It is time for my next post in my all-things-gym series (the other post in the series can be found here: 1 2 4 5 6) and in this one I'll be talking about personal trainers (PT). A lot of people think that I’m a PT because of how I look and I must say it’s a right fit career-wise at first glance. However I can’t be bothered with people if they can’t motivate themselves plus I hate small talk and I can’t be friendly to people if I don’t like them. So being a PT is a definite no-no for me.
Personally I don’t need a PT and I think they're quite useless unless you’re really ill-disciplined and need that extra reason to hit the gym especially since you’ve already invested money in the personal training sessions. I’ve seen people in the gym engaging the same PT for years yet there isn’t much improvement in their physique which further supports my opinion that it’s ultimately up to you and not the PT to make a difference. Moreover you can get everything a PT knows from fitness publications and many of them are free online. When I started going to the gym I did a lot of research from magazines and it was then I knew I don’t need a PT. The only PT session I had was the free one that came with joining the gym. In addition fitness and nutrition advice is very subjective and different PTs will tell you different things. In the end you still have to find the regimen that best fits your body and lifestyle so there’s even lesser point in paying for such advice. If you need motivation and reason to go to the gym, I suggest looking for a gym partner instead of a PT. That being said, a lot of guys do look for gym buddies on gay dating apps but you also start to wonder are they looking for a friend to work out with in the gym or in bed.
Another weird thing people do is hire PTs but end up just chatting with them. I see this more in Singapore than in Australia where middle-aged women engage handsome PTs to shower them with attention instead of using them to improve their fitness. Well if you can afford it why not but don’t complain when you don’t see any results because you’re only working out your mouth! If I were to use a PT, I’ll tell him from day one that I’ll not be chatting nor engaging in small talk with him and he is to focus all of his attention on me and that means no checking of phones throughout the session (many of them do and that to me is very unprofessional behaviour). I’ll make sure every cent spent on him is worth it. I also see some PTs selling supplements to their clients as a source of additional income even though I heard they get paid quite a lot. I’m sure some of them supply steroids to keen buyers too. Competitive bodybuilding is such a strange sport–I think it’s one of the only event whereby illegal-consumption of steroids is a mandatory pre-requisite for a person to be good enough for the competition!
The other major reason why I think negatively about PTs is they do not follow gym rules themselves when they’re working out. They don’t put back weights, drop weights, don’t use towels and don’t even enforce proper footwear rules when their clients are wearing slippers in the gym! I guess at the end of the day they’re only good for being subjects of ogling when they strip naked in the changing room. Haha. PTs not following gym rules is not my only pet peeve when working out, there are many more and I’ll share them in my next post. Now it’s time for the video portion of the post.
There’s only one clip in this post but it’s a good one I promise as it’s of me flexing. I did both G-rated flexing clips and more salacious ones but I’ll only be posting the former on my blog. If you like what you see, leave some comments and maybe I’ll post the not so G-rated ones at some point!
Flexing #1:
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Work it! (part 2)
In this second post of my workout series (the rest is here: 1 3 4 5 6), I'll talk a little about my diet. As mentioned before by many others, if one’s diet is not controlled, no amount of exercise will result in a lean muscular physique. That being said my personal experience shows that genetics play a huge part as well.
To start I cut down on sugar as much as possible by using artificial sweeteners (I drink a lot of sugar-free soda which is bad for the teeth due to the high acid content but that's another problem). The jury is still out on the harmfulness of artificial sweeteners like aspartame (e.g. them being carcinogenic) so as long as I’m not going overboard on that (which I don’t think I am) I should be alright. I also cut down on carbs like rice, bread and potato whenever possible since they are practically equivalent to sugar once digested. In addition if I can see visible oil or fat in my food, I'll go all out to remove it like trimming fat off raw meat before cooking or absorbing oil from fried food using paper.
Before you think that I’m an angel nutrition-wise I can tell you now that I’m not as I snack a lot on junk food! I don’t have a sweet tooth but if you throw me a packet of chips, I'll not stop till I finish the whole bag. Salty snacks are my kryptonite and like all superheros, we all have a weak point. This is why I think I have good genes because given how much junk I eat I should really not be able to maintain my six-pack abs. People also say that Asians get lean much easier than Caucasians which although I don’t really agree, I don’t have a strong argument to support my case given my lean built! One of the biggest reasons why I work out is because I love to eat. Calorie-consumption is a very good motivation to hit the gym but that can only work if you’re disciplined enough to stick to a routine in the first place. I also think that it’s unhealthy to deprive oneself of junk food as it makes a diet plan much more unsustainable. Human beings are programmed to like fatty, salty and sweet food so we have to give in once in a while! As long as I maintain a reasonable muscle load, I just need to control my diet more tightly two weeks before a shoot and I am good to go (which is something that I’ll do in preparation of my upcoming shoot in Singapore).
I have also tried fad diets like the Atkins diet once in an attempt to lose weight fast. Although this diet is really unbalanced, it worked for me (I think I lost about 3kgs in a week). The catch is you have to be very strict if you want it to work! I also tried 6 months of nothing but salad to try to bring my bad cholesterol level down (yes, I once had high cholesterol which is something even fit/lean people can be afflicted with so I encourage everyone to get tested). It was a hellish half a year but I managed to achieve my goal. The good thing about high cholesterol is that it is a reversible disease and there are not many out there like that!
The other big unhealthy fad out there is protein supplements which I believe is not necessary for the average gym-goer. Unless you train like a professional bodybuilder you’ll not be able to expend all the protein you take and as a result your body suffers from having to process that unused protein. I believe you can have enough protein from your daily diet if you choose your food well. In that way you don't have to succumb to the aggressive marketing techniques out there to sell you supplements that you don’t need and won’t achieve the promised results unless you train hard enough (which many don’t). Oh, and steroids. I know a lot of people do that but I'm afraid of needles and am a stingy bitch (they are expensive) so I stay clear of them. Also it is not a miracle drug–you still need to train very hard for it to work. Plus it's not without side effects which I'm not going to elaborate here–Google is your friend). At the end of the day diet fads come and go (e.g. the Paleolithic diet) and the tried-and-tested adage “everything in moderation” is the only golden rule everyone needs to know.
Well that’s enough talk about diets and it’s time for the videos! My next two clips feature traps and legs and if you want more you’d have to wait one more week!
Traps:
Legs:
To start I cut down on sugar as much as possible by using artificial sweeteners (I drink a lot of sugar-free soda which is bad for the teeth due to the high acid content but that's another problem). The jury is still out on the harmfulness of artificial sweeteners like aspartame (e.g. them being carcinogenic) so as long as I’m not going overboard on that (which I don’t think I am) I should be alright. I also cut down on carbs like rice, bread and potato whenever possible since they are practically equivalent to sugar once digested. In addition if I can see visible oil or fat in my food, I'll go all out to remove it like trimming fat off raw meat before cooking or absorbing oil from fried food using paper.
Before you think that I’m an angel nutrition-wise I can tell you now that I’m not as I snack a lot on junk food! I don’t have a sweet tooth but if you throw me a packet of chips, I'll not stop till I finish the whole bag. Salty snacks are my kryptonite and like all superheros, we all have a weak point. This is why I think I have good genes because given how much junk I eat I should really not be able to maintain my six-pack abs. People also say that Asians get lean much easier than Caucasians which although I don’t really agree, I don’t have a strong argument to support my case given my lean built! One of the biggest reasons why I work out is because I love to eat. Calorie-consumption is a very good motivation to hit the gym but that can only work if you’re disciplined enough to stick to a routine in the first place. I also think that it’s unhealthy to deprive oneself of junk food as it makes a diet plan much more unsustainable. Human beings are programmed to like fatty, salty and sweet food so we have to give in once in a while! As long as I maintain a reasonable muscle load, I just need to control my diet more tightly two weeks before a shoot and I am good to go (which is something that I’ll do in preparation of my upcoming shoot in Singapore).
I have also tried fad diets like the Atkins diet once in an attempt to lose weight fast. Although this diet is really unbalanced, it worked for me (I think I lost about 3kgs in a week). The catch is you have to be very strict if you want it to work! I also tried 6 months of nothing but salad to try to bring my bad cholesterol level down (yes, I once had high cholesterol which is something even fit/lean people can be afflicted with so I encourage everyone to get tested). It was a hellish half a year but I managed to achieve my goal. The good thing about high cholesterol is that it is a reversible disease and there are not many out there like that!
The other big unhealthy fad out there is protein supplements which I believe is not necessary for the average gym-goer. Unless you train like a professional bodybuilder you’ll not be able to expend all the protein you take and as a result your body suffers from having to process that unused protein. I believe you can have enough protein from your daily diet if you choose your food well. In that way you don't have to succumb to the aggressive marketing techniques out there to sell you supplements that you don’t need and won’t achieve the promised results unless you train hard enough (which many don’t). Oh, and steroids. I know a lot of people do that but I'm afraid of needles and am a stingy bitch (they are expensive) so I stay clear of them. Also it is not a miracle drug–you still need to train very hard for it to work. Plus it's not without side effects which I'm not going to elaborate here–Google is your friend). At the end of the day diet fads come and go (e.g. the Paleolithic diet) and the tried-and-tested adage “everything in moderation” is the only golden rule everyone needs to know.
