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Kings Cross’ hostel nightmare

By Callum Cyrus A Kings Cross hostel has come under fire for letting the city’s international reputation down, a City Hub investigation can reveal.

City Resort Hostel in Palmer Street, Woolloomoolooo has been slammed by negative reviews on lodgers’ comparison site TripAdvisor and continues to gain widespread ire from its guests for poor hygiene, broken utilities and insect infestations.

Described as a “funky, laid-back backpackers in the heart of Sydney,” the hostel is rated just one and a half stars by TripAdvisor’s community of travellers.

“This is by far the most disgraceful accommodation I’ve ever witnessed,” wrote one user.

“If this is all you can afford, just sleep in one of the city’s parks and save yourself the money and disgust. We left 10 minutes after arriving and my request for a refund was met with a request of me hanging myself.”

Another guest described the hostel as “an absolute disgrace to Sydney”.

Owners Jo Hancock Pty have a Development Application pending with Sydney City Council which would see the premises demolished and replaced with a seven-storey building containing 32 apartments.

While the hostel awaits news of its fate, long-term residents are often employed to work reception in return for free accommodation. One employee told City Hub he was appalled with the way it was run.

“A couple of days ago I came into the kitchen and there was mice there, they didn’t even look scared to see me. Then sometimes people come in, you’ll be writing their details into the system and a cockroach will start running across the wall.

The guest is like ‘Oh you have cockroaches,’ I just have to bat the cockroaches away and joke that we don’t have cockroaches.”

The employee added water damage in the building had led to several of the rooms being

Inside the City Resort Backpacker Hostel. Photo: Callum Cyrus

closed off completely.

A City of Sydney spokeswoman told City Hub that while it was not responsible for the operation of hostels, the council’s Boarding Houses Development Guidelines nonetheless targets an increase in high quality residences with acceptable levels of amenity, accommodation and fire safety.

The spokeswoman added, “The City undertakes annual inspections of more than 300 registered boarding houses and backpacker

hostels in the City of Sydney area.

“The City is currently investigating a number of hostels and will take action where breaches of development consents and building standards have occurred.

“The City encourages residents to report any concerns about hostels to our Customer Service Team... so we can investigate and take action if necessary.”

Regulatory powers available to the council

include fines and legal action for breach of development consent and failure to meet basic hygiene standards.

Hostels elsewhere in Sydney generally find a more favourable reception from travellers.

Of 74 hostels rated by TripAdvisor, Sydney averaged a score of 3.08, which is comparable to other world cities; London on 3.3, Berlin on 3.62 and New York on 3.38.

Destination NSW, the state’s tourism body, said “Destination NSW works closely with the Backpacker Operators Association (BOA) NSW to promote and ensure our Harbour City provides great product and experiences for our visitors.

Sydney offers plenty of excellent hostel options, such as the Railway Square YHA which was recently awarded the Australian Tourism Award for backpacker accommodation.

“Destination NSW understands BOA NSW has a program where people who’ve had a bad hostel experience can raise their concerns. This then allows BOA NSW to work with local councils to rectify the problem.”

Nearby hostel Brado’s, in Darlinghurst Road Potts Point seems to have won a niche with party-goers for a lively atmosphere, but opinion is divided on whether this excuses it from hygiene standards.

“Rats in the kitchen under the fridge, the fridge smells like it had a dead rotting body inside.

Rooms are vacuumed once a week. Cockroaches everywhere. Human faeces in the shared showers,” wrote one guest.

But Felix Gonsson, 23, from Sweden conceded the hostel had a vibrant atmosphere.

“Although it’s certainly a party hostel, I don’t like it so much. It is pretty unclean, but then so it every place. It isn’t that I don’t like parties either, I got kicked out of my last hostel for throwing up everywhere. I’ve got the top bunk and its so annoying because you can’t relax,” he told City Hub. Management at Brado’s and City Resort Hostel did not respond to invitations to comment at the time of publication.

USYD accused of denying civil liberties Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide.

Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city.

Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by the Alternative Media Group of Australia. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, City Hub takes no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions.

ABN 48 135 222 169 Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Group Manager: Chris Peken Group Editors: Joe Bourke & Emily Contador-Kelsall Contributors: Wendy Bacon, Stephanie Hua, Jessica Yun, Callum Cyrus & Georgia Fullerton Arts Editors: Jamie Apps, Erika Vass Dining Editor: Jackie McMillan Advertising Managers: Robert Tuitama, Mark Barnes Cover Photo: Chris Peken - Tahir Email: question@alternativemediagroup.com Advertising: sales@alternativemediagroup.com Contact: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Web: altmedia.net.au

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By Emily Contador-Kelsall Students and staff at the University of Sydney (USYD) have joined high profile figures including Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon in condemning the university for attacking their civil liberties and right to protest.

A packed public meeting was held last Wednesday April 29 at the university to defend civil liberties and oppose the disciplinary action Professor Jake Lynch and several students face following the interruption of a lecture last month by Free Palestine protestors.

“You don’t have to necessarily share Jake and the students’ views on the Middle East to agree that clamping down on dissent and protest is antidemocratic. It is an attack on civil liberties that reduces everyone’s rights. It harms us all,” read the event’s Facebook page.

Speakers at the event included Greens MP Lee Rhiannon, Stephen Blanks the President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, Founder of the Sydney Peace Foundation Professor Stuart Rees AM, university academics, students and several others.

Nick Riemer, senior lecturer in English and linguistics at USYD spoke at the meeting and said that defending Professor Lynch and the protesters was “incumbent on everyone who thinks dissent matters”.

“Students routinely interrupt speakers on university campuses. In threatening them with disciplinary action, the leaders of this university obediently do their bit to legitimise and reinforce one of the most dangerous features of modern societies – the criminalisation of dissent,” he said.

In a statement, Vice–Chancellor Dr Michael

Posters for Wednesday’s civil liberties meeting at the University of Sydney. Source: facebook.com

Spence responded to the claims that the university’s actions were politically motivated.

He said these claims were “simply risible” and the university was “not interested in the political views of staff or students”.

Retired British Colonel Richard Kemp gave the lecture on March 11 and spoke about the ethical dilemmas of military tactics. He is a vocal supporter of Israel and was the target of the protests that disrupted the lecture.

Following confusion and clashes between

protesters and those attending the lecture, including Professor Lynch, accusations of antiSemitism against Professor Lynch surfaced.

He has since been cleared of anti-Semitic actions but still faces ramifications, potentially the loss of his job at USYD. Public Affairs Director at the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, said it was ridiculous for the people that interrupted the lecture, “who censored and shut down free speech with a megaphone to now claim that their right to free speech is being impeded”.

“There’s a right to protest but there’s no right to storm a lecture theatre with the sole purpose of shutting down an event simply because the speaker’s views don’t accord with one’s own,” he said.

Mr Ryvchin was at Cnl Kemp’s lecture and felt the protesters intended to shut the lecture down.

“This was about power. Showing that they’re in control, showing that if you hold pro-Israel views on campus you have no right to speak. And that’s really what’s at stake here,” he said.

President of the USYD Students for Justice in Palestine Fahad Ali spoke last Wednesday and did not feel that Cnl Kemp’s right to free speech was obstructed but that those “who advocate for Palestine on campus are being punished”.

“It basically is a message to Palestinian students that people can come onto campus invited and supported by the university to endorse the genocide of our people and if you try to protest or speak against that in any way, you will be punished and you will face misconduct proceedings,” he said. city hub 7 may 2015

3

Action group takes its toll on roads lobby event

By Wendy Bacon Like all industries, the roads industry holds corporate events to network and celebrate achievements. Normally roads lobby events are smooth affairs -- talk, good food and a chance to chat about new public contracts that keep profits churning.

But this year, it’s become increasingly difficult for the lobby to hold its corporate events in peace. As hundreds of road engineers and builders, transport bureaucrats and corporate marketers headed into Sydney Town hall for their big Roads Australia awards night on Monday May 4, they were met by a toll gate constructed for them by the WestConnex Action Group. As the protesters’ street theatre did not entirely block the entrance, most predictably took the ‘rat run’ to avoid the toll which is precisely what many drivers are predicted to do if the 33 kilometre WestConnex motorway is constructed. Some even found themselves issued with $15,000,000 penalty notices for wasting public funds on WestConnex.

Some fazed interstate guests said they weren’t involved with WestConnex. Others were cynical, one telling City Hub’s reporter his company would take any contract whether the project was beneficial or not because the company’s survival depended on a flow of public funds. He probably spoke for many. It was not the celebratory atmosphere expected at the grand entrance of the year’s gala dinner.

This protest by residents from St Peters, Newtown, Stanmore and Ashfield followed an earlier event when protesters interrupted a corporate lunch at which the WestConnex Delivery Authority (WDA) CEO Dennis Cliche addressed a similar crowd.

As reported later by Fairfax Media, Mr Cliche who ran private Yarra Trams and the East Link toll road in Melbourne before he joined WDA spent part of his speech complaining about the ‘inequitable debate’, which was making it difficult to communicate the case for the WestConnex. He then proceeded to denigrate

Protesters outside Town Hall on Monday. Source: facebook.com

the movement against WestConnex.

“The people who are making the most noise are those who already have the ability to jump in their car [and] drive wherever they want. They’ve got great public transport opportunities. They are a demographic that, generally speaking, is wealthier and there is this attitude of ‘I love my community don’t mess it up’,” Mr Cliche said.

A spokesperson for the WestConnex Action Group Pauline Lockie said her house will be compulsorily acquired by WDA if the toll road goes ahead.

She told City Hub yesterday the “us-vs-them” tactics Mr Cliche and Duncan Gay used showed their desperation against WestConnex’s rising opposition.

“Transport and urban planning experts, progressive councils and well-informed members of

the community, have long opposed WestConnex.

Now we’re seeing business leaders such as Dr Tim Williams and the Committee for Sydney... joining the call for more transparency and a rethink - before it’s too late for our city,” she said.

Ms Lockie was among hundreds of resident activists, planners and students who attended a lecture

by Dr Tim Williams, an honorary associate professor at Sydney University in late April. Dr Williams, also CEO of the business group the Committee of Sydney drew on his international UK transport experience to slam Sydney’s transport planning and call on the NSW Baird government to release the business case for big road projects.

He specifically criticised Mr Cliche’s attack on residents who oppose WestConnex as misguided.

In his PowerPoint presentation, Mr Williams directly quoted from Cliche’s Roads Australia speech and described it as a “terrible way to have a civic dialogue about transport in our city... Trying to set one part of the community against another, trying to say that the inner west community is trying to stop the good people of western Sydney getting access to something,” Williams said Mr Willams called for a more livable Greater Sydney by developing fast public transport connections between centres and more walkable environments across the city. He argued that NSW transport planning has been dominated by the Roads and Maritime Services for too long and that public transport should be prioritised above motorways that have been abandoned by other major cities.

It’s been a bad two weeks for the WDA as the City of Sydney came out with its second independent report showing that if WestConnex goes ahead, traffic on the key alternative route Parramatta Road will be even worse in the future than now.

Despite the increasing expressions of concerns from community groups, councils professional and academic planners and business, the WDA is determinedly pressing ahead with two preliminary stages - the expansion of the existing M5 and interchange at Beverly Hills and the M4 widening that will affect Homebush, Silverwater and Auburn.

Residents in these areas have made submissions opposing WestConnex but many others remain unaware of works that could soon disrupt their lives.

The WDA is also moving forward in removing public park lands for construction works in Concord, Strathfield and Beverly Hills in further stages of the project. It holds information sessions, some of which are during business hours when most residents are at work, on minor aspects of the project.

Wendy Bacon has been a resident of inner Sydney for half a century and attended anti-WestConnex protests.

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By Stephanie Hua Green Square residents have attacked the area’s nightmarish traffic conditions as the redevelopment of the area moves forward.

“Driving has become a nightmare,” said resident Barbara Rysenbry.

“The roads are [so] congested with cars and buses that it has made getting home from work so difficult. Sometimes I end up catching a taxi home because the buses are so full they don’t allow anymore people on board,” she said.

The area of Green Square consists of Zetland, Beaconsfield, Waterloo and parts of Rosebery and Alexandria in Sydney’s south. Led by the City of Sydney, Green Square has started work on an $8 billion project to transform the area into a sustainable urban environment.

Senior Projects Manager for City of Sydney Lauren Flaherty said the city has begun these new infrastructure developments to meeting housing demands to “transform a once industrial site to a residential area”.

Construction includes a new town centre, a stormwater drain project, apartment blocks, a number of local parks and an aquatic centre among others.

According to the 2011 Census, the population of Green Square was over 13,000, but over the next 15 years the area and its surrounding suburbs are set to become the densest precinct in Australia. When development is fully completed after 2030, the total population is expected to reach 53, 000.

To account for the fast growing population, the City of Sydney has proposed more buses and a light rail system but residents say that additional buses will not solve the issue.

