Winter of 2011 done the Melbourne way.

I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing about my travels and escapades. I was randomly flipping through my older blog posts and realised how much I enjoyed reading about the traveling shit I've done in the past. Just looking at those photos again is enough to bring a smile to my face and a melancholy sigh to lips - where did all the good times go??

No matter. I can always start anew again. Anyway, if you haven't already guessed it already (and if you really didn't get it, shame on you) I was in Melbourne for a solid 10 days. Melbourne is so awesome. I feel like I can't repeat it enough - Melbourne really IS awesome. I sat down at one of the tables in one of the many rooftop bars that dot the Melbournian skyline, and a friend said to me, You know, you belong to Melbourne. You are more Melbournian than a lot of the people who actually live here.

Well put, Lolli.

Anyway, pictures are up - these are just some of my favouritest shots that I took whilst I was there and they are arranged in chronological order. I'll probably do a running commentary (or not, depending on how I feel) but it's all pretty self-explanatory.



Flinders Street Station. Possibly one of the most iconic buildings in Melbourne, apart from the doorway of Oldtown Kopitiam in downtown Chinatown. True story.



You + Me won't be unhappy. One of the best pick-up lines I have ever, and will ever, come across in my life.

The Royal Exhibition Hall where lucky University of Melbourne students sometimes get the privilege of sitting in for exams.

Where Lolli uttered those fateful words. I think --- I will try my hardest to make it come true. Promise.

For 5 days, my heart was so happy and full of gladness that I thought everything would brim over and explode. Every night I went to bed wishing against Reason and Logic that time would either a) slow down or b) add a couple more hours in a day. There were so many moments where I would've loved to freeze and just leave it framed for eternity, but of course, I am no magician and can't bend time to suit my will or needs.

I am in love with this city and this most recent trip has done nothing but to further reaffirm why I should pack up and move down as soon as I reasonably can.

Yellow fingers and baby shampoo. Black t-shirts and Monet. Everything about it screams I miss you so.

Press Play before you begin scrolling down. Thanks.












Any ideas where I'll be from Saturday onwards?

Isn't it annoying how time just sneaks up on you? I've taken to measuring time with rent i.e. when rent needs to be paid, which, unfortunately, happens to be this weekend! Rent is paid every fortnight and so, PHWOAR another fortnight has already gone!

The exact moment when my Life became defined by Rent is unclear. I mean, this is the 5th year I've been living on my own and, technically, I've been paying rent ever since. But I don't think my life has been dictated as such from the beginning. Rent has always been a part of my Life, sure, but I didn't think it played such an enormous role! Perhaps Rent started taking a hold on me when I returned from Antarctica for the 2nd time and realised how liberating the 6 months I spent there was, when I didn't need to pay Rent apart from the monthly storage fees, which were quite measly when compared to my previous monthly Rent fees.

I am waffling.

Anyway, this Idea that I'm living my Life centred around Rent is quite dismaying. As much as it is a necessity, I still wish it wasn't so. However, Utopia does not exist hence this cycle we are all in.

I read in an article about squatters and the ideals behind squatting, and it was quite an eye-opener. Apparently, there are thousands of livable properties in Sydney that are abandoned. They are perfectly livable, but there just isn't any access to it. Enter the squatters, who refer to themselves by the more glamorous term, Property-sitters. Their principle is that, rather than overcrowding and causing over-competition in the already-stricken rental and property market of Sydney, why not ease the situation by finding accommodation in these abandoned buildings? Not only are they delaying rent-hikes, but they're providing a human presence to abandoned buildings.

What struck a chord with me was this statement from one of the squatters interviewed, "Why should the fruits of my toil and labour go towards paying someone else's mortgage?".

So very Utopic indeed. But upon further reflection, I guess that is the current price to pay for stability. It is all very well to squat, but the threat of eviction will always be there. Also, I might resent paying for someone's mortgage, but I hate the idea of having my own mortgage more. Perhaps cycling my Life around Rent is the best for now.

Did you just waste your time reading 6 paragraphs and 1 line just to find that there's no grand resolve over my Rent issue? Yup. Shit happens.

As I was walking out to church today, the air smelt faintly of chlorinated swimming pools and the smoky embers of a barbecue pit. It struck me as rather strange because these were smells you would associate with Summer, yet, it is the height of Winter in Sydney.

Not that it has been a cold winter. Perhaps it is just myself that has changed. Perhaps I am now more tolerant to the colder climes as I've had a year's worth of living in sub-zero temperatures. Still, having these olfactory cues to remind me of summers that I have missed was quite a pleasant surprise.

I received some excellent news regarding my forthcoming trip to the deep South and I have to say I am very pleased about it. It appears that, perhaps God has taken a fancy to me and have started answering all my prayers. I'm not a religious nut, but when I receive news like the one I had yesterday, it just reaffirms my fledging faith that, yes, there MUST be a God out there.

It might sound a bit odd but I think I'm really going to miss going to Church when I'm in Antarctica. I'm not trying to curry favours with God now that I think He's answering my prayers, but yea, I think I'll miss having my weekly conversations with Him. I've never been a religious person, at least not to the standard of the Roman Catholic church, but I do think that my faith is strong, and besides, too often do people confuse Religion with Faith.

Anyhow, two more weeks before I hit M-Town, and I gotta say, I CAN'T WAIT! I love Melbourne, I love all the people there and I love that I always have a good time! It is so much more than a holiday destination to me; at times, it feels like I'm coming home, and so, this homecoming will be pretty sweet indeed!

What do they say...Journeys end in lovers' meetings?