Non-fiction provides punctuation for some amazing stories

I love reading and it has to be one of life's great pleasures and here are some that I have recently been reading.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work was a beautifully written book about work and daily life. Alain Du Botton beings looks at what people do for a living and why they do it. He  goes on to look at logistics/shipping and what goes on in making sure with have “stuff” on our supermarket shelves and goes on to look at biscuit making, career counselling, accountancy, etc. 

Du Button reminded me that humans are just a tiny cog in this massive wheel and that work is just one way that we feel connected and useful to society, even though in reality it has no lasting impact. He is the only writer that makes accounting cargo ship spotting and commuting to London sound remotely romantic.

This book does seem like a poetic report of various random jobs and I would have liked a stronger and overarching narrative. Du Button does interview very well on TV. 

I was really excited to begin about Gillian Slovo’s Black Orchids as the colonial era I find a little exotic but this book shows its dark underbelly. 

The book Black Orchids is set in 1950s Ceylon and Britain about a girl of English heritage who had lived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) for most of her life and subsequently marries a local boy from a “good family” then proceed to move to England. Unfortunately, it was at a time that England wasn’t really impressed by those married people from the colonies. 

So the main character Evelyn doesn’t really feel like she belongs anywhere, not really British but not really from Ceylon either. When I first brought it as stories of outsiders, cross cultural upbringings and marriages really interest me but I soon became disappointed with the story and by the end I was glad it was all over.

The story did show what England was like at the time and how far it’s come, although that is up for debate.  I felt that Evelyn began as a formidable woman but who ended up being a bit of a cop out.

There was so much that I loved about Hugh MacKay’s Advance Australia Where? It seemed to take the pulse of Australian society and shows how the country has changed. Mackay’s general argument is that, to cope with the plethora of big issues that affect us such as terrorism/national security, the global economy and climate change (just to name a few)Australia has become increasingly insular and inward looking. 

He cites our inability to deal with issues on a personal level which makes us focus on things we can change for example home renovations and spirituality. MacKay feels that our keen interest in shows such as Better Homes and Gardians, Backyard Blitz and shows like CSI and Law & Order are an attempt to escape from having to engage with the big issues facing our society. It is easier to renovate your house than to “stop the boats” or reduce Aboriginal disadvantage, for example.      

I found myself wanting to throw the book at the wall when I was reading the chapter on the Gender Revolution, not that I disagreed with it but because it was so spot on, especially how modern Australian females have little appreciation of the work done by generations of feminist women. His discussion about the changing nature of gender roles was also really interesting.

This is a great book about Australia and is well worth the read if you are interested about modern Australian cultural history.  

Ohhhh how I loved Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks and gets 5 stars straight away. It is about the first American Indian to attend Harvard University but more importantly it was about the relationship between Caleb and the highly intelligent Bethea (I think that is how you spell it) who is often relegated to domestic duties solely based on her gender. 

It was so well written and the characters were so clearly defined. The protagonists moved throughout the book with much clarity that I felt that understood them even if I didn't identify with them directly on a personal level or even agree with their politics. 

As a modern girl who has gained a university education, the era when even a basic primary education was denied to 50% of the population just because of their gender was a bit of a shock to me but Brooks wrote in such a way that I didn't hate the culture. This book is amazing!!!!    

Far To Go by Alison Pick is a book that I had mixed feelings about. Partly because the central theme (why many of the German/Polish/Czech Jews didn’t flee their homelands sooner) of the story seemed to fascinate me so much and the characters seem shallow in the circumstances and partly because the romantic subplots didn’t seem to add value to the story.

But I really loved how Pick managed to show the two sides of the Non-Jewish people that the story’s family had contact with and how in their company they were pleasant and friendly but out of their company they were sucked into the Nazi propaganda. As it turns out it was one of these individuals that informed the authorities of their Jewish heritage, despite their secular lifestyle.

But despite the depressing story, it is easy to read and, while Far To Go is fiction, it gives you some idea of why so many didn’t see the horrors of the holocaust coming.  

I kept going with the Jewish, World Wars and exile theme with Anna Funder’s All That I Am. It is written from the prospective of two of Political Activists (plus close knit group/family) that escape Nazi Germany and live in London.

