Talking Evilbean

GP F Series PowerBank - My Mobile Recharger!

GP Fast Track PowerBank - Evilbean Singapore Blogger

There are a few things in life that will make you flow tears of relief:

1. When you gotta poop and a clean toilet is nearby

My body is weird. I have totally no 'feel' when I am at home, but the moment I step outside, my stomach starts to rumble and my large intestines start to direct the flow to my "custom". Therefore, imagine the amount of relief when I know that there is a toilet nearby, a clean one with soothing melodies playing in the background.

2. When your Mum walks in on you, a second after you changed tab

There are times whereby you are surfing something you wouldn't want your mum to know.

The sense of relief, when your room door suddenly opens just after you tabbed to another page, is insurmountable. Imagine the amount of shock your mum would feel if she knows what you have been up to with those pictures and videos.

Afterall, you wouldn't want your mum to know about the birthday surprise that you have been planning for her for the past few weeks, right? Why, what else would you have been up to?

3. When your battery is low and you have a POWERBANK

If there is anything that is more hated upon than Justin Bieber, it is this flashing symbol on our phones.

There is nothing more horrifying than having a phone running low on battery in this era. Thankfully, we now have powerbanks that are resuscitator for our dead phones.

If you own a smartphone and always on the move, you will know the grave importance of having a portable powerbank with you. It can be daunting to make a choice, given the wide variety of powerbanks available in the market. Well, let me narrow down that list for you.

For those that are always on the go, the pocket friendly design of FN05M (5200mAh capacity) would be the perfect accompaniment for your smartphone.

What I really love about this model is the portability! There are some powerbanks that are really bulky and heavy, which is extremely inconvenient to carry around.

However, at a dimension of 99(L) x 42 (W) x 23(H) mm, the FN05M from GP weighs only 155g, which is slightly lighter than an iPhone 6S Plus (172g)! I can easily slip this into my pockets without any hassle.

Pocket friendly design of FN05M - GP Fast Track

Anytime my phone needs recharging, I can simply take the GP's Powerbank out from my pocket and recharge on-the-go! Just the portability and the design of this model is enough to get me sold, but there are even MORE FEATURES!

1. Safer

There have been a few incidents whereby the power bank exploded on the body of its user.

"Power Bank suddenly caught fire and burnt through trousers"

This is often due to people buying cheap, low quality power banks without a good circuit design, and this is very dangerous.

With GP's F Series powerbank, your mind can be put at ease as they have a temperature design control that will cut-off recharging if it is over-temperature. There is also safeguard from malfunctions due to short circuit. The loopback protection automatically cuts off power when a cable is plugged into input/output simultaneously.

GP's powerbank also complies with UN38.3 air transport safety standard.

Safety is, in my opinion, one of the most important feature of a good powerbank, and GP delivers excellently in this aspect.

2. Faster

There was this time where I borrowed a powerbank from my friend as my phone was dying. It was around 4% when I plugged my phone to recharge. After an hour of charging, guess what was my battery percentage? Go on, make a mental guess.

10%.

Yeah 10%. MY BATTERY WAS STILL RED IN COLOUR.

Fortunately, GP's F Series powerbank charges fast. The FN05M has a 2.1A output current, which allows it to charge 100% faster than other typical powerbanks that has only 1A charging current. This is an awesome feature for times when you really need your devices to have some battery!

3. Smarter

The FN05M model is loaded with smart features:

- Handy, portable anti-roll design.

- Compatible with iOS and Android smartphones and many other USB devices.

- Intelligent power modulation automatically switches between input voltage when travelling.

4. Longer Battery Life

With shields against over charging, over discharging, overheating and low temperature, you are ensured that your GP's PowerBank has a longer battery life.

With all these features in mind, I am sure that you would be able to make more informed decision on your purchase of PowerBanks!

Don't leave home without one. Don't live without one. Give your smartphone and USB devices the quality power juice that they deserve and go for GP's F Series PowerBank!

The F Series retails at $29 for the Pocket Friendly design (5,200mAh), $39 for the Flat and Sleek Design (5,000mAh) and $59 for the Flat and Sleek 10,000mAh design. Available at selected Best Denki, Challenger, Courts, Newstead and Popular outlets.

Win a GP's F Series Powerbank!

Stand a chance to win a GP's F Series Power Bank! All you have to do is to comment on feature of F Series you think is the most important on GP's Facebook Page. Contest ends on 30 November 2015. Good luck!

