Just a few happy snaps from the races yesterday. The weather was phenomenal- 29 degrees celsius & not a cloud in the sky. This whole week has been hectic with Race Round festivities. And yes I did get a very awkward one-arm tan from my dress.
Looking Forward to the Kalgoorlie Cup on Saturday x
Venice
Budapest
Santa Barbara
Prague
Krakow
Grand Canyon
Melbourne
Cappadochia
Vienna
Hamilton Bay
Metung
Kalgoorlie
New York City
Don’t try to tell me you don’t enjoy a good sunset. Or a photo of one.
Taken by me.
This post has nothing to do with fear. Or pelicans.
Sorry to avian enthusiasts who have tuned-in for the first time. I have clearly failed you.
Basically I have been so busy during my first week as a real live journalist (as opposed to a dead one?!)- writing all day, coming home and then doing work for uni that I’ve had zero lust or time to then write for my blog. Or take photos for my blog. So like a sit-com episode which tries to palm-off clips of used footage as a brand new ‘flashbacks!’ episode, here is a photo of me at the Melbourne Zoo a few months ago. Interacting with a pelican. Cheap shot, I know.
I will have plenty of new material after this weekend y’all. Meanwhile the weather here has been phenomenal and almost too warm for my late winter wardrobe (think 24 degrees and sunshine). Cue shopping.
Consume Delicious Coffee
I thought I had missed item 3! But then I remembered that on Friday the fam, some friends and I stopped at Snow Pony on the way to the airport. Possibly the trendiest cafe in all of Melbourne’s boring eastern suburbs, everyday weekday from 10am-1pm in a chilling reminder of how many of those don’t attend a workplace, you will battle the ladies who lunch (aka the Puffa Vest Mafia) for a table.
And for good reason. The coffee is good (i’m guessing, i’m obviously no authority on coffee) and the menu is delicious. So I was able to tick-off Bucket-List item 3 AND observe the Thursday Ritual of avocado on toast (albeit a slightly fancier version thereof) ON A FRIDAY. Crazy times.
So my arrival in Kalgoorlie on Friday marks the end of my Bucket-List. Yes I missed one item- ‘4. See a live band/contemporary movement piece/art exhibition’ but to be honest that was not a priority. Also I had such a lovely week of farewells that I couldn’t possibly fit it in.
I start my new job tomorrow, exciting times!
(Images from Urban Spoon)
Get out of Melbourne
Last weekend I made good on my promise to get out of Melbourne and drove to Euroa (about 2 hours north) to visit my Mum and spend time with family and friends. It was nice to relax, eat, drink, read and enjoy the sunshine without feeling the need to get out and see things.
On Saturday afternoon I took my camera out to get some snaps of the town. It is pretty much impossible to take a bad photo at dusk or as the sun is setting. In fact I am collecting my favourite sunset photos from all over the world and will post them soon.
In 1878, famous Australian out-law Ned Kelly and his gang robbed that National Bank in Euroa and made off with the equivalent of $100,000. That’s their claim to fame.
x
The Melbourne Bucket-List Item 2. Attend a Fashion Event
You may be wondering why my post on attending a fashion event for my Melbourne Bucket-List features a photo of cookies. Well, being a crap blogger means I didn’t take my camera to the launch of Ted Baker’s Spring/Summer collection last Thursday. So I had to photograph the cookies I stole (wrapped in a napkin in my handbag ala Grandmas everywhere).
Speaking of cookies, the food at this event was amazing. Macarons, mini cakes, chocolate flower lollypops, aforementioned cookies. Washed down with champagne and gin and elderflower cocktails. Yum. There was a real spring theme to the food and floral arrangements. Cute.
So I just realised that it’s the third paragraph in my ‘fashion post’ and I haven’t so much as mentioned the clothes… Haha priorities. Well Kate and I played the ‘good/crap’ game and discovered that there was a solid 50:50 ratio. Lots of colour and texture, some good, some bad. I did love the print dresses featuring birds and flowers.
Did I have any intention of buying the clothes? No. Did I enjoy the free food and drinks? Heck yes!
Look!! I just found the above picture on a blog called Many Triangle and there I am in the background (right next the the brown handbag)! Happy as Larry.
Powering through my Bucket-List.
Attend an AFL Game
So on Friday night I begrudgingly crossed-off the first item on my Melbourne Bucket-List. I had hoped for a win for my last footy game in Melbourne but alas, Carlton played the first half like an Under 13’s team from the outer eastern suburbs instead of a professional level AFL team. It happens. So Hawthorn won. I was also disappointed the game was at Etihad Stadium and not my beloved MCG. Ho-hum. Hopefully there will be a final in Perth which I can attend.
If I ever mentioned AFL to friends while overseas I got one of two reactions “Ohh yeah, like rugby” or “That game with no rules”. Whaaaaaatever. We don’t need global recognition.
Image from Getty Images
This time last year I had just spent the weekend in Barcelona. Having travelled across the States with a friend for 2 months, followed by a few weeks in the UK with family, Barcelona was my first destination travelling solo. On the Friday afternoon I was wondering why the hell I had decided to travel alone, determined I had made that worst decision of my life. So ensued a weekend of Gaudi Architecture, new friends, the beach, partying, eating tapas, drinking sangria and attempting to salsa (not technically the right continent, but whatever). By Monday I was convinced I had just experienced the best weekend possible and flew to Rome with a new zest for life (did I just type that?!).
So anyway, my Aunt recently reminded me of my anxiousness pre-Barcelona and how well it turned out in the end. So the Catalan capital will always serve to remind me to be confident when diving head first into the unknown. Also that after a few sangrias running up a downwards moving escalator is never a good idea.
Spring has sprung! I know because when I open the front door an intoxicating scent of jasmine hits me in the face. Yum.
Spring means:
– Spring Racing Carnival
– Even more unpredictable Melbourne weather (not that I’ll be here)
– Lambs are born
– It’s [sort of] almost summer!
So to celebrate here’s a photo of the sun setting over some cherry blossom.
My Bloggable Day 
Welcome to Australia. Where everyone hates each other.
One of the first differences I observed upon moving from the east coast of Australia to the west coast was this: all over food packaging, advertising and various media the ultimate selling point over here is ‘Made in Western Australia’, ‘Buy West Eat Best’, ‘Buy WA First’, ‘WA owned’. So bizarre because in Victoria, NSW and Queensland never have I seen any paraphernalia suggesting east coast products are superior.
I asked my West Australian co-workers what the deal was. According to them, theres a wide-spread consensus that WA is the forgotten state, and among many other reasons they’re disgruntled because their state contributes significantly to the national economy with its abundant natural resources and primary industries, but sees nothing in return. Fair enough.
This prompted consultation with trusty wikipedia, which has a delightfully comprehensive list of all the regions in Australia that have beef with each other. Most Australians are aware of the age-old Sydney v Melbourne rivalry, and that NSW and Queensland have held a long rivalry which comes to a head at State of Origin rugby matches. But did you know QLD is shitty with the southern states? Or that Adelaide and Melbourne aren’t speaking because of a bunch of trams?! And apparently there’s a place south of Sydney called Illawarra that hates everyone. Go figure.
What with football rivalries, uni rivalries, sibling rivalry, Australia’s notorious tall poppy syndrome and now more regional rivalries I can’t keep track of who I’m meant to hate….
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