Adriana and Alex

Tyre + Broken Glass = Puncture

2012-01-29T09:54:00.005+11:00

I was out on a training ride with Ian yesterday - we are training to ride the 145km 2XU Great Ocean & Otway Classic Ride - the fella needs a fair bit of work to get back in shape for this ride. If we do the Classic Ride at yesterday's pace, I guarantee we will be told to get into the back seat of the neutral car service for going so slow... :P To be fair, it's only Ian's second ride of 2012.

When we pushed off from Southbank, we saw plenty of broken glass strewn along the roads. As we were making our way along Beaconsfield Parade in St. Kilda:

Ian: Oh shit!
[I hear something crunch under my rear wheel]
AK: What was that?
Ian: Glass. I didn't see it until the last minute.
[Maybe I got away with it. The Kevlar protection in the tyre should help. That was wishful thinking...]

A kilometre or so down the road, a girl on a Parlee (I heart Parlee) pulled over to the side of the road to check her tyres. Shortly after, my rear wheel felt really spongy and I couldn't accelerate. Ian confirmed the rear tyre looked flat. So, we pulled off to the side of the road to fix the tyre.

I have never had to fix a flat tyre or a puncture while out on a ride but it was bound to happen sooner or later...

Pic taken by Ian M

The first time I changed a tyre, it took a whole hour. The second time I changed a tyre in December, it took 30 mins. This time it took about 15 mins and I got to try out my CO2 pump, 0 to 120psi in 2 seconds flat. No mini hand-pump required - win!

On a similar note, yours truly has just completed 4045km. Total distance travelled so far in Jan 2012 - 629.6km - probably looking at 680km by 31st of Jan. Total elevation climb in Jan 2012 - 7527m.

On a completely unrelated note, there is plenty of non-cycling related content coming up soon. Aperture 3 has not yet been installed on the missus' laptop (I know, I know...), but it has at least made its way out of the cupboard onto the desk. So stay tuned... No promises, but it will happen sooner or later... :P

Riding in the Rain

2012-01-13T09:17:00.003+11:00

So the rule goes something like this:

"if it's already raining, stay in your bed; if it rains when you are out, well, shit happens..."

I rode to work this morning - first bicycle commute to work for 2012. It started drizzling 500m into my 4.5km ride. I will admit I did consider going home to trade the bicycle for the car, but I couldn't be bothered to go home, change, get into car, etc. So, I pushed on... The heavens stopped spitting a kilometre or so after and I arrived at work fresh, pumped and happy.

We have been a touch slack with updates on the blog. I will endeavour to get Aperture 3 installed on the missus' laptop this weekend. Hopefully, that will signal more regular blog updates soon-ish.

And I promise, not ALL future content will be bicycle-related. :P

In other words, just because...

2011-12-20T13:03:00.002+11:00

3034km

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000+11:00

For a person that has done absolutely zero cardiovascular exercise in previous years, I'm pretty chuffed that I have just completed 3000+ kilometres of cycling this year on Sunday just passed. It is a long time coming - if it wasn't for the minor crash in October, 3000km would have been surpassed in October 2011 itself.

My personal goal is to crack 4000km before Dec 31st, 2011. Stay tuned, but don't hold your breathe just yet... :P

Birth Year Wines

2011-12-06T20:20:00.004+11:00

The post-processing of photos that make it onto our blog are performed on the missus' laptop as it is way more powerful than the hubbib's (even though he is the house geek) laptop. Alas, the missus' laptop suffered a massive Mac OS X crash and it has only just been rebuilt, so iPhone Hipstamatic pictures will have to suffice until all is sorted IT-wise.

These wines were consumed last year and I have been planning to take pics of these bottles for keeps sake but alas, I have never got around to it. But, as they say, better late than never.

I have never been into drinking very, very old wines or birth year wines for the sake of drinking birth year wines. For one, old wines can get pretty expensive (especially if you're born in 1982) and partly because I cannot afford 82' Bordeaux anything... :)

These wines were pretty much forgettable except for the fact that they are as old as the missus and the hubbib. Way past their best...

Hanover ConnectEast Ride For Home

2011-11-23T20:04:00.003+11:00

The missus and I took part in the Hanover ConnectEast Ride for Home. We signed up for the 75km and 35km rides respectively.

Having not ridden for 6 weeks (minor fall and subsequent recovery period) - except for a short warm-up ride on the Saturday before the ride - I was lacking ride preparation and for a while, it was going to be touch and go whether I'd be able to ride or not.

Picture taken by Super Sport Images

With a few riding mates from work for company, the Master Plan for the 75km ride was to cruise around high-20s for the duration of the ride. Well, that was the plan and things don't always go to plan… As soon we started, our plan of attack was abandoned. The legs were feeling good and the Eastlink's smooth tarmac made riding so enjoyable. We smashed through the first 35 kilometres onwards to Frankston at an average pace of 40km/h.

At the turnaround point, we took the opportunity for a short stop to stretch and throw down some fruit chews. Then, we set off again. Ian, Michael and I started to organise ourselves for the ride back - we were facing headwinds and a long and gradual climb back to Ringwood. We took turns pacing each other (and a bunch of wheelsuckers) in a single file.

Things were going great until the 47-48km mark. That is when things started turned pear-shaped for me. From the 47-48km mark, every pedal stroke was met with numbing pain from pressure on the sitting bones. The legs felt great throughout the ride but the long time off the bike meant that my butt wasn't used to sitting on the non-existent padding of a bicycle saddle. In search of relief, my pace slowed down to the low-20s and I took every opportunity I could to stand up and relieve the pressure on my very sore butt.

Ian dropped back to pace me and offer support to the finish line. We crossed paths with the missus going in the opposite direction in her 35km ride and the thought did crossed my mind that she might actually catch us before the finish line.

The last 25km was a bit of a struggle but giving up was not an option. Just before the tunnels, a sign encouraged (or taunted) the riders: "Almost there. Only two tunnels to go." There was also another sign that read, "Turn off to avoid tunnels." I will admit, I was tempted but only for a second.

As we pulled up to the tunnels, my second wind kicked in. I'm glad I didn't chicken out - the tunnels made it all worth it. We descended into the belly of the Melba tunnel at speeds close to the motorised vehicular speed limit of 80km/h. Climbing back out was not much fun - just grit your teeth and keep spinning. Many gave in, got off their bikes and had to hike out of the tunnels. Do a U-turn and repeat the descend - ascent through the Mullum Mullum tunnel.

Shortly thereafter, I rolled pass (or rather, climbed up to) the Ringwood Bypass finish line. I completed the ride. Yay!

About 15-20 minutes later, the missus rolled through the finish line. I'm super proud of the wifey - she did extremely well in the 35km ride. Excellent work babe! She looked exhausted after the ride but she was super excited and is already looking forward to next year.

Total Distance: 77.00km
Duration: 3hrs 22 mins 58 seconds (includes time waiting to start the ride, so minus around 30 mins - be generous)
Average Pace: 2:38min/km
Average Speed: 22.75km/h

A few memorable quotes from Sunday's ride:

Michael: "So who brought their Citylink/Eastlink E-Tag with them today?"

Ian: "Next year when we do this ride, you'd better ride faster!"
AK: "Mate, I don't think I can ride any slower!"

Ian: "You never leave a mate behind."

AK: "Are we going to get booked for doing in excess of 80km/h through the tunnels?"

Melbourne Cup Long Weekend

2011-11-08T21:20:00.011+11:00

During the Melbourne Cup long weekend, the hubbib, my sis and I went for a drive to the Mornington Peninsula. Jack didn't come along with us as he had to go to work that day. We can't say that we had terrific weather as the sky was covered with grey clouds and it drizzled quite a bit every now and then...

We had lunch at the Port Phillip Estate cellar door bistro.

Port Phillip Estate

Marinated Olives

Local octopus, garlic, oregano, lemon and olive oil

Confit duck, date and pistachio cous cous

Minute steak, Café de Paris butter, pomme frittes

Sha and I

She believes that holding a glass of wine will help ease her cravings...

Being all smiley

It was a great day spent with my loved ones. Despite the gloomy weather, the four of us had a wonderful time nonetheless.

Yes.

It was the four of us ...

When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A Pear

2011-10-19T22:10:00.001+11:00

Fermentation Wordplay

2011-10-18T06:07:00.006+11:00

Fermentation - FermentAsian. Get it? Come on, admit it - it's a brilliant name for a modern Vietnamese restaurant that is situated in the very heart of South Australian wine country - Barossa Valley. The sandstone building in Tanunda that houses the restaurant is warm and inviting. The service is impeccable and the food is excellent.

Gio mia Sai Gon - Saigon sugar cane prawns with lime, chilli and salt
Ma bo om - Braised organic beef cheeks with hot and sour herbs
Ca ri fit - Red duck curry with lychees and pineapple
Lon kho Ha Noi - Hanoi caramel Barossa Berkshire pork belly

I would have been tempted to indulge in the wine list, but with several more wineries to visit and tasked with the responsibility to drive, I wisely decided to not peek. Oh alright, I did - but only to order the missus and mum a glass of wine each - I drank only water, sparkling not still. Like shaken, not stirred. Get it?

FermentAsian
90 Murray Street Tanunda
South Australia 5352
08 8563 0765
Visit Website

2000

2011-09-21T13:23:00.003+10:00

Please bare in mind that the draft of this blog post was written almost two months ago. In between the draft and final article, things like work, life, perfect riding weather, crappy riding weather, and the laziness to lug a bicycle, model & camera out for a photoshoot have all collided to create the perfect storm and generate enough inertia to delay the publication of this body of work. So here it is, some say better late than never...

Picture from Masi Bikes

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, the journey began with a singlespeed bicycle. No, not a fixie, but a singlespeed - there is a difference.

The multi-geared carbon fibre road bicycle has been out of action for a few weeks - the consequence of a worn and squared-off rear tyre that is riddled with minor flesh wounds, two flats in as many days, and replacement parts that have yet to arrive with the daily mail.

So, as fate would have it, the latest milestone would fall at the wheels of said singlespeed bicycle. A cold and wet July, coupled with late nights watching Le Tour, a cozy doona and weekend lazy bones means I have only just completed 2000 kilometres. I am pretty chuffed about it.

The weather is warming up and the days are getting longer. Bring on the long evening rides of spring and the next 1000 kilometres.

Notes:
1. The road bicycle has since been serviced, worn parts replaced and is now back in action. It is now faster than a speeding bullet! Well, I'm exaggerating - I need to work on the engine for any performance gains - this requires stronger leg muscles, a higher pain threshold and plenty of carbohydrates as fuel.

2. Total distance covered to date is 2612km. So, 3000km is on the horizon.

Spring

2011-08-16T18:46:00.003+10:00

Lady Spring, sitting and waiting around the corner
Dusty pink cherry blossoms and white magnolias dotting the neighbours' garden
Cottony white clouds and bright blue sky
It is that time again, the time we all look forward to in winter
The thought is always in the mind:
It doesn't matter how bitter winter is ... because come spring time, all bitterness is forgotten
My eleventh spring in Melbourne
And I am loving every single one of them

One wish that I have
Is for Lady Spring to stay a little bit longer
Before summer and autumn pass by and winter comes knocking at the door again ...

