ANZAC weekend

Hi All,

This weekend we are celebrating and remembering. It's a celebration because we live in a free country as a result of the many sacrifices made by our armed services in the many conflicts that Australia has been a part of. Thank you all! Lest we forget

Link

ANZAC Day Commemoration Council

The Dawn Service is held at the Shrine of Remembrance commencing at 6.00am -6.15am.


Public are welcome to the Dawn Service but are advised that they should be at the Shrine by 5.30am.



Official Wreath Laying Service commences at 8.15 - 8.30am. Officials laying wreaths march up the Forecourt and enter the Shrine to lay wreaths in the Sanctuary.



ANZAC Day March commences at 9am at the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Street. The march continues along St Kilda Road to the Shrine where all participants march up the Forecourt prior to dismissing when they reach the Shrine steps.



ANZAC Day Commemoration Service is held between 1pm - 1.30pm at the Shrine.



The Shrine will be open to the public directly after the Commemoration Service.



For more information please visit the Victorian RSL site: http://www.rslvic.com.au/



Shrine Officiate : All Shrine Trustees, Life Governors and Governors

Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous.

George Bernard Shaw

Wild Melbourne

Well campers, it certainly has been an eventful 48 hours. Some gangland dude was killed in jail. Nobody seems to be upset though. He was the basis of the mini-series Underbelly, so I am expecting Channel 9 to be showing re-runs again. Boring. Underbelly - TV

Carl Williams RIP

Wikipedia

Last night I had my first thunderstorm - Melbourne style. It started all showy, lots of lightning and then BANG, hail hit. Granted, was only small hail, but it was exciting and scary at the same time. Last time I had a battle with hail, my car lost and my house flooded. I was like a little kid at the end however, out in the backyard eating the "ice from the sky". Huh, I am higher on the food chain!

Had a weird experience on the train ride to work this morning. As usual, I was waiting at North Melbourne for my connecting train to the City Loop to get off at Flagstaff (the next station thankfully). Normally, the city loop trains are PACKED, and I mean it - we are talking up close and personal time! Anyway, the train pulled in and yes, packed as usual. This time I had to be on that train, so I just backed my wide arse into the small spot that was left and I squished in. My nose was touching the glass on the doors as they closed.

It was at this point I realised that there was a male standing very close to me. He was, well, excited about train travel - so for the next 5 minutes of my train ride, I had his bits pushing up against my bum. Most amount of action I have had in a few months I can assure you readers. Mind you, got me to thinking - what is the polite thing to do in this instance. I can see most of my gay friends rolling on the floor laughing at this point. I went with the idea of "enjoyment". I had to glimpse back as I got out of the train, trying to spot Mr Woody, and there he was. Uni student, and he winked at me. I love train travel now.

Training at the ASX 200 Listed Company continues. Have done most of my assessment and passed with flying colours. Except for what to do in an emergency - do not look to me for guidance! I will be the screaming mess trying to find my handbag..........

Have a couple of new friends coming over for dinner on Saturday - just going to do a Roast Chook and Veg, but found this yummo recipe for little Marmalade Puddings, am going to serve this with double cream. Can't wait!

Pudding - Jamie Oliver Style

My trusted monthly Metcard (this is paper card with a magnetic strip on it that can be used on Melbourne transport) expired today. I have decided to trial the new system, similar to the Go Card in Brisbane, but here it is called the MyKi. Where do they get these names from?

http://www.myki.com.au/

Weekend Excursions

Gosh, how time flies.

This weekend I had so many things planned, but as usual, everything sort of got jumbled. I was originally going to explore the Docklands area on Sunday, but on Friday night I discovered that the Channel 7 series of "The Pacific" was being re-run on 7-TWO, so I didn't end up going to bed until 1:30am. Plans out the window!

The Pacific - Mini Series

Had my first sleep in on a Saturday - haven't had one of those in ages! I still managed to get up before Bubbles who cherishes sleeping in until at least 10! I miss those days!

