RIYADH: Leen Asiri is a 20-year-old student, currently reading politics at the University of Melbourne as a beneficiary of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program.
What’s the best thing about Melbourne?
The lifestyle. You’re busy 24/7, literally. You don’t have time to be bored. It’s a great city to improve yourself and look for a better future, in my opinion. Also, it’s a really walkable city, which I love.
And the worst thing?
As much as it’s a safe city, it’s sometimes not. When I first came here, I was out with my friends — Arab girls — and we were at a stoplight, and this homeless guy just started screaming at us. “Go back to your country!’ It was a very traumatizing experience. So that proved to me that, no matter how safe a country is, it doesn’t compare to how safe Saudi is, in my opinion. I wouldn’t advise being out on the streets here — as a young female — after 10 p.m.
St.Kilda Pier on St. Kilda Beach. (Getty Images)
What’s the general vibe there?
It’s hectic — everyone’s busy with something: their career, uni, whatever… no one’s free for anything. But it’s also laid back during the weekends — everything just calms down. Weekends are really sacred here. Like, you cannot ask someone to email you on a weekend. That’s taboo.
Like all of Australia, really, Melbourne has so many people bringing their culture here. Like, you can see Chinese food places all over the place, Arabic food places, French food. It’s just a lot of different cultures mixed in a blender — that’s basically Melbourne.
Would you say it’s a good place to travel to with kids?
I’d say it’s family-friendly, but I don’t think there’s a lot of entertainment. I don’t think kids would have that much fun here. Melbourne is really just a university area. I think Sydney would be more suitable for family fun.
Would you describe Melbourne as ethnically diverse?
Yes, very. The locals are very welcoming of every ethnicity, every culture. As soon as they hear you’re Saudi, they’re like, “Oh my god, we hear about it all over the news, but we never actually see people from there.” It’s very welcoming. There are a lot of Islamic societies, Saudi societies, and also the Saudi Cultural Bureau really helps out. They often have events, which is really helpful with homesickness and loneliness.
The La Trobe Reading Room at State Library Victoria. (Getty Images)
Are the residents as friendly in general?
They’re friendly if you approach them, but they don’t usually approach international students. I do feel like there’s some kind of discrimination, but I don’t want to be judge-y. It’s like, “We hang out with each other. You’re international students. You’re chill, but we wouldn’t vibe with you.” It’s kind of an unwritten rule. But not all of them are like that.
Is it an easy place for Muslims to practice their religion?
I wouldn’t really say it’s “easy.” I have to go a long way to find halal food. Otherwise, I’m just stuck with Indomie (instant noodles), basically. Or cheese sandwiches. There are mosques, but they’re not widely publicized — just word of mouth. But they have a mosque in the university, which is really great. And in some of the buildings, they have small areas they call quiet rooms, where you can go and pray.
What’s the best time of year to visit, in terms of the weather?
Winters are super-cold, summers are super-hot. I wouldn’t say as hot as Saudi, but it’s close. So, I’d say the best time of year would be the end of May into June. That’s basically autumn. The vibes are amazing. It’s so enjoyable. It starts to get cold at the end of June. Then it’s basically winter from August until just before December.
What would you do on your ideal weekend in your city?
I’d go to the local farmers’ market — the Queen Victoria Market. The vibes there are amazing. It’s so nice. You find food, fresh veggies, fresh fruits and some clothing stands and accessories and gifts… stuff like that. It’s not a tourist area; you go there for calm vibes, eating, drinking coffee, and sightseeing. That’s basically what I might do during my weekend.
Queen Victoria Market. (Getty Images)
Where would you go sightseeing?
I’d go to the parks: the local parks are so beautiful. Other than that, I’d go 30 minutes away from the city to the nearest beach, St. Kilda. It’s absolutely gorgeous. The beaches here are the best. When I want to get away from all the chaos and noise, I just run away to whatever beach, and it calms me down.
Which famous tourist attraction would you recommend people visit?
Apart from St. Kilda, I’d say the Queen Victoria Library (State Library Victoria), which is a famous old library with so much about Australian history and literature. It’s so big. And Melbourne Central, which is the most famous mall in Melbourne. I’d also recommend some outlets for saving money, which are really nice, like Spencer Outlet and DFO.
What’s your city’s best hidden gem?
There are two streets. One is called Flinders Street. It’s near the biggest train station. It has a lot of good cafés and good food places. The other is Little Bourke Street. It’s the same idea. Again, a lot of good cafés, and some really beautiful street art.
What’s your favorite restaurant in the city?
Zambrero. I could eat there every day. It’s a healthy Mexican fast food place. It’s really difficult to find healthy food as a student, because you just want something fast and cheap. Zambrero is literally that — fast, healthy and cheap. I love it so much.
What’s your favorite store in the city?
I go to Kmart. It’s like Abu Khamsa (in Saudi. It’s cheap, in Australian terms. It has everything and anything. I love it.
Any other places you’d recommend to visitors?
Yo-Chi. It’s this really popular self-serve frozen-yogurt place. It’s so good. I love it so much. The vibe is amazing. They’re really welcoming.
What’s the best hotel in the city?
People are really big on Airbnbs. To be honest, I’m not built for Airbnbs, but I’ve been in the Hilton DoubleTree over here, and it’s really nice. I would recommend it.
Which neighborhood would you recommend people look for accommodation in?
Carlton. It’s a very Italian-oriented neighborhood with a lot of good food places. And it’s really safe compared to other areas. It’s on the outskirts of the city, but not far. And it’s really close to most of the universities.
Where do you go when you’re feeling homesick or nostalgic for ?
To be honest, nothing gives off the vibe of home. Nothing is similar to Saudi in Australia. It’s like the polar opposite. So, this is kind of a weird answer, but I’d say this coffee shop called Brunetti. It’s basically an Arab hot spot, and I think you’d find Saudis there. So maybe, if you’re an extrovert, you can socialize with people from back home over there.
