Comments on Florida Girl in Sydney: Australian Food and Lingo, and other Amusing Austr...

One of my favourite food memories when I first mov...

2011-05-18T16:48:32.285+10:00

One of my favourite food memories when I first moved here was asking for a lemonade at the restaurant and getting a sprite instead. I was so confused, I thought she misheard me. I did it again the next time I was out until someone had to explain that asking for a lemonade will always get you a sprite here. I like getting "old fashioned lemonade" from the store but it's a bit expensive here.

Thanks Michelle, As a newbie to Florida it's...

2011-05-10T23:44:43.173+10:00

Thanks Michelle,
As a newbie to Florida it's nice to read some funny and interesting observations from your point of view about my home town Sydney. I've had just as much fun learning the US lingo like fanny pack = bum bag, flip flops = thongs etc and I think the reason the Aussie's don't have pay at the pump gas is they want you spending more money inside. I must admit paying at the pump is super convenient but from a business point of view, I'm sure they lose lots of sales from it?

Michelle- Thanks for all the info and I am familia...

2011-04-08T09:21:00.466+10:00

Michelle- Thanks for all the info and I am familiar with USA Foods and find stuff at David Jones too! Cheers mate!

Jenn- Go with the margarita :)

This is wonderful! I've been craving for anyth...

2011-04-08T04:02:24.560+10:00

This is wonderful! I've been craving for anything mexican lately. I just haven't made the time yet and I don't think I want to be left alone with a margarita. Cheers!

I'm an expat living with a small child in Adel...

2011-04-06T17:13:19.860+10:00

I'm an expat living with a small child in Adelaide (for 6 yrs) and although I miss pay-at-the-pump, what gives me the "shits" is when people here don't take the first available slot at the petrol station. If the car in front has moved, no one bothers to drive around the car that's stationary behind and try to get the line moving! People just sit there and they HAVE TO go to the side that their fuel pump is on! Mind you, the hoses on petrol pumps aren't that long either and not to have the stay open trigger is annoying too.

I think when the AU$ was worth less I accepted that things were more expensive. Now that our money is higher than the US$, I feel frustrated with the high costs of living. But both me and my husband realise that we just don't have the population nor the competition here so we bitch about it occasionally and then adjust.

I love Ribena. It's originally English and yes, blackcurrant (because it grows well in that climate). Yakult is Japanese - have you not seen the commercial where they talk about the "Shirota" strain of probiots developed by Mr. Shirota?

In the UK, they have Sultanas, Raisins & Currants like here. Yes, Natalie is right, sultanas are what we called Golden Raisins in America.

I didn't understand what Textas were until I had kids and then realised that it was a brand but they used it generically. How about Chux? I worked in a cafe once and they told me to get the Chux and wipe it. I was like WHAT!? Well, it's those blue towel thingys.

I just had the conversation this arvo w/a Kiwi friend about "Ta" - hate it and there are many more like us.

BTW, you know that there is an American food store in Melbourne? They're online and will ship. You can get some US stuff when the Sydney Costco opens soon. The Melbourne one was cool. I used my US card there and there were sooo many American accents around...it was weird.

Great blog.

Anonymous- Ah, we are leading parallel lives on o...

2011-04-05T20:42:09.370+10:00

Anonymous- Ah, we are leading parallel lives on opposite sides of the world-- well please enjoy some American stuff for me!

Florida Girl, you've made my day. An Aussie l...

2011-04-02T03:01:12.533+11:00

Florida Girl, you've made my day. An Aussie living in Western New York and feelin' homesick. I miss fairy bread, burger rings, pavlova,... oh and my family and friends, ha ha. Cheers, Dani

Alan- Thanks for the link. It shows one of the lo...

2011-03-29T18:20:05.850+11:00

Alan- Thanks for the link. It shows one of the locations is near me, the one I always go to-- but the only way you can pay at the pump is with their special epump card-- not a credit card... at least last time I checked.

What are you talking about? Pay at the pump is ava...

2011-03-29T16:51:58.674+11:00

What are you talking about? Pay at the pump is available in Australia.
Go to this website
http://www.abcdiamond.com/australia/petrol-pay-at-the-pump-service/

Jade- Hmmm, I think I need to give that more consi...

2011-03-09T11:57:28.016+11:00

Jade- Hmmm, I think I need to give that more consideration rather than just accepting it as my 21st century encyclopedia then!

It's a user edited 'information' websi...

2011-03-08T14:21:11.546+11:00

It's a user edited 'information' website. People hack it and deliberately post misinformation as a lark!

Wiki is good for general research and sometimes it can lead to finding good sources. However citing Wiki as a source, you have a 50-50 chance of your 'facts' being utter BS.

Hi Jade! Is that because they think it's unre...

2011-03-08T13:59:31.912+11:00

Hi Jade! Is that because they think it's unreliable? or do you know why?

steck - if you try to use Wikipedia as a source in...

2011-03-08T02:12:36.526+11:00

steck - if you try to use Wikipedia as a source in an Australian university, you get an automatic fail.

steck- Very informative :). akroezen- Tim Tams a...

2011-03-06T19:01:44.448+11:00

steck- Very informative :).

akroezen- Tim Tams are only mentioned when they have their own post dedicated to them. They're THAT important. haha

Thanks for your comments over on my page :) Love ...

2011-03-06T13:11:01.549+11:00

Thanks for your comments over on my page :) Love the post....but where are your Tim Tams?!?! They have to be my favorite Aussie cuisine!!
Another Aussie term I can't get used to: calling Sprite Lemonade. It irritates me.

Wikipedia backs up my claim, that the Australian c...

2011-03-05T02:00:23.523+11:00

Wikipedia backs up my claim, that the Australian company stole the Woolworth's name from F.W. Woolworth of the US. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolworths_Limited.

I heard this story on the radio some time ago.

Bree- Hi! You sound like we should be "mates...

2011-03-04T22:15:16.351+11:00

Bree- Hi! You sound like we should be "mates"! Ha. And I always wondered why the little gas pumping tab wasn't on the pumps! Illegal?? Is that like it's illegal to have those little chain locks on your front door (where you can open it a little which chain attached)-- what's up with that?

Surely we can find a Mint Slice equivalent in America-- right?

This is so funny, i stumbled upon your blog becaus...

2011-03-04T20:12:22.514+11:00

This is so funny, i stumbled upon your blog because I was googling WHY there is no pay at the pump in Oz... I have been here for 5 years now and it never ceases to piss me off when I have to queue behind some slowpoke who's meandering around inside the shop cruising for his chocolates and cokes... argh! That and the fact that the stay open trigger tab has been removed and is apparently illegal here (God only know's why) so you actually have to stand and pump your own gas (petrol). WTF?!?! :)
I will say though, I don't know how I'll survive when I return to America someday and have to give up scotch fingers and mint slices. oh heaven!

South Beach- forgot to mention that I got your hol...

2011-03-04T12:38:35.918+11:00

South Beach- forgot to mention that I got your holiday card-- two weeks ago!!! I was in shock-- where the heck was it since it was postmarked December??? so strange!

Can you believe how big they all are?? I feel lik...

2011-03-04T03:19:16.751+11:00

Can you believe how big they all are?? I feel like I keep in touch with you with your blog. Australia is on the top of my list since I watched Oprah. I really enjoyed this post. xoxoxox

Brendan- Thanks so much for that clinic in chedda...

2011-03-03T11:46:56.546+11:00

Brendan- Thanks so much for that clinic in cheddar cheeses! I have been trying to figure out where Tasty fit into the cheddar spectrum for so long!

And that's interesting that Yakult is Japanese-- I thought it was European.

AND--- pay at the pump still is a thorn in my side, but glad to hear I'm not alone-- though I figured I wasn't.

A few points: "Tasty" cheese is just th...

2011-03-03T10:52:55.135+11:00

A few points:

"Tasty" cheese is just the mid-strength cheddar. In Australia it traditionally comes in three varieties - "mild", "tasty" and "vintage". It just refers to how long the cheese has been aged for and the strength of its flavour. I grew up going on holidays to Bodalla, the home of Aussie cheddar, so I can say this with some authority.

Yakult is actually Japanese. It's really big across Asia.

Ribena is not grapes, it's blackcurrant cordial and it's delicious! Although a New Zealand schoolgirl recently proved that its claims of having more Vitamin C than any other source were a total lie. In fact it contains no vitamin C whatsoever! Still, it is delicious, no matter what "steck" says.

Americans often lament the lack of pay-at-the-pump here. I agree: it's terribly inconvenient. But it's not because we're especially technologically backwards. Like most industries in Australia, service stations are controlled by a small cartel of major companies. 90% of a petrol station's profit comes from items purchased in the shop. When they tried to introduce pay-at-the-pump here they blocked it because their franchises would suffer if people weren't forced to go inside to pay and, while there, buy their chocolate bars, energy drinks ($4!!) and Michael Buble CDs. This is the price of living in a small, uncompetitive country. Tragically, American-style free market capitalism only really works when you have 300 million people to sell to.

Thanks
Brendan

Cherie- Thanks! And I actually like grape Ribena--...

2011-03-01T22:41:00.535+11:00

Cherie- Thanks! And I actually like grape Ribena-- isn't it like strong grape juice?

Loving yr blog and laughing a lot at how you see t...

2011-03-01T22:06:59.769+11:00

Loving yr blog and laughing a lot at how you see the differences! :)

@ steck, Australian Woolies didn't 'steal' the US branded name. It was originally from the UKs Woolworths.

And Ribena is here in australia too.

Bakers- Yes, and nice car :)

2011-02-27T22:21:50.170+11:00

Bakers- Yes, and nice car :)