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Enthralling Melbourne !

Author : vasu Blog :smaran Date: 9/7/2012 9:21:00 AM

As I read about Melbourne ,Australia,I find it very familiar.And then it struck me ! It is so much like Mumbai. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra,Melbourne is the capital of Victoria.Inhabitants of Melbourne are Melburnians or Melbournians -the residents of Mumbai are Mumbaikars.Mumbai is a port city with the busiest port in India .Similarly ,Melbourne port is the busiest port in Australia.Melbourne has a river Yarra & Mumbai has its own river Mithi -never mind, it is hardly a trickle now ! Melbourne has an extensive network of rail & road transport just like Mumbai, where the local trains & BEST transport make up the lifeline of Mumbai.

Very soon Mumbai is going to get its Metro & mono rail.A metro for Melbourne is underway & will soon see the light of the day ! Trams were a sight in Mumbai many years ago & trams are a very visible mode of transport in Melbourne even today.I feel, trams give a bygone era look to the city of Melbourne.It is as if, two time zones are existing at the same time ! I will definitely want to travel in the trams & savour the feeling of an era gone by !

British,Chinese,Vietnamese,Indians,SriLankans,Malays,Muslims,Christains,Hindus all have made Melbourne their home .Mumbai is cosmpolitan as it is teeming with North Indians,South Indains,Maharastrians,Gujratis,Bengalis,Sindhis,Christain,Sikhs,Hindus,Muslims, etal.So,a Melbourne visit, will be like a bird’s eye view of diverse cultures at one point -Melbourne.Melbourne is a centre of many international cuisines as the numerous settled communities have their own food culture which they have showcased in the cafes which line the streets of Melbourne .Being a foodie,I think I would get a wonderful opportunity to sample various cuisines.My daughter is a big fan of MasterChef Australia & she is eagerly awaiting a visit to Australia.

We can smell roses actually & not just literally, at Werribee Mansion & that too a mind boggling 5000 varieties ! One can visit the Werribee Open Range zoo vide a safari trip to see Zebras,Griaffes ,etal as they roam freely on the expansive grounds .I would amazingly watch koalas & kangaroos at the Healsvillie Sanctuary, as I have never seen either the koalas or the kangaroos till now !

I would collect memorabalia at the famed Queen Victoria market & savour fresh diary produce there ! A lifetime experience would be the one, at Victoria's oldest prison, which housed dangerous criminals in days gone by .I am sure ,the wonders of Melbourne would keep me enthralled throughout !

Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia.Similarly Mumbai has a a diverse culture - Bollywood being the most visible sign.There are theatre groups -the Marathi theatre,English ,Hindi as also Gujarati.Even advertisements & television serials are shot extensively in Mumbai .Dance & music recitals are also very much a part of Mumbai's cultural scene.Televison in Australia started with Melbourne.Melbourne houses many centres for music & theatre.Melbourne celebrates many festivals just like Mumbai -all thanks to its cosmoplitan population which makes for vibrancy ! All in all,both Mumbai & Melbourne are very happening cities ! So, no dull moments in Melbourne.The city of Melbourne is always pulsating with some excitement or the other ! This makes it a must for exploring ! I think ,I can hear my heart beats growing faster, by the minute, as I think of all this !

Melbourne has a dearth of housing & who knows it better than a Mumbaikar ? Are the builders listening ? They can make a killing in Melbourne but I would rather, that we import anything but our builders there - for obvious reasons !

As I pen this ,I can hear ‘…it's your time to visit Melbourne NOW!’ This is so, as my daughter will very soon, be joining college.I would like her to join one of the various Universities in Melbourne .Our Melbourne visit, now, would make her get familiar with the sights & sounds of Melbourne so that she feels comfortable ,once she starts pursuing her higher studies in Melbourne, very soon. Melbourne university is among the top four universities in the world.Even the other Universities housed in Melbourne such the Monash,RMIT ,Victoria have excellent international rankings.My choice would be Australia & particularly Melbourne, as it is cosmopolitan & my daughter can live & experience numerous cultures of the world , even as she studies.Moreover ,Melbourne being so much like Mumbai ,she will feel very much at home abroad ! What more can she ask for ? ! After all ,due to its wide cultural spread,Melbourne has been ranked as the most liveable city three times over !

As,I write this ,I wonder why can’t we model Mumbai on Melbourne & not Shanghai ? After all ,both being so similar ,that can happen sooner !