Housekeeping et al
Life is good in Kakadu. I do have internet access there, but for some reason that computer (dialup) won't let me update my blog.
So we've been working almost 3 weeks now, doing housekeeping at the resort. Brian and I work as a team most days. He'll do the beds, dusting, glass, and floors of the mainroom while I tackle the bathrooms. Sometimes we switch to keep eachother (well, mostly me) sane. Currently there are 2 other teams, both of whom we had to train soon after we were trained (a lot of people quit - that's why we were hired ... and now we have seniority). Our bosses are really nice, and are constantly praising our work and efficiency. It's hard work, and we need to be fast, but we've become good at it (especially compared to the slackers we work with :p).
The people at the resort are very nice. Most are couples, and most are our age; we fit in really well. We live in a trailer .... it's up on stilts, and it's very precarious right now. One day a few weeks ago it actually shifted and fell about an inch. It's all rusted out underneath and they can't fix it. We try not to stand on the same side of the 'donga' (trailer) at the same time.
When we arrived, we were so busy with work that it was 2 weeks until we had a day off. We took advantage of that day and splurged on a scenic flight over the national park and a few waterfalls. It was gorgeous, though turbulant ....
Today is our second day off, and we came in to Darwin (just a two hour drive, really) for a taste of civilization. We really are in the middle of nowhere at the resort.
There are a lot of birds and wildlife around the resort. There are lots of wallabies - often around or under our donga. There is one wallaby that is a pet, and he hopped into one of the rooms we were cleaning one day. It was funny, but we had to get him out quickly as it was an occupied room. There are also a lot of dingos around. They get pretty close, but thankfully tend to mind their own business. There are tonnes of spiders, geckos, and cane toads - even in the rooms we clean :S Because it's a national park, you're not allowed to kill any of them (except the cane toads - you're allowed to kill them). I get Brian to rescue the critters, or we scare them behind the curtain and let them be ... out of sight, out of mind.
So we plan on staying 3 months at this resort. It's a great place to save money as there isn't much to spend it on. We probably won't come to Darwin again for at least a month so I won't be updating for a while. Feel free to email though - I'm still online, just not on my blog.
So we've been working almost 3 weeks now, doing housekeeping at the resort. Brian and I work as a team most days. He'll do the beds, dusting, glass, and floors of the mainroom while I tackle the bathrooms. Sometimes we switch to keep eachother (well, mostly me) sane. Currently there are 2 other teams, both of whom we had to train soon after we were trained (a lot of people quit - that's why we were hired ... and now we have seniority). Our bosses are really nice, and are constantly praising our work and efficiency. It's hard work, and we need to be fast, but we've become good at it (especially compared to the slackers we work with :p).
The people at the resort are very nice. Most are couples, and most are our age; we fit in really well. We live in a trailer .... it's up on stilts, and it's very precarious right now. One day a few weeks ago it actually shifted and fell about an inch. It's all rusted out underneath and they can't fix it. We try not to stand on the same side of the 'donga' (trailer) at the same time.
When we arrived, we were so busy with work that it was 2 weeks until we had a day off. We took advantage of that day and splurged on a scenic flight over the national park and a few waterfalls. It was gorgeous, though turbulant ....
Today is our second day off, and we came in to Darwin (just a two hour drive, really) for a taste of civilization. We really are in the middle of nowhere at the resort.
There are a lot of birds and wildlife around the resort. There are lots of wallabies - often around or under our donga. There is one wallaby that is a pet, and he hopped into one of the rooms we were cleaning one day. It was funny, but we had to get him out quickly as it was an occupied room. There are also a lot of dingos around. They get pretty close, but thankfully tend to mind their own business. There are tonnes of spiders, geckos, and cane toads - even in the rooms we clean :S Because it's a national park, you're not allowed to kill any of them (except the cane toads - you're allowed to kill them). I get Brian to rescue the critters, or we scare them behind the curtain and let them be ... out of sight, out of mind.
So we plan on staying 3 months at this resort. It's a great place to save money as there isn't much to spend it on. We probably won't come to Darwin again for at least a month so I won't be updating for a while. Feel free to email though - I'm still online, just not on my blog.
posted by Jill @ 11:15 AM
1 Comments:
At 7:25 AM,
Anonymous said…
Jill:
Howdy ... it's ages since I've taken a look at your blog, but it seems you've been busy.
I find it funny to reading through your posts because it makes me a bit sad to think there are lots of things I used to do that I can't anymore. (I.e., hopping on a plane to Iraq or Israel or Estonia or wherever and not really thinking much about what I'll do or how long I'll stay there). I've been thinking lately it would be a great change of pace to spend a month in somewhere like Sierra Leone just to work on a photography project alone, etc., but, alas, married life with a (wonderful and adorable) daughter just doesn't let me do it.
On the other hand, the thought of working two weeks without a single day makes that 'married with children' life seem a bit better --I work 4 days a week, with around 9 week paid vacation altogether (plus 15 or so national holidays), and I've probably never had an easier life in terms of vacation, and stupid indulgences.
There's the irony/problem of domestic life (at least for people like us who like to see new things): You have more financial freedom than you've ever had before, but the 'framework' that gives those things to you doesn't easily let you take advantage of them except one week or two at a time.
Standing on the other side of the fence, I envy you a bit, but I suppose I would think the opposite if I still had the same kind of liberty I did before settling down with a family. The grass is always greener (not that you're seeing much green grass in central Australia mind you!) ...
Glad to see you're doing well, and living life a bit! Sorry for taking so long to write as well!
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