That makes perfect sense. My previous machine was a Rancillio Sylvia v3. I hated it... (too picky about grinds and very poor temperature control that requires you to tem-surf or install a PID on it. Too much for that price point). It did however had great steam wand. How did you attach it to the Gaggia? They do sell a "latte art" Panerello wand but it is black plastic and my machine is all chrome and brushed stainless and it will look horrible... taking off the current wand and use the steam arm would have worked if only the arm was longer.
When I bought the new wand, it came with a small adaptor to allow me to attach it. Otherwise it was just a matter of unscrewing the old one and screwing in the new one. I'm surprised to hear about the Sylvia, I heard they are a great machine if not a bit fiddly as you say. Also that you really need a good grinder to get the best out of it.
One problem with Rancillio wand on the Cubika, which may not be there on other models, is that the new steam wand is quite long and I need to mount the machine up a bit higher so I can get the milk jug under the wand without tilting it and spilling milk everywhere. I used a couple of old books that were the same size as the base. Another problem is that it tends to run out of steam, literally. The Cubika has quite a small boiler - is yours a Cubika or another model?
btw I uploaded an old closeup I had of the new steam wand, this should give you a better idea:
Edit: the shop that supplied the wand and the adapter and o-rings was Di Bartoli, at
http://www.dibartoli.com.au/ . The owner there is very helpful and I'm sure if you rang he'd be able to assist, even if its only information regarding your model.
Further edit: Here is the page to the actual part itself, with the adapter:
http://www.dibartoli.com.au/product/Rancilio_Silvia_Steam_Wand_with_FittingThe problem is only the other way around. ...
About the stamp: Israel realize you may have problem traveling to these very few countries with which it has no ties. They have an official policy of NOT to stamp your passport (just ask when you hand it over in passport control). Usually if they see Syria and Malaysia stamps they will probably suggest it to you as a courtesy anyway. Instead of stamping it, they will just give you a note that you present back to them when you leave the country (then throw it in the trash). I have never heard of them refusing it but I have heard of people handing them American passports and not asking for a no-stamp receipt so they stamp it.
I happened to speak to two other Australians this morning, one had just come through Israel and his experience was good, smiles and all. He showed me the card that they stamp. The other however told me about his mother here that had been to Israel, trying to enter Syria, and although she didn't have any stamps in her passport she did have a small sticker that they place on the back cover which she forgot to remove, and she was promptly refused entry. Another friend told me that he asked not to stamp his passport, but they forgot, which meant he had to go through the hassle of replacing his passport to allow him to travel around the middle east. So yes, the issue may be the other way around but it's real and exists nonetheless.
Anyway I came here to talk about cheese, not politics! Forgive me.
What are the most popular cheeses in Jordan and Syria (except Labaneh of course)?
Most of the cheeses I've seen are imported, apart from something they simply call "white cheese", which is sort of like fetta but softer and not quite as salty, usually sprinkled with black seeds. And this other white stringy stuff that's sort of wrapped in a ball. Sorry for my dodgy cheese terminology! I'll learn as I go along. After seeing some of the awesome pictures of the cheeses people have made on this forum, I'm quite excited about attempting a few myself.
cheers
sam
