A night of wonderful music by the one and only Idina Menzel and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. Did I just wrote that in one sentence? Did that happen not too long? Yes. Yes!

It has always been a wish to watch a concert at the Sydney Opera House. I feel very blessed that I was able to experience watching a concert at the Opera House with Idina Menzel as the performer. Another dream come true!

Idina Menzel was the first Elphaba (of the musical WICKED) in Broadway, of which she won a Tony Award. On TV, she was known as Shelby Corcoran, Rachel’s mother in Glee. She has also appeared in a Disney movie entitled, “Enchanted”.
I’ve only seen Idina sing on videos in youtube and Glee. The only recording that I have of her is the OST of Wicked. When I learned that she will have a concert in Sydney, I immediately got tickets so I can watch her. I have always admired her singing voice and I thought that this might be a once in a lifetime chance for me to see her perform live.  
She came out on stage in a simple but classic black lace dress. She was barefoot. According to her, she feels free and more grounded when sings with bare feet.

She took our breath away the moment she sang her first song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Her voice was amazing. Her stage presence made us not take our eyes off her. And her humour! She was so funny and spontaneous. Like she was talking to a friend the whole time she was on stage. 

I wrote down some of the songs Idina sang that night…in the dark! That’s what you call dedication haha. Here’s a part of her repertoire: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Wizard and I, Don’t Rain On My Parade, Both Sides Now, Let’s Dance, Love For Sale, At The Ballet, What I Did for Love, God Save My Soul, Poker Face (the song she sang in Glee), Take Me For What I Am, Defying Gravity and For Good.

My favourite parts of the evening:

When she sang “The Wizard and I”. One of the songs from WICKED. Even if I will never get to see her play Elphaba, this was good enough for me.

When she sang “What I Did For Love”. A song written by Marvin Hamlisch from the musical “A Chorus Line”, Idina sang the song in tribute to Marvin Hamlisch who was her conductor, orchestrator and close friend. The song is a classic and hearing Idina sing it that night made it more meaningful and sentimental.

When she sang “Let’s Dance”. It was at this point that Idina talked about how she started as a wedding singer. She even danced a few moved which very much entertained us.

When she sang “Poker Face”. In between singing this song, she talked about her hesitation to go into TV and star in Glee as Rachel’s mother. She showed us her funny take on the song which she thought doesn’t really make sense when you carefully listen to the lyrics.

When she sang “Defying Gravity”. The song the character “Elphaba” is known for. To hear the original Elphaba sing my super favourite song in such a powerful voice just made me indescribably happy.

When she sang her finale song “For Good” in acapella. She put down her microphone and sang this song in all its rawness. The whole concert hall in silence and the only voice heard was hers. It was beautiful, it was touching. Singing “For Good” with no music made us feel her sincerity and gratefulness for having performed for us. It was her best gift to us that night.
Idina Menzel in Sydney (The Australian Tour)

I was able to buy a Idina’s concert playbill and it came with stories of her achievements and a short interview. The most important question was asked, “Would you ever return to Wicked?” And sadly for now, she doesn’t think she’ll ever do it again.

Idina Menzel in Sydney (The Australian Tour)

I watched Idina’s concert with the Husband and two of my dear friends. We all enjoyed it immensely and felt very spoiled for living here in Sydney, having the chance to watch concerts at the Opera House with performers such as Idina Menzel.

Below are videos of her performances in her Barefoot at the Symphony concerts where she sang “Defying Gravity” and “For Good”:

Video Sources: (1) and (2)

Spring is here! My favourite season when nature comes alive with colour and vibrance. Days will gradually become longer and temperatures will be warmer. Spring equates to two of my favourite things: beginnings and transitions. I love it most for the abundance of Cherry Blossoms blooming. To see its beauty is such a fleeting moment but it teaches us all to be grateful for the now. 
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
The Husband never gives me flowers. Instead, he brings to me to places where I can see my favourite Cherry Blossoms. I’m in love with them. I squeal in delight when I see them. I get “kilig” when I seem them on TV. So the Husband took time off work and brought me to Auburn Botanical Gardens for the Cherry Blossoms Festival. It runs for two weeks every year, usually between the 2nd to 4th week of August. That’s not yet officially Spring time but it is when the Cherry Blossoms come out. 
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
The Contrast of Winter and Spring. 
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013

It was our second time to come to the Cherry Blossoms Festival. Last year, we had a Sunday picnic under the Cherry Blossom trees. This year, we opted to visit on a Friday, a weekday so that there would be less people. There were a number of people that came and went in the morning but the volume wasn’t as many during weekend. It was definitely easier for us to take photos.

Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
P127Cherry Blossoms Festival 20130437
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
We saw a group doing a photoshoot. The ladies looked lovely in their Kimonos.
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013

Other than Cherry Blossom flowers, the garden had other lovely flowers. When I sorted our photos, I noticed that I seemed to have taken lots of pink flowers. 

Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
Cherry Blossoms Festival 2013
P12703Cherry Blossoms Festival 201398
We didn’t stay long but we’re happy to have experienced seeing Cherry Blossoms once again. We had fun appreciating nature, see flowers in bloom and feel the falling Cherry Blossoms on our shoulders.

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Ibyang + Instagram = Ibyangram

While my instagram photos are shared on my twitter page and sometimes on my tumblr and fb page, I would like to have a monthly dump of ibyangrams on AWCL too. It is thru instagram that I share everyday moments and random finds. I use instagram as my real time mini-blog. Every end of the month, I’ll be choosing a couple of photos from my instagram and share it here because I have something more to say about a certain ibyangram.

We had a great start to August as the Husband and I came out of our semi-hibernation. The weather temperature had gradually gone up and we had been blessed with nothing but good weather almost everyday. I have resumed my weekly de-cluttering sessions in different areas of our home. We’re working our way towards having the guest room as neat as possible in time for my Mother’s vacation in October. Although work has become more busy for both of us, I have squeezed in time and spent a day with girlfriends. Below are a few more things that made up my August.

Sunset at Petersham. Taken while I was inside the train on the way home. My train had a stop here and as I looked out the window, the light was just beautiful. Sydney’s golden hour is always lovely. 
Doing photography at home with the help of a step ladder. I sometimes wish I have a bit more height especially when I do photography. I’ve stepped on everything I could find whenever I do photography but at home this step ladder is so helpful to me.
Coconut Cupcake made and given by one of my workmates. I love her cupcake! It was so delicious. I’m not much of a baker but her cupcake was so good I asked for the recipe. Good luck na lang sa akin kung kelan ko yun magagawa haha. 
Fur Friday. I’ve owned this (faux)fur jacket (thanks to my aunt!) since I’ve lived here in Sydney. I love how it’s so warm and fuzzy. 
Self-serve Area of Nespress Boutique in Sydney. Shopping’s become easy for Nespresso Cardholders at the Nespresso Boutique! Just grab a bag and your choice of Nespresso grand crus and pay at the self-serve counters. 
The IKEA Food Hall. There’s the dining area, lounge area and they also have a kiddie area. They offer yummy and affordable food.
Our IKEA Brekkie. We got the regular breakfast but the Husband asked for some beans to be added to his. Then we each got dessert! His was some kind of pastry with peach and I had the Almond Butterscotch Pie. We like getting up early and start our day at IKEA because of the cheap brekkie and it’s easier to find a parking spot in the morning. 
The Little Moon Over A Lovely Sunset. Sydney’s gorgeous sunsets are endless. What a blessing to come home to this. I’m so grateful!
Bejeweled Dessert Spoon From Korea. One of my many pretty finds from Seoul. Makes my coffee a little more dainty. 
Another Lovely Dessert Spoon. Here’s the second design I got. They’re common in Seoul so it’s really easy to find them. 
MUJI Nail Files. I love them! While using them one night, I realized my nail thingy storage all matched! They’re Pink!
I saw this when I was WAITING for my train. I like it whenever I see the ads of the Philippines’ Tourism Department. 
French Toast Brekkie on a Thursday Morning. I’ve got a day-off that day but I was getting ready to go out. To start a little calm on my day-off, I prepared a proper breakfast so I can sit down and savour my quiet time.
A Haircut After Four Months! Finally found the time to visit my Korean hairstylist. She brought back my bangs and layers. It felt so good to be taken cared of (yes that’s how my hairstylist makes me feel). Made me feel human again.
Cherry Blossoms! Ahhhhh love is seeing cherry blossom flowers. I’m in love with them. I squeal in delight whenever I see them. More cherry blossom photos on my next blog entry.
My New Reading Partner. Thanks to the Husband for being my “fairy gadget father” for gifting me with my first e-book reader. I thought long and hard about having one and this year I’ve decided to go back to my love for reading books. Sure I have a table that I use for reading e-books but it’s not as user-friendly as I hoped it to be. 
Sushi Plate To Share with Husband. On days when we don’t feel like cooking or don’t have time to cook, we resolve to buying Sushi and eat at home. Rule of thumb though is to still sit on the table no matter what meal we eat. No eating on the sofa even if we’re eating take away food.
On the last week of August, my boss gave me a bunch of Pink Tulips. It was a gift for the work I’ve done for the past few weeks. My work has tripled since the start of August due to the high demand for the training program I manage. I’ve weathered challenging days and I look forward to a busier September and October. The thought that my work is appreciated makes it all worth it.

