The Closest I'll Ever Get to Quidditch
I can think of about a dozen things I should be doing right now but, for some reason, updating my blog seemed the most important. Got back from Melbourne early this morning and vegetated my way through the day. I’m caught up on most of the reading I didn’t do over the weekend but I’m starting to feel the weight of my upcoming assignments. Finals aren’t far off, either, and I can’t believe how quickly time’s starting to move.
Ok, since JYA is designed to be interactive, I’m asking a question to all of you out there in internet-land. I’ve got two reasons for doing this, too. First of all, writing is more satisfying when you know people are reading so let me hear from you! Also, I want to make my online journal the best it can be and the only way I can do that is with feedback. Should I focus on what I’m doing, what I’m learning, or a combination of the two?
Groggy from a night on the road, my tour group and I rolled into Melbourne early Friday morning. This didn’t stop us from enjoying a full day in this European-style city though, since after a pit stop at our hostel and at a café for breakfast, we were off exploring all Melbourne has to offer. Our jam packed weekend included Great Ocean Road, a group of magnificent rock formations in the Southern Ocean called the Twelve Apostles (of which there are only nine, by the way), and an eclectic collection of markets, pubs, shopping, and Vietnamese restaurants. I also managed to find the best pizza I’ve had so far in Australia on Chapel Street, the Fifth Avenue of Melbourne.
If traveling to Sydney has taught me to appreciate diverse peoples, than traveling in Australia is teaching me to enjoy diversity of another kind. Melbourne is the alternative Sydney: it’s colder, rainier, and known for everything Sydney isn’t. The older, more gothic-style architecture gave the city a distinctly European feel. Evident in the churches, museums, and general layout of the city, Melbourne is the London of Australia. Home to the world’s largest Greek and Italian communities outside of Europe, Melbourne’s ethnic communities radiated warmth, friendliness, and unbelievable buys in the Queen Victoria Market. After spending an afternoon at Telstra Stadium watching Quidditch, I mean Aussie Rules Footy, running in the pouring rain through this city was a refreshing end to my weekend in Victoria.
|
