Ouch! My feelings!

Lately when I drop Anya and Callum off at daycare, Anya is quite happy to immediately start playing with her friends, and barely shows any interest in me. There is a fun little thing she likes when I leave, though (after handing a loudly protesting Callum over to one of the extremely kind staff). I close the gate to her room, then she comes over and gets a kiss through the bars.

If her friend Amelia is there, Anya invites her to come get a kiss too. The last time this happened, Anya warned her, "After you get a kiss, wipe the slobber off." (Fact check: I actually have very dry lips, which David has complained about more than once.) Also a few times she's said, "No, I don't want a kiss today, I don't want to get your smell on me." (!!! I have no idea what this one means!)

Cooking the Chef

David had the brilliant idea for a dinner party where each guest would bring a dish from The Cook and The Chef. We decided his birthday was the perfect excuse, and invited everyone over this Saturday evening. The eclectic, but tasty, menu included:

Beetroot, Cannellini & Pear Dip with Rosemary Chickpea Crispbread
Bitter Green Salad
Treasure's Lamb and Pickled Quince Pies
Thai Chicken Stir Fry
Buffalo Mozzarella Souffle
Chocolate Almond and Prune Slab
Vietnamese Coffee

We also brought out several bottles that have been "cellared" under our house in the crawl space (like most timber Queensland homes, our house is elevated about 3 ft above the ground, which helps it stay cool and also deters termites). Yummm... there was a 1996 Jamieson's Run, a 1995 Wynn's Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, and to finish, we shared a port that David bought in Solvang, the year that we started our relationship (1996). The Jamieson's Run was stunning. I can't believe we originally bought it for $10/bottle.

Anya and Callum slept over at their grandma's house, so they had a special time as well (and we got to stay up late and sleep in!)

Visit to Sydney + Roadtrip

Thanks to the lingering vestiges of royal government, Australia celebrated the Queen's birthday on June 8th, so we took advantage and went to Sydney to hang out with Paul, Teresa and Heather for the week (Paul wrote an excellent blog entry about our visit, and so did Teresa). At first we thought about flying -- then taking the train -- but in the end, I'm not sure how, we decided to drive. So then we had to buy a car... (see my previous post)

In addition to the new car, we also had a new camera with us, so I've been waiting for David to figure out how to download the photos and videos, so I could show them here. But since getting home, we've barely had time to breathe, eat and sleep, so today is the first time we've been able to get them off the camera's hard disk. Hopefully over the next few days we'll get it sorted and I'll have more to show -- so far I've just uploaded a few photos to flickr.

We left home on Friday (5th), drove for about six hours, and stopped overnight at Coffs Harbour. I would have loved to stop and linger along the way at all the scenic spots and foodie attractions, but we only stopped a few times for snacks and to let the kids run around. Their favorite activity of the day was probably chasing bubbles around, blowing from a perfume shop next to Sirocco Cafe in Ballina. They also enjoyed playing in the park by the river. We saw, unexpectedly, quite a lot of beautiful Ballina as we traipsed all over going to lunch, a bookshop, Rivers (to buy Callum sandals that we then lost the next day...), the park, and circling back to pick up a hat we lost along the way.

The kids amazed me with how well they coped with the car trip. Callum slept for a long time in the morning, and Anya was great all day until about 3:30 when she started saying she wanted to go home. She fell asleep as soon as I gave her the dummy. Callum held her hand (in her sleep) and to my surprise he fell asleep too. They woke up when we stopped to check out motel prices in Coffs Harbour. I thought they'd be full of beans after that, but after dinner, we settled them at the usual time, got into bed ourselves with the reading lights on, and they fell asleep without any dramas. I guess they probably liked us all being together for a change. It brought back memories of my childhood road trips with my parents lurking at the far end of the hotel room while they waited for us kids to fall asleep.

