Some photographs from a few hours with Kate, spent visiting Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House, and the current Kaldor public art project by Jonathan Jones in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens. http://kaldorartprojects.org.au/ Twenty years after moving to Sydney, I never get tired of visiting the area. It still makes me go “wow”.
“So I guess you won’t be going to the Worker’s Club on Friday night?”, Pat said to me the other day. “I guess not”, I replied, in reference to the (hopefully only) 7-day COVID-related lockdown we’re having in Lismore right now.
Since arriving home, I’ve quite enjoyed going to the Workers Club for the Friday night meat trays and badge draws, even if I haven’t won a single thing.
But on this Friday night, our fifth night of lockdown, I’m at home, I’m in my pyjamas, and I’m catching up on some correspondence.
Though I got a little homesick earlier in the week, I’d rather be here than in Sydney right now. The case numbers keep increasing every day, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope in sight. Though it’s important to say, a friend in France reminded me how minor our problem is, compared with what they’ve been through.
I’ve been out and about to the supermarket a couple of times this week, and I’ve also been to get some take-away coffee from the Duck Pond Espresso.
“We just sat and listened to the birds across the road”, the grandson told me a couple of days ago, referring to the quietness on the road. Today, the grandmother told me about the mating behaviour of the local birdlife, and pointed out the ones currently mating.
And today, the conversation in Lismore turned to sewerage works.
Several family members contacted me today to tell me they had “read on Facebook” there were COVID-19 cases in South Lismore. They were refencing an item on the Lismore City Council Facebook page which indicated there had been “COVID elements in the South Lismore Sewerage Treatment Works”.
Through no one really understanding what that meant, there were countless posts declaring there were “known COVID cases in South Lismore”.
Thankfully, the City Council put out an explainer the Lismore Base Hopsital (where there are known cases) fed into the South Lismore Sewerage Treatment Plant, and so it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
There was also a bit of excitment as the local medical centre (where I got my injection the other week) also had some known close contacts. It’s a medical centre, right?
“That is SUCH a Swedish thing to do”, Grant commented when I returned from the men’s toilet at IKEA.
Although I’m sure you can otherwise get arrested for taking photographs in men’s toilets, my intention was honourable.
I was impressed with the “baby seat” located in the cubicle so that when a father needs to attend to nature, he has somewhere to place the baby.
The Swedes are known for their gender equity, and I guess this is just another sign of it.
It was one of those early afternoon decisions to go to IKEA. I was hanging out at home with nothing much planned. And so I rang Graeme and Grant asking if they wanted to make a trip to our favourite shopping centre.
While Graeme looked at CDs. Grant and I ate meatballs.
The wait for our meal though was a little more than we expected. It was if half of Sydney had the same early afternoon realisation that it would be fun to go to IKEA and fun to go to the cafe. I estimate we were in the queue for fifteen minutes.
As we wandered around IKEA we noted that for all its Swedishness, there are some aspects of Swedish culture they don’t include. For example, the muzak is never Swedish. And for all of the prints of exotic locations around the world you can buy, there’s not one of Stockholm.
OK, so maybe the demand for a print of the archipelago may not be all that great in Sweden, and half of the rest of the world may have little idea that Stockholm even has an archipelago, I can tell you there’s three little ducks here in Sydney who would love a print of Stockholm for their wall.
I did the things I had to do – buy some glasses for work, and some light globes – and also picked up some lovely coat-hangers and then we caught the train back.
Plans for the night? Swedish homework and clothes-washing.
As much as I love my work, I also love a public holiday, and it’s been great having another day off.
I had a terrific phone call this morning from Kylie (my accountant) informing me that my “mega tax return” was just days away. This was the tax return you may recall I promised myself I would spend on overseas travel.
I know where I want to go: Sweden, France, United States. I’ve done a fair bit of travel planning and I have a reasonable idea of my itinerary.
I know when I want to go: August-October 2008 (and maybe longer).
I have more than enough leave: I could actually take 34 weeks of combined annual and long-service leave at full-pay if I wanted to.
But what I’m not sure about is what I should do now.
Should I go for an around-the-world-ticket? Should I go through a bricks-and-mortar travel agent? Should I book online directly with the airlines? Any advice you have to offer would be greatly appreciated.
The last time I went on a big overseas trip, Damo did most of the planning. I’ve gotta be a grown-up myself this time and I need your help.
