Tough Love

Australia has had a tough go the past few months with regards to natural disasters. Queensland is still recovering from the floods and cyclones that wrecked havoc on the state in December and January. Over the past couple weeks the citizens of Perth have gotten a little taste of the destruction themselves as bush fires have destroyed about 70 homes in the regions of Swan Valley, Kelmscott, and Roleystone. The investigation of the cause of the fire is still ongoing. However, latest reports indicate that an off-duty police officer may be responsible as he was operating an angle grinder in his yard during the fire ban. The recent bush fires have ignited discussions (pardon the pun) about the practice of controlled burns within Western Australia.

These Boots are Made for Walking

Since arriving in Perth there has been the undeniable urge to explore and discover. These adventurous pursuits, however, are heavily dependent upon access to transportation, especially in the remote state of Western Australia. Presently, we do not own an airplane, train, car, or bicycle. As absurd as that may sound, it's the truth. Until that fatefully day, when we purchase a second hand bicycle or private jet, we will have to rely on public transit.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

As the year 2010 came to a close, Steph and I reviewed all of the photos we had taken during our short period in Australia. We had taken a lot. We shared those photos with you in an earlier blog entitled Looking Back and Looking Forward. We would like to continue with this idea, and share a slideshow of our adventures at the conclusion of every month.

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.

Home Inspection

Today we had our first home inspection. The real estate agency that leased us our apartment requires periodic inspections of their properties to ensure that the tenants are properly caring for the space. This typically would not have been reason to stress. However, there was an unusual stipulation in our rent agreement. The real estate agency would forgo having the apartment professionally cleaned if Steph and I would agree to do the cleaning ourselves for a $150 reduction in our first rental payment. We had agreed to do the cleaning ourselves. So we felt compelled to have the apartment cleaned to a standard worthy of the $150 fee. Steph and I spent the majority of the previous evening scrubbing every nook and cranny of our apartment in anticipation for the inspection. It's not that we are poor tenants or dirty - sure, the odd time the apartment is in disarray, but that is purely a matter of disorganization - it's just that we are unsure as to whether we meet the generally accepted definition of neat and tidy.

King of the Jungle

Maybe it was because I had just seen The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For whatever reason, I wanted to see a lion. Steph loves animals of all sorts, so we agreed to plan a visit to the zoo. The Perth Zoo is located in South Perth. For us to get there via public transit would require a short train and bus ride. It takes somewhat longer if you make the wrong transfers.

Interview 2

“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” – Murphy’s Law

I still haven’t heard the verdict form my interview with Wrays. In the meantime I’ve had another interview with an engineering consultant company that specializes in the mining industry. The company is called Mintrex and it is located in the nearby suburb of Subiaco. To avoid having to change into my interview attire in another parking garage or abandoned alleyway, Steph and I decided to scope out public restrooms within the vicinity of Mintrex’s head office. The day before the interview we had a number of potential targets. We were feeling confident that we had successfully established a pre-interview routine. And then Murphy ’s Law nipped us in the butt.