The Job Hunt

It feels like home. I have to say I have been exceptionally lucky with the hospitality I've had since starting my journey 5 months ago. But few things can compare to the comfort of seeing the signature JANardoza at the base of a beautiful watercolor. Joseph Aloysius Nardoza, my Granddad, started painting in his retirement and became quite talented and prolific. He didn't paint to gain social recognition, and never did, but he was good. Growing up Granddad's paintings were all over the house, in the foyer, kitchen, living room, dining room, bedrooms, bathrooms. In fact, I have trouble remembering any other artwork we had hanging in the house. A favorite of mine was one he did for me of my cousin Joe and I swimming at the pond at Hudson Guild Farm when we were toddlers. So here I am in Sydney, half way around the world and I get to run into a piece of home. It means a lot when you've been away for 5 months and don't plan on returning anytime in the foreseeable future. So how, you may ask did I run into this ancestral art. Well there just happens to be close friends of the family living here in Sydney that have been kind enough to take me in while I get settled in the land down under. The Julians are very good friends of my uncle Bob's  and he graciously made the connection for me. They have kept me well entertained and have shown me just how much there is to do in this town.

My first morning we were out on the harbor kayaking the crystal clear green waters. We are right down the street from Manly Beach, one of the surfing capitals of the world. And from here the beaches just keep going, to the north, to the south, beautiful water, perfect waves, and chock full of people doing just about every water sport you can come up with. I'm doing my best not to run over any swimmers in the kayak, but they are bloody everywhere.

Manly Beach

When you need a break from the water there's always mountain biking. The other day Matty and I jumped on the bikes and decided to go check out the bike trail just up around the corner. I was blown away. This was the best mountain bike trail I've ever been on and its right in the middle of the neighborhood. Climbing up and flying off rocks that look like they've been transplanted from Mars, we quickly realized this was not a beginner's trail. It is the perfect trail to practice on. I'm not going to lie, I jumped off more than a couple times, and sometimes intentionally. I will definitely be out there again to tackle some of the bigger drops.

While not getting a physical work out I've been getting the mental work out back at the house. I've been thrilled to find out that the Julians are RISK players! Go ahead laugh, make fun, but if you get into it you will have trouble finding a more competitive game than RISK. I'm not kidding it gets intense.

So yes, I've been having a great time, but I do have a goal and that keeps me pretty busy as well. The job hunt. I've been going at it from a couple different angles, the first and most plentiful resource is the good old inter web. The two major sites I use are SEEK and TAW (travelers at work). SEEK is your basic job listing website, not too different from monster or job finder. It has stuff all over Australia and ranging from  minimum wage to six figure salaries. The TAW site is geared totally for the backpacker. Australia doesn't seem quite as overrun with backpackers as New Zealand did but they have more room to hide here. So my fellow filthy working holiday visa holders get herded through the system and put on every variety of menial tasks. From the glorious fruit picking to the shameful goat milking Australians are ready to throw us into their most unwanted jobs with an eager smile on their face. But don't forget the fierce competition. That man holding the clipboard has already talked to 15 desperate, naive, sweaty 19 year old backpackers with absolutely no skills whatsoever. And they'll sign up for ANYTHING! So being 29 and having been through my fair share of job interviews I find myself holding very few cards. No leverage. They are looking for drones. I feel a bit like Jermaine when he and Bret were interviewing for the sign holding job.

So far I've had three interviews all of which completely different. The first was advertised as "Milkman" and was described as a food delivery service in which I would be taking orders and delivering food. Didn't sound horrible. Who doesn't like the milkman? So I get an email back from them asking me to call in and set up an interview. So I do and it turns out they are having a training that day, and if the interview goes well I can sit in on the training and start that afternoon. So I run out and catch the bus and I'm in downtown Sydney within the hour. The building looks nice and I walk in and wind around the corridor in search of the room. I hear it before I see it. The sound is unmistakable, hostel. Well at least I didn't smell it before I heard it, which is the case with some of the hostels I've been to. But lets not get confused here this was a job interview. I walk into the suite and there's about a dozen 18 to 20 year olds all gathered around a tv and an x-box. The walls are covered in beer posters! The kind of which are the most hilarious form of amusement to the 18 year old binge drinkers. There is a pingpong table in the middle of the room, and to my surprise they had managed to clear the empty beer cans and solo cups off of it. It was training day after all. I look around for the man I spoke with on the phone and he must have been in the office conducting another interview. Behind me strolls in Sam, and proudly introduces himself as a manager. Oh jesus. Between the battle of sweat and crust raging on his forehead, I'd say crust was winning. I asked him if Marty was around, who I had talked to on the phone. Marty was indeed conducting an interview, but there was plenty of time for a game of pingpong with Crusty while I waited. We half-ass-edly tapped the ball back and forth neither of us really wanting to play. Then Crusty honed in on an 18 year old girl waiting idly for the training to start. Its been a few years since I've been to a frat party but this seemed about right. "Where you from," he groaned. And the conversation was off and bubbling. It turns out she knew his ex-girlfriend. It was a charming conversation in which she most often replied "no way!" And he somehow managed to use the word tits about 40 times. Oh Crusty, you lady's man you! Finally Marty came out of the office and I barged in to get this interview over with. I hate interviewing with someone younger than me, but I swallowed my pride and allowed this to play out. He had the sales pitch down pat. He was a genuine bullshitter and it appeared to be paying off for him. This guy was about 25 and had an army of 19 year olds canvasing neighborhoods for him selling grocery packages door to door. The position was commission based and completely unpredictable as far as pay would go. I told him I couldn't commit to it, but if he let me sit in on the training I would give him an answer afterwards. This caught him off guard and didn't sit right with him. He sort of stammered and declined, claiming this would be a waste of time if I decided not to do it. So I shook his hand, thanked him for his time, walked out the door and looked for hand sanitizer.