There is always the first time

2011-08-08T20:03:00.003+10:00

There comes a point in life when I can no longer depend on my mama's homemade Hainan Ji Fan (translate: Hainanese chicken rice) because she lives too far away from me. There is a vast ocean between my parents and I. That is how far we are from each other. Growing up and seeing my mum constantly being busy in the kitchen, I always think the epitome of a good Chinese wife is the ability to whip up everything from scratch. Be it chicken curry, pork dumplings, or chicken satay with homemade peanut sauce. There is no such thing as curry paste out of a jar, frozen pork dumplings, or ready-made peanut sauce in mum's kitchen. I remember seeing her grinding all the ingredients using her trustee mortar and pestle, so focused in getting the paste into the consistency she wants.

This was my first time making Hainanese chicken rice using a whole chicken, instead of chicken pieces. I had to ask mum several times how to make this dish without being dependent on those chicken rice mix in boxes you see dotting the shelves of an Asian grocer. I had to properly time the poaching time so as not to over-cook the chicken. I added lots of garlic, spring onion, shallots, salt, and a generous amount of Shao Hsing cooking wine.

I also made the garlic chilli sauce, and the spring onion-ginger-lime sauce to go with the chicken rice. No out-of-a-jar business here. I made all the sauces from scratch. Just like mum.

I don't think the dish tasted as good as mum's ... but I am pretty sure I made my mum proud. =)

All At War

2011-08-07T19:23:00.002+10:00

I'm learning to stand the more that I fall down,
It's the law of inversion, and it's all turned around,
And I'm staggered by the clash inside my soul,
So purposed for good but inclined for evil

It's justice and mercy the old dichotomies,
All along the front lines of my heart in both doubt and belief
The sinner and saint, the old arch enemies,
All at war in me

I was born depraved, but created for the divine,
With death in my bones, in my heart eternal life,
I'd love for Eden, but I'd kill for Rome,
I'm native in a land that is not my home

It's justice and mercy the old dichotomies,
All along the front lines of my heart in both doubt and belief
The sinner and saint, the old arch enemies,
All at war in me

You are the beginning, and You are the end,
Into Your great reversal, I am born again,
A beautiful redemption, You leverage even sin
In me Your final victory, I know You'll win

Into light, from the shadows,
Into life, from the grave,
Into love, into love.

- Downhere -

Happy 11th

2011-08-03T00:01:00.001+10:00

11 years ago to the day, it was a Thursday afternoon. We skipped General Studies and played truant.*

I nervously asked you whether you wanted to be my girlfriend and you said yes. Since then, we have stuck together through thick and thin. Here we stand today, still together and lovingly devoted to each other.

I will always love you babe. XOXO

Girl, you're every breath I take, oh baby
Your love rules every move I make, hmm baby
And I know that you can't read my mind
And baby, maybe I

Don't say it as often as I should, but I really want it to be heard
When I say I love you that's for good, you have my word
That day after day after all, I will always be true
That's a promise I make to you

You, you take this heart of mine and make it better I need you to
Come and walk with me through this life forever
And I know these words are long overdue
And baby, maybe I

Don't say it as often as I should, but I really want it to be heard
When I say I love you that's for good, you have my word
That day after day after all, I will always be true
That's a promise I make to you

A promise I make to you.

- Dakota Moon -

* Mums and dads, we are sorry. We were just being teenagers. =P

A story of a fruit tart

2011-08-01T20:47:00.003+10:00

This was my first attempt to be a kitchen goddess:

To make a peach tart.

For those who know me well know that I don't do sweet stuff. Nothing of that baking, piping, sifting, weighing flour, or rolling the dough. Give me a piece of duck breast, and I will turn it into the most mouth-watering crispy duck breast with spiced celeriac puree and lychee glacé with a side dish of roasted vegetable roots. Not only I can't bake, I have no inclination to learn how to bake. My little sister, however, is the pastry queen in the family. She is the one telling me how to make choux pastry and what bain-marie is. Don't ask me. I don't remember. All I know is how to lick the bowl clean of the chocolate icing. Oh, and how to demand my sister to make me black forrest cake.

So, one morning, my little sister insisted that I helped her bake a fruit tart. I promised her that I would help her decorate the tart. How hard could that be? She was adamant that I should help her whisk the egg yolks, and the sugar, and the ... (I can't remember what else we put to make a vanilla cream custard). Ah, of course, the vanilla bean. I remember she added something, and something, and something, and told me to whisk the mixture quickly. She then put aside the cream custard and I went busy licking the wooden spoon. The next thing I know, she poured the custard mixture into the crisp pastry she made earlier that I was pretty sure it happened magically (read: that pastry fairy exists just like toilet-roll fairy).

When sis gave me the go, I started arranging the slices of peach on the tart. I know it didn't look too pretty but hey, it tasted über good!

A Sticky Note

2011-07-25T07:30:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago, a colleague left a sticky note on the shelf above my office desk before leaving on holidays. It took me a whole week to notice it - on exactly the day he was to return to the office.

The Friday just gone by, as I was having a mandarin and an apple, said colleague quipped in, "Adriana will be proud of you, eating your fruit..."

Cheeky!

An unsatiable craving for pork

2011-07-24T10:50:00.007+10:00

I've recently had an unsatiable craving for pork crackling. This is an about turn from 2001 to 2006 when I completely went off pork after a fair few dishes that smelt like sweaty swine.

Recent attempts to satisfy this desire for hog from a local rare breed pig farm and then a local farmer's market failed to eventuate.

In desperation, I tasked the missus with a mission to find some pork on Friday. She came through with brilliant colours - a huge slab of pork belly for roasting.

Salting to dry out the skin for crunchy crackling took an hour. Cooking time - 1 hour 15 minutes. The result was a satisfied couple tucking into tender pull-apart pork with crackling that's crunchy yet lightly chewy. OH. SO. GOOD!

Saturday morning comes around and I failed miserably in my attempts to drag my body out of bed and onto a bicycle.

While making brekky, we finished the leftovers of pork and crackling. As I was tucking into my passionfruit and white chocolate scone, the missus enquires, "What are you eating? What's that crunching?" I replied it was the passionfruit seeds in the scone.

"Oh, okay... I thought you hid some pork crackling for yourself!" *boom-tish* Talk about the both of us having an unsatiable craving for pork.

Fortunately, we were off to dinner to celebrate Joe's birthday in a few hours and pork was going to feature twice on the menu - roast pork and pork wellington. I had two serves off roast pork with crackling. Ah, the joys of cycling... :)

I doubt my craving for pork has been quenched, merely placated...

Col du Galibier

2011-07-20T17:42:00.002+10:00

“Good is not good, when better is expected.” - Thomas Fuller

That pretty much sums up how the Pyrenees played out.

The big boys were expected to come out and play in the Pyrenees but apart from a couple of bluffs from the Schleck brothers, nothing eventuated. Contador did not attack and Evans is closing in on the winner’s podium. The expected fireworks did not go off. It was all a tad disappointing.

On the flip side of the coin, Thomas Voeckler foretold his demise in the Pyrenees but instead, he exceeded everyone’s expectations including his own. Voeckler still wears the Maillot Jaune.

And, who would have picked Current World Road Champion Thor Hushovd, who is categorised as a sprinter and time trialist, to win a mountain stage!?!

The tour has arrived at the Alps and the Roof of the Tour - Col du Galibier awaits. First introduced into Le Tour a century ago back in 1911, the 2011 Tour celebrates the centenary of Galibier's introduction by climbing this 2645m behemoth of a mountain not once, but twice.

“Have they not wings, our men who have been able to climb up to heights where even eagles don’t fly? … Oh Sappey, Oh Laffrey, Oh Col Bayard, Oh Tourmalet! I shall not shirk from my duty in proclaiming that beside the Galibier you are nothing…” - Henri Desgrange

If any of the Yellow Jersey contenders have an ace up their sleeve, now is the time to show their hand. Paris (Champs-Élysées) is fast approaching. Time is running out and it's time to lay it all on the line.

Come on Cadel!! This is your best chance. You will never make my list of favourite riders but my patriotism means I'm rooting for you.

Of Preparation And Patience

2011-07-19T20:20:00.001+10:00

Like most working couples, the missus and I have a morning routine for commuting to work. We leave together by car and then depending on traffic, I drop the missus off at the front doorstep or somewhere in the city where she takes a short 5-minute walk to the office.

Since changing jobs in June, the missus has decided to walk to the office. It is an extremely short walk. Although we leave together, I'm only halfway through my 4.5km commute, by car, when she calls to tell me that she has arrived at her office!

So these days, the only time the missus gets in the car is on weekends. I miss our chats and the banter in the morning.

A few Mondays ago, with crap weather forecasted, I popped on my warm and cozy fleece-lined North Face jacket. The last time I wore this jacket was in May – it was a very, very cold, rainy, windy and freezing day in Puckapanyal.

Oh, what’s this in my pocket? Ah... I forgot I had a spare set from a recent work event. You are going to come in very handy this Saturday.

He. He. He.

The scene is now set.

Saturday comes around... The missus and I have plans to head out to the countryside for the day. Car doors unlocked, we jump in. I start the engine and plug in the iPhone. I then turn to my lovely missus and this is how the conversation proceeded:

AK: I think I have everything I need for the day.
Aä: What do you mean?
AK: I haven't forgotten anything. Car keys, house keys, wallet, phone, watch, chapstick, ...
Aä: Sounds like you have all bases covered.
AK: And... Ear plugs.
Aä: What...?!? EAR PLUGS?!?

And then, the pummelling started... Everything else is a hazy blur.

AK: Hahaha!! I’ve been waiting ALL week to say this...

Washing The Dog

2011-07-17T10:29:00.004+10:00

Who would have thought that washing a dog requires the involvement of the whole community?

It was time for Cupcake the pup to have his "pom-pom" (Chinese word for "shower").

Towel? Check.

Hair-dryer? Check.

Alex the photographer? Check.

Team Cupcake

Lemme go, please ...

A very sad face

Multitasking: shaking and running away at the same time

I hate you. If I don't get that fried chicken, I'm not talking to you. Hmpphh!

And that is how you wash a dog ...

The Most Important Meal of The Day

2011-07-16T22:06:00.005+10:00

Slack and lazy.

That is what the missus has been feeling.

Come Saturday, all she wants to do is to sleep and sleep some more.

Oh, and eat a very hearty breakfast.

Pancakes with grilled tomatoes, baked beans, and very crispy double-smoked bacon

Col du Tourmalet

2011-07-14T12:15:00.001+10:00

I prefer watching the mountain stages of Le Tour. The flat stages can get boring – nothing happens until we get to the finish line.

Stage 12 of the 2011 Tour de France marks the start of three consecutive days in the Pyrenees. Standing in the way of the riders and today’s stage finish line is the Col du Tourmalet - the highest road in the Pyrenees. All 2115 metres of it.

The Col du Tourmalet was first introduced in the Tour de France back in 1910. 2011 marks the 76th time the summit has been crossed in the tour’s history.

It should be an interesting stage tonight. The real yellow jersey contenders will now come out to play.

Will Contador attack in an effort to claw back precious time lost from multiple crashes or will he conserve his energy for the Alps next week? Can anyone stick with him when the gradient intensifies and this Spanish mountain goat starts to dance on the pedals?

