Monday, November 30, 2009

Kangaroos & Cricket

The thermometer registered 33 degrees centigrade, letting us know summer is definitely here! Perth weather is a bit tricky -- the cool breeze from the ocean makes you forget how intense the sun's rays are, resulting in sunburns and worse. Sunscreen is a must. Vince and I spent the weekend investigating our neighborhood on foot. First the zoo, which is one block away from our apartment. We headed straight for the kangaroo enclosure, hoping to catch the kangas at play. They were mostly laying around sunning themselves. I coaxed a younger "roo" to wander over and to my delight, he decided to snack on the branches in front of me. I was close enough to pet him, but caution took over. As if on cue, after a few photos he decided he had posed long enough for us and returned to lounge land.

Next, the park which is across the street from the zoo and next to the golf course. We happened upon a cricket match in progress, and I couldn't resist snapping a few pics. Full cricket gear for a friendly neighborhood game. As soon as I learn more about the game I'll report back. I still don't understand how it works, but I pledge to figure it out.

Cricket and Kangaroos


Last stop, the beach. There are 19 beaches in Perth alone, but we checked out Scarborough Beach, which boasted beautiful white sand, clear blue water and high winds that afternoon. Windsurfers were making the most of the day. Here are some photos to help you forget that it is winter in the US. Guess Santa will come in on a surfboard this year...

Scarborough Beach

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Getting Settled in Perth

Australia --it's gorgeous, the weather is beautiful, and we feel so blessed to be here. Vince has been extremely busy at work since the day we arrived. We arrived late on Thursday, November 12th about 11:30pm. The next day Vince went to the office and I pounded the pavement, looking for estate agents and a place to rent. We were told it would take a month to find a place, but I found a place my first day! (Definitely a God thing) It's a two-bedroom flat on the 7th floor of a high-rise building on the south bank of the Swan River. We have a fabulous view of the Perth skyline, and we enjoy watching folks rowing, sailing and jetskiing on the river during the weekends. There is a path along the river where we can walk or bicycle, and we are literally a stone's throw from the trendy restaurant area of the city. It is very different from life in the 'burbs, and we are making the most of it :)

If you want to send snail mail (Christmas cards?), our address is:
30/87-89 South Perth Esplanade
Perth WA 6151
Australia

The IT guys at Vince's office are working on getting us a phone number that can be dialed locally but reach us here in Perth. I will keep you posted!

Today I will regale you with tidbits and stories that are informative and amusing and maybe both! We'll start with the car... we are renting a white Hyundai Elantra which is almost new. That is, until I hit a pillar in the parking lot while trying to get out of a postage stamp-sized parking space. The only damage was a small chip of paint removed, but then the next day I hit a fire extinguisher attached to the same pillar while trying to back out of the same parking space. Arrgh! Vince came up with the brilliant idea of backing into the space when returning, so I won't have to deal with said pillar any more. I was mildly gratified to observe that it took him several attempts to back into the space successfully. We are both improving with practice. Then there is driving on the road... it's not too hard to drive on the left side, as long as you (a) remember "passengers to the curb" which is Australian for "look to your left to make sure you don't hit anybody," (b) take care when turning right (turning left is easy) and (c) keep in mind that turn signals are on the right side of the steering column and windshield wipers are on the left. We are keeping a running tally of how many times we turn on the wipers instead of signaling. Vince is ahead, 11-7.

Having a car is very convenient, but the public transportation is so good that you don't need to use the car in the city. Parking costs are exorbitant, so we just take the ferry across the river to the CBD (Central Business District) when we want to spend time downtown. Vince takes the ferry to work every morning. Our flat is literally steps away from the ferry dock, and his entire commute is less than 20 minutes. Once the ferry docks on the other side, he catches the Blue Cat bus which drops him off in front of his building. Buses are free in the CBD, which keeps them flowing smoothly (don't have to wait for folks to find their money or make change) and encourages people to use them.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which is just another workday here. We've been invited to dinner at the home of some new American friends (also from Houston), and my task is to make a pumpkin pie. There is a store which sells "foreign food" and it just might carry canned pumpkin. If not, I'll think of something else. Food -- another topic for another post. Meanwhile, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Lots of Love from Vince/Dad & Anita

P.S. Check out our photos of Perth via this link
First Views of Perth

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Photos of Hong Kong

For various reasons it has taken a while to upload photos, but here is a start. Follow the link to photos we took during a stopover in Hong Kong on the way to Perth. I should have Perth photos by tomorrow! Hope all is well and Thanksgiving preparations are in full swing!
Hong Kong