Just-because Gifts From the Husband. No special occasions this month but the generous Husband spoilt me with a two needs and a want: kindle, pink macbook sleeve and a tote bag.

Coffee “Me” Time. Last Friday of the month and I couldn’t be happier ending my afternoon with some downtime. A cuppa, two macarons and an e-book kept me company for more than an hour. It was the perfect quiet celebration I needed. 
That was a few snapshots of the month that passed. Hope you had a lovely month of August too!

For more Ibyangrams, follow me at here

Fri-date lunch was at Ippudo. It’s been seven months since we’ve had our ramen fill at Ippudo so we decided to have lunch here after our Cherry Blossoms exploration in Auburn. It was already late, about 2pm, when we arrived so the lunch peak hour was over.  We each ordered a bowl of ramen and their famous pork buns. 

Ippudo (Sydney, NSW)

Ippudo Pork Bun ($4 each). Braised pork belly in Ippudo sauce with lettuce and wrapped in steamed bun. The steamed bun is soft and pork belly is flavourful. 

Ippudo (Sydney, NSW)

Shiromaru Motoaji Ramen. It’s a classic Hakata-style ramen that comes in their original Ippudo tonkotsy broth served with thin noodles, pork loin, cabbage, black mushroom and shallots. This was the ramen that chose that day. It was so deliciously comforting. The porkloin is so soft. 

Ippudo (Sydney, NSW)

Miso Tonkotsu Ramen. This was their winter special ramen. It is made of a special blend of miso and Ippudo’s signature broth, pork loin, egg, corn and veggies. It has a lovely flavour that brings warmth. The perfect ramen for Winter. The Husband’s very happy that he got to try this before the season was over. 
Ippudo (Sydney, NSW)
It came with a siding of open Sushi and shredded Ginger. The staff told us that if we want to bring more flavour to Miso Tonkotsu Ramen, we can add more ginger to the broth. The Sushi was for dipping into the ramen. Cool, huh? 
Ippudo (Sydney, NSW)

A delicious brunch and a hearty lunch that filled us the whole day made our Fri-date perfect!

Ippudo Sydney
Level 5, Westfield Sydney
Pitt Street, Sydney NSW
Ph: 02 8078 7020

Because I wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms Festival in Auburn last week, the Husband and I decided to take a day off and go on a Fri-date! 

On the way to Auburn, we had brunch at Platform No. 8, a cafe located conveniently near Parramatta train station where we got off to take the bus to Auburn. It is inside the Level 1 of Westfield Parramatta, a few steps from the entrance. 

The name Platform No. 8 refers to a train platform as it showed on the photo on their wall. I think it’s a great concept as one gets to see what Parramatta Train Station looked like then. 
PBrunch at Platform 8 Cafe (Parramatta, NSW)1270390
Coffee was the first order of the day. The Husband had his Latte while I had my Long Black. Their coffee was rich, creamy and strong. 
Brunch at Platform 8 Cafe (Parramatta, NSW)
We shared a plate of Eggs Benedict with Ham, then just asked for additional Bacon and Hash Browns. 
Brunch at Platform 8 Cafe (Parramatta, NSW)
The eggs were perfectly poached. We loved seeing the ooze coming out smoothly as we sliced them open. We loved how fresh the spinach was. A little thing to improve though was adding a little more hollandaise sauce perhaps. 
Brunch at Platform 8 Cafe (Parramatta, NSW)
Brunch at Platform 8 Cafe (Parramatta, NSW)
The meal we shared filled us up quickly and soon we finished our plate empty. The friendly staff bid us adieu as we left with full tummies and smiling faces.

Level 1, Westfield Parramatta
Ph: 02 98938818