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    Flies, Midgies and Trollies!


    I was out bright and early this morning, trying to avoid the flies and midges that tend to plague my every walk. The latter in the morning I leave it before setting off, the worse it tends to be. I am well-used to getting up early, so an 8 am stroll is fine. In fact, I am enjoying all this walking around the local neighbourhood. It is allowing me the time to get to know the place and find my way around. Of course, I wouldn't want to do it for too long, like everybody, I need to work, and the sooner that happens the better.

    Now it's time for a moan... I am shocked by the amount of shopping trollies left lying in the streets of Perth, all over the place, wherever you walk. Don't get me wrong, you do find this back home in the UK as well, but it is nothing like you have here. There never seems to be any trolley collectors about, in any of the supermarkets, and the only time I have seen a one, is when large vans go around, loading shopping carts on the back. Just stick bloody coin slots on them, that'll stop people leaving them lying around, because they are too damn lazy to take them back. This really is a pet hate of mine, and really just shows people's lack of care and anti-social behaviour. Australia is such a beautiful place, why blight the suburbs with supermarket trollies?

    Just a short one today... Rant over!
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    Shopping Down Under - Adjusting to Expat Life!

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    When I moved to Spain in 2016, I would often talk about shopping, the different costs of supermarket food and how to live and cook cheaply. Back then I had very little money to live on and every Euro mattered. Money isn't so much of an issue today, but I'm not working as yet, so still have to be mindful of the money I am spending each week in order to survive.

    As you would expect, I am budgeting our money carefully and doing accounts every day, just to make sure I don't overspend. I have accounted for a grocery budget of $250.00 a week, which at today's exchange rate of $1.76 to £1.00, works out at approximately £142.00 a week. This may sound a lot for two people, but when one considers the cost of food and other essential items, it really doesn't go far at all.

    Since October last year I have been on a 'keep fit, get healthy' diet and I have to eat certain food. I have had to adjust my habits to take account of where I am living, and have had to change what I buy slightly. I can purchase more or less everything I did in the UK, but because of the cost, I have had to find alternatives.

    One of the items I bought in the UK was Fibre one cake bars, to supplement the fibre in my diet. These would usually cost me about £1.25 when they were on special offer, half the usual £2.50. The normal price for them here in $6.50 (£3.70) and I always buy them when they are discounted to $5.00 (£2.84), more than the usual price in the UK. This is an item I will always buy, because I need it as part of my healthy regime, but I constantly shudder at the difference in price.
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    The diet meals in Australia are far superior to those in the UK. The taste, texture and contents are streets above what you get in Britain and at a cost of $5.00 (£2.84) a meal, they are on par with prices back home. Once again, I always wait until they are on offer, at $4.00 (£2.27). I have become a very canny shopper in Australia; it really is a case of having to be. With the cost of living crisis looming large and prices astronomically high in Perth, I am having to spend a lot of time researching prices and products and visiting different supermarkets, just like a proper housewife.

    I shop in either Coles or Woolworths, both are great in their own way, but like most people I do have a preference. I would rather shop at Coles if I am honest; it is slightly cheaper in price and has a much larger range of products on offer. Darrell says Woolies is more like Marks and Spencer in the UK and does have prices to match. Interestingly, each supermarket alternates their offers weekly. What's on offer in one isn't in the other and vice versa, until the following week when they swap around. I spend my days walking from one end of Midland Gate to the other, just to get the best deals; it's a bloody good job I have time on my hands!

    Just to complicate things even further, I never buy fruit and vegetables in the supermarket, it is just too expensive. Next door to most of the larger grocers you will find a 'WA Grocers Fresh,' basically a large green grocer, selling everything you can possibly imagine and more. The huge variety of stuff is like nothing you see in the UK. The sheer variety is mind-boggling, most of which I have never heard of before. The best part, however, is the prices, they are dramatically cheaper. Yesterday Coles was selling bananas for $3.00 (£1.76) a kilo, whereas WA Growers Fresh were selling them for $1.99 (£1.13) a kilo. It is only a small difference in price, but when you add your shopping bill up at the end of the week, it does make a huge difference.
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    Like all British supermarkets, Woolies, Coles and all the others also have loyalty card schemes, although as I have discovered, they aren't as generous with the points as my beloved 'Tesco Clubcard' in the UK. In fact, 500 points would get you five pounds in the UK, here, it will only get you half that.

    The biggest difference is the number of shops that take these membership cards. Flybuys, run by Coles can also be taken in Kmart for example and a number of other establishments. Equally, Woolies rewards are also taken by Big W, BWS, Quantas and many other organisations. This makes the scope for collecting points much bigger.

