Project 52: Sunday Lunchtime

On this particular Sunday I was on the way home to Ballarat to visit all of my remaining possessions, to swap out some work clothes, some weekend clothes, and collect some other bits and pieces I wanted from my storage room at my long suffering mother's house. I was changing locum roles the next day, so needed some more corporate attire, and I was getting bored with some of the other bits of the contents of my pack!  But I needed to eat before I hit the road, and discovered that the location of Mr Burger was on the way! Perfect!

My love of the food truck craze continues! The truck was parked alongside Edinburgh Gardens, so I got to sit out and enjoy it. This was my first feed from Mr Burger, and it was pretty hearty and very good. Perfect for the drive down and back on the Western Highway.

This post is part of Project 52 with Jess from FuShMuSh.

The Rubble Of Christchurch

Seeing the state of the Cathedral in the centre of town in Christchurch in August was pretty confronting. It's in ruin. That gorgeous spire toppled in the force of the earthquake in February 2011, and that gaping space where is was smacks you in the face with the reality of a city still far from rebuilding.

Walking around the city centre, you could be mistaken that you have wondered into a modern day ghost town - there is such limited activity, very little people, and not much is functioning and open.

Many building facades are still being held up with shipping containers, as funds and the engineering expertise is gathered to repair and rebuild.

There is also a mall in town, next to the actual mall, set up in containers, so that businesses can continue to trade - Re:Start is a genius pop up shopping precinct which is such a symbol of resilience for this city.

I had thought the idea of a touristy exhibit about the quake could be in bad taste when I first heard about it, but after walking through the streets to Re:Start, I decided to visit to get a better understanding of these 2 quakes that happened in a tight time space, and has effectively brought this city to a standstill.

Quake City steps through the experiences of the quake, the loss, the damage, and the aftermath. It made it the sights out in the street make sense, and honoured the lost 185 lives in the Feb 2011 quake. Personal accounts, pieces recovered.... Incredibly sad, and powerful displays, I spent a bit of time here taking it all in.

Back out into the streets, I continued walking around the town centre, getting a view of the ruins.

Amid all this rubble and sad devastation, there is hope - and art! Every other corner has a community arts project, bringing colour and life to an area stripped of so much. 

Dan Sultan In Castlemaine

The temptation to see Dan Sultan play the collections of songs from his forthcoming album again was too hard to resist once a show was announced at the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine. Such a gorgeous, and intimate feel venue, and he also has a special connection to the town, which makes the show even more heartfelt.

Michelle and I had dinner at The Western in Ballarat, before we drove across. The Western has been done up recently, with stripped back walls, stylised fittings, and an extensive menu.

The drive took me back to the old work days of covering this countryside, with rain, a rainbow, and then the sunset colours over the countryside.

Joining the standing crowd, as the seated patrons finished off the final dish of their meals, Kali joined us, and we sampled the wine from the bar.

Once Dan took the stage he was so talkative, and confessed that he was nervy, which made him more chatty. He introduced the room to his grandmother, in the audience, and told story after story about each song for the night.

The two sets, broken with a break for all, opened with Caroline from his first release, before he shared a host of new tracks he has newly recorded.

Just one song from Get Out While You Can, he performed Old Fitzroy at keys, and poured so much emotion into it, it felt like everyone was holding their breath. Amazing.

He returned for a final song for an encore, the newly released Under Your Skin. So edgy and different to his other tracks.

I cannot wait for this new album, but have to until early next year according to the press Dan has done in the past week.

Farewell To The Little Master

Sachin Tendulkar padded up for what may be his final batting innings tonight (Aussie time). His 200th test match, which began today against the West Indies, held in Mumbai, has been announced as his last.

What an amazing career, story, and legend of the game.

Being at each of the grounds of the Aussie tour to see him play on home soil earlier this year was incredible. The noise, and electric atmosphere of the screaming, adoring fans. The palpable waves of emotions waiting for his turn out in the middle.

The fans, kids and grown men alike, would squeal every time he was near the ball, stand all session up against the high fence in the beating sun when he was on the boundary, and roar with delight when the up-and-coming batsmen in the batting order before him would lose their wicket.

I had considered "working from home" today, to watch it all unfold, although missed the chance with appointments being made. But checking the status at the start of the day's play made that move justified as India won the toss and elected to field, delaying the big moment.

Getting home from a crazy and full day, and being blessed with my current housesitting gig and it's full Foxtel package, I was sitting in front of the big screen with live images as India commenced their batting innings, and then the over that saw 2 wickets fall to bring The Little Master to the crease.

Finishing the day's play on 38*, with pretty impressive run making, and sets up a massive day of absenteeism in India tomorrow! The fairytale would be a great final innings. Can't wait to watch it unfold!

Top 5: Play Count

Listening to music on my iPod mostly on shuffle, and having it with me most of the time, and yet my top tracks in iTunes have a pretty familiar listing over the years since I have been doing this annual post. Again, the 10 tracks give me the most listened to artists. All Aussies this year.

