Wild Poppy

it's one pretty cafe you want to be in a sunny afternoon... Coffee is not cheap (cuz the cup is so small and a half of it is frothed mild!) but good - still I think Gourmet on Wray makes better coffee. They have fancy cakes and slices. I had a macademia & peacan tart... woohoo.. Excellent choice! if you go, look up the ceiling and see how lighting makes the place so cozy! The image is from http://www.flickr.com/photos/suavehouse113/4937274048/.

Delisio - pizza roman

Walking around Subiaco- to be honest, I was after a restroom - we accidentally found a pizza store. The entrance was so tiny but it was big enough to see all beautiful gourmet pizza displayed! whoa... We picked up a slice of Rocking' ricotta and rocket and one with truffle, prosciutto, tomato and mozzarella. Hm... it was nice.. It's like Stuzio's.. I just realized it's in front of my work place too! The first image is from their website, www.delisio.com.au

Gourmet on Wray

What a great small cafe! I love the Wray Avenue but I've never tried any of those cafes on the street... Today, we were so determined to have coffee at this cafe. It was so busy and there wasn't any seat outside so we sat inside where all food smell was killing me! Coffee came in dirty cups.. We asked them to serve another one and surprisingly she apologized sincerely. Cool! Fortunately, we moved outside table soon and we got new coffee in a clean cup. Wow.. She made great coffee! It was almost good as Frisk's! You can enjoy good coffee and good service only if you can sit outside! This is gonna be my fav cafe in Freo from now on! The image is from www.lovefreo.wordpress.com

Spirited Away

How can you not love this cartoon?
I think I like this more than Astro Boy...
you just need to watch it!
The image is from IMDb.com

Ponyo

I wonder how old I am.. mentally.. not physically or legally... haahaa.. Shall I wonder if I'm suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome??? I loved this movie... My friend kept asking "why... how??" There is no scientific or logical storyline in this kinda cartoons for kids.. It leaves things to kids and their imagination... You just need to enjoy it as adult without demanding answers! The image is from IMDB.com

Lincoln Lawyer

How was it? "yeah... ok.." Haahaa.. it has a good story but something is missing in terms of casting... Matthew is just not a strong character to lead the whole movie.. like Naomi Watts in KingKong.. That's what I think... The image is from bscreview.com

Sentinel Bar & Grill

This is kinda casual restaurant except the price of food! I'm not enjoying dining out at fancy restaurants much and I wouldn't go back there for main but I would for entree! Coffee was ok and service was good and fast. Most of all, the atmosphere was fabulous.. Easy location for city workers... especially for after work drinks.. The images are from sentinelbar.com.au

A dog's tale

This is a letter sent to The Economist magazine on April 2 edition.
"It was lovely to see your reference to a New Yorker cartoon from 1993 of one canine saying to his pooch pal that "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog"("Anonymous no more", March 12th). Recently, my dog Ursa set up a Facebook account. She has acquired more than 30 friends now, including several of my kid's acquaintances who would never friend me directly. They all know that Ursa is a dog. Mostly my wife and I post things that we think Ursa would say, and she has entered several provocative discussions.
My point is that the web has become a much more sophisticated place since 1993. Now people on the internet know you are a dog but they still treat you as an equal. Of course cats are still excluded as they continue to be evil power hungry villains."

Hope you like this!

Halo

I'm working right in front of Barrack Jetty but I haven't known there was such a posh restaurant there! haahaa... Sitting along the Swan River and having a nice meal was so delicious man! Warm weather, cool breeze & nice meal.. I don't know whether it is a French restaurant or 'wanna-be' but food wise, it was all good. I had a chilled marron as a main and really enjoyed it. I had cheese collection for dessert and I think I had the best blue cheese ever! full favor but not too molded and not too creamy.. yum! Oysters for starter was ok and sides was excellent! The images are from menulog.com.au and Myrestaurants.com.au

Trip to Singapore

Since I left Seoul, I've disliked busy cities.. I get very cranky with crowd. But I love Singapore! OMG.. so humid, so crowded and so busy but so clean, so much things to see and so home like... I don't know what it is.. but I loved it and I'd like to go back there for food, intensive shopping and night life! haahaa..
I was sent there for a training with workmates and I tried to maximize my 'free' biz class trip to Singapore - look at my hotel room right in front of Marina Square! I've done pretty well although i failed in getting clothing shopping done.. got four pairs of shoes tho! haahaa.. Universal studios in Santosa was very enjoyable, Merlion was impressive, Marina Square and Sky Park was awesome! Singapore wakes up around 11am then when the sun goes down it shows its real color! Double awesome!!!

