Seven is the luckiest number

Onto week 7 of my life here and honestly I had so much I was going to write about this week but today has been such a whirlwind of a day, I can't recall what the theme of my post was going to be about. So this will be short and sweet :)

This week flew by in a flash and it only hit me the other day that I have been working at O&G for a month now! When I was younger, I always thought that when 'old' people talked about how quickly time passed by them etc that they were being reminiscent and missing their youth. Now that I have become part of this 'older' category, I am flabbergasted by this. I didn't do much exploring this week but did have time for a coffee date with Qibo and caught up with Carla for a lovely afternoon of brunching and shopping! Shopping, being my focus for the week - getting Christmas cards and gifts to the post so you at home would have something special in the mail; and maybe a few little somethings for myself ;) Matt had a good laugh at me as I walked into the house announcing that I would be blasting Christmas music from my laptop while I wrote out my cards - Justin Bieber & Boys II Men - Fa La La - it's been my Christmas jam for the last three years <3 Of course nothing compares to the classics but this song I rock out to, even in July.

Friday night the store was insanely busy and I didn't end up closing up until 11. As I was locking up, some random approached me and introduced himself.
Creepo: Hi, I'm so and so - I obviously didn't care enough to remember
Me: Hi, I'm closing the store
Creepo: Cool, I just wanted to tell you insert some bullshit pick up line
Me: No english
Lol harsh move and I'm not usually this dismissive but I really just wanted to go see my friends or go home and chill. Not make small talk with Mr. drunken 5 foot 5. For those who don't know, I have a major height complex... I was supposed to stop by a pub not far from my place to hear a friend of a friend spin. But when I got the youtube clip of this psychedelic trance shit I was going to be 'jammin' to, I pulled the plug on the plans and enjoyed some quality catch up on my shows. May sound like a lame Friday night but that's because I had to rest up for Saturday.

Saturday was boozy high tea at Reg's, which obviously would lead into a late night of cocktails. I had the 5 km Color Run early this morning so I would be only having a few. And to my credit, I did only have a few, but I underestimated the power of champagne... It should have a tagline 'the silent killer.' This whole social drinking thing doesn't seem to be working out for me; I am strongly considering quitting altogether! Ha! Even I laughed as I typed out that nonsensical sentence! as the FHRL would tell me, no one likes a quitter! The food, as always, was delectable - fresh high tea treats from a french patisserie; I passed on most of the savory but had more than my fair share of sweets! Macarons and petit fours - I'm salivating at the memory of the salted caramel. I feel guilty for my over indulgence and think to myself, 80/20 rule but if my 80 was sweets and my 20 was booze... What does that equate to?! I guess I need to adjust my saying of "muffins make muffin tops..."

And I paid a hefty price this morning for my late night as I stumbled out of 7:30 to prep for my run. I looked a mess, not a hot mess either... The downpour of rain really didn't lift my spirits, as I mentally kicked myself the entire walk to the train station for signing up. But once I arrived at Flemington, all my reservations washed away. It was amazing to see the thousands upon thousands of people dressed in white to partake in this event. It was also amazing to see the transformation of Flemington from the races to what it was today. By far, one of the best races I have participated in. It was all in good fun, no timing chips, people stopping to take pictures at every color station, kidlets dancing with their parents to the music blaring. I am so hyped to do this run in Calgary next year with the family :) Already confirmed, I will be running with my favorite lil man!

Tess came to pick me up in all of my colorful glory and in the car I discovered I lost my house keys. Seriously?! I double knotted my shoelace and they didn't even come undone... I just had to laugh at this point. Matt was MIA all weekend so I had no idea if he would be home; turns out he has a severe man crush on this one DJ. After the DJ's show in Melbourne, him and his buddies decided to fly to Brisbane to watch another set on the same night - now THAT'S a fan! Luckily, I caught him on his way home and the blue dye didn't have too much time to seep into my pores; otherwise, I would be Smurfette for Halloween next year. The rest of the day I spent in bed, contemplating a date with Gym but I allowed myself a true lazy Sunday. Met up with my friend Markus from my HKU days for dinner. I haven't seen this guy in 6 years! It was after our last outrageous night out in December 2007, before the HKU group either moved back to our respective countries or continued traveling. It's amazing how studying abroad together creates this inexplicable bond. It was a lovely way to end a day that had a questionable started.

