(Day 58) Spectrum

Saturday 28^th April (Day 58)

Spectrum

Tonight I was heading to a club called Spectrum for a 60’s night.  I was really looking forward to this night for the change of music.  I have been going to quite a few clubs recently (mainly Scruffys for some reason) and the music has always been the same.  I was getting sick of the same old club songs.  All the club songs seem to be about either sex, cars with big shiny wheels or living in some place called “the hood”.

Spectrum is on a street called Oxford Street which contains a fair number of bars including a handful of gay bars and clubs.  I have actually been to one of these gay clubs when I was with a group of people and we went to Oxford Street to see a drag show way back on Day 8.  Wow, that was 50 days ago!  I was still living in the hostel in Kings Cross back then.

Music to my ears

Anyway we went to Spectrum and I had a great night overall.  Spectrum is a small club with a very simple layout.  Medium sized square room, bar at one end, DJ at the other end, door to the toilets one side, door to smoking balcony on the other.  That is all you need really for a good club, oh and some music as well...

60’s music is a bit before my time so I didn’t really know any of the songs being played, but I do really like 60’s music.  It was all about the swing and dancing and having a good time.  The atmosphere in the club was great.

I find some clubs (Scruffys for example) the atmosphere isn’t as good.  A few people are dancing and having fun but at the same time you get these sleazy guys lurking around the dance floor looking to carve another notch onto their bedpost.  And not to mention the occasional hooker, not good times.

But Spectrum was very different.  Just lots of people doing swing dancing and generally having fun, it was more of a party atmosphere.

Back in the day

The 60’s music reminded me of driving around with my mate Will back in England.  He is a music teacher and when we are in his car driving around he plays 60’s music very loudly. 

You can imagine lots of cars driving by blaring out hip hop and other popular music and then Will and I drive by blaring out 60’s music.  We must have made a few heads turn.  Ah good times.

So Spectrum was fun and I think I will be dropping by here more often.  Maybe I could catch that drag show I missed last time (day 8) on the way.  Not that I particular want to but I am still curious.

An old logo I took from their Myspace page

(Day 57) Best job in the world, almost.

Friday 20^th April (Day 57)

Best job in the world, almost.

Old problems

Okay so yesterday I didn’t go to work so today was my first day.  This is the third time I have done fundraising although I have written off my first because I was rubbish at it.  The second attempt was where I feel like I actually learnt a lot and so surely by this third attempt I should be ace now?

Well I haven’t really had a chance to learn my new script....  Because of the events of the last few days I have barely even looked at my script.  The structure is the same as my last script but the contents is completely different.

I spent an hour burning the midnight oil trying to memorise the script but when I woke up the next morning and had a look at the script I realized I had learnt nothing.  Looking at the script this morning was like looking at it for the first time.

And I have work in an hour, bugger.  I rushed through it a few times over breakfast then headed off to work.

The crew

I was looking for my team on the street near the train station.  There were some homeless people walking around, a group of people who looked like hippies sat in the corner and a few business people walking to and from the train station but I couldn’t see any fundraisers.  Maybe I am in the wrong place?  Or maybe I am too early?

Actually, on closer look I recognise one of those hippies from the office.  Are those the fundraisers?  I approached them and it turns out they were, haha I am so judgemental.

Hippies is not really a fair word to describe them, I just can’t think of any better words.  There were about 5 guys in the group; most of them had long hair with one of them having a rather impressive set of dreadlocks. 

Two of the guys had brought musical instruments to work.  One of them had a guitar in a big guitar case, it was funny because he was a little guy and his guitar case was nearly as big as he was.  The other guy had brought his Conga drum to work which he was sat on and playing.

This group of guys were an interesting bunch, all very individual.  Not many people bring their Conga drum to work with them.  I suppose this is why Alexis had recruited them.  He wanted individuals, people who stuck out of the crowd.

So what am I doing here?  I don’t have long hair and I left my guitar at home.  Well I guess I am a little different.  People have told me I am not like most guys, I never knew if they meant it in a good way or not but I always took it as a good thing.  Who wants to be normal?  Certainly not me.

Anyway I liked these guys, they were all very chilled out and looked like good fun to work with.  Alexis showed up and we headed off just down the road where we were going to work.

Let’s smash it!

As a fundraiser you always start the day with a quick practice of your pitch with the group just before you start fundraising.  Since I hadn’t really learnt my script my attempt was poor.  I managed to get through it but only with some guidance.  Alexis said he could see I tried to learn it but described my pitch was shaky.

After the practice pitches Alexis left us to go and observe the other groups and I was given 5 minutes to learn my script and to start work.  So after 5 minutes of talking to myself I nervously put on my tee-shirt and started fundraising.

I was feeling uncomfortable because I wasn’t confident with my script but I was really keen to work.  I have mentioned before how much energy Alexis has.  He is always jumping around and being really exciting and he is really good at getting everyone really fired up.  He always says stuff like “come on guys, let’s smash it!”  Even though my pitch was incomplete I was so fired up and energized I didn’t really care.

The guy I was working with was called Chris and he was pretty awesome.  He has long blonde hair and blue eyes and really had the rock star look.  He was quite a magnet for the ladies, in fact one girl actually rushed up to him and said “this is for you” passing him a folded up piece of paper.  Chris opened it and inside was a phone number with “Call me!” written and underlined several times.

It wasn’t just the looks that got him the phone number, it was the energy he had.  Alexis had left us all charged and it was showing.  We were just on fire, I felt like we were the best fundraisers in town.  Well....almost.

Same old problem

Sure Chris and I were both really charged and working well as a team, you could almost say we were “smashing it” but there was a problem.  I just couldn’t remember the damn script.

I was stopping quite a few people but the more people I spoke to the less of the script I could remember.  There were several points where I just froze.  I just couldn’t remember what came next... I tried to cobble something together but it was rubbish.  Either that or I was going through it but missing out whole sections.

Chris said the best thing for me to do was be honest and text Alexis saying I couldn’t work today because I didn’t know my script.  He said that Alexis would appreciate me being honest rather than spending the morning of my first day trying to pitch people with half a script.

I was a bit nervous texting Alexis and he phoned me back straight away asking me what was up.  I told him I was having a great morning and we were “smashing it” but my script was coming apart whilst trying to pitch people and I needed a day off to relearn it.  He asked me “how much are you expecting to be paid today?”

I said “oh, don’t pay me for today”

He said “that’s fine, come back on Monday”

I think he really appreciated that I didn’t want to be paid for the hour I worked this morning.  I think it would have been a bit cheeky to ask to be paid for this morning after I really didn’t know my script.

So I am heading to the park now to learn my script.  I really enjoyed the brief hour of work today.  This job seems like so much fun and I love the crew Alexis is gathering.  After Alexis gets us all fired up I just feel like we are the happiest and most energetic people in Sydney.  I don’t think I have ever said this before but, today is Friday and I can’t wait until Monday!

(Day 55) Anzac Day

Wednesday 25^th April (Day 55)

This day was pretty hard to write about, which is why it has taken me a few days to write these 2 posts.

Anzac Day

Today is Anzac Day.  Anzac Day is a war Memorial Day commemorated in both Australia and New Zealand.  Anzac comes from Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought in the First World War.

Anzac Day I am sure has deep meaning to many here who have lost loved ones in armed conflicts, however this day like many public holidays is a day of heavy drinking.  I even heard that if you are wearing an army uniform you will get free drinks at bars and pubs today.  Lisa (my housemate) was very excited at the idea of lots of men walking around in army uniform.

As getting drunk was the theme of the day I decided to join in and get drunk with the lads.  I was starting my new fundraising job on Thursday so my initial plan was not to get too drunk today or at least sober up by the time I get to bed.

Ryan’s last day

Everybody was getting really drunk today and it wasn’t long until I was feeling tipsy.  Ryan (my housemate) was leaving today to go back to New Zealand so really we had 2 reasons to drink alcohol and get merry today.

We started off in our back garden drinking bottles of wine.  I bought Ryan a bottle of sparkling wine because I lost a bet with him last week.  He bet that I would get fired from fundraising again within a month and he was right.  Damn it.  And getting re-recruited doesn’t count unfortunately.

The KB (our local)

After a few bottles of wine he headed across the road to our local public house, the KB.  The KB isn’t a particularly nice pub but it is close and the beer is cheap.

I started drinking with Ryan on one of the outside tables and we got talking to a few random guys who were on their own.  You can meet some interesting characters at pubs.

