House hunting

Posted on October 30, 2009

Over the past few weeks I’ve been looking into buying property, something that’s both incredibly daunting yet thrilling at the same time. So far it’s proving to be quite difficult, as I still can’t decide if I should look for: a place that has a high rental return; a bit of dirt that will appreciate over the long-term; or just a home that I want to live in. Finding a property that encapsulated all three seems near on impossible. Do I buy off the plan or should I find something I can renovate? Is now the right time to buy and which suburbs have peaked? The questions - and doubts - are endless!

Thus far I’ve only inspected half a dozen properties, most of which were apartments. One of those was this apartment in the Portico building where I used to live. I really regret not buying here when I had the chance a couple of years ago, as they’re now $180k dearer. Tomorrow I’ll be doing the rounds looking at more.

Woes

Posted on October 29, 2009

What a crazy start to the week. With truncated deadlines (done in the hope we can get some time off during Christmas) things have been frantic at work, with the editorial and design teams doing marathon stints in the office. All-nighters do weird things to you, with the combination of fluro lighting and lack of sleep meaning you lose all sense of time. Heck, what day is it today?

Eating habits also go to shit whenever there’s a deadline looming, as we tend to get drive-thru junk to save time. Obviously expectations are low whenever you eat fast food, but this burger from McDonald’s made me rage like Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Whoever assembled this monstrosity needs to seriously reassess their career choice. He or she should never be allowed near a burger ever again!

Breakfast on the Bridge

Posted on October 25, 2009

Must admit this morning I was tempted not to wake up for the ‘Breakfast on the Bridge’ picnic, and you can’t blame me when the alarm clock said it was 5AM. And in spite of me being a total zombie for the whole time, it was definitely a fun experience.

This was the first time they’ve closed the Harbour Bridge for a public event like this, giving 6000 people (who drawn from a ballot) the chance to have a rather spectacular picnic – on grass no less – without even a single car in sight. After a mad dash we made it to Milson’s Point on time, only to see a kilometre-long queue.

Waiting in line wasn’t that bad at all, as the width of the bridge meant there was no bottleneck.

This was like an oasis! Angie, Trace, Anna and I were all crying out for coffee when we saw cart after cart giving out free cups!

Soon after the coffee carts, things started to get trippy. What did they put in the coffee?

Musicians playing from the back of a ’49 F-150 (correct me if I’m wrong) pick-up. Love the matte paint and pinstripe combo.

Free apples. Just as I was about to grab for one I was hit with a foul smell I hadn’t experienced for a while: that wet hay and cow turd stench you get at farms. Except this was so unexpected it sent people dry wrenching left, right and centre. Which was destined to happen when you’ve just dunked an apple with a cup of coffee.

Here’s the source: a dozen cows that seemed oblivious to their unusual surroundings.

Gratefully the sky defied the forecasts with the threat of thunderstorms holding off, giving us perfect weather for a picnic.

Helicopters filming for the news were everywhere.

Couldn’t believe they managed to cover the asphalt with real grass. Big congratulations to whoever pulled off the logistics of that feat!

Even though I’ve driven over the ’Bridge a thousand times, seeing it on foot made it seem totally different.

Another shot of the bridge. I’ll probably get a sore neck tomorrow from how much time I spent looking up.

Each person was issued a number as they walked in, designating them to a section of the bridge.

Another chopper flying above.

Bacon and egg sandwiches were what we brought along. Still warm too! There was plenty of room to stretch out on the grass, and the free cardboard festival chairs (like the ones that were on Dragon’s Den) were a great idea.

Free food goodies and a commemorative cap were handed out as well. We were being spoiled!

Here’s what it looked like from the RTA Traffic feed.

There was only one exit off the bridge, which was on the opposing CBD side. The train back to Milson’s Point had a few passengers who looked like they may have partied just a little too much the night before.

From the carriage window we could see how quickly the organisers were dismantling it all. I’m sure the need to reopen it to traffic – as well as the looming storm clouds – would have made this one hell of a high pressure bump-out. So far all of these new festivals and free events that Sydney’s been putting on have been fun experiences!

