Rejoice

Fake Spring in Melbourne

Melbourne each year has this very strange end to winter and start to spring. It’s cold, cold. People are very loudly done with winter. Then we get a warmish day. Sometimes, even two in a row and Melbournians rejoice. Then it’s over and it feels like winter again and people will act like it’s the start of winter all over again.

Have you heard of the babies that throw their toys out of their cots? It’s almost like that. People just need to take some more Vitamin D, seriously. Melbourne still has lots to see and do even in the colder months. I mean, the fake spring gets me every year and I’ve called Melbourne home since 1992. With the exception of two years around 2000. Even fake spring makes me wish winter was longer because I love to go to the city. Get to the NGV one more time. Even just wearing my long black merino wool jacket longer. But I’m not throwing any toys anywhere. A lot of people in their socials post about fun things to do in the city at night. Down hidden laneways, a line of people queueing up for “something” food, a bar, something. I don’t really go out in the evenings aside from during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival season, as I am half blind and struggle to see in the dark and people are often oblivious to my inability to see.

Then there’s the wardrobe as part of fake spring. A few weeks ago, when we had two decent spring days at the end of the week, I happened to be heading South-side for an event at the Palais in St. Kilda. I will blog about that. Just pace yourself. I don’t get Southside often these days. I lived in Prahran and South Yarra in my 20’s but didn’t get to St. Kilda often.

I have lived Northside for the last twenty years and I guess every area in a city like Melbourne will have a wardrobe, or a uniform. In Ackland Street I’ve seen younger women wearing what I describe as “not much”, whereas in Thornbury on the Northside fake spring brings out all the Millennials in their skinny black jeans and tight black T-shirts, even if it’s just for a day. Or all the way through summer. Skinny black jeans might be replaced by black shorts. Even I have resorted to black shorts on warmer days in the last ten years. My carers kept informing me I couldn’t possibly go out in my standard albeit thin black legging-type pants. But shorts, OMG! I don’t care about displaying my lily-white legs these days. They’re hair-free thanks to laser, but I refuse to conform and get tanned.