Of the Outback, the downunder, the whatever....(Part II)
Realised I should cut my entry in case you guys get flooded by my entry. Sorry :)
.....The next day came without warning. Okay, sounds crappy. I mean what do you expect the DAY to do, except probably, release the Sun into the sky to tell you its the start of the day. Maybe there is a warning after all, the all so familiar alarm from my mobile. Hah, I think the others would have been so sick of my alarm esp. SY, who happens to sleep with me. Oh oh, don't get that wrong. Not sleeping WITH me as with me, but in the same room with me.
Remember its freaking winter over at Melbourne. Well, for those of you who might be thinking its a home and there is heater inside the house blah blah. Shouldn't be that cold. Well, you are wrong. IT IS COLD. VERY. You know when you are sleeping, your legs move around within the blankets? I never failed to wake myself when my legs moved to the uncharted parts of the blanket which is icy. OUCH. SY's better, she gets the electric heating thingy. Quite warm to sleep on it though. Anyway, we all had enough rest to embarked on the journey the following morning.
Come to think of it. There are really 2 schools of thought when it comes to using the amount of time you have on a holiday. And frankly, it's a dilemma. Will you 1) take on a not hurry sort of holiday; sleeping to the point when you wake up automatically? Or do you 2) set out a specific itinerary, making sure you use the best out of the time during your holiday? Personally, while on holidays, I'd rather not chase the time and be so kaisu to squeeze everything out of a holiday. Ok. Imagine the holiday is an Orange and the time/returns is the juice. Are you going to make sure that bloody orange is left dried like a cardboard while exhausting your energy squeezing it? Or will you prefer to squeeze it at your leisure using the effort you wish to spend? Uh uh, nope I am not saying I want to sleep my time away while on holidays. It's just...oh well, shalln't go on debating on this.
Anyway, whatever the case is, we were up (courtesy of my alarm) and ready for the Shopping Day in the city. It's going to be on by ourselves (Not all by myself lah you Divas) today because QZ (the Li Zong Sheng lookalike. Oh just how many times do I have to repeat that) had to work. Having equipped ourselves with the maps and stuff, we took the tram to the city from the VERY LAST STOP. Yes, the very last stop, so you can imagine howlong the ride took. But, being a noob in the city, I guess I can let it go while I enjoy the winter scenery outside.
Shucks! Breakfast. I almost forgot about breakfast. We always take pictures during breakfast. So before I move on, may I share with you the pictures from the dining table. More to come on later entries. Wonder what's so fascinating about taking pictures with breakfast. Bleahz.
So lets move on from there. The tram is a novelty to me. I mean there are trams in Hongkong and many parts of the world. But Melbourne has, perhaps the most intricate network of trams running all over the city, replacing the conventional buses we have in Singapore. Well, of course there are the pros and cons, but let's just leave it to the transport gurus to argue. For now, for me. It's an experience.
Tram pass vending machine on board
Me going through the routemap
Clean interior cabin
Kester's back (Fat and stumpy. Haha. Due to the layers of clothing la)
After about like an hour's of tram ride.......
Tada. Melbourne city. Luckily it greeted us with bright clear sky. If not. We would probably have cursed it to death like what we did to Sydney. Hah. Will elaborate more in the later entries.
So the moment we reached the city center, we did what all tourist did. We went to the Federation Square's visitor's Centre. More or less to act like tourist. Ha.
Infamous Federation Sq and Visitor's Centre
Next on, we went on to something which we've always wanted (By saying we, I normally mean me.haha); to get takeaway Starbucks and saunter down a crowded shopping lane. Acting like a true blue cosmopolitan-er. I did that once along Orchard road and I think I was mad. By the time I reached the next traffic junction I just want to dump the whole bloody thing away. I mean, its madness to be slurping hot latte on a hot, humid, crowded street. You dumb fool. Anyway, finally, I did it right. It's really what we did anyway, a cup of warm (Yes, something weird again. Back in Singapore, the latte just seem scorching, but in Melbourne, it's just warm) latte and walking idly down the street. Shiok!
Me looking fat from munching the bagel. Damn.
SY pondering hard why the queue doesn't move. Haha. Silly her.
It's just shopping, shopping and more shopping after this. So not many pictures because shopping aren't exactly very picture interesting. Ok. To say shopping isn't exactly correct either because we were more of walking around and looking at stuff. Everything just seemed so expensive when you X 1.3 to everything. I swear we all had this HUGE invisible calculator right besides us when we go "So expensive "Not cheap" "Singapore cheaper" or simply looking at one another, going "........", speechless. Then again, by simply walking around and not buying many things made me happy enough. I truly enjoyed chilling myself and not having to sweat sauntering the streets. Seriously, i beats Hongkong during summer when things are affordable and yet I hated the experience. Well that is if you call "melting" an experience.
Shopping street in winter
We are really very act act. Knowing shopping alones seemed a wee bit too unclassy. We decided to hit the more cultured track by visting the Parliment house. In view that it's going to add that bit of civilised element into the itinerary. Wrong move. Maybe it isn't exactly wrong. The site visit is fine. Just go in, take some pictures and RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! DO NOT. I repeat, DO NOT join the guided tour. You could if you intend to 1) write a thesis on the political development of Australia or 2) if you intend to run for the next cabinet in Australia. If it's none of the above for you, then stay FAR FAR away from the tour. Like I said before, if you are those who intend to squeeze the hell out of the poor orange during a holiday, then this guided tour will gulp your juice in no time. You get my point.
Anyway idea how long the guide went on and on and on about what your ever need to know to pass the parliamental history of Melbourne? It took so long that SY's stomach started to growl. Not a moan. Not even a shout. It's a wailing growl. Poor gal. She didn't have the bagel like us and so her stomach.....sigh...If there was a decoder, I bet the stomach was saying "Shut the fark up you idiot! Lao niang wants to eat liao!"
CAUTION!STAY AWAY FROM HIM!!!
By the time the blabbering ended (actually it didn't end, we just took off. Fleeing like machiam fugutive), we headed towards Spencer st, which supposedly has the DFO and lotsa good bargains. Finally. BARGIANS!! But good things just don't come easy don't they. We tried to kay kiang, thinking we should utilise the day trip ticket (Orange theory again) and take the train instead of walking. We thought it should save us some time. Wrong move again. We figured like a good 20-30 mins and concluded: Let's just walk. Bloody silly right? Walking is safer. Beats getting lost in the network of stations and never reaching the stop right? Anyway, I think we should compete in Olympics. The walk from one end of the city to another was madness and the pace, gosh....So imgaine the checkered finishing line waiting for us when we reached Spencer St! HURRRAY!!!
First damage done there.....Kester
High class leh
He got this jacket at a steal. Shalln't say the price but it's a steal. He was practically impenetratable (the cold wind, that is. Haha) after he got this and it made him turn from.....
Skinny him
into.....
INCREDILE HULK!!!
Skipped all the gymming that he would ever need. So that was really a steal. Kudos to him.
After which, is nothing. what do you expect. Australia's cities knock off early. These Australians really know how to enjoy their life. So we took a parting shot with the city (for now) and headed back to QZ's (Li Zong Sheng lookalike...haha I know you guys remember. Just irritating you) home.
Till the next update.....
.....The next day came without warning. Okay, sounds crappy. I mean what do you expect the DAY to do, except probably, release the Sun into the sky to tell you its the start of the day. Maybe there is a warning after all, the all so familiar alarm from my mobile. Hah, I think the others would have been so sick of my alarm esp. SY, who happens to sleep with me. Oh oh, don't get that wrong. Not sleeping WITH me as with me, but in the same room with me.
Remember its freaking winter over at Melbourne. Well, for those of you who might be thinking its a home and there is heater inside the house blah blah. Shouldn't be that cold. Well, you are wrong. IT IS COLD. VERY. You know when you are sleeping, your legs move around within the blankets? I never failed to wake myself when my legs moved to the uncharted parts of the blanket which is icy. OUCH. SY's better, she gets the electric heating thingy. Quite warm to sleep on it though. Anyway, we all had enough rest to embarked on the journey the following morning.
Come to think of it. There are really 2 schools of thought when it comes to using the amount of time you have on a holiday. And frankly, it's a dilemma. Will you 1) take on a not hurry sort of holiday; sleeping to the point when you wake up automatically? Or do you 2) set out a specific itinerary, making sure you use the best out of the time during your holiday? Personally, while on holidays, I'd rather not chase the time and be so kaisu to squeeze everything out of a holiday. Ok. Imagine the holiday is an Orange and the time/returns is the juice. Are you going to make sure that bloody orange is left dried like a cardboard while exhausting your energy squeezing it? Or will you prefer to squeeze it at your leisure using the effort you wish to spend? Uh uh, nope I am not saying I want to sleep my time away while on holidays. It's just...oh well, shalln't go on debating on this.
Anyway, whatever the case is, we were up (courtesy of my alarm) and ready for the Shopping Day in the city. It's going to be on by ourselves (Not all by myself lah you Divas) today because QZ (the Li Zong Sheng lookalike. Oh just how many times do I have to repeat that) had to work. Having equipped ourselves with the maps and stuff, we took the tram to the city from the VERY LAST STOP. Yes, the very last stop, so you can imagine howlong the ride took. But, being a noob in the city, I guess I can let it go while I enjoy the winter scenery outside.
Shucks! Breakfast. I almost forgot about breakfast. We always take pictures during breakfast. So before I move on, may I share with you the pictures from the dining table. More to come on later entries. Wonder what's so fascinating about taking pictures with breakfast. Bleahz.
