Pizza

I bummed all day, watched a movie and then nanny napped. It's so hard working Monday to Friday from 7:30 am and then working Friday and Saturday and getting home to sleep at 5 am. Way too topsy turvy for scheduling.

Anyway, we all ordered pizza I had a yummy Chicken Ciabatta, cheesy garlic bread then brownie bites to top it all off! Yeah, I am loving brownies lately.

I rushed over to work and I got to work downstairs again - which makes time go a lot faster as it is busier. And luckily for me, the night was quiet so I didn't have to go upstairs to open up the second bar.

In 2 weeks, I have totally improved my beer opening skills. I'm not much of a drinker so I've never had a huge amount of fast paced beer opening experience. I used to spend so long on one, with all my muscles to try and pry them off. Now I just pop them off like plastic! I can even open the twist open ones hahaha! I remember I used to never be able to do that! I learned how to make a mojito and margarita cocktails.

My bar manager was super happy with me for catching on so quick and said he wishes he could push me further and continue working downstairs. But seeing as I'm the only girl.. its weird for a boy to be at the upstairs bar (you'd have to see the place to understand).

I finished at 3:30 and noticed my Turkish colleague, Serkan was upset so I hung about with him for a while to try and cheer him up. We then talked about our work place and how Remy the French bartender (he was hired the same time I was) is the biggest sleaze and hits on anything that moves. He makes me feel a little uncomfortable, always coming up close to my face, saying seedy things to me and touching me surreptitiously in the wrong places. Ugh, disgusting.

Then we moved topic to how our workplace is fun but the management is so strange. I've all told you before about my employers.

Passport

I went into the city to get my passport photos done. They are ugly. I'll put them up for everyone to laugh at hahahhahahaa. I told the photographer that I looked so sad and he's like, "WHAT NOOO! YOU LOOK SO HAPPY!"
Hilarious busker train riding mime!

Hahaha I was thinking in my head, "You're joking, I'm not allowed to smile so WHAT in that picture makes me look happy?!"

Mayo then came to the store and stole one of the passport photos while I was paying the man. Later he sent me this picture to rub in my face what he has in his possession now.

I met Mayo's friend Ditto then we all went shopping for Ditto's kid. The boys sucked at shopping so I added my feminine touch.

Bayu then joined all of us for coffee and then we split off into different directions to go to work. Work was slow and quiet.

Kevin then picked me up and we used my tips to buy us dinner. We went and got Xinjiang lamb, with 17 dollars I got 6 skewers and 2 drinks. Perfect!

We then met up with the boys at Cho Gao for some drinks. When I went to the toilet with Koston he took the time to tell me that I need to cheer up quickly, I've been sad for way too long and I'm starting to suck at hiding it.

I went to my next work and it was super slow. I felt like going home after ten minutes. We were so bored my colleagues and I started playing this Cantonese hand game. I lost 7 - 6 so I had to have 7 shots and Kui had 6. It must be Irish Deena day because the tequilas didn't hit me at all.

I was so glad I finished work, I was exhausted.

Mak Family

I had work until 12, then I quickly popped over to the bank. Banks are always so busy aren't they? Its amazing how every branch seems to always maintain customers... Anyway I waited there for about 20 minutes and then started walking to Market Lane.

Gareth had invited me for lunch with his family (they were down from Brisbane for 3 days). I had heard of Hu Tong Dumpling Bar, and actually read up on it the night before and then coincidentally got invited the very next day! The dumplings were very beautiful!

Except my very first one, Gareth tried to help out and put it on my plate except his chopstick stuck to the skin and just popped all the soup out of it.

His parents were very lovely. His mum was the sweetest little cherub, constantly offering me food. I swear out of all the food that was brought out, I had 40% of it between 5 people. My belly protruded over my jeans - I was so full!

I tried this sweet wine rice ball dessert, and it was delicious! Afterwards, Gareth and I decided to hang out and catch up. We caught a movie. I was so eager to watch Thor but Gareth broke the news that he had already seen it even though he said a few days back, "WHEN I COME DOWN WE CAN WATCH THOR TOGETHER."

