.: Cath’s Blog:.

I had made arrangements to meet up with an old friend Kasey (Youth Director) from Carnival at 10am today. I went for breakfast early (not fruit again…sorry Mum) and went back to the room to get ready for her arriving and at 10am. I heard a knock at the room door…it was her (the front desk at this hotel are complete morons…nothing they do surprises me), we both laughed about her being given my room number and chatted for a few minutes before heading outside.

The weather was awful (thankfully Kasey had an umbrella) and we didn’t know what to do really, so we started walking towards Northbridge. We went for a drink in a pub called the Brass Monkey and we sat chatting about people we both know and also Carnival gossip…it was fun. It was great seeing her, she looked really well and seemed to be really happy.

After our drink and lunch we headed back to my hotel and she went her own way back to her car. I went along to the RAC to insure the car, it was pretty easy and the lady was very helpful. It was more expensive than I expected, but I insured it with them anyway.

In the evening I had made arrangements to meet up with a German guy called Patrick who had left a notice in the Central Backpackers for a lift to Broome. I met him at 5pm and we went for a drink and chatted about where he wanted to go etc. We stopped by the YHA on William Street and saw a notice from a British girl called Hannah who also wanted to head north on the 18th, I called her and she will also be joining us on the drive to Broome on the 18th…having them sharing the expenses will be a big help.

On the way back to the hotel I walked through the cinema and saw that the movie Madagascar was just about to start, so I got a ticket to see the movie. I had seen trailers for the movie and thought it looked funny…it was hysterical!!!

I have come to the conclusion that Australians love “the ticket system”. Whenever you go into a public service place you “take a ticket” and sit and wait to have your number called. I have been in several places so far and they all use this system. Now, I don’t have a problem with this system, I’m just stating a fact.

Again I had an early morning start. I went for breakfast (not fruit – my Mum is going to kill me) and then headed down to the Medicare office to see if they had had me investigated yet. Anyway, yes I am British…they confirmed!! Godfrey the Manager was very apologetic and said they had checked me out and everything was ok. I tried to be nice with him, after all he had been so nice…Mr. Moody Queen was not there (I hope they didn’t fire him!!). Apparently he was spoken to quite sternly!

I headed down to St. Georges Terrace and while I was pulling a map out of my pocket I looked down and saw a $10 bill which I thought I dropped out of my back pocket. As I continued walking down William St I reached for the rest of my money and found there was nothing in my pocket…I panicked and turned back to see if the money had slipped out of my pocket onto the pavement, but there was no money to be seen “funnily enough!”

Now, Australian money is not paper, it’s a plastic material and can slip around easy in pockets. I went into the last store I had bought something to see if I had left my money there and they said “no”. So, I lost about $300…shit!

When I finally got to St George’s Terrace I walked to a bus stop and asked a man (John) if he knew which bus went to Vic Park. He told me the 177 and told me he was going there too…why was I going there. I told him I wanted to look at the car’s for sale up there. I got on the bus with John and sat with him a chatted on the way. He was Scottish (from Motherwell) and had been in Australia for about 50 years. He gave me some advice on cars, don’t get anything foreign, look for a Ford or a Holden and don’t get a 4WD (they will be a mess if you buy them cheap etc).

After chatting on the journey he told me he didn’t mind showing me a few yards as he had finished working and since he used to be a mechanic (he has arthritis) and didn’t want to see me ripped off. He said he had a few friends who he previously worked with who might do him a good deal. I actually found having him there was really useful…first he was a HUGE bullshitter (he reminded me of my Dad…no offence!) and he knew nearly all the people in the yards…he chatted with the dealers and I had a look about.

I saw very few cars that I liked. Many of them looked ok on the outside, John explained what they do is clean all the engines and spray paint the undercarriage black to look all new, instead they are getting rid of all the red dust, he climbed under the car to show me where the dust might have been missed.

After looking around the yards I saw a car that I liked (reasonably priced) and we waited for the manager to come back from an errand. When the guy came I found out he was from Warrington and had been in Australia for about 20 years. It was quite a coincidence as he had worked at the Cumberland View car dealership in Morecambe, as a sales manager before coming to Australia. He agreed that Morecambe is one of the most depressing places on the planet. He also knew some people I know, it’s a small world and it was great chatting with both him and John.

We went for a test drive, everything seemed fine with the car and he knocked quite a lot of money off the car. I got it and will collect it later in the week…Andy (the Manager) drove me back into Perth to Licensing Services to register the car…another good job done!

LIKE THIS BUT BLUE!

I had a good/bad day today.

I got up early and headed down to the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) to get a number. Again I was surprised how easy and organized they were in the office. I went to the counter and was told I would have to wait 10 minutes for a computer and I could register online….great. When I finally got a terminal I registered and was told that my number would be sent to the General Post Office….if I had moved on by a fortnight I could call for the number….good!

I then headed to the bank to get an account….took about half an hour but I got a lot of useful and helpful information from the advisor.

My drama was at the Medicare office (Jo…I am blaming you!). When I got to the Office I got called by a guy who just looked totally miserable and pissed off (granted it was 4pm and they closed at 4:30pm). When I spoke to him he said I didn’t sound English (now, I know sometimes I say twangy words) so I explained I had been working on and off cruise ships in America and to forgive me. He asked me for my passport and told me I was not a British Citizen, I was American. I told him I was not…I explained the Visa in my passport was a none transit visa (like a flight attendants). He was so rude and so paranoid that I wasn’t from the UK!!! WTF!!!

