Anniversary!

Good'ay! Sorry this post is a few days late - now that I'm back in the workforce again, I have less time to sit down and write. This post is momentous as it marks my one month of being in Melb'n! Looking back at pictures and going through a mental checklist of what I have seen/done thus far, it definitely feels like I have been here longer. Mentally, however, it feels like just yesterday, I was having my farewell dinners and saying goodbye to you all. My friends are calling me a 'local' now since I work in the city and can now give directions, using the lingo and navigating my through pretty well, everywhere :)

As mentioned, I have a job :) Back to my roots of retail; as insignificant as it sounds, sometimes I feel it as is my true calling: fashion + people <3! Although you are right, Kev; probably not the best idea to have a job where I may be spending more than I am making but it really is meant to be. Octavia & Grace was the first store I stepped foot in when I landed in Melb'n. What attracted me to the store were the yellow envelope shorts on the mannequin - a gorgeous addition to my wardrobe might I add. My boss is quite trusting and gave me a set of keys on my first shift and I was told I'd be closing the store... And have been doing so ever since. Basically, I am free to run the store how I see fit and close whenever I want; talk about empowerment! It's a great feeling and I'm glad nothing is set in stone because on a night like Thursday, where it was cold and shoppers were few and far in between, I was glad I could close up early and go home to a warm bed. I worked it out with the girls and I work Monday to Friday (although Fridays until 11 PM - dreadful!) and get all weekends off for traveling :)

I officially move into my new pad on October 30th. Just signed my 6 month lease! That is the longest commitment I have made in years - EEK! Talk about freak out! Some of you back home have asked what my travel plans are but there are too many moving factors that I can really be certain. I'm setting up a "home base" in Melb'n for the next six months and I'll go from there. However, I am booking a trip to New Zealand for the end of November. Two weeks of vacation from my vacation - seriously, I am living the dream!

In the month that I have been here, I have learned quite a few things. Back home, we associate the term 'easy going' with Aussies and I am in absolute agreement. I reckon it has much to do with the accent - they don't pronounce the 'er' at the end of words but rather, replace it with an 'a' sound. Try it! Makes everything sound betta! It's been a bit of a struggle switching between Canadian and Aussie lingo since have some very different names for things: How ya goin'? - how are you?
How ya travellin'? - how that you are doing, going? i.e.: how's your night traveling?
Pork roll or satay roll - viet subs
Jumpers - pullover sweaters
Pies - meat pies and not a dessert; I thought it was strange when Lachie and Tessa served pumpkin pie WITH the turkey at Thanksgiving. You two are too funny!
Playsuit - romper
Doona - duvet cover
Hen's night - staggette
Bucks's night - stag
Milk bar - convenience store where you buy milk
To the shops - going to the mall
Icy poles - popsicles
Lollies - any type of candies
Flat white - latte with no foam


Aussie's are admittedly very lazy when it comes to spelling out words or saying a full word; they seems to shorten most things, even if they don't really make sense...
Arvo - afternoon
Servo - gas station
Ropeable - very angry
Cuppa - cup of
Mackers - McDonald's
Nowuz - no worries


It's such a melting pot here, and there are so many people travelling through, each day is a new day of learning cultural differences and lingo. I love it :) Yesterday, I went on a tour with the Newbies group to Phillip Island to the koala conservatory and to see the Penguin march. It was chilly day and I am still cold this morning but it was so worth it. The koalas (they do not use the word 'bear') were hanging lazily in the tree; it was cool to see but nothing too exciting. Apparently, they also all have chlamydia?! But I still want to hold one... The penguin march was indescribable (but I shall try)! At dusk, hundreds of these 30 cm penguins swim up to shore and march into land, where they spend the night. Once they are on the land, there are platforms to stand to witness them waddle, up close. It got dark really fast and me, being me, forgot my glasses. So we waited until some seats cleared up and moved closer to witness their swim up before moving on to watch them walk on land. Despite their size, they are really quick! Probably because they use the weight of their belly to help them plunge forward. We weren't allowed to take pictures since the flash hurts their eyes, but me being the Asian tourist that I snuck a pic, sans flash. Don't roll your eyes, lots of non Asians tried to as well; they just weren't as stealthy and were asked to put their camera away. After the 12 hour tour, I headed out to the 'burbs for a Jungle themed party. Had no relation or relevance to Halloween but everyone was dressed up as a jungle animal. Danny went as the actually jungle! Good times, great music and even better drinks! Thanks Reg! There is a fascination Aussie's have with onesies; everyone seems to own one... And they will do whateva (see what I did there?!) to wear them! I don't know many adults who are so eager and willing to pay $70 to revert back to infancy! Although it was so cold yesterday, I wanted to wear two.

