the winds of change
They say that Melbourne is the city of four seasons. Which is to imply that in one day (or one week) you could experience elements of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Personally I think the same can be said for the people you meet, the activities you find yourself doing here, and of course, the food. And last week was no exception to this vague rule.
I consider Spring to be the day I visited a non-profit coffee shop called The Final Step in South Yarra, which serves coffee and not just a list of things to do before you die. The name is misleading, no? The sun was out, I still needed a jacket, and there were two mustachioed men serving coffee, so I knew I was in the right place. Plus it was small and cute, and they served extra special coffee beans that would have appealed to someone who really knew their coffee. Personally I don't know much about the stuff apart from, “I like it, give me more”. I'm a discerning critic, obviously.
After going to another restaurant to use the bathroom (because as I mentioned, it was a really small coffee shop), I took a stroll along St Kilda road from South Yarra to Federation Square, which was about a 50 minute walk in total. It was as long and scenic as it sounds, the weather was cool but not cold, and I consumed a chicken wrap and a salted caramel, apple and crumb donut as if putting on weight wasn't a thing in my universe that day. But I did do a 50 minute walk so it's all about balance if you think about. Don't think about it too much though.
Summer was the day I visited St Kilda Beach for the first time. It was 26 degrees, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and my friend and I began our visit to the area with a drink in one of the many bars. Naturally it being about 3.30pm I ordered an espresso martini and said to hell with it. It was an ah-mazing cocktail, like pretty much everything that can be consumed in this great city. Also there were two very good looking gentlemen there who I tried to make eye contact with until I began to suspect that they might be a couple. I had my martini though so I was pretty happy either way.
We ended up walking along the beach and staying there until the sun went down, eating at a restaurant called Republica, and trying to take in the surreal scene of sea and moonlight unfolding in front of us. It was pretty magical and I want to shed a tear just recalling it. I won't though, it's fine.
Autumn was the day that it rained. Which surprisingly was not like London rain, where it feels like it's coming from all sides and you're somehow getting dirty, even though you have on a raincoat and boots and an umbrella. No, this was definitely heavy, almost torrential rain, but it was still warm and it only came from above. Plus I spent most of that day in the most beautiful library I've ever visited; the Victoria State Library. I felt very collegiate and pseudo intellectual just being inside of it, and pondered again at my lost life as an academic. The one I would have definitely failed at because me and academics are just “meh” (hence this poorly formed sentence).
And then the Winter season came in the form of unemployment. No, it wasn't a cold day, there were no strong winds and I didn't need a coat, but I guess I felt a bit cold on the inside. Naturally having just moved here, I am looking for work, which is easy if you know how, and you know exactly what you're looking for and what you're doing with your life really… so let’s pretend I tick all three boxes. I ended up with two interviews, one that I really wanted and one that I wasn't too fussed about. So obviously I got the one I wasn't fussed about, turned it down after a good hour of soul searching and realising that a small piece of me might die if I took it, and I didn't get the other one either. So I remain unemployed this week, which was a bit of a bummer, because I quite enjoy having money to go out and do things with, and subsequently telling people about all the things I saw and did and ate. But that is the reality of moving to another country and trying to settle for a while I guess. For now I'll use the pictures of food I've already eaten and the good times I had last week, as motivation for trying to get an income, because pretty much everything is changeable here.