New Year’s Resolution

Today is the 31st of December. The year of 2013 is about to end in some hours. I want to think back to this year to make a resolution for the year of 2014.

2012, it was the year of a big decision. I quit the company I had been working for three and a half years in Japan to change myself and learn something new. This idea came up suddenly in July 2012 and it led me to make a decision soon. 

2013, it was the year of a new experience coming from this decision. Everything I have done in New Zealand this year was a stimulating experience I had never done before. That includes going to school, homestay, flat share, backpackers, travelling and working. Even though my English skills are not well enough to keep a conversation and I am still poor at communicating with others, I could spend absolutely precious time in New Zealand. All the experiences with my friends or done by myself are the important memory I will never forget. 

2014, it will be the year of a new challenge. Needless to say, 2013 was also challenging year, though, 2014 will be harder year for me. Even though life in New Zealand was a new experience, I was just a student. I always had something to do to graduate from the school. I hardly arranged what to do by myself. However, in 2014, I have got a working holiday visa so that I can work as much as I want in Australia. I need to arrange everything by myself. I have to get a job for the next career. As of now, I already got a little depressed because the situation was much harder here than I expected. It must be tough but at the same time, I was kind of exited because I can choose whatever I want to do next. I am no longer a student and I don’t have to be careful about the school schedule. As long as I have firm intention, it will be really interesting and valuable.

My new year’s resolution is not to focus on what I should do but what I want to do. If I choose what I should do, it will be a duty, not a challenge. The most important thing is to follow my intention. I want to keep this resolution in my mind all the time to make 2014 a great year.

Life in Waikerie

Since I arrived in Waikerie which is 2 and a half hours far from Adelaide by bus, I spent extraordinary boring time for a week. Picking work hasn't started yet because of Christmas and New year's holidays. I really have nothing to do now. I could be sick if I spend more time as same as how I spend at the moment. 

The name of backpackers where I am staying is Murray River Queen. This used to be a real boat and is actually floating on the river. It is interesting and unique. All the people staying at this backpackers are workers of orange picking who are trying to get a proof of working seasonal job for 3 months which leads them to have a right to apply for the second working holiday visa in the future. Although they are basically friendly, I can't communicate with them well because of the lack of my English skills. As there are no Asians here, I am the only one who can't speak English well. It is very tough situation.

Since this is a temporary job, I may work here for just a month or less. I am not a city boy or someone but I can't stand spending long time here. One month would be enough for me and I will move to the next city which might be Melbourne. I hope I will make enough money for the next step.   

The last day in Adelaide

Today is the last day in Adelaide. I stayed just a week here. There is nothing special. What I am doing is to go to the state library in order to use internet and walk around the city with listening to English podcast as usual. I really have nothing to do now. 

Even though Christmas is coming soon, I don't feel like welcoming Christmas. Last year I spent Christmas day in Motueka near Abel Tasman National Park in South Island, New Zealand. I was travelling by a coach tour. There were around 25 people together and we shared the South Island trip for two weeks. I don't believe one year has already passed since that time. I am supposed to spend this Christmas day and New Year in Murray River Queen which is the only boat hostel floating on the river. I don't expect so much there, and I guess nothing will happen and I will spend usual time alone.

I don't think something will happen in New Year as well as Christmas. I will probably do nothing...

North Adelaide

It rained today in Adelaide. I feel kind of strange because I already connected the strongly shiny sun to this city due to the weather it has been. Since I don't need to have my skins burnt, rainy days are totally welcome!! 

The day after tomorrow, I am leaving Adelaide, I just wanted to walk around where I have never been to. In Adelaide almost all the big shopping malls, public facilities or accommodations are located in the city centre. The streets in this city centre follow a grid pattern and it is really well organized. There are lots of buildings like European which I am sometimes greatly attracted to. But at the same time, I feel stuffy because of a number of tall buildings.

By the way I went to North Adelaide, which is located 1 to 1.5km far from the city centre crossing the river. It was much smaller than the city centre. I thought the town looks like the main street in the small town in New Zealand. For this reason I felt familiar with the town when I was walking. 

At the moment, though, I have nothing to do. It is so boring to stay here that I would be a little depressed. On Monday I finally can go to the place I will work. This would be the start of my decent life in Australia. I feel both excited and anxious but I know the start is always tough. When I get used to the situation, I am sure I will be fine. 

State Library of South Australia

State Library of South Australia is the most quiet, spacious and comfortable library I have ever seen. As there are lots of tables, chairs and sofas, I never needed to mind where I should sit. I can find the space to read a book or use internet with my laptop without any problems. Of course you can use public computers if you want. More importantly Wi-Fi is completely free in this library. This is different from the Auckland Library where Wi-Fi is limited to use up to 200MB per day.

I go to the library everyday because I have nothing else to do until I go to the Waikerie where I am supposed to do an orange picking. The only thing I sometimes hesitate to go to the library is the distance from YHA and it takes approximately 15 minutes. It is not bad if the city has a mild climate. But unfortunately it is extremely hot and I can't help but get sweaty easily. I always bring my laptop which is larger and heavier than usual, it is natural I get tired after coming back from library. I wish the library would be located much nearer or I should have chosen the other hostel near the library.

Anyway I have only three days left to stay in Adelaide. I might keep moving and I want to see this Australia as much as possible.

Sunny days in Adelaide

Since I arrived, it has been really sunny and extremely hot in Adelaide. I can't imagine there is the time when it rains. I haven't seen such an extraordinarily clear sky. There is no clouds. For this reason, I feel my skins really burnt. It actually hurts. I know the summer in Japan is also tough, but it is different kind of toughness between Japan and Australia. 

