Category Archives: Inspired by

Throwing Some Shapes..

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Ten sleeps to go until Christmas Day…

…and today I was off for a bit of festive lunching at The Chop House at Butlers Wharf. The Chop House is nestled just under the south eastern ramparts of Tower Bridge and an easy 15 minute stroll from London Bridge tube station. Needless to say I left home in plenty of time for a little pre-lunch strolling – and you just never know when travel plans may go awry.

My ‘extra’ time quickly disappeared as I admired this relatively unknown – to me anyway – part of London. And I couldn’t help but whip out the smartphone and record its moody shape-shifting for posterity this post.

It all looked a bit un-auspicious when I first got there…


…but lovely little shops and cafes lined the cobbled laneways and taking a smart left turn led me to The Galleria…


…whose exit on to the river brought the City’s growing mix of modern shapes above the old sharply into focus.


Looking right, the White Tower of the Tower of London (left) and Tower Bridge beckoned despite the damp and dreary skies…


…while at my back, this strange tree-like shape took my fancy amidst the stark winter branches that surrounded it.


Sometimes a new position brings a whole new perspective and standing outside the More Riverside complex with The Shard looming in the background was an opportunity to see London’s urban face, washed shiny by the rain…


..while the controversial City Hall beckoned further along the river bank.


And no Thames-side meandering would be complete without the magnificent Tower Bridge. It didn’t seem to matter how many times I have seen it or how many photographs I’ve taken before, my hand moved automatically to my pocket to take just a few more… 



So it would seem that I’m not the only one throwing some shapes this festive season.

Only ten sleeps to go…

…you should be dancin’…yeah.

Turning Japanese…

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As things settle back into a normal rhythm here at Gidday HQ, I’m finding some head space to register the curiosities that I come across in my going about in the world each day. This week has seen me ooh-ing at 3D printed food and aah-ing at spray on clothes but the one that really got me going was an injection of fun in the place where I least expected it.

With the amount of travelling I do, one of the biggest bugbears is the wait for luggage (alongside the wait in the immigration queue). Luckily I can get away with carry-on for most trips but when I think of the number of times I have strained to see – amid the proliferation of black – my trusty grey and green suitcase emerge onto the carousel, my delight upon spotting it trundling towards me is often too long coming.

It would seem that the Japanese have understood such a plight and have decided to make the wait more enjoyable by introducing some local character to the baggage hall – literally. 

In Tottori Airport, Medama no Ovaji – the ‘eyeball’ father from famous manga series Kitaro (of the) Graveyard – rides around and around the carousel, welcoming waiting travellers with open arms. 

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Image source: http://en.rocketnews24.com

Now this would really jerk me out of my post-travel stupor. And after wondering whether jetlag had finally done a huge number on me, I imagine I would rub my eyes, search frantically for my phone and upload a quick disbelieving pic to my Facebook circle.

But what’s really great about this scheme is that each airport gets to choose its own theme and so is able to promote its own particular city or region.

Toyama’s Kitokito Airport promotes the area’s fresh seafood…

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Image source: http://en.rocketnews24.com

Okayama takes its inspiration from the local tale of Momotaro who’s said to be born from a peach…

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Image source: http://en.rocketnews24.com

And the loquats (or mikan oranges) at Nagasaki airport stand testament to the region’s proud claim as Japan’s #1 producer.

Image source: http://en.rocketnews24.com

And it’s not just at the airport where the Japanese apply their quirky brand of fun. 

In an effort to inspire children’s interest in the big wide world out there, you can buy a tour through Unagi Travel for your child’s toy(s). Said teddies are sent off for 2-3 weeks to tour a region of Japan, keeping those ‘at home’ updated with Facebook posts, photos and even a postcard before returning home with a bunch of photos on CD and even a video of their grand tour. 

//www.youtube.com/get_player


What a great idea. I wonder whether Alfie Bear would be up for a tour? 



