HOT Chat: Carley Andrews of Ujamaa Hostel

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

Today’s HOT Chat is the first time I’m interviewing a Melburnian who actually no longer lives in Melbourne. Melbourne-born Carley Andrews now lives in Tanzania with her husband, running a hostel focusing on providing volunteer work opportunities. I was inspired to interview her after reading about her new project, a childrens’ home, which she has just started with Melbourne lawyer Lucy Bradlow. Thanks Carley!

Carley, tell me a bit more about your background, how you ended up in Arusha, Tanzania and came to run the Ujamaa Hostel?

I first volunteered in Kenya in 2006 and loved the experience, but I went with large company, paid lots of money (none of which went to the project) and was disappointed with the level of support.

A year later I went to Tanzania to volunteer with an independent company, I intended to stay for about a month, but I never left! I met my husband (who is Tanzanian) when I was volunteering in a town called Moshi, which is about an hour away from where I now live.

We decided to move to Arusha and set up the Ujamaa Hostel because we both love volunteering and helping other people. We also wanted to provide a cost-effective and safe way for others to volunteer in the local community.

What is the philosophy of Ujamaa Hostel?

“Ujamaa” is the Swahili word for “familyhood” and is based on the community working together for the good of the whole. Many of the big companies charge huge amounts of money to volunteer and none of the money goes to the projects. We wanted to change that. We believe that if you spend your money coming here and give your time to help others, then you shouldn’t have to pay to volunteer. And if you have extra money to donate, it should go directly to the projects, not to an off-shore company.

When you volunteer with us the only cost is your accommodation. We spend time sourcing reputable and worthwhile local projects where volunteers can spend their time and we provide them with a range of in-country support.

Your first project is the Ujamaa Children’s Home, which you started in conjunction with Melbourne lawyer Lucy Bradlow. What inspired you both to start this project and what is the purpose of the Ujamaa Children’s Home?

I have worked with and managed many projects over the years and have learnt a great deal from these experiences. I have always wanted to create my own project, but I felt that I needed to spend time on the ground here learning the culture and the language before I could effectively run my own project.

I met Lucy when she was working in Arusha at the Rwanda War Crimes Tribunal and she volunteered with us in her spare time. Our goals and beliefs were so similar we started working together and fundraising for different projects. We decided to create our own project after seeing others being mis-managed and we felt that we have the experience, dedication and commitment to build a successful and long-lasting Home for children in need.

Our relationship works really well because I am able to manage the Ujamaa Children’s Home on the ground in Tanzania and Lucy is able deal with the fundraising and legal aspects back in Australia.

What have you found to be some of the most interesting or challenging aspects of living and working in Tanzania?

Tanzania is different from many other African countries because it is socially and politically stable. There are over 120 tribes here and they all live together in harmony. They are proud of their tribe, but they are more proud to be Tanzanian. Tribal beliefs are strong and well-maintained and while Swahili and English are the official languages you can’t go a day without hearing many other tribal dialects.

The culture here is incredibly rich and interesting, but it is very different from Australia. First and foremost, there is “Africa time”. There’s no hurry in Africa and everything happens at its own pace. You really can’t force things to happen at a normal “Western” pace and if you do, you’ll just end up frustrated and things still won’t happen any faster. This also allows for setting your own work hours and relaxing into a lifestyle that can be reasonably stress free.

There is a lot that is available here, but nothing quite works the way you’ll expect it to, so everyday is an adventure…which is sometimes a bit tiring! There are regular power and water cuts, but generally I live a fairly normal life.

The scenery is incredible and I live just an hour away from Mt Kilimanjaro and a couple of hours from the world’s greatest safari parks. There are often monkeys around town too.

For the most part I feel safe in Arusha, however you cannot walk around at night and we do have Masai Guards at the house 24/7.

The poverty level here is high and there is so much need, but you just do what you can to help and you have to understand that you can’t fix everything.

What are your next plans for Ujamaa Hostel and the Ujamaa Children’s Home?

