I never been to Melbourne!

Since I started my University studies a long time ago, the cities I have been to around Australia is only Sydney, Snowy Mountain, Canberra and Gold Coast.

When I was about to go to Paris last year, a chat friend told me that Melbourne resembles European City. I though Melbourne may be a very interesting city after I visited Paris.

I saw an article about an Australian actress talked about difference between Melbourne and Sydney. She said that Melbourne is gloomy (like London) and suitable for her TV serials which tell stories about homicide in Melbourne. She said that Sydney is bright and sunny city. Moreover, there are lots of underground gangland or mafia wars in Melbourne in the past years.

Just earlier this year, my chat friend said that there are lots of drunken teenagers roaming around Melbourne CBD making troubles at a very late night everyday.

The Sixty Minutes did not help much, one of the program informed that Melbourne does have drunken teenagers who would bashed, kicked people and fighting without any cause around Melbourne streets in the night. Worse enough, there are 2 victims been interviewed. One lose his half forehead skull as it is bashed badly against tarmac, but he survived without forehead skull, just skin covering his brain on the forehead. Another victim got brain damage and been degraded into a big baby who could not take care his own life. His mom has to washed, taking care, and feeding him all the time. The brawls happened during a very late night.

As a result, the bar opening hours in Melbourne has been reduced so much and there are curfew for these teenagers to roaming around Melbourne at late night.

No wonder, my imagination is that Melbourne is a dark, gloomy city with lots of rains, unpredictable weather, gangland wars, and a harsh city.

However, I was very excited when my friend from Indonesia came in August and asked me to go with her family together to Melbourne. It'll be 2 days only, but I want to find out what's Melbourne look like?

Sadly, my friend's dad suddenly got weak and sick a day before our flight to Melbourne. So, I had to cancelled all plans in Melbourne and my plane ticket is gone.

I keep thinking that one day, I will be on a plane and fly to Melbourne in this year. While I reluctant to pay for the trip, somehow I'm very sure that I will be going to Melbourne.

Then, last week, my manager called me and other colleague. He told us that we are going to Melbourne for 2 days training during the long weekend together with 4 others that he already called before us. I was amazed and keep calm during the talk in my manager's office. After we back to the desk, we giggled and felt very excited.

The price? We have to learn more and more about product knowledge in Melbourne and give a presentation upon coming back, but I still feel excited on stepping into Melbourne for the first time.

I am happy enough as all accommodation and flight will be paid and taken care for. I will not wandering around late in the night as I love my comfy bed more than roaming in the dark. I would love to walking around in the daylight as I can see more rather than in the dark.

I never dream that I will eventually get paid for a training out of town. Looking back years ago, I was a very comfortable just staying-at-home-person. Now, I'd love to try something new, eating out (only for something good enough), going somewhere and eager to open my eyes for more adventures.

I have abandoned my own blog for a long time as I was getting busy last month. A friend from Indonesia came with her whole family, beside it I have to work harder for the target of the month.

So, here are these pictures:






I like how he made the oyster and how he teased us with his knowledge of spices. He told the audiences how easy it is to make dishes using his selection of vinegars and spices sold at David Jones. Tetsuya did told us that wasabi will not be so strong if it's mixed with other spices as he poured a small bowl full of wasabi into one of his canape's spice mixture. The audiences was so 'OOOHhhh..." when they realised that he poured too much. The canape with wasabi spice then presented to us and the wasabi did have a hit flabour but it was so surprisingly a weak, a bit mild hit.

Then he joked that the next canape is one of his best, he showed us.... FRIED CHIPS!
He asked the front audiences to try the chips before he put his spice (salt+ black truffle) and ask them to try again. It did have a big difference because of the black truffle spice on the chips.

One of the audience, a chinese man asked Tetsuya about his own fear of being cut while working in kitchen. Seem this man is not brave enough with knife. Tetsuya advised him a lot then called him to come forward and asked the man for a gold coin. After the man gave the gold coin, Tetsuya gave him a Japanese knife that belong to Tetsuya. It is a Mac Knife that Tetsuya has been advertised and worth more than AUD $400+. Tetsuya had demonstrated its sharpness by slicing a paper while the paper only been hold on one side by his left fingers. So sharp and while that man was afraid of being cut he got rewarded by sharpest knife?

See the rattan basket of paper and plastic? It got water inside and the water was boiled. Yes, it's on a new conductive stove that will not burn the pan, wok, even rattan basket and paper but only heated water and your cooking. Forget the angry bubbles when you cook milk and lift it, make the milk touched the side of hot pan and here come the hot angry bubbles on the side of the pan. This conductive stove only cook what need to be cooked without heating too much. The stove is from LG.

I was wondering why Tetsuya promoted the stove and the knife that has deep impact on these audienced instead of his own produces?

At the end of the show, I felt sympathy as Tetsuya did not telling too much of his vinegar bottles and spices that sold on David Jones. Most of the audiences asked Tetsuya regarding what he likes and his restaurant instead of his spices sold in David Jones.

I asked the MC from David Jones regarding mirin, seem she didn't have any idea what it is and even didn't not know if one of Tetsuya's spices that sold in David Jones does have mirin (it is written rice vinegar on the side of Tetsuya's bottle). Tetsuya even did not introduce this bottle of rice vinegar to answer my question, only he took the bottle later in the show for one of the canape.

At least I already tried to asisst a bit to turned audiences into one of Tetsuya's spices.

I did not armed myself my camera as I read about this free canape from Tetsuya on a newspaper left on the train on my way back home. I had to get back to the CBD to David Jones and all I have is my mobile camera. Lucky I was on time when people started queue and I got myself a seat inside.