It’s 11 am. I work today, but had the last two days off. While I didn’t get up early, I didn’t sleep too late. However, I didn’t get up and do my yoga or go for a walk as I should have. Instead, I had cereal and toast and read more of my book!
Then – just because I could – I ate the last “Neenish Tart”, picked up yesterday in Northam. It was a very indulgent morning treat – a small tart crust filled with raspberry jam and icing sugar (“mock cream”) and then coated with white and brown chocolate! Mmm, it was yummy! I held my guilty feelings at bay and just enjoyed the taste instead! I’m feeling a bit fat lately – as I’ve been eating too much and not exercising enough – but this morning I’m happy with my little belly. Afterall, I’ll be back to backpacker rations in less than 3 weeks (more about that later though).I’ve been reading a new book this week “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s a GREAT book, especially for women dealing with depression or loneliness.
It’s a very well written biographical account of this writer’s journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia – she lives in each country for 4 months in a continuous year. It’s a lovely book because its humorous, full of accurate observations of the world, and is a great example of how someone in the depths of despair can bring themselves back into the world and be happy with themselves. I can think of a person or two that should read the book actually – people that need to know how to be happy being alone. Anyhow – what I’m trying to get at is that I just finished the Italy portion of the book. For her, this is her pursuit of pleasure country. She goes to Italy for the sole purpose of learning the language for no reason. 
She has taken a vow of celibacy for the year (yes, in Italy!), so her indulgence in life’s pleasures are restricted to her joy for the language and the country’s culinary delights. Oh! The food she describes! I think that’s why I’ve been eating so much lately!!! LOL Oh how I want to indulge in gelatos and pastries – hence the Neenish Tart purchase yesterday – and to eat a pizza that ends all pizzas! I would also love to be able to put words and antidotes together as well as this women; she is a great writer! I’ll have to look up some of her fiction someday. Well – that’s my book review! LOL. I haven’t even finished the book, but find it worth recommending.As for life in Cunderdin…..
As I mentioned, I made it out of town yesterday (Wed, 17 June). I caught a ride into the big town of Northam (about 9,000 people I believe).
Karen, the co-manager and wife of one of the pub owners, had some errands in town so she took me along. After unsuccessfully searching the grocery store for some lupine flour chocolate cookies (by Bodhi Bakery), I settled on the Neenish tarts. And yes, I did say lupine flour; apparently is quite healthy and the crop is great way to get nitrogen back in the soil! I actually was going to not buy anything, but then I couldn’t figure out how leave the store without going through a checkout stand. I felt it would be silly to stand in line not to buy anything! Plus, I figured a 4 pack of tarts would be a good thing to share with Karen as a thank you. I was actually quite glad 
I’d bought the tarts, as Karen ended up meeting me by the river and buying me a coffee. So we had a coffee and tarts while we enjoyed the sun, cool breeze (almost to cool), and watched the river as the peppercorn tree shed its small, thin leaves. I found it quite amusing that Northam is the only place in Australia where the introduced white swan still has a colony! They are proud of this colony, as it is such a rare bird in Australia – even if it is introduced. All other swans in Australia are black; the black swans of New Zealand come from Australia.After a walk across the Avon River swing bridge, Karen had a yak with a friend of hers and I took pictures of the various ducks mobbing the kids with bread. There were a few “pied stilt”-like
birds wading around, and I didn’t snap a picture of the white faced heron standing on the stagnant shores – perched on a submerged branch between two pieces of litter. Next, we headed back to the main road and into the mall. I’d already had a look in the mall, but had nothing better to do than tag along. We had a look at all the lovely skirts and tops that, even at 50% off, were a bit pricey for our pockets. Oh, there was a lovely purple plaid skirt though – with purple velvet trim. Oh, and an absolutely superb black velvet jacket/top – the short kind that is in style, stopping far above the waist – that would be an oh so perfect finish to an opera dress (mom and I should be attending a performance i
n the Sydney opera house on her November visit – I think she is considering “The Taming of the Shrew”). Next, we had a look about the shoe store. I had already found several beautiful black pairs in my earlier solo trip through the mall, but this time I actually went into the shop and had a better look. Here is where I fell in LOVE!!! Never once did it occur to me to actually try the lovely magenta (?) high heels on. I didn’t actually have anything to wear them with or a place to wear them to, but oh how I love them. I still love to look at the pictures! And oh how I wish, now, that I had at least tried to walk in the steep heels! I did really want to buy them and find an outfit later! LOL!I did end up buying a map book of Western Australia. I’m quite excited about it, as it has
pictures of animals and plants as well as an easy to understand organizational system. Now I can plan my west coast adventure, as well as my southern week with Dave…. Oh – I’m getting so ahead of myself! So much to tell!My Wednesday off work was completed with a night of board games with some new friends. I met Ben, Clair, and Adrian at the pub on Friday night.
