Tasmania's MONA and Chicken Curry in an Extra Hurry

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of going to Tasmania. It was a girls weekend that my friend, Neeta, had planned. A girls weekend away here usually means a 1.5 hour drive to the Hunter Valley, a wine region OR a drive to a cute quaint seaside town. That would be too ordinary for the wonderful and adventuresome Neeta. Besides, Neeta is an "Expiring Ex-Pat," an ex-pat that is soon returning back to their home country. In their final months, they do and see more of Australia and/or the area they live in than most residents will see in years.

Tasmania is an Australian state located about 400 miles off the coast of southern Australia. It has a population of 515,000 and is about 70% of the size of England. The state capital of Hobart is known for the Sydney to Hobart sailing race (click to read previous blog on this race). It is also known for good weekend markets, great scenery and a gourmet food scene. Many Australians and visitors go to Tasmanian to go hiking and/or rent a camper van and drive around to see the natural beauty and coasts. On the flip it also has a reputation, something akin to the US state of West Virginia - a hick place full of inbreds. You know, a place where men are men and the sheep are scared. Trust me, there are a lot of sheep in Tasmania. My only knowledge of Tasmania was the Tasmanian Devil, another unique Australian creature that can only be found in Tasmania and on Looney Tunes cartoons.

Real Tasmania Devil,  source:australiangeographic.com.au

With Neeta planning the trip, I didn't have much to do or worry about. I was in great hands and I knew Neeta would not leave a stone unturned. All that I kept hearing about was a museum there, called the MONA - the Museum of Old and New Art. Right off  the bat, I was put off by the name, MONA, as there is a world renowned MOMA in New York City. I wondered how someone in Tasmania of all places could have the audacity to call their museum the 'MONA'...as if. I am snobby about a lot of things and one of them is art. I have been fortunate to have done a lot of travelling and everywhere I go, I always seek out art museums. If there isn't an art museum, I will go to the local cathedral to admire the paintings and art work there. I have gone to many of the world's best art museums in Europe and the US and didn't think a little museum in Tasmania would be on that level.....at all. Plus, I am not a big fan of modern art. I think most paintings by 3 year olds are better than the many vague and sparse modern paintings I have seen. So, despite all the hype for the MONA, I was already skeptical that it was not going to be much of anything. Boy, was I wrong. The MONA blew...me...away! All I can say still, several months later is, REMARKABLE! If this museum was in major world city like New York, Paris, London, there would be lines down the street. It was THAT GOOD at least in my little art eyes.

The tone for a great adventure was already set when we boarded the special MONA ferry in Hobart to transport us there. The ferry was a large catamaran in camoflague colours outfitted with a staff in uni-suits that looked like something out of the movie, Top Gun.  Neeta had paid a little extra so we could ride in the Posh Pit of the ferry which gave us free stimulants (alcohol or espresso) and canapes on our ferry ride to and from the MONA

MONA ferry, source: http://www.abc.net.au/

Once we reached the museum, it was a bit odd as you couldn't really see the building. Once you ascended the stairs, there was an astro turf tennis court that you had a walk across to a black mirrored opening/door. While I am a big tennis player, I found the tennis court bizarre and the non descript mirrored front door entrance to be strange. I thought there might be a big MONA sign but instead there was the court and a cheesy disco- like entrance. (I later found out that the museum owner, David Walsh, is an avid tennis fan.)

Once inside, there is a cafe with a fireplace to the right and a museum shop to the left. To get to the art, you descend down a long winding black iron staircase that goes deeper and deeper down into cut sandstone and underground. Unlike most museums where you rent a audio tour, the MONA gives you a free iPod that has a GPS system in it so anywhere you are in the museum the GPS tells you which art is around you, some information on that artwork and some pieces have music that is hand selected for that artwork - very impressive. In front of you is a big black and white board, that reminded me a bit of the boards in Grand Central Station, New York. To the left of this entry is a bar. Yes a bar, in case you want a drink before you begin exploring the museum.

