The Galleon Cafe

After what seemed positively a lifetime of oats and cereals for breakfast, Missy finally decided she needs a good dose of calories down her throat.

So, off went Missy and Baby hubz to try the Galleon Cafe, quaintly located in St Kilda. If not for Jamie, from The Breakfast Blog we might very well have missed this precious breakfast place so near to our place!

And I certainly am not kidding when I say we might miss this place..

The cafe literally blended in along the street with NO signage whatsoever..

The only thing that indicated we came to the right place was this..

A small piece of permit stuck next to the entrance..

*Yes, that's the tiny piece of paper in the first picture, below the reflection of the white car.

Anyway, our quick look in The Breakfast Blog did entail the long but worthy wait, so we were well prepared. The good thing was, despite the long list pinned on the entrance, we were soon ushered into the rundown cosiness of The Galleon Cafe before we even need to say "How do you do!"

Indeed, it took some 30-45 minutes before our orders arrived, tempting our tastebuds. So meantime, let's take a look around!

Open kitchen, the old skool style. Loves it!

Different types of chairs and tables scattered around the room. We chose a round table :)

Ceiling crashing down. So devastatingly retro.. sexy..

Artsie-fartsie, just the way I like it ;) The red portrait on the shelf was the Boss, we assume

They serve my green tea in a round pot! How very Chinese!

A brief glimpse of their extensive menu.. I swear I had such a hard time deciding!

The man's meatballs on pide

My scrambled tofu with mushrooms and spinach. Not exactly as I expected but tasted great nonetheless

Us, well fed and happy.

So, what can two very full and satisfied people do now?

I'd say, a trip down to the beach :)

The weather was too good to pass, so even though we weren't prepared for it, we gingerly took off our clothes and joined the hundreds of semi-naked bodies along the beach..

Sunning



He said it felt nice to sit and relax with this view..

I looked at those gorgeous ladies and said, "Yeah"

Something an impromptu swim can tell you..

This totally came as unexpected. A pleasant surprise, to say the very least.

After half a day running errands in the city, and meeting up for a much-needed chat over tea; us two ladies hugged and went home.

She most likely went home to cook; while I, the un-housewifey one, proceeded for a swim and attempting a last minute desperate tan AT 7PM. Please say you'll still be my friend..?

Anyway, upon coming out of the water, I came to two life-changing realisation:

One : That Elizabeth Arden 8Hour Hand Treatment Cream will be your hands' best ever friend.. forever..



Just for the record, I didn't purchase this item. We merely smeared a dollop onto our cracking hands as we "incidentally" strolled past the Elizabeth Arden counter. So much for a surprise finding, huh.

Anyway, smooth glide-on aside, this babe gives a layer of protection that you can FEEL, yet it doesn't leave a greasy after-feel that hinders your precious life. And guess what, YES, it remains the same IN the water and AFTER my swim! Geezuss.. amazing, no?

TWO : Loreal ColorAppeal range gives you shine like no other..



I'm using Gong Li's and loving the subtlety of it all. Bingo again, before and after the swim, nothing.. I repeat, NOTHING, changed.

Of course, swimming doesn't entail rubbing my eyes like a shy teenage whale, but still I reckon given its' quiet presence in the market, this palette deserves some fireworks!

Not that I'm an avid user of eye shadows, but from time to time, I really do want to pamper my haggard face. Yesterday was one such days, you see..

***

Moving fast away from that, Missy now craves something simple. Just pure, great skin.

Movie Review: Into the Wild

It was totally by chance that we ended up watching this movie last night. And boy, wasn't his 'Great Alaskan Adventure' a nice twist to end the day?

We were both wrapped in fatigue and just wanted to take it easy. Instead, Into the Wild took us on a bumpy road full of adventure and philosophy. And you know what the weird thing is? That we actually fought our drowsiness because it's just too good to pass and say goodnight!

Emile Hirsch played out the life of Christopher McCandless with such passion and beliefs that I was drawn right in, my soul weeping and laughing.



I won't bother paraphrasing the whole storyline but you can read the synopsis here.

To me, the story is about the search for happiness, for truth, for life. And the picture above (found from its' official website) depicts it best.



A middle-school top graduate abandoning all his worldly possessions, embark on his 'Great Alaskan Adventure'.

How did he see the world? How did he feel about the people around him?

Just for the record, at that time of his life, he was the same age as yours truly. 20 times wiser, 50 times more knowledgable.

He saw nature through lenses so different than others. And I wonder, did nature loved him more?

