Night Festival 2012: Feel younger at heart this weekend at the festival

La Argentina.
Image credit: Derrick See.

On the weekend of 31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012, experience the extravagance and novelty of this year's Night Festival that will stretch from The Cathay building to the Armenian Street.

Learn about the noteworthy programmes in this weekend's Night Festival by reading Night Festival 2012: Feel younger at heart this weekend at the festival. While these suggested programmes may not change your physical age, may they help you feel younger at heart!

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Night Festival 2012
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Free admission
For more details, please visit: http://www.brasbasahbugis.sg/nightfestival

Nearest MRT stations: Bras Basah, City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut.

The hotel that I stayed in: Travelodge Sydney

Main entrance of the Travelodge Sydney.

When I was visiting Sydney in May 2012, I chose to stay at Travelodge Sydney (Wentworth). I stayed in one of the rooms (Queen bed) on the ninth floor for six nights.

Service was great and adequate considering the price that I have paid for the room. It was considered one of the cheapest hotel room rates I could get in Sydney where hotel rates can be expensive. The staff were very attentive and allowed me to store my luggage in the storage room when I had arrived before the check-in time and when I needed a place to store my luggage after I had checked out.

The room was clean and spacious. Each room has an ensuite bathroom. While the bathroom is basic and has no frills, this meant I was charged less for the unnecessary luxuries. I appreciated that the water-heater generally worked most of the time and that the diligent housekeeper had kept the room and the bathroom clean and neat throughout my stay.

I chose not to have breakfast included with my stay. This was to allow me to enjoy a variety of breakfast outside the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

However, on the morning of 24 May 2012, I treated myself to the buffet breakfast at the hotel's Three Corners Restaurant. This was because I needed to leave the hotel by about 7.15 a.m. and there was nearest place that provided breakfast opened at 7.00 a.m. As such, I figured that it would be more practical that I enjoy breakfast at the hotel's restaurant. The restaurant opens for breakfast as early as 6.30 a.m. Food was adequate and palatable. At AUD$19 per pax, I am in the opinion that I would prefer to explore the other interesting breakfast options in Sydney city if I did not have to leave the hotel before 7.15 a.m. Please bear with me, I have higher expectations for breakfast.

The Three Corners Restaurant.

This hotel provides coin-operated washing machines at selected levels. Dry-cleaning is also available. This may not be the place for people who need to use swimming pool or gym facilities.

The coin-operated washing machine.

The reception.

Here is a TripAdvisor review that I had written some time ago: Value-for-money at Travelodge Sydney

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Travelodge Sydney
27 Wentworth Ave, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
http://www.travelodge.com.au/travelodge-sydney-hotel/home

Nearest train station: Museum

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Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired

Night Festival 2012: Interesting programmes for the nostalgic folks

Night Photobooth Analogue Style at Peek! Night Festival 2012.

The Night Festival 2012 is here! A careful scrutiny of the programme for Night Festival 2012 revealed that there are many interesting programmes that encourage visitors to recollect nostalgic moments, reflect on memories from the past and to reconnect with loved ones in this vibrant occasion.

For the people who are nostalgic at heart, here is a blog with some suggestions that you can consider: Night Festival 2012: Interesting programmes for the nostalgic folks.


Night Festival 2012
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Free admission

Night Festival 2012: Highlights to enjoy within an hour

Night Festival 2012. Singapore Art Museum.

These two weekends be prepared to be treated to a nocturnal extravaganza of spectacular aerial performances, music, dance and installation artworks at the Night Festival 2012.

With such a wide spectrum of activities to choose from, here is one of my recent blogs with some suggestions that you could consider if you should only have an hour, or less, to spend at the Night Festival 2012 this weekend: Night Festival: Highlights to enjoy within an hour


Night Festival 2012
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Free admission
For more details, please visit: http://www.brasbasahbugis.sg/nightfestival

21 May 2012: Dinner together

21 May 2012: When I was Sydney in May 2012, I had the pleasure to meet up with my friends and their family members for dinner. The decision was to meet outside the Sydney city. We eventually decide on Korean food at Chatswood. I feel grateful and thankful to enjoy memorable moments with friends that I decided that I shall write a post on the dinner.

