Fleeting visit to Bankstown

Next stop after Cabramatta was Bankstown given that mum could not remember if she had been there before. Bankstown is different to Cabramatta, it has a different feel, the area is not predominantly Asian but it also has some Lebanese shops scattered around. The town itself is also more built up than Cabramatta as it has its own Centro shopping mall which was quite busy yesterday. Hence the "Asian" part of the town is quite small.

There were still a few Asian grocery shops and fruit shops along the main shopping strip on one end with the restaurants located at the other side of the street. Not as much variety as Cabramatta and the cost of the produce is similar.

Again, one could see people congregating on the benches or groups having coffee together.

For me, after Cabramatta, Bankstown was like an Adagio.

Visit to Cabramatta

Cabramatta is a suburb in south western Sydney. Did you know that it is derived from two Aboriginal words, 'Cabra' which was a fresh tasty water grub, and 'Matta',meaning a point or jutting out piece of land. Aboriginal people from the Cabrogal tribe, a sub-group of the Gandangara tribe, have lived in this area for more than 30,000 years.

Took a drive out to Cabramatta yesterday for some good Vietnamese food and to check out the place since I haven't been there for a few months now. Surprisingly there were not many people there this morning. Maybe the cold has deterred the residents from coming out but if you were to check out queue at the ATM machines... I think we need more ATMs here! Help Charmaine!

Cabramatta has been fighting with a longstanding image problem, primarily due to its reputation as a point for drug-dealing and shootings. These drug activities began in the 1990s as drug addicts were drawn to the area. Cabramatta Railway Station became known as the "smack express" and deaths from overdoses in public places such as toilets were reported. The heroin problem, and attempts to contain it, were the source of much controversy and failed actions involving politicians, senior police, human rights organisations and the media. The presence of youth gangs in the Cabramatta area has been a related problem, but since 2002, the problems have receded.

It is evident that this suburb has "cleansed" itself of this drug image. There has been a makeover in a lot of the malls - landlords have renovated the food courts and have installed air conditioning. No longer do you have to worry about getting your feet wet stepping to the wet markets. The wet markets are still there but it is significantly cleaner and drier. Take your pick from the many plastic buckets containing varieties of fishes and other seafood which you might not get at your local fish market. If you are looking for different types of cuts from the butcher, I am sure you will be able to find it too here.

There are various "alley-ways" in the malls which has stalls of exotic and fresh fruits and vegetables. You can shop to your hearts content. If you miss your hometown, coming here to shop will create a sense of deja vu. Shops displaying rolls and rolls of fabrics, shoes, clothing, frilly bridal wear together with gold jewellery to match and ... not to mention the plastic and stainless steel homewares found in the sundry shops evoking a sense of nostalgia of days gone by.

There is a Friendship Arch leading to Freedom Plaza separating the main shopping strips. It is interesting to note the strong sense of community in this place - on this morning young ones can be seen taking the elderly out in their wheelchairs. The elderly looking all warm and cosy in their beanies and scarf. I noticed that people like to congregate in groups on the benches scattered around the place. The coffee shops were filled with mostly men catching up with one another. I have not experienced a sense of community so strong as in this suburb.

We decided to have an early lunch to beat the crowd. Thought we'd try a new restaurant, Tan Viet. The crispy skin chicken must be their specialty as every table ordered one either with egg noodles with soup or dried. Must say the soup was delicious and the crispy chicken lived up to its name! It was crispy and succulent. We also ordered a broken rice special with the works i.e. with pork chop, shredded skin, fried egg and a pork loaf. It was yum! The hot milk coffee topped it all of. This restaurant was really busy with a high turnover. There were a lot of locals gobbling down their food and speaking in their native tongues. If one were to close one's eyes, you'd be forgiven to think that you are somewhere in Vietnam or Lao or Khmer. Definitely it was a bit hard to discern some of the features and the languages of the people there to ascertain their origin. This restaurant is however a local favourite as there was a long queue when we came out... see if you can spot the queue in one of the photos!

A tip though... if you are intending to head out to Cabra as it is also colloquially known, make sure you plan a pit stop before getting there as there are not many public toilets around in the malls and from memory, I think one has to pay to use the public toilets.

Nonetheless, definitely a suburb worth visiting if you crave a taste of Asia as it plays on all your senses but without the added cost of an air ticket.

