Opening of My Rainbow-Dream | Inspiration Sun

My Rainbow-Dreams Café formally opened its doors to the Canberra public on Thursday,
24 April, 2008. The very first customers were the drivers and co-pilots of the
Australian World Harmony Run vehicles, enroute to Brisbane for the
opening ceremony. All agreed that the food was quality, and that a
bright future lay ahead! Like the lush green wheatgrass that grows
exuberantly by the drinks display, My Rainbow-Dreams signifies newness
and freshness in the life of the Canberra Centre.

On the wall is a large photo of Guru taken in the back garden of the
original Canberra Centre. Guru is wearing a big maroon jacket,
testament to the chill of a Canberra morning. In front of Guru, small
blossoms can be seen budding on spidery fingers of tree branches.
Guru's eyes are directed skyward, a look of supreme bliss on his face.

Located in the busy shopping and dining precinct of Dickson, My
Rainbow-Dreams occupies a ground floor corner shopfront facing a paved
pedestrian mall. Quite a few other cafés are to be found in the area,
including Deeks, a specialist in grain-free bakery products, owned by
Robert de Castella, Australia's greatest marathon runner. Guru met de
Castella more than 20 years ago, when de Castella was at the height of
his running excellence. De Castella has also been a supporter of the
World Harmony Run.

With a serving/dining area of around 20 square metres, plus a tiny
kitchen out the back, My Rainbow-Dreams vies for the award of
"Smallest Food-Based Divine Enterprise That You Ever Saw." All it
takes is half-a-dozen customers to make the place look very busy
indeed. Happily, there is room to expand outside, with plans for an al
fresco dining area that will nearly equal the space inside the café.

Karina and Kate are the two mainstays of the enterprise, handling all
the menu creation and most of the cooking and serving duties, as well
as myriad other tasks. A recent review in Canberra's City News
declared that "the food is excellent, high on taste and the portions
generous," with a focus on "a healthy range of gluten-free meals, as
well as dishes for vegans... or who have other types of special
dietary needs."

When asked what inspires her about My Rainbow-Dreams, Karina replied,
"It seems to create its own reality. I'm learning that Guru is totally
in control and that my little 'I' drop is fortunately caught up in the
ocean that is Guru. Our customers receive so much from the inner
reality of My Rainbow-Dreams...many just soak up the peace. One lady
was in tears over the purity she felt here. She told me she felt like
she had fallen in love with Guru. the most common feedback is that we
offer something they have never got anywhere else before. How cool is
that!"

Karina says she prefers preparing savoury dishes to sweets, as "there
is so much more opportunity to add colour and life to savoury food."
Karina is exploring baking for vegans, despite wondering, "how can
they live without ice cream and chocolate?"

"The customers are very grateful to find some 'real food' in Dickson,"
says Kate. "The vegetarians are over the moon!..I am so grateful to
Guru for the opportunity to be of service at My Rainbow-Dreams. The
opportunity for joy and progress is boundless."

Those with long memories may be aware that this is, in fact, the
second incarnation of My Rainbow-Dreams. Guru gave the name to
Amalendu for his health-food store on 27 July 1998. My Rainbow-Dreams
existed as a health-food store for five years before closing in 2003.

Amalendu admits it took a while to get over the closure of that
enterprise, and to consider opening another. "It took me five years
to get up the courage again. But I'm so happy now we've done it,
because this is a very important manifestation, and looks like being a
very good thing for the Centre, bringing the Centre together in a way
that only enterprises can.

What inspires me about My Rainbow-Dreams? It immediately brings smiles
to customers' faces. Every time I see customers come in and get
inspired by the menu, and they look happy, it just makes everyone
happy. And I think it's a very easy way to touch people, to have an
effect on the general public, more so with a food enterprise than you
can with a health food store. I know we'll make a lot of people
happy."

Recipes from many diverse sources have made their way into the
gastronomic repertoire of My Rainbow-Dreams, mostly from cooks and
chefs of established pedigree. But the latest, and most charming
recipe has been contributed by Jack, Karina's seven-year-old son, and
I hope space permits its inclusion! (In case you're wondering, it's a
recipe for lemonade.)

http://www.myrainbowdreams.com.au/

From: Inspiration Sun, edition 5
http://srichinmoyinspiration.com/inspiration-sun