Saturday, December 28, 2013
Brisbane
I haven't really been up to much lately in this big small city. Mostly I just have been handing out job applications and talking to people about my job searches. Other than that I have been taking care of myself as best as I can on the smallest amount of money as possible. It's not so exciting or eventful but with that said I am enjoying Brisbane. The city has a sort of "Getting started" feeling. Like it is a city in its beginning, if that makes any sense. It's culture is in many ways the same. There is much eastern Asian culture as well as British and German culture. I talked to an Aussie about this and they agreed. "Pretty much everyone in Australia is at least 3rd generation Australian". Well I'm not sure how valid that was (she was a bit tipsy) but none the less, it does show how young this country is.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Green Peace
So I was finishing my rout of handing out job applications yesterday and there were a few people walking around the sidewalk talking to people. By the amount of green on their shirt and the way one of them was sheepishly trying to talk tot people I assumed that they were Green Peace. I went up to the girl who seemed distressed due to the job which obviously did not fit her and just talked to her for a bit. Her affable counterpart came up to us and told her to keep trying while he talks to me.
We talked for a bit. I explained that I was looking for a job and after he asked "What are you passionate about" I responded with "Technical theater"
"Well I hate everything theater related. Tell me what's so great about theater"
I then passionately spilled all of my knowledge and feeling about why theater is great and when I was done he said "Well actually I'm an actor, I was gunnu be a hippie but then I decided to be an actor. I was lying to you before. I think I have a job for you doing what we're doing if you are interested. If you are I think you will be good at it"
This took me a little off guard. I thought I was just talking to someone. I kind of got the hint that there was a job involved when he told me that he hated theater. But not only did he just offer me a job (which I'm typically used to asking for) but he said that I would be good at it. "Why would I be good at this job?" I stupidly asked. I saw the hippie in him come out a bit when he told me "It's all in the eyes man, I can see it in your eyes"
It is now the next day. I am kind of expecting a call but I will beat them to it. He also mentioned that they were short on people so I am going to apply on their website for a position in Brisbane to up the odds.
We talked for a bit. I explained that I was looking for a job and after he asked "What are you passionate about" I responded with "Technical theater"
"Well I hate everything theater related. Tell me what's so great about theater"
I then passionately spilled all of my knowledge and feeling about why theater is great and when I was done he said "Well actually I'm an actor, I was gunnu be a hippie but then I decided to be an actor. I was lying to you before. I think I have a job for you doing what we're doing if you are interested. If you are I think you will be good at it"
This took me a little off guard. I thought I was just talking to someone. I kind of got the hint that there was a job involved when he told me that he hated theater. But not only did he just offer me a job (which I'm typically used to asking for) but he said that I would be good at it. "Why would I be good at this job?" I stupidly asked. I saw the hippie in him come out a bit when he told me "It's all in the eyes man, I can see it in your eyes"
It is now the next day. I am kind of expecting a call but I will beat them to it. He also mentioned that they were short on people so I am going to apply on their website for a position in Brisbane to up the odds.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
50+
Handing out job applications isn't easy. Especially if you have to walk to each location and seem energetic and dedicated every time you hand your summarized life to someone. Yesterday (I looked it up today on Google Maps) I walked more than 50 miles from place to place handing out resumes and getting lost in the city. Getting back to the hostel I just passed out on my bed and took off my shoes.
A funny thing happened when I was handing out my last resume that day. Just before I decided it was time to head back, I was in "The Valley" (which is actually called Fortitude Valley) and I handed my resume to a guy behind the counter at a Mexican themed restaurant. Looking at my resume he got a curious look on his face. "Oak Park... is that anywhere near Forest Park?" and he followed that up with "What did I say?". I was finding it hard to answer as I was busy picking up my jaw from the floor. "Yes" I managed "The OPRFHS is actually Oak Park River Forest High School. Oak Park and River Forest are right next to each other. How did you know?", he said "It seemed familiar, I have a friend from Forest Park and he talks about his home a lot". I was a little too flabbergasted to cope with all this so I politely thanked him for considering me for the job and got out of there. I had to get a little air so I found my way to a stoplight. Leaning myself against it I took a hot second to take a breath.
