Evil Lies Inside the Pantry

Exactly four-months after arriving in Melbourne, I find myself staring at the reflection in the mirror, wondering how I got myself this out of shape. Before I left Switzerland, I had actually lost quite a bit; but now, there is no trace left of all tha hard work and sacrifice. I have trouble zipping up my 'fat' jeans. The situation is out of control, but how did it get that way?

I go to the department store and purchase the most expensive German electronic scales I can find; one that breaks down your weight into persentages of fat, water and muscle mass.

When I get home and stand on the scales. Horrr! I estimate that since moving into my in-law's I've gained an average 0.58Kg per week!!! How is that possible?

Here's a sample inventory of what kind of 'food' is available at any given time in this house (the foloowing was all recorded on the same day!):

FOOD ON KITCHEN COUNTERS AND IN LIVING ROOM
- Provence-style bread sticks
- a whole chocolate sponge cake with butterscotch icing
- a dinner plate filled with french patisserie
- one fruit bowl filled with pistachio nuts
- a fish bowl of assorted novelty chocolates

FOOD INSIDE THE FRIDGE
- 300ml tub of double cream
- 200ml tub of regular cream
- a packet of toasted coconut marshmellows
- 2x bottles of maple syrup
- 3x 500ml bottles of coke
- 1x 500ml bottle of ginger ale
- 1x tub of ready-made pancake mix
- 1x bottle of white wine
- 1x six-pack of Carlton Extra Dry beer

FOOD INSIDE THE PANTRY
- 1x Panettone
- 2x boxes of assorted chocolates
- 1x Christmas Pudding
- 1x large Toblerone
- 1x 250g chocolate with orange flavour
- 4x packets of assorted crackers
- 1x spare pancake mix
- 1x torrone
- 1x large bag of macademia nuts
- 1x 250g mint chocolate
- 1x bag of chocolate chip cookies
- 1x packet of Orios
- 1x packet of chocholate Teddy Bears
- 2x packets of Tim Tams
- 1x box of Angel Slices
- 1 packet of Arnott's Triple Wafers

FREEZER
- various assorted meat pies
- various assorted individually-sized ice cream
- various assorted individually-sized sorbet

Bells Are A-Ringing

The first time I noticed anything was after I had my ears professionally cleaned. You know, when your trusted alternative medicine practicioner burns a cone over your earhole to, supposedly, suck out all the gunk. They reckon you hearing improves significantly after such a proceure. I, however, felt something had gone wrong because not only did my hearing not improve, but I actually felt a kind of buzzing that kept interferring with the quality of my hearing. A slight buzzing that underscored everyday life. Eventually though it kind of faded away.

Then there were those times at home alone, during my time off work. Whenever I was in the study working on the computer, I would hear a strange hissing sound coming from the neighbours Television set on the other side of the wall. I just tried to ignore it.

Finally, in the cramped bedroom Nick and I shared during our first months in Melbourne, I would stay awake at night because of a high-pitched piercing sound that permeated the room. I thought it was some kind of static, probably caused by the intercom or the PC speakers in the study next door. At times the whistling was so loud it phisicaly woke me out of my slumber in the middle of the night preventing me from falling back asleep.

Finally, I mentioned this to Nick and was surprised to learn that he had never heard this piercing sound, which was tormenting me at night. It was at that point, that the unconfortable suspicion, which I'd kept dismissing for weeks and weeks, revealed itself as a reality. This noise was indeed there, however it occurred only inside my head, as only my ears could capture it. Or more aptly put: it was my very ears that were generating this disturbance; I had infact developed a hearing disability.

I booked a check-up with a specialist and after a series of audiology test it was confirmed that, alhough my hearing had suffered no loss or deterioration, some kind of damage to my ears was definitley present and causing this distutbing sound.

Apparently it gets worse when I'm under a lot of stress, which would explain why the ringing in my ears has become a constant and exasperating soundtrack to my daily existence. I have grown increasingly intolerant of harsh and loud sounds.

Sometimes the Tinnitus keeps me awake at night. Sometimes it is intolerably loud. At such times I feel myself beign driven over the edge by this obnoxious noise in my head. It is said that Tinnitus may lead to depression and even suicide and I can understand those reasons. But the saddest thing for me, is that as I am confronted with the daily tensions and stresses of life, the silence that once was a welcome source of solace and equilibrium for me, has now become my worst enemy.

it is ironic that I, a lover of quietitude and silence, must seek the constant humm of city traffic to distract me from the torment of my inner noise.

Una Vita Nuova

A parte gli opossum che si impossessano dei gardini e di notte gironzolano facendo strani rumori come degli spiritelli maligni, devo riabituarmi al modo di vivere down under. Per esempio, il caffé latte te lo servono nel bicchiere di vetro. E una volta, passando davanti a una chiesa mentre celebravano un funerale, ho visto che sul marciapiede c'era un uomo vestito con una gonna scozzese che suonava la cornamusa. E per esempio al bar e al ristorante, le donne usano appoggiare le loro borsett sul pavimento (che schifo)! Si vede che non valgono molto.

Menre ero assente, a St. Kilda hanno rinnovato i bagni pubblici che da sempre erano in sfacelo. Un edificio storico stile Liberty, con torrette arabo con vista spiaggia-mare, i bagni oggi vantano un simpatico mosaico di piastrelle multicolori che adornano la zona bar con terrazzo sul lungomare, mentre all'interno dell'edificio si possono fare i bagni caldi nell'acqua di mare. Naturalmente ampie vetrate permettono una vista sulla baia.

L'intero piano terra é adibito a varie zone wellness e beautz, mentre al piano superiore si trova Soul Mama un simpaticissimo ristorante vegetariano con una stupend vista mare.

Durante il mio primo inverno trascorso a Melbourne nel nuovo millennio, mi stupiva la nebbia che rendeva grigia e squallida questa città e mi ricordava tanto Milano.

Mentre all'inizio di quest'anno sbarcavo il lunario con il lavoro temporaneo, ero ingaggiata da una ditta di costruzione che aveva dei contratti con l'esercito. Alla scrivania al sedicesimo piano aggiornavo dati su pagine XL. Da lassù si godeva una veduta spettacolare sulla city circostante e oltre, fino alla catena degli Yu-Yangs. Ogni tanto alzavo lo sguardo dallo schermo e scorgevo stormi di piccioni che volteggiavano proprio di fronte all amia finestra. E poi leggevo nel rapporto che si trattava di aggionranre un palazzo adibito alla costruzione di missili (che paura)!

Lavorare nella City mi piaceva. Alla mattina sgusicavo dalla scatola di sardine del metrò per ritornare in superficie all'incrocio di Elizabeth e La Trobe, proprio di fronte a un palazzone Art Dèco che anche lì, mi sembrava di essere in centro Milano. Al mattino la città é invasa da pedoni frettolosi che, in marcia per l'ufficio stringono in mano un cartoccio con un caffé da asporto. Durante l'inverno si vestono con sciarpe, ma solo al mattino. Ma ho visto anche gente che non portava le calze. Non sanno proprio come vestirsi!

Una mattina, tra un mare di anonimi volti annoiati, una volta ho scorto una donna addormentata sul metrò. Aveva messo le cuffie del suo Personal Stereo e sognava beata. Come farà a svegliarsi in tempo per non mancare la sua stazione?