IsabelC Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I'm wondering whether a lot of the differences may all stem from the high value that is placed on independence/liberty/individualism in the US. There seems to be massive resistance to anything that could be construed as 'nanny state' in nature because of the impingement on the individual's rights. Of course, we like to have rights upheld too (and after all, the cultural differences aren't that massive, are they), but I'd say that we're putting more emphasis on entitlements. So on the whole, we will accept 'bigger' government at the expense of certain freedoms. For example, most Australians would find the idea of somebody being left without benefit payments or medical care incomprehensible, whereas significant numbers of Americans would prefer to uphold their right for their hard-earned money not to be spent on people who don't (in their judgement) deserve it. We had 35 people killed by a sick individual with a gun and voila, gun control laws (without, I might add, all that much investigation into the evidence as to their effectiveness). I'm not sure that there would ever be a number of gun deaths high enough to induce the US to restrict firearms, because the right to bear arms is so highly valued. (We don't have a heap of controversial Amendments. Or a BIll of Rights. In fact we don't have any interesting or inspirational political documents. I have studied the Australian Constitution, and it has got to be one of the most uninspiring documents ever written.) (Of course all of the above is gross generalization - please understand that this is because I don't have time to write a lengthy, nuanced and well-researched essay, not because I am trying to annoy anyone ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Maaaate, c'mon, a real Aussie loathes a dole bludger as much as the next person. I'd take offence at that, but I'm not a dole bludger until next year, I think. So watch it. Next year I'll throw a beer can at you or something. :001_tt2: I promise to be a well behaved dole bludger and not get myself on A Current Affair or 60 Minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 You've reminded me of a question I wanted to ask! What do you Americans call Whoop Whoop, because I know you've got a lot of it!? Husband (Texan) calls it 'East Jesus'. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 St Andrews Cross are my fave spidies :) I saw one on a nature walk with the boys in Hong Kong on The Peak. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 You know, I don't even hang around people who would talk themselves up, but there are certainly those who charge their credit cards up to fit in. I really just have friends and family that are not so much in to that and some of them are wealthy and some aren't. As far as individual rights. We do value that. I have to say, as much as I am all over the place politically, that is one thing I personally hold up as important. I think though that In the US we are being irritated a great deal by lots of hovering government bodies who want to mind our business. More so than other so called "nanny states". As much as dh tries to tell people Australia is not socialist, many will not believe it because of the public health care. sigh. I think most people who have a chronic illness or disability do want public health. We are one of those families. We have Crohn's disease in the family and our insurance is simply out of control cost wise. We'd like to have our own business again, but to get health coverage would cost us so much money that right now we can't (20-24K/year). We will see how the new health plan shakes out and then hopefully join it! Isabel...you might not know, but have heard if there are more people with Crohn's in Tasmania? I think gun laws will come to the US, but people are so stockpiled that I'm not sure it's going to make much difference for several decades. I have get back to keeping the kiddos on track with their work, and do some chores. Be back later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Isabel..you don't like Tim Tams. That's so sad! LOL We vote on Tuesdays. I have no idea why! You know another pop culture thing that fascinates me about Aus? The magazines! I learn so much every time I visit! LOL Years ago, when I first went to Aus I had no idea that Belgium, Norway etc.. had royal families, but I found out all about them. Oh, can't forget Princess Mary! Oh, and those grills at the park where you put in a few coins and up starts the gas! Now that is convenient! There are not overwhelming differences in culture, but a few things here and there and I can only say from my region. When I visit other regions in the US I actually feel almost like I'm in another country. We have had some fun issues with accents/pronunciation/vocab though. My ds1 was a toddler and kept washing his hands in the potty. I was about to lose my mind and could not figure out why he was doing it. Until I heard dh tell ds1 to go wash his hands in the toilet! We meant totally different things with that word. I, of course, used that word just for the potty, and dh used it for the entire room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Oh, we value individual freedoms as much as the next person. Our priorities are different, that's all. The grills at the park are called barbecues. :) I used to know why you vote on Tuesdays. I think it had something to do with travel times by wagon and fitting it in between market day and church or something like that. I'll see if my brother remembers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 My brother wanted me to post this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I love the toilet confusion story! I travelled through Wales with two friends, one Canadian and the other an American who had lived in the UK for 20 