Woke up to insane itching on my ankle... what happened to my secluded mosquito net of heaven? Seems some demons have infiltrated it once again. I look for you but never find you, you cheeky monkeys.
Started the day with a private ride, 2 advanced riders who didn't particularly want to gallop everywhere, just didn't want a nose-to-tail slow ride. Fine with me! I really do enjoy taking out advanced riders, they are so much more relaxed and don't need so much looking over. Just want to enjoy some time on horseback and some nice runs up the hill.
Bookending my day of 4 rides was another lovely couple from Ireland (really, when do I not meet nice people from Ireland?!) on a two-hour ride that turned out to be the two-hour ride that cancelled on Sunday. I thanked them profusely for cancelling, did not want to ride in that rain!! They had a beer at the end of it all (6pm, so not much else was happening) and thankfully they were around still when I'd finished with the horses so I could say goodbye to them. And bless her, the woman was kinda nervous pulling the money out her pocket as she said bye and hurriedly tipped me.
Had a couple of cruise ship rides, tipping nominal amounts (did I mention how much more I like private rides??) and not really being any more interesting than the ones I'd done before. I'm amazed at how many people come here and have never been on a horse, even the beginner woman I had today that left her husband behind to do this activity which must be so daunting for the first time. Well, her husband was 260 pounds, 30 over our limit, so she really had no choice in the matter!
Speaking of weighty folk, I swear I took some over-weighters on one of my rides. 4 black Americans, all pretty hefty in size, I had trouble thinking which horses to take them. I felt sorry for every hardworking beast. Unsaddled all of them I possibly could afterwards, poor things. This woman got off to take her pants off for the water, and it took all the strength in the world to get her back on. Her thigh was the size of my waist, I swear. Next time I think I'm fat, someone please remind me of this story.
Still working out how much I earn, spend and save here. Trying to log it all this month, see indeed how expensive this island is, and it is proving quite interesting. The grocery store is much more expensive than I first thought, and buying just for me isn't as cheap as I thought. Of course the beer doesn't help - those nights I crave it and get a 6-pack. Of course, it's much cheaper than going out every night clubbing and drinking, but it's my only release over here so I let myself off.
I'm fast turning this experience into a time-wasting exercise where I wait for my boy to sort his life out and then return to him. I no longer see any point dilly-dallying around having this experience when my baby is waiting for me, and we're both crying without the other on the opposite end of the earth. We need to be together, we should be together and dammit if I'm not gonna see us together again!!
I logged onto FB today to get a really sweet message from him, possibly the most amazing one I've ever had, where he told me how much I meant to him and how awesome I was... all things I fully echo back to him, of course. But usually I'm the more vocal one. Not this time. And blessed be. Bring it on. I can't believe how much he has changed me, even people that know me well can't even recognise me sometimes! But this is love, true and true. And I am so glad to finally know it.
I also used my brief lunch break to write the heartbreaking email to the lady that keeps my horse, offering her for sale if she is interested. I would much prefer she go somewhere I know and trust than elsewhere, so I offered a lesser price than I would sell her for and hope that she bites. Not expecting an instant reply so I guess it's just a waiting game until I hear back...
Wednesday 30 November 2011
I'm a drunk or she's just stupid
My day off started like every other day off... although I think I finally mastered the no-holes-in-mosquito-net situation, I found it hard to sleep in more than half an hour passed my normal wake-up, and excitement from my forthcoming chat with my boy did nothing to help. So off I trundled to Seaside to log on and wait. And wait. And wait. Hmmm.... internet troubles again?
Something in me was thinking not, so I waited more still. Thankfully, my good friend B was online and I had a nice chat with her. She has a good head on her shoulders and always levels me out when I'm a bit loopy. So some good perspective on my time here was gained through that conversation. Without giving too much away, she moved me on towards what I was already realising.
Luckily, it was a pretty shitty day for the beach so I had all the time on the world on my hands to wait. But when my computer battery started to blink at me, I gave up and headed home. En route, I heard my phone ring and probably flashed the nearby workers in my haste to get it before it stopped ringing. As it was, I missed it but it rang back straight away, and indeed it was who I was hoping for.
He told me he'd been delayed as he scored tickets to a Foo Fighters/Tenacious D gig, a good enuf excuse for me! Would've been an amazing show! He told me he practically ran home, almost asked Dave Grohl how much longer he was gonna play at one point haha... But eventually we connected, and before long I found myself sitting in Pineapple Pete's drinking beer after beer and eating lunch while the hours ticked into the early morning at his end.
It was a good chat. We both needed it. I was a bit bummed when he didn't come online at first, so it was a relief that we finally spoke. It is strange, this past weekend we REALLY missed each other... at the same time. It was the hardest time I've had away from him and indeed a turning point for me and my plans. While he's still in limbo about his visa, and I guess a lot of what I do depends on what happens with that.
After my beers, I was feeling content and all mushy from speaking so long with A, so after I wired some money back home I owed my sister, I jumped into a bus on the way to the airport to book my tickets to St Thomas for when Erm comes in less than a month. What happened next is either due to me being a bit tipsy (and well drunk on love) or the lady at the counter being a complete moron, but I managed to book and pay for tickets to St Thomas a full month before I was wanting to go. As in, I was due to leave in a few days!
I didn't realise the error til I was home, so annoyed I ran to the shop to get phone credit but as the airline's number didn't dial from my phone, I was forced to get back on a bus and go to the airport. Unfortunately, I got an annoying clicky-clicky sound from one of the guys hanging at a shitty bar and I bit - "I DON'T LIKE THAT FUCKING SOUND" I yelled as I stormed passed. God knows what he said, but I don't look forward to what he says the next time I pass. Probably will do the sound twice as loud. Am thinking I should have restrained myself.
The lady at the counter insisted I misled her and I was in no mood to do a he said, she said argument so I just shut up and let her change my ticket before she clocked off for the day. I think I had gotten there with 5 mins to spare. Thankfully, she didn't charge me anything extra other than the difference in fare, which I can pay later since I didn't have anything on me when I ran back to the airport. Well, that's a plus.
Was thinking about going back online tonight to talk more with A, but the rains have started again as predicted and I have no desire to walk in that with the lack of drainage this island has. And my laptop... and my nighttime walking rule! All bad bad bad. So no more chatsies. I just have the gentle rain and cool jazz sounds of my iTunes as company.
Something in me was thinking not, so I waited more still. Thankfully, my good friend B was online and I had a nice chat with her. She has a good head on her shoulders and always levels me out when I'm a bit loopy. So some good perspective on my time here was gained through that conversation. Without giving too much away, she moved me on towards what I was already realising.
Luckily, it was a pretty shitty day for the beach so I had all the time on the world on my hands to wait. But when my computer battery started to blink at me, I gave up and headed home. En route, I heard my phone ring and probably flashed the nearby workers in my haste to get it before it stopped ringing. As it was, I missed it but it rang back straight away, and indeed it was who I was hoping for.
He told me he'd been delayed as he scored tickets to a Foo Fighters/Tenacious D gig, a good enuf excuse for me! Would've been an amazing show! He told me he practically ran home, almost asked Dave Grohl how much longer he was gonna play at one point haha... But eventually we connected, and before long I found myself sitting in Pineapple Pete's drinking beer after beer and eating lunch while the hours ticked into the early morning at his end.
It was a good chat. We both needed it. I was a bit bummed when he didn't come online at first, so it was a relief that we finally spoke. It is strange, this past weekend we REALLY missed each other... at the same time. It was the hardest time I've had away from him and indeed a turning point for me and my plans. While he's still in limbo about his visa, and I guess a lot of what I do depends on what happens with that.
After my beers, I was feeling content and all mushy from speaking so long with A, so after I wired some money back home I owed my sister, I jumped into a bus on the way to the airport to book my tickets to St Thomas for when Erm comes in less than a month. What happened next is either due to me being a bit tipsy (and well drunk on love) or the lady at the counter being a complete moron, but I managed to book and pay for tickets to St Thomas a full month before I was wanting to go. As in, I was due to leave in a few days!
I didn't realise the error til I was home, so annoyed I ran to the shop to get phone credit but as the airline's number didn't dial from my phone, I was forced to get back on a bus and go to the airport. Unfortunately, I got an annoying clicky-clicky sound from one of the guys hanging at a shitty bar and I bit - "I DON'T LIKE THAT FUCKING SOUND" I yelled as I stormed passed. God knows what he said, but I don't look forward to what he says the next time I pass. Probably will do the sound twice as loud. Am thinking I should have restrained myself.
The lady at the counter insisted I misled her and I was in no mood to do a he said, she said argument so I just shut up and let her change my ticket before she clocked off for the day. I think I had gotten there with 5 mins to spare. Thankfully, she didn't charge me anything extra other than the difference in fare, which I can pay later since I didn't have anything on me when I ran back to the airport. Well, that's a plus.
Was thinking about going back online tonight to talk more with A, but the rains have started again as predicted and I have no desire to walk in that with the lack of drainage this island has. And my laptop... and my nighttime walking rule! All bad bad bad. So no more chatsies. I just have the gentle rain and cool jazz sounds of my iTunes as company.
Monday 28 November 2011
And the heavens opened
I didn't think working on a Sunday would be quite as painful as normal, as this time I'd been switched to work with J. But lordy lord, was I wrong. It was the most despicable weather I have seen in my 5 weeks living here. Rain, rain and more rain.
I knew it was coming, as I sat eating my granola (American way of saying honeyed muesli) and yoghurt, watching the clouds devour every inch of the sky. If I'd been smart, I would have taken the annoying sucking sounds of my old man neighbour skinning (and sucking) bamboo as a warning sign that this day would indeed suck.
The boss wasn't around, not entirely surprisingly since anyone with half a brain was indoors as they say "fucking or sleeping" (glad to know my options are plentiful), so we were given our daily tasks as normal and expected to carry them out. Which we did... in time.
We had one lot of customers come - a cruise ship ride for J and 4 locals for me. Well, by locals I mean people living here. I didn't expect a tip, nor did I receive one. Most probably because just 100m into the ride my young horse decided to throw a tantrum and complete bonkers-out. It sensed the herd of non-working horses nearby and of course at that time that decided to gallop away, and he got all excited, jumping around and rearing up.
This did nothing to instil confidence in the 2 women already very nervous on their first ride, and the man with his young cousin. In fact, the young boy liked the excitement but I could tell the man was a little more dubious. Either way, no one came off, the one horse that bolted slowed and turned back quickly, and we were on our way again. I thought for one moment I would have had to dismount and change horses, but I pushed him on and he calmed down.
At that stage in the day, the weather wasn't yet raining horribly, just sprinkling, but it was windy. And the clouds were out, making views of the nearby islands impossible. It's always hard, too, when you have people that live on the island, to tell them things they probably already know. Our rides are really tailored to tourists, so when you have locals you really just have to have nice conversation.
And then I had the task of putting them in the right order - the young boy first, but then the scared girls in the middle and the older cousin at the back that probably wanted to be close to the young boy. Much more than meets the eye with being a horse guide. Most people probably don't even realise what goes through our heads!
As the rain fell around midday, J and I looked at the now murky water and thought it a perfect time to swim. Well, he was a bit uncertain... but I was keen, pulling off my t-shirt... and then he was keen haha.... amazingly, my white sports bra was thick enuf it wasn't see-through in the water. Was fun, though, going crazy in the rain. Afterwards, pretty much assigned myself lunch, as there was not much I could do without catching fever.
Had some people book a one-hour ride, then cancel, then another couple booking a two-hour ride (why????) then not show up... so I was on alert for the afternoon, praying they wouldn't turn up. Seriously... who books a ride on a day like today?? Ridiculous.
So obviously I made no tips today - the first time for me. No surprising, but still a bit of a bummer. This week I made a killing, though, so all good. Got a sympathy tip from J, who got a decent amount from his cruise ship ride - unusual - so maybe my freaky horse cost me some extra moolah. Oh well, off to the glue factory for you, m'dear.
At the end of the day - oh, how I longed for the end - the boss was there and congratulated us on getting everything done in the shitty weather. No problem. At all. Brrrrr. I rejected a lift from R and stayed around talking about the crazy hurricane weather of the island, how it'd changed in the last few decades and "Old Years" (what they call New Years Eve)... was quite interesting except that I was slowing starting to freeze still in my wet t-shirt. Seriously the first time I've properly been cold on the island. Was actually visualising sitting in front of a fire.
Came home and made myself entirely too much stir fry - in fact, I ate it all, as I always do. What was I saying about losing weight on this island?? Well, not much else to concentrate on really, is there? Can't shelter under trees like I did today thinking all kinds of sad things about not being with my love, now can I? Time to get crackin', let's get some of this weight off. Just the same, it's also easy to eat my way through the depression. Now where was that packet of M&Ms???
I knew it was coming, as I sat eating my granola (American way of saying honeyed muesli) and yoghurt, watching the clouds devour every inch of the sky. If I'd been smart, I would have taken the annoying sucking sounds of my old man neighbour skinning (and sucking) bamboo as a warning sign that this day would indeed suck.
The boss wasn't around, not entirely surprisingly since anyone with half a brain was indoors as they say "fucking or sleeping" (glad to know my options are plentiful), so we were given our daily tasks as normal and expected to carry them out. Which we did... in time.
We had one lot of customers come - a cruise ship ride for J and 4 locals for me. Well, by locals I mean people living here. I didn't expect a tip, nor did I receive one. Most probably because just 100m into the ride my young horse decided to throw a tantrum and complete bonkers-out. It sensed the herd of non-working horses nearby and of course at that time that decided to gallop away, and he got all excited, jumping around and rearing up.
This did nothing to instil confidence in the 2 women already very nervous on their first ride, and the man with his young cousin. In fact, the young boy liked the excitement but I could tell the man was a little more dubious. Either way, no one came off, the one horse that bolted slowed and turned back quickly, and we were on our way again. I thought for one moment I would have had to dismount and change horses, but I pushed him on and he calmed down.
At that stage in the day, the weather wasn't yet raining horribly, just sprinkling, but it was windy. And the clouds were out, making views of the nearby islands impossible. It's always hard, too, when you have people that live on the island, to tell them things they probably already know. Our rides are really tailored to tourists, so when you have locals you really just have to have nice conversation.
And then I had the task of putting them in the right order - the young boy first, but then the scared girls in the middle and the older cousin at the back that probably wanted to be close to the young boy. Much more than meets the eye with being a horse guide. Most people probably don't even realise what goes through our heads!
As the rain fell around midday, J and I looked at the now murky water and thought it a perfect time to swim. Well, he was a bit uncertain... but I was keen, pulling off my t-shirt... and then he was keen haha.... amazingly, my white sports bra was thick enuf it wasn't see-through in the water. Was fun, though, going crazy in the rain. Afterwards, pretty much assigned myself lunch, as there was not much I could do without catching fever.
Had some people book a one-hour ride, then cancel, then another couple booking a two-hour ride (why????) then not show up... so I was on alert for the afternoon, praying they wouldn't turn up. Seriously... who books a ride on a day like today?? Ridiculous.
So obviously I made no tips today - the first time for me. No surprising, but still a bit of a bummer. This week I made a killing, though, so all good. Got a sympathy tip from J, who got a decent amount from his cruise ship ride - unusual - so maybe my freaky horse cost me some extra moolah. Oh well, off to the glue factory for you, m'dear.
At the end of the day - oh, how I longed for the end - the boss was there and congratulated us on getting everything done in the shitty weather. No problem. At all. Brrrrr. I rejected a lift from R and stayed around talking about the crazy hurricane weather of the island, how it'd changed in the last few decades and "Old Years" (what they call New Years Eve)... was quite interesting except that I was slowing starting to freeze still in my wet t-shirt. Seriously the first time I've properly been cold on the island. Was actually visualising sitting in front of a fire.
Came home and made myself entirely too much stir fry - in fact, I ate it all, as I always do. What was I saying about losing weight on this island?? Well, not much else to concentrate on really, is there? Can't shelter under trees like I did today thinking all kinds of sad things about not being with my love, now can I? Time to get crackin', let's get some of this weight off. Just the same, it's also easy to eat my way through the depression. Now where was that packet of M&Ms???
Sunday 27 November 2011
A downer day
I don't even know how to start writing this day's blog, not because I can't find the words to describe an amazing event - moreso, it was more of the same for a cruise ship day.
I had several rides, the first of which was a family of English people who didn't tip. Great work, pommies, know I can always rely on you! Wonder if they realise I sometimes get more than my whole day's salary in a tip... Anyway, managed to get a lunch break today and found out the update on my boy's situation back home. He's in a bit of a funny headspace. don't blame him... but a couple of comments upset me a little (I think he was hungover or drunk at the time of writing so not all with it), and I worry he's doubting the strength of our relationship. I admit, I have those moments too, but I have 100% faith we will reunite and it will be great. We are meant to be together, I fully believe it.
One ride was fun, as they were all Puerto Rican and I was able to practise my bad Spanish with them. One lady even gave me her phone number to call her if I ever made it to Puerto Rico for somewhere to stay! What a sweetheart. At the moment, Puerto Rico does seem the cheapest route homeward, so it may well happen...
Altogether, I had 4 rides today. None were spectacularly different from the last, in fact I don't even know if I indeed had 5 rides. They all meld into one after a while. Today was the first day I started thinking... I wonder how long it'll be til I really start detesting coming to work. The busy season is only just beginning and there are already moments I wanna curse n yell.
Baby rabbits got born today but when I went to see them, the darn turtled was in their warren so they were all blocked from view. We tried to pull him off but he was wedged in good - worried he was suffocating them, but apparently it's all good. That way they grow fur quicker anyway. Still haven't seen the bloody new calf yet, and it's been 3 days!
I am tired now. And normally I would have tomorrow, Sunday, off but I got swapped the other day and now I have to work with J when the cruise ships are in. But apparently we have just one lot booked in, so maybe it will be dead after all. And dead Sundays can be DEAD. At least I'm not with D this time. Not that he's been too bad to work with, but when it's just him and I, he just talks and talks and talks, in the most annoying way possible. It's best when I have a buffer, someone else he can direct his inane thoughts towards.
I am going to admit now, I have been pretty depressed today and the drinking of beers while alone at night with just my thoughts is not helping one bit at all. But self-destructive happens to be one of my specialities. So I sit here, alone, thinking about the long-distance relationship I am trying to have with the love of my life. We both have our moments of doubt, this is clear, but I am so SO certain that he is the one, he is the person I was meant to meet and meant to share my life with.
Now I'm sorry if said person reads this and freaks out a little. I'm sorry. But these are all new feelings for me, and it's a roller coaster I never really expected to have to ride. So many thoughts are going through my head - and his, surely. I don't know if I can ride this out as long as I thought. Although, stubbornly, my self is telling.... myself.... that I should. While he, on the other side of the world, thinks exactly the same thing.
