Tuesday 29th November 2016 -The Newly Refurbished Westfield Warringah Mall - Is this the future of Shopping Malls?

If you recalled I attended my first Myer AGM whilst I was down in Melbourne a few weeks ago and at the AGM all the board talked about was the brand new Myer located at Warringah Mall that opened the day before the AGM and how as shareholders we should pay a visit to it if we got an opportunity to and were from Sydney. It was meant to be a fantastic store which is state of the art and very in line with the lifestyle of the Northern Beaches.

So today was my first opportunity since returning from Melbourne to pay it a visit. Was I impressed? - no not really - it looked like every other suburban Myer store. It had the same old "Where were the staff when you needed them?" although I was approached twice by staff members when I didn't really need them and they didn't stock what I wanted. No distinguishing features about it except it was new and had escalators at the entrance( which my work collegue pointed out and also thought that the new Myer was nothing special either) . I think I spent 30 minutes there max and most of my time looking around the mall instead at its layout, architecture and design. Warringah Mall is huge and is becoming a mall of the future - I won't be surprised if it becomes the next Macquarie Centre or Chatswood Chase or even a Chadstone (suburban Melbourne) - a tourist shopping destination on the Northern Beaches. Just 40 minutes from Chatswood Station Interchange on the 280 bus.

I have to admit being a postcard snob I have never travelled to Warringah let alone Warringah Mall. I do believe once the massive amount of construction around the mall is complete and public transport links to the Northern Beaches improves (it is actually not that bad presently), people will be drawn to Warringah Mall. The uniqueness about this mall is it feels as if you are outdoors in some places of the mall yet you are actually indoors enclosed by very high glass celings and arches with very large industrial sized fans and plants on the ground floor and supports growing upwards. Water features and sculptures add to the atmosphere of shopping within a glasshouse or biodome - think walking through the "The Calyx" except without the mists of water or slightly humid envionment I blogged about previously at Sydney Open. (photos attached)

Monday 28th November 2016 - Ramon's Beginner Jazz Class @ Sydney Dance Company (SDC)

This is my Sunday a day off from work on a Monday which will become rarer towards Christmas.

Today I went for essential grocery shopping at Coles Chatswood Chase. No time to stop off at Aldi at Westfield or Woolworths above Chatswood Station.

After off loading my groceries back home I caught the next M40 to Bondi Junction to check my mail box and pick up a parcel/letter. After picking up my letter/parcel I dropped a few documents off to my storage facility then headed off to finally return my Sansung Note7 to the Samdung store in the city for a full refund. I tried to return it at the Samsung concession at Bondi Junction but they advised me that I had to return my phone to where I originally purchased it. They didnt seem to want the accessories for the Note 7 back only the phone - I now have 2 sets of  cables and chargers as well as the stupid keys to open the sd and sim card slot, 2 sets of head phones and whatever else they supplied BUT no replacement phone! No I did not want to purchase the Galaxy 7 - the depreciation value is extremely high and it drfeats the purpose of why I chose the Note 7 over the Galaxy 7 ie the stylus.

Any stylus does not work at all on thd Galaxy 7. If someone can confirm or challenge this please let me know. There should be a conversion app for turning a Galaxy 7 to a Note 7 so any stylus on the market can be used on it and I dont mean a squiggy one either!

After my visit to the Samsung store - I caught the bus down to Walsh Bay to Sydney Dance Company in time for Ramon's Beginner Jazz class. It has been so long since I have gone to one of his Jazz classes - I had forgotten how hard he works his students - the sequence of warm up exercises - stretching push ups sit ups isolations small repetitive movements followed by across the floor exercises  - strutting posing running and walking then finally part of his routine. A very long routine it was tonight and the number of times we had to dance it became countless - the class was still going after 8 pm! Talk about getting your money's worth! I left a little after 8 pm and apologies because I wanted to go to the bathroom and also did not want to miss the 8.15 pm bus back to Town Hall - there was no way I was going to walk back to Circular Quay after that class which is a 15 to 20 min walk with the option of a few flights of stairs for a short cut (although I am unconvinced it is a shorter way back to Circular Quay)

Unfortunately we arent allowed to take photos or videos of classes we attend - We had a group photo tonight though. I wonder where it will end up? Rating 9/10 - great class as usual - very popular - hasn't changed and no spins or turns!

I have stuck a photo instead of the Townhall at night lit up with it's Christmas tree. Nothing to do with my blog but it is pretty!

Sunday 27th November 2016 - The Big Design Market SYDNEY@ Royal Hall of Industries EQ

Since returning from Melbourne last Monday night , I have been working all week therefore could not go to the above event on the Friday or Saturday therefore had a last chance to go today which I did but I needed to go to Paddys Market to buy some R2E2 mangos and other fruit and vegetables before hand. (photos of Paddys Markets Haymarket attached)

I lacked time therefore had to quickly grab some mangos, a bunch of shallot and a bunch of basil - did not have time to shop for anything else.

I hopped on the light rail back to Central Station crossed the street and caught the 339 to Moore Park. Due to major construction it was a long walk to The Royal Hall of Industries @ EQ to get to The Big Design Market.

I was very disappointed when I arrive
, the showbags had sold out but I managed to enter without paying the $2 entry fee because I had no cash with me.

At the market I purchased a rope trivet, a coconut cherry and hibiscus tea soda, because it was really hot, a set of 4 beeswax wraps by Honeybee and 4 black and white acrylic pins in the shape of Australian animals which I hope to wear with my Marimekko dress and also keep some as hand gifts when I travel overseas again.

I was hoping to catch a German Film Festival screening of Deutschland Made By Germany at the Chevel starting at 3.45 pm today but unfortunately missed it.

It is getting dark and late and it is beginning to spit rain. I am still waiting for the bus back to Bondi Junction to get the M40 directly home instead of going in the opposite direction and having to walk and change buses and trains 3 times.

Tomorrow I will be catching up with errands.