Reuben Hills

that was an intense couple of weeks. actually, it's more like the few days before an exam. ok guys, i'm going to do a lot of back-posting, since i have so much to say, but i'll update you on today first.

optics test today. i started panicking on sunday night, and continued throughout the exam. i knew i wasn't prepared on sunday night, and i knew that i would fail the test. damn, this time it was again, different to the past papers. all the papers they gave us had different styles ): i failed today so badly. i know that i didn't answer a single question properly, and most of my answers were dodgy. fingers crossed for half marks. i plan to get 10/25, not like i want to, but i know i would. even borrowing the textbook from the library, there wasn't enough time to read the relevant parts between sun-wed. and just last week i was "relaxing" from the exam before. never again. ahhh, my marks this sem.

got chem back like last week. predicted what i got, ie realllly bad, let me give you a picture, average was 10/15. ahhh again. then last tues i had visn test which was all short answers. made up so much crap. i know i didn't write enough for the 5 markers. like 3 lines won't get me across, and i tried blabbing, but i didn't even know anything to blab about. i actually tried studying for my test 1 week beforehand. first five weeks have been pretty chill, but that's because i didn't study, and 2 weeks before chem i started, and then it was already too late for the other subjects.

you know, not even food will cheer me up today. i actually did THAT bad. and acing finals is a lot harder ))):

so we went Reuben Hills today. didn't get their coffee, despite it being known as very good. i'll go another time. i just wanted something different.

lychee, coconut and lime milkshake-$8.50.

pretty interesting taste. you could actually taste that stuff in order. they also put some shredded coconut in it, and this wasn't overly/artificially sweet. i've had a lime milk shake before, it was green and tasted like lime, but it was pretty heavy on the flavouring. haven't had a milkshake in so long!

food! baked eggs, fried chicken, hot dog.

soft baked eggs with goats curd, spinach, ranchero and rye-$16

i have a thing for baked eggs. this one wasn't as runny as element 6. part of one egg was almost boiled. never had goats curd before, so decided to try it. another interesting taste (: ranchero wasn't as tomatoey and the other place, and spinach was quite salty, luckily to didn't add extra salt onto my dish. bread was good (: overall, it was a nive combination, since i didn't want the jamon (had it before) or the black sausage (not game enough to try blood in sausage form)

also tried some fried chicken. it was good, but not as amazing as some other bloggers have said. 

was so filled from the above, didn't have room for free coffee/didn't eat dinner.

also, earlier when i went vegetarian yum cha this year around hyde park, there was a person handing out green flyers, saying there was free coffee the next day, and trying some samples. TURNS OUT SHE WAS FROM RECIPE TO RICHES, well the person who didn't win. i watched a bit yday, and recognised to green flyers/comic cartoon on it. she made apple scruffies, but the ordinary frozen choc biscuits won ): i regret not going back to the city the next day! could have appeared on tv, and tried a potential new product to be at woolies for free and free coffee! i guess earlier that time in jan, i guess i was ceebs going to the city again.

Boost Challenge 2013

boost challenges! i think i got instagram at the right time. last time they had a happy lab promotion, this time they announce the clues on insta first, but then they also put it on fb, and then released the challenges a day ahead, i think too many people complained.

#what is study. free boost>study.

Fairy Friday:

brekkie to gogo.

if i ever try a weird one, it's always on my free boost ones. this one had blended bits of meusli, wasn't even sweet, tasted super healthy, filled with bananas and milk. wouldn't recommend you to buy it, but if you want breakfast, it's super filling. didn't even have lunch.

left: two and five juice. right: skinie minie melon smoothie.

with the juice, it was freshly squeezed, as you would expect. they didn't add any of their "base" juices. you could see them churning out two carrots, celeries, etc. it tasted quite nice, it's better than those supermarket juices which have a horrible balance of fruit and veg. when the veg is too prominant, it's gross (well for me). skinie minie melon was good (:

Teddy Bear Tuesday

lychee crush.

on the poster it looked pink. turns out it's yellow. tasted like tropical juice, very subtle hints of lychee. sweetest boost i've had in a long time.

left: watermelon crush, right: berry berry light

both were good as usual. 

my friend's should become fashion designers!

