First farmers’ market and first movie of the year

A half hour tram ride followed by a short walk and the Veg-Out Farmer’s Market is waiting for to tempt buyers with the usual array of goods plus seasonal summer produce. 

Entrance to the market

Today a vendor is selling well-priced, almost-fresh fish from Lakes Entrance. The fish, whiting and flathead, were caught Thursday, packed Friday and being sold today in pre-packed quantities best suited to people with families and/or freezers.

Shoppers resting in  the shade

And now for the green egg stall

The Soup Kitchen larder is restocked with eggs, honey, potatoes, beans, peas and as a special seasonal treat a punnet of red currants is packed into the shopping bag. The red-currant seller suggests using them in salads where they team up well with cucumber. This suggestion will be passed on the Head Chef who may, or may not, be open to this idea.

Passing Luna Park on the way back to the tramstop.

The first movie of the year is a spur of the moment decision, prompted by a notice in today’s paper about a special screening at ACMI of the movie Tanna with the director taking questions after the screening. I had missed the first release of this film and having visited the island of Tanna in 2004, I was keen not to miss it this time.

The story is set around a time when it was kastom among the people of Tanna for marriages to be arranged and it shows the consequences for a young couple when they decide to follow their hearts.  People from the village of Yakel took the parts in the film and if you want to know more, read here; you will have to click on Home and then search for the article (life wasn't meant to be easy) it’s a wonderful insight into the story behind the making of the film.  I was delighted with Tanna, especially the wonderful cinematography.  The scenes showing the areas around the volcano, known as Yahul (the Spirit Mother) to the people of Yakel, were absolutely spectacular.  

The Q&A session after we had viewed the film took an unusual turn when Lingai, father of Selin, the lively little girl in the film, took questions in Tok Pisin, the language of Papua New Guinea. The translation was conducted through a member of the audience who lives/lived in PNG and spoke Tok Pisin; sitting in the audience listening to the back and forth of the conversation I felt I was sitting in a mini-united nations.

Walking outside into the heat and sun of a summer afternoon was a complete contrast to the cool and dark of the cinema.  A water slide has been set up in Federation Square for people, big and small, to cool off in and it was quite popular.

You pay your money, grab a tube and slide down between the pink dividers.

And it all finishes with a splash at the end.