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One month of living in Carlton, and new routines had slowly materialized. While I continued meeting new people, I now had existing friendships to build on. If there’s any theme to this chapter, it’s having the blessing of free time to continue exploring the city. Everyday life was pretty good. Every run at the Carlton Gardens was just a bit different. Some days a tai chi group with boombox music practiced their art under the slanted roof of the Melbourne Museum. Other times a large tour group was spilling out of the bus with cameras at the ready, or a bride and groom were posing for photos by the fountain. Enormous posters for Dune Part 2 watched over the constant stream of bikes with food delivery boxes. The scaffold on the side of the Royal Exhibition Building was a reminder of its slow decay and lack of funding, a popular subject in the local newspaper. Overnight, rows of exhibition tents started popping up on the front lawns, presumably for the upcoming flower and garden show. The apartment kitchen was still lacking many amenities but it had two large woks, which were handy for making recipes like eggplant pork (pictured below) and turkey chili. Although the fresh produce at Coles was pitiful, I still went there for the fresh pasta, and made a spicy arrabiata with mushrooms. One of the new residents was a chef from Italy, named Cristian, who seemed horrified by the kitchen and instantly bought his own supplies. At least the cleaning crews were visiting regularly, keeping the surfaces clean and emptying out the cabinet when a guest departed. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to restock the dishwashing supplies. We lived for several days without a sponge. I bought a sponge, but then realized there was no soap. The appearance of a whitetail spider on my towel, which took several attempts to kill, was a jarring reminder that I was indeed still in Australia. I returned to the Sidney Myer Bowl on another hot Wednesday evening for more of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. At the start of the show, they accompanied the Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners with a short piece of music, which was very tastefully done. The main program included Rossini, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven, with Beethoven’s First Symphony being the highlight. While I snacked on my picnic staples of Yumi’s hummus and falafel, the blanket next to me gradually annexed more and more territory. People continued arriving during the program. The latecomers ignored the marked aisles and sat in the pathways, which was annoying. That aside, it was still a pleasant evening of classical music. As it became dark, screeching cockatoos settled into the treetops and confused fruit bats skirted around the bowl’s multicolored lights. Australian Survivor: Titans vs. Rebels continued to be an entertaining season, with countless failed revenge plots that left bitter enemies stuck together for episode after episode. Lamingtons were the perfect accompaniment to the intrigue. At the next barmeet, I had a refreshing pint of Tiger beer, caught up with friends from the convention, and met an energetic medical student who had just moved to Melbourne. I tried another lemon-lime-with-bitters, but the soda tap was acting up, so the drinks weren't sweet enough. Everyone was a little bitter. One Thursday night, I attended an improv-themed event at a hotel/pub in Collingwood, unsure what to expect. The event was advertised on the Meetup app and had attracted a modest assortment of curious folks like me. I talked to some of the other attendees, including a Melburnian who was currently taking the sponsor’s improv classes. Another was a fellow named Ahnaf, who had moved from Adelaide and worked in medical device cybersecurity for a Bay Area company; we quickly bonded. The warmup improv "jam" was open to everyone. I hopped up on the small stage and fumbled through a scene. It was as difficult as I had remembered. Afterwards was the actual show, where the main cast performed scenes inspired by audience suggestions, including “Mars” and “Civil War.” The first troupe was pretty good, but the second one struggled to create interesting situations. I left before the third troupe, and wasn't planning on attending again. But if I made one friend along the way, it was still a good evening. On the walk back, the streets were alive with live music from the bars and pubs of Fitzroy. Friday, I hung out with Reggie, who had just quit their admin job and was about to start an MFA program at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). We caught up over a coffee on Lygon Street, and they offered to give me a tour of the main RMIT campus. Reggie had been a student at RMIT for a good while before the MFA and had even been an official tour guide! Even though RMIT was tucked into the dense CBD area, the hive-like complex of lounges, libraries, and stores was spacious and inviting. There were plenty of study spaces and meeting rooms, a career center, and even an eSports