Sydney Wine Festival

Last weekend, I spent a lovely morning with friends at the Sydney Wine Festival. There was wine tasting made easy with a plastic glass and tokens you could use at any stall. It did convince me that Hunter Valley wines are mostly miss or miss. I will continue to avoid them.

The highlight was the food, with Becasse serving plates of food at very reasonable prices. I also got to meet the cute French chefs and get the complimentary voucher for a glass of sparking the next time I eat there. They did not have to work hard to convince me. I will be visiting my favourite Sydney restaurant again. Getting the chance to sit in the sun and eat their food was a lovely surprise.

This is one event I will go to in the future if I am in Sydney while it is on again.

Bogan Bingo

A couple of weeks ago, I ended up spending a fun Friday evening hanging out with friends and playing Bogan Bingo. No, that's not a judgement. That was the name they called it.

The two hosts had beer guts and mullets (fake apparently) and played bad 80's music while making crass jokes. The food was awful and the table next to us was very drunk but despite this, it was a fun-filled night :) Kelly won a meat tray and we played about 50 games between the 4 of us over 2 hours.

It was enjoyable so I do recommend doing it once but never again for me. Deepest apologies to our Iranian friend who smiled and took it in her stride. Too bad we couldn't tell her that anywhere else in Australia, that would just be normal :)

Nine Inch Nails in Sydney

NIN played in Sydney last week. After 5 songs, all the power went out and we were left only with emergency lighting. I tweeted it straight away and found that so had hundreds of other fans standing in the dark wondering what was going on. The bar was closed at that point. Apparently, they took out the entire block. It took 25 minutes for them to get the power back. They followed that with a quick sound check and then another 90 minutes of fantastic live Nails. It was worth waiting around and I am glad that Jane convinced me to stay.

My friend Kellie and I ended up very close to the front. The pictures don't do our prime spot justice but the inability to hear in my right ear was proof.

They finished with Head Like a Hole and I dedicated that song to me for this point in my life. It suits me just right.

Last time I saw NIN was also at Horden Pavillion at Fox Studios. It was the night I came home and did the coding test for my ThoughtWorks interview. I remember that so well. G and I went to that one. This time was different and awesome. Next time they visit, I'll get closer and go deaf in both ears :)

On the walk home, I came across this sign...

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone :)

"The fluttering in the stomach goes away and the dull waking pain. Sometimes I think of you and I feel giddy. Memory makes me lightheaded, drunk on champagne. All the things we did. And if anyone had said this was the price I would have agreed to pay it. That surprises me; that with the hurt and the mess comes a shaft of recognition. It was worth it. Love is worth it."

-- Jeanette Winterson

My Visual DNA

I did my visual DNA again. This is my personality one...

Covers

A new cover for my mac, for my iPhone and for my nails.

Her Sadness

Unfortunately, my camera is not the greatest and it's made the colours too light and bubbly. It's much darker in real life. I like the rocks in this one. Not sure what to do with the face yet or maybe nothing at all.

Cupcakes Painting

As suggested by a friend, I have painted a picture of the other great love in my life - Cupcakes.

Midlife Crisis

At least these guys are owning up to it :) I hope I will be as honest in a few years.

Trip to see The Three Sisters

G + I spent the last few days of our Christmas and New Years break in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains at the lovely hotel and spa, Lilianfels. Apparently I was last there 27 years ago but it was all new to me. I wondered why they were called the Blue Mountains and that was answered when we arrived on a beautiful sunny summer day to see the amazing blue haze that colours all the mountains. Very pretty. G took many amazing photos which I can only mirror with my non-DSLR compact Canon point-and-click :)

If you head out from Sydney, the drive takes only 90 minutes and consists of one long 90km stretch that runs under spaghetti junction (the M7), through Penrith and then right up to the sleepy hamlets of Leura and Katoomba.

On the drive up, we stopped in Leura for iced chai frappe and flower pot scones. Yes, the scones are cooked in cute little flower pots and served with homemade jam and cream. The shop that served these was called WayzGoose and is worth the visit. They did forget our order for a berry tart so don't feel the need to tip them.

On the first day in Katoomba, we took the 2 minute walk from our hotel to The Three Sisters lookout and took a lot of photos. It's a beautiful scene and one that you should take the chance to see at least once. There are many reasons to visit again but be sure to see The Three Sisters on your first visit. They'll call you back again.

The rest of our trip was spent relaxing around the hotel. There was a fancy schmancy meal at Darley's, which I will blog about soon. Stay tuned for why I think they should lose a hat.

I'd certainly visit Lilianfels again. Like their big sister hotel The Observatory, it is a classy hotel that makes you feel very at home and relaxed. With the spa and the food, you don't even need to go out and do the touristy things. Stay in and order the wagyu burger.

My latest paintings

I have been painting a lot in the last few months. It's going up and down. I'm not sure what I want to paint so I'm trying lots of ideas. Mainly what catches my eye at the time. Getting fine lines has been the biggest challenge. Working with metallic paints has been the greatest joy.

Painting is something I really enjoy and will keep doing. Hopefully it will improve :)

Night view from our window

Lotus flower and palm leaf

Champagne party

Burning Heart

Turtle Disaster

The best way to eat oysters

I lie, the best way to eat good oysters is au naturel with maybe a squeeze of lemon. My second favourite way is make a Japanese style sauce and pour it over the oysters. You can serve them in the shell or in Asian soup spoons. Be sure to pour all the liquid from the oyster in to the spoon too as that is where all the taste is. Do not cook the oysters. Pour the sauce over the oysters just before you serve them.


