Category: A Beer

The Alderman

/ Renae / 2 Comments

A Beer

Hubs and I were invited out last Saturday night to a going away party for one of the current college residents. She’s off to live at Oxford University in England for a few years which is all very posh and exciting. For those of you who aren’t Queenslanders or who hate the footy (shame on you) you may not be aware that the Brisbane Broncos played against the Melbourne Storm in the NRL semi-finals. And being a HUGE Broncos fan, I really wanted to watch the game. In Melbourne, the only time they will EVER broadcast the NRL is if Melbourne are playing, so I was very excited that we were going to a pub for the night!

Alas, when we arrived, it wasn’t a “pub” as much as a “trendy la-di-da bar with fancy-pants coctails and ritzy beers on offer”. (It’s not so fancy that it has it’s own website though!) So I had to rely on my good friends Adele and Neil who were at the game in Brisbane to give me updates! Unfortunately the Storm were too good in the end, but this post was supposed to be about The Alderman! See what happens when you get me started on the Broncos??!!

Right. Where was I? Ah yes. One of Melbourne’s lovely little bars that you wouldn’t look twice at walking down the street, but is well worth the visit. Hubs and I had champagne (okay okay, it was sparkling white) and had a lovely time getting to know our fellow Newmanites off-campus. It was an old Victorian house (or 2) that had been converted into a bar and restaurant with a gorgeous little area out the back that would be best visited in the warmer months. It even had a dart board that kept the boys entertained while us girls talked about girly things together.

I just feel like there are all these amazing places to discover, but we just don’t know where to start! Local knowledge is the key! I wish I had some photos to share with you, but maybe next time!

A Toast

/ Renae / Leave a comment

When it comes to public speaking, I’m the type of person to either a) be completely prepared and read off a piece of paper or b) be entirely unprepared and joke my way through it. I’ve never really been great at public speaking, and unless I’m reading off a piece of paper, or joking around, I don’t have the confidence to stand up in front of a group and deliver something to remember. I also generally just get through it and then not really remember much about it afterwards. But last Saturday night, that all changed.

Hubs and I have been audience to quite a number of speakers since living on college, and in our opinion (well, his more strongly than mine) the best speakers are those who a) don’t read their notes, b) don’t memorise their speech and then just say it from beginning to end, and c) come across naturally and genuinely, only needing notes to prompt them.

Over the weekend, Hubs and I went up to the Vegas for my cousin’s 21st birthday and after being there for a couple of hours, I decided that I would like to make a speech. I frantically scribbled a whole lot of notes and started putting something together. Then I stopped. I thought to myself “I can do this on my own. I don’t need to write this out word for word. I can do this!” So I wrote down 4 things that I wanted to mention, and left the rest up to fate. I gotta say, I don’t think I’ve EVER been so nervous in my life. Those 3 glasses of Lambrusco (yes, I drink Lambrusco) that I had just drunk vanished from my bloodstream from the adrenaline pumping around my body. My mouth went dry, my palms got sweaty, my legs felt like they were going to buckle and I started questioning my decision to fly solo.

All of a sudden, the floor was open to anyone who wanted to make a speech. I stood up (rather shakily) and as nervous as I was, delivered a pretty damn good speech. (Well I thought so anyway!) I was in the moment. I was actually listening to myself, instead of just reading something word-for-word. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve had with public speaking.

So thank you Hubsband, for giving me the courage and encouragement I needed to give something new and exciting a go. I’m actually looking forward to the next time!