在書店工作，是我的小小夢想。

臨離開Margaret River時，與書店老闆的三兒子交換了「作品」。我談到在書店工作的感想，如下。

"This feels like doing an assignment to be handed before deadline.  Perhaps the fact that you are a teacher makes me feel in this way.

Working in bookshop has always been my dream.  I remember that in my university years, my best friend got a job in a bookshop in the summer vacation.  She looked after the shop, followed up orders and served customers.  When there was no customers, she could freely flip through the books.  How I envy her of this perfect job- to work in a quiet shop out of the big and crowded city, to share with customers the reading enjoyment, to be able to have the first glimpse of newly published books... Yet there was no such opportunity for me OR I should say, I haven't really tried hard to get the chance.

Then I was here, in Margaret River.  Desperate for jobs, my friends and I had left the Perth city heading northwards to Gingin and Lancelin.  But no job.  We then went southwards to Bunbury, Donny Brook and Busselton.  Still, no job.  Our only hope was Margaret River, where many backpackers mentioned as a place with far more jobs supplied than demanded.  When our car was entering the town, immediately I noticed the Margaret River Bookshop on the Bussel Highway. 

The information of the backpackers was, afterall, proved to be hearsay only, not necessarily true.  We went to the agencies for registration.  They claimed, job would soon start within two weeks.  Because of the recent economic downturn, there were far too many people waiting for employment in the vineyards.  Week after week, we were told that the job would start very soon whenever we showed up in the agencies.  But the promise never came true.  They wanted experienced people but we were not.  Priority was given to experienced workers. 

After a month, my guy friends got jobs.  Even though I registered with them in the same form, I got nothing.  The reason is simple: I am a female.  I was about to give up the wait for the seasonal work.  One day afternoon, I went to the Margaret River Bookshop for wireless Internet.  K was there.  Perhaps I was so desperate for job.  Even though thinking that it was 99% unlikely that this quiet bookshop would need any extra people, I asked K.  Expected answer given.  When I was using the Internet, the thought of volunteering came to my mind.  Why not be a volunteer?  I have a lot of free time.  Why not make a good use of it?  Though, I could not get any payment, I should be able to get something from it.  At least, I could fulfill my dream, of working in a bookshop.

L and me started volunteering the next morning.  We started by doing the alphabetical order of the general fiction.  There were many books by different authors.  We were very confused.  Suddenly, the order of A to Z was difficult for us.  Despite learning years of English, we even needed to write down the list from A to Z so that we could work quicker. 

After the general fiction, we did books for children, books for teenagers, then the classics, science fiction and eventually the most challenging category, the crime and murderer fiction!

Every thing has its time.  When we did nearly all alphabetical order in the bookshop, we got jobs in the vineyard.  Working in vineyard was for money.  But working in bookshop is enjoyment.  After my first day of vineyard work, when I entered the bookshop, I felt like home.  Being surrounded by books makes me feel contented and secured.  How I wanted to work in the bookshop full time instead of the vineyards.  Nevertheless, working on Thursdays is good enough for us.  L and me really enjoyed working with you and S.  You two are very funny and friendly.  In particular, you are always encouraging and appreciative.  I still remember how you jokingly described the meaning of pricing, that this would enable you guys to remember our work for a long time.  Such little act suddenly becomes very meaningful.  To us, the Thursdays were just like "paid day-off".

The work in bookshop allowed me to know a bit more about the publishing industry in Australia and get more understanding on the good authors.  More than that, working in bookshop somehow tells me how important it is to action in realizing dream.  If in the other day, I have not had taken the courage to ask K about volunteering, nor started volunteering as promised, the story would be totally different.  I'm glad I did it.  My dream if working in bookshop, though only for four Thursdays, was realized."

再重看，覺得「要實現夢想就要行動」的結論有少少「陳腔濫調」，但那確是我當時真心的想法。