I'm with your filthy lacking-in-true-Christmas-spirit Australian friends in that I've never had a "real" tree, either! And I can't say I know many people who do. Don't mistake that for lacking in Christmas spirit, though. It's just *different* here, not necessarily less. My family are from the UK and whilst I have spent a couple of Christmases in the northern hemisphere with them.. it doesn't do it for me, personally. Whilst the popular media-driven and romanticised image of Christmas might include snow and ice and snowmen, etc, I actually really LIKE that it's summer here for the festive season, so perfect for outside dining, rooftop bars for Christmas parties, seafood and salad, outside sports and picnics and sunshine under which to try out new toys ;) I do also appreciate that Christmas in July is a thing, though, if only for the fact that 2 x Christmas can only be a good thing!

Also, I think it's important to make a distinction between regional Victorian "spicy" versus Melbourne "spicy". Country areas are much more white-washed and not nearly as adventurous, whereas the cultural diversity of the big smoke means that generally a dish marked "spicy" in the city is probably going to actually BE spicy!

There is something particularly lovely and atmospheric about fog and trees <3