The Tea Cosy

I have been busy meeting up with friends over the past week before I leave for my two month trip overseas. My two closest university friends and I met up at The Tea Cosy for some afternoon tea.





I ordered the Devonshire Tea which consisted of two scones, jam and a drink of my choice. The scones vary daily and on the occasion that I visited, there was the choice of: plain, currant, apple crumble or cheese and thyme. I picked apple crumble and cheese and thyme with paw paw, lime & passion fruit jam and Turkish Apple tea.







A few months ago, Owl Girl mentioned that there were two ways to eat a scone which I had never realised before. Devonshire method is where the cream is placed on the scone first followed by the jam. The Cornwall method is jam first, followed by the cream. I used to eat it the Devonshire way however I tried the Cornwall way and I think I actually prefer the latter!


Devonshire. Excuse the chipped nail.


Cornwall.
How do you eat your scones?

Spring

I used to say that my favourite season was autumn, however I think it is a tie between autumn and spring. Autumn makes me feel very nostalgic (moreso than any other season) however I am also in love with spring. Flowers are blooming and the heat and humidity associated with summer hasn't arrived yet. However, there are times where my hayfever kicks in or my asthma is triggered due to bushfires/ backburning.

One of my favourite things to do is walk around my/ a neighbourhood whilst listening to my American country music playlist. The photos below are from plants I stumbled across on my walk to my sister's house. I am also in love with lantanas and morning glories, however they are both invasive weeds but they are just so pretty!










The one thing I have learnt from packing thus far: compression sacks are awesome.

The Burger Shed

Last Friday I went to The Burger Shed in Mosman with my sister and my super super adorable little niece! The burgers were pretty good however I ate it hastily because I had to switch baby-holding duties with my sister (which I didn't mind at all).

I leave for my Grad trip in just over a week which is crazy and I am trying to cram in as many catch ups with friends and my niece before I leave. I have already packed (well planned) what I am bringing and have been slowly culling my items so that I don't overpack. Everyone tells me how lucky I am, and I guess I am, but at the same time I'm not super excited which is weird.

A Farewell at Sea Bar

When I worked at my first job, I met this quiet, but lovely Filipino couple who come to Australia to earn some money and have a comfortable life when they returned to the Philippines. At the time, they had left their 4 year old daughter with family. I was 17 at the time and it was when I first really understood the sacrifices that people make to better the lives of their loved ones. They were originally meant to stay for 2 years however after 5 years, they are now returning home.

Originally, cultural differences created a slight rift between us, however we also worked 6-7 hour shifts together in a small space which meant that we eventually bonded. I have so many wonderful and hilarious memories with them, including the time that they sneakily roasted a chicken in the industrial oven for their dinner (I'm sure that the owner would have been very, very unhappy). The wife actually helped me to get my current job where she and her husband also worked at.

For our farewell, we had lunch at Sea Bar (next to Seachange).




My Cajun spiced chicken salad


Lamb cutlets with kumara mash.


Fish and Chips

Like Seachange, there was attentive service and the food was really good. I actually didn't even finish my salad which is a rarity. I was very impressed that there were two pieces of chicken (I was expecting slivers of chicken) and chunks of avocado. I may have also eaten a third of my friend's chips since they were so crispy!

I was originally a little apprehensive of meeting since we hadn't talked properly for nearly 4 years now; we would say hi and bye when we saw each other at work. But conversation flowed really easily and I just remembered why I loved talking to them before. They are so down to earth and genuine people which I find a rarity unfortunately. We just talked about children, partners and just about how to live a fulfilling life. I'm a little sad to see them go because it is change (and I'm not the fondest of that). But maybe I will see them again one day when I visit the Philippines. Whenever that is.


A very cool looking tree due to the winds. I am sure a quote about adapting to change and obstacles would be fitting here. Sadly, I can think of none.

Seachange

The cooler weather in Sydney has been much appreciated, although it seems to be heating up again by the end of this week. A. and I went to Seachange for brunch the other day at Dee Why Beach. We had never been there before but was attracted to the place due to the popularity by the locals.




