We have been living in Sydney now for just over four months, and I think we are finally settling in. But this week, I was hit with a wave of longing for a few things that we don't have or can't get here in Australia. Admittedly, it is a random collection of things. Nonetheless, here's the list - in no particular order:
1. General Mills Cereals - specifically Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Total. General Mills produces food here in Australia, but not cereals. And we can get a type of Cheerios in the grocery store, but it is not the same. But there may be hope - according to the General Mills Australia & New Zealand website, "General Mills Australia and New Zealand is a growing consumer food business." Hopefully that means they will be expanding their cereal selection soon.
2. Pay at the Pump - Using a credit card to pay for gas (petrol) at the pump was something I had taken for granted. Here, drivers have to pay for all their gasoline purchases inside with the clerk. Not that big of a deal, unless I have the boys in the car...then we all have to tramp into the store together to pay.
3. Caribou Coffee - or American coffee shops in general. Australians love their coffee, but it is nearly impossible to get a regular, boring, no-frills cup of (filtered) coffee. I remember missing this when I lived in Sydney 10 years ago - I asked for a cup of filtered coffee and the barista looked at me like I was crazy and then told me that it would be a 15 minute wait while they made a pot of coffee just for me. In the coffee shops here, there are a variety of coffee drinks on the menu - espresso, cappuccino, flat white, short black, long black. But no plain coffee. For many Australians, plain coffee = Nescafe Instant Coffee. Trust me...it is NOT the same thing. And specifically to Caribou - I miss their hot chocolate and their mango black tea. But thanks to my mom for bringing me several bags of the mango black tea when she came to visit in July. Yum!
4. Food Co-ops - We were spoiled living in a metro area (the Twin Cities) with so many food cooperatives. And there is a great co-op in Decorah. In the Sydney area, there are a couple of food co-ops, but none of them are near where we live - the closest one is at least 30 minutes away (in no traffic). I miss being able to buy food in bulk. And the co-op was the place where we bought most of Vincent's allergy-free foods. Fortunately, the grocery stores here have a halfway decent supply of foods he can eat.
5. Culvers - We are not a fast food family, but we did eat Culvers on occasion when we lived in the Twin Cities. There is something special about their burgers and frozen custard. Sigh...my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Of course, we miss our family and friends. And I'm sure there will be other things that I will find that I miss. But all-in-all, we are very happy to be living here. And there are lots of Australian things that we missed while we were living in the States...like meat pies, lamingtons, Cadbury chocolates, and my sister-in-law's spinach pie...yum!!
Showing posts with label Minnesota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minnesota. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Winter in Sydney
Since the Winter Solstice occurred earlier this week, I thought it might be time for a post about what winter is like in Sydney - at least what it is like this year!
Winter in Sydney is very mild - especially when compared to winter in Minnesota! In fact, Vincent frequently asks me which season we are in. When I tell him winter, he looks at me and says, "No, Mama. This isn't winter. There is no snow on the ground!"
Parts of New South Wales do get snow. It will occasionally snow in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. And there are plenty of ski fields in the aptly named Snowy Mountains in southern New South Wales. The local television stations frequently iclude snow reports in their broadcasts on Friday. But you have to get a long way from the ocean and be at a high elevation to see snow. Many Australians have never seen it snow - including my mother-in-law. Although she has seen snow on the ground, she has never seen it fall from the sky (not even on her trips to visit us in Minnesota).
The position of the city as a harbor (or harbour) city helps to moderate the climate. Weather patterns tend to stick around for several days - so if it starts to rain, we get rain for several days. But if it is mild and sunny, then we can count on blue skies for many days in a row.
In general, winter here is cool, damp, and windy, with highs in the low 50s during the day. When the rain moves in, it seems like it rains and rains and rains and rains for days and days on end. This cool dampness is exacerbated by the fact that many houses (like the house we are currently renting) are not built to withstand the chilly temperatures - little/no insulation, no central heating, single pane windows, etc. Some newer houses have what is know as "ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning," which is sort of like central heating. But most homes have a collection of various space heaters of different shapes, sizes, and purposes. We have four in our house - three oil heaters (two large and one small) and one oscillating radiant heater.
