These are a few of my favorite things...

Go ahead and ask me, "Where's your favorite place in Western Australia?" This is the point where one hems and haws and says stuff like, "Well, every place has its own charms..." Nope. I can put my finger on two places that have real purpose in my existence (although the others do have their charms...) and charms above others.

Kings Park and Botanic Gardens

In 1890, just over 400 hectares at the top of a hill alongside the Swan River were set aside so people could see "the beauty of this land 1000 years hence." It has been developed, preserved and conserved into the prettiest garden in WA. An excellent native plant park, perfect for picnicking, walks, bridal parties, playing hookey from work, outdoor cinema, concerts and, for me, a proper chlorophyll fix. Conveniently and centrally located at the end of the CBD, developers view this more as a tantalizingly untouchable gold mine.

KAKULAS BROTHERS


I adore this store originally founded for the Greek and Italian immigrants and since tweaked a bit for emerging health-minded people and immigrants from other lands.

Most of the food here is sold in bulk. Rows of square bins filled with sacks, boxes or pails of grain, seeds, spices, snacks, candies, rices, cereals and the like with old fashioned scoops at the ready. Breathe in. Look at the colors. Listen to the swoosh sounds of scoops digging into bags of beans or raw popcorn. Feel the buzz of customer activity. No one aspect is overpowering, commerce at its most basic form with handmade cardboard price signs cutting any inclination of crass haggling. I love watching chefs buy huge amount of spices and other people 'measuring' out the exact amount of whatever for a recipe they are going to make. Oooh, what's that? Hee hee, I can make my own version of Cream of the West's 7-Grain Cereal with this selection.


So, just how many types of flour does Kakulas have?
Brown rice, white rice, soya, arrow root (polenta), atta, spelt, bourgal, stoneground meal, rye, chick pea, falafel, potato, gramdahl, wholemeal (self-rise & regular), barley, millet and country grain bread mix.

Almost as many olive, cheeses, dried fruit, oil, meat and soap choices.

Just one thing that keeps this whole picture less than perfect: people putting their fingers in the bags/boxes/pails. They tend to be nonWestern immigrants or older people who, not reading multiple signs in multiple languages saying not to, get a little too touchy feely with the product and then drop it back in the bag. This doesn't just annoy me, it keeps the entire Kakulas staff on guard for the store cannot tolerate that behavior either. I don't think Kakulas would mind if you scooped a bit into your hand and then dropped in on the floor or bin bottom-just don't contaminate the bags.

Just one thing that puts the whole picture past perfect (besides the creaky, uneven floorboards and well-worn wooden shelves): the sight of one of the founding Kakulas brothers, aged 93 and officially retired, happily pulling a shift behind the registers.