Well this isn’t exactly what I wanted to be writing about; unfortunately it’s all I have to say. I haven’t updated this blog in ages simply because I don’t have anything funny or interesting to say.
The fact is that I have less than 5wks until I leave Australia and I have achieved nothing. Fuck all. Zilch. Jack Shit. Nowt. I have been thinking about it for quite a while now and realised that out of the long list of things that I wanted to achieve in this year I have accomplished none of them.
One of the few things I have got out of this year is a very good insight into coal mining and soft-rock mining in general. I’m all set to begin a career in coal mining. Guess what I never wanted to work in? The one type of mining I found boring? The type of mining I looked down upon? Yup, you got it, I’m now an expert in my least favorite field. Fucking. Brilliant.
Here’s some of the things I wanted to get out of the last 12 months:
- See lots of different areas of Australia.
- Learn to scuba dive
- Get fit for rugby season.
- Make lots of friends, maybe even get a girlfriend.
- Get a motorbike and explore on two wheels.
- Save enough cash that I don’t have to worry about working for my 3rd yr.
- Learn shit loads about mining to make life easier in my 3rd yr.
Well that doesn’t seem too hard now does it? Let’s see what I managed:
- I’ve seen Newcastle, parts of Sydney and Picton, most of it wasn’t worth seeing.
- Haven’t even seen anyone else scuba dive, let alone do it myself.
- Have only just joined a gym due to the prices. Now I’ve hurt my back and can’t go anyway.
- I’ve consistently struggled to make friends, I’ve met some great people but they’re all much older or younger than me so I really haven’t ‘clicked’ with anyone. Don’t me started on the gf front, not even kissed an Australian girl which to be honest, I’m ashamed about. Fucking lame.
- I spent $200 getting my license and then realised that in no way, shape or form can I afford to buy a motorbike and still buy food.
- I stupidly signed a contract for less than half the cash we were promised… admittedly I could have saved up maybe $4-5000 (2000 GBP) but would not have been able to do the few things which have made this year bearable.
- I haven’t learnt a single thing about hard-rock mining. My course is predominantly hard-rock based. My soft-rock knowledge really won’t help until after I graduate. Fucking excellent.
So excuse me if I sound like a pathetic failure but uh, I pretty much have failed pathetically. It isn’t all bad though, I will admit.
I have learnt many, many valuable lessons this year. The biggest one is NEVER to accept less than you’re worth. I should have ripped that contract up and got a job that paid me properly and where I was given substantial work to do. One of the most depressing things about this job has been that at no point has anyone cared if I turn up or not. Several times I slept through my alarm, missed my lift to work and no one said a word. I even took 3 days off sick and they didn’t notice. It really makes me feel like a valued member of the team…
The second one is NEVER to jump ship just because you think it’ll be better elsewhere. I had a great life last June and was genuinely very happy. For some reason I thought I could be happier by leaving everything and everybody behind and moving 12,000 miles. This doesn’t work, trust me. If you’ve got a good thing going, stick with it for fucks sake!
The third is not to stick with something if it makes you unhappy. I should have arranged another job and jumped ship. Unfortunately I chose to stay in Oz which meant I couldn’t change companies for visa reasons. If I had another chance I’d have got work in the UK or Canada or Africa… anywhere but here! Working in a Scottish open pit and travelling home at the weekend would have been preferable in hindsight.
Well that was fucking depressing, you may understand why it’s taken me 2-3 months to work up to writing it. No-one likes their failures spelt out in front of them, least of all me. However I love ending on a high note so I’ll leave you with the pleasant thought that in just over a month I’ll be back in the UK, just as rude, crude and irritating as I was when I left, if a bit more cynical and bitter :D
Contrails
3 comments:
Hey ho,
nothing ventured - nothing gained etc ...
Will be great to have you back here
Lula
xx
Just read your latest blog. If you'd have stayed here or gone somewhere else, you might now be thinking 'I wish I'd gone to Australia'. You haven't done everything you hoped for, but you're only young, you have time to do all those things and much more and it sounds like you've learned loads. If it's any consolation, I've spent most of the last six years since Uni learning the things you've learnt this year. You've got a head start on me. Just because you haven't ticked all the boxes that you wanted to doesn't mean you haven't achieved anything.
Gwenx
P.S. I know I'm no man, but I never thought much of Ozzie girls anyway ;-), except my sister-in-law who's v.pretty and lovely.
But you've achieved so many things, including learning to live in a very different culture (My mum worked in Adelaide, so I realise how different it is), surviving on a restricted budget, plus knowing what you won't accept in the future from your working life.
Sorry to hear that it's making you feel down.
Sending you a big 'ug,
Hollyberry x
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