Eric36

Alright everybody! “What’s going on with your Working Holiday Visa?” you’re all asking, well there are a couple of issues to be honest. When I contacted the German Consulate in Vancouver (the issuing authority responsible for issuing residents of BC the visas) I was told that it was not possible to get the WHA in Germany, it can only be issued outside of the country, specifically in Canada. When I asked if it would be issued outside of Germany, say at a German Consulate in Switzerland, I was told that this should be possible, though they would probably have to liaise with the Vancouver consulate to do so. Before booking my train ticket to Bern (I bet you didn’t know that was the capital of Switzerland did you? Probably thought it was Zurich) however, I went ... read more

Hello everyone! I have my new passport in hand, fresh from the presses in Ottawa and it got back to Munich here in only 6 days! Now the next objective is to get my working holiday visa for Germany (known here as the Youth Mobility Visa). The only part that makes this a bit more difficult is the fact that the working holiday visa can only be issued outside of Germany, more specifically in Canada for Canadians. I got in contact with the German Consulate in Vancouver and was told that it would be possible to apply for one at any German Consulate around the world (and more importantly anywhere in Europe ). The only thing is that the consulate I go to will most probably have to get in contact with the consulates in Canada. ... read more

So reflection time again! What have I gained from my past 7 months in Australia? A healthy respect for football keepers (soccer goalies) after badly spraining my wrist prevented me from working a renovation job I had just started, a love of road trips and waking up at sunrise to go swimming on the beaches before sneaking onto camp sites to shamelessly use the facilities without paying for them, an affirmation that despite the fact that a town may be half hippie/half surfer, it’s still half hippie and is at great odds with my blue collar heritage. I enjoy barbequing with friends in the park, and like getting out into the clubs once in a while with them for a good time, I can survive on little money and even thrive after throwing myself across a ... read more

Hello everyone. I am working at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow now as a Glassy (bus boy for glasses and bottles) and Relief Bartender! The Glassy gig is relatively easy, patrol your designated area and collect empty or abandoned glasses or bottles. We each carry a tray and loaded it up before returning to the bar we're assigned to, where we divvy up the different types of glasses and put them through the dish washer. Of course that isn't all there is to it, you have to navigate your way trough the press of semi-inebriated patrons, often with the tray (empty or teetering with glass) held high above your head so that you can make it through. What happens at least 3 times throughout then night when you find yourself in the position more often than not? ... read more

After going over all of my previous entries I’ve come to the realization that I haven’t given a detailed description to what it’s like to live in a hostel dorm room. I think I just go so used to it that when I rented out a room in Byron Bay it was a bit of a shock to me. Dorm room aren’t all that bad, be they 4 bed dorms or up to 20 bed dorms, you get used to sleeping in a room with others. Some people can be less than considerate to their other roommates, stumbling in at the wee hour of the morning very loudly speaking to one another, sometimes to continue drinking while everyone else is trying to sleep. Privacy is always at a premium, and since you are often showering in ... read more

Hello everyone, I wish I could tell you that I am working on a cattle station now, learning and experiencing the life of a wrangler and earning the fantastic pay that goes along with it, but that would be a lie. 7 backpackers from the hostel as well as myself went down to reception a couple week and a bit ago (in my case I actually leapt out of my top bunk and ran down the 2 flights of stairs bare foot) after they announced that there was a rancher looking for 8 people to start work the next day, earning $250 a day. Now $250 a day may sound suspicious, but that is honestly about the going rate for cattle ranging. The job usually entails waking up ready for work at 7 in the morning, ... read more

Hey everyone! I am alive in Brisbane! I’ve been remiss about updating this since there has been little to update about, but I’ll tell you about what’s going on so far. I arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday a couple weeks ago to get better work than I had back in Byron Bay and there have certainly been more opportunities though many in the commission fields of work. I had been working for a company called 4Gen Direct which is a marketing company for an electricity and gas retailer called Australian Power and Gas. The way the energy industry works here in Queensland (and the majority of the east coast of Australia) is that there is the energy producer (Energex) which produces the electricity (mostly through coal plants) and distributes that along with the natural gas. The ... read more