whybother?

Whilst in Sydney this week (my final week…YAY!), I spent a lot of time in public toilets. Don’t ask why, just concentrate, ok? I began to wonder about a few things. Why do ladies’ toilets always have really, really long queues? How do you manage that situation delicately? Is it ok to chat to the lady standing beside you in the queue? Or not? When it’s your turn, do you, or do you not make eye contact with the person leaving the cubicle? Is it ok to make a really big stink in there when it’s packed, or should you hold on until there’s no one around? And if you need to fart loudly once you take a seat, is that socially acceptable? If you have no choice other than to make a stink, and there is no air freshener (usually the case) should you warn the next occupant?

All this led to me pondering lift etiquette. My hotel has 18 floors, so I’ve also spent a fair bit of time in lifts. The office buildings I was working in also have lifts. What is the maximum number of people that can comfortably fit in a lift? If there are already four or five people in there, is it ok to jam yourself in too? Or should you wait for the next lift? If you are one of the existing four or five, should you shuffle backwards until you are standing in someone else’s personal space? Or are you simply begging to be punched in the face? What happens if someone with death breath is breathing in your face? And you have to ride more than 3 floors? When entering the lift, is eye contact good or bad? Should you acknowledge the other occupants, or studiously ignore them? If you choose to greet them, should it be a cheery ‘good morning’, or a slight nod accompanied by a grimace? Upon exit, should you say goodbye? Oh, the confusion.

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 

I’ve had a big week. Final week of training. End of 8 weeks with the group. Saying goodbye: with sadness and relief! Everyone promising to stay in touch, knowing the reality will probably be very different! Final assessment (which I blitzed: was there ever any doubt?). Coming to the realisation that now my training is complete, I’ll be expected to know what I’m doing!!!!

I went and saw Billy Elliott on Tuesday night. It was awesome. Really, really enjoyable. If you get the chance to see it, you should! I was really impressed. 

Wednesday night, a group of us went to Scruffy Murphy’s. It was an absolute riot (not literally!). They have the cheapest meals in Sydney: a range of menu items for $5.95. I had steak and chips, and it could not be faulted. I couldn’t even finish the steak! Then there was the alcohol: $3 glasses of wine, $7 jugs of beer…ah, it took me back to my uni days! After dinner, it was time for Drag Queen Karaoke. Oh. My. God. I laugh just thinking about it. I ’spoke’ of toilet etiquette- this was toilet humour, at its finest!

Earlier this month, Mollie attended an open day at her dream high school. Yesterday, we got a letter informing us that she has been offered a place! It’s a big step, because it’s a boarding school. It also costs zillions of dollars a year, but it is something she really, really wants. When we had a look around, we fell in love with it too, so we’re going to do everything we can to ensure her dream comes true. She’s our only child, and it’s really important to her, so why not?

It’s been a huge week, filled with emotional ups and downs. I’m exhausted! I’m so looking forward to everything getting back to normal, now that the travelling to and from Sydney is finally over.