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26
Mar
11

Sydney Twestival 2011

By Timinator Leave a Comment
Categories: Sydney and Twitter
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I was one of the volunteer organisers of the Sydney Twestival last year. Twestival 2011 was a couple of nights ago, and while I didn’t volunteer this year I did buy a ticket and go along to the Sydney event.

It was a great event. There were obviously folks with much more PR experience involved this time around: the place was packed. It was held in the courtyard at the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills, and the buzz was genuine. It was difficult to move without bumping into folks, there were several raffles and auctions, and they raised what appeared to be lots of money for kids’ cancer charity Redkite.

Well done, folks. The night was further proof that social media is one more excellent way to get folks together to help out a worthy cause.

I even met some cool new folks, and managed to get into a gig later in the night.

19
Mar
11

Next run

By Timinator Leave a Comment
Categories: running and Sydney
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On Sunday 15-May I’ll run my fourth half-marathon. This will be my third half in Sydney, my second time doing the SMH Half, and my fifth competitive race overall.

I’ve really come to enjoy these races: the training, the anticipation, the excitement on the day, the camaraderie of the assembled sweaty thousands, the accomplishment.

They’re changing the race route this year, making it a single longer circuit rather than two loops like it was last year. I think that’s great: we’ll get to see more harbour sights this time around.

I still have absolutely no urge to do a full marathon, though.

The SMH Half Marathon 2011 route

13
Mar
11

Sydney Fish Market

By Timinator Leave a Comment
Categories: Sydney
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For some reason, it’s taken me more than a year to visit the Sydney Fish Market. Today I did, and it was great.

We browsed the fish counters, deli shelves, wine shop, and produce stands. We got some freshly-cut sashimi and a dozen Sydney rock oysters and a bottle of chardonnay and sat under a tree looking over Blackwattle Bay and had lunch. Afterwards we bought some mahi mahi for dinner. It was delicious and fun and relaxing and interesting and fresh. What a super spot.

Fish Stall - Sydney Fish Market

Sydney Fish Market counter. Photo from avlxyz via Creative Commons license.

06
Mar
11

Annie Leibovitz exhibit at the MCA

By Timinator Leave a Comment
Categories: art and Sydney
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I spent a couple of hours today taking in Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life 1990 – 2005. This exhibit of works by the world-famous photographer (if you think you don’t know her photographs, you’re wrong) is at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and will be there until the end of April.

I was initially disappointed that little of Annie’s iconic early work was there: none of the rock ‘n’ roll imagery from Rolling Stone, for instance. But those are pretty familiar. And this was, in some ways, a more personal exhibit. Yes, there were plenty of the Vanity Fair images, plenty of the portraiture of the great and the good. But there were also a lot of family photos: beach vacations, Annie’s parents and kids, and a large number of photos of Susan Sontag.

These last were quite touching. I’d forgotten that Leibovitz and Sontag had such a close, long-lasting relationship. Perhaps that’s because the two never admitted to it being a love affair until after Sontag’s death.

The photos were all great, of course. The way she puts celebrities at ease in photo setups is obvious. Her imagery of bloodshed in places like Sarajevo and Rwanda were incredibly emotional.  The way she captures people gives them all dignity, even when they’re being silly.

There was an extremely bittersweet feeling to the entire show, though, because it’s common knowledge that Leibovitz – despite being one of the most famous photographers in the world – is in extreme financial hardship after years of mismanagement and personal tragedy. Getting some cash flow is why this photo exhibit – collected when she was producing a book with the same name as the show – has been touring. Obviously most artists do these things to earn a living. But the desperation made me feel a bit sad.

It’s a great show, though, and worth the $15 to see. Even if you go on a weekend, without booked tickets, you can get in with about 10 minutes’ wait.

My favourite photo from the exhibit, a very intense Daniel Day Lewis. Click to embiggen

21
Feb
11

Marrickville Local Environmental Plan: do something now

By Timinator 1 Comment
Categories: Marrickville and Sydney
Tags: ,

If you live in Marrickville Council, you need to know about the Marrickville Local Environmental Plan (MLEP). Time is short, because after February 28th you won’t have a chance to rovide any more input. And I don’t think the MLEP looks good.

Wait, what is this all about?

Okay, the NSW state government has put the squeeze on a lot of Sydney councils: figure out how to increase your affordable housing, or we’ll force a plan on you to do so. Marrickville, and plenty of other councils, have used some consultants and come up with a plan  to do this. That’s what the MLEP is.

It is a lazy plan.

