Choon from The Panics:
Showing posts with label australian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label australian. Show all posts
9/26/09
9/1/09
Beers of Australia: Victoria Bitter
Australians love beer. Drinking beer is one of the country's great past-times, along with barbecues, surfing and cricket. Everyone in Australia loves a beer, there's no working class stigma attached to it, it is drunk by one and all and as such here's my guide to some of the beers Australia has to offer:
Victoria's very own state beer, Victoria Bitter, has succeeded in the rare feat of infiltrating the whole of Australia, being available and widely drunk in all states and territories. Usually drinking another states beer other than your own is social suicide, but for some reason 'VB' has managed to rise above such trivial matters and is celebrated by all Australians.
Although I'm not sure why, because in term of its actual taste, VB is quite frankly poor. Although it's a lager and not a bitter, it does have a bitter taste which after about 2 bottles becomes pretty unpleasant. One solution to this is to make sure it is drunk at almost freezing temperatures thus killing any of it's flavour.
Aside from this I actually quite like VB, mainly because I feel like I'm REALLY in Australia when I drink one, a bit like having a Budweiser when you're in the US. You wouldn't touch the stuff in your local, but when you're actually in the country it's made in, you almost feel obliged. It's like "I'm in Australia, I'm drinking VB. I'm awesome!" Plus adding more Australian cliches multiples the awesomeness ten fold, such as sitting on a beach or watching Aussie Rules. The only things I haven't done while drinking VB is have a game of knifey spoony or hypnotise a buffalo, but there's still time.
Flavour: Not much. Although the VB website seems to think it has "A gentle fruitiness in the aroma that complements the sweet malt on the mid-palate balancing perfectly with a robust, hop bitterness." Maybe i'm drinking it wrong?
Strength: 4.6%
Bogan Rating: Through the roof
Price: One of the cheapest $13-15 for 6 stubbies
Victoria's very own state beer, Victoria Bitter, has succeeded in the rare feat of infiltrating the whole of Australia, being available and widely drunk in all states and territories. Usually drinking another states beer other than your own is social suicide, but for some reason 'VB' has managed to rise above such trivial matters and is celebrated by all Australians.
The mighty VB, tremble in its presence
Although I'm not sure why, because in term of its actual taste, VB is quite frankly poor. Although it's a lager and not a bitter, it does have a bitter taste which after about 2 bottles becomes pretty unpleasant. One solution to this is to make sure it is drunk at almost freezing temperatures thus killing any of it's flavour.
Aside from this I actually quite like VB, mainly because I feel like I'm REALLY in Australia when I drink one, a bit like having a Budweiser when you're in the US. You wouldn't touch the stuff in your local, but when you're actually in the country it's made in, you almost feel obliged. It's like "I'm in Australia, I'm drinking VB. I'm awesome!" Plus adding more Australian cliches multiples the awesomeness ten fold, such as sitting on a beach or watching Aussie Rules. The only things I haven't done while drinking VB is have a game of knifey spoony or hypnotise a buffalo, but there's still time.
Not sure your pub sells VB? Look out for this cryptic sign
Flavour: Not much. Although the VB website seems to think it has "A gentle fruitiness in the aroma that complements the sweet malt on the mid-palate balancing perfectly with a robust, hop bitterness." Maybe i'm drinking it wrong?
Strength: 4.6%
Bogan Rating: Through the roof
Price: One of the cheapest $13-15 for 6 stubbies
8/17/09
8/11/09
Australian Television: Underbelly
I've not really had a proper job for the last year, which means money has been somewhat on the limited side. Although this has stopped me from going out, buying things and generally enjoying myself; it has meant many nights absorbing local culture in front of the television.
Although Australian TV will always pale into comparison next to the might of British Telly with the good old BBC and it's fine costume dramas, Channel 4 with it's superb alternative comedy line-up and ITV with, erm, Celebrity Love Island. Their are some genuinely good programs on Oz Tv:
Underbelly is one such example. This program kicks ass. Basically telling the story of Melbourne's gang wars through the 90's until around 2004, it's brutal, well acted and compelling. Lots of gangsters, birds, people getting shot, punched etc. It's also got Vince Colosimo in (the greek guy who gets shot in Chopper), who is an awesome actor.
Here's a promo:
Season 2 came out this year, charting the drug wars of the 70's and 80's, but it wasn't as good and everyone wore terrible porn star mustaches.
