One Week Goes By Much Too Fast

This week, most of the lab people, including my supervisor, are down in Sydney for a convention. So I went in only on Monday and Tuesday to do some of my experiments and then conveniently took Wednesday to Friday off to enjoy myself. Time flies and I seriously have problems remembering the days I did this and that. For example, I met up with a new friend from S'pore and brought him down to Chinatown but I just can't remember when I met up with him. Was it this week or the last? Maybe I'm just tired and also suffering from lack of sleep. As I said, I took these 3 days off and I can't remember what I did on Wed. Can someone please remind me? Did I spend this day alone or with Chris? Shit this is really quite scary. It's almost like I have multiple personality disorder where I have gaps in my memory because I was "taken over" by my other personality. I know this is not possible but it's still freaking me out, the fact that I can't recall the simplest details.

I do know what I did on Thursday though. How can I forget it? It was the most insulting and demeaning experience I've had this year. We went down to Gold Coast with an uncle of Chris. Her distant cousin was here to study at QUT and her dad and elder sister came down to help her settle down. Since they kind of needed people who knew their way down to Gold Coast and because I know how to read and topo a map, I went along. Actually I wasn't very excited about going to Gold Coast again but I didn't really have anything to do and I would be company for Chris. We made it all the way to Sunnybank, Harbourtown and Surfer's Paradise without really getting lost. However, her uncle was extremely condescending and just plain rude when we went down a wrong turn. I can truthfully say that I did my best to lead them on the right track but I don't think that I can be completely blamed when we got a little lost. The map wasn't up-to-date and her uncle was....let's just say that he didn't trust me and tended to trust his own instincts even though I was the one holding the map and we had been down to Gold Coast a few times already. Like the time when I told him to to straight to reach Surfer's Paradise but he saw the road sign that told him to turn right and the name he called me wasn't exactly nice. Oh it wasn't a vulgarity or anything and I don't really know what it meant but it was the way he said it and the way it came out. Even when he realised that I was right and he was wrong, he didn't acknowledge that he was in the wrong. Also, he apparently didn't understand what "going straight" meant because we told him that he had to go straight down this road for 12 km before he needed to turn but he would call out every street name and ask me where to go from there. "Go straight ah?", "Turn left or turn right now?", "You sure or not?" were just a few examples of the remarks he made throughout the journey and I couldn't take a break at all. Reading on a moving car isn't very comfortable you know.

I really hate to complain about him since he is Chris's uncle and they will meet again. We were both so stressed at the end of the day and we really dreaded meeting him again on Friday to go up to the zoo. Seriously, as I was talking to another friend while waiting for them at Surfer's Paradise, I could feel myself close to tears. I don't think I had ever been so unappreciated and insulted at the same time. I think Chris felt the same.

To top it all up, we were having problems with our friends who were going down to the zoo with us. They were at home the whole day and they didn't even bother to call up the car rental company to book a car for Friday morning. When Chris asked, WS just said that he didn't know. Sometimes, people who are so passive and unitiative really get on my nerves. For me, I like to prepare beforehand and make sure things are all arranged so that there will be less chances that things will screw up. Apparently some people just don't think that way. They think that the service industry revolves around the customer so whatever the customer wants, the customer gets. No need for any pre-booking!!! Definitely will have as long as you want it....yeah right, dream on!!!

We got back pretty late from Gold Coast and I totally had to let down Mil and Steph. It was Mil's bday and I was supposed to join them for dinner in the city. But things dragged on and on so I couldn't meet up with them. Damn and it was her bday and I was also craving for Korean food. I still am...

We rushed home and passed Mil her bday present. It was a super nice bronze handbag with butterflies sewn in the corner. It was really pretty and I actually considered getting the white version for myself but after buying a pair of $60 Nike shoes, I guess I should save my money. We had a short chat and told them a summary of what happened that day. Then I headed down to the guys' place to stay over. I needed to discuss the next day's plans with them, settle the route to go to the zoo and make tuna mayo for our lunch the next day. After such a stressful day, I guess I needed some friendly company instead of being alone in my room. Thank god I'm not the kind to dwell on issues. Usually I get over them and feel better after a night's sleep. I don't think I'm the kind who holds a grudge unless the person has done something really terrible like insult me!

Ok I'm pretty tired now...I'll update Friday's zoo details soon.
Time to sleep since I have to get up early tomorrow. We have the car for another day and we don't want to waste it.