Darling Harbour

Interview number two. In case you haven't picked up from the first scenario I am staying as flexible as possible to consider my options. So the next position I interviewed for was also well outside my area of expertise. It was for a concierge position in a high end shopping center downtown. For those of you back home, think Tysons II. Yes, concierge position, I know. It doesn't matter I'm going for whatever I can get, and this pay would lead to many adventures. So I was to interview with Larry (names have been changed to protect egos) at the corporate office downtown. This was a slight change of pace from the last... interview? Mixer? So yes I actually prepared, shaved, and suited up. Michael was very generous to let me borrow an Armani suit, shirt, tie, shoes... and yes, socks. Lets not forget my full traveling wardrobe is shoved in a trash bag. Those of you who know me well, might know that my resume contains nothing even close to concierge work, not even retail or waitering experience. This meant it was time to pour on the charisma. Thats it, I'll win him over with my charming smile and hilarious wit! Unfortunately, I was not inspired by the aesthetic of the corporate office, the cold sterile walls and glass terrarium like conference room the interview was held in. I was greeted with a plastic smile and a pudgy limp handshake. If you have ever had a bad job interview, this is it. For being the head of the concierge department Larry was anything but welcoming, but he reassured me during the interview that he was good with people. Right off the bat he knew that I could only work for three months and then I would bail on him. So that was the deal breaker, but for some reason he wanted to see if I could wow him and make my short time worth the training period. And here it is, the type of question everyone who has ever been interviewed loathes. "What is the greatest thing the world has ever produced?" JESUS CHRIST! Looking back on it that should have been my answer, then he couldn't have said anything and I could have just passed for some religious nut. But no, I squirmed, and ahhed and ummed, and then blurted out, "people?" Nope, it turns out the right answer is me. So I'm supposed to sound like a pompous ass in front of this... well, pompous ass. There were a couple more awful philosophical questions and then I was released. He claimed that he would have given me the position if I had been able to stay longer, but as a consolation he would offer me the doorman position. No thank you.      

Interview number three. Hotel all-rounder. Of all the interviews so far, this one was actually the most intriguing. The work would be interesting and I would get free accommodation in the staff cottage. The position is just as it sounds, and the hotel is located in a town called Katoomba in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. A two hour train ride from Sydney, it was a great excuse to go out for the day and see some more of the countryside. When I arrived in Katoomba it was cold and misty. Thick fog rolled over the Blue Mountains and a light misty rain clung to my rain jacket. It made me miss the Pacific Northwest. But I was immediately comfortable in the cosy little day-tripper town. Cafes and coffee shops lined the main drag with outdoor sport store stuck in between. A good vibe indeed! I walked across town to the hotel and introduced myself at reception. The hotel was built about 90 years ago and still retains some of its old-world charm. Some, being the operative word. I was escorted downstairs to the cafe to meet with Jeff the manager. Jeff was dressed like an effeminate Brian Johnson (AC/DC). Much like my first interview it was obvious that Jeff had a plethora of desperate backpackers in his back pocket. And that he wasn't necessary looking for skill or experience but rather someone he could take advantage of. This showed in the hotel. Four of these all-rounders ran the whole place. No experience necessary! Maybe not the best approach when competing with three other hotels on the same block in a small town. The clincher for this job was the free accommodation and the location. Katoomba is very scenic, leads right in to several hiking and biking trails and is one train stop away from rock climbing galore. So if it meant hauling up in the sty of a staff cottage for a few weeks, that would be ok. I would still get a good experience out of it. It wasn't a great pitch on Jeff's behalf and he came across far from trustworthy, but I'm on an adventure and this place was worth a shot. So when he told me to think about it and let him know, I told him I was game. Its obvious he was pretty new at the whole interview thing because he quickly retracted the offer and told me he had some more interviews to conduct and would have to get back to me. He seemed coked up and confused and kept talking himself in circles, a great guy to work for! I'm not holding my breath although I might need to practice with the way the staff house smelled. The search continues....

Sydney Opera House