On Getting in Shape

So it does work...

Look at Helen Mirren. An amazing actress, a beauty and at 65, a body that passes off as nothing short of amazing and fit for someone half her age.

How does she do it? Apparently through... *drum roll*... working out on the Wii fit! I kid you not. I have pictures as proof (courtesy of styleit.com). And of course, the other proof is her starring in an ad campaign for Wii (being the marketing genius they are).

Ever since we decided on the wedding date I have been constantly trying new ways to get fit, and to me, getting fit has always been equated to pain. No pain, no gain. That means, less cake, healthier meals, more treadmill, more swimming (although the cake part does not always work according to plan). Therefore, when my sister recommended Wii fit as a way of getting fit, I did not take her seriously. Hey, something that fun can't actually be good for you, can it?

But apparently it does. So thanks Helen Mirren, this is great news for me! A bit of hula hoop, steps and computer-led yoga each day can actually make me fit? If it means I get to stay indoors and exercise while it's 40 degrees out there, I will definitely give it a shot.

And maybe I won't feel so bad having some cake after too.

I just watched 2012 (yes I know, I'm very outdated).

I enjoyed the movie. The extremely predictable and somewhat exaggerated plot was definitely not the factor, neither were the overly computerised effects. John Cusack contributed of course, but mainly it was because these end-of-world movies always make me think and wonder. A lot. During and long after the movie.

(Which is fortunate for me that they only make one of these once every couple of years otherwise I'd be a very depressed person.)

This time I think about the values of humanity. In 2012, as with all other Hollywood blockbusters of the same genre, the good values of humanity prevail. 10 minutes before the tidal waves hit the arks, they opened the gates to let the other people in (as opposed to just leaving and making sure they themselves were safe). They decided that they did not want to start the new world with cruelty and that the humanity really only ends the day they stand by and watch others die.

Do you really believe this would be true? If we were told today that the end of the world was tomorrow, do you believe that we would have peace and love before the end comes, or would we have chaos and wars? Do you believe that your neighbours would support you, or do you think that they would steal, rob, murder and rape? We have seen examples where goodness does prevail (think the China earthquake a couple of years back where strangers were risking their own health and lives to save others). But we have also seen examples where calamities occur, donations were given but they never reached the victims.

I would like to believe that in the end, that we would all learn to see past the materials and superficialities in life and just focus on what really counts. That we would realise that all we want is really to stay by the people we love and care of and give them the comfort which we hope to get in return.

The lucky hero in 2012 gets to share the new beginning with his children and his "true love" (the ex wife whose new spouse coincidentally died while trying to get onto the ark).

Tonight, have a think about who you'd like to spend tomorrow with if you know that it's going to be your last. And perhaps start that journey now.

On Self Development

I have been lazy to write, but that does not mean I have been lacking in thoughts about what I want to write about. I store the thoughts in my mind and bring them out when I get the time and the mood to sit down, switch off the TV and type (of course the break in the World Cup in between the Round of 16 and the quarter finals made the switching off of the TV much easier).

Will's car was broken into a few weeks ago (if this sounds like deja vu, Will was mugged a few months' ago - so this has been an unfortunate year for my fiance). The passenger window was smashed, glove box was rummaged through and an empty knapsack was stolen. Although financially he got off ok (he could have suffered much worse material losses), break-in's are always a nuisance because of the things you need to fix and the insurance you need to worry about whether to claim or not to claim.

This happened early in the morning when we were still half-asleep from the night before, which was the time of the day when one tends to be grumpiest. And Will is one of the most easily agitated person I know. So I was very surprised, and impressed, when Will reacted with a "HOI what are you doing?" to the boy who was fishing about in his car (who then quickly scampered away) and then with still calmness as he decided what he needed to do to mitigate the severity of the situation given he had to show up at work in a couple of hours.

