I have almost totally given up on ever returning to the workforce. It is now week 12 of unemployment. I now deem myself unemployable and will never gain employment. I can see myself homeless in the future.
My immediate worry is a likely tax liability for this financial year ie 2019/2020 owing to the ATO since Centrelink did not deduct any tax from my fortnightly welfare payments until this month. This always happens when I am on welfare payments. I hope I don't get caught up in a future robodebt class action lawsuit against Centrelink. I recommend readers Google this current class action lawsuit against Centrelink which was so severe it has caused cases of suicide due to forced repayment of supposed welfare overpayments to receipients who genuinely need it based on income averaging involving income information from linked ATO records. The result of the class action lawsuit which was only won recently after many years of fighting resulted in the income averaging methods used by Centrelink as illegal and they were ordered repaid affected welfare receipients . There was no apologies and even an opt out online given to affected welfare recipients caught up in robodebt class action lawsuit to withdraw their action. I am unsure if any affected welfare receipient would take up the opt out option. Centrelink then went into emergency salvage mode and agreed to repay affected welfare receipients back which should not have happened at all. Postscript : news headlines advise that the fight is still not over for those affected by robodebt.
I would like to get off welfare payments as soon as possible and in the past when I have been unemployed have avoided applying for welfare payments as I know exactly what welfare payment receipients caught up in the robodebt class action lawsuit feel like.
I once had to fight for a trust fund that appeared against my Centrelink record which I did not even know existed that prevented me from receiving any welfare payments for I think over 3 months before I finally received a first welfare payment. I was looking for employment and constantly fighting Centrelink and I was down to my last $20 in my bank account at one stage. I was lucky to eventually gain employment however I ended up with a tax liability the following financial year as Centrelink did not deduct any tax from my welfare payments which were back paid in the following financial year and I never received an apology from Centrelink for their mistake. It was their mistake in regards to that trust account. It took me 2 years to resolve my problem with Centrelink and I was on my own in my fight - there was no class action lawsuit. I never want to be in that situation again.
I finally was able to log back into my GoFundMe page to finish posting a photo and story of myself titled "Please Help - I Need A Job ASAP Not Donations" .This is my last resort at trying to find a job. My fund raising target amount just $1 - that's 1 job not $1.
Again my blog crashed. The Citrus Group rang me again about the call centre job - it really isn't a job it is just a recruitment agency trying to build up their database of job seekers to inflate their image probably for their LinkedIn profile. The recruitment agency requires me to complete a skills test by Friday then attend a group interview on Friday at 9.30 am. It's not even a job interview. I really don't want to mix with random people that I don't know and risk contracting the Corona virus. So many questions over the phone - Have you been overseas recently? Do you live with others? Have you been tested in the past 8 weeks for the Corona virus? No I haven't been overseas or interstate I have hardly left the apartment except to do a fornightly or weekly grocery shop , do my laundry or take my rubbish out. I only ventured out last week to the museum and observatory and even then they were solo outings! I live alone and no I haven't been tested in the past 8 weeks for Corona virus - I haven't seen anyone for the past 12 weeks and I always wear a mask even out to the dumpster area!
Watched Masterchef and missed the beginning of it as I fell asleep again but managed to stay awake for the rest of the episode.
Wednesday 10th June 2020
Absolutely wet and cold today again.
Slept in until 8 am this morning. Should really get up and do a few things today but what's the point. I am still unemployed.
I watched some YouTube today and last night really late posted some photos of the desserts I had made over the past few weeks onto Facebook which is so boring. I don't even watch Tiktok much now as it is no longer interesting. Checked my blog analytics and the number of readers has dropped again this week.
I applied for another customer service job on SEEK. I actually had a message pop up that I have reached the maximum limit of resumes I had uploaded onto SEEK online - never had that happen to me before. I need to go back and delete some old ones or duplicates.
Watched a live chat Q & A on YouTube which was very interesting followed by my first Meetup webinar which was suppose to be a Zoom webinar which I set to audio only and not visual as I didn't want other members to see me but I could see the host and her PowerPoint presentation It was boring so I left the webinar.
It is so wet outside and I still haven't done my laundry.
I do need to take my rubbish out.
