Saturday, August 25, 2007

Moree, the Extreme Boredom

I left Sydney for Moree by Country Link train, AU$58, on the 7th of August. This is a very small and rural town in the north east plain of New South Wales. This place is closer to Brisbane than Sydney.

It has a population of less than 3000 people. The downtown, if there's such a thing, is very small and nothing special. Actually the whole town is full of nothingness and boredom. If I was not working here, I don't want to stay here for any single day.

I'm currently working at the McDonald's here, and I'm living at one of the managers', Ben's, house for 80 bucks a week. The Macca's about 15 minutes of walking from where I live.

I found this work through a post by Sharon, an agent at Bligh job agency, on Travellers at Work. She told me that I can work for as many as 60 hours or more a week, and the pay would be at least 17.5 bucks per hour. But in the first week I earned only 200 bucks, because I did not have many working hours. Same condition in the 2nd week, only because they called me to work on last Sunday, on which the pay is much more at about 25 bucks per hour, so I can earn 500 bucks.

I was already worried last week about my lack of working hour. Someday last week Sharon called me concerning my current condition. I had told her that I did not work enough, but she seemed to did not call my manager. She just told me that should I have any problem just call her. When I saw my next week's roster a few days ago I found that I still would have very few hours, I felt very depressed and disturbed. Moree is a place so boring. If you're not workinh you've got nothing else to do except for sleeping or watching TV. And since I came to such a place from the biggest city I especially felt that I was wasting my time in Australia.

So I called Sharon a few days ago to tell her that I still would not get enough hours next week and my concerns. She latter finally called my manager, and then my manager promised me that he will give me more. I then already get more hours in these 2 days. Like today I started working at 6AM, and then got a rest at 4PM, and then will go to work again from 9PM to 11:30PM. I feel really exhausted now, but I finally get what I want that is the chance to save some money for my latter travels.

I currently live with a Dutch guy, Haije. But he's been working here for more than 2 months, and he's leaving tomorrow. He's saved more than 5 grands in these 2 months. I would like to work like he does, but that would be really tough to me. I feel really very tired.

In these few weeks, the things I had done were merely working, sleeping and watching TV. I didn't even have an opportunity to access the internet. Just today I used my manager's computer to check my emails and hop on here to make a record of my dull life here.

I don't like most of the coworkers at the Macca's. So far I havn't yet found any single Australian that I like. They're simply arrogant and making me feel unpleasant. I will have to endure and tolerate everything in the coming months of working here. And I do not know when will I have another chance to get online...

Sunday, August 5, 2007

2 Nights Left for Me in Sydney

當初滿懷著希望從幾近千里之外的小鎮來到這全澳第一大城
期待能在這裡待到看到跨年煙火
這是我來澳洲最期待的事情之一
雪梨沒讓我失望,除了工作以外

我很高興能來這裡
這裡是我目前在澳洲待過最喜歡的地方
在溫和的冬季氣溫裡,不論晴雨
這裡總是有很多的地方可以去,也有很多的事情可以做
我覺得雪梨人一點也沒有傳說中的不友善
墨爾本人跟愚蠢的米丟啦人才真的令人厭惡

看到歌劇院和港灣大橋時的感動
待在Glebe週六市集裡的愜意
在Glebe的Sappho Books and Cafe裡喝一杯cappuccino, cafe mocha和巧克力甜點
走在人潮洶湧的街道上
望著美麗的達令港和擁有天然美景的Bondi Beach
在中國城裡吃便宜又美味的中式料理
雪梨有著太多令人喜愛的地方
如果有機會移民澳洲
我只想住在這裡

明天晚上我將到歌劇院欣賞來自Argentina的Camerata Portena樂團演出
剛到雪梨,我第二次到歌劇院時就買了票(AU$79)
希望會是美好的回憶

回來以後我就要開始打包了
後天早上10點將從Central Station搭Country Link火車前往數百公里外的Moree
展開新的一段旅程和工作

不知道何時會再回到雪梨
或許不會再回來
不過在這裡生活過的這一個月
我不會忘記

-----
附記:
雪梨中國城人來人往
還有好幾個food court
在food court裡吃飯要隨時注意自身財物安全
我在Chatswood郵件工廠裡第一天工作時認識的
來自France也是backpacker的Gills
在當天晚上到Dixon Street Food Court裡吃那家生意最好的鐵板菜時
他的背包放在桌底下的腳邊
在沒注意到的很短時間裡就遭竊了
雖然我跟他一起去警局報案
food court也有錄影監視
不過當然找不回來了

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Jobs

I've been doing packing at a mail processing plant in Chatswood for a few days. That is a temporary and casual job which indicates that we don't work on a consistent routine but are asked to go to work and go back home according to the plant's needs. When we get to work we can earn like 100 dollars for a day of 7.5 hours of working. That is okay to maintain a life not too bad in Sydney, if you live economically you might also save some little money. But I don't know, I want to get more, a lot more, money.

I wanted to stay in this beautiful and lovable city until next January. I wanted to see the new year fireworks on Harbour Bridge. I wanted to experience more of living in a big city. I wanted more from this city. But after all, I need money. I think I need to save a lot to bring back home for some of my future plans. I forgot the reason why I came here. I thought I can live here like the other backpackers. But I can't. I currently have 3 job offers, none of them in Sydney. I eventually have to leave Sydney on next Tuesday.

I got another job offer today. It's a housekeeping work at a very exquisite resort on Bedarra Island. They would pay me 15 dollars per hour to work for 38 hours per week, and they charge 125 dollars per week for accommodation and food. It is so amazingly beautiful there. The island is in the Great Barrier Reef region. I always dream to live in a tropical paradise like that. I've never been to any place so sumptuous like that. Although as a housekeeper, I can still experience the grandeur of it. And the nature there, it's totally amazing. But I can't save enough money there.

The other job in north western Queensland, in Cloncurry, to spread seeds in the outback is attracting to me a lot as well. I love the outback, I love the nature. Camping under the millions of stars sounds so great. Riding motorbikes in the outback sounds wonderful as well. And I can save some money there, 120 per week totally will be saved. But the work will last only till mid December before the wet season begins. Somehow I also am afraid that I cannot endure that kind of wild life for too long.

Finally I decided to to to Moree to work for a McDonald's restaurant. The owner, Ben, sounds friendly on the phone. He will let me live in his home for 80 dollars per week. The pay will be 16 dollars per hour, and there will be more than 38 working hours per week. Sounds temptng. I found on the internet that Moree is a place famous for its hot springs. I hope it will be a good experience being there. I've booked a Country Link train ticket to go to Moree on next Tuesday at 10 o'clock. It costs 58 dollars for a seat of the economic class. It will take me 9 hours to get there.

I'm sad that I'm always in deep need of money. I feel unhappy. But I have to face the reality after all.