On Saturday we spent the morning at the farmer's market in the park next to our apartment building. We had coffee at the Gypsy Coffee Stand and shared a Hungarian doughnut with jam. The market is always such a fun place to wander around and I love that it's become our Saturday morning ritual.
After we finished our shopping we headed to the Wet'n'Wild waterslide park near the Gold Coast for an early celebration of Sean's birthday. I haven't been to a waterslide park since I was 8 or 10. It was actually a lot of fun, though it did smell a little like wet feet. Surprisingly, it was even a bit of a work out. Many of the slides have inflatable tubes that you have to carry up many, many flights of stairs. Wet'n'Wild even had a beer garden, which was awesome.
On Sunday we got up early to go stand-up paddle boarding with Sean's coworker Tamas. It was really fun to paddle around and the boards were really nice, much nicer than the other boards we have used. Afterwards we headed up to Mt. Coot-tha to check out the view of Brisbane.
We decided to stay an extra week and made reservations for a trip to Bali. Even though Australia is close to Indonesia the flight from Brisbane to Bali is 6 hours. That really hammers it home that Australia is far from everything. Any Bali recommendations from folks that have been?
This weekend we are off to Byron Bay to check out the beaches and go to the Byron Bay Bluesfest. I will post more photos soon. Sean's computer has been on the fritz lately. And I did end up getting new running shoes, but not the really expensive ones. I found some that were a bit easier on the wallet.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Shopping Adventures
Yesterday I was super excited to find a running store that offered shoe fitting services relatively close to our neighborhood. Since I was up early to take a call, I thought I'd end my day a little early and finally check out all the shops on Queen Street. Queen Street is a pedestrian mall in downtown Brisbane with tons of stores. It is kind of like the Westlake of Seattle or maybe the Bay Street of Emeryville. It was nice to walk around and I discovered another farmer's market. The stores were interesting, but not totally to my liking. Many of the women's stores had really similar clothes (not all that different from home), but they all seemed kind of Wet Seal crossed with H&M. Maybe I just haven't found stores that are more to my liking or maybe it's just representative of current fashion trends. Super short denim cutoffs...? I just don't get the appeal.
The running store was exactly what I was looking for and after trying on several pairs of shoes, I found one that fit really well. Then I asked how much they were. They were $220 (!). Apparently running shoes are really expensive here. I was thinking I would have to shell out $80 or so, which would be worth it if they provide my knees some much needed support. Oh well, at least they will facilitate exercising which will hopefully make the purchase worthwhile.
This weekend we are planning on going to Wild Waves for S's birthday and we may do some more paddle boarding on Sunday at a nearby beach.
I have been reading a bunch of travel books courtesy of K. It's been a great way to understand Australia writ large. I learned so much about kangaroos and marsupials. Did you know that there was a wombat that was about the size of a hippo or a short-faced kangaroo that was 10 feet tall? Fascinating! So far my favorite has been Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country".
The running store was exactly what I was looking for and after trying on several pairs of shoes, I found one that fit really well. Then I asked how much they were. They were $220 (!). Apparently running shoes are really expensive here. I was thinking I would have to shell out $80 or so, which would be worth it if they provide my knees some much needed support. Oh well, at least they will facilitate exercising which will hopefully make the purchase worthwhile.
This weekend we are planning on going to Wild Waves for S's birthday and we may do some more paddle boarding on Sunday at a nearby beach.
I have been reading a bunch of travel books courtesy of K. It's been a great way to understand Australia writ large. I learned so much about kangaroos and marsupials. Did you know that there was a wombat that was about the size of a hippo or a short-faced kangaroo that was 10 feet tall? Fascinating! So far my favorite has been Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country".
