Fair Dinkums

I realize I'm updating this a lot and many of you are probably wondering why I'm not out and about and/or drunk and raising hell in the wilds of Australia.

But rest assured, I'm doing all of those things.

I'm just a very, very good multi-tasker.
(Also, a very, very good multi-tasker with a budget.)

(Also also, Fair Dinkums is what Australians say instead of, "way to go!"
I speak Australian now)

I'm writing to you from Pint on Punt, my hostel in Melbourne (in St. Kilda) for the next 2 days.
So far, so great.
I've made quite a few new friends already---many of whom are cool enough to keep in touch with after my stay here.
My roommies are great and we've been spending the days together.
The rest of the hostelmates are an interesting mix of 20somethings from the UK and some hilarious Swedes.

The accommodations are dingy, but all in all, I'm happy.

And, of course, I met the Chabad rabbi of Melbourne and 3 of his sons on the train today.
Question: Who's surprised?
Answer: Nobody.

I had coffee (peppermint tea) with my friend Yael, who I met last summer in Israel, today at a cafe on Bourke Street in the CBD and also met a few of her friends.
Yael's from here (Melbourne) and is letting me stay with her for a week on Sunday.
It's amazing what a 10-day trip can result in; namely, amazing friends from all over the world; namely, Yael Furstenberg.

The rest of the day was spent meandering throughout the CBD.
I walked all along Toorak and Chapel Streets in St. Kilda beforehand and found a few cheap shops to buy some unnecessaries (t-shirts and dresses for $6, but I mean, come on)
In the CBD I found the Greek precinct and Chinatown; the former offered much better food.
I essentially ate my way from one end of the city to the other, which was a great idea.*

*There's a place called "Lord of the Fries" which I recommend to anyone visiting Melbourne, as long as they like to enjoy their life. It's a lot like Pommes Frites in the East Village of NYC, except that it's cheaper and generally just more fun.
*There's also a Greek place that has a name I don't remember that makes maybe the best kalaifa (also called birdsnests, similar to baklavah, sort of...sticky and sweet and nutty and GOOD). I found it and debated between getting a water and getting diabetes. I chose the latter.)
*I'm probably coming back home fat. I'm more than comfortable with this.

Then, on the train back from the city I met a couple of Israelis who liked my "thongs" which are also known as flip flops, because they have Israeli flags on them.

They were very Israeli in that they were close-talkers and asked me a lot of questions about my family with a lot of "iiiimmmmms" and "eh eh eh ehs," all while looking at me with piercingly gorgeous eyes, and while I was answering in vague terms that I'm not "married per se," the Chabad rabbi happened to overhear and invite me to Shabbat dinner.
I politely declined and then he gave me some licorice and said a blessing.
I don't understand what the two had to do with each other, but the licorice was good.

All in all, I like Melbourne heaps more than Sydney.
Sydney's a beautiful city with incredible views and the harbour is a pretty breathtaking place, but to be honest, Sydney on the whole feels a lot like any other big city.
There are fancy stores and pretty buildings and old* churches, just like in NYC or London or Buenos Aires.
People are generally nicely dressed and ready to spend a good amount of money to have a good time.
The streets are also entirely confusing and poorly urban planned, which I found personally offensive, since everybody knows I'm bad at navigating.

But Melbourne. Ah, Melbourne.
Melbourne is relaxed, yet refined.
Classy yet casual.
The streets are on a grid system but there are so many of them that you can still get pretty lost just by wandering, which I enjoy.
The prices are far more affordable than in Sydney (though Australia is a generally expensive place.*)
And the people are just delightful.
Really.
No sarcasm there, whatsoever.
Melbourne is the Australia I've been looking for, minus the Pittsburgh-esque weather.
But, believe it or not, I still like it. A lot.

*Old in that this country was settled like 25 minutes ago, so the churches are from the 1800 and 1900s.
*expensive like: a burger, fries and drink can run you $15, a salad the same, and a "real meal" like meat and pasta, a veggie and a drink and wine is easily $30-35.

I'm not sure how long I'll stay here, as I've only bought a one-way ticket, but I'm planning on staying for about 3 weeks or so.
New Years Eve in Sydney is (obviously) the place to be, so I'm going to try to be back for that. But we shall see. No plans, remember? Woo-hoo!
But, until then, I have nothing but time and some American green backs to spend.
Have I mentioned how great my life is? Because if not, I can elaborate...

Hope everyone's doing well, and a belated happy 30th anniversary to Marshall and Sheila Lerner, to whom I owe a big "way to go" on tying the knot. Love you guys!
Love everyone else, too.