Alex

Hello everyone!

Well you could say I’m still living a life of luxury here in Perth! I’m still unemployed which’s starting to worry me a little now but hopefully something will turn up soon.  So instead  of getting up to work everyday I get up to play games, wander the city with my CV, have a laugh with Sooji after school and watch an entire 4 seasons of LOST.  )

Me, Jon and an ecstatic Yas!

Jon flew down from Tully about a week ago and we had some great times, despite being stuck inside for the most part because of the weather. We improvised with a few three-hour-long Halo sessions and many very good, very competitive games of chess,  all the while being spoiled with Sooji’s delicious food.
We only went on one night out to Perth’s pubs and clubs as Jon suddenly got a call summoning him up the coast to do some volunteer work with dolphins, but that night was fantastic fun. We totally wiped out our wallets on the first round however as we wanted to start the night with a jug of cocktail, and when the bar said they didn’t sell jugs we ordered a glass each… which came to $50! (
No matter, it didn’t stop our pub crawl and we were soon dancing around and making random friends.

This weekend we hired a car along with some of Sooji’s class mates and drove around 300km up north to see the Pinnacles Desert. It was a really good day out, although we must have spent around 45m trying to get out from the city centre (without a map) relying on my memory of a quick glance at google maps!
Once we eventually got there we had a good wander around the bizarre outcrops of stone menhirs which is set amongst a desert stretching for miles and miles. As you can no doubt tell from the pictures the rain was never far away so there was lots running for cover and sheltering in the gift shop. )

The 2009 Perth to Pinncales Rally Champions

As for what happens next I’m really not sure at the moment… I thought that I would have a job by now and so my money is getting dangerously low once again, as is Sooji’s, so in a few weeks we may well try moving away from Perth and find work out in the sticks for a while.…which means my days of doing very little are numbered. )

Well I hope all is well with you, don’t forget to let me know what your up to as well, take care, Alex x

300km to see a desert full of rocks and rain )

Hello everyone!

First of all I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last post – I tend to only write one when I have some nice pictures and my camera has been out of action for a while. So what have I been up to in the last couple of weeks? For the most part not very much at all! After working so much in Tully I”ve taken a couple of weeks off to relax with Sooji and see a bit of Perth. We’ve been pretty much all over the city, which is really nice, and this picture was taken from the gigantic Kings Park (Please click on the picture at the bottom of this post for a great panorama of Perth and Swan river).

The view from Kings Park

Also we went along with a few of Sooji’s old flatmates to Freemantle just down the coast and had lots of fun exploring and eating WA’s most famous fish and chips. Me and Sooji stopped by Cottlesloe Beach on the way back which was freezing! Its the middle of winter here so there was no chance of going swimming but we felt adventurous and had a little paddle – only for me to step on a Bluebottle (jellyfish)! Really, really painful! By the time I’d hobbled home it had subsided quite a bit.

A pretty beach with a lot of hidden pain... )

I’ve adjusted to city life quite nicely though, I’m enjoying being able to walk to the CBD whenever I like, go to the cinema, eat out with friends and chill out in the evening with Sooji in this really nice apartment. This is my third home now in Perth and I think we’ll stay as its really comfortable (with a $6k TV and X-box!). )

The wonderful Sooji! (to Joe and Ant - a picture fit for FaceSpace eh?)

As for work I’m about to start the much-hated process of going around restaurants etc and hand my CV about after my little holiday, although according to agencies work is hard to come by, especially for backpackers it seems. I think its still true that if you want to work you’ll be able to find it, it will just be harder than a few months ago – I read yesterday that 18,000 people were laid off just in July – so there is more competition and a general preference to give jobs to Aussies.

The psychologically-world-mind-shaking Black Swan

Having said that I’m sure something will turn up as soon as I start looking hard, but for this weekend at least I’m free to go out clubbing! Next weekend looks set to be good too as Jon is flying over from Tully and be staying with me for a few days to experience the bars of Perth before heading off again.

Well thats all for now but I’ll be sure to post again soon, hope you’re all well, Al x

Sweet panorama (hasnt been cropped yet - click for full size)