23rd August - 30th August 2013
So now that my life isn't going to be very interesting over the next 3 months, i'll be doing weekly, summarising blog entries instead of daily. My 2nd day at work was a long one, I started at midday and didn't finish until just after midnight, 12hr shift only a day into the job, and I managed fine! Gotta get big thumbs up for that right? The reason it was so late is because they had a Spicks and Specks music trivia night that brought in over 100 people - for a little village pub thats alot of people! We put on a buffet and drinks and table service (clearing up etc) was literally every minute. Chloe, me, Terri (a girl who's the daughter of the lady who does the businesses payroll. Her mother is also English so loves it when there is an English backpacker in town), Serena the cook, and Debby were all on shift that night. Max, a local boy, sings in a band so he was taking part in the quiz singing songs that people had to guess, he's a nice genuine guy. All in all it was a fab night and I loved it, I love being busy and being face to face with people.
Then sadly it was the end of the evening and time to say goodbye to Chloe, she was leaving with Terri before heading to a town nearby to try and get work on a farm with her boyfriend, so it was just going to be me from now on, other than Terri who would be round occasionally (she works full time somewhere else), she said her and her mum would look after me and take me out with her friend Amanda as often as my shifts would allow.
Sunday was a quiet one and we shut early, 6pm, so Paul and Derek could go for a meal in Atherton. I got my first Rosta for the week and am basically working everyday on the afternoon til close shift (3-9pm) sometimes it was 6hrs, sometimes 5, last night (thurs) it was 7hrs. Which is nice as A. I can lay in til 9.30/10, and B. I get most of the day to do stuff (which isn't alot in Herberton, so I've been catching up with the blog, celebrity gossip, news, etc), plus a couple hrs in the evening to relax before bed.
I've visited the local newsagent, pharmacy and 'supermarket', (just like a country tesco express), I also had a walk around town (didn't take me long to complete as theres only a few streets to explore). Yesterday before Jack the Joker (remember from my first day?) I went on one of the Herberton scenic Trail Walks up near the mining museum, I just did the easy one hr Mines Walk, which takes you past some of the old shafts and tells you a little history. I've made a pact with myself that my mission while I'm here is to complete all of these walks, and maybe a few others in the area (a couple of the lads have said they'll draw up some maps or take me on some waterfall treks in the area), before I leave at the end of November. This should curb my adventure/travel withdrawal symptoms a little before I can get back
to it with Bex on our Australia adventure!
I have been having little pangs of home sickness, but I knew this would arise once I settle somewhere unfamiliar, not knowing anyone and start working, so I make sure they don't last long (maybe 5-10mins during the day?).
The first week has been hard, I wont lie. Getting back into the working world after travelling is hard for anyone, when you've had months of fun, freedom and not worrying too much about money, having a routine or having to answer to someone. But I was advised by someone in Happy Travels that the first week is always the hardest, then it gets easier, so hopefully I'll stick it out and get used to the small community. I just keep doing a little reading or planning for our trip everyday, so that will keep me going, give me motivation to put in the slog for the dollar! It would help, if I'm honest, if there was another backpacker here, but I've heard that there is some roadworks happening soon in the area, where Paul may get the contract to put up the workers for a few months, which means it'll get busy. Debby has said if he gets the contract he'll need to employ another bar worker (backpacker) to help out as it'll be busy. So in a way I'm hoping he'll get the contract, not only for more hours but, in the words of The Inbetweeners, for a 'work fwwriend'. haha.
Paul, the boss, is a funny character to work out, he has a very dry humour and he can shout or swear at you alot, especially if your not doing something right, but I've learnt to just start taking it on the chin and doing as I'm told then rolling my eyes behind his back. I know he isn't a mean person, he's expressed he's happy with my work a few times but I think you have to be a strong character to take him as a boss, he's a bit 'Gordon Ramsey' sometimes! I was nervous and scared at first but as Debby says, its just him and he doesn't mean it half the time. Plus I just think, its only a job for 3 months, if he truly wasn't happy he'd send me packing and get someone else, so I'm very grateful he hasn't done that, yet haha. Debby and Terri both say I've picked it up very fast though so I'm hopeful I'll continue that way til I leave!
