So, what else did we get upto this weekend? We went hot air ballooning! Another to-do crossed off my bucket list :)

If you remember, I actually bought this balloon ride for Marc when he turned a year older last November. So it was his birthday present! Coincidentally, the balloon ride yesterday fell on the anniversary of our engagement! Yes, we have been engaged for a year now!

A year ago, the boy proposed in Bali which also meant that we finished our 2-month travel adventure and were on our way home. Sob!

So back to the hot air ballooning… It was an incredible experience! I’ll be honest and say that I probably won’t do it again only because of how much it costs (an arm and a leg) but I guess I’ve learned to never say never! Maybe if we were to do it in a completely different landscape like over mountains and lakes – something different – then yes, it’s a possibility that I may do it again!

I chose the balloon flight over Melbourne’s city because I’ve heard many say that it’s a lot more beautiful. Our other option was to fly over the Yarra Valley which I’m sure would’ve been amazing too.

The evening before our flight we had to call our pilot to find out if the flight was still going ahead as it is completely dependent on the weather. Lucky for us it was going ahead but because they were predicting stronger winds than usual, we had to do another weather check at 3.30am yesterday (the morning we were due to fly). This meant an extremely early start for us… We did the weather check at 3.30am and it was still scheduled to go ahead so we pretty much got ourselves ready to head to the meeting point. We were supposed to meet our pilot at 4.45am.

As soon as we got to the meeting point, we registered ourselves and then we were out of there and started making our way to our ‘take-off’ site which was north of Melbourne. The take off site really differs each time depending on which direction the wind blows.

Once we got to the site, they then attach a tiny blinking light to a helium balloon and release the balloon to pretty much determine the wind direction one last time so that we’re sure that we can take off from there. It also helps the pilot pre-determine where we might land later in the morning.

The good (or bad, depending on how you look at it!) thing about this experience is that it’s pretty much a full, hands on experience in that we got to help set up the balloon before we took off. It’s not hard but it’s not easy either. It requires getting a little down and dirty on the grass. You don’t have to help but I reckon it’s always more fun when you join in and participate. Plus you don’t exactly want to look like a bad team player!

Once we hopped into the basket which are just like giant wicker picnic baskets (that’s how I like to describe them!), we were off! I was a little anxious at the start… I mean, come on, we’re in an open air basket, rising to more than a thousand feet above ground… That can be pretty scary! But within minutes I started to feel at ease and just could not believe the sight in front of me. From all the other balloons (another 4 or 5 balloons were also there) taking off at the same time, to the beautiful soft glow of the sky from the sun slowly waking… To the little street lights that seemed to twinkle as we rose higher and higher… To the amazing sense of peace that overcame me as we glided across the sky… It was just all wonderfully breathtaking.

We spent a lot of the time in almost complete silence because you just don’t want to wreck that sense of serenity… But we also spent a lot of time guessing which freeways we were flying over, or which suburbs we were looking down at, admiring the swimming pools from above and taking in the sight of our beautiful city from afar and the buildings we’re so very familiar with that yet seemed so different from our basket so high above.

I do have to say though that the one thing I was disappointed with was that we were not able to fly as close as I’d hope we could’ve to the city… The pilot did mention that the wind direction that morning wasn’t ideal for hovering directly over the city as it could’ve easily taken us out to the bay so we had to stick to viewing our beautiful city from afar. Which was disappointing but so out of our control so I’m okay with that!

I think we were in the air for about 90 minutes when it came time for us to land… I was also a little nervous about the landing as I have a horrible imagination and I kept thinking that the entire basket would just tip over. But of course that didn’t happen… We had a pretty smooth landing and I have to admit I was glad to have both feet on solid ground.

After landing we also had the chance to participate in packing the balloon which isn’t all that easy! You’d be surprised just how huge a hot air balloon is on the ground. It looks teeny weeny up in the air but I assure you it’s ginormous in real size!

So that was our hot air ballooning experience! I’m glad Marc had a great time which is really all that matters as this was his birthday gift. A special man deserves a special gift! If you’re considering hot air ballooning and it’s on your bucket list – do it! It’s worth the money and the early start :)

A few tips when you do go ballooning:
- Wear a hat. This is a must! The gas/fire that the pilot operates above your head in the balloon to release hot air into the balloon? It’s super and I mean super hot! I didn’t wear a hat and I was in the edge of the basket (not directly under the fire) and I felt like my hair follicles were being burnt off.
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes (i.e strictly no heels or skirts). Firstly you’ll be walking on grass before take off and after landing. Secondly you don’t want to even try climbing into the basket with a skirt on. And you also may get down and dirty with the setting up and packing of the balloon.

