Brainfood

I have been diagnosed with seasonal flu and have been advised to take a week off work with plenty of fluids and bedrest. This is annoying because I received the Fluvax this year! And I feel very guilty knowing that someone has to cover my ward rotation at work - the busiest, most stressful rotation of all!

Having not been sick even with a cold for at least 2 years, I'd forgotten how mind numbingly boring it is! After the initial joy of knowing I can sleep in while everyone is working, I realised I had to get up anyway to call work. You know when you feel bad about something, even though you have no reason to? Like, automatically acting suspicious and shifty when you see a police car behind you, even though you haven't been drinking or speeding? That's how I feel when I call in to say I'm sick. I was like "Hey... I'm sick... *nervous laugh*... I can't come to work today... sorry... *cough cough*" all the while thinking, "did that sound fake? I sound totally fake! Why am I thinking this? I AM SICK!!"

Then I went to the GP to get my doctor's certificate. The rest of the day has been spent watching a japanese tv drama called "BOSS" with my mum. Actually one of the best I've seen in terms of production, script and entertainment. It's a bit like a japanese version of 'The Closer" with Kyra Sedgwick but funnier and less irritating. Unlike most japanese dramas, the dialogue is fast paced and witty - NO MONOLOGUES to fast foward through HOORAY! And for a police drama, the gun shooting scenes and explosions aren't too fake (except that every time someone gets shot, it looks like they got shot in the arm but it turns out they actually received a fatal bullet to the heart) (so yeh, I guess it's not that un-fake). Still, japanese dramas are "acute", not "chronic" like western ones, so I'm guessing they have to work on a smaller budget. Anyway, I finished the whole series in one day while eating copious amounts of delicious congee that my mum made specially for lil ol' me.

I think this has been a very bad post with no point or conclusion, much like most of my anecdotes. It may be called "awkwardness" now, but maybe in a few years, it will be known as "personality". 

To finish off, I have compiled a list of things I have done recently, so I feel good about what a fulfilled life I am living:

• Day trip to Mt Buller - snowboarding (by the way, today the GP asked me if I felt sore and stiff - a sign of the flu. I hesitated because while I am VERY sore and stiff, it's because I spent Saturday falling on my butt while attempting to snowboard) Definitely want to go again next year though
• Clubbing - for the first time in years. But I had fun. I didn't feel ancient like I thought I would

That is all.

Everyone's a critic

I've seen quite a few movies lately. Bruno, Transformers 2, Coco avant Chanel and Balibo.

Bruno and Transformers 2 I have to say were most effective ways of killing time but I want my 4 hours of my life back please. Although I guess I'll settle for just Bruno time back because I saw Transformers in Gold Class so the food and seats were worth it.

Coco avant Chanel was a really lovely film - understated and honest. And come on, it's Chanel and it's a french film - how can I not love it? Just look at the name of this blog. Hello!

Balibo affected me deeply. That's probably the first time I've felt so troubled by a film. It wasn't particularly gory or even that visually brutal compared to some Hollywood movies. But the fact that it happened. And similar things have happened, throughout history, in every country and it's happening right now to someone. This is something that we will never understand. We've never had to live in fear - fear for your life, your family's life. We've never had to fight for anything other than our own personal desires. For me, it's amazing what difference one or two generations can make. My grandparents, especially my grandfather, had to flee China for the safety of Taiwan. And even then, my parents decided it was better to bring me and my siblings to Australia. Our generation is so, so lucky, and we are spoilt by this. You can tell yourself to appreciate something, but you can't truly appreciate anything until you have no choice.

Celebrations

Did I mention how lovely my cousin's wedding was? It was a classic outdoor ceremony set in the oldest family run vineyard in California. 

I like my shoes

The Wedding Cake

Cello resting on wine cask - this photo turned out blurry but i still love the image

Leis for the chairs

The Two

Melbourne Aquarium

I don't think I appreciated going to places like the Zoo or ScienceWorks when I was younger. My memory of such family outings or school excursions is that they were yehh ok, but pretty tedious too. 

