Wednesday 25th December 2019 -Christmas Day
I spent sleeping in catching up on all the sleep I missed chilling put watching the Food Channel ( until unit IB came knocking on my door around noon thinking I had received a better offer for Christmas Day - of course I hadn't I just was trying to sleep in and advised him I'll knock on his door when I'm ready which was around 1.30 pm - I had a lot to do on my 2 days off) and had a light buffet style lunch with Unit 1B. I didn't have much time to plan a proper hot lunch therefore grabbed what I could find from the supermarkets at the last minute and placed it on my only black plate as I don't have a serving board or platter. A few black grapes some smoked salmon slices baby cucumbers mini gourmet tomatos herbed goats cheese and some taco flavoured corn chips was what I managed to russel up for the 2 of us on Christmas day. Unit 1B was also prepared and arranged several containers filled with hard and soft cheeses, 2 types of crackers and some cabanosi ( so 70s!) out on the table under the shade in the tiny back courtyard of the apartment block. This is where we sat down for a snack and a chat on Christmas day. It was so hot and there were so many flies around. Unfortunately I don't eat cabanosi or soft cheeses due to lactose intolerance and a non deli meats diet but I did eat his cracked pepper crackers to go with my little plate of food. We don't drink so my single bottle of cider is again saved for another day. I sipped on mineral water instead and Unit 1B BYOed his own non aslcoholic drinks. A quick exchange of gifts ( I gave unit 1B a nice Christmas card and a Guzman key float) and I received a box of Lindt chocolates ( yep more chocolate for Christmas). End of a rare Christmas day in Sydney for me.
Sorry my blog just crashed again and I lost a whole paragraph of this blog. So I summerise - above Xmas tree in my studio apartment Christmas Day - First time in 25 years I have been able to have one complete with all my ornaments collected over the past 25 years, snowflake lights from Target, a unopened can of artifical snow, a leftover Monopoly Xmas cracker, my stuffed bilby and possum hiding in the tree, the stuffed reindeer I had forgotten about found hiding in the Xmas tree box which used to sing Xmas carols until I cut its vocal chords one year, the White Christmas tester Glasshouse candle I won this Xmas in a raffle, packets of chocolates I received for Xmas and the Annabel Trends Australian made Santa Sack which I used as a tree skirt then later to store my dismantled Xmas tree and Xmas ornaments away in.
My Xmas tree lit up at night
my contribution to Christmas day snack and chat with Unit 1B
Thursday 26th December 2019
Boxing Day
First thing on my list to do was to immediately take my Christmas tree down with all its ornaments - Christmas is well and truly over for me as I am not overseas for Christmas this year. Boxing Day means sales so off I went to Macquarie Shopping Centre to BAG A BARGAIN or two! Yes I purchased a few things - a memory foam matress topper which am not 100% satisfied with but it is comfy and a tacky red glittery star tree topper because I never had one and could not find one that fit my tree - this one looks as if it will fit perfectly and 1 other Xmas ornament ( another cheaper Santas key) . End of my 2 days off back to work tomorrow.
Tuesday 31st December 2019
NYE
There was great controversy over whether or not to cancelled this year's NYE fireworks display in Sydney due to the severe bushfires around Australia's Eastern and Southern coastal states. I had purchased a ticket the day before to my most convenient paid vantage point ie Bradfield Park in terms of public transport (which unfortunately turned out to be a not so convenient paid vantage point - read on) to view the fireworks for the very first time in 25 years.
There were plenty of tickets still for sale however by NYE the vantage point was sold out to a 22000 capacity probably because people were still waiting until NYE to find out whether the fireworks will be cancelled at the last minute. I didn't really care if they did or didn't go ahead as long as the funds from the ticket sales collected by the council went to help in some way towards the bush fires.
Apologies again the blog site is crashing more and more - now even after an incomplete sentence.
I continue.
I requested to leave work a little earlier around 4.30 pm instead of staying until normal closing time of 5.30 pm to allow me time to get some groceries and change before making my way to Bradfield Park.
I was so tired by now I had a quick snooze before catching the bus across the road to North Sydney where all buses terminated and trains stopped. Milsons Point Station was closed due to the crowds therefore you had to walk about 15 minutes from North Sydney Station to Bradfield Park located at Milsons Point.
