Life on the flipside

I’ve moved into a flat now! We have no internet and it has been difficult to find a connection. Usually I go and use wifi at McDonald’s but it doesn’t seem to be working today so I am writing this blog in word and if I find internet somewhere this week  I’m going to post it.

It’s a public holiday here today. Melbourne cup day. Everyone is at the horse races, I can’t go because I’m broke. I spent all my money on one months rent plus bond.

My friends Helen, Kerry and Jen decided to look for a flat 2 weeks ago and no one told me they were looking. I had 24hours notice. They told me they wanted to find somewhere cheaper than the hostel then the next morning we were moving out. We have a two bedroom between four girls.
it’s been good. Jen and I spent our whole weekend on the couch watching tv because we have no money. We went to the market on Sunday to buy cheap meat and veggies and have been cooking.

In the long run this flat with save us $60 a week.. plus the money saved on food from cooking more and entertainment because we have our own tv.

Work is great. I started at Entertainment as a temp just helping with filing and data entry but they decided to keep me in a full-time position because they liked me. A girl in a production admin role left the company and they didn’t like anyone they interviewed so I am doing the job now and they’ve hired another temp to do the work I was originally meant to do.

I’m checking contracts with merchants and making amendments to them. My boss gave me one of the books yesterday which I was very very excited about. The entertainment book is a giant book of discount vouchers. So now I have coupons for everything which should save me a lot of money as well.

I told my boss that we have this flat until January 15^th and he said “ok, you can stay until then” but I’m sure If I decided to stay until March (when the book goes to print) he would let me.
I don’t want to do that though. I am thinking on January 16^th I’m going to fly to Perth and try to get harvest work for my 2^nd year visa.

I would have to do that until April which would leave me with one month of travelling around the country but that is probably more than I can afford anyways.

They don’t celebrate halloween here which was depressing. We had a little bit of a party at work. Everyone had a costume and we had snacks and wine for the last hour of the day on Friday.

Sunday I went to my friend Shane’s for dinner and a movie about vampires. That was it for my halloween in Melbourne.

It’s been raining here a lot but it is supposed to be 26 and sunny on Saturday so I should end up at the beach J

So it is now Wednesday and I am at the library.. Last night Shane came over  to see our flat for the first time and have dinner, and he bought us a DVD player!!!! yay! it's really cute and pink for the four girls.
Then today at work Jen randomly got three free dvds they were handing out to the staff (all Hugh Grant movies funny enough) so I know what we are doing this Saturday night! haha living it up in Melbourne

Hope everyone is well in Canada xoxoxoxoxox

Life in Melbourne

I’m sorry I haven’t been writing very much. The internet in this hostel never works at night and I have been going to work which means I can no longer spend my mornings online.

I’m working full-time at a company called Entertainment Publishers. They produce 18 “entertainment books” (coupon books) for Australia and New Zealand.
I’m enjoying it; the people are nice and the work is simple.
I am working with the production department. In the morning “job bags” come in, which are basically packages with contracts and information about clients wanting to put a coupon in the books. I key into the database that we have received the job, and then hand it off to the proofreaders. When they find a mistake they give it back to me and I make corrections. Today I was correcting spelling mistakes almost entirely from 8:30am to 5:30pm. They keep apologizing to me because they think it’s so horrible that I spend my whole day correcting “road” to “street” but they are paying me $21.74/hr so I love it.

The GM is from Seattle and she seems to like me. I overheard her saying in a budget meeting that she thinks I am “lovely” and also when I told her I was going to work in Melbourne until January she said “you say that now but 6 years from now you will still be working for us”.

I moved into a new room within the hostel. I’m now living with my friend Helen who I met my first day here; she is now working at a bar but trying to find a Christmas casual position in a retail store. Jen, my new Scottish friend; she works at Foster’s (beer) as a personal assistant for 2 execs. Jen and I have similar schedules now so we have been spending a lot of time together. We also live with Mevan; he is an event manager and a permanent resident of Australia but he has a British accent because he grew up in the U.K. Jen has a friend joining us from Scotland this weekend and that will be it for our room. No more randoms!

We have all decided to live here until January. You can rent a room for about the same price as our hostel but then you have to worry about buying household things and internet. We get free breakfast every morning here, dinner on Tuesday and we meet great people. There is a great patio on the roof, so weekends we buy a $10 bottle of wine and drink up there. All the backpackers you meet have great stories about their adventures, and they are open to talking to everyone. It’s way better than being in a bar.

I have been here for 4 weeks now! I can’t believe it. Time flies…

Work

I got my first assignment with Kelly Services!

I work tomorrow at 9am. Only for one day... but yay! money!

The Last week...

OMG it's been soooo long I'm sorry. I didn't realize I hadn't been writing..

