FOOD & DRINK
So you want to know what's it like eating in Australia?
Here's a typical example of what was on our menu.
| Breakfast | Tea | Lunch | Dinner | Cooking & Etiquette | Eating out |
|
Breakfast is either served by our homestay families or prepared by ourselves. Don't be alarmed if you see loaves of bread stored somewhere in the freezer! Apparently Australians do this so the bread stays fresh. Some homestay families prepare sandwiches. Other families leave us to help ourselves. Some don't even have breakfast at all. If you're a big-eater, knock yourself out with your very own creation. Do ask your family first if you're allowed to "touch their cupboard."
|
|
------------- "The highlight of the day" From different sorts of chocolate bars such as Australia's popular mouth-watering chocolate biscuits Tim Tam's, to fresh and aromatic banana muffins, to sweet savory cookies and sweets, you'll find this variety special tempting. Daily served with hot coffee, tea, passion fruit or other types of fruit juice and milk. Take your pick. Make your own wild combination. Unlike in Hong Kong schools, instead of a "recess", teachers have Morning Tea. We were lucky enough to experience this at QUT while we took a break from our 3-hour lecture. Our always-helpful coordinator Semmi would usually await our arrival at the pantry with all the goodies. Naturally, we were always chatting about how "sweet" morning tea was. While we overfed ourselves, we of course couldn't forget to thank her as she usually came to see how we were doing. Afternoon Tea Hungry again? We sure didn't worry. All we had to do was go to Gloria's homestay house for a delicious afternoon tea! Click the picture to have a close up view of the cream cake and juice Gloria's homestay mum made!
|
|
Our homestay families were very nice to pack lunch for us, which we usually showed off to each other and ate at QUT's canteen.
Click on the picture to view the full-sized version. 
We usually had a variety of food; some of us tended to have "western" food most of the time while some tended to have asian food. So, you might expect to have sandwiches, salad or lasagne one day, and rice or fried noodles another day. You will also find that there will usually be a fruit or two in every meal. At other times, if we wanted to, we prepared our own lunch which included cup noodles. Don't be afraid to tell your family about what you can't eat. We should remember that it takes effort and time for them to cook, so do let them know in advance so you won't have to waste their effort. A useful tip: If you're packing a freshly toasted bread, make sure you let it cool down before you wrap it with plastic or you'll find yourself "peeling" your packed lunch.
|
|
In terms of the types of food, dinner was pretty much the same as lunch. But sometimes, our families would order pizza. Sometimes, they would take us out. Do remember that it is important that we call them if we will be late or won't be able to make it for dinner. 
Here we are, having dinner together in Tangalooma, Moreton Island. |
|
It would be nice if we sometimes cooked for our homestay family . Some of us baked cookies and Chinese food for them to try. But be sure to let them know you're cooking so they'll be there to eat it! Why not exchange recipes as well? Some of us now know how time-consuming it is to make a lasagna and burritos. One of us even learned how to brew beer at home!
Mmm...Spanish Lasagne - made by Christine Yam and Esther! (with the help of Christine's homestay mum, Kim) After meals, we usually helped to clear the table (or at least we took our own plates away to the sink when we were done) and did the dishes. Interesting fact: You may find that their washing technique is quite different. What you'll find is that they always soak the plates into the water with detergent and immediately put them aside to drain. So, don't be surprised if your plate tastes a bit "soapy"!
|
|
If you think you'll miss fast-food, don't worry because you'll find in the city several fast food restaurants such as McDonald's and Hungry Jack's. Sometimes, we would also go out for a sip of coffee (or milkshakes) in an outdoor bar or restaurant. Queen Street is lined with this kind of bar.
On the left you'll see one of the cafe bars where we had a "cuppa" coffee (hot and cold!). Yummy yum yum! Look at all the food on the right! This was taken in Surfers' Paradise, GOLD COAST. If you prefer Asian food, some malls or department stores have an international food court. Chinatown has also quite a number of restaurants that offer Japanese and Chinese food. Useful info: Ketchup is called tomato sauce. Note that sauce packets like in fast food restaurants are not included in meals and are to be paid for. So don't leave the counter without paying for them!
|
¡@
¡@
¡@