years. They pulled me aside after a couple of days for a serious chat. Could I please stop saying I was going to the toilet and instead say I was going to "the bathroom". I complied but I still think it was silly. It was quite obvious that I wasn't going to have a bath at 2pm. I was going to the toilet!!!! We don't find that offensive. Another national trait: we call a spade a spade. Euphemisms are not big here. And yes, Australian chocolate is much better than Hershey's, which tastes like cheap Easter eggs. You do have Peanut butter M&Ms though. We don't and they are fantastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Those BBQs in the park - putting in coins must be a North Isle thing, because in Tasmania they are free, you just wipe it clean, press the button and start chucking on the snags (I'm too povo for prawns). Re the bathroom/toilet thing, I always wondered what do you say if you actually mean the room with the bath in it? Also, if you said toilet, would that be considered rude, or just strange? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Those BBQs in the park - putting in coins must be a North Isle thing, because in Tasmania they are free, you just wipe it clean, press the button and start chucking on the snags (I'm too povo for prawns). Re the bathroom/toilet thing, I always wondered what do you say if you actually mean the room with the bath in it? Also, if you said toilet, would that be considered rude, or just strange? In America the toilet is nearly always in the same room as the bath so it is just all referred to as the bathroom. No finding the toilet in a room by itself on the other side of the house. :) When we were looking at rental houses here I always gave my kids the job of finding the toilet in whatever house we were looking at. Sometimes they were in strange places. The first (so far only) time I went to a footy game in Melbourne I remember noticing that the signs all said 'toilets'. In America the signs would say 'restrooms'. I don't know that it would be considered rude, just a bit...crude, maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 It's a powder room if it just has a toilet and sink. If you are looking to purchase a home it's called a 1/2 bath in the description. If I were asking where to go at someone's home I'd ask for the restroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Whereas we'd ask for the loo. :laugh: I wondered about the 1/2 bath thing. No bath at all. Makes perfect sense. :coolgleamA: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Toilets in the bathroom are so odd to us. I remember using them in Canada and feeling weird using the toilet in such a big room. Its also annoying if someone else is taking a bath and you need to use it. My Canadian DH admits that Australians have the better idea ...building their toilets in a separate room of its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 It's a powder room if it just has a toilet and sink. If you are looking to purchase a home it's called a 1/2 bath in the description. If I were asking where to go at someone's home I'd ask for the restroom. But see, the toilets here don't have the sink. Just the toilet, in a room by itself. In older houses it might be miles away from the rest of the bathroom. In newer houses it's usually right next door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Those BBQs in the park - putting in coins must be a North Isle thing, because in Tasmania they are free, you just wipe it clean, press the button and start chucking on the snags (I'm too povo for prawns). they are free here as well. they found it was cheaper to have them for free than replace them all the time because vandals were breaking into them for the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 But see, the toilets here don't have the sink. Just the toilet, in a room by itself. In older houses it might be miles away from the rest of the bathroom. In newer houses it's usually right next door. Where do you wash your hands if you don't have a sink in the same room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 often the toilet is near the laundry, you might even have to walk through the laundry to get to the toilet. so you can wash your hands in the laundry. The reason for this is that most older houses had the toilet as a separate building from the house, then it was joined on by adding a laundry. Of course most newer houses have the toilet right beside the bathroom or some even have it in the bathroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Where do you wash your hands if you don't have a sink in the same room? Exactly!!!! often the toilet is near the laundry, you might even have to walk through the laundry to get to the toilet. so you can wash your hands in the laundry. The reason for this is that most older houses had the toilet as a separate building from the house, then it was joined on by adding a laundry. Of course most newer houses have the toilet right beside the bathroom or some even have it in the bathroom. My toilet is through the laundry, and I can wash my hands there, but the kids can't reach. We tried a stool, but even then their little hands can't turn the tap on. So for us it's a long, long walk to the bathroom to wash hands. With many, many things for little hands to touch on the way. :thumbdown: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Sorry, Skeeterbug! That doesn't sound fun. It actually sounds like a hassle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Yeah, pretty dumb to have no hand basin in the toilet room. I don't know if any houses are designed like that now, but our house (late 1980s) has toilet in one room and shower/ bath / vanity next door. If I were designing a house from scratch, there'd be hand washing facilities not just in the toilet room, but everywhere. For example, in the dining