Chatswood - The Happy Town

Thought I should mention about Chatswood here, although I only spent half a day there.

It was another small towny paradise, about thirty minutes' train ride from Sydney, and still more than 2 hours from my adopting city. I had to make a transit stop at Hornsby before boarding an express train to my destination via the North Sydney route. As the train charged, we journeyed through interesting towns with elegant names, like Roseville and Lingfield. I found them heavenly and fascinating. Rows of attractive houses graced the pristinely clean streets, like fairytale cottages in the storybooks. The intertwining plants and colourful flowers decked on the brick walls added life and intrigue to the homes. I was envious of the leisurely life that the residents had and wished I had the fortune of living in such an environment. It was simply too awesome for me.

Chatswood was similarly enchanting. There was an amazingly thick Korean/Japanese air. As soon as I alighted from the train station, I was assailed by hordes of commuters, an equal and healthy mixture of Australians and Asians. A right turn brought me to the food court where I ordered my delicious chicken laksa from a Chinese couple. The pleasant lady owner greeted me in Cantonese with a heartwarming smile. It was perhaps a usual greeting for her, but somehow that made my day. The friendly spark in her eyes and her kind demeanour were affable and unforgettable.

My friends had told me that Chatswood was a shopping paradise, with all the outlets that we could find in Sydney. They were quite rght. The main street was bordered by two long stretches of shops, centered by Myers in the huge shopping mall. The foyer in between were sprinkled with myriad makeshift stalls selling various assortments from simple silver jewelleries to sunglasses to multicultural food preparations, including that from Singapore/Malaysia. It was reminiscent of our neighbourhood bustle back at home with its characteristic simplicity and familiarity. There was a live musical performance by an ethnic Turkish band, with scattered small groups of quiet but attentive audiences, mainly shoppers seeking rest and food refuges.

I decided to stroll down the streets hoping to have a glimpse of the peripheries beyond the touristy spot. The town was pretty self-sufficient, with the necessities centered in the main tourist compound and the living quarters surrounding it. It was alive with its multi-ethnic occupants, but without the undesirable mess and noise pollution that we find in Sydney Central. Vibrant school children glowing with rosy cheeks added to the dynamic background. Congregations of Korean/Japanese housewives at the Asian eateries and along the neat roads, sharing their lives and passions, filled the air with their hearty laughters and giggles. I bought a cooling strawberry frappacino from my favourite Starbucks and chilled out in the vicinity, watching the world go by.

After a futile Christmas shopping, I called it a day and made my way back to the train station, not before stopping at one of the Takayaki stalls for the all-time mouth-watering specialty. The cute Japanese sellers were extremely polite and professional, leaving a lasting impression. Sushis and sashimis abound in this happy town, which I vowed to return for one day with my friends.

It would be lovely to be able to experience living in this small corner of Oz, with its healthy dose of immigrants and the cheerful ambience that perpetuated the air, a stark difference from my current abode. It would not have been possible at this stage with my career only taking off here. Perhaps it may be feasible to consider moving on only in the near future. This is one ocean which I have yet to explore fully.