....about 360! It finally happened, the powers that be (the 'little one'!) said 'roll over', so one rolled over and 40 fell out. The global economic downturn has hit E&Y Brisbane. Last week about 1/10 (about 40) of our staff were 'let go', including 11 from my tax group. I think a further 60 or so in total were also let go from our Melbourne and Sydney offices. The little one has so far neither confirmed nor denied that there will be any more.
That said, we have been told that everything should be ok for the next few months (hmmm!), however it does look likely that enforced unpaid leave and 4 day weeks/9 day fortnights will be coming into the equation fairly soon.
It's like a whole series of 'Survivor' here, not just one episode. Better start honing my 'hunter-gatherer' skills, and learn how to spear fish!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Homestay
We're now over a week into our first ever homestay experience. Taiki, a 20 year old English language student from just outside Yokohoma, at one of the language colleges here in Brisvegas, is our proverbial guineau-pig. Despite moments of incomprehension on both sides, my dreadful attempts to simplify things by using pigeon-english with a japanese accent and his inability to make a sandwich in under 30 minutes, everything seems to be going pretty smoothly.
In fact, being an ardent Man Utd supporter his arrival has given me a 2/3 majority for watching sport on the big screen. Shame the season's nearly over; guess, i'll just try to convert him into a cricket and rugby union fan for the rest of his 3 week stay with us.
Taiki (pronounced Tacky) unbeknown to him has already accumulated a couple of nicknames - Tic-tac to MC and the girls and Turkey to one unspecified individual (Mat!). Oh, and before you ask, he does have an incredible amount of gadgets for just about everything. Sadly, though, not one for making a sandwich in under 30 minutes.
As I've said everything seems to be working out, so we've agreed to take on another homestay student for 8 weeks from the 23rd May. This one is from Switzerland I think....language hopefully shouldn't be as much of a problem, as it sometimes is with Taiki. Poor chap took two days to work out that when the new chap arrives he doesn't have to share his bed, we'll be turning the study into a second spare room with a little help from Ikea. Yes, they have that here too, only it's not half as decent as it is in the UK.
In fact, being an ardent Man Utd supporter his arrival has given me a 2/3 majority for watching sport on the big screen. Shame the season's nearly over; guess, i'll just try to convert him into a cricket and rugby union fan for the rest of his 3 week stay with us.
Taiki (pronounced Tacky) unbeknown to him has already accumulated a couple of nicknames - Tic-tac to MC and the girls and Turkey to one unspecified individual (Mat!). Oh, and before you ask, he does have an incredible amount of gadgets for just about everything. Sadly, though, not one for making a sandwich in under 30 minutes.
As I've said everything seems to be working out, so we've agreed to take on another homestay student for 8 weeks from the 23rd May. This one is from Switzerland I think....language hopefully shouldn't be as much of a problem, as it sometimes is with Taiki. Poor chap took two days to work out that when the new chap arrives he doesn't have to share his bed, we'll be turning the study into a second spare room with a little help from Ikea. Yes, they have that here too, only it's not half as decent as it is in the UK.
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