New beginnings...

[Dreams]

Great to read your posts. Please post a pic of Lance

[Red]

Here is one I took...

[Stranded]

Thanks for the tears Red!! Your not helping

The Cream Soda part got me, when my hubby gets home and see

a tin of Cream Soda, he knows I needed comfort

a 1L of Cream Soda, he knows I have a problem

a 2L of Cream Soda, he knows He has a problem

Loved your words and thoughts, thank you for sharing

Stranded

[candivw]

I had to laugh at the part where you spoke about being glad to move to your new rental but feeling so sad to leave the neighbourhood you know behind, I am feeling the exact same thing! Eager to move to our own place and get settled but also sad to leave the area i now know pretty well! Only a fellow immigrant can know the feeling.

[Lyn]

Hello my friend,

The best part of your post for me - you are crying happy tears coming from a happy heart. After only two months thats excellent progress.

Take care,

[Red]

I’m hot.

I have a hot husband and a hot child.

We live in a hot house with a hot garden…

And no I am not vain… just really hot. The temperatures here in Adelaide have reached an all time high, and we are experiencing a heatwave second to none… with a recorded temperature of 45.7 degrees on the news last night. My brother sent me a text (note NOT sms)asking what it felt like… and my best description was… ‘Hmmmm… take your wife’s hairdryer, put it on full heat and keep it blasting in your face all day long’.

Temperatures are reaching the thirties before the sun is even up… like everything… it’s just plain odd. Perhaps a fellow Durbanite might liken it to a berg wind… Now imagine the warmest berg wind you have felt and then double it… no… no… triple it… no… no… quadruple … ah, you get the message… I’m hot!

So, as you know Bern passed his learners… the next goal was to pass his drivers. He had been receiving driving lessons from an ex- South African. And not because the man can’t drive… but let’s remember all those nasty little habits we so joyously pick up and they’ve become an integral part of one’s driving experience. We all do it… hand fixed on the gear stick, elbow on the window, hands crossing when you’re turning… So Bern had to start all over again… and it wasn’t something he was keen on doing, so when Saturday finally arrived, the day of the test… I could see Bern turn a lighter shade of pale… And this was the first time I had seen panic in his blue eyes… He looked ill, and I felt ill for him.

A little jealous that he had gone the whole hog and embraced this conversion head on… nevertheless, I felt for him… until he came back with a grin like a mad man AND a little slip of paper that confirmed he was in fact a competent driver… And as much as I was ridiculously happy for him… I felt sick…

So sick, I asked Bern if his newly licensed ass could take me to the bottle store… Celebration was his excuse… and mine was… well I needed to wash down the worries!

I am a real dork sometimes, I guess we all are. I have this need to succeed at everything. Failure is not an option… and for me when there is a chance of failure… well then, I would rather not even try to succeed…

But this will change. Along with the month of January I will leave my dear friend procrastination behind. February will mark new beginnings… and new adventures…

Talking about adventures, what a weekend we had… Sunday morning we planned to go watching the Tour again… it was the last day, and we felt we wanted to be a part of the final celebrations. Bern mentioned we would leave for the race in the early evening, which would give us time to ride to the city and find a good spot to watch from… Only, just after we got back from our early morning ride (obsessed, yes, perhaps…) I had this sinking feeling that the tour was not in the evening… and man… Bern loves my intuition… it’s always right! We dashed into the city, with the car, and got stuck in the most almighty traffic jam… the race had started and we were stuck in the car. And Aussies, don’t just park anywhere. They ONLY park in designated parking, no cars on verges, in loading zones, in no stopping zones… For the first time I had this feeling of… ‘Why do they have to be so law abiding’… but we managed to find a parking, and we managed to watch the Tour… with the other hundreds of thousands of supporters… the passion in the air was invigorating!

But the passion at the tour was NOTHING compared to what we felt on Monday…

This, was Australia Day.

