Fortnight of festivities and fun!

Highlights from the last fortnight!

17th Feb - Went over to Di's parents' place for a CNY lunch! Her whole family was there pretty much but I had met most of them already. They were all really easy going and we had a great time hanging out and eating popiah! Played with Peekay and Di's 2 yr old nephew Ethan!

21st Feb - Jon flew back from Albury! We played a good game of night tennis at UNSW.

24th Feb - Went with Di to St George Aquarium to buy her Mexican Walking Fish! We got 2 gold ones, one fat and lazy, and the other skinny and active! I called them Slow Poke and Speedy! Afterwards went to the city with Jon for lunch - his favourite sizzling steak! Later in the afternoon, Jon met up with one of his friends and I met up with Carmen to go shopping! Then we head off to Jimbo and Kenny's b'day dinner at Kingsley's Steakhouse on King St. I had a New York Cut with pepper sauce and fries - yum!

26th Feb - My cuz Teng arrived back in Sydney! Picked her up from the airport and hung out at her place watching some Scrubs!

Coming up - St Mark's Amazing Race this Saturday!!!

Meet the Parents!

Met Di's parents last Sunday night after church! We drove 45 mins through the heaviest downpour I can remember in a long time to get to Terrey Hills, where a quaint Austrian restaurant and a dinner date with her folks awaited us!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous! When Di had told her parents we were going out, her dad had said I'm silly for asking her out! The occasion was actually her dad's b'day, and I felt kinda weird going without a present! Not that I didn't think of it beforehand, but Di told me her dad hates presents and I guess it would've been weird, not to mention difficult, buying something for someone you've never met before!

We arrived just 5 mins late thanks to Di's hoon driving! I have to say I'd never been to that part of Sydney before!!! It was all bushy and for all I knew, I could've been in some small country European town that you see on tv! The restaurant's decor only served to reinforce this, not to mention the genuinely authentic Austrian waiters who greeted us and seated us! They were dressed up in their pants and suspenders and all! Whilst we browsed the menu of authentic Austrian cuisine, a huge boar head grinned down at us from its mount on the wall!

Her parents and brother and sister-in-law were already there and had even started on the garlic bread! I had met the brother and sister-in-law already but her parents seemed friendly enough and greeted me warmly!

I sat down prepping myself for a 'Meet the Parents' style interrogation, which was not helped by Di saying 'C'mon dad! Start grilling Ben!'. Actually they were really nice and just asked the usual get to know you questions. After a while, the conversation had turned to all his favourite topics - golf, home renovations, and Peekay! I loved their Malaysian accents and her dad actually has a good sense of humour! Her mum is actually alot like mine, both being nurses and it seems, having a similar habit of analysing restaurant foods so they can attempt to cook it and better it at home!

The food itself was nice and well presented - Di's main came in a wheelbarrow!!! They were such massive portions noone could finish their mains! I had my leftovers put in a doggy bag!

So all in all an enjoyable night and not the ordeal my wild imagination thought it could've been! I think I'm really going to enjoy getting to know her parents better and I think I'm actually excited about going over to their place this Sat for a CNY lunch!

Now I just gotta find out what they really thought of me...!

Three friendship hours, Two engagement parties, and a yum cha at Market City!

The past 10 days have flown by and I can't really recall when I've had a spare moment to myself until tonight!

O&G has been really cruisy so far and I've enjoyed leaving at 4:30pm each day and at lunchtime last Friday and Monday! Over the last week I've spent almost every spare moment hanging out with friends!

Thursday - Played Laser Challenge with church ppl in the Anzac Pd median strip near church! Go 'The Friendship Hours'!!! If you missed out, you gotta come next time!

Friday - Went to Big Dave's stopping-by-Sydney-to-visit dinner at Chinta Ria followed by drinks at the Orbit bar!

Saturday - Attended not one but TWO engagement parties! The first was a good friend of Di's whom I happen to know from mission. The second was of another of Di's friends, whom I had never met! So yeah...pretty much a weekend of meeting heaps of Di's friends (she knows ALOT of ppl!) and despite being nervous about it all, they were all pretty cool and I even knew some of them already. Met up with a high school mate in the evening and enjoyed a game of night tennis before dinner at In-Chan Thai! Really good catching up and soooooo excited that he's getting married soon! Congrats!

Sunday - Woke up late for yum cha lunch with med friends at the Market City restaurant that used to be Kam Fook. Have to say it was pretty ordinary and I've had better but it was good catching up nonetheless! Then joined some church friends at Maroubra beach before seeking refuge from the hot sun at Eastgardens for a drink. After church, went over to Di's place to meet her bro and sis-in-law! Have to say I was nervous bout that too but they were really cool and down to earth!

Monday - Started shopping for bikes! If anyone knows anything about bikes then give me hints as to what I should look for in a bike besides two tyres, a handlebar, and seat!

Tuesday - Went for a bike ride with Di to South Coogee!

And that brings us to today! Just been catching up on some tv and about to check out the second episodes of Heroes and Prisonbreak Season 2!