Work Adventure? Grafton the city of Jacarandas~

  What my job sometimes does is send us off to places we've never ever dreamt of going to otherwise, because it's like some ridiculously small town that we would never give second thoughts to.  At first, the thought of going...actually to be more precise...FLYING to these places are a bit unbelievable! It was only in October this year did I first experience my first flight domestically, but I was still on a reasonable sized plane... it wasn't until this week did I see a plane so small I actually wondered how we were all going to fit into it! And you know how usually at the airport, you just go through this tunnel thingy and wah la, you're on the plane? Well, with the smaller domestic planes, you have to board an airport shuttle where it takes you to a totally different area where all the smaller planes are! I was so amused! AND to top it all off, I've never seen a pilot so young (who looked probably just in his early 20s) I couldn't believe I was putting my life in his hands hahaha

So, where was work sending me off to? Grafton.

You are probably thinking: come again? As this was most of my friends' reactions... and personally I didn't know where it was either and had to googlemap it haha  It's a town pretty much situated on the border of NSW and Queensland... it sounds really deserted and far away.  Far away, yes, but this little town somehow took my breath away!

The plane we were on! It's actually pretty cute hehe

Grafton airport! Nothing like the major city ones...so cosy and extra friendly!

  Anyway, not to bore anyone with the work details...and in fact, it's been a pretty tiring and tough week... but the town gave off this vibe that just calms your heart and mind... it makes you feel very...peaceful.  After work, my workmates and I always took walks near our motel, wanting to absorb the sun as much as possible! And oh man, were we glad we all took the effort to stroll away and explore Grafton with the few hours of daylight we were given!

Park nearby...wait till you see the view...

...so amazing!

You can go...or roll down the slope haha

You can take a stroll along the water... there are some really pretty lamps, I think it can get quite...romantic hehe

   In another part of town is this particularly road...and who would've thought even a road could be this amazing:

These were HUGE HUGE HUGE trees!

This was called The Fig Tree Avenue! It felt so incredible standing in the middle of the road in between these two rows of huge fig trees! It almost felt like something from the movie.  You know what, one moment you can see this magnificent view...and if you turn around, you are confronted with another breath-taking view:

Overlooking the bridge! Just imagine sitting on the grass on a nice sunny afternoon...pondering...or reading...or just breathing in the fresh air...*happysigh*

  The hero of Grafton though was not any of these, but a particular type of plant...that's right! Jacaranda trees! There were hundreds of them just on the side walk...and as you drive down long roads, they look so absolutely amazing and beautiful...and if you have your windows opened, the scent just waft through the air and into your nose...mmmm

Argh...I didn't quite capture it...but as you can see, the jacaranda trees just go on...so pretty ^^

  According to the client that we were working with, in November, they blossom to their fullest and the petals get blown off by the wind...so the roads can sometimes be filled with purple-ness...so want to see it >.<  In November, there is also a Jacaranda festival...and it's like the biggest thing in town where everyone celebrates (apparently everyone just gathers in the town centre on a Thursday - forgetting about work and just party away hehe Sounds good to me!)

  Being in Grafton made me realise how rushed I've been as a city slicker, how my life is often filled with all these stresses, pressures, thoughts... and I really just don't know how to rest and slow down.  Maybe because the pace of everything is slower, there's no traffic, air seems to be fresher and there's just all these nature around me...I felt really at peace and relaxed (despite the fact that work was somewhat toiling during the week).  I could feel my heart beat slowed to a steadier and calmer pace and was just...calm.  It made me think...perhaps all these pressures/stresses are what I induce on myself...when there's so much more to life.  It seems like nowadays, I'm always re-evaluating what's important *sigh*

  Hmmm might blog about all the yummy food we ate as well in another post...for now I'll leave you with this image and hope it brings you a sense of calmness =)

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Lime Street ~ a secret place ;)

  I work in a job where it requires me to travel, sometimes it requires me to travel to the middle of nowhere... but sometimes, it might just bring inspirations! Though that kind of thought is something I wasn't too optimistic about...until the weekend! Somehow, I woke up pretty early (well, 9:30am...that's REALLY early for me on the weekend!) and the sun was shining, really didn't want to waste the day since weekends are SO precious!  But where to go WHERE TO GO??? I was even talking to a friend on Facebook about this...and suddenly it dawned on me!

  At this point, I must give many props and honorable mention to my friend JT for taking me there one lunchtime and sharing with me his strolling experiences.  If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to experience what I'm about to tell you guys! So a big thank you, JT =)

  So what is this place? Well, before I headed down to this 'secret' (which won't be so secret any more...) place, there was a place I must absolutely go to and stock up first!

