America, the sophisticated land!

I know it's been a while, but I'm re-committing myself to blogging again.  There are so many things that I could write about on a daily basis, but I guess it needed one super duper one to get me all re-inspired.

Now, for those of you who know me, my favourite (I hate it when I type favourite the proper way and the spell check underlines it in red because I didn't spell it "favorite") breakfast place was Buzz at the Emporium in Brisbane.  Buzz makes fabulous coffee, healthy juices and breakfasts and it is clean, classy and has a super atmosphere with music playing in the background, and a plethora of newspapers to read.

Now, to be fair, this is Utah, and there is a lovely place for breakfast called "Finns" in Salt Lake, but I'm now living in Park City, so the quest to find a good breakfast place begins.  While on our daily walk, my husband and I passed a bagel shop not far from where we live and Brian suggested we go there for breakfast on a weekend.  I had stuck my head in on a previous occasion and determined that they served espresso coffee (not everyone does espresso - many places just do that horrible filtered stuff) and soy milk.  I was prepared to give this a go!

So, on Sunday, Brian and I entered the bagel shop.  I ordered my coffee, and even though they only had paper cups (oh, for a china cup and saucer!), it tasted okay.  Brian ordered a Sunrise breakfast with whole wheat bread, and I had the bacon and eggs with a whole wheat bagel.  The menu said it came with "cheddar" (of course it does, because Americans put cheese on and in EVERYTHING!) but I said I didn't want the cheddar.  Brian went and got a table outside (and trust me, it's nothing like Buzz - and not a newspaper in sight) and I went to get some sugar for my coffee.  All coffee places are like Starbucks and have this little area where you can get those silly straws for stirring, sugar, honey and serviettes (napkins here).  So, when I saw the plastic knives and forks, this should have been a warning.

Expectations are a dangerous thing, as my husband, before he was my husband, found out on our first Valentine's Day together when my expectations were totally different to his!  The whole experience was so horrendous for him that Brian now books Valentine's in July!

But back to breakfast and my expectations.  I was expecting some nice crispy bacon, eggs and a bagel on a plate with a knife and fork.  NO!!!!  We both received our breakfast in a paper bag! And it wasn't until I undid my paper wrapping that the real surprise presented itself.  The breakfast was a kind of sandwich, but what was that inside?  At first, I thought it was cheese, but when I pulled it apart, there was the bacon (which I think had been cooked the day before), the orange cheese (which I had specifically said I didn't want and what  Americans seriously think is cheddar, but all it is is cheddar with orange food colouring...damn..again those spell check lines), and this other thing that was imitating an egg!!!  Now I don't really know what it was, but I think it was something that came out of a carton pretending to be an egg.  If you have read my previous blogs, you will remember I have already covered the eggs coming out of a carton subject.

It reminded me of the Jamie Oliver's US Food Revolution episode where he goes to a school in Huntington, West Virginia. The ladies in the kitchen tell Jamie that the kids are being served mashed potatoes for lunch and he says, "Great, where are the potatoes, and I'll start peeling", to which they reply:  "Oh no, we don't use potatoes, we use Potato Pearls!" which I believe is something like the egg impersonator in my bagel.

This breakfast experience was a pity really as we want to support the local business, but I can't possibly do that again!  So Peter Kedwell (owner of Buzz) if you're reading this...please come and open up a Buzz here! I NEED YOU!

Oh, and just as post script, I have found a good place for coffee here - Park City Roasters!  Elle, the Aussie girl from the Gold Coast, makes a lovely "flat white"  Yay!!!!

A charity dinner in Mormonland

Me with Derek Parra
(2002 1500 m gold medal winner
for speed skating)
and two buxom "maids"

I know it's been a while, but I needed to be inspired to write another blog - and on Thursday night, I was!

My husband and I attended a charity dinner held by the Sandy Chamber of Commerce which was held at a wonderful and well-known restaurant called "La Caille" in Sandy - not far from Salt Lake City.  The theme was a "ski" night so guests were invited to wear their ski gear and be very relaxed for a night of raffles, auctions and speeches.

Upon arriving, our car was parked by one of the seven valets, and we were then led into a very rustic room complete with fireplace and sandstone, where they were serving hors d'oeuvres and....yes, wait for it.....lemonade or water!

