Adios, Canberra!

Well, Wednesday was officially my last day in Canberra. It’s been kind of neat being out somewhere different in the country. Too bad the rest of my jobs are all in the city! Although there is a lot to be said for being able to hop on the bus and/or train and not sit in traffic every day!
So everyone in the office knew it was my last day there, and they were super nice to me. I think they were trying to get rid of me… No, they have been nice the whole time. But it was just interesting to see how they all kept coming around to see what else I needed from them. And the client sent me off in grand fashion. Just when I thought it was going to be another boring day, there was some excitement about an hour before I left. I was sitting at my desk at the client, and I have a straight shot to the reception desk, which has a plastic window barrier. (Like a doctor’s office.) So people come up, if not one is there, they ring a bell, and then someone from behind me goes up to help. Well, I looked up, and there was a woman frantically waving at me from the lobby. I gestured towards her to wait a second (so I could find someone), and that made her even more frantic. About this time, the receptionist was walking back to the desk, and opened the window.
Apparently there was someone who had fallen down in the middle of the campus and appeared to be having an epileptic fit. He had hit his head and was bleeding a little. So the receptionist called for an ambulance, and the controller had jumped up from sitting next to me and went out to check on the guy. He was back two minutes later – they couldn’t find him. They went to search one more time, and about this time, a medic was standing in front of the glass, waving at me. Of course, he looked more like a pizza delivery guy to me. Seriously – I thought he was bringing someone some lunch. He had on sort of a goofy jacket and he was carrying a cooler thing (medical supplies, I guess) that looked like one of those warmer bags for pizza. So I went and found someone to help, and then figured out that he was the medic. Oops, my bad. Of course, he didn’t appear to be in a hurry or anything. So he was told how to get to everyone else, and they were back in less than a minute. The injured guy was gone. I guess he’s okay, but what a weird series of events…
I managed to leave by about 4.30. The drive home was kind of nice, since there was still daylight out, and I could see all around. And, thinking of you guys, of course, I did the total tourist thing and took pictures out of the car window as I drove. Before anyone asks – yes, I was careful! But I passed a bunch of kangaroos on the side of the road – in the usual spot. I got some more photos of those guys for everyone. And the drive home was kind of like driving through the mountains of NC. So I am going to post those photos. I hope you guys enjoy them!
So my funny story for Wednesday for you guys comes from the celebrity news I heard as I was getting ready for work. Apparently, Paris Hilton has turned down a chance to be in a production of Chicago. Hopefully off-Broadway – far, far off Broadway. Why? Because she didn’t want to have to work 6 days a week. Seriously? But the story gets even better… Yes, it’s what everyone has been waiting for – she is working on another album! I’m pretty excited about it. I mean, what could she possibly do to follow up those smash lyrics of “even if the gods are crazy, even if the stars are blind”? I actually heard that she is sticking with the crazy astrology theme. I think her first single off the new album is going to be called “The Moon Is Telling Me To Kill… (My Career).”
Thursday was another interesting day. I had a 2-hour commute into the office this morning. I had to take the hire car back on my way in. Traffic was terrible. And I tried to avoid the city, but the way I went, I ended up driving through God knows where in downtown. What a mess. The roads randomly turn, and then you have to go all around to get back to the right direction. No wonder public transportation is so popular! As I said before – I’m glad to not have to drive anymore!
As part of the commute, I got to listen to the radio for a while. The stories were all about the Olympics, of course. First off, everyone from here is in Beijing. I think every Australian TV and radio personality went over there. I think the flight is shorter from here to there than it is to fly across the country in the US, so everyone just went on over. But the big talk is, of course, Stephanie Rice. She’s the local phenom, obviously. One radio station was interviewing her mom. They have started calling her “The Rice Cooker.” How freaking funny. Of course, her mom’s response was “Can’t we come up with something else? ‘The Rice Cooker’ makes me sound like a fatty!” Her mom was a freaking riot.
Of course, the Aussies are talking about Michael Phelps, too. The most extensive discussion I heard prompted a call-in discussion. They were making fun of his swimsuit, and how he is quick to wear as little as possible when cameras are around. They were making fun of him for showing off muscles, but the most fun they were having was talking about his swimsuit. I had noticed it, too, so it was pretty funny to hear them saying how his suit doesn’t really fit, and that he basically adjusts it to show off the top of his butt crack. Then they had people call in to tell stories about the weird body parts that people show off. I won’t get into all of that conversation, but I like how Phelps has become the butt of several jokes. Literally! HA!
Okay, well, tonight I am heading out to dinner with the North Sydney crew. It’s basically 6-8 of us (all international folks, no locals) who live up in the same general area of the city (about 20 minutes apart), so we decided to get together for dinner. I think there is a new girl who just started, so we are going to get her to come out and meet some folks. It should be fun.
As I depart, I have a couple of gifts for everyone. First off, I have posted a new commercial for your viewing pleasure. It makes me laugh every time I see it. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it!
And the last gift I have for you guys is the return of mX. Woo hoo! Without further adieu, here are your texts and stories of the day…
TEXT VENTS:
“Kransky, is that all you Kiwis have, the All Blacks? I guess so because you live here.” – Ledge, The Woy
“What’s the go with brown paper drinks on the way home? Are you guys that desperate for your alcohol? Get help.” – Jim, Blacktown
“On Sunday, there was a guy sharpening his chef knife on the train. What the hell was he thinking? Does the train camera work, anyone?” – Beb, Liverpool
“Apart from Australia, are any other countries competing in the Games? Judging by the TV coverage, one wouldn’t think so.” – Karen, Merrickville
STORY OF THE DAY:
Okay, I have two stories today.
This first one I think is funny and appropriate because I am watching these freakishly strong girls doing weightlifting at the Olympics as I type. I can't tell if this story is funny or sad...
Suspicious-looking female athletes are being forced to take a sex test at the Beijing Olympics. Chinese authorities have set up a "sex-determination" laboratory for these tests. And, of course, these tests will be performed with the "utmost delicacy." Tests include blood work to examine sex hormones, genes, and chromosomes for sex determination. The reason why they need these tests? Because carrying out physical exams "could provoke a negative reaction from athletes."
The second story just made me laugh, because it proves that someone is always out there to prove a stereotype correct. Apparently some engineers building tunnels for railway trains built one too small for a train to fit through. It was discovered by the inspectors. But this place also had trouble earlier while trying to build a tunnel to divert truck traffic. The tunnel ended up being too low for the truck to fit through. And where do these brilliant engineers live? Yep. Poland.