Greetings from Melbourne, Australia.

Thursday 21st october 2010.

Up at 5.15am to get a bus, the street outside the hotel looked like a bomb hit with random objects having been flown everywhere. It had rained all night on and off so obviously i barely slept. You know what i'm like i panic!. I got a bus as this was the easiest option in the end due to my holdall being stupidly heavy, luckily once I got to Oz men were helpful with it. In hong Kong nobody helped me, (tight arses). As I left hong kong you would be amazed how many homeless older people there were sleeping on the streets, I counted at least 27 before i decided to stop. I did wonder what they will do when the typhoon hits and was glad to have been in my tacky hostel where at least i was safe (ish). At the airport i chatted up a fit Aussie bloke in the check in queue (why not? lol). I did refrain from stalking him and walked away after check in. In the morning china paper it said issue 3 would be by lunchtime. (The one where you stay in doors and prepare for the bad stuff). It was issued and the airport cancelled alot of flights later that day. I thank god for listening to my prayers and that i got out. the flight had some freaky turbulance due to this. The flight itself was ok, i sat with some chinese people who didnt speak much english, but it was ok. I sampled hong kongs american style waffles and chocolate sauce with tea for breakfast. I wish i hadn't, it was yuk. I then met a lovely couple from Oz who live just outside Lorne. I only spent 30mins or so having a proper english brew, but got on really well. They've invited me to stay a couple of days next month. Their place sounds beautiful by the coast and a forest, very country ish. This was a good start. Arrived at the hostel after a hard time trying to get there, the sky bus was ok as i got this money back. The free bus from the train station stopped well before I flew in. (useful to have known earlier). This meant taxi time, interesting when you don't really know where you are in the first place. The guy told me to look for numbers on the street. Not so easy, the street numbers were not in an obvious place.lol

Finally arrived after 11pm, shattered and in no mood to be sociable. My new roomie is Wina (an upcoming artist). Shes the aussie version of rachelle. Trendy, hip, funny and mad. Shes only here till Monday as then she goes home to sydney. No other roomies. you don't know how happy i was about this and the place is big, clean, comfy and i love my new bed. Unfortunately she experieced my amazing ability to scream, talk and twitch when i'm sleeping. (wasn't a light dose either, lol) she wasn't freaked out though, she thought i'd seen a rat - if only!.

Friday 22nd october 2010

Sorted a phone (takes a few days to set up and prob longer as i have to go back the shop monday to ask how). Even though oz is english im still confused at times.
Been the bank to finish sorting that out, just got to wait for a card. (i was allowed to choose a colour, lol sad eh).
Made reservations till next friday at the hostel as its then melbourne cup day so gets tricky. (horse racing, possibly a public hol).
Had brunch with wina, first normal food in a while and a proper brew. This was great as in hong kong i felt so shakey, sick. No crazy sleeping tonight, had a great sleep despite the noise of a wild party.

Saturday 23rd October 2010

I spent 14 hours or so on a tour of the Great Ocean road that i booked before leaving home. I apparently didn't book the neighbours one like i thought, plenty of time yet. I was up 6.15am. I'm not particulary liking the early starts, but at least theres free black tea. (nearest im getting to decaf i guess). This tour was amazing, great people, funny essex tour guide. We saw lots of welsh and english named places and even walked through a rain forest. Had lunch in apollo bay, saw the apostles and london bridge that fell down a few years back. lol Everything here is either named after somewhere in england, wales, america or italy. I shall be revisiting some of the places hopefully later. I also had the oportuntity to be totally freaked by loads of wild parrots attacking people. After screaming for a while i eventually stayed quiet for 5 mins to let one eat off my hand. I also saw my first koala and baby and a kookaburra (very close up). It's cool i love the animals here. Oh and i found another hole in the floor toilet amongst the normal toilets. It must be a popular system. I took a photo of funky toilet block too. Maybe im becoming obsessed by toilets.

