Saturday, April 26, 2008

Things that I do like about Canberra:

Peak hour traffic. Actually the lack of peak hour traffic. They really don't have a peak hour here, although I've heard reference to a "peak half-hour". Traffic is never at a standstill, which happens every morning in Melbourne.

Fresh air. Not that Melbourne air is particularly bad, although it sometimes gets pretty smoggy. But Canberra, being practically in the bush, generally smells pretty good.

Being in high demand. Most people in Canberra are here to work for the government. People like me, who would rather work in the private sector, are fairly rare!

The interesting and often unpronounceable place names. Narrabundah, Tuggeranong, Stromlo, Jerrabombera, Giralang. I'm not joking. These contrast nicely with the very English-sounding place names like Kingston, Watson, Hackett, Dickson, Campbell.

You know what I really miss about Melbourne? It's the alleyways, the small streets, the funny little backways and hidden-away shops. It's the hustle and bustle of 3 million people getting on with their own lives. Going exploring in Canberra eventually brings you back to where you started, but exploring Melbourne means getting lost and finding yourself somewhere out the back of Richmond or South Yarra where you've never been despite having lived and worked there for eight years, and finding several funky shops and some awesome grafitti along the way.

I'd better get to bed. It's nearly 1am, and I have my parents coming to visit tomorrow. Wish me luck!!!

6 comments:

Lletna said...

Canberra - the bush but it's a capital city! Don't you just love it!

sounds like you are looking at the positives associated with Canberra!

Good that has worked - and just think when you visit melbourne - you will still found those alleys that just show up... never the same alley two times in a row...

Cazzie!!! said...

I hope the visit has gone well with your parents, I bet you had a ball actually!
Yes, it has been quite smoggy, or rather, smokey because of backburning of grassy areas in otehr parts of Victoria.
The days have become cool and we got some rain last night! Yippee.

Frank Baron said...

Stace dear, you said nothing - nada, rien, zippo - about the fishing.

Sheesh.

Stace said...

I'm trying, Chantell... trying!!!

Cazzie - thanks :) it was kind of nice to see them again, and weird to have the whole family together again, it's been a long time...

Frank - we didn't go fishing :(

WithinWithout said...

Who knows, Stace? You and Aidan might come to love it there.

Keep on looking for those positives, girl. You can always visit Melbourne again!

Anonymous said...

Very much loving Tuggeranong. There's a place near my home town called Zeal Monachorum, and another one called Outer Ting Tong. I have never found inner ting tong. Interesting anomalies like that always make me smile :)

(ps. love the purple hair)