First-of-Everything Concert

I've been blessed. 2014 has taken me to some interesting places so far, Germany, Italy, London, Sydney and now Taiwan, but never had I thought I

This was how Taiwanese singer, Wubai started his own concert: "Tonight, is not actually a concert, it's actually just a really huge party! You guys can all do whatever you want to do because we'll also be doing whatever we want to do too. So right now we're going to sing our last song first!"

Wubai is well known in Taiwan for his rock ballads that are performed both in Mandarin and the Taiwanese dialect. Being an avid learner of both the languages myself, I was very happy to have had the chance to work on part of his concert design that I just went to tonight. It was my first concert too!

The night of Wubai vibes started off with a taxi ride to Taipei Arena. Upon hearing my intended destination, the driver asked what gig was on tonight. I told him that it was Wubai's concert and asked him whether he liked Wubai too. He suddenly broke out in a very heavily accented Taiwanese accented Mandarin and exclaimed his fanatics for Wubai. If I had some more extra tickets, I would have loved to give him some! His favourite song is: "愛你一萬年", one of the classics.

But another reason why I'm excited is because I helped to do part of the concert graphics as part of my internship. It was an interesting exercise with considerations of lighting, contrast and visibility involved. My task was to make a set of graphics which would emulate the Taiwanese street scape.  It turns out that our office PA once dated the drummer for quite a few years and so she was a great source of primary research to designing the "essence" of Wubai. After a few iterations, we finally got it right. In making something "abstract", especially an "extract" of it, it definitely helps to first do some study sketches too.

My first ever concert design also happens to be the first ever concert I've attended! And the anticipated audience number is actually ten thousand, not five thousand (Taipei Arena seating capacity: 15,082). At first I felt like puking because I wasn't sure whether my boss was joking when he said that my job would be on the line if anything went wrong (lol, working overseas is not always glamorous but is is definitely ALWAYS CHALLENGING). But towards the end I just had to let it be and enjoy the moment since things seemed to be going alright, also half way through the concert my boss gave me a happy-looking wave from where he was sitting. Now that the concert craziness is over, back to doing more residential and commercial projects on Monday. Dear Concert, thank you for being such an interesting little design tangent!

(International Work Tip: Everything visual you do which requires options, always number it, that way people can just refer to the number. This is because some adjectives are very culture-dependent. E.g. Colours "blue" and "green" sometimes get interchanged with the word "aqua", so by numbering things, we save time by minimising the margin of error.)

The Newspaper Story II

Imagine you are a roll of newspaper, packed snugly amongst your fellow friends inside the postman's duffel bag just after having been churned and rolled around on the press moments earlier along with everyone else. You sit comfortably in the bag, with the occasional bumpety bump of the postman's bike going along the pebbly road. Things are good, you are a bit squashed but so is everyone else, it's okay, everyone is on the same boat. Suddenly, you feel yourself elevated above all your friends, you want to go back where it was all comfortable. But then you feel a jerk and become propelled forward.

Thump. You've land on someone's porch in the most ungraceful style but it's okay, after blinking twice, you are still alive. You watch as the postman rides away, a place you'll never be again. As you think to yourself silently, a dog gives you a slobbery lick and just as he was about to take you inside the house, decides to detour in the last moment and gives you a few shakes as he gallops towards the gate, shaking you and tugging you as he heads towards a park. The dog is excited to have something new to play with and tosses and tumbles you until he sights a bird no far away from you and runs off to chase it, leaving you tattered on the grass.

Ah...still again. You feel slightly battered but most of you is still in tact. You bask in the serenity of the speckled light produced by the tree canopy above you. It's good to feel relaxed finally. Even though you are in a new place and don't know anything else about it, at least it was better than being tugged around on the porch by that crazy dog! You fall asleep amidst the faraway laughter of playing children and the gentle breeze. You fall into a deep sleep so deep in fact that you feel lifted up into the skies, flying high, high up into the sky...CRASH. You wake up with a slight shock and quickly open your eyes. When you open your eyes, you see that parts of you are being disassembled by a small quiet child. She pulls you apart gingerly and then starts to create folds. She is folding paper planes. Then she starts folding other things: cranes, cats, boats and more! Soon, other children come joining in! In a matter of minutes, you have gone from a simple newspaper into an origami wonderland. You have never seen so many people happy, and this makes you happy too.

