Week 4, Melbourne, Week 5

The days before we left for Melbourne went by pretty fast. We left Wednesday afternoon so we had a very short week. Sunday I was able to catch up on school work so I wouldn't be thinking about homework I had to finish while on vacation. I was excited to continue my traveling.

Wednesday afternoon Jenna and I left for the airport. Hannah met us in Melbourne the following day. At the airport the security was a joke. We were laughing about how our expectations on the security far exceeded the actual security. We got there and we both started chugging our water bottles before security. While doing that a TSA came over and said we didn't have to do that and that there was no restrictions on liquids with carry ons. Then we notice no one is taking off their rain coats or shoes or anything to go through the metal detector. Rather, people are at their own will just walking through it. I was waiting for someone on the opposite side to tell me I was allowed to walk through but then I realized it was more of a you just walk through. Once I walked past I grabbed my bags and we were done. It was all in all less than a 10 minute process. Then once boarding the flight they just looked at our boarding pass that we printed from online to tell us where our seat was! Never asked for ID's or anything.

We got to our hostel around 1am so we just went to bed. It was an 8 bed room we were staying in so it was weird at first going to bed with all these random people around you.

We decided that every day we would wake up early so we could experience Melbourne as much as possible while there. Melbourne is really known for its art and culture and food/coffee. So of course we were going to try and eat at as many places as possible!

Thursday morning we tried to learn the streets of the city and just figure out where things were. We had breakfast in a restaurant alleyway which was cute.

I ordered a mocha and received a very sugary coffee drink with ice cream in it. I was pretty disappointed because it was not what I wanted at all. After breakfast I ended up just getting a coffee at a different coffee place which was really good. Ordering coffee is very difficult in Australia because their coffee names are much different than back home. Even ordering a regular "coffee" is called something different. I'm still trying to learn.

We met Hannah at the hostel and we got a late lunch/dinner at an italian place in an alleyway. Turns out that this alleyway all the hosts compete with others to get customers into their restaurant. They almost attack you and start offering you deals and once you show hesitation they stack on an additional offer! We were first offered free appetizers and then when we were considering it he was like okay okay and your first drinks free. All the places in the alleyway did that. (picture shown is a typical alleyway in the CBD downtown)

 There were cool alleyways like this but more to just walk down.

We then went to a happy hour which was buy one cocktail get the second free... so for two cocktails it was only $18!! It's basically like they were giving them away for free! (hah). 

Friday morning we had to wake up early to get on our tour bus to the Great Ocean Road and to see the 12 apostles. We left around 7am. The tour was a bus of 25 people. It felt like we were a part of an Asian tour group haha. It was my two friends and I and then one girl from the UK that we met and the rest were from different parts of Asia.

The tour guide was chatty. He likes biking. Loves cycling. He's 28. Born in Melbourne. Traveled and biked around Asia for a year. His best friend was getting married the next day and the following day he had a short bike competition he was in. haha learned too much. He would say he was going to stop talking for a bit.. and then 5 minutes later he would start talking about something in the microphone. Did I say he liked to cycle yet?

 Jenna (left), Hannah (middle), and myself at the start of the Great Ocean Road.













Anyway,  the ride on the great ocean road was beautiful. Although it was long, we had amazing views. We stopped a few times on the road to take pictures and to look around but for the most part we were just driving.

 We arrived at the 12 apostles around 2pm. It was so neat to see. It's something that you think you will never actually see in person. The 12 apostles are so well known and photographed and it was weird that I was actually there witnessing it with my own eyes!

We were able to walk around different parts of the 12 apostles for a few hours. That way we got to see so many different angles and views of the formations.

At around 5:30pm we left to head back and just stop quickly for dinner. We got back to the hostel around 10pm and we were pretty tired. It was a very long day with a lot of driving but well worth it.

I'm so glad that I experienced this tour. It is a must if you are in Melbourne. I'm pretty sure it is on a top 10 list of must see's or must drives. Either way, it is absolutely beautiful and I would recommend it to anyone if they have the opportunity.





