Some More Australia Questions

wise_rita

Here are a few more questions for the ladies Down Under!  The theme seems to be wardrobe, so anything you can tell me about that would be appreciated!

-Have you donated blood there?  Anybody know the requirements for foreigners?

-Since it's so hot, how often do you wear jeans?  How many pairs do you own/actually wear? 

-80% of my shoes are tall boots that I wear over skinny jeans.  I probably shouldn't bring all of them, should I?  

-Are bare legs under skirts usually accepted in a professional setting?  I imagine wearing hose is the worst thing ever in the heat/humdity.

-Do they sell sunblock in the spray can form, like in the US?  I'm sure they do, I just hate the kind you have to slather on in cream form. 

aMrsin09

wise_rita:

Here are a few more questions for the ladies Down Under!  The theme seems to be wardrobe, so anything you can tell me about that would be appreciated!

-Have you donated blood there?  Anybody know the requirements for foreigners?  Not a clue. 

-Since it's so hot, how often do you wear jeans?  How many pairs do you own/actually wear? I wear jeans in the winter months.  I own 4 pair and wear them all between May - Spetember

-80% of my shoes are tall boots that I wear over skinny jeans.  I probably shouldn't bring all of them, should I?  Here is an Australian thing I just can't get get my head around.  All of the Aussies (men and women) I knew, prior to meeting H and after I met H, tell me that boots that come up to the knee are considered to be CFM boots.  H was shocked to see American women wearing them to work.  Yet, we'll be having this conversation while following a public bus, on a public street with a billboard on the back for the adult toy store in town

-Are bare legs under skirts usually accepted in a professional setting?  I imagine wearing hose is the worst thing ever in the heat/humdity.  I have to wear a uniform to work, but the women that work for the airport management do wear stockings.

-Do they sell sunblock in the spray can form, like in the US?  I'm sure they do, I just hate the kind you have to slather on in cream form. Yes!  And they sell bug spray that is up to 80% DEET so it actually works!

GilliC

Butting in...

Can you tell me about donating blood in Norway? I like to give away my red matter. 

wise_rita

I've never done it, actually.  I've always donated when I went back home.  However, that will soon be over because I think once you've lived abroad for 5 years you can no longer donate in the US (at least with the organization I go to).

wise_rita

aMrsin09:

All of the Aussies (men and women) I knew, prior to meeting H and after I met H, tell me that boots that come up to the knee are considered to be CFM boots. 

 No way!  Even if they're not 6 inch heels?  All mine are flat.  

Do you find this as well, other Aussie ladies? 

CFM = come fvvck me (that took me a second to figure out!)

dorothyinAus

wise_rita:

-Have you donated blood there?  Anybody know the requirements for foreigners?

I was medically disqualified from donating blood in the US so I never tried here.  I  know when DH came back from the US last year, he had to wait a certain period of time to donate blood and they ask about where you have been and how recently each time you go.  He has an appointment at the end of the month, I can get the information then if you would like me to.

aMrsin09

wise_rita:

aMrsin09:

All of the Aussies (men and women) I knew, prior to meeting H and after I met H, tell me that boots that come up to the knee are considered to be CFM boots. 

 No way!  Even if they're not 6 inch heels?  All mine are flat.  

Do you find this as well, other Aussie ladies? 

CFM = come fvvck me (that took me a second to figure out!)

Even if they aren't 6" heels. 

At first I thought they were referring to the 6" heel, mid thigh high boots.  But nope, just up to the knee.  When we were shopping for boots in Europe, H kept vetoing every.single.pair.  Then I remembered my previous conversations about boots and pointed out to him that there were no boots available below the knee and he relented to being married to a harlot. 

 

wise_rita

dorothyinAus:

wise_rita:

-Have you donated blood there?  Anybody know the requirements for foreigners?

I was medically disqualified from donating blood in the US so I never tried here.  I  know when DH came back from the US last year, he had to wait a certain period of time to donate blood and they ask about where you have been and how recently each time you go.  He has an appointment at the end of the month, I can get the information then if you would like me to.

Please do, yes!  I love donating blood.  It's easy for me and you get free cookies!

 Signed, 

Fatass McGee 

allibally

wise_rita:

-Do they sell sunblock in the spray can form, like in the US? I'm sure they do, I just hate the kind you have to slather on in cream form.