Chicken a la Carte (true story)

Chicken a la Carte : Director: Ferdinand Dimadura Genre: Drama Produced In: 2005

Synopsis: This film is about the hunger and poverty brought about by Globalization. There are 10,000 people dying everyday due to hunger and malnutrition. This short film shows a forgotten portion of the society. The people who live on the refuse of men to survive. What is inspiring is the hope and spirituality that never left this people.

Be inspired and humbled.

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte

KarmaTube: Sound of Music Train Station

"Doe, a deer, a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden Sun. Me, a name I call myself." That's not quite what you'd expect hear at a train station in Belgium, but that's what happened when 200 people took over Antwerpen's Centraal Station to do a carefully choreographed dance to the song from Sound of Music. As one observer put it, "It showed me that good things are still out there and there are good people in the world. In a small way, I have a deeper understanding of what it is to be human because of the actions of 200 fellow humans in a train station in Belgium."

KarmaTube: Sound of Music Train Station

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Tadpoles from the sky???

In the news today....

TOKYO (AFP) - Meteorologists in Japan say the rainy season has just started in Tokyo, but residents in a small coastal town have reported a different phenomenon -- tadpoles dropping out of the sky.

An office clerk in Nanao said he first noticed the anomaly when he heard a dull thud in a parking lot last week, news reports said. Looking around, he saw about 100 dead amphibians splattered on car windshields and the ground.

More reports followed from bewildered residents in Nanao.
"People speculate that a waterspout picked them up and dropped them from the air," an official at a local weather observatory told AFP. "But from a meteorological point of view, I have to say it is most unlikely."

"We have checked the weather conditions of last week, thinking gusts of wind might have hit the area but confirmed no damage," he said. "To be honest, I don't think it was anything caused by a weather condition."

Similar events -- in what is sometimes called the "Fafrotskies" phenomenon, short for "fall from the sky" -- have been reported around the world, with whirlwinds passing over water bodies and picking up frogs, jellyfish or other unfortunate animals before dumping them back to earth.

Believe it or not...

Mudgee

After months of planning our itinerary, the day has finally arrived for our girlies' weekend. I had to set two alarm clocks to wake up at 5.30am so that we could leave early to avoid the traffic. Thank goodness, there was not much traffic and we arrived in Blackheath by 8.30am in time for a cup of coffee and a pie. Alas, to our dismay, the bakery was not very well heated and our butts nearly froze!

Stomachs full, we headed off to Mudgee. The sun was trying to come out in parts and we were at one stage accompanied by a group of bikies. Quite intimidating seeing the bikies in their leather jackets, sunnies, and long beards! We made it to Mudgee in less than 4 hours - woo hoo! First stop was cellar door, Logan. Logan is a family owned and operated boutique wine producer with wines from both Mudgee and Orange. Logan had the most stunning tasting room, with wooden doors and wood panelling providing a warm feel. It has an expanse view of the vineyard. The carrot cake and the chocolate and beetroot cake were very moist and yummy. It was a good way to start our visit to Mudgee.

We had to leave the cellar door in a jiffy when we heard that the markets were on but would be closed around noon. Yikes, we only had an hour to spare! But, fret not... we made it there in good time to wander round both the Farmer and Church markets before they close. The Church Market held at the St John's Anglican church showcases local artists with their woollen handknitted gloves, scarfs, tea cosies, handbags, honey. The market was complemented with smells of sausage sizzle wafting in the air.

The Farmers market was next. Held at the St Mary's Catholic church there were stalls showcasing local produce which included cupcakes, home made tapenades and jams to taste, olive oils and spices to tickle the nostrils and test the tastebuds. There was lovely music in the background sung by a local singer which added to the relaxed atmosphere of the town. The main street of Mudgee, Church Street was full of cars, probably all the Sydneysiders coming out for the fresh air and for a bit of R & R.

This is a small town with about 8,700 people but large enough to have a Big W, Aldi, Coles, Woolworths, KFC and McDonald! It is a region which is fertile and a picturesque valley where grapes, stone fruits and olives grow in abundance. There were acres and acres of vineyards producing trademark varieties which this region is well known for.

We visited about 7 wineries and bought a selection of wines. The wineries we visited included Elliot Rocke estate (highly recommended for their Ice Wine and Sparkling Semillion and Chardonnay), Petersons (the Sparkling Moscato is divine!), Farmer's Daughter (again, we bought some Sparkling Moscatos), Robert Stein, Pieter van Gent (lovely cellar door with several old church pews), di Lusso Estate which had a great selection of Italian wines. We each bought a few bottles which tantalised our palates but I soon realised that there could be a closet alcoholic amongst us!

