On: Stuff

by Donnie Hayden

Guhday Mates, from Dahni your Aussie Tour Guide — Guhday Mates, from Donnie your Aussie Tour Guide

We just recently returned from the Blue Mountains where we rented a rustic cottage with a gorgeous overlook in Katoomba, NSW, (New South Wales), Australia. While I’m picking and choosing the pictures, I’ll give you an update and background information.

The day before we left, baby Felix came down with the croup. Mom, Papa and Grandma took him to the emergency room about 5:00 am – 7:30. I held down the fort with the three cats, one dog and the three chickens (Chooks).

Felix received some medicine and was given instructions that he should definitely go to the Blue Mountains and that all should enjoy the weekend! We followed those instructions to the letter! 🙂

Today, Tuesday 4/15, he went to the doctor and we received a good report. He is a happy boy again and Mom, Papa and Felix just returned from a walk to the supermarket, for stuff to put into the chicken soup, son Jonathan and Mom Susan are making for dinner. We had a lot of chicken left over from last night. Last night? Yes, last night. After we all got back from the Blue Mountains, Jonathan, Susan and I drove to Sydney for dinner. It was NOT an ordinary dinner, to say the least!

We were invited to this dinner and shared it with 16 other people, in a Jewish home. It was part of the Jewish Festival of Passover and called the seder.

The seder, the ceremonial feast held on the first two nights of Passover, is one of the most intricate rituals in the Jewish calendar, kicking off an eight-day stretch of complicated and demanding dietary restrictions. The initial meal, which ranges from eating bitter herbs to reciting Talmudic passages in a foreign language, usually lasts for several hours—and dinner isn’t served until more than halfway through.

The festival commemorates the exodus from Egypt, a key step in the formation of the Jewish people. The seder is not just a retelling of the story, like the weekly Torah readings in synagogue; it’s an invitation for Jews to relive the liberation from slavery as if they had actually been there in Egypt, to teach the narrative to the next generation, and to claim the history of their people as part of their own individual identities. But even in orthodox Judaism, families have long been accustomed to inviting non-Jews to share in this meal, alongside of them. I suppose this is because the desire for freedom and any exodus we may experience from bondage, is common to all.

But this particular seder was somewhat orthodox with some other unorthodox stuff, all thrown in together.

Guests included those from Poland, China, Sri Lanka, Australia and of course, we from the United States, but those are all the countries I can recall. Give me a break please, there were 18 people there besides me! 🙂

Just the guests themselves made an international and unusual impression. I am not quite sure, but I think all the major religions were represented at this dinner. I do know that Judaism, Muslim, Hindi, Christian and Roman Catholics were present.

Parts of the service were read by our host in Hebrew and most was in English and read by whomever desired to read and from the text re-written with a more modern update, by one of the three daughters of our hosts. The reading was done from 2 iPads we passed around the room. 🙂

It was at least to me, quite humorous to hear the readings by those Jewish with an Australian accent.

Part of the service includes the necessity of having “new” plates and utensils for each part. By “new” I mean that the same plates, bowls and utensils had to be changed during the several courses of the service. But in our case, the “new” was plenty of plastic ware. I can’t recall how many plates, small plates, bowls and utensils we used, but it was a lot! Our hosts were very giving in buying all this stuff that was thrown away as we went through each part. Once the ware or utensil was used, it was immediately thrown into a large plastic trash bag. You would eat or drink one thing and then toss the plate or bowls or glass or whatever, as these were now the “old” and had to make way for the “new.” If that seems like a lot of effort, you should have seen all the food! No one left hungry and I would imagine it took 1-2 days of chopping, dicing, cooking and so forth, to prepare this meal! And there was no bread, only Matzo.

Matzo is a flat cracker like food made with flour and water that is baked without yeast or “leavening.” I actually liked it, especially with the pickled (vinegar) beet-horseradish used as part of their “bitter herbs” requirement for the service. I sat right next to our host Lindsay and across from his wife Cheryl. I think they liked me because, I loved the beet-horseradish so much and told them about my tearing eyes and purple thumbs from making this at home. 🙂

The conversations around the room were about Jewish meanings/symbolism, history, WWII history, veterinarian medicine, teaching, psychology, sports food, differences of food between the United States and Australia and other topics! There was so much going on that I was nearly speechless and just did a lot of listening. I know, to those of you that know me best, it’s about next to impossible, for me to keep my mouth shut! 🙂

The whole event from start to finish, took hours. Sometimes, OK, most of the time, it was just loud and raucous. I loved it! And especially among the three Jewish daughters and their mother and father, the banter back in forth was hysterical! I even told Lindsay that I couldn’t believe that from across the room in the midst of all this volume, any of his daughters could still hear if their names were mentioned in conversation with others, but they did!