I had accidentally left my old I-95 in the passport which listed the Carnival office as my address and he went on to say that I even had an American address, I explained that it was the company’s address!! He asked me for my National Insurance Card (which…..I had not signed) and he said “Oh, this even isn’t signed”. By this point I was getting really pissed off with this guy. He took all the information, had it photocopied and came back saying that someone would be called to check my documents and I would be called. I asked him how long it would take and he said “It’s not for me to say”…I told him I might not be here for long and he said I would have to wait!

I by this point was furious and asked him to write down his name for me…he refused. I asked him for his name and he said “George” then I asked him for some paper where I wrote down his name and told him I would be complaining about his rude manner. I asked for his last name and he refused. I asked him for a number to call and complain and he refused this too. Then I asked to speak to his Manager.

His Manager actually made everything better, he asked me to complete the form and undertood what I was telling him about the visa….the other guy was unbelievable….my first encounter with a rude Aussie….things have been so great so far….I was bound to have a negative encounter sometime.

I am going to collect the card in the morning….hopefully there will be no more dramas…..I am keeping my fingers crossed anyway!

Michael Jackson was also found NOT GUILTY….well, I wouldn’t trust him in bed with a kid of mine!

I got up quite early this morning….for some reason I couldn’t sleep very well.

I was absoloutely freezing today….so much so, I couldn’t face really doing anything. I have decided I am going to head north pretty soon.

I went along to the Immigration Office. I was hoping that after such a smooth encounter at the Airport the Immi Office would too be organized and quick and it was. There were a lot of people there, but the lines were very organized and people were being zipped through. I got given my number and sat watching the people around me. There are lots of backpackers and Asians and TONS of Brits….I was really surprised by how many.

I got called to go to a cubical, the woman printed the sticker for my passport and I was out the door in 5 minutes.

That is another good job done.

Was pretty tired today and didn’t do all that much with myself.I went for a wander in the town center and then in the evening I went to see Mr & Mrs Smith….WOW what a great film. Brad & Angelina had great chemistry, they make such a cuter couple than Jennifer Anniston (I think she is dull).

I found a backpackers magazine called British Balls which had some funny jokes which I thought I’d share…

Two Mexicans are stuck in the desert, wandering aimlessly and close to death. They are close to just lying down and waiting for the inevitable, when all of a sudden…
“Hey Pepe, do you smell what I smell. Ees bacon, I is sure of eet”.
“Si, Luis, eet smells like bacon to meee.”
So, with renewed strength, they struggle off up the next sand dune, and there, in the distance, is a tree, just loaded with bacon. There’s raw bacon, dripping with moisture, there’s fried bacon, back bacon, double smoked bacon…every imaginable kind of cured pig meat you can imagine!!
“Pepe, Pepe, we ees saved. Eees a bacon tree”.
“Luis, are you sure ees not a meerage? We ees in the desert, don’ forget”.
“Pepe, when deed you ever hear of a meerage that smell of bacon…ees no meerage, ees a bacon tree.”
And with that…Luis races towards the tree. He gets to within 5 meters, Pepe following closely behind, when all of a sudden, a machine gun opens up, and Luis is cut down in his tracks. It is clear he is mortally wounded but, true friend that he is, he manages to warn Pepe with his dying breath.
“Pepe…go back man, you was right, ees not a bacon tree.”
“Luis, Luis mi amigo…what ees eet?”
“Pepe…ees not a bacon tree…Ees…a Ham Bush.”

Upon hearing that her elderly grandparents had just passed away, Katie went straight to to grandparent’s house to visit her 95 year old grandmother to comfort her.
When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied: “He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning.”
Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that two people nearly 100 years old having sex would surely be asking for trouble.
“Oh no, my dear,” replied granny.
“Many years ago, realizing our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring. It was just the right rhythm. Nice and slow and even. Nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong.”
She paused to wipe away a tear, and continued: “He’d still be alive if the ice cream truck hadn’t come along.”

Two old people, a man and a woman, walk into a hospital. The doctor says to the old man: “I’ll need a urine sample, a feces sample, and a blood sample.” The old man says, “What?” So the Doctor says it again.
Once again the old man says, ‘WHAT?” So the Doctor yells it. “I NEED A URINE SAMPLE, A FECES SAMPLE, AND A BLOOD SAMPLE!” With that the old woman turns to the old man and says: “He needs a pair of your
underpants!”

Just kidding!!

I landed in Perth safe and sound. I was really happy with the service on Singapore Airlines, the planes were slightly older than Qantas, but there was constant service….of what I saw anyway (I did sleep a lot!). When I arrived at the Airport I was surprised with how nice the Immigration Officers were. They just smiled and said “Enjoy your stay in Australia”, didn’t want to see bank statements or a return ticket….America could learn a few things from them!

My friend picked me up from the Airport and gave me the D/L on Perth while taking me to the Hotel. When I got to the Hotel my friend told me the location was awsome, close to everything….so that’s good. The weather was cool, but not too bad….I hope it gets warmer!

I went to bed as soon as I got in, as I was exhausted.