Lanterns and Markets at the Winter Lights Festival

The Winter Lights Festival was held on Saturday from 3 to 9pm, signifying the onset of Winter. On arrival, it was a bit off-putting that we had to pay five dollars each to attend an outdoor market. The way I see it, these events attract people to the area, giving surrounding businesses a boost and stall owners already pay their share of money to the council. 

Parts of Racecourse Road was sectioned off and market stalls of jewellery, clothing, toys and food were on display. There were farm animals, showground rides and balloons for kids. A few music acts played and artists painted on randomly placed easels. We shared a Cheese Kransky roll and walked up and down the street. Many had ended up in the surrounding pubs, cafes and restaurants - maybe due to a lack of things to do or maybe due to a lack of seating. 

Just as we were about to leave, a little parade came down the street with cartoon characters and people holding some amazing lanterns. They were large and shaped like musical instruments, animals and people! On a closer look, you can see that they were made by some sort of paper stretched over wire. This entertained us briefly but we left not long after to have a sit down meal. Maybe we'll make our own lanterns a bit later! 

More Brisbane Events can be found at:
Making Cosplay Wings with Frances Foo at Brisbane Square Library; and
BrisStyle indie Twilight markets in King George Square, Brisbane City

Opening my eyes at the World Press Photos, Brisbane

The 56th Annual Exhibition for World Press Photos came into Brisbane for a few weeks in June, and as I have never been before, I decided to check it out for myself. It's not normally my type of thing as I love absorbing the beauty in everything but I was ready to open myself up to different perspectives.

Photojournalists record world events with their cameras, and as I viewed each piece that was presented, I wondered what danger they might be in whilst they snapped away. Pictures of tragedies in war-torn countries such as Iran and Iraq, people hiding from snipers on rooftops, women prostituting in the country-side in Italy, what has our human race come to?

I looked around to observe the reactions of the other viewers and noticed a woman who had brought her son into the exhibition. I believe he would be about 8 or 10 at most. He looked appalled and held his mother tight, burying his face in her clothing while she explained the context of the photos. The images were so sad, yet frightening and so powerful.

I sat down and watched a video of one of the journalists explaining that he was firstly there as a human being, ready to help whoever needed his help, and only secondly, was he there as a photographer. His eyes expressed such empathy, and I wondered what he been through. As I left for the fresh air and sunshine that I gratefully knew was awaiting for me outdoors, I heard a couple of women talking about the new generations that are being brought up these days - how they were so used to luxury that they wouldn't be able to handle these events in their world...

Other Interesting Events can be found at:

BrisStyle indie Twilight Markets in King George Square;
Lanterns and Markets at the Winter Lights Festival; and
Celebrating the Winter Solstice with the Hippies.

Making Cosplay Wings with Frances Foo at Brisbane Square Library

Cosplay is short for Costume Play. You might have heard of huge conventions where people get all dressed up to look like anime/ fictional characters – I think I saw photos of a friend who got all dressed up for the EB Games Expo! She informs me she went as Zoey from Left4Dead. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not in it for the costumes but I’m a big fan of arts and crafts, and even a bigger one of the daydreaming that I know I’ll be doing whilst making the wings! In fact, I was one of the last to finish! :P

Frances Foo is a costume designer and actor on theatre sets, as well as a dedicated "Cosplayer", entering competitions all over the world. I had a brief chat with her while she helped me make my wings – I love the creativity! There was this girl who was so into it that she cut up her jacket to get her wings to poke through the back! She was looking forward to wearing her wings home on public transport! Haha! Each to their own! I just wanted something dreamy and pretty to put in my bedroom.

Wings made - Workshop done. Check! :) 

More Brisbane Events can be found at:
BrisStyle indie Twilight Markets at King George Square, Brisbane City; and 
"Girl Clock" at Brisbane Library

A Good Night's Rest at the Grand Chancellor, Gold Coast

To attend a two day work conference at the Grand Chancellor, I arrived in the early morning to a surprisingly fresh and modern hotel (worlds apart from the Grand Chancellor I stayed at in Melbourne). I was impressed that my room was available for me to check into and was delighted to see that I had been given a room with a separate study/lounge! Rushing to register for the conference, I waited for what seemed like forever for the lift to arrive...

The day filled my head full of information and by the end, all the attendees (myself included) wanted to do was to return to their rooms for a rest before we met up for dinner. We all waited for the lift again and for what seemed like 10-15 minutes, and on arrival at my door, I discovered that my key didn't work so I had to return to reception after waiting for the lift to arrive again. It turns out that somebody else had been booked into my room so I had been moved to another room. They had called me and left a message but my phone had been on silent from the conference. Feeling a bit uncomfortable at being told that my luggage and items had been moved to the new room, I was presented with a packet of Ferraro Rocher and the promise of a nicer room.

