Everytime I have sight of a calendar, my mind jumps back into reality and I find it difficult to understand where the days have gone. It is the first day of February, well over a month since Christmas, and far too long since I wrote a blog entry.
At the time of my last essay (sorry guys, but I can type very fast and get carried away!), I had just arrived in Perth and was staying with Mick in his beautiful townhouse in East Perth. I worked on some amazing functions for his company which included various Christmas parties, one on a boat cruise from Perth to Fremantle - gorgeous cityscape at night, all skyscrapers lit up and dazzling with fairy lights, another in an old prison in Fremantle, several private functions at impressive houses across the city and the odd wedding or two in January. Always a change of scenery and ever a happy occasion. It also meant that I have met many real life Australians (I was starting to wonder if they really existed) and can really pick them out in a crowd now, usually because they're all athletic, tanned and body beautiful (the fake boobies industry must make millions out here!) , or, if male, they have hilarious white patches from their sunglasses and beer "stubbies" permanently in their hands etc.
If you've seen any of my photos on facebook, you may have gathered by now that I'm somewhat of a party animal, and so after ten luxurious nights of quality living at Mick's house, I decided to spend my earnings on accommodation at a hostel in Northbridge, the backpacker area of Perth, and start meeting some friends in time for Christmas and New Years parties of my own. So I rocked up at The Coolibah Lodge in Northbridge a week or so before Christmas, and I think it took me three days to roll in drunk after a night out with new friends, goal! Sorry Mum, it's all in moderation I promise.
I spent Christmas with more Irish people in one place than I've ever met in my life, and consequently it was a very beer flavoured event. I had worked Christmas Eve at a house party for Israeli guests (the most attractive males of the species by far, SHALOM) and once back at the hostel I cracked open a bottle of red and happily greeted Carleen, an English girl that I had lived with in Port Douglas for nearly two months and briefly in an apartment together for a week. The full cooked breakfast on Christmas morning set us straight again, and later that day we all had a barbeque in several sittings, and I can now definately say that "I threw another shrimp on the barbie, mate" woop!! Many drinks later and we all ended up at a house party down the road, where I got chatting to some french guys from our hostel, speaking very poor gramatical french to them (but it sounded good at the time!) and then making a pact with them to help them with their English and me with my French! If only Madame Fleutre could see me now. Actually no, she'd be disgusted that I've forgotten so much of her lessons!
On Boxing Day I headed to the beach with some girls and enjoyed a splash about in the water, finding it hard to realise that it was, yes, the 26th of December, and I was SUNBATHING!!!! I can't deny that my webcam conversation on Christmas Day with the family had given me a twinge of saddness, and disbelief as they showed me the snowy view out of the back windows. Everyone was in the same boat though at the Coolibah, and decided it was beer not tears that day. We had all participated in a Secret Santa present giving too which was great, though when I opened my present, my Secret Santa had decided to give me an inflatable old man doll. Hmm. That's guys for you!
It was a very strange experience to celebrate Christmas and New Year in Australia, on hot, sunny days that we could only dream of back in England. New Year's was especially weird, as usually I am used to the wind down of the end of term, or the end of the working month, and the feeling of a new start for January. I didn't really have that kind of separation this year that is usually coupled with a wintery season, but I can say that I have had a brilliant time since I began my travels some eight monts ago, and I am sure that it will continue to be a great time in 2010. My New Year's resolution is to get a second year visa! So perhaps I will have another Christmas in the sun, who knows.
In the New Year, the season quietened down for All Seasons Catering, but it meant that we did have time to have our staff Christmas do. Mick, ever the generous spirit, took us all go-karting in the morning, and then off for a 20 minute helicopter ride in the afternoon! How cool is that!? A really good day and amazing views over Perth and Fremantle. I feel quite lucky to say that I have now been in a helicopter twice! Over the quiet period, I managed to get myself a job in the hostel, working on reception both to cover my accomodation for free and to earn some extra money.
I was really happy to see my friend Kitty again when she flew to Perth last week. We had met in New Zealand originally and then met up again in Sydney in December, where she was working on the Sydney Sky Tower. Kitty and I had a really great week doing a couple of mini road trips south of Perth to Margaret River, and northwards to The Pinnacles. We made it back to Perth (just about) to join in with the Australia Day celebrations, and watched some spectacular fireworks on the waterfront later that evening. Kitty stayed for a week and then headed back to Melbourne and then onto Tasmania. I was really sad to see her go but hopefully it's just see you later and not goodbye! She lives 30 minutes away from Amsterdam in The Netherlands so I'm sure it won't be difficult to meet up again in the future.
So I believe that rounds off my events for the past couple of months. I really like Perth and am having a great time staying at the Coolibah Lodge.
Happy New Year xxxx
