Recently, we visited my aunt. For a long while, she has called Fairfield home. Prior to this, she lived with my family in Strathfield. She loves buying fruit, raving about their basement pricing. Her two favourite produce stores are Fruit Mania and Fruitopia. My younger cousins (her daughters) also grew up in the area. We invited auntie to my two uni graduations. The ambience impressed her. My cousin ended up undertaking a double degree at my alma mater.

Western Sydney

Fairfield is way out west. The suburb is about thirty kilometres from the central business district (CBD). Summers are sweltering and winters are freezing. The train ride to the CBD takes forty minutes on the Southwest line. Fairfield also services the Cumberland Line, which goes via Parramatta. Main Street houses many shops: bakeries, barbershops, groceries, and halal joints. The suburb is very multicultural, with many migrants calling it home. The Catholic Church is always packed. My auntie was a regular at morning mass.

Dead Mall

We went to Neeta City, since renamed as Fairfield City Central. I guess the mall’s owners wanted to make the appellation a bit more challenging. We made a beeline for the food court. There were two Chinese takeaways, one Korean eatery, a Turkish stop, and one cafe/juice bar. McDonald’s has long been gone. Aside from the latter, they housed an Oporto. Auntie was a big fan of their Portuguese style chicken and chips. Now, she goes for Hungry Jack’s. With Big W’s departure before COVID, this is almost a dead mall. Woolworths is the only anchor tenant and the sole reason to visit.

No offence, but there’s not much to see here. I ordered two choices with fried rice and a Solo can. My companion bought some pide and juice. Afterwards, we hung round Rivers. They sell mainly unbranded stuff, but their prices aren’t so eye-popping these days. Even at fifty percent off, their pants weren’t OzBargained. My peer was able to get some trainers on the cheap. It was the last one left.

At the Forum

Cotton On was gone. The whole second floor was deserted. We checked out Soul Pattinson before heading to Fairfield Forum. This time, Kmart and Coles are the anchors. The mall also features a small food court, TK Maxx, and Aldi. The Forum is a bit of a trek. It’s out of the way, far from both the station and Neeta’s. I can’t believe that auntie would hang out here. It was at least twenty minutes from her abode.

At the Forum, we visited TK Maxx. I was looking for a new grey backpack and I had a hunch that I’d find it at TK. The department store has a growing presence. By 2022, they had almost sixty outlets in Oz. They took over 29 Trade Secret stores. TK is also ubiquitous across Europe.

Menswear was at the back, with womenswear in front. The men’s accessories section was right at the end. I browsed men’s clothing but nothing tickled my fancy. A pair of Boss pants were $99, while the Tommy flex chinos were $79. Three years ago, I scored the self-same pair for $44 at the Tommy outlet store. Too bad they don’t fit me anymore.

They had three on hand for this grey Patagonia pack. I found the colour stylish. It has two side pockets, adjustable straps, and three compartments. The front section was smaller, good for your keys, sunnies, lip balm, hand sanitiser, and cream. The middle section is roomy, where you can store your hoodie or jacket. The last section has a detachable laptop compartment. The zippers have some contrast textile pulls. Water repellent, there’s Patagonia branding on the pack. Moreover, it comes with the all-important sternum strap. I got it for half the retail price. Before, I felt some FOMO (fear of missing out) after not bagging this grey Rip Curl pack. It was a popular choice, and a little more budget-friendly. Now, I ended up with a better-coloured, superior bag.

We went next door to Kmart. They did not have this chino that I was after. Following a quick scan, I spotted these brown pants. Their price was $15. They looked no different than branded trousers. See also: Myer and David Jones pants. I tried it on. The colour and sizing were seemly. I went to the checkout. We tried to find Auntie at the grocery but she wasn’t there.

The Auntie

I called her while in front of Fruit Mania. I purchased some kiwis, apples, and blueberries. She was at home and invited us to visit. I led the way by memory. Donning five layers of clothing, she was masticating on fried rice. Winter was truly coming. I gave her a peck on the cheek. Upbeat and smiley, Auntie appreciated my gifts. I told her they would make her even more cheerful.

Her place seemed very different. It was cleaner than Singapore. Gone were the bits and pieces. There was a new shoe cabinet and air fryer. The fridge was upgraded, now in a black colour. I asked her about it and she said that it’s been there for some time. The kitchen had no clutter. The big red chair, which sat meekly in the corner, had gone AWOL. Even the ground floor toilet has been replaced. There was a Simpson ep where Homer fantasised about Flushing Meadows, New York. This was his dream on steroids. We bid her adeiu and I told her that I’d keep in touch.

Minimalist

To be honest, there isn’t much to see at Fairfield. No convenient Maccas. No Big W, Oporto, and Cotton On anymore. They do retain Rivers, which isn’t that ubiquitous around Sydney. I scored the pack from TK, unavailable at their other stores. The Kmart offers good value. While walking to the train station, I passed by the new modern library. Previously, their dated ‘repository’ was hardly larger than your average living room. In this case, we shouldn’t think about what was missing but what it did offer.