I must have been enjoying the dinner company so much that I did not have a single photograph from that dinner. I also overlooked getting a business card of the restaurant for reference purposes! Anyway, I like the spicy beancurd soup especially. I like the fact that the meal was served with a lot of vegetables. Many thanks to RL and her husband for the treat as well as the thoughtful dinner recommendations.

Anyway, here is a review on the Korean restaurant that we have had dinner at by someone else who had a meal there about two years ago:
[Chatswood] Jang-Gun -將軍- Korean Cuisine

After dinner, we strolled about the areas of Chatswood. I was offered a lift back to the hotel, thanks to FH's  husband. One of the learning points for the day seemed to be that learning to receive is a blessing in itself. In addition, learning to share good moments with people around us is a blessing too.

This was a day to be grateful for!

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Jang Gun (Korean) Restaurant
Shop 27, Victoria Plaza, 369 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067, Australia
Tel: +61-2-9412-1816

Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired

Gold Rush: Treasures of the Ukraine

Marvellous. A reproduction of a pectoral from the 4th century BCE.

After attending the exhibition, Gold Rush: Treasures of the Ukraine, for at least four times since its official launch at the National Museum of Singapore, I am in the opinion that it will be helpful to attend one of the guided tours if you should visit this exhibition. Here is a blog on my thoughts and experiences visiting this exhibition: Make a date with a museum guide when you visit Gold Rush: Treasures of the Ukraine.


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Gold Rush: Treasures of the Ukraine
National Museum of Singapore
93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
29 May - 26 Aug 2012
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tickets are priced at S$11 (includes SISTIC handling fees)

Details of guided tour can be found here: http://www.nationalmuseum.sg/ExhibitionDetail.aspx?id=68&cat=2

Singapore souvenirs that will delight

Have you ever wish you could know where to get innovative and meaningful Singapore souvenirs for your friends who are residing overseas?

I did. I was very glad that I have found an answer to my quest for innovative and meaningful Singapore souvenirs. The answer is revealed in my recent post entitled The innovative Great Singapore Souvenirs.

21 May 2012: A beautiful evening

21 May 2012 (Mon): After a lovely afternoon at the Berowra Waters, my friend, her daughter and I found our way to my friend's home. It was an inviting and cosy home in the mountainous area. I could imagine the awe one would feel waking up every morning and giving thanks for such magnificent sights of the mountains.

Tea-time was wonderful in the company of friends, a long-time one and a very young new friend. My friend's daughter proudly insisted that I see her toys! Amusing it was, this young lady has a lot of confidence.

In the evening, before the sun sets, we headed for Lavender Bay to enjoy the wonders of the evening sunset. In autumn, the sun sets earlier than summer in Sydney. We leisurely walked on a long boardwalk towards Lunar Park. It was a part of Milsons Point that I had not explored before.

Along the way, we were welcomed by the sights of the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. These were such lovely views that I wished I will in a matter of years own a home in that part of Sydney. If I shall do so, it would be a pleasure to organize open-house at certain times of the years so that visitors can enjoy the beauty of evening skies in the comfort of a cosy home.

Words cannot fully describe the beauty of the evenings skies, so let the photographs tell the story.

My friend's daughter was observed to be very excited by the living creatures that she saw in the waters when she looked down the water from the boardwalk. Please pardon me. I could not figure out what had so intensely caught her attention. I just played along with her to express wonder and awe for the world that I live in.

Many thanks to my friend and her daughter for their treasured company at Milsons Point.

Also visit:
25 May 2012: A morning at Milsons Point
16 Nov 2010: The peaceful Milsons Point
19 Nov 2010: Back to Milson Point and the evening stroll

Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired

Changi Museum War Trail, my experiences

The Changi Chapel.

The Original Singapore Walks by Journeys Pte Ltd has been one of my favourite tours in Singapore. I was impressed by the well-researched tours that when one of my friends asked about visiting the Changi Museum, I suggested the possibility of going for the Changi WWII, Changi Museum War Trails.

