Melbourne sea aquarium

Melbourne Aquarium

Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Opening hours : 9.30am until 6.00pm everyday (inclusive of public holidays)

Adult : AUD 38

Child : AUD 22

A week after daddy return home I am alone so might as well visit some places of interest before school starts at a flat rate of AUD 5! I get to go at a special rate since I am staying at student accommodation - time to make full use of my benefits!

 Smiley puffer fish

Area which you can pretend to fish - there is no hook at the end of the fishing line.

Gift Shop

I have been to a couple of aquariums and I think this is a pretty decent one with quite a few creatures to observe but that's about it. Not much first-hand experience. It took me only an hour or so to finish touring the entire aquarium which is pretty short for if you were to pay the full price for the entrance fee. It is definitely a good experience since I made new friends with my neighbours and had good company but I wouldn't encourage my friends to pay the full price for it if they are on a tight budget - entrance fee isn't exactly cheap.

Good luck for beginning of sem, I am starting to dread it already :(

Pho Bo Ga Mekong Vietnam

Pho Bo Ga Mekong Vietnam

241 Swanston St 
Melbourne, VIC 3000

A week after mummy and mei mei returned home, I had to do all the cooking myself which is really tiring. Especially the dishes! I hate doing dishes and they never fail to drain me after all those scrubs on my oil pot D:

So I suggest to my dad for some affordable eat-outs. I have always heard raves about how good Vietnamese cuisine is in Melbourne due to the influx of Vietnamese immigrants  in the past so I decided to give this bustling little store a try. It is forever packed with people every time I walk past so I assume it will be good and authentic?

I was told by my friends this isn't the best pho place but I couldn't really tell since the other place I went was Pho Dzung City Noodle Shop along Russell Street  which I had the best crispy skin chicken with egg noodle soup. Really large portion and great value for money hahas. It is a pity I didn't take any picture of the food I had D;

Anyways I kinda like the pho because the smell of the herbs or spice isn't that strong compared to the ones I had at Nam Nam in Singapore. No cooking means there's no need to do dishes so I am pretty happy eating this. :)

Sorry for the blur picture but this is the only one I had hahas.

Chicken breast pho

Chronicles in Melbourne

God will provide - Always bear in mind His provenance and promises in tough times...

From the previous post, anyone could tell that I was having a really tough time settling down in Melbourne. I had cultural-shock and deep down wanted to go home. I would have board the next flight if not for my super huge ego and pride - I have decided not to be a whim and face the city bravely like an independent lady should.

Really love the verse from Matthew 11:28-29
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Lord really provided me with abundance. I met really amazing people in my life that I am so sure they are keeps. Lord actually regained my faith in mankind once again. People may find it exaggerating, but I had a lot of setbacks in my social life. When I am in need of help, sometimes I really do not know who I could turn to, partly because I have some fair-weather friends who made use of me for my networks and throw aside when I am no longer of any value to them. 

I was fearful, weak, but now I am strong because I have Jesus. Subsequent posts are dedicated to my adventures in Melbourne. I know it is weird because it seems like I am writing from the future - why yes. I back dated the post so... yeps, enjoy the pictures!

First day in a foreign city

I have always known that not everyone is very friendly and hospitable but usually people aren't very mean to tourist because they are the ones that generate some national income if you realized. 

My blog from today onwards shall be a record of my stay in Melbourne,Australia. I need to say that all the bad things I mention here is only a once off event to warn people to be more careful and not to take things for granted. There are really plenty of amazing people that made my day during my stay here. Let's just say that I am unlucky, but please be careful.

First day after arriving I decided to open a bank account locally to pay my bills and expenses here. Shall not name the bank, but here's my nightmare. Went to a bank, set up an account only to have the teller putting the cash I deposited into somebody else's account. Madness! I am not taking about AUD50 or even AUD5000 here and this is totally unforgivable. If not for my dad I probably kill myself in this city on the first day. Immediately, got the bank manager to rectify the problem yet not a single apology was given.

Never mind that. The person who supposed to help me open my account disappeared without going through the entire procedure. No client id, no bank account number provided no nothing. He wasn't even there to help when the teller put the money into the wrong account. Freaking irresponsible.

Next nightmare. Wait for a week to realise that the irresponsible guy who initially helped me to open my account did not verify my address and sent my debit card to the wrong address. How sweet! This has nothing to do with my accent because all the  other aussies can understand why not him? Even so, he could have verified if he didn't understood like previously letting me type in my email address. I had to go to the bank to have someone else close my case and clean up after that guy. And now, almost two weeks I have yet to receive my debit card, how efficient!

I am very disappointed with how the bank worked here. Although I know that it is not a financial hub like Singapore, some mistakes are absolutely unforgivable and minimum service recovery must be done. I have to praise UOB, perhaps other banks in Singapore are equally efficient but I think should share my experience. Unlike here, they sit down one to one, explain every details, hand the cash after verifying the amount in front of you and let you check your ibanking account immediately to verify. Bank account details, packages provided immediately. 

I only realised how many things I took for granted after I left my country, especially efficiency. I wouldn't say for all but majority.

