Australia Week 2: Job searching and kangaroos

The most current news I could begin with is on the job-front (considering that this phenomenon is going on as I type). I spent most of last week preparing an Australian-version job application, which is a bit more time-intensive than one might think. On top of the basic resume, references and cover letter (with the cover letter usually being my most dreaded part since I actually have to write out an entire page on why I think I'm so wonderful) here in Australia you have to also respond to a portion of the position description called the "Selection Criteria". This lovely section provides you with 7+ prompts for you to respond to, the types of questions that are very typical during the interview process such as "Above average written and verbal communication skills" or "Capacity to show initiative and take responsibility" after which you provide an example of how you have excelled in this particular area. The last selection criteria I filled out had a little note: "Please do not exceed 4 pages." Four pages? Are you kidding me? So this adds a whole new element to the job application process, and you have to write a new one every time. Talk about time intensive. I have now filled out two such selection criterias, the first for Amnesty International and the second for a Communications Officer position for a non-profit for foster youth. Not fun...

So let’s see, on the job front…Well, I received an email from Amnesty International’s hiring agency earlier this week saying that I’m out of the running due to the constraints of my working visa. That’s to be expected but it doesn’t make it any less disappointing. I rebounded by eating four coconut cookies and sending out my resume to a few other job postings. One of those was to an unspecified non-prof looking for someone to coordinate meetings for them full time, and they were going to pay $85k. I decided, why not? It certainly couldn’t hurt to apply! 19 minutes later, I was making a visit to the restroom when my phone starts ringing. I was a little caught off guard, but I answered and it was the hiring agency for the meeting manager position and they asked me to come in the next day for an interview. Yippee! I went in, all gussied up in my business finery only to be told that, again, my application couldn’t be processed due to my working visa. Boo! But they are also a temp agency, so I went ahead and signed on board and took a few tests for them to gage some of my computering. And guess who’s got MAD typing skillz? Oh, it’s me. I guessed that I was typing at about 60 WPM, and I thought that was an overestimate even. In the real world, though, I type 99 WPM with 99% accuracy. Not bad, eh? I also received some happy scores on the MS Word and Excel tests, so hopefully that means that temp work will be flowing my way in the near future. I suppose this means that my job search is going to proceed like so—search for temp jobs in the not for profit sector, work for the different companies during which time they will see how wonderful I am and how they couldn’t possibly live without me. Then they will sponsor me and I will live happily ever after. In order to better achieve this plan I’ll be signing up with one or two other temp agencies so they can also put their feelers out for non-prof jobs. The wonderful part about this is that I don’t pay the temp agency to work with them—they search for jobs for me for free! Well, free for me. But it seems that most companies do their hiring through these agencies instead of trusting the people that apply directly to them. I mean, I could save the companies $2,000 and just tell them that they should hire me (then they could put that money towards sponsoring me!) but it doesn’t seem they’re interested. Oh well, new country, new system.

That about wraps up the job search for now. The other excitement of the last week is that Marcus and I went to visit his parents up in Nelson’s Bay. It’s about three hours north from our place in Sydney (throw in Friday night rush hour and two car crashes on the freeway, and it’s about four and a half hours). Nelson’s Bay is a quiet little town right on the ocean with some nice beaches and marinas that, I am told, get extremely busy during the summer. I can believe it, though, it was absolutely beautiful! I met some pelicans and sea gulls that reminded me of Finding Nemo. And yes, I did some movie quotes: “Fish gotta swim, birds gotta eat.” “Mine. Mine.” The sea gulls really are pretty annoying…And although we didn’t see any, there are also whales and dolphins out in the bay. Marcus’ step dad even told us that there’s a white whale that has been migrating past the area for years. Crazy!

Anyhew, it’s a nice little town that makes you wonder why you live in the city. We met his parents at the bowling club when we drove into town. That is, the yard bowling club. Why yes, they have these bowling clubs in pretty much every town, which strikes me as strange but I’m enjoying it. Marcus’ mom and step dad, Jeff, were lovely people with lovely accents and I felt a bit boisterous in my extremely bright orange peacoat (Jeff even made a comment about how he thought someone in a hazard vest was walking in!), but we had a nice chat and then we continued on home where I met Marcus’ Nan, whom he always describes as “She’s so old!” I don’t know that I’ve ever heard him talk about her without saying those words. J She’s pretty with it, though, for being so old. Poor lady is definitely having some health issues and some relocation issues (they just moved to Nelson’s Bay about two months ago), but boy does her face light up when she sees Marcus. So does his mom’s, those two ladies absolutely adore him. (Hmm, let’s add me to that mix, shall we?)

The next morning I made scones (no surprise there) and we set off for a tour of the entire bay with insider tips on house prices. Apparently $500,000 is a good price, which makes me want to hyperventilate a little bit, but I suppose it’s not all that different from house prices in Seattle. Pretty much the entire bay is gorgeous. It’s quiet, not very busy, and I know that when spring and summer time roll around it will be amazing for swimming. Or laying on the beach, what have you.

Along with the beaches, I also got to see a couple of wildlife excitements! First, I got to see the big yellow caution signs for koalas and kangaroos. Like deer signs except that they’re KOALAS and KANGAROOS, not silly deer. I mean, koalas! I admit, it was a little hard to focus on the beaches…I sat staring up into the trees hoping to figure out what a eucalyptus tree looks like and to maybe see a little fuzzy gray bump. I know they were out there, but those koalas are elusive, and I still have yet to see one. Marcus’ step dad, though, came home from work on Saturday and immediately had us all jump into the car—he’d sighted some ‘roos munching on some grass at the golf course! We drove on over, parked, and walked very, v e r y s l o w l y over to the kangaroo. First I saw one. Then two, then three. Then a whole herd of gray kangaroos! As we crept closer, one turned to look at us. Then a few more, until I found myself in a staring contest with a kangaroo! I mean, I have staring contests with 10 year-olds at MDA camp (and I lose) but I’ve definitely never had a staring contest with a kangaroo out in the wild! Errr, on a golf course. A few sat balancing on their tails and a few jumped further away from us onlookers. I got to see kangaroos hopping!!! In the wilderness of an Australian golf course! I’m still totally excited by the sighting. Earlier that day Marcus pointed out a kookaburra to me. (Though he was not sitting in the old gum tree, he was in fact looking down at his minions from atop a street sign in the middle of a traffic roundabout. He didn’t laugh, either, but don’t you worry, I will hear the laugh!)

Now a few more exciting circles have been closed in my Australian life: 1. meeting Marcus’ parents and 2. the beginning of my outback animal sightings.

I have also been keeping a list of a few things, other than yard bowling, that I have found strange and interesting here in Aussie land.

1. Toilets. The toilets here have buttons that you push to flush. Yes, I said it, buttons, plural. We have the half flush and the full-on flush. How do you like that for water saving? J
2. B.Y.O. Many if not most of the restaurants here do not serve alcohol. Instead, you are left to go to your local bottle shop, buy your own alcohol, and bring it with you to your restaurant of choice. How crazy is that? I mean, not crazy, different.
3. I may have told this to a few of you, but a certain classification of lawyers here, the barristers, actually wear white curled wigs and capes to court. I saw some the other day and they looked so comical walking down the streets of downtown Sydney.
4. The sun here is strong. Apparently there is a big hole in the ozone layer right above Australia, which means I am going to be wearing a lot more sunscreen than I have in the past.

I’m also starting to document some fun things about the language…but I’m going to wait until I have a few more examples and a bit more to say, but stay tuned.