TASTEBUDS: STUZZI

Eggs Benedict and Big Breakfast.

Stuzzi is a cafe restaurant that's also licensed and is located in Northcote 7km north of CBD Melbourne. It has exceptional service and although it was located around the corner from my high school, I barely ever went there.

My friend S and I went out for brunch prior to going to uni. He and I decided to order coffees first and I personally didn't find the coffee all that great to be honest. It's just pretty average. I browsed through the beverage menu and realised they served my favourite alcoholic cider so definitely kept that in mind for dinner reservations in the future.

S ordered Eggs Benedict and I got the Big Breakfast because I wanted the hash brown. Let me tell you something, they weren't kidding when they called it the Big Breakfast. It is actually humungous. Big Breakfast complies of pan-fried bacon and sausages. Deep fried hash brown, carefully selected mushrooms, a slightly toasted piece of bread, half a delectable tomato, a very well poached and spinach.

I barely even finished my food, and S had to finish it off for me. But I can tell you it kept me full for quite a fair few hours. S really enjoyed his Eggs Benedict, I loved watching him pop his poached egg as the yolk oozed out onto the bread.

Stuzzi is definitely a place I would return again to dine for some dinner. I hear the steaks there are quite pleasant so I'm looking forward to that. I honestly cannot wait to try out more from them.

I MET HIS FAMILY

I saw RC guy again last night. I can't help but feel so much at ease with him around. We picked up the gorgeous 86 yesterday and the stares we received on the way back to Geelong...my goodness I can't even begin to explain how much it feels like we're loaded with wads of cash in the boot. The ride was smooth and he seems to be over joyed by his purchase. On the other hand  I was more keen and nervous to meet his family. 

I haven't met a family whom have been so welcoming to me before. I am envious of their closeness...sometimes I look at other people's families and I want to crawl up into a ball and sob. I've always grown up in a family whom were distant...mainly because I am the only girl. I never had a soul to speak to and my mother isn't much of a best friend for me. To meet RC's parents was such a blessing, I met the people who raised a young man who had set goals in his life and knew what he really wanted. It was different and of course the good kind of different. 

They asked me how we met and his mama was just going on and on about how it was fate. I can see where he gets all his wise and cheesy speeches from. His mother is so loving and her heart is so warm, I could already feel her relentless blessings from the minute I walked in. Both of his parents were quite talkative and seemed happy to meet me. RC tells me that they're glad he's seeing someone of his own heritage, it just makes it easier to communicate despite the generation gap. His siblings seemed happy for him and I absolutely adore his younger sister. I guess these are the people that I may end up getting to know a whole lot better and will be seeing them a fair bit. This is something I've always looked forward to.

Geelong is a quiet town, it's not like Melbourne where silence does not exist. It's nice to escape the city for a while. At the top of the hill, you can see the entire town light up. One day I want to be able to stand there and capture the sun rise as each street light switches off and people leave their homes to get ready to start off the day. I've always wondered what it looks like to see the world move by from above.

IRON MAN 3

"Two tickets to Iron Man 3 please," both the RC guy and I walk up to the counters at Melbourne Central's Hoyts. "one student and one adult. Thanks!" 

Okay, so I've never been a fan of Iron Man 3 so I wasn't so much excited for this particular film. I think I kind of need to explain myself for this. Initially I always thought Iron Man was way too arrogant for a man who requires a suit to be "strong" and hence in Avengers he really annoyed me comparing himself to my hunky spunky Captain America. Everyone tells me it's his personality, well heck, did I not mention that I don't like arrogant people?

So I went only to allow for RC guy to pick the movie because everything else would be my decision. So here I was walking into the film with an open mind just incase it was an experience that would change my mind about IR. Turns out Iron Man wasn't so bad by the end of the film. The back story of his life really became something that changed my mind about him. He's a great guy but even with that armour he still isn't as attractive to me as a man who uses his own body strength ;)

But you're probably more interested in how RC guy and I spent the entire time in the cinema. Mind you it was our first date together and it wasn't as elegant as I had expected it to be. I could feel the tension between us as we talked during the advertisements prior to the film. I could feel that he wanted to hold my hand or put his arms around me. My goodness, the thought of it at the time made me want to laugh so hard. It was ridiculously corny and typical of every guy who took a girl out.