Although Australian TV will always pale into comparison next to the might of British Telly with the good old BBC and it's fine costume dramas, Channel 4 with it's superb alternative comedy line-up and ITV with, erm, Celebrity Love Island. Their are some genuinely good programs on Oz Tv:
Underbelly is one such example. This program kicks ass. Basically telling the story of Melbourne's gang wars through the 90's until around 2004, it's brutal, well acted and compelling. Lots of gangsters, birds, people getting shot, punched etc. It's also got Vince Colosimo in (the greek guy who gets shot in Chopper), who is an awesome actor.
Here's a promo:
Season 2 came out this year, charting the drug wars of the 70's and 80's, but it wasn't as good and everyone wore terrible porn star mustaches.
8/7/09
8/6/09
A-League Kick-off!
Woo hoo! Tonight is the opening game of the 2009/10 Hyundai A-League; Australia & New Zealand's national Soccer/football league.
Finally actual Football to watch, not Rugby, not Footy, not Cricket but Football!
Melbourne Victory (reigning champs) take on The Central Coast Mariners in what promises to be an awesome spectacle.
Sadly i can't watch it because you have to have cable TV, so it's a bit similar to England then. great.
Seriously though, i'm really looking forward to this season, i completely missed the last one due to having just arrived in the country and no one likes soccer over here. Plus Melbourne might become the first team in the history of the league (all 5 years of it) to win back-to-back titles. exciting stuff!
So yeah football woo! I'm pretty keen to catch a live game was well (especially as their building a brand new stadium for Melbourne Victory this season) so if any of my aussie friends want to catch a game with me that would be awesome.
Here's a taster of what you can expect:
Finally actual Football to watch, not Rugby, not Footy, not Cricket but Football!
Melbourne Victory (reigning champs) take on The Central Coast Mariners in what promises to be an awesome spectacle.
Sadly i can't watch it because you have to have cable TV, so it's a bit similar to England then. great.
Seriously though, i'm really looking forward to this season, i completely missed the last one due to having just arrived in the country and no one likes soccer over here. Plus Melbourne might become the first team in the history of the league (all 5 years of it) to win back-to-back titles. exciting stuff!
So yeah football woo! I'm pretty keen to catch a live game was well (especially as their building a brand new stadium for Melbourne Victory this season) so if any of my aussie friends want to catch a game with me that would be awesome.
Here's a taster of what you can expect:
7/30/09
Mispronunciation Emancipation
Australians are on the whole lovely people with their hats lined with crocodile teeth and hilarious knife based confusions. The only thing that drives me crazy is the truly bizarre pronunciation of certain words.
#1. Debut: For some unknown reason is pronounced as 'da-boo'.
#2. Maroon: Is pronounced 'ma-rone'. Know one knows why.
#3. Yoghurt: The tasty milky treat is known as 'yo-gert'. The shame.
#4. Pasta: Even the humble spaghetti can't escape and is known as 'par-sta'.
#5. Data: Dar-ter, no! it's day-ter!
There are more but it it's too distressing to type them.
#1. Debut: For some unknown reason is pronounced as 'da-boo'.
#2. Maroon: Is pronounced 'ma-rone'. Know one knows why.
#3. Yoghurt: The tasty milky treat is known as 'yo-gert'. The shame.
#4. Pasta: Even the humble spaghetti can't escape and is known as 'par-sta'.
#5. Data: Dar-ter, no! it's day-ter!
There are more but it it's too distressing to type them.
7/20/09
Australian Song of the Day # 11
Although not technically a fully Aussie band (half the band is from America) it's an awesome song so i don't care:
6/12/09
Chk, Chk, Boom
Just for the English types who might not of heard about this story. A brilliant 'eyewitness' account from some bogan in Sydney:
6/9/09
6/7/09
Pub faux pas
D'oh, egg on my face this weekend.
I'm down the pub with friends on a Friday night and it's my turn to get the drinks in, off i trot to the bar happy in the assumption we are drinking pots (half pints). I return with said drinks only to be greeted with cries of "you tight-fisted pommy bastard' and the like because we were actually drinking schooners (3/4 pints). The shame.
In my defense i get confused by anything smaller than a pint.
Here's a handy reference guide to prevent anyone making the same mistake:
I'm down the pub with friends on a Friday night and it's my turn to get the drinks in, off i trot to the bar happy in the assumption we are drinking pots (half pints). I return with said drinks only to be greeted with cries of "you tight-fisted pommy bastard' and the like because we were actually drinking schooners (3/4 pints). The shame.