Huh? What do you mean it’s only for children…

ps…and in being reminded of Alfie Bear’s first festive foray, I was then reminded to let you know that yes peeps, I counted today and there are 38 sleeps to go until Christmas (37 if you are about to wake up Down Under). Gulp…

Prodigal Daughters…

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One of the most wonderful aspects of our recent trip to Amsterdam was the sense of pilgrimage brought on by being there together. As kids we were at our Oma and Opa’s at least once a week so our sense of ‘Dutch-ness’ has been very strong all of our lives and the sense of shared heritage during our visit – particularly as it was Lil Chicky’s first foray across The Channel – was quite poignant.

The icons of Amsterdam and The Netherlands, though I’d seen and photographed them many times before, seemed to shape our pilgrimage and just like the tale of the brave Dutch boy who held back the swirling waters by putting his finger in a hole in the dike, we remained resolute walking, eating and snapping our way through four fabulous days.


And speaking of walking, what better place to start than the klompenmakerij, or the wooden shoe factory.

L to R: wooden shoe tree outside the factory in Marken; 
carved shoes hung up to dry; souvenirs galore.

Lil Chicky even tried a pair on…


…but decided to buy the pair that she could actually fit into her suitcase.

Still speaking of walking, If you’re walking anywhere in Amsterdam, it pays to pay attention. Cyclists rule the roads and there was a point where we found ourselves caught mid-street with a tram on one side and a cyclist on the other. The tram driver stopped.

Clockwise L to R: Bikes parked in Dam Square; 
view from the canal; 
the ‘bike park’ (how on earth do you find your ride again?)

Travelling further afield we saw our first windmills, standing tall over the flat watery plains, and paid homage to sails of a typically Dutch kind.

Scenes from Zaanse Schans

The Netherlands produces three billion tulip bulbs every year. We found a few down at the flower market on The Singel in Amsterdam…and a few more of ‘nature’s gifts’ on our travels.

Clockwise L to R: Tulips at the bloemenmarkt on The Singel; a very literal hash tag;
wheels of gouda cheese everywhere from Amsterdam to Volendam.

Speaking of nature’s gifts, two particular girls would never have graced the world with their special brand of Aussie Dutch-ness without at least a little contribution from the bloke who lived for a while at 159 Amstelkade. So we caught the number 24 tram on Thursday night, walked about 15mins and found ourselves here…
Prodigal daughters – finding Dad’s childhood home. 
Pictures were duly despatched to said sire.

With all of this pilgrim-ing, we needed to keep up our strength and every day was punctuated with cries of remembered vittels from our childhhood.

Clockwise L to R: Enjoying hot chips and proper creamy mayonnaise; 
waffles for every palate (including Lil Chicky’s); 
Dutch apple pie – chock full of layers of thinly sliced apple – evoked a real ‘Oma’ moment for us; 
yours truly enjoying a well-earned oliebollen; 
two excited faces waiting for our inaugural Amsterdam poffertjes; in the making.

And when all was said and done, and all of those memories were tucked away into the chinks of my mind and heart, I wanted to bring a little piece of it home with me…

My hand made Delft vase, a wonderful reminder of our trip.


…and while tulips will no doubt look amazing once they are in season, my irises look gorgeous at Gidday HQ.


So that’s Amsterdam – and a day trip or two – done. 

Until the next time I need a nostalgia fix!

Hello? I’m All Ears…

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With the Australian Labour Party electing yet another leader this week (they’re a fickle bunch), it would appear that the powers that be are still trying to get the measure of public opinion Down Under.

But perhaps they could learn a thing or two from the South Korean city of Seoul.

In an effort to encourage communication between the elected and the electorate, Seoul City Council has installed Yobosayo, a giant ear, outside City Hall.

Photo credit: www.lifethings.in

Passers-by can bend this particular ear simply by leaning in and airing their views…

Photo credit: www.lifethings.in

…which are transmitted by microphones inside the ear and broadcast through loudspeakers inside City Hall for all and sundry to hear.


Yobosayo means hello? in Korean and it rather tickled my fancy to think that as each person leant into the ‘trumpet’, they would utter this self-conscious salutation before embarking on their particular litany. Think about how often this is our ‘greeting’: to the unknown caller, a potentially unoccupied room and even an obscure fact.

Anyway it rather amused me to think of all of those important councillors being ear-bashed by hundreds of hellos each day.


