Transitions

This week marks our 8th month in Perth. We celebrated by purchasing a car and getting Australian Driver's licenses. Not exactly, but we did recently become the proud owners of a gray 2008 Ford Fiesta complete with automatic transmission, in mint condition, and low mileage. Ignoring the fact that all the kids now drive nicer cars than we do, Vince especially likes that the turn signals are on the left side of the steering column, just like in the states. No more windshield wipers going when he's trying to make a turn!

The car purchase is necessary because we are about to switch from expat status to the local payroll, which is bringing about all kinds of changes. We're giving up some benefits in exchange for others, so we had to give up the Hyundai i30. I'm happy to say that in the Ford Fiesta I have not bumped into a single post, nor have I ever scraped the car while parking. Some interesting facts about driving and car insurance in Western Australia.

• Australia has compulsory third party insurance which you must pay to the government when you register your car.
• If you have an accident and you are found to have been drinking alcohol, your insurance company will not pay damages for you or the other party.
• The same thing applies if you have been "driving recklessly," e.g. texting or talking on a cell phone, etc.
• Police can (and frequently do) conduct random breathalyser tests on any driver they suspect of "drink driving." If you refuse, you go to jail.

Strict stuff, but there are a lot fewer accidents here than in Texas and California. Maybe they should try it in the U.S. too.
 
It's taking a while to furnish the apartment. IKEA has become my new best friend, although I laughed the first time friends suggested it. Furniture, like many things, is outrageously expensive here. We've found some bargains though, mostly from departing expat families who either have too much furniture to ship to their new destination or don't want to take it home with them.  We now have a proper computer desk and a very cool wall shelving unit full of large cubes which hold baskets and other neat storage containers. This is the stuff that blows my hair back -- finding a place for everything and everything in its place. My boxes of scrapbook stuff now have proper homes and I might actually finish a few of them this year :-)

And the weather is changing a bit. It's getting a little warmer, the days are getting a little longer and to Vince's great joy, the first blueberries have appeared in supermarkets. It has been one of the dryest winters Western Australia has seen in some years, and folks are worried about the crops, but there are 2 months left of rainy season, so sit may work out. Encouraged by the sunny days, I am already thinking about what to do in warm weather. On my list are sailing lessons, tennis, and having "shrimp on the barbie."

Australian Politics

Australia is having a General (national) Election in two weeks. The campaigning period has been short and it's a close race. I'm not sure whether to be pleased or disappointed to learn that Australian politics can be just as confusing, underhanded and interesting as the American version.

In early May the Labor government introduced a 40% "supertax" on the profits of mining companies, which angered executives and unions across the country, but especially those in Western Australia where there's an enormous mining boom going on. WA residents are none too happy about paying out the bulk of the $12 Billion this tax would generate. In response to this action, mining industry folks aired some very clever TV and radio commercials featuring average Aussies. They're worried about a potential  mining industry collapse, job losses and mining customers going to other countries because Australian goods would become too expensive.  Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister and head of the Labor Party wouldn't budge on the tax, and the party's popularity plummeted. Panicked Labor Party leaders met in secret to figure out how to fix the problem. On June 24th Australia awoke to headlines that Kevin Rudd had been ousted in a coup and that Deputy Leader Julia Gillard had become Australia's first female Prime Minister. The vote took place very late the night before, surprising everyone, including Kevin Rudd. It worked. Julia Gillard immediately spoke of compromise with the miners and the poll numbers picked up again. After only 3 weeks in office, Julia Gillard called a General Election, to take advantage of the honeymoon period and the improved opinion of the Labor Party.


However... the opposition leads by a small margin, which they have held onto for most of the campaign. There has much talk but no action on reducing the Supertax, which is not impressing the mining industry who are traditional Labor supporters. We've seen the usual finger pointing, charges of dirty tricks, the debates, and promises of good things to come if so-and-so is elected. Individual races for MP (Member of Parliament) are especially important because Australians do not elect a President. The leader of the party with the most seats in Parliament becomes the Prime Minister. So... depending on how the election goes, Julia Gillard could become Australia's first elected female Prime Minister or the shortest-tenured one, and the Liberal Party could win back the leadership they lost in 2007, making their leader Tony Abbott the next Prime Minister.

Keeping facts straight is a bit of a challenge because Party names don't mean the same here as they do in the US. The Labor party is the left-leaning one, and the Liberals are more to the right. Julia Gillard has crafted an image of a centrist moderate, but she's an atheist (wouldn't put her hand on the Bible for her swearing-in oath), unmarried (lives with her "partner") and has no children. She was once secretary of the group Socialist Forum, and a helped found Emily's List, a group which raises money to help elect pro-choice women to Parliament. Not so average or moderate, actually. Tony Abbott, leader of the oppostion Liberal party, isn't liberal at all. He is a Roman Catholic and once studied for the priesthood (his political enemies called him "the mad monk") and is now married with 3 children. He holds degrees in Law (as does Gillard) and Economics, and began his career as a journalist.