Cool board with changing patterns and changing words at entrance. It reminded me
of the boards at Grand Central Station in New York City. Source: my phone

Drinks anyone? A great looking bar that pours everything, including the wine
made at the on-site winery. Source: my phone

From there, you start exploring the museum. My favourite art exhibition from the whole museum was there, right in the beginning of the museum.This is artist's Julius Popp's Bit.Fall. It's a waterfall that releases droplets of water that form words from news headlines before dropping to to the ground. The meaning behind it is to expose us to to the constant stream of information that we receive from the world each day. It draws you in quickly due to the sheer size of the art, the desire to see what words will come out next and the constant thumping noise its makes as the words drop to the ground.

Julius Popp's Bit.Fall
I hope you can view this video from my phone

Right after Bit.Fall was a ping pong table with lots of intricate painting and drawing on it. The museum encourages you to play on it. How cool to be in a museum where people are actively playing on and with the art pieces! 

Ping Pong Table source: my phone

Another piece I liked was a fat Porsche which symbolised our over consumption society

The Fat Porsche by Erwin Wurm, source:my phone

Then there is the famous piece of art, The Cloaca by Wim Delvove, where lots of glass "vats" turn food into feces. I prefer to call it the Poop Room. I didn't know poop was art as we all poop everyday so what's the big deal?! It appeared to be more of an elaborate science project, where they give the machine some food from the museum cafe, and as it passes through various cylinders various enzymes are added until it poops at the end. Despite the vile smell, I had morbid curiosity and happened to be there for the daily poop - lucky me. I thought of including the photo but it's quite gross.

Time for a poo? The Cloaca by Wim Delvove, source:my phone

 Another area of interest and discussion was the Wall of Genitalia which was filled with many paintings. I actually didn't find it shocking at all as the paintings were pretty watercolours where you wouldn't realise there were private parts unless you looked up close.

One painting from the Wall of Gentitalia, source:my phone

There was also another room where only 2 people could go in at time. You entered the room and had to follow a path of stones over black water to reach an ancient Eygptian mummy who was entombed in a glass case on your left and on your right was another glass case with a computer generated image to show what the mummy would look like inside. In front of you was a spotlight on a noose hanging from the ceiling with a poem about death on the wall. Unfortunately, I do not have any photos but it was very powerful. There was so much more art but I don't want to bore you so I just gave my highlights. However, if you are ever in Tasmania, all I can say is go, go, to MONA!

The MONA was an all day event. The nice thing is all the amenities it has there to enjoy your experience - a winery with wine tours,  2 casual and 1 high end restaurant, and a hotel hidden out of view. We went on the wine tour and had a nice lunch which were all good things to bring my mind back down to earth and give me a break from the museum overstimulation. I could have spent another day or two there and I hope to go back again.

One of the most interesting things about the MONA is the man behind it, David Walsh. In doing my research on him, he is the pure definition of an 'enigma' - a person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand.' David Walsh grew up poor in Hobart, Tasmania and was raised in the Catholic faith. He was a shy geeky kid who was very good at mathematics and later computer programming. While at University, he teamed up with a fellow student and later business partner Zeljko Ranogajec, and they started counting cards at black jack tables. Walsh then dropped out of University and spent a lot of his time at a  Tasmanian casino before being kicked out by the casino for winning too much. They then became traveling gamblers, counting cards and gambling at casinos throughout the world and amassing a fortune.  Using Ranogajec's gambling skills and Walsh's mathematical abilities, they were able to read and count cards which caused them to win (and lose) alot of money at casinos. They went on to form the company Bank Roll, which is one of the worlds most successful gambling syndicates, with business in Europe, Australia, Asia and the US. 

David Walsh at his MONA, source: Peter Mathew/News Limited

David Walsh, (only) 52,  used his gambling earnings to buy art from around the world. It started on a gambling trip to Africa where he wasn't allowed to take more cash out of the country than he took in. However, you were allowed to take art out of the country so he put his winnings into art and it's said that was the beginning of his art collection. Over time, he amassed a multi-million dollar art collection, built a small gallery in Tasmania and eventually decided to fully fund and build the MONA., which was estimated to cost between $150-$200 million. He considers MONA a gamble, and admits to doing extra gambling while the museum was being built. Luckily, he won and the museum opened in 2011. In the past 3 years, MONA has had over 1 million visitors which has been a huge boost for Tasmania's depressed economy.

 David Walsh is an enigma. I read numerous articles about him to write this blog which were very time consuming and puzzling as in one article he is very clear and articulate and in another, he is quite vague. He appears to like the attention he is getting and hate it at the same time. An obvious example of his confusing personality is his car space at the MONA. Since he is an avid atheist, perhaps this is a joke, his joke OR perhaps he is extremely full of himself or perhaps both. 