Seeker Lover Keeper's Even Though I'm A Woman is still my most played song in my collection.

My love of Gotye's Making Mirrors album has caught up with my top 10 listened tracks, with Save Me and Easy Way Out in the top 3 listened songs, before the ever amazing Learnalilgivinanlovin. The lesser appreciated gem on the MM album Giving Me A Chance is next, and then the most appreciated is next, Somebody That I Used To Know. In Your Light is in the 10 songs, 5 artists of the top counts too, at number 8.

Clare Bowditch's You Looked So Good is next.

Mercy Valley from the Oh Mercy boys and girl is at 9.

The song that melts my heart with every listen makes up the top 10, and is Old Fitzroy from Dan Sultan. An incredible track.

Horn Please!

Since returning from my travels in India, the idea of finding the array of tastes from over there had been a bit of a quest. The food there was incredible, and is never really replicated by your standard Indian takeaway, somehow.

A few months back, my taste for India was rejuvenated, with a visit to Horn Please. In fact, I have been twice so far, and even just thinking about the flavours on the menu make me want to go back again!

Nestled along St Georges Road in Fitzroy North, the restaurant is beautifully fitted. Indian script on the walls, projected images, family photos in regal dress adorn the walls.

For starters I have been unable to resist the Samoas - pomegranate and green mango in with potato, encased in crispy pastry. So good! A prefect beginning...and a transportation straight back to the street samoas in Hyderabad.

The drinks options are extensive, and I mean beer! The set up is that you just go to the fridge and select what you want. Kingfisher, of course, is one of the many options. A selection of beers from India, and a host from other places. Even four cider options.

The service is great and attentive, and there is a real family and authentic feel about the place. It has been pretty busy each time I have been, and quite rightly so. The food is wonderful!

The Palak Paneer was my go to in India, and here it is on the menu at Horn Please. That, and the Butter Chicken, have also been irresistible for my selections. I really need to branch out further in the menu - but these two are so good!

They also run a food truck, which floats around the city, so these tastes are out and about everywhere. The perfect teleporter back to my travels, right here in Melbourne.

Jaipur: The Pink City

The early finish of the cricket test in Delhi meant that we got to squeeze in a trip to Jaipur after all, at the end of my 5 weeks in India. A bonus, because it was one of the places I really wanted to go - the Pink City is something to see!

We hired a van and a driver, and he took a group of us over to the remaining point of the Golden Triangle. We arrived around Amber Fort in time for the lighting show, before trailing into town to secure lodgings for the night. Up the next morning, we returned to the Fort to explore it, and take in the familiar layout.

We took a couple of jeeps up to the Fort, rather than riding the elephants up the ridiculously steep incline.

Walking through the outer gates, and up the stairs into the main courtyard, called the Jaleb Chowk, you are hit by the beauty of the yellow and pink sandstone Ganesh Gate. So much detail, intricate, and lovingly preserved. It was worth waiting for the crowds to move to get a good, clear and full view it.

Ganesh is the god who is meant to move all obstacles in life - what a stunning tribute to such a powerful Hindu legend!

One side of this courtyard featured lattice screens and archways, and gave a full view over the mountains and lakes for as far as the eye could see.

Moving through the gate to the next courtyard, the Hall of Audiences, and then again into the next one, which houses the Hall of Victory. Victory here is celebrated with mirrored mosaics, caricatures, and marble relief panels. Stunning, and so detailed, and extravagant.

The next section of the Fort was a massive complex of rooms and corridors, many floors up, like a labyrinth. Made like this so that the maharaja could visits his many wives without the others knowing.

Back into town, we then explored the City Palace, which was more courtyards and pink marble. We stumbled across a dancing, singing celebration within the first palace in the first courtyard, before we explored the many rooms from here.

The Palace is really two main courtyards, with the main one centred with the Welcome Palace, which now shows off the many royal costumes, mammoth dress shawls, and sports outfits.

But the most impressive spot of Jaipur for me was exploring the grand red sandstone facade of the Hawa Mahal. The most distinctive landmark of the city, this honeycombed hive of windows overshadows one of the busiest streets - of course it was covered in scaffolding on out day there!

This structure was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and was designed so that the women of the royal household could watch the world outside through all the little windows.

A pretty limited view of the street, but conversely a full view of the City Palace and surrounding land. Hidden away women, watching the processions below.

You enter the complex from a back gate, and through a courtyard, and work your way through tunnel after tunnel to get to the top. It's like wandering through something from a fairytale book.

We ended our hot day of intense exploring with a little interlude into a scene straight out of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, by making our way to the Rambagh Palace Hotel for a drink at the Polo Bar.

A couple of our group managed to get there early, and had a classy high tea. The rest of us arrived disheveled, hot, sweaty and loud...bloody Aussies! We delighted in the fresh smell of the place, the cleanness, and the air con!

Jaipur and all it's pink. Such a special travel day, to a really beautiful place.