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Some 'Frivolous' reasons to move to Australia.


TonyV

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I see lots of post referring to chutney and the like.

Well, when you have been out of SA for a while and there is only one SA shop in your country (2 hours from where you are) that sells stuff at 3 - 4 times the real price, you learn to live without or make your own.

I have recently learned to make my own Chutney, Tomato sauce and jams. They are DELICIOUS! You have none of those unpronounceable ingredients and preservatives in them and you can tailor it to suite your exact taste.

But then this is me. I hardly buy any processed stuff - process it myself if need be. I know most people couldn't care for standing in the kitchen making their own stuff if they can go and buy it in a shop.

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Not having to deal with apathetic incompetence... :)

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Just a reminder...

1.Don't dwell on what you are leaving behind, we all know and have our version of the same story

2.Look forward to what is pulling you to Oz...

3.Frivolous! :P:jester::P

Refer to 1st post at the top of the thread... :)

yeah, yeah... probably in the wrong section... (-> send to FUN)

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TonyV Yes!

that is the one, I took a picture of my last bowl of Pre-flight Laksa in Geraldton at Han's Cafe in the hopes of reproducing it back here in SA, but no such luck

I now positively crave me some Laksa Soup.....

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I just remember another one... those of us who suffer occasional hayfever with serious

runny nose will appreciate this one.

Super size and strong and ultra soft tissues! I couldn't believe how awesome they are in Oz.

... now that's frivolous!

Aaaahh - - - - - -> Tsjoe! ;)

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I just remember another one... those of us who suffer occasional hayfever with serious

runny nose will appreciate this one.

Super size and strong and ultra soft tissues! I couldn't believe how awesome they are in Oz.

... now that's frivolous!

Aaaahh - - - - - -> Tsjoe! ;)

I could not tell you about tissues, because I have ZERO hayfever in Aus. Yipppeeee!!!!!

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I could not tell you about tissues, because I have ZERO hayfever in Aus. Yipppeeee!!!!!

Me thinks that's better than big soft tissues! :ilikeit:

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One of my favourite frivolous reasons is Aussie National Pride and sense of humour.

For example:

Took this picture in Melbourne on our activation trip

EDIT: For some strange reason it is not allowing me to attach the picture....

Anyway. it is a picture of a packet of chips saying:

"Aussie Fries"

and below that in smaller font

"Because we're not French"

post-13070-0-22504300-1360672256_thumb.j

Edited by Morne&Chapman
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Some things which struck me on our visa activation trip - okay spot the common theme (food and shopping)

sushi sushi sushi

McDonalds frozen coke

community centres everywhere

window shopping in jewellery stores in a shorts and Tshirt and not being "snooted" at

bargain buys at the grocery stores

sales are REALLY sales

Harbourtown!

IKEA

Melba's chocolate factory

Clean beaches

"free range" teenagers

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no Eish

The closest thing I've come to Eish is TPG tech support

I said Eish (mentally) the other day to iiNet support.

I've had a problem with line dropping randomly for the past 6 months - I've spoken to level 2 support, who won't speak to me any more, cause my problem is "too hard" (they don't SAY that, but I think they think it).

The support person suggested that they get Telstra out to check the line, but IF there's nothing wrong with the line then I would have to pay Telstra, which I find pretty unfair - I'm paying for a connection and I'm not getting it, but ....

Now NBN in my area is maybe a month away - I've seen bodies pulling cable and asked them whether they're NBN and been given the "Yes", so I really don't want to lash out hundreds to get a telephone line fixed and then replaced 3 days later.

They asked me to replace the modem - I told them I didn't want to buy a new one when NBN was so imminent, so they offered me a loan one, which I agreed to. The support person went away and came back and told me I could NOT get a loan one, because I was still in guarantee with the one they sold me - if I was OUT of guarantee I could get a loan one .... but no worry when the NBN got there, they'd sort it out for me - at this I mentioned that I wasn't sure I would be using them for NBN, because I was bitterly disappointed at their crappy attitude, since I felt that if it was still under guarantee they should be a damn sight MORE eager to let me have a replacement.

Told to hang on and SUDDENLY they could replace the modem ..... earholes!!!!

Edited by OubaasDik
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If you phone iinet after 8 you will speak to a Capie from Saltriver in Cape town. They used to even help me in Afrikaans way back when I was still with iinet :-)

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If you phone iinet after 8 you will speak to a Capie from Saltriver in Cape town. They used to even help me in Afrikaans way back when I was still with iinet :-)

Yep, I did know - I suddenly had this familiar accent in my ear and thought , "Hello, what's all this then?" - the lot I spoke to were in Melbourne.

