My Sydney experience

I thought I would write a blog entry about my working experience in Sydney and also about how much I enjoyed my time here because in three days I am becoming a backpacker again. I know I will enjoy this because that is what this trip has been all about….but I guess I have now come to think of Sydney as my second home. I have spent a thoroughly enjoyable time working in Chemist Warehouse in Chatswood as a store man. It takes me roughly an hour to get into work every morning. This involves getting a bus outside our apartment, followed by two trains. It sounds bad but when you wake up to the sunshine how can you complain? Even if you have to be up before 7am!!!

My journey is usually made easier when I rob Mike’s Ipod and listen to the lighthouse family or when I have a good book to read but the best part of it is passing the Opera house. It is an awesome view and one that I have grown to appreciate. The sun is usually shining and everybody is in good spirits….my kind of place! I always get to work a half an hour early purposely because I have to check the internet for the Football news (I am still as passionate as ever about it!) because I don’t want to loose touch with it. I am usually greeted by someone on the cash register as I sprint up to get changed into my work cloths. I am always wearing shorts into work, although the jeans were brought into play during the winter. Our delivery driver is a big Ipswich Town fan so we are always having great football chats. Ipswich aren’t doing great at the minute but I have told him to keep the faith. I mark off all the stock in the morning and it’s pretty cool at this time which is great! I race in with all the stock then and sometimes I nearly knock the pharmacists over….sorry guys!!! I’m out the back a good bit and because of this I have got to know all the passer’s by and other store managers. I have even put football bets on with one of the guys who parks outside the store….and I have won them all! They all know that I am a Manchester United supporter. The delivery guys can be quite funny, one of them has even given me comic’s to read by an Irish writer called “Garth Ennis” (I don’t think anyone back home has heard of him!!). Our big order’s come on Wednesday and Friday. During the Summer I can’t hide from the sweltering heat at all. One day it was so hot that I even had to build a little fort of boxes to cover me from the sun…one of the girls saw this and was laughing at me! It gets pretty busy in the Pharmacy area but its also good fun and I’ll miss all the Pharmacy crew who I constantly hounded about product information…I don’t know if they will miss my hounding though! Most of the customers are very mannerly and appreciate my Irish accent….that or either laugh at it!! There is nearly a delivery every day so I’m always signing something…speaking of this I really have to practice my signature because it is pretty crap!!! Our Pharmacy is very multi-cultural which is great because we all learn a bit from each other and I think my English has improved a lot!! You can laugh at this all you want but everyone in the Pharmacy can understand my Irish accent now because I have learnt to slow it down a bit!!! Our store is small and I guess that means everyone knows everyone so it’s a closely knit family so to speak. Once work is finished I walk through Chatswood (on a Thursday night it is buzzing!!) and I always have to walk past an Old Italian man who plays music and tries to sing!! He basically shouts some Italian words at hot women who pass him….I always laugh when I see him. I have had a great time working in Chatswood but I suppose I have to try to pursue my dream job.


I will always have found memories of my time there, it’s been nearly 9 month’s which has flown by. Sydney has gone so quick it’s not even funny. I love Sydney and I keep saying it to the lads but I seriously think I will end up back here. It’s the most amazing city I have ever been in and it hasn’t let my prior expectations down one bit. Something happens every week here be it a concert, festival etc… You just cannot beat the harbour at night, it’s amazing. It will take time to settle back in Europe and it will be tough leaving my Sister, Brother and friends behind but this is all part of life and an experience that everyone has to have at some point of their life. I think the 4 of us will reflect more on what this trip has meant to us when we finish our Asia trip but this is just a little insight. An insight into a city that has fulfilled every expectation of mine ….a city that one day I might just call home.

Much more to come,

Gary