So instead we watched Limitless. The story had potential to go somewhere, but instead it gave one of those endings without reason. I hate those - its like, a great story build up, climax and then the resolution is like - AND THEN EVERYTHING TURNED OKAY SOMEHOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LEGIT REASON THAT I'M BULLSHITTING TO YOU BUT AFTER YOU THINK ABOUT IT YOU REALISE THAT IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN HOW IT SOLVED ALL THE PROBLEMS. You know those kind of endings?

Afterwards, we went to Bourke St and Melbourne Central, to window shop. There was this man playing in the middle of the street and I questioned how he moved that piano around and how long he had been there for. He's very skilled but plays with the utmost nonchalance.

Gareth bought pen fillers, and I always wondered if anyone I knew was into those fancy pens. You know Parkers and Mont Blanc etc.

I bought a book that I'm going to fill up for Mother's Day. And a box of tea for Gareth's mum.

We caught the tram back to his hotel, I said my farewells to the lovely Mak family!
Looks like Baby Mohabs

I came home to find that Ethan was eager to play with me. So as I blogged on the computer he just kept on yabbering with whatever came into his head. It's really fascinating how he continues on with verbal diarrhoea but together it doesn't make sense. I took a polaroid of him, he has this face he does when I take a photo of him where he thinks its a beautiful smile but it isn't. So I tickled him so he cracked up into a natural smile! I love the polaroid, and he made me put it against my laptop screen as I worked.

Girl's Night

The day was beautiful! The rare sunshine peaked through the grumpy sky so I did about 4 loads of washing.

I think I've got like 60 pairs of undies because I didn't do laundry for about a month, and I still had about 5 pairs left - and I use two everyday! Hahhahaa how amazing!

I then quickly got ready for my girl date with AJ. We met up in front of Hwaro Korean BBQ restaurant!

I walked in and proclaimed loudly, "RESERVATION FOR 2 UNDER DEENA!"
And the men quizzed at my name, "Serena? Deanna?"
And I stated, "No. Deena!"
"We don't have a booking under Deena."
"WHAT?! I called today!"
"Can you confirm the last three digits of your mobile number?"
"She didn't ask for my mobile number :( I called today at 11am."
"Our restaurant doesn't open at lunch."

The manager then realised that I must've called the other Hwaro that I didn't know about it. He told me that his old employee that worked under him left this restaurant and started managing the new one which coincidentally had the same name! He said not to worry and that he can squeeze us in. I was so relieved as the restaurant is usually booked out!

We ordered brisket, ox tongue, spicy thigh fillet, and Gal Bi. I ate so much kimchi and drank raspberry and white wine with AJ. We talked about everything. It was a little nice to have a girl to talk to for once (She is pretty much my only close girl friend in Melbourne)!

We shared an ice cream and then the manager tried flirting with me, constantly coming over to help me and calling me 'special' for confusing my reservation. You know how you tease them subtly?

AJ and I shared an ice cream then went to pay the bills. As we left the manager said, "WAIT! For you two ladies!"
And he handed us over lollipops. Smooth.

We talked and stumbled through the cold. AJ had prebooked tickets to the busy city cinemas for Fast and Furious 5 the day before. We were way too bloated for any movie snacks.

I thought the person sitting right in the row in front of me looked kind of familiar but I wasn't too sure. At the end of the movie he turned around and it was who I thought it was! Apparently my laughter is highly recognizable and on the irritable side! It was my engineering tutor (James) from last year!

After the movie, I bought AJ a drink to make up for the movie tickets. James joined us later on and then we went home as a few of us had work tomorrow. AJ thinks James is beautiful.

Lazy Easter Monday

I seriously did not leave the house all day.

I made homemade steak sauce for my porterhouse cut. Then I perfected my brownie recipe! It's getting good now!

Yeah. One lazy Easter Monday.