Peggy Guggenheim collection

Unfortunately, I don't understand art very well. Someone said there is no need to 'understand' art but just to feel it... Well, if that was so easy I wouldn't be a bean counter! haahaa.. Well, I decided not to try to figure out what they are but sometimes I cannot stop thinking what artists were thinking when they creating their arts! bahhhh.. ooops.. Anyway, I was invited to ANZ's year end function at the Art Gallery and got to see Peggy Guggenheim's collections. A lady who knows Ms Guggenheim explained about her and her collections and there were curators helping us to 'see' her collections! It was very interesting though. As much as I don't understand arts I like going to art galleries. haaha.. I know right! The function was great.. When we got there, we walked on red carpet and waiters were holding different drinks (including ANZ blue cocktail) wearing masquerade mask and costume! That was very cool! The image is from http://www.peggyguggenheim.artgallery.wa.gov.au/

The George

What a gorgeous place to be! I loved all different settings and decorations but within a same theme. I love those sort of see-through screens to give some kind of open(?) privacy! haahaa... don't understand? why don't you go and indulge yourself? Well, in terms of food, it wasn't fabulous but it won't disappoint you. I had grilled barramundi with spinach and basil and I quite liked it! The serving size was pretty generous but basil with capers was a bit salty. Warm apple and blueberry pie with pistachio crumble is the one to get for dessert! Coffee? Errrr... I ordered a skinny cap and I had few sips only. :o( the images are from http://yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/the_george/

Frisk espresso in Northbridge, WA

They make really the best coffee in the town! Why? Cuz it's strong enough to leave coffee flavor till the last drop but not bitter, cuz it has a consistent taste and flavor, cuz the coffee maker (human not a machine) is having fun with it! One ordinary Friday night, I found this cafe... nothing is new there except coffee beans! The photo is from their Facebook account. Mmmmm coffee...

The Graduate

Woohoo.. I loved it! It was funny and pleasantly sexy! Jerry Hall still looks great and glamorously seducing audiences.. successfully! No one was trying too hard to act but everyone was performing so well in roles... I just sat down and traveled along with them.. Great.. you shouldn't miss it! The image is from planbooktravel.com.au

Twelfth Night

It could have been better. I guess Shakespeare's play is still a bit difficult for me yet. However I believe everyone was acting too hard and it wasn't comfortable to watch.. well, it is just my opinion.. the image is from thelivingguide.com.au

Shrek - The Final Chapter

Ohhh.. Awesome!!!! The images are from www.killerfilm.com, www.waisman.wisc.edu/EVENTS/FILMS and http://au.movieposter.com

Waiting For Godot

Another great entertainment from veteran actors... Waiting For Godot! Well, it was definitely worth of watching Sir Ian McKellen on stage. I've never seen him on stage but always wanted to! He was great as expected.. in fact, everyone was great.. their facial expression .. nothing was unnatural, nothing was uncomfortable, nothing was doubful.. As he is aging.. he seems even more comfortable in that role. When you watch young and new actors' play, sometimes you get annoyed by their overacted body language or facial expression but experienced actors take you to stage..and lead you to go with script.. I believe so.. I just love watching their face.. Anyway, I've never seen this play before. It was voted "the most significant English language play of the 20th century" and as English is not my first language I was a bit worried. So I got Samuel Beckett's script and read it through. Oh, I loved the lighting on stage.. The images are from http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk, http://www.inmycommunity.com.au and www.en.wikipedia.org/

Harry Brown

I don't think I watched many of his film.. No..I should say I haven't really been interested in Michael Caine although I knew he's a great actor with wonderful voice(what? I like his voice!). People called this movie "British version of Grand Torino".. When I watched Clint Eastwood's Grand Torino, I thought it wasn't very American and I quite liked the way he leads the movie. Michael Caine's Harry Brown surprises me in a similar way.. I think it's because it was Michael Caine.. Whatever other says, I really enjoyed the movie and I'd like to watch more of his movies.. The image is from http://grayza.files.wordpress.com

Ice Wine

First of all, it's sweet. Second of all, it's far too expensive. But most of all, it tastes SUPER! I do love it! I didn't even know what Ice Wine is till I went to Lamont's. I don't fancy sweet dessert wine but this is great! Sweet but it's not 'eeeeeek sweet' .. it's really sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! haahaaa.. According to Wiki "Ice wine (or icewine, as one word, or in German, Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine. With ice wines, the freezing happens before the fermentation, not afterwards. Unlike the grapes from which other dessert wines,....." I would like to buy one and drink it at home all by myself! ooops! The frozen grapes image and article are from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_wine and the other is from winelistaustralia.com

Lamont's, East Perth

This time we went to Lamont's at East Perth. Ohhhh... I always wanted to dine in there whenever i passed there. It looked so posh but comfortable and the gallery located next to it helps this even more. Well, it's located in front of the water.. beautiful! White, very bright sky blue and heavy red are its colors used. Well, I quite liked this very unusually coordinated place though! haahaa... Well, food! I had tuna as an entree and it was excellent! I think I can have it every day! For a main dish, I had grilled pink snapper and it was good but not as good as tuna. Pear, figs and goat blue cheese were my dessert! Oh.. good! I think beef dishes seem very good too as everyone having beef was very satisfied. Some of dessert, especially the chocolate tart was stunning! OMG! But the best thing I had there was the atmosphere... It was a beautiful Friday afternoon -not too cold, not too hot and very sunny... and we have finished all year end works! yay! The images are from About-Australia.com

Bush tucker food

Bush Tucker food... Fred cooked Aussie outback food for Claudia's birthday luncheon.... Entree to dessert... The photos is only for main. The other photo is the cookbook Fred got inspired by.. Well, as I'm having my colonoscopy in two days, I couldn't even try it.. but it looked very good... sigh..

