Museums, Libraries, River and More

Good morning Brisbane!

It is supposed to be a heatwave coming towards the coast for the next few days. 

I was all prepared layered in sunscreen, hat, and umbrella ready to go. 

I took the train to Auchenflower, which was the stop to catch the ferry.

The wonderful thing about Queensland is that 8 months ago they made all the train fares 50 cents per way, which means you can go to Gold coast and Sunshine coast for 50 cents- finally some value for Priscilla! 

I think I mentioned this already, but an Indian will always be proud about saving money. 

It seems that in the big cities in Australia- they have the  beautiful suburban areas. The suburban area I am currently staying in is pretty nice. It varies per street, but overall his block is very nice. The house is lovely with two levels and it is right next to the park-very nice. 

The areas nearby Graceville, Toolong, Indirapally are quite lovely neighborhoods with a lot of great cafes, restaurants, markets, and unique shops. 

Getting up in the morning and catching a 50 cent ferry with a great coffee and a gorgeous sunny day- that is what I love about travel. I stopped at this adorable gourmet shop with homemade everything and an amazing ice coffee and a sausage roll, which was not my breakfast of choice, but I needed something to fill my stomach for a while as I would be doing my normal exploring all day. 

These ferry boats are sooo nice because they are like speed boats going through the water and taking in the views is just breathtaking and not to mention there is a free City hopper that also just goes along the water from Hampshire to St Lucia. 

First stop was South Point where I ended up sitting on the beach area and watching the Melbourne tennis match. It would have really been nice to attend the event, but I can't do it all! And that is my final destination so it would not make sense to go there and come back to the Gold Coast. 

The tennis match was between a Polish player and an American- Madison Keys. Of course, I was rooting for the Polish player and it was a very competitive game-great to watch. 

Next, I was ready to explore the Cultural Heritage point, which started with the Queensland Performance Arts center. I checked to see if they had tickets for the opera, ballet, piano, symphony, or anything classical. 

Unfortunately, everything started in Feburary and the cafe that had the afternoon "High tea," was fully booked. 

I proceeded onto the Queensland Museum Kurilpa-a museum of "natural history, cultural heritage, science, and human achievement telling the cultural heritage, science, and human acheivement that tells the changing story of Queensland Australia."

It was really a great museum, but the exhibits had so much in depth information to read about and try to follow. I was the person who goes to the libraries and museums seeking peace and wanting it to be silent. It was a bit like a zoo and less like a library so I decided to bounce after just an hour. 

The next two museums were just meant to be and were absolutely right up my league. In both the art museums, one the Gallery of Modern art and the other, Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. Both museums I had the most lovely tour guide. There was a free one hour tour and then the guide told me if I went quickly I could catch the other tour, which was just a private tour with myself and the guide. 

The theme of both museums was the Asia Pacific. 

See below from website: 

Seventy artists, collectives and projects from more than 30 countries will feature in the eleventh chapter of the flagship Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) exhibition series, the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.

Bringing compelling new art to Brisbane, the Triennial is a gateway to the rapidly evolving artistic expression of Australia, Asia and the Pacific. Alongside artists and makers whose work has not been previously seen in Australia are a raft of new co-curated projects investigating artforms and cultural contexts rarely encountered outside their home localities.

For the first time this Triennial includes creators from Saudi Arabia, Timor-Leste and Uzbekistan, while First Nations, minority and diaspora cultures hold a central place, as do the collective, performative and community-driven modes of artmaking that thrive in the region. 

Through nuanced approaches to storytelling, materials and technique the exhibition explores themes that resonate across these cultural landscapes, such as how we care for the natural and urban environments, protect and revive cultural heritage, and how histories of migration and labor shape experience today.

As always, the Triennial is conceived and shaped from the ground up by expert hands. Artists, curators, interlocutors, cultural allies and partners have meaningfully woven the region’s creative stories into an exhibition that will inspire, uplift and move you.

There were some fantastic artists and a couple of my favorites were Indian, Malaysian, Syrian, and Chinese. 

Here are some of there names and works that I loved: 

William Bakalevu who is from Fiji created domestic murals to visually docment village stories using bright colors and local legends and proverbs through his art. 

Varunika Saraf an artist from Hyderbad had a series that referenced political rhetoric and group mentalities associated with injustices in India,but clearly focused on imminent threat towards the environment. While politics push development and progress there is actually destruction and violence. 

Ian Fairweather

Migratory birds travel long distances from one end of the earth to the other. They are known as "birds of passage" an expression that can also be applied to people. He created European style paintings with an Asian calligraphic rhythym capturing evocation of people and places with fewer brushstrokes. 

"I wanted only to capture the essence of my surroundings, the life, calibur, and movement, and to seize the movement to present in paint all the emotions that arouse me." 

I absolutely loved these artists and especially the modern pieces by Kawita Vatanajyankur who was represented the gender differences through creative art displays. 

The guide, Sandy, was very kind and engaging with a very lovely Australian accent. She sounded a bit like Olivia Newton John and looked like her as well. She inquired about my interest in art, my perception of it, and what galleries I enjoyed visiting around the world. 

She was able to meet a few of the emerging artists and shared their personal experience and connection to their work.

It was just so refreshing to speak with someone about art rather than going through the museum on my own and reading the painting/artist descriptions. 

After my two fantastic tours, I went to the State library to see the Deaf and Dance exhibit, which represents the Aborighinese people of the villages who dance to represent their local language through dance. 

The library was multi-level with all kinds of interactive experiences and very nice librarians. It was my kind of library and reminded me a bit of my own in Chicago. 

Next stop, FOOD. When I am exploring, I am not prioritizing food and I am not the tourist who is sitting at a restaurant for a couple hours with a big lunch. I just kind of eat from grocery stores and eat a big breakfast. I ate some delicious Sweet chili chicken tenders and my favorite Red rock Sweet chili chips with Pineapple Lime Kombucha-delicious and perfect for me. 

This day continues on. YES! always:) 

I was supposed to go to a cultural exchange meeting, but I was avoiding going as I was not in the most social mood. It was a very introverted day plus I wanted to explore the brewery Felons and have a beer. That was my new thing trying out Australian IPAs. Why? Australia has fantastic beers and also wine. Not a big drinker, but always open to try one or two local beers-it is usually one.

I sat watching the boats, the bridge, and the dusk turn into a night sky. It was relaxing and I stopped by Fiume rooftop, which was super nice. They had a Burrata and bubbles special, which was really nice, but I was feeling tired and not dressed for Burrata and champagne. 

I hopped on the ferry and went back to Milton to go back to my homestay. I stopped in Southport to see the group and it did not look very eventful and I couldn't find them so that was that for PRIS. Time to go home and call it a day at 830pm. 

I walked far up the hill to get to the train station and found my way back to the house. 

When you are in a city, give yourself time to learn your surroundings. It usually takes 48 to 72 hours to learn directions, buses, trains, and locations of various necessities. 

Give yourself time to explore