Gold Coast -- Day Four

November 30, Sunday
Australian Time: 1951

4th Day

Location: Gold Coast
Accommodation: Montego Motel
Cost: $115 per night
Currency (Singapore is to Australia): 1 is to 1

Breakfast at McDonald’s was surprising once more – the size of the portion was so mini that I wondered how the other customers survived on just one set meal. Their usual consumption size had to be a lot bigger than that! No wonder business in McDonald’s is never as packed as, say, McDonald’s in Tampines. They don’t get enough value for money there.

The one hour trip to Gold Coast flew by and before we knew it, we were stepping out into the scorching carpark in Harbourfront Town. It’s like an American shopping mall, no tall buildings, just rows and rows of shops stretched and curved in a very attractive labyrinth. Anyway, the sun was heating up the open air space, and every single drop of sweat my glands produced evaporated immediately, leaving me dehydrated, hot yet un-sticky. Which is a great feeling, minus the constant parched throat.

There were loads of accessories on sale that would usually have caused a dent in my pockets (about $20 or more), but I got them at only $10, including one free! I was very satisfied with the buy. Sketchers, apparently, is not as popular a brand in Australia as in America, thus the choices were extremely limited and there was no chance for me to dump my old Sketchers into the garbage bag. Oh well. Better luck next time.

Next we paid a visit to the local supermarket, where a whole seedless watermelon was selling for only $3!!! It’s the kind of deal that’s near impossible in Singapore! So all of us jumped at the chance and had to drag the huge watermelon all the way back into our smothering car. The sun was still showing off its radiance.

McDonald’s – again – for lunch. The usual: French fries, Cheeseburger, Nuggets, Chicken wraps and coke…all for $16.40. At least it was cheaper than having Club Sandwiches at The Coffee Club.

After filling our empty stomachs, we went in search for a motel with Internet – which turned out to be a very difficult feat. Since my dad promised my sis that we would stay in a hotel with Internet if she forced down a few mouthfuls of Apricot Yoghurt, we had no choice but to meet with many dead ends before finally coming across Montego. The only reason they gave us free Internet and a lower rate (U.P $135 per night) was because business was not good for this particular motel. But hey, we got lucky and nobody’s complaining.

Anyway, I spent most of the late afternoon researching on things to do and attractions to see. At first we wanted a go at the Hot Air Balloons, but it’s about $310 for each person for an hour’s flight. Of course, they include breakfast and also transport services, but it was still considered expensive. So we gave up on that idea. I came across Adventure Parc, where we get to do exciting challenges like flying fox, rock climbing and crossing bridges hung by a rope through a rainforest! The surroundings would be so genuine, as well as your supervisors, and you would be able to do 3 courses for the price of $41! I considered it relatively affordable, seeing as there were 72 obstacles the instructors would have to guide us through. Also they provided the equipments that were needed, since we would be constantly at least 3 meters above the ground.

But all the excitement would have to wait until tomorrow, since the park closes at 1700.

In addition, I’ve decided to have a go at Kart Racing…it seemed fun enough! I get to drive without a license – who doesn’t want that (you may not, but future drivers like me are certainly gonna be interested!)?!

Finally, the researching was done and we headed out for dinner at Yellow Fin, where the food was freaking fantastic!

Menu:

Smoked Salmon Bruchetta
Salt and Pepper Calamari
Kilpatrick Oysters
Spaghetti Marinara
Gold Snapper
A glass of red wine

All for only $69.90!

The reason for the extremely low bill was because we had a coupon that took 50% off our FOOD.

All the items were delicious and unique! Sauces I had never tasted before in my life melted easily in my mouth and slid smoothly down my throat. The calamari was unlike anything I’d ever eaten – it was thick, chewy and crispy, complete with a lemony sauce that I’d never come across before! The smoked salmon obviously tasted smoked (which I didn’t enjoy very much, but the fact that it was salmon made up for it) and the oysters little bit too salty to my liking. Otherwise, everything else tasted better than I had imagined.

After dinner we had a stroll on the beach… The sand was actually soft and smooth (something you’ll never find in Sentosa)! The sky was a range of different colours (it was dusk), purple faded to gray which became pink and then darkened into a light blue. The beach was clean, the sea was clean and the air was clean. Of course, by then the wind had picked up, and I was shaking furiously in my T-shirt and shorts. I marveled at the lovely ladies who managed to wear bikinis in the scorching sun as well as in the windy evening. Everyone walked around in just trunks and bikinis! Even the diners!