I curse myself now for not getting the guys name but now I know one thing is for sure. I will head back to Fortitude Valley and continue that conversation... tomorrow. Today I will rest a bit more.
A funny thing happened when I was handing out my last resume that day. Just before I decided it was time to head back, I was in "The Valley" (which is actually called Fortitude Valley) and I handed my resume to a guy behind the counter at a Mexican themed restaurant. Looking at my resume he got a curious look on his face. "Oak Park... is that anywhere near Forest Park?" and he followed that up with "What did I say?". I was finding it hard to answer as I was busy picking up my jaw from the floor. "Yes" I managed "The OPRFHS is actually Oak Park River Forest High School. Oak Park and River Forest are right next to each other. How did you know?", he said "It seemed familiar, I have a friend from Forest Park and he talks about his home a lot". I was a little too flabbergasted to cope with all this so I politely thanked him for considering me for the job and got out of there. I had to get a little air so I found my way to a stoplight. Leaning myself against it I took a hot second to take a breath.
I curse myself now for not getting the guys name but now I know one thing is for sure. I will head back to Fortitude Valley and continue that conversation... tomorrow. Today I will rest a bit more.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Brisbane
So I have been in Brisbane for about a week and a half now and I am really enjoying it. When I have talked to other backpackers about Brisbane, most of them spoke ill of it saying that there weren't that many clubs or there was no beach to surf on or hang out at. These claims are only half true. There are many great clubs in Brisbane they just didn't know where to look and it is true there is no beach but to complain about that is stupid. My reasoning for that is that there are beaches (beautiful beaches) all up and down the east coast of Australia and they get to this one city and start complaining about the lack there of. Well whatever. I am enjoying my stay here to the fullest. That said I have been trying to be cheap in every regard until I get a job.
I have handed out a total of 34 resumes and I am now keeping my fingers crossed that I get a job. The critics are also very wrong for criticizing Brisbane so heavily. The lagoon (like a giant communal pool) here is giant. Bigger than any other I have encountered on the coast and it is open 24 hours. The Valley is also a great place to visit for it's China Town and various clubs, the libraies have amazing free WiFi (which I am currently using) and fantasitc views of the river, and the Queens Street Mall has huge variety of shops and stores along with its giant Myre Center which contains 6 levels of food courts, super stores, small shops and even a cinema at the very top.
I have handed out a total of 34 resumes and I am now keeping my fingers crossed that I get a job. The critics are also very wrong for criticizing Brisbane so heavily. The lagoon (like a giant communal pool) here is giant. Bigger than any other I have encountered on the coast and it is open 24 hours. The Valley is also a great place to visit for it's China Town and various clubs, the libraies have amazing free WiFi (which I am currently using) and fantasitc views of the river, and the Queens Street Mall has huge variety of shops and stores along with its giant Myre Center which contains 6 levels of food courts, super stores, small shops and even a cinema at the very top.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Internet
I know I keep complaining about internet again and again. Unless you haven't noticed in which case I will complain to you now that it is the most annoying thing ever. It is always a boring story of "I tried this time and it didn't work and then I tried another time and it didn't work and then I asked a few people and they told me to go here and now I finally have internet". But this is just how it is. There aren't any Starbucks with free wifi, there is hardly anywhere with free wifi. Usually I have to stumble around a town for a week before I come across decent free wifi, but here in Brisbane I got extremely lucky. My hostel is a mere three blocks away from the main library for all of Brisbane, and the internet here is AMAZING. The are maybe 70+ people on it and it still works smoothly. Like a YouTube level of smooth. Which is amazing.
I don't think I have ever appreciated internet as much as I should have until I got here. I think I appreciate good internet even more because most of the internet over here is pretty crappy. During a trivia night at a nearby bar the question was asked "Which country invented wifi? A. Japan B. Australia C. America"
When the announcer announced that it was "B. Australia" that invented wifi, someone in the audience responded, "Then why does it suck!". And he was right. There wifi over here is expensive, slow and hard o find.
