Dragon Boating and Dumpling Festival

The Hakka Association organised the Dragon Boat Multicultural Event again this year. I think we had more corporate teams this year (8 in total compared to 5 last year). This year's was also more interesting because they had the Fijians in the festival as well. But as we were racing we didn't get to watch the traditional dances, but we were fortunate enough to race against these big guys! They were all power!

group huddle before racing!

We won the first heat unexpectedly. We had half a boat of newbies who never paddled before! We were just a split second away from the Hakka team who came second! Then the second heat we were up against the Viets among other teams, and they were really good. Their first heat, they beat the second place by a whole boat's length!! We managed to stay with the Viets the whole time but we came in second. We got first again in our final heat which brought us into the finals with the Viets, the Hakka team, and... I actually don't know who the last team were.

 paddling looking good

We raced our hearts out in the finals. We managed to defend our title this year as first runner ups again. Really great team effort! Love the team, you guys rock!

OUR MEDAL

Celebrating Gawai for the 4th time in Brissie Town

This is slightly late, but I was really busy over the weekend with Dragon Boating, which I will blog about later... So, gawai... Gawai is... wiki it!! That's what wikipedia is for! :P Anyway, it is celebrated on the 1st of June, in Sarawak, Malaysia, and so... I decided to have one huge dinner for my friends and I here in Brissie. This is the time when I normally get homesick too, so heaps of good local goodness.

When I think about gawai, I think about open houses, and that leads to cakes and tidbits, and yummy food. One local delicacy that Sarawak is famous for is its Kek Lapis, which literally means, layer cake. Anyway, I decided to make this layer cake for gawai dinner. I found this chocolate cheese layer cake. I must say that for my first ever layer it was pretty good, although I burnt the first two layers... :( BLAME IT ON MASTERCHEF! :P I was watching master chef while baking.

my layer cake! 

This is pretty popular during festivals in Malaysia and Singapore - during Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, and no exception to Gawai as well... I tried looking for the recipe online but it was pretty hard to find. Who knew these were called Honey Joys, and it's apparently Australian/Kiwi! I think I nailed it - everyone loved them!

 my honey joys!

I made the layer cake and the honey joys before Friday (Gawai Day) - because you would normally have them ready before your open house. And so I did. I really enjoyed baking them! Of course there were a couple panic attacks - "LENE! OMG, this doesn't taste like cheese at all!" "This taste like rice!" "Omg, it's not setting!!". Haha... But thankfully they turned out alright and omg, ate so so so much!

Come Gawai Day, the menu was - BBQ chicken & pork, ayam pansuh, belacan eggplant, and belacan spinach, Sarawakian fried rice (Nasi Aruk), and cincalok and ulam. I also made lime juice for the dinner. 

I made everything so I guess it was a little late with starting dinner having to wait for the meat to cook on the barbie, and also for me to finish cooking everything else. I managed to start the fire - yay me! and luckily my friend, Bryan arrive not too long later to get everything going.

 trying to get the coals burning

yummy pork and chicken being BBQed..

at last everything on the table!

Everything went well, although the night ended pretty early, and ended untypically gawai-ish... meaning that no one was drunk..haha! I take it as a good thing though... not fun nursing hangovers so near to exams. Next time I think I should attempt making tempoyak... :D

emo nemo wanna go home...

it's that time of the year again... when nothing else matters, except this intense feeling of wanting to go back to the homeland... you think it gets easier after leaving home for so long, but I find this pattern come June/July etc this homesickness gets intense and it'll escalate... I wanna go home...

What will be the story of my life...

You're still young they say...

Follow your dream they say...

source: Facebook

of quotes that randomly appear...

To accomplish great things, we must not only act

but also dream, not only plan but also believe.

-Anatole France-

Father Noel Hanrahan

I just found out news that my childhood parish priest, Father Noel Hanrahan's cancer has relapse and he may not even make it.

Father Hanrahan is and always will be my favourite priest. He made going to church so enjoyable, and I always looked forward to seeing him. He always had a smile on his face and I always thought I could see God's love and peace radiating from him.

I was sad many many years ago when he left Kuching to go back to him birth land, Ireland. But when he came back, about 5-6 years ago now, he could still remember me as the little girl with her sister always sitting at the front row. I was so happy! Haha, he probably remembered because we were always late for church. >.<

I feel so sad to hear that he is sick and may not even make it. Father Hanrahan, you are such an inspiration and a miracle! Know that you have touched so many people's hearts, and are loved and that we miss you! Whatever God's plan for you is, I'll pray that He will work a miracle for you. Amen.

(source: http://borneopedia.com/2010/10/02/time-to-shepherd-the-flock/)

Living Below the Line

I found out about Live Below the Line from a friend who was doing it. Basically for 5 days from the 7th to the 11th of May, participants would have to live on only AUD2 a day. So that includes budgeting for the 5 days, so we aren't allowed to spend more than AUD10. I was a little late finding out about it, so I started on the second day.

So what is Live Below the Line you ask? Basically, it is a campaign by the Oaktree Foundation to raise awareness of extreme poverty that is going on in the world, and while doing that raise funds to provide educational opportunities in developing countries. For Australia, the funds raise will be to help educational projects in Papua New Guinea.

I'm doing this because I think it is for a good cause. I feel everybody should be given opportunities towards getting an education. It is also an experience to feel what it is like to be really not being able to afford food.

So here I am, putting on my shameless face, I really really need your support! I am trying to raise AUD150 and so far I've managed to raise AUD45. It would be great if you could spare a couple of your loose change to help support this cause. Any donation is greatly appreciated!!

If you would like to make a donation, please go to this link: https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/shateo and click "donate to me".

Many many thanks in advance!!