Bukan Basa Basi

Hello everyone!

Yea, I am back to blogging! Actually I've set up another private blog which I've intended to post entries about my life here in Melbourne but after like 2 entries, I totally abandoned it until now. I'll be updating both this blog and that blog from now onwards because suddenly the passion to blog is back. Partly because I am very free lately and also because I'd like to share and keep the memories of my short stay here in text.

My flair of writing and also the skills to write proper sentences have hit an all-time low because I am neither writing nor reading much nowadays. Nevertheless, all is not too late. I shall read and write again now that I am free!

So, to continue from what I left here, I have ended my pre-clinical studies in Jakarta and now I'm in my 4th year in University of Melbourne. My program is rather special in that we get to spend one year here either in UoM or Monash University to do Bachelor of Medical Sciences. After much consideration, I chose UoM over Monash but let's not talk about that because it is a VERY sensitive issue. Do not try to compare between them or my batchmates from different universities would start bashing up each other.

I reached here about two and a half month ago, on 14 June and classes started the very next day. Throughout these two months, we had alot of research introductory classes, academic writing, evidence based research, master classes and also biostatistics classes (still ongoing). Generally the schedule is quite free, with two to three days of classes each week except for one week when we had to attend full 5 days of laboratory techniques.

I got to travel around quite alot since the schedule is not tight. So far I've been to Phillip Island, Great Ocean Road and Mount Buller apart from attractions within the city of Melbourne itself. As a whole, Melbourne is a very nice place to be, with great weather (so far) and great food but of course there are cons as well - prices of everything do not come cheap and stores close as early as 6pm. It is not as Western as I thought it would be because well if you pick up a pebble here and throw at random, I think 50% u'll end up hitting an Asian student - maybe even higher if you're near any tertiary institutions.

I am supposed to start my Clinical Exposure module this Monday but somehow my placement is yet to be confirmed so I do not really have anything academic to do until further notice, which means within these few days I'll probably update more if I am in the mood to do it and with pictures too if possible.

But I wonder if there are actually any living souls who still visit my blog? Well except for the very polite (NOT SPAMMER - it is rude to call someone a spammer) guy who changes his name everyday and breaks his promise before you could spell b-r-e-a-k. Anyhow, due to his very polite gestures and considerate inputs in my chatbox, I've decided to move the chatbox to my private blog and put comments on entries of this blog under moderation.

Friends who still visit this blog, do not hesitate to leave comments as I'll surely approve them without going through the content - the whole moderation thing is just to filter out comments from a special someone. Also, if you want to gain access to my private blog where I think I'll write more of my nonsense everyday happenings, please do email me or send me a message in FB.

Till next time =)

One decision to be made. Although not life or death matter, still, it decides where I am going to spend a year in. A year. A whole lot of changes it will make, possibly re-routes my future directions in life as well.

Anyhow, my heart is set.

Yay! finally managed to upload the pictures.
So, here you go, the dishes I had for my reunion dinner - an almost complete compilation cos u don't expect me to take pic of every single portion of the food served, right?

Okay, just because someone awfully detests me for the previous post, in addition to the name of the dishes I shall also provide a detailed description of how wonderful each dish is to compound the misery of people away from home.

*evil laugh*

Peanuts for starters:
Lightly salted, crisp roasted peanuts.














Yee Sang/ Yu Sheng/ Whatever.
A dish traditionally served on CNY occasions, a delight for both sight and taste. The horse radish, octopus slices and carrots were freshly prepared, so the taste was quite different from the pre-packed ones you buy in supermarkets.






















Yee Sang/ Yu Sheng/ Whatever.
After we toss them with shouts for prosperity.
















Shark's Fin Soup.
Although I don't support the killing of sharks just for their fins (once I watched the documentary by NatGeo and was horrified by it), this is a traditional must-have at any Chinese celebration dinners. This one I had, they put in alot of shelled crab meats (real ones mind you, not the plastic crabsticks - i hate those).


















Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables
Healthy mix of vegetables, mushroom and slices of meat stir-fried in oyster sauce base.


















Braised Sea Cucumber with Dried Scallops
Usually I don't favour sea cucumbers but I heart this one! They were cooked to the perfect texture - just the way I like them. Plus the sauce was just right - neither too soupy nor starchy, too rich nor diluted.
















Shelled Prawns
I forgot which dish was this shelled prawns a part of, but they were abit too generous with it cause I remember having lots of these - heavenly both bcos it taste great and also bcos I do not have to shell them myself! =D



















Steamed Chicken
I forgot what sauce they used but it sure looks delicious, even now, right?



















Braised Scallops
Fresh scallops!

















Black Moss
Couldn't snap a clearer picture of this because the moss are so fine and the sauce literally glues them into a big pile of crumpled hair looking structure. Known better as "fatt choy" among Chinese, and we serve it during CNY for a sign of prosperity.




















Sour Spicy Fish Maw/ "Gor Ru"
Traditional Foo Chow dish, Fish Maw served in sour spicy soup! It's prepared from fish stomach or fish bladder I forget la, and this dish was the only one that wasn't too great. Cause actually I think the ones my sisters prepare at home are better =D




















Braised Pacific Clams/ Razor Clams
Yet another seafood dish! I've warned you, right?
















Steamed Codfish - BEST!
My favourite dish of the night, the cod fish slices melt in my mouth and the herbal flavour added was awesome!!


















Fried Prawns with Salad
Another prawn dish, because I totally heart prawns! Haha. Here, it is the fried version, accompanied by some kerabu and fruit salad.














Dessert - Kaya Rolls & Redbean Soup
The dessert was so lip-smacking good I tell you, cause I was so full by the end of the seafood extravaganza but still I manage to find some room to down a bowl of redbean soup with roll after roll of the piping hot sweet kaya rolls.











































Thats it, you have (almost) all of the dishes I had during reunion dinner. And by the pictures, my frens in Jakarta, you could wonder no more why I ballooned up in just a week time, right? I'd say, it was well worth the weight gained, cause I'll never have these in this sorrowful city of Jakarta!

Last but not least, here's my nephew wishing all of you happy belated CNY! Haha, kidding la, he was celebrating his 4th birthday... =)



























Peace out everyone!
Good night.

P/s: Hate comments such as "I awfully detest you" are not welcomed, muahahahaha.