Brighton Beach

Our first visit to the beach this year! According to the weather forecast, it was said to be reaching 31 degrees today but apparently the clouds were out and we didn't have to walk along the beach in the scorching heat (which was a relief for both of us!)

I've never seen so many seagulls at the beach before! They were all in search for food.

You can see the skyscraper in the far distance and sweep of colourful beach huts that cost a lot of $$$. It is said that Brighton Beach huts are a combination of being privately owned and those owned by the government. Even when you own the hut, it is not allowed to change the design or repaint the box as it is the iconic symbol of the popular beach. Brighton beach is located in between St Kilda and Sandrigham Station, 20 minutes train ride from the city.

It's more quite than the St. Kild beach as there is virtually no development at the beach front aimed at the tourists. If you're looking for a serene, quiet place to enjoy a walk or reading, this place is highly recommended! Make sure you bring your sunnies and a bottle of water when visiting :-)

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year to all my dear friends and family! The year 2011 was an amazing year for me, lots of excitement, changes and challenges. We're now starting the new year, entering upon a new phase in our lives. May this year be filled with lots of hope, happiness and joy for all of us ..and be a healthy and prosperous one!

xoxo

Thai Food

Ying Thai is one of our favourite restaurants in Melbourne. We used to go there quite regularly but last night was the first time in two months. We ordered our usal dishes, vegetarian green curry, fried vegetables and cashew nuts and fresh coconut juice.
I like it during the summer holiday because the shop is more quiet and the service is faster.

Oishikatta!

My very first Christmas card

I can never thank all my friends enough for their continuous supprt and their love and care for me.

I love you so much girls!!!!!!! This beautiful pop-up card was sent from Japan and arrived just yesterday. It truly made my day. The card was from someone very special and I love! Thanks Ms S!

The View

The view from our apartment window never changes, but sometimes it can look very foreign and other times it can look quite friendly. It all depends on my mood how I see it. It's often hard to change the object itself, all you have to do is to change your perspective and the view automatically will start to look different. Happy mind makes no enemy nor negativity.

The Melbourne city looks calm and peaceful tonight.

How's your city looking right now? :-)

Homemade sandwich

My eating habit had drastically changed over the last couple of years. It's hard to find an authentic Japanese restaurant where they serve fresh food (though there are heaps of sushi shops in the city, none are really owned by Japanese and the ingredients are quite different from the traditional Japanese sushi rolls)....or to simply find restaurants where I can eat non-greasy, healthy and simple taste vegetarian-based dishes. Fortunately, they sell natto at the Asian groceries in Melbourne so they've been taking a large part of my daily diet. Today I made myself a fresh sandwich for lunch. One thing I miss the most about Japan is for its simple but tasty food...tsukemono, nimono, miso soup, yakizakana, tsukudani etc. Oh how I miss my mom's home-cooked meal!

Brother Baba Budan

Brother Baba Budan is a famous coffee place for many Melburnian. It is located in CBD where it's a great place for a latte, cappuccino and espresso. The place is small and you need to be very lucky to get a seat as it's usually packed with people purchasing their coffees. It is all worth it for the intimate setting to exchange goss while the flavour and aroma of coffee permeate your consciousness and relax your whole body. When you look up at the ceiling, you will find the jumble of old chairs overhanging; creating a unique artificial sky. I personally felt that the coffee was served slightly under my ideal temperature (I like steaming hot coffees!) but overall their service was good.