“Spanish food is very popular in Brisbane and as we have a similar climate and similar personalities it works because we always need a change,” Ms Power said.

“I’m a total fan of Spain, they do everything well, eating to them is a total social component and something to share,” she said.

Spanish musicians play for locals in Brisbane. Source: Olivia Noakes.

As summer approaches and everyone dreams of squeezing into their itsy bitsy teeny weenie bikini, the Mediterranean diet appears to be in sync with both the Queensland climate and its health conscious, trendy population. 

The ingredients used in Spanish cooking are known to be fresh, natural and nourishing, with liberal use of herbs, oils and spices delivering scintillating flavours. 

Queenslanders are jumping on the Mediterranean bandwagon with nine Spanish restaurants currently operating within a 5 kilometre radius of Brisbane’s CBD. 

Additionally, people are trying new and exciting delicacies at places from fine dining eateries to backstreet cafes or even sharing tapas and sangria round the deck at home watching the Queensland sunset.

Bistro C on Noosa’s world famous Hasting Street has hosted a Latin night every Wednesday for the last two years and the atmosphere, including Latin dancers, Spanish inspired cocktails, cuisine and cool canasta beats spun by Spanish DJ Seanesco Rodriquiz, make the patrons and staff feel like they’re in the midst of magical, midnight Madrid. 

Bistro C waitress, Tania Martin, says she looks forward to Wednesday and the surprises the night may bring.

“I’ve been working here for a year now and Latin night is by far my favourite shift to work; it’s a crazy night with so much laughter and adventure,” Ms Martin said.

“The atmosphere is amazing and everyone from staff to families to groups of friends get involved in the food, dancing and sheer fun of it all,” she said.

Language and Latin dance schools are also seeing increased numbers of people seeking to learn Spanish and the sexy, seductive and sultry moves of the Tango and the Samba. 

Latin dance teacher Anthea Tert, who’s been dancing for 33 years, believes the Spanish way of life is taking over as the international flavour in terms of music, culture, food and dance.

“I teach private classes and there has been a huge growth in popularity in the last two years as there are more people wanting to learn just for fun,” Mrs Tert said.

“Spanish music is very rich, it makes you feel like dancing and it has a special way of reaching people internally,” she said.

Owner of Brisbane’s Pintxo Spanish Taperia Tapas Restaurant  Melissa Telecican attributes Spanish food’s popularity to an assortment of various taste sensations and its unique social atmosphere.

“People like having variety and trying lots of different things and as the food comes out gradually it makes it ideal for the individual with our tapas train, couples or larger social groups,” Mrs Telecian said.

“We have Spanish tourists drop by for an authentic meal, however, we mainly cater to Brisbane locals, particularly those who have travelled to Spain and are passionate about the food and culture.

“I opened the restaurant after a trip to Spain, realising there were Spanish quarters in both Sydney and Melbourne yet there was a market for Spanish food in Brisbane that had yet to be discovered,” Mrs Telecican said.

A patron dining at Pintxo, Jason Quinell, said he would definitely be back.

“It’s my first time trying Spanish food and I love it,” Mr Quinell said. 

Seeing as Spanish cuisine is sizzling hot right now, you may venture out this summer, sangria in one hand, flamenco fan in the other and adopt a fearless fixation for the ‘latest’ fashionable food!

This will place the value of the Top 50 Australian Stock Exchange Company between $6.1 billion and $7.3 billion.

Queensland Rail National is Australia's largest freight operator. Photo: Olivia Noakes.

The float is at the forefront of the State Government’s controversial $15 billion sell-off of five key assets, aimed at fixing the state’s budgetary problems and restoring its triple A credit rating.

Opposition leader John Paul Langbroek says this is not a smart move on behalf of the Bligh government.

“Anna Bligh is saying ‘be part of something’. We think this is part of Labor’s big lie, all to pay off Labor’s big debt and it’s all being done by mean of Labor’s big fire sale, ” Mr Langbroek said.

“The risk is that we’re losing control of something that we currently own and we think that Queenslanders want to own it, 80 per cent say that we shouldn’t be selling our assets in a fire sale simply because Labor went broke in a boom,” he said.

Like the privatisation of Telstra a decade ago, the QR National shares are aimed at Australian ‘mum and dad’ investors.

Financial Advisor Chris Jones believes with a diverse portfolio, investing in QR National may provide a profitable return.

“QR National are the largest freight operator in country, they don’t have a lot of direct competition and it is coming off the back of a resource boom which is still going to continue for some time; in short it looks good and it should help the state dramatically,” Mr Jones said.

