Elsja Down Under

I Love Neil Diamond April 30, 2008

Maybe it is just because they are what I listened to when I was a kid (or what I was exposed to via parents)… but something about Neil Diamond songs makes me happy and it makes me even happier to watch the American Idol top 5 them. Ok maybe not, but I am glad they aren’t singing any more Mariah Carey! A whole night devoted to good ol’ Neil. 10 whole songs… and that means 10 whole reviews from Moi.

So here are my thoughts on tonight’s performances:

Jason- Forever in Blue Jeans: Didn’t wow me, but I did like the version. I pretty much like any of Jason’s versions of anything. He just has that style that I like.

David C.- I’m Alive: Sounds like all the other David Cook songs, raspy, raw and growly… but it was fine. Not my fave.

Brooke -  I’m a Believer: This was shit… just sounded like she was singing the annoying Shrek song. Sounded shaky and blah. And WHAT is she wearing? She just needs to go.

David A. – Sweet Caroline: Wow… he finally had some personality and livened up a bit. Maybe someone gave him the 411 that he’s usually boring as shit… it was kinda cheesy, but he sounded good and I give him props for actually moving and smiling for once.

Syesha – Hello Again: Kinda boring version- but I’m not sure you really CAN make this song un-boring. I do like Neil’s version much better though. Ok but to give her some credit she’s really good. I feel bad she’s been in the bottom so often. I know I said I wanted the girls all booted, but she has a good voice- she’s just nothing new to me.

And WTF is wrong with paula abdul? She’s losing it.

OK round two.

Jason- September Morn: Mmm his voice makes me melty. Me likey. I can see why people think he’s “just ok” but he’s only been “just ok” in the last few weeks. What happened to him? Wheres the hallelujah/over the rainbow singing Jason we once knew and loved? I’d still buy his album over anyone else.

David C. – All I Really Need is You: Why did he have to go and pick the 2 songs most people don’t know? It’s like he had to just be original and different…whatev! Ok I admit it… he’s the best. Ugh. I don’t like to say that- but he’s just been putting Jason to shame these last 2 weeks.

Brooke – I Am I Said: I think she redeemed herself on this one. I actually liked her for once. I give her credit for not only learning to sing the song, but also learning it on piano as well!

David A.- America: Except for the voice crack- it was good. Didn’t give me the chills, but it was good. He’s back in the running for me.

Syesha- Thank the Lord for the Nighttime: She definitely has the most personality but I didn’t like this song. Sounded like a gospal choir. Over it.

SO there you have it… my professional opinon.

My prediction for the loser tomorrow is Syesha or Brooke. I base this on the fact that they are always in the bottom 2/3. I still think if I had to pick, I’d get rid of Brooke. Gotta keep the guys in the top 3 like planned. Well, my plan at least

And YAY… Neil Diamond will be back AW DAMNIT… I JUST REALIZED I WONT BE HOME TO WATCH IT. damnit damnit. nobody spoil it for me. I’ll have to watch the repeat when it shows again on Friday.

Animal Instincts April 29, 2008

So this is 3 blogs for the price of one. The last piece is by far the most interesting but we’ll get to that topic in a few moments (warning, graphic pictures ahead)! But first- an update on my 101 in 1001 list.

The following items have now been accomplished:

#4. Get a massage with Andrew. On the 17th, my back was killing and Andrew’s shoulder was hurting… so we said screw it- let’s go get massages. I think his guy was a lot better than my girl. It was the full on Chinese massage in a little hole in the wall shop. It was pretty good- but nothing fantastic if you ask me… so we’ll probably try somewhere cheaper and closer next time we go. It was a nice thing to do together though

#73. Buy new pillows for the bed. Thank GOD this one is completed. I finally got rid of the nasty poor excuses for pillows that we brought from Andrew’s old place. In addition to tossing out the orange stained pillows (yeah, gross right?), I also washed the curtains in the spare room to try to get rid of some of the dust, mold and pet hair (and God knows what else) that were on those dirty things. Hopefully there will be less sneezing for our guests (and myself) from now on.

