Enduring Love by Ian McEwan

Having read McEwan before I picked up Enduring Love from the Readings bargain table a little while ago. I think there is great beauty in McEwan’s prose, it’s so rich and full of detail and if I’m not 100 per cent engaged in the book I do find it difficult to stay connected to the full story.

The opening to this book is simply gripping. From the beginning it’s clear that there has been an incident of sorts that has resulted in a death but still the book maintains suspense and is engrossing enough to retain attention. Actually, it does a little more and forces the reader to keep going otherwise be plagued with thoughts of ‘what’s next’ while sitting in the office or vacuuming the house (not suggesting that either of these past times are boring, of course!).

Overall I did enjoy the book, because I did escape into its setting, but I guess there was a section in there that started to lose me a little. I wondered whether there was a mysterious subplot and that Joe would end up having made up the stalking character of Jed, spurred on my the immense shock of watching another fall to his death. A fictional situation through which to challenge and question one’s firmly held belief’s. Sometimes it’s better to not try and second guess what’s going to happen but rather go with the flow.

What I did find interesting was the amount of science that’s in the book. With the protagonist being a science writer this is logical but McEwan seems to have used fiction to test a few ideas or put forward some thoughts about his own views on scientific issues. The part about the conniving dog was an interesting inclusion and even the use of De Clerambault’s syndrome was something I’ve since thought about quite a bit since finishing the story. I do wonder whether McEwan happened across this in his researching time and thought that it would make for an interesting story. Given that the story was released some fifteen years ago and that a movie has been made, I’m curious now, to see it.

The other thing that this story does is remind me how random events can shape and change our lives. In this instance a couple having a quiet picnic is randomly exposed to a ballooning accident that has ramifications for their rest of the lives. It disturbs their comfort and peace and instigates questioning of the basic aspects of their lifestyle. Yet all they were doing was having a picnic to themselves. They weren’t seeking out any drama or seeking any sort of change; it found them and drew them into a situation that was ever to leave its scar.

The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do

How can you not be drawn to a grin like this one? A colleague loaned me The Happiest Refugee suggesting that it was pretty funny, especially the bit where Anh sledges his brother for being a bit of a fatty as a child, however this is just one moment in what is a very funny and revealing book. Everyone knows Do, he pops up from time to time on comedy shows of all types – the JB often impersonates Do after his appearance on ‘Thank God You’re Here’ when in a restaurant scene customers are complaining about the food or somesuch and Do (as the chef/waiter) comes out with the line ‘Youse must have ordered the cheap stuff’ or something like that. Whenever I cook something at home and it doesn’t turn out quite as expected the JB tells me that ‘I must have used the cheap stuff’… Funny how one-liners like this sneak into the vocabulary.

This book starts with Do’s journey from Vietnam with his parents and a bunch of others, on a leaky boat to Australia. Given that the boat was hijacked by pirates not once but twice and encountered a storm it’s a miracle that he and his family survived. I don’t really have a position on the current refugee situation that Australia finds itself in and I don’t want to let this book be a reason for making a comment, but I want to give a cheer out to the German ship captain who threw an axe overboard to this group of people hanging on for dear life, to chop up their boat because he couldn’t rescue them unless their boat was in distress. It goes to the very heart of the human condition.

“The captain dropped down behind the ship’s railing for a moment and then reappeared with something in his hands. Dad couldn’t quite make it out. The captain threw the object onto our boat. Whack! A heavy axe landed on the deck. Everyone jumped, startled by the appearance of a weapon. A flicker of concern crossed Dad’s face as he looked up at the captain again. The captain pointed to the axe and gesticulated with his arms. More strange words came tumbling out.”

And I have to say that before reading this book, I knew little about Do. His journey as a migrant child, his parents struggle to provide he and his siblings with the absolute best opportunities they could, resonated. And I guess what I loved about this also was that yes, Do was smart and yes Do could have become a practicing lawyer, this would have made his parents just so proud. But he opted to follow his heart and his instinct and pursue a career in comedy/stand up and drama. Had he not I guess the book wouldn’t have been titled ‘The Happiest Refugee”. It goes to the heart of following your calling. Trying and persisting. Although Do dresses up the stories with his very funny anecdotes (Mrs Burke/Buk was lucky she wasn’t Mrs Furke!) there are also glimpses into his character and honesty. It’s really easy to understand Do’s success after reading his story.

So I recommend this book; it’s written in a simple style that it’s easy to read – I managed to get through two thirds of it on a Sunday afternoon in the sun. Get yourself a copy.

Trust by Kate Veitch

I had no expectations when I picked this book up; I’ve not read Listen which was Kate Veitch’s (highly acclaimed) debut novel. And so when the opening chapter detailed a conversation between two couples after a tennis match the only thought I had was that the protagonist Susanna came across as quite insecure and her husband sounded a bit like a wanker.

But to phrase it like this makes it sound too simplistic. What’s nice about this novel is that it feels like a stroll through someone else’s domestic situation; I liked that it’s reasonably current (Black Saturday, Nadal-Federer match, Siev X) and being based in Melbourne gave it a homely dimension for me. If I could liken it to anything, it almost felt like a family out of Tangle. I could see Susanna as Ally and I could see Gerry as Vince and same with the two kids – older brother with his own issues and a capable switched-on younger daughter who misses little and and is wise beyond her years.

...Forty minutes later, with a salad made but no sign of her sister, she called them all to the table. Gerry, a bottle of wine in one hand and glasses in the other, took his favourite seat facing the window. ‘Here you go chef,’ he said, passing her a glass of wine. ‘Your mother is a terrific cook,’ he told the kids as the aromatic smell of basmati rice and the rich scents of curry filled the air. Susanna sent him an air kiss; she loved the fact that no matter how simple the meal, Gerry seldom failed to make an appreciative comment…

Most of the novel has a certain predictability about it; reading the title and recognising that it applies to a domestic situation really only gives it a few avenues to go down. There will be a betrayal of sorts, if not several. That’s not to say however that the predictable element is bad; to the contrary. It provides a familiarity and I think makes this story a comfortable walk through family tragedy and self fulfillment. I enjoyed it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

I love Alexander McCall Smith’s Precious Ramotswe; her noting of the little things; the one percenter’s of life, if you like. She’s a character that revels amongst the detail, always looking for the best in people and often coming across the worst in her line of work. Blue Shoes and Happiness is the seventh book in this series and just as delightful as those that have come before.