By contrast, stockbroker Warwick Foot warns investing in QR National is not without its risks.

“Predominantly the risks relate around the volume of coal shipped across their below rail assets so essentially they miss out on contract renewals with the big mining companies that would have a detrimental effect over the next few years,” Mr Foot said.

The retail price, institutional price and the basis of allocation will be announced on November 22.

James Teh, blind software engineer (QUT News)

The software allows the user to hear the words on the computer screen as they type them.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) graduate James Teh and business associate Michael Curran have developed a “screen reader” software that is accessible and easy to use.

They started working on the software in 2006 and were rewarded for their hard work when they were presented with the “Les* Is More” Award on ABC’s New Inventors, in September.

The NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) is one of the only free software programs for anyone with impaired vision.

How it works

A synthetic voice reads the words on a computer as the cursor moves over them or as they are typed.  There is also a pitch beep tone that gets higher or lower to navigate the user.

Mr Teh says it is not an original idea they came up with, but it is free and they have already had over 50,000 downloads.

“There are other products like this. Other screen readers as we call them, and they’ve existed for quite a while now. But they’re quite expensive, we’re talking potentially up to over a thousand dollars,” he says.

What it is used for

With around six hundred thousand Australians expected to become blind or vision impaired in ten years time according to Vision Australia, this screen reading software has opened up a new world of opportunities when most work is computer based.

“Being able to access a computer for blind people is incredibly important, given the wealth of information that’s out there. And so it’s really important that something like this be available for free,” says Mr Teh.

QUT Student Leah SanGabriel says the program has helped her out a lot this year especially without the worry of the cost.

Now she is able to browse the internet, check emails, go on facebook and use programs that will help her out at university.

“I’m really grateful and I’m thankful because I wouldn’t be without it. I wouldn’t be able to study,” she said.

Many Australians take food for granted. Source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net. Photographer: xedos4

Australians waste food and need to rethink their attitude toward it, say global food experts, who met in Brisbane recently.

The challenge of feeding the world’s growing population was the focus of the summit held by the University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute (GCI).

Author Julian Cribb, a forum presenter, says to feed the earth’s predicted nine billion people in 2050, the globe will need to double its current food production with half the present fresh water, less land and, eventually, no fossil fuels.

“It’s going to affect every single human being on the planet in the next 50 years without exception,” he says.

While increasing food output is one part of the equation, so is changing the way people think about food.

Australians throw away over five billion dollars worth of food every year, while two million Australians do not have enough to eat.

Every year in Brisbane, each household throws about $650 worth of food in the rubbish, on average, says Professor Michael D’Occhio, the co-leader of the GCI.

“So, on one hand, we have an excess, an indulgence in food that we simply have no respect for and, on the other hand, we have people who need some sort of food aid,” he says.

This national imbalance of food distribution reflects the global situation.

There is enough

Malcolm Duthie, from the United Nations World Food Programme in Gambia, says 925 million people worldwide experience food shortages despite there being enough to feed everybody.

Poverty on a powerpoint. At Customs House, Brisbane, Malcolm Duthie talks about the silent tsunami: people without enough food. Source: Karin Adam.

“Most of the problems with food are people don’t have access to it or the quality is not adequate.

“They’re either unable to grow enough or they don’t have the incomes to purchase enough,” he says.

Over the next 50 years, food is predicted to be the primary source of conflict in the world, and it is already occurring, with 15 countries experiencing food riots in 2008.

Mr Cribb says there is a strong connection between hunger and war.

“Lack of food produces war and peace prefers a full platter,” he says.

Another hurdle in accessing food for some of the poorest countries in the world is the increased privatisation of food sources, says Jagjit Plahe, lecturer in International Political Economy at Monash University.

The poor are losing their right to save and exchange seeds as large multi-national companies, such as Monsanto, continue to grow their ownership of genetically modified plants.

The way forward

But Mr Cribb says there are solutions to one of the greatest challenges facing humanity.

“We need to redouble the global effort in agricultural science and we need to stop wasting half the food we currently produce worldwide.

“We need to teach the coming generation of human beings, who mainly live in cities, a new respect for food and a healthier, more sustainable diet,” he says.

The world also needs to support young women in choosing not to have babies, he says.

Mr Cribb warns it’s critical the world acts on food security.

“The success or failure with this will determine our destiny,” he says.

The sun bears down on thousands of drunken festival-goers (Photo Credit: Getanightlife Photography).