There were two dogs hoping for scraps that made the rounds. There were a couple of cats, one that is 18 years old that did make the rounds. I think that cat must have sat in every person’s lap that attended this meal. They liked the cat and the cat sure seemed to love the attention and the stroking. I even petted Tibet, the cat. Lindsay confessed that he loves the two dogs, but hates the two cats. But he is still the one that feeds them and they know this, but just keep their distance the rest of the time. I really don’t think he hates them though! 🙂

I enjoyed all the food and even the sweet red wine with grapes from Israel, grown in California, and blessed by some Rabbi in Hoboken New Jersey before, being exported to Australia! 🙂

That was real, but also a joke as there were several like these from the host family including what they call the Jewish chicken soup, ‘Jewish Penicillin Soup’ (good for what ails you and sickness prevention) or simply, ‘Jew Soup.’ That might sound racist and not funny to some, but I’m not the one that said these things. Well, it’s what Susan & Jonathan made for tonight’s supper from the massive quantity of chicken our hosts sent us home with, for Caitlin, as she and Felix did not attend, to everyone’s disappointment, I might add. But all seemed satiated with not just the meal, but from pictures and videos shared by Papa, with Felix as the main attraction! 🙂

The reason we are having soup tonight is because, everyone here was not feeling too well, except for me, I HAD THE CHICKEN SOUP LAST NIGHT, (while Susan & Jonathan had the orange soup)! 🙂

It was so very nice of our hosts to open their home and their hearts and share the costs and time required to prepare their food with, so many non-Jewish people and even with strangers like me that they had never met. I mean come on, can you get any stranger than me? 🙂

I thought it not polite to take pictures, so there are none. but there are 18 other witnesses (not including the two dogs and two cats that it happened and that I was there! 🙂

But this experience is one I will never forget! It was informative, historical, delicious and hilarious with some really good conversation, all thrown in together. And I would like to think that there, just a for a few hours, it seemed the world people in all their many differences and separations, were all ‘In Common, for this meal!

OK, so that’s a lot of content, where’s the pictures? They are coming! It has been difficult for me to get these posts done on a regular basis. For one thing, we are doing a lot of stuff. For another, I have been having problems with my camera, which needs to be addressed when we get back home to the United States. Another problem I am having is with my laptop. It is good to have it, but it does not perform like or have all the programs I use on my desk top at home to edit and quickly reduce the size of pictures to post. I cannot just use full size pictures in these posts, as I will quickly go over my maximum allowance through my WordPress (free blog). The resolution on my laptop is not as good as my desktop at home. But there is much visually, I do want to share with you and I will just have to work it out when we return.

It has also been difficult for me to adjust here. Last night and while in the Blue Mountains, I was layered, including a wool shirt. This morning, I was wearing a short sleeve shirt, sandals with no socks and I would have had shorts on, but they were all in the laundry. This is how it is here, in Australia. It is fall or early winter here, while it is nearly spring 🙂 in New York where we live. In New York, we ‘fell back’ last fall, when daylight savings time ended. Daylight savings time just recently started here. When you are sleeping there, I am awake here. When I should be sleeping here, you are probably awake there. Sometimes here, it’s tomorrow there and sometimes your today is already yesterday here. Then there is the up and down thing. You are up there and we’re down under here. Please don’t ask about which direction the water swirls here as supposed to there, I have not seen it nor can I tell. And when we leave here in a couple of weeks, we leave on the morning of the 30th, spend the night in Tokyo on the 30th, wake up on the 30th, fly home and by the time we get home there, its already tomorrow here and yesterday there! Everything is really messed up, but people that live here, just like you there, are all probably doing fine. It must be just me that’s messed up! 🙂

Oh, about the hat. Yes, I found my Akubra hat, not the one I was looking for, but one better and $30 cheaper and at size 58 not 57, it fits great! More about that later. Closing for now until again. OK, one picture then! 🙂

Blue Mountains from Echo Point, Katoomba, NSW, Austrailia

April 15, 2014 0

On: John West

Guhday mates from Dahni, Your Aussie Koala entertainment director — Guhday mates from Donnie, Your Aussie Koala information & entertainment director

We have been to the grocery store or as they call them here, supermarkets several times since we have been in Australia. Each time, I have seen many products with the name of John West on the label.

So, I thought it would be informative and fun to share some stuff I found with you.:)

Who is John West?

Today, John West is a brand famous throughout the world.

In the early 1800’s though, John West was a man; an ambitious migrant from Linlithgow in Scotland who went on to chase gold seams in California, mill the giant timber of Canada and Oregon and most importantly, export salmon to the world.

The first fish John West processed were salted, packed in barrels and shipped from Oregon’s Colombia River to California and then on around Cape Horn to nourish the hungry workers of Britain’s industrial north.

Seeing the potential – and being the inventive and ambitious Scot that he was – John West not only co-founded the Westport Cannery, he devised and built his own automated can filling machine to get it up and running.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

John West has been a fixture in the kitchens of Australia for the best part of half
a century and today is one of the nation’s best loved food brands.