Well, after visiting the Exploratorium in San Francisco and the Melbourne Aquarium today, I've realised they are indeed interesting, educational and fun as well! Unfortunately, now that I'm old enough to appreciate it, it's also become apparent that these places really are geared towards children, after finding a few exhibits that I am now physically too big to partake in. Also, people would look at me funny if I did. 

I'm going to have to post more than one photo today, there were just too many to choose from!

Lovebirds

Nemo fish - it was much smaller than I expected. Fish photography is actually quite difficult - they are usually swimming around, they don't respond to you at all, you're separated by glass and water which can warp the image and the tanks are either dark or lit unnaturally, usually blue

Dinner

Jellies. I now understand why other sea animals would mistake plastic bags for food. Don't litter, people!

Today's Post

I've been feeling like my brain function has been deteriorating lately.

In other news, I'd like to share my impressions of San Francisco.

• Buses have bike racks on the front
• Weather is similar to that of Melbourne - highly erratic
• Lots of old people take public transport, especially Asians on their way to Chinatown
• There was an old man working at McDonald's
• McDonald's tastes the same no matter where you go
• The roads are really that steep - driving down feels like teetering on the tip of a rollercoaster because you can't see the road in front of you
• Cars parked on the roads have to rotate their tyres to prevent cars from rolling down the hill, turning into an unstoppable destructive missile
• I like Union Square and have a specific place on the grass where I sit and eat hot dogs
• On the last Friday of every month, you can ride your bike stark naked, or so I heard
• In their supermarket, there is an aisle for Afro hair care

Golden Gate Bridge - the paint colour is 'international orange' and someone has to paint the bridge 365 days of the year for it to maintain its vibrant hue. Why... he could be painting the bridge right now...!

And in black and white

Going to America

That is all. 

Dali-cious

The good thing about having a blog is that it makes one's life seem interesting. This is because it forces me to reflect on my day and makes me see things in a more positive way. 

Well, today, after work, I went to the Dali exhibition. I learnt a lot of things about Dali that I didn't know before (not that I knew much to begin with) - he wasn't just the guy that painted melting clocks. He dabbled in many different styles and mediums, including photography, film and even jewellery. His paintings had hidden meanings, not only in the abstract way but literally - if you can force yourself to change your viewpoint, you can see a different painting within the painting. And however surreal his later paintings were, many were still based on the foundations of mathematics and science. 

It's an exhibition I might be interested in going back to in a couple of months as it was very long - you need to be physically and mentally fit to stand around looking and appreciating for such a long time! We were there for maybe 2 hours and I didn't even see everything. Dali really is an interesting guy and I would like to get a deeper understanding of his work. 

Most of all, I would also go back for their extensive range of self adhesive moustaches. Moustache party, anyone?

Awkward #1. The Water Fountain

I am envisaging that I will have more awkward posts in the future, so I have named this #1. May it be the first of many.

Actually this isn't so bad. When I went to the gym today, I forgot to bring my water bottle, which is a pretty usual occurrence anyway. So between sets, I'd drink from the water fountain and I don't know how the pipes are set up, but every time I leant down to drink, the water would suddenly gain energy and shoot up all over my face. And when I thought it couldn't get worse, I went down for a second sip and water shot up my nose. It was painful. I thought I could get away discreetly, but when I straightened up, there were two guys in line behind me and they actually had a look of fear in their eyes when they saw me rubbing liquid from my face like I was a snotty-nosed kid. With all this kerfuffle and hoohaa about swine flu being transmitted through respiratory secretions and from rubbing your eyes, I don't blame them, but it still took much effort to retain my dignity and hold my head high as I walked past. 

On a different but related note, one of the pharmacist's duties is to educate people about current health issues. Although I am but an intern, I will offer some general tips to living virus free!

