Showing posts with label Queen Victoria Market. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Queen Victoria Market. Show all posts

Chocolate. Wine. And sweet kisses..

I've learned not to rush here. I've learned to take it slow and I try to be careful. I try not to say too much too soon but I like to say enough so that my message is clear. I like just waiting for things to happen.

My days came closer to leaving the hostel. I didn't want to stop the adventures, but I did want some privacy. After an Open Mic Night in none other than U-Bar (the pub below the hostel), I spent the night with some friends who came to support my singing. It was the final call.

I went to the Royal Botanical Garden in Melbourne with some of my European (Poland, France, Belgium) mates from the hostel. It was certainly beautiful -- even though it's winter/wet. There's a lot of tea and trees I've never heard of or seen, but look really cool there.

 We watched the sunset from the garden, which gave a beautiful glimpse of the sun moving across the buildings. It was like something you would see in a magazine or on the movie screen. Moments.



I moved to my place in Carlton, Victoria. I live within a 10 minute walking distance (2 min tram) to Melbourne University. Glorious location! Not only am I convenient to the school, but I have Little Italy as my neighbor! The street I live on is filled with Italian restaurants and shops. People are eating outside on the sidewalk with heaters keeping the tents warm. In the middle of all this fun lies your local supermarket and cinema. Inside the apartment complex (sponsored by YMCA College Square) includes a gym, sauna, grocery store downstairs and Chinese carryout. I'm sure one of those things will be useful within the next five months that I'm here.

And I met my roommate. He seems to be a good man. He's from Korea studying his PhD in architecture. Quiet, Virtuous.

I keep in touch with my friends from the hostel. I hope that lasts longer than they think. I guess I understand. I've moved around a lot and learned what it is to have had true friends that would stick around or never lose touch. It's great. That's how I got to see many of my friends from Florida and Georgia when I went back a few weeks ago. We met up for some dancing over the weekend, which just became a trend for the following weekend (and may continue).

In between meeting new people and staying connected with friends, there was still this French guy that I had been hanging out with a lot through the past week and a half.

There we were, sitting. Enjoying the moment. I glanced at the time. 11:11PM (Make a wish). It was like a dream, and then the night ended.
Until the next time…11:22PM.

Living a Dream

SIX DAYS have past (Aus - UTC/GMT +10 hours) and of course there are more stories!

My new friends from Belgium and England (from the Penguin Parade!) made their way back to Sydney. Before they left, a fiesta was set in order! First, we went to Eureka Skydeck 88 (click!!), a A$17.50 semi-notworthit tourist attraction (A$10 extra for the Edge Experience), as well as Melbourne's highest building point.  It was definitely a beautiful site of the city and I appreciate the city even more because of the view. BUT all of my pics came out blurry. :(

Next trip - we would go to the Crown Casino! Since the Casino is open 24 hours, we headed out around 2AM. Gambling isn't my taste, but one guy we were with put in AUD$1 and got back 77 cents. I'm not sure how that worked out since Australia doesn't have pennies…but alright. 
Interesting Aussie fact: Prices will either be rounded up or down to the nearest 5th because, indeed, there are no pennies ($1 and $2 are coins).

The next few days were filled with lots of walking and new discoveries. Did I mention a couple of dates (just one guy:)? One thing is for certain, things seem to go pretty fast here. Perfect pace for me. What are the chances.

On the road to adventure and the State Library (free internet!), I journeyed into a different part of Melbourne. I went to Melbourne's well-known Queen Victoria Market. It's much comparable to Flea Markets in flea markets in places like Fort Lauderdale, FL (Swap Shop).  There were cool deals and I heard QVM is the best place to get fresh produce and eggs. I decided to eat lunch there at a corner café. If you're gluten-free, enjoy almost every café and restaurant in Melbourne, as they seem to have adopted special meals.

I stumbled upon the University of Melbourne and decided to explore the campus, confiscate a map, and see what I can learn within an hour. I was informed that UMel. is THE uni (short for University in Oz) in Victoria. I also heard it was THE uni in Australia, but I could be wrong.




The campus was so beautiful and perfect. It reminds me of a college campus you would see in a movie or on Boy MeetsWorld. The theme: Dream Large (not big…lol). I like it.

More adventures came throughout the week, but I'll let you take in the first three days. ;)

I'm really just looking for the thrill of it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGUU7CiK7YU).
Melbourne, Australia is #2 most livable place on Earth (The Economist).  Good life decisions.