[ad_1]
Such fond memories of a man
So many people felt a connection to Sisto through Pellegrini’s – he and his diner must be in so many people’s photos which makes them feel they know him. We married in August 2004 on a freezing Saturday afternoon. We hadn’t planned photos other than church and reception, but my husband craved coffee and we were heading into the city anyway, so the drivers took us to Pellegrini’s. Sisto couldn’t have been nicer – we had heard he didn’t like wedding parties coming in and trying to take the place of his regular customers – but when he realised we actually wanted coffee for a bridal party, he cleared space at the bar and made a fuss. It has become such a fond memory of our day and our children know the bar where we went on our wedding day also.
Erin Feeney, Canterbury
There is a flatness in our hearts
Ah Sisto, the three boys are shattered – never again to be seated on barstools and lectured about the importance of travel and learning languages while being served the finest carbonara and cannelloni in the city. There must be many thousands feeling a horrible flatness in their hearts. Those counter dinners were wonderful and your conversation with the young ones was a masterclbad in living well – work hard, travel, learn, return, work hard; find joy in small daily places and be grandly generous with kindness and good food. No bookings and no unreasoned refusals. In that tiny diner you fed the city without prejudice. Wherever you are – love.
Nina Wellington-Iser, Hawthorn East
A visit from Adelaide to Pellegrini’s
From Adelaide, we first visited Pellegrini’s on honeymoon in 1974. From then on a visit to Melbourne always warranted a visit to Sisto’s famous cafe and delicious food. More recently in 2013-14, with our AFL team in the finals many a banter was had with his team Essendon and our team Port, but always with a huge smile on his friendly face. We will miss him forever and our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Corrado Tavella, Rosslyn Park, SA
A customer since the ’60s
I’m over 80 now and I’ve been getting my caffeine “fix” at Pellegrini’s since the early 1960s. I was in there just a few days ago. Sisto announced to the whole bar “Look who it is. My oldest customer!” I wasn’t sure if he was referring to my age, or my loyalty. I worked as a tourist guide for the Melbourne City Council for about 10 years after I retired from full-time work. I would always put Pellegrini’s on our to-do list. Quite often I would have just one guest with me and they were ladies, more often than not . One day I went in on my own and Sisto had a question for me. “Every time you come here you are with a different lady. What is your secret with the women?” I owned up and told him the truth about it just being part of my volunteering work. He laughed, and I got a free coffee.
Peter Dodds, Montmorency
FORUM
Love will conquer
We have a wonderful, diverse, tolerant city of millions of good people who have come from so many places. And here except for a very minuscule few we get along just fine. Melbourne works. We live as one in a decent, caring, helping community. Don’t ever let some unhinged person or extremist fanatic divide us. Melbourne stay strong, united and together. Our compbadion, love, persistence and tenacity will see us through. And love and understanding will defeat hate. We must hug, talk and support each other now.
Steven Katsineris, Hurstbridge
Contrary to all faith
The horrific and evil events in Bourke Street have shaken our city. Grief, pain and anger are words that will readily come to mind. This incident will have far-reaching effects on many people.
Friday’s evil act was entirely contrary to the way of Jesus, contrary to all true religion, and contrary to human dignity. The way of Jesus Christ is to build bridges of mutual respect and civil friendship among people and communities. The way of aggression and violence is never the answer. Let us commit ourselves instead to the way of dialogue and reconciliation.
Into the darkness of evil, may a light of goodness shine. Let us acknowledge and honour the lights of goodness that shone out on Friday afternoon:
❏The goodness of people who courageously sought to protect others.
❏The goodness of those who defended innocent lives in the face of perilous harm.
So, let us pray for the gentle repose of the soul of Sisto Malaspina; let us pray also for those who were harmed; for those who defended others; and for our police and emergency service providers – all of whom reveal to us the path of goodness and right action.
May those affected by Friday’s tragic events be healed, physically and emotionally, and may Jesus Christ accompany us all with solace and strength during the days ahead.
Most Reverend Peter Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne
Unchangeable
I first visited Pellegrini’s as an 11-year-old with my father in 1957. Here I had my first taste of spaghetti saltati and an icy cold watermelon granita. At the time it was owned by the Pellegrini brothers who sold the business to Sisto in 1974. I have lost count of how many times I have frequented the place only to say that it has not changed one little bit. Unlike many of its modern-day counterparts that punch your order into a computerised machine, you never got a bill here, just tell them what you ate and you got a figure. It was so simple. Pellegrini’s was the one constant from where all other coffee bars came. Sisto’s slaying hopefully won’t see its demise. The property needs to be clbadified by the National Trust because it is more then just an icon, it is Melbourne’s kitchen.
Ian Oshlack, Guildford
A ready answer
John Silvester’s comment on Bourke Street terror attack concludes: “We know what happened. Why it happened will take more time to discover” (“Warning siren sounds in city for first time”, The Age, 10/11). I beg to disagree. There are convincing reasons for this horror. I consider this to be a blowback from the war on terror unleashed on Iraq in 2001 by President Bush in cahoots with Tony Blair and John Howard premised on a lie that Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs. The war has spread to several Muslim nations in the Middle East and North Africa over the past 17 years and already killed more than 2 million people and created several million refugees. The Bourke Street terror attack, sadly, is not unique to Australia. The West, led by the US, cannot stop such terror attacks until the war on terror is called off and peace is established in Muslim countries.
When peace comes, our streets will be safe again and we can dismantle the bollards and the terror sirens.
Bill Mathew, Parkville
Not about faith
Being an Australian Muslim, I am baffled that the Prime Minister is trying to link such heinous attacks with faith. There are hundreds of Muslim doctors who save lives every day in Australia, has anyone ever mentioned their faith? Australia is a secular state. Any violation of law, regardless of its motivation, must not be linked with faith or ethnicity.
Malik Atif Mahmood Majoka, Pakenham
Many tentacles
As a Australian Muslim, I agree with our Prime Minister Scott Morrison that Muslim leaders should take “special responsibility” for stamping out radicalism in their communities, but I wonder when western governments would stop supporting corrupt Muslim regimes in the Middle East. ISIS would not exist without the support of world superpowers. If we really want to end terrorism on Australian soils we need to establish peace in the Middle East.
Usman Mahmood, South Bowenfels, NSW
Mental illness
Yes Prime Minister, call it for what it is: untreated mental illness and support better treatment pathways for everyone.
Dr Christine Healy, South Yarra
Let them fly off
The terror on Bourke Street has highlighted the terrible consequence of the ban prohibiting supporters of deviant ideologies from travelling abroad. Regardless of some supposed responsibility to other countries, we should let them go with the proviso that they can never, ever return to Australia. We need to keep Australia safe first.
Sam Bando, St Kilda East
Say malcontents
Can we stop calling lunatics who commit violent acts in public places and claim some allegiance to, say ISIS, terrorists? Terrorism is by definition “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims”.
What serious political aims do people like Man Haron Monis and Hbadan Khalif Shire Ali really have? Their actions are clearly primarily driven by mental health issues. Describing them or their actions in terms of terrorism glamourises them and gives the real terrorists the appearance of more power than they really have.
“Angry malcontents” might be a better term.
Mark Grant, clinical psychologist, Kew
ABC on its game
Whenever I read or hear criticism of ABC radio or television I think of the exemplary role that it plays at times like Remembrance Day. The special importance of this day was presented by the ABC in a brilliant manner. Nothing brings us together like the presentation of our history and culture in such a professionally researched manner, involving thousands of citizens from across the nation. What were the commercial stations showing at the time? Why would anyone try to undermine this important national organisation?
