2014, let's get it on!

2013 is another year filled with moments that will be etched in permanence in our book. Personally, it is by far the best year of my existence.

As we all indulge ourselves by looking back to our year that was, I hope we can:

learn from the bad memories and never regret they happened...

Ironically, I was happy that someone broke my heart at the start of the year and I am seriously thankful for that. 

be humbled by all the good things...

I took a big step and started my adventure. I never knew that I can do more beyond my capabilities until I tested my limits. I met new people and gained new friends. I had seen new places. Opportunities for me to grow and lessons to learn came in the form of new experiences. I would like to think I became stronger and better this year. I had so much blessings that it was too overwhelming and scary at the same time. 

be optimistic as we look forward to more blessings and challenges... I believe that this is it. I know in my heart that this is the start. My achievements, the kind of work that I have or how much money I make are out of the equation -- this is me, living my life in a way that I want to, going after the option that I want for myself and grabbing the chance of doing what I want to do.

and be prepared for another bumpy but thrilling new year.

So thank you, Lord, for every single thing, be it good or bad. I am also thankful for my family and friends who gave me love and support more than anything else. 

In this coming year, I only look forward to one thing -- another memorable journey. Whatever it is that will be thrown my way, I'm up for it. I wouldn't possibly know how to handle it but whatever. Isang kembot lang ang katapat nyan, as I always say (Maybe another one or two kapag medyo intense). Haha! :)

And maybe, just maybe, it isn't so bad wishing to meet the right man somewhere in between all of that. Haha! 

Let us pray altogether for a better year and work on to be better version of who we were the past year. With fireworks or a bomb, with a roar or a scream, with a booty shake (or twerking, if you please) or an out of tune melody or with whatever way you prefer, let us all bid farewell to the past year and greet the new year. 

Whoever thought or constructed this one is genius. I am in love with this! 

I'm ready for you, 2014. Are you? :)

Brisbane x Gold Coast x Graduation 2.0

Recently, my good friend since way back in high school and my parents paid me a visit here in Brisbane.

I portrayed the role of a tourist guide while they were here. Without a van or coaster bus and microphone and with only the best of my "touring ability", I showed and introduced them to Brisbane (Forgive the lack of photos, by the way. Most of the photos are with them in it so I only selected a few.).

Be a solid commuter
In as much as it is way more convenient to ride a car, program your GPS and drive to your chosen destination, Australian experience will be incomplete if you hadn't experienced first-hand how to commute here and the hassle that comes with it (Haha!). This is what I made my parents and friend to do (Even if I have a car or I can rent a car, my driving skills are nil).

Setting the practicality aside that most people prefer and generally speaking, I think using the public transportation and walking around (with or without a map, it's up to you) are the best ways to explore a place. You know the saying, "stop and smell the flowers"? I believe it goes with that same principle. When you commute by bus or train and walk, you would be able to notice little, random things you wouldn't have probably noticed when you are in a car. It is also a simple way to get in touch or immerse yourself in one's culture. Do not just travel; learn. Get lost. Maximize your indulgence of the experience. Yes, there may be places that are best left for driving to get there and this may not work with everybody, but I suggest to just try it for at least a day or even just once (then rent a car?). This is one of my tips to everyone who wants to travel not just in Australia but in other parts of the globe, too.

Explore the capital city

Apart from the shops and restaurants, there are also a few landmarks in the city that you can go to. A few of the ones that we saw and went into were Cathedral of St. Stephen (photo on the top left), Brisbane City Hall (photo on bottom left), a view of South Bank (photo on top right), Treasury Casino and Brisbane City Library (photo taken on bottom right is on Queen Street, near the Casino, the Library and shops).

If you want to explore further the Brisbane City, I suggest checking out the City Center Heritage Trail. Check this site for further details and to access a downloadable brochure. For more photos of the city, you can check out an entry from last year.

See koalas, kangaroos and more in Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

It was my friend's request to go here and see a koala. A trip to Australia would also be incomplete without seeing the famous Australian icon, wouldn't it? Surprisingly, in Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, you can see more than a koala. Other animals, such as kangaroos, a Tasmanian devil, perentie, a few different birds such as kookaburra and parrots, platypus, dingo and different snakes to name some, can also be found there.

So cuddlyyyyy!!!

