We visited Reuben Hills, one of Sydney’s most popular cafes last Saturday. Don’t let the shopfront fool you. The moment the door opens, the cafe instantly springs to life!

We shared a table with 2 friendly Australian ladies who not only offered to take a couple shot for us, but also gave us recommendations on places to visit.

The potent concoction. In general, the coffee in Sydney is much better than that in Singapore.

JW had the spice grilled chicken fillet burger. The food here is surprisingly good!

I had the soft baked eggs with shaved jamon. If you’re familiar with Wild Honey in Singapore, this is the equivalent of Tunisian on their menu. I like Wild Honey’s version, but sadly, it pales in comparison to Reuben Hills’.

After filling our tummies, we drove further down the street where all the vintage shops are situated!

Grandma Takes a Trip and Cream on Crown (http://www.creamonline.com.au/) are 2 of the most popular vintage shops in Sydney.

Besides vintage clothes, you’ll also find a record store (http://www.recordstore.com.au/) that specializes in vinyl records.

One of the guys from the store saw how captivated we were by the wall paintings outside and promptly invited us in for a visit.

Here’s what the store looks like.

Thus far, the people whom we have come into contact with have been extremely kind, courteous and friendly. The service staff always serve with a smile and most (if not all) of the time, you can genuinely sense their sincerity when they strike up a conversation with you.

Even the drivers on the road are polite and always ready to give way when you signal. Everyone’s graciousness is so infectious, it’s no wonder Australia is crowned the happiest country in the world!

Throughout our time together, it was amazing how much we shared about our interests, aspirations and opinions about life in general. I know I’m starting to sound philosophical here, but I really do treasure heart-to-heart talks. Our next meet-up will take place at Forty Hands (my favourite cafe in Singapore), as promised! 🙂

Sorry to have gone missing over the past couple of days. Right after we came back from our ski trip at Snowy Mountains , we headed to Canberra for a 2-day trip and I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate Sydney after visiting Canberra.

I love Sydney’s quaint suburbs, complete with quirky cafes and weekend markets. Located south-west of the CBD, Glebe is one such suburb that bursts into life on weekends.

The Glebe Saturday market is a huge attraction. Its wide variety of knick knacks, eclectic clothes, accessories and vintage ware is a feast for the eyes and the main reason why visitors flock here every Saturday!

In an era where brick-and-mortar bookstores are closing down one after another, it is extremely comforting to be know that one of Sydney’s best loved secondhand bookstore is located right at the heart of Glebe, across from the hustle and bustle of the Glebe markets.

What’s remarkably special about this place is the cafe tucked behind the facade of the bookstore, which will be unveiled to you in the pictures that follow.

And just when you thought that was all the bookstore had to offer, the back of the store opens up to a beautifully decorated courtyard which doubles up as a cafe.

I had to have my toast with Vegemite. I’ve been crazy about Vegemite for a while now. It is a dark brown food spread made from yeast extract and can be eaten with bread, crackers and biscuits.

It’s not commonly found in Singapore, but essentially, it tastes just like Bouvril, which I used to love when I was a kid. It has since become a staple in my kitchen. 😉

I had a pumpkin soup to top it off. You know how pumpkin soup sometimes ends up either diluted or too thick? This was creamy, flavourful and of the right consistency, with just a hint of ginger for that extra kick!

We’ve been spending quite a bit of time at cafes because it has been raining all day long and My Sweet Memory is one of the new cafes that we checked out recently.

The cafe specializes in drinks, desserts and decorative items, including some antiques too!. I’ve a penchant for home decor and am constantly on the lookout for interesting little knick knacks to spruce up my home, so this is the perfect chill-out place for me (much to the dismay of my hubby).

He had the signature hot chocolate. It pales in comparison to what you would get at Lindt, but a hot chocolate drink is always comforting on a cold day, so no complaints there.

I originally ordered a tiramisu cake, but the lady at the counter dropped the entire cake, leaving me with no choice but to settle for a chocolate hazelnut cake. It was yummy nevertheless, but not as good as the black and white cheese cake that JW ordered.

This is the black and white cheese cake. The top layer is a rich, sticky coat of chocolate toffee I believe, and it goes remarkably well with the smooth consistency of the cheese cake. This is a tiny taste of heaven which melts in your mouth with every bite! I liked it so much I went back again the next day. 😛

The Sydney Fish Market is a must-go destination for everyone, especially if you’re a fan of seafood. After all, it is the second largest seafood market in the world and boasts some of the freshest varieties of seafood that you can find in the Southern Hemisphere!

I was looking forward to devouring scallops, sashimi and oysters!

It has been raining incessantly over the past couple of days but the rain and throngs of tourists could not stop us in our quest to savour these delicacies.

The oysters are so sweet and succulent. Have an oyster here and you’ll truly feel that the world is your oyster.

If you’re adventurous and don’t require much sleep (unlike me), you can also book a Behind the Scenes Tour to catch all the action during the auction (sounds a little like a tongue-twister, doesn’t it?) in the wee hours of the morning.

