Tooth Fairy In The Country

End Of An Era

2010-10-25T12:20:00.000+11:00

As my days in the country draw to a close, it's time for me to move on to my next blog to chronicle the next chapter of my life.

Life in the country has been great and I will still be living it for another couple of months. But I think now's the time to make the shift.

It's been a great journey. Email me at silver_tinker@yahoo.com for my new blog address if you still care to continue reading about my life.

Feeling Loved

2010-10-25T08:43:00.000+11:00

I moved into my new apartment last weekend.

My friends came over and helped me and my housemate build some Ikea furniture. To be completely honest, without their help we would probably still be there.

Instead, look at our new dining table! It's extendable, with the intention of saving space, of course.

Truly, I feel loved. To be honest, it's been hard. Moving back to Melbourne, trying to embrace a new life and everything that comes with it has been terrifying, to say the least. But with people who care for me, everything feels so much better.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (57-60/50)

2010-10-24T20:06:00.000+11:00

As always, food features prominently in all my trips away.

Went to Pancakes on the Rocks in Sydney because although I've been to Sydney plenty of times, I have never actually been to this restaurant. The buttermilk pancakes were pretty good but that's about it.

Zest Restaurant in Port Stephens. Very good, except for the risotto. I've been disappointed 3 times in a row in various restaurants - I think I'm never ordering that dish ever again. I'm not sure if it's because I like my risotto really firm or is everyone just making congee?

New Shanghai in Chatswood. Yummy.

Bub's Famous Fish and Chips in Nelson Bay, supposedly Award Winning. The batter they used was pretty good, but the chips were very ordinary and so was everything else to be honest. The Victorian winner, Fish In A Flash wins hands down.

No. 3 - Own A Home

2010-10-21T18:42:00.000+11:00

I did it. I bought a piece of Melbourne.

A tiny piece, but a piece nonetheless.

I'm sure I'm going to be happy here.

2010-10-20T19:12:00.000+11:00

"Hey Girl, thanks for the cookies

They were really very pretty

So much so I haven't eaten any

You made it yourself, really?"

"Hey Girl, how was your day?
Did you stay up very late?
Work was pretty busy today,
I'm driving home now, it's Tuesday."

I smile when you are around,
I always listen for your ringtone sound,
But you said no promises, just see where it goes,
That is the only way you know.
You said as long as we're happy together
Things will sort out, maybe ever after.
If it doesn't - well, we tried.
That's still a comfort right?

"Hey Girl, I'm going to be a little late,
Don't wait up, I've been delayed.
I'm sorry I didn't call last night,
I was too tired to talk, alright?"

"Hey Girl, what's your plans this weekend?

Wanna catch up for dinner, with friends?

I'll be busy both days, but that's okay,

I'll meet you after, straightaway."

I smile when you are around,

It's like I'm a child in a playground,

But you said no promises, just see where it goes,

That is the only way you know.

You said as long as we're happy together

Things will sort out, maybe ever after.

If it doesn't - well, we tried.

That's still a comfort right?

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (55/50)

2010-10-20T18:14:00.000+11:00

Went to DOC in Carlton, which specializes in mozzarella cheese.

Ambience was nice, food was pretty good, but I think I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have because I was just too cheesed out by the end of it.

Too much of a good thing is bad.

Emotional Struggle

2010-10-17T10:50:00.000+11:00

I'm moving into a tiny apartment very soon. Having to downsize from a 3 bedroom family home into a 2 bedroom apartment the size of what seems like a handkerchief naturally involves a lot of ruthless downsizing and purging of items that one clearly no longer needs but for some reason just can't let go of.

I think I only use 20% of all the things I own regularly. Yet as I sit in front of my bookshelf, I can't let some of these books go. For example, what does one do with old dentistry notes? It seems silly that I should be attached to them - I don't even look at them but for some reason I just can't throw them out.

I haven't looked at them in the past 2 years and I highly doubt I will be in the next 20. But somehow I just can't bring myself to get rid of them.

And dentistry textbooks. And various gifts from people over the years that frankly, are just plain clutter. Yes, I sound very ungrateful here but really - for all future reference, Dental Girl would really prefer:

- edible gifts
- experience gifts
- fresh flowers

That way, once it's over it's gone. Although if you are so inclined to gift me a Birkin I have absolutely no objection to that sort of clutter.

I know I have to be ruthless and once it's out of my house in a week's time I won't even remember I ever had it in my life.

The struggle continues.

My 101 List Is Not Enough

2010-10-14T20:14:00.000+11:00

Decided to pack my Port Stephens trip to the max and as much as possible. Seeing there were so many new experiences to be had, I realize that my current 101 list doesn't fit them all! Mainly because a few were a tad more ambitious than what I thought I would go for in 1001 days. Anyway, I'm counting them as items and will be deciding whether to:

Make it 150 in 1505 days
Start a new 101 list that will overlap the current one

Anyway, first things first. I went parasailing!

It was surprisingly not as scary as I thought it would be - a very smooth and silent flight over the bay - amazing views. You don't even get wet - they let you off from the boat and you land back on the boat. Would love to do it again sometime.

Also went on a camel ride over the sand dunes and along the beach. Very similar to horse riding, except slower. Pleasant.

Also went to a Shark and Ray center where you could put on a one size fits all (it's true - it really does fit all!) suit that keeps you bone dry while you wade waist deep in pools full of rays and sharks and feed them. Didn't take many photos because I didn't want to get my camera all fishy and wet, but it was quite enjoyable. One of the rays was about 2m wide and very friendly.

Also climbed up a hill - am very proud to say that I got to the top of it without having to stop. The view from the top was totally worth the climb! I'm not sure why I'm working in Benalla - I should be on the coast somewhere so that this is in my backyard.

