Carrington park and playing with wigs

Parents house and Zouch

Mum and Dad's place














Zouch restaurant - where we will have reception.

Back in Sydney

It has been a busy couple of days!

Katie came up Friday night after work. The removalists arrived at 740am on Saturday and got to packing up my stuff. They were quite quick, mainly because they didn't ask any questions... and they packed a few things that belonged to the unit.

The cleaners arrived early, at about 1030, and set to work where they could. After the movers left the carpet cleaner arrived - it all worked so smoothly. In the end, the place was empty and spotless by 1230.

Sunday was spent running around (from 730 onwards). First to visit a friend in North Sydney, then home quickly before my monthly bookclub meeting. The meeting was a bit of a wash out - not everyone had read it, and no one really liked it - but it was great fun anyway. Sunday afternoon/evening was all about trying to make space for all of my things that were in transit. We underestimated the space needed - and the amount of doubling up we'd have.

We now have double of most cooking tools and cutlery - and crockery actually. We have a spare fridge, washing machine, drier, microwave and vacuum - which we will sell hopefully.

The movers had several attempts to get out of the unpack portion of their service - despite me having paid for it, and that the insurance cover requires them to unpack... It was annoying and tedious. Once they had upended all my boxes, the place looked like a warzone. And I was surprised that they didn't put anything away - like the bookshelf - they packed all the books then dismantled the shelf - but didn't even reassemble it! Oh, and they damaged the wall in two places, and smashed a few things... still it was better than my move up to Newcastle.

Thankfully, all of the crap below has been unpacked... we have found a spot for most of the stuff... but the cupboards are bulging...

More yummy attempts at Korean food

Here is how the kimchi is looking. It tastes good, but I think it needs more time to ferment - maybe because it has been cold here.


Tonight I tried to make the sweet and sticky potato side dish. I made up a hybrid recipe from some I found online.Above is sauteing the diced raw potatoes, and below is once I added the garlic, onion, soy, water, sugar and honey.



Above is as it all simmered, and below is the fully cooked version - before I condensed and added the sauce to it.


Finished products - the radish kimchi and sweetened potato side dishes. Below is the left over chicken meat, and a ginger, egg and baby corn fried rice. :) Delicious. I am going to get fat again soon at this rate.

a spot of cooking

It was time to do a little cooking, so I knocked up a few extra side dishes.

Below is seasoned jellyfish and seaweed jelly (with shredded carrot, chilli and some other secret seasoning!)

Marinated broccoli and garlic shoots with garlic, ginger, black sesame and other bits and pieces.

Seasoned beansprouts, with chilli, shredded carrot and what not - see a pattern emerging with the seasonings?

Store bought kimchi
The whole dinner, with rice and BBQ chicken. It was delicious.

:D Very satisfying. And I have loads of side dishes left over to last me a long time.

Mr first attempt at making kkaktugi kimchi!

Above and below, the white radish and greens all freshly chopped up

Below is the mix of anchovy sauce, fresh garlic and ginger.

A light sprinkling of chilli powder (lots more added throughout mixing)

And all combined - currently fermenting in a tub in my laundry... Cannot wait to try it.

meaning?

Last night I had a curious dream

Kate and I were driving through rural Brisbane. It was snowing, and the road was covered in swathes of ice - they looked as big and dangerous as icebergs. The road was signposted as 100, we were doing 60 and felt really unsafe. We were worried we'd run out of petrol, but realised there was a 24-hour station ahead, but we didn't stop in.

We were on our way to pick up an old friend (distant friend) from the airport. We must have missed a turn, we reached a fork in the road - a t-intersection. Now on foot we were heading down steps carved from (or covered in) snow. We arrived at a huge complex of modern apartments and garden flats. They seemed to all be vacant, with the same real estate sign in the windows, exposed gyprock and unfinished seals. The stairs joined onto the high walls of a courtyard. We needed to do a loop to turn around and head back to the car, and civilisation. Kate went first, negotiating the slippery steps, she was almost back to the path. I was nervous, my balance was shaky. I lost my footing but seemed to save it. I couldn't tell though if I was going to make it, or fall into the empty courtyard.

As always seems to happen at that kind of moment, my alarm rang. 515am, time to get up and head back to Newcastle for another week of work.

