Cameron Highlands: Strawberry Moment Dessert Cafe and Strawberry Farm

It's officially one week since I started this new job of mine. Everyday of my working life is filled with nothing but more and more unfamiliar terms and abbreviations. Lots of self-studying going on for sure, and I'm fighting hard to load them all into my brain at once.

Working life is never easy, so is starting over from rock bottom, venturing myself into the world of EMS or CM they call it. New job, new life, new challenges.

As the quote goes, “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” I have lost my freedom and the luxury to travel in my case. What could I possibly gain? White hair and wrinkles  -____________-  Let's hope not!

On the way driving up Cameron Highlands, we stopped by at the Strawberry Moment Dessert Cafe for some sweet treats. Here's pictures of me while my hair is still brown. They better stay brown.

Bali in June: Tegallalang Rice Terrace and Bebek Tepi Sawah Restaurant

Growing up in a small town on the border of Thailand and Malaysia, it's not uncommon to see a sea of paddy fields on the sides of road in the Rice Bowl State.

When I was briefed about our schedule of visiting Tegalalang Rice Terrace on day 3, the picture that first came into my mind was mountains and mountains of terraced rice fields which I imagined would be spectacular to be looked at.

So after almost an hour drive from Tirta Empul Temple, we eventually reached Tegallalang Village located on the north of Ubud. It was a huge blessing to have a tour guide to drive us around in Bali, honestly speaking. The roads are so narrow and winding that it was exhausting to even just sit in the car doing nothing.

And in the end, we settled for a scenery not so spectacular yet nice enough to click some snaps.

Bali in June: Blue Ocean Seafood on Jimbaran Bay

Jimbaran Bay was mesmerizing. It was the most beautiful that we encountered in Bali thus far.

Initially, there were more places such as Nusa Dua Beach and Blue Point Bay to visit on the second day of our schedule, but it just seemed like mission impossible considering the average time we spent to travel from one place to another and the road and traffic conditions during this festive season.

We gave up the rest just to be here to witness the sunset that everyone claims to praise and one of the must-dos in Bali. The experience, nevertheless, was very much worth it.

Bali in June: GWK Cultural Park and Iiga Warung Special BBQ Ribs House

What our tour guide heard me grumble the most throughout the entire trip was, "Saya sudah lapar" literally means "I'm hungry". LOL. Can't blame me as most activities on our schedule were really energy-consuming. Even laughing burns calories, let alone the continuous partake of several water sports and beach actitivies in Tanjung Benoa.

My Birthday aka Rose Valentine’s Day

Nothing big or fancy for my birthday celebration this year. Just a decent Japanese cuisine I had with siblings on the actual day of my birthday. Sis gave me a few options: Spanish, Japanese, Italian or Western and I picked Miraku Restaurant in G Hotel.

Thank you, guys. Thanks everyone of you for the greetings and birthday wishes. =)

Manly Beach and In Situ Manly

I woke up with a bleeding throat this morning. Ouch. It's hurting so bad that I secretly regretted all the Korean barbecued meat and whatever fried and grilled food (well, not the barbecued crabs) I gulped down since I touched down in Penang.

Can't blame my gluttonous mouth for missing all the yummies. I'm already serving my punishment now with sore-throat and mild fever =( *replays Officially Missing You by Jayesslee for the 285th times*

On Ramen Haymarket and Ichi-ban Boshi Bondi Junction

Been actively blogging these few days. Yeah, I'm trying my best to write as much while the memory is still fresh in my mind, and before the photos start piling up on my hard drive.

When I was in Malaysia, I tend to skip breakfast to have brunch instead in the afternoon. It's a bad habit, I know, but I just couldn't help sleeping late at night and waking up late the next morning. I was struggling... Blame my sleeping disorder.

Miraculously, I sort of getting back into the habit of having breakfast again since I came back to Australia. I would say it's the environment and weather which affect me. Our room has plenty of sunlight, specially now in the summer when days are longer than nights. It wakes me up early every morning like an alarm clock without fail.

For breakfast, I've been making toast and fruits (bananas / strawberries / blueberries / mangoes) and vanilla yogurt for myself after workout. Sounds healthy huh?

There are times we cook lunch or dinner at home, grilled chicken, barramundi, salmon, banana prawns, pork belly and oven-baked veggies like sweet corns, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes with olive oil and herbs. But there are also times we enjoy dining out in the local restaurants. Well, most times actually. Below are just two out of the many we visited in a week.

