Young Campbell

If you are from Sydney who wants to see the beauty of spring right at your very own eyes but could not afford 6-hours back and forth drive to and from Canberra for Floriade Festival, Corbett Gardens could be the answer! 

Corbett Gardens which is located in Bowral, one of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales offers a large variety of tulips and other flowers that you could fall in love with. An hour and half drive from the busy city of Sydney, you could unwind and be one with nature. I personally like it because it is a very relaxing experience. It reminds me of Leura of Blue Mountains, a quite community with friendly and polite locals. It is better to visit there during weekday as there is not much people you would compete with to get nice photos. Warning: This post is overloaded with flower photos.

The Garden is not really humongous as a lot of people would expect but it houses one of the best tulip displays in Sydney. The best tip I could give when visiting a floral festival is that give a call to find out how the flowers are blooming since weather and time could dictate of  how the flowers would look like. As the Cliche goes, people do not follow their own advice. We did not call when we went there, we were just lucky risk takers.

On the photo above, I wanted to capture the anatomy of a tulip. What went wrong? Too much light, bad framing, incorrect lens and angle, less detailed. Photography Tips, anyone. Photo below shows a Church just outside the Corbett Garden. If my workplace is just located nearby, I would definitely move here.

Every time I cross
the endless horizons of the sea

Waves splashing, flashes back your green eyes
 that I could never ever see

Your scent that made my heart beat
erratically falter

Reminded me of the days that I thought
 love would bind us forever

Supply a broken heart and I'll supply the art (al v. esben). I saw some drafts of poetry from a friend of mine. Inspired by it and what she has been through, I decided to knit some words and recreate it. I am glad she likes the output of our collaboration. I wish we can do more of these. xox

 

Explore and visit their website thru here.

"I was 16 years old when I started working.

 From waitress, I became the hotel supervisor. 

I work very hard.

 Today, I started working at 7am, 

and I am already exhausted

but I did not show it to my boss. 

I still do my best"

    

Here is one of the stupendous things that amaze me when living in Sydney, the things which are whimsically surreal before are closer to reality. 

I was still on the train when I saw Lang Leav's post on instagram. Two hours ago (at the time of viewing), she left a few autographed copies of  her new novel Sad Girls at Dymocks Sydney. Yes, she was there, at the very same bookshop that I have been planning to visit couple of days ago, and the very same bookshop that I have been constantly messaging online, enquiring on how to get the autographed bookmarks which will come along with the said novel. She was there, Lang Leav, one of my favourite authors.

I enthusiastically stopped at town hall train station, walked as fast as I can towards the bookshop but I could feel like I was flying with wings at my back. I was in ecstasy, my cheeks are hurting because I could not stop my self from smiling.

I arrived in the shop as if am a frenzy kid looking for a bucket of lollies. I could tell that I was acting weird since I did not stutter any single English word. One of the staff even joked, "Oh! she did not tell you that she was coming" as he led me to the YA section. Another staff who assisted me to where the books are, vividly shared her encounter to Lang, "You missed her! She was here this morning. She literally just walked pass and casually signed the books".

So, I opened the book and slowly flipped the pages. The distinct smell of the paper made me come up with a theory that maybe books mandate our hypothalamus to release Dopamine. A chemical that can cause addiction. Reading, is certainly addicting. Books can never be replaced by electronic paperless reading devices. Old souls such as I, always prefer the traditional ways.

 I shall now start flipping pages again. Off I go for an adventure.

A good talk with a patient which started from his experiences in European War.

Patient: Europe is like Southeast Asia, always on War. Which country are you from?

Me: Philippines!

Patient: There's always war in Mindanao because of the terrorists.

Me: I know. Especially now, it's much intensified and they have this theory that the narcopoliticians are protecting these terrorists. They found billions of pesos from a house of an ex mayor who is linked into drugs.

Patient: Ohh Wow. But do you know what's the finest import of Philippines?

Me: Hopefully not drugs.

Patient: Nahh! The People! I have worked with Filipino geologist, helicopter technicians, etc. They were all good, smiles a lot and educated like you.