Light bulbs

Because my friend accidentally bought 100 of these instead of 10. It lights up in various different colours. The bulb is about the size of my thumb. It's not a regular sized bulb, if you were thinking that. Good for clubbing at night time or just being out at night. She gave me one for free and she's like "only if you wear it and blog and tweet about it!" Apparently these were everywhere like last year. I don't remember seeing them EVER. XD





She has a stall at Glebe Markets on Saturdays. She sells necklaces, pendants, earrings and bracelets. It's near the female toilets if you want to drop by!

Iron Sky

Iron Sky is a sci-fi comedy film set in the near future of 2018 (yeah, I think it's pretty close XD) about Nazis who established a military base on the moon after World World II and they're back to wage war with the Earth. It'll be in Australian cinemas May 10, 2012.

Check out the trailer!



I love sci-fi and going by the trailer it seems like it'll be a whole bunch of fun to watch!

You can see Iron Sky at your nearest Hoyts Cinema. Mine's Hoyts Broadway. Well, it's not my nearest but I frequent the city so much it might as well be! Don’t forget to check out their Xtremescreen, La Premiere and IMAX!

Happy viewing!

Happy Easter!

I shall be making my way through these chocolates as I do my assignment on the remainder of this Easter break. I'm so on holiday mode already when I shouldn't be.

Hope you had a great Easter break! Still contemplating whether I should go to the Easter Show this year. Didn't get tickets to the final day of the Harry Potter exhibition. All sold out! But I am going to the Super Junior concert in May even though I'm not that big of a fan XD

Takoyaki, Friday night markets

Blog feels neglected. Lots of things going on at the same time and I have poor time management.

But anyway ...

A couple of weeks ago before watching The Hunger Games a few friends and I went to the night markets in Chinatown for some food. I didn't take a lot of photos. The thing I wanted to eat the most were these takoyaki. I always walk by, look at the line and get discouraged but it doesn't take long. There's prawn, octopus and vegetable fillings at various prices, which I don't quite remember right now. You order, get a ticket and wait at the other side for your food. There's different types of sauces and wasabi available that you can add.





Yes, that is us eating night market food on the tables outside the McDonald's near the Entertainment Centre.

And I probably won't be blogging 'til after my last assessment in like 2 weeks but I wanted to blog something ... XD

KuraKura, Haymarket

On Friday night a bunch of friends and I decided to head over, last minute, to the new KuraKura at Haymarket. It's right above Kura the small, almost always busy Japanese restaurant.




We got there past 7pm. No reservation. There were 9 nine of us and we were told we had to wait 30 minutes for a table. Which was fine. So we stood and chatted for a bit. Didn't feel like 30 minutes. Our rationale for staying and waiting was that most places would make you wait at this time on a Friday night. When a table big enough freed up we were led to a section in a back that caters for larger groups of diners.

And, as you know, I'm a terrible blogger. Names of dishes escape me ...



Gyoza, 10 pieces, $10.50
By the by, anyone know where you can get cheap/cheaper gyoza? I just want to pig out on gyoza and beer one day.



Mentaiko udon, $9.80
Apparently, according to a friend, it tasted very mentaiko-ish. However, maybe due to the alcohol I had already consumed, it tasted like creamy pasta to me. I couldn't really taste the mentaiko flavour nor the spiciness that the menu indicated with the picture of a chilli next to the dish on the menu.


Aburi salmon sushi
Which is one of my most favourite things ever.

On top of these there were other dishes ordered but I guess I didn't get around to taking photos of them on the night.



Drinks wise we order a bottle of umeshu for $25 since a friend, after coming back from spending 2 months in Japan, had gained a liking to it. Sake was ordered, as was umeshu and beer which came in a champagne glass.

There are no buttons on the table. Like to buzz the waiters/waitresses. So, if we wanted to order more we had to flag them down when they came to drop off the food or drinks. I guess, because it was busy, food came slowly than we would have liked but I was with a bunch of friends and chatting so time didn't feel that slow.

I would go again. Just to try all the other dishes that I didn't get to try yet!

• Find KuraKura at Shop 2, 76 Ultimo Road, Haymarket 2000.

Album

... otherwise known as another thing I bought. If you don't know, I have a Fuji Instax Wide Camera 210. I got it for Christmas a couple of years ago. So far I've been putting the photos into a normal sized album. They're loose in there and would fall out. So it was off to ebay I went to finally buy an album for them. This was $11-ish off ebay. Sent all the way from South Korea.

The package was rewrapped by Australia Post. I guess they opened to check it? I took it out of the plastic Australia Post wrap and the paper packaging was wet. I don't know what that's all about.