The day that Australia celebrates with pride and patriotism… and a day I am so blessed to have been a part of. Yes, we all know the cricket was on… and we all know that South Africa kicked butt, but Bern and I wanted to experience what Australia day was all about… and what it meant for Australians.

We started the morning with a ride along the Torrens (did I mention obsessive?) and then got home to jump into our Aussie attire. All of us in cowboy hats, yellow shirts wearing temporary tattoo’s and big smiles… we were set. And off to the parade we went. We felt like real tourists in the outfits, until someone asked us for directions… and all was ok… they were the tourists, and we were chuffed!

The bus we caught into the city happened to have a malfunctioning ticket machine, so we got free rides. Yip, we weren’t charged… the metro bus system’s fault… not ours… don’t have to pay… Happy Australia Day!

Although we managed to watch most of the parade, we had in actual fact arrived 40 minutes late… we had got our times wrong again… it must be all the riding we are doing… the blood isn’t pumping to the brain anymore… it’s pumping to our legs…

Thousands lined the streets and watched, flags waving and people cheering. I got all overly emotional when the different nations were represented. It was so heartwarming. Hundreds of people, from Polish to Senagalese to Chinese to Italian, all wearing traditional outfits and waving the Australian flag… they had accepted Australia… and Australia had accepted them.

As the premier of South Australia said… “In America they say God bless America, here in Australia, we say… God has already blessed Australiaâ€â€¦

The celebrations and concert in the park eventually became to hot for us, and we headed for the closest McDonalds… ordered take away, and headed to a nearby reserve.

This was Australia day for me. Bern, Becca and I… relaxed, safe and sitting in the dappled shade, eating Aussie beef… on our Aussie picnic blanket… the real Australian Way!

Edited January 29, 2009 by Red

[Jordy]

This, was Australia Day. ...The bus we caught into the city happened to have a malfunctioning ticket machine, so we got free rides. Yip, we weren’t charged… the metro bus system’s fault… not ours… don’t have to pay… Happy Australia Day!

Funny thing this.......the train tickets in WA, at the Mandurah train station also a huge piece of paper stuck over them - OUT OF ORDER. Strange thing cause in Aus everything just works - it's like law or something. We walked up to a train conductor and asked what we should do. He said with smile and a twinkle in his eye, "No worries mate. Rides are free today."

When we got Perth Esplanade station we thought we better buy tickets for the trip home, so we asked explained to the conductor on the other side about the problem of the faulty ticket machines and he got the same naughty twinkle in his eye and said, "Dont worry about it mate. Its Australia Day!"

Maybe these Aussies are devious law breakers.

The difference between Australia and South Africa is that in Australia they do it for the benefit of the public not themselves. Isn't Aus great.

[Red]

Pics from Australia Day...

[KarinaPer]

Hi Red

You make everything as easy as going camping. Thanks for the pictures.

Karina

[Red]

School here is different. Kids here are different… for example…

I’m leaving the school, after dropping Rebecca off for her first day. My heart is heavy, and my eyes are swollen with tears… When this cute little pigtail wearing blonde girl rushes past me, with a huge grin… It’s her first day of kindi (kindergarten). Only problem is, she’s forgotten her bag… and dad is chasing after her. We’re all in the main school building, teachers milling around, school secretary greeting sweetly… and the principal in earshot. Dad manages to get the attention by shouting… ‘Oi, your schoolbagâ€â€¦ She looks back blushes because she’s left her bag but then promptly bellows out… Oh Sh!t…

And no one flinched, dad chuckled, gave the kid her bag… and that was it. Was I the only one who felt the earth stand still… Had I been the only one to hear the kid shout sh!t???

I shouldn’t have been so worried about Rebecca. I’m sure it’s an in-built motherly thing…but one tends to stress more for the first day of school, than the child actually does. Thoughts ran through my head… Will they understand her? (um… Yes, they speak English and so does she). What if she needs the toilet? (um.. well then she asks to go)… What if she needs me? (Who was I trying to kid….).