What an eyeful.

Brisbane -- Day Three

November 29, Saturday
Australian Time: 2051

3rd Day

Location: Brisbane
Accommodation: Southern Cross Motel and Serviced Apartments
Cost: $245 per night
Currency (Singapore is to Australia): 1 is to 1

McDonald’s Breakfast this morning (the portion was a lot smaller than we expected), and we’ve come to the conclusion that McCafé is simply not the same as what Singapore offers. Their coffee tastes bland, they do not serve Double Chocolate Frappe (what I always drink) and their hot chocolate tastes too sweet. A pity, really, since I was expecting the same kind of food in outlets all over the world. Obviously, Australians prefer something else rather than Value Set Meals with drinks and harsh browns included.

Things are awfully expensive around here, what with drinks costing $3 or more any old how, which irk the hell out of me. Did you know that water and coke costs exactly the same? You’d think that in a country where water is in abundance and sometimes more than enough or needed, water would cost cheaper than Singapore, where we have to buy water from Malaysia.

After breakfast we headed to South Banks (finding another free parking lot :P), where we had a lovely stroll along Brisbane River, all the while searching for a bicycle rental outlet. They have a huge public kiddies pool there, and also a makeshift beach where birds swim with humans. Everyone was dressed so scantily that you eventually got used to it and I had a fine time staring at those with…erm, more delicious body figures, males and females alike. I think that those who had better bodies were either blessed with super metabolism rate or they’d had to work hard to attain their dream figure, since the rest of the population appeared to be extremely…voluptuous.

In the end, we didn’t find the bicycle rental store, but we came across a marketplace where stalls were set up within faded white tents, where they provided services like temporary tattoos, 10-minute foot massages and psychic readings (palm/face/tarot). Of course, what was a marketplace without selling dresses, ornaments and paintings? We came across a stall where he handcrafted all sorts of modern-looking, sleek and interesting clocks. Usually, they were made in silver and black, and occasionally with red to boost its attractiveness. Some clocks looked like a guitar, others just took up various lopsided shapes such as oval, square and cone, all distorted of course.

What we bought was an awesome looking clock at $55.

Eventually we came to the local flyer, similar to the one in Singapore, though it goes around a lot faster than what we usually see. Adults: $15, Children: $10. It’s a lot more affordable than Singapore’s $27.90.

And that was about it for South Banks. We headed to the city (over the Story Bridge) to have lunch in a food court, and then headed to Borders and Gloria Jeans as it started raining cats and dogs.

I searched vehemently for a book on analyzing handwritings, but it wasn’t where the search engine said it ought to be. Needless to say, I was disappointed. The rain stopped its relentless downpour and all of us headed home to rest and prepare ourselves for the upcoming dinner at Pineapple Hotel at 1830 just two blocks down the street.

It certainly was a novel experience! The waiter led us to table 26, where we had a look at the menu and decided on Pineapple’s Signature Steak, Eye Fillet Burger and Chips, Pizza Bread, Soup of the Day (Pumpkin) and Kid’s Meal Nuggets and Chips. We were absolutely under prepared for the size of the portion of the food. The T-bone was huge, nuggets thick and juicy (do NOT imagine the ones you see in McDonald’s), French fries elongated, larger and thicker than fingers and the bowl of soup enough to wash your face in it by dunking your head into it. I think I was already half-filled when the food came into my vision.

The beef was juicy and the mushroom sauce lovely, with a glass of red wine to go with it that upped it to perfection. The pizza bread was crunchy but tasted nothing like pizza, whilst the mushrooms (that came together with the T-bone) tasted freaking fantastic – just the right amount of saltiness.

And guess what – everything under $100! Unbelievable, since my estimated bill amounted to about $120. Wow.

Brisbane -- Day Two

November 28, Friday
Australian time: 2330

2nd Day

Location: Brisbane
Accommodation: Southern Cross Motel and Serviced Apartments
Cost: $245 per night
Currency (Singapore is to Australia): 1 is to 1

Check out time was 1000, so all of us were out on the streets once more immediately after our simple breakfast. To be honest, we had two slices of toast each, with peanut butter spread. The milk we bought in the convenience store yesterday was low fat, and now I’ve learnt one thing: Never buy low fat milk in Australia. Mostly because, the milk in always fresh, so full cream milk probably came directly from the cows without processing it. Obviously, it would taste nice than skimmed milk, which would have probably went through some factory, removing some of its natural contents and adding some artificial ingredients. And also, low fat milk tastes horrible, or even worse, they have no taste. Ack.

