Day-16: Still Workshop Day

Tuesday 31 July 2012



kemoceng


One household item that is not available here is kemoceng, or what I - broken javaneze speaker - will call it as sulak.
It's normally made of chicken feathers, although the modern one is made from fine plastic threads and proven very effective to wipe off dust from dry surfaces.

Today I still spent my day in the base preparing for the load out which suppose to start mid day, but the crane didn't come till 2 pm and I had to run back to the city office for weekly meeting with the client



broken power plug



So right before we suppose to have everything fine and ready to be picked, we found the power plug is broken. The electrician came and tested it and said "no I can't revive it" when the electrician said that about certain piece of electrical equipment, you know that's the end.

Remind me again why I said that I love my job?

But on a happier note, it was actually great being out in the base, less formal way of work stuff, open plant, fresh air (and a bit of oily gunk smell but that's fine), rained on a bit when I checked the toolbox, walking in my coverall, smelly and dirty hand due to the dirt (the same smell I found wherever I worked, all oil dirt smells the same way)

Day-15: Back To Work

Monday 30-July-2012

my work space

 Arrghhh!

I can't believe weekend is over now, Glyn back to Brisbane last night and here I am, sleep deprived, bad mood and not ready for work. This week will be tough one, although maybe I shouln't jinx it.

The shot of my work corner at the office, always messy no matter how hard I try to tidy it as often as possible, lots of food crumbs as I always snack, and Gosh how did I do it before I have 2 big screens! (even with the help of multiple screens - typo error is my favourite thing to make!)

Day-14: Back to Perth

Sunday 29-July-2012

Lovely - lovely day!

We woke up quite late and just ready for breakfast around 9 am. A lovely table already set and a glass full of fruit salad are waiting for us. There is a couple already started their breakfast before us and soon we get the stomach filled and chatting with them for a long time! We found out that they also stayed at the same B&B in Albany, not the same time of course, as that would bea bit too much coincidences. After the long breakfast we just on time to check out, pack our bags and settle the payment with the lovely host and walked around the place for a bit. A lovely lovely place and a wonderful day.

Place like this would be my dream house after I retire, a small town, out in the middle of nowhere, very well maintained, and some fruits and vegetables patches around the house.

after that. we drove to wildflower walk just off the town center as suggested by them, and really not a waste to go there eventhough the unsealed road looks a bit daunting in several spots but the car can still manage very well.

The wild flowers staretd to bloom and looked very pretty and from the distance we can see the Harvey Dam, valley and vast open land.

Too bad it will end very soon as Glyn's leaving tonight

Day-13: Road Trip!

Saturday 28-July-2012

Road trip! yay ya yay! Road trip! yay ya yay!

That's the theme song of today. We use Oat car to drive for a weekend trip. I decided to go to Harvey, a little town 150 km south from Perth. So I hopte that it's not a too far in distance within a short period of time so we can still get a feeling of out of town but yet not too long have to be spent in the road.

We managed to wake up and leave early in the morning, give us some time to get a proper breakfast in City Beach Cafe, our favourite place for breakfast. and then a relaxing drive to our weekend trip

Day-12: Great day still - overall!

Friday 27-Jul-2012

Today's post will be full of food.. and smile:).

The sun is shining, I am off from work, and the most important is Glyn is still here, last but not least - waking up late is so sweeettt.

Glyn met with his former boss and colleague for coffee so I woke up and checking emails, turned that I felt that I need to be at the base for the load out, so for a ,oment I hesitate whether I should ignore my conscience and just stay at home, or pop up for a bit at the base. But soon I made up my mind that once Glyn back I will go to the base, and it was good because a bit later when he's on the way home and I told him that he also said that he need to do a couple of hours work. So, case solved! both party are happy.

I baked a chocolate brownie when he's away so the house smelt so chocolate-y when he got home. We went for a coffee, our red seat place as we call it, and I had a very nice blueberry crumble muffin.. those wicked crumbles, they are all about sugar and fat! but it taste so goooooooddd, I had it with earl grey tea, my favourite tea in this cafe. It was a lovely morning indeed.



blueberry crumble muffin

Then I went to work. We plan to have some dinner and I suggested Left Bank in East Fremantle, a place which has nice view. I went with Dessy here once.

I went back home and asked Glyn to pick up Oat's car and met me there. We had a bit of problem finding parking space. Perth is getting more and more difficult for driving around (at least that what most people said, as I never drive).

