Australia: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (and the Meh?)

[Jerry_Atrick]

Well,, for this first post, it is the good, the bad, and the ugly about Melbourne ad surrounds that I have seen so far.. And the meh? (in other words, makes no real difference). Since 2005, I have been back about 6 times; all mercy dashes or admin (estate). But this is the first time I decided to take some time to reacquaint myself a bit and not just run around like a chicken with my head cut off. 

 

So, I have taken some time out to jot down some notes.. ans keeping it apolitical, here is what I have observed or has stuck out in my mind:

• The Vic Market food hall.. It is so good and should be a national institution. I know the Adelaide Market is excellent, too.. maybe better. But there is something about that building which has changed little since I can remember it; my earliest memory is when I was 5; which is 55 years ago. The selection/variety of produce; the quality, and the prices are not that much more than supermarket from what I could see. 
• Speaking of food - the bad.. It is expensive - more so than in the UK and by a way. 
• Also on food, the supermarket quality - at least where we are and where I have visited has improved markedly. When I first moved to the UK, unbelievably, the UK supermarket food was better than Colesworth... But, the tables have turned again. 
• The consumer chocolate bars - are the ugly. I should get quite trim after moving back as I can't see myself eating many at all. I know when I left Australia and the first visits, they were very similar to the UK, but somewhere along the line, the majors here changed the recipe to US style 0 mire sugars, palm oils I guess and the rest... it tastes like US chocolate now... Which was a real shame as I finally got my hands on a Chokito... which was my childhood favourite. Probably never again.  
• Multiculturalism: For some peoples complaints on here, it doesn't seem to be particularly different to when I left, nor when I was a kid. The nature of the multiculturalism has changed, and I have noticed in Melbourne in particular, there is a proliferation of Asian eateries, but to be honest, while I think it is quite OK, on the scale, it is a bit meh? I know someone will point out that I can go to areas which are quite different..
• It seems in Victoria, wherever they can put a shop, they will. I think it is over-developed commercially, and that it is bland, US style mass shopping architecture. Definitely a bad.
• I think Melbourne has become more Bohemian.. It has a vibe that shouts emerge from the conservative past and embrace different. I really like its vibe.
• Although, with the development of all those high rises around the market area, it did feel a little claustrophobic. Not great.
• The roads, despite some potholes and crumbling are fantastic. Getting around during the day with the traffic levels was a breeze... but
• Having to watch the speedo to ensure I wasn't a few licks over the limit was a pain.. I could easily have done 120kph on the Hume and it would have not been one iota less safe in reality..

 

I am sure there is more of the good bad and ugly, and no doubt as I recall or come across them, I will add the to here.. But it really  has whet the appetite to get moving. 

 

[nomadpete]

Hey, I object.

I don't mind getting critical about USofA or Olde England or other 'shitole' countries.....

But leave our Great Country out of it!

 

(Nev, I'm being sarcastic)

[old man emu]

I feel that Melbourne has a cultural feel about it, as opposed to Sydney's commercialism. One goes to Melbourne for the theatre and music. Sydney does not seem to have that vibe, despite having the architectural beauty of the Opera House. But it's just a building.

 

As for multiculturalism, I think that the meeja consistently misreports on it. I was in a shopping centre in Dubbo yesterday. I saw people from India, Asia, Africa, Indigenous and European all carrying on with their shopping with no sign of conflict. I had the choice for my lunch of several differnt food types of food styles. 

[facthunter]

You have to look for what you want in Melbourne. It won't jump out at you in Lights, in most circumstances but the Variety is there. It's best if someone with similar interests to yours , shows you around and it's ever changing in subtle ways . Also you don't have to be a Millionaire to live there.  Traffic can be a bit harrowing at the Wrong time.  It's growing a bit too fast.  Trams are free in the central part of the City.  I've now been here for 62 years but have seen most parts of this Country and a lot of Europe. I'm not a great lover of crowds and cities but they can offer a lot of facilities and variety nothing else does. .  Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

This eve, I am off to the city to catch up with a mate.. next report will be on the nightlife (he lives in the city and we are just catching up at his local)

[nomadpete]

Australia The Good....

Good to see you are enjoying your visit.

We are enjoying the great outdoors in Warambungles. A but chilly under canvas but it's one of those places I wanted to since ..... 

[kgwilson]

When Cadburys was sold to Mondelez the quality & taste went through the floor and they introduced horrible American flavours. I know in NZ people complained & stopped buying Cadburys which prompted an eventual reversal & return of original flavours though the chocolate quality is still not as good as it was & most likely has more sugar in it. Mondelez also closed the NZ factory & the only site left in Oceania is in Tassie. Hopefully they won't close that & get stuff made in China like everyone else.

