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KEEP IT IN THE PHAMLY


As a kid Mum Pham used to call me pancake face because my face was big and round like a pancake, which is fair enough. My face is nowhere near as flat or as tasty as the Vietnamese pancakes mum taught me to make recently:


INGREDIENTS

Pancake mix:
4 cups rice flour
6 cups cold water
5 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons tumeric powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon white vinegar

For frying:

Meaty version
3 medium onions, 1-2cm slices
500g bean sprouts
500g shrimps, discard heads and tails
500g pork belly, thinly sliced

Vego version
3 medium onions, 1-2cm slices
500g bean sprouts
500g pre-fried tofu, thinly sliced
300g mushroom, thinly sliced

1. Make the pancake mix by throwing all the ingredients listed above and stirring
2. Heat a frying pan to super hot and pre-fry the onions, pork or tofu, prawn or mushroom
3. Push the contents of the pan onto one half of the pan.
4. Pour a thin layer of the pancake mix around the whole pan face - pick up the pan and swirl it around until the mix is evenly distributed and round (no matter if there's the odd gap)
5. Cover the pan with a lid and leave for about a minute to cook the surface of the mix
6. Put some bean sprout on the half of the pancake with the pre-fried filling and cover with the lid and leave to cook for another minute.
7. Once bean sprouts are cooked (look a little grey), take off the lid and let the pancake fry until the edges start to curl and crisp.
8. Fold the pancake in half by flipping the plain side over the side with the filling and put it on a plate.
9. Repeat steps 1-8 another one or two times and start eating!


When The Phamly eats this meal there's usually someone manning the pans because the dish is best enjoyed hot off the stove. We usually eat the pancake wrapped in lettuce with mint, basil, cucumber and pickled carrot and dipped in fish sauce.

I can't be arsed typing out how to roll it etc. It all ends up mushed in your gut anyway so do what you like!


Captain Catman likes them.
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image: Karen Walker Number One in Crazy Tortoise

Karen Walker apparel is a little too prissy, sweet, elegant and clean-cut for some one as classless as me. Karen Walker Eyewear, on the other hand, is a whole different story. They got sass, they got spunk, they got that little hint of crazy that I love.

The moment I met her SS11 Number One in black and crystal fluro yellow online I was smitten. Though, I didn't dare add them to the cart. Style rule #1: Know yourself. Myself has an unsubtle head - it's big, round, square and in your face so sharp angles in eyewear can clash terribly. Couple that with a low sitting, nose bridge (Pham genetics) and I'd be a real dumbass if I didn't try before I buy.

image: Karen Walker Eyewear Number One in Black and Crystal Fluro Yellow

While up in Sydney for the New Balance NB574.com launch in May, I went to Incu in Sydney for "retail research" purposes. Yup, very important work business...Ahem. They didn't stock the black and yellow Karen Walkers I wanted but I tried on the shape in crazy tortoise and they sit perfectly somewhere between retro and futuristic.

I will get you one day soon Karen Walker SS11 Number Ones, I will.

image: Karen Walker Eyewear Number One on model
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If you read my "About page" you will see I have to write in 'boring speak' for work. It's rarely ever about boring events or products. In fact, I'm usually quite excited about everything, that's why it's so irksome having to tone my excitement levels down for a media release.

What I'd rather say about the Wreckers Yard tomorrow is "Yo m*thef*ckers! Come check out this badass graf art comp this Sat 25th June @ my old haunt, The Evelyn Hotel. Red Bull've flown in some of the best graffiti artists from around Australia and New Zealand and they're gonna battle it out live onstage. There will be music and paint fumes galore! Oh, and it's FREE. See you there? 7pm!" But instead I have to say:


The Red Bull Wreckers Yard 2011 – Trans Tasman Final hits Melbourne this Saturday 25th June at The Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy. Red Bull Wreckers Yard has been taking street art culture from dark alleyways and train tracks to the people. Over a whirlwind past four weeks, the 7 finalists beat the best local graff artists in their hometown in a live painting round robin for the chance to represent their city at the Trans Tasman Final this weekend! 

