Writing a blog is weird, but it has actually been pretty interesting, at least for me! Well, at least food-wise.
We've been doing all the normal stuff, like, getting bank account, student stuff, mobile phone, paperwork, etc etc. But, we've also been checking out a few cool places in between our errands in town.
First Michael took me to this tea shop. I really should take pictures, and I'm sure I'll get the chance. It's above another shop, and it's called "Tea Sutra." They only do tea, pastries and vegetarian lunch things. They have 2-person pots of tea for cheaper than a medium starbucks coffee, and it's gorgeous on the inside. Very zen, with plants and lush decor. They even have a little japanese floor seating with big pillows and no shoes.
We wandered around Grainger market (the Newcastle open market- they sell absolutely everying, from like hairdryers to tomatos to specialty teas).
And then today! Michael showed me this asian market ("HiYou"- great name!) he'd been wanted to check out near the chinatown area. It's amazing! We got some unusual supplies, including a bamboo sushi rolling mat, nori (sushi seaweed wrap), and some ingredients for sushi rice. It was so inexpensive for great ingredients, and super fresh. They had gorgeous bowls and cookware and teapots, and all kinds of other toys and foods and imported niftiness.

Tonight I actually made a sushi roll! I'm SO proud! I mean, it's not good yet, but not a total failure! The sushi rice wasn't perfect, but we've not got all our kitchen gear sorted out yet, but I was so excited it didn't fall apart or anything! I used low sodium furikake (dried fish flakes with seaweed and spices, like wasabi) and steamed snap peas, just to test out my ability to roll them. I assumed I'd rip up the delicate nori and the rice would go everywhere, but the nori was was sturdied than I expected and the rolling mat was perfect.
I think I'll try it again, and try to be as neat as I can, make it all centered and nice and round.

The flat is really nice, but I do have a lot I want to fix up. It's got to be 1920s or 30s, with original coal burning fireplaces and the original bell, which is actually a bronze bell on a spiral strip of metal and it operated by a pull knob outside out door. It's really cool, they even cut out a hole in the wall, later I guess, and framed the gears that work the bell.
But, due to the age there are some mildew, mold and dust problems. Mostly it can be vacuumed, dusted and scrubbed away. I've been scrubbing in the bathroom and kitchen just yesterday and today, and I've already made a dent in those rooms.  I think I might take before and after photos as I work through the house redecorating. We're using little things, that we can get for as cheap as possible, to update the decor and make it a bit more comfortable.
Heh... but we desperately need more storage space. Michael had already unpacked into the storage space and discovered it was only barely enough for him. Ikea seems to be our friend there, just need to manage to find the space.

So, despite my cleaning rampage in the flat, which poor Michael is coping with very well, we're pumped about the new season of Doctor Who beginning tomorrow. Geeks, but happy. :P

Oh and I made bento boxes for us for lunch today, and I forgot to take a picture. But I might try to use this blog to document my experiments at bento lunches. They're so much fun to make and it's kind of more fun to eat lots of veggies and healthy when I made it all cute. Not at all important info, but I think it could be cool for me to be able to look back at how I learned to do them, because some bentos can be crazy complex! Mine are still extremely simple, but I'm learning. :)

I'll stop for tonight, I'm really just babbling. I'm excited about the possibilities for the flat and the new cooking techniques. Since school starts soon, I'll probably have to put the more complicated stuff on hold again, but til then, I love experimenting!

All my love to my family and friends, whoever's reading. <3 Leave me comments, if you want, to say hi. :)
xoxoxo