Mother's Birthday // The Rocks Markets, Chef's Gallery, and Goodbye (for now)

For my mother's birthday a few days ago, I decided we'd go out to The Rocks markets and then head off to Chef's Gallery.

Much street photography was attempted

It was a nice day out. My mother had to do some work in the morning though, and so we weren't able to leave till early afternoon. This meant that we only had about an hour to browse the stores, which was a bit short of time, but it was still alright.

That middle one. So true. For me.

The stores are very interesting.

In that I mean that they sell things that you don't usually see around. And it's just such a nice refresher to walk around and have all these peculiar things being sold here and there. The atmosphere is great; there's music, laughter, chatter, and really nice aromas in the air.

These smelled really, really good.

Just so many peculiar things that you don't often know where to find. It makes for a great opportunity to go gift shopping.

To be honest, there were a fair few things that caught my fancy, but I was lacking funds and I figured that I probably didn't need half the stuff.

E.g., this insect display (it tingled my biosystematic senses)

They even had the scientific name!!

Also a lot of Christmas stores around. Unfortunately I won't be here in Sydney for Christmas.

Anyway, as the markets closed at 5pm, the trio of us decided to head off to Town Hall.

We went to Kinokuniya (yessss) to kill some time before our designated arrival time to the restaurant. I couldn't resist. I purchased another book (and my brother? Three). To give myself an excuse, I recently renewed my Kinokuniya membership card, so that meant 10% off every purchase. Taking advantage of that, I purchased $55 worth of books (combined with my brother), and thus walked home with Oliver Sack's book 'The Mind's Eye'

"In The Mind’s Eye, Oliver Sacks tells the stories of people who are able to navigate the world and communicate with others despite losing what many of us consider indispensable senses and abilities: the power of speech, the capacity to recognize faces, the sense of three-dimensional space, the ability to read, the sense of sight. For all of these people, the challenge is to adapt to a radically new way of being in the world."

Later on, when the time came, we headed off to Chef's Gallery. My mother and brother had never been, though I had.

We ordered noodles (didn't take a photo), which I thought was the best dish of them all. Man, I love their noodles. That's basically the only thing I love there, and I have a feeling that each time I go, I'll be eating them.

We also tried out the famous piggies (Buns shaped like pigs, which are filled with a black sesame paste)

$8.90 for two. Yes, a very pricey desert.

To be honest, I don't think they were worth the $8.90 we paid, and it's unlikely I'll be having them again. This was just a first time 'might-as-well-try-it' thing. And they also are great for photos lol so.

Also tried another new dish which consisted of crispy barramundi and pork-belly. I liked the pork-belly better, but the dish still wasn't that fantastic.

It was also like, $20. Ahhh.

Overall though, it's still a nice restaurant. I just liked the noodles most of all (ahhh yummm).

Anyway, afterwards we just headed home. It was just a nice day out with the three of us, for a small celebration. My father is overseas, so unfortunately we couldn't celebrate together, but that's alright.

Stay safe. No more posts until I come back from overseas (much travel photography will be conducted, and comments on the new culture), so stay safe till then. Have an absolutely lovely Christmas and Happy New Year. Take care of yourself, spend time with the people that mean something to you, and do the things you want to do.

I'll be back soon.

Much love. A la prochaine!

Man xx

Baulko Year 10 Formal (2014)

So one week ago, I was invited to Baulko's Year 10 Formal for 2014, (mostly because LQ was invited, and so I tagged along), and I was in charge of taking video footage.

That's not something I've really done before. I've gone to events with the goal of taking photos, but never to an event with the intention to produce a video.

Sure, I've done videos before. E.g., going to Port Stephens -- on that trip I was focused upon video. But those were all for myself -- for private use. This one was for someone else and that put a lot of pressure on it and changed the situation.

But, none-the-less, I wasn't getting paid and this was just a learning experience, so there really wasn't too much pressure.

Also they spelled my name wrong.

Table 19, near the bottom. Also, who is 'Leo Zou' LOL

We also tried out some new equipment; LQ's being his new lens (which we both absolutely adore), and myself, trying to manage both GoPro and camera together.

Several problems throughout the night. Ranging in sources.

• Low lighting (ISO shot through the roof, urgh, and video with the GoPro was insanely difficult)
• The loud rave music wasn't the best for my ears (yes, a petty issue, but still)
• Seating problems (we were seated on a students table, and then moved to a teachers table. Later on, however, more teachers arrived and we were essentially kicked off the table for desert, and LQ and I decided to hobo it out and eat it in the hallway whilst standing up.)
• A lot of people demanding photos (non-stop, and it was a very crowded area as well, making photos difficult. Thank god for 18mm focal lengths in LQ's new lens)
• Camera weight (both cameras were very heavy, making arms and wrists very sore)

But, let's not focus on the bad parts! A lot of good things came from it too.

