{"id":111,"date":"2007-03-09T08:02:37","date_gmt":"2007-03-09T07:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/?p=111"},"modified":"2007-03-09T09:14:24","modified_gmt":"2007-03-09T08:14:24","slug":"catching-up-a-bit-part-1-melbourne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/?p=111","title":{"rendered":"Catching Up A Bit&#8230; Part 1: Melbourne"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Well, Pat&#8217;s been his usual procrastinatious (is that a real word?  Hang on a sec I&#8217;ll go for a look&#8230; (fnar fnar)) self and has managed to do just about everything other than sit down and catch up with his blogging.<\/p>\n<p>So it&#8217;s up to me, yet again, to take the wheel and deliver you some blogging action.  Grap yourself a cup of tea (or perhaps a can of Pepsi Max from the third floor vending machines&#8230; not that I&#8217;m assuming anyone would be reading blogs whilst at work, heaven forbid!  (psst have you checked the GIRS queue recently lads?)) and start a-reading!<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s start where we left off: <b>Melbourne.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>A quick summary of stuff that happened:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pat got into Melbourne from Tassie\n<li>Pat bought some food a few times from Coles, to try and eat healthily and cheaply\n<li>Pat bought a few Pizza Hut lunches, to try and stop himself becoming so thin you&#8217;d not see him when he turned around (ahem)\n<li>Pat socialised a fair bit with his friends, either in hostels, pubs, bars or at Jen, Kate and Emma&#8217;s appartment (check <i>them<\/i> out with their appartment, eh?)\n<li>Pat ate lots of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday\n<li>Pat went for a few brisk walks along the Yarrah river, to try and counter the Pizza Hut meals, socialising and pancakes\n<li>Pat went to St Kilda and did some swimming and sunbathing\n<li>Pat read lots of books\n<li>Pat did LOTS of planning (including &#8211; shock horror &#8211; going to a travel agent for advice!) and got everything booked up until April 16th.<\/ul>\n<p>Particular highlights:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Chinese New Year in China Town with Jen and Amy, watching some cool Chinese &#8220;dragon&#8221; parade around:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405555619\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/159\/405555619_1db2f14bd5_m.jpg\" alt=\"Welcome To Chinatown\" title=\"Welcome To Chinatown\" border=\"0\"><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405555117\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/186\/405555117_772b98b444_m.jpg\" alt=\"Chinese Dragon!\" title=\"Chinese Dragon!\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405555949\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/176\/405555949_dce6d2b932_m.jpg\" alt=\"Amy And Jen At The Cool Decorations By The Yarrah\" title=\"Amy And Jen At The Cool Decorations By The Yarrah\" border=\"0\"><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405556251\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/135\/405556251_7264663c56_m.jpg\" alt=\"GRAAH!\" title=\"GRAAH!\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<li>Seeing Ghost Rider then walking past this arched bridge on the Yarrah featured in a big stunt scene:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405557453\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/170\/405557453_63d199ac51_m.jpg\" alt=\"GHOST RIDER BRIDGE!\" title=\"GHOST RIDER BRIDGE!\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<small>Pat wanted me to clarify the exact part of the film I mean.  You know that bit where he&#8217;s on the arched bridge?  That&#8217;s the bit. (<i>Oh, *thanks* &#8211; Pat<\/i>)<\/small><\/p>\n<li>Spending hours watching Invader Zim and Futurama on AJ&#8217;s laptop in the hostel:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405565285\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/127\/405565285_f75ca31b14_m.jpg\" alt=\"Kirsten And AJ!\" title=\"Kirsten And AJ!\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<small>They&#8217;re fully normal. :-)<\/small><\/p>\n<li>Pancakes at Kate, Jen and Emma&#8217;s appartment:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405557401\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/180\/405557401_462a7240b3_m.jpg\" alt=\"Pancakes: Healthy\" title=\"Pancakes: Healthy\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<small>Health on a plate.<\/small><\/p>\n<li>Going to the Queen Victoria Night Market and checking out the many amusing, odd and downright scary signage:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405553963\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/153\/405553963_196d9174b5_m.jpg\" alt=\"Slow Hand Clap\" title=\"Slow Hand Clap\" border=\"0\"><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405553719\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/137\/405553719_3790279b23_m.jpg\" alt=\"Queen Victoria Night Market\" title=\"Queen Victoria Night Market\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405553837\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/165\/405553837_ee4837ffb5_m.jpg\" alt=\"Dear Trading Standards...