This must be one of the most hyped books recently, so it piqued my interest, and I picked it up once I had some free time and wanted a change of reading genre from the amazing Bad Blood and the super cheesy romantic The Heart Principle. It was a good book, although I am not 100% sure how long it will stay at the top of people’s minds.
Fresh from the huge success of Babel, R. F. Kuang hit it again with another best-seller, and I could understand why. The book delved into the topic of the book publishing industry, something not very widely known and understood, and revealed the ugly details of hatred and competition between authors. There are professions shrouded in mysteries, and writers are one of them. Not much has been said about the publishing process and what writers go through from the ideation to the publication of the book, so Kuang has made a very good choice of topic to dig into.
Another reason why the book was an instant hit was the choice of characters. If you spend a reasonable amount of time in a reputable bookshop recently, you will notice that there are lots of books about Asian characters, or by Asian authors, or both. Kuang is an Asian for sure, and the book is all about the conflict between a Chinese and an American woman. It hits the cultural diversity sweet spot, and therefore quickly snapped up by a lot of curious readers, myself included.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to discount the quality of the book. In fact, I quite enjoyed it, or at least most of it. The book really gave me a rare glimpse into how publishing works, and how a best-seller is chosen, planned, and executed. It’s a very professional process, and not really just a flash in the pan. Of course, the writer needs to come up with a brilliant idea first, but then the rest is really hard work of a small army of people and a very tightly knit and well-executed plan.
Besides the story, I also quite like the character build-up, especially June Hayward, and I even held a faint hope that she would succeed and her secrets would be buried. You can call it Stockholm’s syndrome all you want, but that was my honest feeling, as I turned the page and silently cheered for her. She was the antagonist, but in a way, she was also a victim, a stepping-on that paved the way for Athena Liu to reach publishing stardom.
All in all, it was a good book. The plot was well-developed, and there were enough twists to keep readers guessing. Even though we knew what happened since the whole story was told from the first-person view of June Hayward, aka Juniper Song, her struggles, her thoughts, and her feelings were very well portrayed, and that helped to make the storyline credible.
Of course, the book was not perfect. Athena’s dark past was not really explained, so the reason her mom decided to bury her notes and all the secrets stored inside was not really clear. And the ending of the story was my least favorite past. There is no reason to leave it open-ended since I don’t see any way for it to be developed into a series. Moreover, the story was not really wrapped up in the end, and I was quite puzzled about what would happen to Juniper in the end. Would her career end in shame and would she lose everything? Or by some miracle would she manage to fight back and win, and become popular once again, this time totally on her own, separated entirely from Athena’s ghost? Only Kuang can tell, and if she chooses not to, then the ending will just be like that, open, and in a way, incomplete.
As it was still lavender season in Melbourne, we ensured it was part of our itinerary in the area. A quick search showed that the nearest decent lavender farm was Warrantina, so we made our way there as a brief stop on the way back to Melbourne from the farm. It was not too far away, so even with a spare tire, we still managed to cover the distance and reached there in a decent time.
The flower field was stunning even though it was already past the peak blooming season. We could still see rows and rows of flowers stretching to the distance and lots of opportunities for great photos. It was also fortunate that it was a cloudy day, with some wind and the sun was not too harsh on our skin. We took lots and lots of photos and then moved into the farmhouse to join the farm’s introductory tour, where the lady owner of the farm told us the story of her life and how she built up the farm many years ago. It was inspiring, and quite informative as well. We got to see the small factory within the farm, where they processed the flowers and made lavender products. What an eye-opening experience, to see how the tiny purple lavender petals got transformed in so many different ways. After the tour, we were treated to the farm’s homemade lavender ice cream, which was super refreshing and enjoyable given the hot weather, and of course, we could not miss the chance of bringing home some mementos of the good time there. It was a pity they did not produce any lavender-infused candle, so we settled with a bottle of lavender essential oil, which smelled really amazing, and would be lasting quite a while.
