We made it!

Despite the incredibly long flight, we finally made it to Brisbane, Australia! We left the U.S. around 11:30pm on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 and arrived two days later at 6:00am on Thursday, September 30, 2010. Wow, that was a loooong and squished flight! I definitely need to fly business class next time.

View of bridge from city center waterfront

(also the view from what will hopefully

be our apartment)

We managed to stay up until 6:30pm the first day, after getting settled in our hotel, setting up local bank accounts, and getting new phones. The city reminds me of the Northwest U.S.; akin to a small scale Vancouver, Canada, with lots of tall, glass buildings, surrounding water, and coffee shops on every corner.  While it's spring here, the weather reminds me of Seattle in the fall--cool and overcast. There are several bridges, each with their own style and character, connecting the main city center to the surrounding areas, such as South Brisbane/West End and Kangaroo Point.

Schnitzel sandwiches?

At least from what I can tell from Brisbane, there are a lot of things that are different between Australia and the U.S., (see Things to Ponder below), but there is also a lot that is the same. In the main shopping area you will find several stores that we have in the U.S., such as Guess, French Connection, Lululemon, Tiffany's, Fossil, etc., but often they have a twist. For example, while they too have Subway and Starbucks here, the menu are somewhat different. Subway serves chicken schnitzel sandwiches and Starbucks serves lamb pies!  Americanos are called Long Blacks and, sorry, sugar free syrup and splenda are not common.  There is also a Target, but it's pricey! We saw dresses for around $60...what happened to affordable shopping and prices around $19.99?  

The food is yummy, but insanely expensive. Everyone warned me about this, but I figured D.C. was pretty expensive so it couldn't be much worse. Club sandwiches, at lunch, cost around $20.00! It's like D.C. dinner prices for lunch and many things are a la carte. An omelet at a casual outdoor cafe would set you back $18.95 and an additional $3.95 for a side of hash browns. We have not gone grocery shopping yet (because we still live in a hotel), but a quick glance at prices does not assuage my wallet's concerns. Next time you see me, I may be a few pants sizes smaller!

Fig tree in main street

The scenery is beautiful and intriguing! About 80% of the flora and fauna here is unique to Australia, which I think is just amazing. There is a gorgeous, hug fig tree in the middle of Eagle St (one of the main roads that parallels the water). The tree branches are like vines and look like they are growing into the ground, instead of up from it!  There are also trees with huge leaves, brightly colored and very interesting flowers (yet no one seems to know what anything is called, haha!), and lots of parks.

Our office

We start work on Monday, which is exciting, but I wish there was more time to explore beforehand too. This is our building...on the water with a great view!

We put in an application for an amazing apartment, so please keep your fingers crossed!









Things to ponder about Brisbane and Australia?
Why are the egg yolks orange? 
Why are there needle syringe disposal boxes in the public bathroom stalls?