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Having been here just over 3 months I was feeling charmed. I had seen nothing of great danger. Well apart from the storm drains which I am terrified of falling down. A break in the weather this afternoon meant a dry walk to collect the small people from school. We get there. I free Charlie from his buggy so he can go run around with his mini pals. I take a call on my mobile. After getting off the phone I see Charlie in a dusty corner of the playground shelter and go to fetch him. Hes pointing at something. A bloody spider. Now I know nothing of spiders here other than I don't bloody like them. This one however has a red stripe on its back. Now call me a fool but that to me means RED BACK. That means a bloody nasty bite that can kill although there have been no recorded deaths for some years these Aussies keep telling me. I snatch baby and strap him back in just as first Kidlet is released from his classroom. Mrs Stewart his teacher sees me looking antsy. As parents disperse I grab her arm in a pleading fashion. "Mrs Stewart I don't know anything about your wildlife but can you tell me what that is?" "Ohhh Its a bloody great red back!" she explains. "Can you stand there to make sure no one goes near whilst I fetch someone to deal with it" and off she goes.
Now I don't do spiders. In fact up until A certain Scottish friend of mine gave me some relaxation things to do I was inclined to scream and run and generally make a tit of myself. That was just with your common British house spider. Here I was faced with guarding a Bloody Aussie legend AND not letting on what I was doing. I watched it not that it did a lot but I wasn't taking my eyes off it just in case it decided to launch an attack. I even took a photo. Thank all things holy she was quickly back with a man. "you can move away now Mrs B" he chirruped. No idea if they said anything else. I was off quicker than a sprinter out of the starting blocks.
I feel deceived. In all the emigration books on all the Australian soaps they show sun sand and sexy people. What a lot of crud! I am sat on my bed tapping away at the keys on my lappy freezing to death. I am wearing a nice woolly jumper and fluffy socks and still I feel chilly. The average Australian home does not have central heating. Nor do they have double glazing. Its been bucketing down for hours. When it rains here it really rains. Now OK the incessant sunshine does get wearing but hells teeth a jumper in February in Australia?
If I ever achieve my dream and build or renovate my own home here I know one thing. I will budget for double glazing. It will keep the 5am chorus out if nothing else. I shall also incorporate heating.
Daniel the eldest child had his Birthday yesterday. He has been hugely excited at the thought of a sunshine filled day as opposed to the usual UK wash out. You guessed it. Yesterday it rained from dawn till dusk. I was fully expecting the house to float away. More birthday hiccups the husband had to work late. By the time he rolled through the door at gone 7pm the kids and I were ready to eat each other. So we ordered take out and had Dans birthday cake. Then the small people where ushered to bed. Still Daniel did not complain. with his DR who DVDS and his I-pod he was one happy little solider.
I however see his entry into double digits as a turning point. He no longer wants plastic tat and toys where you can spend a pittance and have a mountain of gifts. No we have no entered the age of hi tech High cost and tiny piles. An era has ended for Daniel but it seems only I view it with sadness although I am sure my bank manager feels my pain.
So I haven't updated for a while. Real life has a habit of getting in the way. The kids have started back at school. Which is great. It means adult conversation at home time for me. Its amazing how much diffrence speaking to unrelated adults can make. The kids have settled back in well. I cannot get over how much homework they get though! Much more than back in the uk. I have started to get chatty with a few of the mums. Ones been round for a drink and chat. She also gave me some summer clothes. How lovely is that? Well it would be apart from they are a size 18!! Bloody hell I was a bit gobsmacked to say the least.
Saturday gone we had a child free night. The lovely in laws took the kids for the night. We were supposed to be attending a doof in the bush. Neither of us fancied it so Gal called a taxi and had it drop us at Bar beach. Stunning! Then we had a walk up the main drag for something to eat. Yum I can still taste the soup. We spent the rest of the evening in a bar with friends of Gals. Had a ball and felt like something other than a mum. Amazing what a night out can do.
The news has been full of tragedy. Floods to the north bush fires to the south. Theres been a few bad fires here in NSW but nothing like whats happened in Victoria. Whole townships wiped from the map. Great loss of life. They think they where started deliberately a concept i cannot get my head round. My heart goes out to those affected. My admiration is with those both paid and volunteers who have fought this hellish fire.
