A Worldly View

Apart from a geographical categorisation, one can view the contemporary world in distinct cultural groups.    Increasing forces supersede national boundaries.  Particular nations are no longer held by common shared values as much as is ideal, but were shaped by historical decisions, political power plays and parameters that may no longer apply.   Nations have formed alliances and groups like airlines - and the viability and tenacity of such groups may no longer hold, without a prospect for effective change.


There have been countries that were first colonised by an European power one or two centuries ago but still find themselves in a  loose or actual association with the so called Mother Country.   There are independent states gripped by the negativity of personal corruption and excessive military control after successfully winning the war with colonialism.   There are nations bound by a common religion, culture or outlook.  Yet sizeable ethnic groups like the Kurds and Armenians find themselves displaced under the contemporary national structure.


Some states are so small they could obviously join a larger neighbouring territory.  Some have large territories but have been sidelined by giant neighbours.  Some political entities have so much natural resources that belie their geographical size.   Others control strategic routes, people movements and significant traffic.    Some countries are remnants of former powerful empires in the past.  Some nations are small isles whilst others are located so remote from the main focus of the world.  Yet others have seen constantly changing borders, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries.


A nation like the USA claim as their own territory places like Alaska and Hawaii which are significantly distant form the mainland States.    Greenland is under Denmark but many times larger than its European mainland sovereign.


The Antarctica is carved up amongst several nations with designated areas of stake and control, much like in the spirit of colonial days.


The Antarctica may not have held indigenous populations, but many modern day nations are ruled by peoples who have displaced the original long time occupants in such countries. The Incas, Australian Aboriginal nations, native North Americans, Eskimos, various African peoples, the Mayas, the Malayan Peninsular Sakais and the tribal peoples of Vietnam and Thailand, for example, have had more glorious days in past history.

Argentina and Chile in the southern hemisphere form a Latin American hub that extends all the way north past Brazil and the Equator to Central American nations like Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. Latino populations in the USA continue this influence north of the Mexican border.    They are strongly Catholic but many are descendants of both native, Spanish and Portuguese inter-marriages in the past.

Orthodox Christian countries surround Russia like Serbia, Romania, Macedonia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus and Bulgaria. 

Catholic Europe evoke of nations like Spain, Italy, France, Malta,  Ireland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Belgium, Luxembourg and Croatia.

Germany, Switzerland, Iceland and the Scandinavian countries are Protestant Europe.
They are perhaps on the forefront of new thinking, socialist innovation and human equity implementation.

The Islamic nations are not just south of Europe and in the Middle East but include Indonesia and Malaysia in south-east Asia, whilst Buddhist Thailand and Catholic Philippines have sizeable Muslim minority populations.

Central Africa has had a rich civilisation centring on Lake Chad with important native kingdoms like the Congo, Lurnda, Bornu, Wadai, Baguirmi, Sao, Shilluk and Kanem.  Then came the European colonists - Belgians, Brits, Portuguese, Germans, Italians and more.


Southern Africa in this modern age is defined only by five countries - Lesotho, Naimbia, Botswana, Republic of South Africa and Swaziland.  The rich natural resources, not just in minerals and ores, but also in wildlife, have helped shaped the native culture.  And then came the European settlers -   French Huguenots, Dutch, Brits and more.   Some came to escape religious persecution and others fro trade, adventure and exploitation.


The Indian sub continent has Muslim traditions in Bangladesh and Pakistan , whilst India and Nepal are primarily Hindu and Sri Lanka has a majority of Buddhists.    The past British colonial policy of "divide and rule" had created divisions and anarchy for the various different peoples of this sub-continent.

East Asia can be viewed as Confucian.  China can be said to be the historical source of civilisation in this region, greatly influencing the Japanese, Korean and Mongolian tenets of culture.  This area of the world had witnessed tumultuous events especially in the 20th century, the effects of which still colour relationships amongst neighbours in this century.

