Beergarden

When I arrived in Brisbane back in September, Hayden picked me up from the airport and we went straight to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is the general term used to describe a long stretch of beach's and towns that run along the coast. It has a reputation for being quite the party scene and people come from all over to experience what the Gold Coast has to offer. But I wasn't quite sure what to expect upon arriving...

I lucked up and landed a job at Beergarden tavern 3 days after I got here. It was a place that had a long streak of no cover charge, dollar beer nights, and catered to 'lower class' drinkers. Yet before I started they remodeled the entire place, which really turned the joint into a classy, dancing, late night booze fest.

I wasn't a bartender (they only seamed to prefer girls in that position), I was hired as a 'glassie.' The job consisted of me being the guy who gathered empty jugs and glasses; and who also got to graciously clean up the restrooms and vomit puddles as they arose during the night. I know you're all thinking how awesome of a job that sounds...and believe me, it was every bit demeaning as it could be. Yet the job did have its perks, and I was determined to have my own fun.

There was a team of six glassies that would work every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm to 6am. And the things you see between those hours of night will make you question the sanity of many people. I've been out late myself among these people, but I guess seeing this type of environment sober, at 4am, with thousands of people crowding the streets is actually kinda scary.

Every bar in Surfers had their own security that monitored the floor and doors. These guys were every bit large as they were short tempered. Seeing these guys jump the gun and throw their weight around was a regular thing. Some deserved it, some maybe didn't deserve it as much. I honestly can say I didn't leave the bar without seeing some type of altercation, whether between our security and the inebriated, or between two barely standing alpha males. My very first night, I was out on the dance floor cleaning up a dropped drink (which is an unbelievably difficult task when there's hundreds of people crammed together) when I look up in front of me and see a fella shouting obscenities in my direction... I thought it was to me and wasn't sure how to take it. Then in a split second I'm pushed out of the way by a guy who comes in and completely sledgehammers a guys jaw. Oddly enough both of them fell down near my feet. I stood there...drooling with excitement as they attempt to get up from the soaked floor. Yet neither one could rise to his feet because the ground was so wet. It was as if the ground was an ice ring covered in soap. Both guys were so angry and wanted to continue the battle, but neither one could stand up. I then realized that the Beergarden was going to be a great place to work.

There was another time when this older gentleman was in the bar and was visually unable to stand straight with out holding onto something. So as our lovely security guards did, they decided it was time for him to leave. As two of them grabbed his arms to walk him out, he declares (i couldn't understand a word he said) he wasn't drunk and wanted to stay in the bar. He then became violent and decided to fight our bouncers. Ha ha...bad mistake. One of ours bouncers grabs him by his arm and slide kicks his feet from under him Chuck Norris style, causing our feisty friend to drop flat on his face. They each grab a leg and arm and carry him out to the top of our steps where, to add insult to even more injury, they literally tossed him down 20 feet of steps to the pavement outside. He required an ambulance.

Or the time(s) when I caught guys peeing in the corner of the bar. Or when a 'romantic' couple was caught in the stall together...twice. Or the astonishing amount of money I found. Or the see-how-many-phone-numbers-you-can-get game. Or when your done with work at 6am, you ride the bus home with 30 party animals. Some of which are slurring, others philosophizing, some are on the brink of getting sick, a few are passed out in the back, and there's always this one person who curses and criticizes the bus driver to the point where he pulls over, shuts it down and walks off...true story.

My first two months wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't for that job. The people I met and the things I saw are what has made my trip to Australia so great thus far.