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, by Evilbean

Australia

11 Interesting Things to Do and Eat in SYDNEY, Australia!

TRIVIA: What is the capital of Australia?

If you answered Sydney, well, congrats. You are as "himbo/bimbo" as I am.

Although you are hardly to blame.

Voted as the World's Best City and World's Most Reputable City in 2015, it can come as a surprise to many that Sydney is not the capital of Australia. Host to many major events and festivals, a vibrant cafe scene and "an urban wonder full of glamour and natural charm", it would be difficult to think that Sydney is not the capital of Australia.

After spending about a week in Melbourne, we flew over to Sydney, where we experienced one of the world's liveliest city in one of their coldest winter in 26 years. Yes, "lucky" us.

Here are 11 Interesting things to Do and Eat in Sydney:

1. Visit Taronga Zoo

With a 4.5 stars rating on Trip Advisor and clinching the best tourist attraction award for 3 years in a row, we HAD TO make a visit to Taronga Zoo. And mainly because we didn't get to see much wildlife back in Melbourne.

Before starting your tour in the zoo, do get a copy of the zoo's map from the zoo volunteers standing around the entrance. The map is incredibly useful in planning your way around this humongous zoo that spans 21 hectares.

It takes about four hours to fully explore Taronga Zoo, which might be a tad taxing on your legs. Planning your trails in Taronga is therefore of utmost importance for the sake of your legs.

One of the "must-see" animal in Australia has gotta be the Kangaroo. Other than seeing it on Pokemon, I have never seen a Kangaroo in my whole life.

"The 'Kangaroo' pokemon"

I was also pretty amped up about having a "Joey-ception" photo with those little wallabies and kangaroos as I am a Joey myself.

The photo all of us have been waiting for: Joey-ception. Wanted a kiss with the kangaroo but I was rejected *^* #tarongazoo #traevilbean #Sydney #joeyception

A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on Jul 22, 2015 at 6:28pm PDT

Besides the adorable wallabies and joeys, there were also some animals that are uncommon in other parts of the world, like this Tasmanian Devil:

How about a close encounter with this snake?

Childhood fairytale comes to life with these 3 little pigs!

I love this photo which I managed to take amongst dozens of other people. The expression of the seal is priceless! Totally "meme-worthy".

"Wot?"

Taronga Zoo has lots of huge green spaces that are really scenic and rejuvenating. These spaces are also perfect for your #ootd shots. You never know, a free-roaming animal might just photobomb your photo and make that shot even more precious!

TIP: One of the MUST-DO in Taronga Zoo is definitely the Free-Flight Bird Show that happens at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM.

Overlooking the beautiful Sydney harbour, I felt that this show was one of the rare few that really connected me with nature.

I shan't spoil much about the show, but do stay till the end, where a flock of birds take flight beautifully against the harbour backdrop.

Simply breathtaking.

2. Take the Hop On Hop Off Harbour Cruise

A rather inexpensive way to fully enjoy the sights and sounds of the Sydney Harbour area is the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) cruise. As its name implies, you can hop on and hop off at any of the 7 destinations. Once you are done with, say, Taronga Zoo, you can hop onto the next ferry and alight at Darling Harbour. It's one price for the entire day, so try to take full advantage of it by exploring as many of the stopovers as you can!

Riding the entire harbour takes about 2 hours, and that entire time will give you lots of gorgeous photo opportunities:

For more information about the HOHO, visit the website here.

3. Behind the Scenes Tour at Sydney Fish Market

Sydney Fish Market - Behind the Scenes Tour

Most travel blogs will recommend you to visit Sydney Fish Market (SFM). Indeed, it is one of the places where you can get the freshest sashimi and oysters in Sydney.

However, you are reading TalkingEvilbean.com, and that means no ordinary, run-off-the-mill recommendations. "Upsize" your SFM tour with an elusive BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR.

Not only would you get to know where all your seafood comes from, the tour would also take you behind the scenes to explore all facets of the market and its operations - including the auction floor.

The behind-the-scenes tour begins behind this glass door.

As photography & videography is not permitted on the auction floor, I can only describe my experience of the tour in words.

It was enlightening. I got to witness how the fish auction works, and how physically draining it is to work on the auction floor. The workers have to carry and transfer crates of fishes manually by hand, and each boxes must have weigh a ton. The whole buying floor was abuzz with energy - from the buyers cheering on their successful auctions to the flurry of fresh seafood unloading in the market.