area I'd have a little sink right near the table to make it easier for kids (and adults) to wash hands before and after meals. One in the school/play room to wash hands, paintbrushes etc after messy craft activities. One right near the door so that kids who have got all muddy playing outside don't have to disconnect the hoses to do the preliminary wash before they are clean enough to come in and go to the bathroom (the one where the washing takes place). People would visit and think we belong to some bizarre hand washing cult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I grew up in a house built in the 60's. It had the toilet in the bathroom, with no other loo (considered very low class in Sydney these days - it's now unconscionable for the parents and children to use the same loo;-)). My last two houses, including this one, are older. Both houses have a single bathroom (I have obviously not moved up in the world) in extensions built onto the back of the house, with the loo in the bathroom. Yes it's a pain if you have a toilet hog, but it cuts down on streaking. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 The houses I visited in Aus had a little sink in the toilet. What are some of your favorite Australian foods/meals/desserts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Macadamias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 The houses I visited in Aus had a little sink in the toilet. What are some of your favorite Australian foods/meals/desserts? I'm sorry I couldn't help it, but I started to laugh when my American mind pictured a little tiny sink inside of the toilet bowl. The only thing we call a toilet is that one appliance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod's mum Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 The houses I visited in Aus had a little sink in the toilet. I'm sorry I couldn't help it, but I started to laugh when my American mind pictured a little tiny sink inside of the toilet bowl. The only thing we call a toilet is that one appliance. Here you go... not as funny as a sink in the loo, but I have seen this IRL. http://www.treehugger.com/bathroom-design/caroma-makes-a-toilet-with-sink-look-elegant.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Sorry, Skeeterbug! That doesn't sound fun. It actually sounds like a hassle. Oh, I sound like I'm complaining. I don't mean to. You adjust. It's just one of those funny things. The way the toilets flush, though, is brilliant. Two buttons- a half flush or full flush. And a power-house of water that flushes it all in one powerful go. No plungers. No swirl-swirl-swirl-swirl. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod's mum Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Oh, I sound like I'm complaining. I don't mean to. You adjust. It's just one of those funny things. The way the toilets flush, though, is brilliant. Two buttons- a half flush or full flush. And a power-house of water that flushes it all in one powerful go. No plungers. No swirl-swirl-swirl-swirl. :D Oi up. Be careful. You are talking about things swirling in a 'toilet'. Remember that there are Americans reading this thread. Their bodies do not cause such actions. That would just be social death!!! (Yeah I'm poking fun at our differences in body squeamishnesses.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Favorite Aussie food list will have to have Pavlova on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I really don't like pavlova - it's a waste of good fruit. A further piece of toilet trivia: the water in Australian toilets only comes up a little way into the bowl. When I stayed in Canada we were so entranced by the water coming halfway up the toilet bowl that my boss, my colleague and I stood around the toilet marvelling at it for about 5 mins. It became quite a conversation piece. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Extra points for Pod's mum for using Oi up in a post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 If the water comes halfway up the bowl here it's time to call the plumber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Isn't that just because America has virtually endless water? People seem to have super long showers (as in here, at my house, we aim for 2-4 minutes, but it's not unusual over there to have a 15 or 20 minutes shower, right?) Pavlova, I thought that was actually a Kiwi dish that has been taken over (like Phar Lap lol). Regarding Aussie cuisine, I reckon if you got a mob of Australians and asked them, you'd be unlikely to get any definite answers as to what it even is, let alone what's best. We do have "bush tucker" (traditional Indigenous food) but that isn't something that most people actually eat. We have iconic food items like your Vegemite etc. But not a lot of national dishes or a particular national style. To my taste, the best Australian food is the fusion stuff where they take other cuisines and rework them using great locally produced ingredients, eg Japanese inspired cuisine using Tasmania seafood products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 If the water comes halfway up the bowl here it's time to call the plumber. And time to start giving the kidlets the third degree about exactly what they have shoved down the dunny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I suppose Tall Poppy Syndrome exists because some people are jerks. LOL I did learn the term FIGJAM in Oz, and found it to be very useful...mainly for those Tall Poppies. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Am I the only one that grew up with toilets outside? I hated it. As a kid I used to pee in the bathtub as I didn't want to go outside in the winter. Shhh. Don't tell mum and dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Okay. The big compilation answer. Grew up I rural QLD. Now in Ohio. Not only did we not lock our doors, our doors didn't have locks. Some places we lived had a skeleton key option. But we never locked as the toilet was outside and if we needed to go no one would want to look for the key. Yup. People stop by, make themselves a cuppa. That what ya do. And we were always welcome to crash at a rellies house like it was our house. Yup! Total Vegemite lover. Detest promite and marmite. Oh I miss musk sticks! And musk lifesavers. I can't get an American to like those. Weirdos. :) granted I do not like cinnamon gum or candy. Ooh more candy... Bananas, strawberries and creams, milkos, redskins, teeth! Australia has the best lollies. Does anyone remember getting an assortment of all those good lollies for 50c in a paper bag at the corner store. Those were the days. Whoop Whoop in the US is called BFE. (BumF***Egypt) I never call it the long name as it is filthy. But BFE is usually sufficient. There are other names but I can't think of them off the top of my head. Ahh awesome Aussie town names. Wallooga, Killkivan, Toowoomba, Cawarral, Chinchilla, Yeppoon, They latter is apparently filthy in the US and no on believes me it is a place name. Snakes, spiders, red backs. Eh no biggie. I grew up seeing them. What freaked me out were the translucent scorpions I heard about when I moved to the NV dessert. You get used to what you know I think. I miss the cricket. Used to watch that on a Sunday. We used to play one hand one bounce cricket with a tennis ball on Christmas with all the rellies. Good times! Isabel I have been in the US for 13 years and I still can't get my head around the school year being over 2 years. I like Jan-Dec years. And I likes that all my classmates were born in the same year. It made so much sense. I haven't heard of duck for a female. Defiantly heard of calling women "old chooks" Yup! Growing up the Aussie Battler and rooting for the underdog was a huge thing. The sociopath economic divide easy pretty much non existent where I grew up. There wasn't a lot of money or status though. In the US the money divide is huge in comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Even though the US and Australia are culturally similar there are huge differences. There is so much more diversity in the US. Australia is a much more homogenous country. There are pockets of immigrants, and people with fringe belief. Aussies aren't all the same. Just more than Americans. And Americans can be very passionate about their opinions. Especially when it has anything to do with religion, politics, status. And they have so many different opinions and no one can agree. That is a very difficult thing to overcome. I was always under this impression that Americans work hard. Harder than Aussies. But after moving to the US I found that Americans may work hard but they play hard too. They dine out a lot more and go to movies, plays, concerts, sporting events, parties etc. Americans are very tied to this idea of liberty and freedom. Free speech. Protecting themselves and their property, yes with guns if need be. Many are not fond of the "nanny state" and are even less fond of "big brother" Aussies are more laid back about it. We just don't care that much. Or we are more easy going. We like wrongs to be righted. And we cheer on and support the down on their luck people. Poverty is more prevalent in America. I have seen the ugly side of it. And it is a hard cycle to get out of. Upward mobility is certainly possible. But it is harder. In Australia it just seems like everyone gets the same chance. Not sure if my thoughts make sense. I have spent over a decade mulling over the differences In the 2 countries I phage lived in. I am American in a lot of ways. It is my home now. But I am Aussie deep on the inside and there are thing about Americans I will never understand, no matter how much I try. American food is so different! My American husband won't eat my cooking a lot of the time and I don't like certain American things that are hugely popular here. Luckily my son eats my cooking. Peanut butter in ice cream, cereal, chocolate. Grape or cherry flavored candy and soda. Tastes like medicine. Excessive use of cinnamon. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin and sweet potatoes are sweetened veggies in the US. So much of the American food is sweet. My mum was here 6 weeks and she complained every day about how sweet the bread is. Groceries are more expensive. But take away/fast food, dinning out is super cheap in comparison. Sorry if it is disjointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Even though the US and Australia are culturally similar there are huge differences. There is so much more diversity in the US. Australia is a much more homogenous country. There are pockets of immigrants, and people with fringe belief. Aussies aren't all the same. J You must have been out of Australia for a few years. It isn't that Homogenous any more. We have been taking in immigrants on a higher per captor ratio them other countries like America for a few years. Australian population is said to be one of the most diverse in the world. 