Wake me up before you Gogo

After arriving back at the hotel rather late after The Great Ocean Road tour, I was far too tired to get up and go running in the morning. But I was definitely not too tired to get up and meet Desci again for breakfast.

I must say, waiting for her while she was walking up Swanston Street was quite awesome, a lovely simple pleasure. I spotted her, looking super cool, a super luscious vixen in full stride. Then I waved to her, and she broke out into what possibly was the biggest grin I'd ever seen. Maybe she hallucinated and thought I was... I oh I dunno... David Sedaris?

She took me to Home Barista Instutite on Victoria Street (I think?). Don't be fooled by the salmon on the website, they do a damn good chai. Awww, Lee would be so proud.

Both Desci and I ordered some fruit toast, and Desci ordered some Bircher Muesli in addition.

This made the meal seriously huge, and I was more than happy to help her tuck into it, hee! If you're ever there, I recommend a SMALL chai and a bircher muesli - it's a fabulous breakfast; a super delicious way to start the day.

From there, Desci took me to Brunswick Street in Fitzroy to peruse some of the shops.

Like the majority of Melbourne, I loved the random artwork. Go down a laneway, and you are faced with a mural.

Like so.

So purdy!

And just my luck, look at what I stumbled on on Brunswick Street. A repeat of what I'd encountered on Chapel Street, a branch of San Churro!

I am smiling, really. I'm not pretending to be a turtle by trying to see how far I can stick my neck out. I bought four boxes of chocolates for gifts to take back home, and absolutely boggled the poor girl working the counter when I handed her a hundred dollar note. Bah, these bloody money exchange places and their hundred dollar notes - I feel so damn conspicuous carrying them around.

After being shown around Brunswick Street, we got on the tram back into the city - after a brief stop off at Big W to get Desci a towel - we bid a very hasty farewell at Melbourne Central mall where she headed off to her Combat class and I rushed to shovel some food down my gob before going to Wicked, which was showing at The Regent theatre.

Somehow, with two minutes before the show started, I zoomed out from the mall, ran down Swanston Street (because it was faster than waiting for a tram to come...!) and arrived at the ticket office for the Regent Theatre spluttering between breaths, "Hi *inhale*, I'm *inhale*, picking up my *inhale*, ticket?" The polite man at the office asked for my name and it was easier for me to rummage through my bag and hand him the printout from the intarwebs and hand it to him. He saw my foreign name - with a common surname! - and understood. He handed me my ticket promptly, and politely wished me to enjoy the show.

I managed to collapse into my seat two seconds before the lights dimmed and the orchestra started up. How I managed it, I have NO idea.

What I realised when the show started was that there were SHITLOADS of kids. Given how many evening performances I've attended, I've forgotten how many schoolkids go to matinee performances. In fact, that was one thing the schools I went to encouraged - I saw Phantom of the Opera and Leah - a reverse gendered interpretation of Shakespeare's King Lear - through school, and it was quite cool. Though now I see how we must've driven the other theatre attendees absolutely mad.

I enjoyed the first half of the show, but my blood pressure was feeling some ill effects with all of the giggling and the getting up and down out of seats and the whispering and the 'ewwwwwwwwws'. Thankfully, Desci had insisted that I treat myself to an Ozmopolitan cocktail, and when intermission hit, I was at that bar before the lights had even been restored. And it was fan-freaking-tastic. AND all of the schoolkids were jealous because they couldn't have any. AND it came in an awesome light up martini glass. HAH! It made the second half all the more sweeter as I guzzled the thing down far too quickly and snuggled in in a semi-drunk manner.

Obviously, I couldn't very well be taking photos in the show, so here's a selection of ones I've poached off the intarwebs.

It was a great show, I'm glad I went, though I did miss having company with me to yabber about how awesome the set and costumes were and how big Anthony Callea's head looked in a strange attempt at being munchkinified.

With the Regent Theatre being a stones throw away from Federation Square, I decided to check out ACMI.

However, yet again, the place was filled with children. And the free exhibit area was closed off since they were swapping the exhibits around. Bloody timing, aye? So, I just wandered around inside the building.

It looks much cooler from the inside than it does on the outside. It's a real shame that I didn't get to explore it, though with the number of kids there I was lucky to find little airpockets where I could take photos without shrill squeals bouncing off the walls.

I wandered back up to my hotel and slobbed out, still tired from the day before. I managed to get my act together and call Kathryn who writes at iDiet, who herself sounded really tired, poor thing. She had suggested I tag along to a Gogo dancing class that she regularly goes to, and I was really looking forward to it. It's certainly not something that you would normally go to experience on a trip overseas.

When the time came, I waited for Kathryn near the train station and we made the brief walk to the halls where the Gogo dancing class took place. The class was full of colourful, vibrant people, and the instructor who lead the classes was an amazing, lively woman who just blew me away with her charisma.

Given that we were in the throng of the Bejing Olympics at the time, she declared the class the 'Gogolympics', with three miniature trophies to hand out to the class members for Best Technique, Best Newcomer, and Most Enthusiasm. The story that she told us about how she bought the trophies is one I will continue to tell and tell again.

Gogo Dancing Instructor	So I went into the dollar shop and I asked the lady who worked there...
Gogo Dancing Instructor	"Do you have any of the novelty medals? Like the ones they give out in the Olympics?"
Gogo Dancing Instructor	And she says to me...
Gogo Dancing Instructor	"NO!!! EVERYBODY ASKS!!!
* Class guffaws

I had a great time, and the dancing was fantastic. A lovely, refreshing experience. Kathryn walked me back to my hotel, and it took us several attempts to get a photo with both of our heads in the frame. Of course, it was only after several attempts that I realised I was holding the camera with my right hand instead of my left - being left handed. UH. Whadda stoopid.

Kathryn - you are a super cool woman, and it was really great meeting you. It would be great to catch up again (hopefully we both won't be so tired second time around!)

I'd managed to precook my dinner (somehow!), and sat down and tucked into it.

Just like every day in this trip so far, this day was fabulous and full of memories that I'll be carrying with me forever. Desci, and Kathryn - two great bloggers and two fabulous people; both are too cool for words to do them justice. And I got to spend time with both of them. How lucky am I. :-D