Well that’s enough talk about diets and it’s time for the videos! My next two clips feature traps and legs and if you want more you’d have to wait one more week!
Traps:
Legs:
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Work it! (part 1)
Despite the unfortunate news yesterday that my contract in Papua New Guinea will not get extended, blogging still has to continue. In fact I will have more time to blog now that I am not taking on new work as this is my last hitch in PNG. Anyway here goes.
Over the years a lot of people have asked me about my gym routine in an attempt to "replicate" my body and some have even asked me to train them personally. I am the worst teacher and motivator on this planet so I have always turned them down but that does not mean I have nothing to say when it comes to all things gym-related. In the next series of posts I will let it all out based on my 15 years of experience hitting the gym.
In this first post (the others can be found here: 2 3 4 5 6) I want to describe my gym routine which comprises of strength-training and cardio. There are roughly 9 muscle groups that are commonly trained. When I am back home I split these groups into 2 1.5-hour sessions and I only do 2 sessions within a week (to the surprise of many who because of my built think that I live in the gym). In the first session I focus on shoulders, triceps, traps, legs and forearms in that sequence while in the second, I work the remaining chest, biceps, back and abdominals in that order. I came up with this sequence and split myself so as to have minimal overlap of muscle groups between exercises. In this way I can concentrate fully on each group. I do 4 exercises for each muscle and 3 sets for each exercise. I alternate between heavier weights (8 reps per set) and lighter ones (15 reps per set) every week as the former builds muscle-size while the latter muscle-length (as I have been told). To burn more calories I only rest for a minute between sets so as to throw in some bit of cardio effect when doing weights. When I am in Papua New Guinea due to my long working hours, I prefer shorter sessions and so I split the 9 muscle groups to 4 0.5-hour sessions within a week instead.
In addition to weights a good routine must contain cardiovascular exercises as well. There are people who only do weights and not cardio and the most common reason is that cardio burns off muscles which I do not think is true. I used to do both classes (Body Attack and Body Combat) as well as running on the treadmill or time on the cross-trainer. Ever since I moved to Melbourne I frequently go for topless jogs outside too since the park is just nearby (regardless of the season, I always go topless). When I am working in PNG I find it harder to do classes when I am on my break due to schedule-mismatch (when I was still working in Melbourne I used to go to the gym before work just when the gym opens at 6am). Classes are about an hour and jogs as well as treadmill/cross-trainer sessions are 0.5-hour long. I don’t like to go for long runs as I feel that jogging alone is boring.
Another important element of a successful fitness regime is of course diet and I will touch on that in my next post. In this series I shall also upload short clips of one exercise per muscle group. These videos were self-taken in the gym of the remote site in PNG. For those who have always wanted to see me in action in the gym, you are in luck! The first two clips feature shoulders and triceps. I am getting lazier over the years and so I don’t have very good exercise posture so just admire my muscles and don’t dwell too much on my form OK?
Shoulders:
Triceps:
Over the years a lot of people have asked me about my gym routine in an attempt to "replicate" my body and some have even asked me to train them personally. I am the worst teacher and motivator on this planet so I have always turned them down but that does not mean I have nothing to say when it comes to all things gym-related. In the next series of posts I will let it all out based on my 15 years of experience hitting the gym.
In this first post (the others can be found here: 2 3 4 5 6) I want to describe my gym routine which comprises of strength-training and cardio. There are roughly 9 muscle groups that are commonly trained. When I am back home I split these groups into 2 1.5-hour sessions and I only do 2 sessions within a week (to the surprise of many who because of my built think that I live in the gym). In the first session I focus on shoulders, triceps, traps, legs and forearms in that sequence while in the second, I work the remaining chest, biceps, back and abdominals in that order. I came up with this sequence and split myself so as to have minimal overlap of muscle groups between exercises. In this way I can concentrate fully on each group. I do 4 exercises for each muscle and 3 sets for each exercise. I alternate between heavier weights (8 reps per set) and lighter ones (15 reps per set) every week as the former builds muscle-size while the latter muscle-length (as I have been told). To burn more calories I only rest for a minute between sets so as to throw in some bit of cardio effect when doing weights. When I am in Papua New Guinea due to my long working hours, I prefer shorter sessions and so I split the 9 muscle groups to 4 0.5-hour sessions within a week instead.
