2011 Dessert War!
Hello Taiwan-lovers!
A new favorite has landed on the list for this years Food Award! A beautiful, bubbly, dessert tea drink has come to my attention, created by the Taiwanese and made professionally smooth and creamy.
BUT!
Another little treat came above this! Another Asian surprise, The star-bun is a little bun shaped like a star and filled with chocolate-Heaven!
But who shall win? Who shall be the master of the 2011 Food Award?
Find out soon!
Bubble Tea from:
Chatime
28 Elizabeth Street
Melbourne
http://www.chatime.com.au/
Star Bun from:
Breadtop
200 Bourke Street
Melbourne
http://www.breadtop.com.au/
Melbourne 
- Bubble Tea yum!
Star Bun double yum!
Trip to Nhill!
Yabbies snipping,
Lakes rippling,
Over the fields lies the road,
Grass waving,
Windmills spinning,
Tractors carrying the load,
Countless stars,
Infinite black,
The orange moon awakens,
Insects buzzing,
Foxes prowling,
The beauty of Nhill can’t be taken….
The Country can be noisy,
The Country can be hot,
But Nhill’s beauty can be worth it,
A giant forget-me-not,
Let’s a song,
About where we belong,
Nhill has hit the spot …
My cousin Heath and I at the dam
A little yabbie! He was put back into the dam
My Pa with cousin Heath
Geelong Summer Music Camp
If you give a keen-learning, music-loving friend of yours a cello or violin and a bow and get them to play a piece of their choice, they’re going to get to completely stuck unless they’re an amazing music master that can play music that they are reasonably unfamiliar with. So that’s what Geelong Summer Music Camp is for.
This heavenly Music Camp teaches music-loving kids to experience a 5 day, orchestral camp with ultra cool electives like The School of Rock, Movie music and Folk Music (one of my favorites!!).
You could be suited for the rocking Tetaz strings! Or maybe you’re more suited to the advanced Galloway
Strings! You could also try out a full-on concert at the end of the camp … how exciting! And don’t worry about all the food – there’s even a canteen there at the camp!
So don’t wait for another opportunity for this eye-popping strings experience! GO MUSIC CAMP!
http://www.gsmc.org.au/GSMC/Home.html
The Very Bad (Book) Show!
After a long morning of taking photos with the Diana Mini, it was time for some show action!!! We trundled down the steps to the welcoming building of RMIT, and got into the waiting line for the doors to open.
I was really looking forward to this show since every year RMIT put on a Roald Dahl performance. But I knew this show would be just as ‘bad’ as the others! I took a look around while we were waiting. There were small signs that gave warnings about numerous silly things that would take place in the show, and they even sold made a game about the very bad book! I then noticed the doors were opening and got quickly back into line.
Even looking at the stage made you know that this show was going to be ridiculous! There were disco balls and spooky cupboards, piles of funny props and – our most dreaded part of the show – water pistols! Every year, no matter what the scene, we would get squirted with water pistols! I sat down, tensed up and got ready for… THE VERY BAD SHOW!!!!
Here are my highlights of the show:
What was your favorite riddle?
I’ve got to say, the Mad Dentist was probably the top favourite!
What was the most grotesque joke?
Killer Koalas from outer space! I got completely freaked out!
What was the thing that made you go YUCK!
The poo props including the Poo on stilts, the Dog Poo Family and the ‘There was an old lady who lived in a poo’
Who was your favorite character?
I really liked Brian’s little friend! She’s got a very high voice, though …
What was your rating of the show?
9/10- It was fantastic!
Lastly (phew!) what has been your favourite show so far?
I love the BFG!
Thanks Orla!
No probes … See you next time!
If you hurry, you can still this BAD show!
http://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/page/The_Very_Bad_Show
Diana Mini
Let me introduce you to the one and only Diana Mini! No, it’s not a person, it’s actually a cute little film camera from the Sixties, brought up a level in 2009, that makes all sorts of cool, dreamy effects and double exposures (which means if you don’t wind the film up after you’ve taken a photo, you get an amazing over-lapping photo which makes your photo much more interesting).