Monday, March 22, 2010
Noosa Heads and the Meat Pie Incident
S and I ended up going to a beer and wine tasting on Friday evening featuring New Zealand wines and beers. We each got a cup and 10 tickets to try different wines or beers. We opted for the beer tasting. All in all the beers were pretty good and a bit more complex and flavorful than XXXX Gold, which is my go-to beer when I am out. Towards the middle of the evening I wasn't even paying attention to what I was drinking but I did learn that two tickets would get me a full cup rather than the 1/4 cup you usually get with one ticket. It also helps to be a girl when guys are pouring you beers that are ostensibly free, funny how that works out :) They were also serving snacks with the beer/wine tasting. I thought I would be bold and try a meat pie. The first bite was pretty good, but I quickly realized while the outside of the pie was warm to the touch the inside was like napalm. I proceeded to burn my hand (the filling dripped all over my hand and there were no napkins), S's hand and had to drop it in my beer cup to avoid further burns. I learned later I wasn't the only one this happened to, many other people suffered the same fate. And then bat fell on a woman's head. That was pretty exciting, as the bats here are pretty big; think half the size of Junebug with wings. I kind of felt bad for the bat. It realized its error immediately and was able to to fly to the nearby tree. I blame the bar because there was high pitched feedback coming out of the speakers over the music they were playing and I think that is what confused the bat.
On Saturday drove up to the Sunshine Coast to Noosa Heads. Noosa is supposed to be like the Hamptons of Queensland. People also say that Queensland is the Alabama of Australia, so I don't know how those comparisons mesh. Noosa didn't remind me of the Hamptons that much; it reminded me of Miami a little bit even though I've never been, but so beautiful, lush and tropical. We were able to get a private room at one of the hostels in town. The Halse Lodge is one of the nicest hostels I have ever stayed in. We booked a paddle boarding lesson and had so much fun. Noosa is both on a river and the coast, so it is full of canals with houses on them. We got to paddle all around and learned some of the finer points of paddle boarding techniques. It is such a nice, peaceful way to be out on the water and a good workout.
After our lesson we went to dinner at the Noosa Lifesaver's Club for dinner. Australia is full of clubs centered around activities or sports and they always have a restaurant, bar, and gambling. Gambling is huge here, more on that later. The club was right on the main beach and had a great view of the waves. The best way to describe clubs is like a family-friendly bar. And there was a seafood raffle. This seemed more intriguing than the meat raffle S encountered on the Gold Coast. We almost bought tickets, but had no place to put the seafood other than the car, which didn't seem like a good idea. The next day we went for a hike along the coast and encountered lots of surfers heading to the more difficult to reach surf spots. We didn't notice any Cyclone-related weather, though the waves might have been bigger; it was hard to tell.
We slowly made our way back to Brisbane by taking the scenic routes. We passed Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, but didn't have time to stop before it closed. All in all it was a great weekend.
On the exercise front, I have still be working out every week day, but now my knees are killing me when I run. I think some new shoes may be in order. I am really bummed because running was starting to be fun. I think I may have to rest my knees for a few days before I can run even with new shoes because they ache all the time. Any suggestions from more experienced runners out there?
P.S. I'll post pictures later when I get them from S's computer.
On Saturday drove up to the Sunshine Coast to Noosa Heads. Noosa is supposed to be like the Hamptons of Queensland. People also say that Queensland is the Alabama of Australia, so I don't know how those comparisons mesh. Noosa didn't remind me of the Hamptons that much; it reminded me of Miami a little bit even though I've never been, but so beautiful, lush and tropical. We were able to get a private room at one of the hostels in town. The Halse Lodge is one of the nicest hostels I have ever stayed in. We booked a paddle boarding lesson and had so much fun. Noosa is both on a river and the coast, so it is full of canals with houses on them. We got to paddle all around and learned some of the finer points of paddle boarding techniques. It is such a nice, peaceful way to be out on the water and a good workout.
After our lesson we went to dinner at the Noosa Lifesaver's Club for dinner. Australia is full of clubs centered around activities or sports and they always have a restaurant, bar, and gambling. Gambling is huge here, more on that later. The club was right on the main beach and had a great view of the waves. The best way to describe clubs is like a family-friendly bar. And there was a seafood raffle. This seemed more intriguing than the meat raffle S encountered on the Gold Coast. We almost bought tickets, but had no place to put the seafood other than the car, which didn't seem like a good idea. The next day we went for a hike along the coast and encountered lots of surfers heading to the more difficult to reach surf spots. We didn't notice any Cyclone-related weather, though the waves might have been bigger; it was hard to tell.
We slowly made our way back to Brisbane by taking the scenic routes. We passed Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, but didn't have time to stop before it closed. All in all it was a great weekend.