“There is no point in adding more buses. They will just continue to sit in gridlock traffic along with all the other buses and cars. Transportation is already so bad. With more people coming to

Sydney is already known for its bad congestion. Source: twitter.com

the area, it’s just going to get worse”, said resident Marco Quivaqui.

“The council and the state government are disconnected. There has been zero investment into public transport and it shows because transport in the area is terrible”, he said.

But these concerns have not gone unheard.

City Planner Dustin Moore said there had been an active conversation between the City of Sydney and the state government.

“We are trying to make contact with the state government but we can only influence decision.

Nothing is set in stone,” he said.

“In response to transportation issues, we are

encouraging residents to walk and ride bicycles instead of using their cars. We have also made efforts to allow only one car spot per household which people have taken quite well”.

Addressing residents of Green Square at last week’s council organised ‘Have Your Say Day’, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she understood residents’ transport concerns.

“The transportation in Green Square is appalling and totally unacceptable”, she said.

She called for the support of the community to help lobby the State Government into enacting the City of Sydney’s transport proposals.

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Skate park a master plan for Callan Park Council aims to curb

By Emily Contador-kelsall Leichhardt Council approved the building of the Callan Park Skate Park last week, moving forward with elements of the park’s masterplan. But the state government continues to ignore the overall plan.

The skate park is one of the key items to come out of the plan that council approved in 2011.

Independent councillor John Stamolis said the skate park was an important amenity for young people and the wider community.

“It’s certainly very important that it was approved,” he said.

“It comes out of the master plan itself.”

Community consultation on the design of the skate park took place last year. EnLocus, the designers of the skate park have attempted to uphold the historical integrity of the site, through “referencing the cultural history of Callan Park” in its design.

Due to its uncertain future, Callan Park has been a source of contention for some time, but according to Clr Stamolis, the key to its future is to let the community know about the intricacies of the site.

One way in which this is being done is through an exhibition organised by the Friends of Callan Park, “Conflict and Compassion in the Asylum”. The exhibition is part of the NSW Heritage Festival this year and tells the stories of Callan Park employees, nurses, local children and members from the Friends of Callan Park.

Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous said the fight for Callan Park shown in the exhibition is “worth celebrating and one that we are still fighting with the Callan Plan Masterplan still not implemented and the Callan Park and Broughton Hall trust still not established.”

pedestrian deaths

Callan Park. Source: wikipedia.commons

Clr Stamolis said he believes the heritage exhibition is a positive step towards drawing this much needed attention towards Callan Park. He said investing money into “promotional activity about Callan Park” would be a good way to reach the broader community and inform them of the park as a community space available for use.

“In a more passive way, that is via flyers and banners. But I think some money should be invested into a more active way as well, and that is you might have a discovery day at Callan Park, like the ‘Discovery Day’ at the Bays Precinct, so [you would get] people coming in and out of Callan Park,” he said.

The Bays Precinct ‘Discovery Day’, organised by UrbanGrowth NSW opened up restricted areas to the public, with

activities like cooking demonstrations running throughout the day. Although it drew criticism for being a band-aid solution to the community’s call for consultation, Clr Stamolis said people could learn a lot from this type of publicity.

While investment into publicity holds the potential to broaden the community use of the park, President of Friends of Callan Park, Hall Greenland believes that funding also needs to be directed towards the upkeep of the park over time to get the site “spick and span and up to standard”.

But, Mr Greenland said he fears the government’s view is that parts of the park can be privatised so they are not seeing the park as a “valuable, in both heritage and social terms, public site that needs investment.”

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By Georgia Fullerton City of Sydney councillor Linda Scott has called for more action to lessen pedestrian accidents despite Council’s current awareness campaign.

Clr Scott asked Council at a council meeting what policies they would implement to lessen pedestrian accidents, which are high in the CBD. She said she believes robust procedures should be put in place to prevent further accidents and the spaces where these accidents occur should be examined.

“There’s always a range of factors that can cause these things.

What’s important is to make sure we’re looking for solutions by design to prevent these repeated deaths or injuries from reoccurring,” she said.

Around 140 accidents have occurred in a 300 metre radius around Town Hall in the last five years, and the intersection between George and Pitt Street has also been named as a danger spot for pedestrians. The council run public information campaign aims to curb these numbers and increase awareness of pedestrian deaths in the city.

A series of advertisements, including six train station billboards, map areas where pedestrian deaths and injuries have occurred.

The Lord Mayor Clover Moore responded to Clr Scott’s inquiry with a statement.

“Crash data is captured by the NSW Police and managed by the NSW Centre for Road Safety. A fatal crash report may be referred to the City Infrastructure and Traffic Operations Unit, which is responsible for the maintenance and enhancements of civil infrastructure assets within the local Government area,” she said.

The Crash Data report, which recorded pedestrian accidents from 2005 to 2013, has shown a decrease in the number of pedestrian injuries from 376 to 234.

Clr Scott believes these figures may have risen in the last two years.

“Once you see a pattern of accidents it’s important that Council works to examine whether the design can be improved to further improve safety,” she said.

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Go-time for Balmain Leagues site

By Joe bourke Leichhardt Council received an independent study into the future configuration of the infamous Balmain Leagues site at last week’s council meeting, marking a step forward in its development.

The site, subject to controversy since developers Rozelle Village attempted to get plans through for a high rise development, currently lies empty, and its future use remains unknown.

Leichhardt mayor Rochelle Porteous said the study, conducted by global engineering consultants Arup, was made in order to be compliant with Council’s Development Control plan “to properly acknowledge what is a significantly constrained site surrounded by low-rise development”.

“Then they have looked at different mixes of commercial, retail and residential space, with the aim of achieving a commercially viable development that won’t trigger the traffic problems that led to previous applications being rejected…” she said.

The report was created with the engagement of architectural firms Hill Thalis, Clare Design and Smith and Tzannes.

Council was presented with two documents, one of which was considered in open council and the other, an economic viability report, treated confidentially.

Labor councillor Darcy Byrne criticised the confidentiality of this report, saying that council was “failing to be transparent”.

“Having initiated this study by design and planning experts to determine a sensible smaller scale development of the leagues club site, I am concerned that the council is now failing to be transparent with the local community about the evidence that’s been collected with rate payers’ money,” he said.

“We can’t proceed with the rezoning of this site while keeping Rozelle residents in the dark about the

Balmain Leagues Club. Source: skyscrapercity.com

data that’s been used to justify that rezoning.”

At the meeting, council’s legal officer said that it was the councillors’ decision on whether the documents should be confidential. But according to Mark Wallis, spokesperson for the Rozelle Action Group (RAG), he strongly suggested they remain private so as not to give the developer the upper hand.

Mr Wallis criticised the Labor party councillors for attempting to pass a motion to make the documents

public, accusing them of political “point scoring”.

“I was of the opinion as well that the economic viability report should have been made public, but when I heard the council legal officer’s arguments as to why it shouldn’t be, I completely agreed with him, and I thought what the Labor party were arguing for in trying to make it public was just completely irresponsible,” he said.

“I just don’t understand why they would take

that position, but there’s always politics in it as well.

They’re playing off against each other and it’s not always about what’s the best outcome – it’s just about point scoring in a lot of cases.”

In a statement, Mayor Porteous said the development needed to include the Balmain Leagues Club and be commercially viable.

But as Leagues Clubs around Sydney struggle to keep alive, it would be a difficult return to Balmain.

The Tigers Club owes Rozelle Village $11 million according to Mr Wallis, who said he couldn’t see the club returning to the site.

Mr Wallis also said the club’s membership, many of whom don’t live locally, would unfairly influence any development.

“We analysed the submissions on the previous applications and if you took the Tigers members who didn’t live within the area at all out of the submissions in favour of the applications, then overwhelmingly the number of submissions were against both the developments,” he told City Hub. On the Saturday following the council meeting, the Tigers updated their website with a new release from Chairman Leslie Glen, who assured Tigers members that everything was being done to “return the club home”.

Clr Byrne said he supports a return to Rozelle for the Tigers but that it could not be done “at the expense of transparency”.

“After ten years of delays, we all need to work urgently to approve a sensible smaller scale rezoning that will allow the leagues club to return to its traditional home in Rozelle,” he said.

Following last week’s meeting, council will look further into one particular option for the site in order to improve its commercial viability.

The results of the research will be brought to the May 12 Policy meeting for further consideration.

Council urged to guarantee future for Kings Cross heritage

Cycleways another speedbump in the road for Waverley Council

By joe bourke Andrew Woodhouse, President of the Kings Cross Heritage Society, has called on the City of Sydney to guarantee the future of Kings Cross library’s heritage collection.

Network Manager of the library Jeffery Cruz said the library is not “planning on moving the collection” and it would remain “for the foreseeable future”.

A spokesperson for the City of Sydney said that in order to maintain a well-balanced collection of “current, appropriate and useful materials”, evaluation was undertaken to remove or replace materials which were no longer useful.

“This is a considered process in which each item in the collection is individually assessed to determine whether it remains in the collection.”

The spokesperson also said the local history collection was a “permanent fixture” at the library.

Mr Woodhouse said this response lacked certainty and that it was important the collection stayed at Kings Cross for ease of public access.

“This indicates to the community the future of this priceless collection is under a cloud. It may be even sold off or transferred to archives in Town Hall or stored off-site if it doesn’t qualify as high-usage material and no longer useful under council’s policy, whatever that policy is,” he said.

“We need a more transparent policy and more clarity and certainty.”

The library is currently undergoing a $1.2 million upgrade, which will see increased children’s collections and a dedicated area for children and parents.

If the collection was to be moved to Town Hall, Mr Woodhouse said the documents would be vulnerable to theft or damage and it would be “impossible to ‘graze’ through the collection, a prime activity of historians”.

The archives at Town Hall house more than 15,000 shelf-metres of archival records, which include photographs.

Council’s website states that “more material is added to this collection every year”.

By Jessica Yun The community in Bondi Junction has criticised the cycleways planning proposal, which is part of Waverley Council’s Complete Streets project.

The affected streets in the planning proposal include Denison Street, Oxford Street, and Spring Street. Community groups and small businesses have targeted the proposal for presenting potential risks to personal safety as well as road infrastructure.

Bondi Junction Precinct’s Traffic representative Howard Parry-Husbands believes the plan could mean cyclists, pedestrians and drivers would all clash in a pinch intersection already sagging under the high volume of traffic.

“The corner of Nelson Street and Oxford Street is a known traffic blackspot. It’s a known arterial road.

Congestion is going to be considerable,” he said.

A Waverley Council spokesperson said there is still more work to be done on several of the key intersections.

“It is mandatory for the Roads and Maritime Services and Waverley Traffic Committee to approve the detailed designs in order for the proposal to progress to construction,” the spokesperson said.

“Council cannot make a final decision until all these investigations are complete.”

Bondi Junction Precinct convenor Marcella McAdam said while the community didn’t oppose the creation of cycleways, lingering questions about the ramifications of overdevelopment needed to be answered.

“There is a growing demand and interest [for cycleways] but we just felt that there were too many flaws in what was being proposed, especially with Spring Street because it is such a narrow, very busy and very active one-way street,” she said.

“It’s where a lot of shops rely on for street access, unloading, truck deliveries – it’s a major thoroughfare between two or three key points”.

10

city hub 7 may 2015

George St Cycleway

According to Mr Parry-Husbands, council’s efforts to develop high-rise buildings are at odds with what the community has been “crying out for”.

“Local community has lost all faith in local council,” he says.

“At the end of the day, the single biggest concern people have here is safety, congestion as a result of poor planning, and not considering the concerns of the community. And council has been Orwellian at best.”

Much of the criticism the community has for the Cycleway proposal is rooted in a larger struggle to oppose council’s efforts to construct high-rise

buildings. Landscape artist and West Oxford Street business owner Matthew Taylor says the natural growth of Bondi that occurred over the last few decades has attracted developers whose proposed sky rise buildings would upend the delicate balance of the community’s atmosphere.

“This used to be a very dead area. And what’s happened over that interim period is a number of specialist retailers have come into this place including, a number of organic vegetable places, and this is an alternative to mainstream Bondi Junction retail and it has become very successful. What they’ve attracted is many people from various other areas,” Mr Taylor says.

“What they’re doing here is distorting what’s worked really well.”

While various community groups have expressed their concerns, many feel as though Waverley Council has not been taking into consideration community sentiments. Mr Parry-Husbands questioned the relationship between the developer Spackman Mossop and Michaels and Waverley Mayor Sally Betts.

“The developer in question has at least a long-term relationship with Sally Betts in terms of being a favoured developer in the Bondi Junction area,” he said.

“I’m not saying Mayor Sally Betts is corrupt, but I am saying she appears to be doing favours for her friends before listening to concerns of the local community.”

According to Ms McAdam, council needed to undertake more surveys and reconsider certain aspects of the plan proposed by the developer.

