As a carer it is important to care for yourself. This was one of the reasons I took time off and flew to the Eastern States (as we Western Australian’s call anything east of our border). I needed to get away for a while to reboot. I also enjoy coming to Syd to visit friends and get a once a year medical – Gaps Free dental check-up, a new pair of glasses and as many visits to the physio as possible. Unfortunately on the health insurance I am on, there are no No Gaps services in WA, so a trip once a year to Syd covers it. Yes, it’s cheaper to fly to Syd than pay the extra in Perth plus I get a holiday.
I slept so well the first night in Sydney I didn’t hear poor Vi-Lay getting up throughout the night with a squirmy tummy. She had left for work by the time I rose at 7 am (4 am Perth time which is my usual wake time). I decided I would get up so I could start the day early as I had a very busy schedule ahead of me. By 9:30 am I was on the train heading for Wolli Creek where I changed trains. My first stop was Kogarah to pick up some face cream from Aldi which I had run out of the day I left Perth; stopped at my optometrist, he was on holidays! His secretary gave me another optometrist who could give me the script which my optometrist would then fill out and post my glasses back Perth. I had brought my old frames to be filled so I left them with her.
As there is a family history of macular degeneration I decided to get this checked too. Praise God, all was clear. The check did pick up some other abnormality though. There was a jelly mass at the back of my retina which was pulling away and detaching from my eye. I am to keep a close watch on my vision and if I thought there was any change in my sight to immediately get it checked. In the meanwhile the optometrist was going to see if the NSW University could get in touch with me as they were doing a study on eye abnormalities. He then warned me not to turn my head suddenly as this could make things worse, just smooth movements. I can’t imagine me doing things slowly! Maybe I should be wearing a neck brace! I refused to be concerned and committed it all to Jesus. He alone knows my future and encourages me not to worry about anything.
From Kogarah I walked to Rockdale to see if I could see my physio a little sooner as I had a doctor’s appointment immediately after and had to walk there too. It was only 10 mins walk but I didn’t want to be late. I was pleased to hear he was able to bring my appointment forward, and with some time still to wait, I wandered around Rockdale through the Chinese shops looking for a pair of rubber slippers suitable for gardening as I don’t like thongs.
Then a short wait in the clinic before being pummelled on the table. I prefer a firm massage, it really feels like something is being done. But boy at the time it really hurts. No pain no gain as they say. Before leaving I asked for some exercises to help strengthen my shoulder muscles which I’m determined to do as I’ve had problems with my shoulders throughout my nursing career.
I needn’t have brought forward my physio as my doctor was way behind schedule. This gave me time to wander around the Rockdale Plaza where I bought a few snacks for our trip before returning to the surgery where I waited and waited and waited. Thank God it didn’t really matter as I didn’t have to be anywhere in a hurry. The doctor and I talked about the antidepressants which I feel were making me lethargic. She suggested another brand and gave me a month’s worth of free samples as well as a print-out of the information that went with them. She also suggested I stop the tablets I was on and commence the new tablets after three days.
After reading the information I decided if I was to stop the others, as instructed, I might as well just see how things went without medication. I really didn’t want to take more and as I’m on holidays and no longer under the stress of home I should in theory be less needful of them.
From the doctor’s I walked back to Rockdale, up the hill towards Bexley and my accountant. As I went I called a friend, Susan, to say I was in the area and was she home. She was. I thought I might see her after my accountant so I gave him a call to say I was on my way. He wasn’t free till after 4:30 and as it was only 3 pm and I was passing Susan’s home I just stopped by. Susan told me that it was a miracle that she had received my call as she had changed her number. She had just turned on her computer and the call came through. (I’m not sure how it comes through her computer) Anyway, she saw it was a private number and was about to ignore it but decided to pick it up. I’m so glad she did otherwise I wouldn’t ever have found out that she had changed her number! God is so good!
We had a lovely chat before I left her to have her nanna-nap, she was going out that evening for her regular dancing night. She is amazing for a 70 yr old!
My accountant hadn’t finished with his client but I was happy to relax and wait. He is such a lovely guy, we always have a lovely chat about different things as well as my financials. Walking back to Rockdale afterwards, I took a train back to Revesby via Wolli Creek and the shops. I wanted some coriander to add to my leftover soup. Every shop it seemed had run out so I bought some Japanese mushrooms instead. Vi-Lay had returned early as she hadn’t slept well and wanted to rest before going out at 9:15 pm. I prepared my dinner knowing Vi-Lay probably wouldn’t feel like eating. I was reluctant to wake her at 9:30 but thought she might be disappointed if I didn’t. She was surprised she hadn’t put her alarm on but felt better having had the rest, which was good. We went to her home group meeting for prayer and Bible discussion before once again returning exhausted.
I didn’t have a very good night’s sleep which isn’t unusual. I was grateful that I was, after sometime, able to go back to sleep, having woken at 6 am (EST) I woke again at 10 am. My phone woke me, I could hear it ringing even through my earplugs. I couldn’t drag myself out of my deep sleep or out of bed so I left it to ring off. When I eventually woke up I saw it was my dentist so I called back to reassure them I was in Sydney and confirm I was coming on Thursday.
