Brisbane: An Interview with Rachel

As the third leg of our trip, Brisbane proved to be a bit of fresh air after our time in Melbourne. In order to get refreshed on what all we did there, I decided to interview my sister and travel companion, Rachel.


Off the top of your head, what was the most memorable thing about Brisbane? 
Well, the koalas obviously, and the whole experience of being able to interact them like we did. Also, when we walked to breakfast that one morning we got drenched.

I apologize for that, but it was a good breakfast, right? 
It was a good breakfast! But we were drenched.

Other than the koalas at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, what did you enjoy? 
I guess it was the atmosphere, the fact that everyone was so friendly; you know that. Oh, and the little wifi bloggers nook. That was cute. I felt like it had a really good aroma...

Aroma?! 
I feel like that wasn't the right word.

No. 
Okay, what about Brisbane the city - is there anything else that stood out to you?
Every single guy was wearing a blue shirt.

Oh yeah, I forgot that! 
Every single one in blue. And it was business central. People were really dressed up. Maybe it was the time of the week we were there, Monday and Tuesday, but people were moving.

In my next blog post I'm going to go over our time in Manila, what's something I should mention?
I didn't like Manila, but that's because I was really out of my comfort zone. It was a whole different culture from the way people interact on the street, to the insane traffic; it was all kind of insane. It made me really grateful for everything that we have and all of the modernization.
You almost got your ice cream stolen from you!

By a child! Right out of my hand.
And someone tried to snatch my wallet. It was interesting that the mall was the same as the ones we have at home.

I go on a tangent about the Westfield Group because I can't help myself.

Okay, last question: what are the best and worth things about traveling with me? 
The worst thing is that you walk so Goddamn fast because you want to do so many things. Like, so fast. But, in contrast, it's awesome that you wanted to see so much because if  I was with anyone else we wouldn't have seen that much, or experienced so much cool food. Because I'm not into as coffee or food as much, I wouldn't have stepped outside my comfort zone.

Day Guide:

Ate at: Riverside Kitchen || Ginger & Green || Hello Please || Claude & Corbet

Drank at: Nodo Coffee 

Melbourne: Dillon Recommended

Leaning carefully against the frame of the sliding glass door for stability, I try and take advantage of views that the 33rd floor of a tower provides. Overlooking Flagstaff Gardens and the Queen Elizabeth Market there's a constant stream of people and cars that parade in and out of the city. There's no better reminder of being in a new city than to wake up and look out over it.... or to spend your last night in it, on the floor, devouring a pizza from UberEats; too tired from traveling to go back out for dinner.

Our last day in Melbourne took us to the suburbs of Fitzroy for flaky pastries and coffee poured through gold. The pour-over filter was gold. The coffee was very good. Dillon recommended.

It also took us to jail. Sorry, gaol. The Old Melbourne Gaol, a penitentiary and watchhouse was built in 1845 and has been out of service since the 1920s. In 1972 the jail reopened as a museum, which is weird. Each of the rooms that used to house inmates now houses informational boards about early Australian criminals and of course as someone who now works in a studio that occasional designs detention facilities I couldn't resist taking a peek. Overall, not Dillon recommended.

Going around and taking pictures of buildings? Definitely, Dillon recommended.

The afternoon took us to St. Kilda, which was Rachel recommended. This beachfront town was a fairly short ride from the center of the city and bustling with activity. There was a promenade along the water that lead to an old theme park, the main road with stalls selling artisan goods, and shops and restauraunts.

Day Guide:

Ate at: Lune || Queen Elizabeth Market || Trippy Taco St. Kilda

Drank at: Industry Beans Fitzroy

Melbourne: "Not Pictured"

Social media -this blogging platform included- allows us to share only what we deem acceptable to share. So, for the most part, you've seen my favorite photos filled with all of the things my sister and  I saw during our time in Australia. While I won't torture you with bad photography, I figured I would share some of the experiences that happen behind the scene.

Day 2 in Melbourne, Not Pictured: 
-You know when your skin gets hot and it turns red? Well at one point the sunlight did that to us because the ozone layer is weak down under.
- Even though we'd been in Australia for almost a week, we still struggle to grasp the concept that you go up to a register to pay after your meal, even though you are waited on the rest of the time.
-Us, walking around a giant parking lot until we realized we were surrounded by highways after getting off at the wrong tram stop.
- Rachel eating an entire cantaloupe with a spoon for lunch that we got from the Queen Elizabeth Market.
- Me, trying to enjoy the National Gallery of Victoria while my sister sits in the lobby, clearly miserable. Just enjoy the art Rachel!
- The hoards of humans that load the 4 blocks of shopping on the North Quay. Forget about cars, it's an oversized shopping bag that will knock you out.
- Also, "quay" is pronounced like "key".
- My bleeding heels, from the shoes I decided to wear all day even though I knew we'd be walking a ton.
- The smell of cigarette smoke that filled the area after getting gelato, and both us of jogging, spoon in hand, to find fresh air.

Day Guide:

Ate at: The Kettle Black || Queen Elizabeth Market || Shanghai Street Dumplings || Nitro Gelato

Drank at: Archies Collingswood

Melbourne: Upon Arrival

How to Ride Public Transportation in Melbourne: 

There is a tram system that runs at street level all over the city, which is great. However, it's not great when you're running through the rain to get to a stop until you realize that it's going the wrong direction because you're in Australia and things drive on the left.

1. Depending on the direction of travel you need to be on either side of a major intersection. This is not intuitive for the American citizen since the Australian vehicle travels on the left side of the street.
2.Once you've figured out which side of the intersection you need to be at, make your way into the middle of the street.
3.Wait by a  flimsy rail as cars whiz by you for a tram that is -hopefully- going to open its doors on the side you are standing on.
4. Oh, you need a pass to ride it that you can only get at a few locations around the city? Please start over at Step 1 once you've obtained the aforementioned pass.
5. After you are on, going the correct direction, and have paid your fare; enjoy the ride! 

How to Talk About Buildings to Your Sister Who Said "Wow the buildings here are cool": 

1. Wait for her to feign interest. This can be anything from prolonged eye contact with a strange or beautiful building to a verbal statement confirming interest.
2. Depending on the mode of interest, there are different tactics once might take to approach the subject.
     a. Ask a question. "That building is pretty cool right?"
     b. Make an observation that you picked up that they likely did not. "Did you notice how the building has louvers on it to prevent direct sunlight?"
     c. Just stop to take a picture. This both forces you and her to stop and contemplate the building further. It may also come in handy when in retrospect, she mentions how cool the buildings in Melbourne were so that you can interrupt with details.
     d. Don't say anything and just revel in the fact that she appreciated architecture for a second and be content with that. This is the safest and most recommended approach to avoid conflict. 

How to Order a Drink at a Bar with a French Waiter Talking About Spanish Dishes in an Australian Accent: 

1. Listen attentively.
2. Nod head and make agreeable noises when appropriate.
3. Make nondescript eye contact with your sister who understands even less of what this man is saying.
4. Smile, pretending that you've understood everything and carefully thought about where you're about to point to something on the menu and say, "We'll just have this please."

Day Guide:

Ate at: Seven Seeds || Queen Elizabeth Market || Chin Chin 

Drank at: Movido Next Door