Guest Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 There is a Mexican restaurant in Melbourne. They serve cactus! That was just too exciting for words. :lol: Those are called nopales. We buy them in the grocery stores here, in the produce section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 Those are called nopales. We buy them in the grocery stores here, in the produce section. I know, but it sounds funner if I call it cactus. :lol: We can't buy them here. The guy who owns the Mexican restaurant in Melbourne said he tried buying locally, but they weren't nice, so he buys tins from overseas. I guess no one waters prickly pear here, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) Someone mentioned Australian TV programs were bad. I love the ones I've found - even if it's just for the awesome accents!! Mrs. Fisher's Mysteries isn't bad at all. I quite like it. Offspring season 1 was good, especially Eddie Perfect and his music. Edited April 15, 2017 by wintermom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 That sounds a bit like a pizza I got in China once... it had, among other things, green beans and carrots. Australians don't ruin pizza... do they? Do they? :ohmy: The English, I'm told, put corn on their pizza. And then they call it American.... Now, I'm sure American pizza isn't very similar to Italian pizza - but honestly, as a New Yorker, I'm pretty sure that pizza is really an NYC invention anyway, so whatevs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 New Jersey pizza is pretty awesome, too. I love how they make the pieces so huge that they have to fold them in half to eat them. Crazy man! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 We used to watch Bert do Family Feud every night. I think it is the Australian version. Our 2 year old liked it :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 We used to watch Bert do Family Feud every night. I think it is the Australian version. Our 2 year old liked it :) Oh heck. Not him. My grandmother said she'd rather kiss a shark than Bert. (Half a shandy is all it takes :lol: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 The English, I'm told, put corn on their pizza. And then they call it American.... Now, I'm sure American pizza isn't very similar to Italian pizza - but honestly, as a New Yorker, I'm pretty sure that pizza is really an NYC invention anyway, so whatevs. Corn on pizza?!?! That's like......anchoives in mashed potatoes. It's just......WRONG!!!! :ack2: :eek: :scared: Also, I had no idea you were a New Yorker. This is a very educational thread. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 One of the best things about Australia is our comedy duo Hamish and Andy. Really, folks, check them out on youtube. They do a radio show and they also do TV specials. Hilarious. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) One of the best things about Australia is our comedy duo Hamish and Andy. Really, folks, check them out on youtube. They do a radio show and they also do TV specials. Hilarious. Euro Gap year is great! Edited April 15, 2017 by wintermom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) Also, I had no idea you were a New Yorker. This is a very educational thread. :) I'm also half Texan, on my father's side. We grew up with little barbed wire Texases and stars on our kitchen walls, and random longhorn, uh, horns placed decoratively in the living room. And a flag of Texas. I can assure you, we didn't own an American flag, and I have no idea where I'd get a NYS flag... but we had that Texas flag! It's tough being a Texan expat in New York. Edited April 15, 2017 by Tanaqui 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 In NZ they had a show on the music channel called At Your Place or something like there, where they'd get NZ bands to go to a random Kiwi's backyard and perform live (and they'd show it on the TV, obviously). It was great, and so not something you'd ever see here in the same way - the US is just too big for something like that. Maybe as a local production, but not a national one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I'm also half Texan, on my father's side. We grew up with little barbed wire Texases and stars on our kitchen walls, and random longhorn, uh, horns placed decoratively in the living room. And a flag of Texas. I can assure you, we didn't own an American flag, and I have no idea where I'd get a NYS flag... but we had that Texas flag! It's tough being a Texan expat in New York. I was a Texan expat in Missouri. In New York would be a lot worse. My dad had (in Missouri) a mailbox painted with the Texas flag, which DH got him when we were in high school and he took a working trip to Dallas. Dad saw the local Missourians as Yankees, which I thought was pretty funny as Missouri was a slave state. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) As a kid in NC in the 70s we used to go occasionally to the nearby large city for what we considered exotic, authentic Mexican food.........at Taco Bell. Our experience with pizza was the Chef Boyardee box mix (powdered crust mix, little can of sauce, and powdered cheese), and Chinese was La Choy Chow Mein in the can (with the smaller can of chow mein noodles taped to the top of the main can). Not exactly cosmopolitan, so it's not like we have great Mexican everywhere in the US. :) It amazes me that we now have all sorts of different types of international foods, both as restaurants and in the regular grocery stores. Edited April 15, 2017 by KarenNC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) Does AU or NZ have lobbyists? Edited April 15, 2017 by displace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Ooh, can I piggyback with a question? A good friend is likely moving to Adelaide. They lived there once before for a couple of years but ended up transferred back to the states. They're excited to go - one of her kids was born there. But... she has no idea what the homeschool scene is like since last time she was there her kids were tiny. Anyone? Or the schools? Parts of Australia seem like they'd get along well with American redneck culture... HS in Adelaide is easy peasy. Usually I say it is easiest second to Victoria but with their changes coming about SA will soon become the easiest place to HS. Yes we have a home visit once a year from the education department but its a seperate department who are all HS friendly and its no big deal ...if I can pass anyone can 😂 Lots of active groups but we dont really do things like co-ops. Because of the smaller number of people HS there arent any " groups" that reject you if you dont follow their faith. Groups are open to ALL ...nothing to sign...just send an email and say Hey Im coming to your group and turn up and everyone is just super happy there is one more HSer. lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Does AU or NZ have lobbyists? Aren't there lobbyists anywhere there's someone who wants something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I've been told that in NZ, they put beets on their burgers. Beets. On their burgers. Just let that sink in a minute. Yes... Burgers without Beetroot are just not burgers... You would probably be slightly shocked by what goes in the "burger with the lot" at the local fish and chip shops... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 There's good and bad pizza the world over. But if you're putting beets on the pizza, that is definitely in the bad category. Or green beans for that matter. Roast Beetroot with feta maybe... There is pizza and pizza here. You get to know where to go. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I thought of another one which may be a negative to some. It's really hard to buy fireworks. I think it's only in the Northern Territory that they can be legally be sold without a license. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Used to be legal in the ACT too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Roast Beetroot with feta maybe... There is pizza and pizza here. You get to know where to go. I make it with smoked cheese. It's better than feta. Can't say I've ever seen roast beetroot pizza in a shop. There used to be a pizza shop in the Vic market that put it in its bases though. Pink pizza base is a fun thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I haven't seen anyone mention this, but when we visit family the biggest thing I notice is the way men and women interact. It seems like women and men in at least my husbands extended family have very defined traditional roles. They call women girls, which was confusing at first. I try not to use the word negative when things are different, but this one that kind of bugs me. We will be heading over in 6 weeks for a one month visit. I will be washing dishes by hand and line drying clothes the whole time! Also, eating sponge cake with fruit on top and having instant coffee to go with it. We are going to have an extended family reunion while we are there too. That's always fun, no matter where you are. My husband is from an area that is so gorgeous, but economically struggling. We have some great friends there and can't wait to see them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Yes... Burgers without Beetroot are just not burgers... You would probably be slightly shocked by what goes in the "burger with the lot" at the local fish and chip shops... So you pickle the beets in slices instead of chunks? That's a great idea! How does a mom with young ones deal with beetroot blobs on clothes, though? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Aren't there lobbyists anywhere there's someone who wants something? Idk. We have so many in DC and it seems like they are making the laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 HS in Adelaide is easy peasy. Usually I say it is easiest second to Victoria but with their changes coming about SA will soon become the easiest place to HS. Yes we have a home visit once a year from the education department but its a seperate department who are all HS friendly and its no big deal ...if I can pass anyone can 😂 Lots of active groups but we dont really do things like co-ops. Because of the smaller number of people HS there arent any " groups" that reject you if you dont follow their faith. Groups are open to ALL ...nothing to sign...just send an email and say Hey Im coming to your group and turn up and everyone is just super happy there is one more HSer. lol Thanks! I'll pass that on. She was worried that maybe there wasn't much of a homeschool scene at all. They're a Christian family, but of the liberal Episcopalian sort, homeschooling for non-religious reasons, so she'll be glad to hear that it's not a statement of faith type scene either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Euro Gap year is great! All of their Gap Year shows are fabulous. I also love 'Learn India'. Golly they are funny. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) Ooh, ooh, ooh. I have another one for the positives list. We have Daniel Ricciardo! Go Danny Ric! The Bahrain GP is on here at about 1am Monday morning. We're massive F1 fans. ETA: When I say 'we're massive F1 fans' I'm talking about my family. I'm not speaking for all of Australia here. But when I say beetroot is great on a burger (or a salad sandwich for that matter), then I think I can safely say I'm speaking for Australia. ;) And to clarify, we're not talking about sugarbeets. It's the tinned, sliced, purply, vinegary beetroot. numnumnum Edited April 16, 2017 by chocolate-chip chooky 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Depends. Not so much with younger generations. I hate being called a girl too. To be fair, the same people calling women 'girls' call men 'the boys', especially on the footy field. It's a particular kind of Aussie vibe. I honestly don't have much to do with that culture. It's a bit like that on dh's side of the family (Anglo Indian - a lot more 'boys will be boys and girls should look after their men' ugh horribleness. We live in another city, so, limited exposure. the boy will be boys and girls should look after their men...that's it exactly we have 2 family members like this My daughter and I feel like we are sort of like pets that need looked after and honestly think they think this is being nice. As long as we stay in our place. We pass the bean dip a lot. Well, I do my 17 year old is still learning that art! LOL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 We pass the bean dip a lot. Well, I do my 17 year old is still learning that art! LOL I don't want to pass the bean dip. I want to throw it at people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 LOL! Rosie, you have to stop being a mod so I can upvote your posts! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiddles Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) I'm a kiwi but have lived in the US more than 20 years. I miss NZ a lot but I doubt I could move back there unless I won the lottery - it is so expensive - homes, groceries, utilities, gas. Most people I know back home barely scrape by. Some of my observations from my visits home are; - everything is so green (tho as another poster mentioned, it does rain a lot) - food is so wholesome tasting compared to the pre-prepared stuff you get in many food establishments here. I love the bakery items - custard pies, dough nuts (which are not really donuts, more bread-like and filled with real cream), pies - especially chicken. - random people walking around town barefoot - if it's cold inside, you just bundle up (I have painful memories of getting up in the morning before the wood stove was lit and the house was freezing) - it's scary driving there when you're used to multi lane highways - I had to re-learn to "overtake" on 2 lane roads. The roads have improved a lot over the years tho. - my kids noticed how small the cars were compared to the huge gas guzzlers we drive here. -seems to be lot of cafes everywhere and the coffee is so much better! Plus you get a lolly or wee bikkie with your flat white. - my parents are semi rural and their internet is sooo slow. I don't know how they can stand it. My cousins in the sticks don't get internet at all. - boring animals (aussie got all the good ones) - this Edited April 15, 2017 by tiddles 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Love the video of NZ children at play in the rain! Here's how we do it in Canada. :laugh: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 I think that the kindness, generosity, and intellect of the AU and NZ representation on this board alone is enough to outweigh any negatives one could cite. :001_wub: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 The Mexican thing is funny. I think we Americans forget how Mexican influenced our everyday food has become. It was the thing I came to miss the most when I lived in Asia, just because there was *nothing* like it. At one point, I started buying tortilla chips in Hong Kong and making salsa and no one would touch it. It was way weird to them. Weirder than "western food" restaurants for sure. I also once bought okra in Hong Kong at a specialty market. It was labeled, "Exotic African Food." I'm guessing anywhere you could find it in Australia would be similar. But... I'll be you can get rambutans! Right? Oh my gosh. For ages, they weren't even sold in the US. They were illegal to import and they can't be grown here. Now I see them sometimes - dried up and nasty. But... they were everywhere in Mexico when we visited so I'm hopeful about the global spread of food. Putting beet on a burger is shocking and wrong on every level. Can I say that we ( our family) put grated beetroot on our tacos :coolgleamA: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Can I say that we ( our family) put grated beetroot on our tacos :coolgleamA: :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Ananemone has some confusion about Maori relations here in NZ. Nz is a bicultural society not a multicultural society from a political point of view. The founding document of the country and the policies since then have put Maori on equal footing to the europeans from the beginning (minus some really nasty wars). Asians are a more recent immigrant group and do not have the same standing in the government or country. You don't sit on desks or tables or counters etc because a long time ago, people wore grass skirt without anything underneath them and it was unhygienic. So now it has entered the culture that it is a very rude thing to do. The tall poppy cultural approach to achievement is alive and well although fading. This is a hydroelectric country so it is a good thing that it rains! When we had a drought a few years ago we also had a power shortage! The government here is *very* functional. It is not like America, where nothing can get done because of the partisan bickering. NZ is not patriotic like America. My ds who is in the middle of studying for the SAT essay has found that