I moved out of my friend's house in Manly and relocated closer to the beach at one of the backpackers. They have allowed me to move in for free accommodation in exchange for doing some mural painting. My first day moving in, the owner decided to use me for some promotional work instead so I haven't started my painting yet. I have decided what I am going to do, so once he gets me the paints I need, I will get started on that and upload the finished project when it is completed.

I am looking for employment in Sydney. I have a meeting with a company on the Northern Shore next week for a graphic design position, and I am really excited about it. The owners really seem to like me so far. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I really think it might work out. If so, that will be a big load off my back financially! Unemployment runs out of fun when you don't have money to bank your free time! The job will be a three month contract which could be extended up to 6 months on my visa. Could potentially make $20,000 if they kept me for the 6 months. It is located in Mona Vale, which is 30 minutes north of Manly. Should I get the position, I will most likely relocate to that area so I don't have to commute on the bus everyday.

That's all I have to share for now.

Sunrise over Manly

I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. Since I was up, I decided to go for a stroll along the beach and wait for the sun to rise. Boy, am I glad I did, because the sunrise was spectacular! I wish I was a morning person so I could witness this every day!

Decided it was time for a move ...

Things weren't working out in Melbourne for me as far as work was concerned and I was beginning to see my savings deplete pretty quickly. I decided it was time to make a move up to Sydney. I figured if I couldn't find a job here, at least I would have spent some time in two big areas of Australia before going bust. Turned out to be a great move!

I arrived in Sydney on Monday night and my friends Jaime and Pat picked me up from the airport. I got to see the Opera House and the harbor on our way to Manly Beach where they live. The next day I set out on my job hunt, dropped off a couple of resumes and within a day or two, I had a call back for a job with a cafe called Cirella's. I went in for a trial run today and it went well. He said I could come back for a full shift on Saturday starting at 10am. If it goes well, he will put me on the schedule and as long as I am performing well, he'll keep me on and give me at least 30 hours a week and up to 40-50 a week. Best part is, they close around 4pm so I won't have to work at night!

But wait! More good news! I did some research online for accommodations and I found a hostel right around the corner from the cafe that was advertising on their website for someone to paint some murals on their walls in exchange for free accommodation. I sent him some art samples of mine and explained my situation. He will be back in town on Tuesday and said I can come by and speak with him about it and that he'd love for me to paint for him!

So a month in Melbourne led to several dead ends and two days in Sydney's beautiful Manly Beach area led to a potential job and free accommodation! I should be able to live conservatively for the next month or two here while I build up my finances. I am looking forward to doing nothing but working, painting, and laying on the beach, which is right across the street from the cafe. The views are spectacular as you can see from the images. Man, I love Manly!

My July in OZ ...

So I am doing a GREAT job of keeping this blog updated, huh?! OK, sarcasm isn't really my forte. If I keep this rate up, I'll have twelve entries for my twelve months away. I'm going to try to be more diligent on keeping this thing updated. I honestly have just spent so much time job hunting that I just haven't found time to do anything super exciting I cared to write about. But I'll try to give a good summary of the last month:

Since my last post, I moved into a flat in Caulfield North, some kilometers outside of the city centre. Don't ask me how many, I don't do "metric." I can tell you that it is a 20 minute tram ride to the beach in St. Kilda, my favorite hot spot. It is also a 35 minute ride to the city centre. I love the tram system. Melbournians will tell you how bad the public transportation is here, but I have to say as a guy coming from a place where there is none, I love it! It gets a bit annoying to miss a tram and have to wait until the next arrival but you get used to it. And besides, without a job at the moment, where am I in such a rush to be anyway?

The house (flat) is a two bedroom, one bath with a nice living area, kitchen and outdoor courtyard. My flatmate, Kristy, is a 35 year old (don't tell her I gave up her age) who is also a graphic designer and works at an architectural firm. We have loads in common and both are very easy going. Some days I almost feel like I live alone since we pretty much both do our own thing. We have one more flatmate - a grumpy old hairball named Fergus. That cat could care less about me, but the other day he didn't run off after I pet him, so I think he's adjusting to the idea of me being around.

Two highlights from the last month:

- My best friend David's sister who has moved to Sydney, came down to Melbourne on work, and we got to spend a couple of days together. We went to the Dali exhibit at the art museum, which was pretty cool. We also visited Cook's cabin which is located in a park just outside the city centre.

- For my birthday, my flatmate and another friend joined me for dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in St. Kilda. I was home and in bed by 11 pm. You know you are getting old when you are home before midnight after your birthday celebration!

Not much else to report. I feel like a door to door salesperson now as I go out delivering CVs (resumes) to places seeking work. I apply to several places online as well, but I know my best bet in finding work is just meeting and greeting at the local cafes and shops and working my southern charm. I guess I better start laying it on a little thicker! I have a feeling something is going to work out this week though, so here's hoping.

I guess that's a good enough update for the moment. I promise to at least have a bi-weekly recap from now on. As far as photos go, uploading on Australian internet speeds is not very practical, so I'll only be able to post a couple of images at a time. I'll do my best to showcase a few here soon.