Things I still don't get after 6 months in Australia

[robinpud]

apart from the obvious one- WHY DON'T THEY BUILD PROPER HOUSES WITH INSULATION AND HEATING????

What on earth is Manchester and why is it on sale in lots of supermarkets- is it something about mancunians the Australains don't like?

My renaud's syndrome has come back since I came to Melbourne ... haven't had it for the whole 5 years on Auckland

yes, cott today, although like freo south beach too

nice innit?

oh hello sunbathing beauty

Suzy- now you are pissing me off seriously.
At least dh didn't have to scrape the car this morning.. but I did nearly piss myself laughing at the shocked woman interviewed on Sunrise this morning who said" I am wearing 18 items of clothing!"
I love the way no one has a proper coat despite the fact it's f* freezing but they all "rug up"
Ghosty- my Raynaud's was fab for the first 5 months. My consultant was sooo pleased I was coming here. It's killing me now.

So more wierd things
Why do I have to pay for the alcohol in a different part of the supermarket?

Why bother pricing stuff at $2.37 whe they don't have the coins to even make that amount?

Are there any swear words the Aussies do actually find offensive... ds has a HUGE repertoire and if I try and correct him, he tells me his teacher says it..

I am also howling at the thread on here about SATS. I have yet to meet a parent here who boasts about their child's academic performance. They do however boast about their sporting prowess.. a lot

It's fascinating how much more different the set up is here. I thought it would be just like the Uk but with lots of lovely lovely hot sunshine!!

Ghosty- got solme lovely spider photos fromy my stay here.. wanna see them? Shall i do a picture trail thingy?

Hi Robinpud

The second reef trip was much more successful than the first, then we did the daintree river thing and Cape Tribulation and Kuranda just the same as you did.

Husband changes jobs on Monday - Visa not approved yet......

Off to Darwin and Kakadu for some more sunshine soon. The winter here is ridiculous.

Okay, things I don't get (also after six months)

1. Parking in the direction of travel
2. Saying "Twat" on the radio. A lot.
3. Bumper to kerb parking
4. No right turn - aaaargh
5. Bread v. expensive
6. Lack of heating
7. Cockroaches (Sydney)
8. Bonds Knickers
9. Showing photo ID to send a parcel overseas
10. Bert Newton's face all over the telly
11. Doonas, lollies, manchester, textas, SMS
12. Endless quiz shows
13. Sparks from electric sockets
14. Arvo, Paddo, Docco, Good-oh
15. No rainchecks (what does it mean?)

Still - the most beautiful continent on earth so "good on ya"

Mogwai= glad to hear that it was good. Queensland is so beautiful and so empty. We loved it. Hope the visa comes through quick!

I know what a raincheck is!!( had to ask though some time ago!) Do you know what a greenslip is?
I hate the parking thing too- and missing those signs where they tell you you have to park a certain way and realising yours is the only car facing the wrong way.

The kids have developed quite a twang. Dd has a friend called Dueyaaaaaannn. When I met her she turned out to be called Joanne.

Bread- very expensive but so much better than at home- rolls are enormous though.

Another thing that obsesses them here is having absolutely the right clothing for every different activity/club/season. no turning up to do sport in an old pair of green flash trainers and some hand me down shorts. You need the official club kit!

Have you done a pie order yet? Have you seen a chocolate wheel?

Mogwai - bonds knickers (imho) are the equivalent of M&S knickers. I wore the ones I brought to the UK with me for years until they fell apart (sorry tmi!) and buy more every time I'm home. The bonds wondersuits for babies are gorgeous as well....

I really don't miss the cockroaches though or Bert Newton (although he's probably considered a national treasure )

Ooooh Bonds knickers. I left Oz in 2000 and am still using my Bonds. They look as good as the day I bought them (well maybe a little faded). Even better than M&S.

Mogawai - agree with lots of those, except parking the same direction as travel - parking against the traffic causes havoc in London! Also, if you are getting sparks from your electrical sockets you have a serious problem!!
The other thing that bothers me is the lack of "nice" country pubs. Seems as soon as you get out of cities, the pubs turn into grubby boozers with old men who stare! I know they do exist, but they are few and far between.

god, I thought it was just being in an antique house (50 years old) that mant sparks fly from the sockets

sometimes, for devilment, I park IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION!!!!!!!! I ahve only every seen 3 traffic wardens in 3 years.

Polar opposite from Harringey. Thank Feck.

Having been to Oz and NZ there seems to be a real difference in the way the cultures are talked about to tourists.

In Oz we were told about the law in Alice Springs where the Aboriginals are not allowed to sit together in groups in the town - on a bit of waste ground - it is a law bought in by the local gov.

Considering how their culture is to sit around and talk and pass stories on and generally have a gossip

To us it seemed very unfair that they were told it was not allowed

Although, I am half Aussie and half English, we were there as tourists.

If any Aussies or Kiwis are feeling homesick in London there is a deffo brill shop in Maiden Lane, near Covent Garden, that sells food, drink, books, cds etc from Down Under

vest is a singlet.