Even now I look back at it and I still laugh. The film begins and I feel a nudge from him. I look at him and the goofiest smile forms from the right to the left side on his face. I couldn't help but just return the nudge and turn away and I smile. I could see him in my peripheral vision just goofing off to himself.

We're both nudging each other and then he just grabs a hold of my left hand and entangles his fingers in between mine. A quick rush of blood comes flowing to my head and I am completely flustered, blushing in the dim lights coming from the screen of the cinema.

"Wait a minute, he is holding my hand. What the actual....?" was my reaction and I remember feeling that the whole way through the two hours we were there.

I never wanted it to end to be honest. I hadn't felt so apprehensive in a very very long time. It wasn't a fearful kind of state of unease but more of a "holy crap I got butterflies" kind of feeling. I missed that fluttering feeling, it had been quite a fair while since I felt that way. Throughout the film, I felt him always looking at me. He's the kind of guy who will spend an entire watching you do the things you do and still be in complete awe about you.

To this day, he still looks at me like that almost everyday I see him. I think both of us are still trying to get used to the idea that people like us exist and they are in our lives.

TASTEBUDS: BACI CAFE

So in the past few months I've visited quite a few restaurants in the time and have discovered new places to dine. In my few years, I was unable to dine so elegantly due to the lack of finance being a student. I'm the type of person who enjoys cooking over eating. My main focus with food is presentation and taste (obviously) but I prefer to eat foods that are presented appealingly. I am happier to cook but I dine out to steal ideas. I'm starting this segment called Tastebuds about my food adventures and cooking so let's see how this goes

So stop #1: Baci Cafe, Crown

Baci Cafe, Crown. Image by: Red Design Group

Now, I was here for a committee meeting for uni. I would never step into a place like this with my budget. Baci is known for their exceptional pizzas and I am telling you now, you're paying for your tastebuds to party. No kidding. The group ordered a Strawberry and Nutella calzone. Normally calzone is a savoury dish but this particular one was a dessert. They also ordered a cheesecake which I did not try and a pizza.

Nutella and Strawberry Calzone, Baci Cafe Crown

 This calzone was delectable, the pastry was crisp and kept the Nutella and strawberries on the inside warm and enticing. Yes, it tastes as good as it looks. This particular dish was more than enough to serve around four to eight people because I would not recommend to share between two unless you're two very sweet-tooth candy loving people. It is large and quite worth its price. So if you're a chocolate lover, I do recommend this dish at Baci as it is smothered in chocolaty goodness and leaves your mouth watering for hours later.

I forgot the name of this pizza, but I'm quite sure this one is seafood. Ha, good job Mary.

This one was particularly delicious also. I believe there was capsicum, prawns and mussels on this pizza which I don't normally enjoy as it is seafood on pizza but it was worth a try. The crust was crisp and the although it doesn't look thin, the pastry it was quite thin too which made it very nice.

The service at Baci was professional and friendly. They really know how to pick out their waiters here so in the end the price wasn't much of a big deal for the kind of service you're receiving and the meals too. Definitely something I'd consider taking some friends out on a special occasion.

My peculiar friend J.

Five things you should know about J:

• He's always bored, and I'm talking about like annoyingly bored. 
• He's somewhat pessimistic about life.
• He's lost and stoned almost all the time.
• He gets hungry easily
• And is not really patient. 

However, J is well known for his big heart and caring personality. J is the kind of guy who will pick up your phone call in the early hours of the morning to listen to you ramble about life and heart breaks. He's a big softie under that tough exterior and he really knows what car he wants. (Haha, please don't kill me)

J and I have a strange friendship. He finds me particularly intelligent and knows not to argue with me because I'm "different." Although I'm not quite sure what he means by that but he always told me before I met RC guy, that there would always be someone for me because no one would let a person like me go unless they were incredibly stupid. He was right. 