Their faces were familiar, but I’d never had a good yak with them. Friday night Ben was talkative to both me and Theresa and I even had a dance with him – well, he said he could swing dance, but really he couldn’t!
He was relying on me to teach him the moves! It was quite fun and I got on with them all well. So, when they were adamant about wanting people to come to their house after pub close for an after party I said yes. I wasn’t sure Theresa wanted to go, but figured I’d get a lift with Karen and Theresa back home and then walk. Well, we ended up picking Tom and Craig up too, as they were still in front of the pub (we had met Trucker Tom on our first weekend in Cunderdin when Leena brought people home, and we met Craig the weekend Leena left Cunderdin – I had to kick Craig out and didn’t get to bed until 5am – I’m sure it’s in my last blog.). Anyhow, Karen picked these two good guys up and ended up dropping all of us off at Ben and Claire’s house. They were stoked to have people at their house and I was stoked to meet more good people. It was a fun night – with heaps of good photos taken on Theresa’s camera (which I don’t have yet – sorry). Around 2 am Theresa and I decided we should take our drunk friends back to our house and quit harassing our new (also drunk, but tired looking) friends. At 5am we got Tom and Craig out our door and ourselves into bed. (It was a long, tired Saturday the next day). So – that’s how I met my new friends – Claire and Adrian are teachers while Ben works in Northam (45 minute drive). It was that Friday night that I was invited to “Boardgame Wednesday”. So – last night was a really good time. I ate a bit of food before going over, as I didn’t want to eat too much of the Indian Ben had brought home – but it was very good Indian food from the only
Indian restaurant in Northam; the popadoms were so light and crisp! Tom came over for the game too, as we needed to even out the teams and he had nothing else going on. We ended up playing “Cranium” – a very fun game that is basically Charades, Pictionary (sometimes with your eyes closed), Trivial Pursuit, and many more games rolled into one. It was fun and difficult. Tom and I didn’t win, but we didn’t come in last either! Afterwards, we tried a round of “Scattegories” – a game that I find stressful and very difficult (I can’t be bothered to explain it here either!).I’d say that’s been the highlight of events here in Cunderdin – making friends is a big highlight for me! While I have been extremely slack in sticking to my exercise routine, I
do still get up Cunderdin hill on my nights off and view the sunsets. I went for a 2 hour walk on Tuesday, 16 June. I just walked down the road a long ways, but got a few pictures – including the green of the crops that are starting to peak out of the ground! In other news……My plans for further travel:
I should be leaving the pub in July. I believe I have Sunday 5 July off work, so Saturday 4 July should be my last night at the pub.
Guess I should really wear red, white and blue huh? I expect to head straight up the west coast to get to Coral Bay and FINALLY catch a whale shark tour! I have been looking at my options for getting there and have been thinking I’ll end up taking the Easy Rider bus. It’s not really my style – as it’s a tourist bus – but it allows me to jump off and on at any number of towns and tourist attractions, making it the easiest way to see the sights. However, I did get online yesterday and post an advertisement for a travel partner on 2 sites. One site was CouchSurfing (CS), which my readers might be familiar with – I met Karen and Colin (New Zealand) through CouchSurfing. I also posted an ad on “Gumtree” – an online community where you can buy/sell/trade things, meet people, have discussions, or find rideshares and travel partners. I was quite surprised that less than 5 hours after posting my ad I had a text of enquiry! After a couple more texts this morning I’ve found that a female teacher in Perth has 3-19 July off work and owns an old car. She loves hiking and the outdoors, but, like me, is a bit unfit at the moment. I’m going to try to get a ride into Perth on Sunday – my next day off – to meet her! Hopefully we hit it off and I can save the large expense of the Easy Rider bus while also sharing the adventure with someone cool. It would be a shorter trip than I had wanted, but only by a week. As I need to back in Perth by 25 July anyway – as Dave is flying in!!!Dave’s Visit:
Both Dave and I are really excited by his visit. We honestly didn’t expect to see each other again until December, when he is meeting me on the east coast for Christmas
