Category Archives: Reiki Surry Hills

Further adventures of reiki cat

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For some reason, Thor was particularly being a reiki cat at the start of December, so I thought I’d give you an update on him.

He’s generally been stretching out in the space where I offer my clients to sit down, sometimes slowly pushing against them so he’s basically taking up the whole area, and clients are perched on the corner of the sofa.

Or he sits on the reiki table, looking at my clients and then doing his classic move of falling over on his side with his belly exposed, so if you’re used to cats, you know he wouldn’t mind a bit of a belly rub.

I can’t believe what a flirt he’s being.

Occasionally, he’s missing in action, but has often been around, and if it’s anywhere from about 2.30pm onwards, he’ll be looking for attention in the lead-up to dinner at 5pm.

It’s uncanny that he seems to know, before a client will come even in the door, whether they are cat people, have cats, or are even dog people but don’t mind cats.

One client, who has three cats, came with her husband, who waited quietly on the sofa during the treatment, and Thor just got up and lay down beside him the whole time. A long time ago, he was going through a bit of an active phase where I didn’t trust him not to jump up on the table during a treatment, so I’d let him say hello and then put him out of the room. Mostly lately, he’s happy to say hello, and then if we can move him from the table to the sofa, he just blisses out. However, a few days ago, a client who has a long-haired cat came in for a treatment and Thor decided that he would obviously be welcome and jumped onto the table just as the treatment started. It was cute but I put him out of the room.

Freyja, Thor’s sister, rarely makes an appearance, though sometimes noses around before dinnertime, and as mentioned, occassonally, she will really decide that someone is OK with cats, and even allows them a quick touch.

I had my first client who was afraid of cats. Phobias are so hard to relate to when you don’t have them yourself. I was looking at the faces of my gentle, curious cats, and thinking: how can you be afraid of them? But she managed to back into the reiki room … I kept the cats away from her, and she had a great treatment (it was her first and she was amazed at how good she felt, right away, afterwards).

I never imagined Thor might be a part of my reiki practice, but if he graces us with his presence, I consider it a pretty good thing. If he’s already dozing, he’s a pretty good model for how to be in this world. With most of my clients coming for stress and anxiety, he’s a good role model for being free of both of them. Plus, he really seems to be bring delight to various clients. A number of clients who are from overseas have had to leave their cats with family members in their home countries, so they love to be able to hang out with a cat … And one or two clients had Russian Blues in their childhood or have known Russian Blues in their time, so it’s especially nice for them to have a visit with Thor.

As in my last post about reiki cat, in May, I try to warn clients on my website if they have allergies to cats to warn me, but I understand that it’s hard to read everything on a website. Yet, I don’t want to make the cat a defining feature of my practice! One of my current clients thinks Thor is beautiful but is allergic, so popped an antihistimine before her treatment and was fine. I had a client a few months ago, who unfortunately, became so congested during the treatment from his allergy to cats that I don’t think he was able to relax into the treatment. If you’re allergic to cats, let me know before you come and I’ll give the room an extra vacuum, wash my hands an extra time, and try to make the place as free of cat fur as possible before your visit.

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Since 2011, I’ve given over 900 treatments. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.
Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.
 

Best wishes for the holidays

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[The year Galeries Lafayette in Paris put their Christmas tree upside down]

From me to you, from here to there, and wherever you are in the world and from wherever you might be reading this:

✨ Have a wonderful holiday season

✨ Be nice to yourself (but don’t eat too much)

✨ Be nice to your family!

✨ Enjoy

✨ Have a wonderful new year… and I hope that 2019 will bring you what you need, peace of mind, kindness, love and healing.

(Reiki Surry Hills will be closed for the holiday season from 17 December to 2 January).

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.
Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

 

Why I’m not a Reiki Master

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Sunset on trees, Nelson Bay

When I was first learning about reiki from my brother, I was surprised and disappointed to find out that reiki is like any other system or school or practice. After it started, people started created their own variations, and because conflict is part of human nature, people from the various systems of reiki can criticize each other and fight with each other, which is … not really the point of reiki. But those are humans for you.

