The movies

G'day to y'all! I hope you are having a spectacular week so far!

This past weekend a bunch of girlfriends and I went to the movies. This is my first movie theatre experience here in Oz so I thought I would share.

First off, the rating system is different here. For instance, some movies that are rated R in the US are not rated R here. I am not sure if the movies are any different or if the rating system is just different.

From what I can tell, these are the basic guidelines for movies here...

G - General (all ages)

PG - Parental Guidance (pre-teen and teen, so this will vary a little but most kids between 7 or 8 to 13 will be fine watching the movie)

M - Mature recommended, 15 + is recommended but younger can attend, usually these movies you wouldn't really go below a 13 or 14.

MA - Mature Audience 15+ a must unless with an adult

R - Restricted to 18+ only regardless

The movie theatre experience was different in general. First, when we got there at 8:00pm on a Friday night, it was basically empty.

Then, the tickets have assigned seats on them and you are supposed to sit in those seats. Now, if not very many are in the theatre, I am under the impression that you can sit where ever, but some people came in and sat down and then an usher came in and told them to leave, so I guess they knew those seats were supposed to be empty. The theatre itself was wide and very clean with nice comfy chairs.

We went up to the concession stand and bought our movie tickets and our concessions. The movie tickets were $15.50 each, so you have to REALLY want to go to a movie, much less take a date!

The concessions offers many of the same things that we would have in the US. Here are some pictures.

I like the "Candy Bar". This is a wall full of all sorts of candy (or lollies as the Aussies would say). You purchase a cup for $5.50 or $7.50 for large and then you can fill it with any of the lollies in all these little bins.

Concessions prices for popcorn and such were high, just like in the US. We paid $19 for the #1 combo which was 2 drinks, 2 chocolate dipped cones (they call them chock tops), and a popcorn. All good.

Picture of a choc top!

Here is the group I went with, I am taking the picture. We had out choice of the Bridemaids poster or the Smurfs, so we chose Bridemaids.

It was a fun night...and an expensive one...but a great night out with the girls!

In the minority

Last night I went to a women's meeting up at my church. Everyone within about a 45 minute area was invited and it was a great evening of good speakers and good food! As I was sitting there listening to the speakers, I was looking around at all these lovely women who were there. I would say that about 75% of them were beautiful Polynesian women, many who had flowers in their hair. I was definitely in the minority as far as skin tone goes! However, who really cares about skin color? I had so much in common with these women that these beautiful different skin colors were hardly important. We were all there, united in trying to be better people, to be better women and mothers. To love each other and help each other through hard times. To be anchors to our families when the winds and storms of the world are blowing around us. We are Christian women trying to better ourselves and be more Christlike...even when it is really hard. We are women who fail but who dust ourselves off and try again.

We were there to learn, to feel uplifted, and to share in the sisterhood that is womanhood. Our paths are all different, we come from different corners of the world, and we all have different trials...but we were united in trying to do what is right and to "try a little harder to be a little better (-Gordon B. Hinkley)."

It was a good night.

:)

After the speakers, we had supper...which here means the small meal/snack after you eat dinner. So, just so you know, here is how the eating schedule goes as far as I can tell...

Breakfast

Morning tea

Lunch

Afternoon tea

Dinner

Supper

In other words...we eat at everything! Last night for supper, they had set out for us cakes, cut up vegetables and gherkin dip (not sure what this is but it was tasty), sausage rolls, mini hot dog wieners (I think that is what they were, hot dogs here have a red casing) ,crackers, sliced fruit, soup (your choice of pumpkin or chicken...pumpkin soup is really popular here and there are 8 million varieties), and rolls. It was yummy!

You may find it weird that on Father's Day (in the USA) we had a women's meeting at church, but here in Australia, Father's day is later in the year, I think in October. So, happy Father's day to all the great U.S. dad's out there like mine!

Hope you have a great week!

Heather

You know you're Australian if

A friend of mine sent me this and I thought it was quite funny. So many of these things are dead on true! I will explain the ones I can in black

You know you're Australian if ....
* You believe that stubbies can be either drunk or worn.

A stubby is a small can of beer or short shorts.

* You think it was normal to have a leader called Kevin.

The former Prime Minister was Kevin Rudd.

* You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for something illegal,

such as watering the garden.

A bong is short for a billabong, like a swamp. What this is saying, I am told, is that you are not making an illegal bong, you are making a swamp.

* You're liable to burst out laughing whenever you hear of Americans "rooting" for something.

"Rooting" to the Aussies is having sex.

* You understand that the phrase 'a group of women wearing black thongs' refers to footwear and may be less alluring than it sounds.

Thongs here refer to flip flops, not underwear!

* You pronounce Melbourne as 'Mel-bin'.

It is true, they say Mel-bin.

You believe the 'l' in the word 'Australia' is optional.

See below mention of "Straya"

* You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.

Not to mention dolphins, whales, and other animals!

* You call your best friend 'a total bastard' but someone you really, truly despise is 'a bit of a bastard'.

Aussie speak...I really can't explain it.

* You think 'Yackandandah' is a perfectly reasonable name for a place.

The names of places here are a bit different, just ask the people who live in Wollongong, Wee Waa, Curl Curl, Cootamundra, or Wongongarra.

* You're secretly proud of our killer wildlife.

