It's been 15 months since Chris and I both moved here to Perth.
So, a quick overview of what has happened in that year
1) yes, I managed to get a job - some maternity cover.
I'm now job sharing with the lady I was covering
2) We're still in the same apartment - we have air conditioning - and heating, and this Winter has been pretty rainy
3) Chris has done well in his job, just a year into his new role. We have less than a year to go on our current visa - so let's see where that takes us...
4) We're getting used to the life in Perth - just about...
When they mentioned that Perth is the remote city in the world - it's still feels very true after 15 months of living here
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Westcrap - sorry - Westpac
A little story about our banking experience with Westpac.
So we opened an account with Westpac back in the UK. The customer service there was great and opening an account was pretty painless.
Now comes the pain.
So we were asked where we would like our local branch to be based. Pretty stupid question given that we've never been to Australia let alone Perth. Anyway, the customer advisor suggested St Georges Terrace given that we were staying in the Medina Grand, which is close to St George's Terrace.
So, what do we get? A welcome email to say congratulations, we are not part of the Joondalup Westpac branch.
Ok - that did not mean a thing to me when I opened the email. So as soon as we landed, we went straight to the closet Westpac branch - which happened to be on - guess what - St George's Terrace.
So we went into Westpac and asked to pick up our cards.
This is when I start to introduce Pink Ferid - yes, he wore a purple bra on a day when we went in to see him - purple doesn't really flow with a name like Ferid, so we'll call him Pink Ferid.
Pink Ferid works as a customer advisor in Westpac and was the first customer advisor we spoke to. We mentioned to him that we an account opened with Westpac back in the UK and have come in to pick our cards up. After the claering the confusion with the branch St Georges Terrace vs Joondalup, Pink Ferid finally ordered a card for us.
This is to take 3-5 days to arrive. So 3-5 (working) days later, we turn up to Westpac St Georges Terrace. Pink Ferid was there again - this time wearing a purple bra, and leaning provocatively over the desk of another colleague's. Ok - it was purple bra day - and Pink Ferid was taking part - but you can imagine what a sight that was.
So, we speak to Pink Ferid, and he tells us 'strange, the cards haven't arrived yet'. So he places another order for us.
Another 3-5 working days later we appear in Westpac again. Pink Ferid was out for lunch, which is just as well, as we spoke to a colleague of his who advised us that we should have changed to an Australian address when we arrived. That's why the cards had not been sent in the first place. So, we change our address to an Australian address. And 3-5 working days later, our cards finally arrived.
But - nothing is that simple is it? So, we were told that we can activate and choose a pin number in the branch. Guess what - the pin number machine was not working that day?!
So, there goes our experience of Westcrap - sorry - Westpac...
So we opened an account with Westpac back in the UK. The customer service there was great and opening an account was pretty painless.
Now comes the pain.
So we were asked where we would like our local branch to be based. Pretty stupid question given that we've never been to Australia let alone Perth. Anyway, the customer advisor suggested St Georges Terrace given that we were staying in the Medina Grand, which is close to St George's Terrace.
So, what do we get? A welcome email to say congratulations, we are not part of the Joondalup Westpac branch.
Ok - that did not mean a thing to me when I opened the email. So as soon as we landed, we went straight to the closet Westpac branch - which happened to be on - guess what - St George's Terrace.
So we went into Westpac and asked to pick up our cards.
This is when I start to introduce Pink Ferid - yes, he wore a purple bra on a day when we went in to see him - purple doesn't really flow with a name like Ferid, so we'll call him Pink Ferid.
Pink Ferid works as a customer advisor in Westpac and was the first customer advisor we spoke to. We mentioned to him that we an account opened with Westpac back in the UK and have come in to pick our cards up. After the claering the confusion with the branch St Georges Terrace vs Joondalup, Pink Ferid finally ordered a card for us.
This is to take 3-5 days to arrive. So 3-5 (working) days later, we turn up to Westpac St Georges Terrace. Pink Ferid was there again - this time wearing a purple bra, and leaning provocatively over the desk of another colleague's. Ok - it was purple bra day - and Pink Ferid was taking part - but you can imagine what a sight that was.
So, we speak to Pink Ferid, and he tells us 'strange, the cards haven't arrived yet'. So he places another order for us.
Another 3-5 working days later we appear in Westpac again. Pink Ferid was out for lunch, which is just as well, as we spoke to a colleague of his who advised us that we should have changed to an Australian address when we arrived. That's why the cards had not been sent in the first place. So, we change our address to an Australian address. And 3-5 working days later, our cards finally arrived.
But - nothing is that simple is it? So, we were told that we can activate and choose a pin number in the branch. Guess what - the pin number machine was not working that day?!