\" title=\"Dear Trading Standards...\" border=\"0\"><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405554116\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/142\/405554116_0d716138be_m.jpg\" alt=\"Hey!  We're In A Market!\" title=\"Hey!  We're In A Market!\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/405554009\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/155\/405554009_57c3b81bdd_m.jpg\" alt=\"Feel the Fear\" title=\"Feel the Fear\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<small>This was about 2 metres tall&#8230;<\/small><\/p>\n<li>Watching the sun set from the top of the Rialto Tower:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/388674094\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/186\/388674094_9ed45d0143_m.jpg\" alt=\"Ooh Look!  A Nuclear Explosion!\" title=\"Ooh Look!  A Nuclear Explosion!\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/388675451\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/173\/388675451_ddb6b9f6d3_m.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/squage\/388677234\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/186\/388677234_dcf41a4773_m.jpg\" alt=\"No.  It's Still Setting Over Melbourne\" title=\"No.  It's Still Setting Over Melbourne\" border=\"0\"><\/a>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So there you go.  Pat enjoyed the two weeks, despite being back in the same ol&#8217; place <i>yet again<\/i> as aside from all the planning he met lots of great people:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Emma<\/b> &#8211; co-UK traveller and roommate \/ flat mate of Jen and Kates&#8217;, who&#8217;s a good laugh and is working in Melbourne for at least the next 3 (or maybe even 6) months.  Good work!\n<li><b>Amy<\/b> &#8211; Perth-born-and-bred, she was only on holiday for two weeks in Melbourne and was Jen, Kate and Emma&#8217;s roommate for one of those weeks.  She&#8217;s great, not only because she&#8217;s fun but also because she works as a journo \/ has a show on a Perth-based community radio station.  Pat has stated clearly that this did not at all interest him as he&#8217;s got no real interest in radio anymore.  That said, Pat&#8217;s hoping to catch up in Perth when he gets there in a couple of weeks and might have his radio CV up to date by then ;-) (<i>N.B. Alas I don&#8217;t have time to get involved in that sorta stuff inbetween tours&#8230; er&#8230; not that I would be interested anyway, no.  Definitely not.  No.<\/i> &#8211; Pat)\n<li><b>AJ and Kirsten<\/b> &#8211; These two legends were Pat&#8217;s room mates (along with a guy affectionately known as &#8220;Banana Republic&#8221; (he smelt of bananas) or &#8220;Mr Gambly&#8221; (he spent most nights playing online poker on the hostel&#8217;s PCs)) in Urban Central for the week he stayed there.  Pat&#8217;s first thoughts when AJ and Kirsten bounced into the 4 bed dorm he was resting in was &#8220;Oh, God&#8230;&#8221;.  AJ was a rather hyper, outspoken camp fella, and both he and Kirsten spent a fair amount of time stating\/calling eachother &#8220;c***&#8221; and saying &#8220;yeah, well your face.&#8221;, &#8220;no, your face&#8217;s face&#8221; and &#8220;well, your face&#8217;s face&#8217;s face&#8221; etc, before they bounced back out of the room.  Pat wondered at this point whether it was finally time to give in and get a single room&#8230; but is so glad that he didn&#8217;t.  Both of the Brisbanites(?) are funny, chatty, kind and have the most interesting life stories to tell &#8211; besides neither of them being in their 20s yet.  Many a night was spent chatting about life, religion, people&#8217;s prejudices and Insanty Prawn Boy.  &#8220;Who&#8217;s he?&#8221; I hear you ask.  That&#8217;s right! :-)  Pat can&#8217;t wait to meet up with them when he gets back to Melbourne (they&#8217;re staying their to work\/study).\n<li><b>Teki<\/b> &#8211; A mate of AJ and Kirsten&#8217;s, who&#8217;s really friendly, cheery and also happens to be a hard core DJ who might just be getting big any time soon.  How cool is that??\n<\/ul>\n<p>So yeah, Pat&#8217;s been meeting some cool folk.  He was sad to say byee to them when he went off to the Grampians&#8230; which, of course, is another story altogether.<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>What?  Oh, right, yes, that&#8217;s the end of this blog entry.  You can go now.  Bye!<\/p>\n<p>Squage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Well, Pat&#8217;s been his usual procrastinatious (is that a real word? Hang on a sec I&#8217;ll go for a look&#8230; (fnar fnar)) self and has managed to do just about everything other than sit down and catch up with his blogging. So it&#8217;s up to me, yet again, to take the wheel and deliver you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-australia","category-melbourne"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squage.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}