Cowra Japanese Garden

A Japanese garden in the midst of an inland rural town in NSW, Australia, is probably the least expected find by state travellers passing through he former mining town of Bathurst.

Designed by a Japanese who is a renowned architect of several beautiful gardens around the world, the garden is well scrulptured to take advantage of the natural slopy landscape and a blended coexistence of native and Japanese plants.

Artefacts and exhibits

Chrysanthemum rock

Subtly painted screen

- Copyright reserved

Cockington Garden, Canberra

Miniature icons and wonders of the world

The entry tickets to the park are relatively expensive (except for students and seniors) considering the size of the garden and the display.

A sumptuous lunch saved the day. Highly recommended are the Shangtung Chicken and Penang fried kuay teow.

- Copyright reserved

Cherry Season in Young NSW Early December 2008

The cherry picking festival is a narrow window of opportunity from late November to early December.

Black cherries are usually sweeter than red ones. But the birds and insects usually get to them before humans do. Enjoy!

For more information on Young and other central NSW scenic haunts of locals, please visit : http://www.sydney-australia.biz/nsw/central/south-central/

- Copyright reserved

Declining hospital standards

The incompetence of the NSW shines through and is putting lives at risk.
Don't go to a public hospital if you could help it.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/skilled-nurses-axed-for-cheaper-alternative/2008/12/18/1229189804471.html

Registered nurses will be replaced by cheaper, less-qualified nurses and unqualified assistants, in the latest round of cost cutting by the State Government.

The plan to substitute university-trained registered nurses with enrolled and trainee nurses contradicts a $1.2 million study commissioned by NSW Health last year, which found that increasing the proportion of less-qualified staff in hospitals caused a range of preventable complications and deaths.

Sweet Desserts

The Old Post Office Cafe

This quaint eating place serves Italian and modern Australian cuisine. The pasta and pizza are above average but the desserts are to die for!

Chocolate souffle

Sinfully delicious

Brandied Cherry Meringue

a bitter sweet experience

- Copyright reserved

Christmas Decorations & Lightup at the Stores

Santa's life size elves busy at work

Is your name on Santa's list?

Reindeer ready for take off

Monet's Art Works

Art Museum
Rarely do we get the opportunity to view the vast collection of Monet and other impressionist artists' works displayed at one exhibition.

Waterlilies

Reflection

Textured painting of nature

The Cost of High School Formal - Aussie Prom

Tis' the time of year again - school formal season. It is a rite of passage for most high schoolies, something to get very excited about. It might be a memorable experience for some but to others it may be an anti-climax or leave an unpleasant after taste.

An occasion to parade one's best, one could certainly find something to suit the budget from retail stores having pre-festive discounts, factory outlets, warehouse clearance and seconds stores in Australia.

The formal proper is usually supervised closely by teachers. But parents should monitor if their children participate in after party celebrations. It's during such overruns that teens become more laxed, mixing alcohol and sometimes drugs at their private parties.

The main purpose of a formal which is to meet up with friends and have a wonderful evening, not to be overshadowed by superficial and ostentatious display. I heard that primary school proms showcase entourage making a grand entrance from their limos and Harley Davidson. Wow! Kids nowadays are pampered and spoilt to the hilt.

At the other extreme, however, there are a minority who would prefer to stay home and give the fanfare a miss.

Don't panic : long term stock market smooths short term volatility

Many economists and political leaders have said that the 2008 financial meltdown would not match the magnittude of the Great Depression. There was no social safety net and the benefit of learning the lessons from past mistakes then. Alas, tere is a tendency for many undergoing a crisis to overreact.

Just try not to panic

A long term market view often irons out the volatility of short-term events

by David Koch (Sun Herald newspaper print edition, 7 December 2008)

Extracts :

For all the wrong reasons 2008 will go down as a historic year but the chances are it won't be repeated next year. As it stands, history tells us next year is unlikely to be as disastrous - there could still be falls but not as bad. On average, 70 per cent of the the past 183 trading years have produced positive returns.
Despite the daily to monthly volatility of the markets, stepping back and taking an annual view smooths out the performance.
It is the most relevant view for most private investors because we tend to take a medium- to long-term view and invest in quality stocks. But it's human nature to be attracted to drama. So when there is a sharemarket plunge, we follow it day by day and get panicky when things continue to deteriorate. Markets reflect investor sentiment and psychology and become panicky when we become panicky. Try to break the cycle. Take an interest, of course, but keep it in perspective rather than get sucked into the drama.

We wish you a Merry Crisis

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a tradition celebrated by Americans all over the world. Increasingly, friends of American expatriates also join in the celebration. Soon it would be Christmas.

