Sydney's Royal Easter Show

Sydney Easter Show - it's a BIG day out.

Sydney's Easter Show is a full-on event. Many of the locals don't bother cos it's just too ... much. The crowds, the money and the travel to get there. It used to be held in the city but now it's held at Olympic Park, about 40 mins by train from the city, and the whole site is huge. By the end of the day your feet feel like you've competed in a couple of Olympic events.

This year I went with my friend Janelle, who had not been before. She said the whole thing was a lot more impressive than she expected, well organised and with an enormous choice of stuff to see and do.

But we both agreed it would be a nightmare if you had kids in tow ... and expensive. I forked out for a Darrell Lea chocolate show bag ... always worthwhile. Janelle bought a show bag that came with a singlet top - and then disappeared into the ladies to put it on! Very handy show bag.

I have been told the whole "show bag" phenomenon is entirely Australian. These days there is an entire pavillion with more than 250 bags available .. full of all kinds of junk. Everything from chocolate and lollies to toilet paper!

And there's all that other rural show stuff .. animals and rides and candy floss and woodchopping. No chainsaw sculpture tho - that must be a Kiwi thing!?

I enjoyed it, but alas AGAIN missed the pig diving. I missed it last year because it was cancelled due to rain, and this year the place was full by the time we got there. Next year I must see the little pigs diving into the pool. Watch this space.

I got a photo of another pig. But it's not the same.

L.

Sydney Easter Show - the Wood Chop Bar. A peaceful haven .. cos these blokes don't say much. But they were selling bubbles for the ladies .. 

Sydney Easter Show - the Show Bag Hall appears to be a drain on the finances of many Sydney families! 

Sydney Easter Show - the Darrell Lea Chocolate show bag stand. The "choco-block" bag was $10 and mighty good value. 

Sydney Easter Show - See! It's not true that dogs all look like their owners. 

Sydney Easter Show - the junior woodchopping event. 

Sydney Easter Show - Big Pumpkin in the District Displays. You can see someone has written '230kgs" on it. 

Pig photo just for my Mum 

Bitching About Time At Work

Today we got a note from the boss reminding us of what our hours of work are supposed to be.

IE it was a big fat signpost telling us she thinks we are not working all the hours we are supposed to .. and we aren't covering lunch breaks properly.

This of course only serves to piss everyone off and start yet another round of discussion about what hours we all actually do work, and how we thought we did a pretty good job of covering considering we are understaffed right now. As usual.

We also wondered how it is that we never know what hours she and our immediate boss keep - let alone where they are when they leave the room. I guess they don't have to say.

It just reminded me of some line I read in a management textbook sometime once - if you treat people like children they will act like children.

It is all very disheartening. And downright irritating.

Our supervisor is a guy who arrives after everyone, and leaves before everyone. He lives about a million miles away and has a train trip home that takes more than an hour. Poor baby. Buy another house!

As my dear old Dad would have said "don't tell me your problems!"

Exactly.

How Close Can Your Boss Get?

Tell me what you think your "personal space" is.

Where does it start and end?

Last week my boss came up behind me as I was sitting at my desk, placed his hands on my shoulders and leaned forward so his head touched mine. He then made a fairly uncomplimentary comment about something I had done in a recent staff meeting, and pulled away again.

It was extremely yucky. There was nothing particularly sexual about it. I'm not saying I was harassed ... it just wasn't right. He came into my personal space and I guess I felt it was disrespectful.

And yeah, sure it didn't help that he was making a criticism. I think he thought he was doing me a favour by telling my quietly, instead of telling the whole room.

Do you think I'm being too sensitive? What happens when people who are "touchy" think it's okay to touch people who are not?