Back to the City
I returned to work this morning for the first time in almost four weeks. I admit - I am an urbanophile. It was so refreshing to walk through the city this morning through the crowds. It was nice to catch up with everyone at work, and throughout the day I had to tell the saga of my sickness to more than a few coworkers. They all laughed when I said I was impressed with the healthcare system; just like their thoughts on the transit system in Sydney - they don't know how lucky they are!
A lot of the stuff I had been working on was put on a back burner as I started a new project today. It's interesting, engaging, and will keep me busy for a while - and that's about all I can say about it.
This afternoon one of my coworkers brought in a treat for afternoon tea - Anzac biscuits. Anzac biscuits (which are cookies, because Australians think they are British) are made with oats, coconut, and syrup. The origins stem from WWI, when the biscuits were shipped to the Anzac diggers in Gallipoli (if none of that made sense, go back and read by blog post from Anzac Day), due to the fact that the ingredients don't spoil easily. The biscuits, which are readily available around Anzac Day, were delicious, and a very welcome addition to afternoon tea. Interesting tidbit - the word Anzac is legally controlled by the governments of Australia and New Zealand and can only be used with their express permission.
I finished with my work around 4:00 (which was kind of on purpose as I had some errands that I needed to run) and headed down into the Town Hall train station. I swung by the Vodafone store to top up my cell plan for another month. From there I grabbed some trace paper for architecture, and then ventured around Woolies (Woolworths - a big grocery here) where I discovered that Tim Tams were on sale for super cheap, and Anzac biscuits were also massively discounted (I suppose since the holiday had passed). I stocked up on my biscuit supply and headed to catch a train home. Bear in mind, I never left the confines of the Town Hall Station in all of this running around...
I got off at Central - I could have continued to Redfern, but decided I'd rather catch a bus that would get me close to home rather than walk the 10 or so minutes from Redfern to my place. On the way to Railway Square (where all of the buses queue outside of Central) I swung by a fantastic little bookstore in the station. It is full of wonderful books at massively discounted prices, and I always enjoy walking in there. Finally, I caught a bus and made it home as the Friday rush hour traffic was picking up.
Indulge a digression for a moment: Many of you are familiar with my affinity for public transit, particularly subways and other urban train networks. The above description of my errands this afternoon evidences why I am so fascinated by, and so much enjoy, trains and the way things develop around train hubs to create nodes in a city. While the flexibility of buses is great, and needed in the city, the permanency, stability, and predictability of the designated rail right-of-way allows for amalgamated growth over time in an environment that is assured to be heavily populated as commuters and others pass through over the day. Furthermore, train stations and the resulting nodes which develop adjacent represent hybridization of the city - and the hubbing effect of public transit. I was able to shop for architecture supplies, get groceries, deal with my cell phone plan, and browse a bookstore - all without leaving an interconnected network. That does not even being to scratch the surface as regards variety of things connected, even just directly, to the Town Hall train station. At least four blocks, maybe more, of every type of retail imaginable is all interconnected with the station. Show me a bus that helps facilitate that.
And now, back off the lecture podium, I am off to grab some Thai for dinner in Newtown with Amanda and Leisa.
A lot of the stuff I had been working on was put on a back burner as I started a new project today. It's interesting, engaging, and will keep me busy for a while - and that's about all I can say about it.
This afternoon one of my coworkers brought in a treat for afternoon tea - Anzac biscuits. Anzac biscuits (which are cookies, because Australians think they are British) are made with oats, coconut, and syrup. The origins stem from WWI, when the biscuits were shipped to the Anzac diggers in Gallipoli (if none of that made sense, go back and read by blog post from Anzac Day), due to the fact that the ingredients don't spoil easily. The biscuits, which are readily available around Anzac Day, were delicious, and a very welcome addition to afternoon tea. Interesting tidbit - the word Anzac is legally controlled by the governments of Australia and New Zealand and can only be used with their express permission.
I finished with my work around 4:00 (which was kind of on purpose as I had some errands that I needed to run) and headed down into the Town Hall train station. I swung by the Vodafone store to top up my cell plan for another month. From there I grabbed some trace paper for architecture, and then ventured around Woolies (Woolworths - a big grocery here) where I discovered that Tim Tams were on sale for super cheap, and Anzac biscuits were also massively discounted (I suppose since the holiday had passed). I stocked up on my biscuit supply and headed to catch a train home. Bear in mind, I never left the confines of the Town Hall Station in all of this running around...
I got off at Central - I could have continued to Redfern, but decided I'd rather catch a bus that would get me close to home rather than walk the 10 or so minutes from Redfern to my place. On the way to Railway Square (where all of the buses queue outside of Central) I swung by a fantastic little bookstore in the station. It is full of wonderful books at massively discounted prices, and I always enjoy walking in there. Finally, I caught a bus and made it home as the Friday rush hour traffic was picking up.
Indulge a digression for a moment: Many of you are familiar with my affinity for public transit, particularly subways and other urban train networks. The above description of my errands this afternoon evidences why I am so fascinated by, and so much enjoy, trains and the way things develop around train hubs to create nodes in a city. While the flexibility of buses is great, and needed in the city, the permanency, stability, and predictability of the designated rail right-of-way allows for amalgamated growth over time in an environment that is assured to be heavily populated as commuters and others pass through over the day. Furthermore, train stations and the resulting nodes which develop adjacent represent hybridization of the city - and the hubbing effect of public transit. I was able to shop for architecture supplies, get groceries, deal with my cell phone plan, and browse a bookstore - all without leaving an interconnected network. That does not even being to scratch the surface as regards variety of things connected, even just directly, to the Town Hall train station. At least four blocks, maybe more, of every type of retail imaginable is all interconnected with the station. Show me a bus that helps facilitate that.
And now, back off the lecture podium, I am off to grab some Thai for dinner in Newtown with Amanda and Leisa.
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