Last but not least, we went fishing! I don't have pictures of my catch because I didn't want to touch any of my belongings when my hands were all fishy and baity. Which in hindsight now is kind of a shame. Anyway, my haul wasn't that great although I was happy to have caught anything at all. Caught 3 yellowtails, about 20-25cm long.

Fishing I realize, requires a lot of skill. Half the time I wasn't even sure if it was a bite or not. Also, the sea was pretty rough - I think if I go fishing again it'll either be from the shore or on a lake. Nonetheless, an experience to remember.

After that jam packed weekend of non stop activities, all very uncharacteristic of me (most of you would know that I'm usually a very sedentary sort of person who would really rather stay clean and dry) I think I have found my inner sporty person.

Yes, she exists. Somewhere. Very deep down.

2010-10-12T21:44:00.002+11:00

I. Can't. Move. Without. Pain. Why. Did. I. Voluntarily. Go. To. A. Yoga. Class.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (53-54/50)

2010-10-12T19:11:00.000+11:00

When we found out that Eaglehawk had an award baking bakery that made a vanilla slice that was the runner up to the Tatura Vanilla Slice, we knew we had to go and try it out.

Conclusion? The Tatura Vanilla Slice is still the best vanilla slice I've ever tasted. Their Whipstick Pie however, was really quite good and well deserving of their Gold Medal. Definitely comparable to Parker Pies in Rutherglen.

Straight after that we headed to the Boardwalk, which was situated right on the lake in Bendigo. Lovely view and the food was also yummy!

It seems like all we do every time we travel is look for food. Well, it's true.

Childhood Entertainment

2010-10-10T19:50:00.000+11:00

Last week I worked a grand total of 3 days and went away for 4 days to Port Stephens.

Kept myself amused on the short 1 hour flight from Albury to Sydney with this wordsearch puzzle.

Brought me back to the days when it kept me very happily occupied. Along with dot-to-dot activities. And coloring books.

Yarrawonga

2010-10-07T22:05:00.000+11:00

A friend of mine is now working in Yarrawonga. We decided to head up to visit him and here's a picture of the lake there.

Isn't it beautiful?

2010-10-06T23:29:00.000+11:00

Been doing more ruthless purging around the house.

Realize that I've been dragging the same items that I never use from house to house for the past 8 years. Some things I can't let go of because they are 'meaningful'.

Meaningful shmeaningful.

Sometimes I don't let go because they might be useful 'some day'.

Some day shmome day. It's been 5 years and they still haven't been used.

They're all going out this time. I mean it!

All My Life

2010-10-06T19:30:00.000+11:00

Today I left my house and I started walking
Barefooted out to the water
My eyes won't sleep
And I walked to the bridge where I once had met you
I can feel your footsteps under my feet
But now there's nothing I can do

Chorus
All my life I've waited here for you
To make my dreams come true
The force to get me through
All my life like waves upon the sand
The ocean meets dry land
My heart is in your hands

I know I must be crazy or superstitious
But I swear I thought that maybe you'd be here
But now I look around you're in all my senses
But it breaks my heart to see a view so clear
Say you only needed time
Time has been so cruel
And there's nothing I can do

Chorus x 3

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (30/30)

2010-10-05T18:19:00.000+11:00

Today, I dedicate this post to my iPhone. Who has been giving me minor quibbles ever since I updated the OS to 4.0. Should have just let it alone.

Now every time I have a call that's longer than say... 17 minutes it decides to reset itself.

Extremely annoying!

On a more positive note, I have finally completed my take a photo a day for 30 days challenge! Very proud of myself. Now I just have to move on to bigger and better challenges... or just get ear candling done.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (52/50)

2010-10-05T15:12:00.000+11:00

Spent a night out in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne and was told by my friend that there's a pretty good Malaysian restaurant in that area and we should go check it out.

Me: What is it called?

Friend: Petaling Street.

Except he pronounced it petal-ing street. As in, the petal of a flower, followed by -ing. I cracked up laughing.

My friends make fun of my Malaysian accent all the time I felt it was only fair that I got to ridicule theirs for once.

Here we are, extremely excited to be confronted with Malaysian food.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (56/50)

2010-10-03T11:42:00.001+11:00

Went down to Melbourne intending to spend a good amount of time furniture shopping but all of that got derailed when we saw the lunch special at Number 8.

Anyone knows that Saturday lunch on the Yarra takes at least 2 hours.

It was a lovely day - weather is definitely warming up. Food was okay - the scallops were amazing (and I don't even like seafood!) but everything else was pretty run off the mill standard Modern Australian.

This also constitutes Photo No. 29 in my take photos every day for a month challenge. Almost there!

2010-10-03T11:38:00.002+11:00

Have a sudden urge to work in retail. I don't know where I get these crazy ideas from.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (51/50)

2010-10-02T21:30:00.000+10:00

Baileys is a winery in Glenrowan set in a very pretty part of the country. The buildings are really old and rustic as well.

The food however, is rather mediocre. Don't think I'll go back there again anytime soon. Brown Brother's or Gapsted for me any time.

Decisions

2010-10-02T19:20:00.000+10:00

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (28/30)

2010-10-01T18:13:00.000+10:00

To keep dentistry interesting, I change the landscape of my patient by switching the bib colors around every so often so that I get a change of scene.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (25-27/30)

2010-09-30T18:28:00.001+10:00

More evidence that spring has sprung.

Did you know that I learned colors by eating Froot Loops when I was young? Walked down memory lane yesterday by buying one of those 6 pack tiny boxes of cereal. Way too much sugar and very artificial - don't think I'll be eating it anytime soon again.