Sunset!

It was one of those beautiful sunsets... arghhhh... it's awesome! It's taken at South Beach.

Short And Tweet

Also from April AFR BOSS magazine:-

Ian Lyon's social media communication tips:
1. Be brief and succinct.
2. Make sure what you're communicating is useful to your audience.
3. Answer the question. If you can't, say so.
4. Keep adjectives to a minimum.

Arrrgh... Twitter, Facebook, MySpace... what's the next?

Radical act

Following is from April AFR BOSS magazine. It's very interesting!
"You might think you're a good, "active" listener but are you really? Author Nancy Kline says you can actually spark the thinking process in others if you provide silence and the means to ask the right questions. Thus listening becomes a "radical act". In her enduring book Tine to Think: Listening To Ignite the Human Mind(Ward Lock, $30.99), Kline proffers 10 components of a thinking environment:
1. Attention: Listen with respect and interest
2. Incisive question: Remove the assumptions that limit ideas
3. Equality: Treat each as thinking peers
4. Appreciation: Practice a 5-to-1 ration of appreciation to criticism
5. Ease: Offer freedom from rush or urgency
6. Encouragement: Move beyond competition
7. Feelings: Allow sufficient emotional release to restore thinking
8. Information: Provide a full and accurate picture of reality
9. Place: Create a physical environment that says to people: "you matter"
10. Diversity: Know that differences add quality"

So, do you think you can listen to my pain????

Date Night

Mmmhhaaahaaaa.. very funny... It's very fast moving and funny but not trying to pause to lecture you. I couldn't stop thinking of Sarah Palin and I even confused myself Tina Fey with her! haahaa.. so the movie gets funnier! ooops... go and see the movie but if you feel like calling your partner as "roommate" after watching it.. you need to start dating night.. who knows.. you might meet hunky Mark! The photo is from www.shockya.com

Chicago

Chicago! Well, I was disappointed till Roxi started playing... haahaa.. She was great. I am not so sure what to say about Velma.. hm.. I don't know about her at all but anyone can tell she is a great actor... but still .. I am not so sure her in Velma's role. Anyway, I just need to wait and see next one with different production to find whether it was a really good one or not! The image is from www.enjoyperth.com.au

Corporate Flower Service

This is the photo of flowers decorating the lobby of the building that I'm going everyday for work. As it's such a big building, every week we see different flowers - one in the front, another in the reception area and the other next to elevators. Very creative and artistic... oh no, it's ART.. very beautiful... I've never paid attention to it till I heard one of workmates admiring them!

Cioccolato Espresso

Whoa! What a coffee!! I had a very nice cappuccino from there on Sat. I have to be there again to check the consistency of that great coffee taste! The photos is from urbanspoon.com. It shows only the counter but the right wall when looking at the cafe from outside is beautifully decorated!

Cafe 55 in Fremantle

I think I had one of best spicy Vietnamese beef noodles in Fremantle! Geee... I Really like broth!! I haven't tried other food but foods served in other tables look good. haahaa.. Only one problem - cash only and the cashier's attitude was just not pleasant at all - she didn't look happy and sounded impolite!!! I don't really want to go back there if she's still there!! Awwww... what a dilemma!

Sayers

How come I've never heard about this cafe? It is very small and of course busy and noisy but coffee was great - although it comes in a tiny tiny cup! It was humid and a little bit hot but the A/C wasn't working properly so at some point my friend and I were sweating! How unpleasant is that! HOWEVER, I had a fabulous break - banana chocolate bread!! Somebody blesses the baker! It was excellent! The place was packed on Sunday. It was one of those 'Leederville' style place!

Vegetable Stack

Vegetable Stack... I saw the recipe on The West Australian. I thought hm.. I could try? Fortunately, it turned out very yummy! What's in it? Eggplants, tomato, feta cheese, pumpkin and basil leaves.. The presentation was pretty good too - accidentally!

Cafes on Angrove St, North Perth

There are few trendy 'humble' looking cafes on Angrove St, North Perth. What is a 'humble' looking cafe? You know.. like Cino in Leederville, everything looks 'mature', feels more comfortable as like country style B&B places or more cozy... Nothing looks new and nothing looks perfectly match but 'mix & match' settles in very well there. Anyway, on Sunday morning.. for a simple breakfast, Anne & I decided to explore there. Lots of people.. and we found seats in a long big table at one of cafes there - forgot the name but it's next to Milkd. Coffee was great and my muffin - Passionfruit & pear was good too. I pinched Anne's scrambled eggs and it was tasty and smooth! yum! I quite like it! Their decoration is 'crazy' in a way.... haahaa.. not so sure what is for decoration and what is actual furniture or utensils..