4th of July in Australia
International 4th of July BBQ (Irish, Swedish, Australian, English)
Gilligan's Outdoor Bar
It's been awhile....We have been doing some settling down here in Cairns. Finding jobs and shifting life back towards having some sorts of responsibility.
I had first found a direct marketing (standing in the mall signing people up to donate to charity) job a few weeks ago. It wasn't my thing, I ended up going to a few interviews before I decided to bail on that one. I had some other things in the works and wasn't too worried. A few days later I managed to get a job on the Promotions crew of our hostel. Our hostel (Gilligan's) is the largest, most luxurious, and party crazy hostel in Australia by reputation and from personal experience, the place has over 700 beds, has a lagoon/pool, outdoor bar, restaurant, and 2 night clubs. My promotions duties go as such for the week, Tuesday- Jelly wrestling (setup, help during wrestling, breakdown), Thursday - Volleyball game and promotion and the beach lagoon, Sat - evening BBQ at the bar for the party bus, Sun -afternoon free BBQ. And boom free accommodation, free meals, free entry to all bars in cairns, discount drinks at all bars.
Then comes job #2 (Avenue A Pizza), bought a slice of pizza, talked pizza with the owner for a bit , asked if they needed help, maybe turn in a resume, did that, got a call a couple days later, had a trial (like an interview and your first day in one), made a bunch of pizzas and got the call I was hired the next day! The position is pizza cook, which I have never really done, though I didn't really mention that. I'm on day number four and I am starting to really get into my pizza making groove, my dough toss needs some more work but its coming around. Pictures of pies coming soon.
Dustin had been having a bit more trouble with his search but an opening finally presented itself. They had put me in a staff room with the housekeepers (all other backpackers) till a bed opened in the promotions room. We were all hanging out on the balcony and Dustin mentioned that he had been searching for a job, one of my roommates assured him that if he went to housekeeping first thing Monday morning that he could find a job. And sure enough he went down at 7:30 and was cleaning rooms by 8:30 the same morning! He works five days a week and for more hours (I think 6 a day) than me, so he is earning a income as well as the the free accomidation and as well as all the same awesome Gilligan's perks.
We have a routine again, which is a bit of a change from the last 3 1/2 months of waking up each day and taking it from there. So here is our spot and our jobs for the winter, Cairns really is starting to feel like home...for now.
ps. 4th of July BBQ turned out to be a success not of a ton of Americans (only one other than D & I) but all of our friends came out and celebrated our Independence Day with us. International 4th!