On the first day of school, I had to drag Rebecca out of bed… I’m not sure why I woke her up so early, because school only starts at nine… and after getting dressed and eating breakfast she still had to wait almost two hours before we left for school.

Leaving for school is a new experience in itself. I don’t grab car keys and head out the door yelling ‘we’re going now!’. Instead I grab my sunglasses, slap on some sun cream and apply protective head gear.

That’s right, we ride.

And generally Rebecca is standing at the door, helmet on head, satchel on back tapping her foot and giving the odd sigh….

The first day’s ride wasn’t all that bad… in fact it was invigorating, liberating to say the least. I loved the fresh air, the breeze and the chatter of the daughter behind me…

It was only the second day that I realised an air conditioned car might have been more conducive to the Adelaidian heat. Temperatures by six o’ clock on Wednesday morning were mid thirties… By 2:30 pm the temp’s had reached 45 degrees. The ride to school and back was choking to say the least, and the worst was that the quicker I rode to get out the heat, the more the wind blasted in my face. And everyone looked at Becca with a sympathetic frown… probably thinking, poor child/stupid mother. I wished they could perhaps realise the fact that the daughter is actually singing away, having a jolly time, whilst the poor mother has to drag an extra 30kg’s behind her.

I felt embarrassed for Rebecca riding into school, knowing how cruel some kids can be… And when we arrived… my worst fears came true… On her first day, all the kids were staring at her, pointing at the bike. I turned to her and quietly whispered… ‘Do you want me to ride round the back’… And she confidently turned to me and said… ‘Nah mom, it’ll be too far for you to walk’.

I breathed in her strength, but continued to be aware of the kids staring… And then, within a few minutes of dismounting, we were surrounded… with ooohs and aaah’s… and comments like ‘cool bike and how awesome’… The bike was actually a hit, and Rebecca was too.

We had to stand and wait for the kids to be split into their classes. My nerves were shot. Hundreds of kids and parents milling around, Rebecca and I must have looked like overwhelmed statues… we just stood there… dead still… absorbing all the new surroundings. I leant over and whispered in Becca’s ear… ‘So, are you excited?’… and she looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes and said…’I’m a bit nervous mom’…. And all I could do was nod my head… I felt just as nervous for her… I could feel her tiny little hands clinging to mine… and I couldn’t do anything to make it better. With the classes announced, I led Becca to her classroom. Her teacher was fantastic, I tried my best to hold back a tear… and she handed me a tissue and said ‘I’m a mum too, your daughter will be fine, I can see she’s a confident little girl, so you say goodbye… ‘

And that’s what I did, gave the shortest girl in the class a big hug and told her I’d be back soon… and she was fine… gave me a squeeze, told me she loved me, and ran to the nearest computer… ah, yes… that’s my girl!

Her first week at school was great. She came home the second day and mumbled something about having to go to the principal’s office for her work… Of course the worst springs to mind, and I start explaining to my seven year old the do’s and don’ts in one’s first few days at school, until Becca interrupts my ramblings with…’Mom… I had to go to the office because my work was so GOOD!!!’

Ah, clever child… such a shining example…

Until the day after she comes home complaining that she won’t be getting a reward lollipop on Friday… Admitting to receiving her first warning … for talking… why worry about her settling in… Clearly she’ll be fine.

My observations and first introduction to an Aussie school:

• Kids have much more freedom, I haven’t been able to make an informed decision whether this is a good or bad thing.

• Lice is quite prevalent… two days in, and we’d already received a notice to say that a child in the class had lice… Needless to say, it is because most of the kids don’t tie their hair up. This is girls AND boys. Rebecca’s hair gets plaited daily… I’m not taking the chance!

• Earrings… anything goes… big round blue baubles, long dangly silver ones… The boys, well it seems to range from one stud to two sleepers… I’m amazed every time I see it.

• The uniforms do seem to be more of a guideline, like that feisty mother had mentioned.

