Shaanxi Province Folk Art
Kate and I went to the opening of an exhibition of Shaanxi Province folk art at the Powerhouse Museum tonight. There were a LOT of people taking photographs.
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Flying to Vietnam : check out the cutlery
As we embarked on our holiday to Vietnam and Cambodia earlier today, we couldn’t shake the feeling that something was not quite right. Skipping the lengthy check-in process at Sydney International Airport and heading straight through security and customs seemed too easy. It’s six years for me, and four years since my friends have had an overseas holiday, mostly due to COVID-19. Armed with only our hand luggage and digital boarding passes, we thought something was not “quite right”.
Our smooth progress was momentarily interrupted when I was “randomly chosen” for an explosives check during security. Although it was a minor inconvenience, we accepted it as part of the routine.
Despite booking through TripADeal and anticipating access to the QANTAS lounge, we learned that the arrangement didn’t apply to these flights. The helpful staff at the QANTAS lounge explained the situation, and suggested an alternative lounge, which turned out to be fantastic. With excellent coffee, great food, a pleasant atmosphere, and friendly staff, the Sky Team Lounge meant we were well taken care of.
As we prepared to board the plane, we encountered another hurdle: our digital boarding passes on our phones weren’t sufficient; we needed printed passes. Thankfully, the airline assured us that it wouldn’t be a problem. Luck was on our side, and we quickly obtained the necessary printed passes, and were actually sent straight to the front of the business queue.
Flying with Vietnam Airlines, we had opted for bulkhead seats at an additional cost of $90 each. These seats offered ample legroom and the convenience of being close to the toilets.
However, proximity to the toilets also brought unexpected laughs, as we witnessed the occasional struggle of fellow passengers with opening and closing the doors. We were also pretty grossed out by the large number of Australians walking around barefoot, in and out of the toilets. At least wear socks!!
Before our trip, I dedicated time to learning a few useful Vietnamese phrases using Duolingo. Although my vocabulary remained limited, I managed to impress a flight attendant with my attempt at saying “thank you.”
Leading up to our adventure, we also sought travel tips from platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Tripadvisor.
The opinions about Vietnam Airlines varied greatly, with some praising it as the best airline in the world while others criticized it as the worst. It appeared that many people expected first-class service at budget prices—a pretty unrealistic expectation.
On a lighter note, one pretty amusing anecdote emerged from a Vietnam travel group on Facebook. A fellow traveler asked for recommendations on a Vietnamese beer that most resembled “Great Northern,” an Australian beer with divided opinions. The responses ranged from practical suggestions to hilarious jokes. While some advised embracing new and interesting flavors, one bold commenter suggested the traveler should “just drink dog’s piss” if they sought a similar taste.
Our ninety-minute layover in Ho Chi Minh City passed swiftly as we navigated the bustling customs hall. We seized the opportunity to purchase Vietnamese SIM cards offering unlimited data, thanks to the efficient assistance of a remarkable saleswoman. While the security check took a bit longer, causing a minor delay, we still managed to board our connecting flight with time to spare.
And so we’re here, in our hotel rooms in Hanoi. I’m looking forward to sharing pics and stories from this long overdue holiday.
Sharing the Space
Imagine yourself trying to use a pram, a wheelchair, or a mobility scooter to get through a busy weekend crowd at the tourist mecca of Circular Quay in Sydney. In particular, there’s the unpredictable movements of people who stop abruptly to take photos of themselves in front of the Opera House or Harbour Bridge, veer suddenly to greet a friend, or change direction without warning. That’s the situation I found myself in today.
With my new scooter fully charged, I set out today with two goals: to enjoy the glorious spring weather, and to see how I could use my new mobility scooter in my daily lifestyle.
First, the daily commute. My usual routine involves a walk, a tram ride, and another walk, and I wanted to see if the scooter could replace that. The distance from my place to work is about 1.5km.
I set off down a hilly street, heading toward Central Station. The scooter was fantastic with the hills, getting me there in 10 to 12 minutes—much faster than my usual commute. At the station, I used the lift at the Devonshire Street entrance to access the tunnel.
One thing I quickly noticed was how easy it is for people to be unaware of their surroundings. People with headphones on would sometimes walk right into me without looking up.
From Central, I continued to my workplace to check out access via the security gates. While I had considered applying for wheelchair access to the gates, I discovered the scooter was small enough to pass through the regular gates without any issue. The security guard was very helpful, explaining the process for special access if I ever needed it.
After work, I headed to the nearby Market City shopping centre (the one above Paddy’s Market), taking the lift up to roll around before getting back on the tram.
It was great to see how accommodating everyone on the tram was. A few people instantly stood up to make space for the scooter. Their kindness was clear, though I could see a bit of uncertainty on their faces, which made me realize how rare it is for people to see mobility scooters on public transport.
After a coffee at Circular Quay, I headed towards Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, an historic sandstone bench with fantastic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. It’s a spot I hadn’t been to since before my lower limb amputation, as the walk had become too challenging.
