Kindly Yours

Coming out of Queensland, Capers seemed to me initially as the new player on the competitive and already established pizza fast food delivery market in Australia.  However it commenced operations in 1996 in Kenmore in the greater Brisbane area - which I was not aware of.  So I had expectations of what makes Capers different, to distinguish themselves in this space. What is their target demographic? May be this can be discerned from the location of their stores in new areas.  My first encounter with Capers was in Corrimal, which lies at the northern end of the Illawarra region south of greater Sydney.  This store opens only at noon, is manned minimally but is sited strategically opposite the Woolworths car park and within walking distance from the main intersection of the shopping strip.  The Corrimal store is part of at least a 120 outlet network, still mainly located in Queensland State and mostly in regional areas outside capital cities. ...

This following entry marks seven years today for Kindly Yours. The Huat Kueh, a steamed light delicacy served in  various colours to mark a celebration or festive occasion. Ubiquitous in Georgetown, Penang Island. The colonial legacy has provided the pork and chicken pies, served on fine china. The pictured versions were bought from Bankstown in NSW. Singapore orchids and Cambodian bananas grace the table at teatime with a south-east Asian theme. Setting captured in Balgownie, NSW. Cookies with a twist - clockwise, from left to right, with flavours as unusual like pandanus and curry leaf.  Available from the Cookie Museum of Singapore. Straits Chinese layer cake, with variations in Indo-China, Indonesia and the Phillippines.  Based on coconut milk, a flair for presentation and at times garnished with red beans.  It is served as a delicacy in both fancy hotels in Singapore and by the roadside in Thailand. Nothing like a ready edible harve...

I find I no longer drop by certain shops, specific businesses and particular trades. Not out of malice, but by sheer evolving selection and replacement by other options. When the weekend arrives, it was a pleasure to drop by the news agent after a morning run and a cuppa. Or even having the newspapers delivered. Today I don't even miss newsprint, unless I have to cover part of the floor during a house painting session. Oh yes, the newspaper, the physical version used to wrap traditional fish and chips, has even shrunk in size to A4 tabloid. In Asian countries, you can still get paid, by the weight, when you sell your old and read newspapers to the recycling guy. In Australia, no one comes with cash to take away your discarded paper - in fact, you pay to unload your hoarded stuff at the local dump, sited usually in a remote place after an hour's drive away from home. The daily ritual of reading newsprint of course has been replaced by another addiction - that of logging into ...