Before I tell the story of the day I worked in 2 continents within 24 hours, let me tell you that I know this isn’t cool, or rare, or unique, or even special. I’m aware of that – every day of the week people work in 2continents sometimes even 3…think of the man who has a morning meeting in Dubai then flies to London for a quick business meeting at Heathrow before heading onto New York. All easily done within 24 hours!! I bet many business men have done it…but honestly how many cheap skate backpackers have done it without even meaning to?
Behind the bar in Delaney’s in Hong Kong on the Day I worked in 2 continents…
So the story begins…I was backpacking in Hong Kong. Backpacking. Not working. I was there to hang out with Panny Yu and check out her cool country. But while on a backpacking holiday in Hong Kong I ended up with a job. Second full day in the Kong and I walk past Delaney’s Irish Pub just off Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. By chance I might add. I had no intention of going there until Panny spotted a Thai restaurant that we could eat at. But on the way we notice that Delaney’s had an advert up outside looking for staff.
The sign on the wall outside Delaney’s which transformed my life back in 2011.
I popped in with my HK Working Holiday Visa and HK ID card number and suddenly I had a job. On my week of backpacking in Hong Kong I ended up working for 18 hours. Crazy. But what should I tell my boss? I loved the job in Delaneys Irish Pub in Tsim Sha Tsui. After 2days I knew I belonged there. But I had a flight back to Australia booked already…oops. As a hardcore backpacker I was always hungry for work. Money keeps me on the road.
Waiting for the peak tram in Hong Kong.
SO I worked hard in Hong Kong for those 18 hours, I told my boss after that I was only there on holiday and was off to Malaysia and Singapore next. I finished my last shift in Hong Kong around 3am in the pub. I then headed to Panny’s to change, grab my backpack and head back to the airport in Hong Kong. The day was 5 hours old. My flight was Hong Kong to Singapore and then a connection onwards to Australia.
In between my shifts in two continents I had time for a pint with the US president
It was crazy that it was the same day I was due to work in PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub in Parramatta. Even crazier that I had a stopover in Singapore where I found time for a Guinness in Obama’s Irish Pub and then flew straight back to Sydney for my shift in Parramatta. I touched down in Sydney, back to the flat in Parramatta to get changed and by 7pm I was back in work in the pub in Sydney doing a shift until 1am.
On the same day I was working in PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub in Parramatta, AUSTRALIA.
It was crazy crazy stuff. It ended up being a turning point on my travel life as well as my job in PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub was coming to an end and I knew it.
My last night in the land down under, Parramatta Pub Crawl, Australia
I mean seriously, I was 31 at the time and how I had the energy and enthusiasm to do that. Basically the day involved zero sleep, not much food and a double flight as well as working in two continents. I ended up working 9 days straight as well (2 in Hong Kong and then 7 in Australia).
When I landed in Australia I thought about how the original plan after getting my New Zealand Working Holiday Visa was to head straight to New Zealand when my Aussie Visa expired. I now had a job in two continents.
And I wasn’t Superman so I clearly couldn’t do both jobs. There is another part of this story and I have toyed with it several times on the blog over the last 4 years but it will finally see the light of day in my long awaited travel story book on my journeys the last 12 years.