Stroll in South Bank

Personally, South Bank is my favorite hangout place. It reminds of Ayala Triangle in Makati, Greenbelt, Luneta Park and Manila Bay (minus the atmosphere of what is Manila Bay now) in the Philippines. It has a gorgeous and massive park with luscious trees and foliage called The Parklands, where you can sit and have picnic or barbecue with your friends and family. It even has a beach right in the middle named Streets Beach. Little Stanley Street houses good restaurants, cafes and bars and even boutiques. It has a good view of the Brisbane River and the city skyline. Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Performing Arts Center and cinemas can be located in Grey Street. The Wheel of Brisbane and Queensland Museum are also situated in South Bank. 

Gold Coast, Famous for fun!

From the city's tagline itself, Gold Coast is clearly a good place for fun. Located south-east of Brisbane, the city boasts some of Australia's top beautiful beaches. In fact, I strongly believe that Queensland owns most of the best beaches in Australia. It is not called The Sunshine State for nothing! Oh my gosh, don't. Even. Get. Me. Started (Okay, try google-ing Great Barrier Reef -- maybe that's way enough already! Whitsundays or Noosa, to name a few). Gold Coast is also famous for its theme parks -- Dreamworld, Movieworld, Sea World and Wet n' Wild. Unfortunately, my parents didn't feel like going to the beaches or the theme parks (When my brothers arrive in a few months' time, I will talk further about Gold Coast) so we traveled all the way there just to have lunch (refer to photo below) instead. Teehee.

Some foodporn shots: Zen Restaurant (Chinese) in Gold Coast (top left and bottom right) and Mazri Kitchen (Japanese) in Sunnybank (top right and bottom left)

Satisfy your Asian cravings at Sunnybank

It was my friend from work who invited and treated us for some good, Asian food in Sunnybank. It was like THE hub of Asian restaurants. Asian food everywhere I looked. We had Japanese at Mazri Kitchen (refer to photo above). It was lovely!

Eat anywhere. Try the benches.

When I was in the Philippines, no matter how hungry I am, I would rather take my food out, eat in a cab or at home than sit in a restaurant and eat. I do not like the idea of eating alone when I'm out so I never do it. I can't even imagine myself doing it. I am uncomfortable with the idea that there may be people staring at me because I am alone and I have no one to eat with. You never know who among the creeps everywhere might sit beside or in front of you. They might even follow you because they know you are alone! Yes! I can be paranoid like that! Haha! However, "there is always a first time for everything." You got it right; I was able to eat alone for the very first time. It wasn't even on a bench; it was on a cemented wall thing surrounding plants (Haha! I don't know how you call it. I hope you get what I mean though.). Apparently, I didn't die doing that. No one even stared at me! Haha! Trust me though, I was really hesitant. I thought of walking and pretending I'm shopping while eating. Then, I noticed that there were a lot of people doing that. No one cared and no one even bothered to care if they are eating alone. I was like, 'Screw this. They don't know me. I'm eating right here.' I brought out my phone and started browsing so I will not notice just in case someone will look at me. Hahaha! But no one really did.

Anyway, my simple point is if you are so conscious like me, just go for it, take a seat wherever, chew and gulp. Just like what my friend and I did. No single Australian (or Asian, British, Irish or any person living in Australia) would even look at you. That's another Australian experience that can be ticked off on your list! If you are unlike me though, well, do not bother and skip this part (which might be impossible since you probably have read the rest before reaching this part). You are probably a pro and enjoying this already.

Taste Australian Beer

Just because my dad wanted to try some.

Tasted it. Didn't like it. I've never liked any brand of beer anyway. But if you appreciate beer, why not try the Australian ones if you're here, right?

Vegemite, mate!

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Another Aussie thingamajig! I forgot to prepare one for my parents to try so we bought one before they went back home. The trick in using vegemite is to know how to appropriately apply it on your toast to avoid... hmm... vomiting. :D

and, if applicable...

Attend a Conferral of Awards Ceremony


The main reason why my parents visited me here was to attend my graduation. Yayyy! Congratulations, Class of 2013 and to the new batch of nurses (One can never have enough Bachelor of Nursing degrees and nursing licenses, you know. Haha!)! :) Obviously, this is an entirely different topic but might as well throw it in here, too. :)

There you go, my few ideas that you can try when you go to Brisbane. This entry will definitely have a second part so hang tight as I explore further. :)

More random photos to wrap it up! :)

Hold on! One last thing.

TRY to avoid live broadcast.

