I'm So Over This

Thursday, August 29, 2013 - Day 35 Living Down Under

So Charlie is back at school today.  :)    But now Chaney is home sick. :(  Of course she is.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.    I hope everyone is 100% soon and Erich and I don't get sick.

I usually love being at home. (I'm not a homebody.  Okay. Maybe I am.)  But I am going stir crazy in this apartment.  It doesn't help that I've been home the last four days with sick kids.  This small hotel apartment living sucks and I'm so over it.  I am really ready to be in our house. At this point we are just waiting for the delivery of our household goods so we can move into our house.  Today is the day that the Australians are "starting" the quarantine of our household goods.  We aren't really sure what that means or how much longer it will take.  We do know that the quarantine process involves opening up crates, x-raying, and sniffing dogs all looking for contraband.   If they find one thing, they do more further investigating.  One blade of grass on the bottom of a shoe will hold up the whole process.  If they do find something that isn't allowed, we are given the expensive option to have it fumigated or radiated to make it safe, the expensive option to have it sent back to the U.S. or the still-expensive-but-not-as-much option of having it destroyed.  There is an Air Force master sergeant stationed at the Embassy that paid $300 for a dried floral arrangement to be fumigated when she moved here.  She must have really, REALLY loved those flowers. 

I am getting used to living in this area of town.  I am finally in a routine here with the local grocery store, gas stations, parks, etc.  It is going to be like starting all over when we get in the house.  I don't want to invest any more energy into getting to know this area of the city. Where is the closest chemist?  Where is the closest dry cleaners? I want to start doing that in the area where I will be living.  I WANT TO GET INTO OUR HOUSE!

I want to follow up with my post yesterday regarding the food, especially the dairy.  Erich and the kids are not having a trouble with the transition to the Aussie food like I am.  They don't taste the difference like I do.  Let's face it.  I just have a more developed palate than they do.  ;-)  I am also the one that does the cooking and since a lot of the products are different here, I'm struggling a bit more with what to make that everyone will eat.  I do know that I will eventually get used to the food and the products.  I have to.  After all, we will be here for two years and eleven months more!



We woke up to a hot air balloon off our patio this morning.

 My Random Thoughts and Observations...

• Instead of saying "knock on wood" the Aussies say "touch wood."
• In the U.S. I typically drive 3-6 miles per hour over the speed limit.  Not exactly a lead foot. I've mentioned before that here they give tickets out for 1-2 kilometers per hour over the limit.  And they use speed cameras.  Do you ever drive over the speed limit but because some yahoo just raced past you, and you know you won't be pulled over? You know the cop ain't going for you, the small fish.  The cop wants the big kahuna.  And you know the speed racing yahoo would get pulled over and get the ticket instead of you. So as long as you aren't going the fastest, you are safe going over the limit.   Well, with speed cameras, that doesn't work.  It doesn't matter if someone is 20 km/h over or just 2 over.  Everyone is getting a ticket.  Crap.  But, I'm still ticket free. Touch wood.
• I almost named this post "I Touch Wood."

Our Little Secret

Wednesday, August 28, 2013 - Day 34 Living Down Under

I've said it before but I'm gonna say it again.  I think the food down here tastes different (and not in a good kind of different way).  All the dairy tastes different (bad).  The milk, cheese, yogurt (yoghurt), all leave a not-so-pleasant taste in my mouth.  It's all cow's milk.  How can cow's milk taste so different here?  What are they feeding the cows down here?? 

Charlie missed school today and I took him to the doctor's office.  He was feeling better today but that happened yesterday morning and then he ran the temperature in the afternoon.  Today we waited 90 minutes past our appointment time to see the doctor. Ugh.  I hope it's not like that every time we go there.  (Because of our insurance, this is the only doctor's office we are allowed to go to.) Charlie was a champ while waiting.  He was checked out and the doc told us to continue to do what we have been doing.  We left and Charlie literally skipped back to our apartment.  (The doctor's office is around the corner from our hotel. Which means it will be 30 minutes away from our house...) He will be going to school tomorrow. 