This tour included a fully guided visit to the Changi Museum and the Changi Chapel. During the tour, the coach will also take the participants to have a glance of the old Changi Jail and the Selarang Barracks. These two locations had both served as internment camps for Prisoner-of-War during the Japanese Occupation. One section of the tour will bring participants to explore the Johore Battery with a replica of a WWII 15-inch gun battery. The tour also includes a walk on Changi Beach.

My favourite sections on the tour were those on the Changi Cross and the Changi Murals.

I had been on this tour more than five years ago. I thought it would be a good idea to go for this tour again. Eventually, I signed myself up for the tour together with a few of my friends and went on the tour on 11 Aug 2012. I was very glad that I did. Going for this tour reminded me that peace is invaluable and cannot be taken for granted. In addition, I was reminded of the faith and strength of the human spirit and how these had helped many of people overcame the challenges during the war and the internment.

The Changi Cross made by Harry Stogden.

Our guide, Janet, presented the various stories of the prisoner-of-war in an effective and touching manner. I could not help but empathize with the prisoner-of-war and their families for the pain and suffering that they had experienced.

A replica. Johore Battery. 

The tour was backed up by loads of good research. Somehow, as a participant of the tour, I felt that history came alive when I was learning about the British defence strategy, the Malayan Campaign and the Battle of Singapore during the tour. Going for the tour makes learning about this part of Singapore's history very interesting and entertaining.

One of my accompanying friends who was a nine-year-old child also found the tour to be interesting. He was paying attention throughout the tour.

A heritage marker at Changi Beach.

Overall, I find this a very educational and insightful tour. I felt deeply touched by the stories of how the war had affected the prisoner-of-war and their families. This tour gives a more in-depth understanding of challenges faced by prisoner-of-war as well as the pre-war and wartime history of the area of Changi. I think this tour is worth a good consideration for local residents in Singapore who would like to gain a better understanding of World War II history in this part of the world. I would say that it is a value-for-money and excellent tour.

Changi Beach.

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Changi WWII™
A Changi Museum War Trail™
http://www.journeys.com.sg

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For more information, please visit: http://www.journeys.com.sg/singaporewalks/tours_changiww.asp
Meeting point: Pasir Ris MRT station, outside Exit B

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21 May 2012: The scenic Berowra Waters

Berowra Waters is possibly a well-kept secret holiday destination in the Northern part of Sydney. I did not know about it until one of my friends brought me there. This is a place I would recommend urban dwellers to visit. It would bring a sense of serenity to its visitors, and a peaceful escape from the city.

I have to thank my friend, FH, for introducing me to and driving me to Berowra Waters. It was a place that made me felt tranquil, as if I was in heaven. I later learnt that Berowra Waters is surrounded by one of Australia's oldest and best known national parks, Ku-ring-gai Chase.

Our destination was the Berowra Waters Marina. To get there, my friend drove through mountain trails. After which, she parked her car onto one of the Berowra Waters Ferries that would take us to the Berowra Waters Marina. While my friend's child was taking a short nap on the car, I explored the area with great delight and awe for the sheer beauty of scenic Berowra Waters.

Simply walking about Berowra Waters gave me a deep sense of tranquility. I suppose this was the healing powers of Nature?

My friend gave me a thoughtful treat to a delicious meal at Berowra Waters Fish Cafe. This cafe is said to offer some of the best Fish and Chips in Sydney. As we sat and enjoyed the seafood platter, we enjoyed each others company. The food was delicious. The seafood was very fresh. The taste of the scallop, crabsticks, fish and calamari rings taste much better than the seafood that I have had a year ago at Sydney Fish market. Alright, maybe I was biased. The pleasure of having friends enjoying wonderful food with me could have led me to give extra bonus points to the seafood that I have had at Berowra Waters Fish Cafe.