I took my time getting ready for the day as I didn’t have such a tight schedule, which was a relief. This was the first day off the antidepressants. I knew it would take a few days to get out of my system and I’d have to monitor how things went. But I didn’t want to go on feeling lethargic with no incentive to do things.
Thursday I had a few things on my TO-DO list including getting my hair cut in Hurstville. There wasn’t a long wait before I was on the chair. The ladies seemed a bit glum till I started talking about my travels to China and Hong Kong. I used the little Mandarin and Cantonese I knew which put a smile on their faces. By the time I was leaving the hairdressers, some of the clients were laughing and commenting on my language skills. I was happy too as I had brightened their day and came away with a lovely haircut.
After calling a few friends in the area, I found Linnan was home and set off to visit her. She lives in the flat in front of my previous flat on Forrest Rd, Arncliffe. I walked up from Arncliffe Station, calling into the post office where I knew the owners; well I used to, they had sold it to new owners! Linnan is a Chinese student hoping now to get her PR. She is hoping to get a job in accounting after finishing her English studies. It was lovely catching up and looking around my old garden. There were some huge avocados on the tree I had grown from seed but unfortunately they don’t become ripe till October. Leaving Linnan just before 4 pm I hurried down to the Banksia Bakery before it closed at 4 pm, for my favourite Zata. The Banksia Special comes with fresh spinach, ricotta, onion, tomato and olives wrapped in a Lebanese Zarta. Whenever I come to Sydney I make an effort to buy one. It is so filling. This time I also bought a bag of the Zarta seasoning mix to bring home.
With Zata and herbs in hand I headed for the Station. As I entered I saw a familiar face, the station attendant, Brian. He recognised me and eventually remembered my name. I was very impressed as I didn’t remember his till I came to write this account. We had a quick chat before finding the right platform where I finished my Zata and boarded the train for Town Hall. I changed here, heading north to St Lennard’s. During this time I had a phone call from Mum. She was wondering when I was coming around. I said it would be a bit difficult to get there soon as I was still in Sydney. We both laughed. I told her Kat was there and reassured her she would probably be home soon and reminded her where Kat’s number was written down. Not long after Mum hung up I had another call. It was Mum again! Hello, where are you? I’m still in Sydney. Oh hahaha I’ve rung the wrong daughter again. At least we can have a laugh about it.
On occasions, but not very often, I receive calls from previous mothercraft clients asking if I still work. They are usually enquiring for friends who are facing challenges with their babies or children. The most recent inquiry happened while I was still in Perth; I mentioned I was coming to Sydney in a few weeks if the couple were willing to wait. We arranged to meet near the husband’s work in St Lennard’s. I was glad I arrived early as not only did I get lost (I was looking for the wrong street), the place we were going to meet closed at 5 pm. I hadn’t realised the wife had been trying to email me; I wasn’t online so didn’t receive her email. She had forgotten she had my mobile number! I called her to let her know we needed a new venue but not the pub as it was very noisy. Having walked around the area looking for the coffee shop we had planned to meet at, I had seen a restaurant open so the plan was we would meet there and they would shout me dinner. Lucky for them I was full after my Zata so we snacked on entrees discussing the challenges they were facing with their three year old. It was such a joy to be able to ply my skills once again in helping parents with tips on behavioural management. I really do miss it. After about an hour and a half we parted ways, both happy with what was discussed.
On route home I called in to Kirkplace to meet Vi-Lay and to join partway through an Easter Celebration Service. There was such a lovely move of the Spirit as we worshiped and prayed together.
The following morning Vi-Lay and I headed back for the Good Friday service, which was quite different with Stations of the Cross set up around the building, where there were Bible readings and a time of contemplation.
That afternoon Vi-Lay and I decided we would go walking. First along Botany Bay near San Susi then to West Sydney Uni which has some lovely gardens. It was a lovely way to finish the day.
Saturday was a day of relaxation, sleeping in, calling friends and relaxing then in the evening watching some inspiring Christian movies.
Easter Sunday I was up early and decided it was a good opportunity to go for a jog before church. There were a few people out walking around the nearby Revesby Park. Then church with Vi-Lay catching up with those I hadn’t seen the previous days. It’s always lovely visiting my old church and catching up with friends. After church we were offered a lift down to Austinmer which is about an hour’s drive south, which gave us a lovely time to chat with Louise and Geoff our hosts. There is some spectacular scenery on-route. We were dropped at the beach where Vi-Lay and I walked along the coast; first north around the cliffs, then south and back towards the railway, where we planned to catch a late train beck to Kogarah where the car was parked. While at the beach we had a quick dip in the ocean. While changing a little girl, who many of us thought had been stung by jelly-fish, was causing quite a commotion. We saw her again waiting at the station then again on the train. The earlier train had been cancelled due to track work so the one we boarded was packed! Vi-Lay and I sat in different places just to get a seat. During the journey there were announcements to ask people to remove luggage off the seats so that other passengers could sit. On the trip, the lady with the upset child sat opposite me. I asked her how her daughter was. She explained, the child was her friends, had eczema which flared up after her dip in the ocean, she was ok now. No wonder she had looks so distraught and was crying!
