I've been in Argentina for almost a year now. When I first landed I thought I was an alien on another planet. Everything so new and unable to speak the language made it quite difficult. I gave myself the year to get comfy with the culture and the language before diving into any serious job prospects. I lived, worked and breathed the corporate industry for years always doing my best and making a good living for myself. Now I don't want to work in the corporate environment but I always loved organising the lives of Corporate Executives.
While all my brother's friends have big jobs here and are some of the most hardest working individuals on the planet I noticed that I was bored and they were never getting anything done as to their lack of time in their schedule. So that's where my work started. Big business clients with little time.
FIRST CLIENT: A Busy EXEC - What fun and a great guy!
Job - I'll pack and move for you.
One friend/exec was moving house so I packed up his house, organised the movers, unpacked into the new house and by the time he was back from his business trip he walked in the door and it was like he had died and went to heaven - NO STRESS - we all know that moving breaks up marriages/relationships/friendships.... Well not if you don't have to do it.... Leave it to me.
Job - Decorate for House/Room/Office.
The same story, as a guy hits his thirties he realised that he may need a bit more than a bachelor pad. It's time to grow up. That means - nice sheets, plants, a couch - not a futon, bathroom products, pillows, pictures (not posters of girls asses), a clean fresh feel to the house - not stale beer and cigarettes.
Well I saved a few friends from catastrophic disaster. Imagine bringing a girl in her 30's home to your nasty looking crack hole. How don't they know this is instant death for a prospective relationship.
We went from dusty, moldy piece of trash to "yes I want to date you and maybe more!!!" Look at that bed. Just a few of the changes included:
Completely new bed - off the floor and with Egyptian cotton sheets, pillows, down comforter and cashmere throw blanket.
Office - Ok now it's an office - added shelves, files, lamps, rug, plants, photography, family photos and the all important desk (imaging he was using the top of a speaker)
Bathroom - Shower curtain, rugs, plants, creams, towel racks, and stocked his shelves with all the products a guy would ever need. Do you know the amount of empty bottles of deodorant, toothpaste, shaving cream and just scum that I found.
Living Room - New couch cover as the old one had been chewed by the dog and was covered with footprints, stains and I really don't know what else.
Artwork - Now this guy has great taste in art and I didn't even know he like art until I started digging and found numerous prints folded up and shoved behind the wardrobe. Took all the prints to the Frame Store and had them put in the most amazing frames and one day when he came home I had them displayed beautifully all over the house. Ok... it was starting to look like a man lived there.
Kitchen - Oh god... It was scary... I wasn't ready for what was to come. Around 40 glass jars filled with numerous different things. Flour, Cereal, Oatmeal, Sugar, Rice, Pasta - you name it he had it - the problem was for how long. When I opened the different lids I found the nastiest worms, bugs and flying things that were totally unexpected. The flying things got me.
So I went to work and did a Martha Stewart on that Kitchen. Totally organised, cleaned, bought dishes, cups, missing spices, hand towels, barbeque utensils, wine openers, silverware - the works to make him go from slob to "oooohhhhh he is sexy".
Odd Jobs - got the chain on the bike fixed, went to visit old neighbors and bring them bakery goods, typed odd documents, got rugs cleaned, organised music collection.
The Most Important task - to this day I still do all of his grocery shopping. He never has to come home and look in the fridge and see a can of beer and mustard. This guy likes to eat well and eat healthy. He walks in the door and sees all the colours of the rainbow on the table, has milk, bread, meat, fish, chicken, spices, toiletries, wine, beer, water - all the essential for a grown up man.
These are a couple of odd jobs I have done and have come to love helping people organise their life. I'm off to teach a Argie friend English.... It's makes it so much easier when somebody is super cool....
I'll be back to tell of more of the amazing experiences I have had helping the people who have no time to live.
