Makoto stop *

Taking a pitt stop for lunch on the run, 
to do errands on the weekends is really no fun.
But it's the small things which makes me smile,
for instance, innovating sushi I haven't had in a while!

seared scallop sushi with fish roe on cooked tuna & cucumber sushi

Makoto

119 Liverpool Street

Sydney NSW 2000

(02) 9283 6767

Like father, like son *

"Our test of truth is a reference 

to either a present or imagined future majority 

in favour of our view."

Junior, one of the most cited legal scholars in the 20th Century: 

an American jurist and Associate Supreme Court Justice. 

Senior, arguably one of the best writers in the 19th Century: 

an American physician and Fireside poet. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Both Harvard alumni. 

Both enshrined in history as leaders of their respective fields.

And both,

an inspiration.

Latin, to be Learned *

mutantur omnia nos et mutamur. tempus fugit. eheu, fugaces labuntur anni. respice, adspice, prospice. non est vivere sed valere vita est. si vis amari, ama. nosce te ipsum. perfer et obdura; dolar hic tibi proderit olim. possunt quia posse videntur. Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus. ipsa scientia potestas est. 

non est ad astra mollis e terris via. 

...

all things change and we change with them. time flies. alas, the fleeting years slip by. examine the past, the present and the future. life is not being alive but being well. if you wish to be loved, love. know thyself. be patient and tough; some day this pain will be useful to you. they can because they seem to be able to: positive thinking. we are slaves of the Law, in order that we may be able to be free. knowledge is power. there is no easy way from the earth to the stars. 

every person is architect of their own fortune. 

On a typical Saturday evening *

As one girl ponders in front of her laptop, busy working/studying away -
the world at large seems to be out to play;
whether it be attending a party singing hip hip hooray,
or bonding with a close group of friends facing the bay.

The Byers Lectures 2000-2012, indeed, offers immense solace 
compounded with hope, for success, in some inordinate place...

Distractions *

"By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, 

one may unfailingly arrive at 

his chosen goal or destination."

                              - Christopher Columbus 

In an ideal world, one read all day and all night to consume all knowledge bound in the innumerable books before all time. Realisation suddenly dawned on me that this is not only impossible, but unfeasible, in light of other priorities in life. Study smart, not study hard. And applying the same principle: one should work smart, not work hard. For instance, my sleeping hours last week were borderline ridiculous: 2 hours Monday; 1 hour Tuesday; 3 hours Wednesday; 5 hours Thursday. *Note to self, remove distractions and prepare in advance rather than work/study 20 hours a day.

Of course, to succeed the necessary sacrifices in life must be made. Yet it should not come at the expense of working away the better part of youth and life to arrive at the chosen goal. Indeed the goal is reached but at what cost? A decade or more of life? An illuminatingly interesting prospect if I continue doing what I'm doing, then I will keep getting what I'm getting. Life: progress in the professional realm is evident (direction, goal, change) and now some attention to the personal dimension. 

A Present - dull to bright *

Life tends to be somewhat dull when all one does is work, study and read. To add some meaning, my new year resolution for 2013 was to live a little, take more risks and not let time simply pass me by. After all, the present is a gift which can only be given once before it becomes the past. Unfortunately I did not practice what I preach, in this regard, yet... and it's May. But I guess, better late than never - so, as of today, I will try to pursue this resolution with renewed vigour. Keeping in mind my priorities yet remembering not to take the present for granted. 

Capturing the shades of grey, defining moments in more black and white, then maybe life shall unfold to be a wonderful reflection of bright bold hues ~ 

Thomas Jefferson *

"Determine never to be idle.

No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time

who never loses any.

It is wonderful how much may be done

if we are always doing."

The two sides to Thomas Jefferson.
All men are created equal - 
but are they really?
A distinguishing factor is one's determination & discipline.
No time for mundane, only time for essentials.
Give time, invaluable time.

