Hi Everyone,
Sorry I have been so rubbish at updating my blog and sorry again about the lack of pictures but I lack a computer so its more difficult to do stuff without one and imagine updating your blog on an ipad mini! Its crazy. Anyway I feel like its been ages since I last did a post and just wanted to check back in with everyone and keep the blog alive!
So what I have I been up to lately. Well I am still in Sydney and last time I was writing Ma had just come to visit which was wonderful. It was really really lovely to see her and we had a great time. Since then I have been more proactive about saving money and been sorting myself out a bit. So I decided 1 month ago that I would start saving money because as much as I love living week to week on my wage its not great and if I am all the way around the other side of the world I better make the most of it and actually go out of Sydney to see some of ‘real’ Australia. So the budget was made - $100 a week excluding rent and for those of you who have lived in Sydney you will know that $100 dollars doesn’t go far. In fact I normally spend $60 alone on a single weekend so that only leaves $40 for the week – and the coffee count adds up! So in addition to this budget...ergg! I decided to get another job and after ummm and ahhhing for ages I finally bit the bullet and did my day long RSA course which cost be $110 – well that blew the budget alright!
An RSA is the responsible serving of alcohol. And it is mandatory for all people working in bars, restaurants, clubs etc and it is a day course that educates you on alcohol and the effects of alcohol. The bottom line is don’t serve anyone who is underage or intoxicated. But the course itself is a bit of a joke. Firstly the certificate alone costs $80 of that $110 and the ‘test’ at the end is not really a test! Saying that I did learn some stuff. I had a pleasant enough day listening to all the stories our teacher had about drunk people throwing snookers balls at his head, girls pouring drinks down slot machines etc so it really wasn’t a hardship at all. The magic thing about the RSA is that it gets you a job. So I handed out my CV to 8 restaurants on Crown street – my high street if you will and within 1 week I had a second job working in a restaurant. Boom. Easy peasy. So now I work 50 hrs a week ish and i’m saving like crazy to go travelling in the very near future.
The second part of saving money was finding some cheap accommodation in the city which is a very difficult thing or very easy. Gumtree which I had never really used before is the place to look. People post up ads about rooms and you go and have a look and if its nice you pay a bond if you don’t you keep looking. So I moved out of the place I was sharing with Tash to have a little holiday break and have my own room for a bit – which for all those travellers out there you will know what a luxury that is! So I moved down the road opposite a bakery- great! Into a house with 2 couples and 1 english guy. Best decision I ever made. My new housemates were amazing. Kind, friendly, funny, welcoming, normal and chilled. I had such a fun month living there. We had pizza nights, movie nights, watched State of Origin together drinking beers. Sweet as bro! Unfortunately the magic could not last forever as the couple who held the lease were moving on to buy somewhere else – they are both aussie and so we all had to leave L. The other English guy was moving back home and the other couple who are my best mates in the house are still staying in Sydney until November so at least I can still see them.
So as a result of having to leave I had to find a new place on gumtree to live. I didn’t want to move far because of the restaurant job and I like the area so I found this sharehouse with 13 other girls. Yes you read that right....1 -3 other people and myself share this mansion of a house. Hectic doesn’t even come close to what its like. Firstly they are all pretty much working professionals. There is one nurse, one recruiter, project manager, media consultant, 3 models so truly an eclectic mix. I have only been there 4 nights and I don’t know everyones name. I’ve barely spent any time in the house and they are all super keen to do group activities so it is a bit intimidating to be honest. And I am just readjusting to life in a sharehouse with 13 other people!!!!!!
So I am still working the receptionist job which is same same with no difference! And I have taken up bikram yoga which is yoga in 38 degrees of heat. So you SWEAT! And I mean really sweat. Sweat from places you didn’t even know were possible! So that’s greaaaaatt! I actually really enjoy it because its proper hardcore yoga. Its challenging every time and you really feel the results. My back is so much strong and I don’t get any back pain from sitting all day at the office and I’ve only been doing it 1 month so far. My flexibly is better and concentration is better. So all positive so far! So work is going well – managing 2 jobs is manageable. Exercise/fitness – all good – accommodation – the verdict is still out. Friends -.....
A little story – I was sitting at my desk at work just minding my own business, probably looking at Daily Mail Online – TV News & Showbiz - (Tom – I’m afraid my addiction has got worse!) and who walks out of our boardroom – Daisy Milo – an old school friend... small world eh? So we catch up – she is actually living in Canberra which she has done since she left school and now in fact works for Hays – literally mind blown! So we go and have dinner catch up and its amazing..to not have seen someone for near on 4 years and just pick up from where you left off. I also went down to visit Daisy in Canberra – Australia’s capital. Wow – did they make a boring city. It is a beautiful place. Its like a large country town set in a massive valley with gorgeous lake and surrounding countryside but as a young person you feel like you have aged 40 years! Firstly its where parliament is – and the new parliament house is pretty boring to be honest. I just wasn’t that impressed. It looked like someone had tried really hard and then epically failed at designing a building. It looks odd, and is frankly confusing. Other sites to see in Canberra – there aren’t many is the war memorial which is fine. Nothing really to report there and the new place we went to was the arboretum which was cool. It has gorgeous views over Canberra. Overall Canberra is not somewhere I would ever go again. Its perfect for politicians, civil servants and families but for tourists its dull. But it was lovely to see Daisy and we went for lunch, saw the sights etc so it was a great relaxing weekend but much to quiet for me.