The second day, we made less stops -- admiring the gorgeous scenery the whole way -- and arrived in Sydney by 5:30, conferring with Paul about the best route -- we'd heard about the dangers of getting sucked into the Lane Cove Tunnel. Sydney seems to be covered with tollways that can take you very far in the wrong direction if you're not careful. We arrived without mishap and didn't even have much trouble with rush hour traffic, probably because we were going counter-flow.

Anya kicked off our grand re-union with Paul, Teresa & Heather by saying, "Come on, Heather!" and all three kids immediately ran off to another room to play. They also had dinner together at a low table, which Heather wasn't too interested in eating, but she joined in to be social. Meanwhile, Paul grilled up some garlic prawns (yummmm) and burgers for our dinner.

The next day, we went to the Sydney Aquatic Centre which has a variety of heated pools and water slides, all indoors. We spent a lot of time going around and around in a circular channel that has jets propelling you along like submerged rapids. Really cool. After lunch, back home, all three kids enjoying tooling around the parking area on tricycles for a long time -- Anya pedalling on Heather's tricycle, Heather on a scooter style with no pedals, and Callum on a neighbor's scooter tricycle. David and I were agog, as Anya has been very uninterested in riding her tricycle at home. Maybe she just needs a big area to ride around in circles, rather than the bike paths we've been bringing her to.

On the Queen's Birthday, we went to Taronga Zoo. Tons of people were there, but we couldn't really tell after we went in, because it is so spacious. The zoo has a prime position along the harbour as well, so if only they would build some treehouses... (they do have an overnight stay program called "Snore and Roar" but I don't know where the guests stay). We spent hours at the zoo and barely saw a quarter of the exhibits. If I lived in Sydney I would probably get an annual pass to the zoo! There was so much to see. Right after lunch we were lucky to see the "Elephants' Playtime." I have a particular fondness for snakes, so I loved getting to pet an olive python. But we all agreed our favorite was the giraffes -- they just look so elegant and gentle.


The following day, Paul and Teresa went to work -- we stayed out of their way while they managed to compress a whole morning routine into just an hour. (We don't seem able to do that, I'm not sure why... 2 x kids = 4 x time?) David and I took the kids for a long walk along the shoreline, around to Luna Park. We visited there in 2007, when we last came to Sydney, and Anya said that this time she would not be afraid of the clowns and she was really looking forward to meeting them. Unfortunately, we didn't think about the fact that it was a cold, windy, winter workday -- the park was closed! We got a good walk out of it anyway, and took a "sequel" photo in front of the Luna Park gate. The outing tuckered out the kids quite well and I dashed off for a few hours to meet my replacement at the DHI Sydney office (I have handed off my Software Sales role and am going back to project work).


On Wednesday, we packed up and drove out to my Uncle Felix & Aunt Yuk Kuen's home in Pennant Hills. (Unfortunately, this involved driving halfway to Penrith, passing through several tollways, before I realised my mistake.) Uncle Felix & Aunt Yuk Kuen have a beautiful home ("just a cottage") in Cherrybrook where we were warmly welcomed. I last saw them at our wedding (1997) and before that I'd only seen them few times in the past, so this was a long overdue family reunion. We really enjoyed staying with them and the kids felt right at home almost from the beginning (Aunt Yuk Kuen really pulled out all the stops with providing toys, movies and treats).

On Thursday, we set out for Darling Harbour, intending to visit various museums, parks and other attractions around the area, but as soon as we arrived at the Powerhouse Museum, the kids were rapt and we spent the whole morning there. The first activity of the day was chasing pigeons around the plaza outside the entrance... then playing with techno toys... examining a spread of musical instruments... "Zoe's House" where they donned miniature construction hats and safety vests and carted around rubbery "bricks"... wandering around a futuristic exhibit of robots and computers downstairs... and finally visiting an outdoor play area where we had lunch as well. I must admit, David and I got pretty bored with the museum but clearly the kids loved it.

That night David and I had a long talk with Uncle Felix & Aunt Yuk Kuen about family stuff and I asked Uncle Felix to write out the family tree for me. My grandfather had 3 wives (my father was his eldest son) and I knew all the names from my grandmother's part of the tree, but I only know one aunt from the other part of the family. The funny thing is, after looking at the diagram, I realised that there were more people in my dad's generation than in mine! I have nine aunts and uncles, but just six cousins.

On our last day with Uncle Felix & Aunt Yuk Kuen, we went for a short walk in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Our time there was frustratingly short, since we were limited by how soon we could get the kids ready in the morning, and how soon they got tired after lunch, but it was nice to visit such a major national park -- it's on the Australian National Heritage List.


In the evening, we drove back to North Sydney (along with my aunt & uncle) and all had dinner together at Lee's Fortuna Court for a surprise birthday dinner for David (his birthday being the next day). Teresa kindly organised the whole thing and brought a huge chocolate cake, which David got to cut with a sword (the restaurant's).


On David's birthday, we left Sydney at 9 am, and David drove with determination all day (I spelled him briefly in the afternoon so he could nap). We got home at 11:30 pm! Thank you David; I never could have done it... and what a way to spend your birthday. It was good to wake up in our own beds in the morning and have a day to reset ourselves (and do laundry!)

New, and Slightly Mad

So the big news of the day is: we have a new car! Why? Because we are planning to drive to Sydney (departing this Friday), and only found out last Friday that our old car’s transmission is on its last legs. Talk about putting the pressure on… To fix the transmission would have cost as much as the value of the car, and we’ve been talking about getting a new car for a while now, so luckily we had some car models in mind.

David put in a Herculean effort over the last four days and says, “I would rather get my skull drilled open than go through this again, but it looks like we have a car.” Yay! (Not only that, he got them to accept our old car, which would have been a pain to get rid of, so, YAY again!) At 4:30, after a whole day of teeth-grinding negotiations (about road-worthiness) and driving back and forth across Brisbane (to see the car & get it checked out), the seller really flabbergasted us by reneging on the sale. David even asked me to check with the Office of Fair Trading to see if we had any recourse. But later, after David called them to see if they *really* meant to pull out, they said they were going ahead with the sale (phew!) Now our fingers are crossed that they deliver as promised and we get a road-worthy car tomorrow.

And a big thank you goes out to our mechanic who really helped us with advice on whether the model we liked was sound, and squeezed us into his busy schedule at short notice to inspect the car we picked.

Kangaroo Fillet with Basil Garlic Paste

I was doubtful whether to post this recipe but a quick search of available kangaroo recipes revealed a theme to me: kangaroo is imagined to be tough and/or gamey, and recipes tend to focus on making it super spicy (eg. curry) or stewing it for a long time or both. Horrors! I just don't see the point of having a lovely, exotic meat, and burying the flavor.

My recipe does the complete opposite: you don't cook the meat for any longer than you like (I prefer medium rare) and it stays moist and tender. It's pretty simple, and I imagine this recipe would also work well for other meats:

Make a paste of garlic, fresh basil, nuts, olive oil and salt to taste. (Sort of like pesto without the cheese.) Spread in a layer over the kangaroo fillets, coating all over (about the thickness of peanut butter on a sandwich). I did this a few hours before cooking to let the flavors go through the meat. When ready to cook, roll the fillets in cornflake crumbs or breadcrumbs and fry on both sides.

To serve, slice diagonally.

Let Us Count the Ways to Say... NO!

1. When mama is changing the TV channels, and goes past the ABC Kids program, shout, "NO!" until she changes back. (Then you might say, quietly in relief, "There you go.")

2. In the middle of the night. Darn it! Why did we wake up? (Oh, there's that dummy.)

3. For about twenty or thirty minutes, over and over, and for no particular reason.

4. When your big sister picks up something that you had your eye on.

5. At sleeptime, after having been read two lovely stories and had "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in a family sing-along, you have to shout, "NO!" and get off the bed as quick as a wink to let everyone know: it surely can't be time to lie down quietly yet.

6. In the bath, when it's time to wash your hair.

7. Any time you feel like it (or don't feel like it). It's a fun sound!

Green Curry

We make Thai curry quite often, but this one turned out especially well, so I thought I'd share the recipe, since it was fairly simple with not too many ingredients:

1. Fry one sliced onion on medium-high heat until starting to brown.
2. Add meat of your choice (I used pork mince; chicken would taste similar), tossing to ensure even cooking, until surfaces look cooked (the meat will continue to saute or simmer in the following steps).
3. Add several slices of belacan (compressed shrimp paste), stirring into the pan juices to dissolve.
4. Add 1 small tin of green curry paste (about 115 g) and a generous handful of curry leaves (optional) and stir through, cooking for about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in 2 cans (400 ml each) of coconut milk and 1 can of bamboo shoots, baby corn, or a combination.
6. Stir in thickly sliced zucchini or eggplant pieces and simmer until cooked (careful not to overcook!) I used 2 zucchinis.
7. Serve over rice, garnished with fresh basil and friend shallot (a condiment available from Asian grocers).

Me = Callum

I noticed this week that when I asked Callum, "Can you say Callum? Who are you?" He says, "Me!" I told David about this, and we have been trying to get him to say his name ever since, with no luck so far.

We tried to illustrate the concept this way, on our drive into town yesterday:

"Who's this?" -- "Daddy!"
-- "Yes! Who's this?" -- "Mama!"
-- "Very good! And who's this?" -- "Ah-wa!" (smiles all around)
-- "OK, so who's this?" -- "Me!" (peals of laughter from everyone)

Nothing Fancy

This was tonight's dinner, and although simple, it all tasted good together and I received more compliments for this than for many other fancy meals.

PORK - SCOTCH CUT: sprinked with salt, freshly ground pepper, and liberally applied olive oil, baked until done through (juices running clear)

APPLES AND ONIONS: slice 2 onions and 4 apples, saute the onions until soft but not brown, place apple slices on top, sprinkle with a little sugar to taste (about 1 tsp) and dot with butter to taste (about 1 tablespoon), wait until onions start to brown, then stir together and cook on medium low heat (stirring occasionally) until soft (if I had been more organised, this probably would have worked well as an oven dish alongside the pork)

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER: steam cauliflower florets, then place in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with cheese of your choice (I used a combination of Romano & mozzarella, but I think a little blue cheese would have tasted great), place under a grill until lightly browned

Anya Turns Four

Yes, our little girl turned four yesterday and I DIDN"T TAKE ANY PICTURES. David is mighty disappointed, but I was too busy being in it! First, the night before, I made THIRTY cupcakes (staying up late, since I had to do it after circus class). Then, in the morning, we brought the cupcakes in, plus chocolate frosting and mini marshmallows. Anya carried the cake holder and was very proud to do it. I was happy that I had decided not to frost the cupcakes beforehand, because then it didn't matter that they got tumbled end over end during their journey in Anya's care. :)

On arrival at Kindercraft, we paused in the lunchroom (which always makes me smile, as it's furnished with miniature tables and chairs) and I applied the frosting while Anya placed a marshmallow on each one. She chastised me when I tried to help and didn't place the marshmallow exactly upright. She also kept Callum pacified by passing a marshmallow to him every few minutes. We had the cupcakes all on a tray, and carefully decorated the central cupcake with four candles, then paraded into Anya's room. Luckily, the various age groups had gone back to their own rooms for the second half of the morning, so we didn't have more kids than cakes.

I lit the candles, then everyone sang Happy Birthday while Anya smiled to herself with pleasure.

A few minutes later, I was sitting to one side with Callum, and I asked, "Would anyone like a ballooon?" and a whole crowd of chocolatey faces looked solemnly at me and nobody answered. Too busy eating...

I spent most of the day there (from arrival to the post-lunch naptime), which pleased Anya and Callum no end. At story time, Anya sat in the front row, and I sat in the back with Callum (who spent the whole day sitting in my lap as much as possible). Every few minutes, Anya would turn around and wave at me, and soon, all her friends were also turning and waving with her. The other kids were somewhat puzzled by my continued presence, and variously said to me, "You're still here?!"

In the evening, Anya had so many presents to open it was like her own private Christmas. Her Grandma was there, as it was the usual routine for her to come over and stay Wednesday night. Her Uncle Rob also came around with a present, and earlier, her Aunt Ann Maree had dropped a present off as well.

All in all, a pretty great birthday.

I Got Dem Blues

Callum plays the blues... the tough way.

Jack in the Box

"What was that about -blblskljdlbhhh- Jack in the Box?" David demanded.

I turned my head and looked at him in complete bewilderment. "What?"

"Never mind, I fell asleep for a minute."

Yes, we are becoming those oldies who drowse in front of the TV and wake up shouting nonsense.

Babycino at Grub St Cafe, Gaythorne

Game No. 2

Until now, our main game (which I might have mentioned before) has been to re-enact scenes from Jack and the Beanstalk. Even David has been roped in, often to proclaim, "Fee fi fo fum!" Today we did the story from start to finish, with Anya changing horses mid-stream to play whichever role she felt was having the best action, even becoming the beanstalk a couple of times. Callum watched the whole play, and joined in by offering me food whenever Anya (as the giant's wife) offered me (Jack) food.

While "Jack" is good fun, since the story is so classic, I was pleased this week that Anya seemed to start a new interest in pirates and treasure hunting. This afternoon we took turns being blindfolded and "hunting" for treasure strewn on the rug (everyday objects we had designated as "treasure"). After finding the treasure a few times, Anya then gathered them up and "buried" them (under my desk) and I helped her make a Pirate Treasure Map. Then we followed the map to find the treasure.

The amusing part is, she didn't quite understand that a dotted line just means a path on a map, so she pretended she was seeing each dot on the floor as we walked around, and pointed them out as landmarks that we were on the right trail.

Mixed Messages

The scene: Callum’s just had a bottle instead of finishing his dinner (pasta, which he normally loves, but this time started flinging around the room) because I thought he needed to get something in his tummy to calm him down. Afterwards, I thought perhaps some proper food would help.

Elaine: Would you like some bread? Or cheese?

Callum: Bed.

Elaine: Okay, I’ll get you some bread. [Starts to get the bag open.]

Callum: Chee.

Elaine: Cheese? You want cheese? [Pauses bread maneuver.]

Callum: Bed.

Elaine: Bread? So you DO want some bread?

Callum: Chee.

Elaine: Here you go, here’s some bread.

Callum: T'ank-oo. [Takes the bread and wanders back to his spot in the lounge room, where he gobbles up the bread like a POW.]

Happy Easter!

We had a great time watching Anya and Callum hunting around the house this morning for hidden Easter eggs. One got the biggest laugh when it was found under "Jingly Bunny" (Anya's current favorite toy). It was really nice to see the kids so excited and cooperating: Anya would hang back when we asked her to let Callum "find" the eggs, and Callum was very good about putting all the ones he found into the carry bag that Anya was collecting them all into. Anya then surprised us by finding more when we thought all the eggs had been discovered.

After breakfast, it was time for the Giant's lunch... Sandwiches! This is one of our favorite games, where the giant's wife (usually me) makes lunch for the giant, and he comes stomping in, "Fee fi fo fum, where's my lunch?" Then the lunch runs away...



The rest of the Rees are up the coast at Peregian Beach, but we don't feel that we're missing out that much, since it has been drizzly all weekend. Tomorrow a lot of friends are coming over for brunch, which will be a lovely way to finish off the four-day weekend.

Ah-wa

Lately Callum has been saying all sorts of words, too many to remember as they come bursting out in the course of the day, but one that I really noticed this week is that he's started saying Anya's name. He can't pronouce it properly yet, instead saying, "Ah-wa" but it is clearly referring to Anya. For example, looking through the box where we keep both their shoes: "Ah-wa shoes... my shoes..."

