"Life is too important to be taken seriously."

-Oscar Wilde

Friday, January 30, 2009

I've no idea who penned this list-

that my 'total bastard friend' Tamzinite forwarded to me- but I think I know where they're from!

You know you're Australian if:

  • You know the meaning of 'girt'.
  • You believe that stubbies can either be worn or drunk.
  • You think it is normal to have a Prime Minister called Kevin.
  • You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for something illegal such as watering the garden.
  • When you hear that an American 'roots for his team' you wonder how often and with whom.
  • You understand that the phrase 'a group of women wearing black thongs' refers to footwear and may be less alluring than it sounds.
  • You pronounce Melbourne as 'Mel-bin'.
  • You pronounce Penrith as 'Pen-riff'.
  • You believe the 'L' in the word ' Australia ' is optional.
  • You can translate: 'Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way to Maccas'.
  • You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.
  • You call your best friend 'a total bastard' but someone you really, truly despise is just 'a bit of a bastard'.
  • You think 'Woolloomooloo' is a perfectly reasonable name for a place.
  • You believe it makes sense for a country to have a $1 coin that's twice as big as its $2 coin.
  • You understand that 'Wagga Wagga' can be abbreviated to 'Wagga' but 'Woy Woy' can't be called 'Woy'.
  • You believe that cooked-down axlegrease makes a good breakfast spread.
  • You believe all famous Kiwis are actually Australian, until they stuff up, at which point they again become Kiwis.
  • You know, whatever the tourist books say, that no one says 'cobber'.
  • You know that certain words must, by law, be shouted out during any rendition of the Angels' song 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again'.
  • You believe, as an article of faith, that the confectionery known as the Wagon Wheel has become smaller with every passing year.
  • You still don't get why the 'Labor' in 'Australian Labor Party' is not spelt with a 'U'.
  • You wear ugh boots outside the house.
  • You believe that the more you shorten someone's name the more you like them.
  • Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order takeaway fluently in every Asian language.
  • You understand that 'excuse me' can sound rude, while 'scuse me' is always polite.
  • You know what it's like to swallow a fly, on occasions via your nose.
  • You understand that 'you' has a plural and that it's 'youse'.
  • You know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle.
  • Your biggest family argument over the summer concerned the rules of beach cricket.
  • You shake your head in horror when companies try to market what they call 'Anzac cookies'.
  • You still think of Kylie as 'that girl off Neighbours'.
  • When returning home from overseas, you expect to be brutally strip-searched by Customs - just in case you're trying to sneak in fruit.
  • You believe the phrase 'smart casual' refers to a pair of black tracky-daks, suitably laundered.
  • You understand that all train timetables are works of fiction.
  • When working at a bar, you understand male customers will feel the need to offer an excuse whenever they order low-alcohol beer.
  • You get choked up with emotion by the first verse of the national anthem and then have trouble remembering the second.
  • You find yourself ignorant of nearly all the facts deemed essential in the government's new test for migrants.
  • You will immediately forward this list to other Australians, here and overseas, realising that only they will understand!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

It's been a good day!

In much the same way as Kevie has managed to restore my faith in, and my hope for, the future of mymother-land”- I would like to thank America for giving us Obama, whose speech had me blubbering, and is helping restore my faith in, and my hope for, the future of my world...

And how cute was that hat Arethra was wearing?

Monday, January 19, 2009

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

because even though we've just had the "Christmas of the Umbrella" (which saw no less than 3 new umbrellas join our household) I still forget to take one with me when I go out.

The sub-zero temperatures have subsided and the magical snow morphed into mush, then slush, and now things are just sodden and grey...



The Caspi-Man & a few of his posse - last weekend.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Am thinking a party might be in order.

The Shopping List (version 1):

Needed to make sure I put it somewhere where I won't lose it... as I seem to be loosing things quite a bit lately. [My black winter beret, phone numbers, and most annoyingly - my memory... have looked everywhere- but it hasn't turned up yet. Bet it's in the same place I put my sense of humour... that's gone missing too...]

1. Eucalyptus Oil.
2. Lucas' pawpaw ointment.
3. BIG bottle of vanilla essence.
4. Vegemite. (Tubes not tubs. Negates butter smear issues.)
5. New Clarks summer sandals (which will NEVER be worn with socks) for the Caspi-Man.

Am sure there are many other things we need. Might have to come back and edit this when I've located my missing memory.

ONLY TWO WEEKS TO GO TILL WE LEAVE FOR OZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

One day far off in the future -

the Caspi-Man might be saying: "When I was a child, I had to trudge through snow to get to Kindergarten...."
But right now he's saying: "No Mama, I don't want my gloves on ... I need my hands free to make snowballs that I wanna throw AT YOU!!"
To be honest, I'd choose minus 7, and lasting snow fun anyday, over 5 degrees and sleet...



New word of the day:

Gesocks.



english translation: rif-raf



(bound to come in handy).



Just don't ask how I came by it ...

Sunday, January 4, 2009

"On the twelth day of Christmas

my true love showed to me,

that temperatures will reach a high of minus seven degrees..."

Here is Düsseldorf's weather forcast for the next 5 days:



brrrrrrrr. I repeat, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.


Thanks to the Dutch -

we have frog legs in the fridge, crocodile steaks in the freezer, and industrial quantaties of kangaroo flesh.

It was our first international trip of 2009. (Admittedly - an international trip of just 25 kms! But still...)

There is a supermarket in Venlo, Netherlands, that has a remarkable reputation in these parts (mainly for cheap coffee, Gouda and seafood). It is called "Die 2 Brueder Von Venlo". I am not to be trusted in this store... because it is never the remarkable specials on everyday consumables that catch my eye...
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