Cammeray

This mid-Century block is very modest, but it has a charm about it that sticks in my mind. It has been 3 years since we lived there and I had only lived in it for 8 or 9 months but somehow, I can't get it out of my mind. The clean, modernist lines, the beautiful green surroundings, the water nearby, the very genteel feel of the village...

I always loved Surry Hills for the vibe, the hipness, the cafes, the feel of the whole neighbourhood, but in the end, I think my heart keeps coming back to Cammeray. And maybe it's time my head admits it too. I think it's the first time I've said it out loud.

The New Pad

Finally after 8 months, our furniture saw the light of day and made it out of storage and into our new home. Technically we are only half moved, as we have about half a truck worth of stuff still at my mum's but since everything we need to function is already here, we are fine. (note to self: still need to get act together and move the rest of the things over)

I've only enjoyed 3 days in the new flat before I went off for another work trip. So I am looking forward to more days in my own space, enjoying my own furniture. We still need to hang pictures, decide which clock goes on which wall and put our clothes and other junk away. But I think we've done quite well with the unpacking so far.

Next step - party time!

A Well-Deserved Celebration

We figured the occasion called for a celebration. Deposit on new flat was put down in early January 2010. Legal completion of the sale and purchase was only in end July 2010. Almost 7 months of waiting - quite painful waiting at times it seems.

So when we figured handed over the cashier's order for the 6-figure final payment, we went all out to have a good meal at OChre at Orchard Central, a contemporary Italian restaurant.

This was a 6-course meal, with a sorbet palate cleanser also

counting as one course! It ended up being a rather expensive dinner, with an additional 2 glasses of wine and a limonata. We had a fresh tuna sashimi starter with tapenade and a tiny bit of salad. Very delicious even for a non olive lover. The tomato broth was next. It was light and thin with a mussel and 2 little clams. I had to add some freshly ground black pepper to take the fishy smell off. But overall it was still tasty.

I had the risotto with parma ham while G had orecchiette in a tomato-based sauce which actually tasted like the tuna pasta that he frequently makes for a quick dinner. Both the risotto and the pasta was slightly undercooked and although edible, both dishes would have been much better if cooked for a bit longer. A bit of a

disappointment in texture altho the flavours were quite good for mine.

My main course was the herb-crusted lamb chops. They weren't very big but they were extremely delicious. I like the daikon strip too for its somewhat unique and almost bitter-sweet taste.

G had the fish as his main course.

And finally it's dessert time. Mine was a pretty berry

compote on a fromage texture sort of pudding while G's was an expresso gelato on a creme caramel. Mine was very good and G tried to trade but I was generous (and too full) and shared mine with him without even a taste of his. Coffee and tea came along with the meal, G's expresso was fine but my latte was not up to standard so I didn't finish it and saved the calories!

So all in, a well-deserved celebration. Now we wait for another 3 weeks where we will treat ourselves to another celebration when we physically get the keys.

Our Own Space

It's finally getting close. I found an apartment I like on my 10th day back in town in January. Put down a deposit the weekend after. And then waited. And waited. And waited some more. And finally we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the waiting game is coming to an end.

I also contacted my old designer/contractor who did my last apartment, about 5 years ago. He actually remembered me. I really liked the custom-made hydraulic storage bed he had designed and constructed for me the last time. We will probably do something similar because G, the tall boy needs to have a long bed, Asian length beds don't work. At 180 cm, the length is already 5 cm shorter than he is, and considering one doesn't sleep right at the top of the mattress, his feet would be dangling off a fair bit. So we have to order a European mattress which we will then have to get a special bed base to fit.

Hopefully, with minimal renovations required, we can do the basic work (painting the whole flat white, so goodbye mauve walls!) very quickly and then do the other less essential work in stages.

After so long, we are looking forward to having our own space again.

Open House

Currently nursing the cold that I was anticipated to have (courtesy of G, and his heavy-duty 4-day-lie-in-bed bout), we decided to stay close in the neighbourhood today after finally getting up at 10.45 am. On our way to brunch, we chanced upon the (in)famous "Top of the Class" brothel (3 brothel lots consolidated, a house for the working girls and an empty lot in all) up for inspection. The owner must be getting out of the oldest business and selling everything lock, stock and barrel. Seeing as there was a very slim chance of us (me, at least) ever setting foot into a brothel, we decided to inspect the premises.

