Turning 30
12 Nov 2006 — So a few days ago I celebrated my 30th. The night before I suffered a panic attack. I am REALLY leaving my twenties behind now. Last year when I turned 29, I said I couldn’t wait to turn 30 just to get it over and done with; now I’m not so sure. 29 suddenly seems heeeaps younger than 30. And again, I chided myself for being unemployed, with an uncertain future and not even a kid to show for it.
The next time a potential employer asks me what I think my worst trait is, I know what to answer. It has definitely got to be “impatience”. I am impatient to find out what the future has in store for me. I can’t stand waiting till I get to the US to see what I can do there. I’m going crazy just thinking Virginia’s going to be cold and bleak and boring and I’m going to be stuck at home junking out on chocolate, chips and day-time soaps. I’m jealous that William’s finding so much purpose and fulfillment in his work and will be further building on that while my only viable option there seems to be procreation. I didn’t study so hard and so much just to become a housewife, and have a baby or two just cause I have nothing better to do. And I certainly don’t want to make small talk with his colleagues nor their wives at company functions just to be “nice”!
I want a future and career of my own that I can be proud of. I want to continue with my naturopathic and healing work, to make something of it, to be of service. And at the back of my mind, I know somehow, somewhere, I will get there. The problem’s I want to get there NOW! I’m 30! Time’s running out. Can you blame me?
It was with these fatalistic thoughts that I drifted off to sleep on the night of the 7th…
I awoke on the 8th with the bad taste still lingering in my mouth. Whoa! I better put a stop to this before I ruin the entire day. So lying there in bed, I prayed. I asked for deliverance from these self-defeating thoughts, and in their place, some rationality. A dose of reassurance couldn’t hurt either.
God swiftly answered. And it was suggested that I draw some Goddess oracle cards for further guidance. These were the ones I picked:
How good is She/He I ask you. Couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present. I was appeased, well at least for the moment. So it was in a much better frame of mind that I hopped out of bed, determined it was going to be a perfect day… albeit the grey weather.
Yeah… this was the sky that greeted us that morning. Strange, we’ve been getting many like these for spring in Sydney. So anyway, our grand plans for a heli flight or even just kayaking got chucked out the window. Oh well, we’ll just make do. I was advised during my little chat with God that this year I mustn’t sweat the small stuff, especially with regards to Billie and/or anything he has planned. The important thing is just to enjoy the day in each other’s company.
Oh, speaking of which, let me show you his present, which I’m pleased to say I honestly love!
Chunky, asymmetrical and the colour of the ocean, how could I resist? And I’m sure Ah Bi was just as relieved as I was that I adored it. And you see my equally chunky blue glass pendant? That’s my laoba’s birthday present for me. Love that too, and already I’ve received numerous compliments from strangers for it. Good job dad!
So as it turned out, my 30th birthday was one of those slow leisurely days where one pays so much attention to the details, of living so very much in the moment, that one feels just that little more alive. And Billie and I did relish in each other’s company; I couldn’t have thought of anyone else in the world I would rather have spent it with.
To begin with, because dinner was going to be rather heavy, we opted for a lighter lunch, or rather tea to be exact. And when I say tea, I really mean tea, as English as it comes. Yup, we were off to The Tea Room at Gunners’ Barracks. For those of you who live in Sydney, yup, we were just as amazed to discover this place exists. 5 years here and not a clue! What’s more surprising is that it’s practically on our doorstep, just a short drive away at Mosman.
See, we really had to pass these rows of abandoned army barracks before getting to the place. It felt strangely surreal.
From the carpark, you follow this path…
…and voila! You’ve arrived.
Stole this picture (and the following excerpt) off their website to give you an aerial view of the place.
“Designed by colonial architect James Barnet and constructed in 1873 the building has had many uses over the 130 years in which the military occupied the Middle Head and Chowder Bay precinct.”
Hmm… isn’t it amazing to think that this building which, once housed artillery in the 1870s-80s, has now been transformed into a magnificent venue for fine dining and celebration? Yep, apparently it has become quite a popular spot for weddings! In fact, the only gunpowder you’ll find here these days is on the restaurant’s extensive menu of teas. On that note, let’s step inside into the world of the traditional silver-service afternoon tea.
The Tea Room’s waiting area. Isn’t it quaint?
The interior: simple and elegant. The only unsettling thing was that looking around at the demographics, we soon realise the typical tea-room patron’s an angmor woman in her 50s to 60s. The two of us, being not only Asian but 30, undoubtedly looking only 20 to them, seemed strangely out of place. Much to our relief though, nobody else seemed to think it as big a deal, or at least they were doing a damn fine job of not showing it.