• Good hygiene is the best way to prevent infection, both to protect others from your germs and to respectfully decline other people's germs entry into your body
• So, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough and wash your hands after
• Throw the tissue away after use! Used tissues are not classified as art and so should not be exhibited in any way, shape or form
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• Don't get worried if you see a girl doing these things at the gym near a water fountain because chances are, she has just been attacked by said water fountain. Am I starting to sound bitter?

An innocent glass of water - hard to believe it is related to The Water Fountain

Ah, To Be Young Again

Went back to uni today for a seminar where we basically have 2 days of intense lectures, small group tutorials and role plays. It was really draining, more draining than work somehow. So forgive me if my post isn't well written tonight. 

Today, I found out that there was a high drop out rate for pharmacists after they register. This really interested me, more than it probably should. Does that mean I'm seriously considering giving it all up as a career path? I guess I should focus on the task at hand, that is, actually passing my exams first so that I actually have something to drop out of. And learning enough so that I won't feel too out of depth in the dark, murky waters that is taking responsibility as a pharmacist. No one to check after me! No one to tell me I'm wrong! No one to look at me in disbelief when I don't know how a drug is metabolised, or what it's for or even the fact that it's not a drug! (I'm referring to when I thought "aperient" was a drug because it sounded like "aprepitant" and I tried to correct the nurse for pronouncing it wrong.) Yes, as we were told today, the stage of the newly registered pharmacist... is a lonely place to be... (curtain drop)

On a lighter note, I went out for dinner and movie after uni was over. I'll talk about the movie first, even though it happened second. This is so that I can end my post with a photo. See, I'm always thinking of your literary experience, dear reader! 

The movie was called "The Hangover", and despite it being pretty wrong, I actually found it hilarious. Usually, I hate movies where a bunch of dirty, bloody guys traipse around the desert trying to find some meaning in their lives, which they weren't even doing - they were merely trying to find their friend. That they lost. Coz they were drunk. It sounded like a stupid movie but it was genuinely funny! I actually laughed out loud a lot, the whole way through. It kind of reminds me of Pineapple Express, that kind of funny. My review (and the movie) doesn't get much deeper than that, but in all seriousness, I highly recommend it if you're in need of a fast-paced, pure popcorn entertainment movie. 

So back to dinner. It's always nice dining in Hardware Lane, for it's relaxed yet energetic and distinctly European ambience. Especially today, as it wasn't too cold this evening and we were seated right under the outdoor heater. I am paranoid that they're going to fall down on me one day. I am paranoid about a lot of things. But I got through dinner OK, thanks for asking. The food wasn't as good as I thought it would be. How hard is it to make a nice prawn linguini? Having said that, I'll always love you, Hardware Lane.

The streets of Paris... je t'aime

Family Ties

Today, Mummy took me shopping for a suitable dress to wear to my cousin's wedding in the US. While I'm always happy to get new clothes, it's a very frustrating process finding that happy medium between what the elder thinks is beautiful and what you think is frumpy. 

Yes I'll admit, that gold dress I tried on did accentuate my figure, it was indeed classy and the right level of formal, yes I know the colour suited my skintone perfectly but hey, I just did not like it. Luckily, the store sold a cute skirt in the same 'family' but it was way more youthful! So maybe finding that happy medium wasn't too hard. This time, anyway. 

I won't be an ungrateful daughter and keep complaining. I am wondering how this trip will be, considering it's the first time all 5 members of my immediate family have been together in the same country for... nearly 2 years? I'm hoping it will be awesome, but I'll settle for civilised too. I am strangely bitter about my family situation, although it's not as bad as I think it is. I guess I just like thinking of things to be unhappy about, sometimes. Don't we all? 

I am excited about going to San Francisco, though. So excited that I made a list of what to do, and then I took a photo of that list! And posted on my blog!

Sinister...

Oui, Gastronomy!

Huzzah! Why so excited? Well, following from my last post, I'm pleased to announce some good news. Tonight, I was one of those pretentious foodies. Tonight, I entered the world of fine dining (without my parents paying anyway) (although my cousin paid for me). It all happened because my cousin took me out for dinner to celebrate my graduation. As she is an amateur food blogger, I was more than happy to lend my even more amateur photography skills and take photos of the food.