I became a little panic stricken at the prospect of this being a "dry" do, so, I asked the waiter holding the tray of lemonade and water if there was any wine.  "Yes, ma'am, there's a bar out the back".  At $100 a head for the tickets, I was stunned when I made my way "out the back" and had to pay $8 for a glass of Australian red (and not a good one at that).

And that's not the end of it!  After photos with ski professionals and buxom German "maids", we were ushered into the "dining room" which was very prettily decorated, but more shock and horror - there was not a wine glass in site on the tables, and when the waiter came to our table, he asked:  "Lemonade or water"?  Not even a coke, which for those of you who don't know, Mormons are not allowed to drink tea, coffee, alcohol or coke!  No wonder the Mormons are the biggest users of anti-depression medication.  Anyway, I digress.

Now I know for a fact that if a Chamber of Commerce in Australia held a charity dinner without booze, there would be rioting in the streets, it would make front page news of The Australian and the organisation would find themselves without members pretty fast!

So, after they said "prayers" - yes, "prayers", we got to enjoy a lovely meal and the company of two other "non-Mormons" who actually went out the back to get a glass of wine - for $8!

During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control relaxed enforcement of Utah's alcohol laws. This helped lead to less restrictive laws that came into effect in May 2003. This came after complaints, particularly after an incident in which an International Olympic Committee official complained.  Good for him! 

But still, Utah has some very strange alcohol laws, for instance, if you are at a restaurant, the waiter cannot give you another drink or glass of wine, until the first one is finished and while I am not a spirits drinker, I believe you can only ever get a single shot of same - and a small one at that. Also, I believe the beer is of a lesser strength than what you can buy in other parts of the country.

Bottle shops (or liquor stores) cannot trade on Sundays and just when you thought that Utah was becoming more "with it", they just changed the law to say that you cannot buy alcohol before 11am instead of 10am - or mid-day at restaurants.


Salt Lake City, apparently, has more Catholics than Mormons (phew!), but elsewhere in the State, and particularly places like Bountiful and St. George, it is definitely Mormonland.

We are now living in Park City, and Brian and I love it here.  I work one day a week as a Lift Line Coordinator at Park City Mountain Resort and have met some wonderful people, most of whom have moved here from somewhere else to enjoy the wonderful lifestyle Park City has to offer.

Utah truly is a beautiful State and while the Mormons are a little strange for us "other" folk, they do make good neighbours and Utah, I would say, is one of the nicest places to live in the US - it's just a little odd at times!

A special tribute to my home town, Brisbane

Thank goodness for the internet, because I can watch Channel Nine's Today show live and listen to my favourite radio station, 4BC, to keep abreast of the terrible floods that have affected Toowoomba, the Lockyer Valley and more recently, my home town of Brisbane. While the coverage in the USA has not been extensive, it seems that a many Americans are aware of your pain and suffering during this time.

I know it's been a while since I wrote my last blog, but my husband and I have moved from Salt Lake City to Park City - the world famous ski resort town.  We simply love it here.  I am volunteering as a Lift Line Coordinator at the Park City Mountain Resort - a job which has great benefits, one being that I get to meet people from all over the world - and lots of Australians.  I wear a badge that says "Caroline G from Brisbane Australia".  I can't tell you the number of Americans who stopped on their way to the chair lift and asked how my family were and to express their compassion for Queenslanders who have been affected by the floods.

I am still in shock at what I am seeing from the video footage and pictures - this once lively, clean and beautiful city that now seems a ghost town covered in mud and debris.  From what I've heard and seen, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman is doing a brilliant job and in the words of a dear friend "he's been amazing!" 

But from this disaster comes amazing stories of bravery, courage and kindness.  Apparently, the Council is having to turn away volunteers because so many people have come forward to lend a helping hand.  I was just speaking with a friend of mine in Brisbane this morning who had spent the last week driving around Chelmer, Kenmore and Fig Tree Pocket helping people getting their now ruined belongings to the kerb so they can be picked up by the Council.  My friend said the other day in Chelmer, a gentleman had set up a barbecue and was cooking steaks and sausages for people in the neighbourhood, while his daughter was slicing up tomatoes and lettuce!

