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: One of the most frequently asked questions from expats when they first arrive is: where to buy furniture in NJ ? Many expats choose not to bring their furniture from home or only a selection. This is in case the furniture does not fit or to avoid unnecessary shipping charges on possibly […] Continue reading → 
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: It’s about now, after 4 months of cold and a seemingly endless number of snowfalls that the locals start to moan about what a pain New Jersey’s winter is, and how they are sick of it. Of course, not everyone feels this way. But even the most avid fans of snow and […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: Shopping in America has always meant for me as an Australian, going to ‘the mall’. Outside these iconic centers of convenient high fashion and merchandise, I knew there were other big-store retailers like Walmart, Costco and Toys’R’Us but didn’t think much beyond these. Well it turns out that these big-box (large) retailers are so numerous in America that it […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: If you haven’t had the exquisite joy of visiting a DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) in the USA yet, then you haven’t really lived. As an expat, I would definitely classify the DMV as an adventure travel experience – expat thrill seeking at its most dangerous. Just mention ‘going to the DMV’ and you […] 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 → 
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: Call me cheesy but I was really hoping to see a white Christmas this year. It’s not that Bing Crosby is my American Idol but like any greenhorn expat from a warm country, having it snow is just special. Things were looking good on the weather front for a while but it just didn’t work […] Continue reading → 
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: As an Australian expat, I come from a country that drives on the left side of the road, so adjusting to driving in New Jersey (NJ) was a challenge in the beginning. Expats may think learning this skill will be their biggest problem to overcome. Well, here’s the lowdown. NJ drivers can sometimes be […] Continue reading → 
FAMILY FUN IN NJ: Not only is the Fall season big here in the US but at the centre of most Fall activities seems to be the unlikely vegetable hero, the ‘pumpkin’. This vegetable is seen everywhere at the moment in New Jersey (NJ), as a decorative item on front porches, in shop windows and indoors, and as […] Continue reading →