---

On an unrelated (?) topic, i know of two people who had their hopes dashed last Friday, 13th June.

1st day in HK

The first day in Hong Kong has been great. Very long and tiring, but wonderful.
It was great to see Karina and Katie at the airport last night. The 50 minute wait at customs wasn't too much fun, but the ride home made up for that. We got to bed around 12.30am local time (2.30 AEST), and we up at 8am.

We took a few buses then trains to meet up with some good friends for Yum Cha. Very nice. :) Great way to start the trip.

Afterwards Kate and I went for a walk around a few big shopping centres, then went for sushi dinner in TST. After a bit more window shopping it was at 40 minute bus ride back to Sai Kung, some quick groceries then home. Kate came on the bus to where I am staying, then continued on.

I am amazed just how cheap everything is here. THe HUGE yum cha today only cost $10pp, all the travel for the day probably ran about $4.5, and all the groceries (below) including beer, bread, dumplings etc etc, cost about AUD$11. Nice. A great place to holiday.

Below, some yum cha pics.

Afternoon tea snack - sticky rice and red bean

A lady hand making dumplings in an older shopping centre we visited.

Sushi dinner

The bargain groceries - only AUD$11!

Off to Hong Kong & China

I am heading off to Hong Kong tomorrow for a full month! I am so excited. I'm sure there will be loads of extra time for site seeing, and a trip up into mainland China.

I have only been to HK once before, and it was a very fast trip. So hopefully we can explore lots more, see some outlying islands, and I will meet more of her friends and family. I cannot wait. Also, should give me a better taste of HK lifestyle. I will be staying with Karina again, a good friend from college. Should be so much fun!

Stay tuned for updates.

Novocastrian Kim Jung Il

I'm ronrey, so ronrey...

It is now almost 3 weeks that I have been in Newcastle... and counting. I am sure things will pick up in time, but I am pretty bored and lonely at the moment.

On the work front... well it is a new job, you know how that is. I am lucky that the team are all really nice here, but I am still in the throws of learning things, and my projects are only just getting started. So it is going ok.

On the social front... Well. I am glad I have a big TV and a nice view! I don't really know anyone here outside work. I went along to the photography club meeting last Friday - it was interesting but I didn't meet anyone. I have enrolled in a short photography course too - it is only 5 weeks (and really expensive), but it means I have something to do for the next few Tuesdays, and I may meet someone nice I can hang out with.

Otherwise, I went out to take photo's last Sunday which was really fun. (A couple below)





Last night I came down from Newcastle on the train for the weekend. Kate and I are joining a group of friends for the Roar and Snore at Taronga Zoo tonight. It should be great - we arrive at 6.30, get a behind the scenes tour, dinner, night tour, then sleep in tents amid some animals. Then more of the same in the morning. It should be lots of fun - and I am sure thousands of shots will be taken as there are lots of keen photographers in the group.

Housewarming and gardening

On the weekend Kate, Christophe and Joe all came up for a little housewarming dinner at my place in Newcastle. It was great to see them, and thankfully the weather was fantastic. Stupidly I didn’t take any photo’s of the evening.

We went for dinner downstairs at the Bogey Hole café – I will put a little write up of that on the food page probably. It was nice anyway, a good balance overall of price, speed, location and taste. Afterwards we went for a walk along the beach, and had ice cream.

Sunday we had pancakes and a walk around. The guys headed back to Sydney early Sunday afternoon (on the second attempt). I went out to Bunning’s and bought some plants – including some basil and mint for my balcony planter. As I turned the soil, I found loads of the little critters below. They were about four cm long, and fairly disgusting.



I found they are the reason why everything except the Chilli's always die in that pot. Those bugs are eating the plants! I checked with my dad, and they are called cutworm - and they eat everything. I have to change the dirt and throw all that dirt out... :-( Apparently these bugs will turn into a big moth eventually.

So changing the soil in my pot plants will be the highpoint of my Monday night. I may also search out a massage. A sore back makes you feel 20 years older, and I am sick of it!

Later in the week I hope to go along to a table tennis competition at a local pub, and meet with the local photography club. Should be fun.

Move to Newcastle

Last weekend Kate and I moved all my things to Newcastle. Actually, we had movers do it (who incidentally damaged 4 things and our house in the process - I will wait to see how the insurance works out before naming and shaming). Below is the crowded lounge room at Rockdale just before the movers arrived. Oh, whoops - you can see the company on the boxes. Anyway - if they sort it out fairly I will be sure to update.

