(no subject)
OMG you guys all write too much. It took me AGES to catch up on a week or so of entries! I'm not sure what to write about since most of the last week and a bit has been spent with other people, who have already LJed about it, but to recap...
Flew to Melbourne with Anthony on NYE. The first thing he did upon checking into the hotel was go to the gym. *eyeroll* I settled into the hotel room (read: scattered the contents of my luggage all over the room in a search for a change of clothes I didn't hate) and enjoyed the free broadband while waiting for his lordship to return. We wandered around a bit before meeting up with augustuscaesar, who took us for Nepalese food and then to charliequinn's house, where the meeting of new people happened without the world exploding (with Anthony involved, IT COULD HAPPEN). The presence of cats probably helped. :-D
NYD was spent walking around doing not a lot, before meeting Jamie and Jen on Lygon St for dinner. That was quite an experience. We ate first at a restaurant that ran out of bread, WTF, but which also gave us two free bottles of wine, so we called that one a win overall. Then we decided to go elsewhere in pursuit of dessert, and this one was a definite loss. The staff inside hadn't heard of the dessert the man out the front promised, they ran out of ice-cream and the wrong orders were brought. The only thing that restaurant did right was the port, and that's because it's pretty hard to stuff up pouring your basic Penfolds Tawny into some glasses.
On Friday I ditched Anthony (who went to the gym, surprise surprise) for Jamie and Jen again and the three of us went to see the Old Melbourne Gaol, which was a definite highlight of the trip. Not as creepy or solemn as parts of Port Arthur, but utterly fascinating, very well put together and researched and home of one of the best tacky souvenir shops I have ever encountered. I bought: one bright orange souvenir mug, a Ned Kelly fridge magnet, a little plush Ned Kelly on a keyring, a pair of thumb cuffs for Ben, a pair of Ned Kelly earrings for Mum, four postcards and a set of Melbourne Gaol playing cards. I LOVE STUPID SOUVENIRS OMG.
After the Gaol Anthony and I went to the pub across the road from our hotel and engaged in some drinking with the few Roar fans in town for the match and approximately 822165987524 Victory fans. Most of the Melbourne fans were pretty cool, which I say based entirely on the fact that one of them was wearing a silly hat. The match itself sucked - the away supporters' section at Telstra Dome has probably the worst view in the world and we lost, so really nothing good there. Then back to the pub for more drinking with the opposition fans. To their credit, they hardly gloated at all, presumably because rubbishing Sydney together is much more fun. Top bunch of guys and I will welcome them warmly should they make it up here for a match.
I think I am a jinx on the Roar at away games. Every time I've been to an away game we've lost. I single-handedly ruined our hitherto undefeated away record for this season. D-:
Saturday was probably my favourite day of the trip. Met up with kitsunegari for brunch then met up with Tara again to try for the Wicked lottery, but didn't have any luck. Doesn't matter, I'll see it in June when I'm down for the WC qualifier against Japan! Anthony went to the gym again, so the three of us went for lunch. We found the most awesome restaurant in Little Bourke St, complete with big fuckoff picture of Mao with "Serve the People" written across it. We actually only went in there because it was painted bright red and it had Mao in the name - how can you pass up something that tacky? Turned out to be an excellent choice. Food was cheap, plentiful and delicious, service was very attentive and wine list markup wasn't too horrendous. While we were sitting there a Falun Gong protest march went by outside - it took a good ten minutes to go by, which is way more impressive than what the Brisbane Falun Gong people can manage. They do three little old ladies sitting in Post Office Square with some signs. Melbourne put on a parade with floats and bands and costumes and very well translated signs - no Engrish at all!
Sunday was spent shopping in the CBD with Anthony, who spent about five hours trying to decide whether to buy a bag or not. Flew home. Collapsed.
Great five days, all in all. We stayed at the Alto Hotel on Bourke St and would recommend it to anyone. We booked on wotif.com and our package included free cooked breakfast each morning, free wireless broadband access and free access to the local Fitness First gyms (which Anthony loved). The staff were really helpful and the room was nice enough. Will definitely stay there again.
I'm really glad I took this week off work. Best thing about it was watching the cricket today! I can't believe Graeme Smith went out to bat with a buggered elbow on one arm and a fractured hand on the other. The South Africans have earned an awful lot of respect this tour, and most of it has been earned single-handedly by this man. I almost wanted them to hold on for the draw, but really I'm pleased that Johnson got him out! Losing the series 2-1 is not quite as bad as losing 2-0.
On the topic of cricket, Mum bought me the Men of Cricket calendar. It has Mitchell Johnson on the front cover and as Mr November. I think it will be November all year in my house.
I'm beginning to dread going back to work and I'm seriously thinking about calling up on Monday morning and just telling them I'm not coming back. I really want to study full time again but it's a bit hard to make it work when I have rent to pay.
Also, someone got raped at my uni the other day so I'm a little hesitant to spend too much time there. Griffith Uni Nathan campus is largely covered with bushland and this is far from the first rape to happen there. Yet another reason to transfer to UQ as soon as possible.