Ujamaa Hostel continues to expand and we are working with a range of different projects including an orphanage, a Nursery School and some Vocational Training Centres for disadvantaged youths. We love having our volunteers and are so lucky to be able to provide people with this experience. It really has a profound effect on people and it’s awesome that we get to be a part of that.

With Ujamaa Children’s Home, firstly we are looking to gain steady financial support so that we can take in more children. We currently have 5 amazing kids in the house and we’d love to help more.

Our next goal is to raise money to buy land and build a proper house for the Home. We’re currently renting a house which is fine for now, but we want to build a house that is designed specifically for our needs.

You’ve live in Tanzania for nearly 3 years but many of your family and friends still live in Melbourne. What are your favourite places to visit or things to do when you return to Melbourne?

I love coming back to Melbourne and visiting friends and family. My Mum’s cooking is always top of the list and I often spend a lot of time in the Supermarket, there just isn’t the same variety in Arusha.

If I’m eating out, I always go to Rococo (87 Acland St, St Kilda +) with my brother, they have the most amazing salads, breads and pastas. I can never get Mexican food in Arusha, so I make sure I go to Amigos (7/478 Chapel St, South Yarra, +) as well.

The food in Australia is great, because it’s always fresh and quick, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get it.

The London (92 Beach St, Port Melbourne +) in Port Melbourne is my parent’s “local” so we always go there for a meal and a drink. Awesome steak sandwich.

If it’s summer, we’ll go to The Local Taphouse (184 Carlisle St, St Kilda East, +) or The Railway Hotel (29 Chapel Street, Windsor +).

I really love just walking around town and getting a coffee with friends. There are no shops in Arusha that sell new items, so I’m always stocking up on clothes and DVDs.

I also love to get some acupuncture at Vitality in Albert Park and to stock up on organic products (282 Richardson Street, Middle Park +).

HOT Spots Winter 2010

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

P1050628v1 Once again the City of Melbourne have produced a free pocket-sized booklet full of lots of ideas to inspire you to get out of the house and enjoy winter in Melbourne. This is a post to bookmark!

I sat down with a cup of tea and flicked through the booklet, which you can pick up at many inner city shops, cafes and bars, as well as the Melbourne Visitors Centre, NGV and ACMI. It covers new places and old classics split up into five geographical sections, some of which have been reviewed on the blog before and some of which I’ve earmarked for a visit. Here are my highlights:

Central

The Wheeler Centre. The new heart for Melbourne’s literary culture, the Wheeler Centre holds frequent author’s talks, some of them free. I’m going to hear Ayaan Hirsi Ali speak on Thursday 29 July.

Melbourne International Film Festival. I look forward to MIFF every year – for three weeks I get to hibernate in the city’s cinemas and feast on great films. Last year I managed to get to fifteen of them!

Previously blogged Izakaya Den, Tessuti Fabrics and Movida Aqui get a mention and I’m aiming to hit pizza specialists Barbagallo, new bar 24 Moons and hot new Mexican eatery (again, with better lighting).

Northside

The North Melbourne Market has become a regular event held every two months. So many new options for me here – cheese galore at La Latteria, take home cassoulet at La Parisienne Pates, authentic Indian food at the Classic Curry Co, browsing vintage furniture and bric-a-brac at The Junk Company and having a pub lunch at Hotel Lincoln.

Cultural

I’m not going to see Mary Poppins the Musical because I saw it recently in London, and it was one of the most magical, fun and joyous theatrical events I’ve ever been to. When Mary Poppins flew into the air the whole crowd spontaneously broke out into cheers! Highly recommended.

And I’m definitely going to try Tsindos, a 30-year old stalwart of Little Greece in Lonsdale Street and I’m told home to great mezethes.

Westside

I was excited to hear about Urban Reforestation, a community garden, eco shop and educational centre in the middle of concrete-and-glass Docklands. Their aim is to inspire urban farming for sustainability and food security (they’re currently investigating the possibility of rooftop farms!) through consultation with corporates and for helping individuals with gardening lessons and cooking classes.

