Househunting at the moment, kinda fun except we've left it to the last possible moment and each ten-minute inspection is overrun by forty-plus people, all divvied up into little groups eyeing each other suspiciously and wishing each other luck in fake voices. It's funny what difference a name makes; step across the line from North Carlton into Brunswick and the price drops by 75-100 bucks a week. Hey, I'm happy to bear that label if it means a little extra money in my pocket. One thing that's got me curious is the process of applying; all it is is a simple little form. Name, address, what you are studying, employment, referees. There's no space for creative pleading or selling yourself - that's left up to your bank balance, prior rental experiences and personal referees. The real estate is god, and his/her choices are final. We know who holds the power and we bow and scrape and make snippy comments once we leave.

The downside of Brunswick is that it was colonized midway through last century by an influx of Greeks and Italians who, for some reason, have an inherent distrust of grass and concreted their backyards mercilessly. The places we've seen in Brunswick have been smothered in the stuff, and the Greeks/Italians have long since got rich after decades of hard work and moved to Templestowe, a suburb which believes in grass and sometimes even trees.