The Contrast

See the contrast? The very long traffic jam caused by an accident which involved ten vehicles that day.

5 Great Places to Experience the REAL Sydney

When people travel, all too often they only experience the parts of a destination that are made for tourists. Guidebook safely in hand a travel insurance policy safely in bag, tourists from all over the world visit Sydney each year. The majority of those people see very little of the real Sydney, choosing instead to spend their time climbing the Harbour Bridge or taking in high tea at the Opera House. Of course these are worthy tourist destinations and definitely should not be missed, but if you’re looking for a slightly more authentic Sydney experience, this is the article for you!

Dining

One of the best ways to experience a city is through your taste buds, and Sydney is no exception. With one of the most dynamic and exciting culinary scenes in the world, Sydney will constantly amaze you with the gastronomic wonders it has on offer. No matter what your budget, you can find quality food in Sydney. If you’re looking for cheap eats, head to Chinatown in the city centre, and sample the most authentic of Asian cuisines for a very nifty price. Instead of dining right on the harbour in restaurants that pushes up their prices and dumb down their menus, check out a few local food blogs to figure out where to go to eat.

If you want to feel what it’s like for the true urban Sydneysider, head to Crown Street in Surry Hills for a range of great options, or King Street in Newtown, an alternative hub that is positively lined with quality food outlets. If you’re looking to spoil yourselves, Tetsuya’s is a Sydney institution, and while it’s fairly pricey, you’ll be blown away by the skill and quality of the dishes.

Beaches

Of course, everyone heads to iconic Bondi Beach as soon as they set down in Sydney, and so they should. The beach is an Australian landmark and a very beautiful one at that, but there is so much more to see in terms of beaches than just Bondi. Don’t make the mistake of spending all of your time on Bondi Beach, instead explore some of the lesser-known harbour beaches that provide brilliant views of the city. Places like Camp Cove in Watson’s Bay and Milk Beach in Hermitage Bay National Park are both prime examples of dazzlingly beautiful beaches that remain un-crowded even on the hottest of summer days!

Events

Another great way to experience the real Sydney is to check out the local events and festivals guides. There are generally markets on every weekend all over the city, and here you’ll get a great taste of the way Sydneysiders like to spend their days off. Alternatively, check out whether or not there are any outdoor music festivals, concerts or other interesting events and head along to take part.

Sydney hostels are full of eager travellers who cannot wait to experience the real Sydney. It’s easy to become sidetracked by all the touristy things, but if you hunt around a bit you’ll find that everyday life in the Harbour City can be just as exciting.
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Old Bikes in Songgom Village

click to enlarge During on the way back home from my husband's home town, we passed by some interesting villages. One of them is Songgom Village (Central Java, Indonesia). Most of the villagers are farmers. The unique thing is I saw many farmers there using old bikes. Here are some of my captures.The Weekend in Black and White

Ways To Make Your Restaurant More Family Friendly

You don’t really notice when you are single, though once you have a family it can prove really difficult to find a restaurant that will accommodate all of you. It’s not just a matter of numbers but it’s also tough finding a place that has thought of those little details that make all the difference for a family. If you run a restaurant and want to make your place more accessible to families, the following ideas will make all the difference.

Kid’s Menu
One of the best parts about eating out is being able to order your food off a menu, and as any hospitality training in Australia will teach you, eating out should be a memorable experience for everyone. Having a special kids menu will not only have the kids feeling important, but will also be a way to ensure that there are items that kids can and will want to eat. The kid’s menu alone will make families more likely to consider dining out at your restaurant.

Ways to Keep the Kids Busy
Children can be hard to keep quiet for very long so it can be a good idea to have ways to keep them occupied. Having some toys on hand for them to play with or even a few simple school supplies can be there difference between a great family experience and a nightmare. It won’t cost much to pick up some kid-focused products and will be another way to show parents that you are a family friendly restaurant.

Seating
Make sure that you have more than one high chair on hand for really little kids as if there is no appropriate seating for toddlers you may end up losing out on some business. If your restaurant has a few different sections to it, it may be worth designating one section as the family area. This will separate potentially noisy kids from other patrons and also allow families to relax and feel comfortable.

Discounts
A very smart way to attract budget-conscious families is to offer a discount on kid’s meals or even offer free meals for kids under a certain age. This is a very clever way to attract business, as kids don’t eat a lot of food anyway, though your gesture will have you looking like the best option for family dining.

Have a Kid Specialist on Staff

Not everyone likes kids, so if you have someone on your staff that is clearly a child friendly person, make the most of their skills and have them handle your family patrons. You don’t want to have a staff member losing their cool dealing with a little kid, so make sure your biggest kid-lover is on the case and that your customers and their kids are all having a great time.