Plainly said, if given the chance, would I be able to do the same?



To pack up my bag, secretly bid goodbye to people who know, care for and love me, throw away my watch, take only my journal and a pen; and set out to meet more people that will help shape my short life.

He inspired me, that Christopher McCandless.

Drink more water..

Or so, that's what they say to patients.

Yes, Missy is sick. Has been for the past week!

I think I've blown my nose into some sort of a magical abyss.. like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Only, guess what.. there's no rainbow nor gold, but just that damn pot of neverending take-a-wild-guess-what-is-it!

Not that I ain't crazy enough, but this constant mimicking of Daffy Duck is driving me crazy. Actually, strike that out. I sound more like Daffy's 2-day-old baby girl. WITH A PEGGED NOSE.

So yeah, I've been good. Excellent, even. I drown myself in fluid every other 3 seconds. If that's not enough, I even drink my meals (how's that for a Super Patient of the Year award???)

Look at that. Look at that. That's dinner.

Good thing there were still some colours to be hauled from the depth of my water.

Variation: mini dumplings. 3 of those. *sulk

One piece of tofu and my garlic-speckled noodles.

I think my tastebuds are rioting soon. Save me???

Super-ego

No Freudian id-ego-super ego theory here. Just plain ol' lament from your Missy.

Perhaps I'm not the only one, perhaps someone out there share my sense of beliefs, perhaps right this instant somebody is thinking exactly the same thing as me.. but I feel lost. And lonely. Travelling down a much travelled path, by myself.



Right, I see myself as a lion. A true blue Leo, with its growing pride and puffing ego.

Ever since young, I've fantasized my dream world complete with haute couture, a respected job with similar status of income, a high flying society of acquaintance, generosity and lastly, my twins.

Weird to say that I don't remember ever having a man, much less a husband, in my fantasies, yet somehow I ended up with just that and nothing else.

I love my man, no doubt. But it's not enough.

Not enough, in this sense, to tame the lion in me.



So, I ended up somewhere in between.



A caricature, I feel.

Somewhere between my pride and a joke.

I feel lost.

But, what can I do? What AM I supposed to do?

Maybe time will tell.. just maybe..

Photoshop wonder

By stroke of mega luck, we had our wedding photoshoot last week. FOC.

I know.. wasn't our wedding in June last year??? Yes, you are right, stalker.. but this is in anticipation for our wedding reception end of this year, in Malaysia.

We actually wanted to do it in Malaysia, but due to "forseen" circumstances, we had to do it earlier. And having someone come to you and say they'll do it for free, I mean, why not?! But of course, all that talk about having it in Bali was washed right off into the bright, blue sea.

Ok, to tell you the truth, I wasn't completely bought. I was already mentally preparing for another shoot in my mind, but hey, no harm trying, right..

With minimal props (close to none), DIY everything and one-hour preparation, look what we ended up with..





I was ecstatic, and still am!

Never, ever be sceptical before you try.. unless if it's risking your money and your glowing face (which I will touch on later), obviously.

These are just a few of the collection. I can't wait to see the rest!

And yes, I will post some non-photoshopped soon.

Tata!

St. Lovers Day

Ok, it's a little late, but Valentine's this year is a special twist.

To start it off, I had to work that day. Baby hubz and I woke around the same time (surprisingly), and no, there were no indication whatsoever that the man even remembered what day it was.

No "Happy Valentine's, baby", no "I love you", no super gazing in your eyes till your teeth fall off, no tender loving attention. Instead, I washed up, changed, had breakfast while the man dozed back to sleep. So, in a nutshell, no nothing.

I did leave him a message on our little board before I go to work. It says something sweet like, "Happy Valentine's, my heartless man"..

:)

Shortly after I finished work, I received this.

How corny is that! But I loved it hahah. Missy is a woman who thrives on surprises. I don't even need anything, as long as I can feel the sincerity in it. But of course, having said that, Missy will NOT turn down Chanel or LaMer for that matter..

Moving swiftly along..

A picnic steak! Weird, I know but lovely nonetheless ;)

Sunny and windy day, with wrinkles of joy on my face

We both just relaxed like two retired old farts, taking in the mundane beauty of our surrounding. At that moment, I was drenched in love and peace of mind.

The man even cleaned up, for Heaven's sake! Well, I was busy snip-snapping, you see..

And then, it's this..

Valentine's Day movie. Not something we'd go for normally, but hey, it's Valentine's Day..

Baby hubz told me he chose the seats.