I think I’ll combine a visit to Urban Reforestation with a stroll around the Docklands Sunday Market and maybe a late lunch as part of Slow Sundays, where you get a $15 tasting plate with beer or wine between 2-6pm every Sunday from 20 June – 29 August.

Southside

I’ve just renewed by NGV membership so I will be heading to NGV’s Winter Masterpieces 2010 European Masters: Stadel Museum 19-20th Century between 19 June – 10 October.

ACMI is hosting a huge Tim Burton exhibition direct from New York’s MOMA from 24 June – 10 October which I’m quite excited about.

State of Design, Victoria’s design festival, is happening between 14-25 July and once again I’ll be immersing myself in all things design for two weeks. As part of the festival Melbourne Open House is on 24-25 July where lots of heritage buildings will be open to the public – a great way to learn some of the stories and history behind the city.

Last but not least, Melbourne Design Market is happening at Federation Square carpark again on Sunday 11 July. This year will be extra special for me because the lovely Kath and Ben from Jellybean Bikes and my new cycling clothing and accessories business CycleStyle will be setting up a cycle-licious stall at the market! Come and say hi.

For details and more winter ideas, check out That’s Melbourne.

HOT: Little Creatures Dining Hall, 222 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

Most people know of Little Creatures through their beer, so it’s great to see this WA-based boutique brewery branch out into a natural partnership of Little Creatures beer served with good pub grub in Melbourne.

The Little Creatures Dining Hall is no run-of-the-mill boozer though. It’s a lofty warehouse converted into a friendly diner, with low booths and easygoing wooden tables and chairs. On the Sunday of our visit it was filled with families and I can see why – the atmosphere is relaxed and hums with enough noise so there’s no need for kids to be hushed, there’s space for running antics, plenty of interesting paraphernalia to poke through and the aisles are wide enough to fit prams.

That’s not to say that it’s just an upscale version of McDonalds though. Firstly, of course, there’s a strong focus on beer and you can do a tasting of all their beers by buying 125ml ‘ponies’ of each.

Little Creatures Dining Hall, 222 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Secondly, the menu, while not being particularly challenging, does go beyond burgers and fish and chips. I tried the pizza with chorizo, feta and unusual pops of sweetcorn ($19), RM had the melting lamb shanks and we share a large bowl of chips ($8) which I was pleased to see still had their skins on.

Thirdly, and this is my favourite, they hire out classic Swedish Kronan bikes for free to anyone who wants them. You don’t have to eat or drink at Little Creatures – just leave an imprint of your credit card and return the bike by sundown/around 6pm (if you don’t return it, you’ll be charged $1000 a bike – you’ve been warned). The bikes come with locks, helmets and back racks. What a great neighbourhood scheme!

Little Creatures Dining Hall, +

HOT: Cafe Provincial, The Provincial Hotel, 299 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

You know you’ve officially turned middle-aged at 30 when you go out for a proper sit-down meal before a gig at the Evelyn Hotel instead of grabbing something greasy from Souvlaki King and downing support act beers.

Second confession. Even when I wasn’t middle-aged I never had a drink at the Provincial Hotel. But I have eaten at the adjoining Cafe Provincial several times over the years and never been disappointed.

So, for our pre-gig sit down meal RM had the day’s special braised beef and bacon pie ($28.50) and I had the Otway pork belly with pear puree, roast sweet potato and rocket ($27). I can never resist pork belly and this was a very good example of the cut – a nice hunk of soft meat beneath a smear of fat and a lightly crispy cover, almost like a creme brulee crackling.

Personally I’m not a fan of pie where it’s just a ramekin covered with a pastry crust (why deny the opportunity to put more butter into your body?) but RM pointed out that this is quite common practice so I could hardly take marks off for that detail. The inside of the ‘pie’ contained generous chunks of meat which seemed to have been cooked with something very earthy, perhaps mushrooms? Anyway, the rich aromas lifted it beyond your bog-standard pub pie and RM was very happy with his choice.