In addition to weights a good routine must contain cardiovascular exercises as well. There are people who only do weights and not cardio and the most common reason is that cardio burns off muscles which I do not think is true. I used to do both classes (Body Attack and Body Combat) as well as running on the treadmill or time on the cross-trainer. Ever since I moved to Melbourne I frequently go for topless jogs outside too since the park is just nearby (regardless of the season, I always go topless). When I am working in PNG I find it harder to do classes when I am on my break due to schedule-mismatch (when I was still working in Melbourne I used to go to the gym before work just when the gym opens at 6am). Classes are about an hour and jogs as well as treadmill/cross-trainer sessions are 0.5-hour long. I don’t like to go for long runs as I feel that jogging alone is boring.
Another important element of a successful fitness regime is of course diet and I will touch on that in my next post. In this series I shall also upload short clips of one exercise per muscle group. These videos were self-taken in the gym of the remote site in PNG. For those who have always wanted to see me in action in the gym, you are in luck! The first two clips feature shoulders and triceps. I am getting lazier over the years and so I don’t have very good exercise posture so just admire my muscles and don’t dwell too much on my form OK?
Shoulders:
Triceps:
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Musical journey (69)
Jay Chou is one of the most talented celebrities in Asia who not only sing, compose and produce albums but he has also acted (both in Asia and in Hollywood) and directed. He has also dabbled in hosting variety shows, performing magic and is running a string of businesses. He caught my attention back when he was still not that famous after he released his first album. In it, he introduced a totally new genre of music in the saturated Chinese music industry and was such a breath of fresh air that I knew he was someone whose music I will follow for the rest of his career. Sure enough, I have all his previous albums (13 to date) and I never fail to sing his songs during karaoke sessions. He has also inspired a number of my own compositions and continues to do so. Although Jay does not have strong vocals (unless it is rap), his other talents more than compensate for that.
This month's musical journey is a cover of one of my favourite songs of his from his first album. I have also taken part in a singing competition with this song (alas I did not win anything). This song is a challenging one especially if sung in the original key. Jay writes the tune to all his songs but occasionally he pens the words too and this is one such example. I hope this video does not get taken down due to copyright infringement like some of my other clips. I also hope you will enjoy my rendition of this very nice piece titled "黑色幽默" or "Black Humour".
This month's musical journey is a cover of one of my favourite songs of his from his first album. I have also taken part in a singing competition with this song (alas I did not win anything). This song is a challenging one especially if sung in the original key. Jay writes the tune to all his songs but occasionally he pens the words too and this is one such example. I hope this video does not get taken down due to copyright infringement like some of my other clips. I also hope you will enjoy my rendition of this very nice piece titled "黑色幽默" or "Black Humour".
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Musical journey (68)
Remember a while back I shared a composition where I wrote about a straight love affair between a woman and a married man? At the end of that post, I promised that I would write another song with the lead being a man who falls in love with another man who is married to a woman. I am going to fulfill that promise with this month's musical post!
You know how a ring leaves a mark on your finger if you had worn it for a long time? That is the title of the song. To someone who cannot be with the one he loves because he is married, this ring mark in his mind is like an ugly scar that sears into the skin, burning him every time he thinks of him and how much he belongs to someone else. This relationship has taken place in the dark for a long time (even before his lover got married) but the married man has just given an ultimatum that he will never leave his wife. To make it more painful, this came after a night of passionate sex. The jilted man feels utterly used and worthless after being committed for such a long time, albeit unilaterally. The affliction grows the more he thinks of the ring mark and what that meant. He then begins questioning it all... and that is point in the story when the song starts.
By the way I wrote the tune during my times of boredom in Papua New Guinea and I sent it to my niece to pen the lyrics in English. She is into writing emo poems so I thought it would be a fun collaboration. Alas she was too busy to embark on the project and so I ended up writing the words myself, in Chinese. I like the tune very much as it describes the feeling of despair perfectly. When you write as much as I do, you have to be creative in the story and I hope you will like the imagination I have injected into this piece.