Our friendly tour guide (who looks a bit like Jack Black) was extremely knowledgeable, educating us on the different fish species around the world - what they feed on, how they move in the ocean etc. The tour opened up my eyes on the vast variety of seafood in the world.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this tour to anyone that likes learning, that are curious and always in fascination about their seafood.

Besides, as the tour begins at 6:40 AM and ends around 8:30 AM, you would be one of the earliest people at the SFM, effectively avoiding the throngs of tour groups that will arrive later in the morning!

"Zero crowds. Having the SFM all to yourself!"

For more information about the Behind the Scenes tour, visit their website here.

After the tour, it was time for us to run amok in the market to pick out our breakfast!

Sydney Fish Market - Sydney Rock Oysters

"This was so good omg"

"Cheese Lobster - Best breakfast food EVER"

Sydney Fish Market - Scampi Sashimi Grade

TIP: Opt for the al-fresco seats outside SFM for a breathtaking morning view of the harbour!

Truly one of my best breakfast ever.

4. Food Battle with Seagulls

You might have heard these scary tales from your friends who have been to Sydney.

"PROTECT your food/ice-cream, or the seagulls might eat them!"

It's true. If you are taking your food outside in the open area, be battle-ready. You might be engaged in a scary and vicious food-tug-o-war with the seagulls at anytime.

Touted as "the dining companions that no one wants", these seagulls can become rather aggressive in trying to steal food out of your hands/plates.

It can be quite daunting to see a flock of seagulls perched menacingly on the benches, staring at you while you are having that piece of salmon sashimi. One of the tip that I've got is that they wouldn't attack you as long as it seems to them that you are eating your food. The moment you lean back, when your hands are off your food, or it seems to them that your food is unguarded, they WILL ATTACK.

In fact, while we were dining al-fresco, we witnessed the seagulls flocking to the leftovers AS SOON AS THE PEOPLE STOOD UP. There were screams everywhere, chaos ensued, and I chuckled a little (IT WAS FUNNY, REALLY) when I saw some of the ladies flailing their arms wildly in the air.

Don't leave your food unguarded, don't feed them, and you might just escape a battle with the seagulls. Might.

5. Look Out for Mannequins with Versace Underwear

This had me in tears!

Of course, if this sort of thing doesn't amuse you, you can always skip this pointer.

6. Hurricane's Grill Ribs

Touted as one of the best ribs in Sydney, Hurricane's Grill is known to serve a pretty mean plate of sleek, marinated ribs, and the carnivorous Evilbean couldn't wait to lay his lips on those meat.

Full Pork Ribs (AUD $49)

Gloriously marinated with their BBQ sauce, this can evoke a lot of reactions when it is served to your table. Ranging from "that's huge" to "how do we finish this?", this was a pretty sight to behold.

I have had better ribs when I was in Bali. But in terms of the "wow" factor, Hurricane Grill at Darling Harbour swept me away with its sheer size. Plus, their service was pretty good when we went on that day. I mean, they kept calling us "Darlings", how can we not love them?

Hurricane Grill @ Darling Harbour

Shops 433-436, Level 2, Harbourside Shopping Centre

2-10 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour

Tel: +61 2 9211 2210

Opening Hours:

Mon - Fri: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Lunch)
Mon - Fri: 5:00 PM – till Late (Dinner)
Sat, Sun & PH: 12:00 PM – till late

7. Largest Lindor Pick & Mix Range

Located at Darling Harbour, Cockle Bay Wharf, is a Lindt Chocolate Cafe that serves, well, Lindor Chocolates. LOTS of Lindor Chocolates.

This is THE place for you to buy back those souvenirs for your colleagues and friends, because who doesn't love to receive chocolates?

Besides having the newest range of chocolates in store, their Lindt Chocolate Cafe has one of Australia's LARGEST Pick & Mix range!

When I was there, there were 2 ways to pay for the chocolates. The first one is the usual, in which you pay based on the weight.

The second way was slightly more interesting. You can get a gift box from them, and you could try to fit in as many chocolates as you can into the box! You pay based on the box that you chose, and not on the weight. Therefore, it can be quite hilarious (or frustrating) as you strategise the precise placements of the chocolates in the box, all in the hope of just cramming that extra 1 or 2 more chocolates into your gift box. And then experiencing that silly joy when you see that your gift box is all filled up to the brim.

Yeap, we (greedy) humans are weird.

8. Cafe Hopping

Of course, how can you not cafe-hop in Sydney, the city with one of the most vibrant cafe scene?