Oops did I miss something last Friday - it says online Paddys Markets at Haymarket and Flemington were both reopening for limited trade Wed - Sun in the fresh fruit and veg sections only from 5th June. The signs on the gates said that the markets were closed until further notice - maybe they were open but only through the other gated entrance. Will have to check this out one day.
Not much to blog about today. Sorry.
It's pouring with rain when I decided to venture out to try and purchase a printer, replacement AAAA batteries and a top up of groceries. No printers were available therefore I only managed to get a set of AAAA batteries all the way at Officeworks as supermarkets don't tend to stock them in their battery sections. Groceries still unavailable off my shopping list as again.
I did not hang around to shop, I had completely filled up my MKR shopping bag with no spare therefore headed home by bus with my full bag of groceries.
Whilst out shopping I forgot about the Meetup Yes talk online I was going Zoom in on. Oops. I thought I would make it home in time to join in at 5 pm but it was 5.30 pm by the time I looked at my watch to check the time and it was still raining. oh well next time.
Still haven't done the laundry but have had dinner and about to watch Masterchef.
May do my laundry after Masterchef or first thing tomorrow morning.
Still have to complete that damn test online for the Citrus Group recruitment company.
I also heard from that volunteering organisation again finally therefore I need to initial page 3 of the police check ( the page that I could not see where to sign) and return it. Was unaware that the volunteering manager or coordinator only worked 9 hours per week hence the length of time to respond.
Fell asleep again watching Masterchef. Not feeling so well tonight so taking it easy and going to sleep. Too much dairy probably.
Thursday 11th June 2020
I woke up very early this morning as the fridge was really frozen yesterday and when I turned the temperature control down, there was a large puddle of water and it was making really weird sounds including loud popping sounds therefore I not only cleaned it out but had to mop up the large puddle of water. The seal on the fridge is still not good and the freezer is still a problem freezing up really badly and not freezing on the right hand side. The fridge door is not closing again because of the build up of ice in the freezer section on the lefthand side. I'm just going to leave it to defrost a bit by itself at a lower temperature and see if the door will close properly before putting it back up. There isn't much protein in the fridge just lots of fruit and vegetables and some cider so if the temperature falls out of the safe range on my fridge thermometer the contents inside should be fine.
It is a beautiful day today but I did not venture out instead I had my laundry to do - I finally did it around lunch time and I completed the rather long online assessment for the call centre recruitment company - After having a problem logging on , I managed to complete the 4 part assessment which took ages! There were 2 customer service related questionnaires with 70 questions in each section then there was a typing test which I failed miserably in as my keyboard was not the best and the keys were skipping on the screen and a numeric data entry test which I also failed miserably in as I did not have a numeric keypad on my keyboard. At least there was only one error message which rectified itself after I cleared the cache and cookies. Tomorrow I am going to have to be super organised to attend the "group interview" at the actual recruitment company at 9.30 am - not looking forward to a 2 hour session! I am wearing my mask as I don't want to contract the Corona virus just from attending that interview - I have been doing the right thing and have been in social isolation since late March!
I also wrote an apology to the organiser for booking to attend last night's Meetup Yes Talk and not actually attending as it was 5.30 pm before I realised I had partially missed the online chat group. I have now booked for the next Yes talk & solo walk at 9.30 am on Saturday. I am trying to decide where I can take a solo walk to and perhaps photograph for the session - Maybe a walk down to the opening of the new The Canopy playground in Lanecove which is close by.
I received 2 more unsuccessful responses to 2 jobs I applied for on SEEK which I have recorded in my electronic diary. SEEK is just not working for me. I have stopped looking for jobs as there is no point, if you are unemployed for 3 whole months you are definitely unemployable therefore I am giving up and just concentrating on working on my tax return so I don't have to pay extra tax as the end of the financial year for 2019/2020 is coming up soon ie 30th June 2020. I haven't forgotten about my tax agent appointment in early July 2020.
I still have to initial my police check's other page to return to the organiser for that volunteer position sometime and also remember to do my fortnightly Centrelink reporting due tomorrow.
I have paid my weekly rent already today so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow if I forget.
Just found out today that Sydney Dance Company is reopening classes at their Ultimo studios again on 17th June. Yay!
Friday 12th June 2020
Fortnightly reporting to Centrelink done.
On my way into the city by bus and train for the " group" interview. I have my mask on!!!!
