378 Wellington Street
City Station Complex
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9325 3714
This is one of those places that satisfies the eating monster in you. You know, that monster in your stomach that awakes when you are super-hungry and fancying naughty fatty unhealthy re-fried food... like a pizza pie, like a fried crab stick, a corn jack, samosas, mini-pizzas with cheap cheese and tomato, or super-fried oily crunchy anything, or big sandwiches/pannini/rolls with anything fatty that looks colourful, or the usual boring tarts, "Donuts", cakes, which are never my thing as my monster likes it savoury. In a way it is sort of manly food, if you know what I mean. If you have one of those days, as I do, I go there, because, well, it is on my way to/from many places. I never feel guilty about these moments, but I do feel upset at being charged 20-30% more for the same items than in the shop down the escalator (take as an ex. the corn jacks or chicken strips).
The coffee is average, but not bad.
The best thing about the place is the long wall table facing Wellington St and Forrest Chase, or better said the quotes and sentences written on the panels in it. They are really nice, a touch of sensitivity in this not-for-the-sensitive-eater industrial bakery.
The service is fast but OK/poor depending on the person at the counter, and on the people cueing. However, beware, the place can be really dirty at peak times.
The customers are a nice bunch of retires, tradies, passers-by, hidders-by, people-watchers, hungry-from-hell types, homeless types, schoolies, me, you, him. Humanity in its full splendour, or is it decadence?
On the positive side, there is a silver lining in every cloud, you know for sure that, the crowds being there all day long, the food is freshly fried and prepared every day.
Cultural Centre
Northbridge Western Australia 6003
(08) 9456 7890
Open Monday to Sunday, most of the day!
This cute tiny place has one of the best coffees in the CBD. Very good coffee that tastes of coffee without being too bitter, and with the right amount of creaminess. One of the best coffees in the CBD, and, the thing is, that is consistently good.
They also have tasty fresh bagels, wraps, pannini, and sandwiches, very filling and satisfying.I f you are vegetarian this is also a perfect place for you.
Polly's has always stood out to me, not only for their coffee, but also for their terrific service: friendly baristas, welcoming smiles, they remember what you want from the first day, fast service, and eager to please and serve you fast. If these wasn't enough, they are unpretentious and genuine. Those girls rock and earn their salary every single day.
Cute cubicle. It is very cozy, perfect to hide from the world and peruse the newspaper or your fav fashion magazine. If you don't like hiding, you can seat outside in that wonderful corner with tables and stools they have outside, unless, well, it is raining.
Different take-away cup sizes would be a great addition to their service, super-please!
UPDATE
They now have EFPTOS available, but they will charge you a few cents if you spend less than 10$ in the transaction.
872 Hay Street
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9321 3784
http://www.oxfamshop.org.au/old_retail/81886
Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:00 - 17:30
Fri 9:00 - 19:00
Sat 9:30 - 17:00
Sun 13:00 - 17:00
Oxfam (called Intermón Oxfam in some countries) and its shops have been selling ethnic items before ethnic items were a mainstream fashion or ethnic a cool adjective.
Oxfam Shop in Perth city is small, but also charming and colourful, and has a good selection of world gifts at decent prices. I have always fancied most of the things they have on display, and all of them are affordable and within a wide range of prices. You will find home decoration items, stationary, kitchenware, jewellery, scarves, handbags, toys, games, musical instruments, packaged fair-trade coffee, tea, and spices, among many other things.
The Oxfam Shop is not only a shopping heaven for people who love ethnic items and fair-trade produce, but also a conscious conscience exercise, as you will immediately remind yourself that, when we shop, we usually forget to ask ourselves questions as important as: Where does this come from? How is it produced? Do the makers get a fair price for it? Is this authentic? Does my purchase help the makers and their communities to make a decent living out without being exploited or slaved by middlemen?
The staff have always been welcoming and friendly. It couldn't be otherwise! Drop by to buy - You have the perfect excuse.
An independent Iranian film about Tehran's underground forbidden pop-rock scene directed by Bahman Ghobadi. The movie follows young indie-rock artists Ashklan & Negar (played by Ashkan Kooshanejad and Negar Saghaghi respectively) in their quest to get passports, visas and the band members necessary to travel overseas and perform in Nice, and the work of their passionate cheeky "agent" Nader (played by Hamed Behdad).
