Edwin Jones

When you are in a time of change, the amount of new people you meet is overwhelming. You sometimes have no clue who is gonna stay an acquaintance and who is going to be a good friend. Cause I have tried to guess that before and it simply does not work. But then you also can tell. So I just totally made a contradicting statement!!

When you are also going through lots of change and moving cities etc and also have lots of time on your hands with no job, you assume you would be able to write a lot more. No. Not me. I just put it off. Maybe it is because it reminds myself that hey, not much has changed! But then again, it has.

Went to Sydney on the weekend, simply because I was meant to do some work up there but it fell through but my mate who I was going to work for, had already bought the non refundable ticket. So I spent 3 days wandering around the city and meeting up with friends. If I was honest, it wasnt very helpful in regards to moving forward. It just showed me the city I left. But I did see good friends and had some great conversations. I saw Tigh and discussed more about what happened in our situation, and saw one of my best buds Chem, who I lived with, and we laughed a lot. We also placed “Lets Get Married” on the jukebox, not even staying for it to play, but chuckling at what the scenario in the bar would be like when that song came on. Oh early 2000’s your music really did suck a lot. They wont be saying that when I am old though.. or.. yeah they will be.

I bought a mattress today. Brand new one. I have not had a brand new mattress EVER. And the place I went had a special personal analysis machine, where you lay on this special bed and the computer measured your body weight etc and worked out what beds suited me. The nice sales assistant Sean helped me, and we chose a cheap and comfy mattress, he did not even judge me cause it was not expensive. There were mattresses for $4000, when some people sleep in a box. Just cannot justify that, I just made sure mine did not squeak.

The big move day is in 6 days. I cannot wait to write about that one, which will involve an early morning rise and 10 hours in a car with Dad. And I am actually not even being sarcastic.

I volunteered for Mardi Gras this year, helping with the Start area for the parade. The orientation was held on Sunday and wow, was interesting. Some lesbians with authority can be scary, cause they have an angry chip on their shoulder and assume you are gonna screw up and ruin the day. Share the love. Will see how we go on the day, next weekend.

Just for a mental note, ducks are not people. They are birds. Some people like to treat them as such.

Yes, a home for me is now on the cards for sure. Signed the lease on Friday. My first flat by myself. Will be good, I can do puzzles all night and noone else will care. Except me. I hate puzzles.

I move in 2 weeks, so 2 more weeks of couch sleeping, which will fly by!

There is this rocking Old school Milk Bar not too far from my new home, that I am totally going to go to often. Or will I? Have you ever started exploring a new area where you will live and you plan to do this and this, but then never do. It all seems like it will be all Soap Opera style, where you meet your friends at the cafe and chat and stuff. Nah. You will walk past it everyday and see Sue behind the counter and she will be making a milkshake for a school girl and her clingy boyfriend. And thats it. But yesterday some friends and I sat at the Milkbar in a moment and had a Calippo in celebration.

Yesterday we were walking along and came across this Tram driver in despair. Wonder what was wrong….

I have been told a few times now by someone that I struggle to make conversation. Meaning that sometimes when someone is speaking with me, I listen a lot and then do not provide any input into the conversation or provide my opinion. Nor do I instigate any conversation of my own. This made me worry a lot, as I never thought I had any issues with social interactions. And so I got quite defensive and arguementative, cause I guess you like to feel you are the qualified one. When really, why do I feel I would be the king of social interaction and behaviour? I may have just gotten lazy. I feel when I am comfortable in someone’s company, I feel no pressure to always be talking. So it really took me off guard, and since this person is someone I really am quite interested in, I didnt know what to say. And that just made it more awkward. So we changed topic. Has challenged me a lot, appreciate being pushed. Do not want to be the bore but also the one to challenge them also.

PS. Melbourne looks nice too.