Confucian values have even shaped the island nation of Singapore in a south-east Asia that once was the centre of several important Hindu kingdoms and now an important Muslim region from Acheh in Sumatra to Mindanao Island in the Phillipines.

Six countries from the British Commonwealth -  Jamaica, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Ireland and the UK - plus the USA see themselves as primarily English speaking.   Governments and citizens in Canada, New Zealand and Australia still pay allegiance to the British Queen.   Not counting the UK, only Australia and New Zealand still bear the British flag emblem. 

Britain still controls the tiny hamlet of Gilbratar, south of Spain, like those isles in the English Channel -  under the administrations of Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey.     Anguilla, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos islands and Bermuda are all British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean.   There is also a British Indian Ocean Territory, small it may be but sufficiently strategic to UK interests.

In the Atlantic, Britain controls the Falklands, South Georgia and South Sandwich islands, Cristan da Cunha, Ascension and St. Helena.   There are also British territories but essentially military bases on the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean  - Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

The South Pacific has a unique culture but several islands are still controlled by France

 ( Austral, Marquesas, Leeward, Windward and Tuamotu-Gambier) and Britain ( Pitcairn Island).

Only six countries in the world still profess to be Communist - Albania, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea and China.  The people of Vietnam and China can be said to think more in capitalistic terms and emphasise material accumulation more than perhaps in Australia and the UK, which have extensive and entrenched social security support systems better than in the Communist states.

Perhaps it is not so simplistic.   More nations increasingly host migrants from diverse religions, cultures and backgrounds in a rather mobile world. What is perceived as a unique national culture can be diminished or diluted or diversified - it depends on what spectrum of political views you hold - by people on the so-called fringe of the main stream.   The many ethnic groups can confuse or blur a national identity.  Perhaps national identity has to be in the future measured by a strong set of common values, like human dignity, human equity and other parameters, rather than be constrained by Old World factors like religion, heritage culture, history and political leanings.

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Australia Snapshot

In the week leading to the 2 July 2016 nation wide elections, the net debt incurred by Australia has hit the one trillion Aussie Dollars mark.

The interbank interest rate, the basis that determines the cost of borrowing and lending money, is at its historical low of 1.75 per cent per annum. In contrast, the average property prices have never before been so high, especially in the capital cities.

Australia as a nation in its history has never been so diverse in demographics, cuisine and social culture. Most of its population still live within 50 km to the sea. Its total population still pales in comparison to its Asian neighbours. 

The income divide between rich and not so rich is at its widest, eroding further the relative socio-economic equity of its past. Increasing inability is not just observed by individuals and families in buying a home, but in sustaining the cost and access to health care, quality education, child and aged care.

Traffic bottlenecks have risen in intensity at rush hour in capital cities. The pace of infrastructure renewal is slower than in China due to financial, political and environmental constraints. The average wifi delivery speed continues to lag behind most nations.

The underlying dynamics and interaction between conservatism and liberalism - and between the genders - continue to significantly play out in contentious micro issues of the day.

Domestic violence, drug and gambling addictions, selective political correctness, increasing corruption and institutional abuses committed in the past seem to dominate the news. The inability of various levels of government to balance their budgets continue to grow.

Yet sporting traditions continue to flourish, together with a high level of personal freedoms. This is against a backdrop of rising obesity, emerging threats to personal security and obsession with social media - echoing what is happening in many parts of the world.

Aussies must not take for granted the enjoyment of wide open spaces, untainted environments and a rather enviable sense of well being. Gratefulness can add to having more of that elusive factor called happiness.

Whole Crabs in Cuisine

Eating crabs can be messy, liberating, expensive, yummy and rewarding. Gather a group of mates and enjoy the experience together.  Usually this sensation of best eating crabs is to use the washed hands, wear thongs and be practical about a humid, tropical climate.  The compulsory bowl of lemon flavoured water does wonders in refreshing and cleansing the hands.  Even more useful is the ability to nudge the flesh out from the shell of the cooked crab.

