Meet Nancy Malfanti

Up till now, the Journeys of Aunty Jo Jo has largely focussed on the places, experiences, food and shopping that I've enjoyed on my travels. An area which hasn't been given enough prominence are the people whom I've had the privilege of befriending along the way. Hence, an introduction of a new feature entitled "Along the Way" where I'll be sharing encounters with wonderful people I've met.

Enjoying a walk along Manly Beach (Sydney) with Nancy

One of the most interesting people who has claimed a special place in my heart is Nancy Malfanti.

Nancy and I become the unlikeliest of friends when we lived in the an apartment complex in Belmont Avenue in Wollstonecraft. What would a 30 year old Malaysian corporate road warrior have in common with an elderly Australian retired kindergarten teacher? A lot more than you think!

What impressed me most about Nancy was her hunger for knowledge! She is an avid subscriber to correspondence courses from the "University of the Third Age" and in one of our first conversations, she completely blew me away with her knowledge of DNA coding and genetic engineering! She also took courses in Art History, Geography and Literature.

We developed a special bond over the garden in our complex since Nancy was solely responsible for ensuring we had the loveliest blooms throughout the year. The gorgeous baby blue and peacock blue hydrangeas that greeted us each spring were a product of Nancy's hard work throughout the year.

Our friendship grew steadily as I often volunteered to take her out for a drive to the North Coast (around Palm Beach) where she grew up or to the Southern Highlands for a cup of tea. I learnt so much about her life, her marriage and her aches and pains. But the most important thing I learnt from Nancy is that we must never stop learning.

Second home

Aunty Jo Jo with Zachary, Alyssa and their daddy, Andrew in Melbourne

Two weekends before my unexpected trip to Australia, I was chatting on Skype with my little god-daughter, Alyssa, who asked me, "Aunty Jo Jo, why do live so far in Singapore? When are you coming to see us?" Lo and behold, a business class ticket appears on my desk and I was on my way to see her. Never again will I dismiss the innocent prayers of a child.

We sat down to a lovely Vietnamese dinner and Alyssa and Zach kept me entertained with their playful antics, while their daddy, Andrew Wong, updated me on his latest edition of corny jokes. I met Andrew way back in 1990 when he was doing his accounting internship in seedy Kotaraya in downtown KL. We became such good friends, he started calling me Dragon Sister...go figure!

Andrew and his wife, Carina, are wonderful hosts who have always made me feel like one of the family. Sometimes I feel as if Melbourne is my second home.

Awesome offices

Our new Melbourne offices in St Kilda have awesome views of the Formula 1 race track at Albert Park. Hmm....I really need to figure out how to smuggle myself into those premises come March 2011!

Round House, Fremantle

(Text copied from signages on site)

The Round House was the first permanent building in the Swan River Colony. It was designed by Henry Willey Revely, the colony's civil engineer, and constructed by Richard Lewis & Co for Stg1603. The prison opened on 18th January, 1831. Gaolers were civil employees, not military.

Reasons for Imprisonment in the Round House

Mutiny
Disobedience
Contempt of Court
Breaking Curfew
Seamen kept in custody
Felony
Stealing
Misdemeanour
Larceny
Sick lunatic
Arson
Manslaughter
Murder
Killing a pig
Spearing cattle

Yummy Northbridge

While my first meal in Perth was a disappointing Angus at Burger King, my subsequent meals were delicious. Thanks to my colleague, Jacqueline Wang, I had some of the best dim sum in a long time. It was at Golden Dragon, a Chinese restaurant in Northbridge - the entertainment capital of Perth. Thank you Jacqui for being such a brilliant hostess!

The fung chau (braised chicken feet) was sublime - juicy, bursting with flavour and falling of the bone. The egg tarts were equally good with flaky buttery pastry holding all that custardy goodness. The satisfaction per calorie was so high that I didn't eat again till dinner which was a salad!

