--- title: Happy 30th Birthday To Me date: 2014-03-25 09:10:30 permalink: https://lesterchan.net/blog/2014/03/25/happy-30th-birthday-to-me/ author: Lester Chan categories: - Blog tags: - "3.0" - birthday --- Yesterday was my 30th birthday! The big 30! I am no longer in the 20+ years old range =( ## Sydney Trip Just came back from Sydney, Australia after spending a week there for holidays with Li Xiang! Sydney is a good place to retire but generally prices there are so much more expensive than Singapore (maybe except for houses and cars). I got a shocked when I paid AU$20 for a 2-hour parking! [![Sydney Opera House](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/13344091324_189123a755_c.jpg "Sydney Opera House")](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/13344091324_7a78640042_o.jpg "Sydney Opera House") [![Sydney Harbour Bridge](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3671/13344086304_2c925f01d4_c.jpg "Sydney Harbour Bridge")](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3671/13344086304_1764ddda95_o.jpg "Sydney Harbour Bridge") We stayed in Surry Hills at an [Airbnb Aparment](https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/1860871) because hotels there are so expensive. A decent hotel cost more than S$200 per night but with Airbnb, I only paid S$120 per night. [![Bourke Street Bakery](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2834/13343728005_034edeeb37_c.jpg "Bourke Street Bakery")](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2834/13343728005_8eaeefce81_o.jpg "Bourke Street Bakery") We love Surry Hills, there are so many cafes there with good coffee and breakfast! We tried [Pieno](http://www.pieno.com.au/), [Bills](http://www.bills.com.au/), [Bangbang](http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1464475/restaurant/Surry-Hills/Bangbang-Espresso-Bar-and-Cafe-Sydney), [Single Origin Roasters](http://singleoriginroasters.com.au/) and [Bourke Street Bakery](http://bourkestreetbakery.com.au/). [![Harry's Cafe de Wheels](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/13344145234_cf9b4d2fd8_c.jpg "Harry's Cafe de Wheels")](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/13344145234_ec0f15a6c3_o.jpg "Harry's Cafe de Wheels") We prefer Pieno than Bills for breakfast because the prices at Bills is a little overpriced! Bourke Street Bakery’s chocolate tart is good but their pies are just average. For pies, we like [Micks Bake House](http://micksbakehouse.com.au/) and [Harry’s Cafe de Wheels](http://www.harryscafedewheels.com.au/)! [![Single Origin Roasters](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/13344088464_3de02892dc_c.jpg "Single Origin Roasters")](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/13344088464_ea3714d0b5_o.jpg "Single Origin Roasters") For coffee, we like the latte from Pieno, Bangbang and Bourke Street Bakery. For some reason, we don’t really fancy coffee from Bills or Single Origin Roasters. [![Tempus Two Wine](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/13344137574_64ba62d4b7_c.jpg "Tempus Two Wine")](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/13344137574_52793a18a7_o.jpg "Tempus Two Wine") We also went to [Hunter’s Valley](http://www.winecountry.com.au/) for wine tasting. Stopping for lunch at [Tempus Two Wine](http://www.tempustwo.com.au/) before heading to [Scarborough Wine](http://www.scarboroughwine.com.au/) and [David Hook Wines](http://www.davidhookwines.com.au/) for the actual wine tasting! [![Museum of Contemporary Art Australia](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/13343763775_19a7284969_c.jpg "Museum of Contemporary Art Australia")](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/13343763775_1a96d69c96_o.jpg "Museum of Contemporary Art Australia") [![Cockatoo Island](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2839/13343773335_431a1b7908_c.jpg "Cockatoo Island")](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2839/13343773335_b4ce4083a8_o.jpg "Cockatoo Island") The day before we depart Sydney, Sydney is having it’s [19th Biennale](http://www.biennaleofsydney.com.au/) (21st March 2014 – 9th June 2014) and we visited [Museum of Contemporary Art Australia](http://www.mca.com.au/) and [Cockatoo Island](http://www.cockatooisland.gov.au/)! [![Bondi Beach](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3797/13343729595_fe9c231e29_c.jpg "Bondi Beach")](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3797/13343729595_af1786f796_o.jpg "Bondi Beach") [![Three Sisters](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/13343743445_e931ccd157_c.jpg "Three Sisters")](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/13343743445_28493b70bd_o.jpg "Three Sisters") [![Sydney Fish Market](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7267/13343759185_543ac07e16_c.jpg "Sydney Fish Market")](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7267/13343759185_9f7990dc94_o.jpg "Sydney Fish Market") Besides the above places, we also visited [Bondi Beach](http://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/sydney-east/bondi/beach-lifestyle), [Three Sisters at Blue Mountains](http://www.bluemts.com.au/info/thingstodo/threesisters/), [Featherdale Wildlife Park](http://www.featherdale.com.au/) and [Sydney Fish Market](https://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/)! ## Presents/Dinner/Cake Thanks to my Wifey, Li Xiang, for the Dragonball cake and the [Dragonball Z Kame School Emblem t-shirt](http://www.redbubble.com/people/mrp1ckles/works/9754527-dragonball-z-kame-school-emblem) (coming soon)! [![Dragonball Cake](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/13381232774_c2a19bee93_c.jpg "Dragonball Cake")](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/13381232774_06c6703b95_o.jpg "Dragonball Cake") [![Dragonball Z Kame School Emblem t-shirt](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3740/13380875345_3ffb0188e1_o.jpg "Dragonball Z Kame School Emblem t-shirt")](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3740/13380875345_3ffb0188e1_o.jpg "Dragonball Z Kame School Emblem t-shirt") Thanks to my brother, Leroy and Huimin for the [Crumpler Bell – Action iPad Pouch](http://www.crumpler.com/au/bell/bell-acton-ipad-pouch)! [![Crumpler Bell - Action iPad Pouch - Front](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/13380653845_a65728803f_c.jpg "Crumpler Bell - Action iPad Pouch - Front")](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/13380653845_dcc22f8987_o.jpg "Crumpler Bell - Action iPad Pouch - Front") Also thanks to my parents for bringing me up for 3 decades and counting and for the [Long Beach Seafood](http://www.longbeachseafood.com.sg/) dinner treat! [![Long Beach - Pepper Crab](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/13380872365_54c005b100_c.jpg "Long Beach - Pepper Crab")](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/13380872365_0d050592b1_o.jpg "Long Beach - Pepper Crab") ## Thank You And a big thank you to all of you for the birthday greetings on my Facebook, Skype, Instagram, Whatsapp & SMS! THANK YOU! [![30th Birthday Wishes on Facebook](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/13392947574_95f62856d8_o.png "30th Birthday Wishes on Facebook")](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/13392947574_95f62856d8_o.png "30th Birthday Wishes on Facebook") **Looking Back** - [29th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2013/03/25/happy-29th-birthday-to-me/) - [28th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2012/03/26/happy-28th-birthday-to-me/) - [27th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2011/03/25/happy-27th-birthday-to-me/) - [26th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2010/03/25/happy-26th-birthday-to-me/) - [25th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2009/03/24/happy-25th-birthday-to-me/) - [24th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2008/03/24/happy-24th-birthday-to-me/) - [23rd Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2007/03/24/happy-23rd-birthday-to-me/) - [22nd Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2006/03/24/my-22nd-birthday/) - [21st Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2005/03/24/i-turned-21-today/) - [20th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2004/03/25/my-20th-birthday/) - [19th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2003/03/24/19th-today/) - [18th Birthday](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2002/03/24/gamerzpersg/)