suburbia

Mitch and I went to St. Albans so I can satiate my craving for Filipino food. We found an Asian grocery store that stocked mostly Filipino products and then was directed to a Filipino fastfood place where I had lechon and sisig (two really delicious traditional Filipino pork dishes).

I realised I haven’t really been exposed to the suburban part of Melbourne. I live in Fitzroy which I stay close to. I study in and explore the city. I’ve been to St. Kilda, Albert Park, Kensington, Clifton Hill and opshopped as far out as Preston. But going on the freeway and taking an exit and seemingly being transported to Suburbia was a bit eerie for me.

To see houses in big blocks I suddenly missed the congestion of my tiny suburb, the constant (and often colourful) foot traffic and the ramble of the trams. I could certainly understand the appeal of the suburbs for families: the quiet, seemingly safe neighbourhoods are ideal places to raise kids. But at this point in my life, I’ll only come here for when my homesick tummy wants Filipino food.

*I am learning the art of op shopping! This dress was bought at a church op shop in Preston for $8!!!

Simple Pleasures

Since coming back to Melbourne from Vanuatu, I have had patches of the blues.

Perhaps it is being away from precious family and true friends.

Or being so far from the beautiful beaches and breathtaking Port Vila Views.

Or the winter chill that seeps in to your bones instead of the delicious tropical heat.

Or the fact that I have to pile on the clothes instead of wearing bikinis all day everyday.

Or the gloomy days of ominoues grey clouds as opposed to the spectacular sunshine.

BUT i have been fighting this feeling and finding pleasure in the simple things..

here are just some of the things that made me smile helping me ward away homesickness and rediscovering the beauty in my life in Melbourne.

• Pretty, pretty, sweet smelling flowers from my local flowershop. For a total of $16.50 this beautiful bunch has adorned our dining table to brighten the bleak winter landscape outside our window.

• capturing the beauty of the city on unsuspecting moments. Taken from a park bench in Carlton Gardens.

Fridays are for FUN

Jack & I were feeling celebratory (for a reason that will remain undisclosed) and planned a night of ‘things we’ve never done together before’. So we started with an early dinner at Houndstooth on Johnston Street inspired by this rave review.

The place is a great find! Excellent service, awesome atmosphere (if it is nice out, ask to be seated in the courtyard), great music selection and sumptuous and cheap food!

Finished the meal at 7:30 and made our way to the Comedy theatre along Exhibition Street. Saw Avenue Q and loved it!

Avenue Q: it doesn’t suck to be you

I had my first ever theatre experience in Melbourne last Friday (unless watching Arj Barker during the comedy festival counts?) and I couldn’t have asked for  a better introduction to what Melbourne theatres have to offer. Avenue Q was fantastic! There I was fully expecting a crass version of sesame street with lots of cussing and rudeness but was very very pleasantly surprised to sit through a hilarious and stimulating show led by a talented cast that sang brilliantly memorable songs.

The musical tackled subjects such as pornography, one’s purpose in life, homosexuality, racism, sex, relationships, failures, helping others to make yourself feel better and the real world. These perennial topics were seamlessly weaved into the lives of the residents of Avenue Q in catchy songs like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”, “The internet is for porn” and “What do you do with a B.A. in English”.

I loved the venue too! I remember watching The Producers in L.A. from nosebleed seats because we were skimping on the ticket. The place was so gigantic (I forget which theatre it was now but it was somewhere in Hollywood) and ended up renting binoculars for $25. The Comedy Theatre in Melbourne is good sized in that even if you’re on the last row the actors don’t seem ant-size.

Thought provoking, easily relatable, a little bit controversial and hilarious to boot! Go on.. watch it.. let’s see if you don’t go home skipping while siging “It sucks to be me”.

13 Signs I’ve Turned into a FLAT FINDING FREAK

1. Instead of opening my gmail and facebook first like I usually do, I open realestate.com.au to check for new listings.

2. Instead of looking out for hot guys in the tram, I look out the window to catch glimpses of for lease signs and real estate agencies I somehow missed.

