Winter Wonder.

Dear Melbourne,

Today is the first day of summer as I was reminded by the facebook update from the University of Melbourne. HA! Tell that to Norwich. Tell that to the Northern Hemisphere! For half the world it is the first day of winter. So much for summer vacation plans Unimelbs, it's all about rugging up and sipping on mulled wine over here.

It's terribly confusing. Not as confusing as it might have been last year when there had already been a lot of snow by the start of December. But still, my head can't get around it and I have to conciously have a 'season awareness' or the opposite thing comes out frequently in conversation, especially when people are talking about months. This is amusing of course, but a little impractical.

Anyways for the first time in many years I have an Advent Calendar! It's really rather adorable. One window open and 24 to go.

x

White Wine in The Sun (Tim Minchin)

So I cried today but in the best way you can:



It's so very beautiful and there is a truth to it that kicks you right in the chest.

x

Triangles.

Tea

Dear Melbourne,

When I said I would get better at writing letters I was being optimistic - I have four aerograms sitting on my desk, with names on the front and they aren't written and aren't even addressed!

There has been much business and much tea.

(My big, fat red mug from the supermarket)

But I do think of you often. Everyday in fact - not in that awful homesick pit that you sometimes end up on but the little lovely things that get taken for granted. Some top thoughts about you Melbourne on a daily basis and why I love you so:

1. Trams.
2. Good cafes everywhere.
3. Tap water quality.
4. My favourite bookshop.
5. People knowing who Crowded House; Paul Kelly and the Wiggles are.
6. Being close to the beach.
7. The people I know.

That's seven to go with for now, but there are of course many more.

I will write. I promise. If only because number 7 deserves to be number 1!

Love T.

Fireworks.

when i was small we walked up the hill to the university
it was cold and the damp got into our gloves

while there was colour in our cheeks and in torchlight
the darkness surrounded and leaked onto our path

the hedges lined the steady climb of other people
wellies and hats; coats buttoned up high with white grins
of anticpation -  a town in the mood for a show

you had seen it before, thought it was time enough
i was perhaps five after all and needed to see -

- oooooooooh aaaaaaaaah -
                            - oooooooooh aaaaaaaaah -

but i needed to be - a little ball curled around your boots
where my ears had fallen off into the smoky grass

so we backed down to the houses from shots in the sky
the distant bangs echoing into our steaming kitchen

Eventually moving to a country where such things
are illegal.

10.11pm

Just so you know, I am drowning out the bad guitar playing from the kitchen upstairs with John Farnham.

St. Pancras Station.

So in St. Pancras there is a statue which is rather massive and twee of couple saying goodbye (nay, farewell!) he looks has a displaced backpack and she has not very nice shoes - anyways much, much more interesting is the base on which they are standing - it is this gorgeously itricate bronze of all sorts of people that have used and still continue to use the railway. Michelle and I both liked the bored looking men.

You must excuse the flash/non-flash thing as we were in a hurry to catch head down to the river. Anyways it is called 'The Meeting Place and is by Paul Day. [The view of the couple here is totally unrealistic as you can't GET that high to see that unless you are on a cherry picker!]

There are also some Olympic rings, in case you forget.

And for some reason we didn't see the cute little Betjeman statue so next time.