Friday, October 31, 2008
Today is Halloween, and I’m really bummed to be missing out. Not only is it my favorite holiday, but it falls on a Friday night this year, making it a particularly sad year to be gone: we undoubtedly would have held a big bash. Halloween isn’t a big deal in Australia which surprises me, given the fact that it’s an excuse to party (not that the Australians need one). So I won’t see any sweet kids dressed as black cats, witches, scarecrows, or devils. I can’t pass candy out at the door as the young ones shriek, “Trick or treat!” There won’t be any pumpkins winking at me as I drive through the twilight neighborhoods. And I won’t get to wear a costume, which has always been my favorite part of Halloween; an opportunity to be someone other than who you are. Since this trip has turned into a quest to (re)discover who I am, maybe it’s not a bad thing that I’m missing out on dressing up.
Since there won’t be any sweets to gnaw on tonight, I’ve discovered a new vice: iced coffee in a carton. Ben and Colleen introduced me to this saccharine, caffeine-crazy drink, which can be procured in any grocery store, restaurant, or cafe. In South Australia, iced coffee is wildly popular, outselling Coca-Cola! Rather than spending a princely sum for a dressed up concoction at Starbucks, I can enjoy the same beverage for a fraction of the price. And with summer just around the corner - at least in the Southern Hemisphere - it’s the perfect sweet treat. It’s no substitute for good old fashioned Halloween candy (why do the little packets always taste better?), but it comes pretty close!
Talking about sweets, I assume that Australia imports their chocolates from any number of different places. What is a favorite chocolate candy bar among the Aussies and where does it come from?
While you two have been in Australia have you see a McDonald’s Hamburger outlet? I’m just guessing that McDonald’s has left its “charcoal footprint” nearly everywhere in the world - but maybe not. What have you seen in the form of Yankee businesses down under?
Good questions. Cadbury is the big chocolate producer here (which makes sense since it’s a UK company). They do import chocolate from other places, too, but it’s always really expensive. There are some good local chocolatiers as well — Haigh’s is a big one.
Of course there are McDonalds all over the world! Bhutan is the only place we’ve been without on. There are also all the other US chains here — Burger King is called Hungry Jacks here, but has the exact same logo. Target is here, too, as is Kmart, but with *slightly* different logos.
That looks quite tasty! I love iced coffee! Liz you look beautiful and very relaxed in your pictures! It’s been a great treat for me to read your posts, thanks for letting me live vicariously through you.
If Burger King is called Hungry Jacks, what do you suppose that they call Jack in the Box - King in the Box or maybe Burger in a Box?