You mean, it's not the end of the world?

Thanks for everyone's understanding and encouragement regarding my job at Mission Australia. I finished there yesterday and I am so glad to be gone. I don't know what to say except that I am sure, without a doubt, that this is the right decision for me.

There are lots of reasons adding that make me so confident in that decision. Some of it has to do with the professionalism and the personalities at work there, some of it has to do with the kind of work I was doing, but in the end the most confirming moment was on that last day's lunch break. I was talking with several people with whom I was working with and for the first time they really opened up about how they felt about their work--and everyone wanted to leave. When those still in the job look at you with a mix of excitement and jealousy about your future, that's not really a good sign. I don't think I need to rehash what they said but it was enough to confirm what I had already suspected.

But I'm gone now and they gave me such a wonderful going away party. I really didn't expect it and truly felt like I didn't deserve it but they showed me that even in my one week there, I had won their appreciation and respect and that friendships--however infantile--had been made. The bought me cupcakes, gave me a card and sent me emails to wish me luck in the pursuit of my dreams. There was so much grace in what they did. They could have easily been angry or bitter about the whole thing but they weren't. They were kind and loving and because I got that response, I feel even more confident in my decision. I really do feel like I did what was right and it seems that by putting some good integrity into the world, the world gave me a little love back.

After leaving work for the last time, I went on to have the most wonderful day I've had in weeks. I happend upon an amazing promotion by one of Sydney's celebrity-preferred salons which allows me to have a massage, a consultation, a coloring, and a cut by a senior stylist all for $140 (which oh my God, I need so bad--birthday money from Mom and Grandma at work here!), I found a cheap and intriguing book to pass the time with, and I met Jeremy and his co-workers in the park for some delicious Malaysian food at the Syndey Food Fesitval Night Noodle Market. And when we came home, I went to bed at 8:30 and got my first full night of sleep in weeks.

I feel relieved and happy again. I feel total peace about the whole thing and I really am excited about what's around the corner. I talked with the temp agency this morning too and it looks like Thomson Reuters is really excited to have me back (I was temping there before Mission Australia) and they want me to start on Friday this week. But not only that, they are also going to increase my work days from three to four per week which is good news too because we'll need the money.

I've also had some really great feed back from Sydney Tall Ships about the photos I did a couple weeks ago. They were so happy with them that they intend to use several of them on their website, publications and at their booth in Circular Quay (I'll give you a link when I know they are up) and they invited me back to do more photos and bring Jeremy along too. So, Sunday night we were off for a BBQ cruise just! It was really fun and so great to be out and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. This experience has given me lots of confidence and I feel prepared to really make an attempt of photography as a professional. Jeremy and I have been talking about it a bit and we've decided that until I get my new residency visa, I'll keep doing it for free. Once I'm a resident, I'll apply for a business number and make something happen. But I'm excited--really excited!--about seeing my real dreams happen!

And with regard to my visa, we're still drumming up background checks (there are a lot to be done). But I've got almost everyone of them in process at the moment and I'm getting the rest of my application done too. Since I don't start again at Thomson until Friday, I'll have tomorrow to clean and write my statement which will of course, be a joy.

Which also reminds me that this weekend we will be hosting our official house warming party. I wish you all could be there as I won't know more half of the people coming (they're Jeremy's friends) and there should be photos of that coming early next week.

As you can see, I'm busy and a lot of things are happening at the moment, but I feel like I've been freed and I'm extremely happy. And that's a very good thing.

Back on the Market

Well, after a bit of thinking, I decided to quit the call center. I made a few good friends there but that really wasn't enough to stay. See, there were a few things they left out during training... We didn't get to see the contract until we actually started which should have been a bad sign. That's when we learned that until they deem us "trained" (which means until you hit the sales target--which is too high for the campaign I'm on), we would be making $2 less that what was advertised. Then, once you are considered "trained," if you fail to make a sale within the first two hours of your shift, you are sent home. That's not good for me. I have an apartment, bills, student loans, a million shirts with oil stains, and a purse that is falling apart. I need to know that I can rely on those hours I am scheduled for. I need to set budgets and follow them.