Here are three cafes which I think are a MUST-GO:

i. BlackStar Pastry

On the list on almost every Sydney travel blogs, Blackstar Pastry is one of the cafes which you HAVE TO VISIT. Widely known for its Strawberry Watermelon cake, every single person I know that has been to Blackstar reminisce about this cake, recounting animatedly the refreshing flavours of the watermelon.

Strawberry Watermelon Cake (AUD $7.50)

The famed Strawberry Watermelon cake from Blackstar Pastry we took a bus halfway around Sydney to eat. WE WERE SO LUCKY TO GET THEIR LAST SLICE. Lots of flavours and the watermelon taste was refreshing! #4evilbeans #Traevilbean #Sydney #blackstarpastry

A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on Jul 23, 2015 at 11:41pm PDT

Besides their pastries offering, there is also a shop beside that sells quirky toys, fashion books and intricate utensils - a perfect place to spend all your AUD on.

Although the cafe closes at 5:00 PM, try to be there early. I have heard that their cakes are usually sold out by late afternoon!

Blackstar Pastry @ Newtown

277 Australia St,

Newtown NSW 2042, Australia

Tel: +61 2 9557 8656

Opening Hours:

Daily: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM

ii. Cafe Cre Asion

Tucked away in a hidden alley, Cafe Cre Asion is famous for its matcha offerings, especially their signature Green Tea Chocolate Fondant, which is said to sell out literally like hot cakes.

Sydney Cafe Cre Asion - Green Tea Chocolate Fondant

You must be wondering why there is a $1.50 difference between the take away and the eat in fondants. Well, this picture explains it all:

Green Tea Chocolate Fondant (AUD $8.50)

Beautifully plated with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and matcha sauce on the side, this is something you should wake up early for. The lava cake oozes out thick, molten matcha and dark chocolate the moment you slice it open. Pair each mouthful with a little bit of strawberry and a drizzle of the matcha sauce and experience the bitter-sweet combination of matcha and chocolate.

Matcha Green Tea Latte (AUD $5)

Sydney Cafe Cre Asion - Matcha Green Tea Latte

We continued our matcha streak with this Matcha Green Tea Latte, which was heavenly. It was like the nectar of Matcha God.

House Made Chai Latte ($4)

Sydney Cafe Cre Asion - House Made Chai Latte

Chai latte is an acquired taste. I remember the very first time I ordered a Chai latte, I spit out my drink and thought it was a really disgusting drink. "Who puts cinnamon and spices in their milk?" I complained.

Fast forward few years later, and I am sipping chai lattes everywhere I go. Well, if you are familiar with the flavours of Chai Latte, then you DEFINITELY HAVE TO TRY Cre Ation's version. I thought this was one of the BEST CHAI LATTE I have ever drink in my life. Smooth, creamy and yet light, their housemade Chai Latte was extremely satisfying. It was so good, I had to order another one to-go!

House Baked Mixed Grain Sourdough with Butter (AUD $7)

Sydney Cafe Cre Asion - House Baked Mixed Grain Sourdough with Butter

This might look humble, but it was so delicious. The sourdough bread was served warm, which provided a fuzzy feeling in the cold winter morning. The crust was toasted crispy and the bread was soft and fluffy. Sometimes, the simplest food can be the most satisfying.

Except for the fact that the cafe is probably built for Ant-man, with its small chairs and low tables, everything else was wonderful - the food, the drinks and the service. The cafe can probably sit less than 10 people, so do take note if you are travelling in a large group. Do come early!

Cafe Cre Asion

21 Alberta St,

Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Tel: +61 2 8021 1629

Opening Hours:

Mon – Fri: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Sat: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Closed on Sundays and Mondays

iii. Aqua S

Perhaps the most popular cafe in Sydney, Aqua S sells "instagram-worthy" soft-serve, which helped them to gain international fame quickly. Take note cafe owners, because this is the power of Instagram.

There was a very long queue outside their shop even though it was near their closing hours.

Ordering is easy, with step-by-step instructions on the screens:

I highly recommend the cone+all toppings combination for the best dreamy effect!

If the must-try-or-you-have-never-been-to Singapore is Hainanese Chicken Rice, Sydney is this extremely Instagram-worthy soft serve from Aqua S ! Can I just say: THE QUEUE IS CRAZY ? We had the seasalt+grape and seasalt+earl grey soft serve. The fluffy layer below is actually fairy floss, perched prettily (albeit precariously) around the crispy ice-cream cone and topped with popping candy and a picture-perfect grilled marshmallow! SATISFIED! 😋 #4point5evilbeans #Traevilbean #Sydney #AquaS

A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on Jul 25, 2015 at 4:58am PDT

To keep things fresh for regulars, Aqua S updates their menu with new flavours every 2 weeks. The only constant is their sea salt flavour. Do drop by Aqua S to jazz up your Instagram gallery, that is, if you are an avid Instagram user.

