Hurstville Chinese New Year Festival

Saturday 30 January

Drove to the Seeto's just after 12noon, before walking up to Hurstville to check out the Chinese New Year festivities.

Was mainly there to see the lion dancers. Street stalls are usually the same and not too many giveaways.

After seeing the lion dancers, we decided to have lunch at Hurstville RSL. Uncle David had driven and parked closer, so he went back after lunch, but the rest of us continued our walk up to the Forest Rd end. Checking out shops as well.

Walking back to their place, we encountered more lion dancing outside the Chinese shops.
While the others went shopping, Evan and I went back to see the afternoon session lion dance.

Slowly made our way back, by this time stalls were packing up and clouds were rolling in around 3.20pm.

Got back to their place before it started raining and had dinner there before heading home.

Australia Day

Tuesday 26 January

BBQ at Jana and Silvia's with old ACCA crew.

I made chicken pies but this time wrapped in puff pastry triangles.  Running late again, I blamed it on Evan this time as I was all ready to go, but he decided to have a cup of tea.

The weather held and no sign of rain, so we gathered on Jana's deck, the kids played with the chooks and in the yard as well as indoors.

It was name that baby again, with Quan's son, Thomas and Sylvia's son, Harvey. Did any one know their names?  Too many kids, so hard to remember, only the older ones tend to stick as we don't see the younger ones that often.

So much food, and lots of catching up on gossip.

Nathan's 31st Birthday

Wed 20 January

This year Nathan and Darren arranged the food for Nathan's birthday dinner.

They went out and got portuguese chickens, lamb and chicken skewers, gyros bread, garlic, hummus and tzatziki dip, tabouli and chips from Oportos.

Nathan's friends, Simon, Chris and Jarrad, as well as Eva and a friend (they left straight after dinner to go to Oliver Brown) joined the family for a late dinner.

This was my dish for the night. Very filling

 We had a watermelon cake for his birthday.

 Happy Birthday Nathan!

 With Chris, Simon and Jarrad

 With Darren, Mark, Lily, Justin

 The whole family

We carved up the leftover cake and made a small nike shoe.

APIA Tennis Free Tix

Tuesday 12 January

Took a flex day from work and trained it to Olympic Park with Evan to check out the tennis. Janet had got 4 free family tickets, but weren't too sure whether they would have Adult and Child (which they didn't).

Stopped off to have sushi for lunch and a Macca's frozen coke before walking to entrance to pick up tickets. Had to scull down the frozen coke as they wouldn't allow it entry.

 Spent most of the day in the Ken Rosewall stadium, moving from seats now and then. Started up the top.

 Up close but in the sun - was too hot

 Camera's point of view.

Not sure who was being interviewed, but there weren't too many star players.

As we were leaving, Evan took this shot.

Kaylene's Disneyworld Adventure

Sun 10 January

Unfortunately, I had to demo at a Stampin' Up! workshop at Vanita's, so I missed seeing Kaylene off at the airport.

Lucky for her the rest of the family could drop her off and say goodbye.

She's off to work at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida for 6 months and hopefully see some of the other sites of Orlando and Florida, besides Disneyworld.  

Meeting the Liu's Part 3

Sat 9 January

Sophia and Justin arranged a formal dinner to meet the rest of the Liu's at the Dragon Bowl Seafood restaurant, 11 Canley Vale Road, Canley Vale. There were too many of us. Sophia had arranged the menu and we got to try the famous crab dish

Uncle David, Aunty Catherine, Lily, Mrs Chan, Mark, John, Tanya, Natasha, Janet, Sophia, Justin

 Natasha, Tanya, Janet, Sophia, Justin

 Lily, Mrs Chan. Mark, Grandpa John, Grandma Tanya, Soph's mum, Natasha

 Uncle David, Aunty Catherine, Lily, Mrs Chan, Mark

 Justin and Sophia

 Very chilli, soupy crab dish

 Ken, Eva, Nathan, Soph's uncle, David, Soph's cousin

Some photos taken by Evan of the families.

 The whole lot of us.

 Got the waiter to take this one.