The First day of the conference.....

The first day !!

Rain in Summer !!

Although the weather web site had mentioned that there wont be any rain till Thursday the first thing around 8ish in the morning to happen was rain. And I hadn't packed an umbrella ! Well it had rained the previous afternoon too and my Prof and me had to share 1 umbrella as we tried getting back dry to the dorm from our afternoon visit to the nearby marketplace. Anyways, today morn it was heavy. While I ate a sumptuous breakfast in the canteen, the rain picked up intensity.

the dining area needs more explanation. It was a place of contrasts. The entry was very mundane, it was through the kitchen where we had to show our passes for free breakfast. The chefs were making nice stuff while the manager served us onto our plates. After filling the all the plates that could hold in the tray, we moved to the dining area which is a big room with a huge glass wall overlooking a green patch, while the rooms interiors are predominantly made of wood. Pretty round tables with nice chairs around. There was also on a platform a special grand chair with the emblem and such stuff on it which perhaps was for the president. The walls were adorned with the paintings of people whom we assumed were presidents or men of such high posts. It was indeed a very pretty place. There was also a large keyboad there, perhaps to play music on special dining days.

A quick hurried breakfast got us back to the rain. We had not much idea as to where the conference centre was. I had seen a sign earlier in the morning and so we went that way. The rain was pretty bad now, and as we were sharing an umbrella, one sleeve of mine and of Prof. started getting wet. It was a 5min or so walk, and pretty soon enough we were joined by other people going to the conference venue. All of us had not much clue which way to go. The signs stopped after the first 2 or 3 boards !! Asking people here and there, we managed to get to the centre. Then we realised that the registration desk was in another building!! So again in the rain (a drizzle now though) we managed to register ourselves. And then back to the conference center again.

The conference center was more like an Indian auditorium. Nothing much special about it. That was where we spent the rest of the day listening to some nice and some boring talks.

Lunch and short tea breaks were served in the registration area and we would every time walk to that place and then walk back.

Till evening there was nothing much interesting. The first part of the evening saw us attending the reception. It was a dull affair. A few eats and a few drinks. Perhaps I enlivened it up a bit, by making the interesting observation that the Australian glasses are quite strong and bounce atleast 2 times before shattering to pieces !! The multitude of bags that I have, ensured that one of them tipped off a glass placed on the edge of the table. In the evening, my Prof another Prof, a student from Finland and myself decided to go to the city area. Things started happening now. We made our way across to the riverside where a boat was to take us to our destination. The boat was a good means of public transport here as a river runs by. The river itself was quite broad and seemed deep. Hopped into the the boat, and the river cruise began. The lady manning the ticketing counter was quite a personality. She spoke a lot with us and then also gladly referred us to the best sea food hotel in the place where we were going. That done, we took pictures of the city from the boat. As the evening got darker the city looked prettier and prettier. There were these skyscrapers with lots of glass windows because of which each of them was very much lighted up.

The stop we got down at was called the "riverside"!! Well, all the stops could be called that I thought !!

It was a beautiful place. There were nice buildings, lots of lights and a loud party going on in a club. We made our way to the hotel we were in search of. We got ourselves a table for 4 and settled down. The lady/girl serving us was called Amanda. She turned out to be quite a personality. She would get angry at our questions !! It seemed to us that our normal routine questions were not the routine in Australia. Anyway after a lot of "that is also excellent, this is also excellent" the rest settled for the dish of the day while for me she asked the chef what could be prepared as I would eat only a vegetarian dish. I was offered some potato based dish without the fish ingredient in it.

The salads arrived, then the main course, then the desserts and then the bill. All the while we enjoyed a conversation with Amanda who was actually from Melbourne and had been in Brisbane only for the last 5 weeks and was working full time here. She was of the opinion that Brisbane was not mature enough, was a fast city and was nice.

Late in the night it started raining again and again I put my Prof. to discomfort. We got to the ferry place and then after a ride back got to our stop while it rained heavily now. We managed to walk for some time in that heavy rain. A gym which was open at that time (10ish) made me try to get an umbrella. The girl behind the counter turned out to be not so helpful. She only would recount the notes in the cash box and that seemed to be on her mind. Just a few paces ahead was a campus security car. I tried my luck again and this time just after a little explanation of our situation the gentleman asked "Are u trying to get a ride from me?" A quick yes to that question ensured us a ride back to Emanuel college, which is actually a dorm.

that was it. End of the day. I hit bed straight after realising that my laptop would not recognize the camera straight away from the USB port and needed some software. Luckily I was carrying the CD with me. Installed the software, started copying and hit the bed.

Now at 6am, it is raining again. Today we intend to skip some lectures and go a little sight seeing. Imagine the Profs suggested this !! A Prof could suggest skipping lectures and visiting places instead...I thought that wouldn't happen...but I am not complaining :)

, ,

Brisbane Australia - FPT conference !!!

7:38 am dec-6-2004 Brisbane, Australia

Its just wonderful here in Australia. All that I wanted seems to be here. Got up at around 4am due to the jet lag. Had the exam still pending so worked on if for an hour or so and then it became just impossible to sit inside while many many birds called out from outside. Had to go out!! The exam could wait.

The birds perhaps knew that I was interested in seeing them and so called so often. I walked out into the open with my camera and binoculars. Professor was still sleeping. He didn't seem to be jet lagged and was following the time of this place. But I was sure feeling good about being jet lagged which enabled me to get up at such early morning hours. Given my life style I surely wouldn't have got up at 5am.

Anyway, as I stepped out of the guest house, the first bird was a white and black bird, slightly larger than a Myna. It allowed me some nice snaps. Further ahead, I saw some beautiful parrots/parakeets (?) lush green with red and yellow, to match them, there were a few red all over!! A few ibis like birds, a sure yellow wattled lapwing cousin, many crow like birds, with different eye ring colours and a few other birds kept me busy.

The other nice thing was that now a group of cyclists would pass me by. That was so cool! This is what I wish to do, watch birds, cycle a lot and be in an academic setting. Queensland Univ of Technology was offering me all this ! A little water body some steps ahead had rowers rowing furiously in sync. People having walks in the morning, pretty gals running by, oh this is heaven on earth I suppose :)

The conference starts today. Its around 7:45am. Hope to get some breakfast before we leave for it. Will carry my camera and the binoculars along so that I can make more use of this great opportunity. Already I have more than 10 new birds in my list :)

Yesterday, on a nice sunday afternoon had lunch on the street ! Wel, not on the street, the hotel extended upto the street. A tiny place called "Tidy". Had some long named veg dishes which I ordered while my Prof. thoroughly enjoyed a fish. The setting was nice, a drizzling afternoon, good food, hot coffee, on the street watching life, people around..yes this is how sunday afternoons are meant to be.

And.....the exam, yes, gotta work on it too. Perhaps the best time would be night, when the world outside does not beckon me any longer to come and explore its charms.

Australia at this point of time seems great !!!

, ,