[戒痕]
词 / 曲 : 锦泉
哪儿 什么 为何 怎么可能
既然已经发生 何必去问
昨天你的轻吻 脸上余温
被泪洗过风干后 早已变冷
宁愿继续受困 那么愚蠢
我说你还爱我 自相矛盾
彻夜辗转翻滚 昏昏沉沉
最黑最暗总在 两点十三分
枕边手机依旧 发不出声
害怕的是等待 无尽延伸
如何折磨自己 才不过分
选择这样沉沦 不用谁批准
忘不掉你的戒痕 就快发疯
你赐我对你的恨 我好好保存
你看我为爱牺牲 于心何忍
放弃我死都不肯 错有天你会承认
窗外呼啸风雨声 交错心里的苦闷
一秒一分在硬撑 你却不问也不闻
空屋夜里熄了灯 让寂寞失了分寸
难道是我太天真 纵容你丧了自尊
你却爱上那个女人
玩玩后掉头转身 不负责任
承诺许下得太深 罪加一等
悲与伤无法平衡 痛得却很稳
曾经拥有就够了 可我在乎的是永恒
哪儿 什么 为何 怎么可能
既然已经发生 何必再去问
[Ring Mark]
Where, what, why, how can that be possible?
There is no point in asking now that it has happened
The warmth on my cheek left by your kiss
Washed by tears and dried by wind, has now turned cold
I chose to remain imprisoned, how foolish was I
Thinking that you still love me, how contradictory was I
Tossing and turning in bed, half awake and not asleep
Thirteen minutes past two is always the darkest time
The phone beside my pillow still refuses to make a sound
Limitless waiting is my worst fear
How can I torture myself without going overboard?
I don’t need your approval to go on this downward spiral
I can’t get that ring mark on your finger out of my mind and it's driving me crazy
I'll treasure the hatred you gifted me
How can you bear to see me sacrifice for love like this?
I’ll never give up waiting for the day you finally admit your mistakes
The howling wind and rain outside the window cross paths with my heartache
Yet you show no concern over my endless struggles
I turned off the lights in the empty room to allow loneliness to grow uncontrollably
Was I too naive to have enabled you and surrendered all self-respect?
And still you are in love with that woman
Leaving after toying with me, how irresponsible of you
The broken promise that you made adds to the list of things you're guilty of
I can’t maintain the balance between sadness and melancholy but I can traverse the pain perfectly
People say “it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” but what I need is eternity
Where, what, why, how can that be possible?
There is no point in asking now that it has happened
You know how a ring leaves a mark on your finger if you had worn it for a long time? That is the title of the song. To someone who cannot be with the one he loves because he is married, this ring mark in his mind is like an ugly scar that sears into the skin, burning him every time he thinks of him and how much he belongs to someone else. This relationship has taken place in the dark for a long time (even before his lover got married) but the married man has just given an ultimatum that he will never leave his wife. To make it more painful, this came after a night of passionate sex. The jilted man feels utterly used and worthless after being committed for such a long time, albeit unilaterally. The affliction grows the more he thinks of the ring mark and what that meant. He then begins questioning it all... and that is point in the story when the song starts.
By the way I wrote the tune during my times of boredom in Papua New Guinea and I sent it to my niece to pen the lyrics in English. She is into writing emo poems so I thought it would be a fun collaboration. Alas she was too busy to embark on the project and so I ended up writing the words myself, in Chinese. I like the tune very much as it describes the feeling of despair perfectly. When you write as much as I do, you have to be creative in the story and I hope you will like the imagination I have injected into this piece.
[戒痕]
词 / 曲 : 锦泉
哪儿 什么 为何 怎么可能
既然已经发生 何必去问
昨天你的轻吻 脸上余温
被泪洗过风干后 早已变冷
宁愿继续受困 那么愚蠢
我说你还爱我 自相矛盾
彻夜辗转翻滚 昏昏沉沉
最黑最暗总在 两点十三分
枕边手机依旧 发不出声
害怕的是等待 无尽延伸
如何折磨自己 才不过分
选择这样沉沦 不用谁批准
忘不掉你的戒痕 就快发疯
你赐我对你的恨 我好好保存
你看我为爱牺牲 于心何忍
放弃我死都不肯 错有天你会承认
窗外呼啸风雨声 交错心里的苦闷
一秒一分在硬撑 你却不问也不闻
空屋夜里熄了灯 让寂寞失了分寸
难道是我太天真 纵容你丧了自尊
你却爱上那个女人
玩玩后掉头转身 不负责任
承诺许下得太深 罪加一等
悲与伤无法平衡 痛得却很稳
曾经拥有就够了 可我在乎的是永恒
哪儿 什么 为何 怎么可能
既然已经发生 何必再去问
[Ring Mark]
Where, what, why, how can that be possible?
