Melbourne: The List

Things I Like:

- Restaurants bring you water immediately. You never have to ask for it. I love it!

- Melbourne tap water is delicious. Better than bottled. I can even drink it warm. 

- everyone, and I mean children to old men, have iphones. 

- beets are everywhere. You can get them on a sandwich or in a can or at the store or in a salad or on a burger. And they call it beetroot. How cute is that?

- public transport. I love that I can walk out my front door and catch a tram to the city or to work. I try not to because they are bloody expensive and their new-ish swipe card paying system barely works... 

- breakfast. I've never really loved breakfast foods very much. But here? You can get breakfast at most places all day. And I love poached eggs with pretty much anything!

- gorgeous flowers that I've only seen in photos and in my dreams are hanging out on trees like it's no big deal

- same with palm trees. Sometimes I forget that I am in a different place and then I see these trees just doing their thing and I'm all "Whoa!" 

- old Victorian houses. What a dream it would be to live in one of these!

Things I Don't Like: 

- People refuse to share the sidewalk here. They will not move over and share the space. People will just want 4 across and force anyone so unfortunate to meet them to step into the street or duck into a shop until they pass. So rude! Also people don't walk on the proper side of the sidewalk. If you drive on the left, walk on the left! That way everyone can walk and get to where they are going! GRRR!

- Right now the Australian Grand Prix car racing is going on in a park down the road. I'm sitting in my 6th floor apartment and can barely hear myself think because of all the VROOOOMing that is going on. When will this end???

- There is no such thing as pedestrians having the right of way. Not even at all. Every car seems to think that it is the most important thing on the road. They do not slow down at intersections even if you have a walk light. They will never let you cross and if you do try to they will just honk at you even though in no way did you impede them. Also they don't seem to care about emergency vehicles. I saw 4 cars turn in front of an ambulance just so that they could make a light. Ambulances should have to wait for people who think they are important!!  

- Movies cost $18.50!!! WHAT???

Things I Don't Get:

- cricket. It's a game that lasts for days, has rules that make no sense, and they all wear white while not much happens

- Fake grass. In a lot of front yards and areas along the road they've installed Astroturf. Like the stuff that you might play football on, if you played football. I get that it's too hot to grow proper grass but isn't the scrubby grass better because it's real??

- Melbourne weather. It's hot, then cold, then rainy, then hot again. All within 40 minutes. 

Things I Miss:

- Blonde hair

- Pink Hair

- Nose ring (I still have a stud but miss the actual ring)

- laughing until my guts hurt

- having friends

- enjoying days off because I had things to do and people to do them with

- my own space. Sharing an apartment is fine and dandy. The people are really nice. But only the bedroom feels comfortable because that is the only thing that is mine. 

- crafting

- reading books that I want to read. I don't know what to read anymore not to mention the fact that I can't really afford a book and am unable to download one to my Kobo because of shoddy internet

- being able to use the internet to do what I like. I miss being able to read blogs. Sometimes I can get the words, rarely I can get the pictures. I miss being able to watch silly YouTube videos too... 

Today I am grateful for an elevator that is on the ground floor just when I need it to be.