Okay, so the George St. Mkting guys told me that I had to apply for a Tax File Number to work in Australia. They gave me the website and told me as long as I had the receipt number, that would work. It takes something like 28 days to get one of these TFNs. So I was having trouble figuring it out and went to the Australian Taxation office to ask some questions. They helped me and I filled everything out online and it didn't go through. It said I wasn't authorized to work in Australia. They told me to go to the Immigration office and figure out my visa situation. So I waited in a couple of long lines there before I started talking with one of their officers. The gal told me that all I had was a tourist visa that enabled me to stay in Australia for 3 months at a time for up to year, but it didn't allow me to work. Australia doesn't give U.S. citizens working holiday visas because it's so hard for Australians to live/work in the US. She said it's easier to get any type of working visa off-shore, but since I was on-shore and wanted to work, the only option was to get a company to sponsor me. If they agreed to this and filled out the paperwork and sent in the money (like $200 or so), it could take 2 weeks to 2 months for them to even look at the documents. Meanwhile I still couldn't work because I would still be considered visiting on a tourist visa.
So after all that b.s. I hurried back to the hostel and had quite the breakdown. What the hell was I supposed to do now? Go back home? Yuck! Meanwhile, Jelena and I had done laundry that morning and seriously f-ed up a good portion of the clothes I had washed! The colors ran together and my new white shirts were grey, my bright green shirt was a mossy/drab green, etc. I did my best at bleaching the white stuff...but let's just say that they're never going to be entirely white again. Also, for some reason my phone wasn't working. I could get a call or call out and people could here me, but I couldn't here anything on my end.
Finally I figured out the phone problems (turn up the volume...um, seriously? I can't believe I just admitted to that!), and called back the guy I had worked with the previous day, Dean. I told him the scenario and how sorry I was and he was super nice about it and told me he would check with his boss to see if they could work something out and told me to make sure I came in the next day with the paperwork. I can't believe he did that because he totally could have just written me off since I hadn't even started. Then Jelena told me that she thought Americans could get Holiday working visas for New Zealand. So at least I had some options at this point and my attitude and mood were definitely turned around for the better!
So I grabbed a small (and I mean really small like 8 inch) pizza from my favorite place so far "Lorenttos," that ended up being excellent, of course! The guys are so Italian they can hardly speak English. Then Jelena and I went out to find some fun pubs and lighten our spirits! We finally found this one "Scruffy McMurphy's" which was having a quiz night! I had some Australian beer that's really popular "Toohey's." Jelena had this weird Irish Cream beer...bad combination. We sat next to this couple from Ireland who had been traveling for a year and were headed back this week by way of Thailand! They were 23 or so and so much fun! I felt right at home with them...maybe since they started their trip in the US. They went to New York, LA and Vegas! haha. We stayed there for awhile and then left because there weren't any cute guys and because there was some creepo guy that was asking Jelena way too many questions about here camera...We ended up going to this live music venue "The Gaelic" for the last band (which was local and kind of alternative/ska/jam band type). They were pretty good too! Finally we came back and I just crashed.
This morning I got up and got ready to go meet with Dean and the boss. Before that though, I went with Jelena (since she had to leave today) to find some breakfast...okay so we finally found some place close and I ordered scrambled eggs with toast and coffee. This cost $8!! I think it was that expensive because we're in the business district and right next to the train station so demand is high. Let's just say I don't need to ever have white bread again...
I walked Jelena to the station on my way to George St. and I literally had to fight back tears when she left! I really don't know what I would have done without her over the last couple days! So I went and met with Dean and the boss and of course Dimitri (the boss) said that they really wouldn't be able to sponsor me--which I completely understand--and he wished me luck. Too bad!
Okay, so now I'm sitting back at the hostel. I just finished applying for a New Zealand working holiday visa (which could last up to a year) and hopefully I'll hear back via e-mail sometime within the next couple of days! Maybe I was really meant to go to New Zealand after all! I just think there's definitely a reason for everything and I maybe I'm just not meant to be in Australia right now...maybe I'm meant to work on the vineyards in New Zealand! Haha...you never know!
I promise I'll let you all know as soon as the next decision is made!
-Lisa
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1 comment:
At least it is not boring!!
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