A New View

Since I've been back in Australia, I've seen a side of it that,frankly, is unfriendly.

I've never been privy to it, being someone born and raised here it was a side that never showed it's upturned nose to me.

Being an immigrant here is bloody tough.

Forget about the blood-letting immigration department, who are responsible for dealing out misinformation time after time. It's a rigorous, bumpy and long road with this government department, my friends, but lets put them aside for the time being.

So far, three months in, walls have been thrown up at my fiance at every turn. He bloody tries his damndest, gets up and showers and dresses every morning and is proactive in his search for a job. I've never met anyone who looks for a job as hard as he does. Unfortunately, he is having a hard time meeting anyone willing to give him a chance.

Well, one tabaret in the city took him on, on a casual, part time basis. But there's a couple of so called 'managers' there that just give him a hard time....because they're just bitches. He was doing his job tonight and a guy walked up to the bar, which Josh was covering for the bar attendant who went off somewhere. The guy ordered some drinks and wanted the seniors discount and when Josh asked politely to see his seniors card (just because you're older does not automatically mean you possess a seniors card) the guy started yelling at him and abusing him, calling Josh names and being a general asshole.

In the end, what did the manager do? Apologized to the guy and really paid Josh out, ending up by telling Josh "I don't want to deal with you right now, I don't wanna look at you, get out of my hair...".

Never even asked Josh for his side of the story. If you're a manager, isnt that one of the things you ask, when you're both in the office?

I came to see him after work, some time after this happened. Josh was telling me quietly what happened, when one of the friends of the abusive guy came up to Josh and apologized for his friends behaviour. Josh said it was fine, and talked to the guy a bit. Then, 5 minutes later, the abusive guy walked past, brushed right beside Josh and gave him and me a look. Walked by a couple of times. Wasnt even man enough to apologize for his own behaviour.

I had to refrain hard from giving the guy a piece of my mind. What an asshole!!!

The message Josh got tonight from both managers; the customer is always right and that their establishment are not interested in making sure the rights of staff are respected at ALL. Customers can speak how they want to staff. Josh learnt that some female staff have been called all sorts of degrading names. Nothing is ever said to the customer. Staff are just supposed to wear it because "thats the way this industry is".

Bullshit.

What kind of establishment lets this happen?! One that isn't run well and does not treat staff well.

We are trying our hardest to make a life here in Australia and I'm seeing for myself how hard it is for a new settler to even cop a break in this country. The one job that Josh has managed to score for himself is this poorly managed 'establishment'. Very frustrating.

I had a much friendlier reception in Canada then Josh is getting here, generally speaking.

I used to think this country was the shiznit. Starting to feel like we'd be better off in Toronto. Actually, wishing we were back there.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!