we were going to give our beas to other friends to use, so it'd look different. they didn't get it in the end since they couldn't be bothered to walk to boost from the library, which is pretty close....if i didn't have a bear/they didn't write my name down, i would've totes used a bear with a plastic bag. my bear had clothes, but we stripped it, and made a plastic bag toga. the asian bear then used my clothes and elastics as belt. 

i think i've become quite the pro in taking boost home, i have this cooler bag which perfectly fits two original sized boosts. like when i got home, both boosts were still ice cold. i take them home because i want to have more flavours at once, but i don't want to consume so much sugar at once. (sugar from natural juices in such large quantities is still not good).

i've had all the boosts now except the lemon crush, orange juice and the protein ones, except they're the same flavours just with blended protein power. i've created my own juice thing before, but i shall try mixing random ones together, like ginger, and blueberry and other stuff which won't match to see how it's like. btw, don't get the chocolate one, or raspberry chocolate ones. i'm so glad the choc one was on a free boost, since it's pretty gross. you can't have healthy chocolate, it just doesn't work.

you know the week before the challenges, i had a passion mango. it's cause i had a voucher from o-week, which made it a discount of $1.50. i also had another voucher, but it expires end of this month. never had the time to use it, so gave it away.

some challenges are too inconvenient to do at uni. oh wells, 6 boosts is good enough. oh, i'm pretty sure the westfield one is owned by curries, since most of them work their, and they're more stingier. like, they made me make my teddy bear order, and made me wear some sort of head piece (luckily i brought it in case) when i got a free boost, and took my photo. unsw took my photo as well =/ at the galeries, i only half took my bear out of my plastic bag, and they were like, "what would you like". so if in doubt about a challenge, your best bet is galeries>westfield. i didn't bother with world square this year. the other two are closer, and i'm still in mid-sem exam period.

Elisa's Take on iOS 7

so last night i finally updated to iOS7. i didn't want to update it just as it was released, since servers would crash, and sure enough, it did, well according to the news. also, not all my apps had updates for iOS7, but most of the ones i used did. when i first saw that apple had a new update, i was all like: soooooooo pretty (: it was pretty quick, only about 10-15min, and didn't lose anything. one of my friends lost her whatsapp convos, but not the group ones, which was weird. she did it through iTunes/plugged into computer, i did it through normal wifi.

screenshot of iOS 6.1.4 changed back to the default iOS 5 background as a "memory".

new home screen is sahhh colourful. the background also moves! you see those circles, yeah they move (but that drains battery)

everything is generally more colourful and white at the same time. also less sophistacted. for example, just look at the camera icon. it previously had detail of what the lens would look like, but now it's all 2d. trip view has also changed to a "flatter" icon. the others have yet to change.

i love the new weather app. as they described, it's like "looking at of the window." and the clouds etc move. it tells you what the weather will be like every hour. it's not bad, accuracy wise.

love the swipe up screen, esp the torch button. since you can get it from an unlocked phone, it's just a swipe and press of a button away, compared with using 3rd party apps, since i used to put my torch in the utilities folder, and i had to press a bit. they should include a shortcut for mobile data, but it's improved since it's in the settings now. the photos are placed in "memories", so it shows the dates. this isn't new, like those old flip/slide phones we had back in yr 7 etc had this, but for iphones it's new. there's still a separate album for camera roll, so you can still browse through photos without the dates/separation in between. the one problem i have is that if i view a picture in landscape then lock my phone and unlock it, it changes back to portrait so i have to pick up my phone and place it landscape again (#firstworldproblems), no but seriously, it's kinda annoying. hopefully their 7.1.something updates in the future would fix this. 

marimba isn't the default ring tone now. the calendar is like a calendar, much more easier to browse. the apps can update themselves and then notify you after they've updated. it used to be that they told/notified you if there was an update, but you had to press update for it to do so.

tripview is so good now! when you go to the maps in tripview, they are heaps easier to navigate/see your location, and the roads are more detailed, so when you're trying to find a bus stop on the go, it's easier to see. the tabs for your different trips are so much more sleeker, meaning you can view more at once, like safari. it now has portrait wise full screen browsing. and since iphone 5 and above are all 

i haven't used to new air drop or facetime audio function. #foreveralone. air drop seems pretty good, and the audio facetime has better connection than 3rd party apps, according to other people. 

