Hello there blue

Lying in bed.
Today has involved a mere 4.25 hours of work, and me feeling massively tired.
For those who don't know, I've been bitten by a mega flu. I'm basically over it now, just a residual cough, but it took a good two weeks outta me. I went home a week ago feeling dodgy, and spent the next 5 days in and out of sleep land, bathing, feeling shit, reading. Turns out I then got tonsilitus, which is another story! It's the sickest I've been, which really is testament to my health. Don't know what you've got till it's gone, eh? Now I understand that I am indeed a healthy specimen and that's very important in day-to-day living.

Melbourne this morning was shrouded in cold, cold fog. My alarm went off at 9am, which felt way too early, even though after 7 hours of sleep. My bed was warm, the house freezing, the dread of work looming. It was not looking good, people. The fog lifted, and work ended up not being terrible, but I was still tired, which has lead me back now to my bed. A full circle.

And so another week is about to begin. So far it's looking pretty busy; a gig lined up, volunteering, work, going away party on friday night, overseas injections, an amnesty youth night. Plus lots of fun time doing nothing, I envisage.

The heater. It's such a love/hate relationship. I've never known such tumult. For one, it tends to dictate whether or not you go out at night. It brings people together, and one is loathed to be the anti-social house member leaving the house, away from conversation and company. Oh, the irony. As much as I hate it, it makes me feel homely and domestic and warm and snuggly when I intend to have a good night out. It makes facing the cold Melbourne air even more of a struggle. I hope you understand where I'm coming from here. It's a lazy way out, but it's just so goddamn good. The fact that my bed is right next to the heater doesn't help either. Hmm.

Three weeks, people. Three weeks. It's a massive light at the end of the tunnel- especially in terms of doing work that I don't like doing. It has become a ray of hope during an arduous 7 hour shift, when another waitress asks what I'm up to this year. Oh, you're going to California, Canada, Argentina. Oh! In three weeks' time! Wow! How exciting! I'm jealous! It makes waitressing a little bit more bearable. Thanks, L.J. Hooker.
Another thing, this year has really done a lot to boost my motivation to work in a job that I want to do. The - dare I say it- hatred I have felt for some certain cafes down here has been immense, and it seems unfair that these are the only jobs going. It teaches you to grin and bear it, and flattens any hope of doing anything more worthwhile. Yet it also fuels this desire to be paid to do good, meaningful things. The only thing between here and there is further education, I feel.

So that's probably it for the meantime, boys. Tonight I think I'll make some nice baked pumpkin soup. An easy night in, in front of the heater, calls. Take care ya'll, until next time. xoxox g.

Push pineapple, shake the tree

Mm.

I'm starting to feel like my time left in this wonder city is limited. Although I have over a month left here, I'm starting to see the transience in all that has become comfortable and familiar to me. People, Open mikes, Opportunites to catch up, Bicycle adventures; all no longer seem to be accessible through an infinite space. Instead now, they must be categorised, slotted in strategically so that I get everything done in due time.

There are big looming questions hanging over my gap experience. Due to start in August, the project coordinator is somewhat abanoning my pleas for help for a higher prioritised group leaving sooner. Nothing yet is organised for my placement- locations, dates, families, prep courses, and it all feels like it's sliding a little out of hand. My phone calls and emails are left unanswered for weeks and urgency is increasing. It will all happen, I just want to get stuff out of the way as soon as possible, to give me more time to rump around.

Tomorrow I'm going busking. I received my permit in the mail. I'm not sure how regulated the system is- plenty of people do it without a permit- except I thought I'd stick to my guns. Don't want any irksome fine to sabotage my day. No thanks.

I endeavour to have a nice and early wake up tomorrow and head to Piedemontes to get me some food. I have no breakfast material so it's quite a question of life and death. You'd be surprised at how innovative one can be when it comes to concocting breakfast, without actually having any food. I ate my crusts today, with some of Emma's Grandma's award-winning raspberry jam. That was good. But now I must seek out higher ground, with less-pov qualities.

Mum has told me that the Ginni-van has died. I hope to the heavens that this is lie. I can't imagine my life without her. And our fun times together had only just begun. Please, Ginni-van (T-rag to some) may you be reincarnated with a slightly less shonky running speed, giving you more reliability. We all love and miss you. Come back home.

Well it's midnight, so I best scadoo. I think I ought to read a little. I wish I could read faster. There are so many good things to read. Take care,
Until next time.
ggg

who are you, what have you done?

Hello, my lovely lady lumps.

I sit at my kitchen table. It is flippin' cold. Sure, it's no comparison to the icy Arctic, but this unexpected cold is really biting at this midnightly hour. Melbourne today was glorious. Not a cloud dans le sky, and it was warmer outside than in the house.
On the table are fresh flowers, and lots of wine. Kathleen celebrated her 21st on friday night which included many merry-making and fun times. It's nice meeting all of these people as most of them I have heard so much about (to their detriment, no doubt) yet have never seen. College gossip tends to hang around years after its creation.

Some of my Dong friends have been down for the past couple of nights which has been swell. It's very different playing host to more than one when I've not played host for quite some time. Back up at home was easy to play host, but here it is harder- mainly, there are not many people who I'm able to play host to.

I have started doing some volunteering at La Mama. I called up one day, hoping for the best but expecting the worst, and I got invited in the next day. I'm mainly doing ticketing, which is dandy, and is keeping me occupied. I have so much respect for the place and the people here and all of the writers/ directors/ actors/ sound technicians come into the office and be cool, and they just exude amazingness and history and importance. I'm trying to soak it up, but I still feel on the outside- the nice volunteer who brings in the coffee. Maybe with time it'll make sense who everyone is and I can find out more about them. All I know is that they are quite mystifying.

I also had an afternoon batch of employment today at the football. It was very nice. Easy work, happy clients, you know the dealio.

Tonight I've been looking at the documents I need to do in order to get me overseas. Visas, travel insurance, TESOL courses, more. It's all new to me so I guess I'll be learning pretty quick smart. I'm filling out a police check as we speak and it is very particular. Grug.

It's probably my bedtime now.
I endeavoured to play music and read my book tonight, except jobhunting took a good long time. Then researching my travels. And then lappy being demandingly slow. Meh, tomorrow.

I think I have saggy eyes now.

Bonne nuit.
xo thoia.