Hey, look, it’s been almost a year since this happened, but I am fantastic at procrastinating such tasks like these that involve a recount of a particular event. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), I have a couple of ideas for things that need to be written, but those things depend on the very existence of this post (maybe not quite that much, but this post does play an important part). If this doesn’t make sense, read on anyway. I promise things will become clear by the time you reach the end.

Like I said, it’s about a year now since Brisbane 2010 happened — around this time last year I was in sunny Queensland, doing secret things with not-so-secret people. The fact that this is only being written now is testament to the fact that I am, if nothing else, a brilliant procrastinator.

In any case, Brisbane 2010 was mostly about doing a training course with work. That’s probably about all I’ll say about the purpose of the trip, suffice to say it was exciting and pretty awesome to go to Brisbane for a work-related thing (and ALL BY MYSELF) rather than with friends or family. Considering the last time I was in Brisbane was when my family  decided to drive to Brisbane all the way from Tasmania, I felt really grown up, and it was great.

During one of the sessions, as part of the introductory-type, get-to-know-you things, the leader guy asked why we had chosen to participate in the program that we had been selected to participate in. If that reads like we were chosen, it sort of does — it was opt-in for sure in that we had to do a basic application for the position, but we were chosen on the basis of our applications. I think, anyway. I kinda got in by default, but that is neither here nor there.

Anyway, the leader guy posed the question of why we had elected to become a “learning academy” trainer. Everyone else gave pretty serious answers; for the job security that the position offered, because they saw it as a viable career opportunity, because it directly correlated to their Uni studies, because they saw it as a valuable skillset, and so on and so forth. I say serious answers because when I answered the question, my answer was anything but. My answer? “Because I couldn’t become a Pokémon master”. Thankfully, it got a few laughs… (not to mention also solidifying my position within the group, as up until then I had spoken little and contributed less. It could even be said that my act of brevity established my position as “one of the guys”. No women here, I’m afraid.)
Such was the first major highlight of my time in the Sunshine State. The second happened later that evening, which I will attempt to detail now.

After catching a Queensland-Rail powered train into the city (that was, er, entertaining to say the least) and enjoying an excellent dinner at an upper-class restaurant with a beautiful lass (and by that it might have been pretty standard McDonalds fare with only my iPhone to keep me company, I don’t quite remember) and walking the equivalent of several gargantuan city blocks (spotting a Bang and Olfusen store, a Mac1 store, and a Bose store on the same street) before catching a cab back to my hotel, I was chillin’ in my hotel room that evening when the phone rang.

As it turns out, my Dad, I believe, had contacted his brother who lives in Brisbane with his family (his sons are my cousins, obviously). While I was aware of this fact, I was never planning any sort of meetup shenanigans as I was on a pretty tight schedule as it was — my cousins would have none of that, however, and I soon found myself in the middle of the CBD with one of my cousins and his mother.

With no real idea of where we going, and it being a Saturday night, we headed to a place I had only heard about through the interwebs — the Pancake Manor (or Pancakes at the Manor, as it is officially called)! After a short wait in the holding area we were in, and I ordered something that had WAFFLES. It was DELICIOUS, and I’ve been somewhat addicted to waffles ever since (I had a few in M’sia 2011).

On the way back to the car I saw the spot in the mall where yet another internet acquaintance had filmed a video all the way back in 2008 on iPhone 3G launch night, just outside the Optus store, I believe. Good times.

Early the next morning I flew out, and that was that — Brisbane 2010 was over.

Overall, not a bad trip. Not a bad trip at all.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! Bonus points if you can tell me where the photo above was taken from (I put it together with Pano for iPhone, although I’ve recently fallen in love with AutoStitch). Hint: it was taken facing towards the Brisbane CBD. I think.