Today has been memorable for several reasons but the most overwhelming of these has been the people we have met on our short but eventful journey. The first being Carmen the hr consultant come wedding celebrant from Adelaide who demonstrated to Carolyn and I as we waited on the tarmac at Melbourne for half an hour waiting for a berth, how to prepare your tongue and voice for presentations. Very interesting.
The Hertz people were fantastically helpful when we realised we had left something in the rental car and Alex at Medina Exec apartments was amazingly nice when she offered to pick something up for us after work the following day. Amazingly nice!!
While shopping in Myers we spent quite a bit of time hanging out with Maree the TS+14 shop assistant and she was great fun. And so the list could go on and on. Melbourne is full of the loveliest people and might I say, the oddest hairstyles. I have seem quite a lot of back combing and big hair. I feel like I am in a 1980’s New jersey movie. Not sure what that is all about yet but it feels very Italian family to me. Families of teased hair.
As far as libraries go, we have also had the pleasure of hanging out with a couple of really nice people. Michael at Caroline Springs. Fantastic new facility in one of those amazing HUGE housing developments on the edge of town. Something like 25,000 houses (all with orange roofs) and 13 villages. All called ‘The Grove’ or ‘ Palm Court’ and things like that. Great library though and a few familiar touches that look a little like some things we have done.
We also found our way to Sydenham library which sits in a big shopping centre near the railway station. Very techy library with all the computers places in the centre of the library with the books and people around the outside. Large collection with low issue stats compared. Great software packages available to everyone, for free. Interesting furniture which looks a lot like some of the stuff we put in Parklands. We were shown around by Andrew, another really nice person.
After a few minutes of relaxing after lugging our very heavy luggage up some stairs to our rooms, we took the shops of Melbourne city by storm. Well that is a bit of an exaggeration. We stumbled in and out of some accessory stores fondling the stuff and drooling over handbags and shoes. Had a great time wandering through the ‘Laneways’ around Flinders Street. Saw the most interesting thing, TWO separate bridal parties having their photos taken in the lanes amongst the graffiti and the funky activity. I was so interested to see this ‘fashion’. Wonder what the demographic is for making that choice for your photos. Very urbane or not, not sure.
After shopping hard we sat in one of the lanes and sampled a delicious platter while watching the beggars working the tables and other shoppers having an early evening wine. Carolyn and I both texting friends and family and sipping red wine and comparing purchases. Was a very light purchasing trip as we were both a bit weary after 4am start to the day.
As already mentioned, we are staying at the Medina Exec Apartments. The rooms we are in are in an old building down one of the alleys out the back of the main building. They have really high studs and have been converted from other purposes. They have a full kitchen and lots of storage. Very cool indeed. Feels a bit lonely without family here too. The cool thing is that across the alley there is a restaurant on two levels and we can see into the kitchen on the ground floor and the diners on the floor above. Very cool.
Sunday morning we got out and about early in the cold and headed to the South Bank on a circuitous route to enjoy a light breakfast before heading to the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Art Deco exhibition. Along the way we found the Arts Market and fossiced around there for an hour or so. Bought a few bits and pieces from some lovely people. Ignored the really pushy sellers who were just really annoying. The Art Deco exhibit was great. Learnt heaps about the movement and enjoyed all the furniture, architecture, home wares, clothing and stunning jewellery.. There were shed loads of people there so there was a bit of queuing going on. Interesting to know that the NGV employees or has volunteer angry people as guards. I got told off twice!!! Once because my forgotten cell phone rung. As I plunged my finger on the off button in a panic one of the Nazis yelled across the room that no cell phones were allowed. I apologised profusely ans said I had forgotten it was on and he CONTINUED to give me a lecture about how awful it was to be interrupted while looking at art to hear a phone. I CONTINUED to apologise profusely turning redder by the minute. About 100 people witnessed my embarrassment. Then two seconds later some other poor bugger suffered the same tongue lashing. Then as I was leaving the exhibit, another of the Nazi crew told me off for having my umbrella out (not up but in its little cover), telling me to put it away. I pointed out that I had actually left the exhibit and was heading to the gift shop. Left her run about 1 hour late…I was LEAVING!!! After a wonderful friendly day previously, this attack on an innocent librarian left me feeling a little pissed off.