There are people who are generally calm, but react negatively to pressure, and there are also people who, on the other hand, are generally high-strung but react calmly when required. I believe there is a lot of strength in the ability to deal with bad situations calmly. It is not easy, and real personalities emerge when put under the test. Isn't it much easier, when someone does or says something that irritates you or offend your core belief, to just let your head get dizzy with anger and let them have a piece of your mind, than to be rational and calm and ignore their ignorant comments with the knowledge that a bad reaction may lead to worse outcomes?

Many arguments, fights and wars break out as a result of different parties not being able to see eye to eye, with little tolerance for differences. Much violence and regrettable incidents could have been avoided with either or all parties remaining calm. You know you cannot prevent unfavourable events from happening to you or your family, but the least you can do is to ensure your mind bears the right thoughts when they do occur and that you are not going to let the unfavourable events carry on any further.

On Good Food

Will and I frequent the Victoria Park cafe strip regularly. It's a stone's throw away from where we are and it has a fantastic array of cafes and restaurants. Parking is not always easy, but it is mostly free and you will always be able to find one if you don't mind walking 5 minutes.

So much to our delight we now have another restaurant to add to our favourite list. Also much to our delight, it is a new cuisine to add to our current list of Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisines. We are now loving Spanish tapas from the Imp.

A quick introduction on tapas for those who have yet to experience it. Traditionally this is the name of a wide variety of appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine which may be cold e.g. olives, cheese or warm e.g. battered fried squid. In Australia tapas has evolved into a more sophisticated cuisine and can comprise of many different tapas to make up a whole meal (definition extracted from Wikipedia). For me, it's a little like the equivalent of Spanish dim sum.

On the Imp

Service and Ambience

It was only by chance that Will and I stumbled across this restaurant as from the outside, the simple and humble outlook of the restaurant was easy to miss. Once inside the restaurant was small and even a little crampy, however, the clever use of wooden and brick walls, tender lighting, cushions and bar-stools created a cosy, comfortable ambience. It also meant that you could always get the attention of a friendly waiter or waitress when required.

Because of the above reason we were lucky to have the last table without a reservation but would highly recommend making a booking if you are thinking of dining there for dinner.

Note mentioning here as well was the washroom. Took me a few seconds to read the instructions and understood that the way to open and lock the door was not through a knob, but via a couple of red and green buttons on the wall. Very un-conventional.

The restaurant is a BYO and there is a liquor store just two doors away.

Food

Of the 6 dishes + 1 dessert we ordered, the standard was good on average with a couple being outstanding. Dishes were quick to be served, sauces were well-flavoured, the roasted potato cubes were crunchy and tasty and the warmed sticky date muffin with ice-cream did not disappoint.

The star of the night was definitely the Crispy Pork Belly with Apple Sauce. Whilst the skin was thin, crispy and roasted to perfection, the meat and fatty layer beneath the skin managed to stay soft and tender to the point that it melted in the mouth. The sweet and tangy apple cubes and sauce was a delicious and clever way to balance out the "heaviness" of the dish. Being fans of pork bellies (and we 've tried many variations) Will and I both unanimously agreed it was one of the best we've had and ordered the dish twice.

We understand that the menu changes from time to time so the delectable pork belly may no longer be there when we next visit the Imp, but we look forward to other future surprises that the restaurant has to offer.

Value for money

I have to mention that dinner at the Imp was pricier than our average Saturday night restaurant as an afterthought before you read my blog and decide that you would immediately have to make a dinner booking. We paid close to $50 per person last night, and that was excluding the $20 bottle of wine which I bought from the shop next door. All up I believe that the experience was worth the value and although we will not be making it our regular dining spot we would definitely be going back.

Picture courtesy of theimp.com.au

On Growing Up

We will all grow up at some stage.

Whether we are Sons, Daughters, Sisters, Brothers, Lovers, Friends ... we will reach a phase in our lives where difficult decisions will have to be made. The complexity of the decisions will ultimately be based on the costs of choosing one over the other - how much do we have to give up or lose?

Some decisions can be simpler, for example, do I want to marry William?

