Nimal with the Lord Mayor of Brisbane Councillor Graham Quirk

Photographs from: Leong Ming En

A Dinner with the Brisbane Lord Mayor Councillor Graham Quirk is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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The 2011 Asia Pacific Cities Summit, takes place at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre between July 6 – 8 and brings together business and civic leaders from across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Americas. The City of Brisbane hosts this year’s summit under the theme “Business of Cities”, with emphasis on sustainability, connectivity, and managing growth.

This summit is strategically tailored for business matching that enables businesses to meet and create opportunities with companies and contacts from the Asia-Pacific and around the world. The summit has already attracted more than 80 cities from Australasia, Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and the Americas. It promises to be a grand event with over 500 delegates registered, including nearly 50 mayors, and 100 business organisations. This also marks an important statement that Brisbane is back to business after the January floods.

The program features over 40 expert speakers drawn from multinational corporations, leading world municipalities and global organisations. The exciting benefits for delegates include keynote speeches from –former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, and founder of Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson.

Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group

Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City

For more information visit the summit website http://www.apcsummit.org/

Personal note/Disclaimer/Hidden adgenda: The summit also hosts a Yong Professionals’ Program, which I hope I’ll be able to attend (given that I manage to prepare for my PhD confirmation that is scheduled for the same day). The Brisbane International Student Ambassadors will be there at the summit to participate on workshops, forums and seminars on professional development.

Asia Pacific Cities Summit returns to Brisbane is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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The days of excessive reading ended after high school and I kept a good distance from books and the library during my undergraduate days. Except for the mandatory registration at the library every year, I went to the uni library less than ten times in four years. It was the time when stopped reading books and I started reading more online. Now, I am one year into my PhD, and reading has become the major part of my life. It is the bulk of research papers related to my work.

There is still that little thing in the back of the mind about libraries and reading books, which is the reason I joined the City Council Library in Brisbane. Recently I had an opportunity to take a tour of the Brisbane Square Library. It is not the largest or the greatest library, but it is definitely one of the coolest.

Now, having started reading again, I have already warned myself to keep reading to minimum to focus on real work.

Reading Again, Books is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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The Gabba, Home of the Brisbane Lions

Today is another wonderful day with the Brisbane International Student Ambassadors, and for many of us this is our first AFL game. They say footy is like carnival in Australia, but it was literally a carnival outside the Gabba. There was lots of interesting stuff going around for us to spend almost an hour outside, before getting into the stadium.

Free stuff from Brisbane Lions

African Drummers jamming with a group of children

Photographing a photographer photographing a photographer photographing.

I have known Gabba as a cricket ground, but as AFL games are also played in cricket grounds. It was not a very packed stadium today, with a crowd around 25,000.

AFL games are played in cricket grounds

The Ambassadors...!

The front row seats were wonderful, thanks to Brisbane Lions for the free tickets.

When we got into the stadium, we still had some time for the start of the game. So our own Aussie student ambassador Sam offered a quick tutorial on AFL rules for us, dummies.

The Quick Start AFL Guide for Dummies. Sam explaining how games are played for Ming's video.

I was wrong to think AFL and rugby league would have a lot in common. After this game I could see more differences than commonalities. AFL more fast-moving game with less restrictive rules than rugby league.

Play time

In a AFL game players are allowed to do all sorts things, pushing/pulling each other to bumping on each other intentionally. It might look like a more rough from of football, may be next to American football, but that is what makes it a more fast phased game.

Kick for the goal...

The end of the game was not in favor of the Brisbane Lions. They were leading until the last 5 minutes before the last two goals by Fremantle Dockers, and losing the game by 2 points.

On the grounds after the game

Another interesting aspect of this game is they let us go into the ground for sometime to kick the balls ourselves.

The Gabba. Time to leave.

AFL might not be the great sport in the world, but it is not of the highly intense, fast-moving and active sport I have seen. (Disclaimer: I don’t follow any sports that much to make a proper comparison though.) We had a great time as a group of ambassadors at the games and it’s one another wonderful chapter of my student life in Brisbane.

How students can buy discounted Lions tickets?

Brisbane Lions offer tickets their home games at a discounted rate for student. You can buy tickets from Ticket Master either online, over the phone or in person.