Done with nature, we went back to the city. And since we were in central Melbourne, our next destination was none other than the popular Legoland Melbourne. Located inside one of the largest shopping malls in the city, Chadstone, the Legoland here was comparable, if not even bigger, than the one in Sydney. The arrangement was similar though, starting with the landmarks of the city recreated with Lego bricks, then the free play area, the interactive section, and then the in-house 3D movie theatre. Although it was not a surprise for us anymore, we still had much fun nonetheless, especially with the 3D Avengers Lego movie and the creative play area, where the kids got a chance to create their own movie with the characters they built by themselves with the provided Lego bricks. It was simple yet exciting, and definitely something we could redo at home.
After one hour in the land of bricks, we happily departed for a quick lunch at the shopping mall’s food court. This shopping mall was really huge, with a vast floor area and so many shops that we were nearly lost finding the way around.
One thing I have to say is that the shopping mall design was stunning and beautiful. The roof alone was amazing, and the curves and arcs were really amazing. There were some similarities with Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, but that one looked even better. And they seemed to have everything you needed there. From clothes to food to books and accessories, one could hardly think of anything that could not be found in that expansive shopping haven (there were a few supermarkets too).
Our utter impression of the giant shopping mall was however very much dented by the incident that happened inside there. I lost my phone. Right there in the mall’s toilet. And even though it was my fault, I was quite disappointed as I expected better from the people of the land of the kangaroos. Had I left the same phone in the toilet of Marina Bay Sands, there would have been a much higher chance of it still lying there at the very same place where I had left it, or picked it up and passed it to the mall’s customer service counter. But Chadstone was no MBS, no matter how nice it looked, and Australia was no Singapore. So, in the end, my phone was lost, just minutes after I left it out of sight, and when I tried in vain to contact the person who picked it up (I even managed to track it using the Find My Phone feature), he totally ignored me and even tried to log in to my phone sometime later. I don’t think he succeeded, but that really spoilt the nice image of Australia for me.
Even though we had to settle for a spare tire, we refused to let that unfortunate event dampen our holiday spirit. So, we set out to continue as usual, and since it was on the way back to Melbourne, we decided to drop by a chocolate factory, to see how chocolate is made, and probably buy some to bring home as presents.
Photo by Rodrigo Flores on Unsplash
To our great disappointment, the so-called chocolate factory was nothing like the version we had seen in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was much smaller, and although we could see the production line, there was not much going on there. The main part of the factory was a shop selling chocolate of all shapes, sizes, and flavors, and a small restaurant that sold ice cream. Well, at least there were quite a lot of choices in the shop, including chocolate-infused coffee and tea. So we ended up grabbing a bunch of chocolate and sat down in the restaurant to savor some fresh ice cream. To their credit, the ice cream was not bad, so we still had a relatively good time there.
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The horror came when we got back to our rental car to continue our drive to Melbourne. That was as if we had not had enough trouble with that damned car yet. The car moved out of the parking lot normally, but then halfway out, it stuck and could not move anymore. So there we were, in the middle of the driveway, with no way to either continue or get back inside the lot. We were blocking traffic! Cars started honking at us, which only made us more panic. I tried whatever I could, but the car just refused to budge. Some drivers got out of their cars and came to help but to no avail. My level of dread was increasing every moment. Why did that car have to continue creating trouble for us? I had no answer. And it did not help that some security guards came and requested me to move my car. As if I could do it. I wished I could. In the end, an old man stepped in, took the wheel, and tried turning the key a few times back and forth, and voila, the engine started and the car could move again. We were filled with relief and we thanked him profusely. It was such a close shave, and it could be much worse if the same thing happened not in the parking lot but somewhere out on the highway. We were truly grateful, but that did not make us hate the car any less. And we all made a mental note to never get our hands on an MG again.
Photo by Gabriel Tan on Unsplash
Fortunately, we reached Melbourne without any more incidents, but our confidence did suffer a great deal from what happened that day.
It was the night of the World Cup final, between the best teams in the world: France vs Argentina. Both had overcome great odds to prevail in the harsh competition and reach this final game. Glory was close. And thanks to free broadcasting in Australia, we managed to catch the match live on TV during our trip, and also thanks to the time difference between Dubai and Australia, the match started at early morning, making it the perfect timing for us to enjoy the whole event.
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It was an amazing match, full of twists and turns and surprises until the very end. Both sides did their best, so even though there could be only one winner, they both should feel very proud for giving it their all. And Mbappe was magnificent. He was young, yet he was playing with great skills and talent. If he can keep it up, the future of football will belong to him, once the great players of Messi and Ronaldo retire. But that is for the future though. For that day Messi was the king, and he finally took the crown he deserved and cemented his place as the greatest footballer of all time.