The Berowra Waters Fish Cafe is situated at the spectacular Berowra Waters within the Marina complex. I was happily enjoying the beautiful views while I was enjoying the delicious lunch. I felt deeply blessed to be treated to such scenic views at the Berowra Water. The views were simply amazing. Furthermore, we were blessed with good weather that day. My friend's daughter was so excited that she tried to create percussive rhythms using the cutlery. My friend and I had to gently reminded our young enthusiastic companion that a better time to do so was after the lunch, at the nearby playground. Nevertheless, I could not help but to delight in the youthful innocence of my friend's daughter. Very often, it is a blessing to see the world through the eyes of a child.

Berowra Waters.

After lunch, I felt I was transported back to the days of childhood when my friend's daughter led us to the nearby playground. To play, of course!

I was reminded that one does not need a lot to be happy in life. The key ingredients that we would need are  kindness, humour, beauty and a zest for life.

Lots of thanks to my friend, FH, for bringing me to Berowra Waters.

Berowra Waters Ferry. A mode of transportation.

Just do remember to bring along warm clothing when you visit Berowra Waters please. The winds can be chilling.

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About Berowra Waters
http://www.berowrawaters.com
http://www.berowrawaters.com/history/

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Berowra Waters Fish Cafe
199 Bay Road, Berowra Waters, NSW, Australia
Tel: +61-2-9456-4665
http://www.berowrawatersfishcafe.com.au

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Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired

The Wedding Dress: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

How does a novice who know nothing much about vintage dresses and fashion approach an exhibition that focuses on wedding dresses? Here is my take on it: The novice's way to enjoy The Wedding Dress: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London


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The Wedding Dress: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum
National Museum of Singapore
From 8 Aug - 31 Oct 2012.
93 Stamford Road
Singapore 178897

The Ramadan Trails at Sultan Mosque

A two weeks ago, I was visiting the area near Sultan Mosque. While I was in the area, I saw a banner that caught my eyes. It reads: "Come experience Ramadan Trails!"

The finer prints on the banner informed that each of the Ramadan Trails will cover three components. These were:

- Presentation: What is Ramadan all about?
- Guided Mosque Tour (with demonstration of the prayer)
- Buka Puasa (Breaking of the fast with Muslims)

This year, the dates of the Ramadan trail were on 23, 25, 27, 30 July and 1, 3, 6, 8 Aug 2012. It was necessary to make bookings in advance. Email: info@sultan.mosque.org.sg

I have had a positive experience when I attended a similar tour during Ramadan at the Sultan Mosque last year. As such, when I learnt that the Sultan Mosque will be organizing similar tours this year, I asked if a few of my friends would be keen to join me for one of the Ramadan Trails. We signed ourselves up for the Ramadan Trail on 8 Aug 2012, which happened to be the last of such tour for this year. Special mention to Belinda Tan and Brother Jason Wilson for putting together a Facebook events page to provide another means to sign up for this Ramadan Trail at Sultan Mosque.

Finally, the much anticipated day came. At about 5.30 p.m., I headed to the registration counter near the auditorium of the Sultan Mosque to register myself and my friends for the tour. Since the tour started at 6 p.m. and we were a little early, I suggested that my friends could browse through the nearby Ramadhan food bazaar. This food bazaar will take place from 21 Jul - 17 Aug 2012, from 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Bussorah Mall and Muscat Street. There are many interesting stalls at the food bazaar.

Ramadan Bazaar. Taken on 21 Jul 2012.

Brother Jason was the presenter for the presentation. During this enlightening presentation, I learnt more about the significance of the month of Ramadan which begins with the sighting of the new moon in the ninth month of the lunar calendar.

The presentation also gave the guests on the Ramadan Trail an introduction to the following:

1) The history of the mosque. This can be dated back to the time when Sultan Hussein Shah, the appointed ruler of Singapore, proposed to build a mosque within his Sultanate Compound.
2) The architectural style of the current Sultan Mosque building which was designed and built by the architectural firm, Swan and Mclaren.
3) The use of the arabesque to decorate the mosque.
4) What is Islam?
5) Who are the Muslims?
6) The importance of Ramadan.
7) Why do Muslim fast?

I looked around and saw that the participants of the Ramadan Trail are from different faiths and races. There was a group of Muslim female youths who attended the Ramadan Trail too.

