by Simon Moran | Mar 9, 2020 | Business
The warmest summer I ever spent was a winter in West End, Brisbane. Or so I wrote, paraphrasing Mark Twain for pretentious literary effect, on postcards back home. At the beginning of July 1993, as the days drew short, the sun didn’t rise so far and fires had begun to...
by Simon Moran | Mar 2, 2020 | Business
November 1992 saw me arrive in Sydney. I’d crossed the equator for the first time. Once again I pounded the pavements. The results were much the same as in New York. I had no experience working in restaurants or cafés, and because I wasn’t an attractive, young female,...
by Simon Moran | Feb 24, 2020 | Business
After the non-appearance of the A and R man at the Dog and Parrot and the decision not to swap one air-conditioned office for another, I saved as much money as I could from my temporary job as a data input clerk, a position also known at the time as a Man or Woman...
by Simon Moran | Feb 17, 2020 | Business
I ran out of money and had to curtail my trip to New York and the wider U.S. I had imagined following in the steps of my sister and going down to Mexico, then possibly into Guatemala, Honduras and further on. I didn’t make it. I still haven’t made it. Back in England,...
by Simon Moran | Feb 10, 2020 | Business
Sometimes opportunities just present themselves; sometimes we have to go and make them. Back in New York in July 1989, I had made an opportunity for myself simply by opening the Yellow Pages. However, not everything was as rosy as the impression I gave. During the...
by Simon Moran | Feb 3, 2020 | Business
In the summer of 1989, I travelled to the U.S. with BUNAC, a work and travel exchange programme that provided a working holiday, J-1 visa. There were lots of opportunities to go and work with kids on summer camps, but I didn’t fancy this. I rather fancied living and...
