Please note, this blog post is now actually
a month late due to a busy schedule.
Melbourne; saying it's busier than Adelaide
is an understatement. If one had money there is definitely better shopping
though. However, in contrast, there is a staggering amount of homeless people,
not something I noticed 7 years ago and to some degree it reminded me of San Fransisco.
I was to be met by Linda in the foyer of
the hotel. Described as having wild, ash-blonde hair she was easy to spot when
she walked in. Dodging the scrum of commuters we weaved our way to Southbank
for the event. Between all the commuters was a familiar face. Linda tells me “that’s
Brian Nankervis”. “Oh yeah, the guy from Rockwiz!” Apparently he has his own
radio show which airs from a building nearby to the railway station.
Next minute we’re on the other side of the Yarra and 14 floors up and the view was impressive. Nerves owned me but everyone made me feel really welcome. Finger food was in its abundance and I made a mistake of having a twiggy stick being the first thing I ate. Guess how my burps smelled the rest of the night...
Soon, it was my time to speak in front of 50 odd people, way more than I had anticipated and my topic? Myself. Holy crapola. I’ve assumed that I did not drop any random F bombs like I ordinarily would, no one has told otherwise. After the attention was over I wanted a corner to hide in. Instead I was ushered outside for some photos with the Melbourne skyline in the background where stiffness from nerves were exacerbated by shivering from the cold.
Jo kindly walked me back to the hotel at the end of the event where I tucked in to bed from sheer exhaustion.
The next morning I hit the lanes once again in search of breakfast. Fairy floss atop pancakes and hot chocolate with marshmallows hit the spot. I burned off a few of those calories to head to the gallery at Federation Square where I got to see a couple of famous paintings like The Pioneer by Frederick McCubbin and Shearing the Rams by Tom Roberts. But before I could finish my lap around the gallery and after some confusion I got picked up by my brother and his family for a day out at the DFO’s and Docklands.
That evening it was all over. At the airport early, I fixated on studying for an upcoming exam and soon I was back on my way to the balmy NT to continue my existence in bat-shit-crazy mode.
Next minute we’re on the other side of the Yarra and 14 floors up and the view was impressive. Nerves owned me but everyone made me feel really welcome. Finger food was in its abundance and I made a mistake of having a twiggy stick being the first thing I ate. Guess how my burps smelled the rest of the night...
Soon, it was my time to speak in front of 50 odd people, way more than I had anticipated and my topic? Myself. Holy crapola. I’ve assumed that I did not drop any random F bombs like I ordinarily would, no one has told otherwise. After the attention was over I wanted a corner to hide in. Instead I was ushered outside for some photos with the Melbourne skyline in the background where stiffness from nerves were exacerbated by shivering from the cold.
Jo kindly walked me back to the hotel at the end of the event where I tucked in to bed from sheer exhaustion.
The next morning I hit the lanes once again in search of breakfast. Fairy floss atop pancakes and hot chocolate with marshmallows hit the spot. I burned off a few of those calories to head to the gallery at Federation Square where I got to see a couple of famous paintings like The Pioneer by Frederick McCubbin and Shearing the Rams by Tom Roberts. But before I could finish my lap around the gallery and after some confusion I got picked up by my brother and his family for a day out at the DFO’s and Docklands.
That evening it was all over. At the airport early, I fixated on studying for an upcoming exam and soon I was back on my way to the balmy NT to continue my existence in bat-shit-crazy mode.
Thank you to all the lovely ladies at
Encouraging Women in Horticulture Australia Inc for their warmth and
hospitality and above all, the opportunity to attend. Especially Dawn, Sue and the
rest of the committee members! I’m sure this is just the beginning!
Paintings found at: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au
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