I don't think I have ever appreciated internet as much as I should have until I got here. I think I appreciate good internet even more because most of the internet over here is pretty crappy. During a trivia night at a nearby bar the question was asked "Which country invented wifi? A. Japan B. Australia C. America"
When the announcer announced that it was "B. Australia" that invented wifi, someone in the audience responded, "Then why does it suck!". And he was right. There wifi over here is expensive, slow and hard o find.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Fear
Well I have talked much about my travels and adventures not only on my blog but to individual people such as family friends and even people who I have met over here. It is nice to see people being so supportive and happy for me. I also suspect many of being secretly envious of my travels.
I confess I have been filtering out much of the less thrilling or less tell-able stories. There is also the fact that I am usually tense every day whether it is managing money, making sure I have a place to sleep, or making sure I have another meal that I can put in my stomach. There is also the fact that I can be totally alone yet surrounded by people every day. That said I wouldn't want to be stranded with any other people. I have found backpackers to be some of the most friendly and giving people in the world despite them having almost nothing but what is on their back, on their plate and underneath their head.
I confess I have been filtering out much of the less thrilling or less tell-able stories. There is also the fact that I am usually tense every day whether it is managing money, making sure I have a place to sleep, or making sure I have another meal that I can put in my stomach. There is also the fact that I can be totally alone yet surrounded by people every day. That said I wouldn't want to be stranded with any other people. I have found backpackers to be some of the most friendly and giving people in the world despite them having almost nothing but what is on their back, on their plate and underneath their head.
Keep On Movin On
Noosa is such an amazing place and I'm sure that I will come back here eventually but I have recently lost my glassie job and I must now move on.
In a few ways this is good and in others it is bad. It is good because after looking for a job and not finding one anywhere in the area asked around and apparently it is incredibly hard to get a job in this are because everyone wants to work and live here. So after looking tirelessly I decided that I would try again to work in Brisbane. So the good is that now I am going to Brisbane and can be financially steady.
There is the bad that I no longer can no longer stay in Noosa for free. The good is that I didn't pay for a single day to stay here and I still have a few days left. I paid for staying here only using vouchers and the work for accommodation.
The bad is that I have lost my job and the accommodation that came with it. The good is that I lost a really crappy job that didn't pay that well.
The guy who fired me was the same guy who hired me. Named "Joep" pronounced "Joe" he is a really nice guy. He was obviously uncomfortable with firing me so I didn't make it any harder for him than it needed to be. He explained that I was let go because I skipped a few hours early on in my employment which was true. But in my defence; Getting used to a new sleep schedule at a literal moments notice was not easy for me. That lost me my job along with the shift in ownership here at the Noosa Nomads hostel.
By the way I do mean that the hour I was offered work for accommodation here was the same hour I started training for my job. That "literal" was quite literal.
Anyways I optimistically am looking forward to my stay in Brisbane. I was told that there is a man at the hostel I will be staying in who's job it is to find backpackers jobs. I will get a job in Brisbane.
Where I got the "Keep On Movin On" title. (By the Spoons)
In a few ways this is good and in others it is bad. It is good because after looking for a job and not finding one anywhere in the area asked around and apparently it is incredibly hard to get a job in this are because everyone wants to work and live here. So after looking tirelessly I decided that I would try again to work in Brisbane. So the good is that now I am going to Brisbane and can be financially steady.
There is the bad that I no longer can no longer stay in Noosa for free. The good is that I didn't pay for a single day to stay here and I still have a few days left. I paid for staying here only using vouchers and the work for accommodation.
The bad is that I have lost my job and the accommodation that came with it. The good is that I lost a really crappy job that didn't pay that well.
The guy who fired me was the same guy who hired me. Named "Joep" pronounced "Joe" he is a really nice guy. He was obviously uncomfortable with firing me so I didn't make it any harder for him than it needed to be. He explained that I was let go because I skipped a few hours early on in my employment which was true. But in my defence; Getting used to a new sleep schedule at a literal moments notice was not easy for me. That lost me my job along with the shift in ownership here at the Noosa Nomads hostel.
By the way I do mean that the hour I was offered work for accommodation here was the same hour I started training for my job. That "literal" was quite literal.
Anyways I optimistically am looking forward to my stay in Brisbane. I was told that there is a man at the hostel I will be staying in who's job it is to find backpackers jobs. I will get a job in Brisbane.
Where I got the "Keep On Movin On" title. (By the Spoons)
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