I know it might sounds callous to some, but sometimes I think disasters like this bring new hope to those who feel there is no goodness left in the world.  And in so many pictures, I see people who are smiling and making the best of a terribly bad situation - the Aussie sense of humour cannot be underestimated.  I know that Queensland will recover from this tragedy and Brisbane will once again become the thriving hub it was before the floods. Queenslanders are tough and resilient.

From here, I can't do much except to pray for you all and thank all who are helping their fellow Australians during this time.  You make me proud to be an Australian and I wear my badge at the Park City Mountain Resort with honour.

I want to especially thank my dear friends, James and Leanne, who helped move some of my belongings out of the flood ravaged Albion into another warehouse at the last minute, and to MiniMovers who were able to pick up the goods on the same day I called them.

Here are two pictures which I think sums up the Australian spirit.

Aussie Aussie Aussie..oy, oy, oy!

Who are you anyway?

The hardest thing about moving to a new country - especially for a girl, is finding all those places and people that we have spent years sourcing, like a good hairdresser, a doctor, a beauty therapist, or even a cosmetic surgeon - especially here in the US, because I've seen some shocking examples of  Botox and filler overdose.  In fact, while my husband and I were in Maui for our honeymoon we decided to adjourn to the Four Seasons for lunch after a wind blew up on the beach and took with it the umbrella we had just paid $20 for about 10 minutes prior to the weather changing, and there, sitting at the next table was a man and woman who obviously got the "two face lifts for one" deal.  It was very scary and in my opinion, they were totally ripped off and besides that, I am of the firm belief, that men should NEVER have a face lift. It's up there with men dying their hair.

And of course, there are other things that one has to learn over time when relocating.  Earlier this week, I was sitting in bed with my cup of tea and browsing the Internet, when a warning came up from "Qwest".  The message went something like this:  "There's a virus coming from your computer, so we have limited your access to the Internet.  Call this number for further questions."  We are in an apartment building with 72 units and the building has wireless Internet and my husband had the same message on his computer.  So, I called the number recommended by Qwest and they asked me for my account number.  "We don't have an account with you" I replied.   And who are you anyway?  What is Qwest and why am I receiving messages from you?"  And all the while, my husband is waving madly from the next room.  "What's he trying to say?"  Oh!!!!  Qwest just happens to be the largest phone company in the USA!  And for those of you worried about the virus, it was coming from someone else's computer in the building - not mine. So rest easy!

And I've noticed a very strange phenomenon here.  But I want to know - is it only in Utah or more particularly to Salt Lake City that everyone talks in North, South, East or West, or is it an American thing? 

Salt Lake City is set on a grid, which may be fine if you were born here and know which way is North, South, East or West, but for a visitor, it is quite daunting.  If you ask someone in Brisbane where they live, and they say: "Wellington Street, Coorparoo, - just off Old Cleveland Road", you generally know that the person lives in Coorparoo and roughly where Wellington Street is.  But here, if you ask someone where they live, they say: "6165 South 1300 East and their apartment is on the west side of 1300 East" or something like that.  When people ask me where our new house is, I say:  "as you are heading to Park City, take the Jeremy Ranch exit and then turn right and it's just off Jones Road. But my husband says: "head east, take the Jeremy Ranch exit, go south and then head east and we are on the south side of I80 but north-west of downtown Park City".

All I can say is thank God for my GPS!

Things I really like about America

I thought it was about time I wrote some positive things about America - not that I like to think of my posts as negative in relation to the US but rather a humorous look at the differences between our two countries.

But there are things here that I think are fabulous:

Loos (aka Restrooms):
My husband and I have done a few road trips during our time together.  We have driven to Denver via Wyoming, Reno in Nevada, Northern Arizona and more, and during all those trips, whenever we've had to stop to use the facilities, I have never come across a dirty or gross toilet.  Honestly, you can be in the middle of nowhere, or stop at a gas station in the boondocks that is run by what can only be described as "locals" and the "restrooms" as they call them here, are spotless.  Australia could learn a thing or two from this as I have been in some gas station toilets that have nearly made me sick, and on one occasion when I've told the gas station attendant that the toilet was disgusting, he gave me a look that was a combination of  "what are you talking about? and "well, what do you expect?"