From About Us –

http://johnwest.com.au/about-us

Enjoy these funny YouTube videos 🙂

Into The Woods

Tuna Tempters

Snatch and Grab

Man & Bear

April 12, 2014 0

On: My New Loves

by Donnie Hayden

Guhday mates from Dahni, Your Aussie Koala ginger & lavender lover (liker) — Guhday mates from Donnie, Your Aussie Koala ginger & lavender lover (liker)

First of all, you need to know that I know that Susan is and always will be my first and number one LOVE! She knows this and she knows that I know this is true! But there is room in all of our lives for many loves. Thank God this is true, because I now have some new loves!

Yeh, yeh, technically, we are supposed to like stuff or things, but love people. OK then, I have some new stuff thingies that I really, really way really to infinity and beyond really and truly LIKE a HEAPING HELPING OF A WHOLE LOT OK?!!!! 🙂

It all starts with lovely ginger. Delicious, spicy and all, but it has a lot of other uses and benefits.

Ginger Beer, Ginger Ade, Dark & Stormy (Giner beer, lime and rum) and Ginger Wine — Ginger Beer, Ginger Ade (not shown), Dark & Stormy (Ginger beer, lime and rum) and Ginger Wine

All of these above are delicious and very beneficial as an aide to digestion, upset stomach, motion sickness and other uses. Australia is full of all kinds of ginger beverages. But to follow is my latest discovery. I don’t much care for the taste of champagne. I never have, until NOW!

OMG, this is absolutely incredible. I’ve have been scratching my head and have come up with my own recipe for making beautiful ginger sugar cubes to add to some champagne. I can’t wait to try this for you when we get home!

Now we move on to Lavender. I love it’s fragrance and calming effect. Lavender grows all around us here in Australia. I love to take a walk and throughly and thoroughly enjoy their nasal delights that are especially fragrant in the air after a rain. But as they say in Australia, “No Worries,” you can always grab a leaf or so and crush it and roll the oil around on your hand and you have instant hand-fresh. Lavender is great for soap and as an air-freshener. But if it is food grade, it is a delicious flavor to add to salads, breads and deserts.

The flowers are beautiful too!

Ever since we were in Japan and I had several cones of Green Tea ice cream, I have been thinking of a way to make it at home with coconut milk to make it more delicious/nutritious with less calories. Now, I am not only excited to begin work on this when we return to the states, but why not Lavender Ice Cream out of coconut milk too?!

Ginger and Lavender can be found in the United States, so why am I so inspired to work with these while here in Australia? For one thing, there is so much of both all around us here. And finally because, it is Australia that has inspired me! Thank You Australia! I’ll send you my recipes when they are to my liking. 🙂

April 11, 2014 0

On: Trolleys

by Donnie Hayden

Guhday mates from Dahni, Your Aussie Koala Coles' Trolley Expert — Guhday mates from Donnie, Your Aussie Koala Coles’ Trolley Expert

Well, first off, I do apologize for this post running a little behind. I have been working on several to try and get ahead. We are leaving on Friday, I believe, for the weekend to the Blue Mountains and I’m not sure if I will have Internet/WIFI access until we get back to Camden, Sunday night? So, after today’s post, I will schedule a couple of posts to publish automatically around midnight of Eastern Standard time (EST) in the United States.

For today, On: Trolleys.

I’m not exactly sure, but I think Australians refer to “trolleys” as anything that has wheels and moves including: elevators and escalators, but certainly what we call shopping carts in the United States.

In Camden, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the two local and frequently visited places by the general public, for grocery shopping are: Woolworth’s (not the familiar past 5 and dime department store) and Coles’. This post is about Coles’ and their trolleys (shopping carts).

Have you ever grabbed a shopping cart at the store and it seems like you always get the one that has a flat spot on one wheel and as it rolls it goes frump, frump, frump, squeaks or just doesn’t roll right? Me too! Problem solved at Coles’!

OMG, these have BIG O’ HUGE wheels and roll so smoothly, you check between the wheels and the floor, just to make sure the trolley (cart) is not actually floating over the floor! As shown above, there is one size for quick shopping of a few items or the average size for more items or say, your weekly grocery shopping. I say “weekly” shopping loosely as, it appears just like in Japan, many people shop daily. Like Japan, Australian refrigerators are smaller than in the U.S.A., which seems to suggest that many Aussies shop frequently. They also, as the Japanese, like their stuff, really fresh!

There are, of course, some other carts with baby seats similar to the car seat or child-restraint seats used in most vehicles. The baby seat carts are attached to the trolley/cart and have seat belts.

There are trolleys/carts for those that are walking impaired or challenged.

Then there is another kind of trolley/cart that I have never seen before!