 

One of the guys we got talking to was nice enough.  He was some middle age guy with a very soft Australian accent.  It was really difficult to him what he was saying most of the time but overall he was very agreeable.

The other guy we started talking to was the complete opposite.  He was a hideous vile little man.  The first thing he asked us was if we knew if there were any brothels nearby, which is funny because there is actually one right across from our house.

But opening up a conversation with brothels basically summed up this guy.  His face looked weathered and beaten like an old punch bag.  His month was a mess of bits of teeth sticking out all over the place.  And he likes going to brothels, I just feel so sorry for the girls that must “service” him.  Ugh *shivers* just the thought of it.  And he was racists as well, just to top it off.

So I didn’t particularly enjoy the company of this man but luckily he didn’t stay long.  He probably had to go back to the lab to get his bolts tightened.

The rest of the night

Anyway it wasn’t long until other people from the house came to join us at the KB.  It was good at first but to be honest it wasn’t long until everyone was too drunk.  My issue is when people around me are drunker than me I always sober up.  I just can’t stay merry when I am in the company of people who are drunker than myself. 

My flat mates ended up spilling at least 2 jugs full of beer everywhere.  Ryan had to go home to change his jeans (I actually let him borrow one of my pairs).  After that my housemates got into a heated argument with some random guy from another table.  I managed to coax my housemates to leave the pub and head back home without getting into a fight with the random guy but it wasn’t easy.  I think that random guy owes me one as well because Ryan would have seriously beaten him up.

After we got home some of my housemates started arguing with each other.  I stepped in again to try and keep the peace but this night had just derailed completely.  It was just too much alcohol and there is this air of aggression in the air.  Maybe it is because of Anzac day and emotions are running high.  Everyone seems to feel more aggravated today.

There is something else that has been bothering me.  It started off as something manageable but the more time passed the worse it has got.  Something far more serious than some stupid fights between drunken people.  I managed to hold it back for so long but now it is becoming too much...

(Day 52) Training Day III

Monday 23^rd April (Day 52)

So, I am back here again for another training day.  My last training day was just over 2 weeks ago.  I still can’t believe I am back here again, at the same company that let me go less than a week ago.

I felt quite confident about the training day whilst looking around at the people who had come here for the first time.  I have been here before and they haven’t.  I felt like I was second in command, sure Alexis was doing the training day but I already felt like a team leader.  Hell I didn’t even have to go for an interview, just straight to the training day!

Breaking the ice

Alexis was the head of this department and the guy who invited me to come and work for him.  It was his energy that drew me to him in the first place and that was not in short supply today.  The first thing he got us to do was to write 3 things about ourselves on the whiteboard with 2 of them being true and one of them being a lie.  The game was we each had to guess what each person was lying about.

My 3 facts were:

• ·         I want to do stand-up comedy.
• ·         I am both left and right handed.
• ·         I once played tennis at Wimbledon.

Which one of these facts about me is a lie?

This was a good way of breaking the ice in the group and getting to know a bit about everyone.  If I ever end up doing job interviews with groups of people I would definitely start off with this.

Down to business

After this game Alexis started the training by telling us everything about fundraising.  Well when I say telling us, I mean shouting at us and bouncing around the room.  I think I now know why the whiteboard in the room is in such poor condition.  He doesn’t write on it he attacks it with his pen.

Most of the training was stuff I already knew but it was nice to hear about the same stuff but from a different person.  One thing I didn’t know was the new script.  Since it was for a different charity most of the script was different.  My last charity was to do with saving children and the charity I had to learn about now are a foundation that are focused on conserving parts of Australia.

What’s he doing here?

So the training was fine but the new script was still a lot to take in.  At the end he asked us individually when we wanted to start working (either tomorrow or Wednesday).  I would have said tomorrow but I didn’t want to work Tuesday.  The reason being is because of the Tuesday morning meeting where everyone else in the office will be there.  All the people I had previously worked with will be there and there is nothing wrong with the people I have worked with but I just get the idea that they are going to give me funny looks whilst thinking stuff like “what’s he doing here? Didn’t he get fired?”

I was going to have to face them soon, but not now, next week after I have been in the job for a few days and maybe have a few signups to justify my existence in the company.  Maybe by next week they would have forgotten what I look like and just think I’m another new person.