Seeing gigs, visiting birthplaces and being unemployable

Day 44 then. And funnily enough guess what? I haven't got a job yet.

So aside from the all consuming activity of job hunting, what else am I doing to fill my time? Well, hanging about drinking in the flat with flatmates James and Tom for one. The enjoyment of this activity has been increased by the presence of TV channels I've never had before, like MTV, RTE 1 and 2, Sky One, etc. Only a few nights ago I watched the last episode of Series 2 of Lost, which was quite fun having not seen the previous 13 editions. Not exactly an enriching lifestyle I know, but it's been a good laugh so far.

Slightly less dull has been the drinking sessions with hostelmates Lisa and Sharon, who have sadly now returned to their native Cardiff. Also I've been getting back into the habit of enjoying the music scene, helped along by getting on guestlists for gigs, thanks to another girl I met, Tina, who's got some good contacts out here. With her I've been to see 'Joan As Police Woman' (Solo singer-songwriter type woman) and Richard Thompson (Seemingly very popular folk singer) both for free, and both were very fun. Also went to a 1 o'clock in the afternoon secret gig, which turned out to be a band called Republic Of Loose, playing on a floating platform in the middle of the River Liffey, right in the centre of Dublin. All good and very busy, until it started raining halfway through, the guitarist's amp blew, and they had to abandon after only 5 songs.

Also, I've booked tickets to a couple of gigs I'm very excited about. Both are in Dublin next month: Faithless, who it's always been an ambition of mine to see (supported by Kasabian, which was a major draw) and Daft Punk, who I've heard from 3 people who have seen them on this tour already that they've been stunningly good. Can't wait for both.
Yesterday was nice. I got a tram to my birthtown Dun Laoghaire, which is a suburb of Dublin. The last time I was there was in 1998, when I was 14, so it was interesting to see how much I remembered of it. And how much did I remember? Bob all. The only thing I recalled was the tram ride in, which I'd been on 8 years previous, going past the beaches and Lansdowne Road stadium. Even so, it was nice to take an afternoon walking around, exploring the place.

Right, as if I haven't bemoaned the fact already, the job market over here is bloody annoying. I think the best indication I can give of this fact is that even McDonalds and Subway stores aren't recruiting. At all. And yes, I know that because I've asked. It's like this because apparantly every summer Dublin (and Ireland in general) gets swamped with people like me (though mostly coming from mainland Europe, e.g. France, Germany, Poland) looking for summer jobs. To date I've had one interview, my flatmate Tom got me one through a friend of his, a warm-calling telephone job where you phone customers of the company and organise their next appointments with our financial people. Paid well and everything, but, true to form, I royally ballsed up the interview.

It's been ages since I last had a professional-style interview, and so I forgot one piece of necessary preparation: Researching the company that I'm being interviewed for. I mean, the thought to find out a bit about them before I turned up didn't even cross my mind, which is crazy. So anyway I arrive for my interview, and the first question asked of me is: 'So tell me what you already know about the company.' The rest of the interview went okay I guess, but I'm due to hear back about the job tomorrow. I'm not really holding my breath.

With that in mind, today I've taken a decision to try something different, and look for volunteer work in Dublin. There's some great websites on the matter, and there seems to be an opportunity to find something really good to do here. So, even if I don't earn any money I'll have done something worthwhile, and have something to show for this summer. Also, I'll probably bring my return-to-Nottingham date forward to the start of September. I've paid rent up until then, and I'm keen to cut my losses.

I'll see how things pan out over the next couple of days.

Bless y'all,
Mark

The new city, the new flat and the all-new job struggle

Day 30 over here, and I'm relatively settled down in Dublin.

Got here okay and without a hitch. Settled back into life in 10 bed dorms pretty quickly too. It was good to be back in that environment. It's fun. It's very much an International vibe, I've got chatting in the room this week to Germans, Italians, Swiss, Spanish, Canadians, Americans, Scottish, Welsh, Russians, Irish and countless French people. (French students dominate for some dull reason.)

