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They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. The truth is, a bird in the hand is worth the two dollars you paid for
a tiny sack of birdseed that the vendor probably paid a dime for in bulk.
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Why Aimee Loves Australia
1. Everything is dirt cheap.
2. Big M Banana Milk!
3. There are live parrots flying around.
4. Children with accents are cute!
5. Special K Red Berry Cereal comes with three types of berries.
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with deals like this...
I wonder how long it's going to take us to get over "exchange awe". We're still functioning on the American dollar, so the exchange rate is something like 2:1. This means that while we're still thinking in American bucks, this country is having a huge 50% off sale! That wouldn't be the benefit that it appears if the prices were a lot higher, but the prices here seem to be pretty much on the same level, number-wise.
This means that Ben Franklin's taking us further and further, especially at the famous Victoria Market. Some of the prices there blew us both away. I mean, red peppers for $2 a pound? That's only a buck a pound to me. There's no way you're getting that kind of deal in Manhattan, even with Priceline. Then comes the thunderbolt. That's not two bucks a pound, that's two bucks a KILO. A kilogram is just over 2 pounds, so this is, like, 75% off veggies now!
We've now had to ban ourselves from yelling out how cheap things are. Our first few days here were spent saying "Wow, thirty bucks! That's only fifteen to us!" met by scowls from the locals. At least we're able to hold back a little now. I wonder what's going to happen once we get used to it here and jump back into the United States?
Of course, it'll be a whole different story when we get a job, and it sets in that we're getting paid in Australian. "Wow, thirty bucks! Oh, wait..."
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meet ken & winnie
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I hate to use the term "landlords", because Ken & Winnie McGregor aren't the "I'd better get that rent or you'll
be out by next Friday" type that goes with the term. They're more the "I'm off to the market, would you
like a lift?" type.
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Nevertheless, Ken and Winnie own the house we're staying in. They're a friendly couple who have made our transition to Australia "no worries".
What do you like most about Australia? It's very easy to meet people here.
Would you ever move back to Scotland? Oh, no, I don't think so. We like to go
back for a visit now and then, but honestly, we've gotten used to the weather here. Besides, our kids have
grown up here.
Quick McFacts:
Homeland: Scotland
In Australia: 19 yrs
His Job: Physicist
Her Job: Caregiver
Kids: Peter, Jenny
Dog: Paddington
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Who does the gardening? We both do. [Winnie] does the growing and [Ken] does the
chopping.
What do you do for fun? We both like to come out to the Dandenongs, and look around
the little towns in the area. Ken also belongs to a photography club.
Little known fact: Ken & Winnie both sing in a choir, and we're going to
a performance on May the 4th, a celebration of British Proms (classic British tunes, i.e. Danny Boy). Good luck,
and May the 4th be with you!
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Our software arrived! Three different sources from Canada sent us an operating system, for fear that the computer would
come back empty. Thanks Inga, Danny and Danny! Anyway, it was a good test of the international postal system. To get from
Thunder Bay, Ontario to Wheelers Hill, Australia: eight days. I wonder how much it would cost to box up the nephews for
a quick visit over here?
"That's what you get for not brushing your hair for 4 days."
- Aimee.
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All things are temporary in our visit to Melbourne. This means that I cannot spend my time starting-and-not-finishing big
projects like painting a mural or refinishing a desk. Instead, I must experiment with cooking. Today's experiment:
homemade potato gnocchi. Result: surprisingly good. This will only raise my expectations of success for my next project,
learning how to make authentic Thai food.
"Gasp! My potatoes!"
- Aimee.
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Sometimes it's hard to let go of an old love when a new one comes along. While we still hold a magical place in our hearts
for the Piggly Wiggly, we have to admit that there's just something special about the Bubble Cup. We Love Bubble Cup!
Bring on the coconut jelly!
"'The Crows'? Crows don't exactly strike fear into the hearts of the enemy."
- Kevin.
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The software package we received on Tuesday from around the globe actually served two purposes: I've got Quake now! Bang!
Boom! Kapow! Get'im get'im get'im! Socko! Whoosh! Yipe! Smack! Kablooie! Clank! Grunt! Vronk! Gurgle! Splat! The only
sound effect missing is Dean's maniacal snickering.
"See, you talk to me and I get sucked out of the airlock."
- Kevin.
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stuffed:
(adj.) tired, exhausted, devoid of energy. Nothing to do with food. When a friend says, "Can't come tonight, I'm bloody stuffed,"
it means he probably had a busy day. Other synonyms: "knackered", and, believe it or not, "knocked up".
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baby got back
System Board 
fun pack
8 days 
8 CDs 
oki gnocchi
2cup 
4 
1 
oh brother!
4 
5 
0 
jelly?
19-8-122 
11-15-81 
trespassah!
188 
49 
24 
dandy!
7 
18 
4 
1 