I hope it is not a total waste of my morning as I have other things to do today.
It's pouring with rain and I am on the train on my way home from that whole 2 hour face to face "group" interview at Citrus Group. There were actually 6 different positions they were recruiting for - ATO, Woolworths online, Woolworth Telecommunications, Woolworths Insurances, QBE insurances and Aussie Homeloans. Out of all of them there wete only 2 that I was vaguely even interested in this recruitment company putting me forward for. The session was quite a waste of my time and there is zero chance of even getting a position through them. So much documentation is required and immediately - who has their birth certificate on hand? I don't even know where mine is. I really hope I don't catch the Corona virus from that "group" interview. Everyone had to wear masks except for the recruitment staff and that is a worry because one if them was coughing through the beginning of the "group" interview. Hand sanitizer, temperature check , forms to fill out and more forms to fill out, individual seating and desks in groups of 3 no more etc. I did not enjoy this "group" interview at all. I could not wait for it to finish up!
Afterwards I walked down to Paddy's Markets and yes the Fresh fruit & vegetable section of the markets was open but the stall I saw from the entrance riding on the upward escalator was so clean and organised. There was hardly anyone inside the markets. A sign near the esculator indicated the conditions of entering the markets. The markets were cordoned off and there was only one entrance in and one exit out of the markets. A single security officer stood at the entrance where there was an automated check in and temperature checker set up and you were issued a wrist band before entering the markets although I didn't see any hand sanitiser station which was also a mandatory condition of entry. The other condition was a 2 hour shopping limit. I decided not to have a peep as I just went through 2 hours of hell and did not want to have my temperature checked again nor did I want to wear a wristband after having to wear a mask for an entire 2 hours plus or be checked in as I've already given out enough of my identity to people today! AND if I have to put anymore handsanitiser on my hands today my skin will literally fall off - my hands are already itchy from my eczema and the hand sanitiser really stings whenever I put it on.
photos below
Conditions of entry to Paddy's Markets Fruit & Vegetable sections only
Temperature checking and automatic check in before wristbands being issued upon entry to Paddy's Markets
Barricades & queue controls to the entrance of Paddy's Markets
Wristband discarded on street not far from Paddy's Markets
Enough about Paddy's Markets.
On my way home I get a random sms do not reply message from Centrelink that someone will call me from a private number today. Just great I'm just travelling home from my appointment this morning and it's pouring with rain thinking is it a real sms or a scam sms and hoping if it is a real calm not to call me until I had a chance to reach home and have time to dry off and have some lunch. Yep it was a real call and just ringing about self service which I have already set up ( it called your voice print - automated speech recognition of your voice used to identify you set up by you repeating the same phrase 3 times) but have not actually tried out yet. I'm actually a little be scared to use it as a lot of peoples' voices sound similar. I can see identity fraud happening already! Can you imagine someone repeating the sentence "I'm not a robot!" "I'm not a robot!" "I'm not a robot!" - How can that be even proven over the phone?
Another unsucessful job application from TK MAX received by email today. That was one job I really wanted but who is going to hire more staff in retail when they companies are just rehiring existing staff that have been laid off? JobKeeper fail!
I just had a quick look at my blogs analytics and it's not always how many readers I have that interests me but where my readers are coming from. I think the US had dropped back in the rankings as number 2 and the number of readers from an unknown region is now # 1 however and I am very surprised by this #3 readers come from the UK. I wonder if this is from the Scottish Banter audience which I love reading and watching on Facebook - if you haven't heard of it, Google or Facebook it. I thought it was humour only the Scots would understand but a lot of it is universal humour which makes my day. Oops I speak too soon Australia has now overtaken the US and is now ranked #1 in the number of readers followed very closely be the US still ranked # 2 followed by the UK as # 3. Unknown region readers that were ranked # 1 previously have suddenly and totally disappeared off the chart of rankings. I still think they are "spies" keeping an eye every now and then on what I am writing about.
Feeling really tired I went to sleep as it is cold and really wet outside.
Forcast for tomorrow is overcast however no rain. I was planning an early walk down to Lane Cove's new Canopy playground opening and the Meetup Talk & Solo Walk.
I hope I can get up early tomorrow.
My blog just crashed yet again and I lost 2 paragraphs of what I just wrote.