As Brisbane’s festival season approaches, doctors and hospitals are preparing for the thousands of men and women who will suffer from medical problems due the extreme heat and exposure to drugs.

Every year thousands of people, wearing very little and under the influence of drugs, make their way to one of Brisbane’s many festivals. It is this combination of heat and drugs which make for a sure-fire medical emergency.

Dr. Charles Wong is a General Practitioner at the Albany Creek Medical Centre and stresses that people who go to festivals are endangering themselves in more ways than one.

“It happens every year; people drink too much or take the wrong type of drug and end up in hospital,” he said.

“Or they forget to re-apply sunscreen and we see them in 20 years time to cut out a skin cancer.

“It (drugs and heat) is a deadly combination, because when people are under the influence of any type of drug they forget about the sun and its impacts in the long-term.”

One person who knows the repercussions of taking drugs at a festival all too well is local boy Daniel Reid.

Mr Reid was having fun with a group of friends at a festival two years ago when he decided to take two ecstasy pills. He spent the next two days in hospital because of a self-induced overdose.

“I’d had a lot to drink and it was a really hot day; so I was already feeling a little light-headed,” he said.

“I figured the pills would give me more energy to keep going, but they only made it worse.

“The next couple of days are all a bit of a blur, but I’ll always remember that split second when I wasn’t sure if I was going to live.”

Dr. Wong says he sees this happen all the time, and it’s the reason he feels so strongly about festivals.

“It’s not always an overdose, sometimes it’s simply a bad headache or migraine, but it’s all because of the heat and alcohol,” he said.

“People need to learn that the sun has a dramatic effect on how much alcohol the body can take.”

The first major festival for the summer, Stereosonic, has recently had its rules updated to state that everyone must wear a shirt at all times.

Organiser John Curtin believes that this will make the festival a safer environment and should help prevent a large portion of injuries and emergencies.

“We want to make patrons feel as comfortable as possible in a safe environment at our festivals; so we are being pro-active and have implemented a clear set of guidelines,” he said.

“I am sure for other events people will be able to go ‘tops off’ but for our events we have taken a stance and decided to trial this.”

In hindsight, Mr Reid certainly would have appreciated these rules two years ago and believes that it may have saved him from overdosing.

“Obviously it wasn’t the heat that put the pills in my mouth but when you and your mates have your shirt off and you’re dancing in the heat, sometimes you do things you wouldn’t normally do,” he said.

“It’s like being in primary school when it starts to rain; you just get a little crazy.

“I’m just grateful that I learned a valuable lesson to not lose control and always be wary of your actions, especially at festivals.”

It is clear that whilst festivals can be an enjoyable experience, anyone who is attending needs to be aware of the dangers which can occur whilst drinking, taking drugs, and remaining in the sun for long periods of time.

For tips on how to stay safe at music festivals visit the Youth Drug Support website

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The joint State and Federal Government funding will be used to assist the relief and recovery effort in flood damaged areas of South-East Queensland.

A month’s worth of rain fell in only a few days.

The resulting flooding has left widespread damage and caused road closures in flood prone areas.

Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said the current damage bill was estimated to be over $9.5 million dollars and expected to rise over the coming days.

“The South Burnett, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Toowoomba regional councils and Brisbane City Council have advised of damage to essential public assets such as roads and bridges caused by the heavy rainfall and associated flooding,” Mr Roberts said.

“For that reason I have approved the activation of the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements for these council areas.

“These councils will be able to access State and Federal Government funding to cover the cost of counter disaster operations and the restoration of public assets.”

 LNP calls for wet weekend to clean up

State Opposition and Liberal National Party Leader John-Paul Langbroek has called for the Bligh Government to arrange wet weekends to help clean up flood damage.

Mr Langbroek said the weekends would allow Queensland homeowners to clean up from the recent storms and flooding without the threat of being slammed by large water bills.

“The government should be giving Queenslanders some relief from high excess water charges and a chance to clean up,” said Mr Langbroek.

“South East Queenslanders are now used to water restrictions — one wet weekend won’t blow these habits out of the water.”

Runoff from the weekend’s intense rainfall continues to flow strongly at Ithaca Creek, Ashgrove. Photo: Perry Woodward

Flood waters still dangerous

Queensland Police and the State Emergency Service (SES) are advising motorists to heed road closures and not to attempt to cross flooded roads.

They warn that even a small amount of water is enough to sweep a large vehicle off the road.

