Wonder Girls -Nobody remake.

This is my friend's brother and his mates.

Top effort I say!!

Sneak peak!

Just a little sneak peak into what this years City of Sydney has to offer for Chinese New Year. Coolest design ever!
It's 2011 and it's also the year of the rabbit!! Can you see it!!

The much needed clean.

I cleaned the fish tank today. It's been a long long time since the last siphon but upon refilling the tank i kind of forgot about it. It almost overfilled!Scary stuff.

The suspense!!!

This is the most suspenseful lion dance video i have come across to date. It starts off at the 57 sec mark and then after that slip you can clearly see the confidence of the two athletes diminish, then comes more little slips and jiggles. Shame for the disqualification but still props to them competing, I can only dream of competing at that level in Malaysia.

202 in 2010.

Oh wow. So looking down on my blog just to the right shows my archived blogs and it says in 2010 i made 202 posts.

Really wow, looking back at these posts really shows how i have progressed. Not only in blogging but in photography, life, bikes, foods (lack of in some cases).

It's actually quite amazing reading back on what i did, thought on that particular day. I'm still quite amazed at how diligent i was at blogging. The quality of the posts are definitely better than what it was when it first started so are the photos! I already mentioned that already so I'll shoosh.

I think it's safe to say I'm a blogger. So to the rare few who actually read my blog. Thank you, thank you for having interest in my life and I hope that with my terrible grammar and just as bad creative writing will be enough to keep you interested in my public diary.

Joey's 21st.

I have a lot of photos on facebook already but they are mainly of people. These are the photos that took a bit of effort though.

It was a fun day for sure, people dressing up to the theme of Alice in Wonderland. I had no idea on what to do and I've only watched the first 10 minutes of the movie 1 week prior to this event, so i just took it easy and drew a Jack of Spades on cardboard. Apparently though in the movie there is no jack of spades and the spades were the gardeners not the guards.



So this photo took just a little bit more time than the others but it was actually quite easy and quick. Above is the edited photo of Joey and Dave on the bridge, I thought it was almost perfect but there was someone in the background of the shot. So i gave it ago at photoshopping it out and it worked out quite well. Quite proud of it really (pathetic i know). Below is the original.


I have had this intention for just a little while or adding a border to my images, there is a reason/theory behind it too but i'll explain it later to why if i actually decide to do this. But tell me what you think, should i keep it, change it or just scrap it.This last shot is a terrible failure. The sun was out and just put the exposure way out. It's a good photo but i ruined it. I really do want to have another attempt at this group photo one day. It'll be really easy but it's the people that matter.

The secret room cafe, take 2

So this is my second visit to this little place tucked away in the cbd, I'll blog about it again to make up for the terrible one i did of it before. It's called "The secret room" and it's just a place to hang out really. This cafe has about 10 different rooms, all of them with a computer for you to surf the net, facebook, youtube and anything else in between. Most rooms will have also have various consoles to play with all rigged up with a variety of games to try out!

There is about 10 rooms which isn't many really so if it gets busy they do have a cool waiting room for you to chill out in. What's cool about this place is that each and every room in this cafe has a different layout and feel to it. So it does add to the experience when you spend time with mates in such an exotic room.
There's also rooms in which it feels like a girls room.
Or a kids room.
Or something like a very posh modern room.

Also while you're watching movies off their local network or possibly catching up on the latest korean (or American) dramas, you can easily use the touch screen that's in the room to browse through the variety of drinks or snacks they have to offer and they bring it straight to your room. The only thin i have to nit pick about this place is that their menu really isn't that big and i think that if they do want to improve on something, it should be adding more stuff to their food menu.

So prices range from $5 p.p/hr for a small room, $8p.p/hr for a medium and then something else for a bigger room.

Fresh fruit and veg juices and snacks in Westfields

So on my epic trifecta of a weekend I dropped down to the newly opened Westfield in Pitt street. This was when my friend told me about this fruit shop that's situated in the food court. What it is is just a small little fruit market turned fast food really. I like the concept and i think it just might work.
So like any other fruit market there is a shelf full of different types of fruits that's easily eaten at hand. If i remember correctly all the fruit was priced per piece, so that just made things a bit easier for the person to decide on what to get.
But if you're not in the mood for an apple or a pomegranate there is a cold bar full of fresh cut fruit or fruit salads. This was my small fruit salad, a bit pricey for a fruit salad actually but they have wooden sporks!! Fresh cut mango's. These were surprisingly sweet, I wonder if these are canned because they were a bit too good!

