The Tim Tams I found on my desk this morning made me a little 懐かしい、and the open window means I have to wear a scarf at my desk (I shouldn’t have decided against the jacket this morning), add that to the general fatigue related ennui, I was pleased to flip open my diary and find that I will be on my way back to Australia in seven and a half weeks.
But that number is bigger than I thought.
I keep saying I’m going home but home is a slippery concept, considering I live and work here, and have for the past year and a bit, which is about as long as I’ve lived in any single house since high school. Without dragging out tired cliches (wow, I just did then) I don’t actually know where my heart is now. Shimizu? Kochi? Shimokitazawa? Perth? Somewhere else? But I have been gathering a list of things I miss, things I will be hoping to spend my 16 days in Western Australia doing.
First is the list of things I want to do in Melbourne:
Shopping- Genki, that vegan shoe store I’ve never been able to find, Chapel St, basically anywhere.
Coffee- my first port of call will be a cafe, any cafe. I’ll get to Flinders St (nerdy side point; my favourite train station in the world) walk up to federation square, get coffee and then search out Dad’s apartment.
Drinking- The Girsch Institute (I hope it’s as dead-quiet as last time, that was awesome. It really added to the atmosphere of the bar to be the only ones there. All night. We were the only people out on the stormiest January night in Melbourne history, except for a bunch of backpackers who of course had no idea about this bar)
People watching- can be done anywhere.
Public transport- although this will be more of an unavoidable fact of life than anything I’ll go out of my way to do.
The on to Perth for more of the same. Plus:
The boxing day test
Beer and Pizza at Little Creatures
Actual vegetarian food at Analakshmi, That Hare Krishna restaurant whose name I forget, Lotus, Maoz, possibly even a trip out to Curtin just for kebabs
Beer and Frits at the Belgian Beer Cafe
Maybe Pizza at Centrepoint, and I might make a mix CD of Japanese experimental music for John
Beer and…food, I guess, at the Parky
Coffee, shopping and indy film in Leederville.
Coffee, shopping and maybe more indy film in Mt Lawley
Burgers at Alfred’s
Burgers and a $5 shake at Retro Betty’s
Crepes, cherries, shopping at Fremantle Markets
Picnic in King’s Park, with cheese, olives, sundried tomatoes, bread, Tim Tams, Ocean Spray Red Grapefruit juice!!!
Rottnest and the Pinnacles, because it’s been a while
Margaret River for Southbound, and hopefully a day at the beach
Swapping of books (I’m thinking of reading Crime and Punishment on the way, giving it to Dad in Melbourne because I will have finished it during my ten hour transit in Thailand, and picking up other books as I go along, leaving ones I’ve read behind to save space in my suitcase)
I will make a similar list of things to do during my four day return transit in Thailand. And maybe one for me eight hours in Fukuoka. Although that will either be spent meeting old friends or relaxing in a public bath. Next week in Tokyo I will set out a detailed plan so I can probably not actually follow it and just spend the whole time doing whatever. I’ll try to get a phone so people can contact me. Although of course every time it rings I’ll have to say もしもし just because I’m a real Japanese Salary Man now.
