Melbourne.3.8.2014- 9

when i first arrived to the city and took a cab to my hotel, i had a great conversation with the driver.  he told me i had come to visit Melbourne at the best time.  they were having great weather, the beaches were beautiful, MOOMBA would be on, and there was a grand prix race on the weekend.  (well, the grand prix race was the reason i couldn't keep my hotel room the full week, but i wanted to know a little more about this moomba.)  he told me it was a festival with a carnival and parade centered over the Yarra river.  (actually the largest free festival of it's kind in australia.)  it's a part of their labor (labour for them) day celebrations.  there is an ongoing debate as to the actual meaning of 'moomba.'  some people claim it means, 'let's get together and have fun.'  but there is an etymological claim that in several aboriginal languages, 'moom' means bottom, and 'ba' means up.  so some think the name, 'up your bottom' was a cheeky suggestion made by the festival organizers who ended up usurping the original labor day parade.