I hope they have this for you. I won't put sunscreen on any other way. Goes on fast and dries almost instantly. I always brought it with me to Switzerland. They have a aloe one to for when your burned. Makes it so much easier to apply!

AmericanInOz

wise_rita:

Here are a few more questions for the ladies Down Under!  The theme seems to be wardrobe, so anything you can tell me about that would be appreciated!

-Have you donated blood there?  Anybody know the requirements for foreigners?

don't know 

-Since it's so hot, how often do you wear jeans?  How many pairs do you own/actually wear? 

yea i have a bunch of pairs - i guess maybe you won't need them as much in Brisbane, but there are still 'coolish' days when you can wear jeans. (although I buy all of my in the US - SO SO expensive here!!)

-80% of my shoes are tall boots that I wear over skinny jeans.  I probably shouldn't bring all of them, should I?  

I wore my tall flat boots a lot this winter over skinny jeans - but only for a few months, then it got too hot to wear them. I'd bring a few! tall boots are very 'in' in Sydney - that's for sure - I just walk so much I had to buy some flat ones - I don't think I have worn my tall boots with heels at all since moving here 3 years ago

-Are bare legs under skirts usually accepted in a professional setting?  I imagine wearing hose is the worst thing ever in the heat/humdity.

In Sydney I don't really see it, its quite a professional dressing city - most people don't even wear open toed shoes to work.

-Do they sell sunblock in the spray can form, like in the US?  I'm sure they do, I just hate the kind you have to slather on in cream form.

yes i think so....

Knitty

Have you tried asking on essentialbaby? It's a sad indictment of cheap broadband, but you'll get a definitive answer on the best wardrobe for Brisbane.

As far as donating blood http://www.donateblood.com.au/

http://www.donateblood.com.au/become-a-donor/am-i-eligible-to-give-blood

All I know is you can't have lived in the wrong countries to be allowed to.

AFAIK, the tall boot thing is FNQ only. I've never heard that. Over the knee are definitely FMBs.

bail229

wise_rita:

Here are a few more questions for the ladies Down Under!  The theme seems to be wardrobe, so anything you can tell me about that would be appreciated!

-Have you donated blood there?  Anybody know the requirements for foreigners?

 I haven't donated blood here, every time I think about it I was on some sort of fertility med or something. 

I could totally be making this up, but I feel like there is some issue if you lived in the UK for a certain amount of time or something like that.  I could definitely be wrong though.  I'm sure you can google the Red Cross (Australia) and probably find some info.  

-Since it's so hot, how often do you wear jeans?  How many pairs do you own/actually wear? 

I wear jeans all weekend during the winter/fall months.  As someone else said, I buy them all when I go back to the US because they are so much cheaper there.  

-80% of my shoes are tall boots that I wear over skinny jeans.  I probably shouldn't bring all of them, should I?  

Hmm, I have seen people wear them here, but definitely not as much as in the US.  I just attributed it to the weather not being as cold.  I have certainly worn them over jeans and with skirts as well.  

-Are bare legs under skirts usually accepted in a professional setting?  I imagine wearing hose is the worst thing ever in the heat/humdity.

I wear skirts without hose at my school in the suburbs, but I have no idea about business offices.  

-Do they sell sunblock in the spray can form, like in the US?  I'm sure they do, I just hate the kind you have to slather on in cream form. 

I know they sell the pump spray kind (but you still have to rub in), but I think you mean the kind that would be like hairspray right? I'm not sure, I'll have to have a look the next time I go to the store. 

aMrsin09

Knitty:

AFAIK, the tall boot thing is FNQ only. I've never heard that. Over the knee are definitely FMBs.

Since we haven't met before, I'll assume that you don't know that my H is from Perth (WA) and most of the Aussies I knew before him are from Sydney and Victoria.

So please, when I say something you don't agree with, stop attributing it to being "FNQ only"  

Knitty

aMrsin09:

Knitty:

AFAIK, the tall boot thing is FNQ only. I've never heard that. Over the knee are definitely FMBs.

Since we haven't met before, I'll assume that you don't know that my H is from Perth (WA) and most of the Aussies I knew before him are from Sydney and Victoria.

