Grand Final Weekend

For those not familiar with Australian Sports, Aussie Rules Football also known as Footy is widely popular here. I am not a sports-loving person. Of course I watch the 100 meter finals in Olympics and try not to miss World Cup Football matches, a completely new type of game does take some time for me to like.

Here is what I know about Footy: Two teams, one oblong ball, each trying to hit the ball inside the space of two tall poles on the opposite side. If the ball goes through the space between these two poles, then the team gets 6 points, if it misses this space they get 1 point anyway, provided they are within shorter poles a bit wider off the longer poles.

The top 16 teams within Australia compete against each other in league games for 6 months starting April through to the last Saturday of September each year. The Grand Final is played on this day, today.

While this is primarily a Victorian Game, the two temas to be playing today are West Coast Eagles - a Western Australian team and the Sydney Swans. Last I heard, most players in the Sydney Swans team are Victorian.

Rugby League

Another football based game which is immensely popular is Rugby League and the final of the leagues is being played tomorrow.

While this game is popular primarily outside Victoria the two teams to play the final are Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos.

Now, I just need to get me beer and sit in front of the telly to watch some footy action. Where is the remote?

Spring is here

All this time I was worried about winter and when it will go away. I have friends who have lived in Germany and Switzerland who say that Melbourne's winter bites more than European winters though the latter are colder.

Melbourne's weather bites too much due to the winds and also the fact that not once does the temperature go over 17 deg C. And the official announcement of Spring (for me) is when it hits 20 plus, which it did today. My colleague terms it as non-jumper weather. If you don't have to wear a jumper when you are going outside then it is good enough. Not wearing a coat or a jacket outdoors truly feels so good. But it remains foggy in the mornings. I was probably suffering from Winter Depression.

Who cares what it is termed, it is Spring and I am happy.

A New Blog

I have started this blog to highlight my unique experiences as a visitor to Australia. While there is much to say about Australia and my life here. I think that this blog is not really a personal blog and as such I will refrain from writing my personal experiences on this blog.

I am too chicken to say that I got a new personal blog at http://gyaniblog.blogspot.com see you there.

Desi News

Any news impacting desi's does not come out of Melbourne, this place being down under and mostly ignored by news, both Indian and international. So, whenever such information or news comes up, I will try and post them in this blog.

On Aug 9th, an Indian taxi driver died due to injuries sustained when pushed out of his moving cab by a person who wanted to take over the cab. The said person was running away from the police and was picked up by the cab driver as a passenger.

Rajneesh Joga, the victim, was from Hyderabad, was doing his Masters in Accountancy was only 27 and worked part time as a taxi driver, he used to send money to his parents and also pay for his fees.

This has evoked cries from the taxi drivers of Melbourne to raise security in cabs to prevent further violence against them. Last night they held a vigil on the streets of Melbourne in front of Flinders Street Station (the main train station for suburban trains), stopping all tram and vehicle traffic. This is the third such vigil they held in two days. The transport minister of Victoria is speaking to the taxi association to come to an agreement.

I was there at Flinders Street last night, most of the taxi drivers who were striking looked as they are from the sub-continent. Didnt think anyone else would care..

Links: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20076200-2862,00.html

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Phillip Island

Mother Nature at her best at Phillip Island, Victoria about an hour and half journey from Melbourne. I was speechless then as I am now.

Mount Dandenong

If one has been on the internet for long (and I mean more than 5 years) then One of the stupid one-liner internet jokes that used to go around were something on the lines of, "Why do people go on top of buildings and look down?", something very suspect of the jokester's sense of humour there.

People ride up bicycles to this mount, others walk, I just drove. Mount Dandenong is about 40 km from the city, city being the buidings or what we call the Central Business District (CBD).

Through the Westerner's eye

I have been reading up on three different westerners' (Two Australian and one British) experiences in India. Three very different people, one works for ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) the other two I am not really sure of.

Three different perspectives, just one view. India is dirty, India amazes them.

The first one is a book titled 'a billion voices' by Phillip Adams who hosts a program on ABC Radio. Writes Phillip in his first chapter about India where he is describing his travel from Mumbai to Delhi by train, "Indians describe India as a land of a billion anarchists. Yet there seems to be an equal number of bureaucrats. The entire nation is locked in an endless conflict between spontaneity and rigidity, between creative chaos and the claustrophobic of regulation. But perhaps the anarchists are winning.", how apt.

Jamie (I hope I got the name right) decided to retire at 35 and travel in India, in his decision to live in India he says: "I’ve never been to any other place that has affected me so deeply. It’s beautiful and horrific, funny and appalling, fragrant and rotten to the core, virtuous in spirit and sick to it’s very soul, sublimely pure and utterly, utterly corrupt. Simultaneously. I love it and hate it. It’s a wonderful, wonderful place." I hope he finds more wonders, unfortunately he does not like Hyderabad(My home town) much.