We really didn’t need dessert but were tempted by the chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream and sweet caramel popcorn ($15). This stylishly presented dessert is definitely more suitable for two or even three people – the slice of tart is really just pure chocolate and a couple of spoonfuls is enough. I liked the contrast of the crunchy popcorn with the creamy chocolate ganache but I will take marks off for the commercial vanilla ice cream without a speck of vanilla bean in sight, plus I think the tart may have been microwaved or heated in some way, as the edges were soft but the inside was quite solid, and the pastry bottom was definitely melting away in butter and crumbs. Strange.

Overall, my niggles with Cafe Provincial were minor and willingly overlooked given the good solid food we were served in front of the open fireplace.

Cafe Provincial, The Provincial Hotel, +

HOT Chat: Stef Dadon and Elise Kausman of Up & Comers Fashion Market

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

We interrupt our usual blogging schedule today to bring you this week’s HOT Chat a couple of days early. That’s because Stef Dadon and Elise Kausman are launching the Up & Comers Fashion Market this Saturday 15 May, and of course you need to know about it now rather than on Sunday.

RMIT Graduate Stef and Melbourne University student Elise are vintage sellers and fashion lovers and the Up & Comers Fashion Market is their brainchild. They’ve gathered over 30 men’s and women’s clothing and accessories stalls at historic 19th century Art Deco theatre Ormond Hall from 11-5pm tomorrow. Ormond Hall is part of the Belgian Beer Cafe, which means that while you’re browsing the market you can enjoy drinks from the bar inside the hall, sample the full bar menu or grab something from the barbecue or waffle stand in the courtyard.

Stef and Elise have kindly taken the time out from their hectic schedules to answer a few questions for MEL: HOT OR NOT today. Thanks ladies!

Stef and Elise, tell me a bit more about your backgrounds and the Up & Comers Fashion Market?

S: I studied Professional Communication at RMIT, and just graduated last December. I was initially looking to start working with a PR firm or an event management company, but we came up with the concept for the market in January, and suddenly I found myself pretty busy. I’ve since been working almost full time on the market, but hopefully after the opening this week things will slow down a little.

E: At the moment I’m studying Biomedicine at Melbourne University. It can be a bit dry at times, so it’s been great to have the market as a creative outlet.

S: The Up & Comers Fashion Market is all about uniqueness and creativity. It’s a place where you know you can come and find something that you won’t see everyone else wearing.

E: We have found some really talented new designers. It’s also a fun place to go just to hang out with friends – the atmosphere is great and we’ve got live DJs, a bar and food stalls.

How did you select the stallholders and who are some of the designers we can expect to see at the first market?

E: We select stallholders based on their originality, imagination, the quality of their designs and whether they bring something new to the market. We source stallholders from all over Australia and have also received an exciting amount of applications. And by the way, we’re constantly looking for new designers…so if there’s anyone out there looking to kick-start their collection – let us know!

S: There are so many amazing designers that will be selling at the first market. A few names are Mina & Oli, Depths of the Never Never, Harvest Powell, …I’ll stop there before I give too much away.

What challenges have you faced getting the market up and running?

S: One of the biggest challenges we faced was getting people to believe that the market would be a success. In the beginning, designers were sceptical and it was difficult to persuade them to come on board, as all we really had was the general concept.

E: Deciding on a name took forever! We also had to try to find the perfect place – location, size, facilities and ambience are all so important. Personally, the hardest thing for me has been trying to balance organising the market, my sporting commitments and my ridiculous amount of uni work.

What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?

S: It’s always better to be overly professional. When you’re professional people take you more seriously. I’ve found this is so important – even in fashion!

E: If you don’t try, you’ll never know what you can achieve. Over a year ago, all we had was a bunch of ideas and a keen interest in the fashion world. Since then we’ve started up our own vintage label, LadyLikes, and are now launching what we think will be one of the best markets in Melbourne.

What people, places or things do you turn to for fashion inspiration?

S: I travel overseas quite a bit, and I love wandering the streets and having a look at what people are wearing in other parts of the world. I also love looking through my grandmother’s wardrobe – she never throws anything away and has so many incredible pieces from the 60s and 70s.

