Just a quick post today - I'm finally flying home to Malaysia! I'll be there for about a month, to soak up the Chinese New Year goodness with my loved ones and maybe get some shopping in before I come back to Melbourne.

I'll be busy running some last minute errands today, and making arrangements for Chloe's care. I'm going to miss her so much!


As for me, I'll be posting more beauty posts once I get back to Malaysia!

You can also follow me via Twitter to check out all the food porn I'll be bringing straight to your computer/mobile screens, as well as Malaysia's sights, sounds, smells, and tastes, Chinese New Year customs, and of course, the attractions and shopping destinations in Malaysia. Are you excited? Already anticipating the yumminess? I'm so excited about posting via Twitter about Malaysia! Hope you guys enjoy reading my tweets as much as I will enjoy posting them :)

Off to make myself useful. Gong Xi Fa Cai to everyone!

Malaysia, here I come!

I've been in Melbourne almost 4 years now, but I'd always spent the summer holidays back home with my family, which meant that Christmas was spent with the family, too. Last year, we had a blast prancing around in colourful afros and singing Christmas songs (and just about every other fast song ever written). You can read about it and see some pictures in this blog post.

This year, I decided to stay back in Melbourne for a while (don't ask me why, I'm a little confused as to why myself). So, I experienced my first ever Christmas in Melbourne.

On Christmas Eve, we went over to Jin's place for dinner with his family and friends. We had a really yummy dinner, and watched Christmas with the Kranks (and I watched a little 'Bunnies of the Playboy Mansion'). I don't have any pictures, unfortunately, but it was lovely and homey.

After, I came back home and spent Christmas with my family (sort of)! I was on Skype with them, and I participated (as best I could) in the celebrations over webcam :)


They sang and boogied, and we chatted every once in a while. Not quite the same as being there, but it came in a decent second.

Oh, and the See 'brothers' got reunited. It was pretty funny because Winston greeted Jason in a doggy mask, something Mich picked up before the party.


I spent Christmas day with the boyfriend. We just stayed home, had two good meals, and watched a bunch of movies together  :)

How was your Christmas? I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season!

Rue Bee and Winston are long gone, and I'm missing them like crazy!

I loved exploring Melbourne with them. Even though I've lived in Melbourne for the past 3 and a half years, I (sadly) haven't had very many chances to explore the surrounding regions.

One of the places we visited together was Phillip Island. The four of us, Jace and I, and Rue Bee and Winston, got a discounted tour package. The tour took us to four locations on Phillip Island - Panny's Chocolate Factory, Churchill Island, the Nobbies Centre, and the Penguin Parade.


My favourite place, I have to admit, was Panny's Chocolate Factory (the Penguin Parade came in a close second, though!). They had so many chocolate-related displays! They had a few games, that you could play in order to win chocolate. There was a large chocolate block hooked up to a weighing scale, and you had to try and guess its weight by standing on the corresponding scale to try and balance out the weight.

There was also a chocolate squiggle machine, that allows you to draw your own squiggle of chocolate.



My absolute favourite chocolate at Panny's was their Signature White Truffle. They gave us a sample as we walked through the door, and I loved it! I went looking for it after the tour, at the chocolate shop. I finally found it, but I found it kind of pricey, so I decided not to get it in the end.


But the boyfriend bought it for me and surprised me on the bus! He disappeared for a while, and then when he reappeared, he dug out the bag with a sneaky little smile. It was so sweet, and the chocolates are sooo good!

I tried an online search, and I found out that Panny's has only very few select locations where its chocolate is sold, so I guess that means it's the only packet of Panny's chocolate I'll be having in quite a while. But oh, how I will dream of it!

Winston and Jace's friends, Wilson and Jien Ann, were kind enough to take us up to Mount Dandenong the other day. The four of us, Jace and I, and Rue Bee and Winston, rented a car, and followed their car up to check out the sights.


We ate at Miss Marples (the scones were SO disappointing!) and Pie in the Sky (pretty good pies). I love going in search for food when we go on trips!