Needless to say, we attracted a lot of attention, whipping out our cameras (mine being a big, black dSLR) at every new dish. It really is a phenomenon of our generation, as fellow diners admitted they thought they were the only ones who took photos of food in restaurants and were pleasantly surprised to see us snapping away too and then we had a good, congenial laugh together, basking in the pleasantness of fine food and common pastimes.

We went to a restaurant in Ripponlea called Attica. I think it has 2 chef's hats so it must be good! Well, it gives me pleasure to confirm that the food was unique and interesting; I especially like their signature dish, which is probably why it's their signature dish (I mean the fact that it's good, not the fact that I validate its worthiness). I am by no means a food critic so I shall end here and voila! My favourite photo of the night for your viewing pleasure (for more - head here and there)

Terroir

Gastronomy?

I am so sick of people going to amazing restaurants especially now that Melbourne is apparently the culinary centre of the universe. I hate it when people take photos of food and post them on facebook and comment on the 'flavours' and 'textures' because the food being dreamt up these days are just the weirdest combinations of ingredients you could ever imagine, I'm not sure how normal restaurant goers could actually appreciate it. And people who constantly bake wonderful, sweet, beautiful desserts annoy me to no end, even more so when I end up going back for seconds.

So why do I want to be one of them? I want to taste something strange and different, savour something elegant and sophisticated. I want to appreciate unique flavours and stop touting "chips" as my favourite food. I want to be able to whip up complex dishes in my spare time with my eyes closed, as a domestic goddess should. 

Let me be a pretentious foodie too!!

Bose

Music sounds so different when it's coming out of my Bose speakers. I can actually hear the bass. It's a strange feeling to be surprised by a song that you've been listening to for months on the laptop - that the chord progressions you thought you knew are actually wrong. The entire mood of the song changes. The speakers were a good idea after all. 

Chanel Musings

Found myself on the Chanel website today - I haven't been on there for a long time, since I got my little Chanel bag for my 21st birthday (which is nearly 2 years ago now! incroyable). I'm starting to feel this desire for an extravagant purchase although this time, I want to get something I'll use often, such as a wallet. Or I know if I find a more 'casual' looking small sized bag that can be worn across the shoulder, I'll get a lot of use out of that too, seeing as I've demolished 2 Chanel 'inspired' bags of that style over the last 3 years or so. 

I also spent a lot of time waiting for the new Chanel No.5 movie to load. I don't know if it's my lack of understanding or are videos embedded in those java-y time websites incredibly inconvenient? Usually if you load a video, then you can replay it without waiting for it to buffer, but this time I had to wait for it to reload, which took several, SEveral minutes of my life. Anyway, Audrey Tatou is lovely - the word "gamine" always comes to mind. I (and the rest of the world really) have always admired women like her and by that I mean Audrey Hepburn. They're so petite. It's not the fact that they're thin, but the way their bodies are composed such that the angles they make are so endearing and sophisticated. For example, if Audrey Hepburn bent at her elbow and flicked her wrist, it looks effortless and right somehow. For a mere mortal like myself, my arm kind of looks exactly like a chicken wing. Just uninspiring.

Anyway, having said that, I have to admit that Audrey Tatou is a little TOO wide eyed for me at times (omg I JUST realised they have the same first name. Makes me realise how much I think of celebrities with their full names). But watching her behind the scenes interview, I absolutely love her french. In year 12, when I was actually pretty good at school french, I found it frustrating that I couldn't really actually understand reality french. But Audrey Tatou's french is exactly like those voices on aural cassette tapes we used for listening tests, not only in pronunciation but in grammar. So easy to understand. Love it. 

Lastly, it amazes me how people who have clearly excelled in their particular field can remain so humble. I'm so ordinary that if I achieved even one hundreth of what these people have experienced I'd definitely think I was all that and a potato chip.