One is Silver, the Other is Gold

I don't know about you guys, but recently my life has been a never-ending, constantly spiraling, black hole of juxtapositions. Even more specifically, an awkward explosion of my old life meeting my new one. There isn't a part of my day-to-day routine that isn't a step forward into my evolving Aussie lifestyle, but there is always an ever-looming shadow that is colored in red, white, and blue hues. The more accustom I become to the little differences here, the more I feel my old habits being highlighted in the back of my mind. Even though I try to push these nagging voices aside, sometimes they are pretty deafening.

For example, when I'm grocery shopping and go to grab a bag of the Red Rock Deli Dijon Mustard & Honey potato chips - my subconscious kicks in, "Why aren't you getting baked chips? Do you know how bad these are for you? These aren't even close to Baked Lays! When was the last time you even had regular potato chips?" I'd like to note that I'm not voluntarily picking these chips... Baked Lays are actually nowhere to be found in this city. And Americans get the stereotype for being unhealthy... pshh...

Or when I'm talking to my Irish friends and they ALWAYS pronounce "th" as just "t". It has taken me a couple of weeks, and many teeth grinding sessions, to stop correcting them that "taught" does not mean "thought" in English. And when they say, "I was tinking, and tinking, and tinking.." it actually means "thinking". Even though we're speaking the same language, it sure doesn't seem like it sometimes. *I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to Sean McGoldrick for telling him that he needs English as a Second Language classes.*

Onto another aspect of old vs. new... I got a job! I'm working as a part-time waitress at a restaurant in St. Kilda called "BeachComber" (google it!). It's 15 feet from the rolling waves of the ocean and shows off tons of stunning orange umbrellas on their terrace. We serve Kangaroo and us staff proudly sport the bright orange in cute t-shirts with white "Beachcomber" block letters down the side. Now, I bet some of you are thinking...waitressing, not so new or foreign of a concept...?

Wrong people, very wrong.

What would you do if a couple asked for a "weak, skinny, latte" and a "short, black"? Or what would you do if one woman came in at 10AM and stayed until your shift was over around 4PM - you'd probably think she was a bit weird right? False. This is very normal for people to take their time... relax... and enjoy themselves. In the States, lunch is characterized as "get in and get out". People scarf down their food and rush back to work, trying to squeeze every minute into their day to close that deal, get the promotion, and "hit the mark". There is an air of leisure that I've noticed in Europe as well as Oz. Enjoying life and taking one's time is definitely understated back home, while here it is underlined and practiced. I'd like to take a page out of their book, what do you think? :)

So as you can see, the more I'm adapting to this fantastic new culture... the more accentuated the little things that I didn't even notice before are becoming. Although I'm trying my best to fully embrace all the new quirks and twists, I definitely miss a couple things from back home. However, I'm lucky enough to have gotten a taste of the good ol' U S of A this morning in the form of a brown, square package with the return address being Abercrombie & Fitch. Now this certain surprise contained a TON of my favorite things in the whole world. Yes, most of them were food... and I couldn't be more excited about it! 2 boxes of wheat thins, 4 packages of baked lays, a king sized box of Junior Mints, a family sized Peanut M&Ms bag, and two Reeses Peanut Butter Cups unpacked on my shelf - new mix CDs downloading on my computer - and a new shirt to prance around in makes me a happy girl :) There are those vices from home that are irresistible, especially when unattainable!

So for this coming weekend, ladies and gentleman, I'd like you guys to give yourself the luxury of indulgence and the adventure of exploration. Give into those couple of things that make you go "ahhhh". But for every Junior Mint you pop, or Wheat Thin you crunch, try something you've never stumbled upon before! In the words of the ever-wise David Meyers, "Broaden your horizons." There's nothing more exhilarating than pushing your limits and finding something new that quickly becomes your "ahhhh", your familiar Achilles' Heel.

As for me, while munching on peanut m&ms I'll be searching through Melbourne's "Haunted Book Store" and maybe, just maybe... trying Kangaroo.