Mather Brown, 1786

The dark side of Thomas Jefferson

Charis Tsevis, 2012

Reinhart & Rogoff *

On debt, growth and the austerity. The latest academic kerfuffle in the world centres on the research, credentials and integrity of two Harvard professors, Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff. They have been furiously attacked for the publication of their academic paper entitled "Growth in a Time of Debt" in May 2010. You may be thinking, but why? Joining the myriad of debates arising in the industrialised world about the best way to recover from the Great Recession, a simple spreadsheet coding error caused a major stir.

As humans, we all make errors. Some more serious than others. Our attention should not be diverted from the fact that the efforts of Reinhart & Rogoff (and numerous other academics who cannot be acknowledged for present purposes due to space limitations) contribute to social science research. Rather than criticise them for errors, we should understand and be grateful for their contribution. 

Everyone will learn from mistakes. And this is another example of one we can all learn from. The irony is, our society appears to be experiencing a Great Recession in terms of tolerance for human error and respect for another's view, whether it be correct or not.

Nothing in the room *

The Paradox of our Age

We have bigger houses but smaller families.
More conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees, but less sense.
More knowledge, but less judgment.
More experts, but more problems.
More medicines, but less healthiness.
We've been all the way to the moon and back
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.
We built more computers to hold more information 
to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication.
We have become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods but slow digestion.
Tall man but short character.
Steep profits but shallow relationships.

It's a time when there is much in the window
but nothing in the room.

...

May I ask one question Dalai Lama:
"Why?"

Breakfast at Tiffany's, no more *

Welcome to the age of un-innocence.

No one has breakfast at Tiffany's and
no one has Affairs to Remember.
Instead we have breakfast at 0600 and
see guys we try to forget as quickly as possible.
Self protection and closing the case are paramount.
Cupid has flown the Co-op (bookshop).

How the hell did we get into this mess.

There are thousands,
maybe tens of thousands 
of women like this in the city.
We all known them and we agree they are great.
They travel, they pay taxes.
They spend $1,100 on a pair of Manolos -
yet they're alone.
It's like the Riddle of the Sphinx.

Some day your prince will come.
Mine took a wrong turn, got lost
and is too stubborn to ask for directions...

The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage *

I am a place with immense substance and story,
where everyone can achieve their glory.
A masquerade shall be my term,
where you can be anyone
from Athena, Bottura, Jobs, Condezz
to Denning LJ before we adjourn.

life is a Stage *

The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage

Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

The Bar *

"Setting The Bar high,

it provides a meaningful purpose to work towards.

Not in the least for status, money, power or the like.

But rather, giving talent to reason.

I know the path is not going to be easy.

Yet I know it is going to be worth it."

From the remarks of Sir Owen Dixon on his swearing in as Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia:

The Bar has traditionally been, over the centuries, one of the four original learned professions. It occupied that position in tradition because it formed part of the use and the services of the Crown in the administration of justice. But because it is the duty of the barrister to stand between the subject and the Crown, and between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, it is necessary that, while the Bar occupies an essential part in the administration of justice, the barrister should be completely independent and work entirely as an individual, drawing on his own resources of learning, ability and intelligence, and owing allegiance to none.

The work of solicitors in the administration of justice has the greatest possible importance, but their allegiance is perhaps more to their clients who have a more permanent or at all events a longer relation with them than the transitory relations between client and counsel when the full enthusiasm and force of the advocate are attached to the individual for a short space of time. I would like to say that from long experience on the Bench and a not much shorter experience at the Bar there is no more important contribution to the doing of justice than the elucidation of the facts and the ascertainment of what a case is really about, which is done before it comes to counsel's hands. Counsel, who brings his learning, ability, character and firmness of mind to the conduct of causes and maintains the very very high tradition of honour and independence of English advocacy, in my opinion makes a greater contribution to justice than the judge himself.

I think it is hardly useful to refer to the past except to explain the present. But my work at the Bar covered a period when I was younger and when perhaps according to the ordinary nature of man he derived greater pleasure and excitement from his activities. The activities at the Bar are greater than those on the Bench, and the responsibilities are no less.