Went to Bunnings for potting mix. http://www.bunnings.com.au/ Came out with Potting Mix, Strawberry plant, Blueberry, Cabbage, Onion, Spinach and Garlic seedlings, a hose, planter boxes and an extension cord. Damn you consumerism!!!!

Decided to pop on a slow roast recipe I found on the net - Bubbles LOVES my slow cooker - well what I make really. I don't mind a nice stew either, also helps that I only have to use blade steak too. It was devine!
slowcookerrecipes.net.au 

Went and did a little shop to restock - I looked so domesticated with my list and all. Seems that Melbourne doesn't wake until after 10 for some reason, so the supermarket was deserted. Yay!

Saturday afternoon was all about reading the paper, drinking coffee, have a ciggie or two and a clean of the house. Half way through the cleaning, my hot water tap in the kitchen decided it didn't want to turn off. Now readers, I know you would like to think that as a modern man, I would understand what to do. Wrong.

I rang the real_estate_agent who told me a plumber would be around soon, but just turn the water off. Perhaps it was too much coffee, but I stupidly commented that I couldn't and this was why I was ringing - this was Stupid_Mistake_#1. In the most sarcastic ridden tone, real_estate_agent told me to turn the water of at the mains. Felt small at this point.

Whined along the lines of "I don't know where it is......" - Stupid_Mistake_#2. Said real_estate_agent muttered something unflattering about my lacking masculinity and told me to look for a tap out the front near the gas. Sarcastic_real_estate_agent = 1; Unlucky_Homo = Nil. Had my first Vodka & OJ. At 2pm. Felt a little better.

Was sought of hoping for Hot_Husky_Euro_Plumber to show up, was a little excited I must admit. Mmmmm, many fantasies coming true. Very dissapointed when Aging_Grandpa_Plumber pressed my buzzer. He had crack action with his stubbies too. Had 2nd Vodka & OJ. Had another before he left.

So readers, by about 4pm I was getting tanked by ones self. Loud music beckoned and I became Domestic_Godess and cleaned the house (4th Vodka & OJ consumed whilst vacuuming - its a good look!). Then realised had organised for Little_Ted from ASX 200 Listed Company to come over for Roast Lamb dinner. Oops. Checked mobile, message received - Little_Ted was bringing girlfriend as well.

It's a true miracle that I got a Roast and Veg into that oven and prepared without killing myself. You see Vodka had done its job and I was a-slurrin all over the kitchen. Felt good though.

Long story short, Little_Ted's GF, Retail_Diva was a blast. And they liked my cooking. Cleaned the plate. Felt good. Died and went to bed. Even Bubbles said that the night went well. Not bad for my first entertainment at home.

Sunday - Lazy Days. Love them. Sunday is the one day of the week that I truly relax and become selfish. Pottered in the garden, out for yummo coffee, Williamstown for lunch, back at home for V8 Supercars, then round to my local cafe for Jazzy Sunday. Stunning.

famousblueraincoat

Work beckons. Still in training. Still alive.

Adam

Social Responsibilty

Hello Everyone!

I didn't realise how many anonymous people viewed my little blog, but hey, isn't that the point of the world wide web?

Having recently completed training on "Social Responsibility" at my workplace - I have had to go back in my posts to do some editing. I know, it seems a little extreme, but I have to be clear that when I blog, I do not do this with the consent of my employer, nor should I identify them in any way. Free speech dies!

So in the interests of fun and games, I have given everyone a pseudonym and refer to my workplace as an ASX 200 Listed Company. Time to guess who!

I was also called to task about the accuracy of my posts. I never really thought about it to be honest, but as it turns out, one of my posts (which contained inaccurate information) almost turned into a workplace melt-down scenario - so again, my readers, I have done the paper thing and placed "corrections" through my previous posts. Oops, we all make mistakes, thats what makes us human.

On the brighter side, Sexy_Greek_Grandma and I went to Bingo last night - what a hoot. Nothing like the old-school RSL hall bingo I used to go to - this is a serious hobby/addiction for people! Mind you, they all loved that someone younger (yup, I was the baby in the room) was there to have fun. I could barely keep up! Definitely going back next week, I like a good challenge!