It was a rather chilly evening, but so pretty river view from the restaurant. This place has a cafe on the lower level and upstair a restaurant, we booked the table and they seated us on the verandah, very nice but also still warm as they close it and have some heater.

We chose the menu and drink and as I feel like some red, I don't care if I mix it, ordering a fish dish and a glass of red. My fish was good: fried barramundi with asian green and pumpkin puree. The sald complete the fish but the puree is a bit too sweet for the fish I think. On the other side of the table, Glyn ordered pork belly with spiced rice. I tried a bit and it tasted so good and spicy! and came in a big portion. The lady whos erved us said that this menu is new and popular.

What a wonderful day!

Red Wine at Left Bank - East Fremantle

papaddum and corriander and nut sweet salsa

fried barramundi with asian green and pumpin puree

pork belly with salad and spiced rice

Day-11: Smile on my face

Thursday 26-July-2012

Feelin' good!

I told my boss that I will be working from home and he approved it. Free from the bitchiness in the office and eventhough I will have a meeting at 11 am it is still great as Glyn is here! We both deserve a bit of break, him with his tough course which he just recently completed and I.. hmm.. I just need a break hehe.

So we went to see the new batman movie at 3 pm.. hope there won;t be any work call!

The theathre was not too crowded, it's great to avoid the peak hours in everything really. The movie is good, but as usual I felt asleep even for a short while, feel a bit embarrased, but oh well, I don't really care haha, I still can get the end bit anyway:).

After the movie we went for brasilian meat buffet dinner with Dessy, this is all you can eat meal which surely interest the meat eaters as these 2 kinds are.

we got seated and the waitress came and explained to us the game rule! Which basically, each of the waiter with different type of meat will come and offer us a piece, they will keep coming if the card on our table is is green, so if we give up we will have to turn it to red, it is also as a sign of surrender, only the weak ones!

several kind of sauces and condiments

First we chose the side dish, fried banana and cheese ball, chwey dough, I like 'em both! and some green salad.

Then the meat keep coming, as the waitress was saying, lamb, ribs, pork, chicken, beef, sausage, and I lost track!

And of course that's not the end.. after that there is the also most waited , barbequed pinapple, with caramelized surface, yummmm~!





Day-10: Fidgeting

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Perth view from Kings Park

South Perth from Kings Park

Ohhh I can't wait any longer! All day I am fidgeting, Glyn will arrive tonight close to midnight so I will go to the airport to see him! can't wait!

But first of all.. there are around 18 hours more to pass meanwhile. So I still need to go to work, base day today, helping the guys tehre, actually not really helping, but be there to make them feel that they have to help me to do my load out haha - I told them frankly that I am here just so they feel that they need to prepare for load out.

Good thing is, the day seemed passed by quicker when I am at the base, maybe just an air less hostile and strenuous gives me an extra motivational boost.

So I went back and met Jessica for dinner, she will go back to melbourne the next morning so I took her for a walk to Jacob's Ladder in Kings Park where we can see Perth city from there. As I told her that I may have hundreds of Perth pictures taken from Kings Park and never get bored of taking a few more, anytime of the day, any weather of the day.. always stunning!

We went to a chinese restaurant in Woodside Building for some dimsum, a good one as usual, I told her that it's good that she;s not visiting Perth too often otherwise I'll be fat soon!

Then we went back to my place, chit chat and I can't believe it was 10 pm, my taxi to the airport arrive!:)

Day-9: Scottish Soap

Tuesday 24 July 2012

never know that soap is one of the imported goods from Scotland.. more over, the good luck soap! Found it in the drugstore in Northbridge, went for a dimsum dinner with Jessica in the evening, unhealthy diet this has to stop!.. umm maybe not too soon hehe.

pedometer

I have been attached to this pedometer for this past 50 or so days, like my artificial heart so important it is to me:).

I didn't do well with my steps these days though!

Day-8: Sick Craving

Sunday 22 July 2012

Choc milk and choc mud scones

Only when I catch a cold I always crave for warm chocolate milk and a bread or cake, chocolate cake preferably!

Day-7: Walk around Uni and River

Saturday 21 July 2012

UWA Winthrop Hall

JJ Abraham Reserve in the UWA area

freaky human statue in UWA

Claremont Lake

Black Swan in Claremont Lake

Along Swan River

along Swan River

Day-6: Cold Morning

cold spring morning

The shortest day of the year has passed - it was on 21st or 22nd of Jun, so I was hoping that means the coldest day of the year too, but apparently I am wrong. It's not as the days are getting colder and colder. When I talked to my colleague, who was born here, he said, it's the early spring days that they normally have coldest mornings. The sun shines all days, but when there is no sun, the air and the wind really gets me.