After the presentation, the participants grouped ourselves into smaller groups. Guides led each group on a guided tour of the mosque.

Our very kind guides explained to us about the many interesting features of the mosque. For example, the dark-green-colour base of the mosque's dome is decorated with glass bottles that were donated by the poor. The significance is possibly that the Sultan Mosque has been made possible with the contributions from everyone in the community: young and old, rich and poor.

A device in the Sultan Mosque that informs the times for prayers.

Our guide was mindful to ensure that everyone in the group would be ushered to the auditorium of the mosque before the call to the evening (Maghrib) prayer. We were to break fast together with the Muslims at the auditorium. While waiting for the call to the evening prayer, learning points from the presentation earlier the evening flashed through my mind. It would have required a considerable amount of self-discipline and faith to fast.

When the call to the evening prayer was heard, I observed the Muslim friends breaking their fast. I understand that it was recommended that one break his fast with dates or water, so I started the meal with eating a date. I tried to imagine that if I had abstain from food and drink for 12 hours or more, I would feel the sense of gratitude when it was time to break fast. Each bite of food and each drop of water would have been precious because I would have learnt not to take them for granted.

The organizers were very accommodating. I observed that at the mosque, the males and the females were usually seated separately when it was time to break fast. My friends and I were allowed to be seated together during the "Buka Puasa" (breaking of the fast with the Muslim) experience. Special thanks to the organizers for their thoughtfulness.

At the end of the tour, our hospitable and kind hosts gave everyone who took part in the tour a goodie-bag. I appreciated that in the goodie-bag, there was a brochure that explains about fasting in Ramadan, a note-book with a brief history of Sultan Mosque printed in the inner cover, and a pocket guide on the Prophet of Islam.

Here, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the generosity and kindness of the community at Sultan Mosque for making the Ramadan Trail possible. It was an insightful cultural appreciation experience. I was very pleased to know that my friends enjoyed the experience too.

Sultan Mosque, Singapore
3 Muscat Street
Singapore 198833
Tel: 6293 4405/ 6293 4043
Fax: 6293 2463
Email: info@sultan.mosque.org.sg
Website: http://www.sultanmosque.org.sg
Nearest MRT train station: Bugis.

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Also read: Ramadan Trails at Sultan Mosque by Sengkang Babies.

Read 《庙在‧妙哉》

《入墓三分》 ,《庙在‧妙哉》 

Last Sunday, I felt very thankful and grateful to be given two gifts at a book launch event titled 《入墓三分，一脉香承》--华人传统建筑文化系列活动:与武吉布朗坟山及本地庙宇的亲密接触
Chinese Traditional Architecural Culture Series : Close encounters with Bukit Brown and Local Temples. The two gifts were the two books that were being launched at the event.

I have read one of the books, 《入墓三分》, within two hours last weekend, and have attempted to write my impression of it in this post: Book launch event:《入墓三分，一脉香承》. Written in Chinese, it is an accessible and easy-to-read book for anyone who would like an introduction to the history and interesting anecdotes of the Bukit Brown Cemetery.

Over a course of the past week, I have read 《庙在‧妙哉》intermittently. This is a very accessible book to read for any novice who would like to be more appreciative of the many architectural features that are found in Chinese temples in Singapore. I am pretty impressed by the authors' creativity and good sense of humour in making the subject of architectural features of Chinese temples and the symbolism behind these features so interesting. For example, the authors used the heading of "Party of Flowers and Fruits" to captivate readers to read about the various flowers that can be commonly seen as architectural designs in Chinese temples in Singapore.

I appreciate that《庙在‧妙哉》was written in a language that is intended to be accessible to youths. The authors has taken care and effort to write in a way that young readers can easily relate to. I like the numerous photographs that the authors have inserted in the book to illustrate the various concepts and ideas. Furthermore, the materials that are found in this book have been made accessible through social media platforms such as Facebook and blog.

Through reading this book, I have learnt to differentiate a motif of a peacock from a motif of a phoenix if I were to see such motifs in a Chinese temple. I have also learnt the symbolism behind the various motifs that can be found in Chinese temples. For example, a motif of a guava symbolizes abundance.