Debby took a bad fall in the fridge on Tuesday, she stood on a keg to reach some stock, thinking it was full, but it was empty so she fell, taking a load of glass bottles of water with her! She took a nasty bruise to her arm and cut her ear but she managed to survive the evening. Lesson; don't stand on kegs!
So yesterday I survived my first Jack the Joker event, Thursdays are the busiest night for drinks, normally the rush starts at 4 til about 6.30 then calms for a bit and then just becomes a constant slow flow of drinks and food once people peeter out until close. I was hit on by a number of the drinkers, but that comes with a barmaids territory so I've learnt to take it, play on it a little (friendly banter, pour lots of drinks) and it not only gets their approval and good words of thanks, but some good tips in the jar! hehe. Plus some of them do have some good chat so they are friendly company too. I've come to taking a fond love of Tony, who basically spends almost $50 a night or every other night on pots of VB, drinking til he cant see straight, but he's sooo friendly, loveable and has a heart of gold! He's like a big drunk teddy bear.
Thats another thing I've had to get used to, what they call everything out here, not only have I had to learn the works of an aussie bar, but the lingo of an aussie bar, so heres a little education for you guys too:
Half pints are called Pots, and are served in little pots basically, I particularly love the sound of XXXX Gold - one pot of gold please!
Pints are called Schooners.
Then they have a 'pint' which is basically a huge bowl of alcohol (normally reserved for 21st bday drinks and the like)
Cans are called Tinnies, and glass bottles are called Stubbies.
When the beer glass is empty and sits upright on the bar, it means they want another one, if it's turned on its side, it means no more, they're drunk as a skunk haha.
So today I'm on close with Debby as Paul is off to the Mareeba Maize festival down the road, and if it's not busy I may get to leave at 8.30/9 to go with Terri to the Atherton Battle of the Bands where Max and his band is playing tonight. Not sure yet if I'm allowed so will be in my next post if that happens. But thats my week in a 'blog-shell'.
So now that my life isn't going to be very interesting over the next 3 months, i'll be doing weekly, summarising blog entries instead of daily. My 2nd day at work was a long one, I started at midday and didn't finish until just after midnight, 12hr shift only a day into the job, and I managed fine! Gotta get big thumbs up for that right? The reason it was so late is because they had a Spicks and Specks music trivia night that brought in over 100 people - for a little village pub thats alot of people! We put on a buffet and drinks and table service (clearing up etc) was literally every minute. Chloe, me, Terri (a girl who's the daughter of the lady who does the businesses payroll. Her mother is also English so loves it when there is an English backpacker in town), Serena the cook, and Debby were all on shift that night. Max, a local boy, sings in a band so he was taking part in the quiz singing songs that people had to guess, he's a nice genuine guy. All in all it was a fab night and I loved it, I love being busy and being face to face with people.
Then sadly it was the end of the evening and time to say goodbye to Chloe, she was leaving with Terri before heading to a town nearby to try and get work on a farm with her boyfriend, so it was just going to be me from now on, other than Terri who would be round occasionally (she works full time somewhere else), she said her and her mum would look after me and take me out with her friend Amanda as often as my shifts would allow.
Sunday was a quiet one and we shut early, 6pm, so Paul and Derek could go for a meal in Atherton. I got my first Rosta for the week and am basically working everyday on the afternoon til close shift (3-9pm) sometimes it was 6hrs, sometimes 5, last night (thurs) it was 7hrs. Which is nice as A. I can lay in til 9.30/10, and B. I get most of the day to do stuff (which isn't alot in Herberton, so I've been catching up with the blog, celebrity gossip, news, etc), plus a couple hrs in the evening to relax before bed.
I've visited the local newsagent, pharmacy and 'supermarket', (just like a country tesco express), I also had a walk around town (didn't take me long to complete as theres only a few streets to explore). Yesterday before Jack the Joker (remember from my first day?) I went on one of the Herberton scenic Trail Walks up near the mining museum, I just did the easy one hr Mines Walk, which takes you past some of the old shafts and tells you a little history. I've made a pact with myself that my mission while I'm here is to complete all of these walks, and maybe a few others in the area (a couple of the lads have said they'll draw up some maps or take me on some waterfall treks in the area), before I leave at the end of November. This should curb my adventure/travel withdrawal symptoms a little before I can get back to it with Bex on our Australia adventure!
I have been having little pangs of home sickness, but I knew this would arise once I settle somewhere unfamiliar, not knowing anyone and start working, so I make sure they don't last long (maybe 5-10mins during the day?).
The first week has been hard, I wont lie. Getting back into the working world after travelling is hard for anyone, when you've had months of fun, freedom and not worrying too much about money, having a routine or having to answer to someone. But I was advised by someone in Happy Travels that the first week is always the hardest, then it gets easier, so hopefully I'll stick it out and get used to the small community. I just keep doing a little reading or planning for our trip everyday, so that will keep me going, give me motivation to put in the slog for the dollar! It would help, if I'm honest, if there was another backpacker here, but I've heard that there is some roadworks happening soon in the area, where Paul may get the contract to put up the workers for a few months, which means it'll get busy. Debby has said if he gets the contract he'll need to employ another bar worker (backpacker) to help out as it'll be busy. So in a way I'm hoping he'll get the contract, not only for more hours but, in the words of The Inbetweeners, for a 'work fwwriend'. haha.
Paul, the boss, is a funny character to work out, he has a very dry humour and he can shout or swear at you alot, especially if your not doing something right, but I've learnt to just start taking it on the chin and doing as I'm told then rolling my eyes behind his back. I know he isn't a mean person, he's expressed he's happy with my work a few times but I think you have to be a strong character to take him as a boss, he's a bit 'Gordon Ramsey' sometimes! I was nervous and scared at first but as Debby says, its just him and he doesn't mean it half the time. Plus I just think, its only a job for 3 months, if he truly wasn't happy he'd send me packing and get someone else, so I'm very grateful he hasn't done that, yet haha. Debby and Terri both say I've picked it up very fast though so I'm hopeful I'll continue that way til I leave!
Debby took a bad fall in the fridge on Tuesday, she stood on a keg to reach some stock, thinking it was full, but it was empty so she fell, taking a load of glass bottles of water with her! She took a nasty bruise to her arm and cut her ear but she managed to survive the evening. Lesson; don't stand on kegs!
So yesterday I survived my first Jack the Joker event, Thursdays are the busiest night for drinks, normally the rush starts at 4 til about 6.30 then calms for a bit and then just becomes a constant slow flow of drinks and food once people peeter out until close. I was hit on by a number of the drinkers, but that comes with a barmaids territory so I've learnt to take it, play on it a little (friendly banter, pour lots of drinks) and it not only gets their approval and good words of thanks, but some good tips in the jar! hehe. Plus some of them do have some good chat so they are friendly company too. I've come to taking a fond love of Tony, who basically spends almost $50 a night or every other night on pots of VB, drinking til he cant see straight, but he's sooo friendly, loveable and has a heart of gold! He's like a big drunk teddy bear.
Thats another thing I've had to get used to, what they call everything out here, not only have I had to learn the works of an aussie bar, but the lingo of an aussie bar, so heres a little education for you guys too:
Half pints are called Pots, and are served in little pots basically, I particularly love the sound of XXXX Gold - one pot of gold please!
Pints are called Schooners.
Then they have a 'pint' which is basically a huge bowl of alcohol (normally reserved for 21st bday drinks and the like)
Cans are called Tinnies, and glass bottles are called Stubbies.
When the beer glass is empty and sits upright on the bar, it means they want another one, if it's turned on its side, it means no more, they're drunk as a skunk haha.
So today I'm on close with Debby as Paul is off to the Mareeba Maize festival down the road, and if it's not busy I may get to leave at 8.30/9 to go with Terri to the Atherton Battle of the Bands where Max and his band is playing tonight. Not sure yet if I'm allowed so will be in my next post if that happens. But thats my week in a 'blog-shell'.
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