Tintin in Sydney

We met via Multiply then moved on to being tweetmates. A few months ago, she messaged me that she will be visiting Sydney. So even before she arrived, we've made plans to meet and eat (yes, eat!) and explore the streets of Sydney together.

She's Tintin, my blogger friend and tweetheart! :)

 

It was a rainy Friday two days ago but we pushed thru with our plans and met up. She came with her little boy Tom and her mom (whom she's visiting here) and we all had a rainy rendezvous--some crazy adventure really.

Since we cannot do a lot of sightseeing, never even had some outdoor shots, we stayed indoors and stuffed ourselves with yummy treats instead.

First stop was at the Sydney Fish Market for some good 'ol seafood. We rode the Metro Light Rail (MRL) so Tintin and Tom can experience their first MLR ride.

We had lunch at Deep Seafood and Oyster Bar. As we enjoyed our food, we immersed ourselves in great conversation as we talk of life in the Phils and in Sydney.

 

For dessert, we took the MLR again and hung out at Darling Harbour for some delicious treats at Lindt Cafe. The whole afternoon, we enjoyed Lindt's Delice, Profiteroles (a.k.a Cream Puffs) and Chocolate Cafe with Lindt's equally yummy beverages. 

 

Even if it rained on us all afternoon, the great happy company and conversations we had was enough to feel a lot of sunshine inside my heart. Being able to see Tintin (and Tom and Tintin's mom) in person was a heartwarming experience. We hope we'd have a few more dates before she goes back to Manila.

New Passport

I can't believe I didn't have a valid passport for the past 14 months. I totally forgot all about it. Good thing, there weren't any emergency reason for me to travel out of the country.

This year, I really had to apply for my first Australian Passport because I'm sponsoring my Mom's visit to Sydney soon (yes, she's coming over and I'm getting more and more excited!) and we needed it for my Husband's application for permanent residence visa.

The application was quite tedious. There were documents that needed to be prepared and signed by a Justice of Peace. Sometimes I really hate applying for stuff here simply because they're tedious. But then, we all know that it's only because they just want all documents authentic. A matter of security, really. The only consolation after the passport is processed, it is good for 10 years (adult passports). In a way, it's worth all the trouble in going thru the application.

The memorable and irritating thing about my passport application was that the Post Office Manager that interviewed me was really very rude and mean. I was on time for the interview, greeted him hello and he only frowned back. He really scared me. He made me feel like I was a criminal even if I was paying them for their service. He was so unpleasant and he appeared angry as if I've done something wrong. After checking all my documents, he said it was good to go. The same day, he called me in the afternoon (at nearly 5pm which was closing time) only to tell me to come back and he forgot to photocopy one of the documents I brought. The nerve! I took the day-off just to attend the interview and now he calls to say that I needed to go back due to his inefficiency. I was really pissed off at him but I just let it go. 

With all the hassles the application has brought me, I'm grateful that it took the Passport Office less than 10 working days to send my passport to me. That's my only consolation. And now that I have a passport again, I won't have to worry about passport applications again for the next 10 years.

The Australian Passport comes in a neat plastic packet. When you open it, the left side contains the passport, while the right side contains a Travel Smart (Hints for Australian Travellers) booklet. It's a booklet especially produced by The Lonely Planet for Australian Government.

 

The Australian Passport is expensive but once I saw and felt the quality of paper they used, I found out that it's very good quality, definitely worth the money I paid for.

The Travel Smart booklet contains information that an Australian should know on traveling such as travel tips, insurance, entry permits, visas, travel money, packing tips, what one can bring in and out of Australia and most especially where Australians can get help when they're overseas. Really very helpful and handy. 

Now I wonder when I'll be able to use it. Hmmm....

Recipe: Pork Sisig

My Husband and I sometimes miss the night life in Manila.  We met at work but it was at a bar that we were officially introduced and later on became part of one barkada (group of friends).  One of the things we enjoyed then were our Friday night gimiks with our barkada (night out with friends).  Hanging out at a bar would almost always mean ordering Sisig to go along with a bottle of beer.

Sizzling Sisig is a Filipino dish made from parts of pig’s head and liver, seasoned with calamansi and chili.  If not eaten as an accompaniment to alcoholic drinks, this goes well with steaming rice.

Since my Husband and I miss having yummy Sisig every now and then, but haven’t found a place that serves it as delicious as the ones from the Philippines, I thought of making my own Sisig.

The easiest way to make Sisig is buying a pig’s head, chop the skin and ears into bits, then fry it with onion, garlic, chili, etc. (No more boiling, grilling or marinating).  In the suburb where we live, we have access to a shop where we can buy pig’s heads.  The catch is, your Sisig can be very oily (from too much fats) and not-so-healthy.  So scratch that.  Instead, I made a not-so-fatty Sisig at home.

