I've Been EveryWhere - Australian country song

I've Been Everywhere - this is a typical Australian country song which I find very funny as the singer mentions hundreds of names of towns in such a rapid way you can hardly understand them.

It was written by Geoff Mack in 1959 and originally recorded and made popular by singer Lucky Starr in 1962.

He later wrote an American version with American cities replacing the originals.

It became a Nr.1 hit in the USA Country Music in November 1962 when Hank Snow recorded it.

It's also been recorded by Johnny Cash (1996), Willie Nelson, The Statler Brothers, and others and used in numerous commercials.

Lucky Starr - I've Been EveryWhere -- Get your lips around this song!

LYRICS 

Well, I was humpin' my bluey on the dusty Oodnadatta road,
When along came a semi with a high and canvas-covered load.
(Spoken) "If you're goin' to Oodnadatta, mate, um, with me you can ride."
So I climbed in the cabin and I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand, I said
"Listen, mate, I've travelled ev'ry road in this here land."

Chorus:
Cos I've been everywhere, man,
I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been ev'rywhere.

Been to:
Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba,
Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah,
Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla,
Condamine, Strathpine, Proserpine, Ulladulla,
Darwin, Gin Gin, Deniliquin, Muckadilla,
Wallumbilla, Boggabilla, Kumbarilla,
I'm a killer.

Chorus
(Spoken) "Yeah but listen here, mate, have you been to..."

I've been to Moree, Taree, Jerilderie, Bambaroo,
Toowoomba, Gunnedah, Caringbah, Woolloomooloo,
Dalveen, Tamborine, Engadine, Jindabyne,
Lithgow, Casino, Brigalow and Narromine,
Megalong, Wyong, Tuggerawong, Wangarella,
Morella, Augathella, Brindabella, I'm the feller.

Chorus
(Spoken) "Yeah, I know that, but have you been to..."

I've been to Wollongong, Geelong, Kurrajong, Mullumbimby,
Mittagong, Molong, Grong Grong, Goondiwindi,
Yarra Yarra, Boroondara, Wallangarra, Turramurra,
Boggabri, Gundagai, Narrabri, Tibooburra,
Gulgong, Adelong, Billabong, Cabramatta,
Parramatta, Wangaratta*, Coolangatta, what's it matter?

Chorus
(Spoken) "Yeah, look that's fine, but how about..."

I've been to Ettalong, Dandenong, Woodenbong, Ballarat,
Canberra, Milperra, Unanderra, Captain's Flat,
Cloncurry, River Murray, Kurri Kurri, Girraween,
Terrigal, Fingal, Stockinbingal, Collaroy and Narrabeen,
Bendigo, Dorrigo, Bangalow, Indooroopilly,
Kirribilli, Yeerongpilly, Wollondilly, don't be silly.

Chorus
I've been here, there, ev'rywhere, I've been ev'rywhere.

(Spoken) "Okay, mate, you've been ev'ry place except one, and ya don't need my help t'get there."

(Sound of door slamming and truck driving off.)

Census Night - 9 August 2011

Today, the Australian Bureau of Statistics is holding a Census to collect information about how people live, what work they do, religion, schooling, etc, to enable the Government to plan infrastructure, community services, schools, roads, hospitals, for where they are needed.

It is held every 5 years, and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the first census held in 1911.
Every household is required to answer the questions either on paper form (these were delivered last week) or online, as it is compulsory.
People staying in hotels, camping places, hospitals or travelling around Australia will also be counted on Census night.

I feel very excited to take part in this Census, as it´s the first time I am being counted in a Census anywhere in the world!!

So goodnight,  I´m off to fill in my details online...

LEMON BUTTER RECIPE

One of our lemon trees, packed with fruit

We have two lemon trees in our backyard - one is a Meyer Lemon tree and the other is a half lemon/half mandarin tree, and doesn´t usually bear many of either fruits. 
In the last couple of weeks, due to the rain and some wind, a lot of the fruit fell to the ground,  so most days I would pick half a dozen from the ground and throw them out. We are now down to the last 5 or 6 mandarins...

But our main lemon tree is once again laden with fruit, it´s branches touching the soil.

Some days I will pick lemons and take a bag to the clinic where I work, so people can just take a few lemons home, or otherwise I put a box by the street verge so people walking by can take them, as it´s a pity if they go to waste.

I´m always trying to make things with lemon - lemon pie, lemonade, lemon cheesecake, lemon jam, chicken with lemon...

Today I decided to try Lemon Butter, a recipe given to me by my former work colleague Jan. 

The finished product : 6 jars of lemon butter

LEMON BUTTER (or Lemon Curd)

Ingredients

Grated zest & juice of 4 large juicy lemons

4 large eggs

350g caster sugar

225g unsalted butter, cut into small lumps

1 dessert spoon cornflour (to thicken)

Lightly whisk the eggs in a medium sized saucepan, then add the rest of the ingredients & place the saucepan over  medium heat. 
Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, about 7-8 mins.