A Japanese-style sauce for Oysters
(for one dozen oysters)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Garnish with chopped chives.

1 tablespoon of salt reduced kikkoman soy sauce
1 tablespoon of mirin
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
the juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon of crushed fresh ginger
finely chopped chives

Hey you kids, get off my lawn!

The invitation said the dress code was: Hobo Chic

The birthday boy

It was a recessionista party in honour of the 30 year old birthday boy and the very hard to avoid Global Financial Crisis. So the hobos turned up to the party and drank champagne while eating canapes, made by the chef in the kitchen and served by the very good waiters. Rather than looking at this as a little insensitive of the times, we'd rather aimed for irony.

The chocolate, siena and gold balloons decorated the room while posters saying "We want to be citizens, no transients" covered the walls. A projector displayed huge images from The Great Depression on the walls. More pictures from the night are on Giles' flickr page.

I went more for chic than hobo

October was a Good Food Month

A macchiato from the Museum of Sydney cafe

October 2008 really was Good Food Month in Sydney.

This year I experienced the Noodle Night Markets multiple times on the way home, two Let's Do Lunch events and one amazing dinner.

Yummy food from the Noodle Markets

The Night Noodle Markets are always my favourite part of Sydney's Good Food Month. The atmosphere reminds of markets in Darwin where we ate asian food and sat under the stars with hundreds of other people. Thing is, I think more people visit the Noodle Markets in the two weeks they were on this year than live in Darwin. I still rate the Darwin market food better - certainly the sticky rice and mango.

No matter what kind of food you like, you will find it here as long as it has noodles in it :) There are also dutch pancakes, yum cha, wine, beer and good desserts. Don't plan to visit on one night but make a habit of it over the time they run. G and I walk home through them every night so we stopped there three times. It was a lovely scene.

Lastly, I can't forget the fabulous night we had at Bilson's. Bilson is best known as the guy who taught Tetsuya what he knows and this dinner was certainly a homage to European style Japanese food.

Going to Bilson's is always perfect with it's large tables, amazing food and disappointment at the fact that I won't be eating just like this for a while again. In Good Food Month, it's even worse since you know that they will never be putting on this spread ever again. At least I got to be one of the few to experience it.

The wine was very very good with the food but my night was topped off by the discovery (yes, I'm slow) of freshly grated horseradish. There is pretty much nothing nicer of a piece of beef than that.

If you choose one thing to go to next Good Food Month in Sydney, choose Bilson's.

Meta Photography

If you've followed my blog for a while or even for only a few months then you will know that I like to take pictures of everything. Of late, that has not been the case. It all started when G got his brand spanking new camera. It's slightly better than mine and produces pictures that make my old IXUS 40 look like a 1930s folding camera.

You should check out G's photos because they are awesome. It's also nice to appear in some photos once in a while.

As for my photos, they will continue here and on flickr :)

Surry Hills

photo by Giles

People always ask about what I'd recommend in Surry Hills. They ask because Surry Hills is my home and a place I love to be. There is something for everyone in Surry Hills. Next time you are here, this is what I recommend you try...

Coffee: The Wall Cafe - 80 Campbell Street

Fish & Chips: Mohr Fish - 204 Devonshire Street
Thai Food: Spice I Am - 90 Wentworth Avenue
Pub: The Clock Hotel - 470 Crown Street
Bakery: Bourke Street Bakery - 633 Bourke Street
Cocktails: Longrain - 83 Commonwealth Street
Tapas: Bodega - 216 Commonwealth Street
Pizza: Pizza Mario - 421 Bourke Street
Theatre: Belvoir Street Theatre - 25 Belvoir Street
White Table Cloths: Marque - 355 Crown Street
Breakfast: bills - 359 Crown Street
Mexican: Mad Mex - 241 Crown Street
Indian: The Nepalese Kitchen - 481 Crown Street
Turkish: Erciyes - 409 Cleaveland Street
Communal Dining: Table for 20 - 182 Campbell Street
After Dinner Drinks: Sticky Bar - 182 Campbell Street

Why paint cats

Since receiving an easel for my birthday from G, I've been painting a lot more. My painting is more for me than others but I wanted to share it here for my friends and family members who have asked what I'm painting.

I paint cats a lot because there are around and such good subjects - sitting still and staring at me. Mixing colours is my latest challenge and I'm trying lots of different things at the moment to discover where colours come from and how to represent light.

This allows me to use a different part of my brain than I do every day. It's also lovely to have an idea and create something tangible. So different to my usual work output.

My 2^5th Birthday

omg I'm nearly 32!

Yes, you read it wrong. It was in fact my 32nd birthday and in the tradition of birthdays in G + my lives, we had a whopping big party. It was the closest party I've ever had to a rap video. There was barely standing room, lots of champagne and it went for a very long time. To some this may be a problem. As my friend Alice says "these are what we call Champagne Problems" and of course, she is right.

The invitation said to bring a flower for entry and that was interpreted by my lovely friends as "bring Damana lots of flowers" and they did. Again, not complaining. All the presents were delightful. Now I remember why birthdays are so much fun. Thank you, beautiful people!!!

Here are a bunch of awesome photos taken by Giles. You can find better quality ones on his flickr feed.

The party table before the party

64 delish cupcakes from cupcakes on pitt

The rest of the room before the rap video

The cheese platter at the end of the maze

The leftovers

The famous palm tree esky

M&Ms

Caught stopping to smell the roses

Floating around and recovering

A balloon lands on the ledge of the mezzanine