Sunday, August 08, 2004
Melbourne 23rd, 24th, 25th July
Hey long time no post. So I thought I'd post up my 3 day adventure in the wonderful City of Melbourne. As most of you expect - Melbourne weather was pretty damn gloomy that weekend. It got a little bit better on the Sunday.
To begin off - I was going to Melbourne for Battlegrounds (a new interstate dance face-off between Melbourne & Sydney). Basically we subsidised coach costs for dancers in Sydney to go to Melbourne for this event. I went on this bus all the way to Melbourne and back. On the way there we had a few Crew members so it wasn't so daunting getting these kids there. Although on the way back was quite a bit of effort on my part as it was only me in authority. I had to use embarrassment as a tool to discipline those who didn't want to listen to me :) (it's pretty good).
23rd Friday July
All the dancers and Hoopdreamz crew members embarked the 61 Seater (full) Murray Coach. We were driven there by the legendary Cary (great guy). Everyone was pumped full of excitement and sugar (most probably). Some of these kids didn't even sleep on the coach - at least I did - with the help of the Blue Pill (hehehe).
We left Parramatta around 7:15 pm. The trip was smooth we stopped a few times along the way. Most notably a place near Goldburn. It was so damn cold.
24th Saturday July
We arrived in Melbourne city about an hour earlier than planned (we missed a pitstop). Seeing Melbourne CBD around 6:30 am is quite different. I felt like I was in another country already. It was so dark! I thought it was like 4 am or something untile I checked my watch (twice). The bus driver, Cary took us to 1-2 Russell Street in the City. "Yup we're here at your destination", announces Cary over the microphone. I'm thinking that was close we just passed the city - isn't Essendon (our real desitination) about 15-20 minutes out from the city centre? Mix (Hoopdreamz Managing Director) speaks out in a sleepy voice, "No Cary, it's 1-2 Russell Street in Essendon, not the City". Cary, "Oh really - it has here on my slip the City - Okay let's go there". So we drive there and about 7 ish in the morning we get to Essendon at our venue. It was raining lightly - all of us tried to huddle under this small roof shelter over the steps of the venue. Claudia (Mix's little sister) told me that she wanted to go to the little girls' room - so I accompanied her to the trainstation (across the street from us). Anyways before I could go with her into the station, Mix calls me and orders me and her to get on the bus and babysit some dancers to their hotel. So we take them to their hotel - with our luggage. Organised for a pick up with other crew members who were already in Melbourne. I least I didn't have to set up the hall - which I did want to do but I was so dead. When I went back to our crew member's hotel I just crashed out for about half an hour.
Vince who picked us up told me he had to take the other crew members to the venue to help get set up - for some reason he didn't come back for us until after 1:30 pm. Although he and another crew member (Marco) called me up to get some stationary. So I went with Claudia and Jeffery (another dancer) around in Melbourne's CBD - armed with a map and some directions I got from the concierge in reception of the hotel lobby. I was in search for some neckchains (for ID tags), Blank Mini DV tapes, and cue cards. I of course hadn't had anything to eat since 6 pm the previous night - so I was starved - I think Claudia was the same as me. We just had maccas (cheap and so easily available) and we needed a quick fix. Finished our gorge of fat and sugar - we continued on our exploration of Melbourne CBD. Went to a few stores thinking they would have what we needed but they didn't so we had to go all the way to Officeworks. Jeffery said he needed to unload (number 2) so he headed back to the hotel. So it was me and Claudia trying to find Officeworks - which shouldn't be so difficult except we walked all over the place and I got the street names mixed up - Little Bourke Street and Bourke Street - so we were walking up and down lost like confused tourists. Finally I figured it out. I went with my gut instinct and we found it hehehe. I'm usually a pretty good navigator - especially with maps - but for whatever reason (maybe it was because I was a little dizzy) I was disorientated.
The Night was largely successful. Overall Sydney won Battlegrounds on the points system. Although Melbourne had the best RnB dance crew- Rewind. Sydney had the best Breakdance Crew SKB. We found out that Leo from Battle of the Year Germany was in the audience - checking out our competition - what an honour!