We also took in the sights at Sky High, walking through the gardens and taking a few pictures on the balconies.


It wasn't too hot, though the sun was shining down in full force. I loved that we got to explore and satisfy my food hunting urges. I want to go on an all out food outing soon. Maybe here, maybe in Malaysia. Either way, I will document it and post it here! :)

On one of their first days here, we took Winston and Rue Bee to Misty's Diner to try out the food there. It was all of our first times there, too.

When we first got there, I was a little bit disappointed looking in from the outside. It is a small, unassuming little place, and I didn't really think much of it. But my impression of it changed as soon as we walked in. There were colours everywhere, and it was so lively and bright. The music was great, the waitresses were friendly and smiling, and the food was pretty good!



We had the Carb Coma Platter - it had cheese sticks, chilli fries, fried mushrooms, veggie bites and potato mashies.


The cheese sticks were AMAZING! The chilli cheese fries were just okay for me, but I loved their gravy and potato mashies. Poor Jace had a soccer game and couldn't eat, so we're thinking of going there again soon so he can try the food there. He loves American diner-type food.


We ordered the brownie for dessert. It was pretty good, but nothing really special.

What's great about Misty's Diner is that they have this counter up the front, which sells all the snack food I was talking about in my American snack food post. I finally tried a Twinkie!
But it was disappointing. Nothing about it was good. Twiggies taste better   :(

Twinkie rant aside, I think this is a really great place. Everyone should try it at least once. Make sure to go early or book a table, because it gets pretty packed, even on a Monday night!

You can check out their website at MistysDiner.com.au.

Rue Bee and Winston are finally here! After years of waiting, months of planning, and countless hours talking about it, they're finally here in Melbourne with us  :)

They arrived yesterday morning at 11am. We picked them up at Southern Cross station, excitedly chatting about our plans and their journey here.

We spent yesterday wandering around Melbourne Central and Bourke street, and then had some chocolate at Max Brenner. I don't have any pictures from that, because they're in the other camera.

I do have pictures of our dinner on Lygon, which was delicious! I've never tasted a more fresh pizza crust here in Melbourne ever! We also had to stop at Freddos for the must-have Rocher gelato (they had durian-flavoured gelato, too)



Later on at night, we played a few drinking games, and Chloe became our dealer at poker.


Today we're heading out shopping! Will update you guys tomorrow :)

Hello all, I hope you guys are having the most wonderful weekend. The King Street household has seen more or less just work and study, but that will change next weekend, because exams will be over and assignments will have been handed in by then! Not forgetting, of course, that a certain cousin will be over to visit and wreak some havoc!

Anyway, you may be wondering about the title to my post. Well, let me elaborate.

This is Michelle, trying to get Chloe to hold an RM50 note.


This is me, getting Chloe to hold a "Post-It With Love" from the boyfriend.


Tee-hee.

Then again, you really must give Mich the credit she deserves....


...because this is all Chloe seems to want to do as soon as Jace lays down. Yes, that is me trying to save him from the horror that is Chloe. And yes, that is Jason's wrist trapped between Chloe's jaws. And no, I didn't manage to save him.

Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

After an eternity of being cooped up at home, studying for exams, I'm finally starting to go out again.

Today, I went out to Vic Market with the boyfriend for a leisurely grocery run. I still have a research paper to hand in, so I'm not quite ready to while the day away doing the things that I do.

What's interesting is that, during lunch, we suddenly had this talk about our future, about what we both want, separately and together. It's a hard thing to do, listening and sharing, especially with people as different as the two of us. We wanted some of the same things, but we also wanted some very different things. We disagreed on how we would get where we wanted to get.

But at the same time, these differences brought to light the fact that we could compromise with one another; give and take without really compromising too much of ourselves. This showed us harmonizing at our best.

I know to most people, this may not be a lot. In fact, it may not be anything at all.

