By the sea
The rather insane heat wave in the past week was an unwelcome reminder of how hot the Australian summer can be. Scanning through photos of last week’s visit to Sculpture by the Sea I wonder what will power prevented me from flinging myself into the sea rather than be jostled around by the thousands of visitors on the last day of exhibition. This year’s exhibition was bigger than before, stretching along from Bondi to Tamarama.
I met up with Y and B at the beginning of the walk, before quickly losing them within the crowd of sight seers while waiting for T. While waiting, it struck me again how the setting managed to steal the thunder away from the many sculptures around the area. On a beautiful summer day, Bondi with its jeweled coloured sea and blindingly blue sky dominated the setting and it was almost easy to forget why I was there in the first place.
Wandering along the path, it was great to see some familiar work. Keid Moseholm was a regular exhibitor with his easily recognisable sumo like figures in bronze and granite.
I loved Phil Price’s Morpheus, this wind driven sculpture danced with each breeze through a number of fluid, graceful permutation that was mesmerising to watch. Had they install this sculpture in the middle of the city, I would happily spend my lunch time watching it for hours.
Other noticeable sculptures for me was the Big Drink (also known as the straw), Stephen King’s The Eight, Brenner and Medwell’s visual pun of Step by step, inch by inch…towards the precipice made out of sand shoes and Marguerite Derricourt’s delightful rat race.
Ra
A snapshot in time
I’m not quite sure how it happened, but somewhere along the way there is a backlog of blogging. What’s worse is that somehow I ended up feeling guilty about not updating this blog for my legions of fans (yes all three of you and I know who you are). Life had been incredibly hectic lately, and although I have been busier than I have ever been, I am missing the luxury of a good hour for myself without having to schedule it beforehand.
For better or for worse, my iPhone is currently the most important gadget in my life, whether it be for checking the newest rented property on domain.com.au, checking out the local food choices , updating facebook or checking work emails… No, it’s not an addiction if it’s this much fun!
It occurred to me while peering into my bag during the usual public transport madness, how much of what was in my bag was a snapshot in time of my life.
Right now I am:
- Addicted to caffeine
- Stuck to my iPhone
- Forever planning my next hour, day, week, months
- Cautiously optimistic
Azuma Kushiyaki and Sugar Hits
I am shockingly behind with all my blog post, a hectic work life has managed to suck a lot of my energy (again). In any case, about a month ago I visited Azuma Kushiyaki with fellow MSGers. I wanted to see what this new addition to the Azuma chain was all about. As an added sweetener, Azuma Kushiyaki offered Sugar Hit as part of SIFF making it doubly interesting to visit.
Azuma Kushiyaki specialised in Japanese bar food common to izakaya. The word kushiyaki referred to non poultry skewers, this in contrast to yakitori (skewered chicken). The restaurant offered both types of skewers and if you would like a taste of the different skewers you can’t go wrong by ordering the Assorted Kushiyaki set (5 assorted skewers). The assorted set came with a chicken, okra, beef, lamb and scallop skewers and provided a great overview of what was available.
If ordering individual skewers the Quail eggs with Kushiyaki sauce was an unexpected winner. The sauce and the egg complimenting each other in terms of taste and flavour.
Although the restaurant’s specialty was meant to be its skewers it surprised us to note that for a number of the meat skewers, the meat was dry and in a lot of cases cold. Despite being the only large group within the restaurant the kitchen could not cope with our numbers, even if they were pre-warned with all our orders being pre-ordered hours before we arrived.
Unexpectedly it was all the other non skewer dishes that impressed us that night. The soft shell crab was perfectly crunchy, the sashimi platter was generous and fresh…
In terms of possible lunch food, their onigiri or rice ball was enough to keep anyone happy for a mid day break. It was also a lot bigger than the photo suggested.
I was quietly impressed by the Azuma Ramen, it consisted of egg noodles in a mildly spiced sesame soup. The stock made it for me, it was flavoursome and complex. Perhaps not the same standard as Ryo, but definitely something I would look forward to for a quick lunch.
