Being a kid again

In many ways being in another country is like being a kid again, whether you're just traveling or newly living there. Think about it. You go to the post office and need to ask things like "How do I mail a letter?" and "Where do I write the return address?". You approach a candy counter, read the names and look at the pictures, and just pick one and see if you like it. You try new pop and drinks, sometimes liking the result and other times trying not to spit it back out rudely.

Stewardess and I once had an interesting drink experience while traveling in the UK. We purchased a lemon/fruity drink called a squash. We though it was odd that people put squash in a fruit drink, but we bought it and each had a sip. It was awful! I think I vaguely remember spitting, and a lot of puckering. It turned out that "squash" meant it was a fruit juice concentrate. It was not meant to drink plain, you were supposed to add about 3 parts water. :) (Stewardess can kill me later for telling everyone this story.)

It really is like being a kid again really, only you're much taller than a kid so people look at you funny when you don't know how to do simple tasks. (Until you open your mouth that is. Then upon hearing your accent they ask you if you're having a nice visit.)

So, being a kid again here is one of my first new things I really like: Pouring Custard. So Aussies have this stuff that comes in a bottle like a little carton of milk. It's refrigerated, yet it's served hot or cold. It tastes a lot like vanilla pudding, only runnier. I have had it poured over fruit, and it sure is yummy. You'll all have to taste it when you come. What's not to like -it's custard!

One more fun discovery is a "Choc-top", which is a vanilla ice cream cone with the top dipped in chocolate shell. It is sold in movie theaters. Oh, and if you want one without the chocolate (i.e. a plain vanilla cone) you order a "choc-top without chocolate". Don't ask me why you don't just order a vanilla cone. They have quite a variety of movie snacks, but just like America it's pretty pricey.

Another difficulty with traveling is the quantity of food. I am trying to get used to using grams and liters here in Australia. Sure, we used those units in chemistry labs, but in small quantities and generally powdered solids and solvents only. I have no idea how much tea 100 grams is, or how many kilograms of carrots I want. Luckily I haven't had to order any quantities of sliced sandwich meat or amounts of steak or chicken yet. In Germany once I ordered a half-pound of cherries from a fruit stand because it was the only unit of measurement I knew how to say in German. I mean, most classes don't teach you how to say fractions like "1/4" or "3/4", you know? I split the cherries with a friend.

Cheers everyone!