These are much more than just adorably cute! They are constructed with the same quality of materials as all the others. The flags attached are not to advertise the name of the store. The flags are so the adults (any responsible adult) can easily find the kids. And the trolleys/carts are for much more than mere amusement, to keep the children occupied. They are important teaching aides. And they help instill in the child the – “I’m not a little kid, I’m a grown-up,” attitude, most kids desire to embrace. And each child is instructed that if they do not return the cart to the place where they got it at the end of their shopping experience, they will not be allowed to use one next time. That’s a pretty good lesson in personal responsibility, good manners and discipline.

Notice how the little girl is in front, leading her father? Oh, and she is taking this so seriously too, just like an adult! 🙂

Oh, I love these trolleys/carts! They are the best made and the easiest to steer and guide and glide that I have ever seen! And yes, just like in the United States, I’ve seen these in and around the neighborhood. I know of no complaints at Coles’ so, I guess these wandered off trolleys/carts, make their way back home, eventually! 🙂

With all this sincere and honest praise about these trolleys/carts, there is just one problem…

Trolley1 — …what’s missing in this picture?

Yes, what’s missing in the above picture? Yes, that’s my foot you see. But there is no bottom rail!!! I can neither be pushed nor run fast and jump on and ride this cart through the store and the parking lot! 😦

I suppose these were built this way because, either my wife Susan told them they should or they just knew I was coming! 🙂

April 9, 2014 2

On: The Camden Show

by Donnie Hayden

Guhday mates from Dahni, Your Aussie Koala Camden Show guide — Guhday mates from Donnie, Your Aussie Koala Camden Show guide

Well the Camden Show. Where do I begin? The Show was held April 4th and 5th, 2014 in Camden, New South Wales, Australia. I probably took close to 300 pictures and with the exception of perhaps a small handful, I’m pretty happy with the rest of them. Choosing which ones to share and sizing them (down) has been quite time consuming. But I had the time.

Thus far during our stay here, it seems we have some activity on one day, followed by a day of rest. This has worked out very nicely for me. I’m not sure what factor or factors may be involved (my age, physical condition, the high humidity, intense sun or all of the above), but walking a lot and the activities have pretty much left me spent the following day. Adjusting to the time zone and/or jet lag may have made their contribution to my tiredness as well? But nothing hurts, I feel great and enjoy the walking just like we did much of it in Japan too. Days have been really pleasant. The temperature rose during our visit to the show, but was cooled off by the weather-predicted rain or actually, the downpour. It was nice, fun and funny. We were all able to duck into a large tent of interesting demonstrations and wait out the rain.

Well anyway, back to pictures. I have chosen 50, yes 50. That may seem like a lot and they are not because I believe they are such great shots that I want to share them with you, but because they reflect the wonderful Camden Show. It is very similar to any county fair you may have ever been to, but still different. So I will just start with pictures and some text and some captions and see how it goes. Perhaps it will end up with more posts about the show? Here we go.

Lady in a lovely 1960's style dress — Lady in a lovely 1960’s style dress as we walked in

Beautiful display made from fruits, vegetables and seed — Beautiful display all made from fruits, vegetables and seeds

horse and riders nicely dressed and groomed — Horse and Riders nicely dressed and groomed

Susan's New Aussie Hat — Susan’s New Aussie Hat

Painted Pony. Do you see the silhouette of the head of a horse on its side?

Aussie Coats - lanolin/bees wax coated — Aussie Coats – lanolin/bees wax coated

Well yes, camels. We missed the camel race, pooh. :( — Well yes, camels! We missed the camel race, pooh. 😦

Authentic Aussie Wear Wearers :) — Authentic Aussie Wear Wearers 🙂

Brahma Bull Yeh hah mates! — Brahma Bull Yee hah mates I mean partners! 🙂

Some baaad Sheepies :) — Some baaaaad Sheepies 🙂

Camden42 — Sheep Shearers Shearing Sheep 🙂

Buy what you want and put it in a show bag

Show bag shops were everywhere. Very decorative and artistic billboards. You find the stuff you want for a certain price and then put it all in a show bag. There were many of these vendor/shop/kiosks. Very popular with the youts (youths). 🙂

There the sheep again heading for shearing — There go the sheep again, heading for their sheep shearing

Sand Sculpture First Prize. WOW did the artist have intuition or what? — Sand Sculpture First Prize. WOW, did the artists know they would win?

20 Cattle Cart Team :) — 20 Cattle Cart Team 🙂

Kite Flying And there were several balloons lost to the clouds. — Kite flying and there were several balloons lost to the clouds.

The Common Ground is a totally self-supported and self-sufficient Christian Commune. The support themselves by places like these eateries. We ate in one in Picton Australia where I recorded the Bell Birds. see: Bell Birds here

They make their own clothing and grow their own organic food, some of which they use in their restaurants. Their food is excellent! I believe they have a sister cafe in Ithaca, NY in the United States.

