Potato Potahto, Tomato Tomahto

As my friend Bill said today, I am now being dished back all the fun I poked at him for his British accent...the Aussies are quite keen on pointing out the "wrong" things I say in my purely American accent. Well deserved, I suppose! I am well into my 5th full day here in Brisbane and am anything but caught up on sleep. There's too much to do! I hit the ground running upon arrival Thursday morning: catching an early breakfast, stopping at Bartley's Hill for an overview of the city, and getting a city tour from Joel, my friend here in Brizzie, all before settling at his house. A couple hours to recoup and we headed into the city for a quick bite on the South Bank (my first Australian kebab) and then met one of his friends who joined us for a viewing of Julie and Julia. I was a bit tuckered out from a rather sleepless night on the plane, but stayed awake through the entirety of the movie. Maybe it was the Malteses that were being thrown at me (like Whoppers), or maybe it was the large amount of caffeine consumption, really though I think it was because it was a great movie. We headed up Mount Coot-tha next - what a view! The overlook provides a stunning view of the city - it is huge (just under 2 million) and the lights are spectacular.

Friday was a beautiful day - every day here has been actually. Sunny, mid-70s, a light breeze. I first went to window shop at a shopping centre with Joel's fun sister - we bonded over cooking/baking and loitered around several bookstores. It was strange to be back in a place where my skin color was in the majority and where poverty isn't screaming at you from every street corner. A part of me felt more at ease, but a part of me is still unsettled knowing what exists even though I don't see it on a day to day basis. Next Joel took me to the Roma Street Parklands, a park in the city full of lovely trees, flowers, wildlife. We then stopped at the Queen Street Mall (not another shopping mall, but a market area of sorts...a street of shops, musicians who are "busking," etc. where no cars are allowed) before heading to dinner with a group of friends at a Himalayan restaurant. It was my first experience with authentic Himalayan food - we had a few entrees, family style. I'd for sure do it again!

Saturday night was an interesting experience - I went with Joel's brother, Isaac, and a few others to "the Valley" - an area full of clubs, bars, a few brothels on the outskirts. Wait, wait,

don't worry - we didn't go to party. We actually evangelized to people on the streets. Isaac and his friend go every Saturday to help spread Christ's love and Message. It was a unique experience - spent time prayer walking through the streets, praying over certain buildings, initiating conversations with some, buying meals for a few homeless, giving out water to those who needed something a little less stiff, checking on several already passed out to make sure they were ok. The group of three I was in also went to the Lounge - an area where a handful Aborigines hang out. It was sad to see young kids, some under 10, drinking and generally up to no good. We brought a cooler of pop and chatted with the kids. Isaac is clearly building relationships with these kids. It ended up to be a late night, finally turning out the light as the sun was already starting to rise, but grateful for the experience and encouraged to see light in an area of darkness.

Needless to say, a Sunday afternoon nap was in order. I slept well with a tummy full of homemade butter chicken, a traditional Indian dish, and Tim Tams. I then headed into town to meet up with a relative...of sorts. Susanna is in Brisbane with Campus Crusade for Christ and just so happens to be my uncle's niece. It was a delight to meet her, sharing stories of times with our cousins - it was strange to discover we "share cousins" but have no relation to each other. We rode the CityCat which is a ferry stopping along the South Bank in the center of Brisbane. Some cool views from here.

Since then I've enjoyed a meal of French crepes, a walk through the Botanical Gardens (which, at this point, appear to be rather dead) where Bonnie and I perched ourselves in a tree for awhile and people-watched, and hiked in Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious. I have yet to spot a roo, but I did find it interesting that the mountains are filled with palm trees - a new site for me! I played Tarzan (well, Jane I guess) on a few cool branches and enjoyed seeing the differing ecosystems of the US and Australia.

A few more adventures to be had here before I head to Sydney on Thursday!

Cheers!