Nevertheless, I have to thank God for a really kind staff from the bank, she help me with the rest of the procedure, gave me my client id and everything. if not for her I couldn't even check my account.Perhaps a small blessing after so much shit.

Next, school registration.

I have met the most slip-short and unhelpful staff ever. Went to do my account, had my existing portal account frozen after registration and the staff who was supposed to help couldn't be bothered, leaving me to fend for myself. My question is you are a foreigner yourself and once new in a foreign environment. I am not even asking you to go an extra mile but the very least solve my problem. The joke is the eCOE given to the school and other documentation has the right birth date and the staff keyed in the wrong one and blamed me for it ? Seriously?

Praised the Lord for guiding me, he sent me another angel to rectify the problem and brought me personally to the IT helpdesk and problem solved. Why can't everybody just do their part? Then again shit people sort of create a huge contrast, portraying these helpful souls as amazing angels in people's life.

That night,honestly,I cried a lot. Never this much in my life because I have so much to fear. It didn't help that people living at the place were freaking unfriendly. Fill you up the next time! See ya peeps!

Murray's Farm / Philips Island - Penguin Parade / Isola Di Capri

My sister loves animals so my family decided to visit Philips island to view the penguin parade.

My advice to people who have never been there before DO NOT GO DURING WINTER unless you enjoy the strong sea wind and it is freezing cold. No joke, my butt literally froze while sitting on the grand stand, my nose was runny and my ears hurt like crazy because my cheapo muffle broke - never buy from diaso, it doesn't last, then again I bought it for fun rather than the intention to keep myself warm :(

Bring a blanket or something and wear really really warm. Leather jacket is not enough, trust me. Been there, done that, absolutely regretted it.

Lastly, invest a little more for the VIP platform, totally worth the amount of money paid. Really love the day tour. It cost about AUD 90 if you book it from one of the shops along Swanston Street.

sorry, couldn't rotate it ><

Super chillax & COLD!

 Feeding a wallaby 

 Getting excited to see those little ones

Isn't the baby penguin plushie cute?

Isola Di Capri

2 Thompson Ave, Cowes VIC 3922 One of my favourite Italian dining places in philips island. The food there are reasonably priced and I love all the dishes shown below. It'd be nice to visit the place again for dinner but it is too far from the city :(

 BBQ chicken pizza

 seafood marinara

 fish and chip

I don't really like the tar tar sauce, but it is bearable as there is lesser mustard seeds in it compared to Tank Fish & Chippery. I guess it is the same everywhere here in Melbourne :(

Oriental Teahouse

Oriental Tea house

hop GD 068/69,Melbourne Central Shopping Centre/211 Elizabeth St

Was introduced this place by my family friend since my dad wanted to chill before going home to rest as it was still pretty early. I am not allergic to coffee, but I can't drink too much - it might cause migraine so I try to avoid it as much as possible.

Honestly tea contains caffeine as well, I think is is the psychological effect I guess.

I love the tea here. Especially the one in the photo. A tinge of vanilla and fruity after taste but it is so EXPENSIVE. Yes it is a huge glass but come on, AUD12.50 for a glass, seriously?

One thing I like about the place is the servicescape takes the theme of 1960s traditional chinese coffeeshop which feels really homely. They let you try out all the tea available in little cups before you make your choice at a table right in front of the main entrance. I really enjoyed sampling all different kinds of tea, it's free anyway hahas. I think I am start to reveal my unglamorous cheapo side of me!

Melbourne

I think this is Strawberry and Cream

Papa Gino

Papa Gino

221 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053

Visited Papa Gino a few times with my friends and it seems to be a really popular place among the locals here but I didn't quite like the food - I find them too bland for my liking. I heard it used to be really good and it is very packed on weekends here. I guess Tiamo is still my favourite at the moment unless I have found something better while exploring the little Italian street.

My dad used to frequent Italy a lot in his younger days while working for an Italian company says that the food there is pretty authentic and the ambiance is good. I can't deny that, but my taste buds doesn't like the food there unfortunately ><

I must say that the food there is really reasonably priced so people from Melbourne uni frequent there a lot I heard.

 BBQ Chicken pizza

Seafood marinara 

Tank Fish & Chippery

Tank Fish & Chippery

149 Lygon St 

Carlton, VIC 3053

Somehow when people come to Australia they say they must have fish and chips so my family chanced upon Tank Fish & Chippery  along the little Italian street.

I must say the service crew there is fantastic, I just wish the food could be better. The fish was fresh, but one bad thing is the tar tar sauce. Tar tar sauce ,personally is the soul for fish and chips for me. I don't like tar tar sauce with too much mustard seeds and had to finish it up with ketchup :(

The portion is really huge so basically shared these two dishes for a family of four. I didn't like the dim sim though (Dim Sum (Cantonese)/ Dian Xin in mandarin). It is basically mashed tuna wrapped with wanton skin and deep fry. I orginally thought it was siew mai, I guess I was wrong...

I must say the food is pretty reasonably priced too.

Tank for 2 

Fish and Chips