Day 92-98: Sydney (Week 9)
Trip Start
Sep 12, 2004
1
20
57
Trip End
Jan 05, 2006
Sydney,
Australia
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Alarm went off bright and early at 7.30....dear god, don't think I'll ever get used to early mornings again. Shave, shower and.....shampoo and I was wide awake. Looked marvellous in the old shirt and tie combo...scrub up quite well actually. Can't be arsed to walk in the mornings as it'll mean getting up even earlier so got the bus from the end of my road. Left the house just before 8.30 as I had a 9 start and the bus should only take 15 mins...of course didn't allow for the fact that 2 went past completely full....and then when one did turn up there was loads of traffic, think I rolled into the office at 8.59!
First guy I met was one of the blokes who interviewed me, a guy called Peter who turns out is my line manager more or less, he kinda runs the Level 1 Helpdesk team tho it's unofficial. Then I was introduced to the rest of the team, was quite a lot to take in all in one go but there's Claire (English from Liverpool), Dimitri (Aussie), Rob (Aussie from Melbourne), Helena (Aussie), Paul (Aussie, originally from Fiji)....erm and 1 or 2 others that I can't remember right now, plus I met some of the Level 2 guys of whom I can only remember Walter coz he set up some bits of my account. Initial impressions are that they seem a friendly bunch. Most of the morning was spent reading documentation to get me up to speed on the system.
Just 30 mins for lunch so just nipped out, loads of places to choose from in the area tho as I'm in the CBD (Central Business District) so there's plenty of food places to cater for the thousands of office workers around. Can't be buying lunch every day tho so gonna have to bring in a packed lunch or something. There's no canteen or anything, there's not even free tea or coffee!! Though there are vending machines and quite a nice tea/break room up on the 16th floor.
In the afternoon I sat with Dimitri whilst he was taking calls, so I could see the sort of problems they were getting and how calls are logged. Can't really start doing it myself yet as I'm waiting for some systems to be set up and want to familiarise myself with things first. There was a fantastic storm in the afternoon tho, couldn't really see much as the office we're in faces a wall....nice view! :OS Could definately here tho, very very loud thunder and torrential rain. It made the news....apparently in some places there was hail the size of golfballs!
Finished at 5.30 and went straight to the gym for combat. Spoke to the David bloke again and said that i've now got a job so won't be able to team teach or audition with Gabby. He basically said there was no other alternative...which is bollocks really as I could audition anytime...and that it would be best if we chat about it again in January as the classes are winding down for xmas soon....so will give him a nudge then.
After doing the gym thing I couldn't be bothered with walking home coz I was hot and bothered, plus it was really sticky, so waited for the bus....for 40 minutes! So got a taste of the vaguries of the Sydney buses today, could have walked home and back in that time, but what can you do, was too knackered to care...lol.
Just vegged in the evening, after that long hard days work I barely had the energy to make dinner ;O) Back to the grindstone tomorrow....
Tuesday:
Starting at 8.30 for the rest of the week so an even earlier start!!! Yawn.....more joy with the bus this morning so actually turned up 10 minutes early...tsk! Would love to say today was even more exciting but it was quite similar to yesterday. Both the managers were away so no one could set me up on the call logging system so I just sat with people as they took calls, read some more docs...that was about it. Sat with Paul and Helena today....settled in a bit more too getting to know more about people. Paul's a good bloke (as is to be expected) and we had a good chat about various things, he's thinking of visiting europe so wanted some tips and ideas. Also was speaking to Walter who recommended Melbourne as a place to visit, almost everyone has good things to say about the place.
Toward the end of the day I took my first call! Very exciting, well not really, just some woman chasing something she'd already reported. I haven't even got net access yet!!! So can't even waste time on the net...lol, by tomorrow I should think I'll be all set up and ready to go, and if not I'll just sit with someone and take calls anyway, stop me falling asleep in the afternoon!
Did have the intention of walking home until I stepped out of the building and my bus pulled up at the bus stop right outside the door...must be fate a thought so simply had to get on. Nice to get home quickly tho....had to do some ironing ready for tomorrow...eurgh I hate ironing, haven't ironed anything since leaving the UK - one of the joys of travelling! In the evening I popped to the net cafe as I don't have net access to check stuff at work yet, hopefully that'll be sorted soon.
Bumped into Arron online whilst at the net cafe and had a quick chat. Popped into the restaurant on the way home for a couple of drinks too and a catch up as I hadn't seem him for a week or so. Things seem to be picking up with the bar and restaurant and he's off home to Melbourne for Christmas and might be back for the new year...and it's his 29th birthday tomorrow though he's not doing anything in particular for it. Was sensible and got home by midnight....not sure if I'm loving having to get home early in the evening! Just think of the money, think of the money....
Wednesday:
Working day consisted of the usual sitting with people as they took calls to get an idea of the problems and how they're handled. Also took a couple of calls whilst someone was sitting next to me. Team was a little depleted as there were a couple off sick and someone on hols. Worked out what the shift patterns were...there are start times at 7.15, 7.30, 8.00, 8.30 and 9.30 so pretty varied, and basically you do an 8.5 hour day inc 30 mins for lunch and a couple of short breaks in the morning and afternoon. Went to look for a little birthday present for Arron after work, probably a little photography book or something but couldn't find anything, should be going out on a shoot together Thurs night so got a bit of time to find something.
Then went to the Bond St gym which isn't too far from where I work. Carlos was there so had a quick catch up with him....as usual he was extremely flaky, over the weekend we'd arranged to go out Friday, now he's saying he may not be free. Don't understand that...it's a little bit like "Yeah i'm free unless I get a better offer"....or am I just being paranoid...anyway he said he should be free on Sunday night so if he bails again then I think we'll have to have words. Went to a Combat class at the gym...god the instructor is rubbish, I can't believe that David said he's 'happy' with his current instructors when there's someone like that teaching a class. She didn't know the choreography and her technique was appalling. Think I'll definately aim to take over that class when I go to see David early January, would work quite nicely too as it starts at 6.30 and I'm not far from the gym at work.
Bus home and didn't do much other than nip out to the supermarket, how's that for an exciting evening!!
Thursday:
All set up and ready to go...even got net access which is how i'm updating this..woo hoo!!! So started taking calls this morning, luckily so far I've had Notes related stuff tho it's taking me a little while to remember where everything is. The day passed by reasonably quickly without any dramas. Went home via the shops to get Arron a birthday present, a book of B+W photos of Sydney.
He came over about 6.30 and we caught the bus to Bondi Junction to do a photo shoot. Obviously he liked the present, of course, I have great taste, he'd bought me a small box of chocolate macadamias which I thought was nice until he told me that he'd been given them by some tourist rep who visited the restaurant but he didn't want them! Charming....I'm just some chocolate dumping ground.....which isn't a bad thing! ;O)
Can't remember if I've mentioned but there's some really cool xmas decorations in the new shopping centre there so wanted to get some pics of them. When we got to the centre we wandered around for a bit getting ideas for where to take pics. After we'd wandered around for about 15 minutes we settled on a place to start and started to get our kit out...before we'd even had a chance to get our cameras out of our bags a security bloke came over and advised us that we were not allowed to take pictures in the building as it was private property and would infringe copyright!! They must have been watching us on CCTV or something coz it was too much of a coincidence that there was a guard so close who pounced before we even got the cameras out. We couldn't believe it! So that pretty much buggered up the whole point for going there in the first place.
We carried on wandering around and made our way to the food court. We were sure we were being tracked as there seemed to be security guards wherever we turned...lol. Ah well, we had a nice indian in the food court and decided to make our way home and went for a couple of drinks at the Kinselas. Arron headed home and met up with Carlos for one at Stonewall. It was absolutely rammed coz it was the Annual Staff Christmas Show...it was way too busy for me so just had the one and headed home. Remembered tho that it should be the Karaoke Grand Final next Tuesday and I haven't heard anything, think I'll give them a ring early next week. And guess who I bumped into at Stonewall....Jay the Quantas bloke! The one I hadn't heard from for weeks.....he was pretty drunk but said that he'd been ill for a couple of weeks and that it was the first visit he'd had to Sydney since I last saw him. Said he wanted to hook up again but was going home tomorrow, but would be back on Christmas Eve for a day so we should do dinner in the evening....guess we'll see if that happens, but he did seem pleased to see me so will wait to see what happens on Christmas Eve.
