Before the movers arrived a couple weeks ago, I went through every cupboard, wardrobe and drawer (or
draw as some say here). I asked my darling husband to sort through his belongings and get rid of anything he didn't want to take to the U.K. We purged enough clothing and shoes and toys and household items to require several drop offs at our local
thrift shop.
When the packers finally showed up, I had carefully set aside one suitcase for me and each child which contained everything we'd need for the next 6 weeks. This was no easy task since I had to pack for 2 climates! It was pretty minimal- but adequate.
Now notice that I did not pack a bag for my husband. This is an important point in the story. He was responsible for packing his own bag.
Fast forward to packing day. The crew arrived and, in a very Un-Aussie like way, swept into action. They were quick, efficient and thorough. In less than 5 hours all of our belongings were wrapped and packed and stacked in the container.
In fact, they were so good that I was
almost able to overlook their slightly offensive musical tastes (like T-Pain's "Take Your Shirt Off" ).
At the end of the day, we breathed a sigh of relief. The hard work was done. Now we'd be able to spend the next 2 and a half weeks visiting with friends and enjoying our time in Sydney.
But of course, everything did not go off without a hitch. When my sweet husband went to get ready for work the next morning he quickly realized something was missing from his suitcase. Shoes. He has no shoes. Well, except for the trainers (that's what they call sneakers here) he had on his feet. Every other pair of shoes the man owns are now in a container not to be seen again for 6-8 weeks.
You might think, no problem, just go out and buy a new pair of shoes. Sounds simple enough, unless you've seen the type of shoes Aussie men tend to wear. Think long, pointy, duck bill-like footwear. That's pretty much what was "on offer" at our local shoe shop.
And then, yesterday, I was walking past our local Vinnie's- the thrift shop that served as a dumping ground for all our unwanted stuff. And guess what I saw in the front window- proudly displayed to lure in bargain seeking customers?
That's right: a pair of my husband's discarded shoes! We could actually buy his unwanted shoes back for the bargain price of $70 AUD (about $72.80 USD).
Believe me, I was tempted to buy them back, but I resisted. So if you happen to see my otherwise well dressed husband going to fancy dinners and meetings and goodbye parties in his trainers, you'll know why.
Jenny
