Down Under Trip: The City of Melbourne

Melbourne is located at the head of Port Phillip Bay, second populated city in Australia and the capital of Victoria.

The city is Australia’s cultural capital, flourished with Victorian-era architecture, shopping, museums, galleries, theatres, and large parks and gardens. The city was also announced as the world's most liveable city for seven consecutive years, with the latest in 2017.

Melbourne is surrounded by national parks and natural areas that are home to Australia's most iconic animals. The parks and natural reserves include the You Yangs, the Dandenong Ranges, the Royal Botanic Gardens (both in the city and at Cranbourne), Serendip Sanctuary, Banyule Flats Reserve and Bunyip State Park.

For my visit, I only spend my time in the Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) and historical core north of the Yarra River, including the new, cosmopolitan Docklands precinct to the west. The centre of Melbourne thumps with life, reflecting the resident's pride. Excellent transportation systems which include tram, bus and rail system makes getting around.

The Queen Victoria Market (QVM) is a major landmark of the city, Australia, and at around seven hectares is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. The QVM is the largest and most intact surviving 19th century market in the city. The QVM is historically, architecturally and socially significant and has been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. It has become one of the must visit places when you are in the city of Melbourne.

Melbourne's street art is internationally renowned and offers a feast of colour, ideas and energy. It has become an attraction for many tourists including me to experience Melbourne’s creative ambience. Graffiti street art can be seen in many locations such as the Hosier and Rutledge lanes in the CBD.

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Converting Bedside Table to a Portable Wash-Stand (IKEA Hack)

What to do if a ready made furniture is not able to fit in the space that is available? Your choice will be either build a customised furniture or hacking a furniture for a different purpose. Hacking a furniture will cut almost 70% of the work required to build a customised furniture from zero. Here, I share a step-by-step process on one of my DIY weekend projects converting bedside table to portable wash-stand. What will be required for this project? Tools (e.g. saw, metal ruler, hand drill), sand paper and brushes for wood work, base furniture to be hacked, water-resistant paint and metal knob. STEP 1. Get some ideas on the design and materials by visiting several furniture galleries/shops. For example here, the idea was from an IKEA wash basin base cabinet, Lillangen. The material mainly particleboard, which might not be that suitable for Malaysian humidity and bathroom practice. For that reason, I choose solid wood material the project. The dimension of the IKEA...

The Town of Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

The time available for me to explore the Town of Reading was limited, as my worktrip was quite packed with formal meetings at the University of Reading and vis it to hospital and community establishments. Reading is located on the west of Heathrow Airport for about 26 miles and Greater London for about 42 miles. The Town Hall of Reading with grey and red bricks Lets go to the main landmarks of Reading. The first one is Reading Town Hall. The building was built between1786 and 1897. Currently, the town hall is used as Reading Museum and a large concert hall. Actually, the frontage was newly built with grey and red bricks, and terracota ornaments. The new facelift included the clock tower. Sadly however, the building suffered severe air raid in 1943. The latest refurbishement was completed in the year of 2000. On the southside of the town hall, you can see a dominant tower like structure that is the St Laurence’s Church. The Reading Town Hall, a vi...

Cinnamon Pear Cake

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