It's been a while. I know I haven't blogged recently but listen, there've been budget cuts left, right and center. The American dollar is just not holding up in Australia for the Australian Chase: simple as that. I'm letting go staff daily and the office doesn't have the charm as it once did. Frequent readers will be required to pay after a certain number of visits however, I am unsure on this number -- I am waiting for this slacker at Google to get me some figures. The plan will resemble that of the New York Times new subscription plan in hopes that the fees will only strengthen "our ability to provide high-quality journalism to readers around the world and on any platform". Anyways, I hope that none of you believe that slander I just wrote and if I was really on top of my game, that could have been a good blog to post on April Fool's day (which by the way nobody really celebrates in Australia). In fact, those first few sentences have been in the draft box since April Fool's which can serve as a testament to my lack of motivation these last few weeks. Anyways, away we go...
Last Thursday, I woke up with the most excitement since initially arriving in Australia. For those that I may not have spoken to recently, I planned a trip down to Melbourne to visit my Colby College hombres, Kenneth Campbell McDonald Stevenson IV (or his short name: Campbell) and Tommy Kimball. My excitement stems from reacquainting with familiar faces, going to a real city/getting away from Hickville (I mean Townsville), and above all, the concept of traveling. My primary reason to study abroad was not to engage in rigorous academics or set up shop in one city in a foreign land; yet to experience traveling incognito to places I'm likely never to go again, encounter and converse with individuals either temperate or bizarre, and enjoy myself partaking in these activities.
My Aussie friend Kelly Borg graciously offered to drive me to the airport because he is moving four hours south of Townsville to find work elsewhere. Great guy and hopefully I'll be able to see him once more before I leave this island but after he dropped me off, my focus was set on surviving my plane rides so I can see those damn Mules. First plane ride didn't go so well because luck landed me next to a sweaty red-faced obese man who on take off started moaning and breathing heavily. And even better on landing, he had his vomit bag ready to roll. So what did I do? I stared at him with a magazine as a defense to deflect any ricocheting puke but he held it down. I'm proud of him...we all were. The rest of the trip wasn't terrible but a bit long because for an island, Australia is damn big. Flying from Townsville to Melbourne is about 2,500 miles and is equivalent from Boston to New Orleans for you navigators out there.
Once, I arrived at their apartment I was welcomed with a Budweiser to start my trip off appropriately. They live very close to the city and have an excellent view off their back deck:
The rest of the Thursday night is a bit hazy but on Friday, we explored Melbourne which included walking around the city, eating at Burger King (Yup), and stopped in at Queen Victorian Market. The city is quite beautiful and because you can just about walk anywhere in 20 minutes, it is easily manageable for a tourist. Queen Victorian Market is one of my favorite places I visited that week because of the vibrant culture that occurs, the variety of goods sold, and the quality of the locally produced food. Butchers are hollering prices as you walk by, all vendors are welcoming and friendly, and at many kiosks, you can try a sample of the food you wish to buy. You can even buy one of these little guys if you want:
Later on, we explored a sketchy alleyway that one may think breeds unspeakable crimes but to my surprise, it is an ongoing work of art that various artists contribute to over time in this tucked away-graffiti side street:
Once we returned to their apartment, we planned to rendez-vous with two other Colby kids, Jordan and Hadrian who are both studying abroad in Melbourne. We played polish horseshoes mid-day in a near-by park...legality? Not so sure on this one but Australia can't touch five Colby kids.
Polish horseshoes is one of my most cherished drinking games because it has everything you need. Think about it: you have to play during the day which we all know is the best time to; you and another partner need to work together to overcome disadvantages-- inebriation and operation with one hand; and you get to whip a frisbee at a beer bottle teetering on a ski pole. Pure Genius.
Later that night, we caught the train into the Melbourne Cricket Ground to go see an Australian football game. This stadium is known to hold more than 100,000 people at these matches which is a stupid amount of people. As far as the game goes, it's entertaining to watch but I'd argue it lacks excitement with 18 players on the field for each team with only about 5 of them involved. But what do I know? I'm just some American who only loves American sports so I can't really pass judgement. Here are a few pictures of the game:
If you look closely at the jerseys, one team is all black and the other team is all black with white vertical stripes. What dimwit thought it would be a good idea to have similar looking jerseys worn by 36 people on the field at the same time? I had a great time at the game though because I had no emotional attachment to either team and usually when I attend sporting events in Boston, they typically lose on me. After the game, Jordan, Campbell, Tommy, and I were in search for this bar that was critically acclaimed but with no such luck, we decided to call it a night.
Speaking of which, why don't we turn this Melbourne adventure into two blogs? I don't know why I type the question out for you to read because for one, you frankly have no choice and for two, in all likelihood you only look at the pretty pictures and glance over the written words. For maybe a third, because of the lengthy nature of this blog, you are probably back on Facebook by now and will not even read the conclusion of Melbourne. Just kidding, you guys have been great and I appreciate the feedback and continue to welcome it. Part Deux should be coming soon so keep your eyes peeled for it.
Keep on keeping on
Cheers,
Alex
Urgh it was just getting comical.. Why do we have to wait Chase?
ReplyDeleteYo one time i sucked six in a row
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