White

Just then at the local bar (by local I mean it's near where I live, not so much that locals go there), I meet some random people all English Teachers:

Devin: So where in New Zealand are you from?
Me: I'm actually from Brisbane, everyone tonight thinks I'm from New Zealand! I mean, it's close but not that close hahaha.
Devin: Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!
Without even thinking, I say:  No, it's alright, I mean, everyone thinks all white people are the same, you know?

The Newspaper Story

I was talking to a friend last night over Skype and this friend was expressing their concerns about being happy with where they were at in life but feeling overly content. They feel like they need to be going outside of Brisbane, where they've lived all their life and trying something new. My friend feels that at 23 years old, she really needs to get out there and experience the world when she is young. Our conversation lasted for about three hours until we both realised that we really need to sleep; we'd both been working long hours lately.

Some key points of our conversation is that:
1. At work, you are disposable. The business is the boss's baby, he/she will always find a way to keep it going, even if you don't work there. Unless you absolutely love it too, don't think you're special. Really, you're not.
2. Life lesson number 1: NEVER let any man sweet talk you into anything, ever.
3. Organisation vs. Spontaneity: Is organising over-rated? It really depends on how you operate. I used to think that I was an "Organiser", for certain things, yes, for tasks such as learning certain theory or a technical skill/work, being organised helps as it helps give you a holistic structure and network of the task. But fo more creative ventures... I have this notebook (a few actually), where I jot down all my ideas. But there is a danger in that. Since creating and planning is so enjoyable for me, I keep going and the plan gets more elaborate often branching off into other sub-ventures. Every idea I've ever jotted down has never become reality and all the interesting things that I can recall, I've never jotted it down.
4. Catalytic event or action:
A catalyst is something or someone that triggers and enables. Referring to point number 3. At moments when you need to just go ahead and do it but don't know where to start, you just need a catalytic action, and things will follow from there.

There will be pros and cons in life regardless of what we do, so it might as well be for something that we love. I know this post is titled "The Newspaper Story" and I haven't yet mentioned it yet but I must go to work now or I'll be late! So I will do another post when I come home titled "The Newspaper Story II". I promise you it will involve newspapers!

Birthday Time! Animated Immortality

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHAMINDA!
I hope you never grow (too) old. ;) Hope today would be just as awesome as any other day!

Alice: What are your thoughts on immortality?"
Chaminda: "I wouldn't mind it because I don't get tired of living." (Ranasinghe, 2014).

5th June 2014

Sadness Compounding in a Foreign Country

Every time you cry, your tears sinking into the nape of my neck.

Sadness seeping into my skin.

Your grief washes over me.

I try to be strong for you.

I try so but cannot.

I struggle too.

Sadness compounding.

If only I could be more profound.

------

Are taller people more sad? No of course they are not. Yet the scale of their physical body language is larger comparative to your's. Maybe architecture has taught me too much about ambience but I have absorbed the energy. I have no immediate reasons to be sad yet I am feeling very sad. I wonder if I should cry with you too? But then that would make two of us, sadness compounding. I only just met you. I do not yet know all your nuances. Neither do you know all of mine. I am second-guessing whether the way I comfort people is the way your want to be comforted? We both hail from opposite corners of this world meeting by chance in this foreign land. Most of the time, I cannot understand you, now amidst the choking and the sadness, all I understand is that you are sad. I want to help but I'm not sure if I am.

But this roof, this very flat cement roof - on which another household operates above us - binds us together. Our happiness, our sorrows, our failures, our victories, our tears and our laughters. Since our paths have all crossed, I want us all to feel at home away from home. 

Since we have trouble understanding each other, I will let actions speak louder than words.

I will try to be more profound through my actions.

Please don't be sad anymore , I am trying.

Trying...also not to cry.

Trying...to help you.

Trying...to help you see the light too.

Office Worker during the Week, Brickie during the Weekends.

