1. Sunny days. The view from my balcony at the moment is gorgeous. It's Autumn here and we're enjoying the last of the green leaves. This week's weather has been particularly lovely. It's cool but not cold and there are even blue skies. Just perfect.
2. Feeling my bump grow. And quickly! I still can't feel movement, but my OB assures me it's coming soon. I can't believe I'm past the half way mark.
3. Internet radio. I listen to Triple J every day via my iPod hooked to our iPod dock. My eyes tell me I live in Shanghai when I look out the window, but my ears are firmly planted back in Australia when I'm in my living room. Love it.
4. High tea. My friends and I have started a new monthly outing: we go for an afternoon of high tea and side of girly chats. We've now done The Peninsula and the Waldorf Astoria. It feels so cliched - ladies who tea! - but we're loving it.
5. New babies. In the space of 18 months we have welcomed four new boys to our extended family -- two in the last fortnight! Two on my side and two on my husband's side. I wonder if I will continue the trend and have a boy? We'll find out in March...
Well that quarter-final match was one of the most stressful 80 minutes of my life. Particularly as I'm married to a South African. Tensions were at an all time high in our living room. The Aussies were lucky to get the win. But it's a win nonetheless!
I was pondering this very question today as I was reading about the nuptials of Petra Ecclestone, the daughter of Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone (who is worth £2.5 billion). The less said about the looks of the groom the better.... But I digress....
For her £1.3m wedding this weekend, she's chosen the same Italian castle where Katie Holmes got married to Tom Cruise (and pretended to be shorter than him in the wedding pic by crouching. See here). But I digress again...
Back to the important stuff -- the entertainment!
Petra's Dad has booked Eric Clapton (playing for free because he's a friend) and the Black Eyed Peas (playing for £1 million because they're not). Pretty great choices I must say, and certainly better than some other celebs' big day choices:
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries - Robin Thicke and Earth, Wind and Fire (oh dear) Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes - Italian singer Andrea Bocelli (booorrrrring) Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston - a Latin Jazz band and a 40-piece gospel choir James and Erica Packer (Aussie media mogul) - Canadian crooner Michael Buble The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - English pop star Ellie Goulding and a DJ Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban - Hugh Jackman, Neil Finn and a 16-piece big band Donald and Melania Trump - Tony Bennett, Billy Joel Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas - a Welsh choir, Tom Jones, Art Garfunkel, Gladys Knight, Mick Hucknell Prince Albert and Princess Charlene (ha!) - American rockers The Eagles, French artist Jean Michael Jarre Kate Moss and Jamie Hince - Bryan Ferry and a DJ
Yikes. Clearly money doesn't buy taste in a lot of cases. If I was a billionaire and could book ANYBODY in the world to pay you can bet your bottom dollar it wouldn't be Earth, Wind and Fire.
So who's on my list? Let's see...
Kings of Convenience and Feist - bit of cool chill-out stuff to get the party in a good mood The Pixies - as a present for my husband The Cat Empire - Aussie ska/jazz/funk band to get the party grooving Lenny Kravitz - so he can play "Let Love Rule" live for me Eric Clapton - so he can play "Cocaine" and we can all watch my Dad go batshit crazy The Rolling Stones - get the whole party rocking out Rihanna and Groove Armada - now we can dance!
And if I was going to bring a band out of retirement for a couple of tracks, it's gotta be Fine Young Cannibals. "Good thing..where have you gone..."
Failing that - you could just make a playlist and play all the artists above, just like I did. And my party rocked!
I've just finished reading the autobiography Just Kids by Patti Smith. She recounts her life in the '70s when she moved to New York City in her early twenties and hooked up with Robert Mapplethorpe, who was to later become a renowned photographer and artist. I've been a fan of Patti's music for many years, but this book made me appreciate her even more as she sheds a new light on her absolute devotion to artistic expression. She is a fascinating individual.
Horses is one of the greatest songs ever written. I'd not listened to it for a few years and this weekend I went a bit crazy for it again. It's an epic. Give it a listen:
I love a good rock 'n' roll autobiography. The genius. The excess. The drug use. The clean-ups. The drug use. More clean-ups. It's modern history told in such a raw, creative way.
I've just finished Life by Keith Richards and it's fantastic. I couldn't put it down.
It's an over-used word, but this man is indeed a legend. The fact that he is still alive is unbelievable. But he's clearly got the constitution of a tank. The tale of his life is incredibly entertaining, moving and insightful. You really understand his love for the blues, his devotion to music, his loyalty to his friends and bandmates and his mad, mad mind. Told in a dynamic conversational style, it's a must-read.
And if you've not read any rock autobiographies, here are some of my favourites:
Faithfull: An Autobiography by Marianne Faithfull with David Dalton.
A big part of travelling and living abroad is indulging in local food. Eating and remembering certain tastes from different countries is a critical part of travelling and exploring another culture. I've barely scratched the surface in China (note to self: need to travel more) - or Asia for that matter - but I've certainly accumulated a long list of favourite dishes. I don't cook any of these myself, it's strictly food I order out. In no particular order, here are the top 20 Asian dishes I can't live without...
1. Xiaolongbao(China)
These soup-filled dumplings are a Shanghai specialty, however I first tried them at a Singapore branch of Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain who are known for their xialongbao. I could eat these every week. And I do! You dip the whole dumpling in ginger and soy, bite off the beautifully folded top to let the heat escape and then let the broth and meat (pork, shrimp) do their work.
2. Kare-pan (Japan) I dream of this snack and haven't found a good one in Shanghai (yet)! Otherwise known as a Japanese curry doughnut or a curry bun, I first tried kare-pan at my local supermarket in Singapore, Isetan, a Japanese-owned store and then ate a couple (or more) when in Japan last year. They're always for sale in the Isetan bakery upfront, but a few times a year, Isetan hold regional food fairs, including a stall that made kare-pan to order!! I'm salivating just thinking about it -- Japanese curry (not to be confused with Indian curry) surrounded by dough and covered in panko crumbs then deep fried. It's so naughty, but it's worth every calorie. I cannot tell you how good it tastes. A lot of bakeries bake the doughnut rather than deep frying, but it's a pale imitation. Accept no substitutes!!
3. Roti Prata (Singapore)
This has to be one of the best hangover dishes of all time. It's a Singaporean invention and is a fried flour-based pancake served with an accompanying bowl of meat or vege curry. You can have the bread plain or you can load it up with cheese, onions, mushrooms, whatever you fancy. You tear the bread into pieces, dunk it in the curry and try not to burn your hands or tongue as you chomp away. I often see a sweet variation in Thailand at roadside stalls with nutella, chocolate, bananas or peanuts. Also amazing.
4. Bulgogi and Banchan (Korea) Bulgogi is a marinated and barbecued meat (beef, pork or chicken) and banchan are the side dishes that accompany it. I love this dish and usually order the pork. I first started eating this in Sydney when a local Korean restaurant opened up the road from my office and it became a much-loved lunch spot for the gang. Equally important is the array of side dishes that come with the sizzling hotplate. Lots of pickled and marinated veges (kongnamul which is a pickled bean sprout dish is my fave), dried fish, kimchi and heaps more.
5. Banh xeo (Vietnam)
I haven't had this recently, but this is one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes. I remember eating this savoury crepe filled with prawns, pork and bean sprouts for breakfast each morning of our honeymoon at Evason Ana Mandara in Nha Trang. The best bit is when you dip the pancake into a special fermented soy bean sauce. It's so fresh and tasty.
6. Banh mi (Vietnam)
I spoke about this Vietnamese-style sandwich already on my blog. Read it here. I could eat this for lunch every day. In fact, I used to when I worked in Sydney around the corner from Little Devil. Although I think they added a bit of MSG as I was always so thirsty by about 3pm every day! This one (pictured left) is from B Real in Shanghai and is fantastic.
7. Peking duck(China)
I really got into this dish properly when I lived in London and used to visit Chinatown a lot. The combination of duck meat, duck skin, hoisin sauce, spring onions and pancake is magic. It's been a while since I've had a great version, but I'm travelling to Beijing soon and am going to go hell for leather.
8. Tom Yum Goong(Thailand)
This soup is one of my favourite Thai dishes. It is the perfect combination of spicy, sour and fragrant. I once learned how to cook this at a cooking school in Chiang Mai, but it was over ten years ago and I've never attempted it since. The best version I've ever had was on a press trip at the Phulay Bay Ritz Carlton Reserve in Krabi. It was super spicy, but also perfectly sour. But then again, I've had some pretty great versions from cheap roadside stalls in Bangkok to takeaway restaurants all over the world.
9. Takoyaki (Japan)
Another fabulous Japanese snack. This is one of my all-time faves. It's a deep fried octopus (or prawn) surrounded by batter and lathered in takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes. This isn't a restaurant dish, you'll usually find it in roadside kiosks or food halls and it's a stand-up stack. Poke into it with a stick and eat away. But beware: these balls are HOT. Don't pop a just-cooked whole one in your mouth or you may get third degree burns. But if you have the patience for it to cool down a bit, go for it!
