Welcome to the Bundaberg Gulag!

[aggienaut]

   So I arrived in Bundaberg yesterday, and, well, ended up spending the night in jail. So this isn't really my favourite place.

   Now it's not as bad as it sounds -- the hostel I stayed in is called "the Cellblock," because its the old police station and jailhouse. Cheery isn't it? And what's worse, this town is chalk full of backpackers "serving their time" doing fruit picking work. In order to get a second year working holiday visa you HAVE to spend at least three months in agriculture, so backpackers from all walks of life, including pretty girls who've probably never worked a day outside a clothign boutique in their life, are packed into hostels here and shipped off in trucks every morning at 4:30 like, well, the migrant farm-workers they are.
   The hostels all seem to have contracts with the farms and/or are outright owned by the farms, so the organization of who's going out to work on what farm actually takes place in the hostel itself.
   This afternoon I came back from the farm to see three of my roommates cellmates sitting on the floor of the room, wearing none-too-flattering jumnpsuits which could well have been prison uniforms, staring forlornly at their filthy hands. They'd been picking weeds all morning. Amother backpacker described picking tomatoes as "by far the worst job of my life." In fact I haven't met a backpacker who doesn't hate it here and long for the day they can leave and never come back.
   Thank the lord that I don't have to do that I guess -- I'll be the head beekeeper on this farm it looks like, and getting paid pretty decently for it (50% more than my last job!). On the downside, its still on a farm in Bundaberg. And the farmer was shocked that at my previous jobs we _only_ worked 5 days a week ... so I don't think I have an overabundance of days off to look forward to. And even if I did, everything in this town seems to close at 2 or 3 in the afternoon. d:
   The farmer hismelf, Trevor, seems pretty friendly. When I first saw him he was supervising some bellpepper ("capsicum") packing, wearing those shockingly short shorts guys wear in Australia sometimes, and no shoes -- so that he looked to me practically undressed. He took me on a tour of the farm, during which he parked and got out to talk to people on numerous occasions, and never once put shoes on. He looks, and his personality kind of reminds me of the irrepressable Steve Erwin. His labourers all seem to be Vietnamese, but he seems to know them all by name and be on friendly relations with them all. Two of his older caucasian farmhands both wore gruff expressions, had hulk hogan mustaches, and wore those alarmingly short shorts.
   I'm already working on a shitty mustache for "movember," maybe when next you see me I'll also be wearing alarmingly short shorts like a true Australian ;D

   Anyway, tomorrow at 6:30 I'm moving into the farm. I have my concerns (mainly that life here ain't gonna be any fun), but I'm optimistic it'll be better than last time.

Comments

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I would be highly amused to see you sporting those stubbies. XD

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

lol I might have to do it just for a photo. Once I get a shitty mustache going. And I'll hold some "tomahto sauce" in one hand and, I don't know, some vegemite in the other.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Love it! Also, make sure you're wearing a singlet. Preferably navy blue in colour. ;)

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

oh I was going to say, said shorts and the dirty short sleeved work shirt they were all wearing with said shorts were all navy blue. It seems to be the working man's colour here.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

For more about the colour "navy blue," google "Bell Bottom Trousers." You should find a nice wholesome song about sailormen, and their navy blue coats (:

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

It really is. Good to hear they're all living up to the stereotype. XD

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Amusing.

[missfuzzybunny.livejournal.com]

Lol, me too. Hope you can get a couple shots of the big moustached guys in their short shorts as well.

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

Listen to Nancy -- Just Say NO to those shorts.

[selucius.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yeah, those shorts. I fucking love Australia.

[working-dreamer.livejournal.com]

I second this comment!!

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Lol! But who is Nancy?

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

So, so silly. To see big uber macho guys walking around in them, feels like I've accidentally wandered on to some flamboyant Australia themed musical or something!

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Haha I'll try! ;D

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Its a song close to every sailor's heart ;D

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

Instead of the government spending billlions of dollars on the "war on drugs" Nancy Reagan said all people needed to do was "just say no" to using the illegal drugs, and there would not be a drug problem. Which is true -- if there was no demand, there would be no supply.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Ah I get it. So we need a government funded "war on short shorts" ? :D

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

No -- she was pointing out that the government is not able to fix the problem -- it is up to you to make the right choice on your own. Make the right choice. Avoid the shorts., Just. Say. No.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Haha ah. I'm still thinking of analogous extensions of the war on drugs reference. Are there shady characters trying to peer pressure young kids into wearing the short shorts? ;D

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

Yes -- have you not noticed the shady persons here trying to convince YOU to wear those evil shortshorts?
Hot pants are for teenager girls to wear with nylons and heels -- ala Daisy Duke.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

just as long as its not those short shorts with the pockets hanging out the bottom from the inside, that always looks trashy. d: