Hub's Birthday

Everyday, the four of us (poor Hub is an early riser) wake up around 10 or 11 am, get ready and eat lunch in and leave the apartment around noon. We don't come home until past midnight and sleep around 2 am, which is why even though we now have internet access (thanks to Derrick) I still can't blog much because there's so many of us fighting to use the computer.

Yesterday (20th) we didn't have any planned programs for once so we had a lazy morning and left the house at 3 pm. Instead of driving, we walked to the city (5 minutes only) and strolled along Elizabeth Street where people were queueing up to look at Myer's famous Christmas window display. We weren't impressed at all. This year's display was based on a children story by an Australian writer. I don't think we were the only ones unimpressed. People just filed past the windows, not even talking. Nativity scenes have been banned a couple of years ago, which is beyond me. What is Christmas about then? Presents, turkey, feeling good?

It started to pour (who says Australia has an eternal drought?) and we retreated into Don Don, a run-down little Japanese restaurant at Little Lonsdale and Swanston St. The food was surprisingly good and cheap too, at about A$7 per bowl of don/udon.

The salmon sashimi rice was excellent and so was the udon. Wey's bowl of beef don was a little dry.

After Don Don, Yi insisted we try Max Brenner at Melbourne Central. Max Brenner and Koko Black are comfy places where chocoholics can retreat to for everything cocoa. Their fine smooth choc are served in drinks, cookies, fondues, you name it. We had the fresh fruits fondue, hot choc and mocha served in 'hugmugs' and something called suckao, which was a fondue of full cream milk and milk choc chips that you add to your liking. The result was melted choc which you have to somehow suck through a thin hollow metal tube, looking like a choc addict. I had a few sips and felt very nauseous as I ran to the theatre later. Eating good choc is a joy, but sipping rich melted milk choc is just too much for me.


Fruits fondue A$16 (RM48)




Hot mocha A$5.50 (RM16)

We decided the night before to go for broke, paying RM270 (A$90) per Grand Circle ticket for The Phantom of The Opera. Yi had seen it months earlier so she was banned from going. We were lucky to get our tickets which Yi had only booked one night before the show.



I was a little disappointed that the stage was so small because I was comparing it to the huge stage in Singapore where I first watched Phantom. However, although not as grand, the smaller stage gave a closer view and the actors looked much bigger. The costumes and stage props (I love the masquerade scene) were awesome, and I was moved to tears again (when Raoul pledged to Christine, when the Phantom sang a whiny "I love you", when Christine did what she did at the end) but I must say I didn't find this Christine as convincing and lovely, or sang as well, as the one I saw more than 12 years ago. If I'm not wrong, that Christine was played by Australian Marina Prior. She gave me goose bumps when she sang, and made me wish I could sing too. But still, overall, the whole family loved the show. Wey grew up listening to our Phantom CD and didn't need any explanation of the story. Ming was super romantic and soppy. Hub too, squeezing my hands now and then!


Spaghetti (A$7/RM24), mixed meat sovlavki platter (A$22/RM66)

Yi wanted me to change my mind about Greek food and we stood outside Stalactites (open 24 hours, popular with pub crawlers and people who don't sleep) deciding whether to eat Chinese or Greek when Hub decided for us all. It was his birthday after all. And you know what? The mixed meat (chicken and lamb) sovlavki was the best we've tried so far. The bread was softer and the lamb kebab moist. And who ordered that bowl of so-so spaghetti in a Greek restaurant? I did, and I had to eat most of it.