Work Hard. Play Hard. Get Fit. IRIS Summer Forum 2010

Iris Summer Forum is a semi-annual internal status report that is much more than keynote presos and pie charts.   Instead of just making it all about the business, Iris does it up Aussie style with a full day of fun activities, “sausage sizzle” BBQ, and an afternoon a sailboat trip around the harbour. 

Included in this year’s forum was the launch of GET FIT, a program that allows each department to hold “classes” to so that everyone can learn more about the industry from each other.   The launch party allowed people to sign up for these fun presentations, and get pumped for the year ahead.  From the creative department’s “Scamp Camp” or “Twitter for Dummies” GET FIT is a great way to learn about things you would usually never have an opportunity to. Even AdverBarbie is holding a class called “Gen Y; Insights from the Interns.”

Here is the video we created for Iris, that will soon be able to be found on the Iris global website (oh yeah!)  It showcases the new office space, as well as clips from quite possibly the most awesome day of work humanly possible.  

Iris Sydney: Forum 2010 from aliciabenz on Vimeo.

The Festivities have Begun

Set in Hyde Park, is the 2010 Sydney Festival, which is a series of concerts, events, and programs set up the city.   It was wonderful to hear the live Arabian music, and watch some acrobatics on a balmy summer “January” night.

Sydney Festival 2010 from aliciabenz on Vimeo.

The Hidden History of Surry Hills

Picture this; it is 1920 and Surry Hills is an absolute miserable corner of Australia.  Surry Hills has been dubbed “The Chicago of the South,” and it is titled rightfully so.  It’s a time where illegal drugs, alcohol, and prostitution are the most lucrative industries.  The streets are ruled by street urchins and gangs, who’s weapon of choice is a razor, rather a gun, solely because the razor proves more terrifying to victims, when extracted stealthily from coat pocket.  This crime laden area is controlled, not by a man, but by one woman; the Queen of the Underworld, Kate Leigh.  She came to Australia as one of thousands of neglected children, sent here to be put up in an institution.  Kate married a young gangster, and used her connections to rise to the top.  She was the best of the best when it came to pushing drugs, supplying illegal liquor, and was a champion at prostitute recruitment.  Nothing went down in Surry Hills unless it went through Kate Leigh first.  Her flat on 212 Devonshire was the head office of crime, serving thousands of customers their daily dose of liquor after 6PM when the bars closed down.

Kate ruled with a “punch stronger than a mules kick” and was the most memorable figure of all Surry Hills.  She continued to live her life under the radar from police and imprisonment, due to her connections that ran deep within the law enforcement.  Kate Leigh died in 1964, suffering from a major stroke, causing her to swallow her own tongue.  Her infamous apartment still exists today, and cast around it is the spirit of the past.  Most of Surry Hills has been demolished and rebuilt since the utter squalor and disgrace of the Razor Gangs and Kate Leigh.

Today it is an upscale neighborhood, vibrant with color, and an overall sense of peace.  Crown Street is one of the most classy streets of all Sydney, and it is not to be missed by those who decide to make the trip down under.  The coffee shops here are all fair trade organic, and have chic decor that sets a tranquil mood as soon as you arrive (a complete 180 from Amsterdam haha.)  Oh, and the vintage fashion scene; top notch.  Clothing stores chalk-full with a wonderful abundance of recycled treasures, it will make your heart flutter with joy.  With so many unique restaurants, galleries, and boutiques, I don’t know how we are going to stick to the “budget!”  


Welcome to our new neighborhood!

Taronga Zoo Adventure

After years of hearing Steve Irwin blabbering about creatures of the outback, the first AdverBarbie adventure was to the ZOO.  Taronga zoo is located on a hill/island overlooking downtown Sydney, and one can reach it via ferry.  Taronga was chalk full of kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and platypuses.  The best part about the zoo is that you can walk inside the kangaroo exhibits, and be up close and personal with these crazy marsupials. 

It was blistering hot, and we got gross “zoo tan lines” but it was definitely a great place to spend our first weekend.  We’ve put together our own episode of “Meerkat Manor” (sans the Rudy as narrator), for your viewing pleasure.


Taronga Zoo, Sydney from aliciabenz on Vimeo.

Bondi Beach=Heaven

After hearing all about Bondi Beach (pronounced Bond-eye) from guidebooks and locals alike, we had to see this supposed “worlds greatest beach” ASAP.  And wow, did it live up to every word of its reputation.  Calypso blue waters, powdered sugar sands, and loads of fit Australian men. This place is Heaven!  Every person under 30 heads out to Bondi every weekend to catch some sun, and troll the local markets.  After one afternoon at Bondi, we know why people here are laid back and friendly; they have this incredible coastal oasis.  See ya next weekend Bondi :) 

Rightside Down Perspective

After one week of being in Australia, we’re starting to look at things a little differently.  For instance, the cloud ceiling is WAY higher here. The flora and fauna is a far cry from anything we have ever seen before.  Australia has fruit bats the size of kittens. Take a look at this map we found.  It really helps one gain a fresh perspective of where exactly everything is situated on Earth. Who decided what should be on top, and what should be on bottom?  This point of view is awesome, and I can’t stop staring.  

The Nightmare on Foot: Hunting for an Apartment Across the World.

