Why Would Anyone Want to Live in Winnipeg?
I actually had a post titled this that I was gonna put up, but I felt that too many people would disown me and stop reading my blog if I actually ended up posting it, so I'm not going to until I clean it up a little. In the meantime, this will just be a "What's Kev been up to lately" kind of thing. Though this post may end up being so mundane, I'll still end up losing readers in droves. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
Anyhow, as some of you may be able to tell from my last post, I'm working in an Italian restaurant in Sydney, just on Darling Harbour, about a 2 minute walk away from the Sydney Aquarium. It's working out nicely, as I work so much, and at such late hours that I spend little money, and I'm saving a ton. In fact, after tax and tips, I'm making almost as much money as I was making working in Calgary. The bonus is that they feed me for free, and if I close, I get to drink for free as well, so the only thing I'm paying for right now is my accomidation, which is cheap as (which, by the way, is my new favourite Aussie saying, "
Anyhow, another little bit of info for people who've never been here: Tipping is totally optional. It's not uncommon for people to get a bill for $250 and leave no tip, or if it's simply a few dollars short of a round number, they'll just leave that. It's not an indication of poor service, it's just not done around here. It's mostly because waiters get paid the same as everyone else, anywhere from $18-22/hour, so it's not needed to suppliment their income. Consequently, all of the tips we get are pooled together and distributed to everyone weekly based on the number of hours they worked, and it seems to work out to about another $4-5/hour, depending on the week, so it's alright. The downside of all this is that in order for a restaurant to pay for their staff, the prices are generally a lot higher for basic food, like a glass of Coke is $3.75 or a 300g steak (12oz I guess) is almost $30, and that's a standard price. Expensive, but you get used to it (much like escorts).
Moving right along, my plans have somewhat changed in the past few weeks. Originally I wanted to get residency so I could live here permanently, but I think I realized that Iw ould simply be trading one city for another, and think I would just fall into complacency again, and I don't want to do that. Instead, I'm going to apply for residency so that if I want to live and work in Australia again, I can without any hassles. What I'd like to do now is get residency, work for a year or 2, then continue traveling around. I'd go to New Zealand first and visit some of the peeps I met on Heron (lots of Aussies and Kiwis worked on the island, and they're all solid folk), then go up to Vietnam and/or Thailand to check it out. I've heard nothing but great things about both of these places, and they're cheap as anyways. You can live in Bangkok in a decent hostel for about $40AUS/week, and eat really well for about $3/day. Zounds!
Anyhow, after SE Asia, I have a friend in South Africa that I'd like to go visit (Hi Laura!) who said she would be visiting me in Australia if she wasn't about to give birth. After South Africa, I plan on flying up to Europe and travel around there for a while, since I'm already halfway there anyways. Then off to South America somewhere, likely Brazil or Argentina, before heading back to North America where I may stop off in some random American cities before flying back into Canada. Of course, all this will take a couple years I think, so I may not be back home until 2009. I'd still really like to make it back in time for the Olympics, and hopefully head to Vancouver to see some of the action.
Now, of course, none of this is carved in stone, and it all depends on whether I can actually get residency here, and if I have to qualify by working here for a long time, if I can save up the money, get visas for all the other countries I want to visit or what-have-you. Still, it's a plan, and I've come to realize that it's better to have a plan and have to change it, than to not have a plan at all.
Cheers!
posted by K-Dawg @ 12:42 AM
5 Comments:
To answer your question, no other city (at least in Canada as far as I know) has the great change of seasons that we do. Although we have had a loooooong winter, Spring has sprung and sunshine is mandatory for vitamin D. We do get more than our fair share of the sun.
Sounds as though you have done some contemplating on your future plans. As you say, plans can be changed, hopefully for the better. As to your added comments, please don't do any cutting of extremities, even if it may be worthless in your eyes. You were built with "snails and rails and puppy-dog tails" for a reason and we all Love you for that.
Keep us smiling and enjoy your life.
Love you and Miss you.
Mom & Dad.
How cute, in America we say "snips and snails and puppy dog tails." I wonder what brought about the differences.
Anyway, as someone who has lived in both NZ and Thailand, I STRONGLY recommend NZ for living and Thailand for a long and languid visit. Though, as many Aussies and Kiwis feel, you may too get bored with NZ. I think it's incredibly beautiful and just a nice place to be. Thailand is, yes, "cheap as" and the food is incredible, EVERYWHERE, but it's a tough place to live. And since you're already someone who has lived abroad and knows how the adjustment can be challenging, Thailand is right up there.
So, fly to Thailand, stay in Bangkok a few days, check out some interesting places out in the north or northeast (or better yet, go to Laos which is gorgeous), then chill out on the incredible beaches in the south, and then get the hell out!
Thanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mind. I've also heard of some scams in Thailand that usually involve seemingly nice people inviting you to their house then robbing you of all your stuff, so I'm gonna be pretty wary about that sort of thing. And for the record, I can't wait to go to NZ. I've heard nothing but great things about it from people who are native Kiwis, and people who have just visited.
I had an American friend (professor) who took a sabbatical in NZ with his wife. They stopped off in Australia on their way there. When leaving Oz, his wife said, "Wow, the Australians are so nice!" Then they spent the next six months in Dunedin, NZ.
On their way back to the US, they stopped once again for a visit in Australia, and his wife said, "Man, the Australians are so fuckin' rude!"
Aww the darling, kind Kiwis.
I thought you might appreciate that story :)
Oh, and as for Thailand, scams abound! But if you're a savvy traveler, which you obviously are, you'll be fine.
Just don't believe anyone who tells you their mother needs an operation!
And try to stay off the backpacker circuit (Khao San road). The conditions are disgusting (and not much cheaper than a decent hotel), and the atmosphere is so artificial . It's kind of gross, unless you're looking to pick up a LOT of bootleg cd's.
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