Killer Magpies

Ok ok its been a while but I have been busy trying to focus on the positives. But now I have been abruptly alerted again to just how different Blighty and the land down under are.

On the very picturesque walk to work in the morning, past the tall pines trees that run along side the sea I noticed a new sign had been pinned up to the tree.
'Magpies nesting so they may fly low.' How lovely I thought, the joys of spring. A couple of days later a fairly old man came flying up the path waving his hands around saying the magpies were flying low, this seemed a tad of an energetic response to nature at work and why wasn't he standing around watching. I was to find out.

The following day I was trundling along (running a tad late) and noticed it was just me about on this beautiful morning. The next thing I know a roaring wind passed by my ear, literally pulling the back of my hair up, as I looked around wildly I noticed a magpie immediately to my left getting ready for another 'low flight', i.e. attack! The bird god dam went for me again, by now I am squawking myself and running and waving my arms as fast as possible towards the end of the path!

I reported this, surely one off, to my colleague upon arrival at work. They all, in the insanely laid back way, smiled and looked knowingly that surely everyone knew this was what nesting magpies did. Flying low - apparently normally means swooping and then to my further horror started discussing the various injuries they and their friends had sustained as these birds of prey normally aim for your ears and eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ask you in olde Blighty we are happy to see them and salute them! Now I walk along the picturesque path with a big black brolley up for protection!

P means Permissive (parking rules in Sydney)

So for the first time we now have wheels in Sydney (thanks to a friend who is on holiday) and this has opened up a whole range of week-end opportunities. So far many of the opportunities have included getting lost, paying tolls and getting seriously confused by where we can park!

Gone are the days of double yellow lines and signs telling you pay at the meter or even a metal pole which swallows coins by the gallon allowing you to park in twenty minute slots. Now we have 1P or 2P with various times and descriptions of the area this applies to, here's an example:
2P
Tower Hill
07.00-18.30
MON-FRI
07-12.00
SAT-SUN

This would mean you have permission to park for 2 hours within the hours described, if you have a permit for the area (Tower Hill in this case) there are not any restrictions. (1P would be one hour etc).

The arrow indicated the direction of parking - this all sounds simple enough until you take into account the same road can have several different restrictions, which change at some unknown point. Not to mention there are various lines and no stopping signs that seem to conflict with parking sign, we quite often see a no stopping sign next to a parking sign (like the one above). While I cannot provide any definitive answers there is a parking rules guide that has all the details http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/rulesregulations/downloads/parking_rules-guide.pdf

Taxis - otherwise known as cars that charge outright extortionate rates and have to be directed by you...

So it has been a while in my quest to find out more about my new home city and it terms of geography, this hasn't been to the thanks of taxis (with the exception of one who I will come to later!)...

So my first real run in with taxis was in the lead up to Christmas - yes taxis are bad anywhere at this time of year, this took things to a new level.

We had our Chrimbo party, the chicks from work and I (who live on the north side of the hood) had pre-ordered our cab. At the duly noted time - we took our booties off the dance floor and went to the agreed collection point and waited and waited and waited (you get the point). We rang the company in question who had no recollection of the booking (very helpful) and it would be at least an hour. So we thought (after a few brews) what the hell - we'll grab one on the street. One member of our party (the sensible one) tried to warn us this was unlikely and we were in for trouble - we convinced her to chill - it would be fine (oh how I now laugh at our stupidity!).

We roll out at midnight (not too late really) and so the saga began. We waited at the hotel - none came, we walked to the taxi rank at Circular Quay and patiently waited in line - no taxis came, plenty went past with no one inside but their lights were off (in Sydney it seems they don't have to stop!). Plenty stopped on the corner before the taxi rank and picked people up there. We came up with plan F - back to the office to pick up 'thongs' and get ready to walk into the city to get a bus from Wynyard station (grrrrr - hear teeth grind). We stop at various points along the way and it continues in the same manner - empty taxis with their lights off - not stopping. As we cross another street we see two taxis parked up and the drivers standing by having a chat. We send the sensible one up to ask if they are free, they explain they are taking their break, sensible one says we will wait for them to finish break or pay extra - see dollar sign appear in taxi drivers eyes - one taxi driver says for $25 each they will take us - now individually this is a bargain but the actual journey should have been between $40-50 and this chap was charging us $100! We were none the less grateful to at least be in a cab!