Flew to Melbourne with Anthony on NYE. The first thing he did upon checking into the hotel was go to the gym. *eyeroll* I settled into the hotel room (read: scattered the contents of my luggage all over the room in a search for a change of clothes I didn't hate) and enjoyed the free broadband while waiting for his lordship to return. We wandered around a bit before meeting up with augustuscaesar, who took us for Nepalese food and then to charliequinn's house, where the meeting of new people happened without the world exploding (with Anthony involved, IT COULD HAPPEN). The presence of cats probably helped. :-D
NYD was spent walking around doing not a lot, before meeting Jamie and Jen on Lygon St for dinner. That was quite an experience. We ate first at a restaurant that ran out of bread, WTF, but which also gave us two free bottles of wine, so we called that one a win overall. Then we decided to go elsewhere in pursuit of dessert, and this one was a definite loss. The staff inside hadn't heard of the dessert the man out the front promised, they ran out of ice-cream and the wrong orders were brought. The only thing that restaurant did right was the port, and that's because it's pretty hard to stuff up pouring your basic Penfolds Tawny into some glasses.
On Friday I ditched Anthony (who went to the gym, surprise surprise) for Jamie and Jen again and the three of us went to see the Old Melbourne Gaol, which was a definite highlight of the trip. Not as creepy or solemn as parts of Port Arthur, but utterly fascinating, very well put together and researched and home of one of the best tacky souvenir shops I have ever encountered. I bought: one bright orange souvenir mug, a Ned Kelly fridge magnet, a little plush Ned Kelly on a keyring, a pair of thumb cuffs for Ben, a pair of Ned Kelly earrings for Mum, four postcards and a set of Melbourne Gaol playing cards. I LOVE STUPID SOUVENIRS OMG.
After the Gaol Anthony and I went to the pub across the road from our hotel and engaged in some drinking with the few Roar fans in town for the match and approximately 822165987524 Victory fans. Most of the Melbourne fans were pretty cool, which I say based entirely on the fact that one of them was wearing a silly hat. The match itself sucked - the away supporters' section at Telstra Dome has probably the worst view in the world and we lost, so really nothing good there. Then back to the pub for more drinking with the opposition fans. To their credit, they hardly gloated at all, presumably because rubbishing Sydney together is much more fun. Top bunch of guys and I will welcome them warmly should they make it up here for a match.
I think I am a jinx on the Roar at away games. Every time I've been to an away game we've lost. I single-handedly ruined our hitherto undefeated away record for this season. D-:
Saturday was probably my favourite day of the trip. Met up with kitsunegari for brunch then met up with Tara again to try for the Wicked lottery, but didn't have any luck. Doesn't matter, I'll see it in June when I'm down for the WC qualifier against Japan! Anthony went to the gym again, so the three of us went for lunch. We found the most awesome restaurant in Little Bourke St, complete with big fuckoff picture of Mao with "Serve the People" written across it. We actually only went in there because it was painted bright red and it had Mao in the name - how can you pass up something that tacky? Turned out to be an excellent choice. Food was cheap, plentiful and delicious, service was very attentive and wine list markup wasn't too horrendous. While we were sitting there a Falun Gong protest march went by outside - it took a good ten minutes to go by, which is way more impressive than what the Brisbane Falun Gong people can manage. They do three little old ladies sitting in Post Office Square with some signs. Melbourne put on a parade with floats and bands and costumes and very well translated signs - no Engrish at all!
Sunday was spent shopping in the CBD with Anthony, who spent about five hours trying to decide whether to buy a bag or not. Flew home. Collapsed.
Great five days, all in all. We stayed at the Alto Hotel on Bourke St and would recommend it to anyone. We booked on wotif.com and our package included free cooked breakfast each morning, free wireless broadband access and free access to the local Fitness First gyms (which Anthony loved). The staff were really helpful and the room was nice enough. Will definitely stay there again.
I'm really glad I took this week off work. Best thing about it was watching the cricket today! I can't believe Graeme Smith went out to bat with a buggered elbow on one arm and a fractured hand on the other. The South Africans have earned an awful lot of respect this tour, and most of it has been earned single-handedly by this man. I almost wanted them to hold on for the draw, but really I'm pleased that Johnson got him out! Losing the series 2-1 is not quite as bad as losing 2-0.
On the topic of cricket, Mum bought me the Men of Cricket calendar. It has Mitchell Johnson on the front cover and as Mr November. I think it will be November all year in my house.
I'm beginning to dread going back to work and I'm seriously thinking about calling up on Monday morning and just telling them I'm not coming back. I really want to study full time again but it's a bit hard to make it work when I have rent to pay.
Also, someone got raped at my uni the other day so I'm a little hesitant to spend too much time there. Griffith Uni Nathan campus is largely covered with bushland and this is far from the first rape to happen there. Yet another reason to transfer to UQ as soon as possible.