And speaking of hellos, there’s a rather big hello in the offing here with only two sleeps to go until Lil Chicky gets her big gidday hug in the Arrivals Hall at Heathrow Airport from yours truly.

I’m so excited – I do love Arrivals…

The Information Super Highway…

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I’m reading a book by Niall Ferguson called Empire: How Britain Made The Modern World. It’s a fascinating read and already – I am just under halfway through – we’ve explored piracy, banking and borrowing (a system borrowed from the Dutch no less), colonisation and slavery. And we’ve even been to deepest darkest Africa for one of the most famous salutations in history, “Dr Livingstone, I presume“. 

The latest chapter covers the Victorian Empire and I’ve just finished reading about India and Queen Victoria’s increased interest in foreign affairs following the Indian Mutiny in 1857. What is interesting about this particular time in history is that the ‘world’ is shrinking. The far reaches of the imperial fold are becoming more accessible with steam power and advances in iron being used to industrialise the empire. Travelling by steamer is reducing journey times and technology is driving industry and commerce to the point where consumerism is no longer restricted to the ruling classes.

In our modern day lives, the world is literally at our fingertips with news from across the globe available in a matter of minutes. But did you ever think about where it all started?

Francis Ronalds offered his idea of the telegraph to the Navy in 1816. The Admiralty turned it down and it took the private sector to see – and develop – its possibilities for overland communication. However, it wasn’t until the adoption of a rubber-like substance from Malaya called gutta-percha that durable undersea cables could be manufactured, opening up the potential of Ronalds’ brainchild to expansion on a global scale.

And so it was that in 1851 the first cross-channel cable was laid with the first transatlantic cable to follow in 1866. By 1880 over 97,000 miles of cable criss-crossed the world, joining continent with continent and creating the world’s first global communications network.

So as we log on, read emails, surf for news and opinions and tap-tap-tap away to cast our particular version of word-smithery out into the digital ether, let’s give a nod to the acquisitive ambition of the British Empire.

And to the miracle of gutta-percha…

…the original information super highway.

A Spring In Your Step…

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I spent a couple of happy hours on the back patio at Gidday HQ today catching up on a whole lot of reading while enjoying the gentle bursts of afternoon sunshine. These are often the days when I am inspired to post about a particular item I’ve read or a germ of an idea that’s been running around in my head for a while forms itself into a narrative and ends up here. I enjoy trawling through it all, a journey through different minds and viewpoints from mine.

Today several themes captured my attention but they have all been washed aside by a rather inspiring idea I’ve found on Springwise.com. Atlas may have held the world on his shoulders but Ministry of Supply’s ATLAS socks may just lay the world at your feet.

Ministry of Supply (MOS) has developed a rather awesome technology that they embed into their clothing to help manage body heat and the latest addition to their range is ATLAS, socks that are designed to banish foot odour for good. Using a start-up crowd-sourced funding website called Kickstarter, MOS raised over USD200,000 to fund the project by rewarding investors who paid in USD28 with a couple of pairs of the product itself. Nothing like building your fan base as you finance I say.

But it’s not just a clever combination of ventilation and moisture wicking that has one’s feet smelling of roses but an everyday boost of another kind.

Coffee.



Image source: http://www.springwise com


You know how putting a bowl of coffee beans in the fridge will dispense with all of those ‘funky’ odours? Well the same principle is applied here. MOS infuses carbonised coffee – salvaged from restaurants and cafes – into the sock fibres and voila! Fresh feet are all yours…all day.

Talk about putting a spring in your step!

Nothing Happens When You Hide…

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During the first part of my commute this morning (ie. the bus) I opened emails to find my daily snippet from Seven Sentences waiting to inspire me. Today’s headline – to not dream is to not live – seemed a little clichéd at first but as I read on, my interest grew:

“…it’s no fun to hide…it’s important to realize no one is actually looking for you.”

This was quite a grounding statement to be hit with at 6.45am. And then there was this:
 

Nothing happens when you hide…the world is simply getting older.”


