"Good Morning, Strokeline, this is Ashley." This is what I say when I go to work at my new part-time job! In America, I have only worked in a hospital setting where I am on the go all day, running around answering consults and seeing patients. I love the fast-paced environment, but I always wondered what it would be like to have a desk job. And ta-da! Move to a new continent and have the luxury of working a random part-time job. I have enjoyed my reflection time, but I was about to go insane without some daily social interaction with people other than store clerks. So I hooked up with a locum agency that places me in per diem or part-time positions as a speech pathologist. My first opportunity popped up to work at the National Stroke Foundation Australia as a "Stroke Advisor." Basically I sit in my little cube and answer questions about stroke (education, resources, referrals, counseling) for the general public that calls in. Its easy, I do get to use background knowledge regarding stroke, and its an interesting change. I've always wondered about foundations and toll free numbers and who answers the phones etc...well now, it is me! Surprisingly, I have only been asked a few times about my "accent" and if I was located in America. The office is friendly and social and the best part...I get to wear my little headset! If I am returning calls or busy getting calls, or just wanting to look busy, I spend most of the day in my headset. I put together packets of information to mail to my callers and I can't tell you how many times I have wheeled my chair around to grab material from the wall behind me without first taking off my headset. This is usually followed by a tiny squeal from me or loud clatter from my phone or other desk objects being knocked around by the cord. Otherwise, it gets stuck in my hair or I can't get my microphone out of the way fast enough for a sneeze or cough. So as you can see, its fun and actually a little ridiculous. And no one bothered to mention the dangers of wearing a headset in my 30 minute work-safety tutorial (literally 30 minutes!). "The hot water faucet is very hot", "Don't put anything in front of the fire door," except maybe my headset. Its one of those love/hate relationships. :)
When I speak to a caller, I log personal details and our conversation into the computer database. The keyboard is similar except for a few exceptions. The left shift key is quite small and the right enter key is vertical and not horizontal and the slash key is next to both of them (\). So for awhile things looked like this;
\y name is \shley.\ My pinky is now trained to stretch that extra mm. My callers range from young to old and may be stroke survivors, caregivers, family, friends, or just interested in keeping themself 'strokesafe'. Alot of older people have difficulty hearing and I have to talk loud enough for them to hear me but still quietly enough that the whole office is not in on the conversation. Often co-workers say..."I tune you out because I am so used to it, but you have a lovely phone manner." Thanks for listening, I guess!? Most people have accents and usually have to spell out their street names and cities like Toowoolong, Ballacara, Coolagarlie, Ulladulla because I can't understand the strange name and their accent on the phone doesn't help. When spelling a word with the letter 'h' it sounds like "hey-ch" so, my name would be A-S-hey-ch. The other day the woman in the cubicle next to me said that sometimes she likes to speak in an "American accent" but its not to offend me, so don't be offended. :) ??? I told her not to worry, no offense taken. (giggle..what?!).
We also have birthday and going away parties with "Afternoon tea". This is usually very exciting since the conference room becomes overcome with australian party/tea foods. Like trout and cucumber or egg salad sandwiches, profiteroles, tiramisu, quiche, and sponge cake...which is very popular here. There is a constant rumble of "Ooh sponge cake!" "Who made the sponge cake?" And apparently it is an authentic Aussie food that you don't venture to make if you don't know how to make a good one. This came about from the Country Women's Association. Anytime there is trauma or disaster, the country women come to the rescue and bake a sponge cake!
Outside of my new gig, I am keeping very busy! Its a little surprising how I managed to put together a schedule! I have joined a great non-profit organization called carpets for communities (http://www.carpetsforcommunities.org/) where we sell these fun and colorful rugs at open-air markets around Victoria. It is an organization that empowers women in cambodia by giving them work and the opportunity to support their family so that the children do not have to beg at the border. Each carpet sold, sends a child in Poi Pet to school. Its really cool and since I have some time I decided to join the small group here and take a position, Volunteer Coordinator and Social Chair! (they didn't have one, so I added it!). It is exactly what I was looking for and I sold rugs at my first market last week! I also joined a women's intramural basketball team. Jaime gets a big kick out of this. Like I always say, I can play basketball, but I am not a basketball player. Well, I have no idea what I am doing. I grew up with two brothers and my father who played basketball in high school. I called dad to ask him for some tips and he said "Ash, you've been around a basketball long enough to know what to do."....right...???
I am guessing he may be referring to the pop-a-shot we had in our family room when we were younger. It was just like the actual arcade game but you didn't have to use quarters. I still to this day wonder how my brothers convinced my parents to buy a pop-a-shot and build it in our family room. It lasted quite awhile so we could have DeTillio pop-a-shot competitions, until mom decided it was a goner. Anyway, dad and Jaime gave me some tips and in my first game, I still had no idea what I was doing but I made it out ok! No elbows to the face, I made a few good passes (quick hands dad said), one was actually through my legs which I thought for sure was illegal, but only got a few giggles, and I fouled some chick. Otherwise, I hustled up and down the court in my little blue jersey for twenty minutes until I thought I might die. Two days later I was as sore as could be in random places that I don't workout in my regular routine. One of those places being the soles of my feet. And so I told Jaime that I will definitely be needing some new shoes, those new Nike Hyperdunks are looking pretty good, I mean now that I am a basketball player. :)
We finally had some really great Spring weather this weekend. The footy Grand Final rematch was on Saturday and so we met up with some of Jaime's work friends. It was fun being at a bar for Gameday! It was a different type of gameday as the bar was not packed (it was just right, compared to home where every sports bar gets packed) not many people wear gameday colors, and girls don't usually drink beer. Well, I did both! And we taught our international friends how to play Flip Cup! They loved it and we made a mess. :) We had then had the BEST thai food...the restaurant smelled like sweat socks, but the pad thai was super awesome (and this was way after flip cup so it wasn't the beer talking). One of our friends did not want to drive all the way home so we had our first guest at the Kraus House. We had an interesting time opening up the mattress in a box, which is as weird as it sounds, but out rolled this mattress and puffed right up into a really great night's sleep, per guest report. The next day Jaime and I had a coupon for a massage and then we just laid in the park for the day and got some much needed sunshine. Our weekend was complete with the exciting purchase of our first car!!! We were referred by a friend to a specific used car dealership and we purchased a nice little 1998 Audi for a great bargain price, low kilometers, new tires, and works perfectly for scooting us around. So many milestones...
And we're Off!!!
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