When in Wollongong

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 shopping.

Surprising Wollongong

The David Jones store for clothing is just too packed out and seriously requires a move to bigger quarters. Sometimes an enterprising busker or two position themselves outside the dark wallls of this store - the last I saw was an engaging guy singing his rendtions on a guitar. The Cino Cafe, just across the lane. but also facing the mall, offers a respite from the outside elements, make available a range of delicious cakes and offers a cosy retreat from the everyday.  Its mostly young staff are lean and busy.  Try the flourless gluten-free orange cake in this cafe  if you are next on Crown Street Mall.

(The writer writes afar from his adopted town of Wollongong, and declares he has no shares or monetary benefit in any of the businesses mentioned in this article)

Gatherings

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

Vas and Krish - The Wedding at Helensburgh, NSW

November Evenings

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 chose a curry, intitially surprising of a Belgian theme, but then one thought of the imapct of its African colonies on its cuisine back in the mother country.The cafe is well known for mussels cooked in a beer-infused broth (which Chris had), but I was drawn to the double-cooked crispy pork belly - ah, very rich, esepcially with the skin on.  It did not match my expectations formed from what I savoured at the Kaiser S'tuben in Terry Hills, another suburb of the greater Sydney area.  Nevertheless, the pub scene beside the dining area was lively and buzzing, filled mostly with suntanned twenty somethings having obvious relief from an already hot day in the middle of November.  The cherry beer I had a glass of was most agreeable.

Crooner David Campbell was profusely sweating away as he boogied and danced through his on-stage performance at the Norths Club down the road from the cafe.  David has somewhat successfully transformed his career from an excellent start in Les Miserables to a swing and jazz band artiste, who effectively engages his audience with flair in variety and personal charisma.  The positive vibes with an audience played their significance when I attended a UTS Alumni panel discussion on perspectives of careers in the next few years. It had been a temperature, traffic and logistics challenge to get up to Sydney CBD from Wollongong after work, but the forum was worth very minute. The event was tipped off by Joyce, who even reserved a seat for me in a fully packed auditorium at the UTS School of Architecture & Design.

Many Happy Returns, Mum!

19 November 2009 - Balgownie

November Nuances

 

An Evening in New Sydney City

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 needs to be more.

Maybe it is the prelude to exclusive events, where you make eager beavers hype up the mood and atmosphere by making them queue outside a night club at King Street Wharf, or even in a cause-related screening of the latest re-make of A Christmas Carol at the Imax Darling Harbour. It can be the lighting up of the three storey high indoor Christmas tree at the QVB Building, as this year's snow-flake white theme is free for all to see until the building closes its doors at midnight. It may be the creation of focus spaces, each with varying themes on different evenings, whether linked to dance, romance, tempo or graphics.

When the heat dissipates, everyone feels - and looks - better. Sydney thrives on the outdoors, and how else can it get better when you connect the moonlight, the harbour breeze and the relaxing atmosphere. Why can't there be structured walks along alleyways, heritage buildings and performance spaces - it does not have to be only on the Harbour Bridge, by the ocean cliffs or in bush trails. Do things have to be centred around food? It can be activities based on health, hobbies or collective building.

The new Sydney has to reveal its soul in more humane, softer and passionate ways. Commercialism alone will not sustain the attractiveness nor vibrancy of a community. The place already has variety, disorderliness and surprise - bring in good ideas as well. Make transients and visitors want to stay longer, overnight and more.