So last time I left you I was job hunting and having a great time enjoying various things in Melbourne so let me know give you an update on my last month or so.

So the night after I wrote my last blog it was Man Utd vs Arsenal. In Australia this was played at the outrageous time of 3.10am. Obviously I wanting to watch this big game but with no pub close by to watch it and no Wi-Fi at my flat I ended up at Luca's flat streaming the game from a Polish website while he was in bed. It was worth it as we managed to pick up a victory. A rare thing this season, but let's not be drawn into football chat. Anyway by the time I got home it was approaching 6am. I was ready to sack off my job search for the day for a Basford Day. My roommate G.P. however had other ideas, he needed to go the library so I reluctantly agreed to join him and do a bit of job searching. The usual things were being applied for call centre work, retail, bar jobs and a job as a night manager/auditor at a bunch of hotels around Melbourne. Adam contacted me almost immediately about the position of night manager and invited me for an interview the following day. I went and met Dave the supervisor at a coffee shop for an informal interview made better by me getting a free orange juice. I thought I had done reasonably well, but didn't expect a call later that afternoon asking me to start that night. I accepted. My hours would be 11pm - 7am. I tried to get some sleep, I got none, so I stacked myself up on energy drinks for the up and coming night. I surprised myself by not even needing them. My main duties of the job included a bit of housekeeping, running and email reports and making sure everything balanced at the end of the day, checking in late arrivals, checking out early departures and making reservations, it was all pretty simple, it would just mean my social life wouldn't be as good as before seen as though I'd be working Thursday and Friday nights. Still I needed the money so got on with it. To be honest, it's a simple job. It's easy money.

As well as landing the night manager / auditor role. I was able to reunite with my very good friend Jack Turner and work the noodle markets. The noodle markets was a festival for Asian food, and Jack was managing the Tanqueray Gin bar there. The hours ranged from 5-10, 5-11, so I was often able to combine this job with my night shifts. Although there were days where I'd have to put in a long shift like one day working 18 hours in 24 hours. One day not realising I was on a night shift getting called in and turning up drunk. But despite that I cannot describe to you how much of a blast I had working the noodle markets, my boss was one of my best mates, and I was also reunited with Tom Ellis who came to work the markets after finishing his tour of the coast and his regional work. I also met several great people there, a scouse lad called Dan, an Everton fan, G & T Dee, White Socks - a sound guy but made the outrageous decision of wearing white socks with black shoes and black trousers hence the nickname white socks, cider man James, Stronsky, Klaus, Marie, Dill Smith and perhaps the person I hit it off with most Brooke Dykes. She was a 19 year old Sydney sider, who acted years beyond her age, she worked with Jack at the Sydney Noodle Markets and he asked her to come down as she was so good at her job. She was impressive. And we quickly became a dream team and got on great having some A+ banter. I can't begin to tell you about the random stories and events we had working there, a couple of great staff nights out, lots of random occurrences and overall a great time.. At the markets it just semt like you wasn't at work. It would have been ideal for me if the noodle markets ran for longer than two weeks. Unfortunately it didn't.

I think the fact I was having such a great time at the noodle markets really made me want to quit my job as night manager. The problem apart from it affecting my social life, is that it's a lonely job, I'm a people person, enjoy the banter the night manager job didn't allow me to have that, where as I was getting an abundance of this at the noodle markets. Also do I really want to sleep all day when its 30 degrees outside? I was also close to leaving Melbourne, when the markets had finished it semt like everyone was leaving, all great people I had met, G.P., Luca, Jack, Dan, Brooke to name but a few and I was worried I'd end up in Melbourne sat alone in my pants. I was always a believer in do what makes you happy and I wasn't feeling to great. A former work colleague Ben summed it up when on a facebook status about me working the 18 hours in one day and he said #chooselife. I suppose the deal clincher of me still working nights is that they have put me up in a flat, a pretty sweet flat too, and also Tom decided to stay for a while so I decided to suck it up and get on with it for a while.

I guess you are wondering with all this work did I have time for anything else, for a while no, but I soon got into a rhythm and made the most of my time off. Tom moved into the flat and we decided to make a Melbourne bucket list, similar to what we did in Sydney. So far on the list we have been to Victoria Markets, ACDC Lane, Batman Park/Street, Built a beer bottle Christmas tree, Went the casino where we lost $10 each. Went Cherry Bar - Where they had a very impressive motown night, I mean who doesn't liked dancing around to classics like Jean Knight's Mr Big Stuff and Marvin Gaye. We had an impressive house party that lasted until 8am. Also if you have checking my Facebook you will see that to get into the festive spirit I have took it upon myself to watch a festive film a day. We also got experimental in the kitchen and made what Tom and I like to call Red Hot Sweet Chilli Shepherd. This is simple half sweet potato shepherds pie / half chilli con carne, with a double layer of cheese. It tasted phenomenal even if I do say so myself.

All in all I am still very much enjoying Melbourne; I'm beginning to get a little community of friends even though more people are to leave before Christmas, including Tom. But there is good stuff to do here. I still have numerous things to do on the bucket list. The weather is picking up slightly although Melbourne is very random and sometimes it's like being back in England with full days of rain. But as I say overall Melbourne is great fun, and quite possibly my favourite city in Australia.

So until next time when we will see how my second Aussie Xmas has been, if I can still handle the night shift and what else gets done from the Melbourne Bucket list take care and stay safe

Adi

Xx

#CHOOSELIME