I think it is time for a post about the thing that you all REALLY care about. Food. Delicious, nutritious, and otherwise.
Let’s start with the epically awesome Tim Tams. I know I have described the wonder that is the Tim Tam Slam with hot chocolate, but did you know there are other varieties of Tim Tams? The best, in my opinion, is the double coated ones. The extra chocolate makes it perfect, the inside gets gooey and you can still hold onto it. Erin loves the dark chocolate ones. There are also these things called Tim Tam Crumbles. These Tim Tams are things like Cookies and Cream, and are a little slice of awesome. While still wonderful with hot liquids, they are just as good on their own. A third category of the delicious cookies is the ones with stuff inside them. These include caramel and a hazelnut one. The problem with these is that when refrigerated, the gooey stuff becomes really hard to bite through. I am not much of a fan of the consistency of the goo, when it melts the chocolate is very malleable but the caramel and hazelnut cream stay about the same. It isn’t as melty.
Did you know that in Australia they call cookies biscuits? I think biscuits as we know them don’t really exist here, they didn’t have them at the KFC (KFC in Australia, I’m still shocked) here, and if any place would have biscuits KFC would. Some other fun names for things include tater tots being called potato gems (hee hee, I’m keeping that once I get back. Potato gems…) and French fries being chips.
Speaking of chips, fish and chips is flipping everywhere here. You would think this was England! Pretty much every restaurant has fish and chips, and I have seen several places dedicated solely to sole and other fish. I’m pretty content, as it is usually delicious. A restaurant on campus called 2nd Degree has fantastic fish and chips, nice and light and just the right size for a lunch.
Other places to eat are severely Asian geared. There is a huge Asian population in Australia, and they brought their food from each of their countries. This is fresh-off-the-boat (Kylie said it so it’s not racist) food, as real as you are going to get outside of the actual country the food came from. What is very weird is that many of the places felt the need to take on two types of food. There are Chinese-Malaysian places, Vietnamese-Chinese, Korean-Sushi. Each place obviously has their specialty, but they have food on their menus from both. I am really craving some Rice Café bastardized terrible fried delicious Chinese. They don’t really have bastardized Chinese food here, probably because the Chinese actually live here. Imagine that.
When you ask for lemonade to drink, here you get Sprite. It’s actually rather refreshing. I haven’t figured out what they call real lemonade, yet but I’m enjoying the Sprite-lemonade. When I went to London it was the same way, so I think the US is just weird with our lemonade lemonade.
Here you have to pay for ketchup. Yeah. I know. Those of you who know my eating habits know that ketchup forms the base of my food pyramid. This is either a large hit for my wallet or my diet; I’ve chosen to even it out. A ramekin of ketchup will run 25 cents to 50 cents, depending on where it is and what the size of it is. Some more casual places with the little packets of ketchup will give the first free, then you have to pay for the others you want. Feel free to begin making jokes about how you’re surprised I haven’t starved yet.
What they do have, however, is ketchup chips. What. The. Hell. Apparently they are pretty big in Canada as well, how do we not have these in the US?! I have yet to try them, they sound pretty nauseating but I figure I will give them a try along with the Cheese and Bacon Cheetos that keep calling my name.
Another interesting flavor they have is sweet chili. Holy crap, this flavor is fantastic. It is a sauce or a chip flavor, and it is fantastic. It is sort of like a zingy sour cream and onion flavor, which sounds disgusting in theory but is magical in practice. How this has not crossed the ocean, I will never know because it is my new favorite chip flavor. Better than barbecue, better than sour cream and onion, better than popcorn.
One thing that is very interesting is the variety of textures the Aussies like to play with. They have twice as many candy bars as we do, Cadbury is huge here. There are lots of chocolates that are very different than the Hershey’s bars we have. I tried a candy bar called Aero, which was essentially lots of very tiny bubbles of chocolate coated in a layer of chocolate to give it a solid appearance. If you hold it in your mouth, the thin layers of chocolate inside forming the bubbles will melt and you can actually hear and feel them popping. Its very light and easy to eat and crazy interesting.
Last night I had a candy bar that was shaped like a Twix, but inside were very thin tiny long strips of chocolate. It was crumbly and like nothing I have tried before. Very tasty, and when it melty very creamy. Cadbury has some good stuff man; we in the States are missing out. I have a list of about four other candy bars that I’ve never even heard of that I want to try.