Dreams Come True

Woke up and made STEAK for brunch! Unfortunately I kind of failed as I put it on while the pan didn't have any heat. Later on, the pan got really hot and all the oil exploded into a ball of fire, hitting the roof of the exhaust fan! I felt like an Iron chef, but I freaked out and just screamed, "WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO? SOMEONE PUT IT OUT!"

We made cream potatoes and pepper sauce and ate the meal while Mulan 2 was on TV. So, my childhood dream was to become Mulan. I remember watching the movie with my father, one of the only ones I remember going to the cinemas with him at a tender age. After coming out of the cinemas, I was thinking - "I am Mulan."

Anyway as Mulan 2 played on TV I was still thinking "I am Mulan" and also spared thought to General Shang being ultimately sexy. So noble, suave, bold and handsome. His chiseled jaw line and muscular figure sent my head into the clouds. Someone find me General Shang to whisk me away on his white stag horse!!!!!!!
Dream man..

I nearly wanted to cry when he fell into the mist of the canyon but revived myself by thinking, they wouldn't kill a main character off in a children's movie and break my heart that much.

I then remembered that I wished to see the Disney exhibition before it closed, and I had a few days left so I hurried on into the city to catch the end of the Disney "Dreams Come True" exhibition (gathered from the archives of the Walt Disney Research Library).

It was good but not as good as I expected. After having visited the Tim Burton one last year I expected the exhibition to be of the same detail. They had a lot on the first few feature movie length films done by cell painting such as Snow White, Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. They then had the modern Disney movies of Tangled and Princess & the Frog.

They also show cased Disney's earlier works of the Silly Symphonies (such as the Ugly Duckling). The only Mickey Mouse thing they had was Mickey and the Beanstalk, and that didn't even have much on it. Surprising right? Seeing as Mickey is an unavoidable icon of the Disney world.

It was interesting to see how far Disney had come, even looking at the smaller details of the character's maquettes from the rough cut of Dopey the dwarf to the defined Rapunzel in Tangled 2010.

I was so so so disappointed when the exhibition catalogue had been sold out and there were no plans to reprint so I walked out empty handed except a bundle of brochures I grabbed in sadness. Don't worry, I'll find a massive Disney devotion book somewhere! It'll be more detailed than that exhibition!

One of my new dreams to be put into my dream book is to collect all my favourite Disney movies. My mum gave all our video tapes away without telling us years ago!

Chris and I left with our stomachs rumbling so we started to head for Japanese at Sushi Masa as we craved ox tongue. We walked about 7 blocks in the winter cold to find that the restaurant was closed for Easter Sunday. We moved on to Izakaya Chuji as we knew they had ox tongue as well. That was another 4 blocks to find that it was closed as well. We walked all the way back to Swanston to try and think of other restaurants we knew.

We didn't know any so we sat at a bench and googled Japanese restaurants. I called a few to find they were either booked or closed. Then Chris called one that we liked the sound of - Ishiya Stonegrill. They've gotta have ox tongue at a stone grill right? Anyway, we called and the lady said that everything is booked out for the night except for two window seats. We said we'd come check it out.

I was expecting window seats as in sitting on a bench with lots of people facing the window. But no, the window seat was a small table isolated from the rest of the restaurant where everyone can enjoy our free advertising of a meal. We laughed but we took the seats.

There was a huge flower ornament next to us where all the wine, business brochures and cards were displayed. The flower kept joining our meal by dipping itself into our drinks, or swishing past our faces.


We ordered ox tongue, chicken karaage, pork belly on a daikon ginger chilli salad, and a wagyu stone grill (and a selection of 5 sauces) with 7 sashimi piece side. The wagyu steak was like 56 bucks but oh my gosh, it was SO beautiful!


The stone grill only ever cooks the skin so as the steak sits there, it still stays as a good medium rare. When you cut off the little pieces, you just sear the sides, dip it in a sauce and pop it in your mouth. The beef seriously just melts. Ahhh I am salivating now thinking about it.

Chris had a chocolate waffle and I had green tea and strawberry guava icecream scoops. The strawberry guava was disappointing. I wish I didn't order it because when I walked back to the car my mouth was freezing from the sorbet.

