Little Running Bear

I live in a block of flats. It’s a beautiful block that dates back to the 1940s. It was, for a long time, the coolest block in St Kilda, filled with famous artists and frequented by their famous artist friends.

Something changed a few years ago. The artists slowly moved out and lay-about, shiftless youths moved in. It seems like very few of them have jobs and the rest work in hospitality.

It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that they would consider a Monday night appropriate for a little soiree.

I arrived home at 12:30 and they were loud. Really loud. Walking past their flat to get to mine I almost fell down the stairs, hit by the stench of alcohol.

They were loud but I didn’t say anything. I usually do but was too tired to deal with drunk idiots. I just wanted to get into bed, curl up and fall asleep. Also, I think I’ve developed a reputation amongst the LSY as the whinger. Clearly I’m more concerned about that reputation than they are of theirs as horribly annoying and selfish neighbours with no respect for those around them.

I fell asleep despite their shouting, which apparently continued well past 2:30am. People in the block of flats next door were not so lucky. I found out yesterday that several calls to the police came from next door on Monday night.

I wonder what help that has. These people have had the cops pay them a visit a number of times and it doesn’t seem to change their behaviour. Also, the cops seem to have very little they can actually do in the long term. It’s not like 10 calls to the police get you locked up, or something. There is no permanent record and there’s no chance of them being evicted as long as they pay their rent and don’t destroy the place.

Reasoning has not worked. Requesting has not worked and it seems like dobbing has not worked.

Do I sound like an old and unreasonable grump who doesn’t want the young people to have some fun? Where is the line between being having allowing people to enjoy themselves while also having them respect your space?

I would have thought there was a common sense line but obviously I’m wrong.

Out every night this past week and every night I had a great time: Dinner at Pizza e Birra on Tuesday night with the wonderful Molly Holzschlag; Sleepers Almanac launch and a WSG evening on Wednesday; and then dinner at a little Japanese place I’ve wanted to try with Mr Richards (who often doesn’t see the same beauty I do).

Tuesday night was wonderful, not just because of the exceptional food at Pizza e Birra but having an overseas guest in town and subsequently the opportunity to talk about my wonderful city always works to reinvigorate my love for Melbourne. When we weren’t talking about web standards, I had to explain the whole St Kilda triangle debacle and talk about Melbourne’s history and it’s connection to Nick Cave. It forced me to think of all the wonderful times I’ve had seeing bands, hanging out at the triangle and how wonderful our pub culture used to be.

The conversation was mostly a lament and a cry against the property developers ruining our recent heritage but it did bring up a feeling that I sometimes take things for granted.

With this fresh in my mind, Wednesday night I ended up having the always delicious lasagne at Pellegrini’s. If you’re not from here, maybe you won’t understand, but Pellegrini’s is to Melbourne what the 2nd Avenue Deli was to New York. It’s a place you can go and have food the same way they’ve made it for 40 years. The people who make the coffee love to make coffee. They serve traditional granita. The menu hasn’t changed and neither have the people. Everyone comes to Pellegrini’s and to get a great sense of Melbourne it’s worth going in there at around 9pm, ordering your food and just listening to the conversations around you.

I was envigorated and Thursday night, when Ben and I came out of a very satisfying meal at Yamato we walked around the laneways and arcades witnessing all the Chinese New Year celebrations. We stood for a while in Lt Bourke St watching a display by two dancing lions who finished by throwing fruit into the crowd. I discovered a couple more restaurants to try and a museum or two hidden away somewhere that I need to get back to.

What I discovered, though, is that every time I think my home is being ruined by the greed of urban and suburban developers, I manage to find something new and wonderful to reinvigorate the joy and comfort I feel when just hanging out in my city.

I’m curious about the etiquette of becoming somebody’s friend on a web-based social network application.

Recently I met someone at a Melbourne function and we talked about our mutual friends. Realworld friends, not labelled on a web-based social network as friends, friend.

We had a lovely night chatting (read: dishing industry gossip) and then I thought the natural follow-up would be to “friend” her. The industry causes many problems with people forgetting other people’s names and, because I don’t sign anybody’s cheques or have my name in opening credits of anything, ever, I thought the facemail friending thing might be a good tool to avoid future embarrassment when I meet a breakfast radio host 3 months down the track.

But then, in the conversation we had, we discussed the facemail and she was telling me that she accidentally contacted somebody as a friend while merely trying to work out if it was the right person. Was she one of the protective types who kept her friends list to the people she actually knew?

And then, what if her friend list was one of the giant ones? There are people out there who collect hundreds if not thousands of names on their profile which makes the idea of being that person’s friend somewhat less special.

But then again, this wouldn’t be special, would it? It would just be a case of “I met you once at a party and then I’m stuck with your boring updates until the next web-based social networking fad comes along.” There is nothing special about being on a list of friends because that’s not actually friendship. It’s easy to forget that.

Maybe that’s where Linked-In has it so right. It’s just a list of people you know professionally. They don’t pretend to be your friend but they might try to use you one day. It’s open and honest. Maybe that’s also why Linked-In is quite unpopular by comparison.

And after all, isn’t popularity what it’s all about?