And this is after they had taken all the boxes and extra furniture. What a difference huh!?
This is the first homemade dinner at the new place - a cold platter on the balcony.

And this is the new pad all decked out. All the furniture fit quite well in the end.

And the view is still quite breathtaking! I am sure it will become more everyday soon, but at this stage I am still captivated by it each time we enter the apartment.


I am now back in Sydney for meetings - will return for my first actual day of work in the new team on Thursday.

Oh, other fun and games... I connected the phone 3 weeks ago, so I could connect the internet in time before I arrived. When I got there (having confirmed both installations were complete), I found the phone didn't work. I called 'my' number, and someone else answered! Seems, somehow, that Telstra connected my phone to another apartment - in the same building, just six floors below! So that means that the TPG internet connection (which is tied to the phone number) was also turned on at the wrong place. Such a pain in the ass. So now I have to get Telstra in to check the fault, relocate the line, then wait another week or more for TPG to reconnect the internet!

So I apologise if I am slow on emails in the next week or two. You can still call my new home number - Telstra is forwarding to my mobile.

Anyway, wish me luck in Newcastle! I will keep this blog and the food blog update with latest adventures.

NYE Degustation

For NYE this year Kate and I decided to have friends over for a dinner party - the girls are below. We did a menu based on Tetsuya and Morimoto's cook book, as well as a page I photographed from the Palazzo Versace cookbook.

First course - Lobster sashimi.

Silk seafood soup: crab, scallop and shrimp mousse adrift in meat consommé, topped with black caviar. (From Morimoto cookbook)
Dukkah tuna: tuna sashimi marinated in soy, sake, mirin and spices, rolled in various seeds and spices. (Palazzo Versace)
Mixed leaf salad: with Tetsuya’s balsamic vinaigrette.

Confit of ocean trout with fennel salad: served with parsley oil and red caviar. (Tetsuya)

This was quite complicated to cook, with a lot of marinating and sauces. To cook it, it had to be on lowest oven setting with the door open! And the tray of celery and carrot below was just to line the tray and flavour the bottom of fish (then discarded).

Japanese beef and vegetable rolls: asparagus, carrot and green onion wrapped marinated eye fillet beef.

WHOOPS - FORGOT THIS PICTURE - WILL PUT LATER.

Baked chocolate & raspberry torte: with citrus zest (low fat!)

At 2am we made lobster congee with the shell and legs of the lobster. It was fantastic.
We had lots of fantastic champagne that night too, including Moet and Chandon and Vintage Chandon.

It wasn't a rager of a night, but we did have an absolute disco ball. :)

It took all day to prepare and cook the food, but was worth it. I had a great night and think the girls all did too.

Happy new year!

Recent environmental portraits

Very loosely defined. Maybe 'situational portraits' is more accurate.

Cooking with a Master Chef!

Last Saturday we had the honor of joining Cherie and some friends for dinner with Bo Ying (below) a teacher for chefs in Hong Kong. She whipped up a storm and taught us a lot in the process!

Beans, garlic shoots and mushrooms

Sweet and sour prawns

Lamb chops

baked pork chop on rice

delicious cold chicken salad

We also had a sweet corn soup. It was all fantastic!

Dinner, Regent, hot pot and what not

Sorry it has been a long time since I posted.

Yesterday I went with friends to Regent Chinese restaurant in Sydney for Yum Cha. I was blown away, I am amazed i had not heard glowing reports earlier - which makes me think there must be other stunning places that i have never even heard of. So I started a new blog to document my search for Sydney's best Yum Cha (and reviews & pics along the way).

http://yumchasydney.blogspot.com/

Last night we had the crew over for hot pot, which was lots of fun. Fairly standard steamboat ingredients.

Tonight my cousin Jono, wife Julie and son Josh came to visit. It was tops to see them, Josh is growing so fast. Below are some pics of dinner - why is it that MY cooking never looks as good in picture... maybe the plates? And I guess all the presentation flaws show up on magnification and under flash. The MEN both had surf and turf - HUGE scotch fillet steaks, with cous cous and prawns, and roast beetroot. The LADIES had salmon in a orange balsamic sauce, again with cous cous and prawns, with orange roasted asparagus and yellow peppers. Julie also whipped up a yummy pasta bake with a tomato sauce she made from scratch. Yummo.