Before we knew it, it was 9:00pm and despite our bulging stomachs we waited eagerly for dessert to make its appearance. We were not disappointed when two square, black bento boxes arrived bearing sweet goodies inside. Described as a blend of East meets West this particular Sugar Hit offering was the most impressive in a long line of Sugat Hits. A typical Sugar Hit usually includes a sweet wine and a number of mini dessert. In most cases the selection contained three if not four desserts. A chocolate one, a creme brulee of some description , a “fruit of the season” dessert and a the restautant or hotel’s signature dessert.
In terms of presentation and content, Azuma Kushiyaki’s Sugar Hit blew me away. I started by tasting the fluffy Vanilla Cheesecake, before moving on to its polar opposite; a Belgian chocolate mousse. Although both were delicious, they were exactly what I expected at a Sugar Hit and therefore did not have the wow factor I was hoping for. After a few spoonful I shifted my attention to Box number two.
Box number two contained a Green tea roll with chestnuts. I have always been a big fan of macha flavoured dessert and this subtle offering was one of my favourite so far. It wasn’t until I ventured into the rather ordinary looking shot glass with vanilla ice cream that the surprise started. Not listening to the instruction I started by nearly choking on he incredibly sweet brown sugar syrup before pouring it on to the vanilla ice cream. I took my first bite of the ice cream and could understand why Marc, who was sitting in front of me was wearing an expression of utter bliss. The subtle vanilla sweetness was given a punch by the brown sugar syrup, and when combined with the two balls of mochi deep within the glass, the texture combination of smooth and chewy was amazing. Excited I turned to the Nori seaweed cat’s tongue biscuits. Looking rather like an ordinary rice cracker, I did not expect the mix of sweet and burst of savoury courtesy of the sea weed flecks. I could happily munch on a whole box of these little beauties!
It was close to midnight when we decided to make it a day. This Sugar Hit was easily my favourite, being unexpectedly different and delivering on its promise of East Meets West. As far as the dinner went, I had some mixed feelings about what we had. I didn’t think the skewers in general were outstanding, although what was impressive was the variety of skewers available. In terms of service, they were marginally acceptable, but mind bogglingly slow throughout the night. Despite the fact that it was a very quiet night, they were unable to cope with our group’s order. One order went out, then forgotten multiple times throughout the evening. Our waitress seemed to not understand our requests due to a language barrier, and despite being the booking that made up more than half their night’s intake we were often ignored throughout the evening.
What frustrated me most was the number of hoops I had to jump through to book a table for a group of 14 people. Azuma Kushiyaki has a policy that for groups of nine or more, you can only order from their $55 per head set menu. I had to ring for two days offering different suggestions to go around this, before they suggested that maybe as the booking will be on a quiet week night, we can pre-order beforehand. What annoyed me was that even with orders being pre-ordered the same dishes arrived at different time with different temperature.
I doubt I will revisit this place with a group bigger than four in the future, but would definitely drop in for a quick lunch here and there.
Kushiyaki Azuma
T: (02) 9267 7775
F: (02) 9267 7776
E: regentplace@azuma.com.au
Ground Floor Regent Place Shopping
501 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Hats Off at Becasse
I honestly can’t believe October is just a memory and December just around the corner. I turned another year older during the multiple celebrations of food, and a meal at Becasse a few days after this momentous event seemed fitting.
“Hats Off” has been a staple of the SIFF for years. The idea is that various restaurants takes on the challenge to create a menu significantly different from their traditional offering. I still remember with very fond memories of Claude’s Hat’s Off a number of years ago where they move away from their traditional French menu and ventured off on Asian fusion that was simply delightful. This particular year we decided to go and see what Becasse’s Heroes and Masters Hats Off dinner is all about. According to them:
“This is a tribute to our heroes and masters and the dishes we’ve enjoyed over the years. Some we’ve endeavoured to replicate and others we’ve taken the inspiration, but all pay homage to these great chefs and amazing temples of gastronomy – Enjoy!”