Making my own sisig, as I discovered, was tedious.  It comes in four phases: boiling, grilling, marinating and frying.  

Here are the ingredients and what you need to do in every phase:

Boiling Phase
1/2 kilo Pork Neck
1/2 kilo Pork Shoulder/Rashers/Belly
1/4 kilo Minced Pork
1/4 kilo Liver (pork/chicken)
2 cups Water
1 cup Pineapple Juice
4 pcs Star Anise
1 tsp whole black peppers

Combine all ingredients mentioned above in a pot and bring to boil.  Simmer for about an hour or until tender.  Drain and leave until cool.


Grilling Phase:

Slice pork and liver in smaller pieces.  Place in baking pan and put inside the oven.  Grill for 30 minutes or until pork in golden brown and crispy.  Let it cool for awhile and then chop into small bits.

(The traditional way of doing this part of cooking sisig is placing pork in skewers and grilling over charcoal briquettes.  Since I'm doing it my way and to save myself time from putting pork into skewers and using another equipment, I grilled the pork via my oven instead.)

Marinating Phase:
Marinade Seasoning Mix
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 chili (either red or green), chopped
1 tbsp ginger, sliced into small pieces
2 pcs Bay leaf
1/4 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Calamansi juice (or lemon juice)
1/4 cup Pineapple juice
Salt and Pepper to taste 
Mix chopped meat and Marinade Seasoning Mix in a bowl.  Keep marinated mixture in the fridge for 2-3 hours. 


Frying Phase:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Egg (or you can add more, depends on how many you want)

In a frying pan, fry the marinated pork in a tablespoon of olive oil (or your choice of oil).  Stir every once in a while until pork is golden brown and crispy.  Make a hole in the centre and crack an egg. 

I have a special frying pan for my Sizzling Sisig and it's what I also use to serve this dish.  It's actually a square frying pan for steaks and it's thick, so it keeps the Sisig warm while we have dinner. 

(In restaurants, Sizzling Sisig is served using a hot plate.)

Voila!  My own version of Sisig!  Less fats from pork, less oil, more meat. 

The first time I cooked this, I made sure we had beer at home.  We had this for dinner and my Husband loved it!!!  It may be tedious but seeing my Husband's face lit up the moment I served this was very much worth all the effort.  He even asked me to cook it again the week after.

Bon Appetit!

Food Trip Friday

Musical: CATS (Sydney, May 2010)

Everytime I think about "Cats" The Musical, I'd automatically hear the song in my head:

Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

- from the song "Memory" as sung by the character Grizabella (the glamour cat) -

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Inspired by the poems from "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Elliot, Andrew Lloyd Webber created the melody of "Cats" in late 1977. Together with director Trevor Nunn, choreographer Gillian Lynne and designer John Napier, they first opened in London in 1981. It holds the record of one of the longest running musicals in West End history.

 
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The plot is very simple and yet at first it was hard to figure out what was really happening. If you're looking for substance in the story, there really isn't much.

 
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It is about a tribe of cats called "Jellicle Cats" when once a year they get together for a Jellicle Ball. During the Jellicle Ball, their leader, Old Deuteronomy, would make a Jellicle Choice and decide which cat will be reborn into a new Jellicle life.

 
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Other than the thin plot, it was all about each cat telling the story of their lives as told thru their songs and dances.

It was a brilliant and creative production, not like any production I've ever seen. This musical is a feast for those who like dance A LOT. Each sequence is like one big production number. The cast were great! I loved how feline their movements were and how graceful they were when they walk and dance.

A little word of caution though, some "dance numbers" took more than it should be that it was dragging already. My Husband and I almost dozed off at one point.

The songs were a bit of a disappointment. *sigh* Yes, I had to *sigh* because it was a musical in the first place but only two or three songs were really good enough for me. Although I had to commend Delia Hannah (Grizabella) for her rendition of "Memory". For me, she delivered well.

 
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Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and it was entertaining enough. I still believe it was worth seeing it even once to know what kind of production it is. It may have it's not-so-good parts but I believe it is a great production. Seeing the cats in their colorful hair, make-up and costumes (I wonder how long it takes them to put on and get rid off) were a delight to the eyes. Set and light design are two things that won't disappoint too.

We had a triple couple date when we watched last Saturday (29 May 2010) and we had a great time. Chris brought our camera and it was fortunate that we got great seats up front so we were able to take really good shots of the cast.

Cats The Musical in Sydney till 13 June 2010 at the Lyric Theatre, Star City.




All photos by Chris & Ibyang Sanchez, copyright 2010.
Canon 7D, 17-85mm IS USM Lens.