A cool camping Christmas
I’m just back from a great camping trip for Christmas. Here’s a few things I loved about it.
1/ FOOD!
You count how many people cook sausages on their BBQ. Being a vegetarian means having to think of different stuff to cook, like chickpea curry. Mum, Dad and I cooked up some interesting recipes that you might want to try. My favourite were the vege burgers. I’m not kidding you, these taste great with some chutney, hummus and beetroot. I hogged the hummus and wolfed down the burger so quickly!
2/ KEEPING FIT
Canoeing was one of the fun things I did, however there was also a lot of walking to be done! Fun walking. Pick any place you like – Point Lonsdale, Queenscliff, Ocean Grove – even a quick stroll to Breamlea.
Let’s follow the sandy road to Point Lonsdale to find out what is waiting for us. For a start, it isn’t easy walking. Your feet sink into the sand and seaweed sticks to your feet. Look closely though and it looks like an outdoor museum. There are beautiful shells, crab parts and animal skeletons everywhere.
3/ OUTDOOR GAMES
Let’s look at some cool games we can play.
- Badminton
- Boogey boarding
Badminton – it’s a really fit game to play. In summer you come out looking like a tomato. We were playing out in the wind so the shuttlecock keeps flying off course!
Boogey boarding – you might enjoy this. It is a bit like surfing except you lay down on the board and let the wave control your board and push you to land.
4/ BOARD GAMES
I’ve brushed my teeth and get into my PJs. What next? Too dark to read. Let’s get the torches and play Cluedo! Playing Cluedo is great for nighttime when it is quiet and there is a lot of clear space in your head – space to think. This game of guessing ‘who done it’ is the ultimate – it tortures your brain and keeps you thinking to the end!
Other good games:
- Magnetic games – so your pieces don’t keep falling off
- Chess – to really get you thinking
- Rummikub – the ultimate for maths lovers
5/ EARNING POCKET MONEY!
Earn pocket money by packing and being useful for your Mum or Dad. Do the washing up. Sweep out the tent. Even get them a glass of water if they are thirsty! In the end it is actually quite a relief when you finally finish the job.
Have fun camping and enjoy!
I’ll eat you up!
On the school holidays we had planned to go an see ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. My cousin Elise took me to see this cool film and boy, was I terrified! Here’s the story of how it happened.
It all started off when Max was a normal kid. He mucked around, chased the dog, anything a normal boy would do. However one night he was very vicious. He shouted “Cook for me, woman” to his mother and stood on the table. ”Get off the table” his mother replied.
But Max wouldn’t budge. His mother grew furious and threw Max down from the table. Max sprinted out to the garden, around the street and out into the sea. There he sailed away on a boat to a beautiful abandoned island. He wandered into the forest when he saw a fire. Monsters were dancing and wrecking houses. Then, Max becomes King by joining in wrecking the houses too and fibbing that he has magical powers. The journey continues, building forts, climbing mountains and running away from giant monsters.
The soundtrack is so cool! It’s done by a Karen O from the band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. She is joined by a bunch of kids. It kind of made me feel scared and excited at the same time. The music mixed in with each scene really well.
But especially, there’s a part inside of me that tell me this isn’t really a kiddy film to watch. Here’s three reasons why:
1/ There were lots of adults at the film
2/ It had a very active, scary part in it that made me jump
3/ It had parts that you couldn’t understand easily. For example, Kerrel (a wild monster) didn’t like his friend’s two pets and suddenly got angry and sad at Max and his friend
But although it’s not a kid’s film, I really enjoyed seeing this wonderful film!
To finish this story up, I’d like to stay a HUGE thank you to my cousin Elise for taking me. HIP HIP HOORAY for cousin Elise!
I rate this film …. 5/5
Where the Wild Thing Are website
Meredith Music Festival!
M is for massaging tent and Meredith’s music
E is for Meredith Eye and enjoyment
R is for Rachel dancing with me
E is for a ride on the Eye again!
D is for a drink of ginger beer
I for for impossibly fun
T is for tucked in tight at night
H is for happiness at the Beatbox Kitchen
School Days with a Pig
A film from the Japanese Film Festival at ACMI in Melbourne.