• In our school the kids can wear any shoe they want to… the guideline is takkies, sorry sneakers. So you see pink sneakers, black, blue, white, mulitcouloured… kids also wear sandals, and on one occasion I have seen a pair of dainty party shoes!

• Becca’s uniform consists of Navy polo shirt and Navy skorts. I have seen kids wearing their school shirt with camo pants… Kids wearing their weekend attire, kids wearing pink shorts and casual t-shirt’s… and my best… the kids that wear their school uniform that they wore at a previous school… Yip, that’s like going from Durban Girls High to Pietermaritzburg Girls high… and sticking with the Durban uniform… it’s just plain odd!

• The principal and his deputy wear casual shirts and bermuda type shorts. I guess it’s the weather…

• Nailpolish and jewelry is not an issue, neither is calling your teacher by his/her first name.

• School sports are done in the morning… no afternoon sports here, especially in summer it just gets too hot…

So, Becca’s first week was a positive one… and I felt relieved… It’s just amazing how adaptable kids really are…

So if there’s one thing I have learnt from Becca… Just go with the flow…

[Jill]

Hi Red,,

Thanks for sharing Becca's first day with us, I love reading your stories.

Jill

[MandyA]

Hey Red,

Had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat just reading about that first day! Heaven help me when it's my turn.

Keep them coming.

MandyA

[Terence.H]

Hehehe!!! Are you getting the feeling that the protective mother thing is becoming a little redundant? she sounds like she knows how to take care of herself and blend in very nicely!

Thanks for sharing your motherly insights.

[Lyn]

So glad Becca is enjoying school and you are a little less stressed.

Your observations are 100% spot on. Thanx for the lice warning - will start washing with tea tree again !! Me thinks the kids look so untidy - some look like they need a good wash - probably showing my age here.

Enjoy school Becca.

[Brick]

Hi Red, great post as usual.

Just a quick thing on th elice. I am in Uganda but in an international school and obviously we have our fair share of lice too, but what I put it down to is that in south Africa (at least when I was at school) when a kid has lice he / she goes home until it's sorted out but in British schools and I assume Australian school they dont, you just hope that they do something about it so the populations are much higher.

A tip perhaps, just use the lice shampoo's that stay in for 24 hrs or so, there is one here called Scabison (it's the same stuff used for scabies) everyonce in a while or when there is a notice out. Nit picking isn't fun for anyone.

Cheers,

B

[igovender]

What a fantastic story!! Loved reading yr journal and about Rebecca's first day.. I had tears too.. My daughter just turned 5 in January and she started Gr R here. We leave Durban in March - what grade will she be in?? Is it year 1?

[georgie 1]

Today is the 16 Feb. We are waiting for the next episode.

Red.....

[Red]

It’s been nearly three months now… three months that feels like three years. We have done so much and adjusted so much…South Africa seems like a lifetime ago… and it’s only three months… This is when according to many, reality hits. The only reality that has hit us at the moment is the freedom we experience. Certain habits are hard to let go of though. At night I still go around picking up our keys and valuables to put next to my bed, I still find myself jumping in the car and locking the door, I still walk in the front door and lock it behind me, we still chain our bikes in our locked garage, we still don’t leave windows wide open and I still look over my shoulder when I get to a traffic light…

I guess it’s never good to get complacent… but to let you know we have slipped up now and again.

We’ve left the car unlocked with the wallet and GPS in sight, I’ve dropped Rebecca at school only to find I‘ve locked the garage but left the front door unlocked, we’ve slept at night with the front door unlocked, I’ve left a cell phone on the seat at a local shopping centre… and it’s all been ok. I am not saying there isn’t crime here, but I think I’ve realised how consumed and paranoid we used to be.

I always remember the first time we had a barbeque with our new friends… I can’t remember which one did it, but when we were leaving, and saying our goodbye’s, they leaned over and locked our door for us… immediately we all realised the life we had become accustomed to…

Naturally, when South Africans land here, there is much adjusting that takes place. But even after three months a situation like the next one leaves you feeling skeptical.

