What's in a Name?

When I was writing the post about our 2 year anniversary Down Under, I realized I have never really explained how this blog got it's name. Erik and I met in graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, home of the Tar Heels, often referred to as the 'Heels. Carolina's fight song states "I'm a Tar Heel born, I'm a Tar Heel Bred. And when I die, I'm a Tar Heel Dead," and though we were not born in North Carolina, we were "bred" as Tar Heels during our time at UNC. One of the long-time professors in the Exercise and Sport Science Department told a story on the first day of graduate school about how the Carolina blue gravel will "get stuck in your shoes," and once there it will never really go away. Erik and I still have a very special place in our hearts for Chapel Hill, though we have not lived there since 2006.

October 18th, 2003. The day before my 24th birthday. Our first date was 3 days after this (ironically at Outback Steakhouse, an "Australian-themed" restaurant). We were married 3 years and 8 months later!

My other blog also got it's title from UNC roots, as it is a line from Charles Kuralt's speech given in 1993.

"What is it that binds us to this place as to no other? It is not the well or the bell or the stone walls. Or the crisp October nights or the memory of dogwoods blooming. Our loyalty is not only to William Richardson Davie, though we are proud of what he did 200 years ago today. Nor even to Dean Smith, though we are proud of what he did last March. No, our love for this place is based on the fact that it is, as it was meant to be, the University of the people."

The bridesmaids wore Carolina blue at our wedding. Our first dance was to "Carolina in my Mind." You get the point! Anyway, I could not leave our "roots" out of the title of this blog, as we are truly two "Heels" living far, far away from Franklin Street.

Tar Heels win the 2005 National Championship in Basketball!!

As far as "Oz" goes as an abbreviation for Australia, most Aussies do not use this word. They do, however, shorten the name of their country to "Aus," which to the American ear sounds exactly like "Oz." The first time I heard the "Aus" or "Oz" term was while traveling in Europe in 2004 with a bunch of Aussies (when I say Aussie, to them it sounds like I am saying Ozzie!), and the shortened version just stuck. Besides, "Two Heels in Oz" sounds more exciting than "Two Heels in Aus," don't you think?!

Contiki in Florence 2004. 75% Aussie!

Australians do love to shorten the names of things and sometimes I have to ask my coworkers to repeat what they have said because I have no idea what they are talking about. Most of the terms I am quite familiar with now, but occasionally someone will say a word I've never heard. For example, a few weeks ago one of the coaches at school kept using the saying "fair dinkum" over and over again in a conversation. Now I've decided that the closest American equivalent to "fair dinkum" is probably "for real"; i.e. "is he for real?" or "is he fair dinkum?". Learning new expressions/words is always fun, and it is one of the highlights of living abroad. I'll leave you with a few of my favorite Aussie slang words!

Cuppa = a cup of tea/coffee
Hoon = a person who is driving wildly or street racing
Bikie = someone who rides a motorcycle
Rellies = relatives
Cos = romaine lettuce
Ta = thank you
Bub = baby
Arvo = afternoon (I actually used this in a text yesterday without thinking twice about it!)
Unco = uncoordinated
Bickie = biscuit (a cookie, not the type you get for breakfast at McDonald's, aka Macca's)
Chook = chicken
Rug up = put on lots of warm clothes
Snag = sausage/hot dog