The 2011 finalists are Itch (Melbourne), Peque (Sydney), William (Perth), Store (Adelaide), Gimiks (Brisbane), Yelz (Wellington) and Seekayem (Auckland). Also competing as a wild card entry will be 2010 champion Sofles. The night will be hosted by Melbourne’s own MC Briggs and will feature a post-competition performance from New Zealand’s MC David Dallas! 


What will go down at the Wreckers Yard? The artists will be provided with a blank canvas and cans of Ironlak paint. Each round competitors will be given a theme to paint one minute before the clock starts. Some examples of themes could include greed, lust, nature, fear or freedom. The artists will then have to spray according to the theme. The judging criteria include creativity, style and theme interpretation.

The winners from each of the seven qualifiers have already scored themselves a great prize pack including Skullcandy and G-Shock gear and a trip to Melbourne to compete in the final. This Saturday the Red Bull Wreckers Yard – Trans Tasman Final will determine Australia and New Zealand's best graff artist with the winners taking home a share of $2,500, prize packs and the opportunity to graff part of Red Bull HQ in Sydney.

RED BULL WRECKERS YARD 2011 
Trans Tasman Final - Saturday 25th June 
The Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy, Melbourne 
Doors open 7pm, free entry 
www.redbull.com.au/wreckersyard
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The great thing about acne medication that dries out your skin, your scalp, your lips and your eyeballs is...there's no great thing about it. However, it does make you ditch the contact lenses and invest in a decent pair of glasses. Good bye grade 10 wire frame IT nerd glasses. Hellooooo thick-framed Star Project glasses.

I took off the glasses as soon as I finished my course of meds in January. Then one early 6am wake up call recently, my eyes honestly squealed at the thought of wearing contact lenses so I found my old Star Projects and fell back in love with its sleek black frame and dark brown wooden temples. Perfect timing now the sun in Melbourne has stopped playing peek-a-boo and moved onto hide-and-go-seek.
image: Occhio's Star Project Australia #4401 in black/dark brown

Thick black frames aren't for every face or stylin' but there's a fat range of designs by Star Project (the in-house brand by Occhio spectacular spectacle retailers) as well as other brands if you head into their stores or shop online.
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One thing I do often is have hair-brained ideas that I follow through much to my Phamly's amusement. Oh well, I'd rather try than die wondering though it's an expensive way to live - e.g. the cherry red bicycle collecting spider webs in the backyard, the rollerkates collecting dust in the corner of my room or the guitar I gave to my cousin. It doesn't always end in tragedy, though.

Like when I  tried a class of Zumba. I was ultra-unco and skipped practically every second move in the routines to keep up with the beat but it was SO much fun! It turned out to be another failed hair-brained idea seeing as how I've only attended that one class in two months.

The happy ending is I had every intention to keep it up so I went and found appropriate footwear for a gym classroom. As always, I try to talk myself into buying something sensible and to blend in with the normal people but, no, of course as soon as I set foot in the New Balance outlet store on Smith Street in Collingwood I made a bee-line for the brightest pair of runners in the store. Hello, New Balance Disco Runners! Look how amazing they are!
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image: what the finished product should look like from foodforfour.com
(because i can't be arsed making fish sauce and taking a picture)

Hello world, there's a lot of advertising around for breath mints and chewing gums and tooth and mouth cleaning products but what about the promotion of bad breath? I'm going to do my part to help balance out the universe by sharing Mum Pham's Fish Sauce Mix recipe.

 Fishy version
  • 1 cup fish sauce 
  • 1 cup sugar 
  • 2 cups boiled water (dissolve the sugar in the boiled water) 
  • 1/4 white vinegar 
  • 1/4 lemon juice 
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed/finely diced 
  • Finely diced fresh chilli optional! 
Faux-fish version (fancy-speak for vegetarian)
  • 1 tablespoon salt 
  • 1 cup sugar 
  • 2 cups boiled water (dissolve the sugar in the boiled water) 
  • 1/4 white vinegar 
  • 1/4 lemon juice 
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed/finely diced 
  • 1 drop of yellow colouring 
  • Finely diced fresh chilli optional! 
Mix it all together and it's best left overnight or for at least a few hours before serving so the garlic has time to work its magic on the mix. Enjoy!
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Sadly, my rainbow swirl Speedos are dead. The elastic had rotten in my one year hiatus from the pool so last weekend I took a stroll down to Swimwear Galore on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy to find a fresh swimsuit. On the walk there I repeatedly told myself to buy a sensible black or navy swimsuit so I'd at least blend in with the fit people who swim laps around me.