Tonight I went to China town to Shanghai Dumplings with Wina. I had no idea what i was doing, but she did. China town it tiny compared to that of any i've seen before, amazingly cheap and yum though. Also got taken on a 3 hr walk to see a band and jumped a tram, because wina got us lost in East Brunswick. The band were good though and called the holidays. I payed well over the odds for a corona, never ever again i shall stick to wine.

Tonight some Japenese girls arrived in our room for four nights, they didnt get ownership of the room cos my dirty laundry took over haha ive made a cool litlle washing line in the middle of the room. Anyone would think it was only me there. The girls don't do socialising

Sunday 24th october 2010

Today was a chilled day to wander around victoria markets, very european and cheap. Wina taught me how to shop for fresh swiss cheese and pasta etc. We made our own yummy sarnies and for tea wina made the best pasta and homemade garlic bread. I would love to say i played a part, but i didnt really. We chilled in the hostel with a swiss girl who was quiet and not like me but very nice to talk to. I tried to arrange to go out tomorrow but she didnt give the impression she wanted to. We did exchange room numbers tho, wahey lol. Wina helped me hand out 7 resumes today to cafes, this was hard work, people aren't too keen on internationals in asian or italian cafes.

Monday 25th october 2010

Wina left mega early but she invited me to stay with her in sydney at new year. Today started off good with a call from mummy. It then got worse as i realised someone robbed my aussie phone last night. Could be partly the wines fault. I hadn't even managed to activate the bloody thing yet. I tried to tell the swiss girl about this, but she practically blanked me and didnt really want to say hello but did. Maybe she could feel my anger and got scared. so instead i took it out on an innocent girl at the vodafone shop who also told me her colleague hadn't told me all i needed to know. (another snotty cow). i felt better after moaning at her and no i didnt feel sorry for her. I now have my phone set up and useable and close to me. I have now also found my original phone that wasn't robbed, but in one of my so safe places that I didn't see it. I treated myself to having my eyebrows waxed for $12 which is about 7 quid. (the keyboard has no pound sign - weird).My day is also getting better i've been to medicare to find out how it works if i need healthcare and its seems easy enough. I have also been back to cupcakes where i gave my resume yesterday and spent time playing on being english. Shes passing it onto another branch who have more work nearby. I should get a phonecall today to tell me if i get the job, yay. It only took playing on the whole english/wales thing and handing out 7 resumes. Apparently i sound welsh. Maybe that is why they didnt understand my english in hong kong?! .

oh and the pet shops here have dogs and cats in cages - so cruel!

new words

a block = area betweeb a main road and another main road - useful when i got lost.

thongs - flip flops

band aid - plaster

bogan = arrogant

goon = boxed cheap wine

bathroom - toilet

mate = greatest word ever invented when you don't know names

bootiful = most over used word in australia

awesome = another over used word

typhoon update

issue 3 made on friday. killed 19 in phillipines and 3 people in tai wan. many tourists caught up in flash floods. luckily it missed hong kong but by the looks of things the floods are bad enough. Íts only just kicking in how that actually could have been a very bad thing. I'm assured nothing ever happens in oz like that thank god.

random things you may want to know:

The aussies don't dance like us, its theatrical. Te music is good though and even better when its english. melbourne is oldy worldy im loving it. the men are fit, but they loiter in bars like the english and they don't tend to chat people up. someone reassure my mum im unlikely to meet anyone unless i begin to make an effort. its a shame tho, ive met some fit frenchies too.lol

tatty bye, muchas love xx

p.s. I did buy and write some postcards in hong kong, not for everyone as thats too much effort. you may get them by christmas/easter. i just need to buy stamps and actually make it to a post office or maybe i could send them in bulk for mum to post? hmm

monday evening = swiss girl decided to be my friend (selective clearly) we chatted whilst i ate bagels with dodgy cheap cheese and spices and then walked to the habour. I saw possoms up close and personal, took some pics. I also saw something that wasn't a bat as bigger, it was flying around the westgate bridge like a bat though. (make sense? no, it doesn't to me either! lol)

Japanese girls still in room not talking to me. hehe

Tuesday 246th october 2010

I nearly ignored the swiss girl by mistake (she looked different). I think we are sit together at mealtimes mates lol.