Vietnam 2007

Vietnam August 4-12

(If you cannot see the images below, the full document is available at: http://www.mattgranger.com/files/Vietnam2007.pdf )

A few quick things about Saigon: the traffic – it’s insane. There are SO many motorcycles. The footpaths are not busy like Hong Kong or Tokyo, but the roads are madness. And the taxi drivers – they may save fuel, but there must be a booming gearbox repair trade – they start in second gear, and are in fourth by about 30kms per hour. This is in there 15 year old Korean 4 cylinder cars too. The prices – I don’t care what the media says, Vietnam is still a total bargain, and the people are really friendly.

Day 1 – Saturday August 4

After a good flight with Jetstar we arrived in Saigon around 20.30 and took a taxi to the city. The flock of cabbies trying to direct us into their cars was a bit off putting, but we found one and got the half hour ride for about $6. We checked into the Phan Lam guest house – it was nice for just $13 per night. Tom, a friend of a friend came to meet us at the hostel. He is an Aussie working in Saigon. After taking us to a travel agent to organise a few tours, we went to the GoGo bar on the main tourist street of district one. It was playing songs like Khe Sahn, and is apparently owned by the state.

Tom had his motorbike, and we hired a second driver and took a tour around the city. Sarah rode with Tom and I went with the other chap. It was really great riding around seeing the city for half an hour, a nice way to get introduced to Vietnam.

Day 2 – Sunday August 5

Up at 7am and out by 8. We took a cab to a tailor that was recommended to me - it was very nice and the quality looked great, but it was a bit too fancy (expensive) for what I was after. We went for a walk and grabbed our first bowl of Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). We both got Pho Ba, with sliced beef. It was at a fairly dodgy roadside joint, very cheap and delicious.

We walked around and checked out the Notre Dame Cathedral that the French built there – a much smaller and simpler version to the real one in Paris. There was surprisingly a lot of neon used as backdrops for the iconography and statues. Across the road was a beautiful old post office also.

Next we headed to the Reunification Palace and caught the 11am tour. The palace was nice, but the tour was fairly dull. There was an interesting variety of styles of decoration and furnishings – including 50s kitsch, standard issue communist greys and flamboyant excess. There were also a lot of animal parts on display. The info about its role in the war and the reunification was interesting, but a little light on in the tour.

We headed to Ngon for our lunch, which is a really nice and cheap place that was recommended to us by friends. There was a long queue but we were lucky to get a table in only 5 minutes. The air conditioning system there was very interesting, and actually quite common in Saigon – they had tiny jets of mist that sprayed out in front of the powerful fans, which added moisture to the air – not something you really need at 95-100% humidity, but it did cool the place down. I had a 500g river crab – cost around AUD$11!

It started raining over lunch so we caught a cab to Saigon Square, a place famous for buying clothing and DVDs. It is a cross between an upscale market and a very cheap department store – two stories of maybe 150 stalls, undercover and with an escalator, selling a range of imitation designer goods and cheap movies. The single DVDs were under $1 each, and the box sets were around $2.50 per disc.

We walked home via a couple of markets – they were fun but too crowded and hot.

We went looking for tailors again around our hostel, after looking at several we chose a family owned one where the staff were very friendly and we got to chat with the tailor himself. I ordered 1 suit and three shirts that he was going to make copies from my favourite from home.

We went back to the travel agent to book travel to and from Nha Trang. We went to Pho 24 for dinner, was nice but really mainstream.

Day 3 – Monday August 6

Up early again to the travel agent by 8 to Chu Chi tunnels. It was a LONG bus ride; we stopped on the way at the Cao Dai Temple. I couldn’t really understand the tour guides narration, but it seems that the Cao Dai religion incorporates a number of different religions. It was nice, but after 3 or 4 hours on the bus we only had 30 minutes to look around before getting back on the bus to a traditional arts centre that is run by victims of Agent Orange.

We stopped at a roadside diner for lunch. I had self rolled rice rolls – strangely they use cold water to make then, and they keep the papers a bit crunchy compared to what I was used to – took some adjustment, but I grew to love it.