A skivvy is a long sleeved shirt with a 'turtleneck' collar like the Wiggles wear

mogwai - twat does not have same meaning here as it does in the UK - I used it in the UK and got some very shocked looks and was stunned until someone told me what it meant

raincheck - means if something is on sale in the catalogue and you get to the store and they have none. You fill out a raincheck and it means when they get the stock in - no matter when it is - you will still get it at that sale price even if the sale is finished.

bonds undies - very comfy undies - Fabulous

what about a chocolate drive/ lamington drive? Staples of P and fundraising

bonds babygros - brilliant - have some that are on their 5th child and still going strong.

Bonds singlets ( vests) on their fifth or sixth child and still going strong.

never had a spark from an electrical socket!

The aussie shop RTKANGA - oh I loved that - always went when I visited London and often bought online when I needed my fix. Although our local tescos started selling vegemite and timtams.

Mogwai ... your list is brilliant ...

I nearly died the first time I heard a weather report on NZ radio ... it went something like this:

"And the weather has been fine in most parts of the North Island, with clear skies and temperatures of around 15 degrees. It is all going tits up for Wellingtonians this afternoon, however .... "

ROFLMAO ... I sprayed my tea all over the kitchen

I was in NZ long enough to see that parking in the direction of the traffic is a good thing.

The Melbourne Hook Turn anyone???? Haven't dared do it yet ... last week I turned left, then left again then left again to go straight into the road I wanted that was originally a hook turn ... phew

Please could someone tell me what a raincheck is? I still don't know. Ta.

BUT BUT BUT, in Melbourne you just cannot BEAT the coffee latte culture ... I LOVE IT!

x post with eids ...
Morning lovey! xxx

morning - bit chilly down your way this morning??

lovely 5 degrees here this morning but the sun is shining and it is due to get to 20!

Target do lots of no raincheck on their toy sale things cause they are only being offered for toy sale rather than a standard product - and that saves them ordering more in. That's why people go mad at the toy sale.

Suzywong - i lived there for a year!! i was teaching on an exchange.

Purpleturtle is now sitting next to me and says 'Hi'

I'm off to Target toysale and hoping to put stuff on layby. What a great idea that is! No having to hide your pressies until xmas eve.. you can just collect them then. Cool.

Anybody know how many calories there are in a latte? My time at the gym seems completely wasted and I am wondering if my burgeoning fiugre is due to my ever increasing latte habit

Hello Sandgropers! Even if it was only for a whilte

I'm actually in the process of writing a lot of stuff down about my year in Australia (90,000 words and going strong....) and I have this little list of stuff I've written for myself because I know if I read it back in the UK it will make me nostalgic for Sydney.

So if you have a few minutes to spare and you're feeling like you need a fix of Australia, here it is.....

Pikelets, VB, Coon, Vegemite, Jetstar, Qantas, lay-by, fly-buys, rain checks, 4P, Woolies, ABC, Silverchair, Harris Farm Markets, Norton Street Grocer, South Dowling, Cross City Tunnel, E-Tag, Cherry Ripe, kindy, Fair Dinkum Sheds, Gloria Jeans, Bunings Warehouse, Peanut Slab, Dinkum, Pide, Uggs, Arnott's, Myer, David Jones, Bonds, Telstra, Optus, Arvo, Channel ten, SBS, SMS, Coshi, Martin Place, QVB, Sydney Ferries, State of Origin, Aussie stadium, Timtams, NW magazine, Dairy Farmers Yogurts, Violet Crumble, Polly Waffle, Holden, Dukka, Merge Right, Helga's bread, Banana bread, Textas, Pura, Mount Franklin, Coles, Country Road, City to Surf, Jeans West, Brumby's, SLSA

Ahhhh I love Australia

Ghosty I had to ask about the Hook turn in Melbourne - very scarey

You do mean that weird way of turning a corner? When the sign is in the street? Don't you?

I don't like trams while I am driving anywhere - they complicate everything.

Hook turn is when you want to turn right but have to pull over to the left and wait for all the traffic to pass you before you can go ..... basically speaking. A bizarre and silly rule ...
Trams ... LOL ... I am embarrassed to tell you about my two run ins with trams

Eidsvold- why didn't you make quite clear what excruciating torture the toy sales REALLY are. I have queued for hours to put stuff on layby which gave me ample chance to gawp at the mountains and mountains of stuff some people are laying by.
I feel quite Australian though now.

mogwai- will you be running the City to Surf.. shall I tell dh to look out for you?!

pissing with rain today.

Tell me, is it an Australianism to say "firm something up"

as in negotiate prices, fix details?

I am doing a building project and I just heard myself asking a bloke called John's answer machine if he could phone me back so we could 'firm something up" on the quotes he gave me. I feel soiled.

Bright sunshine here Suzy Only 11 degrees though.
I think it is an americanism to firm up dates prices etc I've heard it used in the Uk by filofax toting types iyswim

robin - are you still in one piece? Target seems to be a nightmare as is KMart - I think cause they get stuff in and sell it at crazy prices with no raincheck so if you really want it - you gotta be there.

That is why I was so stunned BigW was so civilised when I went. I guess it being the school holidays meant some people could not get rid of children - I was only able to go as dh had the day off.

At BigW I watched this woman layby 6 - yes 6 bikes for Christmas!!!!