Today I've made a tough decision.
I wouldn't say this is the toughest one I've ever made but it gonna be part of the journey. Anyway, it includes some CALCULATION this time. I have got the job for myself and Esther in the kiwi orchard but I(yes, only me but not her) need to stay unemployed for another 2 weeks due to a commitment that I've promised during last week.
Here is the background of the story:
Me and Esther has been so desperate for jobs upon arriving in New Zealand, we dare not to spend money for those activities that involves $$$ before we get a job for ourselves. So we moved from Auckland to Bay of Plenty after the first weekend for more work opportunities in the orchards or factories. In the first few days staying in Tauranga, we sent emails and we went into the job agency offices to get the job offers as soon as possible ( Tauranga is a super boring place, by the way). There is not much offer for outdoor jobs on the internet so we gave up searching online very soon and no more hoping for the replies of emails. We can only wait for the call for the job offer in the fish factory through the work agency office.
And finally, last Thursday I received a phone call from a backpacker hostel as reply on the request for "woofing" that I sent a few days before. "woofing" means I can help with the cleaning in the hostel for 2 hours per day in exchange for free accomodation, but there will be no wages for me throughout the period of time. I discussed with Esther on the offer because they need only one person for the backpacker hostel in Rotorua (one-hour drive away from Tauranga), which means both of us have to seperate from each other at this point. It was not easy because there are so many uncertainty ahead of us.
Out of desperation to save expenses on accommodation while waiting for other job offers (it costs $25 per day to stay in a backpacker hostel) , I accepted the "woofing" at last. And I took the bus to Rotorua alone on the next day. I really feel bad when I first arrived in Rotorua, I'm really upset without the presence of Esther. Honestly, I doubted her for being my right travelmate for so many times, because we have such different personality. But now I know, we can't leave behind each other. It could be tough for us for the days waiting for job and doing nothing, but at least we can keep each other accompanied.
I felt even worse when one of the staffs in the backpacker hostel, Ram from Venezuela welcomed me and introduced me to everyone else. He is such a warm person that make me feel at home. But I was so guilty to promise to Chris, the owner of the hostel that I can commit myself for 4 weeks here doing my "woofing". Because I still keep the hope for the good news from the fish factory.
During the first night in Rotorua, I received the first phone call from Hui Fei, a friend from Malaysia who is also having her working holiday here in NZ now. She told me about a Chinese contractor that could probably help me to find a job in the kiwi orchard at Te Puke ( a kiwi town which is one hour drive away from Rotorua). I called Sam the contractor at the same night, right after I got his contact from Hui Fei, and he would like to meet us on Monday in Te Puke.
So yesterday we went to meet Sam the contractor. He is a nice person. He brought us to visit the kiwi orchard and he has arranged the homestay and the car rental for us. We also had the one-hour training in the kiwi orchard by the experienced worker. Everyone is so helpful and warm (now I know why people, especially Asian are so keen to meet others from the same country&background when they're away from home), And I'm most happy to see Esther finally settle down in our new home, a safe and cosy homestay.
But there is also another issue that struck me for the day we finally got a job : Sam refused to hire our friends from Germany. He insisted that he hires only Asian (mostly Chinese). I really felt so sorry for Tobi and Patrick. We met Tobi and Patrick in Tauranga in the same backpacker hostel we stayed together. We were looking for job together and we exchanged info whenever there is any updates for job offers. Now I feel so betraying. I texted Tobi about the bad news but I choose to tell a "white lie", I told him that the contractor need only girls because he has enough guys for pruners. Well, I really tak sampai hati to tell him the truth. And I wouldn't simply conclude that the contractor is a racist because he must has his reasons for doing that. After all he has the experiences for hiring so many working holiday makers before.
Back in Rotorua I decided to approached Chris on my decision to leave earlier for the job in Te Puke. And you can expect the response from him: He is unhappy with that, and he can't let me go until he find someone to replace me. But he allowed me for the request to cut the promised 4 weeks to only 2.
Here comes the challenge. If you were me, what would you do?
Of course I can insist to go after this week, and break the promise,then make Chris judges that Chinese do not keep to their words. Or even worst, ganti rugi for the past few days of the stay and pretend that I have never done my "woofing" here. Or, I stay for 2 weeks to complete my "woofing". Which is better?
I ask myself, what do I want for working holiday? Definitely working is the important part for my travelling, because it brings the income. And this is the main reason I need to leave here for Te Puke. But isn't it selfish? I break the promise merely because I need to work for good money, instantly.
The selfish side of me told me that I can lost $900 ( approx. RM 2300 ) for delaying the job for another 2 weeks. Money that matters. But the "conscious" of me make me to start thinking that I should stop being so calculative. It costs so much to hold on to my promise to Chris but there are so much more I can get for priceless here. I've met Manon for the first day in Rotorua and she is a great friend. I spent the weekend with her cooking curry chicken for Sarah's birthday and I've met a bunch of awesome people here.
I might have took the wrong step for taking up "woofing" at the first place but I also encounter blessings here. And now I can already foresee my new life working in the orchard under a Chinese contractor and surrounded by other chinese-speaking collegues, and back in the homestay, we have Chinese housemates. This might be much more convenient/comfortable than dealing with so many backpackers from different backgrounds. And we have got more privacy staying in a 2-bed room rather than to stay in a 8-bed mixed dorm.
But working holiday is not merely about that. There is always two sides of the same coin.
I mean I wouldn't get to meet other Europian backpackers for the next 2 months working in the orchard and I don't even need to speak English anymore (and perhaps I would start talking to the kiwi fruits). I don't need to complain anymore about different lifestyle of people and no worries about spaces for doing laundry. And most importantly, I don't need to stay in backpacker hostel to see friends come and go, anymore.
So what's the big deal now? To linger for another 2 weeks to fulfill my duty here in backpackers hostel and back to the "comfort zone" for the next 2 months, at least.
This morning I feel puzzled again struggling to talk to Chris that I really want to leave on this Sunday. But when I finished the morning cleaning task with all the fellow staffs here, I feel satisfied. I appreciate the teamwork, we managed to get things done in one hour instead of two. And then in the afternoon, Rebecca cooked the green curry shrimp and rice for everyone and we have the simple meal together. I guess this is the happiness being a backpacker. I enjoy meeting every interesting friend from every corner of the world.
You might say I tend to stick to the white people instead of the "own people" when I arrived in a so called "western country" . But guess what?I have met so many backpackers here from German who are so tired of meeting their own people everywhere in NZ. Because we come so far away to see DIFFERENT people.
And I wouldn't regret for the prompt decision for "woofing". Trust me, you woul just try to grasp any chance even it's just a glimpse of hope. And you got to see more walking on a different route.
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| Having lunch with the Crash team! |
