Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts

Reason #24618 I love living in Australia

Friday, April 27, 2012 2:30 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
My chemist knows my name....

It feels hard to explain why that is such a big deal - but I will try...

Instead of having giant Walmarts, Krogers, CVSs and Walgreens to choose from for our prescription needs, we have two local "chemists".  I chose one when we first moved here simply because it was on one side of the street versus another.  This isn't like a Walgreens where you can pop in for some groceries, a dog toy, a belated birthday card for your cousin, eyeliner and your prescription.  No, this is a tiny little store  - maybe the size of two largish bedrooms smooshed together and their opening hours are not conducive to modern times.  They are open till 7pm weeknights and have very limited hours on weekends.  If you went in with that list that I just named off, you would walk out with just the prescription.  That's all they do....

It sounds limiting and there were times when we first moved here that I struggled with that.  Joe and I both take maintenance prescriptions so, while I wasn't in there a lot, I was in there about once a month.  When Joe had his big surgery back in October, we struggled with getting his pain managed properly.  The doctor agreed that he needed an additional script of the main pain med he was taking.  They asked for the name of my chemist and I gave it to him.  Later that day, when I went to pick up the script, the chemist didn't know what I was talking about - apparently, the doctor sent the new script through snail mail to us - not even to the chemist!!  There was no calling or faxing. The chemist tried to call the Dr to verify; but it was after 5pm so no dice.  Luckily, the Dr had scanned the new script and emailed it to us.  I showed the copy to the chemist and he filled it because he knew us and knew we weren't trying to scam him.

So, can you imagine going into CVS or Walgreens with a *copy* of a prescription for narcotic pain killers and having them fill it and telling you, "just bring the original in when you get it in the mail."??  Can you imagine?

Anyway, since then, he has filled another script for Joe while still waiting on the new one from his regular Dr.  To be fair, this is one of the ones we get every month; but still.... how great of service is that?

Last month, I ran out of refills on my regular prescription.  When I picked up the last one, the chemist gave me the used up script and told me to get a new one from my Dr and drop it off when I had time.  I did it a couple of weeks later and stopped back in to drop it off.  He was behind the counter in the back filling a script so the shop girl was trying to help me.  I was just trying to explain what I was dropping off to the confused girl when he popped out...

"Hey *insert my real name here*, is that your new script for *insert medicine name here*?

"It is!"

"Do you need it filled now or later?  You should still have 2 weeks worth from the last one but I can fill it right away if it's easier"

So, in that moment I realised.... My chemist knows my name by sight, he knows what medicine I take and approximately always knows when I will be needing a refill.  A couple weeks after that when I was picking up my medicine, he asked, "Does Joe need his *insert medicine name here* filled?  He should be almost out".

In that second moment I realised.... My chemist knows both of our names and all of our medicines and when they need to be refilled.  How great is that?

Brings a whole new meaning to personal service!


Labels: , , 0 comments

Bacon Bacon Bacon!!!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 5:32 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
This is a tale of our epic weekend….  Brought to you on a Tuesday; but who’s counting?  That's a joke - I know who's counting...

It all started with this incredible recipe I found for chicken enchiladas….  I decided that I was going to make them.  The recipe calls for a can of green chiles which I just so happen to have in my pantry (thanks to my fabulous M-I-L).  I decided that I should always have green chiles in the pantry for a “just in case” scenario and so I began a hunt to find some more.  This is like hunting for a needle in a haystack here in Sydney…. I heard tell of a couple of places in Newtown that might have them so I laid plans for an excursion for Saturday.   

If you don’t live here, than you might not realise that it’s been raining incessantly for the last 3 weeks.  Not just drizzle; but full-on downpours for days on end.  Our ferry stairs were turned into a beautiful waterfall that quickly turned ugly as soon as you tried to climb it.  Everything has just been cold, wet and grey.  So…  I checked the forecast for the shopping trip and was pleased to see that we were supposed to have relatively clear skies.  It was raining a bit on Saturday morning; but it cleared up by about 11 so off we went.  Our first stop was Fiji Market in Newtown.  There was a small Mexican selection here (smaller than in the photos if you follow the link); but better than anywhere else I have seen so I’m not complaining.  I got a bag of Masa, canned jalepenos, tomatillo salsa, canned black beans and canned adobo chiles.  I wished they had green chiles; but they didn’t.  They also didn’t have corn husks for making tamales with; but I figure I can do those myself this summer during fresh corn season.  I pretty much danced out of that store on a complete high.  

