Ali MC

Battling The Financial Meltdown: The Rudd Response

Ali MC — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:50:00 GMT

here's no better time to travel than during a global financial meltdown. Price wars between airlines have led to plummeting ticket prices, and posh hotels are practically giving away their beds. Promotions on all kinds of products – ranging from hot chocolate to haute couture - make it possible for even unemployed bankers to get a taste of the good life. We asked our local bloggers to uncover the best deals, and to tell us about the simple and inexpensive pleasures that can always be found in their cities. With cheap tickets and insider advice, there's no reason why a shrinking economy should stop you from expanding your horizons.

Melbourne

Photo: Ali MC

"Money, money, money… root of all evil..." So sings reggae legend Horace Andy over the thump thump thump of deep reggae bass pulsating from my stereo. It’s dastardly hot, I can’t sleep and I’m hoping the vibrations of the music will keep the mosquitoes away.

Horace Andy might well be right. A global financial crisis is underway – nothing like this has been seen since the great depression, or so they say. Governments scramble to pass bailout packages through legislation and the list of unemployed grows longer each day. One can almost see the four horsemen of the apocalypse appear over the horizon, brandishing scythes of sudden death.

Kevin Rudd deliver the national apology to the Stolen Generations. Photo: Virginia Murdoch

Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is an odd fellow in more ways than one. A Labor politician, he speaks fluent Mandarin and claims to have been drunk on only two occasions. Needless to say, he is worlds away from previous Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who once held the world record in drinking a yard glass of beer.

As you would come to expect from a Mandarin-speaking teetotaller, Rudd’s policies can be equally baffling. In the midst of the flood of rising debt and one of the worst droughts on record, he has decided to issue almost every adult Australian with $950 cash.

Free. No strings attached. Just go and spend up big. Seems that Rudd, while grappling with the complexities of Mandarin, failed to grasp the elementaries of Mao.

Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I’m trying to save money to go travelling later this year, and 950 big ones would look good in my bank’s savings account, eventually to be spent in numerous Cuban bars and Jamaican dancehalls.

Photo: Rimi Khan

But for the time being, the belt tightening continues. So, in light of the strapped-for-cash world in which we have recently been plunged, I’m going to spend the next few months exploring Melbourne, looking for the best the city has to offer.

So stay tuned for information. Along the way, we’ll meet some of the quirky, funky locals who kick about this great city and get their tips on where to go and what to do.

And if living on the cheap gets all too hard, well, I’ll let you know how my $950 weekend of debauchery pans out.

Related recession posts:

Recession or not, New York is a bargain

Keep economic crisis out of your pockets

How to go on holiday for less than 150 euro

Getting happy at all hours - New York Stylee

Soviet fastfood with a view of Canal Grande

The world's 5 best hotel bargains

Crisis? What crisis?

Always look at the bright side of strife

Paris for recessionistas

Recession? Not for Istanbul's tourism industry

Sunday Soundsets At The Horn

Ali MC — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT

I’m at the bar, waiting for a drink. The chime above the door rings, disturbing the jazz grooves on the stereo and signalling a new arrival to the small, sun lit, front room. A young woman, well tanned and wearing a low cut top, enters and looks around curiously. I examine the new arrival curiously. She is considerably well tanned.

The young woman sizes up her new surrounds, as you often do when you find yourself in an unfamiliar establishment. The front bar, although well stocked, is rather small. She catches my eye and asks: “Is this all there is?”

I laugh and answer with a smile. “There’s way more to this place. Just head out the back.” It is the height of a hot Melbourne summer and unbeknownst to her, she has stumbled across one of the best Sunday sessions going – Sunday Soundsets at The Horn.

Set in Collingwood, The Horn is a restaurant, bar and live music venue rolled into one and baked at a high temperature. Specialising in Ethiopian cuisine and African beers, from Thursday to Sunday you can catch a host live bands and DJs; jazz, traditional African styles, hip hop, reggae and funk are the norm here.

