Fun Times in Between The Exams

Arghhh !! The most stressful times for students have arrived ( all uni students in Australia will understand me ; ) And certainly we are all being real book worms trying to absorb contents of thick textbooks and piles of lecture notes!

In the meantime, very interesting events have been taking place and being all about 'study-work-study - a bit of relaxing' balance I couldn't miss them.

First, of course, one of the most significant celebration - fun days for the entire Australian population - Melbourne Cup (How can you miss Malbourne Cup - perfect excuse to dress up and drink champagne in the middle of the week at mid-day??). 

I was lucky to enjoy the day to the full, with a 3-hour eating indulgence with the views on the beautiful Brisbane River (big thanks to my boss;)) at the Organic Char! (really wanted  to take home  some of the chocolate truffles that were served for dessert -again I got impressed with chocolate the most! )

Lunching:)

Cosmo's

With my lovely colleagues

Even though my horse did not win (probably Drunken Sailor wasn't the wisest choice), I had lots of fun embracing real Australian cultural event! And already looking forward to the next year's Melbourne Cup!

On the weekend I got a chance to visit one of my favourite Brisbane's precincts - Southbank and check out the recently opened Spanish restaurant - Ole. 

Despite being a 'newby' it was very busy, apparently it has already gained good reputation. The concept of tapas and sharing of food is really appealing to the groups and friend gatherings.  

I can't really judge the authenticity of food (have already told my Spanish friends in Brisbane that we need to go together for an 'expert evaluation') , but we really enjoyed it, even though at first it seemed that the choice is quite limited. However, the concept is great and Sangria is amazing! : ) 

And on Sunday we had the best time with the ambassadors at the Movie World and Paradise Country!

Superman ride

Kid's Club;)

cute Koalas at the Paradise Country

Relaxing

 It was a warm,sunny day and we really had a fun day all together - the long-awaited catch up combined with the inflow of adrelanie from all the rides made all of us forget about the exams! 

All Things Multicultural

People from all over the world call Brisbane their home, turning the city into a multicultural hub, that boasts an amazing mix of cultures, languages, traditions and customs. To celebrate and showcase the diversity, every year Brisbane hosts Queensland Multicultural Festival.

 The festival features a large line-up of cultures showcasing their traditions with dance, music, performances, and workshops, as well as food, craft and information stalls.

This year the Festival took place on the 16th of October at the Roma Street Parklands (one of my favourite places in Brisbane! - and I am sure I am not the only fan ;)). 

My fellow ambassadors and I were volunteering at the festival helping to run the Brisbane Marketing booth.

As soon as I got to the festival, I got a feeling that I am experiencing the whole world in just one location! I was really impressed by the scope of the festival, it was really massive, so many stalls, performances and activities - can easily engage you for the whole day!



Luckily the weather was favourable, Brisbane sun was shining brightly all day (unlike the day before at the Oktoberfest)

crowds of people at the Festival

local produce 

The variety of cuisines was astonishing, the amount of alternatives made my decision making process slow, as I wanted to try everything and the need to choose really made me struggle! 

There was one stall that  I knew straightaway  as soon as I spotted it that I won't walk past - French Patisserie Monsieaur Macaron! (Sunday Detox did not work out... again!)

Now I understand why Blair from Gossip Girl was so obsessed with them, I am totally with her on that!

http://weheartit.com/bianunes

 Another exciting annual even that was worth visiting is Oktoberfest! 

   

Even though I am not the one who can fully appreciate the significance of the chance to drink German beer from  a massive glass (that I think are really cool !)

 due to my absolute beer intolerance I can
assure you that the event is interesting not just for  beer-lovers.

Oktoberfest Brisbane is Queensland's biggest and most authentic Oktoberfest event,that blends together the best of German and Australian culture.

 The festival offered an array of traditional German delights, including fabulous food and drinks, plus competitions, activities and some very unique entertainment!

My personalized bottle of coke

It's been a while since I wrote here, so many things happened and so many exciting events to share! The assignments are nearly over so hopefully I will get back to sharing news and my blog won't feel abandoned any longer.
Anyhow, my morning started with discovering Coke bottle that had my Name on it,how cool is that?I got so excited,and I don't even like coke!!

Butterfly Ball

This month was  full of interesting events, with Butterfly Ball being one of  the most remarkable ones!

The Butterfly Ball & Fashion Gala is the initiative of RBWH. The night of fine dining, dancing and fashion is organised for a good cause - to support  the Perinatal Research Centre's BRAIN Project, that focuses on the brain rescue of newborns.

The outcomes of the BRAIN Project are far reaching and will make a significant difference to the lives of babies not only in Queensland but all over the world. Brain rescue research is still in its infancy, but the possibility of preventing injury or rehabilitating the developing brain will bring huge benefits to families who find themselves in this situation, now and in the future.
The Fashion Gala featured three of Brisbane top designers; George Wu, DARB Couture and Gina Kim. Each designer showcased a selection of their fashion in a showstopping parade compered by Di Cant.
Some designer garments were then available to guests through a silent auction that followed the parade.
The money raised through the silent auction, live auction, raffles and ticket sales will be used to fund the continuation of a five-year BRAIN Project study.

