Bookshop & Big City Life & Time

cafe_bookshop

Sofia & National Geographic – Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore

Today, with a great deal of pleasure (fancy, I know..), I’d like to introduce to you my second favourite district in Sydney (after the Rocks ) which is… toum toum..

Paddington !

Oulala!
Between the cute handicraft shops, art galleries or nice places where you can share a drink, you will undoubtedly find something to please yourself.
Paddington is an inner-district: in terms of distance it is very close from the skyscrapers and from the “Australian Times Square” (yeah man, we have our own shopping sanctuary here). However when you are walking around Paddington, you don’t feel the hustle and bustle of daily life in Sydney. There are not that many cars, building height is quite low and you won’t find giant shopping mall. In short, it is like a remote village within a global city.

What this kind of place tells me is that I could live into a big city (and it is probably going to be the case because at some point, urban sprawl won’t be a possible scenario at all. This was engaged geography minute)

…I could live in  provided that it doesn’t look like a big city. This is where green infrastructure and others ways which try to make big-city-life better, come in.

Lucy, when I come back, we will be able to sing right. I finally looked up the real lyrics, not the one we used to sing in yahourt:
Big City Life, try forget by
Pressure nah ease up no matter how hard me try
Big City Life, my heart have no base
And right now Babylon deep on me case
People in a show, all lined in a row
We just push on by, it’s funny, how hard we try
Take a moment to relax, before you do anything rash

But let’s get back to our subject. Paddington.

We went to the “Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore” located on Oxford street.
This sophisticated venue is a wine bar, cafe & bookstore all rolled in to one. It reveals a hidden library upstairs, with book lined walls. Wooden tables and Bentwood chairs give the venue the feel of a chic living room. Ardent readers can enjoy browsing the titles on the shelves as they swap notes with their friends. All, of course, whilst enjoying a glass of wine or cocktail (Elsa’s Note : Or a cup of tea chaï) in hand

Books + Tea +  Wood+ Friend + Food = I was overjoyed!

Speaking about books, I currently am reading “The Power of Slow : 101 Ways to Save Time in our 24/7 World” written by Christine Louise Hohlbaum. It is interesting. Not everything but many things. For example, she challenges the idea that “Time in money” (big up Papa) or she busters “the Myth of Multitasking”. Eventually, the way she defines the notion of Time has made me think a lot.

Have you ever tried to fight the wind? If you were a fisherman, you would know it is not possible to combat a force much larger than yourself. You have to go with it, not against it, to maintain your own equilibrium. You can certainly harness the wind’s power with turbines and windmills; you can utilize its energy to propel yourself forward with sails and fibreglass. Despite all the things you can do with wind, it remains a juggernaut you cannot really control (…)

Time, my friend, is no different.” (p. 15)

She argues that we can actually save time by slowing down. It is cool. It has worked for me so far.

Also, I’d really recommend that all chronic procrastinators read it. 🙂 (Nana)

Okay it’s time to stop, I am hungry. I just want to say that now, I will post one article per week instead of one every 5 days. I am quite sure you would have noticed if I haven’t told you but I felt like I had to tell you (what a honest person!) It is just that now that I write more (wouhou), I need more time. And 5 days it is complicated to integrate into my routine.

If I feel brave, I will post more, but for the moment let’s say that Sunday will be my publication day. ♪♫

See you in 7 days.

5 thoughts on “Bookshop & Big City Life & Time

  1. Pingback: From Royal Botanic Gardens, With Love | A kind of travel diary

  2. Elsa, I love the above painting “Sofia & National Geographic – Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore.” You are so talented. It would be so perfect on the writing blog I’m creating. Do you ever sell your artwork? I love it so much!

    • Dear Joanne,
      thank you so much for your comment, I really appreciate.
      I have never really sold before but I guess it is because I have never had the opportunity.. 🙂
      What kind of blog are you making ? Would you like the artwork for the blog or on paper ?
      Regards,

      Elsa

      • I would like to be able to use the artwork on a writing blog that I am getting ready to create. I need something beautiful with lots of books, because it is going to be blog about writing (on WordPress), and that picture is so cozy and perfect! I love the colors. I do not necessarily need the artwork on paper. Of course, I would be willing to provide a link to your lovely travel blog, too. I’m not sure how I stumbled into your blog, but I love it. That picture makes me want to visit Sydney! So, let me know what you think. I hope we can work something out. If you like Amazon.com, I could send you a gift card, perhaps. (I’m not sure where you are located. I am in the US.)

      • I just popped over to the “About” section of your blog and learned that you are studying in Sydney. (I didn’t know if you were vacationing there or living there.) My husband has been to Sydney for work. (I couldn’t go, because our son was still in school at the time.) Have you been in the lovely opera house? I’m sure you’ll have lots of wonderful adventures. I’ve heard the people are very nice there. I studied French in school (many years ago), and I loved The Little Prince. The picture of the elephant that had been swallowed by a boa constrictor – well, that’s about how my drawings look! That book remains a favorite book of mine, and I love the quote you mentioned. Hope to hear from you soon, and I look forward to your next blog entry.

        Best,
        Joanne

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