Now onto the #1 topic for the day… Animal instincts.

Yesterday, Andrew and I decided to go to the zoo. It was the first day we BOTH had off in a long time. Not only could we use our discount coupon, but it would also fulfill my “go on one date with andrew each month” task on my 101 list. Woohoo.

So our favorite animals by far were the monkeys. The chimps and gorillas were SO amazing. They just were loving and cuddling each other and one mama gorilla held her baby up to this window in her little cave for everyone to see. It was like she wanted to show the baby off. They are just SO much like humans, it’s creepy. We stayed and watched them for so long. The chimps were hilarious. There were some just relaxing in the sun, sprawled out on their backs with their forearms covering their eyes… just like what I like to do at the beach Another small chimp came swinging from the trees, went over to the bigger looking chimp and gave it a hug. Really… it was so cute.

Here’s picture of a chimp mama cuddling her baby:

Then there were the cool zebras, lions, birds, koalas and kangaroos…

But the most fascinating of all was the rape of a poor innocent elephant. By rape, I mean just that…non-consensual sex! This female elephant wanted NOTHING to do with the male. She kept trying to get away from him, she would swat him with her trunk and nudge him away… but he wouldn’t give up. He followed her from the top of a hill to the bottom, where we were able to capture evidence of this horrible crime. GRAPHIC evidence. The male elephant got what he wanted. All 5 seconds of what he wanted.

My favorite quote was the mum next to us who said (amongst 4 giggling girls) “I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do in the car.”

Doesnt the female just look SO sad while the male is up there smiling in all his glory?? Oh and take a closer look…closer….closer.

Yes… that IS what you think it is! Luckily you guys don’t have to witness the “aftermath” of this event like we did!  

If anyone is interested… the rest of the pictures are here (and they are less graphic- except for a few other mild elephant porn shots). When you go to the link, just click “view slideshow.”

Fuel Prices April 26, 2008

For all of you in the states who think you are being ripped of paying $3.71/gallon for gas (which you are, but that’s not the point)- just think of us here in Australia every time you are at the pump.

You see, if you were to buy a gallon of gas here in Sydney, you would be paying around $5.48 per gallon!

Now who wants to complain about gas prices??

Emmi April 25, 2008

So, here’s an update on my sweet dog.

Emmi went in for Surgery on Tuesday to remove the tumor in her mouth. It had grown so big, that they actually had to cut out part of her jaw right below her bottom front teeth (the teeth were taken out as well). So, literally the two sides of her jaw on the left and right are no longer attached in the middle.

She wouldn’t eat at first, (I wouldn’t either if part of my jaw was cut out!) but once my mom finally could get her to take the pain meds, then she ate and drank.

My mom said Emmi has now been happier and perkier than before she had her mouth cut open. The tumor must have been causing a lot of pain. I was so happy to hear that Emmi has been doing really well, eating and drinking and just being happy!

But today we got the diagnosis from the biopsy. She does in fact have cancer They don’t know if they got it all out when they removed it on Tuesday, so there is a high probability that it will come back. It’s very aggressive so it could come back quickly and it also attacks the bones.

I just hope and pray that even if it does come back, it won’t come back too quickly so I can see her again before it gets bad and we have to put her down. I hope she can just remain happy, perky and pain free for a little bit longer

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!

Ciao Carly! April 24, 2008

I’m glad it was one of the girls who went home tonight… but WHY THE HELL wasn’t it Brooke? I don’t understand how that girl is still in the top 5. She always seems to choke. Probably just has a lot of friends who call 34095834 times. Carly was so much better than Brooke in my opinion. Sure Brook plays piano and guitar- but this is a singing competition.

I think I’ve changed my votes this week and these are now my top Faves in order (really I only have 2 faves, the rest don’t matter):

 

I really thought Jason would be in the bottom 2 due to the judge comments…but when they said he was safe, I literally threw my hands in the air and yelled out “YEEEES!” Jason is still great in my eyes, but this week he just acted like he didn’t give a shit and he wasn’t my fave in terms of his song. I still think that if he put out an album, I’d buy it before I buy David Cook’s.

