Since I'll be working on Long Island, I'm going to make it a point to go into the city at least once a week or else I might shoot myself. So what are everyone's plans for this coming weekend? Doing anything for Labor Day? It's going to be major suck-o with the weather so I might do a reverse and do a city thing for a change. Unless the weather suddenly changes and it's a beach day, then you're all welcome to come down to LB.

This crap weather really needs to stop. Of course it would figure that the last few days of Summer would suck weather-wise.

Flipped out!

I saw a car flip over on Old Country Road today. I'm not talking about a teeny tiny sports car either, I'm talking a full-on truck! I didn't actually see how it happened. All I know is that I heard a very loud metallic sound and I looked over and there it was, mid-flip, then teetering back and forth. Very unsettling.

Garage Sale

The garage sale was a huge success, even with the initial crappy weather. To accommodate, we had to open the first floor of the house to let people come through and look at stuff. As a result, we got a lot of people commenting on how nice the house is and what a great artist my mother is, etc. I didn't really get too sad when that happened, though, which makes me feel like I'm getting over the whole moving thing finally. I'm actually sort of looking forward to the change in a way. We found a place to live in the interim in the dunes section of Lido Beach, so that's a huge weight off right there. It will be sort of cool to live in the house I lived in as a baby, even though I don't remember a damn thing about it. It was weird, but my dad took me through the house recently and nothing jogged my memory at all. It will be like a whole new house anyway since we are getting it remodeled.

I would like to remark on a subject I like to call "Garage Sale People." These people go around to garage sales every weekend, meet the same people so they're all friends in a demented sort of way, and try to bargain the shirt off your back. I can't really say I dislike these people but they are certainly an interesting breed. One woman came with her measuring tape to take measurements of the clothes we had on sale. Another woman was chatting my mother's ear off, distracting her from the other customers so she couldn't see what was going on. That's not to mention the people who saw the ads and came a day, two days, THREE days early to try and get a head start on the merchandise. I'm sorry, but this is not normal people. Anyway, the sale was sort of fun and became a neighborhood bonding event. We had some neighbors come and help us keep an eye on people while they were in the house and help control the flow. It was nice.

I feel like a new person

I finished organizing all my stuff for the garage sale and man does it feel good! I pretty much threw away anything extraneous and trust me when I say that most things are. I even tossed about 2/3 of my wardrobe, which may end up being a mistake but I don't care! I was just so sick of it, clothes that I'd kept for ages and didn't need, clothes stuffed into drawers that have a musty smell and are wrinkled like crazy. While pricing things for the sale, my mom made a very good point that seeing all the stuff you own that you don't want or need laid out in front of you sort of makes you think twice about being a consumer. Obviously there are some things you need, but just think of all the stuff you own that aren't necessities. I'm not trying to say everyone should become an ascetic monk, but it really does feel good to do some kind of cleansing of the extraneous every once in a while. Plus, you might even make some cash back!

Creepy guy...

Some guy came to the house today because he had seen the ad for our garage sale in the paper. Since my parents weren't home, he asked me what kind of furniture we were selling. When I said that we're selling 2 bedroom sets, he asked if he could come in and see them. I suddenly felt like I was in one of those after-school specials where they instruct kids not to talk to strangers, ie. Stop! Say no! Go and tell someone! LOL, obviously I said no thanks buddy, I don't need you alone in a bedroom with me. Well, I didn't say those exact words, but I did send him on his way. He seemed normal enough, but you never know. And then when I told my mom about it, she started mentioning some woman who got decapitated in Glen Cove or something. Man! Don't need to know, thank you.

I'm taking matters into my own hands

Last night I decided that I really need to move on...from the pain of leaving Australia, the inconvenience of this goddamn move (ok that's the last bit of bitterness you'll hear from me), the fact that I might have to live on Long Island for another year or so, my lack of money, debt, etc. That's it, I'm sick of the self-pity and I'm sure most people are sick of hearing me complain. From now on I am making a conscious effort to feel better about my current situation...no excuses. It could be so much worse and, really, I'm very fortunate to have what I have...parents who can support me, a house (it's not ideal, but I still will always have a roof over my head), I live in a relatively stable country (c'mon, think of Lebanon and Israel), etc.

I've turned a new leaf...hopefully. We'll see how I go...

So Much Shite

I feel like my brain keeps filling up with stuff I need to do and no matter what I do to deplete the list, the franticness never ends. I'm really happy I had the week in Vermont with my family, but I keep thinking about all the stuff I could have accomplished during that time. I know it will all get done in time but I hate this feeling, like I'll never get settled anywhere. I seriously hate this whole moving business and I wish I could just remove all the clutter in my life, but doesn't everyone? I'm relishing the idea of throwing away/selling half the stuff I own.

On the job front, I might hear back from Avalon on Monday, but I'm trying not to count on anything actually happening there. Frankly, I don't know if I can handle going back to work just yet, although I seriously need the money like it's nobody's business.

On a random tangent, T.V. just does not interest me at all since I've been back, except of course Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. I'm happy about that. Maybe I'll spend more time reading.

I really need to make a proper list.

I'm home...