The highlight of the night has to be the "Bragging Rights" - The Final State battle - this is a Hip Hop dance battle - totally freestyle RnB + Breakdancing. Sydney totally took Melbourne by surprised by the great form and preparation. You got Served - Aussie Style.
There was supposed to be an after party at Next Blue in the Crown Casino - although I was so pooped. Apparently 1000+ rocked up. Too bad we don't get a cut of the after party sales as well hehehe.
After clean up - we proceeded to Mix's woman's hotel to unload our luggage - I told Mix that I couldn't go party so I opted to sleep on the sofa bed - had a shower etc. I was watching tv (Melbourne tv is different in some ways) this was already 2am in the morning.
25th Sunday July
The next thing I noticed was it was morning - about 8 am. Some children show was on. I must've just fell asleep with the tv on. Mix already had came and gone. I had to check out of the hotel for his woman. It was quite a nice hotel. I was called up by Claudia that morning telling me that Vince isn't able to drive her and me to Essendon - so I told her to come meet me at my hotel lobby at 9am so we can take the train to Essendon. She turns up at 9:30am (30 minutes late) waiting for Vince who drops her off at some other street. So by the time we meet up it was like 9:40 am. I was told by the hotel Concierge that I should walk to the Flinders Street station instead of using Melbourne central (which is closer to the hotel where I was) but he advised that there was construction going there and I might get confused - so I took his advice and we proceeded to walk to Flinders Street Station. It was in viewing distance but because I had to carry two heavy hand luggages (one mine, one claudia's) as well as my own heavy backpack, it took us about 15 minutes to get there. We were told that the Essendon train will leave platform 4. I started panicking because we didn't have much time left to get to Essendon - the bus was scheduled to leave at 11am. So I jumped on a train leaving platform 5 (because on platform 5 it had time tables for Essendon) - but I checked with one of the passengers and he said it's definitely on Platform 4. So Claudia and me waited for the Essendon train. Without thinking twice I told Claudia that the train that was pulling up in Platform 4 was our train. We boarded thinking - phew - we should have heaps of time. Then I was a bit worried because I looked on the rail map and found out that there are two train lines going that direction. So I kept a close eye on the stations we passed - and to my worse predictions we were on the wrong train line going in the same direction. I told Claudia we don't have much time let's get off the train and catch a cab into Essendon - as we were close by. We got off the station proceeded along this road at Brunswick Station (Victoria Road). I thought I saw a Taxi rank since there were heaps of Taxis parked down the street. Claudia and I lugged our bags slowly moving closer to the Taxis - I was thinking "Wow this is lucky" but it turns out it was a Smash Repair Shop that does works for the Taxi company. But since we didn't know the number for a taxi - we looked on the side of one of these taxis and called them up for a pick up. I told the lady exactly which corner to pick us up saying that we were near the Brunswick Station. She must've heard just "Brunswick Station" because we waited like 15 minutes - I hailed down a taxi thinking it was ours. The taxi driver asked me did we order a taxi. I said yes thinking it was our taxi. But it turns out he wasn't our taxi and he said he couldn't pick us up since we already ordered a taxi. Dammit! I rang back again - another lady told me that a taxi was dispatched to Brunswick station and didn't find anyone. I told her to dispatch another one on the corner of Victoria Road and (I think Percy street) at the Victoria Hotel. We waited a good 5-10minutes - still nothing. At this time we were very desperate because some people were calling us asking where we were. I hailed down another taxi going the other way. Stood in the middle of the road till he stopped completely. I told him I was desperate to get a taxi and that we've been waiting a good 25 minutes. So he did a U-ey and picked up Claudia and my stuff. We proceeded to Essendon with less than 10 minutes to spare. Finally got to the venue at Essendon - everyone was waiting for us. I apologised - asked the dancers and some crew members if everyone was there. Then we headed to the City yet again (thinking back I should've just stayed at the City) to pick up some dance groups (the ones I accompanied with to their hotel the day before). Turns out their hotel was just down the road from mine. Anyways packed them on - we left a sunny Melbourne around 12pm. Got to Parramatta Sydney around 11:30 pm. I had to go to work the next morning hehehe I was so out of it!