Saturday 13th June 2020
It looks like a nice day this morning but it is still quite early. I am so allergic again , it could be from the makeup I had on yesterday or an indication that it may rain either later today or tomorrow. I am itchy again.
I have quite a bit to do today and have decided to take a break from job searching and to use the rest of June to do what I should have been doing - taking LSL. It is only 2 weeks until the end of the financial year so I might as well and start again in the new financial year after I lodge my tax return. No-one is going to employ me anyway and I've met more then enough of my mutual obligations for June of 3 or 4 job searches for the reporting date this month due 27th June 2020 - I just have to record them and send off.
I'm watching an episode of Chef Exchange on the SBS Food channel. It is the first time I have watched this series. It is very strange all in Mandarin with English subtitles with no interpreter. I've watch another series of cooking/travel shows where a Caucasian chef speaks almost entirely in Mandarin even when he travels to English or European speaking countries - again with English subtitles - can't understand why he didn't just speak English which is his first language!
Anyway this Chef Exchange series is aired with very weird timing - Jock the chef from SA's restaurant Orana, is currently one of the 3 new judges on the current series of Masterchef Back To Win. Also the way the show is edited is strange , it is again all in Mandarin with full English subtitles. Given the strained relationship between Australia and China at the moment I wonder why on earth would SBS Food air this series. Also strange is at the end of the first episode The Chinese chef Chu is filmed reporting to a lady about his adventures in China as a chef exchange. There are lots of photos taken by Chu whilst in Australia including one that Jock photobombed! It makes Chinese chef Chu look like a spy.
Sweet & sour pig intestines made by Chinese chef Chu. Yuk! Jock seems to like it!? Maybe he is just being polite in everything he is tasting. Very weird episode as the last scene ends with the same lady visiting Chinese chef Chu reported to after his first return from visiting Chef Jock in Adelaide. I notice there is a lot of photo taking and text messaging in English back to China being done by visiting Chinese chef Chu throughout this espisode.
I am now watching the 2nd episode of Chef Exchange and the Chinese chef Chu is now back visiting chef Jock in Adelaide. What?! Chinese chef Chu is actually allowed to cook in Australia! He does not seem to speak any English but unsure as he was seen and heard speaking a tiny snipet of what seemed almost perfect English to Jock in the first episode possibly - I could be wrong. In this episode Jock leads Chu to a kitchen and leaves him on his own. You hear him yelling out to anyone in the kitchen in Mandarin "Knife? Knife!" and the scene ends with him running his hands over a large chef's knife. Next scene Chu is on a boat then with a fish back in the kitchen, he seems to be struggling finding the ingredients and utensils he needs to cook his fish with. Next he is eating an oyster on a beach then he is back in the kitchen again after being left alone by Jock again! Egg and tomato mixed with lettuce and oysters? The fish ( oh it's snapper) has been fried then is baked with some sort of sauce. Jock returns to taste and likes the oysters in the broth with the addition of corriander. Now Jock critiques the 2 dishes. Then Jock is back in China with Chu. Now they are talking about a German factory built in China from the 1950's - oh it's a brewery museum in China! Now they are all drinking and the pair finally have a Chinese tour guide/interpreter but only for 30 seconds and she is speaking in English! They continue drinking and take a walk - now Jock is packing his set of knives and is off to the kitchen - Chu's kitchen and it looks like Jock has worked through the night doing prep for his fish dish - as there are large piles of perfectly Julianne and finally perfectly sliced, diced and chopped aromats. Maybe they they hired a sweatshop kitchen fairy behind the scenes. Now Jock is demonstrating his cleaver skills ( that's cleaver not clever skills) and filleting skills - Chu's team of Chinese chefs are watching and photographing Jock's cooking skills - I think they are fascinated by his cooking skills - or just bored of chef Chu's! ( I forgot to mention you missed their daily start of shift roll call, hygiene and uniform inspection and pow pow in the first episode) Now it's time to taste in the dinning room then back to the kitchen more photographs and Jock whips up a wok of black pepper pork umm yum! Looks more appetizing then Chu's sweet and sour pigs' intestines! Jock is treated to some Chinese opera whilst they dine "What's going on?" blurts Jock - who knows it's all in Mandarin . Back in the kitchen for a final time on episode 2, Chu's team of chefs take a final few photos of Jock's dishes and taste Jock's creations in Chu's kitchen. The end (so I thought).