I have the luxury of being entertained by all this because I cannot vote and our stay here is temporary. Still, if the supertax goes through there will be economic repercussions which could negatively impact the oil and gas industry, which is a bit worrisome.Here are some interesting facts about the Australian voting system.

--> Government is dominated by two main parties: Labour and Liberal. Labour is liberal and Liberal is conservative. The Liberal party is also known as The Coalition because it incorporates some other parties which have fewer than 5 members.
--> The Green party is the largest "minor" party. Minority parties often hold the balance of power in Parliament.
--> Although Australia is an independent nation, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is also formally Queen of Australia. 
--> Elections are frequent. They must be held within 3 years of the first meeting of a new Parliament.
-->  All citizens over the age of 18 must vote in both federal and state government elections. Failure to do so may result in a fine or prosecution. (What a great idea!)

The election will be held on Saturday, August 21st. One way or another, history will be made that day.

This and That

I'm chalking up the lapse in blog entries to writer's block and the challenge of getting settled into our new apartment. We are two floors higher than before, and have about 270 degrees of view vs. 180 at the old place. Not to mention an extra bedroom, bathroom, living space, a normal-sized, gleaming stainless steel refrigerator and two parking spaces. Haven't put a scratch on the car since we moved in.  

Perth sunrise: view from my kitchen window. Makes me want to do the dishes!

We're slowly furnishing the apartment. I know the layout of the IKEA store by heart. Eight stores and seven hours of shopping netted me a travertine-topped dining table, 6 microfiber (like suede but easier to clean) chairs and a buffet made of Marra (pronounce marree) wood.  We barely got unpacked when it was time for our first inspection. In Australia the owner of a residence has the right to inspect it as often as every 6 weeks. Typically, the real estate agent or a hired third party service does it. Sounds a bit big brother-ish to me but hey, renters can't be choosers. We passed our first inspection with flying colors. From the inspector's comments I must conclude that there is an epidemic of soap scum spreading to shower doors all over Perth, and I've heard they're thinking of making it a felony to have a dirty kitchen floor. :-D  I still love this place, and will take more photos and share them soon.

Next time... Australian blood sport - oops, I mean politics!

America's Superb Export

A couple of weeks ago I discovered a friend from Texas had been living in Perth for several months and neither of us knew the other was here! She has been making the most of her time, including volunteering her time and skills at local charities. Last week I went with her to visit the Pregancy Problem House, a pregnancy resource center in Nollamara, a northern suburb of Perth. I've commented before that Perth reminds me of cities in America in the 1960s and this place fits that description too -- on the outside. It's an older house converted into a welcoming place for teens and young adults who are pregnant (or think they might be), with counseling services, childbirth and parenting classes, and a brand spanking new 4d color ultrasound machine, plus every possible thing a newborn or new mom could need. There are centers in Texas that are not this advanced or well-equipped.  Here's a a link http://www.pregnancyproblemhouse.com.au/

How is it that a non-profit, non-government supported charity can be so leading edge when so many businesses and organizations are not? Answer: they have learned from the Americans. The Director of the Pregnancy Problem House is Australian who has spent most of her life in Perth, but lived in Illinois for a few years and volunteered at pregnancy resource centers in different parts of the US midwest. She set up the center in Perth using the American model, and she keeps the center up to date by participating in American and international organizations which specialize in this kind of care. I am impressed and pleased to know that young women, couples and families have a place to go for pregnancy testing, counseling, free healthcare referrals, baby furniture and diapers, and all the things infants and their parents need. They are a Christian organization too, but like the one I worked with in Katy, Texas, their first concern is for the emotional and physical well-being of the people who walk through their doors. It's a busy and cheerful place, and the warmth and care for people is evident in the comfortable surroundings and first-class services.

It shouldn't come as any surprise that I am going to join their organization as a volunteer. After 8 years away, it's time to use my pregnancy resource center experience to help others. Perhaps this is a partial answer to the question "What is God's purpose for me here?"  I will share more as I get better acquainted with the Perth version of this wonderful ministry.

Foundation Day

Today is Foundation Day, when Western Australians celebrate the founding of their state. Their history is not unlike the U.S. - in 1826 a small British Army outpost settled on the beach at Albany (think Plymouth Rock), which is about as far south and west as you can get in Australia. A year later Captain James Stirling of the Royal Navy led several boats full of English settlers (think the Nina, Pinta & Santa Maria) in explorations of the Swan River. Stirling spotted the coast, started the Swan River Colony there and became its first Lieutenant-Governor. Around the same time, Captain Charles Fremantle anchored off an island which he also claimed for Britain. This busy port and city is named after him. There is a tenuous yet charming connection between Oz and USA here. The story goes that on August 12, 1829 Helen Dance, wife of a ship's captain, cut down a tree to mark the founding of Perth, the capital of the colony (and now the state). Did she know about our first President's relationship with a cherry tree?