What do I have to lose? The possibility of being with another man? This is not a consideration for me, as I do not believe there is another man I would rather be with apart from Will. The fact that I will have to move out from my parents' home? This is a heftier consideration since I am very close to my family, but since our new home is only minutes away from my parents' home, this will not cost much either. I might have to do more housework and cook occassionally, but I can put up with this. What do I have to gain? A life-time guarantee to start a family with a man whom I love and loves me as much in return. Someone who will take a vow to be by my side through the good and bad times, and someone whose words I can completely trust. Relatively simple and un-complex decision.

However to give another example, what if Will was someone I met while I was travelling overseas? What if the man who asked me to marry him was not from the same continent and for me to say yes, it would be at the cost of moving overseas away from all those I love and all that I have known? And what if, this place overseas might not recognise my qualifications and I would not have the same career certainty that I would have if I am back home? Saying yes would be much more difficult then. Much more courageous. As it is at the expense of losing a lot, a lot more.

Life and fate sometimes places us in difficult situations. I love my family. Sometimes I wish we can all be young again, where we are living, growing up, playing and joking in the same household and where difficult decisions do not have to be made. I sometimes secretly (and selfishly) wish that we can all grow old together, within close proximity of each other, even after we have found the other halves of our lives. I know that this is wishful thinking and probably far from reality.

Someone close to me would have to make a difficult decision. Whilst I know that there will not be a right or wrong decision, I hope that the decision will be one that makes her happy.

On Being Engaged

I have now been 2 weeks and 2 days ... engaged.

After 27 years of being a "single" woman, and 4 years of going out with Will, I am now engaged. Wow. The term still sounds a little foreign to me. And I still need to get familiar with referring to Will as my fiance.

I used to think that being engaged will not change anything, only the marriage will. Being engaged is just a means of letting others know that I will be getting married soon. I mean, Will and I have been going for years. We see each other every couple of days, bought a place together, I sleep over on the weekends and we have agreed that that I will not move in until we're married. I have met his parents, he has met mine, and our parents have even met each other. How would , or could, being engaged add anymore to that?

However, strange as it sounds, it does. In ways that I cannot express in words. Our relationship has strengthened, activities together seem sweeter and we are making more time for each other. Hey, I am even nagging less! I think it may be because there is now the invisible string that binds us together - and we both firmly understand our commitment to each other (although it's not really invisible, it's made visible through the beautiful sparkle on my finger, which makes me rather touched every time I look at it). Whatever it is, being engaged has successfully raised our relationship to a new level and I am quietly pleased about it.

My Preciousss...

As quoted by Gollum / Smeagol from the Lord of the Rings

Wigs or no Wigs

Have lost some weight. I think it's due to the busy schedule, an untimed combination of Chinese New Year, the engagement, family members visiting, operating Style Reverie and a new project starting up. On weekdays I'm running from a client meeting to another and updating websites, and on weekends, I'm running from shops to airports to Bridal Fairs. Funny how you unsuspectingly lose weight when you're not trying, but always fail to do so when you desperately try to.

Saw in the papers yesterday a picture of the WA lawyers and judges donning their wigs for the last time. A decision was made end of last year to abandon the centuries-old tradition. Due to curiosity I did a bit of research after I read the news on why in the first place lawyers wore wigs. Interestingly, I couldn't find a single consistent answer as to the reason (not online anyway). Answers range from the portrayal of impartiality, to self-protection; to it's just the way they dressed in the 1600 and they never got around to updating it. I guess the decision to abandon is probably sensible then. If it is unclear to the people wearing it why they are wearing it in the first place, then the reason for wearing it cannot be that important - no?

Nevertheless the decision would have been less painful if Will and I hadn't spent hours (and hundreds of dollars) in Sydney a couple of years back to hunt down the perfect wig.

Beauty Without Boundaries

I was asked the other day what the target age market of Style Reverie was.

I opened my mouth to respond, with the numbers of "between 20 to 35" on the tip of my tongue, then stopped.