Is anyone else REALLY excited for Neil Diamond week? I freaking love Neil Diamond. Way better than stupid Mariah Carey last week.

GO JASON AND DAVID C!! Woo.

Feathered and Furry Friends April 22, 2008

So we had some more visitors. This time it was Lucy and Leo and they stopped by for a quick bite. They’re a little more shy than Percy and Petunia, so they didn’t stay long- but I did get a few quick pictures of them to share with you all.

 

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On a sadder note, my poor sweet puppy is not well. She had a growth removed from her mouth today that they think may be cancer. They also had to remove some of her front teeth and her little jaw was broken. She must be so scared and in so much pain. I just wish I could be there to give her cuddles. She’s always been such a sweet dog and we really bonded before I moved. She would just come and chill in my room with me while I packed. She’d come hang out in the bathroom with me while I took a bath. She is just such a loveable little pet. While she is old, I never imagined she would get cancer. I thought she would just die peacefully in her sleep one night. We won’t know the biopsy results for a few days, but I guess it doesn’t look good. Plus the doctor said there’s a risk she may just not eat because of her jaw being broken. While she could afford to lose a few pounds, it wouldn’t be good if she stopped eating. I just miss and love my poochie and it makes me really sad to know that we may have to put her to sleep.

Here’s my Emmi just chillin… poor Emmi. Just please keep her in your thoughts because she means a lot to me.

Your One and Only Beaver April 17, 2008

These are the kind of commercials we have here in Australia… I see it a few times/week. Do you think this would ever make it in the US?

I highly doubt it.

Our Apartment Just Got a Little Hotter April 15, 2008

I’d like to introduce you all to the new addition to our apartment.

 

We’ve yet to name our dear chili plant. I’m taking suggestions because I just can’t think of any that are fitting of our new colorful, spicy friend. I won’t bother telling you Andrew’s suggestion for a name… it may offend readers. One more thing to cross of my 101 list! # 25 is now complete!

Idol April 13, 2008

I love American Idol this season. It’s the only season I’ve ever fully watched. Is anyone else really sad that the Aussie got voted off? Awww poor Aussie boy. I’m watching the results show now (because I missed it the first time). I don’t think I can watch when he gets cut, it may just bring me to tears, or not. He was really damn good, one of my faves. Then again, I had 4 faves, so now I still have 3. The girls all blow. Ok, they don’t…but I’m just over them. The girls should all get axed so the boys can be in the top 3.

Jason Castro is my absolute fave. David H. is really really good as well… but Jason is just more my style. He’s pretty unique and picks some awesome songs- like Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley) and Over the Rainbow (Israel Kamakawiwo). I noticed that after Jason sang these songs, they jumped into the top 10 downloads on itunes. (Yeah, I’m a geek who notices these types of things). None of the other idols had songs that did that (that I noticed).

David A. is one of my faves too… but he has fallen to number 3. Sorry dude, maybe next week you can change my mind and jump back to number 2.

Soooo… Jason gets my vote. Not really I guess, I don’t actually vote. But in my head, he’s the winner to me. Plus, he’s cute.

PS. It’s POOOOURRRING rain.

AGAIN.

Mantra- An Indian Exploration April 10, 2008

So my first of 20 new restaurant reviews starts with a place down the street called Mantra. I’ve only tried a few bites of Indian food before, and I was a bit scared, but I wanted to try something new.

Andrew and I had a paper menu from this place and it got great reviews on eatability. It actually had a chicken breast dish (yay) which NO Indian places have. I was stoked about that. Dishes were about 13-15 bucks and that’s not too bad (compared to everything else around here) so we thought, what the heck- let’s try it.

So we go to the VERY ornately decorated place and thought “this place is really cute.” Looked like a fun party place. Tons of Indian decor, cool lamps, pillows and mirrors. Very fun atmosphere- but not many diners. So…we sat down and looked at the menu.

Our next reaction:

WTF???  The same dish that cost $13 in the paper menu we looked at was now $22 bucks. A lamb dish that was $13 on the menu was now $24 bucks. THATS $9-$11 MORE PER DISH.