I just finished packing my bag for New Zealand! I fly out tomorrow morning at 8 am and am so hyped for this trip! I have heard nothing but great things about NZ; especially, Queensland! Not sure I will be blogging next week so you'll probably be in store for an ultra wordy post in two weeks.

Talked to the besties this week and as I love using messenger apps to keep in touch, nothing beats a phone call. May seem old fashioned but that's how I roll. Anyways, not as short as I intended but oh well, you've made it to the end.

Lots of love <3

Getting in the holiday spirit

Some savory high tea eats

Petit fours from the patisserie - pistachio & chocolate were the best

Blood orange martini

More than just love for YYC & popcorn in common - we also Asian glow together
#sad

Danny in his high tea attire

An's special recipe birthday cocktail - lychee, mint, lime and all around goodness

Color Run pics:

Markus, his wifey & I catching up after 6 years!

1.5

G'day mates!

I got a great night's rest on Sunday so here's to hoping that I can formulate words into coherent and witty sentences to compile a read-worthy blog. Pardon the back and forth since this was composed over a 2 day period, rather than my usual 3 hour writing window.

Happy 6 week anniversary Melbourne! Time is really flying by! I feel I have done so much and so little at the same time. People hear about the sites I have seen and the places I have visited and are shocked by how much I have done in 6 weeks; in particular that I have already found a job. I am torn, since work does take away from my social calendar and getting to know Melbourne. On the other hand, aside from helping to pay rent, it gives me something to do. My friends have real jobs and there is only so much site-seeing and cafe hopping I can enjoy doing on my own. I am going to keep this job until the end of the year but when summer is in full force over here, I may well become a legitimate beach bum! Perma tan, here I come :)

The store brought in much less entertainment this week, as the races have wrapped up and sobriety has once again washed over the city. The store being located next to one of the most popular three-level restaurant/club/rooftop patio really brings in a bunch of characters, even on week nights. Friday nights are always hit or miss with the drunkards but the bouncers at the club are really good with helping me get the customers out if they start to get belligerent. Friday night, a group of 4 (two girls and two guys) walked in as I was about to close the store and all 4 of them HAD to try something on... I'm always down for a good laugh but of all things to choose to try on, these dudes decide to pick the mini bandeau dresses we just put out. Nothing was left to my imagination as I went to check on said customers... Shudder! There's a reason this material has never been used for trousers or anything that would suit a man! No one wants to see the outline of anyone's family jewels on any given day. This place has caused more mental scarring than any other place I have worked!

This past weekend was full on for catching up with friends. Friday night, I met up with An, Danny, Reg & co. for some much needed karaoke action. Party World in Melbourne Central was fantastic! The drink list was extensive, song selection was up-to-date, the system was electronic (none of this flipping through a dirty book business like at Galaxy) and the rooms were clean. I had every intention of calling it an early night but ended up belting out off tune lyrics until 3. We literally had to drag Danny out of there; I have finally met my match in karaoking. You win Danny-boy! They really crack down here when it comes to drinking and driving so there is always a fight for cabs. Cabbies here are no better than back home in terms of driving skills; getting tossed around in the backseat from too sharp of turns and being nauseated by the stench of past passengers - blech! The cabbies I have encountered are all super friendly and chat with me the entire drive home but a lot tend to reject customers because they don't want to drive out to a certain suburb. Different city, same problems!

Saturday started out really rough. I paid a hefty price for my 1.5 glasses of wine I drank. To my FHRL, I will be tapping out early from our OJ Thursday nights from now on... I can hear Larissa yelling from here but I just don't think my body can take that kind of abuse anymore. I awoke to a spotless apartment and felt sheepish for sleeping in (well, it was 10:30). Matt, seeing my hungover state went out and picked up Powerade for me; much needed and most appreciative mate! He really is a fabulous roommate and I have really lucked out in both places I have stayed in :) After a crap gym sesh, I met up with the gang from Friday for late afternoon eats at the Food Truck Fest. The festival had been running all week, featuring four different food trucks daily. I needed something greasy and have been craving fries for as long as I can remember, so indulged! For the crew back home, this is an important point to note: your beloved potato chips are called crisps; chips are skinny fries (like Joey's shoe string fries) and fries are regular sized fries like at A&W... Yes, it is as confusing as it sounds! I just needed some grease! The setup at the food trucks was cool - outdoor hanging lights, heaps of picnic tables and a well indoor and outdoor bar. I have developed a pear cider addiction since moving here, my favorite being Monteith's! I hope they don't carry that back at home because it really is one of the most unhealthy things to drink... We ended Saturday night at Johnston Street festival. This was massive! I expected it to something similar to Sun and Salsa but was nothing like it, except that there was salsa music blasting. The food vendors were endless, offering various Spanish dishes (and randomly, Korean potato spiral...) and with loads of people, even at 11 PM. The food was great but couldn't mentally handle the crowds so we called it an early night!

Matt and I went on our first roomie outing - a 7.5 km run around the park by our place. It was glorious! Amazing what one night of good sleep can do! We chilled out in the 'back yard' after our run and sun baked before I headed to the zoo with Lachie, Tessa and Duane. The Melbourne zoo is incredible! Most exhibits are outdoors and I imagine, more of a replicate of the animal's natural habitat. The monkeys were definitely the most entertaining! One spent a good 5 minutes trying to crack open a hazelnut and when it finally accomplished its mission, did a cartwheel! It was so cute and kind of dumb LOL. After its celebratory dance, decided to smash the hazelnut into bits and throw it off the balcony instead of eating it. Silly monkey. Makes me wonder which of human kind were descendants of this particular species of chimps... Maybe those two guys that came into the store on Friday?! I definitely want to go back again and see some more of my fave animals. Like our zoo back home, they let peacocks roam around freely and also the Emu's. These things are not cute and have the scariest eyes; I swear one looked into my soul! Creepy!

I was watching the news this morning (it's Monday now) and they were debating whether or not physical punishment is acceptable as a from of discipline. Not full on beat them, I don't think that's right in any capacity (and I'm Asian!) but just a smack on the hand for being bad or what not. I remember having a conversation with a few people before I moved and they told me Australia was a little bit behind the times. All I could recall was this convo, as I listened to the debate on this national news channel and think to myself how this would not fly, the act and the debate, in Canada. They then moved on to discuss government funding for gym memberships for obese people... I had to turn the TV off after that.

The start of the week looks promising, weather wise! I was so happy to get some much needed sun. I can hear the exasperated cries of jealousy! I am sitting outside and typing this in 22 degree weather :) I hope this weather is here to stay - it's the Color Me Rad Run here this weekend! The run sold out super quick and my "team" wasn't able to get any bibs so I'm running it on my own. Oh well! It should be fun regardless! Boozy hightea is also this weekend and luckily the run is the next day so I will have a good reason to pace myself and not go overboard.. Self control is apparently overrated and lacking on my part. Then it's off to New Zealand! I'm super pumped to do some white water rafting and snorkeling! No bungee jumping for me, being upside down really freaks me out but hopefully I find the courage to skydive! Always been a dream of mine!