But an afternoon visit to a Sunday Soundset is the perfect way to round off the weekend and stave off the working week for as long as possible. Entry is free, beers are cheap and the meals are very filling.

At 3pm it’s time for some laid back hip hop DJ styles and the first of a few cheap Ethiopian beers - $4 Dashens between 2 and 5pm. The back yard beer garden is relaxed and slowly fills up with people and empty beer bottles.

By 7pm, 9 piece band the Black Jesus Experience are fusing jazz, funk, hip hop and traditional Ethiopian sounds, a blend of music I once heard described as ‘jungle jazz’. I munch on a deliciously spicy Ethiopian vegetarian dish, accompanied by injera (a type of fermented bread), and sit back to savour this little slice of East Africa in the heart of urban Melbourne..

By 9pm, the sun has set, the air is sultry with the smell of ground coffee, berbere and frankincense. The dancefloor is full and it’s time for a splashalicious - the house cocktail, lovingly designed, shaken and poured by bar tender and vibesman Matty Fresh.

I spot the girl with the delicious tan down the front, getting down to a big bass sound and loving life. I take another sip of my drink and think about joining her.

THE HORN - THE AFRICAN MUSIC LOUNGE; 20 Johnston Street, Collingwood, 3066 Melbourne

Meet Enushu

Enushu part-owns the Horn with partner Peter and friend Matty Fresh. She also sings in the Ethiopian-jazz fusion group, the Black Jesus Experience. I caught up with her at a summery Sunday Soundset.

Enushu, where are you from and why did you move to Melbourne?

I’m from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. I moved here to have a better life and have now lived in Melbourne for 13 years.

What was the idea behind starting the Horn?

We’ve been open nearly two years, and the idea was to bring people together through music and food. It’s also nice to show Australian people Ethiopian food and culture.

What is the best thing about living in Melbourne?

The different people and cultures, which means different food and music.

Travel Without The Travel

Ali MC — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:17:00 GMT

This recession is causing travel prices to yo-yo, po-go and even go-go. Flight prices are up and down like the Wright brothers’ first flight and both Qantas and Virgin (Australia’s main carriers) are suspending certain routes.

I’m convinced billionaire Richard Branson sets low prices while he’s high and high prices while he’s low. Take one look at his new ‘V Australia’ launch party pics and I’m sure you’ll agree. Recently I booked a flight on the trans-Pacific from Sydney to L.A for AUS$1600 return. A week later that same flight was AUS$2400. Now it’s around the AUS$1200 mark. To be honest, I couldn’t really care less how much it costs as long as I’m served alcohol mid-flight by one of his blonde hangers ons.

Yes - flights from Australia to the United States are cheap. However, right now our currency is more dong than dollar, making travel in Europe, the UK or the US far too expensive for us Aussies. So I propose an alternative - travel without the travel.

Dragon Parade in Melbourne's Chinatown Photo: Avlxyz

If you are considering Australia as a holiday destination, or you’re an Australian looking for a unique cultural experience, Melbourne has numerous neighbourhoods in which you can escape. For a short while, you can imagine you are in Turkey, Vietnam, Africa or China. For Melbourne is a multi-cultural hub where people from all over the world have come to live – and the food, entertainment, shopping and nightlife has followed them here.

Sydney Road Photo: Nomad Tales

And it’s not that hard to find. Just last weekend I took the Number 19 tram up Sydney Road for a taste of the Middle East. In these northern suburbs – Brunswick, Moreland and Coburg – it is possible to find all manner of Middle Eastern cafes, bakeries, grocers, sweet shops, gift shops and butchers - even Islamic women’s wear.

The Middle Eastern influence in unmistakable, and reflects the cultural backgrounds of the people who live in the neighbourhood – even Big Sam’s Pizzas contain Halal meat. Shop signs are written in Arabic script and many of the locals sport traditional head-dresses. While young girls wear a headscarf, some women opt for wearing a full length black burqua.

First, I have breakfast at my favourite café. Tucked around a corner off Sydney Road, this establishment offers a Middle Eastern-influenced menu - Lebanese sausage in baked eggs, lamb Kofta on pide, and toast with Turkish jams. The food is unique and it all smells delicious, and there is a great atmosphere – rarely is this cafe empty.