Next to the Chu Chi tunnels - it was really interesting to see it. The different traps and weaponry was really amazing, as was the complicated network of tiny tunnels the army used in the south. We went into the tunnel, but it was not the original. They remade a section for tourist that was 20cms wider and higher than the original, but I was still rubbing against the walls and had to crawl through sections. You can see how tiny some it was – in the picture below the guide is kneeling beside one of the original entrances to the tunnel – so small a child could barely get through.

After more bus travel home we went to a casual dinner near the hostel. It was nice but all the street sellers were coming in to hassle us to buy books and chewing gum. Sarah got a massage from one of the guys riding around on push bikes that shake a string of bottle tops to indicate they are masseuses.

We went back to the travel agent to check on our trains to Nha Trang and found one was in the 6 bed room which we heard was insufferable, so we changed to flying home on the Friday with Air Vietnam. Next to the tailor and my suit was ready and perfect – no alterations needed. Two of the shirts were done too. Sarah placed an order for her boyfriend off measurements, and then we headed home to sleep.

Day 4 – Tuesday August 7

Up early and checked out at 7am. We got the bus heading towards the Mekong Delta – another long and sweaty day on the bus. We caught a 20 person boat to Unicorn Island to try different local produce – and I held a python.

Was fun; then to another island to a coconut candy factory – really delicious. Then to lunch – not delicious at all. We wandered around the island then caught the speed boat back to Saigon. We broke down a couple of times – was fairly worrying as we had a train to catch. The parts of the river were so dirty the water was totally black.

We caught the train around 10pm, sharing a 4 person sleeper room with a mother and daughter.

Day 5 – Wednesday August 8

We slept reasonably well, and arrived around 5.30am. We were overrun with people trying to get us into their hotels and cabs… it was really overwhelming. The city (Nha Trang) was really beautiful though. We ended up choosing a hotel just because we were trying to dodge one very pushy guy.

We hired two motorbike drivers to take us around for the day. We visited an extraordinarily weird oceanographic museum, which featured rotting carcasses of actual sea life, and a huge room of preserved specimens. Bizarre.

Next to a huge Buddha statue, a Hindu temple and I got a cut throat razer shave and we both got ear cleans – with dirty rusty instruments… luckily no ear infections.

That night we realised we were very sunburnt. So we sought solace in a delicious seafood dinner. We picked the items from tanks – four enormous prawns and a lobster to share. The 1kg lobster cost around $40 and the prawns around $9.

Day 6 – Thursday August 9

We arranged to take an island hopping boat tour off the coast of Nha Trang – it was US$6pp including lunch and transfers. The picked us up at 9am, and then transferred to a very crowded boat (the “Mama Linh”) for snorkelling and site seeing. First up we went snorkelling – it was ok, but not a patch on Phi Phi Island in Thailand or the Gold Coast. It was nice to have a swim but the sea life was not that impressive. Next we had lunch on the boat, then some drinks in the ocean at a ‘water bar’ – it was fairly dodgy red wine and pineapple served from a dingy, but hey – when in Rome…

Next up was an even dodgy-er aquarium – so crappy we didn’t bother going through the main hall. We did get a lovely shot in the fake clamshell though.

That evening we took Cyclo (bush bike with a carriage seat at the front) rides along the water front, and out to a recommended restaurant. We went there as the hotel recommended it as a place to try Snake meat. Unfortunately they did not have it that day, so we had a big steamed fish to share. After I was still hungry, so I got a plate of steamed baby abalone from the markets for about AUD$3.5!!

Day 7 – Friday August 10

We had a relaxing day planned – I mean snorkelling and shopping really takes it out of you! J

We went to the large local market and we both bought some presents. Afterwards we both went for a manicure and pedicure. It was my first time – and it was fairly nice, but I made quite a spectacle as evidently they do not get many men in that place. Also, I guess, because I asked them to paint some pretty flowers on my toe nails – not bad seeing we had major language barriers. I mean Sarah got her nails all painted and buffed in the price – it seemed fair to get to of mine prettied up! J

We had a really rushed lunch at a fancy local place, I had another lobster and Sarah had beef noodles (and entrée of rice rolls to share).

