Even as I type this blog, I still hear people celebrating the Chinese New Year's and I can hear the firecracker from where I am at. The celebrations actually started yesterday. Since I am only a couple of blocks from Chinatown, I stumbled upon the celebrations as I was going out and was able to enjoy the lion dances and some of the performances. The lion dances were really cool...the performers did a fantastic job of really mimicking the behavior of a playful lion...I wished I had taken my point and shoot camera so I could've recorded it. They were dancing most of the day and there was a big group of performers who would swap in and out of the lion suit so they could continue. I think this is the BEST lion dance I've seen so far!!
I can't believe the weekend is over already...time just flew by. I was able to do quite a bit over the last couple of days and was able to see more of Melbourne at night and explore another suburb. I went back to Queen Victoria Market yesterday to explore the area I didn't get to go to last week and to get some souvenirs. Even though it's a flea market, I found that you really can't bargain as much. I'm so use to my experience in Asia where you negotiate down to 70% of the price that I was expecting to be able to bargain alot. :) I was only able to bring the prices down slightly, but I still got some good stuff shopping around the different stalls. After I was done around the non-food area, I walked by the fruits, vegetables, and meat area. I'd heard that at the end of the day, the vendors will start lowering prices since they can't take the fruit/veggies/meat with them, so they just keep lowering the price until it's all gone. I thought it would start later in the day since the market closes at 4pm, but around noon...the vendors had already started. I didn't really need anything, but I couldn't resist buying a whole tray of onions for $1 and a big tray of lamb for $20. :) It was so funny seeing all the vendors shouting and trying to get all their stuff sold...what an experience!!
I also went out last night and walked around Melbourne just so I could take some night "piccys". I'm still trying to learn about aperture and shutter speed...so some of my piccys turned out too overexposed or too dark. I took a whole bunch, but only some of them came out well. I love how I am within walking distance to everything in the city...it's great. The city view from the Yarra River bridge is absolutely beautiful. And as usual, there were tons of tourists and people out and about..and street performers.
I didn't have much planned for today, but ended up staying out most of the day and got sunburned!!! I only planned to go to the St Kilda Festival, which is a surburb that is south of Melbourne, but spent alot of time at Chinatown again. The festival was at St Kilda Beach and the Swing Patrol (Melbourne's swing dance group) had an event there with classes, performances and social dancing. I got there a little bit late and missed the first class (got sidetracked with the festivities at Chinatown). They had a few songs for social dancing and since I didn't know anyone, I sat one song out so I could see who knew how to dance and asked one of the guys to dance for the second song. I figured if I was going to be there, I might as well enjoy it...just to say I went swing dancing on the beach! :) It was difficult dancing on the cement and in flip flops, but still fun. They had two more classes after and some more performances...so I stayed the rest of the time and ran into one of the guys I met the week before at the other swing event. His name is Han and after the swing event, we walked around the beach to check out the rest of the festival. Han thought I was brave to venture out and do stuff on my own without knowing anyone, but I told him I'm not going to sit at home and do nothing just because of that. I have to credit my Asia trip for me being so independent...I think the old me would've sat home and would've been afraid...but after doing Asia by myself, I'm a completely different person. I'm glad I made another new friend though! The girl I met at swing dance last week (Beatrix) seems really cool too...she and I met up for lunch on Friday since she also works in the city.
After St Kilda beach, I went back again to Chinatown. Really, there was no way not to...I walk through Chinatown on my way home...so there were more lion dances and I watched those. I think that was what got me really sunburned...I probably would've been ok if I had just gone straight home...now I have a funny looking farmers tan where my arm and neck is all red...ugh...