So please, when I say something you don't agree with, stop attributing it to being "FNQ only"  

Even the "I'm not racist but all aborigines are dole bludgers"? Look, most of what you get from your husband sounds like typical bogan tripe, I'm being nice attributing it to place rather than class, so I wouldn't complain if I were you. 

aMrsin09

Knitty:

aMrsin09:

Knitty:

AFAIK, the tall boot thing is FNQ only. I've never heard that. Over the knee are definitely FMBs.

Since we haven't met before, I'll assume that you don't know that my H is from Perth (WA) and most of the Aussies I knew before him are from Sydney and Victoria.

So please, when I say something you don't agree with, stop attributing it to being "FNQ only"  

Even the "I'm not racist but all aborigines are dole bludgers"? Look, most of what you get from your husband sounds like typical bogan tripe, I'm being nice attributing it to place rather than class, so I wouldn't complain if I were you. 

I never said that and I dare you to find where I did.  In fact I can be quoted as defending that Australians aren't all racist.  You were the one that told me I was kidding myself If I believe that. 

And yes, my husbands family is Bogan.  We both admit that.  But the rest of my friends from here are all sailors.  Oh wait ... I'm sure what they tell me doesn't count either because they are just "posh snobs". 

No one can win with your "I haven't lived in Australia for at least 6 years" self, so you can just keep it in the US where your husband has planted you.  You have enough b!tching to do about the US, so that should keep you busy during your time there.

wise_rita

Well that got interesting.

Thanks for the info, ladies. 

gblake

Wise_Rita, I think you got some good info. The only thing I'll add is, I wear jeans sometimes. I'm not in this season. It's hot as hell. But when it cools down I do. DH works in an office where the dress code is pretty lax, so I'm no help there. When I worked I never saw women in pantyhose.

On a side note. I think your posts will always bring Knitty out to comment with her very outdated view of Australia. I would imagine she hasn't lived or visited here in 20 years given her misinformation.

mrshooi

Knitty Dahhhhling, love, (depending on how long you have been out of Australia depends on if you get that!)  please tone some of your Aussie stuff down, I have no idea who you are, if you are Australian yourself or just lived there for a long time but your views can come across as outdated and plain wrong IMHO.

I have seen you comment on numerous posts about Australia and just rolled my eyes while hoping people don't take you seriously.  As I am sure you are an expert in all things Australian you would therefore understand that it is a big country filled with many different types of people, culture and race, it is dynamic and constantly changing even places so far reaching as Darwin, Katherine, Cairns and Mackay (FNQ/NT enough for you!) have a cafe, restaurant and cosmopolitan scene these days, sure it is no Melbourne or Sydney but they aren't trying to be.  Heck have you seen Townsville in the last five years?  There are a broad range of people living in those places, I once lived in a shitty mining town in Central Qld and wore knee high boots there without drawing any attention to myself, people change.  Once wearing knee high boots in these areas would have drawn all sorts of the wrong attention but these days people have electricity and pay TV and access to all sorts of channels that let them know what is going on.

Sometimes it would pay to preface your posts with, "well when I lived there X years ago it was like this but times are a changin".  

j_jaye

Mrshooi is correct- CFM's are perfectly acceptable to wear anywhere. Ive woren mine to church (shock horror). I think its the differing mind set- sexuality is not as taboo in OZ as it can be in some parts of the States.

As for the blood donating check out the red crosses website (linky). A pp mentioned the UK thing and they are correct. If you lived in the UK between 1980 & 1999 then you may not be able to give blood.

I own heaps of jeans and wear them all the time but not during a QLD summer- for me that is just to hot but DH who grew up in QLD can handle jeans in summer so I think it is just up to your heat/humidity tolerance.

I don't wear hose under skirts in summer but that is entirely dependent on your work place- social settings do what you like (weddings/events you may even find no one wears them). I personally would never wear them out to dinner etc during summer (unless they were the suspender type for a treat for DH!!!)

Aussies are fairly casual dressers. For example most government departments have casual Fridays and in the case of DH's department event the head honcho comes in in board shorts during summer!

And just to add there is a little bit of bogan in everyone! At one stage in Australian social history if you owned a pair of ugg boats then you were labelled a bogan!