21 April 1952 85 Commonwealth Law Reports XI-XII

Jacob's Creek *

When asked whether I prefer Red or White, my answer is usually "both!"

In terms of Reds, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz are on the top of my list due to pronounced black fruit notes of cherry and plum. For New World regions such as Australia, cabernet is often blended with shiraz to balance the harsh tannins in youthful wines. 

A light drink before boarding my flight back to SYD.

Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet Vintage 2010

Hudsons Coffee *

Quick lunch before returning to Sydney.
Gourmet sandwiches on offer included the classic Turkey, Reuben & Ploughman. 
Coffee was surprisingly decent!

reuben sandwich

shaved silverside, dryslaw, lettuce, swiss cheese on toasted dark rye

(solid effort to make this classic)

Hudsons Coffee

Canberra Airport ACT 2609

+61 2 6262 8953

Up in the Air *

To keep occupied during the flight, one must sometimes resort to extreme measures. Since I didn't feel like eating, the next best thing was to visually eat by taking food photos!

sydney biscuit company breakfast box + black coffee

carrot & ginger muffin

mints & muesli bite

(mini mints were tres cute!)

mini water + pecorino cheese & green olive bites

spotted. a flying kangaroo!

Black by City Espresso *

"Featuring a 'light box' designed by architects from Building Studio.

With a slick fitout, smooth black finishes & timber cladding,

this project is a great example of clever design.

Not to mention an ergonomic layout that generates fantastic coffee!"

Spiro was headhunted by Qantas to run this new concept store, who in turn sought the services of Gina Di Brita from Numero Uno. Being a professional barista slash coffee coffee consultant, Gina designed an intense espresso blend providing strength for commuters to endure their upcoming flights.

My first pitt stop for the day before embarking on a short business trip to Canberra. I was pleasantly surprised to find a new cafe at the Qantas domestic terminal, which was almost like a lounge before the lounge!

soy latte + roast pumpkin, feta & spinach savoury muffin

(enjoyed the strong caffeine hit.

savoury muffin was superb & reminded me of a frittata)

cappuccino + espresso macaroon

(mum described the macaroon as a very hard biscuit, so enough said.

looks good but not very fresh)

Qantas Domestic Terminal

Sydney Airport

241 O'Riordan Street

Mascot NSW 2020

0407 911 546

Botanic Garden Restaurant *

"An enchanting picturesque venue

offering open-air dining in exquisite natural surrounds. 

Its original 19th Century facade is paired with

sleek modern interiors, wide wisteria-draped verandahs 

and spectacular leafy harbour views."

Ideal setting for a special work function since the restaurant offered an understated elegance in lush surrounds. Guess I didn't mind working on a Sunday for once! Taking a leisurely stroll in the Royal Botanic Garden was a quaint way to end a busy weekend. The menu displayed a fresh interpretation on modern Australian cuisine, matched with professional friendly service. Being the designated driver I did not drink at the Halloween party last night, so I welcomed this opportunity to enjoy a few glasses of wine!

sourdough bread, evo & dukkah

(dukkah is an Egyptian mix of nuts, seeds, herbs & spices blended finely. addictive and kept me guessing as to what was in the recipe!)

baby spinach, beetroot & goats cheese salad

(literally three ingredients tossed together.

could be enhanced by a walnut dressing or lemon juice & olive oil)

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Yealands Estate

(exuberant fruity profile of gooseberries, green pear & asparagus)

duck confit

white bean & toulouse sausage cassoulet

(standard duck. white beans seemed from the can, sausage were diced & quite bland)

roast lamb rump

caponata, lemon cous cous, basil & olives

chocolate marquise

pistachio anglaise

orange & cardamom brulee

biscotti

(pretty presentation reflecting the sunshine on a plate)

espresso panna cotta

frangelico syrup

 

blue cheese, grapes, lavosh and chutney

(chutney of cooked raisins complemented the blue cheese well)

Michelton 'blackwood park' botrytis Reisling

(spectacular when paired with my cheese platter)

Botanic Garden Restaurant

Mrs Macquarie Road

Sydney NSW 2000

+61 9241 2419