Universal Truths

Last week, H had to renew his commentary drive at work.  It basically involves driving around town with a company hired safety representative/instructor, observing road rules and commenting on what you're doing, why you're doing it and potential safety risks that you are passing.  When passing a restaurant, H commented that it was necessary to be aware of cars entering and exiting the parking lot.  This prompted his instructor to start a friendly conversation about H's favorite restaurants around town, now that we have been here for over a year.  H quickly told him that we get food multiple nights a week from a Thai restaurant in the city, that's (obviously) really good.  He asked which one and when H told him, exclaimed excitedly, "that's the best one here!"

Per the driving instructor, Anonymous Thai Restaurant is the only authentic Thai restaurant in town, with the owners hailing from Chiang Mai.  He filed the other Thai restaurants under two categories: Chinese and British (despite some of the proprietors also being Thai).

Then he shared his best kept secret with H...how to tell if a Thai restaurant is going to be good/authentic.  Per the driving instructor, the restaurant must have a picture of the King.

Obviously.  I'm glad to know that some truths cross country lines.

He Did What???

I completely understand the focus on safety in natural resources industries.  It’s a dangerous business and constant vigilance is necessary.  Being office rather than field based, I’m often subjected to the oddities that result from this culture.  Sitting at a desk rather than on a rig or in a pit means that the heaviest machinery I come in contact with is the car or bus on my commute to and from work, my keyboard and my calculator.  Unlike our field counterparts who have safety shares involving possible life or death situations, or severe injury at the very least, my co-workers and I talk about the ‘danger’ of knives in the kitchen, light bulbs out in the stairwell and tripping hazards from open desk drawers and purses left on the floor.

Today’s safety share, based on an actual recorded injury in the office, takes the cake though.  An anonymous colleague got a paper cut in his eye when removing a poster from the wall.  No joke.  We’ve been advised to consider wearing safety glasses when posting or removing papers from walls.  I’m contemplating hanging this by the copy machine:

Hello My Name is Anonymous Expat and I Am Not an Alcoholic

Today I met with my manager (M) for my full-year review.  It was going well, with good feedback, high ratings, and great ideas for next year when to wrap up the discussion, M asked how I’m doing in Australia as a ‘work widow.’  He asked if I have a good support network here and wanted to make sure that I’m not keeping company with a bottle of gin?!?

Maybe this is a weird Aussie way to show interest in employees’ personal lives?  Maybe I should have said yes, but it’s not my husband’s work / life balance that drives me to drink, but my own poor work / life balance due to the ridiculous hours my group is demanded to work.  Perhaps that would have gotten me some time off?

I’m just trying to figure out why M would ever think that unless it was just him being awkward talking about something not work related.  Especially as I:

• Didn’t put forth as a safety share what a good idea pocket breathalyzers are to check whether or not you should be driving home from after work drinks (as another manager in my group actually suggested).
• Didn’t attend the group holiday party where I was told that all of my colleagues drank near their body weights in cheap tequila and danced on the pool table by the bar en masse, in front of the company CFO.
•  Have never come to work hung over or smelling of alcohol (per some Australian colleagues).  Actually, I have never even been hung over in Australia.
• Haven’t come back pissed (aka drunk) from a work lunch with external participants (per some Australian managers).
• Never have more than one or two beers at work happy hours.  Clearly if I don't drink in excess with my coworkers on a weekly basis, it must mean that I drink in excess by myself because no one in WA can drink in moderation.

Maybe you’ve been watching too many episodes of Packed to the Rafters M but my name is Anonymous Expat and I am not an alcoholic.  And if I was, my drink of choice certainly wouldn’t be gin.

Australian Headlines

Every week at work we have a meeting that starts with a series of safety shares.  Through these I have learned about some of Australia's deadliest animals, including snakes, spiders and sharks.  Some safety shares are about the latest beach to be closed from a shark spotting while others talk about the latest deadly insect that they've been seeing an abundance of in their gardens.  One share involved my manager telling everybody how he had steered slightly out of his way to run over a snake in the road.  He thought he was doing his town a favor, since he was driving by a playground.  A lengthy discussion ensued as to whether or not he had helped or harmed the community as other snakes might fight over the new territory and become more aggressive.

Stories like these aren't uncommon, as evidenced by some of the latest local headlines:

• A Darwin schoolgirl reached into her backpack to find a snake, luckily a non-venomous variety.
•  A man working on his computer at home, barefoot, was bitten on his toe by a western brown snake and killed.

No wonder we see signs like these everywhere: 

That photograph was taken during my recent visit to Cape Leeuwin, a lighthouse on the most south-westerly point of Australia, where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean.  After paying admission for the grounds, the groundsman pulled out a series of photographs of snakes that can be found on the property, including the deadliest snake in Australia.  Great way to kick-off the visit!