Category Archives: Travel

Royal Botanic Gardens: ‘A Walk to Remember’

Posted on October 16, 2021 by topherdman

I remember visiting the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney with the family. My Dad had been there before, but he was looking forward to another day trip. This was the first such foray for the rest of us. The 30-hectare botanic … Continue reading →

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Sydney’s historic Hyde Park

Posted on September 18, 2021 by topherdman

Hyde Park, Sydney is a large urban park located in the city’s central business district. The Park covers two blocks (16.2 hectares) and is the oldest such parkland in the country. The Park was built between 1810 and 1927. City … Continue reading →

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9/11: Twenty years on

Posted on September 11, 2021 by topherdman

9/11/2001 On this day twenty years past, Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked two airplanes that struck the twin towers late that morning. This was the most brazen and the worst terror attack ever in history. Pictures of the crumbling towers dominated the … Continue reading →

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July 2021 (lockdown) reads

Posted on July 31, 2021 by topherdman

Another month, another list. Since my last catalogue, I’ve cleared another trio of reads. I started off with Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, which has been dubbed as the foremost Filipino novel. We studied this text in high school, although the … Continue reading →

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An ode to the COVID epicentre

Posted on July 17, 2021 by topherdman

Have you been paying attention to the news? Then you’ll realise that this pandemic doesn’t choose At first, they made masks mandatory It was a nod back to recent restrictions The current wave began at Bondi Once it started, the … Continue reading →

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In Memoriam: PNoy

Posted on July 10, 2021 by topherdman

‘To be understood or misunderstood is not so much a struggle as it is to understand or misunderstand the longing for peace in each man’s heart.’ Thus begins the late PNoy’s college yearbook entry. Here, he emphasized the consequence of … Continue reading →

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Notes from (Sydney’s) lockdown

Posted on July 4, 2021 by topherdman

A flurry of COVID cases last week had prompted the NSW government to enact a partial lockdown last Friday (25th of June). This would’ve lasted a full week. The four councils included City of Sydney, Woollahra, and Waverley. This meant … Continue reading →

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A Broadway Shopping Spree

Posted on June 24, 2021 by topherdman

Last weekend, we visited Broadway Shopping Centre. The mall is in the southern end of the Sydney CBD (Central Business District). Public transport isn’t as good as comparable centres downtown. Buses are the only proximate means; otherwise, you’d have to … Continue reading →

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June (2021) reads

Posted on June 19, 2021 by topherdman

At the onset of winter, I crested a classic. It took me four days to finish the main text of Cat’s Cradle. I’ve had this book for a while now and I loved Vonnegut’s originality. I followed this up with … Continue reading →

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June 2021 Long Weekend

Posted on June 11, 2021 by topherdman

Coinciding with the plummeting mercury is the long weekend. Aside from the usual two days to cap off the week, Monday represents a public holiday as this commemorates the Queen’s Birthday in our state. About three years ago, I wrote … Continue reading →

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