Travel

If I had one free week, I’d go on a blogging holiday and I’d do nothing but blog.  While I’m not pressured to update this blog on a daily basis, I do like writing about my food and travel adventures because more than anything else, I blog for myself.  Keeping a blog has become a useful tool for me as sometimes I go back to my previous posts on places, restaurants and recipes when the need arises.  I still haven’t figured out how to I will share our Philippines, Gold Coast and Melbourne trips (they all happened last year!!!) as efficiently and concisely as possible but I have an inkling of a plan.  In the meantime, let me share with you a restaurant that fascinated us when we visited Gold Coast in December 2011.  


On the morning that we arrived at Gold Coast our room wasn’t ready yet (we were early for check-in time) so our first agenda was to attend mass (it was a Sunday) and then find a place to have a meal and hang out for a few hours.  Our relatives recommended to visit the biggest mall at Gold Coast, Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, located at Broadbeach.  


We found St. Monica’s Church not too far away from our hotel so after mass, we took the bus to Pacific Fair Shopping Centre.


Arrived a little after 12noon, we felt famished and a bit tired.  We assumed all the getting up early and travelling to Gold Coast had taken a toll on us.  For lunch, we wanted something fast but fresh.  At one corner of the mall, we found a Japanese Restaurant called Zushi Sushi and immediately cheered when we saw the sushi train.


Sat ourselves on the sushi train and wondered, “Where are all the sushi?”


Then suddenly, we saw a miniature train on the sushi train tracks!  Oh how cute!!!

Restaurant: Zushi Sushi (Broadbeach, Queensland)



Behind the miniature train were the plates containing yummy sushi.

Restaurant: Zushi Sushi (Broadbeach, Queensland)
Restaurant: Zushi Sushi (Broadbeach, Queensland)



We only got two plates of sushi, both freshly-made and delicious.

Restaurant: Zushi Sushi (Broadbeach, Queensland)
Restaurant: Zushi Sushi (Broadbeach, Queensland)

We ordered a plate of stir-fried spicy beef with rice, soup and salad.  It was good enough to share.  The beef tender and juicy.
Restaurant: Zushi Sushi (Broadbeach, Queensland)

Restaurant: Zushi Sushi (Broadbeach, Queensland)



For our first meal in Gold Coast, we enjoyed the food and were greatly amused by the creativity that is the miniature train.  This is one sushi train experience we will never forget.


We had a good walk around Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and we instantly felt how laidback it was at the Gold Coast.  If Sydney feels laidback, Gold Coast is more of that.

Pacific Fair Shopping Centre (Broadbeach, Queensland)
Pacific Fair Shopping Centre (Broadbeach Queensland)
Pacific Fair Shopping Centre (Broadbeach Queensland)
It was during dessert at Baskin Robbins when I told the Husband, “I want a life like this–simple, more laidback.”  The Husband agreed.
Baskin Robbins
Baskin Robbins


Zushi Sushi & Teppanyaki – Pacific Fair
http://www.zushisushi.com.au/
Shop 148 Western Food Court
Pacific Fair Shopping Centre
Broadbeach, QLD 4218
07 5572 7877


I started following See Australia (@seeaustralia) via Instagram last week and thru the photos they share, I realize the so many breathtaking places this country has.  See Australia reposts an instagramer’s best photo of anything Australian once it is tagged #seeaustralia.  They also have a facebook account where people also posts photos depicting the life and beauty of Australia.

On Saturday (21/4/12), my family and I witnessed The Three Sisters (famous mountains at Blue Mountains, seen at Echo Point) surrounded by fog.  I almost ran to the end of Echo Point so I can capture the beauty of The Three Sisters surrounded by fog, afraid that if I delay, I would entirely lost the moment.  I tagged my “Three Sisters” photo as my first #SeeAustralia photo.  

Yesterday, @seeaustralia chose my photo and reposted it on their instagram.  I was very happy my photo got picked and shared to a bigger audience.



As of now, it has 687 likes!  


It’s a wonder what a photo can do.  I’ve received a couple of comments in my instagram account (@ibyang) and I’ve learned that most people are wanting to travel to Australia and see The Three Sisters.  Thru See Australia, one is able to travel to a this country thru captivating photographs shared by photographers/hobbyists.  Thru these photos, one is able to dream and want to travel here.  I hope one day, those dreams and wants will come true.


Follow @seeaustralia in instagram or facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeeAustralia and share in appreciating the beauty of Australia.

Follow @ibyang

Part of the joys of travelling is to indulge in different cuisines.  In my list, food comes second as to why we travel that’s why my Husband and I also list down the food we want to eat at a certain place during our travel preparations.


Our preps also involves preparing our tummies for the food we may eat or drink during travel.  No one wants to be sick during the holiday, right?  


I have a simple tummy prep before travel and that is to eat yogurt.  Eating yogurt for a few days before travel helps as the healthy bacteria in yogurt is a powerful tool for staving off tummy troubles.  We usually have yogurt at home anytime of the year but I make sure that we have more yogurt intake before we travel.



During travel, we still eat yogurt at least once a week or drink Yakult to keep our tummies healthy.


Not into yogurt?  My Husband doesn’t like yogurt very much.  Although he tries, he just can’t finish a small tub.  So instead of forcing him, we also buy Yakult which he loves.