How will Cadel go? How will the Schleck brothers cope?

Having a day off tomorrow means I can stay up to watch the race tonight. Yay!

Comfort Food

2011-07-10T09:55:00.002+10:00

Gnocchi with Oyster Blade Ragout

I used to really hate winter. I hate having to rug up in my thickest jumper and socks, hate having to wear thick layers of clothes when I go outside and then feeling hot and stuffy when I go indoors; hate having to put on lip balm and hand cream all the time, hate having the cold frosty wind blowing in the early mornings when I walk to the office.

Despite my whingeing above, I do love what winter always brings: hot comfort food.

Think of thick and creamy pumpkin soup, chicken and noodles in hot broth, ox tail stew with red wine and carrot puree. Our other favourite winter warmer is gnocchi with oyster blade ragout. It is so simple to make yet delicious and tummy-warming. The hubbib, being the "Italian" in the family, makes wonderful oyster blade ragout.

I have no problem at all when the hubbib claims that he is the chef and I'm the sous chef. A hubbib who spends a lot of time in the kitchen makes a happy missus.

One Very Lazy Sunny Afternoon

2011-07-09T21:47:00.003+10:00

A very sunny afternoon in the middle of frosty winter.
Windy, yes, but the toasty feeling of sunshine on your skin compensating for the chill that you feel in your bones.

We quickly walked into our favourite cafe. Stopping briefly to check out a sign for Saturday roast special of steak and truffles.

"Are you still open?"

"Yes, of course. Come on in", the lady who owns the cafe greeted us with a very big smile.

The hubbib had his favourite: chocolate mousse and pistachio meringue cake, and a latte. The missus settled for a very rich brownie with walnuts. She doesn't eat walnuts, but today, she devoured every single nut there was in the brownie.

An old man came into the cafe. The lady greeted him and both of them started talking like old friends. He sat next to us and the lady prepared a pot of tea for him. They got to chatting. Being a small cafe, with only the four of us in it, we all got to chatting about everything under the sun. We talked about the upcoming daffodil festival, ferret racing, and taking bikes on trains, and how a butcher shop became a cafe.

It was closing time. We said our goodbyes. The old man off to get dressed for dinner, us off to do some grocery shopping but the four of us promising to catch up again soon.

It's starting to feel like home ...

Count On Me

2011-07-03T16:34:00.002+10:00

If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea
I'll sail the world to find you
If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see
I'll be the light to guide you

Find out what we're made of
When we are called to help our friends in need

You can count on me like one, two, three
I'll be there
And I know when I need it
I can count on you like four, three, two
And you'll be there
'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do oh yeah

If you're tossin' and you're turnin'
And you just can't fall asleep
I'll sing a song beside you
And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me
Every day I will remind you

You'll always have my shoulder when you cry
I'll never let go never say goodbye

You can count on me 'cause I can count on you ...

~Bruno Mars "Count On Me"

Eastlink Trail

2011-07-02T07:00:00.003+10:00

Having ridden 50km on Saturday with the missus - riding out from Southbank to Kew and then completing two laps of the rather hilly Yarra Boulevard - I was looking forward to a sedate recovery ride along the Eastlink Trail.

This 35km trail snakes its way through the Mullum Mullum Valley, heading southwards towards Dandenong before joining the Dandenong Creek Trail that will take you all the way to Seaford along Port Phillip Bay.

I really enjoyed the ride because this trail has everything. The flat sections are interspersed by undulating sections. The straight sections are tempered by plenty of S-curves and the occasional hairpin. There are long, gentle climbs and shorter, steeper climbs. Every climb has a descent to match - yin and yang. Sometimes, an overpass bridge is used to get over the freeway and main roads below. At other times, you ride below the freeway - it's nice in a eerie way.

And like the freeway, there are tunnels along the trail too.

I saw plenty of animals - cows, sheep, horses, alpacas, kookaburras, etc. Thankfully, no snakes. Stopped to catch my breath and have a drink of water as I watched the little ones play footy - I'm sorry, but I doubt that I will ever warm to this game.

The surrounding environment is constantly changing - there is plenty of riding along either side of the freeway, but the trail has its fair share of deviations as it snakes its way through bushland, wetlands, parklands, farms, along rivers, etc.

Does this apply to both freeway and trail? Top speed for the day: 51.9km/h

Be forewarned, that there are two very, very steep, consecutive climbs along the Eastlink Trail near Hillcroft Reserve where the freeway tunnels are located. Heading southbound, it is steep but manageable. Heading northbound, it is pretty tough going - the trail seems to snake upwards endlessly. You reach crest after crest only to find that the peak is still not yet in sight and so you dig deeper, trying as hard as possible not to throw in the towel. That descent you enjoyed so much is now a climb you have to get over. And here cometh the cyclist motto - "what comes down, must go up."

Catching my breath halfway up what has got to be the toughest climb of the day.

This day, come off my bike I did. I was travelling very slowly when I fell, but coming around a hairpin turn, the front wheel hit a patch of sand, scrambling for grip to no avail. You never forget the feeling as the front wheel slides out from under you. Prepare to fall - do not stick out your hand to break the fall - that is how bones break. Thankfully, I had full tights, arm warmers and gloves on, so I walked away to continue riding with only a tiny graze on my right calf and right elbow, both of which I didn't realise I had until lunch time in the comfort of Jack and Mel's home when I noticed I was leaving tiny patches of dried blood on the dining table and in the shower. The only real damage was a scuffed overshoe.

So, this ride wasn't the recovery ride that I was expecting, but nevertheless it was an epic ride for me because rather than simply churning out the kilometres, I was simply riding for the joy of riding. I even stopped to take pictures for the blog! :)

Today's Traffic News

2011-06-21T18:26:00.009+10:00

In today's news, The Age published a poorly conceived article that details how the Victoria Police are planning a 3-month operation called Operation Compass to crack down on cyclists who disobey the road rules.

The article then goes on to mention (and imply) that this crackdown is a result of several cyclists getting injured after riding into car doors in Melbourne.

Um... What?!? Can someone explain this to me why a cyclist should be fined for "riding into a car door"?

If a driver or passenger opens a car door into the path of a car, bus, truck, spaceship, or pedestrian, who is at fault? Do different rules apply if a cyclist is the other party involved?

So often, I see drivers or passengers completely swing open a car door without even looking behind to ensure that the road is clear. The approaching vehicle then has to take evasive action to prevent unhinging the opened door or worse, decapitating the degenerate(s) stepping out of the car.

Maybe, Victoria Police and VicRoads need to start communicating with each other. VicRoads literature makes it very clear (and assuming, it isn't blatantly obvious enough) who is at fault for door-ing incidents. See here.

Is it against the law to open a car door into the path of a person or vehicle?

Yes, this is a particular danger for cyclists, and a driver or passenger who does so can be fined, so please look out for cyclists before opening a car door.

The topic of cyclists riding on roads eventually end up at the same point - cyclists should ride in bike lanes. Guess where bike lanes are? Yup, right next to car parking spots. Does this explain why cyclists sometimes choose to ride wider and occupy the traffic lane next to a bike lane?

For. Their. Safety. (a.k.a Avoid Riding into Car Doors)

Yes, believe it or not, by law, cyclists are allowed to occupy a traffic lane when it is unsafe or impracticable to ride in a bike lane - please refer to VicRoads PDF above.

Yes, and believe it or not, like drivers, cyclists have parents, spouse, children, family and people who care for them. Let's try and share the roads so that everybody returns home safely.

Check out this video by Casey Neistat who was fined in New York City for not cycling in a bike lane that illustrates in a funny short film that riding in a bike lane is not always a safe thing to do.

Here's a thought - If I am in my car, then I am one more car between you and your destination. Do you really want several thousand more cyclists to drive their cars as well? Yes, the large majority of cyclists own cars too. I'm sure you will agree with me, that traffic is bad enough as it is and you'd rather us cycle than add to already congested roads. All I ask is that you pay more attention and exercise more patience towards cyclists and other drivers too.

Here is something else to ponder upon - a driver owns a car, a cyclist owns a bicycle, but neither of them owns the road. Learn to share.

But, let's not forget the errant cyclists that disregard road rules like running red lights, not using lights in the dark, not wearing a helmet, etc. that give the rest of us a bad reputation - you deserve what you get - a nice big fine. May you learn your lesson.

Rapha Rides The Victorian Alps

2011-06-17T12:12:00.003+10:00

On Wednesday, we had invites to attend the premiere of the short film Rapha Rides The Victorian Alps at ACMI, Federation Square, followed by the feature film Chasing Legends. Alas, it was a tiring day at work and the body just wasn't up to a night out on the town.

Two Saturdays in Kyneton

2011-06-15T17:06:00.005+10:00

Adriana with goodies from Little Swallow Cafe - Sunday's post-ride fuel

We've spent the last two Saturdays in Kyneton. The first Saturday, we had brunch at Little Swallow Cafe. No pretty pics of the food but take it from us that the food was delicious. The braised oxtail with pasta was bellisimo.

Dog in a Van - Outside Stockroom

We then walked along Piper St to Stockroom which calls itself a rural arts hub but what Adriana calls a potential shopping heaven. I call it a big hole in my pocket. There are things for the house, things for her and a few things for him. I also spy some very nice Pilen lifestyle bicycles and a very very nice leather satchel. Stockroom also has a small cafe called LaTrobe Speedway that's run by Chris Chappell from Star Anise Bistro.

Inner Biscuit

This Saturday, we had made plans to visit Kyneton's farmers market but sleep got the better of us. So, we dropped into Inner Biscuit for afternoon tea before heading up to Mount Macedon.

Adriana's Chocolate Cream and Pistachio Meringue was decadently good.

AK: "You don't like nuts."
Aa: "Yeah, I'm eating around the nuts."

At this point, I increased sneak raids on the missus' cake!

Growing up, mum used to make carrot cake and chilled cheesecake. Separately, of course. In the early years, us boys only wanted chocolate cake with ultra-rich chocolate frosting. So mum and dad had to finish the other cakes. Sorry mum! It wasn't until I got older that I started loving and asking mum for more and more chilled cheesecake.

It would take a few more years before I started enjoying carrot cake. Carrot cake and cream cheese frosting is so moreish.

As we approached the foothills of Mt. Macedon, the VDub was loving it as we carved our way up the twisty roads. Atop the mountain, it was a chilly 6.5 degrees. When you factor in wind chill, it must have been close to zero degrees. Up in the clouds, we were under dressed for today's adventure.

I casually mentioned to the missus that there are cyclists that tackle Mt. Macedon - we did see one cyclist on the way down. The pain was etched on his sweat drenched face but he looked genuinely happy riding his push bike up the mountain. The missus turns to me and says "You are on your own. I am not riding up Mt. Macedon with you. I'll pick you up when you call."

Kooyong Estate 2008 Pinots

2011-06-14T19:19:00.002+10:00

A few weeks back when we headed down to Mornington Peninsula with Jaz, Rach and K-L, we visited Port Phillip Estate/Kooyong Estate and came back with a six-pack of wines. Unfortunately, the cellar door staff made a boo-boo. Along with the Haven and Meres, I had ask for a couple of bottles of the brilliant Port Phillip Estate's Rimage Syrah but opened the box to find the Morillon Pinot's instead. Boo!