On the exercise front, I have still be working out every week day, but now my knees are killing me when I run. I think some new shoes may be in order. I am really bummed because running was starting to be fun. I think I may have to rest my knees for a few days before I can run even with new shoes because they ache all the time. Any suggestions from more experienced runners out there?
P.S. I'll post pictures later when I get them from S's computer.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
TGIF
Yay, it's Friday! I had another early call today, but I am hoping I can squeeze in a nap this afternoon and possibly a walk to my new favorite smoothie place, Fat Carrot. Fat Carrot has the best banana smoothie of those I've had since I arrived. Their version is called Bananaman. It has banana, yogurt, milk, honey and cinnamon. I think it's the cinnamon that give it the little extra flavor that makes it so good.
This weekend we are off to Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast. And, it turns out, so is Cyclone Ululi. We made a reservation for paddle boarding lessons on Saturday. Luckily our lesson is taking place on the river and not at the beach. They even canceled the Australian Surf Life Saving Championship activities yesterday because the conditions were so rough at the Gold Coast (see photo below). Should be an interesting weekend.
This weekend we are off to Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast. And, it turns out, so is Cyclone Ululi. We made a reservation for paddle boarding lessons on Saturday. Luckily our lesson is taking place on the river and not at the beach. They even canceled the Australian Surf Life Saving Championship activities yesterday because the conditions were so rough at the Gold Coast (see photo below). Should be an interesting weekend.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Judgey Wudgey
I had this post perfectly composed in my head yesterday evening when I was riding the bus to meet S at a bar to celebrate his coworker's birthday. As I sit here and write this now, I am admittedly less angry, but still a little judgey. If you don't want to hear me rant about relatively mundane things, this post may not be for you.
So, here's what got me into this state... Yesterday morning I had to rise at 4:30 am to participate in a conference call. Brisbane and greater Queensland, I learned does not do daylight savings, so I am even more ahead or behind West Coast time. On a side note, one of my clients likened my situation of being 19 hours ahead (or 7 hours behind, which is an easier way to look at it) to the Umberto Eco book, The Island of the Day Before. He said it's about a ship moored just beyond a dateline. I think I should read this book, as I have a lot of experience with this situation now. I digress; so, I was up early to be on this call and our internet decides to play games with me. When I sign on it only takes me the Vodafone website. I cannot access Skype and I cannot access my email. It pretends that I am all out of credit (internet here is pay as you go). I know I am not all out of internet credit, but the customer service phone center does not open until 8:00 am. In the end it probably ended up being a good thing that they were closed, as I was livid and probably would have said some things I would have regretted. I finally managed to sort out the problem by restarting the internet device. In the calm after the storm, I think to myself, that was really frustrating and had I not solved my own problem there wouldn't have been anyone to assist me for four more hours. I guess 24/7 access isn't the norm for businesses here.
Second angry/judgey moment. On my way to pick up a bottle of wine for S's coworker, I stop at a local coffee shop to get a much needed latte. I really like the vibe of the coffee shop because it reminds me of coffee shops in Seattle. I order and I wait. Then I watch the barista dink around, tell his coworker what he should be tidying up, and make another drink for what I can only assume is a regular customer. About 10 minutes later he makes my latte and says sorry about the wait. I was pissed and I feel, deservedly so. There was no in line behind me and I was the only one waiting for a drink. Normally I would accept said apology, but it didn't seem like there was any need for me to wait 10 minutes for him to get around to making my drink. Insert judgy comment about Australian customer service, perfectly articulated by S: "They always start off with a smile, but there is really nothing behind it." Note, that he said this while we were drinking beers that tasted like soap at the bar I was on my way to. They probably put too much soap in their dishwasher or don't rinse the glasses enough. We have tried returning the occasional soapy beers before and they won't give us another, not ever. And beers and coffee are not cheap here.
I know I should take all of these experiences in stride because I am in another country and they do things differently down here, but today I am going to be judgmental, so there. More interesting and less ranting posts to come.
So, here's what got me into this state... Yesterday morning I had to rise at 4:30 am to participate in a conference call. Brisbane and greater Queensland, I learned does not do daylight savings, so I am even more ahead or behind West Coast time. On a side note, one of my clients likened my situation of being 19 hours ahead (or 7 hours behind, which is an easier way to look at it) to the Umberto Eco book, The Island of the Day Before. He said it's about a ship moored just beyond a dateline. I think I should read this book, as I have a lot of experience with this situation now. I digress; so, I was up early to be on this call and our internet decides to play games with me. When I sign on it only takes me the Vodafone website. I cannot access Skype and I cannot access my email. It pretends that I am all out of credit (internet here is pay as you go). I know I am not all out of internet credit, but the customer service phone center does not open until 8:00 am. In the end it probably ended up being a good thing that they were closed, as I was livid and probably would have said some things I would have regretted. I finally managed to sort out the problem by restarting the internet device. In the calm after the storm, I think to myself, that was really frustrating and had I not solved my own problem there wouldn't have been anyone to assist me for four more hours. I guess 24/7 access isn't the norm for businesses here.
Second angry/judgey moment. On my way to pick up a bottle of wine for S's coworker, I stop at a local coffee shop to get a much needed latte. I really like the vibe of the coffee shop because it reminds me of coffee shops in Seattle. I order and I wait. Then I watch the barista dink around, tell his coworker what he should be tidying up, and make another drink for what I can only assume is a regular customer. About 10 minutes later he makes my latte and says sorry about the wait. I was pissed and I feel, deservedly so. There was no in line behind me and I was the only one waiting for a drink. Normally I would accept said apology, but it didn't seem like there was any need for me to wait 10 minutes for him to get around to making my drink. Insert judgy comment about Australian customer service, perfectly articulated by S: "They always start off with a smile, but there is really nothing behind it." Note, that he said this while we were drinking beers that tasted like soap at the bar I was on my way to. They probably put too much soap in their dishwasher or don't rinse the glasses enough. We have tried returning the occasional soapy beers before and they won't give us another, not ever. And beers and coffee are not cheap here.
I know I should take all of these experiences in stride because I am in another country and they do things differently down here, but today I am going to be judgmental, so there. More interesting and less ranting posts to come.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Barbie but No Shrimps
This weekend we decided to have some of S's coworkers over for a BBQ at our place. We thought it would be fun to have people over to see our place since everyone thinks we live in the sticks and we have a large reserve of beer - a perfect combination. On a side note about the beer, it turns out that the Costco rules of buying in bulk applies to beer here. It's about $15-18 for a six-pack in the package stores, but if you buy a case (or three cases) it ends up being about $11 per six-pack. It's all about the economizing :) . And most of S's coworkers live on the other side of town close to the office, so I can see how it seems like we are in the sticks, but being farther away does have its benefits like the farmer's market in the park next to our building and a really nice apartment.
We went to the farmer's market on Saturday to buy food for our Mexican themed BBQ. We always stop at the Gypsy coffee cart first to get a latte or a flat white. The coffee cart looks exactly like a gypsy cart, or at least what you might image and the owner even dresses a bit like a gypsy. After getting some much needed caffeine, we got a Hungarian doughnut to fortify us and we started shopping. The variety of fruits and vegetables is amazing and everything is relatively cheap. There was a man selling honey that also had baby ducks and chicks in a little enclosure on his table. That was a brilliant business move; kids and parents couldn't stay away. We even considered getting a baby duck and keeping it in our bath tub, but decided that probably wasn't a good idea.
After finishing our shopping we headed over to Bicycle Revolution. They take used bikes, sandblast them, repaint them, and add really nice components to them. D, you would love this place. Not only are the bikes well built, but they are beautifully put together. I ended up getting a bike. It was like rewarding myself for a biking prowess I have yet to develop, but it is so pretty! The wheels are really nice and the tires are super thin. It corners like it's on rails. S is pretty jealous. He keeps thinking up situations in which my bike becomes his, like if I don't ride it everyday then it becomes his bike. The mechanics at the bike shop offered to build him one that's similar to mine. We'll see how long he can hold out.
After the farmers market and bike adventures we went to A and H's for lunch and ended up hanging out all afternoon. On a whim we decided to see The Green Zone. I thought it was pretty good though you could tell it was the same director as all the Bourne movies. It was a real "America sucks and we're jerks" type of movie, which in the case of Iraq may be closer to the truth than we'd like to admit. Other than the depressing political themes , it was a good action movie.
