Dawn Chorus at Bondi Beach

Part of this year's Sydney Festival, Dawn Chorus is a series of concerts played at sunrise on some of Sydney's iconic beaches. Having missed the concerts at Balmoral Beach, Nielsen Park and Clifton Gardens, I don't want to miss out the last one at Bondi Beach. Concert starts at 5:30am, so that meant that I had to wake up around 4:30am, pick up WHQ at 5am, and got to site at 5:30am. At least that's the plan. By the time we turned to Bondi Road, the whole street is bumper-to-bumper. At Bondi Beach, not a single parking spot left. We had to drive like a few kilometers aways before we found a spot on the street. By the time we got to Bondi Beach, the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is on its last few songs. Still it's good exercise and the beach sunrise is just wonderful.

Australia Day 2009

Isn't that something. Today also happened to be Chinese New Year. Not only did my parents give me red packets with good luck money, WHQ's mom also gave me one. Not that I'm expecting one when I greeted her "Gong xi."

WHQ and I went to the city to join in the celebration. Passed through Martin Place on our way to Hyde Park. I was ready to start taking her pictures, but she declined my offer. We had a quick tour of the food stalls around Hyde Park and the vintage cars on display at the NRMA Motorfest, then walked down Macquarie Street. Entrance to Hyde Park Barracks used to be free on past Australia Days. Now, they're going half-price. Checked out The Mint, but nothing much to be seen. No wonder it's free entrance. Didn't join the Sydney Hospital tours anymore. Slipped into the Parliament House just in time. They close at 4pm, and the guys standing in line behind us were not allowed entry any more. Thought of going to St. Stephen's Uniting Church and catching one of the music performances, but they're also closed for the day.

Around 4:30pm we decided to head for Darling Harbour. Bought a couple of cupcakes from The Cupcake Bakery along the way. Started drizzling, so we got wet a bit. Took cover under the Pyrmont Bridge. A few brave souls at the Cockle Bay steps decided to sit out the rain. Spent the time by talking about some serious stuff. By 7pm, the SES boats and some government boats started coming in through the open bridge. That's our cue to go for dinner if we are to catch the fireworks on time.

Long queue at Pancake on the Rocks. I reckon the patrons inside are just sitting pretty and waiting for the rain to stop. Anyway, we got our seats about half an hour later. We were just finishing our chicken Caesar salad and Aussie breakfast (with extra sausages!) when we saw lights flashing and hear loud noises going off. Man, the fireworks spectacular has started without us. By the time we finished our dinner and paid our bill and ran out of the restaurant into the rains, the fireworks is finished. Caught about 10 seconds worth of the finale. Turns out the fireworks display is supposed to start around 8:50pm instead of 9pm as I originally thought. Ah, next year.

Pre-CNY Lunch at Rhodes

At WHQ's mom's suggestion, both families met up at Rhodes Phoenix for a pre-CNY yum cha. As usual, I got to the restaurant late. Had to drop by Beamish Street to buy some fruits and siopao as gifts. Good thing I was not the last to arrive.

Walked around the mall for a while to digest the food what we ate. Back at WHQ's house, we spent a quiet afternoon checking out some online album printers. Then it's back home for CNY eve dinner with the family.

Fotoexpression

Went to Gladesville to visit Fotoexpression. Don't want to spend too much time checking out all available wedding photographers out there, so we're sort of going with Wiki and Ilona. Based on their works that we've seen so far, they're not too bad. Either their camera work is really good, or their Photoshop skills is. Hopefully both. Fotoexpression's basic package starts at $2,150. For that amount, you can a free engagement session a couple of months prior to the wedding date, so the photographer can get to know the couple. Then, you get a day's worth of photography service. From the bride's (or groom's) house to the church wedding to the location shoot to the reception. They'll assign you a photographer and an assistant from their photography team. If you insist on using their principal photographer, that'll cost you extra. You get digital copies of all pictures taken, in web resolution (700x450). If you want the full resolution, that'll cost $650 extra. If you want a hand-crafted wedding album with the photos nicely formatted and laid out, that'll cost $800 extra. Ah, nothing comes for free anymore.

After lunch, we went to Campsie for the unit's final inspection. Everything is pretty much the same. The owners remembered to put in the smoke detector we requested. Aside from a broken tile and a few dead cockroaches, nothing else seems out of place. Back at WHQ's place, we spent the rest of the day watching The Other Boleyn Girl.

