a photo.
16 May 2010
10 May 2010
THe final CHallenge: dEli chic...
With two more months in AUstralia I came to Kununurra with the goal of finding a job & saving money before I return home. At first I thought I wanted to do outdoor work so I started on the "weed control" team at a SAndlewood Farm. All was seemingly good - I got to pretend I was a Samurai and use my machete to chop down small trees - until the skin irritation/full body rash from the hibiscus & humidity became unbearable. I decided it was best to work indoors in this heat & got a job working at a seasonal produce shop that was known for their sensational mango smoothies...but it turned out to be so quiet I was losing my mind & eagerly volunteered to leave (4 days later) when my manager revealed they weren't covering overhead.
At this point things started to seem dire. More & more backpackers were trickling into town to find jobs before tourist season kicked off. There were some jobs that sparked my interest but the employers wanted longer term staff. As I started to panic I knew there were a couple of jobs I could definitely get - first was as a bartender at the local pub, the second was working at the Australian grocery chain, Coles (Safeway). I was indeed stuck between a rock and a hard place...but if there is one thing I hate more than buying imported produce, it is dealing with drunk Australian rednecks...so I did the unthinkable & sold my soul to work at Coles.
Yes ladies & gentleman this has proven to be the most difficult challenge yet. Not one that requires mental strength or physical endurance as my previous jobs here have beckoned. But one that demands humility beyond which I have ever thought myself capable.
I must first explain that I was lured in by the generous wages & luxury of air conditioned working... but neither of these prepared me for the unthinkable demands they were to make of me. As the newest member of the Deli Team I was required not only to do the foreign tasks of cleaning the rotisserie, slicing meat & serving ungrateful customers, but I had to wear a hairnet & baseball cap, in addition to the standard uniform. In life you really don't realize how vain you are until someone asks you to wear a hairnet.
While it has been a shocking experience to the system I must say it might be the best thing I have ever forced myself to do. It has been 10 days now & I hardly flinch at the sight of myself in that hairnet. And the pride that was kicking & screaming when someone asked me for a kilo of chicken breast with the slightest hint of superiority, has quieted to an observation. My true personality is beginning to shine through my own self defeating shell of judgment & I am starting to enjoy my time behind that deli counter. It doesn't matter what the customers think of me or even what I think of myself, I have realized it is a temporary job & I will make the best of it.
While I value all my previous "accomplishments"... this is something I am truly proud of.
At this point things started to seem dire. More & more backpackers were trickling into town to find jobs before tourist season kicked off. There were some jobs that sparked my interest but the employers wanted longer term staff. As I started to panic I knew there were a couple of jobs I could definitely get - first was as a bartender at the local pub, the second was working at the Australian grocery chain, Coles (Safeway). I was indeed stuck between a rock and a hard place...but if there is one thing I hate more than buying imported produce, it is dealing with drunk Australian rednecks...so I did the unthinkable & sold my soul to work at Coles.
Yes ladies & gentleman this has proven to be the most difficult challenge yet. Not one that requires mental strength or physical endurance as my previous jobs here have beckoned. But one that demands humility beyond which I have ever thought myself capable.
I must first explain that I was lured in by the generous wages & luxury of air conditioned working... but neither of these prepared me for the unthinkable demands they were to make of me. As the newest member of the Deli Team I was required not only to do the foreign tasks of cleaning the rotisserie, slicing meat & serving ungrateful customers, but I had to wear a hairnet & baseball cap, in addition to the standard uniform. In life you really don't realize how vain you are until someone asks you to wear a hairnet.
While it has been a shocking experience to the system I must say it might be the best thing I have ever forced myself to do. It has been 10 days now & I hardly flinch at the sight of myself in that hairnet. And the pride that was kicking & screaming when someone asked me for a kilo of chicken breast with the slightest hint of superiority, has quieted to an observation. My true personality is beginning to shine through my own self defeating shell of judgment & I am starting to enjoy my time behind that deli counter. It doesn't matter what the customers think of me or even what I think of myself, I have realized it is a temporary job & I will make the best of it.
While I value all my previous "accomplishments"... this is something I am truly proud of.
08 May 2010
04 May 2010
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