J was recently in a relationship with a girl that he said he was in a break with and I particularly don't believe in 'breaks' in a relationship so I never approved. Although in our very short term friendship that is developing, I could not judge.  J seems to hide his heart breaks a lot, it's never really a good thing. I know a friend would intervene but I don't believe in forcing people to reveal themselves. If they are comfortable, they will eventually tell you.

RC guy and I really care about J, although sometimes that sensitive heart of his becomes fraile, we always try to cheer him up and be there for him. J becomes so lost in his world, sometimes he blanks out when we are with him but I know deep down that he's probably in our world somewhere discovering something or somebody new.

It was funny the way J and I met. Now, it's not some story that's worth even telling to be honest. It's way too modern day style to even be called meeting. J added me on Facebook. Goodness. Surprisingly, we became quite close over the time. I particularly enjoy spending time with him, he kind of just brings a stranger sense of humour in my life and although sometimes he reminds me of this other friend, I can still manage to find tolerance to put up with him.

If J ever finds the time to become more patient and have a sweeter outlook on life, I really think he could go further and meet the odds. Maybe someday, I could write something more about him and how he's grown into a young man who's found someone to be particularly fond of and I'll be at his wedding, wiping away a tear and thinking "Wow, J's lady is a very very lucky girl." Not that no one is already lucky enough to encounter this boy. Who knows right?  

THE RC GUY

Story continues on...

So the RC guy is shattered after I left without saying goodbye. Yes, I'm one for dramatic entries and exits apparently. Welcome to my life, Cinderella style.

Half an hour later, I get a friend request on Facebook and a message from him saying:

"What is this? No goodbye hug or even a goodbye?" 

Cute. But what? Clearly I or something had done some major screw up to his head because I did not know it was anything near compulsory for me to even farewell him in such a way.

Our conversation never ended from that point onwards and I remember him smoothly slipping in the fact that he would be in Burn city (Melbourne) again in a couple of days and would really enjoy seeing me. Smooth.

In the wise words of my friend Joel, "you [smooth] motherfucker."

Cheesy boy.

I got to know this guy on a comprehensive level within three to four days and we were absolutely inseparable by text. What has the world become? Our friendship was technologically inclined. It was fast, instant almost and I could even describe the connection we had as two people were like that too.

I met him at a cafe in Fitzroy for our first date a couple of days later. I was nervous as hell and he didn't seem to be phased by that at all. Even now he claims he had fallen for me even before we met for our first date and that day was only there to formally "seal the deal."

He helped me bake 100 of these cupcakes for charity. Amazing!

It was generic. You know? The movie, lunch or dinner kind of date. But the conversation was flowing naturally and I really enjoyed his company. The RC guy was unbelievably genuine, I was surprised to find out that someone like him even existed. After my extensive history with some average males with some notorious habits and values, the RC guy became an idea way too good to be true. And I quickly picked up his habits and learnt to fall for this young man who ticked all the boxes of the perfect guy I would want to spend the rest of my life with.

Dinner at Pacific House, Victoria Street Richmond.

Here's the big bombshell, this young gentleman had been a friend zoned guy for most of his life and had been single for three years now. What? And so I considered myself the luckiest girl on the planet...in all of history. I saw him again in two days. It was interesting to see how comfortable we became with each other. I had never met someone who was on the same level on life values and really respected everything I did and who I was. It's been a month since and I cannot even begin to describe this feeling. It's foreign to me but it's a good and addictive feeling and I'm in a state of euphoria.

Mocktails at Dessert Box, Lygon Street. 

We actually see each other a lot more than normal long distance relationship couples do. He works long strange hours which make him unbearably exhausted but he never seems to be too tired to see me. I adore him for the fact that he even goes out of his way for it. His lifestyle, though packed and exhausting it may seem, really fits with mine. I work and go to uni and really struggle to find time for myself but he and I naturally compliment each other without over powering one another. He likes to drive, and I love random adventures. I think my strict asian parents have become so lenient by the fact that I am seeing a guy who really suits me, they couldn't even careless what time I headed home. I love that. It feels so right to be growing up like this. 

The 86, we just signed for over the weekend. 