I hate red bean.. I was so sad when they mixed it with my Green Tea Icecream!

Then I enjoyed my Sunday night crime time! I love The Mentalist and CSI.

Monster Nugget

You know how I always mention having Nandos? Well I had it for lunch - and for those who don't know it. This is the beautiful moist Portugese, peri-peri drenched chicken called Nandos. I'm craving it now!

I then napped. Hahaha all this topsy turvy sleeping schedule gets me sleepy okay!?

I had Subway for dinner then got ready for work. My friend caught me eating the Easter egg which we were all meant to save for Easter Sunday. He said if I wear the children's bunny ears and eat it then its okay.

So.. I stupidly wore Cadbury bunny ears while I hacked into the giant egg.

I then worked. Elias wasn't here today so I got to start off downstairs, 2 hours flew so quickly because downstairs is much busier. I then moved back upstairs which was boring again, I had a bit more of a crowd though because we had 5 dollar cocktail shots upstairs. My friends came and they didn't know I worked there - I got them drunk.

For the end of my shift, I was downstairs once again. I then packed up upstairs then wiped the tables downstairs. Kevin came to fetch me and he waited as I cleaned. While I cleaned the tables one of the band members came to chat with me. He was pretty nice. I realised the other band members are pretty cocky and expect priority attention and free drinks all the time.


Kevin and I then feasted at McDonald's and there was this monster nugget we found. It looks like a chicken fillet!

Happy Easter!
(this was the "Stop Taking Photos!!" face)

Meiji

I don't remember doing anything all day except watching the NBA Dallas vs. Portland game and Road to El Dorado. I bummed around all day and had another nanny nap in the afternoon.

I then played Connect 4 until 7pm, when I knew Kevin was picking me up at 7:30! I got ready in time anyway, except I couldn't find my second hair tie which is important. My hair is so thick and heavy that it needs more than one elastic band's support! I found a rubber band and tied that into my hair.

We went to eat at this cute little Korean restaurant that we walked past last week. It ended up being a Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant. We ordered, ox tongue, shredded pork belly and bulgogi. It was no where near the best bulgogi I had but the ox tongue was good (not the best) and the shredded pork was delicious (only because they use that peanut/sesame shabu shabu sauce I love so much)!

We then chilled out in front of the State Library, throwing our shoes off and releasing the inner bogans in us. My mum texted me an alarming message so I called her. Kevin calls me a rough nut because I'm so conditioned and desensitized to every situation that strikes me now. I listened to my mum with my heart open but in the end, its the same story I've heard for so long.

We then picked up Vivian, one of the girls that work for me - and then my sister called me to tell me her side of things. I listened without bias but in the end I don't want to go sticking my finger into someone elses' beef.

I got to work, chatted to Ertz the security guard from outside then got to work. Fast forward a few hours, and I was stealing the chocolate they were giving to people dressed in white, it was so delicious! I stuffed a handful into my purse and munched on it all night! The strawberry Meiji chocolates are so delicious!

While I was working, Gadam - one of the door guards/ticket collectors ran out to tell me that this guy kept saying he's from Brisbane and knows me (and wanted to be let out), so he asked me to take care of him because this guy was annoying him. I was thinking what the hell so I went to take care of it. I walked up to him thinking he looked familiar but I wasn't sure who he was and once he told me his name it all clicked! When I saw him before I didn't realise because I didn't expect a Brisbane person to be at my club so I just thought he looked familiar.

Anyway, he tailed me working a little. Apparently when he held my clipboard for me while I went to the toilet, girls took photos with him and was flirting with him! So he begged me to lend me the board of legendary power to him so he can fill his phone up with numbers. Hahahaha, I found that hilarious.

I had a few drinks with him and some co workers. Then he asked me a favour saying that his mates were outside because the line wouldn't budge at another club. The time was already 1:30 when people aren't really let in anymore but I went to talk to security. They told me that the club was already full house and that 20 guys and 2 girls is a pretty bad ratio. I just pulled their legs a little and they were like, "FINE! You boys are lucky that she likes you! Otherwise you would never get in!"