The Ball took place at the Sofitel, the atmosphere was just amazing!

Sofitel Ball Room

The setting, food,  music, and , of course, the gowns presented at the fashion show turned the event into an unforgettable night!

Our table 30 ;)

The Ball was so beautiful, and of course the preparation stage was a fun part of it as well! I had to take the risks and order my Ball dress ONLINE! Luck was with me and it fitted :)

My dress...

....matching the Bow Tie; )

As days go by..!

Unbelievable,but it's already Thursday, nearly got through another week! Time just flies when you are busy! And last week was full of exciting events and different activities. As an ambassador I got a fantastic opportunity to volunteer at the Citizenship Ceremony that took place on Monday,the 5th of September at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre(being there again brought up great memories from the APCS that took place there earlier this year in July).

 It was a great honor for me to be part of this celebration! It is fantastic that becoming Australian is such a big and solemn event.

 Moreover I got Aussie native plants to take home with me (hopefully they are tough enough to survive at my apartment).

still alive;)

  On Wednesday my fellow ambassadors and I got a fantastic opportunity to watch one of the shows hosted by Brisbane Festival at QPAC - Mortal Engine.

The performance was so different compared to what I have seen before that I can't even describe it. You just have to experience it yourself.

Being at Southbank I got lucky to watch the Santos City of Lights laser show that's on every night at 7 and 8 pm until the end of the Festival.

 So, the next day after work I gathered my girls and we all went to the Wheel of Brisbane to watch the laser show from the Height of the Wheel! What can I say, just amazing !!!


Santos City of Lights  fills the space between Kurilpa and Goodwill Bridges with a nightly choreographed spectacle of lasers and lights that can be seen across the city.
Every night during the three weeks of Brisbane Festival, the main viewing area at South Bank’s Cultural Forecourt is be buzzing with festival atmosphere, food and beverage outlets and has become  home to Santos Lounge and various unique art installations.

with my girls

 Half way through the month there are still heaps of other interesting shows hosted by Brisbane Festival, check Brisbane Festival website for details.

  Weekend kicked off with my first ever visit to West End markets and buying whole bunch of fruit and eating strawberry -Nutella crepes, YUM!

( thank you Ming for your blog posts about the market that inspired me to go, really liked the market and will definitely go again!)

Have some great news for Ice Cream lovers, Movenpick IceCream at SouthBank (my favourite one!!!!) has 7 new flavours!!!!!! 

I know it's probably not normal to get THAT excited about the ice-cream, but I am really a fan. So, if you are ever up for Movenpick I will always be happy to keep you company ; )

is it a normal size for a coffee cup?

Had a coffee hit from one of the coffee places at South Bank, and was amazed by the size of the Cappuccino Mug, I know it's not good health-wise, but how cool is the cup! I want one for myself!

Other exciting, new things that happened last week: 

• got my first personal business cards !! 

 

• tried Lychee beer (hate beer, but this one was good, because it was sweet and came in a Margarita Glass)

at the Bavarian Beer Cafe on Eagle Street

• finally got my membership at the Australian Marketing Institute
• ordered my dress for the Butterfly Ball

 Weekend is almost here! And I'll have more news about what's been happening and what's on in Brisbane!

P.S. the mid-season SALES have just started in the city!!  Check out Visit Brisbane - Shopping for what's out there!

xoxo

Brisbane Riverfire 2011 + Brisbane Festival

Back at home in Ukraine, September was always associated with melancholy and a light feeling of sadness, as that's the month when school starts, marking the end of 3 months long summer holidays and indicating that there are cold winter days ahead. 

For me it's a fantastic change,being here in Brisbane, as for the first time in my life I was really looking forward to September, so that I could say, spring is here, no more cold nights hugging my heater! ;) 
Moreover,  September is the month when Brisbane Riverfire brightens up the sky and Brisbane Festival kicks of with a whole bunch of exciting events run during the entire month up until 24th of September. 


I was especially excited as I have never seen Brisbane Riverfire before, and was really lucky to be invited to see it from the Brisbane City Council's office on the 23rd level with absolutely FANTASTIC views!!

It was amazing to watch the sky brighten up with all the colourful lights!

'Rain'

Riverfire marked the beginning of the Brisbane Festival ,which will feature so many interesting shows and events! I am looking forward to attending Mortal Engine this Wednesday (7th of September), which is a dance-video-music-laser performance, that uses cutting-edge technology combined with dancers’ movements creating kaleidoscopic patterns and optical illusions.

Check Brisbane Festival page to see all the events featured and read more about them.


P.S Getting very excited about the Citizenship Ceremony tomorrow where I will be volunteering at! :)