E: I draw a lot of my inspiration from vintage clothing. I spend hours upon hours in op shops and markets.

What are you wearing at the moment?

S: I have this crazy obsession with skulls at the moment, my most recent purchase is a gold skull ring that has literally been attached to my finger since I bought it. I also love anything that’s oversized, black or vintage.

E: I’m really into layering different pieces to create a more exciting look. My favourite item in my wardrobe right now is a pair of high waisted black, velvet shorts that I bought from a vintage store overseas.

Finally, what are your tips for what’s HOT in Melbourne?

S: One of the many things I love about Melbourne is that there are always new and exciting things to discover. There’s a comedy night on every Monday at The Local (184 Carlisle St, St Kilda +) that I’ve recently discovered and I’ve been going there quite a bit. Some of the comedians are just locals giving it a go, and then you can also see some pretty big names.

In terms of cafes, Batch Espresso (320 Carlisle Street, Balaclava +) is a major favourite (the avocado smash is delicious), I practically live at Nest Food and Drink (117 Wattletree Rd, Malvern +) where they make the BEST bagels and sandwiches, and Monk Bodhi Dharma (202 Carlisle St, Balaclava +) is a great hidden treasure (if you can find it).

E: I love going out for a quiet drink with friends – and Melbourne’s bars don’t disappoint. Madame Brussels in the city is great, and of course Belgian Beer Café on St Kilda Road!

The Up & Comers Fashion Market is on 11-5pm on Saturday 15 March, then every second Saturday of the month. Check it out at Ormond Hal, Belgian Beer Cafe, 557 St Kilda Rd, Prahran (enter via Moubray St). For stall enquiries, contact

HOT: Temperance Hotel, 426 Chapel St, South Yarra

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

Temperance Hotel Chapel St South Yarra Melbourne Hot or Not review

The Temperance Hotel is a pub dressed up in stiletto heels, fake tan and disco bling.

In the heart of Chapel Street South Yarra, it’s frequented by sleekly groomed youngsters who all kind of look the same to me, and hence I’ve never given it a second glance. However if you can look past the perfect blonde tresses and Industrie t-shirts you’ll find a multi-room interior which is best described as Victorian pub-meets-mirrorball, a friendly British-manned bar and a reasonably priced menu of wood-fired pizzas and pub classics.

On the day Poppy (from the blog Poppy Gets a Life) and I went for a casual blog-fuelled dinner, they were offering pizza and a glass of house wine for $12. The pizzas were surprisingly good, with the thin crisp bases still managing to support a generous amount of topping.

Temperance Hotel Chapel St South Yarra Melbourne Hot or Not review

We shared a mushroom, olive, goats cheese and pumpkin pizza ($16) and a Moroccan beef, buffalo mozzarella and basil pizza ($17), both of which came out oozing cheese on individual wooden paddles.

If you’re looking for a casual place to hang out in South Yarra (even if you don’t fit the South Yarra mould), catch up with friends for a drink and munch on some good-value non-confrontational pub grub, then the Temperance Hotel is worth a try.

Temperance Hotel, +

HOT: Von Haus, 1 Crossley St, Melbourne

Posted on April 7, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

Von Haus. I’m imagining a private club for beardy little men with a penchant for tweed knickerbockers.

The reality is much more cool. Von Haus is a café/bar with an almost invisible doorway on achingly stylish Crossley Street. Step inside and it’s like being in your best friend’s cosy, rustic dining room with perfectly distressed walls.

The big wooden communal table invites convivial conversation while the benchtop facing the rusty grilled window is the perfect place to perch solo with your morning paper. The small room is overlooked by a kitchen which looks like it was lifted from my dream terrace house.

The breakfast menu is spartan – eggs, toast, muesli and unfortunately the day I was there, a shortage of Spanish tortilla. So instead I opted for a bowl of housemade muesli with yoghurt.

I know it’s not as healthy, but I prefer my muesli toasted, so the Von Haus non-toasted version didn’t really grab me. I also declined the proferred honey but in retrospect the rather bland oats-heavy mix could have done with the lift. I did like the fresh apple mohawk though.