Photo by Vladimir Oprisko on Unsplash
Even though the game ended in penalty kicks, there was never a dull moment, as both sides kept pushing forward to take matters into their own hands, and 6 goals were scored in 120 minutes. I cannot recall a World Cup final with so many goals. That spoke volumes about how exciting and entertaining it was. Indeed, we were glued to the screen the whole time, since anything could happen anytime, and a moment of geniuses could come from anywhere. And we were not disappointed. It was truly a great game.
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Fully satisfied with the match, we packed up, made our breakfast with the yummy eggs that we had harvested the day before, and then headed out to say goodbye to the lovely animals and the wonderful hosts. Such a wonderful experience albeit short, and we had so much fun and a memorable time there on the farm. We loaded our stuff, took the last look at the lovely farm, then drove out onto the street, and that was when I found something different. Something is not right.
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Out of the gate, I stopped the car and went down to check. And to my shock, the tire was flat, with a long nail lodged inside. Fortunately, we were not on the highway yet. But there was no way we could drive back to Melbourne with this condition of the car. Thankfully the farm owner was very helpful and tried to contact a car workshop nearby. And thank God the workshop was just a few hundred meters away, and there was a spare tire inside the booth. So we loaded up, said goodbye again, and then drove slowly to the workshop, where the mechanic helped us replace the tire with the spare on FOF FREE. Such lovely country people indeed. And we were back on the road to Melbourne, even though we could not drive too quickly with the slimmer and striking color spare tire.
Photo by Weyne Yew on Unsplash
We managed to reach Melbourne safely, and after checking in, we went out on foot to a restaurant nearby for dinner. The place was serving Italian fare, and to our surprise, it was really good. The pasta was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The pizza was crispy and thin. And the salad was refreshing. We had a nice meal, a just reward for all the challenges that we faced on the day.
The name of the restaurant is Rocella (https://www.roccellamelbourne.com.au/), and if you are around, you should definitely check it out yourself. Besides, they also accept online reservations, so that you can plan and book in advance for shorter waiting times and more food enjoyment.
Back to the apartment, for Melbourne instead of a hotel, we picked a serviced apartment with a kitchen as we anticipated having to cook since we would stay over Christmas when everything was supposed to be closed. However, it was a bit of a disappointment. The kitchen was small and poorly equipped with a lack of kitchenware. The flat was quite dirty and the layout was far from optimal. And they marketed it as a prime condo. Either they bluffed or the overall standard of a prime condo in there was quite low, we cannot tell. But at least it was quite near the city center.
So, after almost 1 memorable and wonderful week, we finally bade farewell to the beautiful Sydney, checked out of our dear hotel which we have grown to love so much, and boarded the flight to Melbourne. That was the second leg of our maiden Australia trip and promised to be a very different experience altogether. Something that we could not wait to embark on, especially given the fact that we had some relatives in that city as well.
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The short flight was smooth and unremarkable, and in less than 2 hours, we set foot at Melbourne airport. Since we would be traveling more widely there, it made sense to rent a car. However, that was when the problem started. It took us a while to contact the car rental company and catch the shuttle bus that brought us to the rental bay. Then we found out that the car model we wanted to rent was not available, and they gave us another model that was supposedly equivalent, just that it was not equivalent at all. We would be having quite a memorable time with that car, which I will write about in more details later. For the time being, everything was okay, just that the car booth was quite narrow even though it was a SUV, so our poor kids had to share leg rooms with 2 pieces of hand luggage. Fortunately, the excitement of the trip made that little inconvenience a no big deal at all, and not before long, we were on the road.
Photo by William Bout on Unsplash
However, we soon realized the first problem. Being inexperienced (it was the first time we rented a car), we did not bring along a phone holder, and there was none provided by the car rental company, so my wife had to hold the phone and told me the turn by turn instructions, while I focused on driving and made sure that we were not lost. That made the ride much less enjoyable. Anyway, we still managed to reach a farm near the airport, as our kids were animal lovers and could not wait to touch and feed some animals themselves.
Photo by Sam Carter on Unsplash
The moment we turned into the farm and started unloading some items from the booth to look for the kid’s water bottle, I knew something was wrong. There was one piece of missing luggage, and not just any piece, but my backpack where I kept all the electronic stuffs, and our cash. Losing it would be a disaster. So while we tried not to panic, to keep our heads clear and tried to recall where we might have left it, there were a few places that could potentially be where it was left behind. One possibility was the airport, where we were walking in circles, trying to find tue shuttle service, but after thinking hard, I was pretty sure it would not be, as I remember vividly I already brought it up the minibus that picked us up from the airport, and I was very sure it would not stay on that bus either, since the driver had checked and made sure it was empty before driving off, and the backpack was too big to overlook. That left only one possibility: We forgot to load it into the rentef car, and left it behind at the car rental place. I tried calling them, and after a few rounds of redirections, plus a frustratingly long wait, someone finally picked up the call, and reassured me they would look for it and called me back if they found it.
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The waiting minutes were unbearable, and as I paced back and forth, we did not want to worry the kids, so while I continued waiting, my wife brought them around the farm and played with the animals there as if nothing had happened. After a long wait, finally they called back, but it was not good news at all. They told me they could not find my backpack anywhere. My head was spinning and I felt blood leaving my limps and rushed to my head as my stomach churned and tied itself in knots. That could not happen. Not to us. Refusing to accept that, I decided to go back there and look for it myself. So, leaving the kids behind with my wife to continue enjoying the farm, I ignited the car, set up the destination in the navigation app, and started driving.
Photo by HAMZA YOUNAS on Unsplash
Without my wife to hold the phone, I had no choice but to place it on the dashboard. And there came the next problem. It was December and a sunny day in Melbourne. Very soon. The sun baked my phone, turning it super hot, and as a safety precaution, it turned off! OMG. I was in a foreign country, driving on an unfamiliar road, with no map and no direction. I had no choice but to slow down, try to recall the way from memory, while placing the phone in front of the car aircon blower and praying that it would cool down soon. And it did. After a few minutes of getting a full blow of chilled air on its back. Thank God, I could continue my course again. And I was actually not off course by too much. So I managed to course correct and reach the car rental place shortly after.
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As I drove into the carpark, I was heading straight to the lot where we had collected the rental car. And there it was. My lovely backpack, lying on the floor, right there near the place where the car had been. I was flooded with relief. But then I felt angry. How the hell could the staff so confidently say that they had looked and could not see anything at all. It was right there, and they must have been blind not to see it, or they were simply lazy and did not even bother to go and check at all. Melbourne, you have let me down. There was even one staff there, staring at my bag when I ran for it, and she told me another customer had noticed the bag and informed them. Such a negligence. But I also must thank that kind customer for being a good lad and not taking my bag as one of their own.
Photo by Zosia Korcz on Unsplash
I quickly called my wife to tell her the good news, and from how she sounded, I knew she also heaved a sigh of relief. She must have also been very worried. The drive back to the farm felt much shorter and smooth, and I still managed to catch some play time with the farm animals, and had a quick lunch in the farm restaurant before we continued our drive to the farm that we would be staying that night.
Photo by Pat Whelen on Unsplash
It was quite a long ride, and after a while, the road condition was turning worse and worse. Most of the time, we were on 2-way roads, with one lane in each direction, and there was no hard divider, so I had to be sure we kept on our lane at all times, and everytime a car zoomed past us in the opposite direction, my heart nearly skipped a beat. Being that nervous, apparently I was driving quite slowly, and since there was no way to overtake, I could imagine how frustrating the car behind me must have felt. However, except one time when I slowed down to a crawl on the road as I misinterpreted the meaning of a road sign, none of them honked at me at all. For that, I was very grateful, and I really respected Australian relaxed attitude and patience. A Singaporean driver in that situation would have surely honked at me like crazy or even showed me the middle finger as he sped past me. That would make the drive much more stressful indeed (not that it was not stressful already by itself, with the small roads and no safety fence, which meant I could either slip off the road and hit the mountain or go into the opposite lane and get hit by an oncoming car heads-on).
Photo by Roman Grachev on Unsplash
After one hour on the road, we reached the farm, and all the tiredness immediately melted away. It looked so amazing. Far from what we could even imagine. The farmhouse was simple but fully furnished and very beautiful. And it was huge, with two floors and 2 bedrooms and a spacious living cum dining area. Best of all, there was a huge TV set, just perfect as the morning after would be the World Cup final, when our favorite Argentina team would face France for glory. I could not wait. But until then, there was much more to see and do. Starting with the giant field beside the farmhouse, where we could spot lots of farm animals roaming around leisurely, including goats, chickens, ducks, and our top favorites, alpacas.
Photo by Dušan veverkolog on Unsplash
We had such wonderful hosts who made us feel more than welcome. They were a super nice old couple who had come from China and spoke little English, but their kindness more than made up for the language barrier. We got to get our hands on feeding the farm animals and collecting eggs from the coop. It was really fun and the animals were really awesome, especially the alpacas. I couldn’t remember the last time we got to get so close to one before (maybe never), and they were really calm, with cheerful faces and mild demeanor, plus they were tall and graceful. We had a great time there at the field before getting back to the house for a relaxing evening. It was more than worth the travel and drive.
After 5 days of visiting places in Sydney center, we finally traveled a bit outfield, by taking a guided tour to the famed Blue Mountain area. It was not in our original plan, but upon reviewing it and seeing that we had a more or less free and easy day, we scouted for a good place around the wider Sydney area, and Blue Mountain came out top. So we booked the tour with the highest rating online, which surprisingly was still not sold out yet. The price was quite steep (probably that was why it was still not yet full even though we booked at the last minute), but we never regretted our spontaneous decision. It turned out to be a highlight of our Australia trip, something we still recall with favorable memories after one year.
We had to wake up quite early in the morning and took a short walk to the pickup point, but once we were safely onboard, it was a very comfortable ride. The minivan was safely and expertly driven by a kind old lady who was also our guide for the day. She was absolutely fantastic, funny, cheerful and very knowledgeable. Throughout the ride, she told us stories about Sydney, Australia, and the Blue Mountain area, to build up our anticipation for the trip. Being a local who had been living in the area her whole life, she knew a lot about the place and even shared with us very personal stories about her life. We secretly respected her for the life she had lived, and also silently wished that we would be able to relax and do things we loved when we reached her age, instead of slogging for money until we died.
The tour was very well designed, with a lot of stops along the way for rest and sightseeing, so we did not feel bored at all even though we were out and about the whole day, covering hundreds of kilometers of roads. The comfortable seats helped us relax and even doze off along the way, and the neverending stories from the lady kept us entertained and excited whenever we were awake. Moreover, the Blue Mountain area was really breathtaking. We took a stop at the Three Sisters, to enjoy the amazing view from the floating platform protruding out our the cliff. It was a 360-degree magnificent unblocked look down to the mountains and forests below, and we could really understand where the name came from, for the mountains indeed wore a blue coat, thanks to the sunlight reflecting the oil of the popular eucalyptus trees. That was simply wonderful.
To keep us excited, the tour also included a lot of activities. We got to try different modes of transportation, some we had never experienced in our lives. The ropeway across the valley was spectacular and thrilling at the same time, as the floor of the car was made of transparent glass, so we had a feeling of floating in the air above the trees and rocks. What a ride. The rollercoaster ride was a bit crazy though, due to the steep slope (we basically zoomed down the mountainside in a tube) and the lack of safety harness (we were basically just sitting on a chair), but thankfully it was short, so it was over before we were too scared, and just enough for a bit of adrenaline rush. Anyway, it confirmed my preference and reinforced the fact that I would not sit on one in Universal Studios anytime soon (or forever).
The tour also included a very nice lunch at a restaurant by the road. It seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, yet the food was considerably much better than the meals we had in town. We could never have found this kind of hole-in-the-wall restaurant by ourselves, and that was another value of taking a tour like this. So money well spent again.
We were then led to an animal sanctuary, which made the kids super excited. It was a small private zoo, with a focus on Australia’s native animals. Unlike the visit to the Taronga Zoo a few days before, when we could hardly find a koala or kangaroo, here koalas took center stage, and kangaroos just lazed around everywhere, enjoying the summer sun. We even got close up to a koala and touched it briefly during a photoshoot, and although the fur was quite rough, the koala really looked cute and cuddly. The experience was priceless, as we got to know later on that not all the states in Australia allowed you to touch the creature at all. We were lucky then, and we still got the photos to prove it.
It was an amazing experience, and we were so glad we took the tour. Everything was planned and timed perfectly, and we learned so much and saw so much within one day. We could never have pulled it off by ourselves, and that was the value of leaving it to the professionals. This should be top of the list for whoever visits Sydney for the very first time.
Since we are a nerdy family, and the Australian Museum in Sydney is quite a famous place, there was no way we could miss visiting it when we were in the city. That was why we spent a good part of a day in the place, and we still left reluctantly when the place was closed, wishing we could spend more time there.
We started the museum visit with an early lunch at the museum cafe. It was quite good though, the choice was limited but the taste was really not bad. And with our tummies filled, we explored the vast building with so many exhibitions. There was a limited edition display about sharks, so we headed there first, and it really blew our minds away.
Within an hour, we learned so much about sharks, and also about the country and its people. We had never known there were so many types of sharks, and that they dated back to millions of years ago. They were really ancient creatures, and beautiful in their own, fierce way. It is really a shame we humans are pushing them to the brink of extinction. And we learned about the native sharks of Australia. Although I don’t wish to meet one in the waves, I will be happy to see them in real life.
We could have spent the whole day in that shark exhibition alone since there was so much to see, and so many documentaries playing in an endless loop, but there was still so much to visit in other parts of the museum, so we had to force ourselves to move on. And luckily we did, as we got to see so many other interesting artifacts, especially those related to the dinosaurs. There must have been thousands of stuffed animals in that place, of all types, breeds, shapes, and sizes. From a tiny hummingbird to a full-size giraffe, I could find all of them there (I don’t even know how they managed to preserve a giraffe so well in the first place). But the crown jewels were really the dinosaur skeletons.
The museum has gathered a vast collection of dinosaur bones and some of them were quite complete. From the skeletons they put up, we could really picture how those beautiful creatures would look like in real life millions of years ago. But the most amazing part was the section where they displayed a life-size replica of a T-rex, with a super realistic look, right down to the blood, flesh, and internal organs. I didn’t know how close it was to the real thing, but it still looked super impressive nonetheless. And the fact that it was built for a documentary really made me want to check out that documentary in full.
There was still another place in that wonderful museum that we wanted to check out, and it was the Lego brick exhibition. Compared to the rest, it was just a small room, but it was super packed with lots of Lego models as well as loose bricks that our kids could get their hands on building something themselves. Some of the models were really amazing, with lots of details, and involved a huge number of bricks and a lot of effort to put them together. Our kids had a great time checking out those Lego sets. What I found most interesting was the giant mosaic made of Lego bricks in one section of the exhibition. It was still a work in progress, and whoever wanted could contribute by assembling one of the tiles, and then passing it to the staff to put up on the mosaic. That way, you can feel that you are also part of the exhibition, and that’s what made my kids love it so much even though my daughter had to build a tile that was totally black (poor her, she whined a little, but then was still happy when she saw it coming up to be part of the mosaic itself).
It was a great day at the museum for us, and we left wanting for more. In fact, we were one of the last visitors. We really loved the way they presented the information there. It was informative but still fun and engaging, and there was not even a single boring moment. We were impressed.
Since our kids are both animal lovers, an aquarium is definitely on our must-visit list when visiting a new city, and Sydney SEA Life is no exception. Since it was quite close to our hotel, at a very nice location overlooking the Sydney harbor, after a very full breakfast, we took a leisurely stroll down there.
Photo by Renate Helgerud on Unsplash
The fish were beautiful, and we got to see the super cute blue penguins, which could be found only in this part of the world. We even witnessed a feeding session where the zookeepers carefully hand-fed the big fish one by one to ensure they all got their fill for the day. They even went to great lengths to name each fish individually, which was very impressive to us. They must have had a lot of attachments to them.
Photo by Clarinta on Unsplash
The aquarium, though well stocked with marine life, was smaller than we thought, so we finished covering everything after a little more than 1 hour. With still lots of daytime on our hands, we decided to grab a quick lunch at one of the restaurants on the bay before our next destination. Unfortunately, it was between lunch and dinner service, so most of the places were closed, and after walking around for a while, we found only one still open, albeit with a very limited menu. So we basically ordered everything available and got two pizzas and some fries and chicken wings. Not a great feast for sure, but at least it made us full and gave us some much-needed energy boost for the rest of the day. Not bad at all.