“I feel they are jumping the gun a bit before they do really detailed traffic reports… I think that needs to be done first and foremost for the safety of the community.”

Council expects a report with detailed designs midway this year.

Paul West at Pyrmont Festival

River Cottage Australia (RCA) & Subaru are hitting the road this year, touring several growers’ markets to bring farm fresh recipes directly to the people. In Sydney, RCA host Paul West will be visiting the annual Pyrmont Festival.

Mr West will be cooking up a delicious seasonal recipe using fresh produce kindly donated from the Mudgee Region at his pop-up kitchen. There will be cooking demonstrations throughout the day for people to watch and taste afterwards and two Subaru vehicles will be on display. In a generous giveaway, festival-goers can enter the draw online to win a weekend getaway to Mudgee, courtesy of Subaru.

“Subaru has been a huge support of the program for all three seasons,” explained an RCA spokesperson. “They have taken the show on the road with a focus on bringing River Cottage Australia to life through on-theground activations, including key growers’ markets and community festivals across Sydney and Melbourne.”

When RCA on the road with Subaru visited Eveleigh Farmers Market last year, more than 1,500 turned up to learn from Mr West’s insights and recipes.

“People appreciate farming and they want to know where their food comes from,” RCA explained. “We have much higher levels of awareness around the importance of sustainability these days. I think Sydney-siders understand that the future depends on it.”

For event information, tickets and accommodation visit www.pyrmontfestival. com.au.

Darling Harbour facelift

If you’ve been to Darling Harbour recently, you may have noticed a massive transformation happening in the neighbourhood.

The NSW Government has partnered with Lend Lease and Darling Harbour Live to deliver the area’s most exciting renewal in 25 years. The project boasts Australia’s premier convention, exhibition and events precinct, International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), reinvigorated and expanded public spaces, a luxury hotel and a new urban neighbourhood.

Work is well underway for the new convention, exhibition and entertainment venue. Extensive progress has been made with the concrete and steel structural works for the three new buildings and the new façade is

emerging. These activities will continue until the end of the year.

The installation of important services to support the new venues is ongoing. Director of Roadwork Solutions, Paul Casey says, “With safety as our priority we have worked alongside the Lend Lease team to find innovative solutions to complex challenges and balanced the needs of local residents, people visiting Darling Harbour and road users.”

Work has begun outside the Chinese Garden of Friendship at the southern end of Darling Harbour and will take around two months to complete before activities shift north to Tumbalong Park later this year.

Infrastructure NSW is the State Government agency managing the transformation. Darling Harbour and ICC Sydney will be publicly owned and managed through Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which is presenting a dynamic calendar of events and entertainment during the redevelopment to keep the precinct active and vibrant.

Turning on the Water Works

One billion people worldwide don’t have access to clean drinking water - but now there is a simple way for local workplaces to alleviate that problem.

Pyrmont-based Organisational Psychologist Matt Henricks has developed the Water Works Program, a new corporate team-building initiative that aims to provide clean drinking water to 1 million people in need by the end of 2017.

“It is possible to find meaning at work irrespective of the job you do,” Mr Henricks says. “This program has been designed to help us re-connect with what really matters and to help every participant realise the potential that we have to make a difference.”

The program allows Aussie workers to build a complete water filtration unit, in just a couple of hours, which will be used to change people’s lives in less developed countries. Each filtration unit built provides enough clean water for 200 people per day. Participants can track where each filtration unit is sent and can access photos of the recipients.

Approximately 5,000 children aged under five die every single day from avoidable water-borne diseases.

Launched on April 27th, the Water Works Program plans to reduce this alarming statistic.

For more information, visit www.waterworksprogram.com

Be part of Sydney fashion showcase

In a celebration of all things fashion, the Sydney is Fashion showcase will sweep through Sydney’s villages in September, shining a light on Sydney style.

Timed to coincide with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney and the annual Vogue Fashion’s Night Out, the event will be an opportunity for local businesses to show their new summer collections in-store, and to offer customers exclusive experiences and opportunities to win fabulous prizes. Style bloggers will be on the lookout for the stylish, the fashionable, and the fun.

To be involved, register your interest at citybusiness@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

Aspire Hotel

With so many visitors descending on Sydney for the annual Pyrmont Festival, the question of where to stay is often a tough one to answer. Nestled on Bulwara Road in Ultimo, the Aspire Hotel Sydney is the perfect solution.

Centrally-located, the hotel provides an ideal accommodation option for travellers escaping to Sydney for a short getaway for shopping, concerts, sporting events or to attend courses at nearby TAFE or UTS. Convenient and affordable for both national and international travellers, the hotel offers conference/function space hire, buffet breakfast, and underground parking for local business and education customers.

General Manager Stephen Nemetz says, “Aspire Hotel Sydney is an important part of the Pyrmont/Ultimo precinct. Our presence in the neighbourhood has a positive impact on the local economy.”

Aspire Hotel Sydney offers guests the best Sydney has to offer, with Chinatown, IMAX Theatre, Star City Casino, Paddy’s Markets, Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour and the Qantas Credit Union Arena all within walking distance.

Sydney’s transport options are all nearby, including light rail, train and bus services.

Undercover parking is also available, making this the ideal hotel to begin your Sydney adventure.

New solar-powered ICC

With construction underway at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), Sydney is set to become home to Australia’s first community-funded solar energy project.

Darling Harbour Live (DHL) has revealed groundbreaking plans to erect a solar array on the roof of the ICC Sydney Convention and Theatre buildings to generate power for the new venue.

DHL General Manager David Lovell said, “This sustainability initiative allows people to participate in funding renewable energy and is another way we can engage with the local community.”

The array will be owned by Sydney Renewable Power Company, a social venture owned by shareholders from the Sydney community. The public offering will take place in late 2015. This

entirely renewable and clean energy source will generate around 500KW of power – enough to power more than 100 homes.

For more information, visit www. sydneyrenewable.com

Entries open for Sydney Business Awards

If your business excels in the areas of innovation, sustainability, export, and/ or ethical practices, the NSW Business Chamber (NSWBC) wants to hear about it.

Each year, NSWBC acknowledges outstanding business accomplishments across the state at the NSW Business Awards. This year, in collaboration with the City of Sydney, local business achievements will be celebrated at the Sydney City Regional Business Awards on July 23rd.

Entries are now open until June 12th for the Regional Awards. For tips on how to craft a winning nomination, NSWBC has compiled a video with useful advice from the judging panel - visit http://bit. ly/1KspMml. The State Awards function is scheduled for November 27th. To enter the upcoming Sydney City Regional Business Awards, visit businessannualawards.com.au.

Head online for more news & events

With so much happening in Pyrmont/ Ultimo, we can’t always fit everything in our print newsletter. For more news and events, head to pucc.com.au

Join us on Linkedin LIKE us on Facebook Submission guidelines The Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce welcomes submissions for the newsletter from area businesses. These could be about sales, promotions, special offers, changes in the business and other developments. Ideally, each submission should come with an image, such as the company logo or company staff.

Please also provide contact information: website, e-mail, telephone and address (if applicable). Submissions should be sent to admin@pucc. com.au no later than the third Friday of the month for inclusion in the following month’s newsletter.

The newsletter is published monthly in AMG publications and on the PUCC website, www. pucc.com.au. The PUCC e-mail database has about 800 subscribers. Please note that inclusion is limited to space and timeliness.

For inclusion in the PUCC Business Directory please provide all relevant contacts, a short paragraph describing the business, and business logo, to admin@pucc.com.au.

To join the PUCC, go to www.pucc.com.au and download the application form.

For more information please e-mail admin@pucc.com.au or call 0410 338 331

city hub 7 may 2015

11

ARTS FEATURE

Taking racism for a ride

BY LAUREN BELL and Jamie Apps Racism is an issue that Australian society has seemingly always struggled with from our very foundations right up until today. Beginning with issues between the British and Aboriginal communities, then as we developed and became a more multicultural society we began to see tensions arise between Australians born here and new migrants from around the globe, such as Europeans, Asians, Africans and Middle Eastern immigrants.

The arts and creative industries have been tackling this issue for years with films such as “Wog Boy” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” been great examples.

This week two new shows will tackle the issue in two new ways, the first of these being Tahir Bilgic’s standup comedy show “The Complete Guide To Being A Racist” and secondly the Kinetic Energy Theatre production “The Freedom Ride”.

Best known for his roles in television shows “Fat Pizza” and “Housos”, Tahir is also one Australia’s busiest and hardest working comedians. Hot off a sellout Adelaide Fringe Festival run with his newest show Tahir is set to explore all things racist which he describes as “learning through comedy.”

Inspiration for the show first came after hearing an interview where “Morgan Freeman said we should defeat racism by not talking about it and I totally disagree with that, I thought that’s ridiculous. It makes no sense at all, you’ve got to talk about it, that’s the only way to raise awareness, get people talking and thinking about it and challenging racism.” said Tahir Bilgic.

As a man of Turkish heritage Tahir says he

thankfully hasn’t ever encountered “any sort of overt and in your face ignorant racism.” He has however encountered closet racism which is seemingly some of the more prominent and problematic type of racism.

“Some people think the shows I’ve done are real. They seem to think the cameras just follow us around to make the show, which in itself is closet racism.”

When asked how important he felt it is for different genres within the arts and creative sphere to tackle and help change society Tahir said “I think it’s important to keep raising awareness about it because that’s how you can change peoples behaviours and the social norms. It’s not the easiest thing to tackle in the comedy perspective but I love comedy so that came naturally to me. How ever any different arts people choose to tackle the issue is great and I fully support all of them.”

This brings us to the second production happening in Sydney this week which also tackles the issue of racism, this time focusing on the problems Aboriginals have faced over the years. Kinetic Energy Theatre will hold a production of an interactive play to highlight the racism surrounding the Aboriginal community then and now. As it is an interactive experience volunteers are needed from the audience to perform certain roles within the play.

Coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the freedom rides in NSW which occurred in 1965, when a group Sydney University students went on a bus trip through New South Wales to raise awareness on the racism pertaining to Indigenous Australians. “The Freedom Ride” production asks: what has become of the aboriginal empowerment fifty years on?

Tahir - Photo: Chris Peken

Considering the threat of the closure of remote communities and continued cuts to funding for Indigenous people this is a great question. “The Freedom Ride” is a two part docu-drama. The first half focuses on the preparation by the students from Sydney University and second on the events in the town of Walgett which received national and international attention. It was the push for change at this time that resulted in the 1967 referendum that gave Indigenous people the right to vote and Australian citizenship.

Professor Tracey Bunda, Head of the College of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Southern Queensland explains that education is an important tool in helping the nation come to terms with its past. She says that, “if racism were a living tangible thing, it would be (and is) very frightened of the educated.” She goes on to say that performance art pieces can be a powerful method for communicating the plight of racism. It also has to be created in negotiation with the Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander people. “The Freedom Ride” uses first person accounts including information from the biography of Dr. Charles Perkins, renowned Aboriginal activist. The production from the Kinetic Energy Theatre also poses an important question: “Does the reality lived by Aboriginal people today correspond with the rights won then, and since then?”

Professor Bunda explains, “the challenge of performance art is therefore to make us stop, to look and listen and think deeply, to bring our emotions to the fore- we should be made upset about racism and we should also be hopeful for change, we should be made to feel that even in the worst of circumstance we can extend a hand in friendship to those who are ready to be unbound by racist thoughts and actions.”

Complete Guide To Being A Racist: May 12-16, The Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville, $25-30, tahir.com.au Freedom Ride: May 15-17, 22-24, and 29-31.

St. Luke’s Hall in Enmore, $20, 9665 6489.

Calling all artists to enter the

PYRMONT ART PRIZE

opens on

7 MAY

A new state-of-the-art clinic is in town!

Located in the heart of Pyrmont right next to The Star Casino Sydney, COSMETIQUE CLINIC is a state of the art facility that specialises in general & cosmetic dental procedures.

thousAnDs of $ in PrizeS To Be Won Cavas supplied (12”x 12”or 31cm) $20/$15 entry or postage + $5 Collect canvas from TAP Gallery: 45 Burton St. Darlinghurst or supply your own unframed (must be 12”x 12) enquiries: 9361 0440 | www.tapgallery.org.ay Delivery works to TAP by Wednesday 13th May

CONTACT US G03, Bay Centre, 65 Pirrama Road Pyrmont NSW 2009 T. +612 9692 0443

A DAY of Art, wine, fooD, live music conjunction with the muDgee fooD & wine fAir PirriMA PArk, PyrMonT 11AM - 5PM

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city hub 7 may 2015

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city hub 7 may 2015

13

EAT & DRINK

The Gantry Restaurant & Bar Raw materials are a definite focus at the recently refurbished Pier One Sydney Harbour. Interior designers Bates Smart have done wonders with reclaimed timbers; creating a stylish maritime playground stretching from the brass-caged boating clubhouse bar to the nicely substantial dark wood dining room, including tables extending seamlessly onto the pier (if you dare). Inside the kitchen, Canadian Chef Chris Irving pays reverence to the bounty of our seas; though on a blustery

$ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

ROCKS & CBD Opera Bar Café You can’t get more ‘Sydney’ than breakfast by the harbour, yet choices for Sydneysiders and tourists alike, are lacking on the lower concourse. Enter the new-look Opera Bar who say: don’t just come for sunset drinks, start your day here, too! Our pick is the Fig, Goat’s Curd, Mint and Walnut Toast ($12) with the barista’s own Single Origin Roasters Cold Brew ($5). If you’re on the go, (the café opens at 7am) grab a homemade muesli bar and a 100% raw, organic Cold Pressed Juice ($8), and be on your way. Or start the day properly with the Bacon and Egg Roll ($12) or Spinach, Mushroom and Raclette Toastie ($12).