And finally - finally - after procrastinating for ages and ages and ages I have managed to put up black and white prints of Milton in my surgery. Looks good, even if I do say so myself.

3 more days to go...I can do this!!

Maintenance

2010-09-29T21:32:00.000+10:00

In many ways we strive to get to our vision of a perfect life, or as close as we can get to it.

For me that means perfectly organized everything and meaningful and fulfilling relationships.

The thing is, I think it's fairly simple when you're still on the road towards those goals. It's easy to clean out the closet and do a massive makeover. Easy to start a conversation and make a new friend.

What's difficult is keeping that closet in perfect condition once it's organized and keeping in touch with that friend. It takes constant ongoing attention.

Remember that.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (50/50)

2010-09-28T21:26:00.000+10:00

I was in Mansfield, which is the gateway to Mount Buller a couple of months ago and we went to The Deck for lunch.

Can you believe we actually had roti in Mansfield? And it was a pretty good representation of it as well! Everything was really good there and reasonably priced. Will definitely head back again when the weather gets warmer. I imagine it to be a lovely place to eat on a nice spring day.

And so here I am at 50 out of 50 new restaurants! There's actually more to come so I'll continue posting and see how many places I actually go to.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (24/30)

2010-09-28T17:42:00.000+10:00

This is my cotton roll dispenser in my surgery. The cotton rolls are packed in and you open the drawer at the bottom with tweezers and take the cotton rolls out.

I love it. So much so, it practically makes my day.

It's the little things that make me continue on in dentistry.

2010-09-28T08:40:00.000+10:00

When you need advice about plumbing, ask a plumber.

When you need advice about your taxes, ask an accountant.

Don't go to a person who doesn't know how to save and ask for financial advice.

Don't ask an unfit person how to establish a good exercise routine.

Silly Dental Girl.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (23/30)

2010-09-27T12:11:00.000+10:00

My toothbrush is connected via Bluetooth to this device that tells me how long I've been brushing for, warns me if I'm brushing too hard and various other gimmicky functions.

Why do I have it? Because I get an industry discount and getting a new toothbrush gave me a weird sense of excitement.

You Let Drama Rule Your Life

2010-09-26T20:46:00.000+10:00

Signs

You talk and complain about your daily problems
You ask for advice and reassurance for most things
You crave attention
You wear your heart on your sleeve
You make big issues out of small things

What To Do

Learn how to solve your own problems instead of depending on people to help solve them for you

What is the current problem?
What options do I have to resolve it?
Which option feels the most comfortable?
Make the decision.
How did it go and how do I feel?
Don't ask for advice

Make small decisions privately - take charge of your own life
Stop complaining - listen to others more instead
Spend more time alone - build a sense of independence
Create a positive mindset. When something happens:

What is the situation?
What am I thinking?
How do I feel?
Are these thoughts true?
How can I view it differently?
What advice would I give myself?

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (14-22/30)

2010-09-26T19:47:00.000+10:00

Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth for 9 days. That's the nature of my life - all sorts of things happen during the weekend and sometimes I take all week to recover from all the excitement.

Clockwise from top left.

Vanilla slice in Mansfield - ridiculously tall. Very hard to eat.
Eat, Pray, Love - have been meaning to read it for a long while, seeing that it was a bestseller and all. Could not finish it - too airy fairy for my taste.
The full moon.
The finished product of my week of stressing out in the kitchen - 80 cupcakes and a wedding cake.
Indo-mee - Love it.
Smith's Thinly Cut Sweet Chilli Chips - I could eat bags of these indefinitely.
Went shopping and ended up buying more sweaters. My mission is to get a spectrum of them.
Vintage cars.
Coffee with a friend who, in response to my complaints about the complications of my life gave me this piece of sage advise.

Dental Girl - calm the ^#&$ down!!

Thank you - I needed that.

Plans

2010-09-26T11:46:00.000+10:00

Where has 2010 gone to? One minute I'm celebrating my 25th birthday and the next September is almost over and the last 3 months of the year which usually just whizzes past because one is already mentally preparing for 2011 is coming up.

2010 to me has been full of decisions. Hefty decisions. For good or for bad, I've made up my mind.

I've been looking into courses that I can do when I head back to Melbourne. Thinking of ikebana. Maybe obedience and agility training for Milton. More cake decorating. Maybe a chocolate making course. Woodworking.

I love free time.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (49/50)

2010-09-25T21:10:00.000+10:00

I was in Echuca a couple of months ago and we headed to their award winning fish and chip shop - Fish In A Flash.

It is so greasy and good!

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (48/50)

2010-09-22T21:08:00.000+10:00

Tatura Hot Bread. I am devoting a whole post to it because their vanilla slice is absolutely to die for.

Yes, we make detours to Tatura just to get these amazing slices of goodness. Love it. If you are ever in the region, this is a must go!

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (47/50)

2010-09-19T20:44:00.000+10:00

I love my meat (doubt I could ever go vegetarian) but a few weeks ago I headed to Vegie Hut in Box Hill for the full fake meat experience.

The food was inexpensive and the variety of soy based meats was pretty impressive. I personally ordered sweet and sour pork and they got the texture pretty right there.

Only problem with vegetarian meat is that there's always this aftertaste that I don't particularly like.

Real meat for me.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (13/30)

2010-09-17T22:08:00.001+10:00

Wedding cake preview.

No. 82 - Run 5km

2010-09-17T20:09:00.000+10:00

Anyone who knows me fairly well would know that my fitness level is at 0 on the scale of 0-100.

Anyway, I've decided that this is the year I will somehow get myself to run 5km. Have semi-started training now that the weather is warming up a little.

Am currently at the grand total of 250m before I have to slow down to a brisk walk. I kid you not I really am that unfit.

