Bitter-sweet life, a taste of Sydney.

So how did I come to make a blog called the gaijin gambler? And more importantly what’s with the title? I hear you saying.
This will all be revealed to you in the next few posts. I'm confident that you will soon gain an understanding for the strange title soon enough.
This post will begin to explain the predicaments which I have been involved in as of recently and maybe, if I get to, start to explain the crazy and potentially kamikaze type decision to move to Japan. To add, ‘move” may in compose the possibility that someday I may even call Japan home.


My mind works hits a fuse/breaker type switch when I try and make sense of the last few years. But through these ups and downs, like a rollercoaster, I have seeked and found answers to my life it’s self.
Believe I’ve been around the block in my 24 years on this planet. And just to retort I do not mean "on the block" which most girls can secretly enjoy while in the moment, but regret later. I guess the whorish instinct can consume some. But that’s besides the point.
Life can be like a rollercoaster for the low to middle income family unit and certain life events for some can turn theirs and/or their families lives upside down. This happened in my life and at some stage I may jot the details down but for now I’m done writing poems, cutting wrists and other emo things, so without further or do I will go on with the blogging!


In late 2009, after a months of deciding, I choose to move from Whangarei, NZ, Which is a tight knit town with a population of no more than a few hundred thousand to Sydney, Australia. Population 4.5 million. which oddly enough is the rough pop of NZ.
So It was time to once again try to fly out of nest. Lucky or unlucky for me, in this case, the nest was riddled with thorns. Therefore anywhere would be more comfortable.. Wouldn't it?
Well almost.. Firstly I spent two weeks at a relatives, friends apartment. During the whole stay the grass was green, the ocean was crystal blue and the sun would shine warmly upon my face. At the time I remember a few nights spent on his balcony, smoking away profusely like a train and thinking how amazing it was, that at 11pm at night it was still warm enough not to wear a shirt. So anyhow, I was widely excited about the prospect of setting up life in Sydney!
But the day came where it was made clear in a very polite way that I had to get moving a find a place of my own. Anyone who was lived in Sydney will know of the sky high rent and third world sweat shop overcrowding. I was to find this out first hand and I wanted to set up home in the city center.
Oh the convenience of the internet! There were many a Room advertised on a Sydney Gumtree website (sydney.gumtree.com.au/) for around $150, which seemed to me like a bargain. Though, at the time I was highly suspicious of the lack of photos displayed.
Well maybe some people didn’t bother much with cameras, I thought to myself. But, it was made clear to me on my first inspection of one of these 'rooms' just what I was actually in for!
The apartment was somewhere on George St, was possibly Summit apartments, though I'm not too sure. One thing I became sure of was the correlation between great prices and lack of photos!
This apartment had two bedrooms and one study room (i.e. shitty small bedroom) I was instantly suspicious when I asked the 'owner' how long he had owned it for. He was not very good at hiding the fact the he made was just a crappie surrogate real estate agent who was pumping people in there to pump out the dollars for the man who owned it, where ever he was. I remember seeing the kitchen and thinking how dirt it was, after viewing the kitchen area he took me to one of the bedrooms, where I stumbled across to bunk beds. At the instant the cruel hand of the angry deity, god, smacked me firm upon the head! It all made sense. Good price = sweat shop living!


After a few more nights I found that I didn't have much of a choice in regards to where I could stay, due to my meager little pocket of cash.
So I contacted a few more agents and found myself settling down in one of the more cleaner looking rooms which was in Millennium Towers. I won't deny the fact I was felt crushed! I had slightly anticipated this outcome, but deluded myself into thinking things would work out. I then set out applying for jobs, so that I could get myself out of this conundrum.


I spent the next two and a half months applying for around 180 jobs. Though, problem being was that I arrived just after the rescission. Of course, being me I thought I’d be able to get a job no problems. But that was clearly not coming to fruition. I felt like I had lost all hope bloodied, bruised and wounded I slept.
See I arrived in Sydney with $1200au, which was far from what I knew was a reasonable amount. However, I kept telling myself that things would be ok. Two and a half months later I was down to less than $90, as rent and bond had taken a huge chunk of my minimal savings. The atrocity of it all, as any fellow smoker could at times understand was that I would rather spend $9.50 on a pack of smokes than on eating. Frustration kept building and smokes were inhaled like a cry out for painkiller. I was truly at one of my rock bottom moments. Luckily I was lent a few hundred from a friend, once I had run out of cash. I do remember spending the last $20 of my own on money on spam, smokes and eggs. 


