Shout out to the Optom Soc this year for breaking the hoodie trend and making wind breaker jackets. Could actually test to see how wind proof it was today with the super crazy winds. They even blocked off trees at uni and sent an email telling people to avoid trees...I think the jacket did work.

So another ep of GoT was leaking on Wed (5 days earlier). You would think after the leak of ep 4 that they would tighten their security or what not. Still had to watch it to avoid spoilers, but now that means have to wait over a week for the season finale.

It's been a good week catching up with friends, and G8s for the hilarious chats/advice haha. Although I do need to start my assignments/start studying. Not studying for a period of time then knowing you need to study but lacking motivation ain't easy. So much for having extra time to restudy previous years things...

How has 4 weeks of uni already gone past? I feel like Nov will just roll by, and it'll be exam time.

Yellow Stage

Shoutout to Shirley for these cakes! Thankful for thoughtful friends who know you love cake and haven't been able to make it to this new cake shop in Eastwood 💜 (I have no idea why there's no pink/red emoji in blogger keyboard thing). Surprised these cakes made it to uni and back in one piece, yay for winter so things don't melt as fast.

Ciel: white chocolate mousse cake filled with pistachio praline for texture and raspberry paste

The cake was quite light and not too sweet. Would've liked more pistachio and raspberry flavour since the white choc overpowered the other flavours a bit. Have to give credit to this cute looking cloud shaped cake.

Yellow stage: mousse cake filled with pineapple and yuzu

I think it was also another white choc mousse cake. Loved the acidity from the pineapple and yuzu, but the yuzu flavour could have been a bit stronger. Also, who doesn't love an edible flower on top?

inside

If I'm ever in the area, I wouldn't mind going to the dessert bar and try out their other cakes.

First Escape Room

Thanks for coming guys! Birthdays are really just an excuse for catchups. Can finally say I've done an escape room. Yes we just escaped! So lucky to have smart friends since all I did was really wing it lol. It was more frustrating than fun tbh, mainly cause it just started all dark and really just had to feel everything. I found something and it said this escape room was the middle level of difficulty compared to the other ones there at King Street Wharf. So many props/bits and pieces inside which were useless in the end...I'm pretty sure all our hands were covered in dust trying to feel around the whole room in the dark whilst utilising the tiny iPad light. It was so dark we couldn't even scan the QR codes to get a clue. Thank goodness they picked up the phone at reception so we called for help...Safe to say I cannot do mental arithmetics and the music didn't help lol. It was still great fun spending on Monday night and just seeing more than half the group (: The one at the Rocks sound really fun.

Matcha Ramen w/ bulgogi beef-$17

Decided to go here since Dandelion said she drank all the soup here. Normally I don't drink the soup since it's way too salty, except for the Michelin ramen restaurant in Tokyo which used truffle in the broth. It's a really interesting concept using matcha in soya milk, and creating a vegetarian broth (since almost all good ramen use meat in the broth). I liked the vegetarian better since you could taste the flavour of the broth more, whereas the marinated beef flavour over powered the broth. Would have liked more matcha in it since it was super subtle. The noodles were alright, but some were in chunks. 

Ed it's been a while: lemon, coffee and olive oil mousse cake finished w/ a coffee glaze and yellow chocolate pieces

inside

Thanks Dandelion for organising! Wasn't expecting a cake haha. Loved the flavours of this one since it's not too sweet. Coffee could've been more bitter, and olive oil flavour a bit stronger, but loved the acidity in the base.

Also, found out tonight that when you're taking photos on iPhone, you can hold on the brightness and adjust it up and down. Learn something new every day.

'Prime' of your life

city views 

Bday brunch at Social Brew Cafe where I broke my longest streak of no brunch (review coming up later...) 

Went to the smooth chocolate festival afterwards (running on 3 hour sleep) but not for the chocolate. 

Black star pastry strawberry watermelon cake in soft serve form-$7

It's better than N2 gelato, but obviously still not as good as the actual cake. Flavour weren't as strong and the texture was more sorbet like, but it was still fragrant and delicious.

So many people though and it was actually quite big. A lot of the stores had multiple stalls, and most of them were very decadent. A lot of donut stores as well. I couldn't even be bothered trying to find the chocolate sculpture.

Bro ended up buying the Angel cake from Uncle Testu and Mum bought a cake from Zest our local cake shop

I was too ceebs organising a cake this year, and somehow ended with 2...The Angel cake was quite light and fluffy, probably more cheesy than their cheesecake. The other one I think I've had before. Didn't even bother with candles since I was too tired.

I said before but I don't like turning prime numbers. I was talking to someone and they were like 'you should enjoy the prime time of your life.' Yeah, not when all you need to focus on is passing and then graduating tbh. City 2 surf was on today, and maybe that's something I should aim to try and do next year, before I get way too old and unfit...

Slept before 9, so one of the most uneventful eventful days ever. A sign of getting old....

