Monday 3 December 2012
Sunlight Lamp
I had a chance to drop by IKEA today. Australia does have IKEA and it's very similar to the states.
Got this cool solar powered desk lamp. For only 20 bucks, I thought it'd be good to give something environmentally friendly a try. A lamp powered by sunlight. It's a bit ironic actually. Not sure how long it will hold charge. 2-3 hours, I'd be happy. 4-5 hours, ecstatic. :P
Thursday 4 October 2012
Sunshine Coast: First Stop Noosa
Sunshine coast is widely known for its strip of beautiful beaches. For part 2 of our journey, we decided to "coast" along the sunshine coast, starting our trip with a 4 hour drive through Brisbane. Yes, that's a long drive but all worth it. First stop Noosa. Getting there was a bit head turning. It was roundabout after roundabout after roundabout (about 7 of them in 5min or less). As a refresher, this is a roundabout.
After that series... we finally reached our hotel. From our experiences thus far, the standard hotel rooms here are decently sized and larger than that commonly found in the US: bed/bath, kitchen, and living room, basically a 1 bedroom apartment/studio. It can be useful for cooking in for a late night snack or an early breakfast. Most places have a nearby decent sized supermarket. For Noosa that was more difficult to find. I've never been, but upon first impression, Noosa reminds me a bit of Hawaii (this is coming from someone who has very faint recollection of hawaii from age 5 and gets other tidbits from the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall). There are a lot of trees along the streets, higher proportion than buildings, giving a more natural feel. Basically it's trees, land, and ocean. Buildings are built pretty low. You're not likely to find a bank or a chain supermarket, but rather a street of small restaurants/bistros and stores/boutiques. This street is known as the famous Hastings street. See below. It's good for a daytime walk for lunch or a night time walk for dinner and dessert. Of course, I first eyed the dessert selections, which included Massimo's gelato, Tokyo savory and sweet crepes, and fresh made ice cream (place started with a C...i forget). For dinner, there weren't many vegetarian options. We settled for Laguna Jack's bar and grill, a roasted vegetable gnocci (pronounced Ni ok kee, tomato and olive bruschetta, and garlic mashed potatoes, which were all surprisingly tasty though somewhat on the burned end being it was cooked on a grill. I apologize for the lack of photos here. For dessert we had a cheesecake and macadamia ice cream crepe at Tokyo's crepes for dessert, which was also delish.
The next morning, we took a walk along Marina's port of small shops and restaurants. It's fairly easy to find your way here with a short drive down along the beach's main road. Here it's mostly sealife on the menu but if you're not here for food, a walk along the port can be relaxing. Here are some pictures. It was a bit cloudy that day.
Later on, we took a stroll along the walking area around the beach. There's a common theme for the beaches here. The pattern is usually the ocean, a walk way, and a small park area. Of course we weren't going to just walk. We went in search for a bike hire...because one of us here doesn't know how to ride a bike and the other said he/she would teach that one so this was the perfect opportunity. But these "hires" are quite convenient. They're basically rentals. There are bike hires, surf hires, boat hires, etc. The biking was fun along the walking and biking trail. You'll see many people jogging, walking, biking, skateboarding, or scootering along these paths. It's a very good way of exploring the coastline of Noosa.
Of course, we ended with a visit to Noosa beach. The beach was packed. See photo. Mostly of families with their kids and elderly people, not as many couples per say. You will see a lot a lot, i mean a lot of children, running around or throwing sand or balls in the air so be on the lookout. You will also see beginner surfers taking lessons in their surfer area. It's not as fun to watch though. The waves break really small. Forgive me for the lack of photo variety. The camera ran out of juice, but noosa is definitely much prettier than in the photo above. See photo below.
So that was the end of Noosa. Next stop, Caloundra.
After that series... we finally reached our hotel. From our experiences thus far, the standard hotel rooms here are decently sized and larger than that commonly found in the US: bed/bath, kitchen, and living room, basically a 1 bedroom apartment/studio. It can be useful for cooking in for a late night snack or an early breakfast. Most places have a nearby decent sized supermarket. For Noosa that was more difficult to find. I've never been, but upon first impression, Noosa reminds me a bit of Hawaii (this is coming from someone who has very faint recollection of hawaii from age 5 and gets other tidbits from the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall). There are a lot of trees along the streets, higher proportion than buildings, giving a more natural feel. Basically it's trees, land, and ocean. Buildings are built pretty low. You're not likely to find a bank or a chain supermarket, but rather a street of small restaurants/bistros and stores/boutiques. This street is known as the famous Hastings street. See below. It's good for a daytime walk for lunch or a night time walk for dinner and dessert. Of course, I first eyed the dessert selections, which included Massimo's gelato, Tokyo savory and sweet crepes, and fresh made ice cream (place started with a C...i forget). For dinner, there weren't many vegetarian options. We settled for Laguna Jack's bar and grill, a roasted vegetable gnocci (pronounced Ni ok kee, tomato and olive bruschetta, and garlic mashed potatoes, which were all surprisingly tasty though somewhat on the burned end being it was cooked on a grill. I apologize for the lack of photos here. For dessert we had a cheesecake and macadamia ice cream crepe at Tokyo's crepes for dessert, which was also delish.