I tagged along with Kerry on a small shopping expedition into the city. We needed to find some parking, so decided rather than to try park on the road we would try a parking garage. The first one we get to is full so we try the next….

Kerry pulls the car up to the booth and asks… ‘How much is it to park here’?

The man answers… ‘Depends on how long you wanna park’?

Kerry informs the man that it won’t be longer than two hours, and promptly the man replies…

‘That’s fine, pay us now and we’ll take your keys’….

And there was this deathly silence…

Kerry and I both dumfounded… probably thinking the same thoughts…. ‘Yeah right, lets pay you to steal the car’…

And for a few moments we didn’t know what to say, until I blurted out… ‘Uh, we’re from South Africa and we just can’t hand over our keys’…

And so, unable to trust the two odd men, Kerry did a three point turn and we exited the parking garage…

Apparently this is quite normal, as much as it stills seems extremely abnormal!

The strange part about life here is that people actually knock on your front door. They don’t have to get through security at the gate, or the automatic gate, or the intercom… they just walk up to your front door and knock…

This is why you have to make sure that there is no walking around in your pj’s till afternoon… Yes, I must confess I have been caught out… and never will be caught again.

On a particular Monday morning I had decided that my dressing gown would be the attire for the day. A day for myself… a day to kick up the feet and ignore ANY housewifely duties…for Oprah and I… a day to debate with the ladies on The View, and a day to catch up on every gimmick that infomercials could possibly offer. Until… there was a knock at the door… I jumped up and … oh bother I’m wearing my dressing gown… I managed to sneak a view… it was my landlord… so I say nothing… crawl up to my room, grab the closest thing I could find and shove some dodgy shorts on… running (ever so quietly) down the stairs (pulling my shirt on) I now realise I had grabbed my Spingbok rugby jersey/shirt…. crap… that’s such a good way to impress an Aussie… let’s rub the springbok emblem in their face…

So of course, when I opened the door… I tried my level best to act like I wasn’t out of breath… and act all casual… trying to hide behind the front door…with my hair like a birds nest and my arm trying to hide the jumping buck…

Upon reflection though… it wasn’t the emblem that needed hiding… it was actually the dodgy shorts. In my rush, I had managed to get my shirt on… but hadn’t managed to get the shorts on correctly… the fly was wide open… and all my buttons were all undone… No wonder the landlord was in a hurry to go…

Needless to say, I get dressed in the morning, and get the house in order… because you never know who just might pay a visit…

Bern is settling in well at work, the people seem to be friendly and accommodating. He’s had a practical joke played on him, and has even joined in with the blokes to bet on the footy matches.

He’s also had the general manager pushing Mitsi (the ’89 hatchback) around the parking lot. Yip, you read right.

When Bern leaves for work, it’s still pretty dark, so the headlights get switched on… problem is, is that by the time he gets to work… it’s very light. So let’s see if you can do the math…. One car with lights on plus one whole day parked with lights on… yip that equals dead battery!

The only problem, is that by the time hubby realised Mitsi was dead… There was no one to help jump start the car… and NO jumper leads!

And the only way to get it out would be to push… So there Bern is, pushing the car a couple of hundred metres when, the big boss drives by to find out what is going on… Puzzled Bern wonders to himself how the man knew… it wasn’t long until the boss explained that Bern was actually triggering off all the perimeter alarms at the factory!!! Anyway, with help from the boss Bern managed to get the car out of the factory area, and had to wait for the RAA.

Bern now has jumper leads of his own… he decided after the second dead battery episode, it might be to his advantage to own a pair!

Becca is settling in well, and is adapting to the new work load. I can see she enjoys the challenge and loves the fact she is learning so much more. Along with her educational growth, the attitude growth is coming along quite nicely. She seems to have perfected the art of moaning… I am hoping this is a phase that will soon be a distant memory. Perhaps it’s just the onset of adolescence… 5 years too early!!!

