Shine Music School's Blog

esk girl Janet has fallen ill today – that’s why I’m in on Thursdays again! Gradually I recognize Thursday students faces and they will become less shy why I greet them! Let’s send our best wishes to Janet and hope she gets well soon!

Today before I came into Shine I was shopping in Westfield for a father’s day present. Yes! It’s father’s day on Sunday. I woke up quite early today because I knew I was going to need a couple of hours to pick out the right present. It’s been many years since me and my sister have been buying a gift for father’s day so its not surprising that we’ve run out of ideas.After two hours I ended up buying a really nice polo shirt from Country Road – I do hope he’ll like it!

Have you thought of the perfect gift for your father yet? If you accidentally forgot it’s not too late! As a student of Shine Music the fastest way and best idea I have for you is to play a piece for your father! Your father would be smiling from head to toe if he knew you practiced and perfected the piece just for him! Trust me, I think he’d prefer to hear you play a special piece of music just for him rather than buying him a box of chocolates or a t-shirt. (I would play him a piece if I could as well!)

So hurry up, you’ve only got two days to practise! Or, if you reallllllly dont have time, I guess you can sing him a meaningful song, or a song that he really likes!

Chinese or rather, Hong Kong style dishes in Sydney, I would recommend Sun Ming BBQ Restaurant. Fortunately, there is one situated on Church St right hear in Parramatta, as there are only 3 altogether in Sydney!

Sun Ming BBQ is exactly what you’ll see and experience in Hong Kong, if you want to be in a casual, low key environment. It’s a good place to have early breakfast, or as Hong-Kongers love the most, afternoon tea, chatting and gossiping whilst eating. That’s what I like the most about Sun Ming – it’s a casual, relaxed environment, where you can gulp down your lunch if you want, or sit there for two hours gossiping during afternoon tea!

I love the seat meal feature of Sun Ming – you get to pick a main, a side dish and maybe a drink or dessert off the set meal menu for a good value – and of course there is a large variety to choose from! From fried rice (although I don’t recommend), to fried noodles, soup noodles and individual dishes …. you will have a difficult time in deciding how to choose your set meal. (At least I always do). However I personally give the congee they have for breakfast a big thumbs up – and seriously, you must try their BBQ meat of course! And don’t forget to order their reputable milk tea if you’re having breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea! But you refrain from ordering those crazily flavoured drinks…. such as taro milk tea or melon milk tea with pearls – I don’t think that is their specialty.

As I mentioned it’s a casual cafe, therefore it gets quite noisy at time, but that’s ok, that’s only how you’ll ever experience Hong Kong in Sydney – busy and noisy! The waiters are also very friendly but don’t expect top notch customer service (I think they have adapted to the relaxed, casual style as well) but overall they are not that nasty!

So if you feel like combining gossip and casual afternoon tea, Sun Ming is the place to go!

the ones that are suddenly overturned or made into a ‘strange’ day by one event. After a relatively quiet, normal day of studying, eating, shopping and working, my day was turned into a somewhat painful day as my stomach started cramping and the food I had eaten from the Food Court (never again eat Indian food from the Level 1 food court!) started spinning and squirming in my stomach. Out of nowhere, I felt like I had suddenly been stabbed in my stomach – something in it trying to make its way out of my body, but somewhat failing to. The result has led to a very white-faced front desk girl, with a very weak voice that still manages to whisper “Hi, How are you? I’m doing well thanks” to the parents who ask how I’m doing. After seeing me walk up and down the stairs with a hunched back, parents and students keep giving me strange glances – but at this current time I do not wonder what they are thinking. For the past 3-4 hours of sitting here at the front desk, the time has passed much slower than it usually does and all I can wonder is why ‘pain’ is such a small, somewhat insignificant-looking word when compared to what it actually describes! Although this blog might sound somewhat painful and stressing even to the reader, it’s not that bad! I don’t think that anyone can tell what’s going on in my head; I can still type and move my fingers around – that might be why parents look at me strangely when I suddenly get up and move much slower than my typing!

Something that crosses my mind is that yesterday I ate Asian curry that had gone off and I was FINE – I ate the whole thing thinking that the rice tasted funny until my mum threw out the whole thing saying that it had gone off. Today, I eat Indian curry (I must have a thing for curry) that looks perfectly cooked and tasted beautiful, and now it is stabbing my stomach. Maybe food poisoning can come a day later? Oh well, someone is coming to my rescue and I will be able to go home and eat Panadol for dinner and die! I hope to be back tomorrow with a somewhat more cheerful blog!

ven’t heard of City Extra just yet, City Extra is famous for being open 24 hours a day, every day of the week! You can rock up with your friends or family for breakfast at 3am, or for a steak or burger at 10am in the morning.  The themed restaurant and menu design reflects a newspaper company, complete with the menu disguised as a newspaper  ‘Headlines’ and ‘Extra Extra’ columns! This is why their aptly chosen slogan is “Always open, always good news!”