It's like we have this pigheaded road block stopping either of us from making the call and doing the grand, romantic gesture of following the other to the ends of the earth, quite literally. Or is it? I have my reasons, I guess he has his... Australia doesn't make the visa situation easy for our UK friends and I find it hard to part with this unique opportunity. But should I still be crying 6 weeks later??
I need to speak with him. Or I need to be patient. Either way, I'm not in the best way right now. My thoughts are all over the place. I never thought I'd say this but... I want my baby.
I had several rides, the first of which was a family of English people who didn't tip. Great work, pommies, know I can always rely on you! Wonder if they realise I sometimes get more than my whole day's salary in a tip... Anyway, managed to get a lunch break today and found out the update on my boy's situation back home. He's in a bit of a funny headspace. don't blame him... but a couple of comments upset me a little (I think he was hungover or drunk at the time of writing so not all with it), and I worry he's doubting the strength of our relationship. I admit, I have those moments too, but I have 100% faith we will reunite and it will be great. We are meant to be together, I fully believe it.
One ride was fun, as they were all Puerto Rican and I was able to practise my bad Spanish with them. One lady even gave me her phone number to call her if I ever made it to Puerto Rico for somewhere to stay! What a sweetheart. At the moment, Puerto Rico does seem the cheapest route homeward, so it may well happen...
Altogether, I had 4 rides today. None were spectacularly different from the last, in fact I don't even know if I indeed had 5 rides. They all meld into one after a while. Today was the first day I started thinking... I wonder how long it'll be til I really start detesting coming to work. The busy season is only just beginning and there are already moments I wanna curse n yell.
Baby rabbits got born today but when I went to see them, the darn turtled was in their warren so they were all blocked from view. We tried to pull him off but he was wedged in good - worried he was suffocating them, but apparently it's all good. That way they grow fur quicker anyway. Still haven't seen the bloody new calf yet, and it's been 3 days!
I am tired now. And normally I would have tomorrow, Sunday, off but I got swapped the other day and now I have to work with J when the cruise ships are in. But apparently we have just one lot booked in, so maybe it will be dead after all. And dead Sundays can be DEAD. At least I'm not with D this time. Not that he's been too bad to work with, but when it's just him and I, he just talks and talks and talks, in the most annoying way possible. It's best when I have a buffer, someone else he can direct his inane thoughts towards.
I am going to admit now, I have been pretty depressed today and the drinking of beers while alone at night with just my thoughts is not helping one bit at all. But self-destructive happens to be one of my specialities. So I sit here, alone, thinking about the long-distance relationship I am trying to have with the love of my life. We both have our moments of doubt, this is clear, but I am so SO certain that he is the one, he is the person I was meant to meet and meant to share my life with.
Now I'm sorry if said person reads this and freaks out a little. I'm sorry. But these are all new feelings for me, and it's a roller coaster I never really expected to have to ride. So many thoughts are going through my head - and his, surely. I don't know if I can ride this out as long as I thought. Although, stubbornly, my self is telling.... myself.... that I should. While he, on the other side of the world, thinks exactly the same thing.
It's like we have this pigheaded road block stopping either of us from making the call and doing the grand, romantic gesture of following the other to the ends of the earth, quite literally. Or is it? I have my reasons, I guess he has his... Australia doesn't make the visa situation easy for our UK friends and I find it hard to part with this unique opportunity. But should I still be crying 6 weeks later??
I need to speak with him. Or I need to be patient. Either way, I'm not in the best way right now. My thoughts are all over the place. I never thought I'd say this but... I want my baby.
Saturday 26 November 2011
From Romania to St Maarten
A cool day today, my favourite with a good stream of rides through the day and hardly any yard work. And a lunch break. I'm working out that I will enjoy the non-cruise ship days in high season, when you get people going for private rides and sunset rides rather than spending ridiculous amounts on a boring, simple ride with helmets and floaties.
Working solo with my least favourite guide D wasn't as bad as I'd thought. He was actually much better to deal with - I'm starting to realise that's because he had no one to act like an ass to in front of me, and he's a bit scared of girls so he just acts nice to their face and probably bags them behind their back. Which is fine, so long as he's nice to my face and the people he talks to from work know he is talking bullshit. Which they do.
Had 4 rides in total - first, a Romanian-born Canadian-living family who were mighty impressed I'd lived in Romania for a short while; then a couple of Americans (mother and daughter) going riding for the daughter's birthday; a huge 9 people that ended up being 8 when the dad got scared; and finally a sunset ride for a lovely young couple living here studying and working. Had trouble again with the fire, not because of rain this time but the bloody wind!! They told me about another kayaking company that offered rides on different days so maybe they'll send me the details and I fit it into my schedule better.
So some interesting developments on the other side of the globe - my boy has upped and left the farm he was staying at. Maybe things got so bad he couldn't take it, maybe he ACTUALLY listened to my advice, maybe he came to his senses... Either way, it's awesome news for me as it means he's not in a negative rut anymore and can explore other options.
Main problem is that the lady from the farm didn't sign him off for the 3 months like she promised, just the work he'd done - bloody Englishman, he probably didn't push her for it just smiled and nodded politely. Not like he didn't do the work of 3 months anyway in the time he was there!! Honestly, what kind of Help X place has their people working 7 days a week?!
So now he's back in the big city, off to have a mega party with his mates for Movember this weekend. Good for him, I know he's been aching for it. I bet he'll have a new Help X place by the end of the weekend (maybe Monday considering how wrecked he'll be on Saturday!). But at least he's got friends to stay with now, and they have laptops, and laptops can let people change their relationship status.... I KNOW it's gay but I also know it took him a while to want to admit it to cyberspace he was with me and me only. So it's cool that that was the first thing he did online when he got to a laptop.
Of course now it's got me thinking, what if he didn't get his visa? What if he just chucked it all in, gave up? Where then would he go....??? Nah, I doubt that would happen. Would be nice, having him come here, maybe we could do a crazy island elope thing and go back to Australia married hahahaha... now THAT'S crazy talk!!
Working solo with my least favourite guide D wasn't as bad as I'd thought. He was actually much better to deal with - I'm starting to realise that's because he had no one to act like an ass to in front of me, and he's a bit scared of girls so he just acts nice to their face and probably bags them behind their back. Which is fine, so long as he's nice to my face and the people he talks to from work know he is talking bullshit. Which they do.
Had 4 rides in total - first, a Romanian-born Canadian-living family who were mighty impressed I'd lived in Romania for a short while; then a couple of Americans (mother and daughter) going riding for the daughter's birthday; a huge 9 people that ended up being 8 when the dad got scared; and finally a sunset ride for a lovely young couple living here studying and working. Had trouble again with the fire, not because of rain this time but the bloody wind!! They told me about another kayaking company that offered rides on different days so maybe they'll send me the details and I fit it into my schedule better.
So some interesting developments on the other side of the globe - my boy has upped and left the farm he was staying at. Maybe things got so bad he couldn't take it, maybe he ACTUALLY listened to my advice, maybe he came to his senses... Either way, it's awesome news for me as it means he's not in a negative rut anymore and can explore other options.
Main problem is that the lady from the farm didn't sign him off for the 3 months like she promised, just the work he'd done - bloody Englishman, he probably didn't push her for it just smiled and nodded politely. Not like he didn't do the work of 3 months anyway in the time he was there!! Honestly, what kind of Help X place has their people working 7 days a week?!
So now he's back in the big city, off to have a mega party with his mates for Movember this weekend. Good for him, I know he's been aching for it. I bet he'll have a new Help X place by the end of the weekend (maybe Monday considering how wrecked he'll be on Saturday!). But at least he's got friends to stay with now, and they have laptops, and laptops can let people change their relationship status.... I KNOW it's gay but I also know it took him a while to want to admit it to cyberspace he was with me and me only. So it's cool that that was the first thing he did online when he got to a laptop.
Of course now it's got me thinking, what if he didn't get his visa? What if he just chucked it all in, gave up? Where then would he go....??? Nah, I doubt that would happen. Would be nice, having him come here, maybe we could do a crazy island elope thing and go back to Australia married hahahaha... now THAT'S crazy talk!!
Friday 25 November 2011
Escape to Pinel!
Another day off - time for Pinel Island! With the rearranging of my schedule I finally got one of the other guides off on the same day and so it was that rasta guide I took me to the French side. Well, I met him there, he lives there.
Was a minor mission getting to where the boat goes to Pinel, considering the size of the island (the best beaches here are often the hardest to get to), but I was rewarded by a lovely 2-cheek kiss from a pretty Barbadian-looking lady with big, bright flowers tucked behind her ears at the bar I wait for I at. Kinda willed the time to pass quickly as my greeting and polite courtesies in French were about all I could remember of the language so I didn't want her to try and engage in full conversation. Embarrassing!
At first I was going to change plans with I to go somewhere closer, as I was still at Seaside waiting for A to come online at 11am, but I ended up getting there just an hour later and we were on the 5 min boat ride in no time at all.
Pinel is a tiny island that opens 9-5 every day, and closes down at night. It is framed by lovely, clear water, clean sand and a few bar restaurants. At I's shout, I opted for a rum punch then pina colada then rack of ribs. Oops! Might've gone a bit overboard there. Especially since I's a vegetarian and doesn't drink! haha...
Was a beautiful day, though, marred only by the fact I forgot to change my underwear into swimmer bottoms and therefore had to make the decision about whether to go to the private side of the island to swim (and flash my ass to I) or just stay on land. I know what A is wanting me to say here, but damn the water was too tempting and so we walked the couple of minutes to the other, slightly seaweed-logged beach with no one on it, and I stripped down and jumped in.
A little drowsy after a smoke, we wandered back to the main area and had another drink (I felt daring and ordered a Bushwacker, which actually turned out to be quite nice). Got the second last boat back over - I hesitate to call it a ferry because it is so small. The guy on the way over gave us a cheaper ride too, since he realised he lived here. And no one at all asked for money for the way back so all in all, $5 return trip! Value for money.
All full of sunshine and happiness, I bounced back home and got changed for my weekly horseriding lesson. Got down to Seaside and no one had put aside my horse before letting them out for the night - no worries, he wasn't hard to find and put up no fight to being caught at 6pm. It's all a trick, you see. He doesn't become a pain until you get on him!
He took a bit to get relaxed, was bobbing his head around and chewing on his bit a lot, and rushed about in his trot and canter. Was a bit difficult trying to slow him with my seat and hands, as when I released the rein a little to get his head down, he sped up. And he still favours one side to work on, especially with half-pass etc. All boring technical stuf that he and I both still have a long way to go on. But there will be no more lessons for 2 weeks as the boss is on holidays with his family. That will be an interesting time at the ranch.
Noticed my legs have become quite brown, and it's possible I have never seen them quite so brown. Almost the colour of my arms, and they are always the darkest part of my body. So that's awesome. What's not awesome is the fact that the brownness does not extend all the way, and I have a nice tradey short mark. Gross. Maybe I will have to start riding in bikini bottoms at work. My history with bikini bottoms is not that great, though, evidently...
I'm on tomorrow solo with D, my least favourite guide. He's been given a warning and stern talking-to in front of everyone, so we're all to be on watch that he's behaving himself, being nice to guests and staff, and treating the animals right. Or he's cut back to weekends only and no horse rides. Let's see how this goes. Am not particularly looking forward to this but it's gotta be done. We have a few rides so hopefully we'll just keep out of each other's way.
Was a minor mission getting to where the boat goes to Pinel, considering the size of the island (the best beaches here are often the hardest to get to), but I was rewarded by a lovely 2-cheek kiss from a pretty Barbadian-looking lady with big, bright flowers tucked behind her ears at the bar I wait for I at. Kinda willed the time to pass quickly as my greeting and polite courtesies in French were about all I could remember of the language so I didn't want her to try and engage in full conversation. Embarrassing!
At first I was going to change plans with I to go somewhere closer, as I was still at Seaside waiting for A to come online at 11am, but I ended up getting there just an hour later and we were on the 5 min boat ride in no time at all.
Pinel is a tiny island that opens 9-5 every day, and closes down at night. It is framed by lovely, clear water, clean sand and a few bar restaurants. At I's shout, I opted for a rum punch then pina colada then rack of ribs. Oops! Might've gone a bit overboard there. Especially since I's a vegetarian and doesn't drink! haha...
Was a beautiful day, though, marred only by the fact I forgot to change my underwear into swimmer bottoms and therefore had to make the decision about whether to go to the private side of the island to swim (and flash my ass to I) or just stay on land. I know what A is wanting me to say here, but damn the water was too tempting and so we walked the couple of minutes to the other, slightly seaweed-logged beach with no one on it, and I stripped down and jumped in.
A little drowsy after a smoke, we wandered back to the main area and had another drink (I felt daring and ordered a Bushwacker, which actually turned out to be quite nice). Got the second last boat back over - I hesitate to call it a ferry because it is so small. The guy on the way over gave us a cheaper ride too, since he realised he lived here. And no one at all asked for money for the way back so all in all, $5 return trip! Value for money.
All full of sunshine and happiness, I bounced back home and got changed for my weekly horseriding lesson. Got down to Seaside and no one had put aside my horse before letting them out for the night - no worries, he wasn't hard to find and put up no fight to being caught at 6pm. It's all a trick, you see. He doesn't become a pain until you get on him!
He took a bit to get relaxed, was bobbing his head around and chewing on his bit a lot, and rushed about in his trot and canter. Was a bit difficult trying to slow him with my seat and hands, as when I released the rein a little to get his head down, he sped up. And he still favours one side to work on, especially with half-pass etc. All boring technical stuf that he and I both still have a long way to go on. But there will be no more lessons for 2 weeks as the boss is on holidays with his family. That will be an interesting time at the ranch.
Noticed my legs have become quite brown, and it's possible I have never seen them quite so brown. Almost the colour of my arms, and they are always the darkest part of my body. So that's awesome. What's not awesome is the fact that the brownness does not extend all the way, and I have a nice tradey short mark. Gross. Maybe I will have to start riding in bikini bottoms at work. My history with bikini bottoms is not that great, though, evidently...
I'm on tomorrow solo with D, my least favourite guide. He's been given a warning and stern talking-to in front of everyone, so we're all to be on watch that he's behaving himself, being nice to guests and staff, and treating the animals right. Or he's cut back to weekends only and no horse rides. Let's see how this goes. Am not particularly looking forward to this but it's gotta be done. We have a few rides so hopefully we'll just keep out of each other's way.
Thursday 24 November 2011
Alone with the fishies
My sleep-in amounted to a grand half hour today, what with my going to bed before 9pm and the usual heat and mozzie situation waking my body in the morning. Undeterred, I got on with my day off, which meant WASHING CLOTHES. Ahh, washing clothes. Mi amor.
Made myself bangers n mash for breakfast. Why? Cos I felt like it. Then headed to Seaside to try and get my beau online for a chatsies. Kinda had a feeling he wouldn't appear, because he'd mentioned how much harder the internet had been to access since ze Germans had arrived at the farm, and I guess he's busy also. So I just caught up on emails, got a quick tutorial on dressage from N, seeing as I'll be soon giving lessons. I know basic dressage but things like the numbers on the arena, never really been taught that.
The cruise ship tours started to arrive as I was there, the mostly old, fat American crowd with annoying accents and all with their own opinion about what was going on. I kept my mouth shut as I sat near the lockers to get better reception and listened to them talk about how the floaties they had to wear would probably get in the way of their riding and cause them to actually fall off in the water. Fools. They deserve to come off.
Was super glad to slide away into the background when I was done with the internet... it's funny how much more annoying the tourists are when you don't have to deal with them. I guess you just put your professional hat on! Don't get me wrong, they still do get to me at work sometimes...
Saw D, the guide I had problems with before, and kinda sidled off before saying anything to him. I know he's been taken off rides and he wouldn't be very happy about that, and no doubt he'd blame me. I'd rather just not have to deal with him at all. Which is the message I'm sure the office got, as I got a call later in the day asking if I wanted to have tomorrow off instead of tomorrow, because there will be more rides then than tomorrow, and J and D can work it alone. Fine with me! Working alone with D is the worst. I actually got to the point of counting how many days just he and I were working together this month.
After all my housekeeping errands were done, including a visit to Western Union to suss out how that all works (I can send money to a WU in Oz and they can deposit it in my bank if I find I use my credit card online too much), I was feeling major beach sleeps coming on. So I headed back home via the supermarket and the mozzie net store (woot), and texted L to see if he wanted to come along. I know he's skint because he's unemployed at the moment (last time we went out I had to shout his bus fare home...hmmm) so I suggested a nearby beach.
When he didn't reply straight away, I knew he was out of credit. Soon enuf, I had a call from a random number. It was him from a friend's phone, saying he was coming to meet me. So he came and as I was walking out the door, he asks how I'm getting to the beach. By bus, of course! Oh... seems he only had 75c in his pocket. I had a $5 budget to get to the beach n back, and he wasn't eating into that. It's the principle. I ain't your sugar mama.
I asked him why he didn't just say that on the phone instead of coming all the way over, and he said it wasn't his phone so he didn't want to talk too long, and he wanted to come say hi to me. Well, that's... nice. So he walked me to the bus stop, and we parted ways.
Something funny happened on the bus ride to Mullet Bay - there were a few French tourists on the taxi and I heard the driver quote them $2 per ride (it's usually $1.50) when they got out at the end of the route. I followed from the back of the bus, he took one look at me and you could tell he was puzzled as to why I was waiting for change when I gave him $2. I just said, "No, I'm not one of the tourists" with my hand out. Another 50c of principle back in the wallet. So I was off to the beach alone. Again.
Except I wasn't alone... as soon as I got in the water, I saw these fish - about 20cm long - swimming circles around me. I looked around the clear water to see if I had landed in a school on the way to their next meal, but saw the only fish were surrounding me. I moved this way and that, deeper and shallower, and they followed me. I was really tempted to ask the nearby swimmers if the same thing was happening to them. But I just let it rest. I liked my new little friends.
Fell asleep on the beach again, am yet to check out the skin damage, but it was a nice rest. It is nice to come to the beach for a sleep. Much better than tossing n turning in a tepid bedroom. Nothing beats the cool beach breeze on the drying salt of a body. Of course, I was just sleeping, not thinking such romantic thoughts at the time. Mainly when I was conscious I was just thinking how many more fat, old American tourists were around me, yet again... among the odd, topless hottie. I heard some of them speak French but the others, who knows where they come from - but more should come by Seaside.
It took FOREVER to get home. I know I could have walked in half the time, it's gotta be about 10kms, but the traffic was so bad I was in the bus for an hour. There was a Spanish-speaking woman complaining the whole time, chatting with the driver, and so I occupied myself by trying to understand what she said and thinking up responses in my head. Of course too scared to say them, in case she mistook me for a Spanish speaker and started to include me on the conversation.
Passed a few restaurants touting Thanksgiving specials for this Thursday with smiling cartoon turkeys on the menu board (shudder) - took me back to this time last year, when I celebrated my first Thanksgiving with the American guy that ran the English school I taught with in Slovakia. That night was messy. Fireworks in a tiny apartment, a turkey too big for the oven, joint after joint, MTV videos on all night, drunkenly peeling off the cooked outer layers of the turkey in impatience, grease.... everywhere... Good times.
