Of all the things to see and do, I couldn't believe grocery shopping was at the top of the list.
As a matter of fact, my friends from Australia had two major requests upon arriving here in the Midwest: A visit to Piggly Wiggly and the John Deere implement dealership.
A visit to the latter made perfect sense. The John Deere corporate logo is a big-ticket item in Australia. It is fashionable, even. As we wandered the store, Belinda made the comment, "I can't believe the prices here in America. I can literally buy a toy tractor and pay to have it shipped to Australia for about half of what it costs off the shelf back home."
At the request of the Aussies, we then made our way to Piggly Wiggly. Of all the grocery stores, why that one? "Because it's so American." Apparently the Pig pops up now and again in movies and television, and is a requisite destination for certain tourists.
Although they would only be in the Midwest for three days, Andrew, Belinda, and their two boys had purposefully planned their visit to coincide with the Fourth of July - the archetypal American holiday. To celebrate my country's independence and to give them the most authentic experience possible, I threw a traditional-style barbecue. Little things, like brats, hot dogs, and even ranch dressing are not featured items at a typical Australian table; nor are junk food essentials like Oreo cookies, Golden Grahams breakfast cereal, and Ruffle's potato chips.
I always find it fascinating to discover the types of things not available elsewhere; small items that might be taken for granted, even if it happens to be junk food. By the way, this is a two-way street. Australian candy uses cane sugar as a sweetener, as opposed to high fructose corn syrup. Whereas I might ship cereal and chips to my friends, they return the favor with gummy candy and Australian rum - quintessential fair trade.
During their visit, I wanted my friends to feel at home so one day we dined at Boomerang Bakery, just off the southwest side of Monroe's Square. Joanne Weeden had thoughtfully created a typical Australian meal, which included a cold salad starter, meat pies and sausage rolls for the main course, and pavlova and lamingtons for dessert. The experience went above and beyond in its attention to detail; Joanne had even thought to provide us with tomato sauce. There is no ketchup in Australia - just a peppered, spicy condiment called "tomato sauce," which is not for the faint of heart.
Finally, we closed out the Fourth of July by visiting Twining Park in Monroe. We took in a performance by the Monroe City Band as it performed a medley of classic American tunes. I can't think of a better experience than watching director Randy Schneeberger conduct Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" as a lead-in to Monroe's fireworks display.
Without question, the best part of having my friends come for a visit was how comfortable you made them feel. In the brief time they were here, many individuals went out of their way to welcome the Aussies to the American Midwest. I wanted to point this out because I made no formal announcement prior to their visit. Word travels fast in a tight-knit community, which is refreshing - it is nice to live in a society where people still care.
And, it is worthwhile to point out the quality of the experience in bringing foreign guests into this community for a visit. Our lunch at Boomerang Bakery was exquisite - I have not enjoyed such an authentic-themed meal since I actually lived in Australia.
The performance by the Monroe City Band was nothing less than professional. On a serious note (no pun intended), music is one thing that America does better than any other culture (contemporary pop and hip-hop notwithstanding). Realize that the Monroe City Band, which is comprised of talent from within this very community, regularly puts on free concerts to the public. As I enjoyed the show with my friends from overseas, I heard the comment more than once, "Wow - this is incredible; we don't have anything like this back home."
Sadly, we only had three days in the Midwest. The boys wanted a true American Independence Day send-off, so I took them into town to purchase fireworks. Our last night in Monroe was designated to include a light show of cheap pyrotechnics - another strictly prohibited item in Australia. I joked to Belinda that I knew a guy who was friends with someone who could locate us some "real" fireworks - the illegal stuff that launches fireballs high into the air, and perhaps even some dynamite. Shockingly she said NO. I swear mothers ruin all the fun, no matter what country they are from.
As the boys made their purchases at the fireworks tent in Monroe, they struck friendly conversation with the kindly lady behind the counter. Loving their accent and wanting to welcome them to America, she even gave them a discount.
I thought of the incredible hospitality my friends had been shown here in the Midwest. I also knew where we were headed: The next day we were scheduled to board a jet plane bound for New York City. I warned:
"Enjoy those discounted fireworks. Once we get to Manhattan, no one will care where you are from."
