.. much to my dismay. I believed the hype and decided to go for Geelong, they won the Grand Final** last year and had only lost 2 games this season so I was positive they would win. I’m tired of cheering for a losing team <ahem.. Blue Bombers>. But once again I was shit out of luck. It was a close game though, they were neck on neck most of the way through and it wasn’t until the very end when the Hawks pulled out with a huge lead and brought home the Championship.
We ended up watching the game down at the pub and as excited as I was about experiencing the Grand Final I was also enthused by the prospect of meeting hot boys, and I wasn’t disappointed either. Almost as soon as we rocked up to the joint we had guys chatting to us and offering us drinks.
There was one guy in particular I had my eye on, Matt, and I guess he had his eye on me too because we ended up making out for most of the rest of the night – and it was good. (I think I impressed him with my pint drinking, in my experience Aussie guys really seem to go for a girl who drinks beer.) By the end of the night I was pretty drunk and after exchanging numbers we parted ways.
Candice had left a while back having to work at 5 the next morning. So we caught a ride home with Eden’s friend Mark and I chomped down a bag of chips then passed out on the couch while Candice and Eden went to pick up some food which I completely forgot I’d ordered which I could barely eat anyway partially because I was full on chips and partially because I couldn’t seem to get the spaghetti into my mouth I think the floor really got most of it.
All in all I had a great Grand Final day even though my team lost and to think I was considering picking them as my footy team. In any case I think I’m going to end up going for Collingwood Magpies or The Pies as they’re known, Candice was trying to recruit me as a Essendon Bomber fan which seemed to fit, Winnipeg Blue Bombers – Essendon Bombers. But the Bombers have done nothing but disappoint and while I continue to love and support them I’m going for The Pies after all I did live in Joyce-Collingwood in Van.
Filed under: Living & Working Abroad
Temping Day 4 and I am bored, entering figures into spreadsheet, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. I just keep thinking about the money, I’ve already calculated how much I’ll make and am pretty happy about that. Can’t wait to start padding the bank account.
Working in an office in Australia is pretty much exactly the same as working in an office in Canada, the main difference being everyone has an accent, lunch is from 1-2, it’s called a break out room, the pot of coffee in the kitchen is replaced with instant coffee, espresso machines, or plunger coffee which I really don’t know how to make, and I have yet to see a water cooler they just have little filter taps with cold and boiling water. Oh and I’m getting paid a LOT more, but I think that might be partly because I’m temping.
In other matters relating to working girls I have recently become addicted to the new BBC show ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’ with Billie Piper my favourite girl from Dr. Who. It’s really a great show and if you have the opportunity I’d recommend watching it.
x
PS. I tried speed for the first time last weekend, and snorted it – I’ve never snorted anything before in my life , not even chocolate milk.
Filed under: Living & Working Abroad
(Posted Sept 23, 2008)
My flight home to Vancouver was last Friday September the 19th, so I guess I’m now officially stranded in Australia. No money and no way home. I guess I’ll just have to surf my way to the top turn pro and join the WCT [Check it out].
But seriously I bought the ticket knowing the return trip would never be used. The peace of mind it gave me for Australian Customs (you’re required to have proof of onward travel or proof of funds for onward travel on top of the minimum funds you are supposed to bring with you into the country) was well worth paying $300 more for the round trip flight.
Filed under: Living & Working Abroad
(Posted Sept 21, 2008)
No sooner had I decided that starting today I was going to buckle down and start looking hard core for a job than I got a call from the temp agency I’d signed up with previously asking me about my previous experience as a legal assistant because they have an upcoming job (starting today) at a law office and may they send my resume over to the client to see if they’d want me. I say yes (!!!) and she tells me she’d get back to me.
That was thursday. Candice was working the night shift and Eden had to go to his mom’s house to do something but he was supposed to be home shortly in time for dinner and Luke was coming over that night too. So I wait and I wait and I wait but no one shows up so finally I just made hamburgers for myself (which by the way I suck at cooking, they were both kinda pink in the middle and I had to put them back in the pan) and settled in to watch are you smarter than a fifth grader, Hamish and Andy were on and they are hilarously awesome.
I hear someone knock on the door I thought maybe it was Luke but it’s a girl, Candice??.. with a baby? Turns out it was Ang stopping by with her niece to say hello and apologize for not coming over last night like she’d said. She brought over some painting stuff in case I felt like being artsy and told me about this upcoming job. One night serving drinks to VIPs at some boxing thing, awesome if this law office job doesn’t work out at least I have this opportunity (I told Eden later when he got home and he’s convinced it’ll be all gangsters and mob bosses and apparantly people were shot down at some boxing thing a couple years back). She doesn’t stay long as she has to meet someone to get some medicine for her niece who’s teething.
That night I also get an email from my dad, someone from church has relatives in Melbs who are in business, they’re apparantly hospitable and he’d get me their number to call and they might have some job opportunities for me as well. Opportunities are everywhere. ** It’s alright though – the temp agency calls friday – I got the law office job! **
Eden comes home later, kinda drunk, he hangs around long enough for Luke to come over with more booze and coke and passes out shortly after the coke ran out. Luke convinced me to play some card game with him called “Thirteen” and we sat around and played cards and chatted till Candice got home and joined us. We learned something kinda funny about him that night which I probably shouldn’t repeat in a public forum. Finally sometime after 2am we decided it was time to hit the sack but not after Candice and I saw this infomercial for a Malibu pilates system which looked really cool.
Friday we headed to Eden’s dad’s house in Williamstown which is right on the waterfront it’s big and very nice with lots of balconies and Foxtel (for anyone not aware it’s Cable in Australia). We had a BBQ and some drinks and I watched crap on Foxtel and Candice tried to make Eden open his presents early.