The narrative is written from when these two Characters are in old age and trying to make peace with their troubled past.

While it centres around a close group of refugees in London who are trying to make a difference in a world in turmoil but not everyone can stand the pressure of fleeing persecution and surviving in a new hostile environment. Towards the end we realise that not all is well and one of them becomes betrays the political work of the group and this leads to a sad and tragic end.

In the final quarter of the book, we slowly learn the details of the betrayal and ultimate fall out.  

I loved how the present and past intertwined and found the characters to be interesting and thoughtful.

I didn’t really know much about the German political activists and while I know it is fiction, I wonder if I could risk everything do the same thing if in a similar situation   

Swiss clock brings back memories and marks moments of happiness

While trawling through eBay one rainy Sunday afternoon I stumbled on the kind of wall clock that you find in Swiss train stations and I immediately knew I had to purchase same.

Having a Swiss Mum and having been there on holiday many times, I have great memories of train journeys from Geneva to Neuchâtel and beyond. Not only are the train network super efficient but the views from them are amazing and breath taking. My all time favourite journey is going from Geneva to Paris which meandered high up along the sides of the mountains, giving spectacular views of the landscape. Next on the list would have to be going to Interlaken at such a speed that it was hard to fully appreciate the views.         

The Swiss are famous for their clocks as well as time keeping in general but what I really appreciate about this clock is that it reminds me that I am not at work and therefore my time is my own. Not that my weekends are run Swiss military style with every minute accounted for but it reminds me to enjoy my time off and fill it to the max with activities that are actually rewarding and stimulating.

Everyone needs something that reminds them to use their time wisely and to create a life well lived and my Swiss clock keeps me in time.  

Toastface Grillah takes lunchtime staple to a new level

Sometimes you want a change of routine – something different, something new.

So yesterday, as I was doing my usual workout at the gym and deciding what I wanted for lunch before work, I decided on a change from my usual cheese sandwich.

Nestled down an ally way in a part of Perth’s CBD that is not traditionally known for its cafés, Toastface Grilliah had a menu that would be a definite improvement on my usual boring lunches.  

This joint is based around toasted sandwiches and while this sounds like something that couldn’t possibly work (why would you pay for something as simple as a cheese sandwich?), the creative menu is what made me want to buy one of their toasties.

Ranging from the traditional like ham and cheese to the downright strange such as brie and jam as well as more contemporary flavours as pear and blue cheese, I went straight away for the 3 cheeses sandwich.

Having both Swiss and English heritage, a toasted cheese sandwich that included Gruyerre, Emmantel and Cheddar seemed to be a combination to die for and instantly brought back memories of these far away countries.  

At $ 7, it is little pricey but worth the trip down memory lane, and a move to sourdough bread or the like would be the icing on the cake.

To compliment my sandwich and to prepare for the eight hour shift that was to come, I ordered a coffee which was well made but lacked flavour and proper caffeine hit that I was looking for.  

It defiantly has an unusual menu, quirky vibe and is one of many new venues in Perth’s alleys and laneways but I hope that is enough to ensure its continued success.

What was it with Maggie?

Ever since Maggie died in April I have been wondering why Britain’s first female Prime Minister polarised people so much. You either love her or you hate her!

Dressed up as Maggie at a the Street Party fancy dress comp  

I grew up in Thatcher’s Britain. I lived in her shadow not knowing anything else until her demise in the nineties and her recent death has inspired me to find out more of the leader that ruled the country of my childhood.

I must admit that my older sisters hated her with an absolute passion but as I grew up I couldn't really understand why they found her so abhorrent while she continued to win election after election.

Depending on who you talked to, Thatcher’s rampage though Britain’s manufacturing sector either destroyed the country for good for or gave it the clean out (read “modernisation”) that it had to have.

Thatcher’s closing of the collieries in the north of England, an act that that many people say that the area never really recovered from. Without a proper plan to transition from an area that dug things out of the ground to a region was a part of the innovation revolution, it has become a place left behind from the modern day knowledge economy. Rates of chronic employment remain high in the north east due to low economic growth in areas such as construction as well as the decline in apprenticeships and other modes of capacity building.

