Trying Vegemite

Being All Things To All People

One of the things I have learned as a missionary is that one should be open to all things. This is probably one of the reasons why I have become so progressive (or liberal) in my thinking.

When I was in Albania and Kosova, I tried Turkish Coffee. Coffee beans are ground to a fine powder, boiled in water with sugar, and then poured with grounds into an espresso cup. Powerful stuff and definitely not "good until the last drop!" However, it was delicious. In fact, beforehand I was a tea purist. One could say that I was a "tea-totaler." One phrase that was helpful to me which I learned in Albanian was "me shumë sheqer" (with lots of sugar).

Living in Germany, one dish that I really loved was mett. Mett is raw, spiced ground pork, usually eaten on bread with chopped onions. It was delicious! Yes, I got no trichinosis. Germans prepare the mett fresh and it is only allowed to be served the day it is prepared. I still remember when I was a lieutenant in Dortmund, Germany and writing back to friends and family back in the United States about my experiences, Commissioner Nancy Moretz personally wrote me to warn me against eating raw pork.

I had been speaking with many friends of mine from Australia regarding Vegemite. They kept extolling its virtues and taste and many of my American friends, save one, told me of its horrors. So I told my friend, Allyson, that I would have no problem trying it.

So she sent me a jar of Vegemite, SAO crackers, and Tim Tams. This is what happened. (My youngest son, Gabriel, makes an appearance, too.)

Now, in all fairness, my wife said it would have been funnier if she had been filmed. Shortly thereafter you see the quintessential American reaction.