report

so i have been to australia and back with my family which was a lovely time. hits and misses. i was a little whiney about not getting to do as much shopping as i wanted especially since i had done all my research on the lovely homewares and design shops i could visit but i scolded myself internally, reminding myself that this is a family trip and when i did that it was so much more enjoyabe - going to nice cafes with them, walking the streets, the graduation ceremony and just spending time having conversation which is a luxury on normal days. the coffee at st. ali's cafe in south yarra was the smoothest - i had too much coffee and too little water so coming back i caught for myself a sore-throat and breakout but on a week's diet of downing water and zero coffee it's gotten much better so i say my head knows it but my heart is weak but i will try a little harder to keep at this on a permanent basis.

so we met little sister's bf and friends about town and was hosted very warmly by her advisor's family for dinner one night in their home after which they took us to see a home with very super mega christmas decorations around the house and garden. i also had fun rushing thru the streets of little collins shopping for clothes and walking about with the other sister to look for a quaint dinner place which we did find at a little street near flinder's lane - i forgot the name.

and of course i appreciated very much my second sister who went about with me to the shops on the last two days with the baby and all. we went to de clieu cafe at gertrude street in fitzroy and sat at the inside seat next to the timber bay window where a pair of students were having coffee on the other side and they took to the baby very well who was so smiley throughout the trip. we dropped by the mud australia crockery store where i bought two pieces because i loved the external texture so much.

speaking about babies the nephew was quite a good boy and i was proud of myself singing him to sleep one night while the mama was in the shower, singing twinkle twinkle little star on repeat mode about 100 times - why not xiao mi feng, the husband asked later - so i got mingyao a bone china origami swan-shaped container from australia and yesterday he went to buy two small fish to put inside - teeny and weeny - the original idea was either that or itsy bitsy for names. cutes.

so this year we had no christmas tree but with the wooden a frame of our side table we had a christmas table so coming back from the flight there was a bag under it - christmas present from husband! and also two packets of bedok camp hokkien mee all ready on the kitchen table for supper indulgence after the long flight back and nasty terminal one situation where there weren't enough trolleys on the inside.

we bumped into our lovely upstairs neighbours last night at the car park and they invited us to their party tonight at the roof deck so we might drop by a little. it is nice to have friendly neighbours really.