Happy Ibyang Day! :)

Today is Ibyang Day! :)

As a treat to myself, I took the day off from work, stayed home, read a good book and took a long nap. Right now I'm watching Australian Open on TV while I reply to greetings from loved ones. As a bonus, the Husband stayed home with me too (he was supposed to work but changed his mind this morning) and he made coffee for me...twice! 

To everyone who remembered and sent good thoughts my way, THANK YOU! I'm blessed and grateful you are part of my life. 

7th Year: Seven Things We Are Grateful For Today

Seven years ago, we said "Yes!" to a lifetime adventure called Marriage. 

Seven things we are grateful for today:

Our faith in God and the values that we share.

How much we adore each other. That after all these years we have remained in love and still find each other's ways cute and adorable. That we are still cheesy and make an effort to surprise each other. 

That we are the best of friends. There's magic in being the best of friends with your partner. We just have so much fun! Also, there's so much respect that goes into a relationship when you treat each other as friends. 

That we have family and friends that support and love us. Our life together has been blessed by wonderful people around us. 

We are blessed in lots of ways, everyday and always. Married life isn't always rosy but at the end of each day, there will always be something/s to be grateful for.

We share our passion for the things we love: travel, photography, food, books and writing.

Our hopeful dreams and positive outlook for the future. Brought about by a few challenges through the years, time has taught us to be resilient together. As a team, we learn our lessons and move forward together.

-o0o0o-

Seven years...what a great milestone. Thank you dear Husband for seven wonderful years. :)

KAWA Pro Strap For Your Camera

Our photographer friend, John Fick has launched a project on Kickstarter called KAWA Pro Strap and is currently working very hard so that he'll be able to share his product worldwide. If you are into good quality products, please head on to his page and help support his project. Being a professional photographer, John's KAWA Pro Strap was made with an ergonomic design that is durable and stylish. KAWA Pro Leather is made Genuine Leather designed by Professionals. All beautifully crafted by a Master Artisan, built for Comfort, Style and Durability.

KAWA Pro Gear showcases a perfect modern style for the new breed of professional photographers who want to look their best. Leather camera gear that gives you simplicity with functional design.
Its unique features include:

• Comfort - The only genuine camera leather strap that is built for comfort. With Ergonomic Design that conforms and adjusts to any body type for an excellent fit.
• Modern Style - Made for simplicity with fashionable and sleek design.
• Durability - A Camera Leather Strap reinforced with unique materials for durability and lasting quality.

Visit KAWA Pro Strap on Kickstarter and make a pledge not later than 12 Febuary 2014.

Found At The MD Ranking Store: Goodies From Japan

As I was walking along George Street in Sydney, I chanced upon a little store called "MD Ranking" (infront of World Square Building). The place sells numerous products from Japan such as food, cosmetics and toiletries. I was able to snap photos of Royce (they sell only limited stocks), Tokyo Banana (they come in different flavours) and Hello Kitty lollies. They have a lot more brands in the store so check it out if you want to find some goodies from Japan.

I bought us a box of Royce Popcorn Chocolate and a small bag of Calpis Marshmallows to try out.

At $15.00 a box, the Royce Popcorn Chocolate wasn't as delicious as we hoped it to be. The popcorn didn't have that crunchy texture and there was no hint of butter taste (maybe that was their aim). The chocolate coating was still good though.

I think this was my first time to try marshmallows made in Japan, or at least these kind of marshmallows that were super soft, silky and fluffy--it's like eating clouds (not that I've eaten clouds before hehe). Quite different from the runny-textured marshmallows that I'm used to (which I love). The Calpis Marshmallows had a citrus filling (we think it's Orange) that adds a little zing to the sweet taste of the marshmallows. I liked these marmallows and wouldn't mind snacking on them once in a while. 

It's great that there are more Asian shops opening up in Sydney and ones that have specialties like MD Ranking. It's a great chance for all of us to try what other countries have to offer without have to travel far.

The Rubber Duck Is Back For The Sydney Festival 2014

The giant and oh-so-adorable Rubber Duck is back in Australia for the Sydney Festival 2014. It's currently situated at Parramatta River in Parramatta Park between Pavilion Flat and Government Farm. It will be there until 10th-19th January. Click this link for details.