I was relieved! I would've hated for Brisbane people to not have a good night out when they traveled 2000km down. In the end, I knew a few of the people in that crowd but geez was I terrible! One girl hugged me and was like, "DEENA!" and I looked at David and mouthed, "Who is she???!!?"

She ended up being one of my friend's exes and my goldfish memory was revoked! After work I put my stuff away and dragged the door girl, Hollie along to dance. We had a few drinks and ended up dancing on stage (don't worry, we're not the type to look like an easy mess). We boogied for a while then caught some fresh air and to catch up with other friends.

We used the last of our free drink cards, and the Indian bartender was like sorry I need 3 for these two drinks. And we said we only had 2 and he goes, okay well do you have at least a dollar? And we both were like, nope no dollar. And he stared at us holding our two drink cards then grabbed a dollar from the tip jar and put it through. Hahahaha!

After having his fun of girls, Kevin and I left to go home. We sorted out little discrepancies and bonded our best friendship closer. We were both so tired though, as we said our goodbyes (we don't hug) even our unique handshake lacked in effort.

Tittle Tattle

I had work in the morning, to which I heard of more gossip. One of the two bosses of Baraki tends to be a pushover but also cunning (WARNING AGAIN, don't let this leave your eyes! I'll get done for!).

I heard of a story that is never spoken about again. One time a mother brought her 18 year old daughter to Baraki to party. Ray was having shots with them and towards the darker time of night, the daughter disappeared. The mum was a little feral, screaming "WHERE THE F*** IS MY F***ING daughter!?" everywhere, yelling at security, workers and managers.

Eventually one of the bussies took the rubbish around the corner, outside and found the boss with the daughter. We don't know what they were up to but the bussy just saw them cuddling and kissing. He has a wife, who is the sister of the OTHER boss (My cupcakes boss, but he never comes to the bar - he doesn't care about that side of his businesses).

Anyway, the current manager at that time was a crazy Polish man named Matt. I've never met him but I heard he was meticulously clean and organized but once you ticked him off he was temperamental. When he watched the entire scene happen he was so disgusted and told the other boss.

You would think he'd care for the welfare of his sister (wife of the other boss) but no, the next day - crazy Polish man Matt was fired. I reckon we should start a TV Soap Opera called, Baraki Bar. Hahahaha, just as long as I'm not caught in the drama.

There is this lovely gentleman at work who always greets my bosses with both their names and always cares to have a decent conversation with them. My bosses remember all his mates names but forgot his. They told me this a while ago and I couldn't stop laughing at them avoiding trying to say his name.

Anyway this gentleman came in giving us Easter eggs and I took the opportunity to introduce myself and gather his name in a casual manner. After he went upstairs to have his coffee my bosses were hugging me around like, "YOU'RE THE BEST DEENA! YOU'RE THE BEST!"

Hahaha, absolutely hilarious! I had Bangladeshi lunch again. Then my cupcake boss called my cafe boss and was like, "Where's Deena? She's working!"

I read my roster wrong so I ran over and got into a little trouble. I didn't have my apron because I had no idea I was working today. After cupcakes, I got to bring a box of six home.

I caught the train and Kevin picked me up, took me to Coles where I bought potatoes for mash and chicken kiev. YUMMY!

For Kevin's hard work, his incentive was a cupcake so he came over and scoffed down the Chocolate Marshmallow! My mum called me and talked to Kevin for a little bit, she then texted him asking for him to continue to be like my big brother and to take care of me as she thinks I've lost all my confidence and passion - she's probably right but I was totally embarrassed she asked him that.

Then I napped and got ready for work. I dropped by Kevin's as his sister, Maxim made a decadent yet beautiful chocolate cake. I got stuck in rain traffic so I was half an hour late which sucked because I got half an hour's pay docked. I only worked because they begged me and then persuaded me with an extra $10 on top per hour.
I scribbled all over the cashier chick's board...

