Day 138 - February 7

Went to the license registry to see if I could get a WA license. They gave me a sheet that outlines what I need to provide in order to get it. One of the requirements say that I need proof of my working holiday visa, but not the electronic one, the physical sticker. I had to go to the Immigration office that was located beside the Harbour Town shopping outlet in the CBD. When I got there, it took 2 mins to get the visa sticker for my passport and it was free. I checked out the Harbour Town shopping outlet since it was right beside me. Got a yummy waffle with blueberry icecream.

I then took the Train to the Subiaco station and walked 20 mins to the girls house that had the bike for sale. The tires were flat. I said I'd go to the nearest gas station to pump it up and see if it had a leak. Once I came back with the bike, it seemed okay, but the back tire was a little bit flat. I asked her if she would take the original $35 I offered since the back tire was a little flat and it was also missing the cap. She said okay. Sweet!

I looked at my iphone map and it said I had 13 km ahead of me to ride back home. *sigh*. I needed the exercise anyways.

I started my way back home. I looked for the scenic routes back home: lakes, shops etc.

A view of Perth's CBD skyline.

I stopped by Coles and picked up some stuff. The amount of stuff I bought stuffed my backpack to the rim. Once I started riding for 10 mins, my back tire was becoming really flat. I was about 1 km away from home and decided to walk the rest of the way since my back tire was completely flat. Booooo. That's what you get for buying a $35 bike.

Day 137 - February 6

Went to the AMF bowling this afternoon to see how everything was going. I talked to Judith and she asked if I had another reference that they could call. They had a tough time trying to get ahold of Grace, the manager of Harbour Kitchen, so I gave them PK's. She then said they should be calling me the next day to let me know if I got the job or not. I'm pretty confident that I'll get it.

I headed to the Morley public library to hand in the letter they sent to my house, as proof of residence, so that I could get a library card and use their computers for free. Once I got my free library card, I borrowed some music CD's.

Looked on gumtree.com for a cheap bike. Having a bike is very useful if you don't have a car. Not only is it great excercise, but a cheaper alternative. Since I don't need to go far for work, a bike was in my best interest. The best deal I saw was for $45. I emailed them to see if they still had it. A chick emailed back and said she did. I offered $35 and she obviously countered with $40. I said I'd take a look at it first then decide. It was decided I would meet her the next day in the Subiaco suburb.

Day 136 - February 5

Went to walk around the Central Business District (CBD aka Downtown) of Perth again. Have to entertain myself while I await the phone call from AMF. Staying at home too many times drives me crazy, especially when I don't have my PS3, Xbox 360 or my Nintendo Wii to keep me occupied. 

Saw a Japanese busker with a really cool instrument I've never seen before. It looks like a turtle shell. It sounded awesome. It reminded me of the video game Chrono Trigger, specifically the 'Corridors of time' song.

Random facts about Alex: Chrono Trigger (SNES) is one of my all time favorite games! It's definitely one of my top five favorite games of all time. Also included are Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES), Final Fantasy III (SNES) and Final Fantasy VII (PS). Yes people, I am a geek/nerd.... a very cool geek/nerd.

Day 135 - February 4

Whilst (Australians use this instead of while) I wait for the phone call from AMF, I decided to explore more of Perth. I Googled things that I could see or do for free. One website said to check out Heirisson Island. I took the bus to the CBD and started walking toward the island. On the way there, I passed by Queens Garden and hung out with the animals for a bit. Saw those giant Australian Pelicans again. I think they're following me and are toying with my mind since they know that I can't comprehend how ginormous and unreal they are.

Also saw some Black Swans with its cygnet.



Peter Pan statue in the park.
Looks like he's smoking weed...

I walked to Heinisson Island which is located underneath the Causeway bridge that takes you to the CBD. The islands sits in the Swan River. It had gates to keep in the Grey Kangaroos. I walked along the laid out path that is 2 km long and goes around the island. Other than the kangaroos, there wasn't much on this island. Pretty much like an open park, couple of benches, shrubs and trees.

It was pretty hot out. Obviously the kangaroos would be in the shade, deep in the bushes. I looked through a couple and finally found them. I found 7 of them just lying around. They were desensitized to humans so you could go up and pet them, or annoy them.

Day 134 - February 3

I invited Jenn and Paul over for dinner. Since they always drive me around, it was the least I could do for them. I made them a beef stir fry dish. I couldn't find the exact Teriyaki sauce I wanted to use at the store so I bought honey teriyaki. It didn't taste as good as the one I used before. The sauce seemed too light of a taste. Had to add a lot of soy sauce.