Uh huh! Erskine Street in Wynyard! 

  There are SO many goodies along this street! Here's a few snaps of them =)

Yummy restaurants! I totally recommend Laksa King! It gets really busy during lunchtime on weekdays!

A series of food choices on the other side!

   But pick of the day (any day really!) HAS to be this one:


Central Baking Depot has to be one of the best bakeries in Sydney!



A wide and unique selection of bread, pastries and just yummy goodness! My favourite so far has to be the Orange Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie... mmmmmmm salivating in my memory hehe

Love the handwritten looking chalkboard at the top, gives it a homely and personal feel =)





You get to watch them make the bread too!!!



Love the interior - love the wooden round tables, gives the cafe a rustic yet homely feel <3

  I really really love this bakery/cafe! Apparently it's the sister-cafe of this big one called Bourke St, I'm making a mental note for myself to try! Not only are their pastries good, their coffee is quite a gem as well! And so, with a large mocha in my hand...I headed down to this secret place for some me and reflection time!

Walking along further down Erskine...crossing the road... can you kind of see where this is heading??? hehe

At night, this place is filled with party-goers, lighted up with people and music and just joyful sounds of fun and friends!

  This is indeed King St Wharf! Now, I've seen this side of King St Wharf many times, especially at night! But never have I ventured further down until that one lunch time with JT and GL...

Down the steps, peering through the trees...along the wharf is where I wanna be!



  As soon as you turn at the bottom of the steps, it clears out into one long strip of water and sunshine!

Love watching the boats and people by the wharf...but this isn't even the best yet! As you walk further along...

The wharf completely opens up to this bay walk! Now here's a fantastic view of water and perfect spot to absorb the sun!

  What I love love love about this place is that there's not that many people around...but it's not completely isolated either! So you feel like you're in touch with the world, yet you feel a sense of peace and away from the bustles of city life.  This is such a wonderful place to bring your book or your notepad or whatever you want to do to just chill and reflect on life while absorbing the much awaited for Vitamin D during the week!
  Another plus for me about this place is that you get to watch families stroll by with their kids... and maybe because of the serenity of the place as well, there's definitely a more than heart-felt warmth surging through me when I observe them hehe (ok...it's not supposed to sound stalkerish)

  So, I marked down my territory

settled down and began to enjoy every moment of it:

  =)


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Oxford St ~ the side I've never seen

  After a hard week of work and the previous weekend putting my head down and frantically working on tax assignment (thank goodness that's over!!!), I've decided to give myself a study-free weekend and just chillax ^^ Originally, I wanted to watch Harry Potter 7 (and even now I still do!!!) with my work friends, but since most people weren't available, GT and I had a girly night out where she took me to this gem of a place I've never ever been to nor knew existed!!!

  So everyone knows that Oxford St is full of interesting and crazy things... for me, I've never really gone on the other side of Oxford St (past the hotel...which I can't remember the name of, but it's opposite the fountain/square at this set of huge traffic lights!?)...and hmmm I think I've been missing out!  Because along the other side of Oxford St lies many fancy yet cozy looking restaurants of all kinds... Italian, Thai, Teppanyaki...you name it! And many of these restaurants apparently have been raved on about in many food blogs!

Restaurants with attractive, stand-out signs to capture you!

  GT and I decided to go with Thai at Thai Nesia, can't go wrong with that!

Very nice interior...and it's red, which I love love love! <3

  A HUGE group of  asian kids came in and pretty much occupied the whole restuarant...! It was quite a scene...it was as though they were on excursion or something.  But on a Saturday night on Oxford St!?!?! Hmm... >.< GT made a comment that they seemed to all look alike...so maybe they are part of a big family!?!?! Not sure what the situation was, take your pick hehe

  Service was pretty good at this restuarant, we were tight on time so we requested them to hurry, requested take away boxes and in the end, I took lollies from the bowl at the counter too! And they faced all these actions from ours with big smiles...I like =)

  Yes, we were tight on time because GT decided to take me to this little cinema which I never knew existed (most of you have probably picked up the theme of 'I never knew blah blah existed' for this post now haha) to enjoy a nice evening over a romantic and comedic French film with our Thai take-away/left-overs!

Verona Bar & Cinema, it really is a combination of a bar and cinema, no kidding!!! *serious face*

The entrance itself definitely gives off a different feel to commercial cinemas! Feel so posh for some reason haha

There are two levels to this cinema, where the first level is the bar and the second level is the cinema itself (though I think there's also a smaller bar on the second level....).  On both levels, there are tables and chairs for people to sit, chat, read, do whatever you want  really...kinda like a cafe too! 