Handed out more resumes, got rejected from cupcakes. There is suddenly no jobs going according to the the girl who was given my resume by another manager. I think people make up if there is a job or not to suit themselves. Wasn't impressed.

Had an interview at Fratt House (American deli place) - failed. I should probably tell you that i may have twisted the truth just a little in applying for no brainer jobs.

Firstly, Tesco cafe and a leisure centre cafe - I did work in the cafes doing coffee etc. If you know those places then you know it doesn't exactly require a degree to do that or a brain. lol Well here they don't know that! secondly, I may give the impression I'm in melbourne for 1 year. truth = i'm in australia one year and melbourne 3 months. third, i'm a true english girl - not a lie but it's not like i'm a londoner. four = i'm very skilled in coffee making etc. I almost believe it. I figure if i let them presume what they wish to presume, then technically i've told the truth. yeah? I can then impress them when I get an interview and tell them how much I love coffee and that I'm a fast learner etc etc.

Reality = Works for a bit e.g. at cupcakes. However Fratt House was a little tricky to bulls***. First question: how long are you here for? i told the truth 3 months and told them my plans (sounded good). She looked like she was thinking about my answers. Second question: can you make coffee? yes i've had lots of experience in the uk blah blah blah. Then, can you make a flat white? firstly at this point I had no clue what that was, and secondly I figured if I say yes she'd make me show her. So I said no, but was willing to learn. I think by this point she'd worked out I am not really the person for her cafe. Her last question was brilliant though, can you bake bread and make our sandwiches? er..No, but I can make your average sandwich. Hehe ok, Its no wonder that she suddenly wanted someone willing to sign a 12 month contract. o, clearly making coffee requires a little bit of a brain then. I booked a Basic Barista course 70 quid though! Better be good for that price.

Eve = met my swiss friend and a new friend, a german girl called Claudia. Shes's nice, did arrange to meet tomorrow for dinner. Wasn't a great plan considering i'm out till at least 6pm. lol Swapped facebook and numbers though so promising.

Made attempts to research a new hostel, this one is like a mortuary in the week. Slight exageration, but it's not exactly buzzing. Plus, I should actually be in a cheaper hostel and not a posh one really if I want to survive a year in Oz.

Wednesday 27th october 2010

Today is Neighbours day, the day youv'e all been waiting for and wish you were able to join in with. Admit it!. lol Should have been a really great 3 hour tour around different sets, meet a star, get history/gossip etc and basically cheesey fun. Actually was a bit s*** and not really worth getting up at 7.15am for. I was quite dissapointed with the tour guide, sh gave the impression this was supposed to be a serious quiet tour, like she was going to get me being quiet on a NEIGHBOURS tour. She spent the whole tour boasting about her great social life and how she is mates with the cast and parties with them. Like i paid $45 to hear about that?! She really irritated me and she knew it. I don't think my mobile ringing during her big speech really helped the situation. It was only dad, but I couldn't not check the phone. She had to repeat herself as I asked a question she'd already mentioned. She was not happy about that. Remember how on school trips as a kid there was always one annoyingly irritating kid, haha that was me today. (Got to get my kicks somehow) I was getting my moneys worth one way or another ! Got an autograph of mega skinnny Declan and some pictures.

Barista Course = Best course ever and well worth the money. I can now make 10 posh coffees like an expert. Only 4 people in a class, I love it and it was a good job considering I was pretty crap at the start. You'd be surprised how steaming milk can end up being a messy job.

