1) We got our TV up and working! After debating for a couple weeks on what size to get (I wanted to settle for a smaller one while Peter wanted to spring for the bigger one-go figure) we finally bought one and got it set up. But not without trouble, of course. We got a good deal on the size Peter wanted, and opted to pick it up from the store since it's just a short tram ride away. We both kind of underestimated how difficult it would be to pick up a 40 inch tv in an even larger box and carry it through the city. It was actually pretty funny. So we got it home, plugged it in, and nothing happened. It didn't work. I called the help line number on the installation guide and the woman who answered quickly instructed me to call the store; the help line was only for online purchases. She practically hung up on me. Alright then.
So we called the store, and the guy who answered told us we would have to bring it back in to exchange it. The next day, we re-boxed it and hauled it back (during rush hour this time).
I've concluded that Australia does a lot of things well, but customer service is not one of those things. It's astonishing how many businesses just don't pick up the phone during business hours. Sometimes there's a voicemail system, sometimes not. Whether or not they'll actually return your voicemail is anyone's guess.
On a fun/cool note, as we were waiting for the tram to bring the actually-not-broken TV home again, a man approached us and said he recognized us from this blog! It was fun to meet someone that reads this other than my relatives! So, shoutout to Nat...thanks for reading and nice to meet you in person!
Australian TV is pretty similar to American TV as far as I can tell; it's a combination of American and Australian programs. Some of the American shows are way behind, though. The "new" Modern Family this week was from season 2 or 3. Some are only a day delayed, like Ellen and the late night stuff. A few of the networks are the exact same, like TLC, and some are an Australian equivalent, like Arena, which is comparable to Bravo. There are a few reality shows that people seem really into- The Block is one- that I haven't gotten a chance to see yet, so I'm looking forward to becoming just as obsessed with Australian reality TV as I am with American reality TV.
2) On Wednesday night, we attempted to get some pictures of the "blood moon". It was decently cloudy, so we couldn't see that well for much of the eclipse, but I did manage to get a few photos...though they aren't particularly high quality!
3) I met some friends for a drink the other night at the Ponyfish Island bar, which is located under a bridge on the Yarra River, right down the street from our apartment. It's a fun place with really good beer- which is saying something since I don't usually like beer all that much- and cider.
We then went to dinner at Merrywell, which claims to have the best burger in Melbourne. It was awesome, albeit a little
spendy at $30, but well worth it!
The conversation then turned to spiders, at which point I promptly lost my appetite. The girls assured me that I would see at least one "medium sized" huntsman in the summer, either in our apartment or roaming the streets. (If you don't know what a huntsman is, Google at your own risk. It's terrifying.) When I asked them to define, exactly, what constitutes a "medium-sized" spider, it quickly became clear to me that their "medium" is my MASSIVE HUGE OBSCENELY GIGANTIC SPIDER. One girl advised that I just spray it with hairspray, which would paralyze and then kill it. Katie (from California) and I were not so sure..a spider the size of my fist seems likely to drink the hairspray, laugh at us, and then attack. My current plan of action, upon spotting a mammoth spider, is to stand on the couch until Peter kills it. That, or jump off the balcony. I've read articles about people burning their houses down trying to start a spider on fire and I have to admit that that doesn't seem like a totally irrational reaction to me.
Today, Peter and I went to happy hour at a bar near our apartment and got a couple $5 gin and tonics, which is the cheapest drink I have purchased here by a wide margin.
It was a great start to the weekend!
So I actually just googled this spider, and if you jumped off a balcony I wouldn't blame you.
ReplyDeleteBe brave.
RIGHT!! I mean that thing could potentially eat me for a snack.
DeleteWould a big spider really climb 32 stories? Seems like a long way to go when there are more ants etc. on the ground.
ReplyDeleteHopefully not climb, but maybe hitch a ride on something up here?? Let's hope they mainly stay on the ground...
DeleteThanks for the shout out Laura, great to meet you guys too. It was so random seeing you guys at the tram stop. And now I find out it was the SECOND time you were carting the TV home when I bumped into you! How annoying!
ReplyDeleteBTW I remember seeing those red plastic cups in the US and recognising them from TV too!
Please, don't be afraid of the huntsman spiders; while not entirely harmless if you leave them alone they will leave you alone. And they eat flies, not enough flies admittedly, but they do eat a few.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen one thus far but I thought it was fake at first because it was so big! I don't think I could ever get used to those things.
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