There was a moment the other night, Good Friday night, at around 11.00pm, when I stopped for a moment and marvelled at how quiet it was. Though there’s normally a low level traffic rumble where I live, it was almost eerily quiet. Though other people like to leave Sydney for the Easter Weekend, the peace and quiet is one of the reasons why I like to stay around.
With four days off, I’ve enjoyed catching up with mates for beers, going out for meals, and having afternoon naps. Today, I even had a late morning nap.
And this afternoon, I paid a visit to the White Rabbit Gallery, where there’s a few “mega works” this time, including a video work featuring two large screens, projecting a piece called “The Long March – Restart” which I liked very much. I love how even the people viewing the work have taken on a “video game glow” in the photograph I took on my phone.
Heading over there, I was also a little overwhelmed at the amount of construction activity underway in Chippendale. Though I work closeby, and am therefore in the area at least five days a week, I hadn’t really noticed it. Everywhere, it seems there’s an apartment block springing up.
On world-scales, Sydney is both a small and large city. Much larger than many European capital cities, but much smaller than some of the mega-cities of Asia, such as Shanghai, Tokyo and Beijing. Within my lifetime, Sydney is likely to become as big as Tokyo is right now, but by that time I’ll more than likely be living back in the country-side.
This is in no way some kind of anti-immigration post, and I’ll delete any comments here that proffer any kind of racist rant, but I quite like Sydney at around the current population, and especially around Easter when it’s nice and quiet.
As I walked around the fields of the Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City, I could hear the sound of gunshots. It was quite impressive and gave me a realistic sense of what it might have been like during the American Vietnam War, I thought.
It started raining just as we arrived, and then quickly cleared, to be followed by hot and steamy weather, which further added to the atmosphere and provided a glimpse into the conditions experienced by the people in the area during this time.
Looking at the vegetation, you could get a vague sense of the jungle terrain and how it was destroyed by Agent Orange during the war. What remains now is just a fraction of what it used to be between 1954 and 1975. It was, apparently, thick jungle, and later empty landscape.
The legacy of Agent Orange continues in a gallery and workshop that we visited along the way. It’s a place where people with disability caused by Agent Orange, are creating art.
277 Handciapped Handcrafts, near Ho Chi Minh City. (Please note, handicapped is not a word commonly used in Australia these days, but it’s the word used in this gallery/workshop)Pic taken with permission (actually encouragement) by the artist. Pic by Andrea
The artwork produced there is absolutely beautiful. Although it’s not my usual preference or style, as I learned more about the effort put into creating these pieces—using materials like eggshell and mother of pearl, and the intricate hand-carving and polishing—I began to appreciate and even liked some of the works. What made it even more meaningful was knowing the money raised from sales goes towards supporting these individuals, their children, and grandchildren.
In a landscape decimated by the defoliant, between 1954 and 1975, around 10,000 people from the Vietcong lived underground.
Underground tunnell entrance at Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City
By visiting the tunnels we learned a little about their lives.
For example, we learned about their consumption tapioca, a root vegetable, a type of agriculture, that could be grown without the soldiers above ground knowing people were living below.
Another intriguing aspect was how they cooked underground. We were told that there was a very slow release of smoke at different locations, aiming to give no indication of people living below.
We also saw the handmade rubber thongs, which had an interesting design where the footprints appeared to go in the opposite direction.
However, I couldn’t help but think about the diseases and challenges associated with the tropics, such as malaria and leeches.
But I also considered the sense of normality that must have existed—families going about their daily lives, raising children in that environment.
During the tour, many in the group participated in some of the immersive experiences like crawling through tunnels or descending into narrow spaces. Personally, I couldn’t do it due to my claustrophobia and my own reservations about this type of tourism.
Demonstrating one of the many methods used to attack soldiers in the midst of the battlefield.
At the end of the tour, some people had the opportunity to shoot targets using M16 and AK47 weapons, provided during the war by the Russians and Americans. However, this wasn’t something I felt comfortable doing as I am more of a pacifist and not particularly fond of such activities. Nonetheless, I believe it added to the overall experience for many. And yes, the “sound effects” I heard at the start of the tour were very real.
