Bidding Farewell to Sydney

My last week spent in Australia was put aside to say goodbye to friends and family. I visited the places I loved the most; spent time recalling precious memories shared with special friends and personal hide-outs in and around the city. It was a week to instill in my mind; picture perfect images of Sydney and it's wondrous surroundings for the last time. Well... so how perfect was it?
As an optimist; I'd say it was a fine weekend....I had some fun.
Realistically speaking; I'd say.. It could have been better.



Sydney bid me goodbye with dark heavy rain clouds...showers and heavy pours. *sigh* It rarely rains in Sydney... but it decided to on the day of my farewell picnic party. I wished it was pretty blue skies; but I guess lady luck just wasn't on my side.
Many friends I had expected to see could not make it at the last minute; and friends who had made good efforts to show up had a hard time locating my picnic spot from a map I had of the botanical gardens in the city. A few of them who did not find the drive way straight into the parking lots where we were located had to brace drizzles and strong winds through the maze-like gardens on foot to find our spot.
*sigh* at least I had these little yummy fruit cakes to soothe them when they arrived. I had my cupcakes decorated with mini umbrellas to match the 'unexpected' rainy day theme the weather had in store for me! *laughs*
These aren't exactly your traditional 'fruit' cakes with brandy; at weddings and Christmas, they are lighter in taste and fluffier in texture; quicker to bake too! It's a real fun twist to old recipes, so lucky to have found it from a magazine tear out page I had hidden around my stash of loose sheets.

125gms butter
450gms canned crushed pineapple in syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups self raising flour
100gms glaced cherries halved
2 cups dried mixed fruit (chopped into 1/2cm chunks)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds chopped roughly (optional)

*edit: I apologize for the initial error in the 'dried fruit' proportions :P
Mix undrained pineapple; butter, sugar and dried fruit + raisins in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Place pan in a large bowl of ice water; stirring occasionally till mixture is cooled. Make sure the water from the bowl doesn't flow into the saucepan. Remove from the icewater after 15 minutes of stirring and add in eggs and flour to the mixture and stir till combined. Divide mixture between 12 standard muffin pan holes lined with paper cupcake liners. Top unbaked cupcake tops with cherries and almonds. Bake in preheated 160 degree oven for 25-30 minutes till golden and skewer comes out clean when tested.
I know I've been speaking so much about Sydney and how I miss being back there with my friends and doing the things I love, the truth is; I've been making a sound effort to appreciate where I am in this point of my life.
I drove down to the gym last weekend in the evening; and for the first time in years; I looked up into the skyscapes of my little hometown; Ipoh. The rolling hills, beautiful blue shades of pale pastels and swaying palm trees took my breathe away.
I let out a comforting sigh and smiled to myself... I'm in as much a beautiful place as Sydney... the views are incomparable; as they are different... but magnificent nonetheless.

..not to mention how great the food is here! *giggle*