In this edition Mma Ramotswe is on the case of a public servant enjoying meals on the government purse, whilst her trusty offsider Mma Makutsi has her own relationship challenges to deal with. McCall Smith beautifully articulates the insecurities of mundane everyday life with detail that few authors have the skill to do. The repeating of detail such as Mma Makutsi’s 97 per cent graduate distinction from the Botswana Secreterial College; the Clover Andersen Principles of Private Detection; and even the Double Comfort Furniture Ship are the little things that make this book such a pleasure to read.

Charming in every way; a delightful read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

As I’ve found myself traveling to and from work on the train again, I’ve had time to making reading part of the regular routine again. And it’s been great being able to immerse myself in a story as beautiful as Li Cinxin’s, for about an hour each day. Most would know the story considering that it’s now a feature film, but if you haven’t, it’s worth picking up this book.

It starts early in Li Cunxin’s life; he grew up in poverty, living in a commune with his family. Although conditions are harsh, Cunxin describes these times with such affection and fondness. The story charts his life as he is randomly (fortunately) selected to join the Beijing Dance Academy and how he slowly develops a true love and appreciation for ballet and ultimately becomes a master of the art form. He also describes his defection to the United States and the grief associated with being separated from his family.

Cunxin is such a like-able character and his story is just so remarkable; it’s compelling reading. A beautiful story that captures the essence of this incredible journey – well worth the time spent reading it.

My Life: The Untold Story Of An Underworld Survivor by Roberta Williams

 

With the RED Group going under, causing massive sales at Borders and Angus and Robertson, the amount of crap literature that’s become available is astounding. My brother thought it was a great idea to pick up a couple of books for the JB and me. On a recent visit, the JB was gifted Wayne Carey: The Truth Hurts and I received the above. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is the better deal.

Well, what can I say. I honestly had no intention of reading this; then over my toast yesterday morning I picked it up and read,

“My grandparents’ names were Giuseppe and Giuseppa – similar names – and my father had three names: Emanual, Giovanni and some other woggy name.”

How could I not go on? So with everyone out of the house yesterday I did. Roberta starts from her childhood days in the Frankston/Seaford area. She didn’t have the most idyllic childhood becoming a ward of the state at the age of eleven. She clearly holds a lot of angst toward her mother.

“I have often thought about it since, how I was taken away and put into custody by police because my mum could not deal with me or cope with all of her kids, so I was the one taken away by the jacks. What about her? Isn’t the real crime that a mother treats her kids like shit? No police came around to lock her up for the way she treated her kids. No-one was putting her in front of a judge and saying you have been treating your kids like shit and now they are all in trouble. No, they took the kids away one by one and told a twelve year old girl it was her fault her mum couldn’t control her and sent her to a jail for kids. I mean, how fucked is that?”

That’s pretty much the style the entire book is written in. As I was reading it felt like Roberta was narrating the story over my shoulder. I don’t know how much ‘the ghost’, Michael Gleeson, did in writing this story but to me it rolled along as though Roberta was verbalising her version of events and Gleeson transcribed them.

Roberta sounds like she was a wild child in the purest sense. She fell pregnant at 17, then was married to an abusive husband before meeting Carl Williams through her sister, who was incidentally married to Graeme Jensen.  It seems all these people run in the same circles.

The book goes on to detail Roberta’s version of the events that were so public. She doesn’t add any new detail and spends a fair chunk of the book correcting what she saw as flaws in the television version of Underbelly. But Underbelly was only based on true events, it was never an accurate depiction of actual events – that’s entertainment.

It’s a really easy read; not what I’d describe as a literary masterpiece, but if you’re in at Borders at it’s in the bargain bin for $3.99 you could spend your money in worse ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lights Out in Wonderland by DBC Pierre

Whilst away, there is little more that I enjoy than sitting by the pool with a good book. I took three books with me to Palm Cove but only managed to get through one – a great one! Although DBC Pierre won the Booker for Vernon God Little, I never got around to reading it nor Ludmilla’s Broken English, and so I arrived at Lights Out in Wonderland without any preconceived ideas.

What a delight this book is to read. I admit that it took me a couple of go’s to get started but I think that’s only because of my own personal distractions. Away from the bustle of everyday life I launched into this book, and am willing to go out on a limb and say it is one of the best books I’ve ever read; certainly it’s one of the most original.

The plot centers around the character of Gabriel who feeling disillusioned with the capitalist life that we lead, settles on deciding to commit suicide.

“I’m free to die. It’s powerful to realise it. Every lick of wind, every crack of leaves is as emotionally stirring as the night before a fifth birthday. When you do something for the last time in your life, however a small thing, it becomes significant. And if you know it’s a last thing beforehand – it becomes momentous.”

Before he proceeds with this deed however he decides to track down “the most accomplished profligate I know: my old friend Nelson Smuts, a man never far from wine and debauch.” This decision takes him to London, Tokyo and Berlin on a journey full of the most outlandish that culminates in the most unbelievable. I loved it.

Pierre’s writing style is simply sensational; reading his work really reminds me of the stark difference between those who possess the talent for beautiful prose and those who don’t. There are so many examples of passages that I read over and over again in pure delight, that I don’t where to start. Even the most absurd things such as Gabriel’s purchase of the Saver Fare ticket for a train to London is amusing. I’ll finish with this excerpt:

“We’re chastised for speaking badly of others, though we’re born knowing that many are dumb. Of course, it’s a hierarchy of stupidity, in which we also hold a stupid place, but it has a border, which is the point at which a stupid person is no longer humble. A person making allowances for their ignorance, and remaining polite, is a type of natural aristocrat. But beyond the border are the truly stupid, who also feel entitled.  Worse, they don’t suspect their stupidity, and can’t imagine a greater intelligence than theirs exists. These are the dangerous masses which capitalism has empowered and set loose, sheep who respond to all things with the same bleat – and we should call them what they are at every chance.”  