Yep, there are lots of dangerous critters here!

* You believe it makes sense for a country to have a $1 coin that's twice as big as its $2 coin.

True, it is.

* You instinctively understand that 'Wagga Wagga' can be abbreviated to 'Wagga'

but that 'Woy Woy' can't ever be called 'Woy'.

Again, funny names.

* You believe that salty Yeast Extract makes a good breakfast spread. You've also squeezed it through Vita Wheats to make little Vegemite worms.

And they think peanut butter and jelly is weird?!?!

* You believe all famous Kiwis are actually Australian, until they stuff up,

at which point they again become Kiwis.

A Kiwi is someone from New Zealand.

* You expect beetroot with your Hamburger... Of course!

Uh...no thanks!

* You wear ugg boots outside the house.

I think Americans do this as well, right?

* You believe that every important discovery in the world was made by an Australian but then sold off to the Yanks for a pittance.

Sounds like a little bit of a complex if you ask me.

* You believe that the more you shorten someone's name the more you like them.

Aussie's shorten everything, so yes, this is true! However, they pronounce Z as Zed, so I guess they make an exception there.

* Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order takeaway fluently in every Asian language.

This is true! You can get every kind of Asian food here...Thai, Korean, Northern China, Southern China, etc...

* You understand that 'excuse me' can sound rude,

While 'scuse me' is always polite.

Yes because it is shorter?

* You know what it's like to swallow a fly, on occasion via your nose.

Something I hope to never experience.

* You know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle and a seat belt buckle becomes a pretty good branding iron.

Just like Texas in July and August...or this year in June.

* Your biggest family argument over the summer concerned the rules of beach cricket.

Cricket...they love Cricket!

* You shake your head in horror when companies try to market what they call 'Anzac cookies'.

They don't say cookies, they say biscuits, so an Anzac biscuit is a cookie but don't call it that.

* You still think of Kylie as 'that girl off Neighbours'.

Kylie Minogue, I assume?

* You know how to abbreviate every word, all of which usually end in ''-o'':

Yes, this they do, see below for translation...

arvo-afternoon

combo-combination

garbo-garbage

kero-kerosene

milko-milkman

rego-car registration

servo-convenient store

smoko-a lunch break or smoke break

* You know that there is a universal place called "woop woop" located in the middle of nowhere...no matter where you actually are.

Uhhhh, okay...good to know?

* You've only ever used the words - tops, ripper, sick, mad, rad, and sweet to mean good. And then you place 'bloody' in front of it when you REALLY mean it.

Yep, it is true.

* You say 'no worries' quite often, whether you realise it or not.

Yes, they do. Notice realise is spelled different, they also have analyse and organisation.

* You've drank your tea/coffee/milo/hot chocolate through a Tim Tam.

Tim Tams are these awesome little chocolate dipped wafer cookies, you bit the ends off then use it like a straw...yum!

* You own a Bond's chesty. In several different colours.

I honestly have no idea what this is...

* You know that roo meat tastes pretty good, But not as good as barra. Or a meat pie.

I have had roo, not too bad. The meat pies are good too...the barra, no idea.

* You know that some people pronounce

Australia like "Straya" and that's ok.

Yep.

Aussie Delicacies

Hello from a cool and wet Oz!

It is winter now in Oz and we have had some really cold temps lately because we had Antarctic Winds from low and high pressure systems in the Great Australian Bite and Tasmania. Brrrrrr! Since most homes do not have central heat or air, it makes for some cold nights. A friend of mine posted on Facebook the other day that they were all sleeping in 3 layers of socks and sweat suits to stay warm. Luckily those winds have moved on and it has warmed up a little.

I thought I would show you a few more delicacies that we have come across here. It seems many of my posts are about food...but hey, I am a foodie!

First we have Lime Marmalade. I admit, I have no idea what you do with this stuff. Anyone know or want to take a guess?
Sliced cucumbers in a can...now, Oz doesn't have hamburger sliced pickles, but they have sliced cucumbers that it looks like you put on a sandwich? Okay...

Okay, now I do not think I have ever had this brand, so I am not endorsing it, I just wanted you to see these pies. Pies in Oz are all about meat...and all sorts and mixes of meats. Fruit and pies is unusual to them. Some of these are served hot and some cold. I think I have only tasted one and it was good.
This is a refrigerator section in the grocery store...if you look closely, you can see a dog on the wrapping...No, this is not dog meat, it is dog food! For the picky eater canines in your life.
Again, not endorsing the brand, but these are the Aussie version of Sausage Rolls and they come in all varieties and you can get them all over the place. I would say this is the Aussie equivalent of a Taco Bell burrito, but not really anything like a burrito. It is a meat mince mixture with a puff pastry rolled around it. The sausage is not encased.

These are Yorkshire Puddings...a very British little bready muffin thing that you put gravy on and eat.
Did you know great Italian meals start with Coke? It must be true because the label says it! There are a lot of Italians here in Oz, so I guess I should ask them if this is true. The Italians I have met so far are lovely lovely people...and great cooks!

Sliced beetroot! I know your mouth is watering as you think of this great delicacy! Actually, I wanted to show you this because this one of the things that Aussies put on their hamburgers...yes, I said hamburgers! You get this lovely red streak of juice dripping down your arm. Just makes your mouth water to think about it doesn't it?

BON APPETITE!