17 days

I have been here in Perth for exactly 17 days almost three weeks.  It is hard to believe still that I am really here.  Sometimes in the morning I wake up and wonder where I am.  But slowly each day is feeling more and more comfortable.  I miss my family and friends all of the time but Skype and internet have been my connection to home. I am having a hard time writing the date, as somehow sunshine and hot weather in January are still not computing in my Canadian brain.

I am happy to say driving is becoming less stressful.  I am turning on windshield wipers less often.  After parking though I still find myself walking up to the wrong side of the car to get in and drive.  So now I am playing it cool, and I pretend I wanted to just put something in on that side of the car which is often my purse. 

I found a gym not far away and they had a New Years special for two weeks so I have been trying it out for now.  Joining is expensive so I will have to decide if it is something I really want to continue.  I noticed early in the mornings is when the runners/walkers and cyclists are out and about exercising, especially along the coastal roads.  It is an image out of the movies watching folks running alongside the beach. 

So basically my first week was spent trying to not hold my breath at every new thing that came along.  And I am happy to say I am eating again as this was not high on my survival list the first week. It’s funny how stress can effect basic body functions like breathing and eating. 

The second week  I ventured driving down the freeway to South Perth where I met a family friend who was visiting over Christmas.  Joy is from England and was a friend of  Jackie Wilson.  Joy was wonderful, as she showed me around downtown Perth, and helped me become oriented to the bus and train.  We even went to the WA Museum and saw the wedding dress exhibit.  How did women ever fit into some of those dresses?  Outside the entrance was a life size TRex with a wedding veil on so I can only guess it was Bridezilla.

This week has been exciting as I decided to explore an area south of Perth called Margaret River.  The area is known for wineries and chocolate, with a combination like that how could I go wrong.  We left Perth bright and early.  First stop was Busselton, a nice little seaside town.  It reminded me of White Rock in BC.  Here we saw a jetty (really long dock) that was 2km long.  It is no longer used for shipping but historically it was where the ships delivered cargo.  Next were the Mammoth Caves where I saw some amazing stalactites and stalagmites.  It was very cool, temperature and viewing!!  My first encounter with spiders was over lunch at the Lake Cave teahouse.  As I ventured to the outside “toilet” as they are referred to here I walked into one of the cubicles and looked to the left where a lovely large spider was also sitting.  I didn’t have my glasses on nor did I wait to find them, as I quietly screamed to myself I walked away quickly thinking its ok I can wait.  I still am not sure if it had the red hour glass on it.   Although I can’t remember the name of this spider it is known as being deadly.  (and that’s why Mike C won’t come to visit me in Australia!!)  The day continued with a tour and tasting at Watershed winery, and then a beautiful drive through some of the oldest trees in WA called Karri trees.  The trees here are incredible, especially the bark on them and their height breathtaking.  Some of them remind of Arbutus trees as the bark looks like it has been stripped off.  I learned there are varieties of Eucalyptus trees and that lumber or “timber” was a big industry. 

I spent the night in Margaret River, which used to be known as a surfing mecca.  Not far from Margaret River is another area called Yallingup, also famous for surfing. I was thinking of my son and his wife as they both enjoyed surfing on one of their holidays.

Next day was spent touring more wineries, the chocolate factory and beer boutique brewery.  I was glad I only had a backpack so I couldn’t fill it with chocolate and wine. Wouldn’t you know it though many of the wineries had sales on with free shipping anywhere in Australia.  Now that is a tempting idea!!

So far it has been an adventure each day, learning my way around driving, navigating and generally the way of life in Australia.  I know the next challenge will be learning about school, meeting my new class and feeling comfortable being a Canadian teacher in Australia.  The first steps are next week with an orientation by the Dept of Education downtown.  I will also get to meet fellow exchange teachers who are in WA too.  A couple of them I know already from Alberta but I am also looking forward to meeting others who are here on exchange as well.

I will upload photos soon from my travels so far.

Things I find magical – sunsets, animals like kangaroos lazing about under the trees at dusk, Flat Whites (ok they aren’t magical they are just a requirement of life), names of roads,  the beaches, the ocean’s amazing hues of blue!! (Kristina you would love to paint it!)

Things I am wondering about??

1.  Why do some many places end in “up” – Joondalup, Cowaramup, Yallingup,(are just ones I know).

2.  What bird is it that I hear each night outside my bedroom window? And was that a real Kookaburra I heard in Margaret River? (there are people who do a good imitation)

3.  Was that little critter I blasted with Mortein this morning a baby cockroach? Yikes and does that mean there are more hiding somewhere?  And is that why four cans of Mortein bomb were left under the sink for times like this?

I will keep you posted!!