When I came to Australia, my first proper job was working in Opal store.
I cannot call it Jewellery store coz, only selling Opals!
I did not know opal is Australian national gemstones and why on the earth particular jewellery store only sell opals???
In fact, Opal store and jewellery shop are different category that time.
Australian travel was booming from 1980 and peaked in 1988 on bi-centennial world expo at Brisbane.
That time I was wondering Why opal is so special?
When I was working in opal store at Queen Victoria Building, so many tourists were crazy about opals., Americans, Germans, British and of course Japanese.
It was like a supermarket when the customer walks into the store.
I did not have to say much, customers are choosing and purchasing like they are buying apples or oranges.
And the prices are $1000 above.
If you speak their language (my case Japanese) sales doubles up!
Even if I do not speak their language, people still buy.
It was crazy time; Opals are selling like hotcakes!
One day my boss said he could not close the register (that time cash is always popular for shopping) because there were so many notes in the register.
I served so many nationalities’ sometimes really famous people.
Japanese Sumo star, German actress, American baseball player so on.
And I cannot forget world famous stars visited our shop.
Nicole Kidman, Sir Elton John, Russell Crowe,
Oh, my memories coming back.
Well, my reader on this blog was hoping to get information of opals, but this is something different to what you expect.
I will talk about opals sometime later.
Stay tune in!
Keep your heart open.
Kumi
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