Read this book – it’s great!

Palm Cove: great food, great weather…

A couple of Friday night’s ago, the JB and I both arrived home at the same time; both cold, hungry and tired. We needed a break.  After looking at a few different sites we settled on Sanctuary at Palm Cove. The following Saturday we boarded our flight for ten days of sleeping, eating and relaxing by the pool in a climate where the overnight low usually sits at about 20 degrees, compared to the single digit figures we Southerner’s are getting at the moment.

Arriving late, we’d already asked for a recommendation about where to eat and were told that Il Forno do a great pizza.  And they do.  We wandered down the Palm Cove Esplanade and slotted into a couple of outdoor seats and quickly skimmed the menus before selecting the Bufala and the Primavera. Both were great; very tasty and well cooked. In conversation with the manager, we established that the thin base was not woodfired but rather stone cooked using traditional Roman cooking methods.  It’s a little different to the Neopolitan woodfired cooking that we do at home.  On holidays, we decided to indulge in dessert and shared a berry and white chocolate pizza which was sensational.  All up the bill was about $60 which was great value.

Day 2 – Sunday

After doing a bit of internet research, the next morning we wandered into Vivo for some breakfast. Over a smoked salmon omelette and mushrooms on toast with coffee/hot chocolate we admired the sensational views and summer breeze of Palm Cove. Vivo became our holiday breakfast hangout.

After a day of walking and swimming we worked up a pretty good appetite and headed to the Esplanade for dinner at Choc Dee, Palm Cove’s Thai Restaurant offering.  We started with the spring rolls (served with sweet chilli) that were mainly pastry with the tiniest amount of filling and the money bags which were little pastry parcels of meat and vegetables folded into money-shaped-bags and served with a ginger sauce. We followed this up with the adventurous (not!) chicken with cashews and coconut rice and prawn rice with egg and vegetables.  All in all, not a sensational meal, but it was fresh and tasty enough. A couple of lemon lime and bitters later and the damage was about $80.  Not too bad.

Day 3 – Monday

We booked ourselves on a boat ‘cruise’ out to Agincourt Reef on the outer ribbon of the Great Barrier Reef. The brochure promised that we’d become educated about the Reef and walk away as ‘reef warriors’.  We did not.  A ‘cruise’ it was not.  A ‘wave-piercer’ boat crammed chock full of people gunning out to the reef it was.  Upon arrival at the pontoon at Agincourt all I could think was ‘what time do we leave?’ The whole trip was geared to a young ‘party’ market – none of the ‘marine biologists’ and staff seemed to be aged over 25 and it felt like they were going diving and we mere passengers were just their excuse to get paid. Indeed one of them said that on this particular day the weather was the best it had been in over ten days and none of them could wait to get into the water. A ‘seafood lunch’ was included in our day which turned out to be some prawns and a ‘seafood medley’ that was cold hokkien noodles (Wokka style) with a ‘seafood highlighter’ and a marinara mix stirred through.  There was no sauce.  It tasted dry and awful. There were a couple of salads and a basket of bread.  Disappointing.  After lunch we walked through the ‘underwater observatory’ which filled a nice three minutes. Seriously, it was an underwater tunnel from where visitors could see some fish through dirty glass. It did not meet expectations, so we tried our luck on a trip on one of the semi-submersibles that go out for 20 minute trips around the coral.  About 20 people were on ours and one of the ‘marine biologists’ provided a running commentary as we lurched through the underwater currents. None of the questions asked seemed to be answered by our host – one question was asked about the impact on the reef following the Chinese ship that ran aground in the Reef last April. He didn’t know. Parts of the trip were good, but as the JB summed it up, it was like watching footage of the Great Barrier Reef on television. 90 per cent of the coral is white/grey and all that beautiful colourful coral we see in pictures represents something like 10 per cent of the entire GBR.  We saw some pretty, colourful fish like the foxfaced rabbit fish and a couple of turtles, which was pretty good. After this, we had nothing to do as neither of us were interested in scuba diving, so we went and sat on the boat again and hung out there. And we weren’t the only ones.  There were at least twenty people who were sitting quietly on the boat reading or dozing.  There really should be more activities for those who don’t want to scuba dive.  We paid $360 to go out to the reef and to think there isn’t a museum type facility where you can learn about different fish or the impact of weather patterns on the reef seems a missed opportunity. Even something showing pictures of the various types of corals and the way they operate would have been educational. When we docked back in Port Douglas, we jumped on the bus and headed back to Palm Cove.

For dinner we headed to Bella Baci on the Esplanade.  All the reviews we read before dining here suggested that this Italian and Seafood Restaurant was pretty good and it didn’t disappoint.  We started with the Rucola Salad (poached pear on a bed of rocket leaves with parmesan) and the Ciabatta Trio (three pieces of toasted ciabatta with roasted capsicum, olive tapenade and sun dried tomato. Beautiful and so yummy.  The JB opted for the seafood crepe and I went with the Zuppa di Mare – both sensational and we finished it off with a Brulee and Tirimasu.  The service was great, the food even better.

Day 4 – Tuesday

Vivo for breakfast. We went for the old faithful eggs benedict and the  sausage omelette with coffee/hot chocolate. Sensational. Really great. This feed energised us and spurred us into a long walk along the Cove and we returned nearly three hours later tired and thirsty. After retiring to the pool for an afternoon of sun-baking and swimming we were once again ready for some food. At the far end of the Esplanade was Portobello that promised authentic Italian food. We shared a ‘Pizza for a Friend’ which was an oily base that was too sweet, with roasted pumpkin, fresh rocket and parmesan cheese. Good flavours that should work, but the oily taste was overpowering. The spinach and ricotta agnolotti was a five out of ten and the grilled chicken Ceasar salad featured limp lettuce and too much dressing. Neither of us were satisfied so we opted out of dessert and as we went to pay our bill ($65) noticed that the people on the next table had left without finishing their meal.  So it appeared that we weren’t the only ones not happy.