First up was a homage to Thomas Keller of French Laundry and Per Se dish of Oysters and Pearls . The original dish consists of Island Creek oysters, pearly tapioca and Osetra caviar. I doubt the last ingredient was replicated, but the tapioca gave it an interesting texture.
Second was a tribute to Heston Blumenthal from Fat Duck, with Beetrot and Orange. The original dish played on the diner’s sense, with the orange jello being beetrot and vice versa. One can argue whether it is more of a taster than a dish as the whole experience is all about flicking flavour in one’s mouth rather like gargling with juice actually.
Third was Joël Robuchon of L’Atelier Paris – L’oeuf de poule cocotte et sa crème légère de champignons des bois. Translated as Egg cocotte topped with light wild mushroom cream, it was a lovely layering of flavours. There was the herb emulsion, digging deeper you will find the slow cooked egg, wobbling and oozing, but cooked in a way that retained the flavour of the yolk. The creamy mushroom puree provided a contrast to the flavours and this was all topped with crunch Jamon crumbs. Balanced on top was a piece of toasted brioche that was consumed very quickly. Needless to say this was my favourite dish throughout the evening.
Pierre Gagnaire, Paris – Ormeau, murex, amande et moules d’Espagne aux cèpes sèches, Bouillabaisse mousseuse et gelée d’oursin was in my mind bouillabaisse deconstructed to its base flavours.
Marc Veyrat, Le Ferme de Mon Pere – Le bar éclaté, laitance de chocolat blanc, sirop de citron vert et citronnelle was a gigantic let down for me. It was served with a paint brush to “paint” the mulloway with the lemon-lime gelee. I frankly don’t get it, it would have made sense if liberal application would change the texture or the flavour , but it made no difference and was rather gimmicky with minimum results. A huge disappointment for me was the fish itself. In texture it was between raw and steamed, with neither end being reached and the compromise was an unhappy one for: me, my paintbrush and the fish. I would love to know what the original dish taste like, because this was by far a very sad dish.
Andoni Aduriz, Mugaritz – A piece of veal, roasted and perfumed with vine cuttings and embers, cinders and salts with Joël Robuchon’s Paris mash and Marc Veyrat’s forgotten vegetables. Keep in mind that this was last meat dish of our degustation menu, yes we were incredibly hungry at this stage of the game. When the charred veal arrived, the first thing my dining companion noted was that it was a tiny, burnt little thing and we gazed even more sadly at the proportion of mash to be divided between the three of us. Like everything else throughout the evening, it was an interesting way to cook the food, but did not quite deliver a spectacularly different result that was mind blowing.
Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons - Soupe à la fraise avec un sorbet au lait. Was a refreshing contrast of tart and sweet and brought us into the most memorable part of the evening.
Alain Ducasse, Louise XV Monaco - Louise XV chocolate praline was an extravagantly rich chocolate praline. T commented that the size differential throughout this meal was somewhat puzzling, this chocolate praline was easily twice the size of the veal and nearly tipped us into a chocolate coma. What can I say? Dark, rich and probably more than a single person can cope with unlesss you’re I who asked for a second serving half seriously and was given one by our bemused waiter.
To top off the night we ordered some tea again surprised at how insanely huge their teapots are and wondered if this degustation menu’s plan was to stuff us silly with pastries and tea all along. There were three different types of petit fours: a vanilla friand, chocolate ganache macaroon and brand snap. The brandy snap was the most interesting in terms of texture and flavour, but I enjoyed the subtle sweetness of the friand the best. As much as I liked the idea of “Heroes and Master” this was a rather lackluster dinner in many respect. Considering it was a set menu, the dishes came at an incredibly slow rate with up to 40 minute pauses in between meals, being visited by a cocroach halfway through the meal was not the type of distraction we were looking for. I know that the intent was to experiment and pay homage to some of the greatest chefs in the world, but somewhere along the line the meal itself was forgotten and the concept took over. On the other hand service was fantastic and the same goes with the dessert and bread and made me think that going back to experience Becasse’s usual offering would help to wipe clean my memory of this meal.
