I've Been Here HOW Long?!

Yea, yea, yea... I haven't been blogging, I know. But that won't stop me from trying to catch you all up on what's been going on. Obviously I'm not on Magnetic Island anymore (finally finished crying over that one... for the most part ;) ). I have moved South, into the cold, the wet, and the 6-months-worth-of-tan ruining weather. Although, it has been nice on some level, to be able to wear big comfy sweatpants again (which I have guilt-free purchased two pairs of), and sit by a fire occasionally.

Currently, I am living in St. Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, lovingly known and referred to as "the bubble" that people get caught in. As I have shockingly realized this morning, I have now been living in Habitat HQ Hostel for about 5 weeks, so I think it is safe to say, I am definitely stuck in the bubble.  But for good reason! Not that I am going to fuss too much over the weather, or the scenery (as it is quite Seattle-like here), but I will say I have met QUITE a group of people. Perhaps it was my English roommates that I became INSTANT friends with. Or the fact that the people in my hostel organize weekly soccer games. But since being in St Kilda, I have made a bunch of new friends, and played a lot of soccer... and that was enough to keep me here :)

Having made a new family of friends here that I love, I made a point of telling everyone that they weren't allowed to leave... which funny enough, everyone else has found jobs to keep them here for awhile... and then there is me.

Would you like to hear a little bit about my job hunt here? Cool.

1. After about a weeks worth of searching and applying, and applying some more. I managed to walk into a fitness studio, and talk myself into a job. Woo!! Job hunt done! Until that is, I got my schedule... that included all of 2 classes over the next 2 months... umm remember that conversation we had about me being a backpacker, and needing work asap? Remember how you told me you would pay me weekly instead of bi-weekly, just to help out?.... yea thanks... for those 2 classes...?! haha

2. After another weeks worth of searching and applying... and jokingly getting told by my roommates to stop looking for decent jobs and just go get a s*** one like everyone else... to prove a point to them, and to myself (that I COULD just get any job if I wanted...) I walked down the street with a handful of resumes, walked into the first decent looking cafe I came across, and talked myself into getting a trial shift the next day. 15 minutes. Boom.

Trial shift successful. I got offered a full-time position. Four 10hour shifts per week, 3 days off, good pay. Awesome!!

And then day 3 of the job, my first full 10hour shift, came to an end something like this:

• "Jen, can I talk to you in the office quickly... here is your pay for today.... and I'm really sorry, I hate doing this, but we just don't have room for you"
• "wait... what?" 
• "yea, like this is your last shift... I'm really sorry, we just went with someone else... I feel terrible, but then again, I don't feel too bad, because you have a really awesome personality, and I know that you will find something else right away"
• "I kind of feel like you are breaking up with me...." 

3 days cafe experience: damn right I'm exaggerating that for the next job ;)

3. After a series of more applications, phonecalls, getting turned away because I am not an Australian citizen, being told that despite my swim coaching background, I needed to pay $400 Euro for a weekend of swimming certification to teach swim lessons PART TIME... I actually got a call back from one of the "decent" jobs I had applied for!! Went in for an interview to be the live-in manager of a fancy B&B! Ideal job! Free accommodation! Free food! Terrible pay (but better than nothing)! My reputation still stands, I have never NOT gotten a job that I have interviewed for. They loved me! Despite only being able to work 6 months because of my visa (which they really needed the full 6 month commitment), I was still their favorite for the position. Unfortunately for me, I have a conscience, that couldn't stand the thought of telling them that I would stick around for 6 months, knowing full well that I am only here for 4 max. They were a really nice couple, with a 2 week old baby, and vacations planned. I couldn't do it. I could smell the dream job... it was just a whiff though.

4. So then comes that day where you are getting ready for bed, and you meet a girl named Annie in the bathroom, who just so happens to ask if you know anyone looking for a job. Umm ME! Admitting that she doesn't make much money, she tells me about the fruit market/juice bar that she works at and that they are looking to hire. She offers to take my resume in. Supposedly because her boss asked to meet me, I went into work with Annie on her day off. She was super nice, showed me around and introduced me to everyone... including her boss, with whom the interaction went like this:

• Annie: "Tony, this is Jennifer!"
• Me: "Hi! Nice to meet you!" *big smile*... *extends hand....
• Tony: *head nod*

First impression... rude.

• Annie: "doooo you want to ask Jennifer any questions or anything?"
• Tony: *commences unrelated side conversation with Annie, completely disregarding my presence...

Rude still stands... along with a few other choice words.

No interaction occurred... unless you want to count him telling Annie to stay and work for an hour (because someone else didn't show up) and telling her to tell me to stay too and watch what she does.... I'm pretty bad at saying no, but I'm sure in this situation, I could have happily done so, but I was saved by the phonecall "JENNIFER!! WHERE ARE YOU?! WE ARE GOING TO THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD!! COME BACK NOW!!!" (Great Ocean Road photos and details are coming in the next post ;) )

Quite literally, I RAN away from that job.

5. So when all of your friends are at work, and it is raining outside, and you sit inside job hunting and applying all day, it can be quite emotionally draining. So one day, for a late afternoon pick-me-up, I decided to go on a walk.... After sitting on a park bench for awhile, having a minor pity party, I convinced myself to walk across the street to the little hole-in-the-wall cafe on the corner, buy a hot chocolate and hopefully get a job too. Overhearing my conversation with the barista, the owner looks over at me: 

• "So you're looking for a job?" 
• "That I am!" 
• "What can you do?" (implying barista, waitress, cook etc...) 
• "Well I can smile really REALLY well...." *insert cheeky smile*

Humor for the win! ;)

Admitting that he didn't pay very well, and that he was a bit hesitant about hiring a backpacker, I talked myself into getting a trial shift the next morning. It would have been a self congratulatory moment, until the conversation continued, and he said that he pays $10/hr... cash.... (for those of you that don't know, minimum wage here is like $16/hr).... Thank you sir, for the HIGHLY illegal offer... but no, you will not be seeing me in the morning....ugh. Hot chocolate in hand, I walked back to the park bench.

Maybe it's not so surprising that I have been here 5 weeks after all....

6. Anyone sick of the work stories yet? Me too ;) Hopefully it comes to an end soon. I have an interview for some health food place tomorrow. No idea what it is or what to expect, but I appreciated the humor in their job advertisement, so it was worth a shot. Technically I had an interview this morning too, but being a bit more skeptical of jobs now, I opted not to make the 1+hour trip to the middle of nowhere for this one haha. Fingers crossed!