I squeezed out of the bus next to the obese woman next to me and went again to the supermarket to get mac n cheese - I need to use my milk up. And mac n cheese - always a winner (speaking of obese). Now with another day off under my belt, I'm getting on the beers, will head to the wifi sports bar to catch A and have a nice sleep in with my new mozzie net. Well, that's the plan.
The hardware store next door to my house has started putting up a blow-up Santa out the front since the last few days. Is it really already that time?? I guess it's only a month away. Geez, how time flies! I wonder if I'll get an invitation to someone's dinner around here. Would be nice... I get so lonely at Christmas time. And there's not really a big Australian orphan collective here to band together... I guess time will tell.
Made myself bangers n mash for breakfast. Why? Cos I felt like it. Then headed to Seaside to try and get my beau online for a chatsies. Kinda had a feeling he wouldn't appear, because he'd mentioned how much harder the internet had been to access since ze Germans had arrived at the farm, and I guess he's busy also. So I just caught up on emails, got a quick tutorial on dressage from N, seeing as I'll be soon giving lessons. I know basic dressage but things like the numbers on the arena, never really been taught that.
The cruise ship tours started to arrive as I was there, the mostly old, fat American crowd with annoying accents and all with their own opinion about what was going on. I kept my mouth shut as I sat near the lockers to get better reception and listened to them talk about how the floaties they had to wear would probably get in the way of their riding and cause them to actually fall off in the water. Fools. They deserve to come off.
Was super glad to slide away into the background when I was done with the internet... it's funny how much more annoying the tourists are when you don't have to deal with them. I guess you just put your professional hat on! Don't get me wrong, they still do get to me at work sometimes...
Saw D, the guide I had problems with before, and kinda sidled off before saying anything to him. I know he's been taken off rides and he wouldn't be very happy about that, and no doubt he'd blame me. I'd rather just not have to deal with him at all. Which is the message I'm sure the office got, as I got a call later in the day asking if I wanted to have tomorrow off instead of tomorrow, because there will be more rides then than tomorrow, and J and D can work it alone. Fine with me! Working alone with D is the worst. I actually got to the point of counting how many days just he and I were working together this month.
After all my housekeeping errands were done, including a visit to Western Union to suss out how that all works (I can send money to a WU in Oz and they can deposit it in my bank if I find I use my credit card online too much), I was feeling major beach sleeps coming on. So I headed back home via the supermarket and the mozzie net store (woot), and texted L to see if he wanted to come along. I know he's skint because he's unemployed at the moment (last time we went out I had to shout his bus fare home...hmmm) so I suggested a nearby beach.
When he didn't reply straight away, I knew he was out of credit. Soon enuf, I had a call from a random number. It was him from a friend's phone, saying he was coming to meet me. So he came and as I was walking out the door, he asks how I'm getting to the beach. By bus, of course! Oh... seems he only had 75c in his pocket. I had a $5 budget to get to the beach n back, and he wasn't eating into that. It's the principle. I ain't your sugar mama.
I asked him why he didn't just say that on the phone instead of coming all the way over, and he said it wasn't his phone so he didn't want to talk too long, and he wanted to come say hi to me. Well, that's... nice. So he walked me to the bus stop, and we parted ways.
Something funny happened on the bus ride to Mullet Bay - there were a few French tourists on the taxi and I heard the driver quote them $2 per ride (it's usually $1.50) when they got out at the end of the route. I followed from the back of the bus, he took one look at me and you could tell he was puzzled as to why I was waiting for change when I gave him $2. I just said, "No, I'm not one of the tourists" with my hand out. Another 50c of principle back in the wallet. So I was off to the beach alone. Again.
Except I wasn't alone... as soon as I got in the water, I saw these fish - about 20cm long - swimming circles around me. I looked around the clear water to see if I had landed in a school on the way to their next meal, but saw the only fish were surrounding me. I moved this way and that, deeper and shallower, and they followed me. I was really tempted to ask the nearby swimmers if the same thing was happening to them. But I just let it rest. I liked my new little friends.
Fell asleep on the beach again, am yet to check out the skin damage, but it was a nice rest. It is nice to come to the beach for a sleep. Much better than tossing n turning in a tepid bedroom. Nothing beats the cool beach breeze on the drying salt of a body. Of course, I was just sleeping, not thinking such romantic thoughts at the time. Mainly when I was conscious I was just thinking how many more fat, old American tourists were around me, yet again... among the odd, topless hottie. I heard some of them speak French but the others, who knows where they come from - but more should come by Seaside.
It took FOREVER to get home. I know I could have walked in half the time, it's gotta be about 10kms, but the traffic was so bad I was in the bus for an hour. There was a Spanish-speaking woman complaining the whole time, chatting with the driver, and so I occupied myself by trying to understand what she said and thinking up responses in my head. Of course too scared to say them, in case she mistook me for a Spanish speaker and started to include me on the conversation.
Passed a few restaurants touting Thanksgiving specials for this Thursday with smiling cartoon turkeys on the menu board (shudder) - took me back to this time last year, when I celebrated my first Thanksgiving with the American guy that ran the English school I taught with in Slovakia. That night was messy. Fireworks in a tiny apartment, a turkey too big for the oven, joint after joint, MTV videos on all night, drunkenly peeling off the cooked outer layers of the turkey in impatience, grease.... everywhere... Good times.
I squeezed out of the bus next to the obese woman next to me and went again to the supermarket to get mac n cheese - I need to use my milk up. And mac n cheese - always a winner (speaking of obese). Now with another day off under my belt, I'm getting on the beers, will head to the wifi sports bar to catch A and have a nice sleep in with my new mozzie net. Well, that's the plan.
The hardware store next door to my house has started putting up a blow-up Santa out the front since the last few days. Is it really already that time?? I guess it's only a month away. Geez, how time flies! I wonder if I'll get an invitation to someone's dinner around here. Would be nice... I get so lonely at Christmas time. And there's not really a big Australian orphan collective here to band together... I guess time will tell.
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Those bovine demons from hell
So today was a busy one - again, I got no lunch break but then when I was asked to bring in the horses they felt sorry for me not having eaten, so let me sit down to have some ghastly mozarella sticks (seriously, I feel sick after eating too many every time... why do I do it??) before heading out. Then it was time to face my bovine demons.
Of course I couldn't find the cows, second day in a row, but I honestly looked long n hard. Was a bit worried I'd miss my first lesson arriving but as she never came, I had more time to look around. I rode Tornado bitless (that means without the hard metal bit that goes in their mouth - my ideal type of riding) and he was perfect. Man, he is a good horse. I have decided that he is my favourite here.
Considering the amount of people I took out, 7 at times (too many to get a good ride, I think), tips were few n far between. It wasn't until I was about to unsaddle the horses that I got a frantic call from office manager, R, saying I needed to leave 4 for a ride that just showed up. Caught me in the nick of time.
So while guide I stayed behind trying to organise to buy more feed since the truck was bogged in the mud, I went off on a nice ride around the headland. Well, it was nice until the skies decided to open and I started fretting about the laptop I'd left in a locker that is known to leak in heavy rain.
Thankfully, we were close to the lockers by that stage and so I ran over to retrieve it, while the lady on my ride called for me to stash her bag with expensive camera inside somewhere. It really was bucketing. Same as yesterday. And, same as yesterday, we trudged into the water at the end, although this time it was a new experience as it was the heaviest rain I'd been in the water with before, and it was still light so the water was this opaque blue - but sooo warm compared to the rain!
They were a nice family that wasn't so perturbed by rain and so it was no surprise I got a nice tip - more than all my cruise rides combined! - at the end. I always think the guides get more tips when they have to take their guests through a rain storm. So may the heavens open each and every day! haha
At the supermarket I was ogled by some guy and, after basically ignoring me, got a curt comment of, "I try give you a compliment n you just ignore me?" I kept my eyes elsewhere, gave a blink-n-you'll-miss-it smile n said "sorry". He guffaw reply - in the vein of "Did she really do that to me? The nerve!" - was the first of its kind I'd had here. Asshole. But it did get me thinking that it would be bad to make enemies here as everyone was particularly edgy about crime rising in the area. Makes me worried to see the locals like that...
Made myself spag bowl tonight. Reminded me of the first night I stayed at my boy's house in Brixton. We were so drunk when we got home I demanded food (pasta a preference for me drunk) so we whips out leftover spag bowl from the fridge, heats it up and voila! Best spag bowl I ever ate. Then we stayed up til 5am exchanging YouTube songs, when he had to leave for work at 6. AM. Those were good times - clearly for me sleeping rather than him at work. Actually, no that day I was shoved to the curb because his flatmate didn't trust the skanks (haha) A sometimes brought home (the last one had stolen shit apparently) so out I went with A. That bus ride back to Brixton was living hell.
Anyway, the point of my story was that my spag bowl made me miss A. I'm thinking of him at the moment, things have turned a little sour with Manor Chicken Shit in bum-fuck-idaho in WA, and he's been asked if he wanted to leave. I suggested he leave and find another place near Perth, or even work at a hostel to save cash. I know his predicament, more factors than I care to mention in this ramble, but I also empathise because it harks of the time I was bitten by the Rottweiler in Slovenia and then asked to leave. Yep, blame me, not your clearly unstable pet. Oh yeah, and make sure you leave that dog in the same room as your gorgeous 10-month-old baby. Weirdos.
But I digress. And time runs away from me again. Almost 9pm and my eyes are drooping. Was a big day today and will be again tomorrow, my usual day off but I'm on from 7 because they have lots of rides. Will be off the following day. Cruise ships have increased so off we ride into the high season sunset... with all its tightass customers. Yippee!!!!
But MAN, the views are incredible from my saddle. For this, I love my job.
Of course I couldn't find the cows, second day in a row, but I honestly looked long n hard. Was a bit worried I'd miss my first lesson arriving but as she never came, I had more time to look around. I rode Tornado bitless (that means without the hard metal bit that goes in their mouth - my ideal type of riding) and he was perfect. Man, he is a good horse. I have decided that he is my favourite here.
Considering the amount of people I took out, 7 at times (too many to get a good ride, I think), tips were few n far between. It wasn't until I was about to unsaddle the horses that I got a frantic call from office manager, R, saying I needed to leave 4 for a ride that just showed up. Caught me in the nick of time.
So while guide I stayed behind trying to organise to buy more feed since the truck was bogged in the mud, I went off on a nice ride around the headland. Well, it was nice until the skies decided to open and I started fretting about the laptop I'd left in a locker that is known to leak in heavy rain.
Thankfully, we were close to the lockers by that stage and so I ran over to retrieve it, while the lady on my ride called for me to stash her bag with expensive camera inside somewhere. It really was bucketing. Same as yesterday. And, same as yesterday, we trudged into the water at the end, although this time it was a new experience as it was the heaviest rain I'd been in the water with before, and it was still light so the water was this opaque blue - but sooo warm compared to the rain!
They were a nice family that wasn't so perturbed by rain and so it was no surprise I got a nice tip - more than all my cruise rides combined! - at the end. I always think the guides get more tips when they have to take their guests through a rain storm. So may the heavens open each and every day! haha
At the supermarket I was ogled by some guy and, after basically ignoring me, got a curt comment of, "I try give you a compliment n you just ignore me?" I kept my eyes elsewhere, gave a blink-n-you'll-miss-it smile n said "sorry". He guffaw reply - in the vein of "Did she really do that to me? The nerve!" - was the first of its kind I'd had here. Asshole. But it did get me thinking that it would be bad to make enemies here as everyone was particularly edgy about crime rising in the area. Makes me worried to see the locals like that...
Made myself spag bowl tonight. Reminded me of the first night I stayed at my boy's house in Brixton. We were so drunk when we got home I demanded food (pasta a preference for me drunk) so we whips out leftover spag bowl from the fridge, heats it up and voila! Best spag bowl I ever ate. Then we stayed up til 5am exchanging YouTube songs, when he had to leave for work at 6. AM. Those were good times - clearly for me sleeping rather than him at work. Actually, no that day I was shoved to the curb because his flatmate didn't trust the skanks (haha) A sometimes brought home (the last one had stolen shit apparently) so out I went with A. That bus ride back to Brixton was living hell.
Anyway, the point of my story was that my spag bowl made me miss A. I'm thinking of him at the moment, things have turned a little sour with Manor Chicken Shit in bum-fuck-idaho in WA, and he's been asked if he wanted to leave. I suggested he leave and find another place near Perth, or even work at a hostel to save cash. I know his predicament, more factors than I care to mention in this ramble, but I also empathise because it harks of the time I was bitten by the Rottweiler in Slovenia and then asked to leave. Yep, blame me, not your clearly unstable pet. Oh yeah, and make sure you leave that dog in the same room as your gorgeous 10-month-old baby. Weirdos.
But I digress. And time runs away from me again. Almost 9pm and my eyes are drooping. Was a big day today and will be again tomorrow, my usual day off but I'm on from 7 because they have lots of rides. Will be off the following day. Cruise ships have increased so off we ride into the high season sunset... with all its tightass customers. Yippee!!!!
But MAN, the views are incredible from my saddle. For this, I love my job.
My little rant
OK, so today was probably a turning point for me. I no longer stayed quiet about my thoughts on the Indian/Guayan guide we have working at Seaside. I won't say a guide that I work with, because we don't work "together" as such and really, if I had my way, he wouldn't work there at all. There are several problems I have with his employment.
Firstly, he is rude. A rude, arrogant, annoying asshole. I say this with full and complete evidence to back me up, this is no whim. Oh, no siree. He has that Indian cockiness that gets under my skin, which includes a pretty bad attitude to women. Most of the time I've been told, "Don't worry, it's just cos he's a gay. He's just a homo." Not that that makes ANY difference to the way he should act to other people!
No, he's just got a bad way with people, not at all socially ept, and they put HIM on trails?? I would not enjoy myself at all if I had him as a guide! I watch him with customers and often have to step in and be extra nice n friendly, just so they relax a little. There was a family in here just yesterday, and before they even set off I could tell they were going to complain about him. I so wanted to take over the ride!! And complain they did.
So, on top of this, he's been working at the place for 8 or 9 years. I thought always as a guide but as I found out today, mostly as a cleaner and shit-kicker (or picker-upper) and it was only when the boss got sick of his nagging to start taking out trails that he was put on them. So they still keep him as a stable hand basically but have started putting him on trails, once a day if they need him or more if it's busy. But after today, he's on a break.
I started moaning at the staff about his attitude, which was shit from the morning when I accidentally let out a couple of horses (who weren't being used today anyway) and he started bitching about it about 5m from me to another staff member. I cursed, saying to myself that this was most likely the day I crack.
He didn't get better during the day, coming back in a foul mood when a lady on a ride didn't feel comfortable continuing. If any of the rest of us had her, she would've been relaxed n settled in 5 mins. Not with D, though.
My concerns filtered through to my boss, R, and he had a word with me at one stage. I slowly told him a few of my concerns, building to almost tear-level when I finished with him behaviour with the horses. He pulls them and pushes them, bordering on abuse sometimes. Doesn't care who it's in front of, regardless of the fact that WE AREN'T IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY THAT KICKS THEIR MULES AROUND. It's worse if he's in a bad mood.
He won't take out any but a handful of horses, is too scared to ride anything that is probably the right size for him after one bad experience with a tall horse. Can't really ride that well, just kicks and pulls around the horse til he gets his way. Finds the BEST horses we have here, ride like a dream, too much to handle. And with a lead line... geez, well, there's no delicacy there. Not even for a scared little kid.
Doesn't matter what he says in front of guests either, he could insult them or us or just generally swear. Today when we're mounting guests, he's bitching that I didn't get on my horse fast enuf so the other guide should take the ride. Yep, I'm really gonna sprint through the slippery, disgusting slop we call ground at the moment and risk breaking my neck, getting top-to-toe filthy and scaring all the horses... asshole.
He clearly doesn't like taking out trails, the ONLY reason he does it is for tips so it's obvious he doesn't want to be there. And when he does get some kind of tip, he usually lies about what he gets. Major issues there. Lying about tips?? Get a grip man. So you can imagine how happy he is that we get more rides than him, me especially since I'm so new. And soon he'll get no rides and I'll get them all on a Sunday because I don't make the guests feel like shit. That day will be fun (sarcasm there).
So I'm meant to sit down with R and go through my issues at some stage, I know D is getting a warning about his behaviour to staff, guests and the horses, and getting taken off rides for a while... which I'm partly glad about, but also worried because he will blame it all on me (even though guests complained) and be even more of an ass to me and the horses. Maybe, if I'm lucky, it'll mean he just stops trying to talk to me altogether. He tells some bullshit, meaningless stories, that one.
So this is my little rant. Good to get it off my chest. I am not copying his behaviour by bitching to everyone except the person in question, if he brings it up I will say point blank what I think of him, but I guess I'll have that chance if R does in fact bring us together for a little talk. But fucked if I'm gonna get spoken down to by someone like that. Come back to me when you have SOME idea about life.
Firstly, he is rude. A rude, arrogant, annoying asshole. I say this with full and complete evidence to back me up, this is no whim. Oh, no siree. He has that Indian cockiness that gets under my skin, which includes a pretty bad attitude to women. Most of the time I've been told, "Don't worry, it's just cos he's a gay. He's just a homo." Not that that makes ANY difference to the way he should act to other people!
No, he's just got a bad way with people, not at all socially ept, and they put HIM on trails?? I would not enjoy myself at all if I had him as a guide! I watch him with customers and often have to step in and be extra nice n friendly, just so they relax a little. There was a family in here just yesterday, and before they even set off I could tell they were going to complain about him. I so wanted to take over the ride!! And complain they did.
So, on top of this, he's been working at the place for 8 or 9 years. I thought always as a guide but as I found out today, mostly as a cleaner and shit-kicker (or picker-upper) and it was only when the boss got sick of his nagging to start taking out trails that he was put on them. So they still keep him as a stable hand basically but have started putting him on trails, once a day if they need him or more if it's busy. But after today, he's on a break.
I started moaning at the staff about his attitude, which was shit from the morning when I accidentally let out a couple of horses (who weren't being used today anyway) and he started bitching about it about 5m from me to another staff member. I cursed, saying to myself that this was most likely the day I crack.
He didn't get better during the day, coming back in a foul mood when a lady on a ride didn't feel comfortable continuing. If any of the rest of us had her, she would've been relaxed n settled in 5 mins. Not with D, though.
My concerns filtered through to my boss, R, and he had a word with me at one stage. I slowly told him a few of my concerns, building to almost tear-level when I finished with him behaviour with the horses. He pulls them and pushes them, bordering on abuse sometimes. Doesn't care who it's in front of, regardless of the fact that WE AREN'T IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY THAT KICKS THEIR MULES AROUND. It's worse if he's in a bad mood.