To begin off - I was going to Melbourne for Battlegrounds (a new interstate dance face-off between Melbourne & Sydney). Basically we subsidised coach costs for dancers in Sydney to go to Melbourne for this event. I went on this bus all the way to Melbourne and back. On the way there we had a few Crew members so it wasn't so daunting getting these kids there. Although on the way back was quite a bit of effort on my part as it was only me in authority. I had to use embarrassment as a tool to discipline those who didn't want to listen to me :) (it's pretty good).
23rd Friday July
All the dancers and Hoopdreamz crew members embarked the 61 Seater (full) Murray Coach. We were driven there by the legendary Cary (great guy). Everyone was pumped full of excitement and sugar (most probably). Some of these kids didn't even sleep on the coach - at least I did - with the help of the Blue Pill (hehehe).
We left Parramatta around 7:15 pm. The trip was smooth we stopped a few times along the way. Most notably a place near Goldburn. It was so damn cold.
24th Saturday July
We arrived in Melbourne city about an hour earlier than planned (we missed a pitstop). Seeing Melbourne CBD around 6:30 am is quite different. I felt like I was in another country already. It was so dark! I thought it was like 4 am or something untile I checked my watch (twice). The bus driver, Cary took us to 1-2 Russell Street in the City. "Yup we're here at your destination", announces Cary over the microphone. I'm thinking that was close we just passed the city - isn't Essendon (our real desitination) about 15-20 minutes out from the city centre? Mix (Hoopdreamz Managing Director) speaks out in a sleepy voice, "No Cary, it's 1-2 Russell Street in Essendon, not the City". Cary, "Oh really - it has here on my slip the City - Okay let's go there". So we drive there and about 7 ish in the morning we get to Essendon at our venue. It was raining lightly - all of us tried to huddle under this small roof shelter over the steps of the venue. Claudia (Mix's little sister) told me that she wanted to go to the little girls' room - so I accompanied her to the trainstation (across the street from us). Anyways before I could go with her into the station, Mix calls me and orders me and her to get on the bus and babysit some dancers to their hotel. So we take them to their hotel - with our luggage. Organised for a pick up with other crew members who were already in Melbourne. I least I didn't have to set up the hall - which I did want to do but I was so dead. When I went back to our crew member's hotel I just crashed out for about half an hour.
Vince who picked us up told me he had to take the other crew members to the venue to help get set up - for some reason he didn't come back for us until after 1:30 pm. Although he and another crew member (Marco) called me up to get some stationary. So I went with Claudia and Jeffery (another dancer) around in Melbourne's CBD - armed with a map and some directions I got from the concierge in reception of the hotel lobby. I was in search for some neckchains (for ID tags), Blank Mini DV tapes, and cue cards. I of course hadn't had anything to eat since 6 pm the previous night - so I was starved - I think Claudia was the same as me. We just had maccas (cheap and so easily available) and we needed a quick fix. Finished our gorge of fat and sugar - we continued on our exploration of Melbourne CBD. Went to a few stores thinking they would have what we needed but they didn't so we had to go all the way to Officeworks. Jeffery said he needed to unload (number 2) so he headed back to the hotel. So it was me and Claudia trying to find Officeworks - which shouldn't be so difficult except we walked all over the place and I got the street names mixed up - Little Bourke Street and Bourke Street - so we were walking up and down lost like confused tourists. Finally I figured it out. I went with my gut instinct and we found it hehehe. I'm usually a pretty good navigator - especially with maps - but for whatever reason (maybe it was because I was a little dizzy) I was disorientated.
The Night was largely successful. Overall Sydney won Battlegrounds on the points system. Although Melbourne had the best RnB dance crew- Rewind. Sydney had the best Breakdance Crew SKB. We found out that Leo from Battle of the Year Germany was in the audience - checking out our competition - what an honour!