There is no point in asking now that it has happened
The warmth on my cheek left by your kiss
Washed by tears and dried by wind, has now turned cold
I chose to remain imprisoned, how foolish was I
Thinking that you still love me, how contradictory was I
Tossing and turning in bed, half awake and not asleep
Thirteen minutes past two is always the darkest time
The phone beside my pillow still refuses to make a sound
Limitless waiting is my worst fear
How can I torture myself without going overboard?
I don’t need your approval to go on this downward spiral
I can’t get that ring mark on your finger out of my mind and it's driving me crazy
I'll treasure the hatred you gifted me
How can you bear to see me sacrifice for love like this?
I’ll never give up waiting for the day you finally admit your mistakes
The howling wind and rain outside the window cross paths with my heartache
Yet you show no concern over my endless struggles
I turned off the lights in the empty room to allow loneliness to grow uncontrollably
Was I too naive to have enabled you and surrendered all self-respect?
And still you are in love with that woman
Leaving after toying with me, how irresponsible of you
The broken promise that you made adds to the list of things you're guilty of
I can’t maintain the balance between sadness and melancholy but I can traverse the pain perfectly
People say “it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” but what I need is eternity
Where, what, why, how can that be possible?
There is no point in asking now that it has happened
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Mum's CNY through Facebook (part 3)
In this last entry of my Chinese New Year series (previous posts can be found here and here), you will see why I organised mummy's trip to Melbourne. The big fair held annually in the city with lots of stalls, firecrackers and performances is definitely the highlight of her trip and from the pictures, I think she really enjoyed herself. Too bad all good things have to come to an end and after a week spent with her, she went back home and it was back to Papua New Guinea for me. The next time I will see her is in a couple of months when she will prepare my favourite dishes. I simply cannot wait!!!
Mummy at our favourite yong tau foo joint. She had it before and wanted more so there we went. Gotta fuel up before our baking adventure!
Guess what hubby, mummy and I are starting to bake now??? Excitement fills the air!!!
Preparing key component #1 of the yummiest Chinese New Year goodie...
Now on to the making of key component #2... Both the journey and destination must be documented.
... and everyone got down to it. Baking can be such a cost-effective family activity where you get to enjoy both the process and the result. Most importantly it's an experience that can't be bought.
The fruits of our labour. Who knows we can churn out an auspicious 66 pineapple tarts for a cost price of less than $10? Mummy even had some to take back home. Well done family!
Mummy was hankering for some Korean BBQ and so Korean BBQ is what we had. She's the queen and I simply have to obey!
We yearn to be majorly scared so I hope this can at least get us a little bit there. Yet another horror movie night at home with mummy.
Let me buck the trend and reserve my 14th of February this year not for a lover or even a friend but for family. Happy Valentine's Day mummy!
This is what I wanted mummy to experience - the proper Chinese New Year festivities in Chinatown with the crowd, the food and the deafening firecrackers. This is definitely the highlight of her trip. Oh and we even got to shake the hands of Bill Shorten!
How can a trip down Lygon Street not include gelato and Brunetti's coffee? Little Italy's the breath of fresh air we needed away from the Chinatown hustle-bustle. Melbourne is such a multicultural city and mummy is absolutely loving it!
Of all the cuisines in the world, nothing beats food from home and so for this last dinner of mummy's trip we have opted for Singaporean. With rojak, fried pipi and mini seafood pot, you'd think we just dined at a hawker centre back on the little red dot!
Our last horror movie night in a little while and this looks like a promising one. Mummy and I are going to miss this much-loved routine!
It's been a good Chinese New Year and it's all because of mummy. Now it's time for her to head home and me to prepare to journey to the remote mountains again. I'm SO NOT looking forward to that!
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Mum's CNY through Facebook (part 2)
Here is the second part of the Facebook pictorial series documenting mummy's recent Melbourne trip where we spent our first Chinese New Year together outside of Singapore. It was a short stay so we did not venture out of the city but that did not mean we had a lack of fun. These pictures are there as proof. The other posts in this series can be found here and here.
We came and we conquered the night market with our eating powers. Looks like mummy enjoyed herself. Part two to follow.
Here are the rest of the night market snaps. There were SO many hotties out tonight and I was super distracted by them muscle guys while juggling food, taking pictures and not letting mummy get lost in the crowd! I have a feeling there's more night market experience to be had somewhere else so stay tuned!
Mummy actually decided to buy the pictures taken at the Aquarium yesterday and she thinks that it's $39 well spent. At least this now means that I can download and post them here. Didn't we say we were total tourist noobs?