Tim of the flashpackers blog (at http://flashpackers.blogspot.com/) writes this about why travellers get sick so often when in India, "Well in a word, its because India is filthy, and understand me here, I don't mean just your run of the mill filthy, I mean FILTHY. There is more concentrated filth here than in New Scotland Yard. I honestly think it is the most filthy place in the world, if not the entire universe." I am not sure about this though, a billion people don't get sick everyday or every other day even. May be it is just the food that doesn't go well with them.

Good reads all, I would recommend these to any one who, like me, is trying to discover his real identity while outside India.

Melting Pot called Melbourne - Part II

My friend and I hit upon a Japanese restaurant yesterday. Japanese food would not appeal to Indians simply because it is not too much spicy. That is not a reason to ignore the subtle tastes that the Japanese and mostly Oriental food presents.

Tomodachi (Japanese for friend) was the name of the place. Japanese restaurants usually have Sushi trains where Sushi dishes keep going round on a conveyor belt on a large table. Colour coded plates means they know how much to charge on each picked up plate. Sushi is usually raw fish wrapped in sea-weed with rice. Some sushis have chicken, beef or pork but these are usually cooked.

Takoyaki:
Takoyaki are fried balls of Octopus meat. I first tasted Octopus in a Chinese dish, being overcooked and hence becoming rubbery in that case. But didn't know that Octopus meat is this tasty. In this instance it was cooked in the right way and was too irresistible to stop at just one plate.










Tonkatsu:




It's deep fried pork served with rice. Like Indians Japanese food(and for the most part, Chinese food)is served with rice. But unlike us, they do not have curries to go with it.

I do not usually like to eat Pork, but tried this nonetheless and I thought it was chicken, because it was cooked so nicely that there was no smell of pork, nor it was too hard. It was crisp and made just right.





BiBimBap:
This is a Korean rice dish served with our choice of Chicken or Beef. I ordered the Chicken version. Under the egg, there a variety of veggies, including carrots and also sprouted beans along with Mushrooms.

For the desi hot taste the red sauce that was served was some kind of chilli sauce, which when tasted by itself would be like playing with fire, but when taken in small quantities with the rice was really tasty. Miso soup (on the top) is served with most Japanese food, or so my fried said.








While real good Japanese food is hard to find, Tomodachi was a good place to enjoy Oriental food. It may burn a hole in your pocket, but it certainly is good for your stomach and for your taste buds.

Waiting for Spring

Morning: When already late leaving for work, I discovered that there is frost on the windshield. Wipers with water did not do the trick, nor did using hands (gave me frostbite). I thought hot water would do the job, but decided against it, my knowledge of simple physics gave me the momentary flash of a fright that the glass might expand and break. Bottled water washed the frost away, but brought fresh frost on the window. Water with a cloth to wipe it off took care of the business.

Afternoon: The sky was clear with warm sunshine, it wasn't even cold in the shade. If one landed in Melbourne at that time, he would be forgiven for thinking it is spring.

Evening: Mild fog with chilly winds, no sign of warmth. About to get colder.

That is a perfect example of the weather in Melbourne, always unpredictable, so full of pleasant surprises. No wonder they keep saying it is like living with a woman and dealing with her moods. I am still waiting for spring though. I am a sunny-weather man.

Blogger.com blocked in India

I interrupt my general blogging of Australia and how my life here is such a song to point out that in India our fellow netizens are being denied access to a few blogger websites.

While this type of reaction to the recent attacks in India are unique in a way that no other country came up with this brilliant idea of bringing the terrorists down to their knees. No increase in security, no concrete steps taken to bring the culprits to court, no strategic steps against the neighbour who perpetrates this. One swift step of information blockage and the terrorists are seriously affected now.

Thanks to the Indian Government. You have begun the cyber war against terrorism. Citizens of India, do not expect any more innocent blood to flow.

Links:
Rediff News article
Bloggers Collective
Protests by Bloggers

Sad Day for India

Another sad day for India. Such cowards who will not think twice before killing the innocent. Hopefully Indian government works on this and prevent future attacks, may it not just remain a hope.

See - http://mumbaihelp.blogspot.com/ and http://groups.google.com/group/BombayHelp for comments and help. Thanks to Alfred J Prufrock.

Coming home

We NRIs have a huge problem. Coming home to India to visit. Now, coming back to India on a permanent basis is a different problem altogether, one that I haven't got the luck to experience yet. But visiting itself is a project in itself. It is an obstacle course. Preparation is mandatory.

One question all and sundry pose, "When are you visiting?". The phone calls are replete with this question, not once, everytime. The answer: well, if it only is that easy. Old friends and acquaintances ask the same question here as well. "When are you going to India?", nice topic starter that.

