Category Archives: Personal

Our new garden

Posted on November 19, 2013 | 21 comments

Remember, a while ago we moved into a new apartment. We had a choice of getting a house or an apartment at that stage.

A house meant we could have backyard and frontyard but we would need to travel longer for work. We chose to stay closer to the city and our work hence we ended up buying an apartment.

So far, we are loving our new place and happy about our choice. Now we have one more reason to love our place, we have our own garden.

rr

Before we even moved into this place, AS had this crazy idea to have a synthetic grass on the balcony and convert it into a garden. I was not thrilled about the idea in the beginning as synthetic grass is really expensive and I wasn’t not sure how it would turn out.

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However, when we moved to our new place, we have a big balcony. Actually the balcony is bigger than two of the bedrooms we have.So finally, we decided that it would be a good idea and had laid the fake grass and we are quite pleased with the end result.

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We bought outdoor furniture and a few plants and pots and finally the garden is done. Of course how can an Aussie garden be complete without a barbeque :), so we have a gas barbecue.

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The garden is now an extra place where we relax, enjoy our breakfast in the weekends and also entertain guests. It has also been a place for me to just lie down and watch the sky or just unwind.

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All our family and friends are impressed with our idea and they loved it. I have to thank AS for his creative thinking in using the synthetic grass. 🙂

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Posted in Australia, Personal

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City2Surf 2013 – 14km fun run

Posted on August 13, 2013 | 18 comments

As I mentioned in my last post, we went for the City2surf 14km fun run on Sunday. Luckily, this year, unlike last few years, the weather was fine and sunny and it definitely made the run better.

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Since 1971, Sydneysiders have been joined by participants from all over the world, elite athletes rubbing shoulders with locals to run, walk, or watch the 14km race from Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD to the finish at Bondi Beach.

We normally register for the race in April. I like to think ourselves as healthy people so once we register, we go and make a plan for exercise and diet. We both are so excited and start our regime but after a few months we slack off a bit. As it is winter in June/July our enthusiasm slows down a bit. But we have managed to successful complete the run for the last few years.

The run starts from the city centre and passes through the suburbs of East Sydney, Kings Cross, Rushcutters Bay, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Dover Heights and ends at Bondi Beach. The most difficult part of the course is “Heartbreak Hill” at the halfway mark, a 2 km long steep ascent from Rose Bay to Vaucluse along New South Head Road.

This year we ran in the blue group as we  able to register quickly. So our run was to start at 8.30 am. We caught a train to city and joined 85,000 other runners.

Like every year, just before the start of the race everyone throws their jumper so charity can collect it. It is a great idea as the runners become hot during the run but they need a jumper before they start the run. Look at some of the jumpers that landed on the trees looking like they grew on them.

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When the gun when off me and AS along with everyone else took our pace. This year we decided to pace ourselves so we are not too tired half way through. Therefore, we ran and walked alternatively. It really helped as I didn’t feel too tired at any stage at all. I have to thank AS for that as he knew we need some planning to complete the run easily.

As every year, there were people dressing up for charities as ballerinas, smurfs, Spiderman, flash, wonder women, a pie (seriously) and people in onesies . We also had opposition leader Mr Tony Abbot running the race as the support runner for blind runner Nathan Johnston, with the pair crossing the finishing line in 1 hour 21.16 seconds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Like every year, there were many people cheering along the way as well as many water and Gatorade stations. There were lots of live bands and mascots as well.

As it was a warm day and there were a few people hosing down runners to keep them cool. Also there were people giving away oranges, chips, lollies etc. Isn’t that nice and what a spirit to join the race.

This year I felt a lot better about the run. With AS’s plan I was never too tried to have to stop. We did really well until the last 500m when AS’s leg started to cramp. But I am just proud to say that we both finished the race.

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It was a good feeling when we crossed the finish line and knew that it was done for one more year.

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After the run, we went straight in to a Cancer council tent for a massage. For $10 for charity, they were giving 10 minutes massage and it was a great idea. Last year we missed out because we didn’t have cash but this year we made to carry cash for this. The people offering massage were university students studying to be chiropractor.

