The Memory Box: Start 2018 with Fireworks, HOT Summer Weather and A WEDDING! (part 1)

Ok, finally I am feeling calm and rested enough to attempt to write about this trip to Australia, it’s been over a month since the trip ended.

So let me start off with the main purpose of this trip – Tien’s Wedding!

This has been an event and a trip that I have been looking forward to for over a year, so happy that I was able to make it and celebrate with Tien & Lam and their family and friends.

I arrived in Sydney from Hong Kong just before the end of 2017. We spent some time with Tien’s family and relatives who were also in town for the wedding – we went to Zen Oasis, a vegetarian buffet restaurant in about 1.5 hours away from Sydney.

This place is just like it’s name – a zen oasis, there are no other buildings or landmarks around that the eye can see. The land is well maintained, like a garden. The only downside is that there are A LOT OF FLIES! So many flies that I don’t think I have been to any other place in the world where I felt like if I opened my mouth to speak a fly would fly in…… it was discomforting because it was almost like the flies couldn’t see (which might be true) but they would just fly into your face and body even though they have so much other space in this “oasis”. Anyways, we were warned about this from friends who have lived in Australia, they are known for large amounts of flies even though their cities and green spaces are clean-looking. Sorry, no photos as it was sunny, hot and I was constantly swatting flies. (but don't worry, I actually didn't encounter any other large swarms of flies any where else we visited during my 3 weeks in Australia.)

Thankfully the restaurant opened right at 11am on the dot and so we soon got inside and they were quite successful in keeping the flies out (don’t know how they did that), but at least we weren’t bothered by the flies for lunch. The lunch is all vegetarian, and it’s like a buffet of dimsum size dishes. It’s a nice selection, not too large, but you will definitely get full.

The reason why we went there is because this was one of the locations that Tien and Lam considered for their wedding, and it’s nice there, but too far for all the guests to travel to, and well…. There’s the issue of the flies….

Afterwards, we made our way back to Sydney and on the way we stopped at an outlet. We walked around, but I was so tired from the red-eye flight from HK that I had to nap in the mall on one of the couches.

left photo: we set up our tent outside of the Opera House, and hung umbrellas to fill the gap to keep the sun out, used my new backpack to weigh down the umbrella

The next day was Dec 31, so we got up early to make our way to the Sydney Opera House to mark our spot for the Fireworks countdown. When we got there, security wouldn’t let us through because we had foldable chairs and tents, so we wasted some time, but actually they will let you through if you say you are going to the Opera house. When we got there, there were loads of other tents, chairs, air mattress etc. all set up already.

We spent the day sleeping, reading, walking around waiting for the fireworks. It was a super long day, and after 1pm or so they stop letting people into the area, which means you can’t go out….

Tien and I took the opportunity to take a photo again with the Sydney Opera house in the background.

below: in 2014 (left) and 3.5 years later in 2018 (right)….

The area outside of the Opera House transformed into a tent city.

Around 5pm, we saw some very dressed up ladies and gentlemen walk down the middle of the tent city, they were going to the Ticketed Event inside the Sydney Opera House for dinner, drinks and to watch the fireworks. It’s almost like we’re at the Oscars red carpet…..although I didn’t recognize any famous faces.

above: Sydney Opera House at night with some mood lighting

below: the portable washrooms light up at night,

I know it's weird, but I think it looks pretty with the lights along the boardwalk

At 9pm they have a preliminary round of fireworks for the children, afterwards they head home. This preliminary round of fireworks was still pretty spectacular.

Finally, we got to the countdown to midnight, and then the fireworks went off!

Now it’s the first week of January, I thought we would get started on all the final things we needed to get done before the wedding, but we ended up taking it easy for another 2-3 days. We went to a nice little Vietnamese restaurants that serves the street food of Hanoi – When I saw the menu, I recognized lots of the food that we tried when we travel through Hanoi together. Oh they bring back such good memories! I can’t wait to go back to Vietnam one day……

Tien’s brother also cooked a few meals for us, and his cooking has definitely reached another level – he was always good at it and enjoyed it, but I think he’s much more confident now in some ways and that comes through in the food that he cooks.

I really enjoyed this Turmeric & Dill fish fillet dish, and the scrambled eggs with green onion was simple comfort food - so delicious and creamy!

And of course we have to go to Black Star Pastry to try their Watermelon cake! Well, we went for breakfast and not for the cake, but we got pastries and pies instead – because I’ve been told Australian pies are soooo gooood..... (not that good in my opinion, I think I prefer English pies like Shepherd's pie, Fish pie, Steak & Guiness pie)

And after all the fun and food, we have to work. We made a lot of decorative items for the traditional Vietnamese Ceremony in their home – backdrops, props, preparing platters and trays of food and gifts. Everyone pitched in – even the men! I must say that this was one of the things that really made an impression on me. For the wedding all of Tien’s family and relatives helped out, from blowing up balloons to unfurling tissue paper balls, stringing up photos to baking and decorating the wedding cake, altering dresses and arranging flowers and bouquets.

right photo: the pulp from a finger lime (native fruit of Australia) pops in your mouth when you bite into it and has a light tangy-lime flavour

We were busy right up until the last minute!

above: doing a site visit at the wedding ceremony site,

when you look up into the trees, you will find lots of bats hanging on the branches!

below: making wedding decorations

below: N.T. making the wedding cake

above, people left to right: Lam's dad, Tien's dad, Tien's uncle

helping to make the hanging backdrop for the western wedding ceremony

We also went to the largest wholesale/flea market in Sydney to buy flowers and fruits for the wedding. The flower market wasn't that big, it was the flea market that was surprising - they had so many things and there were even furniture and live chickens for sale there!

Then we went over to the food market where it's a HUGE HUGE HUGE warehouse selling fruits, vegetables, meat and fish in their own sections. We didn't walk over to the vegetables, meat and fish section. In the fruits section we found large boxes of mangoes, cherries, watermelon and other fruits for very cheap!