Wednesday 29 January 2014

Noobie Foodie│Danjee Korean BBQ

Danjee is a new Korean BBQ place that opened up in the city not long ago and since my friend is a crazy KBBQ addict of course we went to try it out! It was definitely a bit different to the other places I've been to and here is my review of the place!

The Food First…
Oyster YUMMM!! 

For starters we order the Fresh Oysters with a special sauce Gochhujang which is a Korean hot pepper paste they use for pretty much all of the food! Having oyster with pepper sauce was definitely a new experience!
Favourite salad!! 
This is one of the most interesting salads I’ve ever had! Definitely highly recommended to try at Danjee! It was delicious! The rice crispy bits really added an interesting texture! I would go there again and just order the salad (in attempt to be healthy) :P



Of course like any Korean BBQ place there were side dishes! They offered a few different ways sadly I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t more variety but that’s mainly because I really LOVE side dishes - sometimes I eat more side dishes than the actual dish itself! 
DROOLSSSS 

The PORK BELLY YUMMMM! Sam gyeop sal the star of many of KBBQ-er’s fantasies! It was really fresh pork belly but there wasn’t enough of it!! Something cool that happened was when they were cooking the pork belly they actually tilted the plate to let the oil slide down! Some high tech KBBQ thing!
Fat duck :P 
We were still hungry after all that food so we decided to order some marinated duck as well! The duck was well marinated and very juicy and fatty! YUM! We started BBQ-ing the duck as well to get the smoky flavour! So delicious!

OH OX TONGUE! One of my all-time favourite meats at KBBQ! At first I was really reluctant to try ox tongue cause I thought it was really gross to eat the tongue of an animal! But after I tried it the first time now I eat it EVERYTIME! The Ox tongue at Danjee was really thin and definitely a favourite!
Click for the actual review and more photos! :) 
 ♠

Friday 24 January 2014

10 ways to FEEL SPECIAL on Valentine’s Day!

#FOREVERALONE  #BUTSTILLSPECIAL
Every year around the 14th of February I get really insecure and whingey about the fact that I don’t have boyfriend because I see all these wonderful guys doing really really lovely things that make their girlfriends feel super special – I AM SO ENVIOUS!

But this year I decided to stop complaining about how I don’t have a boyfriend and concentrate on some self-loving plus showing some appreciation to the people I love in my life! SO I came up with 10 things that any single girl can do to make themselves feel special on that dreaded Valentine’s Day!!

1.Pamper yourself!  

It could be anything!! From getting a manicure, facial, massage or simply getting a new hair cut! Anything that makes you feel better about yourself can give you a fresh outlook about life!
SO MUCH PRETTY <3

2.  Buy some flowers.

Yes the romantic clique of guys buying flowers for girls on Valentine’s day is great but if you’re single then buy some flowers (probably not on the day cause it’s super expensive but a few days ahead). Arrange them prettily in your room or give them to someone you love that’s really helped you out recently. You can choose your favourite flowers instead of roses!!
Flowers are amazing!

3. Write a Letter or Card for yourself.

This one is super corny but I really like doing this because it’s good to see what I thought and felt way back when! It’s always a fun thing to read! For those up for a challenge write a letter of appreciation to yourself *super corny warning*. For those who don’t have much time just write a simple card to your future self and read it next year on Valentine’s Day!
or one of these meme's will do too :P

4. Treat yourself to chocolate

It’s nothing special for a girl to buy chocolate for herself BUUUTTT this time buy REALLY good quality chocolate and really savour it when you eat it! I’m really in love with Haigh’s Truffles at the moment they’re amazing <3
These are absolutely delicious! 


5. Buy yourself a small gift.

For those with the finances go ahead and treat yourself to a branded bag or something! For those of us saving up and really poor then buy something small like a nice piece of jewellery, new nail polish, any type of new makeup! And tell yourself it’s a gift from yourself to yourself!
These are some of the things I've bought for myself over the years! 

