Grocery Store Price Wars - Canada versus Australia Part 1

So is it really that expensive Down Under? Let's put it to an informal test by taking a trip to the grocery store. We'll take a peek at how the prices of common grocery store items in Australia compare with those in Canada.

Australian Open of Surfing 2015

Surfing culture is clearly evident all over Australia. From hourly swell forecasts on local radio to surf shops in every town, to surf camps all over the coast. It's typical to see people walking barefoot down the road holding a surfboard, squeezing their board onto the bus, or cruising on a bike with a surfboard rack. Australians of all ages can be found surfing before or after work/school, or even in the middle of the day. If the swell is good, Aussies are known to play hooky from other commitments. I must note, however, that just like not every Canadian knows how to play hockey, not every Australian knows how to surf. Nevertheless, no one can deny that Australia is surfing.

Birthday Adrenaline Rush in Sydney

The stage was set: A day off from work, an extension to a birthday weekend. An ordinary Friday morning that developed into a beautiful, sunny afternoon with the most stunning ocean colours that I've seen since arriving here 10 months ago. A not so minor detail, however, was making a rescheduling seem inevitable: the wind was up and blowing in all directions. Two other attempts at this particular activity were unsuccessful due to...windy conditions. I was prepared to give it just this one more try. If it wasn't meant to be today, I was going to take the hint and find a different way to spend my time and money. I was surprisingly relaxed as I waited for three hours before being called over to sign away my life and put on my jumpsuit. That's when the nerves spiked up a bit. Calmness returned, however, while we were stuck in a traffic jam on route to the airport, and then returned again while I was distracted by the beautiful scenery on the way up to 14,000 feet. There may have been moments of fear too though, while sitting right next to the transparent airplane door and when finding out we were only halfway up. Oh, and maybe right before we jumped out! It's hard to put the rest into words. Although it all happens very quickly, I will always remember the feeling of flying out of the airplane and the unbelievable views of the place I've called home this year. If you've ever considered skydiving, I encourage you to go for it. If not, that's ok too but man, that was fun!

Look at those blue skies!

If You Want to Sound Like an Aussie... Part Two

Below is a list of words or phrases that I have personally heard Australians use in daily conversation. I can't say that I'm comfortable using any of these yet but I like to take the piss (see meaning here) from time to time.