Kooyong Estate makes three single vineyard pinots - the Haven, Meres and Ferrous. In terms of winemaking methods, the three wines go through the same process - 100% destemmed and fermented in open vats without inoculation. Matured for 18 months in French oak (30% new). The different vineyard and soil profiles however, are quite different - click here.

The Meres display a gorgeous nose with a floral top note. Red fruits to the fore - cranberry, rhubarb and cherries. It is herbal, sappy and I love the mulchy notes. The mouthfeel is silky - very pretty and light-footed. The acid backbone in the Meres is highly strung and it comes across the palate as crunchy - not unlike biting into a Granny Smith apple. Very good complexity and a clean, lingering finish.

Compared to the Meres, the Haven is a more powerful and voluptuous pinot. Lots of plush, spiced, plum and dark cherry notes. Some undergrowth and warm spice notes (cloves, vanilla bean, cinnamon) lingers on and on before the fine-grained tannins kick in for a lengthy finish. This excellent wine has serious complexity. It is also my favourite of the three vineyards, with the Ferrous (sold out at cellar door) being my least preferred.

Dinner tonight ...

2011-06-13T16:26:00.003+10:00

Linguine with Istrian Salami, Eggplant & Basil

Sometimes, I think my hubbib is Italian.

In the confines of home, he has been known to answer to the name Luigi. He doesn't answer to Mario because he reckons he is not that short. So, Luigi it is. I think he is Italian at heart because of his love for pizza and pasta.

I love cooking Asian dishes at home because I get to have rice at least a couple of times a week. For me, cooking pasta is a means of survival. I cook pasta when the pantry needs restocking. Whipping up pasta involves a pack of spaghetti, a few cloves of garlic, a jar of passata, and the odd slice of bacon.

Now... When the Hubbib makes pasta, it is always an event. Don't expect to eat within 1.5-2 hours from the start of preparation. He is always very meticulous when preparing dinner. The average simmering time for any of his sauces is at least an hour. However, there is no doubt at all that his pasta always turns out yum.

I have no problem at all with the Hubbib taking his time in preparing meals. The sight of him concentrating on the task in front of him to present his missus a delish dinner is enough to make my heart melt =)

EARL Canteen

2011-06-08T18:20:00.005+10:00

Last Monday, for one day only, the missus was unemployed. =) She'd finished up at her previous company on Friday the week before and was not due to start at her new position until Tuesday. With that in mind, I organised to have Monday off as well so we could do something together.

Working in Fishermens Bend means I don't get to try out the nice and hip places in town that cater to the working lunch crowd. They usually open between Mondays and Fridays only.

It's a work day and I have the day off. Finally! I have been wanting to try out EARL Canteen since I read about it on the blogosphere back in 2010. After 10 minutes off aimless walking (because we lost our bearings!), we finally located EARL Canteen. 12-hour slow roasted Otway pork belly and coleslaw baguette, get in my tummy! It was so so so worth it.

I am already looking forward to my next trip to EARL. My conundrum is can I go past the pork belly and try something else from their saliva inducing menu?

To finish off lunch, we made our way to La Belle Miette for Caramel a la Fleur de Sel macarons. It was a great day - just wandering around and taking in the sights of Melbourne city life.

Wheelsucker

2011-06-06T22:06:00.003+10:00

Our utter dependence on motorised vehicles in present day 2011 to perform simple chores, to get us to and from work, to get us places, to get things to and from us, etc. is simply astounding. What was once a luxury has now become a necessity. Like mobile phones or the Internet I guess. I simply cannot imagine a world where I cannot:

jump into a car and be in another place 100km away an hour later,

hop onto a plane and be in another country thousands of miles away several hours later, or

purchase something from tens of thousands of miles away for it to arrive at my door step within a week.

When items or tools we use become so engrained into the very fabric of how we conduct our lives on a day to day basis, we forget the simple things. We don't think about how a tool performs a certain task, we simply expect said tool to perform the task it was created for.

So... Let's talk about wind. You cannot see the wind but you can feel it. More so, you can certainly see and feel the effects of the wind.

To be more precise, let's talk about headwinds or crosswinds. We need ever talk about tailwinds because everybody likes tailwinds. Headwinds and crosswinds just make riding a bicycle that much harder. In a motorised vehicle, it is easy to overlook how winds affect us as we make the journey from Point A to Point B.

Wheelsucker - "a term used to describe the practice of cycling closely behind the wheel of another rider. A rider practising the art of wheel sucking gains an aerodynamic advantage and consequently gains a physiological advantage by reducing the amount of work he/she has to do. The effect is magnified when the front rider towing the line is physically larger or in the presence of considerable headwinds."

So the Sunday just gone by. The weather forecast reads mostly sunny morning with winds averaging 35km/h. Winds expected to reach 50km/h during the afternoon.

Based on last Sunday's 60km round trip Southbank - Port Melbourne - Mordialloc - Port Melbourne - Southbank, the ride on the bike should take around 2 hours. Leaving at 7.45 a.m., I should be home before 10 a.m.

I made a miscalculation. I had not factored in the effect of the winds this fine (or rather, miserable) day.

I had a conversation with another cyclist and we agreed, that the wives made a very sensible decision to stay home and snuggle up under a warm and cozy doona. Yup, we were the fools out riding our bicycles.

Sunday's ride was an absolute slog. It was hard work. I felt it in my bones as I started my ride that the body really wasn't up to it. The mind had showed up for battle, but the body was missing in action.

Yes, I did pass a fair few riders but I was passed by plenty more. As much as I prefer to work for myself, I made a decision early on to swallow my pride and wheelsuck whenever I can but also, take the lead from time to time. It is to me, just plain courtesy to repay someone else's kindness for pulling you along.

My pride was also at stake - what with me wearing Rapha's Winter Tights encouraging (or taunting) the rider behind with the word Wheelsucker affixed to my bum. It is after all, just a difference of opinion. =)

Alas, it was not to be.

My efforts to wheelsuck were mostly in vain. My attempts to latch onto a group of riders or hang onto the coattails of a passing group of riders were in vain and resulted in the same thing - being spat out the back of the pack to struggle on my own...

As I wobbled in 2 hours and 15 minutes later (just made 10 a.m.!), I was simply glad to be out of the wind and to return to the comforts of home. For the remainder of the day, my thighs and calves were the consistency of jelly.

I find it funny though, that even after an extremely painful and exhausting day on the bike, I went to bed on Sunday night hoping that the roads would dry out overnight in contemplation of commuting by bicycle to work on Monday morning.

Come Monday morning and the missus wakes me up. Yes! The roads had sufficiently dried out overnight. A few cautious and tentative leg stretches later, it was clear that the leg muscles felt good with no apparent hangover from exertions of the previous day.

I could not resist the temptation and so I rode the bike into work today. I will say this - winter has definitely arrived. This morning's commute was a very cold 5.9 degrees. I am glad I rugged up. And as they say - "If you are rugged up and you are still feeling cold, you are not riding hard enough."

One rainy Sunday ...

2011-05-25T20:53:00.004+10:00

One Sunday a couple of weeks ago, the Revells and the Khoos went to Montalto Vineyard, Mornington Peninsula, for a day trip. Jazza, Rach, and KL came to pick the Hubbib and I up from the city in the morning. The Missus got to sit right next to Miss KL. During the whole journey, I couldn't stop pinching KL's cheeks. Poor girl, she must have hated being seated next to the Missus. If that was really the case, the darling girl did not show it at all.

Krystal-Lee

KL & Jazza

Want some ...?

We had pizzas for lunch at the Montalto piazza. Pity the weather was temperamental. It was cold and wet. But that didn't dampen our spirits at all. Having fun was all we could think off. KL was always on the move. The girl could wriggle for hours!

We also went to Red Hill Brewery to sample a few beers, and Kooyong Estate/Port Phillip Estate for wine-tasting. The Hubbib managed to sneakily buy half-a-dozen bottles. Cheeky! Pity they stuffed up the order and we only found out the mistake when we got home. Bummer!

Jazza then took us to Cape Schanck to check out the Blow Hole. He said that the blow hole belonged to a beached whale. He lied to me. I saw no beached whale. Bleh!

Despite the gloomy weather, we all had a superb day. We came home tired and happy =D

Better Together ...

2011-05-17T21:04:00.002+10:00

There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepia tone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together

Mmm, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

And all of these moments
Just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that they'll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things
For tomorrow night you see
That they'll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find their way
Into my day to day scene
I'd be under the impression
I was somewhere in between
With only two
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We'll sit beneath the mango tree now

I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no, no song I could sing
And there is no, combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're better together ...

~Jack Johnson "Better Together"

ANZAC Day Parade 2011

2011-05-14T12:47:00.002+10:00

Finally, as promised a few posts back, the ANZAC Day parade pictures.

Rapha Continental - Tour of California 2011

2011-05-10T07:51:00.005+10:00

So... I procrastinated last night. Instead of post-processing the ANZAC day photos like I promised Adriana, I played Top Spin 4 instead. This is in preparation of trashing Jack when we next duel.

This time, it won't be soccer. This time, it will be tennis.

So, to compensate for my procrastination, here is something else instead...

Horses for courses, but I still think lycra should only be worn out of necessity. In addition, unless you are a professional cyclist who gets paid to advertise the various brands, there is no good reason why a cyclist should leave the house looking like a mobile advertising billboard.

Stand up Rapha - a cycling apparel company based in London that makes classic and understated clothing. Classic never goes out of style, and when clad in lycra, understated is du jour. Needless to say, the missus and I are huge fans of Rapha.

Apart from the excellent collection of cycling clothing and accessories, I love the way they combine two passions of mine, cycling and photography (and videography). Yes, there is a huge dollop of marketing and product placements in the stills and videos, Rapha is after all in the business of selling products, but watching these videos makes me want to jump on my bike in search of a scenic route - the long and indirect way home.

The mission of Rapha Continental is to document the epic rides and routes of the United States of America. This year, the Rapha Continental riders take us along Stage 2, 4, 5 and 7 of the 2011 Tour of California which starts this Sunday.

Take a few minutes out of your day to watch these videos, I promise you will enjoy it.

A City Covered In Fog

2011-05-05T21:12:00.000+10:00

On ANZAC Day, we made plans to meet up with Jared, Steve Doubleday and Lee (Jared's dad) to take pictures of the parade. It also felt like the coldest day of the year in the city so far. As we walked in at 7-ish to meet up with the boys, the city looked so mysterious covered in fog that it seemed a shame if no pictures were taken. What you can see vs. what you can't see. And, what you can't see but know is there.

Breakfast

2011-05-03T09:00:00.005+10:00

Breakfast - the experts say it is the most important meal of the day. I start work pretty early - if I ride my bicycle into work, I am normally in the office between 6.30am and 6.45am. If I take the car, I am normally in the office between 7.15am and 7.45am.

Coming to work at this hour means most of the guys at the office have brekky at the office. It's interesting to see what different people like to have for breakfast. Perhaps what we eat for breakfast is influenced by our preference for sweet or savoury, our different cultural backgrounds, our dietary needs or a combination of all the above.

Among the guys at the office, cereal with milk and porridge with a squeeze of honey is very popular. There will always be at least one person having toast and Vegemite. Not to mention, Weetbix. What I find interesting is that almost all the guys pretty much have the same breakfast every day of the working week.