He won't take out any but a handful of horses, is too scared to ride anything that is probably the right size for him after one bad experience with a tall horse. Can't really ride that well, just kicks and pulls around the horse til he gets his way. Finds the BEST horses we have here, ride like a dream, too much to handle. And with a lead line... geez, well, there's no delicacy there. Not even for a scared little kid.
Doesn't matter what he says in front of guests either, he could insult them or us or just generally swear. Today when we're mounting guests, he's bitching that I didn't get on my horse fast enuf so the other guide should take the ride. Yep, I'm really gonna sprint through the slippery, disgusting slop we call ground at the moment and risk breaking my neck, getting top-to-toe filthy and scaring all the horses... asshole.
He clearly doesn't like taking out trails, the ONLY reason he does it is for tips so it's obvious he doesn't want to be there. And when he does get some kind of tip, he usually lies about what he gets. Major issues there. Lying about tips?? Get a grip man. So you can imagine how happy he is that we get more rides than him, me especially since I'm so new. And soon he'll get no rides and I'll get them all on a Sunday because I don't make the guests feel like shit. That day will be fun (sarcasm there).
So I'm meant to sit down with R and go through my issues at some stage, I know D is getting a warning about his behaviour to staff, guests and the horses, and getting taken off rides for a while... which I'm partly glad about, but also worried because he will blame it all on me (even though guests complained) and be even more of an ass to me and the horses. Maybe, if I'm lucky, it'll mean he just stops trying to talk to me altogether. He tells some bullshit, meaningless stories, that one.
So this is my little rant. Good to get it off my chest. I am not copying his behaviour by bitching to everyone except the person in question, if he brings it up I will say point blank what I think of him, but I guess I'll have that chance if R does in fact bring us together for a little talk. But fucked if I'm gonna get spoken down to by someone like that. Come back to me when you have SOME idea about life.
Robberies and shrubberies
They say December is the rainy month. Not to be outdone, November put on a show today, much to the delight of our riders, the staff and the horses. The ducks, not so bothered, but the rest of us... grrrr.
Was greeted by 2 dead chickens, all splayed out from the previous night's rain with no blood in sight and not at all gnawed at by mongoose in the dark hours, so was wondering how they died. The boss thinks it was disease. But haaaeellll no am I gonna touch those corpses. Not good with dead things.
We had 2 rides booked, good for a Sunday, so D took the first lot and I was scheduled for the sunset champagne ride. Before that, however, I was asked to get in the horses and cows from free range grazing during the day. Usually my favourite activity, because it involves going down all trails by myself in the afternoon sun taking in the views and chasing around rouge animals.
Not so much fun today.
First, I thought I'd try one of the horses that doesn't usually go for the rounding up. Surely, they can't be THAT bad, just need a strong hand, right? Right?? So I ventured out with Caramel, not a lead horse and as I was soon to find out, certainly no hunter or gatherer. He was reticent from the start, always wanting to be back with the gang in the stables. Then, when he saw a herd of horses running down the mountain back there, he wanted to be with THEM.
At this time, I was in the shrubbery, and soon enuf my horse started bucking, rearing and turning around (or trying to) in the thick of it. It was about this time I decided to bail, in a nice, soft pile of long grass. No harm done, I pulled the horse out onto the road and re-mounted. A few staccato steps and I knew it would be a downhill battle (quite literally) back to the stable, and given his recent performance, I didn't fancy coming off on the hard gravel.
Lucky I'd kept a spare horse in the stable so I returned Caramel and hopped on Duende's much more reliable back, and went out for a look-see for these bovine demons of hell. Found 3 of the 4 but soon was led into the thickest of brambles, and not being able to see the horse's feet. Which led ME into an unexpected pile of fencing wire. Thankfully, my horse just jumped about enuf to let me know something was up, and I got off to fix him up.
In the meantime, the cows disappeared completely from sight and I again failed in getting every animal safely down to the yards to be locked up. Don't think they'll be sending me out much more in the future. But hey, I gotta learn sometime! Had to get back for my other work, so did a couple of rounds to no avail and headed back.
Had my evening ride to prepare for, and when they arrived asked if they still wanted to go into the water at the end. To my disappointment, they said yes so off I trudged to get into my boardshorts, having been treated to almost a whole day in my cowboy boots and jodhpurs. So much easier to crawl around and get messed up in that gear.
Already I was in for a challenge on this ride, as the day's rain had dampened all my firewood for the roasting of the marshmallows part of the ride. Also, to my dismay, the shitty champagne I was supplied with was almost dead flat so the poor couple on their anniversary had nothing good to toast with. When I managed to get some flames burning and the marshmallows on the roast, the rain started.
So we packed up and got back on the horses, the saddles of which were now soaked. The fireflies were out, as were the mozzies, so I was thoroughly enjoying myself by now. Then, an extra treat - more rain! Torrential rain! We were soaked to the bone by the time the ride got to the water, and they still wanted in, so in we went. The horses, bless 'em, got in and walked around, probably cos the water was actually warming us up! I think that rain made me almost shiver, unheard of here!
At the end of it all, I actually got a tip from the couple, 20 euros, so that wasn't so bad. Guides pretty much always get tipped if they have to ride in the rain, and fair enuf, it's pretty crappy!
Met a lovely, pretty black lady at Seaside today who was looking to start lessons up again and asked if she could start with me tomorrow. So hopefully, if they don't assign someone else to her, I will have my first student tomorrow after the cruise ship rides.
Heard more about the supermarket robbery last night... apparently the owner and security guards were hit hard over the heads. I hope they're OK. By the end of the day, my boss had changed our locks. We've already had the "crime" talk so we knew it was on the way. And according to my potential new student, crime rises sharply in December including street assaults so I need to be extra careful. As does the Erm when she arrives as well. New rule: no walking at night with the laptop!
On my way home I was looking forward to buying a mosquito net but was met with closed shop doors, me forgetting again it was Sunday (since most normal people don't work Sundays and therefore feel their day off!), so off it was home to another cold shower. Not so bad when I'm hot, now it's cooling off a bit. But oh well, at least I've got the mud off me - oh, the mud. It haunts me. And now I'm clean but my room STINKS of wet clothes. And my mozzie repellant is on its last legs. A terrific night ahead of me.
Was greeted by 2 dead chickens, all splayed out from the previous night's rain with no blood in sight and not at all gnawed at by mongoose in the dark hours, so was wondering how they died. The boss thinks it was disease. But haaaeellll no am I gonna touch those corpses. Not good with dead things.
We had 2 rides booked, good for a Sunday, so D took the first lot and I was scheduled for the sunset champagne ride. Before that, however, I was asked to get in the horses and cows from free range grazing during the day. Usually my favourite activity, because it involves going down all trails by myself in the afternoon sun taking in the views and chasing around rouge animals.
Not so much fun today.
First, I thought I'd try one of the horses that doesn't usually go for the rounding up. Surely, they can't be THAT bad, just need a strong hand, right? Right?? So I ventured out with Caramel, not a lead horse and as I was soon to find out, certainly no hunter or gatherer. He was reticent from the start, always wanting to be back with the gang in the stables. Then, when he saw a herd of horses running down the mountain back there, he wanted to be with THEM.
At this time, I was in the shrubbery, and soon enuf my horse started bucking, rearing and turning around (or trying to) in the thick of it. It was about this time I decided to bail, in a nice, soft pile of long grass. No harm done, I pulled the horse out onto the road and re-mounted. A few staccato steps and I knew it would be a downhill battle (quite literally) back to the stable, and given his recent performance, I didn't fancy coming off on the hard gravel.
Lucky I'd kept a spare horse in the stable so I returned Caramel and hopped on Duende's much more reliable back, and went out for a look-see for these bovine demons of hell. Found 3 of the 4 but soon was led into the thickest of brambles, and not being able to see the horse's feet. Which led ME into an unexpected pile of fencing wire. Thankfully, my horse just jumped about enuf to let me know something was up, and I got off to fix him up.
In the meantime, the cows disappeared completely from sight and I again failed in getting every animal safely down to the yards to be locked up. Don't think they'll be sending me out much more in the future. But hey, I gotta learn sometime! Had to get back for my other work, so did a couple of rounds to no avail and headed back.
Had my evening ride to prepare for, and when they arrived asked if they still wanted to go into the water at the end. To my disappointment, they said yes so off I trudged to get into my boardshorts, having been treated to almost a whole day in my cowboy boots and jodhpurs. So much easier to crawl around and get messed up in that gear.
Already I was in for a challenge on this ride, as the day's rain had dampened all my firewood for the roasting of the marshmallows part of the ride. Also, to my dismay, the shitty champagne I was supplied with was almost dead flat so the poor couple on their anniversary had nothing good to toast with. When I managed to get some flames burning and the marshmallows on the roast, the rain started.
So we packed up and got back on the horses, the saddles of which were now soaked. The fireflies were out, as were the mozzies, so I was thoroughly enjoying myself by now. Then, an extra treat - more rain! Torrential rain! We were soaked to the bone by the time the ride got to the water, and they still wanted in, so in we went. The horses, bless 'em, got in and walked around, probably cos the water was actually warming us up! I think that rain made me almost shiver, unheard of here!
At the end of it all, I actually got a tip from the couple, 20 euros, so that wasn't so bad. Guides pretty much always get tipped if they have to ride in the rain, and fair enuf, it's pretty crappy!
Met a lovely, pretty black lady at Seaside today who was looking to start lessons up again and asked if she could start with me tomorrow. So hopefully, if they don't assign someone else to her, I will have my first student tomorrow after the cruise ship rides.
Heard more about the supermarket robbery last night... apparently the owner and security guards were hit hard over the heads. I hope they're OK. By the end of the day, my boss had changed our locks. We've already had the "crime" talk so we knew it was on the way. And according to my potential new student, crime rises sharply in December including street assaults so I need to be extra careful. As does the Erm when she arrives as well. New rule: no walking at night with the laptop!
On my way home I was looking forward to buying a mosquito net but was met with closed shop doors, me forgetting again it was Sunday (since most normal people don't work Sundays and therefore feel their day off!), so off it was home to another cold shower. Not so bad when I'm hot, now it's cooling off a bit. But oh well, at least I've got the mud off me - oh, the mud. It haunts me. And now I'm clean but my room STINKS of wet clothes. And my mozzie repellant is on its last legs. A terrific night ahead of me.
Sunday 20 November 2011
No tip... the price of romance??
Whoa, what a big day - where do I even start? How about the beginning, then. Had a restless night's sleep, mainly because of the a) heat, b) anxiety I would sleep through my kayak appointment and c) mozzies. Eventually I fell back asleep and of course about 5 seconds later my alarm went off.
Momentarily thought about using my late mark from work to snooze a couple extra hours, but then reminded myself where I was and that I should make the most of this place, so I dredged my body out of bed to get to kayaking. Took just 17 mins to walk to Kim Sha beach, where the lesson was to take place, so I got there in time and was actually waiting for the others to come. Stretched a little in the meantime...
In the end, it was just N and I with the instructor, and he chose to put me behind him in the double kayak. Another new experience for me, it was good also because I could copy his stroke and really work on my technique. It's a lot harder than it looks - and hopefully when I get it right I won't feel it so much in my arms. I felt I got a few good strokes in but it was hard to maintain.
Paddled all the way to the oil ship by my work, a couple of kms in total, the headed back for fear of getting contaminated by any spilling oil. But I didn't see any. My arms were a little tired so I was happy with the distance we made. The island is so beautiful from the water, a totally different perspective. I could finally see the "mansions" on the point just over from us - turns out they're just little bungalows, still nice but probably rented out by season. Still, my instructor thought they were only worth $350,000-400,000. For THAT view, sheeeeesh...
Got to work at 9am, an hour later than normal, all bright n energised, and had a ride scheduled for 10:30 which didn't turn up for another hour as the traffic clogged their journey. We seriously lose so much business cos of that darn traffic!! So I was worried they'd be all annoyed about the delay, but they were happy as Larry and I actually got the experienced riders so that turned out to be good.
Good, because at one point Rocco freaked out behind me, my horse Chico decided to follow suit and I don't even know what the other 2 did but I looked back and everyone was on board still. So no accident reports to fill out. Phew. THEN, on the beach, Prince decided to roll on the beach for the first time. Luckily, the guy jumped off pretty quick so no one was hurt. Still no accident report.
In the end, they ended up giving me $40 as tip which is pretty generous, especially for a cruise ship ride. One couple were from England, and I was chatting to them about my boy, my time in England, the fact I had a friend from their very small town... The other couple, the woman said she hadn't been on a horse since one threw her off. So I guess both were happy enuf with their rides.
Then came my afternoon ride. A young couple, like so many of my rides, yet when I mounted the guy he pulled me close... "I need to ask a favour... I am gonna propose to my girlfriend on this ride..." No problem, I know just the place. And so it was that I made their dreams come true as the sun set over St Maarten, their good camera in hand snapping away. The girl, just 25 years old, was speechless, luckily wearing sunglasses to hide her shock. He started worrying a little after popping the question on one knee, asking, "Was that a yes? Did you say yes?" I have to say, she didn't even nod so I was confused myself and stopped snapping for a moment.
He was adorable, fumbling about in his pocket trying not to make it look obvious, then kinda wonkily getting down on one knee... and she was so surprised. Even though apparently most people had guessed this is what they holiday to St Maarten was all about. Afterwards, I complimented the guy on being so cool about it, while he said he was purposely hanging his horse back to cope with the nerves. She said he'd just been an asshole to her all day. Ahh, guys.
But it made me miss my boy SO MUCH, I was a little irritated afterwards. Especially since I got not 1 cent tip from the couple. Thanks guys, happy forever after. Nah, I really should be happy for them, to be honest my karma will get me if I don't actually appreciate the beauty of the moment. I guess I just wanted it to be me there. It's actually the spot I always kinda joke with A that would be really romantic to get proposed to. They kinda spoiled it but I'd still take it! haha
So there were a lot of sirens tonight... not sure if it was related, but once the torrential downpour stopped and I could leave Seaside (where I'd stayed to speak to the Erm on Skype who is coming to visit in December) I went to the supermarket but was told it was closed because it had been robbed. Reminded me that I'd heard the Chinese supermarket was also robbed when I was riding in a bus the other day. They laughed about it.
So I was without pasta, but managed to make a kickass meal anyway. Battling with myself about whether to take out my labret ring permanently - I do like it but it is annoying that it keeps falling out and sometimes it's hard to eat with it. And really, I'm 27... And I know A doesn't like it... but he isn't here so I can leave it in for now!
I actually often forget what day it is here, my schedule varies with each week as to whether I work weekends or not. And to be honest, I don't go out much so weekends bare little meaning to me. But R from the office asked if I wanted to go to Anguilla or somewhere on our next day off - yes yes yes! I really want to get sightseeing in the Caribbean!
Now it's Saturday night again - feels like only yesterday it was last Saturday when I sat at home drinking beer and writing my blog, thinking about A... my how times change ha! So I guess it's another night of company from the marching band that is either performing or practising out the back of my place.... and my food... and beer... and eventually bed. Well, soon bed because I work tomorrow. Yeeeow work on a Sunday! Can't wait.
Momentarily thought about using my late mark from work to snooze a couple extra hours, but then reminded myself where I was and that I should make the most of this place, so I dredged my body out of bed to get to kayaking. Took just 17 mins to walk to Kim Sha beach, where the lesson was to take place, so I got there in time and was actually waiting for the others to come. Stretched a little in the meantime...
In the end, it was just N and I with the instructor, and he chose to put me behind him in the double kayak. Another new experience for me, it was good also because I could copy his stroke and really work on my technique. It's a lot harder than it looks - and hopefully when I get it right I won't feel it so much in my arms. I felt I got a few good strokes in but it was hard to maintain.
Paddled all the way to the oil ship by my work, a couple of kms in total, the headed back for fear of getting contaminated by any spilling oil. But I didn't see any. My arms were a little tired so I was happy with the distance we made. The island is so beautiful from the water, a totally different perspective. I could finally see the "mansions" on the point just over from us - turns out they're just little bungalows, still nice but probably rented out by season. Still, my instructor thought they were only worth $350,000-400,000. For THAT view, sheeeeesh...
Got to work at 9am, an hour later than normal, all bright n energised, and had a ride scheduled for 10:30 which didn't turn up for another hour as the traffic clogged their journey. We seriously lose so much business cos of that darn traffic!! So I was worried they'd be all annoyed about the delay, but they were happy as Larry and I actually got the experienced riders so that turned out to be good.
Good, because at one point Rocco freaked out behind me, my horse Chico decided to follow suit and I don't even know what the other 2 did but I looked back and everyone was on board still. So no accident reports to fill out. Phew. THEN, on the beach, Prince decided to roll on the beach for the first time. Luckily, the guy jumped off pretty quick so no one was hurt. Still no accident report.
In the end, they ended up giving me $40 as tip which is pretty generous, especially for a cruise ship ride. One couple were from England, and I was chatting to them about my boy, my time in England, the fact I had a friend from their very small town... The other couple, the woman said she hadn't been on a horse since one threw her off. So I guess both were happy enuf with their rides.
Then came my afternoon ride. A young couple, like so many of my rides, yet when I mounted the guy he pulled me close... "I need to ask a favour... I am gonna propose to my girlfriend on this ride..." No problem, I know just the place. And so it was that I made their dreams come true as the sun set over St Maarten, their good camera in hand snapping away. The girl, just 25 years old, was speechless, luckily wearing sunglasses to hide her shock. He started worrying a little after popping the question on one knee, asking, "Was that a yes? Did you say yes?" I have to say, she didn't even nod so I was confused myself and stopped snapping for a moment.
He was adorable, fumbling about in his pocket trying not to make it look obvious, then kinda wonkily getting down on one knee... and she was so surprised. Even though apparently most people had guessed this is what they holiday to St Maarten was all about. Afterwards, I complimented the guy on being so cool about it, while he said he was purposely hanging his horse back to cope with the nerves. She said he'd just been an asshole to her all day. Ahh, guys.
But it made me miss my boy SO MUCH, I was a little irritated afterwards. Especially since I got not 1 cent tip from the couple. Thanks guys, happy forever after. Nah, I really should be happy for them, to be honest my karma will get me if I don't actually appreciate the beauty of the moment. I guess I just wanted it to be me there. It's actually the spot I always kinda joke with A that would be really romantic to get proposed to. They kinda spoiled it but I'd still take it! haha
So there were a lot of sirens tonight... not sure if it was related, but once the torrential downpour stopped and I could leave Seaside (where I'd stayed to speak to the Erm on Skype who is coming to visit in December) I went to the supermarket but was told it was closed because it had been robbed. Reminded me that I'd heard the Chinese supermarket was also robbed when I was riding in a bus the other day. They laughed about it.
So I was without pasta, but managed to make a kickass meal anyway. Battling with myself about whether to take out my labret ring permanently - I do like it but it is annoying that it keeps falling out and sometimes it's hard to eat with it. And really, I'm 27... And I know A doesn't like it... but he isn't here so I can leave it in for now!
