CHINATOWN IN GOLD COAST?

The quiet comeback of Asian restaurants and businesses in Surfers Paradise has prompted fresh calls for the Gold Coast to have its own Chinatown.

Business and community leaders have been mulling over the concept for 20 years but the waning of the Asian tourism market at the end of the '90s slowed momentum. The idea is back on the boil with the market on the rise and more than 14 Asian specialty stores operating in Beach Road, Hanlan Street, Trickett Street and Laycock Street. Surfers Paradise property giant and former city councillor Max Christmas said the time was ripe for the Gold Coast to join other major cities and designate a Chinatown precinct, ideally around the streets immediately south of Cavill Avenue. Mr Christmas said a further idea would be to convert the Surfers Paradise Transit Centre into an 'Asian marketplace' in the style of Paddy's Markets in downtown Sydney. "If we do that, we could turn the whole area there into an entertainment precinct," he said. Area councillor Susie Douglas said the concepts had merit but would have to be backed by the traders. "We can't make a Chinatown but we could encourage people to set up their businesses in a certain area if the idea was supported by traders," she said.

A trader who refused to be named said he feared a dedicated Chinatown precinct would bring in unwanted crime elements and increase underworld connections.

Dominic Chan, general manager of the Golden Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Hanlan Street, said he supported the surge in Asian businesses in the precinct but was against a dedicated Chinatown. "There are many Chinese shops now but no to Chinatown -- that brings too many competitors for our business," he said. -reported by Leah Fineran (goldcoast.com.au) ~ Aug 30,2009

1ST CONCERT RECITAL

Yesterday, Jordie got to play his first concert recital held at this piano shop in Robina. They opened it as venue also so it could be their sales expo for parents who might want to buy books or pianos.

This was just a preliminary round to performance before he gets to play for Somerset music festival next month. It's to help orientate young children towards performance and getting used to audiences. Not a hand-picked kinda situation or a competition, just an 'expo' of whatever they have learnt.

Still, he was a little nervous yesterday, he forgot to adjust the seat before playing and to bow at the end. Jordie had never played on a grand piano before. But at least he didn't 'freeze up' halfway like one of the other kids or get a 'jammed' note. One girl was playing halfway and started stumbling. Then she stopped in the middle and said one of the keys is stuck and wouldn't come up! So much for the shop's effort to promote their beautiful grand piano Steinway, haha! Didn't take pictures in case privacy was a concern.

One Asian boy performed the violin beautifully, I loved it. He was miles better than the 1st boy, and oozing with feeling from face to fingers. Only about 12 or 13 but could tell violin was his passion. Turns out most parents and their kids there were Asians. It appears that Asians seem to give more focus on formal music education here than the rest. As usual, the 'kiasu' race must give their kids the best. It's in our genes, our DNA to make sure they excel. Don't ask me if it's for their own good or personal parental pride...I will figure that out as I go along...but it just seems natural to give them the best you can in education..& exposure. For now I am trying to tell Jordan, expression, more expression, please? He plays his music with a straight face, his teacher says,.. he gets all this notes right, but he doesnt 'feel' for the music. So how do you teach a child to have feeling for music? That is a challenge.... Getting the notes right is the easy part, getting them to 'feel it'..now that's quite another thing altogether..

KAREN'S PARTY

Karen (far left) thanking everyone before the cake blowout....

"Dunno about you but I feel like another row, man!.."

Well, right after Seaworld, we sped off to Helensvale near Movie World, where the Youngs were holding a birthday party for Karen. She was so happy that day and looked positively radiant. Food was great, and she even had a friend come in to do a one-woman band show playing music throughout the day for that extra party atmosphere.

Seems like just yesterday when we met last year for her party as well. Time flies...The Youngs have this lovely lake by their home and Jordan had lotsa fun going canoeing on it with some friends and he learnt to manage the oars nicely. He went out for 5-6 trips and I was thinking his arms might ache the next morning but apparently he did quite well, no aches at all...

We were also very glad to see their dog, Jessie well again and able to walk more now, biting sticks asking for people to throw it for her...whole of last year, she was pretty sick and couldn't walk. She got a little too ambitious having fun though and got stuck in the water again (see it in the background?) She's Jordan's favourite dog. ..

"Help... the dog's stuck in the water..somebody get her out quick!" Mum Beryl having a good time hanging out in the sun...

INSPIRE ME @ SEAWORLD NARA RESORT

Went with Leanne yesterday to Seaworld Resort hotel for a gig at a women's meeting for single mums. The event was called 'Inspire Me' organised by a group of ladies working with Lighthouse ministries. Leanne had been asked to sing for the participants and she'd asked me to help her play 2 songs.

