This past monday was a public holiday here in Australia. Only no one knows why. Ask any Aussie and they will just shrug their shoulders and tell you that they are really not sure what the holiday is for, but they are definitely thrilled to have a long weekend. Those that work are just thrilled to have a day of which they either (a) get off work or (b) get paid extra to work it. As a backpacker, things work are a little bit more complicated than that.
As a traveller, we do not have the set home enviornment that we are dying to get away from. We do not have that moment of which we are desperately looking ahead to a long weekend in order to "get out of town" for a while and have a "break." We are already "out of town." We are already on our "break." In fact, we are completely and totally in a different country, state, city than when we first started travelling and weekends are an irrelevant memory of a past life that no longer exist in our day-to-day going-ons. Weekends to us mean extra work. It means that all of us in the hospitality industry have no choice but to work. It means that we are running from shift to shift, with barely a break in our schedules to consider having time to hang out with our fell hospitality workers. We see each other in passing as one comes in, the other goes out - most likely madly pedaling on their bike with their 6-day-old uniform hastily thrown over their heads.
And then there is the long weekends. Public holidays are not seen as so much as a joy in our dept. of travelling. If we are on the road and going, it means that the caravan parks are extra full. It means that prices to go anywhere are higher. It means that if we had planned to go into certain shops to get stocked up before our journey into the outback, we have to re-organize our plans as most shops are closed. If we are working it means that we are by no means able to call in sick. We are expected to work. No matter what. And here's the kicker - I have learned that we are more likely to work without extra pay and with limited rest/meal breaks. We are, after all, backpackers and need the money. They don't expect us to care enough to complain about the conditions of work.
I was told on this particular public holiday that BECAUSE we were getting paid more (yay for us) we were not allowed to have a break during our shift. I was too stunned at this information to even come up with some sort of argument in return. Instead, I went to make some beds and later on snuck some biscuits for our team so we could have a "non-break" break. Even then my boss was a little annoyed that we had snuck food to eat. While standing up. While not stopping our work. While our legs and back ached to just have even a 5 minutes rest. My other job, ironically enough, was less of an issue. We simply didn't get paid extra for the public holiday. Even though we were expected to work. Even though all the customers had to pay an extra 15% for their food. I was more than happy to go home early when it turned out the restaurant was too quiet to keep all of us on shift that night.
So - in adding to my never-ending list of things to do - I plan on phoning up the worker rights of Australia in order to figure out how to sort out the legalities of what is going on with both my jobs. Yes, I am "only" a backpacker and, yes, I am only here for a few months. But even still - as an international traveller - there are still rights that companies need to abide by. And I need to figure out what they are as what I am used to in Canada is not what Australians necessarily follow.
On a more positive note - Alex has gotten herself a job here in Broome. It was a little fuzzy for a while (okay, maybe just a couple hours prior to getting her job) whether or not she would plan on sticking around in Broome at all. She came up to me yesterday and asked what I thought about preparing for our journey together through long-distance methods. I said it was alright by me so long as we both show up in New Zealand to do the trek. I went to take a shower and by the time I came out she had herself a job. Today she starts it and I have my fingers crossed that the job is yet another sign that we are where we are meant to be.
With preparing for our journey, Alex and I are on a mad mission to create as much jewellery as possible in order to sell at the local markets and raise money for the Indigo Foundation. It helps greatly, of course, to know that my dad has just recently sent my backpacking gear along with my handmade jewellery from Canada over here. Takes the pressure off trying to make so much in so little time. Even still, though my dad sent my things with the expecation that Fedex would take 4 days to deliver it, I still do not have my things. It arrived in Australia on June 5 and it took them to today to finally call me and get more information regarding whether the things were mine or not. The pack is still in customs. I still have to fill out paperwork and send a payment for Fedex to pick it up and deliver it to me. It's been such a process to get these things to me that I constantly have to remind myself that the trouble and money is only a fraction of the cost than if I were to buy all that stuff here.
On another note - with regards to the jewellery making - I have been inspired to start a new idea of button earrings. I honestly spotted the design through another local artist that sells them at the markets and discoverd that I can create them rather inexpensively and quickly. As such, I figured that this might be a way that others can get involved in helping me raise money for the Indigo Foundation. I would be open to creating a mass of these button earrings and sending them to you to sell at your company's location for a set price in order to raise money for the Indigo Foundation. Please email me if this is something that interests you and we can work out the details.Now that I have unloaded all the present going-ons in my life... it's time to enjoy our hammock (recently adjusted so that I am NOT grazing the ground) and dream of how deep the rabbit hole goes.
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