David Walsh's parking spots at his MONA, source:my phone

Of all the information I read on David Walsh, perhaps his bio on the MONA's website is the most insightful. He quotes a a line from Dostoyevsky's The Gambler: "As far as my most secret moral convictions are concerned, there is no place for them in my present deliberations. Be that as it may; I am speaking to clear my conscience. But I will make this observation: for some time now I have found it terribly repugnant to judge my actions and thoughts by any moral standard whatsoever. Something else was guiding me.... 

After that, his bio states, "Like some of the greatest minds of the modern era (the people with the minds) he consumes too much dairy, and sometimes obscures insecurity by acting like a prick. Usually, however, he's a prick because he feels like it." (MONA museum website, link highlighted above). I don't know. I wondered why a rich reclusive geek would want to build an art museum instead of spending his money on himself or making large donations to charity. I found this David Walsh quote in several articles: “Those who make money without creating anything should feel the most social pressure and personal pressure, be the most [susceptible] to moral judgment if they don’t do something with the money.”(The Guardian)  Bravo, David Walsh! This is the best thing I read in the many articles I reviewed and the quote I will remember. And really, no matter, what myself or anyone thinks about him, I am thankful that he spent his millions on art, put it in a cool building, and shared it with me and the world. He's definitely not a prick in my eyes. 

The best thing about my MONA experience was that it kept me in the moment, 100% present and engaged in the museum. I wasn't thinking about my family, my responsibilties, my active cell phone, etc. I was there, just there in the MONA, looking at art I liked, art I disliked, exposing my senses and thinking about the big picture...big questions...things much greater than myself. That is a great museum experience and a rare day for me. If you are ever in Tasmania, I encourage you to run to the MONA. You will not be disappointed and if you are, go again or at least go have a few drinks in the posh pit :).

On to food, glorious food...a simple dinner. I am a big fan of rotisserie chicken, which is called 'BBQ chicken' in Australia. I use it for school sandwiches and wraps, a quick weeknight dinner, and for my chicken enchiladas (click to see recipe from previous blog). During my sister's recent visit, she made Mark Bittman's Chicken Curry in a Hurry from his book, Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times. Mark Bittman writes a recipe column for The New York Times. It is called "The Minimalist" and he simplifies recipes to make them quick and easy for the home chef.  I have made this recipe even faster by using rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breasts. I omitted the salt and pepper as the chicken is seasoned and the original recipe calls for sour cream but I used coconut milk instead. This recipe is fast, delicious and can be customised to suit your taste. Enjoy!

Chicken Curry in an Extra Hurry

adapted from Mark Bittman's Curry in a Hurry

Rice 

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
1.5 tsp Curry Powder, or to taste
1/2 Rotisserie Chicken, meat removed
1 cup Coconut Milk

OPTIONAL ADD INs: raisins, walnuts

1) Cook Rice.

2) Remove meat from rotisserie chicken and set aside.

3) Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Note: It is really important to cook (and not burn) the onions for 5 minutes. This will make them soft and sweet.

4) Turn the heat down to medium, sprinkle the curry powder and continue to cook for a another few minutes.

5) Add chicken, stir through and cook on low/medium heat for 5 minutes.

5) Add coconut milk and stir constantly so onion, spices and coconut milk mix and thicken.

6) Serve curry over rice and sprinkle nuts and/or raisins on top

International Fleet Review and Not-so-Fishy Curry

It is early October, the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing louder than normal. October...spring...what?! We've almost been here 4 years and yet the seasons and months of the southern hemisphere still confuse me. I look like such an idiot when I'm at the post office in the middle of the afternoon and not only do I ask the lady at the counter what day it is but also what month. Spring in October - well, what do you know? October was my favourite month growing up in northeastern US. The air was crisp, football was on TV, school tennis was in full swing, the leaves were turning lovely colours, and the holiday season was on its' way with Halloween kicking it off on October 31. Here it is quite the opposite and I am not sure I will ever adjust to these opposite seasons.