A difficult subject, and something you might want to “avoid” if you’re a tourist, but well worth seeing and experiencing to deepen your understanding of history.
A big shout out to Kate (her Western Name), our local tour guide who explained everything we saw today with authority and empathy. She’s amazing.
Before starting to talk about “Footy Chicks” which premiered on Thursday night at the Sydney Film Festival, I need to alert you to a potential conflict of interest: the film’s producer, Michaela Perske is a friend of mine.
“Footy Chicks” is a documentary about women in Sydney and Melbourne who are, primarily, footy fans. In addition to that, there’s a group of women who sleep with the players, with a significant divide between these women and those who are married to, or who are girlfriends of players.
I’ve known about “Footy Chicks” for a couple of years now and had a pretty intimate knowledge of the type of film it would be. As the film was being made, Michaela would tell me about the footage they’d shot, the stories they’d been told, the people they’d met. So when, for example, footage of a large number of women’s breasts that was shot by a footy player appeared on screen, I knew it before the caption “Player Cam” appeared.
Having that intimate knowledge I was perhaps lulled into a false sense of the subject matter. Subject matter dealing with sexually adventurous men and women, rape, group sex and so on, didn’t phase me at all, whereas other people I know were shocked.
Michaela & Bec at Footy Chicks
What I hadn’t expected, and what I was pleased about, was that all of the women appearing in the film emerged with dignity. These women know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it, with the exception, of course, of the experiences detailed of those women who were sexually assaulted.
The story of the women in this film is told with passion and humour, which the audience on opening night really seemed to appreciate. The film was well received with a good solid round of applause and there was a lot of interesting discussion in the “Q&A” segment that followed.
After the movie, we went to dinner at the Arthouse Hotel, a great venue with a good atmosphere, but when it comes to the main course, a 5-spice duck dish with bok choy, I have just three letters for you: KFC. Honestly…
“Kung Hei Fat Choi” is a Cantonese phrase which means “Happy New Year”. It’s just one of the phrases and things I’ve learned over the last few days working on a radio program to celebrate “Lunar New Year”. And I use the phrase “Lunar New Year” in preference to Chinese New Year (most commonly used in Sydney because City of Sydney celebrates Chinese New Year), because Koreans, Vietnamese and many others also celebrate New Year right now, or around this time.
There were lots of good things about this. Mostly, though because I got to work with a great team from ABC Local Radio, ABC Multi-platform and Radio Australia who were so incredibly passionate about doing this. The slideshow below features the program co-presenters, David and Andrea who are featured “over the moon”, as you would be with Lunar New Year, with happiness and excitement. David got to meet Canto-pop superstar, Frances Yip, who sang the song “Shanghai Beach” which was the theme music for an iconic Hong Kong 80s soap opera, and who sells out stadiums when she performs in Asia. Back in Australia, where she mostly lives now, she is happy to perform at the equally iconic Rooty Hill RSL. In another photograph, you’ll see Andrea eating some yummy food (Yee Sang which is a terrific dish) and who I think really, really enjoyed working on the program on so many levels, and who I also, personally, enjoyed working with again.
David Hua and Francis Yip
Andrea eats Yee Sang
Lunar NY special dish, Yee Sang
Chinese NY Pop-Up Shop in Sydney
Francis Yip performs live in ABC Radio Studio
At the end of it all, I was tired, elated, and well and truly informed about so many things I had only a cursory knowledge of before. Oh, and totally in love with Frances Yip. “Hubba hubba”, as David commented on the radio yesterday.
Although it’s a little cold, wet and windy outside right now, it was a really beautiful day in Sydney. And so I set out mid-afternoon for what I’d planned as a brief walk to the nearby coffee shop to read the paper and have a bite to eat.
