Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Things I Will Miss About Melbourne
(in no particular order)

1. The, I don't know, 20 or so theatres in or near the city centre. Melbourne is the place for theatre, musical and otherwise!
2. The goths at Flinders St Station, particularly on a Friday night. Their presence is such a fact of life, it is hard to imagine the city without them! Same goes for all the other subcultures, they give layers and depth to the city.
3. Flinders St Station itself. Somebody once told me a magnificent story which I'm quite sure isn't true... she said that an architect was designing a train station for Melbourne and a palace for India at the same time. She said the plans got mixed up, and our train station ended up beautifully ornate while the Indian palace looked an awful lot like a train station!
4. History! Sure, we've only been here a couple of hundred years... but we have our share of ghosts and murders and other grizzly stuff. I've been in the old Cobb & Co coach depot a few times (now a carpark), it is meant to be one of the most haunted sites in the area... it does feel sort of creepy, but I've never seen anything.
5. The bands that visit Melbourne. Nobody goes to Canberra! Well, hardly anybody.
6. Beaches. I don't go to beaches very often, but the fact is that Melbourne is a lovely bayside city while Canberra is inland. I'll miss knowing the beach is there.
7. Grollo's cigarette lighter/penis extension/tower. Sure, it's awful. It completely dominates the Melbourne skyline. But I know it, and my friends know what I mean when I refer to the cigarette lighter.
8. The Yarra River. Specifically, being able to say this ditty: If I were a bird, I'd like to be a sparra - so I could sit on the Westgate Bridge and help to fill the Yarra! But I also like watching the rowers on the river... I suppose Lake Burly Griffin has people rowing on it too, but it's not the same!
9. The relative lack of spiders. I recall Canberra as being unbearably spidery. I hate and fear spiders above all else. (Having said that, I just had to kill a nasty big one in the kitchen, yuck!)
10. The simple and happy familiarity that comes from living in one city for several years. I'm comfortable here! That's not to say that change is a bad thing, necessarily, but I do like knowing where I am and how to get where I'm going.

I think ten things is enough. At some point in the future I'll try to come up with ten things I can look forward to about moving!

15 comments:

Romeo Morningwood said...

So what you're saying is that you 'canberra' to say goodbye.
GAWD that was bloody awful.

Change is exciting! It rejuvenates and clarifies. I adore change...as long as my daily routine isn't affected.

Is Canberra a big, bloody, vacuous, government, town (but nicely kept for the Tourists) filled with zombiesque, union dominated, bureaucrats and corporate, whore, lobbyists?
Thought so.

Stace said...

HE, that was a terrible joke! I love it! You describe Canberra just as if you've been there... Somehow I imagine Washington DC being similar, only bigger and American. haha

WithinWithout said...

I love No. 3, even if it isn't true. I can certainly understand No. 6. And where's some pix?

Would love to see a pic of No. 3 and No. 7, particularly! And with No. 8, good rhyme!

Is there a burly guy named Griffin?

No. 9, c'mon now, Stace, you know spiders are amazing creatures that eat all the bad bugs...

I certainly get No. 10.

I'm sure you'll miss it, but as HE joked, change is good. You can always change back, you and Aidan!

Can't you?

Anonymous said...

Drink with me to days gone by
To the life that used to be

At the shrine of friendship, never say die
Let the wine of friendship never run dry

Here’s to you
And here’s
To me

Anonymous said...

I could not work out how to get the nice Men/Women echo happening. I sing perfectly when no one is around. Can I sue you for copywright? Who was it that told you that it looked like a cigarette lighter?

How many of the 20 or so Theatres have you been to? And are you including Movie Theatres?

Kaleide (Formally Glasshouse) Theatre.
Capitol Theatre.
Storey Hall.
Melbourne Town Hall.
Dallas Brooks Hall.
Regent Theatre.
Tivoli Theatre (no longer exists).
Her Magisty's Theatre.
Princess Theatre.
Malthouse Theatre.
La Mama.
Carlton Courthouse.
The Forum?

Movie Theatres:
Lumiaire (no longer exists).
The one near Lygon Street.
The one is South Yarra.
The one on Collins.
Hoyts on Bourke (NLE)
Greater Union
Hoyts Melbourne Central.
Village on Bouke (NLE)
Village at Crown Casino.

Cheers,
Andrew

Keshi said...

awww...Stace u sure r gonna miss the Beaches when ur in Canberra!

Keshi.

Stace said...

WW - I'll get some pictures happening eventually...

Andrew - twas you who pointed out the resemblance to a cigarette lighter! Surely you haven't forgotten? hehe. I have been to far too few of the theatres, probably a good many less than you - but I'll miss knowing they're there! :)

Keshi, I'll have to visit you in Sydney and take in a few beaches while I'm there ;)

Stace said...

By the way, lake Burly Griffin is named after the designer of the city of Canberra - Walter Burly Griffin. The lake, however, is commonly referred to as Lake Curly Gherkin. Don't ask me why. It just is.

Lletna said...

I was confused for a minute with the list - It was worded of what you miss from Melbourne - Last time I checked you were still residing in Melbourne - even through your heart was in Canberra!

Anonymous said...

10 reasons to come to Canberra..

1) your ever loviong adoring husband misses you terribly:)

2) Jogging competitions with the PM.

3) I already know of three haunted sites, The POultergeist (angry spirit) within the war museum, the air disaster memorial, and old parliament house. THere are a few more but i cant think of them off the top of my head.

4) The striking similarity between high end civil servenats and the characters in yes minister.

5) Questacon

6) Canberra is the largest manufacturer of adult toys in Australia, and up there on the world stage. Most produced in Fyshwick.

7)COuntry life, no peak hour, but with all the class of the city.

8) National library, gallery, museum, culture abounds by the lake.

9) Nobody drinks VB, Fosters, but you can still get CArlton Draught on Tap. (you will still have to try a XXXX*)

10) Because I really need you, and this adventure would suck if you were not in my life to share it.

*xxxx not just a continent vaguely resembling Australia.

Anonymous said...

sevenat.... more than one gnat.

or possibly tried to type servant. sorry i am really tired.

Stace said...

Good morning darling!!!! Love you lots! Only one more day till you're home, yay!!! Thanks for those ten reasons, that saves me a lot of hard thinking ;)

Jewel said...

Our states here are divided into counties, of which Ohio has 88. I have lived in Hocking County my entire 56 years, if you can believe that! I love it here and could not imagine living anywhere else BUT there are so many places I would love to travel to and see. I hope your move goes well, Stace and I love Aidan's list! *smile* You two are so young and have so much ahead of you. Enjoy the journey and adventure! ((HUGS))

WithinWithout said...

Aidan, mate! You're still alive! I knew I could roust you out of the woodwork there in Can't Bear A...

We have missed you, but Stace is being the adorable doll she is...and she's only being honest.

But see, now we get this little family thing going between you two on the world wide web...

And she's feeling better!

Romeo Morningwood said...

LOOK IT'S AIDAN!
HUZZAH!

Ahhh, look at how cute, smart, and funny he is...
miss you buddy.

I am so excited for the two 'o yaz. Change is GOOD! Oh to be young and in love and embarking on new endeavour...