So lets move on from there. The tram is a novelty to me. I mean there are trams in Hongkong and many parts of the world. But Melbourne has, perhaps the most intricate network of trams running all over the city, replacing the conventional buses we have in Singapore. Well, of course there are the pros and cons, but let's just leave it to the transport gurus to argue. For now, for me. It's an experience.
Tram pass vending machine on board
Me going through the routemap
Clean interior cabin
Kester's back (Fat and stumpy. Haha. Due to the layers of clothing la)
After about like an hour's of tram ride.......
Tada. Melbourne city. Luckily it greeted us with bright clear sky. If not. We would probably have cursed it to death like what we did to Sydney. Hah. Will elaborate more in the later entries.
So the moment we reached the city center, we did what all tourist did. We went to the Federation Square's visitor's Centre. More or less to act like tourist. Ha.
Infamous Federation Sq and Visitor's Centre
Next on, we went on to something which we've always wanted (By saying we, I normally mean me.haha); to get takeaway Starbucks and saunter down a crowded shopping lane. Acting like a true blue cosmopolitan-er. I did that once along Orchard road and I think I was mad. By the time I reached the next traffic junction I just want to dump the whole bloody thing away. I mean, its madness to be slurping hot latte on a hot, humid, crowded street. You dumb fool. Anyway, finally, I did it right. It's really what we did anyway, a cup of warm (Yes, something weird again. Back in Singapore, the latte just seem scorching, but in Melbourne, it's just warm) latte and walking idly down the street. Shiok!
Me looking fat from munching the bagel. Damn.
SY pondering hard why the queue doesn't move. Haha. Silly her.
It's just shopping, shopping and more shopping after this. So not many pictures because shopping aren't exactly very picture interesting. Ok. To say shopping isn't exactly correct either because we were more of walking around and looking at stuff. Everything just seemed so expensive when you X 1.3 to everything. I swear we all had this HUGE invisible calculator right besides us when we go "So expensive "Not cheap" "Singapore cheaper" or simply looking at one another, going "........", speechless. Then again, by simply walking around and not buying many things made me happy enough. I truly enjoyed chilling myself and not having to sweat sauntering the streets. Seriously, i beats Hongkong during summer when things are affordable and yet I hated the experience. Well that is if you call "melting" an experience.
Shopping street in winter
We are really very act act. Knowing shopping alones seemed a wee bit too unclassy. We decided to hit the more cultured track by visting the Parliment house. In view that it's going to add that bit of civilised element into the itinerary. Wrong move. Maybe it isn't exactly wrong. The site visit is fine. Just go in, take some pictures and RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! DO NOT. I repeat, DO NOT join the guided tour. You could if you intend to 1) write a thesis on the political development of Australia or 2) if you intend to run for the next cabinet in Australia. If it's none of the above for you, then stay FAR FAR away from the tour. Like I said before, if you are those who intend to squeeze the hell out of the poor orange during a holiday, then this guided tour will gulp your juice in no time. You get my point.
Anyway idea how long the guide went on and on and on about what your ever need to know to pass the parliamental history of Melbourne? It took so long that SY's stomach started to growl. Not a moan. Not even a shout. It's a wailing growl. Poor gal. She didn't have the bagel like us and so her stomach.....sigh...If there was a decoder, I bet the stomach was saying "Shut the fark up you idiot! Lao niang wants to eat liao!"
CAUTION!STAY AWAY FROM HIM!!!
By the time the blabbering ended (actually it didn't end, we just took off. Fleeing like machiam fugutive), we headed towards Spencer st, which supposedly has the DFO and lotsa good bargains. Finally. BARGIANS!! But good things just don't come easy don't they. We tried to kay kiang, thinking we should utilise the day trip ticket (Orange theory again) and take the train instead of walking. We thought it should save us some time. Wrong move again. We figured like a good 20-30 mins and concluded: Let's just walk. Bloody silly right? Walking is safer. Beats getting lost in the network of stations and never reaching the stop right? Anyway, I think we should compete in Olympics. The walk from one end of the city to another was madness and the pace, gosh....So imgaine the checkered finishing line waiting for us when we reached Spencer St! HURRRAY!!!
First damage done there.....Kester
High class leh
He got this jacket at a steal. Shalln't say the price but it's a steal. He was practically impenetratable (the cold wind, that is. Haha) after he got this and it made him turn from.....
Skinny him
into.....
INCREDILE HULK!!!
Skipped all the gymming that he would ever need. So that was really a steal. Kudos to him.
After which, is nothing. what do you expect. Australia's cities knock off early. These Australians really know how to enjoy their life. So we took a parting shot with the city (for now) and headed back to QZ's (Li Zong Sheng lookalike...haha I know you guys remember. Just irritating you) home.
Till the next update.....