Arola at Bentley (World Showcase Dinner)
One would think that one World Showcase Dinner in a month, let alone a year is enough to last for a while. Then again, if the experience was so great, why not repeat it? It’s a week after Bras at Quay, Y and I were the first to arrive for the World Showcase Dinner with Sergi Arola at Bentley in Surry Hills.
Aside from being well known for his restaurant Gastro, Arola was famous for training at the well known el Bulli and was considered to be even then, one of the most promising chef in the industry. When this is combined with Brent Savage’s of Bentley’s highly experimental approach to fine dining, I was expecting something rather extraordinary.
We started with Patatas Bravas and Ajo Blanco with Cherry Caviar ( both from Arola), Kingfish Ceviche with Pickled Daikon and Yuzu Mayonaise and Smoked Eel Parfait with White Soy and Seaweed Salad (Savage). This particular World Showcase Dinner came with matching wine for all courses and this one was the MV Lancelot-Pienne ‘Cuvee de Table Ronde’ from Cragmant Champagne.
I wasn’t quite sure how the partnership between Savage and Arola was going to play out until this first course arrived. When it did, it dawned on me that it wasn’t exactly a duet of styles, but more of a solo of their signature dishes appearing side by side. Looking around the web later on, I wasn’t suprised to see that the Patatas Bravas and Ajo Blanco with Cherry Caviar usually appeared on Arola’s menu. I personally would happily nibble on the Patatas Bravas with its cute aoili topping all night, there was something deliciously more-ish and simple about the little dish.
Next was Arola’s Scallop and Bacon Saugage, Jerusalem Artichoke and Smoked Scallop matched with the 2007 Marques De Riscal Limousin Verdejo, Rueda Spain. The bite sized sausage was surprisingly bacony (if there is such a word) had I ate it with my eyes closes it would not be surprising to believe I was eating bacon.
Next was Savage’s Black Sesame and Pea Fondant with Snow Peas and Goats Curd. We were a little puzzled with this one, noting the strong presence of licorice, but missing out on the Black Sesame flavour. Whilst pondering whether they managed to mix up licorice and black sesame in the kitchen I sipped the 2008 Keller Trocken Riesling, Rheinhessen Germany and discovered a whole new dish. The fruity sweetness of the wine perfectly balanced the strong licorice flavour of the dish.
By this stage in the evening the light was getting dimmer, the decor and the light combined threw shades of red on everything we ate and my photos became progressively more abstract.
The next dish was Arola’s Snapper Sandwich, Mango, Haricots Verts and a Rockfish Consome paired with 2008 Bodegas Campante ‘Gran Reboreda’ Treixadura Blend from Ribeiro Spain. It wasn’t the most memorable of dish to me, being basically pan fried snapper with fish stock.
I couldn’t say much about Savage’s Pork Belly and Bubble, Green Olive, Apple and Tonka paired with Sidra Extra Brut Lagar De Camin, Lavandera Spain. I can understand the idea behind matching pork with apple cider, apple and pork is a magical classic pairing after all, but I found the cider too overpowering for my poor pork belly topped with crackle and had to put it away.
Arola’s Foie Gras ‘coca’ with Roasted Bellpeppers paired with 2004 Marques De Velila Crianza Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero made up for the other two dishes. Described as a Spanish pizza it was a magical layering of a crusty base with caramelised capsicums.
Next was Savage’s Duck Breast with Sweet Corn, Pistachio and Asparagus paired with 2004 Muga ‘Reserva’ Tempranillo Garmacha, Rioja Spain. It was a nice dish, but after the high of the ‘coca’ it was somewhat of a let down. Perhaps the most noticeable difference between Bras at Quay and Arola at Bentley was the direction of the dishes as the night progressed. At Quay there was a definite theme and direction with each dish, whereas at Bentley it was rather like observing two very different performers on the same stage without quite knowing what the theme of the show was.