Another big criticism of Thatcher’s selling off of public housing.

While allowing people to own their own homes is a great policy, encouraging people to buy overvalued properties isn’t such a wise move and according to an investigation by The Daily Mirror 80% of these council flats have ended up being rented out by private landlords.

What also happened was that the properties that were sold in the North of the country were worth much less than the houses in the more prosperous south.  

It seems that the policy of making property ownership more accessible has not really benefited subsequent generations in Britain and we are seeing that the rich continue to be in control of the property market and cheaper social housing has become harder to find as they've been sold off.  But I guess this policy was developed to help the aspirational working class at the expense of those who don’t have the means to own their own home. 

But Thatcher’s changes weren’t just limited to the housing market.

Like any good Conservative, Thatcher believed in small government and this included reducing the number of rules and regulations that the financial sector had to follow. For example, this meant that building societies were given greater freedom for to provide mortgage services and banks were now also allowed more freedom to merge and acquire new businesses that provided financial services such as stockbroking and insurance. The market was also opened up to foreign investors and businesses.  

While it meant that the sector was allowed to grow and develop, it also meant that the financial industry saw phenomenal growth as the same time as being more susceptible downturns in the market as we saw with the Global Financial Crisis.    

She was also an amazing political tactician. In a conversation with Radio National Broadcaster and ex Liberal Senator Amanda Vanstone, David Burchell describes her as an essay in hatred in politics and how to present your opponents with a set of issues that they don’t know how to handle. She had the ability to not only bring great strength to her own cause but to also weaken the cause of her political opponents.

In 1979, Britain Labour was in a state of flux – wedged between the traditional values of the Union Movement and the need to move with the times. But when Thatcher came to power, it gave them someone to hate and having such a clear enemy to focus on seemed to lead them down a path of self destruction.  

    

Struggling with issues such as immigration, defence and what it meant to be British, the party imploded and proceeded to take 20 years to regroup.

Burchell argues that Thatcher didn’t set out to destroy the Labour Party but by developing a set of “modernising” policies that the Labour Party couldn’t create viable alternatives for, they were soon driven in to a corner to be perceived as the bastions of “anti – modernisation”.

Thatcher showed how easy it was to divide her opponents by pursing a set of clear set of ideas and how to use political hatred to her advantage. Labour was so hell bent on hating Thatcher that they became irrational and unable to develop policy alternatives. 

I could go on about her record divided Britain and making it country that focuses on the individual pursuit of wealth at all costs. In her death I hope she may rest in peace and that we may learn from her mistakes and continue to work for the common good so that no one may be left behind.    

Coffee Coffee

A visit to Sydney wouldn’t be complete without a stroll along Newtown’s coffee strip, would it?    

So when I got to visit Sydney recently, I had to visit some of the cafés along King Street but as there were so many to choose from so I decided to go to two that I remembered that was especially good.

If you’ve been to Dendy Cinema, you would know that there is a café at the entrance. It used to be called Cinque but it seems to have had a makeover and with an expanded front window, MilkBar (as it is now called) is light and breezy and seemed a bit bigger than I had remembered.  

  

Since it was lunch time I thought I might stop here for lunch. Since it was the last day of my stay I thought I would go for the all day breakfast menu.  My order poached eggs with salmon was quickly taken and came out.

It wasn’t bad, as you can it was well presented and tasted nice which are the main things but I just found the aprox $14 a little expensive and would have expected something a little more memorable for the price. The coffee wasn’t bad!

Next café to try was Compos Café off the main drag on Missenden Street. Up through a short flight of stairs, the first thing to hit you is the purposeful noise and bustle of a busy and successful café. From the moment you enter, you can sense that the staff takes coffee seriously and you are guaranteed a great coffee.        

When my beautiful flat white arrived, it tasted creamy and of good coffee without be too strong or overbearing, ideal for a mid afternoon pick-me-up.

If you feel overwhelmed by the number of cafes in Newtown, make sure you make a bee line for Campos because this is coffee at its best.

    

So Pho, so good

Most cool suburbs have cafes, bars and restaurants that are so part of the local culture and traditions that they are considered institutions and phd - Sup’herb Pho in Marrickville is a great example.