And I thought their call centres were NZ, Perth and CT

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I look forward to buying Kamut flour from Woolies (as I was told !) Looooove it's taste and texture in baking.

I have a mental list of online shopping that will only be possible from down under.

Looking forward to positive attitude in general in public

If you're still in RSA, it's VERY difficult to have frivolous things to occupy your mind with, but between all the reading, hearsay and research, there are hundreds of 'frivolous' gems popping up, making me WANT to go !!

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If you're still in RSA, it's VERY difficult to have frivolous things to occupy your mind with, but between all the reading, hearsay and research, there are hundreds of 'frivolous' gems popping up, making me WANT to go !!

Indeed it is,difficult, I use humour as a coping mechanism.

Hope you will also get some stress relief from some of these ....

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Now for a topic that says: Serious reasons to move to OZ.

That way we can have a list of stuff to print out and stick on the fridge.

So that everytime one doubts, whether now or in 5 years' time, there is something to remind one why...

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Had to smile at some of the reasons given ... Cheezels, samoosas, Mrs Balls etc :) No one's mentioned dims sims with soy sauce!

Funny how we often miss the little things :) Since moving to SA from Aus 7 years ago, I find the little things I miss are Twisties (have never gotten used to Nik Naks or Cheesnaks), Barbeque Shapes, sarsparilla soft drink, Campbell's spaghetti sauce with beef, and the huge range of stuff from the good old neighbourhood fish and chip shop (inc potato cakes, dim sims, flake etc). Jimmy's Killer Fish n Chips in Greenside just isn't the same!

But then I know in Aus I wouldn't readily get samoosas, decent wors or curry bunnies. And I'd miss Spur ... I mean, a full on meal for less than R100 - what's that - $11 Aus? Would cost 3 times as much in Aus.

Reality though is if I ever have to move back to Aus, I'm going to miss my SA family more than anything on Earth. It's the reason I'm still here.

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Whatever happened to "frivolous"? :)

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Hey AReyeP

We have now adopted Twisties (agree they are pretty good), barbeque shapes (my kids love them I'm still not quite convinced), Bundaberg ginger beer (not the Sasparilla flavour - it is just too medicinal for us - although my son is working hard at acquiring a taste for it) and fish and chips (although definitely not flake - I just can't seem to get over the fact that it is shark). One of my favourite places to eat in summer in Melbourne is on the beach close to Black Rock, where there is a fantastic fish and chip shop on the jetty, and you can sit on the beach and the kids can also have a swim. As for Campbell's tinned spaghetti, I bought some by mistake and now it has place of honour in my cupboard as the food my kids just won't eat.

Don't worry about drywors, plenty of that around if you know where to go. I agree samoosas are generally not the same - I must still try and get to make some, and yes no Spur, we never eat a steak out unless I'm out on company expense budget. However, you get great steak at our local safeway and I do a mean marinade before its barbequed.

Another frivolous reason is the fact that you pack your wood braai away and invest in a gas BBQ and then never look back. So much easier, and it is the failsafe quick meal producer when you get back from work a bit late but everyone needs to be fed within 30 minutes of coming through the door - unless of course it runs out of gas but then my OH just runs around the corner and gets a new bottle.

I definitely love the fact that you can embrace Asian cooking as you can get all the ingredients, and on top of the Chinese food I used to cook in SA, I've learnt to make wonton's, pho, springrolls, barbequed pork belly, rice paper rolls, special fried rice etc.

Hmm, there seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of my posts that relate to food....

Edited by Sunnyskies
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Hi Sunnyskies,

No, not the Campbells tinned spaghetti - I agree that would be a bit on the average side :) The one I miss is Cambpells spaghetti sauce with beef. I think it's because my mum used it when I was a kid and I've never been able to find anything that tastes quite the same :)

My SA family here laugh at the idea of a gas braai ... can't say I blame them as my SA brother in law cooks the best braai I've ever known! I thought I knew how to braai but I was sadly mistaken!

PS: Like the black pug you have as an avatar - we have a black pug here and she's boss of the household :)

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Another frivolous reason - the number of pugs in Melbourne! They even have their own social club on a Sunday morning. Every now and again we come across another Saffa pug family. Our girl also rules the roost. Once she gets onto your lap and closes her eyes you dare not move. I love the fact that there are dog beaches and that people generally abide the rules, pick up the poo and if necessary put their dogs on a leash - unfortunately mine is super friendly so we sometimes have to restrain her for her own good.

I love that dogs are pets here. We have no guard dogs in our area, and most people treat their dogs like one of their children - constantly out for walks and sitting with the humans at a sidewalk cafe.

Edited by Sunnyskies
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