But I have no idea what the place is called, so I can’t help you with directions. All I will tell you is – look for a cafe covered in graffiti. But this still doesn’t help, as most of Melbourne is covered in graffiti. Better for you to poke around and find your own favourite coffee nook.

After breakfast I head to one of the numerous bakeries and cafes for thick strong coffee coupled with a delicious sweet snack. It is also possible to sit down for a few leisurely tokes on a nargileh, wander through a fruit and vegetable market, or pause to admire some Islamic handicrafts.

However, my Middle Eastern daydream is interrupted when a turbaned fellow with a bushy moustache and dark swarthy skin greets me as I enter his café with the colloquial “G’day mate!”. For a short time, I had almost convinced myself I was somewhere else on the map of the world. But that ‘g’day’ reminds me I’m in Melbourne – so I’d better hurry home and put the cricket on.

--------------------

Meet Rimi

Do you think the recession has affected travel for Australians?

Not me! I'm splurging my savings on a Euro-Americano-Carribeo trip later this year and will deal with the consequences when I get back.

Do you often visit different neighbourhoods around the city?

Today I’m buying Turkish sweets up in Coburg. I think it’s great that there are so many different cultures near where I live.

What do you like best about living in Melbourne?

I like the public transport in Melbourne. It means I can live without a car. And it's been 2 years since I set foot inside a shopping mall!

Goin' Bush At The Golden Plains Festival

Ali MC — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Photo: Pareeerica

’Crikey, a bloody croc’s got me leg!’ Judging from Australia’s number one television export of recent years, you’d think that all Australians wear khaki shorts, live in the ‘outback’ and wrestle crocodiles as a national pastime.

I’m often surprised at the popularity of Steve Irwin overseas, where he is arguably the most well-known Australian. A couple of years ago I was on a bus in Transylvania – yes, Romania – when the girl sitting next to me asked me where I was from. Upon answering her, she said "I’m sorry to hear that Steve Irwin died." I didn’t know he had died – apparently it was only a couple of days beforehand. Curious, I asked, "How did he die?"

"A stingray stung him."

‘Oh.’ I thought about that for a minute. I was quite surprised. I figured all along he’d eventually get bit by a snake, or mauled by a crocodile. But a stingray?

"Crikey." What else could you say?

But the majority of Australians live far from the bush, deep in sterile suburbia. I hate to say it, but ‘Neighbours’ more closely resembles the average Aussie lifestyle than the ‘Crocodile Hunter’. However, Aussies still have a time honoured love – and recently, a deep respect – of the bush.

Twice a year, hordes of Melbournians pack up their 2 door, 4 cylinder hatchbacks and drive a couple of hours to a farm just outside the small town of Meredith. It is here that the Meredith Music and Golden Plains festivals are held.

City kids struggle with tents and sleeping bags are dusted off for 3 days of music, ranging from rock, country and western, folk, reggae and funk. You might even see puppets playing swirling Hammond organs or perhaps join a Tennessee ho-down.

But whatever the music, it is the venue that sets the scene. Dubbed the ‘Supernatural Amphitheatre’, the stage is set in a natural hollow in the bush. At night, when the sun is setting, the vibes can be fantastic – as long as it isn’t raining.

Yes, believe it or not, it isn’t always sunny in Australia, especially in Victoria where the Crowded House song title Four Seasons in One Day rings true. But last weekend we were blessed with mild weather, and although it got bitterly cold at night, the sun shone for most of the time.

As well as the unique setting and the great music, Golden Plains festival is a favourite for punters due to its Bring Your Own alcohol policy (as long as it’s not in glass). For those readers in Europe, that may not seem such a big deal – I’ve seen the keg mountains at Chiemsee – but in Australia this is quite an anomaly to the usual inflated-price substandard drinks deals one can barely tolerate at summer festivals.

There are many festivals in Australia every summer, so if you happen to be ‘downunder’ at that time, then ‘strewth, get your bloody arse to a piss up.’