There have been many opportunities since then, where, just when I thought I couldn't, I have become even more exasperated. I have been asked to read the map for them and occasionally not asked until after they have got us truly lost, now I don't mind reading the map when you live somewhere unusual or out the way but getting from one side of the city to the other - come on! I have booked taxis during the day and well in advance to be told it is arriving and then it not arriving and having to wait a further 30 mins for a second cab to arrive!

I could go on..

Anyway I promised one encouraging story at the beginning of this blog so here it is.. (its not that great but you have to appreciate the small things when they come along!)

So we were waiting at 15.00 on Sunday afternoon on the Spit bridge after a lovely lunch at Plonk for a taxi back to our gaff. Waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting (see a pattern here). Anyway eventually a taxi (from the Lime company) stopped and asked where we were going - he said he was on a job to pick up, but would take us 4 miles up the road to the entrance to our street, as he was going in that direction (and no one would ever stop for us in that area - not sure why!) - we got to our street, as were getting out we asked 'how much' he replied that he wasn't going to charge us - he was doing us a favour and knew no one would stop, so couldn't just leave us standing there.... I almost hugged the man.

There are no hackney cabs here and the 'knowledge' is a foreign concept but occasionally you do find a good un!

So I am now alive and kicking! The website is up and launched on the worldwide web!

I have a lot to tell the world and but first I am conscious the story of the dentist is yet untold...

Well we never cease to surprised in Sydney (both in good and not so good ways!). This unfortunately was a not so great way.

The husband has an abcess in the mouth so required a dentist appointment, our health insurance company gave us a list of dentists we could visit without parting with any muller.. I booked the appointment and thought I might as well get the knashers cleaned myself! As the day approached I discovered I after all wouldn't be able to make it, courteous pom that I am, I telephoned the said surgery and left a message to inform them that I wouldn't be able to make it after all (we had 2 appointments booked, one for 13.30 and other for 14.00), and that I would like to cancel the 14.00 appointment. The following day they called and left a message to me thanking me for letting them know the 13.30 appointment was cancelled and they would see the other half at 14.00!!!! I called them back within five minutes and told them they had it the wrong way round - we wanted the 13.30 not the 14.00, the receptionist informed me she had already given the appointment away - I explained she should try and contact the other patient and change this as it wasn't our mistake. The receptionist agreed (albeit reluctantly). No more than two minutes later she called back to let me know she could not get in touch with other patient so we would just have to have the 14.00! I guffawed and said she must be joking and again it wasn't our fault they had given the appointment away and perhaps she could keep trying and come back to us later in the day or find us another 13.30 appointment or after work appointment? She very reluctantly agreed to do this. Within 30 seconds she was on the phone again and said I could take the 14.00 appointment or have none - I was astounded and said I had better speak to the practice manager and she replied I could speak to the dentist himself. Hooray - I thought someone who will talk some sense!! It twas not to be - he was possibly the rudest practioner I have ever met, I explained their error, he said that, that was water under the bridge (it clearly moves fast over here this all happened between 09.00-10.00 (am!)), and I could have that or none. I was gob smacked and said he could cancel that appointment and given his attitude I don't think we would have liked him near our teeth anyway! Customer service is an interesting phenomenon at times over here.

Getting ready to launch!

So after a hardnight working on the website I am excited we are nearly ready to launch and I can concentrate on continuing in my quest to enlighten my fellow whingeing poms...

the dentist story to follow and a lesson in logic and customer services.....

Up and running - the first installment

so this it the rest of my life, my new world as a woman of the t'internet!