Living In Australia

Celebrating Petals

liau — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:45:46 +0000

Flowers are perhaps the most flexible gift of all. Despite this, it remains inviting and perhaps will only rarely miss to give a smile. In Australia, it is given in several occasions: birthday flowers, anniversary flowers, valentine flowers, celebration flowers or even just plain flowers! Even the local grocery chains have them making access to these gifts available almost any day.

Tradie

liau — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:28:41 +0000

So what’s a Tradie? They’re Aussie slang for tradesman. When I hear it the word I could almost visualise a bloke with a particular profile. Tradies can be quite helpful and will be “handy” in a lot of situations. But of course, sometimes it comes at a cost. That is why there are a number of people who try to be their own tradie. And I guess it applies to several areas in the house. So you got self titled plumbers, brick layers, and so on. And this includes other home repairs, too. So instead of getting the furniture or lounge fixed up, one can just head to get discount upholstery fabric, and to do the stapling and gluing (perhaps with the help of an instructional guide). Now that’s literally taking things into one’s own hands!

Power Rate Rise

liau — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:56:52 +0000

A couple of weeks back, news on rising electricity costs hit the headlines. There are different stories as to the how and why this would happen. Thanks to politics. NSW gets the raw end of the deal as it will probably deal with the highest rate increase. The timing cannot be good at all as the country goes to the colder months when heated blanket become quite important. And as we all know, heating appliances can quickly jack up the energy bill. The next few months should be interesting.

Snowy, Anyone?

liau — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:49:12 +0000

It is just a few more months to go before the snow fields in NSW will be ready for action. So now is about the right time when people sort of make plans on heading up the mountains for some time out in the snow. It is also the time to check on the outdoor gear and make sure they’re still good after the year-long bout at the storage. After trying out skiing a couple of years ago, I think bringing a camelbak is a good idea, too. And perhaps even better if the pack can carry both hot and cold drinks! Now I’m wishing…

Making Music

liau — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:41:17 +0000

I have to admit that I didn’t know a lot about details on a DJ’s activities. Yes I do know about scratching or maybe mixing sounds, music, etc. But I really only got some appreciation on the complexity of this activity when we got some console game on this theme. I mean these is a game yet it is complex and quite entertaining. A proper Denon DJ Equipment will obviously take things to a serious level. Its complexity would require great passion for it. For now, I guess I’ll be on the listening side of things.

Economies of Movies

liau — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:36:32 +0000

Going out on movies can be quite expensive. As more movies are released in 3D then that even spells additional costs. Here in Sydney, a family of four can easily spend $50 sitting on a 2D feature (plus popcorn and drinks!). So is it really worth it? As movies get released on blurry or DVDs in just a few months, sometimes it just makes more sense to wait. A few months wait can easily be translated to 90% savings! If you have great chaise chairs or lounges then the experience can even be better. Now that’s entertainment!

Easter Sunday

liau — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:07:20 +0000

Thank you for the cross Lord…that mighty cross.
Thank you for the power of the cross. We are saved.
Thank You for the empty grave…that mighty tomb. Our Saviour lives!
Thank You.

Happy Easter Australia!

Palm Sunday

liau — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:36:57 +0000

Let us celebrate the name of JESUS…HIS name that LOVES, HIS name that PROVIDES, HIS name that HEALS, HIS name that COMFORTS, HIS name that GUIDES, and in HIS name we are SAVED. Happy Palm Sunday Australia!

On Hair and Other Things

liau — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:49:43 +0000

Some say beauty comes at a price. Well, if we are going to talk about pampering up in Sydney, then perhaps there is some truth to it. Haircuts and related services may tend to be quite pricey depending on the salon that you go to. But perhaps it is acceptable especially if the end of it is a happy customer. Skilling up, having good tools such as airbrush makeup machine will, without doubt, keep the prices a bit on the high side. There are of course those who offer less. But you just need to do your research well. As the saying goes, if it is too good to be true, then perhaps…

Excursion

liau — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:37:59 +0000

School excursions happen quite regularly here in Australia. It starts even for kids on early primary school. As someone who did not grow up here, it is interesting what my kids would bring back when they go on one of these excursions. I could recall my daughter bringing back a small speck of gold from Bathurst and telling how tough it is to get just that small speck. It provides insight as to difficult it is to source those metals as it definitely is easier to buy gold online. There was also an instance how they were amazed at how writing tools were not as easy as using a typical ball point pen. I guess these insights and appreciation of things make excursions go deeper than just seeing old stuff.