Melbournia!

At the beginning of my third month in Australia, Pili, Deb, Tara and I went to Melbourne for the weekend.

I'd heard great things about this city from the crew, so I was really excited to check it out! Deb and I flew out at the same time on Friday, so we met (extremely early- to our mutal delight) at Central Station to catch the train to the airport.

Once through customs we celebrated with some tapas and a glass of wine- what a great way to beging the weekend. The flight itself is about and hour and half long- possibly shorter. And you cross into another state, New South Wales housing Sydney (and the beach where they shoot Neighbours!!), Melbourne being housed further south in Victoria. ( Does anyone else find it disturbingly odd that Syndey/Sidney and Victoria keep following me around?)

Once in Melbourne, we waited for Pili and Tara to arrive and then headed to our apartment/hotel on Bourke St. It's what they would call a serviced apartment, or for us not in the know- a hotel room with a kitchen. Pili found it online and the price was great, the location excellent and the service wonderful. It was a two bedroom, with a sitting area, kitchen and spacious bathroom- (with a GIANT tub!)- very nice stuff!

We got ready and headed out to a quick bite and then off to the main reason we were in town- to see the show that Deb had helped curate through her media curation business www.newmediacuration.com it was a really interesting installation, made all the more fun with the flowing champagne!

Melbourne is a really beautiful city, one of the features that I very much enjoyed are the little alleys packed chockablock full of nifty shops and restaurants. We occasioned onto one alleyway and had a delicious breakfast even though we were all a bit worse for wear from the night before!

We then headed to Chapel Street for some exciting shopping, this is Pili's favourite place to shop and I can see why, a lot of small shops and independent or small designers, you are always sure to find something unique. By the time we got there we were all hungry again and made our way to a cafee for a quick lunch- or so we thought.

Just as we were finishing our lunch- a storm broke out. Melbourne has a reputation for wild weather and this did not disappoint. At one point I thought I saw snow, but it was hail, and a lot of it. The the rain started in earnest, to the point of flooding the streets and into the restaurant. I've never really witnessed flash flooding before, it is a bit scary and I was happy we were inside, even if our seats ended up getting flooded on to.

Not to be deterred by ridiculous weather we sallyed forth and hit the shops. Those that were open, that is- due to the storm most shops were out of power and/or flooded. I did managed to pick up a pair of lacoste flats for the amazing price of $10. I have bargin mojo- I get it from my mum. AND they are such a bright happy yellow. I've worn them out once when I know it's not going to rain AT ALL.

A bit dejected about the lack of shopping we were able to get in, we headed back to the hotel for a rest and then out on the town for another night of semi-debauchery.

We went to a club we weren't able to get into the night before, and Pili and I shook our booty until it could not shake anymore. Or until it cried out for McDonald's (fun fact: you just don't GET ketchup in Australia, all condiments have to be requested and paid for)

Next day we headed out to an aread of town I can't at all remember the name of. I really like it though! Tara seemed quite familiar with it- I think she may have a propensity towards Melbournian men (and hey- with anyone that comes from a city that has the word Bourne in it- could they be that horrible?)

I ended up in Melbourne for an extra day due to inclement weather- and that kind of sucked. But it was also very nice to spend time in a city by myself. I'm becoming more and more an "on my own" type person. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. I think, in my mind I hold out for -the ONE- that I will be eternally happy to spend every(somewhat) waking moment with and travel the world. But part of me worries, am I TOO independent? Can anyone give me as good a conversation as I give myself?

It's my hood

Last night I was feeling a bit bored. So I texted (I'm not a big "caller") one of my neighbours/friends that I hadn't seen since I got back and we arranged to meet for Pho up in the Junction. We had a great time getting caught up and with a bit of dawdling outside and promises to go out dancing (and I WILL hold you to that!) she scooted off and I began walking home.

On my way home through the slightly cool air I saw people out walking their dogs, strolling down the sidewalk, biking in the bikelanes, and a group of kids playing late night basketball in one of the schools.

I cannot think of one instance I have ever felt unsafe in Toronto, "The City of Neighbourhoods" even in my darkest moments of despair I can always think about where I live and it puts a smile on my face.

So let me tell you about where I live.

I live directly in between Bloor West Village and "The Junction" (the area between Runnymede and Keele on Dundas West). The street I live on in a semi-main artery cross town, but it's quiet enough that I can lay in bed at night and listen to the wind or the rain, or the stillness of the stars burning in the sky.

On my corner there is an organic butcher, a chinese restaurant, 2 corner stores, an organic pizza shop, a greasy spoon, a hardware store, a weird small church, a wine maker shop, a laundromat, an eyeglass shop, and a few other private businesses. For the amount of business this is a quiet corner. When you look down the street in the summer, you can't see for leafy trees covering the street.

I never understood why we needed so many convenience stores (when I moved here there were 3- 1 has since closed down) but I quickly realized, you only walk as far as your own corner. Terribly convenient.

Ten minutes in either direction (north or south) are the Village and Junction, with a greater variety of shops and services.

This is a neighbourhood where people walk by you on the street and say hello, they smile at you. If you are struggling with something, they will help you. It's safe, I've been known to leave my bike out- unlocked- with no repercussions.  People gather on their front porches and in their backyards.

I've never grown up with a sense of community or neighbourhood until I moved here. People know my name, they look out for me. They know what I like to have on my hamburger and how I take my coffee. In turn I try to frequent their businesses and tell others about what great services they provide. We look out for each other. It's how I imagine living in a small town would be, but better.

When I was younger and couldn't sleep my Dad and I used to go for neighbourhood walks at night- the thing with moving out to the country is that people are VERY interested in their privacy and deeply suspicious of those who appear too friendly. Living in a big city with limited private space (and don't get me wrong, I have way more than most people where I live) has taught me about what it means to be a good neighbour.

Being a good neighbour means minding your own business, but being aware enough of others to be of service. If I didn't hear the girl upstairs for a day, I would go up and knock and make sure she's ok. I know she would do the same for me as well. It's about anonimity and security all wrapped up together.

It's what I think heaven is like. The more I spent time in this neighbourhood, the more connections I make, the happier I am. I'm living in the greatest city in Canada and I can sit in the silence of my backyard gazing up at the trees and it feel the quiet around me.

It's lovely and I recommend it.