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.

Enjoying the Basics at the “Feet First” Invitation to Dance

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) organised dance performances and classes from the 30th May to the 8th June as part of the "Feet First" event. Different forms of dance styles were presented including Russian Folk Dance, Capoeira, Breakdance, Swing, Flamenco, Ballet, Line Dancing, Afro-Brazilian and many more! I watched the Salsa Demonstration and eagerly participated in the Street Latin Classes on stage. Having spent a few years dancing, I still got a lot out of the new perspective the instructor gave – which was to learn to move with your partner, rather than remembering the steps. He was humorous and used a few of us as examples to teach the class. I grabbed a flyer for Rio Rhythmics and had a few dances whilst the Live Salsa Band played. I think it’d be fun to learn more types of Latin Dancing… expand my repertoire and find a greater love for it :) 

More Brisbane Events can be found at:
Making Cosplay Wings with Frances Foo at the Brisbane Square Library;
"Girl Clock" at Brisbane Library; and
Taste-testing and Entertainment at Asian Cooking Classes.

"Girl Clock" at Brisbane Library

I've never been the type of girl who cooed over babies. Not to say that I don't find them cute - some are, some aren't. I only started liking them when my brother had his little one, my niece - the most perfect little thing I ever saw just hours after she was born. And if the friends I love had babies, I slowly develop affection for them too but the way I see it, it's something that might happen later, but only when I find the right man. Hey, that's just me.

A friend of mine was telling me that sometimes, men will avoid her, once they find out her age, as they think she will want to settle down and start having babies straight away! On the other hand, I've also talked to women who have always wanted babies and often I find, they will settle with a partner just so they can start having them - hell, some of them don't even care if the partner is or isn't going to be around in the future! That's what this film "Girl Clock" is about.

About 10-15 people piled into the theatrette at the Brisbane Square Library and we watched how a group of women in their early 40s feel about life and their place in society. I would actually prefer to watch it again as the high-pitched laughs and loud exclamations of curiosity/confusion of one woman smothered much of the dialogue. Being a Brisbane production, the actors and producers were able to participate in discussions afterwards with cheese and wine. Further movies will be held on the first Friday of every month so keep an eye out!

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

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

Licking our Lips for Fresh Fish at Taste Gallery, Sunnybank

Perhaps it was my lack of knowledge in making seafood at home that my body sent out signals for prawns and fish! I was craving a steamed Barramundi or a Snapper cooked with piping hot oil, ginger and shallots in soy sauce. And where do we go for this in Brisbane? Sunnybank of course! I had never been but I was very excited to look around, especially as my experience of Asian food in Brisbane has only been so so. I walked up and down a row of restaurants with my friend, crossed the road and explored the restaurants on the other side of the road. I couldn't quite find what I had in mind but eventually, I decided to try the crispy fish with sweet and sour sauce at the Taste Gallery.

The restaurant was quite popular and we waited in the queue for some time. The waiters and waitresses seemed slightly confused with the waiting order and available tables. My friend informed me that this place is meant to be similar to Chef's Gallery in Sydney. A quick flick-through the menu showed me that the Brisbane menu seemed to offer some different dishes such as Chicken with bones and dry onions as well as Duck Pot with Chinese herbs but the range of vegetable options were dismal. Asians love their vegetables so this place may not attract many Asian diners.

The vegetables we ordered ("Gai Larn", known as Chinese Broccoli) in a ginger sauce tasted quite westernised, the sauce being quite thick. However, the fish was amazing. We were able to choose fresh fish for $7 more than the menu price which we did. I loved the crispiness of the skin and the taste of the sweet and sour sauce went well with the flesh. We enjoyed taking our time picking at the fish while exchanging interesting stories. With satisfied tastebuds, we agreed we would revisit.

Other Restaurants to try in Brisbane are:
Food and Memories at George's Paragon, Brisbane;
Vietnamese Pork Belly and Prawn Pancake at Sing Sing, West End, Brisbane; and
Birthday Dinner at Beccofino, Newstead.

Thursday night is Soul'sa Night at Cloudland!

I'd always heard people say that the Salsa scene was big in Brisbane so when I was asked to accompany a friend to Cloudland, one of the "world's best bars", I was intrigued enough to go along. Every Thursday, the live music starts at 7pm and free Beginner classes from 8 to 9pm. The bar is certainly something special to look at, as are the many private booths upstairs. I find that most of the dancers here are there to show off, and seem to punch/kick anyone who might be sitting or standing around! In Sydney, the dancers are certainly more considerate, maybe because they are used to less space than Brisbanites! I noticed that most dancers were doing the Cuban style of Salsa and danced in normal shoes, as opposed to Sydney where most dance in Salsa shoes. I did get to dance with one guy but I had no idea what he was doing - some shuffling thing, haha! I think if I want to get at least a few decent dances at this place next time, the best way might be to join in from the free classes! 

More Local Information can be found at:
Travelling with Translink, Brisbane City; and
Finally finding refuge in Brisbane City.

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.