Kindly Yours

Tramps, the store for men on Crown Street Mall, offers unique branded underwear and footwear. It is not surprising to be able to pick up Bjorn Borg and Diesel wear priced in the AUD50 range on the ground floor. The sales staff have an Italian background and flair about them, and my experience is that they are very attentive to detail when you speak to them about purchasing a suit. Wollongong Waves - Ceiling of Crown Street Mall Centre The Body Shop outlet at the same mall exudes the enthusiasm and consistency for customer experience from its UK headquarters. There is always a constant effort to provide new variety, not just in products, but also in packaging, combinations and display.  This time around, they offer Japanese themed cherry blossom flavours in not just bath room toiletries but also in an expanding range of aromatics.  You can consider buying in various combinations that can cost from ten to a hundred dollars - hence the greater fun in choice and shoppin...

Penang style pohpiah (fresh veg cuts with chilli paste, bean flavoured garnish and hoi sin sauce all inside a thin wrap) From top, clockwise: Aussie Helliers choc lollies, news eason red nectarines, honey murcott mandarins, Straits Chinbese angkoo (yellow bean filling in a red dough) and apricots. Garden lights to celebrate the Mooncake Festival and 20 years in Australia

Has climate change showed its hand more obviously this past week?  Summer has not officially arrived in the Antipodes, but dry radiating high temperatures of between 35 to 45 degrees Celsius have already been recorded in the south-eastern corner of Australia. Located nearer the ocean, I should be grateful for the cool breezes that inevitably blow through my house windows after a roasting evening. The crispy fresh comfort of subtemperate zones are easily forgotten as one moves into the sometimes bewildering adjustment with the energy-depleting and mind-harassing feel of raised temperatures.   Yet, this also means to be more engaged with the environment, when relief sweat infuses our skin with the saltiness of beach air and the spurting growth of plants in response to the changed climate. The sunlight was still strong and shone straight into my group's originally seated table at the Belgian Beer cafe in Cammeray, north of the Sydney CBD.  Charmaine cho...

19 November 2009 - Balgownie

 

With a couple more hours of sunlight left, I found myself in the hustle and buzzle of a city workforce rushing home, transients just arriving and yet others in neither mode. Business souls, holiday makers and family groups may have to reckon what can they do in such an odd and yet interesting time, before shops shut up, the moon comes up and the city centre reverts to another world? Many in Asia may not find it a big deal, but having a major department store extend its opening hours to 7pm in Australia is, on any day. After work hours, I can glide into watching people watch goods on display, of having that leisurely time to scout for things that I may or do not really need. This can pace the rush at suburban stations, compared to situations when suddenly there is nothing much else to do in the city, except directly go home. However, shopping, cinemas, food and arcades themselves are not that sufficiently attractive to retain a lively presence after hours in a world class city. There ne...