Bubbles (my new flatmate) seems to be loving my home cooking. I plan to teach Bubbles how to cook over the next 3 months, but in the meantime, I am my own little MasterChef. I managed to do a full shop (except 4 meat meals) for $200 - I was so proud! This should last for a fortnight - all things going to plan.

I am having Little_Ted (a friend who works at the ASX 200 Listed Company with me and Bubbles) over for dinner on Saturday night - maybe a chick flick on DVD and chocolate. Will be good as I am test driving one of those "You can feed a family for under $10" recipes from the supermarket. Should be fun!

Well kiddies, I am feeling a little down after the run in at the workplace, it seems that I have not made a super dooper impression on Funky_Centre_Manager but as you all know, I am honest (to a fault some say) and I do make mistakes. From mistakes we learn (I think some famous person said that).

Bridge rebuilt - time to move on.

Am trying to give up the ciggies too - after the Top_Politician told the media today that the death sticks could rise in cost by $10 per pack. Stuff that, I might move to Trans Fats instead - not taxed nearly as much!

Off to cook Field Mushroom Risotto for Bubbles and I tonight for dinner.

Plan to explore Southbank and Docklands this weekend. Wish me luck.

Wonderful_Adam

Fun times

So here I am at my new choo choo station and I thought this would be a great time to update my blog.
I have to admit it is more challenging than I had originally thought. Melborne traina are a lot wider than qld ones, the gauge is different, something i remember from schol days!

My typing is atrocioys ! RAttling train typing! On the upside, there are so many hotties on the morning commute!

Am off to bingo with the foxy_greek_grandma tomorrow night. What a hoot!

Its getting colder

I have been told that to be a successful blogger, that I must post more often. Oops. [ NOTE: Also have been told that accuracy is important - hence my blog review ]

As this is still a learning curve for me, sometimes I just forget! Well I am at the end of the 3rd week of training - which is still boring me to death. It is actually quite hard to remain engaged in a job when the training is covering stuff you already know. Most of my friends say to lap it up as the company is paying me to do nothing, however that doesn't sit well with me so I am champing at the bit to get into the job.

I met one of my neighbours earlier this week - she is a lovely greek grandma. I can already tell we are going to be best mates as we have started planning on what to do with the front garden that we share. My Foxy_Greek_Grandma loves roses, and Melbourne is the best place to grow roses, so we are likely to plant roses in the front garden. This requires a planning day and a bit of elbow grease, but we are committed.

Foxy loves Bingo! OMG, I can't wait. She has already booked me in for next Sunday night - should be a blast!

Bingo - Melbourne Style

This week's weather was a mixed bag. As it got closer to the weekend, the temperatures started dropping. It is definitely heading towards Winter. Today was the worst, driving rain, squally gusts that tended on cyclonic and overcast. Truly cold. I love my ducted gas heating though - its been toasty as inside today! Had a bacon and egg breakfast then a long drool over the paper. Rang the MotherShip for our ritual of trivia from the Sunday Mail - I actually did alright this week!

I have found a new flatmate, without advertising! She works at [an ASX 200 company] in a different department and floor to me, but she is adorable. Bubbles is her name, she is 21 and bubbly as a bottle of champers. It's early days yet, but it seems to be working out well.

I had my first date with Mr Witty. As it turns out, we live quite close to each other and ended up at a local Irish pub - had the best Guiness Pie I have tasted in years - and a few beers to match. Was a lovely outing, and I hope to see Mr Witty again. He makes me laugh!

I am planning on heading to the Grampians (about 3hrs WNW of Melbourne) for the first weekend in May for the Grampiams Wine & Food Show. http://www.grampiansgrapeescape.com.au/ . Am staying at a cute caravan park in the area, which boasts an ensuite and electric blanket! The major drawcard is TV Cehf Manu Feildel - the guy from Channel 7's My Kitchen Rules. Am having breakfast with him (and about 200 other people) on Sunday as well as tasting many wines and getting to know the local food scene. Shuttle bus from the front of my accommodation means I can get a little tiddly and not worry about the local policemen!

