Hey..How ya goin mite?!!

January 29, 2006, Sunday

I land in supposedly the 'world's most liveable' city - Melbourne..it is a hot sunny day (am glad to have escaped the chill of Delhi!) and I and T set off for our new home..our home for the next one year..a mixed bag of anxiety, excitement, curosity..all kinds of emotions over riding and over whelming me...our cab passes by the MCG (oh what a feeling to see it right in front of me!!)..suddenly the cab halts near the Rod Laver Arena..and for the first time i see more than 20 people standing at the same place (till then i had been thinking..there are no people in this place..who are these roads and flyovers for??!!) ..ah yes i realise it is Australian Open Men's final today!..and i am told it is Roger Federer vs some kid from Cyprus (Baghdatis is it?)...we just dump our luggage at home and without wasting a moment set off for the city...for the first time i get on to the famous Melbourne tram..and in no time we reach the Federation Square...the heart of the Melbourne CBD...oh my GOD! where have i come!! more than 5000 people dressed (or rather un-dressed..it's summer in melbourne i am told!!) in Greek colours of blue and white shouting their hearts out in front of the giant screen (that's broadcasting the match live from the arena)...do they really think this cyprian kid would beat Federer??!! i look closely and try to observe...i can see people of all kinds of origin...chinese, vietnamese, indians, greeks, italians, lebanese..and of course Aussies...all seem to have been seamlessly united by the 2 'spirits'....love of sport and of course BEER!....as i am assimilating this moment...in the midst of the deafening noise..i hear a loud roar nearing me...'hey..how ya goin mite??!!'...i just smile and say to myself..'welcome to melbourne!'