I talk too much my mouth hurts

I was ready to get out.

After having been home most of the week, working, except for that brief Wednesday outing, I gladly accepted an invitation to dinner with some mates of my flatmates.

Where are we going? Southbank.
What are we having? Dunno.
Ok.

World turned out to be just by the Yarra river, where chic restaurants and bar line along the wide boulevard. In the morning this walkway is filled with people in suits hurrying to get to work, by feet and on two wheels. By night the tree fairy lights come on, and on the hour a display of powerful fire whooshes out of the rectangular poles that dot across the riverside. It's beautiful.
World was crowded with people after work, keen to start the weekend. The music was loud above the crowd and we had to shout to be heard. As we walked into the restaurant, wet with rain, I saw an ATM machine inside, which I thought was unusual. Turns out, many restaurants, bars and clubs all have this facility. They prefer cash at a lot more places than I am used to in NZ, where it is common practice to just hand over your card for any transaction, small or large. Personally I find having to carry cash quite inconvenient.

I felt that I had outgrown Auckland. It had been my home for almost seven years, since 2007. That is longer than you would spend in a NZ high school. Auckland was my university city and I was ready to find my young professional city. I knew Auckland too well. Auckland had become too comfortable.

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However, I have not always been in Auckland for all of those seven years. One year was spent in Paris, another half year in Seoul.. I have been on a constant move for the last three years. Having been away from my family and friends in my home country Aotearoa, I wanted to live ideally in another Kiwi city: Wellington, for its vibrant arts and food culture. But the capital city has strong winds and hills and landslides and earthquakes. Especially earthquakes. Christchurch, my hometown, is still trying to catch its breathe and stand up after Mother Earth went through a good rumble dance session phrase; it is not an experience I would like to relive.

The alternative, therefore, was Melbourne. It is a bigger version of Wellington, still artsy and a foodie's heaven. It is close enough from home that my loved ones can come visit more frequently than if I had moved to, say, San Francisco, or Milan, or back to Paris. Of course, there is also the advantage of less paper works involved. Being a Kiwi in Aussieland requires no special visa. I just packed and flew over, found a room, opened a bank account, got a job. I am now a Melbournite.

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Some friends ask me why I am always leaving. Why I don't settle down, as they have, and save. Save to pay off my student loan, to buy a house, to plan for the future. Why take risks? Some think I am living the typical irresponsible gen Y lifestyle: enjoy the now, worry later.

But upon leaving I am also always arriving. At my next goal. I plan and execute. I have never run away.

Melbournites fashion involves a coat and boots combo. Or else cool shoes. I want a pair of brown leather booties. Chic or hip. Going op shopping with flatmate tomorrow morning. Early start for better bargains, 7.30am start! Ooh, better hit the snooze button.

Surprise visit from my best friend. I go into the van to see meet her baby. There is a tiny body lying on the bed with the back to me. But... with long straight hair, grey hair. Pubic hair. That is not a baby?! The small body slowly uncurls and I see it is an old lady.

Hi, grandma, do you remember me? I used to be your granddaughter's best friend when we were little. You are still alive!

The new born baby is to her right, silently snoozing away.

It had been more than twenty hours since my last meal. I had moved into my new house, but had not brought much to eat, and was in a dire need to go grocery shopping. I could have gone to Queen Vic's market but thought some neighbourhood exploring should come first.

On the twenty minute walk to the nearest shopping mall, there were nothing much other than houses. This is a pretty residential area. The houses are not new, some are very small, cottage like. Very cute. My neighbours all seem to have lemon trees in their front and backyards. There was one where they also had an olive tree and a vege patch. My kinda garden! Maybe we should plant some in our one as well!

I spotted some pretty hip looking cafes along the way, but I was talking with mum on the phone so had to pass them. Next time.
Roll'd is at the entrance of the Barkeley shopping square and the most popular eating place in the complex. Not that there are many choices. The Vietnamese place has phos and bahn mis and rolls. I had a bowl of mixed pho rice noodles, and with a good squirt of the red chilli sauce. Also got two spring rolls to take away for dinner, but by then the rice papers had dried a bit so they weren't as nice as they could have been.
Maybe I will try the bahn mi baguette sandwiches next. Just found out Roll'd is a chain!

I love good illustrated children's books. Some of the few books I carry with me are children's books, such as the Giving Tree.
When H and I visited the ACMI, I was pleased that one of the exhibitions were of a Shaun Tan's work. He is a well known Australian illustrator with award winning books.
The Lost Thing is the first of his works to be made into a movie. From the first spark of an idea to the finished product of a movie, it took nine and a half years, can you believe! But the actual hard core works of the movie was done in four years. Still, this is a very long project we are talking about. It has paid off, though, because the illustrated movie is beautiful, and has gone onto win an Academy Award.
It was inspiring to see some of the processes that had gone into the making of. Definitely a book I would consider giving to a small friend, soon.

I had forgotten what tiramisu tasted like. Yum, yum! Thanks, H, for the treat.