THE MEANING OF OZ - All you need to know!

Well, accommodation has been sorted, new clothing purchased, apart from the Anzac floppy hat with the corks, because apparently they are only available to buy in Australia.
Flight has been booked (middle of next week now) and sleepless nights through needless worry are getting more infrequent.
Girlfriend apparently taking over his car, but we're taking the cat and fish tank, along with half a ton of storage stuff going up into our loft.
The Oz accommodation has AC, power, pool and gym all inclusive.....nice to see these students roughing it!

I've told him all about the expensive gadget situation, and he has confirmed this with his Prof in Sydney, and is therefore stuffing anything and everything electrical and useful into the suitcase, as he was 5 kilos under at last weighing session.
He's also taking his best laptop with him as carry on luggage, as per Hinge's suggestion.
He's a bit of a pasta/healthy food freak and by all accounts, Italian and seafood are big out there, so he should at least be pigging out properly whilst there.
All we need now is the mega rich brewing heiress to turn up and sweep him off his feet!

Ripper!

The cat has not been informed of her pending move yet. This will take place at a formal briefing session over the weekend, and only AFTER she has had a large bowl of her favourite fishy things. I am buying sturdy gloves, just in case.

One of my godchildren arrived two weeks ago, after a bit of sightseeing she's now working at the/with the Byron Bay Bluesfest. (She'd finished her apprenticeship as a chef earlier, done in an organic restaurant. She doesn't want to become an expert in Vegemite-cooking, so she looks for other jobs.)

Byron is a nice, if unrepresentative introduction to Australia. I have a colleague going to the blues fest next week but I've never done it myself.

Empty wardrobe. Three bin bags of clothes for the charity shop. Bed stripped bare. Hoover stripes on carpet. Cat sniffing around, bewildered.

He's gone!

Look after him, Oz.

She's working as a chef now at the Balcony there - your colleague can say 'hello' to Hannah (from me as well)

Well. We've put on some weather he'll recognize. Rain. Guess he should arrive tomorrow morning (oh maybe tonight?).
I'll listen for.the fireworks and military salute.v

He should arrive at about 3pm last Sunday afternoon, margo.

Oh hang on, are you 9 or so hours ahead or behind?

It could therefore possibly be about 10 am Wednesday.

I gave him the latest Oz lottery draw numbers, just in case he arrives before it happens and can do a quick line or two. He could be a millionaire within a day or two of arrival, especially if he's already been there since Sunday.


I'm a bit confused now.

After leaving school in the 1960's, some of my Brit pals emigrated to Australia on the 'Assisted Passage Scheme', which meant it only cost them 10 GBpounds (peanuts) for an airline ticket.
I thought of going with them but dropped the idea because I didn't fancy working in a hot factory or whatever in that blazing sunshine in some big noisy city.
Years later I changed my mind and made enquiries about emigrating and finding a pleasant open-air job in a small town but i'd left it too late and was told the APS had been scrapped and that the Australian governments new policy was only to allow emigrants in who were skilled tradesmen who had jobs ready to go to.

I suppose I could have got round it by going there on a "holiday" visa, then changing my name and quietly vanishing into the outback to live like Croc Dundee for the rest of my life..

He's not balding and travelling with the wife and kid, is he? Some Pom arrived the other day and apparently attracted some attention. Kid looked ok.

You're not talking about Bill and Katie are you?

They're over in Oz so that the child can learn how to play cricket properly, before he goes off to Eton.

We've kindly put together a safety guide for them lot:

Just a quick update on the offspring. He skypes regularly and this week was the first time I noticed a few sentences going up at the end. The Aussie influence is creeping in, methinks.
After what was obviously a massive homesickness (although he'd never admit it) he has made half a dozen friends, found a good local pub and has got back into his gym routine.
He sent me a precis of a piece he's had published re. Plankton, and I understood at least six words. The work load is ramping up and he is feeling quite at home when out on the boat, as there is now a freezing cold wind and plenty of rain.
The other day he heard word that the "Cheers" bar on the way to Darling Bay was the venue for England supporters (World Cup) and went along for the Italy match. The place was packed, despite it being early morning, and the fans came complete with bugle, trumpet and drum.

I think he'll stay. I know I would've if I'd had that chance before I had worry lines.

Not sure about the interrogative intonations though.

You are really hinting my Lord at the excellence of the genetic material you have sent forth into the world.

....and we're such nice people, really....!

He can only improve

A few years back at our last house I met a lady and her dog at the local park and we got close enough to be Facebook friends. She was an ex-WREN married to an australian sailor. They moved south and he was posted to the USA. Now on facebook I get comentaries on every game england, australia or the usa are involved. 1 out of 3 aint good.

Marmite Vs Vegemite: American Taste Test

I prefer promite.

AAAGH! Avert your eyes children - she may take other forms!

My daughter has taken to eating vegemite on a spoon from the jar, finally putting to rest my suspicion that she isn't mine.

I like Aussies, they say things straight out!
For example Prince Charles visited Oz some years ago and went round a university there and got heckled by students.
Later a reporter asked him what it was like, and he replied with a smile-
"There were cries of "pommy bastard!"