Will post periodically as I hit my milestones.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (46/50)

2010-09-16T20:40:00.000+10:00

Mart 130 is a breakfast place right on the tram tracks next to Albert Park. We headed over there a few weeks ago for breakfast and bumped into my ex-housemate from Singapore! What are the odds of that?

It's a very popular breakfast place so we had to wait to get a table. Food was good - pretty standard breakfast stuff.

Would probably not be dying to go back there anytime soon, but not adverse to it either.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (12/30)

2010-09-16T19:55:00.001+10:00

Undecorated cupcakes, ready to be dressed.

Lists

2010-09-15T20:28:00.000+10:00

Things To Be Done In The Immediate Future

Bake wedding cake
Do grocery shopping
Hang up pictures in surgery
Clean up desk surface

Things I Should Be Doing

Eat more fruit and vegetables
Try out new recipes more often
Exercise
Make sure I don't forget to eat lunch
Try to wake up early instead of concluding there's no reason to get up so why bother
Stop complaining

Sentimental Motivational Rubbish

2010-09-15T17:27:00.000+10:00

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you'll cry because time is flying by. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back.

My housemate abhors sentimental motivation quotes that she feels is just plain cliche, cheesy and frankly, can't believe there are people out there who enjoy reading them.

I'm guilty as charged.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (11/30)

2010-09-15T17:22:00.000+10:00

It pains me to say this but the Benalla KFC is the worst KFC branch I ever had the misfortune to come across.

They're slow, they tend to not get the order right and the Original Recipe Chicken sometimes seems to be more oil than actual chicken.

Every time I go there I vow it's the last time I am going to patronize them and yet I still go back there because the truth is I do enjoy my Wicked Wings.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (10/30)

2010-09-14T21:03:00.000+10:00

Every minute, every second, every hour of the day

Iyiyi
Every hour of the day
Iyiyi
Everytime that I'm away
Iyiyi
Missing you, missing you

Every moment that is stolen, it can never be replaced
Iyiyi
Even if it's for a day
Iyiyi
I'm a text you up to say
Iyiyi
Missing you, missing you

Bendigo, Part 2

2010-09-14T19:05:00.000+10:00

We decided to go horse riding and try our hand at pottery when we were in Bendigo.

Here we are with our horses. Mine was called Troy and he didn't really seem to want to be there. He kept wanting to stop to eat grass and refused to trot when he was told to.

The last time I went horse riding was about 6 years ago so I have to say I had a pretty good time. It's not something one does every day.

We also tried out hand at pottery. I was very pleased with the bowl that I produced - we have sent them off to get glazed and we'll receive them in about 3-4 weeks. Can't wait!

I wouldn't have minded getting more proficient at pottery making. I guess the problem with these hobbies is... what does one do with the end products? The older I get, the less desire I have to have lots of things - probably because I keep moving so often.

Thus ended our adventures in Bendigo.

No. 73 - Get To Know 5 New People

2010-09-13T20:14:00.000+10:00

I am pleased to announce that I have managed to get to know 5 new people.

Crossing that off the list.

Bendigo, Part 1

2010-09-13T18:41:00.000+10:00

We've talked about visiting Bendigo for a long time and we finally got round to it last weekend.

Drove down to it on a bright and sunny Saturday morning and headed straight to the farmer's market, where we had a hard time deciding what to have for lunch. Finally settled on a gourmet version of a sausage sizzle and a pie.

Had a walk around the gardens and the spring flowers were out! Pretty, aren't they?

Also visited the Chinese museum, which told the history of the Chinese who came over to Bendigo during the gold rush. Had the opportunity to feed koi in the pond that they had built too. Those fish were so used to being fed by tourists - the moment we approached they swam up to receive their free meal.

Overall, I thought that Bendigo was a pleasant regional centre, with a lot more character than say... Shepparton or Wangaratta. Kinda reminded me a little of Albury. But when all's said and done, I still like Benalla the most.

Part 2 to follow.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (9/30)

2010-09-13T18:03:00.002+10:00

Sugar flowers drying, awaiting their future on wedding cupcakes.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (8/30)

2010-09-12T18:37:00.000+10:00

I love driving past fields of canola at this time of the year when they're in full bloom.

It's like a field of gold.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (7/30)

2010-09-12T18:36:00.002+10:00

We went to Bendigo over the weekend and stopped by Tatura to get some vanilla slice. A sudden urge came upon us to buy a couple of scratchies to try our luck.

No luck.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (6/30)

2010-09-10T12:00:00.000+10:00

What is it like to be a dog, I wonder?

I think Milton's main hardship in life is the fact that he has to stay at home alone when we're away at work. Other than that, I think his life is pretty cushy.

He doesn't have to do anything but come when he's called and the occasional trick or two.

Lucky little thing.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (45/50)

2010-09-09T20:07:00.000+10:00

Last weekend I went to see The Nutcracker at the Palais at St Kilda. For our pre-theatre meal, we decided to go to Slow Down!, which was right across the road from it.

The food definitely exceeded my expectations. I didn't take any photos though because I forgot to. The experience was rather memorable - the waiter we had was quite the bumbler.

To be honest, I'm not sure if he was bumbling on purpose or he was naturally uncoordinated and unsure about the menu and how the place ran. Here's a few things he did:

When he handed us the menus - "Uhm...yeah I'm sorry but we only have 2 menus. I think." There were 3 of us.
When it came to explaining the pre-theatre menu - "So for the entree we have gnocchi and the main we have lamb". Co-worker comes up and says... "No.... for the entree we have calamari or soup, and for the main it's either lamb or gnocchi."
When it came to dessert, he almost dropped it.

The list goes on.