Meet Jimi

What brings you back to the Golden Plains Festival every year?

My girlfriends’ car and a really great line up of bands. It's the last of the summer festivals and easily the best so I don't miss it.

Do you think that Melbourne has a unique music and arts scene?

Yeah probably, I haven't travelled all that much and I've always lived in the city so it's hard to know how unique the music and arts scene is but there's not really a time throughout the year when it dies down and that's something I appreciate a lot

Jimi, how much have you had to drink at the festival so far?

Well I brought down enough to kill a horse and most of that is gone now, there is about 12 hours of music left so ask me again later on and I'll show you my special golden moves.

Go further: Find out about Meg's favourite music venues in Paris here and here and where in Prague Jason goes and listens to Czech art-rock here.

Pre-modernism; Post-modernism And Pissed-modernism: John Brack's 'at The Bar'

Ali MC — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:11:00 GMT

Photo: Route79

Have you ever taken your lunchbreak, sat on a park bench on a clear, still day, with only the faint hum of traffic for company, and asked yourself: "What is Art?" I thought not. Who has the time? I don’t know about you, but my lunchbreak is only half an hour, and people have been trying to answer this question for centuries.

Leo Tolstoy, the great novelist, claimed in his 1896 treatise ‘What is Art’: "Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation of some mysterious idea of beauty or God; it is not, as the aesthetical physiologists say, a game in which man lets off his excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression of man's emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing objects; and, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress toward well-being of individuals and of humanity."

Phew! Next time I see some crappy tag in the train station I’ll think again!

Federation Square Photo: Lonelytraveller_76

But seriously, someone really should have asked the question – "What is Art?" – before building Federation Square. Set in the heart of Melbourne, this spasm of post-modernism is juxtaposed proudly against the elegant, gold-rush era Flinder’s Street Station. But to be honest, it’s neither federated OR square and looks like an autistic child’s Lego set.

Flinder's Street Station Photo: USAFA87

However, the National Gallery of Victoria’s Australian Art campus is set inside the bowels of this Dali-esque marvel and it is here one can find real, genuine works of art – such as the newly acquired, 3.2 million dollar masterpiece 'At The Bar'.

'At the Bar' Photo: Ali MC

'At the Bar' was painted by artist John Brack and the gallery recently purchased it to accompany its companion painting, 'Collins St, 5pm'. Both works depict common scenes of daily life in Melbourne. 'At the Bar' depicts the ‘6 o’clock swill’, the rush of recently knocked-off workers for last drinks before the bar closes up. (Don’t be alarmed at the early closing time of the pub – the painting was done in 1954, and Melbourne bars stay open much later these days!).

'Collins St, 5pm' Photo: Ali MC

'Collins St, 5pm' depicts grey-and-black clad office workers traipsing towards the trains and trams that will take them home to the sprawling suburbs on a gusty grey autumn evening in 1955 – a scene not too unfamiliar in 2009.

John Brack is but one of many fantastic Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists one can see at the NGV Australia gallery. Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, Rover Thomas, Tom Roberts and John Glover are all displayed here, in a fine art collection that rivals any overseas offering.

Photo: Ali MC

So next time you want to ask yourself "What is Art", ask yourself "What is Australian Art", and take a trip to Federation Square. Here you will find the answer in the NGV Australia gallery, and best of all, it’s free. But if you want to, by all means, please make a donation - this gallery has a 3.2 million dollar painting to pay off. And as for Federation Square, I’ll merely quote Banksy: "Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a fucking sharp knife to it."

FEDERATION SQUARE; Corner Swanston & Flinders Streets, Melbourne

Meet Joanna (NGV Information Officer)

What do you think of NGV spending 3.2 million dollars in the midst of the Global Financial Crisis?

They’ve actually borrowed the money and they’re hoping to raise the rest through donations. But overall, it’s a good thing because good art is nourishing to people.

Do you think the term ‘Australian Art’ is typified by Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal Art (or both)?

