Last stop, India

Has anyone noticed that India is suddenly the object of every international brand's affection? 

Every foreign brand worth its dollar (or euro) has been eying India these days with claims that "India is a very important market for us". Yeah, right! Wouldn't it be if no one from the rest of the world is buying your product?

So far, most of these top 'exclusive' luxury brands had royally snubbed India. And very conveniently, post a second economic slowdown, India has magically appeared in their marketing strategies.

The 64-year-old chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton Yves Carcelle, who has been heading the bag brand for 20 years now, has been reportedly quoted in a story saying, "We began working on our first store in India 10 years before we launched it in New Delhi in 2003."

So effectively, he's saying that the brand has made a conscious decision to enter India in 1993, which sounds ridiculously untrue. 

Mr Carcelle is not the only CEO to have made such claims. Very quickly (and this is just the tip of the iceberg with the latest FDI in retail and aviation coming into effect), CEOs of top international brands are scouting for a little space in not just tier I but even II and III cities. And the reason for this is not difficult to find.

Car and bike makers, luxury hotels and a host of brands like Armani and Brand USA are rushing in to make hay while this Indian subcontinent sun, with its billion-plus people, is shining. 

Seize the moment. In Melbourne. NOW!

They say that to truly understand a country and its people, it is important to know its history and where they come from. 

I agree. But personally, my interests are more contemporary in nature. I am more fascinated by how the place is now and how its people are today! What are their passions, what do they like to do after work, what are the slangs they use with friends, how do they like their food - I want to experience Melbourne and the melting pot of multicultural ethos that it is NOW! through all my senses. 

I'd like to go where the locals go, eat what they eat, and do what they do. Because to understand a culture and its people, you've got to merge with them and become one nebulous entity of pulsating mass.

This becomes even more exciting in a world city like Melbourne, which was ranked the world's most live-able city in 2011 and again in August 2012 by the Economist Group's Intelligence Unit.

Federation Square, Melbourne (courtesy Visit Melbourne)

In the by-lanes of Melbourne 
A buzzing, cosmopolitan city like Melbourne would present one with unlimited possibilities to indulge in its culture. 

On my wish list are activities that would help me submerge myself in the local culture and give me an opportunity to connect with the people of Melbourne: grab a feed at a popular restaurant, have a jug of beer at a watering hole and shake a leg at its various dance clubs, appreciate indigenous art, experience the live music scene and have a laugh at some seriously funny stand-up shows - the list is endless, really.     

But this isn't all. Australia, and the state of Victoria, is well-known for its nature, wildlife, beaches and outdoor activities. I would love to relax on the sunny beaches across Melbourne from the popular swimming spots at St Kilda to the bathing huts at Brighton. Go for a stroll to the city's parks like the Treasury Gardens, pay my respects to the Scarred Tree, and picnic at Flagstaff Gardens. There's nothing more refreshing than a walk amid thick foliage - something that is completely missing from my home city, Mumbai.

Sight for sore eyes
Something else that are conspicuous by their absence in Mumbai are walking trails and well-defined cycling paths. I'd love to do both while in Melbourne. Melbourne Heritage Walk and a walk along the Yarra River path top my wish list. 

And last but not in the very least - ballooning. No, not of the gluttonous kind but one with hot air in it. A beautiful city like Melbourne should be finally enjoyed from a hot air balloon to get a bird's eye view. It is bound to give visitors a perspective on the city that they have so enjoyed and loved.

A stay in Melbourne, as I see it, can be in slow motion and it can flying, jammed with activities that keep time with the city's heartbeat. It's your time to visit Melbourne NOW!