On Saturday we woke up early to go to the Queen Victoria market that is everyday. It was cute and had a variety of things but we weren't there for too long. I could have probably spent a couple additional hours there but most of the shops were similar. So then we went to get breakfast. We were recommend to go the Melbourne's first tea shop. It was tough to find and it was nothing that any of us were expecting. I originally thought it was Melbourne's first cafe but it was a first teashop. It was very cute! I really enjoyed this morning. It felt like a place that people would go back in the day and share their gossip with one another. The food was very good and the ambiance was spot on. (The ambiance is really what it's all about).

 Then we again were just going to explore the city because it was raining in the morning but it quickly turned into a beautiful day. We saw a good amount of people wearing Australia jerseys or green and gold.  We realized that there was a cricket going on that day but we didn't know when or where. We asked someone wearing a jersey about the game and they gave us details and that there was a first round game in Melbourne at 2:30pm. I was super excited and really wanted to go. I bought a jersey which was actually only $15! We were going to walk back to the hostel, change, get lunch, and then head to the game.

For lunch we went to Chin Chins which is Melbourne's 2nd best restaurant. It was pretty good. Very different from anything I've ever really had. I had a breaded fish and caramelized pork salad which had a zing to it but very good.

Then off we went to the game. It was the first match of the cricket World Cup and it was a big rivalry between England and Australia.
People don't really scalp tickets like they do in WI. However, there were people selling 3 tickets because they accidentally bought too many tickets. So we got those and went in.

We were sitting in our seats for about 10 minutes just watching this game where we had no clue what the rules were. Suddenly, something happened and the crowd went wild. On the big screen the word "wicket" was flashing big. This is a moment I will never forget. The crowd is so excited and yelling and I am just confused looking at the crowd. Then I look over to my two friends and they too have just a look of confusion on their face and are looking at the rest of the crowd. We all started laughing because we had no clue what was going on and we felt so out of place. It was such a weird/funny moment to be a part of.

I ended up asking a couple that was sitting next to us for the rules. They were from England and it was one of their first games too. But of course they knew the rules because their country plays the game. I started to catch on to the game and found it pretty interesting. It could be compared to our MLB. It's pretty long, not too exciting, but still has a huge fan base and people get excited for it.

However, I think I like cricket more than baseball. I'm going to try and watch the games during the world cup. It's a 6 week tournament. Australia is favored. I already put a bet on New Zealand winning against England this Friday... I should win!

Anyway, the games are typically very long. The allotted time was 2:30pm-10:30pm! We only stayed for about 2 hours. I am so glad we went to that. I hope to be able to go to another game while I am here but how neat that I went to a World Cup match!

For dinner we went to Lygons street which is known for fancy Italian. Since it was Valentines Day we decided to treat ourselves. The food was really good and I love Italian food so it hit the spot.

At night we wanted to go to a funky/different bar and asked for recommendations. We were told to go to the Croft Institute. It was difficult to find. You had to go down an alley way and you will run into garbage cans and you think there is nothing further but you had to keep walking past them and then turn down another alley way and then finally you were there.

 It is themed after a creep hospital/mental institution. The drinks you drank with syringes. It was a cool bar. We weren't there for long but we were glad we tried something different!

 On Sunday we signed up for a Sweets tour where we would walk around the city with a tour guide and taste test different sweets etc. It was something different and since Melbourne is known for it's food it was the place to do it!

Initially I wasn't going to do it because I'm not a huge sweets fan... but it was fun and there were so many options that you could find something you liked.

The people on the tour were all from different parts of Australia and it was neat meeting them and hearing about where they are from/suggestions they had.







A lot of the places we went to were owned by famous chefs. The guy on the right was our tour guide. He was on MasterChef Australia! He gave us all the inside information on the show and his experience. The guy on the left is a famous chef and he went on the show as a guest.

Overall, another good experience in Melbourne.

After the sweets tour we wanted to head to the beach just to see what it was like. It was a very hot day out. I thought the beach was absolutely beautiful. People say that you don't go to Melbourne for the beach which made me think it would be a crappy beach. But it was great. I think that saying means more that there is so much to do in the city you don't want to waste your days at the beach. But we walked around and were only there for a couple of hours but I loved all the boats and the skyline in the background.

For dinner we heard that this place called Movidas was good. The menu was very confusing and we didn't understand really any of it.