Look what I brought home from the markets today! I just love hydrangeas… They are so full, so round and so beautiful! They weren’t all that cheap but I had to have them when my eyes landed on them… So now they sit on my dining room table, adding a splash of warm lavender and purple to my home…

I love how flowers not only brighten up my home but also my heart :) I’ve had a wonderful weekend and I can’t wait to share with you what we got upto yesterday! In the mean time, I have to go study for an exam I have later this week…

A girlfriend of mine from Malaysia is holidaying in Melbourne at the moment so a bunch of us took her to dinner at one of Melbourne’s most popular Mexican restaurants – Mamasita.

A friend of ours got there just after 5.30pm and he put out names down… In the mean time, we headed across the street to a bar for a couple of drinks. We waited an hour and a half before the restaurant called us to say our table was ready!

When we got to the restaurant there was a huge line coming down the stairs and out on to the street. I’d never been to the restaurant myself so I was extremely curious to see what their interiors were like and what their food was like! I’m glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed…

The restaurant itself is pretty tiny, hence the long queues… They have an extensive tapas-like menu and an even more extensive exotic drinks menu. We could not let the night get away without a couple of orders of sangria and margarita – though I couldn’t drink that much from having to scull my beer (I never drink beer!) from the bar earlier as we’d gotten the call from the restaurant just as our new round of drinks arrived.

We had a combination of everything from chips and salsa to tacos to quasedillas (spelling?!) to the most beautifully marinated prawns and duck. We had to end our meal with dessert of course… Sweet corn caramel pop corn ice cream!

Overall it was a fantastic experience and the food did not disappoint. It certainly proved worth the hour and a half long wait. The other thing I really liked about the restaurant too was despite the fact that they were completely flat out, even after we had finished our mains and dessert, they did not feel the need to rush us out the door even though there was a queue of waiting customers a mile long. They let us digest our food, indulge in a few more drinks, conversation and laughter.

Pleasant night, I thought :)

It’s Australia day down under today! More importantly, it’s a public holiday! Hah, just kidding. Well I am glad to have the day off but Australia day is a lot more than a day off from work :)

Today, Marc’s dad got his Australian citizenship! A very exciting occasion indeed… His dad was born in the UK many years ago and his family came to live in Australia when he was just seven (they also came to Australia by boat! How cool is that? Very Titanic-ish). I’m not sure why he’s never considered becoming a full blown Aussie for so many years, but we are all so happy to have him as ‘one of us’ now! We’ve been calling him ‘Aussie Tim’ all day.

We spent a small portion of this morning at his citizenship ceremony which was actually a very lovely thing to do. What better way to spend today than at a ceremony where hundreds of people become Australian! My favourite part is always when they sing ‘I am Australian’ which personally I think should’ve been our national anthem! It always brings a tear to my eye and gives me that warm, fuzzy, proud feeling of living in this beautiful country…

After the ceremony we headed back to Marc’s parent’s where we had a ‘fair dinkum’ Aussie BBQ. If you don’t know what fair dinkum means, google it. It’s slang. I love Aussie slang! Sometimes just to be funny, I try and throw in some very Aussie slang and colloquialism in my conversations with Marc… It either impresses him or cracks him up… Usually the latter because it sounds so awkward coming from my mouth or I use it in the wrong context…

So that’s our Australia day… Low key and feeling grateful for this land we are on…

That’s Happy Chinese New Year for those of you scratching your heads reading the post title. So yes, Happy Chinese New Year, my friends!

Yesterday was the first day of the new year. Normally we would have a ‘reunion’ dinner with family on the eve of the new year, but since my brother in law was out of town on Sunday, we celebrated yesterday instead.

My sister had made a booking weeks ago at a famous dumpling restaurant in the city for us to have CNY dinner at. But lo and behold when we got there, they did not have our reservation! Gah! Stupid restaurant! My sister was furious… The restaurant didn’t have any spare tables so we had to have dinner elsewhere.

Marc and I suggested a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown that we always go to and luckily they had a table available! It turned out to be a lot more fun – the restaurant was in the heart of Chinatown which meant we saw about 4 different lion dances and heard a string of firecrackers. It was all very lively and colourful!

Lara was hilarious – I was carrying her when we spotted the first lion dance across the street. As we watched from across the street, she was a little terrified and wanted me to take her into the restaurant… The loud and heavy drums and cymbals must have been a little scary.