Seriously though… W.  T.  F. ???

We asked the waitress what was up and she said “oh the paper menu has takeout prices”.

Like that was no big deal. Like she thought it was ok to add THAT much to their freaking food prices just to sit and be served. I could see tacking on 1-2 bucks for dine in service, but unless Jude law is my server, I cannot see how they can add 9-11 to each item??? We quickly told her we wouldn’t be eating in, instead we’d get takeaway.

So anyways, we then go to place our order with a man at the front and try to confirm that the dish I wanted was, in fact, chicken breast.

“Oh no Indian food only uses thigh meat”

“Well, yes, that is the problem we have found in the past, but the reason we came HERE is because on your menu it specifically says breast”.

So he goes to check… and nope, no breast meat option. Why do I always seem to have this problem at retarded restaurants around here? Good thing I didn’t order it- I may have had to relive THIS experience.

UGH, this place was going downhill fast. I just ordered a veggie dish- Navrattan Korma and andrew got some Beef Vindaloo. We got a special combo that came with Naan bread, Pappadams and rice as well as an entree (appetizer) of Chapate Alootiki (potato patties with herbs, sauces and other stuff piled on).

We took it home, put it in some bowls and dug right in. It was fine, that’s about all I can say. Oh- except the Naan bread. THAT WAS FABULOUS. Reminded me a bit of a thicker El Torito Grill tortilla but with garlic. SOOOO yummy. That was by far my favorite part of the whole meal. Andrew’s meat was a bit overcooked and his “spicy” Vindaloo sauce wasn’t really spicy.

Mine wasn’t bad but they literally got some frozen bag of veggies and dumped it in a sauce. No joke, little pieces of peas, carrots and cauliflower in some sauce. Super oily as well, but that’s how all Indian food is I guess. Not really worth $13 to me- and DEFINITELY NOT WORTH $22 (unless of course Jude Law was our waiter). The appetizer was actually pretty good though, probably my second favorite part of the whole meal.

I really can’t understand how this place got such AMAZING reviews. It wasn’t bad food, but it wasn’t anything I’d really love to have again (except the Naan).

So here’s my final review out of 5 stars:

Decor: 4 (it was cute but a little too much)

Value: 1 star to eat in, 4 to eat out (the combo was a good deal)

Taste: 3 stars (with a special 5 star shout out to the Naan bread)

Would we go back? Probably not… too many other Indian restaurants with no chicken breast to try.

Hello Friend April 9, 2008

Andrew and I had a couple of visitors today. Their names are Percy and Petunia. They just stopped by this afternoon to say hello. Percy came first, and then Petunia showed up. They just wanted to grab a quick bite to eat and say hello before they took off. Let me introduce you all to our new friends:

This was the first shot I took from inside looking out the blinds. I didn’t want to scare dear Percy away so I didn’t want him to see me… but look, you can just see the cute birdie smile on his face. He wasn’t shy at all, he loved us.

 

I hope they come back soon for more snacks. But this time I hope Petunia doesnt crap on our patio… and maybe they can eat up some of the damn caterpillars that are infesting my Basil. That would be great!

 

 

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Chili…Yum April 8, 2008

Yum. I love me some chili. So I make it pretty often here in Australia. Not the most Aussie of delicacies- but I don’t carrrre. I make it for myself and myself alone. (I’d make it for andrew too but he refuses to eat ground turkey so one day when I decide to eat meat, I’ll make him a beefy version).

My mom used to make very simple, basic chili and it was my favorite! When I moved to Australia, I couldn’t find the exact ingredients she used, so I had to improvise- and I ended up creating my own version which is significantly different from hers, but I love it. Since I usually just wing it and throw things in without measuring (which is primarily how I cook most things), I didn’t really have a way to share the recipe with anyone… So as one of my 101 in 1001 tasks, I decided to make my chili and actually record the recipe for once as I make it.

Sooo here it goes… #80 - Write down my recipe for chili… is now COMPLETE! Dang at this rate I’ll be finishing the 101 tasks in 101 days! Ok not really. I just have lots of free time to kill!

