-9- Thank You Australia

.Australian Football.

A little while back our friend gave Phil and I some tickets to an AFL game.  We cheered loud and proud for the 

SYYYYYYD-NEEEEEEY SWANS.

{check out my team scarf-yup, we're true fans!}

That there with me is my fancy clapper, that they gave me FOR FREE.  

Just bend and clap-simple as that! 

Psh, nothin's free in Australia so we were pretty stoked.

It was heaps of fun. Freezing, but fun!

 Perhaps you are thinking, there is no such thing as this 'Australian Football' but folks, I'm here to educate you.  There is such a thing, and contrary to popular (well maybe just Kaylee's) belief, it is not at all like Quidditch ...

(darn!-even with the three goal posts and all)

...anyway, AFL is huge here in Oz.  The rules were easy for me to catch onto making the game fun to watch.  Now if I could just figure out how to keep my eye on the ball, cuz mate!-these blokes are quick!

None of those heavily padded big brutes plunkin' around on the field.

None of that giving the players some rest while switching teams for offense and defense.

None of that-NONE!

 Guys, this is intense!  

Honestly, after watching AFL I just thought, 

{oh NFL players...you are such whimps.}  

Sorry America, I'll have to go with Australia on this one.

AFL = Legit.

...and so to you, Australia, today I say

Thank You.

-8- 'Thank You Australia'

Oh just a little note to my Australia down under.

Tha-hank YOU for your wonderful non-sales taxed prices.

I quite enjoy being able to walk into the shops and know exactly what I am going to end up paying for...instead of calculating six percent of each dollar and adding that one.

Seriously- who came up with that system?

When a pair of shoes says $15, they should really cost $15, not $16.

I mean really, come on people!

And so to you, Australia, today I say

Thank You.

-7- Thank You Australia

Don't we all love to get in touch with those around us?

Well don't even fret because Australia has made it easy.

The small & slim lanes are very conducive to closeness.  I can simply roll down my window and touch the car next to me as I drive down the road.

Each morning as I make my way to work, I spend my time maneuvering around randomly parked cars in the middle of my lane on one side while there is opposing traffic in the other.

Lucky me!

Maybe Australia is using it as a unity campaign to bring the country closer together.

maybe they need to conserve space so they decided to make the lanes just large enough for a car...never a semi-truck!

I guess it makes driving exciting. Oh I'm just super stoke to go drive home from work...

-6- Thank You Australia

Oh wow!

I know this photo is from a while back, but it's great!

I don't know if you can tell, but we were totally freaked out by these performers when we took this photo.

They do extreme things that no normal human being should do and some made us cringe to watch.

But still, no-one can turn their head when a guy shoves a long balloon down his throat,

then pops it with a long knife,

let the popped balloon go down into his stomach,

and then uses huge pincers to pull it out.

And this was all just a stretching exercise for his throat in which he would later place 17 swords.

Impressive?...yes.

Weird?...yes.

Psycho?...yes.

...and so to you, Australia, today I say

Thank You.

-6- NO 'Thank You Australia'

Oh Boy...

How many minutes of my day do I sit and waste at that dear old red light. I just want to make a left-hand turn, but no;

ILLEGAL

That's right, contrary to popular american beliefs, you cannot make a left-turn in Australia on a red light. You must wait. Even though there are mile-long gaps.

ugh...

...and so you to you, Australia, today I say,

No Thank You.

-5- 'Thank You Australia'

Hollah to the patriotic (can you use that on people other than americans?) Australians down under. I'd like to thank them specifically for placing their national anthem at the end of each and every hymn book. Makes sense right? I mean why should America be the only country with theirs included? Those smart Australians fixed that problem lickety-split and copied and pasted their own right in.

Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free
We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea:
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare,
In history's page let every stage
Advance Australia fair,
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands,
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands,
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share,
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia fair.

Yes that, is indeed in the back of every hymn book here in Australia and yes indeed, we do sing it in sacrament meeting...

...and so to you, Australia, today I say,

Thank You.

-4- 'Thank You Australia'

Oh blessed day in Australia when I do no have to leave one of 
my favorite shows back in the US of A.  So You Think You Can Dance Australia has been keeping me going since I moved here in Feb.  I do miss some of the choreographers and judges from the US show but they always make guest appearances (Tyce last week!) on the Australian show.  Although I miss a lot of the choreographers from the US show, there is definitely one person that does not make my missing list.  Her name is Cat Deeley.  Bless her heart, that woman is just annoying.  Thanks to Australia, she is NOT the host here!  WOOT!  Instead we have the perfectly normal and great host, 
Natalie Bassingthwaighte (check out that last name!)  

She is great and I get to enjoy one of the best shows without an annoying host...

...and so to you, Australia, today I say, 

Thank You.

-3- 'Thank You Australia'

Thanks can always be given to Australia when its' food makes me say "mmmmm yum!" 

Remember how when we were little we used to sing that song:

    ♪♫    Hot cross buns,

Hot cross buns,

one ha' penny,

two ha' penny,

                                                                hot cross buns.    ♪♫

Yes mam, I used to sing that in elementary school and never know what a hot cross bun even was.  I thought they were something from too long ago to remember. 

NEWS FLASH: They exist now and are really yummy!

They are all over Australia during Easter and everyone eats lots of them for the easter holidays.  I've had so many!

This beaut pictured here is a chocolate chip one and it was       tasty!...             

...and so to you, Australia, today I say, 

Thank You.

-2- 'Thank You Australia'

A shout out to good ole Australia today for having trolleys (shopping carts) that attach to the moving walkways. When I go either up or down to my parking level at the supermarket, I can just jump on the moving walkway and my trolley just jumps right on with me. It remains stationary in front of me, even on an incline or decline, requiring no further effort until we have reached the bottom. Brilliant...

...and so to you, Australia, today I say

Thank You.

(1) GOING UP!

(2) Magnificent Magic Wheels

(3) no hands, going up

& no rolling!

-1- 'Thank You Australia' Series

I'd like to send a large thank you to Australia today for saving me money on make-up. Oh you make my life so easy when your residents don't feel the need to cake it on and allow us all to go 'au natural'. I wear less than half the make-up I used to, even on a good day saving me heaps of money.

...and so to you, Australia, today I say

Thank You.