Old (and new!) friends

Aunty Jo Jo catching up with Jin Hui and her family in Perth

Most of you know by now that one of my favourite things about travelling is the opportunity to catch up with friends who are scattered across the globe. This time in Perth, I caught up with Ong Jin-Hui, a school mate whom I haven't seen for 23 years! Jin Hui migrated to Perth in 1986, married Michael Ho and they have 3 beautiful children. They were kind enough to take me to a cozy little restaurant in Shafto Lane called Durty Nelly's for the T-bone steak special...sigh...I love steaks in Australia!

3 smiley faces: Alessandra, Isaac and Lucas / Watch out, Lucas!

Jin's 3 children - Alessandra (10), Isaac (8) and Lucas (5) - are the friendliest funniest kids I've met in a long time. They were just so bubbly and hospitable that by the end of the evening, they had invited me to stay at their house for 2 weeks, and asked if they could spend the night in my hotel. Sweet Alessandra is clearly brilliant in school and strives to be the best in everything she does. Isaac, whom I think has the potential to be a handsome film star, is very perceptive and funny. When I said I loved to borrow other people's kids to have fun, he said "Oh, you mean like walking a dog?" LOL! Little Lucas is everyone's darling with a very sweet tooth. You should have seen him rummaging for lollies before dinner and how his eyes sparkled when I offered to buy them ice cream for dessert.

Boys providing entertainment during dinner with their Karate Kid moves

The evening came to a lovely end with a nocturnal trip to King's Park to catch a view of Perth by night. It's a beautiful city made even more memorable with the presence of old (and new!) friends. Thank you Jin Hui, Michael and the kids for showing me your hometown. I'll be back...I promise!

Impressions of Perth

Last week, I was given 36 hours notice to prepare for a trip to Australia to conduct some workshops. First stop, Perth - a city I wanted to visit while living in Sydney but never got round to because it cost the same to fly there as it did to fly home to Malaysia.

(L-R) London Court Mall and Town Hall

The city centre is a lovely mix of quaint old buildings and chic modern structures. It's very pleasant to walk around and enjoy the sights and weather although one must be careful to do all your shopping by 6 p.m. because that's when ALL the shops shut. On my first evening, I had to eat at Burger King for the first time in over a year because that was the only shop with the lights still on. What a shock to my Singaporean shop-till-you-drop system! But you needn't feel too sorry for me. I did find the Harbourfront Factory Outlets by Day 3, where my credit cards got a good workout. In fact, I had so much fun shopping, I forgot to take photos :-)

(L-R) View of city from Stirling Park and Bells Tower

The one thing that always strikes me when I set foot on antipodean soil is the blue cloudless sky. It makes for beautiful days and brilliant photos. The fact that it was winter didn't bother me at all because it was just so refreshing for body, mind and soul. In fact, Perth is known to have the best weather in Australia and is surrounded by lakes, parks and beaches, which makes it an ideal playground for sports-mad Ozzies. Running marathons and participating in triathlons are run-of-the-mill activities here.

Aunty Jo Jo enjoying the beaches at Fremantle and Cottesloe

Ozzie tucker

It's the weekend and I've finally found some time to organize the digital photos taken over the last 3 months. To my delight, I spotted some shots of delicious meals from my trip to Adelaide last October to attend my cousin's wedding. I have already blogged about the wedding & our visit to Barossa but haven't said anything about the food so here goes...

For a start, here I am at the Pancake House, with a yummy stack of strawberry pancakes topped with vanilla ice-cream. It looked and tasted awesome... which explains the strange smile on my face. And yes, the knife and fork was poised to fend off potential attacks from other diners :-)

The Original Pancake Kitchen is a 24-hour gem hidden in an alley just off the main strip in Adelaide. It's a huge favourite with uni students and locals alike and has a great country-style decor and friendly wait staff.

Breakfast spread at East Terrace Continental (ETC) bistro in Adelaide

On the morning of the wedding, Aaron (my cousin) brought us to his favourite breakkie spot called East Terrace Continental. My dad had the full English breakfast, while I had smoked salmon & asparagus on scrambled eggs. Aaaah....totally maxxed out on the satisfaction scale. This bistro certainly knows how to serve up breakfast, which explains the packed crowds.