    Another surprise is the many other different clubcards in circulation. As a seasoned charity shop shopper, I love to visit them regularly wherever I am, and yesterday I bought a couple of items from 'Salvo's' in Midland. Immediately, the little old lady behind the till asked me for my loyalty card. A little confused, not knowing if I had heard her right, I asked her to repeat what she just said, and low and behold, they also have their own scheme. It doesn't matter where you go, everyone has a reward card. The number of cards I can add to my 'Google wallet' in Australia is beyond belief; I have literally lost count. I'm guessing that there is a much more competitive market here, unlike the UK, and keeping customers happy and engaged is important.
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    It feels on the surface, at least, that this part of Australia isn't suffering from an economic downturn. I recall walking through the high street in Portsmouth before I left, and thinking how sad this place was. Many of the well known shops were closed and boarded up, and there was very little in the way of choice. Not only Portsmouth, but everywhere the length and breadth of Britain was suffering from difficult times, whereas Australia is still booming.

    Many of the well known brands I remember from the mid-nineties, when I last visited Australia are still there, The large department stores like Myer and of course all the supermarkets. There are also many other new retailers on offer. As you walk through Midland Gate, indeed any of the large shopping Malls, they are full to bursting with customers and choice, lots and lots of choice. There is an impressive number of smaller independent shops and a lot of speciality outlets as well. From sushi, to baked goods and homewares to general stores like BigW, Target and Kmart, the equivalent of which, doesn't exist in Britain, there is such a massive variety, you are literally spoilt for choice.

    I would imagine that Western Australia is sheltered from the worst of the economic battles, the rest of the World is fighting. One has to remember the wealth of natural resources Australia has - from gold and precious stones, to coal and iron ore. The money this brings in to WA is huge. I was listening to the news only this morning, and they were discussing the average wage in Australia, being $1700 a week, that's over £50,000 per year, compared to the UK's £36,000 a year. So you can see there is a much higher level of disposable income down under and boy do they know how to spend. The checkouts are ringing to the sound of cash in a way Britain can only dream about; long may it last.
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    ... And finally, it is good to see many of the products I love in the UK are on sale here in Australia. Although $28.00 (£15.90) for a single box of Quality Street, when you can buy two boxes in Britain for £7.00 is a little too rich, even for me; I'll stick to something a bit cheaper, thanks!

    As well as British products like Marmite, Cadbury's Chocolate and Tins of Heinz, there are also many other home-grown ones that I have adopted as my own. My favourite guilty pleasure is Cherry Ripe, which I have every day, only a small fun size bar, but I have become somewhat addicted again, as I was back in 1997. It is a real shame we didn't get it in the UK and many of the other chocolate bars they have here; a far wider selection than we have back home. The chocolate does taste different however, less milky, more oily, probably because of the hot climate; British chocolate would just melt in the heat.

    As a British Expat, it is easy settling into Australian life, more so than in Spain. That obviously has a lot to do with our common heritage, but it is also to do with the familiarity, everywhere you look. In many respects it does feel like being in the UK, a hotter, more sanitised version perhaps, but I do feel rather at home. The shops cater for my needs, in a way no other country where I have lived in the past has, and I have no problem navigating my way around. There are a few oddities, like calling the bedding/linen department in a store, the 'Manchester' section, and referring to a duvet as a doona, but otherwise it is very similar to life in the UK and for that I am grateful. I really don't want to have to start learning a new language at my time of life.

    My shopping habits have changed dramatically, as you would expect. I do have to be careful about my spending habits, but I have relatively quickly adapted to my environment. I am well aware of the spiralling costs and the different alternatives, and I'm sure in another few weeks I will be shopping as I did in Spain - frugally, perceptive and shrewd. This is how I got by in Gran Alacant; the knowledge I learnt there will help me succeed today. It's time to reconnect with my prudent, thrifty self and make Australia work for me!
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    Perth - Our go to place to escape, when things get rough!

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    'Perth is my go-to place; in this unforgiving World, we all need to escape and God knows, Darrell and I need to escape more than most!'
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    It was another day out in the city for Darrell and me on Wednesday. We had a lot to talk about, and spending a few hours away, is the only time we get to chat and make plans for the future. I have been hearing from people back home quite a lot over the last few weeks and as lovely as it is, it does make Darrell and I feel homesick at times. Both of us have had numerous video chats with close friends, all saying the same thing - 'Make sure you stay where you are, there is literally nothing to go back to Britain for.' I can see that; every day at 7am, SBS shows the British news from the night before, and it does look particularly dysfunctional in the UK at the moment. I would never return for the country, but the people are a different matter.

