ED/Crazy ManGo Go -Dec2007

I’d traveled for 1.5 months without working, after that my money was running out in Cairns, and it’s good time to work again. This time I concentrated on finding a farm job instead of waitress which I’d insisted before, because I want to experience every kinds of jobs in Oz. Actually I don’t have information about farm job at all, all I want was blueberries farm. But I only got 5 weeks to work before Christmas vacation; I Did Not have choice, I needed a job as soon as possible. Luckily I got my friend’s mail; Rosa was working at farm near Cairns before. She said, there are just two working hostels in Air, a lovely cinema beside where she’d staid, there were few Asians, good friends and peaceful farm job.
I thought that’s what I want so I went there. The first job I picked small chilies, it’s $2 per kg. I worked for 10hours but only earned $90, it’s Not worth it At All. So that from the 2nd day I took a 2 hours lunch break by myself, I didn’t want to work too hard but earn nothing, I took time enjoy the breeze and the shade. I’d only worked for 4 days at chilies farm, then mangos’ season was coming.
At the fist day we finished work at mongo shed around 6pm as someone told me, but from the 2nd day it became busy suddenly and we stopped working at 10pm lately. The situation turned unexpectedly and most of us didn’t have enough food to support until weekend. One night we finished earlier than expected, we arrived home just 15 mins before supermarket close. We rushed to mart for food, the night most people went shopping by big trolly and finished with bags full of hands. It’s the first time I really worried about starving to die, and I spent $60 at one time only for foods. It’s very funny to see everyone bought so many foods than we can actually carry on the way home.
Except the worry about food, the job is simple and boring as someone knew. Everyday the machine operated noisily, the mangos came from sorting table rapidly, and only the time passed slowly excluding break time. I called the crazy mangos “NEVER-STOP” and just wondered where the peace world is, that Rosa mentioned. But the bonuses from the boring working period were I finished 2 novels and built up my future’s blue map. The job at the shed let me realize something possible in Taiwan.

Happy Australia Day

26 Jan is Australia Day.
Initially I planned to join flag raising ceremony and march, it was Yuyu’s favorite activity. Although it wasn’t mine, I think these kinds of ceremony are the best way to see what Australian true color is. But I woke up too late and it took time to get to city. So we just went to RACV Australia Day Picnic and Federation Vehicle Display in KINGS DOWMAIN GARDENS, these antique vehicles were very nice. They let me image of the old days when the European came here, what the lifestyle was. There were also nice band performance, some food stalls, small zoo, craft display, and free activities especially for kids. For me the highlight was birthday cake cutting, as I thought the cake must be huge, well decorated and share to everyone joined this event. But unfortunately, it was not big enough and too sweet; it just reminded myself how nice Taiwanese dessert is. O-o I miss home.
In the evening, we went to Federation square join the Voyages Concert- Drum On! Drum Oz! It’s awesome! The fist time I saw Japanese drum which I’ve been eager to see for long time. And there also Chinese drum with dragon dancing, Africa drum, school performance, etc. The most excited part was music played as fireworks brighten the skies over Melbourne. The concert just showed the multi-culture in Melbourne, in Australia. Indeed, I respect their attitude toward people from different countries. These were hard in Taiwan, even these days. We used to tag people by skin color, education even property. What the element of OZ is my favorite? Their patience! Happy Australia Day!