But it showed me, and taught me a lot about our relationship. I'm glad we had the talk, and I'm glad we're able to do the things that we do.


And I got all this from a simple trip to Vic Market   :)

Summer is coming, and I'm thinking up as many ways as I possibly can to combat the heat wave that is Melbourne.

One of my solutions?

A fridge chock-full of freezing cold popsicles.


So I thought I'd post a popsicle recipe that I'm dying to try, just in case you guys feel like trying it out too :)

This is a popsicle recipe with a kick (if you know what I mean), which I think is a great, fun way to start a night out with friends, or a night in, for that matter! Recipe comes from Savory.tv

Margarita Popsicles
(serves 4)

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup water

There's something about the soft texture, and the bright red colour of strawberry jelly. It reminds me of those hi-tea sessions my parents used to take us to at Holiday Villa when we were younger. I loved it! The pastries, the fruit, oh, it was all so heavenly!

Jelly also, for some reason, reminds me of that scene in Jurassic Park, when the kids find their way back into the main hotel and find the buffet all laid out and ready to eat, and one of them digs into a giant plate of jelly....and then the raptors attack but that's not really relevant. That jelly looked amazing!

So here I am with my little bowl of jelly. It is so refreshing, especially on a warm afternoon  :)

So, I have a little confession to make.

On the day my take home exam (now safely finished and handed in) was due to be distributed, I went out. On lunch date with the boyfriend, and then to do a little shopping for random stuff our apartment needed.


It felt sooooo good! I don't know if we were lucky or unlucky to have gone out on such a glorious, sunny day. I went out in a cardigan, but by the time noon hit, I'd taken it off and the sun was beating down hard on my shoulders. It felt good at first, but then it became soooo hot!!

After that, it was just a matter of time before I was dying to get home. Imagine what summer will be like *gulp*

Rue Bee make sure you bring your coolest, thinnest clothes when you come to visit!

I wore my new cropped waterfall vest that day, and made the mistake of wearing jeggings - in my defence, it was cool out at first!


People have already broken out the gladiator sandals and the short-shorts! Bring on the warmth!

Halloween is fast approaching! And while I can't actually attend a Halloween party because I have exams popping up left right and centre (I have a paper due the day after Halloween itself), I thought I'd post a few Halloween costume ideas, just to get everyone in the spirit of it  :)


Does anyone know who this is? :)
I spiced up the outfit a little, girl-style - hence the lacy gloves and the kickass shoes. Colour your hair white (temporarily, of course!), secure with a black ribbon, and you're ready to go!

If you're going partying with your best friend, what better way to go than as Bride Wars characters Liv and Emma? I didn't want to go overboard with the dresses, that's why I chose short ones, but hey, go wild if you want to!


Okay, so this isn't the most original costume idea. But who could resist?! Audrey Hepburn is one of the most iconic movie stars of all time, and I had to put this outfit up :)


This is for all the Gleeks out there :) Rachel Berry - though I admit, the shoes are a little bit more amped than Lea Michele usually wears.

I hope everyone enjoys their Halloween very much! May you have many scares and OD on sugar at least twice that night!

Lately there have been little reminders (OK, and huge ones thrown in the mix too) of how terrible things were for me a couple of years ago.

I remember back in college, before exam period came round, I started going to the library with my friends.

I'd stay back after class (ah, the luxuries of having your own car) and find my own little study carrel beside my friends, and I'd study till the sun went down.

I remember each time I started studying, I'd flip through the sheer volume of text from the point where I last stopped. Sometimes, if I gave in to the pressure, I'd just silently sob for a few seconds, and lay my head down on the table and just take deep breaths to try and calm myself down.

And then when I was done studying, or when it was time to go home for dinner, I'd get up, gather my books, and walk out. More often than not, we'd leave just as the sun was setting. There'd always be this calming, orange light out, and the sky would be a picture of gorgeous yellows, purples and blues.

And I'd feel so at peace. I'd feel like at that very moment, I'd done all I could do in a day, and that I'd done enough. I'd feel content.


