Return to Oz

More journal entries kids, hope I get them typed before my time runs out (it is weekend and am therefore in cafe instead of library because lib is still on vacation hours -- blah!)

February 17th 2005 5pm

If I could, I'd be typing this right now instead of writing it, but since I'm at home drinking beer and watching soap operas (my god I'm turning into Mr. R -- sorry buddy, secret's out), and since when the mood strikes, it strikes -- here I am writing with the Bold & the Beautiful in the background. And the reason is this: Today at lunch my dad asked me what I've learned about Australia. I tried to think of all the subtle little differences I've noticed, but all I came up with was general knowledge -- stuff anyone who's read Bill Bryson can discuss with relative humour (if you haven't I recommend you do "In a Sunburned Country" It's a good read, even if he does come off as a bit of a dirty old man -- I know the type well unfortunately -- and he totally sells Canberra short). Like Saturday I saw my first red back spider, and have subsequently checked every single spider on my balcony for red marks. And there is a hole in the ozone layer. But there's other stuff -- stuff you have to be here to know, and for some reason the beer, and the mind numbing boredom (actually, I guess there's a lot of mind numbing going on here) of B&B has reminded me of those lists of things I like to make, which followers of the website know and love so well.
So let's do it up, Australian style:

Food:
- Raisins are Sultanas, therefore Raisin Bran is Sultana Bran
- Weetabix is just Weet-bix
- pumpkin everything! pumpkin instant soup mix! what?
- 2 litres of orange juice of less than Tropicana caliber is over 5 dollars!! omg!
- peppers are capsicums
- whiskey is not rye, or whiskey, but I can't remember the word...
- they don't have good mayonnaise.

Stores
- walmart is the BIG W -- they can change their name, but I'm so still on to them.

Slang
- G'day (of course)
- she'll be right (it'll be okay)
- how you going?
- how did she go? (how did you do?)
- no worries (you're welcome)
to be honest there'll be more additions to this list, I just haven't met that many Australians yet.

Coffee
- I would have put this with food, but Australian coffee is incredibly confusing and has a high comedic value, and therefore warrants its very own section.
It's not like going into a Timmie's and ordering a large double-double: no -- as DS was trying to explain, at my request, while we were swimming the other day -- Australian coffee gets ordered with such adjectives as tall/short, white/black, flat/full, fat/skinny, red/yellow/blue, big/small, etc. etc. (okay, I've exaggerated only slightly): in other words, a statement like "I like my coffee like I like my men... (tall hot and ginger)" really applies here. However, possibly not in the way my brother is fond of putting it... (I like my women like I like my coffee, ground up and in the freezer). So far I've succeeded in ordering a cappuccino and a chai latte. And to those things I may well stick, so as not to confuse the next Tim's staff member I encounter.

February 19th 2005 11:30 pm

Well, I've just been to see "Bride and Prejudice" and can I just say, Gurinder Chadha has done it again. I grinned all the way through. It was awesome. Also, how hot is this chick? Hell, I'd marry her (although the marriage wouldn't be a terribly fulfilling one, seeing as I'm resoundingly hetero, and against the institution of marriage -- mostly because I can get a rise out of my mother once in a while, not so much anymore, I should probably give that one up -- not to mention the fact that I'm completely smitten with my coffee. heh heh. Yes, that would be the final punchline to the joke that started in the pool a week ago -- and now I'll just close the parentheses and move on).
Anyway, I've thoroughly enjoyed my first Australian movie theatre experience. Not only a good movie, but they DIDN'T HAVE 3 HOURS OF PREVIEWS AT THE BEGINNING! Hurrah! and good on them.

Cheers.