Appetizing Commentary... ;)

Ketchup is never the same in different countries. I am not totally biased in saying that American Heinz ketchup is the best anywhere. It is often the most expensive type of ketchup offered and often in high demand but short supply. As I get acclimated to my new home I have a constantly expanding list of things that I want to buy, forget to buy and must buy the next time I am insert store here. Ketchup was on my list of staples for the grocery store along with oatmeal, plain non fat yogurt and vegetables and so with my list on scraps of random paper I have frequented Coles and Woolworths (the grocery stores). Interestingly, all supermarkets are located inside indoor malls which is dangerous in itself because if you think going into COSTCO and purchasing $100 worth of stuff you didn’t think you needed was bad, try walking past clothing, shoe, and electronic stores every time you want an apple. Anywho, I walk into Coles (deemed the best one for deals) and search for the sauces aisle. Low and behold, right next to the tomato sauce is Heinz ketchup. But this stuff looks completely different. The fake, brilliant red ketchup that I know from home has been replaced by a maroonish brown sauce in the same characteristic bottle. I decide to trust this new (probably less processed) version and wander into the cereal aisle. I have learned that the Uncle Toby brand is the Kellogg’s of Australia. After staring at all the different varieties of hot cereals (none of which say oatmeal) I pick out a high protein blend. And so my mission for food continues…

Janet and I share a love of foreign grocery stores. We love to go into a new store and see what is offered, what is missing and what has been substituted. I realized today that one of the reasons that this exploration mission was so fun was because we would soon be home and so if we couldn’t find that treasured food in our current location we knew that we would have it soon at home. Well let’s just say that I am insanely missing Mountain High non fat yogurt right now. I think I may have found an ok substitute but man oh man will I be paying dearly for it. I know what you are thinking, isn’t going to a new place about exploring the new foods that are available all around me? Yes of course that is true and I already have stories about new food adventures but Heinz ketchup and Mountain High non fat yogurt will be dearly missed.

Well I have yet to try kangaroo but I have tried Vegemite. Ok it really is as gross as everyone says and it smells even worse. I have to say that I am not that surprised after I learned that it is the byproduct of beer production. It is basically the residue found at the bottom of beer barrels. Tellu’s roommate is an amazing guy from Tasmania named Todd and he shared this splendid fact with me. I have to be fair, Todd made me some Vegemite on toast and it wasn’t actually that bad but I couldn’t really taste it. He spread it so thinly that I had to squint to distinguish it from the seeds in the bread. I think I can handle this beer byproduct in this small dosage. Their bread is also quite different. White bread is the standard (think 50’s America style) and I had to pay through my teeth to get a loaf of bread with actually flavor/character.

I have also had some trouble remembering to use the metric system. America really should just get with the program and follow along. The other day I was baking non-dairy (Tellu is lactose intolerant) and non gluten (Todd can’t eat gluten) banana bread which was a challenge in itself but then I forgot that the oven would be in Celsius. When I went to turn on the oven I noticed that the oven only went up to 250 but I figured that it was just a weak stove or something (clearly I was delusional). So I turn the oven up full blast and within 10 min the top of my banana bread was complete toast. I did manage to salvage most of it but I still claim it a disaster. One of these days this clueless American will get with the program…. : )

I met my first American the other day. So far the closest I had come was a group of Canadians staying at the same motel as me. I often get confused for a Canadian which I have come to learn is a compliment. I remember travelling in the past with school groups and they always said “just say you are from Canada.” I am completely aware of the obnoxious, loud, pushy American stereotype and I have definitely experienced it first hand while travelling but until this trip I had never been told that I was “the nicest American they have ever met.” Since I have been here I have been told this by 5 different people. I mean yah I guess I am a nice person but wow “the nicest American they have ever met.”? Wow…

And with that I will call it a night. I am sleeping in my bed in my apartment for the first time tonight. My roommate (Guy) and his mother came up today to help get the place sorted out and we did accomplish a lot although there is still a ton of work to do. Guy’s girlfriend (Krystal) is coming up Thursday so I am sure there will be a great deal more sorting and organizing in the days ahead. It’s nice to have a place and I honestly love this house remodeling stuff so I am pretty peachy right now ;) Till next time… Cheers!!!