Royal Adelaide Show

First, a couple of life updates: still working on permanent job, but for now, I am also exploring the exciting world of "mystery shopping." It's not going to be much money, and may not be worth the time I spend on the report, but it is some extra cash, and if I am ever able to line up several jobs for 1 day, it will be worth it. My first one is this Sunday, and I will be spending a maximum amount of 10 minutes in the store. I will let you know how it goes.
I have been spending most of my free time the past week outside reading in the wonderful springtime sun. Benefits: 1) I am not spending money 2) I am reading 3) I am developing a base tan.

Yesterday I went to the Adelaide show with Sarah, Emmanuel, and an American who was only in Adelaide for one day named Taylor. We picked Taylor up at the airport around 9am and then ran a couple of errands, including getting a Subway lunch to save money and some drinks and snacks to have at the show (remember from the older post about the Gawler Show that "show" means "fair"). We found a place to park for free and bought our tickets (we went on a day that if you arrived before 1pm, adults could pay children's prices- sweeeeet.) We bought admission to this thing called the "Yellow Brick Road," which leads you around the fair to different booths, where you will be given free things.

We spent the first couple of hours winding in and out of different exhibits and filling our yellow brick road bags. We also went into the show bag area, a concept that was foreign to me and will be to Americans as well. Show bags are these souvenir bags you can purchase. There is a huge warehouse full of all kinds of show bags, most of them being some type of candy or toy, so as to attract kids and make them beg their parents to buy the bags.

Around lunch time, we decided to go check out the wood chopping and watch the competition while we ate our sandwiches. We picked a good side because we were right in front of the guys who had the longest handicap times, so they had to wait the longest to begin, and they were by far the best at wood chopping. Check it out!

 

 

It had started to rain a little, so we were all cold. We got some coffee and teas and continued our tours of the inner exhibits. We visited all the dogs and cats (they have dog and cats shows and allow people to walk through and look at all the animals). We also watched a reptile show and saw a rabbit "jumping" competition (jumping in quotes, because I was first impressed that rabbits could be trained to jump hurdles, but after watching a few minutes, I realized rabbits cannot be trained to jump hurdles, and when placed in front of a hurdle, will occasionally jump over it out of sheer luck). We then toured the 'Taste SA' tent, sampling all kinds of goodies and picking up some to have for dinner later. Taylor and I demanded to have a dagwood dog (corn dog) before we left, so we grabbed one, as well as a Farmers Union Ice Coffee (of course, famous in South Australia) before hitting the last couple of exhibits.

 

Sarah and Emmanuel had aqua massages (haha),

then we checked out the last warehouse on the way out. There were tons of booths selling things like clothes and shoes and toys, almost like a market. This is also different from our state fair at home, where you can only really get junk at the fair, not actual clothes and stuff. Emmanuel had been coveting flying helicopters all day, and Sarah bought him one since he was so good today, haha. He was so happy!

 

We stopped by the grocery on the way home for a couple more things, then went home and created a feast of mettwurst (like summer sausage), crusty bread, brie, Camembert, Bojangles fries (which I made, and everyone devoured, I think a field trip to NC for some Aussies and one American from Montana is in order...) kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil and dips and red wine- so good!