So anybody who's following me on facebook and
twitter know that I have an absolutely amazing job over here in Vancouver. I work in a hammock store!
The Hang Out Place on Granville Island to be exact. Granville Island is one of the main tourist spots in Vancouver and it's also one of the huge art areas. The Emily Carr Art College is on the Island along with alot of independent art studios and shops. They were also filming Mission Impossible 4 there recently and I was hoping Simon Pegg would show up in the store. (Alas, not yet though)
*Just to avoid disappointment before you read on, the store doesn't have an online shop at the moment.*
So basically, I wake up and wear... well, anything I want really. The owners of the store don't care about piercings or tattoos, the colour or style you put in your hair, or how bright and colourful your clothes are (infact, I think being in a hammock store it's slightly expected). But I always make sure to wear at least one piece of my silly little handmade items. I get asked about them regularly on the bus or in the store.
Part of the job often involves unpacking, testing and re-packing the hammocks. Yes, I test hammocks. On my first day I was kindly guided through the different styles, materials and sizes of hammocks and got to try each and every single one of them out.
I get to learn alot of cool things, one of which was being shown how to tie secure knots for the rope kits, and lets face it that's a very handy skill to know. There's a boat workshop behind us and while one of the workers was chilling out in the shop he showed me various types of sailing and rock climbing knots to hold hammocks. I found it really interesting and have started tying up everything in my room without realising it.
I also get to cut chains, which sounds really boring, but it makes me feel like I have the super-human ability to cut metal with my hands (even though the tools do most of the work :p).
Burning the ends of ropes with a torch is fast becoming one of my favourite jobs to do in the store too.
When all the little jobs are done, I'm told to sit in the hammocks so people walking by will pop their heads in and have a look. I'm still getting used to being told to sit down on the job. I feel like I'm doing something wrong by chilling out in a hammock, but it works... people get curious and come in. I then have to show them into the hammocks. Some people take a little coaxing, you might be surprised to hear this but not everyone is willing to get in them.
For the rest of the day I admire all the different colours and textures in the shop. Nearly everything in there is handmade or handwoven and I still can't believe the skill and talent in the merchandise.
The owners of the store have been employing the same family of weavers in Mexico for over 20 years. They are paid fairly, of course, and the design for The Hang Out Chair (the one I'm pictured sitting in) was created by the owners. Chair hammocks are popular, but these are the only designs where you can lie out fully. Some of the staff call them "the lazy boy of hammocks".
One of the most difficult parts of my job is trying to decide which colour hammock to get for myself (you can click to enlarge this photo, opinions and suggestions welcome, I'm genuinely torn between about 10 of them). These chair hammocks can be installed anywhere. Alot of people rent in Vancouver and don't have space for two points to hang a traditional hammock so the owners and staff have thought of everything to ensure they can be installed with only one point in wood framed or concrete ceilings without any structural damage (only about a one-two inch hole will be left when you leave that can be easily fixed yourself) and that will be very secure to hold your weight. All the staff have installed them themselves and it takes about 10-15 minutes. But the hammocks are also built to last outside, so alot of people bring them to the beach during the summer and hang them from branches or public sculptures.
These are my favourite photos that I show nearly every customer... boat guy and hammock cat. I mean, wow, how awesome are these?
After work I get to wonder about the Granville Island market. I usually buy my dinner there. I've made a rule that three times a week I will try something I haven't had yet, but usually I head to The Stock Market where they make the most amazing soups from scratch right in front of you. I then head to the bakery and get the day old bread which is lovely and crunchy to go with my amazing soup. Dessert is usually beautifully fresh fruit or vegan brownies (I have dairy allergies). And the best part is I get a 10% discount on nearly everything on the Island because I work there. Happy, happy days!
Hope you enjoyed a little peak into my typical work day over here in Vancouver?
Have a great weekend!
Aoife x
