Here is a silly video that I recently recovered from my laptop.
It stars my younger sister.
30.10.10
25.10.10
What's life without dairy?
My doctor told me that my body's inability to metabolise lactose may be the cause of my constant discomfort. So not only do I suffer from Asian Flush because I lack the enzyme that breaks down alcohol; there is also the possibility that I lack the lactase enzyme.
I realise that many people - especially Asians - are lactose intolerant but I pride myself on my ability to eat everything and anything. So naturally, being the 'catastrophic thinker' that I am, I received the news quite dramatically - a bit like Jeff Winger in S02E03 of Community when he finds out that he has high cholesterol. If you haven't seen it, he takes it really badly.
I usually have yoghurt for breakfast, cheese with my lunch, chocolate or ice cream for dessert, and skim milk with my coffee. I need dairy.
Even more devastatingly, my dream of visiting every frozen yoghurt store in Sydney has now been shattered. :( (This warrants a sad face).
My short journey has now ended with the mediocre yoghurt from Noggi at Macquarie Shopping Centre - the servings are very generous but the limited range of toppings is quite sad (from memory I think there are only around 5 to choose from). The toppings selection at Frozen Yoghurt on Glebe Point Road is also very disappointing. Also, although I like my food establishments clean, this place is over-the-top sterile, giving it a creepy vibe. The only good thing about this joint is the fact that you get to self serve and the price of your dessert depends on the weight.
Therefore, in my novice opinion, Wow Cow definitely trumps the both of them. Although WC is slightly more expensive, the servings are big and there are heaps of different toppings to choose from. My favourite combo is the original yoghurt with crumble and berry coulis. And if I'm feeling particularly gluttonous I'll treat myself to the doughnut sticks.
I realise that many people - especially Asians - are lactose intolerant but I pride myself on my ability to eat everything and anything. So naturally, being the 'catastrophic thinker' that I am, I received the news quite dramatically - a bit like Jeff Winger in S02E03 of Community when he finds out that he has high cholesterol. If you haven't seen it, he takes it really badly.
I usually have yoghurt for breakfast, cheese with my lunch, chocolate or ice cream for dessert, and skim milk with my coffee. I need dairy.
 |
| This used to be me |
Even more devastatingly, my dream of visiting every frozen yoghurt store in Sydney has now been shattered. :( (This warrants a sad face).
My short journey has now ended with the mediocre yoghurt from Noggi at Macquarie Shopping Centre - the servings are very generous but the limited range of toppings is quite sad (from memory I think there are only around 5 to choose from). The toppings selection at Frozen Yoghurt on Glebe Point Road is also very disappointing. Also, although I like my food establishments clean, this place is over-the-top sterile, giving it a creepy vibe. The only good thing about this joint is the fact that you get to self serve and the price of your dessert depends on the weight.
Therefore, in my novice opinion, Wow Cow definitely trumps the both of them. Although WC is slightly more expensive, the servings are big and there are heaps of different toppings to choose from. My favourite combo is the original yoghurt with crumble and berry coulis. And if I'm feeling particularly gluttonous I'll treat myself to the doughnut sticks.
 |
| Noggi: MINI original yoghurt with strawberry, granola, and Oreos. |
Now I will never know if a better yoghurt store exists. Unless I decide to bear the immense pain and bloating.
*In case I get any hate mail from people complaining about my whinging - I know that being lactose intolerant is not the worst thing out there and I do appreciate that I don't have more serious health issues.
24.10.10
Obama: It Gets Better
Why can't all political leaders be this sweet?
Also, I know I've been really slack with updating my blog but I promise I'll have some more substantial entries once I hand in my final essays.
19.10.10
17.10.10
You're starting to get on my nerves.
Dearest iPhone,
I hate you.
I wanted you so badly before but now you are the main source of my frustration.
You're so temperamental. Sometimes you have excellent reception but most of the time you tell me that you're 'Searching...'. I know you're lying because there's definitely reception in the area - I'm standing in the middle of the city, not Hicksville. Have you ever considered that I might be DYING and need to make an emergency call and don't have time to restart you? On that note, why do you take so long to shut down. And then equally as long to switch back on?
I also hate that your screen cracks so easily. Sure, I may have dropped you on the floor but it was only from a height of 30cm. You were my second iPhone (after my first one decided to self-destruct) and it was only the third day of our relationship. Why are you so fragile?
And for some reason you like to freak me out. Sometimes I will make or answer a call and it sounds like an alien from District 9 is on the other side. Why are aliens trying to communicate with me at the most inconvenient times?