If you are a novice who would like to make sense of the motifs and architectural designs that are found in Chinese temples and you can read Chinese, this is a book to consider.

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Please find more information regarding the two books below:

《庙在‧妙哉》

作者：洪云芳，夏纬娟和林若亭
ISBN: 978-981-07-2976-9
Blog: http://blog.omy.sg/amazing-point
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MiaoZai2012
Email: miaozai2012@gmail.com


《入墓三分》
作者：吴悅神和杨旸
ISBN: 978-981-07-2838-0
Email: tai_yang_shen@hotmail.com 

Please contact Ngee Ann Poly, School of Humanities and Social Sciences for more information on the two books.

For your convenience, here are the contact details:

School of Humanities and Social Sciences Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Block 52 #04-01 535 Clementi Road
Singapore 599 489
 Email address: sch-hms@np.edu.sg
General Enquiries: (+65) 6460 8577
Fax Enquiries: (+65) 6875 1469

21 May 2012: A stop-over at Pymble

21 May 2012 (Mon): I had arranged to meet one of my friends and her daughter at Pymble train station. As I was early, I roamed about the train station and the nearby areas.

According to one of the signages,

"The suburb "Pymble" takes its name from Robert Pymble, pioneer orchardist, who was granted 600 acres in what is now the heart of Pymble, in 1823. When the North Shore railway line was established in 1890, it was decided that one of the stations would be within the area originally granted to Pymble. Robert Pymble's original home was used as the first ticket collection office."

Somehow, thanks to the generosity of Robert Pymble, the common folks have a railway station in the heart of Pymble! Alright, I wish that I could have an easier time to learn to pronounce "Pymble". It took me a while.

Anyway, it was a delightful morning exploring the Pymble train station and the nearby areas. I welcomed the sights of the trains!

Pymble train station, Sydney.

I saw a lot of trees in Pymble. I just could not tell if these were fruit trees. Whatever it was, I decided I shall slow down, perhaps not to smell the flowers, but to enjoy the beauty of the autumn leaves.

Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired

Read: Everyday Kindness

Title: Everyday Kindness: Short cuts to a happier and more confident life

Author: Stephanie Dowrick

Publisher: Allen and Unwin, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-74237-824-4

Stephanie Dowrick's latest book, Everyday Kindness: Short cuts to a happier and more confident life, is a good read that could calm the nerves and inspire. 

Ever since I had read about it being published in Nov 2011, I had wanted to get myself a copy of this book. However, I could not seem to find a copy of it in Singapore. So when I was in Sydney this May, I was very delighted that I could find and purchase a copy of this book! The author was very kind and had autographed my copy of the book. This would make my copy of the book quite a treasure to me!

When I read the back-cover of the book, there was a quote that got me to think about how to demonstrate kindness. Here's sharing the quotation:

Kindness begins with how we think about ourselves and others... and every day offers a new beginning.

This book can perhaps be described as a compilation of many short chapters, each which is written to allow the reader to read at a single sitting. The way the book was organized has made it easier to read it whenever I had snippets of free time. I read this book whenever I was travelling about places, and whenever I was waiting in a queue. Reflecting on what was written in the book had taken a bit more time than the reading of the book itself. While I had started reading this book from end of May 2012, I had only finished reading it from cover to cover in mid July 2012.

If you were to ask me about what I had remembered from this book, strangely, I cannot quite recall down to the details! Yet, I remember that whenever I read this book, I would usually feel inspired to practice being kind, and I would feel a sense of encouragement to do my part to practice kindness. Perhaps each and every second, we can practice being kind, if we choose to do so.

The author organized the contents of this book into eight broad categories. These are: kindness, personal power, self-confidence, relationships, identity, children and their parents, moods, and work. Such a way of organization perhaps suggests that in every single context, there are possibilities to be kind.

Under the broad category of kindness, Stephanie Dowrick discussed a range of topics of how kindness is integral to our well-being and more. It was interesting to read the thoughts and writings of a brilliant thought-leader in Stephanie Dowrick.