[Marty_d]

When I was a kid my Dad raised a few pigs as a side hustle.

He used to buy 44 gallon drums of chocolates from Cadbury's - deformed, had fallen on the floor, etc. Pigs loved them. Us kids did too 😄

Not sure how much they cost but he was a tight arse so it would have been cheap.

[old man emu]

In Australia, as in its other plants, Cadbury's changed the recipe for milk chocolate by reducing the expensive cocoa butter content and replacing it with palm oil. That ruined the flavour. Australians, and New Zealnder protested by withdrawing purchases. Cadbury's had to return to the original recipe at its Australian plant. However, it did not do the same in its other plants. 

 

Jerry, you should stock up on Cadbury's before you go back to the Old Dart. You could make a fortune selling the real thing.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Friday evening was a night flapping the guns with my mate, who is about 40, single, and lives in teh CBD. He works for an Aussie Bank. We were at the Harp and Hound, which used to be the Sports Tapp or some such establishment. It wasn't a bad pub; He was in Guinness and I was on lemon, lime and bitters

 

I took the train in form East Camberwell to Flinders St, via the City Loop. The trains are a little bland, but quite nice and clean. And while the city is abound with graffiti, there wasn't much or any that I noticed - on the way in or out. Flinders Street has had an upgrade or two, but still, as it has always been IMHO, a bit of a crap station - the facade excepted. The toilets were a pit - much worse than anything I saw in London.. I am getting used to the trough style of urinals - in the UK, they are mainly individual tear-dropped porcelain urinals... But I don't mind either.. But the state of them i terms of cleanliness was bordering on unattended old footy ground dunnies.. 

 

I wallked down Elizabeth street to Collins Street; up Collins Street to Queen Street and then a right towards Bourke Street where the pub more or less is. I followed the same route back to Flinders Street for the train home. I passed a couple of night clubs t about 11:30pm, of which for some, queues were forming. There was not much to report - younger set mostly with smiles on their faces and talking seemed enjoying themselves. All seemed very well behaved - but it was early.

 

The Flinders street end of that part ofthe world is still a bit grotty.. 

 

On the train at about 10 to midnight and it went via the loop. Again a lot of the younger set and very well behaved - many going home for their shift of partying or drinks after work. It was a pleasant atmosphere to be honest. Although for some reason, my prostate decided it would grow and I had an urgent urge to go to the loo, so I had to decamp at Richmond, praying they had toilets and they were open. They did, and they were, and they were a pleasant experience compared to Flinders Street. There were people coming and going through the station - the drum of a night club nearby was providing a steady stream of foot fall. But, the rail dunnies being open on what seemed an unattended inner suburban  station at that time of night was a dream. 

 

Then I realised, I could have got a train home from Richmond at up to close to 1am.. This is about an hour and h half later than one from London (Tubes run a little later). So, Melbourne does cater much better for its revellers than London. 

 

Back to the pub they had an Irish folk band who were reasonable. My mate wanted to know what my impressions of Melnoiurne were on the basis he may now be acclimatised. I explained that it is a 20 year gap, because although I have been here a few times since, up until this one, they were all mercy dashes for a couple of days to handle th mercy. This mercy dash I decided to allow myself enough time to take some time out. 

 

He was particularly interested in whether or not I thought Melburnians seemed happy. I can't answer that without some sort of polling, but I mentioned they seemed more content wherever I have gone. There is an air of people who walk around with almost smiles on their faces and the pace is more relaxed. He mentioned that at his job, the work life balance is excellent and gave reasons why.. so much different to London, yet we work in much the same area. In the UK, people walk around with an almost grimace on their face and in London, everything is head-down, rushed, and almost elbows out. So Melbourne (and I guess, Australia), wins on that one. 

 

 

[red750]

6 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

my impressions of Melnoiurne

Where/what is Melnoiurne?  

[facthunter]

Only a couple of letters out. Maybe it's some sort of test, or he's worried about being followed. There's a heap of surveillance cameras in London.  Malborn is not like that.  Nev

[pmccarthy]

I'm more worried about him flapping the guns in a pub.

[facthunter]

It's easy to upset someone in a Pub if you aren't a  regular, or read the BAD DRUNK signs quickly enough. . It only takes ONE.  nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

2 hours ago, red750 said:

Where/what is Melnoiurne?  

Believe it or not, I haven't had an alcoholic drink!

 

New laptop I bought at Geelong Officeworks - new Keyboard and small screen - that is what I am blaming 😉

 

 

[facthunter]

The replacement Keyboard I Have gives me a hard time. It's incredibly sensitive. My hands have been operated on  several times and the RH has had  steroid Injections.. Nev