B.Y.O.K.

I wasn't sure what the food would be like down here. There a lot of similarities for sure, but just as I suspected there are a few things that I will need to adjust to. French fries, or "chips", and fried chicken are available just about anywhere. Indian restaurants, Mexican restaurants and even the gym on campus all have chips. Also, due to the overflow of Asians here, it's never hard to find a Japanese or Chinese restaurant. Curry is a crowd favorite and is added to many dishes. It is definitely hard to make healthy food decisions when the smell of fried chicken is wafting through the air and clouding my good judgement. Luckily I've been able to stick to salads and frequent the gym. One thing that bothers me is the lack of condiment use here. Ketchup is NOT free at the cafe on campus (35 cents for a little packet) and I've yet to see hot sauce or ranch dressing. This may be a blessing in disguise for me, a self proclaimed ranch dressing connoisseur, but it's disappointing nonetheless. My friend Sam, a fellow American and condiment lover, has resorted to buying a bottle of ketchup at the grocery store and bringing it with her when she goes out to eat. Extreme? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.
All of these diminutive differences aren't affecting my life in a terribly negative way, but there is one thing that I will never, EVER adjust to: Vegemite (a fancy and misleading name for concentrated yeast extract). I had heard about vegemite before coming down here, and I knew it was a staple in every Australian household. This morning an Aussie friend of mine suggested I try the enigmatic dark brown goo. The piece of toast with butter and vegemite looked innocent enough. It was reminiscent of apple butter, so when I was expecting a similar taste sensation when I took my first bite. All I can say is, I do not understand the appeal here. It tastes like eating a spoonful of salt, only 10000 times worse and more unappetizing, with a bitter aftertaste. All the Australians in the room were unanimous in saying that they L-O-V-E the stuff and can't live without it. Me on the other hand... I lost my appetite for the day and will never go near vegemite again.