Back in Kogarah we decided to go to our favorite Rockdale Vietnamese restaurant for their infamous Banana Blossom salad. I’ve tried finding something similar in Perth but with no success. We were told it’s a southern Vietnamese dish. We finished the meal with sticky rice and banana wrapped in banana leaf and topped with coconut cream! Yummmm!
Monday morning I met with my business partner Grace, at McCafe in the CBD on George St. Again I got lost even using the GPS on my phone! I walked around the block before calling Grace, only to find it was just across the road from where I had exited the subway! I usually have a great sense of direction, I’m not sure what is going on! There was a lot to discuss over a coffee, my choice is now a Piccolo, not a Piccolo Latte which has more milk. I like it strong, one shot of coffee with about the same amount of milk. I started taking it this way when I realised how much milk I was consuming in a cappuccino which was expanding my girth!
Our business venture is another important reason for my Sydney visit. There seems so much to do before the website is launched. From here we visited the Microsoft store which had only just opened. It was good to have Grace with me, who knows more about computers than I do, to get her opinion. I need a new laptop but it won’t be just yet as I need to make some money first. I was very tempted with a HP that was on special and the last of its series but no, I must be patient. The Lord has been speaking to me about being patient and waiting on Him, so now was a good time to practice. At least now I know what I’m looking for.
Leaving Grace to head home, I headed to Hurstville to buy my favourite Chinese desserts: Mochi and yellow bean cakes. I don’t seem to be able to find these in Perth either. I had been thinking about them ever since I knew I was coming to Sydney and the previous visit to Hurstville they were out of stock. I started on the Mochi on the train and had nearly finished them before I reached home! I did save some for Vi-Lay who also enjoys them. They are so delicious when fresh.
At church on Sunday we had arranged to meet with friends at our favourite Thai restaurant in Kogarah for dinner, so I hurried back to Revesby before driving back with Vi-Lay. We were pleasantly surprised to see Shawnette outside the restaurant. I had been trying to contact her since arriving. She was delighted to join us, which made eight of us. It was a lovely night with many of the dishes both Vi-Lay and I enjoyed. We had come for lunch a few days back to have the original Nam Tok (Thai beef salad). I first met the owner, Gai, before she opened her first Thai restaurant just outside the church. She later moved to the main street and continued to serve us great food. Because she know I have lived in Thailand she makes sure it’s authentic, not changed to suit the western palate. Mind you we still have to remind the cooks. We like to support Gai because she is a lovely Christian lady.
Tuesday was my visit to the dentist, George, at midday. This appointment is made six months in advance with airfares around this date. I had slept in but was ready on time, taking the train straight to Bexley North. I had a major filling planned for a molar which took ages. I didn’t leave till just after 2 pm! Having previously had the tooth filled in Perth, I had to go back twice to have it fixed because it was too high, causing me pain when I ate, then the filling had actually fallen out. This was nearly two months before I came to Sydney, I was determined to have my faithful dentist do the job properly.
With my mouth still numb from the local anaesthetic, I waited for a bus to Rockdale for my second physio appointment. By the time that was done my mouth was back to normal and having finished the Mochi from the previous day I took the train back to Hurstville to find some more and to stock up on the yellow bean desserts to take to Jen’s.
Being our last night in Sydney before out trip north, we finished off as many leftovers in the fridge as possible, stocked up treats for the trip and packed our bags as much as we could before having another night watching Christian movies and an early night.
The next update will be our trip up the east coast to Queensland.
Photos: 1. Rocks at Austinmer 2. Who knows the difference between Pawpaw and Papaya? I’ve struggle to convince people there is a difference, some say they are the same thing but just called differently in different countries. This it is correct as you can see from the picture. They are different varieties. 3. Tamba and me at church Easter Sunday. 4. Snail trails in the sand on rocks at Austinmer 5. Vi-Lay on the rocks 6. Panoramic view over Austinmer beach 7. Banana Blossom salad 8. Eight friends from church eating out.
Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for His help with Mum especially during my time in Sydney. Praise Him for Kat being able to stay with her during this time away.
Please continue to pray for the right residential home for Mum when she eventually needs to move out of her home. She is on several wait lists but these can take ages to work through the list. I’m believing the right place will come up at the right time. It’s always the Lord’s perfect timing I have found. So I’m just trusting Him to make a way where there seems to be no way. Amen!
Please pray for Trisha who has not been communicating with any of us sisters since the tribunal. Please pray for reconciliation and peace between us.
I appreciate your ongoing prayers for the business, Senior’s Benefits and Rewards. We are still looking for someone to assist us with marketing ideas but things are moving on.
Thank you once again to all my supportive friends and prayer partners, knowing you stand with me in prayer is a real encouragement and strength.