Bus Drivers and Apartment Hunting

Yesterday, while out apartment shopping, I noticed that I'm thinking in an Australian accent. Which led me to think, what will it be like if I pick up a bit of the accent here. Combined with my East TN and W. Maryland accents, will it be charming or just mildly creepy and strange? I guess it'll be a while before I find out.

My first bus driver yesterday had the most amazing accent. I couldn't understand more than one word per sentence. Luckily he understood me and let me off at the stop I requested without me having to push the button. You generally have no idea where your stop is until you pass the sign and by then, it's too late. Unless you're staying on one street....then they are numbered sequentially. But, heaven forbid, you should need the first stop on a street and don't know it because you're gonna be doing some walking right back to it.

The bus has a sign that says, "Scholars and children" are requested not to sit when there are adults standing. To which I replied in my head, "Or what?". I mean, there isn't anything that mentions what the punishment is. Is there a fine? Are the kids who disobey thrown into the river. I later noticed that no one really follows that rule.

To see a home, you have to either attend an "inspection" or arrange for an "inspection". You don't really seem to get a choice. When you call, they will usually take down your number and tell you that they'll call when there's an inspection available. That does give one a sense of urgency when looking at a place though...if you like it, you'd better grab it because God only knows when you'll get to see another one that's acceptable. Sometimes the inspection date and time is listed on the listing on realestate.com.au. You show up with all the other people who are interested and go through it at the same time. That's an advantage if the property is a hellhole like the third one I saw yesterday. I didn't even have to talk to the realtor, I just slipped out the door fading into the crowd like some unneeded movie extra. This place was so bad, I was scared there would be a dead body at the bottom of all that muck in the pool. Creepy. Oddly enough, the neighborhood was lovely in every other way. Go figure.

The first place I wanted to see yesterday was in Kangaroo Point. No luck there. The directions from the official translink site said to take a particular bus to a particular stop....no problem...then walk 200 or so metres to another stop for a different bus. The problem is....which direction? I ended up in Chinatown and when I did eventually find out where the damn stop was, I had walked through the Chinatown market. I still can't figure out how I was supposed to get from stop A to stop B walking in anything that resembled a straight line. Everyone I asked was very helpful in their own way but it was just impossible. By the time I found the stop, it was too late to go to the inspection. I'm sure the apartment wasn't acceptable anyway, right? I came back to the hotel for lunch and to gather my thoughts. I was muttering about how it was "just too bad that someone else was gonna have to find us a place to live cause I'd be damned if I was doing that crap again".

After lunch, I gathered my courage and headed out again. The route this time was a little easier and I had one inspection in Indooroopilly and two in Toowong. And, I had to catch a train. Oh dear. I made it to my first bus stop with no problem and stood in front of a map that had the little dot telling me "you are here" and figured out where the train station was supposed to be. I must have been standing there for a little too long because just as I turned to go, a woman who must have noticed me as she was walking down the street stopped and said, "All right then?". I smiled and said, "Yes, I've got it now". She smiled back and went on her way. I followed a native across the street just to keep from having to walk to the crosswalk (knowing I needed to save as many steps as possible for when I get lost). I saw the sign pointing me to the train station and felt so triumphant. hahahahahahaha. As if the signs take you anywhere. I finally asked directions....several times and made it to the right train platform. I would have gotten on the wrong train if I had followed the directions I got from Translink but luckily, I'm not shy about asking strangers for help. I had no major problems with directions for the rest of the day. It was all very frustrating and a lot of walking but it was manageable. So far, none of the apts. are what I'm looking for....

We are staying in Tenneriffe and our hotel/condo has the most amazing view. The entire front (or would that be the back...) is windows overlooking the river. I can see the CityCat (public transport boats) going by regularly, there are rowing teams practicing in the morning, and people just generally having a lot of fun on the water. It's peaceful and quiet. There are moments when it makes me want to cry. If someone had asked me, I would have said, "Oh yes, we're staying in Tenneriffe, just outside the city". Those of you who know me well, know that my map skills are questionable at best. Ben works in Fortitude Valley which is in the CBD (Central Business District) and he said that it took him about a half hour to walk there his first day. After that, he made it in 15 minutes. I know, any moron who took a moment to think about that would realize that my thinking that we are "outside the city" is a bit delusional. I realized my error yesterday when I got on a bus and headed in that direction...literally go down a street or two and turn a corner and BOOM-you're in the CITY. Duh.

I still don't know how to work the oven here. And if I did, I wouldn't know what temperature to put in on unless I looked it up on the internet. Luckily, I've been too tired to cook.
The weather here right now is just beyond amazing. Sandals and shorts during the day for me and jeans and a long sleeved shirt at night. Ben can wear shorts all the time. The sun feels so amazing. I love being out in it.

Bedtime is still about 8pm. I wake up about 6am. By 6pm, I'm struggling to stay alert probably because it's dark by then.

Today...it's still all about trying to find a place to live. I'm going to Ben's office to get online to try to find something at realestate.com.au and then it'll be time to make phone calls. I hate talking on the phone. I had trouble understanding many people on the phone in the States...here's it's nearly hopeless. I feel like if I can make out the time of the next inspection then it's a successful call. Any other information they are offering is completely lost. I'd tell myself that it will get easier but I know that part really won't. I've always had trouble understanding strangers on the phone so I'll just make the best of it. As long as I sound friendly when I'm making no sense to them, then I suppose they'll just think I'm a nice gal who's a little dim. And I suppose that's better than them thinking I'm some psychotic foreigner who doesn't understand a normal conversation. They probably don't rent places to psychos.

Luckily, in person, I can understand most of what is said here. The accent really is lovely.The exception being anything that includes directions to somewhere. But, that has less to do with the accent and more to do with the way my brain works. Kelsey says it takes them forever to say anything.

There's a drought in Brisbane. But, our shower has the most amazing water pressure I've ever seen in my life. In restaurants, good luck getting a big glass of water. The service is friendly, just different than in the US. Slower...and tiny glasses of water. We have managed to find some restaurants that are a little more reasonably priced than the ones we saw the first couple of days....either that or we are getting over the "sticker shock" already. $10 for a sandwich and we're excited. But Ben did say it was a BIG sandwich.

Next day's notes...


Today we were chatting with a young realtor named Braedon. He was all of 19 years old. Seriously. Very nice fellow and rather funny, too. He said something (and I so wish I could remember what it was) that I thought was an Australian joke...I laughed very hard until I realized I was the only one laughing. Whoops. He was very nice though and seemed to understand that I couldn't help myself. I also asked him how to use the oven. He thought I was joking. He asked me twice if I was serious. I have no pride. I said I was serious. He showed me how to use the oven and I thanked him kindly. The pantry in the apartment was really big. Kelsey couldn't help herself. She climbed into it. He found that very amusing. The apartment had a gorgeous view but I'm not ready to commit without seeing some other areas. If the rental market is as competitive as everyone says then anything I look at over the next couple of weeks will be gone by the time I decide I want it. But, I'm not worried. We'll find a nice place.
Fish and chips for lunch today. Ketchup and tartar sauce packets were fifty cents each. But, the lunch itself was only $10-$15.

Found KMart in Toowong and Kelsey managed to find some shorts on clearance....$8. Quite the bargain. I wanted to dance but I refrained. Found corn on the cob priced at 4 ears for $2.
Television here was rumored to be horrible. The rumor was correct. Even Ben has nothing to watch and that's saying something...

The bus drivers here are so helpful.They are happy to let you know if you're on the right bus or not and direct you to the correct one if they can. It's also nice that the passengers say thank you as they step off the bus.