Citrus

Went out for a bit of dessert tonight in Newtown. Citrus had this nut tiramisu on offer $6.50. The menu says it's only available Fri, Sat and Sun nights. It was really yummy with ice-cream (extra 50c).

Where: 227 King St Newtown, phone: (02) 9557 3582

Minus Five - ice bar in Sydney

There's an ice bar near the Opera House. The SMH says that it's $30 a drink and you're only allowed to stay in the bar for 30 minutes, otherwise you probably get too cold.

Where: Shop 18, 2 Opera Quays, Sydney, Phone (02) 9251 0311

W: http://www.smh.com.au/news/bar-reviews/minus-five/2005/12/22/1135032119884.html

Pancake shop, Sussex St, Chinatown - Jan 5

Walking along Sussex St at 8pm and I see a new pancake shop open. There are two windows with the door in the middle. On the left side, they were cooking up profiterole type pancakes in the window, and on the right hand side, they were making savoury pancakes. They poured a thin layer of batter onto the metal bench, put shrimps/prawns mixture onto that and then waited for it to cook up before serving. People were waiting in the street, smoking, talking and waiting for their order to come through. Very theatrical.

Pitt St mall, Sydney - Jan 5

Went to town to have a look around. The sales are still on and there's lots of people checking them out. Some people are back at work as well. Saw some suits running around.

Pitt St mall still has the Christmas star decorations up. It was a much cooler, rainy day. Much prefer this weather to the extremely hot weather of New Year's Day.

Sydney Festival 2006 - Jan 7-26

The Sydney Festival includes theatre, music, dance, free outdoor events, vidual arts and more.

W: http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au

Flickerfest 2006 -Jan 6-15, Sydney

Flickerfest 15th International Short Film Festival 2006.
Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia
6-15 January, touring nationally January- March.
Box office: 02 9365 6888

W: http://www.flickerfest.com.au

Wellington trip

Went to Wellington, NZ over the Christmas break. Caught up with family, friends, had lots to eat. It's a very community oriented place. Everyone supports one another and knows what others are up to. People tend to just drop in to someone's house for a visit and there's always freshly baked cakes and biscuits and a fresh pot of tea on offer.

Love the vibe and pace of Wellington. It's a more relaxed, slower pace and you don't have to drive very far to get anywhere - 5-10 minutes is the norm. Plus you drive along the road, and wind around the mountainous terrain, and you see houses set against the mountains with lots of trees in covering the landscape. It really is a pretty romantic, magical place.

I never seem to have enough time to really go into tourist mode and just visit lots of places and take heaps of photos. But I did manage to take some photos around town.

W: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaosgeneration/sets/1747602/

Chubby checks out

"David Aaronovitch sweats his way throught the second and final instalment of his time at fat camp.

In yesterday's excerpt, David Aaronovitch checked his belly into a luxurious suite at the Pritikin Longevity Centre and Spa in an attempt to turn around his spiralling weight problem..."

Article in SMH outlining some of the principles of the Pritikin diet.

W: http://smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/20/1135032001130.html

Searing preview of greenhouse life

"Sydney can expect more of the searing temperatures that fanned fires, stopped trains, disrupted air travel and blacked out suburbs on New Year's Day, according to CSIRO global warming projections.

On average, Sydney experiences temperatures above 35 degrees three days a year. That could double by 2030 and rise to as many as 18 days by 2070..."

W: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/01/02/1136050394364.html

Sydney reached 45 degrees on New Year's Day. It was really, really hot!

Get councillors out of planning, watchdog urges

"The building approval process in NSW is so flawed it is open to abuse at almost every stage, the corruption watchdog has found in a damning paper that calls for the drastic reduction of councillors' involvement in the system..."

W: http://smh.com.au/news/national/get-councillors-out-of-planning-watchdog-urges/2005/12/22/1135032135668.html

The Great Escape 2006 - 14-16 April 06

Enjoy 3 days of music, arts, food, market stalls, and more at the Newington Armory, Homebush. Bands include: Silverchair, Something for Kate, Eskimo Joe, Paul Mac, and many other acts.

W: http://www.thegreatescape.net.au

The Vanguard

You can catch performances by Russell Crowe, Jenny Morris, Vince Jones and more at the Vanguard in Newtown during January 2006.

W: http://www.thevanguard.com.au

Technology fuels video weblog boom

"From the Internet counter-culture which spawned blogs and podcasts comes the newest thing in new media: vlogging.

In short video diaries and homemade reality shows, vloggers are using the power of cheap online technology to invite strangers into their lives..."

W: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1534470.htm

Space Furniture sale - till 5 Jan 2006

Space Furniture are having a sale - up to 50% off sale till 5 Jan 2006.
84 O'Riordan St, Alexandria NSW 2015. Ph: 02 8339 7588.

W: http://www.spacefurniture.com.au

Random Photography Exhibition 1 Nov - 31 Dec 05

"The exhibition features 29 Sydney-themed images by the 10 award-winning and internationally recognized photographers of Oculi. They are: Narelle Autio, Warren Clarke, Nick Cubbin, Tamara Dean, Glenn Hunt, Jesse Marlow, Nick Moir, Jeremy Piper, Dean Sewell, and Tamara Voninski.

Formed in 2001, this unique photography collective celebrates real lives and real stories that are overlooked by the mainstream media. There are no contrived photo-shoots or art-directed aesthetics, just honesty and an unflinching gaze with their subjects.

At the heart of their photographs, both commissioned projects and personal work, lies a central conviction - to reveal the beauty, wonder and struggle of everyday life; to show the extraordinary in the ordinary. Through the regularly updated website oculi.com.au, Oculi showcase their material to the world.

Selected on their ability to inform and inspire, the photographs in 'Random' showcase the Oculi photographers' ten different styles and perspectives together to offer a contemporary Sydney narrative."

"Presented by Oculi & Customs House

From Tuesday 1 November to Saturday 31 December 2005
Monday to Friday 8am-7pm
Saturday 10am-4pm
Sunday 12noon-4pm

W: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/WhatsOn/html/custom/2234-event-details.asp?EventID=10269

The Business of Color

Article in Steelcases' 360 ezine on the effects of colour on people.

W: http://www.360steelcase.com/e_article000498606.cfm?x=b6kwcmy,b2c5cFV7

Etsy.com

If you're looking for a cool handmade gift for someone or for yourself, then check out etsy.com! It's a beautifully presented website and you can buy cool clothing, jewellery, soft furnishings, bags and heaps more from people around the world.

Website tagline: "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade".

W: http://www.etsy.com

Hard-earned dollars won't buy back time

Article in the SMH by Ross Gittins on how we're trading more of our hours for money - but at what personal cost.

W: http://www.smh.com.au/news/ross-gittins/hardearned-dollars-wont-buy-back-time/2005/12/13/1134236060743.html

Architect designed project homes in Noosa

Elysium Noosa will consist of 189 architect designed houses on 30 hectares when completed. Twelve architects were asked to design houses for particular blocks on this estate.

The architects commissioned by the developer David Pearson of the Pearson Property Group were: Lahz Nimmo, Spence Pearson, Woods Bagot, Cox Rayner, Bligh Voller Nield, Gabriele and Elizabeth Poole, Richard Kirk, Cottee Park, Arkhenfield, Elizabeth Watson Brown, Fairweather Proberts and Bark Design.

Houses in stage one cost $1.25 to $2.65 million, and stage two houses cost $2.25 to $3.35 million each.

The buyers of these houses are not allowed to change any part of the design or finishes of the house.

The Elysium Noosa project was featured in the Domain section of the SMH Dec 10-11, 2005, p8H and 9H.

There is also a website for the project at: http://www.elysiumnoosa.com.au

It'd be great if there were top architect designed project homes available in Sydney as an alternative to what some of the project home developers currently offer. It'd also be good if someone could offer them at prices on par of the current offerings as well.

Surface Art, Trinket & Kapau sale - 17-18 Dec

"The Sydney Designers team up for a major pre-Christmas studio sale. Up to 70% off retail prices on samples, seconds and end-of-line stock.

Long Charm Necklaces from $20
Earrings reduced from $80 to $15
Clothing and homewares from $15.00

Get these items, normally found in Australia and New Zealand's leading boutiques, at a fraction of their normal prices.

Cash, Eftpos or Credit Cards ( visa bankcard mastercard) Accepted

Kapau Designer Accessories
86 - 96 Wyndham St (Between Buckland & Henderson St)
Alexandria NSW 2015
P: 02 9699 8113"

When: Saturday 17th December 9am-4pm, Sunday 18th December 10am-3pm.

Surface Art: http://www.surfaceart.com.au