It’s essentially creating a number of high-rise zones around Marrickville, St Peters, Dulwich Hill, and elsewhere. They’re turning the low-density residential area across the street from my house into high-density, and putting up buildings of four and five stories. They’re creating developments all over that look like failed UK council housing estates. They’re not making good use of areas with wide streets, or near train tracks. They’re doing the lazy thing, and just building up: shabby, low-quality high-rise apartment blocks.

If you live anywhere in the Marrickville Council area you need to know:

  • The council initially set the consultation period from Nov 4th to Feb 4th (when people are on holiday). They were pressured into extending it to Feb 28th.
  • They set three public meetings, all during workdays (when working people couldn’t attend).
  • When they were pressured into setting an evening meeting they did so: from 5 to 8pm…on Valentine’s Day.

You need to read the draft MLEP, see if there are things you disagree with, and then write an email to all the councillors about what you think about it. You need to do so before Feb 28th.

Here’s the letter I wrote, about the changes happening to my street. Look at the plan, I bet there’s something affecting you.

Dear Councillors,

I am writing, as a Marrickville resident, to express my serious concerns over some of the elements of the MLEP and DCP 2010 as posted on the council website.

My concerns are around some of the locations that the MLEP is indicating will be High Density Residential. I understand fully the council’s desire (and requirement) to increase housing capacity. New residents are moving to the area as businesses, amenities and aesthetic developments grow: these are the reasons my wife and I moved to Marrickville last year. I’m also aware that the NSW government is pressing councils to come up with plans to increase housing density; not to do so would invite an enforced plan that few people would likely be happy with. I am definitely not anti-development, and want to see Marrickville adjust to accomodate increasing growth.

It is a grave mistake to do this at the expense of existing Low Density Residential areas, however. The planned High Density Residential area on the east side of XXXXXX St (I live on the Low Density west side) is very distressing. XXXXXX St is already very narrow and very busy. Parking on side streets is not easy, especially during the day.

I am convinced that if the east side of XXXXXX St is allowed to become High Density Residential it will block all morning light to our side of the street; will create a “canyon”-like oppressive feel; will dramatically worsen traffic, pedestrian and parking problems; and will be catastrophically noisy. It will no longer be the kind of place I want to hang out in on a Saturday morning.

Other planned High Density areas appear to be on large lots adjacent to wider roads or to rail lines. The XXXXXX St area is the only one with significant exposure to the Local Centre zone. I do not understand why other areas cannot better serve as High Density. There is plenty of room along rail corridors; new-build multi-unit dwellings can be made very soundproof, and apartment dwellers are higher-frequency users of trains in any case.

My wife and I are excited about a growing Marrickville where we can enjoy cafes and do our shopping and attend street festivals. If our low-density housing neighbourhood is ruined within a year of our arrival we’ll have to give serious thought to our future here.

Designating a High Density Residential area along XXXXXX St is a big mistake.

I came to be aware of the facts of the MLEP after my neighbours and friends brought them to my attention; I believe many people share my concerns.

Thank you.

Tim Dickinson

24
Jan
11

Places I’ve Lived

By Timinator 2 Comments
Categories: Canada, life, London and Sydney
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I’ve lived in a few places in my life; more than I thought I would end up doing, anyway.

Canada

Nova Scotia

Jan 1969 – Aug 1987: West Brook

A very small farming community in a small eastern Canadian province. Our family farm is there, and my family is still there farming it. Like a stupid kid I didn’t appreciate it enough when I was there, but I sure do now. I love going back to the peace and quiet and family.

Sep 1987 – Aug 1993: Halifax

The capital city of Nova Scotia, Halifax is where I did most of my university studies. It’s a port town, a navy town, an historic tourist destination, and home to one of the largest densities of drinking establishments in North America. It’s a simple place, but an easy place to have fun in. It got a makeover several years ago when it hosted a G8 summit and it’s been looking good ever since.

Ontario

Sep 1993 – Apr 1994: Toronto

The biggest city in Canada, and the capital of the province (but not the nation) it’s in, Ontario. I was there only a short while, for grad school. Toronto is the world’s most ethnically diverse city, a mosaic of 5 million+ people from all around the world. It’s a bit like a big American city – sometime it wants to be – but with very few of the downsides like crime or extreme economic inequality. Sure, it’s got plenty of big-city problems, but not on the scale that usually happens for cities this size. It may be one of the least friendly places in Canada, but that still makes it very friendly. My brother and his wife have lived there for many years.

May 1994 – Oct 1995: Pembroke

I lived in this small northeastern Ontario city for a year and a half while doing my Master’s research at a nearby nuclear research facility. It’s known for its logging heritage. I can’t really say I enjoyed it that much.