I had to apologise to Meetup Yes Talk and Solo Walk again via email for not being able to attend their session from 9.30 - 10.30 am. The wifi in the apartment block has been down all morning (unless I've been banned for using it too much!) and it's still down. I am blogging using my own service provider's wifi. Just as well I have a backup although I have only download sdome apps on my other phone.
After watching the 2 episodes of Chef Exchange there was a break and a 3rd episode aired which I didn't pay much attention to as I was busy baking another cake. The 3rd episode of Chef Exchange was even more bizarre, skipping to Aboriginal bush foods towards the end of the episode after switching backwards and forwards between South Australia and China. I think the Chinese chef's name is Qu not Chu as I have been calling him. Whatever lost in translation. I wonder if there is an episode 4 to go?!
My cake is in the oven at the moment and I have been bombarded with emails this morning some important others not so important. So much to do today and the rest of this week not related to finding employment either!!!
Another experimental cake - used 1 packet of chocolate packet cake mix and followed the directions of adding 2 eggs butter and milk. ( I'm getting good at pimping up packet cake mixes now!) I added one strand of each Australian made mashmellows which are naturally coloured and flavoured rasberry apple orange and banana I believe, a heap of dark chocolate, raw unsalted cashews and substituted milk for long life cream as I don't have any milk. The mixture really puffed up and was light and airy. In the oven it really raised up quite well.
My naked chocolate cake out of the tin and cooling. So tempted to eat it just as it is!
Firstly I finally heard back from my volunteering job and have finally been matched up. I still haven't returned my police check page 3 initialed yet. Been busy as you have probably read. Also an email to join the Meetup sketch group tomorrow at 10.30 am at a cemetery ( I have to check the details) as the maximum number allowed in the group has been increased therefore me and 3 others on the wait list can now attend. Exciting as I haven't been to this cemetary before. I hope it does not rain tomorrow as it has been alternating one day sun one day rain all week and today is a sunny day!
The weather outside at lunch time is not nice. The sun has completely disappeared but I still want to find the Canopy in Lane Cove.
Photos of Stage 1 Opening of The Canopy
I head towards Woolworths but decided to go to Coles instead as I needed some things that are unavailable at Woolworths. Shopping finished I turn back and take a photo of the current Coles store which will be closing and moving to the new underground site at The canopy soon. I do question though why Aldi and Coles are always situated close to each other whereas Woolworths is always a stand alone. Eg Chatswood Aldi in Westfield is around the corner from Coles in Westfield. Aldi is across the road at Chatswood Place from Coles at Chatswood Chase whereas Woolworth Metro is a walk away next to Chatswoid station. In Lanecove the new Coles and aldi are opposite each other underground in The Canopy whereas Woolworths Lanecove is located in the underground carpark in another shopping centre building a walk away. At Macquarie Shopping Centre the Aldi and Coles are around the corner from each other whereas the Woolworths is down the translators near the food court. Even at St Ives the coles is on the top floor and the Woolworths on the bottom floor, there is no Aldi and thete wasn't even a Coles until recently as it was an IGA where the Coles is now.
Time to walk home. Back at the apartment I turn on the SBS Food Channel. It is now 4 pm and it's getting dark.
I had a quick dinner of baked salmon and a banana before tackling my long To Do List
I returned my page 3 of police check initial by email with a screenshot attachment for my volunteering job finally. Can't wait to start writing and speaking to the person I have been matched up with.
Next tackle my laundry which needs to be ironed folded and put away.
I still have no wifi , maybe I have been cut off from it. You can't just be cut off without any notice! That's illegal. Another "to do" on my To do List!
I really want to eat that cooled naked chocolate cake! No must show restraint!
After ironing folding and putting away most of my clothes. I clean the shower a bit of tv and go to bed.
Sunday 14th June 2020
It's 5 am and I hear cars swishing by. It is raining. My prediction of alternating one day sunny one day dry was spot on. Today is a wet rain day as yesterday was a dry day. I wonder if the Sketch event is going ahead. I think I might skip this one and maybe think about the next one.
It is now 7 am and it is still wet and raining.