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Technology made keeping in touch easier; social networking made it faster. Personally, I'm among those people who share to keep their family and friends updated or to make their page full of memorable or random and pretty thoughts (or rants at times -- oops. I'm learning to avoid posting things like that now) and snaps. However, I am also the type who defeats the very obvious purpose of putting insta- in Instagram by preferring the #latergram. Or "the late upload" or #throwbackthursday. I was once a hardcore 'tweeter-slash-status updater,' especially during NBA, Oscars, VMAs and the likes. I eventually got tired of the 'hold, type, put down, repeat' moves with my phone. So if you're out travelling or exploring, I suggest putting posting aside and just enjoy! If, however, you mastered doing it altogether at the same time without sacrificing your enjoyment then, good on you and go ahead! :)  

V I C T O R I A

About 2 months before my birthday...

"Makapunta nga ng Melbourne."

And so I did. :)

To explore a place by myself (and to pay for it with my hard-earned money this time) as a way to mark and celebrate my silver year of existence seemed like a good idea. Well, it really was. 

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With the help of everyone's trusted friend, Google, we searched for good and must-see places in Melbourne. I got too excited that I ended up with a long list. I thought it was good enough for my 5 days, 4 nights trip. Apparently, it was too much to fit in that short trip. The travel agent who processed my ticket, accommodation and hotel and airport transfers also included two day trips outside of Melbourne.

Touchdown! I was able to check in at the hotel around 10 PM that night. I went to the first convenience store that I saw and bought groceries. 

Join me as I look back on my trip that was... 

Lost in the city

While most people would have survived with a map in their hands, I wouldn't. Almost. Hahaha.  

       

Tram!

It took me at least an hour and a half to locate (and remember where I walked through) this shopping street (Elizabeth Street) that was near my hotel. I got it right the second time and it only took me probably 20 minutes to get there.

Melbourne's GPO (General Post Office)

Inside the GPO. Originally a post office but now, it houses a selection of boutiques and cafes

Flinders Street Station

I even tried to understand the tram route to get to the other places on my list but I will need few more days to get that. Or a month, perhaps.

       

Eureka Skydeck88 on the right

South Bank in Melbourne

Anyway, I enjoyed looking around and immersing myself with the random things that I saw but in my mind, I was almost screaming, 'Where the hell is the place that I am looking for??' Haha. When you're alone, you don't want to be too obvious that you are lost. :)

Photo at Shrine of Remembrance
(and got left behind inside the tram on my first tram ride)

On the second day of my trip, I met up with a college batchmate. She invited me to join her and her friends as they go around the city.

Look, Ma, I'm in Athens!

My first tram ride was going to this place. I missed getting off at the tram stop we were supposed to get off at because I couldn't find my transportation card in my bag. Waiting for me to find my card isn't part of the driver's job description, is it? Haha! The tram door closed just in time when I found my card inside the paper bag instead (Not in my bag after all!). My friend gave me a signal to get off at the next stop otherwise. Luckily, it was only a few meters away from so I didn't have to walk far enough going back. As if the first tram ride in itself isn't memorable enough! Haha!

       
Shrine of Remembrance

Strolled at Royal Botanical Gardens

Central Park? Not.

Mass at St. Francis' Church
It was a Sunday and after they showed me the Shrine of Remembrance and Royal Botanical Gardens and had an early dinner at Melbourne Central, we went to Church before heading to our respective abodes.

Stood at State Library of Victoria.
(Yeah, I did. Outside.)

This was standing behind us while waiting for the tram. This was on my list! Ah, I wanted to get in but it was already closed. Too bad. It's not just the books; I have a thing for libraries, too, you see. And bookstores. It's a happy, pretty place!

Blended with the vibrant Brighton Bathing Houses
(Unintentionally. It's spring, my brights are calling me. Hee.)

The third day was my first day of guided tour and Brighton Beach was our first stop. 

It was a gloomy morning for a supposedly fine, spring time. Well, you know what they say about Melbourne weather -- four seasons in a day. Anyway, we had our morning tea here while enjoying the cold breeze and the view.

Lunch at Tooradin Village

Tooradin is known as a fishing village and serves as a stopover for tourists or travelers travelling from Melbourne to Phillip Island

Oo, mahangin sa labas.

Quite a long drive but I didn't mind. I enjoy road trips.

Koalas and kangaroos (and more) at Maru Wildlife Park

Saw these animals for the very first time! :) It took me seven months to go and see at least one and I will not forgive myself if I had not done so.

Wallaby

Emu

White kangaroo!

"Please don't hop! Just one shot."