Hastings Street
The next morning, we took a walk along Marina's port of small shops and restaurants. It's fairly easy to find your way here with a short drive down along the beach's main road. Here it's mostly sealife on the menu but if you're not here for food, a walk along the port can be relaxing. Here are some pictures. It was a bit cloudy that day.
Later on, we took a stroll along the walking area around the beach. There's a common theme for the beaches here. The pattern is usually the ocean, a walk way, and a small park area. Of course we weren't going to just walk. We went in search for a bike hire...because one of us here doesn't know how to ride a bike and the other said he/she would teach that one so this was the perfect opportunity. But these "hires" are quite convenient. They're basically rentals. There are bike hires, surf hires, boat hires, etc. The biking was fun along the walking and biking trail. You'll see many people jogging, walking, biking, skateboarding, or scootering along these paths. It's a very good way of exploring the coastline of Noosa.
Of course, we ended with a visit to Noosa beach. The beach was packed. See photo. Mostly of families with their kids and elderly people, not as many couples per say. You will see a lot a lot, i mean a lot of children, running around or throwing sand or balls in the air so be on the lookout. You will also see beginner surfers taking lessons in their surfer area. It's not as fun to watch though. The waves break really small. Forgive me for the lack of photo variety. The camera ran out of juice, but noosa is definitely much prettier than in the photo above. See photo below.
So that was the end of Noosa. Next stop, Caloundra.
Monday 1 October 2012
Gold Coast: Surfer's Paradise
For our first exploration in Australia, we visited the Gold Coast and stayed near Surfer's Paradise. Is it really a surfer's paradise? Didn't get the chance to catch some waves, but here are a few photos. The water was a bit cold. Upon coming up to the beach, you're greeted with a large sign so you know exactly what beach you're on. Gold Coast, like Sunshine Coast, has a few beaches. There's a really long sidewalk along the beach for running or walking or biking. We woke up for a morning jog and it was nice. You'll see a lot of people here throughout the day.
If you take a close look, you'll notice all the hotels along the beach. During the evening, they can cast shadows...not the most ideal. That's the good thing about Noosa. They have building restrictions for these sorts of things.
This gourmet pizza place was delish as well.
and these money bags. Yup, that's what they're called. It's thai and basically tastes like an eggroll in a wonton like crust dipped in a sweet and sour sauce. This restaurant is great, conveniently located downstairs our hotel. Our hotel was pretty nice too, 1 bedroom apartment style with kitchen and living room which seems to be standard here.
This green curry was very coconuty and slightly sweet. A very light, pleasant flavor. Still not sure of the difference between red and green curry. They taste similar.
If you take a close look, you'll notice all the hotels along the beach. During the evening, they can cast shadows...not the most ideal. That's the good thing about Noosa. They have building restrictions for these sorts of things.
This surprised us quite a bit. It's Linsanity making its way into Australia!
Surfer's Paradise sign in the dark. They seem to like the whole LED night lighting thing. We saw this at Noosa as well.
A few interesting stores from the outside. We didn't go inside the first one...at least we have no recollection of it. :P The British Lolly Shop has a wide selection of candies. Kinda made me think of Honeydukes, probably only because it's British.
The australian sea gull? There's a lot of these walking around, but they don't go mine, mine, mine like in finding nemo. Those we saw at Noosa and Caloundra...they were staring in packs...
This ride was running all day outside our hotel. It's called "The Vomatron." Yeah....
We were surprised to find quite a variety of foods here, even korean soon tofu. Yumm...haven't had this in a while.
This gourmet pizza place was delish as well.
and these falafels. First time having a falafel. They taste very healthy but tasty.
and these money bags. Yup, that's what they're called. It's thai and basically tastes like an eggroll in a wonton like crust dipped in a sweet and sour sauce. This restaurant is great, conveniently located downstairs our hotel. Our hotel was pretty nice too, 1 bedroom apartment style with kitchen and living room which seems to be standard here.
We also did a bit of grocery shopping here and there. It's easy to find a Coles or Woolsworth here within walking distance (unlike the Sunshine Coast). It's basically the australian version of Von's or Ralphs. Spoiled ourselves with lots of desserts: caramel custard, raspberry panicotti, oreo cupcakes, bavarian cream, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sodas...yum... There's a drink called lemon lime and bitters. It actually tastes a lot like coke. Why is this spinach located in the ice cream and frozen dessert section? Hmm....
