First Impressions

First impressions of Melbourne weren't too hot, since we turned up in flip flops at 5am, shattered and freezing - trying to figure out the trains was a bit of a hassle and after shivering on the WRONG platform (thanks to the train information guy) for a fair amount of time, we made it to the right platform just in time to see our train speeding away, another one in half an hours time! Then there was the long walk to the hostel..Back of Chapel with the most comfortable bunk beds ever is to be our new home for the next little while. That day was a bit of a write off as we slept through it all and then watched tele in the evening - a luxury we have been without for the last three months! Luckily everyone thought we had just arrived from the U.K. and that we were sleeping off the jet-lag., not just being lazy!

We shared a room of six and had free range of the kitchen, tv room (with the biggest tele you've ever seen), internet room, bbq area (I'm in the BBQ area!-thats where you'll find gem when she's drunk, obiously??:) and some of the most helpful staff ever. In fact, aside from the unhelpful train information guy, everyone in Melbourne goes out of their way to see if you are ok!

So it's cold and our new found 'student' house has the expected low quality heating system, maybe that's why it was so hard to get out of bed in the mornings! and where it is more convenient to walk to the shop than it is to the fridge. We live just of Chapel Street which is the funkiest place in Melbourne, with bars, cafes, shops right on your doorstep where everyone looks like they just stepped out of a (weird hair) salon or right off the catwalk.

Never thought I'd be so happy to cook for myself....but with heinz beans so readily available!! (the aussies dont understand the beans ON toast thing!?!?!)

Australia is soo laid back but we have discovered that it has to be when the escalators and elevators move as slowly as they do and it takes a minute for automatic doors to sense that someone is standing in front of them! If trains are late, they lead you on to believe it's still arriving at the same time and T.V. advertises now next and later as opposed to telling you what time things are on!