That's not true I thought to myself. If my mom wants to wear something from the collection, she would look perfectly fine (and fabulously trendy) in it. And mom is not within the age group of 20 to 35.

These days, with the combined factors of beauty products, the media and the resulting increased of confidence in women, looking good and stylish is no longer confined to those who are young and / or wealthy. Commercialism, innovation and creativity have made looking beautiful and confident accessible to women of all ages (look at Elle MacPherson!) and across many levels of income. Gone were the days when only those women who were not married, who were educated enough to be working or were married to rich husbands can afford to buy and put on good make-up and beautiful clothes. With the emergence of multi-level marketing (think from Red Earth, Mabelline and Revlon to MAC, Lancome, Christian Dior; designer wear now being available at Target) and online shopping channels, women these days have ample (if not unlimited) options to products that make them look and feel good about themselves.

In fact Helena Rubinstein's infamous quote There are no ugly women, only lazy ones is more relevant now than it ever was.

I think again about the question posed to me, and I think the right answer would be that Style Reverie caters to a market who appreciates beautiful clothes of simple elegance at reasonable prices (as we do not have to pay building leases or store employees). Style Reverie delivers to a particular taste, a sense of style, but not to a particular age group. To constrain ourselves to an age group would be to deny the ability of others to feel confident and be creative about what they wear.

And this is a belief that we'll like to share.
------------------

On another note, William proposed to me last night. I am now engaged :)

On Noble Jobs

In my career I have mostly come across people who are in their jobs because they love the challenge and hype of the corporate world and of solving complex problems for big organisations, or because they love the money that comes with it. Therefore I have always been impressed by people on the other side who choose to take up jobs which are sometimes dangerous, do not necessarily generate them a lot financial return but which I find so noble.

Ticking off the list, there are the policemen, the firemen, the teachers, the garbage collectors, the prosecutors and the doctors (only partially because most of the time they do get paid heaps), and let us not forget, the bus drivers.

Now, bus drivers are people whom I come across most mornings when I go to work. Although most of the time the bus trips are fairly uneventful, I observe that the bus driver is perhaps one of the few occupations that come with stress at multiple levels even during an uneventful trip and worse still, during an eventful one e.g.

- time pressure - buses usually have to be at a certain location at a specific time
- time pressure, in addition to driving a big complex machine with about 20 different buttons
- bad driving from other vehicles - I have been involved in a "bus accident" on 2 occasions and witnessed 1
- providing sufficient and safe space on the bus to your passengers - telling anxious, perhaps work-late people that they can no longer board the bus because it's full
- dealing with kids and other fully-abled passengers who do not voluntarily give space to people in need
- and the most unfortunate of them all, dealing with passengers who are abusive towards other passengers or the bus driver themselves - type in "bus driver attack" on google and be surprised by how many incidents that are returned

I understand that in some of these instances they might not have a choice (these would be the drivers who merely grudgingly nod at you when you say "good morning" to them), but I have also seen bus drivers who are in their jobs purely because they love it and they love getting people to their destinations on time (these are the drivers who play chirpy jazzy music in the mornings and greet you with smiley "good mornings"). In fact, if you remember the sad news of Mr Sin who lost his eye last year from a bus attack, Mr Sin had been a driver for 18 years and liked his job. Needless to say, he would not be returning to bus driving after the incident.

Like any other jobs, but particularly so for these noble jobs, I find it sad that people are discouraged from doing what they love doing due to the ignorant, callous and sometimes violent acts of others. I think that we have to remember that a lot of these noble people are performing their jobs for the betterment of the society, jobs which most of us would not risk our dear lives to do - so instead of criticising them we should show them the amount of respect they deserve. On a selfish note, I would not want to wake up one morning and find that there are no longer bus drivers around - city parking is very expensive (this will be yet another topic for another day).

Highlights of the Week

1. My first comment received on my blog! After 2.5 months of diligent writing I have finally received a comment (being aware also that this might not be a "real" comment given that it's written in Mandarin - I wouldn't know!). I tried to put it through Google Translate and it sounded ok. Thanks!

