ANZAC Day & Kangaroo Point

Please note: Conor prepared blackened salmon, rice, roasted balsamic tomatoes, and steamed vegetables for dinner last Thursday evening. The photo (right) of this fabulous meal was blog-worthy. Delicious! For more photos of our dinner, apartment, and weekend adventures, visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/home

On Saturday, April 25 Australia and New Zealand celebrated ANZAC Day. Similar to Memorial Day or Veterans' Day in the United States, early Saturday morning, Australians set out to honor men and women who fought in battle, especially those who fought 94 years ago on the beaches of Gallipoli. Those men and women were known as ANZACS - their motto, others before self - and thus the name ANZAC Day. Since the holiday fell on a Saturday this year, the Queensland Government decided to commemorate on Saturday. There was a bit of controversy surrounding this decision, however - many Queenslanders were looking forward to another public holiday and additional paid day off.

Conor and I celebrated ANZAC Day by walking the streets of Brisbane in search of an open retailer - most shops were closed for the day though. We spent our morning at the West End market and stocked up on vegetables and home-made pastas. In preparation for our Kangaroo Point BBQ on Sunday, we bought way too much food and now have a refrigerator full of peppers, corn on the cob, and hot dog rolls. I must find a use for all of those rolls...

On Saturday evening we took the CityCat (water ferry) to Bulimba, a suburb of Brisbane located along the Brisbane River. It was a beautiful thirty minute boat ride. We had Mexican for dinner and poked around the shops and restaurants along Oxford Street. It was a great way to end a long day of walking...

On Sunday morning we were up and moving a little later than planned. I made macaroni and cheese, chocolate chip cookies, and cut up peppers and onions for our veggie (and non-veggie) sausage BBQ! Conor made guacamole and we brought along some fresh corn on the cob as well. We met up with a handful of friends around 1:00PM at Kangaroo Point. This particular piece of park is located along the South Bank of the Brisbane River. There is a large cliff (man-made) for rock climbers and picnic tables and gas grills for those who prefer to eat and watch. Kangaroo Point is a thin piece of land between the rock and river. It is an absolutely beautiful place to sit and relax. We ate and played Frisbee (with the help of one very nice kayaker, the Frisbee made it home with us at the end of the day). Conor even brought a rugby ball along and attempted to teach a few of us how to toss it (One Australian commented, "The blind leading the blind.")

It was another fabulous weekend. Next weekend already looks a bit more stressful... Conor and I are dog-sitting for his boss, Miranda. I also have to work the early Saturday shift. We were hoping to head to the coast for some scuba-diving fun, but we might not make it.

It is currently beautiful and sunny in Brisbane. The last 7-10 days have been absolutely perfect weather-wise. Fall in Australia is definitely something I could get used to. I am camped out on the balcony watching the CityCat speed down the river.

This post's recommendations:
Drink: Sangria (with a shot of tequila!)
Television: The West Wing
Activity: Water rugby!

Byron Bay

Oh gosh, it's been weeks since my last post. Quite a bit has happened since then. For starters, I started work. And by started, I mean, I woke up at 4:15am four days in a row last week and walked 25 minutes to work in complete darkness. I learned how to open the store and set up for morning trade. Although the early morning hours may take some getting used to, I think I might enjoy the 5:15/30-2:00pm shift. Once my store opens (once again our opening date has been pushed back yet another week) my commute will only be about four minutes. I might luck out and be able to sleep until 4:45 - that wouldn't be so bad. I also worked a few shifts this past week and am scheduled for a few more next week. Things are looking up and within a couple weeks I might just have a normal work schedule.

To celebrate my first week of work (and most likely my last free weekend for a few months), Conor and I rented a car last Friday and drove two hours south to Byron Bay, New South Wales (NSW). My friend Katie seems to get quite irritated with my Australian state abbreviations. You see, with large cities in the U.S., like Boston, L.A., and Chicago you do not need to specify the state. Although I may not need to specify Queensland (QLD) for the city of Brisbane (but be honest, how many of you knew that Australia was comprised of states? And if you did, what state is Sydney located in?), it is noteworthy to mention that I traveled from one Australian state to another. Let me just name the seven Australian states and their capital cities for you: Queensland (Brisbane), New South Wales (Sydney), South Australia (Adelaide), Tasmania (Hobart), Victoria (Melbourne), Northern Territory (Darwin), Western Australia (Perth). And then there's Canberra located in Australian Capital Territory (A.C.T.) Now you may have just learned something. Maybe?

