INTERVIEW
ANNA BRINE
MARIA DAHL
FLEUR CLOHESY
TEAM ADMINISTRATOR FOR LEND LEASE
OWNER, RETRO157
BARISTA
AKA: Mum by my kids, Banana by my parents and Mrs B by some of my friends, B for Brine for those of you who are thinking otherwise! Most treasured items: My husband Stephen, our children Jack and Charlotte and my dog Niko. You in three words: Fun, Loyal (and according to my husband and kids), Bossy. Most memorable moments: The first time I laid eyes on my husband, marrying him and giving birth to our children. You always meant to... Marry a Billionaire! You drive a: Nissan Dualis Where are you from? I grew up in Vanuatu where three generations of my family were born. Due to political unrest we were forced to leave Vanuatu and settled in Sydney before moving to Townsville where we’ve called home since 1981. Best dish: Tahitian Fish Salad–a secret recipe from the Islands. I’m also very partial to fresh oysters. Your biggest inspiration: Mum and my dad. They’ve done it tough after losing everything when leaving Vanuatu and having to start all over again. Love you both! You’d change this about yourself: With maturity comes loss of eyesight–I can’t stress how frustrating this is. I so want this back. Ideal dinner guests: Someone with a great sense of humour–Andrew O’Keefe (Weekend Sunrise); someone easy on the eye, perhaps Daniel Craig (007); and someone to bring the wine. Your must-have gadget: I would say my iPhone although nowadays I would have to say my reading glasses as I cannot see the phone screen without them. The last book you read The Complete Works of William Shakespeare… no only joking, it was in fact last months’ DUO Magazine. Your philosophy: Treat others how you would like to be treated yourself. As a child, what did you think you’d be doing at this age? I speak two languages and always thought I’d travel the world as an air hostess–but alas I’m not a fan of flying! Parting words: Life is short so enjoy everything... in moderation.
AKA: Mum Most treasured item: A huge 1950s black lady bust I carted all the way from Sweden in my hand luggage. Oh,and my kids are pretty treasured! You in three words: Young at heart Most memorable moment: Watching my daughter Rita win the 800m at the National Athletics Championships in Sydney when she was 12. She had spent most of the night before psyching herself up by scribbling “I will win, I will win, I will win” on a notepad–and she did! I was so proud of her! What you love about where you live: The sunshine! After spending half of my life in two countries with probably the worst weather ever, I really appreciate seeing the sun almost every day. You always meant to: Do what I’m doing now–run my own retro shop. I’ve been a collector since about 15 and always loved ‘old’ stuff. I opened my own vintage clothing shop in Sweden in 1983 but I was a little bit ahead of times and it wasn’t a very successful venture. Where are you from: I grew up in a small town in Sweden called Vaxjoe. Moved to London in my early twenties, spent 8 years there before going travelling across the globe and finally ending up in Australia almost 20 years ago. Your biggest inspiration: My aunt Monica. She’s 80 but still rides her horse every day! Your must-have gadget: My sewing machines. Your philosophy: Never buy anything new if you can recycle something old. I love the satisfaction of blowing new life into things that have been discarded. The only things I buy new are electrical items and underwear. As a child, what did you think you’d be doing at this age? Living the life of a castaway in a straw hut under the palm trees on a deserted beach! Parting words: Never judge a book by its cover. A lot of opportunities can be missed by being too quick to judge (and I’m not just talking about books).
AKA: The girl that makes my coffee. Most treasured item: My grandmothers wedding ring. She gave it to me just before she passed away.You in three words: I’m very lucky. Why you get out of bed: To see what adventure the day will bring and to drink coffee! And to provide lots of caffeine to others like me. Most memorable moment: There are so many but I think the most memorable are when you meet people in your life that you know straight away that they will be in your life for a long time and that things will never be the same again. You always meant to: Open my own espresso bar and travel more but there is still time…. Where are you from: Sunshine Coast, I grew up in Noosa where part of our high school sports education in summer was to go to the beach. Best dish: I’m not big on cooking, but I’ve been told that I make pretty awesome Bloody Mary. You wish… that a full time work week was 3 days on 4 days off! For everyone. Your biggest inspiration: My dad, he always seems to keep a positive outlook on life no matter what happens. You’d change this about yourself: My stress levels at work, outside work I’m pretty chilled out! Oh and I would like to be two inches taller! Ideal dinner guests: Billy Connolly, David Suzuki, Alec Baldwin, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. The last book you read: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson and just starting the second book in the trilogy. Your philosophy: Often in life we forget the things we should remember and remember the things we should forget. As a child, what did you think you’d be doing at this age: I had a very crazy imagination and I thought I’d be living in a tree house in the forest with the animals! But I’ve grown up now (which is still debatable)and that it’s a crazy idea which could have someone committed! Parting words: Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes memory. DUO MAGAZINE MAY 2014 duomagazine.com.au 109