Get Me to the Church on Time

WHQ is attending Mass from 9am to 10am, and we're supposed to have a chat with Father John afterward. I got delayed a bit. By the time I got to the church at 10:10am, WHQ and her mom has just about finished talking to him. Anyway, Father John took note of the wedding date, and said he'll talk to us soon. Went to Westfield Burwood to buy some dishes for lunch, then spent most of the day working on the layout and design and the text of the invitation. Afternoon, we went to Officeworks to buy a Canon Pixma MX310 to replace the defective Epson printer. (Print, scan, copy, and fax - what more can you ask for?) By the end of the day, we have a proper working invitation, complete with envelope.

The Pamanhikan

WHQ and I have been engaged for nearly a month now. When her Mom came back from overseas, she "suggested" that me and my parents drop by for a visit. Uh-oh, I've been to WHQ's house lots of times, so I guess the visit is more for the parents. Do I hear "pamanhikan"?

Don't bother looking the word up in the dictionary because it's in Tagalog. It's a Filipino tradition (from the Spanish?) where the groom's family visits the bride's family to officially ask for her hand (and the person that goes with it) in marriage. I was really surprised when this was first mentioned because all along I thought just the engagement is enough. It's not like we had a formal engagement, but I did pop the question, and she said yes, and all the parents knew about this. On second thought, it's not a bad idea since the parent's haven't really met each other.

So what happens during a pamanhikan? Do I have to make the marriage proposal again? Should my dad talk to her parents? Should we bring along chickens and cows and offer them as gifts? Should I stay behind afterwards and mow their lawn? I really have no idea, but this is what we did. I, my parents and my brother (even number) set out to WHQ's house with a Michel's cake and some fruits. There, introductions were made and everybody sat down in the living room. There were some initial confusion as to who is supposed to serve the cake and tea to whom, but eventually, everybody had a share. The parents talked about "normal" topics about adjusting to life in Sydney, the weather, etc. Slowly, (or was it suddenly?), the topic shifted to the wedding date, church arrangements, where to have the reception, color motifs, etc. As it is already nearing lunchtime, we decided to continue the discussion over yum cha at the Crystal Seafood Restaurant.

And so ended the pamanhikan. Whew!

Not one to waste time, we pressed on to Parklea Markets after lunch to buy envelopes and stationery for the wedding invitation. Not an easy job, considering there are so many types and colors of envelopes and papers. Worse, WHQ can't decide whether to go for gold or green or purple or cream. Took her about an hour or so, but she managed to buy something.

Melbourne - Day Four

Today is reserved for Philip Island. My brother reckons we have enough time, so we drove to the Docklands precint first. Lots of spaces but not enough shops. Lunch at the food court, then off to the Shrine of Remembrance. By 2:30pm, we were on our way to the Philip Island Nature Park. More traffic on the road. Got to Philip Island around 5pm already. We were told that the penguin parade starts around 7:30pm, so we went to see The Nobbies first. Supposed to have lots of seals lounging about on the Seal Rocks, but we didn't see any. We did get to see the Nobbies Blowhole at the end of the boardwalk though. The wind is blowing hard, there are strong waves smashing into the rocks, which made the blowhole all the more spectacular.

By 6pm, we were parked at the Philip Island Nature Park. It was a very good parking spot, too. Right at the first exit. Then we noticed that our car is very low on fuel. I know there's a petrol station a few kilometers down the road. Instead of waiting till the end of the penguin parade, might as well top up now. We were gone for only about half an hour. By the time we came back, all the parking lots were full, and we had to park in an open grassy lot with hundreds of other cars. Worse, we got to the stands late. Fortunately, a group moved away, and gave us their seats.

Took a while for the little penguins to come wading in. Those guys were really small and hard to spot amidst the rocks and the pigeons standing around. As more and more penguins filed in, even my parents were able to see them. On our way back to the Visitor Centre, you can see the little penguins wandering about, calling out, and looking for their little holes. Worth the long wait, the cold winds, and the entrance fee.