When I lived in Marrickville I was introduced to what was its previous incarnation of Pho Bac by my nieces and nephew, whose Friday night visits date back to when they were tiny. Since then it has a face lift and a name change but the great tasting honest food remains the same.

   

So in a recent visit to Sydney for the Writers’Festival, I squeezed in a dinner out with the much loved Family at this old haunt.

First we ordered Vietnamese Fresh Spring rolls which came out super fast and were well presented and tasted great. They were good that they disappeared almost instantly!!

Next we ordered Vermicelli with Shredded Pork and Salad whose complex flavours were nice but not overpowering and the same goes for the Thai Style Braised Noodles.

We were tossing up whether to order the fried rice or not because it can be a little boring but we weren't too disappointed and as it complimented the other dishes we were quite glad that we did.

We could go out for Vietnamese without ordering a bowel of Pho and it was just what wanted. I don’t know if it was authentically Vietnamese or what but it was hot, well cooked and brought back memories of visiting that lovely country.  

What was my favourite dish?

I don’t know! I can’t decide between the Vermicelli and the Thai Noodles. The Thai Noodles, with its green vegetables, looked so green and vibrant that I could have ordered another portion but both dishes were perfect and I would totally recommend them.                  

    

If you are in Marrickville, give this place a go. It’s not super flash or could be considered fine dining but the food hits the spot when it’s Friday and you've had a big week and you’re exhausted or when it is Sunday night and you want some where chilled to take a bunch of hungry kids.  

Sydney Writers’ Festival - a hotbed of stories, ideas, and debate

“Have we got a story for you” was the mantra for the 2013 Sydney Writers’ Festival and what amazing stories they had.

But what was so wonderful about Sydney Writers’ Festival was that it was more than just fiction. While the kind of fiction that propels you into another world was an integral part of the week, it was also debate and ideas that were also important parts of the festival.

This year politics and feminism were a common thread but then again, it seems that the things that you are passionate about are usually the things that stick out.

I quite like SWF’s approach of bring together authors, journalists and social commentators to discuss a particular theme such as the people behind politics, literary magazines, what feminism means today or political rhetoric. This way, the books were set in a wider context and it was more interesting than just going to multiple book launches.  

My festival journey began with attending the session on the Obama’s campaign and it was great to hear more about how different this campaign.

Obama campaign strategists Joe Rospars and Stephen Muller spoke about how this campaign was unique in that it put Americans back in the middle of the story and allowed them to take ownership of it. They used the campaign to reflect the community back to themselves and creating one of the most electric campaigns in history.    

The strategy built the capacity of ordinary Americans to organise themselves to develop relationships with those in their local community and have conversations about what kind of future they wanted for America.

In a time of political apathy and the dislike of the political “spin” machine at an all time high, the effect was amazing. Rospars and Muller spoke about the ways people involved including organising meetings in their house to talk about issues.

It made me think that in the end, what will be more powerful – a conversation over the fence between neighbours or a professional advert on primetime commercial TV?  

This session left many of us wanting these guys to stay behind in Australia to invigorate the upcoming federal election.

Another theme was feminism; there was Anne Summer’s Misogyny Factor, Naomi Wolf’s Vagina’s new biography, and a discussion about where feminism has gone since the publishing of the Feminist Mystique fifty years ago. Many events were co-presented with the Southbank Centre's Woman of the World Festival which provided us with many great role models who inspired us with their wisdom and passion for a better world.  

It was great to be reminded that feminism is not about hating men but economic and social equity to be able to be in control of your destiny and reproduction.

It was also good to hear about the relationship between women from the developed world and those from developing countries and how it important it is to stand up against issues such as genital mutilation, rape, forced marriages, etc but without taking control but listening and providing support in what way the women in those situations ask for.

Finally, Saturday night saw a packed out session at the Sydney Town Hall with feisty Ruby Wax and Shami Chakrabarti on the panel of five opinionated women.   While it started out about being about Vajazzling it went on to cover the politics of hair, what women do to their bodies and for whom as well as the women’s body as public property. It was a great night and you know it has been a powerful session when people continue to discuss ideas as they walk out.