I also hate that you lag. You're only a bit over a year old and I don't store much on you. Why is there a one second delay for you to open an app?
Oh, and what's the deal with me having to charge you every night. Over time your battery life has just gone from crap to crappier. I play a few games, check a few emails, listen to a bit of music and you're telling me that you've only got 50% battery left?
This is not good enough. As soon as my contract finishes, I'm ridding myself of your incompetence. I'm moving on. I've always wanted to try Samsung Galaxy S.
Yours Sincerely,
Emily
15.10.10
Shameless Plug: Cheng's on Fitzroy and Cool Mac
As the title suggests, this is a shameless plug.
If you didn't already know, my dad and uncle own a restaurant called Cheng's on Fitzroy. They've had it for just over two years now and it's going slow but steady. I used to help out when they first opened but eventually did everyone a favour by quitting because I was the World's Worst Waitress - spilling beers and breaking glasses over customers, tipping sauces on table cloths, and suffering from a serious phobia of carrying drink trays.
I've learnt a lot from my family's experience in the restaurant business - mainly that it's freaking hard. Opening up in the midst of the GFC didn't really help either. Nonetheless, after much perseverance and patience, I think that my dad and uncle have come a long way. And if they read this, I just want to let them know that I'm very proud of them (awww).
My dad previously worked in the airline business before quitting to take over a cafe in Kirribilli. With no hospitality experience (except being a waiter when he was younger), he tirelessly managed the cafe for ten years before handing it over to my cousin Eugene (who has now transformed it into a really hip place called Cool Mac). Looking for something more challenging, my dad realised that there lacked good, modern Chinese restaurants in the area.
On the other side of the globe, my uncle had been working for an insurance company in Hong Kong for many years. Although he was happy in his job, his real passion has always been cooking. Even everyday homemade dinners were innovative and of restaurant standard. It was pretty much inevitable that he would one day be the head chef of his own establishment.
Combining their talents, they've now established a modern Chinese restaurant. The idea behind it was that they wanted to challenge common misconceptions of Chinese food as greasy, MSG-fuelled and sloppy. The dishes on the menu are traditional Chinese dishes with a modern twist. My favourites include the Capital Pork Ribs, Sweet and Sour Pork with Fresh Strawberries, and the Soft Shell Crab San Choi Bao. And unlike tacky restaurants with poor quality service, my dad ensures that the waitstaff are attentive, polite and personable.
So I'm hoping that after reading this you'll have a sudden craving for Chinese food and give my family's restaurant a go. You know you've always wanted to.
Cheng's on Fitzroy
Shop 3/12 Fitzroy Street
Kirribilli NSW 2061
Ph: 9955 8554
If you didn't already know, my dad and uncle own a restaurant called Cheng's on Fitzroy. They've had it for just over two years now and it's going slow but steady. I used to help out when they first opened but eventually did everyone a favour by quitting because I was the World's Worst Waitress - spilling beers and breaking glasses over customers, tipping sauces on table cloths, and suffering from a serious phobia of carrying drink trays.
I've learnt a lot from my family's experience in the restaurant business - mainly that it's freaking hard. Opening up in the midst of the GFC didn't really help either. Nonetheless, after much perseverance and patience, I think that my dad and uncle have come a long way. And if they read this, I just want to let them know that I'm very proud of them (awww).
My dad previously worked in the airline business before quitting to take over a cafe in Kirribilli. With no hospitality experience (except being a waiter when he was younger), he tirelessly managed the cafe for ten years before handing it over to my cousin Eugene (who has now transformed it into a really hip place called Cool Mac). Looking for something more challenging, my dad realised that there lacked good, modern Chinese restaurants in the area.
On the other side of the globe, my uncle had been working for an insurance company in Hong Kong for many years. Although he was happy in his job, his real passion has always been cooking. Even everyday homemade dinners were innovative and of restaurant standard. It was pretty much inevitable that he would one day be the head chef of his own establishment.
 |
| Uncle Matthew and Dad |
Combining their talents, they've now established a modern Chinese restaurant. The idea behind it was that they wanted to challenge common misconceptions of Chinese food as greasy, MSG-fuelled and sloppy. The dishes on the menu are traditional Chinese dishes with a modern twist. My favourites include the Capital Pork Ribs, Sweet and Sour Pork with Fresh Strawberries, and the Soft Shell Crab San Choi Bao. And unlike tacky restaurants with poor quality service, my dad ensures that the waitstaff are attentive, polite and personable.
 |
| Capital Pork Ribs (mmmm) |
So I'm hoping that after reading this you'll have a sudden craving for Chinese food and give my family's restaurant a go. You know you've always wanted to.