In most Western systems of reiki, the teachings are divided into three levels: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 (in Japanese traditional teaching, these are called okuden, shoden and shinpiden). Generally, after doing Level 3 or shinpiden, reiki practitioners are considered able to teach others reiki, though some of us don’t teach, and just use our practice to treat others and ourselves (and as a personal spiritual practice).

It is also after this level that generally, around the world, people refer to themselves as reiki masters. I’ve always been uncomfortable with this term. I think the reason why is that the word is often said with a mocking tone by people who think reiki or the idea of a reiki master is a bit silly.

The thing is: I agree that the phrase sounds silly. The word ‘master’, in common usage, means that someone possesses particular skills or experiences that give them mastery in an area. But my problem, when this is applied to reiki, is that it is not that difficult to simply do the classes. While you should do one level at a time, with time for the teachings to settle in between, these days I’ve heard of people who do the levels very quickly, or all at the same time. There are no particular tests to prove that someone has absorbed the knowledge. As long as you have the money for the courses, and take the time to do them, you too can become a ‘reiki master’.

But what I’ve learned from my teacher, Frans Stiene, and from practising reiki for over twenty years, is that reiki is a spiritual practice and a daily practice that includes meditation and chanting and trying to live a life according to the reiki precepts, to ‘just for today, not to worry or be angry, to be compassionate to ourselves and others, and be true to our way and being.’

Some people who do reiki courses do not continue to practice reiki regularly, so in this case, I’m not sure that the title of ‘reiki master’ is very meaningful.

Most importantly, to me, the title ‘reiki master’ can interfere with a reiki treatment. Used in the wrong way, or said in the wrong way, the term implies a superiority, a wise guru and expert who has masterful powers. But my role as a reiki practitioner during a treatment is not to DO something to my client, and not to wield magical powers, but to open a healing space in which both practitioner and client work together. The aim is not for me to be superior to my client.

For these reasons, I prefer using the term ‘reiki practitioner’, which is kind of a mouthful to say, but it suits me best. I’ve heard people use the term ‘reiki therapist’ but to me, therapy is associated more closely with clinical treatments and counselling. The term ‘reiki healer’ is not too bad, but I read too many fantasy novels in my younger years and tend to think of ‘healers’ as wearing long white robes using an arsenal of potions and a magic wand. So, for now, reiki practitioner it is … and that’s why I’m not a reiki master!

(As an addendum, which is somewhat related but I don’t want to do a separate blog on, a LOT of people seem to find my website while searching for ‘spiritual healing‘ or a ‘spiritual healer‘. While reiki works at an energetic level that is tied to a particular philosophy and sense of spirituality, I don’t define what I do as spiritual healing. A quick search on Google and I’m still confused. I know there are spiritualist churches (where people talk to the dead) and I have heard the expression before, ‘spiritual healing’, but I’m not sure, when someone calls themselves a spiritual healer in Sydney, what they actually do or offer.)

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.
Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Reiki Surry Hills newsletters

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Since starting Reiki Surry Hills, I’ve tried to keep in touch with clients. A newsletter seemed to be a good way to try to do this, and the rather amazing program Mailchimp allows individuals and businesses to easily create and send out newsletters and to maintain a list of contacts.

Of course, one doesn’t always meet one’s own expectations, so while I hoped to get out three or four newsletters a year, I managed to do two in 2016, two in 2017, and have now done a third (and last one for 2018).

Maybe this is good. I am bombarded with spam and junk mail every day, multiple newsletters from stores and businesses that I’ve used, and worst are constant entreaties to Reiki Surry Hills as a business. Most of them say, ‘I must say – your website is very impressive’ and then go onto to tell me I need them to get to the top of google rankings (or use them to create videos, or buy a doormat with my logo). So, I don’t want to ever come across as one of THOSE people.

