A bit of an update

[ajford]

Hi its been heaps since we have posted on here for a while, so apologies for the lack of posts,

 

We have just been working hard, I work for a remote location company as a chef doing a 2 on 1 off rosta , and I have been working out in the bush. Its a different life out there completely so when I am not working I tend to kick back and catch up with my mini universe(my family) and close friends, before I know it I am flying back out to location,

Very rarely I switch on the pc anymore to do anything on it, when I do its usually looking through Seek to see whats about.

We have been here nearly two years and its the best thing we have every done, Like anywhere things don't always go the way you would like them to, that's life and its full of its own interesting turns at times. What doesn't destroys you makes you stronger they say- and like anywhere you may find yourself asking why me ,

For us I cant think of a better life anywhere but here, I can say hand on heart I wish we had have moved over along time ago and here is our home for me and our family.

My children have a safer, more outgoing life and a better chance of life out here than they would ever had had back where we lived in the UK,

I know some people come over here and may find it hard to settle or things really don't work out for the better for these people I send my regrets and at least you had ago at it and tried,

I believe its better to have a ago so to speak rather than whish I had tried all I could s.

We have made some really good, genuine friends out here, some poms and some Australians , All the best to newbies and oldies on here and heres to the next future years

 

cheers PIA

 

Andrew, Chef now with more experiences to look back on

[snifter]

Hey there. Long time but great to hear from you. I've missed your avatar

 

Really glad things are working out for you and you are enjoying life in Aus. Sounds like its been a move for the better for all of you. Long may it continue.

 

Wish you well for the future and hopefully see you on here now and again but quite understand if life keeps you away.

 

​Take care

[Guest Haythem Hassan]

Thanks for this post, im moving to adelaide hopefully by the end of november and latley most of the posts were soo negative, but your post made me feel better

[ajford]

Your very welcome,

 

As my school report used to say-

I Must try harder.................... lol

[ian mc]

Great post Did you see yourself working away from home when you were thinking of coming over here or is it as needs must situation how long will you do it. I found even just working afternoon shift and being at home I missed part of my kids growing up getting in when they were in bed and seeing them for 10 mins in the morning before they went to school. Its hard to work out what is for the best.

[ajford]

Great post Did you see yourself working away from home when you were thinking of coming over here or is it as needs must situation how long will you do it. I found even just working afternoon shift and being at home I missed part of my kids growing up getting in when they were in bed and seeing them for 10 mins in the morning before they went to school. Its hard to work out what is for the best.

 

 

Hi, To be honest while we were still in the uk we discussed some worse case situations regarding work.. working in this type of industry was talked about however never really thought that it would happen, the job kinda fell in place when my casual hours got reduced during the quiet season while I was working at a hotel in Seaford, so I looked on seek.com and applied for heaps of places that I fancied or could get to and they were the only ones that responded the quickest- due to my experience in the catering establishments the interviewer basically told me I had the job. It was doing a 2 on 2 off rota(to start with anyway),

When I worked before I was working split shifts, sometimes 6-7 days a week so I could get my hours-so like yourself I did miss a lot of what was going on but hey-that's catering for you lol, and in the uk I was doing two jobs so my family rarely saw me on the weekends anyway. With this job my family gets to see me and have really quality time with me while I am off for a whole 7 days, compared to may be 14hours over the week between my split shift time off /away form work. The two weeks away sometimes goes quick and then other times it can seems like heaps since we have seen each other. Its not for everyone though, however it works well for us and we appreciate the time more ,if that makes sense.

 

I guess while the work is happening I will keep on doing it as I really love the work and satisfaction I get from having the freedom of choice in what I can create and make-its not often in this trade that you have total freedom of what you want to cook-theres usually a menu of some description that you have to follow-again this is up to you-the clients eat like there in a fine dining hotel-well that's when I am working anyway-he h eh he.

I would love not to be on a casual basis however for most chefs out here that's just the way it goes unless you are really fortunate, and the other good thing is people always want feeding

 

cheers

 

Andrew

[minty]

Glad its still going well for you. 2 years, time flies by. We are loving it here like you.

 

Good luck to all coming over.

[minty]

Thanks for this post, im moving to adelaide hopefully by the end of november and latley most of the posts were soo negative, but your post made me feel better

 

 

Haythem, don't worry. There still are lots of positives and people still are making it work.

 

Good luck.

[ajford]

Glad its still going well for you. 2 years, time flies by. We are loving it here like you.

 

Good luck to all coming over.

 

The time certainly goes quick that's for sure, glad its been gud for yer too, heres to many more

[Ktee]

Great update Andrew. Are you working in the mines as a chef? My middle son wants to be a chef but I keep trying to steer him to engineering but he won't have it.

[ajford]

Great update Andrew. Are you working in the mines as a chef? My middle son wants to be a chef but I keep trying to steer him to engineering but he won't have it.

 

 

Hi Ktee,

 

I am still cheffing out in the mines, I guess the career is one of those different ones . I was told when I started that you will either love it or hate it, you will know this within a few months.

My interviewer (my first head chef) told me to have a real good think about becoming/training as a chef- back then there wasn't so many tv shows/celebrity chefs etc..

He told me honestly what to expect for example-if you like having time off, getting rich- having public holidays off, friends birthdays, family gatherings, social events, basically having a normal life then don't become a chef because you can wave it all good bye.

I agree with you for your middle son by steering him away from it-lol can he not do it as a hobbie? Saying that I wouldn't change what I have done in the industry and I love it more now than I did then, I learnt before it all went pc in the industry, things were a lot how can you say erm less tame back them ,

Like any job its about bitting your tongue,keeping your mouth shut when you want to answer back and taking things said with a piece of salt-no pun.

I had some really good mentors back then, and my hard training has made me who iam today.

 

Hope that helps

 

Andrew

[Jessica Berry]

im moving to adelaide hopefully by the end of november

 

You may already be aware of this, but please remember that in general Nov - Jan are the hardest months to find employment as Adelaide slows down for the Christmas period. It is a difficult time to gain work so I would recommend ensuring you have enough funds to support yourself over this period. There are always exceptions to the rule and I am one of them, as I started my current contract at the end of Nov, but this is often not the case.

[ajford]

This so true, and can be very testing when the work does slow down, It is hard to stay positive too, especially if your funds are getting hit however this can happen anywhere.

 

I remembered once we arrived here and had a decent sleep we started working through what we had to do,we didn't really have the holiday mode, I went straight into employment mode applying for work going door to door with my CV talking to local employers and getting my self around much to the delight of my children thank goodness to the sun being here as the parks and beaches were so welcoming to them

, I Guess the holiday mode might hit us at some point in the future further down the line, when I m older and greyer lol

We did spend a lot of savings getting the long term rental furnished with the essentials, new car that's going to last etc.., wouldn't change anything

[Guest Haythem Hassan]

Haythem, don't worry. There still are lots of positives and people still are making it work.

 

Good luck.

thanks and best of luck for all

[Guest Haythem Hassan]

You may already be aware of this, but please remember that in general Nov - Jan are the hardest months to find employment as Adelaide slows down for the Christmas period. It is a difficult time to gain work so I would recommend ensuring you have enough funds to support yourself over this period. There are always exceptions to the rule and I am one of them, as I started my current contract at the end of Nov, but this is often not the case.

thanks for the advice but i have to make my first entry before mid december 2013

this is why i have to enter at that date, im trying to secure funds for 6 months hopefully i can find work during that time

[ajford]

good luck with the search , I am sure it will work out for you