I hadn't really felt that feeling since then. It had been a really, really long time. Today, however, I had that very same feeling. It was evening, and I'd just finished my last lecture for the day. I looked up from my computer screen, and I was overcome with that same contentment. It takes a heck of a lot of studying and tears to get to that point each day, but I guess, it's worth it.  :)

On a whole other note, the giveaway ends in a week! Submit your entries and be in the running to get one of 4 cool prizes. Good luck!

Anyone who knows me knows that while I'm up for the occasional badminton or futsal game, just for fun. But people who know me also know that I am not the athletic type. I do not exercise frequently, or consistently, and I definitely do not go to the gym.

The other day, though, just for fun, I followed Jace out to the gym with Jin and Arnold. I half jogged, half walked all the way down to their place at Southbank with  Jace. By the time I got to their building, my legs felt so jelly-like!


I used the bike for a little while, reading Stephenie Meyer's 'Eclipse'. Unfortunately, Jace didn't bring any water along, and I soon found myself hot, weak-kneed, and light-headed.

It wasn't long before I was lounging on the floor with my book, stopping to take occasional pictures of the boys 'doing their thing'.


What I found really fun was the jacuzzi after. I had time to relax, and collect my thoughts, while the boys noisily splashed about in the pool nearby.

Then I got light-headed because the jacuzzi water was really warm, and I still hadn't had any water since I started. But it was all fixed with a good, hearty dinner after, which I'm inclined to think completely negated my prior gym effort.

It was good fun, though. Next time, I'm going armed with a giant bottle of water. We'll see how the next session (if there ever is one) goes!

My boyfriend graduated last Thursday.

All of us were so proud of him! His parents were beaming, and I just couldn't help but think how handsome and smart he looked. I felt so proud, watching him walk around in his graduation gown.

We took the train down together (picture on left is him at Flinders street station waiting for our train), all 7 of us (Jace, his parents, sister, aunt, me and Michelle). Everyone was pretty excited about his graduation, actually. After all, he is the only son, and their first child, and the first to graduate in the family.

Anyway, we took the train down, then had some lunch at Meeting Point while he picked up his graduation gown. Walking out of the academic dress pick-up, I asked him for his tickets, just to check. He stopped dead in his tracks - he left them at home! Luckily, we found out from student services that you could get replacement tickets when the gates opened. Otherwise, he would've gone in to graduate by himself, and there would be very well dressed people following me around the library for a couple of hours.


The graduation ceremony itself was quick enough - he was in and out in less than 1 1/2 hours. We took so many pictures near the 'lake'. They even took jumping shots. You can see them all in my Facebook album here.


We had a little dinner after, at this place in Chinatown called Ling Nam. The food there was OK, but one big gripe I have about the place was that they didn't tell us the price of the fish that we ordered! I think with something as pricey as $78 per kilo, you should warn your customer of the price before putting in the order! We are definitely not going there again - such poor service.

After dinner, we dropped by the house to feed Chloe, then went down to Crown. Not to gamble, but to go to Galactic Circus, the arcade! Everyone had a lot of fun. I am not the video game kind of person, but I had a lot of fun collecting tickets from the games, and thinking up what to redeem with the tickets after. I ended up getting a bow and arrow (Jace's idea), a pair of oversized glasses (Michelle's idea), and a Simpsons sour candy for each of us.

Of course, the glasses were a big hit.

Congratulations again on your graduation, Jace. I'm so proud!  :)

Michelle's club, the International Engineering Students' Society, organised a cocktail night yesterday. They held it at an awesome place (Chi Lounge, on Little Bourke), and Jason's parents and friends wanted a place to hang out and drink.

So I called Michelle up, she moved a couple of things around, and we got a karaoke room for them to hang out in. They weren't too happy about at first (I mean, free karaoke room, really?! Who does that to people?! Note the sarcasm), but they started warming up to it after the first couple of drinks. Soon, everyone was dancing and singing along to the music, and hogging the mic - just the way it should be.