I went to st.kilda last sunday and it was wonderful <3 I love the beach and the pier. Kat and I just sat on the pier talking for about an hour.

Monday I went back to St.Kilda haha that's how much I love it.

Tuesday it was rainy so I just stayed in the hostel. I'm starting to feel very at home here. Next friday I am moving into a 5 bed room where my friend's Helen, Jen and Em live... and a couple weeks later Jen's friend is booked in so we won't have any randoms in our room which is nice.

Tuesday nights we get free pasta and the cinema is cheaper so we ate our dinner and then went to see Easy A. Very funny movie btw.

Wednesday was a boring day.. I bought $5 shoes. That's the most exciting thing that happened haha.

Thursday we went out drinking at 6pm .. tsk tsk. We went to a really cool bar called Section 8 which is basically just an empty lot that someone put a bar and some tables in. It has no roof and gets very dark because the lights are only around the walls of the lot. After that we went to a little rooftop bar, then a place called red hummingbird... and finally ended the night at Cookie. All nights end at cookie for some reason.

Friday I spent the whole day in bed and then got up and watched Spiderman 3 in the tv room with my friend Kat.

Yesterday was footy!!! unfortunately the saints lost :( horribly... it was just awful. stupid magpies.

We went to a bar in South Yarra to watch the game and then when it was over Kat, myself and a big group of aussie friends we were with went to the park to play footy. I was girly and just tried not to get hit by the ball but Kat was fully playing the game. The sun went down and the mozzies came out so we headed back to the city center.

I went out for drinks with my friend's Shane and thechloesmith. Lots of expresso martinis. yum.

I have an interview Tuesday at 10am with Kelly Services for temp work. If that doesn't work out my friend Em gave me a number to call to get call centre work and another number of a bistro owner. So hopefully I will have a job by the end of the week. I haven't been trying too hard because I've been having too much fun... whoops.

Hope everything is well in Canada xoxo

The Week

This week went by so fast and I did a lot but I'm having trouble thinking of everything I should tell you about..

I've made so many new friends I can't even remember all their names. There is a couple new people everyday.

The fringe festival is on right now so Helen and I went to a free comedy show in a precinct called Fitzroy. That was a lot of fun.
The McDonalds here have little cafe's in them where you can buy expresso and cheesecake. I think it's very funny. I had a latte and chocolate truffle roll and mcdonalds one day this week.

Thursday I went to the Queen Victoria Market with my friends Kat, Helen and a new guy named Cyral.
Then we met up with my friend Shane for coffee which was really great.

We discovered a german store called Aldi!! those of you who have been to europe might know it. Aldi is amazing! I bought a giant bag of penne for $1.

Tomorrow Kat, Helen, Fiona and I are getting up for free sunday pancakes in our hostel and then going to St.Kilda for the day.
St.Kilda is the precinct on the beach. Apparently they have nice markets and artists so that should be fun.

We've done a lot of pub crawling. The bars are excellent. we've been in a place with a cottage built inside a deer on the walls, a place set up like a dentist office where you are served shots in a plastic needle, and many more.
My aussie friend has planned a special pub crawl for us next thursday to show us places we might never find on our own.

The lady from the plane, Pam called today! I am going to her place Oct 17th for lunch. We were talking about the football too.. she was cheering for the Saints as well.

I think the best place to have a drink so far is the hostel. we get some cheap wine and there is a rooftop patio here. I've talked to soooo many interesting people with interesting stories.

I'm not sure what else to tell you for now.. so farewell xo

Job front

All the shops in the mall are already hiring for christmas casuals so I've decided to just work in a store until christmas and then take the money I've saved and go up the east coast in January.

The manager at Guess said I had have a trial shift but not for two weeks so Im hoping to hear from someone sooner.

That's all there is to tell for now..

Football Finals

Today was the Grand Finals of Aussie rules football!
My friend Kat and I got up this morning and went to Federation Square because they have a big screen and we could watch it for free.
OMG I am a huge fan now. I had the best day so far.
It was warm, the sun came out, and the place was packed.

The two teams are calling Magpies and the Saints.
Most people seemed like they were Magpies fans. In the beginning the magpies took a lead and were doing really well but in the second half the Saints fought back.

I decided I wanted the Saints to win because they seemed like an underdog.

It was so exciting the last 10 minutes of the game. It was hard to see the score from where I was sitting but I know when the last 10 minutes started the score was 51-50 and when the game ended it was 68-68.

Everyone was SO shocked! apparently a grand finals game hasnt been tied since 1977.
They don't go into overtime here in australia... because no one won there is going to be a rematch next saturday.
I am soooo excited to watch it all over again.

I had plans with a friend to go to the yarra valley wineries next saturday but he texted me as soon as the game was done saying we will go another day haha.

Photos

I have only really taken photos on the free tour buses so far. I keep forgetting to take my camera when I leave the hostel.

Helen and I were joking last night that we haven't taken any interesting photos but when we thought about it. Our day mostly consists of going to Coles (the grocery store), and 7/11.

Helen sarcasticly said "Here Mom, there's a picture of Coles; my australia trip this far" 

So here are a few pix:

That is the view over the Yarra river which runs through Melbourne.

This is Federation Square where they have the Tim Burton exhibit and the australian centre for the moving image.
The ACMI is very cool. It's all the history of film, tv, video games and computers with lots of interactive stuff to play with.. and its FREE! backpackers love ACMI.

The first weekend

I left off Friday afternoon when I was applying to jobs online.

I'm having trouble with posting blogs. Whenever I click to "publish" the internet connection crashes. I wrote this one on Sunday (it's now Tuesday)

Friday evening Helen and I bought wine and drank in the hostel because its cheaper. Then we went out to the street and asked a random local to tell us how to get to a good bar.

In Toronto there is a street with all the dance clubs, but in Melbourne all the bars are in hidden alleys. All the guide books and locals tell us to just explore and we'll find something.

The local we asked walked us to a club not far. It was a pretty big club with a dance floor a few bars and a giant horse statue.
We met a few aussie friends on the dance floor.

Saturday morning Helen and I thought we would be proper tourists and go sightseeing. Around 11am, Claire from Paris walked into our room. It was like fate because Claire came with a stack of tourist guidebooks and a plan for the day. We just tagged along with Claire.

We took the free tourist shuttle all around the city for 2 hours and saw all the big attractions. Then we stopped for a coffee break and headed over to Federation Square for the Tim Burton exhibit.

The exhibit was great. Full of drawings and notebooks that Tim Burton created his characters in. Plus costumes, props and clips from his movies. Claire, Helen and I all wanted to have a Tim Burton marathon afterwards.

During the day the friends we made at the club texted us saying there was a house party we could come to in one of the suburbs, Carlton.

Helen and I went out in a taxi. When we got to the house there was a big pirate flag on the door, and inside everyone was dressed like pirates!
We already didn't fit in because we were the only non-australians, but we were also the only non-pirates.

We made so many friends. They are unbelievably friendly here. The people at the party were full of advice on how to get jobs and what we need to see before we leave Melbourne.
I keep hearing over and over; you need to see the Great Ocean road.
I'm waiting until I have a job. Great Ocean Road tours cost about $100. and last the whole day, most tours include lunch.

The party actually ended up being a girl named Megan's 24th birthday party. She was so nice and welcoming, even though we didnt know her.
By far the funniest part of the party was the pinata. The birthday girl got out a treasure chest pinata and all the boys handed over their plastic swords for her to smash it open.

Megan broke every sword at the party. After they were finished she took off the blindfold and ripped the pinata open with her bare hands.

Sunday was low key. We just hung out at the hostel.. trying not to spend too much until we find jobs.

More Melbourne

I wrote more in my last post but the internet cut out and I lost it .

After Helen and I explored Melbourne and the docks we signed up for the pub crawl.

Our hostel is 90% germans which is very strange. We met all the english speaking people, simply because we werent german.
The first pub had a little cottage built inside and animals like deer and owls around with fireplaces... it seemed more canadian than australia.
After that we went to a irish pub where I met 3 other canadians and a guy from France who decided to test my french. I failed his test miserably... I think I understood one sentance total.

Today I just spent most of the day applying to jobs online and then I went looking for warm clothes. It's like 10 degreesC here and I wasnt prepared for it. They have a massive target store so I am going to try to buy a scarf and sweater there tomorrow.

Have a good weekend everyone! love u xo

The first day

I left off when I just arrived at the hostel.

I think I checked in around noon, I just put my bags in my room and went for a walk around the block and bought food at the grocery store. I got back to the room, ate, showered, and fell asleep by 2pm and didn't wake up until 7am the next morning. Not a very eventful first day in Australia.

When I woke up Thursday it was the "Big English Breakfast" This is basically: baked beans, bacon, sausage, fruit, toast and cereal.
They have vegemite here. It looks DISGUSTING! like black tar that people spread on toast.

I forgot... My first day I did meet two people. right before I fell asleep a girl walked into my room with a giant slab of chocolate cake. She's from Kent, and told me she just got back from asia the night before and it was her birthday while she was there and they dont have cake. So she sat on my bed eating her cake for a bit. She told me she flew into perth in the middle of the night and it was 2 degrees, it had just been 35 degrees wherever she had been so she caught a cold. She had a nap at the same time as me.

I woke up briefly around 5pm when another girl was moving into my room. Her name is Helen, and she's from liverpool. She arrived in australia the same day as me and is travelling alone. I told her that means we're new bff.

There are 6 beds in our dorm. We have key cards to get in and lockers to store our stuff. The first night it was full and then Thursday morning everyone except Helen and I moved out. So it's officially "our room".

Last night 1 bed was empty and this morning 2 other people left.

Yesterday morning, after breaksfast and talking on skype. I went out to buy a phone. I have a cheap little nokia now, pay as you go. After that I had a coffee, they only have expresso here, no regular coffee. The hostel only has instant coffee, so I've been drinking tea.
Melbourne is full of little cafes. After I ordered my latte I was waiting for it and the guy working there laughed at me and told me that your supposed to sit down and wait for the drink to be brought to you. Which I thought was strange. You don't tip anyone here but they go all out with service.

I had my bank appointment after coffee. Everything went smoothly. I have an account and easily got my money out of my canadian account into the aussie one.

When I got back, Helen was just hanging out in the room and we decided to go get lunch.
There is a free tram that circles the downtown core of melbourne.

This is the tram we took down to the docklands to have lunch by the water.
We had thai food then walk around the shops.

Finally here

I'm in Melbourne!
I've never been so tired in my life.

I dont want to do anything. I was supposed to go get my sim card but I've been napping.

About 2 hours before my flight from LA to Sydney I met an old woman named Pam who lives in Melbourne. She was telling me places I should go and things I should see. She was the sweetest old lady, before the flight she bought me hot chocolate and cake. Then wrote down her phone number and told me to call her and come out to her retirement community for a day.

The flight was sooooo long and my seat was soooo cramped. My knees have never hurt so much in my life. The food was also horrible they served some gross chicken on a white bun with a slice of fake cheese and mayo... I thought I was going to vomit.

During the night everyone was sleeping on and off so I didn't meet anyone but at 6am we stopped in Sydney for a 2 hour layover. While getting coffee I met a guy on his way to LA who had just finished his year backpacking. He told me about a program calling WOOFing where you go to work on a farm in exchange for being fed and living with them (and you get health insurance through the program!).

Then back on the plane I started talking to the girl sitting next to me, Jaclyn, who is orignally from Melbourne. She was funny because she said its really easy to get harvest jobs but generally they are full of illegal immigrants.
I thought my flights were exhausting but this girl Jaclyn left Cuba at 9am Monday morning, then flew to cancun, then dallas, then LA, then Melbourne and sydney. Insane!
She said she's been living in London for 2 years, then went on a vacation to Cuba and is only back in Melbourne for 3 days before heading back to London. The cute part is that she gave me her number and said "Tonight I'm going to want to sleep, but tomorrow we can go for drinks and catch up" haha so if I get myself a phone asap I will be catching up with someone I've only just met tomorrow.
Oh! I forgot to mention that she was a banker in Melbourne before she moved to London, in HR.. so she was giving me tips on how to get temp jobs using my BMO experience.

As we were landing in Melbourne, I looked out the window and the first thing I saw of Melbourne was the golden arches of mcdonalds. haha I expected to see something distinctly australian and of course... McD's.

It is so cold here! 9 degrees and windy.. I had to put on 3 layers. I almost died when I got into the shuttle from the airport. I was tired, dirty, hungry, freezing and the shuttle driver put on a radio station playing a monotone reading of someone's poetry. I was so focused on staying awake that I didn't notice until we pulled up to the hostel that they drive on the other side of the road here.

I will tell you more about the hostel and actual city tomorrow.
Goodnight everyone xo

LAX

My trip has started!
Mom and I got to Pearson just before 6am and it took until 9am just to get to my gate. It was busyyyy... flying from toronto to a large american city at 9am on a monday morning is a bad idea. There were hundreds of business people.

My flight to L.A. was good. I watched two movies, and a tv show. About half an hour before we reached L.A. I looked out the window and as far as I could see was just sandy desert. I realized I`ve never seen a desert before haha .. it was exciting. I`ve never been to the west coast and now I`ve been here for 5 hours wandering the airport.. it`s pretty lame.

There are no celebrities here. I think they must have their own special terminal that doesnt suck.

I started out in the Air Canada terminal which is where I landed. All they had was a burger king and a starbucks. After about an hour I realized I wasn`t flying out of that terminal so I took a very long walk to the United Airlines terminal which is much bigger and has a shopping section that I`ve walked up and down about 200 times.

My16 hour flight to Melbourne leaves at 10:32pm on Monday the 13th, and arrives around 9:30am Wednesday the 15th. So much for Tuesday.

Last night when I said goodbye to Carissa, she said "why are you hugging me?"

That's all for now... I will update wednesday when I arrive.
Bye xo

The Beginning...

It's officially less that one week until I leave for Melbourne.
I'm starting to feel panic that there's 1001 things I have forgotton to do...

1.) Get a blog, so I won't have to update every friend and relative individually.

I've remembered one thing at least.

Goodnight... I'll try to remember something else tomorrow.