I like to mix it up. Some days it will be yoghurt and muesli. On other days, it may be cereal and milk. I also enjoy cheese toasts and 2-minute noodles with poached eggs. In the cold winter months, the missus makes a pretty killer savoury oats porridge with chicken stock and eggs.

A full-on cooked breakfast is always welcome, but that's usually reserved for weekends.

Growing up, my favourite breakfast meal is mum's leftover 'otak-otak' with toast. The literal translation of 'otak-otak' from Malay to English is brains but this dish does not involve animal brains of any kind. The best way to describe this fish-based curry dish is that it tastes like fish curry but it has the consistency of custard with pieces of boneless fish set into the custard by the steaming process.

Otak-otak + Toast = Heaven

On Easter Sunday, Adriana made Nasi Lemak with Chicken Curry and Boiled Eggs for breakfast. It is certainly not something you would want to have every morning. And, I'm sure there are those of you out there that would not entertain the idea of having this for breakfast. In my opinion, the key to having curry for breakfast is coconut rice. It makes or breaks the breakfast. Delicious!

Produttori del Barbaresco DOCG 2006

2011-05-02T22:46:00.002+10:00

Two bottles had in as many weeks and I can only describe this wine as behaving like a temperamental teenager. Perhaps a bit of bottle variation was in play, perhaps it had to do with the shape of the wine glasses. The first bottle was consumed over the long Easter break out of Riedel Chianti and Shiraz glasses - it was okay. Like the gathering of ominous storm clouds, the wine was dark, brooding, moody and in a foul mood. Maybe it needed more time to breathe, maybe it was a root day.

Bottle two though was outstanding, albeit still a touch moody. Drank from Riedel Pinot/Nebbiolo glasses. It is intoxicating. This wine displays amazing complexity on the nose. Its ruby coloured liquid was redolent of morello cherries before classic nebbiolo characters of rose petals and chewy, earthy tobacco start to come to the fore. Pretty yet brooding and it definitely builds up weight and richness towards the finish. The acidity is fresh and the fine, firm tannins are assertive. Over several days, it seemed to retreat into its shell, morphing into a petulant teen, before re-emerging again as a butterfly. The cycle repeated itself as the bottle was drained down.

I guess you can say this wine has personality. =) Just in case it is not obvious, we really enjoyed this wine.

1111

2011-04-30T21:18:00.001+10:00

After several years of staying up to watch the Tour de France (and occasionally falling asleep on the couch watching the TdF) and a deep yearning to get back on a bicycle (fell off at 15, fractured my right wrist and never got back on), I finally went out and bought a bicycle in mid-Feb of this year.

Okay, so that's a white lie. The truth is my lovely missus bought me said bicycle.

The idea was to get some exercise, lose some flab around the belly and to commute (~9km roundtrip) to work at least 1-2 days a week.

The first few kilometres were exhausting. In my teens, I played tennis, swam and played a bit of soccer, but I was never a sports jock. Running or jogging is the equivalent of torture. I never had the stamina or endurance to run long (or short) distances.

The subsequent trips of between 5-10 kilometres were tiring and breathless. The same fears of poor stamina and endurance came creeping back into the back of my mind. Maybe this cycling thing isn't a good idea. I don't like the pain and lactic acid buildup in my muscles.

Perhaps getting a hipster singlespeed bike didn't help - most of the roads I was planning to cycle on looked reasonably flat. I can tell you now that they are not flat. However, riding a singlespeed did teach me one thing - to harden up and ride or get off and push. Pain is good, sometimes.

I'm glad I didn't throw in the towel. There are days when it feels awesome to be out exploring the big, wide world taking in the different sights, smells and people that you meet. But, there are also days where you just have to slog through the physical and mental barriers when the brain and body tempt you with ideas about just giving up and returning to the comforts of home.

I try and ride to work most days and spend a few hours of each weekend riding.

I said I wouldn't wear knicks, but now I do. Padding is good for your bum.

I guess with knicks and a cycling jersey, I do resemble a Power Ranger.

I said I would never use clipless shoes and pedals but now I can't live without them. Yes, I have fallen off the bike because I was too lazy to unclip - there is nothing more embarrassing (not the pain) than clipstacking at a busy intersection.

I have ridden in the rain - it was cold and wet but absolute fun. Needless to say, the bike (and me) was so so so dirty. I felt like a kid playing in the rain.

I have lost 10 kilos in the process. Some of my clothes don't fit anymore while others now fit better - like the half dozen Threadless t-shirts that I bought last year in the wrong size!

I feel fit and I feel healthy.

Which brings us to 1111. I'm pretty pleased with myself, that since getting back on a bicycle in mid-Feb, doing a total of 19.3km in Feb, the missus joining me on rides, followed by 412.7km in March, adding a second bicycle with gears for when I go in search of hills, and another 679.0km in April, I have clocked up a total of 1111 kilometres. Mostly, I am just surprised - surprised that I have actually done so many k's and surprised that I'm enjoying cycling so much.

I guess what I am saying is I think I have made the transition from using a bicycle as a mode of transportation to a cycling junkie.

Rapha Pro Team Mitts - Like padded knicks, padded gloves are awesome!

Van's Birthday Dinner

2011-04-17T15:41:00.003+10:00

I know.

The missus has been a tad slack in uploading these pictures the hubbib took during Vanessa's 30th birthday dinner last month. The hustle and bustle in the kitchen, loud voices and laughter, and someone who forgot to turn the oven on when baking the pastry =P

We made extremely delectable meals that night.

Tuna rice with diced raw tuna and seaweed

Yi's very creative artwork

A touch of cuteness to brighten up the room

Steamed oyster and scallop

Duck confit with roasted potatoes and spinach

Ladybug, ladybug ...

Duck confit

Homemade blueberry cheesecake

Mille Feuille with melted chocolate, mandarin, and blueberries

Champagne jelly with gold leaves

Happy 30th Birthday, Van!

i heart u ...

2011-04-15T22:36:00.002+10:00

When the missus' is down, get her one these and she will be as happy as a bumblebee ... =P

*hints to the hubbib*

Poppyseed

2011-04-12T20:12:00.001+10:00

I have never been a big fan of Seinfeld, preferring Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier, but one episode that I happened to watch is forever etched in my mind. Whenever I see poppyseeds in breads, pastries, etc. I think of this Seinfeld episode.

In the 126th episode of Seinfeld, titled 'The Shower Head', Elaine has to do a medical exam in preparation for a trip to Kenya. Her boss tells her that she has tested positive for opium and thus cannot go to Kenya. She's scratching her head wondering how she had tested positive for opium. It isn't until later on in the episode that she finds out the reason she has been failing her medicals is because of the poppyseeds that she has been consuming in her food.

I picked up a loaf of orange and poppyseed cake from the deli section of Queen Victoria Market on Sunday. It was a touch dry, but still quite moreish.

Mayford Shiraz 2008

2011-04-10T21:45:00.001+10:00

It has been a while since I have done a proper tasting note on the blog. This wine hails from Porepunkah, Victoria. I picked up several bottles of the Mayford a year or so ago after it received rave reviews comparing it to the Giaconda Warner Shiraz. Give it a few hours in the glass and this wine truly blossoms.

The colour in the glass is a deep, vibrant purple. The nose is gorgeous with dark berries, black pepper, anise and cinnamon - but the predominant and intoxicating note on the nose is the sweet smell of violets. The palate is lush and juicy with dark cherries to the fore, before notes of vanilla bean, freshly extracted expresso and dark chocolate appear as if on cue. It also has a beautiful stony, mineral streak. Tannins are supple and very fine-grained. There is good length to the finish. This is a really gorgeous wine.

In recent years, I have really found it hard to enjoy shiraz, but this and a recently opened bottle of Rockford Sparkling Shiraz 2010 Disgorgement has really rocked my world.

I'd like another glass of the Mayford, but I have been told by SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) that I have had enough wine for the day. :(

One Saturday at the Revells'

2011-04-09T18:49:00.000+10:00

Jazza, Rach, and KL invited the hubbib and I for a wonderful lunch at their place one Saturday afternoon. We had so much fun chatting, sharing wine, Rach's really yummy homemade pie, and Jazza's delish blueberry pancakes.

The hubbib took a few photos of the adorable KL ...

Krystal-Lee

Krystal-Lee

Good wine, great food, and amazing company.
The way I love to spend my weekends ...

Family portraits

2011-04-04T20:20:00.003+10:00

A lazy Saturday, a camera, and fellas who love to pose ...

Sha and Cupcake

The Hubbib

The Missus and Cupcake

The Hubbib

Absentmindedly humming an old song

2011-04-02T15:59:00.000+11:00

Feels like I'm standing in a timeless dream
Of light mists, of pale amber rose
Feels like I'm lost in a deep cloud of heavenly scent
Touching, discovering you

Those days of warm rains come rushing back to me
Miles of windless summer nights
Secret moments shared within the heat of the afternoon
Out of the stillness, soft spoken words

Say it, say it again
I love you always forever
Near or far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you

You've got
The most unbelievable blue eyes I've ever seen
You've got
Me almost melting away

As we lay there
Under a blue sky with pure white stars
Exotic sweetness
A magical time

Say you'll love and love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always everywhere and everything

...

~Donna Lewis "I love you always forever"

Craving for Macarons ...

2011-04-01T23:27:00.000+11:00

As I was waiting for some inspirations to write about, the bro-in-law posted a photo of macarons on his Facebook. Therefore, I shall do the same thing too ... =D
I am not quite sure how the macarons in Adelaide taste like, but the ones in Melbourne are to-die-for.

I was on the way home from work when the hubbib called and asked about my whereabouts.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm walking home. I just passed Bourke Street."

"Okay. So you will be home soon. There's a surprise waiting for you."

"Really? Okay, spill it. What have you bought this time? Lens or more bike gear?"

"I did no such thing!" (horrified tone)

That's my hubbib. He always gives me sweet surprises involving food. He knows that is the way to the missus' heart.

Especially when he wants another new lens, or another Rapha jersey.

La Belle Miette
30 Hardware Lane
Melbourne 3000
VIC - AUS

My poor bum ...

2011-03-12T20:04:00.001+11:00

The bum is hurting.

I picked up my new bicycle this afternoon after the hubbib and I had brunch at my little sister's place. It is a shiny blue-and-white bicycle with two wheels (doh!) and a white seat (again, doh!). I am not too sure whether there is a special name for the seat. I shall ask the hubbib about that as he is the one who has been poring over all sorts of bicycle forums that he can now be considered as a walking bicycle encyclopedia.

The white seat looks très chic but boy...

IT. IS. THE. HARDEST. THING. I. HAVE. EVER. SAT. ON.

Team that with bumpy roads, and voila, you have seriously painful buns!

Other than that, I am loving my new toy. I was slightly nervous when I first started riding the bike. After all, it was 15 years ago when I last rode a bicycle. Even then, it was not a road bike that I had. I remember that the bike my pa bought for me had really cushiony seat. I had bruises and wounds that turned into really cool-looking scabs riding that bicycle. But never a hurting bum.

The hubbib and I did several rounds in Docklands and Port Melbourne. Once I got the hang of it, I started enjoying the ride. I am thinking of doing several more rounds tomorrow if the weather permits.

