Well, it's been a great run so far, but if I don't get some income soon, I'll be up a small trickling body of water with an absence of any form of locomotion. It's a pain, really. Definitely not as easy to get a position here in Sydney than I would have thought, being a big city and all that. But I guess it is their low season, though I also didn't think bigger cities had low seasons. Ah well, minor stuff. Heck, at least I'm applying for a bit of everything now. I even went to a casting call for actors and all that.
Me! A casting call? Yeah, that's right, you heard me. Ha ha ha. Still, it turned out to be a bit of a scam as they wanted $160 to put me in the computer system. It would pay for itself in one shot, don't get me wrong, but the chances are probably pretty slim. So maybe another time, after I get some cash flow. Look out Hugh Jackman, Neal Oram's on the rise!
Riiiigggghhhhttttt!
Speaking of scams, there's definitely plenty of them out there, or at least, worse deals than usual. Even some recruiting agencies here charge you for being able to apply for their job boards. I ha a call today from some group in the city that sends people off for paid internships in the USA. Not bad, they bring you right up through the hotel and hospitality business in order to get up to manager level. Medical care, flights, all that is arranged. And of course, they want $6000 to pay for all this. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of being offered the working position. Or am I old-fashioned? I mean, I could have sworn that if someone wanted your talents to work for them, then they would foot the bill to get you over to their side of the fence. Or maybe this is just me getting used to seeing great promises but low expectations and even lower reality? Whatever. In truth there seems to be a lot of these get rich quick offers out there. "Full commission, make great pay" seems to be all the rage now. Trust me, I've paid my dues. It's definitely not all it's cracked up to be. At least there's plenty of needy backpackers to fill the supply lines of these corporations. I've spoken to a lot of the ones running these pyramid-esque schemes on the sides of the road, and they all seem to be backpackers, students, or were one or the other at one time. Doesn't $1000 a week seem great though? Hmmmm, would be nice, but still, as I've told myself many times now over the last few days and weeks really, I need the steady cash, not the dream of big cash with nothing to show for it.
Well, at least I do have something to help cover some of my living expenses, depending on how many hours I end up getting. I took a position as a car detailer up in the Brookvale area, north of Manly beach. So far, each of the shifts is only 6 hours, but the boss is excellent and the work is nothing to bother me about. It's just wash, wax, clean, polish, lather , rinse, repeat as necessary. Typically, I've got to be able to prepare a basic car for delivery or sale within 30 minutes. Right now, on the first day there, I was able to match that pretty good. Now, I definitely want to get that time down, because I've been told that the faster I am, the more hours I get, and that means the better chance at getting some cash flow. Case in point, I need the cash, fast! Damn funds are running so low that if this lack of monetary income continues for too much longer, I'll definitely be on a flight home in no time to either re-group or maybe head back to school. The thought has occurred to me, but I'll figure that out later on. For now, it's take it one day at a time and see if it all works out in the end. Hey Andre, looks like I'm doing your job for a while now eh? You did some detailing work back in University for a while, if I'm not mistaken. Any tips for me?
Here's something funny, rather, it's more of an observation. People in this day and age have an enviable amount of transport solutions available to them. Why, just look at the everyday commuter in a big city. There's walking, running, cycling, riding (motorcycle), car, bus, train, tram, ferry, scooter, skateboard, scooter, roller-skates, car-pooling, and perhaps even flights. But, while all of these types of transportation are not really odd or unique in their own rights, they can become rather interesting if you pair them up with different classes of people. This is what I am alluding to when I say 'an observation.' Now, I've seen plenty of odd ways of getting around, and to be honest, I've used some of them. But to see a business-man, dressed in full suit, tie, and even vest from what I could tell, riding a push scooter down the busiest street in Sydney during the height of the traffic, was really just the oddest thing I've seen in quite some time. I mean, can you picture it? Take someone like, well, any CEO of the Fortune 500 companies and put him on a scooter, not even a motorized one. Now, aside from Steve Jobs, who would really look alright on that scooter? Anyone? Yeah, that's my thoughts too.
Oh, but I did have an interesting occurrence with my camera the other day. Unfortunately, because of it, I may have to re-take all of my pictures concerning Sydney, and you may never get to see any of the videos I took that I haven't uploaded yet. Of course, there's quite a few I haven't uploaded. But, that being said, this is only the worst-case scenario. It seems as if the data is still on the SD card, as the space is still used up, but somehow it's hidden. I can't get access to it through computers, the camera itself, or even if I gnaw on it a little bit. That was a joke people, laugh a little, it's good for you. Honestly, if I didn't laugh at my situations over the last few months, I'd be in a real state right now. I mean, two of the biggest ones were losing my iPod within 12 hours of arriving in Australia, and the other is now my pictures might be gone for good. But, I think I'm finally starting to get the way a few really important people in my life think. They just seem to let everything roll off them, as if nothing is too big to handle with a little patience and time. Nothing is irreplaceable, and certainly everything can be dealt with in time. I know that this thought process seems a little 'Zen Buddhist' for most, but I know and continue to hold close a few people that exemplify this way of life and they seem to have all the answers. Well, if not all the answers, they're definitely some of the happiest and most content people I've ever had the chance of interacting with. So I feel like I've only scratched the surface, with worldly possessions taking a slightly lower rung on the ladder in recent times, but at least now I might be on a path to understanding myself, and what makes me tick.
Because let's be honest with ourselves, which one of us really knows what we truly want. And I'm not talking about simple wants, like gifts or some such nonsense, but what you want on a grand scale. To know which direction your life is going, to be determined to reach your desired path, and to do anything to get it. But the key to doing this without becoming disgruntled or self-destructive, I feel, is to combine that drive, that desire, with temperance. The flexibility to change your goals, or adapt to a new situation or set of circumstances is truly the most desirable trait in one who knows what they want in life. Unfortunately, at the moment, I can say that I don't know what I want or where I want to be in life. Sure, I've find out a few clues to guide me along the path.
I know I don't want to be stuck behind a desk all day, crunching numbers or having to answer to someones whims. That's just not me. I thought it might be, what with me taking the whole five years of business training and all that, but I guess I'll have to use those acquired skills in another arena. Maybe my own business or something. Don't know at the moment, and while it does cause me some worry, it's not all that concerning that I'll be losing sleep over it. No, leave me losing sleep to the blasted snoring and noisy individuals that take up most of the hostels in the world. They must really practice hard to be that rambunctious and unaware of their own cacophony levels.
Also, I know I love to travel. Sure, I've got some worries with eating different foods, and not understanding languages, and a low tolerance to heat and sun. But really, all this can be solved with copious application of common sense, enthusiasm, and SPF 45, not necessarily in that order and some may be combined from time to time. Just visiting new cultures has me pumped up. Sadly, this brings me to another realization.
I need cash. Now, there are many ways I could go about this. The avenues include everything from shining shoes, all the way up to robbery and extortion. I won't go into the logistics of each one, as that would take me writing a book and since I've already got my thoughts set on another two novels, I'll leave this topic along.Suffice it to say, money doesn't make the world go round...but it sure as hell helps when you want to explore it! Well, at least, fro my chosen lifestyle, I don't need to be ostentatiously rich (I can't believe I got ostentatiously right on the first try, no spell check! A-Booyah!) or even wildly rich, which is a comfort.
The issue remains with one of my final points...I need to be happy. Yep, unfortunately that's one of the prerequisites to my ideal lifestyle. Can't help it. It includes having close friends and family, and being healthy, wealthy, and wise in the manners of mind, body, and spirit. THis is where the conundrum comes into play. It's a real mind-bender, not unlike the puzzle I bought last week. I swear, that thing is going to be the death of me, or at least the cause of much frustration until I solve it. Blasted pride, causing me to choose a good and difficult one. Bah! Well, I needed something that won't cost me any more money to occupy my time. I spend enough as it is searching for jobs, eating, and just keeping my sanity in check for the time being.
All right, I'm done, now go back to your lives and wait for the next time around. Hopefully there will be good news about my pictures and videos, and I'll have them uploaded, or at least stored better.
Later days,
Neal
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