Life as a Council Worker

Who'da taut it! The county council for Ev. Well, city council, but it's all the same thing. Council workers around the globe are the same species of individual I am now convinced! They sit around all day on their gradually expanding asses, nursing half cold cups of tea and pissing and moaning about their lives! Is this to be my fate??? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

What's happened, I hear you ask? Well, I got a job, basically, with Auckland City Council processing land subdiv...ZZZZZZ..ision...ZZZZZ...claimsZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

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Well, it's a job and it's literally two blocks from where I'm staying so I can roll out of bed at the last minute in the morning. I started yesterday. So far, it seems like a replica of 'The Office' - phantom phones that ring and ring and are never answered, office clowns sticking post-it notes on each others backs, The Boss faffing about and being "approachable" and, of course, "hip"! I already have developed an intense hatred for the guy sitting on the other side of my partition and have had several muderous tendencies today alone. Yes, yes. It's back to the daily grind!!

I had another job offer today and have to sneak off to an interview tomorrow, but the position is in a hosptial miles outside the city which would mean parting from my pillow at a considerably earlier hour in the morning, BUT if they pay well enough I can do it! So, we'll see how it goes.....watch this space, if you're interested.

Very little else has been happening. Have had a few crazy nights out on the town with various people - Auckland's not a bad spot to go out in. However, I dont see myself staying here for longer than a few months. It's got a bit of a sterile feel to it, and I think Wellington will eventually beckon a bit closer to the summer.

This weekend, I have to go and look for somewhere a little less "hostelly" to live. A girl I know here in Auckland called Fiona picked me up last weekend and gave me the grand tour of the city in her jeep! which gave me a really good idea of where I might like to settle for a while. I'm also thinking of getting some work in a bar or restaurant in the evenings to keep the cash rolling in!

So, that's it for now. Blog entries will probably become less and less as I descend into the gloom of 9-to-5-dom. In case, I become trapped forever in my cubicle processing claims someone PLEASE! COME AND RESCUE ME!!!!!!!!!

The Job Hunt Begins

Oh, its good to be back to the warmth of Santiago! This time I decided to stay in a different area of the city called Bellavista, and happened upon a great hostel where I may even have a job for the next while. Its run by a very friendly American ex-pat (there seems to be lots of them living here in Chile) who knows everything there is to know about the city and is being very good in helping me to get settled.

This morning I had my interview with The Santiago Times, an English newspaper, and have been offered a position, although after careful consideration I have decided not to take it. Initially, it is not going to pay well and it could be some months before I actually get to do any writing. I was disappointed that the job was not what I thought it might be, but never mind, there are lots of things I can do here.

And so, the job hunt begins in earnest! Tomorrow, i´m hitting the English schools around the city to see if they are looking for teachers, and I also have a few other contacts in the city who have told me to get back to them and they will see what they can find. Hopefully, the hostel job will keep me floating for the time being.

The next thing I have to do is enroll in a Spanish course - this, I am really looking forward to. Having landed in Lima, nearly 4 months ago, with ZERO Spanish, I am now getting quite good at understanding conversations, although cant string much together myself. I hope, after some proper classes, to really improve!

It will take some time and effort before I can settle in, but Im looking forward to spending the next year of my life here.