I grew up watching Play School and Sesame Street and if you’re a fan of the latter – there are not one but two documentaries that will take you back in time all the way to the beginning 50 years ago! We watched Sesame Street: 50 Years Of Sunny Days on SBS On Demand as a family last week and I realised how very much at the forefront the TV show has been in terms of education, diversity, feminism and social enterprise – way ahead of its time.
There’s also another award winning HBO documentary called Street Gang: How we got to Sesame Street – I think my desire to visit the gritty streets of New York stems from all those years ago watching the show. My favourite character was Mr Snuffleupagus – Big Bird’s imaginary friend who turned out to be real in the end. I’m sure you have your own favourite character if you’re of a similar vintage.
Diversity in the media can be done in very natural and easy ways which is what I love about Adam Liaw’s The Cook Up program on ABC where any day of the week you can find all sorts of different people on the show, as you would in real life on the streets of metropolitan Melbourne rather than it being a token or ticking the box gesture. Gen Z are the most diverse generation of all and I think it’s been a good thing for both young and old. We’ve started watching Hamilton on Disney+ and it’s fantastic to see such a diverse cast and more contemporary take on musicals – I think the live shows in Melbourne will be very exciting to watch once Hamilton opens on 15 March.
I’ve started running again and the challenge will be maintaining and increasing the amount of exercise I do given my imminent return to more work days in the office. There is a tension at the moment between employers and businesses who want more people in the cities to help our economy versus the flexibility that knowledge workers in particular are seeking – it will be interesting to see where things eventually land in this unprecedented time. Work itself for me has been very busy with lots of change as there always is in the new year.
I think we must be a multicultural city as I discovered there is a Banh mi map of Melbourne if you’re a lover of the traditional Vietnamese pork roll, with this related article on how much one costs depending on where you live! I know the cost of living has gone up for petrol, cars, building materials and other supply chain items but I’ve been happy buying my banh mi locally at Rockin’ Rolls in Heidelberg or Aus-Vi in Rosanna (where the lovely owners are originally from Nha Trang in Vietnam). Mr Rosanna and I spent a month long honeymoon in Vietnam and for me it will always be a magical place full of amazing memories when we were just a young couple starting a new life together.
A couple of other local food places have caught my eye including Pasta Poetry in Fairfield and The Mushroomery in Alphington – perfect if you’re planning on making a mushroom fettucine, tagliatelle or pappardelle one night for dinner. If you are a foodie, tickets are now on sale for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival starting 25 March with Nigella Lawson as the star attraction this year.
If you’re returning to the city like me to work, you may be interested in Lucas loves Melbourne – a chance to dine at one of the seven Chris Lucas-owned CBD restaurants with up to 30% discount on mid-week dining. I’m yet to visit Yakimono, Lillian Terrace or The Society but would love to at some future point.
Finally, this absolutely beautiful mid-century home in East Ivanhoe that has been masterfully renovated was featured in the Design Files last week and I’m so glad we have houses like this in our local area and local creatives like Sarah Conly of Billie Roy Studio who value good design and architecture. It’s very inspiring…have a great week!
Miss Rosanna 