That ended up being a scary day. Sarah had a red rash on her neck since Thursday night, and started to feel unwell on the plane back to Saigon – eventually she was sick. When we landed she felt faint, and had to sit on the bus to the airport from the landing strip. The cab ride home was pretty sketchy too.

She picked herself up to meet some friends at the famous Rex Hotel in the city (for the record – not THAT nice a hotel, it is just the history of the place – and it is about 5 – 7 times more expensive than other nice restaurants), but she didn’t last long. Poor thing was sick again and actually blacked out. I was so worried that she had something serious. We went straight home and got her settled. By sleep time she had stopped vomiting and was holding down water – and no temperature. It was a restless night though, wondering how she would pull up the next day. I had visions of finding her in a cold sweat, needing hospitalisation.

Day 8 – Saturday August 11

Luckily that was not the case, and by morning Sarah was feeling marginally better. She still couldn’t really eat, but she could drink again. After a wander in the morning whilst she rested, we set off to Saigon square again for more DVDs and shopping. We went to a recommended restaurant for exotic meats. Here is the part of the email vegetarians or those with weak stomachs may wish to stop reading.

I was so happy to find a HUGE array of meats on the menu, and all at bargain prices. They had everything from deep fried scorpions (80c a piece), 5 spiced medicinal cow and goat penis, kangaroo, crocodile, ostrich, deer, etc. I opted for a simpler set – and managed to squeeze in three types of meat I had never tried before. (See below)

On the left below is grilled dove – turtle dove to be precise. It was fine – like a quail or spitchcock, but a gamier taste. It came with a chilli salt for dipping. It was nice. On the right… actually – I will save that for last.

Below is Snake Hotpot. I was disappointed with snake – this one was very rubbery, and only a skerrick of meat on it – all cartilage and skin. The soup was nice, and it was interesting – and the meat was tasty for what there was, but the texture made it unsatisfying for me. Now back to the item above right – which was an absolute stand out. It is grilled field rat; and it was fantastic. The meat tasted like pork, it was soft, juicy and really flavoursome – aided by the excellent spices they grilled it with. Honestly, it was fantastic. And best of all, for all of that, plus several drinks each and rice, it was about AUD$15 for the lot.

We wrapped up the day with hair washes in Saigon – a 50 minute process including face massage and neck and shoulders, for about $2.50. Then we both got haircuts – for about $3.50. Mine was good (they actually got a stylist to come in from another salon – he arrived on his scooter 10 minutes later). Finally I picked up a ‘copy’ of the Lonely Planet guide to China (to start planning next trip) – haggling it down from 200,000 dong to 80,000 (or about $6) – but I probably still over paid.

That’s the trip! I will wrap it up in lucky 13 pages. Sorry the photos are low quality, I really compressed them to keep the document small – you can always contact me for a high resolution version, copies are available for purchase from the office. J Cheers and happy travels!

Update - New job and travel!

Hi All

I have some fantastic news! I have accepted a new position with the RTA in communications/marketing, to commence mid August. This has been in the pipeline for a while now, but I couldn't make it public as it was not finalised. Today I received my contract, and I have given my formal notice to current employer, so it is all official. I also learnt more about the role, and it sounds really really excellent!

Other big news, I am going to Vietnam for a week! Between finishing this job and starting the new one (august 4-12), I have booked in for a trip to Vietnam with a great friend from Uni. I am very excited about it - I have always wanted to go to VN. No set plans whilst there - we fly in and out of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), so we will see that area, hopefully the war museums and the Chu Chi tunnels, as well as heading a few hundred Kms north to see the country side and the coast. Sadly Katie cannot make it - as her Permanent Residency STILL has not been processed, she cannot leave the country easily.

So those are the big things going on in my life at the moment. Hope you are all well - and will try to post whilst in VN!

Annandale and Wii

Caught up with Sonny, his lovely sisters and adorable GF today. We went to Paddington markets, then back to Leigha's place for dinner (after coffee), and a night of playing Wii. Great time, and a pleasure to meet Jackie finally.

MLK - lots of news

Well, a lot has been going on, and more is coming up.

I found out for sure this week that a rotation in Public Affairs at work is off the cards. I saw this coming a few months away, but it is certain now - disapointing.