Random acquaintance

I am not the talking-to-strangers-because-I-just-feel-like-it kind of person. I talk to strangers for a reason -- to inquire a price, to ask for a different size, to ask for directions, you know, things like that. But not to actually start and create a conversation. True enough, this girl, who also went for a trip alone and sat beside me inside the tourist bus, was the one who initially started the conversation. The day ended with us adding each other on Facebook. Haha! Maybe next time, I'll try to be the one initiating the conversation. And maybe I'll meet up with her when I visit Sydney! :)

Internalized Charlie at Panny's Chocolate Factory

Oompa Loompa, Oompa Loompa...

Ah, chocolate everywhere, it was heaven! :)

 

Old chocolate ads

       

Overwhelmed by the view at Nobbies Center

This was definitely my favorite part of my trip.

Standing and overlooking the vast ocean of Bass Strait. The long boardwalk, The seal rocks.

On the edge!

The seals (through a binocular inside). The birds and the green, leafy things. All of it were amazing and breathtaking enough.

It started to drizzle as you can see from my camera lens. I was a bit wet but I couldn't care less. I tried to use my hood though but I look funny in the photos. 

This is why we have to take care of the earth, of what is left of it to preserve.

Watched the penguins at Penguin Parade

This was the last stop on the first day of my guided tour. Photos weren't allowed inside so this is the closest that I can get to show you the penguins.

I'll just tell you what happened and let your imagination do its work. There is a long boardwalk that you walk on to get to the benches near the shore. People can sit, of course, on those benches and wait for the penguins to come to the shore. The penguins come ashore at around 6:00 PM at night. They are really cute! Especially the little ones. It was really dark at that time because it was raining so it was a bit of an effort to find them. Once they went up and reached the grassy area of the place, it was easier to see them because the boardwalk trail has lights lining it. You would also hear them make sounds.

Missed out on Great Ocean Road Experience

(This was probably the highlight of that trip. So much for making this trip memorable down to the core, eh?)

On the second day of my scheduled day trip, I got left behind by my tour guide. She was late for 30 minutes so I rang their agency. I thought they might have forgotten about me or they have arrived earlier than scheduled. The tour guide really was running late, the lady on the phone informed me. I sat a few more minutes, hoping she would arrive anytime soon. I was hungry and I badly needed to pee as well, so I was like, 'Screw this, I'm going. I'll pee quickly and grab something from the fridge.' So I went back to my room. AND YES, SHE ARRIVED WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY BACK UP. When she couldn't find me at the lobby, she left me instead. I'm not sure if she asked the hotel receptionist/s to check if I'm in my room or if I'm actually going. When I got out of the elevator, the receptionist told me, 'Oh, you're going on a tour today, right?' I affirmed. He replied, 'Oh, they just left.' I almost dropped what I was eating. 'What??' I looked for my phone and started calling the agency again. I know it's not her job to wait and so is being late. Another receptionist added, 'I told her you were sitting there and waiting. She called out your name twice. Maybe you can still catch them, they might be picking someone else at the next nearest hotel.' OMFG. Really.

I wasn't able to find them. The agency had been calling the tour guide but they only got hold of her just when she got out of the city and refused to come back for me. Of course, why would she? I think she did ask for me through the hotel receptionist/s. I just wished the receptionist/s bothered to call my room or my phone perhaps. One of the receptionist did that two days before this incident. He thought I was the one that some other tour guide was looking for that day so he rang me through my mobile. Isn't that the standard protocol or something? What if something happened to me inside the room instead, that's why I wasn't there? That happens, right? Oh, you can only imagine how pissed I was.

According to my day trip the itinerary for that day, this was what I missed: Torquay, Bells Beach, Split Point light house, Great Ocean Road, Apollo Bay, Southern Ocean, Otway National Park, Port Campbell National Park, 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, fishing village in Port Campbell, 'action packed day full of nature walks, wildlife, surf beaches, incredible rock formations and spectacular coastal views while heading towards Melbourne,' and Colac for dinner. They gave me a refund for this though.

Anyway, it is partly my fault. Next time, it is probably best to let the receptionist/s know that when someone looks for me (or any hotel guest), call me (them) on my (their) room or mobile phone immediately.

On the brighter side, this just means that I must come back. I should also request to be a part of Andrew's (the tour guide on my prior day trip. He's good, by the way.) tour, if that is possible. If not then, (and if also possible), I will ask for the name of the tour guide scheduled on September 30, 2013 and I will request not to put me in her group. Haha.

