Floriade 2006, Canberra

Spring finally arrived and its time for Floriade (Tulip festival) in Canberra again. This year, my colleagues and partners, Tara & Ray, Simon & Eunhee, Ricardo & Anna, came along, to this amazing display of million tulips and other beautiful flowers at the Commonwealth Park.

Friday afternoon, Tara, Ray, Chee and I hit the road to avoid the traffic into Canberra from Sydney (but also to dodge the lab cleaning session) Hehehe! Simon, Eunhee, Ricardo & Anna joined us on Saturday afternoon. 3hrs from Sydney (Ray drove), we arriving at our $59 a night accommodation (Motel Formula 1) at 4:30pm. With rumbling tummies, we checked-in and droved to Manuka for a scrumptious, but expensive dinner in a Singapore / Malaysia restaurant. Nevertheless, we loved the dishes ordered. After dinner, we went to Dickson for beer in O’Neill’s, an Irish pub, some smooth custard ice-cream desserts at Rubees and back at O’Neill’s for more beers and oil saturated chips. By 10pm, we were chock filled with beer and chips, but sober enough to drive back to the motel for an early night, ready for the next big day out to Floriade.



Saturday 8:30am, beautiful day (clear blue sky), we were up and at McDonalds (Dickson) having our breaky and coffee, before going flower crazy at the Floriade. Ray, with his new digital SLR camera, was clicking uncontrollably at any flower he saw, attempting to capture stunning images of tulips at the festival. Well, guess Ray and I somehow got into the photography gizmo and snapped over 200 shots. The battery in my old digital camera went flat after just over an hour. Tulips/flowers? Very lovely, adore the spread of vibrant colors and varieties of tulips on display. Beautiful, Schön, Beau, Bello, Hermoso!


We did the flowers thingy from 9am to 11pm, before catching a boat tour around Lake Burley on a 60 years old boat, ($5pp). Captain Steve, showed us the Australia Treasury where Mr. Costello does his yearly budgeting, the National Library of Australia, the National Carillon, Captain Cook Memorial Jet, which was suppose to be spraying, but did not, due to strong winds, and finally the Commonwealth Place with flying flags from many countries. We drop off there for a stroll and more pictures. By 1pm, we were back at Floriade for a final peek at the flora fashion, before meeting with the rest (Simon’s group) for Chinese BBQ lunch in Dickson at 2pm. Remember, many restaurants in Canberra, close at 2:30pm and reopen at 5pm for dinner. Not in Sydney!


After lunch, Simon’s group went to the Floriade and Parliament House while we went to the National Museum of Australia for some Australian history. Australian icons include, Holden Commodore, cricket, ruby, swimming, AFL, NRL, Post, bush fires, aborigines, and Australian jargons e.g. Drop Bear and Whoop whoop. We managed to see as much as possible before we were butt out at 5:30pm. We made our way back to the motel for some rest before meeting Simon & group at 7:30pm for dinner at Dickson. Yes! Dickson again, well there are only a few places in Canberra with food. We had pizza (Italian restaurant), the Tandoori chicken, vegetarian, satay chicken pizzas and two salads were superb and cheap.


Post dinner entertainments were beers in O’Neill’s before going to the Canberra Space Dome & Observatory at 9:30pm for some astronomical discovery. Disappointing, we saw nothing besides stars and more tiny stars, not even a glimpse of a planet or aliens.


Sunday 8am, cloudy with light showers, Simon & group decided to sleep in while we went for bird watching with Captain Steve on his boat. Chee and Tara took turn to play the boat captain and operated the boat, that was quite amusing. Despite the rain, we managed to spot some birds – several with necks like a snake, ducks and a gorgeous green/brown lizard. It was fun. After that, we went to the old Parliament house. Pretty interesting, we looked at 60s and 70s furniture while broadening our knowledge of the old Australian political cultures. Hilarious but true, they seem to love their red, orange and green furniture then! There is also a nook with judge’s wig and gown – for visitors to take pictures and pretend to be “the judge” in parliament/court. Mischievously, Ray and I imitated Bart Simpson in the episode; he visited Australia and was kicked in the butt for an offense he committed. That is the punishment, the rest of the world thinks you are getting if you commit a crime in Australia!!!


Later, we went back to Manuka for sandwich / burger lunch, before heading back to Sydney. Very true, the only places to eat in Canberra are Manuka and Dickson! On our way back, we noticed many fallen trees, smoking forest and petrol stations and restaurants closed due to power failure. Shortly we found, there have been wild gales over 117km/hr and hot weather (34oC) and multiple forest fires in NSW over the weekend. Totally unlike the weather in Canberra (20oC day, 12oC night). No worries, we made it back into Sydney safely. Till next time….

