Categories: holidays, friends, cinema, australia
Date: 06 February 2008 10:04:45
Saturday afternoon, after the Ordination Party, I caught the train down to Moorooka and a friend picked me up and took me to his place.
Saturday evening featured two movies and a very fine feast of crabs and noodles with beef and vegetables. Mmmm. He is quite a good cook. Being of Burmese descent, he does like his food rather spicy: chilli and Szechuan pepper featured, although he said he toned it down for poor Anglo me. Despite this, I did get rather a mouthful of something hot -- at which point I reached for the nearest drink which was a chardonnay. Unfortunately chardonnay, or white wine [or just wine in general], must have some property that increases the potency of the chilli / pepper: my mouth exploded. Thankfully there was a 2L bottle of Apple Juice available: and which I finished on my own.
Saturday we also watched two movies he has: Kingdom of Heaven and The Motorcycle Diaries. He always has a movie to interest me, and seems to know me well despite the fact we've only known each other a few years: last time I was up there he showed me Amadeus, which I loved, and later recommended Pan's Labyrinth which I subsequently watched and found very intriguing and interesting. I found Kingdom of Heaven a good movie: some of the performances were fantastic, and the themes present on religious conflict and political machinations were interesting. However, The Motorcycle Diaries blew it away: truly a fantastic film and an insight into how Che Guevara [magnificently played by Gael García Bernal] turned from doctor to revolutionary. His line, along the lines of "How can you have a revolution without guns?", truly showed the turning in his thinking as he saw the great need of his fellow South Americans. And the movie not only had great acting, but also a great story, fantastic dialogue, an amazing support cast and stunning locations. This movie did have it all. I will be looking for the book.
Sunday, after a very big sleep-in [very unusual for me!] and a lovely breakfast, we headed up to Tambourine Mountain. A scenic drive, and the constant rain [which sadly meant no walks: but, God willing, I'll get up there again] cleared just as we reached the Gallery Walk, a street with antique, art, gift, clothing and fudge shops, and even a German Cuckoo and Grandfather Clock shop! Not to mention the cafés and restaurants. I spoiled myself with six fudges [from ginger to chocolate to jaffa to Tia Maria and in between] and a very nice Chocolate Port [!] from Mt Tambourine Wineries. I learnt a little about Raku from one of its practitioners in one of the small art shops, coveted grandfather clocks, and deeply desired some art. A A fantastic few hours.
He then drove us back down the beautiful mountain, and we then went to his old uni. The St Lucia campus of The University of Queensland is a great place to visit, let alone a place to study: with wide open spaces, beautiful sandstone buildings [and a few not-so-old concrete ones!], and lovely walking tracks and lakes and wildlife [a few brush turkeys around]; and given it is by the Brisbane River, it has a great location. Given the only men's toilet we found was out of service, I do confess we visited the women's: one of us keeping guard out the front.
We then went back to his place for dinner [left-over crab and noodles...mmm: and more apple juice :)], before it was time for me to head back, on what was a rather turbulent flight given the weather in both Brisbane and Sydney.
A great weekend.