Simpsonized At Last!

Simpsonize Me!

Hey hey~

I always knew I could have been a Simpson character!

*hugz*

MelMel

Oh The Places You Could Go...

Hey hey~

When moving it is so easy to focus so much on getting "settled in" that you actually forget that a part of the beauty of a new location is being able to visit and experience new places!

Indeed I think I was initially a bit guilty of this, especially when my mind was so much on finding a job... tsk tsk... the job hunting process will always be an arduous affair that goes on for far too long, but in the meantime that doesn't mean I shouldn't be enjoying myself!

So, in taking this step back I'm enjoying actually having TIME to explore and experience new sights and sounds.

It's true when they say that many of Melbourne's places are in its laneways, the nooks and crannies off the established path, that to the untrained eye would be totally overlooked!

Thoughts on some of the places I have visited so far:

• Sweet Mamas on Bourke Street - I had the largest Italian hot chocolate I have ever seen here with Fi - it was soooo yummy! Apparently the coffee here isn't bad either ;-)
  
• Brunswick Street - I think I'm definitely going to be a frequent visitor here. It reminded me so much of Newtown (minus the Thai Food) in Sydney, which is convenient considering how much I was missing Newtown towards the end of my MC term - it must have something to do with the nostalgia of being a student. The boutiques, second hand bookstores, flower shops and cafes - I can't wait to go back!
  
• The Quarter on DeGraves Lane - The staff here were really friendly (or maybe this is just all Melbourne service?) and the Veggie Breakfast was scrumptious - cafe toast, avacado, mushrooms, tomato and spinach!
• The Golden Monkey on Lonesdale Street/Hardware Lane - This place had a 1920s Opium Den atmosphere with a vast array of cocktails to match. It's a pity that the service wasn't that great.. but I think the staff were pretty much run off their feet for a Friday night!
  

For my next adventures I think I'm actually going to visit a list of places based upon recommendations from Alex's blog - hehe!

*hugz*

MelMel

Mel Finds Nemo, Goes To Infinity And Beyond While At The Same Time Discovers Her Inner Incredible!

Hey hey~

I've been wanting to visit this exhibition since I arrived in Melbourne before conference simply because I'm such a geek when it comes to watching these movies ^__^

The exhibition celebrating 20 years of Pixar animation was hosted at the Australian Centre for Moving Images in Federation Sqaure (indeed I am slowly warming to this somewhat interesting landmark).

There was lots of fun stuff to read about and explore regarding three main topics that have made Pixar so successful:

• Character - "A character needs to have sufficient dimension to live beyond the frame of the film."
• Story - "Show, don't tell."
• World - "If it were the real world we wanted, we'd use a camera."

I had such a craving to watch all the Pixar film agains once I had finished looking at all the artwork - pity I don't own any of the films on DVD I realise.

Oh, but by far one of my highlights was being able to buy my very own Edna Mode fridge magnet - "It's simply fabulous darlin'"

*hugz*

MelMel

Gingerbread Haka?

Hey hey~

Something my mum emailed to me - how cute!

*hugz*

MelMel

Thoughts on Forgiveness

Once Upon A Time I Lived At 66 Alexandra Road...

Hey hey~

I received a link to an old memory from my Uncle in Sydney the other day. In his email he wrote:

"It brought back so many memories as I am doing some research into my family history and I needed to go "home" and I have just done that. Hence I found this link from a way back."

66 Alexandra Road...

For twelve years (on and off) this address was my home.

Sure judging by the images above the place has definitely been upgraded since we moved out and it no longer has the 1960s feel that it had when my grandfather was living there.

I remember... the Mt. Victoria Lookout, watching fireworks light up on the harbour, climbing the giant tree located in the grass field, playing with the neighbours' kids, making nests out of grass when it had just been cut by the council, helping my dad try to paint the fence, swinging on the Hills hoist in the backyard... lots of childhood memories in general really.

After looking at these photos I am even more adamant about visiting New Zealand (in particular Wellington) sometime before December.

What a trip down memory lane that will be!

*hugz*

MelMel

July Musings

Hey hey~

I now have regular internet access set up after the move and I survived July Conference in one piece (thankfully).

So what have I been up to? Once again it all seems like a blur...

In the past 3 weeks I have:

• moved to Melbourne
• said goodbye to an organisation I have been a part of for the past 5 years
• survived sitting in the front passenger seat during a car accident
• been rejected from a job because I was "apparently" overqualified
• started reading Shantaram (biggest book EVER!)
• played the Ha-Ha game
• realised that one bad day does not define a year of great work
  
• spent time with people I had not seen for a very long time
  
• cried in front of over 200 people
• phoned home to speak with my family twice
  
• seen things that have inspired me and witnessed things have that frustrated me
  
• danced my last line dance
• remembered just how much I hate "goodbyes"
  
• received a what feels like a million Facebook and MSN messenger requests
  
• realised that it is okay to be angry
• committed to never ever "check out"
• spent three hours (and counting) unsubscribing from dot net communities
• been asked twice to be a mentor
• finished my MC 06-07 team experience

Yes it is freezing cold in Melbourne, and no doubt it hasn't really sunk in yet that I am actually living here - I'm sure it will eventually... but for now there is more excitement and curiosity than anything else.


Lots of people have asked me how I found conference, what it's like not being on the MC anymore, how is alumni life, etc etc. I think it can be summed up nicely in one response:

"I woke up the day after MC handover at conference. I wasn't on the MC anymore - and everything was okay ^__^"

So things won't always be easy, but if there is one thing I know each challenge I face will only contribute to defining who I really am as a person. Even after this amazing experience, I know that right now I am still a work in progress and I am still on that quest of self discovery!

One step at a time - watch out world here I come!

*hugz*

MelMel