Melbourne after the wedding

Everyone is quite worn out after the wedding. LOL. So we didn't do much the day after. Just hanging around. It was a nice day. We went to the garden for some photo-taking session. Oink's uncle has a very nice garden. Every morning, a few kangaroos would hop in to look for food.  But they are really shy of humans, and would quickly run away when you get near.

Tomato saw me blowing dandelions. So she also wanted to copycat me. But she tried blowing at it with her pacifier on. *facepalm*

Love this shot.

The next day we went to Mount Dandenong. The weather was warm but not too warm. 

Look at the blue blue sky. How I miss the blue sky and the very blue sea of Australia.

Yellow standing out. 

 Someone is very busy pushing around her own stroller. :-s

Where else can you lie down on grass without worrying about dog poop? LOL. Tomato happily rolled around.

Then we had tea at Miss Marples Tearoom. Glorious food. Look at that sundae. YUMSSSS. Tomato only ate the strawberries 'x'

Melbourne : The Wedding

Hello blog. Its been a few weeks. I didn't notice I didn't blog for so long, few weeks seem to pass by in a few blinks. So I feel sorry I neglected you. *Ahem* 'x' But I promise, I will blog more often, for my own good since I plan to read you and relive the sweet & bitter memories when I am old. The more I blog = the more I get to read right? 

24 March 2014, The Wedding Day.

Woke up early to get ready. I let Tomato sleep in until the very last minute when we needed to get her ready. We didn't shower, it was wayyyy too cold.

Everyone was busy preparing food in the dining area. Me? my job is to take photos only (and to look after Tomato of course)

My love and I. Do we look pretty or what?

Food waiting to be eaten. Can you spot hot cross buns? They are only available on Easters.

Tea sets for the tea-serving ceremony. And Oink and I was served tea, and we get to give the newly-weds 'ang pao'.

Mother in law personally decorated the bridal car. She spent hours on it. It was nice, I really wanted to take photo from the front, but sorry, it was way too cold for me to bravely go out and take the photo 'x'

And afterwards, we were driven to the church which I can't remember the name for the church ceremony. I got no quality photos to share there as it was dark inside 'x' But the ceremony, was intimate and touching. Mother of the groom serenades and I was suddenly moved and felt so touched, I almost cried.

We then lunched at a Chinese Dim-Sum place. And we only get back home, around 3pm. O.O! Tomato fell asleep in the car before we even arrive.

The dinner reception was very interesting. It is somewhat different than what we have back home. I found Australians, are more open at sharing and humorous. There were speeches which are not at all boring, since they are such a funny couple. There's even a flash mob! And the mother of the groom actually was in it! Funny games, proposal video, the groom and pals even made a music video exactly like One Direction's MTV (can't remember the title, I am NOT their fan).Sorry, not much pictures, as I only brought my phone 'x' and I was busy getting entertained. *Ahem*

Here's a photo of the couple dancing. 

Here's one of the photos taken at the photobooth. Only get to play 2 times. Sigh.. LOL...it was popular with the guests.

Melbourne : Queen Victoria Market

After Hobart, then Sydney, we are back to Melbourne. And our free and easy days commences. LOL! Well, you see, we are here for a wedding, and everyone is busy preparing for the wedding. And uncle's house is quite far from the city center( I can't remember the address 'x', but I remember it being really near to the airport).

but lucky for us, another aunty is coming down to pick up his sis from the airport, so we tumpang her car down to QVM.

Its much like our Kuching's Sunday Market, but is much more organised, with sections selling different categories of goods. But less crowded as it was a weekday. We picked up most of our souvenirs here. I bought shirts for the kids and my parents for 5 AUD each, only to find another stall selling for 4 AUD each #facepalm :/.  I love how they have a section selling organic fresh produce. LOVE IT!

Got lost while trying to find the food court. After walking around a bit, we manage to find it! Finally!  I got tired of fried food, but apparently Oink don't 'x'. Manage to find a Malaysian food stall and got Tomato porridge, which I thought was too salty and I suspect there's msg :( Oh well..And I had mediterranean potato salad.

After lunch, we walked a bit around the fresh vege and fruit section and got some pumpkin, sweet potato, a big bundle of fresh grapes for only 3AUD! and also a small box of strawberries for 2AUD! CHEAP! And all the sellers was super polite.:)

SWEET SWEET strawberries, this is when Tomato starts loving to eat strawberries.

We wandered around until around 3pm when they start closing and decided to leave. But how?ROFL!

