January 2004	布里斯本博客
January 30, 2004	What I like the most about Brisbane is its people. Try this the next time you are in town. Carry in your hand a map or a Lonely Planet travel guide, then stand in the middle of the street looking lost. I bet within a couple of minutes someone will volunteer to ask you if you need any help. The first time I did this, a gentleman was kind enough to walk me three blocks to the supermarket that I was looking for. It is simply amazing that people here are so trusting, so patient and willing to help. As Brisbane goes through an all-out boom that attracts tens of thousands of new residents every year, it seems to have kept its unique ambience quite intact.		網上英語教師 英文
January 22, 2004	恭喜發財！祝各位新年快樂，萬事如意。
January 18, 2004	香港雖小，但是城市面積頗大，密度很高，布里斯本雖大，城市面積很小，絕大部分是郊區(suburb)。所有的澳洲城市都是相同的布局。澳洲城市中心叫做City，美加叫做downtown，布里斯本的中心區不過是銅鑼灣的面積，其他部分都是郊區。郊區都有自己的購物中心。郊區購物中心有兩種：一種是鄰居式，好像香港的普通屋苑式商場，滿足基本需要。另外一種是shopping mall，佔地廣闊，面積相當於幾個太古城廣場，貨物品種豐富，購物環境也很舒適整潔。
January  13, 2004	在澳洲人之間，昆士蘭州給人的印象是保守、古怪。更糟的是，90年代崛起的一個鼓吹種族歧視、反移民的政黨，一國黨(One Nation Party)的黨魁正是布里斯本市郊一間炸魚店的老板娘(Pauline Hanson)。雖然這個黨已經瓦解，這位黨魁也已經破產，昆士蘭州的印象不免受到負面影響。 事實上，我在居住布里斯本以來從來沒有碰到過種族歧視，昆士蘭人的熱情友善倒是整天都碰到。保守的盛名卻並非完全捏造，就拿布里斯本來說，這裡的超市平時營業到晚上九點不過是這幾年的事，早來的移民就很不習慣每天一到六點，所有商店馬上關門。銀行服務方面，更加符合保守的名聲，所有的服務都要逐項收取服務費用，銀行之間壁壘森嚴，外幣匯款、提款轉賬這種家常便飯都要收取高昂手續費。給香港銀行運作效率慣壞的人來到的布里斯本確需要調整心態。
January  9, 2004	到現在還是沒有決定是否應該去悉尼度農歷新年，因為悉尼的中國城面積人流都是這裡的幾倍，在悉尼應該更加有新年氣氛。2003年的農歷新年我在悉尼中國城度過，節日氣氛非常濃厚，沿街的中餐館都請舞獅隊伍到訪，討個吉利。路邊就餐的本地澳洲人也受到感染，聞獅起舞，把旁觀的華人們逗得很開心。 不過悉尼在農歷新年是旅遊旺季，很難訂到酒店。現在華人旅客在農歷新年越來越時興來正值盛夏的澳洲度假，所以機票酒店都要一早預訂，要不然臨急抱佛腳也抱不來。
January 2, 2004	It was an awesome New Year's Day, my very first one spent in Brisbane and certainly one of many to come. I joined the count-down with the crowd on Queen Street Mall and welcomed the arrival of 2004 in chants and dances as if I were a teen. Sometimes I did question my choice of residence in the heart of the City, but the experience on New Year's Eve was well worth it. The crowd kept on partying and singing up till perhaps 3:30 am. The City was the liveliest that I've ever seen!