So, there goes our experience of Westcrap - sorry - Westpac...
Coldest night in Perth - ever!
It's been a few weeks since my last blog, and feeling guilty that I haven't updated anything for a while.
So what's been happening with me?
So, the first exciting news is that we've moved into an apartment, so we're no longer staying in a hotel room.
Hmm - quite a few stories to tell already...
The first night we moved in happened to the coldest night in Perth ever recorded. And what did we have with us? An inflatable bed, 2 blankets and a duvet. Nothing else. We only found out as we were leaving the hotel that our goods were still in the UK - put this in context - since the day the removalists came to pack our goods, we had managed to visit 4 European countries, travelled 24 hrs to Perth, been to several job interviews in WA, and our goods had not even left the shores of England - unbelivable!
So, back to the coldest night ever recorded in Perth, this also happened to the day we moved into our rented apartment with no bed, no sofa, no fridge freezer or washing machine, no heating - you got it, there was no ambiant heat from anything else to keep us warm.
To add to this, we were not aware that this was going to a cold night, so we set the inflatable bed up in the biggest (therefore coldest) room in the flat - the living room, thinking how lovely it would be to sleep in the room with the centre of activity is.
On top of that, we placed the inflatable bed close to the window/balcony, so we can have a view. And on top of that, we thought we'd leave the curtains open so we can wake up to a lovely view in the morning.
Well, turned out to the coldest room and the coldest spot in the apartment! Just our luck!
So what's been happening with me?
So, the first exciting news is that we've moved into an apartment, so we're no longer staying in a hotel room.
Hmm - quite a few stories to tell already...
The first night we moved in happened to the coldest night in Perth ever recorded. And what did we have with us? An inflatable bed, 2 blankets and a duvet. Nothing else. We only found out as we were leaving the hotel that our goods were still in the UK - put this in context - since the day the removalists came to pack our goods, we had managed to visit 4 European countries, travelled 24 hrs to Perth, been to several job interviews in WA, and our goods had not even left the shores of England - unbelivable!
So, back to the coldest night ever recorded in Perth, this also happened to the day we moved into our rented apartment with no bed, no sofa, no fridge freezer or washing machine, no heating - you got it, there was no ambiant heat from anything else to keep us warm.
To add to this, we were not aware that this was going to a cold night, so we set the inflatable bed up in the biggest (therefore coldest) room in the flat - the living room, thinking how lovely it would be to sleep in the room with the centre of activity is.
On top of that, we placed the inflatable bed close to the window/balcony, so we can have a view. And on top of that, we thought we'd leave the curtains open so we can wake up to a lovely view in the morning.
Well, turned out to the coldest room and the coldest spot in the apartment! Just our luck!
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
The Village
So, you may remember me talking about 'The Village' in my earlier post. The Village if you've never seen it, or would like a quick reminder, is cult movie that was originally made in the 1960s and recently re-made and aired. Anyway, it's about a place called 'The Village' where everything is harmonious and people are lovely to each other. However, the catch is - no-one can get out of The Village.
Now, I'm talking about The Village, because that's how I think Perth is like. It's a really nice place, lovely weather (when it's not cold and wet); by the sea (which also also where the The Village is located incidentally), people are generally nice (also just like The Village) - do you see where I'm leading to next? Ok - we seem to be stuck - we can't get out!
Perth, as you may already know, is the most remote city in the world. Well, we were fully aware of this before coming over. However, it is so remote, it has it's own way of doing things. Take day-light saving hours for example - whislt the rest of Australia has signed up to this - Perth (or Western Australia) has their own time zone.
Flights for coming back to the UK - whilst this would cost about £800 for a return from London to Perth - it almost works out to be twice as much to get from Perth to London!
Ah - and it wasn't until recently until the freeways were built, the most popular holiday destination for locals was to Rottnest Island which is half an hour's drive away!
So, you see the resembalance to The Village?..
Now, I'm talking about The Village, because that's how I think Perth is like. It's a really nice place, lovely weather (when it's not cold and wet); by the sea (which also also where the The Village is located incidentally), people are generally nice (also just like The Village) - do you see where I'm leading to next? Ok - we seem to be stuck - we can't get out!
Perth, as you may already know, is the most remote city in the world. Well, we were fully aware of this before coming over. However, it is so remote, it has it's own way of doing things. Take day-light saving hours for example - whislt the rest of Australia has signed up to this - Perth (or Western Australia) has their own time zone.
Flights for coming back to the UK - whilst this would cost about £800 for a return from London to Perth - it almost works out to be twice as much to get from Perth to London!
Ah - and it wasn't until recently until the freeways were built, the most popular holiday destination for locals was to Rottnest Island which is half an hour's drive away!
So, you see the resembalance to The Village?..
