Insert Steph, 2 screaming kids and pouring down rain during "rush hour." Not only was I sweating bullets about the rain, I had to get used to using my left hand to shift gears, adjust the radio (which I immediately turned off to help concentrate - no worries Mom and Dad) and turn up the air to help cool down my profusely sweating armpits. Turning out of the driveway, I eased into the left lane - cruising along just fine until the first parked car along the left hand side of the road crept up on me. Steph grabbed my arm, yelling watch out! I nearly sideswiped the car and I was only 2 minutes into my lesson...
5 points for Bethany.
Streets in Melbourne, especially in the neighborhoods, have no rules against parking down the left and right hand sides of the road. So at any given time, you can come across a road block of cars backed up, coming from both directions, trying to squeeze through a narrow gap between 2 parked cars. My first few attempts at passing: 1. I swerved into the closest opening in between two parked cars and played chicken with the oncoming traffic until I could get out. 2. I tried to sneak my way through, but had a mild heart attack when a more experienced driver swerved into the gap as well, narrowly missing my side mirror. 3. I just sat in an opening and waited, no exaggeration, 5 whole minutes until all cars around me were gone. Needless to say, I had to crank up the air another notch to help re-cool down my now soaking-wet-with-sweat t-shirt.
All this, keep in mind is going on while I have 2 kids yelling behind me and trying to remember to adjust my windshield wipers with the varying strengths of pouring rain.
With every lane change, right hand turns (remembering to turn wide into the left lane) and road blocks, I felt inside a little more at ease with the driving situation, that is until I looked down and my knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel. We finally arrived at our destination, Baker's Delight on Bourke Road in Camberwell, an amazingly quaint bakery with the best bread and pastries. After such a stress filled 10 minute car ride (yes I only drove 10 minutes there and back) - I stepped out onto the crosswalk and right in front of us, stretching from as far as I could see in either direction, perfectly shaped, was this:
I had to of course stop and take a picture (it was hard to capture the entire arch without having a building obstruct one side or the other), but it made me so happy, and gave me a sense of peace that only one of nature's beautiful wonders can give you.
My job search.
Many resumes sent, many "marketing/sales" role interviews (essentially standing on the street corner in the middle of the CBD trying to get donations for a non-profit organization), and a couple of sign-ups at temp agencies for occasional work on nights and weekends for extra cash, I have narrowed down my job search to two promising companies (more on this later).
Two Friday nights ago, I worked one of these temp jobs as a hostess/whatever the maitre d at the restaurant was telling me to do, at a "footie game medallion level restaurant (more on this later as well - that deserves a whole blog post in itself!) I performed quite well if I do say so myself. There were times of confusion, some accented word dropping and 2 shattered dishes (splashing coffee all over me), but needless to say, I made it through my first night - and I didn't get fired!
Lesson of the week: I must remember, I am the one with the accent here. People from Australia don't necessarily know or care where Atlanta is, or even if I am America or Canadian. It takes time and patience to learn how to drive. And if I am going to make ends meet with how expensive everything is, I am going to have to get over my love of skinny caps and learn how to enjoy raw fruit and veg for all my daily meals.
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