Melbourne - Day Three

For today, the plan is to visit the Twelve Apostles via the Great Ocean Road. Made a quick detour to the Queen Victoria Market for some Sunday shopping. Mom bought a crystal flower for her altar, while I bought an egg-shaped jewelry case for GF. Had some snacks, then started our drive to Port Campbell. Traffic is quite bad. Seems like everyone else on the road is taking the Great Ocean Road. Stopped by a town called Anglesea for lunch.

By 3pm, we're still on Great Ocean Road, and nowhere near the Twelve Apostles. Took a short detour to check out the Spit Point Lighthouse. After some quick picture-taking, we're back on the road. Got to Port Campbell National Park around 4pm. Half an hour later, we're done with the Apostles. The place is super windy and freezing cold. In our haste to get back to the city, we got caught speeding by a hidden police car. No wonder very few people is using that long narrow stretch of road. Got back to our hotel around midnight already. No one is in the mood for dinner, so we just bought some takeaway chicken wraps from Hungry Jacks.

Melbourne - Day Two

Today's agenda is simply to explore the city. Had a quick breakfast at our serviced apartment, then off we go. First stop is the Carlton Gardens. Took some photographs of the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building. It was completed in 1880 in time for the Melbourne International Exhibition. It also holds the distinction of being the first building in Australia to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Nearby is the Melbourne Musuem. Entry to the museum is free for seniors. Next stop is the Victorian Parliament House for more picture taking. Nearby are St. Peter's Anglican Church with a statue of Christ on a cross at a street corner and St. Patrick's Cathedral where photography is not allowed. This I found out too late. We then walked down to Russell Street, and had lunch at a Chinese restaurant.

We made our way along Flinders to St. Paul's Cathedral, where we waited for the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle. Lots of other people had the same idea. Half an hour later, the hop-on hop-off bus took us to the Docklands shopping centres with the Southern Star Observation Wheel, Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Aquarium, the Shrine of Remembrance, Royal Botanic Garden, Chinatown, etc. We got off at the Arts Centre, and spent some time at the National Gallery of Victoria. Very similar in atmosphere to the Art Gallery of NSW. We walked along the Yarra River promenade, and had snacks at the Southbridge. Stayed around Crown Casino a bit to watch their hourly(?) Christmas show in the lobby.

From there, we caught a tram to bring us back to Parliament House, where we parked our car in the morning. Drove to St. Kilda Beach for a look-see. By the time we finished touring the nearby Luna Park, we didn't want to see the beach anymore. The wind picked up, and it started getting very very cold. So back to the car we went and back to the hotel where we had pizzas and chicken wings delivered for dinner.

Melbourne - Day One

First day on our road trip to Melbourne is pretty uneventful. We left Sydney around 7:15am. My brother and I were driving, and we took turns at the wheel every two hours. First stop is at Gosford, where the Big Merino is. Breakfast at McDonald's. Next stop is at Goubourn. Lunch at Hungry Jack's and a full tank of petrol for the car. We had a short stop at this town called Holwich. The sign says "Holbrook Submarine Town", so I had to stop and look for the submarine. The town is quite small, and the submarine is parked right beside the main road. I don't think we're anywhere near the coast. No idea how the submarine ended up here. Would've liked to check out the sub, but it's pretty hot out in the open, and everyone's in a hurry to reach Melbourne, so we drove on.

Got to Melbourne around 5:30pm. First thing I noticed are the many flyovers and exits and the toll charges that go along with them. Checked in at Quest on Dorcas (right beside Royal Botanic Gardens), then drove straight to the CBD. The good thing about Melbourne is that the place is always alive and kicking. Many of the shops were already closed, but there's still lots of people about. Dinner is at the Yoyogi Japanese Cafe. Strangely enough, the owner and all the staff are Chinese. Today being Boxing Day, we went to David Jones (and Myer) for some late-night window-shopping.

Christmas Walk

It's Christmas, and nothing much is happening. All the malls and shops are closed, so I'm pretty sure it's quiet in the city. WHQ and I drove to the city to take the Christmas Walk. Started off at Martin Place to take pictures of the giant Christmas tree. Further on, there's a large stainless steel menorah near Macquarie Street. The menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum, which is normally associated with the Jewish faith.

Walking through Hyde Park, we saw another Christmas Tree. At the nearby David Jones, we spent some time looking at their Christmas-themed window displays, then went back home.