Aqua S @ Sydney CBD

Shop 27, 501 George Street Regent Place,

Sydney NSW 2000

Tel: +61 2 8668 5957

Opening Hours:

Daily: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM

(Last order at 9:45PM)

9. Market Hopping

Besides cafe hopping, "market hopping" is also another interesting thing to do in Sydney.
A quick wikipedia search shows that there are about 52 markets in the city and suburbs! I went to 3 of them on our "Market Hopping Saturday".

- Paddington Market (Saturdays from 10:00 AM)

An initiative of Paddington Uniting Church, Paddington Market is a community based market supporting local people passionate about their craft and the local community. You would find mostly clothes and art work here:

Munch on some of these chocolate covered strawberries while doing your browsing!

Or some croissants and cupcakes:

Hand Crafted Skull Candles - perfect for Halloween or scary movie nights with your girlfriend/boyfriend:

"SUPERMINION!"

No idea if you would find this cute or creepy:

I loved how Paddington Market is surrounded by gorgeous old buildings. The atmosphere was very relaxing and the people greet you sincerely. It's a great place to get some unique trinkets and at the same time, you are supporting and encouraging budding designers looking to carve a name for themselves. Yeap, your purchases here are for a good cause!

After we were done in Paddington, we hopped into a taxi for our next market destination - Glebe Markets.

- Glebe Markets (Saturdays from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

Glebe Markets is a vibrant and lively market that sells wares like vintage fashion, emerging designers, second-hand clothes, fashion accessories and food. I guarantee that there will be more than two items that will catch your eyes when you are at Glebe.

The atmosphere here is totally different from Paddington Market. Paddington is more leisurely and gives off a laid-back vibe, whereas in Glebe Markets, the atmosphere is very festive and hippy-ish. I mean, just look at these two hilarious superheroes selling gym memberships:

" Gamely posing for me when Wonderwoman saw me taking photos!

There were also performances at the open field where indie bands performed their own songs or jugglers strutting their stuff.

People stretching out on the grass, soaking up on the sun and music:

We almost went crazy in the second-hand clothes and accessories section. People were selling fairly good condition Roxy beanies at $1! ONE DOLLAR!

If you only have time for one market, I would strongly recommend Glebe Markets for its range of items, it's festive atmosphere and eclectic mix of people (we saw a girl dressed up as sailor moon, had me in tears). I dare say it is one of the best weekend markets in Sydney!

- Market City (Daily from 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM)

If you are those that need to get A LOT of souvenirs back whenever you travel, Market City will be your one-stop solution.

This is the place for you to get all your Australia souvenirs at a fraction of the price. From "I love Sydney" T-shirts to boxing kangaroos and koala bear magnets, these souvenirs are not only cheap but also of good quality. Try to find a shop that is crowded with tourists - that's the cheapest place!

Pro Tip: Do not get your souvenirs at the top floor of the shopping mall. Get them at the basement!

Besides souvenirs, they also carry a range of clothes, accessories and toys that are relatively cheaper than other places. Market city is where you can settle all the gifts and mementos for your friends and families. Do not miss this place!

10. Best Udon at Mappen Noodle Bar

I am not particularly fond of udon, as they are usually too mild for my taste. However, my perception of udon was thrown out of the window when I had my first Bukkake (no, not THAT kind of bukkake

)

Located at the George Street, this place is relatively unknown (or less blogged about). However, I was amazed at the constant stream of people that came and queue for their semi-dry udon!

Bukkake Ontama Mentaiko Soba Udon (Large: AUD $7.90)

Called Menya Noodle Bar/Washouku, I was amazed by the constant stream of people queuing for their slurp-ilicious semi-dry udon in this little known Japanese Noodle bar ! We ordered the Bukkake Ontama Mentaiko Soba Udon and it was just OISHII! The Mentaiko gives the bouncy udon a flavourful seafood taste and the egg is just a delightful egg-porn to the eyes. 🍳❤️🍳 #4point5evilbeans #Traevilbean #Sydney #Washoukulovers

A photo posted by Joey Ching How (@evilbean) on Jul 25, 2015 at 1:29am PDT

If you have been following me on Instagram, you would know that it is quite rare for me to give a #4.5evilbeans rating. THAT IS HOW GOOD THEIR UDON WAS. Mark this down in your itinerary, you HAVE TO TRY BUKKAKE at least once in your life!

