mt. coot-tha botanical gardens

we've been here a week, and the jet lag is just now wearing off... which means that our first week in town wasn't the most productive. a lot of blank stares and afternoon coffees.

the best way to handle jet lag, we think, is to walk it off. if you've ever come to visit us, you know that we're big believers in the just-off-the-plane-epic-walk... so last sunday, kp and i walked over to the mt. coot-tha botanical gardens so we could play with the new camera. well, *i* played with it. he just walked around smiling at me. 

i broke it out before we even got there...

    

welcome to australia, land of spiders, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, jellyfish, sharks, kanga, dingo....

arid region plants

testing out the new zoom...

inside the tropical display dome

i don't know what these are... but i love them

how ya goin', mates?

or, greetings from brisbane! as usual, i've neglected the blog... but fortunately, i had a crap day at work yesterday. and nothing gets me excited about posting on fravina like professional dissatisfaction! so here i am.

a lot has happened since i posted kp doing karaoke on moreton island... we said goodbye to new orleans, bob lost four teeth, kp finally sold the pathfinder, i fiiiinally got a new camera, we started a memorial fund for a beloved teacher, and oh yes, i moved to australia. 

i had a moment last friday morning - a moment that was as profound as it was banal - when i looked out the window of the cab and thought, "holy sh*t. i live here now." i live here. not here in brisbane - i'm only here until mid-july, at which point we'll move me to canberra - but here in australia. australia, where when driving at dusk one must look out for the kangaroo (who, i've been told will "gut ya" if you're not careful). australia, where chinese take-out costs $50! australia, where people respond "you're alright" when you thank them (odd, no?). australia, where the sun mocks my fancy french 50spf sun cream. australia, where they drive on the other side of the bloody car (more on that mind-melter later). so far i'm loving it. terrified, but loving it.

yes, so i live here. not "i'm living here" like i was living in l.a., or vietnam, or paris, or new orleans... i knew when we moved to paris that we'd be moving on in a year or two. same with basically every other address i've occupied since i left home. this is the first time i've landed somewhere not expecting to pack up again. of course, that could happen - my fear is that we'll go to all the trouble to move our whole life over here only to get jobs in the u.s. in a couple of years - but it could not happen too. this could be it. we could have kids that call me "mum" and speak in triphthongs (the horror!!)

anyway, i digress. i'll have some pics for you soon. but for now, let us remember what has changed...

bob's face: with all those teeth gone, it doesn't look quite like this anymore 

(can you say snaggletooth?!?)

the pathfinder: 1994-2012

we traversed the distance between texas and california FIVE times in this beauty