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After the massage, we jumped on the queue in the first food stall and had bacon and egg sandwich. We were just happy not to have to wait too long for the food. It was time to go home after the food.

I have to admit, I am less sore this year than the last year and the year before. I guess the massage and AS’s techniques definitely worked for us.

So official results for the City2Surf are in and I can be proud to say that I have beaten my last year record. I managed a time of 1:47:32, which I think is pretty decent with great experience and can’t wait to do it again next year.

Do you run long distance? Share tips if you have any to become a better runner.

Take care,

M from nepaliaustralia

XOXO

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Posted in Australia, Health, Personal

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Pillow talk

Posted on August 1, 2013 | 22 comments

Before I begin, I need to make one thing clear that I am not a fussy traveler. I like to think myself as an adventurous traveler but one thing that always bothers me when I travel and that is the pillow.

I have stayed in many hotels in my travels around the globe and there were only a few occasion when I found a pillow that suits my need.

I think I am different from many people in that I need a very low soft pillow. Most of the people who have seen my pillow are amazed by its thinness. But that is what suits my neck and head. If I go for a high pillow, I get a sore neck and back the next morning so most of the places where they don’t have a low pillow, I will not use a pillow at all. That is not an ideal situation but I tend to sleep better without a pillow than on a high pillow.

There have been a few hotels that I have stayed in like the Holiday Inn in Belgium where they had a variety of pillows and you can order one according to your need. However, most of the places don’t have that luxury. Lately I have started to take my own pillow when I on a driving holiday around Australia but it will be impossible to pack a pillow on overseas holiday. I guess probably I could but that means I can buy less stuff because the pillow is taking up valuable suitcase space :).

In Nepal, in both our houses, they have a very low pillow just for me. In my parents place, they have a few that I use every time I am there while in AS’s parents place, I was surprise to find a low pillow that suited me well.

Recently, looking at some ads, AS ordered us a memory foam pillow. Memory foam is polyurethane with additional chemicals increasing its viscosity and density. It is often referred to as “viscoelastic” polyurethane foam, or low-resilience polyurethane foam. Higher-density memory foam softens in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold to a warm body in a few minutes. A lower-density memory foam is pressure-sensitive and molds quickly to the shape of a body pressing against it, returning to its original shape once the pressure is removed.

They claim that memory foam pillow are huge relief of neck and back problems. Memory foam is heat-sensitive and its ability to cradle the head and neck is phenomenal. Memory foam works hard to relax muscles. The result is a more restful and peaceful night of sleep.

But for me it didn’t work at all. I tried it a few days but the pillow didn’t go low enough for my comfort that I swap it for my original pillow during the night when I couldn’t sleep.

So this is my pillow talk for today.

I am sure I am not the only one who needs a special pillow to sleep otherwise all these manchester industry selling special pillows couldn’t have survived.

So what is your type of pillow? Do you sleep comfortable when you travel?

Till next post, take care.

M from nepaliaustralia

XOXO

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My latest addiction

Posted on July 30, 2013 | 22 comments

I have to admit that from time to time I get addicted to certain types of food and I over eat them. I had a phase where I used to eat milk chocolates, green tea, hazelnut chocolate, sour candy, hajmola, cheesballs and so on daily.

Currently I am addicted to two things. Wasabi peas and lemon grass tea.

Wasabi peas

I am sure everyone knows what wasabi is. Wasabi, also known as Japanese horseradish, is a plant whose root is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong flavour. Its hotness is more akin to that of hot mustard than that of the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapours that stimulate the nasal passages more than the tongue.

I had wasabi peas before occasionally but lately I have been snacking on them both at work and at home. I have even made AS addicted to these peas but he hates it when it goes to his noses :).

Wasabi peas are green peas that have been roasted and coated in a mixture of starch, sugar, salt, oil and wasabi. They may also contain artificial colouring, depending on the brand. The peas coated in wasabi are very crunchy little snacks with a distinctly sharp, fiery flavour.

Today I ate way too many wasabi peas but they were so good.   I know most people think that they are awful, but for those of us who love wasabi, it’s a real treat.  The only problem for me is that they are impossible to stop eating. As I am typing this post, I am munching on them.

