Bittersweet Symphony

G'day readers!

My days at Rochford are now pretty much over. I worked five days this week and I'm heading to Melbourne as soon as I've recuperated from this week and packed my stuff.

My week was pretty colorful. On Thursday I did some wine moving but through most of the day I sealed bottles of sparkling with a special piece of tape. I did around 500 bottles. At the end of the day Helmut told me I'd be substituting for Rami as a kitchen hand on Friday. I didn't like the sound of that.

Thursday night was the company Christmas party. It was on the other side of the Yarra Valley in a secluded Italian restaurants called Zonzo. I went with Sascha, Eva and Ana. We stopped at their place first where I got a letter from mom and dad with a Christmas card and two CDs of pictures.

For some reason I didn't leave the card or the CD in Sascha's car when we got to the party. Maybe I thought I'd be leaving with someone else. We were the last ones to arrive but dinner hadn't started yet and everyone sat outside enjoying drinks before dinner inside. I spent most of the night breaking the news of my leaving to a lot of the people. I think Richard was the one most stunned by my departure. He told me at the party that I'm the person he knows best in all of the company because he either worked with me or alone.

At times, I felt a little out of place at the party. As to why, there's probably many reasons and one of them was the fact that I was suddenly leaving. Besides the prospect of being a kitchen hand for a day didn't make me very festive. The night was fun and some people drank too much and made fools of themselves to the delight of others. Before we headed back home we took an unnecessary detour to Healesville where there were no open bars. In bed I realized I had left my Christmas card and CD at the Italian restaurant.

Thursday was the worst day of my life. I stood in the kitchen washing dishes without breaks for ten straight hours. I didn't eat and I didn't sit down. The previous night I didn't sleep very well because I felt so anxious about the whole thing. I had no idea where to put most of the stuff I took out of the machine and the work was emotionally overwhelming as the dishes kept on pouring in and piling up. The head chef tried to help me but I was alone in the kitchen at the end. I left with a lot of stuff unfinished but Rami had told me to leave rest to him. I just had to get out of there.

The experience was so awful that I threw my blue Rochford t-shirt in the trash. After the saddest most therapeutic shower of my life I walked back and threw my ripped jeans in the trash too. It felt pretty cathartic. To make myself feel even better I drove to Zonzo and retrieved my lost possessions. Driving felt good and the views very nice on the opposite side of the valley.

I didn't sleep very well, feeling guilty for the dishes I'd left behind. I saw Rami in the parking lot before work and told him I'd left him a lot of work. He was okay with it, but the head chef wasn't. He scolded me for not finishing "the job". I didn't feel it was fair. Why should I spend countless hours doing something that a professional guy can do in half the time? Rami had a friend helping him on Saturday and they easily handled the kitchen hand duties correcting my misdeeds.

My mind was totally switched off. I just worked and now the only thing I can remember is that it was the last day I'd see Kelly or Tim. Tim and I exchanged a hug and some nice words and he told me that he'd see me again, somehow. During the day I also chatted a lot with Kesley from South Africa who had started a week earlier.

At around five I was called out to work by Helmut. I drove the forklift and we set up a couple of marquees for today's function. David, Rami, his friend and Alex were there too. It was almost eight when I got to leave.

Back at the house I made myself some pasta and Bolognese. Also pictured with my dinner is my second most prized possession, my portable DVD player. In high spirits I watched episodes of Futurama before going to sleep.

I slept like a baby and felt really good going to work today. Before the customers came I helped set up for the function outside. But then I returned inside for one more day. David was cooking in the marquees so it was me and Goldie in the bar. I told him not to leave me alone in the bar and he assured he'd look after me on my last day. He was surprisingly nice to me, I guess I misjudged him earlier on. Or maybe he just knows me and accepts me now. I didn't even get offended when he used the word bitch today. I told him not to say it though.

The restaurant was busier than I'd ever seen it before but I and Goldie worked very well together and we actually had fun in a hellishly busy bar. As per usual the time just flew by and I feared my day would be prolonged by the function outside. But all the people working outside headed home before the restaurant was even empty. Darcy came in and told me he and Tim would come to see me in the city someday before I leave. He also told me that me being let go was "bullshit". I'm gonna miss him and I hope they, Darcy and Tim, do come see me in Melbourne. Louise also offered to come see me in the city and I might take her up on her offer. Natillie from Cellar Door didn't come and say goodbye like Darcy or Tim but she is my first Australian Facebook friend so it's okay.

So that was my last and possibly best day at the restaurant and my last working day for for the company. It feels sad that I have to leave all these nice (and some not as nice) people. But it also feels sweet and exciting to be moving on. Just like the thought of going to Australia felt exciting last summer, the possibility of going to Tasmania feels exhilarating. I know almost nothing about Tasmania but it's still my preferred exotic destination. Tomorrow I'll start packing and looking for jobs and I'll continue to look for jobs as I take in the sights and sounds of Melbourne before moving on.

As one chapter comes to a close, a new one begins. And it begins with an empty page maybe accompanied by some pictures of Melbourne and Tasmania.

On to bigger and better things!

Goodbye and good night Rochford.