I sat down and had a nice chat with my neighbours earlier in the week. I am surrounded by super friendly Kiwi's! I mentioned I want to decorate our shared "backyard" (we are in a row of 4 apartment units and share the same driveway) for Christmas. An idea she loved! We are now planning a block Christmas BBQ. Christmas in summer is going to be something I have to wrap my head around. I love our Christmas traditions back home: ugly sweaters (imagine that in 40 degree weather - holy sweat stains!), Secret Santa, peppermint mochas followed by zoo lights, annual Christmas play with the besties, Christmas morning at my house with the entire family... Oh it's making me home sick already! Luckily, friends here have been their usual awesome selves and making plans ahead of time for Christmas parties and New Years. I can't remember the last time I spent NYE in the city; our annual snowboard trip is always something I look forward to; FaceTime will suffice this year.

Many of you have asked if I have met any guys over here and to which I LOL and then reply, no! The likes of Liam Hemsworth are far and in between and as always, we have been duped by Hollywood's ability to glorify an entire country. Hello, stereotypes! The guys I have met have been fabulous but I am the Queen of FZ so yeah... And we all know the purpose of my adventure is not to meet someone - cue Cindy Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

That's it, that's all for this week folks. Wish me luck on my run. My ankle has been acting up again - standing for 8 hours isn't ideal and it's been swelling and hurting like a mofo. As Kelsey calls it, I have redeveloped my swagga!

xx

Food truck goodies

Johnston Street Festival madness

Tess & I enjoying some sun at the zoo

Elephants! One of my fave animals

Monkeys

Wombat - a very under-rated Aussie animal. Absolutely adorable!
Totally smuggling one home <3

Wallaby with a joey in its pouch

Creepy Emu!

Bear at play

Elephant statute painted by Molly the baby elephant
First elephant born at Melbourne zoon

Update.. To Come

Sorry to disappoint readers! I have hit the dreaded writers block this week with only half of an update complete, which I am too ashamed to share; you guys deserve better than that! My cleverly documented notes throughout the week have not helped me in overcoming this hurdle. Check back on Monday night; I promise I will have a full fledged post up by then.

I am spending my lazy Sunday evening watching one of my top 10 favorite movies: The Butterfly Effect. Judge if you will, but I love it because it's an absolute mind f***!

Heard about the snowfall warning back in YYC this weekend; hope you all have your winters on. Stay warm and drive safe.

xx
Miss Lazy

The Countdown Begins!

It's official! New Zealand has been booked!! I'm so excited for beaches, hot springs, hikes and just seeing another country :)

It's been a week since I have been living with Matt and so far, so good! We don't see each other often since he's up and out the door by 5:30 and I work until 11 most nights. He's really considerate: always leaving the light on for me, so I can see when I get home from work; asking if I need a ride into the city, if he has the day off, so I don't have to take the tram. Living here though, has further confirmed I definitely want a big family. Even though there are days when I need quiet time to myself, nothing beats coming home to a house full of people who ask how my day was. I miss shouting "honey, I'm home!" down the hallway to Tess, Lachie and Qibo. I had my first encounter with horrific bugs I was warned about... A roach! Before I could think to do anything in my sleepy stupor, the nasty thing crawled off somewhere and I have yet to see it since. I have learned to always wear flip flops around the house - never know when I'm going to need throw it like a ninja star.

It was a huge week in the city since races were amping up. Tuesday was a public holiday and it was absolutely gorgeous out - FINALLY!! Ben and I went for a run around the Tan, a very popular running track in the city; 3.8 kms and I couldn't keep up. Disappointing moment for me but by the end of this year, I will be able to run it 3 times without walking - personal goal! After Ben's run and my pathetic attempt, we grabbed a coffee and walked around the botanical gardens. Gorgeous place; not to mention another item off my list of must-sees here. Thanks again Benny! Even though it was a public holiday, I had to work that night (lame) but got to enjoy a bit more of the afternoon, sun baking in our 'backyard.'

What I love most about being in retail are the people I meet. Everyday, although I do the same thing, I meet heaps of people with different stories to tell. Obviously, there are still the jerks who come in try everything and anything on, who don't buy a single thing and leave me to clean up their mess but more often than not, people tend to be ultra friendly. This was a big week in Melb'n for tourists because of the races and made it more interesting closing the store. A drunken couple stumbled in on Melbourne Cup Day after, obviously, a few too many and headed straight into the dressing room to make out. Um, please GTFO of my store. What horrified me even more awkward was that they were my parents age; I'm all for acting young but blech! What has been seen, cannot be unseen #scarredforlife! On a very different night, I met a very sweet aunt-niece pair, visiting from Singapore; they came into the store to shop on two different occasions and I got to know them well enough that we planned to hang out after work one night. Unfortunately, plans fell through (on my part - I was being a bum because it was miserable out) but now I have a contact when I go to Singapore - score! It is on my list of places to visit before heading back home in June. Another customer who was shopping with a girlfriend mentioned she was heading back to NZ in the next couple of weeks so I excitedly told her about our trip there at the end of November. Turns out, she will be there at the same time and offered us her property to park our camper- double score!

With all that's going on in life, I forgot to mention in previous posts about my first Melbourne IMAX/3D movie experience. Yes, I can see you guys wide-eyed and like "WTF?! You're blogging about this?!" But this theatre was gorgeous; not to mention has the third largest screen in the world - 23 meters high! It is nothing like the theatres back home, where you almost lose a flip flop because the floors are so sticky; and where you even have to contemplate laying down a napkin before sitting - YUCK! The popcorn comes in resealable boxes so you don't have to try and juggle the overflowing popcorn bag while passing the attendant your ticket. No wasted popcorn! Win, in my books. There also isn't the option to add more butter on the popcorn. I guess that's just reserved for increasingly obese population back home! No, I am not judging anyone for asking for layered butter... We saw Gravity and it was good. The guys were more impressed than I was but that's because I'm a fan of movies with more dialogue and action but the cinematography in this movie was just breathtaking! I, now, want to be an astronaut! Also, Sandra Bullocks bod in that movie, stellar! And yes, I am still straight! Another craze they have over here are Choc-tops. Essentially, ice cream cones with the ice cream part quadruple-dipped in chocolate... I may risk being sick to try it!

This weekend was a tame one and I can feel my liver applauding! Saturday, Ben and I were planning a hike up Mount Dandenong to walk up the 1000 steps but the forecast wasn't looking so hot (literally), so we decided to have brunch and have a drive up there instead. It was hard to see anything atop of the mountain through the rain-hail concoction Mother Nature so kindly mixed up for us but the drive was picturesque with giant green trees surrounding the winding roads of the highway. Sadly, I did not see any kangaroos! Back home, we have grills on the front of our trucks to protect the hood; well, here they are called Roo bars, in the evident they hit a kangaroo.. #whowouldathunkit? Met up with Tessa for dinner afterwards on Lygon street (mainly Italian with heaps of pizza and gelateries) to hear about her Calgary adventure. Hearing all the stuff she did makes me realize how much I take the mountains forgranted. Mark my words, more hiking this summer when I'm back crew; let's try not to get lost this time :P

Today, I had yet another brunch date - told you I chose the right city to live in! I caught up with Carla and Allison at Breakfast Thieves in Fitzroy since it was near the Lulu Lemon outlet (I stupidly left half my Lulu wardrobe at home...) The food was in-fucking-credible! Ally, you always take me the best brekkie places - it's definitely top 3 for the places I have tried. Brunch was followed by a mini-spree at Lulu. I can't recall if I have blogged about Lulu over here, but holy! Even outlet prices are steep! Understandably, it's a Canadian brand and all that export/import bs would inflate costs but I refuse to pay an extra $20 for an already pricey sports bra! End rant... Since I still bought stuff. We cruised a few more outlet shops but since I am on a 'budget,' I held back from buying these awesome leopard print converse high tops I spotted; pun intended (badum-bum)! Don't worry my loves, I will come back for you :)

Poached eggs and corn fritters with pumpkin puree

I love to end my Sunday afternoon adventures (even back home) with an intense HIIT and leg workout. In Calgary, the workout is followed with an amazing home cooked meal at Grandma's. Here, it's an attempt to offset all this brunching! That and so I can hit the shops on the way home for weekly meal prep. Always, method to my madness :P

This was a HUGE weekend back home, which has contributed to my second bout of homesickness!

