Blogging is resuming – again. I’ve hauled ass south. Rather far south, actually. I’m in Melbourne, Australia right now, living the backpacking life.
There was a choice: sit around and look for crappy jobs in Dublin, or go be a bum/casual labourer in Australia? Well, I’ve just about had it to here with Dublin so Melbs it was.
Work isn’t exactly forthcoming at the moment. I had a meeting with a temp agency yesterday morning and I’m using all my positive thinking to magic up a job for myself. So while I wait for the employment fairy to visit me, I’ve been exploring this gorgeous city, making some new friends and reconnecting with some old ones.
We went to a festival a couple of weekends ago – Golden Plains. Amazing music, food and people. Weather? Not so much. One emergency welly boot purchase later, I was happy as the proverbial Larry. It was a weekend of freak weather and storms in the Melbourne area and it was the one weekend I was camping. Karma, why do you love to kick me in the ass?
Gaffwise, I’m living in an awesome shared house (see me with my liberal use of the word “awesome”? I’m assimilating myself) in St Kilda, a trendy, seaside neighbourhood to the southeast of Melbourne city centre. There’s a grand beach 5 mins walk down the street and some amazing sunsets against which you can ponder your deepest thoughts.
St Kilda Pier, Melbourne
Melbourne seems to be the Extra Curricular capital of the world. There is always something to do in this city. This week, for example, both the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Australian Grand Prix are starting. We’ve got a couple of posses checking out both events – sure you’d be a fool to let the Grand Prix happen ten minutes from your house and not go.
A favourite place of mine in Melbourne so far is the Queen Victoria Market: a gorgeous food market on every day (except Wednesday, as I found out this morning) selling every kind of edible delight imaginable.
Queen Victoria Market, Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
I also checked out an amazing cafe for lunch yesterday in Abbotsford. It’s called Lentil As Anything, and the idea behind it is pretty cool.
Lentil as Anythingis a unique vegetarian restaurant that is run as a hot-for-profit community organisation
and largely staffed by volunteers. Our philosophy is to allow the customer to decide
what they want to pay for thier food and drinks. You decide the worth of the food, the
experience, and the philosophy then upon leaving put an anonymous donation into the
box on the counter.
Having a quick sconce around their website does give hints of financial trouble and some bad feeling about a documentary made about the organisation. But I can say the food is gorgeous! And amazing Iced Chai.
Until next time, when hopefully I shall have fantastic tales from the Grand Prix.