Another delicious Aussie sweet treat is something called a lamington. Basically it is a sponge cake coated in a thin layer of chocolate then covered in coconut shavings. I’m not a big coconut fan, so I didn’t much like the texture that it added, but the flavor is just light enough to balance the chocolate and cake. The cake is fluffy and delicious and you could eat a vat of it and still have room for more. And since it is mostly air, it doesn’t really count.
There is this chain of fantastic bakeries around Brisbane (possibly further, I haven’t been enough places to tell) that has fresh baked delicious things every day. They are made in house and they have muffins and donuts and sausage rolls and it is all fantastic and reasonably priced. The muffins are what stick out in my head. The flavors are all very subtle, just enough. Even the triple chocolate muffin is not overwhelmingly chocolaty as one would expect it to be.
Well that is about it. What? You say I left something out? Hm I don’t think so. Oh. Wait. I suppose I can’t have a blog post about food without talking about the food of all foods. The stereotypical Aussie treat. Vegemite.
Yes I have tried it. Twice in fact! I forgot what it tasted like the first time as I only had a bite, so for the sake of this post I made myself some toast, slathered on the butter, and spread that Vegemite thin, just the way it is supposed to be made. It isn’t as bad as you are led to believe. I’m a pretty picky eater and I probably could finish the piece if I set my mind to it. It has a salty, strange flavor that isn’t, in my opinion, bad at first. The lingering aftertaste is what I found to be the nasty part. I ate a cookie to wash it out. The lingering taste is a much lesser form of the smell of the stuff. Stale butt, that is the smell. If you are ever presented with a jar of Vegemite and want to know what I’m talking about, don’t take a huge whiff. You will probably die.
That’s it so far (that I can think of and wanted to make note of anyway). I have yet to try Roo, though I have heard good things. It’s on the list! I keep saying that like there is an actual list. There isn’t. But if there were, trying kangaroo would be on it.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Townsville
So Townsville was awesome. We got in around noon and ate at the dining hall (against the rules, might I add. Man, we are rebels). After dropping our stuff off in Stephanie’s (the girl whose room we were crashing in) room, we changed and took a bus into the actual city of Townsville, to take in some sun at the beach. Voted cleanliest beach in 2004 and 2008, whoo! It was absolutely lovely.
It was practically empty, which was amazing. Townsville seemed pretty small, especially in comparison to Brisbane which is the third most populous Australian city. There were some cute shops (all closed, and on a Saturday! What’s up with that?) but in all it isn’t the near a city campus that UQ is, it is more for people who want to hit the beach regularly and revel in wildlife I think. Blech, wildlife. Who does that?
After a nice nap in the sun (goobered up with sunscreen, don’t worry) we went back to Stephanie’s room to change again, and to head out on the town. Townsville may not be Brisbane, but it certainly isn’t lacking in the nightlife.
I should mention that on the way there we met up with a rather large group of girls who were also going into town. We proceeded to belt Disney tunes and 80’s rock ballads on the bus there. Don’t stop believing, folks. Just hold onto that feeling.
We first hit a place called the Mad Cow. Selections included Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy, a Grease medley, and Sweet Home Alabama. You get the picture. There was a bachelorette party who were also there, so several people were in costumes and there were a few stray balloons that had made a break for the sky, only to hit the ceiling.
The bar tenders were attractive women wearing midriff bearing shirts who had mobs of people shouting drink orders at them. I felt a little bad when I was ordering my water because two guys were being pretty big douche bags right before me.
We stayed and danced at the Mad Cow and generally had a good time for a while, then decided to give another place a try. Some of the people we rode the bus with had mentioned going to a place called The Bank. Now, bear in mind with the story I am about to tell that most of these places are not clearly labeled. There is no giant flashing neon sign displaying for all to see the name of the establishment. It is spread by word of mouth and the music blaring from the doors.
The first place which we assumed to be The Bank due to the vague gesture earlier in the evening was….not. To get in the door we had to show ID then head up the stairs to a front desk-esc place to pay a cover. Erin peaked around the corner to see if this place was worth the cover charge or if we should find somewhere else. Apparently there were poles and stages involved in whatever was going on around that corner, which explains why we got strange looks from the hulking bodyguard at the door.
Needless to say we went back down the stairs and tried another place.
