It can be ever so daunting to take that first step into the workforce as an intern. In a new weekly series we will follow intern Melissa Belec reporting directly from Reho Travel.
Melissa Belec is a twenty two year old Canadian who’s doing a six-week internship at Reho Travel. She recently graduated from McGill University, Montreal in Industrial Relations and travelled to Melbourne for an international business work experience. As part of her role as an intern, she will observe and write about the travel industry.
I must confess that with the overwhelming number of business meetings and my adventurous activities, this week did not feel much like work.
I had the opportunity to explore Melbourne through a sports perspective, which, in my opinion, is the best way to discover a city that is considered to be the world’s sporting capital.
Footy
Upon my arrival at Reho Travel, a red, white and blue hat and scarf were placed on my desk.
This was just the beginning of my initiation to the footy culture in Australia. I attended my first Aussie Football game Saturday afternoon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and proudly wore my new Bulldog gear (luckily, my hockey team back home wear the same colours).
Before taking our seats, we had to detour to the snack bar to purchase my first Aussie meat pie. It was delicious but quite messy.
We sat in the heart of the cheer squad and almost at arm’s length of the players. At first, I was concerned about this seating arrangement because we were facing the goal posts and there was no net. This meant that in order for the players to score they had to kick the ball right at me!
The footy culture also translates into the business world. I observed that most business meetings begin with footy talk. For example, I attended a breakfast meeting where the subject of conversation was footy until everyone had finished their meal, after which business was discussed for only five minutes; about a 90 percent football and 10 percent business ratio.
Running
Thursday morning, I woke up at 5am to go running with my boss and it was so worth it.
We ran the 5 km lap around Albert Park Lake. The setting was picturesque with swans and rowers on the water and the hot air balloons rising with the sun.
The best part though was the well-deserved breakfast after the run. I discovered Monk Bodhi Dharma, a trendy organic and gluten free café, hidden in an alleyway. The coffee was perfect, as expected from a Melbourne café, but I was particularly impressed by their scrumptious pancakes and Canadian maple syrup.
Lunch was a business meeting at the MCG.
I was spoiled with a delicious meal outdoors followed by a tour of the grounds with Russell Robertson, a retired Melbourne Football Club player, who had swag and some interesting stories about his playing days.
Mountain Biking
On the weekend, I learned that you cannot plan around the Melbourne weather; you just have to commit to an activity and hope for the best.
It was raining as we set out to go mountain biking at Lysterfield but once we got on our bikes the sun came out! Turned out to be perfect riding weather and I even saw a few kangaroos!
Fun fact: Australian and Canadian bike breaks are on opposite sides… dangerous!
Drinking
Does drinking count as a sport? My first day in Melbourne I participated in a walking tour and the guide explicitly said that Australia had a strong drinking culture.
Consequently, on the weekend, I had to explore the alleyway bars, roof top bars, and Aussie house parties. I really enjoyed being outdoors in every case, something I don’t get to experience at home!
Hiking
I ended the weekend visiting Wilson’s Prom (no, not that kind of prom) with a hangover.
My friend and I woke up at 6am to catch the bus, at which time it was pouring with rain. We fell asleep on the three-hour bus ride and woke up to sunshine and the ocean by Squeaky Beach.
We hiked for more than 20km in the Australian forest and observed its fauna and flora. It was pleasant to get out of the city and spend the day outdoors.
Having partaken in all these exciting sporting activities I feel that I have a better understanding of the Melbourne culture. However, I have heaps to catch up on at work!