Anyway, we drove (on the left side of the road) to Byron Bay and spent two days and two nights hanging out on the beach. It was delightful. We hiked along the beach, through the hills, to Australia's most easterly point. You could see the coastline in both directions for miles. We also went kayaking, played trivial pursuit, swam, ate fish and chips and ice cream...it was a great two days! We hope to take Conor's brother Dylan with us to Byron when he comes to visit in a couple months.

We are planning a BBQ for the upcoming weekend. On Sunday afternoon we are getting together on Kangaroo Point with a handful of friends to celebrate ANZAC Day! Australians and their holidays...there's one every other week!

Tomorrow: Sunny and 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit)

Mostly Rain...but for two weeks?

Yes, it's still raining. Actually, it's pouring. Conor and I accumulated four umbrellas during our year and a half in Portland, and oddly enough, not one made the trek to Brisbane. I am hopeful that although it is yet another public holiday today, the supermarket across the street will remain open long enough for me to purchase an umbrella within the next few hours (I refuse to head outside now. I will be drenched within seconds).

I begin work tomorrow. Alright, I started work a couple of weeks ago, but have only worked three shifts, plus a coffee training session, since then. Tomorrow morning, at 5:30am, I report to duty and train with Kahl. I will be learning how to open the store and prepare for weekday, morning trade. 5:30am, I can hardly wait. I am scheduled to work the remainder of the week. I also have three shifts lined up for next week. Things are looking up in the/my financial world. The new store, my store, is set to open on April 27. Hopefully I can hold out for a couple more weeks!

Just over a week ago Conor and I attended a performance of "That Face" at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. It was a fairly good show - Conor liked it quite a bit. We live only a ten minute walk from a handful of theatres and smaller performing art venues. Conor hopes to frequent the theatre in Brisbane. We even thought about becoming members somewhere. How adult. (Luckily, there is an "Under 30" rate for most theatrical performances, but unfortunately, there is not a membership type that reflects this price break.)

Yesterday we headed out to enjoy another form of art, modern art. All of the museums in Brisbane are operated by the government and are free to the public. We toured the Museum of Modern Art for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. They are currently exhibiting their permanent Chinese artwork with a number of special exhibition pieces. Although neither of us cared greatly for the exhibit, it was nice to wander around the air-conditioned building for free.

We plan to continue this "artsy" weekend trend and attend a free concert next Sunday afternoon at the PowerHouse, a restored power house located just a quick City Cat ride up the river. Every Sunday at 3:30pm the PowerHouse features "Live Spark", a free concert series featuring local artists.

Will we ever make it to the beach again? Maybe one of these weekends. If it ever stops raining that is.

This post's recommendation:
Television: How I Met Your Mother (It's my Monday night favorite/guilty pleasure.)

Bella Ham. Sleepy Glenn.

Above: My sister's cat, my dog, my mother's husband.

I miss Bella and my Dad.

I know it's been a week since my last post. In fact, I think it's been over a week. I'm a little disappointed in the lack of attention my last post received. I kept hoping more people would read the post and comment on their favorite gorilla. Thank you to Caitlin and the Semler family for entertaining my request.

Conor and I are sitting on our balcony. Sipping margaritas. It's Saturday evening, about 9:00pm, and it is pouring. We can see downtown Brisbane through the mist. The ferris wheel on the South Bank is lit up and the AFL stadium lights have been gleaming for hours. It's Easter weekend, the biggest travel weekend of the year! Australians receive nine public holidays a year, in addition to six mandatory weeks of vacation. Typically families head out of town on this four-day weekend to visit relatives or the coast (to soak in the sun and camp near the beach). Despite the lights, the city seems rather quiet. Friday and Monday are both public holidays and most shops closed Thursday, re-opening on Tuesday. Thank goodness our local grocer was open today - I don't think I could stomach pasta noodles or rice with butter for three days straight.

It was a quiet day, and now, a quiet evening. Conor is working on his book. (Yes, he is writing a book.) And I am catching up on some emails and skimming the music in my Rhapsody account. After food shopping today, we made guacamole and baked tortilla chips for an appetizer. There is a home-made veggie pizza in the oven as I type, and I managed to whip together some blonde brownies while Conor was out for a jog earlier this afternoon. We will eat well tonight! I love having a house full of fresh vegetables, good bread, and some eggs and cheese. Chocolate is nice too, of course.

