photos: manly and shelly beaches

quicko: BBQ updates

So I wrote about the BBQ Problem a few years ago, but it has re-arisen.  Several weeks ago, Garry was down for a visit and some friends invited us for a picnic at Balmoral.  Our job was to bring a barbecue chicken.  We dutifully went to Coles and found the chicken, but I was distressed.

"Oh no!  They haven't got any barbeque chickens!" I said.

"What  are you talking about, you're looking at them," Garry said.

"No," I said, "those are just regular chickens."

It was then that it re-dawned on me that, here, regular chickens are barbeque chickens.

quicko: christian children's music

Well, there's a niche market if ever there was one!

It seems THE Australian answer is Colin Buchanan.

From the American side of things, Veggie Tales have made it here, though Psalty the Singing Psalm Book isn't as widely known (though I think some may have heard of him?).

photos: south of the bridge (happy little cuppas!)

quicko: merry christmas in july!!

Including:
--lamb roast
--Christmas crackers
--crumble
--decor
--carols, at the top of various lungs
--"winter"

Not Including:
--presents

photos: the central coast

quicko: brisvegas

I don't really know how it came about, but Sydneysiders at least have a funny habit of referring to Brisbane as "Brisvegas."  Having never been to either, I really can't comment on its validity ... or, as I suspect provides the humor (think:  "Target" pronounced pseudo-French), lack thereof.

photos: the aroma festival festivities

quicko: hungry jack's

AKA Burger King.  I don't know how it took me so long to mention that here, but the American chain has been rebranded here as Hungry Jack's.  From what I hear it had to do with a smaller company already having bought the rights to the name here, but that could just be urban legend.

happy fourth of july!!

Happy Fourth of July!!

I was scheduled to work, but got let off early at the last minute, leaving me with no time to plan any holiday festivities.  Instead, a few friends came over to play cards.  I decided to be all American and offer them marshmallows.  It turns out Australians hate American marshmallows.  They are slightly more interested in watching them poof up in the microwave (Australian ones don't do that), but still seem to think they're disgusting.  At least I got them to admit that they're different!  (After years of Australians asking how the heck a marshmallow could be different ... they can be!  They don't all come in bags with half of them pink for one thing!)

Anyway, after that Kiril decided to humor me and treated me to the best hand display of "fireworks" I've ... well, ever, seen.  We all joined in for the grand finale, which was ... special ... though, rather lacking in ... actual fireworks.

Maybe next year.

quicko: in a similar vein

Here's not so much an article (though I read it, mistaking it for one) but a long collection of comments on the same topic as this blog -- cultural differences between America and Australia.  I think you've got to sign in to google to keep reading most of it (??), but it's an interesting read.  Naturally there's parts I concur with and parts I don't ... some places where one country's a bit too shortchanged or a bit too overstated ... but on the whole, fascinating.

quicko: friendly?

Australians definitely have a reputation among Americans for being friendly (if bad tippers).  Until recently I was pretty sure it was true, and I'm not convinced it's not, but I've been wondering if perhaps Americans have been mistaking some of Australians' "congenial" mocking as congenial, when in fact, sometimes, it's outright mocking.  We expect it of the British (at least those of us who've stopped to think about it), but I have a theory that a significant percentage of Australian mocking goes over American heads in what they perceive as genuine friendly banter.

Then again ... wait.  I was going to say we do that, too, but, actually, I think it's just me.  Sorry everybody.

quicko: territory day

Today is Territory Day!

I'm not sure most Australians are aware of this, (it's just occurred to me I'm not even sure that Ohio has a state day, let alone when it is ... though I do know it became a state in 1803 ...) but July 1 is the day the Northern Territory celebrates as, I think, it's birthday.  There's lots of fireworks and fun and I just narrowly missed being there this year.  Maybe next.