The Music of a Train Station

Melbourne has a fully functioning public transport system which is comprised of trains, trams, and buses, which you gets one back and forth in very reasonable time frames. This is something I've never before experienced.

Have you ever sat in a big train station and closed your eyes and listened? There is a big rather pretty station down in Melbourne called Southern Cross, and it makes the most lovely music, what with the trains and the people and so forth.

24601

One wonders how many of you have watched, live or on video, Schonberg's brilliant musical based on Victor Hugo's brilliant novel, and can quickly recall Valjean's soaring "24601" at the end of "Who Am I?"

So which is more moving--Jean Valjean's fictional fate, or these men's actual fates?  And are you, my dear American readers, aware that we are (the overwhelming majority of us) playing the role of Valjean?  What shall we do about this?

Probably merely blog about it, or read about it, and continue on. (This because you and I have been convinced that it can't/won't happen to us. But Cory Doctorow convinces otherwise.) Do you have any better ideas?

H/T Martin

Don't have to live like a refugee

Blessed Rain on Christmas Eve.

Today in the afternoon, suddenly buckets of rain started pouring down. It lasted for about 10 minutes. I ran outside as soon as I heard it and danced and danced and felt overjoyed. It made the previously just bearable day into a complete delight. Hooray!

Lacking strength.

Within certain parameters (and only within those parameters) it seems a good idea to me to turn-the-other-cheek, as in the words of Jesus "If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (that is--offer him the other cheek to be kissed)"

Doing this takes a certain strength, which I find I am lacking today. Tomorrow I shall try again.

American cd's in Aussie CD players

I found this incredibly helpful.

Further notes from a Melbourne immigrant

It should be noted that this blog is a continuation, of sorts, from my old blog, as I have shifted (yes, "they" shift here, where "we" move (sort of))blogs, cities, nations, and continents.

According to The Economist (and I have it on the authority of Brian McLaren that economists are the only people in the world who not only know everything, but also know that they know everything), I have severely limited my options for further upward mobility, in terms of livability of cities, having shifted from city number 50 to city number 3. My further options at this point are Vancouver, Canada and Vienna, Austria.

What would the FSM do?

Melbournites (for my American readers that MEL bih nites, NOT MEL booorrrrrn ites) don't use craigslist, so much--instead they use gumtree, as in melbourne.gumtree.com.au. Today I made my first ever purchase via gumtree. I can't tell you what it is, because it's a top secret Christmas prezzy.

Which reminds me. here we have prezzies, rather than presents, and cozzy, rather than (swimming) costume, which itself is in place of the American "bathing suit". Mozzies rather than mosquitos. Also brekkie rather than breakfast, and veggie rather than vegetable, and, well, here.

Melbourne, a city of 4 million or so, has lots and lots of libraries, which are split up into lots and lots of library systems. Becoming a member of one system doesn't get you into all of them. I find this appealing--it forces you toward realizing that reality is probably more local than not.

Mo' later =)