Mind you - this is the Grampians in another month - its likely to be brass monkey season - so I am working out how to layer!

Well, the wind has returned tonight, so I am going to snuggle under the doonah in preparation for another stimulating week in training.

Hugs to you all

Adam

Day Trip to Williamstown

As today was to be the last of my easter holidays, the MS and I decided to go exploring the local scene. To my surprise, I discovered that Williamstown (which is about 3km away) has a stunning beach, great cafe scene and with a sleepy seaside town feel.

Apparently Williamstown was going to be the capital of Melbourne, however there was no fresh drinking water so they didn't stay. Big gain for me, its great. Can see myself on Sunday's having fun!

The Big Move

Wow - I have moved from Motel Wonderful to my own little place in the burbs. It feels so good to be in my own home, and I have space! I don't know whether I had told you all, but Townhouse 2 was a second option to the flat I really wanted, but for an additional $40 per week, I scored a 3 bedroom place instead of a 2.

With this said, I picked up the keys on Thursday and went and had a look at my new place for the first time! I have to be honest, its lovely. My room is the size of most people's lounge rooms - I have my king size bed, desk & 2 hutch's and still have tonnes of room to move.

The great Mothership was on hand when the removalists arrived (late) on Thursday afternoon. It wasn't long until the house was full of boxes. However, prior to the removalist's arrival, the MS and I spent 4 hours cleaning - standards are very different between Qld and Vic. Had I left a home like this at the end of my lease I definitely would not have got my bond back and more likely than not, would have been taken to court!

Friday saw us unpacking again, and that is when the lurgy hit. Muffy & Ken's kids came down with something viral and it appeared that they passed this on to the MS. It takes a serious bug to force the great MS into bed, so I just pottered around downstairs. She was back on her feet on Saturday morning, but I then came down with the same thing on Sunday, so we have been like ships in the night.....

The removalists have lost a couple of things of mine - will ring them on Tuesday to find out what to do......my kitchen cupboards are very empty!

Today is a recovery day for me, still have a little fever, but hope to get out to Williamstown to have a peek.

Here are some photos -will post more when I feel a little more healthy.

Easter Weekend

The great Mothership landed safely in Melbournia today - it was such a wonderful thing to see her - its been almost 2 weeks since I arrived. Tonight is wonderful dinner time at Bentleigh East with Ken & Muffy for roast lamb dinner!

[ NOTE: Original entry deleted as this was innacurate ]

Confirmed with the removalists that they will be at Domicile Adam at 1pm so its all systems go to exit Motel Wonderful tomorrow morning in preparation for my move in. The Mothership is very excited about unpacking me - should I be concerned.

Short post, I have to go and carve the roast lamb. [ NOTE: Updated entry to relect actual events - Left work early to go to what I thought was a Doctor's appointment but turned out to be some weird sort of medical wait-list. After 1.5hrs didnt hang around any longer. Note to self, should have stayed to avert possible workplace disaster - isn't hindsight fun? ]

Will be back online tomorrow night

Adam :)

24 Hours Until the Mothership Lands

My Uncle Bill & the Mothership

Well, I am in the second week of training. I had my four seasons in one day experience today.......very cold this morning, raining by the time I got to work, partially cloudy at morning tea, hot and windy at lunch with full sun and no clouds, still warm but no wind at afternoon tea and now clear skies in preparation for another cool night.....all that was missing was Santa.

Training is still posing a challenge as the course is designed for people who have had no product exposure - and I have had enough exposure to last a lifetime! ha ha ha. I have taken to filling in every possible space in the training book - this fills my days and prevents thoughts of electrocuting myself with a USB cord.

I am very excited however, readers, for 2 reasons. Firstly this will be the 2nd last night at Motel Wonderful and secondly, the great Mothership arrives from Brisbane tomorrow to help me unpack at my new home......a lovely 3 bedroom townhouse far far away from Footscray !