Both, because they are both made in Australia. Anyone who makes art that in some way has a connection to Australia can call their art Australian.

Do you think Melbourne is a city of opportunity for artists?

For sure. The lifestyle is still pretty cheap. Mostly when you do art, you do it in your own time, so you need to be able to afford to spend time doing it – and not working.

Huzzah! Football Season Has Come At Last

Ali MC — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:55:00 GMT

Photo: Mugley

There’s a change in the air here in Melbourne. Leaves are turning red, orange and gold… the sun is setting sooner… the wind has a certain chill to it… people seem more drunk… definitely more drunk… what can it be? Of course…! Huzzah! Football season has come at last!

If you happen to be in Melbourne during footy season (March to September), you cannot escape it. The coaches and players are splashed all over the media, punters sport coloured team scarves and the pubs are packed for pre- and post-game parties.

Sound familiar? Of course. You see it in your own home town, from London to Liberia, Budapest to Bogota. But there’s a slight difference here.

Photo: Mugley

In most other parts of the world, the term ‘football’ refers to a round ball game. A game comprising exquisite skill, meticulous footwork and a certain amount of flair. In Australia, football refers to Australian Rules Football, a game played with an oval ball on a large oval field with four posts at each end. A game comprising equally exquisite skills yet a certain amount of savagery (and perhaps stupidity).

In Australia, the round ball game that attracts billions of viewers and is played worldwide is known disparagingly as ‘soccer’. To the average Australian, soccer is characterised by big money, endlessly boring matches, nil-all draws and most excruciatingly, the hideous practice of ‘diving’ (see the 90th minute of the 2006 World Cup match between Australia and Italy and you will understand our distaste).

Photo: Irene

Yes, I have been told all about the fantastic atmosphere at soccer games - the singing, the chanting, the (sometimes violent!) passion in the terraces. But with all the kicking, jumping, marking, handballing, bouncing, tackling and shirt fronting on display in Aussie Rules, there’s no time for all that other stuff. There’s barely enough time to get your beers.

Aussie Rules (also known as AFL) is played throughout the country, by rough and ready kids in the suburbs, sheep farmers in the bush, and barefoot Aboriginal kids in the desert. In fact, football features a large number of incredibly talented indigenous players who possess skills that could have only been forged during the dreaming.

Melbourne, although not the capital of Australia, is definitely the capital of footy. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is the spiritual home of football, a world-class sport’s stadium which holds at its capacity in excess of 100,000 fans.

Photo: JamesDPhotography

Generally speaking, you can just show up at the MCG (or many of the other stadiums around the country in which footy is played) and buy yourself a ticket for a match. But there are some big games which you may like to book ahead on the internet a couple of weeks in advance, such as a semi-final, the ANZAC day match, which honours all the Australians who have died in war, or the Dreamtime at the ‘G’ match, which acknowledges all Indigenous people and players. Of course, you’ve got to be in quick if you want to go to the Grand Final – the play off for the number one team – which is held on the last day of September.

If you can’t get to a game, you can certainly watch the footy and join in the spirit (and drinking) at many pubs around Melbourne with a big screen TV. My local pub, The Brunswick East, shows most matches live-to-air, which is handy for me, as I don’t have Foxtel at home (nor do I have a bar).

I hope that the below video will convince you about how fantastic Australian footy really is:

Meet Brad

What is your country and which footy team do you support?

I am a Gunditjmara man and support the Fitzroy/ Brisbane Lions. I also play for the Fitzroy Stars footy team.

What makes Australian Rules Football so special?

It’s a great team sport and requires different skills to play, such as ball handling skills, plus you also need to be a quick thinker.

Why are Indigenous players so talented at the game? [Note: The percentage of Aboriginal players in the AFL is far higher than their percentage of population].

Aboriginal players are highly skilled at AFL because of their genealogy. We used to be hunters and gatherers, so of course you’d have to be quick on your feet to catch a kangaroo. Also, Aboriginal people have found that when they are good at footy, they become more accepted in the community, it breaks down racism.