Haven't really done much touristy stuff, bar walking about the city. Which is enough right? But on Canadian recommendation I did do the Guinness Storehouse, which was well worth the (student) entry fee. It's known as the most popular tourist attraction in the city, and after getting over the odd cringe at how advertisingy the whole thing felt, it's good fun, they've got a lot of interesting 'shizzle' in there. And the views of the city you get in the Gravity Bar at the end of the whole thing makes for one of the best bars on the planet probably.

What else? Oh yes, bars are much better here too. Forgetting for the moment that like everything else in this country they're more expensive, the fact that there's no smoking in them makes up for it. To come home without your clothes smelling of smoke was surreal at first.

So I've been trying to find bar work. No luck yet. One manager in the overly popular Temple Bar area said that he was getting 10 people a day in asking him.

Outside of such places I've come close on a couple of times, have heard positive things from a couple of people, blah blah blah. Two bars said they would've taken me on if my stay in the city wasn't so brief (fair enough, there's less than 7 weeks left now), so in response I've edited my CV to hide any references to my ongoing degree (I'm now a graduate, woo!), or intentions of returning to Blighty. A worthwhile sacrifice of ethics, no?

I'll see how much success that change of tack has over the next couple of days. In the meantime, I've successfully managed to find a flat! It's a student halls set-up, running until September 1st when we have to make way for them all to come back again. It's the same kind of set up as Oxford Court (for those of you who were familiar with that. For those not, 4 single rooms in a flat, sharing a kitchen and living room, all already fully furnished) but a bit bigger, a bit nicer and pretty much the same price. Which for Dublin is very good. Moved in this afternoon, and my one flatmate (the two other rooms remain empty for the mo), James from Limerick seems really sound, and I reckon we're going to get on well.

And that's pretty much everything. Not really the most entertaining of blogs to date I admit.

Peace and love,
Muldoon

5 random pictures from Tenerife

I've not been taking many photos out here, partly cos my camera's shite, but here's a few terribly random ones, taken on one day in Tenerife where I went a bit photo-crazy.

Fat people and weird art. Must be a tourist town then

Me? Pose? Pffft, never.

Clubbing in Tenerife. Hardcore. Stealth should get one of these laser thingys

Geniune Aussie one time flatmate-to-be Pete. He's been mugged at gunpoint twice you know. I have no idea why this photo is smaller than the others.

More wanky not-looking-at-the-camera stuff

The school reunion, the rubbish job situation and the change of scenery

Day 23, then...

So when I last updated I was just about to go for a couple of PR jobs, yes? Well that night I headed down to the main patch of bars, and it was like Welcome to PRsville, population: everybody. I got chatting to a couple of them who bemoaned how quiet it was over here for this time of year, and that they were really struggling to make worthwhile amounts of money. Those who know me well will know that this was enough to put me off the idea immediately.
So over the next couple of nights I started to come to the conclusion that it might be time to move on from this place. Back when I first thought of coming over here for the summer, I had another place in mind as a sort of back-up, that I also liked the idea of living in for a couple of months. That place was Dublin. So sure enough, on Monday I booked a flight, for today, to Dublin.

I'm really, really excited about it, but I knew as I was finishing making the booking that I was bound to get a job offer through, just when a non-refundable plane ticket has been brought. Sod's law isn't it? Sure enough, and surreally enough, that's kind of what's happened.

The next night I logged on to MSN Messenger to see who was online, and started typing away to an old school friend Ivanka (one or two of you will know her, yes?), who I thought was living in Spain now. Turns out she's actually been living in Tenerife since January, and works for a magazine just up the road from where I've been staying. Yeah, imagine how shocked both of us were.

An hour later and we're out drinking in the beach-front bar Pete (who was going to be my flatmate out here before I U-turned and booked this flight) is running. Over the course of the evening we establish that with her contacts she easily could of sorted me out with a flat, a couple more flatmates, a job - quite possibly behind a bar - and generally helped me set down roots over here. Bugger. Great and utterly surreal night though.

