Round-Abouts and Tidy Towns

Now that we are back at home we've had time for reflection on some things that added meaning to our trip:

The friendliness of so many people... Lots of people recognized our accent as being US and asked where we were from (in the US). Some wondered if we were from Canada (close, eh?).

The young waitress in Cairns who was surprised to learn that we are from north of Seattle - she is from Federal Way! ...and working her way around the world.

Driving on the left side of the road - we left all of that to Bob and Cheryl, but it was still weird... especially when we came to round-abouts. And there are lots of them! Dave has enough heartburn with round-abouts in the US. Put us on the other side of the road and driving the circles in the opposite direction?... insane! Bob and Cheryl are good drivers and were most gracious to take us anywhere we wanted to go. BTW... Sometimes an Aussie would comment to us "Oh, you drive on the wrong side of the road." Good perspective.

Pickled beets are a common condiment on burgers and are a delicious addition, in our opinion at least. It would sometimes be listed on the menu as "beet root." Well... that's true.

Scones are lovely, but nothing like the sweet treats we are used to in the states. They are similar to baking powder biscuits and are served with jam and whipped cream. Yum! But please pronounce them sc.ah.ns when in Australia.

Tables are set with knives and forks. Teaspoons (small - holding a literal teaspoon or less) are served with coffee or tea for stirring. I'm sure those around us could immediately tell we were from some strange place by the way we held our utensils; forks are generally held "turned over" in one hand with the knife in the other used to push the food onto the back of the fork. What we do is called "parking the knife": laying it the edge of the plate and picking it up only to cut something.

Virtually all toilets have a dual flush system - a "half" flush when not much water is needed to clear the contents, and a full flush when... well, you get the picture. Both are commonly found as a round button on the top of the toilet. It is the law that all new construction or remodel must have this system.

Cricket (the game, not the insect)... With a little coaching from Bob during the Ashes - a hotly contested series of matches between Australia and England - Dave picked up the basic play and some of the strategy. As this year's contest was played in Britain, the Andrews household stayed up late to watch much of it. What's not to like about a game played over a maximum of 5 days, 6 hours per day with a break for lunch and another for tea?!
 
"How're you going?" Whenever we Americans might say "How's it coming?" Australians will always use the prior wording.

Pubs... the place where everyone eats. If you want a fine or fancy meal you can go to a restaurant, but pubs serve quality food for the Everyman along with varieties of live music or multiple sporting events to be seen on multiple screens. (Did we tell you that the Aussies really, really, REALLY love their sports!) Young adults can often be found jamming the pubs after a day at work. One well-known pub not far from the Andrew's home must cover 3-4 acres, indoor and "outdoor"... plus the parking! Weekend evenings will find that one huge pub overflowing with humanity.

Tidy Towns... We saw several towns of varying sizes proudly displaying a plaque proclaiming it to be a Tidy Town. Indeed, these towns were exceptionally neat, clean, parks and greenery well maintained, all projecting the sense that the leaders and citizens took great pride in their place, locally and nationally.

War memorials... in virtually every town we visited there was a memorial in a central park or along a main street listing the names of all the young men from that place or region who gave their lives in the many conflicts over the centuries, whether for the Commonwealth, the nation, or its allies. From the Boer War, to the Great War (WWI) and beyond, Aussies have become known for their toughness in battle... a part of their national psyche carried proudly, even as they gave essentially an entire generation of young men in the Great War defending Mother Britain.

And last, but certainly not least, the strong fellowship and friendships formed in our relatively brief time with friends of the Andrews family... folks we are happy now to call our friends, too!