We were walking up King street (popping in and out of all the cool little “junktique” stores that are there) when I saw a restaurant called “New in Town” which is cute since it’s in Newtown (Please follow this link and look at the pictures of the food!!).  It’s a Polish restaurant and I was so excited to read their menu!  We ended up having lunch there because we were hungry because I wanted to and gave Joe puppy dog eyes.  We got the potato pierogis and the grilled Polish sausage and then split each entree so that we could each taste both.  The sausage was great – nothing like our Easter kielbasa from “Little Warsaw” in Cleveland – but perfectly respectable with dollops of mustard and horseradish (which was incredible and could be eaten by the spoonful) on the side.  The pierogis were honestly pretty disappointing…  I can’t say for certain; but it seemed that the filling was encased in wonton skins? Those work in a pinch for raviolis; but the effect when used for pierogis was very very odd.  The filling was quite bland and a little mealy.  Not horrible; but certainly not pillows of deliciousness like my own.  I’d love to go back and try some of the items listed on their dinner menu and see what they were like - if you followed the link and saw the pictures I'm sure you would agree.  I’m also kicking myself for not asking them where I could get kielbasa in Sydney – I’ll try to remember the next time we go there.  Finding this restaurant was another little kick in the pants for me to buy a pasta maker and make some pierogis of my own.  I swear I am buying one today and then it’s going to be pierogi party time at my place!  

On to the Newtown Foodworks still in search of green chiles…  In fact, they did not have them (or if they did, I couldn’t find them).  I did, however, find some mustard that I had been looking for and I found some Jone’s Root Beer!!  I got two bottles (which didn’t last long) and, in hindsight, I should have gotten several more….  Oh well, yet another reason to spend weekends wandering up and down King St.  

Sunday we went into town (aka Military Rd) to pick up a prescription and have dinner.  We had time to kill so we wandered over to our little discount store to pick up some odds and ends – yaknow… superglue, bobby pins and striped socks (don’t judge my shopping list!)  We wandered by Neutral Bay Fresh which is a lovely little produce shop and I decided to pick up some fruit and veg for the week while we were there.  I’ve never actually walked carefully through that little shop – every time I have ever gone in it has been a rush job for something in particular.  Well, this time I was in no rush and I gave my full attention to the whole place.  Not only did I find some incredible raviolis (roasted lamb, mushroom and rosemary), I also found Hellmanns Mayonaise and I found (excuse me while I scream a little) AMERICAN BACON!!!!  Real, honest to goodness bacon!  Joe and I quickly scrapped our dinner plans and rushed home to make BLT’s for dinner.  I cannot even tell you how darn good that bacon smelled while I was cooking it – and that BLT was just about the best thing I had tasted in a long time.  I am not ashamed to tell you that I saved every bit of bacon grease that was in that pan.  It’s sitting pretty in a tiny container in my fridge waiting to be used in my risotto tonight and some scrambled eggs this weekend!  

Granted, none of these incredible finds were cheap – the bacon alone was $12.00 for eight slices!  The mayo was $7.00 for a very very small jar.  But, for something that is as much of a treat as these little touches of America are, I would gladly pay double those prices.  It’s nice to know that I can get these things every once in a while – knowing that I have access to them is sometimes just as good as actually having them.  
I have to say, drinking my root beer while I cooked that bacon was almost a religious moment for me…

Labels: , , , , 10 comments

Insomnia - Or - Why I am Writing at One in the Morning...

Monday, October 25, 2010 1:33 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
I suppose I should be grateful for my insomnia tonight - it certainly lends itself to blogging far better than sleeping an a warm comfy bed would...

As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend was very productive with the both of us getting a bunch of stuff done around the house.  We made a trip to Ikea for more furniture on Friday night and then spent the weekend getting it all set-up.  I also finally finished re-painting the armoire I had been working on for a seeming eternity...
It's pretty incredible having an actual living room full of furniture - we spent so long with nothing that I had almost forgotten what it was like to invite people over without asking them to bring their own chairs with them!  I was really in a rush to get all of this set-up this past weekend because Monday night I was hosting my ex-pat book club at my place.  I knew it would push me to get more done than I would have otherwise...  Quite honestly, if I hadn't been hosting the book club, I think the armoire would still be unpainted...

Monday morning I had plans to go see "Eat, Pray, Love" with my friend Kim.  I hadn't seen her in a few weeks and I was missing her like crazy...  She had just gotten back from a holiday in Western Australia so we had much to catch up on at our lunch after the movie.  I really wanted to sit around and talk to her all afternoon; but she had to pick her son up from school and I had a ton more to get done before book club.  It was a resounding success, although I hadn't read the book and those that had read it didn't really like it.

(I have to pause here to add that I had ordered the book weeks before but it hadn't arrived yet.  Also, I have to add that I got it several days after the book club meeting, started reading it yesterday, finished it today and I thought it was one of the worst books I have ever spent painful painful hours trying to slog through).

