The question is: what is the question?

People love asking questions. Actually, that's not really true. A lot of people prefer to just start talking about themselves, and there's also a group of people that ask questions just so that once you're done answering, they can tell you their answer (which is always bigger, better, more impressive). But I think it's fair to say that most people do like to mix in a few questions when engaging in social talk with someone they've just met.

In the Netherlands, the favourite question usually revolves around the way you make your money: " Hi, I'm so and so, what kind of work do you do?" If you don't really know how to answer this, you'd be surprised how quickly they start mumbling something about going to get a drink or spotting a good friend across the room. Not that I've ever experienced this of course...

I guess the best answer to this question involves something that implies status, money, and hard work. Whether you like your job or not isn't very important. Oh, and adding something like "and last month I used my annual leave to help build houses for orphans in Africa" always works well too. The more exotic the better. For example, Australia is cool because it's sunny and far away, but really, it's kind of 'been there done that tell me something new'.

In Central and South America the first question is ALWAYS "where are you from?". They will utter some positve oooh's and aaah's about the Netherlands, immediately followed by "what do you think of Costa Rica/Chile/Argentina/Paraguay?". If you tell them you love it, the only question you'll have to answer from then on is whether you'd like some more food and drinks. Yep, it's that easy.

Here in Australia the question they ask me seems to be either how long I am here for (is it worth befriending you), or where I live (North or South of the Harbour).
On top of that, the Australians have also been asking themselves a question:

"I wonder if we can make new Uggs that are even uglier than the old Uggs...?"

The answer?

"Hell yes we can!"

Going places, meeting people

I'm back in Sydney. It's a very strange experience to travel for 30+ hours and not arrive somewhere that's new or home. Sydney for me is somewhere in between. I know my way around, I know how things work, I am familiar with the money, know where to buy what, and can hold a perfectly (mutually) understandable conversation with an Australian. But it's not home, I am not from here, and I don't have house or a job. Hmm, one might wonder if I have any reason at all to be here...but they might wonder wrong.
I am here to find a sponsored job, but also (and probably more so) to catch up with friends and enjoy everything that makes Sydney such a great city.

So, the sponsorship. Have I got one yet? What do you think?? Highest level psych degree, combined with low level completely unrelated, random work experience and lots of gaps caused be travelling. You and I know that this makes me the perfect candidate for just about any job, but strangely enough, not everyone agrees.
My biggest chance is with Arup, the company I worked for last time I was here. Even though I didn't really do any challenging work I somehow managed to impress people with my charm and intelligence. This means I got to meet up with two people from Arup for lunch today, to discuss where I might fit in and how to get me there. Paul and Anna were so nice and enthusiastic it was touching. They'd already thought about it and discussed it, and really wanted to find a way to help me. Unfortunately the decision to hire me isn't up to them, but things have been set in motion and who knows, in time something might come of it.

On top of that, I think they might have made me realise that I really want to go back to social psychology, and more specifically, do more with my training skills. So even if I never get a job with Arup, apart from being really enjoyable, this lunch meeting may well have been very worthwhile.

Whether a sponsorship will materialize or not, it will take time. Time that I am not going to spend here in Sydney doing nothing or doing cash-in-hand waitressing/babysitting jobs because I am not allowed to work here. Instead, I am planning to go to New Zealand soon, and work there on a working holiday visa.
Through Facebook (you got to love it just for this)I found out I know someone who is in Auckland too. He's really helped me out already with lots of info and even the offer of a room. I think it's a sign...even though some Australian friends have been trying to convince me that New Zealand is boring and backward and my favourite Kiwi friend hates Auckland....

In the meantime, I am enjoying beaching and swimming (yesterday, and hopefully tomorrow and every day after that), thunderstorms (now), and catching up with all the lovely people I still know here in Sydney. I've missed them and it is great to see them again. And it's sad to think I will probably have to say goodbye again soon. But New Zealand is close, and I'm sure I'll be back.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go practise my Kiwi vowels: uhm, is that six, sex or sucks?!

There I go again

Yep, there I go again. After four great months in Barcelona (including, since the last post, an attempted robbery, lots of days at the beach, a lot more days at the office, a new apartment etc), and one significantly less hectic month back home I am on the road once again.
I will get into the details about why and for how long some other time (eh, or not), but right now I don't really trust my brain. After 26,5 hours of travelling so far, with 6,5 still ahead of me, a stomach full of airplane food and a nose full of dried up snot I am feeling....well, quite good actually! But clearheaded? Not really.
I'm writing this post with a view of Auckland harbour to my right (well, I see a lot of water, and I'm at Auckland airport, so I'm assuming it's the harbour), 8am-Burger King eating Kiwis to my left, and a poster of, what else, a herd of sheep on the wall in front of me. The way to Sydney is long this time, but I mean to visit both New Zealand and Shanghai (my other stop) on the way back. If only to avoid the same long trip again.