Katie rang tonight, yay was so good to hear from a familar face and somone in Oz that I know. woohoo, she's set up a job interview tomorrow for me. Fingers crossed it works out as It would make life easier for me and uses my degree.

Eve = Made a yummy microwave meal as dinner plans with german didnt happen. I did sit with her thoguh and catch up on her day. Wasn't too bad, she went to her room early though as she leaves tomorrow. Tonight is meant to be Kareoke, greatest kareoke ever, NOT! There's absolutely nothing going on.

tatty Bye for now. xxx

p.s Japanese girls gone yay, 3 new randoms i've no yet met yay.

p.p.s The sleeping is back to normal you'l be pleased to know. No more freaking people out.

eve continued .... random girls are aussies putting on american accents, goodness knows what the point is.

Thursday 28th October 2010

Went to Toorak for the job interview, got it. Jumped the tram as I couldn't work out how to use the payment machine. Not sure how to describe my role or the job itself. Had lunch in Toorak in a posh cafe with a tea plunger, it was yum. Then went to federation square, I love this area it's so beautfiul and by the yarra river. So many arty sculptures and buidlings and students. I had a hot dog for me tea, was tempted to try the aussie version, but will leave that until anoter day. Got offered drugs by aussie roomies, aka happy pills for free, apparenly legal. (Answer is no before you ask, I didn't take them!) Jumped a tram again, peer pressure. Went the Art House with my freaky roomies to see a band, the band was good.

Friday 29th October 2010

Check out day = I overslept and nearly got charged for the priviledge. lol Checked out my posh hostel and downgraded to a cheaper one. It's certainly cheaper, they charge $2 for you to hire a cup. It's clean (ish) and has a shower, toilet and an ok bedroom. Now sharing with 6 lads, so theres a boy smell. Met a 19 yr old German lad who educated me on German studies. He also gave me aree breakfast and a drink (i'm a charity case already). He's sweet and well if he want's to take care of me, why not let him. I keep meeting Germans and Asians. Met up with Steph and went to St.Kilda, the home of CAKE CAKE and more CAKE. I love it, theres so many cute little cake and tea shops, not cheap. Steph is a girl I may have stalked before coming to OZ via this blogging site. She is my new best friend though and will have to prepare for more stalking. She is the first person i've met who speaks good English and is staying as long as me. She's from Luxembourg and lives somewhere I've never heard of outside the city. I met her boyfriend and we walked along the beach, saw penguins and box jelly fish (the bad ones). The sea is cold yet the weather is boiling. I don't quite get that. Meeting her and her aussie mates tonight so hopefully it's the start of a good friendship. Booked my trip to Sydney for NYE, $120 return on the greyhound. It's going to be a 12 - 14 hour journey, oh hell. However, it will be worth it to be where the action is for nye by the harbour.

Visited the massive State Library to find free internet, see a shopping art exhibition ands generally walk around. It is huge and I had my bag searched for some reason, might have be standard routine or maybe I looked dodgy.

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with Katie for a panad, I can't wait. Seeing her yesterday was so surreal. I've so much to tell her and ask. Found a church to go on Sunday too, I'm going to visit a few to find the right one. I love the churches here as they are all tiny and cute.

Random fact: When crossing the road and the little green man says it is safe to cross, here in OZ a car can still turn into the road your crossing. How is that safe? Someone please tell me how that works.

Tatty Bye for now xx

Saturday 30th October 2010

Festival of Diwali in federation Square, FREE street shows and a concert that I missed. A little bit of India in Melbourne with colourful outfits and random henna tatoos.

Melbourne Cup Weekend = The locals begin to dress to impress to flock to Flemington Races.

By lunch it was pouring down, half of Octobers rain fell in one day causing a few flooded streets and the old victorian trams to come to a holt. (Free trams). Melbourne is the only place where the tram driver will turf you off because his control room has flooded and he doesn't want to get electrocuted. He picked probably the worst stop as far out from anywhere, luckily another tram did arrive and it was ok. By the time I made it back to my hostel I was a drowned rat and cancelled seeing Katie as it was not a nice day at all.