When Stephanie Dowrick was discussing on the topic of personal power, she seemed to be reminding that each of us have the power to make a difference through our choices and behaviours.

Jokingly, since I could not remember all the details of the book, I would gladly reread this book in the near future. Perhaps I would just flip randomly to one of the short chapters, read it, and savour at the wisdom that this book would bring me. Come to think of it, I had experienced this book to be similar to Richard Carlson's Don't Sweat the Small Stuff series, with each chapter discussing the ideas more extensively.

Many thanks to Stephanie Dowrick for sharing her thoughts on everyday kindness, and being encouraging in demonstrating that it is possible to be kind irregardless of one's situation and context. Hopefully, may this book be available in Singapore soon.

Here's the official website of the author, Stephanie Dowrick: http://www.stephaniedowrick.com

21 May 2012: A treat to Flour and Stone

21 May 2012 (Mon):

This was the day that I was looking forward to because I will be meeting two of my good friends and their family members that day.

My initial plan was to visit Pancakes on the Rocks for breakfast. However, I decided to schedule it to another day. I decided to have breakfast at Joe Black near the Travelodge Sydney hotel that I was staying in. The bacon and egg brecky sambo was delicious and gave a good start to my day. While I was waiting for my breakfast to be served, I was studied the train schedules to Pymble station. I was to meet one of my friends, FH, there. Studying the train schedule was one way to ensure that I will be punctual for the meet-up.

Flour and Stone. Woolloomooloo, Sydney.

After breakfast, I thought that it will be a great idea to buy some cakes or pastries for my friend, FH, to share for tea. The place that came to my mind was Flour and Stone. This is a place for "baked goodness" as described by Nadine Ingram, the patissier who opened Four and Stone in Woolloomoolooo. Flour and Stone came to my attention when I was browsing Time Out Sydney's review of Sydney's best breakfast.

This is the place for breakfast if you like homely cakes and pastries. I ordered a slice of the lemon drizzle cake and was raving at the back of my mind how delicious it was. It was tangy and sweet. As I savoured the slice of lemon drizzle cake that I had ordered, I was glancing at one of the quotations on the menu. It stated "Baked for love, life and happiness". Flour and Stone offers one of the best lemon drizzle cakes that I have ever tasted thus far. While the looks of the cakes are not too fancy, I love their homely looks. The cakes taste wonderful.

I decided to order another slice of the lemon drizzle cake, a slice of hazelnut tart and a gingerbread to share with my friend for tea. The attentive people at Flour and Stone helped me to pack my orders in a box.

Our tea-time treats. On the right, the orders from Flour and Stone.

The hazelnut torte is yet another treat from Flour and Stone to rave about. When my friend and I shared it during tea later that day, I was extremely delight by the crunchy bits of hazelnuts in the hazelnut torte. The taste of hazelnut was intense in the hazelnut cream on the tart. Yet, it was not too sweet. The taste was well-balanced. This is yet again one of the best hazelnut tortes that I have tasted so far. To a lover of hazelnut, it was simply heavenly. Each slice costs AUD$5, if I remember correctly.

Many thanks to the friendly and helpful people at Flour and Stone for the wonderful cakes and baked goodness. I can feel the love, life and happiness in every bite of the baked goodness from Flour and Stone.


I strongly recommend Flour and Stone to all cake-lovers.

The front of Flour and Stone.

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Flour and Stone
53 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo, Sydney, NSW 2011
Tel: +61-2-8068-8818
http://flourandstone.com.au/index.html

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Nearest train stations: St James, Museum.

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Also see the following reviews:
Flour and Stone, Woolloomooloo by Not Quite Nigella
Flour and Stone: Bakery, Woolloomooloo (15 Nov 2011, 11 Jan 2012) by Simon Leong
Flour and Stone, Woolloomooloo by A of Sydney Lunch Box
Meet the patissiere - Nadine Ingram from Flour and Stone
Time Out Sydney's review of Flour and Stone
Urban Spoon's reviews.

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Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired