Farm work

So after not so successful start at braidwood I landed a fulltime job at mitolo as a labourer by applying on seek.com. Well at first it was a casual position but I kinda pester the HR officer for a full time and i was lucky since 1 of their full time guy left, so i filled in the spot.

Well, its the employment details where you have to fill in blablabla is actually sorta similar to only certain companies in Singapore by doing it online and but when they say its a big factory, i was expecting jurong island plant kinda big. But boy was i disappointed, hahahha..i was like a normal Fed-Ex warehouse i guess.

Well let's go back a few steps, I got the job offer, accepted it then book an accommodation at Hillston Backpackers for a cabin but it was full and I have to be on the list but till then I was alone in dorm 3 (4 bed sharing). I read a review regarding bed bugs that was not too recent but then I ignored it thinking that it was perfectly fine and they have solved the bloody problem by now but on the 3rd day same as my induction day, I saw a huge ass bed bug and no owners or management was around to help me out. I left them that night came back in the morning.

Caught a couple for evidence since most of the backpackers who have lived there for more than a month told me that the owner won't believe anyone and please catch some for evidence and plus write a review on tripadvisor or google to spread the word to other traveller coming here (which i did).

So inbetween during induction, I meet with a couple of malay aunties and uncles that ask for help to send 1 person to a caravan park which was on the way back, so i did. Me and a guy (Alex) ask if we can see it since he says its cheap and it can be for 5 person. We was alright we gotta move to this place, I ask if he needs a roommate and Alex got his own cabin since he's with his girlfriend.

Caravan park cabin charge you
150 deposit
280 per week (1 or 5 people)
Showers, fridge, cooking stove and everything else is in a cabin. But no wifi

Hillston backpackers charge you either
180 per person in a cabin (2 max)
No stove in it although there's fridge and shower blablabla..so cooking is still communal.
Oh and a 200 deposit i think
150 per person for dormitory room share up to 4 people.
50 for deposit of key

No brainer. I thought hostel are always cheaper but i rather stay alone 280 rather than get bed bugs. So i left for my new malay community at the caravan park. Alex and Arc both goth their girlfriends over at the caravan park but will stay there till sunday since they paid for it.

I did too but f that, i didn't mind losing the money but was disappointed i wasnt even offered a refund or compensation for that bed bugs incident.

I was only given back my deposit which wasn't cash as well, oh my goodness..i have to wait for just 50 bucks. Plus the owner asked me where am i going, I said caravan park. He replied "is that a threat?" I was like WTF...you can't be in business if you don't wanna keep your shit clean and expect people to stay with you if your rates are high.

But I washed up my clothes in hot water and dry em in the dryer for more than 1 hour. Plus i bought a bed bug spray to kill any living shit that i missed out.
Oh and washing and drying at the caravan park is cheaper, 3 bucks for washing and 1 for drying. At the backpacker hostel is 4 bucks each for washing and drying.
Plus Jennifer is excellent, always here during the morning till arvo at the caravan park.

So do your research and always be wary fellow backpackers. Have fun

Update of my life

So let me start with ANZAC day, which is Australian and New Zealand Army Corps celebrated on the 25th of  April. I went to the dawn service at Jerra which started super early about 5.30am. This was a day for remembrance for those who served and died. Thank god I never went for Canberra's although is it bigger but parking will be super difficult. They start drinking beer early probably at 6.15am after all is done.

Then after talking shit and everything, people start leaving by 8am and come back again at 12 for Two-up, it is a traditional Australian gambling gambling game by throwing 2 coins into the air (but to make it quicker, now they throw 3 coins). Call a head or a tail, 2 out of 3 coins of heads/tails wins, usually AUD$5 minimum but can go to thousands pretty quick. Bet with anyone and everyone but try not to lose all your money in one day. This is the only day that Two-up is legal.

Kinda abit like Chinese New Year in Singapore when you gamble with friends and family visiting, only difference is Two-up in done in public.


So enough of holidays and traditions..
I've recently moved out from Queanbeyan to Braidwood to gain some farm work in a stable. Work was work, I don't mind hard work. But it is definately colder out there especially when you wake up for work at 4.30am with froze on the windscreen. But the coolest thing is you don't need to lock your car or house as noone will ever come around. Bad thing about rural or farm work, no reception. Holy shit it was super boring and I even slept at 6.30pm. Too bored of not doing shit or waiting for reception.

Before hand I should ask on my salary and payment but I was cool since he is a friend of a friend. On my first day of work, one of the owner went up straight to say that I was suppose to bill him with super and blablabla. I told him that it isn't going to work and it won't count as my 88 days. I thought of just giving it a go and just waste my time not accumulating 88 days but earning some money and experience. I didn't know when was tea, lunch or anything but it doesn't matter since I don't eat anyways, only smoke. However on the 2nd day a job in Hillston called me up stating that I can be turned to full time but I need to start on the 15th instead of being a casual worker starting on the 29th.

So I told the owner of my situation and I don't think he mentioned about the regular payment with payslips and super or probably it was already in my brain since the other owner brainwashed me with that straight up. So on the 3rd day after work, I made some arrangements to be back in Queanbeyan with bloody wifi and so I can watch netflix and blog. I decided to tell the owner that the job isn't going to work out and I am leaving but it seems like he was trying to keep me for another few more days till 15th. But I jumped out and landed back to a surrounding that seems familiar and comfortable.

All I know is I let my friends down and the owner down but oh well, I gotta do what I think is right to complete my 88 days without dramas. Now all I've got to do is just book my accommodation in Hillston backpackers so that I have a room to myself while working there for probably 6 months before heading back here I guess. Hillston is a long way out from the cities but I think I can make it work. Let's hope for success.