A Walk to Darling Harbour Sydney

Hey, hey! How's everyone been doing in the past two weeks? As most of you know, I'm in Sydney and it's my 5th day here already. Jetlagged. It was plain exhausting and I didn't sleep well although the time difference between Sydney and Malaysia is only three hours, three hours ahead of Malaysia time.

Anyway, my intention today is just to make a quick post to update you on the happenings yesterday. Nothing wordy or too fabulous. Despite the fact that it is summer now down under, it still gets a bit chilly in the evening and at night when the temperature drops.

Gift Exchange Christmas Dinner 2013

Weeeeeeee, first post of 2014!!! Times flies, it sure does. Glad that I had been enjoying my freedom to the fullest since the very day I touched down in Malaysia. No regrets. Life's too short to live with any regrets.

I spent my emotional past few days reviewing my old blog entries, only 72 in total for year 2013. Yeah, a lot less productive compared to the year before. So much ups and downs to endure in the journey of finding myself and what I wanna do with my life. Forgive me, for not being able to share every single detail with you.

 2013 was a nightmare yet full of excitements and wonders.

• February: Dyed my hair brown for the first time.
• April: First golf experience.
• May: A luxurious birthday celebration in Brisbane.
• May: Had Dequervains Tenosynovitis aka repetitive injury on my left thumb.
• June: First whale watching experience on the Gold Coast.
• July: Farewell-ed friends in Queensland, moved down to Sydney.
• August: Family road trip to Tioman Island.
• September: Started using WeChat and got hooked up ever since. 
• October: Diagnosed with dengue and admitted days in the hospital.
• October: Met up with an old "new friend" and attended friend's wedding in KL.
• October: 23 hours train voyage to Bangkok.
• November: Experienced the worst food poisoning that lasted days with abdominal cramps.
• Months of never-ending exploring the Pearl of Orient.

I had three gift-exchange Christmas dinner last year. LOL, "last year" sounds far, far way but it was merely less than two weeks ago. One with newly met friends, one with family, one with badminton buddies. Gift exchange with family was indeed the most unforgettable as it was never our tradition to celebrate Christmas.

VIA.PRE Italian Restaurant: Christmas Eve Dinner

First of all, Happy New Year's Eve and Happy 2014 in advance to my dearest family, friends and everyone who reads my blog out there!!! 2013 has been a tough year for me, tougher than I could ever imagined but I made it through alive and kicking. It's all good, Christina. It's all good.

I was not in mood that night on the Christmas Eve. Damn emo as Mr. Choo wasn't here with me to celebrate. Just like today, counting down on the loneliest and most hollow New Year's Eve. #ForeverAlone Been using this hashtag way too frequent lately =(

Due to time and work issues, we changed plan to dine out at VIA.PRE in Weld Quay instead of busying ourselves preparing Christmas Eve dinner at home. Pretty good feedback I've heard about the Italian restaurant and hence the visit. Reservation was made earlier before we left the house. It's disappointing how reluctant they were to set up our table until we got there.

Gala House Restaurant & Cafe: Girls Gathering

Gala House is one of the latest addition on Muntri Street downtown. On a not-so-busy Wednesday evening, we came with a bunch of girls, they're my sister's girlfriends, technically. With the intention to celebrate one of the girl's birthday. Eating, chit-chatting and exchanging lame jokes. LOL. It was fun indeed although I couldn't quite catch-up.

We walked in to be seated on this table outside the cafe, it was drizzling a bit and the acoustic duet version of Miley Cyrus's "We Can't Stop" was forever looping in the background. Grrrrrr, I guess they really do love that song A LOT. *pulls hair*

We later requested to move to a warmer spot after placing our order. I mean, I wouldn't mind sitting outside if it was warm and breezy but definitely not when it's chilly and rainy. Furthermore, it has better lighting and dining ambiance inside. Friendly staffs, and lovely presentation and plating are also a plus.

Baiyoke Sky Hotel Bangkok: Buffet Dinner and Night View

Another month has passed by. Time is just slipping away through my fingers like sand, I realize. There's only eight weeks, exactly 55 days left of 2013. It does not feel good, awful indeed, living in a luggage that I was unsure whether to unpack or not in the past few months. But I made it through alright. Having my family and friends who have been kind and supportive to me. THANK YOU.

I take it as an opportunity and freedom to rot at home and grow mushrooms on my head do things I wanna do and go places I wanna go. Bangkok was one of the destinations on my travel list.