I actually often forget what day it is here, my schedule varies with each week as to whether I work weekends or not. And to be honest, I don't go out much so weekends bare little meaning to me. But R from the office asked if I wanted to go to Anguilla or somewhere on our next day off - yes yes yes! I really want to get sightseeing in the Caribbean!
Now it's Saturday night again - feels like only yesterday it was last Saturday when I sat at home drinking beer and writing my blog, thinking about A... my how times change ha! So I guess it's another night of company from the marching band that is either performing or practising out the back of my place.... and my food... and beer... and eventually bed. Well, soon bed because I work tomorrow. Yeeeow work on a Sunday! Can't wait.
Saturday 19 November 2011
Tropical = torrential
Woke up a bit tired today, after my busy day off yesterday. Surprisingly, my arms didn't hurt from the kayaking which either means I didn't try hard enuf or I am now used to using my muscles. Which is new. Haha...
I took just one ride out today, a French-Canadian on a one-hour tour. To my delight, she displayed neither stereotypical traits of French or Canadian and tipped me nicely at the end. I was on Chico, boss' orders, and he was fine on trail until we hit the water. Played about with me, rearing and trying to escape out onto the beach, at one point even sitting down in the water (thoroughly soaking me) then springing out in a nice rear action. Was an interesting ride but enjoyable all the same.
There was another ride in the afternoon which J took - 2 people I can only assume were father and son, the son part a cowboy-in-waiting with his cowboy hat and gun-ho! attitude. I told them I wanted to hear "Yee-ha!!" from the top of the mountain - and so I did haha
Am yet to do a day's work here with no rides at all, most probably that will happen one Sunday. But it's good, I usually get put on the rides when they come in - I'd like to think that's because I'm good at guiding, most likely it's because they prefer to keep the men on the ground doing the hard work. Either way, it works for me.
Today was officially the end of my one-month working here, so I was paid the rest of my salary. Am trying to figure out a way to transfer the cash I'm paid into my Aussie account so I can use my credit card online and pay it back using money from the Aus account. Because at the moment, there isn't enuf in there to pay for tickets to St Thomas or buy some of the other things I'm wanting to.
Didn't hear from A today :( Didn't like that feeling. I know it's only a day but I so look forward to getting his messages. I hope it was due to an internet fault at his end, but I just have a funny feeling he didn't want to write to me for some reason. I just feel it in my stomach. Probably just paranoid. Argh, this distance thing is harder than I thought it would ever be.
Good news is that work is slow tomorrow for a cruise day, so I managed to get a late start and can fit in a morning kayak with the girls (2 others that work at Seaside - we joke that we're the "Seaside Angels" with paddles as guns). Not sure how often I will be able to do that but I thought I'd take the chance while I had it.
Stuck around a bit after work, just chilling with R and A.Talking about impregnating horses as one is about to drop (hopefully before or after his family goes on holidays!), was interesting to hear why he chooses to breed certain horses from his pack. Then we talked about dogs... made me miss having one. One day, when I settle down... one day.
Went home to find I needed to do my weekly my grocery shop so I grabbed my bag (save the earth, like I'm the only one here who cares) and got on my way. In the store, I heard what I thought were raindrops on the tin roof... sure enuf, I looked out and it was PELTING down. So I had to wait for a lull, even though I live just around the corner. Seriously, it was hard rain. Gotta love living on a tropical island.
I took just one ride out today, a French-Canadian on a one-hour tour. To my delight, she displayed neither stereotypical traits of French or Canadian and tipped me nicely at the end. I was on Chico, boss' orders, and he was fine on trail until we hit the water. Played about with me, rearing and trying to escape out onto the beach, at one point even sitting down in the water (thoroughly soaking me) then springing out in a nice rear action. Was an interesting ride but enjoyable all the same.
There was another ride in the afternoon which J took - 2 people I can only assume were father and son, the son part a cowboy-in-waiting with his cowboy hat and gun-ho! attitude. I told them I wanted to hear "Yee-ha!!" from the top of the mountain - and so I did haha
Am yet to do a day's work here with no rides at all, most probably that will happen one Sunday. But it's good, I usually get put on the rides when they come in - I'd like to think that's because I'm good at guiding, most likely it's because they prefer to keep the men on the ground doing the hard work. Either way, it works for me.
Today was officially the end of my one-month working here, so I was paid the rest of my salary. Am trying to figure out a way to transfer the cash I'm paid into my Aussie account so I can use my credit card online and pay it back using money from the Aus account. Because at the moment, there isn't enuf in there to pay for tickets to St Thomas or buy some of the other things I'm wanting to.
Didn't hear from A today :( Didn't like that feeling. I know it's only a day but I so look forward to getting his messages. I hope it was due to an internet fault at his end, but I just have a funny feeling he didn't want to write to me for some reason. I just feel it in my stomach. Probably just paranoid. Argh, this distance thing is harder than I thought it would ever be.
Good news is that work is slow tomorrow for a cruise day, so I managed to get a late start and can fit in a morning kayak with the girls (2 others that work at Seaside - we joke that we're the "Seaside Angels" with paddles as guns). Not sure how often I will be able to do that but I thought I'd take the chance while I had it.
Stuck around a bit after work, just chilling with R and A.Talking about impregnating horses as one is about to drop (hopefully before or after his family goes on holidays!), was interesting to hear why he chooses to breed certain horses from his pack. Then we talked about dogs... made me miss having one. One day, when I settle down... one day.
Went home to find I needed to do my weekly my grocery shop so I grabbed my bag (save the earth, like I'm the only one here who cares) and got on my way. In the store, I heard what I thought were raindrops on the tin roof... sure enuf, I looked out and it was PELTING down. So I had to wait for a lull, even though I live just around the corner. Seriously, it was hard rain. Gotta love living on a tropical island.
Friday 18 November 2011
The Beautician from hell
Woke up to a trail of clothes, shoes, clutch... from door to bed, had flashbacks to the night previous and then the little council worker in my head reminded me how much I'd had to drink. Haha, serves you right, says all my jealous friends, that I finally get a hangover.
Nevertheless, I had promised A I would meet him on Skype so get up I did. I had mentioned I was going out so didn't have to rush so much - wasn't possible anyway - and got to Seaside to have a nice chat with him. Afterwards, I took Chico swimming bareback and man, I have NOT been on a more uncomfortable horse in my life bareback!!! Ouch, even just walking. That horse needs some more fat on him.
Got some lovely pictures of me in the water, luckily the photographer that snaps the tourists on some days was hanging around with nothing to do so she came down for a mini photo shoot. Most of the pics I am laughing as he was not cooperating very well, being a young'un n all, and some it's obvious I am almost coming off. But good times all round. Had a call from I saying they'd found my wallet in the back of his sister's car so yay!
Just could not motivate myself to do anything today, so sat and ate a toastie, drank a smoothie, played on the internet after A had to go (such sad times), talked with the staff and then eventually moved myself to get my errands done. Ended up being easiest just to go to Philipsburg to do everything, including a bikini wax.
Pure hell.
After several unsuccessful attempts and questioning of locals as to a waxing salon (come on, I found one 2 doors from the shop I bought my replacement flip flops from!!), I came to a Spanish-speaking one that actually offered waxing. It was same minimal set-up I'd seen in so many of the places I'd chosen to have random women rip hair out of private places, yet this one was much different.
I soon learnt that she had actually no training in waxing whatsoever, and the resulting experience was horrendous. I have never been in such pain from waxing and - after I'd paid and already disrobed on the beach - I look down to discover she had pulled so hard that she'd actually bruised both sides of my bikni line so the whole point of tidying myself up to look nicer on a beach was completely obliterated. Part of me wanted to go back and demand a refund - the other part realised my Spanish wasn't good enuf to argue and it was just a "never to return" lesson. Fuck the demon barber, this woman was straight from the firey depths of hell.
Fell asleep on Great Bay beach and woke to tingling skin, so turned myself over until I realised it was inching dangerously close to my kayak appointment late afternoon. So I headed back home to change my clothes and limber up for my first kayaking experience - minus a shower or refill of my water as we had no water due to someone sabotaging a big pipe for no apparent reason.
The lesson was at sundown, a beautiful time to see Pelican Bay. The teacher, S, a South African, was lovely and a great instructor. He gave some harder kayaks to the others so they were falling out all the time - meanwhile I was gliding along no troubles. Well, some troubles. Still a lot of work to do. But I stayed on board the whole time, apparently quite a feat for a first-timer.
Afterwards, we stayed around La Bamba for a few drinks. I met S's wife, M, and got along really well with her. She's a little older, was telling me she didn't have her daughter til 45 (a little late for me but proves you can do it!), and all the things she was saying about her and S... made me think that's what A and I will be like at that age. With a whole lot of adventures and discovery behind them, and a wonderful life settled on the island now. I wonder where we will end up settling in this big, crazy world...
M is actually a Londoner, still has her accent so I could pick it straight away, but as I talked with her I didn't think much else of the big, smoky city had stuck with her. Until we walked to the carpark to see her shiny, new Mini Cooper. You can take the girl out of London...
Was quite typical of the island, the crowd we had at La Bamba. Me, an Australian, a Dutch woman, a South African man, a Greek woman, an English woman and someone else, probably Dutch. Kinda cool actually.
Really liked the social aspect of the kayaking, and decided that I should be filling my days with activities like this that either run into the night or send me home nice n tired so I can just sleep through to the next day with more activities! I hope I can keep up the kayaking because it will strengthen me and get me fit, but also I want to get to zumba one of these days and of course keep working hard at Seaside. I'm gonna come back to A with a tight, tanned physique! Let the competition begin, baby.
Nevertheless, I had promised A I would meet him on Skype so get up I did. I had mentioned I was going out so didn't have to rush so much - wasn't possible anyway - and got to Seaside to have a nice chat with him. Afterwards, I took Chico swimming bareback and man, I have NOT been on a more uncomfortable horse in my life bareback!!! Ouch, even just walking. That horse needs some more fat on him.
Got some lovely pictures of me in the water, luckily the photographer that snaps the tourists on some days was hanging around with nothing to do so she came down for a mini photo shoot. Most of the pics I am laughing as he was not cooperating very well, being a young'un n all, and some it's obvious I am almost coming off. But good times all round. Had a call from I saying they'd found my wallet in the back of his sister's car so yay!
Just could not motivate myself to do anything today, so sat and ate a toastie, drank a smoothie, played on the internet after A had to go (such sad times), talked with the staff and then eventually moved myself to get my errands done. Ended up being easiest just to go to Philipsburg to do everything, including a bikini wax.
Pure hell.
After several unsuccessful attempts and questioning of locals as to a waxing salon (come on, I found one 2 doors from the shop I bought my replacement flip flops from!!), I came to a Spanish-speaking one that actually offered waxing. It was same minimal set-up I'd seen in so many of the places I'd chosen to have random women rip hair out of private places, yet this one was much different.
I soon learnt that she had actually no training in waxing whatsoever, and the resulting experience was horrendous. I have never been in such pain from waxing and - after I'd paid and already disrobed on the beach - I look down to discover she had pulled so hard that she'd actually bruised both sides of my bikni line so the whole point of tidying myself up to look nicer on a beach was completely obliterated. Part of me wanted to go back and demand a refund - the other part realised my Spanish wasn't good enuf to argue and it was just a "never to return" lesson. Fuck the demon barber, this woman was straight from the firey depths of hell.
Fell asleep on Great Bay beach and woke to tingling skin, so turned myself over until I realised it was inching dangerously close to my kayak appointment late afternoon. So I headed back home to change my clothes and limber up for my first kayaking experience - minus a shower or refill of my water as we had no water due to someone sabotaging a big pipe for no apparent reason.
The lesson was at sundown, a beautiful time to see Pelican Bay. The teacher, S, a South African, was lovely and a great instructor. He gave some harder kayaks to the others so they were falling out all the time - meanwhile I was gliding along no troubles. Well, some troubles. Still a lot of work to do. But I stayed on board the whole time, apparently quite a feat for a first-timer.
Afterwards, we stayed around La Bamba for a few drinks. I met S's wife, M, and got along really well with her. She's a little older, was telling me she didn't have her daughter til 45 (a little late for me but proves you can do it!), and all the things she was saying about her and S... made me think that's what A and I will be like at that age. With a whole lot of adventures and discovery behind them, and a wonderful life settled on the island now. I wonder where we will end up settling in this big, crazy world...
M is actually a Londoner, still has her accent so I could pick it straight away, but as I talked with her I didn't think much else of the big, smoky city had stuck with her. Until we walked to the carpark to see her shiny, new Mini Cooper. You can take the girl out of London...
Was quite typical of the island, the crowd we had at La Bamba. Me, an Australian, a Dutch woman, a South African man, a Greek woman, an English woman and someone else, probably Dutch. Kinda cool actually.
Really liked the social aspect of the kayaking, and decided that I should be filling my days with activities like this that either run into the night or send me home nice n tired so I can just sleep through to the next day with more activities! I hope I can keep up the kayaking because it will strengthen me and get me fit, but also I want to get to zumba one of these days and of course keep working hard at Seaside. I'm gonna come back to A with a tight, tanned physique! Let the competition begin, baby.
A Crackberry nation
So I'm getting a feel for what being drunk on this island is like... and to be fair, I am usually a massive culprit to this kind of behaviour but apparently not this time.
It wasn't a really full-on day today - all 5 guides turned up even though we didn't have enuf rides for them. The boss asked why they were here... the 2 extra ones really didn't have much of an excuse than they nothing else to do for the day.
Just to explain, we have 2 full-time staffers - D and I. Then we have part-timer J. Then the 2 casual staff, I and R. So I and R turned up, not really bothered about not being needed because they smoke a severe amount of shit, and I guess we just kept working as we were meant to.
Nothing that exciting happened today... last ride included a couple who had just gotten married and they were all happy about doing things together. I gotta say, whenever I hear about these happy adventures together I quiz them about how their wedding went, where it was, how many people were there, etc etc... Man, that would be a nice occasion to have...
Got hit a little in the leg today by one of the thrashing legs of Bonita - she likes to rear when I try treat her eye. But nothing came of it so I guess it won't bruise.
I had an offer to go elsewhere with L-I, but preferred to go with R for Ladies Night. Really would always prefer to go out with girls but it is so very rare for me to get invited out to a girls night that I jumped at it. It being a Wednesday, I was about to go to La Bamba for a couple of drunks with L and then home. But I really wanted to check out this Ladies Night!
They have this whole new concept of Ladies Night. Basically, the women don't pay anything to get in, the guys pay for their drinks all night and anything else (OK that sounds like the women are prostitutes but that's not what I mean)... well, the women just don't pay!
Had a few (strong) rum punches at Seaside before heading home to have dinner and chill, as R said she wouldn't come past til about 10:30pm. Being a bit drunk and, well, a nana these days, I passed out for a while and woke up half-drunk and all confused about everything. R didn't end up coming til almost midnight, by which stage I was just trying to stay awake and not drink anything more.
Almost didn't get in again to Tantra because of dress code, but thankfully there was a sleeved t-shirt in R's car that her bro I could wear. Inside, the club was as expected - main dancefloor, few bars dotted around (including the one serving free champagne and vodka orange to ladies all night), staircase leading to VIP area, smoke machines... I danced with R and I, and didn't get hit on once because of it. Nice feeling.
Wasn't as tragic as Soggy Dollar, although music wasn't much better - Spanish tunes still kicking around from my time in South America mixed with some cheesy house and reggae/reggaeton etc. Gotten used to this kind of deal on my travels. Hard to find places that have anything different, gotta seek them out. Hopefully I find them here.
It was the first night I wore my only pair of high heels I have with me here - me being a lady n all - and by golly they HURT. Never really worn them out before but man... were meant to be my bridesmaid shoes for my sister's ill-fated wedding but more suited to the nightclub (they're super tall, black and sparkly). Woot woot, there's a party over here!!
Was pretty drunk - definitely the drunkest I've been since landing here - but I was off the next day so no problems there. The only problems were looking in my clutch to find my wallet missing (weird because I'd been holding it all night) and then losing the ball to my newly purchased labret ring. Maybe it's a sign, maybe I should just take it out. But I get so attached...
Remember looking down from the stairs at all the people's Crackberries sitting on tables, mostly in hands though, scrambling away on BBM. Clearly the iPhone hasn't made it here yet - even more glad I'm not using mine as it would be prime thieving - and everyone is OBSESSED with these Blackberries... My theory that people don't realise it's rude to message your friend while you're actually having a conversation with them is that this new form of technology wasn't invented when their parents were teaching them right and wrong, so they never knew it was rude. That, or they're just rude.
Managed to score a schwarma on the way home (this island's answer to a kebab except with a luscious creamy sauce), still perturbed about my wallet but OK because I hadn't actually needed it all night. Just bummed I faced the possibility of having to get a new ID from here. Let I open my door for me since it sticks and I couldn't have had less patience at that point. BED. NOW.
It wasn't a really full-on day today - all 5 guides turned up even though we didn't have enuf rides for them. The boss asked why they were here... the 2 extra ones really didn't have much of an excuse than they nothing else to do for the day.
Just to explain, we have 2 full-time staffers - D and I. Then we have part-timer J. Then the 2 casual staff, I and R. So I and R turned up, not really bothered about not being needed because they smoke a severe amount of shit, and I guess we just kept working as we were meant to.
Nothing that exciting happened today... last ride included a couple who had just gotten married and they were all happy about doing things together. I gotta say, whenever I hear about these happy adventures together I quiz them about how their wedding went, where it was, how many people were there, etc etc... Man, that would be a nice occasion to have...
Got hit a little in the leg today by one of the thrashing legs of Bonita - she likes to rear when I try treat her eye. But nothing came of it so I guess it won't bruise.
I had an offer to go elsewhere with L-I, but preferred to go with R for Ladies Night. Really would always prefer to go out with girls but it is so very rare for me to get invited out to a girls night that I jumped at it. It being a Wednesday, I was about to go to La Bamba for a couple of drunks with L and then home. But I really wanted to check out this Ladies Night!
They have this whole new concept of Ladies Night. Basically, the women don't pay anything to get in, the guys pay for their drinks all night and anything else (OK that sounds like the women are prostitutes but that's not what I mean)... well, the women just don't pay!
Had a few (strong) rum punches at Seaside before heading home to have dinner and chill, as R said she wouldn't come past til about 10:30pm. Being a bit drunk and, well, a nana these days, I passed out for a while and woke up half-drunk and all confused about everything. R didn't end up coming til almost midnight, by which stage I was just trying to stay awake and not drink anything more.
Almost didn't get in again to Tantra because of dress code, but thankfully there was a sleeved t-shirt in R's car that her bro I could wear. Inside, the club was as expected - main dancefloor, few bars dotted around (including the one serving free champagne and vodka orange to ladies all night), staircase leading to VIP area, smoke machines... I danced with R and I, and didn't get hit on once because of it. Nice feeling.