By Jackie McMillan evening it’s his handling of land critters that beckons.Venison Tartare ($20) is quickly eclipsed by Smoked Bone Marrow ($16); a brutally satisfying dish that gives Sydney’s smokers a new benchmark. Irving’s touch of the rustic continues into Beetroot Homefries ($8), salt-crusted slabs of earthy-sweet beetroot.They provide a good stick-to-your-ribs supplement to judiciously sized mains, from moist Cone Bay Barramundi ($33) to an ultra-pretty Jumjum Muscovy Duck ($36) with citrus glaze, carrots and purslane. Stay thematic with the distinctively Tumbarumba 2013 Even Keel Chardonnay ($78), or if the rain is lashing, send your waiter to the cocktail bar for a rum-based Stormriders ($19) using standout housemade ginger beer. End with the deceptively simple Fresh Austral Figs ($15), dessert elevated to near perfection using Riesling syrup, white chocolate mousse and roasted white chocolate crumble. Service while not polished, is certainly well intentioned.

11 Hickson Road,Walsh Bay (02) 8298 9910 thegantry.com.au Modern Australian,Wine $$$$

$$$ - mains between $22-$30

Lower Concourse Level, Sydney Opera House (02) 9247 1666 operabar.com.au Café, Breakfast $ 678 Sydney Korean BBQ Korean comedian Kang Ho-Dong greets you at the door in cardboard cutout form.The shiny silver extractors and polished concrete floors give the space a quasi-industrial look. Even banchan arrive in metal, except for earthenware bowls of steamed egg. And make no mistake; you have come here to eat meat, constructed into ssam with kimchi and radish. Start your big beef adventure with Beef Tartare ($27) before advancing to the grill.While Wagyu 8+ Rib Eye ($27) is popular,Wagyu 8+ Beef Flower Marble Scotch Fillet ($34) simply melts on the tongue. While you’re cooking,

$$$$ - mains over $30

get into the lively spirit of the place by necking Hite ($6) beers.

Level 1/ 396 Pitt Street (enter Goulburn Street), Haymarket (02) 9267 7334 facebook.com/678Sydney Korean $$ DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS DiWine Newcomer DiWine is tucked between perennial favourites, Lucio Pizzeria and Phamish, in the Republic 2 courtyard.

Owner/chef Vittorio Esposito is making pasta in-house, and it shows in Strozzapreti with Swordfish ($26). From the decent, inexpensive by-the-glass list, the 2012 Bertani Soave Sereole

Kujin

By Ryan Kennedy Usually I’m not a fan of the theatre around teppanyaki grills—I just want to eat; but at Kujin the deft hot-plate work is less about theatre, and more about the food.

Here the chefs are Japanese and the cuisine Osakastyle. the teppan grill is hot, and the udon are handmade. Scalding-hot off the teppan comes Osaka-style

DOC ($11/$44) gives you a taste of the Italian seaside when taken with sweet, fleshy Figs ($10) with prosciutto and Gorgonzola. Spot-on cooking keeps Mussels in Black Pepper Broth ($15) plump and briny. Buddy up your bivalves with beer – clean and well-balanced Sardinian Ichnusa ($7) or an even better artisanal Birra Gjulia TOZ ($14). Finish with a straight-ahead Beef Tagliata ($26) – charred on the outside, and pleasantly pink within.

248 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst (02) 8354 1086 diwinesydney.com.au Italian $$$ Casoni If you loved this spot as Foley Lane, you should breathe easier knowing that Nathan Moses and Julian Marchetto are still very much behind this new

Okonomiyaki ($18) with pork and egg noodles. Smeared in okonomiyaki sauce, highlighted with mayo, dusted with aonori seaweed, and topped with a feathery billow of bonito flakes, it is a sticky, umami-rich taste of real Osaka.

Similarly grill-hot Eggplant ($14) topped with miso and cheese, tastes like a vegetable-substitution vegemite and cheese toastie—take that as you will.And while I was sceptical of blowtorch-burnished Grilled Oysters ($9) with miso mayo, they are a revelation: smoky, briny, salty and funky. Murky and gently spicy, the winter-special of Red-Brown Miso Simmered Udon ($16) showcases their pleasingly dense udon. For a lighter option the Soft Shell Crab Salad ($14) plays textures against flavours in classic Japanese style. Simple elegance characterises the sweet Japanese-omelette log of Tamagoyaki ($8) rolled deftly off the Teppan—engrossing viewing with a glass of Yuzu Sake ($8) or a frosty Sapporo ($8) in your hand. Kampai!

1/41B Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay (02) 9331 6077 kujin.com.au Japanese $$

incarnation.They’ve switched out Spanish for Italian, and made your choice of aperitif easy with both Negroni ($16) and Aperol Spritz ($14) on tap. Head Chef Lachlan Robinson is dishing up contemporary Italian eats, from small plates like Bucatini and Provolone Croquettes ($8/2 pieces) to ‘Pasta of the Day’ - Beetroot and Tarragon Risotto ($24) topped with braised lamb shoulder.

The vivid magenta risotto is well complemented by a 2012 L’Isola Bianco ($15/glass), a Sicilian inzolia blend, whose coastal crispness slices through lamb fat.

371-373 Bourke Street, Darlinghurst casoni.com.au Bar, Cocktails, Italian $$-$$$ Nel Restaurant “People try and reinvent the wheel sometimes, and you don’t have to,”

explains owner/chef Nelly Robinson when I quiz him on his beetroot, white balsamic and goat’s cheese dish. It’s a classic combination that suddenly isn’t boring, what with dueling beetroots, airy, whipped goat’s cheese, crisp brik pastry and a dab of raspberry.The 29-year-old’s 8-course Menu ($88/ head) runs the gamut from pressed and crumbed pig’s head batons: ‘green peas, ham’, to ‘pistachio, white corn and cherry’: a delicious heap of chocolate soil, fairy floss, pistachio ice cream, cherries and marzipan, summoning Black Forest gâteau. It’s delivered in a stylish fine dining-lite basement setting with a musthave Matched Wine Package ($80/head).

75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney (02) 9212 2206 nelrestaurant.com.au Modern Australian $$$

20 Year Birthday Celebration Sale off everything in store

20%

ending of the 20 May

URB0039 CH

Harris Street Hardware 183-187 Harris St, Pyrmont 02 9518 8555

14

city hub 7 MAY 2015

EAT DRINK

EAT &&DRINK

By Jackie McMillan

Pitt St Diner

By Ryan Kennedy Every neighbourhood should have a little Parisian bistro. Better still, one with young French chefs from the south-west of France in the kitchen who play to their seaside strengths and offer up a clattering mound of Moules Marinières ($25) in a white wine and cream sauce, slightly smoky from a good flambé.

Sitting just off Redfern Street and a block from

NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS Clubhouse Land-locked and industrial, Rosebery is far cry from where you’d expect to find beachside motifs and a menu to match; but with Surf Life Saving Australia’s National Headquarters situated above it, Clubhouse is an incongruous but welcome presence.A pair of ‘slaw-filled Flathead Tacos ($12) are scrunchingsand-between-your-toes good. Smoked goat’s curd and quinoa in the earthy Pickled Beetroot Salad ($20) feels as healthy as it is delicious.An artful tangle of sticky Spiced Lamb Ribs ($24) find their perfect foil on a bed of tahini and za’atar yoghurt. Pork Belly Slow Cooked ($29) is everything you’d want pork belly to be – made wonderfully complex

By Alex Harmon Double Bay has had a little makeover, and riding on the coattails of the impressive InterContinental Hotel, is Little Jean.Tucked away on the fringe of a shopping mall and a construction site, it’s not in the prettiest of spots, but amazingly, once you step inside, you’re welcomed into a relaxed and streamlined space. It’s like a first-class airport lounge, so keep it classy with freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters ($20/6) and glasses of Prosecco

EASTERN SUBURBS & BEACHES

Stillery Inside this luxurious Double Bay bar, decked out in pale blue and marble with stately gilt settees, Bar Manager Aaron Gaulke commands an impressive array of gins. While the subtle saffron notes of Boudier Saffron Gin ($13) are best sipped straight, many gins benefit from lengthening with tonic. In that department this bar also excels, offering up many choices from artisan syrups like Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Small Batch Tonic to East Imperial Tonic.The latter is

Redfern Park, the little converted terrace that is Pitt St Diner assumed its most recent mantle two years ago, and has been building a solid local customer base using classic French cookery and friendly service.

Steak and Frites ($31) here is a blushing, charred, rib-eye with shoestring fries. The Whole Fish of the Day ($25) is a crisp skinned and meltingly tender baked ocean trout. A side of Broccolini and Beans ($10) comes al dente, sautéed in butter and crunchy with hazelnuts. Both the menu and space are simple, unpretentious, and completely at ease. Owner Gary Prebble takes orders and is a dab hand at matching wines. Tonight he suggests the Chocolate Fondant ($12) against the spice and fresh fruits of a Storm Ridge Pinot Noir ($45/bottle); it’s a knockout combination. Cosy, tasty and friendly, this is the perfect neighbourhood local and a charming escape from the gathering winter chill.

96 Pitt Street, Redfern (02) 8668 5936 pittstdiner.com.au Modern French $$$

with heavily caramelised radicchio and pickles.

789 Botany Road, Rosebery (02) 9669 2828 clubhouseaustralia.com Modern Australian $$$ Pu’er Most of my meal was spent debating and creating the perfect cup of tea, starting with Osmanthus Phoenix ($9) - a little too flowery for me - but it scrubbed up better in a Peaches & Phoenix ($17) cocktail. My favoured pot - High Mountain Red Tea ($9) – is imported from Yunnan, China by this surprisingly charming teahouse tucked under the garish-orange awning.You’ll also find competent pan-Asian tapas with a bit of a Western twist. Beyond the ever-popular Shanghai Soup Dumplings ($7) you’ll also find wackier

Little Jean

By Jackie McMillan jackie@alternativemediagroup.com

Pork and Peanut ($7) versions alongside street food options like panko-crumbed pork Hong Kong Mini-Burgers ($15/4) or BBQ Duck ‘Tacos’ ($16/4) in steamed white buns.

20a Danks Street,Waterloo (02) 8399 1331 puer.com.au Chinese,Yum Cha, Pan Asian $$-$$$ INNER WEST Runcible Spoon My favourite Camperdown café is now opening on Friday nights between 5pm and 10pm. Kick back with a Mountain Goat India Pale Ale ($8) on the large shared table with a crowd of easy-going locals. Eat from a concise menu inspired by the path Chef Alex Watts takes to work. From Marrickville’s Faros Bros,

($9.50) from Victoria’s High Country.The café (bistro by night) is by the guys behind the Golden Sheaf’s bistro and showcases seasonal, sustainable produce to the nautically clad families of the east.

The Bruschetta ($16) with house-cured salmon is fresh and filling DIY job with just the right amount of tart radish, fennel and capers.The Steak Frites ($28) are Frenchy and chic like the clientele, but uses an Aussie “butcher’s cut” sirloin and comes smothered in maître d’hotel butter. On the lighter side, and my personal standout, is the Roasted Cauliflower Salad ($18) balancing a creamy and nutty tahini and yoghurt dressing. For something sweet there’s a selection of house-baked pastries. It’s so hard to be faithful to just one – go on, double your pleasure, double your fun.

1 Kiaora Road, Double Bay (02) 9328 0201 littlejean.com.au Modern Australian, Café $$

perfect against the nutty sesame of The Cambridge Distillery’s Japanese Style Gin ($22), and also well matched by Charred Fremantle Octopus ($16) with hunks of mortadella from Executive Chef Julien Pouteau’s tasty bar menu.

Level 1, InterContinental Hotel, 33 Cross Street, Double Bay (02) 8388 8388 intercontinental.com/ Doublebay Bar, Bar Food, Cocktails $$$ Banana Blossom After starting at the Good Food Markets, then setting up shop on the Northern Beaches, Ben Thomas has now brought his ‘Eat More Green’ mantra to Bondi. Using fresh, local ingredients and lots of

Asian flavour, these huge salads are great option when you want something healthy but filling. Ben promises the popular Tokyo Classic ($14), loaded with chicken coated in black sesame seeds, Chinese cabbage, avocado, cherry tomatoes and green soba noodles in a sesame dressing, won’t disappoint. On the sweeter side, Coconut Chicken with Crispy Egg Noodle ($14) is brimming with crunchy egg noodles in tamarind and sesame dressing.