I like October so much that my husband and I got married in October. For this anniversary, we went away for the weekend on our own. We wanted to go inland to Mudgee or somewhere coastal but everything was sold out for the long Labour Day weekend here. We ended up taking a short drive into downtown Sydney and staying there. Both of us were a bit disappointed to go away so close to home. However, we had a great time eating, drinking, sightseeing, shopping and relaxing. It is fun to be a tourist in your own city and go see the sights you don't make time to see as a local. The highlight of the weekend was the International Fleet Review.


nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
I had not heard heard about the International Fleet Review but it has been in the making for the past 2 years. The original Fleet Review started hundreds of years ago when Henry V of England wanted to see all his ships before they went off to battle. Since then, there have been fleet reviews throughout the world when a country's ships assemble for war or to show their united strength to their enemies.  This International Fleet Review was to celebrate 100 years since the first Royal Australian Navy ships arrived in Sydney. There were 40 warships, 16 tall ships and 8000 sailors in Sydney for events lasting 9 days. More than 20 nations, including the US, sent ships and Navy personnel to participate. Yes, it was a mob scene! They estimated that 1.6 million people were in Sydney CBD over the course of the weekend. Can you say, 'crazy'?

dailymail.co.uk
Luckily, even though there were crowds of people, the warships and boats were scattered in the harbour so if the Opera House, Circular Quay, Rocks, Harbour Bridge areas were too crowded you could walk to another area of the city and look out on the water and see boats. After braving the crowds and security check at the Sydney Opera House, Derek and I walked to nearby  Woolloomooloo (yes, that is the name of a hip, Sydney suburb. It is linked to two Aboriginal names meaning, "young black kangaroo" and "burial place". Thanks wikipedia.org) and enjoyed a great aerial plane shows. For me, the warships and tall ships were nice but the aerial displays were awesome!

cnn.com
A guest at the event was Prince Harry. This was the Princes' first official trip to Australia representing the royal family. Australia is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen serving mostly as a figurehead to the government. There are mixed emotions regarding the attachment of England to Australia but most people here seem fascinated by the royal family. They are in the news and magazines here a lot more than in the US. I was fortunate to see Prince Harry by sheer accident when trying to enter the Hotel Shangri-Lai. We were heading up to see the fireworks display at the hotel bar on the 36th floor that has amazing views of the city. We were stopped by police and told to wait as a VIP ('I can't say who but you'll know soon') was coming in. When he did arrive, I was amazed by the amount of police and security. I would have only thought the Queen would receive that much security. Poor Harry! It's no wonder he is a bit of a crazy boy sometimes; he's got to let his hair down when he can. It was exciting to see him and then go up to the bar for an excellent panoramic view of the fireworks. THE FIREWORKS WERE AMAZING!!! Sydney is known for its' New Years' Eve fireworks but the International Fleet Review fireworks were special because the fireworks were shot off 13 different Navy boats in the Harbour. So, instead of most of the fireworks being over the Harbour Bridge and Opera House on New Years, the fireworks were scattered throughout the Harbour. It was truly an awesome sight to see and I was glad we were high up in the hotel so we had a great panoramic view.
 
dailytelegraph.com.au

dailytelegraph.com.au
With the Navy and boats, I am compelled to have a fish dish for this blog. I have chosen my Not-so-Fishy Curry. This is a mild Indian Curry that is fast & easy to make and a general crowd pleaser. You can also use frozen white fish to make it which makes it more economical than buying expensive fresh fish. Even my youngest daughter, who is a picky eater, likes this dinner. That says a lot as she would ideally like to eat like a 3 year old - bread, chicken nuggets, pasta, string cheese, sausages. She does not eat fish normally but will eat this fish curry. Give it a go!

Not-so-Fishy Curry

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large brown onion, chopped

1 tablespoon mild curry powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

270ml/9oz can can light coconut cream or milk

(I prefer coconut cream over coconut milk as it is thicker and richer)

400g/14oz can of chopped tomatoes

800g/1.7 lbs of frozen Basa fish (any light, white fish can be used)

Steamed Rice

1) Start cooking rice.

2) Since this is a curry, you can use frozen fish. Thaw out fish and cut into chunks.

3) In large saucepan, heat olive oil and cook onion for 2 minutes until slightly softened. Add curry powder and cook until onion is soft. Stir in tomato paste.

4) Add coconut cream and chopped tomatoes.

5) Add fish pieces and let cook on low simmer for 15-20 minutes.

6) Serve over rice.