sf 2 oz

I normally don't rant on this blog, but one particular topic has been building up steam and I've got to say something! The topic is that nothing - NOTHING - is free in Australia. I'm sure it annoys me since I come from the American culture of free drink refills, coffee top-ups, free ketchup, complimentary bread with dinner etc. But honestly, it really gets under my skin that Australians squeeze every damn penny out of you. Here's a few examples:

-Postage: I went to the Australia Post the other day to mail a few cards and since one card was a bit smaller than normal in terms of dimensions, I had to pay extra postage (for a smaller card!). When I asked why, the woman behind the counter said it was because someone had to post it by hand. As far as I know, the don't charge extra for that in America. Come on.

-Food: Obviously food is a biggie here. Now I'm not that shocked at having to pay for bread, but I'd like to rant on one experience we recently had at Sean's Panaroma in Bondi. On the menu there it says bread costs $4. So we ordered it for a table of 6 and when we got the bill we found out it was $4 per person! Yep, that's $24 for 6 sourdough rolls. Ridic. Also recently I went out to get a few sushi rolls for lunch. You know those little plastic fish they fill with soy sauce? Well, I got one with my sushi rolls and when I asked for one more, they asked me to buy it...for 10 cents. These are just a few small examples. 

-Buying flights: This is one that I discovered shortly after we moved and I've come to accept it like most other people here.. But, when you buy a flight (online OR over the phone) on one of the local airlines - Jet Star, Virgin Blue, Tiger Airways - you have to use your credit card. Ok, fine. But, the catch is they charge you about a $15 fee per ticket to use your credit card. When I asked if there was another way to pay (ie cash or debit card), they said no. So you're basically stuck with no choice but to pay a fee.

-Surcharges: Most restaurants and cafes charge a 10% surcharge on Sundays and public holidays. The public holidays one I understand, but Sundays? I have to pay 10% more because I want to go to brunch on one of the busiest days for a restaurant? In fact, it's been illegal to do so for over a year now. Restaurants must print a separate weekend menu if they wish to re-coup extra costs through their clientele. Here's an interesting SMH article on how many cafes are breaking this law - especially in Sydney inner city and eastern/western suburbs. 

That's my rant for now. If you're an ex-pat living in Sydney, I'd love to hear your thoughts - whether you agree or not? Or does this annoy you even?

photo taken from www.boudist.com

This past week we somehow managed to hit up six or seven different restaurants and bars around Sydney with various friends and such. I thought I'd take a minute to do a quick re-cap:

-The Wine Library: Why wasn't this in Paddington when we lived there? It's an inviting bar that is much bigger than it seems on the outside with a cool back room and outdoor area. The food and overall vibe was great -- loved the sweet potato crisps, cheese, bresiola with tomato and mozerella. Here's the SMH review

-Opium Den: Yummy thai food in Potts Point and man the service was quick (or maybe b/c we were there on the early side). I also really like the big communal table and dark/rich decor. Plus the prices were just as good as any thai take-out joint. I don't really do the club thing, but would be a great place to eat before heading out in the Cross or that area.

-Vamps: We've eaten here a few times and I love the cozy/local vibe it has. And I just love LOVE five ways. Plus it's BYO, so you can get a great french bistro meal and have equally good wine without breaking the bank. Although, don't go here for quiet conversation - it gets very loud on the weekends. There was a massive birthday party group sitting right next to us the other night. 

-10 William St: I was so happy to stumble across this cute wine bar on William Street in Paddington. It's a bit no nonsense with wine and food selections on a giant chalkboard and very minimal decor. The waiter had great suggestions for wine and dessert. I had a canoli with chocolate and cherries - yum! The London definitely has some competition now.

-Bloodwood: Had delicious food and microbrews here on Sunday night. It's a relatively new restaurant in Newtown and I was diggin' it! Really funky, yet cool decor (door panels on the ceiling and exposed lightbulbs..hard to describe). The food options include small plates and then a few mains to choose from. I'd suggest eating family style and trying as much as you can. We enjoyed the polenta chips, sweet potato croquettes, socca, lamb w/ yogurt and okra...and the bloodwood trifle for dessert. Sooo yummy! They also had one of my favourite Aussie beers - Moo Brew. Here's the website http://www.bloodwoodnewtown.com/

It's spring in Australia, which means the nippers are out in full effect! We did not experience this last year living in Paddington, but it's hard not to miss these kids living by the beach. The Surf Life Saving Clubs (volunteer institutions at Australia's beaches) run the nipper programs, which teach kids about swimming, live saving and ocean safety - starting at a very young age. It actually seems to be a right of passage for many Aussie kids - sort of like how kids in America are thrust into peewee soccer, T-ball or the like. 

After seeing the force that is nippers, it's no surprise that Australia is home to some of the strongest swimmers and surfers in the world. 

Here's some photos from Jennie and Thor's second annual Halloween party. Their place was decked out with Halloween decorations including orange lights in the lamps! Each couple got a pumpkin to carve and as you can see, some people got pretty crafty. We went for the simple bat design, which I thought was appropriate with all the bats in Sydney. Thankfully Thor brought back pumpkin cutter kits during his last trip to the US (and candy corn!). 

Halloween definitely isn't as big a deal here as it is back home - sort of surprising given how much Aussies love their fancy dress parties. But we hear that it's gotten more popular over the years, especially for kids.

I've been starting to think that maybe Australia has less commercial interest in holidays than the US, but then I saw Christmas pudding mixes and full holiday decor at the David Jones grocery section the other week (October!).