Another thing I learned this week: Aussie's celebrate events after the date has occurred. While we Canadians are celebrating Halloween and doing our pubcrawl thing (one thing I do REALLY miss! Our group themed Halloweens. Neither Kenny and I are there so nothing is planned?! #disappointed!) this weekend, Halloween 'parties' won't take place here until next weekend. So Thursday is cocktail party with the girls; Friday is costume party with the Newbies and Saturday is Derby Day! Not sure if I should break tradition and go with the non black and white outfit or if I should just try to blend in?! Either way, this upcoming week is an exciting one.

30 days plus and the common question is, do you miss Calgary? To which, in all honesty, I don't. I miss aspects of Calgary, like having dinner with my dad and hearing his 'dad jokes' in person (rolling my eyes over FaceTime just isn't the same LOL); seeing the babies every weekend - can't believe I'm missing Rylee and Emilia's first Halloween! Heartbreak! But my good friends have been doing a stand up job in keeping contact over iMsg, Whatsapp, FaceTime, and most recently BBM!! Can we stop for a moment here to say hallelujah?! I don't care what anyone says, I will and always be an avid fanatic of BBM. Okay, I will settle my inner nerd now. I've heard that the 3 month and 6 month mark are the hardest but I will tackle those hurdles as they come. And since 3 months will be on Christmas Day, don't be surprised if your phones blow up with holiday greetings and caps locked I MISS YOU. You have been warned :)

Today's plans are to shop! I need to find my Derby Day and Stake's Day outfits. And to shop for new sheets and decor for my new place. Expensive month but luckily, I'm employed! Stay tuned!

xx

Another week, another story

Wow a week sure flies by! Upon posting my last blog entry, we went to meet up with Ben and Danny in the CBD for dinner and drinks at Chin Chin - an upscale fusion Vietnamese/Malaysian with a great atmosphere and amazing food. Worth the two hour wait! Admist laughter and pre-dinner drinks, I got a phone call and VIOLA, landed myself a place to rent. Yes! I am no longer homeless! I don't move in for a couple weeks yet but definitely looking forward to decorating.

Yesterday, I officially started the job hunt. I forgot how tedious and frustrating this process is... I dropped off a few resumes at cafes near my new place and to no avail with the exception of one; the owner wasn't hiring for his own cafe but was taken by my attitude and sent my resume to his brother who owns a few shops in the city. Notably, he said: "my brother's crew are all Asians." Ok... I wasn't sure how to respond to this revelation. Regardless, his brother called me 5 minutes of me leaving the cafe and scheduled an interview. I had my first interview at *drum roll* SUBWAY! LMAO. Dad, I'm sure you're rolling your eyes at the ridiculousness of my taking a year off, moving across the globe to work at Subway... Even I laugh. But hey! I have to pay the bills somehow! I did live off of those white chocolate macadamia nut cookies in University. Another perk besides getting the inside scoop of how they manage to 'stay fresh,' if I land this gig, I will work only a few minutes from the Tess and Lachie (current roomies). We have already schedule re-occurring lunch dates. Premature, but I'm glad someone is excited for me! Just got an email for an interview on Monday for a sales role at Top Shop. Interestingly enough, a group interview. Despite my HR background, I'm nervous? This is obviously the preferred choice if it came to deciding between the jobs.