Wasn't as tragic as Soggy Dollar, although music wasn't much better - Spanish tunes still kicking around from my time in South America mixed with some cheesy house and reggae/reggaeton etc. Gotten used to this kind of deal on my travels. Hard to find places that have anything different, gotta seek them out. Hopefully I find them here.
It was the first night I wore my only pair of high heels I have with me here - me being a lady n all - and by golly they HURT. Never really worn them out before but man... were meant to be my bridesmaid shoes for my sister's ill-fated wedding but more suited to the nightclub (they're super tall, black and sparkly). Woot woot, there's a party over here!!
Was pretty drunk - definitely the drunkest I've been since landing here - but I was off the next day so no problems there. The only problems were looking in my clutch to find my wallet missing (weird because I'd been holding it all night) and then losing the ball to my newly purchased labret ring. Maybe it's a sign, maybe I should just take it out. But I get so attached...
Remember looking down from the stairs at all the people's Crackberries sitting on tables, mostly in hands though, scrambling away on BBM. Clearly the iPhone hasn't made it here yet - even more glad I'm not using mine as it would be prime thieving - and everyone is OBSESSED with these Blackberries... My theory that people don't realise it's rude to message your friend while you're actually having a conversation with them is that this new form of technology wasn't invented when their parents were teaching them right and wrong, so they never knew it was rude. That, or they're just rude.
Managed to score a schwarma on the way home (this island's answer to a kebab except with a luscious creamy sauce), still perturbed about my wallet but OK because I hadn't actually needed it all night. Just bummed I faced the possibility of having to get a new ID from here. Let I open my door for me since it sticks and I couldn't have had less patience at that point. BED. NOW.
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Drunks are the best (horse)rides
Another well-paced day where I was given more responsibility, a good sign I'm getting used to the joint. It's interesting here, there is a lot of chivalry as I've mentioned before - like always taking a woman home, not making her do hard labour and helping carry shopping etc - but when I'm the only one of 3 guides left to do the last few hours of the day, and the evening sunset ride, it's good to feel like one of the guys.
As far as I knew, the sunset ride was always done by a guy yet today, after lunch, guide I went home and D finished at 3 as he usually does. Which left me to finish feeding the horses, clean and fill the water drums, clean up after our busy cruise ship morning, then after all that, take a couple out for a 5-7pm ride. I didn't mind, I can do all the work, and it was good he trusted me to do it. He could have asked I to stay and let me go at 5 - but I know I am preferable to D, he isn't really the best at dealing with customers.
I'd had 2 rides before the night ride, which had been quite generous in tips - one 2-hour ride with 4 people and another 1-hour with 4 people. I like the tours 1-4 people max, it allows me to talk with everyone and give good service. And I hope I am getting more of the non-cruise ship official rides because I'm better at giving that service - the cruise ship rides are SO BORING most of the time. So D can do them and I get the more interesting work.
So I got my lunch break, did some good rides and managed to show my boss I can do the work just like the boys (even telling him I didn't need any help by the Haitians that work the garden when I was feeding - I'm a big girl!). Having said that, I'm totally cool with people moving the hoses over for me and turning the water on etc. Won't look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.
Happened upon a horse with a badly infected eye today, so I caught her and told the boss. Hurried him a little towards the end of the day as he hadn't come up, and I thought it looked pretty nasty, so when eventually he came it was a bit scary to hear him say she had somehow scratched the whole top layer of her eye off and may lose sight permanently in it. I felt bad for not noticing earlier, but it may very well have just started pussing up today. Hey, at least I noticed at all, no one else did.
Then came the night ride. These guys were already slurring their words before they got on the horses. I actually had to hurry them up to finish their drinks from the bar so we could catch the sunset. Hey, they could normally take their time, it's just ticking away at their expense, but not when I'm working overtime and dinner awaits (still to be cooked, I mean, but awaits - days of living with a chef are over for now). But I could tell it was gonna be an easy ride to lead.
And that it was. We started with a short ride, ending on the trail that heads straight towards the sunset, then got off and I filled their glasses with champagne before hunting for firewood. Me Jane, you Tarzan. Eventually got the fire started with some bushy kindling, as the newspaper wasn't giving me much love, and set them up with marshmallows to roast. It was close to an hour before we got back on the horses, the sun well and truly in bed and the evening fire-flies giving a romantic touch to the evening.
Curved around here n there to finish the 2-hour ride off nicely, I could tell they were swaying a little so I kept it simple. My horse was also a little apprehensive riding in complete darkness, but I was thoroughly enjoying it. Not a bug molested me (such a different experience to my regular nights out here haha), the air was cool n crisp, the sky opened up above me and the stars twinkled in amongst the fire-flies. I was full of marshmallow and the beauty of nature - one happy chappy.
Their tip, plus my overtime, took my daily earnings outside of salary to $90. Pretty sweet considering I'd factored in about $150-180 of tips per week and that was just from one day. But I won't get ahead of myself, there are days when I get nothing so you just never know. That day I was pissed off it turns out they weren't tipping because of all the traffic they'd sat in, and nothing could appease them. And then the cruise refunded all their money, so Seaside got NOTHING for all the rides we did for them! What a crock!
So it really depends on how the journey is to get to us. Sometimes - well, mostly - the traffic is so heavy we have to take them through the private land next door. But the day I described before, they were pouring concrete so they couldn't sneak in the back door. All this I learn now, would have maybe made me a little more understanding instead of pissed off on that day. But hey, once you get me going...
Turned down an invitation to go to La Bamba on the beach tonight, essentially I had been work for 11 hours and I just wanted to chill out. Don't really feel like going out... but probably tomorrow night, as Thursday I'm off! Maybe I could try out another bar...
Eww, my hair smells like campfire.
As far as I knew, the sunset ride was always done by a guy yet today, after lunch, guide I went home and D finished at 3 as he usually does. Which left me to finish feeding the horses, clean and fill the water drums, clean up after our busy cruise ship morning, then after all that, take a couple out for a 5-7pm ride. I didn't mind, I can do all the work, and it was good he trusted me to do it. He could have asked I to stay and let me go at 5 - but I know I am preferable to D, he isn't really the best at dealing with customers.
I'd had 2 rides before the night ride, which had been quite generous in tips - one 2-hour ride with 4 people and another 1-hour with 4 people. I like the tours 1-4 people max, it allows me to talk with everyone and give good service. And I hope I am getting more of the non-cruise ship official rides because I'm better at giving that service - the cruise ship rides are SO BORING most of the time. So D can do them and I get the more interesting work.
So I got my lunch break, did some good rides and managed to show my boss I can do the work just like the boys (even telling him I didn't need any help by the Haitians that work the garden when I was feeding - I'm a big girl!). Having said that, I'm totally cool with people moving the hoses over for me and turning the water on etc. Won't look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.
Happened upon a horse with a badly infected eye today, so I caught her and told the boss. Hurried him a little towards the end of the day as he hadn't come up, and I thought it looked pretty nasty, so when eventually he came it was a bit scary to hear him say she had somehow scratched the whole top layer of her eye off and may lose sight permanently in it. I felt bad for not noticing earlier, but it may very well have just started pussing up today. Hey, at least I noticed at all, no one else did.
Then came the night ride. These guys were already slurring their words before they got on the horses. I actually had to hurry them up to finish their drinks from the bar so we could catch the sunset. Hey, they could normally take their time, it's just ticking away at their expense, but not when I'm working overtime and dinner awaits (still to be cooked, I mean, but awaits - days of living with a chef are over for now). But I could tell it was gonna be an easy ride to lead.
And that it was. We started with a short ride, ending on the trail that heads straight towards the sunset, then got off and I filled their glasses with champagne before hunting for firewood. Me Jane, you Tarzan. Eventually got the fire started with some bushy kindling, as the newspaper wasn't giving me much love, and set them up with marshmallows to roast. It was close to an hour before we got back on the horses, the sun well and truly in bed and the evening fire-flies giving a romantic touch to the evening.
Curved around here n there to finish the 2-hour ride off nicely, I could tell they were swaying a little so I kept it simple. My horse was also a little apprehensive riding in complete darkness, but I was thoroughly enjoying it. Not a bug molested me (such a different experience to my regular nights out here haha), the air was cool n crisp, the sky opened up above me and the stars twinkled in amongst the fire-flies. I was full of marshmallow and the beauty of nature - one happy chappy.
Their tip, plus my overtime, took my daily earnings outside of salary to $90. Pretty sweet considering I'd factored in about $150-180 of tips per week and that was just from one day. But I won't get ahead of myself, there are days when I get nothing so you just never know. That day I was pissed off it turns out they weren't tipping because of all the traffic they'd sat in, and nothing could appease them. And then the cruise refunded all their money, so Seaside got NOTHING for all the rides we did for them! What a crock!
So it really depends on how the journey is to get to us. Sometimes - well, mostly - the traffic is so heavy we have to take them through the private land next door. But the day I described before, they were pouring concrete so they couldn't sneak in the back door. All this I learn now, would have maybe made me a little more understanding instead of pissed off on that day. But hey, once you get me going...
Turned down an invitation to go to La Bamba on the beach tonight, essentially I had been work for 11 hours and I just wanted to chill out. Don't really feel like going out... but probably tomorrow night, as Thursday I'm off! Maybe I could try out another bar...
Eww, my hair smells like campfire.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Let's get French!
Second consecutive day off, and I treated myself to a nice lie-in... except that that meant I was late for my rescheduled Skype date with A. I rolled over, all sleepy-eyed and foggy, to check the time and saw with a start that I was already 30 mins late!! I jumped up, bumped into a few things and grabbed my laptop still on to get to Seaside ASAP.
Coming online, I was instantly disappointed - the last message from him was almost half an hour ago and he had given up waiting. So I pottered around the interweb for a bit before deciding I'd better go cook myself some breakfast... and at that moment, voila! He appears! Had a nice, long chat with him about the turns our respective lives had taken and it was good to see the banter was back - I know we'd both missed it since the main sway of conversation since I'd left had been soppy "I miss you, I love you, come back" kinda things...
Towards the end, my internet started playing up and I was getting frustrated so I eventually signed off. Which was annoying since he was mid-story about the girl who used to love him - nay, still loves him but realises it's a little late for her - and how she ruined his last bday. Dammit if I won't make his next bday the best he's ever had. It will also be the first he's had officially "with" me, a whole lot of firsts to happen in the next year. While we won't get Christmas or NYE together, there will be a lot of things I will enjoy doing with him as mine in the coming 12 months.
L was waiting when I arrived late to meet him and go to the French side. We'd planned to go to Friars Beach, as he's unemployed and a bit short of cash to go to the little island over there. I didn't mind, I'll go with I on Thursday and I hadn't been to this beach so it was a good chance to see it.
I dressed well to the part of tourist, with my wide-brimmed hat, one-piece swimsuit and flowing hippy-style skirt. And white skin, of course. Well, there's not a helluva lot I can do about that. At least I won't get stopped by police and asked for my papers.
Now this guy knows everyone. He's constantly saluting people in cars, stopping to say hi to people in the street, yelling back at someone on a balcony... He looks like the most connected person on the island. Then I started noticing that as we waited for a bus to come, the people driving empty cars would just wave and pass, not offering a lift. And some people would just call him "Rasta"... it's an odd thing, familiarity, on this island.
After what seemed like a lot of fucking around with public transport (almost an hour on 2 buses in traffic, a lot on this tiny land mass), and then quite a walk to the actual beach, I was glad to just sit down on the beach, crack a Presidente (local beer) and smoke it up with my rasta friend. And that shit is goooooood. Had a swim and then drifted off in a nice little daydream as I was laying drying on the beach afterwards.
I am growing fond of the French side. It definitely has a different vibe (for example, most of the beaches are clothing optional) and the people - black and white - are pretty chilled. For all I'd heard of the French side, I'd have imagined there'd be police everywhere, speed radars, parking officers... all that shit. But no one cares if you smoke, go nude on the beach (something I swore not to do out of loyalty and not wanting to get perved on!). And I spose when you compare the Dutch side to another with any sense of authority, you see it as strict. Man, this island is strange.
It started raining a little, so we waited under a palm tree shack. By this time, I was pretty stoned and drifting off again... Was really zoning out, so when L suggested we head back I agreed. This time it was me seeing people I knew - the first bus we got onto one of the guides from work was sitting in the back, the next the 2 young girls I befriended just the other night were abroad.
A quick trip to the supermarket to get more beers - so tempting when they're only about $6 a 6-pack - and just chill in my own company. Something I've become quite accustomed to. Now my apartment block STINKS of sewerage, the worst I've smelt since I've been here, so hopefully that gets fixed. Who knows how things get done around here. Even the people who work the electricity plant have no idea what they're doing.
Himbo, the cat I've befriended at my apartment, has taken to climbing in between the broken open sheet under my bed which is the bit meant to cling to the bottom of my bed. So when I was looking for her, I saw there was something seriously lagging under my bed and when I tapped it, it meowed and struck out a paw. Sor-ry! Her territory now. Imagine her surprise when I actually climb into bed one night.
My conversations with guys here about women's bodies are so interesting. While I was brought up in a straight, skinny-obsessed Australia, these guys fully appreciate women with curves and I have been told several times before that my body is every guy's dream here on the island. I just find it so hard to grasp, that I have battled all my life with the fact I'm the fattest girl of my group and I need to find clothes that hide my figure. Here, they celebrate it. I know it's not the first time I've said it but it still amazes me. And I wonder why the hell A wants me for it - he's not black, I know he says body isn't everything, but I see the girls he's been with. I am definitely the biggest.
Ended up going to some drinks at Buccaneers, the place I was last night for dinner before I went to that shit covers band. Met an older Dutch lady, H, that works with me at Seaside, and we had nice conversation. It was good to hang out socially - thanks to A, my boss, who'd passed on the invitation to go to drinks from H because she was too tired and knew I'd found it hard to socialise since being here. Me, finding it hard to socialise. Really, who am I these days???
Coming online, I was instantly disappointed - the last message from him was almost half an hour ago and he had given up waiting. So I pottered around the interweb for a bit before deciding I'd better go cook myself some breakfast... and at that moment, voila! He appears! Had a nice, long chat with him about the turns our respective lives had taken and it was good to see the banter was back - I know we'd both missed it since the main sway of conversation since I'd left had been soppy "I miss you, I love you, come back" kinda things...
Towards the end, my internet started playing up and I was getting frustrated so I eventually signed off. Which was annoying since he was mid-story about the girl who used to love him - nay, still loves him but realises it's a little late for her - and how she ruined his last bday. Dammit if I won't make his next bday the best he's ever had. It will also be the first he's had officially "with" me, a whole lot of firsts to happen in the next year. While we won't get Christmas or NYE together, there will be a lot of things I will enjoy doing with him as mine in the coming 12 months.
L was waiting when I arrived late to meet him and go to the French side. We'd planned to go to Friars Beach, as he's unemployed and a bit short of cash to go to the little island over there. I didn't mind, I'll go with I on Thursday and I hadn't been to this beach so it was a good chance to see it.
I dressed well to the part of tourist, with my wide-brimmed hat, one-piece swimsuit and flowing hippy-style skirt. And white skin, of course. Well, there's not a helluva lot I can do about that. At least I won't get stopped by police and asked for my papers.
Now this guy knows everyone. He's constantly saluting people in cars, stopping to say hi to people in the street, yelling back at someone on a balcony... He looks like the most connected person on the island. Then I started noticing that as we waited for a bus to come, the people driving empty cars would just wave and pass, not offering a lift. And some people would just call him "Rasta"... it's an odd thing, familiarity, on this island.
After what seemed like a lot of fucking around with public transport (almost an hour on 2 buses in traffic, a lot on this tiny land mass), and then quite a walk to the actual beach, I was glad to just sit down on the beach, crack a Presidente (local beer) and smoke it up with my rasta friend. And that shit is goooooood. Had a swim and then drifted off in a nice little daydream as I was laying drying on the beach afterwards.
I am growing fond of the French side. It definitely has a different vibe (for example, most of the beaches are clothing optional) and the people - black and white - are pretty chilled. For all I'd heard of the French side, I'd have imagined there'd be police everywhere, speed radars, parking officers... all that shit. But no one cares if you smoke, go nude on the beach (something I swore not to do out of loyalty and not wanting to get perved on!). And I spose when you compare the Dutch side to another with any sense of authority, you see it as strict. Man, this island is strange.
It started raining a little, so we waited under a palm tree shack. By this time, I was pretty stoned and drifting off again... Was really zoning out, so when L suggested we head back I agreed. This time it was me seeing people I knew - the first bus we got onto one of the guides from work was sitting in the back, the next the 2 young girls I befriended just the other night were abroad.
A quick trip to the supermarket to get more beers - so tempting when they're only about $6 a 6-pack - and just chill in my own company. Something I've become quite accustomed to. Now my apartment block STINKS of sewerage, the worst I've smelt since I've been here, so hopefully that gets fixed. Who knows how things get done around here. Even the people who work the electricity plant have no idea what they're doing.
Himbo, the cat I've befriended at my apartment, has taken to climbing in between the broken open sheet under my bed which is the bit meant to cling to the bottom of my bed. So when I was looking for her, I saw there was something seriously lagging under my bed and when I tapped it, it meowed and struck out a paw. Sor-ry! Her territory now. Imagine her surprise when I actually climb into bed one night.
My conversations with guys here about women's bodies are so interesting. While I was brought up in a straight, skinny-obsessed Australia, these guys fully appreciate women with curves and I have been told several times before that my body is every guy's dream here on the island. I just find it so hard to grasp, that I have battled all my life with the fact I'm the fattest girl of my group and I need to find clothes that hide my figure. Here, they celebrate it. I know it's not the first time I've said it but it still amazes me. And I wonder why the hell A wants me for it - he's not black, I know he says body isn't everything, but I see the girls he's been with. I am definitely the biggest.
Ended up going to some drinks at Buccaneers, the place I was last night for dinner before I went to that shit covers band. Met an older Dutch lady, H, that works with me at Seaside, and we had nice conversation. It was good to hang out socially - thanks to A, my boss, who'd passed on the invitation to go to drinks from H because she was too tired and knew I'd found it hard to socialise since being here. Me, finding it hard to socialise. Really, who am I these days???
At the beach with no swimmers
Hooray for Sundays off! The place is so dead here, it's like time goes backwards when you're working. Guide I was working (our schedules clash often cos when I'm off, he's covering me) so he couldn't take me to the little island on the French side, a bummer but I've organised to do something with L on my second day off tomorrow so hopefully I'll see some cool sights on the island.
Started my day with a trip to Seaside for a scheduled Skype date with A, hoping the usual ill-timed internet connection problems didn't stand in my way. Not this time, happily, although at his end I think something was up - I waited almost an hour and never saw him pop up online. A shame as I was really looking forward to hearing his voice, having found the extra photos I brought with me of him, but hopefully tomorrow we will connect. I await an angry, frustrated message from him next time I check my inbox haha.
