Aussie Signs

This was what happened since my last post... high carbon content buns! Solid black on the outside and golden crisp on the inside...hmm...nice.


Nando's spoof of Australia's famous reality television programs 'Big Brother'.


Err...question: Why is it only 'male toilets'? Are we that bad? Does it mean that the top two are allowed in the female toilets? Haha...


Even the road signs change with the season...


Hey hey...chanced upon this familiar looking kid while on facebook. He looks more grown up and happier...maybe because I am not around to disturb him. I will get my chance in July!


Okay. 129 days before I do this up north...one of the few things that I try to look forward to while I am here. Will squeeze in the Canberra Half just before I get back in December. I just love torturing myself!


So its the end of yet another semester...glad that its over but I am still here. Sigh... I got in contact with two big outdoor companies here to line up some work in time to come. All thanks to my lecturers who help me sell ko yiok, they seem really interested in getting me to join them...even to fly me up to Queensland to run some programs. It will be great if it all works out cos firstly, I will get to work again and earn some money...feeling a bit rusty. Secondly, it will do good for my experience handling BCAMs and lastly, time will pass so much faster!

Food Glorious Food!

I decided to take it easy on my trips for the past two weeks just to finish up on my assignments. And a good chance try out my hidden culinary skills while being grounded here.


I tried making prawn mee soup and invited some guys over for a makan session. Verdict: the no msg soup can be better even though I tried boiling the bones and prawn head over night.

Some of the Outdoor Ed International students gathered at Sean's place and prepared a dish from their own country for dinner. So we got American cheese burgers, Swedish meatballs, Indian chicken curry, English bread pudding, some Japanese fried cake, Australian dessert and I did the Singapore fried rice.

Other times, a simple plate of chicken noodles together with Tim Tams is good enough for dinner.

Milo peng and kaya toast for breakfast...forget about the half boiled eggs. Takes too long to prepare just to finish it in less than five seconds. No need to send me food pictures from home anymore...cos this is as close the taste of home as it gets!

And it can't taste any closer than this! The kaya is not only made in Singapore but its from the street behind my place! I am going down to Melbourne to buy one carton worth of kaya back after this.

Something else from Melbourne...this is the result of Rocky's impulsive buying. I usually stay clear from the big ones cos they stink a bit more than the small ones but not these! They are so fresh that they were still moving when we squeeze the lemon on them!

And here is my tuna steak with sauté mushrooms! It not only taste good but also healthy. A bit expensive though... I mean to prepare! not buy! Thanks Gene for the tuna steak recipe. Anyway I read this from some where: "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need". So it is always good to try in life, you will never know...Cheers!

Always Time For One More

The sixteen day paddle in the Whitsundays, Queensland is just two months away. As part of the preparation, we took a weekend to stay at one of the guy's family beach house along Great Ocean Road and did some paddling there.


This is Cali. One of the American post-grad students, my paddle buddy (for now) when we are up there. I hope she don't paddle the way she put on her wet suit. Anyway, this is not the first time seeing people doing this to their wet suit...a couple of Singaporeans who were featured on my blog also did the same. Haha... By the way, if you are still wondering what is wrong with this picture, go ask someone who has put one on before if the zip is suppose to be in front or at the back.


'China Man's Hat'. A structure in the middle of Port Phillip Bay where you find seals lazing around as you paddle past.


Just a random shot with one of the guys in church. 'Rocky' is his Aussie name cos the BCAMs cannot pronounce Duong Anh Pham.


As you noticed I don't have many shots of my paddling trip cos my long serving Pentax is out of action. He got injured while we were out at sea and suffered a crack to his screen. 90 percent of the pictures on this blog came from him. No one gets left behind! Therefore I have decided to retire him back home. Looks like I will just have to rely on Sony Ericsson to finish the job now.

Yet Another Climbing Post

Most of my trips this semester were mostly climbing related. Some personal, some with uni but they were all good experiences. I am just going to lump all the highlights into one post. Actually, not done yet...still got one more trip to do but anyway here goes...

It takes us about a three hour drive west to get to the climbing sites. Thank God there are nice sunsets once in a while to admire while doing the long drives.

Usually I drive the 12 seater Ford on the left pulling the trailer along but sometimes I get to be "Ah Mat" with the Holden wagon on the right. All uni vehicles...so petrol is on them.

Time to play "Wheres Wally"! The organ pipes tend to get a fair bit of climbers during the weekends or public holidays like the ANZAC Day. How many climbers do you see on the wall? The answer is below this post and don't cheat!

The "extras" at the bottom as Peter Martin (lecturer) and myself were leading a climb each for this guys to climb them.

One classmate shared in class that she always feels calm and at peace while on the wall. That is her hanging on for her dear life after taking a big fall and swing which was followed up with a scream that can be heard miles away. Peter had to down climb to hoist her up as she was too shaken to carry on. Haha...there goes her "peace and calm".

A shot of Central Gully while belaying from the third pitch of Dunes.

Shadow of the mountain that overcast our campsite down below. Looks near but it takes us a good half an hour to get back.

In memory of the guy who fell two years ago...leaving behind his wife and a five year old son. This sort of thing reminds me not to do anything stupid while being up there.

While on the way back to Stawell, Peter wanted to show me the biggest koala in the world. Its a touristy thing.

I managed to save my eight year old much loved Sportiva climbing shoes from breaking apart by sending them for a resole. It feels like new on the outside but with the good fit on the inside.

The usual state of my hands after a climbing trip. I don't think you want to see the other side especially after doing some crack climbing. Anyway, I just have one more trip before these hands can take a break from climbing.

Answer: 17 climbers