There are so many more adventures that I will be looking forward to with him. It's something that I still have not grasped and I am yet to find out more about myself too. So to wrap it up, in the last month, I closed a chapter of my life and started a new book. One that's probably going to be called, Adulthood. 

Okay, more excuses.

It's been over a month since I last posted anything at all and to be honest with you I don't have a good excuse besides the fact that I'm struggling to juggle life at all. Surprisingly a lot can happen in a month. Let me run down the details to you in this long post that I'm going to write instead of doing my last and final assignment for this boring class based on soundtracks of films that I could careless about.

So let's rewind one month back. 

I was in the midst of seeing some guy, let's call him A. A for asshole, perfect. So it was going alright but I figured it wasn't something that was going to last so I never grew attached but yet, it was still a little heart breaking because I went out of my way for him and made time for him. Then someone from my past returned and some flames reignited and died within moments. So both A and this particular person left my life for good...or at least I hoped so.

I went clubbing for the very first time in my life. Yeah,
I. Mary, went clubbing. What are the chances?
What.

It was good up until I was pushed into a corner by some random guy and was forced into getting a drink with him and passing him my number. Eventually I found a way to escape after he tried to get me to come home with him... (Ok so excuse me for being so naive but how do you even do this every weekend and not get freaked out?) I found my friends again and after a good week of laughs about my first club experiences and harassing from Mr Club guy, I was set free. I can assure you I won't be returning to that nightlife for quite a while. But here's a photo.

I made a new friend, J. Now J is a very interesting person. He seems to always be bored but he's a great companion and has a very peculiar sense of humour. J and I went shopping and I got a job offer at YD whilst styling him on our shopping trip. This young gentleman now goes out with some very nice clothes. J took me to 100mm which is a car meet in Melbourne and we hung out with his mates. So imagine this; in amongst hundreds of people who clearly had some sort of interest in cars and then there's me; the girl who couldn't careless about what car as long as it got me places and was efficient. Yeah.

100mm aerial shot by Justin Sung Photography

So I was pretty much a fish out of water. And yeah I was abnormally shy and quiet just a few glances here and there. This scrawny looking guy with an RC in his arms walks up to J and I and smiles at me:

 "Hi J's friend." 

Friendly was my initial reaction but my first impression was:

"Ok. So he's some guy with an RC at a car meet and not his actual car. Fair enough." 

I intially did not think anything of this. Here's me being human and judging him. Good work Mary, way to judge someone. The RC guy then suddenly disappears and we part our ways. A couple hours later after walking around with J listening to him explain the cars and asking me "Can you get that for my birthday?" The RC guy returns back to us. RC guy turns to J and starts to make fun of him. Naturally of course, I like to tease my friends for fun so I join in. J just shakes his head and turns away in embarrassment. At this point, I still did not even know his name. It wasn't until later when we both sat down and waited for J to return after meeting up with a "friend" that I caught on what his name was. He knew mine, and to me he was just some stranger that I surprisingly got along with so well. He turns to me and says:


"So you into cars?"
"Uh... not really." I look down at my phone awkwardly.

"Oh... so do you study?" He continues.

"Yeah, I'm doing a bachelor of media studies. You?" I look up and I could see him surprised by my answer.

"Oh wow, that must be fun. Nah I'm a full time worker at SRS. You know the mince at Coles? My company does all that." His eyes lit up.



At this point I was completely stunned and to be honest with you, I was thinking this guy was going to tell me something like "I'm doing an apprenticeship in panel beating." or something along the lines of that mechanical trades lifestyle. (Excuse my lack of vocabulary terms for this sector in careers, I can assure you I have no clue.) And so the conversation continues for about an hour and I can remember we were both trying to find him a girl whom occupied a voluptuous booty and red hair. I remember thinking that this guy was so picky and kind of shallow for picking out a body shape rather than actually getting to know someone for who they are. Wrong again, Mary. So wrong.

Let's just say the day ended with me walking away without even saying goodbye. And that was it. That's basically my romance in a short post. Yes, eventful I know. I'm just kidding, I'll continue the story in the next post because I can assure you now, this RC guy deserves a post to himself.