Aunty Jo Jo and Uncle David having fun with the giant donut

After the church wedding, we decided to stop by Coles supermarket to pick up some stuff for afternoon tea. While Aunty Lai Sum wisely shopped for fruits for a salad, I happily trooped into an Italian bakery and discovered a mouthwatering new dessert that I'd never seen before. Italians call it a zepolla but this Chinese Malaysian xiao jie calls it a giant donut!! It tasted very good - even our 83 year grandma agreed.

Just call me Godma

Baptism ceremony & Noah's ark cake for Alyssa and Zachary

Today, I had the honour of officially accepting Alyssa Wong as my god daughter. The ceremony took place in a Catholic church in Melbourne.

The setting was peaceful, serene and very symbolic. It was interesting that the unlikeliest couple were asked to be godparents given that I'm a Protestant and AJ (the godfather) is of Jewish descent. You should have seen the look of his face when the priest asked us if we "believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God, was crucified, died and rose again for the salvation of sins"! AJ stood stone still so I quickly said, "We do"! :-)

I also enjoyed helping to make the Noah's Ark cake to mark the special occasion. Carina, her aunty & I slaved for over 6 hours to create the masterpiece and judging from the response, it was well worth it. During the lunch at an Italian restaurant, other patrons came over to our table and started snapping photos of the cake :-)

I shall have to spend more time in Melbourne so that Alyssa won't forget her Aunty Jo Jo.

Brush with AFL hall of fame

Sat next to Brent Guerra (Hawthorn No. 18) on the plane to Adelaide

My four-year stay in Australia taught me one thing. Sports is a religion and professional players are gods.

I learnt the rules and watched my share of weekend cricket, rugby (union & league) and footie just so that I could understand conversations on Monday mornings. Seriously, no one speaks to you if you're not talking sport.

One of my favourite sports was AFL (Australian Football League) or footie. It's like no other game on the planet (a bit like American football played on a cricket oval without protection). The players are usually tall, fit and wear tight jerseys, which probably explains why it's my favourite spectator sport :-)

To my delight, I found myself sitting next to a professional footie player on the plane to Adelaide last Friday. He was actually all over me (ahem!). Probably because he had to climb over my semi-comatose form to get to the toilet!

Brent Guerra is a Hawthorn forward and has been playing for 11 seasons, starting at age 17. He and his girlfriend Rachel were heading to a wedding in Adelaide. We had a nice long chinwag about footie, travels and plans for the future. Looks like I've got to start following Hawthorne now, in addition to the Lions, Swans and Cats.

Beautiful Barossa

We spent last Saturday at the world-renowned Barossa Valley - home of the South Australian wine industry. It was very hot (39C) but that didn't stop us from enjoying the stunning views, gorgeous rose gardens and sampling lovely local wines. We stopped at Chateau Barossa, Peter Lehmann's and a fruit wine place. In addition to the wines, we were enchanted by the profusion of roses all over the valley. One garden worthy of mention is Queen Elizabeth's favourite at Chateau Barossa.

Enjoying a day out with mum & dad at the vineyards

This Adelaide holiday has been very different from my normal travels. I usually travel on my own but this time, I'm part of a large family entourage including mum, dad, aunt, uncle, granny and cousins and it's been FUN! The jokes, laughter and family time have been an eye-opener for me. A big thank you to Uncle David & Aunty Lai Sum for the invitation. And to Aaron & Pik Yee for playing tour guides.

(L) Aaron & Pik Yee with their darling Poh Poh

(R) Family photo outside Peter Lehmann
(although Pik Yee thinks we look more like convicts from Pudu Jail..haha)

Adelaide wedding

My little cousin Aaron got married in Adelaide this week and we all descended on the sleepy capital of South Australia. The Chongs, Wongs and Yeohs had a whale of a time with a laugh-a-minute throughout the five days. Even our 83-year old Granny joined the conga line during the wedding dinner!

Hope we didn't scare poor Jocelyn too much...welcome to the family, my dear...we're really quite normal - I promise! ;-)

Let it snow...

All these Facebook updates about the snowstorms in England have sent me diving into the archives looking for long, lost photos of winters past. In my younger days, I loved the cold weather but many years and bouts of bronchitis later, I have learnt my lesson and returned to tropical climes.

Yes...found the photos...yikes...may not be a good idea to display them cos beanies and me don't go well together.

What did you say? You really want to see them?

Promise you won't laugh...promise?

OK here goes....

Right...that's enough. You can pick yourself off the floor and wipe those tears of laughter from your face. Yes, that's me sitting outside The Spinney, my residential cottage at the University of Birmingham, after the first snow fall of 1995. What's that demented white creature sitting next to me? That's my snow dwarf. I had every good intention of making a "man" of him but it was just too much work...plus my hands were turning blue from cold!

And this is me showing off my ski gear at Falls Creek in Victoria, Australia. It was my very first ski trip and probably my last. Way too painful - for my ego that is. I took 2 lessons with a bunch of six-year olds and they were skiing down green slopes by day 3 but not me. I spent the rest of the week slipping and sliding; flipping and flopping much to their amusement. Grrrr...

Food glorious food (Part 2)

"The history of the world is on a plate" - Anthony Bourdain

And if this ascerbic-witted food writer is right, then my stomach has certainly made history. I've eaten my way through quite a few countries and encountered some very unique flavours.

Aunty Jo-Jo trying Dutch raw herring

Earlier this year I visited Marken, a picturesque Dutch fishing village and was persuaded to try Hollandse Nieuwe, or raw herring. It is typically served with raw onions and available only in spring. While I had heard the "horror stories" and seen the shudders of the non-Dutch when raw herring is mentioned, it tasted just like sashimi - only saltier and more fishy-smelling.


Aunty Jo-Jo helping to cook an authentic Spanish paella

One of the highlights of my travels last year took place in a backyard in Geelong, Australia. Luis Alonso, an Australian of Spanish descent, taught me how to cook an authentic Spanish paella. It's a beautiful rice dish that's cooked in a large flat pan with lots of chicken, prawns and mussels thrown in for good measure. But the most important ingredient that gives paella its distinctive colour is saffron. This spice is insanely expensive - US$600 - US$2000 per pound. And that's why Luis only allowed us to use 2 dabs from his precious thimble.



And last but not least, let's come back to Malaysian shores and talk about the durian. This king of fruit has been given so much bad press in the foreign media but let me assure you, it's the best thing in the world. The sweet rich custardy texture that springs from the thorny shell is poetry on the palate. In my humble opinion, the best durians originate from Balik Pulau in Penang, where my parents live. And the most divine durian of all is the "ang her" (loosely translated as "red prawn") . Don't just take my word for it - go try it for yourself!

What's the best place you've visited?

...is a question that I often get asked, whenever I share stories about my travels.

It's really difficult to answer this question diplomatically so I usually say something like "Every place is unique" or "I love all the different experiences". But truthfully, if you really must know, it's New Zealand (shhh...please don't tell my Aussie friends).

Aoteroa - the Land of the Long White Cloud is breathtakingly beautiful. The next few pictures speak for themselves.

Aunty Jo- Jo @ Queenstown amongst the gorgeous lupins

The foreshore of Lake Tekapo is a scene I often associate with the words "heaven on earth". The turquoise blue waters and multi-coloured lupins are just so incredibly beautiful. The modest Church of the Good Shepherd situated right next to the lake has one of the most amazing altars of all - no man made stained glass windows - just pure CREATION.

This view of the Remarkables Ranges is what I enjoyed as I floated to the ground following my skydive. My tandem instructor really cracked me up with this phrase - "Welcome to my office! Great view huh?"

There are so many exciting activities for adrenaline junkies in New Zealand. I enjoyed a heli-hike up the Fox Glacier and got to "cuddle up" with Craig, a guide, in an ice cave...heh...heh... enough said.