The most different thing is sunlight. The strength of ultraviolet radiation is about five to seven times as strong as Japanese one. Can you believe it? I think the strength of ultraviolet radiation in Australia is similar to New Zealand's one. However I feel more burnt and hurt by sunshine than when I was in New Zealand. 

I am going to do fruit picking that I have to be outside all the time. I must be careful about my skins not to get a skin cancer in the future. I am always lazy about these kinds of things like health. But seriously I need a sunscreen in order to protect my skins from absolutely strong ultraviolet radiation.

  

Life in Adelaide

Three days have already passed since I arrived in Adelaide, which is located in South Australia. This city is really beautiful and quiet. I can't believe more than a million people live here. 

As Adelaide is not a popular city for working holiday makers, there are much less Asian people than Auckland. When I walk around the city, those who I can see are almost Australian and a few of Chinese. When I first arrived in YHA where I am staying, I was disappointed because a Japanese couple was checking-in in front of me and another Japanese couple was waiting for checking in behind me. The reason I came to Adelaide is that I wanted to avoid this situation! But nothing wrong with that. It is natural that some Japanese are in YHA. I shouldn't feel bad about that. I shouldn't think about avoiding Japanese too much. Funny enough, though, I haven't seen Japanese here after that time. As I wrote above, the city is full of Australian and Chinese. 

This should have been what I desired. I wanted to be surrounded by native English speakers so that I can improve my English skills. But now, no matter how many Australian are there, I can't communicate with them because they speak so fast, maybe faster than New Zealanders. I strongly feel being away from them. In addition to that, I have no one I can rely on. I need to arrange everything all by myself. Moreover it is too hot here to think calmly. This climate is nothing like Auckland. It was so hard that I was kind of depressed these days. I became to think that it is very difficult to find a job here due to a lack of my English skills and these tough situations.

In line with this, I finally decided to do fruits picking job which will allow me to have a right to apply for a second working holiday visa as long as I do it for more than three months. Since I don't plan to get a second visa, I may not do it for more than three months. I just wanted to experience a seasonal job because I haven't done fruit picking before. This will be the first experience for me. I've heard that this job is not good for money even though it is tough. But at least I can make some money. What I need the most is to experience something new and get a opportunity to communicate with some people. I get really nervous when I think about following months, but I hope it will be all right. I am supposed to leave Adelaide on 24th December. It seems to be too fast to decide to go to another place, but I have no choices other than that. I don't want to waste time and money. 

I will probably change my next plan. I was planning to go to Perth after staying Adelaide, but because of this situation, I may need to go to Melbourne or Sydney to get a decent job I can be satisfied. If I go to Perth I am totally not sure whether or not I can get a job. On the other hand, there must be lots of possibilities to find a job in the big cities I mentioned above. Either Cairns or Gold Coast would be good as well because these cities are popular places where a number of travelers visit.

Anyway my life in Australia has just started. Don't think too much. Be more optimistic. 

No sense of solid

I can't believe I am going to Australia the day after tomorrow. I have even been getting unknown that I am in New Zealand now. I feel no sense of solid. Am I really going to Australia? The world is sometimes strange. I just do usual tasks even though only two days left. It is very weird like a dream. I guess I can feel some sense of solid after the arrival but now I can't feel anything. I am just not sure where I am standing. Weird....

Need to focus on what I do

I have been constantly disappointed in a number of mistakes I had stacked up. What I need to do is to concentrate on each task not to make mistakes, isn't it? I always can't help but focus on how fast to do tasks to finish it early. I already got used to work in this place and I haven't been careful of what I did so much because I believed I could do it perfectly. That's why I have been making a lot of mistakes. I'd better reset myself otherwise I will make mistakes one after another.

Anyway I need to work only twice more. I have to focus on everything I do. Since I am one of the senior staff members, I should take responsibility for what I am doing.   

Ten more days

It has been raining strongly since yesterday and I feel a lack of energy. Something is different. I have no eagerness to do anything now. I have one and a half weeks until I leave Auckland. However, I can't do anything because I already finish my school and I can only work sixteen hours per week due to my visa condition. I currently think I need to do something exciting that I can use my full of energy. What a shame! What on earth am I doing?

Whenever I think about what my friends are doing now in Japan, I always feel a kind of inferiority. They must work hard and grow up day by day. How about myself? I don't think I grew up in New Zealand compared to how much they did. I considered coming to New Zealand as a "challenge" or "restart", but it seems to be a sort of "run away from the real world". I still have no clue what to do next. I don't have any specific interests or special qualifications. What I am doing is to just do a thing I already can do. No challenge, no growing up.

Oh, that is a bad sign... Everytime I got a long holiday, I turned into depressed because of too much thinking. I am always anxious about my future.

Ten more days, the situation will change. I need to remind myself not to forget "challenge" thing.

Tokyo Podcast

I found an interesting podcast which is called "Tokyo Podcast". This podcast is hosted by Joh Anthony who was born and grown in Canada, USA and eventually settled in Japan. He talks about Japanese life style, latest news or his experience etc in this podcast. As I am familiar with the article he talks about, it is very easy for me to listen to. I can sometimes hear him using Japanese and it sounds nice and interesting.

Whatever nationality you have, it would be great to listen to this podcast if you are interested in actual Japanese life style, especially Tokyo. Please refer to the link below if you want to know more about "Tokyo Podcast"!

http://www.tokyo-podcast.com/