I have now been here for 2 months and a bit. I've mainly just been working at the design practice to be honest. And on the weekends I go to Bihu Park (Wende Station) to help my friend Wang Wen-chih, a bamboo artist who built the amphitheatre entry to Woodford in 2013, I interpreted for him at Woodford. He has a project there at the moment in collaboration with the local university. His crew consisting of people from his brotherhood, childhood friends, randoms who drop by asking for a job and volunteers are amazing. One of them, a master at weaving all sorts of insects, fruits baskets and so on has been doing it since childhood. Name anything and he can pretty much make it.

While Taipei is offering a much more busting and diverse scene to Brisbane, admittedly, I've become quite fatigued lately. Since all I've been doing is work on the weekdays and then do physical labour on the weekends, it's quite a toll haha. I've noticed that I really need to balance my life out a bit more. Even though I treat the bamboo project as a hobby (it's very enjoyable!), it will only go on till mid-June and I will need to find something else to occupy my weekends. I don't mind partying but it's not for me any more. My house mate made the comment recently that I need to "party more". But I think I just need to find other things to do. Partying doesn't really interest me any more. While clubbing in different countries (Singapore, Germany, Australia, etc) all provide very different experiences, I just like LEARNING! So I want to spend my time learning rather than drinking the night away. Of course there are also things to learn at clubs, but I much rather enjoy a good conversation over some tea or being hands on with gardening, cooking or craft.

However while I am happy that my current schedule enables me to develop skills for my architecture career both mentally and physically, I am also interested in developing other [cave people] life skills such as: fishing, hunting, foraging and so on! Which reminds me, I should really think about when I'll use up the 50% Off Voucher to Bushlore this year!

Positive...

Right now I need to surround myself with positive people. Positive people doesn't mean you have to be smiling unconditionally and endlessly happy. By positive, I mean a type of energy that enables people to move, to want to solve problems, to learn, to embrace the challenge regardless of what is thrown at them. Please, stop thinking life is over, it's only the start. Sometimes hearing other people's stories, you realise you have it so much better than them. Please, rise from your grief. I had a challenging day at work today (all facets of technical and HR-related matters) but because I embraced it, I came home happy today. And then, not to say you ruined my evening, but right now I am feeling very flat. Very very flat actually... I feel like I'm inside a gloomy dark pit. And it makes it worse that I now feel like an inconsiderate bitch for wanting to help you but needing to avoid you. How can I help you without exhausting myself? Sorry if I can't help you right now, I barely have to energy to help myself half the times these days. Please...

Dragon Boat Festival

Wow, trust me to completely miss the Dragon Boat Festival. But to make up for it, my house mate and I decided to go on a sporadic cycle, after about 5km, we ended up near Longshan Temple, a shadier part of Taipei compared to the city centre precinct we live in. Finally, I get to see a more authentic (less sterile) Taiwan that I remember from childhood!

(insert photos!)

"Falling Back Up Again"

We learn so much every time we fall and sometimes the outcomes of climbing back up again surprise us.

I have always been a big believer in determination, if you haven't fallen, you're not reaching your full potential yet. While I have been working in Taiwan, I have definitely stumbled a few times which cultural differences in work dealings, having supervisors tell me off for crappy work that some else did, etc. But let's just take it all in stride! This video is truly brilliant, and really reinforces my beliefs about not giving up! (Since it's not a Youtube video, I can't embed it in this post, so you'll have to click on it to watch it, sorry about that!). 

http://news.distractify.com/culture/a-runner-fell-in-a-race-but-then-she-got-back-up-and-taught-everyone-a-major-life-lesson/?v=1

Multicultural Debate: Religious Schools

I think for too long Australia has been overly diplomatic about multicultural matters that it stunts our true understanding of each other's culture/s and/or belief/s. From this article alone, it is difficult to assess whether there is a right or wrong; and reading through the comments, while I don't agree with everything, it's good to see there being honest opinions and debate. I definitely think you're onto something here, truly job well done Rhian Deutrom! Thank you! 
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/principal-of-redlands-college-mark-bensley-transfers-muslim-student-teachers-after-they-wear-hijab-to-school/story-fnihsrf2-1226930481260

I myself attended a Catholic High School and while my parents are buddhist, they have never forced me into any religion. Having visited Malaysia and Singapore, I've met lots of Muslim friends and while I don't agree with all the teachings, I still think it's interesting to learn about it. I think people mistake "not appreciating a culture" as "racisim". But I think with different cultures, you don't have to appreciate it, you just need to understand it. Understanding is the first step towards reducing ignorant actions in society.