• Free food!!
• Treated like professional photographers (we were even given our own room and told "it's all yours")
• Having quick chats to all the teachers again
• Small chats with the students that I've seen around, and just generally socialising with them and a few that I knew personally
• Being able to test out and practice my film/photo skills
• Who doesn't love raves and music (although they did repeat the same playlist)
• And just something to do, which was better than just staying at home (also had the excuse to dress up semi-formal)

Photos were manageable when the lights were on, but when they went off...
ISO made me cringe

My flash was also too strong, so it meant taking portraits was difficult. I did manage to take quite a few outside the venue (before the sun went down and people went inside), and group shots from afar with my flash turned out really good.

Unfortunately, not posting here, but they should be up on #selectivephotography's facebook page  (click here)

Overall it was a really nice night, just to do something with my life. I was rushing to finish editing and uploading before I went overseas (you can probably tell this is a scheduled post)

Ahh, brings me back to the memories of my own Year 10 formal. And I was given the opportunity to familiarise myself with more of the Year 10 grade.

It would be nice to be invited back to formals in later years, or perhaps to expand to do some event photography. I'm not going to lie, despite once saying that I didn't want to get into event photography, after gradually being immersed into the field through #SELECTIVE, it's grown onto me. Either that, or I've just gotten more experienced and prepared to take on these challenges.

I still need an external flash and a softbox though. I really do. Hopefully soon.

And, goodnight.

Funny thing, the RSL also thought that this grade was a graduating 2014 grade (i.e., my grade), and labelled the event 'Year 12 Formal', as well as having the DJ conclude the night saying "THANK YOU GRADUATING CLASS OF 2014!!!"

I laughed.

Here's the video.

JMH #7 // DNP, blue skies (for once) and goodbyes (temp)

So for the last day, we decided just to stay at home.

Just to soak it all in. Just to... Do nothing in particular and just enjoy the time we had left.

I invited a few friends over; the ones that had spent quite a lot of time with HN and JH, and we simply just talked, played some games, and ate food.

And also took ridiculous portraits

At 2:45pm, it was time to depart.

All my friends left and we hopped into the car to head off to the airport. We all knocked out instantly and slept most of the way there.

Blue skies were everywhere. It was gorgeous.

The weather had been having a massive hissy-fit the last week, during their stay. Thankfully on the day they departed, it took a turn for the better.

It was a bittersweet goodbye. Less sad than previous, because I suppose you reach a point when you realise that 'surely this isn't the last time I see your face'.

I don't know if that is true or not, but that's what I was thinking at the time, anyway. Sometimes it is the last time, sometimes it isn't. I hope it's the latter.

Either way, there's something odd about saying goodbye to friends that are this close to you. It hardly is sad at all. It's sort of... Well, they're gone physically, yes. But in other ways (as cheesy as it sounds ew) they never truly leave. (wow even this is too cheesy for me to handle)

I don't know how to explain it.

It's just that when you spend so much time with people that always make you laugh, as much as it is hard to say goodbye...

I don't know.

I know they'll be safe. I know they'll go out there and have more fun. And I know that I'll see them again and it'll be like good old times.

Of course, I don't really know all of this will be true, but I'm confident that it will.

Either way, they're still wonderful friends and goodbyes aren't so sad after all, when you all say "Keen for round two".

That's something I learned through IBO. Goodbyes weren't so hard after leaving Bali. We all find a way, and although you may be on the other side of the world from me (in some cases, this is literal), that doesn't change anything about our memories or the fact that we get along and I call you my friend.

Anyway. I'll end it here before I waffle on.

Goodbye, till next time!

JMH #6 // Foodie markets, B&O, Street, Books, Night markets, and my longest post title yet.

[At this current moment of time, I am flying in the air to another country. This thus means there will be no more new posts in the next two weeks, although I have scheduled a couple over the next week. It's okay, never fear, I will return soon. Stay safe.]

So today we headed off in the morning to go to the Foodie Markets at The Rocks.

We'd never been, so this was pretty fun.

It's interesting how I didn't even know half of this stuff even happened in Sydney, despite living here my entire life.

Bought some tropical juice, but didn't taste as nice as the juice we had in Cabramatta a few days ago (watermelon, orange, passionfruit, lychee)

Bought some skewers too

Later on, since we had some time, we finally managed to head off to the Bang & Olufsen store that HN really needed to go to.