L stands for Love, and 13 14 in Chinese stands for "yi sheng yi shi" which translates to be forever or eternally.

Awwwww..

Happy St. Valentine's Day, my dearests *kisses

Bircher Muesli

Missy is currently so obsessed with this dish for breakfast. The amazing Bircher Muesli.

It's been around for ages, no doubt. I always see it in the menus but it's that one thing you would never go for when you're spending your hard-earned bucks breakfasting outside, you know..

Maybe it's the constant hunt for health food or Missy just plain craved for it one day, but boy, am I glad I made the switch? It tasted so good, I still craved for it the day after, the week after AND the month after.. (ok, I'm exaggerating but you get the drill..) And with the gorgeousness of fruits & nuts, which means natural fibre and vitamins, hey, Missy can't possibly say no to Bircher Muesli now, can she?

So much so that I literally sprang to my laptop and searched for the recipe. Good ol' Google never fail to surprise me. I found a lot of recipes online, and from all sources, I extracted bits and pieces that coincide. Me, being the lazy me, just can't be bothered going through all recipes and try them all. But I must say, like all recipes for good food, there's always room for improvisation. Whatever you feel like after a few tries, well, feel free to do so!

The main ingredients to remember are oats (or any other grains), milk, yoghurt (fruit juices optional), and fruits (dry and/or fresh).

1. Soak oats and dry fruits (if any) in milk or fruit juice overnight in the fridge. Not too much, just enough liquid to cover the oats.
2. When ready to be served, mix the oats mixture with some yoghurt and top with fresh fruits; grated apple, a ripe banana, handful of berries (get creative!).
3. Consume with a smile on your face.

It's THAT easy. Ok, so maybe you need to chill the oats overnight, but trust me, you can prepare after dinner or just before you sleep so you won't think about it and the best part, takes only 5 minutes!!

Sounds incredible, but the original Bircher Muesli, developed by Dr. Maximilian Brenner-Bircher for his diet sanitorium in Switzerland, was only one tablespoon of oats and a grated apple. That's right, one tablespoon of oats, people! Either they REALLY needed that strict diet back in 1887 or somehow we have evolved into this monstrous one-cup-oats-eater.. hmm, disturbing..

But anyway, thank God for Swiss!!

We gave out our first red packet!!!

It's official.

I'm an auntie. Boohoo..

No, not cos I got a newborn, shit-stained niece or nephew. It's cos.. *sobs.. this is the first year I receive no ang pow (red packets), but am starting to GIVE out ang pows. How old does that sound???!

Aww, it's alright, giving IS joy, Missy..

Well, I bet receiving is double the joy then..

...

Ok, so.. Chinese New Year! How did everybody else spend their blessed days?

It's no doubt so much quieter this year, but nonetheless, meaningful. And I hope everyone else had a great time like we did. If not, well, you still have 12 more days to come up with something ;)

And till then, Missy will continue to give joy..

Feels like an auntie, yes, but a fucking hot one, no less!

Glorious solitude

Another year, another kind of new year's celebration.

Today's the first day of the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring celebration. What Chineses do on this day is mostly anything and everything auspicious.

As you all may, or may not, know.. Chinese New Year is when everyone speaks in really weird and indecipherable language, usually 4 Chinese characters forming some kind of blessings, aimed only to please elders in the holy name of tradition.

Being far away from home this year means I have no one, but myself and the loyalty of this blog, to master the art of four-ery with.

And while having my scrumptious lunch, like all Spring lunch should, I finally chanced upon my blessings.

"Nian nian you yu"

Directly translated to be: May there be fish every year. Chinese New Year translation to be: Prosperity year after year.

Weird, no? Now you're nodding..

Traditional paper cut of "Nian nian you yu"

Calligraphy/ painting of

And here is MY symbol of prosperity..

And behold my blessed lunch..

With the sweetness of seafood feast; crab meat, eel, salmon and tuna, how can I not be blessed with a great year ahead?!

Oh, and let's not forget wine aplenty, baby..

Here's a toast to a great year, success and independence..

.. and a merry woman.

Missy Allets survives

Good morning, dearest all!

Three reasons why today is a good morning.

1. It's sunny and cheerful.
2. Baby hubz woke early to accompany me for breakfast. (This means alot to me; me being the ultimate breakfast queen)
3. Missy Allets turns 1 today! Wahooo

And I have, for some red-beans-and-cereals odd reasons, decided to hold previous entries because I wanted to make the 50th post a mark for the anniversary. 50 ain't a big one for the number of blog entries in a YEAR, but hey, it's a nice mid!!

