Sushi Train....

Last night we went out for dinner at Melbourne Down Town.
This picture is Flinder Station, taken from the open-roof car.

We were eating at Gogo Sushi, near Chinatown... all together 7 of us.
Frankly speaking, the food not as good as Singapore's and the variety also lesser. The price for sushi train is start from A$2.50 - 3.00 - 3.50 - 4.00 - 5.00 - 6.50 ???
7 of us we finished 30 small plates, 2 udon, some additional order dishes and have to pay A$171.00 ......

We were driving there... about 20-25 min from Hoppers Crossing suburb where I stay while here. The parking charges bow..... after 4 pm is flat rate from A$9.00-10.50 wow... wow....

Day time, even killing ... Few years back, we ever drove to city, not that easy to get hourly parking lots.

Eventhough you can find, the parking charges is heaven (read as *very high*).

Flying to Melbourne (16-18 June 2006)

Friday, 16 June 2006

Taking SQ227 (Megatop Boeing 747) I am flying to Melbourne, Australia.
The flight is departure at 20.55 and landed safely at 05.55 (17 June 2006).

Saturday, 17 June 2006

The custom in Australia very strict. They even use dog to 'smell' passengers/visitors bags or luggages. Also, please check first what is the things (about food) that you can bring in or not. Certain foods are not allow to enter at all, for example, any food with intact egg (even though already cooked), pork, lily bulb, etc....
In my experience, we ever brought Moon Cake for friends, and all without egg yolks type. The custom officers cut every cake just to make sure that there is no egg yolk inside the mooncake...
Chocolate or dairy products also can not be brought into Australia, unless is made in Australia or New Zealand. For dried products, as long as no seeds and commercially packaging, you can bring in. But not certain products, like this reason trip, my lily bulb for a friend who are asking for it got conviscated unless I allow them to do heat treatment.... Most packaged food from developed countries they are pretty lenient with, but if you don't declare it, they WILL find it, and it will just slow you down, so best to declare it and put it at the top of your luggage near the opening, so it is easy to get to and show them. Usually, if you do this, they don't bother to look through the rest of your luggage either! To make it sure, you can check from their website at http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/GuideForTravellers.pdf


Now is winter in Australia, and the weather here at about 8 C when we arrived.
Today, the weather very good, the sun is coming out to greet me :), and the weather about 13 C

My lunch, fish roll....

Sunday, 18 June 2006

Early morning, about 08.30 we left for Queen Victoria Market to do some shopping.
This market is very famous in Melbourne for the local as well as tourist to shop. You can get many types of souveniers like T-Shirt,

key chain, arts, food, and many others. Also, there is wet market (but very clean and neat) that sells meat, vegetables, cheese, fruits, nuts, and others...
For information about Queen Victoria Market, you can check at this website: http://www.qvm.com.au . Just take a note that this market is not open every day...
Market Trading Hours
Tuesday: 6am - 2pm
Thursday: 6am - 2pm
Friday: 6am - 6pm (General merchandise closes at 4pm)
Saturday: 6am - 3pm
Sunday: 9am - 4pm
Closed every Monday and Wednesday, Good Friday, Anzac Day, Melbourne Cup Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day

After that, as May (my lady boss/ex colleague who is station in Melbourne now) is expecting her first baby, according to the custom in Australia, the other colleagues arranged for one custom ceremony that calls: BABY SHOWER.... Everybody bring their gifts for the baby with assuming that the new mother-to-be doesn't know what to buy and/or what to have to welcome the baby.


After finish lunch, we went to Chocolate Emperor .... wholesaler of chocolate. In the beginning, I thought was a chocolate factory, but after we went in.... yeah... only a small shop with many items like chocolate (with simple packaging, but the price is quite cheap), candies, snacks, etc...

Today the weather is about 10C.

ChinaTown Singapore

Saturday, 10 June 2006 evening, we went to ChinaTown Singapore.
Bus or MRT can bring us there. If you take MRT, the nearest stations are Chinatown and Outram Park. Bus Services that pass by Chinatown are: 861, 61, 143, 190,....

Chinatown is known in Chinese as Bullock Cart (Niu Che Shui) or in Malay as Kreta Ayer (Bahasa Indonesia: kereta air).


For old generations, especially Chinese, they always like to come here for shopping. Many says that the price here is cheaper than other places.

In the small lane at Temple Street, Smith Street, Pagoda Street, Mosque Street, you can find many stalls selling many items for souveniers. The atmosphere is like Night Bazaar. The price is quite cheap... I tried to bargain a few times, but the most they will give you discount S$1.00 or about 5% from the price.