Bar time!!! (J/k, we were good and didn't drink hehe)

Stairwell upwards...!

Level 2! Hmmm...I've just realised that an elevator exists here as well...lol

 I really love the interior of this cinema, it's definitely out of the ordinary, creative and colourful! In a way, this is what I think an 'ideal' cinema should be like, as movies are made, although to entertain people, to inspire and cultivate creative juices in people's minds I believe! The structure of the cinema itself is part of that experience, right? =)

Oooohhh so what did we actually watch here you might ask? Some of you might be familiar with Audrey Tautou who was in Amelie? Well... here she is again!

Beautiful Lies - a funny, touching yet crazy film about how a daughter, a mother and a man who they both supposedly fell in love with haha

  I really enjoyed the film, although it was a bit messed up at times, it was really funny and part of the enjoyment came from watching the characters' reactions and wondering how the whole mess would unfold.  Plus I loved the cinematography of how somethings were portrayed...one particular scene was the filming of the mother's feet movement, that simple shot and sequence reflected the mother's thoughts and feelings really clearly!  Also... the whole time while I was watching the movie, I couldn't help but think how fascinating it is that sometimes, you might meet someone, at first he/she might not seem that special...but it only takes a moment of something from that person that really captures/inspires you for your heart to start beating crazily everytime he/she is around.

  Definitely watch this one if you like artsy indie films.  Also, I think there are other pretty good movies on, check them out: http://www.palacecinemas.com.au/

  Also, right opposite the cinema, there's this pretty neat looking bookshop that comes with a cafe on top...mmmm I think I have a destination for my next 'me' 'chill' time hehe

Love books! Really wish I had more time to read...=(

Of course, none of this would have been possible without GT, not only for bringing me here but for showing me all that's lovely through conversations and appreciating such movie experiences hehe


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[Japan] - Noboribetsu s2 s2 s2

YES, this place deserves 3 BIG HEARTS!!! This was probably one of my favourite places during my travel in Japan! I couldn't help thinking about this last week, especially after meeting up with my travel buddy KW and hearing from my Japanese penpal about her travels to Noboribetsu... making this post is like an itch I have to scratch!!!

Soooooo I'm gonna show you all how amazing this place is =) =) =)

Actually upon arrival, it wasn't all glam...

Look at those STEEP stairs....@___@

  Upon arrival at Noboribetsu station, the first thing we noticed were the stairs...then our eyes moved to our huge luggages...then we looked around us...and there were NO escalators nor elevators.  This meant only one thing, we had to gather all our strength and drag our luggages up two flights of steep stairs.  KW and I literally stood in front of these stairs for ages, saying to ourselves: if only we had a man *sigh*

  But we had to do what we had to do...I've never taken in such a deep breath and rushed up such a steep flight of stairs in one single go and at such a pace! And I've never huffed and puffed so much when I finally arrived on the other side... haaaa

  Then we caught a bus to the main part of the suburb.  Noboribetsu is this little town in Hokkaido, there's no glamorous buildings nor the bustle of city life, just the mountains, snow and everything cosy and small that spelt locality - just the things that make me smile after a hectic month of mission.

Centre of Noboribetsu

  This place is also SUPER famous for its onsens (hot spring!)...so of course, KWand I booked ourselves a night in one of the hot spring hotels, ready to let our bodies relax ahhhh~ Even talking about it now, I can remember that feeling of being in the hot spring so clearly!

The hotel we stayed in! It has 'No.1' in it!!!!! MUST BE GOOD! =D

Our Japanese-style tatami matted comfy room! Niiiiice!

  We decided to leave the hot spring til later, because we really wanted to explore this suburb!!! But we were super hungry and what fun is exploring with an empty stomach right? One thing Noboribetsu is also famous for is its SUPER hot ramen..and the shop famous for it is just down the road from our hotel! Luuucccky!!!

The owner of the shop preparing his famous ramen! He is the husband of a super cute couple - even though you can't see it here, but his wife is actually working alongside him...SO CUTE!!! ^^

Comments from famous people all along the wall!!! すごいですね！！！

 





 

...and there's MORE!!!!!!