Our second try actually was The Bank. Seven bucks to get in and they were blaring the Vengaboys. We only stayed for around 45 minutes and in that time they played Barbie Girl and two songs by the Vengaboys. While waiting for Steph’s drink I helped a random guy convince his friend that the song “Boom Boom Boom Boom” was a quality song. Mission successful, random guy 2 admitted it. I like to think I change lives.
We headed home to zonk out on Steph’s floor. We borrowed cushions from another dorm room, and Kylie and I slept on the floor with a bed of cushions (3 each) while Stephanie and Erin shared the bed. The cushion bed was surprisingly comfortable for the first two nights; three was pushing it for my back.
Sunday we took a trip to Maggie Island. We took a bus to the ferry, and then took a 45 minute ferry ride to the Island. The ride over was absolutely beautiful. We got a great view of Townsville and the Island itself.
When we got there we took a cab (after missing the bus by literally a minute and a half) across the island to where we heard the best beaches were. We had some beachy fun, including some playing in the sand. The sunset was absolutely spectacular, right behind part of the Island down the beach.
Erin and I got milkshakes that were disappointment in liquid form. Emphasis on the liquid. It was like a glass of milk with a squirt of chocolate and a scoop of ice cream in the bottom, not even mixed up. I’m still a little peeved about this. Trying to let it go, but milkshakes are sacred.
After catching the ferry back we went to bed early, getting up at an ungodly hour of 6 to go snorkeling. Too early for the bus, so we called a cab which played classical music on the radio. We waited at the snorkeling place for them to pick us up in a van to take us to the wharf.
Once we got there we had to sign a form saying we knew we could die and then tried on our wetsuits and flippers, then onto the boat! The boat was a two level boat, seats on the bottom and an open top on the top. We got a talk about safety and boat etiquette filled with a few little jokes (including “If you don’t know how to use the bucket, just put your head in and read the directions at the bottom” when referring to the barf buckets) and set sail. About a half hour into it I went to ask for some seasickness medicine, about ten minutes too late. By the time the crew member got back I was already hunched over the bucket, tasting the toast they served for breakfast again.
The next hour or so was pretty fun. I couldn’t keep down water to take the seasickness medicine, so I just had to grin and bear it. I wasn’t the only one clutching a bucket though. There was a guy who sat across from me who was also feeling the motion of the ocean. Everyone was really nice; I got quite a few pats on the head with a sympathetic smile or two.
Once we got to the reef, one of the crew members stole my bucket telling me to get into the water, that it would make me feel better. He was trying to help, but his timing was terrible. I had to go to the bathroom before I could get myself into my wet suit and into the water. He was right though, I did feel a lot better once I was in the water.
The reef was, to put it simply, amazing. There were droves of fish and sharks and interesting shapes and colors. The water was a little murky apparently, but I was too mesmerized to notice. I saw reef sharks cruising about the coral, red fish and blue fish, one fish and two fish.
The coral was breathtaking. No joke, a few times I had to come up because I forgot to breathe and the snorkel didn’t help things. Also, when you smile water gets into the goggles. Just a fun fact for you.
Some people saw a turtle, but I don’t think I went out far enough. I stayed moderately close to the boat because I was still feeling a little weak and didn’t really want to go too far. There was plenty to see around the boat anyway, even if I did miss out on the turtle. I want to go back so maybe I will see one then. I would like to try out diving to actually go down to see even more. Next time I will take some seasickness medicine BEFORE we leave so as to actually be able to enjoy the entire boat ride.
The ride back was smoother so I didn’t get sick once! Trust me, that is impressive in comparison to the ride there. Towards the end I even managed to keep down some water and crackers. One of the crew members sat and talked to me a bit about his travels, Thailand and New Zealand and all of these crazy awesome places. Apparently pay on one of those boats isn’t that great, the lifestyle is what they really work for. Just traveling around, going where you want. If I didn’t get seasick I would probably have been jealous.
Back to Stephanie’s room, sleep, then to the airport in the morning. One of the guys who was on our snorkel boat was actually on the same flight to Brisbane as us, and as we were preparing for takeoff he passed over one of those white barf bags with the message “Just in case” which was very amusing.
In all, the trip was a pretty great success.