The columns of desserts makes anyone weak at the knees with the headlined “Ultimate Sundae for chocoholics – mouthwatering combination of chocolate and vanilla ice creams, shaved chocolate, marshmallows, cream and topped with hot chocolate fudge and a chocolate wafer stick” – this has been tried, tested and adored (personally).

Now, despite the convenience of the idea that a restaurant might run as  efficiently as a daily newspaper, the service and waiting time at the Parramatta City Extra might not make the whole experience worth it (I specify Parramatta because the Circular Quay chain is known for much better service!). Perhaps the 24 hour-openness of this place confuses the waiters, but people ordering mains and desserts might expect the mains to come out first. Not here, whatever is cooked first comes out first – not saying that the desserts are cooked any faster! Me and my friends went to City Extra late at night, on a weeknight, and were forced to wait up to 30 minutes for our 4 meals to come out. Luckily we had each other’s company, and were not in a rush – despite the fact that we all wondered what else was going on in the kitchen!

As many reviews online say, City Extra at Parramatta is more a place to go when there is nowhere else to go – “a place of convenience rather than cuisine”. If you are expecting gourmet food, 5 star service and short waiting times, you might even have to head to the City Extra in Circular Quay!

a certain extent, boys), chocolate is a vital part of my diet. It’s deliciously wicked, sweet and oh-so-goodness keeps us happy, keeps us company, and keeps calling you back for more. And yes, like all girls (and again, some boys), a constant flow of creative and unique ideas is needed every now and then to keep our complex minds interested.

That’s when Max Brenner, the Chocolate Man, comes in. Everybody’s heard of this wacky and irresistible chocolate bar. If you haven’t, where have you been all this time!? Just kidding, but seriously, you should try it out for yourself. Conveniently located in various places around Sydney, there is also a store near you! In the heart of Parramatta’s shopping district, just outside Westfield Shopping Complex, a glorious Max Brenner store stands.

Not only does this chocolate bar have a plethora of fine-tasting, smooth and sensual chocolates for you to indulge in, they also have a fun and exciting range of chocolate-based foods such as crepes, muffins, hot chocolates, choctails and waffles, just to name a few of the foods they have.
I myself love the uniqueness of their hot chocolates, chocolate pizzas and fondues.

Now to some of the not-so-cool points about Parramatta’s Max Brenner. It does have a very limited number of seats available for patrons, and as such, you will probably have to take-away your food a lot of the time.
Due to it’s popularity, it is also very crowded and busy, so waiting periods can extend from 10 to 20 minutes. Once I waited with a friend for over half an hour, and in the end they forgot to put in our order, so we had to wait another 10 minutes. Luckily we had a lot to catch up on and a lot of gossip to share (sssh), but if I was alone, I would not have been very happy-Jan.
It is also fairly over-priced for what you get. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the chocolate isn’t the best quality, but with small portions at a high price, it isn’t a place you can visit often with a tight budget.

But all in all, it does serve as the perfect for a dessert treat after a scrumptious meal, a convenient rendezvous place to meet your friends, a nice place to buy a cute gift for a friend, or a cosy date with your better half at an undoubtedly impressive venue. Max Brenner is the perfect place to go for all occasions. So why not duck in to Max Brenner today? I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

the term/semester/year when we have gone through half the term/semester/year and some of us may slowly be losing motivation to keep doing whatever it is that we do. Whether it be studying, working, practicing our music, sport, etc., some, like me, might find themselves slowly slacking off and not putting in as much effort as we ought to. Maybe it’s the change in weather, or maybe our physical bodies are slowly getting weary. Whatever the reason, I am finding a lot of people are struggling to keep motivated these days.

So I thought I would point out a few tips to help you stay motivated/regain your motivation (and it will also help me immensely too!)

1. Set yourself some short-term and long-term goals. This way you will have something to look forward to and work towards. You can also get a fair idea of what you have to do in order to achieve these goals.
2. Reward yourself. Yes, every once in a while, we do need a bit of a reward to help keep us going. Whether it be a relaxing day out at the park, some fun sports, a day at the beach, or retail therapy, little rewards will help keep you motivated to continue with your journey in reaching your goals.
3. Sometimes reading some motivational quotes or drawing motivation from others (role models) is a good way to help keep yourself motivated.
4. Take a break, have a Kit-Kat. When things seem overwhelming and hard to handle, relax, don’t panic, and take a break before resuming. Not taking breaks will cause stress and anxiety!
5. Think positively! Everybody knows that a positive attitude is a great way to keep one motivated  as well as happy and healthy, so don’t be down even if you are not performing your best, and stay positive!