Many questions may confound aspiring homecooks when preparing a turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I tried this delicious and simple creation using turkey fillet; a good alternative to a whole turkey to try out this festive season with no fear of left overs. It's enough for a small family and some guests. Just roll turkey breast meat with pistachio and stuffing and roast for an hour and retains its succulent texture.

It is interesting to compare the festive dishes of Australians, Canadians and Americans. Which is your favourite?

Did you know that in Chinese culture, winter soltice is a time of feasting on meat, a rarity on the dinner table for commoners during ancient times, and glutinous rice balls in sweet soup or savoury stock.

Besides feasting, Thanksgiving is about reflection of the year passed and planning for the year ahead, being grateful to what we have, and helping those who are deprived. Hopefully, the time has not been spent in vain.

- Permission granted to republish on this site

Canberra Floriade Show

Every spring, Aussies from interstate make their pilgrimage (at least once in a few years) to view the gorgeous display of tulips blossoms and other spring flowers such as poppy, pansies, roses and bonsai. The show lasts for six weeks from early September to mid October.

Entrance is free which makes the few hours drive worthwhile. If you're into horticulture, the "show bag" is good value for money.

If time permits, you should explore the restaurants in Canberra city. I believe they must be of world class standard at a the centre where diplomats and officials congregate. Our hotel staff recommended Dickson where movie star Jackie Chan's parents used to own a restaurant. On arrival, we found heaps of Asian restaurants and fast food at Dickson and resorted to asking the local shopkeepers. We shortlisted and checked their menus and narrowed down to Jimmy's Place which serves authentic Chinese cuisine. We were told that another restaurant across the street which was very well presented would have charged more for basically the same sort of food.

- Copyright Reserved

Tests later may show cancer that would regress

Researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, suggest that some of the cancers detected by mammography may have spontaneously regressed had they not been discovered and treated.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=43391

A somewhat controversial and inconclusive study by Norwegian researchers may not make tests for cancer redundant but it is something females should be aware of. The coincidence is uncanny. 

Last week, I was chatting with a lady friend, bouncing ideas on my belief that cancer cells could at times grow or go into remission naturally. This raises questions on whether aggressive intervention and treatment are always suitable for every patient diagnosed with malignant tumour. 

Even those who are at risk of developing cancer are advised to be treated with drugs or low dosage of chemotheraphy. In the cases of some friends, now deceased, the cancer cells spread more rapidly in spite of or due to surgery and radio or chemo theraphies. 

There are still many unknowns in this area. To the individual patient, it could be a matter of trial and error, if not stabbing in the dark. 

Some scientists I have spoken to are not convinced current treatments are calibrated to yield beneficial and effective results for patients.  The course of treatment and recovery can be quite painful and undignified too. 

Australia : Lucky Country despite hard times?

OECD forecasted that Australia may be one of the few developed economies that could avoid a recession despite the onslaught of the global economic crisis.

While no country is Australia safely shielded from the global economic crunch, Australia seem to keeping afloat for the time being with proactive government spending and handouts.

Australia is naturally endowed with mineral wealth, rainforests, clean air, beautiful coast, marine riches, and much more. However, extractive resources are finite and agricultural is highly dependent on erratic weather conditions and demand from importers in China which is also facing a slowdown.

The bottomline lies in the resilience of the people to overcome hurdles and emerge stronger. The financial meltdown is unfortunate but presents opportunities, a wakeup call to address inadequacies, albeit belatedly.

Rarely since WWII have nations seriously undertaken actions to coordinate and implement fiscal and monetary reforms. They are likely to emerge more robust in the coming years.

Will Australia pull through easily? PM Rudd has deviated from previous Labor leadership who gave in to union demands and is not quite the pragmatist who would entertain business lobbyists. Planning is crucial, something which many former Australian leaders had taken for granted and could not galvanise the cabinet and parliamentarians to implement the necessary antidote.

In the meantime, everyone has to brace ourselves for some hardship. It may be an opportune time for Generation Y to appreciate the value of savings, cut down on extravagance, act more responsibly and realise that the good times will not roll on uninterrupted.

Mid Spring in Oz

Notes from DownUnder : Middle of Spring

The weather is still erratic at this time of the year with intermittent hot spells and incessant rains. Perhaps it's global warming at play. Fragrance drifts through the fresh, cool, misty air.

From my garden :

Common jasmine

Brazilian Jasmine

Iceberg "french" roses

As the weather gets warmer, there is no excuse to hibernate. Lots of chores to accomplish such as picking up shedding gum tree leaves and bark in the lawn, roof gutters, patio, yard and pool.