Food however, was excellent. Highly recommended. So was the ballet.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (5/30)

2010-09-09T11:19:00.000+10:00

I have a habit of buying USB keys and losing them 2 weeks later.

It doesn't matter how careful I am with them - they somehow just seem to walk away.

Here's my newest one which will no doubt join the rest of my family of USB keys who have abandoned me.

Self Reflection

2010-09-08T19:06:00.001+10:00

I realize with horror that I have somehow managed to slip into my old bad habit of whinging, whining and not appreciating what I have and constantly worrying about problems that to be honest, sometimes don't even really exist.

So today, I am reminding myself to:

Have faith in myself
Have faith in others
Accept things that I cannot change with a positive attitude

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (4/30)

2010-09-08T12:15:00.000+10:00

I was first introduced to Anne Shirley when I was about 11. For those who don't know the Anne of Green Gables series, it's a story about a young orphaned girl who gets adopted and follows her through her life stages and ends with her youngest daughter's adventures.

In a way, I grew up with this series. I probably re-read it every year. When I was 11, I related to Anne in the first book. As I went through uni, I related to Anne in Anne Of The Island.

Now that I've started working, I'm seeing parallels of my life and hers in Anne of Windy Poplars.

Yes, I am currently re-reading it again.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (44/50)

2010-09-07T20:03:00.000+10:00

About 3 weeks ago I headed down to Melbourne and ended up eating at Donovans at St Kilda.

I didn't take photos of the actual restaurant but it is a lovely rustic looking place right on the beach with views straight out onto the bay. Very picturesque setting.

The food was equally good. Can't actually remember exactly what we had but I remember the mains were duck and lamb.

It wasn't exactly the cheapest meal, but it was worth it. The view is enough to win me over.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (3/30)

2010-09-07T12:40:00.000+10:00

Took Milton out for a ultra short walk (probably 50m) and came across this ornamental pear tree in full bloom.

The whole tree was abuzz with bees, glorying in the spring weather.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (2/30)

2010-09-06T22:12:00.000+10:00

I have been asked to bake a wedding cake and this is part of the project. Looking forward to the end result.

The Great 2010 Flood

2010-09-05T22:04:00.000+10:00

Throughout last week we were told that there was a possibility that Benalla was going to get flooded and we should take whatever precautions necessary.

So I pranced off happily to Melbourne to see the ballet and left the house to the elements.

Right after ballet I get a text message from the SES telling us that we should evacuate from our homes.

That got me nervous. Anyway, I got home and our house was fine - but the low lying areas near the Benalla lake was not.

Thanks to everyone who messaged me to make sure that I was okay. I feel very loved.

No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (1/30)

2010-09-05T20:02:00.000+10:00

I've been putting off this item on my 101 list because I figured that my life isn't that exciting that I can churn out 30 exciting photos in 30 boring days.

Housemate pointed out that I could take photos of mundane things too and talk about it. Which is what I've decided to do.

I've been wearing contact lenses since I was about 14. I remember when I first wanted to switch from glasses to contact lenses I had to beg my parents to let me do it. It was seen as a risky thing to do - what if you get an eye infection and end up blind? Because you know, that's what happened to so-and-so's daughter.

Anyway, I finally wore my parents down with my perpetual whining and got my way in the end. 10 years on, I went to the local chemist and realized that Renu's contact lens solution now comes in clear bottles.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. I can see the froth, and I don't like seeing froth much.

White Nights

2010-09-03T12:47:00.000+10:00

People often comment that a career in dentistry is awesome and I'm so lucky to have a job with such flexible hours and pays well.

That's all true - but it is also true that it's an extremely stressful job. After all, dental treatment is expensive. Which means patients expect a near if not absolutely perfect job.

As a result, every few weeks I get a white night due to dentistry related worries. To be fair, perhaps to a certain extent it's my personality that makes it harder.

I dislike not delivering a perfect result, even when I know it was impossible anyway.

I take it pretty hard when a patient doesn't like me. Even if it's through no fault of my own and they're just being unreasonable, I still feel bad about it.

Am I happy here?

I am not unhappy, but I wouldn't say I'm happy either. I do it because it's what I have been trained to do, and it has bought me the lifestyle that I live now. And occasionally I still get some pleasure out of it. But most of the time I'm stressed due to the amount of responsibility I have to bear.

So this is what real life as an adult is like. Sometimes I feel like I'm just struggling to keep my head above water. Cannot imagine what it's like for people who have children.

Spring

2010-09-02T12:11:00.000+10:00

The air is getting warmer, the days longer and brighter - spring is definitely on its way!

Looking forward to the next 4 months, which promises to be one of the most significant and exciting periods in my life. In a good way. I hope.

Day Off

2010-09-01T10:15:00.002+10:00

The nurses have gone off to Bendigo for their first aid course which means I get a 4 day week today!

I fully intend to:

bank in a cheque that I've been hanging onto for the past 3 months because I keep forgetting I have it
test bake a batch of cakes for a friend's wedding that is less than 3 weeks away why am I such a procrastinator??
take Milton out for a nice walk - it's raining, poor dog is just going to have to go without
continue purging contents of house

Like The Driven Snow

2010-09-01T01:03:00.000+10:00

When I was young my favourite colour was baby blue. I wanted baby blue everything.

Now, my favourite colour is definitely white.

I'm not sure what it is. Probably because white just seems so clean and untouched. Perfect. Unblemished. Bright. Pure.

I could fill my world with white everything.

Purge

2010-08-29T11:29:00.000+10:00

Just went through my bookcase and have decided to get rid of all paperback books that I do not love and very likely will not read again, and even if I did want to read it again I can borrow it from the library and be done with it.

Am ruthlessly purging things out of my house in anticipation of my move next year. Have learnt the hard way that doing things last minute is a very very bad way to go.