What an eye-opener. There was little cubby-hole sized rooms, and also bigger rooms with 2 double beds for orgy-type parties no doubt, with ensuite spas and the di rigeur red PVC high-back chair with footholds (we spotted that in a few of the bigger rooms). There was also a pole in the middle of a big room, with Asian-looking statues. The beds were all covered in PVC (probably easier to wipe down!) and we made very sure not to touch anything! The nice real estate lady (English matron and not working girl type) informed us that there wasn't anyone working there at this time, but in one of the ensuite bathrooms we saw the back of a girl, with long black hair cascading down her back, in a dress so short, her bum was almost visible, washing her hands at the sink. We beat a hasty retreat.

I was tempted to take some pictures of the premises for the blog (for wider educational purposes) and I did have my camera with me, but G thought it wasn't appropriate.

This was certainly a very different house inspection to the others we normally go to on Saturdays. Yet another interesting activity that we get up to in Sydney...

The Swing

It was a garden apartment, 2 bedrooms with a courtyard. The fourth property we were viewing on Saturday. The living room was compact and the corridor to the courtyard, narrow. Along the corridor was a really small bedroom with a built-in cupboard.

Except that instead of a bed, there was a... contraption. A metal frame with a leather seat in the middle, suspended with 4 steel chains with leather stirrups. It was as though we had walked into an S&M lair!

We gave each other a look, and wordlessly scurried into the courtyard, before we had a whispered discussion. "Was that for bondage?", "Why would they leave that thing in there when the apartment is up for viewing?", "That room was so small anyway, they probably can't fit a bed in!"

This was the first time I've come across anything like that in real life. A sex swing! It looked quite intimidating with the black leather and chains, even though now after trying to find a picture of a similar contraption online for this blog, I know that the one we had seen, was a high-quality, luxury model. And obviously a complete shock in a property viewing situation.

Whatever happened to fresh flowers, and the smell of cookies baking and coffee brewing?

Location, Location, Location

No, I didn't win it. The day/night lounge set. The one thing I wanted, I was craving for, lusting after. It slipped out of my hands because I WASN'T there in person at the auction last night. Even with my increased bid, it didn't help. I lost out by a mere $10, one incremental bid. If I had been there, there would have been a bidding war for sure, for sure! I had the mild blues when I found out - lost out by one bid. So now I am on a mission, I need to get a day/night lounger!! Or a full set with 2 armchairs, if possible.



So I've set my eyes on something else now. Talk about moving on. And onto bigger and better things. This apartment which we have viewed a couple of months ago, and shelved onto the back burner then, is back on the top of the List. It is under serious reconsideration now and we shall do a second inspection this weekend.

It has location, location, location. And interesting architecture. Quality finishings help give the apartment a sharp, polished look. And oh, did I mention location?

Dream House

The friand craving is still there although that has been somewhat assuaged by the yummy custard tart and the chocolate mud cake I had from the Surry Hills Patisserie today. Enough sinful pastries to last to the next weekend. So I didn't get a chance to bake some friands, but we did inspect a good handful of properties in the neighbourhood on Saturday. And we even saw one that we both fell in love with. The first one ever since we started viewing properties (for research purposes).

This was a house that had a modern apartment feel. Judging from the personal items in their bedrooms, the occupants were very likely to be designers or architects. The clean lines, good layout, simple yet tasteful fittings won us over. The bedrooms overlooked the neighbours' gardens instead of into someone else's rooms. The little patch of a garden was just nice, not too big to take care of, not too small to render useless. It was a house that we could clearly see ourselves living in.

But G reined in the emotions and figured that the returns on this wasn't going to be as good as that on a cheaper apartment in the same area. This would be good for our own occupation but as an investment, not so good.

I'm going to just keep dreaming a little...

The Move

So tired after the big move today, my back is hurting, my feet are aching.

Early on, four pairs of quick hands make very efficient work. The Move was completed in 1.5 hours. Then a big yumcha lunch to reward the helpers. We must have worked up a good appetite cos we ate a lot. The weather was really nice and sunny for the big move and we had all discarded our hoodies, it did not feel like 11C! And then for me, more last minute vacuuming of the old apartment after the things were finally removed.