Somehow that brief walk morphed into an almost three hour stroll which took me around Surry Hills and over to Centennial Park where there were, literally, thousands of people enjoying the sunshine. For me, a walk around Centennial Park is about taking the time to look at nature and the people you pass, to take in the sights, sounds and smells, to think and to contemplate.
Centennial Park, Sydney
Although I concede I wouldn’t have this layer of fat around my tummy if I ate and drank sensibly and exercised regularly (running around the park instead of strolling), I concluded firmly in my mind this afternoon, that I’m not a “runner”. Much like the story of the tortoise and the hair, I’m one of those people who prefers the slow, steady approach to my exercise, rather than the intense burst of energy. It’s perhaps also analogous to my attitude towards life also? Walking, not running, has other advantages, as I noticed a few things on my afternoon walk that I hadn’t noted previously.
Wimbo Park Mural
First and foremost, I discovered “Wimbo Park”. Well, I shouldn’t say “discovered”, as I’ve been living near “Wimbo Park” for about fifteen years now. It’s that curious little park on Bourke Street, opposite Bourke Street Bakery. Thousands who have queued for their bread on the weekends are probably in a similar position to me. They’ve noticed it. They might even have sat in it. But they probably have no idea that it’s a park with “history”. There’s a few plaques around the park which give a little of the background. According to a plaque on Bourke Street Wimbo Park was officially opened on 14th April 1982 by the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman Douglas W Sutherland AM. There’s also a mural which tells you about the different uses the ground had prior to becoming “Wimbo Park”.
Wimbo Park was the site of the Sydney City Council’s stoneyard from 1955 to 1981 Here masons dressed stone in a variety of forms and shapes for many city projects.
Curious to know more about the histoy of “Wimbo Paddock” and “Wimbo Park”, when I arrived home tonight, I went online but found very little. Surry Hills blogger, Neil, of course, has previously blogged about it. But beyond that, there’s very little. There’s a brief reference to a need for improved lighting in City of Sydney council minutes from 1997. There’s a few references to a rather obscure EP, only released in NZ, by a band called Dappled Cities. And there’s also a Wimbo Park in Cannock in England, apparently. Slightly less enlightening was discovering “Wimbo” in urban dictionary defined in these terms… “The combination of a whore and a bimbo. Usually unattractive and slutty”
“You’re looking good” a colleague and friend told me at the pub last night. She was referring to my recent weight loss. I told her it was the combination of the holiday, the exercise, and the recent decision to give up “soft drink”. “It’s a killer”, she told me, and I’m tending to agree.
I have always had a sweet tooth, and, since childhood I have always really liked soft drink. Lemonade, Lemon Squash – they’re my favourites – as well as Passiona, Fanta, Diet Coke, Ginger Beer and…. Sarsaparilla. Now there’s a soft drink you don’t see much on the shelves anymore. Although my mum used to call it “fly tox” (a phrase which would mean nothing to anyone under the age of thirty), I always loved the taste of “Sars”. I still feel a sense of grief it’s no longer readily available in the corner milk bar. Sorry, I mean “Convenience Store”.
Unfortunately, soft drink is fattening when over-consumed. And for years, I’ve confused far too much. A lot of it has to do with the 600ml bottle, I think. It’s just too easy to consume a lot of soft drink, these days.
I think my recent decision to give up soft-drink has been a major factor in my weight-loss. I still can’t quite give up the “carbon sensation”, and so I still drink some carbonated mineral water in place of soft-drink (along with a couple of litres of still water from the tap each day at work), but I’ve found the removing soft-drink from my diet has been life-changing.
Yeah, I know there’s an argument about moderation, and I still have the occasional Diet Coke, but generally speaking I think there’s an “addiction issue” associated with soft drink that maybe doesn’t receive the attention it should.
For me, the compromise is also those bottles waters with just a taste of something sweet, or adding a taste of lemon or lime to some water. One of the great compromising “soft drinks” is the Swedish soft-drink Ramlösa. Essentially it’s carbonated mineral water with just a taste of something sweet or exotic – everything from mango to rhubarb.
