i hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.
i sure did, even though i didn't do anything special. it was just a nice, peaceful, rainy day.
i'm moving into a new place today with my friend Renee in Merewether (another suburb in Newcastle).
the job search continues... so let me explain what i'm up against. Newcastle is definitely one of the harder places to get work in Australia. there is a large university and not much tourism. most places prefer to hire locals and i don't have too much experience in hospitality (waitressing and what not). also, my visa doesn't allow me to work more than 6 months at a job, even though i'm able to stay for a year. however, i know i could work harder at being more persistent and following up better. i met someone at church today who does a lot of temp work and she said she would talk to her temp agency for me. so that's encouraging. anyway, i will let you know what happens...
i still feel this is where i'd like to be, even though it's not easy at the moment.
please keep me in your prayers.
love,
julie
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
camping and what else...
Wow! I cannot believe how fast a week can go by!
As I was riding my bike home today, I had to stop and admire the clouds, colors, and surf. It was so breathtaking. God is so breathtaking. I enjoyed the moment of peace and pinched myself that I'm actually in Australia. I had a challenging, but good camp experience. We went to a beach called Bulli, near Wollongong and there were about 25 of us. It was challenging because I was analyzing my life too much, but good because I got to surf and meet some cool chicks.
On Monday, I worked at the university as a medical model... first-year med students poked at my stomach for their exams, pretending I was their patient. So for 5 hours, I had about 30 students one-by-one perform the same procedure on my liver, kidneys, and another part of my stomach. On Tuesday, I did a catering trial for a high school graduation formal. They were giving out awards to students, such as "teacher's pet" and "most likely to be the first to get married." However, there were some strange ones, like "the Figjam award" (an acronym for "F*ck I'm good; just ask me," which is a nickname for people who have a high opinion of themselves), "most likely to get plastic surgery," "least likely to get an award," and "most likely to get naked" (where of course... the guy had to start taking off his clothes, while everyone laughed). My arms were dead after 4 hours of serving platters and plates and clearing tables for hundreds of people! I'm surprised I only dropped a few pieces of silverware (although one was on a guys nice suit - "sorry"). I never realized how hard it is to serve gourmet food while you're starving.
I have another job trial next week at a pub... can you see me as a bartender? ha ha
maybe one of these days I will get some work. ;)
Julie
p.s. I learned the hard way not to ever order a milk shake, unless you are in the mood for flavored milk. My bad, I guess what I meant was "I would like a thick shake." I threw my drink away without even bothering to complain.
As I was riding my bike home today, I had to stop and admire the clouds, colors, and surf. It was so breathtaking. God is so breathtaking. I enjoyed the moment of peace and pinched myself that I'm actually in Australia. I had a challenging, but good camp experience. We went to a beach called Bulli, near Wollongong and there were about 25 of us. It was challenging because I was analyzing my life too much, but good because I got to surf and meet some cool chicks.
On Monday, I worked at the university as a medical model... first-year med students poked at my stomach for their exams, pretending I was their patient. So for 5 hours, I had about 30 students one-by-one perform the same procedure on my liver, kidneys, and another part of my stomach. On Tuesday, I did a catering trial for a high school graduation formal. They were giving out awards to students, such as "teacher's pet" and "most likely to be the first to get married." However, there were some strange ones, like "the Figjam award" (an acronym for "F*ck I'm good; just ask me," which is a nickname for people who have a high opinion of themselves), "most likely to get plastic surgery," "least likely to get an award," and "most likely to get naked" (where of course... the guy had to start taking off his clothes, while everyone laughed). My arms were dead after 4 hours of serving platters and plates and clearing tables for hundreds of people! I'm surprised I only dropped a few pieces of silverware (although one was on a guys nice suit - "sorry"). I never realized how hard it is to serve gourmet food while you're starving.
I have another job trial next week at a pub... can you see me as a bartender? ha ha
maybe one of these days I will get some work. ;)
Julie
p.s. I learned the hard way not to ever order a milk shake, unless you are in the mood for flavored milk. My bad, I guess what I meant was "I would like a thick shake." I threw my drink away without even bothering to complain.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
job? surf and skinny lattes
I know it's been a little while since an update, but there hasn't been too much to say...
still looking for work
hanging out with people
surfing
going to coffee shops
running around the hills and beaches
It has been quite a test of endurance. I've had some good, some bad days and am learning through it all. I got a bike, so that's nice. I have a lock on my bedroom door now, after some not-so-fun experiences, so I feel a bit safer while I sleep. Praise God I will be moving out soon and living with a girl from Christian Surfers. Regarding job stuff, I'm thinking hospitality is the way to go... given my visa only allows me to work up to 6 months per job and there just aren't too many jobs here. So I've been getting a lot of experience with job interviews, job trials, and passing out resumes. I guess if I'm considering being a career counselor someday in the very distant future, this will all be a good experience. Right? :) Ahh, well everything can be used for good. Even if I'm just learning endurance. I'm still glad to be here and getting to know some nice people. I've been surfing heaps, but not as much as I would like... so I run to keep my sanity. And this weekend I will be going on an all-girls camping trip organized by Christian Surfers. So I will get to meet more people from around the coast of New South Wales. Can't wait!
Hope all is well. Enjoy the pics!
Love,
Julie
still looking for work
hanging out with people
surfing
going to coffee shops
running around the hills and beaches
It has been quite a test of endurance. I've had some good, some bad days and am learning through it all. I got a bike, so that's nice. I have a lock on my bedroom door now, after some not-so-fun experiences, so I feel a bit safer while I sleep. Praise God I will be moving out soon and living with a girl from Christian Surfers. Regarding job stuff, I'm thinking hospitality is the way to go... given my visa only allows me to work up to 6 months per job and there just aren't too many jobs here. So I've been getting a lot of experience with job interviews, job trials, and passing out resumes. I guess if I'm considering being a career counselor someday in the very distant future, this will all be a good experience. Right? :) Ahh, well everything can be used for good. Even if I'm just learning endurance. I'm still glad to be here and getting to know some nice people. I've been surfing heaps, but not as much as I would like... so I run to keep my sanity. And this weekend I will be going on an all-girls camping trip organized by Christian Surfers. So I will get to meet more people from around the coast of New South Wales. Can't wait!
Hope all is well. Enjoy the pics!
Love,
Julie
Monday, November 3, 2008
peace and love - remembering Radar
As you know, a couple years ago I was traveling around Central America. My first stop in July of 2006 was El Paredon, Guatemala, a small little fishing village where I helped at a locally-run surf camp for a couple of months. At the time, it was mostly run by two young boys, ages 17 and 19. Well... the oldest one, Radar, who would now be 21, just passed away on Saturday due to a surf related accident. You may remember me sharing with you through my email updates about a dangerous heart condition he had, so I was surprised to hear his death was not related to that. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers at this time. They will be holding a memorial service for him at the end of November. He was such a leader and really looked up to amongst his group of friends and younger siblings; a beautiful person who will be dearly missed. (in the first picture, Radar is the one on the far left)
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