MelBlog Part 1 – The first few steps…
There’s just so much to be written about Melbourne, I just don’t know where to begin. But having decided to clean out the cobwebs that have so far accumulated on my blog, and also enlighten the world on my Australian odyssey (at Arjun’s constant insistence), I suppose I’ll have to write these MelBlogs in different chapters of experience.
I arrived in Melbourne on the night of 7th February, 2008 after a 14 hour journey from New Delhi carrying along with my luggage a bad stomach thanks to despicable airline food. To add to this, I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol throughout the journey (Refer bad stomach). All those who know me can imagine only very well imagine the havoc this experience must have wrecked on me. And the jetlag was still yet to set in…
Perhaps I may exaggerate, but people who have experienced jetlag know all to well that it can be compared psychologically, if not physically, to prison camp torture. Your mind and body, in a joint venture, play all sorts of tricks on you. Mine started with hunger at unreasonable hours of the night. And as if by magic, the hunger used to cease during standard mealtimes. This ridiculous pattern was repeated for at least five days to a week.
Another factor of jetlag is that you become completely distant from your surrounding environment and at times the exhaustion can leave you verbally incomprehensive, to the extent that you may not even answer the simplest questions properly. On my second day here, a lady on the bus asked me the time to which I confidently replied, “I’m very well. Thank you” and flashed her all 32 of my pearly whites. I can hardly describe the reaction on her face. She probably thought me to be Melbourne’s original village idiot, but bless her; she just curtly smiled at me and turned to look outside the window at the passing vista.
And don’t even get me started on sleep. For the first week I resembled someone who suffered from narcolepsy. I felt (and looked) like a zombie from a Hollywood comedy-horror movie. I have no doubt that Spielberg or Night Shyamalan would have signed me up for their latest production in a second. At the risk of sounding ridiculous, perhaps even Stephen King would have seen a best seller in that one week of my life.
My own mishaps aside, Melbourne has an abundance to offer the constant traveller. As soon as I exited the Tullamarine airport, I was greeted by a fresh breeze which was rather invigorating. The second greeting came to me in the form of a Punjabi cab driver. It was almost expected, I suppose. I mean, in which corner of the world do you not expect to find a Punjabi cab driver? Not a very good day for Indian stereotypes.
But I loved this city from the moment I took my first steps into it.
Many writers, far more fluent with the English language, have over the years penned many a beautiful word to describe the city that is Melbourne. I’m not going to go into that. I personally would sum it up in one word – DELIGHTFUL. It is quite a welcoming city… and the people even more welcoming so. Every Aussie I have come across in my time here, on knowing that I recently arrived has with a firm handshake shouted an extremely happy “Welcome,” only to be followed by a hearty “Good on ya.”
Aussies are quite a jovial bunch, rather helpful and they always have a cheerful hello for you. And they seem to be quite strict on time. They strictly believe in shutting down work at 5 everyday. It’s not that they’re lazy or laidback, but they do like to live life at a leisurely pace. And they love their beer… A few people have told me that most Aussies spend the former half of the week talking about what they did the previous weekend, and the latter half about what they’re going to do the coming weekend. I can’t ascertain to what extent this is true. All jokes aside, they do seem to work quite hard.
On the rather sad topic of shutting down early, not most places of general interest in the city are open beyond 8 either. But if it’s nightlife you’re looking for, there’s an abundance of that, and shall be covered in another MelBlog.
Contrary to what I heard back in India, I am still yet to come across one Aussie saying something racist to me. Personally, it has been quite the opposite. They may not make friends with you immediately, but over a period of time, they warm up to you. But experiences do differ. I actually know a few people who have seen the uglier side of racial commentary and abuse. Perhaps the difference in cultures is what does the damage. And not all people are the same.
But that’s just the thing about Melbourne. It’s a melting pot of cultures. It embraces the modern whilst still retaining the traditional. All you have to look around and you will see people from all over the world who are here to work, study or just simply holiday. To me, it just seems like the perfect place for anyone – there’s just so much to see and do here. At every nook and cranny of the city, there’s a story just waiting to be told. You only have to explore it with a certain sense of curiosity, patience and adventure. And I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Another thing I love about this city is that the sun sets at only around 9 pm in summers. It just gives you so much more time to do things. And the constellations are upside down here (I didn’t know that). But fellow travellers beware; this city can throw at you extreme climates all in the same day, and sometimes in the same hour. It can suddenly go from a bright sunshine to heavy rains, from a light pleasant breeze to exceptionally windy.
But there’s always still so much to do.
At the recommendation of a friend, I headed to Gaslight, a night market that is held every Wednesday at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market until the end of summer. I took the train to Flinders Street Station and decided to just walk it up from there. Now, not many people know this, but Flinders Street Station was originally supposed to be Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) (formerly Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai and vice-versa. But due to slight human error, the plans got exchanged. And thank God for that. Flinders Street Station is one ugly beast of a building. I suppose the old adage, to err is human and to forgive divine, is rather conveniently apt here.