The highlight of the night has to be the "Bragging Rights" - The Final State battle - this is a Hip Hop dance battle - totally freestyle RnB + Breakdancing. Sydney totally took Melbourne by surprised by the great form and preparation. You got Served - Aussie Style.
There was supposed to be an after party at Next Blue in the Crown Casino - although I was so pooped. Apparently 1000+ rocked up. Too bad we don't get a cut of the after party sales as well hehehe.
After clean up - we proceeded to Mix's woman's hotel to unload our luggage - I told Mix that I couldn't go party so I opted to sleep on the sofa bed - had a shower etc. I was watching tv (Melbourne tv is different in some ways) this was already 2am in the morning.
25th Sunday July
The next thing I noticed was it was morning - about 8 am. Some children show was on. I must've just fell asleep with the tv on. Mix already had came and gone. I had to check out of the hotel for his woman. It was quite a nice hotel. I was called up by Claudia that morning telling me that Vince isn't able to drive her and me to Essendon - so I told her to come meet me at my hotel lobby at 9am so we can take the train to Essendon. She turns up at 9:30am (30 minutes late) waiting for Vince who drops her off at some other street. So by the time we meet up it was like 9:40 am. I was told by the hotel Concierge that I should walk to the Flinders Street station instead of using Melbourne central (which is closer to the hotel where I was) but he advised that there was construction going there and I might get confused - so I took his advice and we proceeded to walk to Flinders Street Station. It was in viewing distance but because I had to carry two heavy hand luggages (one mine, one claudia's) as well as my own heavy backpack, it took us about 15 minutes to get there. We were told that the Essendon train will leave platform 4. I started panicking because we didn't have much time left to get to Essendon - the bus was scheduled to leave at 11am. So I jumped on a train leaving platform 5 (because on platform 5 it had time tables for Essendon) - but I checked with one of the passengers and he said it's definitely on Platform 4. So Claudia and me waited for the Essendon train. Without thinking twice I told Claudia that the train that was pulling up in Platform 4 was our train. We boarded thinking - phew - we should have heaps of time. Then I was a bit worried because I looked on the rail map and found out that there are two train lines going that direction. So I kept a close eye on the stations we passed - and to my worse predictions we were on the wrong train line going in the same direction. I told Claudia we don't have much time let's get off the train and catch a cab into Essendon - as we were close by. We got off the station proceeded along this road at Brunswick Station (Victoria Road). I thought I saw a Taxi rank since there were heaps of Taxis parked down the street. Claudia and I lugged our bags slowly moving closer to the Taxis - I was thinking "Wow this is lucky" but it turns out it was a Smash Repair Shop that does works for the Taxi company. But since we didn't know the number for a taxi - we looked on the side of one of these taxis and called them up for a pick up. I told the lady exactly which corner to pick us up saying that we were near the Brunswick Station. She must've heard just "Brunswick Station" because we waited like 15 minutes - I hailed down a taxi thinking it was ours. The taxi driver asked me did we order a taxi. I said yes thinking it was our taxi. But it turns out he wasn't our taxi and he said he couldn't pick us up since we already ordered a taxi. Dammit! I rang back again - another lady told me that a taxi was dispatched to Brunswick station and didn't find anyone. I told her to dispatch another one on the corner of Victoria Road and (I think Percy street) at the Victoria Hotel. We waited a good 5-10minutes - still nothing. At this time we were very desperate because some people were calling us asking where we were. I hailed down another taxi going the other way. Stood in the middle of the road till he stopped completely. I told him I was desperate to get a taxi and that we've been waiting a good 25 minutes. So he did a U-ey and picked up Claudia and my stuff. We proceeded to Essendon with less than 10 minutes to spare. Finally got to the venue at Essendon - everyone was waiting for us. I apologised - asked the dancers and some crew members if everyone was there. Then we headed to the City yet again (thinking back I should've just stayed at the City) to pick up some dance groups (the ones I accompanied with to their hotel the day before). Turns out their hotel was just down the road from mine. Anyways packed them on - we left a sunny Melbourne around 12pm. Got to Parramatta Sydney around 11:30 pm. I had to go to work the next morning hehehe I was so out of it!