Day 5 – Wednesday

Vivo for breakfast was once again wonderful. Over eggs benedict and hot cakes with coffee and hot chocolate we saw in Wednesday. We also tried Vivo’s Sunrise Smoothie which was coconut milk blended with seasonal fruits and a refreshing drink in such a warm and tropical climate.  We were so happy with Vivo breakfast that we headed back for dinner. We tried the set menu option which was two courses and a glass of wine for $39 per head; we opted for San Pellegrino in lieu of the wine and over pumpkin fettucine and seafood paella.  The pasta was above average but the paella wasn’t paella; more like rice with seafood. I didn’t mind too much because the flavour was pretty good. For dessert we opted for a pear crumble and chocolate brownie. Again, they were okay. If pushed, I’d say this was the one meal that let Vivo down during our stay; when you consider that we ate there up to nine times during the week, I think this is pretty good.

Day 6 – Thursday

Breakfast at Vivo; more eggs benedict and smoked salmon omelette with coffee/shot chocolate and sunrise smoothies.

After a day by the beach and pool we decided to go to El Greko, which is obviously Greek cuisine. Because we were pretty hungry and there was a bit to choose from we opted for the ‘feast menu’ which included home made dips with pita bread, saganaki and dolmades followed by a selection of chargrilled meats and seafood that was finished off by some baklava. The food was delicious! Fresh, tasty and moorish. My only real criticism is that there wasn’t much of anything; the servings were quite small and it wasn’t enough to fill us up. The three dips, saganaki and dolmades were fine, however the chargrilled plates were two lamb cutlets, and a couple of chicken skewers and a couple of pieces of octopus and grilled fish, which wasn’t much for the $80 we paid. We sat outside in the platia section of the restaurant which was quite pleasant. There was a lovely little water feature in the garden and right next to our table some basil was growing which smelled beautiful. I would definitely go back, but would order something different that would leave us feeling more satisfied.

Day 7 – Friday

We skipped our Vivo breakfast to join a Food Trail Tour throughout the Atherton Tablelands.  We joined another six people and the tour leader (Warrick) on what was a great day of touring around farms and food producers in the tropics.  We started off at Maloberti Coffee farm where over an espresso, 84 year old Bruno and his daughter Maria gave us a tour of the processes they use to grow and roast their coffee. It was like stepping back in time; a fantastic experience that reminded me of the Greek villages that my grandparents once lived in.

Next stop was at the De Brueys Winery where we tasted some of the tropical fruit wines that are produced locally.  We’re not huge wine drinkers but it was a great to learn how this husband and wife team have achieved their success.

After this, we stopped in at the O’Meara macadamia plantation where Greg and his wife Wendy grow macadamia nuts under the Wondaree brand.  We really enjoyed getting out on farm with Jack the dog, and having a look around and hearing about his production techniques. Greg provided some great insights into the challenges of farming macadamias. Interesting to learn that he’s completely reliant on bore water and that he’s currently working with a lab to introduce natural pest control. We bought a heap of macadamia’s and had a great time.

Next stop was lunch.

After lunch we headed to the Gallo Dairy where they also produce cheese and chocolate from the milk their cows produce. Gallo is one of the few dairy operations in Australia that are using robot type systems in their milking sheds. This way the cows make their own way into the dairy to milk when they’re ready (usually incentivised by food/water) rather than being herded through two or three time per day as per traditional milking techniques. Farmers have the ability to undertake readings per cow and obtain specific production data per cow which is amazing development.

We drove on stopping off at the Curtain Fig Tree for a bit of a rest and leg stretch after eating so much food. This tree has been growing and grafting for up to what is believed to be 500 years. Sitting amongst rainforest it was a nice little break.

Our final stop for the day was at the tearooms at Lake Burrine where we were provided with scones and tea/coffee to finish the afternoon off with.  Sitting at the tea rooms was lovely and peaceful.  We also wandered up a walking path that led to twin trees that are thought to have been there for up to 1,000 years. The girth of each tree is about 6m.

And so ended our foodie tour. The day was sensational; the host Warrick is a fountain of knowledge and shared so much of his knowledge with us along the way. If anyone is in the area, I totally recommend this tour, it’s well worth the $150 each. Two thumbs up.

After such a long day (we didn’t get to Palm Cove until well after 6pm) we weren’t in the mood for anything too fancy so it was a quick trip up to Il Forno which again did not disappoint.

Day 8 – Saturday

A late breakfast at Vivo after walking around the Cove, followed by another afternoon by the pool.  Beautiful. On the food tour we’d purchased some lovely cheeses and chocolates from Gallo and so we had afternoon tea in our lovely accommodation, which did I mention had a full European kitchen?  Not that we used it.

We finished our day by once again going to Bella Baci for dinner. A seafood platter, Zuppa Di Mare, Pannacotta and Tirimasu later and we headed home.

Day 9 – Sunday

At Sanctuary, visitors can book rental cars on site, and so considering we were nearing the end of our break, we thought we might as well hire a car and head into Port Douglas. A couple of people had mentioned that the Sunday markets were worth a look. So about 8.30-ish we headed in. We parked and wandered up the main street of Port Douglas which we weren’t that impressed with. It looked pretty tired and like a backpacker destination, so we headed into what we thought looked decent – Harrison’s – for breakfast.

