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#16
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Potatoes
"Chookie" wrote in message
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: Only if you want a decent conversation with people. My biggest problem when in Sydney is finding someone I can be bothered talking to. I have trouble finding Sydney people who actually 'do' things - busy, busy, busy all the ttime but not actually 'doing' anything other than what I would put into the category of 'socialising' and 'having fun'. There is only so much that can be meaningfully said about those activites before bordom sets in. I've met them too, but I must say that none of them are librarians! Do you have relatives in banking or finance or something? They tend not to want to talk shop, for some reason... My friends tend to be in "Doing" professions like teaching and engineering. No rellies in finance or banking, anywhere. I do have a number of librarian friends, in fact all 3 of my closest female friends (of nearly 40 years) trained as librarians but none of them have ever worked in Sydney. The Sydney people I know best are my sister and her family, medicos, business people (mostly better off), and my husbands family (most of whom have now left Sydney and those that haven't are tolerable for a short time but still have the "up with the Jones" Sydney mentality). It might help if Sydney was full of librarians but even they might get seduced by the typical Sydney mindset (Melbourne has a similar one). One story I tell about my issue with the Sydney mindset is: for my sister's big 50th, I bought her the complete Oxford in Micrographic form (cost about $300 - she's a bibliophile). Her husband bought her a $50,000 diamond ring a humungeous and very ugly single diamond solitaire. Big party, we are the only non-Sydney people there. All those who arrive should know of my sister's passion for books as she talks of little else other than golf (her husband still hasn't figured out her preference for books even after decades of marriage). Everyone who comes in the door wants to see the ring, The first thing she says to them after a quick flash of the ring is "Come and see what my sister bought me!" And she carts them off to see a dictionary and they all look quite bewildered at her excitement. Mind you, even my book loving sister has only now got onto the No1 Ladies Detective Agency and I can't remember how long since I read the last one of those. I know there is a new one out coming shortly. I can give Sydney about 2 days for the Opera and museums/galleries etc and after that, I'm well over it and just want to escape. The only thing that keeps me in S is money, or lack of it, Yeah. I can understand that, having been a wage slave for years. But then in the country it is surprising how little some people live on very happily and very successfully. Well, in our case it's the prospect of ageing relatives (my Dad is still independent, but he turned 88 last week) and that my hubby will only ever be employed in either Sydney or Bleak City, and he'll never stop being a programmer -- it's his vocation, and not one that can be fulfilled outside of a major city. :-)) I like that reference to Bleak City but it certainly couldn't be a reference to the weather given that it gets more sunlight hours per year than Brisbane. But we've always known these things, and that's why I have a large block (by Sydney standards, and given our other need for being less than half an hour from the city). It was one of the essential criteria for our house. My husband started out as a programmer in Bleak City way back in the early days of the industry. We escaped after only 10 years to live in the country. He still commuted and stayed in the profession before moving into straight management where his analytical skills resulting from the IT background were very useful. Our earliest amibitions were to have 5 acres in the country. Now we have 2 farms. Maybe a case of be careful what you wish for? |
#17
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Potatoes
On Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:37:07 +1000, FarmI wrote:
Mind you, even my book loving sister has only now got onto the No1 Ladies Detective Agency and I can't remember how long since I read the last one of those. I know there is a new one out coming shortly. Thanks for the tip. The chief pussy here likes those stories. I can give Sydney about 2 days for the Opera and museums/galleries etc and after that, I'm well over it and just want to escape. The only thing that keeps me in S is money, or lack of it, Yeah. I can understand that, having been a wage slave for years. But then in the country it is surprising how little some people live on very happily and very successfully. No longer a wage slave and definitely not a surprise how little you can live on. It is more being able to afford a bit of land where you are not cheek by jowl, but still being able to come back to syndey for medical servicing. Our earliest amibitions were to have 5 acres in the country. Now we have 2 farms. Maybe a case of be careful what you wish for? It depends on what the farms are? |
#18
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Potatoes
In article ,
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: One story I tell about my issue with the Sydney mindset is: for my sister's big 50th, I bought her the complete Oxford in Micrographic form (cost about $300 - she's a bibliophile). Her husband bought her a $50,000 diamond ring a humungeous and very ugly single diamond solitaire. Ahhhh OK... that is definitely NOT the kind of circle I move in -- not as far as the rock goes anyway. The book thing I *can* imagine! I have met younger members of the northwest nouveaux riches; they would put a $5000 diamond on their credit cards, but they would not go to $50K because their mortgages are starting to hurt now. I am guessing that your sister lives Mosman way or Vaucluse way, or possibly Northern Beaches. I have heard of a couple of women up that way who spend their time getting pedicures, and whose only work is hostessing for their husbands' business dinners -- not even charitable work, and certainly not raising their children -- that's what nannies are for. I haven't met them. I have met their employees and their (significantly poorer) relatives. I think it is rare to find people who are a total waste of space, though -- a lot of the glitterati do actually help out with Variety Club and other charities, as do the Old Money types. The closest I have got to prestige is that good friends of ours (not listed on the page below) helped in the endowment of the John Lions Chair in Operating Systems: http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/JohnLions/ If I were to move in more rarefied circles, I'd pick the academia-and-classical-music group, not the Variety Club Bash types. But I would be much more likely to join the Mighty Duck River Restoration Collective than help endow a chair. -- Chookie -- Sydney, Australia (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply) http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/ |
#19
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Potatoes
"Chookie" wrote in message "FarmI"
ask@itshall be given wrote: One story I tell about my issue with the Sydney mindset is: for my sister's big 50th, I bought her the complete Oxford in Micrographic form (cost about $300 - she's a bibliophile). Her husband bought her a $50,000 diamond ring a humungeous and very ugly single diamond solitaire. Ahhhh OK... that is definitely NOT the kind of circle I move in -- not as far as the rock goes anyway. The book thing I *can* imagine! Thought you might :-)). When it came for my big 50th, guess what I asked for and got in return? I use it a LOT. I have met younger members of the northwest nouveaux riches; they would put a $5000 diamond on their credit cards, but they would not go to $50K because their mortgages are starting to hurt now. :-)) I've stopped wearing all rings, they interfered with getting my garden gloves on. I am guessing that your sister lives Mosman way or Vaucluse way, or possibly Northern Beaches. Nah, she's in Sutherland Shire. I have heard of a couple of women up that way who spend their time getting pedicures, and whose only work is hostessing for their husbands' business dinners -- not even charitable work, and certainly not raising their children -- that's what nannies are for. Strewth - my sister is nothing like that, thankfully. I haven't met them. I have met their employees and their (significantly poorer) relatives. I think it is rare to find people who are a total waste of space, though -- a lot of the glitterati do actually help out with Variety Club and other charities, as do the Old Money types. The closest I have got to prestige is that good friends of ours (not listed on the page below) helped in the endowment of the John Lions Chair in Operating Systems: http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/JohnLions/ If I were to move in more rarefied circles, I'd pick the academia-and-classical-music group, not the Variety Club Bash types. But I would be much more likely to join the Mighty Duck River Restoration Collective than help endow a chair. Much too useful to society. :-)) I guess you don't want to hear the story of the photo of a Eastern suburbs dwelling brother in law (not my sister's husband) with his arm around Pamela Anderson? |
#20
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Potatoes
On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:31:36 +1000, FarmI wrote:
Thought you might :-)). When it came for my big 50th, guess what I asked for and got in return? I use it a LOT. A gardening fork? {:-). |
#21
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Potatoes
"terryc" wrote in message
On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:31:36 +1000, FarmI wrote: Thought you might :-)). When it came for my big 50th, guess what I asked for and got in return? I use it a LOT. A gardening fork? {:-). Nah. Don't buy a ticket in a meat tray till you get it right :-)). |
#22
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Potatoes
On Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:11:46 +1000, FarmI wrote:
Nah. Don't buy a ticket in a meat tray till you get it right :-)). No point in me doing that. I'll just get arsy to do it. Just about every month she wins something at her quilters group. |
#23
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Potatoes
In article ,
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: I am guessing that your sister lives Mosman way or Vaucluse way, or possibly Northern Beaches. Nah, she's in Sutherland Shire. Sorry -- forgot about that little southern outpost of the North Shore. Easy to do -- I come from St George! Much too useful to society. :-)) I guess you don't want to hear the story of the photo of a Eastern suburbs dwelling brother in law (not my sister's husband) with his arm around Pamela Anderson? Of course I do -- dish the dirt! -- Chookie -- Sydney, Australia (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply) http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/ |
#24
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Potatoes
"Chookie" wrote in message news:ehrebeniuk-52C8A1.14253825072008@news... In article , "FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: I am guessing that your sister lives Mosman way or Vaucluse way, or possibly Northern Beaches. Nah, she's in Sutherland Shire. Sorry -- forgot about that little southern outpost of the North Shore. Easy to do -- I come from St George! Is that the real St George (Qld) or the NSW immitation?????? Much too useful to society. :-)) I guess you don't want to hear the story of the photo of a Eastern suburbs dwelling brother in law (not my sister's husband) with his arm around Pamela Anderson? Of course I do -- dish the dirt! -- Chookie -- Sydney, Australia (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply) http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/ -- Posted on news://freenews.netfront.net - Complaints to -- |
#25
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Potatoes
"Chookie" wrote in message