It was practically empty, which was amazing. Townsville seemed pretty small, especially in comparison to Brisbane which is the third most populous Australian city. There were some cute shops (all closed, and on a Saturday! What’s up with that?) but in all it isn’t the near a city campus that UQ is, it is more for people who want to hit the beach regularly and revel in wildlife I think. Blech, wildlife. Who does that?
After a nice nap in the sun (goobered up with sunscreen, don’t worry) we went back to Stephanie’s room to change again, and to head out on the town. Townsville may not be Brisbane, but it certainly isn’t lacking in the nightlife.
I should mention that on the way there we met up with a rather large group of girls who were also going into town. We proceeded to belt Disney tunes and 80’s rock ballads on the bus there. Don’t stop believing, folks. Just hold onto that feeling.
We first hit a place called the Mad Cow. Selections included Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy, a Grease medley, and Sweet Home Alabama. You get the picture. There was a bachelorette party who were also there, so several people were in costumes and there were a few stray balloons that had made a break for the sky, only to hit the ceiling.
The bar tenders were attractive women wearing midriff bearing shirts who had mobs of people shouting drink orders at them. I felt a little bad when I was ordering my water because two guys were being pretty big douche bags right before me.
We stayed and danced at the Mad Cow and generally had a good time for a while, then decided to give another place a try. Some of the people we rode the bus with had mentioned going to a place called The Bank. Now, bear in mind with the story I am about to tell that most of these places are not clearly labeled. There is no giant flashing neon sign displaying for all to see the name of the establishment. It is spread by word of mouth and the music blaring from the doors.
The first place which we assumed to be The Bank due to the vague gesture earlier in the evening was….not. To get in the door we had to show ID then head up the stairs to a front desk-esc place to pay a cover. Erin peaked around the corner to see if this place was worth the cover charge or if we should find somewhere else. Apparently there were poles and stages involved in whatever was going on around that corner, which explains why we got strange looks from the hulking bodyguard at the door.
Needless to say we went back down the stairs and tried another place.
Our second try actually was The Bank. Seven bucks to get in and they were blaring the Vengaboys. We only stayed for around 45 minutes and in that time they played Barbie Girl and two songs by the Vengaboys. While waiting for Steph’s drink I helped a random guy convince his friend that the song “Boom Boom Boom Boom” was a quality song. Mission successful, random guy 2 admitted it. I like to think I change lives.
We headed home to zonk out on Steph’s floor. We borrowed cushions from another dorm room, and Kylie and I slept on the floor with a bed of cushions (3 each) while Stephanie and Erin shared the bed. The cushion bed was surprisingly comfortable for the first two nights; three was pushing it for my back.
Sunday we took a trip to Maggie Island. We took a bus to the ferry, and then took a 45 minute ferry ride to the Island. The ride over was absolutely beautiful. We got a great view of Townsville and the Island itself.
When we got there we took a cab (after missing the bus by literally a minute and a half) across the island to where we heard the best beaches were. We had some beachy fun, including some playing in the sand. The sunset was absolutely spectacular, right behind part of the Island down the beach.
Erin and I got milkshakes that were disappointment in liquid form. Emphasis on the liquid. It was like a glass of milk with a squirt of chocolate and a scoop of ice cream in the bottom, not even mixed up. I’m still a little peeved about this. Trying to let it go, but milkshakes are sacred.
After catching the ferry back we went to bed early, getting up at an ungodly hour of 6 to go snorkeling. Too early for the bus, so we called a cab which played classical music on the radio. We waited at the snorkeling place for them to pick us up in a van to take us to the wharf.
Once we got there we had to sign a form saying we knew we could die and then tried on our wetsuits and flippers, then onto the boat! The boat was a two level boat, seats on the bottom and an open top on the top. We got a talk about safety and boat etiquette filled with a few little jokes (including “If you don’t know how to use the bucket, just put your head in and read the directions at the bottom” when referring to the barf buckets) and set sail. About a half hour into it I went to ask for some seasickness medicine, about ten minutes too late. By the time the crew member got back I was already hunched over the bucket, tasting the toast they served for breakfast again.
The next hour or so was pretty fun. I couldn’t keep down water to take the seasickness medicine, so I just had to grin and bear it. I wasn’t the only one clutching a bucket though. There was a guy who sat across from me who was also feeling the motion of the ocean. Everyone was really nice; I got quite a few pats on the head with a sympathetic smile or two.