This week has been a week of first - I also had my first experience riding a 'road' bike here. Not a motorcycle but bicycle on the road. It was, well, terrifying! Shauna was sweet enough to let me borrow it while she's away these next couple of months. Lachie being his usual sweet self, forwent his car to get groceries and took me for a bike ride to teach me the rules of the road. It's a lot like riding back home, but in addition to dealing with cars, we have to deal with trams, since cars drive along the tram line. This experience has totally put me off from getting my motorcycle license - opening a spot on my '30 before 30' list. I may have felt differently had I not got my tire stuck in the tram tracks while trying to change lanes and make a right turn, which is like taking a left turn back home. Luckily, my ninja like reflexes kicked in and I was able to hop off the seat before I ate cement. There is something comforting about those protective confines of a car; oh how I miss my dear Felix! Needless to say, I will not be riding that bike on high traffic roads. Only from my new abode to the gym; cuts commute time in half and is a good way to warm up.

Yet another first, I went to the Newbies in Melbourne meetup group last night. It was an after work (for those who actually have jobs) walking pubcrawl and luckily was nothing like any of the past pubcrawls I have organized. It seems fitting here to mention that 2013 has done my liver well and I have not chucked up from alcohol! I'm all grown up ;) I digress... Met some fun people from all around the world; some who, like myself have just moved here; others returning from being overseas; even some who have been here for years but are looking to meet some new people.

One part of traveling that I really enjoy is meeting new people. How often do we go out in our respective cities and actively try to meet new people? For me, the answer is hardly ever. The only times I can say for certain that I made an effort was post break-ups. Yes, plural. Life lesson: dating friends of friends not always a good idea lol. Again, I deviate from my point. I love hearing the chronicles of other people's lives. How, why, what and who impacted or motivated their decision to get to this point. The beauty of this meetup group in particular is that everyone is a considerable 'newbie' with the intent of meeting new people. From what I've heard of other groups which have been around for awhile, is that it can be quite cliquey with less welcoming members. Some of you reading this are probably shaking your heads at my naivety for thinking everyone who goes to these meetups have the same innocent agenda of forming new friendships. And to that point, I say, this is not my first rodeo. It's quite apparent within the first few minutes of meeting a person of their intentions. In fact, on the way back to the tram, Sid (one of the guys I met at the meetup) compared notes to who was there to 'pick up' and our lists were comparable.

I traveled into the 'burbs earlier in the week to hang out with an old friend from Calgary who I haven't seen in over 5 years. I'm so glad that regardless of time and distance, some friendships remain unchanged. Having much more time to think (more likely over analyze) these last three weeks, I have started to reflect on many of my relationships; mainly, friendships. If someone had asked me a year ago, I would not have guessed the friendships that have forged and those which have dissipated. Being the second time I have been away from home for an extended period of time, I am more mindful of the possible evolution (or even demise for lack of a better word) of certain friendships. Distance makes the heart grow fonder but in some cases, distance makes strains more apparent - such is life. This may come across as harsh or heartless but we are all at a stage in our lives where we able to choose the relationships we want to maintain. How much influence do we allow the length of a friendship determine it's maintenance? Do we continue on with any relationship because of the time we have invested or do we choose to let these relationships end, allowing more time for others? Just some food for thought.

The intention today was to write this post and some postcards while sun baking in the botanical gardens, but as soon as I stepped outside, it started to rain - just my luck! I went into the city to drop off some resumes and then headed home since the weather was so unpredictable. Of course on my walk home, the rain turned into hail and I had to seek refuge at the petro station. I am excited for the weekend ahead - forecast: SUNNY DAYS! Going to a fitness meetup on Saturday for a run, followed by a cocktail party at Reg's. Sunday is brunch with new meetup friends and if I'm brave enough, another bike ride.

