Everywhichway

A Thursday morning in Bondi Junction

Dinner for one

Corner of Pitt and Park Streets outside Lowes Menswear shop.

This is my contribution to the Weekend in Black and White community.

The Irish diaspora

The St Patrick's Day parade and party was held on Sunday 18th because the mercantilists did not want the streets blocked off during Saturday trading. Probably no bad thing, seeing we had one of our regular down-pours (or is it downs-pour) yesterday morning. This, of course, affects bricks'n'mortar retailers, but not online retailers. Nothing dampens the spirit behind a St Pat's day parade.

Swing low, sweet chariot

This is a contribution to the Weekend in Black and White.

Now THIS l like

Sure beats staying at home, lolling on the sofa, watching the nth repeat of 'The Flintstones', or splayed between bed and wall thumbs working over-time on 'Soldier Front', in a virtual world of zombied-friends.

Waiting for the 327

As I leant over the pedestrian overpass, waiting for a train to come from Edgecliff station, I watched this gentleman shuffle toward me. I no longer know what 'elderly' means, the closer I get to it. He acknowledged my gaze, doffed his hat, and continued on down to the bus stop. He probably remembers when he had to wait for the tram on Bayswater Road. A young man, with his life ahead of him. Dressed to the nines, to meet his girl for an evening of dancing and merriment at Chequers.

Song without words

St Kilda, petanque

Playing with his Daddy, his Grandpa, and his older sister, Lilyanna, young Leon was in the mould of the great Sri-Lankan, Murilitharan. His grin would melt yer heart though.

A corned-beef and pickles chap

Sitting lightly in the palm of his hand, the briefcase added to his feeling of self-worth. He could smell the Dubbin that he had scraped into its creases the previous night before the hearth, with Bach’s 3rd ‘cello suite oozing out of the gramophone. He felt blessed by the early morning starts: his chance to catch the whiff of a new day. He knew that inside his briefcase, tucked into a pocket, was his lunch of corned beef and pickles on country-grain. Neatly wrapped in grease-proof paper, and slipped into a plain brown paper bag. He always ate early, while sipping a mug of steaming Ceylon black, going over the figures, yet again, comparing Mr Simpson’s ledger with his own mechanised version, searching for the discrepancy.

The little general before the battle

'Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.'

Alone in the autumn sunshine

Man's Best Friend

They were neant to be playing Touch Footy with their mates, late on an Autumn Sunday afternoon, as the moist air rose from Rushcutter's Bay and wound its way up the escarpment to Paddington.

But he was so enthusiastic, and there!

Don't bellyache over the impossible

Not being one to avoid the hard queston, I asked John if he'd had a stroke. Nope, he responded: when I was 31 I raced motor cars and took one risk too many. Totally his fault, he added.

We chatted about life choices over the intervening 41 years, he with his camera, me with mine, he with his chair, me with my cane. Two oldies road-testing d-SLRs in the manual setting, and struggling with layers of post-processing. Two oldies just getting on with the possible.


He is part of a research project to look into how people respond to catastrophic events. Why do some people condentrate on what they have lost, while others use what they have left to simply get on with it? John said that the black-dog can overwhelm at times, but the organism has a propensity to clang back to its positive trajectory.

Snap!

India Bhari was infusing the mall with his own form of soul balm, when I irritated him. I smiled broadly for his video, then went up, bowed and added $5 to his collection bowl.

Body language

Often there is an instant reaction to a stranger - whether in the positive or in the negative. Where do YOU get your information from about people? Is is how they look, or what they say? Or do you have 'cats' whiskers' that pick up more subtle vibes?

Pinged!

A member of The Weekend in Black and White community.

Caught red handed

Frollicking on the harbour in 'Radar' a Balmain Heritage ferry, I befriended this old codger and his wife who both had a great sense of humour.


So would I, if I had a hip-flask in my back pocket!


A member of the Weekend Reflections community.

'Brush up your Shakespeare ...

... start quoting him now' penned the swellegent Mr Cole Porter in 'Kiss me Kate', his riff upon 'The Taming of the Shrew' which took Broadway by storm in 1948.

Thinking along parallel lines, permit me to take a Shakespearian brush to these photographs taken in Castlereagh Street in the City, opposite Tattersalls.

Here we have our modern-day Hamlet, hanging out on the battlements of down-town Sydney, wondering whether he has the gumption to 'off' his mummy's new fella or whether he should just nip into the 'Elephant & Castle' on the corner for another coldie.

To be or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And, by opposing, end them.

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action.

'A midi of Tooheys Old, please mate' ...

A member of the Theme Thursday community. This post is in response to the prompt 'brush'.

Men!

Two men on a bridge

The south east pylon of the bridge is a tribute to the people who brought the bridge to fruition.

Separated by eighty years but joined by a vision of the power of engineering to bring peoples together.

Sixty years old at the end of June and never been up the pylon nor walked across the bridge. We soon rectified that!