Also, this spunky camera is ENTIRELY made out of plastic-even the lens! I guess that probably makes the dreamy effects … but I guess you’re wondering how I found and used the Diana Mini.
It all started when we found a good looking session in Artplay’s monthly program called ‘Snap-a-Colour’, and decided straight away to go. When the big day came, I was very excited! We sat down with a professional photographer called Kate and learnt all about the Diana Mini and it’s innies and outies – but that wasn’t all! We trampled around the building looking for interesting things to photograph, and when we were finished, we rolled our film up and gave it to Kate so she could send us our photographs.
So there you have it – the cute, dreamy Diana Mini!!!!!! I’ll update this post when I get my photos to show you how it looks.
Go to Artplay!
http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/artplay/Pages/ArtPlayHome.aspx
Birrarung Marr
Melbourne
Just behind Federation Square
Ginger Beer!
Whenever I try a nice, refreshing ginger beer on a sweltering hot day, my insides pleasantly cool down, and I am zapped with a feeling of energetic power. But on a bitingly cold day, when I nervously put my hand inside the fridge to pull out a ginger beer and then gulp it down, I feel suddenly warm and well, and then scorching hot.
My taste buds refrain from such a strong brew, and I almost feel steam coming out of my ears! But still, there’s nothing anyone can do without a good old ginger beer!
Chicken love!
Hello chicken-lovers! I took this picture outside on our table – isn’t it cute? This is Tofu sitting up on the table and looking quite relaxed – that’s the life!
My Dad the coffee connoisseur
Hello Dad! I’m here to ask you a few questions about coffee in Melbourne!
1# What does it make you feel to get up and have nice creamy coffee in the morning?
Like anything’s possible.
2# Which cafe would you recommend to wandering travelers in Melbourne that are longing to have a coffee?
I’ll do a top 5 – Journal, Cafe No. 5, Superfino, Mr Tulk and Grigons & Orr
3# Which coffee would you be if you had the choice and how many sugars would you prefer the drinker to put in you?
Would love to be a Superfine coffee with just the two, thanks
4# Have you ever had a time when you had so many choices of coffee you didn’t know what to do?
No. I would just take my time and work my way through them.
5# How many cups do you usually have?
3-5 a day. Yum.
Thanks Dad! Have a great time searching for more cool cafes in Melbourne!
>Top spots for coffee in Melbourne
Journal
253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Cafe No. 5
Centre Place Melbourne
Between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets
Superfino
275 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Mr Tulk
In the State Library
Corner of Swanston and Latrobe Streets, Melbourne
Grigons & Orr
445 Queensberry Street North Melbourne
Grigons and Orr coffee
New Years Eve happiness
New Years Eve! A night for the family!
6:00pm
I come into the kitchen – surprise! – Mum presents me with a beautiful New Years Eve faux cocktail. I name it the Red Sunset, and celebrate New Years Eve with every drop.
Introducing the new Red Sunset!
This delicious faux cocktail brightens up the night of New Years Eve!
You will need:
- Three maraschino cherries
- Five strawberries
- Ginger beer
- Soda water
To make the Red Sunset:
First pour one third of the soda water into a cocktail glass, and add a quarter of the ginger ale.
Mix thoroughly, then add the cherries and strawberries. You could add a toothpick to pierce the berries!
7:00pm
New Years Dinner is ready! Dad makes a delectable haloumi pizza and an eggplant and tomato number, and we all tuck in ravenously. I broke a record of eating 5 slices of pizza!! For dessert, we had jelly with ice-cream and choc topping. YUM!!!!! 
8:00pm
We bounce into the front room for a game of RummiKub.
The results were:
1st- Mum
2nd-Orla
3rd- Dad
Well done Mum!
9:00pm
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Red Sunset cocktail
Pizza dough taking shape!
Simon kneading the dough
Simon rolling the dough
Pizza done. Pizza yum.
Mmmmmm.