The Chinese put all sorts of meaning into anything and the ability to indulge in crabs means abundance. They are also seen as honouring people they respect when invited to join in such a dinner, usually steamed or stir fried with ginger, chillies and runny egg of chickens.   Eating cooked whole crabs is a communal or family thing, and often part of an eight course banquet to mark a special occasion, reunion or celebration.

An initial issue for diners is how do you extract the delicious and flavourful meat inside the crab shells, especially with the skinny crab legs?   Aunties and uncles observe how determined, patient, frugal and diligent youngsters are in how they extract crab meat within the shell. The general answer is to dig in with your hands and wash them later with the provided lemon infused wash water. Don't worry about the chopsticks or Victorian table manners - ask any Singaporean!

Having the metal spanners or so called crab crackers to help break crab shell, especially of its limbs, can be useful but veteran diners do not require that.  The experts in crab cuisine also sing praises of the crab egg roe  - they calculate the tides and sightings of the moon size before they even consider going out to buy crabs.  Some claim that female crabs are much sweeter in taste and they can be identified by a U shaped back on their shell (the males have a V).   When choosing crabs from the markets, apply common sense - that the crabs do not smell fishy, have no dark markings and have a feel fro them if possible.

The chef's preparation of whole crabs is an art and a skill.  The live crabs brought home in a  card board box are placed in extreme ice cold water buckets fro them to "go to a gentle sleep".  After this, be mindful that over washing under tap of the whole crabs can cause them to lose flavour and it is best to pat dry them with paper when preparing them.

 The crabs have their shells hammered to make them more pliable for cooking, but not to the extent of being smashed.   Sections of the whole crab are then segmented.  The claws are singled out for special attention, cracked more to allow better permeation from the cooking.

The main focus is on the top shell of the whole crab.  Once you pull this top or main segment out,  you find a bit of a messy filling from the guts, gills and other bits of the inner body.  All of these can be bitter in taste or unsightly.  You may just want to retain the crab roe and place them aside.

When dealing with the two sides of the crab left after separating the top shell, do look for the natural slope of the sides for more effective cutting - do not place your knife against the gradient and flow of the side body.

Steamed or stir fried, these crab segments then require preparation of sauces or a gravy to enhance their delicate flavours.   It may not be emphasised, but what is also quintessential to me is the flavour, quality and texture of the accompanying gravy or sauce.   This can be eaten by sliders of toast bread.   Western culinary methods tend to roast or grill them.

Eating crabs to East Asians is seen as having a cooling effect for the human body in the thinking of Yin snd Yang. - this is why they are served with body warming ingredients like ginger and Shaoxing yellow wine.  Cantonese cuisine has a specific dish with crab meat still on the shell that I adore - that cooked in a hot pot with vermicelli and flavoured with XO sauce.

Or an excellent idea is crabs with spices in a curry.

Crab curry preparation follows a recipe that is mostly not different from others, but has tomatoes, tamarind juice, coriander, cumin, tumeric and garlic that match with the flavours of the harvest from the ocean.   The subsequent question is then do we need to serve steamed rice or the ubiquitous Roti with such a crab dish?   I would say just eat the crab curry by itself or with slices of toast bread for the best effect.

Crab meat is utilised to fill up Shanghai dumplings, or as an ingredient in corn soups. or an important ingredient in making Rissoles and is often a popular but more expensive ingredient when serving Linguine.

Singaporean chili crab comes to mind for many in east Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the western Pacific.    This iconic dish from the island nation is  actually a fusion of both Chinese and Indian culinary styles as you can observe the use of light soy sauce, white vinegar and cornflour starch (which the Indians hardly use) on one hand, whilst other important ingredients to assemble before cooking are tomato puree, chopped up small red chillies and tomato paste (which Chinese culinary hardly uses, except in Sichuan cooking).   This dish was created in south-east Asia, so the Belachan shrimp paste adds to the zest for this.

