What if your friend’s Show and Tell turned into a trip across the world…without ever leaving the classroom? 🌏 In this episode, Sergio discovers Australia one artifact at a time — each adding a new sound, a new story, or a big laugh. From strange-tasting breakfasts, to games you’ve never played, to music you can feel in your chest, and even a hat that battles buzzing flies… by the end, all the pieces fit together into one unforgettable Aussie adventure. Download the Flash Cards HERE: https://downloads-accent-explorer.pages.dev/activities/TAE_QuestionstoChewOn_9up.pdf Directions for Flash Cards HERE: https://downloads-accent-explorer.pages.dev/activities/QuestionstoChewOn_Instructions_TAE.pdf
What if your friend’s Show and Tell turned into a trip across the world…without ever leaving the classroom? 🌏
In this episode, Sergio discovers Australia one artifact at a time — each adding a new sound, a new story, or a big laugh. From strange-tasting breakfasts, to games you’ve never played, to music you can feel in your chest, and even a hat that battles buzzing flies… by the end, all the pieces fit together into one unforgettable Aussie adventure.
Download the Flash Cards HERE:
Directions for Flash Cards HERE:
SERGIO: Hi there. It’s me, Sergio. The Accent Explorer. I hope your week has been filled with fun adventures and surprising sounds. Are your fingers still a little greasy from Ms Sallie’s super yummy sausage balls? Mine are…and I’m not even mad about it. If you tried making the recipe, get your grown up to send me a message on Instagram @TheAccentExplorer and tell me all the delicious details.
You might’ve noticed it’s a little …shhh….quieter today. That’s because Mimsy isn’t here. She’s got super important mockingbird business to take care of. She IS a mockingbird, after all. And do you know what makes a mockingbird really special? They don’t just sing like other birds… they copy sounds all around them: croaking frogs, chirping birds… even screeching car alarms!
And Mimsy? She’s one of the best I’ve ever met. She listens closely, remembers everything, and always brings back the coolest sounds. That’s why she’s the perfect co-explorer… just like us, she’s curious about all the ways the world sounds.
Right now, Mimsy’s back at her tree, guarding nests, singing sweet songs, and keeping the backyard safe…basically, being the superhero of the neighborhood. But don’t worry, she’ll be back soon. And I can’t wait to hear what new sounds she brings with her.
In the last episode, I teased a mysterious wonder from Australia… something wobbly, a little bit silly, and a whole lot of fun that made me fall in love with Australian culture. Today, I’m spilling the secret and sharing some super fun, super easy ways you can explore Australia from wherever you are…even in your pajamas.
But first, let’s hop in our time machine! We’re going aaaaaall the way back to my childhood. Right after I met my friend Hikaru— the Japanese boy from Episode One. If you haven’t heard it yet, you should go back and listen after this episode. But for now… close your eyes, …and listen.
SERGIO: It was a wet, rainy Wednesday morning. My class was gathered in a cozy circle for Show and Tell. Hikaru sat beside me, with a beetle book in his lap, waiting for his turn. But up first was my friend Luca. Now, Luca didn’t just talk – he performed. Sometimes, he got so excited, he’d even sing his sentences. And on this day, he was extra excited. His family had just returned from a magical trip to Australia, and his tote bag was bursting with treasures.
First he showed us a jar of mysterious, thick food spread. “Vegemiiiite (singing)”, he sang. He told us that kids eat it on toast for breakfast, on fresh rolls for lunch…and then some would even have it in soup for dinner! That’s a lot of Vegemite! Then Luca leaned in and whispered like it was a top-secret mission: “If you put this on toast…whatever you do…spread some butter first. I learned that lesson the hard way! My whole face did the sour lemon squish.”
Then, Luca reached into his tote and pulled out a hard red ball. “CRIIIICKET BALL!” he sang, holding it high like a trophy. Hikaru gasped. “Cricket?! What?? Where? I LOVE crickets.” He ducked and peeked under his chair. Luca giggled. “Not the bug….the game!” Hikaru sat up slowly. “Oh! Still cool.” We learned that cricket is one of the most popular sports in Australia—plus other countries like England, India, and South Africa. Later at recess, Luca even taught us how to play!
Next came two wooden sticks “CLAPSTICKS (sung)”. Indigenous Australians would use these to create music. They’d tap them together—TINK! TINK!—to keep rhythm during songs and chants. The sound gave me goosebumps. It was like hearing the heartbeat of Australia, thumping right through me. I’d never heard anything like it.
Finally, Luca reached in and pulled out something totally unexpected. “COOOOORKK HAT!” he sang, plopping it on his head. A corkhat is a hat with a brim that goes aaaall the way around your head, and hanging from that brim are a number of strings with corks tied to the end of them. Luca laughed as he explained that there are so many flies in Australia, that your arm gets tired from always having to shoo them away. But if you’re wearing one of these hats; a little shake of your head … and (SFX: mouth “pop pop”) bye, bye flies!
That cork hat wobbled on Luca’s head, and the whole class laughed. By the end, my brain felt like it had just taken a mini-vacation across the world. Australia wasn’t just a faraway country anymore, it was a place I wanted to see, taste, and explore for myself.
Once I got home from school that day, I called my Aunt Izzy on the phone. If anyone could tell me even more about Australia, it was her.