Monday, November 16, 2009

First Impressions

Day 4 in Perth and I finally made it across the river to the CBD, or Central Business District. It's a small city by American standards, but it is packed with skyscrapers, indoor and outdoor shopping malls and even several parks. There is quite a bit of green space, which makes urban dwelling very pleasant and offers tourists many photo opportunities. I was on a quest for hangers, in preparation for the move to our flat. Unsure where to start, I took the blue CAT bus line (buses are free in the CBD) until I saw something that looked like a mall. Within minutes I found a Target, of all things. I've never been so happy to see that red and white logo! It's very different from what we're used to in the States. Foods like fresh meat and produce are fairly reasonably priced, but "finished goods" like towels, clothing and furniture are very expensive. Electronics (computers, etc.) are almost prohitively expensive. Not sure how anyone can afford the computers and cell phones, but with a robust economy and low unemployment, there is a way.

On Saturday we journeyed to Fremantle, a coastal city about 20 miles from Perth. It reminded me of the old town section of Galveston before hurricane Ike smashed through it. There is a charming old train station and many shops, as well as an impressive World War II memorial and an active sailing community. My favorite spot was the market which sold spices from huge barrels and at least 25 different varieties of olive oil. They're on the metric system here, so I will need to be careful what I ask for until I get in the habit of thinking in grams and liters. There were many jewelry shops there also -- Australians are enamored with opals, which are mined locally.

The weather is similar to Houston in spring and it has been quite humid. This is rare for Perth, I am told, and is caused by the unusually high amount of rainfall they received during the winter. It is relieved each afternoon by the "Fremantle Doctor," the name Australians have given tot he daily breeze which rushes in from the ocean each afternoon around 4:00pm. Temperature is recorded in centigrade, and it has been hovering around 25 degrees (about 80 F) since we arrived.

I hope to post pictures in the next day or so, as soon as I can get them uploaded. Meanwhile, it's time to get packed up again for the move to our new flat! There is a second bedroom, so anyone who can make it here for a visit is welcome to stay with us. Until next time...

28 Hours to Paradise

We're in Perth at last. Our route was Houston to San Francisco, then to Hong Kong and finally to Perth. We had an 8-hour layover in Hong Kong, we decided to get out and go exploring. We took the express train from the airport to the island and a short taxi ride to "The Peak." Hong Kong is very hilly and this is the tallest one, affording spectacular views of the city skyline, both in HK and Kowloon. We walked the 3-mile nature trail which felt like being in the middle of a rain forest. I'll post photos as soon as I can upload them from my camera! We had just enough time for a quick lunch and a ride downhill on the Peak Tram. All that walking tired us out enough to sleep during the last leg of the flight from HK to Sydney. Interesting... the seats in this aircraft were "sleep pods" which extended out into actual beds. I felt like I was on board the starship Enterprise but appreciated the ability to rest. We arrived in Perth at 10:30pm, a little disoriented but happy to be here.

It is beautiful here. We're staying in a "serviced apartment" on the bank of the Swan River, which runs along the south border of the city. Vince takes a ferry across the river to work. His door-to-door commute is less than 20 minutes! Within 24 hours Vince was at work and I found us a flat to rent. It's in South Perth, a stone's throw from the ferry and very close to "Mends Street," which is considered quite trendy and has lots of great restaurants. We have already enjoyed meals at the Tandoori and Italian eateries. Our hotel room features a tiny kitchen, so we can make coffee and cook meals here. A good thing, since I haven't seen a Starbucks anywhere. I think we're going to love this place!

Friday, November 6, 2009

A New Adventure

It was over a dinner of pot roast and veggies when Vince asked "how do you feel about living in Australia for a while?" I think "woo-hoo!" covers it. So begins our adventure. We're not there yet, but visas permitting we will depart next week. Meanwhile, we've packed and stored our furniture, sent ahead an air shipment of clothing and other necessities, and arranged for a wonderful family to house-sit for us and take loving care of our two cats, Oscar and Finney.

For most of my life I have lived far away from family members: Boston, London, Houston, and now Perth. Same for Vince, whose siblings are in San Antonio. I used to write letters, but it gets harder and harder to find the time. Email made things easier, especially when Dad joined the online revolution. Now I'm asking family and friends to take it one step further and follow this blog. I know you can do it!

Vince will be managing the Australia and New Zealand practice of his company for the next 9 months or so. I will be in charge of household affairs, travel/vacation planning, social calendar, blogging, and helping Vince be successful in this business endeavor. I hope this blog will entertain and inform and perhaps inspire its readers. Please use the comment section to stay in touch, or send emails to me at vetteroo@gmail.com .

More to come later!
Anita