It was a fairly busy week and I will write more tomorrow. Happy Easter, everyone!

This post's recommendations (it's been a while):
Band: Carbon Leaf
Movie: The Boat That Rocked (It was amusing. Not brilliant, but amusing.)
Food: My Mom's Blonde Brownies

Cadbury

Well, it's been a month. An entire month. I have been living in Brisbane for a month.

I'm a bit more upbeat today. Although I still have yet to get a good night's sleep, I have not seen a cockroach in days. Yes, I was flustered by Geoff Allen's email, but I took his advice, contacted Rent Centre, and received a wonderfully kind reply from the lovely Alexandra in less than twelve hours. Alexandra is sending pest control my way immediately. I am tempted to forward her reply to Geoff (whose name I pronounce Gee-off, not Jeff - what pretentious parents do that to their son?) with a big fat, thanks for nothing!

Conor, on the other hand, has not experienced the same luck in his daily crusades. Unfortunately, he has yet to hear from Brisbane City Council in regard to a letter of concern he submitted on Monday morning (they should be taking this urban planner seriously!). In addition, he had an argument with Comcast over the telephone this morning and in response, filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. The Comcast employee refused to let Conor speak with her supervisor. Imagine that. Stupid cable monopoly. We paid for the NHL package and we will continue to receive it, gosh darn it! Who cares if Australians don't play hockey? Or can't keep ice frozen long enough to learn to skate? Even if we can't transfer our credit and watch the last few Sabres games online, we should at least get a refund, right? $180 for half a season - that doesn't seem fair.

Aside from battling the man, we have been busy playing Settlers of Catan with Adam Vest, watching movies and "new" episodes of Law & Order SVU, and whipping up recipes in the kitchen. We have also been planning a few weekend trips to Noosa and Byron Bay. Although it is still 85 degrees outside, it is technically autumn in Brisbane and as soon as winter hits, hotel and resort rates drop even lower than they are now. I have no problem going on vacation in the dead of winter. In fact, 70 degrees sounds quite lovely right now.

For the first time in a month, it is raining. Well, I suppose that is a bit of an exaggeration. It has sprinkled off and on over the past four weeks, but it is pouring today. Conor woke up to rain at 5:30 this morning and it is still raining now at 3:45 in the afternoon. I ran from the apartment to Conor's office, and over an hour and a half later, I am still soaked.

In all of our t.v. watching, we have found a new favorite advertisement. Since Cadbury chocolate only turns up in the States around Easter time, sharing this video seems appropriate. Cadbury is the Hershey's of the UK and Australia. (But unfortunately, I cannot seem to find those delicious chocolate eggs with the pastel speckled hard candy shell...hmph.)

While I planned to just share the advertisement with you, Conor has suggested I do a little experiment as well. If your first name begins with the letter A-L, watch Video Number 1 first. If your first name begins with the letter M-Z, watch Video Number 2 first.

Check out the videos (in the suggested order!) and then I'll share the controversy.

Video Number 1



Video Number 2



Great, right? Imagine lounging around the house, flipping through the channels, and coming across a pair of monstrous notrils. What on earth is he doing? Wait, he's playing the drums? Who's singing? Oh my God, I LOVE the eighties! Yes, that's the reaction I had. I think it was John Farnham that inspired me to email Geoff in the first place. Okay, that might be a bit extreme.

Well, in 2007 Cadbury released this video in the UK paired with Phil Collin's "In the Air Tonight". The advertising campaign was a huge success in both Australia and the UK. Just a couple weeks ago, Cadbury paired the video with John Farnham's "You're the Voice". Farnham performed at the Bushfire Relief Concert, along with Midnight Oil (one of my and Glenn's personal favorites), Coldplay, and some overrated group known as Kings of Leon. I will admit, "You're the Voice" is quite inspiring and since people are humming the tune anyway, why not pair it with the fabulous video? Right?

Wrong. Apparently quite a few people are upset with Cadbury's new "revived" Australian campaign. The gorilla was great the first time, why mess around and toss Phil aside for John? Anyway, we're curious to see which gorilla you like more. Share your thoughts.