Copping someone else's load.

It's weird. Today I got told off at work regarding the lack of quality in a document that we were supposed to send out to a client. Thing is, I didn't produce that document at all. At first I was annoyed about having to stay back because I had been intending to go home early to nurse my sore throat and building headache. I stayed back and finished the document according to their specifications and just got home at 10pm with two of my fellow colleagues. For some reason, I'm actually really happy now. Despite the accusation, I've unexpectedly learnt more things by picking up after someone else's grunt. I guess if we live with the intention to learn then it doesn't matter how others see us. (Also, on another plus side, I get to do the graphics art for a concert, one of our clients is a prominent Taiwanese rock singer, consider him the Bruce Springsteen of Taiwan!) 

Laundry in another CIty

People interested in high density living: In Taiwan, the balcony area's main purpose is for laundry and when there is not enough space, an extension rope gets suspended above ground. Amidst my slight sickness (sore throat and slight headache), I almost drop my laundry down a six storey pit which I have no idea how to access, might have to holler out to the people on each level to pass it back up? Australia, you sparse heaven with an abundance of ground level laundry space! On the plus side of this laundry arrangement in Taiwanese apartments, it teaches you to be pretty coordinated and have quick reflexes even when you are sick. So why am I so caught up over one shirt? Because my male colleague commented the other day, "Alice, for a girl, I've noticed you only have six shirts."

His observes correctly...and creepily.

Meeting New People: Brandon Gray

Don't you agree that a good conversation should not be prescribed who's turn it is? Let the other person finish expressing all their energy, passion and ideas properly. I do this for you because later I do not want to be abruptly cut off later when it's "your tun to talk". The time spent on forced flows of dialogue, we might as well be silent and humming a tune. 

你會不會認同聊天不一定要把輪流當做順需？

A revelation in the chat of BG's Shangrila Hotel, had the most massive chat that went from 8pm-3am. Love moments like this, meeting cool people having great conversation!

Taipei - Day 1

2014, it's become a common theme that I travel and have a great time but then become too tired to document it in a diary/blog. I've had the most amazing/tiring first day in Taipei, I do not really want to leave. Lucky I am not leaving anytime soon. But main question: How important is it to document travels?

Interesting people I met and had conversations with today:

11pm -7am: Dr Chen the Dentist: I was seated in 7A, the seat right next to the emergency exit on the flight from Brisbane to Taipei. Thanks to Nick Chang, who I didn't know worked at the airport who changed my seat 3 times and got me to the awesomest seat ever. We were the first 2 people to get out of the plan after the business class passengers. Dr Chen frequently travels between Brisbane, NZ and Taipei so knows the ins and outs of his seat (7B) very well. He even knows quite well the ins and outs of the seat equivalent on the Eva Air jets.

Bob Witworth: Met him on the transfer bus. He's from Gympie of all places! And donated some pine planks to Woodford last year. He was teaching me how to spot hoop pine in the Taiwanese landscape. Hoop pines are native to Australia but thrive surprisingly well in Taiwan.

8am:'Annoying "Egg" Man from the States': An egg is someone who is Caucasian but only likes and targets Asian females mostly in a creepy way. If it is merely an informed personal preference, fair enough. But if it is a fettish derived from ignorance, then that is gross. This man singled me out this morning and asked me:

"Why do you speak English? None of the other people here do, they only speak Mandarin."
Me: "Well, it is their country, not ours."

Howard Huang (East Tone Mobile Attendant): Very helpful and gave me insights on how the service industry in Taiwan are used in many case studies in international service training programs as exemplars of what to do.

Receptionists at Hostel: Haha, they are all so hilarious. One of them gave me lots of good tips about not getting gipped by local employers, she's a graphic designer too. And the whole gaggle of them (about 6 of them) started giving me tips about house searching and hot guy searching. They are helpfully hilarious.

