Shopping in Oz

Well, we have been here one week and are getting settled into our house and the community. We have learned a lot and feel like we can get around town a little easier and venture out a little bit more unchaperoned. One thing we have done a lot of is shopping.

Shopping is different here. For groceries, you have a few options. You can go to the mall and shop at the grocery store or you can go to one of the local produce markets. You can also order online and they will deliver it to your kitchen bench as they call it...or kitchen counter top for Americans.

When you go to the mall, it literally is one stop shopping. It is set up very similar to a mall in the states, but the malls have everything, not just clothes and shoes and electronics. At the mall we have gone to the most, we have a KMart, 2 grocery stores (Coles and Woolworth's or Wooolie's as they call it), nail salons, clothing stores, electronics, reject shops (which are similar to $1 stores in the US but more expensive), book shops,butchers, sea mongers, etc. There are not really any huge departments stores here (that I have seen) in the mall like a Macy's or Dillard's, but I imagine they probably have those types of stores closer to Sydney. The stores here also close early. I think they close around 6pm on most days except they stay open late on Thursdays and I think many of them are closed on Sundays. I have also heard that many stores close around 4pm on Saturdays, so no late night shopping here.

We have made numerous trips to the grocery stores. We have been to both Wollie's and Coles and have also gone to a local produce market. Right next to the produce market is a butcher and a baker...and yes, there is a candle store there as well!

The produce here is lovely. We have enjoyed walking around and looking at all the nice fruits and veggies, some of which we have no idea what they are or what to do with them. I was told before I got here that Australians eat healthier than Americans, which I have found to be true. One reason may be because healthy food is the same price as fast food. It is just as easy and most of the time cheaper, to buy healthy food as opposed to fast food. My husband went to McDonalds the other day while he was out because they had free wifi. He ate lunch there and spent about $10 on a regular meal that in the states would probably be around $5.

There have been a few things that we have found to be of a different size. Below is a picture of my son holding a sweet potato...it is huge! Biggest sweet potato I have ever seen...although it tastes the same if not better! Green onions here were also huge and we bought some avacados that were quite large as well. There was one sign that said that okra was on sale but nothing near the sign looked like okra, so we weren't sure if it was mislabeled or if they just didn't know what okra really was or if they have a variety that looks like a squash.

Going out to eat as a family of 3 for fast food cost us at least $30, so we have eaten at our house most of the time but do occasionally grab a bite if we are out. Aaron has a pastie the other day, which was like a shepherd's pie wrapped in a pie dough to make a little half circle pocket. It has ground beef, peas, carrots, and potatoes. He has also tried a savory roll, which looks kind of like a burrito, but this one had mushrooms, ricotta cheese, and chicken rolled up in a phyllo dough. He said they were both good. I had quiche Lorraine (ham and cheese), which tasted just like quiche Lorraine in the states.

I hear you cannot find good Mexican food here so I will just have to make my own. We have already had quesadillas and breakfast burritos. You can find some of the Old El Paso brands of Mexican food here, so we have used that. I haven't found any green chilis in the little cans like we have in the states, so I bought some fresh green chilis at the produce market and will see if I can figure out what to do with those. I want to make my sour cream chicken enchilladas!

We have not tried vegemite...and to be honest, we really don't plan to but I bet we do at some point. It is a yeast paste that they put on toast with butter. I would equate it to the American peanut butter and jelly sandwich in popularity.

There are a few other differences as well....jelly(US) is jam(AU) here, jelly (AU) is jello (US). Cookie(US) is a biscuit (AU), yogart(US) is yoghurt(AU). You can't find graham crackers here, they use digestive crackers and their marshmallows are different, they come in a pack of pink and white and are really sweet. Rice Crispies (US) are Rice Bubbles(AU) and Raisin Bran (US) is Sultana Bran (AU).

You also have to take into account that things are weighed here in grams and kilos. So, when chicken is $8 a kilo, that is 2.2 pounds. When I go to the deli, I have just learned to say, I want 10 slices of _____ please because I am still learning the weights.

Taxes are also included in the listed prices, so when you check out, there are no additional costs than the ones posted. You also don't have to tip at most places, tipping is included in the cost for getting your hair done or nails and even for waiters at restaurants.

All in all it has been a fun adventure learning our way around the system...and there are times you just have to stop and laugh because you cannot figure out what people are asking you or what something means on a package. It took me 5 minutes the other day to find dishwashing detergent that you can put in the dishwasher, and then 5 more once I got home to figure out where to put the detergent in the machine!

It is different, but so far we love it!

Until next time...G'day from the land down under!

Heather