Note: Google Translate is an awesome tool which can provide you with a literal translation for most major languages. Although it will not translate a 40-page Japanese report into an understandable report in English (I tried), but it works well enough for basic purposes. Just for fun, try putting these Korean words through "내 블로그를 읽어 주셔서 감사합니다".

2. Will and I haven't been spending a lot of time by ourselves for the last few weeks so we took the opportunity to turn a fishing trip in Bicton Quarantine Park into a picnic for only the two of us. The view of the Swan River from the park was breathtaking (and we can view the magnificent Mosman Bay just directly opposite us), and we stayed on late enough to see the full moon casting bright, shimmery, white light onto the waters. Although we didn't catch anything that night it was a lovely night out.

Bicton Quarantine Park

3. I found out late last week that I will be commencing on a new project within these couple of weeks. This is a great opportunity as the client is a reputable global organisation, the project is a critical driver and I will get to work with real experts in the field (from the US). I cannot wait for it to begin!

4. Another highlight at work today (which can almost match the above) was that Nestle was doing a promotion on their HEAVEN range ice-cream and we received free ice-cream today! I picked the chunky cookie flavour and when I bit into it, I felt like I was in ....

5. Style Reverie is undergoing a rebranding exercise at the moment. For the last week, with the assistance of a very talented friend (www.horngshii.com), I have been making myself busy with the redefination of the SR logo. I have settled on the following. It should be imparting a chic, simple, fun feel. What do you think?

Style I Love ...

What I'm loving at the moment

A pair of black tapered trousers for work and for play

From left (clock-wise): Black tapered pants, Topshop (http://www.topshop.com/), Blouse with corsage (out of stock), Blouse with sequins, Black elegant bag, Style Reverie (http://www.stylereverie.com/), Costa tan heels, Tony Bianco (http://www.tonybianco.com.au/)

Little House Treasures

Six months after settling into our new place we are still discovering little hidden treasures ...


From our guest room we saw a bird nest on with little chicks. We also discovered a cherry tomato tree in our backyard.

Sometimes I wish the world can be a little less serious ...

I have donated to the Haiti disaster ... have you?

On Good Food

Long-time friend from high-school and wife, who are currently residing in Melbourne, visited Perth earlier this week and wanted to catch up. Now being lovers of good food they also requested that I, the Perth-ian, recommend a good restaurant.

Horror.

Now, if they were travelling from any other city in Australia or from overseas, then the job would have been easier because I can either take them somewhere which I regard as good or at least let them try cuisines that they do not often get at home. But what can a Perth-ian offer the Melbourne-ians, whose city is known as the city of good food? Any restaurants we have, they have more, and probably in better quality too. It's like asking me to recommend a good Perth shopping place to a Melbourne fashionista!

However.

I did discover a very peculiar thing through conversations with them - and that is, for all the Greek, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, bakeries and 1,001 sweets shops that Melbourne has to offer - they cannot remember seeing a German restaurant. The good ol' German restaurant. Well, not only does Perth have a few, we have a couple of really recommendable ones too.

We took them to my favourite German restaurant, the Alpine. To those who have not heard of this restaurant, it is a well-hidden gem within the suburb of Carlisle, a house-turned-restaurant that is easily miss-able from the outside to those who are unaware (quote a friend who lives down the road: Is that a restaurant??). It carries through a similar theme inside the restaurant - you walk through the main door to a cosy common hallway that is filled with a quaint decorations and handful of tables. If you look carefully you can see a picture of John Howard on the wall (taken with the owner of the restaurant), nestled amongst the many Restaurants of the Year Awards they have won in previous years. There are separate rooms to accommodate more diners to the side and down a flight of staircase to the back.

In relation to the food there are a couple of things you need to be aware of:

1. You will have to be prepared to wait. For quite a while. The restaurant is solely run by a husband and wife team - husband as chef and wife as waitress with no additional help. The chef also takes a lot of pride in his cooking and is persistent that you will have to wait in order to get good food (and he is right). A tip: Have a cool, thirst-quenching malty German beer while you wait.