For the three decades I’ve lived in this area, my local shopping centre in Surry Hills was affectionately, or perhaps ironically, known as the “Murder Mall.” I, however, preferred to call it the “Methadone Mall.”
But as gentrification swept through the neighborhood, so too did an upscale makeover for our mall. Now, it boasts a Harris Farm, new upmarket restaurants, and a massive Coles, shedding its old, grungier vibe.
I found myself heading back there for lunch today with former colleagues, a cherished annual tradition. Our destination was Olympus, a Greek restaurant that has generated considerable buzz over the past year. Everyone I’d spoken to raved about it, so I suggested it for our special catch-up.
As we settled in, the conversation naturally turned to our lives, our careers, and, hilariously, our impending or recently passed 60th birthdays. I playfully asked, “So, what pills are we all on?” This led to a lighthearted, yet surprisingly bonding, discussion about our current medications. Even our fittest friend, we discovered, is now on a few prescriptions! It was a lovely, relatable moment with colleagues I’d worked very closely with for years.
Olympus certainly lived up to its hype. The space itself is striking, designed to accommodate 240 people without feeling crowded. Unlike many modern restaurants that cram in too many tables, Olympus offers ample room, allowing for easy conversation without needing to shout. A truly unique feature is the large tree in the center of the dining area and an overhead opening window. While it was closed due to winter, this million-dollar window, as our waiter informed us, floods the space with natural light, making it easy to read menus – a welcome change from dimly lit establishments.
We sampled several dishes, all excellent. Here are a few of them.
It was a genuinely great meal, and surprisingly affordable given the quality. Only two of us opted for a glass of wine each, so the bill wasn’t astronomical – a far cry from the indulgent, office-ditching lunches of the 80s! But it’s also not a cheap meal, either. I’d highly recommend Olympus, though be prepared for a higher-end experience if you choose to truly indulge.
Also this week, I enjoyed a different kind of outing, attending “Bingay” at the Beresford Hotel.” This fun event was a fundraiser for the AIDS Council of New South Wales, set to a fantastic ABBA soundtrack. One of the drag kings even channeled an ABBA member in their costume, adding to the entertainment. It was a joy to reconnect with friends who’d attended previous events and meet new people, making for a truly enjoyable evening.
Aside from these outings, it’s been a week of settling back into work and life in Sydney after my break in Lismore. I had a funny moment this morning when a colleague asked about my weekend plans, and I realized I couldn’t instantly answer. I’m back to that stage where plans get added to the diary and sometimes completely forgotten until they’re upon me! Such is life right now.
Though there’s nothing I would actually buy from these shops, I’m quite fascinated by the pop up shops appearing on Crown Street, Surry Hills.
We have quite a few shops in Surry Hills that are now empty, largely due to the result of changes in retail (generally) and COVID-19.
In their place, a few shops have popped up containing a range of things you might otherwise find at garage sales.
Though I’ve looked in the shop windows on many occasions, including while I’ve waited for a bus, there’s nothing I would actually buy.
An interesting trend, nonetheless.
Until earlier today I thought I was still reasonably hip and groovy. When it came to restaurants and bars I thought I knew all the “hot spots” of Sydney. But when we arrived at Alexandria for workplace Christmas Lunch, I knew instantly there was a “blindspot” in my knowledge. I had no idea there was a restaurant, shopping, farm thing going on in the area.
We’d booked in for lunch at The Pottery which we all realised pretty quickly was hipster heaven. In short that meant lots of waiters with bears and armpit hair. “In another environment, James and I would think this was okay, I’m just not sure about it for lunch”, a colleague joked.
The food was okay, though the chips accompanying my cheeseburger were a little salty for my liking. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their choices, which included prawns, schnitzel, and pulled pork. Accompanying the meals were a few jugs of fruit-flavoured beverages. “Is there alcohol in this?”, a colleague asked. “Oh no, I’m sure there isn’t”, I told her referencing the large amounts of ice and fruit. Working in middle-management these days, we all kept ourselves nice, returning to work after only a couple of hours.
The environment was quite nice with all of the plants, and especially with the cooling effect of the light sprays. The only negative, we all agreed, was the music was probably a little too loud.
Also, I’m not so sure about the “caged” animals, including a pig called Kevin Bacon.
It was incredibly busy, though, for a lunchtime on Monday, even in the run up to Christmas.
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.