It was home sweet home until the mouse appeared

Hello, hello!

It has been over a month since my last post! We have been without Internet for weeks, but it was finally set up on Friday. One of the happiest days of my life! I hate to admit it but I am completely dependent on the Internet.  It's the sad truth, but I'm OK with it. It means I can keep in contact with all you lovely people!

So to update you all on the last month! Where to begin..?

I think it would be fitting to start off with our brand new and lovely apartment. We finally moved a little over two weeks ago. We are delighted with it. We have a bright living room with the furthest wall being made up entirely of windows. This does mean it can be a little chilly now that it's winter, but it affords the apartment some beautiful light. The other downside is that our building is beside another and our window faces the window of young gentleman's apartment. This gentleman must be an aspiring writer or something as he sits at his laptop day and night at his window, with the effect of making me feel as though I am constantly being watch. It's like in friends - they have ugly naked guy. We have laptop guy. He has an aversion to closing his blinds and so when he changes he does so elaborately under a towel. It's very entertaining. He has a beautiful ginger cat which I am extremely jealous of. But more about cats later...

We have a nice and big enough bedroom, a little balcony and a separate kitchen with lots of space. We cook a lot of course. Nothing has changed there! I have taken to baking at the weekends. I am all domesticated now! Oh to be unemployed! The apartment is almost entirely furnished with Ikea items, but we've mixed it up with plants, decorations and our lovely duck Leonard. We love Leonard.

The place is still a little naked as we're waiting for paintings and books etc to arrive from Ireland. We're shipping some boxes over, but it will be a few months before they're here. Once they are I'm sure the place will feel more complete. We're very happy with it for now, despite the building that's going on behind us and many large vehicles that tend reverse constantly in the early morning resulting in ENDLESS beeping sound. At least I would know how to torture someone if ever that situation arose!

I am back on the job hunt after taking a break, kind of by accident, while I was sorting out everything for the apartment. Liam has been super busy at work the last few weeks so I've had to take care of stuff I'd normally never even think of like getting our water connected, our gas and electricity connected and out phone and Internet sorted. These three task were ridiculously drawn out as utility people here seem very unwilling to be straight forward!! The gas and electricity took 3 visits to sort out because they 'couldn't find the meter'!! But anywho it's all sorted now. All that's left is for a little hole in the wall behind the fridge to be fixed. We believe this hole acted as the entrance for the mouse that visited last week. I was sitting on the couch mourning the lack of Internet in my life and there I see, in the middle of the floor, a little mouse sitting bold as brass looking at me! Once he realised I was a living thing he legged it and hasn't come back thankfully. We have plenty of humane mouse traps at hand in case. But we're on the second floor so it seems unlikely.

FYI, laptop guy is just up and sitting at the window again!

We have been enjoying the wonders that chapel street has to offer for the last two weeks. This is a very popular street in Melbourne and we happened to be one street over. There are heaps of yummy restaurants to eat at and cafes and shops... And a pet shop with kittens that are crying out for me to adopt them!! Liam and I have been seriously thinking of getting a cat. We shouldn't get one from a pet shop though. We'd much rather support the RSPCA. We're heading out at the weekend to meet some cats and kittens. We're thinking of an adult as we're not sure about the responsibility of raising a little thing from scratch. It's just an idea with lots of things to consider. The main thing we're worried about is putting a cat through the stress of flying back to Ireland in a couple of years. We're going to ask the lovely people at the RSPCA all about this at the weekend. I will report back.

Liam and I went to see the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble last night with two of Liam's awesome work people. The Melbourne jazz festival is on at the moment. It was a great gig full of energy. It was a good work out too! Speaking of work outs, I've taken up Zumba. Hilarious. When I went in the first day the sign up lady asked me if I had ever Zumba-ed before. When I said no she replied, 'Well no one's looking at you.' I wasn't sure what to think of that at the time but during the class the instructor told us to cover our eyes at a particular move that involved rolling one's pelvis in a sexy manner. I couldn't stop laughing! Are we that sexually repressed these days? I kept my eyes open and rolled my hips happily! Take that Zumba! It really is great exercise though and good fun.

And now for my most recent Australian observations:

1. The ads on TV here literally shout at you. I'm sure you all know those annoying Harvey Norman ads at home? Well they're all like that here. 'BUY THIS AIR CONDITIONER NOW!!!! OR YOU WILL DIE!!!!' It's very stressful. And they manage to fit about 4 ads into a half an hour show!

2. Style is big here. There seems to be no room for walking to shop in your sweats. (I still do. All the time!!) One must be dressed all in black with massive sun glasses and a designer hand bag in order to get some bread! No I must say, the fashion here is pretty cool. It's very subtle; not in your face. No big brand names screaming at you. Everything is more ... silently expensive! Cannot wait for my first pay cheque!

(FYI the ginger cat is now sitting in the window looking at me! It's taunting me!)

3. Designer dogs are big here. You do not see mixed breeds like my lovely Ted. Nope its all pugs and poodles. They bring them everywhere. Every cafe you pass has a little dog tied to a chair sulking. It's funny. I'm all for mutts! Rescue, don't buy!

Until next time...

P.S. In week 6 of masterchef. It is awesome!!