Day 21

Today, my friends, Melbourne was cold and wet.

I woke up to a downpour and considered skipping my Biology lecture, but there’s just something about that energetic man who gets in front of the class every day so excited to tell us about the latest plant adaptations, that I couldn’t stay away. Trying to miss the worst of the rain, I skirted the tram tracks and stumbled across one of my friends from Unilodge at a café just outside the lecture hall. Ends up I was earlier than I thought.

I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned on this trip is that people come and go so quickly. You never know who will stick around. But if there’s one philosophy I live by, it’s that people who are meant to stay in your life will. (Now, both people actually making efforts to stay in contact is another factor, but that’s beside the point.)

Anyway, I was really glad to talk to Aurélien today, a guy born in Thailand with the majority of his family living in France. It’s always nice to have someone you know in class. Whether it’s laughing at the teacher together, or talking about students who have been known to streak on lecture stages, it’s nice to sit beside someone you know.

After being fascinated for another hour by the fact that our professor has actually been out in the rainforests we’re studying and actively works to preserve it, I headed to my Writing for Theatre class. Now, you have to realize, it’s a Friday and this class lasts for 2.5 hours. I wasn’t exactly thrilled.

Long story short, I met some really cool people. I was also made to impersonate the person beside of me, act out a screenplay and tell everyone else my experiences with theatre. Ha. I love writing, I really do, but I think Writing for Theatre might be too artsy even for me. That, and I’m not sure I can handle three creative writing classes and a biology class in one semester. I know you science majors may think writing is a laugh, but honestly, it’s exhausting trying to create and establish whole different realms and fill them with characters and plots that are not dreadfully boring nor cliché. It’s hard work.

So, we will see. I’ll decide by this weekend (after I’ve listened to the lecture of another Australian writing class) whether or not I will switch out of it.

Fortunately, I was not lame and actually had plans for the night. Shayna, Vera (a girl from Holland who lives on our floor) and I decided to hop a tram to the Docklands to see the last firework display of the month. I grabbed the necessities: hat, money, journal, camera. And as we were waiting for more friends to join us on Latrobe St., I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the lighted Victoria State Library. So, of course, I reached for my camera. Low and behold, the battery was exhausted.

The level to which I was disgruntled cannot be described.

But if you can in any way relate, it doesn’t have to be.  What is more, I had specifically charged it the night before to take pictures of tonight’s excursion, but alas, I was foiled.

That was all a very long way of telling you I have no pictures to share with this update. So, I will do my best to paint you a picture.

Imagine.

A light drizzle soaks the air, the buildings and people within alive.

You step off the street and see a dark harbor with big white sail boats drifting next to cement. City lights continue to wink, inviting you further. You look down and see them there, reflected in the water. The most absurd architecture surrounds you. People are bundled in raincoats and armed with umbrellas. A line of extravagant restaurants line one side of the harbor while a railing facing the water lines the other. You wedge yourself between feet and spines and out of huge speakers you listen, astonished, to American pump up music. Eye of the Tiger, We are the Champions, We will Rock You; they’re all there.

After a countdown, the fireworks start.

Everyone is crowded around you and these beautiful colors collected from  city lights along with the additions of purple, blue, red and green emitted from the fireworks are being reflected in the water. It's dark so you can't tell the water from sky. Everyone is in awe. Cameras flashing. Umbrellas perched high. Water is pouring on your face, your shoulders and your feet are slowly getting numb, but you don't care-- because it's beautiful.

Because you’re happy.

Because you’re on exchange in Melbourne.

And, that, my friends, was what it was like.

There are moments in time. Moments you can’t capture with a camera, or even words. But they are moments you collect and cradle and store in your mind forever, stacking them neatly into a collection of self.

With another piece of self firmly in place and not on my camera’s memory card, I took off with my friends to Melbourne’s Casino, also known as “Crown Melbourne.” (http://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/)

And no, I didn’t gamble, but we were hungry. So it was a great way to see the casino while spending our money in a productive way—feeding our stomachs. There is a great little Italian place in the casino called Il pomodoro. Consequently, I had Chicken Penne Rosa, a dessert that included chocolate and Tim Tams and was lucky enough to score a Dr. Pepper. Life is great, my friend.

Even if you don’t gamble, the casino is a really cool place to visit. Honestly, if you like design—architecture, clothing, home interior, graphic—and I mean any kind of design, then you will LOVE Melbourne. I was craning my neck the whole time we were walking to the food court because I was so fascinated by their lights and glass chandeliers. And of course, in the middle of eating and watching flames spout out over the entrance, we watched as colorful gypsy-looking performers played drums and symbols and paraded through the food court. It was absolutely ridiculous. They even backed up the escalator for a good 5 minutes as they proceeded to walk down the one that was going up.

I mean lovely performance guys, really, but you’re holding people up from getting to the slots, and I’m sure the casino doesn’t appreciate it.

After we were full enough to roll back, we decided to walk down beside the water and lighted trees. While walking, I was able to talk to Alun (a guy from Malaysia.) He has lived in the city for three years and is now practising civil law. He was the only one who was 100% sure where exactly we were the whole night. I have to say, it was nice to know someone who knew Melbourne's ins and outs and could point out things we wouldn't have known otherwise.

After appreciating some graffiti along the way, we stopped on a bridge overlooking the city and water.

The city stood magnificent before us. It was beautiful.

 

And that’s how I got here, I suppose. Letting my feet thaw out and putting off homework.

I hope you are all well tonight, or this morning, rather. Until tomorrow.

Jordan.