Author: manuscrypts

  • Sydney

    Sydney had some heavyweights on its side – the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the fantastic combination view at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, all of which delivered on the promise. It also had the charming Manly Beach, which overdelivered, as opposed to Bondi which was only salvaged by the excellent street art! But in terms of overall experience, and probably because it had a stronger big city feel than the other two, both Melbourne and Cairns worked better for us.

    Stay 

    The criteria for room selection remained the same as Cairns and Melbourne, but we had to sacrifice the view thanks to $. We wanted to be as close to Circular Quay as possible, and finally went with 57Hotel. No photos because it would involve crashing into D – the room was that small. The smallest room we have stayed in was in Hong Kong, and this one easily beat that record. But it compensated by being a 5 min walk from the Central station, which made access to all the places we wanted to see very easy! They also have something that can be loosely described as a breakfast – coffee + croissants. (more…)

  • Melbourne

    Melbourne was a pre-favourite because of many factors – the Great Ocean Road, meeting friends, and skydiving! While Melbourne does not have the laid-back feel of Cairns, it compensated with great food, splendid street art, and a casual vibe.

    Stay

    In the well laid out rows and columns of Melbourne’s CBD, we wanted a place that would be well connected by feet or public transport. As always, a view would be welcome, and it had to fit our budget. Oaks on William checked all boxes, though we would have to manage breakfast on our own.

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  • Cairns

    Cairns finds a place in the Australia plan because of three words – Great Barrier Reef! As they remind you, there is nothing remotely close to it in terms of size and variety. But, after we got there, a bunch of things made us like the place a lot – the promenade, the community vibe, the relative slow pace, and a general small town feel, though it isn’t really a small town!

    Stay

    We wanted a place that would give us a sea view, and be near enough to areas we were planning to visit. The Cairns Plaza was perfect, and delivered on both counts. The check-in time, and this seems to be standard across the country, is 2PM, but if you get in early like we did, you can leave the luggage there.

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  • Smokehouse Deli (Whitefield)

    Our not-so-new Forum Shantiniketan mall in Whitefield, which has already “grilled” us in many ways – Uno Chicago and Punjab – has now given us a Smokehouse Deli as well! While the first two are relatively easy to spot, the new entrant is reasonably well hidden. You have to exit the mall through the back on the lower ground floor to find it! Our sangria plans helped us stay focused!

    The place is classic Smokehouse, though the Indiranagar version does a better job of localising the sketches. Thanks to the proximity to the apartments, there were noisy kids. Thankfully, that reduced as the evening progressed.

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  • Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

    Carlo Rovelli

    I was reminded of Yoda’s famous statement – “Judge me by size, do you?” after I finished this book. It is all of 79 pages, and yet, it manages to contain an excellent summary of the laws that hold together the cosmos. Or at least, the ones we have managed to understand. From Einstein’s general theory of relativity to the still misty realms of quantum mechanics to a fascinating lesson on thermodynamics, it is an absorbing read!

    I found questions that I have spent a lot of time thinking about. For instance, “Is reality only interaction”? A fantastic idea where science and philosophy meet. I also figured out a possible reason for my fascination for watching waves. There is a vague connection between the surface of the sea and the broad texture of the universe. (more…)