Driving Habits:
I don't know about other States, but drivers in Utah are positively and amazingly polite and considerate.  They drive according to weather conditions (and they have a lot here - for instance, we had 14 inches of snow on Sunday), unlike we Aussies who don't seem to realise that when its bucketing with rain, you have to slow down.  And the yanks really get what "merging traffic" means.

If you are in a shopping centre carpark and are walking across an area where cars are allowed to go, drivers actually stop to let you cross.  Here, pedestrians have right of way.  In fact, in Park City and sometimes even in Salt Lake, if you are standing by the side of the road waiting to cross, a car will stop to let you cross.  Can you imagine? My experience in Australia is that Aussies would rather run you down that let you cross, or use what I think must be an optional extra in some cars - the brake!

Another cool thing they do here is that you can turn right on a red light (remember they drive on the wrong side of the road here) which really helps keep traffic moving.

And at no time, contrary to what you hear or see on TV, have I seen an incidence of road rage, been honked at or been given the finger.  Which brings me to a question that I would love answered: why is it that in Australia if you beep someone who has clearly done the wrong thing, or has not moved on a green light for instance - that they give YOU the finger?  In my experience, some drivers have almost had to contort themselves by climbing in the back seat to give you the finger, or wind down their window to stick half their body out, just so they can tell you what they think of you for having the unmitigated gall for suggesting that they made a mistake.

Having said all of the above, this has been my experience in Utah, and I cannot speak for people living in New York for example.  However, I have a theory as to why the Americans drive better than we Aussies.  Have you seen their police?  You do not want to be pulled over by these guys.  I mean they are scary.  They wear black, which in itself is serious, and they are BIG, and they carry big weapons, and they walk really slowly when they approach the car - I mean, you don't want to mess with these guys.  Seriously, I think Australian police need a makeover as those powder blue shirts just don't cut it.

Service:
The service in America is outstanding, particularly at those "chain" restaurants, of which there are many. These poor wait staff earn about $2.50 per hour, so they rely on tips - and I won't go on about this as I've already debated the pros and cons of this in a previous post.  Needless to say, service is great - even when you are in a store where you don't have to tip. I bank at Wells Fargo, and they are soooo polite, I can't believe it.  This is their greeting at the drive through (yes, drive through banks are big here): "Hello, my name is Chad (or some other American name) welcome to Wells Fargo, and how can I help you today?"  And then, at the end of the transaction, they give you a lolly.   My gym answers the phone:  "Welcome to Gold's Gym.  How can we make a difference in your life today?"  I could think of a plethora of answers

So, you see, there are some great things about America.  If only I could get a good a half strength soy flat white everywhere, I'd be really happy.

Thanksgiving Turkey and Glib Bits in Reno

I think I'm becoming Amercanized!  How can I tell?  Well, this is a conversation I regularly have with unsuspecting shop assistants.  Me:  "Excuse me, is there anywhere around here I can get a good coffee?" Unsuspecting shop assistant: "Yes, there's Starbucks".  Me:  "No, I mean a 'good' coffee".  Unsuspecting and now realising she's also unlucky shop assistant: "No, sorry, there really isn't."  This was the exact conversation that took place today while I was at a shopping mall in Reno where I am visiting my father-in-law with my husband for Thanksgiving weekend.

Shopping malls in America are just that - shopping malls which consist of great designer shops but lack food halls, restaurants, coffee shops, entertainment, newsagencies or chemists.  And shopping in a rainy zero degrees in an uncovered mall that is spread out over 2 kilometres makes it difficult to do much shopping unless you want to freeze to death, and all this for one Starbucks!  In fact, there's a great outlet mall in Park City, Utah, but they have ONE place that sells food in the whole centre - that being, Mrs Field's Cookies.  I know!!!  Now, I'm figuring if they were really smart, they'd have a great pub or coffee shop where women could leave their husbands while they shop. You know like "park your car there and your husband here".  But with no food outlets, one can only shop there for a maximum of 2-3 hours, and then even the most hardened shopper (yes, even you Lizzie), would need some sustenance.  I'm at a loss as to why Americans, who are excellent marketers, cannot see the benefit of building a shopping mall where you can spend all day - with your family. I think it should be mandatory for every shopping centre developer in the US to visit a  Westfields.

