29) Odds and ends (and odds)

As you well know, English is the language of OZ-land. Most of the time our accents (which are commented on with frequency) are understandable. What seems to get in the way though is our -- vocabulary!

A few difficulties the locals have with what we are saying:

1. On the highways you do not "pass" (a car) - you "overtake" (usage: no overtaking next 5 km)
2. Regarding weather -- it is not a "high" of 20 degrees, it is a top of 20. And good weather is fine.
3. They do not do "roadwork" here. Instead the signs read changed road conditions ahead.
4. One does not "grade exams" - faculty do marks and assess.
5. For exams there are no proctors because one invigilates exams
6. No one here "drives drunk" because there are many signs advising you don't drink drive.
7. Around gas stations (servos) one is warned no smoking or naked lights (open flames). (quite conservative here!)
8. Of course no one understands me when I ask them to "call me" because they ring up.
9. By the way, it is a BAD idea here to shop steal because you will be prosecuted.
10. Hoons are bad enough that the paper says they are bringing in some military hardware from Iraq to help catch them racing around on the roads.
11. Dump trunks are out - tip trucks are in! And no garbage cans, but instead rubbish skips.
12. Better use your tomahawk, because axes are nowhere to be found!
13. No electric "tea kettles" - one buys a jug.


Some interesting shops around......
















I found that my boxers simply did not measure up! Oh well - guess I'll have to head down to
the Byron Bay Market next month to get
some festive knickers for Nancy!












We do have some unusual local wildlife. Nightly, we have a veritable herd of possums launch themselves at the metal roof from WAY up in the trees. These things must weigh 50-60 Kg - they sound like sumo wrestlers working out up there! It really sounds as if they are *falling* out of the tree - this is not a graceful leap with a synchronized 4 point landing - it is more like some out-of-control smoke jumpers landing on the roof and then trying to dig their way in! (if I heard this in CO I would be quite sure it was a bear up there!)





Oz is the land of "big things" and the ocean dwellers are no exception!
The crabs on the beach are occasionally hard to deal with
- this was of unusual size but not the lethal variety!












But our real fun is the morning chorus - starting about 4:30 am - there is no picture in this video (it's dark!) - so just turn up the volume, click the little triangle pointing Right and imagine this as your alarm clock! (these are Laughing Kookoburras) (also a page of info here)