Sydneysiding KLite

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-22T00:00:00.000+11:00

Here is to wishing everyone a very Happy Chinese New Year!P/S: My dear family and friends in KL, please eat more prawn crackers on my behalf! 在这诗竫祝大家龙年快乐！ P/S: 在马来西亚的亲戚朋友们，记得帮我多吃些虾饼呀！

Fraser Island

2011-12-27T21:40:00.000+11:00

We waited in anticipation for our pick-up from FraserFree. We were the first on her list and as she went round Hervey Bay to gather the rest of those on her list, we were introduced to the smaller roads of the place and also other accommodation places. We joined many others on the 40-minute ferry ride over to Fraser Island, including a really cute feline! Fraser Island is an island located

From Brisbane to Hervey Bay

2011-12-26T21:39:00.000+11:00

We were pretty excited to start our long northbound drive. The first stop on our itinerary was Glass House Mountains National Park, 70km north of Brisbane. In The Genesis of Queensland (1888), the following extract from Lieutenant Captain James Cook's journal on Thursday, 17 May 1770 noted: These hills lie but a little way inland, and not far from each other, they are remarkable for the singular

Hello again, Brisbane!

2011-12-25T23:40:00.000+11:00

Last year on Christmas Day, I ended my road trip in Brisbane. This year on Christmas Day, I started another road trip from Brisbane. I wanted to 'continue' my journey northwards. It was a beautiful day in Sydney when our flight departed the airport for Brissie. We could see all the beaches: Coogee, Maroubra, Bondi, Palm and others which we could not recognise from that high up. The first

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T23:30:00.000+11:00

The Swarovski tree is up again at QVB! Ah, yes, we know what that means - annual roadtrip! Every shopping complex is playing Christmas songs. There is caroling out in the streets and in churches. Heck, even the bus drivers are saying Christmas greetings to passengers now. Here is to wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

Many thanks, congratulations and best wishes!

2011-11-27T16:22:00.000+11:00

It is that time of the year again. The time when we count our blessings for the wonderful ups and downs with the children. All the tears and laughter, the bitter and the sweet. The time we thank the families for their support and confidence in our teaching. We thank you in recommending us to your colleagues, friends, neighbours and extended family. We have enjoyed working with all of you in

Look Out Point Western & Local Cuisine, Look Out Point Ampang

2011-11-23T23:42:00.000+11:00

The first time I came here was with Yun Hau and Pin Kean, who brought me out here for drinks at a different restaurant a few years ago. Since then, I visited again twice, which made this visit my fourth visit but the first with family (and for a proper meal). It was sort of a birthday celebration dinner for Mum and Bro that we had at the first restaurant to operate in Look Out Point since 2005,

Häagen-Dazs Mid Valley Megamall

2011-11-22T01:12:00.000+11:00

We all know there are brands of clothes, brands of electronics, brands of cars. There are also brands of ice-cream and one of the more pricey brands out there is Häagen-Dazs. When we walked past the shop, we browsed through the menu and the item that caught our attention was the Sushi Platter. We walked in and placed out order. Unfortunately for us, it was not available that day. We settled

那些年，我们一起追过的女孩

2011-11-21T23:40:00.000+11:00

那些年，我们一起追过的女孩 or You Are The Apple Of My Eye is a novel written by famed Taiwanese author, Giddens Ko, or better known as 九把刀. The novel is about the personal experiences of the award-winning writer, who is equipped with an MA from Tunghai University (THU). This also means that the characters in the story are real persons. Now that I am pursuing my postgraduate studies, I relate to why

Garden Lifestyle Store and Cafe

2011-11-20T01:08:00.000+11:00

As we crossed the connecting bridge between The Gardens and Mid Valley Megamall, we noticed a new cafe occupying the spot where Little Penang used to be. My attention was further attracted by the live singing that was coming out of a 'piano cage'. We made a mental note of the place and returned later to give them a try. I really liked the ambience of the place. Holding true to their garden

My birthday in 2011

2011-11-19T23:38:00.000+11:00

This year, for the first time in my life, I received a birthday present way in advanced. And it was a really pretty present - a Swarovski snowflake, all thanks to my lovely student. Okay, ex-student/friend. Then, back home, on the night before the actual day, my Kembangsari girls gave me a surprise disguised in a yumcha session at Little Star Cafe. I was both happy and embarrassed at the

Mamak Village

2011-11-07T09:02:00.005+11:00

Seems like the Malaysian food scene in Sydney is really growing. Relatively new on the scene is Mamak Village in Glebe, which will turn one in January.At first, we thought it was a branch of Mamak. But wait, they only have a branch in Chatswood and Glebe is too near to their main branch in Chinatown. So, this must be an entirely different one. I ordered a signature dish of theirs, a plate of nasi

The Boathouse Palm Beach

2011-11-06T12:36:00.010+11:00

Well-known to the locals of the Northern Beaches, especially Palm Beach, is The Boathouse Palm Beach, a funky little cafe that is housed in the original Barrenjoey Boathouse on the edge of Station Beach.Flanked by tall and grand pine trees in the front, we were welcomed by baskets of fresh flowers and fruits at the entrance. The light breeze also carried a whiff of caffeine, which made us think

There's an artist in the house!