The film showcases the musical talent and variety of styles of the pop-rock scene in Iran, and their struggle to create, practice, and perform in a country that considers that sort of music an anti-Islamic anti-Iranian activity. The movie is fresh and shows how Music has no boundaries, has an international language, serves to free the spirit and mind, catalyses discontent and express individualism - Music as a subversive peaceful movement. The bands and performers featured in the film, beyond the leading couple, are: Take It Easy Hospital, Rana Farhan, Hichkas, The Yellow Dogs Band, Shervin Najafian, Ash Koosha, Mirza, The Free Keys, Mahdyar Aghajani, Darkoob, Hamed Seyed Javadi, and Nik Aein Band.
The performance of each song is accompanied by a selection of randomly filmed shots of the streets of Tehran, which provide the viewer with a real view of the country - one that is not complacent or hedonistic, but warm and hard at the same time. Four moments deserve a special mention. The first one is the performance of a heavy-metal band in a cow shed, with the cows attending the performance, which I found very funny. The second moment is truly special, and revolves about the lessons that a volunteer musician gives to a group of foreign immigrant children; thy seem enthralled and moved by what they are hearing and their faces show that. The most daring and authentically revolutionary performance comes from rapper Rap Khon, with offers a great performance with raw and heartfelt lyrics. Finally, the performance of jazz-blues soloist Rana Farhan, who has an exquisite voice and world-class talent.
Among the acting moments, I found Hamed's discussion with the police officer after his detention hilarious!
The main problem with the movie is the poor acting abilities of the musicians playing actors, which could have been excused if the script was less simplistic and the story had contextualised its characters. For example, we don't know if they are posh rich kids or middle class kids, we don't know if they are students, workers, live with their parents, are married or engaged, what are the feelings of their family and friends about their music. They are left to scattered comments that, nevertheless, don't show the reality of the musicians in Iran when they are not composing of playing. In fact, the relationship between the leading couple is not even clearly established; they seem to be engaged, but we are not told. The musicians in the movie seem to live in a world where nothing but music matters, which can be true for musicians, but this type of music is forbidden in Iran,and society is very oppressive, so we just want to know more about their situation and real lives so we can understand the musicians better. Moreover, the girls wear a head scarf all the time, even in secret alternative concerts and parties where they drink and smoke. How does a woman fit in the underground musical scene in Iran is never explained. Nagar seems to be accessory to Ashkan and her relations with the other musicians are always through Ashkan, never direct or even warm.
The second problem, to me, is that the movie, despite its freshness and charm, feels more like a documentary, but it is not. I would have preferred the latter, as we would have seem mostly the same people and the same performances and avoid the weaknesses of the script. We love the characters since we meet them for what they are, so why force them to act when they can't?
By the way, I couldn't see this movie without remembering the music-black market in the animation movie Persepolis, which puts into a context how things got so far in Iran regarding music. The context that was missing from this movie.
A charming fresh and interesting film with great musical performances but with a poor script.
Roman Polanski Wanted and Desired is a terrific documentary with important flaws, that does not give an answer to the core question of the case - Did Polanski rape minor Samantha Gilmer or was the sex consensual?
The documentary, firstly, offers an insight into the life and personality of Polanski, so very much marked by tragedy since his childhood and an insight into his creative genius, with which we all agree. Many of his famous friends offer give a glimpse of his charm and attractive personality, and of his personal highs and lows before and during his marriage to Sharon Tate, after her murder, and when the rape case burst out. We also see the way the American media has been treating Polanski since the death of Tate. Most of his friends, being so, always believed in Polanski's innocence. Love is always blind, and never an objective proof of anything, so their opinions are going to be subjective, and do not add anything to the question if he did in fact rape the girl or not. Talent does not make you a better or worse person, just talented.
The documentary, secondly, offers an insightful review of Polanski's trial in the USA, and of the many irregularities committed by judge Laurence J. Rittenband, who was more thrilled to become famous and punish Polanski a priory than to do Justice. The long interviews with the two lawyers, defendant and prosecutor, and the victim, Samantha, really help the viewer to understand that Polanski was legally mistreated, and that Rittenband abused his power and proceeded in improper unacceptable legal ways. We understand why Polanski flew the USA, and why he is right at mistrusting the American Press and judicial system. We also understand how silly and outrageous the latest detention of Polanski was.