“Aunt Izzy”, I asked? “What do you know about Australia?”
AUNT IZZY (Over The Phone): Australia is the ONLY country in the world that takes up a whole continent! And get this, Sergio… it’s the sixth biggest country on the planet, but more people live in jTexas than in Australia! It’s full of amazing landscapes…red deserts, coral reefs, tropical rainforest…and animals you can’t find anywhere else. Sergio, I think you would LOVE it over there. Maybe you should try to visit one day.
Then, before she hung up, she told me one more thing.
AUNT IZZY (Over The Phone): If you really want to get a taste of Australian culture …literally…you should try to cook an Australian recipe at home.
This was all I needed to hear! As soon as we said goodbye, I marched down to my local library and found a cookbook with a recipe for a traditional Australian pie. Now these pies aren’t sweet like yours or mine. They don’t have apple or pumpkin in them. They’re packed full of hot meat and savory sauce. With my parents’ help, I followed the recipe, popped it in the oven…and WOW! It was delicious! I never knew pies could taste like that! I even read that if you go to a cricket match in Australia, most people in the crowd are eating meat pies. It’s kinda their all-occasion, all-day super snack. That got me thinking… if meat pies are such a big deal at cricket games, then …cricket must be a pretty big deal too.
The more I thought about it, the more curious I became. So next, I headed back to the library and found a book all about the game. I plopped down on the carpet, flipped it open and BOOM! Page after page about huge stadiums, buzzing crowds, and flying cricket balls. One picture showed a stadium so gigantic, the crowd looked like rainbow sprinkles on a cupcake. That stadium? The Melbourne Cricket Ground—one of the largest in the entire world. It could fit my whole school… times a thousand… and still have room for a platypus parade!
My favorite librarian, Ms McLaughlin, smiled when she saw me reading. She could tell I was really into it. My eyes were wide, and my mouth kept whispering “Whoa!” every time I turned the page.
A few minutes later, she handed me a little flyer about a Night Market near our house. She said that people from all over the world set up stalls (like little mini shops) filled with food, clothes, and fun things from their country. And guess what? There might even be an Australian one too!
That was all I needed to hear. On the walk home, I had an idea. What if I brought along some little question cards (things I’d been wondering about Australia) so I could ask someone if I met them? That night, with my parents’ help, I wrote a bunch, like “What’s the yummiest thing your grandma used to make?” and “How do you say ‘hi’ where you’re from?” I tucked them into my pocket and went to bed buzzing with excitement.
The next evening, we headed to the Night Market…and I even got to stay up past my bedtime! Glowing lights hung above the stalls, bouncy music floated through the air, and the smell of yummy food drifted in from every corner. .it was like the whole world had set up camp right in our neighborhood. I saw one stand from Malta selling crispy pastizzis (pass-tit-zees). Another had my favorite sweet treat from Japan…hanami dango on a stick!
And then…there it was. An Australian stall! Right out front sat a wide-brimmed cork hat, just like Luca’s. I hurried over, plopped it on my head, and… WOW! Perfect fit.
That’s when I heard a voice behind me…
AUSTRALIAN VOICE: She’s a beaut, that hat.
SERGIO: I turned around. There stood a man about my dad’s age, wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Big smile. Twinkle in his eye. His name was Gary… and he was a real life Australian. I couldn’t believe my luck. I asked if he could answer a few questions about Australia.
AUSTRALIAN VOICE: I’m an open book! Go right ahead, little fella!
SERGIO: Mom and Dad stood beside me as I pulled out the little stack of question cards I’d made, my secret weapon for discovering new places through the people who live there. Gary leaned in, grinned, ready to share. With each card I flipped, it felt like unlocking another piece of Australia: a new story, a funny memory, even a sound I’d never heard before.
And, hey Explorer…want to try it too? We’ve made a set you can print at home! Use them with a trusted grown-up….at a festival, a family party, or even at school with new classmates. You’ll find the question card link in the episode description. Just print, cut, tuck them in your pocket, and see what you discover.
Now back to the story… It had been only a few days since Luca’s Show and Tell, but I had already learned so much. My curiosity helped me meet new friends, taste new foods, and discover a whole new corner of the world. As Ms McLaughlin always said, ‘Discovery is the paint that colors our world.’ And you never know where that next splash of color might come from.
Speaking of which, before I say goodbye to you today, my friend from Peru, Ms Rita just left me a voicemail. I’ve been getting some pretty exciting invites lately, so maybe this is another? Should we listen in?
RITA: Hola Sergio. Hola Mimsy! I just finished cooking up a batch of Ms Sallie’s sausage balls. Mimsy, I wish that recipe did make a million sausage balls because I would have eaten ALL of them. Sausage balls just might be one of my all time favourite dishes! But there’s still one other dish that I like EVEN MORE than sausage balls. It’s a Peruvian sandwich cookie called “alfajores peruanos”. I think you would both love them just as much as me. So I was wondering whether you would want to come over and help me make some? Let me know!
SERGIO: Peruvian sandwich cookies! That sounds amazing. Even though Mimsy isn’t here with me, I KNOW she’d be all in for that. I’m going to call Ms Rita back and tell her that we would love to help her make her “alfajores peruanos” …and you can come along for the adventure. Because cooking food from around the world is the most delicious form of discovery. Have a great week and keep exploring!