I was on a website and there was an ad for a kettle ball. I clicked on it, mainly cause it said “Aussie Kettle Ball!” Which made me wonder what the difference was. It seems there is none. And also just reminds me of old circus performers with black and red striped lycra pants and mostaches lifting them. Within 30 seconds I had typed in kettle ball and discovered they are a gimmick. Who would have thought…

So I went for a job interview yesterday at a massive corporation. Was so weird to walk into this building of 3000 people. There was even a coffee shop and restaurant near the lobby. It would be a great role, just keen to see how I go now and if I hear back. Talking about it too much makes you feel you wont get it. Know what I mean?

How good is Cider. Thats all I am saying. This is my favourite currently.

I learnt how to boil a chicken. You put it in hot water and wait for it to cook.

Valentines day it is. Most bloggers will write about this, so I wont. Its just what I do. Buck the trend.

So I have been in Melbourne exactly 2 weeks now. I have had about 100 chai lattes and I think I have consumed alcohol everyday of the 14 days. Everyday has also been a day of food that is nice. We like that dont we. I have even considered a food blog because so many meals have been worthy of a photo. It also helps that the lovely Nick who I am staying with is a professional Chef. Makes me cower in the corner and NOT offer to cook anything, as it will look like a jar of baby food in comparison. Mooshy and easy, twist the jar and away you go.

Currently I am sitting in my PJs, which I have no idea where they came from as I usually do not own them. But because I am sleeping on a couch in someone’s living room, a guy in undies is not the first sight you want to see when you walk into your living room, so magically I have PJ’s in my suitcase. So am sitting here in my PJ’s and clicking on Seek.com.au. This informs me that there are 209 “EA/PA jobs in Melbourne”. Where?? I dont see them?? Legal firms, accountancy firms and financial firms. You may as well say, here there are jobs for suits and a desk and an office cubicle and you get paid reasonably to do stuff and then go home and come back again. That was such a lame attempt at describing establishment. I really wouldn’t go so well in the anti-establishment. Boo. So, as you can tell, no job yet 🙂 But I got a good feeling about this week.

I went to a house in St Kilda with a new mate Peter on Friday night, and it was one of those nights where, you didnt know anyone but by the end of the night and a few drinks later, you had danced with all three of their pet dogs in the loungroom and played with the curtains. I am sure you can all relate.

House hunting does kinda suck. I went to wait outside a flat where there was a viewing (not one of those regular days where you stand outside a flat for the sake of it and listen to what music the person will play next, fun game I know..) and 40 people turned up for the viewing. Is that enough to make you just walk away from the place and not see the inside, as it will be just cruel if you love it.

Feels like I have been here for quite a while. But it hasnt. Been.

I landed 4 days ago now. They charged me 140 dollars for additional baggage. When it was my pillow and some towels. Dad saw me off at the airport, he gave me a small note that said he supported me and loved me. In this day and age, it means a lot, especially from fathers from the generation who had fathers who would never say that kind of thing. I am lucky in that. The flight attendant did not give me such a note. She did offer me a cookie, it had apricots in it.

I lugged these costly bags onto the sky bus and then a cab from the CBD to my very generous and awesome friends Matt and Nick’s house. I sat a bit spunout and surreal for a bit and then woke up enough (yeah not even jetlagged, cant have that excuse) to head to the city. Met Dan outside Flinders St Station, and had dinner in a pub, discovered midis are now called pots and scooners are now back to Pints. Brilliant. Had a great first evening.

The following days have been a combo of job hunting, flat browsing and seeing friends and exploring. I also bought a new pack of gum and some maggi noodles from a dodgey convenience store which turned out to be really inconvenient.

It begins to hit home slightly that I have a new life, and wont be seeing people as often as I used to, in Sydney, but hey, life is life. And, thinking of those who are experiencing the horror of Cyclone Yasi, cannot even imagine.

I had a fantastic set of leaving drinks with a great bunch of friends, a few photos were taken. And I say.. “a few”.