When I Googled for its benefits I found out that they are not a healthy option. But I hope it is not too bad. I am really trying hard to stop eating them. If you like heat but have never tried wasabi peas, give it a go. You can either find them in the Asian section of your grocery store or any traditional Asian markets.  Let me know if you get addicted or just hated it.

Lemongrass tea

While talking to my parents the other day, they told me that they are growing lemongrass and eating them which compelled me to Google its benefits. I was amazed by the results. As I can’t grow them I decided to go for lemongrass tea instead and I am so happy to have discovered it. I had always loved lemongrass in Thai food and was happy to adopt another healthy food in my diet.

First of all, it smells amazing and it looks like green tea. But the best thing is the benefits. Here are some of the benefits for those who want to try it:

  • If suffering from insomnia, a cup before bedtime causes relaxation and promotes a restful night of sleep.
  • It is also known to relieve nausea and is an aid in digestion.
  • Drinking a cup after a large meal will take away that full feeling and will aid in digesting the food just consumed along with helping to remove unhealthy food additives, chemicals and excess fats.
  • It also aids in the relief of constipation, keeping the bowels working properly and removing toxins to keep the body healthy and energetic.
  • Acting as a natural diuretic it is known to keep the kidneys and bladder working properly.
  • Its powerful antioxidant benefits help to keep the liver and pancreas healthy and it is also known to help keep cholesterol levels normal.
  • People of ancient times knew the benefits of Lemongrass when suffering with coughs and colds. Drinking this tea helps relieve those symptoms as well without having to use store bought products that can sometimes have side-effects.
  • This tea is also a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. If drank regularly, studies have shown that it helps prevent the outbreak of acne and keeps the skin healthy due to its anti-bacterial effects. It can also relieve aches and pains and helps to reduce fever.

As it is winter here, lemongrass tea is definitely helping to keep me warm.

Do you have food addiction? Do you like Wasabi peas? Do you like lemongrass?

XOXO

M from nepaliaustralian

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Posted in Foodie, Personal

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Locked out

Posted on July 23, 2013 | 12 comments

You know how sometimes unfortunately situations are very funny; this is what I am sharing here today.

One of my friends was telling me how he was locked out outside of his apartment the other day. It was late at night and he was wearing his short shorts and t-shirt. He decided to go and throw the rubbish out down the chute. So grabbed the keys from the back of the door and went to throw the rubbish. His rubbish chute is only 10 steps away. On his way back, when he tried to open the apartment, he realised that the key he had picked up was the ones for his work not the ones for his home.

It was late at night and he didn’t know what to do. He was not really dressed to go out of the building but he didn’t have any choice. His sister had a spare key but he didn’t have his phone on him. So, he had to go out to the corner shop in his short shorts. Luckily, the woman behind the counter didn’t see him walk in but saw him once he was at the counter and could see his top half only.

He had to request to her to use her phone so he could call his sister so she could let him in with the spare keys. She was kind enough to let him make the call. He joking with us that if the lady had seen him in only his short shorts, she might have called police instead.

After that he had to wait outside the apartment building and wait for his sister. It took her another 30 minutes to get there and finally he was inside.

I am sure that was very unfortunate for him but he was laughing when he told it us.

It reminded me of the time when AS locked us out. It was a hot summer day and we were getting ready to go to swim in the pool. So, I was in my bikinis and he was wearing his swimming shorts. I had towels and as we walked out from the apartment, I asked AS if he had the key, as I wasn’t carrying my keys. He tapped his shorts’ pocket and said yes he did. I told him to take the key out just to check but he said it was OK so we went to pool area. As it is a security building, we need a key to get in the pool and the AS realised that he had picked up our gym key instead of the apartment key.

Lucky for us, my brother and SIL were to join us for a swim so they were there and had a phone with them. We called the locksmith and waited 45 minutes outside the apartment in our swimmers for him to show up. Finally, he did and opened the place within minutes but it cost us $120.

Nowadays we both laugh every time if I ask AS to make sure he got the house key.

 Please share your locked out story or anything similar.

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