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Tuesday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
As a matter of fact, my friends from Australia had two major requests upon arriving here in the Midwest: A visit to Piggly Wiggly and the John Deere implement dealership.
A visit to the latter made perfect sense. The John Deere corporate logo is a big-ticket item in Australia. It is fashionable, even. As we wandered the store, Belinda made the comment, "I can't believe the prices here in America. I can literally buy a toy tractor and pay to have it shipped to Australia for about half of what it costs off the shelf back home."
At the request of the Aussies, we then made our way to Piggly Wiggly. Of all the grocery stores, why that one? "Because it's so American." Apparently the Pig pops up now and again in movies and television, and is a requisite destination for certain tourists.
Although they would only be in the Midwest for three days, Andrew, Belinda, and their two boys had purposefully planned their visit to coincide with the Fourth of July - the archetypal American holiday. To celebrate my country's independence and to give them the most authentic experience possible, I threw a traditional-style barbecue. Little things, like brats, hot dogs, and even ranch dressing are not featured items at a typical Australian table; nor are junk food essentials like Oreo cookies, Golden Grahams breakfast cereal, and Ruffle's potato chips.
I always find it fascinating to discover the types of things not available elsewhere; small items that might be taken for granted, even if it happens to be junk food. By the way, this is a two-way street. Australian candy uses cane sugar as a sweetener, as opposed to high fructose corn syrup. Whereas I might ship cereal and chips to my friends, they return the favor with gummy candy and Australian rum - quintessential fair trade.
During their visit, I wanted my friends to feel at home so one day we dined at Boomerang Bakery, just off the southwest side of Monroe's Square. Joanne Weeden had thoughtfully created a typical Australian meal, which included a cold salad starter, meat pies and sausage rolls for the main course, and pavlova and lamingtons for dessert. The experience went above and beyond in its attention to detail; Joanne had even thought to provide us with tomato sauce. There is no ketchup in Australia - just a peppered, spicy condiment called "tomato sauce," which is not for the faint of heart.
Finally, we closed out the Fourth of July by visiting Twining Park in Monroe. We took in a performance by the Monroe City Band as it performed a medley of classic American tunes. I can't think of a better experience than watching director Randy Schneeberger conduct Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" as a lead-in to Monroe's fireworks display.
Without question, the best part of having my friends come for a visit was how comfortable you made them feel. In the brief time they were here, many individuals went out of their way to welcome the Aussies to the American Midwest. I wanted to point this out because I made no formal announcement prior to their visit. Word travels fast in a tight-knit community, which is refreshing - it is nice to live in a society where people still care.
And, it is worthwhile to point out the quality of the experience in bringing foreign guests into this community for a visit. Our lunch at Boomerang Bakery was exquisite - I have not enjoyed such an authentic-themed meal since I actually lived in Australia.
The performance by the Monroe City Band was nothing less than professional. On a serious note (no pun intended), music is one thing that America does better than any other culture (contemporary pop and hip-hop notwithstanding). Realize that the Monroe City Band, which is comprised of talent from within this very community, regularly puts on free concerts to the public. As I enjoyed the show with my friends from overseas, I heard the comment more than once, "Wow - this is incredible; we don't have anything like this back home."
Sadly, we only had three days in the Midwest. The boys wanted a true American Independence Day send-off, so I took them into town to purchase fireworks. Our last night in Monroe was designated to include a light show of cheap pyrotechnics - another strictly prohibited item in Australia. I joked to Belinda that I knew a guy who was friends with someone who could locate us some "real" fireworks - the illegal stuff that launches fireballs high into the air, and perhaps even some dynamite. Shockingly she said NO. I swear mothers ruin all the fun, no matter what country they are from.
As the boys made their purchases at the fireworks tent in Monroe, they struck friendly conversation with the kindly lady behind the counter. Loving their accent and wanting to welcome them to America, she even gave them a discount.
I thought of the incredible hospitality my friends had been shown here in the Midwest. I also knew where we were headed: The next day we were scheduled to board a jet plane bound for New York City. I warned:
"Enjoy those discounted fireworks. Once we get to Manhattan, no one will care where you are from."
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Tuesday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
