Why Aussie trumps Malaysia.. IMHO

QUOTE: "Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes." - Ramana Maharshi

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This is just my humble opinion as to why I prefer Aussie over my birth country. Of course, I am aware that Aussie also has their flaws and their politics but I think in comparison to Malaysia at the moment, they definitely win, hands down in my opinion. I

I do have my worries if I were to live there such as bringing my children up in such "modern" culture and how well will I adapt etc. Not to mention, I would be leaving my family and friends behind... My bro- the duck, The Sues, Gill, V.Lynn, Mel, Vince, ex-colleagues who I am still close with and the list goes on...

No more wrestling, yam chas or badminton nights.

Whatever it is, these are a few of the reasons why Aussie appeals soo much to me..

BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS - Such variety and vividness of the colour of each flower and the intricate designs of each petal and leaf.

BEAUTIFUL SKIES & SCENERY - Simply breathtaking clear, blue skies. I can't stop gushing over them 'cos Malaysia mainly seems to be hazy and gloomy. Of course, we have our good days but how often do you spot such breathtaking skies and clean environment???

BEAUTIFUL STATUES & MONUMENTS - Aussie has a lot of creative people. I especially love taking photos of traffic control boxes that has interesting and sometimes quirky paintings on them. As you walk around Brisbane and Melbourne city, you will see interesting figures around the city such as Kangaroos on benches at Queen St Mall in Brisbane and the 3 men in Melbourne city along Swanston St.

INTERESTING ARCHITECTURE - In Malaysia, if you look to your neighbour's house on the left or right, it's identical to yours due to the fact that it's the same developer. Most houses varies from each other in Aussie as the developer is different or simply, people buy the land, design and built the house.

I love looking at each house as I walk/drive past. Each house design is different. The modern ones tend to be more squarish and simple where else older houses tend to have more character with it's intricate designs.

EFFICIENT TRANSPORT - Even if you don't have a car to drive around, the bus and train transport is RELIABLE and ever efficient. You can obtain bus and train schedules at the stations or check them online! So, you can always plan what time to leave from home.

Besides, the transportation is usually clean and well maintained. There are certain lines where the area is a bit dodgy, hence, the train is a bit vandalised.

I love the fact that in Brisbane, people are courteous and says "Thank you" to the bus driver when they get off at their stop. However, I noticed that in Melbourne, not many people say that.

FASHION - It's really interesting to see what the fashion is and you can do that just by walking along the streets in the city or in the mall! Every winter, I see the different trends. In 2007, the trend was pinafores and Ugg Boots. Last year was long shirts that work as dresses. This year, the trend for the ladies are shorts/mini skirts worn with panty hoses/hosiery and boots!

The style of dressing is different and I simply love watching people dressed up in different boots and different winter coats. I always see stuff that I want to buy but with Malaysia's weak currency, most of the time, I end up hunting for bargains and buying stuff that costs AUD5-10. This round, being low on cash, I didn't buy much.

FOOD (a jumble of food savoured in Brisbane and Melbourne) - Pastas and Pizzas are super, awesomely, D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. In Melbourne, we went to Il Gambero that served yummy pastas and pizzas. Unfortunately, it burned down the night we were there about 11pm something where else we left about 9pm something.

After our heavy dinner, we headed over to San Churros, a few shops away for dessert. It's not as good as the Spanish doughnuts in Queen Victoria Market but it still tastes good.

And once again, I managed to make it to Don Don's on Swanston Street in Melbourne for their Bento Set!! But the price has gone up from AUD7something to AUD8something. But still... service is fast and the portion is still worth it for the price we paid.

I never thought much about Mrs. Fields. Only that it was yet another cafe with cookies and coffees. However, as I had a voucher from the showbags bought at Ekka, my bf and I had a buy 1 drink free 1 drink of cappuccino and caramel machiato (think i didn't spell this right) each together with buy 1 free 1 yummy cookies.

We celebrated my cousin's 21st birthday at Sofias. The pasta was alright but I preferred the one at Il Gambero.

On a happening Friday night, my bf and I managed to meet up with a couple of his and my friends and we had dinner at Red Silk near Chinatown or was it in Chinatown, I think. The reason we went there was that this shop only serves it's lamb steamboat during winter and my bf's friend missed out on it last winter! and so.. there we were.

It was something different but the other food was generally ok but for those who have been missing out on hot, chinese food in malaysia would definitely find it delectable like my bf!

So, this are just a few of the reasons why Aussie appeals to me. And of course not forgetting the main reason...