International Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
In China and had an exciting find tonight
So, I made it to the Suzhou! I am actually pretty surprised at how quickly I adjusted to the time change this time around. Last time I felt like it took me a lot longer. Anyway, tonight we went out for a late lunch early dinner and DH showed me a really nice grocery store. I am a total food nerd so I am probably a little more excited about this than I should be, but one of the things I was worried about with this whole move was being able to keep up with cooking and my food blog. Seeing this store made me feel pretty confident that I can make a lot of the things I want to.
What sorts of small silly things were you excited to find when you first went international?
Skyping with my kitty cat 
Re: In China and had an exciting find tonight
Kids' flavored toothpaste. Seriously, I made a point of checking out local drugstores when we came on our househunting trip in the fall because we had a terrible time during a trip to Argentina last March finding anything but mint-flavored toothpaste. I spent 10 days battling with DD every morning and night to brush her teeth because I made the stupid mistake of not packing her toothpaste from home for that trip.
That's probably the smallest, silliest thing. I consider food sacred, so no food find for me is small or silly! My one very good friend here in Paris made me Cuban-style black beans yesterday (I'm Cuban) and it was one of the most amazing things I think a friend has ever done for me.
I guarantee all the INs have probably felt this way about something!
I remember being so excited to find Perrier in Saigon in 2001. It was ridiculously expensive at almost $10 for a 1 litre bottle, but I bought it anyways because I had been feeling down. It was so good.
That's funny! I have a hard time finding mint flavoured toothpaste for M. He hates the bubble gum or fruit flavoured ones!
I remember finding Rice Krispies at a grocery store and being positivly giddy because I could now make Rice Krispy Treats.
That said, I haven?t seen RK in a few years, but figuring out that cornflakes work just as well and taste pretty yummy made my day.
Glad you made it! All of us get the food thing.
When I first got to Italy I was silly excited to find a lady at a tabacchi who, totally taking pity on me, would load my cellular credit for me. No way I would have figure out that card thing. She did it every time so I almost exclusively bought my credit there.
Food-wise, I was silly excited to figure out which grocery store locally (20-min away, but hey) carried fresh ginger. Not a popular item with Italians. When asking around, many didn't even know what I was talking about. Lot of that was due to being in a small town with almost no ethnic food variety.
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
I'm trying to remember the little things that made me happy when we first got here.
I remember the very first night in Doha when we discovered that there was a Burger King, and that they delivered, since we didn't yet have a car! It was definitely a sign that I was like, maybe this isn't a terrible decision :-P
I know we're spoiled in the way of American/Oz goodies, and I think like you, just being able to find the ingredients to bake let me know I'd be okay :-)
Hope you continue to find a few more little things to help you adjust! :-)
Dave & Jennifer 10.18.08
My Doha Adventures
Adding to the fun...
went to brunch this morning with some American women and one of them had Trader Joe's coffee with pine nuts. It was the closest thing I've had to the hazelnut drip coffee my dad always made that I've had since we've moved! It was soo good!
I love the difference too. I much prefer the European Coca-Cola. But I'm weird and can tell the difference between the Mexican and the European version.
I only drink Diet Coke in the US. The regular version tastes terrible here.
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
Oh, I remember those awesome finds! In Shenyang there was a western (ish) store in a tiny wealthy little development called Riverside - whenever they got something new all the expats would call each other and rush over -they'd be sold out within hours. Cream Cheese, Cool Ranch Doritos, Mountain Dew...
I remember shedding tears of joy over an over an obscure Frosted Flakes find at Metro ( Mei De Long ). I don't even like frosted flakes but I bought 4 boxes ( as much as I could carry ).
In the UK we get all stupidly excited over A&W Rootbeer at the local Chinese supermarket and Kraft Dinner at ASDA!
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
It's so fun having people that can relate!
In the interest of full disclosure I should add that the things I was MOST excited to find in the store were cheese and butter and brown sugar.
They also carried import Sprite and Coke, but what I really wish they had was imported American Diet Coke. The Diet here taste like day old open can Diet back home. I actually think I like the Sprite here better.
UK girls, they did have Diet Coke imported from London, can anyone tell me if it tastes like American Diet Coke?
When I moved to Norway from China: Frozen pizza!
That was the moment I realized I had returned to the Americanized western world. It was like the sky opened up and red-white-and-blue angels descended with trumpets and fireworks. I think I nearly fell down on the floor of the grocery in tears over the processed cheesy convenience. PS - Germans make awesome frozen pizza! I love you, Germany!
Honestly, pickled pork was the one thing I found at the grocery store that told me I might be able to live here forever. I had the hardest time finding pickled pork outside of New Orleans. And red beans just aren't red beans without pickled pork (or a ham bone) for seasoning. It took me another four months to find the dried red beans, but I was so overjoyed to find pickled pork. Real maple syrup was another happy find.
They really do. I still dream and daydream about the Dr. Oetker Quattro Formaggi pizza. That was so delicious.
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
I was SUPER excited to find reeses mini peanut butter cups at Costco - a 4 pound bag of them!!!! you can buy them at a lot of places here, but they are SO expensive, this big bag was a good deal
I am considering buying a $10 box of plain cheerios from an American import store here though - gawd why don't they sell those in the stores here??? its SO weird! we get multigrain, honey & oats, etc, but no plain *sigh*
I did buy the big box of real Cheerios at the American import store here. I use them to make a savory snack mix (like Chex Mix) and the only kind I have found in stores here have a sweet glaze on them, which burns when I cook them. I indulged in a big box of goldfish crackers too. It's a dangerous place to be.
I had it on a flight once. From what I remember it tasted really similar. But I have to agree with you on Coca Cola Light. That stuff is nasty.
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
I went to the usafoods.com.au in Melbourne. I had thought about mail order, but we were heading to Melbourne for a long weekend anyway, so we dropped in the store. I went a bit wild. On an earlier trip to Melbourne, we happened upon Thomas Dux Grocer, and they have a very nice US import section.
I'm out in rural Victoria and the only imports we get locally are Hershey's bars at the fish & chip shop. When we're in Melbourne and I have time, I check out places that look promising for imports.
hahahaha. But seriously, I consider it a supreme act of self-control that I don't eat frozen pizza every day. I haven't tried it in other European countries - is it that much worse? How is it different?
I remember being ecstatic when I found out that a grocery store in my town, and coincidentally the one that is now closest to our apartment but at the time was a 15 min bus ride and 20 min walk away, had Old El Paso Mexican stuff. The Germans have a brand called Fuego which is pretty good but really, really expensive. All of the Old El Paso stuff is also good and at least 1? cheaper. Paying 3? for a can of baked beans always really hurt.
This grocery store also has a little tiny American section in their international aisle, so if I really wanted to I could get Smores Poptarts, BBQ sauce, Newton's Ceasar Dressing (I've seriously considered that before), American frosting, etc. Usually I'm too cheap, but it's nice to know that I have that to fall back on if I ever have a bad bout of homesickness.
I've really only tasted Norwegian and German. And I'm sorry Norway, but Jarlsberg does not belong on pizza. That's weird.
Mostly I just compare Dr.Oetker to the frozen pizza you could get in the US, and I find it vastly more appealing. That could be because I like veggies and "real" ingredients on my pizza, and so many of the US versions use weird fake and super-processed toppings.
I've been buying Dr. Oetker for years now. Had it in Canada and now have it here in SA.
I served it once at a party we had as a cocktail dish (all cut up in bites) and people LOVED it. Including Italians.