New Ways Of Living

Since returning to the country in December I've been living in various places; initially staying with Amy, then on the floor of an uninhabited flat in Carlton and forced to my parents place in the outer eastern suburbs. However, now I am living in a houseshare in Richmond. I've actually been here over a month now and I'm living with two lovely ladies called Amber and Cathy (hi girls!).

Until now my experience of Richmond has been limited to gigs at the Corner, the odd Vietnamese meal on Victoria Street and this Nepalese place on Bridge Road that does these killer vegetable dumplings. So it's fun discovering the place a bit more.
The area bordered by Victoria, Bridge, Church and Burnley contains a cool network of connecting alley ways that enable you to get around without having to follow the street plan of the neighbourhood. No doubt I'll soon find myself getting buggered by some junked-up crackfiend down one of these alleys when walking home late one night, however for now I'm enjoying negotiating them.



The 109 is now my tram. Box Hill to Port Melbourne: an epic route. Although at present I'm only catching the tram from down near Church Street, along Victoria St, across Hoodle, up Victoria Parade, into MacArthur where I jump off at Parliament Station. Not a long journey, but with Victoria Street's Vietnamese restaurants and grocers, the hospital district of East Melbourne and the grandiose architecture of St Patrick's Cathedral and Parliament itself, it is arguably the most interesting part of the route.


That Hoddle Street divide is a doosie, isn't it? Those early town planners sure knew how to divide rich and poor. Whilst some lucky people on my side of Hoddle are able to afford a car, others still have to get around old school.


I'm still in the process of decorating my new room. The main issue is a lack of blu-tack coupled with the inability to remember to purchase more blu-tack. I managed to score an old bookshelf from my parents place, however as my cds vastly outnumber my books, the bookshelf has primarily become a cd shelf. The onset of Autumn has led me to bring out my beloved panda blanket. Whilst the blanket may give the room a bit of a bad hippie vibe, it is extremely warm and comforting on those cold and lonely winter nights, so don't give me any flack.


So I'd say that I'm reasonably pleased with my new living conditions. Obviously, I'd rather be living in Cranbourne McMansion with a wife, kids and a mortgage, but then what would I be left to dream about?