I have to say, I don’t think I’ve celebrated CNY in Chinatown for a very long time. I’m glad we were there last night though because the atmosphere was almost electric. There are quite a number of my work colleagues who also celebrate CNY and we’ve been talking about all the various traditions and superstitions in celebrating the new year… I’m pretty sure we also baffled some of our other non-Chinese colleagues… And this may seem weird, but because of all the crazy tradition and superstition it actually made me feel a little proud to be Chinese.

I miss this. Watching the sun go down. On the evenings which did not rain in Bali (believe it or not there were a few despite the daily torrential downpour), we spent our evenings at beach clubs laying on our backs, soaking in a tropical sunset knowing that it will be awhile before we get to do this again whilst feeling the height of relaxation.

Like tonight for example. I spent about an hour reading in bed and that normally puts me to sleep, if not, at least close to sleep mode… But not tonight. I’ve spent the last 30 mins lying awake creating a to-do list to add to my already existing to-do list on a makeshift post-it note I’ve shoved between pages of my weekly organiser.

On my second to-do list are reminders for me to email my wedding coordinator regarding a whole range of things that I’ve suddenly panicked about! I also have to email the florist. Email the decor company. Speak to Marc’s mother about something. The list doesn’t end.

Why am I journaling this? Because I need to have some sort of record as to how this journey I’m on towards my most special day thus far? Is just in one word (or maybe two) – crazy and stressful! It should also serve as a reminder that I am never ever to plan another wedding ever again. Ever. Luckily I don’t predict my soon-to-be marriage to only last a mere 72 days like a certain Kardashian (I love Kim by the way and only feel sorry for the girl).

This may sound like I’m having an awful time planning my wedding but really, it’s not awful. Stressful? Yes. But I feel extremely lucky to have found the one I want to marry. And it’s a lot like childbirth, I imagine. The labour (of love) is excruciating, but the reward is magical… And that is really it. I cannot wait to be married.

Time to try sleep again.

I’ve just realised its been a fair while since I posted on Marc’s nephew Will. I think the last time I wrote about him was just after he was born! Or maybe it was his first birthday. Anyhow the kid is 15 months old now!

Our relationship with Will is an odd one. Marc and his brother aren’t overly close. Yes they do talk and get along but they are nowhere as close as what we are with my sister and her kids. We mostly catch up with Marc’s brother and his family at family gatherings or special occasions. Whereas with my sister, we catch up on a weekly basis and are a lot closer.

That’s not to say that we don’t love them or anything, I guess that’s just the way our relationship is! Not everyone has the same relationship with their siblings. So the fact that we don’t see Will as much, he doesn’t seem to warm to us as quickly. That and the fact that he is a very sensitive and high-maintenance kid! As in, he fusses quite a bit and seems more grumpy than your usual baby. But I guess that’s just the way he is and that’s completely fine! Apparently his dad was just like that when he was a baby!

So Will is 15 months now, he is walking and almost running! He loves to get into things, pick up objects he’s not supposed to… He loves climbing onto chairs and couches… He has a full head of curls which only get curlier by the day… And he does have beautiful eyes and a gorgeous smile! He’s a hard baby to please… No amount of peekaboo, game of chase, tickling or general funny expressions can make him smile… It’s hard work!

Will seems to have a special relationship with his grand-dad (Marc’s dad) and they both have very soft spots for each other. In fact, I think grand-dad is the only one besides his parents who can make Will smile on the spot.

So unless you’ve been living under a rock in Melbourne, you’d know that the Australian Open is well underway. A few of my colleagues and myself managed to score some ground passes through work so we spent most of Wednesday afternoon at the tennis!

It was a very hot day unfortunately and I got burnt! Grrr. Even after slapping on a ton of sunscreen! I hate getting burnt not only because it hurts like hell but also because I’m terrified of getting skin cancer. I have to say that in the past I’d gladly lie in the sun to get a tan but now? I try and avoid it if I can… Yes it’s nice to get a little sun and a little summer glow. But hours under the sun to get the perfect tan? Not my thing anymore! I have seen too many documentaries on skin cancer to be so completely blaze and ignorant about the whole tanning for beauty thing.

Anyway! There’s my rant for the day! We had a great afternoon besides getting burnt… After watching a match and a half, we decided to head to the beer garden for a couple of drinks in the shade… Much better! Thanks work for a pleasant afternoon!

So hard. But I have to push myself!