My Travels in Australia

1. Tim Tam's are made of two chocolate wafers, separated by a layer of chocolate, all wrapped in more chocolate. They are also very good, and come in regular, dark chocolate and caramel-centred.
2. You can get a cramp in your side if you don't eat enough sodium and potassium. You shouldn't eat too much salt. But sometimes your cramp will go away if you eat some potato chips and a banana haha (stupid ion exchange pumps in your muscles needing sodium and potassium). This could also be a coincidence.
   
3. Saying "thank you" in place of "please" after asking for something will make you seem like you have been here longer.
4. In pharmacies (or "chemists") Advil is over-the-counter, but behind the counter, so don't bother trying to hunt around for it.
5. At almost every intersection, both directions of cars get to go (usually this takes a while because it goes one direction at a time, allowing people to turn left/right), and then pedestrians can go across in all directions and diagonally. Unless there is no pedestrian sign, crossing when a traffic light goes green is not recommended.
   
6. "Hungry Jack's" is, in fact, Burger King.
7. If you hear an alarm or buzzing sound when you are on the sidewalk, you are about to be run-over by a car coming out of an underground parking lot or garage.
8. Toilets have two flush buttons. The one on the right runs water until you stop pushing the button for a "light" flush. The one on the left actually is a full flush. Use the buttons accordingly. Sadly, while I am sure the water would go in the opposite direction, these flush options do not allow whirlpools to form.
   
9. There are no "regular" potato chips, only "sea salt". Sea salt is used for everything...there are 20 types of sea salt at the supermarket (it's not a grocery store here), and only 1 or 2 salt options.
   
10. Pre-sliced Australian cheddar cheese for sandwiches tastes like real extra old Canadian cheddar (like the President's Choice cheese that is really good), and it only costs about $3 for 40 slices - this is the only food price that seems too good to be true, and the rest seem expensive haha.
    

Labels: Miscellaneous