As I get off the plane and enter in to the airport I am feeling so tired, I'm surprised that I wasn't able to get much sleep last night, especially with my ability to sleep anywhere. I go to the toilet once I get off the plane. It's amazing the difference a clean toilet, bulging with consumables can make to your day, I can even see myself in the mirror, God I look rough! I join the immigration line which ends up taking about half an hour, I must look dead on my feet, probably a high risk. Ha! I have all my documentation ready, expecting to be quizzed on it. The reality is, the guy just takes my passport, stamps it, then I move on. I was so amazed that I didn't even question anything. Is that it? Has my working visa been activated? Am I good to go? Hello? I plod on and get though security and customs without them even scanning my bag or anything. I was concerned that entering in to Australia would have meant that the contents of my bag would have been scrutinised before allowing me in, especially as I had come from Asia, but no. Just go on in there.
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After exiting, I need to look for a bus in to the city centre. I head up to the information counter and I am met by the usual despondent character that I would expect. Casually waving me in a direction over to the left, with little detail in her directions. Great, how helpful, thank you. You know I have just arrived, from another country, I have never been here before, but don't worry, I'm sure I can work it out! I am reminded that by speaking the same language it won't necessarily make things any easier. I get out to the bus stand and ask one of the guys by the bus that I want to head to St Kilda, he tells me I have the right bus, and he leaves in about 30mins. It is not as hot here as where I have come from. In fact there is a nice fresh breeze this morning, I enjoy my lung fills. the bus driver gets me sorted with a ticket, about $20, I can't help but think, is this the right price or am I being ripped off. I nearly open my mouth to haggle. Refraining, I get on to the bus and soon we are off. Full tarmac roads, traffic that stays in the lanes, no horns, no congestion, no running red lights, no Motos, where is this other worldly place? It's about 30mins and I'm at the hostel, Habitat HQ. I get in and pay and try to check in, but I can't check in until 2pm, it's 10am. Great. The place is so busy that I don't even get to ask all my questions before the next person is served. I leave my bag in a storage cupboard and head outside, with my wifi code that allows me 400mb daily limit. Great. I sit on a bench in the sun, I put my hat on, I'm in no mood to talk to anyone. I am so tired, but have no bed to go to. That sun really is hot, I chase the shade round the area, and message SJ to come and save me.
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When SJ arrives we head out for a walk and a catch up. My hostel is not to far from the beach and so we head in that general direction and stop somewhere for some food. A good burger and a beer, it's probably before 12, though it doesn't feel like it to me. I think there was more meat in this burger alone, than a weeks worth of Asia food. It was great. We head down to the beach and take a walk along the promenade. Many a girl sunbathing on the small beach and a couple of beached whales as well. Plenty of eateries along the beach, and a small park that is hosting some sort of BBQ event, pity we have already eaten. We head back up of the beach due to the expense of the beer. We start a sort of pub crawl, calling at all the places that have a deal on beer. That is until SJ has to go to work, nice that she can just have some pints in the afternoon before hand. When I say pints, I mean pots or scooners. These are closer in volume to a half pint and it is the standard size that you will get unless you specify a pint. What strange land am I in? SJ head on, I am loving the fact that this place has some free wifi and so I order myself a few beers, after too many I order myself up some food to ensure that I will survive. Then it comes the time to walk back to my lovely hostel. The walk back is great as the sun is setting out over the sea, and the temperature really is perfect for a stroll. In my slightly inebriated state I take a photo with my phone. The reality of the situation is that I should have gone down to the beach and taken some proper photos of the sunset, it's not like I was in a rush to get back, I don't know why I didn't.
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I get back to my hostel and get to check in. I'm in a lovely 10 bed dorm, with a tiny little window, great! The lockers are under the bottom bunk, and there is a guy sleeping in the bottom bunk. He has his stuff spread all over the floor making it nearly impossible to open the lockers. I eventually load my valuables in and stack my rucksack beside the bed before heading out again. I'm going to get a tram over to SJ's hostel and have a look at it, and have a few drinks. It takes me a while to find a store that will sell me a Myki card. These are the cards that you need to use all public transport, there is no option to pay any cash. I eventually get on in a 7/11, which might I say is pathetic compared to it's Asian relative. On the tram, while trying to read my map and work out where to get off. There is one thing about SJ, here directions are absolutely terrible. Sure the tram stop is across from the hostel. Ehh, no it isn't, I walk around for 15mins trying to find it, then I eventually stumble across it, through trial and error more than anything else. I head in and meet SJ and some of her friends and have a few more jugs of beer. The cheapest available, and my glass wasn't clean, because my beer tasted sweet, I end up staying quite late and SJ is talking about heading to a club. Not for me. So I decide to try and catch the last tram. I fail. So I am now going to walk home because I know that a taxi will cost me in the region of $20, which I am just not prepared to pay. I stop off at McD to fuel myself for my walk home.
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McD was a joke. White people falling over themselves pushing and shouting at the people serving. I sit quietly eating my food and watching. It's amazing how I wouldn't even have noticed this before, but now because I haven't seen it in such a long time, it offends me. When I can't take any more I get up and leave. Start my walk home with the help of my app. I pass more drunken idiots, couples arguing about nothing, girls crying, people throwing up. Great stuff. I head out the main road on the way to my hostel. I pass a drunken guy who can barely walk, throwing his thumb out to try and get a taxi, then looking confused and angry when one wouldn't stop. He raises his hands in the air motioning for me to give him a high 5, I oblige but don't break my stride. He mumbles some incoherent drunken babble at me as I walk past, I don't say anything. It takes me about an hour to walk back, and by the time I get back I am not loving Australia. I get in to my room and I fumble around using the light of my phone to see. I leave my water up on my bed and then just as I am about to climb the ladder I notice that there is someone in my bed. Fantastic. Shining my phone around I try to find another vacant bed. Luckily there is one, I climb in, can't charge my phone because I am on the top bunk and there is no power supply. I set my alarm for 9, as checkout time is 10. Goodnight.