We both ordered eggs with spinach, mushroom and avocado on toast. Nothing unusual right? Well the strangest thing was that our breakfast came out on about 8 plates/dishes. Our eggs came out on one plate each with fresh tomato. Nice. Then the waiter came out with two dishes of avocado, one big dish of mushrooms, one big dish of spinach. He left the table and we surveyed the table and giggled. Then as I wondered where the bread was, here came the waiter carrying two heavy chopping boards, each featuring two pieces of toast. I kid you not, it was ridiculous. I’ve never before ordered such a typical breakfast and had it presented in such an unusual way. The crepes with spiced ricotta caught JB’s attention and he decided to finish the breakfast off with those. We wandered how many plates would arrive to the table. Fortunately just one, and although I was too full to eat anything else, I tasted the spicy ricotta and it was interesting; as though there was cinnamon, sugar and a marzipan type flavour.

After brekky we headed to markets which I have to say were pretty ordinary. Lots of hippy beads (and hippies) and other craft stuff. We only lasted about 20 minutes. The warmth was beginning to be felt so we cut our losses and headed back to car. As we left Port Douglas, we noted that there was bumper to bumper traffic coming into Port Doulgas – literally all the way back to the highway. It was a car park and so we were pleased that we’d gotten into town and back out without the traffic delays.

We stopped off at the Rex lookout on the highway which provided some beautiful views of Ellis Beach.

After our last afternoon by the pool we contemplated where our last dinner should be and settled on Vivo. After missing our breakfast there that morning, we thought we’d better go for our daily fix. And what a great choice. We started off with one of the best antipasto platters that I’ve ever eaten. Artichokes, white anchovies, olives, dips and other yummy goodies with warm bread. Yellowfin tuna with Polenta and roasted eggplant along with spinach linguine were sensational. Dessert was a decadent chocolate tart (20 mins waiting time for anyone interested) and a banana tart. Each were served on long platters, beautifully presented and so tasty – it was really the best way to finish off a great week of eating the relaxing.

Such a great break – a wonderful location and highly recommended for anyone in need of some heat in a beautiful picturesque location.

The Trip: Michael Caine

This clip has been doing the rounds for ages…I first saw it on Twitter, and have watched it many times.  It came back onto the radar after the JB and I watched Tony Martin interview Rob Brydon on the weekend.  Still just as funny today, as it was the first time I watched it.

The Godfather Trilogy

So many lines from the Godfather movies have made it in to everyday language. “It’s not personal, it’s business” or “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer” or “he’s a businessman, I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse” are but a few that come to immediate mind. And over the years I’ve seen bits and piece of the movies, here and there, but never actually watched all three movies in sequence.  So, now as the colder weather approaches, the JB and I have opened our ‘winter movie season’ with the Godfather Trilogy.

Watching all three movies in sequence and not too far apart makes for a completely different viewing experience.  As soon as the score begins, it takes you to a different time and place. Marlon Brando is better than sensational as the older Vito Corleone and it’s easy to see why he collected an Oscar and why his character has become so immersed in popular culture.

Of all three movies however, for me, the second one was the absolute stand out. Robert De Niro’s playing of a younger Vito making his way through life in the land of opportunity was exceptional. Even though it was the longest of the three, it was beautifully crafted and filled in lots of the backstory; how Vito ended up in New York; when his children were born and; the start of the Genco olive oil and cheese business used as the Don’s ‘shopfront’.

Having said that, in the first movie when Michael travels back to Sicily and walks through the mountainous Sicilian landscape with his ‘bodyguards’ is also particularly beautiful.

By the time the third movie starts, there’s a different feeling.  I’m not sure if it’s because the third movie was made so long after the first two, or whether it’s a different era in which it’s set, but it does lose some of the magic.  The first two are in a class of their own.

But the trilogy is a classic and should be  on everyone’s ‘must-watch’ list.  Even if the genre isn’t something you would usually go for, this one is worth it.

So Greek by Niki Savva

As someone who doesn’t mind following a bit of politics and news, the name Niki Savva had come to my attention before, but I didn’t really know much about her.  I’d seen her book in the shops when it first came out, but for some reason resisted buying it.  This year Savva has come to my attention through her appearances on Insiders, Barrie Cassidy’s Sunday morning show.  I am loving her arrival to the panel; she has an uncanny ability to nail the point in discussion.  I’ve also become an avid reader of her regular column in The Australian which I find insightful and really interesting.

So Greek is equally so.  Savva begins writing about her (Cypriot) family background, her career trajectory through the Canberra Press Gallery onto working in government as a Press Sec/Adviser.

Some of the most astute parts of the book (for me anyway) are the government years. Take for instance working behind the scenes as the GST was implemented.  A particularly amusing anecdote is when Clive Hamilton put out a press release stating that there would be 65 more deaths per year as a result of the introduction of the GST.  The calculation was made by saying that this would be due to more pollution and traffic accidents.

“A columnist in The Land warned of bushfire infernos if the tax changes meant that farmers could not afford the livestock to graze on the brush.

The Australian reported that Australians would have longer hair because they wouldn’t be able to afford to get it cut as often.”

Funny. There are numerous stories which are equally entertaining and sobering. With the topic du jour being who controls policy, the government or the media Savva says “The more the media condemns politicians who dare to offer an alternative viewpoint, the less real debate there is, and the more public-policy formulation suffers.” Lindsay Tanner doing the publicity rounds at the moment with his new book, Sideshow, touches on similar themes.

Savva’s writing style is clear and oozes common sense.  The cover line provided by Laurie Oakes says “A riveting insider’s account of how politicians, minders, and journalists really operate .” I completely agree.

Mildura: a foodie getaway

The JB and I headed away for a couple nights over the Easter break, up to Mildura. We had a couple reasons for heading up to the North West of the State; we dropped in to have lunch with some mates on the other side of the border and then planned to have dinner at Stefano’s. I reserved our spot about three months ago, so it’s something we’ve been looking forward to for a while.

Neither of us had been to Mildura before, so it was great to wander around doing touristy things like going for a paddlesteamer ride down the Murray which incidentally looks the best it has in years with recent rains.

The Murray River: Mildura

More Murray River...

On the PS Melbourne at Mildura...

And then we spent an afternoon hanging out with Mario at Orange World.  We did a tour through the orchards which was great fun.  Can you believe there’s 10,000 trees at this orchard and only 4 people pick all the fruit every year.  4 people! Our host, Mario, was a classic, commenting on everything from Julia Gillard to entertaining the crowd with bad jokes…we had such a great time and walked out with three bags or oranges and an avocado!