I never quite reached my weight loss goal on recent trip to Sweden holiday, but I still managed to lose a couple of kilograms. Although I would like to get down to 75kg, I seem to have settled around 80kg. That still means I’m overweight – with a BMI of 26.1 – but it’s a LOT better than I was a few years ago when I topped at about 105kg. Yeah seriously. Although it’s hard to quantify what contributed the most to my weight loss, I’m beginning to think it’s soft drink that may have been causing me the most problems.
It’s been a busy week for getting out and about with work, starting with the launch of the book about Slim Dusty. Essentially, it’s a photographic book, but with some reminisences, too. It was put together by photo-journalist, John Elliott, who has been travelling on the road with Slim for many years. There was quite an array of country music glitterati in attendance, including Kasey Chambers (and her very spunky husband and brother), Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jefffreys etc. Out of “Tamworth Mode”, they were just fairly ordinary people, I thought, with Slim Dusty really being the only one with a strong presence. Oh, I tell a lie, Ten’s showbiz reporter, Angela Bishop was there.
On Wednesday night, I went to the opening of the 2002 Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship, a $40,000 art prize for emerging artists. Given my new found interest in collecting art, I was both professionally and personally interested in going. In my view, there was nothing spectacular, but there were some interesting works:
“Filter Feeder” by Alex Davies: You enter a room with an audio soundtrack playing “atmospheric” music and are surrounded by abstract video projections. Right in the middle of the room there was a goldfish bowl, with the lighting such that the gold fish became part of the video projection.
“Watching Falling Down” by Lisa Andrew: The work was based on a photograph of a woman’s reaction to watching the twin towers falling on September 11. The image, which Lisa says is a “drawing” has been remade from layers of fabric, delicately pinned to the wall.
“Between Iran, Peter Hore and Australia” by Alex Kershaw: A video projection and installation about Peter Hore, the so-called “serial pest” who ripped the net during Australia’s crucial World Cup soccer qualifier against Iran in Melbourne, and Alex Kershaw’s attempts to track him down, writing to just about every P. Hore in Australia, and including those envelopes in the exhibition. Peter Hore, also, for the record, interrupted the funeral of rock singer Michael Hutchence, invaded the floor in the South Australian parliament and charged supermodel Sarah O’Hare on stage during a lingerie launch at Brisbane.
“Five Photographs That Destroyed My Life” by Maria Kontis: I liked the title more than the photographs.
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It is the same here, with things rather quiet. It takes me back to the old days of Melbourne when we could freely move around our city with ease.
I think Easter is one of my favourite times of the year in Sydney – so peaceful!
That said, I really adore the big city, but I wish some thought would be given to upgrading infrastructure to accommodate the new developments. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get anywhere. I can’t imagine that if we get as big as Tokyo that we’ll ever be as efficient!
Hey James I’m so glad I came across your page. I love Easter especially when it falls early and doesn’t rain, the weather has been perfect hopefully it not a final farewell to summer. Cheers thanks so much for your website.
Depends a bit on which part of the city you find yourself in. With such glorious weather both Bondi Beach and Circular Quay we’re busy over the long weekend as was the road to and from the Blue Mountains when I took visitors there for a day trip.
It is the same here, with things rather quiet. It takes me back to the old days of Melbourne when we could freely move around our city with ease.
I think Easter is one of my favourite times of the year in Sydney – so peaceful!
That said, I really adore the big city, but I wish some thought would be given to upgrading infrastructure to accommodate the new developments. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get anywhere. I can’t imagine that if we get as big as Tokyo that we’ll ever be as efficient!
I like a big city too!!
Hey James I’m so glad I came across your page. I love Easter especially when it falls early and doesn’t rain, the weather has been perfect hopefully it not a final farewell to summer. Cheers thanks so much for your website.
Depends a bit on which part of the city you find yourself in. With such glorious weather both Bondi Beach and Circular Quay we’re busy over the long weekend as was the road to and from the Blue Mountains when I took visitors there for a day trip.
Though not due Easter last year, I went to the blue mountains on the same weekend last year and it was terrific.