A Partridge in a Pear Tree
- Dec 1, 2015
- 4 min read
It's that time of year again. The season of perpetual hope. Time to get the biggest Christmas tree we can find and dust down all the decorations. Oh wait, I've jumped a head into the future. Back to 2015, where I don't even have a 'Merry Christmas' sign. How depressing! Of course, it's simply what you make of a situation. After all, it's Christmas!
The guys in work at Vic Pol keep on joking that I was only hired for my height so I could put up all the Christmas decorations. I didn't mind. I enjoyed it. To be fair, I can't complain too much as it's not as if I am decorating my own house. It is a good way to get into the festive spirit. With my height, I made sticking things to the ceiling look easy!
The great thing about Melbourne is that there are lots of free things to do and see. When it comes to Christmas, Melbourne has it sorted. From cool window displays from Myer to Gingerbread creations. Every time I've past both, there has always been a queue, no matter what time of day. The only time I haven't seen a line at the 'Gingerbread Village' is when it's closed! If you saw it with your own eyes, you would know why too. It is absolutely stunning. A wonderful piece of art. It's fascinating being able to recognise everything you see in the miniature village. Definitely glad we queued for ages in the pouring rain.
Just like home, Melbourne's weather can be a bit on the unpredictable side. One day it could be raining, the next day not. One day 40° heat, the next day 20°. At least we get reasonably good weather. It may not be consistent, but hey, it's not a perfect world!
Like I was saying, there are so many really cool things in the city to get you in the festive spirit. Another of my favourites is the illumination show that they project onto 'Melbourne Town Hall.' You can't get more Christmassy than 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' with relevant animations protected onto one of the cities must iconic buildings. It was done really well. I made Jason watch it twice. The first time round we missed the start and we didn't have a good viewing spot. If I was going to get a really cool video for you all, I needed to find myself somewhere good! And good is what I found!
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the night...' all one could hear was 'Andrew, get me a beer.' Lets rewind a couple of hours. Last year, a proper traditional Christmas was non existent. So this year I told Jason that I wanted a proper Christmas dinner. On Christmas Eve, the two of us enjoyed a proper Christmas meal with all the trimmings including, turkey, ham, stuffing and roast potato's. It was our first time doing stuffing and I am quite impressed with how it turned out. Of course, one must not forget the cranberry sauce. I mean, one must not think we are paupers! '...Suddenly there was a clatter, Jason was out of beer!'
'Wake up, wake up, its Christmas morning.' 'Why, it really is!' Christmas had finally arrived. There was no time for messing. We had to get up immediately and get ready for our very important date. The two of us exchanged presents over breakfast. Jason got me a voucher for a fancy Irish lunch and I got him tickets to 'The Illusionists 1903' magic show. I know how much Jason loves magic. After we washed our bowls, we were out the door, waking towards the train station to our mate Buster. The great thing about Victoria is that there is not only public transport on Christmas Day but it is all free! You can't get better than that. On the train to Busters', we were able to phone home and wish everyone a 'Merry Christmas' from Oz!
Over at Busters, we were in for a really nice day. Our other mate from the hostel, Graham (Both Aussie), whom Buster was house sharing with, was also there, accompanied by Busters' wife and daughter. All I can say is, fair play to Buster. He had us spoilt for choice. He cooked nearly everything on the BBQ and it all tasted amazing. His food was incredible. I really enjoyed the way there was so much choice. Lets just say we spent the rest of the festive holiday being very 'Merry.'
It's hard to believe that another year is about to draw to a close. And what a pretty special year it's been. Between going home and seeing our 'Fair City' again to our memorable anniversary and my surprise proposal to my darling Jay. 2015 has been a very good year for us and I don't think we will ever forget it. And what better way to ring in the year with friends than on top of the roof of the hostel enjoying a breath-taking firework display!
As the clocks hands move to the midnight position an eruption from the crowd begins, as everyone wishes each other a 'Happy New Year' and the cheers can be heard from far-far away, it's time to welcome a new year. While 2015 for us will be known as 'The Special Year,' something tells me that 2016 will be the year of the even 'Bigger Adventure!'
By Andrew
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