I have edited my RSVP to not attending today's Sydney sketch club meetup at Camperdown Cemetery at 10.30 am today. I was on the wait list then when restrictions were lifted to allow upto 20 people per group gathering I was able attend but now it's raining and it is an outdoor event therefore no fun sketching in the rain. I am unsure whether sketching Meetups are cancelled due to wet weather as this was going to be my first attendance at a live meetup event. I am considering attending the next Sketch Meetup instead.
Why is my blog crashing again? I just lost an entire paragraph of what I was writing about ! Not happy.
It's now 8 am snd it's still wet outside but it has stopped raining and the sun is trying hard to peep out.
I am watching Chef Exchange again. I still think there is something suspect about this series - if not industrial espionage then the promotion of Chinese propagana of some sort. Although Jock is still hosting chef Qu , he has now left chef Qu ( I'll call him by his correct name now) to himself more to explore South Australia. Beautiful footage of South Australia is shown but is there more to it? Jock leaves chef Qu to visit all his chef friends at their restaurants. Chef Qu is sure wined and dined like a king - no meat and three veg in this series of Chef Exchange - only the finest seafood and ingredients spotted with heaps of photo taking on his smart phone and the nce of having a selfie taken with Jock's chef friends and keeping in contact with them on WeChat ( only WeChat mentioned) even when you can see a hint of hesitation or caution or is it I'm not really interested from chefs. The editing is really annoying one minute everyone is in Sa and next minute Jock and Qu are back in China and it continues alternating this way in every episode! The episode ends back in South Australia or it could be back in China or a combination of both, hosting a full an all seafood lunch for the Chinese Communist party - I mean a Chinese community party.
Another episode continues - now they are into the heavy stuff - fine wines, when does this series of Chef Exchange end? Now qu is sitting on a fence overlooking the countryside and he is going to look for abalone and "meet Ken an indigenous man".
What's with all the Chinese cooking shows airing on the SBS Food Channel - after Chef Exchange there was Kylie Kwong's adventures in China.
The sun is trying hard to peep out and it's almost there. No more rain and the ground is beginning to dry up outside.
Breakfast was chicken sausage, cheese & spinach rolled up in puff pastry. It was delicious.
10.15 am and i'm watching the ABC channel. I think it's news but at the moment it is all about sports. Definitely not going to the Sydney Sketch Club Meetup today which starts at 10.30 am.
I made a quick jaffa cream cheese topping with icing sugar, mascapone, cocao powder, orange juice and zest. I was going to fondant the cake but was too impatient to eat it.
Watched Masterchef without falling asleep this time round before going to bed. I have now been unemployed for a full 12 weeks and would have used up all of my 3 months LSL now. I have totally given up on looking for a job - everything is going back to normal and reopening but my life seems to have stopped in it's tracks and not moved. What a waste of a year I am having. Is this what happens after you turn 50? Nobody cares about you? Nobody listens to you? Everyone ignores you? You are forgotten about? You become unemplyable? It seems that way.
A few things i did today before I went to bed were Lodge yet another complaint against Telstra but this time not to Telstra directly but to the Telecommunications ombusdman for continuong to overcharge me an extra $10 per each Gb of data I use and i haven't even reached my 15 Gb data limit on my original month plan - I am only upto 9 Gb and on my new plan Telstra amended my data limit to 30 Gb data per month . I really need this data overcharged resolved and it now gone on for over 3 months.
Today I also submitted my entry for a competition run by Casual Powerhouse Arts Centre ( which I hope to visit one day as I haven't been to before because it is out past Liverpool) which has reopened and has some good art exhibitions on . I don't know if I qualify as I don't actually reside, work or study out in the Liverpool area, which was one of the criteria, however I am about to do some volunteer work remotely for a company who's head office is out near Parramatta somewhere therefore I have written a note on my entry form to see if it is accepted. The wifi in the apartment block was still down but now back up again I think ( must have been the rain - we do seem to have a problem with leaky telecommunication towers - at least that's my theory anyway) so i was unable to upload all 10 of my cake images. The work I submitted I called " I Baked 1 Cake A Week For 10 Weeks" which is the amount of time from the beginning of when the Corona Virus became known as a serious issue to when the competition was open to entries. Applications close 30th June 2020. If you go through my blog doing iso times I did bake 1 cake a week for 10 weeks - 2 weren't actually cakes they were "desserts" - close enough.
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