Freshness is everything with crabs, whether for the Cantonese, Sri Lankan, Shanghainese or Mediterranean societies. That is why they were still alive in their water tanks half an hour before they are served as cooked.   This may not go down well with some - this is perfectly understandable - and at times it is better not to view the live crabs before they are cooked.   However this can be the practice, like in Chinese restaurants, to try reassure the diners of the freshness of the sea food used.

Western society tends to make something else from the crab meat - whether they are in savoury crab cakes or in crab sauce then used to accompany other food.  To me, nothing beats the splendour, uniqueness and joy of biting into a mean fresh sliver of crab meat that echoes the smells of the sea and the pinnacle of shell food.

In societies where garbage collection is not carried out every day, but once a week, disposing the crab shells can pose a potential issue in cleanliness and public hygiene.  Urban populations do not have the options of disposing the shells as organic waste for manure and the offal has to be securely packaged up to have minimum smell and spillage. This is similar to throwing off durian shells after savouring the custard like fruit. 

Can one eat both durian fruit and crab meat at the same time?   Both items cost more than a bit at the markets or in restaurants.   Both are seen as food rich in calories and contributing to high cholesterol levels (well, this may not be so important after all after years of us being advised in medical and mainstream media).   Both are delicious (okay, not to some people I know and I respect their preferences).   I reckon what cannot be consumed in the same eating session is alcohol - never drink that whilst enjoying eating crabs and durians.

Samaras Woonona NSW

Community feasting is marked by the sharing of not just food but also an opportunity to meet up, catch up and chat up.   Contemporary society takes up much of our individual time with the pursuit of the means to survive, save and prosper.  Our daily regime is marked by periods of commute,  working with other people, carrying out what seem to be chores, restoring ourselves and with what little time left to saviour the moments with loved ones.  Joining in a feast around a table, round, rectangular or square shaped,  we listen, partake and articulate.


So it was with a delight that I could join an extended family on a mid-week evening for a Middle Eastern feast, we all oblivious to the rain and wind outside on the coast south of the Big Smoke.    Dips make us use our hands  - we swipe, we carve up and we smear on to our breads.   The dining area was almost full at this branch of Samaras  - perhaps it was the coincidence with the first night of the Eid Festival, after a month of fasting and disciplined reflection for the Muslim community.  


By the end of the night, we had sang the traditional Happy Birthday song, sampled Italian cannoli (from Pasticceria Massimo Papa in Fairy Meadow)  and drunk the rather yummy passion fruit concoction.    Our tables were an relaxing mess, with the youngsters scattered all over.  I met young infant Emily for the first time and as always, shared a light bulb joke with ten year old Tom.   London and Bridget loved to dance and they did.  Jack and I shared our recent similar experiences.  It was always a pleasure to chat with the two sets of grand parents.  Gangling tall Adrian often made a point to converse with me and we did again.  Teenage Ben sampled the food, drank lots of water and displayed a maturity above his age.   Kim related about puppy George and Liz talked about her son James.


At Samaras, I always love the shish kebab, skewers of grilled meat, well marinated, packed on the stick and always rewarding on the palate.   My next fond dish is the Tauboli, fresh with an uplifting dressing, highlighting the parsley, lemon juice and fresh mint.   To round up the top three for me , it is the Lebanese spring rolls, which have texture on the bite, flavour in the fillings and bite size for snacking.


Lebanese breads may be the staple but I reckon it is the salads that are the star.  They do provide a contrast against all the char grilled meats and showcase the flavours of this cuisine.  The Woonona restaurant can also be considered for private functions as it is neither too large nor too small and sits on its own private level above the street.






Samaras visited is located at  417 Princes Highway, Woonona NSW, opposite the BP petrol station and it has vehicle parking both outdoor and indoor.

Opening hours are from 11am to 930pm  every day.
Contact   +  61 2 4284 9422
There is also another outlet of Samaras in Wollongong city centre NSW.
Samaras also participates at the Foragers Markets in Bulli every Sunday morning.