Orange World Tour Train

The main letdown for the weekend was our noisy ‘Grand Suite’ accommodation at The Grand Hotel. I wouldn’t recommend this as somewhere to stay. We were absolutely stuffed on Saturday night and got back from dinner about 9 pm and just wanted to sleep.  We had just got into bed when the fire alarm went off.  So we got up, dressed and headed into the foyer where there were plenty of other confused, non-evacuating people to be told that it was a false alarm.  Annoyed we went back to bed.  A function in the attached room continued with loud music and people walking up and down the hallway.  After a fitful sleep we were awoken at 4am again when the fire alarms went off for a second time!  Again lots of confusion in the hallway and no clear idea of where or what to do.

The next night was much quieter but still not ideal for a relaxing night away.  The most annoying thing was that we booked one of the better rooms with the view of getting a better quality of accommodation but I must say The Grand Hotel didn’t live up to expectations and we checked out feeling quite disappointed.  The breakfast was awful too, so much so, that even though it was included in our accommodation price we opted to eat out.

The highlight was definitely Stefano’s. Located in the cellar of The Grand building, we were shown to our table by a lovely waitress and over the next three hours were served a five course degustation menu with matching wines that were just sensational.  We loved it!  The whole idea of not knowing what the next course holds and then being presented with these amazing meals was just the best fun. The service sensational.

Entree was Tuna (from Lakes Entrance) Carpaccio, Karabuta Pork Belly with Red Cabbage Salad, Homemade Stracci Pasta with Fagioli and Shaved Grana, Braised Nhill Magret Duck with Celeraic Bake, Peperonata and Greens and then dessert was Creme Caramel or Birramisu. Yum.

Stefano also has a Cafe/Bakery in the same street that served wonderful coffee and we enjoyed lunch and breakfast there…delicious baguettes, toasted sourdough with mushrooms and goat cheese…great hot chocolate!

Mildura is a great foodie get away; book yourself in at Stefano’s but stay elsewhere!

Infiltration by Colin McLaren

After the ratings success of the Underbelly series 1,2 & 3 who could blame Channel 9 efforts to keep airing more and more of such series. The recent run of ‘Underbelly Files’ has centred around two key stories, ‘The Man Who Got Away’ (David McMillan and his escape from the ‘Bangkok Hilton’) and Infiltration, Colin McLaren and his ‘infiltration’ of the Griffith mafia.

In Melbourne for a work thing I had time to kill until the next train home and so ducked into Readers Feast and even though the cover endorsement was provided by one Mick Gatto (I couldn’t put it down-great!) I picked up the Colin McLaren story.

I was hoping for more detail around the actual infiltration; indeed if you read the blurb on the back it suggests that a solid part of the book is about the two year infiltration of the Griffith mafia.  BUT of the 291 pages that the book comprises, the majority is about McLaren’s time as a cop working on the likes of the Walsh St murder taskforce and Mr Cruel taskforce.  Both are interesting but my reason for reading the book was not to read about these events but the Griffith chapter which doesn’t start until page 175.

So I read all about McLaren’s start in life, the hardluck he’s had over the years with family, jobs and loves and before I got to the interesting bit which was okay.  A lot of the ‘cloak and dagger’ is quite predictable and parts didn’t ring true. I suspect this was ghosted and I don’t think whoever it was quite captured the essence.

“Rosario turned the volume up on the television to drown out our voices as they leaned into each other, welccoming my opinion on the subject. I pushed my mobile phone closer, transmitting every juicy word to Vito.”

I was probably disappointed because I’m already familiar with so many details pertaining to the story. All the Underbelly stories (books and telemovies/series) and then the ‘real life documentaries’ which continued to air and even though it was touted to not be connected the movie, Animal Kingdom, had a strong similarity to the Walsh Street situation.

If true crime is your thing, you might get more pleasure from this one than I did.

Alice in lala land by Sophie Lee

A few weeks back the JB and I were in Carlton, getting a dose of T&B (Tiamo & Brunetti) when we stumbled across the Readings book sale in Drummond St. An old garage was crammed chock full of people all politely nudging each other trying to get into boxes and shelves of books to the tune of something classical. There  didn’t seem to be any order amongst the book-loving chaos, just lots of books, people in a very small space.  Readers of this blog will know that I love books and I genuinely find it difficult when surrounded by the words ‘book’ and ‘sale’ to show restraint, but on this occasion I did – picking up just a few books or so and a DVD.

One of the books was Alice in LaLa Land by Sophie Lee; a book I’d wanted to read for a while – can’t remember why, I think perhaps I might have read a couple of Lee columns in the Herald Sun magazine a few years back and liked her writing.  Not sure.

Anyway, it’s quite an easy read and although I can’t really relate to the aspiring-actress-in-Hollywood-story, it was pleasant enough to keep me engaged.  The main character, Alice, is an aspiring actress living on a shoestring budget in Hollywood and trying to make an acting breakthrough.  She spends a majority of the book  fighting on through the humiliation of audition after audition. Many of the characters are quite predictable but that’s nice sometimes too. Comfortable. I’m not sure of Lee’s own acting path but wondered whether this tale reflected her personal experience. I do remember the Late Show taking the piss out of her band – I think they were called the Freaked Out Flower Children or somesuch and that she and Mick Molloy were an item for some time. I’m not sure if she had a tilt at acting though.

If I’m going to be a total reading snob, some parts of the story are a little obvious.

“On Saturday morning Alice awoke with a pile of scripts and audition pages strewn about the bed. She reached for her portable travel clock.  It was 6am. That was the trouble with going to sleep early, she thought.  Invariably you’d wake up early as well.”  

I think it’s Helen Garner who says that the best writing doesn’t detail every moment, it leaves it to the reader to fill in gaps.  Not that it’s fair to put a first novel in the same sentence as Helen Garner.  I think Lee has done a great job for a first novel and I did enjoy this light hearted and amiable read.

