A long, hard, yet enjoyable day’s work. One of the things we have to do to earn our keep is clean the ablutions block every other day. This was one of the days, so meant getting up half an hour early, + both attacking it. It’s not difficult tho’, provided not too many people are up + about using the things one wants to clean. Then, I can relax for 25 mins or so – have some breakfast, while Val shoots off to start work. She’s trying to lose a bit of weight, which is probably just as well – she doesn’t have time to eat in any case.
When I arrived at work, Joe, a middle-aged Dutch guy who works there, and I, first of all cleared out the cellar, ready for all the Christmas booze, which is going to be stored down there. Joe is alright, tho’ in some ways we compete for the same jobs. He was there before me tho’, so has seniority, if that is the right word to use for general handymen. I worked right up until 6 today, my first full day for ages. It was a satisfying day too, because as I’ve said before I like to be busy, preferably with a variety of jobs to look after, + that was the way it worked today. I can’t remember everything – a bit of gardening, a bit of sawdust-raking (tho’ with a truck, hence far less back-breaking), a bit of rubbish burning, a bit of bottle removing… fun + games, fun + games.
Come evening, I read. It’s quite remarkable how fast the time goes in the evenings. Cooking tea (the evening meal in New Zealand is invariably “tea”) + washing it up takes a big chunk. Am getting used to the compact life in the tent again. Provided you manage to have everything around you that you need (+don’t have to drag it out from somewhere) it’s really quite cosy.
Clearly quite into the swing of things at work, even with Joe as a potential rival. It’s a comfortable enough life, if somewhat unexciting… but the main aim is to be making money to fund further travel, and on that basis all is well.
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