I just got here, and the first thing I’ve noticed is that Australians don’t realise how silly all their place names sound. Fortunately the major cities have gotten off pretty lightly. The most major city with a name I don’t really understand is Dubbo…and how that happened, I’ll never understand. What even

Still, I’ll probably never go there, so never mind. Oh, and another thing: it’s SO hot here. I mean, I know I came from Novosibirsk and that place has a reputation for being cold, given that it’s in Siberia and everything, but people don’t seem to realise how hot it is. It was fifteen degrees yesterday. Fifteen. I counted it up in my head, and wondered if the best air conditioning services Melbourne have to offer are going to cope with such temperatures. As it turns out, everyone is just fine with it. No biggie; in fact, people were wearing coats. The absolute maniacs.

I’m mostly here to visit my friend Niko, and when I asked about it he seemed to think it was the funniest thing he’d heard in a while. He’s only been here for three years, and already the beating sun has beaten Novosibirsk out of his system and replaced it with a love of UV rays. He doesn’t even have air conditioning in his apartment; said that he doesn’t find that he’d ever need it. But on the other hand, I bet if he ever came home, he’d be weeping salty tears at the bitter winter winds, so there’s that. And he has a visit planned for next Autumn, so that’ll be good fun.

Fifteen degrees though, for real. That’s just getting to the point of silliness, at least when you factor in that air conditioning doesn’t kick in until you get to a clear 25-mark. A whole ten degrees higher. Wow.