The restaurants in the region were ok. High Valley Wine and Cheese Co although small had a great country feel to it displaying some local potteries and art. It also had the biggest selection of cheeses which they are renowned for. Good place to stop for morning or afternoon tea.

We had dinner at Blue Wren on our first night but we were very disappointed. Blue Wren had a lovely decor with fireplaces warming up the chilly night. The entrees were lovely but mains were nothing much to shout about. Notwithstanding the most disappointing was the lack of service at this establishment to justify the price. We asked for additional bread and was told that there would be an additional charge. Only two of us took the offer for more bread but we were charged for 4 pieces at $1 per piece. It was only a small piece not enough to justify the $1 which was imposed! All disgruntled and felt greatly cheated we then had dinner at Cobb & Co the following night. Must say the dinner was a lot tastier than the night before as we headed there for breakfast the following morning! For more details on the food, would recommend a visit to Charmaine's blog... Overall, we found the food at the pubs of good value. The Oriental hotel filled out stomachs with their big but inexpensive serving of BLT burger. We were told the Red Heifer at the Lawson hotel is famous for its steaks but we did not have enough time to test it out. Given that we visited Mudgee on a public holiday, surcharges at these eateries were a norm.

Oh... apart from all these eating and drinking, we also visited and had an informative session at The Olive Nest learning how to taste olive oil and the dos and don'ts on using olive oil. The Olive Nest stocked a varieties of olive oils from the garlic infused to the lemon infused to salad dressings - take your pick!

We also visited Fairview Artspace which showcased some local artists with their beautiful paintings, jewellery, handicraft and glassware. While we were there some ladies spent their Saturday afternoon with a male instructor teaching them the art of knitting.

Adjacent to this gallery is a Woolshed displaying some hand knitted sweaters, scarfs and gloves. It also had some old machinery. The woolshed as the name implied was old and dark looking. However, as we browsed around we came across the "owner" (not quite sure?) sitting in front of a fireplace with a laptop! How ironic!

Mudgee is definitely less commercialised than the Hunter valley and a good relaxing town, and a bonus as it was not too far from Sydney.

Gulgong

Gulgong, is a picturesque gold rush town featured on Australia's first $10 note. It is also the second largest town in the mid-western Regional council area with a population of about 3,000 people. It is only a short drive from Mudgee.
When we visited on Sunday, 7 June it was the Henry Lawson festival. There were street parades during the weekend (although we missed it), and the singing of a number of Henry Lawson's works.
The town looked a bit deserted and we realised later that a lot of the population are at the races!
http://www.gulgong.net/Home.htm

True friends or ....?

As I prepare for a girlies' weekend away, I thought it timely to reflect on friendships. Who are our friends, why do we choose them and allow them to come into our lives? Why do we have a stronger bond with one and not the other? Granted, we all have different personalities, but why does one move more in synch and have the same values and principles while the other... you hardly hear from until they want something from you... what do we do then? Do we cut them off as friends or do we still accept and be there for them? What happens if you are there for them but they are not there for you? They tell you their life story but is not interested in the happenings in your life? It this person is not your spouse, is it possible for him / her to be a friend for life?

Friendships like any relationships are hard work, we need to water and nurture it. God sends people in to our lives for a reason and a season. If there is only one hand, it cannot make a sound. We need friends to grow together, encourage and uphold each other, be there for you through thick or thin, truthful and not afraid to tell you off but is there to link arm in arm to run the race before us. Life is hard enough as it is to fight alone and I think this is one of the reasons God sends these "angels" to help us along the way when the going gets tough, but it's does not give us the right to take each other for granted!

Here are some thoughts to ponder....

We talk of choosing our friends, but friends are self-elected

AGE is a mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter

Falling in love is easy but staying in LOVE is something very special

A friend, is, as it were, a second self

You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get OLD

A friend is someone who reaches for your hand but touches your heart

Wherever you are it is your friends who make your world

Growing old is inevitable, growing UP is optional

A hug is the shortest distance between friends

Laughter is the medicine of life

It is not the years in your life that counts, it is the life in your years

Love doesn't make the world go round but it makes the ride worthwhile

Having a place to go - is a home, having someone to love - is a family

To have a good friend is one of the greatest delights of life

Friends have a way of speaking without words

To have JOY one must share it

It is important to have a twinkle to your wrinkle