So alternatively, here was what I did that day:

Shopped the annoyance away
I even promised to myself that I will not shop during my trip unless it is; 1. a winter item, 2. a boardshort and 3. pasalubong for my friends. I ended up buying three jeans, one knit, two longsleeves for my brothers and one leggings on top of the one winter jacket, two leather boots, three boardshorts and two clothing items for my friends that I swore to buy only. I decided not to purchase the coat I planned to give to another friend because of the fear of going over my baggage limit. Ayayay. However, excess baggage, we met again (I should have purchased the coat after all!) :)
  

Cruised along the Yarra River

I bought the Melbourne Highlights ticket before my flight. Melbourne Highlights cruise is a combination of two river cruises, the River Gardens and the Docklands.

Unfortunately, due to the unsteady weather, we didn't continue going to the Docklands.

Viewed the city from The Edge and 88 stories above in Eureka Skydeck 88

How wobbly my knees felt just standing near the glass window! So you do what you got to do -- suck it up! Haha!

       

I challenged myself to go to The Edge. It's like a glass box that protrudes from the side of the building. You get inside that box and wait for it to slowly move forward and surprise you with the view. That was the scary part. You hear the creaking sound while it is moving. They intentionally made that tinted effect with the glass so the next thing you know, you're already floating in the air and the city is below you.

There was one kid who asked her mom, 'What if this glass breaks?' No, kid! You do not ask questions like that!!! Hahaha! I dared myself further by looking down. I swear, I could have passed out any minute thereafter. But I didn't, thank God! :p

Near the glass windows, there are metal, monocular tubes that tells you what landmark you can find when you take a peek through it. There are also lighted and moving statements, like digital banners, across the floor regarding historical information of the landmarks.

Luckily, Andrew gave me my ticket for this the day before. This was also a part of the second day trip itinerary. I already missed enough, I don't think I can handle if I missed out more. Haha. When I come back, I'll drop by here again to see the whole city by night. Ah, that would be lovelier, I think.

Learned something from Immigration Museum

A guy who was in the same tour group as I was the day before suggested that we should visit the Immigration Museum if we have extra time to spare before going back to our own respective countries or states.

I only had 20-25 minutes left to look around since it was nearing closing time when I came, unfortunately.

Knitting machine owned by a migrant (Edda Azzola, if I remember correctly) who did clothes for a living

It was a worthwhile visit. I had only seen the first floor but I already learned a few about how Australia become populated with people from different races and culture. They also featured some personal stories of people who migrated to Australia. In as much as it is a building filled with historical and cultural information, you can also say that this is a very personal place, especially for people who moved miles away from their home country. Immigration Museum is a good place to start learning how Australia became the multi-cultural country that it is today.

Hipsters at Brunswick Street

I met up with a college friend for dinner before going back to Brisbane the next day. He brought me to Brunswick Street, which, according to him, has really good places to dine in. It was only a Tuesday night but the street and the vibe doesn't look like it.

We had Thai that night (I apologize! I do not know the restaurant's name! Gee. I'll ask my friend and post it here as soon as possible.). OMG. It was the first sumptuous Thai food in my life!





We had desert at Vegie Bar, which from the name itself, of course, is a vegetarian restaurant.

Vegetarian Strawberry Cheesecake. :) It tastes like Nido!

Inside Vegie Bar. Looks like a warehouse but I think that's what makes their ambiance appealing.

Thank you, Marc, for the dinner and for giving me goodies from your store (see photo below, upper right and click on the link to visit his Facebook page)! I'll see you soon, mate! :p

And that's how my Melbourne trip went. Bow.

Keepsakes. :) (I ate the chocolate and the pastries. I didn't keep them. Lol.) See what I mean with the glass box in Eureka Skydeck88?


If you want to arrange your own Melbourne trip, here are some links to the services that I used. Feel free to check them out, if you please:

For what to do, where to go and eat, where to stay, random tips and such:
www.visitvictoria.com.au
www.thatsmelbourne.com.au
www.melbournecb.com.au

For guided tours:
www.autopiatours.com.au (Look for Andrew. If possible.)

www.tripadvisor.com.au (review)

www.melbcruises.com.au

For tickets, promo flights, travel deals, etc:
www.studentflights.com.au (Or you can use whichever travel agency you prefer) 

For hotel and airport transfers:
www.sunbusmelbourne.com.au

Affordable hotel option/suggestion:

www.greatsouthernhotel.com.au