The Hertz people were fantastically helpful when we realised we had left something in the rental car and Alex at Medina Exec apartments was amazingly nice when she offered to pick something up for us after work the following day. Amazingly nice!!
While shopping in Myers we spent quite a bit of time hanging out with Maree the TS+14 shop assistant and she was great fun. And so the list could go on and on. Melbourne is full of the loveliest people and might I say, the oddest hairstyles. I have seem quite a lot of back combing and big hair. I feel like I am in a 1980’s New jersey movie. Not sure what that is all about yet but it feels very Italian family to me. Families of teased hair.
As far as libraries go, we have also had the pleasure of hanging out with a couple of really nice people. Michael at Caroline Springs. Fantastic new facility in one of those amazing HUGE housing developments on the edge of town. Something like 25,000 houses (all with orange roofs) and 13 villages. All called ‘The Grove’ or ‘ Palm Court’ and things like that. Great library though and a few familiar touches that look a little like some things we have done.
We also found our way to Sydenham library which sits in a big shopping centre near the railway station. Very techy library with all the computers places in the centre of the library with the books and people around the outside. Large collection with low issue stats compared. Great software packages available to everyone, for free. Interesting furniture which looks a lot like some of the stuff we put in Parklands. We were shown around by Andrew, another really nice person.
After a few minutes of relaxing after lugging our very heavy luggage up some stairs to our rooms, we took the shops of Melbourne city by storm. Well that is a bit of an exaggeration. We stumbled in and out of some accessory stores fondling the stuff and drooling over handbags and shoes. Had a great time wandering through the ‘Laneways’ around Flinders Street. Saw the most interesting thing, TWO separate bridal parties having their photos taken in the lanes amongst the graffiti and the funky activity. I was so interested to see this ‘fashion’. Wonder what the demographic is for making that choice for your photos. Very urbane or not, not sure.
After shopping hard we sat in one of the lanes and sampled a delicious platter while watching the beggars working the tables and other shoppers having an early evening wine. Carolyn and I both texting friends and family and sipping red wine and comparing purchases. Was a very light purchasing trip as we were both a bit weary after 4am start to the day.
As already mentioned, we are staying at the Medina Exec Apartments. The rooms we are in are in an old building down one of the alleys out the back of the main building. They have really high studs and have been converted from other purposes. They have a full kitchen and lots of storage. Very cool indeed. Feels a bit lonely without family here too. The cool thing is that across the alley there is a restaurant on two levels and we can see into the kitchen on the ground floor and the diners on the floor above. Very cool.
Sunday morning we got out and about early in the cold and headed to the South Bank on a circuitous route to enjoy a light breakfast before heading to the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Art Deco exhibition. Along the way we found the Arts Market and fossiced around there for an hour or so. Bought a few bits and pieces from some lovely people. Ignored the really pushy sellers who were just really annoying. The Art Deco exhibit was great. Learnt heaps about the movement and enjoyed all the furniture, architecture, home wares, clothing and stunning jewellery.. There were shed loads of people there so there was a bit of queuing going on. Interesting to know that the NGV employees or has volunteer angry people as guards. I got told off twice!!! Once because my forgotten cell phone rung. As I plunged my finger on the off button in a panic one of the Nazis yelled across the room that no cell phones were allowed. I apologised profusely ans said I had forgotten it was on and he CONTINUED to give me a lecture about how awful it was to be interrupted while looking at art to hear a phone. I CONTINUED to apologise profusely turning redder by the minute. About 100 people witnessed my embarrassment. Then two seconds later some other poor bugger suffered the same tongue lashing. Then as I was leaving the exhibit, another of the Nazi crew told me off for having my umbrella out (not up but in its little cover), telling me to put it away. I pointed out that I had actually left the exhibit and was heading to the gift shop. Left her run about 1 hour late…I was LEAVING!!! After a wonderful friendly day previously, this attack on an innocent librarian left me feeling a little pissed off.
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