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| My arm is a selfie-stick |
August 27th, 2015
Today the plan is to check out “the nicest brunch restaurant in Melbourne.” This requires us to get up around 11 or so. Really, it requires Shimou to get up then, but if I don’t get up, she won’t get up. Get Vertical!*
We get off at Yarra Station, a rather affluent feeling area of town. It’s a rainy, cold day, but we have umbrellas and it’s only as bad as Canadian fall. The stoic in me reminds myself that any cold is simply uncomfortable, or even beneficial, and not actually causing any lasting damage. Plus, think about how nice it feels to enter a warm location after a little suffering!
We arrive at Top Paddock, a hipster breakfast place with prices to match. Really, it is quite nice and modern, but the prices are ridiculous. How much would you pay for an avocado with some lime, salt, and pepper? I’d say $6, maybe $8 if I’m really into it. No more than that.
It’s actually $12.50. W-T-F, mate. I opt for a coffee and muffin to avoid getting overly scalped, which still sets me back $9.** Shimou shares her breakfast with me, and Luke lets us have some of his 1.5” thick pancake. Damn, that was a good pancake. It was all delicious, but hard to justify when I should really be eating a ramen-only diet.
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| Horse God? I think so. |
We walk back the several blocks to the train station in even harder rain than before. Apparently the trams are shut down between 11 and 2. A strike of some sort, Luke thinks. Who knows. Elvis did say they were paid a ridiculous amount for what they do, particularly because people sometimes will jump in front of the train/trams to kill themselves, causing trauma to the drivers. Man, I’ve literally had to feel for a pulse on a cold, stiff body of someone I knew at my last job,*** and I was only paid $18 an hour. I’d like to see the data on how often people actually attempt suicide by train/tram.
Moving on… We check out the National Gallery of Victoria, a large, mainly free museum near Flinders street. Seems a lot of stuff is right near Flinders. We muck about looking at one temporary installation on Horses. Only horses. Despite my name meaning lover of horses, I can’t be bothered to care. I take some silly pictures, let Shimou and Luke peruse, then move on.
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| Japan is Cool |
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| The Chinese Hero |
Next up is the Japanese Art, which I particularly like, but it’s only one large, square room. Next is Chinese art, which I jokingly insult. Luke seems to really like Chinese history, and asks what Canada has made. Nothing. We’ve made absolutely nothing. This probably isn’t true, but I’ve never been a fan of Canadian history and wouldn’t argue it even if I did. For some reason, I don’t really remember much of the Chinese art, only a couple small statues a God and a Hero.
The European Artwork should really be called “Christian artwork.” Yeah, we get it. Christianity was a big influencer of artwork in European history. This sort of thing bores me to tears after spending so many years in the Church. Next. Onward to the European statues and non-painting artwork. This is much more interesting, with pieces of tea sets from the 1700s, a bust of Voltaire, and other neat things.
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| Confused by Beauty |
The second last thing I remember stopping at was the late-19th to 20th century. There was a silent, black-and-white video. I was confused the second it started, but I thought I had just missed the beginning. I didn't check who it was made by until all semblance of sense fell apart. Ah,
Salvador Dali. That guy!
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| Seems about right |
Last thing was Classics, which interests me particularly with the ancient Greek and Roman Mythology. I take some stupid pictures with them, and we skedaddle outside to grab some street grub, and rail it home after snagging some groceries.
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| This is between you and me |
The rest of the night was calm. At one point, they said they were talking about my ability to read people. Apparently, I can sometimes guess with relative accuracy what they’re talking about, despite not knowing what they’re saying. Shimou said it was impressive. Yes, past work has paid off! I gave them Stranger Than Fiction to watch, which is actually a great movie. It’s not a comedy, despite having Will Ferrell in it, and they seemed to understand what was going on with the subtitles.
Editing Music: Copulations by Peter Cat Recording Co
*My Dad used to yell this at me in highschool
**$9 isn't bad for a meal, but I know I'll be hungry again in a half hour when the appetite-suppression from the caffeine wears off.
***Yes, literally. No joke.
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