6. Go and spend time with your close friends that are still single or close family members.
Family is a bit difficult because often they can start questioning why you don’t have a boyfriend but if you’re fortunate with really close parents then spend some time with them! Otherwise meet up with some of your single girl friends – go and spend some time catching up with them and their lives

7. Watch a funny, cute or positive movie! 

It’s a nice break from life and the tiring daily grind! I would HIGHLY recommend watching a Disney movie especially watching Frozen! Right now I’m obsessed with the songs on the movie – Let it Go <3
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Without spoiling the movie I really have to say it’s a heart warming movie that doesn’t leave you feeling like you need a boyfriend unlike some romcoms!

 8. Cook yourself a meal and really enjoy your own company!

This is for those who are up for a challenge (in other words can actually cook) – cook something that you’ve always wanted to attempt and whether or not it’s success you gave it a go! So enjoy the fruits of your labour! For certain girls who’s hopeless at cooking (like myself…I can only make dumplings) then either take yourself to eat somewhere really lovely that you’ve always wanted to try or get assistance with the cooking so that your kitchen doesn’t burn down!
TOO TRUE...

My recent efforts in cooking - I can only cook dumplings :( 

9. Take a picture of yourself and say something nice about it.

This is something SO small but it can make a really big difference to how you feel about yourself. Our self-talk can be so negative sometimes especially on Valentine’s Day because it sucks not to have someone by your side but it sucks even more because you’re reminded of that every 2 minutes! So take a nice selfie and try to compliment yourself!
I like my hair in this picture :) 

10. Go to Karaoke!

This is just something I really want to do but honestly as an Asian there’s no better time to go to karaoke and sing melancholic Chinese songs! Bring on all the Jay Chou!
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Hope this gives everyone some ideas of how to spend Valentine's Day while making yourself feel special!
#foreveraloneeeeeeeee picture instead of usual selfie :P

♥Lingfish~

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Tuesday 14 January 2014

Café Explorer │Devon Café

Coffee Addicts Unite
This is a new section of my blog!! So the story is ---  prior to university I really disliked the smell and taste of coffee but after I started my degree I found myself really loving coffees and spending time in cafes! Now I spend so much time in cafes catching up with friends or just spending some time alone writing and reading. So I decided to really enjoy every part of Australia’s Café Culture by exploring as many cafes as possible!
Devon Café is one I’ve been meaning to try for the longest time because I’ve seen some really amazing photos of the food on Instagram (HAHA TRUE STORY) and what better time to try it out than on NEW YEAR’S EVE with my hubby/wifey!
Interior! 

EXTERIOR LOGO :) 
Here are my ratings for Devon Café:

Location: ★★★★

Devon café is at 76 Devonshire St, Surry Hills which is very close to central station – only maybe a 2 minute walk depending on which exist to you get out of. It’s close enough to the city to be convenient but far away enough for it not to be incredibly hectic and business like!

Menu: ★★★★☆

The menu is incredibly extensive but that’s typical for all cafes. They offered a wide range of interesting dishes which that really married café food and multicultural flavours. Like My Second Asian Cousin Gone Summery! So it was pretty different and unique compared to all the other cafés I’ve tried!! Devon also offers Daily Specials that differ all the time for those that want something extra special!
The menu noob photographer style! 

Taste: ★★★★☆

DELICIOUS! Even though I’m not always a huge fan of café food I really think they did an amazing job with all the food! But more about that later!
YUMYUMYUMYUM!

Price: ★★★★☆

Devon’s not the cheapest of all places but the prices are not outrageously expensive either! There’s a huge range of prices on the menu so it’s whatever you can afford at the time – for poor university students there’s always the breakfast menu! :P

Overall Experience: ★★★★★

I want to go again… soon! That’s how great my experience there was! The ambience is really relaxed and it was really nice to sit in a café that was also exposed to the sunlight (LOVE COURT YARDS SO MUCH)! The staff members were really friendly even though they were working on New Year’s Eve and it was such a relaxed atmosphere. Definitely want to go back and try more food there!! Read more for FOOD!