Cheng's on Fitzroy
Shop 3/12 Fitzroy Street
Kirribilli NSW 2061
Ph: 9955 8554
12.10.10
I love you, Vanity Fair.
So you've all freaked me out a bit.
I checked the stats for this blog and saw that linking it to FB increased my views by ten fold, which isn't that surprising considering I previously had a readership of around two people (hi Max and Nugen). Obviously the intention of feeding my blog through to FB and Twitter was to generate traffic but I guess I never really considered the actual consequences of doing so. That is, I never considered that people would actually read my stuff; that you would be wasting five minutes of your life reading my rambling. I'm not saying that you're reading it because it's good - it's highly likely that you're reading it because you have accidentally clicked on my FB link. Nonetheless, I feel exposed. Despite the anxiety that this invokes, it also puts pressure on me to produce some half-decent content (a good thing).
Now, I realise that I've drifted from my initial theme of talking about 'things I've always wanted to' so today is the day that I am going to get back on track. But seeing as my mind is mostly preoccupied with graduation-related nervousness, this post is super short and may be a bore to you.
If you know me at all, you'd know that my career aspirations are to write for an amazing magazine until the age of around 38 and then go into PR until I retire. My ultimate goal is to work for Vanity Fair. It's got everything that I'm interested in; politics, culture, fashion, entertainment and Annie Leibovitz. The magazine can be serious. And then there are sections where they just have a laugh. I love reading the articles but also thoroughly enjoy the slideshows, such as Howard Schatz's In Character series. To me, VF is perfect.
I've always wanted to work for Vanity Fair (blatant and uncreative link to my blog's theme). So maybe my blog will one day reach editor Grayden Carter's computer screen or the screen of any other influential VF journos and they'll love it so much that they contact me for a job opportunity. Or maybe I should just be more proactive about it and complete my Conde Nast job application, book a flight to NYC and force myself upon them.
I checked the stats for this blog and saw that linking it to FB increased my views by ten fold, which isn't that surprising considering I previously had a readership of around two people (hi Max and Nugen). Obviously the intention of feeding my blog through to FB and Twitter was to generate traffic but I guess I never really considered the actual consequences of doing so. That is, I never considered that people would actually read my stuff; that you would be wasting five minutes of your life reading my rambling. I'm not saying that you're reading it because it's good - it's highly likely that you're reading it because you have accidentally clicked on my FB link. Nonetheless, I feel exposed. Despite the anxiety that this invokes, it also puts pressure on me to produce some half-decent content (a good thing).
Now, I realise that I've drifted from my initial theme of talking about 'things I've always wanted to' so today is the day that I am going to get back on track. But seeing as my mind is mostly preoccupied with graduation-related nervousness, this post is super short and may be a bore to you.
If you know me at all, you'd know that my career aspirations are to write for an amazing magazine until the age of around 38 and then go into PR until I retire. My ultimate goal is to work for Vanity Fair. It's got everything that I'm interested in; politics, culture, fashion, entertainment and Annie Leibovitz. The magazine can be serious. And then there are sections where they just have a laugh. I love reading the articles but also thoroughly enjoy the slideshows, such as Howard Schatz's In Character series. To me, VF is perfect.
 |
| VF Cover by Annie Leibovitz 2006 |
 |
| VF Cover by Annie Leibovitz 2009 |
I've always wanted to work for Vanity Fair (blatant and uncreative link to my blog's theme). So maybe my blog will one day reach editor Grayden Carter's computer screen or the screen of any other influential VF journos and they'll love it so much that they contact me for a job opportunity. Or maybe I should just be more proactive about it and complete my Conde Nast job application, book a flight to NYC and force myself upon them.
11.10.10
Easily Impressed?
This morning I had to call Urban Outfitters in the US to sort out complications with an online order. Despite having to pay an arm and a leg to call internationally, I'm always quite excited to phone international customer service people because I imagine that they'd be equally surprised and happy to hear a foreign accent as I am to hear their strong American voices on the other line. I'm usually quivering with anticipation as I wait to be served after the typical pre-recorded welcome messages.
Sure, I've only called overseas customer service hotlines a few times but every time I am disappointed. I'm not disappointed in the service or anything; I'm just sad that they're not excited to hear from me. I'M CALLING FROM AUSTRALIA.
This is how I expect the conversation to go:
Them (in a flat voice): Welcome to (insert company name). How can I help you?
Sure, I've only called overseas customer service hotlines a few times but every time I am disappointed. I'm not disappointed in the service or anything; I'm just sad that they're not excited to hear from me. I'M CALLING FROM AUSTRALIA.
This is how I expect the conversation to go:
Them (in a flat voice): Welcome to (insert company name). How can I help you?
Me : Hi! My name's Emily and I'm calling from Australia!
Them (in over-the-top excitement): Wow! From Australia! I can't believe you're calling from Australia! That's so cool. You've totally made my day! Free shipping for you because you called all the way from Australia!
Me: Cool thanks! This is so awesome. Your accent is so cool.
Them: Thanks, so is yours. You sound awesome!
This is how the conversation actually goes:
Them (in a flat voice): Welcome to (insert company name). How can I help you?
Me (in over-the-top excitement): Hi! My name's Emily and I'm calling from Australia!
Them (still in flat voice): Hi Emily, how can I help you?
Me: Well I've just made an online order but there are some complications. It might be because I'm FROM AUSTRALIA.
Them (thoughts of 'fml' reflected in their voice): What's your order number please?
I feel so deflated after these calls.
I've travelled around a fair bit and have met a lot of unique people with interesting accents but I'm still fascinated by the idea of international calls. I think it's amazing, actually. We're in different time zones and different hemispheres, and yet we're able to overcome these differences just by a phone call.
Am I just lame for being easily impressed or are the customer service people specifically told to not show any emotions while working? I'm hoping that it's the latter - that they're also super surprised to hear my Australian accent and are trying their hardest to contain their excitement.
9.10.10
Corndog.
So I know this song is super old and not really that good but I think my awesome headphones (see few posts below) made it sound a lot better than it does on YouTube. Also, I may have just been extra contemplative and bored while listening to it on the bus and therefore easily impressed. I'm making all these disclaimers obviously because I don't want ya'll hating the song and then thinking that I've got shit taste in music.
Nevertheless, here is my obsession of the day. I really like Martha Wainwright's voice in this. I'm a sucker for duets.
7.10.10
Crazy House.
Today was the last ever lecture for Media. Rather than actually paying attention, I spent the time playing sporcle and started researching for my Vietnam trip (is this somewhat ironic seeing as I was bitching about bad students in my previous post?)
Anyway, Nugen and I are spending a month travelling the Nam next January and he's been super keen and organised while I've just been lazy and lame. He's done all the groundwork so far - refreshing the Air Asia website until the wee hours of the morning in search of cheap tickets and drafting an outline of our itinerary.
All that he has asked of me is to find specific places that I want to see. And I have failed at this task. Until now:
It's called Crazy House*. It's a five storey guesthouse with various animal-themed rooms. I want to stay in the 'Kangaroo' room.
Reviews for it are mixed - some say it's like walking into a fairy tale while others complain of the hoards of tourists that surround the building (apparently some come right up to your room?).
However, I don't care what the haters say - I'm going to spend at least one night there. I mean, c'mon, it's a giant treehouse.
*The website is in Vietnamese so I hope your browser has an auto-translator.
Anyway, Nugen and I are spending a month travelling the Nam next January and he's been super keen and organised while I've just been lazy and lame. He's done all the groundwork so far - refreshing the Air Asia website until the wee hours of the morning in search of cheap tickets and drafting an outline of our itinerary.
All that he has asked of me is to find specific places that I want to see. And I have failed at this task. Until now:
It's called Crazy House*. It's a five storey guesthouse with various animal-themed rooms. I want to stay in the 'Kangaroo' room.
Reviews for it are mixed - some say it's like walking into a fairy tale while others complain of the hoards of tourists that surround the building (apparently some come right up to your room?).
However, I don't care what the haters say - I'm going to spend at least one night there. I mean, c'mon, it's a giant treehouse.
*The website is in Vietnamese so I hope your browser has an auto-translator.
6.10.10
Prestigious university?
So I have been trying to study at uni but it has been near impossible because next to me is a group of 20-somethings speaking to each other as if there is nobody else in the study area. At times they will actually yell from across the room, over the soft murmurs of fellow students. I was beginning to get frustrated. And then...
Boy 1: How do you spell 'from'?
Boy 2: Are you f***ing serious? F-O-R-M!
(Silence for 2 minutes while I laugh a little inside)
Boy 2: Oh no, it's actually F-R-O-M. I'm not stupid, I did Standard English.
