Moomba. It's the name of the 'water' festival in Melbourne that happens every year--ironically, its has no historical significance to do with water, and there is no particular reason to have this festival. It's just for fun, literally.
According to an official touristy website, moomba means 'to get together and have fun.'
I was supposed to 'cover' this festival yesterday for the international student mag and RAGE (hopefully that turns out well, at least they pay for articles!). So I dragged myself out of bed and from the moment I set foot outside, I could tell it was a pretty big thing 'cuz a television network vehicle with satellite dishes attached drove past me.
Reached the city, the main streets (yes, Melbourne can afford to do such things) of the city were blocked and the crowd was starting to build. I squeezed in till I nearly got to the front, camera ready in hand.
OK, so there were brass bands, clowns and people on stilts and in weird costumes, music, dancers, multicolored floats and stuff you will expect in a parade. Noise and laughter, children with their Mummies and Daddies asking lots of questions, Asian looking tourists with their bulky cameras, police and security personnel. There were floats with Hawaiian hippies playing guitars, some white swan, some walking trees and guys in gas suits to raise awareness of environmental issues, a playschool celebrating her 40th anniversary (I dunno why this particular float is so important, but it was mentioned in all the newspapers. I suspect money talks) and etc. A group of Hare Krishna followers walked past chanting, Chinese, Cambodians and Indonesians dressed in all sorts of cultural costumes twirled their arms gracefully, a gang of taekwondo fighters showed their moves. Schools (yes, educational institutions) of brightly colored fishes and jellyfish went past, so did big stuffed chickens. None of these things need to make sense in relation to the organisation they represent, I noticed.
Everyone was basically out to have fun. In the previous years, other major events would be held over 4 days- like waterskiing spectaculars, the Birdman rallies where ppl create plans that fly off ramps, a carnival with crazy rides, various other events to do with fun and water and it usually ends up with fireworks at night. It coincides with Labour Day, so why waste an opportunity to spend money on floats, send some fireworks off, stop the main traffic and tram lines, let the whole world spill unto the streets and let's Moomba!
I found something interesting though. Some people are speculating on how the name Moomba came about. Popular folklore has it that in 1955 when this started, the council approached an elderly Aboriginal and asked for his opinion on naming it. It seems that he decided to make the whites a laughing stock, by giving the name Moomba, 'moom' (mum) means 'buttocks' or 'anus' in various Victorian languages and 'ba' is a suffix that can mean 'at', 'in' or 'on'.
Well, the Aboriginal people sure must be laughing now.
As a side note, I wonder if any of this has to do with water. Try not to think dirty ok??
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