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Brisbane in January

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jte

Mechanical
Apr 8, 2002
2,357
I'm hoping to buy tickets today for a trip to Brisbane the week of 10 January. Just 4 days on the ground. I'll probably arrive in Sydney Tuesday morning and swing by my company's facility there for a couple of hours prior to heading back to the airport for the connection to Brisbane. Then three nights in Brisbane, likely departing Saturday morning.

So... any recommendations as to where in Brisbane to get a hotel? I'll be visiting an office downtown for a day or so, but spending the majority of my time in my company's facility in Lytton. A colleague stayed in the Morningside area a couple years ago when he was there, and thought that I would enjoy a hotel closer to downtown even though the taxi ride to Lytton would be a bit longer.

Anyone there want to join me for a beer one of the nights?

jt
 
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csd72-

Same here as far as the holidays and sick time. And the holiday on a weekend thing. So still not that big a difference... Had I been with a single company for 19 years, I'd be getting 25 days vacation. Plus holiday and sick time. I don't see 25 days vs 28 days as a huge difference. Not that I wouldn't mind three more days...

Get 30 years credit with a company and get six weeks off. That beats the 27, 28 day business...

jt
 
or just move to australia

ANY FOOL CAN DESIGN A STRUCTURE. IT TAKES AN ENGINEER TO DESIGN A CONNECTION.”
 
In regards to tax reporting in North America there was an urban legend years ago concerning an American businessman who took his mother with him on an extended trip to Europe. He carefully split all expenses between business and personal on his mother's account when filing his taxes.
He was contacted by the IRS with the following question;
"When you returned to the USA, on the way home from the airport, did your mother ride in the taxi with you?"
His reply;
" No, I rode alone. Mother ran behind and carried the luggage!"

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter
 
I think they have to give you at least 20 vacation days in Europe don't they?

My first job in the UK I got 25, although 4 were dedicated to factory shut down. + about 9-10 public holidays. Nominally only about 3 sick days.

My first job in the US I got no vacation and no holidays, although it was retail.

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My first day at the UK Department for Transportation I got 30 days vacation. I worked two weeks, took three weeks off, came back for a day and came down with glandular fever (mononucleosis) and was off for three weeks. I had two pay checks for a week and a day's work. Nobody said a word.

The worst part was the bloody NHS. The doctor across the street from my house knew I had glandular fever, but sent me to St Thomas Hospital behind Waterloo Station for the blood test to confirm even though I could barely stand up straight, let alone stay awake.
 
Ah, but did you get several bills for several hundred $ a few months later from the various different departments and agencies involved?

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
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[soapbox]

Eight weeks ago today I had an emergency operation on a Sunday afternoon, performed by the NHS. That operation saved me from spending the rest of my life in a wheel chair. No one checked my insurance or asked me to re-mortgage my house before doing the op: the cost was already taken care of without any question. I've seen the costs of similar operations in the US and they are a long way into six figures.

The 'bloody NHS' is a damned good system, especially at doing the difficult stuff like fixing broken people and saving lives. It's the damned bureaucrats and adminstrators who let the organisation down, not the medical staff.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
 
Pity the NHS is so crap at diagnosing and treating cancer, though. My uncle's girlfriend died in her early 40s because it was too advanced for treatment by the time they figured it out and my friend's wife nearly died of breast cancer in her early 30s for the same reason.

Ultimately both systems (UK & US) are flawed. The best one I've seen is Australia, where there's public health and private available with a tax credit for participating.
 
francesca

I have to agree and I know the few Americans who I know well who had hospital treatment here where amazed at how well they where treated here, right off, no questions, no delay to check insurance or assets.

Unfortunately we are steadily moving mre and more to the American system. I have my very cynical ideas as to why that is so. They fit fairly well with why I thought Obama did what he did on public or universal health care.

Regards
Pat
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I've had coverage through the same HMO (health maintenance organization - read "large medical provider" pretty much all of my life. Had my heart fixed using state of the art catheterization 15 or so years ago (previous option was open heart surgery - not worth the risk). Paid... nothing out of pocket. Had two children admitted to the emergency room in Germany this summer. Paid the costs - cheap hospital, rather high ambulance and doctor bills - yep, three bills. Had them all reimbursed by the HMO. That's my experience with the US health care system. I can choose where to buy my coverage or I can pay higher taxes and have no choice. Why is it that "dang farners" keep complaining about a health care system which works well for the vast majority of people it is intended to serve?

Bringing the post back to the original topic... I'm on my way. Should board the plane in a bit under an hour. Woo hoo. First day on the job this year. Nice way to start my work year! I left my life preserver at home on assurances that I won't need it in Brisbane...

jt
 
Ah, I see, so the US system just isn't intended to serve the lowly paid etc.

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Is the trip to Brisbane still on with the flooding now expected to have a significant impact on the CBD

Regards
Pat
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Pat,

I think he is on the way or maybe here by now. The airport is still open. Will be a very wet welcome to the Sunshine State.
 
hokie

Are you OK with all this, as in safely above potential flood and flash flood levels.

I think we also have rowingengineer in the potential flood zone. Maybe others as it seems about 1/4 of Qld is underwater.

Regards
Pat
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OK so far, Pat, but there will be major flooding in Brisbane. In the 1974 flood, I wasn't here, but the water is reported to have risen just to my back fence. But a lot has changed since then, and this is a different type rain event. Thanks for caring.
 
I also have a friend on low ground in Currumbin Valley on the corner where you turn left to go the back way to Murwillumbah and another in a mining town between Emerald and Mackay.

I have been anxious for their welfare.

I also have a cousin at Manley, but he is on relatively high ground for that area.

Regards
Pat
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for site rules
 
Yup, I was over the Pacific when it seems that the situation took its turn for the worse. Got to my hotel in Brisbane pretty much exhausted from the trip late afternoon Tuesday. Found out I was not in an ideal location - spent the night, considered heading home but my client here convinced me to relocate and stay. So checked out and relocated to the coast in an area which would be hard to flood - I'm now about 100m from the coast of Moreton Bay. Got some work done, but some of the critical people I came to have discussions with are now unavailable - their offices in the CBD are closed, at least one has a land line operating at his home, but no power and no cell phone service. So at best, I'd say this trip will be about 40% sucessful. But I'm glad I decided to stay and at least get some good opportunity to interact with my client and climb all over the equipment which is the prime subject of my trip.

Overall, quite surreal being in the midst of a rapidly unfolding event such as this. It'll take years for lots of people to recover.

jt
 
jte, I'm still wondering how you got your wife to agree to you taking a couple of extra days in Amsterdam.

17-1058074210T.gif
 
LOL

Just celebrated my 20th anniversary. She knows I'll be a good boy. But a boy nonetheless!

jt
 
Sorry I didn't get to meet you, jte. As you may have gathered, I had my hands full, but luckily just escaped being inundated.
 
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