Rylee's 100 day celebration dinner I can't believe 3 months have gone by. She gets cuter each time I get a new picture and it truly makes me want to book a flight home. There really isn't anything quite like family <3

2. It's also my Pop's 55th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY! You have always given me the best of everything and have shown me unconditional love; supporting me in all of my decisions through life, although you may not necessarily understand or agree with them. There are not enough words to describe how incredibly blessed I am to have a dad, who is as kind, understanding and 'cool' as you. I miss you and love you lots!

Going to try to hit up a few workout classes this week and do some prep for our New Zealand adventure! Can't wait to see you Ms. Ho! Lachie and Tessa convinced me to join them for pole dancing lessons next weekend. It's also the Johnston Street festival and a food truck fest on Saturday. Nothing like undoing a workout like overindulging in food truck eats!

Hope everyone is staying toasty and enjoying their peppermint mochas in their festive Starbucks cups! Peppermint isn't featured here for the holidays, rather it's maple? Another thing to miss and appreciate more when I'm home :)

xx

Just a glimpse of the graffiti in Melb'n - I love it!

Smoked salmon with creme friache on cauliflower fritter @ Lux Confectionary

Ah! Haven't seen him since EDC in 2012!

Movember - killing women's libidos around the world, one 'stache at a time
(I kid, of course - I'm a proud supporter of the cause)

It's Official!

Happy Sunday friends! So I have decided to move my weekly blog updates to Sundays - good day for me to recap the week/weekend, a lazy Sunday read for you mates back home and a day where I can sit and not be rushed to write! So as the title of this post indicates, I'm officially moved in and man, I don't know how I accumulated so much stuff in the span of a 6 weeks. It was enough to fill up the entire boot of Lachie's car - I am curious to see how much I will have to ship home at the end of the 8 months! It's so nice to have my own room and be able to hang up all my clothes! Not that I don't love you, Tess and Lachie - and most recently, Qibo (haha I had to)! I just feel more settled now. I'm further from the tram stop than I used to be - a 10 minute walk versus the 3 I've grown accustomed to. I'm in a cool area though; a few blocks from one of the main roads in the suburb of Brunswick. My new roommate, Matt, seems like a cool guy. He's as much a morning person as I am, into fitness and our kitchen is loaded with our vitamins and protein. Hopefully we get on as well I did with my old mates - miss you guys already! It's much more quiet in a pad with 2 people, in comparison to a house of 5.

This past week was a bit crazy. I worked 11 hours on Monday and then another 12 split between Tuesday and Wednesday. Aren't I supposed to be on a "working" holiday? With an emphasis on the word holiday... It was good though - made a killing on commission this week with heaps of people coming into the store looking for Spring Carnival outfits. Myself included! Procrastination is something I can't shake, no matter what country I'm in! I put in more hours than expected and to say thanks my boss hooked me up with a fascinator for the races. Score! One less thing I had to do during the week :) Laziness is starting to settle in.

The weekend started on Thursday for me. Met Reg for a sushi lunch at Yuzu, followed by a martini at Lui bar in Rialto tower, which used to be the tallest building in Melb'n (now it's the Eureka tower). The view up there was breath taking. Although another urban jungle from above, seeing how close we were to the coast and the surrounding beach... Just a reminder of how far I am from home. There has always been something about being near water that I have found comforting... At home, if you will. Definitely some residual feelings from my Hong Kong days. Thursday night, Sosan and I decided we would hit the town and enjoy Halloween. Original plan was to hit up 18o6 with some of the other girls but since it wasn't a costume party, we decide to hit up another Halloween party in the city. Going in costume on public transportation was an experience to say the least. I got many quizzical looks on the tram and even more while waiting for Sosan at Flinder's Street station. Along the way to the party, we got stopped by couples, families and creepy dudes for pictures. Definitely an usual occurrence if I was at home with y'all. The party was tame compared to our usual Halloween antics. No candy handouts; no pubcrawls... Even at the party, only 40% of the people were dressed up... It's a silly reason, but it did really make me miss home.