A totally random picture of an ah-pek riding his scooter in Penang to accompany my post today.
I thought it is worth the effort to point out that he does not look like he has a painful bum.
As you can see, I am obsessed with bums today.

Ok, finished.

Hey, it's me ...

2011-03-11T20:41:00.008+11:00

< start post >

I must admit that I have been really slack in updating our blog. Me being me, I am going to blame it on our hectic life. Well, you got to blame it on something. Or someone. Growing up, whenever my ma and pa scolded me over something that I had done, I had my little sister to blame it on. Nowadays, when my ma and pa grumbled over something that I did, I still blame it on my little sister. She is really handy that way. And no, it does not work both ways =P

Due to popular demand, I have promised someone that I will start posting diligently. In this context, the term "popular demand" is made solely by my beloved brother-in-law who really really really really really misses his sister-in-law that he has started to kick up a stink and scream down my throat to "START BLOGGING NOW!"
I have heaps to write about but I do not know where to start.

Alright.

I am going to start by writing about my recent excitement. The hubbib and I are going to pick up my new bike tomorrow! Please don't ask me about the technicalities. At the moment, all I know is that it has two wheels, brakes, and gears. However, I am starting to learn about my bike. I now know what a drop bar means, or the difference between a mountain bike and a road bike (doh!), and I also have absolute understanding of what brakes are for. I was told that they are very useful.

Besides that, I am also a new aunty to a very tiny and furry creature that is my little sister's latest addition in the family, Miss Cupcake Ng. She is a nine-week old shihtzu-toy poodle cross. She is the cutest little thing that the sight of her makes me go all gooey and soft.

I. ALSO. WANT.

I nagged at the hubbib and I got a bike instead.
Not bad, hey?
I should hassle him more often =P

< /end post >

PS: Yes, I promise that I won't be slack anymore =)
PPS: And yeah, that "start tag" and the "end tag" thing are supposed to give that geeky feel. Sometimes I do miss writing codes. Boy, that's totally random. Okay, goodnight peeps!

Bunny

2011-03-09T22:33:00.003+11:00

Boo ...

Riverside

2011-03-06T13:24:00.004+11:00

Down by the river by the boats
Where everybody goes to be alone
Where you won't see any rising sun
Down to the river we will run

When by the water we drink to the dregs
Look at the stones on the river bed
I can tell from your eyes
You've never been by the riverside

Down by the water the riverbed
Somebody calls you somebody says
Swim with the current and float away
Down by the river everyday

Oh my God I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside

When that old river runs pass your eyes
To wash off the dirt on the riverside
Go to the water so very near
The river will be your eyes and ears

I walk to the borders on my own
To fall in the water just like a stone
Chilled to the marrow in them bones
Why do I go here all alone ...

~Agnes Obel "Riverside"

17.02.11

2011-02-17T22:38:00.000+11:00

It's been a hectic day - preparing a software deliverable for beta release. It had a few major bugs, but it was all sorted before I left the office.

Today marks our fourth wedding anniversary. For the first time, the missus has travelled interstate for work and I'm the one at home for a change, so we'll celebrate our anniversary on Saturday. And because I deal in "next Thursday" and not "xxth of Feb", I had agreed to drinks and dinner with a few colleagues (and their partners) before realising it was our anniversary. The missus was supposed to come along, but work came up. Ian, Mel, Kev and Christine says hi babe. Korean was good. Mmmm... Kimchi pancakes... :P

A few weeks back, Adriana and I were heading into the CBD for brunch. Adriana had put on a smashing new dress.

One camera + One fixed focal length lens = Plenty of pictures

I think I could live with just one fixed focal length lens. It would have to be a 35mm or a 50mm on a full frame sensor.

Miss you lots babe, looking forward to your return tomorrow evening.

XOXO

09.02.2011

2011-02-09T18:24:00.002+11:00

My Lil' Sister, Sha

To my dearest Baby Sis,

I have loved you for 26 years and I will always love you forever.

Happy Birthday, munchkins!

I can't wait to see you back in Melbourne again, so we can do our usual things, like fight and be sisterly again. =)

Love,
Your sometimes-but-quite-often-can-be-annoyingly-loud-noisy-and-nosy Big Sis

Penang Peranakan Mansion

2011-02-07T22:26:00.001+11:00

So, after lunch at Edelweiss Cafe, mum took us to the Penang Peranakan Mansion in the heart of Georgetown. When you are in this part of Penang, it really does feel like you've gone back in time to British colonial times.

This is an excerpt from the website about the mansion:

"The Peranakans, also known as the Babas and Nyonyas, was a prominent community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world, especially in the Straits Settlements (Penang, Malacca and Singapore) hence its other name, the Straits Chinese. Adopting selected ways of the local Malays and later, the colonial British, the Peranakans had created a unique lifestyle and customs which had not only left behind a rich legacy of antiques but its cultural influences like cuisine and language are still evident in Penang today.

At the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, the typical home of a rich Baba of a century ago is recreated to offer a glimpse of their opulent lifestyle and of their many customs and traditions. With over 1,000 pieces of antiques and collectibles of the era on display, this Baba-Nyonya museum is also housed in one of Penang’s heritage mansion of eclectic design and architecture. Built at the end of the 19th century by one of local history’s famous personalities, the ‘Hai Kee Chan’ or Sea Remembrance Store had once served as the residence and office of Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee. Though not a Baba himself, his Chinese courtyard house was much like a typical large Baba home of eclectic style, incorporating Chinese carved-wood panels and English floor tiles and Scottish ironworks. Having survived the many decades of neglect and decay, the mansion has now been restored to its former glory of a stately home."

This first series pictures focuses on the intricate wooden door panels and some of the different halls in this stately mansion.

The last two pictures are taken within what is a Chinese ancestral hall. I have to admit that it is a tad creepy in this particular hall...

Lil' Kim ...

2011-02-06T10:41:00.003+11:00

She is my favourite pet to play with when I am visiting the hubbib's parents' home in Penang, Malaysia. She never barks at us and she is always too happy to entertain us with her drools and her big brown sad eyes.

I am counting down the days till I can have my own pup.

A puppy... or two. =P

Nom-nom in December 2010

2011-02-05T23:09:00.003+11:00

I haven't had the chance to post these photos that were taken during our birthdays in December 2010.

It was another wonderful afternoon together with our family and friends ...

Star Anise Bistro, Kyneton

The Hubbib and the Missus

The Boys

Homemade Rolls

Rabbit and Shallot Duck Egg Crepe, Grilled Pepper and Oregano Salad, Pinenut Butter

Duck Confit Croquettes, Peanut with Black Bean & Chocolate Sauce

Grilled Yellowfin Tuna, Crushed Broadbeans, White Bean Puree, Black Garlic, Cashew and Buttered Crumb Crust

Eye Fillet, Yoghurt and Paprika Bread Pudding, Smoked Baby Carrots, Celeriac Puree, Bresaola Chive and Shallot Butter

Star Anise & Tea Smoked Duck, Caramelised Carrot, Beetroot Puree, Fig and Elderberry Glaze

Homegrown Greens

Mr. White

Mr. Pink

Mr. Brown

CNY - Reunion Dinner

2011-02-02T23:04:00.002+11:00

Antique Steamboat - Modern steamboats use gas canisters or electricity, this steamboat requires charcoal.

Today is Chinese New Year's Eve. Typically, the extended family will meet up for a reunion dinner before celebrations kick off for the first day of Chinese New Year tomorrow. The tradition in our family is to have steamboat for dinner at my grandma's place.

This year has been different in that Jack and Mel are in Penang for CNY celebrations and Kelvin is busy with his thesis in Adelaide.

That means it is just us two in Melbourne. We walked into Chinatown for dinner at Crystal Jade but they were fully booked. We tried a few other Malaysian places but they were closed! I guess everyone wants to attend a reunion dinner too.

So, we ended up at +39 Pizzeria instead. Hahaha... It's not funny! The pizzas were pretty good! Not as awesome as our favourite pizza place, Pizza Verde, but +39 is up there.

Tomorrow we are off to our Uncle Peter and Aunty Sheila's place for Chinese New Year dinner. To all those that celebrate Chinese New Year, we wish you Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Note: Pictures were taken in December 2010 at Penang Peranakan Mansion.

Edelweiss Cafe, Penang

2011-01-31T23:55:00.000+11:00

Edelweiss Cafe

We spent two weeks in Penang and Jakarta over the Christmas and New Year break - catching up with family, eating our favourite foods and shopping till we dropped. The camera made the trip but it did not get much use because of reasons above and I suppose the mentality that comes with returning to one's hometown - you do not put on your touristy glasses.

Tiffin Carriers for Giants

This entry will kick of a series of posts and photos - all taken in one day in Penang. We had lunch with Mummy Khoo at Edelweiss Cafe which is located on Armenian Street in downtown Georgetown. The restaurant occupies an original British colonial building and has been decorated to show the life and wares of a Peranakan (Baba and Nyonya) household. Stepping into this restaurant is like stepping back in time to the early 90s. The place is full of antiques!

Cast Iron Ice Shaver and Antique Basket

Meteorite Masthead Lamp

Cast Iron Ice Shaver - Handpowered! Yes, you will have to work for your ice kachang.

It's funny how growing up I used to think these items are just old junk but as you get older, you start to appreciate antiques for what they are - a link to our human past and to remind ourselves of how far we have come. You visit an antique store, you see an antique piece and you know you have to have it.

Charcoal Iron

I used to go to school not far from here. I am glad that with the rapid modernisation happening in Penang, that there is also a push by some to restore some of these old buildings, turning them into restaurants, shops, museums, etc. for people to enjoy and appreciate.

Corned Beef

2011-01-23T21:13:00.001+11:00

Last week, Adriana suggested that we have fried rice with corned beef. At the very last minute, Adriana tried to swap corned beef for turkey spam!

The nerve... Turkey spam is not even real SPAM - Something Posing As Meat! Needless to say, my protests led to us having corned beef and a rather interesting analogy - unfortunately this analogy is not safe for general human consumption. =)

We did have said fried rice with corned beef and it was yummy. Adriana makes awesome fried rice, regardless of ingredients used.

Corned beef reminds me of my childhood. To be specific, one day in my childhood. It must have been a Sunday or a public holiday because the clinic was closed and dad was at home during the day. Mum was out for the day and dad was left to take care of the two boys.

He had to make brunch. My dad does not cook - I have never seen him in the kitchen cooking before this fateful day, and except for helping mum with the dishes I have never seen him in the kitchen since!

That day he made toast with corned beef, pineapple and melted cheese. As a kid, it tasted awesome! Not unlike a Pizza Hut Hawaiian pizza. These days, my views of what constitutes a proper and edible pizza have changed considerably, but you have to view this through a child’s mind in the late 80’s – early 90’s in Malaysia. The only place to have pizza was Pizza Hut – thick, deep-dish pizzas.

I remember us hungrily tucking into our toasts, marvelling at the fact that dad had actually cooked something on a pan as he recalled about days in the Army as a medical officer eating corned beef with fellow soldiers.

I miss you ...

2011-01-21T19:36:00.005+11:00

Lil' sis, the missus, ma and pa

Mum, the hubbib, dad

Funny how when I was a kid, all I could think of was to grow older, leave home, and embark on all sorts of life's adventures.

