My pal, Tim Mansfield, sent out a series of newsletters around the topic of feeling stuck. One of the posts that stuck in my brain was about work. Because all around me, friends ask:
- Am I doing the right work?
- Do I like my work?
- How should I get work that I like?
I often wondered about these questions too.
My first two major career phases, which could really be seen as one extending to the other, were connected to a passion and purpose: to change the world for the better, first through fighting for gay and lesbian rights (and I do leave out bisexual and transgender folks as my organisation wasn’t particularly good at inclusion at that stage) and then working to reduce HIV infections around the world, while improving conditions for those living with HIV.
However, while a sense of purpose underlay all of my work, I remember very early on realising that in fact most of my work was very similar to my father’s work as a businessman, sitting at a desk all day, organising information and numbers. And my day-to-day work would often be unpleasant and draining, not because of passionately fighting injustice, but instead because I had to navigate the egos of and rivalries with people I worked in, and a preponderance of terrible, terrible managers.
After a mid-life crisis, I realised that I didn’t have to stick with the same career forever. I could contribute to any social justice causes I wished, in my spare time, without having to make it my career. Most of us are small players in a much larger movement; removing this cog from that machine would be pretty much unnoticeable.
I love my new career as an editor and writer. I love the activity of it, the variation and freedom, the absence of bad managers.
So one of the links in Tim’s posts made me think: In the Name of Love, with the subtitle ‘Elites embrace the “do what you love” mantra. But it devalues work and hurts workers‘ by Miya Tokumitsu and posted on Slate.com.
The writer argues persuasively that it’s only the global elites that have the economic freedom to try to make our passion (whether a cause or something we like doing) into our work. Most people just need to work for a living, at whatever work they can get, and the language of ‘do what you love’ casts judgement on those who don’t.
Miya makes many more complicated arguments than that, but I take away the idea, something which I have said before, is that sometimes (or for some people, perhaps all the time), work is something that you need to do to survive. You shouldn’t believe you’re doing unrewarding work just because you’re doing it to pay the rent. And neither should work be rejected because it doesn’t represent someone’s life passion. Can’t we have lives outside our work (even though I know we spend a lot of time there)?
A further point, which I found useful, is that when people do love their work, it shouldn’t be an excuse for them to be paid less or treated badly because they are ‘doing what they are really passionate about’: the example of university professors is given.
I’m also thinking of the countless times that I asked somebody what they do for a living, and while they actually like what they do, they would discount it, expecting the world to judge their work as not being noble enough or being boring (accountants seem particularly reluctant to admit they like their work).
As for me, I’ll be thankful that I do have work that I enjoy. I’ll advise friends who are feeling too pained about their work that perhaps the question is not whether they feel passionate about their work, but whether they are being treated well enough, and if it allows them to do others things in their life that they are passionate about.
Or is that too simplistic? Do you like your work? Love it? Or really would like to find a new job?
(As far as I can tell, these photos of Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson and Dave Franco, created for their film Unfinished Business, as spoofs of stock photos of the workplace can be used for editorial, non-commercial purposes…)
So, I actually saw this first on my Facebook feed, posted by an American friend who wondered why he couldn’t get one in America. Reading more closely, I was like WTF? Krispy Kreme in Australia is now doing 
I squirreled the doughnuts home for an afternoon snack with the better half. He thought it was pretty good. I was disappointed. The filling tastes like… peanut butter. And the chocolate glaze like chocolate. I think the problem is that I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. They’re my favourite. And they don’t really taste like chocolate or peanut butter. The peanut butter is sweetened and hardened just so; it’s nearly the same texture as the soft North American chocolate which is kind of milky and kind of low quality. It all melds together into something really tasty.
Friday night was a bloody fun night out, with Earth, Wind and Burger, at Bang Bang Cafe in Surry Hills.
They’ve got a licence so they’re testing the waters… They’ve got two guys, Groove City, spinning some cool tunes, and they’re serving up some really, really delicious burgers.
The cornflake chicken burger was super crisp and excellent.
The poutine was fine. Chips and gravy and cheese. Not quite like the Canadian version with cheese curds.
The breakfast burger, with maple glazed bacon and hashbrowns and sauces, was messy and delish.
