Aussie Gift Guide

It seems that July is the perfect time for American expats to head home for a holiday.  It's a chance to escape winter in Australia and soak up some North American summer.  Americans are off school for the summer and most Aussie schools have a 2-3 week holiday break in July.

Annual home leave is a nice little perk that most expats enjoy.  A chance to reconnect with family and friends back in America.  And many of us want to bring gifts to all those people to let them know that even though we live on the other side of the world we haven't forgotten about them.

One can only buy so many stuffed koalas and coin purses made from kangaroo scrotum.  That's why I have put together the following Aussie Gift Guide.  There's a little something for everyone.

For Her:

An Oroton Bag
These beauties are designed in Australia and sold in boutiques around Oz and Europe.  As far as I know they are not widely available in the US.  A great gift for someone special.  They also sell key fobs and umbrellas if you're looking for something less expensive.

Von Treskow Coin Jewelry
This collection featuring Aussie coins that have been turned into necklaces, bracelets and earrings is one of my favourite things.  They're beautiful and wearable and Australian without being cheesy.

Ken Done Hoodie
These hoodies are nicer than your typical souvenir shop sweatshirts.  The colours are fun and Done's signature kangaroo silhouette is eye catching.

Havianas Aussie Beaches Flip Flops
Of course, in Australia they call them thongs.  These sport a small metal charm in the shape of Australia and they have the names of popular Aussie beaches printed on the sole.  So cute!  And everyone loves Havianas.

For Him:

Australian Wine
My favourite bottle shop is the Australian Wine Centre near Circular Quay.  They are helpful and have a great selection.  They will even package up your purchase in a box that can be checked as luggage on any major airline. 

Havianas (see above)
In addition to the Beaches version, Havianas also come with an Aussie Flag on the strap.

Bush Hat
These kangaroo leather bush hats are fun, and the Squashy collection are easy to pack in your suitcase.

Photography Prints
Ken Ducan has some amazing photographs of this beautiful country.  One of his prints (or a less expensive calendar or book) would make a great gift.

For Kids:

Between the Flags Gear
This shop benefits the Australian surf lifesavers, so you can feel good about shopping here.  Plenty of cute kids swimmers, hats, and towels.  Great sales in June- I saw lots of items for only $5 each! 

Candy by Sticky
This shop in The Rocks is a big hit with kids.  I picked up the cutest candy with a tiny koala on each piece.  Packaged in cellophane bags they make great little give aways for friends at home.

Anything from Paddy's Market
Paddy's Market (in Chinatown) is the place to go for cheap souvenirs.  If you need 30 pencil sets with Aussie animals on them, you'll find it at Paddy's.  They also have bags, towels, t-shirts and, strangely, a huge selection of trashy lingerie.  But that's another post.  Paddy's is a good place to go if you need to buy cheap gifts in bulk.

Animalz
These beautiful little wooden toys are designed in Australia.  The Aussie pouch, containing an echidna, koala and wombat is my favourite.

For Yourself:

Now that I'm back in the U.S., the one thing I wish I had more of is video.  I found a 45 second video of Balmoral on my phone today and watched it over and over.  I would love to be able to look back at quick snippets of our life in Sydney.  It would be the best gift of all.



Jenny

Misadventures in Packing

Before the movers arrived a couple weeks ago, I went through every cupboard, wardrobe and drawer (or draw as some say here).  I asked my darling husband to sort through his belongings and get rid of anything he didn't want to take to the U.K.   We purged enough clothing and shoes and toys and household items to require several drop offs at our local thrift shop. 

When the packers finally showed up, I had carefully set aside one suitcase  for me and each child which contained everything we'd need for the next 6 weeks.  This was no easy task since I had to pack for 2 climates!  It was pretty minimal- but adequate.

Now notice that I did not pack a bag for my husband.  This is an important point in the story.  He was responsible for packing his own bag.

Fast forward to packing day.  The crew arrived and, in a very Un-Aussie like way, swept into action.  They were quick, efficient and thorough.  In less than 5 hours all of our belongings were wrapped and packed and stacked in the container.

In fact, they were so good that I was almost able to overlook their slightly offensive musical tastes (like T-Pain's "Take Your Shirt Off" ).

At the end of the day, we breathed a sigh of relief.  The hard work was done.  Now we'd be able to spend the next 2 and a half weeks visiting with friends and enjoying our time in Sydney.

But of course, everything did not go off without a hitch.  When my sweet husband went to get ready for work the next morning he quickly realized something was missing from his suitcase.  Shoes.  He has no shoes.  Well, except for the trainers (that's what they call sneakers here) he had on his feet.  Every other pair of shoes the man owns are now in a container not to be seen again for 6-8 weeks.

You might think, no problem,  just go out and buy a new pair of shoes.  Sounds simple enough, unless you've seen the type of shoes Aussie men tend to wear.  Think long, pointy, duck bill-like footwear.  That's pretty much what was "on offer" at our local shoe shop.

And then, yesterday, I was walking past our local Vinnie's- the thrift shop that served as a dumping ground for all our unwanted stuff.  And guess what I saw in the front window-  proudly displayed to lure in bargain seeking customers?

That's right:  a pair of my husband's discarded shoes!  We could actually buy his unwanted shoes back for the bargain price of $70 AUD  (about $72.80 USD).

 

Believe me, I was tempted to buy them back, but I resisted.  So if you happen to see my otherwise well dressed husband going to fancy dinners and meetings and goodbye parties in his trainers, you'll know why.

Jenny

Inefficiency Perfected

Americans are a model of efficiency. In America virtually everything is faster, better, and cheaper. Some days, like today, I really miss that.

Today, after a four month wait, the little buddy finally got in to see an ophthalmologist for an eye exam. Getting an appointment to see a specialist around here is kind of like winning the lottery, and I knew I would need extra time to find the office and get a "park" so I left extra early. I'm glad I did because when we eventually did find a "park" it was right next to a park! Score one more for my summer mission!

Mooramba Park Dee Why

Even though we had an appointment we had to wait nearly 2 hours to see the doctor. Two hours is a really long time when you are a four year old boy. Even if you are a four year old boy with a new ipod touch.

Afterwards, I felt so sorry for him with his miserable dilated eyes that I was easily conned into getting him McDonalds for dinner. McDonalds just happens to be located at the mall, right next to the grocery store. Now you might be thinking, "How convenient to have the grocery store right at the mall." But in reality it is anything but. Try pushing a 4WD style shopping cart filled with a week's worth of groceries through a mall out to a multi-level carpark and you will quickly realize how absolutely inconvenient it actually is!

So it was with some hesitation that I wandered into Woolies to grab a few essentials this afternoon. I reasoned that the Little Buddy would be happily contained in the trolley with his cheeseburger and I could zip in, grab my milk and bananas and get out unscathed.

Of course just as I'm about to unload my 5 items he announces to me that he has to pee. Urgently. He's "bursting".

Every American mother of small children knows exactly where to find the restroom in the grocery store. It's as familiar to her as the dairy aisle. But alas, Woolies offers no toilet facilities for customers. Instead, we are directed to the mall bathrooms.

So I abandon my trolley- half eaten Happy Meal and all- near the check stand and make a mad dash into the mall with the Little Buddy in my arms. Luckily, we made it, and quickly headed back to Woolies to reclaim our trolley. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find the same customer standing at the check out. (That's right- it took less time for us to walk to the mall bathroom, pee, wash hands, and walk back than for the Woolies checker to move one customer through the line). Only now, I had lost my place in the queue and had to get behind a sweet little old lady with about 20 different types of produce in her trolley. Not surprisingly the checker didn't know what half of the items were. (Oh, these are regular peas, not snow peas? Let me cancel that transaction and try again). Eight minutes later, we finally made it through the torture that is shopping at Woolies!

And to top it all off, my $6.00, 3 litre bottle of milk leaked all over the "boot" of my car on the way home.

If my kids are eating dry cereal for breakfast next week, you'll know why.

Tastes Like Chicken

Walking through the grocery store in Australia is still a mystifying experience. Here is a small sampling of the interesting products I found for sale in the chip aisle. Because you've always wanted chips that taste like . . . . meat.

Honey Soy Chicken

Not just BBQ- but BBQ Ribs

Moroccan Spiced Chicken and Lemon (really??)

Classic Honey Baked Ham

For the Purists: Chicken

Luckily for me they also have the standard "Sea Salt" and "Salt & Vinegar". Which is good for those of us who prefer our chips to taste like . . . chips.

Best Deal in Town

To all our friends and family back in the U.S.

Available:
Beautiful private guest room with built in wardrobe, marble ensuite and sunny courtyard. Directly opposite gorgeous harbour beach with easy access to cafes and public transport. Currently accepting bookings.

We accept the following forms of payment:
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Jet Puff Marshmallows
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packets
Italian Dressing seasoning packets
Honey Maid Graham Crackers
Girl Scout Cookies
Bounce Sheets
Glide Floss
Tide to Go Sticks
Nestle Toll House Semi Sweet chips
Clorox Bleach Pens
Red Vines
Dial Gold Bar Soap
Trident Gum (with xylitol)
Children's Motrin
Tylenol Jr. Melt Aways
Goldfish crackers
Crest toothpaste
Jello Pudding mix
Did I mention Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?

Any takers?

Thanks Easter Bunny

At 6:00 in the morning we were awakened by excited children announcing that the Easter Bunny came through again this year and left a clue about where to find their baskets. We rolled out of bed (even though it was only 6 am) and followed them around the house as they eagerly read the clues and finally discovered the big prize under the kitchen sink. Thanks Easter Bunny!


Easter is a huge 4 day weekend in Australia. Sadly, it is mostly secular. And sadly, the selection of Easter candy is basically limited to Cadbury chocolate eggs. No peeps, no (gasp) Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, no big bags full of Jelly Bellys or Hersheys candy coated eggs in pastel colors. I haven't even seen the Easter variety of M&Ms here. Luckily for us, our awesome rellies in the US sent care packages containing everything we needed to make it a "traditional" American Easter. Thanks Easter Bunny! Happy Aussie Easter- Oy Oy Oy!

2 Great Tastes That Taste Great Together

I heart Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Really, really a lot. And I've done my fair share of whinging* about the fact that they are largely unavailable here in Australia.
And then I stumbled upon this:

Sugar Fix: an insanely overpriced store stocked with American confectionary goodness. And on display right in the front of the store was my own little Reese's Piece of heaven.

I stood there, drooling, for about 5 minutes whilst* deciding what to purchase. In the end I settled on the bag of mini peanut butter cups. It was $15 well spent. See that lonely bag of Hersey Kisses on the bottom shelf in the photo below? Guess how much those go for here?

Uh-huh. $44.90. And the 8 pack of Dr. Pepper? $23.20. Shocking but true.

It's days like this that make me so glad to be a Diet Coke drinker.

*Aussie word thrown in for fun.
**All Photos taken somewhat discreetly with my iPhone.