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The weather was so nice, and sunny but also cloudy and windy, so we headed to the famous Bondi beach to get some desired vitamin sea. And we ended up getting much more than what we bargained for. The sun was shining brightly but the wind was strong and chilly, and the waves were scarily high, so we soon gave up the idea of swimming, and instead found a good spot on the beach, took out our mat, and sat down for a relaxing time. Around us, there were many people sunbathing and chilling, some deep into books while others just enjoying themselves doing nothing. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Well, not really for 2 active and easily bored kids. Fortunately, before they started yawning, they discovered a vast area of rock pool at the side of the beach, quiet, empty, and secluded. To them, that was literally a gold mine. They happily moved around the rocks, jumping from one to another, trying to spot any wildlife hidden inside, while we had to hold our breaths every time they hopped. Fortunately, nothing terrible happened, and the kids managed to find a treasure trove of marine life under those rocks and pooled water, so all was well, and one hour flew by in a flash.
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With the kids totally satisfied, and the sun setting on the horizon, we set out for a beach walk, appreciating the multiple wall murals lining up the shore. Some were really works of art I would say. Very detailed and sophisticated, and of course, beautiful. And since it was World Cup season, we stumbled upon a group of Argentina football fans nonetheless. What a coincidence. We have been rooting for them to win the World Cup forever, and having the chance to see them sing and dance on the beach, feeling their energy and enthusiasm, was really fantastic. And what was even better than that was to see how football connected people, as passersby started joining and dancing together to the beats. They would surely have a sleepless night since the game only started early in the morning.
Photo by Pedro Chosco on Unsplash
We capped off the day with a dinner on the beach, and since we were at Bondi Beach, how could we miss out on the famous fish and chips! There were a lot of restaurants selling the delicacy along the beach, but surprisingly most of them closed early (it was not even 8pm yet, which was still early for us Asians). Fortunately, we found a decent one that was still open. In fact, we were one of the last admitted customers. And they only sold for takeout. So there we were, sitting on a table overlooking the vast, dark ocean, munching on greasy but yummy fish and chips, chatting away, and watching the seagulls gather in large flocks, looking for food on the sand. It was so peaceful and time really slowed to a crawl. It is such a wonderful way to end the day indeed. We really couldn’t ask for more.
On our third day in Sydney, we decided to dial our schedule up a notch, and visited 3 places instead of 1. What a major upgrade in the pace. But since we did not spend a lot of time in each place, it was still manageable.
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The first location for the day was none other than the famous Madame Tussaud’s Museum. That was not the first museum of that kind that we have ever visited. We have been to the one in Singapore, and it was quite fun and educational at the same time, so when we found that there was one in Sydney, it obviously went straight into our itinerary.
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Since the museum was located in Australia, it was understandable that quite a significant number of local figures were featured in the displayed, and we were totally fine with that. However, there was a section of weird human figures that was really creepy and not child friendly at all. Our kids were so afraid that we had to rush them through to the next section as quickly as possible. They were still a bit shaken after the visit, but at least it did not have any long term mental impact on them so far. Maybe the museum should have a warning before visitors enter that section (even I myself found those figures bizarre and quite scary looking). But other than that, it was a pleasant visit, and our kids had fun posing with some of the internationally well-known figures there, like Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, and even the former Queen Elizabeth. So, not all was lost anyway.
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As it was already lunch time, we bade farewell to the wax figures and made our way to the fish market, our next destination of the day. After criss-crossing multiple roads and walking under the bridge, and almost missing the entrance due to its conspicuous facing, we finally found it. And hungry as we were, we settled down right at the first decent looking restaurant there, one with a beautiful view of the beach.
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It was not everyday that we could eat fresh live seafood, so we quickly ordered up various kinds of seafood, from clams to lobsters, and even abalones for a try. The abalones available was quite small and a bit chewy after being grilled with garlic. The baked lobsters with butter were, on the other hand, too buttery for our taste. And more, the meal did not come cheap. So, to be honest, it was quite a let down for us, even though the good view and comfortable seats made up a little bit for the standard of cooking. (The highlight of the meal was in fact the raw oysters, which were super fresh, had no smell at all, and were really fat, big and succulent, although they did not require any cooking at all).
