Equals

I nearly fell off my swivel chair this morning because within five minutes of arriving in the office someone had offered to make me a coffee. I was so taken aback that I’ve no idea who the voice belonged to, I just sat there thinking three months into the job and finally I’ve been offered a brew.

Allanah arrived half an hour later complaining about delays in the train journey across the harbour bridge. Allanah lives in Kirribilli, near Kirribilli House, which is the official residence of the prime minister and she’s easily my favorite person in the office, originally from Canberra but refusing to visit her parents all winter because she says it’s too bloody cold in the capital. This really makes me laugh because I imagine refusing to come out of the house in Warrington because it’s too bloody cold. She has a real affection for all things British and a masters degree from Cambridge.

“It never really struck me before, but you poms are very formal aren’t you? I mean they do say that about you but it’s not always obvious”

“Why, what have I done?” I asked.

“Not you. No, this morning I went running with a British friend and we were going along the harbour and we passed John Howard out on his morning run. So I said “Hi John” and my friend said “Good morning, Prime Minister” which made me fall about laughing”

“Well if I saw our prime minister I don’t think I’d even consider saying good morning to him” I said

“Why not?”

“Well I suppose I wouldn’t expect him to reply. I’d think I was bothering him, he’s busy and important isn’t he?”

“Well there’s the British class system” She said. “You all know your place and you know the pecking order. In Australia there’s much more equality”.

Later in the morning our fundraising manager sent out an e-mail to say we had to move our cars from the parking spots outside because the social ladies were due to arrive, the ladies who sit in the boardroom eating lamington cake and thinking up plans to raise money for our cause. I couldn’t tell you their names because they’ve never stopped to speak to me. They’re too busy and important.

“Where can I put my car then?” I asked Alannah.

She thought about it for a moment. ‘I don’t know” she said. “The permit you have is only good for the spots right outside the building though you could park at the aquatic centre for an hour”

“I think I’ll leave it where it is then” I said. “You said this was a land of equality but it seems to me that some people are more equal than others”.

Stick that in your pipe, George Orwell.