Being on the cusp of birthday number 44, that rang very true. But what rang even truer was this:

“Waiting to be discovered is essentially a form of hiding. Just be you, celebrate who you are and take authentic risks every day.”


This didn’t resonate just because my big day’s tomorrow (and regular Gidday-ers know how I love to celebrate).

You see, I have been offered an exciting promotion and it was all announced at work on Monday. The congratulations have been a mix of ‘well done’, ‘I’m happy for you’, ‘you’ll be great at it’ and ‘you deserve it’, a wonderful acknowledgement of my last two and a half years in my role. I feel proud and moved, thrilled and humbled by it all.

Then I received an email that reminded me of something else. The journey.

I sat at my desk in the quiet of the early morning office and as I read each of the words, I remembered the ‘dream’ of working overseas, a dream that I had forgotten I had ever declared. But this someone reminded me that so long ago I had shared it and through all of life’s ups and downs, the highs and lows, joys and sorrows, here I was living the ‘dream’. That with hard work and a bit of risk-taking, I had somehow charted my course and ended up where I’d dreamt I would.

And as my eyes filled, I remembered something else.

That there’s no hiding from the people who love and know you best. And that is a remarkable thing.

Because when you hide, love doesn’t happen either.



The World’s Coolest Bottle Opener…

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So the big birthday bonanza is on and this year, first card past the post(box) is from Mum.

She’s gone for a very practical design this year. Knowing how much I like a vino or two, she’s come up with something I’ve actually been looking for all my life – the perfect bottle opener.

It’s a mix of ‘easy on the eye’ and getting the job done. Style meets pragmatism if you will. 

It’s not quite handbag-sized but I could see myself taking it everywhere.

(Although popping my cork on a whim may not be entirely appropriate in every situation.)

Oh what’s that?  You’d like to see it?

Well if you must…


Only 13 sleeps to go peeps…NOW I’m excited…

The Body Beautiful…

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I was flicking through yesterday’s Times when I saw the most amazing thing.

Looks like a frog right?

Look a little closer…can you see the five people?

This colourful tribute to the amphibious is courtesy of 2012 Bodypainting World Champion Johannes Stötter.

While there’s part of me that wonders at the ways people keep themselves busy (eg. how do you first work out you want to paint bodies), the other part of me finds this fascinating. And I guess that’s the power of art – polarising, puzzling, poignant. Sometimes none of these. Sometimes all three…and then some.

Anyway Stötter has been using the body beautiful as his canvas for 12 years, having painted his first at the age of 23. His website and facebook page are a veritable showcase of the human frame drenched in the inspirational colour and texture provided by the world around us.

It certainly brightened up the News section of The Times.

ps…and speaking of brightening things up, the Wish List is underway and there are only 24 sleeps to go until the Big Birthday Bonanza…can you feel the excitement?

Inspired By…Literary Notes

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Today I worked in London and Wednesdays in London mean one thing – Stylist magazine. And as I picked up today’s issue, I noticed that it was dedicated to all things literary. Double yay!

So once ensconced on the tube, I delved in, eagerly gorging on snippets and opinions, greedily flicking through recommendations and wondering how many of the ones I hadn’t read would be available to download onto Audrey (and when on earth I would get the time to read them).

I was just over halfway through the magazine when I had ‘a moment’.

Part of this week’s issue has been turned over to four authors invited to write short stories inspired by a summer scent. On the basis of Oscar de la Renta’s Granada, Jeanette Winterson penned Days Like This, a tale of summer romance, of two hearts finding a brief respite from life in the implicit promise of balmy nights and days filled with salt, sand and sea. Quite a lovely thing to read on a sunny June morning.

I was nearing the end of the story when I read this:

…I know that happiness is in the small things that happen everyday and not in the big declarations. Don’t say forever. Say now. Don’t say I do. Say I am.

I stopped, looked up from the page and then looked down again, re-reading those words with a new intensity, determined to imprint them on my brain.

Now
I am
The small things that happen everyday

I closed the magazine, savouring the seconds of stillness that encircled me amid the crush of midweek commuters. A couple of stops later I trundled off the carriage, feeling a little lighter than I had when I boarded half an hour earlier.

Who knew that commuting could be so inspiring?