Super hungry? Start with Tofu Rice Paper Rolls ($8).

18/2a Jaques Avenue, Bondi (0409) 908 364 eatmoregreen. com.au Pan Asian, Salads $

Knuckles Sandwich Bar

By Alex Harmon It’s the inkblot test – whether you think of a knock to the face, or a succulent hock of pork.

Although here, co-owner Diana Thompson assures us, “Knuckles is just a fun and easy to remember name.” The sandwich bar lies amongst factories in the industrial fashion precinct of Alexandria, and it’s seriously the only decent place to get a sanga

the Salmon Belly ($22) is nicely fatty, and turned slightly Japanese with miso, tahini and bottarga. Enjoy it with Heirloom Tomato,Whipped Feta & Herbs ($14) using tomatoes plucked from his mother’s garden. Mum is also responsible for the rhubarb in his Rhubarb and Fig Upside-Down Cake ($8).Think healthy, homey, and relaxed.

27 Barr Street, Camperdown (02) 9519 2727 facebook.com/runciblespooncafe Modern Australian, Café $$$

GREATER SYDNEY Firefly During the Festival of Guilty Food Pleasures, the shoestring fries at Firefly, usually Parmesan-dusted and truffle-oiled, come bacon-enriched with a paprika aioli. Labelled

on McEvoy Street. With that in mind, you must try the Veal Schnitzel Ciabatta Roll ($12) made fresh to order with lemon aioli, rocket and Parmesan.

Everything is made fresh here, Diana tells us, because there’s “nothing worse than a toasted sandwich with warm lettuce.” Agreed. However don’t neglect the burgers! The Cheeseburger ($10) is popular (and cheap!) with a sesame milk bun. They have a golden crust that reminds me of the old school milk bars. Speaking of which, you must order a side of Hand Cut Chips ($3.50) and the Belgian Chocolate Milkshake ($6.50) to wash it all down. If all this bread and milk is too much, simply opt for a salad, the Spanish-inspired Grilled Corn Salad ($10) is as healthy as it is colourful, what with quinoa, avocado, radish, toasted pepitas and a spicy lime dressing. Go on, knock yourself out.

88 McEvoy Street, Alexandria (0403) 821 117 knucklessandwichbar.com.au Café – $-$$

Cheesy Bacon Truffle Fries ($14), the resultant plate somehow outdoes the description.

Enormous open windows front the street, and people-watching is best enjoyed over a smoothVinicola Poletti Sangiovese ($12/glass).

A Feral Brewing Hop Hog ($9.50) is the ideal foil to their healthy (okay, healthier) alternative to the aforementioned cheesy-truffle mountain: Zucchini Fries ($15). Heartier share plates, like Lamb Backstrap ($23) with buckwheat, artichoke puree and mint yoghurt, come conveniently portioned. End with an appropriately decadent Warm Chocolate Brownie ($10).

24Young Street, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 0193 fireflybar.com.au Bar, Bar Food,Wine $$-$$$ Dachshund Coffee Despite two gleaming russet gold Hungarian Vizslas sitting at the door, co-

FOOD NEWS

owner Rob Stein explains Dachshund Coffee is “just a name, though one that’s a little preppy and playful.” The resulting café has injected some Surry Hills-style into the changing face of Hunters Hill.Their carefully selected produce starts with Fat Poppy coffee, scrubbing up quite nicely in a Latte ($3.50). Handcrafted Brickfields bread makes an excellent platform for Reformed Avocado ($18.50), buried in a flurry of vine-ripened tomatoes, tabbouleh, quinoa and crisp sage leaves, topped with an optional poached Egganic Egg ($4). Or there’s Zucchini and Goat’s Feta Fritters ($19.50) with smoked ocean trout-spiked red leaf and dill salad.

Shop 4, 64-68 Gladesville Road, Hunters Hill (02) 9879 4619 facebook.com/dachshundcoffee Café $$

By Jackie McMillan

Mayfield Garden is a grand folly. When the opportunity arose to visit the public-facing segment of billionaire Garrick Hawkins’ Oberon weekender for an Autumnal Harvest Feast, I leapt at the chance. Walking the long allée of London Plane trees to take in the obelisk pond, blue stone bridge and pale yellow water lily-filled ponds, I am struck by the sheer scale of things. The Water Garden is 6 acres, sitting inside the 160-acre private estate garden, which is part of a 5000 acre working cattle farm. While the intriguing private garden with its Chinese pagoda, cascade, amphitheatre and walled kitchen garden only opens to the public at certain times of the year, you can now visit the Water Garden, nursery, shop (selling locally produced food products, like truffled salt from the nearby Lowes Mount Truffiere) and Kitchen Café all year around. Their inaugural Autumn Harvest Feast ($110/person) celebrated the produce from the garden’s orchards and veggie patches , as well as the chook shed and herb garden in Italian inspired dishes like pumpkin soup served in individual golden nugget pumpkins; pumpkin spinach and ricotta rotolo; and colourful bruschetta topped with tomatoes and olives, silverbeet and eggplant. After platters of porchetta and rustic bone marrow, guests were treated to a metalworking display by the on-site ironworker, before grand fig and caramel pavlovas stole everyone’s attention. mayfieldgarden.com.au

bar fly

By Amie Barbeler

Apothecary Bar Denim wallpaper, disco balls, paranormal activity and taxidermied roosters… what more could you want from a bar, really? Set over four storeys,The World Bar is a labyrinth of rooms, booths, stairwells and hidden nooks. Calling the place eclectic is an understatement: it’s a choose-your-own-adventure… with alcohol. Upon arrival, my date and I managed to narrowly avoid a group of highly-spirited backpackers by escaping to one of the secluded booths in the stylish Apothecary Bar, where we shared a teeth-achingly sweet teapot cocktail of the Fruit Tingle ($18) variety.

Think vodka, tequila, blue Curaçao and lemonade. Food wise, the bar keeps it simple, with gourmet pizza being your

only option.We settled on The Plato ($20): goat’s cheese, roasted pumpkin, snowpeas and cashews. Delicious. From jazz and dubstep, to hip hop and comedy, every night is different at The World

Bar; but if you like music and you love adventure, then you’ll fit right in.

The World Bar, 24 Bayswater Road, Kings Cross (02) 9357 7700 theworldbar.com city hub 7 MAY 2015

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city hub 7 may 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Seaton Kay-Smith’s – The Carnival of Regret

Zeroville For the first time in New South Wales, the Anywhere Festival is taking up residence in Parramatta, with a range of performance and cultural events taking place anywhere but a theatre.The festivals philosophy of innovation and its fostering of living, interactive story telling match Lies, Lies and Propaganda’s commitment to bold and fearless performance-making as they bring their latest production to the festival, Zeroville.

Zeroville is a classic sci-fi/film-noir story about a city controlled by one single supercomputer, shamelessly appropriating a certain French New Wave film to create an immersive theatrical experience. Zeroville tackles genres seldom attempted in theatre, Director Michael Dean elaborates, “You walk out of a normal drama or comedy and you‘re asking yourself questions like ‚Will she ever find love?‘ or ‚Was that an accurate portrayal of Darlinghurst in 2015?‘ But you walk out of a good sci-fi show asking ‚What does it mean to be human?‘ We‘re going to do a sci-fi/noir show in a way that can only be done as live performance.” (JH) Friday 8th – Sunday 10th & Wednesday 13th – Saturday 16th May at 8:00pm, Glass Pavilion, Heritage Courtyard @ the Parramatta Justice Precinct, 160 Marsden St, All tickets $25, bookings available at http://anywherefest.com/ buy-tickets/zeroville, For more info: www. liesliesandpropaganda.com

Seaton Kay-Smith‘s ‚The Carnival of Regret:The haunted fairground‘ is landing eerily at the Container Factory in Marrickvile, as part of the 11th Annual Sydney Comedy Festival. Showcasing a rising entertainer with a distinctive comedic voice and intriguing conceptuality, this hourlong stand-up show touches on many underlaying topics that plague human existence as a whole.“The idea of the carnival of regret is fundamentally that the real freak show is what‘s going on inside you. In terms of your angst, anguish, and self doubt. It’s funny because it’s a universal emotion, everyone has issues about who they are, and it’s funny to explore that aspect,” says Seaton Kay-Smith This fairground is full of Seaton‘s established, quirky, quick one-liners, music and visual comedy. Having packed out the Sydney Comedy Festival last year, and his book ‚A fistful of Clones‘ published successfully this year, Seaton is working hard to entertain audiences that relate to his gripping sense of humour. He is sure to bring the audience laughter amongst interesting and odd characters and this carnival is one you wont regret. (RM) May 13 & 15, $10-18, 105 Victoria Road, Marrickville,The Container, Factory Theatre, sydneycomedyfest.com.au

All-Star Variety Fundraiser The decision to close Lizotte’s at Dee Why and Kincumber has hit local music communities hard. As the pendulum swings even further away from live music, the average punter has even fewer opportunities to catch their favourite local artists. But if there is any upside, it’s that it has provided a boost for niche radio station, FM 99.3. Station presenter Georgina Reed made the approach. “I said to Brian Lizotte, ‘Mate, we really need to do something before you close.’ ” He agreed, and so they began to put together an All-Star fundraiser for community broadcaster FM 99.3.

Originally a Jazz station, 99.3 now encompasses Blues, Funk and Soul. “So many of the people we play on Northside radio have appeared at Lizotte’s”, says Reed, “and the band is made up of people who have been playing around Sydney forever.” The extensive lineup includes performers like Craig Calhoun, Barry Leef, Doug Williams Diana Rouvas and The First Ladies of Soul.There is also talk of a surprise special guest – a soul singer and household name. “They are all great entertainers but also the types our audience really enjoy seeing,” explains Reed.

“With numerous door prizes and other fundraisers, this may be be the biggest show Lizotte’s has done”, says Reed, “very entertaining and a lot of fun.” (GW) Thursday 14 May, 8:30pm, Lizotte’s, 629 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why, $35, sydney.lizottes.com.au

a&e

17 STAGE 20 SCENE 21 SCREEN 22 Sounds

Arts Editor: Erika Vass Assistant Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Sub-Editor: Charlotte Foster For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @AltMediaSydney

Contributors: Alexis Talbot-Smith, Anita Senaratna, Carmen Cita, Ciaran Tobin, Craig Coventry, Georgia Fullerton, Greg Webster, Hannah Chapman, Leann Richards, Marilyn Hetreles, Mark Morellini, Katie Rorison, Mel Somerville, Michael Muir, Michelle Porter, Nick Jewlachow, Peter Hackney, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Ruth Fogarty, Sarah Pritchard, Sharon Ye, Shauna O’Carroll, Siri Williams, Peter Scobie, Lisa Seltzer, Olga Azar, Elyssa King, Brendan Modini

city hub 7 may 2015

17

The Merchant Of Venice

Review: Vice VICE is a play dealing with the sexual abuse cases at St Mark’s College, an allboys private school on Sydney’s North Shore.The show folds out as a complex mystery dealing with the intricate internal politics of the school’s staff, more than the indecent acts themselves.

Given the at times comedic nature of VICE, it felt a sensible choice to go down the path it did, as these elements of humour, which were the strongest part of the writing and would have translated much worse when examining just the abuse itself.

Featuring a small cast and very limited stage design, the modest budget was evident. However, with outstanding performances from all of the actors, particularly the emphatic Jess Loudon who played St Mark’s assertive Head of English, Olivia Fox, would be quick to forgiveVICE’s simple size for its incredibly multi-faceted and engaging exploration of justice and morality. (MB) April 21-May 9, King Street Theatre, 644 King St & Crn Bray St, Newtown, $30-35, kingstreettheatre.com.au or 0423 082 015

Shakespeare wrote about love, hate, envy, passion, justice – themes that are still relevant today. Throw in a romantic setting like Venice, a story that is entertaining, dark and funny and you have Shakespeare’s controversial The Merchant of Venice. Sport for Jove Theatre Company brings to the stage their production, directed by the legendary British theatre-maker Richard Cottrell.

It’s been years since a production of The Merchant of Venice has been staged in Sydney, and actor James Lugton, who plays title character (The Merchant) Antonio considers that, “what makes this production special is the fact that we have a great director and a fabulous cast and a lot of us have all worked together before – we’ve got a great sense of ensemble”.

Lugton is looking forward to playing Antonio, who is generally seen as a caring, generous character but who is also flawed. “Shakespeare – the writing, being able to dig down into the verse and how he uses language within the verse - is intriguing. Shakespeare really did write for actors, and actors who had to work very quickly,” Lugton explains.