In my defense i get confused by anything smaller than a pint.
Here's a handy reference guide to prevent anyone making the same mistake:
see, how could anyone get confused by this simple system?
5/29/09
Aussie Slang Guide Part 2
Snag = Sausage
Wog = Someone of Mediterranean origin. Nowhere near as offensive as it is in America and Europe, in fact it's almost endearing although you wouldn't call someone a Wog to their face
Rage = To party
Bashed = Used instead of 'assaulted', even on news reports and other serious programs
Crack the shits = To get really angry and shout at someone eg. "Bec just cracked the shits with me"
Ranga = Someone with red hair, after Orangutan (i should be offended but the Orangutan is the noblest of all the great apes so i'll let it slide)
Wog = Someone of Mediterranean origin. Nowhere near as offensive as it is in America and Europe, in fact it's almost endearing although you wouldn't call someone a Wog to their face
Rage = To party
Bashed = Used instead of 'assaulted', even on news reports and other serious programs
Crack the shits = To get really angry and shout at someone eg. "Bec just cracked the shits with me"
Ranga = Someone with red hair, after Orangutan (i should be offended but the Orangutan is the noblest of all the great apes so i'll let it slide)
5/26/09
5/20/09
Hilarious Comedy Hijinx
They have a program over here called "Thank God you're Here" where comedians don silly costumes and get thrown into bizarre staged situations where they have to win points by improvising and being funny.
It's not very good though, as being able to improvise and be funny isn't easy. I just find myself smiling and nodding rather than hooting with laughter as i'm supposed too. But every now and again it does throw up some inspired genius moments such as this gem from Geordie funny man Ross Noble:
It's not very good though, as being able to improvise and be funny isn't easy. I just find myself smiling and nodding rather than hooting with laughter as i'm supposed too. But every now and again it does throw up some inspired genius moments such as this gem from Geordie funny man Ross Noble:
5/19/09
5/17/09
AFL update: Round 9
Just a quick update on the 'footie'; a third of the season has gone and my first impressions of the sport are all good. Watching a game is pretty entertaining, it's not got too many stoppages like Rugby, so it's free-flowing, end-to-end stuff with crunching tackles, people getting knocked out and some impressive goals too, especially when they volley the ball (like in proper football).
This game between Essendon and Collingwood, was particularly brilliant, with the underdogs Essendon coming back from the brink of defeat with 3 goals in the final 2 minutes. Stirring stuff:
This game between Essendon and Collingwood, was particularly brilliant, with the underdogs Essendon coming back from the brink of defeat with 3 goals in the final 2 minutes. Stirring stuff:
5/11/09
5/8/09
Charity Appeal
The commercial Aussie TV channels have a lot of ad breaks (every 7 minutes or something like that) which is both hugely annoying and distracting but it does highlight a sad condition which effects many Australian TV channels: Stupidly-over-the-top-voice-over-itis.
This tragic and terminal disease has quickly become an epidemic and now effects even the most mundane programs, witness the intense drama of Neighbours a la Channel Ten:
Only with your help can we help wipe-out this affliction.
Please call 1800-pleasetellmeyourbeingironic? and donate $1 to raise awareness of this distressing condition.
This tragic and terminal disease has quickly become an epidemic and now effects even the most mundane programs, witness the intense drama of Neighbours a la Channel Ten:
Only with your help can we help wipe-out this affliction.
Please call 1800-pleasetellmeyourbeingironic? and donate $1 to raise awareness of this distressing condition.
5/4/09
Ice Age Cometh
Well it's officially been the coldest April in Melbourne for roughly a billion years, last week we had a testicle freezing 2.9C morning and 4 days of below 15C.
This would be all fine for a weather worn Brit like myself but just over 2 months ago it was 47C, that's a 30C drop in 9 weeks! I am not used to such extremes, i'm built to sustain year-long damp weather culminating in a mind-numbing freezes in Jan/Feb and 2 weeks of sun in July.
I'm off to buy a big warm coat and some Ugg boots:
This would be all fine for a weather worn Brit like myself but just over 2 months ago it was 47C, that's a 30C drop in 9 weeks! I am not used to such extremes, i'm built to sustain year-long damp weather culminating in a mind-numbing freezes in Jan/Feb and 2 weeks of sun in July.
I'm off to buy a big warm coat and some Ugg boots:
Australian Song of the Day # 6
A classic tune from Eskimo Joe; loved this song when i was backpacking around Oz back in 2004:
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