A quick and dirty list of likes and dislikes of Melbourne thus far (in no particular order):
Likes:
- Variety and quality of restaurants. Italian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japense, Korean, Indonesian, Greek, Vegan, etc, they're all available and all are authentic (except for maybe Mexican...)
- Proximity to mountains, ocean, and forests, all accessible via public transportation
- Public transportation. We can pretty much get to anywhere we want to go in greater Melbourne via tram, metro, or bus
- The people. Aussies are in general incredibly easy going and friendly, not to mention non-Aussies
- The weather. The day can start grey, wet, and gross and end sunny, warm, and bright
- Melbourne is distinctly Australian, and as Americans we're "special" (in both senses of the word).
- Aussie Rules Football. Still figuring out the rules, but its definitely entertaining and everyone has an opinion about which team to barrack for. In general, Collingwood fans are bogans.
- City planning. Upon first arriving in Melbourne, it is quite obvious that a lot of thought was put into the planning of Melbourne. The streets are in a grid pattern, the trams run down every other major street, and the CBD is quite manageable and walkable
- Regional pride. Similar as in the US, but perhaps more widespread, Aussies are very proud of their respective cities and have little reservation in asserting that their city is the best
- Animals. Aussie animals include some of the most exotic and interesting animals on the planet. We don't have an opportunity to see a ton of animals given that we're in cooler Melbourne, and we're in the city, but when we do see them, they're pretty awesome. Although many locals consider them a nuisance, the possums are ADORABLE
- Absence of abundant and good mexican food. Trippy Taco is the best so far, which is nice since its a 5 minute walk from our apartment up in Collingwood. Other than that, Taco Bill can satiate an appetite if in dire need...
- Public transporation. While the public transportation is amazing, it is nonetheless public transportation. Waiting for a bus/tram/train sucks, compounded with the fact that there exists no easy way to determine where tram routes go, and the routes aren't outlined on Google Maps like in NYC or London, getting around can prove difficult
- The weather. As mentioned above under "Likes," although the weather can start out cold, wet, and ugly and transition to warm, sunny, and pretty, the inverse is true as well... We'll see as summer approaches, but leaving the apartment this time of year without rain protection and a spare layer of warmth is a risky endeavor
- The cost of EVERYTHING. Nothing is comparatively cheap here... well except for wine. Some standard price indicies:
- Half-gallon of milk: $4.50
- 24-case of mediocre beer: $45
- Can of Coke: $2.00
- Notable lack of robust and diverse microbrews (nitpicky I know, but I'd kill for a Terrapin Rye right now...)
- Time difference between Melbourne and the States. It's just part of moving so geographically distant from your home town, but it has proven a bit of nuiscance in a number of key areas; calling friends and family, watching sports, and catching up on news. Lydia and I agree that the time difference is more significant of a factor than the geographical distance.
That's the quick list, I'm sure I'm omitting many others from both categories, but I've hit my "5 minute" mark. In an effort to post more on the blog, I'm going to try to include more "5 Minute or less" posts
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