Nov 1995: Deep River

I was here for just one month, as my lease in Pembroke ran out before I could move to Ottawa. Given that it’s a town made specifically to house nuclear physicists for nearby research facility I was glad I wasn’t there for longer. Interesting note: in David Lynch’s film Mulholland Drive, Naomi Watt’s character Betty is from here.

Dec 1995 – Jan 2001: Ottawa

I got a job and moved here, Canada’s capital city. As fate had it, some of my best friends in the world had moved there, too, so Ottawa was a lot of fun (they still live there). I lived in two different spots, both in centre town – one a big apartment tower, the other a nice spot in a duplex top unit on a leafy street. Like many capital cities it’s well taken care of: there are plenty of museums, green spaces, and festivals. The Rideau Canal makes for a great centrepiece in summer and winter. It’s a relatively quiet place, but it’s got everything you need, and seemed a good place to bring up kids. When I got to the end of my six years, though, I was ready to move.

United Kingdom

Feb 2001 – Oct 2009: London

London has it all: everything happens there, it’s got awesome history, the cuisine is tops, and there’s no better hopping-off place for travelling. Well, that is, until the economy went south. And getting around was expensive and, sometimes, painful. And the weather was sooo gloomy. But I never, ever got tired of London. If I had to move back I would not begrudge that ancient, lively, mysterious city at all. I lived in Hampstead (which is genteel and quite fancy), West Hampstead (which is just a bit rough around the edges), and Ealing (which was comfortable and independent). I still have amazing friends in London.

Australia

Nov 2009 – present: Sydney

Another great city. Its natural beauty – the harbour, the beaches, the nearby Blue Mountains – is breathtaking. So far I’ve lived in Cammeray (small hilltop enclave to the north), Neutral Bay (genteel family suburb on the north shore), and Marrickville (former Greek neighbourhood, then Vietnamese, now burgeoning yuppie hangout). It’s another city of recent immigrants, and has that energy, and that diversity of neighbourhoods that means you can always find something exciting. But it also feels like it’s resting on its laurels a bit, and needs to prove itself if it doesn’t want to be overtaken by the other Australian cities where things are growing.

16
Jan
11

Sydney Festival: My Name in Lights

By Timinator Leave a Comment
Categories: art, Australia and Sydney
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American conceptual artist John Baldessari is running an interactive, public piece of art during the Sydney Festival. People who submit their name via the Festival website can get their name displayed, for fifteen seconds, in a lighted display atop the Australian Museum.

Here was my lame claim to fame from just a few moments ago.

10
Jan
11

Sydney Festival: First Night

By Timinator Leave a Comment
Categories: art and Sydney
Tags: , ,

Sydney Festival is this city’s annual month-long celebration of the arts. We went to Festival First Night on the weekend, where most of the events are free. It was all about music that night, so I wrote it up on my other blog.

15
Nov
10

Newtown Festival

By Timinator 1 Comment
Categories: Fun and Sydney
Tags: ,

One of the first things I did when I arrived in Sydney last year was visit the Newtown Festival. It’s the city’s largest community festival, and has been running for decades.

We went again yesterday and found the same friendly, interesting atmosphere. There was lots of food (I had a steak sandwich, a few cold beers, and some tasty churros), plenty of stalls with crafts and other interesting bits for sale, and a great deal of entertainment. There were three stages of bands (I caught bits of Skipping Girl Vinegar, The Snowdroppers, megastick fanfare, Mr. Bambles, and a few others whose names I can’t recall). There were dog shows and kids’ rides and more than enough family fun. It was pretty hot, so I alternated between sitting in the shade and sitting on the sunny open lawns.

Meanwhile, the inaugural Woolhara Festival saw much smaller crowds in their fancy-pants part of town. I guess poetry readings can’t compete with hula-hoops and lemonade in this town.

Crowds at the Newtown Festival

"Crowds" at the Woolhara Festival

08
Nov
10

Sculpture by the Sea, and other things to do in Sydney

By Timinator Leave a Comment
Categories: art, friends and Sydney
Tags: ,

M&B came down from Brisbane this past weekend. The weather wasn’t great but we made the most of it: barbecuing, shopping in Newtown, fish and hiking in Watsons Bay, a night out in the Rocks. Good times, and it was great to see them.

We also went to Bondi for this year’s Sculpture By The Sea. The walk to Tamarama was busy and had plenty of large-scale and unusual art. It didn’t feel as interesting as last year, though, nor did there seem to be as many pieces. It’s hard to complain about a free, outdoors event though, especially one that brings out so many people.

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