My impressions of Samaras at Woonona NSW:
Ambiance:  3.5 out of 5

Customer Engagement: 3.5 out of 5
Culinary Delight: 3.5  out of 5
X Factor:   2.5 out out of 5
Overall:     13/ 4  out of 5




My recommended dishes from the menu are:

Kible Mikliyeh  - a crushed wheat crispy shell containing tender lamb, herbs, caramelised onions and pine nuts.
Kafta wraps, with lamb, chickpea based Hummus and Tabouli.
Fatoush - crispy Lebanese bread laden with shallots, cucumber, tomato, fresh herbs and lettuce before being drizzled with olive oil and dressing.
Shish Tawook with grilled marinated chicken.
Spring rolls
Shish Kebab with grilled marinated lamb.

Apple Store

Matt Pierce is a most refreshing staff member that I have ever met in an Apple store in Australia.
I value most of all his professionalism, customer-focused mindset, patience and excellent grasp of technical matters.

Before Matt said hello to me on  Wednesday 6 July 2016 at the Apple store at Miranda Westfield (NSW), I had personally experienced what seemed to be a most difficult journey just to get to the  stage of meeting a technician at an Apple  store.   

My Apple product was faulty -  but I also learned that Apple stores can also learn to improve the process for a customer seeking technical help with a product.  (refer to my recommendations below).

Back to Matt....Matt explained to me upfront of how he would approach resolving the technical issue with my Apple product.  He explained to me with clarity and never in a condescending manner.   Matt looked me in the eye with a helpful look.   He focused on resolving the problem - but better than this, reassured me with engaging consideration, displayed excellent knowledge without a boast and just delivered!  He told me when he required more time on a certain phase of the resolution process.

Matt gave me options to consider along the consultation process and still was efficient in dealing with my faulty product.   I would say that Matt is not only great at resolving technical matters but also significantly in people handling - whether customers or staff.  He also articulated on the various help channels I can utilise in the future should I require this.  And I also value his patience.  

Matt demonstrated to me that whatever roadblocks we faced together on this faulty Apple product could be overcome  - through logic, a willingness to discuss and with the help of his good technical and professional approach.   All resolved for me by Matt under an excellent time frame.

Matt's Manager at the Miranda Westfield store  - Alexis, if I caught this name right - was spot on doing his role!   I noticed he kept an eye over the store to come on a  timely basis to help resolve any matters which his staff could not handle.  Alexis came back to me at the tail end of the technical consultation process with Matt and courteously asked if every thing was going all right - a much appreciated question that you also get at fine dining places.

Before Miranda,  I had visited the George Street Apple Store in Sydney CBD and already observed some shortcomings.   

However,  Giocomo was my first point of contact (AS1) at the entrance of this store and I found him to be helpful, patient and professional.   

At the same time, what I also sensed is that the role of AS1 has to be supported further by Apple stores - again, my recommendations are below.  


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My observations below relate to my experience at the George Street Sydney CBD and Miranda Westfield Apple stores:


The Apple store staff member making time bookings for technical attention requests (AS2) for customers  - which is the second point of contact for a customer (C) visiting the store,  must learn to be more pro-active.  These are the questions I recommend AS2 consciously articulate and be mindful about when interacting with customers.

AS2-1:  Have I informed C of the maximum time in minutes within which C has to turn up after receiving the text message  that the technician is ready to see C?   This shall greatly assist C to not physically wander too far away from the store.

AS2 -2:  Have I reminded C to put audio notification on C's mobile settings?  Apple cannot assume that C has switched on such audio notifications all the time.  People do switch off their audio notifications at requests of their employers, at meetings and so on.

AS2-3:  Have I  gently highlighted to C that why Apple can only offer estimated times when the technician can see C?  If so,  C can then better appreciate the variety of technical matters technicians handle with a diverse lot of customers, each unique, some easy to resolve and others requiring exploration  of all possible solution options.