Lactose intolerant?  Get yourself a “probiotics” capsule from the pharmacy or health food store.  A good probiotics capsule should contain various strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium logum.  

Here are a few tips from HCF fit@wwwell on how to avoid tummy troubles during travel:

Don’t let illness spoil an overseas trip. There are some simple precautions you can take to help avoid tummy troubles abroad. 

Traveller’s tummy can take the form of diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, or all three. According to Aussie Travel Advice, recent statistics suggest around 20% of travellers will lose at least one day of their trip to illness. This is due to unfamiliar germs infecting the digestive system.


Minimise the risk of tummy trouble by:

  • Avoiding uncooked meals in developing countries. If you can’t boil, peel or cook it, eat something else instead
  • Avoiding seafood, it’s a major risk in many countries
  • Avoiding pre-cooked food. Hot food should be steaming all the way through
  • Choosing thick-skinned fruit you can peel
  • Avoiding dairy unless you can drink canned milk or you know it has been refrigerated
  • Sticking to bottled beer and wine rather than mixed drinks
  • Washing your hands regularly. Consider taking alcohol-based hand-wash with you.



Rules for water:

  • Avoid tap water in developing countries
  • Boil water for over a minute before drinking
  • Buy iodine tablets to purify water before drinking
  • Use clean water to brush your teeth
  • When buying bottled water, always check the seal is intact.



Don’t hesitate to see a doctor if you become ill and symptoms persist.

Happy Wednesday!

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a day-out in Sydney and it was refreshing to spend the whole day of Friday last week walking around with the sun hovering above us.  Summer is very weird this year as most days, we are bombarded with cloudy skies and rains that won’t stop for days.  We’re glad that the day we picked to have a day-off together, the sun was shining for most of the day so I took this chance to be in my most laid back ensemble.

First stop was lunch at Eating World Food Court in Chinatown that serves the best Hainanese Chicken (more on that later).  Been craving for awhile so the Husband indulged me with food that I wanted.  The best thing about food courts is the cheapness of food and lots of choices.  The Husband on the other hand got himself some fried Pork Belly with Broccoli from a Thai restaurant.  Both dishes came in big servings for not more than AUD$10.00.
 

The main reason why we took a day-off was to see the Harry Potter Exhibition.  It was a pleasant and exciting afternoon as we remember scenes the Harry Potter film series by seeing more than 200 artefacts and replicas from the movie.  My HP article will come out in Ang Kalatas and later I will share more photos from the exhibition here in AWCL, so please watch out for that.  


Since we were at the Powerhouse Museum, we also got to see the Love Lace Exhibition.  It was a beautiful and poignant exhibition that made me fall in love with lace all over again. 




It seemed that it was an “Indulge Your Wife Day” last Friday as the Husband brought me to the Little Korean Town in Eastwood.  Since we’ve had an electric smokeless grill, we’ve been having our Korean BBQs at home but once in a while, we still crave to dine out…well, because we just want to have a break from washing the dishes hehe.


We had time to explore the two sides of Eastwood.  On the West Parade exit of the train station, you will find Eastwood’s Little Chinatown.  Walked thru streets full of shops, bakeries, butchers and restaurants. That’s where we found a woman juicing and selling Sugarcane.  The Husband told me we have this in the Philippines but I can’t remember drinking it so he bought me a large cup.  I loved it!  It was refreshing and sweet.


On the Railway Parade exit of the train station, you will find the Little Korean Town.  Just like in Little Chinatown, there were shops, bakeries, cafes and restaurants but only in Korean flair.  We had early dinner at Jonga Jip Korean where we experienced the most number of Banchan Dishes, it filled up the whole table.  We had two plates of meat (pork belly and beef) for BBQ and a small pot of Kimchi Stew.  

After dinner, we explored the shops and bought a few bars of our favourite Lotte chocolates.  We wanted to have coffee before we left but changed our minds because we were so full from dinner.   

We decided to just go home and have some tea as we watched Friday’s sunset in our balcony.

What a lovely day.  And as always, my heart is grateful for days that turned extraordinary because of the things my Husband does to make me happy.

Follow @ibyang

We were walking to dinner on Thursday night when we saw this colourful vending machine at The Galeries.

Yes, it’s a Havaianas Vending Machine!!!  Isn’t this the coolest thing?



I’ve read bout the news before that there are a few Havaianas Vending Machines in Sydney Metro but have only found and seen one last week.  My Husband and I were so amused to finally see it.


Beneath the vending machine is a size chart illustration so you can find the right size for you.



All Havaianas are priced at AUD$20.00 and the machine takes coins and bills.



For a city like Sydney, this is a brilliant idea because people here wear thongs (a.k.a. flip flops/rubber slippers) to anywhere.  Wearing thongs in Australia is a norm and a representation of how laid back this country is. 


 This vending machine is conveniently located near clubs so women who wore heels the whole night and would like some comfort going home can just buy a pair of Havaianas from the machine.  Since Sydney is filled with tourists all year round, this is also an ideal solution should they forget to bring their slippers with them.


I hope we’ll see more Havaianas Vending Machines in the future.  


Follow ibyang on Twitter