As I made my way across the Opera House forecourt, I found that the cobblestones were a bit bumpy, but by sticking to the paved lines, the ride was much smoother. I noticed a similar thing when I entered the Botanic Gardens, where I found a smoother line of bitumen to the side of the path. The ride through the gardens was wonderful. It was a joy to take in the familiar surroundings from a different, lower perspective.
Conscious there are all types of people sharing these spaces – from those fit and running, to those waking more slowly, to those pushing prams, I tried to do my part by maintaining a consistent speed and staying close to buildings to be as out of the way as possible. Ultimately, it’s about mutual awareness and respect. Whether you’re on two feet or four wheels, we all need to be mindful of each other.
Cityrail Complaint
You know how some people hate trains? They just can’t stand travelling on them. They think they’re dirty and smelly. That, or they hate the timetables, or they don’t go in the right direction. Or they fear for their safety after a certain hour at night. Well, I actually quite like trains. But there’s one thing about the Sydney train system that drives me wild. It’s the fact that Olympic Park remains the #1 choice on the ticket machines.
Since Olympic Park opened in the late 90s, I’d estimate I’ve been there about twenty times. I went to the Olympics and the Paralympics, I go every year for the Royal Easter Show, and I’ve been there for the odd concert. And for these major events is usually pretty fast by train. But aside from these major events, getting to Olympic Park by train is usually quite difficult. Mostly, you have to catch a couple of connecting trains, and even then you often have to sit and wait for up to half an hour for the connection.
So why is Olympic Park still the #1 choice on the ticket machines? Why isn’t it City Circle or something else? The number of times I’ve pressed Olympic Park instead of City Cricle alone would amount to thousands of dollars in lost productivity.
And why does Macdonaldtown get a higher billing than Redfern or Newtown? In all the time I’ve been in Sydney, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get off the train at Macdonaldtown.
It’s pure madness! Mr Iemma and Mr Watkins – please do something about this.
Back on the beers
There’s a pub at Taylor Square in Sydney called “The Oxford” which I’ve visited on many, many occasions. Back in the 90s, it was a gay pub and it was always packed to the rafters. I have many, many fond memories of the pub during those years.
Though I don’t recall exactly when it was, they re-developed the pub a number of years ago, and seeking to attract a broader and presumably larger clientelle, they decided they were no longer running a “gay pub”. The gays went away, but they weren’t replaced by anyone else, and so for many years, the pub has struggled. A couple of years ago they became a “gay pub” again, with rainbow flags and drag queens, and slowly they’ve been rebuilding. But even a year ago, they were still struggling to attract people to eat and drink, especially earlier in the week.
But today, the pub was pretty full, and “packed to the rafters” in a “COVID-friendly” kinda way. It wasn’t exactly 90s glory days, but it also wasn’t half empty, as it has been for quite some time. Though they confirmed my entry, I decided there were “too many” people for my liking. “Sorry, I can’t stay, there’s too many people for me”, I told the bouncer, as I gained entry and left less than a minute later.
I’m sure their client base will return to “normal” after the novelty of “Freedom Day” wears off.
Most of the other pubs in my area also had large crowds today, including my “local”, the “Crown Hotel” on Cleveland Street. “The Crown” attracts a generally older crowd, more “working class” than most of the other pubs in the area. They’re also a fairly loyal crowd with lots of “regular drinkers” who know each other, and who know the bar staff by name. Going in today, it was like Rob, Lily and the others had been put into a giant freezer over the last months, and were thawed only yesterday, in preparation for re-opening.
I had a chat with one of the “locals” and his partner later this afternoon, which was very nice. They both LIKE A BEER, and were pleased the pub had re-opened. I’m also looking forward to catching up with a mutual friend who continued to work today, but who will probably be up for a beer later in the week.
As the Victorian Premier, Dan Andrews declared last year, people are “back on the beers”.
The other business type that seemed pretty popular today were the hairdressers.
Interestingly though, people seem to have taken on board a “mixed response” to face mask wearing. We don’t NEED to wear face masks in public anymore. But I noticed in the city today, most people were still wearing them. Closer to home in Surry Hills, mask wearing was probably down to 50/50. In Surry Hills, I noticed it was younger people who were less likely to be wearing masks. Only a few hundred metres from all of the action, maybe people were associating face masks with pollution? (Surry Hills is a leafier, greener place).
Having seen the news reports about the crazy behaviour of midnight shopping and hair dresser appointments, I got a call from Pat, checking in to see if I was safe and sound. My family in Lismore have been worried about my return to Sydney, as they watch the daily news reports about all the cases here. “It looks pretty mad on the TV”, Pat told me.
The roads today were also busy, and I felt a sense of sadness that people haven’t learned the “lessons” of the last four months of lockdown. And I think there are genuinely “lessons” that we, as humans, don’t NEED to go shopping everyday, don’t NEED to consume as much as we have been. Yes, you have to find the right balance, but I worry that we’re headed back to the way it was without, perhaps, much reflection?
