WEEK 3:  Really, three weeks already?

Summary:

Things finally started getting off the ground a little more this week, with personal interviews for 2 temp agencies, jumping through their loops (paperwork, testing, etc), and 3 hours of office work on Friday at my first, albeit very short, temp gig.  Here's for hoping there's more where that came from.

But you wanted to know more, didn't you?

Sunday afternoon I had my ipod stolen (pickpocketed).  Sunday night I caught part of the huge "Tropfest" event, which is a small films competition shown, for free, in a park, to over 10,000 mostly young people.

Monday I had my first interview with a temp agency, up in an impressively modern office in a highrise downtown.  It went pretty well.

Tuesday I caught a cold, but still managed to get another interview with a different agency.

Wednesday I focused on trying to get over being sick.  And I got a call to work on Friday for 3 hours.  Woohoo!

Thursday I had another interview in an even more impressive, even-higher highrise.   It went pretty well. 

Friday afternoon I worked for 3 hours as a receptionist for an international management consulting firm.  I wore my nicest outfit.  Everyone was out of the office for some off-site event, so I spent 2.5 hours (after a 1/2 hour training) enjoying a polished-marble high-rise view of the Sydney Opera House and the occasional sail boat.  Not to mention free coffee, soda, juice, and even gluten-free snakcs - and, of course, the internet.  For this effort, I will be compensated $23/hr plus super annuation (read: Australian 401k).

At night I did my laundry and couldn't sleep for a while when all my roommates came home from a night out kinda smashed.

Saturday it's raining in sheets.  My glasses lost a screw and are now broken.  The young German couple who used to be in my room are going to talk to me later about possibly going out to the Blue Mountains tomorrow.


Technically it's not wonderland.  Annoying stuff happens.  There are bugs, it's dirty in the hostel.  I have to live with a whole bunch of somewhat alcohol obsessed college types (read: teenagers in adult bodies).  Things can be expensive.  It's $3.60 each way to take the bus to the beach.  Work didn't come instantly.  I'm estimating I probably spend $70/week on food, at least.  And I got sick.

But somehow things are kind of perfect.  Sydney is a peaceful, clean, beautiful city environmentally and socially.   The Royal Botanical Gardens, close to where I'm staying, are kind of magical - filled with different, fascinating plants and birds, with almost dreamlike views of the Sydney Opera house and the bay.  When you can't stand sitting around in the kinda dirty, smelly, crowded hostel any more, it's the perfect cure.  And despite the drinking, everyone in the hostel in nice, and pretty interesting.  Not mention be able to stay nearly center city in a world class city for an affordable rate.

Technically, there's no guarantee that the temp agencies I've been accepted into will be able to find me enough work.  And I've got some expenses coming my way, at some point.  But... I'm not worried.  Every once in a while, mostly when I'm in the Royal botanical gardens or at the beach,  I wonder how I got this lucky.

Pronounced, "Ozzie"

Added Bonus:

Since I didn't really get out to do very much new stuff this week, I'm going to post some fun Ozzie stuff.

Sunday night I caught part of Tropfest, Australia's short film awards.  They play every thing on gigantic screens outside in a park, so it's free and easy to get in on.  My favorite:

Check out "Better than Sinatra":
http://www.smh.com.au/tv/movies/show/tropfest/better-than-sinatra-4321615.html

Also, I never liked "Call Me Maybe" (pop song),  but this Ozzie man-version parody is funny :P

http://www.novafm.com.au/video/fitzy-and-wippa-call-me-maybe-parody-blokes-version

Other than this, I've been told adapting my language a little bit might not be a bad idea. So, gonna try to exchange:

"See ya" for "Cheers"

"Guy" for "Bloke"

"That's great" for "Fanstastic"

"Ripping on" someone for "Taking a piss"

Anything ending in "er" with "ie", such as "Bikie" instead of Biker, and "Surfie" instead of "Surfer".

And just generally not expressing any disdain for or boredom with cricket, even though it is, infact, very boring.  Like golf, only more complicated, and thereby even harder to figure out what the point is.

Week 2: Hostel Life

Lots of rain this week, but it helped me focus on the job hunt.   Along those lines, I'll summarize: it's not easy, and by my count I've applied to some 44 jobs and 9 different temp agencies.  But I have an interview with a temp agency tomorrow so for now, at least, I'm still feeling optimistic.

The downside of things was that I came here during the summer, when, I guess, there isn't generally a lot of office work.  Or something.

The upside is that things should be picking up, and I've managed to catch the end of summer - nice temperatures for the beach, and outdoor events nearly every evening, if you can figure out what and where they are.

So to summarize my week:  lots of time indoors, on the internet during the day, spending "quality time" in the hostel.

Hit the beach on Valentine's Day and Sunday, walked across the Harbor Bridge to Luna Park (pics on FB soon) on Saturday, and caught a couple of "free" outdoor movies on various nights.  Sunday night I was able to catch the end of "Tropfest," Australia's international (though mostly Australian) short film festival.

Aaand, gonna end this post with a picture of my favorite bird.

The Newest of the New World: 

Beginning of (hopefully) a year in Australia

Today marks my sixth day in Sydney, Australia.  Tues-Fri I was setting up shop- setting up a bank account, phone, food, etc. and applying for jobs and temp agencies.  Friday I got lucky with a connection through family in LA and got to go sailing on the harbour, Saturday I teamed up with a few people at my hostel and did a walk from Bondi beach (the most famous beach in Australia) down the coast past several beaches on to Coogee Beach and Maroubra beach and watched the surfers for a while.

The weather's been great, the hostel is a little dirty, but comfortable enough (it's a hostel, after all), and the only thing that bothers me is wondering how long it will take me to find work.  So far, everyone has reassured me that it should be pretty easy to come by.  So.  "No worries." :)

Random Notes from the week:

1.) If I don't mention where I'm from, people assume I'm Canadian.  Hmm.

2.) Tops are optional on most beaches, but don't go naked in the streets, evidently it's a $200 ticket.  And our hostel has great surveillance cameras, so everyone can watch the video the next day of your naked ass running out and back in when you got busted by the police and laugh at you, little Irish guy.

3.) There are an almost absurd number of very fit people here.  Oddly, a large number of smokers, too. (compared to the US, anyway)

4.) Was it a clothing store in the US?  Then it's a food store here. (Coles, Woolworth)

5.) A high number of "gingers" seemed to think it was a good idea to move to one of the most intensely sunny places on the planet.  I'm not quite sure how they survive.  

6.) Add together #3 and #5 and, evidently, you get a very high cancer rate.  Guess that makes sense.