Welcome To Footscray (hell)

Another chapter in our Australian adventure unfolds! You see, we've managed to find a house and settle somewhere for a month that isn't a stinky hostel. The house is quite nice, cheap and the Nepalese guy who lives there is....interesting. To say the least. The only real problem with the place is that it's in an armpit of a place called "Footscray". Just roll that around in your mouth a few times. Fuuuuhht-sceraay. Sounds like some kind of hideous podiatric disesae, doesn't it? Something involving scabs, pus and toenails dropping off with great frequency. In fact, it's not all that far from the truth. I've already been yelled at by a crackhead, seen random druggies getting arrested and stumbled across what was probably a domestic in full swing. Footscray is also the setting of a Russel Crowe film called "Romper Stomper", in which a load of Neo-Nazi thugs run around beating up the local Vietnamise community. In many ways, this place reminds me of Manchester.

I'm also running out of money at a rather alarming rate, and will soon be reduced to subsisting on 10p noodles and tapwater, just like being a student all over again really. Apart from all this, there's relatively little to report. It's been baking hot, but it rained today which was lovely. The Aussies have been crowing particularly loud about the Ashes whitewash, so I've had to put my cricket shirts into mothballs for the present. Also, Morgan is still yet to offer an opinion other than "I dunno" or "what do you think" when questioned regarding the days possible activities. I'm hopeful one day he may present a thoughtful critique of some proposed destination, but I'm not about to go hoping for it. Miracles are rare things.