We also visited the beaches more south of gold coast. This beach was very pretty and clean, and not as crowded as you can see. The water was very clean. Someone tried bottling the water to test it and it was really clear. I have a video of this, but I will refrain from posting. :P Be careful when you walk along this beach. You can be surprised by the large green jelly masses you might find in the sand. Poor jelly fishies.
Thursday 30 August 2012
Hiatus
My apologies to all my friends. I haven't been very good about updating my blog. Horrible in fact. What makes me feel worse is that the Viewers data shows that there are still people peaking at my blog just to see if there are any new posts, which makes me feel worse.
Of note, life might be bringing me back to the States. When? Maybe soon. Life is definitely interesting and the last couple years have been exactly that. I will be back with more regular updates again. A thousand apologies. I offer this for a bit of pleasant entertainment...
I am so very proud of her.
Of note, life might be bringing me back to the States. When? Maybe soon. Life is definitely interesting and the last couple years have been exactly that. I will be back with more regular updates again. A thousand apologies. I offer this for a bit of pleasant entertainment...
I am so very proud of her.
Thursday 5 July 2012
Moving Forward
I know it's been awhile since I last made a post. There hasn't been much exciting. I've started volunteering with my brother. He's been teaching kids to draw and I've taken to being his teaching assistant. It's okay. Interestingly, me helping has probably been the first time I've done drawing of any sort in a long time.
Reflecting on past posts, there are changes in my mentality. I wanted a ute or 4x4 pretty bad for awhile, but that has since passed. I think all I want is either a Subaru Forester (if I can scrap together a good deal) or maybe a Honda Civic hatchback... used. New cars are just way to pricey. The best new car deal I've seen is the Honda Jazz/Fit with a new car starting price that is only 118% that of the US counterpart. For comparison, a brand new Subaru or Volkswagen approximates to 140% of the US counterpart. 4x4 and luxury brands can be 180-200%. Yipes!
Reflecting on past posts, there are changes in my mentality. I wanted a ute or 4x4 pretty bad for awhile, but that has since passed. I think all I want is either a Subaru Forester (if I can scrap together a good deal) or maybe a Honda Civic hatchback... used. New cars are just way to pricey. The best new car deal I've seen is the Honda Jazz/Fit with a new car starting price that is only 118% that of the US counterpart. For comparison, a brand new Subaru or Volkswagen approximates to 140% of the US counterpart. 4x4 and luxury brands can be 180-200%. Yipes!
Saturday 9 June 2012
Saturday 26 May 2012
Autumn Foliage
It's nothing like New England, but it's probably the closest I'll get to enjoying it.
Monday 14 May 2012
Monday 7 May 2012
Labour Day
Also known as May Day, which is today. Everything is closed today... even the mall. What kind of holiday is this that everything is closed? No wonder everyone here goes camping during holidays. There's no point in staying in town!
Thursday 3 May 2012
Reflections
This past week has been really hard. Not for any particular reason, but for all the reasons as is often the case. When it rains, it pours. But this is what I have realized... (thank goodness for warm shower-induced epiphanies)
Selfish people are unhappy.
Unhappy people are selfish.
Selfless people are happy.
Happy people are selfless.
Unless we are Buddha, we all fit somewhere on this spectrum. Sorry, but it is a reality. The sooner we accept it, the sooner we can improve ourselves and move on. I am thankful for the opportunity to improve myself another day.
Ho'oponopono
I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you.
Clean, clean, clean.
阿彌陀佛
Selfish people are unhappy.
Unhappy people are selfish.
Selfless people are happy.
Happy people are selfless.
Unless we are Buddha, we all fit somewhere on this spectrum. Sorry, but it is a reality. The sooner we accept it, the sooner we can improve ourselves and move on. I am thankful for the opportunity to improve myself another day.
Ho'oponopono
I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you.
Clean, clean, clean.
阿彌陀佛
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Anzac Day
Today is Anzac Day. Kind of a combination of Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but taken with a great deal more remembrance and association with national identity for Australians and New Zealanders. Had to work today, so I could not attend the memorial events, which apparently begins at 4:30 am with the Dawn Service remembering the soldiers who made sacrifices in the Gallipoli campaign in the name of their young country.
Saturday 14 April 2012
Toyota
Okay, I've made up my mind absolutely. If I get the chance, I'm going for a Toyota Landcruiser Prado.
Look what it can do!
Friday 6 April 2012
Friday 30 March 2012
Family Tree
I found out during my trip to Taiwan that I have a family tree. The family tree - encased in a trunk and opened just once a year - dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD). That's pretty cool. I'm the 45th generation of Chu.
That's me at the bottom. Date of birth is wrong though. Will need to travel back to China one day to make that correction and add addendums.
Tuesday 27 March 2012
Cafe
In Linkou, there was this nice little Western-style cafe. Would not have been out of place in any Western country.
Saturday 24 March 2012
Taiwanese Subway and Bus Station
And...
Thursday 22 March 2012
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