But, I digress...  Tuesday was a scheduled "day of adventure" with a fellow blogger.  We talked about doing some walking tours etc; but the day was rainy and overcast so we decided to head down to Chinatown and Paddy's Markets for some Yum Cha (Dim Sum) and some serious shopping.  We met around lunchtime so we decided to start with the food and then go from there.  Yum Cha was delish and wonderful - fellow blogger had never experienced it before so it was neat to get to explain how it all works.  We had a bit of a translation issue at one point and so ended up with a lovely dish of beef tripe (you do know that tripe is stomach lining right?) on our table.  As with most odd things that you can order in a Chinese restaurant, the flavour was great; but the texture was quite um... textured. 
I was quite impressed with the both of us though - we both tried it and we both actually ate more than one piece each.  Actually, when I wiki'ed tripe to make sure I talked about it correctly, I found out that most commercial breakfast sausage in the States uses pork and beef tripe as filler.  I guess I can't honestly say that this was my first experience with it!  The rest of the food was stellar, and so, buoyed up by a pot of Chinese tea, we headed out into the drizzle in search of bargains.  Paddy's Markets were closed much to our intense disappointment; but the upstairs shops were open so we headed up to see what they had on offer.  We were figuring that they would be regular places; but they seemed to all be stores that were geared for lower budgets which suited us just fine!  I was able to pick up 4 pairs of shoes for only $70 and it felt like I was back in America with such bargains. We had just completed a circuit of all the shops when we noticed one off in the corner called Typo.  Fellow blogger and I were helpless - like moths to a flame we went in slack jawed and drooling.  I would try to explain the coolness of this place; but I know I would fall very very short so I am just going to encourage you to follow the link and look at the catalogue.  While in the shop I fell in love with a rather large black canvas with Australian city names listed on it in an arty sort of way. 
I texted Joe some pictures, he liked it, it was a good price so I bought it.  Then I realized that I had to carry it home.  Yikes...  I hadn't really thought that one through.  Luckily it was longer than it was wide so I was able to sort of tuck it under my arm and grab the bottom of it with my hard.  I got lots of stares on the way home... We didn't end up wandering too much through the actual streets of Chinatown as I now had an enormous canvas tucked under one arm; but I am hoping that our next outing can be truly exploratory in that sense...  We did see a bit before we went into the markets and also on our way back to Central Station to catch our respective buses and trains which is when I snapped these couple of pictures.  I'd like to give it a go on a sunny day; with my actual camera and not just a cell phone.

I am going to give sleep another chance; but I will write again in the morning  - I still have to talk about Night Noodle Markets, meeting more ex-pats, being in love with my husband and our busy social weekend.
Labels: , , , , , 3 comments

In Case You Need A Reason

Friday, August 27, 2010 12:41 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
If anyone was looking for a reason to visit me in Sydney with my nieces in tow - I present this store for consideration:

FairyLand!






I so want to be 5 again...
Labels: , 3 comments

I Got A Little Distracted

Thursday, August 26, 2010 12:55 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
So, I never did make it to a cafe with my notebook to make all of my lists yesterday.  I really did have the best of intentions; but it was such a beautiful day that it seemed like such a waste to sit inside writing in a notebook.

I was in the city in the morning for something rather exciting (more on this later once everything is settled) (and no, I am not pregnant) and I grabbed a bus back to the North Shore when I was done.  I made plans with Kim to go get lunch at Burnt Orange, look through their shops and then check out a place called Chowder Bay.  We got there a bit before noon and they weren't seating for lunch yet and did we have a booking? (insert snooty voice here).  Well, we didn't have a booking but they said they could squeeze us in; but that they couldn't seat us before noon.  We wandered through the little boutique marveling at the prices:  Not sure if you can read the tag on that little pair of slippers but it says $59.95! Whew!  Some of the things were actually pretty reasonably priced while others were completely ridiculous.  Kim and I had a fun time torturing ourselves with guessing how much these things would cost at TJ Maxx.  Oh how I miss TJ Maxx....


For lunch I got a burger (first burger I've had since we've been in Australia... weird right?); but it was a fancy organic one with tarragons and other sophisticated fixings.  It was pretty good; but I don't know if it was $22.00 good. After lunch we decided to make the walk to Chowder Bay which wasn't too bad - not very many hills and only about a half mile.  We had to walk on the road though as there was no sidewalk or trail.  About halfway we started spotting these enourmous "nests" up in the trees.  They look like they are made of dirt? or mud?  I've done a fair amount of researching on Google and I couldn't find anything - if anyone knows what they are please let me know... I am dying of curiousity.


