Macau Museum of Art

I know I haven’t been blogging for a while. It’s a combination of laziness and all other reasons I have stated beforehand. But after receiving news that Om Paman just received postcard which I sent through the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) recent exhibition (21 Century: Art in the first decade – which have received criticism from AGNSW). The news motivates me to blog again!

Here it is, another Bram Adimas’ piece on museum. This was a report compiled on my recent trip to Macau late last year. I love museum! But don’t ask me what city has what museums! Researching it beforehand sometimes spoils the fun of exploring a new city.

Macau Museum of Art is located in Macau’s Cultural Centre which consists of a science centre (that was the biggest science centre I’ve ever seen in my life – I didn’t enter it though), Handover Gift Museum (when Macau went back to China’s control, each Chinese provinves gave Macau gifts) and art museum just to name a few.

This is Macau Museum of Art building from the outside. Queensland Museum South Bank suddenly looks very small (but not Railway Workshop Museum!). While Macau residents live in small, cramped flats, their art collections enjoy a more breathable space. That sentence sure is debatable, isn’t it?

P.S.: On the other hand, Aussies live in big houses but their museums and art galleries are tiny (in size). 😛

Nice pathways, isn’t it? If you walk straight, you’ll find the Handover Gift Museum. I wonder why Hong Kong doesn’t have one. Anybody knows if perhaps it is named differently in Hong Kong’s case? Yes, HK isn’t all about shopping. I like it as a museum city.

澳門藝術博物館 as they prefer it to be written. Old version of the Chinese characters. As for Indonesian local languages, in particular the language used in my hometown, do you use the Latin version of anacaraka or the one with ‘cecek’, ‘taling’ etc?

Call me racist if you want, if you don’t know what’s ‘cecek’ or ‘taling’, learn Balinese language. Perhaps our Sasak, Javanese and Madurese brothers/sisters may have a glimpse of idea. 😀 Call it a hopeless language with no future and I will ignore you for the rest of my life (even if the language dies before I die!)

There I go ranting off topic.

The staircase is used as a platform to advertise one of its then current exhibition.

I forget how much does it cost to enter but it was mostly free. You do need to pay for certain exhibition. Unfortunately, my family is not really into art museum so the only exhibition we viewed was ‘Serigrafia Portuguesa’.

At the time this photo was taken, the exhibition upstairs was a ticketed event which requires you to pay. And as I stated earlier, my family is not into art museum, don’t ask me what they (the art museum) were exhibiting.

As for me, any museum will do. The most important thing is you haven’t seen that exhibition before and curiosity. If a certain exhibition is a travelling exhibition, seeing once is enough. Don’t bother about going to another city just to see the same exhibition you have seen in your city/town.

That’s all from me for now. More stories coming up your way. 😀

North Ipswich

After visiting the Ipswich Information Centre (which is strangely located in the suburb rather than CBD, in Queens Park), I decided to go to North Ipswich where there is the Railway Workshops Museum, another campus of the Queensland Museum. Unfortunately, I didn’t go in because I didn’t have enough money. But at least, the next time I come around, I know the way to go.

From the Ipswich Transit Centre, I crossed a bridge but I don’t know the name of the bridge. However, it is similar to all other bridges in Brisbane, it connects the north and south banks of the Brisbane River. This time in another city.

Believe it or not, this is still Brisbane River. Riverlink Shopping Centre is in the north bank. Facility for recreational purposes are created on both sides of the river. Somehow it reminds me when I fell down while riding a motorbike last year in my uncle’s house in south Denpasar. His house was located near a river where people play, fish and bathe (seriously).

The other side of the bridge lacks pedestrians. But at least, the infrastructure is there.

The south bank of the Brisbane River with recreational and sporting facilities shown. Remind me to go to Waterboom once I reach home.

This photo was taken facing the Ipswich CBD from Riverlink Shopping Centre. The tall building on the right is Commonwealth Bank and on the left is some kind of business or economic council. I think I have seen more skyscrapers in Darwin than in Ipswich.

Spot the difference(s) with the picture above.

This is Riverlink Shopping Centre. It has the three major supermarkets (Woolworths, Coles and ALDI), Super Amart, Target and Officeworks just to name some. For us Indonesians though, it is uncommon to find a shopping centre with so many supermarkets. Mostly have two at most.

Under the tree stands a small billboard welcoming ‘us’ to North Ipswich. Red carpet would have been better.

Finally after some 10 minutes of walking, I could see the Railway Workshops Museum.

Ipswich

On the last day of November, I decided to go to Ipswich. This year Ipswich celebrated its 150th anniversary. It was Brisbane’s main rival to become Queensland’s capital city back in the days when the state had just seceded from New South Wales.

