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Published: February 10th 2008
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Well I’m finally settled in! It is funny to think that I came to Australia with no job, no place to live, and no clue what I was going to do until May. I have to admit, I underestimated how hard it would be to get set up here. I figured I would just waltz in, find a place to live and a job where I could make money. The first major hurdle was finding a place to live…no realtor will lease a place for less than six months. We thought about signing a six month contract, but we would have left Australia with a bounty on our heads that would have been collected it we ever returned to OZ. When we arrived, we stayed a few nights with a camp friend that was subletting a place in Harbord, a small city in the North Shore. The place became free the first week in February, and the realtors were only looking to lease for three months, the place is going to be torn down in May…PERFECT! The two other guys we are living with, (Mike and Max) filled out all the paperwork and were approved by the realtor company for a
12 week lease. One problem, the owner said no. apparently he is a communist and doesn't like money. Actcually, he CLAIMED he wanted to tear the place down right away. We were pretty upset, and threw around the idea of t traveling until our money ran out. We knew we wouldn’t be able to lease a place for three months, and we didn’t want to live in a hostel. Well something happened, and we got a random call that said the owner changed his mind. Apparently the man who had the apartment before us called the owner up and asked him to let us live here...the rest of the tennants in the building had two months left on their leases...so we knew he was not tearing down the building right away. Not only did we get the apartment, but we got is SUPER CHEAP. $350 Australian a month which translates to $301.00 US. We paid our first months rent (and bond) and moved right in.
On top of all this great news, I landed a part time job helping this guys refurbish his house. I don't know his full story, but he (Waldo) has a huge house in Manly
and it is a piece of crap. He pays $100 cash under the table...so I have been helping him out. The only downside is when it rains...we can't work. All of the work that needs to be done right now is outside...so when it rains we don't make money. It has been raining non-stop for 4 days. Jake convinced the guy to let him work too. so he has been coming with me getting the same cash. Waldo says there is about 10-12 days of work to be done. We think we can squeeze 12-15 days out of him. I would be very happy making 1200-1500 for the two months I'll be working. Especially since my rent is so cheap...after seven days of work, my housing is already paid for. The past few days at the office we have been painting one of the outside walls. This guy is so nice. We get two tea breaks a day, his wife makes us lunch...and they have a pool which we use. He has a lot of other work he has told us about, so hopefully if he like what we do...we work 3-4 days a week until we leave. I wanted
My bed!
It isn't as sad as it looks! a sailing job, and they are easy to get...if you have the right qualification. You need to take a 5 day (and pay $600) small boat insturctors class. I know how to sail small boats, medium boats, and large boats! I'm not going to pay $600 to relearn what I could already do with my hands tied behind my back. I think i'll make more money with this construction job. Just incase I don't, I'm still looking for more work. Universities started up today...according to the locals, jobs are now everywhere.
I got even more good news today! After our epic journey across the Pacific...United Airlines decided they did want to me fly with them again, so they sent me two $500 vouchers for travel anywhere in the US! Not too bad right? Now I can fly in for two Michigan Football games next year, and not have to drive in from wherever I'm living!!
Thats it from here. As usual...Go blue!
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