Christelle in Australia

November 02, 2004

Lazy Day and Work in Redfern

Yesterday was just a lazy day at home. I did some laundry, wrote my travel stories on the computer to put on the Internet and watched television. I was sleeping by 21h30!

Today I was still sleeping at 8h10 when the mobile phone rang to ask me if I wanted some work. It was in Waterloo, near Redfern, just South of Sydney. I accepted although I would end up with just 3h30 of work at most with the shift ending at 13h. I got there at 9h45 and made lunch: rice with chicken and vegetable mash for the babies. I did not like the place very much... There were cochroaches everywhere! Although they were smaller than usual (1,5-2 cm) it was still gross! I opened a cup board and a roach would run away. I opened a drawer to get a spoon and a roach would try to hide. I grabbed rice in the pantry and a roach was on the rice pack! YUCK! I had to work 10 minutes extra to finish the cleaning up and they did not even seen happy I did that...! The woman just signed my sheet and did not say anything. I don't to go back to that place again...! At home, I designed a new page in Photoshop for my concert review website. I will put it in HTML when I get back home in Montreal but it's looking good I think! I also watched some televison: Mad About You, the Melbourne Cup coverage (big horse race) and Deal Or No Deal.

November 04, 2004

Work in Balmain & Quick Stop in Sydney

Yesterday I got called at around 10h asking me to work in Balmain, the suburb where I live! I was excited! I then asked Andy if he knew that particular address number on Darling Street and he did! It was about 10 minutes away on foot. I worked from 11h45 to 17h30. I started with the 3-5 year olds and then after lunch I went to the nursery. I waited about 45 minutes and as the children were waking up, my duty was to change their diapers, or nappies as they say here. Thankfully, only 2 out of 9 children had pooped! After that I played a bit with the babies outside and comforted one who kept crying. Then I was asked to come back to the older kids' room. They were playing outside so I supervised them there. A lot of them were very sweet, they adapted to me very quickly compared to the children in Glebe. At 17h30, I walked back home. I watched some television and had nice dinner.

Today, I got up at around 8h30. I had a shower, got dressed, surfed the Internet, watched television. At around 11h, I phoned my boyfriend back home in Montreal and we talked for a little while. Then I went to take the 12h30 bus number 442 to the city. I was going to buy an extra compact flash memory card for my camera. I saw on the Internet one 256 MB for 60$. I went around in a few stores in the city but they only quoted prices way above that! At the store that I had seen on the Internet there was a surprise! When I asked the price for the exact same item as on the Internet, they said it was 98$! I told the guy about the Internet price and then he checked on the computer. He saw I was right. I told him: ok then, I will go home and order it online! He went to check another computer, talked to a guy, and returned saying he'd give it to me for 60$. That was more like it!!

November 04, 2004 Continued

After that, I went to the food court and had a little minced beef pie for 3,70$. It was good, but salty! I liked the crust though! Then I went around to take a few photographs with my new compact flash card. I saw the State Theatre and many buildings on George Street. After I stopped at the IEP office (the ones who arranged my visa, tax file number, etc and where I can use the Internet for free). I just went in to sit a minute and why not surf a bit at high speed for free! I was checking my Gmail and saw an email from Brag, a free music newspaper in Sydney. I opened it and it said I had won!! I had entered a competition (sending an email saying who I'd put in my dream band) and had won a DISSOCIATIVES DVD. It is worth about 25$! It's features a band that Daniel Johns from silverchair made with a friend of his. The DVD has the video clips and a live performance! I was so happy! I never win anything!! Well I won that!!! I have to go pick it up in Chippendale on working hours/weekdays. Maybe I'll go tomorrow! After I came home at about 14h40. At 15h, I watched Mad About You and then went to the supermarket. I bought many things (cereals, milk, Ritz cookies, muffin mix, cheese, Nutella, can of salmon for sandwiches, oranges and some more anti-cochroach spray). Then back home, I made the blueberry muffins while watching television.

November 05, 2004

Slow Day with Rain

This morning I got up at around 9h. I came downstairs and surfed the Internet a little bit. I also watched the TV5 French news at 9h20. At around 11h, I went to shower. Then at 12h, I watched a "housewife" movie on the Hallmark channel. It was rainy outside so I did not feel like going out to get the DVD I had won, but at 13h45, I was waiting for the bus at the stop. Getting to the Brag office was pretty simple and within a minute I had my prize and was back on my way home. I was at the bus stop waiting for bus number 433 on Broadway near Glebe Point Road (the road where the bus turns on). I spotted the 433 in the schedule for that stop, so I thought it was fine! But then I saw the 433 go straight and stop on Glebe Point Road near Broadway!!! I was like %*##&@!! Why the hell do they put the bus in the schedule if it does not stop here but further away on that other street!! I was so mad! It was cold and rainy! I made my way to that other stop. I was really not happy... And then 8 minutes later another 433 bus came!! I was happy again! Usually they come every 20 to 30 minutes. I arrived back at the house and decided to vaccuum the kitchen a bit because I felt full of energy. After, I watched a bit of the Dissociatives DVD I just picked up. Half way through I was tired of listening so I switched it off. Andy installed the quick Internet on the new computer. It's really nice, but I think mine is quicker. This still is GREAT compared to dial-up!! Tonight I feel a bit like being home in Montreal. I feel like being in my things and sleeping in my bed! I am still glad I'm in Australia though! I can't wait for next Monday when I leave for the Northern Territory and the Red Centre!