So, I hope 3 or 4 newsletters a year is not too much. In the meantime, my latest newsletter is available. If you didn’t receive it directly and would like to read it, it’s here. I believe from that page, you can also subscribe to the newsletter if you haven’t already… or if you want to unsubscribe, please do so! I don’t want to annoy you by sending you information you don’t want, but I hope you keep in touch!

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.
Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Before your reiki treatment

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A lot more than you might think goes into preparing for your reiki treatment.

When I first get an enquiry, I’ll work out with a client what’s the best time for them to come. Or if they book online through Bookwell, then I need to check my calendar to make sure that time is free and confirm the appointment through Bookwell.

Then, for all clients who are coming, I send an SMS with some instructions about how to find me (as it’s a bit tricky to find the entrance in the small alley in Surry Hills) which also reminds them of the time of their appointment and the cost. It also means they have my phone number in case they get lost, want to ask further questions or need to cancel or rebook.

I’ve also learned that if someone doesn’t respond to that SMS, there’s a chance that they didn’t receive the message, and I should SMS again closer to the time and date of the appointment. Also, if someone books over a week in advance, it’s useful for me to try to remember to send a reminder, as clients do sometimes forget about a treatment if they book too far in advance (and don’t put it in their calendar).

Before the treatment, I need to make sure that the room is ready. Is the speaker charged so I can play music during the treatment? Is my Square charged for taking credit card payments? Do I also have change for those who pay in cash? Is the room tidy, and have I set up the reiki table with towels and pillows?

Twenty minutes before a treatment is when I’ve learned to be ready. Usually new clients are between 5 and 10 minutes early. Repeat clients, because they know the location, usually time their visit more closely to the appointment time, but often, understandably, clients give themselves a good amount of time to find the place, or they leave work early (who doesn’t want to do that?). If a client is five minutes late, I’ll send an SMS to ask if they need help finding me!

Being ready for the treatment means that I’ve made tea to offer when the client comes and sits down. Even if someone doesn’t want tea, I think it’s a nice thing to offer, and a nice way to sit down and feel like they’ve arrived somewhere. I also light the five tea light candles that I have in the room. Whether it’s sunny or dark, I’ve always liked candles, and the feeling of warmth they bring to a space. One of the candles is in my tea warmer, which I’ve discovered can keep the tea warm for the whole treatment!

To make sure we’re not disturbed during the treatment, I switch my fitness device to silent (if I don’t do this, it will buzz and tell me to “MOVE” during the treatment) but I don’t turn my phone to airplane mode until I’m sure the client has arrived. I also turn on my speaker, open the Spotify app on my iPhone and connect them, to play music during the treatment which I hope is relaxing and gentle and can also help block out any background noise from the street and neighbourhood.

When a client arrives, I buzz them in, greet them at the door, and welcome them to the apartment. I’ll ask them to remove their shoes at the door and offer them the use of the bathroom before we start (when I started proactively offering this, I was surprised how many clients took me up on the offer, which makes me wonder how many clients before that were uncomfortably realising during a treatment that they needed to go to the bathroom!). Then, I’ll ask the client to take a seat, introduce them to Thor, the reiki cat, if he’s decided to grace us with his presence, offer tea, and ask a client what brings them to reiki that day.

And finally, we’re ready to begin!

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.

Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Note to self: keep doing your thing.

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My teacher, Frans Stiene, from the International House of Reiki, posted this on Facebook a while ago, and it struck me how perfect it was for what I was feeling at the time.

It seems to be attributed on Pinterest and elsewhere to Nanea Hoffman who has a website called Sweatpants and Coffee (though I can’t find this post on her website).

There are many components that make a good reiki practitioner. Studying with a good teacher will help. A regular practice of meditation and reiki is essential. And I also think that we need to learn to have the right attitude and philosophy.

Even if I have good intentions, and want something specific for a person (say, to heal their broken heart when they’ve told me their heart is broken), me trying to control the energy and treatment gets in the way of the healing.