I took QR Citytrain to go to Ipswich, taking train from Central Station, using the Ipswich line and stopping at Ipswich station.

After almost an hour-long journey on the train (it feels like eternity in commuting time), the train finally reached Ipswich. My first impression was ‘Wow, finally another Queensland city!’

The Ipswich train station is located across Ipswich City Mall. The city mall is sort of similar to Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall except for the lack of crowd. Ipswich City Council definitely is already on Christmas mood. See the decoration. At the end of the city mall lies Woolworths supermarket.

This is Brisbane Street. I came to know about and have the interest to visit the city thanks to Channel Seven’s local advertorial programme Great South East Sundays at 5.30pm. It once showed host Sofie Formica walked down Ipswich’s Brisbane Street looking for vintage shops.

Still on Brisbane Street stands Ipswich Post Office with its mini clock tower and next to it is the Ipswich Art Gallery. I will have a separate post on my visit to Ipswich Art Gallery to see the F-111 exhibition.

Next to the Ipswich Art Gallery lies d’Arcy Doyle Place. Again, I think it is the Ipswich version of Brisbane’s King George Square. This is where Premier Anna Bligh and Ipswich Lord Mayor Paul Pisasale cooked during Jamie Oliver’s Ipswich cooking class. A report shows that 56 percent of Ipswich residents are obese. That’s why Jamie Oliver held cooking class. d’Arcy Doyle Place is also decorated with Christmas tree.

Taking photo of Brisbane Street westward, you could see the GPO and Ipswich City Square. Cross the Ipswich City Square to the east and there is the Ipswich train station.

Before the absolute end of Ipswich City Mall, there is a right turn heading towards the train station. From this photo, if you walk straight passing the corridor and turn right you will see Woolworths.

To make sure that I was really in Ipswich, I took a photo of this.

I’m not sure what is the purpose of the transit center but what I do know is that some buses begin their journey there.

See you soon.

Short Hop to Surabaya

Well, it’s been a long time since I last blogged I guess my one-week break is a good time to reconnect myself with blogging. I’ll start with my short journey to Surabaya with Mandala Airlines on the 8th of July, 2010. Don’t bother asking me what was the flight number because I forgot.

My seat was the second last row from behind. It was almost sunset, yeah, and luckily the beaches surrounding Ngurah Rai Airport is facing the west. Pushback began.

Passing the international terminal

Garuda’s brand-new livery airliner ‘moored’ to gate 3/4

Passing all this cargo-and-baggage-related thingy

Turning over, bound for the mangrove side of the runway, isn’t it beautiful?

And finally took off. I think Duran Duran should make a song titled “Reached Out for the Sunset”.

I didn’t took many photos since it was only a 40 minutes flight and my camera sucks (can’t take photo inside a building and Brisbane Open House is this Saturday, and in the darkness hence I relied on my mobile phone’s camera for QBE Riverfire).

Anyway, it was almost time for landing. A snapshot of suburban Surabaya.

It seems like the opening segment of Seven News Adelaide, seriously. See it here.

And the plane that brought me to Indonesia’s second largest city was parked next to ExpressAir.

Isn’t the picture quality sucks? Or was it me who has the inability to take photos?

All in all, it was a nice trip with friendly flight attendants. Hopes Mandala will rock Indonesia’s sky in the years to come. Hoping they could manage their crisis although my fingers are crossed.

Darwin, Northern Territory (part 2)

After that ‘heart attack’ at Coles, I went to Subway to have lunch. I don’t want to talk about price again. Then, I took a stroll at Smith Street Mall, Darwin’s answer to Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall or Adelaide’s Rundle Mall.

Believe me, I have never seen a shopping area so quiet like this. No Myer, no David Jones. Target department store is located at Casuarina shopping centre if I’m not mistaken.

Across Smith Street Mall is Darwin’s Visitor Information Centre.

I didn’t go in since I had not much time in Darwin (only 4 hours).

So far, this is the tallest building in Darwin’s CBD that I had seen. I believe this building was also used for the opener of Darwin’s National Nine News on Channel Nine Darwin (NTD-9) between 2006-2009. Channel Nine is the only television network that provides local news bulletin for Darwin, apart from ‘Aunty’ ABC.

This is the Northern Territory Parliament House located near Darwin’s Esplanade. The territory library (NT Library, equivalent to SLQ) is oddly located inside the building. You are welcome to go inside after security screening.

Still in the same compund, I believe this is the Supreme Court.

This is Darwin’s Esplanade. Finally after more than five months, I saw sea again.

That’s my post for now. I’ll be back on Monday because tomorrow I’m going to UQ Open House at St Lucia campus for the whole day. Enjoy your weekend.

Copyright: myself 2010
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