It’s nearly time until graduation, and the Grade Sixers are learning about life in a modern Japanese school. As part of their learning, they take care of a pig (named P-Chan) for a year. They then plan to eat him. But as the class grows for P-Chan, they struggle with the thought of consuming him after their good times together.
They take votes with the ones kids who agree to consume P-Chan and the other ones who are willing not to. The pressure if on when the days get closer to graduation and they have a shorter time to say what to do with P-Chan. The Grade 3 teacher offers to let her children take care of P-Chan.
It grows close to Christmas time and the children decorate P-Chan’s pen.
Finally they come to their last vote, which ends up equal. It was all up to their teacher to take part in the vote. The teacher makes his choice and calls all the children in front of P-Chan’s pen. He says that he has decided to send P-Chan to the meat centre. They hold a special assembly for P-Chan, and all the teachers wear poppies.
The truck arrives after assembly, and the children each give a tomato to P-Chan. Then the truck leaves , with the children running after it, never to be seen again.
Extra note:
I think, as most of your would, the teacher would have felt the children’s sorrow and he would have changed him mind about P-Chan. I also got to know P-Chan when watching the show, so I felt great pain during the film. Have you seen it? What do you thin about the film?
Here’s a link to the trailer: http://www.siff.net/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=29091&FID=123
Summer Days with Coo
A film from the Japanese Film Festival at ACMI in Melbourne.
It was summertime in Tokyo in Japan and a normal boy (Kochi) was walking down from school. His shoe accidently slips off and tumbles into a nearby river. He scrambles down, but then he accidently tips on a rock. “Wretched stone” he yells throwing the rock onto a wall. But then, he finds a kappa (Japanese mythical water creature) in one half o the rock. He takes it home and adopts it. But life is not as easy as it looks for Coo the Kappa. The two set off to find a place fit for a kappa. On the way they find a Japanese ghost, a red kappa and a magical house. Can Kochi and Coo find a good habitat for Coo?
In this lovely animated film, with English subtitles, enjoyment and friendship, we can discover the bond between the kappa and boy and travel with them to Kappa Park.
Facts Kochi learnt about the Kappa
1/ The kappa have a white cup on their heads, and if it is dry, that means that the kappa is weak
2/ A kappa is a fresh water creature, if it goes into the saltwater ocean, the white cap stings
3/ A kappa eats snails, fish, dragonflies and sashimi!
4/ A kappa can stay out of water for 3 hours
5/ A kappa can walk and are very good at sumo
Note: Kappa Park is a Park in Japan that people have claimed to see kappas. It has a freshwater steam, green grass and a magical inn where bed, food and clothes are provided. There’s rumours of a Japanese ghost that haunts the inn!
Here a link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMaa1FNbTFo
Ichy knee?
I was tired, after a huge ride with a huge headwind from the City to St Kilda – wanting a huge meal at Ichi Ni. It had Japanese plants overflowing the restaurant, it also had lovely Japanese prints and cushions on those beautiful wooden seats.
At first I ordered a Japanese drink called Ramune Soda (lemonde). It had a marble inside and is really quite nice. You should try it!
We then got a tasting plate and it was packed with varieties of juicy vegies like the Japanese vegetable daikon. Served next was a vegetarian tempura. Crispy and yum! From there we tried the teppanyaki … bite sized treats on sticks. These are really juicy and scrummy. We had shitake mushrooms, tofu, okra, eggplant and corn. Then we had tofu on rice with melted cheese. So so good!
We then came to the fun part that everybody enjoys – dessert! We ordered chocolate spring rolls and a tasting plate of icecream – they were all creamy however some were quite sweet and some were sweet-sour. The flavours were edamame, pumpkin, balsamic and cheesecake. I tried them all!
After that amazing meal, we were all ready for a big ride back to the City.
Ichi Ni
Esplanade Hotel
12 The Esplanade
St Kilda
03 9534 1212
www.ichini.com.au
St Kilda VIC 3182
http://www.ichini.com.au/
Super speedy dumplings!!!
We were grinning on a Friday night outside Camy Shanghai Dumpling and Noodle Restaurant in Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne … down a dark alleyway. There was a gentleman often popping out calling out numbers for tables. We were standing in a HUGE queue which went on forever. We got to skip jump the line because we were 2.5 people (I was the half!) rather than 3!
