top 5's

in lieu of doing anything exciting lately that would warrant new material and stuff for a new post, i figured id ramble about crap. because its what im good at. rambling. and talking shit. i just started typing nonsense and it sorta manifested itself as a list. really, you should be doing something better than reading this. but if youre bored, i guess go for it?


Top 5 most expensive things in Australia that shouldn’t be expensive:

1.       Bananas (four bananas for just under $4)

2.       Milk (two liters/half gallon for just under $5....dont take your cheap milk in the states for granted!)

3.       Beer (six pack for $17...GET FUCKED!!)

4.       Strawberries (250 grams/8 ounces for just under $6)

5.       Gas ($1.45 per liter/$5.80 per gallon...reminds me again why i havent bought a car...)

Top 5 favorite Aussie words that have crept into my vocabulary:

1.       Whinge (Why say whine, when I can say whinge? It rolls off the tongue so nicely)

2.       Brekky (Its short for breakfast, and it’s easier to type)

3.       Keen (Asking if someone is up for something, “are you interested”, or as a positive response, “I'm down”. Lol, and it reminds me of Nancy Drew)

4.       Reckon (Easier way of saying, “do you think”…don’t ya reckon?)

5.       No worries (Self explanatory. I can use it as a response to almost anything)

Top 5 favorite new Aussie TV shows:

       1.       My Kitchen Rules (A pair of regular folks who are cooking enthusiasts are chosen from every  state in Australia to cook and compete against each other. This gal below cracked me up..yeah lol)

2.       Bondi Rescue (It’s a real life Aussie version of Baywatch. And its fantastic)

3.       The Inbetweeners (I think it’s a British comedy series, but its funny as hell)

4.       The Picker Sisters (I don’t actually think this is an Aussie TV show, but I’ve only ever seen it over here. Two friends buy junk from farms and then make it into crazy art-like pieces of furniture. So addicting to watch)

5.       Please Marry My Boy (Pushy mothers trying to get their middle-aged emotional fuckwits a girlfriend/wife. It’s a train wreck, and I love it)

Top 5 odd things I’ve noticed about Aussie TV:

1.       Swearing is cool after about 8:00 pm (Quality swearing, not just hell or ass)

2.       Nudity is cool after about 8:00 pm (Bits that I would only see on HBO are freely flying on basic cable)

3.       The same 4 commercials play OVER and OVER and OVER (speaking of which, they have a totally different Progressive chick. Shes still a chipper weirdo, just with an Australian accent. Trippy)

4.       Retro TV shows are popular (I’m talking Golden Girls, Green Acres, I Dream of Jeannie, Mash etc. I feel like I travelled back in time...or at least to the Nick and Nite channel...)

5.       New episodes premier anywhere from 6 months to a year after they premier at home (Hence, bootlegging and pirating are practiced at an alarming rate)

Top 5 books I’ve read recently:

1.       Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan(A white lady goes walkabout with some aboriginal folks. Its enlightening and entertaining)

2.       The List by J.A. Konrath (A nerdy thriller about cloning and historical figures)

3.       The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (Finding family and everyday magic)

4.       In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant (Historical fiction about an Italian prostitute on the run and her hot friend who is a Franciscan monk)

5.       The Devil Colony by James Rollins (Its Book 7? Of the Sigma Force Series and talks about Utah, Native American mysteries, and secrets of the founding fathers)

Top 5 new drink discoveries:

1.       Rekordelig Strawberry Lime Cider (Ideal for hot summer days, and best with lots of ice)

2.       Fat Yak (Cant describe, just come visit me and we'll go for some okay? Lol...)

3.       Beez Neez

4.       Little Creatures Bright Ale

5.       Bulmers Cider (This is the cider that took my cider virginity. Its mellow and tasty. America needs more cider)

Top 5 Aussie foods that should be tried once, and probably never again lol:

1.       Pork belly (I’ve ranted about this elsewhere in the blog. Props to those who like it, you’ve earned my respect)

2.       Vegemite (Not terrible, but I don’t know if I’d willingly choose to put it on anything. Ever.)

3.       Cherry Ripe Candy Bar (It's like mashed cherry medicine crammed inside stale chocolate)

4.       Chorizo (I’m sure they have this other places besides Australia, it’s just that it’s served A LOT here. I’m all about a spicay sausage but this just doesn’t do it for me)

5.       Ginger beer (Again, not terrible, but I have a fear that if I drank more than one bottle all my teeth would fall out of my mouth because it’s so sweet)

Top 5 favorite spots to eat, drink, and chill at:

1.    Little Creatures

2.       Norfolk Hotel

3.       X-Wray

4.       Windsor Hotel

5.       Sandrino

Top 5 things that I wish we had at home:

1.       The whole or half flush option on toilets (Use the appropriate amount of water for the, er, um, appropriate amount of business)

2.       Drive through bottle shops (nuff said)

3.       Electric kettles (I don’t know why I love these so much, but I use mine at least 2x a day)

4.       Scented bin bags (The lemon ones are BOMB!)

5.       On/off switches above every electrical outlet

Top 5 places I want to visit while I’m here:

1.       Margaret River (Have heaps of amazing wineries and it’s supposed to be gorgeous)

2.       New Zealand

3.       Indonesia…specifically, Bali and Phuket (Bali is supposedly beautiful and insanely cheap, and Phuket  because Phuket is fun to say, and it seems foreign and exotic)

4.       Uluru (Aka Ayres Rock)

5.       Fiji (Um, enough said. Its Fiji)

Top 5 things I’ve been craving from back home:

1.       El Chihuahua (Love me an orange deathstar and some chicken enchiladas in white sauce)

2.       Lucky Charms cereal (Not sold here. I’m jonesing for some marshmallow-y goodness)

3.       Wendy’s (I know fast food is gross, but after a night on the town there’s nothing quite like a five-piece or jbc)

4.       Café Rio (I’d kill for a pork salad with the cilantro lime vinaigrette)

5.       A frosty glass of hefeweizen with an orange and some sweet potato fries from the Bayou (I might be drooling just thinking about it….)

Top 5 people and things I can’t wait to see when I come home in May

1.       Shane

2.       Mom, dad, and brother

3.       INDY

4.       All my friends J

5.       Wasatch mountains (oceans are good, but I think mountains might be better…)