Christmas Time In Melbourne

This was during my trip to the Yarra Wind Valley
in front of the Chandon Valley Vinyard.



A view from the Skydeck in the Melbourne city
central


It is now 11 days till Christmas and I could not be more out of the Christmas spirit. It's not that people around me aren't excited or that the city isn't decorated and signs saying 'Merry Christmas' aren't all around. It just plain doesn't feel like Christmas and it is simply because there is no snow. Even in Boston having a white Christmas is usually not so but there is a certain smell in the air that always reminded me of the Christmas season. It is the unmistakable smell of smoke coming from chimney tops. That smell is obviously absent here as no one, in their right mind, lights a fire in 70 degree weather. But Christmas it is, regardless of the weather, and I will spend my Christmas morning.........working. The restaurant is open Christmas Eve/Day and Boxing Day (which is the day after Christmas and a national holiday). I work all three of them. The compensation is that you get paid double time and a half so I guess I cant complain.

I was working the other day though and a little boy decided that he wanted to know everything about the food and started to ask questions about each item on the menu. After he finished he completely changed subjects by telling me that I had the coolest accent he had every heard. For most of the time I've been here I am very aware of how people sound to me but not so much aware of how I sound to them. While I don't think my accent is cool (or even think I have one: "My accent is neutral" is what I jokingly tell people) I get a kick out of people imitating it. The Aussies can do a pretty good American accent while the French and Germans have a very hard time imitating one. I can do a decent Aussie accent but only with certain words and only sometimes. I have to be in the right mood.

As for the Christmas season in Melbourne it will be interesting to have a Christmas morning away from family but I am looking forward to the unfamiliarity of it. And after Christmas I am picking up and moving on to Sydney for the New Year and on. I am excited to see the fire works from the Harbour Bridge as I have only seen them on TV as the first large city on the globe to celebrate the new year. And since the weather will be ideal for beach trips I hope to finally learn how to surf at Byron Bay. The city is going to be packed as travelers from all over flock there for the New Year's celebration and it is sure to be a sight. I just hope I can find a place to stay.