Beef, bean sprouts, onions, green beans and red capicums (peppers).

My cooking is not even close to what my dad can do. I miss his cooking a lot. He can make anything taste awesome! He can make any sauce from scratch. He can also tell you what's exactly in a sauce just by tasting it. I think I'll have to have him teach me when I get home. This will also be my chance to have some father and son time. We don't have a lot in common, but that doesn't mean I don't love him. Since I found this new love for cooking, maybe this will bring us closer. I look back and feel that I wasn't there a lot for him. Being away for so long makes you realize what's really important. Something not everyone realizes and takes for granted.

After we ate, we went to go watch Chronicle, which Paul was super, super excited for.
The movie was okay. Paul said the movie was similar to Akira, where one of the guys lets the power get to his head and becomes uncontrollable. That was pretty much the plot.

Day 133 - February 2

Arrived for my interview on time and on the correct date. It was a group interview. There were 2 girls and 1 other guy with 4 managers. Judith, the centre manager of AMF Bowling, talked about the company and what they expect of us and what we should expect of the job. She was very well spoken and had a motherly figure feel to her. She says that AMF takes care of their employees as much as they can. There's even a point system where if you get positive feedback from either the managers or customers, you gain points. Then you can use these points to trade in for prizes, such as electronics or gift certificates (like airmiles). There was also Kylie (the F&B manager), Joel (supervisor), and Garry (also supervisor). After the interview was over, Judith told us that she would call us to let us know if we got the job or not in the next couple of days. I was pretty confident that I got the job. I beat out the other 3 as the other guy arrived late and didn't talk a lot. The other two girls didn't seem animated. Very robotic in their answers and repeated what I said when Judith asked why we wanted the job. Pssh, playa please, you can't beat me when you go against me in group interviews.

I had a craving for Vietnamese food. Haven't had that in ages. I went down to Northbridge for lunch (where a bit of the night life is also located).


Really?! Really?! A chopstick as a toilet paper holder?
Asians: Cheap?... or inventive?...



Mmmm Pork Vermicelli



Day 132 - February 1

Woke up and applied to more places. Finally got a call back from the AMF bowling alley for an interview at 5:00pm. I arrived at 4:50pm at the front counter, but the guy said it's actually tomorrow. I swear the girl on the phone, Kylie, said today at 5:00pm. Dammit! I was all excited for the interview too haha.

David, Mr. Nougat, called me back and says that they other guy didn't work out and that I could have the job. I told him I had in interview tomorrow at AMF and that I would call him back if it didn't go through. He said he understood and would await for my call. My how the tables have turned mwa hahaha. Shouldn't have gone with someone who comes to an interview with their mom. I wonder if the mom said/did something to get her kid the job......

Day 131 - January 31

I got a call for an interview. It was for an ad I replied to on Gumtree.com.au advertising a nougat maker position. I went to Boffins Bakery that afternoon for the interview, located in the Malaga suburb (about a 10 minute bus ride).
When I arrived, I was told to wait on the couches. Another guy came in with his mom. The dude looked about 17 years old. He was also there for the same position, but like Highlander 'there can be only one', me!!

I was called into David's office, the manager. The interview was pretty standard. In interviews, I always have a smile and seem enthusiastic. I try and ask as many questions as possible so that it seems like I am very interested in the job, even if I'm not (since I just want to make money). The position paid $21 an hour. At the end of the interview, I asked to see how the nougat was made, he agreed, but after he interviewed the other guy.

I thought I had this in the bag since I've never heard of anyone bringing their mom to their interview. She was practiacally changing his diapers in front of everyone. After about 10 minutes, the 3 of them came out and David told us to follow him. He guided us to the back of the warehouse. There were a lot of baking sheets on racks everywhere. Making nougat was a small part of their business with the biggest part being cookies. He took us to a room that was about the size of a 3 regular living rooms. It was really hot in there. Plus the rotating drum where the almonds are roasted was really loud. He got Tony, diaper boy, to put on a hairnet and gloves as he was doing a trial with the 2 workers. I got to help out smooth the nougat onto the rice paper. It was super gooey.

After about 30 mins of learning the whole process of how nougat is made, I talked to David. I asked him if Tony got the job and he said he was leaning towards him since he actually has experience making candy. Are you serious? Of all the people that I could be battling for the position, it's someone who's actually made candy before. What luck. I did get to try the nougat though. It tasted so good.