From Chinese herbs and spices, ailments, Chinese delicacies like sea cucumbers, mushroom, fruit sellers, clothings, T-Shirt, kimono, crafts, until all products from China can be found here. Also, many nice food along the road.

Many pre-war shop houses in this area.

During Chinese New Year Festival, along the main road, Eu Tong Sen Road and New Bridge Road, the street will be decorate with Chinese New Year decorations, ranging from bright-red lamps to glittering Chinese lanterns and inflated balloons of canine-shaped to signify the Year in Chinese calendar. One month before the Chinese/Lunar New Year festival, this area will always very crowded with those shoppers who are buying goodies for Chinese New Year Celebration.

Here are the goods that I bought at Chinatown... bags (3 for $10), tissue roll holder (@$2.00) ,
Container sleeper (1 pair $5.00), and China decorated bottle, picture draws from inside, not outside the bottle (@$10.00). A lot of good bargains here....

Indo-Sing-Mums ... Botanic Garden, 10 Jun 2006

Dalam rangka memperingati berdirinya group Indo-Sing-Mums (ISM), hari Sabtu kemarin diadakan piknik bareng keluarga di Botanic Garden, Singapore, tepatnya di dekat Swan Lake.
Katanya sih acara dimulai pukul 09.00, tapi seperti biasa... apalagi hari Sabtu en School holiday... banyak yang datang antara pukul 10.30-11.30 an deh...

Buat aku yang pertama kali ikutan dalam acara kopdar [kopi darat = ketemuan di darat], seneng juga bisa ketemu dan kenalan dengan banyak temen baru, yang aku inget: Jeng Hany (Ibu mod yang super aktif en tukang jual sate), 2 Rani (satu anak Hukum yang satu anak Environment, keduanya dari NUS), Mela (bu Gubernur), Cyndi (tetangga deket Bukit Batok), Ika (dari Bishan yang nggak tau asalnya dari mana?), Inong (tukang roti yang laris), Ellen (ehm... aku suka Siomay Bandungnya tuch...), Luki (yang sibuk nyuapin buntutnya), mamanya Isabella yang cantik (namanya siapa uih.... aku lupa, sorry banget ya!), Lenny, Liza, Wiwid, juga yang lain-lainnya... Para suami dan anak2 juga banyak yang datang.

Makanan yang khas Indonesia hasil buatan Ibu-2 juga melimpah ruah... Ada bihun goreng, ayam opor, sate ayam, ayam sambal, siomay bandung, lemper, aneka bentuk dan rasa donat, roti ayam, risoles, martabak, lumpia, de el el, e te ce, pokoknya ueeenaakkk deh. Aku sendiri bawa krupuk terung (malu nih)... murah meriah... tuch bu Gubernur malah mau minta lagi.... ntar dibawain lagi ya Bu... sabar aja. Adanya cuman tiap hari Kamis malam, soalnya belinya di JB tuch...

Semoga setelah pertemuan yang pertama ini, ada kelanjutannya untuk mempererat persaudaraan sesama perantauan di Tiny Toon Island ini...

Wedding Ring

为什么婚戒要带在无名指上 (Why wedding ring should put on the forth finger)

请照着步骤做，你会发现上天造人的奥妙 (Pls follow the below step, really God made this a miracle)

1、首先大家伸出两手，将中指向下弯曲，对靠在一起，就是中指的背跟背靠在一起。
(Firstly, show your palm, centre finger bend and put together back to back).

2、然后将其他的4个手指分别指尖对碰。
(Secondly, the rest 4 fingers tips to tips).

3、在开始游戏的正题之前，请确保以下过程中，5个手指只允许一对手指分开。
(Games begin, follow the below arrangement, 5 pair finger but only 1 pair can split).

下面开始游戏的正题。
picture:















4、请张开你们那对大母指，大母指代表我们的父母，
能够张开，每个人都会有生老病死，
父母也会有一天离我们而去。
(Try to open your thumb, the thumb represent parents, it can be open cause all human does go thru sick and dead. Which is our parents will leave us one day).

5、请大家合上大母指，再张开食指，食指代表兄弟姐妹，
他们也都会有自己的家世，也会离开我们。
(Pls close up your thumb, then open your second finger, the finger represent brothers and sisters, they do have their own family which is too they will leave us too).

6、请大家合上食指，再张开小母指，小母指代表子女，
子女长大后，迟早有一天，会有自己的家庭生活，也会离开我们。
(Now close up your second finger, open up your little finger, this represent your children. Sooner or later they too will leave us for they got their own living to live)

7、那么，请大家合上小母指，再试着张开无名指。这个时候，
大家会惊奇的发现无名指怎么也张不开，因为无名指代表夫妻，是一辈子不分离的。
(Nevertheless, close up your litter finger, try to open your further finger which we put our wedding ring, you will be surprise to find that it cannot be open at all. Because it represent husband and wife, this whole life you will be attached to each other).

