Ingle Bingle

This entry is dedicated to my best friend from Australia: Ingeborg Hagan. She quickly became known as Inga or Ingle Bingle. Inga has been the best of friends during this trip, and I want to take a trip down Memory Lane on all of the great times we've had together. = ) Before I do, however, I want to say thank you, Inga. I am so glad to have met you! What can I say? I love you, Ingle Bingle [in my pants]!

February 2008
Thursday the 14th, Valentine's Day, was the day I met Inga. We were standing in line together, waiting to get our QUT ID photos taken. She assured me that my hair looked okay.
The next day, again at an orientation for QUT, Inga and I had lunch together. She was still hunting for accommodation, and I gave her the information for my landlord. She moved in the next week. We became roomies! Also, this night Inga joined me and some other newly made friends to Irish Murphys. This was our first night out to the bars.
On the 16th Inga and I browsed the Queen Street Mall together. She photographed me with a Charlie Chaplin impersonator. Inga and I had lunch at a quaint little pizzeria. We had a great chat on the balcony that afternoon.
The next evening I invited Inga to join me and my flat mates at le Tigre for a drink. I was thrilled to have her company!
The following Tuesday (19th) we went on the River Cruise and had a blast! This night was the first of many for us to have a blast on the dance floor. The Vic was such a great time that night! I'll never forget it! Earlier this day I helped Inga buy a chic new outfit for the cruise. She also bought a really cute clutch that afternoon. It was a fun time shopping with her!
On Thursday Sara and Iain joined us to see the Andy Warhol exhibit. Inga and I browsed the place for a couple of hours. We had so much fun taking our Andy Warhol photos together in the photo booth! This night we went to see The Bucket List. We found it to be a really great movie.
Saturday we went with Iain, Neil, Rudy, Nick and Richard to Surfer's Paradise. Inga and I had entirely too much fun when we took heaps of photos of us in our cowboy hats! Later that night she posed with a statue of a Native American. It's a priceless photo. It was also this night that Inga and I cracked up when Richard tripped on the sidewalk and admitted that it really hurt (which, upon hearing him state, caused us to laugh harder). This was also the night that my pink halter broke free, and I had to have Inga assist me, haha!
Monday the 25th we watched Kangaroo Jack together. We were so excited to get into an Aussie-based film! It was cheesy but as we found ourselves laughing we figured that meant we were enjoying the movie.
On Thrusday the 28th we joined in the fun at the International Student Party - it was a blast. Inga and I had so much fun with photos on the bus ride to Fortitude Valley.

March 2008
Tuesday the 4th we celebrated Inga's 22nd birthday. Everyone went out to The Fox. I bought her a glass of her beloved James Boag beer, and wished her a very happy birthday. It was around this date that I was a shoulder for her to lean on when she broke up with her boy-friend who was back in Norway.
On Thursday it was the Norsk (Norwegian club at QUT) Pub Crawl - naturally we went out for a great night! The Beach House and The Brewery were our favorite stops.
Friday evening the flat had a barbie - this was me and Inga's first Aussie barbie! We had kangaroo meat that night! Yum!
A week later Inga, Sara and I went to dinner at Punjabi Palace and to see the fabulous musical of The Phantom of the Opera. We had a lovely girls' night out.
On Friday Inga and I headed up to Noosa for a girls weekend get-away. We laughed the whole way up there (no smoking [pot]), and had a great time. We laid out at Mooloolaba and Noosa, took photos at the Noosa National Park, shopped a bit and missed our bus back to Brisbane, haha. We made the best of the extra night we had in Maroochydore, though. It was this night that we determined how to spell something very tricky to spell. = )
From 22 March to 30 March Inga and I (along with Neil, Rudy and Iain) had a trip of a life time traveling around Tasmania and Fraser Island. Yellow! Jinx! Oh, the great memories - really too many too list! It was one of the best weeks I've ever had. I won't forget how Inga was so frustrated when she overheard the Swedish girls talking about walking barefoot, haha! Or dancing to Grace Kelly! It was this weekend that Inga and I had the pleasure of meeting Tamara.