• Online: http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/Brisbane-Lions-tickets/artist/800824?calendar_view=1 (Input code: STUDENT11)
• Phone: 1300 136 122 (Mention code: STUDENT11)
• Ticket Master Outlet: Show student card

Brisbane Lions vs Fremantle Dockers: My First AFL Game is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Oriental Taste, 162 Beaudesert Road, Moorooka, QLD 4105, Australia

It was around 1.45pm when I reached the place. Elsa, Kyoko, Mat and Guillaume came around 2, and we started looking through the menus.

Oriental Taste Yum Cha Menu

Oriental Taste Yum Cha Menu

I had no idea of anything on the menu, so I let the others to order. And it was so quick they started serving within minutes.

Fried Salt & Pepper Squid Tentacles

Lemon Chicken Balls

Steamed Prawn Dumplings

Crispy Green Beans

Steamed Juicy Custard Buns for desert

It’s just great food in a nice atmosphere. For the fresh and tasty food for this cheap price, this is a restaurant I’m sure to try again.

Yum Cha in Little Africa is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Broncos vs Cowboys: My First NRL Game is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Brisbane Welcomes International Students 2011 is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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BISA: Selected is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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1. Oy! (2009) Telugu (7.5/10) – A interesting localized storyline (inspiration of Erich Segal’s novel ‘Love Story’) and executed with the excellent performances by the lead actors.
2. Do Dooni Chaar (2010) Hindi (8/10) – It’s good to see a non-filmy family movie from Bollywood. It a way its refreshing and entertaining too.
3. Benny And Babloo (2010) Hindi (7.5/10) – A different Bollywood movie, takes a sarcastic look into the Mumbai (night) life.
4. Chikku Bukku (2010) Tamil Movie (6.5/10) – Felt like watching two movies together. Once watchable.
5. Butterfly on a Wheel (2007) English (8/10) – Excellent psychological thriller. Can’t guess whats going on until the end.
6. Golmaal 3 (2010) Hindi (6/10) – Colourful, logic-less, childish laughter for 2 hours 20 minutes. That’s all, once watchable.
7. Gaayam 2 (2010) Telugu (6.5/10) – Starts in Thailand with blood, continues in India. This interesting sequel, makes an impact through its screenplay and good performances.
8. Easy A (2010) English (6.5/10) – Typical college comedy with a little different presentation.
9. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) English (7.5/10) – One of the interesting biographical movies I have seen lately.
10. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) English (6.5/10) – A good trade for the time.
11. Bodyguard (2010) Malayalam (6.5/10) – Good one, wanted to watch this before Kavalan. This is the first Malayalam movie I’ve watched without subtitles.
12. The Karate Kid (2010) English (6.5/10) – It was good, but still confused why they call a kung fu movie The Karate Kid.
13. Prasthanam (2010) Telugu (5.5/10) – A really confusing political tail, just about revenge, revenge and revenge, mixed with some dance and romance for no apparent reason.
14. Passenger (2009) Malayalam (7.5/10) – A simple tale of two passengers told in its simplest form. An excellent movie with good performances by the lead actors. And I watch it without subtitles, so not sure if I got tit correctly.
15. Phas Gaye Re Obama (2010) Hindi (8/10) – Terrific performances and a brilliant screenplay with the ticklish humour makes this intelligent satire work well throughout.
16. Kerala Cafe (2009) Malayalam (8/10) – All the ten short films in this anthology film have something interesting. It could be a little overwhelming and tiring, but it’s really a worth watch. Specially liked light sense of humour in Happy Journey and Off-season.
17. Manmadan Ambu (2010) Tamil (6.5/10) – It’s a good entertainer if watched without any other expectations.
18. Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010) Hindi (8.5/10) – Liked it for the making and the theme. The story has three sub-plots that are about the news media turning into cheap entertainment.
19. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) English (9/10) – Most of the Holocaust movies over-hype the pro-Jew propaganda, but this one stands out and talks about humanity through the lives of two eight year old boys.
20. Hotel Rwanda (2004) English (7/10) – I prefer documentaries rather than these movies, but it was a good one. As a person from a land that used to have enough of these, I feel the movie does not portray the massacre effectively.

Tweet-size Thoughts – Movies – December 2010 is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Tweet-size Thoughts – Movies – November 2010 is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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