Proof of life

Posted on October 23, 2009

After spending most of yesterday banging my phone against my desk in pure frustration, I decided to try a different (less violent) approach, instead coaxing and begging my Blackberry to start working again. And it did. At least for a short period before now being frozen on the Vodafone splash screen.

Cut off

Posted on October 22, 2009

Over the past few days I’ve been formulating some ideas for a blog post about how technology has transformed our lives over recent years. So it’s a little ironic that my Blackberry decided to go on vacation today. No matter what I do, all I see is a blank white screen. I’ve tried the battery-pull numerous times but still no luck. The phone itself is working though, as it still rings and is constantly going off every time I receive an email or SMS. I feel like I’ve been cut-off from the world!

Birthday @ Tetsuya’s

Posted on October 21, 2009

Today was Anna’s birthday, so we headed to Tetsuya’s for a special treat. While fine dining is definitely not my thing, you have to try everything at least once. And at the prices Tetsuya’s charge, average Joes like you and I can only afford to do it once! Tetsuya Wakuda’s restaurant – regularly in the top ten of the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards – is located on Kent St in the former ‘Suntory’ house (it’s rather surreal to see a conventional house right in the heart of the CBD). The first thing you notice when you walk in is just how tranquil it is, even though there’s bumper-to-bumper traffic just metres away.

Here there’s so many wait staff that I wouldn’t be surprised if Tetsuya has a cloning machine in the basement somewhere. You’ll seriously be served by half a dozen different waiters, each seemingly able to appear, ninja-like, out of nowhere. They’re mind readers too; I was just about to ask for my water to be topped up only to find it already had been. Awesome service albeit somewhat disconcerting.

At Tetsuya’s there’s no menu as they only offer a degustation course. In essence the degustation menu stays the same, although it is tweaked according to what produce is in season. Kick starting our dinner was this chilled corn soup, which is mixed with saffron and vanilla ice cream. Sounds strange, but works extremely well. So far so good.

Smoked ocean trout and Avruga caviar. Tasted way too fishy for me but seafood lovers will rave about it.

Never eaten raw prawns before, but this was fantastic.

Tetsuya’s signature dish is this confit of ocean trout with konbu, apple and daikon strips. This was to die for.

Here on the left is pureed spanner crab wrapped in nori, with an avocado paste on the bottom. I much preferred the grilled barramundi and baby fennel, which fell apart the moment your knife touches it.

Finally some meat! On the left is their twice-cooked spatchcock. Was disappointed that it didn’t come with the foie gras side, but it was easily an 8 out of 10. On the right are thin slices of wagyu beef which have been rolled before cooking. Never knew lime and wasabi worked so well together. A dash of Japanese mayo would’ve made it perfect.

This is their Comte with lentils. This is served at the start of the dessert courses and has a taste similar to crème brulee. Because many Asian desserts use various types of beans, I was quite used to the texture. However those who are accustomed only to beans of the baked and tinned variety may find the texture off putting.

You’re served an insane number of desserts, most of which have tart, acidic flavours.

Unfortunately the notion of me enjoying this particular dessert was doomed from the get-go. As soon as it was placed in front of me, the first thing I thought of was that Coogee Bay Hotel incident.

Much to our surprise, our waitress presented Anna with a special birthday cake (she had asked us when we were seated if we were there for a special occasion). My crappy photos don’t do this pudding justice. Absolutely decadent. Sorry I ate all of it Anna!

None of us could eat any more by this stage, so we didn’t even touch these ‘petit fours’. Being a degustation restaurant, it was already 10:30PM, having started eating at 7PM. The people next to us - who were already eating when we arrived - were still chugging along as they had opted for the accompanying wine tasting menu.

Now I’m sure many enjoy and appreciate the slow-paced, contemplative nature of degustation. I mean, that’s what it’s all about. But for impatient people like me, it can drive you up the wall. I started to get a headache from the dim lighting, my stomach didn’t know what the hell was going on, and my lower back was aching. It felt as if I was onboard an international flight. Stuck in a chair, painfully waiting for it all to end. Another description would be water-torture.

