Because We're Tuesday People

I guess most people has read Mitch Albom's book, momentarily ingested his message about living and dying, and soon after pushed it all into the attic of their minds. Well there's now ten short youtube clips that tells the story. Well if there is one thing I took away from it, it is, in Morrie's own words,"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into our life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." It's Tuesday, start living.

Oz Trip Day 5 – City Explorers

This was the day we finally ventured onto the streets of Sydney. With a trusty map and comfortable walking shoes, my family and I took to the streets. We started off from Wynyard Train Station …

Outside the Townhall. They just had a ceremony to mark the torch run of the Shanghai Special Olympics, that explains the green flags that we were waving.

Queen Victoria Building. Not a place for us to shop ...

Darling Harbour, filled with sea gulls and school children on day trips.

Grilled seafood on sale at Sydney's Fish Market

The fisherman wharf next to the Fish market. A good day to be outside.

A friendly motorcyclist posing on Harris Street

The busy Chinatown. A good place to buy cheap souvenirs and chinese food (where else?)

The Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park

Hype Park and the many parks around Sydney are splendid places to spend your time chilling out or just reading a book.

St.Mary's Cathedral. The interior is just as imposing ...

After a tiring day of walking, we had a quick dinner as the shops were closing and headed home. The next day promised more time in the city and beyond.

Oz Trip Day 3 & 4 – Yum Cha and Little Vietnam

It was a lazy Sunday, we slept in after a late night in the city. We were picked up from the hotel before noon. Lunch was at Chatswood, at a Dim Sum restaurant. I must say that the Hong Kong chefs in Sydney are certainly keeping up the level of Chinese Food there.

After a full stomach, my uncle took us for a ride up north to the beaches. It was a winding journey through small towns and forests, passing rivers and sandy beaches. We made a short stop at one of these beaches. It was chilly as the wind blew in from the sea. There were quite a number of people living in this part of Sydney, with their homes on the hill side, some with magnificent views of the sea. I wonder what is it like to have a home like this.

Northern Beaches. No surfer today!

When we headed back it was almost dark. We had dinner at another Asian joint, The Istana, that served Malaysian food. Looks like we are not missing Chinese food at all.

The next day, we headed north again, but this time to Cabramatta, the Vietnamese town. The town was about 2 hours away from Wahroonga. This was a place that would make any Vietnamese feel at home. We took a leisurely walk through the town. Like any Asian street, there were butchers, food stalls, pharmacies, and the odd body-piercing shop. We settled our lunch at , no surprises, a Vietnamese restaurant. Sadly the Pho here wasn’t up to the homeland standards, but the popular Criskin Chicken was selling well.

Streets of Cabramatta, Criskin Chicken and even a Singapore Plaza!

That night, we had another family dinner (Chinese!), at Carlingford Court. We had to take two separate tables, with the younger ones on one and the old folks on the other. It was a good time to catch up with my cousins as we did not have much time to talk during the wedding. Soon the night came to an end. But before we headed back to our inn, my Uncle took us for a drive through the city. I couldn’t wait for the next day, as finally it was time to take to the streets of Sydney after two days of exploring the outskirts.

After Dinner at Carlingford Court

Oz Trip Second Day – An Aussie Wedding

It was Saturday, the sun was out of bed and at its dazzling shinning best by 7am. We slowly pulled ourselves out of our warm beds. We had to dress up for the wedding.

Eugene came to pick us up soon after 9. the Church wedding was to be held at St.Joseph’s College, in Hunter’s Hill Sydney. St.Joseph’s is a Catholic School for boys and only old boys had the privilege of holding their weddings there. The church itself needed no decoration as its architecture and stained glass windows were a sight to behold. Not long after, the ceremony started and Su walked down the aisle with her dad (Un Daniel). The service was brief and sweet, and soon we were out in the sunshine taking photos.

The Wedding Lunch was to follow and it was held at the Sydney Opera House. They had a marquee tent just outside the famous landmark, that had a fabulous view of the harbour bridge. Inside the tent, we found our seats which were easily identified by name tags. It was to be a long lunch, spanning the whole afternoon. We were served three delectable main courses, and were entertained by speeches from both fathers and the best man, serenaded by the Robinson Brothers who do Bee Gees quite well and laughed at the jokes from the MCs (brothers of the bride and groom). It was sunset at the harbour when the event ended.

The day did not end there. The younger crowd adjourned to the Argyle, a hip looking bar at the Rocks, while my parents and uncle settled for coffee somewhere else. Eugene gave us a lift back to our inn sometime after midnight, but not before we got a glimpse of Su’s bridal suite at the Shangri-la.

Oz Trip First Day – Touch Down

It’s about time I wrote about my trip to Sydney while it is still freshly imprinted in my mind. Here I go …

We set off to the land formerly known as terra incognita on 14 Sep soon after midnight. In between getting some shut eye and watching Hot Fuzz on the plane, there was really nothing much to do on the 8 hour journey. On arrival, there was a queue at the customs as the officers were pretty strict on the checking. Vicky and I got passed it without checking as we managed to convince them that soil from Singapore was from the city not kampungs. While waiting for the rest of my family to clear customs, we decided to try the Krispy Kreme at the airport. Conclusion - it was a tad too sweet for our liking. Outside, the skies were a little cloudy for Sydney standards and the temperature was nice and cool.

Soon after, my uncle whisked us off to his place in Wahroonga in a rented 7-seater. The journey took about an hour as we made a pit stop at McMahon’s Point to savour in the view of the harbour. Uncle Daniel’s place was a townhouse in the suburbs of Wahroonga, a compact double storey house with a small backyard. It was just the right size for him and Aunty Lilian as my cousin’s Eugene and Su have all grown up and flew the coop. We had lunch there before going over to the inn to check in. Vicky, Louie and I would be staying in the inn for the next 6 days.

That night, we went over to Mandarin Centre in Chatswood for a very Asian dinner. It was a typical food court set-up with stalls selling Asian fare. We settled on pork chop rice, black pepper beef rice and chicken rice which to our surprise tasted much better than the hawker food in Singapore. On the other hand, hawker food in Singapore is nothing to boast about either.

We called it a night soon after dinner as it would be a long day ahead. This was our first day in Sydney and we were looking forward to see more in the next one week.