in & around Brissy. . .

the past 2 weekends, we have taken the time to enjoy the sights of Brisbane. . .2 sundays ago we hopped on the citycat (public transport up & down the river) . . .that's exactly what we did. . .went all the way up one end and down the other. . .it took up most of the afternoon with a couple stops along the way. . .it a really nice way to see the city on a tight budget :) only $7 for the both of us and the tickets lasted all day! :) we highly recommend this activity if you are ever in the Brissy area! :)

last weekend was action packed! :) a christmas tree lighting ceremony in Brisbane square downtown kicked off the weekend . . .we were actually just on a little walk and stumbled upon the celebrations. . .the christmas carols drew my attention and all Rob could do was try to keep up with me going there. . .it was nice to feel the holiday spirit, but really. . .it feels like christmas in july! the high temp today was 30C . . .hmmm? just doesn't add up for these albertans :)

on Sabbath, we attended a youth rally. . .heard some good music and inspiring preaching. . .then a picnic lunch at the park. . .mingled with other young SDA folks. . .then wrapped the day up with a rugby game that evening. . .the tri-nations rugby league series taking place and we were able to get nosebleed seats for the game. . .it was Great Britain vs. Australia . . . .(sorry we had to live your dream, Richard! the outcome wasn't to your favour anyway. . .33-10 for the Kangaroos :) the stadium is huge and built well so we still had a great view even though we were so far up. . .the game was quite exciting and even a few fights broke out in the crowd! . . .luckily not in our section. . .we both had our own personal experts (thanks, Bek & Stephen) on either side, so we always knew what was going on . . .or we should have anyway! :)

on Sunday we ventured out north on the train to meet tyler's (coleman) relatives. . .he had "introduced" via email. . .and they had invited us over for an afternoon. . .it was fun to visit with fellow Canadians and play with their 4 kids! :) they even took us to see the local ice arena. . .where there were some kids playing hockey! that made Rob just a little homesick. . .ok a lot. . .so we had to get out quick!!! :)

and now you're all caught up! :) we are winding down our stay in Brissy. . .in a week we will be in the Philippines with the Ferrer parents :) can't wait to see them and eat some bananas. . .did we tell you that bananas here cost from $8 to $15 per kilo???? INSANE. . .definitely not within our budget! . . . check out the story here : banana story :) so philippine bananas. . . here we come! :)

other events that happened/happeing in Brisbane that we wish we could attend include:

1. U2 concert
2. Kylie Minogue
3. Cirque du Soleil
4. Elton John
5. Billy Joel

just to name a few. . .here are some photos. . .enjoy! :) :) :)

Rob checking out the goods at the Sunday street market

the CityCat . . . . Brisbane's river transit

a fancy bridge of the many that cross the river

our dream home. . .

the upper end of the river - Brett's wharf

Brisbane skyline from the CityCat. . .

a fancy walking/bike trail at Southbank . . .

the man-made beach at Southbank. . .where currently a huge screen is set up to view the Ashes (a cricket series between Australia & England . . .we can't seem to get into it! but good times watching all the fans. . .there's many here from the UK :)

images from the rugby game. . .

the scrum. . .interesting. . .

the kickoff. . .

so close, but denied by the official (in red) . . . a goal is called a try (interesting)

the ice arena at Boondall. . .can you smell it??? we sure did! just like the back ice in Lacombe!!! :) we could actually see our breath. . .been a while! :)

busy in brisbane

i know. . . it's been a while since i've updated! we have been busy trying to "settle" in Brisbane and recovering from the culture shock of city life! . . .job hunting took up most of our time and finally, we both have jobs. . .praise the Lord!!! Rob is going through a temporary job agency and he's landed some jobs in the construction area. . .one never knows how long the job will last, but there's usually always something available. . .so he's been busy with that type of work. . .i had a bit more of a challenging time trying to find a job since we are only here for one month. . .most people are hiring right now for the christmas season. . .and well, i won't be here that long. . .sooooo. . .i settled for who would offer me work. . .so for the next month, i am . . .(drrrum roll, please. . .) a telemarketer!!! haa haa. . .i know. . .we all are so kind to telemarketers when they call. . .and honestly. . .it is a challenging job!!! yikes! the company collaborates with various businesses to sell different things. . currently we are selling gift certificate booklets. . .haa haa :) . . i can't help but laugh. . .ah well. . it's a job and i'm happy to have it. . .just pray that i keep selling enough to keep the job! they will fire you if you don't sell any products!. . .yikes! yesterday, i was tempted to try my Australian accent in hopes of more sales. . but after a quick practise, decided that i just might get fired for doing that. . haa haa. . so i put on my best Canadian accent and tackled the phone list! thanks to everyone who is keeping us your prayers! we totally appreciate your thoughts! we haven't had the chance to sightsee much, but here are a few Brisbane sights. . .

Rob's dream come true. . .a do-it-yourself order station at his favourite eatery. . .Subway! :)



the city of Brisbane is divided by a river . . .it makes a beautiful walking path. . .



the city hall/museum of Brisbane. . .there's at least a couple buildings in the city with clocks. . .you always know what the time is!



gorgeous full moon over the city park. . .