Now, all I can think of is when my next trip to visit our parents is going to be, to see mama and papa again and spend some more time with them.

It is true what they say ...

You can never be too far away from your family.

And for me, that is a really really good thing.

Crazy people doing crazy things

2011-01-15T12:41:00.003+11:00

Kelvin Khoo, my bro-in-law/partner in crime, visited us in Melbourne in December 2010

I cannot believe that we have not been blogging for a month now. Life has been pretty hectic since 2010 and it looks like there is no slowing down in 2011 either. And that suits me just fine. I respond better when life is full-on and busy. Or else I will be bored and start painting the hubbib's nails with maroon nail polish. With O.P.I nail polish, mind you.

Happy New Year 2011 and we will resume our posts again when the missus has finally finished ironing her pile of laundry.

Nup, nothing has changed since last year.

That pile is still high.

Bleh x8

Vanessa's Graduation

2010-12-15T23:03:00.000+11:00

It has been too long since we've returned to the our alma mater. So hopefully, I will get off my big behind in Autumn of 2011 and take some pictures within university grounds that I've been planning to take since 2009!

Two or so weeks back, we headed to Melbourne Uni to celebrate Vanessa's graduation - congrats girl! Walking around South Lawn, Union House, etc. reminded me of rushing between classes, ice-coffee and sushi @ Plush and long, long nights at the computer lab. After taking some pictures with friends at uni, it was off to Campos Coffee (Elgin St, Carlton) for something cool. We then parted ways. Joe and Van already had dinner plans so we made plans to catch up after dinner for celebratory drinks.

2005 Domaine de la Vougeraie Vougeot 1er Cru Les Cras
This was an auction purchase so provenance may be suspect. Big, bold and muscular. Blackberry and blueberries. Not unlike a shiraz and you certainly would not pick it as a pinot from the get go. A tadpole wine. Starts of all gung-ho but the finish is non-existent. It did improve the next day but this is further proof that I am not a fan of 2005 Burgundies.

2004 Dominique Laurent Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes
The nose is herbaceous in a chinese medicinal herb shop kind of way but the palate was balanced and well-poised. This was most delicious. Thanks Joe.

2007 Müller-Catoir Breumel in den Mauern Riesling Auslese 2007
Müller-Catoir usually makes a Großes Gewächs dry riesling from this vineyard. 2007 saw the first release of a sweet wine bottling from this walled Breumel vineyard. I usually enjoy my German rieslings at the Kabinett level, Spatlese at most. While this wine is classed as an Auslese, it tastes more like a Beerenauslese which means it is in the intensely sweet spectrum. BUT, I intend to make an exception for this wine. I think this wine is jaw-droppingly, bang your fists on the table awesome. It is rich and intense and yet is has so much acid that it never comes across as cloying. Super complex gear. Don't drink this wine, just sip it slowly. This will easily go 25+ years.

15.12.10

2010-12-15T21:37:00.000+11:00

Dear Wifey,

Happy Birthday!

Love,

Hubbib

XOXO

Lobster. Crab. Crap!

2010-12-02T20:40:00.002+11:00

Lobster is my answer to everything. What do you want for your birthday? Lobster! What do you want to eat? Lobster! Who should run for PM? Lobster! How do you stop climate change? Lobster! Who's fault is it? Lobster! You get the drift...

AK: What are we having for brunch?
Aa: Last night's leftovers.
AK: Oh, okay.
Aa: Why, what do you want to eat?
AK: Lobster.

<the missus gets really excited>

Aa: Yeah, let's go to Pacific House! We can order lobster or crab with egg noodles cooked in spring onion and ginger! Yes, let's do that. Just the two of us. We don't have to share!
AK: Tham chiak kui! (Greedy Monster)
Aa: Yes, I'm a tham chiak kui. So are we going?
AK: *grunts*
Aa: Lobster?
AK: No!
Aa: Crab?
AK: No!
Aa: CRAP!

Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 2008

2010-12-01T18:00:00.002+11:00

This Donnhoff kabinett sits comfortably in the off-dry category. It is made using riesling grapes from the Oberhäuser Leistenberg vineyard in the Nahe region.

At the mid-30s price point, this Dönnhoff kabinett is a no-brainer. In my opinion, it stands head and shoulders above offerings from Dr. Loosen and Max ferd. Richter.

It is a pale straw colour with a tinge of green. A gorgeous smelling wine - pure citrus fruits, elderflower and kaffir lime leaves. The palate kicks off to a juicy medley of fruit - grapefruit, guava, mango and lime - which gives way to bath salts, slate and minerals. It is refreshing, has good complexity and a good acid backbone. Great intensity but light on its feet with a long, persistent finish. Excellent. I'd happily drink this anyday of the week.

Star Anise Bistro, Kyneton

2010-11-28T13:15:00.000+11:00

On the last Friday of October just past, the missus and I went up to Star Anise Bistro, Kyneton for a long Friday lunch. This small country restaurant is run by lovely husband and wife team Chris and Emma Chappel. Chris runs the front of house and Emma is the chef.

The restaurants strives to source produce locally and wherever possible, organic and free range products are used. The winelist features plenty of wines from the Macedon Ranges but there is also a counter of European wines to choose from.

Entrée
The missus had scallops and I had a spanner crab omelette.

Main
The missus opted for the eye fillet while I had the signature dish - star anise spiced duck.

Dessert
The missus chose Mr. Orange while I had Mr. Brown.

When we were up at Star Anise Bistro for lunch, Chris and Emma were taking care of an ewe called Chopper (had her ears bitten off, hence the name) and its two lambs Honey and Suckle for friends in the garden next to the restaurant. There was a cute sign in front of the paddock as well but alas, in my haste to attend to a phone call, I forget to take some pics until we were well on the way back to Melbourne.

Star Anise Bistro
29 Piper St, Kyneton VIC
+61 3 5422 2777
www.staranisebistro.com

Black Cherry Chilled Cheesecake

2010-11-27T00:07:00.000+11:00

Mel made this Black Cherry Chilled Cheesecake for dessert after the dinner of spare ribs. I love chilled cheesecake! I'd happily eat cheesecake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am not joking... No, seriously, I am not joking...

Southbank Precinct

2010-11-25T22:29:00.000+11:00

Here is another picture of the Southbank Precinct using the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5. This is a single image taken at 10mm - this lens is W-I-D-E!

Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2008

2010-11-24T20:43:00.000+11:00

This wine is a deep ruby colour. The nose is redolent of dark berry fruit and vanilla bean. There is the usual Rockford Basket Press flavour profile on the palate - raspberry ripple. An intermix of blackberries, plums and milk chocolate with strong overtones of vanilla bean complete the act. There is just a hint of raisined portiness. The texture is dense but not heavy. The tannins are fine-grained and gently assertive with good acid structure to keep things fresh. The length on the finish is just a smidgen short. Extremely young but I'd be happy to drink this over the next 5-10 years. I would rate this as Very Good.

For The Love of Pork

2010-11-23T21:49:00.000+11:00

I love pork. Yes, I love pork! I order pork when we are out and enjoy cooking it at home. Black pig, suckling pig, crispy pork belly, spare ribs and crackle... Yummy!!!

Confession time - we have had spare ribs two Sundays in a row! I blame Jack and Mel though, they were supposed to come over for dinner last Sunday but Jack fell sick. Then, Mel invited herself to dinner and insisted we make ribs again.

At home, we always cook our spare ribs using this recipe from Edward's wife. I have been following Wino-Sapien's blog since early 2006-ish - both for Edward's wine tasting notes and also the food recipes.

Edward's recipes have been an inspiration for me to get into the kitchen and cook something different - the beetroot and orange salad makes regular appearances at our household too. Prior to making THIS beetroot and orange salad, I refused to eat beetroot. It is now not uncommon to see Adriana and I fighting over beetroot.

With the ribs, we opened a bottle of Rockford Black Shiraz (disgorged 2010). I think the sparkling shiraz went quite well with the ribs. It is loaded with juicy blackcurrants, black cherries and plums. This is supported by licorice and nutmeg notes with hints of earthiness to finish. The fine-beaded mousse gives this wine a creamy mouthfeel. Good complexity and a decent finish. I really enjoyed it.

For those of you who know or have experienced leaking bottles of Black Shiraz, it would appear changes have been made to the cork that is used to seal this sparkling shiraz. This is the first time I have seen a Rockford Black Shiraz cork come out like that - they normally look like very pathetic button mushrooms.

Melbourne CBD and Southbank Precinct

2010-11-18T20:13:00.004+11:00

So, another week and another lens that I get to play with. Jared was kind enough to lend me his Canon EF-S 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 USM. Thanks Jared!

The shortest focal length that I have used in the last 10 months is a 35mm. That is equivalent to 56mm on a full frame sensor. It is pretty amazing when you first use it... At its widest, this lens is the equivalent of 16mm on a full frame sensor. This makes the Canon EF-S 10-22 freaking wide! You will swear black and blue that this lens can see around corners! Five minutes and you will understand why this lens is a real estate agent's dream lens. It makes small rooms appear gargantuan!

This is my first attempt at stitching a panoramic image from multiple images. No point wasting a trial copy of Photoshop CS5 without trying out its features! We had an awesome sunset in Melbourne yesterday so after dinner, I was out on the balcony taking pictures.

In hindsight, I should have taken more images in portrait orientation before stitching using Photoshop's Automerge function. I should also have taken multiple rows of images so that the top of Eureka Tower is not cut off, and to also include more of the traffic below.

To finish, let's talk about the trial copy of Photoshop CS5. Firstly, it is not cheap and I don't think I will use it much. I prefer to get it right when taking the picture as opposed to having to edit the buggery out of the picture. As a software developer, I have been working on our software's license verification procedures. When do you check for a valid license? How do you expire a license? It seems major companies like Adobe face this problem as well. Most programs check for validity of license when a program starts up. I do not know of any program that periodically checks for license validity when it is in use. Today is day two after the 30-day trial and as long as I don't close Photoshop CS5, I can seemingly continue to use it. =)

Stay tuned for more wide-angle shots from the Canon EF-S 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 USM...

Sisters

2010-11-09T20:39:00.003+11:00

Took this picture of Adriana and Mel from our apartment balcony after dinner @ Oskar on Saturday.

04.11.10

2010-11-07T09:28:00.004+11:00

Dear Mr. Khoo,

Happy Birthday, Darling.

Love,
Mrs. Khoo

Image: Dear sis made that yummy mango cheesecake!

Normal Service Shall Resume Shortly...

2010-11-03T21:23:00.003+11:00

Yes, we are still here. We have just moved apartments - thankfully, for the second last time. The next time we move, it will be for a LONG while... The move has gone smoothly but we are still waiting on a phone and ADSL 2+ connection. This is why we have been pretty quiet the last few days. We expect resumption of normal transmission sometime next week. =)

We have replaced the chirping of birds in the morning, peace and quiet of South Melbourne, for the hustle and bustle of living pretty much right at the edge of Melbourne CBD. The apartment is over twenty plus floors up, but the soundtrack is pretty much toot here and honk there 24-7.

As you can see, Adriana is already showing symptoms of Internet and Facebook withdrawal. There is only so much of my jokes that she can put up with...

The Pie of Life ...