So You Think You Can Dance(hall)

Ali MC — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:45:00 GMT

April 29 is the International Dance Day. At Momondo we totally support a day dedicated to dancing and we've decided to celebrate the day too. Therefore we’ve asked our city bloggers to come up with their favourite spots to go and dance or watch others do it. So put on your boogie shoes and let our bloggers guide you through the best dance spots in cities across the world.

Let's dance #4: Melbourne

We’ve all seen the show ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, and yes, thank you very much, I do think I can dance, especially after a few too many drinks. And there was plenty of that last night, at the monthly dancehall gig called ‘Pressure Drop’. Held upstairs at The Laundry, in Fitzroy, Pressure Drop gets going on the last Saturday of every month.

And ‘get going’ it certainly does, with the offer of free beer between 10 and 11pm. Yes, that’s right – free beer at the bar for all the early birds. So by the time midnight rocks around, pretty much everyone in the club thinks they can dance, and why wouldn’t you, with the quality reggae and dancehall DJs who feature regularly at this event spinning the latest hits direct from Jamaica and all your classic favourites.

Dancehall evolved from decades of Jamaican music: mento, ska, rocksteady, roots reggae and dub. At first, a ‘dancehall’ was simply a sound system in a yard that people would dance to, whatever the style of music. But by the early 80’s the term defined a new form of Jamaican music which reflected the change in taste and technology.

Crack cocaine and Casio keyboards supplanted stoned dub and puritanical Rasta roots for a far racier, sexually charged boom boom crack! Today’s better-known exponents of dancehall include Sean Paul, Capleton, Sizzla and Beenie Man, artists you will hear on soundsystems worldwide.

Pressure Drop usually hits its peak between midnight and 1am, with the dancefloor kicking in every direction. It’s not a huge space, and can get very hot, but of course, that’s the way everyone likes it, especially on a cold Melbourne winter’s night.

And if once a month is not enough dancehall for you, you can head back to The Laundry every Thursday to get your fix, although being a weeknight it is a little quieter (and there’s no free beer). But it is free entry (Pressure Drop being AUS$10 and if you’re travelling, well then, it being a weeknight should make no difference to you. Laundry is open seven days and hosts a variety of gigs throughout the week, including hip hop, dubstep, jungle and drum n bass, so just check local street press to see what’s on.

Other regular dancehall events include 'More Fire' (second Saturday of every month at Miss Libertine) and 'I Love Dancehall' (on random, but regular nights at First Floor in Fitzroy). For other reggae and dancehall gigs around Australia, hit ozreggae.com

So if you are in Melbourne at one of these events, and you see a bloke on the dancefloor who obviously thinks he can dance (but clearly can’t), come up and say "g’day".

Meet Bernie

What do you like about dancehall music?

The songs are playful, fun and sexy too. The beat is impossible not to dance to: it gets everyone up on the dance floor.

Have you mastered the style of Jamaican dancehall dancing yet?

Everyone can dance to dancehall but there’s so many cool, sexy or even goofy moves being made up all the time. At dancehall nights people really let loose so there’s plenty to watch and learn!

What do you like best about Pressure Drop?

I love Pressure Drop because in one night it squeezes in lots of different DJs, MCs and vocalists. There’s always heaps of different people from around the world and they’re all there to smile, dance and party!

Go further:

Let's dance #1: Moving and shaking with Cairo's own
Let's dance #2: Swinging New York: Fancy a shag?
Let's Dance #3: Dancing down the Spree
Let's Dance #5: Dancing 'til dawn on the booze cruise
Let's dance #6: London's retro dance explosion

Let's Go Shopping: Queen Victoria Markets

Ali MC — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:20:00 GMT

I enjoy scrounging about in markets and bought some interesting trinkets in my time: Nazi-era coins in former East Berlin; a dead GI’s dogtag in Vietnam; a Hezbollah flag in Southern Lebanon; a neat leather passport holder in Burundi with a map of Africa engraved into it (if anyone ever sees one again, please contact me as I lost mine in Thailand and would dearly like another!).