Exhibition Opening (in a wheelchair)
“I feel like I’m Margaret Olley for the night,” I told my friend Kate as we wandered around, enjoying the current exhibition at the National Art School in Darlinghurst. In common with the renowned Australian artist (who also hails from Lismore), l love attending exhibition openings. In her later years, she walked with the aid of a walking frame, and was quite a sight as she made her way, cutting through the crowds. Though without her gravitas, I similarly maneuvered in a wheelchair for the Elizabeth Cummings exhibition opening.
Elizabeth is an Australian landscape painter. Her current exhibition, “Radiance,” spans two floors and features paintings mostly based on South Australian locations. While depicting landscapes, the artworks go beyond mere representation, capturing the landscape’s essence with a variety of color palettes.
Kate and I have been attending exhibitions for as long as we’ve known each other. If you explore the art or arts tags on this blog, you’ll find records of the numerous exhibitions we’ve attended, including some curated by Kate herself. For a decade, we were also part of the Hawkesbury One art collectors group.
When she mentioned her visit to Sydney this week and asked if she could see me in the hospital, she also mentioned her plan to attend the opening afterward. “Maybe I could attend, too?”, I wondered.
In preparing for the outing I needed to think about the best way of getting there on the sometimes uneven footpaths of Darlinghurst, and which way from the hospital to the gallery had the most gentle incline. I also neeed to look around much more for the unexpected movements of both people and traffic.
I needed approval (and sign an indemnity form) for a “leave pass” from the hospital, based on safety considerations. A phone call was all it took to confirm with the specialist, Simon that it would be okay. My mobility has significantly improved even from a week ago, and activities like attending an exhibition opening probably help in my rehabilitation. In fact, “going to art exhibitions” is one of the goals I’ve been anticipating for next week’s meeting with the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). Goal achieved.
“Don’t I know you?” a random woman asked me as we wandered the exhibition. It turns out she is an occupational therapist working at the hospital. Although I haven’t worked with her, she recognized my face. “See you in the hospital tomorrow,” she said.
I also recognized and spoke to a few other people at the opening. A former colleague did her best to make me feel at ease about being seen for the first time with a missing limb and in a wheelchair. I could still perceive the hint of surprise in her eyes, as if she were thinking, “What the fuck happened to you?”
It was intriguing to navigate through the crowd and experience the exhibition from a different perspective, being a couple of feet “shorter” than everyone else, and unable get around with the ease I would have experienced previously.
On the positive side, we received assistance getting in and out of the exhibition. There is a small step at the entrance that would have been manageable in a “standard” wheelchair, but proved slightly challenging in a “hospital” wheelchair, designed for hospital floors. I also managed to get good positions in the chair in front of people to take a closer look at the works without obstructing others’ views. Yet, being so close to the ground, I sometimes went unnoticed as I moved through the crowd, leading to some “delays” getting through. But mostly, it was a positive experience, and a good sign for the future.
Experiencing this with my dear friend of thirty years made it truly wonderful
The Great Outdoors
Travel Planning
Having made the rather rash decision – by my standards – to book a mid-year holiday to Stockholm at around the time of Stockholm Pride, I’ve begun to make some plans, make a few bookings, and generally look around for interesting things to do.
I have booked a small studio apartment in a building that’s about to open – I think it opens tomorrow – about ten minutes by the Tunnelbana (metro) from the centre of Stockholm. As it’s a new apartment, I’m sure there’ll be a few bugs here and there, but I also assume it’s going to be clean and modern which I think is rather important. While it’s all very good to stay in an historic building, my travel experiences tell me they usually have bad plumbing and no lifts. At the end of a long day, I’d rather some of the creature comforts, even if the building does look a little modern and impersonal. Also on my previous visits I’ve moved around a bit from location to location, so it will be a new experience to “stay put” for a few weeks and to have somewhere to call home.
Obviously I’ve been checking out the Stockholm Pride website to see what’s on this year, though there’s little detail at the moment. That’s not so surprising, though, as my experience from previous years is that it’s often quite late before they announce too many details.
I’ve been checking out some of the summer concert tours, but haven’t found all that much that interests yet. Inevitably I’m sure I’ll go to Allsång på Skansen which usually features a range of popular Swedish performers. The schlager night on Mondays at Victorias on Kungsträdgården is already in my diary as a weekly “must do”. I’ve have beooked a ticket to see Swedish singer, Peter Jöback supported by Cookies N Beans (Swedish bluegrass) which I’m sure will be fun. I’d love to see some of the new performers I’ve discovered over the last few years like Säkert and Bo Kaspers Orkester (and others) and I’m generally keen to discover new stuff though, so if you have any recommendations, I’d really appreciate your thoughts.
I’ve been trying to book to do the Stieg Larsson Millenium Tour, a walking tour which covers the buildings and locations covered in the Millenium series of books but have been experiencing difficulties. In the past I’ve found I’ve been unable to use my Australian credit card for purchasing tickets on some Swedish websites, and I think that’s happening again. I’ll keep trying, because the tour looks wonderful. My friend Grant did the tour in October last year and has some wonderful photographs of what it’s like.
There’s also an ABBA City Walk which recounts many of the places and locations related to ABBA and their career which looks like interesting.
I’m most excited, however, about having booked one of the Stockholm Roof Top Tours.
How cool does this look?