Okay, okay now comes the exciting part. So Bi and I each ordered the afternoon tea set, which was a selection of cakes, pastries, finger sandwiches, scones and preserves, and of course, tea! Selecting the tea was no small feat, considering there were about 40 varieties to choose from, each bearing a description as impressive as the one before.
I finally settled on the Pi Lo Chun (碧螺春): “For centuries this very famous tea was known in China as Astounding Fragrance, then (literally) Green Snail Spring. The unique flavour of Pi Lo Chun is from the peach, plum and apricot trees planted between the tea bushes. The fruit trees are in full bloom just as the unfolding tea leaves are at their most tender and most receptive to absorb the fragrance of the blossoms. A truly refined green tea.”
Billie picked the Daintree: “Australia is announcing its place in the world of high quality tea with the flavoursome Daintree. The young tea growing industry of Australia has excelled with this uniquely flavoured tea, so finally we have a tea to call our own. Pleasing aromas from the heart of the Daintree rainforest perfectly compliment this full-bodied tea. Enjoy with or without additives.”
Soon the nibblies started to arrive…
Look, all served on Royal Albert china for the true-blue experience!
The tiny morsels of food were equally pretty and appetising…
…and see how the silver shone! (Bi wanted to make sure the staff’s polishing efforts didn’t go unnoticed.)
He also played the part of the perfect gentleman, gallantly ensuring that our teacups never go empty. Mr Darcy would have been proud.
All in all, I had a ball! I felt as if we were transported back in time to days gone by.
Yep, ever since watching Kamikaze Girls and more recently the Korean serial “Princess Hours“, I have, as Momoko in KG, developed a fascination with the OTT opulence of the Rococo period and all things pretty and frilly. And as I’m writing this, I recall that growing up, my mother always used to say, “With such table manners, how can you have tea with the queen at Buckingham Palace.” Haha! Though I have no desire whatsoever to do that, I’d imagine it would be pretty much like this?! In any case, today’s outing to Gunners’ was a perfect exercise in Victorian style make-believe. Love it!
To top off the already sumptuous experience, the sun came out of hiding just as we finished our tea, affording us this lovely view of the sunlit sea from the restaurant’s patio. Sigh…
Next we were headed to yet another place that takes a walk down memory lane… the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace at Cremorne.
Opened in October 1935, other than the movies it screens, this cinema has remained pretty much the same since those early days. Just check out the art-deco design and fittings!
Another step back in time isn’t it?
And in keeping with the old days, the auditorium still houses a Wurlitzer pipe organ, which was once designed to accompany silent films. You think that’s amazing? Guess what? It’s no museum piece. To this day, resident organist Neil Jensen, continues to make music on it every wednesday at luncheon. Now how cute is that?!
But actually, other than admiring this historic beauty, there’s a more urgent task at hand. Yep, the show we came to watch, following Alvin’s advice, is “An Inconvenient Truth“, and people, if you have not already done so, you have to watch this film, you absolutely need to.
An Inconvenient Truth is “a passionate and inspirational look at one man’s fervent crusade to halt global warming’s deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. That man is former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on a last-ditch, all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change.” I know, it doesn’t sound all that exciting, and initially what I really wanted was to catch a “feel-good” movie on my birthday, but boy am I glad I caught this one. And not a moment too soon.
The producers tout this as “by far the most terrifying film you will ever see”, and I dare say they came pre-tty close. Not only was I terrified, I was deeply saddened too, to discover the extent of damage we have inflicted on poor Mother Earth. And yes, I say “we” meaning I am part of the cause. We have to own this. It’s not someone else’s problem, it’s ours. I don’t know. Maybe it’s turning 30 that I feel the urgency more acutely, that time is running out, that we have to do something now. Like never before I felt the drive to further Al Gore’s message and that of tens of thousands more unsung tree-hugging heroes: Save the Earth!!!
I used to think “but I’m just me, whatever efforts I make will be way too miniscule to make a difference, this is a job for the big guys.” Well AIT has showed me very clearly that there is absolutely no room for that sort of mentality. More importantly, there’s no time to wait for the big guys, and frankly the big guys, if they can, will just keep pretending the problem’s not there. So it’s up to us, the little guys, to do something about it. Hopefully when enough of us get together and make ourselves heard, the big guys may start to take notice. And we DO make a difference, each and every one of us. So rise up to the occasion and take action today. As suggested by the film’s website, here are 10 simple steps you and I can take to help reduce global warming:
1. Change a light — from a regular bulb to a compact fluorescent one
2. Drive less
3. Recycle more
4. Check your tires — inflated tires improve gas mileage
5. Use less hot water
6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging
7. Adjust your thermostat
8. Plant a tree
9. Turn off electronic devices
10. Watch “An Inconvenient Truth”, then spread the word!
For more information, visit www.climatecrisis.net
Ok ah, save the earth ah. Don’t make me waste my efforts hor… so I trust you have taken a moment to FULLY absorb what I’ve just said… we are all responsible adults here right… ok then, moving on…
So FINALLY we come to the highlight of the day! Wining & Dining at… (drumroll please)…
Situated on the very edge of the Sydney harbour, boasting views of both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, ARIA holds not one, but two(!) coveted Chef’s Hats! Hwah hah hah, don’t play play! And while I’ll be the first to admit that not every fab restaurant makes it to the list cause they didn’t want to suck up to SMH, I’d like to think that those who have obtained not one but two(!) hats should at least live up to the reputation. On this occasion, Billie and I couldn’t wait to find out! Especially ‘cos we’re here to sample their degustation menu!
So yes, it was Peiling and Fukky who first opened our eyes to the world of degustation with their very generous invite to Tetsuya’s (which I might point out received not one, not two, but three(!!!) hats), and we’ve been hooked and awed ever since. Originating from the French kitchens of the early 20th century, degustation translates to “food tasting” and typically refers to a sampling of all the chef’s signature dishes in small portions at the one sitting. It isn’t just the surprise of not knowing what’s going to turn up that makes the experience so fascinating; often the chefs revel in the opportunity to showcase the full range of their talents and creativity so that what is presented in front of you is no less than edible works of art, visually and palatably. Well, tonight at ARIA’s, we weren’t disappointed. The chefs’ flamboyant mastery over their dishes was the order of the day!
To begin with, we were given these canapes of goat cheese and tomato on the house. Absolutely scrumptious… and from that moment on, we knew we were on to a good thing…
Sydney rock oyster with chardonnay vinaigrette and trout pearls
This wasn’t a dish of course, just the lemons to have with the oysters. But see the level of attention to details, you don’t even have to worry about the pips! Aww… how thoughtful.
Seared tuna with blue swimmer crab meat and enoki mushroom salad
Duck and beetroot consomme with house smoked duck and duck tortellini
Western Australian scampi wrapped in Tunisian brick pastry and served with gremolata (not understanding some of the chim descriptions added to the intrigue)
Twice cooked Kurobuta sweet pork belly with caramelised apple and balsamic. This was THE killer dish for me. Having suffered several unfortunate encounters with pork belly previously, I was less than enthusiastic about this fella, but Man… that rich sweet succulent burst of flavour in my mouth, I could die a content woman. No wait! Let me first return for a full sized portion, THEN I can die contented. If you are in Sydney, and you’re not Muslim, promise me you’ll try this at least once in your life!
Herb crusted lamb rack with lamb cassoulet, borlotti beans and garlic potato puree
No, this is not a dish either. Would you believe it, it’s just a palate cleanser! Of apple jelly topped with a delicately coconut-scented cream and apple flavoured ice. Billie and I so suaku, we almost thought this was the dessert, except we were so greedy, we were hoping for more!
Coconut sorbet and chilled paw paw soup with poached vanilla pineapple and roasted coconut
Bombe Alaska with pistachio and chestnut ice-cream and a citrus salad. Oh, and those little purply bits? They are candied violets! Candied violets?!? That’s the stuff of fancy cookbooks, not real life!
Last but certainly not least, coffee and petit fours.
The damage you ask? Thing is, my parents are going to be reading this blog, and I really don’t want to scare them. Let’s just say Ah Bi and I both thought it was worth every penny! And hey, it took us 4 hours to finish the meal, so even 坐都坐的够本了! But really, there were no complaints, the food was dazzling, the service was top-notch, the location couldn’t have been better, and the company left nothing to be desired.
Sigh… I was really happy that day. And I think Billie was too.
Oh, before I sign off on this blog, thanks to all of you who sent me your warm wishes and showered me with your love. And not to say that I’m comparing or what, but this message from Beng, or rather the gesture of it, was particularly touching:
another day
plain simple normal day
except you are special
and make it so an awesome way
simply because its special tiffy’s birthday
may your simple dreams
continue to unfold
continue to reveal
continue to renew
have a blessed happiest birthday