Surry Hills Saturday

There’s a row of terraces opposite the Brett Whitley Gallery in Sydney’s Surry Hills. As I waited for my friend outside the gallery (she was using their bathroom), I noticed one of the houses had a front garden consisting entirely of succulents. “I guess it saves on watering”, my friend joked. Meanwhile, I couldn’t resist […]

Darlinghurst Dinner

It started with a cough on Tuesday. A persistent cough. I was in a series of quite important meetings, and apologised profusely to my colleagues about my cough. Later in the afternoon, I wandered home. And almost as soon as I arrived home I had a “Hillary Moment”, as I’ve since joked about. Within minutes […]

Confluence Gala

You may (or may not) have heard of Confluence, the Festival of India in Australia. It’s a three month long cultural festival which is being supported by a number of organisations, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). That’s why I was invited to the Festival Gala, held last night at the Sydney Opera House. And […]

Hobart Friday

Late this afternoon I was faced with a choice: would I go for a swim, or would I go for a beer? The Hobart Aquatic Centre is right across the road from the ABC. Pubs are a little further away. It was a case of convenience vs temptation. Two seconds later, I’d made my choice. […]

The Glasshouse – Hobart

“I’m sorry, we’re fully booked”, the maitre’d told us as we made our way into Hobart’s “The Glasshouse”. “However, we could offer you some seats at the bar or a couch”, she added. We looked over at the couches near the window. Two longish couches which could have seated six, with a low table in the […]

Vile Bodies at White Rabbit

As I’ve mentioned here previously, I’m a huge fan of Sydney’s White Rabbit Gallery. Dedicated to works made in the 21st century, the White Rabbit Collection is owned by Judith Neilson, who was inspired to establish it on a 2001 trip to Beijing. Judith and her husband are seriously wealthy, and they’ve made a wonderful […]

Village Voices by Astra Howard

There’s a lane-way not far from where I live which I’ve walked through literally thousands of times. Previously on this blog I’ve complained its a lane-way many men will often pop into for a quiet wee late at night. It’s also a lane-way where homeless people will stop to rest for the night. A few […]

James O'Brien