The Rise of Rooftop Bars – Why I Can’t Get Enough of Sky-High Sips
In the last week I visited two new rooftop bars. One because its birthday month and doing something different on your special day is definitely Joie de vivre and the second,well, we don’t need an excuse for a midweek beverage other than for a girlfriend catchup and connect. With the many bars on offer around this beautiful city, why does the prospect of sitting outside in the fresh air, above the commuters on the ground watching the sunset make me want to push everyone aside as I run for the elevator?
Published : Sylvia Jimenez
Embrace the naked, my experience at the Onsen.
Sitting naked in front of strangers was not on my bucket list or my yearly activity-to-do for 2024 leading into 2025. Still, the power of shedding layers, enveloped by water has a certain thrill when we jump out of our comfort zone. The ancient Egyptians did it, and so did the Greeks, Romans and Mesopotamians. Scandinavians do ‘Sauna.’ Folks from Türkiye have perfected it and the Japanese are still doing it. Nothing screams ‘Vulnerable’ like baring your breasts or making sure your Punani is perfectly coiffed for people who don’t care. Yes, that’s right, don’t care. When you bare all at a Japanese Onsen or an Ottoman Hamman experience no one cares what you look like, so why should you?
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Friends come and go and come and go
I hear the ping of the messages’ arrival on my phone. It’s 5:45 am, fifteen minutes before my set alarm, but I already know who the message’s sender is. Madam Z is an insomniac and most days is found watching the sunrise at the nearby beach amongst the hard-core joggers and dog walkers. She listened intently the day I revealed my love of the ocean because ever since then, she has sent me a beach photo (almost daily) that lights up my bleary eyes even on the coldest winter days.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
A is for Attitude that governs (my) 2024.
As you are aware by now, it’s about observations for yours truly. Keeping my eyes open, eavesdropping and generally trying to look inconspicuous as I stare is what I can say hand-on-heart motivates me to understand the world. 2024 started with a nice glass of bubbly amongst a lovely group of friends as we watched the fireworks on the telly. Thanking my lucky stars I made it through what I considered 2023 to be an ‘annus horribilis’ year (although there were some great moments, like meeting new people and being able to realign and reverse priorities) generally speaking, wars, inflation, high-interest rates, bullying, not enough time to read and weather patterns resembling Armageddon meant that 2024 couldn’t come soon enough. January first welcomed an attitudinal change. While I don’t have a crystal ball to predict any future, there have been some (funny) observations of late that I believe will perhaps influence some key elements that I’ll interpret as a benchmark moving forward.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
How much do we really notice all that is around us?
We often take for granted how much we really notice in our environments. Our brains are able to recognize and process a tremendous amount of information. We may not always be consciously aware of the details, but our subconscious constantly takes in and processes information from our surroundings. We may not be able to recall specifics, but when we become more mindful of our environment, we can begin to notice more of the details that may have gone unnoticed before. It’s amazing how much we can observe when we take the time to really pay attention to what’s around us.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
The scene on the grass
In a small corner of the world, at approximately 12:46 pm on a sunny Monday, our extended family was captured in a holiday scene reminiscent of a 90s Benetton billboard. I can still smell the fresh air. I can hear the swans lapping in the lake behind me. I remember the blog post that caught my attention on my feed and what conversation was being had. The boys headed balls while the girls deliberated whether a swim was a better option. It was hot; clothes were left in the rooms, and lunch was arriving soon.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Mind-wandering in solitude in a city swarmed by high rises.
Who would have thought that in the middle of inner-city Sydney, a parcel of land, large enough to develop a small suburb lays dormant to real estate aficionados’ grasp, provides solitude to early morning walkers, as well as being a true representative of Australian colonial history? On Easter Saturday I met with my good friend Liz for overdue catchup. We often meet in between our homes for a brisk walk and interesting conversation. She is one who listens intently and offers insightful observations. It was on this crisp morning walk that she showed me Yaralla from a local’s perspective and I’m ashamed to say that living in the area for nearly a decade I had never ventured past the gates. The estate, now heritage-listed was initially the home of a convict turned landowner who later mortgaged the land and was then converted as a convalescent home for returning soldiers.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Why holidays make you lose your mind…metaphorically speaking
‘Have you lost your mind?’ was one of the poignant comments my mother would say to me as a child when I did something wrong and many decades later, I say the same. Prominently this is referring to getting sunburnt to a crisp on the first day of the Summer Vacay. And Vacays are for blue skies, bikinis and bathing; it’s a BBB in Byron Bay.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
12 Good-mornings versus six blanks stares
My observation for this week. Since when have we become a community, where a pleasant ‘good morning’ has been replaced with a curious blank stare? I’m watching Ted Lasso on Apple TV, and I find it hilarious in a Ned Flanders kind-of-way how the main character Ted faces the constant barrage of colourful language while still smiling and extending a cheery hello! I would have told them to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine, but hey, that’s just me. The thought did linger. I decided to test out the theory that faced with a ‘good morning’ from a stranger would compel you to adhere to social customs to respond, unless you were a psychopath and if that’s the case, run for the hills!