Kai: Shop Assistant at "Rice Revolution" who was giving me samples if fruit vinegar so that I could decide on which one I wanted. He studies Production Studies and is quite an all rounder explorer of the universe. He's invited me along on a Matsu Agricultural Blessing Pilgrammage next weekend! Apparently we have to walk for 35 hours straight! Very much looking forward to it. We've got each other on Facebook now!

Robin Winkler: www.winklerpartners.com. <--- Read that and it is only the beginning. We only had a brief exchange at 'Rice Revolution' when he gave me his card but he seems like a really cool soul.

Periodicals: Being a Modern Female

I've noticed that my period doesn't really come in regular cycles as it is supposed to. So how do I know when I'm going to get my period? Every time I do something extreme. Especially in situations where periods are the last thing you need. For the past few months, I've had my period when I was doing bare cliff face rock climbing on two separate occasions and once when I was travelling alone in freezing Europe (Munich) with a migraine lugging my luggage around in the dark streets trying to look for my hotel which doesn't operate its reception on a Sunday (holy day). And now I'm about to move to a new country by myself, I fly out today AND I just got my period. Great, fun times ahead.

I openly talk about when I have my period. Not because I like to gross people out. Some males I know have commented on the fact that it's "over sharing". Heck, I've merely stated that I have it, I haven't even gone into any graphic detail yet.

Why do I state it? Because it's normal. It's a normal part of being a female. And I see it as a courtesy to tell others I have my period so that in case I say anything offensive, they know not to take it personally.

Control your "period mood" you might say? Men, when you get hit in the balls, it hurts like hell and you feel nauseous for perhaps a few minutes or more, it should not last longer for one eighth of the day. If it does, it's probably not a mere hit in the balls then, in that case, please do go to the doctor and look after yourself! For women, periods last longer than 24 hours, on average it can range from anytime between 3 days - 8days. And it is 'constant' pain throughout the day. Not to mention the paranoia of blood stains on our pants or skirts. On top of that, the hormones really kick in. For the most part, most of us really aren't moody or aggro, we only are when the hormones kick it, we can't control that.

So in our modern society, for women to be on par with men, we need to work equally as hard if not twice. And for some females, depending on their circumstances also need to maintain "traditional roles" of a woman, running a household whilst working. It's hard enough doing either or, let alone both. And on top of that, we get our period. Random abdominal pain (sometimes in other areas too) on top of needing to juggle many things. No wonder we get a bit moody sometimes. It can be stressful, and it can effect our moods, being moody is not our choice, at least it is not mine.

So, that is why if the need arises, I do openly talk about the fact that I have my period. It's only natural and I just want people to understand that it can be straining on us, so please understand. I hope this at least gives some insight into females and our need for a little support during that critical time of the month. Thank you in advance for being considerate :)

Alright, got to finish packing, chat later!

Tips for Solo Women Travellers

Solo traveller Leyla Giray, creator of the website Womenontheroad.com, gives her tips for solo women travellers:

1.  First don't worry and don't be afraid. Women often fear travelling on their own, mostly because they wonder if they'll be able to cope if something happens. Of course you will! What would you do differently if you were travelling with that work colleague or loved one? These days with such easy phone and internet access to home, you'll be almost as close as if you were with them.

2. Another fear is loneliness. Frankly, I had the opposite experience - could never find enough time alone. It's easy to meet people on the road, other travellers as well as local people. A woman alone elicits all sorts of responses, and many of them involve invitations you'd never get if you were part of a couple or a group, like a traditional Balinese wedding I once attended.

3. You'll meet people everywhere. If you backpack, you'll find fellow backpackers in hostels along the way. You'll almost always find people to share a meal or a bus ride with. If you go off the beaten path, it's often even easier because people will come up to you - lone women have a way of attracting attention. Just keep your head about you. If you're approached by a lone man, think twice about why. Best to stay close to the women - go to markets or to the river or well if you're in a rural area. In the city, stick to other travellers if you're lonely, at least until you get your bearings.