I apologize for the lack of travel related writing in this post. Trying to get all my ducks in a row this week and being sick earlier in the week didn't really make for an exciting start. I even missed my first volleyball game! Next week shall be far more interesting.

xx
Miss*JQ

Drink menu at Chin-Chin

Roomies

Rooftop Bar

One of Reg's specialty cocktails - espresso martini consisting of 2 shots of espresso, 2 shots of coffee Patron and some other deliciousness

Seriously contemplating becoming vegetarian - this was delish!

Another meatless brunch dish

Queen Victoria Market - so much awesomeness in one place!

Walking into the city from Richmond - reminded me a lot of running along Memorial

Lost & not yet found

Contrary to my last post, my housing situation has not been resolved so I actually don't have a place to rent and the job I "found" paid too little to make it worth my time to travel. Just a few examples of how life can be unpredictable and you just have to roll with it. In all honesty, these two instances have been disheartening... To the point I looked at flights to come home (don't get too excited Megs) BUT in June of 2014 - when I was scheduled to come home anyways. I remember this feeling of being "lost" during my first two weeks in Hong Kong. I called home and cried... a lot. My mom strongly encouraged me to come home but I knew if I did, I would feel like a failure and everything that I set out to achieve would have been lost. I'm thankful everyday that I didn't give up and take that easy option. 6 years later, those familiar fears of uncertainty still creep up in my mind at times but I know I will get through them as I once have. Older and wiser that's for sure. I'm taking these situations as a sign that for the time being, I should enjoy life, as is. Gives me more time to practice my dance moves anyways ;)

Everyone in the city seems to be ramping up for summer; heck I have plans every weekend up until November. Thanks Reg, you truly are a Melbourne socialite! In other news, I'm going to a Halloween party (YAY!), in costume and all. Not quite to the usual extent we do back home (I do miss our group themed pubcrawls, I don't miss the last minute scrambling to sew everything together) but shall be fun regardless. The next huge up and comer of the summer: Spring Carnival. Yes, horse racing is huge here (news to me!) and everyone gets decked out to the nines; fascinators and all - I can't wait to shop for my outfit! It may look like a classy event but I've been told, it's 10 days of debauchery. Sound familiar? Stampede with better outfits and instead of chugging beers and downing mini donuts (guilty!), people are chugging champagne and downing fancy appies. Same, same if you ask me.

The inability to secure my own place which trickles down and effects my ability to find a cafe job near home are the only real stressors I have. It's been ages since I've found myself with this much time to just enjoy my days. Sunday, Ben picked us up and we drove to the half moon beach where we enjoyed the ocean view as we chowed down on our eggs Benny. We then spent the afternoon laid out on a beach towel, listening to music and chatting. And somehow the afternoon flew by I'm a flash and it was dinner time... Tough life eh? Lol I still have some Canadian in me! Monday, gym and roamed around the neighbourhood. Tuesday, tried out a new gym in the city - Virgin Active. Gorgeous facility but definitely not affordable: $145 activation fee and $105 per month? Being on a budget does not permit such luxury! It is really nice though; pool, climbing wall, two levels of weights and cardio machines and even sleeping pods! The germaphobe in me shudders at the thought of all the potential shoddy things that can go on in there. The icing on the cake? Heaps of ripped guys (giggity giggity!) This leads me to my first Aussie FML story...

As Shauna and I were wrapping up our workouts (our friend Danny went back to work) we started talking about one legged bridges and the level of difficulty. As we attempt this exercise, a group of hot footy players come by and start chatting in our vicinity and what happens? CALF CRAMP! I collapse, cringing in pain, as Shauna tries to help while stifling her fits of laughter... If you have had any type of muscle cramp, let alone a calf cramp, you will understand my level of pain, literally and figuratively. My face went into a pug-like state, all wrinkled up and drooly... Sexy right? LOL.

