Category Archives: Travel and entertainment

Fancy a trip to Hong Kong?

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Being a “Qantas Frequent Flyer” I am kept totally up-to-date by Qantas on their goings on.  I just received an email about their latest offer …

“From 15 January 2012,* our award winning A380 will fly four times a week from Sydney direct to Hong Kong, a city that never sleeps.  To celebrate we’re offering amazing sale fares for travel to Hong Kong.

Economy – Enjoy Qantas Economy comfort from Sydney to Hong Kong for just $380 one-way, or $760 return.”

So, there you have it ladies.  If the urge strikes you to have a weekend in Hong Kong with me, then (Qantas) airfares in Late January to Hong Kong will be much more affordable! ;-)

John.

The image used at the top of this post comes from the Qantas promotional material that they emailed me.  It seems reasonable therefore to reproduce it here!

Sun and sand

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I had a couple of hours to spare today, so I rode my motorcycle to South Head and then walked down to Lady Bay beach.

Its a small clothing optional beach that, when the tide is in (like today) is not much more than a few meters of rock and sand.

Still, the day was warm and the water was beautiful, cool and clean, so I got to swim for the first time this season. I love salt water. I always feel good after spending time in it. Especially if I can then relax in the sun naked to dry off.

I don’t much go in for tanning, but after a winter of no sunshine I am ready to get just a little bit of colour back again!

Being able to strip off legally is good. There aren’t that many option around inner Sydney. So it was nice to get to Lady Bay today.

No photos to show you sadly, as it’s not really polite to be waving a camera around on a nude beach.

John.

The dying art of walking in the suburbs

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I was staying at the Rydges hotel in Rose Hill on Friday. Rather than order room service, or go down to the restaurant I decided to go out for a walk to find some food (hotel dining gets old very quickly if you spend as much time in hotels as I do).

I was really surprised then to find that unlike Australian suburbs as I know them – where walking is easy and the built environment is pedestrian friendly – this one is like a little slice of Houston, Texas.

If you have never been to Houston, then heres a short description: limited footpaths (if any), massive parking lots, limited public transport, everything is focused on driving. Even (I kid you not) driving 100 meters up the road to get lunch which is considered normal.

Walking is liable to get you heckled or worse.  Only poor people walk, or catch the bus, so pedestrians are considered fair game by many.

So walking around Rose Hill was a real shock.  The fast food stores (extruded from their respective corporate motherships) all seemed to assume that the only way anyone would approach them was by car.

The average pedestrian was forced to walk far out of their way to reach a door, and often run the gauntlet of driveway crossings and car parks to get there.  It was really quite startling and more than a little bit repulsive.  Somewhere some council town planners need to be sent for “re-education”

At least the extra walking required was good for me!

John.

Water, sunlight, architecture

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Katsura Imperial Villa is a palace built in Japan in the 17th century by Prince Hachijo Toshihito. It is a truly beautiful complex of buildings that merges with their gardens and lake, the reflected sunlight from the water casting rippling paterns across the walls and ceiling. It is possibly one of my favourite pieces of architecture and landscaping (along with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Waters).

I was reminded of Katsura recently as I lay on the deck of my hideaway enjoying the early morning sunlight with a good book and a cup of tea. The sunlight reflected off the pond below the deck danced on the wall and under the eves of the building bringing to mind Katsura’s design which combines the villa’s lake, buildings, and garden to great effect.

It’s easy to get carried away by the presure of life and work these days and forget to take some time out to enjoy the simple beauty to be found in nature, good architecture, or the form and feel of a lovers body beside you.

John.

The images used in this page come from Wikimedia Commons and can be found here:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geppa-ro.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shokin-tei_seen_from_the_Geppa-ro.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Katsura_Imperial_Villa.jpg

 

The male escort’s kitchen: Teriyaki Chicken

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Lunch today had a Japanese theme. I am quite partial to Japanese food, but I must say that I love teriyaki.

Teriyaki sauce is simplicity itself to make. Just take soy sauce, add mirin (sweet rice wine) to taste (if you don’t have mirin, then sake and brown sugar will do). Chicken (or any other meat) can then be marinated in it and (as the meat is being cooked) more teriyaki sauce brushed on to get that seductive dark glossy look.

I am told that traditionally the Japanese use teriyaki on fish, but outside of Japan it has become popular on chicken and other meats.

Sadly, I ate my lunch before taking a photo of it today, but I have found a photo of teriyaki chicken and rice for this post.

I love Japanese cuisine, but don’t get to eat it as often as I would like. Having had this little adventure, I think that it is probably time to see if I can whip up a Chanko-Nabe (a Japanese one pot stew based on chicken broth with meat and vegetables famously created by and for Sumo wrestlers).

This dish is typically cooked at the table and everyone serves themselves from the pot. I think that it will make for a delicious hearty meal, just right for cold, wet winter days.

John.

The image used in this page was found at Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fried_chicken_thighs_with_rice.jpg.

Ravioli filling recipe

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I made ravioli for lunch recently. I have been asked for the filling recipe by a friend over at Concierge du Monde, so here it is:

Ingredients:

  • Pork mince (250 grams)
  • Sauerkraut,finely chopped (80 grams)
  • Coriander, finely chopped (two tablespoons)
  • 1 Egg
  • Breadcrumbs (4 tablespoons)
  • Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons)
  • Fresh cracked pepper (1 teaspoon)

Instructions:

  1. Drain the sauerkraut and chop finely
  2. Chop the coriander finely
  3. Grate the parmesan
  4. Beat the egg
  5. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until they are completely combined. Mixture should be stiff and hold together well. If it is too wet, add more bread crumbs
  6. Heat some oil in a small pan and drop in a half a teaspoon of the filling. Fry until cooked through, then taste. The filling should be quite strong flavoured. Stronger than you would prefer if you were eating it alone. The pasta and the sauce will balance this out. The mixture is now ready to be made up into ravioli.

I make each ravioli using a rounded teaspoon of the filling mixture. This recipe should be enough filling for fifty or so ravioli. I prefer to make my own pasta. If you do, then the pasta should be rolled as thin as you can make it. I find that gives the best balance of texture and flavour.

Cooking time for these ravioli should only be about three minutes in boiling water. To be sure, pull one out and chop in half to check if it is cooked through before removing the rest. Serve with the sauce of your choice. I prefer a basic tomato, herb, and cream sauce that won’t compete too much with the flavour of the ravioli.

John.