One of our friends recommended that we try the scampi (sashimi-style), which is a type of small lobster, so I gamely bought one home to try. I must admit that it looks a little disgusting because its head is so much bigger than its body. Some of my friends love prawn heads and would suck out all the juices within. I know Jun would probably love this because the scampi’s head is beyond enormous. LOL but alas, I just couldn’t bring myself to try the scampi’s head. Oh, but the flesh…when I took a bite at it, it was oozing with a sweetness that words alone could not describe. Everyone should definitely give it a go!

I don’t quite fancy the wintry weather as it can get so dreary at times, especially when it rains, the sun sets prematurely at 5p.m. and everyone is dressed in shades of black and grey.

I’ve been stocking up on clothes in candy colours this season and they’re the perfect antidote to battle the depressing weather. I think bright candy colours help to dispel negative energy as well as rebalance the body emotionally and physically. You can also probably tell that I’ve not gotten over the colourblocking phase, except that this time, I’m colourblocking with candy and pastel shades.

I reworked the same pair of mint jeans on a separate occasion with a mustard coloured top and purple booties. The end result looks a little kiddy in my opinion, but it was all done in the name of fun. 😉

I haven’t been doing much these days except eat, cook and eat some more. I can totally understand why people put on weight in Australia, or even become diabetic. The cakes, sweets and chocolates here are so wonderful I could eat them for all 3 meals.

Here I was, at New York Cafe at Chatswood, drinking hot chocolate.

JW was devouring a bun. I always joke that he has this impeccable ability to make anything that he eats look delicious. Don’t you agree?

Here’s what he can’t do without – coffee, although it does nothing to keep him awake. In fact, it does the exact opposite. He feels sleepy right after coffee.

What I can’t live without in Sydney – desserts. This carrot cake is sooo yummy! I also had my green tea snow ice fix at ZenQ recently and have been eating chocolates just about everyday.

I never really had a sweet tooth in Singapore, but I guess Australia changed everything.

At this rate, Diabetes will soon become my best friend.

It’s autumn over here and I’m glad I can finally put all my fluffy trench coats and jackets to good use. The weather is much cooler than I expected, especially indoors because heaters aren’t provided in the university apartments. We’ve one that’s left behind by the previous tenant, but I reckon it emits less heat than a hot water bottle. :S

Trench coat from Hong Kong
Lace stockings from Topshop
Bow Heels from Dip Drops
Idylle Speedy Bag from Louis Vuitton
Hairband (looks like a hat isn’t it?) from Talisman, FEP

I’ve lived in Beijing in winter during subzero conditions, but this is the first time I actually feel cold indoors! Time for us to get a REAL heater soon….

I thought I would need some time to get used to the pace of life here after a hectic 2 months in Singapore, but I think I’m settling in pretty well. Taking it slow, smelling the flowers and erm.. hibernating, are well, second nature to me.

The very next morning after I arrived in Sydney, I woke up to the aroma of mushrooms and steak. I thought I was dreaming when I saw JW in the kitchen. LOL.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s cooking! Looks yummy!

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought JW could whip up something that looks good and tastes edible. To his credit, the steak is delicious. Definitely a commendable effort, I must say.

Likewise, never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that driving is no longer an obstacle for me after just two months in Singapore. I never found the need to drive because my dad and JW always drove me around. I also have wonderful friends like Yitian who’ll pick me up whenever we head out, but I’m glad that I can finally return the favour! I guess being apart helped in our personal development, even more so when we’re driven to extremes. 😉 It is certainly not a bad thing, considering that we each picked up a new life skill!

I blogged about Prague a long while back (you may wish to click on the Prague 2011 label below for my past entries), but I forgot to mention that Prague was well-known as a music hub eons ago in the classical and romantic era. In fact, during a time when Mozart was supposedly neglected by Vienna, the city of Prague gave him support and it was also in this city that Mozart premiered his world-renowned operas “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don Giovanni”.

Mozart aside, Prague was home to other famous Czech composers such as Dvorak and Smetana. I know the photos above don’t seem to gel with the title of this post or music for that matter. Well, I was pointing at the painting because I was surprised that this art piece was done by Dvorak! I never knew that beyond his musical talent, he was a respected artist in his own right too.

I was fascinated by how the painting could portray sunlight streaming in from the window before bouncing off the face of the subject. It looked like a photograph! I can’t begin to tell you how much I adore the interplay of light.

Music is a central part of my life and whenever I travel to Europe, I will make a point to attend a concert or opera. I attend operas in Singapore as well, but personally, it feels a little odd to watch Asian opera singers singing in Italian.

While we were in Prague, we booked tickets to Carmen at the Prague National Opera House. It was such a popular performance, almost all the seats were sold out, hence we were extremely lucky to get one of the last few box seats!

The performance was magnificent and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Here’s a short clip of what the opera sounds like. I’m sure it’s a tune that everyone would be familiar with!

When I get back to Sydney, I hope to book tickets to watch an opera at the Sydney Opera House too!