Katherine's+Blog

=//City Experience 2012//=

What better way to start the day, but running for the train station thinking that you're going to be late for the train you have organized to catch with your friends? We had agreed to meet up at 8:30am, and I left my house at 8:25, thinking that I would be able to make the walk from home to the station in 5 minutes. I was crossing the bridge over the creek, when I realized that I had forgotten my phone, so I had to run back home, get my phone and run for the station, texting Carly that I would be late, and then her telling me to hurry. Arriving at the station, out of breath and hair worse than when I left the house, I found that she was the only one there...well that could have all gone much, much better! Finally making it the City, we started out our day in the city with a delicious hot chocolate. Meeting up with everyone from D1 and D2 in Federation Square, we started the easy walk to the War Memorial. From my dad spending all ANZAC day watching WW1 movies, //thanks to channel 7TWO//, and writing a story based in the time of the first world war, I had some prior knowledge. But of course, by the end of the tour, my brain was loaded with new knowledge. Having never been to the memorial before, it was all an amazing experience. But as much as it was incredible, it was also very...well depressing. It was so sad to hear how young ordinary men, risking their lives for their country. The tour guide used William as his model, dressing him in the clothes and equipment that Australian soldiers wore. It was quite strange seeing William all dressed up in his soldier uniform...it just didn't look right on him...
 * //Ah//, City Experience Day 1,**

I left the War memorial full of information, and even more inspiration to write another WW1 story..what an amazing part of our history. Back at Federation Square, we were allowed a twenty minute lunch before we had to get the Collin's street Baptist Church. A simple 6-inch, italian herb and cheese sub, with lettuce and tomato was my lunch, along with a delicious peach ice-tea. Back at Fed Square, we started our walk down to Collins Street. We were taking a trip to Urban Seed. As we were taken on a trip through the more classy parts of the city, our guide, told us all about the hierarchy of the city and stereotypes that were present there, focusing on the big issue of homelessness. She told us some very saddening and worrying stories of different people. The stories really made me think really deeply about how lucky I was, in having a loving family and safe home to come home to everyday. Not all lives for people in the city are as glamorous as they seem... By the end of the day, I had learnt so many new things, and heard of so many amazing people!

Strolling into Strathmore Station, I saw that I was the only one from our group there. I'm glad that I took the time to chill, because I had no idea how much rushing around I was going to be doing for the next four hours. All getting on the train, we rode train into Flinder's Street Station without a care in the world. Soon arriving at the station, we found that the inner Melbourne weather...well, it was horrid. Icy cold rain, icy cold wind, grey clouds hanging in the skies above us....what great weather for a day out in the city! Literally, all of the day's activities were planned to be done outside. Didn't the organizers of this program even think about which city we're living in?!
 * City Experience, Day 2**

Oh well, after complaining about the icy, miserable, horrid weather, I teamed up with Maria, Julia and Carly for the scavenger hunt. We were given our maps and off we ran (probably looking like weirdos, but hey, we were having fun!). First we had to ru n to ACMI to pick up a brochure, then to Flinders st. Station to find out a time and platform number for Diamond Creek (where ever the hell that place is). After retrieving all we needed from the station, we ran down Flinder's street to find the Immigration Museum, made our way to the Intercontinental Hotel, then we were off to the ANZ banking museum. Not having a clue about the inner CBD, I had to trust Carly, our navigator, to get us to our next destination. We all had our own, well duty, I guess you could say. Carly the Navigator, Maria the Writer-downer-the-answeroner, Julia the Looker-up-perer, and then me, the Picture taker. We made our way to various sites of the city, slightly under pressure seeing that we only had 3 hours to do a crap load of stuff. It was three hours of tram and train travelling. Three hours of rain and icy conditions. Three hours of just crazy, hectic...stuff!!! But, it was all an experience...unlike no other. The hunt taught me valuable things...you know, life lessons. Bit qusihy???