Firstly, there is the timing. When does one come? Summer in India: too hot there, Summer here: tickets too costly. Does one have enough leave to make the visit a longish one? Does one have enough money to get along?

Then there are the relatives and more relatives. They mean well, the relatives. But I am not really sure when they expect some gifts from Phoren (desi slang for foreign). Most gift material is available in India anyway, one can find anything that is sold here, except for the 'Made in India' tag paid in dollars. If only they could understand.

It takes a bit of showing off in India for us NRIs, huge expectations of it. So, when we speak without the accent or don't go clubbing when in India, we haven't learnt much. It is readily taken care of by wearing open-toed shoes, 3/4th pants and following traffic rules when driving. Atleast we get noticed. One has to remind oneself that the food in the restaurants in a bit too hot than what one is used to. When ordering Biryani one has to roll the 'r' to make sure they understand.

The most worrying prospect of visiting India are the hosts at the airport, they have to be kept happy. But no one is not really sure how. They seem to be doing their job well, when all at once they corner you with one of the bylaws in page 563 clause (ii) b. Then the machinery stops. It has to be oiled now; Dollars need to be spent; Cursing is optional with more dollars lost, will not get you through sooner though. The process is reversed when these very hosts are seeing you off.

One of the most shameful times is when one has to oil such machinery, principles need to be broken and one has to be business like in these dealings, how much is enough to get through? Once one gets through, you meet family and dispose your gifts, worry that the traffic has gotten worse since your last visit, show off as an NRI and then wonder if it was better to wait a bit longer to get some more leave. And try not to miss your home in the process.

Desi looks

After working out at the gym, went to the reception to pick up my wallet and the lady asked, 'Oh! you are here for your jacket?',
I smiled, replied, 'No, I know where my jacket is. ',
She goes on 'Yeah, it is here',
I smile more now, 'No, it's in my locker',
She is not convinced, 'Then you forgot your jacket?',
I am beginning to get the picture, 'Never did.',
She now does not believe it, 'You mean, you came here just for your wallet?',
I reply in the positive and walk away..

I tell my friend while walking out 'Yeah, we all look the same'.

Do we?

Life!!

Alarm clocks. Snooze buttons. Cereal breakfast everyday, serial breakfast. Train ticket. Petrol costly. Drink coffee during morning tea. McDonalds. Worry about weight. Credit card bills. Mobile ringing. Office meeting. Call home. Mild home sickness. Beer. Hair cut. Working holiday. Long weekend. Washing machine. Press clothes. Vacuum cleaner. Government taxes.... Life!!

Australian animals

A relative's arrival gave us the chance to visit a zoo this weekend. Australia is host to a large number of kinds of marsupials. Though the weather kind of sucks at this time, it was ok enough for us to go out for a drive to watch them. My camera tagged along.





It sleeps for 20 hours a day, eats eucalyptus leaves which aren't that nutritious, making them more drowsy. But for me, this Koala was awake. And I think it is very photogenic as well.










Australian animals' pix without kangaroos is like a book without punctuation. While kangas don't usually jump around, this moment was captured by my friend.













I don't really know if this is a black swan or not. The zoo keepers probably did not know either, as there were no signs (or did I miss them?). But this gorgeous bird does'nt seem to like the cold water.












These pelicans were having a jolly time when we met them. They were of course glad to meet me.














Pelicans are not known to be vain. But we can forgive them if they indulge in a bit of showing off-ism.















Ok, I think they look better from behind.
















The Tasmanian Devil, it barks like a devil and so named. But this one knew that him and I belong to the same community and gave me a smile.









So, while I missed a good shot of other marsupials like the wombat, the most loved animal in the zoo, I had a good time while at it.

Links: How Australia was born.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.


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Fair Dinkum English

Aussie cricketers speaking after their match is the only time I heard some of Aussie accent. Living here certainly made it different for me. So, when you have a few tinnies around the barbie and get pissed you certainly are feeling a bit Aussie. For Desis it is drinking beer while cooking meat in the open and getting drunk.

Just listen to this joke which went around a couple of years ago. Perfect example of how the Aussie accent confuses us Indians who make it a point to speak the queen's English.

It's not just the way we (yes, I consider myself a bit of Aussie now) speak but the way large words gets shortened, cause we cannot be buggered to say the whole word. So, the favorite pastime Barbecue becomes a barbie and the postman is a postie, a linesman is a liney and a sick leave is a sickie. Takes a bit of getting used to, but fun to use.

A 'total bastard' is a real close friend and a bit of a bastard is the real enemy. While, getting into the real Aussie English takes some time, you have to make a fair dinkum effort to get along with it.

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A melting pot called Melbourne

Coming from India esp. from Hyderabad makes one's tongue like a hide, if you are accustomed to eating hot and spicy Indian food that is. The spicy food not just makes one's taste yearn for that extra bit of Garam Masala but the stomach gets used to as well and gets along with your excesses of Paya (lamb hooves curry) or the ever popular Hyderabadi Biryani.