Instead I took myself to Mullet Bay (I swear I only go there for the name), after some housework. Waiting for the bus outside a church and it being a Sunday, I was privy to one of the gospels as preached by a local. Only really half-listening and catching every few words, I did hear something about the Lord looking down on vanity... at that very moment a souped-up old VW roared around the corner with a crass mural emblazoned across the bonnet and "The Son of God" banner across the windshield. I muffled a giggle.
My bus driver was on the mission from hell to get us to Mullet Bay in 2 mins, racing down the road and skidding to a stop as he almost went past someone wanting to board. I had been wondering how he'd see his passengers on the side of the road... asshole resisted giving me directions to the beach as he threw me off at the end of the route, mumbling something about "that way". I ended up having to ask a young couple, the lady recognising me as a horse guide and asking how I was. It was a semi-awkward moment as I clearly was a little confused as to who she was...
Walking to the beach, I came to the realisation that I'd forgotten to change my underwear to swimmer bottoms and I couldn't go into the water - my underwear that day being white French knickers. Now before you go thinking I was being all sexy trying to attract the guys, I wear the lacy underwear in the day because the non-holey stuf I need to keep my ass from being bitten by mozzies in the hot night. Now who's sexy???
So Mullet Bay was just a sunbaking excursion for me. Ho hum. The water looked sooooo nice. I fell asleep a little, read my book and bought a wide-brimmed hat from a beach seller (probably a little too late) to protect my precious white skin. Struck up a conversation with some older, leather-skinned American tourists - which is really the majority of customers at the beach in St Maarten - who said they were interested in coming horseriding sometime soon. Always drumming up business!
Went home early enuf to get in a swim at Seaside once I'd gotten my swimmer bottoms, but when I got there it clouded over and I felt I'd be cold in the water so I didn't go in. A got a lift down the road by a local who asked if he should wait and we could go smoke together somewhere - I pointed out clearly I had a boyfriend and stopped short of saying "and besides that, if I WAS single, I would in NO way be interested in you - you're twice my age!" No friggin way.
Arranged to go to La Bamba for a couple of drinks tonight with the work guys, so took in my washing (dry after just a few hours) and waited. And waited. Tried to fix my iPhone with some program from the net, to no avail... so I waited. Finally they arrived, only one was keen to go as the others had way more important dates... So we went.
I and I went to Buccaneers for some dinner (me a salad, very sensible) and then to watch a band that my friend knew. Turned out to be a cover band, of every average variety available... I was thoroughly unentertained, while I was happy he'd seen his friends play and (not to my knowledge) was about to get up and do a song on drums when I said it was time to go. On the walk back we ran into his sister's bf so he got a lift home, mentioning playing with the band and making me feel bad I'd made him leave so early! As soon as I'd shared his joint, I was tired, what can I say?!
Was nice to finally chill with I though, he is a nice guy, like my little brother although he does throw in the odd comment about how nice I look and how lucky my boyfriend is (well, lucky that he has me, unlucky that I'm on the other side of the world)... No chance there but it is nice to be admired respectfully on occasion. It's all I got right now, after all!
Started my day with a trip to Seaside for a scheduled Skype date with A, hoping the usual ill-timed internet connection problems didn't stand in my way. Not this time, happily, although at his end I think something was up - I waited almost an hour and never saw him pop up online. A shame as I was really looking forward to hearing his voice, having found the extra photos I brought with me of him, but hopefully tomorrow we will connect. I await an angry, frustrated message from him next time I check my inbox haha.
Instead I took myself to Mullet Bay (I swear I only go there for the name), after some housework. Waiting for the bus outside a church and it being a Sunday, I was privy to one of the gospels as preached by a local. Only really half-listening and catching every few words, I did hear something about the Lord looking down on vanity... at that very moment a souped-up old VW roared around the corner with a crass mural emblazoned across the bonnet and "The Son of God" banner across the windshield. I muffled a giggle.
My bus driver was on the mission from hell to get us to Mullet Bay in 2 mins, racing down the road and skidding to a stop as he almost went past someone wanting to board. I had been wondering how he'd see his passengers on the side of the road... asshole resisted giving me directions to the beach as he threw me off at the end of the route, mumbling something about "that way". I ended up having to ask a young couple, the lady recognising me as a horse guide and asking how I was. It was a semi-awkward moment as I clearly was a little confused as to who she was...
Walking to the beach, I came to the realisation that I'd forgotten to change my underwear to swimmer bottoms and I couldn't go into the water - my underwear that day being white French knickers. Now before you go thinking I was being all sexy trying to attract the guys, I wear the lacy underwear in the day because the non-holey stuf I need to keep my ass from being bitten by mozzies in the hot night. Now who's sexy???
So Mullet Bay was just a sunbaking excursion for me. Ho hum. The water looked sooooo nice. I fell asleep a little, read my book and bought a wide-brimmed hat from a beach seller (probably a little too late) to protect my precious white skin. Struck up a conversation with some older, leather-skinned American tourists - which is really the majority of customers at the beach in St Maarten - who said they were interested in coming horseriding sometime soon. Always drumming up business!
Went home early enuf to get in a swim at Seaside once I'd gotten my swimmer bottoms, but when I got there it clouded over and I felt I'd be cold in the water so I didn't go in. A got a lift down the road by a local who asked if he should wait and we could go smoke together somewhere - I pointed out clearly I had a boyfriend and stopped short of saying "and besides that, if I WAS single, I would in NO way be interested in you - you're twice my age!" No friggin way.
Arranged to go to La Bamba for a couple of drinks tonight with the work guys, so took in my washing (dry after just a few hours) and waited. And waited. Tried to fix my iPhone with some program from the net, to no avail... so I waited. Finally they arrived, only one was keen to go as the others had way more important dates... So we went.
I and I went to Buccaneers for some dinner (me a salad, very sensible) and then to watch a band that my friend knew. Turned out to be a cover band, of every average variety available... I was thoroughly unentertained, while I was happy he'd seen his friends play and (not to my knowledge) was about to get up and do a song on drums when I said it was time to go. On the walk back we ran into his sister's bf so he got a lift home, mentioning playing with the band and making me feel bad I'd made him leave so early! As soon as I'd shared his joint, I was tired, what can I say?!
Was nice to finally chill with I though, he is a nice guy, like my little brother although he does throw in the odd comment about how nice I look and how lucky my boyfriend is (well, lucky that he has me, unlucky that I'm on the other side of the world)... No chance there but it is nice to be admired respectfully on occasion. It's all I got right now, after all!
Sunday 13 November 2011
Another Saturday at home
Given my disappointing result with tips on cruise rides recently, I kept my expectations low for the Saturday rush... not that there was much rush, to be honest it was a little quiet for a Saturday. One bus just didn't come because the traffic was so bad... man, the roadworks cost us a lot of business!
I had 3 rides today, all one-hour long and nothing really that exciting... Actually got some tips, though, which was a welcome change. I think the key here is the expect nothing, then be overjoyed when I get something! The first ride were all horse-owners but had booked through their cruise so were still subject to the same safety measures and walking-only policy of the others. I had the family, and felt a bit bad cos I would have liked to take them faster, but I would have been slaughtered if my boss saw me and also if something did happen and the cruise found out it was while we were going faster.
My last ride I got the best tips, I think partly because the husband of one woman felt bad that she was so paranoid that we'd be late and the taxi would leave that she basically stormed off at the without even saying thank you or goodbye. She started whining at the beginning of the ride that we'd started late and I mentioned that she did arrive just before 2 (when we specify 30 mins before) so it's a little hard to get away on time, but of course I did it subtlely and I don't think she got it so of course it was our fault. Whatever. The other couple liked the ride because it was the first time the husband had been riding since a bad experience in Poland, and I made him nice n relaxed.
It was a good pace for me today, rides were constant but not enuf to make me miss my lunch break and late enuf into the afternoon that I had just a little time to work before my shift ended. So I didn't have to do any of the water drums or cleaning I usually had to... just the regular sweeping of the tack room, which I imagine is "women's work" anyway so I don't mind. Hey, I will TOTALLY adhere to social standards if it means I get out of dealing with grass and doing the hard yards. My body just isn't cut out for it, seriously. My wrists, my knees... I'll be in a wheelchair by 40 if I'm not careful.
Always enjoy having conversation with the guests, it lets me learn more about the different places I can go visit and what the cruises are like. Sometimes I want to go and work on one for a while - me a hostess or something, and Alex a chef - but really I wouldn't cut my hair for it and it would depend the length of contract. Seeing lots of different places is one thing, being stuck on a boat in tiny confines is another. Come to think of it, maybe I might enjoy that if I'm with certain company...
We were laughing today about my boss' dad, the drunk old man from last night, and they were saying that the way he was is like R himself but older. I don't really want to picture my boss saying those kinds of things, but apparently "it's the Caribbean" and that's just how it goes. I'm not sure I want to get to know the "real" R, who cracks the jokes and makes the comments... but I'm sure I will. Sigh. I have really become quite a sensitive nana in my time, haven't I?
Went to the supermarket, what is becoming the ritual for my days off - especially a big night like Saturday - for some supplies, namely groceries and beer. The guys there have grown a little used to having me there, they don't follow me or make comments quite so much, which is nice. Maybe my gloss is wearing off. Thank god.
I met a couple of young black girls that live locally, who stared at me with some kind of wonderment at my not-from-round-here-ness, and run out of the supermarket after I left to walk the short distance back towards my house with me. Bless 'em, they wanted to go riding but their mum said it was too expensive - it's almost half price for locals which is pretty cheap but I live in the ghetto so I can understand it's still too much. Told them they were welcome at the farm anytime and I could show them the animals if they wanted - they looked pretty excited about that.
So I sit here, alone, with my beer and iTunes for company, looking at photos of me and my boy, writing my blog, writing poetry... it is nice, having this time to myself, but I just wish I had my special person with me. And it's nice to know the person is on the other side of the world, looking at the same moon, feeling the same thing. Wow, how very boring my blog would have become to most people who followed it when I was single.
As a sidenote, I forgot to mention the pink stains I managed to put on my (brand new) navy blue jodhpurs by sitting on some bleach I was using to clean the coolboxes... only discovered them when I got home and undressed as no one told me about them the whole day. Hmm... fun times.
I had 3 rides today, all one-hour long and nothing really that exciting... Actually got some tips, though, which was a welcome change. I think the key here is the expect nothing, then be overjoyed when I get something! The first ride were all horse-owners but had booked through their cruise so were still subject to the same safety measures and walking-only policy of the others. I had the family, and felt a bit bad cos I would have liked to take them faster, but I would have been slaughtered if my boss saw me and also if something did happen and the cruise found out it was while we were going faster.
My last ride I got the best tips, I think partly because the husband of one woman felt bad that she was so paranoid that we'd be late and the taxi would leave that she basically stormed off at the without even saying thank you or goodbye. She started whining at the beginning of the ride that we'd started late and I mentioned that she did arrive just before 2 (when we specify 30 mins before) so it's a little hard to get away on time, but of course I did it subtlely and I don't think she got it so of course it was our fault. Whatever. The other couple liked the ride because it was the first time the husband had been riding since a bad experience in Poland, and I made him nice n relaxed.
It was a good pace for me today, rides were constant but not enuf to make me miss my lunch break and late enuf into the afternoon that I had just a little time to work before my shift ended. So I didn't have to do any of the water drums or cleaning I usually had to... just the regular sweeping of the tack room, which I imagine is "women's work" anyway so I don't mind. Hey, I will TOTALLY adhere to social standards if it means I get out of dealing with grass and doing the hard yards. My body just isn't cut out for it, seriously. My wrists, my knees... I'll be in a wheelchair by 40 if I'm not careful.
Always enjoy having conversation with the guests, it lets me learn more about the different places I can go visit and what the cruises are like. Sometimes I want to go and work on one for a while - me a hostess or something, and Alex a chef - but really I wouldn't cut my hair for it and it would depend the length of contract. Seeing lots of different places is one thing, being stuck on a boat in tiny confines is another. Come to think of it, maybe I might enjoy that if I'm with certain company...
We were laughing today about my boss' dad, the drunk old man from last night, and they were saying that the way he was is like R himself but older. I don't really want to picture my boss saying those kinds of things, but apparently "it's the Caribbean" and that's just how it goes. I'm not sure I want to get to know the "real" R, who cracks the jokes and makes the comments... but I'm sure I will. Sigh. I have really become quite a sensitive nana in my time, haven't I?
Went to the supermarket, what is becoming the ritual for my days off - especially a big night like Saturday - for some supplies, namely groceries and beer. The guys there have grown a little used to having me there, they don't follow me or make comments quite so much, which is nice. Maybe my gloss is wearing off. Thank god.
I met a couple of young black girls that live locally, who stared at me with some kind of wonderment at my not-from-round-here-ness, and run out of the supermarket after I left to walk the short distance back towards my house with me. Bless 'em, they wanted to go riding but their mum said it was too expensive - it's almost half price for locals which is pretty cheap but I live in the ghetto so I can understand it's still too much. Told them they were welcome at the farm anytime and I could show them the animals if they wanted - they looked pretty excited about that.
So I sit here, alone, with my beer and iTunes for company, looking at photos of me and my boy, writing my blog, writing poetry... it is nice, having this time to myself, but I just wish I had my special person with me. And it's nice to know the person is on the other side of the world, looking at the same moon, feeling the same thing. Wow, how very boring my blog would have become to most people who followed it when I was single.
As a sidenote, I forgot to mention the pink stains I managed to put on my (brand new) navy blue jodhpurs by sitting on some bleach I was using to clean the coolboxes... only discovered them when I got home and undressed as no one told me about them the whole day. Hmm... fun times.
Saturday 12 November 2011
What is it with me and bikers??
11.11.11. I should always remember what I was doing on that day. Just like I should remember what I was doing on 10.10.10. Hmmm... I guess I was in Slovenia?? Yeah, real memorable that was.
But this time, I'm sure I will remember because it was St Maarten's Day, and just like in Australia the whole island got a day off. Well, except for me. Which is fine, since technically I shouldn't be given a day off to celebrate a country that I have no affinity with whatsoever. So I worked.
Well, I didn't start by working exactly... I was at work by 7am but we were readying ourselves to ride to the monument that divides the Dutch and French side, where there was official business to be done for St Maarten's Day. Not before the horses all escaped their pen early and we had to round them all in again though!! I told them to fix that fence... So, finally, we rode there, me on Rocco again (who loves to kick the others but is otherwise a very good horse) and 6 others all in matching red, white and blue t-shirts.
The procession was simple enuf, although the sight of firearms on one section of marching police meant that some of us dismounted in case they fired into the air and freaked the horses out... that didn't happen, though, so on we leapt and back towards home in the wake of the motorcycle policemen and busloads of goverment officials. I had no idea what was going on, all I know is that the band they had playing the national anthem was SHIT.
My legs were a little itchy from the pummelling they received last night from the mosquitoes... man, they ATTACKED!! Couldn't sleep with a sheet cos it was too hot without the fan (because the electricity wasn't working when I went to bed), and when I woke and the fan was working again, I was literally scathing with scratches... it was hideous.
Work was soooo dead today, we had 1 booked ride which didn't turn up and so I just wandered around doing every measly job R assigned me super slow, cos there was nothing else to do. I asked if I should use the spare time to train young Chico in the water, to which I got minimal response... not quite sure why that is, but a short while later Ju, who does the handyman work, was jumping on Chico and taking him out for a ride. Hmmm....
Finally, a French lady friends with the other French lady that boards her horse at the stables came for a ride. She had been before and enjoyed it, so wanted to come back to have another go. Still beginner, I put her on a careful horse and we took it easy. So it was a little surprising when I asked her if she enjoyed it, she said that last ride they did a bit more "interesting" stuf and it was a little slow. Fuck that woman, you can't ride and you paid (locals rate) for a one-hour walking trail. So that's what you get, you tightass-no-tipping-French-person. No time for them.
Also had absolutely no time for all the holidaymakers on the beach for their day off... which included some seedy men checking me out and making my attempt at having a lunch break swim impossible. Gross. I could feel them looking, and I wasn't showing myself off either. One tried to speak with me and when I was curt, he asked why I was annoyed... I told him I just wanted to be left alone, and he apologised, trying to make me feel bad for hassling me. Oh just fuck off, it ain't gonna work. No one at work was game to speak with me, I had to explain to the girls it wasn't them I was annoyed at...
Was told just before that ride that we had a few interested people from the local bikers club who had hired out the place for a St Maartens Day party, and wanted to ride. So I quickly fed the horses and sorted them out to do a nighttime ride with these hooligans. R came to help just when I'd finished and was amazed that it was all done already. I kindly reminded him that I did not come from the Caribbean so things get done when they need to with me.
Soon enuf, the Harleys started blazing in, parking on our front lawn in droves, all clad in black leather and matching t-shirts. As menacing as bikey gangs go, these guys were midscale, but the sheer number of them surprised me. Probably about 100, all looking for some beers and music, the latter of which we couldn't supply until someone physically drove to Ju's place to get his DJ gear because our sound system decided to konk out on us.
I hung around, chatting to some bikers and trying to avoid the drunk old man hanging at the bar giving me life advice - "Always take the money" thanks gramps - before the lady organising the event broke the news that she and the other organiser were the only ones keen to go riding, and they weren't allowed since they were controlling the event. Ahh, women, what would we do without them??
So I unsaddled all the horses and finished things up for the night, still sweating. God, when does it end!?! They insisted on giving me the tips they'd have given me to take them, as an apology to not going for the ride - I refused at first because I felt bad (the bar girls went crazy - take the money, take the money!!) but then they spoke to R and he said to give it to me so I took it. Easiest $40 I ever made. From memory.
Then the bellydancers came. Always a big fan of bellydancers, I was glued to the show taking photos and mental notes about how I need to dance when I do a bellydancing burlesque routine... then I came across L with his son (previously thought to be a daughter), who turns out to have the child with one of the biker women. It'd been a while since we'd had a catch-up so we drank a few beers before things wound down for the biker event, and I called it a night. About this time I found out aforementioned old drunk man was the boss' father. Ha! Wonder if he'd think it was inappropriate that he was suggesting I just "sit with him in the shower"... gross.
It was kinda cool seeing Seaside like that though, with bonfire blazing on the beach and Harleys parked all over the lawn, leather jacket-clad men and women dancing with bellydancers and a tip jar in the corner of the bar. (now that's unusual!). Was a bit of fun, and once the music got cranking it was quite a party. The moon was out and almost full, the breeze was blowing... quite a beautiful setting.
Got talking to L more about the rasta belief, it's really quite interesting, and also about how to get more tips and make people feel like they have to give them. I dunno, I just don't think I can do it, make someone feel bad for not giving me a tip... fair enuf if it comes from someone who looks like they're local, but for me, I think they just look at me and think, "Well she's clearly not from round here, maybe she's just on an exchange or internship or maybe her husband is rich or her family paid her way over here..." But I don't think they'd be inclined to pay much in tips to me. So I guess I just have to keep being my amazing self and hope people can see I need those tips!!