It was as if we had walked into the future. The 22nd Century.

Everything looked so polished and modern and aesthetic.

However, I'll admit, the navigation is a pain and very, very, slow.

At least it looks aesthetic though.
And the sound systems are still top notch.

Anyway, with time to spare before dinner, we went off to Darling Harbour (once again, for the third time) to kill some time.

I decided to take some street photography because there were a lot more people in the city today around the playgrounds than usual.

JH thought it'd be a smart idea to enter the fountain upon my demand.
Needless to say, he got very wet.

Also found some interesting people.

I watched this woman for a while, as she tried to get the perfect angle to take a picture of her friend.

This is what I sometimes look like.

Sorry for all the street photography spam (not really, I love it)

We also ended up going to Kinokuniya for a quick stop-over, and as expected, we all ended up in front of the Science shelf. In particular, Biology.

We even went searching for a book: Anatomies by Hugh Aldersey-Williams, which was highly recommended to JH and I by HN, and thus we each bought a copy.

Afterwards, it was time to head off to dinner before the lines grew oversized. We decided to dine at Pancakes on the Rocks in Darling Harbour.

The waiter wasn't the most pleasant, let's just say that.

With much confusion and misunderstanding (and also difficulty in hearing each other due to the noise levels), it took a while to come to a conclusion about the chilly being separated and JH's allergy-inducing foods. The waiter rolled his eyes at us three times (wow).

The bowl of death; walnuts

Anyway, let's not stay standing on this puddle. The food was nice, and we were lucky enough to (once again) avoid the long queue.

Afterwards, we made our way to The Rocks for the night markets, passing through Martin Place to look at the lights and observe the Channel 7 News Station. (Yes, also the same place as the #Sydneysiege)

The night markets were really nice. I loved the atmosphere of it all. If there's something that's enjoyable, it's being out late at night in moderately-cool temperatures, with nice music wafting through the night air.

Everywhere you turned there'd be some form of music or laughter going on; always something new to look at or check out.

And to spend the night with friends is always a plus. That means laughter (a lot of it), smiles, and ridiculous photos. Like so.

The little trinkets here and there were also really nice.

The Sydney-siders ended up pitching in and purchasing two 'I <3 Sydney' souvenirs for JH and HN. The little jars contained some sand and sea shells, and a scroll; it was pretty cute, if I say so myself.

Overall, it was a tiring night. It was the final night.

We said our goodbyes to some people, thinking it would be the last time we'd see them, and then only to find out that they would come visit again tomorrow.

The end was coming and we knew it, but we refused to acknowledge our goodbyes, because really, we didn't believe that they were real.

JMH #5 // Brownies, Paddy's, playgrounds, and more food

Before I start, I'm going to take the moment to say that my thoughts go out to the victims and families of the 15/12/14 #SydneySiege at Martin Place. In particular, to the two hostages who unfortunately lost their lives.

It was a very unfortunate event and none of the hostages were at fault -- they happened to decide to go to a particular cafe on a particular day at a particular time. It could have been anyone. It could have been anywhere. It could have been any time. But a twist of fate has left most of us safe whilst they were not.

Thanks to the police for their efforts and decisions; I'm sure they gave it their best efforts to protect the lives of the hostages. Thanks to most Australians for staying calm in the wake of these events and trying to minimise the panic (although this cannot be said for everyone, especially The Daily Telegraph's premature newspaper edition. Shaking my head so much. [SMH lol].

I was initially afraid that this would spark a lot of misguided racism, stereotyping, and Islamophobia. To an extent, this was true. But with strong backlash, what emerged was, rather, positive support and the global trend #Illridewithyou, and that is extraordinary. 

Let us hope this will be the last extremist attack for a long time to come. Best wishes on this day, the aftermath of the 15th of December's Martin Place Siege.

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On the 11th we were supposed to travel up to the Blue Mountains to go on a day hiking trip, but due to storms and rains, we decided against it.

Thus, we thought it'd be a nice day to stay at home and make brownies! (Because why not?)

So it happened. PT came over as well, since he was the master of brownies.

It was actually my first time making brownies.

Mmmm, looks good, tastes good.

It was a nice, small activity to start the day off, and then afterwards we headed out to the city.

By day 5, we'd all started to really feel the fatigue hitting home, especially HN and JH since they stayed up very early into the morning.

Knocked out instantly

We decided to head off to Paddy's Markets, which we initially planned on doing on Tuesday (before realising that they don't actually open on Tuesdays), where we just browsed around, made jokes, and bought chilli peas (which we had been desperately searching for during the last 5 days).

