$20-$30 dollars a night for a bed adds up pretty quick. So when given the opportunity to work in exchange for free accommodation, I grabbed some cleaning gloves and threw myself into my newest working adventure...
"Natalie, tell Jenni to wake up."
"No. I want to sleep."
"Augh. Jenni, its time to wake up."
"I don't want to make beds!"
I literally roll out of bed and throw on the same clothes I've been wearing every morning for the past week. Knowing the girls will eventually rouse themselves, I check my reflection in the mirror, adjust my ponytail, and swing the door open. As I head downstairs to the bar that doubles as a breakfast buffet in the morning, I notice the hallways are eerily similar to the dorms I once called home Freshman year of college. The smell of bacon and the sound of The Beatles direct me to breakfast.
Francesca, always bright and cheery despite only 2-4 hours of sleep, begins making me a sandwich of bacon, toast, and barbecue sauce as I make myself the first of three cups of tea. I haven't brought myself to try the New Zealand's version of peanut butter- a salty thick brown sludge called marmite, on my toast. The boss ladies (as they are called) meander in and I zone out for a few minutes watching the silent TV as music blasts from the bar speakers. Natalie and Jenni finally troop in and we are sent to work.
Depending on who you are partnered with (and how well they speak English), making beds can be very entertaining. One girl spent half an hour hilariously describing how her mother has been debating face-lifts and has gone as far as to stretch her skin back with rubber bands slung around her face to see how she would look with tighter skin - the secret was out when a neighbor stopped by unexpectedly and the mom hasn't lived it down since. When entering empty rooms, a feeling that can only be described as Christmas (but not as exciting) comes over me. Every once and a while we score goodies like shampoo and unopened toothpaste from careless travellers and, on a good day, we get to keep things like straighteners and clothes. If the Gods are really happy with our work, they leave unused beverages and food strewn about the cupboards and fridge.
Once the rooms are finished (anywhere from 80-150 beds) we head to the bathrooms. Bathroom cleaning, despite my initial reaction, is really not all that bad. Everything is stainless steel so I twist the spray nozzle to full power and have fun spraying the whole room down from as far away as 10-12 feet. I've even nailed a toilet bowl from over the top of a stall. Little "surprises" are left for us to flush, and we often debate on exactly what created the fun shapes left in the toilet bowls.
The grand finale of our cleaning spree includes 4 flights of stairs, heavy bags of sheets, and enough fun to make the past 3 hours worthwhile . My roommates and I have created a game called "people bowling" in which one of us stands at the bottom of the stairwell and the others heave the bags as fast as they can down the flight of stairs in hopes of catching the recipient off-guard. You would be amazed by the ramming speed of 12 sets of sheets and a few wet towels balled into a sturdy bag. The laundry gets packed away, and alas, we are finished!
The crew, having paid for a night's accommodation, heads off for showers, food, and a full afternoon of playing around the streets and parks of Christchurch.
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