At the end of the play you’re questioning who is really the good guy and who is the villain. This production of The Merchant of Venice promises to be thought-provoking and relevant. (LS) May 7-16th, Riverside Theatre, Cnr Church & Market Streets, Parramatta, $19-35, riversideparramatta.com.au May 22-30th, Seymour Centre, Cnr of City Rd & Cleveland St, Chippendale, $25-42, seymourcentre.com

Lior Suchard Hits Sydney World-renowned master mentalist and entertainer to the stars, Lior Suchard is coming to Sydney for a brief but stunning season at the Sydney Opera House.

Despite having made appearances in over 40 nations worldwide, he has never before made it to Australia.

Suchard is an entertainer who creates an experience of the sixth sense.“There will be lots of crazy mind paradoxes and unexplained things that are going to happen – thought reading, mind influencing, all of the stuff that you think can’t be done, you’ll see it live on stage, no strings attached,” Suchard explains.

Lior’s shows have incited rave reviews around the world, and he has made frequent television appearances including as a regular guest of Jay Leno. His mindbending talents have incited awe from celebrities including Barbara Streisand and Zac Efron.

Growing up in Israel, Suchard first started to become aware of his special abilities at six years old. He took it upon himself to study relevant areas and refine his skills before bringing his talents to the world at the fresh age of 21.

Along with the unexpected, spectators can expect a fully interactive experience with members of the audience being invited on stage for every experiment, and some experiments even being carried into the crowd.There will also be elements of comedy with funny stories, jokes and anecdotes. (AM) 5 May – 10 May 2015,The Playhouse at the Sydney Opera House. $49 - $79. Info and tickets: sydneyoperahouse.com

THEATRE & PERFORMANCE All That Jazz: Jam Nights at the World Bar The World Bar has a strongly grounded reputation as one of Kings Cross’ most popular weekend venues for drinking and dancing. However, there is more to this unique venue than dance music and teapot cocktails.

Ankle down on a Monday evening and you’ll discover one of the Sydney jazz and Latin music communities best kept secrets.The weekly Latin & Jazz Open Mic Jam Sessions are a welcoming place where anyone and everyone can come along to enjoy some timeless Jazz standards, whether they are performing or observing..Whether you plan on taking the stage or not, you can enjoy the open atmosphere in the venue’s main bar (front room) where the doors open onto the terrace and the standing piano is rolled out. In the colder months you can enjoy the ambiance of a roaring fire.A diverse lot of performers take the stage every week – from students of the Australian Institute of Music, to 18

city hub 7 may 2015

former X-Factor contestants and regulars like Valda, a spritely woman in her nineties who plays a mean French horn.This regular event fosters the artistic side of the city’s musical community, free of cover charge. Even if you’re just looking for somewhere to enjoy a fine glass of wine on a Monday evening, it’s worth a look. If you’d like to join the ‘cats’ on stage, all you need to do is call or email your sheet music and/or ideas to latinjazz@theworldbar.com up to the day of the jam session, and the jazz house band will prepare to accompany you. (AM) Every Monday, 6-11pm at The World Bar, 24 Bayswater Road Potts Point. FREE. Deathtrap Deathtrap is a cheeky look at a thriller written in the same vein and around the time of Dial M for Murder (Hitchcock) and Witness for the Prosecution (Agatha Christie). It’s a cheeky wink at that style, a comedy thriller, a mix of dark comedy that’s popular now and the thriller part has plenty of twists and turns.“Just like Witness the Prosecution had a massive twist right at the end, in a way that’s what happens in Deathtrap. It’s not obvious

who dun nit, there’s multiple twists, it constantly rolls through,” explains Timothy Dashwood, who plays Clifford Anderson, the young wannabe playwright. The beauty of it is the audience will think they know exactly what’s happening and then that knowledge will disappear right underneath them, the floor will fall out and they’ll have to start working out everything again multiple times.”

The original Deathtrap (1978) is Broadway’s longest running comedythriller and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve starred in Deathtrap the movie in 1982.“It’s still the same script as the original but has a modern feel.The set is beautiful and the play has a modern chic 70’s feel, ”says Dashwood.

Deathtrap is presented by Eternity Playhouse in a recently converted church in Darlinghurst.“It’s for people who are ok with a little bit of death, there’s some violence, some alluded violence, violent weaponry, there could be some fake blood,” explains Dashwood.

Until 10 May, Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, Adult $45/

Conc & Groups $38/ Under 30 (TueThu) & Previews $30. www. darlinghursttheatre.com or 02 8356 9987 Dolores Red Line Productions have a whole new life into the space at the Old Fitzroy Theatre. Their latest works are actor focused and illuminating the actor‘s capacity for character. Dolores, a dark comedy, set in Rhode Island,America with themes of family, love, relationships, resilience and the grim reality of domestic violence.

“The writer of the play Edward Allen Baker was writing about Irish Catholic family backgrounds.There is a history in their families going way back of difficulty,” explains Janine Watson who plays Sandra, the younger sister of Dolores (Kate Box) in this two character play.

“Dolores means great sorrow. Sandra means defender of man. Dolores is a wonderful character, brutally funny, with a lot of really recognisable human traits. She represents a great sorrow within the part of us that gets hurt. Sandra the protector is the one that puts the barricades up and tries to keep everyone safe. She’s got real

caustic humour,” says Watson.

The play is quite explosive. It’s one conversation that takes up about 40 minutes between these two sisters.

Family is innate in this play, it’s what the genesis of it is. The family and the love is really implicit in the conversation these two sisters are having.

“The best thing about the play is the depth of humour and sadness that these women go to- the emotional arc is beautiful and there’s a human laughter to it that can only come from subject matter that’s tough,” explains Watson,“Dolores is original, gritty and cutting edge.”

Until May 9, Old Fitzroy Theatre, Cathedral St,Woolloomooloo, $22+b.f, oldfitztheatre.com Orphans Two orphaned brothers find themselves growing up in run-down Philadelphian squalor.The reclusive and sensitive Phillip, played by Aaron Glenane, lives off tinned tuna and Errol Flynn movies.And the aggressive, street-wise Treat played by Andrew Henry provides for them both.When they kidnap Harold, an older, hardened gangster, he becomes

something of a father figure, shifting the delicate power balance forever.

“Underneath that tough exterior is a lonely man who needs connection just as much as the two boys”, said director Anthony Gooley.

Written by Lyle Kessler and performed worldwide since premiering in 1983, Orphans is yet another acclaimed addition to Red Line Productions inaugural season at the Old Fitz.“The play has a certain reputation and people are excited about seeing it” said Gooley,“Equal parts heartbreaking, menacing and hilarious - it’s got the potential to be an exhilarating night at the theatre.”

Having built a following as one of Sydney’s favourite actors, Gooley relishes the chance to direct.“The script is amazing and I could not ask for three more charismatic, generous actors to collaborate with. I’m very humbled and lucky to be working with them,” explained Gooley. Equally glowing is his opinion of the creative work coming out of the Old Fitz.

Until 9 May,Tuesday – Saturday, 7:30pm, Sunday 5pm, Old Fitzroy Theatre, 129 Dowling Street,Woolloomooloo, $32, www.oldfitztheatre.com, 0422198955

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T H E N A K E D C IT Y

War on Thugs

By Coffin Ed and Miss Death and Jay Katz Historically murder has always been regarded as the most heinous of crimes, invariably punished by the taking of the murderer’s life – the biblical tradition of an eye for an eye. These days the act of murder, in many countries, has been relegated to a secondary position as the smuggling and peddling of drugs is elevated to the status of number one public evil.

After all narcotics cause thousands of deaths, through addiction and overdoses. The fact that nicotine and alcohol reap a much greater toll is pushed aside as the war on illegal drugs rages blindly on, despite overwhelming evidence that it’s been a monumental flop. It remains an emotive call to arms, heavily promoted by ambitious publicity seeking politicians

and widely supported by the majority of the non drug taking public who revile at the stereotypical image of the dope head junkie thrusting a needle into their arm.

In a country like Indonesia the war on drugs is a political godsend, particularly for a weak and morally corrupt leader like Joko Widodo. The blatantly stage managed circus of death, that robbed the life of two Australians last week, was the perfect diversion from all that is rotten with present day Indonesia. The endemic and systemic corruption that allows the drug culture to thrive, the 57 million Indonesians who puff away on cigarettes with twice the nicotine level of the Australian product claiming an estimated 300,000 lives a year and the countless human rights abuses in West Papua.

During the mid 60s it was communists, not drug dealers, who posed the greatest threat to Indonesian

society as both the security forces and general public went on a frenzied purge that took the lives of between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Sukarno loyalists. Shootings and beheadings were common place and at one stage the rivers running into the city of Surabaya were clogged with hundreds of dead bodies.

There was little protest from Australia at the time, enveloped as we were in our own anti-communist paranoia and after all, who were we to interfere in the politics of a sovereign country? These days there are still many Indonesians seeking justice for the slaughter of their family members during the purge, however they are continually shunned by the ruling regime.

If you take a perverted view of Indonesian politics from the 60’s onwards, the conclusion that the summary executions during the PKI purges, repeated a decade later in East Timor and the brutal colonisation

of West Papua, have established an enduring legacy of state endorsed thuggery. And throw into the equation the seemingly light sentences handed out to a number of the Bali Bombers, like Muhammad Colili (released totally unrepentant after serving only half of an eighteen year sentence), and you wonder how much emphasis the legal system there places on the sanctity of life.

In the era of international diplomacy, human rights abuses are constantly overlooked in the interests of trade and other good relations, few governments would chose to refer to the current Indonesian regime as a bunch of thugs. The dictionary defines thuggery as violent criminal behaviour, devoid of any empathy for the victim and often enforced with acts of brutality.

Forget the phoney war on drugs – what the world really needs is a universal war on “thugs”.

Complete Guide To Being a Racist & The Freedom Ride Rallies were held this week in protest of the closure of approximately 150 of the 300 remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. Thousands came out across the country to call an end to these closures. This comes as a celebration of the anniversary of fifty years since the freedom rides in NSW. The Freedom Rides occurred in 1965, when a group Sydney University students went on a bus trip through New South Wales to raise awareness on the racism pertaining to Indigenous Australians.

Kinetic Energy Theatre will hold a production of an interactive play to highlight the racism surrounding the Aboriginal community then and now. As it is an interactive experience volunteers are needed from the audience to perform certain roles within the play. There are similarities that can be seen in both the freedom rides and the rallies occurring in Western Australia this week.

Professor Tracey Bunda, Head of the College of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Southern Queensland says that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people see the illogic of racism plays out in the current government’s decision to close the communities in WA. She states, “the decision, if made on the grounds of economic belt-tightening, renders a state and federal government, as inhumane.”

As The Freedom Riders chose to take the journey to raise awareness of racism that the Indigenous community faces there are other forms of attention that is being drawn to the situation of racism. Tahir, a comedian best known for starring in ‘Fat Pizza’ and ‘Housos’ will be performing at the Sydney Comedy Festival with his show ‘The Complete Guide To Being A Racist’. Tahir Bilgic is of Turkish descent and uses his stand-up to draw attention to the racist stereotypes of migrants. And with a glance of the title his does not shy away from the talking point of Australia and racism.

Professor Bunda is a Ngugi/Wakka Wakka women, who in 2013 was awarded the Indigenous Researchers Award by the Australian Association of Research in Education for the ‘Tellin’ the Stories of Teachers; Tellin’ the Stories of Teaching’ Project. She believes the greatest problem that Indigenous People face today has to do with a lack of imagination by the government on a local, state and

exhibitions Alan Constable As any artist will tell you their work is an extension of themselves. Alan Constable adopts this mantra when discussing his new ceramic exhibition. Opening at the Darren Knight Gallery in Sydney’s Waterloo (11-9th May), Constable’s latest offering is a ceramic realisation of what he describes as his life long fascination with Cameras 20

city hub 7 may 2015

particularly vintage models.

Now in his 50s, Alan Constable began constructing replica cameras from cereal boxes as a child and his obsession has grown into the form of soft ceramic sculptures. Each piece shows off a uniquely tangible quality glazed and structured in a traditional artistic sense, but floppy and forced in a truly human representation. Each piece appears hand held and functional, however the memories and experiences that

federal level. She says that government need “to imagine different ways of being in healthy, positive, sustainable, informed and respectful relationships with this country’s First nations peoples.”

The Freedom Ride production asks: what has become of the aboriginal empowerment fifty years on? Considering the threat of the closure of remote communities and continued cuts to funding for Indigenous people this is a great question. ‘The Freedom Ride’ is a two part docu-drama. The first half focuses on the preparation by the students from Sydney University and second on the events in the town of Walgett which received national and international attention. It was the push for change at this time that resulted in the 1967 referendum that gave Indigenous people the right to vote and Australian citizenship.

