St Kilda Surprise

After 4 days spent within the confines of the flat because of an ankle injury, I finally hobbled stepped out to attend a friend’s surprise party all the way in St Kilda. It was the perfect day to go out again as Melbourne was in a good mood and showed just how pretty it is when it is sunny & warm. I was finally able to wear a skirt without tights!

Funny thing happened on the way to the party, Mitch and I were running a bit late. We were told to be there at 730. By 710 we were still in the city so we figured, we won’t get there in time for the popping out from behind the couch bit, we might as well eat dinner first and arrive after the surprise. By 830, I messaged G, the superwoman who organised the event and the one who took the birthday boy Carlo out for dinner so the guests can sneak in. I asked if it was safe to come now, she didn’t reply so we gathered the festivities were well under way and it is safe to make our way there. Getting to the house, it was all quiet and dark. I had a split second of doubt thinking I got the date of the party wrong when Mitch suddenly whispered they’re behind us. Scared but acting casual we walked on and rounded the corner. We giggled to ourselves hoping we didn’t get caught out and a minute later we heard a big exclamation of “SURPRISE!!”. We very nearly ruined the surprise! And if you’ve seen THAT episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, you don’t want to do that.

I’ve known G since High School in the Philippines. We really didn’t know anyone there aside from G and Carlo. It was very interesting talking to other students from the other unis here in Melbourne. It was an awesome party to venture out into the world for.

Samdays in Melbourne

My friend Sam from Vanuatu arrived last Thursday before heading out to her 5 week UK holiday and onwards to  her new job in Fiji.

Living in the Pacific has its perks, but one thing it deprives its lucky inhabitants of? SHOPPING. So when an islander lands in civilisation spending money and buying pretty new clothes is priority. so I took her shopping – Bourke Street, DFO, Smith Street Outlets (for her travel gear).

Port Vila, where Sam and I previously lived, is a teeny tiny town with less than a handful of places you can go out to drink. So we took her out to get wasted too.

Madame Brussels -63 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Meyers Place – 20 Meyers Place, Melbourne

An islander might also be in awe of the cityscape. Port Vila, afterall, cannot exactly be described as a metropolis. In the whole country there are only 2 lifts – at the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu and the Sebel Hotel. Skyscrapers are none existent, so we took her around the CBD.

High Vibes 2009

as we got past the barricade, this is what we saw: street art using discarded lighters!

I was duly warned before going to the High Vibes Festival in Northcote to wear comfortable shoes and to eat before going. Mitch said it’s an afternoon of standing around drinking in the street whilst trying not to be stepped on by the sea of humanity.

the sea of humanity

But we did manage an afternoon of fun (aided of course by a lot of beer) and good company, an awesome atmosphere and good music.

We even managed to watch the amazing Paris Wells (joined on stage at some point by the guy from True Live) at the Peacock Hotel

Spent the rest of the night at courtyards of random pubs in High Street

and made our way home around 11ish via Bell Street Maccas of course.

Miss Jean in Melbourne

Back when I lived in Canberra and had this blog, I used to lurk at other canberran’s blogs. I read Jean’s blog a lot as I could relate to her plight as someone who’s just landed in alien, barren Canberra. One day as I was shopping in Civic (canberra’s city centre) I saw her and introduced myself as the girl who comments on her posts. I felt like I knew her as I’ve followed her through her trials, tribulations and triumphs as a newly wed and she followed my life from Canberra to Vanuatu and now in Melbourne. Our online friendship became a real life friendship. I saw her move from Canberra, Cairns, Philippines and now that she’s back in Canberra she has become friends with my sister!

Well she just started a new job and she had her training here in Melbourne so Mitch (she felt like she knew Mitch too as she’s been reading all the blog posts with him in it) and I her to Southbank for dinner with the Crown fire show in the background and then walked her back across the Yarra to her hotel.

cocktails and the croft

We . . .

set a date to try out Pete’s reknowned cocktail while having beer at Bimbos. So the Fitzroy dwellers trouped to Kew to sample this controversial cocktail (with stories ranging back from parties in Port Vila).

which consisted of an expresso shot + vodka + whatever else was in Pete’s extensive liquor collection they fancied to drop in there. The concoction was potent! I think one sip got me dizzy.

After a few (labour intensive) trials, we decided against our better judgement to head to the city. It was determined that the girls have never been to the Melbourne laneway institution The Croft Institute and so the boys were quick to suggest the place.