But winter days in Sydney can also be warm and sunny. The temperatures over the last week have been in the upper 60s with clear blue skies and a bright, warm sun. This is great weather for going to the park, drying clothes outside (I have done at least one load of washing per day over the last seven days), playing at the beach, etc. In fact, a warm winter day here in Sydney feels a lot like a cool summer day in Minnesota.
No matter what the weather is like during the day, the nights here are very cool. This morning we woke up and it was in the high 30s! We sleep with flannel sheets and lots of warm blankets and comforters/duvets (Australians call them doonas) on our beds. And occasionally we do get a bit of frost. But even on the coldest days, I rarely need to bundle up more than wearing a fleece jacket, the occasional scarf and hat, and a lightweight pair of gloves - and on most days, I can get by with a couple lightweight layers and no jacket. By Midwestern standards, the coldest day here feels like a brisk late fall day in Iowa or Minnesota.
When we lived in Sydney several years ago, I do not remember seeing the leaves on the trees change color like they do in the Northern US in the fall (maybe it was because we were experiencing a crippling drought?). But around our neighborhood this winter, I have seen several beautiful trees with brightly colored leaves.
One of the things I miss most about not living in the Midwestern United States is the four distinct seasons. Here, we get hot (usually dry) summer and cool (usually damp) winter. But I have to admit that on warm winter days - like those we have experienced over the past week - I do not miss the sub-zero wind chills so common to Minnesota winters!
Winter in Sydney is very mild - especially when compared to winter in Minnesota! In fact, Vincent frequently asks me which season we are in. When I tell him winter, he looks at me and says, "No, Mama. This isn't winter. There is no snow on the ground!"
Parts of New South Wales do get snow. It will occasionally snow in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. And there are plenty of ski fields in the aptly named Snowy Mountains in southern New South Wales. The local television stations frequently iclude snow reports in their broadcasts on Friday. But you have to get a long way from the ocean and be at a high elevation to see snow. Many Australians have never seen it snow - including my mother-in-law. Although she has seen snow on the ground, she has never seen it fall from the sky (not even on her trips to visit us in Minnesota).
The position of the city as a harbor (or harbour) city helps to moderate the climate. Weather patterns tend to stick around for several days - so if it starts to rain, we get rain for several days. But if it is mild and sunny, then we can count on blue skies for many days in a row.
In general, winter here is cool, damp, and windy, with highs in the low 50s during the day. When the rain moves in, it seems like it rains and rains and rains and rains for days and days on end. This cool dampness is exacerbated by the fact that many houses (like the house we are currently renting) are not built to withstand the chilly temperatures - little/no insulation, no central heating, single pane windows, etc. Some newer houses have what is know as "ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning," which is sort of like central heating. But most homes have a collection of various space heaters of different shapes, sizes, and purposes. We have four in our house - three oil heaters (two large and one small) and one oscillating radiant heater.
But winter days in Sydney can also be warm and sunny. The temperatures over the last week have been in the upper 60s with clear blue skies and a bright, warm sun. This is great weather for going to the park, drying clothes outside (I have done at least one load of washing per day over the last seven days), playing at the beach, etc. In fact, a warm winter day here in Sydney feels a lot like a cool summer day in Minnesota.
No matter what the weather is like during the day, the nights here are very cool. This morning we woke up and it was in the high 30s! We sleep with flannel sheets and lots of warm blankets and comforters/duvets (Australians call them doonas) on our beds. And occasionally we do get a bit of frost. But even on the coldest days, I rarely need to bundle up more than wearing a fleece jacket, the occasional scarf and hat, and a lightweight pair of gloves - and on most days, I can get by with a couple lightweight layers and no jacket. By Midwestern standards, the coldest day here feels like a brisk late fall day in Iowa or Minnesota.
 |
| Frost on the ground at the park near our house. |
When we lived in Sydney several years ago, I do not remember seeing the leaves on the trees change color like they do in the Northern US in the fall (maybe it was because we were experiencing a crippling drought?). But around our neighborhood this winter, I have seen several beautiful trees with brightly colored leaves.
One of the things I miss most about not living in the Midwestern United States is the four distinct seasons. Here, we get hot (usually dry) summer and cool (usually damp) winter. But I have to admit that on warm winter days - like those we have experienced over the past week - I do not miss the sub-zero wind chills so common to Minnesota winters!
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