EXPLORE // Hidden Gems in Fyshwick

Fyshwick. An industrial suburb filled with car dealers and sex shops. Not many people would brag about going to Fyshwick, but today I am going to shock you (not really) and explain why you should venture there.

After a few road trips (including a visit to Bowral which you can read about here), my car was in need of a little TLC. I called up Mario at 5A Mechanical who I highly recommend, and booked the ol’ car in for a service.

With a few hours to kill, I decided to call a friend and explore the hidden gems in Fyshwick with her. As it was lunchtime, we decided to drop in to our old stomping ground – Flute Bakery.

1. Flute Bakery

In college, Flute Bakery was one of my favourite spots to go during lunch breaks. They do incredible pies, great sandwiches and the most amazing macaroons. I ordered a small coffee ($3.50) and E and I shared a beef and red wine pie ($6.00) and a chicken sandwich ($7.50). It was delicious!

 

I also purchased a loaf of multigrain sourdough bread for $6.00! It’s not pictured, but I’m sure you can imagine how good it tastes. I will definitely be enjoying my morning toast these next few days.

 

2. Material Pleasures

Across the road from Flute is Material Pleasures, which we could not resist browsing following our lunch. They buy and sell second-hand designer clothes, and you can often snatch yourself a bargain… Best of all, you’re supporting sustainable fashion and the environment!

After trying on some dresses and skirts, and admiring the Max Mara pants, I found this Ralph Lauren jumper. It was in the male section (no shame) but it was super comfy and is 100% lambs wool. I checked the price and it was $30.00! I couldn’t say no – I’m a sucker for knits.

A knit to keep me red hot in Winter

Side note: I am yet to do a post on sustainable/ethical fashion, but at the start of the year I decided that I would limit my spending (partially because I bought too many clothes last year and partially because I realised how unsustainable the clothing industry is – shoutout to Gary and sustainable marketing).

 

3. Canty’s Bookshop 

After our fill of textures and satisfied tastebuds, we went to Canty’s Bookshop. It is a marvellous second-hand bookshop, filled with numerous titles.

Now that it is holidays (woo!), I have much more time to relax… and one of my favourite ways to relax is reading. As I mentioned in THOUGHTS // Week 12: The Importance of Self-Care, I already have Haruki Murakami’s new book ‘Men Without Women’ on my reading list. However, with the range at Canty’s Bookshop, I was unable to leave empty handed.

 

I bought the following titles:

1. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse;
2. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez; and
3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

They have been on my ‘wanted to buy’ list for a while, so I was happy to get my hands on them. They were also super cheap, the most expensive being $6.50. In total, the three books were cheaper than my new Murakami book.

My new (old) books!

Nonetheless I am always on the hunt for new titles, so if you have any recommendations for my holiday reading, shoot me a comment! Or let me know if you have read any of the above and whether you enjoyed them.

All in all, I hope I’ve inspired you to venture out to Fyshwick and explore the fine eats, arts and goings on.

 

Affectionately Yours,

Anika x

 

THOUGHTS // Week 12: The Importance of Self-Care

I am still in shock at how quickly this semester has gone, especially this last month. Especially now that ANU only has 12 weeks (as opposed to the ol’ 13) – time flies… I guess I’m having fun.

My view from Hancock Library, where I’ve been hiding the majority of the week

 

As you probably guessed from the title, it is currently week 12. The week that students dread. It’s full of cramming, assessment and stress (which is why this week, I want to stress the importance of self-care).

Now everyone has certain things they like to do to de-stress, but maybe you want to try something new, or maybe you’re just interested in how others to soothe their souls. Nonetheless, I’m going to share a few tips with you so buckle up!

 

Tip one: exercise

This is absolutely the first thing that goes to the end of my priority list when I have a bunch of things to do. However we all know that exercise releases endorphins, which can be super helpful when you are stressed and in need of a break.

I went for a lake walk the other day, just before the sun began to set. I started off at the National Library and walked the ‘bridge to bridge’ (Commonwealth Bridge to Kings Avenue Bridge).

I caught the sunset at the end of my walk, and watched people cycle past as the sunlight filtered through the leaves. There was actually a boy on a unicycle (you can see him in the sunlight) and his mother was taking photos of him (to the left). Isn’t autumn marvellous?!

Tip two: hang out with animals 

One thing I love about week 12 (previously week 13) are the events that ANU hosts. In particular, I always look forward to the Petting Zoo. Anyone who knows me will know that I absolutely love animals, and what better place to go.

The animal I am holding (to the right) is a silkie chicken. The lady who owns the farm (and petting zoo) said that you have to pick them up with confidence and hold their wings so they don’t fly away. There was also a 3 month old cow – what a cutie! Unfortunately, petting zoos aren’t easily accessible so if you’re looking for a quick fix, you can always find a dog who is ready to receive love, pets and tummy rubs.

 

Tip three: Prepare for when you have no assessment 

As with most uni students, I can be a procrastination queen! On the weekend, besides the hours I spent at the library, I made it to Paperchain – a lovely bookstore in Manuka. When I saw that Haruki Murakami had published another book, I absolutely had to have it. He is my favourite author by far, and I will one day own every single book he has published. So, I’ve added it to my to-do list for the holidays.

 

Tip four: Take a break, if you need one

Finally, my last tip is to take a break. After my weekend of studying, I literally could not face my computer. My fingers hurt from typing. So, I took the liberty of taking the night off.

I went to my friend’s house and we had homemade burgers and made brownies! We tried the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie mix and added Cadbury Caramello pieces to it. Whilst I’d rate the normal mix above the gluten free version, it was still super delicious and we had it with ice cream. The perfect night off.

 

All in all, no matter how you relax, make sure you take the time to self-care during week 12 (or during your work week, or any time when you are feeling stressed or overworked).

For now, it’s back to my green tea and revision.

 

Affectionately Yours,

Anika x

 

PERSONAL // How to spend money you don’t need to spend (May Edition)

In just 2 months and 2 days, I will be jetting off to Europe (for the first time ever). I will be studying at Bocconi University in Milan from August, however from July until then, I’ve set aside some time to explore Europe. Anyway, the point of telling you this, is to explain why I have been saving.

But isn’t this post about what you’ve recently bought?

Yes. It is. But sometimes, a girl (or boy, we’re all about equality here) can’t resist.

So, what did you buy?

1. A puffer jacket (for Europe and the oh so cold Canberra)

First of all, we have this très chic down jacket.

After enlisting the help of my friend who is quite knowledgeable about the world of puffer jackets, we decided on this MacPac jacket.

It has water-resistant duck down (because down jackets are often ineffective when wet), and surprisingly it’s a really nice fit. There are also many other features which I won’t go through in detail, but it’s safe to say I’m impressed.

2. A forest green mohair knit from Country Road (that I didn’t really need, but I did really want)

This knit. Now my coworkers and friends can vouch for me – I have been wanting this jumper for months now. It all started when I received an email from Country Road, and saw someone in the jumper (see below). It just looked so comfortable and stylish.

Pictured: the ad that worked wonders (above), and me looking super happy in my super fabulous new knit (below)

  

I also luckily snatched it whilst it was on sale – 25% off. What a bargain. (It’s Italian yarn, people. How could I not)

3. Books

At the start of the year, I decided that I wanted to be more creative. Studying at university is challenging, academically speaking. However, I wanted to challenge myself more creatively.

A big inspiration toward this creative drive were a few of my friends following their own creative pursuits, such as vlogging (check out my lovely lady Georgia Parker’s Youtube channel)  and blogs etc.

For anyone that knows me, they would know how much I love photography. Especially when I am in new places, or travelling!

As such, my two most recent book purchases are… drumroll, please… photography books!

Both are by Henry Carroll:

1. ‘Read this if you want to take great photographs of people’; and
2. ‘Read this if you want to take great photographs of place’.

I’d seen these two books in a few bookstores and had the obligatory flick through them, and decided I wanted them on my bookshelf.

Support your local businesses and pick them up from the National Library of Australia Bookshop where I did, or at Paperchain Bookstore in Manuka. (Otherwise if you are trying to save pennies and don’t mind waiting, I’m sure you can find them online)

Well, back to the (text)books.

Affectionately Yours,

Anika x