No-Fly Zone at Illawarra Fly

After a long time of talking about it, today is the day we try out the Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk. I suggested to WHQ that we take the Grand Pacific Drive as it's along the way. First stop is the Ottford Lookout. The day is a bit overcast, but from here we still have clear sweeping views of the ocean and the mountainside. Further down the road, we stopped by Bald Hill Stanwell Park to check out the hanggliding action. RY was seriously tempted to do some tandem hanggliding, but later decided against it. Said it was too cold.

At the Sea Cliff Bridge, we were thinking whether we should try walking across for the experience. Good thing we didn't. There's really not much to see. The $50m bridge is 1.6kms long, and walking across and back is no easy talk. Driving on to Wollongong, we stopped by Nan Tien Temple for some picture-taking. Lunch consisted of hamburgers that the ladies prepared.

By 3pm, we got to Knights Hill. As luck would have it, the whole place is drizzling. But it's not the rain that is the problem, we could've easily gotten a poncho. The whole area is blanketed by dense fog! From inside the information centre, visibility is only a few tens of meters. The weather didn't improve after our coffee and hot chocolate, so we decided to come back another day.

After a short rest in the afternoon, GF joined the family for a Christmas Eve dinner at HK Restaurant.

Barbeque at Concord, Canapes at Burwood

WHQ's hosting a Christmas barbecue at her place. As usual, everyone arrived late. Start time is supposed to be 11am, so we started cooking the sausages around 10:30am. By 11am, there's only four of us eating the sausages and chicken macaroni. By 12 noon, people started arriving in earnest. Finished around 2pm.

I figured we can have a quiet afternoon, then go home early. Not to be so. Turns out WHQ's sister is attending a company party, and signed us all up. Actually, I was not invited, but one of WHQ's brother didn't want to go, so I had to take his place. Good thing it's just at Vee Vees in Burwood, so not too far. We had some drinks, lots of canapes, and party games till late night.

The Ring

Buying an engagment ring is a real tricky business. Especially if you know next to nothing about rings and diamonds. More so if you don't know how much one typically costs. I asked my colleague. He tells me it's normally two o three months' worth of salary. I'm assuming he's referring to the guy's salary. That's a LOT! Not saying that I make huge bundles of money, but it's still a lot, even if we just use WHQ's salary as the basis.

Anyway, last Friday, I and WHQ (and her chaperone/adviser) hit the jewelry shops in Chinatown. Not familiar with the 4C's of diamonds, all we can say is "Show us your engagement rings" and "Which ones are on sale", and making selections based on just the carat and the price. By the time we checked out the 3rd or 4th shop, we're already talking about colour gradings, VS, VVS, SI1, etc. Even then, the pricing of the rings doesn't really make sense because some diamonds can have good specifications, yet are still reasonably priced. Some rings don't look as nice, but are more expensive. I guess it's really a combination of the carat, clarity, colour, cut, and design. Instead of giving WHQ a price range, I just told her to choose what design she fancies because ultimately she'll be the one wearing it. Fortunately, she has small fingers, so a big diamond is out of the question. Out of the blue, I remember my colleague's advice: "Let's hope she is wise and frugal!" After making a shortlist of two rings from two shops, we decided to give it a cooling-off period.

So we're back today to make the purchase. We checked out the rings again to make a final comparison, and decided to go with Ricco Ricco Jewelry. The diamond itself is not big, but it's set high and held in place by 6 claws (Tiffany-style). The ring tapers a bit leading to the diamond, making it look bigger. Small fingers help, too. The diamond itself is colour E, SI1. Really great value for money, since it's on sale. Even got another $150 discount as we paid in cash.

From Engagement to Married Life in One Day

Went to Hurstville with GF to watch Married Life. I knew something was wrong the moment we stepped in the cinema. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw GQ tell a couple of ladies "Here they are." and run off. So we took our seats and watched the pre-movie trailers and commercials. Suddenly the lights dimmed, the drum roll came on, and on the screen came the Powerpoint presentation I created:

It just so happened that the movie of the day was Married Life. So GF sort of assumed that this is just one of the teasers. I popped the question, and she didn't even mind me. Hmm, not the kind of reaction I expected. I sort of assumed that she got the message, and was just acting coy, so I asked her again. And again. Everyone else in the cinema seemed to know what's going on, and the place started to buzz with anticipation. GF finally realized that the video was intended for her. After the initial shock, she managed to say yes, which I promptly relayed to the expectant crowd, to their delight.