...whatever that is. I'm trying to get a handle on it but I still can't figure it out. What is home anyway? This is something I've been pondering lately as I am about to move out of my childhood home, the one I've lived in for about 18 years. Is home just a place to hang your hat, somewhere to keep all your stuff? As the renowned Ed Brydon once said (actually it was earlier this evening over a couple of cervecas), "Home is wherever your loved ones are." But what if your loved ones are scattered, some in NY, some in Florida, some in Australia? Can one have several homes? I'm starting to feel slightly nomadic and unsettled. I know this is a normal reaction from being a backpacker for so long and that it will probably pass, but I'm not sure I really want to be settled. At least not for a while. I like having a home base, for sure, but what if it's not enough for me to simply live in one place? I don't want to have to leave my family and friends again, I really do want to have a career and build a life somewhere, but I'm afraid of the backlash if I choose to go somewhere else for an extended stay.

My last night in Sydney was both wonderful and awful. Major props to Matt and Adam for making it really fun and kind of zany...those two are ca-razy! Highlights included singing tunes from Showboat on the Balmain Wharf whilst looking over the nighttime Sydney skyline, pondering if Mikhail Gorbachev was really in a Pizza Hut commercial (it's true: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9lvzzH0STw) and, of course, accents galore! So freakin' sad though as I was forced to say g'bye to my two Aussie mates.

So I completely lost it at immigration in L.A. when the officer said "Welcome home" (there goes that word again). I could not control myself. I was already emotional from seeing the city from the plane and being back in the States...also it did not help that I was in major pain because the pressure in my ears, like, refused to equalize. I really need to get a hold of myself because I have a feeling my little meltdown upon coming into Melbourne is related somehow. Right now I feel stable but I'd watch out if I were you...

P.S. So many things are strange being back but the thing I noticed straight away is flushing the toilet here because the handle is usually on the side as opposed to on top of the tank like in Oz and there's no half-flush, which, to be honest, I never liked anyway.

P.P.S. I missed the heat wave! Yay me!

Last Day in Melbourne

I forgot to mention that during my sight-seeing rounds, I came across another reason why Melbourne rocks. There is an art fair on right now where heaps of galleries from all around Australia and some from Europe and Asia show their artwork. Normally the price of admission is $22 but I saw most of for free! I came on the day before it opened officially when everyone was still setting up the artwork. So I just walked around and looked at the art and, in my opinion, got a better perspective because I got to see how most of it gets displayed. It was pretty cool to see how some pieces get put together like puzzle pieces or painted right onto the wall. Either way, free art is cool. Unfortunately, I still had to pay $20 for the Picasso/Dora Maar exhibit last night, but I'd say it was worth it. It showed how the two of them influenced each other's work and Dora Maar's photos of the process of creating Guernica, Picasso's most famous painting, were pretty exciting.

I also saw an amazing documentary yesterday, part of the Melbourne International Film Festival. It's called Shakespeare Behind Bars and follows an acting troupe of inmates at a Kentucky prison as they rehearse and eventually perform The Tempest. So good! If anyone gets a chance to see it, definitely check it out.

LOL, so basically at this point I'm just walking around the city using all my free internet vouchers...hooray for not paying for internet! Which also leads me to believe I am sort of ready to leave Melbourne. As cool as it's been, I think I've seen and done everything I wanted to and now it's starting to cost a bit of $$$. I'm also looking forward to returning to Sydney for a bit of a last hurrah, even though I officially have just two friends left in the city :-(

And I think I'm starting to look forward to coming home a bit more, although the heat wave I've been hearing about is worrying me a little. Just 4 more days...

Link

Treasures of Melbourne

I am like a sightseeing pro. Seriously, I should teach a course or something. The key is simply hit the pavement and walk everywhere. Or, if you're handicapped in any way, just buy a daily transport ticket and take the bus/tram everywhere. Also, spend as little time in your hotel/motel/hostel/cardboard box as possible. Honestly, I covered so much ground yesterday and I still managed to take an hour+ long coffee/tea break in a cozy little cafe.

I seriously hit the jackpot last night in free entertainment. I had signed up for this free comedy show held at a pub in a really cool, funky neighborhood called Fitzroy. The comedienne was doing a trial run before she goes to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is why it was free, but she ended up being really funny! I was delighted and thought I'd stay out after the show and see what else I could stumble upon. I ended up finding this little pub on a side street that was doing an open mic night. OMG, every performer was amazing, not a dud in the lot! I probably would have paid to see half of them on stage. It's definitely not an exaggeration to say that Melbourne is the culture capital of Australia and that there's an abundance of talent. I couldn't believe how talented some of these people were, and they were all pretty much amatuers! I spoke to one of the girls who performed and she told me that one of the guys there was actually a well-established musician in Melbourne and she was surprised to see him there, which goes to show how unpretentious the music scene is in the city. This guy was extremely good. He played a cool bluesy brand of funk and his voice was unbelieveable, just so rich...he sort of sounded like a cross between Ray Charles and Steve Winwood. Then, the host of the open mic went on (who btw was really cute but that's besides the point) and he totally blew me away as well. His lyrics were so good and he sang with such intensity.

Bottom line: Melbourne=really good music/arts scene. Yay for free entertainment! Now I gotta go spend some $$$

Melbourne Day 3

Marga left last night leaving me all by my lonesome. I'm actually feeling okay about it. I think I've gotten used to people leaving by now and know how to deal with it better. Is that sad? I reckon it's a good thing to get used to, but bad at the same time... Maybe it also has to do with my upcoming flight home. I'm looking forward to it and not at the same time. I keep thinking about it and it makes me really sad, like the same way you feel after a break-up, like a part of you is about to be ripped out never to be returned. But I know it will get better with time, as is always the case with break-ups. Okay, enough with the cliches. I've got to enjoy my time in Melbourne, the poorer and uglier but funkier and cooler cousin of Sydney.