2011-11-05T02:25:00.011+11:00

This might sound silly but one reason why we chose to go to The Boathouse was because we thought it would live up to an artist's expectations. We are glad that we did not let him down. More on this funky place soon.To digest our hearty brekkies, we went for a stroll on Palm Beach. The combination of bright sunshine and clear blue skies with cooling sea breeze was just perfect for a day out on the

Join the Churping craze!

2011-11-02T18:15:00.002+11:00

You already share/tweet about the things you love so why not join @ChurpAU and earn some pocket money from it?

AMSA Pamper Day

2011-10-29T22:14:00.009+11:00

Free for all financial members and with a nominal fee for non-members, AMSA dedicated a weekend afternoon to the pampering of members and guests. A small and cosy affair, SMSA was a hive of activity for those three hours. The top three people in the association had their hands full (literally).For the ladies, there was a beauty and facial care demonstration by Rose Tan, once a Kanebo beauty

Art & About Sydney 2011

2011-10-23T22:10:00.008+11:00

The idea of Art & About Sydney was to transform the city into a canvas, to create a living gallery on the streets, with work that would make Sydneysiders stop, think, laugh or smile. Being my first Art & About Sydney experience, I thought it managed to do just that.This year, Art & About Sydney took place from September 23 to October 23 and saw the participation of local and international names.

Happy birthday, Rachel!

2011-10-22T23:45:00.003+11:00

My housie did her homework. I think she puts in more effort into doing things for friends secretly than in completing her assignments for uni. I totally get it though, as it is more satisfying to see smiling faces than to devour endless reams of academic notes. So what did she get up to this time?She managed to get our little Rachie into the house without knowing that there was a whole group of

Malaysians say Yes to PPSMI option

2011-10-16T14:54:00.002+11:00

Received this in my mail from the Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) in Malaysia:Dear parents and friends,The quality of Malaysian education has deteriorated to an alarming level, with our schools and local universities churning out TOO MANY unemployable graduates who possess a severe lack of ability to communicate or correspond in English despite numerous A's scored in examinations, and

Happy birthday, Swan!

2011-10-15T14:59:00.006+11:00

Yes, her name is Swan. Shwu Woan. And it was her birthday which we celebrated in my home in true floral Victorian fashion. Er, okay, with a mash-up of Malaysian flavours.The food that she bought included mini cupcakes, mini strawberry and lemon tarts, tea (of some floral, fruity flavour) with scones, strawberry and marshmallows to dip in chocolate, as well as Moscato.Othilia prepared some other

MUSEC Symposium: Applying the Response to Intervention Model with Low-Progress Readers

2011-10-14T14:46:00.006+11:00

Macquarie University Special Education Centre (MUSEC), the centre for research and teaching in special education, enjoys a national and international reputation for the quality of its research, its excellence in postgraduate teaching and its contribution to program development in the area of Special Education.The staff of MUSEC include special educators, psychologists, teachers, therapists and

AMSA Welcome Afternoon Tea

2011-10-06T14:01:00.007+11:00

Recently, AMSA held an afternoon tea to welcome new members. It was a chance for us on the committee to meet both old and new members in person, touch base and to make new connections. We also took the opportunity to introduce ourselves to everyone, and also to welcome our new webmaster on board. The grey weather failed to dampen the liveliness of the event, which we held at the Sydney Mechanics

Malaysia Festival 2011

2011-10-02T10:00:00.002+11:00

Malaysia Festival two-thousand-eleven, a taste of cultural heaven.Enlivened by the colours of the Malaysian flag, this year's logo symbolises Malaysia’s favourite drink – the Teh Tarik! The flow of the tea takes the form of iconic landmarks across Sydney and Malaysia, expressing the idea of pouring and sharing the vibrant Malaysian culture with the Australian community.This would be my eighth

Creating New Frontiers in Leadership 2011

2011-09-28T19:34:00.003+10:00

Children's Services Central is sponsoring an early childhood leadership conference and one of my lovely lecturers, Associate Professor Manjula Waniganayake is working with Anthony Semann from Semann & Slattery to organise this. Last year, the first of these conferences was held and it was a huge success (based on participants' feedback).This year is particularly exciting because Jillian Rodd, the

Slipping through our fingers...

2011-09-25T23:15:00.004+10:00

Dad sent me a photo of the extended family at Nilai Memorial Park this morning. They were there for a special ceremony for Grandma.Everyone looked cheery in the photo. Yet, the longer I looked at it, the more I could not help feel sadness seeping through. It reminded me of all the other goodbyes that I have bade in my life. The first was back in 2003, one week before Valentine's Day. Just three