Chinatown

Only two blocks from the Marriott is Chinatown. Let me say that prior to this trip, the most Asians I have ever seen congregating in one place may have only been at family reunions! (J/K) There is a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin speaking people – I’m not sure if there is more of one or the other just yet. There's a bar called Mai Tai, too - so there must be a strong Thai population here as well. It’s a new experience for me to hear people speaking Chinese on a fairly regular basis outside of the home. I’ve considered taking some Chinese language classes while I am out here since I’ll be able to apply it on a more regular basis. Chinatown consists mainly of restaurants – all which serve “dim sum” or as they call it here “yum cha” on a daily basis, a few electronics/internet stores, several small grocery stores, and a small theater that shows Chinese movies with English/Chinese subtitles. I was a bit disappointed that it lacked the street market styled shops which you can often find at other Chinatowns like NYC and Toronto. However, I guess that is also what helps to keep Melbourne so clean.