After we left Toronto on Chinese New Year eve, we stopped for a couple of days in Hong Kong before coming down under. We travelled around New South Wales for a few days, went to a very quaint seaside resort called Wollongong, the wine country Hunter Valley and the unmissable Blue Mountains. We are also very happy to hang out with our friend Peter who is also in town, however we do miss Daniel. We think of him all the time, hopefully we will be coming back to Sydney soon with him.

Today is also Daniel's birthday, we would like to wish him A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE LOVE YOU!

We wished we were able to celebrate this special day together with him here in Sydney...

Lion dance at the doorsteps of our building during our stopover in Hong Kong

Wollongong

Wine Tasting at Hunter Valley

  Matt & Peter, all smile for the camera

 Thanks for dropping by, have a great day!

Pics from Matt's Birthday Party

Hello!

I would like to share a few pics from last Friday surprise party I hosted for Matt's Birthday and to celebrate his M.A.

Fifty friends and relatives joined us at The Bier Markt Restaurant in downtown Toronto. For some reason the pics are dated Feb, 10th... lol...

It was also our second anniversary, I am blessed to have such a nice and caring boyfriend and want to say < Babe, thanks for being in my life and for all your Love!>

Special thanks to Peter, Daniel, Matt and Micah. You guys rock!

Matt arriving at the party and being greeted by our great friend Daniel

Matt happily surprised to see all his friends

<Oh my..., they are all here!>

< Voula!.... >

The speech by his best friend Heather ...

was very much appreciated by everyone....

The Swimming Team

Inti, his boyfriend & Angie

René, myself, Matt and Hassan

Matt with my cousins, Lawrence, Thierry, Elaine, Kevin, Nathalie and Dennis

Matt with my aunt Christine, my uncle Steve and my cousin Elaine

Beautiful smiles from Matt & Daphney

Matt, Peter, Michelle & Heather

Matt with Rie, Karen and her beautiful partner Daniela

Matt & Matt...

Matt surrounded by his greatest friends, Matt, Peter and Daniel

Nick & Tej

Matt & Rann

Matt, Ben & Scott

My dearest Aunt Margaret & Uncle Jeff

Steve, Christine, Margaret and Nicole

Janet, Ken and my cousin Audrey

The Birthday Boy with his Birthday Cake...

Marc, Marijana & Voula

Jeanine & her boyfriend

Mission Accomplished!....Yay!

The Sweetest Reward in Life.... Happy Valentine... 

Back to Xanga!

I hope that everyone is doing well, I have not been posting for a month, the basic pastry course at Le Cordon Bleu was indeed intensive, with 9 hours of class almost everyday, waking up at 5.30 am and on some nights getting home at 10.30 pm; it has really been such a long time since I had a schedule like that. I learnt to make around 60 tarts, cakes, crèmes and desserts. It was the first time I held a pastry bag in my hands, I did spend the first two of the three hours of the practical class dedicated to piping trying not to put cream everywhere... One night I practiced until 3 am trying to pipe 8 perfectly spaced rosettes on top of a blackforest cake... Our class was very small, only 7 students. By the end of the course, we became very close, I miss my new friends already. They all went back to their home in the States, Brasil or their hometown in Canada. It was so much fun despite having to do everything by hand with an enormous whisk and getting burned with caramel and cut with those extremely sharp Wusthop knives... Some of us are now thinking of taking the intermediate pastry course in January, I was originally thinking of taking the cuisine course but I really like pastry, it amazes me what you can do with just eggs, flour, sugar and a little savoir-faire...  I might just continue with pastry and see where it will take me. I am looking forward to have my friends from Xanga at home once Matt is done with his thesis. I will be happy to bake for you all!

Thanks for dropping by and have a good one...

Back to school!