Created by Netherlands artist, Florentine Hofman, the giant rubber duck's purpose is to relieve everyday tensions, as well as define them. The rubber duck is there to create a new perspective in a public place and simply amaze people.

We saw the Rubber Duck last year and yet it still charmed us when we saw it today. We knew it will be back in Australia but didn't know where. I thought it will visit a different city this year. The Hubby and I braved the heat of the Sun and went out even if we planned to stay home. It turned out to be a fun adventure.

I'm so happy to see Duckie (I made him a nickname). January's my birthmonth and I thought this morning, "He's here for my birthday!" Haha. Of course that's not true but nevertheless, it's an amusing thought.  

If you have a chance, see the Rubber Duck and be charmed by it!

Food Find: Matcha-Flavoured Kit Kat Chocolates

I've read about matcha-flavoured Kit Kat chocolates from Filipino bloggers before and it was something that I hoped I'll get to taste. The idea of green tea chocolate interests me because I love drinking green tea. 

I'm aware that there are stores in Manila that sells these matcha-flavoured Kit Kats but I never pursued to encounter them during my vacations there. I figured that maybe one day, it will come to me unexpectedly.

And it did happen in an unexpected time. While my Mom and I were hanging out at Market City in Chinatown last November, we chanced upon a little candy shop called Sweet Spells. It caught my eye because I saw chocolates from America. Plus, it was such an attractive store that we can't resist going in. 

It's a small store and yet it was filled to the brim. It had chocolates and lollies from countries such the US, UK and Japan.

As we were looked for anything we might like, I was lucky to spot the matcha-flavour Kit Kats. The store was so colourful and the counters look quite cluttered so if I didn't look closely, I would've missed it. I saw that there were two kinds of matchas available: the Uji Matcha (Green Tea) and the Sakura Matcha (Green Tea with Cherry Blossoms). I got myself a box each so we can try them both. A warning though, these didn't came cheap. Each box, which contains three small packs of Kit Kat, were priced at AUD$9.99. 

Fun part located at the back of the box: a place where you can write a note. If you are giving this as a gift, you can write your greeting at the back. I wrote a note for the Husband on the Uji Matcha on while he wrote a note for me on the Sakura Matcha.

We kept these chocolates for awhile and waited until the new year. Yesterday, we had them for dessert while sipping tea. 

The Uji Matcha (Green Tea) has a very strong matcha flavour. It had the bitterness of green tea with a hint of sweetness. The Sakura Matcha (Green Tea with Cherry Blossoms) was very milky and creamy. It was sweeter and only had a faint flavour of green tea.

Between the two flavours, I liked the Sakura Matcha better than the Uji Matcha. The next time I chance upon these matcha-flavoured Kit Kats, I will surely buy a box of the Sakura Matcha again.

Sweet Spells

R1.20A, Market City

9-13 Hay Street, Sydney

Phone: (02) 9281 1919

Ramen Burgers, The Hightlight Of Our Night Noodle Markets Adventure

I have a thousand food and travel experiences in 2013 that I'd like to share and this month, I plan to do just that. So here's what I planned to do. I will publish these 2013 experiences in real time but in a few days, I will archive the posts in its correct month. If you'd like to find a certain topic, you can always type in what you're looking for via the search engine on the top left of this blog. 

October is Good Food Month in Sydney and one of the foodie events we always visit is the Night Noodle Markets. The Husband and I saw this as an opportunity for my Mom to also experience this event. 

The highlight of our Night Noodle Markets experience is trying out the Ramen Burger. I've read about this kind of burger which came out in America (a link was sent to me by a tweetheart) and has piqued the interest of us here in Australia. A Ramen Burger is basically a burger with noodles as the bun.

I found the queue to getting the Ramen Burger at On Ramen. The line was long. And the wait longer. At one time, all of us waited in silence as the staff announced that they're not taking orders because of too much demand but we can still wait in line. So we waited. My expectations were low but since I was there and I had time to spare, I stayed in line. 

I ordered two kinds of Ramen Burger: Pork Belly Burger and Beef Burger. Both came with salad and a few slices of watermelon. Beef and pork belly were good! It was juicy and flavourful. The pork belly has a bit of spice so I immensely enjoyed it. The noodles as bun was messy and a bit oily, which was not a surprise. The Husband, my Mom and I shared these two burgers.

The beauty of food festivals is getting to try other dishes from different vendors. We usually get dimsums and spring rolls.