Friday I spent the entire day in recovery mode. Lachie and Saqib were great and fetched me much needed water/coffee. Side note, fetch is a common word here and in no way am I referring to them as my bitches lol. It was a hot day out so I spent the morning tanning and sweating out the vodka/tequila mix that was still circulating my system. I followed tanning with a hard leg workout. I felt 100% until I met up with the newbies group at Rah Bar on the South side. My tolerance is definitely not near what it was! I had a drink and felt sick all over again! The upside of this party was that 80% of people were in costume! Hoorah! I sort of got the Halloween I wanted. I was home and chillin' with the boys by 1; I even had time to review Qibo's cover letter! Bat Girl to the rescue!

I needed to rest as much as possible for Saturday - Derby Day at Spring Carnival. As much as my friends tried to prepare me for this day with words of wisdom from past experiences and mishaps, nothing they said could have prepared me for the day! Derby Day is one of the biggest days for horse racing in Melb'n. Everyone, and I mean, EVERYONE looked so glam! It's like they stepped out of the pages of Vogue to strut their stuff. The best way to get to Flemington was to take the train and everyone treated the platform like their runway. I was blown away by the conglomerate of Louboutin's, YSL clutches and intricate fascinators and hair pieces! Say what you will, I know not everyone is into this style, but I LOVE fascinators! It's like stepping into a fashion time machine! Combine that with modern day hair porn... OMG! Yes, I just referred to great hair as hair porn. Reg and I made our way to the car park (Aussie for parking lot) and there were hundreds of tents set up near people's cars. Legitimately, it was a fancy tail gate party; where we have trucks, they have fancy SUVs. Where we would have a keg, they have linen covered table cloths with champagne and wine glasses. Instead of a George Foreman grill, people had catered staff serving BBQ, sandwiches and mini desserts. I tried to take as many pictures but it was impossible to capture everything and the pictures just doesn't do the experience any justice. It was all very posh!

That is until the champagne started to flow... Then everything just started to get Stampede messy! Stumbling is much easier to do in cowboy boots than in heels! Even wedges. I was one of the very first to tap out at our stall. A few too many champagnes and Reg's signature house drink (the Woowoo, which I proudly know how to mix now!) combined with the scorching weather (28 degrees) and I was out for the count. Luckily, the passenger seat was empty and I was able to have a mini afternoon siesta; otherwise who knows if I would have even made it until 6 PM! Luckily, I was coherent enough to join Reg in the members area and place a bet on the actual Derby race and two of my horses ended up placing first and second. Yay, me! I didn't get the trifecta (having three of my bets place 1st, 2nd and 3rd); otherwise would have probably won some big money. I only lost $10, NBD! Don't ask me which horses I bet on, I got a great tip from Danny (thanks buddy). After the races, we headed to Spice Market in the city on a shuttle; where I again passed the F out. We danced, they drank some more and I called it a night at 9. I don't know how these Aussies do it but we started at noon and even with my second wind, I couldn't keep up!

I need to take a moment to say that I have never seen this many good looking guys in one place! Perhaps it was the alcohol; maybe it was the suits; or most likely everyone's over-sized sunglasses but everyone looked dapper <3 Everyone obviously puts in quite the effort to look their very best! A crowd of 130,000 in mainly black and white! Gorgeous. Reg has generously offered me a pass to Oaks day, which is ladies day and the theme is floral. A much more tame day, I was assured but I am not sure my liver can afford anymore damage. Although the temptation of buying a new floral dress is very alluring... I am on a detox until boozy high tea/An's birthday party.