Professor Bunda explains that education is an important tool in helping the nation come to terms with its past. She says that, “if racism were a living tangible thing, it would be (and is) very frightened of the educated.” She goes on to say that performance art pieces can be a powerful method for communicating the plight of racism. It also has to be created in negotiation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “The Freedom Ride’ uses first person accounts including information from the biography of Dr. Charles Perkins, renowned Aboriginal activist. The production from the Kinetic Energy Theatre also poses an important question: “Does the reality lived by Aboriginal people today correspond with the rights won then, and since then?”

Professor Bunda explains, “the challenge of performance art is therefore to make us stop, to look and listen and think deeply, to bring our emotions to the fore- we should be made upset about racism and we should also be hopeful for change, we should be made to feel that even in the worst of circumstance we can extend a hand in friendship to those who are ready to be unbound by racist thoughts and actions.” (LB) Complete Guide To Being A Racist: May 12-16,The Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville, $25-30, tahir.com.au Freedom Ride: May 15-17, 22-24, and 29-31.

St. Luke’s Hall in Enmore, $20, 9665 6489.

these sculptures exude could well be the Artists Objective.

A unique experience awaits viewers. Constable has found a way to turn technical instruments into whimsical manifestations of reality.

Highly recommended. (BM) Until May 9, Darren Knight Gallery, 840 Elizabeth St,Waterloo Thou Didst Let Me Fall Tony Albert’s latest exhibition at Sullivan + Strumpf Gallery explores the roles aboriginal

Australians have played in Australia’s armed conflicts, examining the often thankless, and even derisive response they received for their contribution.

Albert’s exhibition was partially inspired by his own family history – his grandfather served in the armed forces during WWII and was a prisoner of war before Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were even recognized as Australian citizens. Albert’s work is

K CHRISTINE WEBB Knitting with Tea and Coffee

Christine Webb Unveils Newest Exhibition The use of colour can often be the downfall of an artist’s work, particularly in still life. With a limited colour palette, evoking a sense of life and space in the environments around us can be a gargantuan task that leads to unsatisfying results. Christine Webb’s newest exhibition is an unabashedly vibrant series of works that show colour as something to be played with without fear.

Inspired by the likes of Elizabeth Cummings, who she describes as “the master of masters” when it comes to using colour, Webb has been intensely focused on completing her paintings for the past six months.

“I’m working in interiors and interior still life, where I am interrogating the space and the feel of the place around me. I am trying to make something that intrigues me and still uses a great deal of colour,” Webb explains.

Graduating from the Sydney University’s College of Arts, Webb has been able to help provide for her family as a full-time artist and by teaching one day workshops in colour theory between her homes in Italy and Australia. Webb’s works are a bold and fascinating exploration of colour, space and light. (MB) May 12-14, Art2Muse Gallery, 357 New South Head Rd, Double Bay, art2muse.com.au a composite of what he calls “kitsch Australiana” focused on Aboriginal Australians, collected over many years and displayed as a series of installations, paintings and sculptures, in such a way that the viewer must untangle their meaning for themselves. His exhibition explores the stories on the periphery of popular history, and asks viewers to consider what might be hidden behind and to consider what purposes particular

historical narratives might serve.

This exhibition is the culmination of four years of work with Albert having been commissioned by the City of Sydney to create a monument to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women and in which he served a tour of duty as Official War Artist for the Australian War Memorial.

Until 16 May 2015, Sullivan+Strumpf, 799 Elizabeth St, Zetland.

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA This German-French-Swiss co-production is a brilliantly written and intense drama which focuses on an actress’s emotional upheaval once she has signed on for the resurrection of a stage play.

Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is an aging actress who twenty years earlier played the role of Sigrid, a young and manipulative woman who drove an older woman to suicide. She stars in the revival, this time playing the role of the older woman opposite a young and scandalous starlet (Chloe Grace Moretz) as Sigrid and comes face-to-face with an unbearable reflection of herself.

Many viewers will be exhausted by the depth in themes and perplexed by the complexities in characterizations and storylines, but lovers of fine cinema should be absorbed and challenged by these intricacies.

Beautifully filmed in the stunning and remote regions of the Alps, this is a performance driven film with the talents of three exceptional actresses also including Kristen Stewart. (MMo) WWWW

sunday Sunday opens on what appears to be a couple in a physical and emotional paradise. This atmosphere is soon completely shattered; we have been watching a flashback. No longer a couple and separated by distance, Australian Charlie (Dustin Clare) arrives in Christchurch hoping to win back Eve (Camille Keenan) and contend with the arrival of what usually is considered a bundle of joy.

Throughout the film we are not treated to grandiose scenes of adventurous and comedic wooing but instead revel in the reality of the characters situation. It is easy to relate to them because the actors play them with such honesty, we often find ourselves siding with one but also understanding the motives of the other.

Shot in an earthquake ravaged Christchurch; the terrain also adds an element of either hope or impending disaster.You’ll just have to find out! (BM) WWW

A Will For the Woods Is it something of a contradiction that we recycle our waste products only to have our humanly remains embalmed in toxic fluids and buried in caskets made from two trees?

Alternatively should we cremate our loved ones when fuels burn at high temperatures releasing gases into the atmosphere?

This thought-provoking documentary explores green burial, an unconventional but natural way of handling the deceased, unhazardous to the environment and restoring the dead to re-useable materials in the cycle of life.

Audiences will journey with Clarke Wang, a strong willed psychiatrist and musician suffering with lymphoma, as he prepares for his own green burial.

Through insightful interviews, family movies and photos we connect with this brave and inspirational man, whose last act is not to pollute the planet.

Desperately moving and humorous at times, this multiaward winning documentary aims to spread awareness as a staggering 86% of Americans are oblivious to green burials. (MMo) WWW½ A Most Violent Year It’s the winter of 1981, the New York heating oil industry is not necessarily for gangsters, neither is it scrupulously honest. Abel Morales owns Standard Oil and stakes his future on purchasing an oil terminal, pays a 40% deposit, agreeing to settle in 30 days – or lose the deposit.

Meantime, his delivery trucks are being hijacked and his drivers are

terrorised by an unknown adversary. Then the Assistant DA, the ubiquitous David Oyelowo, decides to investigate his business practices. What will the bank he needs to fund the terminal purchase make of all this? It’s a ripping yarn of almost Shakespearian proportions with a Godfather/Mario Puzo ambience. Abel (Oscar Isaac) is someone you warm to; he has cojones – three of them! Writer/ Director J. C Chandor also made last year’s brilliant All is Lost (Robert Redford) and I cannot wait to see what he does next.

It’s unlikely 2015 will see a drama more thrilling than this.

(MM) WWWW½ Eastern Boys Eastern Boys is a controversial new film from France which will intimidate and unnerve audiences.When middleage Daniel (Olivier Rabourdin) invites a young male prostitute named Marek (Kirill Emelyanov) into his apartment for a discreet meeting, he inadvertently falls into a trap and has a gang of illegal immigrants to contend with.This is the catalyst to a psychological journey of danger and desire Performances are powerful, notably from Daniil Vorobyev who is incredibly frightening as ‘Boss’, the deranged leader of the gang.

The script is risqué and gritty, effectively combining gang culture and the story of a building homosexual relationship. Sexual content is highly graphic which may offend some viewers. Eastern Boys is a suspenseful and provocative film which will leave audiences cautious about who they invite into their homes.

(MMo) WWW½

FOXCATCHER Heir to a massive fortune and leading a life of privilege, John DuPont decides to fund and ‘coach’ a group of American wrestlers to Olympic glory. Wrestling is merely the setting for a story that explores notions of wealth, privilege, power, weakness, manipulation and aspiration. The story revolves around three characters: DuPont (Carrell), wrestling bothers Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and his older brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo).

Carrell most certainly deserves an Oscar nomination. He portrays Du Pont as selfimportant, controlling, needful and distinctly creepy; but ultimately – pathetic, sad and tragic. Both Carrell’s performance and the film itself are totally mesmerising. Don’t miss this. (MMu) WWWW½ Insurgent This actionpacked sequel to the 2014 box office hit Divergent contains many twists which should leave legions of fans anticipating the next instalment.

Set days after the end of Divergent, Tris (Shailene Woodley) leaves the compound with boyfriend Tobias (Theo James) in search of allies, while scorned leader Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) is on their trail.

This respectable sequel contains numerous death defying action sequences and is visually stunning, especially in the 3D format.

High-calibre actress Kate Winslet leads a predominantly young cast in this fanciful science fiction film, which loses momentum in the second half as the plot

WILD TALES This Argentine-Spanish black comedy is reminiscent of Tales Of The Unexpected and consists of 6 deliciously-wicked standalone short films, unified by themes of vengeance and violence.

Each short film is well paced and engaging, detailing an event in a person’s life which leads to a finale with a twist. Deficiencies in human nature resonate as their misfortunes arise.

Comic flavouring is cleverly intertwined and at times leads to highly contagious laughter.

This multi-award winning film which closes the Spanish Film Festival, received an Academy award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and was the most watched film in Argentina in 2014. (MMo) WWWW

May 10, Palace Norton St & Verona, $19.50- $27.00, palacecinemas.com.au intensifies. Intricacies in storylines overshadowed by mesmerizing visuals may lead to confusion, notably for moviegoers who have not read the books.

Aimed at the younger audience, this film is made to a winning formula like The Hunger Games Trilogy, achieving a successful transition from literary to cinematic platform. (MMo) WWW PAPER PLANES Sam Worthington takes time off from his busy filming schedule in Hollywood to star in a small Australian film which should delight holiday movie-goers. The story surrounds 11 year-old Dylan (Ed Oxenbould) and his dream to participate in the world paper plane championships in Japan.

Worthington delivers his best performance to date as Jack, Dylan’s father, who is grief stricken after tragedy strikes. The love of his child and his involvement in this sport helps Jack rebuild his shattered life.

The original and simplistic nature of the story ensures audiences of all ages warm to this children’s film, which is written with just the right balance of sensitivity and humour. Paper Planes encourages children to be imaginative and is one of the better Australian films produced in recent years. (MMo) WWW½ MR TURNER The latest masterpiece from director Mike Leigh (Another Year) is a stunning, albeit warts-and-all, portrait of J.M.W. Turner, the eccentric English artist whose creative endeavours polarised public opinion throughout his

tumultuous life. The meandering pace and sombre tone won’t appeal to everyone but Mr. Turner is a rewarding experience for patient viewers with Dick Pope’s cinematography a particular highlight — the meticulously crafted shots channelling the grandeur of Turner’s haunting landscape paintings are simply breathtaking.

(JH) WWWW SELMA The third feature from LA filmmaker Ava DuVernay chronicles Martin Luther King Jr’s legendary struggle to secure equal voting rights for AfricanAmericans, with a focus on his frustrated efforts to lead a peaceful procession from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.The era’s pervading climate of racism is convincingly depicted – scenes of police brutality unsettle, as do King’s vitriolic adversaries (“He’s a political and moral degenerate,” one spouts) – but it never feels gratuitous nor does it detract from the film’s core objective: celebrating the dignity and courage with which King and his cohorts faced great injustice.

Selma is a stirring and nuanced docudrama anchored by strong performances, especially David Oyelowo as King and Tom Wilkinson as conflicted U.S. President, Lyndon Johnson. (JH) WWWW Rosewater IranianCanadian Journalist Maziar Bahari was detained in an Iranian prison for 118 days under suspicion of being a spy. Set in 2009, this drama details his plight as he was blindfolded and brutally interrogated daily whilst an aroma of rosewater

permeated the air. High production values abound and solid performances are delivered from a cast led by Gael Garcia Bernal. Actual footage cleverly edited into the film complements and adds credence to a shocking story. Adversely, the script contains many humorous moments which detract, slightly tarnishing the dramatic impact of the story.

Part of a wave of similar films depicting the horrendous maltreatment of people, their survival and resilience, Rosewater may have very limited appeal. (MMo)WWW That Sugar Film This is the film which the food industry may not want people to see.

Insightful and compelling, the health issues relating to sugar are raised by an investigation when a man embarks on a highsugar diet for 60 days. Damon Gameau directs and fronts this documentary, consuming foods and drinks with a combined 40 teaspoons of sugar each day and the results are astonishing.

Brilliantly written and researched with fascinating interviews, audiences will be enthralled as mindboggling facts and figures are revealed. Innovative in its format, this frisky and upbeat documentary doesn’t attempt to distil negativity and hopelessness, but instead aims to spread awareness about the choices we make concerning our diets and the need for change. With surprise appearances by Hugh Jackman and Stephen Fry, this is the most important and lifechanging film you will ever see.

(MMo) WWWW city hub 7 may 2015

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Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps Montgomery: Hitting the road for her first ever live shows fans in Sydney will have their first chance to catch this rapidly rising star this week.With her dreamy, synth-laden indie pop sound this is bound to be a beautiful dreamy night for those in attendance.