Sure, it sounds like a silly slip-up but throughout the night they also tried to pull a girl friend's bra off and ran out to the car park to goof around (which was clearly audible from the inside).
I'm concerned about my generation.
Boy 1: How do you spell 'from'?
Boy 2: Are you f***ing serious? F-O-R-M!
(Silence for 2 minutes while I laugh a little inside)
Boy 2: Oh no, it's actually F-R-O-M. I'm not stupid, I did Standard English.
Sure, it sounds like a silly slip-up but throughout the night they also tried to pull a girl friend's bra off and ran out to the car park to goof around (which was clearly audible from the inside).
I'm concerned about my generation.
5.10.10
Uh-may-zing
Best synchronising I've ever seen.
I came across this group of Chinese deaf dancers while watching my grandma's Chinese television channels.
I came across this group of Chinese deaf dancers while watching my grandma's Chinese television channels.
3.10.10
Panic Time
I just looked at my calendar and my last class (forever?) is next-next Thursday.
Nineteen years of schooling (including pre-school) will be over in two weeks.
To say that I am getting anxious about the idea of entering the 'real' world is an understatement. I'm beyond anxious now. I've gotten to that stage where anxiety has taken over and my mind has exploded with visions of my future and now everything is just a blur and I'm trying my best to calmly guide myself through the mess.
I just realised that I referred to my state of mind as "that stage", as if it's a common experience for all. I'm pretty sure it's not.
Nineteen years of schooling (including pre-school) will be over in two weeks.
To say that I am getting anxious about the idea of entering the 'real' world is an understatement. I'm beyond anxious now. I've gotten to that stage where anxiety has taken over and my mind has exploded with visions of my future and now everything is just a blur and I'm trying my best to calmly guide myself through the mess.
I just realised that I referred to my state of mind as "that stage", as if it's a common experience for all. I'm pretty sure it's not.
2.10.10
KOFFIA 2010
Tonight Nugen and I attended the Opening Ceremony for the inaugural Korean Film Festival in Australia.
Although I would have preferred to try some Korean-inspired canapes, the seared salmon and roast beef wraps were good enough and the lack of 'Koreanness' was eased by the distribution of Korean raspberry wine. The wine was quite sweet but definitely worth a try.
OK, let's skip the food and go to the best part of the night - the film, Mother.
Directed by Boon Jong-ho, the film encompasses everything great about Korean cinema - the amalgamation of drama, comedy, and thriller made every minute of the film enjoyably engaging.
Kim Hye-ja plays an obsessively doting mother (Hye-ja) to her mentally challenged son, Do-joon (Won Bin). After Do-joon is accused of murdering a local schoolgirl, Hye-ja takes it upon herself to prove her son's innocence. Hints of insanity seep through the mother's eyes as she refuses to accept a life without her beloved child. Hye-ja's investigation gradually unveils dark secrets among the community; secrets that lead to an unwanted revelation.
On top of the suspenseful story line, the acting in the film makes it easy to understand why it has been award-winning. Not only was it honoured with Un Certain Regard at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, the film was also elected as Korea's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards. And while all the performances were exceptional, Kim Hye-ja's emotional portrayal of a desperate mother won her Best Performance by an Actress at the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
I don't want to go on for too long about the cinematic merits of the film nor reveal too much of the plot so my parting advice is simple: go see it.
Visit www.koffia.com.au for more details about other great Korean films that you can see.
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| They only served raspberry wine. No water, juice or soft drinks. |
Directed by Boon Jong-ho, the film encompasses everything great about Korean cinema - the amalgamation of drama, comedy, and thriller made every minute of the film enjoyably engaging.
Kim Hye-ja plays an obsessively doting mother (Hye-ja) to her mentally challenged son, Do-joon (Won Bin). After Do-joon is accused of murdering a local schoolgirl, Hye-ja takes it upon herself to prove her son's innocence. Hints of insanity seep through the mother's eyes as she refuses to accept a life without her beloved child. Hye-ja's investigation gradually unveils dark secrets among the community; secrets that lead to an unwanted revelation.
On top of the suspenseful story line, the acting in the film makes it easy to understand why it has been award-winning. Not only was it honoured with Un Certain Regard at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, the film was also elected as Korea's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards. And while all the performances were exceptional, Kim Hye-ja's emotional portrayal of a desperate mother won her Best Performance by an Actress at the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
I don't want to go on for too long about the cinematic merits of the film nor reveal too much of the plot so my parting advice is simple: go see it.
Visit www.koffia.com.au for more details about other great Korean films that you can see.
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