Hope this helps you to stay motivated!

minds you of a particular someone? Is there a piece of music that reminds you something important to you? Music is amazing. I’m actually very happy to be working for a Music School (even as a receptionist!) because I love music myself. Yes, I don’t play a musical instrument, and yes, everyone listens to songs…. But I have a deep connection with music. Sometimes when I’m having a rough time, or finding it difficult to express my emotions, I turn to music.

The power of music is so strong. With just a few notes, I can be immediately moved, and reminded of someone, or something. Once I hear the music, it’s as if it’s drilled into my mind and I’m brought back to the event or place or person which I am being reminded of. The rhythm, the words just steal my attention and I am being brought back  into that long lost world… my emotions ravel in the lyrics and my soul is caught in the notes… Not being able to play an instrument or trained in singing is truly one of the biggest regrets in my life.

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Now are you thinking, Cindy thinks everything is good in Parramatta? Or are you thinking, Cindy’s Asian so she likes everything Asian? Well the Prince Restaurant in Parramatta provides yumcha at night and Chinese a la carte at night. Situated on Church St conveniently near Westfield, the Prince Restaurant is not exactly the best place for yumcha.

Back when I was in primary school, whenever I heard we were going to have yum cha there, I would be reluctant to go. Now I know maybe a few years ago there was a change of management and I was keen on trying out this place. This is because the Prince Restaurant is one of the few restaurants with yumcha in Western Sydney and it would take so much effort just to go to the city for yumcha.

Despite the change of management, I don’t thin they had made much improvements. I guess they only changed the management, and kept all remaining staff- which explains why I wasn’t truly impressed with the food offered. I was at least expecting some renovation or change of furniture and the sorts. (From memory the chairs and carpet wasn’t in the best condition). But I was rather disappointed.

But what’s the most important about a restaurant after all? If you’re looking for traditional tasting Har Gow (Prawn Dumpling) or Chicken Feet, it won’t be at the Prince Restaurant. If you’re craving egg tarts or spring rolls, that’s not really the place either.   Not to say that it actually tastes bad, but it’s just not really up to the standards.

But if I were to choose something good about this place, I guess it would be the large and spacious grounds, and the not-so-long queue that you’d expect and see at other yum cha places. Normally you’d have to wait up to 30 minutes for a table, here, you may be seated when you walk in! This really indicates how much people are enjoying this restaurant, doesn’t it?

nd you’ve never heard of Morning Glory – then you’re got to be kidding me. But hey, if you’re not, or you really haven’t heard about the store, it’s ok,  well I’m about to introduce this glorious place to you and you won’t regret reading this review!

Morning Glory….. what on earth does it sell? What kind of cuisine is that? It’s a Korean stationary, accessory and gift shop that’s really popular in Sydney. Located in many, many, many areas in Sydney, you’ll be glad to know that there is one right near you, right here in Parramatta as well!

Hang on, don’t confuse Morning Glory with discount or bargain stores – the goods they offer there are very different and unique! Morning Glory is the first place on your list if you need to buy a gift for kids, and even teenagers. Stationary, key rings, photo albums and frames, toys, make up, beauty and hair accessories are just a few things on the list! My favorites were it’s cute plush pillows, photo frames, window decorations and tissue box covers! Oh and the cute umbrellas! So it’s not only for kids, adults like myself would definitely find something for themselves in there if not for a gift!

Now don’t panic because it sounds like it’s a girl’s world, boys would be interested in things like stationary, cups, school bags, toys and more!

So if your kid has been behaving well lately, or you need a perfect present, Morning Glory would be a good place to be.

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Ages ago when I felt like sushi and Japanese cuisine in Parramatta, I would have to resort to Westfield’s food court for some sushi rolls. But now I can eat fresh sushi and Japanese cuisine from Sushi Bay which is of course, conveniently located outside of Westfield’s main doors!

Sushi Bay is one of those  sushi train Japanese restaurants. It’s great value for a small gathering with your family or friends – this is because there are limited tables and seats! I remember when I first decided to try out this place (which was a couple of years ago, I must say) I was with my mum and dad, we were keen on trying it because we were just attracted to the unique looking sushi rolls traveling on the “train”. Are you bored of your usual “salmon and advacado”, “chicken teryaki”, “cucumber and crab” rolls that you buy from the food court or in the other sushi train restaurants? Surely there are other sushi train restaurants that have a variety of sushi rolls, but not at the value of what Sushi Bay offers! Not only do they provide a variety of rolls, there are some new interesting ones worth trying!

Whilst enjoying the food you are able to watch the chefs make these rolls as they do it right in front of you – of course this is nothing new, but it’s always a great way to learn about how such yummy food is made – and if you’re a clean freak, you can be a 100%  clear of the hygiene process!

So if your lesson with us at Shine Music School is just before or after lunch and dinner, and if your stomach is growling for something tasty, quick and of great value – why not try Sushi Bay?