I was then miraculously given a tip off from a flat mate about a job offered by a Korean man he had met. I was so eager to work, given the chance. So I called the guy up and agreed to meet him the next day.
Job offer given $$$$ I was very happy even to earn $10 per hour. He did say something very odd though about long hours. I was about to get the shock of my life!
For the next three weeks I worked min of 14 hours a day. The dead line for the shops completion was fast approaching and we had to work double overtime (without the overtime pay of course) So my last shift at the shop we were building was 31 and a half hours! I did, however, have one chance to get some rest in between this stupid work session. But it was lost as I couldn't get inside my apartment, as you see I had no key.
 I remember the mixed feeling on the way back to work just half an hour after going on my 'sleep' break. I was proud to be earning money but crushed to be living like a fly. 


I helped complete one more shop in east wood before work dried up over the Xmas season. Why do you ask did i hang in there and not just go back to NZ? Well some of it was pride or the thought of returning with my tail between my legs and the other part was a unusual type of respect i had for my boss. Even amongst the third world pay and grueling hours. I had no choice but to return to NZ after a few months. Though in this time struggling to find work my nana worked out how much I yearned (strangely enough) to go back to Sydney and give it another go. So with another $1100au, this time borrowed, I returned to work yet again with Brad my ex boss.
This time around my boss helped me to find my own room in the run down town of Lidcombe. The Korean family I stayed with was nice and one sister was ripe for the picking. I was strangely happy in some ways. I guess that’s because I was once again making my own way through life. Two months later I saw no changes in work life compared to last time around, as my boss had promised otherwise, so I quit. And this time, it was for good.  I was done with 50 - 92 hour work weeks, done with earning $10 cash and certainly done with not being able to communicate well with my boss and co worker.

A hustler in Japan

One of the predominant things that I have observed over the recent years is how people deal with good or bad circumstances or situations, I guess simply this could be put as ones own internal dialogues, thoughts or habits which seem to come naturally to some, or at least some of the people which I have had the pleasure of meeting. I think you all may get a idea of what I'm eluding to. Could be the guy back in high school who left many a women in his wake, doing so without effort or almost natural god born skills. Or it could be someone like someone you know well which seems to have everything that they want flow to them, jobs, money, a rocking body. Though as most of are aware, that it just seems that way.
Most of these people have had the great luck of a nice environment, family and wealth. They have learnt from childhood from some of the best weather be it a parent or relative.


My subject today is on the natural born hustler


Though what do I really mean? I hear you say. Listen in kiddies you've seen some of what I have seen even if you haven't thought to much about it. Because I am guy I will give examples of other males. I'm also interested in hearing about your feedback and examples. I'm talking bout the sheep or even the Sheppard of the flock. The sheep always go about there business of following the rest around to the greenest pastures in the field, sleeping when the other sheep do and talking about the same old in that sheepish tone. And good old Joseph the shepherds like the manager of the furry little creatures. Helping out where he can and leading them between fields and fences. However, every night one sheep perishes. meat torn from his body. That’s because the Wolf stands watch silently. Like an opportunist, not following anyone’s orders but his own. Waiting for the right chance to jump on his prey. Capitalizing on own sense of the world and his surroundings. My little story is emphasizing the fact that the Wolf is king; he truly is his own maker, always ready for opportunity or finding the best out of any situation.


So....


I want to be the Wolf! I have unsuccessfully been a sheep for years and at times a Sheppard. I thought my dreams were my own when in actually fact they were mostly derived from somewhat thoughtful advice from others. I very much appreciate advice, even still. however, when I'm facing the last moments of life I want to look at myself in the mirror and truly say that "I did it my way". And that’s not to say I want to die eating doughnuts on a toilet, but i think you get my drift.


Going to Japan... My Idea?


No and yes. Well how can it be no and yes? Almost every insightful experience which i have received was from an outside source Friend, Book or movie. Alone we will do the same thing. think of a boy living in his own bubbly without outside input. He would follow the animal urges. To cut the story short, most of which we learn about the world, relating to people, is through observation of people.
I have been fond of experiencing a new culture and way of life, as well as a desire to import/export vehicles as a future business prospective. Japan to me = a chance to reinvent yourself - or in this context myself.