Hi everyone,
Why does it seem like I am always updating my blog while I am at work somewhere or other...
So, I am going to write about a recent promotions job I did 2 weekends ago. It was at the Sydney City to Surf Fun Run. The CTS is the worlds largest fun run and annually about 70,000 register to run and about that number don't register and run anyway. So, it is a pretty big event. The run starts in the middle of the city and goes to Bondi Beach, a distance of about 14km.
I was offered several jobs at the event. The first was supervising the Berlei Girls. This was about 40 girls jumping in trampolines in Berlei underwear to demonstrate that their bras have no bounce! Didn't take that one.
The next one was for Austrailan Idol. Australian Idol is just like American Idol and they were promoting their show and I had to do something I didn't really like the sound of.
The third job as for Soul Mobiles. The job was throwing these enormous inflatable balls into a crowd about 20,000 big. So, took that. It was a pretty fun job time.
So the real point of this post was to tell you what happened after. After the race had begun and people had left the start areas there was thousands of bits of clothing from leather jackets to sweat pants. Wandering through this mass of clothes were hundreds of homeless. It was totally surreal. I suppose it raises all sorts of questions about a society that can abandon thousands of pairs of clothing, yet has this many homeless. Still was a morbidly fascinating scene. Kind of like the second coming of god or something. Usually the streets are packed with people. Instead they are devoid of life, just clothes and wandering homeless.
Ironically it was was actually Homeless Week 2007 that week. So, unintentionally, a bunch of Sydneysiders made City to Surf, Homeless Day 2007. At least thats what I think. It's funny, you walk around Sydney and all the homeless have new Adidas, Nike and Puma outfits a la Zoolander Derelicte styles.
Hope everyone is well.
Evan
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Right,
So, I figure, maybe, an update on what I am doing, where and I am living and where my life might be heading could be useful.
I am creating this blog mainly to keep in contact with my friends and family. I will try and keep it as clean as possible but, am not promising anything. So, update on what has happened since I have seen some of you...
So, after I visited America last year I travelled around Europe, was pretty dandy. France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Monaco, Austria, Germany, Leichenstein, Belgium and Holland. Also travelled about Scotland and England pretty extensively which was neat. At some point I might write "reviews" on some of the cities I visited, I know Amsterdam is definitely worth one... Maybe not in my family friendly blog, but, lets see.
After that my next trip was to Cairo, Egypt. I will actually write about that in more detail later.
Now I am living in Sydney Australia which I am liking. I know I wrote that it is Freaktown. Which I still stand by, however it is a very happening city, something is always going on and there is always something to do.
I do several jobs that all come under the general title of "Promotions". Promotions is, as the name suggests promoting a particular product. Some are great, some are very, very bad. An example of a good one is, I go to a big event and throw enormous beach balls into an enormous crowd. Crowd loves the balls, crowd loves me, everyone ones. Coke always has good promotions. Another good promotion is I got to Rugby games as part of a "Promo Team" get dressed up in Rugby Uniforms then, when the game ends, the crowd comes out of the stadium and we have these enormous troughs and give away cans of coke. Last game we got rid of 15,000 cans in 20 minutes. People love free stuff.
Bad ones, and there are a couple are pretty bad. Either you are in a down and out ghetto area, or, the promotion is just bad. An example of a bad promotion was dressing up in Graduate robes and giving out a "Brain Box" (Lunchbox) in exchange for someone buying 2 cans of tuna.
So, that is pretty much what I do. It does give me some good stories though, which I will blog at some stage.
So, on to where I live. I live on a street called Oxford Street. Now, when I tell fellow Sydneysiders that I live on Oxford Street they automatically assume I am gay. You see, Oxford Street is like Mecca for gay people after San Francisco. Sydney has the second highest population of gay people in the world after San Francisco. So, let me tell you some of the club names on my street. There is...
The Tool Shed - A toy friendly environment.
Blow
Columbian
Stonewall
Ruby Rabbits
Thats within 500m of my apartment building. Every sunday morning my street is like Soddom and Gamorah. Drunks littering the road, broken bottles, and broken bodies trying to shake of last nights excess.
No, but seriously. Where I live is great. It is very central. CBD and shopping is a five minute walk, Oxford Street is filled with great cafes and restaraunts, and a short bus ride to any of Sydney's famous beaches. i.e - Bondi. So that is pretty good.
At this moment in time I am working at the Qantas Club Lounge in Sydney Airport. Promoting Mobile TV. The QCL is just an exclusive lounge for frequent flyers and wealthy people. Fun to work in, made friends with the staff so now I just hit the buffet and go on the internet in my breaks. Not bad.
Also doing work for Coke, nothing too interesting, just giving away free lunches.
So, I figure, maybe, an update on what I am doing, where and I am living and where my life might be heading could be useful.
I am creating this blog mainly to keep in contact with my friends and family. I will try and keep it as clean as possible but, am not promising anything. So, update on what has happened since I have seen some of you...
So, after I visited America last year I travelled around Europe, was pretty dandy. France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Monaco, Austria, Germany, Leichenstein, Belgium and Holland. Also travelled about Scotland and England pretty extensively which was neat. At some point I might write "reviews" on some of the cities I visited, I know Amsterdam is definitely worth one... Maybe not in my family friendly blog, but, lets see.
After that my next trip was to Cairo, Egypt. I will actually write about that in more detail later.