And of course they have a wide selection of fruit smoothies or juices. This was my "Melon juice" a blend of watermelon, rockmelon and pineapple. Boy this was good (probably because i was slightly hungover and needed the hydration) just the perfect amount of pulp!

Encasa

The other day it was Maria's 21st birthday, and apparently she has a thing for Spanish foods so her best friend decided to throw a Friday night birthdaybash and it started out with dinner at Encasa in the Pitt street.

Because we were dining with such a large group (8+) we just went straight to the set menu and ordered the Tapas set. Now this was my first time having Spanish cuisine and while looking at the menu, i was thinking "What is so unique about these tapas dishes?". Turns out "Tapas" is the Spanish word for appetisers/entree, and so this tapas set menu pretty much included all the different varieties of tapas they had to offer, I was quite delighted by that idea.


Started out with just a simple garden and greek salad. I was quite delighted with the feta they used in the Greek salad, usually i find the feta much too overwhelming for the salad but here, it was just right.

You can never go wrong with garlic bread.
Simple green olives. There was also a dish of black olives too that i didn't manage to take a photo of.

Mejillones (black mussels in tomato sauce). Simmered just right and the tomato sauce had the most refreshing texture i have ever had! Funny despite how nice these were it was only me who munched down on it. I guess not everyone is a fan of seafood.

Pinchos de Pollo con Mojo (chicken fillet skewers)

Tortilla Espaňola (omelette with potato and onion). This was interesting, never have had an omelet like this before, very light and fluffy! There was also another dish similar to this with spinach, i personally found the spinach version a wee bit bland and got boring quick.

Sevillanas (prawns in spicy tomato). The spice really wasn't spicy at all, it was more just for a little bit of a kick which i believe it defiantly complimented it very well.




Pinchos Morunos (lamb fillet skewers marinated in Moroccan spices). These skewers were just a tad spicier than the prawns but definitely safe for almost everyone.

There was also the Patatas Bravas (fried potato with garlic mayonnaise and spicy tomato salsa) and the Champiňones al Ajillo (garlic mushrooms) which i didn't get a photo of but the potatoes are definitely worth a mention, just bite sized pieces of potatoes perfect to much on.

Beach Workouts.

In these past few weeks me and a few buddies have been hitting up the beach for some good beach running/workouts. For me it's really just something to prepare me for the intensity of the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities.

This would be our 3rd workout session but this time, i thought it would be a bit different. Funny enough everytime I take a bunch of guys on this workout it's a different set of people. Also this time I thought i would change it up a bit.

I have had a mate suggesting kickboxing for a while now, so i thought why not. I kinda want to do some kickboxing too!

So my workout plans are always as follows, for the warm up anyhow.

• Slow walk on the beach
• Slow jog on the wet sand
  
• Jog on the dry sand.

And usually anything happens after that. And it's great fun, even i get a good workout from the run on the sand. And It's even better when we jog backwards! Killer on the hamstrings! Then there's a combination of pushups, lunges, situps, planches and whatever i think is best/fun.

This time however was a bit different. I had the pads I borrowed from sifu and got the guys to run through just a few basic movements/drills and then work on the pads. It was fun and all but i don't think it was a very effective workout for them. I had 4 guys to one set of pads and i think the waiting time between sets for them was a bit too long. So next time I'll figure something out for them to do inbetween sets.

Funny though because these beach sessions is an intention for me to workout but I just assume the personal trainer roll. I quite like it and i do enjoy teaching others/working other people like dogs. One mate said i worked him to the limit, to the point where his head/ears were throbbing! lol.
I managed to get this photo in the end of the last session. It's me doing a horse to 360 outside kick to horse. I actually didn't know Tony was there but it proved to be a cool picture. Gives me ideas for other action shots i want to try out.

Inspiration.

I want to one day re-create something like this. It wont be anytime soon as i don't have any any wireless speedlights equipment at all.

More pics on Mark Paklua's blog.

Gym.

So the other day I borrowed a mates Fittness First membership, 'borrowed' because I'm too cheap to pay for a membership and a one time visit is quite dear.

So this visit would be my 4th ever visit to a gym, the reason why i went was because Chinese New Year is coming up soon, so that means more practicing/training for liondancing and i just wanted to record all i could do now max out on everything and then i intend to visit the gym again after the cny performances are over to see my improvements.

My numbers and workouts are as follows.

