I need a dollar, dollar, dollar, that's what I need... hey hey!

Post wedding, we enjoyed a lovely day with Michael at Clovelly beach in Sydney. I lived in Clovelly many years ago as a poor student studying undergraduate psychology. The suburb has been greatly gentrified since then, and its now a very exclusive Sydney address.

Path down to Clovelly beach

View of Clovelly beach

Concrete ocean baths, great for swimming

It reminded us that although Sydney is crowded and expensive, it still has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Megan and Michael at Coogee beach

Headland at Coogee beach

Looking from the headland over Coogee

But we had to end our Sydney sojourn, and so flew to Ballina, Northern NSW to spend some time with my mum. However, we've been having a few expenses back in Australia, so its the old refrain (with the image of the seven dwarfs, picks over shoulders, marching into the coal mines) ...

I owe, I owe, so its off to work I go

I was lucky to get some part time work with Tony, the new to-be husband of my sister, Ayla. He owns a small food manufacturing plant in Byron Bay, Northen NSW, Naked Byron Dips. Contrary to its hippy indications, we did not need to work in the nude. I think OHS regulates against short curly hairs falling into food.

The business

Entrance to the plant, Byron style

Its been quite fascinating, and excruciatingly hard work, to go back to a small factory. I worked in a lot of small factories while I was still at school; mainly holidays and weekend work. I remember that sinking feeling of finishing a drum full of thousands of parts I had just repetitiously manufactured, only to see several more drums stretching off into the distance.

Production manager, and all round texan good guy, Maurice

Big Tony, da Boss.

It was the same feeling that I was now having, facing a mass of eggplants that needed peeling, and seeing the next load going into the oven. I've blogged before about the passage of time, and how changes in psychological circumstances can radically change our experience of time. Well, I can tell you, time stands absolutely still when faced with boring repetitive tasks! The minute hand just crawled around that clock!

Co-worker Ella

But all that was ameliorated by a great and entertaining work crew, and a happy factory environment. Its been psychologically grounding to earn some money again, and to have to persist in tasks. A great contrast to our current life.

Plant in the factory.

Next event is the marriage of Tony, owner of Naked Byron Dips to my sister, Ayla. That's happening next week, and I'm the designated photographer. So soon, I'll report back on the second wedding for our trip, this one Byron Bay style.