Pre-loved

Indeed, Kim's Chinese Grocery was immediately to the right of this picture. Garema Place, Civic.

Primary Colours

These wonderfully co-ordinated pallette's and lifter out the back of a local nursery caught my eye the other day, not hard to see why. You may or may not have noticed that the majority of my posts in the last few weeks have come from a very limited area. I'm in the process of switching my registration between states and have been essentially without a car. This has forced to pay closer attention to my local area, to look beneath the seemingly mundane for an interesting image or story, and given me a greater appreciation for my little slice of the Canberra pie.

On the menu

Found behind Domino's Pizza at Weston.

There's a destination a little up the road...

...Well just clap your hands, just clap your hands

(Sorry! I couldn't help the Beck reference, it was calling to me!)

I passed by a thousand signs

So much love, so little time.

Fresh?

The other side of a shopfront, near Woden Bus Interchange.

A different perspective

Target carpark, Canberra Centre

Subterranean

Beyond Q Books in Curtin is less of a book shop than an experience. Housed beneath the unprepossessing Curtin shops, Beyond Q is a book lovers dream, filled with 3km worth of second hand books as well as ephemera so random it's cool - I picked up a daggy 80s style Wagga Wagga postcard for my flatmate the first time I visited. They also make surprisingly delicious coffee which is served to you in tankards while you sit on a Victorian chaise lounge. Add live jazz on weekends into the mix and it really is about two or three slices of heaven, not to mention their impressive display of original Popular Penguins which lines a full wall of the cafe. Only 10 minutes drive from my door, this is definitely my favourite Canberra haunt so far.

Take it easy

Ottomans (?), Canberra Centre

Dare to Dance!

Anyone who has lived in Canberra, or been to Canberra and followed signs full of promise such as "Deakin Shops" will know that in virtually every suburb around the city there is the modern equivalent of the corner shop: a half block of shop fronts that will always house a grocer and maybe a cafe, take-away or a pharmacy. Though it is absolutely contrived I like the concerted attempt to foster (in some small way) a sense of small scale community. Every time I go for a bottle of milk I see the same faces, and they recognise me. It's nice to know that I'm not getting lost in the crowd.

This little dance studio is part of my local 'shops'. It's always interesting to walk past and see the girls in their black leotards doing moves I could never even dream of! Makes my walk and grocery run that little bit more fun and proves that sometimes enjoyment is closer to home than you think.