The Queen Victoria Market is situated on the north-western part of Melbourne’s central business area. It was officially opened on 20th March 1878 and has over time grown to be classified as a Historic Building, being such an integral part of the city’s social-economic history. But to me, the market seemed like organized chaos painted in an enchanting manner on a bohemian canvas. A good part of the market is taken up by stalls with various traders peddling their wares in a unique manner that is extremely educational to any étudient de la vie (student of life). There are various things to choose from; from clothing items to fashion accessories, herbal remedies to on-the-spot massages, from Australian artefacts to Japanese kimonos, and lots more. And one whole row is taken up by the food courts. Here, you’ll find food from all across the world, quite reasonable on the pocket and a treat for the taste buds. To add more colour to the panorama, there are live bands playing on different sides of the market and people dancing to the music sans inhibitions.
You’ll always find a charming crowd at the market; simply exploring the market in search of a good bargain, or catching up with their friends or family over beer, wine and grub from the food courts. But it’s so big that you’ll need at least to come three or four times to explore it to the fullest.
The Queen Victoria Market itself is open on all days except Monday, and it’s a treat for any visitor. I give it four out of five on the MelScale. It’s a great experience just to be there, and take in all the energy around you.
Another thing that gives Melbourne life is the street performers. You’ll find them all around the city. From tap dancing to interesting styles of music, from playing chess on the street to street painting, you’ll find it all here. People here also believe in celebrating the most curious of things. Last weekend, around 200 people got together to celebrate Pillow Fight Day. The amount of energy was resplendent, and the fun magnanimous. I only wish I had carried my own pillow to the city that day.
So this is what I’ve been up to so far. Having to give a certain amount of time to university and studies has left quite a few places on my itinerary yet to be visited. But I promise if the response to this is MelBlog is good, I will bring to you many more such interesting places, photographs and anecdotes, more than you will ever get on Lonely Planet.
In the true spirit of an Aussie signoff, have a good one…
There’s just so much to be written about Melbourne, I just don’t know where to begin. But having decided to clean out the cobwebs that have so far accumulated on my blog, and also enlighten the world on my Australian odyssey (at Arjun’s constant insistence), I suppose I’ll have to write these MelBlogs in different chapters of experience.
I arrived in Melbourne on the night of 7th February, 2008 after a 14 hour journey from New Delhi carrying along with my luggage a bad stomach thanks to despicable airline food. To add to this, I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol throughout the journey (Refer bad stomach). All those who know me can imagine only very well imagine the havoc this experience must have wrecked on me. And the jetlag was still yet to set in…
Perhaps I may exaggerate, but people who have experienced jetlag know all to well that it can be compared psychologically, if not physically, to prison camp torture. Your mind and body, in a joint venture, play all sorts of tricks on you. Mine started with hunger at unreasonable hours of the night. And as if by magic, the hunger used to cease during standard mealtimes. This ridiculous pattern was repeated for at least five days to a week.
Another factor of jetlag is that you become completely distant from your surrounding environment and at times the exhaustion can leave you verbally incomprehensive, to the extent that you may not even answer the simplest questions properly. On my second day here, a lady on the bus asked me the time to which I confidently replied, “I’m very well. Thank you” and flashed her all 32 of my pearly whites. I can hardly describe the reaction on her face. She probably thought me to be Melbourne’s original village idiot, but bless her; she just curtly smiled at me and turned to look outside the window at the passing vista.
And don’t even get me started on sleep. For the first week I resembled someone who suffered from narcolepsy. I felt (and looked) like a zombie from a Hollywood comedy-horror movie. I have no doubt that Spielberg or Night Shyamalan would have signed me up for their latest production in a second. At the risk of sounding ridiculous, perhaps even Stephen King would have seen a best seller in that one week of my life.
My own mishaps aside, Melbourne has an abundance to offer the constant traveller. As soon as I exited the Tullamarine airport, I was greeted by a fresh breeze which was rather invigorating. The second greeting came to me in the form of a Punjabi cab driver. It was almost expected, I suppose. I mean, in which corner of the world do you not expect to find a Punjabi cab driver? Not a very good day for Indian stereotypes.
But I loved this city from the moment I took my first steps into it.
Many writers, far more fluent with the English language, have over the years penned many a beautiful word to describe the city that is Melbourne. I’m not going to go into that. I personally would sum it up in one word – DELIGHTFUL. It is quite a welcoming city… and the people even more welcoming so. Every Aussie I have come across in my time here, on knowing that I recently arrived has with a firm handshake shouted an extremely happy “Welcome,” only to be followed by a hearty “Good on ya.”