To be frank, you’ll find none of the above listed items at the Queen Victoria Market. But what you will find is an abundance of delicious, colourful fresh produce, hordes of hungry shoppers, baritone voiced butchers calling out low priced cuts of meat, belting buskers both good and bad and the chance to rub shoulders with the occasional Melbourne socialite (or trip over them, as I did one Sigrid Thornton).

Here you can sample all manner of fresh fruit and vegetables, red meat, poultry, pork and seafood, pastas, cheeses, sausages, dips, wines, organics, coffee… all at very reasonable prices. Melbourne has a plethora of fantastic restaurants and I thoroughly encourage you to sample as many as possible. Many restaurant owners shop at the Victoria Market, including the guys from The Horn because of the high quality and daily freshness afforded.

The outdoor section of the market contains a range of clothing, hats, jewellery, arts and crafts and Australiana. Personally, I would shy away from any ‘Aboriginal’ artefacts sold here (didgeridoos especially) as they are mostly made in Asia. Better for you to find a local Koori community member or co-operative to purchase the ‘real deal’ from. But if stuffed kangaroos are your thing, then go right ahead, although I do also recommend a well-cooked kanga steak.

The Vic Market is open on Tuesday and Thursday (6am – 2pm), Friday (6am – 5pm), Saturday (6am – 3pm) and Sunday (9am – 4pm). During the summer there is a night market on Wednesdays which starts around 5pm and finishes around 10pm, and features live entertainment, market food and wine tasting.

The Queen Victoria Market is easy to get to – simply jump on the number 19, 57 or 59 tram up Elizabeth Street and hop off once you see the market near the top of the hill just north of the city centre. It is not hard to miss - most of the passengers will also get off. The tram driver may call out the stop name (Queen Victoria Market) but you’ll often be hard pressed to understand anything tram drivers say through their heavy accent and crackly intercom. Best just to keep an eye out the window and your nose ready to smell fresh coffee.

QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET; corner of Queen and Elizabeth Street; Melbourne CBD.

Koorie Culture in the Heart of Melbourne

Ali MC — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:01:00 GMT

Photo: Roel1943---pauze

Australian popular film, television and media would often have you believe that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people only exist in the desert, remote communities or in what’s known as the ‘top end’. However, Aboriginal have lived, and continue to live, in all parts of Australia, including urban centres such as Sydney and Melbourne.

In fact, prior to British arrival in Australia in 1788, there are believed to have been between 300 and 500 different Aboriginal ‘nations’ living on the continent. Much like Europeans, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are very different from each other, as are their cultures, languages, histories and heritage.

Melbourne is no exception. A high population of Aboriginal people live in and around Melbourne and the cultures associated with the different ‘mobs’ (tribal or language groups) from around Victoria are on display and can be experienced in many places. Aboriginal people from Melbourne (and Victoria and New South Wales in general) often refer to themselves as ‘Koories’ to distinguish themselves from the many other Aboriginal groups in Australia.

Here are some of the cultural centres in which you can learn about Aboriginal people from Victoria:

Spring into Spring And Do The Melbourne Thing

Ali MC — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:58:00 GMT

Photo: Huntz

While the northern hemisphere slows down, sleeps a little longer and watches the sun sink lower into the sky (or disappear altogether), we who reside in one of the last outposts before Antarctica welcome the rising sun with the anticipation of cold blooded geckos. Well, most people that is. Others (like me) return to Melbourne with glowing suntans after 10 weeks in the Caribbean, having played truant to another miserable winter. Looks like I’ve arrived back at a very good time of the year as there are many exciting festivals and events in the lead up to summer.

Making the Most of a Melbourne Meltdown

Ali MC — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:37:00 GMT

Photo: Dr Snafu

Authors Rimi Khan and Ali MC

While those of you in the northern hemisphere are watching the sun go down at 4pm, shivering and stumbling around in the dark as the streets get covered over with ice, the rest of us are basking in sunshine. Melbourne summers don’t last long, so better make the most of the long, lazy days and get outdoors.