    Yesterday, my close friend and old boss Zerina messaged me and gave me a bit of a motivational talk. Those I have kept in contact with, understand our struggles, and they have been instrumental in keeping us in Perth. I understand this is a difficult journey, we never thought it would be any different, and the encouragement we have received is beyond anything we could have expected. On Wednesday, as we sat in 'Coffee Club' drinking tea and eating cake, we both reassured one another about the path we were now on. After half an hour, we both started to feel better, as we always do. We are both well aware of where we are better off, but the frustration we feel at the slow progress is palpable.

    Walking around the streets of the capital in blazing sunshine, we could be forgiven for thinking we are in paradise, but bubbling under the surface, the remains of the COVID-19 pandemic still festers away. The reason why we feel so stuck right now, is because of the extended closure of Australia and Western Australia in particular. Things are beginning to change, with the first not stop flight from the USA landing in the country only this week, but these are small baby steps, and we have to keep the faith, while Australia reopens for business and normality returns.

    After receiving police checks from The UK and Spain, I was able to finalise the paperwork for my Spouse visa this week and everything is now in the hands of our solicitor. Wednesday was about relaxing after a very busy month and according to my Migration Agent the 'superfast' time I was able to gather all my documents and files together for this decidedly expensive $10,000 visa application.
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    After a short walk around Elizabeth Quay, we headed for lunch at 'Durty Nelly's' Irish pub, just off Hay Street. This traditional Irish bar is tucked away down a side alley, in-between a number of other restaurants and cafés. I stumbled across it last week, vowing to come back. The setting reminded me very much of my time in Thailand, surrounded by lush greenery and picturesque local venues - all rather civilized and cosmopolitan.

    It was wonderful, just sat there relaxing and enjoying the heat of the day with a pint and the reassurance that my application to stay was coming to an end. We ordered a steak lunch which, for Australian standards, was very reasonably priced at a bargain $18.00 each. I have never eaten anything so cheap in Perth since I have been here. The food was delicious, full of flavour and perfectly cooked. At that moment, I felt happy to be home and no matter what gets thrown at us over the next few months, we do at least have a place to escape to when things get rough - rather like my hair in the picture above; rough isn't the word!
    After lunch, we took a stroll to Forrest Chase, to catch the train to Bassendean. There was a demonstration in the square, over the murder of aboriginal boy Cassius Turvey. Thankfully the perpetrator is in custody, but this was an attack that was carried out in Midland, right on our door step. As I listened to the emotional speeches, by family, officials and friends, I realised that no matter how stunning this country is, it still suffers from the same anti-social problems we do in the UK. Wherever you live in the World, murder, violence, knife and gun crime will always exist, and my eyes were opened to the issues that Australia has, when dealing with the appalling treatment of indigenous people. Darrell and I have our problems, for sure, but they are nothing compared to the injustices suffered by the Aboriginal community.

    Darrell's Cousin Tash picked us up from Bassendean, where we spent the evening with her and his Aunty Alice. To be honest, I was feeling particularly tired after being unable to sleep for most of the night. Darrell's Mother, takes steroids once a week as part of her treatment for cancer, and it does keep her and the rest of us awake. Yes I felt exhausted, but once again I am not suffering from cancer, so should thank my lucky stars I am well, and stop bloody complaining so much.

    After a delicious dinner and quality time with family, it was time to leave. It is days like this that make me realise how lucky I am to lead the life I do. There aren't many people who have travelled as extensively as Darrell and me and lived in multiple countries. Chatting with family in Australia, I am well aware of the amazing life I have. When things get tough, as they inevitably do, I have the memories I made to keep me grounded and focused on the task at hand. Starting a new life down under, after a worldwide pandemic in the middle of a European war and an economic crash was never going to be easy; I guess I'm not doing too badly really!
    Marmite Watch
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    ...And finally

    The last time I lived abroad in Spain, I did everything I could to make sure I had my essential jar of Marmite. I can remember vividly talking to the owner of the British Supermarket in Gran Alacant, pleading with him to stock some bigger jars of Marmite. At the time, six years ago, he only had the small jars in stock and used to charge a whopping 5 Euro a jar.

    I have no idea what they cost now, but just before I returned to the UK, he managed to get in the bigger jars. That's got to be the story of my life, really - always just missing out at the last minute!

    Anyway, it is far easier to get hold of the black gold in Australia. If you thought Brits were addicted to the stuff, well, Ozzies are absolutely besotted. Of course, they have their own Marmite, Ozemite, Promite, Mightymite, Vegemite, in fact every bloody mite you can imagine... IT REALLY IS A 'MITE' lover's dream here! As I have recently discovered, they also sell the original British stuff, although due to them having their own Marmite and copyright laws, it's called 'Our Mate,' and it is most certainly the real deal.

    However, I have got quite used to Ozemite in particular and quite like the taste, but you really can't beat the real stuff, and I am thankful to have found it in the British section of Woolworths supermarket in Midland Gate for a bargain price of $4.80. One happy Brit!
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