I took the picture of the intersection nearby the office, my morning route. It was still rather dark and fewer people around because of the school holidays.

Day-5: Reward

another boots

I am so happy Glyn finally completed his course!

...

so I reward myself with another boots hehe

Day-4: Evening Walk

Fruit toast and honey

I am not going to take a picture of my breakfast as a habit (although food-related pictures and stories won't be able to be avoided), but today's breakfast is a bit special. 3 weeks ago I went to New Norcia, it's a very small town (or to be exact, a few buildings located along the main streets in the middle of nothing and nowhere). This place is used to be a monastery - benedict monks, who came from Spain, settled there and built the aboriginal community, what left from that is only their bakery and small wine, ale and olive oil production. Their bakery is quite popular and even they have a branch in the Perth City. I boughta loaf of fruit and nut toast, of course first thing come to my mind is, that would be too much for me. But Dessy told me to cut it up and put it in the freezer so that it can last long.So I did. And how I didn't regret buyind the bread as it's so yummy (by the way I almost finished it), every now and then I took 1 slice, toast it until the outside is  abit crispy and spread some honey on it.

Movie World tumbler

Last year before she left, Olive, a friend of mine went to Gold Coast and brought me back this tumbler, with all the cartoon characters on the cover.I always use it ever since as my work tumbler, never really like to use mug nor glasses as I am a constant tea drinker throughout the day, so mug or class will only make my tea gets cold sooner. This tumbler proved useful as a distraction too, in one meeting I was so bored and ended up copying the drawing of Lola Bunny there, that went on for sometime and I just almost finished her face when my boss caught me and asked me to listen to the meeting.

St George Building

These days are really cold here in Perth, almost sunny everyday and no clouds, but freezing cold. I took an evening walk and passed Gen Squire a pub next door to my place, which always full of crowd. The food there is quite nice and they have small breweries of James Squire beers.

At the background is St George Bld or Central Park where Glyn used to work when he was still here.

Day-3: Fuzzy

Postcard on my drawer

I don't have any idea what happening with me today. It just seem that my head just doesn't work, I got so distracted, I couldn't be more care less about my work, I snapped to one of my client. It feels like walking among the thick fog and you can't even see your own feet, nevermind where you're heading.

If it's because I am tired, that would be a bit embarrasing, as the past few weeks I barely did nothing (please please, god of fate.. this is not me meing ungrateful that I am not busy..don't take it away from me..in the past anytime I complained that I am bored and not having enough thing to do, BAM the next day I even didn't remember why I complained the day before).

The postcard sent by a good friend in Jakarta, she sent it when I was unwell last year, I really love it (not necessarily will do as what the postcard says everytime I take a look at it though :p)

So one day is not too long of a time.. so hope tomorrow will be better.

Now let's talk about a bit more interesting topic...

Fruits in season, I started to notice the pattern - beginning of winter, it's a bit boring, the fruits only limited to orange and apples, towards the end of the winter (which is now), there are some interesting addition, cherries and strawberries.. yay! Then spring and summers, there will be more options with several stone fruits come in season, apricot, plum, nectarine, peach. This is the right time to gorge and devour those yummy fruits. I remember, coming from Indonesia - I mean a village in Indonesia, I grew up not knowing how fresh cherries look like, taste like, the only cherry I know is the super sweetened preserve cheap cherry which we sometimes put  on top of the birthday tart to make the cakes pretty and the taste of this cherries.. nowehere near to the fresh one. So I am really spoiled with this fresh one comes once a year at least

Cherries

In the evening, there is something interesting I found, a week ago, a friend of mine from work, being transferred by the company, and when she hired a mover to pack, apparently they left one drawer, forgot to be emptied, so she offered me if I want to take the leftover stuffs, which most of them are different kinds of teas, of course, I wouldn't say no to that sweet offer:). Last night I experimenting with one tea she gave me. In the dry form it looks like a ball of leaves with some red flowery bit at one end, as bis as a 1 dollar coin and really round. I put it in the cup.

flower tea - still dry

Then I pour hot water and soon the ball started to expand a bit in diameter.

started to expand

Then within 5 minutes the leaves at the bottom started to expand and it looks like flower tea - or an alien just awoke, if you ask me honestly what do I think that tea looks like

Fully blooming tea

The taste is exactly like a normal green tea.. with a bit of fun looking at it before drinking it.