Once we got to the reef, one of the crew members stole my bucket telling me to get into the water, that it would make me feel better. He was trying to help, but his timing was terrible. I had to go to the bathroom before I could get myself into my wet suit and into the water. He was right though, I did feel a lot better once I was in the water.
The reef was, to put it simply, amazing. There were droves of fish and sharks and interesting shapes and colors. The water was a little murky apparently, but I was too mesmerized to notice. I saw reef sharks cruising about the coral, red fish and blue fish, one fish and two fish.
The coral was breathtaking. No joke, a few times I had to come up because I forgot to breathe and the snorkel didn’t help things. Also, when you smile water gets into the goggles. Just a fun fact for you.
Some people saw a turtle, but I don’t think I went out far enough. I stayed moderately close to the boat because I was still feeling a little weak and didn’t really want to go too far. There was plenty to see around the boat anyway, even if I did miss out on the turtle. I want to go back so maybe I will see one then. I would like to try out diving to actually go down to see even more. Next time I will take some seasickness medicine BEFORE we leave so as to actually be able to enjoy the entire boat ride.
The ride back was smoother so I didn’t get sick once! Trust me, that is impressive in comparison to the ride there. Towards the end I even managed to keep down some water and crackers. One of the crew members sat and talked to me a bit about his travels, Thailand and New Zealand and all of these crazy awesome places. Apparently pay on one of those boats isn’t that great, the lifestyle is what they really work for. Just traveling around, going where you want. If I didn’t get seasick I would probably have been jealous.
Back to Stephanie’s room, sleep, then to the airport in the morning. One of the guys who was on our snorkel boat was actually on the same flight to Brisbane as us, and as we were preparing for takeoff he passed over one of those white barf bags with the message “Just in case” which was very amusing.
In all, the trip was a pretty great success.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Off to the Races!
Wednesday was a day off of school, called Ekka day. Ekka is basically this huge carnival fair that Brisbane holds for a week. There are animals and motocross and lots of food. Since there were no classes, Kylie, Erin and I decided to go to what is known as the Ekka Races!
Unfortunately Erin got sick. Kylie and I got dressed up and let her sleep in and headed off. We met with a bunch of people from the beach volleyball club (which Erin and Kylie are both members of) and took the CityCat to the races. It was probably a 45 minute ferry ride through Brisbane, so some nice sights were seen.
The races were very fun. Kylie rides horses, so she knows quite a bit. Apparently normally horses run counterclockwise around the track, but here they ran clockwise which is a strange difference. Also they ran on grass, which is also peculiar apparently. I’ve never been to another horse race, so it is difficult to make comparisons.
There were lots and lots of people there. When we first got there, it wasn’t bad but as the day wore on the crowds were overwhelming. Some girls were very dressed up (floor length dress that would fit in at prom) while others were on par with Kylie and I in nice sundresses, and everything in between.
There were food places; one was a fish and chips place which was named Nemo’s Café! It even had a Finding Nemo sign, Kylie and I had a good laugh over this.
I bet on two horses, two dollars each. The first was named American Gangster (I felt obligated to show some country pride) and it lost pretty badly. Actually I think she (Kylie thought they were mares) was fifth, but that wins me nothing!
The second horse was named Linear (nerd horse!) and she won! She didn’t just win, she slaughtered. Nerd horses for the win! My winnings almost made me break even. If I had bet Linear to win instead of to place (which is first and second place) I would have come out ahead, instead I ended up losing twenty cents total. Not bad for my first time.
~*~
(The above shall from now on denote a time change in my blog post. For example, from Wednesday to Friday as the one here does.)
Today (Friday) Erin and I headed to Indoorpoly shopping center to look around for some things. We found a fantastic shoe store and bought some flats (I got a pair of green ones!) and I also got a swim suit. Why did I get a swim suit you ask? Well maybe you aren’t really asking, as I’m in Australia, but pretend to ask just for a bit.
This weekend we are flying to Townsville. Erin knows a girl there from her StudyAustralia orientation that is letting us stay there for a few days. We got a decent deal on plain tickets there and then got a hundred dollar voucher for a flight on Jetstar airlines, which pushed it into fantastic deal land. We are going to go on an all day snorkeling trip on the reef among other things. I’m pretty excited.
Expect a fun update about how beautifully wonderfully spectacular Townsville is Tuesday or Wednesday. Stay, snazzy folks.