2010-10-25T21:14:00.003+11:00

The pie of life
Is hurled into your face
Everyday.
But that is no disgrace

A life worth living
Gets splattered on your shirt -
And though you're shocked
And rather deeply hurt;
These pies of life
Which fly out of the blue:
You're made for them
And they were made for you.

~Leunig "The Pie of Life"

Image: www.smh.com.au

Beautiful Things

2010-10-23T17:33:00.004+11:00

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make me new, You are making me new ...

~Gungor "Beautiful Things"

Sunday family dinner

2010-10-22T17:05:00.000+11:00

Last weekend we had my sister and Jack over for a casual dinner at home. We hadn't the slightest idea of what to cook, but we thought that no one can ever go wrong with roasted chicken and a summery salad. The hubbib was delegated to "deal" with the chooks and the ladies prepared the salad. Jack was left to his own devices practicing FIFA game before being thrashed by moi hubbib.

Four-thumbs up from the Ngs. In exchange, the Khoos got a batch of vanilla-bean custard tarts with strawberries from the lil' sista!

Roast chooks with lavender and lemon thyme

Orange and fennel salad

Jelly beans

2010-10-15T19:39:00.003+11:00

Something colourful on an otherwise very cold and gloomy day.

The little sister who is not so little after all went crazy and bought this whole tray of jelly beans when we visited our parents in Jakarta. Her goal was to taste the infamous jalapeño-flavoured jelly beans (I am not kidding). Alas, there wasn't any of the jalapeño-flavoured ones in the whole tray.

Poor sister. She was very sad that day.

Paper Aeroplane

2010-10-13T20:50:00.002+11:00

I spilled the ink across the page trying to spell your name
So I fold it up and I flick it out
Paper aeroplane
It won't fly the seven seas to you
Cause it didn't leave my room
But it awaits the hands of someone else
The garbage man

Got to say mmm mmm mmm

So he opens it up and reads it out to all his friends
Amongst the crowd a heart will break and a heart will mend
He walks on home tired from work
The letter falls from his hand
He reaches out only to catch the sky
It's gone with the wind

I spilled the ink across the land
Trying to spell your name
Up and down there it goes
Paper aeroplane
It hasn't flown the seven seas to you
But it's on its way
It goes through the hands
Then to someone else
To find you girl

~Angus and Julia Stone "Paper Aeroplane"

What's in a name?

2010-10-13T12:56:00.002+11:00

Q: What do you get if you cross a shih tzu and a bulldog?
A: Bullshit

Oh, come on. Admit it, it is funny... =)

Something Different

2010-10-12T12:59:00.003+11:00

Yes, something completely off tangent to the contents of this blog. Surrounded by fellow geeks in the office, I came across this hilarious quote on Monday:

"Windows has a 64 bit GUI for a set of 32 bit extensions on a 16 bit shell for an 8 bit OS using a 4 bit kernel made by a 2 bit company that can't stand 1 bit of competition."

Microsoft... Pfft...

Procrastinating...

2010-10-10T16:15:00.003+11:00

It is a nice sunny Sunday but I am stuck at home with work to finish. So, I'm procrastinating...

Two weeks back, we went into the CBD for a walkaround - although we live within a stone's throw of the city, we hardly venture into the concrete jungle on weekends. It was great to stroll along the streets with a camera in hand - we should do this more...

I took only one lens on this city trip - the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L. Jared did not have any photography appointments that weekend and he was happy for me to play around with it. Thanks!

Adriana making faces at the camera...

Being spoilt

2010-10-10T10:29:00.002+11:00

The hubbib knows best how to spoil his missus.

I know these are bad for you, but boy they taste good.
Not that I have a microwave at home, but try nuking it for about 20 seconds and have it with a cup of hot black tea.

Furry animal

2010-10-09T13:50:00.006+11:00

One more post for today:

Bite me and I swear I will make you regret having a mouth!

Saw this on Kel's Flickr and I burst out laughing!
Love the way my bro-in-law describe a picture.
Hilarious ...

Image: Kelvin's Flickr

Fables and Hollywood

2010-10-09T12:51:00.013+11:00

Gwen introduced us to the Fables graphic novel series. Yes, they are comic books!

They have all the characters that you remember (or have forgotten) from childhood - the Cinderella, Three Little Pigs, Big Bad Wolf, Prince Charming, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, Jack (from the beanstalk), Goldilocks, Aladdin, Mowgli, and the list goes on and on - but the storyline is not as you remember it and this series is certainly not for children.

In this adult version, not all couples live happily ever after. Some of them are heroes and some of them are downright sinister. Some are loyal, some become martyrs for the cause, some of them die fighting bravely, and the big bad monster is not someone you would expect in your wildest dreams.

Which brings us to this song by Angus and Julia Stone. That what we see on TV and read in books is not necessarily how life goes - that there is always a fairytale ending. But I am sure there is some, like Johnny and June, and maybe other people too, like me and you ...

I blame you Hollywood
For showing me things you never should
Show a young girl
In this cruel world

Cause life’s not a happy ending
I’m sure there’s some
Like Johnny and June
And maybe other people too

They all would have been killed in the Sound of Music
La di da la di di da
They would have found out that Pinocchio could never tell the truth
And she wouldn’t make it to shore
The little mermaid
He would have married a whore from a wealthy family
After all, he was a royalty

Cinderella would have scrubbed those floors
Till her hands grew old and tired
And nobody would look her way
It’s just the way it goes today

I blame you Hollywood
For showing me things you never should
Show a young girl
In this cruel world

Cause life’s not a happy ending
I’m sure there’s some
Like Johnny and June
And maybe other people too

And maybe other people too
And maybe other people too
Like me and you

~Angus and Julia Stone "Hollywood"

Family Pics

2010-10-08T16:17:00.002+11:00

Some family pics from dinner two weeks ago...

After spring comes summer ...

2010-10-05T16:54:00.002+11:00

It is time to head down to the beach with a bottle of sun-tan lotion, citrusy margarita, and some trashy magazines.

*chuckles*

Porgie + Mr. Jones Spring 2010

2010-10-04T20:23:00.003+11:00

Two Saturdays ago, we headed to Porgie + Mr. Jones for the Spring 2010 menu to celebrate Jack and Mel's anniversary - not sure which one as they have so many and they are still celebrating an anniversary or another every other month! It's hard work trying to keep up... =P

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I guess there is enough material here for a trilogy - entrée, main and dessert.

hopkins river beef carpaccio, herbs from our back garden, garlic + lemon, tinsy winsy mustard cress

calamari ‘two ways’ with confit tomato, coriander, pistachio and saffron couscous

crisp pork belly braised in Spanish cider, sweet potato mash, Mr Jones’ spiced pear + ginger chutney

grilled swordfish, panzanella salad and tapenade made from Justin's mum's olives

honey and cinnamon pannacotta, fresh dates and compote of Yarra Valley strawberries

steamed blood orange + campari pudding, orange blossom syrup, zabaglione icecream

flourless chocolate cake, white chocolate sauce, dark chocolate sorbet, pistachio praline

The End!

A Few B+W Candids

2010-10-04T18:54:00.002+11:00

These are a few black and white candids taken at our seafood paella Sunday lunch a few weeks ago:

Breakfast at Porgie + Mr Jones

2010-10-03T11:38:00.004+11:00

The missus' numero uno weakness: P+MJ's toasted banana bread.
And that was what we had for breakfast a couple of weeks ago.

Toasted piadini with organic lamb & pinenut meatball, tomato sugo, mozzarella, spinach

Mr Jones’ golden ‘folded’ scrambles with fresh herbs & holy goats cheese on wholegrain toast

Toasted banana bread with maple syrup mascarpone, fresh banana, berry compote & crushed pistachio

The Big One Zero

2010-10-02T11:14:00.003+10:00

These pictures were taken back in August and because of the usual suspects (work and other commitments), we have been a bit slack with updating our blog.

We had dinner with Mel and Jack at Annie Smithers Bistrot in Kyneton to celebrate ten years together. In August of 2000, Adriana and I started dating in Penang, Malaysia - it's amazing how things played out, how the stars aligned and here we are now in 2010 - happily married.

The dishes were well executed - a nod towards bistro-styled dishes than fine dining dishes micro portions from the likes of Vue de Monde. The vegetables and fruit are grown in their own garden in Malmsbury. The meat and poultry products are sourced from producers who are ethically and environmentally sound.

As an aperitif, we had a bottle of Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato. With dinner, I thought it would be fitting to have a bottle of 2000 Craiglee Shiraz by Pat Carmody. As a side note, the story of how the Carmody family came to make wine is a great story as well but that is a story for another day.

The first reason, because I like this wine's style: medium-bodied, cherries and red berries with that distinct Craiglee black pepper and star anise spice notes. I say disctinct because this cool climate shiraz from Sunbury, Victoria has bucket loads of peppery characteristics (black and sometimes white) - you will either love it or hate it. The 2002 Craiglee Shiraz remains one of my favourite Australian reds. The 2000 is verging on medium-to-full bodied, showing some secondary development and complexity but certainly still powering on. On this showing, it would easily go another 5 to 10 years.

The second reason is that it too is 10 years old!

Alone ...

2010-09-30T19:00:00.003+10:00

This is how I feel when the hubbib is away.

But he is back now =)

Penang Hawker Food

2010-09-22T19:42:00.002+10:00

The Sunday passed, we had Jack and Mel over for lunch. The girls made delicious char koay kak (fried radish cakes) and oyster omelette. Yummy Penang hawker food!

The Lil Sister

2010-09-21T09:03:00.000+10:00

Baby Additions!

2010-09-20T18:37:00.005+10:00

Last Saturday we headed to the Melbourne Zoo to check out its latest addition - the yet unnamed baby elephant boy. So cute and clumsy!! We didn't see very much of baby "Dumbo" as its mother and aunty was very protective of it. What we also saw was the big bull elephant - hilarious! If it weren't for the glass between us and it, we would have been completely drenched!

No pics of Dumbo unfortunately as it started to drizzle and I was scrambling to get the camera gear into the bag. Plus, my telephoto zoom is in Adelaide - we'll try again next weekend to get some pictures.

We did however get some nice pics of the not-so-little-anymore tiger cubs.

Seafood Paella

2010-09-19T18:25:00.000+10:00

It has been A WHILE since we have blogged...

A few weeks back, we had Jack and Sha over for a lazy Sunday lunch. It is a tradition that we have recently started - long Sunday lunches with family every few weeks.

Silver Coin

2010-08-28T12:57:00.004+10:00

Heard the rattle from the train
Sounds of a hundred people, maybe more
Cut through the ropes before you came
I had a dream that you were gone

I'm in the days of throwing rocks
When I saw your picture on a silver coin
Stole a kiss through your golden locks
I had a dream that you were gone
Woke up and you were gone

All this love has gone away
Cos I didn't have the heart or strength to say
I'll miss you when you're gone
I'll miss you when you're gone

Heard the rattle from the chains
This goddamn room it gets so small sometimes
I had a dream that you were gone
Woke up and you were gone

~Angus and Julia Stone

My kinda breakfast

2010-08-27T21:02:00.001+10:00

Went to Liar Liar Cafe with Jo and Van for breakfast a while ago.

It was yum.

Liar Liar Cafe
90 Kinkora Road
Hawthorn 3122
VIC

Phone: +61 3 9818 8864