Well, as most people do, I made myself feel better that I didn't get the job by pointing out the cons of working there: it was super hot in the room and really loud. Plus it didn't seem very safe and the position was for 2 days a week, not full time. There, now I feel better haha. I didn't leave disappointed anyways. It was quite interesting and an experience to see first hand how nougat was made. Oh, the Australians pronounce it 'nu-gah', not 'nu-get'. Bunch of weirdos haha.

Day 130 - January 30

Since I didn't have any source of income, I stayed home again. I'm banking on the AMF bowling centre that I applied to about a week ago to contact me. It would be perfect since it's only a walk down the street from my house. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Day 129 - January 29

Once again, didn't do anything today. Boooooooooooourns.

Day 128 - January 28

After so many days of applying online and in person, I decided to be a bum and stay at home.

Day 127 - January 27

Met up with Jenn, Paul, Natalie, Tammy and Sandra (Sandra is also a friend of Natalie's). We ate at Go Go's Indian restaurant on Beaufort Street. This is one of the few streets that have restaurants and shops that open past 5:30pm. The food was pretty good. You can bring your own wine but they charge you $10 for a corking fee. What a rip off.

Afterwards we went to Tammy's place. I drove Jenn's car since her and Paul had some drinks. I'm getting the hang of manual. It was abot a 30 minute drive to her place. It was a really nice house. We sat in the backyard, had some drinks and chatted. Tammy and Natalie are huge supporters of Aboriginal rights. The Indigenous people in Australia have a similar story to Canada's where the 'white man' took over their land and culture.

We all chatted till 5:00am. It's been quite a long time since I've stayed up that long.

Day 126 - January 26

Today is Australia day, commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland.

Jenn's friend from Melbourne, whom I also met a couple of times, Natalie, came to Perth for a visit. It was great to see her again. She used to live in Perth as well. Jenn, Paul, Natalie and I went to the Havaianas thong challenge at Cottesloe Beach. It's $25 to attend the event and goes to charity. With that you also get a giant inflatible Havaianas thong. The challenge is to get as many people in the water on the inflatible thong at the designated time.

It was 42 degrees with no clouds in sight!! So hot!! There was a lot of people on the beach. I was in barefeet walking toward the tents to pick up our inflatible thongs, but the sand felt like hot coals. I tried walking on the pathway, but that wasn't any better. To get to the registration tents, I had to walk from shadow to shadow from other tents, trees and canopies. A couple of times I would even bury my feet deep in the sand where it was cooler. It was ridiculous.

Me... deep inside a thong...

Everyone waiting for instructions.

It was time and the the event coordinators told us all to get in the water. when we were instructed so that they could start counting the numbers.

The start of the challenge.

Soaking up the 42 degree rays.

Paul can't swin, so he needs constant supervision.

Lazy day for Jenn...

...and Natalie.

We broke the record for attendance! There was 2088 in the waters for Cottesloe, 1376 for Bondi Beach, 1236 for Torquay and 526 for Glenelg. I'm a piece of Australian history haha.

After lounging around in the giant thongs in the ocean, we left to go to an Aboriginal festival. Paul, Jenn and Nat were unable to drive so it was up to me.... they drive a standard car. It was time to see how well my driving game skills were. I stalled while trying to get out of the parking spot. What a great start. But then I made it all the way to the city without stalling again. That does it then, games really can transfer to real life. Time to put that light saber Jedi training game to good use haha. 

We passed by some kangaroo statues in the city.

 Mounting the unsuspecting kangaroo. 

Big Red Kangaroos can actually be that big.

 Paul pretending he's too cool to pose. 

 Me and my stealth skills. 

We met up with Nats friend Tammy, whom is the one that set up the festival. We walked around for a bit and watched a small concert. We stayed for about an hour then we headed back to my place where I made Paul and Jenn a chicken peanut satay dish.

It then started raining hardcore with loud thunder and bright lightning. Surprisingly the fireworks still went off for Australia day. The pictures looked awesome.

Day 125 - January 25

Nothing much today. Kinda sucks when your only 2 friends in the entire state are working haha.

Day 124 - January 24

Checked out the Aquarium (this actually happened on January 22, this is what happens when you don't keep up with blogs, you get days mixed up haha).


Jenn and Paul picked me up and we headed to the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA). It was located in the suburb of Hillarys, by the boat harbour. It looked like the expensive part of town, like a Beverly Hills feel to it. Nice houses, beautiful people, with upscale type of restaurants and shops.

An aerial shot of Hillarys boat harbour.
This is where all the nice shops and restaurants are located,
along with the aquarium.

If I were to live by Perth, Hillarys is where I would be.