Anyway, as Airport Motel was on the outskirts of the city, we decided to move closer to the city. Three areas of consideration: Spring Hill, Kangaroo Point (you wonder if there are wild kangaroos hopping about with baby kangaroos waving at you from their mothers’ pouches) and South Brisbane. My dad was pretty keen on staying in a serviced apartment this time round, but the first one we went into, Hillcrest, was riding on the high tide and had no more available rooms. Beside Hillcrest was another building – red bricks, clean cut style, and balconies to go with the rooms. And guess what the building was called? XXX Hospital. I wouldn’t mind that much to break a leg or two to stay in there.

So we moved on and finally came to Kangaroo Point Serviced Apartments. The building had a very modern design, dark gray walls, tinted windows, white, tall pillars and a sleek wooden interior, giving it a very homey feel. Unfortunately, they were out of rooms. By now you’d be wondering just how bad the economy. It couldn’t really be that bad, since these serviced apartments were prospering so!

But then, fate smiled upon us and led us to Southern Cross, with the clean-cut, white-washed walls, spacious and clean bathroom, comfortable beds, two kitchens, two rooms, and a really big sofa (my sister could stretch out on it). My dad took a liking to it immediately (he had a thing for spaciousness), and truthfully, so did I. Everything was kept in order, the walls were clean, and the building was only a year old. In short, it was great.

The owner was an Indonesian lady, and it was then that I finally had a chance to compare Asians and Westerners! Although both races speak politely, you would always notice that Asians tend to sound a lot bossier, and a lot more raucous. We just have a natural instinct to raise our voices to an irrelevant level, but Westerners seem to have to ability to speak demurely, even if they were in a noisy, crowded restaurant.

Anyway, things were settled pretty quickly from there, and after a period of rest, all of us headed out to the city. We got lost along the way, and we made a huge circle before we even reached Story Bridge, the one that would lead us across the water and into the heart of the city in Spring Hills. We parked our Ford Falcon in a free carpark (YES, FREE) and just walked the rest of the way. In Australia, a mall is something that you would never expect when in Singapore. There are no tall buildings in Australia, instead, and the whole friggin’ street is called Queen St Mall. Shops are all lined up on both sides on the road, and cars were not allowed to be driven in – instead chairs and resting areas were situated along the mall, where you could rest at any given time, though seats are subjected to availability.

We had Subway sandwiches for lunch, and after shopping around for a while, settled in Gloria Jeans to have a tea break. Due to coupons I had picked up along our way there, we used it quickly to our advantage, upsizing our drinks for free, and so on.

Things we’d bought:

Mom: 3 pairs of Adidas socks, $25; A black, elegant handbag from Nine West, $29

Me: Twilight by Stephenie Meyers from Borders, $12.50 (at half price, originally about $27); A pink, kawaii handbag from Nine West (smaller version of my mom’s), $19

Sis: Low Cut Flurt Denim Shoes from so-called Billabong, $39.95

All of us were wiped out from all the walking and carrying of our newly acquired things, so we headed home after having our coffee. Before we piled into the car, however, we went into a supermarket to choose our dinner: Hawaiian Pizza ($3.85), Garlic Bread (about $1.20), Potato & Egg & Bacon salad (about $3), 2.5 litre Coke (about $1.60), a few packets of Instant noodles (about $1 each) and Spinach (I don’t know the price for this).

Anyway, we reached home and started to heat the garlic bread and pizza in the microwave (slow, I know) and mom started cooking the noodles. Dad just lazed around, waiting for the food to be ready. -_- What was hilarious was that the garlic bread was over-microwaved, and it became rock hard… I think my teeth are still stinging from trying to eat the bread. But we all had a good laugh after that, though I was embarrassed; I was the one who forgot to keep an eye on it, after all.

After dinner we went out for a walk to work off some calories (though I didn’t think it was much of a help) and dad ended up buying chicken wings from KFC. O.o I thought someone was trying to lose weight here? Luckily for me, chicken wings never held a lure for me, so I remained blissfully peaceful without sinking my teeth into them.