I tried a new tuck shop Vietnamese restaurant yesterday, Miss Chu and while it is a far cry from pho back home (I didn't actually try the pho but even presentation wise, thumbs down) the presentation and atmosphere will make me a return customer fo sho! The weekend, we tried a really nice Italian tapa place and ordered pretty well half of the menu. Now before you go all Judge Judy on me, there were 6 of us and anything that was carb related, I declined, including dessert. Tonight, we are back into the city to Chin Chin for some Chinese fusion. It's Thursgays (I'm not being a smart ass, this is what it's actually called) for the girls and as much fun as dancing off calories sound, the rain is turning me into a homebody.

Today is my first day of no sugar. Not that I have been stuffing my face with desserts and or anything (slamming my face against the glass of every bakery, yes) but I have been taking my coffee with raw sugar and had frozen yogurt a few times in the last two weeks. It's so good here! Earl grey tea with honey flavor? Delish! Don't believe me? It was so good it warranted a ghetto girl z-snap and an mmmmm gooooot! Shoutout from a (questionable) lady boy! Needless to say, I have to get into summer shape, stat!

Looking forward to all the activities in the upcoming weeks. Planning a mini road trip out to Ocean Road; a trip New Zealand is in the works and still trying to find a friend to go to Tasmania with! Life is good :)

Missing the seasonal colors and flavors of Fall back home. Thanksgiving always reminds me of my mom and sadly, the day I lost her. October 12th will forever be the hardest of my life. There are not enough words to describe the absence in my heart without her here to share in my life. I reminisce to the silly jokes we used to have; sitting in the living room playing cards; singing in the kitchen with her and my dad while cooking on Sunday. There is so much I want to say...

Time, it's supposed to heal wounds, let us forget and make it easier... Yet a song, a lyric, a simple ballad can send me spiraling back to that day. As heartbreaking as this sounds, it is a reminder for me to live life to the fullest and to appreciate each day.

You never got a chance to see how good I've done
I wish that you were here to celebrate together;
I wish that we could spend the holidays together...
I thought you were so strong, you'd make it through whatever
It's so hard to accept the fact you're gone forever
I never knew I could hurt like this and everyday life goes on
I wish I could talk to you for awhile
Miss you but I try not to cry, as time goes by
Assume that you've reached a better place
Still I'd give the world to see your face
Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, surrounded by loved ones and a full tummy. I am thankful for my amazing family, who support me through all my crazy life decisions; my wonderful friends, who are there for me regardless of distance; and my health (which is self explanatory). Don't forget to share what you are thankful for... Life is too short to leave things unsaid.

Looking forward to the plethora of pics on Instagram of festive feasts - please don't disappoint!

xx
Miss*JQ

State Library - great place to enjoy the sun and people watch

Hidden waffle stall - a must try one day. They even have a "Canadienne"

Flinder's Street Station

"Jump" art project in Fed Square

Outdoor theatre in Fed Square - supposed to be bumpin' in the summer

I can afford Prada here ;)

Minority to the Max

The weather in the last few days has not motivated me to do much. The sporadic bouts of rain, wind storms and the rare glimpses of sunshine make me feel like I'm back home in Calgary; the only thing that reminds me I'm here and not there is the frequent usage of I reckon, mate, how you goin'? I reckon (see what I did there?) I'm coming across as a huge sissy over here, since our winters are much worse but remember, I no longer have the luxury of Felix to get me from point A to point B. It's walking or taking the tram for this gal now.

Shauna has been an incredibly amazing host/tour guide/room mate! I've learned heaps about Melbourne! Thanks buddy! Will miss you but will see you again in a couple of months. Past post reference: we are living in a predominantly gay community and as a hetero (this is what they refer to us as! Like it's an epidemic! That or reproducers followed by a disgusted ugh. So not only am I one of two Asians, I am usually the ONLY straight gal - hence the post title...) I don't have much interaction with this populace. Hanging out S&Co. has admittedly helped me overcome many stereotypes of lesbian life; thanks Hollywood, you have once again succeeded in screwing up my perception of reality. At the risk of sounding like a total ignorant biotch, I will admit that I never thought about the courtship or how gay relationships come about because it never pertained to me - the sweaty palm nervousness of potential rejection; quickened heart rate when you meet someone attractive; the goofy smile plastered on your face while texting your crush... We are all in the same! Cupid's bow extends beyond the heteros!
Another prejudice I had, (again, putting my neck out there) that most lesbos (I'm allowed to say this because Aussies are lazy and shorten everything!) are butch. Nope! I have learned about the Femmes - those who are really into fashion and dress "girly." May seem like an anomaly back in C-town or (revelation!) we are too consumed with preconceived notions to think they exist?! In hindsight, I should have started that sentence with 'Confucius say...' - you should feel enlightened! If not, go urban dictionary 'spaghetti girl' - forewarning, you may never think of spaghetti the same. And NO, that was NOT my coming out speech. I most definitely like boys! Wipe that smug look of doubt off your face, Kev!

