I will be putting up 10 posts in the upcoming days from my time on the mango farm. I spent 12 days working on the farm (which is nothing compared to some of the other guys there who've been there for 3 months).
10/10, Day 1 on the Mango Farm
[note: my girlfriend goes by either Apo or Trish]
The first week in Darwin has been really fun, but anxious as well. I spent the last week hanging out with the girlfriend, making new friends, and looking for work. I spent three days at the Kakadu National Park where I got to swim in a lagoon hidden in the forest, that was awesome.
However, anxiety kept increasing as money kept leaving my hand and the prospect of not having a job was getting to me.
I spent the past few days with Trish going to employment agencies around Darwin and calling various businesses for a position. I was on the last end of my finances when I got I call this morning.
"Did you call about the Mango Farm?"
Yes, I did. Trish and I applied for a mango farm job last week, through a friend's recommendation.
"Can you be ready by 11a?"
I was still in shock, but I said yes. Mind you, he called at 8:38am, so I had little over 2 hours to get home (I was out looking for work at fisherman's wharf at the time, but got lost), notify Apo, and pack all my belongings.
When I finally got here, it was like a little Taiwan. 15 out of the 20 workers there were Taiwanese, the other five comprised of three guys from Hong Kong and a couple from Japan. I never thought I could go to Australia and have a better chance to practice Mandarin more than I ever did in America.
The owners and the bosses of the farm are Dave and Ruth: Dave is an elderly Australian guy with a no bullshit attitude and I didn't get to meet Ruth, but the other workers say she's well traveled, friendly, and Canadian. There I also got to meet Peter the senior mango/watermelon picker (they also grow watermelons on the farm), a Taiwanese guy that purposefully speaks to me in ancient Chinese idioms to confuse/educate me.
Today was everyone's day off so Apo and I just cleaned up our room and got settled in. We sat around and go to know everyone.
At night it was so beautiful. I've never seen a night sky so wide and open. And the stars, the STARS! It's as if I can finally see them, they're so many of them and so clear.
