5 Things That Make Me Feel At Home in Melbourne
I've been here almost 8 months now, and certain things have already become second nature. Like running for a tram or seeing that certain cheese called 'Coon' and not guffawing and wincing at the same time. But some things have made Melbourne feel very familiar and comforting from day 1, and for those, especially on those tough days when I'm missing everyone back home and feeling ready to blub at the slightest thing, I am seriously grateful. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Fantastic Coffee
It's no secret that Melbourne is filled with coffee snobs, and with Cape Town being not very far behind (still boggles my mind that they would allow Starbucks entry to the country at all), a great latte or flat white reminds me of those days having coffee dates with my friends at Deluxe or The Field Office. My favourite places here are Code Black, Jack Horner and Padre Coffee, but there are loads more I haven't even tried yet!
2. The AFL
I've watched almost no sport since I've lived here which is a bit sad, especially considering that ordinarily I'd be glued to the Rugby World Cup broadcast back home, but the time difference and lack of FOX Sports at home means I just can't do it. However, the AFL, which ended recently, really made me feel like I was home. Every weekend there would be supporters dressed up in their teams colours, riding the trams into the city. Kids and old folks amongst the loud-mouth yob-types, all excited about the game and as loyal to their team as those die-hard fans of the Gauteng Lions. Eish. In fact the AFL feels very Currie Cup-ish, and it is, except no-one yells "Vrystaat!". (I do like to imagine they have, though, to really feel at home.) Added to that, the team colours of the Hawthorn Hawks (above) are the same colours (I kid you not) as my high school uniform. Brown and yellow. Ah the memories! The Hawks actually won the AFL so the brown and yellow is obviously a very lucky colour combination. (Don't tell Rand Park High!)
3. The Weather
Having lived in Cape Town for 15 years, I'm pretty used to torrential rain, gale force winds and the old four-seasons-in-one-day vibe all Capetonians are familiar with. The same can be said for Melbourne! Over the weekend for example we had severe thunderstorms, preceded by 35 degree days and followed by winter weather, again. Today I am wearing a scarf and warm jacket, yesterday I was in shorts. Nuff said. And Melburnians talk about the weather just as much as Capetonians do! Awesome.
4. The Shops
Obviously South Africa is the last outpost for many international brands (H&M finally landed at the Waterfront this weekend I hear!) and so all the shops are just so damn familiar, even if the pricetags aren't! Lush, Country Road, Trenery, Mimco, Kiehls, Top Shop, Forever New, Gap etc are everywhere, and walking around in Melbourne's shopping district is like being at an outdoor Sandton City or V and A Waterfront. Not to mention that Nando's is literally EVERYWHERE!! Sometimes I stand outside a Nando's and pretend I'm in Seapoint. It worked, once.
5. The Politics
Finally, my little South African heart would not feel nearly as settled in Australia if it wasn't for the politics. The last few months have looked like a season of House of Cards, but with way more meme's. Like this one above, which has Julia Gillard asking Tony Abbott the catchphrase question of an anti-depression campaign running at the same time as he was ousted. It's been pretty interesting following the rise and fall of old Tony, and the desperate attempts by Malcolm Turnbull to (ahem) turn the political ship around. Makes me think back to following the parliamentary debacle at home where wifi signals were shut down and members were evacuated while President Zuma chuckled smugly through it all. This one currently looks a lot more promising though!
So there it is! Australia and South Africa, or at least Melbourne and Cape Town, really aren't that different at all. Sure, there's loads of things to get used to, but that will have to be the subject of another blogpost! In the meantime, here's to finding more familiar things, as well as revelling in all the differences.