They ordered a total of 5 bottles of whiskey, and our drinks were continually (and quite magically, really) topped up the entire night. Needless to say, by the end of it, everyone was very happy. Very, very happy.


It was a great chance to get to know our guests, since they were a little more chatty than usual. It was also kind of funny to have the kids take care of the adults, for a change.

They went off to Phillip Island today, but the boyfriend was a little bit tired from yesterday's shenanigans, so we decided to stay back with Mich and his sister. We're baking a cake later for his Mom's birthday, so wish us luck!


Also, Happy Birthday, Aunty Irene. Just sending the thought out there :)

We rented out a car and took a little trip to the Healesville Sanctuary in Seville yesterday.

Jason's Dad's friends were already there - they stayed the night in a gorgeous house just outside the Seville Hill Winery, owned and operated by its owners. We joined them at the house for lunch, and I got a chance to look around. It was so beautiful! It had a gorgeous pinewood decor, a cute little fireplace, and a beautiful, blossoming backyard.

We reached the Healesville Sanctuary at about 2pm, which was a little bit of a waste, because they have all these really cool "Meet the Keeper" shows that start at around 12pm. We got to see one show that started at 2.30 - "Birds of Prey". It was all about these gorgeous falcons, and it was so interesting! We saw (among others) a bird that used a stone to break open a replica emu egg, and a really large eagle that swooped just inches above the entire crowd.


It took us about 2 hours, and we didn't even finish looking at all the animals. It's actually much more worth the visit compared to the Melbourne Zoo.

We went back to the house for dinner and drinks before heading home. Dinner was wonderful - I made grilled salmon with herbs and this really cool sauce that my Mom came up with. We had wine after (Jace had beer - eww), and then curled up by the fireplace with some chocolate. The warmth of the fire on my back was heavenly. I wish we had a fireplace at home!


We only started the trip back at about 12am. The poor boyfriend was tired out by then, but he was such a sport about driving us all back. He didn't complain one bit, and even woke up early the next morning to return the car.


I really want to go to Seville again! I want to stay in that house, and go wine tasting, and see the countryside. Then, I want to sip wine by the fire and laugh about old times with my family and friends. I can't wait for the holidays!

It was my birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday to me), and I went out with Mich and Jason's family last night to celebrate.

We thought of going to an Italian/Modern Australian restaurant, but I decided against the whole pretentious hoity-toity thing, so we went to Oriental Spoon, on LaTrobe, instead.


The boyfriend tried to save me from the embarrassment of a birthday cake and song, but his mom got the better of him, and I got a huge slice of tiramisu cake with a big fat candle on top.


We also tried this Korean soju (read: alcohol), which Koreans drink warm in the winter. It was actually very effective against the cold - a few sips and I was feeling very warm despite the cold draft blowing in through the open doorway. It had a really sweet, pear taste, with a wine-like aftertaste.


It was a good night, all in all. I also got so many birthday wishes, calls and texts throughout the day. Thanks everyone! It feels good to be remembered, and I'm so grateful that I have so many awesome friends and family members.

I just wish I had everyone I love here with me :)

Jason's parents arrived last night, at around 11.45pm. He was so excited, going to pick them up.


I didn't do much with them that night, because I had a class the next morning, but they did hang out in the living room for a little before heading out to their friends' place. They also gave me and Jace a little gift.


They got Jace and I a set of watches, and they are so beautiful! It breaks my heart taking the watch out of its case, that's how beautiful it is.

Anyway, this afternoon, I went with Jace to get the car, and drop everyone off at the Plum Hotel on Collins.
Everyone was taking a day trip somewhere, but Jace and I decided to go with his sister to Chadstone, to check out the VIP sale.


We did about 2-3 hours' worth of shopping, and all I did was buy Michelle a purse. Yes, I am an awesome sister :)

I don't have very many pictures yet, because we haven't really spent much time together, but once I will, I'll be sure to post them up!