Mel-bin, the enigma
It never ceases to amaze me, the difference in logic between American words and English or Australian words.......like biscuit. We Aussies call a typically round, small baked treat a biscuit. For Americans, a biscuit is more like a flat scone.
Take car. Is it more logical to call a car a car or an automobile? What about the logic in calling jelly 'jell-o' but jam 'jelly'? Which word makes more sense? Whose system is better, theirs or ours? It's interesting to compare the two and think about where the names for things came from and which is more logical.
Or take names of places like Illinois and Melbourne. I've never met an American yet who pronounces Melbourne correctly. Aussies say, "Mel-bin" and Americans say, "Mel-born". I mean, I'm just as bad - I once pronounced Arkansas how it's spelt, after which my husband nearly burst his sides laughing at my faux pas! Needless to say, I've always pronounced it "Arkinsaaaaaw" since. (I also once asked what the song 'Band on the Run' was about, but that's another story!)
Melbin/Melbourne/Mel-born is a bit of an enigma to me. I was there when I was five and all I've heard about it since is that the weather changes abruptly, they play this strange game called AFL which Bruce Dawe once wrote about, it's a culturally diverse city with lots of style, good food, amazing music - a real centre for the arts. I also know that Victoria is a very pro-abortion state and there are a lot of left-leaning voters there. They voted Adam Bandt MP in. Enough said.
I've always been curious about it and now, finally, my time has come!
Dear husband and I are off to this mysterious southern city for a couple of nights to enjoy some time off from parenting and get away for a bit of a retreat. It's been a long wait, but it's finally here! For a bit over two days, we'll have the chance to investigate and enjoy all Melbourne has to offer. The 'To-Do' list includes:
-a cocktail bar
-Victoria Markets
-any little cafes we can find
-dinner out at Lygon St
-visiting family
-walking the streets
-seeing gardens and parks
We've had a few months to plan our trip and as part of our planning, we came up with some ways to potentially annoy Melbournians.....particularly of the left-leaning kind.
1. Wear an Emily's Voice t-shirt
2. Read 'The Courier Mail' (which both my beloved and I consider only good enough for the Mike O'Connor article in the weekend magazine and lining the kitty litter tray with the rest!) in a swanky café
3. Run along Batman Avenue (YES, they have an avenue called BATMAN......am I the only one who finds this hilarious?) singing the theme song from the old Batman episodes
4. Ask why they don't have a train from the airport into the city (given that bodgy old backward Brisbane has one!)
When I posted these ideas on Facebook, my friend Katie dared me to do all of the above things....
So I've accepted.
Featuring here early next week will be photographic evidence of me doing all four things while in Melbourne! I've packed my Emily's Voice t-shirt and I'm planning on picking up The Courier Mail at Brisbane Airport before we fly to Melbourne to enjoy a smashingly good coffee. I reckon someone at the airport will be able to tell me why there's no train from Melbourne Airport to Melbourne city and with the trams in the city, I'm sure we'll be able to take a quick diversion off the tram line for a stroll/run/sing down Batman Avenue!
On social media and my blog, I'm a totally out there pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-personal responsibility, dip and dyed conservative who's not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. In person, we-ell - I'm a bit quieter. I'm not a particularly outspoken person in person. To do what I'm going to do in Melbourne is going to be a little bit of a challenge for me, particularly the Batman Avenue one.
This blog is all about living beyond the edge of adventure, so I'm determined to keep pushing the boundaries!
Also featuring here on my blog next week will be a post about the latest scandal involving Planned Parenthood and information from the Right to Life conference, which I'm attending while in Melbourne. I'm SO excited to meet other Victorian pro-lifers and to hear more about helping Australians fall in love with the unborn. There's a LOT to say about this diabolical topic, so make sure you check back next week for some more adventures out here - beyond the edge!
Later x
Take car. Is it more logical to call a car a car or an automobile? What about the logic in calling jelly 'jell-o' but jam 'jelly'? Which word makes more sense? Whose system is better, theirs or ours? It's interesting to compare the two and think about where the names for things came from and which is more logical.
Or take names of places like Illinois and Melbourne. I've never met an American yet who pronounces Melbourne correctly. Aussies say, "Mel-bin" and Americans say, "Mel-born". I mean, I'm just as bad - I once pronounced Arkansas how it's spelt, after which my husband nearly burst his sides laughing at my faux pas! Needless to say, I've always pronounced it "Arkinsaaaaaw" since. (I also once asked what the song 'Band on the Run' was about, but that's another story!)
Melbin/Melbourne/Mel-born is a bit of an enigma to me. I was there when I was five and all I've heard about it since is that the weather changes abruptly, they play this strange game called AFL which Bruce Dawe once wrote about, it's a culturally diverse city with lots of style, good food, amazing music - a real centre for the arts. I also know that Victoria is a very pro-abortion state and there are a lot of left-leaning voters there. They voted Adam Bandt MP in. Enough said.
I've always been curious about it and now, finally, my time has come!
Dear husband and I are off to this mysterious southern city for a couple of nights to enjoy some time off from parenting and get away for a bit of a retreat. It's been a long wait, but it's finally here! For a bit over two days, we'll have the chance to investigate and enjoy all Melbourne has to offer. The 'To-Do' list includes:
-a cocktail bar
-Victoria Markets
-any little cafes we can find
-dinner out at Lygon St
-visiting family
-walking the streets
-seeing gardens and parks
We've had a few months to plan our trip and as part of our planning, we came up with some ways to potentially annoy Melbournians.....particularly of the left-leaning kind.
1. Wear an Emily's Voice t-shirt
2. Read 'The Courier Mail' (which both my beloved and I consider only good enough for the Mike O'Connor article in the weekend magazine and lining the kitty litter tray with the rest!) in a swanky café
3. Run along Batman Avenue (YES, they have an avenue called BATMAN......am I the only one who finds this hilarious?) singing the theme song from the old Batman episodes
4. Ask why they don't have a train from the airport into the city (given that bodgy old backward Brisbane has one!)
When I posted these ideas on Facebook, my friend Katie dared me to do all of the above things....
So I've accepted.
Featuring here early next week will be photographic evidence of me doing all four things while in Melbourne! I've packed my Emily's Voice t-shirt and I'm planning on picking up The Courier Mail at Brisbane Airport before we fly to Melbourne to enjoy a smashingly good coffee. I reckon someone at the airport will be able to tell me why there's no train from Melbourne Airport to Melbourne city and with the trams in the city, I'm sure we'll be able to take a quick diversion off the tram line for a stroll/run/sing down Batman Avenue!
On social media and my blog, I'm a totally out there pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-personal responsibility, dip and dyed conservative who's not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. In person, we-ell - I'm a bit quieter. I'm not a particularly outspoken person in person. To do what I'm going to do in Melbourne is going to be a little bit of a challenge for me, particularly the Batman Avenue one.
This blog is all about living beyond the edge of adventure, so I'm determined to keep pushing the boundaries!
Also featuring here on my blog next week will be a post about the latest scandal involving Planned Parenthood and information from the Right to Life conference, which I'm attending while in Melbourne. I'm SO excited to meet other Victorian pro-lifers and to hear more about helping Australians fall in love with the unborn. There's a LOT to say about this diabolical topic, so make sure you check back next week for some more adventures out here - beyond the edge!
Later x
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