Now I am living in Sydney Australia which I am liking. I know I wrote that it is Freaktown. Which I still stand by, however it is a very happening city, something is always going on and there is always something to do.
I do several jobs that all come under the general title of "Promotions". Promotions is, as the name suggests promoting a particular product. Some are great, some are very, very bad. An example of a good one is, I go to a big event and throw enormous beach balls into an enormous crowd. Crowd loves the balls, crowd loves me, everyone ones. Coke always has good promotions. Another good promotion is I got to Rugby games as part of a "Promo Team" get dressed up in Rugby Uniforms then, when the game ends, the crowd comes out of the stadium and we have these enormous troughs and give away cans of coke. Last game we got rid of 15,000 cans in 20 minutes. People love free stuff.
Bad ones, and there are a couple are pretty bad. Either you are in a down and out ghetto area, or, the promotion is just bad. An example of a bad promotion was dressing up in Graduate robes and giving out a "Brain Box" (Lunchbox) in exchange for someone buying 2 cans of tuna.
So, that is pretty much what I do. It does give me some good stories though, which I will blog at some stage.
So, on to where I live. I live on a street called Oxford Street. Now, when I tell fellow Sydneysiders that I live on Oxford Street they automatically assume I am gay. You see, Oxford Street is like Mecca for gay people after San Francisco. Sydney has the second highest population of gay people in the world after San Francisco. So, let me tell you some of the club names on my street. There is...
The Tool Shed - A toy friendly environment.
Blow
Columbian
Stonewall
Ruby Rabbits
Thats within 500m of my apartment building. Every sunday morning my street is like Soddom and Gamorah. Drunks littering the road, broken bottles, and broken bodies trying to shake of last nights excess.
No, but seriously. Where I live is great. It is very central. CBD and shopping is a five minute walk, Oxford Street is filled with great cafes and restaraunts, and a short bus ride to any of Sydney's famous beaches. i.e - Bondi. So that is pretty good.
At this moment in time I am working at the Qantas Club Lounge in Sydney Airport. Promoting Mobile TV. The QCL is just an exclusive lounge for frequent flyers and wealthy people. Fun to work in, made friends with the staff so now I just hit the buffet and go on the internet in my breaks. Not bad.
Also doing work for Coke, nothing too interesting, just giving away free lunches.
Sydney, Flypaper for Freaks.
Sydney,
The Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Bondi Beach....
Freaks.
In the time I have lived in Sydney, it's most notable and defining characteristic has been the sheer concentration of freaks living here. Mind you I live on Oxford Street, have a no less then 3 gay bars within walking distance AND work in promotions. Still, I say, Sydney has a vastly high concentration of unusual and generally strange people.
It all started several months ago...
I was working in a suburb called Chatswood promoting some sort of Tuna - How it is brain food etc, not the point. A guy approached me.
Evan: Hi there!
Man: .......
Evan: Ever heard of Greenseas Tuna?
Man: Ever heard of the Catholic Church?
So I am thinking, oh great, a total nutbar.
What followed was one of the most bizzarre, surreal experiences of my life. Where the man proceeding to explain that everything wrong in the world was the fault of
A) The Catholic Church
B) Muslims
After about 20 minutes of this insanity I tried to end the conversation. I think people must have used my tactics before as his voice got more and more frenzied as I tried to politely get him to go away.
Evan: Sorry, this has been interesting, but, I should get back to work now.
Man: and do you know WHAT ELSE?!?!?! (Voice rising in pitch and volume)
Evan: I'm sure you are going to tell me.
Man: My friend, in WWII, used to travel the islands, garotting the asians.....
Evan: Sure...
Man: (whispering) and do, do, do you know, what else..... he was good...
Evan: Great.
Man: do... do you know what else?!!?!! (getting louder)
Evan: ....
Man: The Pope gets his balls rubbed by his cardinals to make sure he isn't a woman.
Evan: You have to leave, please.
He stayed on. I ended up calling security.
The Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Bondi Beach....
Freaks.
In the time I have lived in Sydney, it's most notable and defining characteristic has been the sheer concentration of freaks living here. Mind you I live on Oxford Street, have a no less then 3 gay bars within walking distance AND work in promotions. Still, I say, Sydney has a vastly high concentration of unusual and generally strange people.
It all started several months ago...
I was working in a suburb called Chatswood promoting some sort of Tuna - How it is brain food etc, not the point. A guy approached me.
Evan: Hi there!
Man: .......
Evan: Ever heard of Greenseas Tuna?
Man: Ever heard of the Catholic Church?
So I am thinking, oh great, a total nutbar.
What followed was one of the most bizzarre, surreal experiences of my life. Where the man proceeding to explain that everything wrong in the world was the fault of
A) The Catholic Church
B) Muslims
After about 20 minutes of this insanity I tried to end the conversation. I think people must have used my tactics before as his voice got more and more frenzied as I tried to politely get him to go away.
Evan: Sorry, this has been interesting, but, I should get back to work now.
Man: and do you know WHAT ELSE?!?!?! (Voice rising in pitch and volume)
Evan: I'm sure you are going to tell me.
Man: My friend, in WWII, used to travel the islands, garotting the asians.....
Evan: Sure...
Man: (whispering) and do, do, do you know, what else..... he was good...
Evan: Great.
Man: do... do you know what else?!!?!! (getting louder)
Evan: ....
Man: The Pope gets his balls rubbed by his cardinals to make sure he isn't a woman.
Evan: You have to leave, please.
He stayed on. I ended up calling security.
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