We have been getting out a bit lately, going to lots of places to eat and visit. Tommorow we are meeting Soki and Carter who are out for Carter's graduation. We will go somewhere for dinner and drinks, should be great. Friday at work we are going for Tapas at lunch to Encasa - meant to be very good there. And friday night we are going with a big group to the seafood buffet at the Sheraton on the park. Sunday to Wollongong to farewell some friends and catch up with others.

There is a lot of other things going on at moment, but machinations are still going on behind the scenes - should be resolved shortly then i will go into it all. All in all, things are good. If I could shake my sore back and this lousy cold weather I would be extremely happy!

great weekend

It has been a really great few days off. Friday ended extremely well, then we went out for dinner in Beverly Hills with mum (we got a scallop and oyster each on the house - see below). Saturday we went to visit Jono, Julie and Josh (see cute pic with kate below) - then to DFO for too much shopping. I got a jacket, 4 shirts and some recipes. In the evening we went to Makoto for dinner and Gelatissimo for dessert. Sunday a bit of local grocery shopping with mum was really nice before she headed home.


Kate and I spent the day cleaning the hell out of our place. My wardrobe, bedroom, files and the like are all WAY more organised and thinned out. Katie did an awesome job on the bathrooms and the balconey... the place looks mcu better. In the afternoon I went into Petersham for trivia - a really great relaxing and fun way to end a weekend. It was tops - we came close to the prize but came undone on the final question.

Tonight some more organising and tidying up. I just saw that Jetstar has return airfares to Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Hawaii, Vietnam and Thailand for aroudn $1000, and to NZ for like $500! I may have to plan a week away soon!

lots of good news today

including my mum is in town and staying with us tonight and tomorrow, I am still on the milk, and it is almost the weekend, among other things. :D

Got Milk?

Here's something ironic. I am very excited about milk. And not just any milk - a lactose free skim milk - akin to the skim soy latte variety I have always asserted should not even be called milk (i am not too sure why... probably heard it in a movie and took it as my own idea). Anyway, I think this one is from cows milk, but treated to take out the lactose. Anyway, why excited? Well, it has been a long time since i could take any dairy food without getting a nasty case of tap-ass. Well after loads of no milk no cheese no nuthin, I tried this milk last night and this morning and did not have a reaction.

I don't know if it will last, but for now I am going to make the most of it. I can't tell you how excited I am to eat some cereal each morning before heading to work. I had a bowl today and it was great.

My diet changes so regularly (the only constant being minimum fat/oil) as my stomach decides it doesn't like this or that food type. I am really glad to get this one back - although I have really adjusted to black coffee. It is weird. Last time i tried milk i went for skim soy (in secret) but I still had a reaction, not sure why. But this one nothing.

Anyway, I will try not to analyse it too much and make the most of it until symptoms return.

Tonight I bought some cous cous, and maybe tomato and basil cous cous with lamb, roast capsicum and a minted sour sauce (with diced red capsicum around the outside). See pic. The presentation wasn't as clean and nice as I hoped, but it was actually very yum and the the sauce matched really well. I did need a bowl of extra vege on the side to fill up tho.

it is a weird thing to not recognise yourself

Good weekend

Interesting times.

Work has been frustrating lately, I am not getting the opportunity for communications work like I had hoped. I was not well the end of last week, but am feeling better now. And thankfully we had a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

The weekend was great actually. On Saturday we joined some friends for a walking tour of Dulwich Hill and Petersham to try out the local specialities. We had a variety of Portuguese tarts, as well as visiting continental butchers, smoked meat houses, delicatessens and a Portuguese chicken place for lunch. It was tops. See below. We also visited a huge confectionery wholesaler - metaphors abound, it was awesome.




Saturday afternoon we went to the Peters of Kensington warehouse sale to look at home wares and other versatile solutions to modern living. Actually it wasn't bad, we got two new pans that were on big sales, but still a bit rich i reckon. And finally Katie got lucky at a puma warehouse with a real bargain pair of kicks.

Today we went to visit Christophe at his new place. It was awesome, he cooked us a wonderful 3 course meal and his roommates were really nice.

Cantonese test and happenings

Hi guys. On Saturday Kate and I went on a day trip to the Hunter Valley with my coworkers. It was great, we went to 5 wineries and had a bbq lunch there. The last one we went to was the best in my opinion - just great, i loved every variety of white and red we tried and the host was excellent. I actually joined up, so that means I will have a good supply of their wines - so you know what you may get for an upcoming b'day present!