Reading between the lines of Wikipedia, I reckon the English settlers had issues with the locals (Aborigines), so much so that 5 years later Captain Stirling decided they needed an annual celebration of some sort. I guess having a great big party once a year helped folks get along, kind of like giving your kids a project to work on to keep them from killing each other :o> .Stirling picked June 1st as it coincided with the day his boat first spotted the coast as well as a significant British naval victory (over France) 40 years earlier.

Of course everybody gets the day off. In fact they celebrate it on the first Monday in June and make a 3-day weekend of it. We celebrated by indulging our inner gamblers. Vince has become interested in Poker lately and like a good engineer, has read several books on the subject: how to spot a bluff, winning strategies to use, etc. and then practiced his new skills at poker evenings with friends. Figuring we were ready for the big time, we joined another couple and visited the spiffy-looking casino in the Burswood Entertainment complex. Vince and his mentor, an experienced poker player, went off the to Poker Room to seek their fortunes while we ladies opted for the slots. We left our ATM cards at home, lest we be tempted to overdo things...

I started at the poker slots where a dollar buys you the chance to push a couple of buttons and pray for a win. This noisy, neon-lit, electronic machine offered 3 different games requiring pairs of jacks or better, kings or better, or traditional with deuces wild. We hung in there for about an hour, getting sucked in by small wins and eventually losing about $50 each. While my buddy took a rest room break I moseyed over to the keno machine, which allowed 20-cent bets. Now I don't even know what keno is, but you really don't have to. You don't even have to pull the handle any more - just push the "play" button. In a gambling fever I quintupled my bets to a dollar each and within 3 minutes got a full house! Hearing the whoop! whoop! whoop! of the machine and the sound of $50 worth of tumbling dollar coins dropping loudly into the tray sent my pulse racing. Woo-hoo - I won! And I recovered my "investment." :o)

Energized by this win, we cruised the casino floor for more exciting games to play. I was attracted to the craps tables but unwilling to risk that much money. After passing up dozens of slots with names like "Indian Princess" and "Pirate Millionaire" we decided to try our luck at "Diced Chicken." The guys eventually lost their stake and sought us out. They found us just as we were tiring of the game, which involved barnyard animals and golden eggs in a bingo-esque fashion. With the "help" of a fellow gambler who seemed more interested in flirting with us than winning, we were fast losing the contents of our gold-coin-filled plastic cups. Although I had a net loss, I scored the biggest win of the evening, which means I got to pay for dinner. Over pasta and chicken, the guys explained their losses: "the cards weren't good tonight," and "there were a lot of good players at our table so we couldn't bluff much." We thought of this as a learning experience, albeit a trifle expensive. Will I try it again? Hmm...

Old Friends and New

Someone once told me that the only certain thing in life is change. Part of the Expat learning curve is confronting the painful truth that family and friends in Houston did not put their lives on hold when we left, breathlessly waiting for our return. Change is part of their lives too! And it has certainly been true for the Perth Vetters this month, starting with our address. For those who want to send us cool things in the mail, our new address is:

Unit 6

152 Mill Point Road
S. Perth WA 6151
Australia

We packed up our old apartment before going on our Houston holiday, but we didn't count on Vince having to return to Houston two weeks after our vacation ended. So it's been nonstop lately. As I stayed in the US longer, we had only 3 days together between the time I arrived home in Perth and the time he left for Houston again. We used the time to finish the travel laundry and pack up the last few bits of our apartment. Then Vince rented a truck and we moved our things a couple of blocks up the road to our new place. We didn't have THAT much stuff, but the exercise still left us exhausted. The next morning Vince was off to Houston again and I began the journey of getting the gas, electricity and phone turned on. We have a land line now, which means we can try skype soon! If you have a skype account, please let us know so we can talk live via webcam.

Our new apartment is completely unfurnished. I am proceeding cautiously, looking for bargains on gumtree.com (Australia's version of Craig's List) and Quokka, Perth's version of the Green Sheet. So far I've bought a small leather sofa and 2 matching chairs and a double bed. I am grateful for new friends who willingly offered their truck to transport my finds to our new home. And of course, IKEA has featured prominently in my travels this week. They're just the best when it comes to solutions for storage and organization.