With dessert coming soon, I finally abandoned my manners and took out my flash. I hate taking it out when out in restaurants like Bentley, but thought a few discreet flash would hardly make a difference. The Seared and Marinated Watermelon, Hibiscus Infusion, Pomegranate Seeds and Green Tomato Ice Cream paired with the delicious lychee scented 2007 Fustanova Moscatel, Valencia Spain was a surprisingly savoury tast dessert with a hint of tomato.
Reading the menu earlier in the night we speculated how Savage would present his Hazelnut White Chocolte and Blubery. I predicted it will turn up as a block whereas Y predicted a tube, when it arrived it turned out that we were both right. The white chocolate tube contained yogurt sauce that glide out when pierced. It was paired with 2004 Alain Brumont Pacherenc ‘Larmes Celestes’ from South West France.
The last dish for the night was Arola’s Dark Chocolate Mousse, coated in Mango Chutney and Toasted Sweetcorn, Coconut Espuma paired with the 2006 Castano Dulce Monastrell from Yecia Spain. I think Arola served this dish himself on the night. Instead of staying in the kitchen he was very much visible throughout the night making his ways to different tables. I remembered the fact that the chocolate mousse was not as dark as I would expect and the sweet corn was so subtle it appeared only for an instant on my tongue. If sight contributed to sensation when eating, I must confess I was eating blindly by this stage of the night and what you see on the photo with the aid of flash was not what I remembered on my plate.
It was close to eleven when we staggered out. There were some definite hits during the night, also dishes that didn’t quite work. At the same time it was a wonderful opportunity to be able to taste dishes that I would have to travel to the other side of the world to experience. The experience also reminded me how food and wine can be amazing when done right, and although I drink the occasional glass or two with my meal it made me rethink the idea in a whole different light.
Bras at Quay
It’s Monday evening and I am on my way towards Circular Quay to join Y, M and Mitch for a World Chef Showcase dinner with Sebastiean Bras at Quay restaurant. On a day where most of are cursing the start of yet another work week, it is the unofficial day off for the lovely people in the hospitality industry. This partly explains the rather festive atmosphere floating in the air the moment I stepped through the door and noted the presence of food critics and chefs alike, but regardless of who you are that night, you were there to worship at the altar of gastronomy.
The event was part of SIFF’s World Chef Showcase. A first of its kind in Sydney’s gastronomy calendar, it partners some of Sydney’s best restaurants with world class chefs from around the world for an unforgettable dining experience. Priced at around $300 per head, it wasn’t the cheapest of dining experiences, but when considering the fact that you are able to eat at one of the top ten restaurants in the world without leaving the city it was an amazing deal.
My dining experience can be best summarised by Uhh:
Sebastian Bras at Quay
Bras, the restaurant he and his father Michel run in the centre of France is considered that country’s finest and one of the top 10 in the world. There they gather amongst other things local vegetables, herbs and flowers and combine them to dizzying effect. Sydney’s Quay is arguably Australia’s finest restaurant and it too has gained a worldwide reputation based on chef Peter Gilmore’s understanding of the natural. Those lucky enough to afford it will be treated to a six-course menu by these two like minded souls.
We started with a fresh apertiser consisting of vongole, burghul and goats curd. This simple, but beautifully balanced dish was a perfect introduction to the rest of the evening.
Next was the signature Gargouillou of young vegetables, with grains, herbs and grilled almond eggnog. Also known as the most beautiful combination of vegetables and petals on a plate, I’m sad that this photo did not it any justice aside from capturing the endearingly tiny baby radish. Each vegetable was braised individually to bring out its flavour, and it was unbelievable how much flavour each piece of piece packed in every bite.
Next was a feast of colours with juicy sauteed scallops on sugar -loaf cabbage, white apple and garden cress, apple juice and almond prune oil.
