Things in Sydney have been all over the place lately. There’s been ample sunshine for day-trips, occasional music-making, and some wild days at work. Hostel mates have come and gone, and I too have made a decision on when (and where) I am going onward in Oz. This post is going to be a bit scatterbrained, so bear with me!
As they say in Game Of Thrones – winter is coming – but here in Sydney winter won’t look anything like what it does in Winterfell, or back home in the state of Wisconsin. I’m actually convinced that people here have never seen snow. “It gets cold” they say – to which I reply – “really?…” (with a slight sass). As for the current weather, Autumn feels pretty sweet considering I can still lounge comfortably on a beach or go outside without a coat.
On a recent weekday morning I set out visit the western suburb of Marrickville. The internet noted an abundance of Vietnamese restaurants here, and they weren’t wrong. The place was literally crawling with them. I’ve never had Vietnamese food, and as tempting as it was to grab some I opted to save the money for a trip to Vietnam. (Shoutout to the weather-gods that morning, because I have NEVER seen clouds like that in my entire life. It made for some enjoyable photography).
In my last post I discussed a frustrating work situation. I’m happy to report that in the past couple weeks I’ve started a new job that solves most of my troubles. Gone are my 25-minute walks to Double Bay and the Little Jean restaurant/cafe. Gone is my dealing with the often rude eastern suburb patrons. Also gone are my static wages, which were $22 (AUD)/hour with no weekend penalty rates.
Now I work for a hospitality agency called Top Shelf. The biggest perk is that I can build my own schedule. Shifts are offered through an app and come in lengths ranging from 4.5 hours to 8 hours. At first I accepted a ton of work, including three weekend shifts in a row from 8:00 PM – 4:00 AM. Another perk is that Top Shelf pays weekend penalty rates – and so in just two eight hour shifts I can earn an entire months rent on my hostel (it would take me five days of part-time work at Little Jean to do the same).
I find it exceptional that in Australia I can earn between $18 and $25/hour (USD) in jobs that would pay significantly less back in America. As one of my mates said once – “Sydney is the kind of place where you can have a restaurant job and afford a house/kids”. At the same time working in hospitality has given me fresh perspective on this industry, and it’s hard work that is worth a decent salary.
So what am I doing with Top Shelf? The agency sends contractors to venues around the city to fill in on hospitality roles. For the late weekend shifts I was assigned as a Food and Beverage Attendant at the Star Casino, located alongside the famous Darling Harbour. I worked as a barback in a small bar on the main gaming floor – my tasks included stocking the fridge, putting out water bottles, clearing the (three) tables, and bringing dishes to the dish room.
During the weekdays I’ve worked in another venue at The Star called the Harvest Buffet. Here my job had been to clear plates so guests can get new plates of food. Some of the more blessed moments include a lady who came to me complaining of the very hungry table next to her – “They’re little piggies!” Then there was a very Australian moment where a lady complained a spider had jumped into her (full) plate of food. And perhaps my favorite was when two ladies sat down in the buffet dressed in pearls, heels, and colorful dresses expecting “proper” table service. “This is awful” one of them groaned.
My first week at The Star coincided with my final shifts at Little Jean, and that week I worked my first 40+ hour week of my entire life. Having exclusively worked in music and the visual arts I never realized how fortunate I’ve been to work relatively short (and mostly independent) hours. It will surely put future practice sessions and rehearsals into perspective!
Lately I’ve started busking with my viola in Potts point. Most days in Sydney I don’t touch my viola, so when the weather is good and I’m not exhausted from work I head outside and entertain the streets with Bach. Given that I live in a hostel dormitory the outdoors is my only place to play my instrument, so its practice AND performance whenever I’m out! (Also shout out to my mate Dook for taking these beautiful shots one afternoon!)
On a completely different note I am coming up on two years with my Fujifilm X100V camera, and I am just now learning how to do long exposure shots of busy highways, flowing water, and even abstraction using camera movement.
I mentioned plans for onward travel in Australia – and I’m excited to share I’ve bought a flight up to the holiday town of Cairns, located in the tropical northern state of Queensland. “Summer doesn’t have to end if you know where to travel” – and Cairns is supposedly the perfect place to carry on the summer vibe. I have hopes it’ll be similar to South Florida during an American winter – warm but with controlled humidity. It’ll probably be a good place to enjoy the “holiday” part of my working holiday visa.
To put a cap on this post I’ll share a recent musical opportunity. On my way to a morning shift at the Harvest Buffet I got a call from one of my music contacts. He offered me something I had been waiting for since I arrived: a wedding gig at the Sydney Opera House.
It was really cool to walk through the stage doors, knowing that famous musicians from around the world have came through there and received similar door passes. The wedding itself took place outside on the back side of the opera house. I wasn’t sad to be outside because the true spectacle of the SOH is the exterior, which combined with the bustling harbour, energetic wind, and sea planes overhead was both chaotic and magical. I’ll particularly remember playing the melody to “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid with the string quartet behind the SOH.
Next Up: WHV Australia Part V. “Sydneysiders“
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