Unfortunately Erin got sick. Kylie and I got dressed up and let her sleep in and headed off. We met with a bunch of people from the beach volleyball club (which Erin and Kylie are both members of) and took the CityCat to the races. It was probably a 45 minute ferry ride through Brisbane, so some nice sights were seen.
The races were very fun. Kylie rides horses, so she knows quite a bit. Apparently normally horses run counterclockwise around the track, but here they ran clockwise which is a strange difference. Also they ran on grass, which is also peculiar apparently. I’ve never been to another horse race, so it is difficult to make comparisons.
There were lots and lots of people there. When we first got there, it wasn’t bad but as the day wore on the crowds were overwhelming. Some girls were very dressed up (floor length dress that would fit in at prom) while others were on par with Kylie and I in nice sundresses, and everything in between.
There were food places; one was a fish and chips place which was named Nemo’s Café! It even had a Finding Nemo sign, Kylie and I had a good laugh over this.
I bet on two horses, two dollars each. The first was named American Gangster (I felt obligated to show some country pride) and it lost pretty badly. Actually I think she (Kylie thought they were mares) was fifth, but that wins me nothing!
The second horse was named Linear (nerd horse!) and she won! She didn’t just win, she slaughtered. Nerd horses for the win! My winnings almost made me break even. If I had bet Linear to win instead of to place (which is first and second place) I would have come out ahead, instead I ended up losing twenty cents total. Not bad for my first time.
~*~
(The above shall from now on denote a time change in my blog post. For example, from Wednesday to Friday as the one here does.)
Today (Friday) Erin and I headed to Indoorpoly shopping center to look around for some things. We found a fantastic shoe store and bought some flats (I got a pair of green ones!) and I also got a swim suit. Why did I get a swim suit you ask? Well maybe you aren’t really asking, as I’m in Australia, but pretend to ask just for a bit.
This weekend we are flying to Townsville. Erin knows a girl there from her StudyAustralia orientation that is letting us stay there for a few days. We got a decent deal on plain tickets there and then got a hundred dollar voucher for a flight on Jetstar airlines, which pushed it into fantastic deal land. We are going to go on an all day snorkeling trip on the reef among other things. I’m pretty excited.
Expect a fun update about how beautifully wonderfully spectacular Townsville is Tuesday or Wednesday. Stay, snazzy folks.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Airborne Toxic Event
Just a quick note, I am going to get to see one of my favorite bands The Airborne Toxic Event here in Brisbane in September. Pee-in-my-pants excited, folks. I need to find someone to go with me, because I already bought my ticket. I’m pretty flipping stoked. That’s all.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Step Inn and Rics
So last night was pretty fantastic. We took the bus and train to the Valley to see Tom’s band. We got there a little late and only heard about 3 songs, but what we heard was pretty good. They’re called Wipedoubt, but they aren’t a surfer music band.
When we first met Tom and he invited us to the gig he promised Kylie, Erin and I a free drink each if we showed up. After they finished, he paid up. I was lucky enough to get the free drink that each band member gets for playing the show. It was a Mexican beer so nasty that they give it away to the people who play there because no one will buy it. After trying it Erin proclaimed that she would give me $20 to finish it, WHICH I DID! Boom! I about had a reversal of fortunes, but I finished all except for a last bit of foam which was stolen from me, so Erin offered 15. I graciously accepted.
After the Step Inn (where the band played) we left with Marco and Tom to go to another club. First we went to this one that was sort of like a hookah bar minus the hookah. It’s illegal in Brisbane to smoke inside, so that’s why it was minus the hookah.
We were there all of five minutes before we left and met up with two more of Marco and Tom’s friends to go to another place, I think it was called Rics or something of the sort. This place was crazy fantastically awesome. It was two levels; the first floor was nothing to write home about but upstairs was basically this open room. It had a DJ and a bar and a few seats, but most of it was just an open space for dancing. The floor was a little sticky and the crowd fluctuated from too close to just enough space and everyone was just dancing.
The dancing here is not like the dancing I’ve seen in the US. It isn’t grinding and close and sweaty, its I-don’t-care-I-just-like-this-song-and-want-to-have-fun dancing. The music the DJ was playing was absolutely perfect. A few samples of the songs played: Fat Bottom Girls (Queen), Hard Day’s Night (The Beatles), Pork and Beans (Weezer), and a bunch of other just really fun get-up-and-move songs. There were a lot of songs that everyone knew and would shout the lyrics to, and some that we knew but didn’t sing to, we just moved. Where in the heck can I find a place like this in the States, please and thank you?