After the wings we began a round of Da Lao Er and boy was it fun! Everyone was in the laughing fits at the end of the game, with mom having to shuffle the cards 8 times, me 4 times, dad and sis 2 times each (the loser had to shuffle and distribute the cards). Everyone was so relaxed and happy…

So am I. Right now, I’m contented, satisfied and sleepy.

Good night.

Brisbane -- Day One

November 27, Thursday
Australian time: 2010

1st Day

Location: Brisbane
Accommodation: Airport Motel
Cost: $190 per night
Currency (Singapore is to Australia): 1 is to 1

Landed at about 1919, and took about an hour to get past the intense scrutiny and inspection of the airport officers. Currently (or when I was writing in my notebook anyway) renting a car from Hertz – but it’s taking up an excruciating large amount of time. So I’ve taken to music to relieve my boredom. The airport is definitely not as lavish as Singapore’s newly built Terminal 3, but Brisbane’s airport is spacious enough – with the arrival hall complete with fast food outlets! EAT! they scream at you. The people in the waiting area definitely seem at home enough – some are just lying flat across the sofa (taking up the entire space in the process) and others have settled themselves comfortably around a tiny coffee table with a deck of cards. (Note that this was written directly after arrival.)

After that we headed to Airport Motel, just a short distance from Brisbane International. It was simple, bright, and comfortable enough. After having supper at a secluded Thai eatery, we headed home to bed. In Australia, shops close at five or six; restaurants holding out till slightly later, depending on their nature. However, most outdoor activities cease at nine, which is very different from Singapore, seeing as how Singaporeans adore the night life.

We’ve begun poring over maps and leaflets to plan for the next day. Anyway, I gotta sleep early today – have to adjust my body clock to the local time. Time difference: 2 hours faster than Singapore. Waking up at 0700 tomorrow, or in Singapore’s time, 0500. o.O

December Boys

I rented December Boys today, and spent my afternoon watching it while nursing my burning heels (I'd been dancing non-stop (almost) for the past few days).

The storyline, I think, is simple. Four boys, all born in December, were sent to the seaside for a holiday for their birthday month. The place was old, people few, and things were kept simple, dirty and wet. The plot blended in some "mystic" about horses being able to fish (mostly to tell us about how miracles can happen in the least likely of places), and also showed how Maps, the oldest of the boys, matured along the way (how? By meeting a girl, duh.). And all the while, the younger boys, having found out that their next door couple were considering adopting one of them, began to shamelessly trying to win their affections.

Overall, there were quite a number of scenes that would make you giggle or smile to yourself (whatever your preference), and some heartwarming moments that would made your heart tinge slightly, but not enough to rouse any through emotions.

I apparently felt no climax at all -- when it was done, it was done. And it made me reflect that, well, life's just like that. It's done! So even though I didn't cry, nor did I feel particularly moved, I felt that the film captured "life" nicely in approximately 100 minutes.

Back from Land of Oblivion

O LEVELS HAVE OFFICIALLY ENDED
(for me, anyway.)

And yes, I have finally returned from the LandofOblivion. During the awful month respectfully dubbed O Levels, I've been an absolute recluse, consumed completely by ten-year-series-es, crumbled under a mountainload of Biology notes, and have no idea whatsoever of those immediately around me as well as those 'none of my business' world news. Newspaper? It seems years since I'd dirtied my fingers. Only things I do know is that Obama is America's first black president and Chen Shui Bian (Taiwan) shamed the country by being the first ex-president to grace the prison with his presence.

Life has never been this boring. Everyday it's studying, eating, sleeping, studying, eating, sleeping. And swimming. I think swimming's about the only exercise in my schedule that I've enjoyed during O Levels. The only thing that kept me sane and kept me up and running throughout the prolonged month.

A bit of thoughts about Os:
1. Hated it.
2. Dreaded it.
3. Curse it.
4. Over it.

I don't enjoy exams all that much.

Anyways, it's good to be back. Life belongs to me again, except that I have to choreograph, teach, and perform dance...hm. I'll enjoy it, though I do admit it's a pretty heavy responsibility and rather tiring. Still, when you're doing something you love, it passes by quickly enough.

Next on my list:
1. Celebrate with my best buddies!
2. Horse Riding with Ash!
3. Prom stuff!
4. Start my new Chinese blog!
5. Play Neopets (I just started being addicted again.)
6. Give away my textbooks and notes!
7. Pack my stuff to move house!
8. Enjoy my holidays in Australia and Taiwan!
...and other things.

I feel good.