The relatives have gone - we can all breathe out, we have our usual allocated space around the house LOL. And the tension is slowly leaching out of the air as well. There was a lot of tension.
The family was paraphrasing what the relatives' holiday report was going to be after they left - 'up north was good, went to the club and played the pokie machines there, the Sunshine Coast was good, went to the club and played the pokie machines there, Brisbane was too hot, there wasn't anything to do, the markets were crap, and they wouldn't take us to the clubs to play the pokie machines'. We think it is pretty on the money LOL.
My grandmother wasn't in the best of moods the entire weekend - my brother brought his girlfriend and my six month old niece around last night, first time this side of the family had seen the baby, and first my grandmother went into the lounge because she was 'too cold' outside, and then, when the baby came inside for a visit, the relatives were glued to the TV, either watching some crap miniseries or waiting for the Lotto results to come on.
My brother's girlfriend was crestfallen, because she is so proud of the baby, and wondered whether they had done anything wrong. Welcome to my father's side of the family LOL. My brother said that they were headed over that side of the Tasman for a mate's wedding early next year, and they would probably visit the relatives who were visiting - no one said anything. Glued to the TV no doubt (and it was a very crappy programme). Like, why the heck bother?
Mum had the theory that after a week in each other's company in close proximity even before getting to Brisbane - they had come over for a cousin's wedding up north, and from my understanding tempers had frayed a few times. They weren't ready to enjoy Brisbane at all I think, and because my side of the family has been away from the 'centre of the universe' for so long, we probably aren't really considered family anymore anyways.
They went on a ferry ride on the river on Friday, which they didn't seem to enjoy. Migod, when I take the ferry, because I don't commute that way, it's very relaxing. But there didn't seem to be anything to do. When we were resigning ourselves to the idea of takeaways on Friday night, my aunt was poring through the Yellow Pages, trying to find a place to go to - my mother thinks she was having pokie machine withdrawals.
When they went into the Valley markets and Chinatown on Saturday, they were disappointed that there was either expensive crafty stuff or cheap Chinese stuff. Umm, duh. I knew they had been talking up their expectations of the 'Asian markets'. And apparently iced coffee means ice cream with coffee flavouring in the centre of the universe - my grandmother complained bitterly about how crap the coffee that my mother had bought was. Oh, and the cake was too dry as well.
Then the sulk session and the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife last night. My aunt saying that my parents should buy two sofabeds to put in the games room for them to stay next time - because, you know, a five hundred pound pool table is so easy to move around. And there aren't any doors on the games room either. And asking where the baby was, and then ignoring her for the most part. And my uncle wanting to access his email to send photos of the wedding back home - because, like you know, you can't wait three days to actually show them when you get back home.
Even I don't access my email when I'm on holiday.
And then to top it all off, this morning they came around at about 11am and started into the beers straight away. At least 'the boys' did, because of course women don't drink beer, they drink spirits - my sister wasn't asked if she wanted a beer all weekend LOL. And one of my uncles had gone into the TAB before coming around and had a beer at about 10.30am hmm.
When it was suggested that they do more touristy stuff than markets or shopping, such as maybe Australia Zoo or South Bank, it was a virtual shrug of the shoulders. They did go to South Bank, as part of the ferry ride on Friday, but only spent about ten minutes looking at the markets.
It's like looking into a different world. Drinking and gambling are the most important things. Shopping is the major thing to do as a tourist - I did a lot of shopping in Melbourne earlier in the year, but I did go to the MCG and err the casino as well LOL.
Will be going to work to relax tomorrow I think :)
Pauly
The family was paraphrasing what the relatives' holiday report was going to be after they left - 'up north was good, went to the club and played the pokie machines there, the Sunshine Coast was good, went to the club and played the pokie machines there, Brisbane was too hot, there wasn't anything to do, the markets were crap, and they wouldn't take us to the clubs to play the pokie machines'. We think it is pretty on the money LOL.
My grandmother wasn't in the best of moods the entire weekend - my brother brought his girlfriend and my six month old niece around last night, first time this side of the family had seen the baby, and first my grandmother went into the lounge because she was 'too cold' outside, and then, when the baby came inside for a visit, the relatives were glued to the TV, either watching some crap miniseries or waiting for the Lotto results to come on.
My brother's girlfriend was crestfallen, because she is so proud of the baby, and wondered whether they had done anything wrong. Welcome to my father's side of the family LOL. My brother said that they were headed over that side of the Tasman for a mate's wedding early next year, and they would probably visit the relatives who were visiting - no one said anything. Glued to the TV no doubt (and it was a very crappy programme). Like, why the heck bother?
Mum had the theory that after a week in each other's company in close proximity even before getting to Brisbane - they had come over for a cousin's wedding up north, and from my understanding tempers had frayed a few times. They weren't ready to enjoy Brisbane at all I think, and because my side of the family has been away from the 'centre of the universe' for so long, we probably aren't really considered family anymore anyways.
They went on a ferry ride on the river on Friday, which they didn't seem to enjoy. Migod, when I take the ferry, because I don't commute that way, it's very relaxing. But there didn't seem to be anything to do. When we were resigning ourselves to the idea of takeaways on Friday night, my aunt was poring through the Yellow Pages, trying to find a place to go to - my mother thinks she was having pokie machine withdrawals.
When they went into the Valley markets and Chinatown on Saturday, they were disappointed that there was either expensive crafty stuff or cheap Chinese stuff. Umm, duh. I knew they had been talking up their expectations of the 'Asian markets'. And apparently iced coffee means ice cream with coffee flavouring in the centre of the universe - my grandmother complained bitterly about how crap the coffee that my mother had bought was. Oh, and the cake was too dry as well.
Then the sulk session and the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife last night. My aunt saying that my parents should buy two sofabeds to put in the games room for them to stay next time - because, you know, a five hundred pound pool table is so easy to move around. And there aren't any doors on the games room either. And asking where the baby was, and then ignoring her for the most part. And my uncle wanting to access his email to send photos of the wedding back home - because, like you know, you can't wait three days to actually show them when you get back home.
Even I don't access my email when I'm on holiday.
And then to top it all off, this morning they came around at about 11am and started into the beers straight away. At least 'the boys' did, because of course women don't drink beer, they drink spirits - my sister wasn't asked if she wanted a beer all weekend LOL. And one of my uncles had gone into the TAB before coming around and had a beer at about 10.30am hmm.
When it was suggested that they do more touristy stuff than markets or shopping, such as maybe Australia Zoo or South Bank, it was a virtual shrug of the shoulders. They did go to South Bank, as part of the ferry ride on Friday, but only spent about ten minutes looking at the markets.
It's like looking into a different world. Drinking and gambling are the most important things. Shopping is the major thing to do as a tourist - I did a lot of shopping in Melbourne earlier in the year, but I did go to the MCG and err the casino as well LOL.
Will be going to work to relax tomorrow I think :)
Pauly
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