My friends often ask where my Mum got her now infamous moniker of the "Mothership" and to be perfectly honest I can no longer remember. I rarely call her Mum anymore, this is probably because we are best friends (the family thing is a bonus!). I know that my move from Brisbane to Melbourne has been hard for her to cope with, but she has been my rock through the first 2 weeks in Melbourne. Love you MS!

Anyways, am off to Ken & Muffy's place tomorrow night (the people I went to last Friday night) to have dinner with the family and MS. I understand, from a reliable source, that Roast Lamb & Lemon Delicious Pudding is on the menu - yummmmmy........my favourite meal of all time. Lovingly cooked by the Mothership for us all. I am a lucky son!

The removalists will not arrive on Thursday until about 1pm. Poop. Will have to explore my local for a bit. A friend at work suggested I explore Williamstown, which is about 5 minutes away. Apparently it has an awesome art-house cinema and great places to eat. Sounds fun.

So I am depleting my food stock in the fridge of Motel Wonderful, so far I have had crumbly cheese and apple on crackers and tonight I will be having the following to create with: Chicken Fillet, 2 minute noodles; Frozen Veg, Apple and Yoghurt. I think there is a meal in there somewhere.

Some tacko shots of Motel Wonderful

(Notice that the Bed Fairy doesn't know how to

get to Melbourne!)

On the work side of things, I was told today that we would be moving by the end of the year to a brand new building.....very exciting. The building I am in now is only slightly more modern than Motel Wonderful - without the emergency services popping in all the time. But it is 52 steps (I was bored this morning) from the top of the Flagstaff rail station to my front door.

Public transport is still a pain in the bum. The train was so packed this morning, I was uncomfortably close to an angry lesbian with short hair who kept death staring me. I was a tad concerned for my life. Thank goodness I am only 2 stations away otherwise, dear readers, I could have died today! ha ha ha

Well, I am off to create my super meal tonight. I am sure Kim & Rachael will be super proud of me. If not, I am 2 streets away from the hospital!

 I may not be able to upload until the weekend but will have lots to say no doubt. A trip to the Yarra Valley is planned for Sunday too, hangover time!

I stumbled across a personal advert online last night and almost wet myself so I thought I would share it with you as well:

I am a dynamic figure, often scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I write award-winning operas, and manage time efficiently.
Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row. I woo men & women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook thirty-minute brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.
When I`m bored I build large suspension bridges in my garden. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays I repair electrical appliances free of charge. I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst and a ruthless bookie.
Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don`t perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I run the 100m in 9.56 secs. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles.
Children trust me. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. The laws of physics do not apply to me.



I emailed the author and we are going for a drink next week :) Wish me luck as I enter the Melbourne dating scene.

Till the next exciting installment of me,

Have fun and stay safe

Adam

[ NOTE: Some original parts of this post were corrected due to innacuracies ]

http://www.4ingredients.com.au/
http://www.visityarravalley.com.au/pages/welcome/

First Weekend

Ahhhhh, the weekend has arrived. I had already made plans to head over to one of the only couple's I know in Melbourne for a real home cooked meal experience......the only challenge was that they were 45 minutes away and I had to travel the Monash freeway to get there......on a Friday afternoon......in peak hour!

More info on the Monash is at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monash_Freeway .

It was slightly scary - but I had Lee (my Navman GPS) guiding me - although some of the off ramps really confused the both of us - but managed to get to the suburbs for a really nice home cooked meal of chicken pesto with pasta. Yum. I think it tasted better because it didn't come from a BBQ.......

Domesticity ruled supreme - TV and red wine. Ken was very keen to show of his home renovations to me because I hadn't been there for some time. We sought of think alike, long term, advance planning - which made the home reno explanation so much more fun! His advice to me about renovating a bathroom was quite short - DON'T! ha ha ha

Fixed their internet problems and off to bed at 1130. Always the [ASX 200 listed company] Advocate!

Saturday mean a reverse travel back to The Motel. I spent most of the day cleaning up after myself and then reading. Started to rain in the afternoon and so I went shopping at Highpoint. This is a really big shopping centre, about 5 minutes away by car. I discovered by accident after having a microsleep on the tram coming back from Footscray station one afternoon. It even has its own membership club and YouTube presence. Check out: http://www.highpoint.com.au/ . I discovered a wonderful bakery and had a treat. Pippa was keen to get back to see what the evening would bring.........