Saturday was Eden’s Birthday and we headed down to the pub pretty early for some beer and have a few pints and a shot before being picked up by some of the boys and heading back to the house for some poker (the Boys) and drinks. Candice and I did some drunk facebooking and checked out some Youtube video of a beached whale, hilarious – before getting ourselves caught up in a bit of drama.
Luke recently broke up with this chick who’s just a total bitch and she just keeps on texting him, putting him down, putting his family down and all this crap – anyways me and candice came across a message from her on his phone just saying nasty things, I told her about how I helped scare that Monica chick off Rich by answering one of her calls a while back and Candice gets this idea that we should text her from my phone telling her to back off and leave Luke alone. But then even though we thought we blocked my caller ID from showing up I start getting all these calls with mean voice messages and nasty texts from her calling me a bitch and a whore. It went all night long and even the next morning. Oops, I think I bit off a little more than I could chew with that one.
Anyway today was my first day on the job at the Law Firm, it went alright, nothing special, though I will mention they have a biscuit jar and a break out room with a ping pong table. Pretty awesome.
Filed under: Living & Working Abroad
(Posted Sept 18, 2008)
I need to do something but I don’t know what – ha maybe get a job. I decided today is my last day being a bum starting Monday I’m going hard. You may be thinking what about tomorrow? Could you not go hard then? Well I could BUT it’s Eden’s birthday this weekend so we’re spending it at his dad’s house in Williamstown, beach side, unfortunately not surf beach side but beach side nonetheless so I’m happy with that. Candice doesn’t work tomorrow so we’re heading down early, doing some grocery shopping, and going for a bike ride along the shore.
I drove for the first time on Monday, I was a little nervous about it but once I got in the drivers seat and on the road it went pretty well. The main problems were turning right – even with the arrow on the road showing me where I was supposed to go I almost pulled into the right hand lane not the left hand as I should do, and sitting on the right side of the car to drive. It’s weird getting used to the fact that the bulk of the car is to the left of you, sometimes I would kind of forget and scrape the wheels on the curb before coming back to my senses and pulling away a bit. I checked for damage after it looked fine – no scratches.
I went into the City yesterday and there was a big parade on to welcome back the Olympic Athletes. Crowds of people lined the road and streamers were shooting in the air, music was blasting, and people were handing out these little flags for people to wave. So I got my little aussie flag and cheered them on with the rest of the masses before heading home. Where I did nothing. Actually I found this book in the cupboard about this chick who lost her job and is searching for one so I feel like I can kind of relate, it was beautiful out yesterday so I sat on the front sidewalk reading and soaking up the sun. It was quite nice.
Also Ang called yesterday and I’m going to work with her on Saturday the 26, I’m not entirely sure what the job is but I’ll be working so I’m stoked. Also found out that Quicksilver in the City is hiring.
Filed under: Living & Working Abroad
So here I am in Australia on a mission to surf and I just keep thinking about how I miss Vancouver and want to be there. I know I haven’t really given Australia much of a chance so far spending most of my time sitting around at home, not really going out, not meeting anyone so it’s been lonely and not very fun or exciting and no surfing.
Yesterday I bought a pair of awesome shiny gold heels – I never buy or wear heels so this is pretty big for me. They’re perfect and even better they totally work with my bridesmaid dress. So upon arriving home with them I put on my dress, shoes, and jewelry (Candice tried on a dress too) and we were walking around in our bridesmaid dresses. It was fun and I felt like a lady 
After that we had to knuckle up and start preparing dinner as Ang and her mom were coming over, well actually Candice prepared dinner (I helped with the salad), while I drank my beer and watched Neighbours and that new show Taken Out that despite initial criticism even Eden likes watching it. Yesterday all the girls turned their lights off for this one guy on the show, I felt so bad for him but seriously he had to have seen it coming. Ouch.
Anyway, we drank pink champaign with strawberries and had a lovely dinner of salmon, roast potatoes, and salad. Ang said she might be able to hook me up with a job so that would probably be good because as unemployment can be sometimes it still kinda sucks. Like when you already don’t have a lot of money and you don’t want to blow it so you spend most of your time sitting around at home watching TV and having dance parties by yourself while your housemates are at work.
I’ve apparently been terrible at writing this trip (and it’s true) so I will try and be better. I’ve gotten into a bit of a rut and I’ll try and break free and do something interesting.
Later
Filed under: Living & Working Abroad
(Posted Sept 4, 2008)
Life in Melbourne is not going as smoothly as I had planned. A month in and I still don’t have a job, I only really know Candice and Eden, I’ve only been out in the city 1.5 times, and I haven’t been out for a surf at all.
I keep thinking about leaving for Perth, Torquay, Brisbane, east coast but it’s hard when you don’t really have the funds and you don’t know what’s going to happen once you get there. Perth is probably my best option because I know people there, would have a place to stay and Candice could probably hook me up with a job at the cafe – oh and you can surf (but there’s more sharks on the west coast). Brisbane gets me because Tammy loves Brisbane plus Glen is flying back and he said he could hook me up with a ride on a Catamaran, plus he’s super fun. Torquays good because it’s nearby plus you can surf, and the East Coast because those guys I met in the Casino live there and they said we could hang out and go on road trips and boating and surfing and it sounded fun.
It’s terrible I didn’t use to be so indecisive, but I’m getting restless and I want to go out, get drunk and have fun and I’m tired of sitting around at home. I know I’m supposed to be being responsible with my money because I didn’t really come with any but I really need some fun time and I just don’t know if I’m going to get that here.