And they’ve got beer and cider and wine.
I’m planning on bringing a group here because I like a casual Friday night out… but going to any bar in Sydney that serves food on a Friday night is a sh*tfight, way too crowded and way too noisy.
Meeting my pal Darryl for brunch at Mr Mo, he tells me that there’s a whole new set of waiters, so he’s not sure if it’s under new management. The menu is the same, and the vibe is too: a nice, friendly cafe serving decent coffee and tasty breakfasts with smiling waiters.
I’ve been here on and off for years. It’s fine, not fancy, no bells and whistles or attempts to be particularly hipster or contemporary (unlike many a place in Surry Hills), but I find the food just fine. In fact, my pesto, hashbrowns, a poached egg and bacon on toast was a really great combination of crispness.
It’s got a nice, neighbourhood feel, and come to think of it, the service lately has been particularly welcoming, upbeat and friendly, and that’s got to count for something.
Exciting new Moorish-inspired restaurant in the CBD.
It’s hard to keep up with all the new restaurants in Sydney, so when we couldn’t get into Hubert (not even close, apparently you have to be super early or late with their no reservations policy), my pal R said there’s another restaurant he’s wanted to try. I made an online reservation instantaneously. We walked over, with time for a beer at Frankie’s Pizza along the way.
Using a phrase he’s obviously used before, R. asked Michelle, our waiter, what she’d order if this was her only meal here. She rattled off some suggestions, and we said: Bring us that. Plus: they matched the courses (a perfect, modest but filling amount) with delicious wine. Our first course, an amuse-bouche really, was marinated yellow fin tuna, piparras peppers, olives. Perfectly balanced. Oh, those olives were high quality and tasty. The peppers were perfect. And a yummy bit of almost raw tuna.
And what to mention? The potato sauerkraut & smoked manchego gratin, the turkish ravioli of pumpkin, yogurt & burnt butter, or the smoked Wagyu tongue in brioche with pickled green tomato (basically an upmarket toastie!)?
The food was rich, delicious and memorable. We loved that Michelle shared her expert knowledge with us, and well: we loved it.
As anyone can see, my blog, andyville, has been taken over by dozens of reviews of restaurants and bars. I enjoy my food blogging, and I don’t see it stopping in the near future. But I’m going to aim to do a bit more general writing. I suppose one could call it advice.
There’s something comforting that this restaurant has been around soooo long, and reminds me both of Cantonese restaurants in Vancouver, where I was born, and also my first years in Sydney, when I’m sure I popped in, trying to satisfy a craving for beef brisket wonton, curried beef brisket on Rice, or perhaps some fried rice noodles.
I remember thinking the first times I came that it was a bit expensive, and I think it would be cheaper to get food of the same quality or better at a food court. However, since it’s got a great butcher attached to it (Emperor’s Garden Butcher), I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of being drawn in here again, after buying something from next door.
I used to pop in Singapura Eating House when it was a few blocks closer to the City, in Oxford Square. Lots of folks from the Fitness First would eat there, and it seemed to me a little bit of a contrast, these fit, lean, muscley people eating not particularly healthy food rather than (or in addition to) their protein shakes.
While occasionally I’d choose food from their hot bar (tasty enough, but too much to eat with a generous serving of rice), my go-to dish is the char kway teow. It’s reliably tasty, and every once in a while, I crave it.
It’s the same at the new location, and my pal seemed to enjoy his gado gado enough. It’s more comfortable to sit in and hang out at then the last location. Reliable, inexpensive and authentic Asian home cooking.
A newly opened taste of the Greek Islands
Very impressive how they’ve created this fun little tropical Mediterrean feel in the middle of Darlinghurst and it felt authentic, not tacky. Although our friends said the mezze meal is incredible, we ended up splitting the meat platter.
It was cheap too. Matched with a bottle of white wine, and we were really pleased. Weirdly, that night I woke up around 3am, dry throat, soooo thirsty. And then had to drink more water at 6am. I SMSed my pal and said: great meal, but I had this weird experience. He said that he felt the same, drank a whole bottle of mineral and then couldn’t get to sleep until about 2am. So, Isle, loved your food but what is that secret ingredient?