1 in 4 Australians are born overseas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Here is an official snapshot of the "average" Australian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 I have never heard the expression BFE in my life. That must be a regional thing. Do you think Australians just like candy/lollie more? I really don't care much for candylollies and I tried Aussie candy and I don't like it either. My dh just loves it. He's like a kid! LOL Well, I used to put p'nut butter in my ice cream, but darn I have to watch those calories now! My husband grew up putting cornflakes on his ice cream. He also hates cinnamon. He does like our food though, but we are southern and we have awesome food! LOL I hate to even touch the "laid back" thing in regards to the govt. Holy cow, batman, dh and I are in complete diasgreement and if that's any indication then this thread would become heated! LOL (and we agree on 95% of things politically) hmm..my dh thinks it is much easier to run a business successfully here. That is one reason we chose to stay here. Now we have just been here so long we seem settled. As settled as a two culture family can be. I think I only have one Aus family member that embraces the Battler style. I'm a fish out of water with that lifestyle. Most of our AUs family are middle class. Some with higher education and some not. The extended family are farmers and they are really good people. I really enjoy visiting and spending time with the farm families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 You must have been out of Australia for a few years. It isn't that Homogenous any more. We have been taking in immigrants on a higher per captor ratio them other countries like America for a few years. Australian population is said to be one of the most diverse in the world. 1 in 4 Australians are born overseas. I have been gone a while. And I did have a chat with my family, most still in QLD and a few friends about this. I also had a chat today with several American friends that lived in NSW and QLD also. Consensus is that the diversity may be there. But there really is a much stronger Aussie identity. My friends from the US were genuinely shocked by the lack of diversity in the places that they lived. And my family still say it is a very homegenous society in QLD. They don't know many people if any, people that come from outside the US. Most, if not all, people they know are married with kids. Or single or dating. My younger sister was the exception as quite a few of her friends are single moms. But she even acknowledges that this is not the majority. My sister worked in childcare for 6 years so she knows more than a few families. She never met a child who spoke another language at home or who had parents from outside the US. My friends from Sydney and 1 in Melborne do say there are pockets of communities. But there is no prevailing culture that overcomes Australian culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 As for BFE. I learnt the term when I lived in NV. But they use it here in Ohio. But not everyone does. I think it is kind of a crass term so it might be more limited. I have never heard anyone say bookdocks. This makes me want to wake my husband and ask him what he would say off the top of his head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Do Americans like cookies and cakes more? Especially cupcakes? It seems that most people I know are overly fond of them. I don't like either. I don't think Aussie are more fond of lollies. I was never a big lolly eater. But now I can't phase access to the good stuff I sure miss it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Here is an official snapshot of the "average" Australian. Thank you for this! I did find it very interesting. I love how they were able to compile data and create a snapshot of the average Aussie, and then say how no single person fits the criteria. I actually have a friend who lives in the Brissy suburbs that ALMOST does. Her age is off by 1 year and she has a 3rd, younger kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 So I want to ask an Aussie what is with the names of the streets? I send packages to Australia regularly for business. The last address that stuck with was Possums on Parade. The street names are quirky and amusing. Who chooses the names? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Yay! You did it! I hadn't seen it and was about to send you a PM to nudge you to do it. I can't read this thread now, but I will return. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions. Thank you, Mbelle. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 I have to say I don't like cookies. I love them!!! (Thus my Tim Tam affection!) I also really love pie. Key Lime, Lemon Meringue, Coconut Cream, Chocolate Cream! I also really enjoy muffins. I made carrot spice muffins a few hours ago. As for diversity...In my area white people are the minority (49%). 30% of the majority don't speak English. There is a multitude of languages and the local elementary school does struggle to provide education for the Kindergarten and 1st grade children. Some schools have over 30 languages present. I live in the south and since we have a sordid history of segregation we are not allowed to segregate children for any reason whatsover. I understand that, but it really is a struggle for the teachers and students. The upside I suppose is that the homeschooling movement is huge here. Many go back to school for high school, but by that time it's not such an issue...but then other things are. I'd love to know what books you consider Australian Literature? I'd like to include a couple of them in our high school curriculum. I'd love to know from a womans view since my oldest is a girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I have to say I don't like cookies. I love them!!! (Thus my Tim Tam affection!) I also really love pie. Key Lime, Lemon Meringue, Coconut Cream, Chocolate Cream! I also really enjoy muffins. I made carrot spice muffins a few hours ago. How could I forget muffins! Yes. I used to work in a little coffee shop back when I lived in Aust and cheesecake was popular. But we mostly sold crossiants, tarts, or slices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I'd love to know what books you consider Australian Literature? I'd like to include a couple of them in our high school curriculum. I'd love to know from a womans view since my oldest is a girl. Playing Beattie Bow by Ruth Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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