EDIT: oh, maybe the packaging was deteriorating and they wrapped it kindly for me?

Bossypants by Tina Fey, The Book Depository

I arrived home this rainy Sydney day to find a package from The Book Depository (www.bookdepository.co.uk). We all know that books in Australia are majorly overpriced and the truth is it is much cheaper for people to buy books (as well as many other things) online. I haven't bought books online before. I usually go to a book store, sigh and fork over the money for the book. I remember when books were much cheaper. They were right? Since when was the starting price of a book like over $10 or $15?

I chose to buy off Book Depository because they're cheap and have free shipping. Yes. Free shipping. I wonder how they make a profit?

I ordered it on the 21st February, the book was dispatched on the 24th and was in my hands by the 29th.

I love 30 Rock. Love it so much and as a result I think Tina Fey is amazing. When she released this book I wanted to buy it straight away but I think it must have been in the $20 dollar plus range when it came out and I just didn't buy it. (It's still $32.99 at Dymocks). But Bossypants came up somewhere on the website with that low price tag ($10.50) and I could justify purchasing it to myself even though I have many books that I still have not read (I'm looking at you 1Q84). XD





So I'm going to enjoy reading that sometime this week before all the uni readings pile up. Or maybe this is how my uni readings pile up ...

Random post with stuff in it

A couple of friends can back from overseas and I met up with them at dinner with a bunch of friends last night (Sunday). It was also an end-of-holiday/back-to-uni dinner was some of us too. Finally, in my last semester right now. First day back today and already worried about my time management.

Anyhoo, we had Korean for dinner last night and lots of soju and beer was had. Which was good because I haven't drunk a lot in a long time with other people. Bits of memory from leaving the restaurant and the train ride back are ... missing. I wasn't falling-over drunk. I was talkative-loud drunk and missing-little-bits-of-memory drunk. It was somewhat stress relieving. Catching up and just talking with a whole bunch of friends didn't hurt either. XD

So, yes, people came back from overseas and they handed out souvenirs.







These are photos that you can purchase from the Johnny's store in Japan. They aren't really that big fans of Johnny's people so the shop was probably underwhelming. Actually, even fans say the store itself is pretty crap. The only thing worth buying, to me anyway, are the photos. I just want them. I don't know what I'd do with them but yeah. I don't know what other stuff you can get there.

There's also a bunch of unofficial idol shops. I think that's where they got the pacer/mechanical from. Don't really think I could bring that to law school with me. XD Those have unofficial photos like taken by media and apparently some private and paparazzi ones too. That one of Matsumoto Jun, the guy without a shirt, is an unofficial photo.

The phone charm thing is from KDrama Heartstrings. I didn't finish the drama so I don't know if that bear makes an appearance anywhere. XD

And random things from my day ...



I was in the IGA in Market City and saw these as I lined up to pay. Kis-My-Ft2 are endorsing these mints soon-ish? This cost me 3 bucks and the only reason I bought them was because I knew they were or will endorse them. Lame, I know.



My new headphones. These are a really pretty pink-red colour. I bought them from Officeworks while buying supplies. It was around $10. I'm trying to save up for those Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. I want the white over ear ones. Putting that on a birthday list.



And the mints with the the headphones with the iPod.

And, yeah. That's all.

And it's midnight already.

Rather pointless but I wanted to blog. So, yeah. :D

Last night's dinner

Last night's dinner was hotpot/shabu-shabu. Though I suppose there wasn't much shabu-shabuing going on. We got quite full on dumplings, mushrooms, tofu and soup. Note for next time: DO NOT FILL UP ON SOUP! We thought we bought quite little food but we had food left over which is now living in my friend's fridge.

A few friends and I had dinner at a friend's apartment. She lives in a place that I didn't know had people living in it. It used to be an office and from the street there's no indication that people live there. Which is good, I guess. Too lazy and sleepy to write. So this shall be mostly photos.I gave up coffee and chocolate for Lent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent). Second day without coffee and I'm so sleepy all the time. Going to stock up on expensive fruit juice that gives you energy or something. XD

So I was tagged ...

by Misa of http://kmisa.wordpress.com.

Here the rules:

• Write 11 (random) things about yourself on your blog
• Answer the questions the tagger set for you and create 11 new questions for the people you tag
• Choose the next 11 people to tag and link them on the post
• Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her
• No tag backs
• You must post these rules

Self-portrait in PJs.
1. The one thing you’re really particular/ obsessive compulsive about is…?
Nothing really. Closing all the doors whenever I leave the house? Does that count? No, I don't think so. Hmm.