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

For years I’ve heard people talk about how wonderful the writing of Alice Munro is.  And whilst I have purchased a couple of her books, they have remained unread in the shelf.  I suppose this could sound odd  to someone reading this who knows that she is a master of the short story; with hindsight, I could have at least made some headway – if only a story or two.

I am a bit of a fan of the short story; Raymond Carver and Cate Kennedy of course are two well recognised writers of the style.  And I am of the view that it is an entirely different craft to that of the novel.  Short stories, when well written, leave the reader examining all sorts of ‘what if’ possibilities. The beauty about them is the way they stay in your mind after the last word is read and continue to swirl about.

In Too Much Happiness, take for instance the opening story Dimensions.  The central character of Doree and her internal wrestle with her spouse, considered mentally unwell.  Munro is able to deliver a complete and convincing personality and make it look as simple as putting on a cap.

“Doree was pretty sure that these people weren’t as bad as Lloyd thought, but it was no use contradicting him.  Perhaps men just had to have enemies, the way they had to have their jokes.  And sometimes Lloyd did make the enemies into jokes, just as if he was laughing at himself.  She was even allowed to laugh with him, as long as she wasn’t the one who started the laughing.”

Other standout stories in this collection are Fiction, Wenlock Edge, Face, Some Women and the story after which the collection is named is also wonderful; about Sophie Kovalevsky’s last days.

I’ll now be going back to my bookshelf and getting out some of those Munro books that I’ve purchased and haven’t got around to reading.  Highly recommended.

Shall We Dance? by Maggie Alderson

I love Maggie Alderson’s writing and Shall We Dance is vintage (boom boom) Alderson.  Although so many of her themes are similar; fashion; the requisite gay character; a complex family arrangement, she has once again delivered a very readable story.  The main difference this time (and done so well) is writing as the character of Theo, the protagonist’s young 21 year old daughter.

The central character of Loulou is a divorced vintage fashion store owner whose two best friends are gay Keith and rockstar Chard.  Loulou’s difficult relationship with her daughter is a great source of amusement, and Theo’s diary entries in every chapter are hilariously written and entirely believable.

Although I hate the term chick-lit, I guess this is ‘the genre’ that this book falls in to.

“I was early to meet Keith – an unfortunate habit of mine, considering that everyone in London seems to run pathologically late – and settled into our usual table in the cocktail bar at Claridges where we often met for drinks. Well, most Wednesdays actually.  Keith and I both liked a bit of routine.  It was one of the many things we had in common and which made our friendship so mutually pleasing.”

Theo:

“But I will need more new festival gear so lucky I conned Dad into increasing my allowance/guilt payoff/hush money.  Told him Mum had put my ‘rent’ up and I needed photographic books for a ‘course’ I am starting in September.  He thinks I’m going to ‘take after the old man’ as he said in his smarmy email.  It’s such a joke that he thinks he’s still a ‘photographer’ when he’s just a vile advertising leech.’

If you seek some escapism, this book is a great little adventure.

Who Killed Channel 9? by Gerald Stone

I found this book in the bargain bin at a Myer sale a few months ago and started reading it back then, but for one reason or another I only got about half way through before I put it down.  Over the Christmas break I’ve had a chance to finish it off.

I’m still not sure how to sum this version of events up.  Everyone who has worked in or followed media developments over the years has watched Channel 9 with interest. It’s long been known as a bit of boys club, a channel that pursues profits ahead of ratings and since the passing of Kerry Packer it’s really lost a lot of what made it so well regarded. After reading this version of events it’s clear that badly implemented management changes and restructures have left Channel 9 in the state it’s in.  Any monkey can work out that a station that plays bought in American shows like NCIS and all the variations 6 nights per week doesn’t have its finger on the pulse of its audience.  Even Channel 10 invests in local drama with the Maria Korp story, Hawke and more recently the popular Offspring.

Stone is very well regarded journalist and shares some juicy gossip but at moments throughout the book I found my mind wandering.  Maybe that’s why I found it in the bargain bin. The highlights for me were the Mark Llewellyn episode, the Posie Graham Evans saga and the defections of Peter Meakin and David Leckie to Channel 7 – and the subsequent rise of Channel 7 in the ratings (which highlights how talented Meakin and Leckie really  are in my mind). I really loved Meakin’s parting words to John Alexander…a little too colourful to repeat, but worth a read.

 

 

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Minty-Fresh™.

Crunchy numbers

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has 296 steps to reach the top. This blog was viewed about 1,100 times in 2010. If those were steps, it would have climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa 4 times

 

In 2010, there were 11 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 92 posts. There were 41 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 7mb. That’s about 3 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was November 22nd with 22 views. The most popular post that day was From Sicily into Calabria & then Rome….

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were Google Reader, alphainventions.com, twitter.com, statistics.bestproceed.com, and geosireads.wordpress.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for nineteen minutes, villa borghese, inside the vatican, journey from venice ruth cracknell, and piazza navona.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

From Sicily into Calabria & then Rome… February 2009

2

Rome…last days February 2009
2 comments

3

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult March 2008

4

Journey From Venice by Ruth Cracknell September 2009

5

Tangle – Season 2 November 2010
1 comment

Man Bites Murdoch by Bruce Guthrie

I have to admit that before his occasional appearance on ABC 774 I hadn’t heard of Bruce Guthrie or at the least, his name wasn’t one I was familiar with.  Whereas I knew of other editors of the The Age like Michael Gawenda, Eric Beecher and Alan Kohler, Bruce Guthrie was a name that escaped me.  This was even though I was an avid reader of the publications that he edited; except the Herald Sun which I read only if I have time to kill or I need to monitor it for work purposes.

Although the premise of the book surrounds his high profile court action against News Ltd, he does start the book with his introduction and grounding in the ‘editing world’.  It’s written in a very easy to read style, which should be expected of someone who has edited magazines and newspapers for the past few decades.  His recounting of some of the major news stories in recent memory provides a lovely wander down Reminisce Avenue.

