Well, now that exams are over I have some free time to travel around a bit more. I've been taking a few walks around the neigbourhood shooting pictures of local flowers that I find in people's gardens; I've uploaded them to my
Flickr Album.
Yesterday I went the
Brisbane Botanical Gardens at the top of Mt. Coot-tha and and walked around there for a bit. The lizards are out at this time of the year and they run freely everywhere in the gardens. They range in size from a foot long to only a few inches and they make a lot of rustling noises in the leaves when you walk by.
After walking through he garden I took the bus 5 minutes up the road to the very top of Mt. Coot-tha. From the top of the mountain you can see a panoramic view over the city.
I'm told that it's very nice up there at night with all the twinkling city lights. Unfortunately the last bus leaves the top at 4:00pm so unless you have access to a car there's no way to get to the top at night. It's a popular spot to watch the fireworks they launch over the city during special events.
Along with the great view there's a fancy restaurant (cost of a meal $30.00+) and an icecream place; people go there to dine while overlooking the city, it's quite peaceful.
Remembrance Day Poppies
Remembrance Day is just a couple of days away and the veterans are out at the mall asking for donations for the annual poppy campaign. It would seem that Australia "celebrates" Remembrance day the same as Canada does and on the same day as well.
I got this poppy while I was at the mall the other day and just have a look at this thing. The petals have texture, the centre is black and not just black but with some detail too.
And check out the backs of these poppies, they have safety pins! Just imagine if they thought to make these in Canada. No more stabbing yourself with a bent pin every year, or breaking off pieces of pink eraser to make sure they stay on, imagine that.
On the front of the card that the poppy came on it says:
REMEMBRANCE DAY
At the 11th hour,
of the 11th day,
of the 11th month...
We will remember them.
And on the back it has the Flanders Fields Poem:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark the place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are Dead. Short days ago We lived felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up your quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. 
More Power Problems
The power went out again today, it tends to go out in spurts anywhere from a few seconds to an hour at a time. You know, I think I've reset my clock more times in the past couple of months than I have during the entire time I lived in London!
People are saying that it's the weather that's causing it. Apparently Brisbane has been in a drought for the past 4 years and seems to be recovering from it this year; we've had quite a few heavy showers. At the moment we're at Level 2 type water conservation. In Canada we usually hit Level 1 at most, meaning you can water your lawns every other day, etc. Level 2 means you can't water your lawn at all or wash your car, etc. I'm not sure what the rest of the details are surrounding the constraints on water usage are though.
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