Similarly, if someone has specific expectations for a treatment, that they will feel a certain way, or that it will be exactly the same as a previous treatment, then that gets in the way of a treatment too. What if you are expecting a treatment to feel hot or for you to cry, and think that the treatment is only effective that way? Perhaps you would miss a different kind of healing that happens, that might be more subtle, or might feel different than what you expected.

For me, as a note to self, I can’t control what a client feels, and taking on disappointment if someone doesn’t get what they expect, or even have what they think is a bad experience, well, that’s not so helpful to me. It is something to be learned though, and a lesson that I think is a pretty good one for everyone, not only reiki practitioners.

The people around us are going through their own stuff, with their own reactions and expectations. We can’t control it. Just keeping on doing what we are doing, with as much love as we can do it with… that seems like a pretty good path forward.

The International House of Reiki’s Facebook page is here.

And if you haven’t visited lately, my Facebook page is here.

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.

Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

The most treatments EVER

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I’m not sure whether it was because of the article in the Mail Online, or the universe, or the weather, but last month, October, I gave the most reiki treatments that I’ve ever given: 51!

That’s almost two a day, every day, including the weekends. In reality, I had quite a few days where I gave three treatments, and a few days where I did none.

None of my clients mentioned the article itself, but I do think that it would have boosted my Google listing and just made it easier on the internet to find me. I also wondered, with all the rain (it was a really unusually rainy month in Sydney), whether clients were thinking of things they could do inside… and if the rain didn’t make some people a bit more melancholy or stressed out than usual.

It was a happy month for me! I kept to my limit of three treatments a day, and I found that I was able to balance the treatments with my other work as a freelance editor. Sometimes it did feel a little busy, getting bookings and enquiries throughout a day, and then making sure I’d put them into my calendar and my online booking calendar. I had two no-shows, which is unusual, and a few last minute cancellations.

My regular clients didn’t mind that this was the month I put my rates up from $75 to $80, and as usual, I met lots of nice and interesting people. Even though sometimes clients come in a bit of a state of distress or anxiety, I often get the sense of what nice people they are regardless. And I feel grateful for the opportunity to have a practice where I can bring people relief from some suffering and give them a helping hand, and I get the chance to meditate, and be still during the treatment. How lucky I am!

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.

Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Reiki Surry Hills in the news!

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I’m very happy that Reiki Surry Hills has been featured in an article in the Femail section of the Australian edition of the MailOnline. The MailOnline is the online version of Britain’s Daily Mail, and is the most visited English-language newspaper website in the world! It has homepages for the UK, USA, India and Australia. Check out the article here:

Is natural energy healing the secret to relieving stress for good? I tried Reiki for the first time – with surprising results

It came about when a wonderful Irish journalist named Alice Murphy put out a request to come for three reiki treatments and then write about it. While originally the article was meant to be matched with another story about another form of energy healing, that one got delayed, so I get a whole feature article myself!

I think it’s great, clearly written and features Reiki Surry Hills nicely. I like that the article is just a straightforward look at her experiences. She sets out the possible problem, and how she felt before, and then, along with a useful overall explanation of reiki, she talks about how she felt after the treatment. Some of my reviews are included from the website, a photo of me, and my husband even sneaks into the article (posing as a client).

I’m curious how many more treatments this will translate into, though this week (the article was first posted in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday), I have had a lot of bookings and as of the Friday, the page says there have been 1,200 shares!

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.

Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

Reiki tea

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I like serving tea as a part of my reiki treatments. It’s a nice way to welcome a client to the reiki room, to settle into the space, and to have a sip of something that is hopefully enjoyable. If I don’t manage to serve you tea, it’s likely that I’ve been a bit too busy to get organised (because of my other work, or perhaps two reiki treatments back to back) or you’ve arrived a bit earlier than I expected. I try to be ready for clients twenty minutes before the scheduled time, as that’s when the early birds come, but I don’t always make it!

