Well! Been a long time, hasn't it?
Hello everybody - hope this finds you well. So - remember that Australian girl I'd met in Iceland during the Christmas of 2007? Well, we're still together, and I've moved to Melbourne, Australia. I've been here for a month now on a tourist visa ... and then, if all goes well, return to San Francisco, file the paperwork for the Prospective Marriage visa (you have to file it outside of Australia), and then return and marry her. So far so good! Anyway, I hope this finds you well. Here's a generic letter I've written to family and friends (an update if you will) that I thought I'd repost here - it explains myself pretty well! I'm having the time of my life at the moment; this is quite exciting! Cheers.
Hey everybody,
I just wanted to write a note (been a while) and tell everybody what's been up for the last month I've been Down Under in the beau monde of Melbourne. It's been nice, to put it in a nutshell, but changes - some subtle and others not-so-subtle - have taken place deep within me and on the surface of things that quite frankly I do not mind and have come to embrace.
It's strange to experience the dawning days of spring in early November, but that's the changing of hemispheres for you, I reckon. Christmas in NSW at Cath's sister's place in Hunter Valley is going to be downright surreal! But the weather, aside from the occasional intense spring storm, has been terrific. Days have stuck in the 20's for the moment (70's and 80's in Fahrenheit), and I've discovered that I have something of a green thumb. Cathy and I live in Fitzroy North, a charming suburb to the north of Melbourne proper (called the CBD) - it's got everything one could need. Cafés, an organic bakery, a supermarket, a post office, a pharmacist, two wine bars, a pub, a betting bar, vintage shops, a hardware store, a cricket oval, and a lawn bowling pitch (of which I have used a few times, and am considering joining).
Aside from little differences, such as the whole looking-to-the-right-first before crossing the street, this isn't really too much of a culture shock. There's a lovely tram system and, in fact, a stop is only a block away and it's a simple ten minute run into the CBD. Downtown Melbourne is similar in feel to other large cities; but there's still a certain je ne sais quoi that colors the experience of strolling these streets and seeing the landscape. First, the color! (Or should I say, "colour.") Huge pieces of street art are painted on the alleyways, and painted well, at that. A young gang of native buskers sit next to a promenade - guitar, drum box, and didgeradoo - and play Aboriginal music to passersby. A brightly hued trolly trundles bouncily past on the City Circle. A series of buildings at Federation Square are shelled with samples of every rock that can be found in the Victorian soil. Rooftop bars operate, the sounds of clinking glasses, enthused conversation, and the strains of some hybrid acid jazz trickle down with the gravity of a French New Wave film. A small flock of yellow-crested cockatoos and red-capped lorakeets take flight from a small grove of gum trees next to the caramel-colored Yarra River whilst a rowing team practices their strokes by a waterfront cafe. Mysterious statues imbued with native significance ring at odd hours with hidden percussive instrumentation as people pass by.
So, so far so good. The house is good. In fact, it's going quite well. I've lost a little weight - due, in part, to eating better (more home-cooked meals) and smoking less (the cost of a pack of cigarettes here is outrageous). Walking is a lot of fun; lots to see, and sounds to take in. We've a little herb garden in our side patio (mint, basil, parsley, coriander, and rosemary) and a tomato plant that's taking off in the back yard. I've a little gaggle of succulents, and a desk-mate venus flytrap I've named Tim Reid who I feed the occasional fly that gets too close to my bundled up newspaper. Slowly getting to know the neighborhood and the people who call it home; I've been putting some time at the Australian Red Cross retail store down in Fitzroy, but am starting at the local independent radio station Triple RRR in Brunswick East on Tuesday (tomorrow). Can't wait! Am now looking for some local music website who might be willing to let me write the occasional article review or whatever for them. And speaking of music, Melbourne takes it quite seriously. There's no fewer than five major (and free!) musical weeklies littering the pubs and clubs and cafes from here to South Yarra every Tuesday, and they're quite informative.
Also, this is a clean town. Sparkling clean. Sure, there's the occasional homeless person or junkie in a park who might ask for change or something, but they're rare. The footpaths are clean, and the gutters are regularly swept. Doorways are unobstructed, and trees are free from dangling plastic sacks (witch's britches, they were called in England, I believe). Far cry from SF - it's amazing what a socialism-inclined local government can accomplish, isn't it?
Anyway, I'll let you go for now - Cath just started her new job at the Ministry of Bush Fires (not its real name, but it's what it does); which'll be detailing to the media updates on bush fires and the prevention thereof ... a major concern in fire-prone Victoria. Bad memories remain of Black Saturday, 2009's devastating series of intense fires that killed 173 people on the 7th February. So good for her! I'm relegated to waiting for the delivery men who will be bringing a washer and dryer to the house. And writing this note to you, my lovelies. I hope you're well. I'll keep in touch!
Many hugs and stuff,
Thomas
I'm back. If anybody would like to read about some electronic music and hear some great tunes, check out my blog http://www.seconddrawerup.blogspot.com
Cheers!