Home is where the heart is.

The hoe (garden variety).

The half-arrow.

The V-shape (think birthing position).

These are some of the moves I learnt today (don’t worry it wont be coming to a dancefloor near you) doing yoga with MissEnergizerBunny in the common room. The reasons to promote these moves are equally if not more bizarre than the names: to prevent skinny-ness, to prevent a receding hairling, to improve sex appeal. So if they do what they say they would, I guess I’ll maintain a healthy BMI, retain my hair and you can figure the last one out (though its wasted here in Wagga! Joking!)

Nonetheless, its great to wind down on a Friday evening stretching out the muscles you’ve strained spending hours in front of a computer or standing for prolonged periods in the operating theatre.

In other news, forgive me for my tardiness in updating this blog. I have been somewhat lazy and needed a bit of a reminder from Mister Panda.
So highlights of my life thus far (I realise, as ironic as it may seem, that I’m having more of a life here in Wagga than I might have led in Sydney. I attribute this to my bludger’s status, being unemployed as opposed to being busy working at least 2 jobs in Sydney):

Roadtrip to Canberra for the “Masterpieces from Paris” collection @ The National Art Gallery


Van Gogh's Starry Night - one of my favourites on show (yippee)

Think Monet, van Gogh, Gaughin and even a piece from Picasso and more. Leaving before daybreak from Wagga to arrive in Canberra and finding a queue already there....brought me back to the days in Europe where one would wait 2-3hours in the rain waiting to enter the Sistine Chapel. But it was worth it. My favourite period/style of painting is Impressionism (possibly due to my idealist views reflected in the liberalism of the brushwork creating a dreamy finish to artworks of this period) and of course Monet my favourite artist. Interestingly, I was more taken aback by his "Woman with Parasol" (+ In the Norwegian, London Tower) than his more famous Waterlilies. Was also impressed with the pieces they had of Van Gogh (self-portrait, bedroom, flowers + STARRY NIGHT - which was amazing seen in the flesh! to see the brushstrokes and colours e.g. forget me not brilliance or yellow/pink flush of the stars). Last surprise was seeing the pieces of Monet that the National Art Gallery has on their permanent collection (Haystack + Nympheas, which is a more simplified version of Waterlilies). Especially since the Waterlilies have been described as an artwork that would most describe me in a pyschoanalyses game played amongst friends (yes weird game!). Overall, despite not knowing my art too well, this sure has given me some culture to stave off Boganism that bit longer!

Pier Restaurant
Had the chance to have dinner at Pier with some friends. 8 courses and matching wines. Ok so it was a refined place, that you feel as though you ought to make some fancyschmancy conversation and bear yourself well etc. Well after 6 glass of wine I think thats an excuse to bring some fun into the equation (huzzah!).


Start of the night. Refined. Wine: 0

End of the night. Cuckoo. Wine: 6 (Unfortunately you will have to use your imagination, limiting the amount of incriminating photos of me in the public eye! =p)

Anyways I realise that food at this end is more a thoughtprovoking exercise! The dishes were pretty and delicate, and being seafood quite light (8 courses was manageable leaving you feeling pleasantly sated and not bloated). My favourite of the night was the cauliflower agedashi tofu with scallop + foie gras in lobster consomme where the cauliflower tofu melted and broke away with the lightest touch and melted in your mouth. Highlights have to go to the green apple sorbet + powdered goats cheese (imagine goats cheese tasting snow!), ginger sherbet and mushroom foam.


Murray Cod with different textures of mushroom


One of their prettier dishes: Green Apple Sorbet & Goats cheese

Given the price tag, will need to save up for these events though next absolutefoodlust outing will be the Fat Duck when I hit the UK next year (yes I foresee 2 min noodling, cereal dinners..but it will be worth it!).

Risk
If you've never played this before, the aim of the game is world domination. Understandably if you're dealing with competitive people there is a good deal of aggression (vocal and possibly physical) and expletives involved. Expect a lot of sweet talking, politics, back stabbing as people make and break alliances. Now being next to the common room, I get to hear and subsquently be enticed by the fun I'm hearing. So when I put my hand up I find out it'll be me (first-timer) against 5 other guys. My only goal for my first game is to hold on to a continent for just 1 round (and considering I was aiming for Asia, the biggest this is not quite an easy feat). The great thing about being a girl and getting swamped by the guys working the floor to secure alliances and move up the ladder is that I get to stay low. At this point, I have to say that seeing guys work it hard and sweet talking is possibly worse than girls b*tching! It's quite scary really. Anyways we knock out the owner of the game when we get the chance (he apparently is a strong player) and he leaves with his tail between his legs. Fast forward 4 hours and I manage to get my foothold on Asia, watch the boys annihilate each other and somehow gain the upper hand without going back on my word throughout the game (proving you can win with your integrity intact!).


The face of one who realises his army is about to get whooped! by me!


What world domination looks like. I didn't have enough black men so had to recruit some blue ones...


And of course...the bragging rights!

I can now say that the feeling of beating 5 guys is better than what I think getting spaced out (Amsterdam brownies!) would be like!*

Delia Challenge
Unfortunately I’ve put this on the backburner. My recent trips back home means bringing back mum’s homecooking and eating them for 5 days straight (yes amazing, I haven’t given myself self-induced gastro *touch wood). However, baking days are still happening and if I haven't mentioned before its ever so lovely to walk in a bustling kitchen with tantalising aromas and food (feels like home :)


What sexylady and MissLovelyP got up to one autumn afternoon


MissLovelyP and her cupcake in a cupcake


MrChinUps and his banana cake

And it gets even better when the boys do some baking too! Mr Chin Ups decide to dish up some banana bread to get rid of the 2 bananas before we hit up Sydney. And this is when I find out the lesson of not to enter when no one answers your knock, you deserve what you get! Upon gathering in the kitchen to devour the banana cake we realise we're missing a certain someone. I volunteer to run out to let them know...door ajar, knocking and no answer. Without thinking I push open the door to find 2 people on the bed. Watching TV of course. It could've been worse! Important life lesson learnt.

:)

* now officially retired from Risk. Nothing could beat coming on top from a 6 multiplayer game of Risk =p