Actually, only tell me if they are bird's nests - if they are insect/spider dwellings than I would prefer to remain in the dark about it! Thanks.



Pretty soon the harbour started coming in to view in the breaks between trees.  I don't think I will ever get over the views and scenery here.  It just kept getting better and better the closer we got to Chowder Bay.  So, apparently, Chowder Bay used to be a Submarine Miners Depot in its inception and then was used as general Military barracks and offices up to 2000 when it was opened to the public.  It's very charming - sort of a little city unto itself.  All of the old barracks sit at the top of the bluff and have been restored to their original look. 
A couple of the buildings have been turned into cafes and such; but it is mostly unspoiled.  At the tip of the bluff is a green space with benches etc...  Kim's little one fell asleep in the pram on the walk so we spent our time sitting on the benches looking out at the view and talking.  In order to get to the actual "Bay" part of Chowder Bay you have to go down quite a few sets of stairs and neither of us were really feeling much up to carrying the pram up and down stairs. Along the way though, there is a very nice restaurant called Ripples which is apparently quite good and well-reviewed and some other seating areas. 
At the bottom is the pier and the gorgeous beach.  Kim told me that there is a really nice playground there and that it is a popular place for kids birthday parties.  We caught the next bus back as they only run once an hour there and I'm glad we did.  It had been a long day!  I stopped in the shops in town before I walked home and I found a really really nice hair straightener at Salvo's for $10.00!  Ha!  Victory!  So, I bought some champagne to celebrate...

I'm glad I had a full day... Joe has been working some really long hours and some nights he isn't home for dinner until close to (or past) eight.  It makes for a really long day when he is gone for 12 hours in a stretch.






Labels: , , , 8 comments

My Husband Is A Rock Star

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 10:48 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
I know that lots of women claim to have “the best husband in the world” etc… but; I really believe that mine has them beat. I’ve been stressed and anxious this week and Joe knew it so he took me out for dinner and a movie on Friday night. We tried a Thai place up on Military that Elsa blogged about and it really lived up to its reputation. It reminded me of Mai Thai, which, oddly enough, made me happy and not homesick. It was also such a good price! We had two mains and split some jasmine rice. I also had a glass of wine (and a glass of port if I’m being honest) and our bill was only $50.
Did I mention that they deliver?

We went to the Orpheum Theatre to see “Inception” after and I wasn’t expecting to like the Theatre or the movie nearly as much as I did. The Theatre is really old-fashioned in this fabulous art deco sort of way; but it has a great digital picture/sound etc… Plus they have special showings of old black and white classics and they also do showings of Opera at the Met once a month. I think Joe and I are going to see Carmen next month…

After all that we ended up walking home. I love the walk home (all downhill). It’s just shy of 2 miles and it is on beautiful quiet streets. We talked and held hands the whole way home.

We had already decided that we would spend the weekend in utter relaxation doing whatever we wanted so Saturday started off low-key with a lie in. I made breakfast burritos (whoo hoo! First Mexican food we’ve had since we got here) and then we headed in to town to do a bit of shopping. We looked at some furniture shops, had a coffee and we also headed over to a little shop where I had seen an attaché case/laptop bag/satchel that I thought Joe might like for his birthday. He did like it, so we got it and I was going to wrap it up and put it away till the 31st; but he started using it straight away.

So, the rest of the story needs some background…..

First of all, there is something that I have heard on all the ex-pat blogs and all the ex-pat websites that I am starting to not agree with. There is this whole perception that Americans are sooooo wasteful and throw away perfectly good things while the Aussies recycle everything and only ever buy what they need etc…. It may still be true in theory; but I just have to say – I have never seen such nice trash before in all my life. Every weekend, people pile perfectly nice things on the kerb for the trash men. I am amazed by some of the items that I have seen!

Secondly, Joe and I have no furniture as of yet (our crate still hasn’t arrived) and even when we do get our stuff, we really brought very minimal furniture. In hindsight, I would have upgraded to a full container and brought all of our stuff; but, oh well…. Also, furniture here is crazy expensive and I refuse to overpay for something just to have it. I can’t get rid of my bargain hunter mentality so I might as well embrace it.

So, we were on the way home on Saturday and we started finding treasures. First off – someone had a basket of lemons sitting out with a “Take One” sign on them. It looked like their lemon tree in the yard was an over-achiever so we got to share in the bounty. Then we found a beautiful art poster, followed quickly by an entire stack of boxes full of gorgeous newer looking books… Seriously, I got a Rosamunde Pilcher, John Irving etc… And Joe got some Stephen King and such. There was also a cute little lamp that we figured probably didn’t work; but we’d give it a go just in case. Just a few doors down from our building we hit a jackpot - a beautiful wardrobe – obviously in need of some work; but nothing that a coat of paint and some love couldn’t fix.

So this is where my husband proves that he is a Rock Star. He tells me to stay with the wardrobe, borrows a furniture mover, single-handedly puts the wardrobe on the 2 wheeler, pulls it up the steep hill to our place and then carries it up 4 flights of stairs to our apartment. Rock… Star… To hear him tell it, we both carried it up the stairs; but I really just ended up being in the way more than anything…

So, after the wardrobe was upstairs we were both completely knackered. Much napping ensued until I had to get up and prepare our picnic. We packed a basket and headed down to the reserve to sit and watch the sun go down. It was gorgeous, apart from the mob of teenagers that had taken over one whole section. We finished our picnic and sat watching the dark come down over the bay. The giant bats (Meaghan, you may want to stop reading here) were flying over from the botanical gardens and hanging out (ha ha) in the trees above us. It was funny to see the little ones that I am used to flying around with the big ones. It was like the difference between a sparrow and a hawk!

The teenagers left as soon as it started getting dark; and were gracious enough to leave all of their trash scattered around on the grass. It was disgusting – and there was quite a bit of it as well. This is the second time the rock star emerges. He finds a bunch of plastic bags, uses his mobile as a flashlight, and picks up every bit of the trash that those kids left behind and carted it all the way back up to our rubbish bins. There are some days where I don’t feel like I deserve him…

Sunday we relaxed as well… We were going to take a walk in the early afternoon; but a crazy freak storm blew in and postponed those plans. The storm brought hail and also very strong winds – strong enough to blow open one of the dining room windows and break the latch so we couldn’t refasten it. Great… So, Joe takes a wire coat hanger, a Swiss army knife and a broom (MacGyver anyone?) and manages to wire the window shut. Say it with me people….. Rock… Star…

The afternoon cleared right back up again and we headed out for our walk. We ended up walking over to the Neutral Bay ferry wharf to check it out. We found a couple little restaurants that looked yummy and delivered (good to know since they are right around the corner) and we also ran into our neighbors from across the hall in our building. It was lovely! We stood on the sidewalk and talked for ages – they are such wonderful people!

On the way home we totally found an organizer for the bathroom, another lamp and also two chairs and a small table. It was heaven to be able to eat dinner in chairs that night and to set my laptop on the table and (very comfortably) watch a movie without having to sit in bed.

Have I mentioned yet that both of the lamps in this story work? No electrical problems no burnt out bulbs…Just perfectly functioning lamps.

Don’t get me wrong, most of the stuff that we have picked up will get replaced when we get our crate or slowly, as we start furnishing the apartment. I don’t relish the idea of relying on Saturday afternoon trash runs for furniture; but it’s nice for now to at least have a couple things. Plus, I will be on the lookout for treasures in the same vein of the wardrobe we found…

I’m just hoping that when I find them, I have Joe with me to help!
Labels: , , 18 comments

Wonderful Wednesday

Friday, August 6, 2010 12:07 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
We had beautiful weather on Wednesday - sunny, with just enough clouds to provide some visual relief from all that blue. I decided to walk up to Military to do some small grocery shopping.  I had a dinner idea in mind; but I needed some ingredients to make it happen.  I had the whole day stretched out in front of me so I started exploring.  Instead of just walking up and down the street, I started popping down every side road, through every alley and into every arcade that I saw.

I found a bookstore called Dymocks (seems to be the equivalent of a Borders but much smaller and without a cafe) and had that same moment of sticker shock that every American has the first time they walk into an Aussie bookstore.  Wow...  I saw a new Bill Bryson book, which I could've gotten in the States for about $28 and the prices was marked as $55. So, it was a bit of a depressing moment for me.  I LOVE to read and the knowledge that buying a new book would set me back that much was disturbing.

I also found a fully organic meat shop - not that I have any great feelings one way or the other about organic meat; but it was very interesting - Annie, you would be in heaven!  They had everything that you could think of and their own homemade sausages (those I would be interested in trying).  I walked down one side street and found a fabulous cafe and then, around the corner, the local Salvation Army Store (or Salvo Store, as it is called here).  I was in heaven!  They had a whole upstairs loft full of books for about $3 a piece so I decided that I could just live here after all :)  I bought a basket for my counter that I can put fruit in, some salt and pepper shakers, a wine stopper, a fabulous old dusky rose coloured water bottle (well, I used mine for water but I suppose you could really do anything with it), and some books.  The lady behind the counter was as old and sweet as could be. She wanted to know all about our move and how we liked it so far - she and her husband had traveled the States on vacation when they were younger and she quite enjoyed it.  I walked back up to the cafe and sat with a flat white to enjoy the sunshine and write some letters (this one is for you Vicki!).  Two old men in their eighties came and sat at the table beside me and provided me with a great deal of enjoyment.  Their conversation consisted of (and in this order): how old they were, what they ate for breakfast every morning, what was their favourite kind of bread, how regular their bowel movements were, what time they went to bed each night and then the conversation devolved into talk about trying to watch TV with all the LED/DVR and so on.  They both agreed that they just would just keep letting their wives handle the TV stuff since it was just too confusing :)  It was epic!