The Captain Cook Memorial Water Jet on Lake Burley Griffin in the middle of the city.  We pass this twice a day on the way to school and on the way home.  The kids can't wait to see
 if its running since its not always on.

 My Random Thoughts and Observations...

• Aussies call a van a "people mover."  They are pretty literal down here.
• They call a pick-up truck a "ute" which was shortened from "utility coupe."  (Because that just takes incredibly way too long to say.) 
• They say the letter H like "haitch."
• They don't call it a cell phone.  They call it a mobile but pronounce it mo-bile.
• In Australia during the last week, one man was eaten by an alligator and one was attacked by a shark.  I be stayin' away from the water.
• They use freeze dried coffee down here. There are only a couple of bean choices at the grocery store but a ton of coffee crystals. I'm not good at making coffee with my Mr. Coffee. Now I know I also suck at making instant coffee.  How can this be??  This is right up there with Erich failing at Easy Mac (which was designed so a 7 year old can make macaroni and cheese). 
• The Australians think we have an accent.  They are wrong. They could not be further from the truth!  They are the ones that have the accent.  Do you think I should tell them?  Probably not.  I'll just let them keep thinking it's me.  It will be our little secret.  Shhhh.

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

 Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 - Day 33 Living Down Under

Charlie has stayed home from school the last two days of school.  I will be taking him to the doctor's office tomorrow.  Almost all of the boys and three girls have been absent from their class so something is going around.  Our insurance, Tricare is really awesome.  But, being stationed overseas AND since there is no military base around, it's like trying to jump through hoops every time we need to go to the doctor. 

Chaney has continued to have trouble going into school.  The teacher talked to Erich at pick up today and she thinks that it's more of a behavioral thing then a anxiety thing at this point.  I think it's a combination of both but I agree that it's turned into a behavioral issue.  *sigh*  Her teacher calls a tantrum a "tanty" (tan-tee).  (These silly Aussies...)

Have you ever been in an elevator that had negative numbers for floor choices? 

Hmmm....



This is the Australian Parliament House. It is an interesting building and it opened in 1988.
It is about a quarter mile from our hotel apartment.

 

Chaney's breakfast of choice.  Her favorite breakfast used to be waffles and sausage links
but they don't have frozen waffles here and they don't have breakfast sausage either.
 (I need to get a waffle maker.)
Snap. Crackle. Pop.  I wonder why Kellogg's didn't keep the name Rice Krispies.

 

My Random Thoughts and Observations...

• The quote of the night was on the news when they were interviewing a man that was bitten by a shark. "...so I asked myself, 'What would Steve Erwin do?'  Well, I probably shouldn't have jumped on the shark's back."   What an idiot. 
• Next month Australia will elect a Prime Minister.  It is compulsory for every Australian citizen aged 18 years or older to vote.  After the election, the Australian Electoral Commission will write to all apparent non-voters requesting that they either provide a reason for their failure to vote or pay a $20 penalty.  If, within 21 days, the apparent non-voter fails to reply, cannot provide a valid and sufficient reason or declines to pay the penalty, then prosecution proceedings may be instigated. If the matter is dealt with in court and the person is found guilty, he or she may be fined up to $170 plus court costs. Wow.

Fairy Bread

Sunday, August 25, 2013 - Day 31 Living Down Under

What a busy weekend!  Charlie and Chaney went to a birthday party for a boy in their class.  We learned about two Australian traditions.  Besides cake, fairy bread is served.  Fairy bread is white bread with butter and hundreds and thousands (sprinkles) all over.  It is typically cut in a triangle shape.  Apparently this is a tradition at kids' parties here in Australia.  The parents at the party seemed surprised that we had never seen fairy bread before.  They assumed that we did it in the U.S.   The other tradition we learned is that when they sing "Happy Birthday" they conclude the song with three rounds of "hip hip hooray!"

Fairy Bread (I know you want some.)

At the birthday party, enjoying the fairy bread

while Chaney goes through the bowl of lollies looking for her favorite.

Charlie is sick today with a 102.2 degree temp.  :(   So Charlie and Daddy stayed home while Chaney and I went to a classmate's house for lunch.  They served lamb, a popular dish down here.  I had never had it before and I'm not sure I like it.  I'll give it another try.  The classmate's mom made a traditional Australian dessert called pavlova.  It was delicious.  Seriously delicious. She had never made it before and she did a great job as it's not an easy dessert to make.  She was really trying to introduce us to traditional Australian dishes which I thought was super thoughtful and sweet.

Pavlova
 It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside. The dessert is believed to have been created in honor of the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s.

Charlie will probably be home from school tomorrow, even though the school doesn't have a policy of when a sick child stays home or comes back to school.  "If they are well, send them!"  I think we will stick with the U.S. school policy of being temperature free for 24 hours.  Erich will take and pick up Chaney from school. 

Questions the Aussies have asked me...

• "We put milk in our coffee and you guys put cream.  Is that really cream or is it milk?"  Cream to them means heavy cream. They don't have half and half over here and I've been explaining what it is.  (I've been asked this three times.)
• "When you guys eat your peanut butter and jelly, is that jelly like our jam or is it like your Jell-O?"  (Australian's word for jelly is jam.  Jelly to them is Jell-O.) They just want to clarify and make sure we don't put Jell-O on our PB&J sandwiches. 

My Random Thoughts and Observations...

• They call a sweater or sweatshirt a jumper.
• Saturday night the Canberra US Military Wives group got together to play Bunco.  I had a good time and met a few new American ladies and a few really nice Aussie ladies. 
• Candy is called lollies.
•  I was tucking Charlie into bed and he asked me a question about the U.S. Embassy here in Canberra. He asked, "Mommy, does the Embassy have American plugs or Australian plugs?" I told him I didn't know. He responded with, "I hope it has American plugs since it's a little piece of America."

A Sneetch and A Popstar

Friday, August 23, 2013 - Day 29 Living Down Under

It was 4 weeks ago today we landed in Canberra!  It seems like its only been about 2 weeks.  And then I think about how long we've been in this hotel and it seems like 2 months. If we are still here in 4 weeks, I will be totally nuts. Totally. 

They have Domino's Pizza here!  We haven't ordered any yet but I did check out their website and I wanted to share with you some of their specialty "Chef's Best" pizzas.  BBQ Duck & Blue Cheese, Chicken & Cranberry, Shiraz Lamb & Tomato, BBQ Pork & Hollandaise, and Blue Cheese & Bacon.  Which kind do you want to try?  Personally, NONE of those sound good to me.  A LARGE pizza is about 27.5 cm.  That's about 11 inches. 

Today the kids got to dress up like their favorite book character. I would like to present a Star Bellied Sneetch and a Princess Popstar.

 

 

 

 

Today, at the all school assembly, Chaney received a class award.  The timing is perfect.  She really needed this extra confidence.  

 

 

My Random Thoughts and Observations...

• Tonight we are having a girl slumber party in one bedroom and a boy slumber party in the other.   It was Chaney's idea.
• We have been utilizing a converter app on our phones.  It helps covert all the centimeters to inches, kilometers to miles, Celsius to Fahrenheit, etc.  Did you know that -40 C = -40 F.  Go chew on that one...
• Yellow onions are called brown onions down here.  But they are yellow...
• I went to the mall today so I could get a present for a classmate's birthday party tomorrow.  I seriously can't believe I'm going to say this, but the mall isn't as irritating as it was a month ago.  I know, I can't believe it either.



 



 

 



Vroom Vroom

Thursday, August 22, 2013 - Day 28 Living Down Under

Around here they have cameras all over the roads taking pictures of violators.  They snap your picture while you are breaking the law and then they mail you a ticket.  So far,  I haven't gotten one. (knock on wood) They will give tickets for 2 km over the speed limit. (That's  about 1.5 mph over).  They will snap your pic if you are holding a cell phone while driving.  You can't text or be making phone calls, even at red lights. (A friend got a ticket over $300  for using her cell.)  And you better not pull over that white line when stopping for a red light.  Or bam, you get a ticket.  It's only a matter of time before one of us gets a ticket.  Who do you think will be first?  Erich or Me? 

Because of the cameras,  most people obey the laws.  They seem to be kinder drivers that are more considerate of others.  They slow way down and observe the lowered speed limit in construction zones, they (usually) don't try to bully their way ahead when two lanes become one, they don't ride your tail if you are going slower, and they allow people to merge in front of them.  I spend 2 hours a day in the car driving right now since the kids' school is so far from our hotel.  I'm seeing a lot of road time.  It's so nice to drive in an atmosphere like that!  

We kept seeing cars with a big L or P on the back and we were wondering what they meant. When you turn 16 and you pass a drivers test,  you have to have the L, for "learner" on the back of your car for one year.  After that,  you have to have the P, for provisional. You get your full license when you turn 19 and have had your P for at least a year! 

They have random breathalyzer tests morning and night. (Yes! The morning! For people that have been out all night partying or started too early.) (But is there really a too early?)  If you get stopped at a random check you have to do the test or you will be arrested. No other choice.  The legal limit is lower here.



Thank goodness for these signs on the street! They keep me going the right way!

Our household goods are still in Sydney and we got word that the quarantine will start on August 29th.  We don't know exactly what that means other then that's when they start going through our stuff.  Fingers crossed they don't find a problem! We still don't have a better time line than that.  It could be 2 more weeks.  Or it could be four...  Tomorrow will mark 4 weeks since we arrived in Canberra.  I can't believe it.

Random Observations and Thoughts...

• You know the dot at the end of the sentence that we call a period? They call is a "full stop."
• The legal drinking age here is 18.
• Instead of saying "he has a handicap", they say "he has handicap."
• A group of kangaroos is called a troop or a mob. 
• September 1 is Father's Day here. 

Life Savers

Tuesday, August 20, 2013 - Day 26 Living Down Under

So Erich found musk flavoured Life Savers and brought them home and I decided to try them.  First of all, they smell like a cheap bar of flowery soap.  And, I will add, that they also taste like a cheap bar of flowery soap.  You know the old lady behind you at the drug store that has dumped half a bottle of her rose perfume on herself?  It tastes like that.  I'm going to send you some. 

Chaney did really well going into school today!!  The other day we were talking about how she feels when she gets upset when it's time to go into school.  She told me, "I just have dragons in my head that are breathing fire."  I thought that was a really good description.  She just gets so mad when I go to leave.  Fire breathing dragons.  Hopefully we can get rid of the dragons.

Random Thoughts and Observations...

• Even though they still call me mommy, they've decided to start using the Aussie word when writing.
  
• I have yet to see a fridge with a ice maker.  But, today I saw my first fridge with a water dispenser on the front.  But then I found out you had to remove a water jug and fill it at the sink to get the dispenser to work.  The jug holds about 4 glasses of water.  Totally not worth it. 
• I got to have lunch with another American today.  Her house was lovely and very warm and homey.  I really can't wait to get into our home. 
• It's really beautiful here. Breathtaking views. And the mountains are higher then I expected.  I haven't yet been able to get a photograph that captures how pretty it is.  I'll keep working on it. 
   
  

• A lot of restaurants are only open for breakfast and lunch. Today I ate lunch at my first restaurant (I'm not counting McDonald's or the mall food court.)
• They play a LOT of American TV shows.  I've seen a small handful of current shows like The Dome, Ellen, Conan, NBC Today Show (they show yesterday's show every morning), the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, and Dr. Phil.  And they show a ton of old shows.  I've seen shows I had completely forgotten about.  For example, I've seen Laverne and Shirley, Friends, M*A*S*H*, Perfect Strangers, Full House and the Simpsons.  (I haven't been watching all those shows!!)
• When you use a credit card here, they really check your receipt signature against your signature on your credit card.  Every single time.  And they really check it out to make sure the signatures match!  I've had to slow down writing my long name so it looks as good as it does on my card!  And by the way, my name usually doesn't fit on the line. It's too long. (In case you were wondering.)
• Instead of saying "he went to the hospital"  they say "he went to hospital." 

**I want to make sure you know that I'm not complaining or making fun of how the Australians live their life.  I am just noticing and pointing out the small differences in how we live in the United States. (Okay, okay.  Let me be honest.  I am complaining about the lack of ice makers.)