This chili is a little sweet and a little spicy (like me)… so cut back on cayenne and sugar if you like!

Elsja’s Chili
**I’d like to copywright this recipe, but I’m probably the only one who would love it enough to do so, so I think I’ll be alright.**
2 cans chopped tomatoes (plain, not with any fancy other ingredients added)
2 cans kidney beans (with juice)
1 ½ cans of water (just use tomato can)
1 package ground/minced turkey or chicken (600g/about 1lb)… or use beef if you prefer mammals to poultry…
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup ketchup
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp margarine or olive oil
2 ½ Tbsp Mexican chili powder (yes you can find this at woolies)
¼ – ½ Tsp cayenne pepper ( ½ will be spicy!)Salt and Pepper to taste
 

• Melt butter in a sautee pan and add onions. Cook on medium heat until onions start to “sweat” (that means to turn clear, not brown- something I learned from my cooking basics book I posted about in my last thread).
  
• Add turkey/chicken , cayenne pepper, and Mexican chili powder to the cooking onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir often and cook thoroughly.
  
• In a large pot mix together beans, canned tomatoes, water, ketchup and brown sugar. Add turkey and onions to the pot.
  
• Bring to a boil over medium heat. STIR OCCASIONALLY/FREQUENTLY to keep the beans/turkey from sticking to the bottom of the pan (I learned my lesson).
  
• Cover and reduce to low heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally- just to be safe
  

YUM. Going to go eat some for din din with some low-fat Jatz (those are like Ritz for you US folk)!


PS.. the sky outside is officially 100% cloudy and pink. I have a feeling I’ll be hearing some thunder soon. Oh… “is it STILL raining” you ask? Why YES… IT’S STILL FREAKING RAINING!


Dinner time.

#87- Complete… Cooking Basics April 6, 2008

#87. Buy a “how-to” cooking book and read it cover to cover.

Check.

I bought this book while I was in California and I just finished up all of the “how-to” sections. I really really like this book and highly recommend it. It has a recipe section, but the first half of the book has tons of information on really basic cooking techniques and tips and tricks. From boiling pasta, frying chicken, herbs & spices (usage, storage, etc.), how long to roast meats, how to chop, boil and steam veggies, etc.

Sounds pretty basic, but it is a really good reference just to have on hand- even for people who cook a lot already. The lady that helped write this is the lady from www.startcooking.com and Start cooking blog- a site that I wrote about on a past blog.

I love the site and now I have a handy dandy reference at my fingertips as well.  I’m actually interested to look up other “how-to” books by these authors. For now though, I will stick to my “Spanish for Dummies” that Andrew’s friend  graciously let me borrow!

Done and Done April 5, 2008

Time to check two more items off my 101 list.

#51 – Create a Master Packing List. I figured this was a good one to complete since there were a few things I forgot to bring to California. I don’t want to forget anything important next month when we go to Hawaii, so I think this one is all good to go. Even though I’m sure I’ll remember more things and add to it later!

#74 – Buy a dehumidifier. Ok, so I didn’t buy it. It was graciously donated by the lovely Marie who I met when I first moved to Sydney. Since she and her fiance decided to move back to Canada, she had one that she would no longer need. THANKS MARIE for the kind gift. And thanks for helping me cross one item off my list!

What else is done?? Well, my trip to California is all over. I had an AMAZING time and it really wasn’t easy to leave. I’m so happy I was able to be there to see my best friend ever marry the love of her life. The wedding was perfect! It turned out so much nicer than I ever imagined and I’m very impressed that they were able to pull it all off in only 2 months. I’m also happy I was able to be there for the shower, the bachelorette party, the “rehearsal dinner” (aka pizza, wine and s’mores) and not to mention I spent time with family and friends at Easter brunch, Emma’s birthday and plenty of dinners and get-togethers. I HAD A GREAT TIME!! I miss everyone already, but I am happy to be back with Andrew! Here are just 4 of HUNDREDS of pics we took I’d post more, but my blog likes to cut things off if you make it too long. For more wedding pics- check out Jen’s Blog.