ED/掃馬糞換食宿的得意時光 Jun2007

我移動了一小步，離開在世界地圖上佔一角的Perth，到一小時車程遠的郊區馬場工作交換食宿，為期一個月。該說澳洲太適合生活還是我根本就不挑環境，一開始就深深愛上這片草原，日出而作日落而息就是現在悠哉生活的寫照吧。早晚餵馬兩次，即使每天都坐著貨車上繞場兩次，我還是最偏愛坐在馬背上一蹬一蹬地在林間漫步，也許是罕見兩米多高度的加乘效果，風景總是特別迷人。
每天的工作內容是七點半第一次餵馬，大約一小時的車程繞農場一圈，即使是重覆十幾次的動作還是很難記得誰吃兩綑乾牧草以及大家的穀物配方，總覺得歐巴桑餵食份量也是看心情的。說到歐巴桑－美子，他是老闆的歐卡將，具有傳統美德的日本女性，但開起車來橫衝直撞的技術也不輸給我呢！每每站在車後總要隨時留意他出乎意料的起步和煞車，似乎她一關上車門的同時油門已經踩緊，偶爾停車會忘了拉手煞車，還有一次因此後退撞凹了穀倉的門；這樣一個粗線條的女生真令人倍感親切。
餵食之後，我和Mikey才會開始準備早餐，在農場有個不成文的規矩是「馬先吃飯人再吃飯，狗坐前座人站車後」。即使沒有收入，每天的早餐還是能變出各式花樣，包括枸杞五穀麥片粥、蜂蜜鬆餅、培根蛋薯泥三明治、羊排蛋、香蕉牛奶麥片、起司蔬菜煎餅…套句Mikey的話說：『我是來澳洲享受的阿』！
吃完早餐後休息到九點開始掃馬糞，雖然書上說馬的排泄物應該是自然落下地面而分裂，看起來沒有整顆穀物或纖維，可是常常會遇到拉肚子的馬真令人困擾阿！清完七區的馬糞大概費時一小時、份量六台推車，如果有生意上門我們就開始備馬了，記得才第二天老闆就放心讓我們自己抓馬、上馬鞍、套水銜，有時候老闆還會晚點出現，完全很放心的讓我們亂搞。如果沒客人就到了morning tea的時間，泡杯茶、吃餅乾、看日劇…餘興時間。
今天沒有客人，我們所幸抓了兩隻馬來練習，老闆出門前有過來看一下我們，只是建議Bush Walking要兩隻馬一起，說聲Good Luck又放心的去租錄影帶了。其實自從昨天Rambo san突然失控快跑之後，我對馬的溫馴產生一點戒心，不過為了學會騎馬還是硬著頭皮上了，騎著上馬鞍會踹人、套水銜想咬人的Ai桑，有點膽顫心驚。
下午如果沒客人，吃過午餐後可以一直休息到四點半的第二次餵食，其中當然少不了Afternoon Tea和日劇，我在澳洲現階段的任務是騎馬學日文。下午的餵食換老闆的哥哥－Tommy桑出場，他是很nice的日本型男，蓄小鬍、頭髮微長、挑染、下擺捲髮，總是穿戴怡人的香水味，負責接送客人往返市區的時候，還會穿著精心挑選的蛇皮皮鞋亮相。相較於老闆在澳洲念大學的英文程度，Tommy桑的英文AS破AS HE CAN，不過誰說溝通一定是透過語言呢？他常常不知不覺跟我們繞一大串日文，彷彿我們是日本人一般，不過好險他說話時總是帶有動作，所以即使只聽懂一個字還是可以回答，微笑就是我們對待彼此最好的方式。餵食期間還要body check、跟馬說說話，Tommy桑總是很有耐心的跟他們聊天＆惜惜。不過我的日文也是AS破AS I CAN，千篇一律我只會說『沒問題嗎？』當然不期待他們會回答囉！
餵完二十多匹馬、三隻山羊、一隻法國捲毛牛，一天的工作就告一段落了。每每不習慣才五點半就要互道晚安，一整夜就放任我們在組合屋區獨自度過。晚上的時間就是吃晚餐、看電視、看書、洗澡、睡覺，有時候超過九點半我們就會說：今天怎麼這麼晚睡阿？馬場的一天就是這麼回事，我想回台灣才是我要重新適應生活步調的開始吧！一個月很快就會過去，還在馬場就開始想念。

後記：我離開了驚人的windows98日文版和該死慢的撥接網路，帶著被Jessica踩一腳、被Momo後飛踢、被柵欄電擊、被Goro載去撞樹欉的滿滿記憶回到文明都市。