it's hard to set a wallpaper form your photos. it zooms in a lot, and can't fit a normal photo of what you took and set it (it's hard to explain). the lock sound has become more dramatic. i don't like the font on the camera, and it purposely blurs when you switch between modes/ going to camera roll, which slows it down a bit. the camera lighting is a bit different. like i was trying to take a photo under sunlight, and my mum's 4s which hasn't been updated yet had better lighting compared to my updated one...

everything has become more rounded, and white-like i've mentioned. here's my instagram home page:

in your contacts, people's profile pics have become rounded,  whatsapp has yet to adapt, but they'll probs get forced to. i don't have a passcode (because i ceebs), it's also rounded but it looks really pretty when you press the numbers. there's the added translucency, which makes everything pretty! the calculator has become more "square".

i still will not understand people who buy a 5c. why would you want to pay $740 for a phone in plastic (well it's good quality plastic, but i have yet to feel it), for a phone exactly the same as last years. shoud've gotten a 5, much cheaper in comparison (aluminium and glass for $800, too bad they don't sell it anymore).

wow, i read an article about apple's new ad control. so strict. but hey, they have to keep a standard (:

so there you have it, a view of the essentials of my iPhone. of course, there are heaps more, but you just have to experience it yourself. iOS 7 is worth updating to. it's pretty cool how they released the update before the new iOS 7 devices. i guess i'm happy to have experienced the traditional format for about 9 months, then changing it. apple is right, it really does feel like i have a new iphone!

Mum's Bday Food Adventures>Study

ok, this is another back post. in hind sight, i am never ever going out again before an exam. i don't care if it's my families bday or friends or even mine, despite how much i love birthdays. did so bad in the exam, shouldn't have gone out.

birthday cake: larme de gaugin from la renaissance at the rocks. a mixed berry mousse and sponge cake with a jaconde.

it's just as good the second time. first time was at Bitter's 18th, and her one had a strawberry mousse which looks nicer, but i think the mixed berry mousse tastes better as it has more of a punch. it depends on the chef i guess, since in store, the mini cakes had the berry mousse, but other cakes had a strawberry mousse. this cake is quite light, and the real fruitiness and has some acidity. there's probably sugar added, but you can't taste it, which is good. this time, you had to pay for your cake first before you could order, and now the bigger sized cakes don't come with a free message. their packaging has also changed to a bright pink box.

went to lowenbrau again for a free meal. it was so packed, well it always is, but i guess oktoberfest is coming up, and they also decorated more stuff inside. ended up sharing a table with some randoms even though we had a booking. this time they asked for id first, and only gave the cheaper meal for free.

veal schnitzel with roast potatoes and cranberry sauce -$31.

the sauce was so good! since veal is more expensive than chicken, it was smaller than the chicken schnitzel, but it was still good. don't see veal ones everyday. mum had the roast pork knuckle, ($36), it didn't look that big, but once you dug into it, wow, so much meat/pork crackling. it was accompanied by mash and onions and their sauce, which was the same sides last time we went that went with their sausage lunch special. i tried to help her finish it, but even i couldn't

live music

chicken dance entertainment for the kids. there was also a super skilled face painter there.

went to guylian cafe! even though we were super full...first time (:

iced chocolate-$9 

cappuccino-$4.50 i think w/ a chocolate.

guylian is more expensive and isn't as nice as lindt. i asked for a little bit of cream, since i felt so fattened from the meal before. even though i like my ice cream, and this was nice ice cream, i think there was too much for the size of this drink, so once you eat the ice cream and some of the cream, there's actually only about half a glass of stuff to drink. unlike lindt, you could see the chocolate bits which didn't melt, so there was a slight grainy texture, but then the chocolate itself is like that, so i guess they wanted to retain their chocolate texture in the drink. there were these other people there who only had half a slice of cake and left! once slice is about $16 dine in. what a waste!

yellow snail

double decker bus back home

bro at youth camp. quiteness as home (:

Umi Sushi

silver mirror test! 

you could actually see your reflection on the test tube (:

i've been thinking about eating sushi the whole week. thanks for coming guys, even though it was last minute/we still have mid sems/assignments. so good catching up with people. thanks for the shout Better! yay, more food as a late bday pressie, haha.

i rarely go out to eat before an exam, but i couldn't resist $2 sushi train! usually, other sushi trains range form $3-8, and i've seen some $10 ones. in hk, you can get good quality stuff for like $1-$5.

waited for so long, but it was expected since the deal was going to be over soon and it was a fri night, and got home alter than planned. was so hungry, didn't have time to take a pic of everything i ate.

scampi. i think people forgot it was $2 for one, and they put two together, which is actually $4, and confused people,  and also getting "half" a plate, so we ended up with some money missing,which i just still helped chipped in at the end. hard to explain.

i had more than this, but then this was also some shared plates i just stacked.

platesss.

the scallops were my fav. even though people says it's good and worth going to again, i think it's ok. like, these servings of fish were slightly smaller than the previous week, since i think they realised how popular their promotion became. or maybe my standard of outside food has gone up. i'm actually not a picky eater, but for me to go back to a place, it has to be super duper good (since there are heaps of places i still want to try, and need to save money for those places).

last day of epxo

kingdom hearts 1.5 out today! in HD! 

i've considered buying it, but then i know i won't study/get distracted, so i'll probs end up borrowing it from somewhere who'll be finished really quickly, haha.

also, haven't told you guys yet, but new update for Minion Rush! 

mum's haul on the last day of the expo.

yay, macarons! after they finished the display, apparently they gave some out. 

heapsssss of food just from today. yay for more high quality matcha, but i still need to find a frother to make it nice. the packet says you can add milk or just hot water, but then that's not a proper latte. frothed milk (:

she said everyone (asian/white/old/young etc), went and snatched everything whatever the promoters were handing out, haha. she got a lot of drinks as well, which she left with dad to take home. if you haven't seen my mum, she's short than me/tinier than me, so i was actually quie surprised she brought a whole table worth of food back home.

dad got some sugar free cake packet mix, and custard (which is like one of my bro's favs) and more random stuff.

last day of expos are the best. in two years time, i hope that my timetable will allow me to go on the last day. free good food ftw! (:

Fine Food Australia 2013

freeee food galore! fine food is an exibition where heaps of companies promote their products/machines. it's supposed to be for the hospitality industry, but meh, free food (:

it's only once every two years in syd. in yr 11, i had my chem trials, so last time i went was yr 9. they changed the rules this year so that if you're a high schooler, you can't go, even if you're studying at tafe or something. they didn't even check my uni id this time. literally scan and go in.

they opened all 5 halls this time. i didn't have time to go to the "new products winners" section at the edge of the expo.

i missed adriano zumbo yesterday! here they make cakes etc and put it on display on the last day for judging. wow, the effort they put to paint cakes. i also missed kirsten tibballs, i think she came in the morning, but i had optics lec and couldn't miss it. 

this place was promoting their cream which you just simply whip and pipe. these viet people were soooo skilled! they only supply their cream to businesses/don't sell them in shops.

my purple flower on the left (: he just used one nozzle. on the right my mum's pig, the other person also only used one nozzle yet produced all those features. the ink pen was so thin!

i aimed to try all the ice cream-there was soo many that i just couldn't have them all! so some places i only asked for a sample spoon instead of a cup, even though it was free.

movenpick-rum raisin and maple walnut. tried raspberry sorbet after, twas very sweet for a sorbet.

this was called "speedy gelato". in the background, you can see the spatula things. the guy pours the mixture and then he "fries" it, and mixes it like stir fry. the effect was superrrrrrrrr cold gelato. colder than any other ice cream there.

tiramisu and cookies and cream. i had apple crumble and salted lime there as well. this guy was too nice. i wanted to try a spoon of other flavours, and it was the biggest sample ever of a plastic spoon! 

i had salted caramel and apple crumble from gelatissimo. other places i had more slated caramel (to compare which store was the best), cheesecake, mango, pear and ginger and heaps more i can't remember. defs was full on ice cream-had around 10 scoops. 

there was heaps of finger/baked foods, like gourmet pies/sausage rolls/croissants/pizzas. i had this melt in the mouth beef, freshly baked atlantic salmon and even lamb cutlets! they make these foods to show what their commercial ovens can do, and yum, perfectly pink lamb and beef (: even got cafe quality matcha powder. they only supply to cafes, and not to shops yet ): i was at the point where i had to reject free food, since i was so full! and knowing me, that's pretty rare. we already brought boxes along with us, hehe. years of exhibition freebie getting experience.

cool melon cut outs.

this place promoted their icing/glaze. shiniest glaze ever!

my haul of free food and freebies (:

so many other stuff, but i couldn't take a photo of them, since most of the time i was eating ice cream/gelato from a cup, and that requires two hands.

defs ate too much, but it was all so good!