Sunday I went on my first exploration. I had forgotten to bring in one of my shirts from drying outside and as a result of overnight rain, it was soaked. So I headed off to the local laundromat to use their dryers. Wow, $1, 7 minutes later, my shirt was dry and didn't shrink! Wandering around I stopped at the local markets and got the biggest strawberries I have ever seen - my gosh, they were as good as they looked. Felt a bit like a kid! Good times!

Decided against ironing as I still had 4 business shirts left ( and only needed 3 until I moved) so was extremely lazy and chilled back listening to lounge music.

Work tomorrow.

p.s. Also on was Formula 1 @ Albert Park and the Melbourne International Flower Show. Decided against going to either. Am getting all lazy....... Here are some links though...

http://www.melbflowershow.com.au/files/2010_Award_Winners_FINAL.pdf

First week of Training

Ok, so my friend Damaris is all over me about my blog, yes it was a last minute decision to start and I am trying to catch up since I have been here.

Week 1 at [an ASX 200 listed company] in Victoria - well I have moved to Complaints Management as a Case Manager - what does this mean I hear you ask? Anytime you are unhappy with the company, yours truly gets to have a peak as your Advocate. Challenges are my forte!

Interesting bunch of people in training, coming from a wide background in a variety of industries including service, call centre, insurance, hospitality, tech support & taxation! Certainly an interesting mix of people. I am really looking forward to getting my teeth into intersting cases but I have another 4 weeks of training to look forward too...........

So far this week at Motel Wonderful, I have met:

* 4 sex workers

* 2 drug dealers

* a journalist for a major newspaper

* a girl who has an amazing fascination with conspiracy theories

* 2 trannies

* and a couple of people on day release from the local hospital

So far, I have also seen all the divisions of emergency services, with the exception of the terrorist unit (something to look forward to perhaps). Nights are the worst, but so far I have experienced:

* 2 Drug Busts, cops, sirens the lot

* Domestic Violence breakup (Police, Ambulance & Child Services)

* 1 mental health unit intervention for abscondment (Police, Ambulance)

* 1 almost exploding drug lab (Fire Brigade, Ambulance, lots of cops)

* Gang Warfare - this was last night - 3 police and 1 police chopper with a very bright light

Thursday night was the busiest so far - the police must have this place on their frequent visitor card. The chopper was a little scary, but it had a great light......now only if I had a big mirror ball it would have been like the Mardi Gras party!

I have got into my own routine now, get home from work, computer time and drinky (I think this place is getting to me) - marathon shower & then down to the Manager's Unit to use the BBQ for dinner. I am restricted to what I can prepare, but if it can go on a BBQ, I am there!

Then return to my room, wait for the evening entertainment and then off to bed.

I came across an interesting description of my motel the other day while I was trawling online:

The Motel is popular with guests throughout the year, as it is conveniently located near the Flemington Racecourse, Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, West Gate Freeway, Melbourne City, MCG, Etihad Stadium & Docklands area

This is the best creative writing I have ever experienced!

p.s get a load of the train network - how confusing! Also a pic of the kind of tram I always get in the morning.

Hugs

Adam

Monday - 1 day before starting

Wow, for a dumpy motel, I sure slept well!

In the harsh light of the morning, this place looks even worse. Perhaps I had my sleepy goggles on when I checked in.....eek!

OK, Melbourne apparently has the best public transport in the world, so I decided to test the theory. I was originally going to do a test run as if I was going to work, but I slept in until 10am - so that was off the cards. Off to Reception where the lovely Greg told me to catch the tram at the end of the road to the Footscray railway station and then jump on the train. Ooh, first Tram experience.