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Should have, would have but couldn't
I’ve noticed lately, many of my FB friends have been posting where they ‘should be, where they wanted to be’, but alas, can’t.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
A little distraction...
I've never had a dog before. We were a family of felines. My grandfather always kept cats to help with the rodents and birds around the hens and the vegetable patch. So when our puppy came along, admittedly I didn't have a clue. Also, although he is 'our' puppy, the men in the family sold me the idea of having a puppy as being 'their' puppy. But with me working from home and everyone else out the door at work and school, the responsibility of caring, training and feeding ultimately fell onto me.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
'There is nothing unusual about that...'
On a Saturday afternoon, on the grounds of a very nice art gallery in the middle of New South Wales Wine Region, we found a rather large uninhabited spot of grass. It was manicured, soft and had very little contact with anything heavier that a bird, until we arrived.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Dear ISO, I’m running out of time…
I am now moving into my seventh week of working from home ISOlation. And I’m loving it, but not loving it. I’ll admit to missing the buzz of interacting with colleagues in the office. I miss not being able to go on long drives and excursions for the day. I miss not being able to meet up for walks at the beach or coffee with friends. I miss that my retail outlets are closed and I can’t just wander in for a look. I miss that the cinemas are closed, that I missed out on the French Film festival, international concerts, the ballet, the opera. I miss visiting the art gallery. I miss seeing my siblings and extended family. When it boils down, it’s the personal contact that Maslow so highly regarded as essential to our human well being that is missing right now.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
No FOMO for FOMO
Today ends the first week of officially working from home. And I feel fortunate that the organisation I work for, gave us this option, in order to keep ourselves and everyone around us safe. In our home, the kiddos have access to online learning, I’ve structured a pretty good work plan and the cat is happy that she gets to stay indoors. I know some people find having to stay indoors against their will (introverts no need to put down your book), but I’m going to relish this time!
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
In the words of Charlie Brown - Good Grief!
We all know what’s going on in the world right now, I won’t use this forum to add yet another level of paranoia. Yesterday I put a 24 hour ban on any news broadcast, I refused to engage in any CV discussion and refrained from social media crazy. Even though new and updating messages are ultimately affecting our everyday life, there is one quote that resonates at the moment, and it’s from my friend Charlie Brown.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
The power of the collaborative voice
Today I received a lovely email from our local mayor. Well it wasn’t just directed at me, of course I was part of a consortium, but a part of it I was. A little while ago I was reminded of a survey that I was asked to partake. The survey requested my support to oppose a potential change to a ferry service along the shores of one of our many rivers. Now if you live in Sydney, you would have rode at least once, the ferry into the city. It’s a lovely mode of transport, especially on a warm spring day. Clinical papers have proven the effects of fresh air and water having a positive impact in lowering stress levels as well as clearing sinuses, and increasing the overall well-being of the psyche. It was with this thinking that for the first time, I lent my email address, I entered my personal details and took the time to oppose the suggestion cut to the now privatised ferry service
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Wheelfulness, it's a visual of calm
I ask the question: “How does this image make you feel?”
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
Is December 26 our only day of rest?
Christmas in our part of the world tends to begin on December 1st. Work is gearing up for Christmas, the shop windows are dressed with baubles and lights, heck I even heard a Christmas Carol whilst tearing down the aisles on December 7. And after all that is the joyous time of Christmas and the family gatherings have ceased, the food coma surpassed and reflections on the past 12 months, December 26 seems to be the only day of rest. For on December 27, the machine starts once again. This morning December 26, 2019 I’ve allowed myself to simply rest, not feeling one iota that the dishwasher needs unpacking or that anyone in the household wants breakfast, yes, they can get it themselves.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
The Arty Farty Retreat, everyone needs a little creative outlet...
I think this will be my shortest blog entry ever. Imagine a group of friends together, getting creative. That’s my existence today. Today we are painting, drawing, writing, we’re getting the creative juices flowing. How important for our psyche to just let it all hang out. I’m not sure we allow ourselves the liberty of simply letting ourselves to rest or to speak to our creative selves, everyone is so goddamn busy. Today I’ll keep my observation to a minimum, because I’m getting busy getting creative…
Published: Sylvia Jimenez
I know you're busy and I value your time...
This week, and perhaps subconsciously for quite some time now, I’ve been compartmentalising my life into sections of definitive time. Everyone I speak to is so, so, super busy. We juggle work and family, social and the everyday. I’m no exception to this rule, so when I look at the aspects of my time, one thing I prioritise is that I endevour to make every time period count. It doesn’t mean that every minute of the day is accounted for, there will always be the one hour binge fest where you just need to ‘chill out’, rather I’m giving value to my time and reciprocating those who give me their time. I watched a TED Talk recently about time management (see below) and what stood out for me, is that whilst we are trying to fit in all of the aspects of our lives into every 24 hours, what is the most effective use of your time? I’m writing this from my ‘people observations’ point of view.
Published: Sylvia Jimenez