Back to work

Well my first week back at work is over (well it was more like 3 days)

My first day involved a whistle stop tour of the Head Office for Accor Asia Pacific in Sydney. That was pretty interesting and nice to meet all the team. Then whisked out to Sydney Olympic Park where my boss is based for lunch and to meet the Regional Support team. I was handed budgets and business plans and advised that we are in the middle of preparing next years submissions and to get reading! In the evening I was invited to a tenure dinner at the 5* Sofitel in Sydney which was a really pleasant way to end my first day on the job.

The next morning I had an early start to catch the 7.15am train to Newcastle. The train was pleasant enough until a realised there were 2 people in my carriage who can only be described as social outcasts. After about 10 minutes they started to shout and swear at each other. This carried on for a good half an hour, then they decided to shout and swear at other people on the carriage. They were heading to Brisbane but got as far as an hour out of Sydney as they were removed from the train. This is apparently quite common and I should get used to it. Lovely.

The hotel and staff are great though and not a great deal of difference in the way we operate in the UK. My weekend has involved telephone calls advising me that a Duty Manager has come across a nest of Red Back spiders in one of the fire exits. That is a new problem for me and as long as I don't have to go anywhere near them I will be fine!! (Pest control were called and took care of them so all is good).

I have had the weekend off (back in Sydney) and will start looking for new flats duriing this week.