After the most entertaining cab ride EVER (thanks to the best cabbie in Melbourne)  and some head scratching from the boys to try to remember just where the mysterious hidden Croft Institute is (Little Bourke & Swanston at the end of Croft Lane after a walk through a stinky laneway, overflowing rubbish bins, an abundance of milk crates  & quite possibly scurrying rats) we arrived at our destination where we proceeded to:

dance to awesome old school music (complete with crazy dance moves)

pose for a few decent photos

examine our footwear?

emerge victorious from the Institute with another night of fun under our belt

beer at bimbos

A quiet night was on our agenda that Sunday night: a simple Sunday dinner, a movie in bed and an early night in. But it was not to be. We were on our way back from shopping from (the newly refurbished Fitzroy) Coles when we got a message from Pete.

Heya Fitzroy dwellers. Either of you guys up for a drink/bite to eat? If so let me know. I’m headed past in about 40mins. Hope you’re both playing nice

Jack and I looked at each other, and said “meeeeh. why not.” So Pete was told to drop by our flat to suffer through my mediocre cooking skills and then we’ll skip out for a few pints. Hella, the flatmate, came home just in time when the dishes were washed and the boys were just about finished with the beers they dug out of the fridge.

So off the four of us trouped downstairs to the freezing Brunswick Street. We let the one Kew dweller decide where to go and he chose Bimbos as he claims he hasn’t been there since 2007.

And there we . . .

In the jungle, the mighty jungle..

So I went on a safari in Africa.. and took photos of these guys

sleepy lion

giraffes

rhinos and zebra

the guide said these guys are mistaken for unicorns

mongolian wild horses

big burly bysons

lazy hippo

beautiful cheetah

funny meerkats

monkeys

big something or other

kites, crabs & carefree

After a morning in Iririki, I took Mitch to meet my bestest friends in the island: crazy/beautiful Rusty, Will my yoda & Polina the lovely. After the usual lunch of inappropriate, life stories and shit talking Mitch and I were invited to tag along to witness the breaking in of Rusty’s new kite surfing gear. So tag along we did to Mele Bay. About a 10 minute drive outside the town right where you go to catch the ferry to Hideaway Island.

The wind was not good enough for Rusty to surf in but it was a beautiful Vanuatu afternoon spent with my most beloved people.

rusty unfolding his 9 meter kite

poli learns to fly the smaller kite

and it soars while i dig my feet in the sand

the sea and me <3

will takes a turn

There’s an empty chair here. we guard it closely.

Hello from sunny Port Vila!I haven’t really been up to much. Still finding my feet in this sandy place.

However,  I did manage to

• help mum move from our lovely house with this view

view from Villa 5 of Sea Side Villas

to an apartment at The Melanesian Resort with this view

from Unit 28 of The Melanesian

• Be my obnoxious local self exploiting resort facilities without paying a single Vatu while bonding with my brother

Rex & Tusker @ Le Lagon

• Catch up with beloved old friends and hear the gossip about the colourful characters in this city

Will & Poli, Rusty for lunch at La Tentacion

• and even out my tan

Le Lagon

I hope i had more exciting news.. but alas.. the island makes me lazy.

But he’s coming on Wednesdays and adventures will be had then!!

I

WE CANNOT FRIGGIN WAIT!!!

Ale Tata! Lukim yu!

(that’s Ok bye! See you! in Bislama)

Aaaaaaaaaaand.. I’m back..

In Port Vila, where I spent half of last year. This place is and will always be the place that shook me to my very core, where I have learned so much about myself and that caused me to shift my paradigm,.

This is against my nomadic nature, to come to a place where I have already hunted and gathered. I am one to move on, never coming back because I’ve already harvested the thoughts, lessons, and experiences I could from a place. But having said that, I acknowledge that  I am what I am today because of the nourishment that this beautiful paradise so generously offered me.

But I think this is going to be good for me. I see now that coming back,  allows me to reap the benefits of the seeds that I sowed last year. The friendships have bloomed but stay rooted to where it was planted, lessons are still waiting to be picked from the tree and acres of adventures still await.

That is not to say that it has been without difficulties. There is something both painful and overwhelming in the realisation that the place where you breathed, talked and lived has evolved without you. The place itself has changed. So many new buildings, shops, cafes that did not exist last year have popped up all over the place. In such a transient place such as Vanuatu, many of my friends have gone and those that have remained are somehow  different. And of course there’s me. I am not the same lost little girl who didn’t know what to do with herself. To come here knowing that Melbourne is now home gives me a whole new perspective.

The changes are refreshing and yet a bit off putting. I long for the familiar but the difference that a year can make is encouraging. I left this place with a heavy heart with threads that flopped in the wind, which slowly unravelled me. But leaving allowed me to  pick up another piece of me and weave myself another life in Melbourne – one that is proving to be a beautiful tapestry of experiences. In my three weeks here I hope to tie up the loose ends I left here, finally hang what I have woven on my wall to look at every once and a while so I don’t forget.