30/6 Day 30 - Try new pods and have with a pod coffee!

Today I tried the new Honeycomb pods. 

These are so good. Even better with the coffee! An easy but rewarding New June to finish with. Very satisfying!

29/9 Day 29 Have a tapas dinner party

This was a really fun one. I made Sangria and Spanish dip...

and Spanish Omelette...

and Patatas Bravas.

Delicious! A repeat is in order!

27/7 Day 7- Learn about Braille

At the moment there is a lighting exhibition at Federation Square for people who are blind. Amy and I stumbled upon it after a run a fortnight ago.

 

Basically, this guy found out that 90% of people who are blind can see light so he used LED’s to write out the braille code. You can see the entry to the exhibition in the photo below.

The aim of the exhibition is to create awareness for the visually impaired and to show how this innovation (cSigns) can be utilised on signs to make navigation easier for the blind. The exhibition included a number of quotes written in the LED braille with the word translation beside it:

 

My favourite was:

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. Said the Fox to the Little Prince.” 

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I took a pamphlet with the braille alphabet when I visited the exhibition with the aim to learn my name. This is how it is set out:

 

Coincidentally the other night I heard a discussion on the radio about how visually impaired children often listen to audio books in place of reading through braille, with the implication that illiteracy amongst the visually impaired might be increasing. I wonder how different life would be for me if I couldn't read, either through braille with my hands or written words with my sight. Would my perspective be dramatically different?

An interesting day in New June for me.

25/6 Day 25- Make something new out of origami

I made a lily- bottom flower in picture. The other one is a random flower I made myself when I stuffed up the lily. Neither are spectacular but they do look better in real life..promise!

I am reminded that I don't really have the patience or desire for origami. I didn't get quite as frustrated as I used to when we did it in Mandarin class as children but it isn't really my cup of tea.

i gave these to Mum...she hasn't thrown them out (recycled them) yet!

Bonus new thing! 24/6

I met friends at Crafternoon in North Carlton for lunch and craft. I haven't been to a cafe before where I could eat and paint at the same time! My friends made bottle openers, drew or did a face mask. The place itself had art plastered all over the walls and hanging from the ceiling, see below. It was quite effective when you walked in. Glad I tried this out!

21/6 Day 21- Learn to tie a special knot!

Today I learnt three new knots from my ex-scout sister. (Or are you a Scout forever once you have taken the oath/pledge?) I learnt the following knots:

1. Sheet bend: used for tying two ropes of different thicknesses together.

2. Bowline: to form a loop that doesn't move.

3.Square lashing: useful for building rafts. Also includes a clove hitch. Pictured here.

Apparently I am on my way to getting my first Scout badge!

Now I am off to build a raft and what could be better than a RAFT?!

Much thanks to my instructor!

20/6 Day 20 Try Zumba

I've been wanting to try Zumba at my gym for some time now so was quite pumped for this one. The class was pretty small, the music and instructor both great. (My pilates instructor actually...have been wondering what other classes she does.)

Unfortunately the class didn't really have the energy seen in this photo and most people were off-beat/faced the wrong way etc. :S Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised that the class even included some Irish dance. I liked that and the hip hop the most I think. (I'd been under the impression it was mainly latin dance for some reason.) The salsa was good too.

I was the only newbie in the class and surprisingly not as uncoordinated as I anticipated. (Or maybe I concentrated extra hard :P) I think I will Zumba another day soon! One of my favourite New Junes complete!

19/6 Day 19 Learn to spin a pen (also known as contact juggling, pen twirling, pen mawashi and pen tricks)

Pen spinning is hard! I can now say I can spin a pen; not every time (honestly only about 5% of the time!) and not very quickly or well. In other words, I can now tell you how to do it! (Or you can just go here and learn for yourself)

With A LOT MORE practice I might end up doing this... but I doubt it!

17/6 Day 17 Play a video game made this century!

I haven't really played that many games outside of 'Draw Something' since the days of Doom, Commander Keen, Prince of Persia, Mario and Alex the Kid. Therefore I was startled to find out a 3D world which you can control now exists on the screen. Okay, bit over dramatic. but Uncharted 3 was a big leap for me! 

 

Apparently I was better than expected though I am not sure that says a lot! I had trouble with the fact I had to control my vision in more than 2D but did get better. It was lots of fun and I'd forgotten how involved you can get in something like this.

I could easily get addicted to Uncharted 3 and become a 24 hours gamer. I am in a dangerous zone! Mission complete (literally...we finished the first level!)

16/6 Day 16 - Learn something new on an SLR

Two of my friends were nice enough to teach me a couple of things in the land of photography today. I managed to stalk some cyclists, a runner, a puppy, some kids and a sugar dispenser in the process and have some fun! Here is one of the cyclists I spied near Collingwood Children's Farm. 

He was one of the only ones going fast enough for this effect to turn out. Here is a how-to but basically you just need to use a long exposure.

I also took one of my friend flying!

 

Hooray! I think I'd like to to learn more but a good start nonetheless.

15/6 Day 15- Cook a new cuisine

Today I cooked a cuisine I had never cooked before. I picked Dutch because I didn't know much about Dutch food. I decided on Stamppot: a dish that is basically a whole lot of different vegetables boiled and mashed into a giant heap with some spicy sausages chucked on top. Good cold weather food but perhaps not the most interesting looking dish! Often gravy is put in a hole in the middle. 

 

Well, I certainly wouldn't say it is my favourite dish but a great way to have a huge variety of vegies and a nice winter dish. My bigger Dutch success (which technically spanned over Friday and Saturday!) was the awesome Stroopwafel YUM YUM YUM:

 

 

 

 

I tried these first in Sth America (Of all places!) thanks to my Dutch friend. Mine didn't turn out like the ones I remember but they still tasted as good. I didn't have the proper waffle iron and this meant they were a LOT thicker.

Mmm stroopwafels. I am considering getting a proper machine just to make these....)

Making Dutch food - I've done it!

Thanks to the guinea pigs who tried my food.

14/6 Day 6- Hide a treasure hunt clue in a dessert

Today's challenge coincided nicely with the almost month-long treasure hunt I made for my sister's birthday. I hid her 37th clue inside a chocolate cake! The clue was in blue Eclipse mints box, as you can partially see in the photo. 

 

Definitely something I've not done before and something I very much wish to repeat! A win for all involved!

13/6 Day 13- Make a new spread (Cajeta)

I made a Mexican caramel spread called 'Cajeta'. Thanks to my friend Allan for this suggestion! It tastes delicious.

I thought this would be an easy one. However, because I failed to read the recipe over before I started and didn't realise it specified ONE HOUR in front of the stove stirring the spread, it wasn't! After the hour it still looked like milk so not sure what went wrong. Did a bit of research and decided to put it in the slow cooker overnight. At 7am it looked like milk then by 8am it miraculously turned into a lumpy caramel spread. Not sure the consistency or colour is right but it tastes great. Even though this ran into the next day I am going to put it in the success pile. Phew!

(Thanks to those who helped entertain me over the hour of stirring!)

12/6 Day 12- Start growing strawberries

My friend gave me a strawberry growing kit for my birthday and today I got them going. I am feeling good about my chances of eating strawberries in 14-21 days. Hazaar!

10/6 Day 6- Try a new cuisine

Today's original plan was to see both the sunrise and sunset in one day. The plan was THWARTED due to a ridiculous amount of clouds and fogs! HOWEVER, the day was saved by the Polish! 

Opportunistically, my new June for today was trying WARM Polish vodka, a Polish platter and Polish beer-Zywiec at the Polish Jester Cafe.

I loved the vodka and the salami, cheese and sauerkraut on the platter. Loathed the small onions in the platter! The best bit was the eccentric owner- a jovial dude with a parakeet on his shoulder that was in a Jackie Chan movie shot in Aus and the Ukraine! He wrote some Polish on a postcard my boyfriend was sending and was just someone you instantly like. 

The best things happen when you least expect it, or are busy searching for something else. WIN!

Pictures above borrowed from this great review on the Polish Jester.

7/6 Day 7 - Do "nothing" for 15 minutes

Okay, I am not sure whose bright idea this was (ahem) but this was clearly the biggest challenge of the whole month. Do "nothing"? How is that even possible? And for 15 minutes? Gah. This picture is what I felt like afterwards! It is impossible to "do nothing" as suspected:

Things I did whilst I did "nothing":
-tried to focus on breathing
-pretended there wasn't an itch on my back.. neck-foot-femur-alveoli.
-thought about my dream last night
-thought about tomorrow
-thought about thinking
-thought about rattle snake, rattle snake, munky munky underpants!
-tried to not think about the time/check the time (I am not going to lie-I caved with just over 5 minutes to go!)

1/6 Day 1: Learn to Braid Hair Day

Today I finally learnt to braid hair! The left hair model is sporting my 2nd try. (1st try was a bit...different!) The right hair model was my teacher. Thanks to all involved! :) Day 1- success!