A one-live cat’s life

Well at last, I am glad that my impression about Australia’s customer service is changed a bit when I received two emails on confirmation of receiving my complaint about a Sydney Bus driver written in my previuos blog.

And this morning I got an appology letter from the Sydney Transit Authority management.

Why am I riding the bus anyway? It is because It is convinient for me from home to work, saves me energy and saves the environment by not adding another car on the road contributing to the CO2.

We hailed this bus Saturday 21/03/09  at Victoria Road near Terry Street Bus Stop around 2-230PM.  He stopped but did not open the doors immediately as he was talking in the intercom/phone/radio.  There were three passengers waiting, Me a friend and an Asian female.

He opened the door telling us he got call that there has been an incident in Gladesville bridge that will affect traffic that he needed to take the call.

We do not have prepaid tickets, three passengers entered, Asian Female went ahead and put her ticket on the machine on the 2nd machine away from the driver while I went to this Driver telling him “2 to the City please, 1 is concession” (friend flashes concession card) I gave him 10 dollars.  Then he charged me 2 adults and 1 concession.

And I corrected him politely, I said “Sorry, I just need 1 adult and he (my friend) has his concession card (where he have to show it again to him).”  He assumed that since I was Asian he counted the female asian in our company yet that female already have dipped her ticket in the machine.  (He should be more alert and aware of his passengers).

Anyway, after that, this driver suddenly blurted out “Oh can you make it clearer, You need to speak English better.”

And from that point on he blurted those words I was offended but did not say anything.  I am of Asian decent, my friend was Australian and he said to the driver he needed not to say anything rude and racist.  And this driver started saying “when I went to the Philippines, I did not expect everyone to understand me as they do not speak English.”

Too bad I am a Filipino and I am more offended on what he said.  I just kept silent and did not say anything as all I wanted to do is go to the city and my friend once again said you need not to say that. And this driver kept on mumbling and saying racial things.

I haven’t felt so angry and mad being treated this way here in Australia.  I did not appreciate what he said yet I still kept calm and quiet.  I don’t think Sydney Buses represent this kind of worker.

He might be having a bad day still he do not have any right to bring it with him to work and he needs to be professional on what he do.  Or maybe driving a bus is not the right job for him.  Driving a bus requires a lot of patience and people skills.  I admit I am not as near perfect English speaker because of my background, yet I believe I wouldn’t be employed and transferred to Australia to serve the Australian people if I do not deserve to be here, considering the company I work for has a good reputation.

I have been working in a very multi-cultural and a global company, yet I havent seen this attitude in the company I am working for in 4 years now.  This is a very sad case that can give bad impression what Australians are.

I do not wish him to be sacked yet I hope that the bus management will do something to correct this kind of attitude of this kind of workers.  And I am hoping not to meet one again.

Bus details: FS9288, Bus 1639, route 515. - a**hole!

Before I moved here, this is one concern my parents have here in Australia, being discriminated as a Filo.  Brown and Asian.  Australians, prove that this impression is wrong.

I always have this feeling I can do everything and everything is possible.  There’s also a perception at work eversince I did work for a project in Jakarta they’d call me Wonderwoman.

I like doing and accomplishing things in a day and i feel satisfied at the end of the day.

Not yesterday.  After not running for 3 days, having tonsilitis and ear infection that gave me fevers since Thursday, I was on rest from my Physical activities.  It was the 6th week before the Marathon.

I told myself Sunday, I will be back on my training and suppose to do 36KM in one go this week before my taper weeks.  I came back home frustrated.

I only have done 24KMs.  I was sobbing and depressed.  Running and non-running friends and family told me i also needed to rest.  I just got back being sick and I should not expect my body to be alright.

A friend sent me sms and she said you need to give your legs a rest.  And I am suppose to send this in SMS “I know, but I am depressed and frustrated for not running my goal today, for having fevers and back pains last week, I’m disappointed with myself.”  But I have a habit of reading my smses first before sending, that I learned as I grew as a better person to analyze the message before sending … I realized I am sending this sms to a running friend who just had her operation 2 weeks ago with cancer tissue on her ovaries, and a pending eye surgery … who am I here whinging about nothing really major being a cry baby about something that can be remedied by just resting and taking it slow …
I did not send the sms, instead i changed the message and thanking her for the advice and giving her well wishes for getting back on track in running after her operation.