Much like back home, there is a divide between the north side versus the south side. North (being north of the river) is much more hipster, ghetto if you will; whereas the south is more "yuppie," and full of the corporate types. I have been told, I am much more south side gal (I don't know if that is a compliment or not but I take it as one). But here I am, a girl from the NE living on the north side. Guess you can't take the girl out of the 'ghetto' afterall LOL. Sydney road is very culturally diverse; Vietnamese/Chinese restaurants, Italian cafes and kebab shops line the streets. It's a mish mash of ghetto 17th back home but with a Kensington vibe to it - fedora wearing peeps riding bicycles in their maxi skirts/skinny jeans wearing their Converse kicks. But if I ever need to go for after bar eats, I am apparently in the right spot! Kebabs or Macca's are the go to's while drunk. No You & Me or Golden Inn over here. We did go to a Chinese restaurant after Shauna's going away and it was shit house! Food and service.

I spent most of my day exploring my new neighbourhood. Found a great cafe where I wrote the majority of this post - channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw (a SATC reference for those who didn't get it) while waiting for my washing to finish. I had to ask where a laundromat was and the guy at the shop was so confused. Coin laundry is what I was looking for. Mental note made! Something I'm not sure I will adjust to is the lack of dryers in this country. Everyone hangs their laundry out to dry but with the unpredictable weather (cloudy and overcast with sporadic showers all day today) I don't know how things dry in time. Call me conservative, but I am not a fan of hanging my undies on display for my neighbours to see; no matter how cute they may be! The street was much more quiet than I have experienced on a week day or any other weekend. Races are huge here. Tuesday is actual a public holiday for Melbourne Cup; however, yours truly will be working. Probably until midnight - sad face.

A few things I have forgot to mention in my previous posts that differ on this side of the world:
Dim sum is called "Yum Cha" (literally drink tea) here. You say dim sum and give you a raised eyebrow in response. They do have this deep fried mystery meat called a dim sim, which looks like a chicken nugget - I have yet to try and don't know if I want to.

They have water closets which is genius! Having the toilet separate from the shower is much appreciated in a shared house; anyone who has been on a snowboarding trip with our beloved D-man would greatly appreciate this!
Chocolate wafers as straws aka Tim Tam slams! I have yet to try one but most definitely will! Bite the ends off a Tim Tam and use it as a straw until the inside wafer part starts to melt together and then you 'slam' the whole piece of chocolate into your mouth. Yum!
Where's Wally? Perhaps Aussies have a hard time finding this red and white striped dressed lad because his name is Waldo!
Much like the one in Vancouver, the suburb of Richmond is the home of most Asians! LOL not the Chinese though, I'm not sure where we dwell, but the Vietnamese have taken over Richmond.

My social calendar has tapered off for the week and I am excited to catch up on shows and start eating healthy again. Cheat days were equal to the amount of clean eating days this week. Joined a new gym which I am super pumped to start going to! I went today but they were closed, again, sad face! I took a 30 minute tram ride into the city for the sole purpose of getting my sweat on... Oh well. Meeting with a trainer tomorrow - time to turn this setback into a comeback! Aside from work and working out, Benny and I are planning out our New Zealand trip this week! Am I going to be brave enough to cross off skydiving from my 30 before 30? Time will tell!

My IG and FB feeds have been inundated with pics of the snowstorm that has hit back home. The grass is definitely greener on the other side; ironically, I miss the scenic peacefulness of fresh snowfall, despite my literal effort of chasing summer this year. I will just appreciate it more when I'm back next year! Stay warm & drive safe!

xx

This is made entirely of chocolate! Such intricate details!

Boat dock in Phillip Island

Can you find the Koala?

Breath taking - Seal Island

Adorable

The beach where the penguins march up

Night shot of Federation Square

Found this spread at Flinders!

Paparazzi shot of some of the outfits at Flinders

The Nursery - if you squint, you may see our tent

Danny-boy

Bound by our mutual love of our hometown & popcorn
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Chef Pauly

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