We walked approximately 30 miles in 3 days, had a roller coaster of emotions, and eventually found our new home.  It is located in Surry Hills, and about a 15 minute walk from the agency.  Its cute, furnished, and we have a really nice kitchen.   Probably one of the hardest things a person can do in a lifetime, is find a place to live in a different hemisphere.  And we’ve already done it twice!  Move-in is next Monday, thank god.  

The Rodent Quarterly: Sydney Edition

As you may remember from our Amsterdam experience, we had quite a time with the rodent situation whilst living in the Netherlands (see post: standard grease hole).  Here in Sydney, it’s a different ball game.  Except these rodents aren’t small grey mice, they are PEOPLE.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen we have a pack rat situation on our hands.  During our apartment hunt, we discovered why Alicia’s sister, Brittany, thought that living in Sydney would be cheap.  There are ads all over Gumtree (aka Aussie Craigslist) saying “2 bedroom apartment 200 per week!  Downtown Master Suite”  So we go and check out these supposed apartments only to find out that the Master Suite is a room with four beds in it, and each bed is costing 200 per week.

Let me break it down.
1.) Sydney is a huge city with over 4 million people living in and around the area
2.) This has caused rapid growth and therefore a major overpopulation issue, leading to a housing crisis and lower standards of living.
3.) Hence, it is 100% normal to pack as many bodies as physically possible into a apartments, which are usually tiny and only meant for 1-2 people. Now multiply that by a huge apartment building with thousands of units all housing up to 5 times the amounts of people they where meant for..

A standard two bedroom apartment, suitable for two, is actually home to 8-10 people.  WTF!?!?  This obviously produced our very first wave of culture shock this quarter.  Woohoo.

This is what every place was looking like; two people in one bedroom, four in the master bedroom, and several people in the living room in a sheet tent.  Errrrr :/   In the US of A, this is what we call a FIRE HAZARD.  It was in this moment I realized we were not getting an apartment downtown, and had an immediate retreat to our lovely, trendy suburb of Surry Hills, where the agency is located. Phew!

Jet Lag

The Adverbarbie Recipe for Jet Lag.

1.) 6 bottles of Water.
    Hydrate Properly.  The air is SUPER dry on that plane, and they don’t have enough water on board to keep      giving it to passengers.
2.) 10 Granola Bars
    You will need snacks, or meal replacements, depending on how awful the food is on board
3.) 2 Crest Brush ups
    Brush your teeth.  Its been 24 hours, do it, you’ll thank us
4.) 1 Spa Gift Basket
    Bring face wash, lotion, and face mist.  We’re talkin’ best stuff money can buy.
5.) 1 U-shaped pillow and 1 sleep mask
6.) 1 hot shower immediately upon arrival
7.) Sleep Aids
    Whether it be Benadryl or Ambien, indulge.
8.) 2 Carbolicious Meals
    One right before sleeping after the trip, and one for when you wake up in between rounds of sleeping.

Directions:
Tote along all the ingredients, use them liberally.  Then most important, for every hour you were in-flight, you must match exactly with one hour of horizontal sleep in the hotel room.  We were in transit for 21 hours, therefore we had to sleep 21 hours straight.  It REALLY worked for us!  We were able to walk 30 miles in the following days, find an apartment, and have a first day of work.  Done.

This recipe has received the Adverbarbie stamp of approval, but has not approved by the FDA :P

Sydney, Australia, served with a huge side of Awesomeness.

 













15 days, 4 continents, 11 countries, and a combined 100 hours of air travel, and Adverbarbie has made it to Sydney.  I cannot even begin to tell you some of the things we’ve experienced here, and its only been 5 days. 

First, the flight over here, smooth as can be, no delays, no lost luggage, everything on time to the second.  The actual ride; miserable as hell.  The air on the plane was so dry, I felt like I had been spoon fed a bag of sand when I woke up from my nap.  Also, worst turbulence ever, I thought we were going down Oceanic 815 style.  Two flight attendants were even severely injured. They had to ask on the intercom if there were any doctors on board to help them (aka Jack Sheperd).  I did, however, love the apologetic email I received from United, “So sorry for the anxiety it must have caused” and that it was a “rare occurrence,” bla bla bla. 

Overwhelmed with glee, we are so excited to start our new lives in this gorgeous continent.  Enjoy some snippets of Sydney! 

Amsterdam in Review

Good Bye Amsterdam from aliciabenz on Vimeo.

To sum up our entire experience in the ‘Dam, I would have to say it was “interesting.”  The quarter turned out to be the complete opposite of what we we’re expecting.  Living, eating, and breathing the Dutch lifestyle was absolutely the weirdest thing for a twenty-something American girl.   The American culture definitely clashes more times than not with the Dutch.  After talking with few others who have lived in the Netherlands, this is a common feeling, so we’re not alone on this one.  We’ve learned and grown from the opportunity, and left the country with no regrets.  We are now experts on Amsterdam, so if you are ever interested in visiting, or want to hear a funny story, just let us know and we’d be glad to share (or probably just direct you to the blog).

With that being said, we’ll continue forward.  Next stop on the Adverbarbie World Tour:  Sydney, Australia.  We are the creative intern team at Iris, who has clients such Sony, Adidas, and Shell.  See you down under.