真正的爱，粘在一起后，是永生永世都分不开的。
(Real love will stick together ever and forever)

在命相学上也是这样

大姆指代表父母 (Thumb represent parents)
食指代表兄弟 (Second finger represent brothers & sisters)
中指代表自己 (Centre finger represent own self)
无名指代表配偶 (Fourth finger represent your partner)
小指代表子女 (Last finger represent your children)

Poison for Mother-In-Law

Reading for the day... Have a nice day and be a good mother/daughter-in-law.

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law.
In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.
Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of
her mother-in-law's habits.
In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.
Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it.
Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that
she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, butyou must listen to me and obey what I tell you. " Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do." Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen."
Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.

Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.
The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."
Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her." HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you?
There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who loves others will also be loved in return."
"God might be trying to work in another person's life through you. "

Great Singapore Sale, GSS, Singapore

JJS... Jalan-Jalan Sore ke Orchard dan Bugis karena perlu nyari sesuatu....
Bertepatan dengan Great Singapore Sale, mulai tanggal 26 Mei - 23 July 2006. Pas hari Minggu dan awal bulan lagi... wah di Orchard ramenya minta ampun deh.. kayaknya orang-orang Singapore pada ngumpul semua di Orchard...

Dari Orchard, kami mampirke Bugis Junction/Parco.. eh......... suasananya juga nggak beda. Kayaknya kok orang Singapore pada belanja kalo ada GSS ya??

Minggu sore... makan bakso sapi sama keripik tempe...(keduanya made in Indonesia lho)
oh... enaknya.... Sehabis ngantar ponakan ke tempat kostnya di Sims View, tiba2 jadi inget ada pemberitahuan dari ibu2 ISM (Indo-Singapore Mums) tentang bakso sapi di Pebble Lane. Aku telpon dan ternyata bener ada... jadinya ngandok (makan di tempat) berdua dengan Bagio. Berhubung nggak bawa kamera, ya nggak ada fotonya... setelah makan, ternyata baksonya lumayan enak, khas bakso Indo... kami juga beli setengah kilo baksonya doang untuk dimasak sendiri di rumah. Juga ngicipin kripik tempenya sebagai obat kangen... Foto berikut kami ambil setelah sampe di rumah! Yang pingin beli... shout deh, ntar tak bilangin alamatnya..

I Believe I Can Fly..........

I believe I can fly .... sound familiar?
Now... to fulfil that song, You Can Fly.....

For those who are staying in Singapore and been to Bugis, Beach Road, and the surounding area recently, surely ever seen big yellow balloon with big word "DHL" in the sky (when the weather is clear) day or night time...
This baloon is Singapore's latest theme attraction opened in May 2006, exclusively sponsored by DHL All The Way. They called this attraction as U CAN FLY, located at Bugis, Tan Quee Lan Street, next to the 7th Storey Hotel.





The details of this attraction (opening hours, Fare, Duration, etc..) can be seen in this photos.. or you always can contact them directly at 633 868 77 to find out further.. If you stay quite far from Bugis area, is advisable to call them first to check about the weather situation at that time and find out if the baloon can fly or not...


Last night we tried this baloon as we also want to experience how is the feeling of FLYING...
We got the 'free' ticket after exchange with credit card points (otherwise... wow so expensive, S$23 per adult for flying about 10 minutes!!).

Last night the weather were very good and we noticed many people were in the area. We reached there to redeem the ticket at about 18.10 and only be told that the next available flight (see **) is at 19.55 ... what to do.. so we agreed and the the flight were delayed... we only flew at about 20.12 .... If the wind strong and the the flight is full... the passengers will be advised not to bring extra luggage, just bring up your wallet/small bag and camera.... otherwise the extra kgs have to be left on the ground until you come back from your flying... but I believe the ground is saved as an open locker... so no need to worry that your luggage will lost. Somehow I still prefer not to bring too many things to avoid unnecessary accident happened..



This is the view from the balloon when we were up theer... The pictures not so good as the balloon is always moving, blowed by the wind... unless in the day time, the pictures will be much-much better and nicer...











**)They called this adventure as a flight as we are going to fly to nowhere (only go up for about 150 metres above the horizon). Even they called the turn to fly under Flight No. (our flight no. is SB 909 -- see the ticket picture) and when are ready to fly the term used is Boarding...




Their promotion... if you want to try 2 times flying, the second trip is only S$13.00 for adults (cheaper by S$10.00) as long as the second trip is not over than 24 hours different from the first trip. You know how to do the calculation to save money????

Happy flying.........