It was getting dark and I was walking along and spotted a huge pile of horse shit right in the middle of the road left by the mounted police - not only did it stink , it would certainly be a tripping hazard for the thousands of people heading down to see the fireworks.
I continue with why my night was not so enjoyable and why I left after the 9 pm fireworks. The only way to write about what I witnessed and happened is to copy and past my complaint to North Sydney Council requesting a refund for the event. The council refused to provide me with a refund and did not accept any responsibility of police actions that night.
"I am a very angry Northshore resident.
It is my first time in Sydney over the Christmas and NY period and my first visit to Bradfield Park for the NYE fireworks.
I cannot believe local residents have to pay to get into a park which is free and I did not expect to be verbally abused by police when I had done nothing wrong.
All was fine for the 9 pm fireworks but when I was sitting patiently waiting for the midnight fireworks the police told a group of us who had been sitting there for hours to move. A few stayed and others moved. I stood up but did not move from my spot but when I sat down again was told to move and asked why I sat down again where I was by the police.
I decided enough was enough I paid to be there and did not do anything wrong. It was my spot and therefore the police had no right to ask us to leave. The police told us to squash up more or move as we were block the clearway. What clearway? there were more people behind us that were actually blocking the clearway by not continuing to keep walking along the clearway.I was not obstructing the clearway where I was sitting neither were the people seated around me.
I was so upset I did not stay for the midnight fireworks but went straight home which took me forever.
I would like an apology and a full refund.
I actually texted my cousin who was somewhere around Bradfield Park and told her I was going home and what had happened. I mentioned the incident to a security guard as well.
If there are clearways these areas should be clearly marked and the flow of people traffic clearly marked as well. None of this was present.
I would appreciate it if soeone would respond to my complaint straight after new year."
"Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience on NYE. This was the first time we ticketed Bradfield Park and while crowd behaviour was significantly better than in previous years, there are things we can change to improve the event.
NSW Police are responsible for crowd safety on NYE and Council cannot comment on Police decisions made on the night. However, we recognise that access corridors did get blocked as people moved into position to view the midnight fireworks and we will look at what we can do to define clearer pathways for next year so that this does not happen again. Unfortunately we are not able to offer you a refund.
I am sorry that you did not have an enjoyable experience and felt the need to leave before the midnight fireworks. Had you returned to Customer Service we could have directed you to a less crowded area in the park with excellent views.
Your comments will be included in a summary of the event which will be reported to Council.
Kind regards"
"views weren't even good where I was. What I witnessed that night was absolutely disgraceful and unfair to those who had bern seated where they were. I witnessed a single elderly Asian man seated behind me who had done nothing wrong abused by a police officer. I witness a husband separated from his wife and family interrogated by a police officer as to why he was separated from his family and not allowing him back to join her where she was seated below - maybe he had to go to the toliet or get food for his family and I witnessed a father who obviously left his family to get food but was not allowed to return to them ask complete strangers to pass his food down to where they were sitting as he was unable to return to them to avid being abused by a police officer before I coped abuse by a police officer not once but twice to move from where I was sitting and waiting patiently to watch the midnight fireworks after the 9 pm fireworks. I wasn't going to move I did nothing wrong and paid to sit where I was there was no clearway and why should crowds to people who arrived much later then meet be allowed to push in and get a better vantage point in front of me.
Absolutely disgraceful you didn't need police there it is not their job to tell people to move or squish up. You had heaps od security guards there who could have crowd controlled better and I had no problem with them being there. They did a great job with the scanning of tickets issuing wrist bands checking bags and directing people. All the police did was dump a whole shit load literally in the middle of Alfred Street which people trod in and stank out the entire top of the venue.
ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL. No refund I will make sure my complaint is posted all over social media. The family seated in front of me may have obeyed police to get up and move after hours of sitting in the position they were in but I wasn't going to only to be verbally abused by a police ofgicer who was obviously power hungry."
I was so disappointed and upset I deleted the photos I took and posted on Facebook as soon as I arrived home the next day as it took me ages to get home.
No comments:
Post a Comment