But this time, I'm sure I will remember because it was St Maarten's Day, and just like in Australia the whole island got a day off. Well, except for me. Which is fine, since technically I shouldn't be given a day off to celebrate a country that I have no affinity with whatsoever. So I worked.
Well, I didn't start by working exactly... I was at work by 7am but we were readying ourselves to ride to the monument that divides the Dutch and French side, where there was official business to be done for St Maarten's Day. Not before the horses all escaped their pen early and we had to round them all in again though!! I told them to fix that fence... So, finally, we rode there, me on Rocco again (who loves to kick the others but is otherwise a very good horse) and 6 others all in matching red, white and blue t-shirts.
The procession was simple enuf, although the sight of firearms on one section of marching police meant that some of us dismounted in case they fired into the air and freaked the horses out... that didn't happen, though, so on we leapt and back towards home in the wake of the motorcycle policemen and busloads of goverment officials. I had no idea what was going on, all I know is that the band they had playing the national anthem was SHIT.
My legs were a little itchy from the pummelling they received last night from the mosquitoes... man, they ATTACKED!! Couldn't sleep with a sheet cos it was too hot without the fan (because the electricity wasn't working when I went to bed), and when I woke and the fan was working again, I was literally scathing with scratches... it was hideous.
Work was soooo dead today, we had 1 booked ride which didn't turn up and so I just wandered around doing every measly job R assigned me super slow, cos there was nothing else to do. I asked if I should use the spare time to train young Chico in the water, to which I got minimal response... not quite sure why that is, but a short while later Ju, who does the handyman work, was jumping on Chico and taking him out for a ride. Hmmm....
Finally, a French lady friends with the other French lady that boards her horse at the stables came for a ride. She had been before and enjoyed it, so wanted to come back to have another go. Still beginner, I put her on a careful horse and we took it easy. So it was a little surprising when I asked her if she enjoyed it, she said that last ride they did a bit more "interesting" stuf and it was a little slow. Fuck that woman, you can't ride and you paid (locals rate) for a one-hour walking trail. So that's what you get, you tightass-no-tipping-French-person. No time for them.
Also had absolutely no time for all the holidaymakers on the beach for their day off... which included some seedy men checking me out and making my attempt at having a lunch break swim impossible. Gross. I could feel them looking, and I wasn't showing myself off either. One tried to speak with me and when I was curt, he asked why I was annoyed... I told him I just wanted to be left alone, and he apologised, trying to make me feel bad for hassling me. Oh just fuck off, it ain't gonna work. No one at work was game to speak with me, I had to explain to the girls it wasn't them I was annoyed at...
Was told just before that ride that we had a few interested people from the local bikers club who had hired out the place for a St Maartens Day party, and wanted to ride. So I quickly fed the horses and sorted them out to do a nighttime ride with these hooligans. R came to help just when I'd finished and was amazed that it was all done already. I kindly reminded him that I did not come from the Caribbean so things get done when they need to with me.
Soon enuf, the Harleys started blazing in, parking on our front lawn in droves, all clad in black leather and matching t-shirts. As menacing as bikey gangs go, these guys were midscale, but the sheer number of them surprised me. Probably about 100, all looking for some beers and music, the latter of which we couldn't supply until someone physically drove to Ju's place to get his DJ gear because our sound system decided to konk out on us.
I hung around, chatting to some bikers and trying to avoid the drunk old man hanging at the bar giving me life advice - "Always take the money" thanks gramps - before the lady organising the event broke the news that she and the other organiser were the only ones keen to go riding, and they weren't allowed since they were controlling the event. Ahh, women, what would we do without them??
So I unsaddled all the horses and finished things up for the night, still sweating. God, when does it end!?! They insisted on giving me the tips they'd have given me to take them, as an apology to not going for the ride - I refused at first because I felt bad (the bar girls went crazy - take the money, take the money!!) but then they spoke to R and he said to give it to me so I took it. Easiest $40 I ever made. From memory.
Then the bellydancers came. Always a big fan of bellydancers, I was glued to the show taking photos and mental notes about how I need to dance when I do a bellydancing burlesque routine... then I came across L with his son (previously thought to be a daughter), who turns out to have the child with one of the biker women. It'd been a while since we'd had a catch-up so we drank a few beers before things wound down for the biker event, and I called it a night. About this time I found out aforementioned old drunk man was the boss' father. Ha! Wonder if he'd think it was inappropriate that he was suggesting I just "sit with him in the shower"... gross.
It was kinda cool seeing Seaside like that though, with bonfire blazing on the beach and Harleys parked all over the lawn, leather jacket-clad men and women dancing with bellydancers and a tip jar in the corner of the bar. (now that's unusual!). Was a bit of fun, and once the music got cranking it was quite a party. The moon was out and almost full, the breeze was blowing... quite a beautiful setting.
Got talking to L more about the rasta belief, it's really quite interesting, and also about how to get more tips and make people feel like they have to give them. I dunno, I just don't think I can do it, make someone feel bad for not giving me a tip... fair enuf if it comes from someone who looks like they're local, but for me, I think they just look at me and think, "Well she's clearly not from round here, maybe she's just on an exchange or internship or maybe her husband is rich or her family paid her way over here..." But I don't think they'd be inclined to pay much in tips to me. So I guess I just have to keep being my amazing self and hope people can see I need those tips!!
Friday 11 November 2011
Dancing (or riding) in the moonlight
Today more than made up for yesterday. Not only did I get great tips, but I actually enjoyed all 3 rides I went on. The first was 2 women minus their husbands, going for a one-hour ride just to try something different, and they loved it. One of them even gave me a thank-you hug afterwards, which I thought was sweet. One of the 7-year-olds I took the other day did that as well. Unexpected but always nice.
Kinda fell off my horse today, well more fell OVER it, as I tried to get on dripping wet with 4 shoes in my hands. On the young horse I'm training as a guide horse. Didn't go as planned and I shot straight over the other side of the beast, ride in front of the guests. Well professional. A man waiting for a ride came over and held the shoes so I could get on properly. D'oh!
When I came to meet my next ride, I was told to be on my best behaviour (didn't tell boss about the earlier mishap) because these people were sent by a cruise ship to check out the ride, so they could decide if they should offer it to their passengers. A big coup, as they carry several thousand a turn.
I was pointed to - you guessed it - the very man who had witnessed and helped my ordeal with the shoes. D'oh x2!! Luckily they were a good-natured couple and soon enuf we were laughing and chatting easily. The 2-hour ride was fun, they seemed to really enjoy themselves and by the end, after the swim, they were raving about how they loved it and it was the highlight of their whole cruise. The woman even admitted she wasn't so sure about the ride or the water but the whole thing was awesome. Wonder if I get a bonus if that ship signs on with us??
My third and final ride - one after the other, with no lunch break - was a private ride with one woman. She said she was intermediate but was really quite a good rider, so I enjoyed having some runs and nice conversation with her. She also raved about how much she loved the ride, even during it, gave me a healthy tip and suggested herself that she'd write good things on TripAdvisor. Which should help dismiss the shitty review someone gave to us the other day. Not my ride, by the way.
Had our weekly lesson that night, but of course it being St Maarten we had to do it in the dark as there was an island-wide power cut just before we began. So, bathed in the moonlight and with no noise pollution for once, we rode. Seductor was pretty calm (as was I, those couple of beers must have helped), we just walked through the whole thing, and I felt good about it except that some of the exercises he simply can't grasp because he's only just begun being trained. Bless him, he gets so confused (must admit, so do I sometimes - they teach things a little different here!).
So I came home, had a shower by the light of my mobile and wrote my blog with the rest of my laptop battery, hoping that the charger kicks in at the random hour the electricity does as well (with my fan, HOPEFULLY - sweaty night ahead). Have started to peel, which is attractive, and also continue to sweat off my sunscreen and get burnt on my nose and less noticeably on my lower arms and legs. Getting a nice truckers arm and Croc mark on my foot, looks like I'm wearing white sockettes every day (gross, so early 90s).
Had a funny response from my sister in an email I wrote to her about her ill-fated relationship, which - while the content wasn't funny - ended with a question of, "Are you pregnant?" Man, if I had a penny for every time I was asked that by my family! Like every bit of news I have to tell them is that I'm up the duff. Geez.
Kinda fell off my horse today, well more fell OVER it, as I tried to get on dripping wet with 4 shoes in my hands. On the young horse I'm training as a guide horse. Didn't go as planned and I shot straight over the other side of the beast, ride in front of the guests. Well professional. A man waiting for a ride came over and held the shoes so I could get on properly. D'oh!
When I came to meet my next ride, I was told to be on my best behaviour (didn't tell boss about the earlier mishap) because these people were sent by a cruise ship to check out the ride, so they could decide if they should offer it to their passengers. A big coup, as they carry several thousand a turn.
I was pointed to - you guessed it - the very man who had witnessed and helped my ordeal with the shoes. D'oh x2!! Luckily they were a good-natured couple and soon enuf we were laughing and chatting easily. The 2-hour ride was fun, they seemed to really enjoy themselves and by the end, after the swim, they were raving about how they loved it and it was the highlight of their whole cruise. The woman even admitted she wasn't so sure about the ride or the water but the whole thing was awesome. Wonder if I get a bonus if that ship signs on with us??
My third and final ride - one after the other, with no lunch break - was a private ride with one woman. She said she was intermediate but was really quite a good rider, so I enjoyed having some runs and nice conversation with her. She also raved about how much she loved the ride, even during it, gave me a healthy tip and suggested herself that she'd write good things on TripAdvisor. Which should help dismiss the shitty review someone gave to us the other day. Not my ride, by the way.
Had our weekly lesson that night, but of course it being St Maarten we had to do it in the dark as there was an island-wide power cut just before we began. So, bathed in the moonlight and with no noise pollution for once, we rode. Seductor was pretty calm (as was I, those couple of beers must have helped), we just walked through the whole thing, and I felt good about it except that some of the exercises he simply can't grasp because he's only just begun being trained. Bless him, he gets so confused (must admit, so do I sometimes - they teach things a little different here!).
So I came home, had a shower by the light of my mobile and wrote my blog with the rest of my laptop battery, hoping that the charger kicks in at the random hour the electricity does as well (with my fan, HOPEFULLY - sweaty night ahead). Have started to peel, which is attractive, and also continue to sweat off my sunscreen and get burnt on my nose and less noticeably on my lower arms and legs. Getting a nice truckers arm and Croc mark on my foot, looks like I'm wearing white sockettes every day (gross, so early 90s).
Had a funny response from my sister in an email I wrote to her about her ill-fated relationship, which - while the content wasn't funny - ended with a question of, "Are you pregnant?" Man, if I had a penny for every time I was asked that by my family! Like every bit of news I have to tell them is that I'm up the duff. Geez.
Tightass cruise ships strike again
What a day. I rose just after 6am for a 7am start, actually enjoyed the early morning walk to work as the sun wasn't yet burning, and got to work getting every single available horse caught and saddled for the big day ahead. Was nice not to be sweating when I got to work - nicely, the breeze had returned although I could tell it was gonna be a sunny one.
The full set of guides - 5 in total - were on board for this day, so it was amazing to see how little got done in the first hours of the day. At one point I actually walked up to them all and said, "OK guys, so we have 5 guides here and no work being done... you think we should maybe get a crack on? Yep, that means stop rolling, put the spliff down, we have actual work to do." To which one pointed to his watch and the others just looked at me... yep, the boss definitely asked you to come in extra early so you can spend crucial time rolling joints.
Then, when we'd saddled the horses (and before I actually counted and realised they'd not saddled enuf), they get into their usual inane conversation that I so easily tune out of - mainly because I can't really understand their English when they joke amongst themselves, but also because it is just bullshit they speak. I had to physically extract myself from their circle just to get some breathing space. They asked what was wrong - I didn't mess about, I told them they talked too much shit and they're welcome to do that, but I don't need to be a part of it. Different cultures n all... more like different maturity levels. I really can't relate to these people sometimes.
We had 27 guests expected in the first hour and not much less for the hours to follow. I took 2 lots of cruise ship rides - I specify them because they are a specific route with specific guidelines which, if not followed, could potentially land us in hot legal water with the ships should something go awry. They are the most boring of rides, walking at snail's pace on the simplest of tracks and trying to buy time by taking photos on vantage points and talking about the island.
So after my 2 rides - and NO tips from anyone - I was a bit peeved. Do these people think we work on a king's wage??* I didn't think I was that bad a guide but apparently so. I wonder if they realise how offensive it is not to give anything on an island where that clearly is the culture (there are even signs saying, "Did you enjoy your ride? Then kiss your horse and tip your guide"). Later when I asked I, he said he didn't get anything either. Then another guide got $35. Frustrating.
Lunch never materialised either for me... I got a drink on the house but didn't have time to eat so I was doubly annoyed. Anyone that knows me knows how I get if I'm hungry. Well, that's normal isn't it?? So on top of that, things were disorganised at times and I didn't want to even enter into the debate most of the time, just stood there waiting for a resolve. Would love to know this place inside out so I could manage them all, would make it so much easier.
Then finally a say of sunlight - a private ride. I could distance myself from the darned tightass cruise rides, and most probably get a tip (finally). That ray of sunlight quite literally disappeared halfway through the ride, though, as we the predicted rain showers hit - and hit hard. I laughed it off, saying that no rain ever lasted more than 5 mins in the Caribbean. Yeah, that was a bad call. 15 mins later the rain still persisted, and we were soaked to the bone. Made going fast a little harder, but I let them run a little on the roads that drained off quickly.
They were a lovely, young American couple (and probably my best-looking yet), and I was slightly disappointed when I walked away with just thank-yous. Oh well, it was just one of those days, I said to myself. But when I was walking along a bit later, the guy called out to me and came up to give me a tip, saying I was an awesome guide. That was nice. Then I got let off work an hour early. And given my late lunch for free. Things were looking up.
Rode Spirit, the boss wife's horse, who was a good horse but a bit skittish and scared shitless of cows (always a good look when the guide is on a crazy horse), but was glad to get a go on him at all. The other guides have worked here for years and never been allowed on his back *insert evil laugh here*
There is a weird guy that wanders around Seaside that I just learnt was my boss' cousin (lucky I didn't say anything). Every time he sees me, he says I'm beautiful and today when I mentioned that he was repeating himself, he said he was just waiting for a comment back. I told him none was coming, and he rightly guessed that I was taken. But even if I wasn't... would not go for a crack addict. And someone who thinks it's OK to randomly stroke my arm. Shudder.
Writing this, I'm sitting in my towel with no motivation whatsoever to get in the shower, cook dinner or do anything really at all... My body is tired and I just want to sleep for 12 hours but I know the earlier I go to bed the earlier I wake up and stare at the ceiling, listening to the cocks crow and mozzies buzz around my head. Did I mention how much I love my lonely nights here?
*Later I learnt that the cruise ship charges over $100 for this simple horse ride if people book directly through them. No WONDER people don't wanna give us tips!! What a wrought!
The full set of guides - 5 in total - were on board for this day, so it was amazing to see how little got done in the first hours of the day. At one point I actually walked up to them all and said, "OK guys, so we have 5 guides here and no work being done... you think we should maybe get a crack on? Yep, that means stop rolling, put the spliff down, we have actual work to do." To which one pointed to his watch and the others just looked at me... yep, the boss definitely asked you to come in extra early so you can spend crucial time rolling joints.
Then, when we'd saddled the horses (and before I actually counted and realised they'd not saddled enuf), they get into their usual inane conversation that I so easily tune out of - mainly because I can't really understand their English when they joke amongst themselves, but also because it is just bullshit they speak. I had to physically extract myself from their circle just to get some breathing space. They asked what was wrong - I didn't mess about, I told them they talked too much shit and they're welcome to do that, but I don't need to be a part of it. Different cultures n all... more like different maturity levels. I really can't relate to these people sometimes.
We had 27 guests expected in the first hour and not much less for the hours to follow. I took 2 lots of cruise ship rides - I specify them because they are a specific route with specific guidelines which, if not followed, could potentially land us in hot legal water with the ships should something go awry. They are the most boring of rides, walking at snail's pace on the simplest of tracks and trying to buy time by taking photos on vantage points and talking about the island.
So after my 2 rides - and NO tips from anyone - I was a bit peeved. Do these people think we work on a king's wage??* I didn't think I was that bad a guide but apparently so. I wonder if they realise how offensive it is not to give anything on an island where that clearly is the culture (there are even signs saying, "Did you enjoy your ride? Then kiss your horse and tip your guide"). Later when I asked I, he said he didn't get anything either. Then another guide got $35. Frustrating.
Lunch never materialised either for me... I got a drink on the house but didn't have time to eat so I was doubly annoyed. Anyone that knows me knows how I get if I'm hungry. Well, that's normal isn't it?? So on top of that, things were disorganised at times and I didn't want to even enter into the debate most of the time, just stood there waiting for a resolve. Would love to know this place inside out so I could manage them all, would make it so much easier.
Then finally a say of sunlight - a private ride. I could distance myself from the darned tightass cruise rides, and most probably get a tip (finally). That ray of sunlight quite literally disappeared halfway through the ride, though, as we the predicted rain showers hit - and hit hard. I laughed it off, saying that no rain ever lasted more than 5 mins in the Caribbean. Yeah, that was a bad call. 15 mins later the rain still persisted, and we were soaked to the bone. Made going fast a little harder, but I let them run a little on the roads that drained off quickly.
They were a lovely, young American couple (and probably my best-looking yet), and I was slightly disappointed when I walked away with just thank-yous. Oh well, it was just one of those days, I said to myself. But when I was walking along a bit later, the guy called out to me and came up to give me a tip, saying I was an awesome guide. That was nice. Then I got let off work an hour early. And given my late lunch for free. Things were looking up.
Rode Spirit, the boss wife's horse, who was a good horse but a bit skittish and scared shitless of cows (always a good look when the guide is on a crazy horse), but was glad to get a go on him at all. The other guides have worked here for years and never been allowed on his back *insert evil laugh here*
There is a weird guy that wanders around Seaside that I just learnt was my boss' cousin (lucky I didn't say anything). Every time he sees me, he says I'm beautiful and today when I mentioned that he was repeating himself, he said he was just waiting for a comment back. I told him none was coming, and he rightly guessed that I was taken. But even if I wasn't... would not go for a crack addict. And someone who thinks it's OK to randomly stroke my arm. Shudder.
Writing this, I'm sitting in my towel with no motivation whatsoever to get in the shower, cook dinner or do anything really at all... My body is tired and I just want to sleep for 12 hours but I know the earlier I go to bed the earlier I wake up and stare at the ceiling, listening to the cocks crow and mozzies buzz around my head. Did I mention how much I love my lonely nights here?
*Later I learnt that the cruise ship charges over $100 for this simple horse ride if people book directly through them. No WONDER people don't wanna give us tips!! What a wrought!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