Then back again to the new apartment for the unpacking and settling in. Managed to unpack everything except my clothes. Too, too tired to do that tonight. But I did do the laundry which was good, testing out the washing machine. Bought a takeaway dinner of fish and chips and ate in front of the TV, tonight being TV night.

Some gratuitous shots of the new apartment. Some of the things that I really like about it - the designer sink, the galley kitchen, G's paper lamp he brought over much earlier on (for ambient lighting), the glasses we bought (martini glasses are new ones from Freedom, the champagne glasses are pre-loved ones from the Opp Shop in Glebe, which we absolutely love and will be visiting frequently to check out their stock of glassware which is just fabulous). I love the shape of the glasses. They aren't just for cocktails, although G has his plans to bring part of his cocktail making treasure trove and leave them here so we can have drinks at both apartments. For me, I have plans to serve desserts and shrimp cocktails in these gorgeous shapes. What's not to like about glass?

Tuesday Museday

Another long night - left work at 8 pm but have to dial into a conference call at 11.15 pm. Last night, I left work at 7.30 pm. So tomorrow I have vowed to go in late and leave at 5 pm on the dot. I am so tired and the whole work in Sydney thing was to enjoy the Ozzie life style and work ethics since I have to pay the outrageous taxes. But it seems as what T commented today, "5 minutes into your full-time work, they make you work these hours". How true it seems. Well hopefully this will not last too long.

And oh- I found a new apartment! It is probably twice the size of the current shoebox, with a separate sleeping platform and a nice galley kitchen in the living area which has wooden floorboards. I am looking forward to having a proper apartment even though it will be still quite small. But at least it will be decent enough to have friends over! I can't wait...

Mark Foy Warehouse Loft

My heart is set on getting a NY-style one-bedroom loft now. Today I saw the one I want. But then again, at least five other people also want it. And I don't feel very hopeful that I would trump the other applicants.

This one was in the Mark Foy warehouse building, a building I had been smitten with since I saw it. I love how they convert these old warehouses into apartments in Sydney, giving them a new lease of life. There were two artichoke ceiling lights in the lobby, a nice touch. But it is the old brick-faced building with the huge Mark Foy lettering emblazoned in different coloured bricks at the top of the building, that I am enchanted with.

My fingers crossed, the decision will be out tomorrow afternoon.

Ed: Result's out. I didn't get it :-( The successful tenant offered $5 more per week (only!) with 3 months' rent paid in advance on a 12 month lease. Ah well, everything happens for a reason, I've another inspection of another loft this coming Saturday, maybe I'm meant to get this one. I'll play the same (successful tenant) tactic and offer up rent in advance, if need to!

How I Made My Fracture Worse - Or How I Spent A Fruitful Saturday

It's a beautiful Saturday with blue skies. I started my day at 9.30 am, raring to go. But now I'm convinced I've made the hairline fracture on my left foot worse. Well first of all, I'm convinced I've got a hairline fracture on my left foot. And the 5 hours of walking around, inspecting 4 apartments and wandering around the Surry Hills Markets in between, did me in. I can actively feel the fault line running down the outer length of my foot, throbbing even as there is no weight on it now. The good news is that I don't see any swelling, I just need to rest I think.

Ok the apartments. I was tempted, sorely tempted by one. It was a furnished (albeit with mostly crappy stuff which needs to be improved upon cosmetically by the tenant) one-bedroom apartment, 5 minutes' walk to the office. In fact the coffee shop that C and I go to is right at the front of this building. There is a sun room with a day bed in there, which can double up as a guest room. The living room is big, with a separate laundry from the bathroom and a decent kitchen. But it is $90 per week above my budget. For the extra $360 per month, I convince myself that it's not that much to pay for lots more space, furniture, white goods. But I guess if I'm going to increase my budget, I should look around a bit more as the choices will definitely open up.

