Australia and Tasmania: Biking Around Mel-Bun

These crosswalk signs are all over the city, and I find them very cute!

Celia took me on an adventure to the local shops. “Hipster”, here, doesn’t seem to have the instant negative connotation that it has been accumulating in the ‘states.

THE CANDY AISLE!!!!

OMG!!!

I bought five candy bars here, all types I’d never seen before, and was so impatient to try them that I chomped one during the walk home. Tasty stuff!

Sticky fig pudding, OMG!!!

No, I didn’t buy it, but I was very amused to see a freakin’ FIG PUDDING invoke internet buzzwords to describe itself. I wonder how long we’ll wait before a supermarket product like, say, hand soap, bears the acronym “OMFG”. Or, a package of bologna proclaims “WTF???” (That would be appropriate.)

This bank NABbed some of my money as I was withdrawing it.

Hey, man, don’t let life get you down. Just remember, everyone’s a winner at the REJECT SHOP.

This shop sold a flashing LED Fish-and-Chips sign that I subsequently saw hanging in at least five shops around greater Melbourne.

Several of my adventures took me down the bike paths that connect most of the parks in Melbourne.

Here’s one of the routes I took.

Just as much litter in these parks as any park in Oakland, unfortunately…

Again … eight thousand miles away, and this could be a photo from Oakland.

Vacant land may be a rare opportunity in WestGarth, but who would want to build over that fine graffiti? They might attract the wrath of EKSIT !

Gay couple confidently out in public? If so, I find this encouraging.

I don’t know what it means, but it’s fun to look at.

Pigeons: The same the world over.

Taking a post-ride break at the entrance to Celia’s apartment. I had the Secret of Mana+ album playing on a loop in my headphones the entire day, and now it’s thoroughly associated with this little warm, sunlit alcove.

One night Celia and I visited a friend’s house, and she spotted a huge spider on the wall. Spiders are Serious Business business in Australia – there are some common species that will cause necrosis from a bite, or nerve damage, or even kill you. Back in the ‘states I do everything I can do rescue spiders in the house, provided they don’t try to creep into my bed or establish themselves near it. Here, the rules are different. You don’t want critters this lethal anywhere near your living space.

Celia immediately removed her shoe and issued a smackdown.