanted to take panorama pictures at Kings Park on an overcast day but couldn't as I had to work. It was forecast to be a clear, sunny day. It would have to do. We woke up at 4.30 am in the morning in preparation to leave the house at 5.30 am. I estimated travelling time to be around 45 mins, just in time for the 6.30 am sunrise. It wasn't too cold (12 degrees) but I heeded hub's advice to wear my thicker jacket. Thankfully I did coz it was very windy & my usual thin jacket wouldn't have sufficed. As predicted, we arrived at Kings Park at 6.15 am. The views were breath taking. The photos I took on my S3 don't do the scenery justice. 

I brought Ton along just becoz dogs are allowed. We leave him at home way too much. So whenever I can, I'll bring him. He did his usual thing, trying to chase & bark at passing joggers. After watching the sunrise, we wandered for a bit in Kings Park before heading home. 

View overlooking the city.

Goofy Ton.

It's starting.

A fully risen sun.

Kitchen Toy: Dehydrator

The dehydrator is 1 of the toys I brought back from Sg. I bought this many years ago when I 1st had Ton Ton. He's 9 this year so I think this must be around 8 years old. I bought the dehydrator specially for him. As the name suggests, it dehydrates food or if you want, flowers. Instead of buying commercially, I used it to dehydrate meat as snacks for him. It was used very infrequently & not once in recent years, having been stored deep at the back of the storeroom. In fact, I had to move tons of things out before I could even reach it. I carried the base in my hand carry while the trays went into check in. 

2 weeks ago, we went to the Asian supermarket's butcher & bought 1 kg of beef tendons for dehydration. In addition, I bought a slab of pork shoulder to make char siew. The pork shoulder came with skin which I trimmed off & dehydrated as well. The tendons came out nicely, good as a teeth cleaning chew for Ah Ton. I give him 2 pieces everyday & his breath is smelling much better. Most of the plaque on his teeth even came off. No preservatives, no unknown ingredients. 

Pork skin.

Dehydrated pork skin.

Beef tendons.

Rock hard dehydrated tendons.

Back Online

Finally! After almost 1 month in our new place, the internet has been successfully activated. I didn't manage to settle the stupid iinet issue though. I went to the bank & asked that future direct debits be blocked. During this month, I've made several calls to their call centre to no avail. Twice, I was put on hold & then disconnected. I suspected they hang up on me coz by then, I'm already with Telstra & I had full mobile signal the entire time I was on the phone with them. 3rd time, the guy said he needed to investigate & would get back to me within a few hours. Of course, he never did. Following Nix's advice & complain email format, I shot them a complain. I never did get a reply. That was 2 weeks ago. Then, they tried to deduct the $300+ from my bank account, which, I had blocked. Immediately, I started receiving text messages & emails informing me that the deduction was unsuccessful & to make payment. I think I may really have to write to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.