(we are hoping to celebrate the holidays with his relatives in Brisbane). Dave and I are still in fairly constant contact – texting most every day, emailing whenever I have internet access (I just copy and paste my e-mails for reading and typing on my laptop), and, since I’ve found that I can use my calling card without being charged on my cell phone minutes, we have actual conversations occasionally too. We are both still very much in love with each other and looking forward to my return to New Zealand – where I will hopefully be granted a work visa through partnership immigration. However, we both still very much miss each other. Dave isn’t exactly jealous of my travels and adventures, but he does wish he could be with me on them. While I am very much enjoying making friends and traveling by myself (I do very much enjoy my time alone), I too wish he could share some of my journeys. 26 July, 2009 will be one year from the day that Dave and I met – a very important date to both of us, as it pretty much changed our perspectives and life plans! Falling in love and settling down was the FARTHEST thing from my mind when I met Dave! Finding another girl and falling in love was the last thing on Dave’s too! So, it’s a bit bizarre that I’m ready to give up my travels to go back to NZ for him and he’s ready to give up his comfort zone (and possibly car!?) to accompany me around the world someday (he is very much looking forward to visiting my family in Idaho for Christmas 2010!).So – last month I was thinking about our one year anniversary. I was thinking I would need to be somewhere with reception s
o I could give him a call and we could be all gooey together – happy of the date but sad we weren’t together for it. I was thinking it would be cool, though impossible, for Dave to visit Western Australia (WA) for our anniversary. I knew he couldn’t get time off work and we would both be broke. However, he did get time off work! And with him using his air miles to get to Sydney, and my using my airline miles to get him to Perth and back, we’ve spent very little money! Obviously we’ll spend heaps on car rental, gas, accommodation, food, and fun, but it’s going to be money well spent! Dave and I plan on spending many, many more years of our lives together, so the memories we make on his weeklong visit (yes, it’s only a short 8 full day visit) will be priceless! If I am able to save money traveling with this teacher up north, than I should have plenty to contribute to our South West Coast road trip! I am hoping to get a job again – either here in Cunderdin, back at the pub, or elsewhere – after Dave leaves; giving me a distraction from his being gone while building my bank account back up for more travels and meeting mom.Back to Reality:
Well, that’s me. I’m very much looking forward to the upcoming month of July. Heck, I’m looking forward to Sunday –
when I may potentially meet up with a very important Australian contact! Oh – a note on my days off. Theresa and I are the only backpackers at the pub now. Brian has hired a few locals to work in the kitchen and I think the newest hire will be behind the bar too (as she is actually over 18 – the legal drinking age). Since there are only 2 of us though, we have some really weird days off. Brian doesn’t want to be unfair and give the same girl every Sunday off – as there are more people about town and things to do. So, we end up with a short work week and a long work week. Basically, I worked 7 days in a row (Tuesday through Monday) and really, really needed my last 2 days off work (Tuesday and Wednesday). I am now off to work today – though not until 5pm, so I basically have another half day. I will work Thursday through Saturday (all of 3 days!) and then have Sunday and Monday off before starting my 7 day work week again. It’s odd, but it’s okay. Wow – I can’t believe I only have 2 more short weeks and a long one to go! That is, assuming Brian doesn’t mess with the schedule now that he’s hired people…..Oh – I’m not sure if I’ve ever explained the way my position works either. Basically I am a bar maid –
yes, people actually call me “bar maid”, along with “honey” and “luv”. Sometimes, twice so far, I help clean the motel rooms and, before Brian hired more locals, I worked the kitchen too. I get paid $400 a week – after taxes and superannuation fund deductions. So, by the time I leave here – 7 weeks of work – I should have about $2800 to play with! Which is good, as I think I arrived in Australia with all of 500 or 800 Australian Dollars!! I don’t pay rent and I don’t pay for meals. I do have to eat at the pub, but I can make things that aren’t on the menu – like a veggie sandwich. I do end up eating far too many chips (fries), but I can generally make healthy-ish choices too. LOL. We can also take food back to the house, such as bread, fruit, milk, cereal, etc.Pictures
Well, it’s Friday (19 June) afternoon now – I go back to work in a few hours, but had to get this posted when I checked my mail. Most of the pictures I’ve chosen to post should be self explanatory –
sunsets, ducks from Northam, the shoes I love, etc. But the two with people are of me (obviously) and Theresa and also Theresa and Craig. I still haven’t gotten Theresa’s pictures transferred to my computer, so I can’t post the ones from last Friday night’s escapades. I should be getting another blog posted next week though – as I’ll have a night in Perth to recount as well as my meeting with Becks (the teacher I’m meeting). One of my regular bar customers is heading into Perth on Sunday and back to Cunderdin on Monday – so I’ll have a night in Freemantle after meeting my prospective travel partner! Should be fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment