The Warehouse Story

While driving along SLEX, Person A and I were having a discussion whether I should join him on his Friday night activities in QC: futsal and dinner. Just like any normal girl, I changed my mind 3 times along the 20-minute route.

I still haven't made up my mind while we were approaching the Manila (he'll drop me off at home) and Magallanes (I'll go with him to QC) fork on the road when:

Person A (taking the Magallanes route): Ay, kikidnapin na lang kita papuntang QC. Kunyari dadalhin kita sa warehouse.

Me: Like ko yun! Tapos magsshopping ako! -(",)-*wink*



Obviously, I was referring to this Warehouse, one of my favorite shops.



Where this dress is from



And where Kate Middleton shopped for sun dresses 2 days before her wedding. For her honeymoon, perhaps?

Whereas Person A was referring to this warehouse, where kidnap victims are typically carted off in Pinoy movies.

Breaking the Fast: Truffles vs Chocolates

As shared here and here, I abstained from chocolates for 40 days. On Easter Sunday, I broke the fast with these:

Tim Tam - ang pambansang chocnut ng Australia. 



I got dizzy after my second piece due to its strong chocolatey taste. I consider it a case of system shock.


Ang arte.

And chocolate truffles from the Margaret River Chocolate Factory.



Despite of its relatively poor packaging, the truffles are actually good. It has a delicate and subtle taste.

What's the difference between chocolates and truffles?

Chocolates are plain solid blocks made from cocoa solids, cocoa butter, milk and other good stuff. Truffles on the other are chocolate with ganache fillings or any cream/chocolate/nut/fruit/liqeur filling. It resembles the truffle fungus, hence the name. The French invented it but I believe Belgians do it best.

I prefer truffles over chocolates because of its texture and the taste isn't overpowering. My favorite is Godiva Truffes.



It is Belgian and easy to obtain while in transit in most airports.

Locally, Mandarin Deli has a good truffle and chocolate selection while Patchi puts a lot of effort in their lovely, hand-crafted wrapping. You can also visit Chocolate Fire in Legazpi Village.

Summer Bloom

After breakfast on Good Friday, I went around the house to take photos of the summer bloom. 

There were reds



Yellows



Pinks



And as long as I can remember, these "ladies have been dancing" for 20 years



Mama has the greenest thumb of all.  I wish I have the energy to plant and be responsible to cultivate flowering plants, but the sun and I don't have much love between us. I once remember telling Mama that if I'll have my own house, it's either I hire a gardener (if I can afford one) or just have no back/front yard at all. This was after I assisted her ALL DAY tending to her plants which covers 3/4 of the surrounding ground!

Hanggang Plants vs Zombies lang ako.

This is the plant box by the fence. Nothing fancy.



This pink orchid is my usual breakfast view in our backyard



While this white flower from a wild vine greets me by the garage every time I come home.



My favorite is this wild orchid



Reminds of chic spas and hotel.

It's always good to come home -(",)-*wink*

Fremantle: Old-World Charm

Fremantle’s got to be the loveliest port town I’ve ever seen (not that I’ve been to a lot). 

Its charm lies in its 19^th century heritage buildings that are reminiscent of a bygone era of ship-faring and horse-drawn carriages.

It is as cosmopolitan as any modern city in the world. The town just did a great job in preserving its picturesque buildings. It is accessible from Perth via a 30-min train ride along Western Australia’s coast that has the Indian Ocean as the backdrop.

What can you actually do in Fremantle? 

I say a lot when you’re in a town which reminds you of museums, art gallery, coffee shops, restaurants by the harbour, weekend markets and a relaxed lifestyle.

 1. Explore the city

Bask in its 19^th century feel by walking around and enjoying the beige, red and grey old-world buildings.

For biking enthusiasts, join a bike tour and learn about the history of the town. Yes, while you’re at it, have a cup of coffee in one of its quaint cafes. I should have done this while in town

2. Dine at the Fishing Boat Harbour

You have to cross the rail track to reach the harbor.

Apart from the yachts, fresh catch to be unloaded and the sea gulls, restaurants dot the harbour where you can get some fish and chips. 

We enjoyed some at Cicerrelo’s, Australia's favorite fish and chips.

Watch out, the sea gulls are on the look out to snatch your food.

The Little Creatures Brewery is also located along this strip. Be sure to be bring an identification card because their crew checks out  your age by the entrance.

Weekend Market

Locals flock to Fremantle for its weekend market. Food, fresh produce, accessories, home wares and all sorts of pretty things can be had in the 2 weekend markets that I visited.

Bratwursts and sausages

Organic skin care products

Coffee

Spices

A musician and his accordion stationed at the back door of the market.

So chic!

If you look up online, a lot more things can be done at Fremantle

1. Visit the Fremantle Prison

2. Drop by the Maritime Museum

3. Shop at the outlet stores

4. Buy chocolates at the Fremantle Chocolate Factory. I read that this is the same company which operates the chocolate warehouse at Margaret River in Swan Valley.

In Summary

1. Fremantle is worth the visit if you want to step back in time and enjoy a laidback weekend

2. Do as the Aussies do, walk barefoot around town!

3. Dining at the harbour with the sea gulls is a cool experience as you get a view of the sea while enjoying your meal.

Fremantle

Western Australia

Home Stretch

I am on the last few days of my 40-day chocolate fast.

That's 40 days of zero chocolates, na-da dark mocha frappe and nil champorado.

So this is what I got for myself for Easter Sunday.

Para lang akong mauubusan ng tsokolate sa mundo.

Never mind the calories.

Caversham Wildlife Park: Kangaroos, Koalas and Wombats

Hi, I am Fifi! I am taking over Mum’s blogging duty. As for my credentials, I also run a blog “Fifimeetsworld” but I haven’t updated it for more than a year. I’ll get back to it as soon as Mum allows me to.

So, anyway…

Mum finally brought me along to soak in some Aussie goodness. She has been slacking the past few days and left me in the room. I am not liking it.

So off I went to the wildlife park.

The sign shows the different animals one can see in the park.

 

I am not a wild life, nor am I Aussie, just so you know.

First stop is the Kangaroo enclosure where we get to pet and feed kangaroos. As instructed by our guide, you can touch the back but not the face and front, they might get aggressive and engage you in a kangaroo boxing match.

There’s the red kangaroo with an oversized joey in its pouch.

“Hey Dad, I perched on the kangaroo’s back! I bet you can’t do this! =P”

This is a gray kangaroo, by the way.

As you know, marsupials are mammals which give birth to undeveloped young and nurse it inside their pouch until maturity. The highlight of my visit is seeing a wombat. It is a burrowing marsupial which can “run” at 40 kph and digs a burrow up to 3 meters deep.

The wombat I am with weighs 30 kgs! This one is sleeping and I think she’s just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

After the wombat, we headed to the Koala enclosure. The guide reminded us that koalas are not bears. They’re marsupials hence should not be called bears, there’s no such thing as koala bears. Just koalas.

 

They feed solely on eucalyptus leaves which have 2% protein content, they’re not getting much from it.

Apart from the marsupials, there were emus, dingos, kookaburras and lots of birds and reptiles. The park also maintains farm animals such as donkey, sheeps, herding dogs, horse, a milking cow, feathery chickens and lots more.

I even witnessed a sheep being sheared during the Farm Show.

In Summary:

1. Caversham Park is worth visiting because you get to have close encounters with the marsupials as opposed to seeing them inside a cage.

2. For non-Aussie visitors, organized trips such as the one we took are better because it eliminates the hassle of having your own transportation arrangements.

Caversham Wildlife Park

Lord Street, Whiteman Park

9284.1984

Wine and Chocolates on My Made Up Bed

Since Day 1, the housekeeping staff leaves a piece of chocolate on my made up bed.

Lovely, don't you think? It wipes off the homesickness for a short bit.



To my surprise, a basket with a bottle of wine, chocolates, nuts and potato chips was waiting at the table when I came "home" yesterday.

It made me smile. -(",)-*wink*

Pero gusto ko pa ring umuwi. At least may pampasalubong na ako. =P Haha!

The View

Walked up to King's Park, sat on a bench, and looped my favorite song on my iPod.



I should have brought a book.

That's the Swan River where the Black Swans are.

By the Swan River

I laced up my running shoes after "office" to keep up with my 3-month fitness goal.

I ran along the Swan River, which is named after the famous black swans in the area.

It was a bit cold and it rained so good thing I had my trusty windbreaker.

Along the way, I passed by the Bell Tower, which makes a lovely sound every hour.



The old port



Went to the edge of the river and found this jetty



And the rowing clubhouse



As I went along the trail, this was my view



There is also a bike trail where bikes literally race by

Yes, there are water stations along the path. Don't you love it?

However, the higlight of my night is coming across this group of black swans

Quite different from this black swan

Still very pretty.

I might follow the same trail tomorrw, just to see them in daylight.