Misconceptions
We spoke to a customer service person in Westpac today, and it's been raining and cold. As you do - in England at least - you talk about the weather. Now the customer service guy said to us 'yes, this is what English Summers are like'. Now how does he know what English weathers are like if he's never been to England (so he tells us)? So, I thought I'd write a blog on misconceptions.
1. Australian Winters are not like British Summers!
We've been walking around with big coats and umbrellas since we've landed. Ok - the temperature does go up to 21 degrees C, but it also gets as cold as 7 degree C especially in the mornings. So remember to pack your woolies if you come out during 'Stralia Winter time - and don't forget to pack your trusted umbrella - it's been raining the whole time we've been here!
2. It's cheap to live in Australia - it most certainly isn't!
Ok - the weak £ may have contributed to this, but still, take a pint of beer for example - that'll set you back $10 for a pint. Put it this way, I've never seen Chris so sober in my life...
3. Everything ends with an 'O'
So, the seaside town of Freemantle is called "Freo"; if your name is Steve, you'll be called "Steve'O". But don't make the mistake of calling Aboriginals "Abo" - that's the equivalent of calling Black people the 'N' word - so that's what we found out when we went to a party and started talking about Aboriginals as "Abos" - not a great way to start making friends if you're new to a place...
1. Australian Winters are not like British Summers!
We've been walking around with big coats and umbrellas since we've landed. Ok - the temperature does go up to 21 degrees C, but it also gets as cold as 7 degree C especially in the mornings. So remember to pack your woolies if you come out during 'Stralia Winter time - and don't forget to pack your trusted umbrella - it's been raining the whole time we've been here!
2. It's cheap to live in Australia - it most certainly isn't!
Ok - the weak £ may have contributed to this, but still, take a pint of beer for example - that'll set you back $10 for a pint. Put it this way, I've never seen Chris so sober in my life...
3. Everything ends with an 'O'
So, the seaside town of Freemantle is called "Freo"; if your name is Steve, you'll be called "Steve'O". But don't make the mistake of calling Aboriginals "Abo" - that's the equivalent of calling Black people the 'N' word - so that's what we found out when we went to a party and started talking about Aboriginals as "Abos" - not a great way to start making friends if you're new to a place...
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Twelve
Now, if you have been watching the re-make of the 1960s cult movie 'The Village' - you would have been sucked into the number/name calling of '2', '6', '313', '11-12' of the lead characters. Who is '2', who is '6', where do they come from?...
We came across a phrase 'twelve' in Perth. Now, I'm not convinced that the term 'twelve' refers to '12 years old' when talking about a person.
The first encounter was on a bus going to view a rental apartment. We got on the bus, and a lady and her daughter were in front of us. Now they seemed to be quite new to Perth, as they were fumbling around and looking unsure of things. I overheard the lady ask the bus driver for 1 adult and 1 concession ticket. Now concessions, as you can gather, are for students or for OAPS. The bus driver looked at her daughter - now I would have done as well, as the daughter was dressed in a thin white t-shirt with a conspicuous red bra underneath, with a low slung hipster mini skirt on. Seeing the bus driver double checking the age of the daughter, the lady replied 'she's twelve'. Now what mother would allow her 12 year old daughter to dress like that?!
The other encounter was on the train going to Freemantle. There were a group of girls who looked between 14-16 years old. They were talking really loudly and we couldn't help but overhear what they were talking about. As young girls they were talking about fashion, bitching about other girls, and of course, boys. On the topic of boys, one of the girls was talking about fancying a guy in the SAS, and he said he'd go out with her when she turns 12. Now, am I showing my age, or is 12 too young an age to be going out with someone?...
Surely '12' does not mean '12 years old'? So the question, is who or what is 12?....
We came across a phrase 'twelve' in Perth. Now, I'm not convinced that the term 'twelve' refers to '12 years old' when talking about a person.
The first encounter was on a bus going to view a rental apartment. We got on the bus, and a lady and her daughter were in front of us. Now they seemed to be quite new to Perth, as they were fumbling around and looking unsure of things. I overheard the lady ask the bus driver for 1 adult and 1 concession ticket. Now concessions, as you can gather, are for students or for OAPS. The bus driver looked at her daughter - now I would have done as well, as the daughter was dressed in a thin white t-shirt with a conspicuous red bra underneath, with a low slung hipster mini skirt on. Seeing the bus driver double checking the age of the daughter, the lady replied 'she's twelve'. Now what mother would allow her 12 year old daughter to dress like that?!