While I didn’t love my muesli, Von Haus gets a HOT because I’ve been before for post-work drinks and nibbles as well as a lovely lunch. It’s a relaxing, friendly space and all the better for its slightly hidden location.

Check out what The Age and Tummyrumbles had to say about it.

Von Haus, +

HOT: The Graham Hotel, 97 Graham Street, Port Melbourne

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

In the last of Gourmet Chick‘s guest posts series, we take a trip to Port Melbourne to sample some gastropub fare. Gourmet Chick is a Melburnian living in London who writes about food in London and around the world (including Melbourne) at www.gourmet-chick.com. You can also follow her on Twitter . Thanks Gourmet Chick!

When is a gastro pub not a gastro pub? When it is The Graham Hotel in Port Melbourne, which has gone so far down the gastro path that you can’t really call it a pub anymore.

Drinking is still an important part of The Graham experience but it is drinking from The Graham‘s extensive wine list over a long lunch or drinking a cocktail at the wine bar around the back. The main pub area has been entirely converted into a restaurant which is filled with smart white clothed tables where diners can look out the picture windows to watch the street life go by.

There is also a lovely private room which accomodates 28 people and is where I ate on my most recent visit . Helpfully for groups The Graham offers a $59 two course menu which is great value for food of this calibre.

The Graham 97 Graham St Port Melbourne Hot or Not review

The food is modern Australian sporting lots of Asian and Meditteranean influences. To begin, a trio of chilli barbecque prawns ($21.50) which were served on an Asian salad of green paw paw and thai basil. The prawns had a lovely fiery kick to them although mine had been slightly overcooked giving them a slighly acrid charred flavour.

Goats cheese tortelli ($16.50) was a small serving of wide pasta layered over stuffed zucchini flowers and ricotta. This was a really light and fresh pasta dish.

The Graham 97 Graham St Port Melbourne Hot or Not review

Rice crusted snapper ($34.50) was served with a beautifully crisped skin on top of tempura eggplant and prawn fritter. Fresh seafood doesn’t really get better than this and the fritter was the perfect accompaniment.

Throughout our (rather long) lunch the service was fantastic. Two of our friends at the lunch had babies with them and the waitress held their babies for them while they ate. This was a lovely touch that was clearly going above and beyond what is expected and it allowed the babies’ mothers to actually enjoy their meals.

The Graham is run by twins Tony and Peter Giannakis and is a real stalwart of the Melbourne restaurant/gastropub scene. My latest meal there showed why people keep on going back to it.

Here at MEL: HOT OR NOT we also love south-of-the-river gastropubs The Palace by Luke Mangan and O’Connell’s Centenary Hotel.

You can check out the rest of Gourmet Chick‘s guests posts on Sunburnt Country and Naked Japan.

The Graham Hotel, 3207 Ph +

HOT: Siglo Bar, Level 2, 161 Spring St, Melbourne

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Jetsetting Joyce

Siglo Bar Spring Street Melbourne

The summer heat is fading, so now’s your final chance to lounge around in the breeze of Melbourne’s open-air rooftop bars.

Melbourne’s CBD offers a rooftop aesthetic for everyone, from kitsch (Madame Brussels), funky (Rooftop Bar) to corporate (Collins Quarter). The classiest of them all is Siglo Bar, which sits atop of the elegant restaurant The European and the leather-and-wood polish of the Melbourne Supper Club.

Siglo commands spectacular views of the genteel 19th century side of Spring Street, with the columns of Parliament House on one side and the dome of the Princess Theatre on the other. The graceful setting demands good wine and fine champagne and the crowd is generally dressed up and cashed up. That’s not to say it’s stuffy, but if you’re looking for underground edginess or a revolving dance floor this is not the place to find it. It’s a lovely place for a soothing after-work drink before heading out to dinner or the perfect locale for drinks and nibbles while watching the sun sink away and the lights of the Spring Street come to life.

Siglo Bar +‎