The BBQ ended up being a success. Lots of people came and we made tons of food. We even netted more beer. The menu for the BBQ included:
I've attached a photo of our hang session with A and H as well as a really strange billboard I happened across. I can't saw exactly why it caught my eye, but there is something about the cat's hand that is so strange and kind of hilarious.
We went to the farmer's market on Saturday to buy food for our Mexican themed BBQ. We always stop at the Gypsy coffee cart first to get a latte or a flat white. The coffee cart looks exactly like a gypsy cart, or at least what you might image and the owner even dresses a bit like a gypsy. After getting some much needed caffeine, we got a Hungarian doughnut to fortify us and we started shopping. The variety of fruits and vegetables is amazing and everything is relatively cheap. There was a man selling honey that also had baby ducks and chicks in a little enclosure on his table. That was a brilliant business move; kids and parents couldn't stay away. We even considered getting a baby duck and keeping it in our bath tub, but decided that probably wasn't a good idea.
After finishing our shopping we headed over to Bicycle Revolution. They take used bikes, sandblast them, repaint them, and add really nice components to them. D, you would love this place. Not only are the bikes well built, but they are beautifully put together. I ended up getting a bike. It was like rewarding myself for a biking prowess I have yet to develop, but it is so pretty! The wheels are really nice and the tires are super thin. It corners like it's on rails. S is pretty jealous. He keeps thinking up situations in which my bike becomes his, like if I don't ride it everyday then it becomes his bike. The mechanics at the bike shop offered to build him one that's similar to mine. We'll see how long he can hold out.
After the farmers market and bike adventures we went to A and H's for lunch and ended up hanging out all afternoon. On a whim we decided to see The Green Zone. I thought it was pretty good though you could tell it was the same director as all the Bourne movies. It was a real "America sucks and we're jerks" type of movie, which in the case of Iraq may be closer to the truth than we'd like to admit. Other than the depressing political themes , it was a good action movie.
The BBQ ended up being a success. Lots of people came and we made tons of food. We even netted more beer. The menu for the BBQ included:
- Marinated rump steak tacos (no flank or skirt steak here that I could find)
- Yam tacos
- Guacamole
- Pico de gallo
- Frijoles negros and rice
I've attached a photo of our hang session with A and H as well as a really strange billboard I happened across. I can't saw exactly why it caught my eye, but there is something about the cat's hand that is so strange and kind of hilarious.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Lay of the Land
It's official, I've joined the blogosphere. This was something I wanted to do since I got here, but I got stuck on selecting a title. I'll admit, "Dispatches from Brizzy" isn't awesome but bear with me. I've been in Brisbane for about a week and a half and I am getting more and more settled with the Aussie way of life. You may wonder why I chose "Brizzy" instead of "Brisbane", it's all part in parcel of the Australian habit of diminutizing words. Chocolates and lollipops = choc and lollies, airconditioning = aircon, and so on.
So far, Brisbane has been wonderful. Only the downtown area is considered Brisbane proper and we live in a neighborhood called the West End. S described the West End as kind of Ballardy, and I would say he's not far off, but there are so many hippies here too which makes it seem less like Ballard.
A few observations about life in Australia since I got here:
I am off to meet S and his coworkers for drinks. More to come...
So far, Brisbane has been wonderful. Only the downtown area is considered Brisbane proper and we live in a neighborhood called the West End. S described the West End as kind of Ballardy, and I would say he's not far off, but there are so many hippies here too which makes it seem less like Ballard.
A few observations about life in Australia since I got here:
- Sharp cheddar cheese is called "tasty and bitey". If you want mild cheddar it's just "tasty". I don't know why but I love this.
- People will often walk around barefoot - not my idea of a good time.
- The things flying around at dusk and the rest of the night are not hawks as S originally thought, they are large fruit bats. At first I was a little scared, but now I kind of like them. With the exception of walking under a tree at night where they are feasting. They are loud and will drop things on you.
- There are some very large spiders here. I now avoid walking on certain neighborhood streets that tend to have a lot of them.
- I have not figured out the appropriate usage of "cheers". People seem to say that all the time as a proxy for thanks or as a conversation ender.
- Everyone hangs out on Sundays and drinks beer. This is so my kind of place; it's all about the priorities. We need to import this to the States.
I am off to meet S and his coworkers for drinks. More to come...
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