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!