How can time spent with mummy not be in a dim sum restaurant? This is our shopping rest stop and many bargains were snapped up once again. Retail and gastronomical therapies are a potently effective combination indeed.
Tea break after the hard work of shopping. Mummy was hungry so it's her fault that we're eating again!
Costco virgin no more. Even mummy has been to one so how can I be so out-of-touch with the bulk-buying populace?
Night markets are all about eating and nothing else and we did just that. It seems that mummy cannot get enough of night markets. More pics to come.
Seems like pigging out runs in the family... This is mummy and I enjoying Chinese New Year, Melbourne style while admiring the beautiful sunset by the waterfront.
Just finished watching this at home with mummy. It's not too good but seeing how many horrors and thrillers we've watched between us, we are a couple of really hardened critics of this genre and so it's rare to find a really good one these days. It's the time spent together that counts anyway.
We wanted to have a hotpot reunion lunch but the restaurant is only open for dinner. Oh well, when in Melbourne do as the Greeks do. Our sumptuous yet simple reunion lunch sorted!
Mummy having fun amongst veggies and fruit (Ision excluded) at Puja's and Barry's who are so nice to host us tonight.
Puja and Barry have done it again. Excellent dinner, excellent setting and excellent company. Excellence all around!
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Mum's CNY through Facebook (part 1)
For the first time my mummy spent her Chinese New Year in a western country. Although Melbourne is not an Asian city, I always feel that the Chinese New Year here is more traditional than the very commercial and touristy (a.k.a. fake) atmosphere Singapore gives me. This is why I had to organise a trip for her to visit Melbourne and welcome the year of the monkey here with me. The climax of the trip took place on her last full day but she did lots before that. In a series of three posts, I shall share with you the Facebook posts I have made that perfectly documented her one-week vacation. Here is post number one (the other posts in the series can be found here and here).
Finally! Both our Chinese New Years have officially started!
Angpaos given. Mandarin oranges exchanged. Tummies filled. Smiles all around. Well Ision was hiding his.
Coffee and shenanigans with mummy. My smartwatch tells me that I took 11,364 steps shopping with her today so I guess I have reason to eat more now!
Sumptuous dinner at Mum's must-have Thai place when she's in town. I think I ate too much... again!
The first horror movie night at home in the new year with mummy, just like old times - I miss this so much! On the menu tonight is an oldie but a goodie.
Mummy asking hubby what he added in his mushroom breakfast dish that made it smell so good. Ision the chef must be feeling proud! By the way the secret was butter, something not used in traditional Chinese cooking.
Even though this is not her first time here there's still much to explore in the biggest Melbourne market. This place is totally transformed at night and we shall conquer that tomorrow.
Almost nothing beats the feeling of nabbing a great bargain and we were lucky to experience that today. Resting our feet now at a coffee stop and then off me and mummy go again! Second horror movie night with mummy and there is more to come before she leaves. Hope the offering tonight is not too bad.
Second horror movie night with mummy and there is more to come before she leaves. Hope the offering tonight is not too bad.
Loving breakfast for hubby prepared by mummy. Toasted avocado garlic-buttered sandwich with fresh cherries. Ain't Ision lucky?
Mummy almost as fine as the weather by the Yarra River today.
A fun day out with mummy doing touristy stuff. We are both first-time visitors to this major Melbourne attraction. More pictures to follow very soon.
More from our time today as noob tourists. Now it's time for some dinner at the night market, my mummy's favourite eating spot!
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Love of my life
This is a really special post because it is not about me (even I know not everything is!). Come May this year, Ision and I will be celebrating our ninth anniversary and we are closer now than ever before. Perhaps it is my working overseas that makes our hearts grow fonder but I did ask him why he loves me and he simply said that everything in the relationship just feels right. I feel the same way too in the sense that I totally accept all of his flaws. This acceptance cannot be underestimated because so many relationships end because people cannot get past each other's shortcomings. I look at it this way–once you are able to move beyond the flaws, everything that remains become pure goodness, essentially making the person perfect. This is how I think we are–perfect for each other. Although Ision is in Sydney right now frolicking away, he told me he feels no connection to that city anymore (even after living there for many years) because his connection is now with me, in Melbourne. Aw....
Well enough of the mushiness. As you all know, I have done many photo shoots over the years for I not only look awesome in the end results, the pictures serve as a precious snapshot of history, of the time when I am in my prime form. I believe the albums and albums of pictures I now own and love so much will continue to bring me much joy in the years to come, right till the day I die.
