Brissy! (Week 6)

So, the last week was ever so exciting! It actually began sub-par-ly. Let me expound: I spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in a microbiology lab for my Humans, Microbes, and Diseases class. It was better than expected, but then again I was expecting it to be pretty bad (somewhere on the same level as laying in a bed of cockroaches... which there are a lot of here, big ones, very big cockroaches that run across the floor at night), so it really wasn't hard to be better than expected. Tuesday night though, after finishing the class, I decided that I wanted to go to Brisbane. I'd been considering this for some time, but only this time did I finally decide that I wanted to go. So, I bought a train ticket for the next morning and without a place to stay or much of a plan at all, I decided I was going. Thank goodness I found a place to stay with some awesome girls from the YSA ward down there (like a singles ward) so it all worked out.

Wednesday morning, 7:15, I was on a train pulling out to head off to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The ride was boring, 7 1/2 hours of it, but the scenery was entertaining so I survived. Arriving in Brisbane, I tried to look as legit as possible and walked up a set of stairs to who-knows-where, hoping I looked like I knew what I was doing. It all turned out well when I ended up in Roma Street Parkland, an area that a few years back was an ugly railyard, but since then the city made it a beautiful park/gardens area with rolling grassy hills, beautiful outdoor amphitheaters, man-made lakes, and occasional gardens to walk through.

The foggy landscape outside the window of the train as we pulled out of Rockhampton.

That's right, I did walk up the Stairway to Knowledge. BTW, this is part of the Roma Street Parklands area.

My first full-on view of Brisbane

I wandered the city for a bit, probably looking like a lost little girl with my monstrous backpack and signature blue jacket (if you don't know the jacket, you just don't know Cassie), but eventually I found my way to the pedestrian walkway crossing the river. As I walked, people on bikes rode past, but one guy in particular rode past, turned around, saw me, and slowed down awkwardly as if waiting for me to pass him. Like, this was super awkward. He had to hold on to the rail to keep from falling down he was going so slow. I passed him and hoped he had another reason for slowing; he did not. He began talking to me, explaining that he was studying IT at the University of Queensland, and I assure you, he fit the part of an Asian (Filipino to be exact) computer geek: short, pimpled face, squinty eyes, you get the picture. Anyway, he ended up wanting my number. I gave it, hesitantly, and he called me to make sure it was right (I hate that guys do that), and I promptly saved his number as "Don't Answer." Luckily I was able to escape him at the end of the bridge, and quickly found my way to the place I was staying.

Rainbow over the City Botanical Gardens

Filipino boy insisted on taking a picture of me. Be careful there Cassie, you're looking a bit too excited about this.

The girls I was staying with were super nice, Renee, Taryn, and Jin (she is Korean and really friendly). Renee was able to get some guys from the ward to come over, Peter and Xander, and they took us both up to Mount Coot-tha, where we were able to look out over Brisbane, which was nice. Sadly, this was the only social thing I did in Brisbane, but it was still cool.

In case you can't tell, that's me, and that's Brisbane behind me.

The next day I set out on my day alone in Brisbane. Basically, I wandered the streets of the city and rode a bus around to different places. I visited the Botanical Gardens, which were beautiful, and both a Science and an Art Museum, both of which were free. There was this amazing place right by the museums called Southbank. It was basically an area along the bank of the river across from the city where they had parks, walkways, a boardwalk, cafes, shopping, an artificial beach, a big ferris wheel that wanted to be The Eye but failed miserably (no I did not waste the $15 on it), and lots of other things. It was just a really cool place that I loved so much I visited every day I was in Brisbane. Here I was able to board a Citycat, basically a public transportation boat that rode along the river (one of the missionaries I'd met recommended riding it around after dark), and I rode it along the river and was able to see most of the city at night, which was beautiful. When I finished my first day in Brissy (as the Aussies call it), I walked back to the house, a 2-3 mile walk. Don't worry, I kept my hand on my pepper spray in my pocket the whole time.

Me at the temple.

Artificial beach at Southbank

Cool walkway along Southbank

Southbank

Cool floating living room in the Art Museum

Big Fish

Never figured out what he was looking at

He's cool.

Botanical Gardens

More of the Botanical Gardens

Who can spot the lizard?

Path through the Botanical Gardens

Who can spot the reason for this picture?

I simply could not resist.

Cool, eh?

View of Brisbane from right across the street from the temple.

View of Brisbane from Southbank at dusk

The next day I was able to begin the day doing baptisms in the Brisbane temple. I felt bad because I helped to screw up the confirmations; the guy was calling me Sister Cassandra and I figured it was okay, both because I had told him my full name, and because I'm still technically Sister Cassandra. This actually didn't end up being okay so we had to re-do it (though personally, I think God's a little more understanding than that). Other than that it was a great experience, my first time doing baptisms in a temple other than the St. George temple.