Next was the rather surprising orange dusted king prawns wit a vegetable broth and touch of coriander. I could barely remember the coriander from this dish, but I still remember the sweet orange dust on the side of the plate like edible fairy dust that burst in my mouth.
I should mention that although wines were not included as part of the meal, matching wines were thoughtfully recommended within the menu. I decided to have a glass of the 2007 Ramon Bilbao, Viura, Rioja, Spain with the next dish. Aptly named Earthly Flavour it consisted of green asparagus crusted with black truffles, toasted barley and ham. It reminded me of a mini haggis in appearance, but the flavour was smoky, green and very earthy. A complete turning point to the previous light and delicate flavours.
Next was the roast rack of lamb on the bone: chopped aromatic herbs, Mexican tarragon with salted lemon and slightly spiced sauce. It was beautifully done, but not the most memorable part of the meal. I wonder now if I had ordered the wine, it would have made the pairing more interesting.
There was a noticeable lag as we waited for the longest time for our cheese. During this time both Sebastien Bras and Peter Gilmore wandered around to say hello to all the diners. Too star struck to say anything I just watched them walk closer and closer to us.
Dessert could not come soon enough with the first being meringues shaped into the sails of the Opera House garnished with a palette of local fruit, rose petal and gentian. It was unexpected and eventhough shaping food in the form of the Opera House is sometimes trite, it seemed fitting this time around. I am not a big fan of meringue as a rule, but found this version not too sweet and matched brilliantly with the fruits and sugar coated rose petals.
Last, but not least was the potato gaufrette nut brown butter cream and salted butter caramel. We grabbed a piece and munched on this crispy, sweet dessert with a satisfied crunch.
The time was close to midnight when we finished, I was full, but happy and could not think of a better way to start a week…
Spice I Am
With the plethora of amazing food blogs scattered around Sydney, sometimes I wonder whether the world needs another review on yet another Sydney restaurant. Particularly when sites like Not Quite Nigella, Chocolatesuze and Grab Your Fork are so well written with their own quirky personalities. Then ofcourse sites such as A Table for Two are just so beautifully shot and laid out that it’s a feast for the eyes. I still can’t figure out how Billy managed to take photos from the incredibly dimly lit Est. and believe that he possesses magical powers.
Despite my blog envy, at the end of the day there is never any harm to reaffirm to the online world treasured finds such as Spice I Am. Located on the other side of Central and just a hop and skip away from Surry Hills, Spice I Am is something of an institution winning an impressive list of awards as an Authentic Thai restaurant. Such is their success that they opened a bigger restaurant in Darling Hurst. I have yet to visit their new restaurant, but the word of mouth is that although the new Spice I Am’s menu is almost identical to the original restaurant they hike up the price and lowered the portion size accordingly.
In any case, their original restaurant is still true to form. We started with the Homok (steamed fish in banana leaves), so moist that it was just unbeliavable. This was followed by their Som tum (green papaya salad), the perfect combination of hot chilli and sour taste explosion.
Then there was the fried rice along to go with the ridicilously more-ish Basil Crispy Pork Belly, so tender and moist with the most magical combination of sauce to pork coverage. It’s difficult not to write about it without licking my lips in fond remembrance. We probably ordered more than enough for three people, but struggled on with the Pla Sam Rot (deep fried whole fish topped with sweet and sour chili sauce).
Everything was just balanced perfectly with no flavour overpowering the other in this very authentic Thai restaurant, and rather affordable too with mains from $14. There will be a queue if you are planning on rocking up for dinner, but the wait is worth it.
PS: Talking about food, submissions for Like Mum Used to Make ends this week!
Spice I am
90 Wentworth Ave.
Surry Hills
Sydney 2010
Trading Hours
Tuesday – Sunday
Lunch: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM – 10:00
Cropped Cardigan with Leaf Ties
I have a backlog of posts that I never got the chance to write, but I’m going to take a leaf from other bloggers’ virtual book and dedicate days to write posts. Stay tune to see how this will eventuate.