The next night, last night, also happened to be Pete's one night off this week.Excellent. Me and him went out for a meal, then drinking to The Bull's Head (where I worked for that week) to say goodbye to the staff there. That came with another shock, the really cool girl there, Lorna, who was absolutely lovely, had just a couple of nights before got engaged to her equally really sound boyfriend. God bless her. So that was cause for another celebration.

After that headed to a Spanish bar on the beach-front, (Pete's Australian, but is good at speaking Spanish) then, at about half 2, when we knew we had to to carry on drinking, headed into the main patch where all the touristy loud clubs are. Sat in one that overlooks the street and watched a couple of nasty fights break out (one involving half a pool cue and a broken bottle, nice.), and then headed over to Tramps, probably the best known nightclub on the Island.

The highlight of that? For just the 3rd time in my life, getting thrown out of a bar. Go me! It was for semi-deliberately dropping and smashing a glass on the floor. The bouncers came over and chucked me out.

More entertaining though, was going to the toilets of the bar next door, slicking my hair back, unbuttoning my shirt, and walking straight back into Tramps. And not getting noticed. And staying until 6:15 when the place shut. Hardcore.

Was asleep by 7am, woke up at 11:30am and arranged to do lunch with Ivanka as a final goodbye. Then return to the hostel to pack (they don't seem to know or care that I haven't paid for tonight, and check out time is 11am).

And that's pretty much it. In half an hour I'm leaving to catch my bus to the airport. Given the chance to stay now with Ivanka sorting me out for a job, I probably would do. But it doesn't matter, because I'm really, really, so excited about getting to live in Dublin for the next 6/7 weeks now. I reckon I've learnt a couple of good life lessons over here, and these last 3 days have been fantastic, but what could happen next is just to exciting to give up now. Despite being born in Dublin, I don't really know or remember it at all. So this is a great opportunity. Can't wait.

How cheesy.
Mark.

The job hunt, the fake accent and the dreaded PR

It's day 18 here (it's quite sad that I'm keeping count of that, isn't it?), and the job hunt continues largely fruitlessly. Have been all over the place and hear one response more than any other: It's too quiet to be taking on staff. Tenerife seems to attract less and less tourists every year, and yet the resort area continues to grow up the coast regardless as more hotels, bars etc get built. Mental.

I did have an interview on Wednesday for a bar called The Irish Times that I was pretty confident about getting. Didn't though, and I think I know why...

You see, when I had that job last week, occasionally whilst serving people I would fake an Irish accent. It was amusing to do in the middle of an 8 hour shift, and I noticed it would make a slight difference to how much I took in tips. People like getting served by the Irish type it seems.

So, extending this logic, when I went into this pub The Irish Times to ask if they had any bar work going, I put on said Irish accent again. It might of given me a better chance of getting a job there, right? They said they'd take my name and number, and get back to me if anything became available.

The next day, 2pm in the afternoon, and I'm lying on the beach. My mobile rings, it's Darren from The Irish Times, could I come in some time for an interview? It's about 5 seconds into this conversation when I realise I'm not talking in the Irish accent. So, in blind panic, I gradually put the accent back on again as the conversation goes on. Oh yes.

We arrange an interview for 8pm that day anyway, and I go along having decided to drop the accent completely. It went pretty well, but they haven't got back to me, so I guess they weren't interested for some reason, hmm?

So, with no real leads left, I've been offered PR work at a couple of places (for those that don't know you try to draw in punters off the street into the bar, and get usually 1 Euro per head for each success). I'm going to give it a go I think. People often say I'm a good salesman, so I might just get rich from it. Especially if perhaps, I fake an Irish accent for it?

The england defeat, the flat hunting and the sacking

Day 12 then, and there's a lot to talk of...

How was England V Portugal for everybody else? I watched it with my workmates in the pub where we all work. It was tense stuff, not quite as tense as seeing the same fixture (and result) two years ago at Glastonbury, but certainly close.

As is traditional with England's tournament exits, I was upset for 5 minutes and then got over it.

I've been getting on well with the guy in the room next to me (in the hostel) of late, and he's looking to get a flat as well, so we've been doing some flat hunting over the last 3 or 4 days. It shouldn't be too hard, there's loads of empty places about, so we should have somewhere within a week I reckon.

