Multiculturalism in action

After yesterday's discussion about multiculturalism, today I saw it in practice. This morning at Queen Victoria Market near where I'm staying I came across a Turkish celebration with food stalls, a colourful band processing along the street and this convivial man selling drinks from the large brass samovar on his back.

An hour layer I was in Federation Square and stumbled on a celebration for Thai new year with food stalls, a band and a Melbourne 'Miss Thai Festival' which took me aback by announcing the winners and runners up not by their names but, like ordering in a restaurant, by calling the numbers pinned to their dresses. Hmm.

Then, reminded by my sister who lives in Greece that this weekend is the Greek orthodox pre-Lent festival (for which last year - when it was in February, such being the nature of Lent - I was in Thessaloniki) I headed off to the 'Greek Precinct' and found a celebration with food stalls and a stage across the street with a band and dancers in traditional costumes. (I discovered later that the street party had nothing to do with Lent. It was Melbourne's large Greek community's annual festival.)

Astonishing fact: there are more people of Greek descent in Melbourne than there are in Thessaloniki, Greece's second city.