Long Overdue - 20th-24th

There is a reason I haven't been blogging on a daily basis. Now that I'm not adventuring from Brisbane to Cairns, my days no longer consist of awesome adventures. Don't get me wrong, Cairns is certainly not boring, but the fun here lies in good friends and what we make of it, not exploring tropical beaches and discovering sea life.
I arrived on a Monday and it is now Monday again. One week in Cairns and I feel like I have been here much longer. I moved from my first hostel (Caravella 149) to Waterfront, which is closer to town and saves my mangled feet from walking.
Monday - Thursday pretty much consisted of job-hunting. I spent hours searching for job postings online, in the newspaper, and at store-fronts. After handing out countless resumes, it turns out none of this was necessary. All I had to do was sunbathe with friends at the lagoon and I'd get a job. Well, almost. We (Andre, Nicolai, Chris, Sabine, an Aussie guy, and I) were lounging by the lagoon in the steaming sun, talking about work, when the Aussie guy suggested I pop into Bellevista (a popular bar I had not yet applied at) because he heard they had two free positions. I grabbed my purse and walked over immediately. The man did not even glance at my resume before setting a trial shift for Sunday the 24th. Spirits high, I paid my hostel up until Sunday and had an excellent night of Woolshed dinner and poker at the hostel.
 On Friday, Andre left on a dive boat for his internship; Nicolai and Chris (Denmark), and Sabine (Holland) left to work on a mango-picking farm on Saturday; Martyn "Pudding" arrives today and Rich "Haggis" is coming soon. In the meantime, I spend my time with two guys from Tennessee and three Dutch girls. We go out for free dinner at the Woolshed each night (mass produced spaghetti and rice), and often go dancing afterwards. My days are usually my own. I take the morning to use the internet, then go for a walk around town, still hunting for new job openings. If it is sunny, I'll read at the lagoon. If it's not, I often watch movies or play cards with people from the hostel.
Speaking of jobs and the internet; I was paying for my internet on Saturday and mentioned to the guy that I was looking for work. He said they had an open position as a promoter and I asked him to hire me. No resume needed, I am hired for 25 hours/week, getting paid $16.50/hour to stand outside their door and promote the internet cafe by handing out free half-hour internet slips!
On Sunday, I had my job trial at Bellevista from 4:30-6:30. Butterflies in my stomach, I walked into the bar and was set to collecting glasses, washing them, serving food, and generally keeping the bar clean. Fifteen minutes after I arrived, the bar was packed for Happy Hour. I mean packed. There were people sitting on the ground. I learned to pile glasses high and carry 30 at a time in my hands, or 100 in a basket. My fingers learned tollerence as I carried out hot plates of pizza and willed myself not to drop them as the heat radiated to my bones. I slopped alcohol from half-empty glasses all over myself, sweated in the barely-air-conditioned bar, swerved and danced out of the way of the bartenders as I restocked their cup fridges and trays, broke two glasses (only two), and had the time of my life. It was so much fun! Everyone I worked with was incredibly friendly. They did not hesitate to whisper tips in my ear when I wasn't sure what to do, were ready with compliments when I did a good job, and made sure I ate and drank when I had forgotten to do so. At 9:30, three hours after I was scheduled to finish, the boss told me to roster my hours and head home. He asked me to come in the next day to collect my trial wages and discuss availability. I got the job!!
Absolutely full of adrenaline after such a great night, I showered and met up with my Tennessee friends and a couple Australian girls to dance the night away at the local gay club, Vibe, and later at the party-central hostel, Gilligan's. At 2:30, I fell into bed, exhausted and happy after an excellent day/night.
So, that sums up my first week in Cairns. I am looking forward to staying here until mid-December, when I'll fly to Sydney to meet with Benji for Christmas!
Love and hugs to everyone back home (and everyone reading this).
xoxo - Katrina