Okay. This is the continuation of the previous post. I plan to detail more of what I've been up to since being here in Aus. I promise this one will be shorter. Read on...
So where was I??? *goes and reads last paragraph of previous post* Oh yeah.
Sailing was on a Sunday. That next day was Monday, for me that meant my first day in the head office of PPP. I wouldn't say that I was nervous. I was anxious about the whole idea of starting a new a new role with new people. First things first, what to wear?! Back in the US office we were very close and family like. Whatever I wore was fine. Flip flops and jeans or khakis and loafers. Didn't matter. I settled on a long-sleeved button up and khakis with my fairly new black loafers. You know what they say, first impressions are everything.
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| Fist day lunch |
Pulling up to the office and then walking in, I couldn't believe how large and modern the building was. Got out of the car and headed up to Level 1 (2nd floor) and the inside was even more beautiful than the outside. Everyone I met was very nice and well dressed. There were soo many people that worked there. I didn't realize that it too so many people to "run the show". It was weird to meet the people that I had only spoken with over email and put a face with a name. It was sorta like that MTV series "Catfish", but I wasn't let down by what I saw. The work days were fast moving but rather unproductive for the first week as my two suprevisors were still on holiday. When they returned the next week, the real work started and I'm excited to see what all that unfolds into in the following months.
Other than work, I hadn't done much hanging out. I was treated to my first Aussie beer in South Bank one Friday after work with some coworkers. That was rather nice until it started to rain that night. I was excited to attend the Australia Day (Jan 26th) festivities in South Bank the next day. Unfortunately, that was cancelled due to the rain. In fact that entire weekend and into the next week it rained.
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| View of Oswald |
Only two years prior, in 2011, there were massive floods in Brisbane that completely destroyed homes and PPP actually suffered some loses. In order to avoid those same loses, we went to the warehouse and moved everything up about a meter (similar to a yard) off of the ground. We also moved the furniture from the ground level of the office to level 1. The last measure we took was to move heavy sandbags where water could significantly damage the office.
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| Inundated homeS of Bundaberg,QLD |
Although it was not what I had anticipated doing, it did give me the chance to see the warehouse and I got an experience that many people will never have. Plus, we didn't end up flooding at all really. Unfortunately, those in Bundaberg, QLD and surrounded were not as fortunate. Many people were displaced as their homes were completely inundated.
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| The street after Oswald |
After Oswald passed, a familiar face arrived in Brisbane. A fellow student from USC who is studying abroad at QUT came in. I met her at Urbanest in South Bank one morning. Urbanest is the apartment building that we're both going to stay in (separate units of course). I only decided to stay there after attempting to visit a different persons place after work one day. I am rather independent, and figured that I could learn the bus system on my own. Getting turn around on the bus for nearly 4hrs, I gave up and decided that I would just stay at Urbanest. Back on track... Because one of the worst things you can do is take a nap when you're jet lagged, I made sure that we stayed up the whole day doing random but productive things.
Later that day, we met cool people who also live in Urbanest at the weekly BBQ (free *nothings free* food). Today they showed us where to get the cheap spirits from. I'm not a huge drinker at all, but that's a good thing to know. Seems like I will be able to meet tons of people while living there for the next few months.
Tonight is my last night at my boss' home. They've been so nice and accommodating Like I said before, I already feel like I'm part of the family. Of course I'm excited to move into the city, but I'm also kinda sad that I won't get to wake up every morning and say "Good morning" to the Mrs. and be greeted by the dog every evening when I come back from work. Tomorrow is move in day at Urbanest and the beginning the real study abroad experience. I'm looking forward to what it has in store for me.
Goodnight (for the last time) from Indooroopilly,QLD,
Kyron S. Whitfield