4. As for dining alone, yes, it can be daunting - but it doesn't have to be. If you're very shy and you'd rather starve than eat on your own, here are a few tips to make that experience less traumatic: bring something to read or to write, staying busy keeps your mind off your surroundings; eat early in the evening so you'll be surrounded by families rather than sideways glances from men; eat outside if there's a terrace, it tends to me more casual than the inside; read up on national food before you go so you won't be stumped by the menu; check out your eatery earlier in the day so you won't feel like you're in a completely strange place when you get there (and check the prices so you don't get a financial shock!); and finally, remember, you're actually not the centre of attention, no matter how much you think you are.

5. Do plenty of research before going: the more you know about a place, the better your experience will be.

6. Keep your wits about you: if something feels wrong, don't do it! Don't go to isolated places alone with a man you've just met (you wouldn't do that at home, would you?)

7. Keep your money safe and out of sight - I use a money belt, and keep enough money for the day in my pocket so I won't have to shuffle through large bills in full sight.

8. Keep in touch: have a 'check-in date' with friends or family every few days or every week (it can be as simple as dropping them an email to tell them you're fine and where you are).

9. Keep up with the news: don't get in a civil war or flood just because you thought listening to the news 'diluted' your solo travel experience!

10. Don't skimp on gear: if you're going on a long trip, get the very best you can afford. I paid a fortune for shoes (wore them all the way across Africa blister-free), a great backpack (for a while I had up to 25 kg in it because I was writing and carrying lots of research materials), underwear (dries easily, keeps its shape)...you get the picture.

11. Depending on where you're going, bring feminine hygiene stuff: you're not going to find pads, tampons and similar things everywhere - so check on travel forums to see what's on offer where you're going.

12. Learn some self-defence: let's be realistic, you probably won't use it. But as a solo woman on the road, it'll make you feel a lot better to know that you could defend yourself if you had to!

13. Don't take more than you need (and I promise you'll shed a lot of it along the way).

14. Don't try to see the entire world at once: cut back on the number of destinations, and get to know a few places in-depth (as a solo woman you have every chance of really getting to know a place).

15. And finally - don't let anyone talk you out of it if this is what you really want to do! Everyone will have a reason to do so: it's unsafe, you'll be lonely, it's not done, you'll ruin your career, you'll put your mother through hell (I did). Some people will be concerned about you, while others may just be jealous

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/traveller-tips/top-tips-for-women-travelling-solo-20101103-17dmi.html#ixzz2vrh7sPpL

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/traveller-tips/top-tips-for-women-travelling-solo-20101103-17dmi.html

Road Trip Tips for Females

After Woodford, I've developed a liking for sleeping in cars and on couches. Basically the feeling of any abnormal sleeping surface or substrate interests my back. And I've also developed a yearning for going on a road trip all around Australia.

When I was little, I wanted Bush Tucker Man to be my dad, take me around on adventures with him and Jackie Chan to be my uncle. But now I think whatever, I can still make it all happen without awesome make-believe male relatives. However facing societal reality, rape can and will still happen. While preventative measures can be taken for this, this topic on "Safety for Females" I will leave for another day.

Although I have a few interviews and jobs lined up overseas at the moment, deep down inside I still have this yearning for a fruitful outback adventure. A few things I will need are a panel van/camper van. And I have been researching into roof top rails (for extra storage) and toileting options.

There's actually a lot to think about and plan. Although after Woodford, I've had to stop "planning ahead" as each time I've planned ahead, the natural flow of previous happenings have been disrupted, leaving me to finish certain experiences in a very abrupt manner when I do not necessarily want to. For now, I resolve that I will go abroad and finish my stint for 4-6 months, in the meantime I will plan this trip. 

For now, I need to read up on outback survival tips, bush tucker and natural medicine.

Yes, I need to do this overseas stint anyway, because even though my heart is ready to go on this road trip right now, physically, I have no means just yet. So let's go book that Survival Course from Bush Lore Australia where I've won a 50% off voucher (yay! :D) and read up on stories about travelling females for some tips and insights on how to avoid, alleviate dangers. A lot of it seems like common sense, but they are things that can be blurred over as the fatigue and the heat take over:

Links:

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/the-truth-about-travelling-alone-as-a-woman/story-e6frfqfr-1226729177996
I like this article as it is realistic about both the fun and dangers of travelling: rape, motor accidents.