After my time in the temple I basically just wandered Brisbane some more, shopping, exploring, eating, etc. When night came I began my trip back home. As I walked along the streets I heard someone approach from behind. It was a very bulky, muscular, scary looking, dark-skinned man, and he began walking with me as soon as he reached me. We got to talking; he explained that he was Jamaican (he sounded it too) and was here with the US Army as a personal trainer for them. He then proceeded to tell me about his many years in US prisons (for some reason this didn't scare me) and showed me a monstrous scar on his shoulder he'd received when he was attacked by a guy with an axe in Afghanistan (the guy was shot right after attacking him). Needless to say, he was someone I really should have been afraid of, yet I wasn't. As we talked, this guy, Zack, told me he was gay. Yes, that's right people, gay, as in, he likes boys. I can't tell you how much I was laughing inside at the strangeness of the situation. We walked together for about a mile, and let me tell you, many people stared at us as we passed (I think some of them contemplated rescuing me. Really, this guy was that scary looking). He invited me to dinner with him, but I declined, and however friendly he was, we soon parted ways, me with a laugh in my heart for how strange and unexpected the experience was. Not two minutes later, as I approached a corner, a guy approached me and asked for a smoke. When I said I didn't have one, he recoiled slightly, exclaiming, "Ooh, sexy accent, where are you from?" He then proceeded to flirt shamelessly with me until I finally declined every offer to come with him for a drink. As he walked way, he turned around and said, "By the way Cassie, you are very pretty." Yes, my self esteem did rise slightly. Sorry if that's shallow, but it really did make me feel just a bit better about myself.

I'm not sure what was going on, but Bib was everywhere.

Saturday: Last full day in Brisbane, but guess where I went. That's right: Australia Zoo! In case you don't know, the Australia Zoo is home to the late Steve Irwin, better known as the Crocodile Hunter, and idol of Cassie's childhood. Sadly, the zoo wasn't as impressive as I expected (San Diego Zoo is about twice the size, or more), but it was still cool to see things I'd only heard of and seen on tv (such as the Crocosium and all the famous crocs Steve Irwin caught). I left the zoo able to tick another goal off of my non-existent list of Life Goals.

Me+Kangaroos=Excited Cassie

I have been waiting my whole life to see this in real life.

Me, in the Crocodile Hunter's Truck. Life Goal=Accomplished

I hurried back to the house, having remembered that everyone was going to a ward activity that evening. I also had left my phone in the house, so I was unable to call them and they were unable to contact me to let me know when they were leaving. However much I hurried, it was all in vain, for when I arrived at the house it was all dark and nobody was home. I made my way to the front porch and looked for a key but was unsuccessful. Then, I heard something heavy walking on the roof, right above my head. Cautiously, I said, "Hello?" No answer. If you were in the same situation, what would you think? Consequently, my mind had been on aliens for about ten minutes before arriving at the house, so naturally my mind went to the movie Signs. I took a few steps, nearly petrified with fear, when I heard it run across the roof, then I heard the tree next to the house shake- it had jumped into the tree. Is this not exactly what happened in Signs?? Replace Tree with Cornfield and I think we have an exact match. Not wanting to spend any more time that close to a potential alien, I left the house, my plan: find a payphone and get a hold of Renee.

Soon I found a payphone, but alas, I had knowingly spent my remaining money on chocolates and had but 20 cents left, enough to send a text message. I spent about fifteen minutes in a phone booth typing the message on the huge phone keys and was able to send the message. Not knowing what to do next, I sat there, waiting, wondering if Renee could respond. A car stopped next to the telephone booth and three guys got out. I'd seen a lot of people walking towards the cricket stadium about a mile up the road, so I asked them if there was a game going on. There was, an Australian Football game. So, I bagged the idea of getting a hold of Renee and decided to go to the game. The three guys, a dad and his two sons, let me walk with them, and one of them lent me his phone so I called Renee, who said they'd left a key in the letterbox. When we arrived at the stadium all the cheap seats were sold out, which was disappointing because the guys were way cool, but I didn't have the money to spend on expensive tickets, so I parted with these guys too and decided just to head back to the house. This walk was un-eventful unless you count the guy whistling at me from his car and looking like a complete idiot sticking his head out with a pathetic grin on his face (admitted, it did make me feel a little better about myself. I'm whistle-at-on-the-street-worthy now).

There were so many people there it was amazing.