It's not that it was bad... but again our expectations for the food were much different. In the picture was my dinner. I ordered trout and was told that it was a more "substantial" dish. I was expecting a huge fried fish that would be very filling. This was very airy and light. Jenna and I were laughing at the food because of how different it was. Our waitress I think was getting a little annoyed. Then Jenna ordered this cheese dish that was $9 in addition to the trout. The waitress told us it was similar to a cheese platter.. because we didn't understand what it said on the menu. I wish I would have taken a photo of it because we were laughing so hard. It was literally 5 of the thinnest pieces of cheese ever! After the dinner I ordered more bread which I'm sure is politically incorrect but I was still hungry after my substantial dinner. The waitress charged us an extra $1.

Overall Melbourne was a great experience. I don't think I will make it back there during my time abroad so I am very glad I got to go. It was a different experience going to a real city rather than being in a beach city.

When we got back Monday morning a few people asked "how was Melbourne?" That is such a tough question.... I usually responded in "it was good" or it was fun. Unless they asked for more details then I would give them. How do you sum up such a diverse weekend into a short enough response that the listener actually wants to hear?

It made me realize that when I get back home and people ask "how was Australia" I am going to struggle in responding haha. Again, a whole semester abroad and a life changing experience can't be described in a few adjectives. But people also don't want to spend more than a few minutes listening. (Besides the few people that actually read my blog - you are the minority. Thank you).

Anyway, back at school on Monday was a little hectic. I had a project/presentation due on Wednesday that I was planning on completing Monday. But then a bunch of unexpected things came up. I had no money. The bank back home wasn't sending the correct bills. My iphone wasn't receiving or sending messages. My credit card balance was messed up. It was and it is tough to deal with these kinds of things being here.

Tuesday was a great day. I had class and got to see a bunch of friends throughout the day. Then at night the casino nearby has Tuesday night drinks $3. Which is an AMAZING deal. One of my friends asked if I wanted to go with her and some of her friends. Its crazy how such a small gesture can really influence my day.
I went to volleyball in the afternoon and then came back to my room to get ready. The bar was fun but then we went into the casino for a bit. I always knew I loved gambling... but I love gambling. haha. I played roulette once and lost my money. I decided I don't like that game that much since it is mostly based on luck. Then I moved to the blackjack table which I really enjoyed. I played that for a bit and my friends were just hanging out and watching since they didn't know how to play. I was trying to teach them a bit. I wanted to just keep playing. I honestly could have stayed there for another few hours/days. (hahaha). I ended up winning $20!

Wednesday (today) I did my presentation in my Drugs, Alcohol and Crime class. I chose my topic on money laundering with drug trafficking. I chose a pretty difficult topic compared to what others did. Overall I think it went well but I definitely made the presentation more difficult for myself because of my topic choice.

I also had the free lunch which is the BBQ on campus. At dinner they changed the menu.... and they took off chicken parm!! I was/am so disappointed! Literally my favorite food just not offered anymore!
Then at night was the Res Wars and it was basketball. It was fun and something to do.

There is suppose to be a huge rain storm coming to the Gold Coast in the next couple of days. I think it might be a cyclone and there are warnings for floodings. I am pretty excited for it. The few days when the lake on campus was flooding and the benches were completely under water... there were no warnings. I can't even imagine how much rain is to come! It will be interesting. I have big expectations for this. Pictures to come!

Aunt Lori flys in on Saturday afternoon. The heavy rain should be done by then. I am excited to see her! I feel as if I have really settled into my life here. I expected to be homesick at this point. I thought that by mid February I would really be wanting to see a family face.

I knew I would make friends abroad, but I thought I would be making temporary friends. Friends that would be my friends for the time being. I didn't really consider that I would make new friends here and that they would become the people I would go to. Friends that I would talk to about anything I would talk to my friends from home about. They aren't just people I will forget about the day I get back home.

With Aunt Lori coming I am excited. I am excited to see her in a way that I am excited to have a family member visit and experience this with me. I am glad that it is not an excitement based on homesickness and the desperate need to see my family. I look forward to her visit and my families visit and my friends visit. I continue to look forward to experiencing Australia with a range of people whether it be family, old friends, or new.