gaming room. At the bookstore, I learned the RMIT mascot was a redback spider. We found the school’s formula car, which had nice carbon fiber work. Reggie also showed me the queer lounge, a space they had fought to secure, and their pride and joy on campus. The lounge was full of whimsical and practical things, from board games to pronoun buttons. Amidst the lighthearted décor, a poster honoring a queer student who took their own life was a poignant reminder. For dinner we went to a Malaysian restaurant called PappaRich, located in a hidden pedestrian mall. I’d walked by dozens of times without realizing how many shops were inside. I had an amazing roti with sambal for dipping and curry chicken, plus a rose milkshake with jelly cubes. A tasty treat! A free Saturday was the perfect chance for my second Parkrun. I wanted to try the course at Yarra Bend park, near the fruit bat colony. I texted Ben, the Kiwi that I met at the first Parkrun, and convinced him to join. The Yarra Bend course started with a suspension bridge crossing, went along the river, and turned around at a “witch’s hat” – Aussie slang for a traffic cone. It was a trail run, with dirt paths, treacherous tree roots and branches, and elevation gain. In a pack of runners, it was a bit tricky, especially when there was traffic in both directions. After the run, Ben and I had a coffee at the Studley Boathouse overlooking a dock on the river. It was a lovely spot for a light conversation. I learned he worked as a coffee equipment repairman and had a long-distance girlfriend back home in New Zealand. He had several tattoos, which I was surprised to learn that he had inked himself – an impressive but harrowing prospect. In the afternoon, I headed to the Queen Victoria Market for a Turkish festival celebrating the country’s 100th anniversary. A musical performer used a keyboard to mimic traditional instruments, while singing beautiful melodies and trills in the Islamic style. People in colorful outfits danced in front of the stage, and audience members who knew the lyrics sang along too. The festival had a few tents with arts and crafts, but the food was the focus. I indulged in a water borek, with layers of filo dough that reminded me of pasta, and a bag of Turkish delight. Back at the apartment, a new recurring character was a Canadian physiotherapy student named Jean Luc, or JL for short. As an avid traveler, he arranged one of his four placements/rotations in Melbourne. A gregarious and ambitious fellow, JL was determined to see as much of Australia as he could in a short time. He also seemed to have bad luck, whether getting caught by the tram ticket inspector or locked out of his room. (Alexi managed to squeeze through JL’s window to open the door, saving him from the lost key fee.) On this Monday morning, JL had just gotten back from a weekend trip to the Gold Coast, which had been thrown off by a flight cancellation. He was a bit disheveled and called in sick to recover. Nevertheless, when I mentioned I was going on a free tour of the State Library, his travel instinct kicked in, and he decided to join. The State Library of Victoria is the 3rd oldest public library in the world, founded by Sir Redmond Barry in 1853. The tour was led by a passionate and eloquent lady who had tons of knowledge about the library’s history. I found her commentary fascinating, but I’m guessing most of the group found it excessive – she probably spent 5 minutes explaining the historical context of Australia’s involvement with the Turkey campaign in WWI to preface a mural in the corner of the atrium. One of the oldest hallways, Queen’s Hall, was inspired by the Long Room at Trinity College in Dublin. Every book that’s published in Victoria must have a copy in the library, and Queen’s Hall contained a subset. However, the books in this collection can’t be checked out, so many of these copies have never been read! The most spectacular room in the library was the octagonal La Trobe Reading Room, with radial desks emanating from a central panopticon. With the high dome ceiling and natural light, it was awe-inspiring. It was also a comfortable and practical space. The desks could hold up books (or iPads) at a good angle for reading, and the acoustics were relatively muffled for such a large space. I definitely plan to go back to explore it more. The tour also covered some of the adjacent rooms, which used to be Melbourne’s art gallery and natural history museum. There were amazing records of immigration arrivals and commercial shipments throughout Australia's history. On display was also the suit of armor worn by Ned Kelly, the notorious bushranger (highway bandit), complete with bullet indentations from shootouts. After the tour, JL suggested getting pho for lunch, and we nabbed a table at a nearby restaurant. The noodles and broth were excellent, and a strong Vietnamese iced coffee always hits the spot. And to finish this slice of life, here's a photo from my neighborhood, taken just a few blocks from my apartment on a pretty day.
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