Police are also urging parents to ensure their children do not play in flood prone waterways, receding water and drains as water levels can rise quickly.

Residents of flood damaged areas suffering from hardship as a result of the flooding should seek assistance from Department of Communities by calling 1800 173 349.

Brisbane has received record level rainfall causing flooding as seen here at Toombul Shopping Centre. Source: Derek Barry

The annual Wilson HTM Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge has been cancelled because of heavy rainfall and extreme weather forecasts across Brisbane.

The event, now in its sixth year, raises much needed funds for Diabetes Australia and Heart Foundation research.

Organisers of the charity cycle, which was scheduled for Sunday October 10, 2010, announced the event would be postponed due to the recent near-record rainfall and forecast flood warnings issued by the weather bureau for most of South East Queensland.

A spokesman from Bicycle Queensland said it was aware of the great disruption and inconvenience the postponement has caused.

“After consultation with police and other stakeholders, Bicycle Queensland has taken this step for the safety of participants. The decision to postpone has been taken with great reluctance as we are mindful of the disruption to all riders, volunteers, and contractors,” he said.

Since 2005, the event has seen almost 30,000 participants, and Bicycle Queensland announced all current entries will be valid for the new date.

“It is hoped that a new date will be set within a week,” he said.

“All current entries will be valid for the new date, provided all rider kits including bib and wrist bands are retained.”

Benjamin Doolan was registered to take part in the event and says it is unfortunate the weather has affected the race.

“I think the weather would have made for a more interesting and challenging ride, but there are a lot of younger and less experienced riders participating and organisers did the right thing to postpone the race,” he said.

“Obviously it isn’t just the riders who are affected, but all those who volunteered to help out will need to reschedule.”

Mr. Doolan says that although a new date will need to be found this will not deter participation.

“If last year is anything to go by, the event is raising money for a good cause and people will support the event even if it doesn’t fit in ideally with their plans,” he said.

Organisers have noted that any current entrants, who are unable to participate on the new date, will be able to transfer their entry to another rider at no additional cost.

Information regarding the new race date and any further updates will be posted via the Bicycle Queensland website, Twitter and Facebook.

Young parliamentarians set to battle over important issues. Photo: YMCA Youth Parliament Blog.

Ninety-two members of the YMCA Youth Parliament took over the Queensland political headquarters last week to show the State Government how it’s done.

Representatives aged 15 to 25 from each of Queensland’s 89 state electorates debated policy issues relating to young people and judging by the intense debate on show at Parliament house the future of politics is in good hands.

Aspiring politicians came head to head on a diverse range of issues including the school curriculum, obesity, agriculture, daylight saving and the controversial issue of women serving in the front line.

The young parliamentarians argued each side of important topics, ensuring most passed, but were equally split over the contentious issue of women in front line defence.

Louis Paul Franks, YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament coordinator, says it’s a great way to see what young people think about certain issues and provides a way to influence the State Government.

“The Youth Parliament has been providing an apolitical environment where young people can engage with community issues for more than a decade,” he said.

“I think the government needs to take an active role understanding that young people are going to deal with these issues and they need to actually invest in young people and get young people engaged in the political process.”

The future leaders are shaping up to fill big shoes as government MPs and officials forward on their wisdom as they mentor the young parliamentarians.

Karen Struthers, Queensland Community Services Minister, was also there to pass on some of her experience to the political rookies and says it’s a powerful way for young people to learn about democracy in action.

“We’ve got to actually reward young people for their efforts and encourage them to have their say and Youth Parliament is one of those very important opportunities,” she said.

“Through the debates, we’re learning about what young people think about issues important to them.”

Important Issues on Show

In the Legislative Assembly of Queensland’s Parliament House youth members argued for and against the eight Youth Bills they felt needed to be tackled.

The passed Bills, recorded in Hansard, are signed by the Youth Governor and passed to the state Government for consideration.

The Battle Begins in Queensland Parliament house. Photo: YMCA Youth Parliament Blog.

Members of the YMCA Youth Parliament have mixed opinions over the Queensland Government but agree more should be done to include the needs of young people.

Ricky Marcourt, Member for Kurrungal, believes not all people need to follow society’s favourable university direction to become successful after high school.

“I think that needs to be extended to up skilling young people who don’t want to go to uni,” he said.

Member for Lytton Ellen Desmarchelier believes it is important to know about the political process, and the State Government should listen to younger generations.

“It’s not more about government telling young people what they need but young people telling government what they need,” she said.