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: I am guessing that your sister lives Mosman way or Vaucluse way, or possibly Northern Beaches. Nah, she's in Sutherland Shire. Sorry -- forgot about that little southern outpost of the North Shore. Easy to do -- I come from St George! Actually I like the Sutherland Shire bods better than the North Shore types. Still well heeled, but not quite as vacuous. My husband's family were North Shore types and he spent his formative decades there before he escaped (and his leaving Sydney was definitely an 'escape' tactic) so we used to see them in action a lot. I always used to complain about their vacuous lives. Much too useful to society. :-)) I guess you don't want to hear the story of the photo of a Eastern suburbs dwelling brother in law (not my sister's husband) with his arm around Pamela Anderson? Of course I do -- dish the dirt! Well I was so gobbsmacked by the photo at the time that I can't really tell you how he managed to get it. He has a background in Health campaigns so has contact with lots of media people so presume he was at a 'do' that she was also at. One thing is clear though, they are both obviously posing for the camera. Smiling at it with their arms around each other in a crowd of less well dressed, obviously adoring and envious males who don't look like they'd have a hope of getting her to put her arm around them. But I'll tell you the background so you'll know why I was so gobbsmacked and had the wind taken out of my sails to such an extent that I forgot to ask for the gory details (which you've now reminded me that I must do before I die - it's a good story to put into the family history). As you know, my husband's career was in IT. One day I was thinking about what I'd write about him to put into the family history. Given the range of work he'd done and the amount of money his organisation had spent with various US companies and the trips he'd done to the US for his work, I wondered if he'd ever come across Bill Gates in his travels so I asked him. Response; 'Yes'. (Monsyllabic male). I pushed; 'Have you ever been introduced to him?'. 'Yes'. 'Really introduced? Shook his hand. Weren't just in the same room as him'. 'Yes'. 'How many times?' '3 or 4'. 'Why didn't you tell me?' 'It's just work'. I was so gobbsmacked by husband's reply that he also stopped me in my tracks. I can think of hundreds of people I know (me included) who would love to brag about having met Bill Gates, but not my bloody husband. He thinks it's 'just work' and therefore not really important in his real life! And he knows I love to have snippets to include in the family history! Yet another story about him though that HAS gone into the family history because it reveals so much about him. He isn't a blow hard by any stretch of the imagination (I am or would be if I had access to some of the people he has had). Anyway, shortly after this incident, we were going to Sydney to a sit down family 'do' with the Pamela Anderson brother in laws' family. They have 2 teenage boys who are totally and utterly computer mad but like all young males are monosyllabic and disinterested and I can never figure out what to say to them to engage them. I finally thought I had something of interest and that they might be interested to know that their Uncle had met Bill Gates so told them the story at the dinner table. At this point, the brother in law said I've met Pamela Anderson and raced off to his study to get the pic of him and Pamela. Pamela Anderson trumps Bill Gates in any male mind. I still couldn't engage the youngsters as all attention then turned to the photo. |
#26
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Potatoes
"SG1" wrote in message
"Chookie" wrote in message "FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: I am guessing that your sister lives Mosman way or Vaucluse way, or possibly Northern Beaches. Nah, she's in Sutherland Shire. Sorry -- forgot about that little southern outpost of the North Shore. Easy to do -- I come from St George! Is that the real St George (Qld) or the NSW immitation?????? It's the St George where they can spell ;-)) I simply couldn't resist that opening. |
#27
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Potatoes
On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:19:53 +1000, FarmI wrote:
I still couldn't engage the youngsters as all attention then turned to the photo. Ask them if they play any mmmorpg games? See if it has a free trial and play it. The trouble with IT is that it covers a very wide area, but they are probably wintel PC area. |
#28
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Potatoes
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message ... "SG1" wrote in message "Chookie" wrote in message "FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: I am guessing that your sister lives Mosman way or Vaucluse way, or possibly Northern Beaches. Nah, she's in Sutherland Shire. Sorry -- forgot about that little southern outpost of the North Shore. Easy to do -- I come from St George! Is that the real St George (Qld) or the NSW immitation?????? It's the St George where they can spell ;-)) I simply couldn't resist that opening. Thats ok I went to a Very private school south of the Murray. Never cud spel & never claimed I could???? -- Posted on news://freenews.netfront.net - Complaints to -- |
#29
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Potatoes
In article ,
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: Is that the real St George (Qld) or the NSW immitation?????? It's the St George where they can spell ;-)) Correct! And, of course, deadly enemies of our neighbours in the Shire, especially during footy season. -- Chookie -- Sydney, Australia (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply) http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/ |
#30
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Potatoes
"Chookie" wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-DB72BC.08050127072008@news... In article , "FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: Is that the real St George (Qld) or the NSW immitation?????? It's the St George where they can spell ;-)) Correct! And, of course, deadly enemies of our neighbours in the Shire, especially during footy season. we have a set of weekender-neighbours (ho hum) who come from "the shire". to myself, i call them "the donahers" (remember them?) because the resemblance is just uncanny. snort kylie |
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