Lesson No.1: Always, and I mean always, hold onto something, whether it be a pole, an-overhead holdy-thingy, or the man in the suit beside you, really just anything, when travelling on the Melbourne trams. Lesson No.2: Don't be wearing school shoes, whilst running through the puddly grass of Flagstaff Gardens, your white socks will never get over the trauma. Lesson No.3: Don't walk by protesters with huge signs, seriously, one woman almost whacked me in the face with hers. And finally, Lesson No.4: Make sure that you really are meant to meet up at the State Library, we turned up there, wet, cold, tired, to find that everybody else, had gone back to Federation Square.

After a well earned rest, and delicious lunch, we headed to the station below Melbourne Central, to catch a train back to Flinder's street, to meet up with everyone for our afternoons activities, and found that //ALL// the trains to the station, had been been cancelled. **WELL THAT WAS BLOODY TERRIFIC!!!** Coming up from the underground station, we heard the lovely chimes coming from the clock in Melbourne Central, hang on a second. That clock striked hourly! It was already 1;00pm, we were going to be late! Running out of MC onto the street, we quickly found ourselves a tram and got on. As we were ending our journey, and nearing Federation Square, the tram suddenly sped up, and because I was tired, cold, and just wanted to go home, I screamed for the tram to stop, thinking that we were going to go past the platform. Of course, we didn't and I was off that damn tram within seconds. We made our way up to the others to find that the afternoon's activities had been cancelled and that we would be going into ACMI. It was like all my prayers had been answered. Not only was it warm inside, **BUT THERE WERE PLAYABLE VIDEO GAMES!!!!!** It was like heaven! I played Lemmings, TETRIS...and Super Mario 64...//oh how I loved that place..//. Lemmings

TETRIS Super Mario 64

We were told that, with our parent's permission, that we could be dismissed from ACMI, and just roam about the city. Obtaining my permission, Maria, Carly and I went down to South-Gate, where we went to the Lindt cafe. Oh, it was like a secondary heaven. Delicious, creamy chocolates surrounded us as we taste tested a free vanilla macaroon. Checking out the menu, Maria ordered a hot chocolate, Carly an iced, dark, chocolate with a macaroon, and me, an iced, milk, chocolate, and let me just say, they were worth the absurd prices. S o delicious.....* //remember's the amazing taste and begins to drool// * After finishing our afternoon tea, we headed to Paliament station. Can you believe that Maria and Carly had never been there? I had mentioned the escalators there in conversation before, but now it was time for them to see them for themselves. It was terrifying. That's all I need to say, but a good way to end a 50-50 day :)

Well, I wouldn't exactly call being stuck in musty Church hall all day fun. And, well, to be honest, today was the utter most worst of all the three days. OK, the self-defence class was pretty pumping, but watching educational videos, and listening to police drone on...nothing against police (especially seeing that dad is a policeman), about alcohol and sexting wasn't very.. inspiring. I did the subject of drugs and alcohol last year in Health class anyway. Maybe I would have enjoyed it slightly better if I didn't have sit on the hard wooden floorboards for what felt like hours. After they left, we had dominos pizza for lunch, which was better than I had expected it to be. Either way, no matte rhow it looked, I would have eaten whatever because I was starving. Playing some games in the hall, we then sat down again, yipty-freakin-doo, to listen to Rory and Ms..uh..K, talk to us about how we all different, and all should be acdepte dno matter who we are. That we don't all fit our stereotypes. And, it's true. I mean, I'm no shopper or make-upper...but then again, my views on both have changed gradualy over time....but I don't dress like a regulated shopper or fashoinester (I don't know how to spell that)! I were track suit pants and windcheaters **EVERYWHERE**, and I don't give a damn about what people think because, I'm happy and that's what counts in the end. And if they have a problem in the way I dress, or have my hair, they can go...yeah, that's probably not appropriative....hehe *sweating!*
 * City Experience Day 3**

Over all, this whole...experience has been, an... experience, I guess. I went places that I have never been before, learnt things that I never learnt before...it was definatley worth it all in the end! Thanks for the offer, and thanks mum for paying for everything ;)