What was outrageous was some of the juvenile and petulant management behaviour described – at a company as large and highly regarded at News Ltd.  The ‘clash’ between Blunden and Guthrie was a classic (not so much if you’re living it, I guess) but as someone who has worked in corporate offices for years, I know the style of management Guthrie describes.  My only exposure to Blunden has been via his appearances on Faines’ media segment years ago and the occasional anecdote on Crikey. He does come across as a bad tempered bully – evidenced further in Guthrie’s book. I think Guthrie’s appointment was doomed to fail on the basis that he was the first editor to take over after Blunden.  A bit like when a political party loses an election – the losing party’s leader nearly always resigns and the immediate replacement rarely survives to the next election.

“Events quickly spiralled out of control; the managing director bombarded me with a string of intemperate emails, each one worse that the last.  At one point he accused me of misrepresenting the circulation figures in an in-paper story.  Huh?  I’d raised an issue of integrity only to be accused of having no integrity.  I eventually decided to call him and his voice was dripping with bile as he took me to task for not supporting the rugby league club.”

Along the way Guthrie also shares a few humorous moments and I guess the standout one that made me laugh out loud and still makes me chuckle is when Guthrie had dinner with John Howard, then Prime Minister.  The conversation turned to Mr Howard’s habit of his daily walk.  Guthrie asked the Prime Minister.

“‘Do you walk wherever you are, or is it just when you are in Sydney, Prime Minister?’ I asked over dinner. ‘I have route in in every city,’ said the Prime Minister.  It was all I could do not to spray my soup over the assembled diners.”

I enjoyed this book; the insight into the newspaper circles, particularly News Ltd was disconcerting to say the least.  The way appointments are made and terminated – the harshness with which people are treated is cruel and persuades me to think that there’s more to life than a job.  Even if you get to the top, there’s no guarantee that you will be respected or treated with any sort of dignity. Well done to Guthrie for having the guts to pursue this action and winning.

The Party Thieves by Barrie Cassidy

I don’t know if it’s because it’s been an election year, or because 2010 is a nice even number on which to reflect on recent events, but there seems to have been a real flurry of biographies, election stories and new fiction of late.  The other week at the Readers Feast pre-Christmas event I picked up a number summer reading options; Laurie Oakes’ book, Ben Hills’ Graham Perkins story, Paul Kelly’s new memoir amongst others.  These have been added to John Howard’s book, Maggie Alderson’s current and DBC Pierre’s newest.  What a list!

I’ve just finished Barrie Cassidy’s The Party Thieves which was pretty good.  I don’t mind  a bit of Barrie on Insiders and Offsiders and I did hear him on ABC Victoria not so long ago talking with Kathy Bedford.  Bedford does a segment from time to time where she brings in guests for a bit of a ‘Talking Heads’ style chat and asks them to nominate three songs that they like or have been important at some stage throughout their lives.  Barrie Cassidy nominated Big Jet Plane and as the opening bars of John Denver’s version came on Barrie interrupted and said he was referring to the Angus and Julia Stone version and so that threw the producers into a kerfuffle.  It was quite funny actually.

So The Party Thieves charts ‘the real story of the 2010 election’.  It provides some interesting insights into how things run behind closed doors; K Rudd, Julia, Tony and there’s even a few Hawkie reflections in there…

“On day two of the 1990 election campaign , The Prime Minister’s car was headed west from Cairns on the Kennedy Highway, which carves its way through the lush rainforest of the Kuranda Range…  Suddenly the tranquility was disturbed by the sound of a wailing siren.  A state police car rounded the entire cavalcade and came to an abrupt stop by the side of the road.  Journalists peering from the van’s windows saw a federal policeman get out of the second car and run towards the Queensland police car.  He took a document from the driver and ran back to C1.  The media could only speculate as to what it was that the Prime Minister had either left behind in Cairns or urgently needed to turn his attention to.  Meanwhile, with his meticulously marked copy of a racing form guide back in his possession, Bob Hawke resumed the campaign.

They say that Julia Gillard is Hawke with red hair.  I don’t think so.”

There’s quite a bit of analysis on K Rudd and why he was knifed which all sounds quite logical.  Basically he annoyed a lot of people and they turned.  Nothing ground breaking there.  It’s the little anecdotes that are the good bits.  Like this beauty about the Latham-Gillard exchange.

“Latham bowled up to the Labour leader and gave her the same crunching handshake that he had given to John Howard during the 2004 election campaign, leaning forward in the same menacing way – photographs of the incident exposed an angry man zeroing in on his target…  Gillard’s partner, Tim, was watching the confrontation from the rear of the media pack.  He turned to campaign veteran John Faulkner and said, ‘What would happen if I bowled him over?’.  Faulkner shot back, ‘I think it would be better if he bowled you over.’”

Or another.

“At 4p.m. on the afternoon of the coup, Uhlmann was seated at the same table as a right wing powerbroker.  Uhlmann says:

In the midst of an otherwise harmless chat, he dropped his voice, scanned the tables for familiar faces and said with an unusual urgency, ‘Can we win with Gillard?’ It was the sense of absolute urgency; the intensity of the look.  I asked him to explain, but he ended the conversation abruptly and said, ‘I gotta go, thanks for the coffee’.

…Uhlmann rushed back to the ABC bureau and started ringing around everybody and anybody who he judged might be in the know.  Almost all of his calls went unanswered.  Then at 5.30p.m., he got through to another powerbroker.  Uhlmann said:

‘What’s happening?’

‘What do you know?’ replied the powerbroker.

‘I know something’s going on.  What do you know?’

‘Wait until after eight and I’ll give you an exclusive.’

‘But the news goes to air at seven.’

‘Wait.’ he repeated, and hung up.

Cassidy’s story is very easy to read and prompts recollection of some of the absurdities our federal politicians subject us to.  I probably would have liked a little more of his personal opinion on the way things ran rather than lots of news clippings of other journalists, but it’s still worth looking at.