he can almost always use 'appeal to identity' because there is a strong American overlay to almost all of the essays, appealing to a sense of who Americans are. The free. The powerful. The brave. NZers is not a backwater because 30% of the working population is from overseas. Immigration here is managed for economic improvement (my dh works at Immigration NZ). In addition, I would say about 60% of NZers go on an overseas experience in their 20s, and come back more worldly. Yes, things are expensive here. But people don't want as much. Houses have little insulation. So put on a polarfleece or a blanket. No need to waste energy. Schools here are way better than in America. The highschool curriculum is way better and more consistent. Universities here are entry by exam, so no need to do that whole senior year application nightmare that is the American university admission process. Insurance is expensive because of the earthquakes. Health care is very good and a part of the tax system. It takes forever to fly anywhere, and so is expensive. ++++++ I'm sure I can come up with more! Ruth in NZ 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lecka Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Are the beets on hamburgers what I would call "pickled beets"? Sliced beets, soft, with a tart vinegar flavor? I think it sounds great. I love pickled beets. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Are the beets on hamburgers what I would call "pickled beets"? Sliced beets, soft, with a tart vinegar flavor? I think it sounds great. I love pickled beets. More or less, yes. We just buy them in tins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 What, three pages on Australia and New Zealand and no one has discussed magpies??? https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Magpies&qft=+filterui%3amsite-youtube.com&view=detail&mid=8485501DE20DD1A4B8D98485501DE20DD1A4B8D9&FORM=VRDGAR https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Magpies+dive+bomb&&view=detail&mid=1C0CFD5B0F1B644E9ECD1C0CFD5B0F1B644E9ECD&FORM=VRDGAR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Oh, magpies. I have to walk under a magpie's tree on the way to the main street. I carry an umbrella right through their nesting season. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 I like them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiddles Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Oh, magpies. I have to walk under a magpie's tree on the way to the main street. I carry an umbrella right through their nesting season. :glare: Long before bike helmets became commonplace, kids would walk to school with plastic ice-cream containers on their heads during nesting! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 (edited) I had a root beer craving tonight, and DH was trying to be sweet and brought me home a fancy bottled root beer. The label says it's from Australia! I had a good chuckle as I've been following this thread with interest. Well, I took one drink, and tasted...licorice! Noooooo! Yep, right in the ingredients list, there's licorice. Why??? Is this an Australian thing? There is a nice variety of flavorings like molasses, ginger root, vanilla, and of course sarsaparilla that are ruined by the licorice. :huh: Edited April 17, 2017 by ifIonlyhadabrain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 I had a root beer craving tonight, and DH was trying to be sweet and brought me home a fancy bottled root beer. The label says it's from Australia! I had a good chuckle as I've been following this thread with interest. Well, I took one drink, and tasted...licorice! Noooooo! Yep, right in the ingredients list, there's licorice. Why??? Is this an Australian thing? There is a nice variety of flavorings like molasses, ginger root, vanilla, and of course sarsaparilla that are ruined by the licorice. :huh: What brand? The only root beer I've ever seen here were cans of it imported from the US with HFCS and all. :ack2: Oh, and the Pancake Parlour used to sell a very tasty, not HFCS version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 (edited) What brand? The only root beer I've ever seen here were cans of it imported from the US with HFCS and all. :ack2: Oh, and the Pancake Parlour used to sell and very tasty, not HFCS version. It's Bundaberg and even has a cute kangaroo on the label. https://www.bundaberg.com/en-us/brew/root-beer/ It was made with cane sugar. Yay, Australia! Yes, the US's drinks are filled with HFCS. I agree, gross. My English MIL tracks down and buys the kids sweets made without it and often the treats are not made in the US. Edited April 17, 2017 by ifIonlyhadabrain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Oh, I think your Bundys Root Beer is our Sarsparilla. Odd. The Pancake Parlour root beer didn't taste like Sars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 So you pickle the beets in slices instead of chunks? That's a great idea! How does a mom with young ones deal with beetroot blobs on clothes, though? ;) Lol yeah no Beetroot for the babies 😆 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 We have lovely magpies here. The cockatoos are more trouble! Hundreds of them, they're noisy and will clean your fruit trees! We also have galahs, kookaburras, rosellas, lorikeets, fairy wrens, finches... beautiful. The birds are one of my favourite things about this place. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Cockatoos make me laugh. They are conspirators. They would sit quietly while ds ran through their patch, but when I followed they let out screams of "Quick, Kid! SHE'S COMING!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.