Kindly Yours

Flowering kumquat plant growing on side yard Kallipillay berries with leaves used to flavour South Indian curries Weekend easy brunch of prawn curry garnished with okra, tomato slices and egg enhanced with Pete's chili garnish from the Shoalhaven and King Dairy Island vanilla bean yoghurt. Finished up with muscat grapes in season. Wall climbing plant with aromatic leaves utilised in Straits Chinese cuisine

It was heartening to see the mates who gathered around at the Collegians that evening. Karl was on the cusp of commencing training at the Goulburn Academy. I recognised impressive Jake and was introduced to a smiling Michael. I chatted with Evie and Samantha asked me if I recalled her working in a nearby department a year ago at the office. I talked with both Daniels when we had our mains. The first Daniel works in a coal mine in Appin, and he looks fit for a twenty year old adjusting into a culture that is more middle aged in current demographics. The second Daniel studied in university, with dreams and plans to get into the financial and corporate world. Later Mick joined us fro drinks and dessert. Oh yes, the march of time, the changing of the seasons and the progress of a career all stride out, irregardless of momentary obstacles, comfort zones and the schedules of mankind. There was an old tune called Seasons In The Sun with lyrics that made an impact on an impressionable me. W...

They say, never go shopping whilst you are hungry and about to have your next meal shortly. In the logistics of modern life, when you are travelling or commuting over long distances, sometimes you cannot avoid this. I found myself in this potential quandary. I promised myself that I will only get a carton of free range eggs, some fruits of the season and some Spanish onions. I diverted into the Rhodes shopping centre on the way to a home dinner hosted buy cousin Susan and her hubby, Boo Ann. After an hour there in Rhodes, I had collected the latest catalogue from Ikea and also placed four shopping bags at the back of the car. Inside, there were macadamia flavoured soft nougat; a tray of fresh okra; herb focacia buns; a blueberry flavoured cake; a small packet of ready-to-eat popcorn; a bunch of purple-coloured muscat grapes; some fresh tomatoes; a bunch of seedless green grapes that heralded autumn; banana bread; and spice bags of cumin and galangal. Yes, I did get what I had planned...

Once in a while, I love the opportunity to turn over long unmoved corners of the house, and discover an unexpected delight that had been waiting for me all along. I relish in being able to indulge in small talk, about apparently trivial matters, which at the end of the proverbial day, are truly more important to the soul than matters we go through whilst earning a living. I enjoy the unexpected ocean breeze that brings to my senses the tail end of a myriad of stories, seen and unseen, above and below the water surface. I am thrilled riding on the wave of having to keep persistently at a whole series of seemingly small tasks, but when I look back at it all, and having completed most of it,does give me an innate feeling of accomplishment. I bask in the calmness of running water, whether in a fish tank or in a pond, but especially when rain continues to pour down in gentle showers over green grass and stones of character. I get my adrenalin going exploring through hidden valleys, mysterio...

After dinner, it seemed the perfect time to write. The blokes have gone for a walk in the unexpectedly deserted beach, beer stubbies swaggering on hand. The evening air was balmy but not that nippy for this time of the year. The ocean let out a low key murmur and splash, and then went on repeatedly. There were no coconut trees overhead, for this was too far south the eastern seaboard of Australia, but the abandonment of care and the utter lack of sense of time was most rewarding and enveloped the young night. And what a dinner it was. We started with a rather thick piece of individually served fresh salmon, doused lightly with a refreshing hint of garnish that brought out the inherent sense of the seas rather than overwhelm it. I saw on a side table the cupcakes and the strawberry gourmet ice cream dollops waiting for us. The main course caught me by surprise, a possibly fusion creation that combined soy sauced chicken cuts cooked lovingly in a curry that brought out sensations of cumi...

Stupa shaped Bushes Jana at the satay barbie Paratha Pancakes on the Grill Glutinious Rice Pack Delicacies Grilled Skewed Eggs Family Stall Savoury Sweet Dessert Honey Bees from Kentlyn Making of Paw Paw Salad Paratha Pancake Guys Songkran Sanuk Sanuk: the feeling of utter inner joy with abandon, as in sheok (colloquial in Malaysia or Singapore) or hoi sum (Cantonese). Songkran: Thai celebration of the New Year, usually in April and involving random fun acts of throwing water in public on each other. Leumeah: Sydney venue of Campbelltown Shire's Thai temple, on grounds that represent and evoke a living forest.