April 2008
On April 2nd Inga's cousin's visited from Cipan. We met up with them at the Down Under Bar that night. I remember making silly faces with her cousin's husband, haha. By the time I arrived Inga's cousin had passed out! She also won the hot-dancing competition, haha! Wild child, I say!
On Saturday the 5th, Inga and I learned to surf! It was a lot of hard work but we both had a great time learning the Aussie sport. We also got to do some shopping at Surfer's. I'll never forget getting trapped indoors by the rain at the Honey shop! Boy, was that honey tasty!
The following Friday the two of us joined some friends at The Victory. We danced the night away!
The next evening we went to the Three Monkeys for the first time, along with Sara and Iain. We had excellent conversation and enjoyed our relaxed evening over tea and coffee.
Four nights later we shared a Vietnamese dinner together. It was so delicious, and we had more great conversation together. I remember I had a lot to babble about that night, haha.
That weekend John Pav visited and the three of us headed to Stradbroke Island for the day. It was rainy, but we made the best of it. When we got back to Brissie we stuffed ourselves at the Pancake House. That evening we had a grand time at the Down Under Bar and the Brew House! We all loved the live band. Since I already [accidently] let it slip, I might as well mention how cute it was John Pav kissed Inga - awe! = P
Saturday night we all went to Normanby's for Judith's birthday. Inga was the ring leader, and I'll never forget chatting with so many random, but great, folks!
On the 25th Inga and I joined the flat mates for our first Rugby game! Inga and I laughed at all of the Barbie cheerleaders, were awed by the fireworks after our team, the Brisbane Broncos, scored, and we just had a great time. Subway before the game was a nice time, too - we were starving that night!
Four nights later Inga and I shared another dinner together at Ouzeri. This was the night we started our friendly relationship with Tony! Inga and I had white bait (we ate them whole!) and octopus! It was a fun meal!

May 2008
[I was in Sydney for the first week of May and visiting with Adam for the remaining 3 weeks. Not too much to comment on here for this post.]

June 2008
Inga and I had so much fun getting ready for the Tour de Chambre house party! I loved her theme and how she had especially found the matching coasters! Haha, we had some interesting moves on her bed!
The next morning we went to the AAMI horse race with the flat mates. I really enjoyed spending some time with Inga when we watched the horses cool down after having raced. It was then that I learned the horse used to have five digits on their hooves. The four main ones evolved to form the hoof while the fifth digit moved up towards the horse's knee. Interesting stuff!
On the 14th Inga and I shared our "last big fling" in Surfer's with Tamara. There is so much to say about this amazing weekend - the tour, the dolphins, the movie, the photos, the game of Kings, shimmying, the relationship with Jim Bean, the Bitch song, the singing along, the falling down and blue spots, the dancing - oh, it was an amazing time (in my pants)!
The following Wednesday Inga and I joined everyone out at the Down Under Bar for the last time. It was a great time, and I'll never forget the shots of Jagger, doing the YMCA or rocking to Jon Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer! And, we can't forget doing the shimmy!
On the 20th I had the pleasure of dining at Ouzeri with Inga and her visiting mother, Ingrid. We had a 3 hour dinner, lovely conversation and a great time together. Afterwards Inga and I made an appearance at the Intergalactic Get-Down party at the Hardgrave House. It was a great time, and it was this night that Inga gave me my diploma. I will always cherish that piece of paper.
The next evening Tamara came up for the night. We played Kings, and had more fun as the three of us, plus some flat mates. It was a somewhat sad evening as it was Inga's very last night out...
On the following Monday night Inga, Iain and I watched The Emperor's New Groove, which each of us either loved or fell in love with. Afterwards Inga and I had a really wonderful chat and finally swapped all of our photos.
The next morning we had to say our good-byes, which were kept short and sweet to avoid the flood of tears that were going to happen had the good-bye not been short and sweet.

I miss you so much, Inga! Thank you for everything, Inga. You're a best friend of mine, and I look forward to our next meeting! Hugs, hugs, hugs!

-Amanda AKA Amara