Finally moved into the new house. Removalist came yesterday but it took me (and occasionally she who must be obeyed) a day and a half to unpack to living standards. There are still plenty of boxes and I haven’t set up my office yet. Desk is there, but there’s a stray bed (one that we have no room for) in the room. Hopefully going to set it up tomorrow so I’ll have one night of dedicated work space before leaving for Vegas Monday.
So far there’s a number of points for and against for city living.
For is sheer convenience. We can walk to the Camberwell shopping strip, although it helps that it’s downhill, when I eventually do the whole strip I’ll be catching a tram back due to the hill + the strip is very, very long. You know you’re in a decent suburb when there’s a BMW dealership and Bang and Olufsen store. Boys school is exactly 4km away, but as I discovered Friday if you don’t go the right way this can take 30+ minutes. Apparently turning right at major intersections (ie Camberwell Junction) is not on. It should take less than 10 minutes once I work it out.
Transport is cool, except I guess for being able to hear the trams go past in every part of the house…and the cars. Clearway twice a day at the front door, not that it stopped the removalists. They weren’t cheap but a big shout out to Chess, great folks on both end, nothing damaged aside from the odd very minor scratch (on one item that we’ve notice, brilliant for a shipping container and some minor overflow).
Negatives: the traffic is grating. People are beyond impatient and awareness and courtesy to those around you is completely non existent. Be it in the supermarket, or the carpark, where I was nearly run over Thursday by a speeding Commodore. Driving: Jeezus. Who can be first and impose themselves every time. There’s no friendly let someone out, it’s force your way without a wave. It sounds corny, but 10 years mostly in regional and country areas has meant my Sydney driving experience was replaced by something slower and more friendly.
Overall I’m not complaining too much. I have thought more than once about going back to WA, and as I drive around Melbourne in my Dardanup plated Toyota Echo I sometimes long for home. That I’d call it home to me is something I never thought I would. I’m not a Westralian by birth, but after nearly 10 years there (it would have been 10 yrs November) it became my home, and even today I still feel WA proud. On some levels that’s scary, but it will always have fond memories for me. It will probably take me another 10 years until I feel at home in Melbourne. Just need to learn a second, third and maybe fourth language and I’ll fit right in 😉