Spent the rest of the day/eve reading my book and chatting with my new japenese friend who goes home tomorrow, he has been all over in a year.

Sunday 31st October 2010

Halloween - Nothing really happening, yay.

Went to a Scots Church in the city out of curiosity. It was the 45oth Anniversary of the Scots Reformation. Great sermon on John Knowx - Give me Scotland or I die! Hillarious when it came to question time and the preacher gave some interestingly long answers that didnt actually answer some of the questions. However the popel were lovely, scotish but lvoely. I don't think I will go back as I can't cope with that much Scotland talk every sunday. Met a woman from Singapore who thinks my idea of choosing a random church each sunday is weird, why is it?! I think it's a top idea.

Met up with Katie for a fun filled evening of lovely food and wine. Stayed over as going back into the city that late in the rain wouldn't have been pleasant.

Monday 1st November 2010

Still spring. A bit chilly or cold as locals and Katie think wearing scarfs. I don't think its quite that bad.

Job news: For those who are wanting to know so badly about my finances, I have not ran out of money. i am getting a job now as if I leave it longer the students finish for the holidays and so the jobs wont be there.

As I was up so early i visted the Shrine of Remembrance, great building. Lot's of random gumtrees with plaques about different troops from different wars worldwide.

Good deed of the day : I helped a blind man get onto the right tram. As i didn't know the right tram and had to ask he told me "Open your eyes and you will see". He may be blind, but he is wise. Later a blind man walked straight into me nearly knocking me over. My eyes were open, I was reading a bill board!. The guy was fine, I was amused by the whole experience. I did not laugh out loud!

Visited St. Pauls Cathedral or was it St Francis? Not sure, one of them. Theres alot of Cathedrals all over the place, they are nice, but once youve seen one the rest aren't much different.

Moved rooms in the hostel to a smaller room, this made my german friend think i'd fallen out with him. I hadn't it was just the same price, but bigger and more girls. Made friends with an irish guy with a great suit and a Korean bloke who has spent 6 months living at the hostel. Now surely that is classed as SAD?

Tuesday 2nd November 2010

Melbourne Cup Day - the biggest day in Australia. All for a 3.5 minute race that wasn't as good as the Grand National. I couldn't believe it, no jumps just straight running and not even as far at the national. I was not expecting that, i went to a bar and bought wine to watch that too.

No.8 Americain won, look it up, the jockey was tiny. Apparently this event was televised worldwide so it could be on sky.

We are now 11 hours ahead of England as your clocks went back, this is rather confusing.

It was great watching everyone come back form the races as they come out the main train station. Alot of pople had the same people watching idea and were there taking photos. You'd be amazed how many shops shut for this day and a few stayed open to make the most of it.

Visited the NGV - National Gallery of Victoria, cool place.

Tatty bye for now xx

p.s. Bought some funny aussie xmas cards to send. Not yet sent any postcards sorry.

Tuesday eve continued...

Went out with my new german best friend who is staying in my room. Free comedy night at the hostel bar, awesome night, great laughs and great craic. Met alot of Irish lads which made the night even funnier. I seem to be meeting alot of irish blokes, I will send them to London for Rachelle. Some of the acts were awful and some were good. Highlight = the nelsons twins, hehe they looked like Osama Bin Laden on purpose. They were prob the best out of all of them. some were only funny because they were so bad.

Wednesday 3rd November 2010

Still the cup festivities. nothing really to report, first day at work went well.

Thursday 4th November 2010

Last day of the cup, Ladies day. Second day of work was good but tiring.

Friday 5th November 2010

Bonfire night - An english tradition not celebrated here. Which is surprising when theyve robbed so much from England. First day in a few we have had lovely sunshine so I can wear my shorts and Aussie hat.Getting some photos developed and making plans to post stuff today. Going to see a band with the two german girls in my room tonight to celebrate us all havings jobs.