Married Life is probably not the kind of movie to watch on engagement day. In the movie, Harry cheats on his long-time wife Pat, and leads a double life with the younger Kay. He feels so happy and content he introduces Kay to his best buddy Richard. Now Richard is a playboy and he instantly takes a liking to Kay. He discovers Pat having an affair with another guy, yet he advises her to remain with Harry so he can have Kay for himself. Meanwhile, Harry decides to poison Pat to get her out of the way. At the last minute, he finds Kay together with Richard. He rushes back home to stop Pat from taking her medication, which he had replaced with poison. From then on, everything goes back to "normal". After the movie, GQ publicly congratulated us, and handed us some flowers and a DVD copy of the presentation. Very nice gesture.

The story is a bit sobering, bleak and sad, but not enough to dampen WHQ's spirits. By the time we finished our coffee/hot chocolate and pastries, she has already SMS'ed all of her friends and informed her parents who are overseas at the time, before I have a chance to change my mind. This is what is known as "the point of no return".

1st Year Anniversary

Spent most of the day checking out houses at West Ryde. With the current global economic crisis (GEC), property prices are falling and interest rates are dropping, which make it a good time to buy property. People are also looking to take advantage of the first home owner's grant, which the government has doubled to $14,000. Anyway, GF called me up and said she had put down deposit for a Campsie unit. She went to see the unit today. The real estate agent told her that another party is very interested, so if she likes the unit, she needs to pay a deposit to secure it. So that's what she did. That's my girl - no beating around the bush. :-)

Later, we went down to the city for mass at St. Patrick's Church (Grosvenor Street) and dinner at Blue Fish (Harbourside). Happy anniversary, dear.

Sydney Christmas Parade 2008

The second Sydney Christmas Parade promises to be bigger and better this year. More floats, more giant balloons, more dancers, celebrities, and cartoon characters. The parade starts off around 11:30am around Circular Quay, traveling two kilometers down George Street, and finishing at Tumbalong Park for Santa's Village around 2:30pm.

At 12 noon, I'm still at Rhodes Phoenix having yum cha with the family. By the time GF and I got to the city, the parade has already passed by and on their way to Tumbalong Park. Since we're near QVB anyway, GF went shopping at L'Occitane and bought a few Christmas presents for her Dad. Then we went to Chinatown's Capitol Square to buy an 8GB USB stick, which we later crammed full of Chinese movies, MP3s, and ebooks for a personal touch. At Tumbalong Park, we visited the information booths that are still there. Most of the floats are already gone or in the process of being dismantled. Oh well, better luck next year.

Birthday Bash with a Quantum of Solace

KC's kids are celebrating their birthdays today. GF and I went to their grandma's place for their birthday bash. Surprisingly, we were the first (adult) guests to arrive. Some of the kids are already trying to best to destroy the jumping castle. Food selection was relatively small (for a Filipino party), but pretty good. The guy who did the pancit canton used to work at Max's Restuarant in Manila. No wonder it's delicious. We stayed around for the chocolate fountain, the big smiley birthday cake, and the piñata party game.

After that, we watched Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig's second outing as Bond 007. I still like Casino Royale better. Director Marc Forster focused too much on the action scenes instead of focusing on the plot. By the end of the movie, I still didn't get why people were doing what the did? Too many things happening at the same time with no central theme. And why would somebody build an eco-friendly hotel right in the middle of the desert. And why would you fill it with explosive gas? Just so Bond can blow it all up? Bah! If you haven't seen this movie yet, then don't. That's a quantum of solace for you.

Handel's Messiah at Our Lady of Dolours Church

The Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and Choir is performing Handel's Messiah tonight at Our Lady of Dolours Church in Chatswood tonight. The last of their concert season for this year. GF and I got there early and got a parking spot right beside the church. Had dinner at this basement Chinese restaurant that her family frequents. Food must be really good because she felt comfortable and chatty enough to share her secrets with me. I was not the same person ever since. :-)

The concert was ok. Acoustics of the church was great, but I'm not really familiar with the piece. The only part I know is the Hallelujah Chorus, courtesy of Mr. Bean. Everybody stood up during that section, as is the common practice. It was said that King George II started the tradition. Was he so moved by the performance? Did he suddenly feel the need to stretch his legs? No one knows.