Thursday, July 29, 2010

Mildura, Red Cliffs, and Beyond!

The good thing about not having internet anywhere closeby is that I don't spend any time on my facebook.

The shitty thing about not having any internet anywhere closeby is that I can't do fucking ANYTHING- at all- without a computer. No banking, no flight purchases, and definitely no Skype. Also, upon actually making my way to a computer, I usually find that the flight prices have changed, the person I'm looking for is no longer online, or (in this case) the blog post I had carefully crafted longhand is NOT in my bag and I've got to re-write it as good as I can from memory.

This is likely to suck. That is my disclaimer.

So, since my last post, I've relocated to what is generally accepted to be the asshole of Australia. Mildura's an interesting little spot people still use the word "nigger" freely and unabashed. It mkes me nervous. Happily, I've been working every single day I've been here and have been raking in that sweet sweet Australian currency. While farm work is tough and has been taking it's toll on my face and arms (stupid branches!), I'm getting super buff and my butt looks amazing!

I don't want to get too into the work itself, as I reckon I'm likely bore even myself. The light at the end of the tunnel is a few days in Adelaide, followed by a few more days in Bris, one in Sydney, and then on to Peru! As I burn through my last 18 days of work, I gotta keep my eye on the ball.

OK, this was a shitty post- I promise a better one once I'm done working in this hellhole.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Working Woes

I'm broke and have no work and am starving in Echuca. Good God, what have I done in moving here?

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Things I've learned from working in an unnamed Lebanese Restaurant on King Street in Newtown.

The bread is not fresh. No. Not even then. It's not.

When employees that aren't from the developed world use the term "friend"... it usually means that they're about to totally screw you over.

The baklava isn't fresh either.

Yelling is the only means of communication. They will yell at you to "FILL THE WATER. FILL IT UP!!!" and "ANSWER THE PHONE!! ANSWER IT!!!"... but don't be confused by the notion of 2-way yelling. That doesn't fly.

I hate pan flute music. A lot.

Don't ever ask to get paid. Getting paid is not always part of the job description.

If you don't order the banquet- don't worry. That's what they'll order for you anyway.

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I'm not going to go into too much detail about the rest of the things that happened to the food there-- just... don't. Just.

... don't.

ANYWAY, on another note- I'm happily removed from that fucking hellhole of a job, and have relocated to the sunny (albeit chilly) country-side town of Echuca, Victoria. That's right- boguns, billy-goats, and (strangely) a lot of bars. Happily, that makes a girl of my waitressing experience a precious commodity. I've never had such an easy time finding work (albeit it's only been for a day or so at each place- sighs-). I've been spending my mornings sleeping in, and my nights warming myself with meat pies. It's been comforting.

Still broke, but that's not new news... wonder if maybe I should have gone to Brazil instead of trying to work. Might have made more sense. Headed to Adelaide in mid-August, then Queensland, then PERU afterwards though... suppose it's good to stay somewhere where hygiene is up to the international standard. I'm spending oodles more than I'd be in any developing country... but then again, a shitty hostel here is the equivalent of like, a 4-star hotel in Ethiopia. Suppose it's a decent trade-off.