Cali and I met up and went into Perth to sort out some minor domestics - I bought my Aussie sim card, international adapter and various other bits and pieces. We then took the bus to Curtin and the Math Education department was successful at getting Cali enrolled. I established that I could bring in my details tomorrow to get my medicard sorted out prior to International Induction week. We then took the 30 bus down to Salter Point to identify where to get off, and walked to the flat I am renting. This was 15 minutes on the bus and 15 minutes walk along idyllic roads and waterfront. It does not get any better than this. I can't believe my good fortune.
My flat is up the drive to the left of the house with the arched verandah.
and this is the view across the road!
On our return to my hotel, I put my aussie sim card in my phone and immediately had a call from Ian, my uncle's cousin, inviting me to dinner tonight, and to leave shortly. I said I would be about half an hour, while I confirmed some house insurance details in the UK. This is where it all went wrong. I put my UK sim back in my phone, and spent 19 minutes 40 seconds (and FAR too many £s) contacting the insurance company, was transferred NINE times, confirmed my security details FIVE times, and every person told me I had been put through to the wrong person and they could not assist me. And then my credit ran out! By this time I had a major strop on. So I stomped out of the hotel, stamped up the road to Perth railway station and leapt on a train. Fortunately Ian had given me precise directions regarding which line and platform to take. Normally I would have had a good look around the station, inspected the trains and really enjoyed the environment (I used to work for a railway in London). By the time I got to Victoria I had calmed down a bit.
Ian and his wife Susie, and brother-in-law Leeuwin showed me fantastic hospitality. I fell in love with their dog, Lucy, who is a young Jack Russell, very like my previous dog, Daisy. Susie cooked the most fantastic meal - much better than I could have done. I've also discovered a new ingredient - pickled ginger. I love ginger, but had never come across this before. Before dinner they were sampling and analysing various champagnes for their daughter's forthcoming wedding. The analysis was done in detail, and this was their third sample this week. I stuck to water as I am still jetlagged after the flight. The conversation flowed easily and in no time, I needed to take a cab home. It was wonderful Aussie hospitality to a stranger in their land.
At this point another English mistake happened. The cab arrived quickly, and I leapt in. As we arrived at my hotel, I realised I did not have my purse, and was starting to panic, when Susie rang, saying I had left my purse on the table. So the cab had to take me back to collect it and then back to the hotel again. Unsurprisingly the cabbie suggested I check the cab before I get out to make sure I had not forgotten anything! So this was slightly more expensive than it needed to be, all due to my incompetence!! But at least my purse with all my cards, student id, bus pass, driving licence etc is back in my possession.
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