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

Living a Dream

Posted by Christine V. Edmond , Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
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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.

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BLASTOFF!!

Posted by Christine V. Edmond , Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
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5 flights, 23 hours of flying, 17 hours in airports (thanks to layovers) -- and we're HERE.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, to be exact.

I've anticipated this moment for 5 months with preparation that was just time consuming. I'll be honest, it was so hard to say goodbye to my family. Tears were shed...all mine. It was hard for "daddy's little girl" to part at the airport, but as he said, I had no choice and so now I'm here.

Sure, it felt like a sad melodic series of songs playing in the background of my life as I continued my trip; but the music picked up and the tempo is upbeat -- maybe dubstep even.

I've already made some Aussie connections during my flights and while waiting. I met two lovely ladies from Melbourne that live close to the University I will be attending. They provided me with a laundry list of places to go from shops to grocery to little cafes with the best cupcakes. :) They also gave me information on the neighborhoods, streets, and suburbs to avoid, although the city is relatively all safe (dark/sketchy allies and all). They were helpful in many aspects and it's comforting to know there will be more people like them all over the city of Melbourne.

**And if you are ever flying into Australia (which you should at least once), I highly recommend flying with Virgin Australia. The scene:

Enter the gates to be greeted by a friendly pilot with a huge grin on his face and the staff by his side. Purple and green lights with soft music playing in the background like "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees (classic.). Champagne in the background on a magnificent marble-like bar. Enter first class to see the exclusive seating, already sipping on their glass of bubbly as the other guests are waiting to be seated. Each seat with their own television, headset, blanket, and pillow. Perfect room temperature. Your choice of watching a movie (Inception, Happythankyoumoreplease, Friends with Benefits, others.), television channel (E!, Discovery, Disney, Travel, Australia-Channel), or just a random TV program (Good Luck Charlie, Family Guy, others). Or you can choose listening to music (Adele, Florence and the Machine, MGMT, Kanye West, Rihanna, and a variety o other genres); play a game even (Zuma, Pac-man, Car racing, Bejewled, others.); or connect your own media (read books and shopping coming soon).
 Nevertheless, 14 hours was well worth my travels (the food wasn't too bad either).

Customs and Borders:
Easy. BUT don't bring any type of handcuffs into Australia, it's a crime and you can be charged.

Thus, my journey into Australia has been pleasurable (despite having to throw away clothes at LAX in order to meet weight requirements for my luggage --> we won't talk about it).

Until I find housing accommodation, I will be at one of Melbourne's most popular hostels located in the CBD (Central Business District): NOMADS.

Wish me luck!
xx

P.S. One of the VAustralia employees def let my luggage limit slide...so I didn't need to throw away my NEW shorts and Express Jeans o____0

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