Also, am contemplating selling stuff on eBay but not sure if it's worth the trouble. Perhaps I'm better off just giving away clothes to the Salvo's and getting rid of various sundry items by just chucking them out.

Hmm...

Things I've Put Off For Months

2010-08-28T21:16:00.000+10:00

1. Selling unwanted items on eBay.
2. Sewing on missing buttons, shortening jeans and various other clothing alterations.
3. Redecorating my surgery.
4. Reorganizing my baking equipment.
5. Finish knitting my cashmere scarf.
6. Burn new CDs to listen to in the car.

Must get act together and get round to at least some of these things soon... I'm starting to get pretty ashamed of my procrastinating nature.

Weekend in Benalla

2010-08-28T17:41:00.000+10:00

My friend came over last night and we sat down to watch TV together while eating combination fried noodles from Kim Wah Restaurant.

These combination fried noodles are amazing! It's basically a stir fry with a variety of meats and vegetables, served with deep fried rice noodles. None of us (we're from all corners of Asia) have ever seen this dish before anywhere else. We've concluded it has to be a Benalla specialty and we love it!

I actually haven't been well - my entire practice has been stricken with the flu and I just caught it on Thursday. I was feeling cold the whole night and attributed it to my illness - only to discover that my friend was feeling unusually cold too.

Checked the thermotat and realized... My heating is not working again.

This is probably the 5th or 6th time the ducted heating and cooling has broken down and of course it had to happen over the weekend, and over a weekend that I'm in Benalla, at that.

So here I am holed up in my room with my one portable heater, longing for Monday so that the plumber can come and fix it for the umpteenth time.

Bah.

Repeat After Me...

2010-08-23T20:44:00.002+10:00

I will never be so disorganized ever again.

Ever. Again!!!

Drowning in a sea of paperwork.

I Don't Understand

2010-08-22T21:11:00.000+10:00

They say that men are from Mars, and women are from Venus.

As I have sat by and watched relationships around me crash and burn spectacularly, usually due to the guy getting cold feet at the last minute - I guess I never will understand.

If you're not sure, don't say or do anything!

I really feel for my friends who have had to go through the pain of being left after all the empty promises.

The Midnight Train

2010-08-20T23:02:00.000+10:00

It was a full year in Benalla before I heard it. The sound of the train chugging along the railway lines, followed by its horn.

It can only be heard during still nights - and to me, it's a very comforting sound. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps it's the steady rhythm and the accompanying knowledge that the train is headed to its destination.

Am I romanticizing? Lol.

A Feeling All Too Familiar

2010-08-19T22:57:00.001+10:00

Just spent half the night researching home loans and now I have a research induced headache.

Reminds me of my undergraduate days. Very grateful it's all behind me now.

Productivity

2010-08-18T12:29:00.000+10:00

So for the last 3-4 months I've gotten into this state where I come home from work, talk on the phone, chat to people on the internet, talk on the phone some more, watch silly YouTube videos, talk on the phone some more, read in bed, talk to my housemate, talk on the phone some more and fall asleep.

Very unproductive.

However, last night I managed to drag myself out of the house into the Benalla Cinema to watch SATC2. Yes, movies come out about 3 months later than the original screening time where I am.

Anyway, after that I felt a lot better and managed to blitz through my laundry and housework this morning (I love my Wednesday mornings off!) and finally got round to applying for private health insurance. Oh, I even managed to get round to doing my monthly Continuing Education homework. So very proud of myself.

Now, I just have to:

drag myself to the bank and start talking about the possibility of getting a home loan
get income protection insurance
redecorate my surgery now that I know that I'm going to be there for another 18 months - it's worth the trouble
start looking at possible future homes in Melbourne

Yes, it's a horribly grown up list of things to do.

2010-08-17T04:13:00.000+10:00

Yes, Mommy? Did I do anything wrong?

Petit Fours

2010-08-13T03:34:00.000+10:00

I went for a Petit Four course at the Savour School a couple of weeks back. This is what we produced over 2 days.

I had a good time working on them. I guess I wish I had:

a vat of tempered chocolate just hanging around the kitchen all the time
a blast freezer
every conceivable ingredient just you know, hanging around
various different moulds and cutters and plastics and what nots

Young And Free

2010-08-10T03:45:00.000+10:00

When I was young, the very natural thing to do after school was to climb over the fence to my neighbour's home and play together. Because you know, we were too cool to use the gate.

I look back at the height of the fence now and wonder how we ever did it. I truly doubt I can repeat that performance now.

Fast forward 20 years, this is me and my childhood friend in Melbourne. She came for a fleeting visit and I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with her.

I will always remember those carefree days, where maths homework was a matter of 1 + 1 = 2. Or if they wanted to be really diabolical, 9 + 2 = 11.

Where even though I knew almost no Mandarin, and my childhood friends knew almost no English, we somehow managed to communicate anyway.

Where we would walk to the pasar malam every Wednesday and buy Ramly burgers, sausages, lime drinks and asam flavoured ice cream.

Where we would play hide and seek, video games and just have fun.

We're older and possibly wiser now.

At Long Last

2010-08-07T20:41:00.000+10:00

Was left to my own devices this weekend and ended up buying a Kitchenaid to kill time. Yes, one can spend a lot of money even in Benalla.

I've been experiencing a slump of sorts in the cooking department. I guess I've kinda gotten to the point where simple recipes bore me, but complicated recipes are just too much work. As a result, I end up lying in bed eating Cheezels and reading Pollyanna.

Anyway, I brought it home, cracked open the box and proceeded to bake a Japanese cheesecake. I have to say the volume of egg whites I produced was probably about 30% more than usual, even without the addition of cream of tartar.