The most wonderful thing is boo finally can now also experience that joy for he has just taken part in his first-ever photo shoot. Though not professionally done, this is still very significant because he can at long last see how beautiful he is, the way everyone, especially I see him. I hope this will tempt him to do some more. Who knows, the day we do a proper shoot together may even come! By the way the photographer is a recent friend of his and I am slowly getting to know him better too.
I have asked Ision to select a handful of pictures he "approves" of me to share here and he has gladly provided them (in my opinion there are others in the series that I think are nicer). To be honest I am quite surprised he allowed me to do that which shows how confident he is of his appearance now and I am so happy he feels that way. By the way he is having his birthday in less than week's time and it is yet another birthday that we are unable to spend together. So here is wishing my boo a big fat happy birthday and I will shower him with extra hugs and kisses in a little more than a fortnight's time.
So without further ado here are the fabulous pictures of my boo, the love of my life.
Well enough of the mushiness. As you all know, I have done many photo shoots over the years for I not only look awesome in the end results, the pictures serve as a precious snapshot of history, of the time when I am in my prime form. I believe the albums and albums of pictures I now own and love so much will continue to bring me much joy in the years to come, right till the day I die.
The most wonderful thing is boo finally can now also experience that joy for he has just taken part in his first-ever photo shoot. Though not professionally done, this is still very significant because he can at long last see how beautiful he is, the way everyone, especially I see him. I hope this will tempt him to do some more. Who knows, the day we do a proper shoot together may even come! By the way the photographer is a recent friend of his and I am slowly getting to know him better too.
I have asked Ision to select a handful of pictures he "approves" of me to share here and he has gladly provided them (in my opinion there are others in the series that I think are nicer). To be honest I am quite surprised he allowed me to do that which shows how confident he is of his appearance now and I am so happy he feels that way. By the way he is having his birthday in less than week's time and it is yet another birthday that we are unable to spend together. So here is wishing my boo a big fat happy birthday and I will shower him with extra hugs and kisses in a little more than a fortnight's time.
So without further ado here are the fabulous pictures of my boo, the love of my life.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Musical journey (67)
Mummy's whirlwind Melbourne trip has ended and it was a great Chinese New Year week spent with her. Now that she's gone I have to start sorting out my own stuff before I head off to the remote mountains again and one item on my to-do list is to make a new musical post. "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is one of my most loved movies and it being a musical is not a coincidence. I believe if done properly (unlike a lot of cheesy ones), the songs from musicals can really immerse you much deeper into the plot.
I watched this movie for the first time many years ago in the cinema during my university exchange in Sydney when I was still grappling with coming out issues and had the "daddy complex". That was when I constantly wished for a daddy figure in my life (my own passed away when I was eight) and hence the section of the plot about not having a good father really spoke to me (which is also the reason why I am so close to my mum). Nowadays I still go for daddies but I no longer have the complex which overlaps the need for fatherly love and sexual intimacy. Instead I do it purely for carnal gratification (hehe). Come to think of it, maybe my sexual attraction to daddies stems from a lack of a father figure during my adolescent years... Whatever the case, it is now pointless to delve into the causes anyway so let's just move on to this month's musical sharing.
I have done a cover of my favourite song in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" called "The Origin of Love". The animation and imagery that came with the song along with its extremely meaningful lyrics won me over and for a brief moment back in 2001, I did think that that could be the true origin of love after all. I wish the director (John Cameron Mitchell) would make more movies as I also enjoyed his "Shortbus" tremendously. So here's my take on this excellent song and I hope I have done it justice.
I watched this movie for the first time many years ago in the cinema during my university exchange in Sydney when I was still grappling with coming out issues and had the "daddy complex". That was when I constantly wished for a daddy figure in my life (my own passed away when I was eight) and hence the section of the plot about not having a good father really spoke to me (which is also the reason why I am so close to my mum). Nowadays I still go for daddies but I no longer have the complex which overlaps the need for fatherly love and sexual intimacy. Instead I do it purely for carnal gratification (hehe). Come to think of it, maybe my sexual attraction to daddies stems from a lack of a father figure during my adolescent years... Whatever the case, it is now pointless to delve into the causes anyway so let's just move on to this month's musical sharing.
I have done a cover of my favourite song in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" called "The Origin of Love". The animation and imagery that came with the song along with its extremely meaningful lyrics won me over and for a brief moment back in 2001, I did think that that could be the true origin of love after all. I wish the director (John Cameron Mitchell) would make more movies as I also enjoyed his "Shortbus" tremendously. So here's my take on this excellent song and I hope I have done it justice.
 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