EyeBall 2017

The theme was Fire and Ice and held at Hyatt Regency this year (would've been cooler if they called it Ice and Fire to go with GoT). I was actually quite excited to use the geo filter on Snapchat and there was a candy bar this year as well. The photo booths line were a lot longer, probably because the photos printed inside the machine. It was a really fun night!

yes, first thing I did was raided the candy bar

There were less people this year...

table

menu

Food was generally pretty good. Everything was piping hot, which is hard to do for such large masses. The plates were all heated as well, so hot to touch. They also had more waiters at this venue. I didn't bother getting any drinks on arrival.

entree: chicken

prawns

main: beef + loved the smell of the truffle oil in the mash

yes for medium rare

salmon also had really good flavours

wine which tasted like water. the white wine was quite bublly/sparkling as well, but not quite sparkling wine

dessert: one of the saltiest ice creams I've ever had

cheesecake-I already halved it with my friend, but still couldn't finish my half since it was so dense

chocolate

Darling Harbour views

Music was good (since I only listen to mainstream music lol). May have had a bit too much to drink...but luckily no hangover. I know my limit is 4 good glasses of wine, but 4 here I didn't feel any effects. The unofficial afterparty was at Cargo Bar, and it was sponsored, so of course why not make the most of it with more free drinks? I remembered the whole night, except probs the last 15minutes...So maybe just a bit tipsy... I can do wines but not shots. Apparently they don't serve shots after 12am? Who knew, I never go to these things because 1. Alcohol is expensive 2. Just too unhealthy.

Discovered how awesome Uber is, and it's quite cheap when you share with friends. So glad we rented an apartment for the night. Think we ended up going home around 2am...Wished I had morning city views every morning...Although you could hear the light rail once you're awake. Also broke my longest streak record of 2.5 months of no brunch in Sydney the next morning.

Probably have noticed haven't posted much food posts in a while. Mainly because I'm trying to refrain myself from eating so much food in Sydney, after having eaten at so, so, so many amazing places already this year, I feel like I have reached my quota for the year.

One thing I've found recently is that I hate when people ask me 'how's uni?' It's more of a love-hate relationship. Love the holidays and occasional days off, and love to learn, but I can still go on about how rigged the whole system is and what a money making institution it is. It's taken a good solid 9 months to not feel... depressed when telling people. Like my whole career would be seeing patients, but a year without any practice is what really irks me.

Then it leads me to other thoughts like I feel so behind in life sometimes. Like people already into their full time jobs for a year or two, then people I've known since I was a kid getting married/engaged, and here I'm still studying. Times like these I think why is my degree so secluded and wish I was more social, and why is it 5+years...  I'm sort of over the whole 2 hours one way trek to uni, but #hillslyf, and no money to move closer. My heart sort of breaks when using an adult opal card...Which is sort of another reason why I haven't been willing to spend as much even on food back in Sydney this second half of the year. I also am amazed at those few optoms who have graduated and worked, but then study more to become a doctor. You would graduate when you're almost 30, and that's not including all the internships etc...I still enjoy studying because I know when I'm working I would look back and miss studying...I guess that's why people do post grads...but I sort of feel I'm not really the research type.

Thought I got a free Boost yday, turns out it activates today. Thought I had my Opal card in it's usual slot, turns out it was my Boost card and had to head back home and then chase the bus. First time leaving my Opal card behind.

For once I have a packed weekend ahead. Here's to minimal sleep, maximal play. Ceebs with cake (another first). I have probably said this before that I don't like prime numbers. Getting old 😔 Forever thankful for the G8s even though hardly see anyone often enough for the advice, stories and just random chats.

Today was a good day. It feels rare to have really good days (or days filled with freebies) nowadays.

Last week was free Mac, this week free Mecca. They had a claw machine, and on the third turn I ended up getting 2 in one go. Mum got one on her first try.

     

Lip shimmer

They were all the same, I think they only had this left since I saw everyone get the same thing inside. It's so glittery though....

some boat show with boats over $100 000

Didn't end up going down, but it seemed quite cool seeing people just chilling on the boats and taking photos.

Then lunch at Lumi Dining. Blog post coming soon...It was really nice to go to that part of the city, which is away from everything else. Weather was so lovely.

Then went to pick up my valuations, and they did end up giving me a free leather pouch. It's so soft, and retails for $125 (side note, I did spend 4 figures there...). 

Also bought a leather jacket from $600 down  to $90. I'm not sure what sort of leather exactly, since it was an off/irregular jacket and marked to clear. It was from a shop which sold Prada etc, and they said the jacket was made in Italy and calf leather. It's missing a few tags on the jacket hence why the price is so low...It feels real which I guess that's what matters most. I still have yet to find the perfect leather jacket. Even places like Top Shop have synthetic leather and cost a few hundred dollars. I would rather spend over $500 for a perfect fitting/feeling quality jacket. I've actually been searching for a few years now but still can't find something which ticks all the boxes. At least this one is quite cheap (I think they probs over priced the rrp), so won't have to worry as much if it gets wet and don't have to take care of it all the time.

And GoT was leaked, you'd think technology these days would prevent leaks from happening...Fav episode in the season and one of the top favs in the whole show! So good!