Food Fulfilled
The system here is simple. Every couple of weeks, everyone at Mornington fills out an Excel spreadsheet with what they’d like from the store. It all goes in one big order, which, on arrival, is carefully doled out according to who requested what. Overall, it runs pretty smooth.
Trouble is, though, you don’t know how much anything costs until after you’ve bought it. So, I was a bit surprised to find that Gatorade powder mixes were $12 each; with five of them, I spent $60 on Gatorade alone! Same goes for sports bars, which are apparently $5 each, so I threw down approximately $50 on Powerbars.
The day before our order was processed, the grocery store rang up Mornington Station with a few questions, most of them about items I’d requested. They were very confused about “peanut butter flavored snack bars,” of which I’d ordered 20, until the clerk learned that I was American, and burst out laughing over the phone. “That explains it!” she cackled. “Oh, and what are black beans?” Australians, it seems, haven’t caught on to black beans at all, and don’t even know what they are. Overall, though, I was very pleased to restock my supplies. Let the eating begin!
Just smear some Vegamite on your energy bars and it will taste as awful as peanut butter. Surely, one of your Aussie colleagues has Vegamite.
I tried vegamite when I was there. It is, er, unique.
Noah, your photos and tales suggest that there is plenty of water in the Kimberleys now. Has the water situation improved in Aus lately? It was very bad in December.
Hey Noah-
We have been following your blog and really enjoying your posts. Our family met you (finally) at Gaston looking at the Hooded Oriole before you went to Australia. Anna is going to Japan and we are sending a lot of peanut butter so we can relate. Pam, John, and Anna.
Hi Pam – Ha, yeah, can’t live without peanut butter! I remember you and the Hooded Oriole – nice, snowy, cold memories of that bird… Cheers!
Hi Laimons – Oh yeah, we have a tub of “communal” vegamite in the kitchen. Nobody has touched it since I’ve been here… not even the Australians! Unless they’re eating it in secret. Nasty stuff. Can’t live without peanut butter, though!