There was a golden dragon outside and a huge archway with scarlet and golden patterns. It was warm inside and very splendid. The tables were wooden and the minute we sat down we were draped by dumpling aromas. We ordered vegetable dumplings, pumpkin dumplings and mushroom buns, plus spicy tofu on rice. Quick as a flash the waitress dashed to the kitchen.
We tucked into the wondrous feast. The pumpkin was soft, sweet and small, delicate and tender, a healthy sweet snack! As for the vego dumplings, a sweet squishy and soft delight with crumbly vegie stuffing. The mushroom buns were delightful, chewy with juicy mushrooms and sweet layering. The spicy tofu on rice was SPICY! So delicious, but hot on the tongue!
After dinner, we thanked the gentleman and walked out of the brilliant room. I was very sad that I was leaving the restaurant, but maybe I will go next time. You simply never know!
Camy Shanghai Dumpling and Noodle Restaurant
25 Tattersalls Ln
Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
03 9663 8555
Two bonus dumpling poems!
Potato dumplings, nice and plump
D-U-M-P-L-ing
Made like some juicy potato lumps
D-U-M-P-L-ing
Spicy tofu and spicy pepper
D-U-M-P-L-ing
Glug,glug-glug! Ah, that’s better!
DUMPLING!
Slowly, slowly goes Cecil the Snail
Eating dumplings out of a pail
‘Til he gets to the dumpling shop
And there he will stop and the pail will drop
He will slowly bring out his BYO
No time to rush, let’s go slow
He slowly puts on his bandit mask
Lazily takes a drink out of his flask
He snatches dumplings from someone’s plate
But oh no Cecil, you’re too late!
To jail you go …. with a heeee IIII OOOO!
Best Friends Forever with the BFF!
It was raining. I sighed. I made my bed, brushed my teeth and went downstairs for breakfast. I stared at the endless drops of water, while I ate my fruit toast.
“Mum” I said, “Can we go out to a movie or something?”
Mum thought for a minute.
“But it’s raining” she protested.
“The Botanical Gardens?” I asked.
“No”
“The beach”
“No”
“The Bike Film Festival?”
Mum turned to go.
“Hang on, what did you say?”
“The Bike Film Festival, Best Friends Forever … it’s the street party.”
Mum grinned. “Brilliant idea!”
We ran upstairs, shoved on some raincoats and headed off on our bikes to the BFF.
When we got there it was so cool. BMX boys were doing bunny hops and bikes being chaotic EVERYWHERE! A lady handing out bike biscuits stopped and gave one to me. As I crunched the lovely biscuit I went across to a table and sat down. There were glitters and colour paper, stamps and crayons. There was a picture of a bike with a trailer. I stamped it and glittered and coloured it with crayons. While I was working I sang a little song (here’s how it goes):
I’ve done judging for the bike beauty parade
With kind and lovely Pip who always comes to my aid
Let’s do some bunnyhops then turn around
And clap, hip hip hooray for the BMX rap!
Do the BMX Limbo, and go to BMX heaven
1234567!
Jumpin’ and movin’ and singin’ around
The wheels are spinnin’, let’s make some sound!
I’ve eaten bike bikkies that are in my tummy
Sweet and lovely and all-round yummy
It’s so cool being a child patron now
To the BFF I give a bow
So there you go my fellow friends
This is the rap and this is how it ends!
I was exhausted. All this festivity had made me tired. I hooked on my pannier bag and set off with Mum and Dad. When I got back, it will still raining! I had a good feeling in my heart. I walked up the stairs, turned off the light and slept. And while I slept I dreamt of the wonderful things I had done at the Melbourne Bicycle Film Festival in 2009.
Attention all bug lovers!
Hey bug-lovers! Cicadas are back in town! You might even come across some cicada ’skins’ if you are lucky. If you do, you might see a strange slit on the cicada’s back. This is where the cicada slipped out of its old skin. It’s a bit like getting undressed!
Christmas treaties!
If you want to have a Christmas treat, this is an ideal idea for a calendar.
First we got an advent calendar for Oxfam – a shop in Melbourne. Mum made some little tokens with a surprise written on each of them, and I get to pick out a token everyday until Christmas!
Just a suggestion. Have fun!
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