Torres Webb, representative for the Torres Strait region, points out the government has done a lot in terms of giving a voice to the people of Torres Strait but could do more to ensure their future success.

“Economic development, job opportunities and training are really important for our people to succeed,” he said.

In the next coming weeks members of the YMCA Youth Parliament will again come together to look back on their recent debates and forward their concerns to key decision-makers of the State Government.

Writers warned to get to know their audiences Photo: Matt Smith, www.flickr.com

Social media, blogging and citizen journalism have made it easier for writers to publish their work, but they have also highlighted other issues such as accountability and remuneration.

Brisbane Writers Festival director Jane O’Hara says writers need more opportunities to network with people in the industry who can teach them how to engage “face-to-face” with the community.

“Blogging is an important aspect of any writer’s life, but there will always be the need for writers to come together with their readers,” she said.

She understands the Internet makes it easier for writers because Brisbane’s  market is small.

However,  publishers attend events like the Brisbane Writers Festival because they know how important it is to meet the writers in person.

“Brisbane is in an exciting phase… both nationally and internationally,” she said.

“The writing industry and groups of organisations in Queensland and individuals is actually really quite exciting at the moment.”

She says she supports new media, but believes there will always be a market for more traditional platforms.

Music critic Everett True says online publishing has changed the dynamics of the writing industry in various ways.

“(It’s) made it lazier, more scared, harder to please, easier to fool and ultimately more fun,” he said.

But he says people need to remember the Internet is a communication tool which can be both an advantage and disadvantage.

“On the Internet, what’s more important than being in-depth or doing your research or being interesting, is being first,” he said.

“That’s how you get your traffic and ultimately your finance.”

He says although the Internet has created a new communication platform, people will still access what is familiar to them.

“The advance of the Internet has simply thrown that change into sharper relief,” he said.

“Some folk simply prefer to read stuff in printed form, same as some folk prefer to hear stuff without a moving picture to distract them.”

Mr True’s advice for people wanting to get exposure in Brisbane is to publish your own magazine.

A new soccer club and players have been added to the Indoz centre and are fast helping it become a vivacious cultural hub for sports-mad locals in South Brisbane.

The Indoz Centre at Inala. Photo: Peter Sarai

Raj Soumel, soccer coordinator for Indoz, is in the process of getting the new soccer team, aptly named Indoz United,  into the local league and says sports are a great way to get involved in the Aussie way of life.

“If we can connect on the field through a sport with Aussies, it’s great, and then we can share our cultural differences around too,” Mr Soumel said.

However the club is not strictly just a sports facility. 

Indoz, which combines cultural aspects of the Indian community such as food, worship and sports, could help to mediate any racial tension south Brisbane, between Indian and white communities.

The centre has regular welfare programs, complete with in-house counselling and Police education talks.

Peter Sarai, Indoz President, says the centre aims to help Indians integrate into an Australian lifestyle which may help diffuse any existing racial tension in the South Brisbane area.

“If we can educate new immigrants on what to expect here then we can take some of the pressure off society and the police,” Mr Sarai said.

Parth Raval, President of Griffith University Indian Student Association, says that the Indoz Centre is great for Indian students, who may have felt isolated in the wake of racial attacks in Melbourne and more recently, Brisbane, this year.

 “The Queensland Police Service contributed by giving safety talks to the people, which has been really helpful,” Mr Raval said.

Earlier this year there were two attacks on Indian students in the area which left the Indian community feeling vulnerable and isolated, although the Queensland Police maintain that the attacks were not racially motivated.

Mr Raval said that the centre was foremost a popular social hub for young people, especially the students he interacts with at Griffith University.

“There is a wonderful sports program and so it provides a great social networking centre for everyone.”

Peter Sarai says the centre is much more than just a drop-in centre for Indians though and is intent on getting  the wider Brisbane community on board, to promote healthy relationships across the cultures.

“It’s a place where everyone in the Brisbane community can connect; it’s not just about Sihk kids…”

Indoz, which survives largely on donations of more than three million dollars, boasts a library, a small Sihk church, a community garden and well equipped sporting facilities.

Sergeant Jim Bellos, the Metropolitan South Region Cross Cultural Liaison Officer says that the centre is well on the way to becoming a great success in Brisbane.

“It’s unreal… it’s a terrific centre and it’s very well done, it’s going to be great for the community” Sergeant Bellos said.

The Indoz Sihk Community Centre is situated at 16 Rosemary Street, Inala, and is open for all to use. For information phone (+61) 7 3879 8880