Round the Twist – My kids love this very well-known Australian television show. I read about it shortly after moving here and hooked them up for a cultural lesson of sorts. Our babysitter was over one night and the kids asked to watch it. She said: “Do you know the song?” She and Caroline broke into it together in perfect time. “Have you ever, ever felt like this. How strange things happen. Are you going round the twist.” It was an awesome moment making us all feel a little more local.

The sound of rain on a tin roof – It’s loud, really loud. All the rain we had in London and I rarely woke up. This is impossible to sleep through…like a train is crashing through the house.

Guaranteed critters in all of your produce – It doesn’t matter if I purchase organic or non-organic, it all has flies and other winged and non-winged insects. It’s unpleasant and you can count on me talking to myself in the kitchen.

Bug homes

Unwaxed fruit is near to impossible to find – what is up with that? (Perhaps it has something to do with the point above.)

Each neighbourhood has their own “Oval” and “Bowling club”, really. It must be of the utmost importance to have so many.

Our local bowling club

Icy Poles – Ice lolly or popsicle.

Not what we saw, but close enough

Men playing cricket in the park in speedos – It’s true, we saw it. No words.

Christmas Bush – Overheard a lady ask her guy at a Xmas market if he would like some Christmas bush. I had to do a double take. Did I hear that right? I turned back to see piles of floral “Christmas Bush” on sale to take home and decorate the Christmas table with. Oh! With people offering each other icy poles and Christmas bush my mind is in the gutter.

Christmas bush

Bubbler – Having a friend tell your kid to use the bubbler for a drink of cool water otherwise known as a drinking fountain.

Arvo – (pronounced ah-vo) Meaning afternoon. “Let’s meet for coffee tomorrow arvo and we will discuss.” People actually use this regularly and it always takes me a second to process it. I suppose I too will succumb to using it over time, it’s part of the immersion into a new culture. When we moved to London I couldn’t help but laugh every time someone referred to a sweater as a jumper. I pictured a toddler girl’s play suit but eventually fell in line with the rest of the Brits. Today I see no humour in it at all as I don’t with the whole pants/trousers/underpants thing.

SodaStream – Why oh why are you different in OZ? The top valve of the gas canister is different than for the rest of the world so they did not fit in my Soda Stream. Had to buy a new one. The threads for the bottles are different too, so we can’t even use our existing glass bottle.  I’m kicking myself for not splurging on the awesome fridge with bubbles built in.

If you haven’t already seen it, treat yourself to this first episode of Round the Twist.