  Portuguese Chicken on turkish pide

'The Local'
Although it was somewhat expensive, the food was quite good and portions were generous. They actually served me the wrong burger (I wanted the chicken and bacon one) but I wasn't fussed and still enjoyed it. There is something absolutely awesome about Turkish bread and I could eat it all day long (but I really shouldn't). The barista also made lovely coffee art - an elephant- for the next table which was very cute too.  Sometimes I forget how beautiful it is in Sydney, especially the beaches.

The Final Stretch

It is currently stuvac (study vacation) and I am preparing for my two finals. By Wednesday evening, I will have finished all my exams. Reading provisions like this makes my head spin:

(c) a reference to competition, in relation to conduct to which subsection (8) or (9) applies, shall be read as a reference to competition in any market in which the corporation engaging in the conduct or any other corporation the business dealings of which are restricted, limited or otherwise circumscribed by the conduct, or any body corporate related to either of those corporations, supplies or acquires, or is likely to supply or acquire, goods or services or would, but for the conduct, supply or acquire, or be likely to supply or acquire, goods or services.

The past few weeks (maybe a month now) have been somewhat tough. I've been dealing with insomnia and fatigue which has resulted in a lot of tv watching. A lot. To the point where it is kind of embarrassing. This is Natalie logic; 'well I am interested in Law and Order: SVU, oh look there is a crossover with Chicago P.D, I better go and watch that. Oh wait, there is going to be a three way crossover between SVU, Chicago P.D and Chicago Fire, I now have to watch both these shows so the crossover makes sense'. And that is precisely what I did.

Both of the shows are filmed in Chicago and there are a lot of exterior scenes. It really just makes me miss Chicago as it is one of my favourite cities that I have visited thus far. I loved: the architecture of the buildings, the Chicago River, The Loop, Millennium Park and Lake Michigan, which was so large that it seemed more like the ocean than a lake. I really wish that I had spent more time in Chicago, more time to explore the suburbs too.

Sculpture by the Sea 2014

It is crazy that Sculpture by the Sea is upon us once again. Unintentionally, I've visited every second year since 2008. To be quite frank, I'm not an 'arty' kind of person; generally, museums and galleries tend to bore me after the first 30 minutes (unless its tactile). But the walk from Bondi to Tamarama Beach is quite pretty and I only head down to that area for Sculpture by the Sea since it's too far from where I live.




The 'faces' of these freaked me out.










A woman doing yoga on the rock platform.






The best 'exhibit'! He was so adorable.

We had originally planned on catching the bus from Tamarama Beach to Bondi Junction to save having to walk back. However being the impatient people that we are, A. and I walked back to Bondi to catch the bus from there.


Jacaranda trees are in bloom again and they are just gorgeous!

Night Noodle Markets

Despite some hesitation, I did end up visiting the Night Noodle Market at Hyde Park.The pretty lights convinced me that I needed to visit although naturally, we ended up going when it was still light outside and therefore the lights were not turned on. Of course.




A. and I shared the beef ramen burger and also the teriyaki chicken rice burger. Hmm. Where to begin. Well the rice burger was mainly consumed by myself and by the end of it, my jaw was tired from trying to break down the 'buns' of the burger. When I was younger, we didn't have a non-stick rice cooker therefore every time we cooked rice, a layer of rice would be stuck and it was hard and almost inedible. That was basically what the rice buns reminded me of. Sometimes I feel that I can be quite harsh when it comes to giving my opinion, and then sometimes I don't. When it comes to food, nearly everything falls under the opinion of, "It's alright" and when I actually don't like something, I really really don't like it. Sadly, this fell into the latter category.


Mini pancakes w/ chocolate sauce and strawberries.

A. was still a little hungry which justified our trip to Pancakes on the Rocks. We shared the Hot 'n' Troppo with crepes substituted for the pancakes. I am actually not a big fan of pancakes and after my 3 day stint of eating pancakes for breakfast everyday in Toronto (it was free!), I have been put off about the idea of pancakes.