2. Although there are a few of the dishes that are superbly delectable, not all the dishes are equally yummy. A good indication to start with is - always order the German dish i.e. if you're torn between a choice of the pepper steak and the Schweinehaxe - choose the latter.

3. Be prepared to have lots of meat. Lots and lots of good meat.

My personal favourites are: the Schweinehaxe (a 1kg baked pork hock with crunchy skin and extremely soft flesh), the Gebratene Ente (half duck stuffed with apples and herbs also baked to perfection) and Kasespatzle and fried camembert for starters.

Unfortunately I was too busy enjoying myself the other night I did not take any pictures - here is a picture of the Scheweinehaxe for your hungry eyes, courtesy of the Alpine's website:

Saturday Mornings

My favourite time of the week ... Saturday mornings.

Reasons:

1. I spend all of Friday looking forward to the weekend, and this is the first indication that it has arrived.

2. I can sleep in.

3. I can spend time at my leisure sipping coffee, reading the entertaining Saturday papers and surfing the net, in peace and quiet (my sister does not usually wake up til noon).

4. I can eat whatever I want for breakfast (it is a self-imposed rule that I have to eat healthier when I am working).

My breakfast today - seafood ramen with an egg mmm

Weekend Ramblings

Evolution of the WA anti-hoon law

Spent the last couple of days being amused by firstly, how restrictive and inflexible our state's anti-hoon law was (any car found contravening the law would be seized, regardless of whether the driver is the owner of the car e.g. the car would be seized even if the mechanic is the one driving it), secondly, how resistance to change the minister was to the law, even when it was not making sense and thirdly, I was even more amused by how quickly the minister was willing to change the law after the news has been published and was criticised by the public.

Watched The Avatar (finally!)

Gotta blog it (just because 1. it's my first ever 3D movie and 2. everyone else has an opinion!).

Anyone who have been reading the papers or out and about would have known to either book their tickets online or rock up early to ensure tickets availability. Well, I knew, but I just didn't get around to doing it.

There were only 40 seats left in the room when we bought our tickets, so not only did we have to sit in one of the front rows, our seats were on the left hand side. So we had to sit through the movie in an awkward angle, my stomach was slightly queasy from the 3D effect from a wrong angle, and I had to use my hand to keep the 3D glasses on my non-existent nose bridge throughout the movie.

Having said that I really enjoyed the movie! The plot was not original (we came out feeling like we have watched a replay of Pocahontas, or Dances with Wolves) but there were a few things that kept me intrigued and engaged all throughout, if nothing else:

- The breathtaking sceneries and exotic creatures on Planet Pandora, and the angles from which the movie was filmed (lots of close-up's and zoom in's) to create the most amazing 3D effect

- I found the blue species of "people" strangely very attractive and captivating in their lean, fit forms, large eyes, skimpy costumes and smooth movements (Sam Worthington looked better blue)

- I always love fantasy movies and watching things which are pure creations of the minds, things which can keep my mind off the real world for a while (I am a kid at heart like that)

I found the 2.5 hours, $20 and sore arm to be worth my while - what about you?

My handsome blue hunk

Love the box

Have been looking forward to the weekends more these days. It's more than just the fact that we're not working and I can sleep in... but it is also the 2 days of the week when Will and I can sit down together (on the comfortable couch which I picked) and watch our latest favourite Korean dramas.

Latest fave: IRIS

If you like action movies, or movies about detectives and CIA agents, or movies about conspiracies, or if you just like watching the flawless features of Kim Tae Hee, you would enjoy this drama. Apart from an all-star cast, the drama also has a catchy sountrack and some spectacular scenes shot from Japan and Hungary. IRIS is still currently being aired in Korea as I type this, so I think a translated or subtitled version will only be available in DVD a couple of months from now.