Gross, Tacky and Just Plain Icky

Seen on a church billboard yesterday evening:

FOR ALL YOU DO
HIS BLOOD'S FOR YOU

(Readers take note: Budweiser is not even sold in Australia!)

Memory Lane

This week, my mother's cousin, whom I know as Aunt Jo, came to visit, as part of a longish holiday she and Uncle Chuck were taking around Australia. She first visited her mother's sister, who lives on the far south side of Brisbane (read: as far from us as possible while still being within the Brisbane region). After spending a few days with Aunt Marion, they met us for dinner, drove Aunt Marion back to the convent (Aunt Marion is a retired sister) and came to stay with us for a few days.

Aunt Jo brought a packet of photos and talked to Aunt Marion about family stories (in between excursions to the Gold Coast) and on their last night with us, she in turn shared those photos and some family stories with me. It was a very special experience, as I have never known very much about the family history on my mother's side.

Usually we see all David's family on a regular basis, but hardly any of my family. So it was also special to have some family from my side spending time with the kids.

Melbourne Foodspot

I was in Melbourne last week for a conference and since then have composed this blog entry in my mind about a thousand times. Should it be about being away from home & family? Should it be about the quirks of corporate travel?

I decided it all comes down to food. Melbourne is widely recognised as the food and wine capital of Australia, although now I'm sure I will hear strong protests from Sydney and other capital cities. However, as a self-accredited foodie, I can definitely support Melbourne's claim. Every meal I had in Melbourne was good, even though I was not expecting it -- for example, the catering at the conference was good. So was the dinner at a corner pub, which normally would (by its appearance and location) have led me to expect a stodgy steak and potato menu, unenthusiastically dished out. And I mean good by foodie standards, not just "good enough" for non-foodies. I wonder if Melburnians feel disappointed when they eat in other cities?

On my last evening in Melbourne, I was left to my own devices, so I decided to seek out the Greek precinct. Melbourne once had the second largest Greek population of any city in the world, exceeded only by Athens. Considering Melbourne's food reputation, I thought that I would easily find a restaurant to surpass my favorite Greek restaurant (ever), Sofi's in LA.

Unfortunately, the Greek precinct (one block of Lonsdale Street) is now embedded within the Asian restaurant scene which sprawls like wild ivy creeping out from Chinatown just a block away, taking over streets in all directions. Therefore, during my quest, I passed by many crowded and delicious smelling Asian restaurants -- Korean, Thai, Japanese, Indonesian and Chinese, to name a few. In addition, on my way to Lonsdale Street, I happened across Hardware Lane, with busy Italian cafes on either side of the pedestrian-only laneway. Feeling amazed at how many restaurants there were, and how full they all were, especially for a Tuesday night, I steeled my resolve and continued along Lonsdale Street.

I found a paltry three Greek restaurants in a row and one Greek bakery. The bakery looked scrumptious, but hardly dinner-worthy. I saved the thought for later. Going window to window, I compared the menus of all three restaurants and peered at the empty rooms with only two or three tables taken in each one. Nothing looked terribly inspiring. I thought about the Chinese restaurant that had snagged my attention earlier, with a photo of the chef making handmade noodles. Noodles, especially handmade ones, are one of my favorite foods.

Circling the neighborhood, I considered various Asian offerings, but in the end went back to the place with the handmade noodles: Dumplings Plus. It broke several of my rules around restaurant selection, with decor (too fancy for a lowbrow Asian restaurant), name (sounds like a franchise), and signage (big plastic monstrosity) but I couldn't resist the appeal of handmade noodles. I ordered Northern style noodles (served in a sour spicy broth and garnished with pork mince and pickled vegetables), stir fried mushrooms and seasonal vegetables (a lovely assortment of mushrooms, not just button mushrooms), and steamed man tou.

And, of course, it was good.