Very pleased with my purchase, feel that I should have bought this a long long time ago.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (43/50)

2010-08-07T03:44:00.000+10:00

I was down in Melbourne last week and one of the places that I went to was Canvas in Hawthorn.

I have to say that I wasn't really prepared for what they had to dish out. The food exceeded my expectations.

2.55am

2010-08-07T03:27:00.000+10:00

So here I am up at this infernal hour, listening to Taylor Swift's latest single.

Why? Because I made the huge mistake of falling asleep at 8.30pm. I guess this is the earliest I have ever woken up.

I've decided to stay in Benalla for another year. The allure of a 4 day work week was just too great. Can't wait to have 3 day weekends!!

Life lately has been... confusing. I guess there's so many new developments and experiences it's hard to keep up. Overall though, I'm probably the happiest that I've ever been. Or perhaps, I have learnt to be content with what I have. Which is the key to being happy, I think.

Crossroad

2010-07-21T22:34:00.000+10:00

My boss has offered me a pretty good deal if I choose to stay another year here.

Do I stay or do I go?

There's pros and cons for both situations and it's really hard to make a choice and I have to decide by next week I'm stressed I'm arghhh!!!

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (42/50)

2010-07-21T10:21:00.000+10:00

Went to Horoki last weekend.

To be honest, I probably completed my eat at 50 new places thing ages ago. It's just that I've been getting lazy to document them all. I guess seeing that I still have over a year to complete this I my as well just talk about the ones that I really like.

Anyway, Horoki was pretty interesting. It's meant to be Japanese but I guess it's more fusion.

Clockwise from top left: Duck with seared eggplant, pasta with roe, steak tartare and nasi goreng.

2010-07-15T15:37:00.000+10:00

Tomorrow I'm heading down to Melbourne, where I will have the joy of attending another pastry course this weekend.

Can't wait!!!

2010-07-10T10:45:00.002+10:00

Nothing annoys me more than a broken promise. Especially when it's a promise that I didn't even ask for.

Be a person of your word.

2010-07-09T23:04:00.000+10:00

Milton is starting to become a chronic snorer and it's starting to really annoy me. I'm a light sleeper and light sleepers and snoring dogs just don't go.

If things continue on in this fashion he may find himself kicked out into the living room at night.

2010-07-06T22:57:00.002+10:00

If I followed this chart religiously, I wonder how much money I would save?

Probably almost all my money. Because really, nobody really needs anything besides food and shelter. Technically.

The Shoes On My Feet? I Bought It.

2010-07-06T12:49:00.000+10:00

If people have been wondering what I've been doing with my semi-disposable income, they've been invested into shoes. Shoes that I do not need but could not leave behind.

Something occurred to me while I was sitting in Jimmy Choo, trying to decide which shoes to buy. As girls came in with their partners, fawning over these amazing shoes, conversation ran along these lines.

Girl: Aren't they beautiful??

Partner: ... That's a thousand dollar pair of shoes. That's just insane! Let's go.

As much as I dislike hard work, it is work that has bought me this life. I guess it is not so bad to be an independent woman.

2010-07-03T22:48:00.000+10:00

If there is one lesson I have been taught over the past year, it is this.

When in doubt, don't do anything.

2010-06-25T12:10:00.000+10:00

So I haven't really been blogging much of late.

I guess there has been a lot of things that have been weighing on my mind that I prefer not to broadcast to the world.

The weekend is approaching... thank goodness for that. Not sure how I made it through this week.

2010-06-22T22:53:00.000+10:00

Life isn't fair.

In the grand scheme of things, I know I'm very well off - and for that I am grateful.

But sometimes, I wish that fate had dealt me a slightly different card.

2010-06-18T22:28:00.002+10:00

Flipped through a Malaysian cookbook and have been seized with the desire to cook various dishes.

Going Asian grocery shopping tomorrow to stock up and start cooking up a storm.

Very excited.

2010-06-16T19:42:00.000+10:00

Just paid off a whole stack of bills. Looks like I'll be trying to survive on bread and butter for the next few weeks.

Mid-year sales are upon us! Went shopping for 5 hours and refrained from going further - the financial damage was just too great. Love my purchases though - will blog about them when I take photos of them.

Thursday. Friday. Then the weekend! :)

2010-06-08T21:33:00.000+10:00

Been looking for a new challenge of late. Life is getting vaguely predictable and stale outside work.

Reorganized my bathroom cupboards and realized that I have a lot of toiletries. Specifically cosmetics and skincare products. I'm not sure if I could actually finish using them in the next 5 years.

Everything's all neat and tidy though, which is a good thing.

Have realized lately that I love micro managing my life. Not sure if it's a good or bad thing.

More Listmaking

2010-06-06T09:44:00.001+10:00

Goals of the day:

1. ~~Laundry~~ and ironing
2. ~~Dishes.~~
3. Vacuuming.
4. ~~Walk Milton.~~
5. ~~Grocery shopping.~~
6. Cook dinner for the rest of the week.
7. ~~Do some scrapbooking.~~
8. Paint nails.
9. ~~Wash makeup brushes~~.

No. 36 - Build A Gingerbread House Version 2.0

2010-06-05T21:00:00.000+10:00

Photos are out of focus but I'll leave that for my housemate to fix when she gets back.

Isn't it beautiful? Doesn't it look like the perfect gingerbread family? Lol... For once I'm actually satisfied with what I made.

I think I'm going to make this yearly.

Was it worth 8 hours of my time? Totally.

2010-06-05T15:04:00.000+10:00

So I haven't really been blogging much lately.

The reason being there's just nothing particularly exciting going on in my life right this minute.

I could tell you stories about my patients - but that would be unethical.