Eventually, when I arrived at my new room, I was greeted with a lovely spa in the bathroom amongst the marble and soft white towelling. My luggage was there, along with my jacket but amusingly, someone had been left with a huge stack of my business cards in front of the tv. When I tried to switch on my own though, it didn't work well, and the buttons of the remote were unreadable so I had to call Reception to have someone come up and sort that out. Luckily, they arrived quickly enough that I still had a bit of time to unwind.

Later that night, when I returned from dinner, drink and a walk (at one of the many nearby restaurants and bars), I made sure to take advantage of the big spa that overlooked the television in the lounge, separated by a pane of glass. I think it's a great idea for people but something needs to be done to get the sound in the bathroom so they can actually watch movies from the comfort of the spa.

The views from the balcony were amazing at night, sunrise and at daylight. I loved the way the room and bathroom had been equipped and furnished, and the large roomy hallway and full-length mirrors away from the bed. I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready for another jam-packed day. Be sure to stay at the Grand Chancellor if you're in town, but remember to bring your own shower cap and practice that patience when waiting for the lift!

Compare it to other Places I've Stayed at?
Setting up base camp at Frisco Serviced Apartments;
Docking at the Ridge on Leichhardt Hotel;
On an Easter Getaway at the Royal Pines Resort.

Embracing the Buddha Birthday Festival at South Bank

With my recent foray into Buddhism just last year, I was interested to see that Brisbane was putting on a huge event for Buddha's Birthday. I was really interested in talks like "Froth and Bubbles (Impermanence)", "Can I have a say in my fate?", "Liberation from fear and anger", "How to avoid the misfortunes in this world of turbulence" and "Finding peace within". I like the philosophy behind it all. The day promised many activities and so it did provide.

Saturday morning, I walked over the bridge to discover a very lively South Bank. I wandered around the gift stalls, donating to blessing stalls to make wishes along the way, and arrived just in time to share in the Baby Blessing Ritual at the Courier Mail Plazza. I then participated in a meditation class with John Prescott from the BLIAQ. It was a different experience for me to be doing all these exercises to ensure good blood flow before we sat down to focus. We even walked around the room in very slow circles to enhance our mindfulness. I listened to some of the classes (where the topics were different to the page I viewed) and concluded that they didn't appeal to me. I prefer the Kadampa style, which shows you how to use it as practical advice to live our everyday life and meditation was about giving your mind some empty space, away from all of our problems.

A definite highlight of my day was tasting all the delicious Asian Vegetarian food. I wanted to try it all but there was only one of me! I enjoyed curry fish balls, siu mai and a lovely taro dessert. I rang the blessing bell, bought a little Lion string toy, and participated in the Bathing Buddha Ritual, which is supposed to send the universe a message to wash away one's inner dirt of greed, anger and ignorance, improving harmony and balance. A teahouse taught us the Art of Tea Making, and I remember pausing, tuning out the rest of the world, just to smell and taste the High Mountain tea. I went to the Art/Craft Workshop and made a little stencil cutout on red wax paper of double happiness! 

Feeling hungry again now that it was close to dinner time, I walked up and down the food fair countless times to finally decide on a bowl of Taiwanese noodles - they were amazing! The soup was so different to what I expected or tried before, offering the comfort of a home-cooked soup, and the noodles tasted like Enoki mushrooms! I savoured each mouthful as I listened to the performers on the Cultural stage!

Finally, at 7pm, there was an Official Festival Ceremony, with lion dancing and performances from Rock Guitarist Katei and Blue Dragon, a Chinese group of young men who have mastered the playing of a Diablo (Chinese YoYo). I came back the next day, after the Jessica Mauboy concert, to try more food for dinner whilst I watched the Riverside Fireworks Spectacular. I had so much fun and I walked away thinking of the three good deeds: Taking Good actions, Speaking Good Words and Thinking Good Thoughts.

I didn't know how to tell you but the family told me that you'd changed a lot since your accident. I could see it all over your face the night before I left, locked behind the bars of your own mind. I made a wish for you to suffer no more - to be released from all your worries.

Want to read more about other Brisbane Events?
Taste-testing and Entertainment at Asian Cooking Classes;
Enjoying the Basics at the "Feet First" Invitation to Dance; and
Celebrating the Winter Solstice with Hippies.

Whetting my appetite at the HomeMaker City, Fortitude Valley

Looking for activities to fill my day, I came across the weekend notes article on The Home Warehouse having a sale. As I am passionate when it comes to property and interiors spaces, I figured I would pop in to have a sticky-beak at the style and prices, and easily hop across the road to the HomeMaker City I could see on the map. 

I loved the furniture at the Home Warehouse as the pieces reflect the rawness of nature and that is what I want for my future place - to feel grounded and connected to the earth we have been put on. Even though they have a comprehensive website, it's a whole lot more fun to go to the store to grab see ideas, touch and feel the pieces, sit/lie in them so you experience the sum of what it is. 

Afterwards, I found the Far Pavilions store really exciting! It has a totally different style - more fabrics and patterns in bold prints. There were even some quirky pieces like a velvety patchwork armchair that reminded me of the Mad Hatter and I caught myself considering whether I would add it to my collection! I took lots of pictures and sent them to my friends back home. After a few rounds of HomeMaker City, and getting inspired by paintings and other furnishings, I ended up coming back to buy two lovely Newsprint cushions! They were a creamy suede with black print and red toned feature graphics. I wanted to also buy this contemporary black and white piano painting with a whole lot of red roses strewn across it but was unsure of how I would bring it back to Sydney and whether I should attempt to lug it back on foot all the way to my apartment. 

More Recreational Activities can be found at:
On the way up to O'Reilly's in the Hinterland, Gold Coast; and
To Fishy Adventures at Sea World!

BrisStyle indie Twilight Markets in King George Square, Brisbane City

I sauntered off to the Twilight Markets on a Friday night (26th April), not knowing how amazing and large it would be! Amongst the buzz, I discovered stalls on the deck and in the square in front of City Hall, loaded with handmade art and crafts from local artists! Staffed by the original creators of the items (who were mostly on Etsy), it was really inspirational to talk to them and see workshops and demonstrations take place. I did a few rounds, drinking in the exciting visuals and great jazz vocals being performed and before I knew it, the night had come to an end. The results of my night can be seen here with artwork from Christine Donaldson, card from In Pink Ink and a beautiful ring made with vintage music score paper from myclectic. The next one is on the 26th of July!

The stars twinkle and the wind seems to caress my cheek. The music touches my heart and I remember you. I wanted to send you a message and have you appear by my side. But you won't show - you're busy hiding. Our time is so precious and you're missing our moments...

More Brisbane Events can be found at:
Two Up and Sand Crab Fettucini for Anzac Day at the Redlands RSL;
Making Cosplay Wings with Frances Foo at Brisbane Square Library; and
"Girl Clock" at Brisbane Library.

Sundays Reserved for you - Ideas Fiesta at the City Botanic Gardens

Strolling over to the City Botanic Gardens, a wall of indie Art greeted visitors along the fence. The sounds of smooth jazz enticed people to come through the gates to see that the gardens were especially decorated for the day. A range of seating options including a bright red sofa and bright red rugs were laid out on the grass with long strings of little patchwork hearts hanging from the trees. It was quite a sight to see and I took advantage of this later, by taking some great shots with my mobile phone to use for my blog photo

A bit further in, furniture design students from the Queensland University of Technology displayed their concepts for future seating in the park, inspired by nature. Visitors were asked to make their vote for their favourite moveable chair, to help Brisbane City Council understand how people would like to experience their time in the gardens. They were also asked about any more ideas they had to shape the whole city centre. I think it's a great way to develop the city - taking account of all the opinions of the community.

I haven't experienced a broken heart in so long, I'd forgotten what it felt like - it is a physical pain, that aches continuously. Shock, Frustration and Emptiness. The tears come too fast, too frequently. I didn't think you'd hurt me - I trusted you...

What other activities do Brisbane City Council put on for the community?
Visuals and Music at the Re-dedication of Brisbane City Hall;
Ideas Fiesta at the Howard Smith Wharves; and
Enjoying the Basics at the "Feet First" invitation to dance.

Visuals and Music at the Re-dedication of Brisbane City Hall

In 2009, it was discovered that major structural problems existed in Brisbane’s City Hall so Brisbane City Council commenced the repair and restoration of the building. Built in the 1920s and listed on the heritage plan register, it took three years to complete and it was finally ready to be re-opened on Saturday, the 6th April. There was an official Re-dedication Ceremony over the course of the first week. Arriving at the King George Square Foyer, large flyers are handed to visitors to initiate the self-guided tours. We wander in to see a large marble staircase, and stood in awe as we watched a choir perform in the grandness of the main auditorium. In the background, a large organ stands with over 4300 pipes, apparently built in 1981. It is said that restoration workers excavated five metres below the auditorium floor to create space for City Hall’s first professional kitchen. They even placed a time capsule in one of the pillars!

Further explorations led to cobble-stoned courtyards and smaller function rooms with heritage-style stained glass windows and hand-crafted furniture from the 1920s. Music performances were scattered throughout the rooms from violins to piano, drums to jazz. I listened to the jazz band for a very long time, soaking in the soft sultry voice of Kelsey Giarola, pianist Nathan Seiler and Peter Walters on Double Bass. I followed a scatter of people into the council chambers with copper pressed ceilings and maple wood furnishings and there was a room with Brisbane’s Sister City Displays.

On the 3rd floor was the Museum of Brisbane and the Clock Tower but by the time I worked my way up to try and view it, long queues had formed and no more tickets (free) could be obtained for the day. I’ll come back another time to see the views and perhaps try a little something at the Shingles Inn Cafe.

More Brisbane Events can be found at:
Enjoying the Basics at the "Feet First" Invitation to Dance
Making Cosplay Wings with Frances Foo at the Brisbane Square Library; and
"Girl Clock" at Brisbane Library.