Which brings me to the final bit of news: I got sacked last night!

Well, not exactly sacked, but after the week's probationary (is that the right word?) period finished last night, my boss told me they weren't going to keep me on.

He was very frank as to the reasons why, and to be honest he's absolutely right. It's a really really particular work place, and everything has to be done exactly as the book says. Coming from Rescue Rooms, that was a bit of a culture shock, and I wasn't doing all I should of been. Add to that the fact that we turn people away most days who are asking if we've got jobs going, and you can see why I wasn't kept on really.

The couple of member's of staff who know already are pretty taken aback, and one, Dale (having a wealth of contacts as he does), has told me a couple of places who are looking for people at the mo, so with any luck I'll be back in work fairly shortly.Still, this is the first time I've ever been laid off from a job. It's very disconcerting!

Love to all,
Muldoon.

The new job, the england game and the scary spanish man

It's day 6 over here, and the main piece of news is that I've got a job.

3 nights ago I went round about 15ish bars asking if they had any bar work going. One said yes they definatly did. I came back there on request the next evening, chatted to them, chatted to the manager for all of 2 minutes, and was asked if I could start the next day. It's vaguely Irish themed, which might've helpt.

So yeah, first shift was last night. It's 48 hours a week, you do six 8 hour shifts each week. Pay wise they're paying me pretty much what Rescue Rooms was, which considering the much lower cost of living out here is pretty good. They all seem very nice though, and they encourage you to chat away idly to customers, which is often a lot of fun.

Because it's a few more hours a week then I was after, I have a plan: keep doing it until 7 to 10 days before I come home, then quit, and have those last 10 odd days off as a holiday, and hopefully make something of a binge drinking period out of it.

Oh oh, and we need two or three more staff by the way, so if anybody's bored knocking about this summer and wants to head on out here...!?

What else... Yes, the England match was good wasn´t it? I watched it in nicely subdued bar on the seafront here. Okay pub, though their decision to play (typically the worst) England Anthemz at half time instead of letting Lineker et all talk went down like a fart in a crowded lift.

The hostel is a bit crap, did I mention that? Only other occupant I've bumped into was a 40ish year old tubby Spanish guy in the room next to me. He stood at my door way wearing only his underpants and asked me if I wanted to do 'Charlie' with him.

I declined. Woo!
Muldoon

Obligatory `I'm here safe and sound' post

As the title suggests, I've arrived safely - and settled in to - life in Tenerife.

The journey yesterday was a breeze, everything went according to plan. Except the dull and overcast weather on arrival. After having a little trouble finding my hostel (which is nice, if a little unsociable) settled in, then went out for a bit of a wonder.

I'm thankfully a bit out of the way of the main touristy bit here, which is good as there it's quite Las Vegas like in it's level of cheese. There's a fake pyramid, big elaborate fountains, statues... That kind of thing.

Today I did a little old trick that I haven't done for 5 odd years that involved looking in my guidebook for the nearest 5 Star Hotel, and strolling in, laying my towel down on a sunlounger, and abusing their facilities for the afternoon. They have a great pool, I have to say.

Temperature wise it's been about 28/29?c today which has been nice. And pretty uncloudy too thank goodness.

Am going to leave it another couple of days before jobhunting I reckon. Am enjoying winding down too much at the mo.

Cheers,
Mark

Muldoon's Inaugural Blog

So here I am, in a grubby Internet Cafe in Dublin, Ireland. It's secretly late August, and it's nearing the end of a summer of travelling, drinking and scrambling to find worthwhile work. I've spent money I was never supposed to, found and fallen out of work, and moved countries on spur of the moment decisions?

But where the how did I get to be here? Who the What have I done? And why?

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll bring this blog up to date with the story so far, as I wrote it at the time. Then they'll be updates as and when written, then when I'm back at University in Manchester with decent internet access on tap, I'll settle into a more traditional blogging format.

So then, it all began by getting a flight to Tenerife back in June...