Now in Queenstown, Carsten and I agree that the natural beauty here lives up to its reputation. We have a few nights to explore the region, and with our first full day we decide to take a trip to Milford Sound. It’s a bit too touristy for my liking, taking away the feeling of remoteness, but it’s still too nice here to complain.
***
Carsten leaves tomorrow, but I decide that Queenstown will make a nice home base, so I set out on a job hunt in the area. Even though it is low season here, there are several jobs as many in this community are transient.
After three hours of CV drops, I get asked in for a trial shift that starts in about an hour. The potential job is to work as a waiter at a fancy-ish Polynesian-inspired restaurant. I quickly study the menu, apply some fresh deodorant, and try on my “uniform,” a Polynesian-inspired shirt (the part I’m least excited about).
I show up for my trial shift, everything seemed to go smooth, and two hours later I have a job. I excitedly report this news to Carsten. He seems in relative shock from the whole situation. A mere 5 hours ago, after all, I was just handing out my first CV.
“So, you just go in to a restaurant and ask for a job? What do you say?” he asks.
I have a chuckle. It reminds me of the first cafe I walked in to in the Mount a few months ago. Maybe I have learned a thing or two since arriving in New Zealand.
Impermanent Establishments 