Maribel back in Sydney & Mexico Independence Day

16th Sep, Maribel,my very good friend/colleague, finally touched down in Sydney at 5:07am, flying from Frankfurt to Singapore (12hrs) and Singapore to Sydney (7hrs), after spending 3 months at University of Bayreuth, Germany as an exchange student, between CAMD and Prof. Axel Müller’s group, MC II. I was at the airport to welcome her, and she always being a very nice and helpful girl, was trying to help this 77-year-old lady (Germany) who was alone and lost. Anyway, for details, Maribel agreed to post a blog about the entire event. She stayed on at the airport and helped this old lady until 3pm before coming back to CAMD. What a kind soul! At 4pm, I drove her to Uyen’s place, where she will be putting up for the next few days.

Today is also the Independence Day of Mexico, so we decided to do double celebrations; Maribel coming back to Sydney and Mexico Independence Day. All right! Of course, we decided on a Mexican restaurant. We were in Azteca’s Mexican restaurant along Avoca Street, Randwick, Sydney. Food was authentic Mexican and very delicious, especially the nachos, top with different sauces. Lip-smacking good! I ordered Cochinita Pibil, baked marinated pork in banana leaves, while the rest of the crazy gang (Ricardo, Anna, Simon, Eunhee and Maribel) ordered different dishes and we shared. I must say the company of frivolous friends over good food, chatting, singing, dancing and laughing uncontrollably, was absolutely hilarious but priceless. The owner of the restaurant Mr Jose Cruz, with his huge Mexican hat (Sombrero de Charro) and guitar, came and started singing Mexican songs to all the guests in the restaurant, clueless to me, except La Bamba. However, Ricardo, Anna, and Maribel, fellow Mexicans were singing on top of their voices and got the entire restaurant to sing along too! It was great fun!


Well, good things always comes to an end, only after we had our pictures taken with Mexican hats on our heads, kindly provide by the restaurant.

Melbourne September 2006

5th September, flew into Melbourne for Chee's pharmacology exam in the ANZCA college at St Kilda - second time in Melbourne - first in April for physiology exam. Deja Vu, Melbourne seems to be a depressing place, always for exams. The first trip, we managed to squeeze in a trip to the Great Ocean Road for 12 Apostles (or as I say, the "12 Aportos").

Touched down in Avalon airport at 2pm, rented a car and drove to Melbourne (45 min) together with Chee's study partner, Kim onboard. Got a free upgrade from a 1.8 Nissan pulsar to a V6 3.2 Ford Falcon (Yeha!) . Initial hypothesis; the lady (blonde) seems to like me specially my sexy crew cut :) Then we quickly realized, parking spaces in Melbourne are only for mini cars (SMART), big cars huge liabilities. Dinner was at St Kilda, in Balas - a fusion of Indian and Thai cusines, quick, cheap, and yummy food. St. Kilda has strange parking charges, pay only to park in the night, no in the day. After dinner, we walked along Acland Street and saw 5 cake shops with yummy enticing cakes on display behind the windows. Amazing! These cake shops seems to have been there for generations, with decors dating back to 1900s. Wanted to try some cakes but no appetite before the bloody exam..... :( Displays on the shops along Acland are interesting, there are aliens on the roof & etc. Anyway, night was cut short for more study.


6th Sep, exam day and it was raining (common in Melbourne). As Chee put it, the day to see the parole officer (if she pass, freedom, if she fail, another seven months of study), . Her exam finished by mid day, and we were back in St Kilda for lunch in this Asian restaurant called "KL cafe". Had Nasi Lemak, Mutton curry and Char Kueh Teow (ok ok this is for three persons not just me). Me coming from Singapore & Chee from Malaysia, the food were quite authentic . Next few hours passed really slowly as the two (Chee & Kim) waited for their exam results to be released. Seems like eternity!

To kill this few hours, we went to the National Gallery of Victoria for Picasso; Love and War 1935-1945. It was great until Chee saw the Weeping Woman series - and wondered if she will become one of the weeping woman!! Should have gone to the Crown casino or some place more cheerful!


Truth be told, Chee and Kim PASSED! Yes, both passed their exam as indicated on the list posted at the college. Thought of celebrating at Crown casino, but we have to rush for our last flight back into Sydney. Hopefully, we will visit Melbourne in the near future for pleasure, not pressure!