I headed up to the grocery store to get my ingredients for dinner and it was a very strange set-up.  Coles is inside of a shopping arcade; but the entrance just says Coles.  There was produce to my left and trolleys to my right so I just grabbed a basket and started going through the produce section.  I really nice guy came over to make sure I was OK (I was confused by the coriander - it didn't smell like cilantro; but it sure tasted like it) - I think I concerned him when he saw me eat a leaf of coriander! 
Turns out, I was in a little produce stand that wasn't connected to Coles at all.  I am extremely glad for the mistake as their produce was much nicer than Coles and very very cheap.  The guy and his dad walked me around the whole stand and chatted me up about America and such.  The son was very interested in American sodas and what I thought of the sodas here.  He showed me that he carried Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew and told me that he would try to get some Diet Pepsi for me and put it in the back for me. I am going back next week to see if he got it!  The shop carried a range of specialty ice creams and even though they were really really expensive, I got a couple just to make you (and by you I mean my siblings who are addicted to ice cream) drool with envy.  And yes, in case you can't read the labels completely, it does say "Vanilla Bean and Elderflower" and "Burnt Fig Jam, Honeycomb and Caramel".

I finished up my shopping and headed back home - I didn't feel like waiting for the bus so I walked the whole way home with all of my purchases in tow (in total, I walked just shy of 3 miles).  In retrospect, it wasn't a great idea as I was really shattered by the time I got home; and with a headache as well.  On the way home, I almost walked directly into a spider that was hanging down in the middle of the sidewalk.  Ugh...  I tried to take a picture; but it was in shadow so no go.  It was just a small orb weaver; but still very nasty and spidery looking.  I had to wait until it pulled itself up further and then skirt around it on the sidewalk - I'm sure I looked like an idiot; but I didn't end up with a spider on me so I didn't care!

It was really such an incredible day!  I was so full of happiness as I realized that this is what my life is going to be like - waking up, thinking of something I need for dinner or whatever, walking up into "my town" and doing my shopping  - all while in the most  incredibly beautiful place I have ever seen.  I had another crazy moment on the way home (my neighbors must watch me and shake their heads), I was walking down Wycombe with all my groceries when I happened to look up to see the city skyline and the harbour appearing through a gap in the trees.  I just started laughing and I actually said (out loud to myself) "You've got to be kidding me!"  It's gorgeous -every little tiny bit of it is so so lovely!

Well, on to dinner, which was really my main point of writing this (seeming to drag on forever)  post.  I bought some Barrimundi that was on sale and I was quite inspired to make the first time I cooked it an absolute success. So, I was inspired by two dishes...  One was the meal that Joe and I had at Mitchell's Fish Market in Newport on the Levy with my brother Matt and my sister in law Natalee.  The fish was broiled and served over sticky rice with spinach and teriayki.  Nothing fancy; but great flavours and very satisfying with the rice.  The other dish was something we got in a restaurant on George St - funnily enough, it was labeled on their menu as "meant to share" which Joe and I took to mean "big" enough to share.... it was not.  It was six small cubes of Barrimundi that had been poached and were sitting in a lovely liquid with scallions and chiles.  It was a good concept; but poorly executed as it was incredibly bland.

So, I decided to combine the best of the two dishes for my own masterpiece. I made sticky jasmine rice as my base.  I reduced some teriayki sauce with a spoonful of sugar and then cooked a couple handfuls of coarsely chopped English Spinach in the mixture.  I divided the cooked spinach and any sauce between the two plates.  Then I sauteed garlic, fresh ginger and red chiles in olive oil - added white wine and then poached the fish in this mixture.  Added the cooked fish cubes to the top of my rice - spooned the wine, ginger, garlic and chile yum over the top and finished it with scallions and coriander.  Heaven in a bowl!


I think next time I would have also done a squeeze of lime over the top; but I didn't have it so.... Also, the next time I prep food this nicely, I am going to take the pictures with my camera and not my cell phone - these look rather murky.


So there you have it - a full happy day, followed by a splendid dinner!  There was also tea and lamingtons to be had after that so it made for quite a lovely evening (wink wink)!