I did nothing for about an hour as everyone wanted to turn up fashionably late, which just made everyone fashionably on time. Then as I served tables with drinks, people were so rude! I had two guys tail me around saying, "Go to this table! Serve this table! Go check if that table is alright - its my friend's table!" And I'm like, "Dude, can't you see I'm busy serving someone else? I will go over there when I'm done."

Also when I was holding heavy jugs, people would turn around and see that I was carrying stuff and wouldn't budge. So I would shove past. People also got really inebriated way too quickly and wasted my time as they took orders slowly, took ages to count their money, and ask stupid questions. Like one guy had two tables and I put the glasses and soft drinks on one, and then alcohol on the other. He was like, "I need glasses on this side too" and I told him he could grab some from the table next to it, and he's like why? And I'm like because there's 12 people and I've put down 12 glasses so that's all you need. And his face glowed like I had thought of something intelligent and he goes, "Yes! Yes! That is a great idea! Thank you!"

I walked away with a very, very blank face!

After I finished work, I hung out with my very first Melbourne friends that I had when I was still living in Brisbane because they were out (they rarely come out!). I was having jokes with the security guards as many drunk girls embarrassed themselves and threw their dignities as we saw undies, bottoms, boobs, smudged make up, crying, wailing etc.

Then I pigged out on a box of Shapes. Aren't they the best? Only because they are never stingy with seasoning!

Deester

As per usual, I went to work at the Cafe this morning. Remember that really good looking manager I have at work, that does nothing and I always wonder what he does to deserve a manager's wage?

Well, seems like everyone at work secretly hates him for being nothing but an up himself douche bag. PROMISE ME, that this will only stay in your eyes because I will get slayed if one of my employers reads this!

Good looking Mr. Brooks is a British lady killer (meaning sways the ladies, easily) and just recently got married right? AND we're all disgusted because we always see him woo young ladies, touching them and shouting them free drinks. Like remember how I did Greek Festival? Well my Cafe boss, Sanju was making coffees and watching him just squeeze this young Greek lady's bottom as they flirted. Mr. Brooks came over and asked Sanju how the coffee was doing.

Sanju flashed him a dirty look and said, "Man I'm really disgusted by you."
Mr. Brooks returns with a, "What! Why?" while maintaining his casual cool.
Sanju remarked, "I saw what you were doing with her and you just got married last week!"
He brushed it off nonchalantly with a, "Just a bit of fun..." and walked away.

I was so disgusted! That poor wife (who is pregnant, obviously a shotgun wedding) and also obviously a visa wedding. Because Mr. Brooks is from England and he was here on a tourist visa that ran out coincidentally just recently.

He plays his game well. But I got the juiciest gossip of why he came to Australia in the first place. He was dating the winner of UK X-Factor and as her progress in the competition started to heat up, she broke up with him. He tailed her and broke into her FLAT in the early hours of the morning. I even read this all on the internet! She put a restraining order on him, and he continued to stalk her and a bad name was forming to his face so he fled the country.

What was more astonishing was that he dated her, a junior of nearly ten years, while cheating on his wife whom he shared a young daughter with!!!

CRAZY! That handsome face just got wasted, because he's in my disgusting books now.

So one of my customers, Marcus doesn't remember my name despite already having asked me twice. So I always rub it in by overly greeting him, "Hi MARCUS, how are you, MARCUS?! Hows work, MARCUS?!" and its so hilarious when he replies with, "HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY DEEEEEEEEEEE....DEEE...... Deester!" or "Whats up... DEEE.....BANGER!"
Trying to cover up the forgotten "Na" to the end of my name. Hahahahaha!

I dropped a dish today, but it wasn't really my fault, I was drying the dishes and one of them just fell through the slits but oh well! After work my lovely lady boss ran out to get me some Bangladeshi food and WOW it is so good!

I enjoyed the butter chicken much more than the stock standard Indian! And their lentil and zucchini (I don't love zucchini too!) tasted exquisite!

I went home and I baked a walnut brownie! I need to perfect it though, my plan is less flour, less cocoa but more walnuts!