This guy has been there as long as I can remember

We had booked for dinner at Hurricane's Grill, and so once Paddy's closed, we went for an early dinner (also because our lunch had basically only consisted of brownies. Health/10, I know.)

This was the first time I'd had Hurricane's Grill as well, and I'm not going to lie, it was pretty good.

I really liked the sweet potato chips/wedges, actually. A lot more than I had expected. The ribs were very nice as well, but eating (essentially) purely meat for dinner kind of upset my stomach afterwards. The ribs tasted really great though, which also contributed to my stomach ache because I think I overate.

Full rack of pork ribs. Yum.

Since it was relatively early at that time, and then sun was still yet to set (I love this time of year), we decided to kill some more time at Darling Harbour.

There were a lot less children there today, which was good (especially for JH), and I was wearing pants this time (last time I dressed in a skirt) so I was able to finally conquer the tower and climb to the very top.

After all of this, we still weren't satisfied with our day, and so we all decided to head off to crazy wings and N2 (for the 3rd day in a row). This was largely decided upon because the boys were still not full (meanwhile, HN and myself were practically trying not to throw up our inflated stomachs)

However, by the time we arrived there, we weren't actually that hungry anymore, so we ended up only ordering two skewers of chicken wings.

Our order sheet looked so empty.

Also it's interesting to note that the Crazy Wings in Sydney aren't as spicy as the ones in Melbourne. I'm not joking; try them out if you get the chance. They are insane (as far as I remember. Though, I'm not one to offer first hand evidence, because I essentially can't eat any chilli)

We were pretty pooped out from it all -- it'd been a tiring and demanding 5 days so far. The days were numbered and coming to an end, and we wanted to stay longer, but our eyes were drooping, so we headed home. (once again, we stayed up late into the morning. Mostly HN and JH though.).

JMH #4 // Bondi, tourism, and Chinese food

Today was Bondi day!

It was our first day of 'good' weather. Such that it was sunny but slightly cloudy for about 5 hours straight whilst we were at the Bondi, which fared well, considering the previous 3 days had been storming.

So anyway, we headed off to Bondi in the morning, and went for burgers for lunch as we shopped for boardies (board shorts) and such. Also many jokes about thongs (called jandals, i.e., flip-flops, sandals, etc.).

HN with her burger, that she was super excited to eat

Afterwards, we all set camp down at the beach and enjoyed a nice day.

Thankfully it was a weekday, so there were relatively less people (weekends are absolutely packed). It gradually got hotter throughout the day, so we slathered on plenty of sunscreen. None-the-less, I think we all turned a shade darker (I'm still recovering from my Port Stephens tanning spell)

Also, we all somehow managed to fail to pick up that bringing chocolate to the beach is a bad idea.

A really bad idea.

HN ate it, none-the-less.

In celebration for the Australian Christmas spirit, I also made a snowman out of sand.

It was very small but oh well.

We named him Bobby, in memory of uh, someone we know.

After spending time just chatting on the sand and reading a science book (yes, I know.), the sky began to turn darker around 4:30pm, so we decided it was time to head off.

Next on the agenda was to check out Circular Quay and do all the typical touristy stuff. I.e., Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and Botanical Gardens.

However it started to rain (nooooooo) and thus photos were very difficult to take. I don't think we even ended up taking any with the Opera House, to be honest. Botanical Gardens (HN coined the word 'botan') was also cancelled because walking through that area in this weather was surely a bad idea.

Thus, we headed off early to Chef's Gallery Town Hall at around 5:45pm, which was a good idea because we barely managed to scrape the last empty table. Anyone else after us had to wait for a great deal of time and queue up in the pouring rain, so consider us lucky. (pro tip: book ahead of time)

The food was really great! (I know I've been saying that about every restaurant we've been going to, but it's true). It wasn't the perfect restaurant; I think there were a few aspects of service that could have been improved, but the noodles were on point. We devoured it, and it was definitely well worth the price.

Yum yum, I love hand-pulled noodles. I love noodles in general. Especially thin ones.

Anyway, it was super delish. Afterwards, we went down to N2 (AGAIN) to show JH and also idk kill some more time. I don't even remember what we did. Then we just went home for an 'early' night (which was really around 9pm) and chilled around with my brother and finally got the opportunity to show JH around the house.

It was a really nice chill sort of day. Just relaxing on the beach (almost fell asleep) and sort of spending time doing whatever.

Also marked the 'past-halfway' point, which was also sad, but eh, we were too busy enjoying the moment to really let that get to us.