Bundab Distillery Display — Bundaberg Distillery Display

This was an interesting and miniature museum. It was filled with history of the company which is a major producer of rum in Australia. Various shapes of bottles were on display as well as the process involved in how rum is made from raw cane sugar. We even got to taste samples of the molasses. The next picture is of a bottle of rum made to look like one of those pirate movie pistols.

Petting Zoo for the kids. OK, kids younger than me. :) — Petting Zoo for the kids. OK, kids younger than me. 🙂

Beautiful Horses and... — Beautiful Horses and…

...Clydesdale Horses too! — …Clydesdale Horses too!

There was something for everyone at the Camden Show! So many different kinds of food, animals, shows, rides, demonstrations and people of all ages having fun. It rained both days and was not perhaps the greatest for the vendors pocketbooks, but it was a wonderful experience. They even put down straw and other materials so people did not have to walk through the mud. That’s was real nice and something I have never seen in the United States at any of the fairs I have ever been to. And the children were all so engaged, curious and their excitement was well contained, controlled and managed. People were all, for the most part, nice, friendly and well behaved. No alcohol was allowed except for the two wineries that gave samples. All in all it was a wonderful time. I was like a young child again. I would have loved every minute of both days, rain and all, but glad for the time I had. It was all eye candy for me. My camera was not unhappy either. 🙂

After we left the tent where we ducked under after the downpour of rain had stopped, we had to take the ardent and difficult task of getting home. WE HAD TO WALK LESS THAN SIX MINUTES TO GET HOME!!! 🙂 Around 9:00 PM, we watched the fireworks from the middle of our street. That was perhaps the closest and best view of fireworks I have ever had. And it was produced by a world class and world renown top pyrotechnical company, F0ti International, based in Australia.

http://fotifireworks.com.au

Then two of us walked back to the carnival at night and watched the wild Brunby run. The Running of the Brunby are wild ponies in Australia, similar to the Mustangs of the southwest in the United States. So I will conclude this post with a small Youtube video I made and uploaded.

Final Night of the 2014 Camden Show

http://www.camdenshow.com

April 7, 2014 0

On: Damper

by Donnie Hayden

Guhday mates from Dahni, Your Aussie Koala Swagman — Guhday mates from Donnie, Your Aussie Koala Swagman

Today, I had intended to share our experience with The Camden Show on Saturday April 5th, 2014, here in Camden NSW Australia. But there are so many pictures I would like to share, I’m still working on it. But, but again, today’s post has pictures from this amazing show. I separated the pictures out for this post because, even though they were taken at the Camden Show, this post should be considered as a whole other subject. The subject is, Damper. Before I explain what damper is, please allow me to set the stage.

In previous posts we looked at such things as the Kookaburra Song which mentions the Swagman. The swagman is a bit of a character in Australian folklore and a very real person or persons, that out of necessity lived very meagerly. Their common mode of transportation was their two feet. Their traveling companion was Matilda, the pack on their back. They traveled around in this manner because, many were poor and moved from place to place seeking better opportunity. If any were well-off-enough to have four-wheeled transportation, it was most likely well-worn and kept together with whatever they could find for parts and that their wit could muster. Their home and kitchen was a campfire. They took shade and some protection from a Coolabah tree, a kind of eucalyptus. Their Billy boil (a metal pot carried on their back for water and to make tea over fire) was essential. Food was often scarce and they needed something easily affordable, simple, easy to make and something filling, to rid themselves of hunger. This common food was called Damper.

Let’s enter the campsite look of a Swagman. And kudos to those that presented this visual and informative and DELICIOUS display at the Camden Show!!! 🙂

Some Swagmen might have had some old wheels like this

Bill the swagman.

They would look for a nice place to set up camp. Their campfire area would look something like this.

Must have water or bring it to make your billy boil and damper

So what is damper? It’s delicious, that’s what it is! 🙂

Damper is a traditional Australian soda bread prepared by swagmen, drovers, stockmen and other travellers. It consists of a wheat flour based bread, traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire. Damper is an iconic Australian dish. It is also made in camping situations in New Zealand, and has been for many decades.

Damper was originally developed by stockmen who traveled in remote areas for weeks or months at a time, with only basic rations of flour, sugar and tea, supplemented by whatever meat was available. The basic ingredients of damper were flour, water, and sometimes milk. Baking soda could be used for leavening. The damper was normally cooked in the ashes of the camp fire. The ashes were flattened and the damper was placed in there for ten minutes to cook.

mixture over of pot in hot coals — mixture in pot over hot coals

Following this, the damper was covered with ashes and cooked for another 20 to 30 minutes until the damper sounded hollow when tapped.

Damper is covered with a lid of hot coals

Alternatively, the damper was cooked in a greased camp oven. Damper was eaten with dried or cooked meat or golden syrup, also known as “cocky’s joy”. Cocky’s joy – were small farmers who settled or perched (like a bird) on the portions of his land that was resumed for agriculture. Some believe they were first called this from the area of Cockatoo Island, hence the word “perched.” So the joy of the Cocky’s was to be able to have land to settle and something to sweeten their damper, which was by tradition, golden syrup.

Damper done down under and ready to come up and eaten

Golden syrup is a pale treacle (un-crystallized syrup made from refining sugar). It is a thick, amber-colored form of inverted sugar syrup, made in the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid. It is used in a variety of baking recipes and desserts. It has an appearance similar to honey, and is often used as a substitute by people who do not eat honey. I like to use this instead of Karo syrup (high fructose) when making my pecan pie. I think it is better for us than high fructose corn syrup and I like the added character it brings. It is more expensive than Karo syrup, but worth every extra cent!

Molasses, or dark treacle, has a richer color than golden syrup, and a stronger, slightly bitter flavor.

Slather some butter and golden syrup and dig in! :) — Slather on some butter and pour on some golden syrup and dig in! 🙂 Thank you Swagman Bill!

I have been promised an authentic Australian Damper recipe. Can’t wait to get it and make it for YOU, when we get home! 🙂

Take it away Dingo Dennis!

Waltzing Matilda
Australian unofficial National Anthem
Lyrics by
A.B. Paterson

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a Coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boil,
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boil
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

………………..

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

…………………

Up rode the squatter mounted on his thorough-bred
Down came the troopers One Two Three
Whose that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda Waltzing Matilda
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me
Whose that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker-bag
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

………………….

Up jumped the swagman sprang in to the billabong
You’ll never catch me alive said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda Waltzing Matilda
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

For more about Waltzing Matilda here, see also: http://wp.me/p4jGvr-k9

April 6, 2014 0

On: Birds of Paradise

Guhday mates and mate-esses or Sheilas, from Australia 🙂

After the flight in from China and stowing our suitcases for the next month at Jonathan’s & Caitlin’s and baby Felix’s place in Camden, we instantly set out to discover this new country and experience what it has to share to share with you. It did not take long!

You might think, Oh yes, English speaking after Japanese, yes, yes, yes! But let me say this, you have to be a born and raised Australian to understand what some of them are saying sometimes! “Huh, was that English you just spoke????” 🙂

But yes, mostly it is nice to be able to understand and communicate in a language I am mostly familiar with.

Quite a contrast here to Japan which is just now starting to heat up into their spring. Here down under the equator where the water spins counter-clockwise, they are into their fall. Fall of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit by day and mid sixties at night. It has been raining slightly for the last couple of days and everything looks lush and lovely. It was dry today and with the humidity of over 90%, it was hot, but we get a lot of the cool sea breezes.

Camden is about an hour from Sydney. It is considered the country. Those in the city call this the ‘bush’ but those that live here say the ‘bush’ is somewhere else. We are not far from where kangaroos roam freely. They are overpopulated and used for food. It is considered the reddest and leanest meat you can eat on the planet. Jonathan grilled some last night for us and well, it was DELICIOUS!

Camden is a quaint community of around 80,000 or so. People are genuinely helpful and friendly. Jonathan joined a community band and they had a concert this morning outside of the local library. Music is a universal love and they played many familiar tunes, even dedicating one to Susan, Jonathan’s Mom from the USA and another to a Belgium couple. We met for the first time a couple and they invited over to their home for lunch, coffee, tea, wine and desert. The world is, truly becoming, a global village. People really are, quite the same everywhere. We all just want to find our voice and our place in the world, love, be loved and live happily ever after, at least once in awhile. :).

Everything we need or could desire is only about a 7 minute walk to town. You walk past huge gum trees where they seem to be growing without bark. They are and the bark has just fallen off. They call the bark ‘fuel’ because, this is what it is used for. You pass home after home with mostly tile roofs (some metal), which are so built because, it keeps the homes cooler inside. It can get pretty hot here and stay this way for quite some time throughout the year. We are told that fall is the best time to be here and here, we are! But when it reaches a certain temperature, the humidity is just burnt off leaving the environment hot and dry, but again, cool breezes come in from the ocean regularly.

But oh, the birds of paradise! It is almost like a dream that we have traveled so many thousands of miles away from home to the other side of the world and now, almost to the bottom of the world. Our lunch hosts had recently been to the literal bottom of the world in Antarctica and showed us some incredible pictures of their time year. Their suggestion was to see the movie, ‘Happy Feet’ as the landscapes and the penguins including their personalities is just about how it really is. I also sometimes call new baby Felix, ‘Happy Feet,’ because he is always moving them like he’s dancing! 🙂

But anyway, birds of Paradise. For the most part where we are is, tropical. There are palm trees here and flowers and birds I have never seen except in picture books or movies. Some are similar to Florida USA or the country of Jamaica, but there are species here that exist no other place on earth. The streets are lined with color after color of sweet fragrant roses. But besides Lily of the Valley, my favorite flower is…

It was so nice to be able to snap this picture just a few minutes away by foot on my mini-walkabout. 🙂

Then, there was another bird of paradise just outside the living room window where we are staying, eating at the feeder.

