Folks, it's just a boat...

OK, it's not *just* a boat.

It's one of the biggest f-off boats I've ever laid my eyes on. And it seems that the whole of Sydney wanted to lay their eyes on it too.

So Tuesday morning, the Queen Mary 2 (big f-off boat) comes into harbour at Sydney. Not only that, but later on in the evening, the QE2 (big, but not even close to QM2) is also coming into Sydney harbour. Apparently it's a major event. The last time the two boats were both docked in Sydney it was 1941, the second world war was going off and the two boats were part of the British Navy. So the fact they're both here now is a big deal. Oh and being Sydney, it also means that there's going to be a big fireworks event down at the harbour. (hmmm, like New Year, like Australia Day..... anymore?)

But this QM2 it's a stonker, so big though that it can't actually dock at Circular Quay so they have to send it just down the road to Woolloomooloo. (Yes, there really is a place called that - and in fact it's Aboriginal for 'baby kangaroo'.) But I digress. Woolloomooloo isn't far from Circular Quay but between Tuesday morning and Tuesday afternoon literally hundreds of thousands of people have decided they're going after work to see the boats - to see the QE2 and the QM2 pass each other in the harbour..... oooooh.

But anyway, guess where I'm staying?? Yes, about 5 minutes walk from Woolloomooloo. So getting the bus from work wasn't a good idea. My bus has to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge to get home. On Tuesday *everyone* was crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It took me 20 minutes to get about 100 yards - but the bus drivers here are the ones who won't let you off the bus unless it's a bus stop because something might happen to you on the way to the pavement. Nightmare.

But regardless of my trip home (I got the train as it happens) my friend Lee who works in one of the coolest buildings in the CBD got the best pictures of the boat, I'll load one up. And then you can see the boats without having to suffer the crush of Sydney on a Tuesday afternoon. I mean as if it's not bad enough on a normal rush hour....

Cough, cough

This post is a little out of sequence, but it doesn't really matter.

Imagine the scenario - about two weeks ago and all of a sudden I feel like I've swallowed razor blades and I'm coughing all night. All night, every night for a week. (OK, about 4 days, but you get the idea.)

So Saturday morning comes around and I've had enough of being kept awake by my own coughing, so I think to myself; I know I'll make an appointment to see the doctor. It's a reasonable plan - right??

So:

Ring, ring, ring, ring

Docs: Hello! How can I help you?
(notice: (a)It's Saturday and they've picked up the phone - it's not an answering machine and (b)It's not a sarky woman answering the phone like she can't be bothered.)

Me: I'd like to make an appointment to see a GP please.

Docs: OK, well today we're only open until 1pm....hang on let me check......

Me: Cough, cough, OK.

Docs: Could you come in at midday?

Me: (Almost dead from shock, never mind cough) Midday today?? (Thinking, more likely midday in two weeks time like at home - when clearly in two weeks time you'll either be dead or better.)

Docs: Yes, sorry, that's the earliest I can fit you in. (Apologises for not fitting me more quickly!!)

Me: Yes, that would be fine, thank you.

So you see what I'm getting at here??? You could have knocked me down with a feather frankly. Let me just clarify:
Shock number 1: You can get an appointment on the day you ring up.
Shock number 2: They don't scowl at you like you're a walking harbinger of death.
Shock number 3: It was the weekend!!!

So, impressive huh?

And what's more my cough is more like ahem, ahem now rather than the coughing freak I was before. What more could you want from a medical service?

And we're back....

It's been almost two weeks since I last wrote in the blog. Consider that an unannounced commercial break or something......

I don't think I've been up to much, which is probably why I've not written in the blog, but that's also coupled with spending lots of time at work and having no time to access the internet at home.

So let me think - what's news....
- still no flat
- going to see Sweeney Todd the musical on wednesday (I'm not that keen on musicals....)
- this week the weather has been awful, it rained so much on Monday that the dams in the NSW areas have filled up by 3% which is equal to 8 weeks water supply for Sydney.
- I need a haircut and unsurprisingly, I am considering changing my hair colour again. (Deja vu?)
- I think I have discovered here that they've not heard of flexible working, because seriously, the rush hour is ridiculous. Everyone leaves their office at the same time and tries to get on the same train.
- I have also discovered that there's no such thing as chilled 'ready-meals' - which strikes me as a little odd given how popular they are at home. They have frozen, but not chilled. And they don't sell alcohol in the supermarkets either - which is a bit odd. You'd have thought with the number of brits over here looking for a slice of home that M&S would have opened a store selling food - but apparently not. (I mean they've even got M&S in Hong Kong and Singapore, so what's the big deal?)

So there you go.

In other news I've been in Sydney now for nearly two months with only a quick trip to Melbourne at the end of January. If I don't find anything to do in the next couple of weeks this will be the first month since November when I haven't taken a flight and to be honest, it feels a little odd. I feel like I should be planning a trip somewhere.... hey listen to me, the girl who hates flying.....

Blue Bottles

So if I said blue-bottle would you think of a blue-ish looking large fly or would you think of a jellyfish??

I know! Hello Australia! Bluebottles are jellyfish about the size of the palm of your hand, but with stinging bits that are about a metre long, transparent and only a few millimetres thick. And it'll hurt like hell.

When I went to the beach at the weekend they were EVERYWHERE. It was a risk to go in the water. Luckily I wasn't stung though. But then there were kids frolicking in the water without a care - they bring 'em up tough here - honestly they were inches away from them and they just didn't care! But my boss came into work today and he looked like he'd been garotted - but in fact it was a bluebottle sting. Nice.

In other news, I'm still trying to find a flat and today it's raining.

Back to the old routine

So, it's been a week. I've been at work; working.

I have to get out of bed at 7am which is a slight shock to the system after 3 months of having a lie-in. Having to get on the train or bus to work and be a commuter again is also tiresome. But get this. At home, travel to work would cost me around £40 a week - translation just under $100. Here, I can buy a weekly ticket for $35. Hello bargain transport!! I struggle with the whole extornionate prices for transport in London and even more so when every other major city in the entire world manages to offere transport at half the price of less.

But anyway, flat hunting has continued. I saw some at the weekend and they were much improved on Thursday's visit. I saw a pretty nice flat in Potts Point and I'm going to submit a rental application. Mind you from everything I've heard about finding somewhere to rent in Sydney is notoriously difficult. Chances are, even if I submit an application on Monday it will be too late.....

Anyway, must go and get ready, the downside of working is not being able to go to the beach at the drop of a hat.....

Stinking pit of hell.....

Yes, anyone who has ever looked at rental properties will immediately understand where I'm coming from with this one.

I went to see a flat today. It was in a nice area and it wasn't exactly cheap. So I had a level of expectation, you see?? Well I can tell you that what I saw shocked me to the core - OK, I exaggerate a touch, but really....
- the carpet was lifting at the corners and looked like a disturbing number of critters were lurking beneath the surface.
- the bathroom was the kind of thing that would shock even the dirtiest of students.
- the kitchen had a broken window - I stopped looking around that sq metre after noticing that
- the bedroom would make a toilet cubicle look spacious.

On the plus side it didn't actually smell. But it must have been fumigated or something.

Result: Miserable depression. I am going to be homeless and sad for the rest of my life. OK I exaggerate again.....

Waaaah booooooooooo!