The flawless Kim Tae Hee

Hot Weather and Steamed Fish

With the hot (sometimes disgustingly so) weather creeping in on us, Will and the boys have been going through a fishing frenzy. Apparently the hot weather attracts the fishes. Herrings, taylors, even blowies. Signs that I suspect they have an obsession with fishing:

• Will and Justin went on a 10-hour fishing trip, in a little dinghy, starting in the wee hours (ie. 4 am) of New Year's day but did not catch anything. Coming home smelly and tired they swore to be off fishing for the next year or so. Less than 2 days later they decided to go fishing again.
• That day we had planned to visit Will's parents in the evening; that afternoon we received one phone call invitation to go fishing, and his parents would have to wait.
• Eric mentioned a sale at Anaconda, and all 3 boys ended up with discounted rods and funny-looking hats with lamps.
• Each conversation they have had whether in person or on Facebook inadvertently leads to fishing.

With all the fishes the boys are catching, a new worry emerges. I had to dig up old books, ring my mom (who is currently in Malaysia) and spent time googling for fish recipes. What good are freshly caught fishes if they are not freshly cooked and consumed?

Last Saturday night they brought home 8 fishes, 4 taylors and 4 snooks. I decided to cook the taylors using one of the most traditional Chinese methods of cooking fish. Steamed fish has remained a true favourite with the Chinese because whilst being quite easy to prepare, it is the best way to ensure the flesh of fish remains smooth and silky and that the fresh taste of the fish is preserved. I have decided to share the recipe of this dish (this is a combination of my mom's recipe, the technique of a friend I recently spoke to and Kylie Kwong's recipe online):

1. Soak a couple of Chinese mushrooms in water until soft. Once soft, slice the mushrooms.

2. Slice some ginger and spring onions into small sticks.

3. Place fish into a heatproof plate together with the mushrooms, parts of the ginger, some water and sherry.

4. Place a tray over a wok that is filled a quarter with water. Place the heatproof plate on the tray.

5. Cover the wok and steam the fish for about 8 minutes until the flesh is cooked. To test you can either use a chopstick or finger to poke the thickest part of the fish (just slightly below the gills). The flesh should be soft and white (not translucent).

6. Pour the remaining ginger and spring onions onto the fish. Mix some water, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil together and drizzle over fish.

7. Heat some oil in a separate frying oil and when moderately hot, pour over fish. Serve immediately.

Note: Recipe works best for small to mid-size fish. I think you should also be able to use it on fillets. If you try this let me know how you go!

Remnants of the steamed taylor - picture courtesy of Eric.

Our Merry Trip to Cervantes

Happy New Year! Funny how I am supposed to be on holidays and yet have had a busier schedule than when I was not ...

On Cervantes

Only 2.5 hours drive away from Perth is this quiet and serene beach, and surprisingly still very much untouched by commercialism. Long stretches by soft sand, amazing blue green water just a few metres from shore, irregular coves for the fishermen and parasailers. It is the perfect holiday destination for people who love the beaches without the commercial luxuries.

If you are one who is up for more excitement or sight-seeing, the Pinnacles and Jurien Bay are only within 30 minutes driving distance away, where you can witness strange but amusing ancient rock formations or go swimming with the sea lions. Lancelin is also just off the path to Cervantes where my sister and Justin decided to stop by for sand boarding.

What Cervantes has a lot of ...

• Sea breeze, wind
• Fishes - Will and Justin caught their biggest catches ever and we had fish for dinner on both nights
• Skillful fishermen - a couple of kids no older than 10 came up to us on the jetty and showed us their catch for the day - a squid!
• Parasailers, swimmers, beach cricketers
• Boats
• Crayfish - even the local petrol station cafe sells them

What Cervantes did not have a lot of ...

• Residents - a 2006 consensus estimated the population to be around 500
• Shops - we counted 1 grocery shop and less around 5 eating outlets

We spent only a couple of nights in the small sleepy town but felt like we have had a good relaxed break. My verdict? I think it's worth visiting for anyone who's either looking for a quick getaway from Perth or loves fishing or both!