10. Pad Thai (Thailand)
It's a classic, but for a reason. The combo of noodles, peanuts, spring onions, chili, lime is killer. But for all the fancy ones I've tasted, I still think a 20 baht roadside stall dish I tasted ten years ago comes up trumps.
11. Yakitori(Japan)
This is traditionally grilled chicken on a stick and cooked in front of you over charcoal. But it can also refer to any type of food on a skewer, not just chicken. Think beef, scallops, pork belly, mushrooms; you name it. It's one of my favourite Japanese foods. One of the best spots I've been to was a place called Kushiwakamaru in Tokyo's Naka-Meguro neighbourhood. It's been open for over 30 years and often has big queues.We got there early and got in straight away. The food and ambience were fantastic.
12. Okonomiyaki (Japan)
Yum. This is known as a Japanese 'pizza' but I don't really get that description as it's more like a savoury pancake filled with prawns and spring onions and doused in sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Divine. One of the more memorable versions of this was when we were in Kyoto and we ate at a grill-your-own place and cooked it ourself on a hotplate at our table.
13. Tonkatsu / Katsudon (Japan)
This deep fried pork cutlet can come on its own with a side serve of cabbage and sesame seed dip (tonkatsu, left). Or you can whack the cutlet on top of a bowl of rice and cover it with egg and spring onions (right). Both are delicious.
14. Pho (Vietnam)
There's conjecture over how to pronounce this, I was told 'feh' or 'fer' by locals in Vietnam. All I know is it's not 'foe'. Nevertheless this is one fragrant and filling dish consisting of a hearty meat-based broth with noodles plus slices of beef, sprouts, herbs, chili, soy, chili sauce, fish sauce, more herbs, whatever you want to keep adding really. This was a favourite lunch time staple when I worked in Chinatown in Singapore. Healthy and delicious.
15. Goi cuon (Vietnam)
Rice paper rolls filled with prawns, noodles and herbs. Simple, fresh, fragrant, tasty. Dip it in the accompanying sauce and enjoy. I have made these myself before and they're actually really easy. I went through a phase of having these for lunch every day. Yes, I am a creature of habit.
16. Agedashi dofu (Japan)
Yum. Silken tofu covered in cornstarch and deep fried then covered in a beautiful broth (dashi, mirin, sho-yu) and served with spring onions, bonito flakes and daikon. This is a perfect side dish. The taste is just so clean and crisp. Although I do need to work on my chopstick technique with this dish. The cubes always slide all over the shop! But it always tastes good.
17. Massaman curry (Thailand)
This southern Thai dish has Muslim origins and is one of my favourite dishes of all time. I remember eating a sensational version of this dish in Kanchanaburi (near the River Kwai) when I was backpacking a decade ago. The combination of beef (or duck), coconut milk, cashews, potatoes and spices such as cardamon, star anise and cinnamon is just beautiful. I almost always order this when I spot it on the menu.
18. Ramen(Japan)
This Japanese noodle dish can have lots of variations, but essentially it's a meat-based broth with noodles and vegetables plus meat. I usually love pork slices or pork belly the best. And sometimes corn. In Singapore, we used to eat at Ippudo in the Mandarin Gallery a lot. A pint of Asahi, a bowl of ramen, a side of gyoza and pork buns. Heaven.
19. Laksa (Singapore/Malaysia)
A spice noodle soup from the Peranakan culture (a mix of Malay and Chinese), I used to eat this regularly when living in Singapore. People say you shouldn't (cos it could cause a stomach upset) but I always asked for cockles to be added. They're just too good. The salty seafood taste makes this dish even more delicious.
20. Cha siu bao(China)
I'm not actually that big a fan of yum cha / dim sum as I find so many of the dishes to be very greasy, but I do love a BBQ pork bun.
Also on my radar:
1. Satay - what's not to love about peanut sauce? 2. Sushi and sashimi (Japan) I'm a big seafood fan, so sushi always hits the spot with me 3. Gyoza (Japan) Love these potsticker dumplings. 4. Bibimbap (Korea) - This is always a winner. Especially that bottom crust. 5. Chili Crab (Singapore) - a lot of mess for little reward but that sauce is fantastic 6. Larb (Thailand) and Papaya salad (Thailand) - spicy, healthy salads
7. Rendang (Indonesia) - I've not yet been to Indonesia so I can't properly add this yet.
8. Green curry, red curry (Thailand) - love them
9. Hainanese Chicken rice (Singapore) - please don't hate me, but I don't love it, I only like it
10. Cold soba noodles (Japan) - the perfect, healthy dish; noodles, dipping sauce, a quail egg, seaweed, wasabi. Yum.
Lots of good music out at the moment. These are my current fave albums.
Vetiver - The Errant Charm
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Battles - Gloss Drop
Eddie Vedder - Ukelele Songs
Seeker Lover Keeper - Seeker Lover Keeper
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Boy & Bear - Feeding Line
Gomez - Whatever's On Your Mind
Liam Finn - Fomo
Felix Riebl - Into the Rain
This one's been out a couple of years, but I've loved listening to it again lately, particularly the track '16th and Valencia Roxy Music'. He is just the coolest dude.
I've been really getting into the Tour de France for the past five years or so, mostly because of this guy - Cadel Evans. He is such an inspiring sportsman. I hope he can beat that whinging Andy Schleck and become Australia's first TDF winner.
I just wish China offered live coverage so I could stay up all night and watch stage 19 tonight. A trip to the pub may be in order. My local pub screens the TDF each night, but alas their coverage is from Japan. The pictures are top notch, but I love commentary, and it's just not the same in Japanese. Although tomorrow night is the time trial, so I should be able to follow it...
Two of my favourite things have returned at the perfect time for the ultimate distraction from real life: Bjork and Breaking Bad.
First up, Breaking Bad. Whoa! What a great first episode. It's been a long time coming and I must say I loved the first helping and can't wait to see what unfolds in this fourth season. I won't give anything away at all. But it's a ripper. If you're a fan, get onto it ASAP! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, get to a store and buy the first three seasons now.
Secondly, Bjork. I have been a massive fan of the Icelandic songstress for decades. Her concert at Sydney Opera House in January 2008 was out of this world and one of my favourite concerts of all time. I still get chills when I think about that night: the lights, the lasers, the costumes, the wild dancing, the harbour backdrop, her incredible performance. Truly spectacular. She's not to everyone's taste, but she's certainly mine. So I am loving her new single.
There's no official video as yet, but I'm sure when it's released, it's going to be amazing. Michel Gondry is directing. Say no more. Her album Biophilia drops in September and she's going about it in a very post-modern multimedia way: she's designed an app for each single for an interactive experience between visuals and music. Such a cool idea. Download the app for free here.
One of my favourite TV shows, Breaking Bad, is returning next month (in the US) for its long-awaited fourth season. And to promote the new season, they've released a new poster. Loving it! Can't wait for the return of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman to my life.
And if you've not yet watched this show before, buy the last three seasons on DVD and catch up. If you like other cable dramas like Mad Men, The Wire and Boardwalk Empire, you'll love this.
I finally finished unpacking some of our books onto our new Sean Yoo book cases. Don't you just love them. We bought them from a furniture store on Anfu Lu called Casa Casa. They almost turn the books themselves into pieces of art. I haven't hung our Kozyndan art just yet and we still need to buy a comfy reading chair, but this is the start of our "reading nook". And I love my Have You Met Miss Jones bone china converse sneakers (thanks JJ!).
And yes, more pics of the apartment soon. We're waiting on our new walnut dining table to arrive...
Now that the weather is getting warmer and warmer each day, there's nothing like a cheeky Hoegarden with a slice of lemon on a Sunday afternoon...
We also finally got around to watching Banksy's documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. It's an interesting commentary on the old chestnut "what is art?" and where do art and commerce meet. And you've gotta love the protagonist, Thiery Guetta, aka "Mr Brainwash". Is he for real or an elaborate prank?
Loved the quote from Banksy: "it was at that point that I realized that maybe Thierry wasn't actually a filmmaker, and he was maybe just someone with mental problems who happened to have a camera."
We've also been enjoying watching the first season of HBO's drama Boardwalk Empire. I'm not sure if I'm loving it, but I'm warming up to it more and more with each episode.
Michael Pitt is the standout for me as Jimmy Darmody.
And I love seeing The Wire's Michael Kenneth Williams back on my screens. This time as Chalky White. But it really does make me miss Omar!
And finally, my beloved Queensland Reds pulled off a victory against the NSW Waratahs. As a fan, it was a pretty stressful match to watch, particularly all those scrums (and Ben Daley's broken nose!). It's always a much anticipated clash and more often than not is an ugly game to watch. But I enjoyed this one. Mainly because we won!! Although I was very sad to see Drew Mitchell get injured and get ruled out of action for the World Cup. He's one of my favourite players to watch, so it's a big blow for the Wallabies.
And talking of the Wallabies. Here's my favourite supporter in all his rugby gear. Go Oscar!