There's even a beach and water slides!

The Aquarium had an underwater conveyor belt that slowly went around. This is the 10th largest aquarium in the world (the largest is the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta).

Jenn and Paul

Underwater Asian

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Green Leafy Sea Dragon

Yummy Octopus

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Jellyfish - Its movements look like pulses.

One with the Jellyfish

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Sea Horses

Rescued Sea Turtles

Port Jackson Shark in the petting pool

4 Rays

I got to pet the Port Jackson Shark. It felt like medium-rough sandpaper. It was weird.

After the Aquarium, we headed to a restaurant called Annalakshmi. This is the second place I've been to where you eat as you like and pay what you feel. This place a bit different to Lentil in Melbourne. Though they both have the same 'pay what you feel concept', Lentil served random vegetarian food, whereas Annalakshmi served vegetarian Indian/Malaysian/Sri Lankan cuisine. This is their concept: "Food is essential for one's existence. However one is limited by the amount one can consume. Annalakshmi welcomes guests from all walks of life where one pays what his/her heart feels. This facilitates the generosity of some to do a noble deed of providing for the less fortunates through the services of Annalakshmi. Annalakshmi,the "mother" of sustenance sits on the banks of the Swan and provides an ambient atmosphere where vegetarian dining is a cultural experience".

They didn't list what the food was but it was tasty.

Ok, now we can move onto what I actually did on January 24. I went to the museum, located beside the Perth State Library.

Giant clawed King Crab. Should be served with 10 lbs of butter.

Genish

Throne of Weapons

The Throne of Weapons is made of weapons used in the Mozambique Civil War from 1977-1992, which claimed almost 1 million lives and left 5 million people displaced. It represents both the tragedy of that war and the huamn triumph of those who achieved a lasting peace.

I passed by a great marketing piece from the church.


Accept? or Delete?

Day 123 - January 23

When I was at the mall yesterday, I also checked out some stores that I wanted to apply at. I went to the Morley library and signed up for a library card so that I could use their computers to print out my resumes. I applied at retail stores and cafe shops. I applied at my favorite store Roger David, but their company isn't looking to hire working holiday visa holders. Booo.

Downtown Perth

I live about a 20 minute bus ride north of Perths downtown., which isn't too bad. Plus I only have to take 1 bus to get there. Always a bonus when you don't have to worry about interchanging buses. Of course, it's better to have a car and not worry about a bus at all!

Trying to eat a bit more healthy by making a chicken salad.

Day 122 - January 22

Mostly applied online at home. As I've mentioned before, as a traveller, you can't expect to get a decent job too fast. It all takes time. I'm glad that I found a place to live so fast as I did. Hopefully a job offer comes soon.

Went to the mall to pick up more groceries. Passed by a Calendar Club and they had a strange calendar.

Really?! Beautiful Cows? That's really weird. Apparently they are the 'Most Handsome' as well. And you would think that they would have this in Calgary, but even we know that's ridonkulous.

Day 121 - January 21

Jenn, Paul and I drove out to see the Pinnacles, about a 2.5 hour drive out of Perth.

Rocks that look like fingers sticking out of the ground in the middle of nowhere.

There were many stories behind the origins of pinnacles. We didn't care. As you can clearly see below, we just liked that everything was in the shape of a penis.

Err... I'm hugging this rock...

Hope Jenn's mom doesn't see this.

Once you've seen the first couple of Pinnacle rocks, you've seen them all. It looks like an endless field of rocks. How the Pinnalces formed is still a mystery. Simple scientific theories include: dead vegetation, old tree stumps. Spiritual/Cultural theories include: tombstones, fingers, fossilised ghosts. Funny theories include: Earth's many giant penis'. (Guess which theory I made up?!)

After the Pinnacles, we drove along Indian Ocean Drive to a small town called Cervantes and swam in the Indian Ocean. The water was very warm. It was the warmest waters I've ever been in. There was no need to go in slowly to get used to the water. Just went straight in and it was awesome!

It was time for lunch. We drove to a lookout point along the highway and cooked kangaroo burgers on a gas stove. The burger was delicious. The lookout was nothing though. Not sure who thought it was a look out.

The Irish chef at work.

Tasty 'roo burgers.

I think it used to say 'lookout of crappiness'

Along the highway we say mountains of white stuff that looked like it was dumped there.

Is it snow? or salt mounds?

or God's heroin stash? We'll never know until we snort it.

Watch out for Kangaroos, Emu's, Enchidna's and CRAZY ASIANS!!!

On our way back to the city we all decided to watch The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Great movie!