• 2km row - 9min 26 secs (warm up)
• 60' military press - 15kgs, 6reps
• Horizontal Dumbell Flyes - 7.5kgs, 10 reps
• Leg press - 280kgs, 10reps
• 15 speed pull ups
• 20 Inclined sit ups
• Backpull - 10kgs, 5 reps.

Seems pretty pathetic now that i look back at this list. And i still remember during this workout i didn't push myself too hard and i definitely didn't max out on the pull ups or backpull. I also forgot about attempting to max out on the bench press and squats. I might pop down to the gym again just to get them down again.

Vocaloid - Luka (Just Be Friends)

Listen to this song, would you believe me if i told you all the singing was done/programmed by a computer software.

A vocaloid software to be precise and i just find it so amazing to what the digital world is becoming.

PS. I have a couple of thigns to blog about but i havn't had the effort or time to recently so. I hope i don't forget about blogging these things. So Tim, remember blog about gym and your project 365.

The Eatinghouse.

I have been to this little cafe in the suburbs a handful of times already and i think that already says a lot. It's called the Eatinghouse and it's situated in a small suburb in south Sydney called Mortdale. Far from the city so this means a much more chilled atmosphere.

The Breakkie menu that's served all day!
A soy cap for me please! The beans they use in their coffee is actually pretty darn good, which is part of their reason why i visit every now and then. Despite it having close to 'city' prices in a way it's worth it.
Eggs Florentine, it's just an eggs Benedict but with smoked salmon as opposed to smoked ham. The hollandaise sauce they severe here is actually what introduced me to the wonders of eggs benedict, after trying here the first time i have sort of set out there to find the best eggs benny, I actually do think its pretty high up there. Although give me some time and i could probably whipp up something that's perfected to my taste.

Max Brenners

It was my second time dining in at Max Brenners, first time actually having their chocolate! And it was actually quite pleasant. I got the Tuti-fruiti waffles, it's meant to be served with strawberries and bananas but unfortunately it was the end of the night and they had run out of bananas but it was still good! The waffles was surprisingly good and scrumptious, I never actually expect much from waffles because most of the time it's packet stuff you can buy from the supermarket and it turns out most of the time either too dry, too soft and dense or too biscuit like but the waffles here are actually pretty darn good! The chocolate sauce again was just right! Despite my ill expectations of it going to be too rich like most places, even when someone else ordered a fondue with dark chocolate, the dark chocolate wasn't actually too rich, just the way i like it!

Oh and the cups they serve their cold drinks in are just too cool!

Hehehe, this place does live up to it's infamous name, chilled place (assuming you don't go during the rush periods). Great chocolate and pleasant sweets to dine with, for sure coming here again one day.

Jamberoo + Nain Tien !

Did I mention that the best things are sometimes spontaneous.Mr Shark says hello! I think he looks a bit like a pig.

Today me and a few friends went down to Jamberoo!Terrible weather but we endured it for as long as we could. First thing we visited was the not so new but newest attraction "Taipan". The first ride down it was quite surprising really, I didn't expect the water tube to be pitch black and when that happened we all just got tossed around in that tube screaming like silly girls. We did that twice! Actually that was our second ride, our first ride was the water slide, it was cool nothing memorable.

It was actually quite painful to walk from one ride to another because it was just so damn cold. Quickly after one ride we all waddled our way down to the wave pool and just chilled there for a bit till we got cold again.Panoramic shot of the wave pool. Click to enlarge!

This is the wave pool and oh my what a brilliant location to have a pool party with a DJ on the decks. It would just be a blast. We came up with that idea because while sitting on the veranda just next to the wave pool they started to play some pretty "in" music and then people in the wave pool started fist pumping and then it was on! lol

After we realised that it was much too cold to jump into the water again and the terrible weather wasn't holding up too well. The toboggan and go carts were closed and so we bounced.

But it was ok, our day wasn't over just yet. While we were down in the south I actually really wanted to visit the Nan Tien Temple because its been a while since i have been there or even the one near my area. I was glad I suggested it and i was even more pleasantly happy when the crew was quite keen in visiting the temple.

I played tour guide, I wish i new more about the statues and darma so i could of been a better tour guide but it's ok. I showed them everything and it was quite a pleasant walk around Nan Tien its just so beautiful.

Here are some pics i took today, some are actually really really good!This picture turned out quite average, but when I bumped up the contrast and saturated it just a bit it turned out wonderful!

This last picture is my favorite of the day.