The day usually starts at 8:15am. So I get up 10 minutes later. A quick look in the mirror to confirm the red and sleepy eyes as well as my hair going into all direction. I'm not looking too long because I fear to look like I'm 30. Especially in the morning when I went to bed at 10pm the night before. I take my toothbrush and leave my little "cottage" (it has the size of a queen size mattress) and walk over to the hostel. Because I don't have my own bathroom in my 1-bed-room-without-kitchen-and-toilet-apartment I have to cross the little garden to enter the hostel and to use a common backpackers bathroom. Thankfully I'm cleaning here every day so I can be sure that everything is really clean.
Usually I meet my boss Fiona somewhere in between bed and bathroom (always BEFORE I washed my face and straightened my hair) and we exchange the usual morning blah blah. Then it is time for my coffee and a few toasts before I start to make the beds of travellers who have left this morning. Once all beds are finished I put on my pink rubber gloves and start cleaning all 3 bathrooms and toilets. I start with the Cream Cleaner to clean the tiles in the shower, then I use the Spray-and-Wipe for the sink and the toilet gets a flush with disinfection. Finally I spray some odour neutraliser on the floor and then mop it. The bathroom is sparkling by now and believe me: you even would eat from behind the toilet.
By this time the bed sheets are washed and dried and I can start folding them together. I gained a new ability in this job which finally will resolve the problems of this world: the proper folding of fitted sheets (Spannbettbezug).
It is around 12 pm when I'm finished. It depends on Fiona's day plan if I'm working in the hostel and at what time I have to start. I didn't understand her system yet, it seems she decides by her gut feeling (English Level 5: Gefuehl im Bauch). If I'm working I'm responsible to take phone calls ("J's Backpackers, Thomas speaking" with a very happy voice) make bookings over the phone and to welcome new arrivals. In case some new people have arrived I explain them which rooms we have available and how much they are. If the think that's sweet they pay and I make a little hostel tour which includes explaining our distinguished recycling system, the coin-operated laundry and the "cozy" (because tiny) kitchen. If course I always mention the FREE tea and coffee. Then they get a quick look into our (sparkling clean) bathrooms before I show them their room. Usually I forget to tell them about our door code in case they come home late and no one is there anymore to open the door. Then they will ring the door bell at 4 am and Fiona might open the door for them. Never happened yet, I'm still working here.
That's more or less all I have to do. Of course I'm talking a lot with people, ask the typical traveller questions and I'm telling them my story where I usually start with NZ, otherwise it gets too long. As long as I'm not sick of doing this I think I found a really great and interesting job. I will upload some pictures when the film of my camera is full (just 12 are missing).
Maybe you feel like that this is exactly what you always wanted to do in your life? You can just apply everywhere here in NZ, without any previous experience. And get a certificate for folding fitted sheets.
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