Moving gingerly along, Missy Allets wants to recap what went on a little one month plus before.

Aside from the neverending quest to make more money (the little agenda we all call.. work), Missy Allets finally attended to some social call and falling in love with a product or two.. or seventy three, here and there.. and everwhere. You obviously know that you won't get the whole deal here, judging from the year past what an ass of a lazy mule Missy is, but I assure you it's gonna be a pretty convoluted entry sprinkled with indulgence throughout. So I suggest, get yourself a coffee, make yourself comfortable and take these pamperings into your dreams..

First off, products.

Yummy, creamy, I-absolutely-love-you products

Post-Xmas, Missy had the chance to slather her lips, hair AND body..

(no big deal)

.. WITH CINNAMON!!

(oh goodness, are you for real?!)

Nah, just joking.. but these babes that my babe got me can certainly pass off as real.

Philosophy Cinnamon Buns Shampoo, Shower gel & Bubble bath

Philosophy "very emolient cinnamon buns flavored lip shine"

If someone comes to you and say, "I feel so good, I want to eat myself!", the only thing you can do is BELIEVE it.

The gel is super creamy and thick, leaving my skin smooth and happy. And the gloss.. OH the gloss! sweet taste aside, it actually holds the shine for quite a long time. Yes, with all the drinking and salivating too. And the best part? They really do smell (and taste) like cinnamon!

I mean, seriously, after shower, I felt like a walking cinnamon bun! I wanted to complete the baking process by getting the range's Cinnamon Soufle moisturiser, but guess what? The little gem was sold out. What do you mean sold out? I mean sold out as in stop-whining-no-more-means-no-more sold out :( Sobs, I wanna be a cinnamon bun!!

Bon travail, faiseur! Translation: Great work, miracle-worker!

Not sure how many of you out there actually tried this product, but I'm reasonably amazed. So..

*drumroll please..

..

...

..

Avene; a range of French skincare products based on water from the Avene thermal spring water.

I said reasonably, because I'm not referring to all of Avene products. In fact, I was quite disappointed with a few, but let's not ruin this perfect blog, shall we?

The one that I really want to stress on is:

Avene Very High Protection Cream available in SPF 30+ and 50+

I have been using this precious for a little over a month now, and I'm pleased to inform all beauty carers out there that this is one hell of a sunscreen for summer in Australia!

No, actually I take it back.

It's more than just a sunscreen.

My skin wasn't bad, but it wasn't perfect either. Usually after applying sunscreen on my face and out for a tan, I would come home to red, irritated cheeks. That stays. For weeks.

With this, it's flawless. For real, even if you're not going into the sun, apply this as a make-up base for perfect, glowing skin. You don't even need your foundation. What I do for my morning routine is cleanse, tone, protect and moisturise (plus a little eye and cheek colouring if I'm going out), and I'm good for the whole day.

Second piece of information, it doesn't smash your wallet against that damn metal-studded wall ;)

It's ok, you're welcome.

Sinful well-being

Another thing to be thankful for, thanks to my beauty bible, Val.

I'll make this sweet and straight to the point.

We were in Priceline. I told her I needed a body lotion that works. She dragged me to the next aisle and shove this in my face. Love at first sight and I stocked it up.

St. Ives Whipped Silk Body Moisturiser

Within 2 seconds upon the first touch, I know this will be in my everyday few times a day, to-use list. It is that good.

Even the name sounds disastrously sinful. Despite the acclaimed whipped texture, it leaves a silky finish to the skin that lingers till the next time you want to take your shower (which will be soon). Imagine feeling velvety all over your body, girls. Even the worst dressed will feel like a porn star.

Baby hubz was touching, feeling and groping me at every chance he got. And we're not even talking about sex. That's gotta be heavenly for sure.

***

Ok, enough being free ambassador, let's jump back in time.

One of Baby hubz's colleagues were leaving and we went out for nice dinner and a night of retro.

A night with them Europeans was actually something fun and nice. To me, anyway. Finnish, Polish, Dutch, Norwegian, German.. oh, and Greeks!

We went to Retro Club, which plays *duh 60s 70s 80s. Some of the songs, I didn't even know exist! We were humming, singing, dancing and laughing whole night long. Truly an International party, I'd say!

And did I tell you, I can die for accents?? Well, I definitely went to heaven that night :)

Temple day 2008

Another proof of how fast a year had passed us by.