ED/一個人的啟程 Jul2007

離開馬場工作後，我回到Perth逗留幾天，和最想念的朋友小聚後便獨自參加tour往北移動。參加tour的這四天一直適應不良，出發時我們有一個司機、三名乘客、一輛29人座的大巴；第一次加油當錶跳到AU$80時，我開始為這家公司的營運狀況感到憂心。但最困擾我的是，離開Perth才發現自己的英文程度這麼糟，不用說永遠趕不上司機一開口便三五分鐘光景的演講，連賴以維生的重點聽力法都無用武之地。一直不懂當他說『某國家公園…自費三十』時，不是指入園費而是在國家公園裡攀岩；我為了搞清楚『浮潛…8:00…9:30…10:30』的正確集合時間只好一直偷看室友起床沒；也不知道『half price…$8』應該掏出四塊還是八塊，總之這四天就這麼白癡般的度過了。
在終點站Exmouth和同行的奧地利人Steven和加拿大籍幹譙龍小停留三天；本來是想留下來找工作的，但它似乎太「大」以至於沒交通工具很難生存。第一天一起租車去環海岸線，進行連續兩天的第三次浮潛，由於我很努力的練習不用鼻子呼吸企圖戰勝面罩，對於海中美麗的珊瑚、魚只是匆匆一瞥。第二天錯過和Steven一起參加Whale Shark Tour，只好一個人張羅著預訂車票和房間。第三天獨自參加昂貴但不豪華的Whale Shark Tour，和這麼大「條」的WS一起游泳彷彿置身電影場景之中（os:Vita這是為你參加的）般的不實際。ByTheWay台灣之名一直出現在這幾天行程的影片、宣傳單、解說中，因為濫捕WS;當Non請我吃餅乾開玩笑說『it’s delicious but not whale shark』時，其實我很無言，但我深深的相信以後我會保護他><。
然後我回到南邊一小時的Coral Bay－人口數一千的小鎮，妄想在這找工作。第一天就得到工作兩小時換住宿的工作，但之後五分鐘走遍鎮上三家caravan park、一家麵包店、兩家超市（貴死人的雜貨店）找不到真正可以換錢的工作。於是兩天之後我放棄了在此生存的念頭，放棄這個物價貴八成、沒有手機訊號涵蓋、沒有電視節目，只有湛藍海岸、美麗珊瑚、海龜、魚、Manta rays的小鎮。停留一個禮拜後，終於順利訂到車票和房間即將動身前往人口數多一個零、有連鎖超市、有手機訊號的大鎮。其實我的心情是迫不及待的，但當其他人問我do u like coral bay？我是不忍傷他們的心的；我喜歡躺在海灘上不到一個禮拜幾乎要看完整本The devil wear Prada，因為找不到其他事消磨時間，只能說coral bay是適合度假的但卻不能討生活。第一次在澳洲覺得時間過得很慢，好希望時間快轉到2008的前一刻－我們約在雪梨跨年，有點害怕一個人找不到工作要怎麼撐到那時候。

A boring day

I moved out bpk to shared house FINALLY. It has six rooms, five of them are occupied, almost a Chinese students’ hostel. My room is single with desk and wardrobe. It’s a lovely countryside house, 30mins from city by train. The owner is nice, and it’s lucky to rent for short term.
Actually, I wasn’t eager to looking for shared house, I thought it’s best to stay with IJ. But since we had different opinion about a suitable house, it’s hard to have common view. In my opinion, less than 100pw, wireless access, well facilities, no matter suburbs, but I don’t want to share room with a stranger. After IJ moved to shared-ROOM, I really thought about stay or go back home, because it seemed hard to find a job in Mel. Finally, she stays in CBD where she insisted, I move to countryside where I can have bigger space.
Today I stayed in whole day, woke up in the morning but used internet doing nothing. I just cleaned this lovely single room, organized my stuff, tanned (put under sunshine) my bed quilt. I like my quilt with the smell of sun, just like the smell of mom. But it seems nothing to do in the house, I need a monthly ticket to city>< Maybe I gave up looking for job, but I’d better study regularly in school, otherwise I have no reason stay in Mel.