Sometimes we can be so selfish, self absorbed when we want something for ourselves.

After 6 weeks of waiting, I got my new Philippine Passport.  It is THE NEW passport.  Brown/maroon cover.  This project started September of 2007.

New Passport

Old Passport invalidated ecept with visa pages

Why did it take too long? because I applied in Sydney and They need to send application to Philippines then back to Sydney.  I was told it is the same when you apply in Philippines, It will take 6 weeks.  Well less the long queues since there were less applicants in the consulate.

My old one was still valid till 2011 but due to some countries who need to use the whole lot of a passport page and when migration officers just carelessly stamp in the middle my pages are almost finished, except for itsy bitsy spaces which is not possible for visas of countries that use a page.

Im planning to do more traveling overseas so that pushed me to get a new one.  I hope this being digital, THEY SAY, it would be easier when I get back home.  My new one is valid till 2014, wow!

After hosting a seafood lunch with Sissi, Martin and Vera Joy, (Terry cooked) getting too drunk, anticipated the Mardigras parade which I missed because of the pissed condition, waking up with hang over and a 10Km race, the weekend was good except the bad running performance and the hang over, we went to Blue mountains, Katoomba and had picnic of what has been a left over from the lunch the other day.

Rode the World’s steepest tram which is one of the highlights aside from the picnic.

And saw the famous three sisters which is known to be one of the dreamtime aboriginal stories told where three aboriginal sisters got lost in this vast mountain ranges and never came back and grew into three stones amongst the area.

It has been a hectic weekend for me but i love it.  Its been packed with 3 runs and resting in between.

Resting means going out, socializing and leaving life.  Yep, that’s after a 5 day/7 hour work time.

Friday was after participating the culmination of the Sydney Twilight Series of Cool running, I went out for drinks and dinner by Terry’s friends birthday, Mathew, to Pyrmont Bridge Hotel.

Pyrmont Bridge Hotel.Its a familiar name of a pub as work is just near I suppose, but I have never been here.  I just learned that its the pub I always pass by when I go to Darling harbor and cross the Pyrmont Bridge, just before the Maritime Museum.  The birthday boy had the rooftop reserved for his night, he was pretty sloshed everyone buying him a drink, although the Asian owner did charge more and did not tell the party ahead of hand of his conditions for renting the roof top.  That got settled.  We had pub dinner of chicken burger and chips and fish and chips. The bouncers were alright, then we were moved us down to level two after 11pm as residents around the area would complain bout noise if they keep us there.  And that I learned that this pub is 24/7! wow. rating: ***

The London Hotel.  Saturday arvo, after the Woodstock Handicap and doing some errands and dropping off change of clothes of me and Tomomi to John Dawling’s house at Balmain, I thought of having a good early tea at London Hotel.  I always pass by this Pub whenever I wanted to do hill runs at Darling street at the end of Thorton Park.  It is actually a torture on the part of steep climb to the roundabout where this pub is, wanting not to stop seeing people drinking their cold beer at the veranda, and its always full.  So I thought this must be a good pub.  Had burger and beer, where they serve Blue Tongue on tap.  Its a very noisy pub, lots of people talking, music at the background, Telly with sports, pool tables and poker machines.  I think there are lots of Londoners who often go there and catch up with their mates.  Its also a dog friendly hotel, where having have sat there for 2 hours I saw 4 dog/dog owner got a table inside without being hassled by the staff. rating: ***

Tarongga Zoo.  This has been a mission that has been canceled last week. After the long run to Cronulla at lunch time we finally decided to go to the zoo.  I went here with my cousin Sue Ann and his family last October.  I did like it.  Now went with Terry and surprising i saw different animals as this were the side that has been closed when we were there last October.  I did not get to see the chimpanzees as it is one of my faves as we ran out of time.  It was also interesting trip as this month is when the Sydney Harbor gets busy with Cruise ships, and there were 3 big ships at the harbor during the trip.