Driving Safety:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/travel-tips-and-articles/77331
Stay well rested, have a spare tyre, remember to stop in towns and socialise with others - gives you some sanity.

Feeling Alone:
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/traveller-tips/top-tips-for-women-travelling-solo-20101103-17dmi.html
Being "alone" is not so much of an issue for me, admittedly rolled my eyes a little at the start of the article but later on she offers great advice. I've put them in a separate post to keep things cleaner:
http://non-fencesitter.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/tips-for-solo-women-travellers.html

Stanthorpe: Apple and Grape Festival

I was on the road again to Stanthorpe to help Lakshmi and Yasoda with the langos stall over Saturday and Sunday (8th & 9th March). Stanthorpe being on the border of Queensland and New South Wales is a lot colder than Brisbane. Sitting in the back passenger seat of the langos van and seeing the span of the Great Dividing Range really made me feel miniscule in the whole scheme of Australia, let alone the world.

Stanthorpe has a really great vibe about it, it seems to be quite a rocky area as many residential homes have large rocks pointing out of their lawns, perhaps once a rock face being over-layered with turf. The people there are also very friendly, typical of a laid back Australian country town.

The Apple and Grape Festival takes place every two years and with 2016 being its 50th festival, apparently, they're really going to cook up a storm. The two days at the festival was spent making and selling langos. On the first day, initially people had no idea what langos were hence business was boring (i.e. no one came, my definition of bad business is not "not making money", but having "no one to greet"). So Lakshmi made me a "show" Chilli Non Carne (that's right, it's vegetarian chilli) to "show eat" around the festival. As in, I would only be taking delicate bites whilst displaying the langos on a delectably-promotional angle. It worked alright! I had lots of people stare at the langos - and then when I went back to the stall we had a line up of people already - success!

Leaving this morning on the Monday (10th March), before we departed for Brisbane, we went to visit an elderly couple whom L & Y had befriended the previous day. Marcia, 65 and Atlier, of whom the latter is 82, they have been together for 2 years - hats off to Atlier, he's doing well. Marcia is a softly spoken woman, talented artist and mother of two who had experienced domestic violence earlier in life. Atlier is a Hungarian War Veteren who is very multi-talented (IT specialist, construction manager and he even delivered a baby on route escaping from Hungary in the 1960s.)

Of their stories and interests, I wish we could have stayed longer, they are truly lovely people. Atlier so stoically-scarred yet caring of the world and his experiences. On the other hand Marcia, so interested in the world with her Australian up-bringing with her subdued vibrance seemingly ready to burst out every time she talks about art, water colour, fashion and people. They are such interesting people , it seems trivial to mention this now, but the moment we arrived; they gave us each a shot of homemade pear liqueur with an alcoholic content of 37% on our empty stomachs.

I really like birds. I also like public/interactive art. This video shows the combination of technology and art to make a user experience. Keep learning coding Alice so that you can do cool things like this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5__9hq-yas

Triple-booked by time

Hypothetically, you've been triple-booked by: "The Past", "The Present" and "The Future". You only have one day left, what would you do?

Fluffy Hot Langos + Macleay Island

Lakshmi and Yasoda run a langos stall.

Langos is a Hungarian snapfried bread with various toppings. Traditionally there is only garlic and salt but Lakshmi and Yasoda have created new flavours for the Australian market. My personal favourites are the 'Cinnamon Sugar Langos' and 'The Works Langos'. They have been working every single QUT Orientation since 2010 and they are one of the food stalls that really love what they are doing and bring a great sense of spirit to the place.

Since I am leaving for Singapore soon, they invited me to go see their island before I leave. I invited the awesome Sarah along to help them with their Saturday fundraiser. The purpose of the Saturday fundraiser is to raise funds for the Bay Islands Multicultural Festival to be held on the 22nd March 2014. It was great fun and very relaxing on the island and it is surprisingly developed. The vibe and energy of the place is great, I wouldn't mind living there myself!