And then we bought Ippudo's Pork Belly Pork Buns so my Mom can try it. These pork buns are love. A must try when you encounter Ippudo.

The lanterns they set up on the entrance to Night Noodle Markets served as an attraction to everyone. Lots of people taking photos of and with the lanterns. 

The Night Noodle Markets 2013 turned out to to be one of our memorable ones because we got to share it with my Mom. 

Pure Aloe Soothing Gel BY Deoproce, Perfect For Summer Weather

Summer is here in Sydney and we've had very hot days since December, a few days of heatwave here and there. The heat in Australia is very dry while the sun rays hurt the skin even if exposure is just for a few minutes. Skin hydration and sunburn are two important concerns during these times. 

When it comes to skin care, I'm fond of oil and creams but for the Summer season, I looked for a skin hydrating product that is less sticky but will soothe, hydrate and feel cool to the skin. I'm glad that a visit to a Korean beauty store in Strathfield led me to finding Deoproce's Pure Aloe Soothing Gel. It came in a 700gram and 300ml bottles. 

The amount of soothing gel that I bought seemed a lot but the Husband and I are sharing. This is what we currently put on at night before we go to bed. We apply an ample amount unto our arms, legs and feet. It makes us feel cooler and it does help soothe, instantly moisturise and hydrate the skin after a long day of hot weather. Our skin feels smoother without the sticky feeling that creams give. The staff that sold us this item recommended that we store this inside the fridge so it'll be cooler during application.

Deoproce's Pure Aloe Soothing Gel is made up of 92% organic aloe.  It has a mild formulation as it has no parabens, mineral oils, formaldehyde, benzophenone, synthetic colourants and animal ingredients. I found this at A'HA Beauty Store (1 The Boulevard, Strathfield).

2014, Of Hellos and Wishes

Our wish for 2014 is for all of us to have an abundant home filled with love and laughter. We wish numerous days of fun adventure, learning experiences, dreams coming true and smiles in our heart. We hope 2014 will be a year where we can shine brighter and be more hopeful. May it be a year of possibilities and accomplishments. :)

It's always in the New Year that I make an extra effort in coming up with food on the table. This year we had Baked Ham topped with caramelised apple, Pancit Bihon, Panettone Cake and Fruit Salad. It was surrounded by 13 different fruits. 

To make it more festive, we brought out a bottle of Scarlett Bubbles, a marriage of rose and raspberry juice made by Tamburlaine Organic Wines. 

At 11:30pm, we lighted the Prosperity Candles that my mom sent us. Each candle symbolises various aspects of life:
Red for Life
Blue for Peace
Yellow for Good Spirit
Green for Money
Pink for Health
White for Brightness
Violet for Material Wealth

The candle that melts the quickets symbolises the good fortune that the New Year will bring followed by the rest. In our case, the smallest candle was Pink, then came Yellow, Blue, Violet, Red, White and Green.

At midnight, we watched the Sydney fireworks show on TV and then said a prayer before blowing out the Prosperity Candles. 

It was a low-key NY celebration but the start of every year is always meaningful to us. 

Enjoy and be merry in 2014! 

Sydney Welcomes 2014!

Happy 2014!

This year's Sydney New Year Fireworks was the best yet. I love this year's show because they had fireworks at the Sydney Opera House. They have also improved the way they do the waterfall fireworks on the Harbour Bridge (it's not as smoky as before). Another attraction were jet skis on the water that added "Wow!" to the ensemble. The 6.8 Million fireworks show drove 2 million people to different vantage points in the city and it was a party that didn't disappoint. Below are photos and the full video for you to enjoy (photos from http://www.sydneynewyearseve.com/ and Reuters, while the video is from the Telstra website).

(video source)

Message from Reg Mombassa (Creative Ambassador) on why he chose SHINE as his theme and the human eye as a symbol in this year's fireworks show:

The eye struck me as a suitable logo for the Shine theme as the individual soul and personality of the human shines through the eye like some organic laser beam.  It also relates to the harbour setting as the eye is a watery harbour nestled in the superstructure of the face, a blue or brown eye pond surrounded by ridgelines, gullies and promontories of flesh and bone. The eye image is continued through the banners and backdrops for the various parties along with a forest of gum trunks, native animals and depictions of iconic Sydney buildings.