But it was a fantastic dinner nonetheless. Was it worth it? Yes. Worth every single cent. But would I do it again? Emphatically no. You know that scene from SE7EN where the fat guy is fed to death? That was me. And I thought the two hours it took at Azuma a few months back was the longest I could endure.

However time isn’t the only difference between those two degustation competitors. After eating at Tetsuya’s, I can honestly say it made what I ate at Azuma’s seem like typical Japanese takeway fare, albeit done to a very high standard. Seeing the weirdest of ingredients thrown into a blender is on thing; getting them to work in perfect harmony is quite another. And that’s what makes Tetsuya’s a restaurant you have to go to, at least once in your life.

Even the oldies

Posted on October 20, 2009

When my mother asked me about wireless internet, laptops and Skype, I have to admit that I stared at her, totally flabbergasted, for quite a few seconds. I always viewed my parents as being anti-technology, although in reality nothing could be further from the truth. My father can successfully send emails (although what he writes still reads like jibberish) while my mum even knows about torrents. Crazy.

Anyway, this all came about because she wanted a cheap way to communicate with my sister Caroline in London and so I chose these for her: an entry level Dell laptop, mouse and microphone headset all for $790 or so. I’m actually impressed with the Dell as it feels a lot sturdier than my flimsy Vaio. The same couldn’t be said for the mouse, as the click-wheel has already broken.

Barbie

Posted on October 17, 2009

Julia organised an impromptu bbq at Centennial Park today, and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Slightly chilly breeze, warm sun and clear blue skies. It wasn’t a perfect day however, as we all forgot to bring various necessities such as oil, sauce and even plates. Big thanks to our BBQ neighbour who kindly lent us his oil, which saved our lunch from burning!

Uh, did you miss something?

Posted on October 17, 2009

Luckily for us, this blank magazine isn’t the next edition of ASM. Instead this is a paper stock sample that has been trimmed and bound to give publishers a tangible product to gauge what their magazine will feel and look like. While the majority of readers will never even notice the paper of the magazine they are reading, it’s actually an area that publishers constantly scrutinise.

Here’s a selection of perfect-bound samples each with different page counts, paper stock and gloss treatments. There’s a myriad of options and varnishes available, and being able to physically compare them is the only way to assess which to go with. Obviously cost plays a major factor in determining what stock you use, especially with the price of paper having gone through the roof in recent years. To celebrate our 50th issue, we used an incredibly heavy paper stock, giving it a certain coffee-table-book quality. The cost was frightening, but the finished product was well worth it in my opinion!

School reunion

Posted on October 16, 2009

Last weekend was my ten year school reunion – I missed the five year meet-up – and was held at the lawn bowls in Balmain. I must admit that I forgot to post about it until I stumbled across this pic on the camera. And boy was the reunion a trippy experience.

I went to the same school (Trinity Grammar) for 14 years, all the way from Kindergarten to Year 12. Over all those years you can’t help but form opinions on everyone in your grade; who would ‘make it’ and who wouldn’t, what occupations people would take on and who would be the first to get married.

While I’ve kept in touch with a handful of school friends, for the most part this was the first time I’ve seen my classmates since my last day in school. My concerns that I wouldn’t recognise anyone or remember their names proved totally unfounded, and plenty of memories came rushing back the moment I saw them.

And it turns out that I was way off with my predictions too. Sure some are still the same as they were in school, but others who seemed destined to live off Centrelink have become incredibly successful with careers that many would be envious of. Sadly only 25 or so turned up (out of 200 in my grade) but it was still awesome to catch up with everyone (yes, including the jocks as well)!

ADVAN launch party

Posted on October 14, 2009

Just returned from Yokohama’s launch of its ADVAN brand in Australia. It was held on the upstairs level of Cargo Bar, with a variety of workshops, outlets and media attending. I’m sure the open bar tab played a part in drawing so many people out on a Wednesday night!

Certainly was interesting to see the aftermarket industry’s older figureheads meeting many of the upcoming generation, and it was also great to catch up with many friends. One of those was Paul Brell, who I first met in 2002 when we brought the HKS GT-R to our shores. Paul practically knows everyone in the industry and always has an intriguing story to tell! Apologies for the crap photos (blame the free alcohol).

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