I hope to be able to capture and record and share with you the beautiful bird-music by day and night be here just outside, as well as, the other birds of paradise that live here. I feel like I’m in paradise here. If I am not any more colorful or beautiful here, I am at least surrounded by color and beauty. Maybe, just maybe, some of Australia will wear off and into me? 🙂

March 29, 2014 0

On: Ramen Noodles

You know, a lot of people like those prepackaged dry Ramen noodles. Personally, I just never understood what the big deal is. Well, these pictures are the real deal and I love it. Real thick sauce of boiled down vegetables and peanut sauce. Add lots of green onion, thin sliced pieces of delicious meat (pork and beef) and of course, noodle. I am told the translation of the Japanese on the bowls in thee pictures mean,…

…”the best thing you can buy under heaven!”

I can believe it! There are people that eat this every day for lunch as it is very good for you and filling. I can understand why! 🙂

Chopsticks, spoon, slurp and enjoy! 🙂

"The Best You Can Buy Under Heaven" — “The Best Thing You Can Buy Under Heaven”

March 20, 2014 0

On: From Kyoto with Love

I am no expert just opinionated based on my limited observation, but I believe there are no better symbols for love and matters of the heart than the cherry blossoms and tea ceremonies.

Both take care and the proper time to make the ordinary into the extraordinary.

In Japan, cheery trees are spread out across the country and bloom in their own time and at different times from late February and March.

To your left is a is a picture of the cheery cherry tree outside where we are staying

Like love, both the cheery cherry blossoms and tea require patience in order to appreciate their beauty and all that they have to offer.

It is the measure of our details applied, the care and focus and patience which squeeze out every drop of tea or matters of the heart which make the experience from ordinary to the extraordinary. After all, is this not what extraordinary is, just adding extra to the ordinary!

This is what I believe and what I observed in this ceremony and what I will continue to believe about all of life!

carpe tea-um (seize every drop of tea)! 🙂

The tea ceremonies are also, time sensitive. Precise measurement of tea, water temperature and many other details are necessary to extract the full measure of its flavor and properties to perfect the whole experience.

While in the United States, we may be in such a rush that we’ve little time to prepare or even enjoy our teas and coffees, but this is not how tea is approached in Japan.

Whoever coined the Land of the Rising Sun, or thought of Japan as a country of extremes or opposites, I would like to suggest that it is a people and a culture that does so much with so little. To perhaps state this differently, they strive to maximize what they have with as little wasted as possible – time and resources.

Japan is an island country formed by volcanoes and in their cooling; Japan is full of mountains almost everywhere. It is my understanding that Japan is 70% mountains which leaves 30% for land and its people to live on. So in this, it is not quantity that matters most, but quality and to acquire quality, it takes time.

Instead of extremes, I have come to think of Japan as a country with a culture of contrasts. This is beautifully illustrated by tea or tea ceremonies. To understand this more fully, we westerners need to understand taste.

The sensation of taste can be categorized into four basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and bitterness. A fifth, umami, must also be included. Umami uːˈmɑːmi, a savory taste, is a loanword from the Japaneseうま味 Umami can be translated “pleasant savory taste”. This particular writing was chosen by Professor Kikunae Ikeda from umai うまい “delicious” and mi 味 “taste”. The kanji 旨味 are used for a more general sense of a food as delicious. People taste umami through receptors for glutamate, commonly found in its salt form as the food additive, monosodium glutamate (MSG).For that reason, scientists consider umami to be distinct from saltiness.

But taste also requires our sense of smell, sight, sound and touch. Actually, all of our senses, if focused like a magnifying glass focuses light and produce fire, will not only enhance the enjoyment, but will aide in digestion.

With this in mind, we enter a tea house of tea and tea ceremonies, in Kyoto Japan. There is tea, good tea, great tea and the best of the best tea. Our recent experience was with the best of the best.

Extra fine, delicate and fragile green tea with something sweet for contrast

Color and texture and beauty

Everything has a reason and a purpose.

Our particular tea was a fine fresh cut tea. Its color was an intense and vibrant rich green. Sufficient quantity is placed into the tea pot. Hot water is poured into an empty cup and allowed to cool for about a minute. This is around 85 degrees Fahrenheit and then it is poured into the tea pot for about 20 seconds. Then it is poured into your cup with a strainer and the last drop has much of the flavor!! Too much heat for too long can burn and ruin this fragile tea.

The tea is to be drunk slowly and along with the contrast of something delicate and sweet that you cut with a wooden knife and with a bite on the knife, you raise this to your lips and eat slowly. This continues until you have consumed your tea and sweet or until you have had sufficient.