Nobody told me that you have to pre-pay your tram tickets - got my first freebie ride in a tram. I wonder if the tram driver went to the same driving school as most of the Brisbane bus drivers. Considering its on a track, this guy was the V8 supercar Tram champion. Gravity never felt so fun! At the train station, I managed to get a monthly Metlink pass for about $25 per week. This allows travel on Zone 1 Monday to Friday and Zone 1&2 on weekends. Bargain! I did notice that not a lot of people were "validating" their cards.........seems that fare evasion is a global pandemic!

Ok, so I catch the train called City Loop - it stops at Flagstaff station which is where the Law Courts are located (I work around the corner). Unlike Brisbane trains, you actually have to wrench the door open yourself (felt foolish at this point) - it only closes automatically. Lots of travel time between stations, wide carriages and lots of hold on to rails. Similar to Brisbane, train timetables are extremely negotiable and to be used only if you have nothing else to read. Quick trip, took me 7 minutes to get to Flagstaff. Wow, what a station, it is underground and takes 3 flights of escalators to get to the surface! Got to admit, the speed at which those escalators travel, its like a mini facelift!

Checked PO Box, sussed out a couple of coffee spots. Found my building, then did the same in reverse. Melbourne is trying to role out a concept similar to Brisbane, a pre-paid transit smart card. Apparently there have been problems, and nobody really uses it yet - its called MyKi - god only knows what that means, but it probably cost Victorians about 1 million dollars in governmental funding to get there. Politics for a later post.

Quick visit to the local shops, and then prep for work tomorrow. I agree about the public transport claim, pretty much you have a choice of bus and tram, then trainline. Things seem to be duplicated though. Apparently, the ranking of choice is: Bus, Train then Tram. This is something I will have to discover why.........

Adam

Week 1

Wow, what an amazing week so far. I left Brisbane last Saturday morning, and with a short stopover with my friends in Maryvale, a very loaded Pippa (my Prius) and I started on our long trek to Melbourne.

My transfer with work as very rapid - 12 days in fact. This sounds OK, but I had to relocate my life in this time - including travelling to Melbourne to look at rental properties. This was a journey in itself. I can quite safely say that price, picture and descriptions are very creative. After 12 visits, I found my home. Luckily the Real Estate Agent was very understanding and let me sign the lease.

So I travelled all day Saturday, with a very short stop for lunch and arrived in to Parkes (NSW) at about 6pm EDST. I did see the "dish" as I was zipping down the highway - however I was far more excited about the thought of a hot shower! 12 hours cramped in my little car was almost too much to bear! She was doing me proud however, running at an average of 4.2 litres per 100km. Almost cheaper than flying!

So I arrived at my hotel, very modern for Parkes I might say, and found myself checking in at the same time as a couple of lovely boys from Sydney. The hotel receptionist was a little "old school" and couldn't understand why 2 guys would want one bed! Funny! We decided we would catch up for drinkies after dinner. Well, I didn't end up going to bed until 1130pm - a very long day. The boys where lovely, I hope to keep in contact with them in the future.

Sunday morning was meant to be an early departure, but due to my post partum drinkies, I didn't even wake up until 8.30! Eek! Straight back into Pippa and off we went for Victoria! The rest of the day was a little boring, but arrived in windy Melbourne at about 5pm - very tired!

OK, this is where I get a little creative with wording! As my lease was not due to start at my new place until the 1st of April, and I was starting work on the 23rd of March - I had to organise accomodation in Melbourne for the 10 nights. This is all over the period where 3 major events where being hosted in Melbourne. As my budget was tight, I decided on a nice sounding place in Footscray. Oops. First mistake. So I checked into my motel, then thoroughly cleaned it with bleach and started the oil burner!

The Motel was probably built in the 50's and considered very modern at that time. Shame that nothing has been done to it since (with the exception of adding reverse cycle airconditioning). My bathroom came with extra thick mould - at no extra cost! 6 coats of Home Brand bleach certainly showed it who was boss! On the upside, I managed to get most of my valuables from the car into the room for storage. My front door even came with a safety chain - although I sometimes dont feel safe..........

Big sleep on Sunday night. Got my computer hooked up first and then died. At least the bed is comfy!

I have tomorrow to explore and work out public transport before starting training in the city on Tuesday. Its all going to fast!