We stayed there until 3:30. My ears were buzzing because the music was so loud, but it was the most fun I’ve had in quite some time. We grabbed a cab home and zonked out. A pretty great night.
No koalas today, we woke up too late. Sorry kiddos, it will happen, I promise!
When we first met Tom and he invited us to the gig he promised Kylie, Erin and I a free drink each if we showed up. After they finished, he paid up. I was lucky enough to get the free drink that each band member gets for playing the show. It was a Mexican beer so nasty that they give it away to the people who play there because no one will buy it. After trying it Erin proclaimed that she would give me $20 to finish it, WHICH I DID! Boom! I about had a reversal of fortunes, but I finished all except for a last bit of foam which was stolen from me, so Erin offered 15. I graciously accepted.
After the Step Inn (where the band played) we left with Marco and Tom to go to another club. First we went to this one that was sort of like a hookah bar minus the hookah. It’s illegal in Brisbane to smoke inside, so that’s why it was minus the hookah.
We were there all of five minutes before we left and met up with two more of Marco and Tom’s friends to go to another place, I think it was called Rics or something of the sort. This place was crazy fantastically awesome. It was two levels; the first floor was nothing to write home about but upstairs was basically this open room. It had a DJ and a bar and a few seats, but most of it was just an open space for dancing. The floor was a little sticky and the crowd fluctuated from too close to just enough space and everyone was just dancing.
The dancing here is not like the dancing I’ve seen in the US. It isn’t grinding and close and sweaty, its I-don’t-care-I-just-like-this-song-and-want-to-have-fun dancing. The music the DJ was playing was absolutely perfect. A few samples of the songs played: Fat Bottom Girls (Queen), Hard Day’s Night (The Beatles), Pork and Beans (Weezer), and a bunch of other just really fun get-up-and-move songs. There were a lot of songs that everyone knew and would shout the lyrics to, and some that we knew but didn’t sing to, we just moved. Where in the heck can I find a place like this in the States, please and thank you?
We stayed there until 3:30. My ears were buzzing because the music was so loud, but it was the most fun I’ve had in quite some time. We grabbed a cab home and zonked out. A pretty great night.
No koalas today, we woke up too late. Sorry kiddos, it will happen, I promise!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Pro at Drinking
Alright it’s been a week so this is going to be a long post. Be prepared.
Hmm last week Thursday and Friday was more classes. Friday is Erin and I’s big day of classes, we go pretty much all day, with an hour break for lunch. The last class is a 3 hour work session on a homework assignment thing. There are 3 due during the semester.
One pretty big difference between the states and here is how the 3 hour tutorial was set up. There was no introduction and everyone was expected to have already printed out the assignment and have come with questions, despite the fact that the professor had not mentioned this. Erin and I sat down next to another American girl and for the first ten minutes of class we basically sat there waiting for it to start. We were discussing how everyone seemed to be working when a girl turned around and explained this all to us. Thanks Good Samaritan!
On Saturday we were going to head to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to hold a Koala and play with some roos and other animals but we got to the bus stop too late (at around 3), it would have not been worth it to go all the way out there (half hour until the bus arrives, plus half hour to get there equals not much time before closing at 5). Instead we walked around Brisbane some more and laughed at some of the terrible clothes in some of the stores. There were some good’uns.
Saturday night we walked a block away to a party one of Kylie’s friends invited us to. It turned out to be the apartment of some other Study Australia people so Marco was there! As was one of his friends, Tom. Tom was pretty snazzy and invited us to go see his band play in a club in The Valley (the young hip to the jive fun part of Brisbane with clubs and bars and stuff) this Friday, and it should be a good time. He also said that he would take me on as his music protégée to introduce me to lots of Australian music. I’m pretty excited about that, as one of my goals while here is to pick up a bunch of really awesome Australian music. Brisbane is a big music hot spot, so it shouldn’t be that difficult, especially with a guide.