Sunday was another day filled with sessions on Pride and Prejudice, what it means to have a good life and is rhetoric dead? It was another wonderful day filled with ideas, books and words.

I could go on forever singing the praises of the Sydney Writers’ Festival. Their stories, ideas and discussions ring in my ears long after I’ve come home and luckily, the books and podcasts will continue to entertain, move and inspire me until next year.    

Indian story “Rudali” challenges ideas of western feminism

While Rudali (by Mahasweta Devi) may be a small book, its powerful story covers so many important topics. From abject poverty to the caste system and Indian funeral practices as well as the role of women in a strongly patriarchal society, this story challenges readers on their ideas on poverty and feminism. So powerful is this story that it has been transformed into a play and a movie.

Mahasweta Devi born in 1926 is an Indian author and comes from a family of Brahman writers. Both parents wrote and so did her brother as well as her Devi’s son who became a celebrated author. Mahasweta Devi went on to teach at Bijoygarh College while also becoming a journalist and creative writer. She has also become well known for becoming a social activist and bringing attention to the lives of those who are not economically powerful and don’t have the loudest voices.

Essentially, this story concerns the life of Sanichari.  From the caste she was born into to being unfortunate enough to be born on unlucky Saturday, her life continues to see tragedy. Sanichari sees many of her immediate family pass away leaving her in a permanent state of insecurity. Somehow Sanichari continues to cling tightly to her dignity and this allows her to discover opportunities to allow her to support herself.

The realities of poverty regularly struck me especially when it is written, ‘For them, nothing has ever come easy. Just the daily struggle for a little maize gruel and salt is exhausting. Through motherhood and widowhood, they are tied to the money lender. While those people spend huge sums of money on death ceremonies, just to get prestige….’ This quote really is central to Sanichari story and the community that she is part of as well as her motivation to become a professional mourner. Those that do have money use it to improve their status.

But focusing on poverty, I was often remained that attitude and community were the keys to surviving life’s hardships, such as when Sanichari says ‘in this village everyone is unhappy. They understand suffering’ meaning that suffering is easier to bear if everyone is going through the same thing. Another example was when a lady with a new baby in the village offered to breastfed Sanichari’s infant grandson so she can go and work. Life was so hard for Sanichari but she managed to survive with the help of her community.

  

After being reunited with a childhood friend, both of them take up on an opportunity to become a professional mourner given to them by Dulan (a money lender who is of the more wealthy class above Sanichari and can be described as “a mover and a shaker”) who suggests that Sanichari should tap into her lifetime of misery and her inability to cry for the deaths of her own family to aid the wealthy in her society to stage an appropriate farewell from this earthly life. As a result the pair is able to work; they are able to gain some income and a bowls of rice as well as the ability to introducing other women of less socially acceptable professions to this way of securing their financial independence.

Professional morning has a long tradition in parts of India and in Rajasthan in particular. It is seen as important to give the deceased person a good funeral so that in death their status is elevated. I found it interesting that in the days prior to individual's passing away they were not cared for and left to sleep in their own excrement but once they were dead they were given the grandest funerals.  

Many readers refer to this book as a Feminist text because of Sanichari’s ability to (with the help of Dulan) to manipulate the patriarchal culture resulting in her ability to support herself and not rely on men for life’s essentials. In many ways, I struggled with this idea of Rudali being a Feminist book as I never considered working for free for a wealthy landowner (as Sanichari had to do to) to pay a debt as very liberating or even manipulating the patriarchal paradigm as very progressive.

As a feminist who grow up in the west where the focus was on very western issues such as pay equality, abortion rights and an equal distribution of household responsibilities, I often felt uncomfortable when I read about Rudali being regarded a feminist text. When I first began read Rudali, I couldn’t really understand why it was considered feminist. But since finishing the story and thinking about it, my understanding of feminist has grown to appreciate that the struggles and agendas are culturally specific and different depending on where you live. In the West the aim is to push the boundaries of the patriarchal system but in Rudali and in more patriarchal cultures generally, women have to manipulate the system to suit their agenda in the same way that Sanichari does in the story.        