Here's my HOT ramen!!! いただきます！！！

  I only had the one that's like...second hottest (地獄ラーメン), even though I love HOT stuff, but I don't think I could have handled the heat XD XD XD

  After our stomachs were filled with delicious ramen, KW and I began our journey around the trail of Noboribetsu!  It is a scenic route where you could encounter beautiful mountains and amazing hot springs! (Though these ones aren't the ones where you dip into... because it's wide open and just...way. too. hot!)

Smoke coming out from a hole...thought this was pretty coooool!



The start of the little trail... Welcome to JIGOKU!!!!

Demons are the mascots for Noboribetsu - because the hot springs create a 'hellish' environment...

...kinda like this.

  The views that we saw along the way were absolutely amazing though, almost every step took my breath away!

Saw the sky break open!

Yes. No drinking.  It didn't look too tasty anyway haha

The wooden became really slippery when the snow got heavier! I held onto the rail for my dear life hahaha

  As we kept exploring, we found another spring...

There's steam/smoke constantly coming out of this spring! It's even more crazy close up!



See? Hot hot HOT!

  Close to this hot spring was a hot pond where it's used as a footbath! These footspas are really comfortable and somewhat therapeutic in the winter of Japan, especially since people's feet are pretty much frozen from walking on the snow for such a long period! So KW and I tried to find this footspa...and I really should've gone with my frist instinct! Because when we were at the information centre, I thought the girl told me (in Japanese) that the path was blocked...but I wasn't sure if I understood right...I should've had more confident in my Japanese >.< I guess this is another instant when I doubt myself...just a little to much >.<

  We must have been pretty excited...because even though the snow began to get heavier, we still didn't make plans to go back to the hotel! Instead, we went on a track on the mountain and basically 'bush-walked' in the snow!

Crazy crazy crazy girls...@___@

  Some parts were quite steep and slippery...and we had to hold onto the strings that were on the side to keep our balance! The wind and the snow rushed pass us...there was not a single person in sight! What if something happened? No one would have known! Obviously we didn't care at that stage...and it was SO MUCH FUN!!!! I guess a thrill-seeker like me (though a paranoid person!) rather have experienced it and get a kick out of having experienced something like that hahaha

Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

  And of course, we made it out alive!!! WOohoo!!! But we were soooo freezing when we got back to civilisation, thankfully there was an information centre nearby and we stayed there for a while to warm up.  But more excitingly, look what we found outside!

Cute cute cute snowman! Couldn't help but copy them hehehe

 Was so incredibly exhausted after the day's trip! I don't think I realised that until we actualy went back to the hotel...I just felt SO hungry and SO exhausted! You know what was waiting for us though... BUFFET DINNER!!!! WOOHOO!!!!

NOM NOM NOM!!!!!

  There were crab, scallop, sashimi, yakiniku beef....my mouth is salivating just recalling the memory! I tried to fit as much as possible into my stomach...from being so completely hungry...after this meal, I was more than satisfied!!!

  KW and I explored the hotel after dinner as our 'digesting' activity...and look what I found!!!

DORAEMON!!!!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

  The hotel itself has quite a few levels...and it seems to be plated in 'gold'...haha

The big pole thing in the middle opens up into a musical item every hour...to tell some story XD  I actually watched it...but wasn't too sure what was going on XD

  Since it was Christmas Eve (yes! I spent Christmas Eve in Japan hehe), a group of people (whom we believed to be associated with the owner of the hotel or something) dressed in Christmas costumes and put on a show for the guests!

They all look really similar...so we suspected that they were a family hehe

  They played really uplifting and fun music, from Christmasy kinda songs to songs from famous anime like Miyazaki! There were so many people there...from all over the world! It felt really cool to be amongst so many types of people, enjoying the atmosphere of Christmas together!

  More than that though, besides being able to spend it with my travel buddy KW, CW and GW from mission was there as well! One of the most memorable things on this trip was actually my onsen moment with GW that night.  First of all, being able to go to hot spring late at night after such a wonderful yet tiring day is one of the best feelings ever! It's as though all the exhaustion is being pushed out of you and you just feel so relaxed amongst the hot water and steam.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the hot spring itself because that would make me a wierdo and would be quite a criminal thing to do XD

  I was able to share one of the most memorable conversations with GW that night, who gave me lots of wisdom and encouragement, which I still hold onto.  One of which was: go and try things while you still can, grab onto whatever opportunities are given in front of you and use them!

The other things he said to me was: try not to think so much and just enjoy whatever's put in front of you.

  I hold onto these words somewhat dearly and am really thankful for the chat and wisdom that night =)

  Ahhhhh~everytime I think about Noboribetsu, I feel so relaxed.  Love Noboribetsu so much ^^

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