A profitable day at the Races!

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Hey guys!!! Just thought I would posted a little pre-holiday blog as I’m getting really excited about the couple of days away that Ricky has booked for us!!

I have no idea where we are going and although I have made a few guesses, I am familiar with how Ricky normally goes about “surprising” me (it’s usually a genuine surprise!) He has recommended I pack my bikini and walking boots!? I’m just hoping that doesn’t imply they’ve to be wore together….seriously not a good look!

I share Ricky’s thought in the “chillout weekend” blog. I am missing so many people and because I haven’t settled into a job yet, it’s really hard to make lastly friendships with many people. Like anything, there are a couple of exceptions and thankfully we have meet some lovely people….Caroline and Tucker, Michial and Mandi, Michaela and some others that I’ve had the pleasure to work with in my exciting temping experiences!

It has made us appreciate the importance of keeping in contact with back home, so please leave pics/messages/gossip at any opportunity! (Thanks Lorna for pics!!)

I’ll fill you in about the day I worked at the Races (Sat). It was a big meeting called the Cox Plate at Monee Ponds and when I arrived it was very hot. You are allocated a venue when you get there and I was panicking I was going to get put in a marquee which would have been very uncomfortable, given the heat. However, I was allocated one of the more expensive indoor function venues which was dressed up very elegantly and catered for about 300 guests!!

We were allocated tables which we had to waiter for so we started by getting the champers and ice buckets prepared and bottles of wine on the table. When my guests arrived, I was very pleased as they were all really friendly and initiated lots of chat generally about my accent, funnily enough! As the day went on I was running about looking after my 2 tables of ten and about 3 other tables who were shouting “Claire, over here!” at 20 minute intervals. Either they liked that accent or I was the quickest to get them their drinks! I reckon it was the latter. It was a fun day but I was knackered - my shift was 9am til 7.30pm and I left the flat at 7.30am. I was dead on my feet.

By about 2pm, one of my own tables had already tipped me about $70 and I realized that if every table tipped me, I was in for a profitable shift. I was right! Every table I served tip me and I came home with a whopping $340 in tips alone. My wages for the day: $200 + $340 = $540. That’s a week’s wages here!! I came home on Sat a very happy girl!

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