We are still riding to school and back… but I’m hoping that before Winter hits I’ll have my own car…

And about cars, well how can I get one when I am not legally allowed to drive!!

Remember my stresses about failure and such like! Well, a week ago, Friday, I decided to ‘take the bull by the horns’. I had it all planned out… told no one… and when Bern had left for his forklift training course, and Becca was dropped at school… I snuck out the house.

And walked…. And walked… and took the wrong route…. And turned back… and walked…. And walked until I got to the O-Bahn (bus highway) were I caught the next bus into the city.

What a ride, the freedom, the independence with ‘eye of the tiger’ playing in my warped head!!

You can do this!!! Yes, you can!!!

Only problem was, I hadn’t taken a map book… and I forgot which road the building was in…

Luckily, Adelaide city was planned for the map-challenged in mind, and I found my way fairly quickly to the place where I was to write my learners…

Well, I ended up not exactly writing, you can do your learners here on a computer… you just touch the screen. It was very simple, (I was told) and then the computer flashed the first question… but for the life of me, I couldn’t get it to highlight the correct answer. I knew what I had chosen was WRONG, but I just couldn’t get the damn thing to work for me… After a couple of minutes pounding the delicate touch screen, I decide to ask for help… And as the efficient lady pointed out… the question was merely a demonstration, as stated across the top of the screen… duh!

So, I was on my way. The first part of the test is 8 give way questions. If you don’t get these correct you aren’t allowed to carry on with the rest. This was just awful… I mean I know I can drive bit jeepers, which car must give way??? I managed to get through (phew!) and was able to proceed.

Once the 42 questions are completed, the screen comes up with a message that tells you whether you passed or not…

And YAY!!!!!! I had passed!!

On the way back home, I was ecstatic, after all that stress, and worry I had not failed!

And when Bern got home, and told me he had his forklift license, I turned round and said… Well, I just got my learners license!

The cost of the test: $25.

The smile on my face… priceless!

[polly]

Congrats on the learners!

[Jordy]

for the life of me, I couldn’t get it to highlight the correct answer. I knew what I had chosen was WRONG, but I just couldn’t get the damn thing to work for me… After a couple of minutes pounding the delicate touch screen, I decide to ask for help… And as the efficient lady pointed out… the question was merely a demonstration, as stated across the top of the screen… duh!

Oh man I laughed so much........ Red? Blonde!

Well done friend on passing.

[georgie 1]

Thanks for the update.

Welldone on your learners.

[Lyn]

WELL DONE ON THE LEARNERS. YAHOO - ONE MORE TICK ON THE TO DO LIST.

Glad everyone settling. Cant believe we've been here nearly 3 months.

All the best for the next 3.

[Terence.H]

You are sooooo funny!! congrats on passing your learners! I hope the practicle goes well too, when do you plan on taking that? and will it also be in secret?

[MANDIBRENT]

Oh Red, you make me laugh - and Lord knows I need that today! Well done on passing your learners. I am constantly awed at how you always manage to be humourous and take everything in it's stride - I think that's what I need to learn to do - not stress soooo much. You are truely an inspiration to anyone wishing to make the big move.

[Pipit]

HEY RED.

IT WAS LOVELY TO READ YOUR JOURNAL. WE ARE GOING TO ADELAIDE IN JUNE ON A LSD. APPLYING FOR 163 VISA. SCARED TO DEATH. I KNOW THAT ECONOMY IN AUSTRALIA HAS TAKEN A DIP AND COST OF LIVING HAS RISEN. FIGURE IT WILL STILL BE BETTER FOR OUR FAMILY IN OZ THAN WHATS HAPPENING HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA. NOT SCARED TO TAKE PLUNGE, JUST SCARED THAT WE WILL HAVE RESOURCES IN ADELAIDE TO SURVIVE. NOT LISTENING TO ANY NEGATIVITY JUST WANT TO HAVE REALISTIC PICTURE OF WHAT OZ IS LIKE.....HENCE DAILY READING OF THIS SITE.

GO WELL.

PIPIT