Live and Learn: Marinara Sauce
The “Live and Learn” entries (because i’m sure there will soon be more than one) are going to include important lessons for the foreign traveler in Australia. My first noteworthy “Live and Learn” episode involves Marinara Sauce.
So, after a long day of wine tasting in the Hunter Valley (fun, but I’d be ok with not seeing wine again for a very long time), my roomate Alex and I decided it would be best to get some real food in our system. At arond 700 we wander into a very small, authentic italian resturaunt about 1/2 mile from our house. We order a small order of garlic bread as an appatizer and a small cheese pizza for dinner. After munching on the garlic bread and wishing i had a dipping sauce the whole time, I get this great idea to ask for a side of marinara sauce for the pizza b/c it was thin crust and didn’t have much sauce.
The server kind of looked at me wierd, and so i showed her physically with my hands what “a little dipping sauce” for my pizza would look like. She then nods, goes back to the kitchen, comes back and says…”yes we can do that for you, it will be just one minute while the cook prepares it.” When I heard that, I was like…shit.. the cook is preparing something!!? NO! And low and behold, the server came out with a BOWL (like the size that would have held an entree of spaghetti) full of sauce. And I said to Alex… great… now watch them charge me like $5 bucks for this sauce! I’m definately going to take the leftovers home! So we get a carry out container for the sauce (which was barely touched ofcourse) and ask for the bill. It finally comes… and nope…no $5 dollar charge for the sauce…THEY CHARGED US $7 dollars! I was way to tired to argue, and frankly found the situation just way to hilarious, so I just paid and left (no tip though, but they dont really tip in australia either). So needless to say, I will be using my 7 dollar pasta sauce on my 99 cent, store bought noodles this week! Oh well… YOU LIVE AND LEARN!
Tags: In Australia!
Traedogg
July 31st, 2005 at 12:05 pm
Hey Trae~
Sounds like your having a really good time and Im glad to hear it:) I love reading your creative little entires. You are such a good descriptor and your stories make me laugh. I hope you enjoy your pasta sauce…savor every bit:) I love you and miss you! Talk to you soon!
August 3rd, 2005 at 7:56 am
Traci,
This made me laugh! That is sooo something that would happen to me. Like you say, you live and learn. You are learning so much about a whole new culture. You will probably end up picking up some of their habits.
Today I have to take Emily to Children’s Hospital for a consultation with a specialist. No worries though. She is now on medication and is pooping on her own. This specialist is just to try and help us figure some things out. Emily is getting sooo smiley now. I don’t know if your parent’s told you that they babysat my girls last Saturday. Lauren had such a good time.
Miss you and love you,
Heather
August 3rd, 2005 at 3:43 pm
Hi Traci,
You can come to my house and I will make you some Marinara Sauce for a very nominal fee – only $6.00!! Despite all of the things that are different in Australia, I’m just glad you speak the same language. It just proves to me that when foreigners come to this country, they must think we have strange habits too.
Grandpa played ball this morning and suffered an agonizing extra inning loss- much like the Brewers did last night. (I’m just glad he survived the heat as it is over 90 degrees again today.) By the way, can you keep up with the Major League baseball scores over there? Is Nick keeping you informed?
Don’t want to get too “wordy” but wanted you to know I enjoyed your new pictures and didn’t have any trouble accessing them. (It is quite a long address though!) It is worth it because I could set it up to see them in a slideshow presentation and able to pause or go forward and back.
Take good care of yourself – or did I say that about 100 times already. You can bet I will keep it up too!
Love you Traci
Grandma