Life in Tassie

Interesting differences in life: Grocery stores. To motivate the return of grocery carts, same system as often seen in Canada: The carts are clipped together and you insert a $1 or $2 coin to release the clip. When you return the cart and clip it back to the row of carts, you get your coin back. Save on the carts floating through the parking lots, etc. They all get returned inside the store.

On the other hand, the North American observation that it is better to put the milk in the grocery bag before putting in the bread - hasn't been noticed here (maybe they think that since Tassie is on the bottom of the world the milk will tend to float out of the top of the bag). Repeatedly I've ended up with flat loafs of bread when the bagger throw the milk in on top of the bread. Gotta remember to hold onto the bread until last in the check out lane.

More on Aussie terminology: Speedo bathing suits are commonly called "Budgie Smugglers" (after a somewhat infamous event where a guy was caught trying to smuggle small birds, called Budgies, in his underpants). There's been some commentary over Tony Abbott, the leader of the opposition political coalition, prominently being pictured on the beach wearing his "Budgie Smugglers."