Said this, the documentary somewhat forgets Samantha and does not try to provide enough information about what really happened that night. Did Polanski rape her? Was Samantha lying? Was Samantha used by her mother? The documentary seems to blame her mother for letting her go alone with womaniser Polanski; however, no mother wants her child abused or raped. The interventions of Samantha on camera are very limited and controlled by the director, and mostly serve to support that Polanski, an herself were used by the judge, and that the trial harmed them both. However, why does the director forget or avoid asking Samantha the main questions, directly, and letting the viewer hear what she has to say? After all, a rapist is never excused no matter how talented he is, even less if he is taking advantage of a teen, even if that girl has had sexual intercourse before. The transcript of the proceedings of the case, with the witnesses testimonials, is available online at This Place.
In fact, this transcript briefly appears in the documentary, just highlighting the questions made to Samantha, without displaying Samantha's replies in full. By reading Samantha's testimonial one immediately believes her. However, the testimonial of the doctor who examined her that night puts a big question mark onto Samantha's testimonial, as he denies she was forced or that sex took place. At the same time Polanski's semen was found in Samantha's panties. On the other hand, if I or my daughter were raped, I would like the rapist jailed, so he can't do the same to other girls. However, Samantha's family and herself publicly forgave Polanski long ago. If the sex was consensual, and Samantha was not a virgin, why the attorney's office did not charge the other offenders? Where is Polanski's narration of the events of the night? All of these elements are relevant to the case, and should have been directly explored in the documentary. If you want to present an objective documentary about Polanski's case, you have to be objective in the first place, and go all the way.
After watching the documentary and reading the transcripts of the trial, the case is still as mysterious as before regarding the main question. The documentary is sometimes a panegyric, and does not help to erase the black shadow pending on Polanski's head. However, the documentary does a great job a showcasing the irregularities of Polanski's trial, and making your head spin with questions.
Watch it on YouTube
An Oscar nominated, cult short by Don Hertzfeldt that showcases several mini-shorts related to product promotion and children teaching segments. They are linked by a fictional frame that says that these works were presented and rejected and that the author grew increasingly crazy, the next short becoming even crazier. It is just a summary you see repeated in too many film sites taken literally. Hertzfeldt has never accepted any commercial assignment.
The animation style is very simple and schematic, with simple lines, black and white, bare or very simple backgrounds, with some splashes of bright colour. The mood of all the vignettes is very childish, funny and increasingly gory, with that sort of brutishness that some small children show when mistreating little animals without knowing that what they are doing is wrong or harmful.
The humour goes from deadpan, to absurd to plain hilarious, and it is very entertaining. "My anus is bleeding" and "funny hats only" are my favourite segments.
Something different and refreshing. Anarchist in the best sense of the word.
Not for children!
657 Beaufort St
Mt Lawley Western Australia 6050
(08) 9271 8854
http://www.pearlsinthecity.com.au/
Hours:
Mon-Wed, Fri 9:00 - 17:30
Thu 9:00 - 19:00
Sat 9:00 - 17:00
Sun 11:00 - 17:00
Pearls in the City Mt Lawley opened its doors beside the Astor Theatre last October to bring class to the fashion retail in the area. They sell trendy fashion jewellery in different materials plus a huge range of pearls in different styles suitable for women of all ages, not the usual granny stuff. I especially like their Stirling silver and enamel pieces, and the mix-and-match pendants by Dutch brand My IMenso, which were the first thing that caught my eye.
This is not a cheap shop, but many of their pieces are affordable. All of them are timeless, classy, artsy, and some of them unique. Something you can wear over and over again until the end of times. The shop is perfect to "poshify" your wardrobe or to give a classy gift to a love one.The shop even has a gift-wrapping service with beautiful boxes if you really want to impress them.
A lovely lady called Ljljiana attends to her customers with great attentiveness. If she sees a spark in your eye in front of any piece on display, even if you don't intend to buy, she will be happy to let you try anything you fancy.
Drop by if you are in Mount Lawley, even if it is just to browse around. Don't be discouraged by the posh atmosphere or the this-is-not-a-shop-for-me sort of feeling, or by the nahh-this-is-a-middleagies-shop thought. or even by the they-are-going-to-call-the-police-to evict-me-from here angst you feel when you know that your budget is tight for this sort of shop. Be brave. Trying on is free! They are on sales right now.
Don't get confused by the poor boring selection of pieces displayed on their website. The shop is much much much better!
Put a ring on their Like thumb in Blingybook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pearls-in-the-City/328966716172
If you are a man and give your lady a gift from here, you'll go from Pearls in the City to SATC in the blink of an eye :P.
