Tourguide

Last week I had a lovely time playing host to Petra whom I have been dating for several weeks. Petra comes from Sydney but now lives in Canberra. We met via interstate choral festivals. Petra stayed with me and also came along to the MonUCS rehearsal camp last weekend at Wombat Corner in Emerald. During her visit I had a lovely time and part of that was due to the satisfaction that comes from showing off our lovely metropolis of Melbourne.

Showing an interstate or international visitor ones own city is a particular experience I would recommend to anyone. You get the ego-boosting experience of demonstrating how familiar you are with your own home town and all its distinctive characteristics. You have a chance to relive and reminisce over some of your best hometown experiences. And you get to see your city with a fresh perspective. Petra was impressed with our public transport. This is indicative of the difference in service levels, not between Sydney and Melbourne, but rather between her part of Sydney and my part of Melbourne.

One more thing that hosting a foreign guest does for the host is it allows one to experience new aspects of ones own home. I have many times seen the ferris wheel between the Yarra and Birrarung Marr. But it was only on prompting from Petra that we went on it - It is rather a fun ride and affords some impressive views of the City. So I now have yet another Melbourne memory to look back on. And I can show off this expanded local lore next time I am interacting with visitors from far away.