A lot of restaurants forget about the needs of people with children and as a result miss out on thousands of dollars of potential business every year. Your place is either kid-friendly or it’s not, so make a little effort and be sure the little ones love coming to your restaurant just as much as their parents do./image:picturesof.net/

Moving out of Home? Get Contents Insurance!

Moving out of home can be an extremely exciting but daunting process. Leaving mum, dad, siblings and the old family dog behind is a huge move that comes a newfound sense of freedom and independence, but also a new set of responsibilities. All of a sudden, you are accountable for solely looking after your own belongings. This might sound like a piece of cake, but before you tune out, think about this: can you afford to replace your belongings if they are damaged, broken or stolen?

Most people’s answer to this question is ‘no’. If you are one of those people, think again. In the case of an accident or theft, you could lose the entire contents of your home. That means you would need to replace all of your home entertainment items, kitchen appliances, furniture, homewares, clothes, accessories, linen and bedding, art, photos….you catch my drift. You could be up for the lot!

Home contents insurance is a worthy investment that can help you recover the costs of replacing your belongings in the event that something happens to them.

Sadly, for some people, insurance is an afterthought – they wait until the unthinkable has occurred and then wish that they had have taken out the insurance they needed. So don’t leave insurance to the last minute - even before you find a removalist, you want to think about home contents insurance. It can protect you financially if you have to replace your clothes, furniture or electronics due to accident or theft.

What type of insurance will you need?
The type of insurance you need will depend significantly on two key factors:
1. the types of incidents/events you want to be insured for
2. the amount you want the insurer to pay you if you have to make a claim.
The other key determinant is the situation you are in. If you are moving into a shared house, you may need to shop around for an insurer that will cover you. This is because it is usually harder to control who stays in or visits a shared house and therefore, those who live in them are more susceptible to damage and theft.

How much cover is enough?
This is not an easy question to answer, but a good way to approach this is to list all of your personal belongings and how much it would cost to replace them. Don’t be fickle or overly conservative - the reason for taking out insurance is so that it covers everything so make sure you list all items and a fair cost to replace them.

It’s even better if you have photos or receipts proving the value of the items you wish to insure. This will help you to verify the value of the particular item in the event that you need to make a claim.

You can take out home contents insurance regardless of whether you own your own home or you are renting. It is protection with piece of mind and that is priceless.

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5 Awesome Child’s Room Ideas

Buying baby gifts for a room is always a great alternative to the usual toys and clothes. The nursery or bedroom is the environment where children sleep, play and interact intimately with their parents, so it’s important that it’s cozy, pleasurable and suits the tastes of the child.

Because it’s not easy to figure this out on your own, here are 5 original ideas for a child’s room.

1. Applied murals
These amazing, wallpaper-like products have hit the market these last few years with easy and original mural designs for all ages. These murals usually consist of a pack of different mural pieces that you can put on the walls as it suits the room. You can leave out some parts or even mix-and-match different murals.

These are great because they can be easily applied and removed; they don’t require any painting talent. When the child grows old enough to choose his or her room theme, you can change the motif quickly and without needing to repaint everything.

2. Decorative pillows
Find animal or nature-themed pillows that fit the room’s color and theme. Not only are decorative pillows pretty, they’re also safe to play with and provide comfort and warmth to a tired child.

If you have trouble finding what you need, why not make them yourself? Pillows are easy to make and can be done through sewing, knitting and even crocheting. It’ll be a personal gift that your child will cherish!

3. Themed decoration

Beautiful themed children’s rooms are all over the Internet and decoration shows; if you have the budget and the time, you should think about building a themed room for your child.

The main question you need to ask when theming a child’s room is, what does my child like? Don’t be afraid to ask your child’s opinion, especially the older ones. Also, think about the durability of such a project: is the interest a passing fad or will your child enjoy the theme for at least a few years?

4. Coded clothing storage
Does your child have problems dressing properly for the weather? A coded chest of drawers is a great way to help organize your child’s clothing and teach them what to wear when.

It’s easy: just stick or paint a seasonal code (snowflake for winter, rainy cloud for spring, sun for summer and a leaf for fall) and put the related clothes in the drawers. Light clothes belong in summer, sweaters in fall and winter, and rain clothes in the spring drawer.

5. A secret corner

If you have the space, build a little secret corner so your child can have a quiet space to think, play or read on his or her own. Some children need more solitude than others, so providing a solitary space is a great way to fulfill that need.

Furnish it comfortably with cushions, blankets, a lamp and anything else your child might need. Of course, don’t use the closet if it’s full of baby clothes!