Thu, May 7, GoodGod Teeth & Tongue: Jess Cornelius of Teeth and Tongue is set to return to Australia this week to perform a selection of her newest material produced whilst living abroad in Iceland.

With glowing reviews for her album Grids this is an exciting new talent for the discerning music fan to check out.

Thu, May 7,The Metro Barney McAll: Is a name that is synonymous with the Australian music industry and is one of the most influential and creative musicians around.

This show marks somewhat of a homecoming for McAll as well as a celebration of his remarkable journey through music since 1987.Taking influences from gospel to Afro Caribbean styles but with a distinctive McAll composition this will be an enthralling journey.

Thu, May 7,The Basement Courtney Barnett: Is returning home to tour the country and celebrate the release of her debut album Sometimes I Sit And Think, Sometimes I Just Sit. Having recently performed on The Ellen

Peace

DeGeneres Show where she was introduced by DeGeneres as ”one of my favourite new artists, I love her so much” demand for tickets to these shows are bound to be high.

Fri, May 8,The Metro

By jamie apps English indie rock quartet, Peace, are to return to Australia for a run of shows with Groovin The Moo Festival and their own headline shows.

Following an astonishingly rapid rise after their debut release In Love the band was quick to follow up with the sophomore album Happy People.“Our rise was unbelievably fast, it caught us by surprise by being on tour constantly we didn’t realise until we got back onto festivals a year later that we were suddenly quiet big,” says Harry Koisser.

Harry described the moment he realised the band needed to follow up the first album quickly.“The first time we did a festival tent where there was a couple of thousand people singing our songs back at us, I instantly knew I needed to write more songs,” Koisser explains.With that in mind before even finishing touring for the first

Christine Anu: In a special two hour chow celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut album Stylin Up Anu will perform the hit tunes that initially drew the worlds attention. In addition to hits such as Island Home, Party and Wanem Time a selection of hits from throughout her illustrious career that further cemented Anu as one of Australia’s most recognised, beloved and respected indigenous artists will also be performed.

Sat, May 9,The Basement Magic America: Melbourne psychedelic rock outfit are set to make their way to Sydney this weekend to celebrate the release of their single Comes And Goes.After forming in 2013 the group of four friends have spent the past two years honing their unique blend of fly psychedelic rock through a mixture of studio time, while working on an upcoming EP, and a steady stream of gigs. Having now put in the requisite time and practice this group are now more determined than ever to leave a lasting mark on the world through their music and performances.

Sun, May 10, Frankies Pizza

album the band was already deep into writing and production of their follow up release. In probably an unexpected twist with the whirlwind ride of the first album and it’s response “shook up everything I knew about music, the industry and life. So I think I know less now than I did before,” Koisser enthuses.

Despite this, the bands is “really buzzing” for

the Australian tour as they have been hearing “only good things” from friends and roadies that have done the Groovin The Moo Festival before.“I’m really excited to see a lot of artists that I wouldn’t usually see on the festival circuit. In the UK we wouldn’t really get the opportunity to play a festival that Charlie XCX would be playing so I think it’s really cool that there is a festival that is so diverse.” said Harry.

As part of the upcoming tour the group will also be switching from festival mode to intimate club mode constantly with a run of headline shows running concurrently to the festival dates.“I don’t know what’s going to happen but I reckon we’re just going to go all in and take everything we’ve got to all of the shows and see what happens,” says Koisser.

As a band known for their electric and dynamic spontaneous shows this is one band worth checking out if you happen to be at the festival or can make time to head along to one of their own headline shows.

May 8, Oxford Art Factory, 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, $39.60+b.f, oxfordartfactory.com

Super Best Friends - Status Updates

Nick Wales & Sarah Blasco – Emergence

Singer/songwriter John Barrignton’s past as the political reporter for Triple J’s Hack news show comes as no surprise that the songs here tackle such a wide range of political and social issues.The group combines these with fast chugging garage-punk guitar riffs reminiscent of Frenzal Rhomb, Pennywise and early Green Day. Also because these songs are so intrinsically related to contemporary issues it may have a short shelf life.(JA) WWW1/2

The collaboration between Nck Wales and Sarah Blasco is a subdued cacophony.

Emergence is an offering of seven songs, each one a chaotic moment, grave and intense in creating and then demolishing a world within minutes. Slowly building with each new world there is more urgency, sharp and unyielding.(SP) WWW

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

by Rob Brezsny

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Benedictine monks observe the Latin motto Laborare est Orare. The 19thcentury abbot Maurus Wolter interpreted these words to mean “work is worship” or “work is prayer.” He was trying to impress upon his fellow monks that the work they did was not a grudging distraction from their service to God, but rather at the heart of their devotion. To do their tasks with love was a way to express gratitude for having been blessed with the gift of life.

I propose that you experiment with this approach in the coming weeks, even if your version is more secular. What would it be like to feel contentment with and appreciation for the duties you have been allotted?

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Here’s one of the best things you can do for your mental and physical health: Withdraw your attention from the life that lies behind you, and be excited about the life that stretches ahead of you.

Forget about the past, and get wildly inventive as you imagine the interesting future you will create for yourself. Forgive everyone who has offended you, and fantasize about the fun adventures you’ll go on, the inspiring plans you’ll carry out, and the invigorating lessons you hope to learn.

C 22

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the children’s book The city hub 7 may 2015

Little Engine That Could, a little blue engine volunteers to pull a long chain of train cars up a steep hill, even though it’s not confident it has the power to do so. As it strains to haul the heavy weight, it recites a mantra to give itself hope: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” The story ends happily. The little blue engine reaches the top of the hill with its many cars in tow, and is able to glide down the rest of the way. As you deal with your own challenge, Gemini, I recommend that you use an even more forceful incantation. Chant this: “I know I can, I know I can, I know I can.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here’s a confession: I have taken a vow to foster beauty, truth, love, justice, equality, tolerance, creativity, playfulness, and hope. To do this work is one of my life goals. I approach it with the devotion of a monk and the rigor of a warrior. Does that mean I ignore difficulty and suffering and cruelty? Of course not. I’m trying to diminish the power of those problems, so I sure as hell better know a lot about them. On the other hand, my main focus is on redemption and exaltation. I prefer not to describe in detail the world’s poisons, but rather to provide an antidote for them. Even if you don’t normally share my approach, Cancerian, I invite you to try it for the next two weeks.

The astrological time is right.

d

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The hill where I take my late afternoon hikes is teeming with the six-petaled purple wildflower known as the elegant clusterlily. Every one of them -- and there are hundreds -- lean hard in the direction of the sun in the west. Should I deride them as conformists that follow the law of the pack? Should I ridicule them for their blind devotion?

Or should I more sensibly regard them as having a healthy instinct to gravitate toward the life-giving light? I’ll go with the latter theory. In that spirit, Leo, I urge you to ignore the opinions of others as you turn strongly toward the sources that provide you with essential nourishment.

e

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Am I reading the astrological omens correctly?

I hope so. From what I can tell, you have been flying under the radar and over the rainbow.

You have been exploiting the loopholes in the big bad system and enjoying some rather daring experiments with liberation. At this point in the adventure, you may be worried that your lucky streak can’t continue much longer. I’m here to tell you that it can. It will. It must. I predict that your detail-loving intelligence will paradoxically guide you to expand your possibilities even further.

f

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to the three science fiction films collectively known as *The Matrix,*

g

we humans suffer from a fundamental delusion. What we think is real life is actually a sophisticated computer simulation. Intelligent machines have created this dream world to keep us in suspended animation while they harvest our energy to fuel their civilization. Now as far as I can tell, this scenario isn’t literally true. But it is an apt metaphor for how many of us seem to be half-asleep or under a spell, lost in our addiction to the simulated world created by technology. I bring this to your attention, Libra, because now is a favorable time to diminish the hold that the metaphorical Matrix has on you. What can you do to at least partially escape your bondage? (Hint: A little more contact with nature could do the trick.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the coming weeks, you may be as alluring and intriguing and tempting as you have been in a long time. I suggest you capitalize on this advantage.

Proceed as if you do indeed have the power to attract more of the emotional riches you desire. Assume that you are primed to learn new secrets about the arts of intimacy, and that these secrets will make you even smarter and more soulful than you already are. Cultivate your ability to be the kind of trusted ally and imaginative lover who creates successful relationships.

h

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21): Physicist Frank Wilczek won a Nobel Prize for his research into quarks, the tiny particles that compose protons and neutrons. The guy is breathtakingly smart. Here’s one of his operating principles: “If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake.” Let’s enshrine his advice as your meditation, Sagittarius. I think you’re strong enough and brave enough to go hunting for some new super-rich dilemmas. Yes, they may lead you to commit some booboos.

But they will also stretch your intelligence beyond its previous limits, giving you a more vigorous understanding of the way the world works.

i

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1934, Capricorn baseball player Dizzy Dean was named the Most Valuable Player after winning 30 games. It was a feat that no National League pitcher has repeated ever since. After Dean retired, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Never shy about acknowledging his own prowess, he declared that “if you can do it, it ain’t bragging.”

It is in this spirit that I invite you to freely expound on your talents and accomplishments in the coming week. You won’t be boasting. You will simply be providing information. And that will ultimately result in you being offered an interesting new opportunity or two.

j

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There has rarely been a better time than now to refine the art of being your own mommy or daddy. You’re finally ready to take over from the parental voices in your head and assume full responsibility for raising yourself the rest of the way. What do you want to be when you grow up? You may feel a giddy sense of freedom as it becomes clear that the only authority who has the right to answer that question is you.

k

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The universe has always played tricks on you. Some have been so perplexing that you’ve barely understood the joke. Others have been amusing but not particularly educational. Now I sense a new trend in the works, however.

I suspect that the universe’s pranks are becoming more comprehensible. They may have already begun to contain hints of kindness. What’s the meaning of this lovely turn of events? Maybe you have finally discharged a very old karmic debt. It’s also conceivable that your sense of humor has matured so much that you’re able to laugh at some of the crazier plot twists. Here’s another possibility: You are cashing in on the wisdom you were compelled to develop over the years as you dealt with the universe’s tricks.

l

Kings Court Massage Kings Court is the only place to have twenty two massage rooms and eleven hot tubs, spas, and bubble baths.

Wall to wall beautiful ladies, pool tables and luxurious leather lounges. You can have a coffee and enjoy the friendly atmosphere.

Approachable managers help you choose a lady for your massage.

There is a fair queing system and no hidden charges or credit card fees. We are just along from Central Railway at 261 Broadway, (Parramatta Rd) Glebe, Sydney NSW 2037. GPS tracking works best when you use 261 Broadway, Glebe.

Phone 02 9660 0666 Its a $10.00 Taxi Ride from the CBD Visit our web site at

www.kingscourt.com.au We are open 9 am to 1 am and 24 hours on Weekends. There is a 20% discount from 9 am to 12 noon & FREE ENTRY before 9 pm each day.

After 9pm there is a $20 entry fee that protects the massage ladies from dealing with men who have no intention of being polite.

Parking is available in the Broadway Shopping Centre near our discreet rear entrance at 18 Grose St Glebe.

Check out the website for information, funny stuff and pictures of pretty women. There are no photos of the regular girls as they are too shy. We don’t provide full service.

Also check out Big John’s Facebook to see a mixture of really funny pics, photos, stories and links to the best pages of our website. This is updated regularly:

www.facebook.com/Kingscourtmassage

Kings Court Massage: Where the first time customer can meet the first time massage girl!

VACANCIES Kings Court is the best place to learn adult massage. You can work

with us part time or casual. We can arrange shifts to accommodate students or young mothers. We have off street parking for ladies with cars and for your interview you can park in the Broadway Shopping Centre near our discreet rear entry at 18 Grose Street Glebe 2037 with three hours free parking. The Grose St address is the best way to find us using GPS plotting - Ring us on 02 9660 0666 - Some ladies from out of town stay over when they visit. We have the bestest and sweetest customers of any place. The website is www.kingscourt.com.au

Hi, this is Big John the owner of Kings Court Massage.

This week the cartoon advertising pays homage to the TV program “Lost in Space.” This is a recurring story where St James who is a rich bastard tries to figure out where the boys are going for fun. Each week you can see how things don’t work out for him due to his personality of being nasty. Naturally the guys do not want him to mess up things for them at Kings Court.

VACANCIES We are currently looking for new ladies who would like to do a massage with a happy ending. It is a safe place to work. We have a number of European and Canadian travelling girls here at the moment.

Everyone can handle a discrete financial boost.

It is ideal as a part time or casual job and you are paid cash daily. When you start we get one of the regular girls to show you how to do your first massage.

We do have the bestest and sweetest customers of any place. The website is: www.kingscourt.com.au When you get to the home page click on “is this your first time” as this will take you to a page of ten tips that helps our customers to know how to behave towards our massage girls and a clear idea of exactly what we do.

The best social media we have at the moment is all the really funny stuff on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Kingscourtmassage

city hub 7 may 2015

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