But there were other reasons to quit too. They weren't telling us to be too aggressive but they did want me to be more than I was comfortable. Once, my manager asked me to listen to a phone call and use that as an example. However, that girl talked over the customer and didn't really answer her questions. And I hated that if people said they didn't want to buy the makeup we were selling for any reason--including allergies!--we still had to make a pitch to them. That just seems like a giant waste of my time. No one who had a previous reaction is going to buy again. They even advocated at one point that we lie and say it was newly formulated! I also had a problem with making sales to old retired people. I had this one woman who told me she only lived off her pension checks and couldn't really afford it though she wanted some. I know I could have manipulated her into making a purchase or pushed her into it but what kind of person would I be then? I knew that make up would outlast her, that she wouldn't wear it much, that she would get more than she needed for much more than she wanted to spend, and in the end would be re-enrolled to a subscription program that would ultimately take advantage of a forgetful old lady. That's when I really decided to quit. I didn't make the sale because I couldn't be so cruel and I knew they would have wanted me to.

And the last reason, my ears are really stiff and not too bendy; those head sets were giving me headaches everyday. I know it's kind of a small issue, but it counted for something.

So, I'm back on the market and looking for something better. I know I'll find one but it might just take a little more time. The good thing is that I didn't give up right away, I tried it out for two weeks and I made a full paycheck that will cover my student loans till December.

Oh, and one more thing that made my jaw drop... Just before I finished my shift yesterday, we had a "get to know each other" meeting with the whole outbound half of the office. At the meeting, we all wrote down a question and put it in a box where we drew one randomly and answered it in front of everyone. I can not believe some of the things people wrote down. Like, "When was the last time you wet the bed?" and "What is the most shameless thing you've ever done for sex?" Oh, and they got soooo much dirtier and disgusting. I couldn't believe that this kind of behavior was tolerated in a professional office!!! I'm not interested in working in an environment that encourages such inappropriate conversation let alone in office meetings.

So, there were some nice people and good training, but this definitely isn't the job for me. Wish me luck on my quest for the next best thing!

Just an observation.

It seems that all of my managers at the call center have probably been working in the call center a little too long--none of them can look you in the face when they talk to you. Seriously people, life isn't limited to the telephone.

And why do people list their work number when ordering things? I'm confused.

A Day in the Life

My life is simple: I get up, I read blogs, I read the news, eat some toast, putz, take a nap, eat lunch, get ready for work, and go to work.

And work... Let me tell you about my job.

I work at a gelato shop in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley (I'm sure that means nothing to you) where if the whole place were summed up in one word, it would be "broken." That's because pretty much everything there is broken. Broken cooler. Broken cash register. Broken blender. Broken system. Our owner is pretty much non-existent. She doesn't come by. She rarely pays on time (I'm told "pay day" used to be Wednesdays, now it's Friday and occasionally Saturday... Perhaps one day it will be Wednesday again...). I've even heard rumors about her awful business practices from people around Brisbane. Apparently she is no good at paperwork but I didn't need anyone to tell me that. I still haven't signed any tax documents.... Or seen a pay stub. One of our managers told me that she hadn't paid our delivery man for the gelato mix'ins in a while and just left it to him to pay it out of his own paycheck.

I'm constantly surprised by the lack of interest she takes in her business. I'm told that they are planning to close in the near future. Or at least they have been planning to do so for a while. Hopefully I will have a new job by that time or maybe be on my way to Sydney. But there are some things to be grateful for: I work by myself, at my own pace, at night. I get to read at work and listen to my own music (iPod with speakers) and I can eat gelato while at work (which is yummy though difficult to digest in large quantities). I also get paid well--$19.50 an hour. I'd never get so much serving ice cream at home! And it keeps me busy. As they say, idle hands are the devil's playmate... I was getting a little bored without a job.

Speaking of jobs, Jeremy has an interview next week in Sydney for a junior editor position with a legal encyclopedia group. It's a great opportunity and we're really hoping it'll work out. We figure he's got a good chance and there is only 6 other people being considered for the job. Pray that he gets it! The sooner we move to Sydney the better. Our own space, good jobs and grad school! He's decided to do a master's in law while I purse my master's in media. Should be fun.