Broken Promises

Australia Day was a grand celebration. Leading up to the day, Steph had researched various events that were organized in the Perth region. Starting in the early morning, each suburb of Perth had a free community breakfast and welcomed new Australian citizens. Throughout the day there were concerts, performances, and aboriginal dancing to keep everyone entertained. We had planned to explore the downtown festivities. From Perth's Esplanade we had planned to view an air show from 16:00-20:00 followed by a fireworks display over Swan River to end the day of celebration. As there was promise that the day would be filled with many Kodak moments, we had  pledged to share lots of pictures of our Australia Day experience.

Steph and Ryan in festive Australia Day tops.

Steph and I kick-started Australia Day by walking through the suburbs surrounding our neighbourhood. Based on advertisements and our research, we figured it wouldn't take long before we stumbled upon some festivities. We didn't, however, stumble upon much of anything uncharacteristically patriotic. What we did find was luxurious real estate. Careful not to trespass at times, we walked amongst properties that, until then, we had only dreamed existed. After basking in the glory of the rich, we headed home to regroup. We couldn't let Australia  Day pass us by without experiencing raw Aussie patriotism and celebration.

We knew we couldn't be disappointed if we, like thousands others, traveled to the city center to view the air show and fireworks. We donned our newly bought Australian T-shirts and packed our freshly charged waterproof camera. Before leaving the apartment, Steph snapped a couple shots of me waving an Australian flag. That picture is the only evidence we have of partaking in Australia Day 2011. We apologize for not posting 'many' pictures as promised. We will never make false promises again... promise. I'll have to resort to good old-fashioned words to portray the day's events. I'll do my best; I promise.

Ryan practicing waving an Aussie flag.

The train station taking us into the city is roughly 200 metres from the front steps of our apartment. Halfway between is the house of an elderly gentleman. He lives alone and often hosts parties for the splendid company. The parties are very lively and it is typical for the gathering to congregate on the front porch or lawn. The guests have been known to invite random passerbys on their commute to and from the train station. Most decline the invitation and continue on their way. Not us. More specifically, not Steph. Sometime shortly after we had first arrivied in Perth, Steph was commuting home and passed by one such party. She was invited to join and accepted the invitation. They were very pleased and intrigued by this new addition, and offered her a glass of wine. She said she'd prefer a beer and within moments she was mingling amongst the crowd with a cold beverage. She had a lovely time.

Now, a couple of months later, on our way to the train station, Steph commented that Australia Day would be the perfect excuse to host another party. No sooner did the words leave her mouth and we heard the distinctive chant of: "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie... Oi, Oi, Oi!" It was no surprise that we were hollered at to join the party. Due to our, currently, small social circle, we decided that the prospect of meeting new people took precedence over being on time for the air show. We thought we'd stay for a drink and be on our way, but we were having a great time and were enjoying the company. We missed the air show and it was unlikely that we'd make it into the city for the fireworks show starting at 20:00. Many of the guests were not of Australian decent, so it was fun to swap stories regarding where their roots were and why they were in Perth. It only took a few hours before exhaustion and hunger set in. Saying good-bye to our new friends, we headed home for some dinner.

Just as we finished our meal there was a loud BOOM to indicate the start of the fireworks show. This was immediately followed by barking from nearly every dog in the neighbourhood. The pedestrian overpass that crosses the Mitchell highway, en route to the train station, provides a nice vantage point of the city. Furthermore, it is close to our apartment. We quickly gathered our things (obviously forgetting the camera) and hustled to the overpass. The overpass was filled with people tuned to the sky watching the show already in progress. Steph and I found a spot with a good view and watched the night sky light up as the fireworks exploded over the tops of the city's towers. It was a spectacular show and, as always, a great way to end a fantastic day of celebration.

In other news, I was offered a position as a Graduate Engineer at Mintrex. I have accepted the offer and start work on February 1. I have already set aside what I'll wear my first day; it's stain free!