3. I understand real estate linggo likE: OFI, BIR, CPI and all the others.

4. When I hear a number I automatically divide it by 2 or 3 (the number of people who are going to occupy the flat with me) and then multiply it by 4 (number of weeks in a month).

5. Even the shopoholic in me lost interest in clothes, shoes, bags and make-up. When in the mall, I gravitate towards homeware shops selling Manchester (bed clothes), kitchen supplies and bathroom essentials.

Living in Limbo

Almost a week in and I am still homeless. This is not something I anticipated. I thought in two days I’ll have settled in somewhere but I am still living out of my suitcase having to eat every meal out and carrying my toiletries in whenever I have to take a shower.

I am lucky enough to have found friends who so generously offered their spare room for me to crash in while I go on a hunt for a place to live. They are the most accommodating people but I would hate to invade their space for so long. Already I am so indebted to Mariel and Paolo for being the nicest, most caring and considerate people to crash with for a few days..

My friend Hella and I have been stalking real estate agencies and websites to find the most viable options for a home. We’ve gone to countless (8 in one day last Saturday!) inspections. Trudging in and out of  other people’s flats and houses. It’s quite fun if it wasn’t so exhausting having to race all over town to get through to the 15 minute window of inspection times. We’ve formed our own codes made up of raised eyebrows (eeew…this bathroom would just NOT do), a few blinks (look at the size of this kitchen!) and wide eyes (for. Oh. My. God. I can so see myself living here!). After walking out of the inspection sites we walk for blocks discussing what we REALLY thought of the place (the thoughts we didn’t articulate to the property manager of course). We’ve worked out comprises like: it’s ok to pay this much for it coz it’s close to town and we don’t have to bother with tram tickets; I could live in this dinginess only because the location is just perfect; or wow it’s okay if this is too far out because this flat is AWESOME.

Comfort in Exhaustion

Such a productive, enjoyable, exhausting day! Although I thoroughly enjoyed my alone day yesterday, I was glad to have spent the day with two people I actually knew.

When I woke up at 8AM, I craned my neck out the window to check what people outside are wearing to gauge the weather so I can determine what to wear. From the looks of the people’s outfits it’s quite chilly outside. So I rugged up in this:

And set out for a day of flat finding and lots and los of walking.

The first hour of the day was spent having a quiet early lunch at my new favourite hangout in the CBD – Cookie on Swanston. The hotel receptionist pointed this out to me as the place I can access free wifi. This alone made me love the place (my hotel wants to charge me $29 for a 24 hour period!). But Cookie’s eclectic vibe, intensely nice staff and quaint balcony where I can watch Swanston Street pass by won me over.

That is what I saw every time I looked up from my laptop’s screen. Over to my right is bustling Swanston with constant foot traffic, trams and the occasional horse drawn carriages passing by.

Melbourne Walkabout

When in a new city I like to have a day alone.. To walk around aimlessly, get lost,  ask for directions, press my face against shop windows, have random conversations with strangers, sit myself down in quaint cafes, watch people go about their daily lives, look at the buildings and to feel its vibe.

Today was that day when Melbourne opened its arms to me. It flaunted its beauty in such a beguiling fashion. Its old buildings were charming, the newer ones impressive, public parks inviting, streets easy to navigate, transports accessible and size just about right.  The weather was perfect (albeit colder than I expected).

But what really impressed me the most is its people. All the people were incredibly friendly from the guy who served me my pasta in a café along Elizabeth Street (who ended up showing me around the flat above the café),to the guy who served me my coffee in Cookie along Swanston Street, to the lovely lady in Carlton who helped me get back to my hotel and all the other really amiable people who readily smiled at me.

It was a good walk about that made me feel good about my decision to come here. In no time, I know I’ll come to regard Melbourne as my home.

Fall is here, hear the yell

Back to school, ring the bell

Brand new shoes, walking blues

Climb the fence, books and pens

I can tell that we are going to be friends

Yes I can tell that we are going to be friends

We’re Going To Be Friends ~ Jack Johnson