We then found out we need to take the tram till the last stop towards the airport, and in order to do that, we got to have MyKi card, you can't purchase single tickets : /. So we walked around trying to find a shop selling the card and manage to find one.  And its about an hour ride back to the last stop, in which Tomato slept through. When we reached, it was sooo windy and cold, and Tomato was still sleeping, we decided to go to Westfield Airport West for some shopping. When we are there, only I shopped, Oink instead babysat Tomato at one corner. HAHAHAHA. But I end up didn't get much. Now another problem, how to go back? No one is at home because they all went up to another uncle's house for the preparation. My wise husband luckily had copied down the address of the house before we left this morning.

We walked to the taxi stand, and waited. And waited. And waited. WTH. Where's the damn taxi?! There's a young mother with her tiny baby and a shopping trolley full of groceries also waiting. And she told us she has waited for 3 hours. My God! This cannot do. I told my husband lets go back to the tram station. I bet we'll have better luck there. And what do you know, we manage to catch a taxi in less than 5 mins. I gave myself a pat at the back for being wise 'x'!! Worth braving the cold wind for it. While inside the the taxi, i told him about the young mother and his tiny baby still waiting at the taxi stand and tried to make him go back to pick her, but he seem reluctant. I really hoped he did. Poor baby, its cold and they have been waiting for 3 hours.

For dinner, we cooked instant noodle, and it devoured it, it seem like ages since we last had instant noodle and it was oh so good. LOL. Of course tomato didn't eat the instant noodle, she had porridge and mashed up pumpkin. We then had the sweet strawberries.

Melbourne : Rest & Relax

Before we went to Tasmania & Sydney, we actually rested one day at Melbourne first. With a toddler around, I thought its better we just stay in and rest since we didn't manage to catch enough z on the plane.

After a few hours nap, its already afternoon Melbourne time.

We stayed at Oink's uncle's house. And he has a hen. And tomato is fascinated in animals. Everyday if we are there, she will request to look at kok-kok-kei (chicken) 'x' And since I was there too to watch over her, I noticed something different about ang-mo-kei (foreign country's chicken). Our malaysian chickens run like no tomorrow when sight us, but this chicken, was very curious, and tried to get closer and look at us back instead. LOL

The weather was good, and I wanted to walk around the neighbourhood. It was quiet, with not much people.

And we chance upon a playground much to Tomato's delight. And it was empty. Where were all the people??!! O.O

The sky seem blue-er at Australia, and also vast-er.

Sydney Day 3 - Manly Beach, then to Melbourne

Our last day at Sydney. How I wished we stayed longer. It was also the hottest day we every had at Australia.

After breakfast, we took the free shuttle bus from George Street to Circular Quay again. Since its free, it was really packed. 'x' It took a while to go to Circular Quay as its making stops to pick up more people. 'x'! 

I really regretted boarding the free bus LOL. It was near 11am when we arrived 'x' And our plane to Melbourne is 3+pm 'x'!!!  we missed the 11am ferry to Manly and had to wait till 11.30am for the next one. I was so worried about how much time we have.  

It took around 30 mins to arrive Manly. All throughout the ride, I keep praying that we could arrive earlier. 'x' But look! The water is so nice, the sky is so blue!

It was HOT. Really hot day. Some random church I guess which I didn't get the name 'x' We only had limited time on Manly and there's no time to find out names. *ahem*

Obligatory tourist-y photo. SO SO HOT. But what nice beaches they have. Anyway, even with the little limited time we had, I still insist on having Ben & Jerry. LOL!! Its too hot, ok? I need to cool down.

With less than an hour spent there, we took the ferry back to Circular Quay, and this time we are smarter, we decide to take the train back to Central. I then came out with a master plan. Oink is to rush back to the  hotel to get our luggages while I will buy the train tickets to airport + buy lunch.

Anyway, we were in time. Thank God. Sydney Airport look so nice and huge, I regret we didn't have time to explore it, should have checked out earlier and just come explore the airport 'x' LOL. Didn't get to check out the airport when we landed a few days ago because it was already late night when we landed.

There was a guest in front of us who was too late for check in, he kept face-palm himself 'x'

And because we were last to check in, we got the last row seats 'x' which was window-less, and I pity the person who sat next to us, cos Tomato was as excited as usual when in the plane. I said person, cause till this day, I am not sure its a SHE or a HE. I thought its a HE because erm, the person was big, had short hair, wore like a man. Oink insist that its a SHE because of the higher pitched voice. Oh well, whatever 'x'

When we arrived at Tiger Airways's terminal at Tullamarine, we had the shock of our lives 'x' LOL. This, ladies and gentleman, is the terminal, do not doubt me. Oink said look like some kind of factory. LOL. He can't stop laughing, and I think he posted this photo in FB 'x'