G'Day from Melbourne!

Just a very quick note to say I arrived in Melbourne safely on Monday and am enjoying exploring the city. I've been going non-stop since my arrival, despite the fact that my body clock hasn't adjusted and I've had very little sleep, so pardon my lack of coherence or perhaps brevity. I tend not to be able to filter well when tired. One of my favorite things about the city so far is the (relative) lack of global corporate chains. Go to New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, and you see the same Starbucks, Gap, McDonalds, littering every street corner, and I am sure that exists here somewhere as well, but I've wandered around the city neighborhoods and the only chains I recognize are things like designer clothes (in one specific area) like John Fluevog Shoes and groceries like Safeway. On Tuesday we drove out of the city and there along the highway I did notice a string of McDonald's , KFC, Hungry Jack's (Burger King) and Subway, but here in the inner-city suburbs (that's what they call them but isn't that a contradiction in terms?) it reminds me a bit of parts of New York. There are small businesses, cafes and coffee shops, that appear to be mom and pop operations, on trendy streets, next to thrift stores or eco-friendly community centers, with few if any chains in sight, and everything is a bit more subdued, comfortable, less glitzy, like parts of the city need a good washing or painting, but not in a neglected sort of way, just in a laid back sort of way, as if it were a ten year old VW to the American BMW SUV.

The one major drawback to this is that everything is much more expensive than I had imagined so living on student loans will be challenging. We went out to an average (in price) Chinese restaurant called Mao's that felt like a commercial for the PRC, complete with Mao pins, and murals and a bubbly waitress eager to educate us about Hunan, Mao's birthplace. The food and service were great but it wasn't a high end place and each of the 6 of us put in $30 for our share, a bit pricier than Seattle isn't it? Maybe The Pinochet Cafe or the Pol Pot Pub would be cheaper. Kidding. :)

My second and third favorite things so far are the friendly and generous people (half an hour into my short flight from Melbourne the woman sitting next to me had already offered me her mobile number to make sure I was taken care of with ride and accomodation when I arrived), and the architecture (unique single story terraced houses, mingled with the modern and the Victorian). Jason set me up with a beautiful little B&B for the first two nights where the owners were incredibly kind and helpful, and now his best mate Dennis is letting me housesit while he's in Thailand on holiday. I am very well cared for (no worries mom! :))!!

I'll write more about all that and my trip to the Bush where I met a Horse Whisperer, very soon but now I must run and clean up for dinner. Speaking of generosity, despite having to attend a funeral today, Jason's made a booking for dinner with some friends again tonight so I can make more introductions, and everyone is just wonderful. Great people.

I hope you all are well. Chat more soon.