Where do I start??? On Friday the 18th, I went for a walk to Hamilton Street (ten minutes away) to go to the News Agent, a little shop that sells newspapers, lotto tickets, stationary, makes copies, etc... On the other side of the train station, there is a little street that has some local shops on either side of it. There are a couple of coffee places, a lawyer, a dentist, a chemist (pharmacy) IGA (yes, this is the same as in America—Independent Grocer) a butcher, a fresh fruit and veg stand, a bakery, some op-shops (Salvation Army—second hand type stores) and a post office among other things. So I went for a wander down the Hamilton Street after buying my new favorite magazine “The Notebook.” As I walked by the Bakery I looked in to see how busy it was and I noticed a sign that said they had a unique and rare opportunity… Somebody took Marketing when they were in school… J Anyway, it just said Call David if interested. So, I programmed the number in my mobile—that’s right, I am using the word ‘mobile.’ And continued on my walk. On the way home I ran a conversation through my head a half dozen times about why I wanted to work in the bakery. When I got home, I called and left a long rambling message about being an American and wanting to plant roots in the neighborhood or something absolutely opposite of all the conversations I planned out in my head. Anyway, a few hours later, David called me back and gave me some information about the position and said he would talk to his business partner over the weekend and get back to me.
When Matt got home from work I told him a little about the job and we went to the bakery on Sunday before catching the train for the footy game. We got some Danishes and the place was pretty busy. It smelled sooo yummy! On Monday morning, David called me and asked me to come around at noon to meet him and Sharon for coffee and a chat. Now… I know I came from a pretty formal industry working in Life Insurance for 4+ years… but what happened next was just the strangest interview I have ever been through. David and Sharon were really nice and we went to a little coffee house down the street for ‘coffee.’ Most of you know me well enough to know that I don’t drink coffee and I am caffeine intolerant so avoid chocolate, most teas and soda… so going to a coffee house in a country where tea and coffee are the most important part of 90% of peoples days… I had to order something. Luckily, prominently displayed was some caffeine free teas and one that was apple spice or something that sounded pretty good. Sharon and I sit down after ordering the tea and we have a little chat about the bakery and David’s background with Bakers Delight which she indicates are the biggest bakery in the world (I haven’t confirmed this information) and that David broke away after some poor dealings with them and opened up his own bakery.
Side Note: Bakers Delight has franchised to Western Canada under the name of COBS. They have recently opened a bakery in Bellevue at Crossroads also name Cobs… I suggest you wet-siders stop by and take a gander. Then you can see a very similar set up to what this bakery is like…
Anyway, Sharon told me all sorts of information about the shop, what the culture is like, how they operate and what the position would be like. The culture sounded like exactly what I needed and wanted to get my feet wet with. Besides. I love to bake and be in the kitchen and maybe, just maybe, someone there could share with me how they make pie crusts. J David joined us after about 20 minutes and then he told me a little more about the shop. He admitted to being a little bit of an aggressive, vocal personality, but only because he knows the business and wants everyone to do the best they can. Anyway, they wrapped up the conversation knowing very little about me, they hadn’t asked for a resume or what my qualifications were. There weren’t any questions about my integrity or you know the one that ALWAYS gets asked… “Tell me about a time when you… “ You know the one… where you have to tell about a time when you could have made a big mistake… but you were able to persevere and things turned out like a soap opera where everyone was happy and even the customer was raving? I was a little confused at the end of the chat and didn’t really know what to think. David did ask what kind of visa I was on and if I had any limits on working. They asked if it was something I was interested in and if I needed to talk to Matt about it, I could give them a call the next day.
So, I talked to Matt (he was in Perth for work) that night and told him that it just kind of felt right. The two people I met were really nice and I felt like they would be understanding of my limits and the entry level position is what I needed to start getting my feet wet with Australian society. –You all have read my previous emails detailing some encounters… you should understand that things are more different then they first appear. JBesides, if I really liked it, it was something I could continue doing even if I did decide to get a better paying, more along my career path lines type job. As well as it is casual so if it was too much, I could cut my hours down and take things slower… so I called Sharon in the morning and took the job. They asked if I could come in that day around noon for “induction.” I agreed and soon was at what America calls orientation. I got a tour of the bakery and a few introductions to some of the staff. David asked if I could come in at 10 the next morning and work until around 2 or 3. And there you have it. I work at the bakery now.
The first day went so incredibly fast. I can’t even really say what all I did. I know I learned to slice bread on the big machine and not squish or tear it. Then, I learned that they want me to take everything home… every time I work, so I can sell it to the customers… try it 47 ways so I can describe everything inside and out… Fun. The last thing I remember is trying to make change. Total $2.25. Amount handed to me over the counter $10.00. Now here is s very brief lesson in Australian currency…
Coins: $0.05, $0.10, $0.20, $0.50, $1.00, $2.00
Notes: $5.00, $10.00, $20.00, $50.00, $100.00
Now. I worked at Subway for something like 4+ years and have had many volunteer stints at booths selling everything from raffle tickets to beer, so giving change can almost come as second nature to me… so, the $2.00 coins no problem… actually, love them. J They are about the size of a nickel, but thicker and gold colored. Okay, so my problem? What do I do about the lack of 3 quarters to make $0.75???I froze. Deer in headlights. Wait, should I say Kangaroo in headlights now? There aren’t deer here. Anyway… I froze. The lovely Sharon asked me “what do you need love?” and I just stammered something about coins and quarters and how, wha, where, I mean..ummmmmmmmmmm… WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!!! I am just staring at the change drawer and frozen. Finally Sharon must have put together that I needed 75 cents and selected the appropriate coinage out of the drawer and cracked a joke about me being an American who can’t figure out the funny Aussie money…
Well… the best part is… It wasn’t the only time. It was the only time that day but the next day at least 4 times throughout the day 75 cents was stalking me. So, I practiced when I got home. Yes, I got change out of the change jar and practice. Luckily, Friday went a lot smoother and I felt really good. Then… I had the weekend off. Today, first transaction of the day. 6am in the morning… I had to change 2.75… luckily at that time of the morning, no one expects anyone else to be awake and so I could pretend it was because I wasn’t awake yet… ha! If only they knew…
So that it’s it for now. The end of the new job-bakery drama. I hope you enjoyed it. It still cracks me up anyway… or maybe I am just going crazy. Crazy… I was crazy once, they locked me up in a white room…
Cheers everyone!
Oh…and the picture I promised awhile back… here you go!
Remember, this is the Narooma inlet from up on the surrounding hill. The island that is visible towards the left is Montague Island… where the penguins live. J
Oh… and this is a little valley on the way to Tilba Tilba.
Yes, we were driving down the dirt road… oh, and it is a “touring drive…i.e. tourists are supposed to take this route. J It’s historical and very, very scenic. J
Cheers,
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