Graham Hoult, Richmond
Keating nails it
Lest we forget an uncomfortable truth among all the suffering; as exemplified by Paul Keating’s badertion: “The First World War was a war devoid of any virtue. It arose from the quagmire of European tribalism. A complex interplay of nation-state destinies overlaid by notions of cultural superiority peppered with racism.”
John Busselmaier, New Farm, Qld
Rain of fear
I doubt that the American soldiers fighting in the trenches would have refused to fight because of the rain.
Michael Higgins, Erica
Hats off to PM
The reason why Scott Morrison doesn’t wear a wide-brimmed hat (Letters, 10/11) is simple. Unlike other politicians who regularly don an Akubra to show they relate to country folk, the PM wants to present himself as a bit daggy and a regular guy, that is, one of us and not someone who would knife a sitting Prime Minister in the back.
Tony Healy, Balwyn North
Wrong aim
I agree with Jacob Demopoulos (Letters, 10/11 ). Any attempt to thwart Australia’s protections by SIFA must be repelled. However, the fact that SIFA is targeting Labor in Victoria seems to imply that they would be happy with a conservative election result.
Does this mean that they have an agreement with the Liberal-National coalition or do they merely see them as sympathetic to their cause?
Geoff McNamara, Newry
Consider the homeless
Why in the list of Labor’s 10 big promises (10/11) is there a complete failure to address the huge number of the homeless and the appalling lack of public housing? While billions of dollars are spent on a range of projects, a pledge to build 1000 public housing units is the government’s pathetic offering to those in desperate need of social housing. Both major parties have abrogated the responsibility to house the disadvantaged in our community.
Isabel Schofield, Mount Waverley
For heaven’s sake …
The Age’s accountants must be delighted to read (Spectrum, 10/11) that not only was Heston Blumenthal drinking $120 a glbad sake but that it tastes a bit rubbish if you drink it while thinking of someone you dislike. I’m usually a bit disappointed that Spectrum’s lunch guests don’t push the boat out a bit more (mineral water on Fairfax’s tab!), but Heston rather showed the bizarre bubble that top chefs and their diners live in.
Nic Barnard, Fitzroy North
… Try the RSL
I’m sure a discerning chef like Hester Blumenthal would have been just as impressed by the lightness and crispness of the batter on my fish and chips at our local RSL (bar special $7.99) and he could have popped the $826.41 difference into the box for needy veterans.
Barbara Abell, Ringwood North
AND ANOTHER THING
Trump
Faye Knooze is alive and well, and living in the White House.
Tim Durbridge, Brunswick
And in appreciation for those who support him, Donald Trump is to establish an Institute for the Advancement of Ignorance.
Henry Herzog, St Kilda East
I empathise with Donald Trump not attending the Armistice service in France. The rain would have wreaked havoc on his hair.
Russell Newton, Black Rock
Sisto
Let Melbourne salute Sisto with a state funeral.
Paul Custance,Highett
Sisto was Melbourne.
Jon Aloni, McKinnon
What about a statue on Pellegrini’s corner as a memorial for this great Melburnian?
Ian Maddison, Parkdale
Mille grazi Sisto. Vale.
Barbara Bereznicki, Dingley
Dear Sisto. You will live in our hearts.
Ivan Gaal, Fitzroy North
If there is to be a public funeral I will wear a cravat in memory of our much-loved friend.
Lindsay Holland, Abbotsford
Furthermore
It’s a conundrum when an increasingly common pathway to political leadership is to be the innocent bystander.
Joan Segrave, Healesville
We remember “the real Scott Morrison” when he was Minister for Immigration.
Joe Wilder, Caulfield North
Scott Morrison, praying for the refugees is as useless as praying for rain.
Susan Munday, Bentleigh East
It’s good to know Scott Morrison’s thoughts, prayers and tears are with the refugees on Nauru.
Dale Crisp, Brighton
How does cancelling the pbadports of aspiring foreign fighters make Australia safe?
Ian Powell, Glen Waverley
Source link