Tomorrow Vince returns from Houston to Australia, but instead of going to Perth, he'll stop in Brisbane to attend a conference. I will join him and finally get to see some more of Australia. I am especially excited about this trip because in addition to seeing Brisbane, I will be visiting my longtime friend Pat, who was my flatmate in London in 1984. We lost track of each other for a while but I found her last year, through her daughter's My Space page. She looked so much like her Mom that I took a chance and wrote her a note explaining how I knew Pat. Fortunately she didn't think I was an axe-murderer or online predator, and Pat and I reconnected last summer. We had no inkling that we would actually meet again, and in Australia of all places. But life is amazing and... full of change. She lives in a town called Hervey Bay (pronounced "Harvey Bay" which in photos looks a bit like Clear Lake/Kemah. So... another reunion and a great reason to explore some of Australia's east coast.

And speaking of old friends, it was wonderful to reconnect with Rick Wacula, "my intellectual friend" from USC days. Thanks for getting up early on a Sunday to have breakfast with Alice and me! And as if two friends from the past turning up wasn't enough, a third friend has also re-entered my life. Lisa Kraig, a friend and mentor from my Pregnancy Help Center days is now living in Perth (her husband works for ConocoPhillips) and looked me up recently. The city is filling up with Texans -- yay! Now all we have to do is teach folks here how to make real enchiladas and brisket.

It's late and I still have to pack, but I'll sign off with some photos from Dr. Bartner's 40th Anniversary gala at USC. Fight on!

Dr. Bartner thanking everyone for celebrating him, accompanied by this year's Trojan Marching Band, also known as TGMBITHOTU (The greatest marchingb and in the history of the universe!).

Prior to the gala was a reunion and memorabilia display. Here are the uniforms we wore back in the 70s. They didn't make gold boots in size 11 back then, so I bought white ones and spray painted them gold before every game! Note the white windbreaker in the far right corner -- you had to march for two seasons to earn it.

Just for fun - here is that 70s flag girl uniform in action at the USC vs. Cal Berkeley game c. 1974 :->

And today ... with my sister Alice who flew down from San Francisco to attend the gala with me.

Coach John Robinson, star quarterback Rodney Peete reminisce about special moments with Dr. Bartner and the Trojan Marching Band. Rodney Peete began the tradition of quarterbacks coming to band practice and conducting from the "God Tower." The band loved it and it really psyched up the team.

Friend and squad member Jeannine "Chickie" Zakaryan Barba and her significant other, Craig. Her nickname refers to her practice of bring along her favorite rubber chicken to many of our parties, dinners and other events when we were in band together.

The grand finale. A wonderful end to a glamorous and joyful evening!

California Dreaming

Can it be only 5 days since I arrived in Los Angeles? Feels like I've been here for years. Familiar landmarks made me feel at home: the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, The Hollywood sign, Palm trees galore and traffic-choked freeways, Inn-n-Out - the best burgers and fries anywhere. Time to visit the Knutson side of the family including my Mom, two sisters, niece and nephews. The pink UGG boots went over big with Michelle, and we all spent an evening at Miceli's restaurant on Cahuenga and Vine, where the waitstaff break into Italian arias and Broadway standards at the drop of a fork or by request. The wall of 8x10 glossies in the waiting area attest to the influence of "the biz" here. Young and talented dreamers still flock to this town in hopes of being discovered.

The next day took my Mom and me to Porterville, a small rural town nestled in the cetnral part of the state, south of Fresno and a short drive from Sequoia National Forest. We visited with my mom's friend and future traveling companion and talked about what to see and do in Australia. They did more visiting than planning, but at least they've got their passports. We can do the rest later. Then it was back to the San Fernando Valley, known as simply "The Valley" to Californians. I spent the next two days clothes shopping with my sister Dianne and hanging out with her family. A pleasant surprise was the affection shown by their cat Clover. I enticed her with a plastic ring from the top of a milk jug and she let me pet her. Maybe I'm on the rebound from Oscar and Finney's rejection, but I loved my moments of chin-scratching and playing with pieces of string. Clover is a few cards short of a deck, but she let me pet her and she thinks I'm okay, which was a big help to me. Guess I'll always need a cat in my life, even if it's 2,500 miles away.

The showcase of this visit was the 40th Anniversary gala celebration of the Director of the USC Trojan Marching Band, Dr. Arthur C. Bartner. They put on quite a show, with guest appearances from former coach John Robinson and notable USC alumni including football great Rodney Peete, Olympic gold medalist John Naber, singer Monica Mancini and musician Arturo Sandoval and many others. One of my favorite moments was the mini-concert given by the rock band War, who invited us all to sing along with them to the songs "Why Can't We Be Friends" and "Low Rider." It was wonderful to reconnect with so many fellow band members from the seventies and share what we've all been doing for the past 30+years!

This visit has been fun and rewarding, but it has also confirmed that Perth is now my home. I've enjoyed my time with family and friends but I miss Vince terribly. And I'm ready to drive on the left again, resume my morning walks along the Swan River, and play Mahjong with my favorite ladies.