Kobe Requilman
We love our job! We can’t emphasise enough how how much fun it is to tap people on the shoulder and get to know them a little bit and to find out what binds us all together.
“Bondi has become more than just a place where I live. I’m only a short walk from the beach, so it has naturally become part of my everyday life; morning walks, watching the sunrise, grabbing coffee, meeting friends, and sometimes just sitting by the water and doing nothing [Ed. we all need to learn to do nothing].
What I love most is that Bondi has its own rhythm. It can be busy and full of people, but at the same time, there’s something very calming about being here. You see the same faces, people walking their dogs, runners, surfers, families, locals having their morning coffee; everyone somehow becomes part of the scenery.
As someone who moved to Sydney from the Philippines, Bondi has also been one of the places that made Sydney feel like home for me. I’ve met people here, discovered little places to eat and explore, and created a lot of memories around the beach. I think that’s what makes me attached to it, it’s not just the beach itself, but the everyday life that happens around it.
Right now, I’m excited about discovering more of Australia and, especially, seeing Bondi through a different perspective. I love taking photos and creating short videos, so I’m always noticing little things, the light in the morning, people walking along the beach, interesting characters, food spots, or something unexpected happening on the street.
I’m also excited about meeting more people in the community and hearing their stories. I think every person has a different relationship with Bondi, and that’s what makes the place interesting. There’s always something new to discover, even when you feel like you already know the area.
For me, Bondi is a reminder that sometimes you don’t have to travel far to feel like you’re somewhere special. Sometimes it’s just a morning walk, the ocean, a good coffee, and a familiar view.”
THISBOWL (nee FISHBOWL)
Theirs is a great story. These three guys were hungry one day and the next they had opened their very first shop in Bondi Beach serving fresh Asian-inspired, quality-ingredient filled fast food. By the next day they had launched in 60 new locations across Australia and the US. Actually it was more like 10 years but given they were 23 years old when they opened the first FISHBOWL (now THISBOWL) it seems meteoric.
Last Saturday they re-opened the original shop on Campbell Parade after a remodel that reflects all the things that interest them: “food, design, music, art, movement, and community”.
The place is filled with work from local artists including these ceramic bowls that were fired on the Mid North Coast and hand painted by the kindergarteners at Bondi Beach Public School.
Laura, Freya Hanly and Digby (and Olive)
Olive (the dog on the right) is usually being shooed out of the way when the photo is being taken but in this instance we thought it was fitting that she got to muscle in. It was Olive who inspired Laura and family to get a dog and that’s how they ended up with Digby. We tie Olive up on the ramp at the Icebergs which is where Laura got to know her. Laura was VERY impressed with Olive’s patience. Good girl!
Laura and Freya were walking to school along the promenade with Digby when we met them.
Trish Garcia
Michael “Cheg” Chegwidden Plaque
The South end is dotted with various memorials.