The other encounter was on the train going to Freemantle. There were a group of girls who looked between 14-16 years old. They were talking really loudly and we couldn't help but overhear what they were talking about. As young girls they were talking about fashion, bitching about other girls, and of course, boys. On the topic of boys, one of the girls was talking about fancying a guy in the SAS, and he said he'd go out with her when she turns 12. Now, am I showing my age, or is 12 too young an age to be going out with someone?...
Surely '12' does not mean '12 years old'? So the question, is who or what is 12?....
Northbridge
There's any area in Perth known as Northbridge. Now as newcomers to Perth, we have been checking areas where we can rent for a few years. Having done some online research back in the UK, we shortlisted Northbridge as potential area to live as it was relatively central, had some new build swanky apartments at relatively good rental rates.
Now, it seems that 'locals' have a different view about Northbridge. I want to put my thoughts down about Northbridge before I live here long enough to become a 'local' and hold the same 'local' views.
Our first encounter that Northbridge is a 'no no' area was with the taxi driver the first night we landed in Perth. As you do with taxi drivers, you have a general conversation with them. Asking the taxi driver what he thought of Northbridge as an area to live, he first evaded answering the question, and later when pursued with the same question - he politely mentioned that that was a place of 'partying'. Now we didn't realise how bad a reputation Northbridge had, as we later realised that the taxi driver was not simply being polite, but actually turning his nose up on this by not even wanting to discuss this topic.
So the reputation for Northbridge is not just a party area where everything kicks off at closing time, but also a socially deprived area where the working class and Maoris live, where drugs are prolifertate - ok this being Perth, we are talking about Crystal Meth here.
However, Chris and I have walked through Northbridge quite a few times now, and we absolutely love Northbridge - ok not enough as a place to live - granted, this is the loci where pubs and clubs congregate, but there is a real vibe to the area.
Our first encounter to Northbridge was on our first evening in Perth. As mentioned before, Northbridge is very close to the Central Business District, so it's not hard to find yourself wandering into Northbridge if you're exploring Perth for the first time.
On entering Northbridge, we found this to be a young, quite hippy area, where you can imagine back packers coming here, or arty students. Now, if Chris and I were 5 - 10 years younger, we would have loved this place. Being in our mid 30s where we don't fall into the too young, nor too old camps - we actually loved the vibe of the area.
You'll also find Chinatown in Northbridge where there are a lot of Chinese/Japanese/Korean and other oriental restaurants and shops. If you wander pass Roe Street, you'll see a hawkers market where there are lots of food stalls selling anything from Chinese to Indian food, and you can get a good meal here for a little over $10.
Further along, you'll pass a few pizza, pasta (Western) food places and a few good bars and pubs - not to forget a good Irish bar whereever you go - Rose O'Grady's. There's also a square with a big plasma TV where people congregate to watch the latest footie match outside.
Now, it seems that 'locals' have a different view about Northbridge. I want to put my thoughts down about Northbridge before I live here long enough to become a 'local' and hold the same 'local' views.
Our first encounter that Northbridge is a 'no no' area was with the taxi driver the first night we landed in Perth. As you do with taxi drivers, you have a general conversation with them. Asking the taxi driver what he thought of Northbridge as an area to live, he first evaded answering the question, and later when pursued with the same question - he politely mentioned that that was a place of 'partying'. Now we didn't realise how bad a reputation Northbridge had, as we later realised that the taxi driver was not simply being polite, but actually turning his nose up on this by not even wanting to discuss this topic.
So the reputation for Northbridge is not just a party area where everything kicks off at closing time, but also a socially deprived area where the working class and Maoris live, where drugs are prolifertate - ok this being Perth, we are talking about Crystal Meth here.
However, Chris and I have walked through Northbridge quite a few times now, and we absolutely love Northbridge - ok not enough as a place to live - granted, this is the loci where pubs and clubs congregate, but there is a real vibe to the area.
Our first encounter to Northbridge was on our first evening in Perth. As mentioned before, Northbridge is very close to the Central Business District, so it's not hard to find yourself wandering into Northbridge if you're exploring Perth for the first time.
On entering Northbridge, we found this to be a young, quite hippy area, where you can imagine back packers coming here, or arty students. Now, if Chris and I were 5 - 10 years younger, we would have loved this place. Being in our mid 30s where we don't fall into the too young, nor too old camps - we actually loved the vibe of the area.
You'll also find Chinatown in Northbridge where there are a lot of Chinese/Japanese/Korean and other oriental restaurants and shops. If you wander pass Roe Street, you'll see a hawkers market where there are lots of food stalls selling anything from Chinese to Indian food, and you can get a good meal here for a little over $10.
Further along, you'll pass a few pizza, pasta (Western) food places and a few good bars and pubs - not to forget a good Irish bar whereever you go - Rose O'Grady's. There's also a square with a big plasma TV where people congregate to watch the latest footie match outside.
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