Sleep in City

Like last year, we went back to Melbourne for a couple of weeks of audit work. Arrived in Melbourne on Monday morning, we checked in an apartment in the center of the city (CBD). Thus I got to sleep in the city for two weeks. The room where I stayed is at 3rd floor. Sit or lie in the couch, I look out of the windows and look up the skyscrapers next to the apartment building stretching into sky and I feel I'm in the bottom of the city.
Melbourne, as I could remember from the previous trip, is an interesting city with it's own personality and climate. The impression gets reinforced on this trip.
First comes weather and air and what's in the air in Melbourne. It's Melbourne's spring time. In this spring season, you could experience a windy, chilly, coat-boot and winter like day one day and a dry, windy and superb hot summer day on another day. But overall, it's dry and windy. From last year's trip, I know dryness is very unfavorable to me. This year, I experienced more than just dryness. One thing I heard, learned and experienced for first time of my life is "hey fever"- an allergy very common in this area to some sort of pollens in the air. "Hey fever" soon became my friend throughout the trip and it made me sneeze, tear out, scratch, rub and wear out.
One of the important and unique things (if not the most important thing) that makes Melbourne a really cool city is it's hidden gems. Don't even try to find a cool bar or restaurant by the address. The chance is you won't be able to find the street or if you find the street, you won't find the number or if you find the street and the number, you still won't find place. Till someday and somehow you bump into this place while you wonder through some little tiny curvy lane ways or alleys. Get into the gate, you need either climb up some steps to 3rd or 4th floors or roof or down to the basement before you finally situate yourself in. Inside is usually obscure and intimate. The ambiance can be upbeat or completely dead depending on the day. The city starts sizzling on Thursday night and heats up on weekend.
Eating became the most motivating part of the trip. It's indeed an adventure. It's something to talk about, think about during a typical boring working day and to explore, experiment, and comment at night. We had plenty memorable adventures that integrate great food, enthusiasm of finding the food with the subsequent satisfaction, critics and rating process. The best food experience goes to (voted by both me and my travel partner) Claypots in St. Kilda. Other good experience include Fifteen, Yu-u in CBD and Tapas on Brunswick etc.
One Friday night during my stay, I passed out on the couch after work. I woke up at mid-night and looked out the window and saw a couple of high business building surrounding standing still. The lights from its individual offices lighten up the sky. The city was partying. I can hear and feel the vibe. I was lying in the sleepless city for a moment before falling back to sleep.