Who was I kidding? As soon as I got in the store I skipped passed the 50 black, blue and purple swimsuits and went straight for the bright and bold patterns of Funkita. So what if no one at the pool will take me seriously in this swimsuit. It's not like I'd have any more credibility in a standard black Speedo seeing as how the only people slower than me are the kids who can't swim and the little old ladies who breaststroke without getting their perms wet.

The girl in the store also told me how I can prevent my swimmers from gross-rot in future. Good ol' Bayswim Tog Wash! It gets rid of the chlorine smell so I assume it gets rid of the chlorine too. If it doesn't elongate my Funkita's life, I guess I'll just have to buy a new suit next year!

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image: Smencils!

Some of you may not know this but I am a stationery nut, you may even say nazi. The only time the happy rainbow land that is the Shiny Entertainment office came close to conflict was when a colleague emptied my pencil sharpener - my word, nostrils were flared that day!

I am never far away from a Smencil. Other pens and pencils come and go but I have been through 5 sets of Smencil pencils - there's 10 different smells in a grey lead set. To be honest, I've given most of that 50 away on my mission to share yummy pencils with the world. Now I'm sharing them with you!

The delicious, almost edible, though not lickable (I tried) smells that waft up as you use this pencil made from old newspapers wrapped around lead then soaked in 'gourmet liquid scents' is absolutely divine. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sniff a Smencil.
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image: Snapped at Carbon Festival 2011. pic by thslfe.com

eBay is a dangerous playing field. There's the bidding, there's the tension, then if you win there's a brief adrenaline rush but then the wait for delivery brings thoughts like, 'Will it fit? Will it match the description/photo? Will the fabric be nice?' race through your head. If the answer's 'no' to any of these questions the feeling is a total bummer. If the answer's yes, yes, yes! then you're hooked and go back for more.

image: Zara Leopard Print Skirt on model

I, Jade Pham, am an eBay addict. I spend hours and hours trawling through searches for spunky items I never seem to find in stores. I thought I'd save you the hours and direct link to this Zara Leopard Print skirt I found at Mary Jane Closet. The skirt was so badass when it arrived I went back to Mary Jane and bought the dress as well.

image: Zara Leopard Print Skirt on model

It makes me a little sad that Zara will now be mainstream in Australia because it will inevitably become generic and boring on the masses. Still, I'm going to have a look when it opens in Melbourne to see if I can find statement pieces or nice basics that I can mix and match and mash-up!
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image: Vodafone HTC Magic (left), Telstra White iPhone (right)

Being with Vodafone was like dating a sweet fool. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get anything right. Dating some one just because you feel sorry for them isn't a stable building block for a good relationship so it had to end.

Being with Android was like being with a brilliant rebel. A cute, fun and free spirit. Anything I wanted I could have. Anything I thought of, he'd already thought of and did better than I imagined. Oh, Android, how we had some amazing times. But Android shared his love around with so many other handsets (Samsungs, Sonys, LGs...) that he wasn't always aware of my needs. His lag in response made me feel unloved.

So I strayed. I needed some one who would love my handset and only my handset so that everything he designed on his operating system would be complemented by my hardware. That's when I finally gave Apple's iPhone the time of day. He'd been pursuing me for years but I always thought he was arrogant (Mr. I Am Your Future) and way too pretty for my tastes.

We've been seeing each other for about a week now. I find his affection a little restrictive - I can't have the notification tones I want without going behind his back and I don't want to be a cheater (hack into the phone's backend), I can't be as close friends with my bestie Google Apps as I once was (beloved Gmail functions in particular) and he doesn't care to let me know when friends have left a message (no LED indicator) so I have to poke him every now and then and ask politely. But so far he's proven loyal and makes me feel safe.

Also, his good friend Telstra has been a dream to get to know. He's always there when I call or text or email. Very attentive and reliable. I do miss the free spirit of Android so maybe one day, when I'm bored of Apple, we can have another fling.
image: Vodafone HTC Magic (left), Telstra White iPhone (right) 
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