Return to Melbourne
Wow, has it been 3 weeks already? I blink and time just slips by!
Suffice to say, the last 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of family, friends, a lot of festive eating and not-so-festive drinking, the double Xmas (European family on Xmas Eve, Australian family on Xmas Day), and a shitload of catching up over either the last 4 years (for the small amount of people I was able to see when I was in Melbourne last) or the last 6 years (for the majority I hadn't seen since I permanently left Australia in 2005). Over the last three weeks in Melbourne, in point form, I have:
Actually being in Melbourne after so long in London has been both a blessing and a curse: Melbourne is by no means as large a city as London, so thankfully it hasn't changed that much. But regardless, I might have driven my family somewhat insane by all the small inconsequential things I noticed had changed (new model cars, roadworks or new roads/interchanges, signs, local politics, public transport changes, and such) that they'd gotten used to and which was completely different to me, including the surprising rise of prices everywhere: Melbourne certainly wasn't as cheap as I remember it 4 years ago. It's been odd reconnecting to it too: it's my home-city and I was born and raised here, but too much of my life and my personal perception has changed to easily just slide back into my old life (expected, naturally, having lived internationally for some time, and one really can't expect a city to stand still once one has left, even on a temporary return), but I think it was a reminder of just how much I've changed. I suspect if I do end up returning here permanently, however long that may be, it will take a little more effort than I initially thought to do so. Not that it's a bad thing, I guess. A friend of mine explained it as always entering a room from the same direction, only this time I've entered the same room from a different doorway: the room is the same, but the perspective is different.
Anyway, it's now time to slowly pack away everything, recharge everything else, and prepare for the flight back tomorrow morning: my flight leaves Tullamarine late tomorrow morning, and it's on to Mauritius for a 4-day stop-over.
Goodbye Melbourne! It's always good to see you and sad to leave you - including everyone who lives here naturally - but I have to return home to London eventually. I'll be back in a few months regardless.
Suffice to say, the last 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of family, friends, a lot of festive eating and not-so-festive drinking, the double Xmas (European family on Xmas Eve, Australian family on Xmas Day), and a shitload of catching up over either the last 4 years (for the small amount of people I was able to see when I was in Melbourne last) or the last 6 years (for the majority I hadn't seen since I permanently left Australia in 2005). Over the last three weeks in Melbourne, in point form, I have:
- both boggled and mourned over Chadstone Shopping Centre's newest changes (it's changed so much, I do believe it's lost the last portion of its old soul) while running wildly around frantically completing my Xmas shopping;
- finally met in person my brother-in-law-to-be Bela, and got to know him over The Talk (since the old man has passed on, I guess it was my role to ask those Hard Questions - "What do you want with my daughter sister? Are your intentions honourable?" - and better understand the man who was marrying my sister), which was all in good fun, but somewhat serious too, if that makes sense;
- met Bela's immediate family and appeared to get along on good terms with them (hopefully I lived up to the impressions my mother and sister made), and was later measured for a suit along with Bela's other groomsmen for the wedding in May;
- thoroughly enjoy my first family Xmas in 6 years with both sides of the family (I got a new pair of Blundstone boots! my older pair disintegrated after 4 years of hard toil after coming home from the Middle East in June) and caught up with family doings, histories, tales and such during the interim;
- feasted with reckless abandon on Australian goodies such as Red Rooster, slurpees, Violet Crumble, Peppermint Crisps, Cherry Ripes (kingsize, naturally); Allens confectionery, Cheezels, Twisties, Tim Tams, vanilla Coke, custard tarts, Big Ms, and other foodstuffs either not available or rarely found in the UK;
- attended my first online Mexican meet and caught up with a huge number of IRC friends (too many to list here, but you all know who you are!);
- attended a toga party (my first) for NYE at Chris/Lenore's place and caught up with even more IRC friends, counting in the New Year and watching the fireworks over Melbourne;
- attended a belated NYE barbecue at thorfinn/seedy_girl's place and caught up with another large group of online friends;
- ran the gamut of Melbourne roads to individually visit many other friends (acceber_k, chaos_crafter, ishara, lederhosen, nkari, parsivale, reynardo, sacred_chao, silverblue, taleya, torasin....and many others not on LJ) behind the wheel of borrowed cars;
- returned to the Prince of Wales in St. Kilda for the first time in nearly a decade for a night of drinking, memories, travel yarns, sheeshas, and catch-up with Leanne;
- visited my secure storage unit and looked over the relics from the past 15 years of my life, crammed into an 3.5x5m allotment...and felt oddly emotional, having looked over possessions spanning a substantial arc of my life not touched in the last 4 years;
- and finally made a decision where I want to me in the immediate future.
- spend a day walking around central Melbourne (I spotted the new Eureka Tower nearly immediately on the drive back from the airport) to see what had - and hadn't - changed while I've been away;
- visit the old man in the Cheltenham Cemetery and say a quick hi over a beer or two.
Actually being in Melbourne after so long in London has been both a blessing and a curse: Melbourne is by no means as large a city as London, so thankfully it hasn't changed that much. But regardless, I might have driven my family somewhat insane by all the small inconsequential things I noticed had changed (new model cars, roadworks or new roads/interchanges, signs, local politics, public transport changes, and such) that they'd gotten used to and which was completely different to me, including the surprising rise of prices everywhere: Melbourne certainly wasn't as cheap as I remember it 4 years ago. It's been odd reconnecting to it too: it's my home-city and I was born and raised here, but too much of my life and my personal perception has changed to easily just slide back into my old life (expected, naturally, having lived internationally for some time, and one really can't expect a city to stand still once one has left, even on a temporary return), but I think it was a reminder of just how much I've changed. I suspect if I do end up returning here permanently, however long that may be, it will take a little more effort than I initially thought to do so. Not that it's a bad thing, I guess. A friend of mine explained it as always entering a room from the same direction, only this time I've entered the same room from a different doorway: the room is the same, but the perspective is different.
Anyway, it's now time to slowly pack away everything, recharge everything else, and prepare for the flight back tomorrow morning: my flight leaves Tullamarine late tomorrow morning, and it's on to Mauritius for a 4-day stop-over.
Goodbye Melbourne! It's always good to see you and sad to leave you - including everyone who lives here naturally - but I have to return home to London eventually. I'll be back in a few months regardless.