"CRAZY WEATHER"

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

Temperature: 17 Degrees Celsius and pouring rain

Track of the day: A to Z, Jason Mraz

"Are you watching this?" Alecs says glued to the T.V. as we watch report after report of the life-taking floods sweeping over Queensland. "At least one man has been killed in the Sunshine

Coast" says a channel 9 news anchor "and thousands of Brisbane and Gold Coast residents are stranded as flood water climb up their homes." Looking out our apartment room window we can see water levels rising but nothing like the reports are showing. It seems the rain isn't going away anytime soon and the government has already declared the floods a natural disaster. Reading the online newspaper, the headline 'Residents Warned of Croc's and Snakes' catches my eye. "Alecs listen to this," I say skimming through the article, "Brisbane residents are being reminded to exercise caution when walking outdoors as crocodiles and snakes are moving into residential neighborhoods as flood levels rise." Alecs gives me a surprised look, "wow, now that isn't something you hear everyday," he says. Having recently

cooked plenty of meals we wait out the next few days indoors, listening to reports and boring ourselves to near death. Feeling the need for rice, Alecs decides to cook some and despite my objections eats it right out of the pot trying to convince me this is how students are supposed to live - even though we bought bowls for such things. After a few days hiding out in our bunker - I mean apartment - the sky clears up, the waters recede, citizens are rescued from their rooftops and the crocodiles and snakes return to their original hiding places. As I lay in bed thinking about what we can do now that we are no longer stuck in our apartment our cell phone buzzes as we have received a text message. 'If a stranger knocks on your door answer it - Dad" I read aloud, puzzled and thoroughly bemused. We spend the entire day trying

trying to figure out what this mystery stranger has as both my parents will not give even the smallest clue about it. Convinced my dad has bought us some sort of cotton candy machine or something of the like we wait and wait until it arrives. Alecs and I excitedly go outside to meet up with Michael - our mystery man, both curious and wary of what he might bring. However the moment we step outside the building doors we know what the surprise is. Michael stands beside the door holding a guitar case and I can hear Alecs heart beat quicken to an audible pace. Michael tells us quickly about the guitar, heads to work and Alecs nearly runs down the hallway back to our unit. By the time I reach the room, he already

has the guitar out of the case and is playing some Jason Mraz. "This is better than anything I could have imagined," Alecs says between strums, "and it's an awesome guitar.`` The next couple days are spent applying for jobs and listening to Alecs play the guitar over and over and over again - but I`m certainly not complaining, in fact I love it . "Let's go for a walk to the city gardens by the river today," I say to Alecs on Saturday after the city has had enough time to dry up. We pack up a couple peanut butter and jam sandwiches and some water and set out - the river as our guide. "I know it's along here somewhere," I say as we near a wharf filled with swanky expensive yachts. Moments later we round a corner where a

vast lush green park spreads out in-front of us, a cross between Hyde Park in London and Bouchard Gardens in Victoria. Broad sweeping manicured fields with canopy trees and quaint little wooden benches are the centre to the dark woven rain forest-like paths surrounding them. A group of college students play a scrimmage game of rugby while three pale blonde-haired children chase each other through the many colourful gardens. A border-collie leaps into the air catching an orange Frisbee while a young couple sits on a blanket sipping red wine. "I could see myself living here," Alecs says as we meander along the many

paths, through the dark rain forest area and into the mangroves, "there are so many places to just chill out and enjoy the sun." Mangroves are trees that have adapted to living in the shallow-part of salt water and are home to many creatures and insects. A wooden boardwalk winds through the mangrove forest as birds sing to one another from the tree tops and yacht owners cruise alongside us. It's nearing dinner time and I have yet to prepare anything so we call it a day and walk the 45 minutes back to our apartment, leaving the city behind.

A few trips to the sunshine coast, Moreton Island, the outback and Warner Brother Movie World are in the works but we`re waiting for the state to clean up the beaches after the floods before heading to them.

Until next time so long,

Alecs and Meg in Brisbane

Ps. Thanks for the guitar Dad, we love it!!!!!