EXPAT LIFE IN AMERICA: Right now, it is summer, and one of the busiest times of the year for town celebrations and events in New Jersey, and elsewhere in the US. As this is being written, it is just one week after the American monster party of the year for the July 4th holiday (Independence […] Continue reading → 
LIVING IN NEW JERSEY: When you think of American High school, there are lots of images that are conjured up from TV shows, movies and news stories that have been shown around the world including in Australia. Shows such as ‘Mean Girls’, ‘High School Musical’, ‘Heathers’ and ‘Clueless’, help to develop biases and pre-conceptions about […] Continue reading → 
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: OK this is one of my whinge-fests. I haven’t done one of these for a while so I hope you will indulge me and keep reading. At least it does me a lot of good, to get this off my chest, so here goes. Like many people, I hate shopping for […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: The first hint that my Australian accent might not be ‘easy’ to understand for Americans, came on our second day here. We were in a CVS chain pharmacy, and I was searching for a cheap mobile phone. As there was nothing I could see instore, I asked a shop assistant where I could […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: My teenage son has just turned 15. This is a major milestone in his life. Sure, you could think it’s because he would be starting Year 10 at school if he was in Australia or for several other reasons. But these are not the real reasons why turning 15 is a milestone. This […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: Tipping in the USA has to be one of the most confusing things to deal with for the new inexperienced expat. There are no exact guidelines and it’s no exaggeration to say there is a huge amount of variety in local behaviours, traditions and practices. And here lies the difficulty. As an […] Continue reading → 
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: If you haven’t heard of charter schools, then you are missing one of the most interesting debates in public schooling, at least here in the US. ‘Charter Schools vs. Public: Is One Better Than the Other?’is just one article amongst many education news stories, that continue to grab parents’ attention. […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: Electrical goods are a compulsory part of modern life. Who amongst us would seriously think of life without a TV, computer, coffee-maker, electronic toothbrush or hairdryer? Being very honest, that only covers about a tenth of the items I use that need electricity to run. Yes, I am no minimalist when it […] Continue reading → 
FAMILY FUN IN NEW JERSEY: April is a bit of a milestone month here in New Jersey. While spring officially started in March, it doesn’t start to feel like it until this month, when snow falls and freezing cold weather start to become distant memories. Although it is not the warmest month of the year, April […] Continue reading →