Last year, I planned a little surprise visit home. Chinese New Year just ain't the same without loved ones bustling around you, laughter and gossips in the air, deafening crackers and yummy snacks.

This year, I stayed back and there wasn't even the faintest indication that Chinese New Year has indeed loomed near! 4 more days, to be precise.

Well, there's certainly no chance of conjuring festive cheer out of dull Melbourne air, but we found the closest substitute.

Off we went to the temple, for a day of vegetarian joy.

The same group.

The same symbol of a New Year.

Missy is missing home bad, and counting down to the family event doesn't help. So, let's just be grateful and take joy in what we have here.

Happy Chinese New Year, to all who celebrates. To those who don't, well, raise your glass and toast to love and being loved.

.. and here's to Princess-ship

One lazy afternoon, two young ladies, over three-tiers of sinful confectionery, chatted gaily in an English-style dining room.

Oh, what wouldn't I give to be reincarnated as Queen Elizabeth..

High tea at the Windsor's was an unforgettable experience. An indulgence that doesn't come by every 5 seconds, or rather.. 12 years.

So, we thoroughly enjoyed being amazing, beautiful, charming.. (I'm on a roll, don't stop me).. fabulous, gorgeous, oh.. and happy. I could do another set of U, V, W.. but modesty got the better of me.

Tell me if these two princesses don't deserve to be crowned.

***

Now that I'm back to Earth, there are chores waiting to be done and Baby hubz waiting to be pampered.

I wish all a safe and fun Chinese celebration, and happy 1-year to Missy Allets and her barren tree.

Yay!

I'll share my cookies with you

We all know what a turd of shit forwarded emails are. They annoy me to no end, and I just wish there's a chip connected to my brain and help me clean out my emails just the way I wanted to.. yea, that's a mega lazy bitch talking, but hey, I'm sure we get that feeling every now and then, no? However, (and I NEVER would have imagined myself saying this, but..) I got this rather engaging and share-worthy email the other day, and guess what.. Missy is gonna "forward" it right here..

Life lessons from half a cookie

A young lady was waiting for her flight in the boarding room of an airport.

As she would still need to wait for a few more hours, she decided to buy a book to spend her time. She also bought a packet of cookies.

She sat down in an armchair in the VIP room, to rest and read in peace.

Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, a man sat down in the next seat, opened his magazine and started reading.

When she took out the first cookie, the man took one also. She felt irritated, but she said nothing. She just thought, "What a nerve! If I was in the mood, I'd have punched him for daring!"

For each cookie that she next took, the man took one too. She was infuriated but she didn't want to make a scene.

When only one cookie remained, she thought, "Alright.. let's see what this man would do now?"

Then, the man took the last cookie, divided it in half and gave her one half.

"That's too much!!" she thought. In a huff, she took her book, gathered her belongings and stormed to board the plane.

When she sat down in her seat on the plane, she looked into her purse for her glasses, and, to her surprise, there was her packet of cookies, untouched, unopened!

She realized what happened, and felt so ashamed!

The man had shared his cookies with her, without feeling angered or bitter..

.. yet she had been feeling angry and annoyed, thinking that she was dividing her cookies with him.

And now, there's no chance to explain nor apologize.

There are 3 things in life that you cannot recover.. The stone.. after it's thrown. The word.. after it's said. The time.. after it's past.

A lot of questions came to me when I was reading this email, a myriad of emotions running high. And most of all, a wave of familiarity..

I was reading about myself!!!

I gotta admit that Missy, for one, is an absolute selfish, stubborn and stupid being we call female. This coming from a self-proclaimed feminist must have sounded gold.. but listen to me, will you?

It is true, really, that we females think too much and care too little. By that, I don't mean we don't care about our other half. It's just that, we care about ourselves so much more than them.

I'm gonna risk being paraded along the Walk of Shame, but I'm totally ashamed. Totally.

And I don't mean to condemn every girl out there either. It's probably just me, being spoilt rotten from Day 0.25 onwards.

Baby hubz was right. I complain too much. Though not necessarily agreeing 100% what he says, he does have his good points to note. What is it about me that renders me incapable of seeing my blessings, but almost always frust about life's little details?

I don't know.

All I know is that I'm gonna try to change. It WILL BE HARD, yes. But I'll try. And I'll need barrels and yards of encouragement, support and motivation! And I'd certainly like to know if you females out there experienced this fleeting tingle of guilt before, however short-lived it was.

From now on, I pledge, I will share my cookies with you.