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Our third, and final destination of the day was not really part of our plan at all. After the meal, we strolled around the area near our hotel since it was still early, and chanced upon a park, which turned out to be Hyde Park, the most famous park in downtown Sydney. It was a beautiful park, with soft grass and big trees all around, casting shadows and keeping us cool and relaxed. We did not really prepare for a picnic, but since we brought our mat along, it would be a waste not to lie down and enjoy the fresh air.
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While my wife and kids enjoyed the cool breeze, I set out to explore the surrounding area, and that was when I discovered a big church, made of brown color stones, across the road from the park. It was beautiful, still open, and almost empty. And since it was close to Christmas at that time, there were a big bazaar with live performances right in front of the church. A quick Google Map check told me that it was none other than the very Saint Mary Cathedral, not just any random church. So I immediately turned back to convey the discovery to my family, and we quickly packed up and headed over to explore the place before their closing time.
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The architecture was typical of a church, mimicking a giant cross with the middle part right at the altar. However, what set this apart was the chosen color theme. Unlike other churches, which were often grey, this one had a brownish orangish look, probably due to the color of the stones used for its construction. Moreover, stained glass design and Christian paintings adorned the wall, some of which were quite detailed and cvccfbeautiful. So we all set down, relaxed and enjoyed the arts for a while, until it was. closing time.
Not a bad day after all. Not perfect but still interesting, and it was made much better with a hearty bowl of authentic beef phở at the end of the day.
After a good night‘s rest, our energy was almost restored, and we were all ready to go out and explore Sydney properly. And since the accommodation package did not come with free breakfast, the first thing we did was to hit the supermarket for a homemade brekkie to fill our stomachs and bring our energy level from 8 to 10.
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One thing that surprised me was that the price here was not cheaper than in Singapore, even though Australia can produce most of its own food, and Singapore imports nearly everything. Perhaps we should be more grateful for the excellent work those folks in Singapore‘s trade ministry have been doing behind the scenes. They must have negotiated hard for the best price of goods in our local supermarkets. The only produce that was much cheaper and tastier in Australia was their homegrown mangoes and blueberries. Oh man, you can never find those top quality in Singapore, even if you look in the top supermarkets. They were big, juicy, and very super sweet. So sweet that I can still feel their taste in my mouth, almost one year, since I last, savored them.
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With 2 kids in tow, it was only feasible to plan one anchor activity each day, and for that second day in Sydney, we visited one of Sydney‘s landmarks: Its famous Taronga Zoo. Ranked high among all the attractions in Sydney, that was a place not to be missed, and since our kids loved animals, there was no reason to delay it any longer.
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The zoo was located quite a distance away from the city center and took almost 1 hour to travel from our hotel by bus. Thankfully, there was quite a lot to see on the way and before we realized it, we already reached. From outside the entrance looked impressive, and we could not wait to explore further.
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Since we came from Singapore, where there was one of the best zoos in the world, the bar was set relatively high from the get-go. Fortunately, Taronga Zoo did not disappoint us. We spent a few hours inside, and everyone had so much fun. We managed to spot and interact with the most unique and signature animals of Australia: kangaroos and koalas.
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While the kangaroos were generally quite friendly towards us, and even let us touch them gently, the koalas were not so. In fact, they almost totally ignored us, and continued sleeping or eating their only choice on the menu: those nasty eucalyptus leaves that were chockful of poison.
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We also managed to catch the animal show, whose star attraction was a huge black Californian sea lion. The show was quite fun, and the sea lions proved again that they were quite smart and trainable. However, we did not manage to catch sight of the elusive platypus. However, since it was only our second day, we still hopefully had a few more chances to see it in real life.
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Done with the zoo after a couple of hours, and while we were not very impressed with the choice of food so far, we happened to chance upon a Vietnamese restaurant not so far from our hotel. It was run by a group of Vietnamese, and the food was excellent, very authentic and the taste was to our liking. That turned out to be a saving grace for us as we kept coming back there whenever we ran out of eating options.
My World 