AS2-4:  Have I mentioned to C that the text message, sent as such from Apple, does not have a facility for a response from C to a live person and that it is all run on automated software?

AS2-5:  C may not necessarily reside within 25 km of the Apple Store visited.    If C has informed upfront to AS2 of the effort and time taken to just arrive at the Apple Store, it is not small talk, he or she is crying for help.   AS2 is recommended to not just follow any prescribed conversation script, if any, but interact with more empathy for C who may have taken the whole day off just to come into an Apple store.


I urge all AS2 staff members to just follow a simple guide - how would I best help a customer if that customer was me?


C then can leave the Apple store after making an appointment, better understanding the limitations faced by all parties seeking technical help in an Apple Store.

When the same C returns to the Apple Store following up on a text reminder  (that the technician is ready to attend to C) and then finds that C's appointment is cancelled for no upfront reason, AS2  must seat the customer in another area away from the queue, offer to find out why with other staff if AS2 does not know, instead of silently staring at C  -  and always keep in mind C is still interested in Apple despite al the roadblocks faced (that is why C came back).

Where AS2 is not trained well or does not have the mindset to manage such a situation, each Apple Store must have a fellow mentor staff walk about to identify such situations and help defuse /resolve the matter.  In my experience, Alexis the Manager at the Apple Store Miranda Westfield was quick, alert and business focused sufficiently to do this on 6 July 2016.


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My other recommendations (ASR) to Apple Stores from my experience in the Sydney NSW area are:

ASR1 :  Do not penalise customers who are keen and responsible enough to turn up because of the behaviour of others who make appointments and do not turn up.  Not all customers are the same.

For example, I always phone (and not just text)  the restaurant asap when I cannot make it to a dining booking.

ASR2:   Customers seeking technical help often have no other choice but make the effort to visit because they have exhausted other means of trying to resolve technical issues with their purchased Apple products.

The open floor plan of an Apple store, with no obvious clarity as to which sections or Apple Staff are dealing with sales, information queries, administrative functions or technical help, is not on.

ASR3:  It is a good idea like Apple does have a dedicated staff  (AS1) to be the first point of contact for any customers walking into an Apple Store.   However on days with crowds, it can be not easy to know who is that person and even the dedicated staff may be taken away by other arrivals on other matters and not standing in front.   All Apple staff are wearing the same coloured T shirts but that is not sufficient to further identify AS1.

Why not make this clearer by having AS1 stand behind a welcome portal?

ASR4:  It is so easy to separate the Apple store into three sections - Information, Sales and Technical Assistance - and make them clearer as to which part of the Apple Store attends to which.Simple English is better to be used and avoid references like the Genius Bar, which is simply a Tech Hub.

Apple may like open office or store plans but this is not helpful to a customer.

ASR5:  I have encountered some Apple store staff who are on the front line with customers (either by phone or in person) having an over load of smugness and self-congratulatory sense they are the best, when such individuals can improve their customer engagement skills and realise that the best accolades are given by customers after they have had a good experience at the store, and not by self-indulgent talk by staff members before anything is done.

ASR6:  Apple is proud to have more customers, but by having a larger growth in customer numbers, it must seriously rethink the number of Apple stores to help in technical service after customers outside the capital city areas have purchased their products.   These are customers who have got nowhere to solution to their Apple related problems after trying on line, using the Ap[p or talking to someone on the phone.

ASR7:  Have Apple staff members wear first name tags   - be proud of who you are.

ASR8:  Allow AS1 to offer customers up front some thing easy to refer to ( a pamphlet, handy help card or direct web page reference) for better understanding how the process works in getting technical help at an Apple store.   This helps AS2 to avoid a lot of grief and effort in  explaining every time to a customer seeking technical help.

ASR9:   Apple stores can consider eliminating the role of AS2 all together if you can better support AS1 in  being the only layer customers face before they are directed to sales, administration, information enquiry or technical assistance.


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