+ the morning after the night before

My two favourite people in all of Sydney Australia threw a farewell party for me at their house last night. And made me breakfast in the morning. You can't ask for better friends than that.









Soundtrack: Sparklehorse "Shade and Honey"

+ Mamak

Chinatown meets hipsterville in the surging popularity of Mamak, where lines snake around the block and under the pavilion gates into the pedestrian mall. Thankfully, the usual Asian efficiency means the wait is never long and the roti-making display in the front window is enough to distract (or torture) the hungriest of patrons.

Travis and I popped in for another of our goodbye dinners, starting with the excellent roti banang (egg and sweet onion roti).


The kari ikan blew the roof off my mouth (it's a super spicy, tangy fish curry with okra and eggplant).


Soundtrack: Sparklehorse "Sick of Goodbyes" (RIP Mark Linkous)

+ Corridor

The recent arrival of a new bar in Newtown had my curiosity piqued from early on, and Maha and I finally snuck in a midweek visit to check out the rooftop.


I dig it very much. Nice vibe, and being only a couple doors down from Madame Fling Flongs, it's a welcome addition to the non-pub drinking holes along King St.

I got a kick out of sitting directly adjacent to the back alley sign.


The good weather called for an appropriately summery drink. But no fear, if the weather does turn, the front lounge room which looks onto King St will have you warmed up in no time I'm sure.


Corridor, 153A King St Newtown (top end, near the cnr of Missenden).

+ thunderskies

Soundtrack: Balmorhea "Bowsprit"

+ saddleback and afxjim

Notable producer and musician Tony Dupe was over round Travis' house yesterday afternoon to experiment with cello parts over some new afxjim recordings. It was hauntingly beautiful (like a young Arthur Russell!)

+ Malaya restaurant

Shortly after leaving the Newtown Festival, I spent some quality retail-therapy time on King St and at Munky Bizness picked myself up a bargain eggplant-coloured chiffon babydoll dress for an awards dinner in Wellington I was going to later in the week, and a cute vintage dress from Cream on King.

And went on to meet Ems and Chris for cocktails at Cargo Bar (oh that place has seen some better days. And its clientele is not all that different from the Newtown fest crowd), and a terrific meal of Malaysian-Chinese at Malaya, both establishments on King St Wharf, which faces Darling Harbour.


Looking out to the bay, shame the weather was a bit grey.


Turns out we ate quite a bit. Roti Canai and Curry Chicken Sauce, Otak Otak (white fish fillet minced with chilli and spices, wrapped in banana leaf and barbequed), Sayor Otak (silken tofu topped with a blend of eggplant, mushroom, tomato, lemongrass and chilli paste, wrapped in a banana leaf - especially tasty), Chilli Beansprouts and snowpeas, and one of their signature dishes, Szechuan Eggplant. Well worth a visit.

+ Newtown Festival

I always have high hopes for the Newtown Festival year, call it selective memory perhaps, but once I arrive, I'm instantly reminded of many things I hate, all at the one time. Obnoxious hipsters, hippies, bogans, mogans and what have you, all crammed into a forced enclosure, listening to terribad funk-ska-metal-grooves and the stench of human bodies, some not yet familiar with Rexona, Lynx and other fine products.

You can always count on an inner city hippy to dance barefoot on wet grass in the rain, out of time, to above-mentioned terribad music.


Still, I showed my face as I usually do in support of 2SER and the stall we have every year. And I admit, I do enjoy certain festival foods like the gummy lollies, the infamous Turkish gozleme (why are they never sold outside of a festival?) and my choice this year, seafood paella.


It was pretty tasty, the saltiness lending itself as a perfect excuse to have some home made lemonade. I was fascinated by the paella stall with its 4 large pans on the go, all at varying cooking stages. Can't deny how it made me smack my lips in anticipation.

+ the Western Distributor

Even though the traffic is usually the worst around this area, the approach to the Harbour Bridge on the south side is still my favourite part of the daily commute. Glimpes of the harbour to the east, or the bays on the west, between the tall buildings make the jerky-moving drive just a little more tolerable. Nothing beats it on a nice sunny morning, but I don't mind a little cloud action now and then either.

And I still like going over the Coathanger (well, all bridges really) even if I do vow angrily every morning to write a letter to the RTA for their mismanagement of its traffic flow (just like Hans Brix in Team America).

From under the Harbour Bridge.

+ my second home

I really like the new 2SER space, which is just as well since I spend so many hours here after the show goes to air, painstakingly recreating it for the podcast (oh it's a long story). Of the three, the ground floor is where it feels the roomiest, with the new broadcast studios and the big open lobby area.

The windows of Studio 1.

Late night editing of a Tape Relay replay. This show featured Bibio as remixed by Bibio, new Kelpe, Apse, Hudson Mohawke, a Plaid rarity, Efterklang live with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra and Glass Candy paying homage to the Geto Boys. Even by my count, it was a pretty rad show.

And you can even download the aforementioned replay here. The rest of them, and their respective playlists can be found on the official Tape Relay page here.

+ spring rain

It seems like we've had more rain this spring so far than we did all winter. I slept rather poorly last night because the wind was howling and the rain was falling so loudly on the corrugated iron balcony roof.

It was pretty dreary on the southern approach to the Harbour Bridge.

But though the sleep was poor, the waking up was kinda gleeful actually. Because only yesterday had I remembered the Hello Kitty gumboots that I bought for dirty cheap way back at the start of the year and up until then, had tucked out of sight, out of mind. So I was delighted to be able to pull them on and do a little dance in front of the camera (new quadcam lomo-alike app on the phone!)

+ Black Star Pastry

In the last couple weeks, motivated by not having a working shower in my house, Ems and I have taken to early morning gym dates before we go to work. By the time I'm done and back at the car, Black Star Pastry is open and ready for business. I can't go in every day because I'd be too tempted by the ridiculously good lookin' sweets on offer (thereby negating any good work done on the cardio machines), but it's great for an end-of-week coffee treat. The flat whites are pretty good, though I do have to say the service can sometimes range from averagely-indifferent to attitudally-bad.

Their custard tarts look twice as big as anything I've ever seen, and those Turkish fig, quince and orange cakes looks heavenly, even if the flavours aren't my thing.

This is the one I really want to try though. Strawberry, watermelon (layered in the middle by cream?) and rose... drools!

My first visit in to Black Star was marked by a slice of this most incredible spinach, mushroom and pinenut pithivier (puff pastry pie). The spinach was so buttery and salty good and the mushrooms earthy.

And how about the bread and butter puddings?

Black Star Pastry, 277 Australia St Newtown NSW 2042. Open Tue-Sun 7am-5pm