   

Rudali and the story of Sanichari is defiantly worth reading and joins my long list of great Indian stories. While this book is a challenging one, it provides a lot to talk about, making it an ideal book for a book club and a priority read before your Indian adventure. 

Hello Miss Kitty

The great thing about mid week meetups with friends is that they remind you that fun times don’t have to be relegated to the weekends. 

So after reading about Miss Kitty Saloon recently, I suggested to a couple of local gals that we check out this Inglewood newbie.

If any of you are familiar with the Inglewood area, you would know that Miss Kitty has replaced the local Italian eatery Avenue Nine. You’d be pleased to know that the space has gone from somewhere that suburbanites would take their grandmother for her 60^th birthday lunch (dinner might be getting a bit late) to one that pulls a younger and hippier crowed.

It has an American retro theme without the American sized portions and at Perth Prices.

After forcing ourselves to stop gossiping and to make some choices about what to order we picked some entrees. Being a fan of the smoked salmon, I loved the idea of it being part of the filling of their Buttermilk Buns and let me tell you, they were divine. 

We also ordered a couple of Hot Wing Pancakes and with its grated carrot on top had a rabbit food vibe but tasted amazing and totally unexpected.

Because it was Tuesday and I had a long day at work I went for a Dog ‘n’ a Beer (only available on Tuesdays) and quirky was the only way to describe it. Surrounded by corn chips, my Dog was well presented (sorry, it was too dark to take a photo) and alongside a can of a beer that I’d never heard of, life was good at that point. Being used to the standard Aussie far that is common on Tuesday (i.e. Pizza/burger/fish and chips and a pint) I was kinda hoping for something a little more substantial that would replenish the batteries after a day at work but it tasted good and I could always order another drink as my mates and I chatted about the week in politics.

Before heading home my pals and I couldn't resist dessert. Tess and I shared what I think was a Pecan Pie but it was the shape and size of a mince pie but tasted wonderful. My only criticism is that, while the food was nice, the portion size wasn't worthy of the price tag.

If you live up Inglewood way and want to eat at somewhere cool and different, try Miss Kitty's Saloon – you’ll love it.

Going at it alone - what travelling can teach you

2013 began by taking a few weeks off from the day job to travel around Asia doing a whole range of things that I wouldn't normally do at home. From being a marketing intern with a Chinese company that imports Spanish food and wine in Shanghai to writing for a magazine in the South of India, it was the trip of a life time.

While it was only 7 weeks away, it took just under 6 months to organise. Applying and being accepted into the programmes in China and India took a bit of effort, applying for visas required coordination, developing a budget and a savings plan wasn’t too difficult but was securing funding from government and business was something (scored $1450 J) I hadn’t done before, while going to the travel agent had to be the best bit.

Being in a new culture and city with a bunch of new people (these had to be the best bits) meant that I have to be adaptable, self reliant and be comfortable with hanging out/working with a group of people that I wouldn’t normally be around. I also had to find solutions to problems with bank cards, sending stuff home and how to get to airports at odd hours, just to name a few.

But adapting to unexpected situations and having to improvise due to unexpected events have been one of the best bits about travelling alone and while they can be a little scary at the time, you end up look back and laughing.  

Having to adapt to a new workplace and tasks was another really cool challenge that I would do all over again and something that I would recommend to anyone.

Being invigorated and inspired by my time away I have been toying with the idea of moving on from my current position. But while exploring various options there have been several interesting discussions about the value of doing volunteer work and doing something for nothing.

On one side, it was argued that employers “frown on volunteer experiences” and since it wasn't real paid work meant that the skills that you used and/or picked up had no economic value.

Those on the flip side argued that such experiences should be promoted and the skills used highlighted to show transferable “soft skills” and life experience.

Why do things need to be of economic value to be worth something?

It does seem a shame that doing something for nothing whether it is volunteering in Cambodia, taking on marketing luxury brands as an intern in NYC, being a Scout leader in Australia or a stay at home parent is not considered to be a learning experience or evidence that you have developed particular skills because it is not paid.

I hope that one day unpaid experiences will have the same economic value as paid employment and that you don’t need a paid job to show what you can do.