Labels: , , , , , , , 7 comments

Catching Up!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 11:01 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
I have been so busy since we have moved that I am starting to lose track of how often I am posting here...  I am going to try to do a quick catch-up:

Saturday:

While Joe waited at home for the dryer delivery I took the ferry and train (in that order) up to the Target in Chatswood to stock up on small appliances.  The expense was a little overwhelming; but I wasn't about to try to exist in a place with absolutely nothing!  I've heard lots of people here say that the Target here is different from the Target in the States; but I never actually shopped at the Target in the States enough to be able to tell you if it's true or not!

I still have to get a vacuum and some other big stuff; but that can wait a bit.  Honestly, out of all the things I got, the heater was the best investment!  It is really really cold in our apartment!  We have the heater set up in our bedroom with the door shut.  I would say that it's about 55 degrees in the apartment; but a toasty 68 in our bedroom!  I actually don't mind the cold - the trick is to always wear shoes (or slippers in the morning).  I made the mistake of standing in the kitchen for a while in just my socks and it took a while to warm up from that one!  Oh - and I also found another funny sign (see below) for a pick-up and drop-off area called a "Kiss and Ride"!


Sunday:

We took the first ferry to the Quay where one of Joe's coworkers picked us up and took us to the Hillsong City Campus for church.  We definitely liked that one the best so I think we found our new church home!  When we got back to the Quay we mistakenly decided that it would be fun to take the ferry up the Parramatta River as a sightseeing tour....  apparently, we weren't the only ones with that idea.  The ferry was stuffed to the gills with tired cranky families.  It was a long hour!  When we got to Parramatta we weren't allowed to remain on the ferry for the return trip - we had to all exit and then re board from the back of the queue.  It was very long and it didn't look like we would make it on so we decided to just walk into Parramatta and catch a train back to the city.  Well, we purchased our tickets and were waiting on the platform when the announcement was made that there was a broken track up ahead and there would be a lengthy delay.  They announced that we should take the bus to a station further up the line and get on a train there.  We ran down, grabbed the bus and then spent a miserable half hour crammed in with angry transit passengers.  We finally made it to the right station only to find that the train we were supposed to be on wasn't there!  Luckily there was a similar one at a different platform so we took that to Central and switched there.  We were really under the gun because there is a short ferry service on Sundays and we were racing to catch the last one back.  We literally ran across the Quay and made it to our wharf as they were opening the gates for the last ferry!  To add insult to injury, it had started storming when we got off the ferry and as we walked up the stairs small branches kept blowing down hitting us in the head.  It was a very unfortunate day - full of mishaps and such.

Monday:

Still windy and cold in the morning... I walked up to Neutral Bay Junction to meet Kimberly (another ex-pat that I met on Yanks Down Under)  for coffee.  We went to a coffee shop that Joe and I had found the week before with comfy couches and chairs.  It was so incredibly wonderful to be out with someone and to be doing something social!  I was afraid I was going to talk her ears completely off!  We sat for a couple hours just chatting about what led us both here and all of the differences (both good and bad) in the places we've lived.  Then we went to Woollies as we both had some shopping to do. 
I think we are going out again next week and I am thrilled.  After we said goodbye, I went down to the post office for stamps and to get some airmail sheets/envelopes.  I've always loved those since my sister Theresa did a semester abroad in France and would send letters home on those blue lined airmail sheets.  These are not blue, lined or pretty as they have some strange and hideous ducks on them; but it's the thought that counts.  I stopped for lunch at Cafe Zo-Zo and had a fabulous sandwich (for only $6 I might add) made up of turkey, Camembert, cranberry relish and sprouts.  Add to that a mineral water, some sun on my back and the tail end of Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country" and you have a very happy girl...
Monday night was the craziest wind storm ever!  Really insane...  and cold - the wind was blowing right in the apartment so Joe and I decided we need to do some weatherproofing this weekend.  I am so ready for Spring!

Tuesday:

It was still very very windy Tuesday morning and cold!  I decided that I wanted to avoid frostbite so I stayed in the bedroom most of the day.  My groceries were delivered in the morning (the stores here allow you to shop online and then they will deliver for a small fee - by small I mean $9.00!) so I came out for a bit to arrange cupboards and such; but retreated quickly to the warmth.  It was actually really good to take a day to catch up on some stuff.  I called and set up our utilities, spent an hour on hold with Telstra/Big Pond to get our phone and Inet set-ups scheduled and generally caught up on paperwork and such.  Made lamb and couscous for dinner - super yum!



Labels: , , , , , , 2 comments

Money Money Money!