Mappen Noodle Bar (CBD)

Shop 11, 537-551 George St,

Sydney NSW 2000

Tel: +61 2 9283 5525

Opening Hours:

Daily: 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM

11. Sydney Festivals - The Rocks Aroma Festival 2015

We were extremely lucky to have caught the The Rocks Aroma Festival on our very last few hours in Sydney, because it is my most memorable experience in Sydney.

In its 18th year, the festival is an annual celebration of the coffee culture in Sydney. As an avid coffee lover myself, I couldn't believe my luck when we chance upon the brochure and saw that the event day was on July 26th, which was my last day in Sydney!

Held at The Rocks, the streets were filled with more than 50 coffee and gourmet food stallholders and food trucks.

"Yeap, Chai latte fascinates me"

Besides food, The Rocks also had a section that sells handicrafts and original artworks. It is always enchanting to watch talented people do their thing, crafting and molding nothing into something.

We stopped by a dainty little cafe to rest our legs. Famous for its freshly baked scones, The Tea Cosy has a manual clock outside their cafe that tells you when their next batch of scones would be ready!

Sydney - The Tea Cosy Freshly Baked Scones

The decorations that decorated the cafe were all very cute and somewhat fairy-tale like. It was as if I stepped into that little cottage hut that is made out of candies and chocolates!

The problem with scones is that sometimes, it can taste a little too bland if the jam that accompanies them are sub-standard. Well, you do not have to worry about that at The Tea Cosy because they have quite a few selections of sweet and savoury jams to go along with your just-out-of-the-oven scones!

If you love freshly baked pastries, you HAVE TO drop by this cafe.

The Tea Cosy

33 George Street

The Rocks 2000

Tel: +61 2 9247 4955

Opening Hours:

Mon: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Wed to Fri: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Sat and Sun: 9.30 AM – 5:00 PM

Closed on Tuesdays

As luck would have it, after our little scones break, we stepped outside only to witness my very first skywriting (an advertising medium in which airplanes spell out names and slogans in the sky by means of the controlled emission of thick smoke) at the festival, which I thought was pretty cool for the first 60 seconds:

Sydney - The Rocks Aroma Festival 2015 Skywriting

And then it got pretty boring, because the process was way too slow, and tiring, because your neck starts to hurt:

Eventually, we decided to look up to the sky after 5 minutes and this was what we saw:

Sydney - The Rocks Aroma Festival Sky Writing

I presume it's gonna spell out <3 Stella?

And then, it was finally time for the "main event" of the Aroma Festival - DRINK ALL THE COFFEES!

Can you imagine the smell of freshly grounded coffee wafting through the air, while the cool winter air breezes by your neck? Simply invigorating!

Throngs of people queued up under the hot sun, in hope of grabbing a few cups of their favourite blends at a fraction of the normal price. SOME LATTES WERE GOING AT ONLY $2! In Singapore, I have to pay almost $6 - 7 dollars for a cup!

With this rare opportunity to try out as many coffee as I could at half the price, it would be insane to order just a cup of coffee. Therefore, we ordered not 1,

Sydney - The Rocks Aroma Festival 2015 Belaroma

not 2,

not 3,

Sydney - The Rocks Aroma Festival 2015 Karmee

Sydney - The Rocks Aroma Festival 2015 Black Drum Roasters

"Front: Coffee Mojito. Back: New Orleans"

but FIVE cups of coffee

Out of all the five, I thoroughly enjoyed the last 2 that we got from Black Drum Roasters: The Coffee Mojito and New Orleans. Dubbed the "Summer Coffee", these 2 were so, so good!

The Coffee Mojito was very refreshing, made even more so with that squeeze of lime and mint leaves. The New Orleans, which was a cold brew with chicory, raw sugar syrup and topped with pouring cream, was aromatic, refreshing and creamy. PLEASE, SOMEONE BRING THEM TO SINGAPORE?

Still, I have to count my blessings for being able to witness and to participate in such an event in Sydney. It was an eye-opening experience, and being able to indulge in the festive and carnival mood with thousands of other coffee-fanatics would be something I will remember for life.

Overall, I enjoyed myself in Sydney. If you are used to living in a metropolitan city, you would enjoy the sights and lifestyle in Sydney as well......

As long as you get used to Australians calling you "mate".