We went through a 23-hour exotic train ride from Butterworth, checked in into our accommodation, did some shopping and street food hunting at the Chatuchak Weekend Market before returning for a seafood buffet at the Bangkok Balcony Crystal Grill.

Ferringhi Garden Restaurant Penang

Times flies, it's been almost 10 weeks since we parted from each other. How badly I wish Mr. Choo was here by my side when we were at the Ferringhi Garden Restaurant last night. Sob *teary eyes*

The tranquil, friendly and warmth atmosphere the garden themed restaurant has to offer, apart from deliciously quality fusion western and Chinese cuisines. I would have complimented my dinner with a sweet bottle of fruity white wine but uh, I'm not much of a drinker to be honest, not even on a social level.

So just forget about the drinking part, since it's practically impossible without numbing myself and waking up with a hangover next morning =p Good food acts way much better in relieving stress and anxiety, don't you think?

Pik Nik Cafe Penang

Tenpin bowling was fun last Saturday! Although I could barely score 80 per game. LOL. Thanks my sis and bro for bullying me into buying them meals. It was so unfair as I haven't really bowled in ages!!! Hahaha! But that's okay, at least I won one of the pool games against my bro xD

I suspect we were given a crooked pool table. No kidding. Else, it's impossible to be that hard to get the balls in right?! *shifty eyes* Three and a half games in one hour, just imagine...

Anyway, here's the dinner I shouted at Pik Nik Cafe downtown.

Meringandan Pub: Farewell with Besties

It feels like months since I left Toowoomba, even though it's been barely more than a week until now. I really miss my friends and everything back in Queensland. In fact, I missed living and working in a small town very much. Not the job but the friendliest people I worked with. Haha! Can't blame me as I'm already so used to the lifestyle there =p

On the weekend after I had farewell gatherings with my workmates, we dragged our feet to Meringandan Pub once again for another farewell lunch. It's a popular country pub located in the middle of nowhere. Well, not nowhere but 19 kilometres somewhere out Highfields.

When in Sydney: Dining Out

Driving in the city of Sydney could be traumatic. It drives new-to-town people like us insane as we really have no idea where to park. Parking in the malls are expensive!!! We spent more than $50 just for parking alone on our first day. Absolutely no clue which routes to take or avoid. No left turn here, no right turn there, blah, blah, blah... It makes you feel like abandoning your car and walk to the destination instead! *pulls hair and screams*

Mr. Choo and I always wanted to try out Noggi Frozen Yogurt, when its first branch opened in Brisbane CBD, the Myer Centre opposite Queen Street Mall. In the afternoon, after having Japanese cuisine at the Sushi Roll Japanese Restaurant in World Square, we made space in our stomachs for some icy-cold desserts.

Korean BBQ at Hong Depot West End

After shopping in Harbour Town, mainly shopped for Mr. Choo's work attire *ahem* We came to join in the fun of having Korean BBQ with the rest. We walked in, sat down on a table, a friendly wait staff later approached us to briefly introduce their menus.

I, well, basically everyone of us had no clue that the minimum order for Wagyu Combination ($30 per person) is at least two serves per table, according to the wait staff (possibly the manager) who rejected our first round order. The so-called "policy" was no where written on the menu! And her explanation could be a lot more precise I thought.

We felt very much like being compelled to be honest. Eventually, we picked something from the Main BBQ and a Tapas to satisfy our hunger.

Bamboo Basket Chinese and Wagaya Japanese Restaurants

Last post of my pre-birthday trip of 2013.

Realizing it's the month of June already causes me to pause and acknowledge that time really does fly. Here I am, standing at the crossroad where there are life-changing decisions to be made. I hesitate, I panic, I feel utterly helpless and stressed. You know things got out of hand when you're having tough time to get a good night's sleep every night.

Rydges Southbank: Buffet Breakfast at Bacchus Bar and Restaurant

We received complimentary buffet breakfast meals during our two-night stay at the Rydges Southbank, available between 6 to 10 a.m. at the podium level. As we made our way into the restaurant, there was this friendly wait staff standing by at the counter, ready to allocate table for us in its warm and cozy dining area.

Pre-Birthday Trip: Tsuru Sushi Cafe West End

On the same day after we checked in into Rydges, we took a short walk around the South Bank area in search of a decent Japanese restaurant to dine in. Apparently, the walk didn't turn out to be as fruitful as we thought it would be. We found no restaurant that interests us, and thus, had to drive ourselves to this Tsuru Sushi Cafe in West End, which Mr. Choo came across while google-ing for restaurant recommendations.