Finally, on Sunday, I walked around for a bit on Southbank, but eventually made it back to church for the YSA ward meetings at 1:00. Church was as always, except that instead of the usual 19-20 year olds of a typical Singles Ward in Utah, this ward was filled with people in their mid-late twenties, which was cool, an normal. After church, Renee took me to the train station, I boarded the train, and endured the 7 1/2 hour ride back to Rockhampton. And thus ends the adventure of Cassie in Brisbane (sorry if it was boring... it wasn't for me).

No real story behind this, I just thought it was cool.

And now, for your added pleasure: Cassie's Journal of Random Thoughts While in Brisbane!

• [While walking through the park] Lots of Emos-What? [Is Brisbane just full of Emos?] Oh, screamo concert on the other end of the park.
• Five foot tall Filipino Erik hits on me. Guess what- He's a computer geek. Can I attract anyone else??
• Screamo concert sounds like kids pretending they're dinosaurs
• "Caution-Clydesdales." I wish I saw that sign more often.
  
• Pass a lady gardening- politely say, "Evening." She responds with what sounds like a laugh, so I return with an awkward laugh. As I walk away, I wonder, "Laugh, or weird cough?"
• Struggling to find a seat in the park, for nearly every bench is filled to the brim with happy couples and Jack Johnson wannabees. All the rest are covered in bird poo. [It is later discovered that even benches within listening distance from Jack Johnson wannabees are also filled to the brim with him]
• Maybe, just maybe, none of these serious faced people walking past me on the street are truly legit. Perhaps, like me, they are all faking.
  
• This chocolate is so delicious, it tastes like sweetened butter. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten 100g of it in less than 24 hours (plus 200g of Smarties).
  
• Asian girls make me sad. They remind me how many people there are in the world. They all try to be so different but they're all teh same. So insignificant. I never want to be known as insignificant. Too anyone. Darn, I am right now, to the people next to me on the bench.
  
• Preppy, pretty girls are SO FREAKIN ANNOYING! Okay, cut in line to take a picture of yourself in the Crocodile Hunter truck. Does it matter that this is a very important truck? No, but hey, your picture looks mildly sexy, and your sunglasses are so huge they are hiding your crappily made-up eyes [and lack of a soul]. Aren't you cool and individual. Bet you'll have tons of guys all over you at the clubs tonight. As long as you show enough cleavage, since that's the only attractive thing about you. To guys that is. Perverted ones. Isn't your life great.
• You see a sand sculptor and stop to watch. In the 20 minutes you sit there he makes a winding line up a cone. So, you leave, impatience having won over curiosity.
  
• You are walking along a darkened sidewalk when you glance a dark figure following 10 meters behind you. Your hand darts into your purse and quickly finds the pepper spray; your thumb rests attentively on the trigger. At that moment, you realize that not only are you thinking in third person, but all your thoughts would fit nicely into a cheap mystery novel. A smile graces your lips, for even this most recent thought would also find a place among the writings of a hopeful yet talentless writer. That one too. But not that one.
  
• As you walk you remember the "10,000 steps" initiative [trying to get people to walk 10,000 steps every day]. You think to yourself, "Oh, I've got your 10,000 steps right here!" Your head cocks menacingly to the side as the word "here" crosses your thoughts.
• Why are all your thoughts in third person? When did this happen? Am I going insane?
• Telephone booth found, you realize you only have 20c in coins, barely enough for a text. Funny, you had $4.20 in coins but spent it all on chocolate. Oh chocolate, inevitably you will spell my ruin. So you send a strange message to Renee, "HEY THIS IS CASSIE IM IN A PHONE BOOTH NO ONE AT HOUSE GOING TO COLES RESPOND IF POSSIBLE OUT OF CASH."
• Coles is closed. Suck.
  
• You remember a funny pin you saw, "Gravity is a myth, the world sucks."
  
• You're walking home. You cross the street and on the other side someone says, "Hey." Usually, you refuse to look in someone's direction when you hear this unless it is absolutely impossible they are addressing anyone else. This is one of those situations. You look, and some guy is looking at you but walking away; he looks put on the spot, so you just walk in the opposite direction.
  
• You are on a guy-whistled-at-me-high and so you start doing the Wizard of Oz skip and singing the Wizard of Oz song ("Off to See the Wizard"). Then some guy appears from behind a bus stop walking toward you. You stop singing abruptly, but can't help but smile as he passes. He glares back.
  
• Wow, for once you don't have "Under the Boardwalk" in your head. You start singing it in your mind every time you see a Boardwalk sign. You've seen lots.
• Argh! Can't sleep on the dumb train! 4 hours in, 3 1/2 to go!

And that, my friends, is all. Thank you for staying with me if you survived through the whole post.