Anything but "Melboring"

Shortly before I left Alaska, I had breakfast at the bar in Snow City (as I often tended to do) when I met this guy who traveled a ton and had a lot to share when it came to Australia and New Zealand. The one thing that really stood out about this guy (besides his remarkably disgusting dripping nose) was his insistence on referring to Melbourne as "Melboring."

"Don't go there. It sucks. Skip it entirely."

Didn't seem like it would be a problem, but as my travels continued a combination of everyone I talked to saying Melbourne was awesome and the persistent crappy weather on the East Coast (which I was headed up until recently) made me call an audible: I guess I will head to Melbourne.

Two nights and two days later, and I love this place.

Arty without seeming forced, hip without being (too) hipster, easy to get around, filled with exciting things to do, good food, incredible architecture, and a nice place to stay, Melbourne is without a doubt the best place I have been in Australia.

Sure, some of that has to do with the fact the city is hosting the Supanova Pop Culture Expo and the Melbourne Comedy Festival right now so I did happen to get really lucky, but the city still rules.

Take Center Lane for example, a tiny back alley street filled with street art, incredible cafes, and the entrance to an exemplary little arcade (which is basically a small mall). This area quickly became my home base after the ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image), as I ate inexpensively and deliciously amongst their tiny storefronts.

My biggest problem so far with the cities of Oz had been that they completely lacked personality. I now know why: it was all allocated to Melbourne.

And the things to do are amazing. I caught 4 acts at the Comedy Festival yesterday: Austrlaian Peter Pan influenced genius Bec Hill (who reminded me of my friend Sheri so much in personality it made me miss her more than a little), 30 Rock writer and former SNL writer Hannibal Buress (whose limited time made me actually cry for a solid 10 minutes of sheer hilarity), the misanthropic and hilarious offerings of Tom Segura (who told a joke about facial tattoos that nearly killed me), and the divisive and brilliant (and more than a little intense) Moshe Kasher.

All entertained for different reasons. All proved to be incredibly great. I really hope Hill makes it though - the other three are known already, and Hill is a relative neophyte but her comedy was fresh, funny and uplifting. She didn't rely on stereotypes, she kept her audience engaged, and she focused on what is important: embracing your inner (and outer - she was wearing a Spider-Man skirt) child.

And tonight I see The Dan Band from Old School and The Hangover fame!

Besides that, ACMI was amazing both from an architecture standpoint and from what it had to offer. The pay exhibit was "Dreams Come True," a Disney by way of fairy tales bit. Coming loaded with original art and process work from films all the way from Steamboat Willie to Tangled, this was a comprehensive and engrossing installation.

The free section was every bit as fun, as it offered visitors a look at the evolution of film and tons of interactive opportunities (like creating your own bullet time shots - see this or creating your own visual flip book) and even a room talking about video games and the evolution of them, giving you the opportunity to see the progression yourself, as you play games all the way from Pong and Tempest to games like Mario Kart Wii and Little Big Planet.

Basically, Melbourne has a crazy amount of stuff to do, and even with illness creeping in (I'm fighting it off though!!), I am doing everything I can to fill my days with as much fun as I can.

There is a whole lot more I missed, but I think I covered the big parts. I have a few more posts in my head, so hopefully I will share them with you all soon. Sorry I've kind of failed at travel blog to date, but I swear, I will get better!!

Music of the day: The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist