13th December 2008

Had a lovely week again, saw a few new things, and experienced the park at 7 in the evening. Becca was dying to ride her bike, so after supper we headed off to the park and hung about for half an hour or so whilst Rebecca rode. Two things I am still getting used to. People are at the park, at night… Young and old making the most of their days. And secondly that the sun really only goes down sometime after 8:30pm. You really get to experience a full day, although you end up staying up so much later at night.

 

We also had the great experience of going to a wildlife sanctuary – Warrawong where we got FREE entry and were able to feed the kangaroos, and go on a beautiful walk around the sanctuary. Unfortunately only the Roo’s were the highlight for the day. Totally unable to spot any wallabies or koala’s, but damn we tried… and tried… ended up getting a sore neck from the all the looking in the eucalyptus trees. One kangaroo did get a little jealous when Becca was feeding another and managed to send Rebecca flying during a somewhat jealous bout. Becca was fine, just a little surprised.

 

Adelaide has been receiving a record amount of rainfall for the month of December, as most of you might know it has a weather pattern similar to Cape Town – dry in the summer and wet in the winter. Went into the city during one of the rain showers and ended up seeking shelter in a department store. Let’s just say that it’s something we have only ever seen on the movies (yes, we never got out much). Five levels of amazing shopping, all in one store… Becca got to meet Santa, and had a photo with him… and we got ripped off paying like R130 for the photo. I mean how can you NOT buy the photo!

 

Don’t know if it has been the change in the weather but the girls woke up Saturday morning, feeling a bit flu-ish, and decided to get some medicine from the chemist. On the subject of medicine, ibuprofen can be bought at your local supermarket… It sits in the aisle with the paracetomol.

 

Had a barbeque on Saturday with newly made friends, Kerry, Steffen and Aimee (ex South Africans as well). Chatted over drinks and good food. Laughed over many similar stories and experiences that possibly only new immigrants could understand.  Our two little girls had a blast, Barbie dolls and bikes and creaming soda were the choice for the evening, which left them both exhausted by 8:30pm.

 

Sunday was a busy day. Bern started off early with a cycle ride, and then we visited IKEA by the Adelaide aiport. For us, it was mind blowing, and we could have spent a fortune! We will only start getting furniture only once we move into our new rental and we HAVE to buy new stuff. Hopefully by then Bern will be working and we can spend dollars rather than spend the precious rands! Because we didn’t bring over furniture, we have to literally start from scratch… and this desperation leads me to an amusing story.

 

This evening, whilst doing my nightly sneak to the laundry room, I spot a rather solid mahogany-looking TV cabinet… And well, it’s just sitting there. Now we’ve heard rumours that when the Aussies don’t want things, they just stick it out on the verge. So my mind is wondering… mmm… this ‘verge’ material (which is still sitting on the ground floor of the apartment block) could be my new TV cabinet. And if it’s free, that’s WAY cheaper than IKEA, and of course that earns me points with the budget…  So I run to Bern… ‘Bernard you have to see this’, and he runs downstairs… and I can see the mind ticking over just like mine, except he’s already wondering how we are going to carry the thing back up the stairs to the second floor… and I’m thinking, well don’t look at me!

After much deliberation and laughter we agree that it actually looks more brand new than second hand, and we decide to knock on all the apartment doors. Yes, we were going to attempt to be friendly to our council neighbours. So all was well, till I got to the one door, and couldn’t stop giggling, and Bern was nudging me to knock on the door, and I’m half giggling, half whispering… ‘Go away, they won’t open the door if they see YOU’! But now I am laughing so much, I literally cannot contain myself. So we run back to our apartment, contain ourselves and subdue the hysterics… and go a’knocking. BUT, out of the whole apartment block would you believe that only one person opened their door… what a disappointment… until we looked at the clock, and realised that we were actually knocking on people’s doors on a SUNDAY at 9:15pm… stupid foreigners…

 

Before I finish off here are some general arb notes for all you food critics.

·         I am yet to eat a chilli dish, or sample a chilli sauce that actually has any kind of bite/sting to it. Bern ordered a chilli pizza the other night and we are still trying to figure out where they hid the chilli.

·         Aussies love a strong cup of coffee, compared to what us Saffers are used to… its strong.

·         To find Feta cheese is a whole different mission. We have found ONE brand that is made in Tasmania, but that’s it. ONE brand… and we are yet to taste it.

·         Cheddar cheese, no matter what the brand seems to taste the same, maybe some just slightly stronger… but for me it’s still the same taste. And it’s all like a pasty white colour… Maybe it’s just because there is a lack of colourants, but I find it odd.

·         I don’t find the meat to taste that different. Chicken tastes like chicken, lamb tastes like lamb, and beef… well that tastes like fish… Nah, just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Beef still tastes like beef.

·         Aussie portions are HUGE. Order a large bowl of chips, and you will receive what appears to be a kilogram of fried potatoes. The coke buddy bottles aren’t 500ml, but 600ml. Hot dogs are not like our normal rolls, but all footlong dogs.  And the hamburger rolls are like three times the size of what we are used to… much like the size of a large Chelsea bun.

·         We bought a fundraising $2 barbequed sausage roll, and were amazed to find that the sausage was placed between one slice of bread. No butter, no roll. Don’t know why they don’t say ‘Come support your lifesavers, and buy your $2 sausage bread thingymabob’. We have found out that this is the norm, and not some cheap attempt to cut costs.

·         When you buy a cooked chicken at your local Woolworths, the chicken has stuffing.