I know we are all getting out and about now … and telly isn’t necessarily the crutch it was a couple of weeks ago. On the other hand you might be just waking from hibernation (like my family) and taking it slow and easy. In which case good telly may still be on your radar.

So I thought I might mention Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories to you. You’ll find it on Netflix. Here’s how ‘the master’ (the chef and owner of the diner) introduces each episode.

When people finish their day and hurry home, my day starts. My diner is open from midnight to seven in the morning. They call it "Midnight Diner”. Do I even have customers? More than you would expect,

The diner has a very limited menu, but the chef will make whatever the customers request if he has the ingredients. As you can imagine, the people out on the streets of Tokyo from midnight to 7am are an interesting bunch and the stories are about the convergence of food and the other important things in life - friendships, loves, betrayal, families, death etc. It is very quirky and endearing. For foodies, it often ends with the characters coming back after the credits to explain to the viewer how to make the dish that was the feature of the episode. It is quite an unusual show and is based on a manga comic.

Whilst each episode stands alone, there are some characters that reappear over time. You look forward to seeing them all again. There hasn’t been a character yet that I haven’t enjoyed. I saw a review that compared the vibe of Midnight Diner to Cheers, and I agree that it has a similar intimate real life feel to it … without the corniness.

My partner Clive started watching it after visiting Japan last year, and can take all the credit for spreading the love. I pop in and out a bit on this one … but whenever it is on and I walk past I can’t help but sit down and become enthralled in the short and snappy 23 minute episodes.

I hope you enjoy it too.

A lot happens in what has to be one of tiniest diners ever!

A friend shared a link with me on Facebook to this upcoming film festival.

And I thought it would be fun to share this with you, just in case you also have a new appreciation for Korean films (my family loved Parasite!).

The festival begins on October 29th and runs through till November 5th. You can check out the program here.

Have you noticed all the new street libraries that have popped up in the last few months?

In my walks I’ve spotted new ones on Perry Street, on Thompson Street and on Mitchell Street. Just to name a few.

And local Kathy wrote to us last week about the one she’s recently installed out the front of her house in Mercil Road.

She says it has been a joint effort of woodworking and mosaic skills that has kept her and her partner Allen entertained during lockdown.

Locals are invited to stop by and choose a book (there's a chair for leisurely browsing) or to drop off their no longer needed reading material.

And this book library has the added bonus of being near a community nature strip veggie patch. So you can collect some silverbeet for dinner at the same time.

Thanks for letting us know Kathy. Your street library Is a gorgeous addition to the neighbourhood.

Happy reading everyone. And don't forget to eat your greens! 😀

A good way to break the hold of feeling irritable and cranky about our current collective dilemma is to laugh.

The old adage applies - if we don’t laugh we will cry. Well some of these films and books have made me laugh so hard I have cried tears of laughter!

A few favourite comedies suitable for watching with the kids are Mrs Doubtfire, School of Rock and Big.

With older children Meet the Parents and Hot Fuzz are great.

For adults, Bridesmaids and Something About Mary are such cringeworthy, funny films. Also the new movie by Will Ferrell, Eurovision (on Netflix), is definitely funny, cringeworthy, lightweight entertainment.

And then there are some books with humour to help us through. Literally making you laugh out loud while you read them.

• The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

• Bossypants by Tina Fey

• Lets Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

• Why not me? by Mindy Kaling.

Finally, let’s finish on a bit of a “Dad” joke:

“What did the right eye say to the left eye?’ Between us, something smells.

Lovely to see the neighbourhood restocking our street library! There were some great books in there when I last popped in, including Normal People, Helen Garner’s latest book and lots more … why not take a look on your next neighbourhood walk.