I have no idea how they'd pronounce "elocution."

Finding Work
Three weeks it took me to get a job. Three bloody weeks! I've never attended so many interviews that have those inane questions such as;
"Why do you want to work here?" (Because you'll give me money.)
"What's the most important thing you look for in a job." (Wages.)
"How would your best friend describe you?" (An anally retentive nerd with bad hair and appalling taste in music.)
"Describe yourself in 5 words." (Seriously? Ok. Cold, tired, narky and sexually frustrated.)
"And what could you bring to the company?" (Donuts on Fridays if that's what it takes!)

Eventually I got 40 hours a week in a national chain store where for the first time in 10 years I have to take my piercings out for work. Yep, I'm a corporate retail whore. Every day before work I put all my jewellery in little sealy bags and wave goodbye to my thought processes for 8.5 hours, then I don my bright red shirt complete with name badge in case enough of my brain disintegrates and I forget who I am and spend the day rearranging things on racks.

And How Can I Help YOU?

It's the most boring job in the world surpassed only by that time I decided that making plastic envelopes was a viable career option but it's a job init. They pay shit wages but they do pay wages and after all, that's the most important thing we look for in a job, right?

...Right?

New Wheels
I'm now the proud owner of a Toyota Camry station wagon. Thankfully it's not the 3.9 litre 6 cylinder beast my last car was given the shocking price of fuel over here but it's big enough to sleep two people without kicking each other in the head or waking up with cramps. And by waking up I mean from the kind of broken attempt at sleep that happens when you're folded in half on the back seat of a sedan. I'm also a bit disturbed at the longness of it and anyone who ever saw me try and park the Falcon will understand why but I love it. Not as much as the Falcon yet, I loved that car about as much as it's possible to love a car without it being A Bit Funny but I'm sure once me and the Camry (who is apparently called Harry) are on the road we'll develop that special bond that single people with no pets have with their vehicles.

Shaggin' Wagon

And In Other News
About 4 years after everyone else in the world I'm now addicted to playing Scrabulous through Facebook. I'm not very good at it though, I get excited if I can make words of more than four points and it doesn't help that I keep getting letters the Welsh would cream over. But come on, bring it on, I'll 'av ya.

That is all.

written by  Koala Bear on June 13, 2008 from Wellington, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Tiny Little NZ Road Trip
tagged Work and Bollocks
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And yes I said office, I'm a Call Centre Monkey again and no, I have no idea how this happened but my sanity already started packing last week and is threatening to move out permanently.

I do not like customers. I do not wish to service them. It doesn't help that customers take Stupid Lessons and are under the impression that their phone call is the most important thing to happen to me that day.

I wanted to work in a factory, I called the agency and told them I wanted to make the same thing over and over again for 8 hours a day because that's the kind of ambitious go-getter I am. Apparently they had nothing like that but they practically creamed themselves when they saw I'd spent two years taking verbal abuse off the good people of the UK because the inept depots once again failed to deliver their water on time and this was somehow my fucking fault. Not that I'm bitter or anything. Oh no.

Anyway, if you'll excuse me I'm off to drink some tea and take calls from people who are under the grave misconception that I give a flying fuck.

written by  Koala Bear on August 25, 2008 from Auckland, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Tiny Little NZ Road Trip
tagged Work
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Me: And your street number please.
Cust: Canterbury.
Me: The number, please.
Cust: Canterbury.
Me: Is that a number?

Me: C for cat, T for tree.
Cust: C for tree?

Kama: B for bravo.
Cust: C?

Me: Please could you confirm your phone number?
Cust: Twenty first of the fifth nineteen seventy nine.
Me: ....Erm... phone number?

Me: Could I take your customer number please?
Cust: Is that the customer number?
Me: ....Yyyyeeeeesssss....

Switchboard: Could I please take your name and number and have an operator call you back?
Cust: I don't have a name or number.

Me: When did you place your order?
Cust: I don't know.
Me: Was it more than three days ago?
Cust: No.
Me: So it was less than three days ago.
Cust: Yes.
Me: Ok so it wont be in our system yet.
Cust: …errrrm…
Me: You placed your order less than three days ago yes?
Cust: No I placed it ages ago.
Me: Ohhh kaayyy! So you DIDN'T place it less than three days ago! Did you pay with a credit card?
Cust: No, it was cheque or money order thing…
Me: And did you get a payment slip off us or did you send in a coupon?
Cust: I havent sent it yet.
Me: Ok but did you call us to place your order?
Cust: I havent placed an order yet.

God I hope it isn't contagious.

Aaaanyway, only a week of call centre hell left and I'm outta here. Three weekends left at the bar plus new years eve which is fine because drunk people are easier to handle than call centre customers and probably drool less too then I'm back where I belong.

On the road.

written by  Koala Bear on December 12, 2008 from Auckland, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Tiny Little NZ Road Trip
tagged Work
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Back at work now, and that brings its own problems. New paint on the walls, a new season of problems and excitment with sadness to follow.

written by  LostSparrow on October 14, 2009 from Luxor, Egypt
from the travel blog: Freedom Without Direction
tagged Home, Italy, Australia, Work, Egypt, Miss, Sadness and Excitment
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