Melbourne, Victoria (Part 1)

Whew! Finally getting this up! (Part 2 will be up soon)

So after a long week of final exams at the end of September, and then two days of fun games and crafty stuff with my students, I rushed off straight from work to the Don Mueang airport and hopped in line to check in for my flight. Luckily, everything was relatively on time, and I had rather non-eventful flight to Kuala Lumpur, and then connection to Melbourne (aside from not getting any sleep).

Day 1
I don't know how hard it is to get into the States, but getting into Australia through customs was quite the journey. While filling out the arrival card at passport control, I realized I didn't have David and Jayne's address...or their phone numbers....so all I could write for the "contact info in Australia" was "Melbourne." The immigration officer seemed skeptical of me, but let me through. I tried explaining that my Thai phone doesn't work abroad, and my friends were picking me up from the airport so I didn't think I needed their info...and she seemed to accept that. While standing in line, a drug-sniffing dog went up and down the line -  not once, but twice - and snuffed his nose in each person's bag. Bags were x-rayed for food of any kind, shoes were checked for "foreign soil," and FINALLY...we were released into the throngs of people waiting to greet their friends and family.

After a brief search, I located Jayne, gave her a big hug, and we were off. They live in Docklands, one of the suburbs of Melbourne, but right next to the CBD (Central Business District). Jayne and David's daughter Annabel came over with her two little boys, Zach and Eli, and we headed into the CBD for some coffee and lunch. Annabel and the boys headed back to the house after that, and Jayne and I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the city; I bought a straightener with an Aussie plug (so's not to have a repeat of last October's disaster in Amsterdam), we visited Haigh's Chocolate Shop, I picked up some stickers from my students*. The weather was beautiful, and I was quite pleasantly surprised at how clear and warm it was. We saw the train station, the cricket stadium, and walked along the river on our way back home.

David got home soon after we did, and Jayne cooked a delicious lasagna for dinner, after which they helped me book my flights to and from Adelaide for the following Tuesday. Then we watched The Dish! If you haven't seen it, watch it. Brilliant. :D

Day 2
Thursday morning was a lazy one, but I definitely loved my hot shower and coffee. Took the free shuttle to check out the University of Melbourne, and was very disappointed. When I had emailed them weeks before to see about meeting with someone to talk about the MPH program, their reply had been, "We don't do appointments." I was like, well...what DO you do? Sigh..but I had decided I would go see it for myself anyway. The university campus is in the CBD, but the Population Health/Health Sciences building is separate from campus, a few blocks away. I found it, went inside...and it was practically empty. Not a weekend, not after-hours, but I didn't see more than 3 people. There were a few people in their offices, but no one in the lobby, no one at the reception desk, and the one person that did see me when I was standing near reception looking at a few brochures didn't even acknowledge me. Didn't ask if I was looking for someone, nothing. Needless to say I will NOT be applying to that university, nor will I ever suggest it to anyone else.

Walked by the Public Baths, 

 the Victoria Market,

 and sat in Flagstaff Gardens for a while with my mango/orange juice before taking another walk through the city.

 Took the tram back to David and Jayne's, and when everyone was home from work we walked along the docks to this little Italian restaurant for dinner.

Day 3
Friday David had the day off, and offered to go with me out to LaTrobe University, in Bundoora (a Melbourne suburb that's about 40 minutes outside the CBD). We took his convertible MG, put the top down, and enjoyed the drive out to campus. Talked with a few different offices, made an appointment with one of the Public Health professors for Monday morning in the CBD, and explored a little bit of the campus. Loved the campus, and everyone was really helpful. BUT..the Public Health building was not part of that campus; it's in the CBD, which is great..but it's not with all the other students and I'd prefer to be around other departments and offices should I need to get away from mine for a minute or meet other people. So I had mixed feelings at this point.

 We had lunch on the way to Southbank (area of Melb along the river), and the took the ferry tour up and down the river. It was cold on the water, so we stayed inside the boat(instead of out on the deck). Had dinner back at their place when Jayne got home, and watched Charlie Wilson's War.

Day 4

Saturday David and Jayne took me to the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary! Despite the off and on rain, we saw koalas, wombats, emus, birds, dingos, reptiles, a platypus, wallabies, achidnas, and KANGAROOS!! :D 

Platypus!!

Wombat....sleeping in his "cave" there unfortunately