Anyway, I digress.  Back to my acclimatisation.  Out of sheer desperation, I went to Starbucks and ordered my coffee and as I sat there drinking my single shot soy latte with no foam made with the horrible vanilla soy that Starbucks insist on using throughout the country, I thought "gosh, this coffee tastes quite good!" And that's when I realised:  "I'm becoming Americanized"!

View of the Lake

Which brings me to Thanksgiving, a lovely American tradition where family and friends get together to give thanks for all the blessings in their lives.  Because we were in Reno, which is in the gambling State of Nevada, my father-in-law who is recovering from a hip operation had booked our Thanksgiving dinner at a favourite restaurant of his which is a bit like the Australian version of a RSL club.  I know what you're thinking, and you're right.  The dinner consisted of yam soup, followed by a huge plate of very tough turkey smothered in a very thick gravy, lumpy mashed potatoes and peas and carrots and further followed by the strange phenomenon, pumpkin pie.  But again, I actually enjoyed it - all part of my conversion process.  I just hope that we didn't contract the swine flu from the poor waitress who couldn't stop hacking away as she was serving us.  

View up at Lake Tahoe

But Reno is a lovely city and my husband and I spent the day following Thanksgiving at Lake Tahoe which was truly spectacular and which reminded me of Europe. 

It's been a lovely weekend, and I, like most Americans at this time of the year, feel very grateful for all the blessings in my life, but most particularly for my husband and his family who I am getting to know and love, and for my wonderful family and friends back in Australia who keep in constant contact with me.

But I think next Thanksgiving, I'll be cooking the turkey!

Drugs anyone? Just go to the doctor!

It has probably not gone unnoticed by we Aussies that whenever we read the latest "No Idea" or watch "ET" - and here I'm referring to "Entertainment Tonight" not "ET Go Home", that prescription medication addiction is rife in the good old US of A.  According to statistics, Utah has the highest rate of depression and prescription medication addiction in the country.  Now this seems a little odd for a state that is made up predominantly of Mormons who are not allowed to drink tea (I know, tea!), coffee or alcohol, but let me tell you, if I couldn't have a coffee and a glass of wine every now and then, I'd be severely depressed too.  I agree with The Sunday Mail's Frances Whiting when she says that the most stressful time of the day is five minutes to wine o'clock! 

But I'm at a loss as to how people get addicted to prescription medication.  I mean, how does one get so much medication that it causes one to become addicted to it?  Apparently, they go to the doctor - and not just one - many. Surely when someone goes to the chemist to get their third bottle of Oxycontin in one month, isn't there some kind of database that alerts the pharmacist that this person might have a problem? And shouldn't that person be reported?  Now, I'm not sure if we in Australia have Oxycontin, but here, it is prescribed like they are lollies.  Oxycontin is a pain killer, but is also narcotic - so it is addictive.  Millions of Americans are getting addicted to this and other narcotics.  Everyone I speak to here has a family relative or knows someone who is in rehab for alcohol or drug addiction and Americans look at me strangely when I say I don't know anyone back home who is in rehab.  While I know Australia has the same problems as many other western countries, I think we are lucky or maybe it's because we only have 24 million people, but ultimately, I think it's because Australia still has a naivety which is refreshing and which I hope we keep.  And they start young here - parents are giving their children sleeping tablets.

Prescription medication is also advertised on TV - all the time!  But rather than being informed, one can only stare at the TV screen with a look of what might be described as confusion, because after about 10 seconds of describing what the medication is for, you will then hear about 20 seconds of warnings. Take for instance, an ad for Celebrex, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.  The warnings go something like this:

Celebrex and other NSAID medicines can cause stomach ulcers that bleed. The chance of this serious problem increases the longer you take Celebrex and with higher doses of Celebrex. Stomach bleeding can also happen suddenly while you take Celebrex. Stop taking Celebrex and call your healthcare provider right away if you get: 

• a burning stomach pain 
• black bowel movements that look like tar 
• vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds 

Celebrex and other NSAID medicines can cause serious allergic reactions that include swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat. 

Now I don't know about you, but if my doctor prescribed this medication, I'd need another prescription for anti-anxiety.  I mean, "vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds"?

You can only imagine the warnings for Cialis (like Viagra), one of which says that if you have an erection for more than four hours, to call your doctor.  My husband said that he used to say, "why waste that call on a doctor?"