Parcel sent to mum of photo's, postcards and birthday cards - god i am actually impressed i've sent them before crimbo. Takes about 2 weeks to get to the Uk and then mum will have to post stuff on.( There could be alot of scribble on these pictures, might be due to the scary 3 hours I spent figuring out where I'd taken pictures of).

Bought stupid, but funny christmas cards of a typical Aussie Xmas on the beach to send home next time.

Eve - Band didn't happen. I have read nearly 4 book though now in less than a month! yay

Saturday 6th November 2010

A day of chilling in the sun in Fed square being stalked by a random geek and reading my book. Random eventually did get a conversation when i'd stopped playing let's move seats and see if he follows me. (Amused me for a good 30 mins).

Children do the funniest things! A small child randomly got on stage and danced to the free music. Within 10 minutes she had a crowd of people clapping and cheering her on, Awesome.

Eve - Kareoke with the german girls and their Aussie/non Aussie mates in China town, followed by dumplings and iced black tea. China Town is becoming one of my favourite places to go for food and parties.

Sunday 7th november 2010

Church Hunt, Am - Collins Street Baptist Church - Apparently a large congregation. The last church was also mean't to have a large congregation yet it was about 15 people. This church was lovely with it's old fashioned pews, traditional hymm books and bibles. It just lacked one minor thing... people and a bit of atmosphere. The congregation was definately bigger than the last = 20 people. As much as stewards are great at making you feel welcome, it was clear no amount of introductions would lead me to a young person. I met Lucy who told me of another church with yet again a large congregation and apparently young people.

Rally time - I went to watch a Aussie rally of stopping refugees from being held in mandatory detention. So much fun just to watch and try to understand thier point. A few people presumed i followed this in the UK and tried to get me to the join the left winged movement. I didn't , but it was interesting just listening to peoples reactions to the protests. I agree they should not be detained, but i can understand why Australia deports them back to their home. They deport law abiding travellers who don't have a visa too. lol

PM - Swanston Street Cross Culture Church of Christ, Congregation = 100 + young people. Finally a large congregation that was actually what large means. This church was weird, but weird as in different and kinda cool. it was lead by mainly young people and the sermon was done by a more mature pastor shall we say. The sermon reminded me of John Humphreys lectures from bangor University, which is odd for a sermon. The Seating plan looked like a lecture hall too. Communion was not right though. To me communion is sharing a connection to Christ through somethign that represents the body and blood. Well it wasn't quite the connection I had imagined, it was simply here's your cracker and grapefruit juice now go do your communion. You get your stuff, sit down and don't get any words of wisdom or blessing and it last's less than 5 minutes. You make communion what you want it to be, freedom of communion i suppose you could call it. lol If i could just bring Altrincham Methodist Church here for communion i'd be sorted. lol The worship side was fun though and although a strange placw with seriously strange pople I do actually like it. It's the first church which feels right and where i've made a connection with people who could be friends. I met Penny who invited me to a bible study on monday night

Monday 8th November 2010

Pay day - left job as too much for travelling. Lasted a week woohoo.

Bible study at new church - weird and wonderful as i thought. However the people were okay and i think i can probably cope with their weird ways as long as they keep providing me with brews. They plan to help me find somewhere to live for the summer too.

Nuns - I was told of lodgings that sounds as though it is basically run by nuns. The rules ar: no drinking, no sewaring, no smoking, no parites, no boys. My response should have been thanks, but no thanks. My actual response was " oh, but I drink!" You can see why I won't be living there. Alcohol should not come before the nuns!.

Road trip - My hostel friends the germans and irish and I are thinking of doing a road trip back down the ocean road towards adelaide next week... watch this space.

New word

Bummed = fails something like an exam

Until next time, tatty bye xxx