While we were away on vacation, Nespresso came out with their Limited Edition 2013 Grand Crus. It was fortunate that I was still able to get a box of each flavour (they came out with two) on the last week that it was available in Sydney.
This year's Limited Edition Grand Crus were inspired by Italy's coffee culture with focus on its two coffee-centric cities, Trieste and Napoli. Having a cup of these limited editions is like being transported to the streets of Italy.
In general, I enjoy Italian coffee because of its strength, that's why I'm glad that Nespresso came out with Italian-inspired grand crus.
Trieste. Has an intensity level of 9. A blend of Arabica beans from South America and East Africa. It's rich aroma comprises of a fragrant chocolate and hazelnut notes. Has a silky body and refreshingly fruity touch.
Napoli. Strong and intense flavours from a blend of Arabica from South America, Africa and Asia and Robusta that gives a hint of smoky notes. It has a woody aroma and nuances of dry black tea leaf. This is slightly bitter as the beans were roasted longer.
Between the two, I enjoyed Napoli better than Trieste due to its strong flavour. It may have tasted a bit more bitter than Trieste but I didn't mind it. I only have a few Napoli Grand Crus so I'm savouring it best as I can.
It was a musical like no other. Jesus Christ Superstar has been shown in cities all over the world, told in different interpretations. We are privileged to have experienced this spectacular musical produced in a big stage like Sydney Entertainment Centre. Well, the production wouldn't be called "the arena tour" for nothing. They showed in Sydney for only three days and each show, all tickets were sold out.
Playbill, tickets and a fridge magnet to add to our collection
The Husband took the lead in getting us tickets as he was more enthusiastic in seeing JCS. While I've seen JCS way back in college, a production by Repertory Philippines, the promise of a rock musical in an arena piqued my interest too.
The crowd before the show. Full house!
Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot. He brought the house down with his commanding presence and powerful voice. He's the star of this show.
Ben Forster as Jesus Christ. Amazing and talented. He lit up the stage with his astounding voice.
Melanie C as Mary Magdalene. It was a dream come true to finally watch a Spice Girl live and I'm so grateful it had to be Melanie C. She was a revelation! Her voice was fantastic, substantially powerful and yet soothing when needed.
Andrew O'Keefe as King Herod. I've only known him as an Australian TV Host so it was my first time to see him sing and dance. He was extremely good! As in, wow! He brought King Herod's character into a different dimension. His part was only one song but he did it so remarkably well.
This production showed a modern day JCS. They adapted the concept of Occupy London; social media came into play such as status updates in facebook and twitter; coverages from CCTV cameras; uploading videos on youtube; even one of the pharisees used a Macbook in one scene! I appreciated how they made JCS as current as possible.
In a nutshell: If you ever come across this production and it promises a musical and rock concert in one, go and see it! It's worth your money and time.
I’ve been LSS-ing on this song since I’ve seen SMASH’s Season 2 finale. There’s something inspiring and hopeful about the message of "Broadway, Here I Come!" that I can’t help but feel positively excited whenever I hear it play or hum it by my lonesome. It's a good song for when you feel you need a little courage from within or simply when you want something to perk you up in the mornings.
Can I just say that I love the 2nd season of SMASH? It’s so much better than the first one. This last season, they’ve eliminated the subplots that didn’t matter and instead focused mostly on theatre and production.
Anyway, here's the lyrics if you want to sing along with the video above (I've also highlighted my favourite words on the song):
"Broadway, Here I Come!"
I'm high above the city
I'm standing on the ledge
The view from here is pretty
And I'm step off the edge
And now I'm fallin', baby
Through the sky, through the sky
And I'm fallin', baby through the sky
It's my callin', baby
Don't you cry, don't you cry
And I'm fallin' down through the sky
Toward the street that I'm from
Oh, Broadway, here I come
Mmmm
The pressure it increases
The closer that I get
I could almost go to pieces
But I'm not quite there yet
See, I've been bravin' crazy weather
Drownin' out my cries
I pull myself together
I'm focused on the prize
And now I'm fallin', baby
Through the sky, through the sky
I'm fallin', baby through the sky
It's my callin', baby
Don't you cry, don't you dry
'Cause I'm fallin' down through the sky
And it's a tune you can hum
Oh, Broadway here I come
Broadway, here I come
Will I remain the same
Or will I change a little bit?
Will I feel broken or totally complete?
Will I retain my name when I'm the biggest, hugest hit?
This is the last instalment of my Vivid Sydney 2013 posts. If you missed the first two parts, please check this and this.
I just want to share a few of our favourite photos from the three nights we went out exploring. Most of these are just shots of the Harbour Bridge and the images on Sydney Opera House.
Under the Harbour Bridge, with the city of Sydney Opera House (left side) and the city of Sydney (right side). I love all the elements in this photograph. Technically, this photo took a lot of tries. Night photography is not easy and to put people into the frame is more challenging (I had to not move for a loooong time). And then we added that "halo heart" around me which made it very tricky. Nevertheless, we are very happy with the result, we did it! Big thanks to our photographer friend Larry, who created this concept.
Surrounded by the glowing lights of Sydney. Here's the Husband who lights up my world with a thousand bright colours {cheesy!! pardon me but that's really what I wrote in my instagram :)}. It's seldom that the Husband and I have a decent photo and this one below is a rare moment when a photographer friend makes a superb job of photographing us.
The iconic Harbour Bridge captured in different lights with a backdrop of the city. It was the first time they lit this up for the Vivid Sydney. Two years ago, we were in one of the pillars of this bridge taking photos of Vivid Sydney (VS) from above. This year, we had to go near it...and under it because it's one of the main attractions of VS.
The Sydney Opera House showed the best spectacular images to-date. The biggest attraction during Vivid Sydney is the Opera House. We always have high expectations when it comes to the lighting of its sails simply because it is Australia's most famous icon. And this year, the Opera House' light show exceeded our expectations. It was the most attractive light show of the Opera House and we loved its concept "Play".
"Play" showed images that reminded us of the 80s such as the cassette tape.
In line with concept of play, an image pertaining to a Pinball Machine was shown.
An image of Luna Park, Australia's amusement park.
Artworks and movements projected on the Opera House.
I believe this year's Vivid Sydney was the most successful we've had. On the last weekend of Vivid Sydney, we learned that hundreds of people went to the city to see it. The thick crowd was likened to the New Year's Eve Sydney celebrations. Nowadays, it's not just Sydneysiders that come to see it but also travellers from all over the world. It's amazing that this city is slowly becoming known for Vivid Sydney.
Vivid Sydney had a dramatic end on 10th June when on the last few hours, a blanket of fog covered the city. The fog seem to have brought an ambiance of sadness but to me, it was the perfect dreamy way of taking a bow and bidding us adieu.
