Most of the people I know are from Rogers County, Oklahoma. If fact, the majority of those people can be found within a 5 mile radius of my house. I’m not a world traveler, I don’t even like long car trips.
Even though I don’t get out much, I know a really cool person from Australia. Her name is Lisa.
Let me tell you how I know Lisa. My sister has been doing a blog for a few years. Lisa was reading her blog. When I started my blog (which is linked to my sister’s), she started reading my blog too. She’s been a faithful reader ever since.
Lisa is a jewel of a person. Yesterday my sister and I received a package from her.
The package contained all kinds of goodies from Australia. Because she knows us, she knew exactly what we would like. She sent grocery ads from her local stores. I studied every page. Because I don’t have ANY experience with how the rest of the world lives….this kind of stuff amazes me. There were magazines and newspapers and Cadbury chocolate.
She sent a Christmas card with a personal note. Under my fingers the card says “Greetings from Down Under”. I will cherish it always.
When I saw this, I knew it had to be mine. I have been curious enough about where Lisa lives that I check the weather in her area almost every day. I log onto their local newspaper. I know that the sun shines most of the time. Hence the name “The Sunshine Coast”. I love sunshine. The weather on the Sunshine Coast would be considered “perfect” in Oklahoma except for the high humidity.
Look…it’s an IGA!!!! We have IGA grocery stores!! I didn’t know until recently that the Australian currency is also called the “dollar”. Their food is weighed in kg’s instead of ounces and pounds. I was looking in the Woolworth’s ad that she sent and I was surprised to see many familiar brands. Some of the familiar brands include; Pantene, Nestle, Kraft, Coca-Cola, Nutella, Uncle Ben’s, Pedigree, Whiskas, Colgate, Birds Eye, Pepsi, Cheerios, Campbell’s, Sara Lee, Heinz, Palmolive, and Cover Girl.
The prices of some items surprised me. A can of peaches (sale price) listed for $3.49. We can buy a big can of peaches for $1.49. A frozen turkey thigh cost $19.00. For the same price here, you can buy the whole dang bird. A whole turkey cost $34.00 in Australia. Can you imagine paying that much for a turkey? Sliced roast beef from the deli cost $22.98 per kg. I’m not sure how kg’s compare to pounds, but here sliced deli beef can be purchased for $6.49 per pound. In Australia shrimp is cheaper than beef!!!! That really blows my mind. The price of shrimp in Oklahoma is outrageous. Maybe it’s because we don’t have a fleet of shrimp boats in Oklahoma. 
Here’s something else that surprised me…Australian grocery stores sell booze. I don’t know if it’s an Oklahoma law or a United States law, but you can NOT buy booze at the grocery store here. The Bible Belt doesn’t allow that sort of thing.
I was looking through the newspaper to see what Aussie’s watch on TV. Look what I found!!! My favorite show airs there. I could so be an Australian.
I haven’t looked at the magazines yet. I’ve been too busy studying what Aussie’s eat and watch on television.
Lisa, just so you know the Twisties and the caramel Cadbury bears were my favorite.
These were so good. I think they are made to resemble Cheetos. The texture was the same. However, I don’t think they tasted at all like Cheetos. I’ve never had anything here that resembled the taste.
It was so cool to eat something made in Australia. If you will notice, these are made by Pepsico. We have Pepsico in Oklahoma, but we don’t have Twisties. I think I will write Pepsico a letter.
Now for the Tim Tams. Apparently this is the “it” cookie in Australia. They are equivalent to Oreos in America. In my opinion, Tim Tams taste WAY better than Oreos. And just like Americans and their Oreos, Aussies have a proper technique for eating their “it” cookie. I think my sister had an email conversation about proper consumption of Tim Tams because “sticking your face in the milk” is not on this sticky note.
Disclaimer to Lisa…. Penny and I had a conversation last night about how loud we are. We come from a loud family. We are loud people. Penny is embarrassed by her laughing outburst. I’m embarrassed by my witch-like laugh. I think we are perfectly normal until I see and hear a video of our obnoxiousness. Try not to be scared. And…this is only half of the unboxing pictures. We divided the pictures up evenly. Penny will post different pictures. Wait until you see the pictures of Tater digging in the box.
I was going to just post my video until I realized that Cristin’s was better, so I attached both.
Lisa, I hope you enjoyed. You are so important to us as a friend and blog reader. You have expanded my horizons and helped me see outside of my little Oklahoma box.
And just so you know….I would love to see you face to face someday.
Blessings,
Pam
Geez. I am so loud. I’m horrified.
I sound like a dang hick from Hicktown, USA.
I’m going to be ready to swap reading materials on Sunday I think.
You have the IGA ad. I need to see that. I don’t understand kg and pound conversions, but I think meat is very expensive there. Even worse than here.
Well. I have to say it was one post where I practically giggled the ENTIRE way through. It’s such a spin out to see things that I packed a few weeks ago on the internet! lol
Some points:
I didn’t not know that IGA was in the US!! Wha?! No! IGA would be the third player here behind Coles and Woolworths. Only three players… that’s why out groceries are so expensive. It hasn’t always been this way, I remember coming home from school and saying to Mum ” Ugh, not (fillet) steak again!” We are just starting to get Costco here!!!!! wha hoo. That should shake things up a bit.
Turkey is like a real specialty meat here, really only for Christmas and for uber weight conscious folk who are watching their fat. In the UK they have a lot of turkey that poor backpackers like me would eat regularly.
Grocery stores don’t sell alcohol in the store, it’s sold in little (or massive) stores that are separate to the supermarket, but these stores are owned by the supermarket chain. Ireland, of all places, sells alcohol in the actual aisle . Blew me away seeing that.
I have never tried a Tim Tam Slam with milk before. Was it warm? I have always had mine with coffee (white). Must try with warm milk. Guess what? I just found out that Gerry has never partaken in the TTS! Guess what I will be buying tomorrow?!
Pam, it has been such a pleasure getting to know about you and your family’s life in Oklahoma. Thank you for so much sharing your life through your blog. It makes the world seem that little bit smaller. xxxx
Lisa,
Clay looked up the kg to pound conversion. One kg is the equilivent to 2 1/2 pounds here. So the roast beef I mentioned would be over $10.00 a pound there and sell for $6.50 a pound here. Here’s something else I overlooked. The 24 pack of Coke that was on sale for $17.00 can be purchased here for $7.00. And thats regular price.
And about turkey….
Turkey is the cheapest meat you can buy here. It’s always available and always cheap. Arkansas is the state with the largest turkey production, so it doesnt have transport fees added in.
Here is something I wanted to tell you that doesn’t exactly relate to the current discussion. Michael got his first paycheck of the new year yesterday. Our re-elected president promised no tax increases for the middle class. Well, the new tax deductions that he never mentioned will cost my family approximately the same as one week of groceries. He’s got to take from the working man so he can give that money to the people who won’t work. His re-election is starting to hit us where it hurts. Can you tell that I’m thrilled?