For now just a little word of advice to people looking into buying a plane ticket. Do not fly with KLM. Out Royal Dutch Airline is anything but royal, in all respects. Air New Zealand on the other hand was a very pleasant surprise. The steward told me they were second in the world, and are 1st when it comes to leg room. Who knew. Highly recommended!

Aaaah I feel like I'm on a boat. Is that the jetlag or did they forget to tell us Auckland airport is a floating one?

More from Sydney!

Settling in Holland Attempt #6 (and 1-5): FAIL

So when I came back to Europe from my adventures in Argentina en Chile, I thought about staying in Spain, but three weeks in Spain were enough to make me think that this was not a good idea (no jobs), and that perhaps the time had come to go back ‘home’, for real this time. For real meaning finding a job, a house, renew the old friendships…in short, start to lead a normal life in my own country, like everyone else.

Yeah. Right.

I don’t want to get into too much detail about why it didn’t work out. Maybe because I don’t know why it didn’t work out. It just didn’t. And this time I really wanted to give it a go, so what does that tell me? Nothing that shocking, just something I’ve always known but have never wanted to really accept: my country is not for me. This doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with it, and that I don’t miss things when I’m not there. Or that I don’t like or miss my friends. I do. Holland’s great, it’s rich, well-organized, and efficient. I love our directness, our sense of humor, I think Dutch bread is the best bread in the world, I love drop, HEMA, stroopwafels, pindakaas, and that I know exactly where to go for what. But who cares about these things when it’s not enough to make you happy? Well, I don’t.

So back in Spain I am. Barcelona, like my plan in January. With a job this time though. A job at a Dutch company. I’m working at the emergency centre for lots of different insurances, the ANWB being the main one. Basically my job consists of helping Dutch tourists that get car problems while in holiday in Spain or Portugal and call us for help. It’s only a summer job, and apart from me about 20 other people got hired just for the summer. Who would move to Barcelona for a job for 3 months when the economy is in such a bad state? Right, people like me! And this is the best part about my job: I work with people that are in the same situation and understand my thought and feelings about career, the future, etc. It’s great to finally not have to explain why I’m doing what I’m doing. As you can imagine, we’ve already spent many an evening drinking wine and worrying about/discussing our plan for when our contract ends. We also share a fear of commitment, and the inability to make decisions. Planning something for next week is about the most you can ask of us. September is still a big question mark.
Scary? Sometimes, but for us it’s not nearly as scary as the feeling of ‘is this it?’ and routine that we get from a more ‘normal’ life. Maybe there are more and deeper lows in our lives, but the highs are high and sometimes really unexpected.

A long story to tell you I am in Barcelona and feeling happy. But now at least you know why I’m here, since my last post was written in the Netherlands.

Now that I’ve updated you a little about the bigger picture, my next posts will hopefully be about random Barcelona experiences. Like how I love using Bicing, how I’m learning to read Catalan because at my gym they seem to think it unnecessary to put the instructions in any other language, how I bumped into someone so hard that my tooth went through my lip and I started crying, how I love spending my day on a beach chair at Sitges Platja, the interesting phenomenon that travelling Dutch-Moroccans with car problems always also have headaches, or sick children. I bet you just can’t wait for all these great stories!

Life is sweet?

Long time no blogging on Life is sweet, does that mean there's less sweetness in my life? Not at all. And after a little down time post-Australia & Argentina it's about to become sweeter again, so stay tuned for more.....soon!

Rat race

Lately, when talking to people here in NL, the image of a hamster frantically running around in it's treadmill has been popping up in my mind a lot. Together with the term rat race. Because I actually didn't know the exact definition of a rat race, I decided to look it up in Wikipedia:

A rat race is a term used for an endless, self-defeating or pointless pursuit. It conjures up the image of the futile efforts of a lab rat trying to escape whilst running around a maze or in a wheel. In an analogy to the modern city, many rats in a single maze run around making a lot of noise bumping into each other, but ultimately achieve nothing (meaningful) either collectively or individually.

And this quote:

The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat

I really don't want to offend any of my friends by saying I think they are engaging in something endless, pointless and self-defeating, nor do I want to suggest that I myself have never fallen prey to rat race-like behaviour. In fact, I don't think there is anything wrong with joining the rat race at all, as long as you are enjoying it. And this is where (in my eyes) things go wrong. I think a lot of people got sucked into it and now feel like they are stuck, and like they would have to give up on too much (i.e. money, status, security) if they would step out of it.
From what I've read, hamsters do enjoy running around in their treadmill, so I guess I am trying to say that I think we should be more like hamsters, less like rats. At least, I hope I will be.

In the meantime I am still job-hunting. I have such a great feeling for timing, coming back to look for work just as the crisis starts to take effect! One thing I've decided though, is that I'd much rather work in a nice little café (like my sweet Creme Anglaise in Woollahra), than in some sort of boring office job where I still don't have to use my brain (although figuring out some coffee machines can be quite tough). But of course ideally I'd like a well-paid, interesting and challenging job, with funny and friendly colleagues, you know, the ones that are the hamster kind.