hakopais my name in Maori.

Been a little busy since I got back from Melbourne the week before last, so here’s an unfortunately brief round-up of my final days there.

Day Six
Most of today was spent wishing the night before had never happened. I wished this through the morning trek to the farmers’ market. I wished this through the purchasing of various vegetables, plants, pie and terrine that would later be consumed that night. Hangovers have a habit of doing that to a person.

Thankfully I managed to recover enough to see the Ron Mueck exhibition at the NGV. The lifelike if unnaturally proportioned sculptures were really quite wondrous if a bit samey after a while. Although there must have been close to a dozen pieces of varying scale, it didn’t take long for the novelty of naked figures and awkwardly realistic detailing to lose its lustre. I’m glad I went and really enjoyed what I saw but a bit more variety wouldn’t have gone astray.

There was a festival of sorts being held out the back of the NGV, but I don’t think either of us was really feeling it so we soon headed off to a digital media exhibition in the Arts Centre nearby. This is what really grabbed me. AES+F’s “Last Riot” was familiar from its stint at Wellington’s City Gallery back in 2008, but other works like “Xanadu” and the silhouette lightbox were both mesmerising and engaging. The stand-out piece though was the disco room next door. In an enclosed box was a large black box hooked up to motion sensors. The basic set-up was that the more you danced the more that the box did like turn up the volume, pop out lights and other effects. It was both ridiculous and hilarious and it was a great way to end the artistic leg of the day.

What followed was dinner with “family” back at the flat. Ended up making roast beetroot salad with pumpkin seeds and goat feta, potato and sweet potato cakes, asparagus in a lemon butter sauce, baby carrots in a hazenut butter sauce, mixed quinoa with aubergine and tomato, sweetcorn cobs fried in cumin, finished off with grilled figs with goats milk chevre. We also had bok choy with soy sauce and sesame seeds ready to go but the typically Maori concern for never having enough food kinda conquered our appetites. Was a really enjoyable night and really felt in my element in the kitchen. In hindsight, I probably should have let my hosts do more of the cooking.

Day Seven
I don’t recall doing a hell of a lot this day. Mainly lounged around the flat until we headed off into the city for drinks at Madame Brussels with the lovely Claire. We did stop by this asian import place near JB Hi-Fi on Collins St, full of what didn’t appear to be entirely kosher DVDs. Went to JB and bought a few things like The September Issue and Valentino: The Last Emperor. Since we got one of our own here in Wellington, the urge to spend a lot of money at the JB’s in Melbourne has waned somewhat.

It was then that we moved onto jugs of fruity alcohol at Madame Brussels. Claire looked amazing, but then she always does (even when she’s just woken up – I don’t know how she does it), and times were good.

I think I may have had pizza when Alyssa and I finally made it back to the flat.

Day Eight
This was a weird day. Not a lot happened, really. Although I’d managed to double book myself that night I didn’t exactly make it to either. What I did do was finish watching fifth and final season of The Wire. I’d seen it before on TV, but it was good to watch it in one fell swoop. Again.

I don’t know that I was drinking that night. I may have been but I can’t rightly recall.

Day Nine
I hadn’t had much sleep the night before so was more than little ungrateful when the lanky one dragged me off the couch for huevos rancheros at Feedback (always what a man needs in the morning) before he headed off to work for the day. This was the first of a number of reluctant goodbyes that would mark the day.

The next thing I knew I was moving purposefully through customs at Wellington airport so I could inhale deeply the toxins that my body so achingly craved.

—–

I had a great time in Melbourne, but then I always do. Although the city has a lot to offer, to entertain and to enjoy what keeps me coming back again and again are the people I meet and the friends I make. I’m less interested in doing things than enjoying the good company of good people.

What I’m starting to notice though is that the number of good people I know in Melbourne is such that I now struggle to spend time with all of them while I’m in the neighbourhood. There is a fairly drastic solution and one that I know would make a few particularly happy to see happen, but one I’m loathe to commit to unless a job opens up that I’d actually be keen on over there.

Not sure when I’ll next be over there. Was hoping to be there for Massive Attack next weekend (20/21 March), but flights are prohibitively expensive and my Sydney belle has pushed her Melbourne trip back into April. April and May is looking kinda shaky with things becoming ridiculously frantic at work. Looks like it might not be until June or July that I return and I know a few people I’d like to take with me.