2. Are you particular about grammar?
I am even though I'm not particularly good at it myself. I'm an English major and I did extension 2 English in high school so I should be good at it. But I'm not. I'm constantly googling because I don't want to sound or write like an uneducated person. XD

3. Were you a good student/ are you good at studying?
In primary and high school, yeah. Well, no. In primary and high school it wasn't so hard to get good marks without really trying. But I never really used to do my homework. I did assignments at the last minute or late. But somehow still ended up on my school's honour roll in year 11 and 12. Maybe my grade was stupid? XD I haven't gotten better at doing things on time. I was a pretty horrible undergrad student. I'm not a particularly good law student now. I keep meaning to do better every semester but it doesn't happen. I just get by.

4. What is your favourite type of food to eat?
Ice-cream! That's a food. I suppose noodle dishes? Like ramen, pho, laksa and udon. I don't really have many favourite things. I have phases when a certain food or thing is what I have to have all the time. At the moment it's noodles.

5. Do you have a favourite place, if so, where and why?
Japan? Even though I've only been there once. I like that it's busy and that there's more things to do there. Places are open longer. When it's late in Japan you can still go out and do stuff. In Sydney, if I wanted to get something to eat in the middle of the night there is nothing really open within walking distance of my house. If it were Japan there would at least be a vending machine or a convenience store open. Even in the suburbs, I suspect.

6. What are your dressing habits?
I'm not the best dresser, to be honest. I usually wear jeans and a tshirt. On days where I think I look horrible I put on earrings and think I look better. It makes me feel better at least. I try not to wear solid coloured tshirts. Like, I don't wear shirts with characters or words on them anymore. Well, not outside. When I do I feel like I look like a kid. I'm short and Asian and I get carded a lot so I'm trying to reduce that impression.

7. Face to face socialising or virtual (phone, computer/ net) socialising?
I like people so face-to-face. But I'm awkward face-to-face. So, face-to-face only if I really like you. Otherwise I'm much more comfortable sms-ing or Facebook-ing or tweeting people. XD

8. Where are your favourite places to shop?
Kinokuniya, Forever 21, H&M, ZARA. I've only been to the last 3 shops in the Philippines and Japan though. Still have not been to the ZARA in Sydney. When I was in the Philippines I went to H&M and ZARA all the time. In Sydney, I say there's not many places to shop but that's probably a big lie. I haven't been shopping in a while so ...

9. What is your heritage?
My parents are Filipino. They moved to Sydney in the 1980s and I was born and raised here. I don't know how to speak Filipino. I only know a few words. I understand more than I can speak. My Japanese is better than my Filipino. So, there's that.

Fun fact: People often think I'm Indonesian or Thai. I don't really see it. XD

10. In regards to self improvement, is there something you would like to learn/ pick up?
I want to learn more languages. At one point I wanted to be a translator or interpreter but I had no other language that I was fluent in. I want to get better at Filipino, Japanese and Korean. I want to pick up the piano again. I had lessons since I was a kid then quit. So, I want to start playing again. Learning one piece at a time. I have a guitar and a ukulele, both of which I do not know how to play so I'd like to learn that.

Oh, yeah, I should probably learn how to drive too.

11. What are your long term goals in life?
Get a job. Work overseas while I still can. Buy a big house.

I want to be in a position to provide for my family. Like, if they needed help, I could do something for them. At the moment I can't really do anything.

At some point I'd like to get married and have kids but that seems so far away. Lots of the people I went to high school are married and have kids already. The people I went to uni with have not and they don't think it's going to happen for a while. They're currently all worried about work and their future and so am I.

***

I do not know enough people in the blogosphere to tag anyone. So, I shall not tag anyone or make up a list of questions. I'm lazy like that. But answering this was kinda fun. :D

(CLOSED) Alice met Charlie Dessert Factory, Randwick

My friend's sister had recently moved to Randwick. After one of my summer school assessments I visited my friend's sister's new place. It's in a pretty nice area of Randwick. Close to cafes, restaurants, pubs and this dessert place.



It was a hot day and I don't know why we sat outside and not inside. I suppose outside you get to watch people walk by and sit on colourful chairs. As we were sitting a man, who I later discovered was the owner, asked us how we were. Rather nice of him, I thought, after I realised he wasn't just a random person saying hello.



They have a variety of flavours of ice-cream and toppings. I chose peanut butter flavoured ice-cream, as the result of a suggestion by a visiting American (my friend's friend), with Oreo toppings ($5.60). It tasted so much like peanut butter, which I suppose is the point. It was good but like peanut butter, it has that salty taste that I don't really equate with ice-cream. My friend had cheesecake flavour with apple crumble topping. Yes. Enjoy photos.




I should visit Randwick more.

• Find Alice met Charlie at 51 Perouse Road, The Spot, Randwick, NSW, 2031.