 Lower the heat to minimum setting & let the curd gently simmer for a further minute, continuing to whisk.

 Pour lemon curd into jars, filling them as full as possible.
Cover straightaway with lids while still hot.

Label jars when cold.  Will keep for several weeks, stored in a cool place.
Makes approx 3,  350ml capacity jars.

(I doubled the recipe, reason why I filled 6 jars)

Sami´s lemon butter

And here is the proof, it tastes good and I have a few jars to give away to friends as well.
Enjoy!!

AUSSIE SLANG

Australians have the habit of shortening words or giving different names to things. Some words in the Australian English are influenced by some of the Aboriginal languages – like yakka (work) and  cooee (a call used by Aborigines in the bush).

Their way of speaking can also be a bit difficult to understand as many people tend to assimilate syllables and omit the consonants and speak with a nasal accent – like Paul Hogan in his Crocodile Dundee movies, which further complicates the non English speaker.

Shortly after we arrived in Perth, we attended a work function at my husband´s company. While waiting outside with some of his colleagues, one of them started telling a story about a “chook” that he had put in someone´s car and how that person was horrified at the mess the “chook” made. 
Everyone laughed and laughed, but we just stood there not having understood the joke at all, but not wanting to make fools of ourselves!

A few days later I had the opportunity of asking a friend what a chook was, and she said it was a chicken!! I would have never guessed!

Here is a "chook" restaurant in Perth

Here are some of the most used words in everyday language:

Arvo – afternoon  (I do have a pet hate about this word being used in the news, as I find proper English should be used!

Aussie – Australian

Bathers – swimming costume

Barbie – Barbecue    (Let´s have a barbie with some snags (sausages)

Brekkie – breakfast      (Brekkie, brickie and bikkie - are quite similar and confusing to me)

Brickie – brick layer

Bikkie – biscuit

Chrissie – Christmas

Ciggie – cigarette

Digger – originally a miner in the goldfields, now used to refer to an Australian soldier

Dunny – toilet or outhouse

Esky – insulated food/drink container for picnics (cooler box)

Garbo – a garbage man

Kindie – kindergarten, pre-school

Lippy – lipstick

Maccas – McDonald´s (hamburgers)

Mozzie – mosquito

Ocker – a lay about, casual no worries attitude to life

Pollie – politician

Postie – postman

Pressies -  presents

Pushie – bicycle, pushbike  

Rellies – relatives

Shout – to buy a round of drinks  -  Once I went out with 2 colleagues and one of them said "It´s my shout", and I asked her "what are you shouting about"?  That´s when she explained "she was buying the drinks".

Sickie – taking a day off being sick

Smoko –work break, even non-smokers have a smoko, to eat or have a coffee

Sparkie - electrician

Tea – evening meal  (dinner is the mid-day meal or lunch)  

Uey, uy  or  youee – to make a U-turn while driving

youse - plural you. “Why don’t youse come over for a cuppa this arvo.

And the list goes on and on!! It´s like learning a new language...
I certainly don´t use most of these words in my daily vocabulary but I have become familiar with them. I think when you speak a language that is not your mother tongue, you tend not to use the "strange" expressions that are native to that language, as somehow they just 
don´t sound as natural when spoken by a non-native.

Can you match some of these funny expressions?

The saga of the white bookshelf

About a month ago we decided to clean out our garage and get rid of unwanted stuff.  I posted some adverts in Gumtree an online site for classifieds.

Gumtree covers 6 countries - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, Ireland and Poland, and various cities in each country. The ads are free unless you want to showcase the items by highlighting or having an urgent sale and you can put some photos to help sell your item.

One of the items I was selling was a white bookcase.
It wasn´t in mint condition but was still usable, so I put a price of $15dlrs on it.

After about 1 week I started getting sms´s or emails about the bookshelf. I got about 5 or 6 people who were interested but only one of those showed up with a car whose seats would not fold, so that we could not fit the shelves inside, so she declined to take them. The measurements were on the advert so I don´t know why she didn´t check them before she decided to have a look...

Another funny episode was an sms I received saying they were interested in the shelves, and would pay $50 for them if I delivered. I replied that they wouldn´t fit in my car, (my seats didn´t fold either) so I could not deliver.
The following day another sms comes and this time, the same person offers $60 if I delivered!!
I laughed so much!! Even if I could deliver I would feel as if I was cheating them by accepting $60 for those shelves. They could probably buy a brand new bookshelf for almost that price (delivery excluded of course).

Eventually another one said she would pop around to collect it if still available, and because I was away in Adelaide, I said she could come and see it the following weekend, but half expecting she wouldn´t come at all.
This past Saturday a couple came with a van and we helped them pack the bookshelf on top of a white desk they had just picked up from another advert and these items would be used as a prop in a children´s school play.
So after over 250 views on the Gumtree pages, and a month later, the bookshelf was finally sold.

Because I still have another 4 items for sale, I wonder what other funny things will happen?