Albert's niece had been overseas and she brought a husband home with her. The fellow was from Greece and Albert asked if we could employ him because he was unable to find work elsewhere.
I had never met a Greek before but had always been interested in Greek mythology, and I realize not that Hollywood portray Greek heroes very well. I expected all Greeks to have bulging muscles like the people on the Zumba ad!
I had never met a Greek before but had always been interested in Greek mythology, and I realize not that Hollywood portray Greek heroes very well. I expected all Greeks to have bulging muscles like the people on the Zumba ad!
Nick was a short, skinny fellow with dark skin and black, curly hair. He could barely speak English and he smelled of garlic.
As it happened, at the we were pruning twelve year old Radiata Pine from ground level to six metres. This meant we would climb up the tree to about six metres and prune our way down. We used a jacksaw [with very sharp teeth] and it was sometimes better to prune some branches on the way up. But not everyone liked heights and Nick did not!
It was usually my role to train new workers and explain the technique and the reasons for doing that way and the very reason we did that work at all. Nick did not want to climb up the tree - so I climbed up there with him. He was shaking all the way, and I told him not to look down - but he did, even though he did understand me. He wasn't very strong either! And he couldn't use the saw - but he was very careful not to nick his hands. Later we were able to provide leather gloves - much to the chagrin of Gerry Kavanagh.
That first day, he completed eight trees - normally a person could do 100 -120. I could see we would have to be patient with this guy, and gradually he built up strength and ability and was able to fully partake in the general forestry work.
That first day, he completed eight trees - normally a person could do 100 -120. I could see we would have to be patient with this guy, and gradually he built up strength and ability and was able to fully partake in the general forestry work.
Men are men and Nick's workmates did not teach him English as I would have hoped. They delighted in teaching him swear-words and he thought that was normal. Nick smoked those stinking black cigarette things and his teeth were in a poor state [I didn't expect that because of those Hollywood movies - I thought Greeks had pearls in their mouths]. Anyway, one day Nick complained about toothache and I took him into my own dentist, Mr. Sligo. It was the first time Nick had been to a dentist and the pain shocked him - so he swore and abused Mr. Sligo! I was embarrassed about this and the combination of stinky cigarette, garlic and rotten teeth on his breath then the swearing, so I apologized to my dentist, but he seemed unworried.
Nick had a hard time of from his workmates really because they did not like the foreign smells and the 'different' attitudes, so they did not allow him too much leeway but I did not intervene very much because he did not modify his approach even when he spoke better English. But he stuck it out.
I found this encounter to interesting from the point of view of social interaction.
Nick had a hard time of from his workmates really because they did not like the foreign smells and the 'different' attitudes, so they did not allow him too much leeway but I did not intervene very much because he did not modify his approach even when he spoke better English. But he stuck it out.
I found this encounter to interesting from the point of view of social interaction.
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