Culture Shift

Sometime ago I found myself flipping through the Telstra catalogue and found the perfect cordless phone to go with my new VoIP setup. On special, two handsets and a bonus headset. The next time I was in town I went in there and asked for the special, only to be told it wasn't in stock and hadn't been for a while. Why is it on special, I asked? The sales guy didn't know, but he could order it in for me. If you're going to move to a regional area like this one, get used to these seven words, "I can order it in for you". You'll hear it a lot.

Anyway, a week later, the phone came in, but it wasn't the colour we ordered. Three weeks after that, today, the right phone came in. Great, it's here.

While I was in town picking up the phone, I also went to the local Coles supermarket. I don't normally do the grocery shopping anymore, so this is probably the first time I've done it since we moved. Boy was I frustrated. It's a massive Coles, but for all that shelf space it has no where near the same amount of choice my local Coles had in Sydney. Basic veg for example. I wanted some vegetables to go in a soup. Potato, fine, four different types to choose from, sweet potato, great, pumpkin, no -- what the hell? What about swedes, turnips and parsnips? No, not there either. I guess there isn't much call for my particular city tastes down here in Bateman's Bay. (No pumpkin?!?)

There are hassles living near Bateman's Bay, sure. It's far, far away, so of course there aren't going to be the same goods and services we've come to expect from living in a big city. But for all the hassles, there are an equal number of benefits, and not always the kind you would expect.

My trip today for example. Sure I could have resorted to internet shopping for that cordless phone. I even think Telstra has an online store where I could have gotten the same phone for the same price. But the guy at the Telstra Shop said he could get it, so why bother trying to track down the same deal online? I can wait, right? What's the rush? And you know you can trust him. People here are like that -- they do what they say they will do. Sometimes it just takes a little longer than you expect.

Also, at Coles, the checkout chick asked me how I was. Genuinely asked me. And then proceeded to ask me about my day, and before you knew it, we were in a conversation. Really, why not? We're right in front of each other, she's good at her job, so it doesn't take 100% of her concentration -- why not have a chat? Coming from Sydney though it surprised me -- so much so I was really struggling to keep up my end of the conversation.

Then on the way out of Coles, some random guy on the street started talking to me about pedestrian crossings while we were waiting to cross the road. A well dressed guy, looked like he was heading back to the office after lunch. It's not the first time it's happened to me here, but it still makes me jump when someone talks to me on the street. It's actually happened a few times already, but I still find myself quickly turning my head, asking myself where is the clipboard, how quickly can I get away, do I have any spare change?

Yeah, life here is definitely different. I think I'll take my laptop out on the deck for a while and watch the ocean.

Update: 28 May, 2005

My wife kindly informs me that she was able to find two kinds of pumpkin at the same Coles I went to, as well as swedes, turnips and parsnips. She suggests that either 1) Coles was briefly out of stock during my rushed visit (small chance), or 2) I just didn't look properly (likely). She also suggests that instead of chatting up checkout chicks I should just ask about the pumpkin et al.

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