I dropped my scarf (which I thought was securely knotted to my handbag) on my way to view this apartment. The new (more) laid-back me told the agent I was walking to the apartment with, that it's ok, I'll retrace my steps after the viewing and it should be along the way. No one will take it. That's how much faith I have. True enough, I saw it languishing on the road, I waited for an opportune opening in the traffic before I rescued it. My faith in mankind has not been misplaced.

In between inspections, I stopped for lunch at Kava, a usually crowded cafe along the cafe stretch. Today I was enticed by the sign touting "Bill's homemade chicken pie" so I had the pie and a pot of ginger lemon and honey tea . The tea turned out to be fresh ginger slices and lemon in hot water. There is not a speck of tea leaves to be seen in the pot. I queried, and was told yes, that's it. How can that be called "tea" is beyond me, it's absolutely misleading. I think I'm striking Kava off my list, despite a rave write up in the Surry Hills cafes website I consult religiously.

I exercised my usual self-restraint at the markets today and didn't buy a pair of nesting tables (mid-century Australian, 2 choices, a lighter coloured pair for ONLY $10 - how could I have resisted, I don't know, and another darker coloured pair for $50), a coffee table and a solid wooden stool. There are just so many lovely furniture, glassware, and other household things like lamps, cases and all sorts of bric-a-bracs that I want so badly. It's the shoebox that is holding me back. I need to move out so that I can finally indulge myself in these treasures. I did buy a lovely handmade journal covered in an exotic Indian fabric and there are leaves and flowers pressed into the paper. It might end up as a pressie for one of my friends or I might use it as a scrap book, I haven't quite decided yet. I am waiting for memories which will be more suitably captured in a physical book rather than in a blog.

I Want Out Of The Shoebox

I'm back to apartment hunting. Last Saturday I only viewed one apartment. Today I nipped off work for 40 minutes to look at a "NY loft-style" apartment. The living space with kitchenette was probably the size of my shoebox but the upper sleeping loft with bathroom was three-quarter the size of the downstairs. The upside was its central location just opposite the central railway station. The downside was it's opposite the central railway station, with the tooting of the trains, buses roaring down that street (my 15 minutes of waiting confirmed all the traffic noises). The good thing is that this unit faces the back and not the station, but the bad thing is that it looks right smack into an old brick building, and I mean right smack. Like you could see the old guy in the other building picking his nose, if there were some old guy there picking his nose. The old building was eerily empty, but it's possibly in the midst of a refurbishment or potential demolition. The agent had no clue, neither did he have any application forms on him, in fact he told me I had to trek all the way to his agency in Randwick just to pick up a form. Well boo - that's really dumb and I'm not blown away enough to do that for this unit.

So I keep looking. I have three units lined up for inspection tomorrow. I did have one realisation though - units painted a cheery yellow look very welcoming and fresh. They never fail to attract me with their photos to have a closer look. I think this colour therapy is really important, if only more landlords were more adventurous than painting everything white or beige. I think a light yellow is a safe compromise. But maybe that's just me, and to some tenants, that could be as bad as fuschia pink or funky purple?

Gone Shopping

Didn't get much done by way of writing chapter 2 of my research paper before I ventured out into the sunshine this afternoon. Dressed in my t-shirt, denim skirt and thongs, feeling particularly unglamorous as I was lugging my 3 bags of marketing, I contemplated whether I should drop in at the sales office of this new apartment block that is being built in the heart of the city. Have been reviewing it online and have seen the location, but was a little wary about sauntering in, in my get-up. But as usual, that doubt blows over in a bit, self-confidence takes over. So in I go, lugging my bags of veggies, fruit and canned food.

The sales person was very friendly and knowledgeable. I was really tempted by one of the units on the 13th floor. It is a one-bedder with a small winter balcony of 3 sq m. The internal space is 54 sq m. A good amount of space for a one-bedder. Rental potential is good, if I decide to let it out instead of living in it, seeing as it would be completed in April 2008. Deducting strata levies, managing agent's commission and other foreseeable expenses, the rate of return is about 6%, what I would get for leaving my money in the bank and taking no risk and having no hassles. Of course with a property, there is always the opportunity for capital gains and at the end of the day, one has a piece of real estate as well. I do like the location, the size but without a show unit, it's kinda hard to visualise how the finished apartment would look like. Need to do some more thinking before I part with A$400,000!