I had today off. Melbourne was warm and sunny. I spent the day playing computer games and making chocolate mousse for my German housemate’s leaving dinner. The world feels pretty good.

It’s been a weird and busy seven months since I last did any songwriting or played any shows. I spent three months in Nelson, picking apples and hanging out with my family and skyping Anna, and then four months in Melbourne. I feel more-or-less at home in Melbourne, but not really settled yet – I still need more stable work, and more friends, and I’d like to be spending more time at home, instead of on public transport between my three jobs. But things are good overall.

I’ve been reading a lot about Jens Lekman (who lived in Melbourne for a while, though I think he’s based back in Sweden now). This is a good sign; whenever I’m entering a creative period, I start reading a lot about artists I think are similar to me, or whom I’d like to be similar to; mostly to get a sense of how they get their inspiration, and how they work.

I also need to start going to some music shows, it’s a crime that I’ve lived in a big city for four months and only taken myself to one jazz gig.

Anyway, I’m going to finish here as I have a tram and a train to catch.

Hello.

I think I should stop writing about things as if I’m planning to do them. Instead, I’m going to try and be more honest, and just say things like “I think it might be nice to be a travel writer”; or “Hey, doesn’t it blow your mind that birds are basically dinosaurs?” and not worry too much about whether I’m on the right track to becoming a travel writer or an archaeologist.

I’m not sure what track I’m on, but it’s interesting and I think I like it.

In June, Anna and I took a trip to Western Victoria; here’s a photo I took from the top of a hill named Arapiles.

And here is a photo of my back yard after the TV aerial fell off the roof in a storm.

Quick update, early June 2011

So, I moved from Nelson to Melbourne almost six weeks ago. I guess I should write something about my new home! I will, eventually. I’ve taken a few photos on my phone, which I will post and annotate and so forth. For now, though, I will just say that I’ve found a weekly pub trivia team, and it’s everything I could hope for.

Field Mushrooms

I’ve spent the last two months working in an apple orchard (I finish tomorrow), but it was just last week that I discovered the best part of the job: mushrooms!

There are a few different varieties quietly growing in the orchard, some more suspect-looking than others. My boss assured me that the fleshy, cream-coloured mushrooms with brown gills were safe to eat – she’d already collected a bagful herself. I took a few home, where I gave the subject a quick google. I found this advice on the website of the New Zealand National Poisons Centre – a veritable declaration of war on non-industrial fungi!

Only eat mushrooms which are bought at a supermarket or market garden. Never eat wild or unknown mushrooms.
Remove all mushrooms growing in your garden. Mushrooms are only toxic by ingestion, so it is OK to handle the mushrooms, even toxic ones, and throw them away in your usual rubbish. Do not compost mushrooms, as this will spread the spores.

Well, you only live once. I ate them for breakfast the next day. They tasted amazing; much more mushroomy than button mushrooms. Since I was still alive today, I decided to grab a few more.

Luckily, last time I was on the Cook Strait ferry I’d grabbed a few spare paper sick-bags for my car (I don’t get motion sickness, but paper bags are always handy). I used one to collect the mushrooms. I must have spent about 45 minutes wandering up and down the rows of trees. If I’d spent that time picking apples, I suppose I could have earned enough to buy a couple of bags of mushrooms at Pak ‘n’ Save. Maybe even the fancy ones. But these little wonders taste a lot better, and there’s a definite thrill in foraging for wild food.

OK, I should be responsible and give you a disclaimer: don’t eat a wild mushroom unless you, or someone with you, knows from past experience that it’s a safe one. That said, you should give foraging a go! It’s fun, and good for your wallet and your soul.