The hearts

Before we left Toronto for Australia, Steven and I got a very special gift from our friends.

The card reads:

"Dear Sandy + Steven,

From our hearts to yours before your big journey!

Just some words of advice and ideas of things to do together on your year-long adventure. There's more where this came from...so complete 3 heart ideas, let me know & I'll send your SPREADSHEET of love ideas! <3

Adrienne"

I've been friends with Adrienne since I was 2, and she's always been an excellent gift giver. This really topped the list though!

Each heart in the stack had a "thing to do" or a wish for safety and happiness and the survival of spiders, cockroaches and killer sharks.

We completed our first challenge tonight!

Observations about the supermarkets:

1) Prices seem steep, but they really aren't. Everything here is measured in kg, whereas back home we do lb for some items, like apples. The apples here ranged from 3.99 per kilo (granny smith), to something like 5.99 per kilo (for pink lady).

The Loblaws flier for back home shows me 4.39 per kilo for apples, or 1.99 per pound. See? Not really a big difference for a fruit that seems to be in season in both Toronto and Sydney.

Now, we did notice that grapes were crazy expensive--16.99 per kilo! But that might be seasonal. I don't think grapes are in season back home either.

2) There are funny names for some foods, like "Paw Paw" (giggle) and Capsicum (so scientific!)

3) Tropical fruits are readily available! Mangoes, papayas, pineapples, and melons! Wonderful selection for winter-broken Canadians.

4) Eggs weren't sold in the fridge. Why aren't eggs in a fridge?!?!

5) There are family-owned fruit or vegetable stands here in some suburban malls, which helps cut costs for people like us (trying to save as much as we can)! I got 2 green onions for free from the nice man at the vegetable stand just by asking for it!

"You sure? Two is enough?"

"We're only here for one evening and we're cooking dinner..."

"You only feed him one green onion for dinner? What kind of diet is this!?"

"Umm...."

:)

So the supermarkets here really aren't that expensive or different. Steven and I have kept ourselves fed (and vegetarian!) for quite a few meals by cooking at home.

More challenges to come!