TINA was lots of fun as always, but more of that next time. Sales was slow, but the wind and the rain kept most people out. Thanks to those who bought my zine, you guys rock as always.
I just realised it has been a while since I posted about my knitting project, eventhough they are piling in the background. I started knitting Stefanie Japel’s Cropped Cardigan with Leaf Ties last week using Morris’s Superwash Merino 8ply and was initially rather pleased with how fast it knitted up. I had never knitted anything from the top down before and finally realised what the fuss was all about. It really was gratifying being able to try a piece on while knitting it, and I do get a better sense of how the fit was going to be compared to a bottom up knit.
The only ammend I have made so far was to knit the sleeves in the round using circulars. So far so good, but not quite sure what I will do with the gaping hole underneath the sleeves. Another thing I find slightly irritating about the pattern was the initial increase to create the yoke. I had to fudge my way a few times ensure that the number of stitches before and after the sleeves will sit properly on my shoulder.
I still need to knit the body and the tie, but I can definitely see new possibilities in the cardigan construction to create something new based on this pattern. Oh and another thing, as much as I love the colour and smooth texture of this yarn and how it feels, it does have a rather unfortunate tendency to split. I wasn’t happy with the random joints as well, for a 50g ball I would not expect see more than one joint at a time.
Incidentally, I believe the Morris yarn is produced by the same family that owns Morris and Sons, arguably Sydney’s biggest yarn store.
Reading challenge and comedians in October
Meet Glenn Wool, one of the funniest and scruffiest comedian around who’s currently in Sydney until the end of next week. He was also the comedian I watched during the Late Show at the Fringe whose name completely slipped my mind. I would recommend buying tickets before he flies off to the other side of the world.
As I type this, I cringe thinking that you might be able to see my mug promoting his show in the very near future. The Comedy Store was grabbing audience members for soundbites after the show and as everyone around us suddenly took a step back, we found ourselves shoved in front of a microphone.
Talking about comedians I’m thinking of watching The Bedroom Philosopher later on this month and hopefully stalking Lawrence Leung at TINA this weekend. No I’m not a geeky comedian groupie at all (ahem). For readers who are interested issue 4 of Sharp and Pointy will hopefully be available at TINA. I’m still trying to put it all together right now and wonder why my time management skills falls apart when it comes to zines.
Talking about zines and reading. The 2009 Books Alive Reading Challenge is finished and although I didn’t do too badly, I realise that I am an horridly unfaithful reader with a penchant to read multiple books at the same time. Rather like my knitting habit really…
The theme for this started of as the 50 books from Books Alive, but it morphed into “Library Books I am reading”
Books read between September 7 to October 1
- The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale – sweet adaptation of fairy tale of the same title. Light beach read.
- Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey – her first non fantasy novel. A surprisingly believable post plague America with a very strong heroine.
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman – reminded me of Diane W. Jones more so than any of his other books. Quoting Epany, his books are fairy tales for adults and that’s just fine!
- Grug Learns To Read by Ted Prior –
- The Matchmaker of Perigord by Julia Stuart – shades of Chocolat with some rather lovely prose, but left me feeling a little unsatisfied. The setting and the characters felt a little contrived at times and the ending was rather abrupt.
- Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear by Dan Gardner – can be summarised as “the world is not going to end and stop freaking out”
Other books I am currently reading are listed here. I am somewhat in love with Library Thing, I love the way it can search and find books that are not necessarily published within the UK or America.
Spring is here, baby elephant and all
Spring is in the air judging from the multiple new additions at Sydney Taronga Zoo, but the centre stage belongs to the its baby elephant Luk Chai. So much so that Taronga’s entire website and merchandise had been rebranded to reflect his arrival. I admit there is is something gorgeous about watching a smaller version of a truck sized mammal trying his hardest to over turn a red cover lid for a good five minutes.
In other news with the new addition of their brand new car park it is no longer so painful to find parking around Mosman. More reasons to check out this little guy…