Monday rolled around and Prof Litster was at UQ! Erin and I went to an informal lunch that he had to tell people about doing exchange to Purdue. We met a guy named Richard who is going to Purdue this semester (like next week!). Treat him well, Purdue, he seems pretty nice. We also met for drinks later at the Staff Club on campus. When Litster emailed me, I didn’t realize that he meant drinks drinks. I drank about half a glass of beer! Whoo! I was rather impressed that I could swallow that much, it was pretty gross. Clearly I am a pro at this drinking thing.
Tuesday held a safety session for the building I am doing research in. I got a free pair of safety goggles for going! Huzzah! Also it was kind of required so a bribe wasn’t really necessary, just appreciated. I should be getting my swipe card to get into the building next week, and then the fun begins.
Let’s see what else. We found the laundry! Huzzah! Our apartment building has a garage on the ground floor and the one for our place is where the washer and dryer for our apartment are. Pretty weird place to put it, but better than no washer and dryer at all.
I also didn’t go back to the choir ha ha ha. I still haven’t decided what clubs I want to join here and I really need to get on that. A few options are floating about, but I’ll keep them to myself for now.
Tonight we are going to go see Tom’s band. Here’s hoping they don’t suck! Saturday will be attempt two at getting to the Koala sanctuary. This time it’s going to happen and I will put pictures up here, I think I may have figured out how to do that.
Not as long as expected, I’ll try to post sooner next time. Sorry kiddos and future-me-who-will-be-reading-this.
Hmm last week Thursday and Friday was more classes. Friday is Erin and I’s big day of classes, we go pretty much all day, with an hour break for lunch. The last class is a 3 hour work session on a homework assignment thing. There are 3 due during the semester.
One pretty big difference between the states and here is how the 3 hour tutorial was set up. There was no introduction and everyone was expected to have already printed out the assignment and have come with questions, despite the fact that the professor had not mentioned this. Erin and I sat down next to another American girl and for the first ten minutes of class we basically sat there waiting for it to start. We were discussing how everyone seemed to be working when a girl turned around and explained this all to us. Thanks Good Samaritan!
On Saturday we were going to head to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to hold a Koala and play with some roos and other animals but we got to the bus stop too late (at around 3), it would have not been worth it to go all the way out there (half hour until the bus arrives, plus half hour to get there equals not much time before closing at 5). Instead we walked around Brisbane some more and laughed at some of the terrible clothes in some of the stores. There were some good’uns.
Saturday night we walked a block away to a party one of Kylie’s friends invited us to. It turned out to be the apartment of some other Study Australia people so Marco was there! As was one of his friends, Tom. Tom was pretty snazzy and invited us to go see his band play in a club in The Valley (the young hip to the jive fun part of Brisbane with clubs and bars and stuff) this Friday, and it should be a good time. He also said that he would take me on as his music protégée to introduce me to lots of Australian music. I’m pretty excited about that, as one of my goals while here is to pick up a bunch of really awesome Australian music. Brisbane is a big music hot spot, so it shouldn’t be that difficult, especially with a guide.
Monday rolled around and Prof Litster was at UQ! Erin and I went to an informal lunch that he had to tell people about doing exchange to Purdue. We met a guy named Richard who is going to Purdue this semester (like next week!). Treat him well, Purdue, he seems pretty nice. We also met for drinks later at the Staff Club on campus. When Litster emailed me, I didn’t realize that he meant drinks drinks. I drank about half a glass of beer! Whoo! I was rather impressed that I could swallow that much, it was pretty gross. Clearly I am a pro at this drinking thing.
Tuesday held a safety session for the building I am doing research in. I got a free pair of safety goggles for going! Huzzah! Also it was kind of required so a bribe wasn’t really necessary, just appreciated. I should be getting my swipe card to get into the building next week, and then the fun begins.
Let’s see what else. We found the laundry! Huzzah! Our apartment building has a garage on the ground floor and the one for our place is where the washer and dryer for our apartment are. Pretty weird place to put it, but better than no washer and dryer at all.
I also didn’t go back to the choir ha ha ha. I still haven’t decided what clubs I want to join here and I really need to get on that. A few options are floating about, but I’ll keep them to myself for now.
Tonight we are going to go see Tom’s band. Here’s hoping they don’t suck! Saturday will be attempt two at getting to the Koala sanctuary. This time it’s going to happen and I will put pictures up here, I think I may have figured out how to do that.
Not as long as expected, I’ll try to post sooner next time. Sorry kiddos and future-me-who-will-be-reading-this.
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