Melbourne, Trams and Fun

OK so was maybe being a little melodramatic in my last entry! I was overly paranoid and my housemates didn’t actually think too badly of me… as I found out later in the week. Still I do want to cut down on my drunken “episodes”!

And thankfully had a brilliant last weekend to make up for the previous one. Wednesday thought sod it I’m going away for the weekend. So booked some flights to Melbourne and off I went, straight after work on Thursday.

Arrived late Thursday and checked into a hotel and had a good long sleep. Therefore awoke Friday morning refreshed to a gorgeous day; blue skies, warm weather, trams pootling along historic streets. Thought I'd better go up the sky tower first thing as the weather might change (it didn't). So there I am taking in the marvellous panoramic 360% views when someone taps me on the shoulder, my friend Dani who I met in the United States, who also had just arrived in Melbourne for the weekend. How amazing is that!!!! So didn't feel alone and arranged to meet up with her and her friend Ian later in the day. So in good spirits I walked round Melbourne, taking in the piazzas, parks, Captain Cook’s cottage, and the Parliament buildings. Then met Dani and Ian and walked round the Exhibition centre, realised a comedy festival was on and bought tickets for the headline show “Ross Noble” live at the town hall. Before the show we had a delicious banquet at a Greek restaurant then proceeded to watch two and a half hours of hilarious stand up comedy. Had an early night in a hostel and even had 2 considerately quiet lads to share the dorm with; didn't even need my ear plugs. Met up again with Dani and Ian on Saturday and decided to buy tickets to an Aussie Rules Footie match, as the biggest stadium and most passionate supporters are in Melbourne (the game originated here). Again a gorgeous sunny day. The game was actually easy to follow and I learnt the rules and was very entertained!!! A close match and passionate support in a huge (95,000 - bigger than Wembley) stadium. Then met up with my friend Peta who I'd made friends with in Perth and she said you can stay at my house for the next 2 nights - Brilliant. So checked out of the hostel and made myself comfortable. That night we went out for a dodgy Chinese meal and then got taken to a lovely outdoor bar in one of the quaint old laneways, with a good lively atmosphere. Ended up at some nightclub, but I didn’t get too drunk and I remembered everything the next day! Sunday slept in till midday in my own double bed and then cooked Peta a fry up to thank her for giving me her friend’s room to sleep in. After a good feed of grease and meet I travelled out to St Kilda to meet Dani and Ian in the afternoon and it was hot enough to sunbathe on the beach. We proceeded to watch the sunset over the sea with the skyscrapers bathed in an orange glow and then walked round the lively streets, had some tasty fresh fish and chips and people watched. Went back to Peta's, watched a fun dodgy film called Merlin and then had an early night. Monday was spent wondering around the botanical gardens and along the river, again under a big blue sky.

So all in all a good weekend. Spent way too much money, in fact my entire savings of $1,100, so my bank is now empty again. But sometimes you just have to loosen those purse strings and have fun!

Back to reality today. After a dodgy nights sleep, a spider (potentially poisonous remember!) on the ceiling kept me from dropping off. Kept on thinking it would sting and kill me. Anyway after a dodgy nights sleep I arrive at work today to the same old bored, trying to look busy, time passing very slow, routine. Oh well, only 18 days to go! And then after a brief holiday in China it will be, no doubt, back to some boring job in London. Just goes to show really the grass isn’t really any greener is it, it’s the same bloody colour!