Happy New Year! La multi ani!

After a week in Perth, I am happy to celebrate a reasonably warm start of 2013 in Melbourne. A significant 15-degree higher temperature in Perth (41C) for three days in a row was a good reminder that as much as weather here in Melbourne is unpredictable, it’s still better than being stuck with one hot choice for enough time to feel as if living in a large oven. New Year’s Eve was devoid of BBQ, prawns and heavy drinking for me, so I fail the Aussie citizenship “test” again, but watching the 10-minute Sydney fire works from the comfort of our nice home while eating really good cheddar cheese and Romanian “sarmale” surrounded by family was a wonderful way to cross another time border, 2012-2013. No resolutions and no high expectations, just the wishes for a year of peace and health. The trip to Perth gave me enough material to post again more often, as in the past two months I didn’t have enough material for regular blogging. Today’s picture is that of the London Court, a pedestrian lane/shopping arcade that goes between the Hay Street Mall and St George’s Terrace. I thought of it as a good reminder that Australia is essentially a British relic still searching for identity.