Wednesday 8 January 2014

BEACH PHOTO SHOOT (*^▽^*)

This was the most SPONTANEOUS photo shoot ever! But the beach is my happy place (cause I’m a fish and all) so when I got to Maroubra I couldn’t help but want some photos! (*^▽^*) It was a really fun photo shoot because I spent most of the time running around like a crazy person and that is what I do best!!!!


The beautiful Maroubra Beach! <3 
Look at the amazing beach view! ♥ How can you not be happy looking at this? :D
ENJOY THE PHOTOS!

My favourite photo of the day! :D 

ROCKS EVERYWHERE but I LOVE IT!

MORE ROCKS! YAYY 

LETS GO THIS WAY! :D 

DAT DERP! 


OHH COME HERE YOU :) 

ASIAN SQUATTING AWW YEAH 

On top of the WORLD  after almost slipping haha 

Would have been the perfect photo if I didn't get photobombed hahaha xD 

That Asian fob pose! 

LOVE SURF RESCUE AUSTRALIA! 

THANK YOU TO MY WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHER Karen <3 You're my rock and I love you forever for that! That panda hat heeh :3

What I'm wearing:
- Top from SES
- Denim shorts from TEMT
- Havaiana thongs/sandles/flip-flops?
Make up:
Actually completely make up less except for SPF 30 sunscreen! I still got sunburnt thought! HAHA
And here's the obligatory selfies: 
DERPY SEBE in the background :P 
:) 
Thanks for inviting me to your Beach BBQ Thomas! :)

♥Lingfish~


Sunday 5 January 2014

10 Life lessons I learnt in 2013 ♥

1. Life is FULL of challenges and struggles but it’s possible to overcome them!

2013 was one of the most challenging times of my life where nothing was going exactly the way I was expecting it and in a year I went through so many difficult situations. To be honest if someone told me about the extent of all the challenges I experienced in 2013 I would have said ‘there’s no WAY I can survive all that’ – but you know what I DID SURVIVE! And that’s when I realised we have the capabilities to overcome A LOT of the challenges the life throws at us! It just requires a lot of patience, persistence and time!!

That being said I did get LOTS of help and for everyone that helped me I’m so grateful!!

Life is always full of challenges – take them as lessons and count your blessings!


 2. Sometimes you’ll fail in life but it’s really not the end of the world.

As an Asian girl I’ve always prioritise academic achievement over many other types of achievements in life, but for the first time I actually failed something and it needs to be repeated. Failing a university subject isn’t something I’m proud of and to be honest – it was extremely shocking! To a point where I felt like there was no future in my education but that was just a very negative mentality I was stuck on! After taking a break from university for a semester I can see that I need to finish my degree (even if it’s going to almost kill me) not just to please my Asian mother but for myself as well!


2014 is going to be so challenging as I’ll be finishing a degree in a career I don’t really care about with an entire grade that I’m not familiar with but what is a life without a little challenge??



3. Friendship is more than just a number and maintaining them takes real EFFORT!

So in my second and third year of university I became SUPER social and went to every social outing, parties and all kinds of craziness! It was A LOT of fun – meeting new people and getting to know them better! I’ve always loved people and interacting with them always energised me!


But something changed when I turned 21 at the end of 2012 because suddenly I realised without real, strong friendships to rely on I was so lost and didn’t even have anyone to turn to! That’s when I realised being a friend is so much more than just talking to them and drinking together at some party.


In 2013 I tried really hard to deepen my friendships with people and to be honest – IT’S SO HARD! Because as we get older we get busier with our careers, studies and other commitments it becomes a real ordeal to people when they’re free (especially since I’m so spontaneous and last minute!!). But I’ve learnt that even though it’s difficult it’s REALLY worthwhile to deepen friendships because now I know even if I’m struggling with life there are people who are going to be there for me and I’m always willing to do the same for them!! ♥ you guys! Hehe

FAMBAM at Elle & Andrew's 21 :) <3

4. Experiencing what you don’t want will make you SO much more appreciative when you get what you want!

This Christmas period has been my busiest one yet – I was working two different retail jobs! But I have absolutely no regrets because now that my roster has loosened up I can TRULY appreciate every second of rest and break that I get! Working hard made me realise you have to experience the exhaustion, restlessness, stress and anxiety to truly appreciate the relaxation, rest and rejuvenation! It’s the same with many other aspects – it was only when I experienced complete confusion and disorientation that I can be so thankful for direction and orderliness!