Monday, July 26, 2010 10:12 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
I've been meaning to write a post about the Australian currency ever since Joe and I received some as a going away present from Wink and Sally (wasn't that a brilliant present idea?).  The idea of learning a new currency just tickled me beyond belief - it was something that I hadn't really thought about up to that point....  The paper currency is really incredibly beautiful and fun looking.  The bills are slightly different sizes and they are made with some type of polymer that makes them resistant to moisture (they can go through the wash much better than US bills) and they even have this really neat clear plastic cutout in the corner.  The only downside that I have found is that once a bill is folded in half it is difficult to make it lay flat again due to it's thick wax paper type makeup.

There were no singles in the going away card and I simply assumed that we would figure out what those "ones" looked like when we changed our currency at the airport.  Well, we didn't get any singles at the airport either so I was starting to really wonder...


Turns out, there are NO bills smaller than a 5.  There are however $2 and $1 coins.  The 1 dollar coin is about the size of a US quarter; but much heavier and thicker.  The 2 dollar coin is only about the size of a US dime but also much more serious and weighty.  They are the only gold coins in the lot so they are pretty easy to identify.  I have to admit, I wasn't digging the idea of having a bunch of heavy coins in my bag replacing some weightless bills; but it has grown on me and now I love it!  I realized how great it was one night during our first week here - I had taken a taxi to Joe's office and had a fare of $9.20.  I rummaged (not rooted) in my change purse and paid my fare with 6 coins.  Can you imagine trying to pay that fare with common US change?  It would take 36 quarters just to make it to $9.00.  That would be a seriously heavy change purse!  It's also great for keeping a spare change jar.... Empty your pockets in there every day and in a month you could have hundreds of dollars!

The rest of the coins are equally as different and super cool.  There is a fifty cent piece that is really large and heavy (larger even than a US silver dollar) and it is also completely randomly (actually, I'm sure that it's not random and that there is some historical significance - but random to an outsider) twelve sided!  The rest of them are very similar except for the fact that they have a 20 cent coin instead of a quarter; and, as you can see, the sizes are completely different.  I cannot tell you how many times I have given someone 5 cents instead of 10 because it is the same size as a dime!

Also, I got my new debit card from my new Australian bank and it is pink.  Yes, Pink... actually, rather bright pink! Because you should always look good - even when you are paying at the grocery store!  My card has a little silver microchip thingy on the front of it and sometimes instead of sliding the magnetic strip through the card reader you actually insert your card into a slot on the bottom or top of the machine to process your payment.

In another brilliant move, there is the option here to type a pin number in to complete your transactions instead of having to sign anything.  Most of the card readers are wireless.... The clerk will hand it to you, you put your card in, you choose the way you want to pay, you type your PIN # in and then you get your receipt and go.  It's so much faster than having to sign everything!

All in all, I have to say that I am pretty impressed with the way that money and transactions work here... I think that the States could learn some lessons from the Aussies in this area; and, to be fair, vice versa.



Labels: , 11 comments

How Little Do You Need To Live?

12:22 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
I've been so excited that we are moving to our new place on Friday that I have been in a bit of denial....

We will most likely not get our crate from the States until the end of August.  That means that we will be in an apartment for an entire month with only the contents of our suitcases.  Wow.

We bought a mattress set last weekend and it is being delivered the day we move in... I immediately began the hunt for appliances (we need to provide our own washer, dryer and fridge) and found the washer and dryer second hand. I am working on getting a fridge this week.

What I didn't realize was how much you need for just the basics of everyday living.  I keep thinking of all the things in our crate that I am dying to get. 

So, with all of these things in mind, we took a trip out to Ikea yesterday armed with a small list and the knowledge that everything that we bought would need to be carried home in bags.  Eek....  I am proud to say that we only spent a very little bit and we now have just enough to get us through the month:

2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 glasses, 4 sets of silverware, a set of steak knives, 2 mixing bowls, a frying pan, a sauce pan, 1 cutting board, a trash can, 2 towels, 2 washcloths, a fitted sheet, 2 pillows, and 1 blanket.

It is going to be a very very long month!

I still need to go to Target or Meyer and pick up an electric kettle, ironing board, iron, and microwave.  I'll figure that out this week. 

I am spending all my extra time dreaming about the 2 sheet sets in the crate, and the dishes in the crate, and the furniture in the crate, and the books in the crate, and the chairs in the crate, and so on....  It's going to be like Christmas morning up in here when we get our stuff!

Ohhh!!.. and, in much more fun and exciting news, I got a "Little Whipper" which is a little handheld milk frother and I am now making some fabulously delicious flat whites in my very own kitchenette.  Yea, it's pretty awesome!

Labels: , , , 4 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
abcs