I'm excited to announce, I have found a 'permanent' home for the next 6 months! I also found a job - so contrary to what many of you have suggested, I don't need to practice my dance moves!! All of this accomplished in one Thursday afternoon, after a killer workout. Gettin' into my groove! Aside from the Asian food craze over here, bakeries and the cafe culture are huge. Starbucks are as rare as sobriety during Stampede! Although the weather does call for a pumpkin spice long black, I fear carrying a Starbucks cup will have me condemned. Everyone is a coffee expert and everyone knows a place that's better than that other place - I don't think 6 months is enough time to try all the cafes that have been suggested to me. Nonetheless, I am excited to try as many as I can. Of course, a cafe is incomplete without a bakery and I kid you not, these bakeries are nothing like the franchises we have back home. I'm talking 80 different choices of fresh baked goods, elaborate cakes with details a wedding dress would envy and flavors I never thought would be put together. Brunch + chinese street food + great shopping + bakeries = I may never come home! Just kidding, Papa Bear.
The hunt for washboard abs continue. I have been promised, weather permitting, they will appear and I will be in awe - keeping my fingers crossed!

Some of you have asked me what I fill my days with and the answer to that my friends is, whatever the heck I want! And I love it! No obligations or real responsibilities to be here or there at specified time. My mornings are spent chatting with peeps back home; blogging (these posts take me a few days to write, depending on my creative mood); until recently, looking for a place to rent and jobs; researching about travel; and arranging social events. I recently joined meetup.com, (no, not a dating site, although it is plentiful in its singles groups) which is a social gathering site with groups created based on similar interests. It's a great way to meet new people and expand my currently minimal social circle. I have met some really fun people thus far - some, like myself who are new to Melbourne; born and bred Melbournians/Melbourites (I have no idea what they're called lol); expats etc. I have been to two events - a party at a pub and a comedy show. Of course, I also joined the Chocoholics group! Goodbye waistline, hello sugar high!

To my dismay, I have learned Thanksgiving is not celebrated here (although it makes sense since Australia has always been Australia). No turkey, no cranberry sauce but most heartbreaking, no pumpkin pie (still craving it, even though I was spoiled with some amazing custom homemade goodness before I left). I also will not see any of these delectable dishes during Christmas! Since it's summer here, I will gorging on seafood and BBQ! You guys all know how much I LOVE Christmas and tradition... This is heartbreaking. I know I wanted change but this is pushing me closer to the edge! Hashtag, disappointed!

Forecast for the weekend: GORGEOUS! Into the city for dinner and drinks tonight (going to be a struggle to get those abs), Shauna's going away BBQ at our place tomorrow and Sunday brunch on the beach. This really IS the life!

The Grand Finale Footy game - sitting outside along the river

Rooftop bar on my first night here

Just a few of the amazing cakes I've seen - too many pics to post

Astro Theatre - kickin' it old school

My new gym!

Chinatown

Caramelized pork hock with spices and chili vinegar - best pork I have ever had!

The goal is blog weekly so you guys know I'm still breathing; that, and so I don't forget all the fun things I have done! A trip the Yarra Valley wineries is in the works and planning my drive up the coast as soon as Allan confirms his vacation dates!

Heard the snow threat back home, stay warm mates!
xx
Miss*JQ