For someone that used to run away from negative feelings it was definitely something that was different but definitely worthwhile!


5. Family is the one thing that’ll ALWAYS be there for you!

Friends will leave, boyfriends/girlfriends will leave and even you’ll want to leave yourself at some point but your family they’re stuck with you for life!


No matter what that bond of blood means they unconditionally have to love & take care of you!


IT’S SO IMPORTANT to learn how to love and appreciate my family more! It’s a challenge because I rarely see any of my family members (my mum works a lot and my dad’s in China) but when I can talk to them I do! At the end of the day whatever happens they’re always there for me! ♥


 6. It’s actually possible to achieve the things you want – as long as you are willing to put in time, effort & energy!

To be honest I didn’t realise how much I doubted myself and avoided taking risks because I thought I couldn’t achieve a lot of things! I kept second guessing my abilities all the time but now I’ve learnt to accept that it is possible to get to where I want to go in life but I just need to let go of my fears and JUST TRY! You don’t know where you’ll go until you try! You can do what you ACTUALLY WANT TO instead of pleasing someone else and trying to achieve their dreams!


7. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses – No one’s perfect!

This is something my mum use to tell me all the time but I sometimes didn’t see how that was applied in real life… because I never really got close to people! But now I’m starting to see how that statement is so true~ including for myself! There are SOOOO many things I suck at – technology, cooking and the list go on! But at the end of the day I can work hard to overcome my weaknesses and make them my strengths but if it’s something I can’t change like my height then I’ll just learn to accept it!


When interacting with people it’s so easy to pick up their flaws but it’s better to accept that part of them and focus on the qualities that makes you like them!


8. It’s important to find out what your life values are!

Decision making is one of the hardest things to do in life and in 2013 I was really confused by some major life decisions – I didn’t know what to choose and what I wanted!!! That is still a problem I have but what really helped me was to find out what my values were. Some examples of mine are honesty, curiosity and enthusiasm!


Here’s a link for more information about values:


http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_85.ht


9. Ask for help especially when you need it!

Before 2013 I always thought subconsciously that asking for help whether professionally or from friends was a sign of weakness and it meant wasting their time while adding to that person’s burden! I was really afraid of showing my weaknesses to people (and now I’m sharing this on the internet haha) but it really is what made the difference! If I didn’t seek help and support the way I did there’s no way I’d be as happy as I am now!


Whatever issues you might be having right now – ask for some assistance! It doesn’t make you any less of a person and you might be surprised about how much better things will be for you! Also I learnt to help other people out when they need it and to be honest it makes me feel happy just to be needed by someone!


10. Don’t stop being creative!

Because I study Pharmacy and it’s a profession where rules are followed to an extreme because it’s concerning other people’s health but for the past 4 years I haven’t been able to express myself creatively in any way and to be honest that took a toll on me! Not saying I’m the greatest artist or most imaginative person but it is important to explore the creative side of our lives sometimes – It keeps things interesting!


It’s the legacy you leave to the world! Blogging and dancing are the two things I’m doing that is creative right now and I love those two things so much!



I hope by sharing these things on the internet it can help one person who’s struggling with their issues to have courage to seek help and see some hope! Hopefully 2014 will teach me more valuable life lessons – Don’t ever stop learning!

one of my favourite selfies from 2013!! :D 


♥Lingfish~



P.S. I have many doubts and fears when I’m posting something like this on the internet for the fear of criticism and judgement but just remember to respect people’s journey and timing! No one’s the same!