Random thoughts about Oz...

I have a bunch of little things that can’t really fit a whole post so I figured I’d throw them all in one.  Here is my collection of (in big echoing voice) Random Thoughts About Oz oz oz oz.

**Australia loves Pink. Nope not the color. Not the Victoria Secret label either. Pink, the musician.  I'm not exactly sure why they love her so much.  She just finalized her tour this year with 42 dates in Australia.  That's 42 dates in five cities!  What?!  Apparently last time she was in the country she made a little over 41 million dollars playing 58 shows.

Everywhere I go they are playing Pink.  In Melbourne, before one of the tennis matches they started playing a song and the middle aged lady next to me starts singing along very loudly.  I don't know what to make of it.  I guess she calls Australia her 'second home' but if I was Pink, I would buy a huge house here on the beach and live in adoration.  But that's just me. So what, she's still a rock star?!

**Australia has a fascination with Havaiana thongs.  Yes, that is what they call flip flops here. Thongs.  But Havaianas are basically just a piece of rubber in a wide variety of colors.  They offer no foot support and they cost at least $20/pair and go up from there.  They even have vending machines for them.  Since I am an avid flip flop wearer I know a lot about flip flops. Believe me, I have no idea why you would walk so much with no arch support and no cushion.  It’s a Brazilian brand and yet I think if you asked the average Aussie they would say they are Australian. Weird.  I’m encouraging my Aussie friends to check out a different Brazilian brand, Reef.  Reef Sandals are my very favorite and way more comfortable.

Forgot your shoes again? Don't worry.

Also, you can wear thongs for any occasion here.  Are you moving? Going out to eat?  Headed to the beach? Church? Footy? Anything?  Throw on your thongs and you are good.  I really like this because it is my footwear of choice but when moving?  Really?

There are also a lot of people without shoes all together.  Not just at the beach too.  It is not a real surprise anymore to see a guy get out of his car and walk into the convenience store with no shoes.  Or a kid walking around the Hungry Jack’s with no shoes. No kidding.  Whatever. They are just shoes. You must be confined by your lifestyle. It’s not that they don’t have money for shoes they just choose not to care for some reason.   You know it’s a laid back country when people don’t wear shoes in the city and nobody seems to notice. 

Popular item for Australia Day

**Young Australians believe that they have to choose between pursuing sport or getting a higher education.  Corey Payne is a back rower for the Aussie Rules football team, the Canterbury Bulldogs.  They play in West Sydney.  The “bad” part of town.  They are not known as a team with a great reputation but Corey has decided to try to change things.  Why pursue sport only?  He completed his undergraduate degree and is now juggling his postgraduate studies with playing footy.  He is encouraging other schoolies to do both as well.  This is so amazing that he was recently nominated as a National Finalist for Young Australian of the Year.  This is a big deal here.  Colleges don’t have organized sports. Sports are left to individual clubs and national teams. 

American Collegiate sports are screwed up but think of all of the kids who get college educations because they are good at sport?  What if colleges didn’t have organized sports and kids were forced to choose to become a full-time athlete?  Americans take it for granted but I think we are on the right track with this one.  Good on ya, Corey.  Hope you inspire others to get an education too!

Figure this one out. 

**Why is tires spelled “tyres”?  Why is yogurt spelled “yoghurt”?  Why is defense spelled “defence”?  Did we change these or did you?  Why on earth would these be different?  Was somebody just a bad speller and that’s the way it was left?  How would this affect the National Spelling Bee?  Do they know all of the spellings?   I could go on but I need to let it go...

**This is a personal one but it’s really hard being an alcoholic in this country.  I thought the American culture revolved around drinking, ha!  I’m a three-headed alien here.  Good thing I’ve had a lot of practice being in bars with drunk people.  I’m playing on expert level here.  If Angus can do it...

This is what you get on a Qantas flight. A paper and an iPad. Sweet!

**Lots of people run with backpacks.  Not hydration packs mind you, regular backpacks.  Not really sure what the thinking is behind this.  Do you need to be somewhere so you just figured you would run there and change your clothes when you get there?  Are you delivering something?  Do you really need wifi fast and you have to bring your laptop to the cafe?  I have yet to figure this out.

Every toddler needs patriotic nappies! Australia Day!

**My favorite TV programs here are The Project and Spicks And Specks.  The Project is a daily news program that informs while making you laugh. Perfect way for people to actually watch news.  Spicks And Specks is a music-based trivia show that helps me catch up on learning Australian music.  Named after the BeeGees song, it sadly ended last year but I’ve been watching reruns because honestly, it’s all the same to me. 

**I finally figured out why they call McDonald’s Maccas.  They say Mac Donalds. So naturally a nickname would be Mac cas.  Not sure why they have added an “a” but they have and they think that Americans are weird for calling it “micky d’s”.  Once again, really?  Americans are weird for pronouncing an American restaurant correctly?  Who says? You and Dr. Seuss?  What’s that you say?  He pronounced it “soyce” like “voice”?  Um…

More nicknames, sayings and translations:

Chook = Chicken

Capsicum = Bell Pepper
Nappy = Diaper

Chuck a sickie = Calling in sick to work

Fairy Floss = Cotton Candy

Star Jumps = Jumping Jacks

Whinge = Whine

Glassing = Violence that involves glass,  I’m not joking. I hear this on the news all the time. Most common is smashing an intact glass into the face of the victim.  What? Yes. 

Bottle-o = Liquor store

Boot = Trunk of the car

Spider = Ice Cream Float like a Coke Spider

00447778 = They would pronounce this as Double o, Double four, Triple seven, Eight