We arrived just in time to set up keyboards and stuff. Most of the women present were single mums or in broken relationships and the event was to help motivate them towards creating better opportunities for themselves and to move on with life. I thought it so nice that they really pampered the women who were there. They had morning tea, free doorgifts, lucky draws, lunch and babysitting thrown in on top of having counselling and advice available for those who needed it. So, it was a good platform for single mums to mingle, get to know more people and encourage each other.

The songs Leanne sang were Brooke Fraser's 'Shadowfeet' and 'Without You'. We weren't pro's definitely but guess it was just a nice listening treat for the ladies and hopefully inspiring to them as well.

I do notice that Australia really has many social care support groups out there and rather generous government dole-outs for equipment, facilities and grants. Care and support is given to anyone from abused kids, teenagers, abused women, single mums, disabled, aged, poor, ... I think overall, they are a society quite well taken care of,,, however, I do still see lots of complaints in newspapers about how the government isn't doing enough yet. Yeah, these people should look at other countries and then reflect on just how good they have it here...seriously...

2 PILLARS IN ONE DAY: GOVERNMENT & MEDIA

For those who do not understand the title, skip this post altogether, you won't understand the rest, so don't waste your time... But for those who understand the title, read on...

When I went to church this morning, I somehow came away from it all with this stronger feeling than ever that this church- small though it is, is one of the few that actively engages with society and seeks to influence it. First, Peter Young who is city councillor for Nerang shared about how the person in charge of Gold Coast Tourism's image was committed to changing the image of the city and steering it away from promoting culture and events which had questionable values. He requested that we all prayed for this person to have wisdom and ability to change the image of Gold Coast and he appeared emotional when he prayed it. As he did this, I sensed he loved the city and its people and shared God's longing for change in this place.

That was one.

The other thing was that the Christian radio station network 107FM Life was there too. Apparently, we were being featured as the church of the week, a program that they had been running. I did think at first, nah, they were just there to promote themselves, possibly get some christian advertisers out of the congregation, shake a few hands and get more people to tune into the station... But the station's head (can't remember his name) spoke about how the Gold Coast churches were still going thru the reconfiguration stage and had not come into full release of their true calling and purposes. He saw that churches in general need to wake up to the fact that God wants to change the city. This wasn't just about keeping another christian radio station going, but it was about affecting lives and bringing biblical truths and good values to Gold Coast families. Half the listeners were actually not Christians but they feedback to the station that because they were sick of the garbage in the media, needed a better alternative for themselves and kids and Life FM was giving it to them. However, it is a fight to keep it as they have to justify their license by convincing the govt. enough people are excited about them and their programmes. So, he asked the church to lend its support and be actively involved so that this medium can continue its work of influencing lives, values and mindsets in the city.. At the end of the meeting, the whole church went forward to support the station's team (music director, DJ, marketing director) in prayer. Something touching about this and I was asking why... then I remembered that media was such a long and forgotten pillar to be changed because it seems so out of reach, so abstract and glamorous, but when it is harnessed properly for the purposes of God, can be so powerfully effective in getting the message out there to the masses. And here was the church responding to the very people who could possibly pull it off.

We don't have this freedom in Malaysia and I look at Australia and yet they have been apathetic about maximising this freedom to talk about God and reach the city. It's ironic... somebody said we need people from places like yours to come and share about how it is so restricted in other countries for Aussies to wake up to the abundance they have,... At the end of it, we were treated to a free sausage sizzle by the radio station... Thanks for listening, folks... 2 pillars in one day can pretty much fill you up for the week in thought process....

DRIVING HAZARD

Seniors who have hearing problems ought to be banned from the roads. I support their right to drive, but please, get some good hearing aids and for goodness sake, look all directions before you back out of your parking space???!! Had a close one with one of these people today when I went easy T centre to get some stuff. While waiting for another car which was blocking my way, I stopped on the road a little behind this very old gentleman who was trying to back his Merz out of his parking bay. He didn't look and I knew he didn't see me, so I honked really loud, many , many times and still he ignored me and drove right into my front bumper!! Luckily it was just a soft thud as he was reversing very slowly so no damage just some slight scratches. Geez! Didn't even have the courtesy to apologize. ,,

HOW TO CONSUME AWFUL COFFEE

Was left with this awful-tasting instant coffee that I bought some months back and didn't know what to do with it. It was budget coffee but had a bit of 'salty' flavour which I didn't like. So, thought I would dump into into my favourite coffee cake recipe and bingo, it ACTUALLY tastes nice!

COFFEE CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:

200g butter (roughly 1 cup)

1.5 cups fine granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsps baking powder

4 eggs (large)

1 tsps vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup instant coffee granules

OPTIONAL:

2 tbsps Cadbury drinking chocolate (for extra flavour)

Chopped walnuts (for extra flavour) Bake at 180C for 25 minutes.

Jordan refused to have anything to do with coffee but now he takes coffee--- only in the form of this cake.