My most commonly served tea is Genmaicha. This is a Japanese roasted rice tea, that has a mix of green tea and popped roasted rice. It has an interesting savoury flavour with even a hint of oil that you can sometimes see on the surface of the tea. Many of my clients tell me they love it and so I’ve written the name out for them! It’s easy enough to find in Asian grocery stores that sell Japanese products (in the tea section, usually, or in the Japanese section). I like the loose leaf version rather than in tea bags. A photo of my favourite brand is below.

The wikipedia entry on Genmaicha tells me:

  • It is sometimes called ‘popcorn tea’ because the grains of rice pop during roasting and look like popcorn.
  • The tea was traditionally consumed by poor Japanese, as the rice was considered filler that reduced the price of the tea.
  • The tea was traditionally used by people who fasted for religious purposes or went without food for periods (probably because of its savoury qualities).
  • Finally, ‘the sugar and starch from the rice cause the tea to have a warm, full flavor that is similar to that of nuts. It is considered easy to drink and helps one’s stomach feel better.’

You learn something new every day.

While I have been remarkably consistent about serving clients genmaicha, I decided lately I needed a bit of a change, and discovered a herbal tea in Woolies (and have since seen it in Coles too). I don’t like all the flavours in the ‘Higher Living’ organic range, a British company: the cinnamon (I love cinnamon) had too much liquorice in it; the ‘ginger kick’ just didn’t have enough kick for me. But I love their ‘green tea with coconut’ and their ‘green tea with chai.’ Great combos. Clients seem to like it too.

When I was in university in Canada, my favourite herbal tea was ‘Almond Sunset’ from the company Celestial Seasonings from Colorado. It was such an odd flavour that they stopped producing it for a long time and then brought it back in 2016 by request, but I don’t think they sell it in Australia!

In any case, let me know in advance if you have a request for the type of tea I’ll serve you during your treatment, or feel free to recommend a new kind of herbal tea to try (I think it’s best to limit the caffeine in drinks for reiki when  trying to relax!).

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.
Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.

More reviews of Reiki Surry Hills

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It’s always such a pleasure to share feedback with you, and I’m so grateful to my clients who took the time to write these words:

Reviews from Bookwell (the online booking service):

Greta – 5 stars – visited September 2018

Thank you, Andy, I instantly felt comfortable with you in your lovely place. After walking in stressed and rushed and not in a great place emotionally I walked out feeling much calmer and peaceful. During my reiki session I was able to think about some things that cause me worry in a more positive and calm way. G x

Scott – 5 stars – visited September 2018<

Holly – 5 stars – visited August 2018<
Andy is a miracle worker. Very professional and kind and clearly committed to delivering quality service. 🙂

Steven – 5 stars – visited August 2018
Andy provides a very professional service and the treatment was both powerful and nourishing.

Reviews on the Reiki Surry Hills Facebook page:

Betty, August 29, Amazingly healing. Andy is very talented and a calming energy. Highly recommended.

Anthony, August 28, I recently had a Reiki session with Andy and the entire experience was very positive. He was courteous and attentive throughout the session, listening to my concerns and explaining the Reiki process to me… The treatment itself was relaxing and I have felt more balanced and aligned within myself since. I will likely return to see Andy again in the future.

Amritha, August 9, I had an amazing reiki session with Andy, and would highly recommend him!

Reviews from Google

I currently have a 5-star rating on Google from 19 reviews! The latest:

Ciara, September 2018: It’s so hard to describe the positive benefits of reiki with Andy but they are 100%. I thoroughly enjoy my sessions and always feel uplifted and energised after. I would highly recommend!

Discover the gifts and benefits of a session of Japanese reiki therapy, healing energy from an experienced practitioner. Visit my website or Facebook page for more information and SMS, email, call me or book online if you’d like to make an appointment.
Clients come from all over Sydney to see me, and I’ve also had clients who are visiting Sydney from Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast come and see me while they’re here for business, conferences or meeting families. While it’s easiest to get to me from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Paddington, Kings Cross, Redfern and Potts Point, I’m pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Sydney.