Aussies are quite a jovial bunch, rather helpful and they always have a cheerful hello for you. And they seem to be quite strict on time. They strictly believe in shutting down work at 5 everyday. It’s not that they’re lazy or laidback, but they do like to live life at a leisurely pace. And they love their beer… A few people have told me that most Aussies spend the former half of the week talking about what they did the previous weekend, and the latter half about what they’re going to do the coming weekend. I can’t ascertain to what extent this is true. All jokes aside, they do seem to work quite hard.
On the rather sad topic of shutting down early, not most places of general interest in the city are open beyond 8 either. But if it’s nightlife you’re looking for, there’s an abundance of that, and shall be covered in another MelBlog.
Contrary to what I heard back in India, I am still yet to come across one Aussie saying something racist to me. Personally, it has been quite the opposite. They may not make friends with you immediately, but over a period of time, they warm up to you. But experiences do differ. I actually know a few people who have seen the uglier side of racial commentary and abuse. Perhaps the difference in cultures is what does the damage. And not all people are the same.
But that’s just the thing about Melbourne. It’s a melting pot of cultures. It embraces the modern whilst still retaining the traditional. All you have to look around and you will see people from all over the world who are here to work, study or just simply holiday. To me, it just seems like the perfect place for anyone – there’s just so much to see and do here. At every nook and cranny of the city, there’s a story just waiting to be told. You only have to explore it with a certain sense of curiosity, patience and adventure. And I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Another thing I love about this city is that the sun sets at only around 9 pm in summers. It just gives you so much more time to do things. And the constellations are upside down here (I didn’t know that). But fellow travellers beware; this city can throw at you extreme climates all in the same day, and sometimes in the same hour. It can suddenly go from a bright sunshine to heavy rains, from a light pleasant breeze to exceptionally windy.
But there’s always still so much to do.
At the recommendation of a friend, I headed to Gaslight, a night market that is held every Wednesday at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market until the end of summer. I took the train to Flinders Street Station and decided to just walk it up from there. Now, not many people know this, but Flinders Street Station was originally supposed to be Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) (formerly Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai and vice-versa. But due to slight human error, the plans got exchanged. And thank God for that. Flinders Street Station is one ugly beast of a building. I suppose the old adage, to err is human and to forgive divine, is rather conveniently apt here.
The Queen Victoria Market is situated on the north-western part of Melbourne’s central business area. It was officially opened on 20th March 1878 and has over time grown to be classified as a Historic Building, being such an integral part of the city’s social-economic history. But to me, the market seemed like organized chaos painted in an enchanting manner on a bohemian canvas. A good part of the market is taken up by stalls with various traders peddling their wares in a unique manner that is extremely educational to any étudient de la vie (student of life). There are various things to choose from; from clothing items to fashion accessories, herbal remedies to on-the-spot massages, from Australian artefacts to Japanese kimonos, and lots more. And one whole row is taken up by the food courts. Here, you’ll find food from all across the world, quite reasonable on the pocket and a treat for the taste buds. To add more colour to the panorama, there are live bands playing on different sides of the market and people dancing to the music sans inhibitions.
You’ll always find a charming crowd at the market; simply exploring the market in search of a good bargain, or catching up with their friends or family over beer, wine and grub from the food courts. But it’s so big that you’ll need at least to come three or four times to explore it to the fullest.
The Queen Victoria Market itself is open on all days except Monday, and it’s a treat for any visitor. I give it four out of five on the MelScale. It’s a great experience just to be there, and take in all the energy around you.
Another thing that gives Melbourne life is the street performers. You’ll find them all around the city. From tap dancing to interesting styles of music, from playing chess on the street to street painting, you’ll find it all here. People here also believe in celebrating the most curious of things. Last weekend, around 200 people got together to celebrate Pillow Fight Day. The amount of energy was resplendent, and the fun magnanimous. I only wish I had carried my own pillow to the city that day.
So this is what I’ve been up to so far. Having to give a certain amount of time to university and studies has left quite a few places on my itinerary yet to be visited. But I promise if the response to this is MelBlog is good, I will bring to you many more such interesting places, photographs and anecdotes, more than you will ever get on Lonely Planet.
In the true spirit of an Aussie signoff, have a good one…
To view photos of my Australian misadventures click on the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/shyamnair11/THECONSTANTTRAVELLERMelbournePart1
1 comment:
bows down to u my brother...
good on ya!!
firsty i dint know you have a blog, so i will read the rest.
secondly u write even better than i knew... and make ureself to be way betetr than u r (oops did i say that loud!) ...
ok shushhhh! let that remain our secret!!
but honestly, a great write....and a good laugh... and im impressed at the details u missed out in victoria market, which involved i think most of your brain and half your time---the girl ? :P
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