My First Vegan Experience in Toowoomba

I had the itch to go vegetarian today. Knowing that there is this get-together dinner happening somewhere in the Pure Land Learning College (PLLC) on Saturdays, I earnestly begged Mr. Choo to take me along with him. I'm a Taoist, not considering myself a faithful follower or believer, but I do comply with certain taboos which have been handed down for generations in my family, such as eating vegetarian on an occasional basis.

Frank's Belated Birthday Dinner at the Angel Cafe

It started with a comforting call I received from our badminton buddy, Frank about three days ago. I was so down and moody that day, actually I had been since last Saturday. Nobody noticed it, not even Mr. Choo... I score a perfect 10 when it comes to keeping a secret, oh well, unless my life was being threatened by a gun or the life of my loved one was being threatened, then I might consider taking back what I said earlier =P Anyways, it wasn't really an earth-shakingly big secret. What's done is done. The best I can do is to stay and think as positive as I can now.

Homemade Malaysian-Style Chicken Satay Skewers

I have prepared something special for dinner tonight. It's one of the most popular street food of Malaysia, satay!!! *grin* There is a variety of satay made from lamb, beef, pork... and chicken satay is what was on my mind today. We hardly come by any Malaysian-style satay in this small town we're living in, most of them are Thai with rather sweet taste. For that reason, I spent almost two hours busying myself in the kitchen, just for you, Mr. Choo!

Birthday Countdown and More...

I reckon this would be the sweetest and most memorable birthday celebration Mr. Choo ever had in his life so far, though I know he'll surely come telling me that every birthday spent with me was just as sweet and memorable after he read this post ;p First was the birthday getaway to Brisbane and Gold Coast last weekend, then on the night before his actual birthday, I baked him a dozen of yummylicious triple chocolate cupcakes with him around, trying to be a busybody *bitter smile* FYI, he is the kind of person who enjoys small and simple birthday celebration rather than big happening birthday parties.

Winter Warmers: Heinz Squeeze & Stir Instant Soup

First of all, I would like to offer up a big THANK YOU to Heinz and Nuffnang Australia. I think I must have been blessed with a bit of good luck recently, being chosen to participate in my very first Product Talk by Nuffnang. The genius idea of packaging instant soup in sachets really impressed me since the day I read about it. I mean, who would have imagined that making real soup could be as quick and easy as making instant coffee nowadays? All you need is just a coffee mug, a spoon, some hot water, and you are good to go!

Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus: My New Facial Care

As tweeted, I woke up with a really stiff neck and shoulder this morning, which hurt very much like hell, if you were to ask me. This is probably due to all these stress and pressure I had been having lately. I barely slept well or enough when drilling myself to prepare for the IELTS test. Apart from that, my sleeping posture could also be a factor too, I guess. You wouldn't wanna find out how I sleep on the cold nights. Practically, I just wear two jackets, long pants, thick socks, snuggle and "hibernate" like a polar bear underneath three layers of blankets, yet still feeling cold.

Don't get me wrong though, we do have heaters at home, but I insisted not to use it 'cause of my skin condition. It itches so badly at this time of the year, especially my face, the skin gets so dry and starts peeling off on both my nose and cheek area. Winter is finally here! And I'm in a desperate dose of moisturizing facial care that works wonder. So I went shopping with Mr. Choo yesterday, we ended up buying the whole set of Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus *spoiled rotten* and received a complimentary gift set worth of $157!!! Ladies, you gotta love its gorgeous rosy smell ♥ 

Hanaichi Japanese and Cheng's Chinese Restaurants

Whilst we were still in Brisbane, we headed to Hanaichi for some decent Japanese cuisine for lunch. Evidently, it was not our first but third time visiting the restaurant located on level 3 of Wintergarden Brisbane. The interior has grown to fit in several more dining tables now, since the last time we came. Same goes to the Wintergaden building which stood out looking stunning after a $100 million worth of facelift.

Sunday Morning at Shingle Inn Brisbane

Day 2 of Mr. Choo's birthday getaway, we woke up to a sunny yet chilly Sunday morning in the city of Brisbane. Supposedly, we should have departed for Gold Coast after we checked out from Mercure, but plans changed due to unforeseen circumstances (sounds so serious, LOL) and we had to go on foot in cold (not fun at all) to find the nearest possible cafe for breakfast.

House Warming Lunch on Saturday

Our Saturday afternoon was delighted with a house warming lunch somewhere, not so far away from the place we live. The weather remained cold and rainy today, which anyhow became the most perfect day for fried vermicelli with lamb curry, yum! In case you wanna know, that was how much I ate for brunch, plus three barbecued chicken wings. Good fats food overdosed!!!

I can barely recall when was the last time I got invited to hang out with a bunch of Muslim friends (practically, we were the only two Chinese there), so to be safe and in respect of their culture, I went wearing a long sleeve knitted sweater and a pair of long denim jeans. To top it all up, we brought two packs of soft drinks along, since we couldn't come up with any other things that are halal and alcohol free.

The Wheel of Brisbane and Night Views of Brisbane City

At last, I'm proud to say out loud that we've "conquered" the Wheel of Brisbane with honors!!! The ferries wheel which I had been wanting and dreaming to ride since the day I laid my eyes on is now a history. Another tick off on the to-do list! *cheers* This attraction of South Bank was built about 4 years ago, in celebrations of the 20th anniversary of World Expo 88 and the 150th anniversary of the State of Queensland 1859–2009. Initially, it was scheduled to be operated from 2008 to 2010, but has now been extended to remain until 2012, just enough time for us two to come back for the joyful ride, sweeeeet! =)