Sadly, other cultures do not subject their stomachs to such heat and rather have a noiseless visit to the WC. And why not, when it comes to taste, I am sure the Indian tongue among other tastes would like to experience the subtle tastes and exotic smells of international and intercontinental cuisine. But that is just my opinion of the Indian tongue, it never told me so.

What was told to me, by my Indian friends is that they do not want this subtle taste business and rather dive in to something spicy, but I was of a different opinion and would like to try something from other countries/cuisines. With that in mind I headed to the nearest Indian restaurant in Melbourne.

Now, if you miss home and rather have that Murg Mussalam than hop on a flight to remind yourself of India, you should rather hop on the flight. Because Indian restaurants cater to the international palate and don't remind you of India at all. I don't think I found Murgh Mussalam in any of the menus either. What I rather found was one dish called Vindaloo. I cannot say I travelled much of India, but I never heard of something called Vindaloo before and here I was, every Indian restaurant making it. Turns out our Anglo-Indian friends introduced it here, never bothered to let us know.

What is rather odd is that there is no American Chop Suey served in Chinese restaurants. Instead there is Peking duck and Cantonese Fried rice. Both, certainly recommended. South-East asians are not far behind in cooking. Nasi Goreng in an Indonesian restaurant, Thai Green Curry and Roti Chanai with Malay chicken curry are certainly recommended for that spicy yet not too hot tastes.

While, Melbourne is a melting pot of many cultures, I would like to write more about what is available with pictures if I can later. For now, I miss Haleem.

Ferry to Williamstown

Melbourne had a sunny day yesterday. While clear and fine days are in high demand during this time of the year, we had some supply of sunshine and getting that on a weekend was the perfect icing. I hopped on to a ferry from the city to Williamstown. Black swans on the Yarra were a very good start to the trip.


Start of a journey. A couple just got married and are very lucky to experience such climate on their wedding day.



I won't be surprised if I find a pregnant Preity Zinta dancing around this bridge/pathway.



A city taking rest after its weekend. As seen from the sea. (Yarra meets the sea somewhere on our journey.)



Williamstown at last, against the backdrop of the city. It grew dark very soon, but not for my camera.

Why I came here

Us NRIs are called a few things before leaving. Foreign-crazy, Taking the road to America via Ameerpet, keeda (bug) to make money, following your dollar dreams were a few things we were referred to as doing. I took offence at this if it was referred to me.

But, they were mostly true. Now, I love India with all my heart. But I wanted to travel, go places. While my Australian adventure is described in this blog, I think I have more places to go to.

I always wanted to come to Australia, not the US or UK. In fact after getting a good score on GRE, I did not apply for any US university. Australia, was the easy and preferred option. Why? Australia is closer to nature. The Great Barrier Reef, the Ayer's Rock (which changes colors according to the weather), the camper's heaven called Victoria all were attractions I planned to visit. And then there was education.

Not that there aren't other places in the world closer to nature, Australia's warm temperature is appealing. I also realise that there are numerous places in India I haven't been to and I hope to get there before commercialisation takes over.

I was reasonably well-educated before I started this journey, but the timing and my field of study (IT) were not suited at that time (which was the excuse I gave to my parents). So, I figured further education would lead me to travelling across Australia.

There are lots of things one can have on their to-do list. I have one thing to do, 'travel', and I already started it. Will not stop doing it till I die.

Far away from home

I have heard about it, I have read about it and felt very certain that I won't be affected by it. But three months in to living in Melbourne and it hit me. I was caught unawares. If you ever tripped over a step when you are feeling the most smug about yourself, you will know the feeling. If you have not, then try it once, up your confidence and remind yourself that you are all knowing, all conquering, you are the smartest and the strongest, do this while you are walking up a flight of stairs and sooner or later you will trip.

Back to the point, I became home sick. While there are varying degrees of home sickness, I was unfortunate enough to get hurt the hardest. I will say that about me won't I? During the start of winter 2003, I was a lonely soul, wandering about on the streets of Melbourne, very depressed and longing to go back home.

I had no money, had about 90 dollars left in my bank account. The remedy for homesickness is to not let it get worse, a whole lot of good that would do. Calling home and crying over the phone is not recommended, cause the called party wails more than the called party, which in turn makes the called party (in this case me) a bit more depressed, if you catch my drift.

The remedy for any mentally related problems is to keep your mind busy, which certainly wasn't being observed in this case. But washing cars in the middle of winter certainly took my mind off things, I was too busy thinking about how to stop my foot from freezing.

A tip for you dreamers out there, if you leave your home and ever get homesick, just remember that it is natural and expected. And if it is winter then wash cars, you will make a bit of money and sleep tired.