Friday:
Called Westfield whilst at work, they said I would have to send a fax to the Marketing Dept explaining what I wanted to do and why and then they may consider giving me permission to photograph inside!! Might give it a whirl on Monday but ain't really that desperate to take a few pictures....all just seems a bit dramatic really, do they think I'm gonna sell them for vast profit to a rival mall??? Also called the agency that I got the job through as I haven't seen a contract or timesheets yet and the first week is nearly over...he's gonna pop over on Monday to go through everything, turns out I have to put the timesheet in on Monday and I'll be paid Thursday so I'll have money next Thurs....yay!
No other significant events during the working day....got the bus home and got ready to go to the cinema with Arron. He's heading back to Melbourne on Monday for xmas and poss the new year so won't see him for a couple of weeks or so. We went to see Deep Blue which is a documentary from 'the people that brought you The Blue Planet'...enjoyed it, no idea whether it's over there yet but worth a look if it is. After that we wandered to the Tilbury Bar on Crown St in Surry Hills as I'd had an invite from Chris from the choir to join him for drinks as it was his birthday yesterday.
Tilbury was a really nice bar, Chris was with a few friends, very friendly and chatty, we stayed there for a couple of hours then wandered up to Oxford St for a couple. It's Harbour City Bears night at the Oxford so went there for a couple and after that went to Manacle as Arron had never been so thought I'd introduce him to it. Didn't want too late a night as I'm going to Sydney Uni for Combat at 9.30 in the morning but in the end didn't get home until about half one, not too late but late enough for an early start.
Saturday:
Bright and breezy 8am start for a Saturday morning, considering I've had early starts all week I didn't feel that knackered this morning, quite perky! Well maybe that's a minor exageration. Had breakfast and chucked some clothes on, 15 min wander down to the bus stop and another 15 mins on the bus to the uni. Ended up just participating in the class, Vincent didn't offer and I didn't ask, feel a little intimidated coz he's a Combat trainer so he's very very good, would rather teach when there isn't someone of that level around! lol....dropped into the net cafe on the way home.
Afternoon wasn't very exciting but was very productive, done some housework, washing, hoovering, etc, read the papers, had some lunch. Late afternoon I wandered down to the Caffe Tropicanna on Victoria St for a cup of tea and to finish reading the papers. Had a nap for a couple of hours early evening to ready myself for a night out. Hit the usual places on Oxford St...Shift, Oxford and Manacle. Bumped into Aron (with one R) at Shift so we caught up and was introduced to a couple of friends he was with. Hung around for an hour or so. By the time I got home it was just before 5....bloody good job I had that nap!!
Sunday:
Obviously I had a little lye in, not that late tho considering, was up around 11. Beautiful day and with no particular plans decided to bugger off to Bondi for a few hours after breakfast. Of course this time I made sure I was smothered in factor 15! Beach was rammed of course, it hit around 34°C mid afternoon, tho I think that was the city temperature, there's a temp gauge on the North Bondi Life Saving Club building and that was reporting 28 so guess it was a bit cooler on the beach. Went for a swim a couple of times...bloody freezing!! I thought the water was supposed to be warm round here, but apparently it never gets really warm around Sydney area....it gets warmer the further north you go. So just chilled for about 3 hours....lots of people watching of course, one of the joys of hot weather and a beach is the blokes wandering around. Topped up the tan a little too but pleased to say no sunburn this time as I made sure I kept re-applying.
Stopped off at Bondi Junction on the way home to do a little shopping....the skies started darkening on the bus home aroun 5pm, oh and the joys of public transport in Sydney!! About 2 mins from the Junction an alarm went off on the bus, the driver pulled over at the next stop and informed us that the bus was overheating and we'd have to get out whilst he went back to the depot and get a new bus!! Marvellous....not much you can do really so just waited for the next one to come along. Finally got home and had a fantastic shower, so nice to get the sand out of everything ;O) By this time it started pissing down, we didn't get a storm but apparently other parts of Sydney did, really strong winds and hail too. Seems like we usually escape where I am.
THe evening was pretty quiet, but then again I'd been out for a few nights so it was kinda nice to stay in. Just whizzed up some dinner and relaxed with a DVD and chocolate...Zoolander, was quite funny. Noticed whilst putting the washing out a huge flock (?) of bats - is it a flock, dunno??....they're everywhere, noticed them on other nights too, seems like they fly over from Hyde Park to the trees round here. So if you're afraid of bats don't come to Sydney!