The other type of green tea is crushed to a fine powder and is actually ingested. It is believed to have many health benefits as antioxidants and something that I am highly interested in, its possible ability to reduce and regulate blood pressure.

Because of its somewhat bitter taste, this tea is also served with contrasting sweetness made with the tea itself baked inside little cookies or some other soft and chewy sweet.

Green tea cookies Green tea soft and chewy sweets — Green tea cookies with candy pink cherry blossom designs

But everything done is all to enhance the flavor of the tea.

Tea of this quality and experience can be quite expensive. But the experience is not common, but rare, so cost is not that great when compared to the infrequency of the experience. Like love, or fine wine, it is all about the quality of the experience, not the cost or the time required perfecting it. But at the end, there is a cost. For three people our bill was about $60. In the United States, I have no doubt that this would have been around a hundred or one hundred and twenty dollars. And our experience included the time it took to savor every bite, taste every sip, mouth every delight and enjoy every moment, plus, the wonderful clear, detailed and informative instruction by our server, the view of the garden and even the warm singing toilet in the bathroom! 🙂

And the company I was in and the conversation was exceptional too!

But someone must pay for this. And they receive the following wooden kanji tile.

The tile, the kanji and the texture of the table upon which it sat was a work of art in and of itself and contributed to the whole experience.

Susan and I were invited here by son Chris and we certainly thank him for this precious gift and for the memory! We will return here before we leave Japan to attend a special class on how to do this at home and purchase tea to ship home to The Gathering Place, so we can share with you that come to visit.

Yesterday, Susan and I spent precious time with our dear friends here, Ted and Shohei that we have not seen for eight years. Shohei is from Japan and Ted is from Australia. But to use a word Ted is often using and seems quite fond of and rather than my usual word as ‘wonderful’ or something like it, I will use here what just seems so apropos. I am quoting Ted in context of this whole experience, “It’s just lovely!”

To conclude this post as it began, it’s all about love. It’s about quality. It’s about you! It’s, “from Kyoto with love!” 🙂

March 19, 2014 0

On: Some of my Favorites

Well, where do I begin with “Some of my Favorites” from Japan? Just start!

In just a few short days since I have been here, I wanted to make sure I was able to get some of my favorites and I have! 🙂

On my list was tackoyaki (octopus ball), modanyaki (modern “as you like it”), green tea ice cream, anpan (sweet red bean filled buns) and calpis sour (made with calpis, citrus carbonated soda and shochu (Japanese-like vodka)

Note: In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the above items have been triple checked with check marks encircled in green! 🙂

Modanyaki is a more modern way to enjoy this common food. Modan or modern is “with noodle.” It’s starts with cabbage and raw egg and pretty much whatever you have leftover, (shrimp, pork, beef etc.) and a sauce formed into a ball and cooked over a hot grill. After it is turned over you add noodle and sauce and cook and turn. When it is done you serve it with a sauce similar to bar-b-q suace and Japanese mayonnaise which is vinegar, oil and more eggs than traditional mayonnaise. OMG this common meal “as you like it,” is incredible!

Oh, it might seem a little chilly for ice cream, but when it’s Green Tea ice cream, one just has to make an exception!

It is served in a waffle cone with a spoon and of piece of green tea white chocolate.

I love this stuff!

It is sweet like Susan and some pungent or strong taste of the green tea. This dessert is actually better for you than ice cream.

I have seen Green Tea gelato in the stores and would love to try this.

Surely though, green tea ice cream is a hard act to follow!

Sweetened red bean paste filled inside a typical white bread bun. But there is nothing typical about this! It is not only sweet and delicious, it is actually good for you. One of the most popular animated cartoons in Japan is Onpanmon, a red bean bun character that is a hero. So no wonder I love this, kids love them and I R !! 🙂

And last, but certainly not least is my Calpis Sour. Yes I know, it looks like it sounds like cow + pis. Westerner’s have a problem with this so the same company that makes it makes the same thing under the name of calpico.

Calpis is a fermented product made with milk and some citrus flavor as a preservative. Fermented yes, but it does not contain alcohol. It does have natural cane sugar and is good for you since it has calcium. It looks and tastes like watery yogurt with a citrus overtone.

A calpis sour contains calpis, citrus carbonated soda and shochu (which is like Japanese vodka). All in all this is a fantastic cocktail with some nice health benefits. Whatever, I love these!!! I have plans to find a way to make these at The Gathering Place when we (you and us) get back home!!! 🙂

March 16, 2014 2

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Tag: Food

On: Stuff

On: John West

Who is John West?

On: My New Loves

On: Trolleys

On: The Camden Show

On: Damper

On: Birds of Paradise

On: Ramen Noodles

On: From Kyoto with Love

On: Some of my Favorites

Archives

Calendar