Instead, I shall tell you about the gingerbread house that is currently in construction. It is beautiful. :)

Photos to follow.

Self Reflection

2010-05-30T13:05:00.000+10:00

I have always been a pessimist. Have been slowly trying to change my mindset over the past week to a more optimistic outlook.

It's been a struggle, but I'm getting there.

The coming week is going to be the best week ever. :)

Stuck In the Moment

2010-05-28T21:23:00.000+10:00

A friend of ours visited recently and commented that my fridge has been looking rather bare of late. Have I not been cooking?

The sad truth is that I've gotten into this rut. The come-home-from-work-park-self-in-front-of-computer-then-lie-in-bed-wasting-time-on-the-internet-and-phone rut. So much so, it was an effort to get out of my room and into the living room to watch tv.

I kid you not.

So to even contemplate cooking in this state of mind is pretty much unthinkable.

Perhaps my love of cooking will be revived when I buy a Kitchenaid mixer...

2010-05-27T21:23:00.000+10:00

I've been eating a ridiculous amount of Coco Pops lately.

They're not even my favourite cereal!

Happily, that box is now empty (yes, the shame! A whole box in less than a week) and I can vow to never bring another box of that... that... stuff into this home.

Now... let me just go make a peanut butter and honey sandwich...

2010-05-26T18:27:00.000+10:00

Favourite moments in dentistry:

1. The feeling of PDLs ripping coupled with the knowledge that the tooth is coming out.

2. Patients telling you that it was almost as if you did the filling without even touching them.

3. A beautifully perfectly contoured and contacted posterior composite.

4. Finding canals in less than 3 minutes.

5. Polishing stained anterior fillings, making them look like new again.

2010-05-25T20:58:00.000+10:00

As I tucked into my second Cheeseburger Happy Meal of the week (yes, it's only Tuesday!), I was mulling over the concept of being positive.

I have always considered myself to be someone who tends to sit on the negative side of the fence. If you think about it, it's the lazy and easy side to be.

It's easy to blame everything and whinge about how miserable your life is and wallow in self pity. Easy to just lie in bed for hours and refuse to get up and say 'What's the point?' Easy to not try to make the best of whatever life has served up and just well... give up.

It's a uphill climb. But I'm trying.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (41/50)

2010-05-22T19:45:00.000+10:00

Went to Nagambie for a day trip. Headed to Mitchelton winery for some lunch.

Verdict? Fairly ordinary food. It wasn't bad, but not something I will remember. And the bread roll was very, very, very bland. And the butter that they served for the bread was cold and unspreadable.

Am I being too demanding? :S

Anyway, after that forgettable lunch we headed off for some kayaking at the Nagambie Lake!

This was the first time I had ever gone kayaking and I was paired with my very unfortunate housemate who said that really, we were probably going better when I didn't paddle at all. However, towards the end I finally vaguely got the hang of it.

The weather was perfect. Sure, it was a tad on the cold side, but overall I had a good time.

It struck me once again how lucky I am right now to be able to do all these things. I guess in a way I'm cramming in all the things I want to do in the country before I head back to the city.

With You

2010-05-21T08:49:00.000+10:00

I need you boo, (oh)
I gotta see you boo (hey)
And there're hearts all over the world tonight,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight [x2]

[Verse 1]
Hey! Little mama,
Ooh, you're a stunner
Hot..little figure,
Yes, you're a winner
And I'm so glad to be yours,
You're a class all your own
And..
Oh, little cutie
When..you talk to me
I swear..the whole world stops
You're my sweetheart
And I'm so glad that you are mine
You are one of a kind and..

[Bridge:]
You mean to me
What I mean to you and..
Together baby,
There is nothing we won't do
'cause if I got you,
I don't need money,
I don't need cars,
Girl, you're my all.
And..

[Chorus:]
Oh!
I'm into you,
And girl,
No one else would do,
'cause with every kiss and every hug,
You make me fall in love,
And now I know I can't be the only one,
I bet there heart's all over the world tonight,
With the love of their life who feels..
What I feel when I'm

With you [x5]
Girl..
With you [x5]

[Verse 2]
Oh girl!
I don't want nobody else,
Without you, there's no one left then,
You're like Jordans on Saturday,
I gotta have you and I cannot wait now,
Hey! Little shawty,
Say you care for me,
You know I care for you,
You know...that I'll be true,
You know that I won't lie,
You know that I would try,
To be your everything..yeah..

[Bridge:]
'cause if I got you,
I don't need money,
I don't need cars,
Girl, you're my all.
And..

[Chorus]

With you [x5]
Oh..
With you [x5]
Yeah Heh..

[Bridge 2]
And I..
Will never try to deny,
that you're my whole life,
'cause if you ever let me go,
I would die..
So I won't front,
I don't need another woman,
I just need your all and nothing,
'cause if I got that,
Then I'll be straight
Baby, you're the best part of my day

I need you boo,
I gotta see you boo
And there're hearts all over the world tonight,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight [x2]
Woo Oh.. Yeah
They need it boo,
They gotta see their boo,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight,
Hearts all over the world tonight [x2]

[Chorus]

With you [x5]
Girl..
With you [x5]
Oh..

This song has been out for ages but I have suddenly developed a real liking for it! Don't know what's gotten into me.

When We Say (Juicebox) - AJ Rafael - Official Music Video - Wong Fu Prod...

2010-05-20T13:27:00.000+10:00

Brasserie

2010-05-19T12:28:00.000+10:00

A friend from Sydney came down to Melbourne to visit and we ended up going for a long lunch in The Brasserie at Crown.

I have always liked this restaurant - mainly because every time I have been there, I had always been in a good place in my life. As a result, I guess I associate that restaurant with good and happy times.

I love good and happy times.