Yesterday was the end of session exam for Cantonese. It involved reading, writing, speaking and listening. I have actually been studying a lot over the last week - and all day Sunday. It paid off, and I am pretty sure I did fine - i know i got 28.5 from 30 for the speaking section, and think i should pass the other sections... we will see.

I need a hair cut. And I am mourning the end of The Sopranos. Busy times huh!?

Long Weekend

I just finished watching the series finale of The Sopranos - my favourite show... it was something else. I need to digest it more before discussing it though....


It has been a quiet, relaxing and yet busy and memorable weekend. Friday night some good friends came over for dinner and a catch up - was great. Saturday we went to visit my cousin Jono, Julie and their boy josh - see below... can you believe he is only 4 months old!! So big!

Sunday we caught up with friends for yum cha. Afterwards we went to see Shrek 3 at the cinema, then met up with Sandrine and her former host mom Sue for dinner and drinks in darling harbour.

Katie had beer battered snapper and chips.
I had Moroccan spiced tuna on sweet potato
And Sandrine and Sue shared the seafood platter.

On the way home sandrine couldn't help but buy this profriter roll gateau... looked very nice!

Life is good, but complicated

Things are going well at the moment, my health is good and private life is very happy. Work is complicated, but that will work out I am sure.

Last weekend Kate and I went to Mudgee to stay at an historic B&B and visit some wineries, cheese and honey manufacturers. It was really nice and relaxing, although some how we still managed to be exhausted rather than refreshed at the end of it. The place we stayed was lovely, an historic house from around 1880, and our room had a spa in it - literally in it (see below).

We visited some great wineries, an average one too, but we were able to limit our purchases so we didn't come home in debt (thankfully). Good thing too, we have a day trip to the Hunter Valley coming up in a month.

Anyway, that is all the news for now, other than a big happy birthday to Mum for tomorrow. I will be thinking of you mum.

Japan Trip

Hi, I had an awesome trip.

I should have posted about it all by now, but i have been busy, sorry. I have actually written up a draft and selected some pictures - which i made into a pdf... it is here: http://mattgranger.com/Japantrip.pdf

I will expand it and post on here when I can.

But overall it was an amazing, refreshing, eye opening and wonderous trip.

44 hours til japan & top 100

I had a thought the other day that i should bite the bullet and compile a list of my all time favourite films (not best - favourite!) I am just a tiny bit busy getting ready to leave work and the rest to go to Japan on Thursday, but I wanted to make a public commitment that I will make a top 100 list. I have always resisted this as it is so hard, but having to write a top five list for a job application a while ago was fun... so I will extend it a little. Probably actually no one cares that I will do this, but I want to, and this may help keep me to it!

44 hours! YAY! Only 8 hours left of work til JP! :D :D :D Oh, and in 1 week today I will have just had the supremo lunch at Iron Chef Sakai's restaurant in Shibuya! SO EXCITED.

one week from now I will be out with Eriko and Reiko in Gifu, Japan - soon to head back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding tommorow!!!!!! :-D

quick update

Work is going well and my health is good.

It is only one week until I will have arrived in Osaka Japan! I am getting very excited, I cannot wait. I am using all of my spare time working out the agenda and budget for the trip! It will be so good to visit Japan - I have always wanted to go - and especially to see Kayo's home, wedding and to visit the wonderful friends I made at university. I still need to work out how to prioritise things to see and do in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka - if you have been and have advice, please email me! I have worked out what I need to pack, and trying to decide what luggage to use - i think either a small wheeled bag, a large backpack, or a hybrid. Oh, I am also trying to watch as many Hayao Miyazaki films (from studio Ghibli), in case I end up visiting the Ghibli museum in Tokyo.

Otherwise what is new.... I will meet up with all of the graduates in my program this Saturday for a boozy dinner, that should be good, and cousin Jono and family are visiting on Saturday lunch time. Can't wait.

Tonight I made a white miso sauce that also had sake, mirin, sugar and mustard in it. It is great, but I think its best as a marinade or baste - too strong to use as a regular sauce as i did tonight. Still, one more to add to the repertoire.

Anyway, will post before i leave for JP, and during or after trip - hopefully with pretty pictures of the Sakura (cherry blossom).